QUARTERBACK
Teddy Bridgewater - Carolina Panthers
Ownership: 43%
FAAB: $0-1
Waiver Priority: No
I am not the biggest Teddy 2 Gloves fan, but he did fairly well last time he faced off with the Falcons, and I expect nothing less this Thursday night. ATL stinks out loud, as they were allowing an average of 29.1 fantasy points to the QB position prior to their Week 7 game against Detroit, the single highest mark in the league, and they don’t look to be getting better any time soon. TB went for 20.8 the last time these two NFC South squads squared off, and honestly, that’s probably right around his floor the second time around. Also, the Falcons’ offense has looked a lot better with Julio byke, causing the opposition to reel back and sling that piece, so expect a floor built in by way of volume. This past week against the Lions, they held Matt Stafford to a modest one tuddy, but logged 340 yards and showed once more that both teams are going to be in line for a whole lot of garbage time points. On a short week, I expect the dynamic Carolina offense to give the fragile Falcons’ D issues.
Jimmy Garoppolo - San Francisco 49ers
Ownership: 30%
FAAB: $0-1
Waiver Priority: No
I am echoing my thoughts above. I am not a fan of Jimmy G one bit, but any time you can stream a QB against the Seahawks, you do it. They’re currently allowing an average of 26.4 points per game to the position, trailing just the Falcons (27.6), and even though he isn’t going to throw the ball a zillion times, he’s been efficient enough to show he can put up a pair of tugs on limited volume, seen by his 7.1 TD%, prior to this past week against the Pats, where he didn’t look great, but also didn’t need to throw. The team is also on their last legs, literally, in the backfield, and even though Kyle Shanahan seems like he’s able to trot out nobodies and have them blow up, I doubt the tag team of Hasty and McKinnon will be a focal point of the game plan to take down Seattle. He may not be the sexiest play, as he’s a one dimensional QB
Derek Carr - Las Vegas Raiders
Ownership: 29%
FAAB: $3-5
Waiver Priority: No
Carr isn’t as much of a streamer as he is a guy you just need to grab if you’re having QB issues. He’s been extremely consistent, and even against a stout TB defense that shut down Aaron Rodgers, he logged 284 yards and 2 tugs to go along with 19 yards on the ground. He has now put up multiple touchdowns every week since opening day, and that trend looks to be continuing as the Raiders get the Browns, Chargers, Broncos, Chiefs, Falcons, and Jets on tap (all in a row). He’s been good enough to feel confident starting him in all those matchups, but even if you’re hesitant about making him your every week starter, there are enough favorable games in there to make him worth rostering.
Running ---> Back
J.K. Dobbins - Baltimore Ravens
Ownership: 53%
FAAB: $30-35
Waiver Priority: No (unless Ingram's injury is significant)
It will be interesting to see how the Ravens handle Mark Ingram’s injury coming out of the bye. It would make sense to give him as much time off as he needs because one, he needs to heal up, and two, there’s no real reason to rush him back given Dobbins and Edwards are more than capable of handling the load. Then again, it’s the Ravens, and you never know who they’re going to roll out and how many touches they’ll see, which is why I’d be nervous dropping serious FAAB on J.K. He’s certainly very talented, and has shown to be extremely efficient averaging 6.2 YPC and 6.3 YPT on the year, but the lack of commitment to this point just shows that they likely aren’t going to flip the switch and make him a workhorse. Maybe all they needed was a bye week to hand the reins over, but idk, that seems more like conjecture than reality given his role to this point. He can definitely be fantasy relevant if given 10-12 touches a game, but it would likely take a Gus Edwards injury for Dobbins to ever slot into the weekly-starter conversation. If you want to stash for the potential upside, I can’t blame you, but I wouldn’t expect any otherworldly usage coming out of the bye, even if Ingram were to miss an extended period of time.
