QUARTERBACK
Carson Wentz - Philadelphia Eagles
Ownership: 60%
FAAB: $3-5
Waiver Priority: No
It’s no secret that Carson Wentz has looked like a fraud this season, but for fantasy, that doesn’t always matter. He’s been a fairly consistent producer, logging multiple touchdowns in all but one game, including a handful of rushing scores. Thus far, he’s on pace for 32 total touchdowns, with 11 of those coming on the ground, which certainly isn’t sustainable, but I expect a major bump up in production by way of his arm. To this point, the depleted Eagles have had to face off with Washington, the Rams, 49ers, Steelers, and Ravens, a tough slate to say the least (also played Cincy but who cares about them), but going forward, it looks like an absolute cakewalk. On Thursday night, they draw the G-Men, a formidable opponent for many FCS schools, and thereafter, get the Cowboys, Giants, Browns, Seahawks, Packers, Saints, Cardinals, and Cowboys all in a row. I’d be surprised if the total in any of these games, aside from maybe NYG, is below 50. Along with the schedule is the health of his weapons. Yes, Miles Sanders looks like he’s going to be missing some time, but he wasn’t doing him any favors, dropping a wide open TD this past week. Zach Ertz also disintegrated on the field, but he was dust before that, so not much was lost. Both Goedert and Reagor are eligible to return this week, so we’ll see how that plays out, but either way, it’s not going to get much worse than what he’s got right now, and with what he’s got right now, he logged three tugs against an elite defense. Wentz is an idiot, but he’s a fantasy relevant idiot, and should be a fringey QB1 going forward.
Justin Herbert - Los Angeles Chargers
Ownership: 54%
FAAB: $5
Waiver Priority: No
I feel like this is Yahoo not being accurate with ownership, but since he is technically below 60%, he made the list. We all know how good J Herbo has been since taking over in LA, so I’m not going to bore you with stats. Instead, I’ll just show his schedule: JAX, DEN, LVR, MIA, NYJ, BUF, (NE), ATL, LVR, DEN. Outside of that New England game, he profiles as a legit top-10 QB every single week with top-5 upside. If you’re streaming the position and he’s on your wire, he’s your answer.
Tua Tagovailoa - Miami Dolphins
Ownership: 8%
FAAB: $0-1
Waiver Priority: No
Y'all that got here early saw that I had Ryan Fitzpatrick on the list. It has come to my attention that his days as the starting QB in Miami are done. What does that mean? Well, it's looking like the QB the Dolphins shouldn't have taken over Herbert is in line to lead the pack after the team's bye, which inspires some confidence in Tua's health. The team was winning with Fitzy, so it only makes sense to transition to the rook if his ailments and development are of no concern, and with the coaching staff looking to turn this franchise around, doing a solid job at that thus far, I think we shouldn't have much worry about TT. As for fantasy, what does he bring to the table? I'd say probably 80% of what Fitz has done as a floor, because even if he struggles early, he's still a better passer than what the Harvard grad is at this point, but what he can do on the ground remains to be seen given his injury history. His debut will be a bit tough, facing a stout Rams team that, despite letting Jimmy G run wild on them, has a few lockdown corners and Aaron Donald ripping faces off. After that, though, the Dolphins get a stretch where they play ARI, LAC, DEN, NYJ, CIN, KC, (NE), and LVR. It's not an easy slate by any means, but he's got talent, weapons, and is in an offense that has shown they want to sling it. I bet he's already rostered in most SF/2QB leagues, but I'd be willing to pick him up in a 1QB setting too on the off chance he comes into the league looking like Deshaun Watson did. He's the same level (if not better) prospect with similar injury concerns with rushing upside that can build a safe enough floor if he's not getting it done through the air, though I'd be cautiously optimistic about that part of his game. Realistically, though, I don't see how he isn't a top-15 QB on a PPG basis when it's all said and done, likely bringing a similar level of production as Gardner Minshew, which you know is high praise coming from me, his much uglier, less facial hair having cousin.
