We’re approaching the end of worthwhile adds and into the adding good backups for the rest of the season. You usually don’t have to spend FAAB dollars on backups but you might this week in the case of Alex Mattison, who is continually proving he’s the best backup RB in the NFL (and if you’ve been reading weekly you would’ve added him weeks ago). From here on out the highest bids/added guys are going to be because of injury. So why not hedge those bets and load up your roster with those guys now as opposed to a fringe starter or a WR4 that might hit but probably won’t. By this point in the season you should’ve spent some FAAB money so we’re updating the amount we have at this point to $25; if you have more by all means add it to the dollar amounts listed here:
$22 – Brian Hill, RB, ATL (3% Y!, 1% ESPN) Exactly what I mention in the opening is why he’s the add of the week. Devonta has not been himself (same could be said about the Falcons overall) and Ito Smith is on the IR so Hill is the guy if Freeman misses time. As a Freeman owner (feel bad for me) in a couple leagues I’m spending the rest of my cash on him and looking to make any backup adds after the waiver period ends.
$19 – Derrius Guice, RB, WAS (37% Y!, 39% ESPN) He’s on a bad team and Peterson still lurks…what an endorsement, right? Positively speaking he ran a 4.49 40 at the combine and is a solid sized RB at 5’11 & 225 lbs. Washington plays the Jets this week followed by the worst run D in the league, the Lions, after that. Fact is I’d rather have him the week before he goes off than the week after, know what I’m sayin?
$9 – Darius Slayton, WR, NYG (10% Y!, 13% ESPN) What a game on Sunday with a 10/121/2 line. A bye this week followed by a matchup versus the Bears is no bueno, so he’s really more for use for the playoffs and thus I wouldn’t spend a lot on him. Pro tip: if you really want him and someone pays more just add him after he has a subpar game versus the Bears in two weeks. That’s my plan.
$8 – Alex Mattison, RB, MIN (29% Y!, 20% ESPN) If needed can fill in at FLEX even with Cook starting.
$6 (Max) Wide Receivers – DeVante Parker, James Washington, Dionte Johnson, Mecole Hardman, Cole Beasley, Auden Tate, Dede Westbrook, Deebo Samuel – I’m looking to add these guys (in this order) after waivers clear, but depending on your league, you may have to pay for them now; as such pay up to $6 for the one you like (in three WR+ leagues preferably).
$4- Nyheim Hines, RB, IND (18% Y!, 30% ESPN) As much as I want Marlon Mack to be the undisputed lead back in Indy, he’s not. Hines is solid and can also be a FLEX play in the right situations.
No QB or TE was a must add this week, so pay what you need but none I’d pay more than a couple bucks on.
$1 Defenses: OAK vs CIN (bonus! the Raiders travel to NYJ next week)…besides that it doesn’t look good for streaming defenses; maybe JAX @ IND if Jacoby doesn’t play or DAL @ DET if Stafford doesn’t. Either should be available after the waiver period clears so save you buck.
Exercise Time! Starting with $100 week one, these are the guys I’ve already won this season:
Week 2: Terry McLaurin ($26), Josh Allen ($3) and Golden Tate ($4)
Week 3: Demarcus Robinson for $19, Deebo Samuel for $7 and Ten D for $1
Week 4: Jamaal Williams for $12, Parris Campbell for $2
Week 5: Nada
Week 6: Vance McDonald for $3
Week 7: New Orleans D for $1
Week 8: Seattle D for $1, Alex Mattison for $3, Derrius Guice $1
Week 9: Auden Tate for $4
Week 10: Baltimore D for $3
$10 left, and have already added guys like Mattison and Guice from this week’s list back in Week 8 and feel good riding the Baltimore D the rest of the way. I’ll put in a $10 bid on Smith in my leagues, but I doubt I get him, we’ll see so most likely this week is a hold.
I was reading another website that does FAAB bidding and they gave recommendations on how much to spend as a percentage based on how many FAAB dollars you have left. That’s an interesting concept and I debated it’s merits in my head as I was working on this week’s post. A major issue with FAAB is that it is very league dependent obviously; so I’m (usually) operating under the impression of a .5 PPR, 12-team league; many of us play in 10-team leagues, or 1 pt PPR, or Superflex, or IDP or some combination of all.
What giving a percentage does is attempt to budget for the rest of the season; but as of this point in the season you shouldn’t have much money left. It doesn’t mean that every guy you added was worth it (and boy, isn’t that truth? When I review next week we’re going to see many overpays; Ty Johnson I’m side-eying you) but that the reason you have FAAB bucks is to spend them. So when the money starts to get tight, that’s when the all-in bids make sense, because why not? My only (minor) caveat here is if you’ve been streaming Defenses; if that’s the case holding a few bucks back to get your Defenses right for the playoff push is the right move.
As always, if there is a guy I missed bring them up in the comments and I’ll give them a price. Enjoy the games Razzballers and Razzballettes!