Joshua Kelley - Los Angeles Chargers
Ownership: 43%
FAAB: $15-20
Waiver Priority: No
THIS. GUY. STINKS. Stinks I tell ya. He led the backfield with 17 touches, yet turned them into just 53 scoreless yards against the Jaguars. It’s not like Justin Jackson did any better, but at least he had the excuse of entering the game at less than 100%. Kelley can’t claim the same issues, as he’s been healthy as an ox yet blind as a bat. The only reason I recommend grabbing him is because he’s getting volume on a team that’s scoring points, along with getting a pretty soft schedule. Talent wise, he’s a zero, but when you’re seeing 15+ touches a game with goal line work, you’re worth a few bucks. I still think Justin Jackson is going to have a big enough role to keep Kelley in check, as he was the clear lead runner against New Orleans before taking a step back this week after logging limited practices with an apparent knee injury, so he’s a low ceiling, relatively low floor RB3 going forward imo.
JaMycal Hasty - San Francisco 49ers
Ownership: 20%
FAAB: $15-20
Waiver Priority: No
In a game where everyone thought Jerick Mckinnon would re-establish himself as the most overhyped RB of the last 5 years, it was actually Jeff Wilson Jr. who tore the Pats apart. Sadly, he got injured, meaning this backfield is now down to Hasty, Jerick, and maybe Tevin Coleman before Mostert returns. We saw Jerick log -1 yard on three carries and was held without a reception, while JaMycal totaled 73 yards on 10 touches, showing his explosiveness in the open field. He just looks so much better than Jerick and whatever’s left of Coleman, but just like I said with the Ravens, you never know who’s gonna get the bulk of touches week to week. If I were to bet on one guy, it would be Hasty due to his all-around skillset, but I say that with very little confidence. Either way, he’s someone I’m willing to spend a good chunk of change on because IF he does get lead back duties, he can be extremely productive, as we’ve seen Mostert, Wilson, and Mckinnon all do this year. He just needs to stay healthy and continue to play the way he has these past two weeks, which are pretty low bars to clear in my very humble opinion. San Francisco gets a soft Seahawks defense next week and the Packers thereafter, another terrible run defense, so Hasty could be in line for some RB2 type of performances for a short stint, maybe even establishing himself as the #2 behind Mostert upon his return.
La’Mical Perine - New York Jets
Ownership: 16%
FAAB: $25-30
Waiver Priority: No (would be yes if he played for any other team)
It’s never fun seeing a Jets player in your lineup, but Perine is slowly becoming worthy of that designation, albeit likely as a FLEX option. He hasn’t been efficient, but he’s getting work and a whole lot of snaps, which are trends we look for in breakout backs. He’s not going to break out, per se, because he’s on the Jets, but he has the potential to be a 15-20 touch player that gets both receiving and goal line work. He outsnapped Gore 40:16 this week, so the keys to the backfield seem to have been turned over to the former Florida Gator, whatever that means. Again, he’s not a sexy pickup, but with bye weeks in full force and injuries hitting hard, you could do much, much worse.
Carlos Hyde (also Travis Homer and Deejay Dallas covered) - Seattle Seahawks
Ownership: 11%
FAAB: see writeup
Waiver Priority: see writeup
Carlos Hyde has somehow found fantasy relevance at least once per year for what seems like a decade now, as he finds himself atop the Seahawks depth chart following Chris Carson’s foot injury. I’m not a doctor, and I’m starting to doubt the people that claim they are on Twitter, but it seems like Carson may be dealing with the same ailment that held Joe Mixon out this past week. I’ve seen it can last anywhere from 2-8 weeks, all the way down to no games missed, so until there’s a final verdict, I can’t really suggest any sort of solidified FAAB amount to spend. If the timetable is closer to those 8 weeks, then Hyde is worth spending everything you have left on. If it’s a 0-2 week absence, then treat him as you did a guy like Joshua Kelley ($15-20). Hyde is still a one-dimensional back on a team that is always throwing the ball, so outside of a long TD run or GL carry, he’s not going to be filling up the stat sheet for you. Chris Carson only had 5 GL carries this year, mostly due to the Seahawks just scoring from 40 yards out every other play, so even if Hyde takes lead-back duties, his ceiling is a little lower than you may imagine given the offense he’s in. I’d still rather him than someone like David Montgomery, though. That guy stinks.