RUNNING BACK
Justin Jackson - Los Angeles Chargers
Ownership: 46%
FAAB: $100
Waiver Priority: Yes
Again, this is Yahoo probably being fraudulent with ownership percentage. All I’ll say is pick this man up. Ekeler may be back in a few weeks, but then again, he may not. Hammies are no joke and the Chargers are, so there’s no need to rush him back. Jackson looked great against a stout NO defense his last time out there and should once again handle lead back duties off the bye. I already touched on the schedule in the Herbert section, but if you want a refresher, here it goes: JAX, DEN, LVR, MIA, NYJ, BUF, (NE), ATL, LVR, DEN. Yeah, beautiful. The only downside to JJ is it looks like Kelley is still the goal line back, so his upside is capped, but seeing as how explosive he is along with being the guy on the field for 2-minute drills, he should find his way into the endzone on occasion.
Tony Pollard - Dallas Cowboys
Ownership: 23%
FAAB: $5-10
Waiver Priority: No
Same as last week, just pick him up before he becomes too expensive to. We saw what happened in Minnesota, where Mattison went from a $5-10 FAAB player to $100 after Cook took a trip to snap city (and that pickup didn’t really pan out), and the same would be the case if Zeke were to go down. Outside of a handful of names this week, there aren’t many MUST adds, so why not throw a few dollars on someone who, if the unfortunate were to happen to #21, would be on the short list of league winners.
Also, Zeke fumbled 2x on MNF and looked fat as shit. Maybe throw a few extra $$$ for that alone.
La’Mical Perine - New York Jets
Ownership: 18%
FAAB: $5-10
Waiver Priority: No
The good news: La’Mical Perine out snapped Frank Gore 37:25. The bad news: he’s La’Mical Perine...and plays for the Jets. Imagine Devonta Freeman with less TD upside and a smaller workload. That’s Perine. Sure, you can go out and spend a few bucks on him, but the number that I advise will likely not be enough to secure him, which is probably a good thing. There’s going to be a lot of empty volume going his way, and even with the RB landscape the way it is, I’m fine passing up on a 15-touch back in his situation. Their next three games are against the Bills, Patriots, and Chiefs...just wait until he totals 7.9 points across those three games and pick him up for free then.
Boston Scott - Philadelphia Eagles
Ownership: 13%
FAAB: $50-75
Waiver Priority: Yes
We were all fooled by the Boston Scott play in week one where he totaled 54 scoreless yards on 11 touches, but I’m not afraid to go out and get fooled again. Miles Sanders is dealing with an apparent knee injury that is looking like it will result in a multi-week absence, likely holding him out until after their bye. In the meantime, the Eagles face the Giants and Cowboys, two woeful defenses. Even if it’s a two week rental, I’m fine spending up on Scott, who, despite his poor showing earlier this year, is still a relatively trustworthy start given the skillset he showcased at the end of 2019. If anything, his poor week one may actually prove beneficial to you in the FAAB spending war, as people will hold his lowly performance against him and not want to blow 40-50% of their remaining budget on an unproductive rental. Take advantage of that and secure him because if Sanders’ injury is more serious than we’ve been led on to believe, then you have a potential league winner (given the Eagles’ schedule) on your hands.
J.D. McKissic - Washington Football Team
Ownership: 12%
FAAB: $5-10
Waiver Priority: No
I have no clue what’s going on in Washington other than them wanting to make J.D. McKissic a thing. He has basically become 2018 Jalen Richard, a player who caught a ton of passes but at the end of the season, it didn’t mean anything because there were no TDs to show for it. Well, J.D. falls into the same category, playing on a shitty team and securing a role that means next to nothing for fantasy outside of Full PPR leagues. He’s actually averaging 5.5 receptions per game and just over double digit fantasy points (Full PPR) since week three, which is solid as a FLEX play during bye weeks, but his upside is non-existent. If you’re in anything but a PPR league, don’t target him at all, but if you do get the bonus for having a shitty James White type of player, then throw a few FAAB dollars at him, as he seems to be a consistent part of this passing attack, if you can even call it that.
