Sometimes it is time for your players to actually step up and do what they were drafted to do. Hopefully, you were able to take advantage.
Week 7 Performances
- ARod Blows Up – Just when the expert say that Aaron Rodgers is not an elite fantasy QB, he goes nuclear – 429 yards (on 24 completions), 5 Passing TDs and 1 Rushing for a dominant day.
- Chasing Giants Away – Apparently, David Johnson was only to be used if needed this week, unbeknownst to most. Luckily, I’ve been pumping up this guy for weeks – RB Chase Edmonds dominated the Giants gaining 150 yards on 29 touches and 3 rushing TDs!!
- Mr. Jones and Me – Golladay may be the #1 WR in DET, but on Sunday, WR Marvin Jones caught 10 balls on 13 targets for 93 yards and 4 TDs!! Hope you started him.
- No Luck Needed – QB Jacoby Brissett has stood in dutifully for the now retired Andrew Luck in IND. Brissett had his best statistical game with 326 yards passing and 4 TDs.
- No Kamara, No Problem – RB Latvius Murray rolled through the Bears’ defense with 150 yards and 2 TDs.
- Ravens Beat Up Russell – The Ravens won their game and yours, if you had them, with 2 DST TDs, hard to predict those, but when you get them it’s money in the bank.
Injuries: QB Patrick Mahomes, KC – Knee (Out); TE Delanie Walker, TEN – Ankle (Questionable); RB Kerryon Johnson, DET – Knee (Doubtful); RB Alvin Kamara, NO – Ankle (Questionable – missed W7); WR Adam Thielen, MIN – Hamstring (Doubtful); WR Will Fuller, HOU – Hamstring (Doubtful).
WR Mohammed Sanu was traded to NE for a 2nd Round pick.
Late Season Gems – How do we find them?
In the pre-season, I wrote about trying to draft those lottery ticket guys. Players that may not be the starter in a crowded backfield or a young WR who could emerge down the stretch. Now is the time to figure out who those guys are. We already had our first guy who appears to headed for stardom in RB Chase Edmonds of AZ. So, how do we find those guys?
- RBs on Good Offenses – The first cut is looking at teams on good offenses. RBs are easier to figure out than WRs. So, go team by team and figure out if there are clear starters. Think Christian McCaffery, Zeke Elliott, and Dalvin Cook. Then, pick up their back up. Reggie Bonnafon (CAR), Tony Pollard (DAL), and Alexander Mattison (MIN) are the guys to get if available, like Edmonds, if they get a shot, they will fly.
- WRs on Teams with Bad Defenses – This sounds kinda crazy, but if you can find the teams that are going to be down a lot that have decent QBs, then those are guys who will get great volume. ATL is the classic example – WR Calvin Ridley is a target for me; TB – WR Chris Godwin already has exploded – maybe there is someone else on that team.
- Aging Veterans – The last element to look for is in any team or position where you have a long time veteran with a young player either in the wings – RB Frank Gore in BUF, WR Larry Fitzgerald in AZ, TE Delanie Walker in TEN – all guys who could get hurt (like Walker in Week 7) then other guys step right in (TE Jonnu Smith for Walker).
At this point of the season, you are managing the bye weeks, but be sure to have guys like his on your bench. Use the last 2 slots on your bench to take these guys over a 2nd QB, DST, K or under-performer (did I mention WR Tyler Boyd?). Once you are through the byes – get rid of all that depth for Stars or guys like this. We will talk about Handcuffing next week, but it is never too early to handcuff your stud RBs.
Week 8 – 4×4 – Waiver Targets, Buy Lows, Sneaky Starts and Caution Players
Bye Weeks: Cowboys and Ravens
Waiver Wire Targets (60% or Less Owned)
- Matt Moore, QB, KC (1% Owned) – Mahomes will be out for a couple weeks with that knee, and you have to like Moore with all those weapons. He does have tough match ups the next 3 weeks, but he is a good fill in if you need someone.
- Ty Johnson, RB, DET (7% Owned) – With Kerryon Johnson down, Johnson will step into the primary role. He stepped in on Sunday for a nice workload. He is a top priority.
- Corey Davis, WR, TEN (38% Owned) – Davis was a no factor with Mariota at QB, but Tannehill finds this guy – 6 catches on 7 targets and a TD. That’s solid WR2/WR3 production.
- Jonnu Smith, TE, TEN (0% Owned) – With Delanie Walker ailing, I like Smith to step in. He was good last year in plus match ups with Walker out for the year. Tannehill found him on Sunday, 3 times for 64 yards.