***UPDATE***
It has come to my attention that Carlos Hyde is dealing with fulleritis, aka a weak ass hammy. With this being the case, the Seahawks backfield is one I'm a little hesitant about shelling a load of FAAB on. Could Travis Homer get increased run? Probably not, because he's got a bad knee, but who knows. If Hyde does sit, and Homer can't go, that leaves just Mr. 305, the only DJ we respect out of Miami. Deejay Dallas was someone we were pretty high on coming out of college, as he has a 3-down skillset and runs angry, which coaches love, and now, it looks like it's his time to shine. He could slot into the Chris Carson role nicely, but that doesn't exactly mean he's going to produce like CC did. We haven't seen much from him at the NFL level yet, but he did see three targets on just 14% of the offensive snaps, so he definitely looks to be a trusted pass-catching option out of the bykefield. If both Homer and Hyde sit, I'd spend $20-25 on Dallas in hopes he can shine and steal the job from those two until Carson returns. It'll be tough sledding against San Fran this week, but he plays on the Seahawks, so I'm not going to worry too much. If Homer can go, then I'm probably avoiding both because it's going to be a complete mess.
Gus Edwards - Baltimore Ravens
Ownership: 6%
FAAB: $10-15
Waiver Priority: No
My thoughts about Baltimore can be seen above in the J.K. Dobbins writeup. While I presented a very optimistic outlook for Dobbins, I still think the more realistic situation is a timeshare between J.K. and Gus. Because of that, I’d much rather spend the $5 it will take to get Edwards than the $50+ necessary to secure the rookie. Sure, Gus hasn’t been nearly as efficient, but he’s played on 39% or more of the team’s offensive snaps over the past three weeks and out touched Dobbins after Ingram went down in Week 6. He’s not flashy and he isn’t going to catch any passes, but the touch share between him and J.K. is going to be a lot more even than what may be warranted. Also, the goal line work is up in the air, as Dobbins leads the backfield with two, but hasn’t seen a GL tote since week one. It’s just messy in Baltimore, so if I were to spend FAAB on either guy, I’d just go with the cheaper option.
WIDE RECEIVER
Brandon Aiyuk - San Francisco 49ers
Ownership: 50%
FAAB: $10
Waiver Priority: No
With Deebo Samuel now dealing with a hamstring injury, likely sidelining him for a handful of weeks, Aiyuk should slot back into the WR1 role in SF. What does that mean exactly? Well, he was a top option in the passing game earlier in the season with Samuel battling back from injury and even benefit from Kittle being sidelined, but despite the opportunity, his production was inconsistent. He topped 44 receiving yards just once through his first five games, but did save some of his weeks with rushing scores. He hasn't toted the rock since byke in week four, but with the injuries to the backfield as well as Deebo, I'd expect to see him get a little more usage on sweeps and other Shanahan-esque playcalls that result in 40 yard gains. Also, to note on his inconsistent production, we also have to remember there was a QB carousel in SF for a while as Jimmy G got hurt, Mullens stunk, Beathard stunk, then Jimmy G stunk again, so we can maybe chalk some of the down games to the offense as a whole struggling to get things going. Now, with Garoppolo looking somewhat competent, paired with the 49ers drawing the Seahawks this week, Aiyuk should be in line for a decent fantasy day not only in week eight, but in the future as well as his role expands and he gets more comfortable in this offense.
Cole Beasley - Buffalo Bills
Ownership: 40%
FAAB: $10
Waiver Priority: No
Cole Beasley is somehow still good at football. Crazy. It was his 2nd 100 yard outing this year, coming on the back of a John Brown injury that held him from the game. Despite this, Beasley has actually been pretty solid to this point, proving the Jets defense wasn’t the sole reason for this blowup game. He has seen six or more targets in all but one game to this point and is now on pace for 89 receptions, 1,074 yards, and five scores. Those numbers are certainly inflated by this week’s performance, but even prior, was on pace for 75/955/5. He’s a legit WR3, and if/when JB misses time, can be a trusted high-end WR3, especially in PPR leagues. Beasley is basically discount (price and performance) Jamison Crowder to this point, and I’d bet you can still grab him for like $5.