Benny Snell - Pittsburgh Steelers
Ownership: 9%
FAAB: $1-3
Waiver Priority: No
Mr. Snell falls into the same category as Tony Pollard. The Steelers are past their bye, which means James Conner has to play 10 straight games from here until the fantasy championship. I’m not rooting against the guy one bit, but it’s hard to see him staying healthy for that long of a stretch as he’s never done it before and he’s already been banged up this season. If he were to miss time, Snell would immediately step in as the lead dog in a productive offense, pushing him into that fringe-RB1 conversation. He did score a TD this week, so maybe a league mate of yours is looking to spend $1 on him, but I doubt anything more than that will be shelled out for the former Kentucky Wildcat. Drop $2 on BS and keep it moving.
Gus Edwards - Baltimore Ravens
Ownership: 3%
FAAB: $5-10 (depends on Ingram's health...could be upwards of $50 if he misses significant time)
Waiver Priority: No (Yes if Ingram misses significant time)
This is a tough one. Mark Ingram left the game early this past week, leading to a healthy dose of Gus Edwards. You would think their second round pick J.K. Dobbins would steal the show, but again, he played 2nd fiddle to the former Rutger back, seeing one less opportunity (13:14) despite having the better all-around skillset. Now, I say this is tough for many reasons. One is because the Ravens are heading into their bye, and if Ingram’s injury isn’t serious, then it’s probably not worth spending more than single-digit FAAB on Gus. Secondly, do we really think Dobbins is just going to be an afterthought all year? I don’t, but who knows. To this point, it seems like Edwards is a heavily trusted part of this enigma of an offense, and if J.K. even were to take lead back duties, Gus would still be heavily involved. And thirdly, as I kind of just touched on, this offense is a fucking nightmare. You never know who to start or when to start them, on top of Lamar Jackson having the ability to vulture potential goal line opportunities. There are just too many question marks here for me to have much confidence in blowing the bag on Bus Edwards, so he’s another guy I’d likely shy away from in favor of someone like Boston Scott or the upcoming WRs.
JaMycal Hasty - San Francisco 49ers
Ownership: 0%
FAAB: $3-5
Waiver Priority: No
We will see what the verdict is on Raheem Mostert’s ankle, but as of now (Monday morning), his status for week seven looks very iffy. He’s dealt with an MCL injury already, and after just one full game back, he leaves the game halfway through with another ailment. If I were to bet on what happens going forward, it’s an ugly timeshare where Raheem, McKinnon, and now apparently Hasty, all see work. In the meantime while RH (potentially) sits, I’d still expect Jerick to get lead back duties as he did earlier in the year, but Hasty did out-touch JM 9:8 this past week. His snap share wasn’t all too impressive, logging just 20.5% of the 49ers offensive snaps, but seeing as he had that type of role in a divisional game this early in his career definitely inspires some confidence. I mean, if you think about it, San Fran made Jeff Wilson relevant this year when Mostert was out, so it’s not like a bad back can’t be good when in a Kyle Shanahan offense (and I’m not saying Hasty is bad, I’m just saying). I honestly don’t know too much about the guy other than I probably don’t want to deal with the headaches that come with relying on the RB2 in SF for the upcoming weeks, and then the RB3 once Raheem returns.