Last Week: Ryan Tannehill came through with 329 yards passing, 2 TDs and an INT (plus a win); Benny Snell is on bye – he is another potential gem; Robbie Anderson – only 1 catch for 10 yards, but that was NE; Alan Lazard did not shine like we wanted with 3 catches for 42 yards on 4 targets (be patient).
Trade Targets (Buy Low Guys)
- Carson Wentz, QB, PHI – Wentz is struggling with this offense. He also faces great defenses in the next 2 weeks, then the bye, then NE. His value couldn’t be lower. Weeks 12-15 – SEA, MIA, NYG, and WAS. I like that playoff work up. You can even wait another week or two, but if you have a capable guy and some depth, then I would try to get him now.
- Le’Veon Bell, RB, NYJ – Bell is coming off that stinker against the top D in the league, but his next 6 weeks here are the DST ranks – 21, 32, 23, 15, 31, and 32 – that’s what I’m talking about.
- Ju Ju Smith-Schuster, WR, PIT – With a terrible performance then the bye, Ju Ju is not trending up, but he gets MIA and IND. Plus, I think the Steelers are turning the corner after a horrible start. Grab him now.
- Zac Ertz, TE, PHI – It has been a disappointing year for Ertz, but I think he is a good target. Wentz has been trying to get others going, but in tougher match ups (as noted above) he will look to his guy Ertz.
Last Week: Josh Allen was solid – 202 yards passing, 2 TDs and 32 yards rushing; Alvin Kamara missed the game – so still buy low; DK Metcalf – got 9 targets yielding 4 catches and 53 yards but had a critical fumble; Darren Waller – hopefully you got him he ain’t buy low now – 7 catches, 126 yards and 2 TDs….
Sneaky Starts (Good Match Ups)
- Matt Moore, QB, KC (FD $6500) – The Pack are favored at KC with Mahomes out. I think Andy Reid will give Moore a full array of plays to get going against a D that is over-rated in my view. Moore is so cheap in DFS, and he will be a waiver wire guy this week in season long.
- John Brown, WR, BUF (FD $5900) – Hopefully, you started him last week, but he will be even better this week against the Eagles. The Eagles secondary is dead last against WRs, and I like Allen chucking deep balls to Brown (2 TD prediction).
- Corey Davis, WR, TEN (FD $5500) – Yep, I’m all in on Davis again. The Bucs are terrible against the pass. Maybe they improve after the bye, but to me, Tannehill loves this guy. He’s going to be really good this week.
- Jordan Akins, TE, HOU (FD $4300) – A bit of a reach here, but I like HOU to run it up on the Raiders this week. With Will Fuller out, I think the coverage goes back to Hopkins opening up the middle. Akins is more athletic than Fells, so I like him to get good yardage and a TD this week.
Last Week: Daniel Jones – really disappointed 223 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT and 35 yards rushing; Philip Lindsay – stunk 12 touches for 32 yards; Brandin Cooks – 7 targets but only 4 catches for 59 yards in a blowout which didn’t help; and Metcalf was underwhelming.
Caution Players (Typical Starters to Think Twice On)
- Christian McCaffery, RB, CAR – Yep, I get it, he is the best and having a historical season. He’s playing the 49ers in SF. They are great on D. You have to start him, but don’t expect over 20 points (I think he could be actually around 10…).
- Nick Chubb, RB, CLE – NE defense is going to stuff the run and make Baker beat them. Sorry, Nick, you would be on my bench.
- TY Hilton, WR, IND – I have him and will play him, but he is not going to have a good game. DEN is 3rd against WRs this year. That defense is really good, so if you have other options, then definitely consider them.
- Chris Godwin, WR, TB – He has been incredible, but TEN has watched the tape. Their slot CB Adoree Jackson is really good, so I think the Bucs will try to hit Evans with the size advantage on the outside and the TE in the middle. You will start him, but like McCaffery do not expect a big game at all.
Last Week; Dak Prescott – 239 yards passing, 1 TD and an 1 INT, but saved his day with 30 yards rushing and a rushing score; Alvin Kamara – he didn’t play, but Murray ran great against the now vulnerable Bears’ defense; Le’Veon Bell – 16 touches for 76 yards; Stefon Diggs abused Darius Slay and with Thielen hurt got tons of volume – 7 catches for 142 yards.
It’s an important week to get a Win before crunch time begins.
Wegs