Corey Davis - Tennessee Titans
Ownership: 28%
FAAB: $5-10
Waiver Priority: No
I love the Titans. No matter how many times they run the ball, they somehow find a way to get every pass catcher involved (sorry Jonnu, not you). Through four games, Corey Davis has totaled either 69 (nice) yards or a score in each, which isn’t an otherworldly thing to boast about, but it’s nice to see him producing at a fairly consistent level. A.J. Brown is still by far the most trustworthy and productive WR on this team, and a down game from Jonnu shouldn’t lower your expectations of him, but this doesn’t mean Davis can’t still eat. He actually paced the Titans with 10 looks in a tough matchup with a stout Steelers defense, so things should be looking up going forward for the guy. They do have a four game stretch against Chicago, Indy twice, and the Ravens upcoming, which is worrisome, but with how good Tennessee has looked in the face of adversity, I’m not sure I’m all too worried about their passing game. Davis should be treated as a high-end WR4, which doesn’t sound great, but the WR38 is nothing to scoff at with bye weeks looming large.
Sterling Shepard - New York Giants
Ownership: 28%
FAAB: $15-20
Waiver Priority: No
It took one game for Shepard to re-establish himself as the top dog in the Giants’ passing game. Evan Engram dropped the ball, literally and figuratively, and Daniel Jones doesn’t have enough accuracy or time in the pocket to take full advantage of Darius Slayton. This resulted in a 6/59/1 performance, seeing just one less target (8) than Evan Engram (9) who paced the team. With how shitty the Giants are, they should continue to play from behind, which will play to Shepard’s benefit as he seems to be the #1 in New York. They get TB, WAS, PHI, CIN, SEA, ARI, and CLE all in a row, which are defenses that can either be exploited or are gamescripts where the Giants will need to throw a million times, so Shep should be a solid volume-play WR3 going forward.
Jalen Reagor - Philadelphia Eagles
Ownership: 14%
FAAB: $5
Waiver Priority: No
Reagor is byke, and what better way to return that facing the Dallas Cowboys? He may not be 100%, but Snacks at 37% could probably hang 5/49/2 on this secondary. I'd still expect Travis Fulgham to be the top option in the receiving game given his production as of late, but Reagor should step firmly into the #2 position, handling a lot of work in the deep game, as he did early in the season. This pickup isn't only for week nine, though. DJax is done for the foreseeable future, and with the Eagles getting the Cowboys, Giants, Browns, Seahawks, Packers, Saints, Cardinals, and Cowboys now all in a row, he could potentially work his way into becoming an every week starter. That's an optimistic approach, but with how Philly's season is going, they should remain to play from behind in almost all of these games, forcing them to throw. He's a talented receiver that showed flashes before suffering a thumb injury early in the year, so with very little target competition around him now, Reagor should be able to show why the Iggles spent a first round pick on him.
Denzel Mims - New York Jets
Ownership: 4%
FAAB: $1-3
Waiver Priority: No
He’s on the Jets so I understand if you scroll right on by. It’s worth noting, though, that in Mims’ NFL debut he saw seven targets and an 80% snap share. Yes, Crowder was out, but they play very different roles and there would be no reason for JC’s return to limit DM’s snaps...actually, there is a reason: Gase. All jokes aside, he’s worth a speculative stash because he got the usage we want to see from every rookie: a heavy snap share with a healthy dose of targets. Even if he’s 2nd fiddle to Crowder, I’d take a shot on Mims given the athleticism and frame he offers this offense, although that’s a pairing Adam Gase has done a really good job of ruining in the past (shoutout Robby Anderson and DeVante Parker).
Rashard Higgins - Cleveland Browns
Ownership: 1%
FAAB: $1-3
Waiver Priority: No
With OBJ dealing with a serious knee injury, Higgins looks to be next in line for Cleveland. You can get excited, but think about it, were you even excited starting OBJ in this offense? It’s a low volume passing team with an inconsistent quarterback, so there isn’t much to like. Sure, Higgins put up 110 yards this past week, but the Browns also played in a wire-to-wire shootout where Mayfield threw five tuddies. I don’t expect that to repeat any time soon given the Browns’ love for pounding the rock and/or getting blown tf out, so Higgins is off my radar unless I’m in a super deep league.