WIDE RECEIVER
A.J. Green - Cincinnati Bengals
Ownership: 54%
FAAB: $10
Waiver Priority: No
Green actually looked...good? Yeah, I said it. Facing a defense we all thought was elite, A.J. Green trotted his old ass out onto the field, hauling in eight of 11 targets for 96 yards. He made some athletic grabs and looked every part of his early 2020 self, where we were hopeful he still had some juice left following the Chargers game where he was a few overthrows away from a monster game. Green actually out targeted both Tee Higgins (8) and Tyler Boyd (8), showing that there’s still enough volume in this offense to make him a somewhat viable FLEX pay going forward, especially considering the schedule the Bengals get. It was tough sledding for this offense recently, having to face the Ravens and Eagles, both of which nearly killed Joe Burrow, but looking ahead, the orange tigers now get to face the likes of Cleveland and Tennessee (before a terrible matchup against PIT), and shortly after, get a stretch where they play WAS, NYG, MIA, DAL. I also think Green has the potential to get traded sometime before the deadline, as he still seems to have something left in tank and could potentially aid a playoff bound squad rather than a rebuilding Cincy team. Maybe the Eagles? They went out and got Golden Tate a few years back in the middle of the year to bolster their receiving core. Or how about the Patriots, or the Packers, or the Saints. Idk how the money would work or if any of these places are likely landing spots, but if they were to happen, Green’s perceived value would pop off, even if he’s washed. I’m fine spending a little FAAB on the guy in hopes everything works out, but given the young stud WRs Cincy has, if Green doesn’t get moved, I wouldn’t be too optimistic about the role we just saw him play persisting throughout the season.
Tee Higgins - Cincinnati Bengals
Ownership: 52%
FAAB: $50
Waiver Priority: Yes
Yahoo at it again. Tee Higgins is a must own player, and I’d bet he has been scooped up in your league already. Basically, he’s what we wanted A.J. Green to be this year, and by “we”, I mean the people that took David Johnson in round 2. All the Bengals do is throw and all Higgins does is produce. Go out and grab him if he’s available.
Chase Claypool - Pittsburgh Steelers
Ownership: 49%
FAAB: $50-75
Waiver Priority: Yes
Same shit as above, There’s no chance Chase isn’t owned in your league, but on the off chance nobody wanted him after a 4 TD performance, go out and secure him. He looks to be the Steelers’ #1 option, at least until DJ returns, but even then, he’s shown too much to be relegated to a complimentary role. The team is even giving this freak goal line carries. It’’s obvious he’s a major part of their offensive plans, and at this point, JuJu Smith-Schuster is just a low-volume slot receiver with no floor or ceiling with a well-known name that keeps him relevant for no reason.
Travis Fulgham - Philadelphia Eagles
Ownership: 31%
FAAB: $50
Waiver Priority: Yes (but would rather have Higgins or Claypool)
As long as everyone on the Iggles is dead, Fulgham will operate as their top option in the receiving game. Seeing as they play Thursday night and Ertz/Sanders seem unlikely to go, along with Goedert/Reagor having to be activated from IR before then, it looks again like TF is in line for another monster volume day. James Bradberry will likely end his streak of elite production, as he’s averaged a 6/94.7/1 line over his past three games, but we just saw Terry go for 7/74/0 due to immense volume despite this ugly matchup. Yes, McLaurin is a much better receiver than Fulgham, but I’ll bet on the inevitable volume helping prop Fulgham up into the low-end WR2 conversation this week. Going forward, I also think it’s hard to believe he just disappears. There’s no chance an aging and ailing DJax/Alshon duo is going to relegate Fulgham to the bench, and even Reagor’s return shouldn’t do much other than put John Hightower and Greg Ward back where they belong: on the bench. Philly’s schedule and #13’s production is too good to overlook at this point, and because of this, remains a high-priority pickup, as he was last week. If anything, people may want to spend less on him than they should because they still think Jackson/Jeffery/Ertz have an ounce of sauce left, capping Travis’ upside, so take advantage of that and get him while you can.
Keelan Cole - Jacksonville Jaguars
Ownership: 29%
FAAB: $3-5
Waiver Priority: No
For as much as I love Keelan Cole, it’s hard to see him ever being a trusted starter for your fantasy team. A hobbled Chark still saw 14 targets this week, and although Laviska had a dud game, it’s hard to deny he’s a bigger part of this offense than Cole. I could spin it and say Keelan has either scored a TD or logged 100 yards in 4/6 games, but I could also say he’s topped 50 yards just twice. I think the latter is more telling of his consistency and usage in this offense, and although he’s a goof player, likely will never help you win anything for your fantasy team. I’d let someone else pay up for Cole following this monster 6/143/0 performance.
Preston Williams - Miami Dolphins
Ownership: 25%
FAAB: $0
Waiver Priority: No
I’m only picking up Williams if Parker’s groin injury is more serious than it seems. If Parker does look like he’s going to miss time, I’m fine spending $15-20 on PWill, but I doubt it. On top of that, the Dolphins are on bye this week, so we’re not going to really know how long Parker will be out, if at all (and rn it seems like he’s gonna be fine). Williams’ role is just too TD dependent right now for me to go out and try to get him, even if it’s for $0. I’d rather take a stab at a guy like Hasty or spend $10 on Pollard.
Tim Patrick - Denver Broncos
Ownership: 18%
FAAB: $5-10
Waiver Priority: No
It looks like Tim Patrick has slid right into that Courtland Sutton role, and with Drew Lock ONLY throwing 40 yard passes, he seems to be a fairly high-upside play going forward. It’s never easy to trust a Denver pass catcher, but seeing as he just hit the century mark in back to back games with two different QBs, and one of which coming against the Patriots, he may be the real deal. I’m not saying he’s a WR2, but with bye weeks on the horizon, Patrick is certainly a FLEX worthy play, especially when looking at his schedule. They don’t face an elite defense any time soon, as his RoS schedule is KC, LAC, ATL, LVR, MIA, NO, KC, CAR, BUF, and LAC, and even though there may be some tough cornerback matchups in there, Denver will be playing from behind enough for TP to see enough volume to likely overcome some of those bumps in the road. One thing worth noting, though, is that Noah Fant’s return seems like it’s right around the corner, which would likely hurt TP’s upside. Then again, Albert O saw 6 targets this week and Tim still turned 8 looks into a 4/101/0 line against New England, so it’s not like he’s going to fade into the abyss once Fant makes his way back onto the field. I think the most concerning part of this whole situation is placing any trust in the Broncos and Drew Lock to help sustain this kind of production, and because of that, I’m not confident spending much more than 10% of my FAAB on TP.
Jalen Reagor - Philadelphia Eagles
Ownership: 14%
FAAB: $0-1
Waiver Priority: No
I’ve written up no less than 17 Eagles players in this waiver piece, and if you scroll down to the tight ends, you’ll see the party isn’t done yet. Reagor is someone who you’ll either be able to grab for free, or not at all because someone has him in their I.R. spot, but if the former is the case, I’d go out and pick him up for a five finger discount. We saw what type of role he’d have in this offense earlier this year, and he made a great 55 yard grab in week one and played 85% of the team’s snaps the following week before getting injured. As I said before, DJax and Alshon are dust, and Zach Ertz is a fraud, so if JR makes his way back onto the field this Thursday with an even more depleted Philly team than what he competed with in week one, then he’ll have the chance to carve out a legit role in this offense, one that he can hopefully maintain going forward. Philly also gets the Cowboys in week eight, so if Reagor doesn’t get on the field this Thursday night, then the following week looks like a nice blowup spot for the former Horned Frog. Basically every rookie wideout has had a monster game this year, and with how talented JR is, I doubt he’d be the one left out of the mix.Then again, he is on the Eagles, and Nelson Agholor could prove my “can’t fail” narrative wrong in many ways.