TIGHT END
Dallas Goedert - Philadelphia Eagles
Ownership: 47%
FAAB: $30
Waiver Priority: No (unless desperate at TE, which is probably the case)
If you want my thoughts on Goedert, it’s the same as last week. It looks like he won’t be back until after the bye week, but even then, he’s worth spending some decent FAAB on given not only his talent, but his potential usage. We just saw Richard Rodgers log six catches for 85 yards on TNF against the Giants, as he looked to be Wentz’s #2 target throughout the contest. With literally every player on the Eagles dying, Goedert will be in a prime spot to capitalize on vacated opportunities. Ertz is also dealing with a high ankle sprain and is like 78 years old and stinks, so the passing of the torch should be right around the corner, hopefully making Ertz a top-end tight-end once he returns.
Richard Rodgers - Philadelphia Eagles
Ownership: 8%
FAAB: $1-2
Waiver Priority: No
Until Goedert steps in, Rodgers seems to be the big man on campus for the Eagles. He’s likely to draw just one more start, but guess what? They play the Cowboys. Logan Thomas just put up 4/60/1 on them, and their defense is bad enough to allow the same to the equally untalented RR this week. I’m not going to spend an exorbitant amount on him, as he’s a one week rental before going on bye, but if you’re desperate for a starter, I wouldn’t mind dropping $1-2 on him for what looks to be an extremely favorable matchup.
Harrison Bryant - Cleveland Browns
Ownership: 1%
FAAB: $0-1
Waiver Priority: No
With Austin Hooper out, Harrison Bryant stepped to the plate and produced to the tune of 4/56/2. AH looks to be out another week, and OBJ may be done for the year, so there are targets to be had in this offense, but in a game where71 points were scored, Bryant still saw just five looks. I’m not trying to downplay his performance, but the chances Baker throws 5 TDs again, or the Browns stray away from their run heavy approach in favor of a pass happy attack despite losing two of their top three receiving options seems very unlikely. Next week, Cleveland gets a Las Vegas team that struggles mightily on the ground, so I’d temper expectations for Harrison Bryant in that one, and after that, if Hooper is back, his ceiling will come crashing down to the point where he isn’t rosterable. Let someone else pay up for him.
Albert Okwuegbunam - Denver Broncos
Ownership: 0%
FAAB: $1-2
Waiver Priority: No
Albert O has quietly totaled 13 targets over the Broncos’ last two outings, re-establishing the connection he showed with former college teammate Drew Lock during their time at Missouri. The production hasn’t been there, as he turned those 13 looks into a measly 9/105/0, but given it was his first real NFL action, along with playing the Patriots and the Chiefs in a snow game, it should be expected that he didn’t completely blow up. He now gets the Chargers, Falcons, and Raiders all in a row, which should present for some more pass-heavy gamescripts for a team that can’t seem to stop anyone on defense outside of the lowly Patriots. His athleticism, paired with his usage and rapport should make him a somewhat exciting stash in deeper leagues, developing into someone you can maybe trust in Week 9 against ATL, a defense allowing a league-high 14.0 fantasy points per game to the position.
D/ST
Every defense that fits the criteria of a strong-streaming option (play at home, favorites, low O/U) is > 60% owned this week.The Chiefs, Chargers, and Eagles are likely rostered in your league. Because of this, I’m going to suggest a few defenses to stash for week nine, as I did in previous weeks so you can stay ahead of the curve.
Washington Football Team (24% owned)
They play the Giants in week nine. The last time these two teams played, Washington allowed just 14 points and forced a turnover, which isn’t anything to write home about, but coming off their bye against a turnover prone, shitty QB, they should cause some issues for the Giants once more.
Arizona Cardinals (18% owned)
The Cards draw the Dolphins in week nine, and although we have not seen Tua take the field yet, I’d imagine Arizona’s revamped defense would give the rookie some issues. Also, ARI is a team that keeps the opposition throwing, opening more opportunities to force turnovers. They almost brought a pick to the house against the Seahawks this week before D.K. Metcalf turned on the jets and gunned down Budda Baker, and have now turned their opponents over 7 times in their last two weeks. They may not be the best streamer, but it’s all we got.