TIGHT END
Dallas Goedert - Philadelphia Eagles
Ownership: 41%
FAAB: $50 ***can spend less if he misses this week because he won't be as much of a priority for others***
Waiver Priority: Yes ***No if he misses this week***
Week one Dallas Goedert looked like prime Jordan Reed...then he completed the transition to becoming prime Jordan Reed and got hurt. He is now eligible to return this week, and as I said in the Reagor writeup, I’m not too sure if the team is going to rush either guy back on a short week, playing Thursday against the Giants. Either way, I’m still looking to add him as the Eagles' schedule is about as good as it gets, along with Ertz now dealing with an ankle injury (looks like he's out for at least a month with a high ankle sprain). He was already terrible as is, so being hobbled definitely won’t help the glorified fullback maintain his role as the team’s top TE. Also, DG was basically Philly’s #1 TE pre-injury, as he totaled 17 targets through the first two weeks to go along with healthy 79% and 89% snap shares over that span. If and when he returns, he’d slot firmly into the top-10 TE conversation for two reasons: one, he’s good, and two, all tight ends stink. Even if you have someone you trust at TE, DG is worth the add as he can easily be traded after he rips the Cowboys for 200 yards in week eight.
Trey Burton - Indianapolis Colts
Ownership: 20%
FAAB: $10
Waiver Priority: No
The Mo Alie-Cox experiment is now over and I couldn’t be happier. Burton has now been the team’s top TE the past three weeks, seeing at least five targets in every game since his return. This past week may have been a bit flukey, as he scored a rushing TD running out of the wildcat formation, a play that brought every JT owner to their knees, but he also hauled in a receiving score that proved he isn’t just a gadget player despite his role in the Philly special. Frank Reich seems to love the guy and he’s producing with the opportunities he’s given, so I see no reason for him to take a back seat to the other unathletic frauds on this team, namely Jack Doyle and the aforementioned MAC. He doesn’t have the upside of a Goedert simply because this Indy offense is so conservative, but any time you can grab a TE consistently seeing 5-6 targets a game off waivers, you do it, because that measly volume will likely result in a top 12 finish. That’s how sorry the TE landscape is.
Irv Smith Jr. - Minnesota Vikings
Ownership: 9%
FAAB: $5-10
Waiver Priority: No
Irv has topped 50 receiving yards in back to back weeks, and along with that, has seen an uptick in snaps, logging 68% and 79% these past two weeks, respectively. He’s still third in line by a wide margin behind JJ and AT on the target totem pole in Minnesota, but seeing as how bad their defense is, the Vikings will be in garbage time for 75% of the game in 100% of their games. Kirk is going to have to throw, and with Irv being infinitely more athletic than Kyle Rudolph, he’s going to continue to command targets in this offense. He’s similar to Trey Burton in the sense that both will likely cap out at 6-7 targets on their best day, one, because of the offense he’s in, and the other because of the target competition he faces, but as I said earlier, all it takes is 5 targets to turn in a top-12 finish. I’m not excited about the pickup, but it could be worse...I could be rostering Hayden Hurst.
Anthony Firkser - Tennessee Titans
Ownership: 1%
FAAB: $3-5
Waiver Priority: No
This pickup relies heavily on Jonnu Smith’s ankle injury. As of now, it seems like it was just a sprain and he has a good chance to suit up next week. If that’s the case, I’d stay away from Firkser, but if JS were to miss time, even just one game, then I’d try to spend $3-5 on the Titans’ TE. This offense is so damn good, and a huge reason for that is because Ryan Tannehill takes what defenses give him. He’s not going to throw it 70 yards down field unless he has to, and seeing as all his receiving weapons can make plays with the ball in their hands, he’d probably prefer to throw it 9-10 yards downfield every play and let his skill position players do the work. I’m not taking anything away from Tannehill - he’s been incredible - but his playstyle fits perfectly into making a top-10 tight end, as we saw this week with Firkser. His 9 targets were impressive, but even more so was his 8-113-1 line. Sure, the Steelers will be a much tougher matchup next week than what Houston put on display, but Tennessee’s offense has looked way too good for me to start doubting them now. If Jonnu sits, I’d roll out AF with confidence as a top-10 play in week 7.
D/ST
Philly Eagles vs New York Giants
Home: Yes
Spread: PHI (-5.5)
Over/Under: 45
Los Angeles Chargers vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Home: Yes
Spread: LAC (-9.5)
Over/Under: 49