You know the old fantasy football saying, “Do not chase points”, right? That saying is one you should almost always consider…ALMOST. At this point in the 2022 fantasy football season, we just need to survive, week by week, both the injuries and byes. What that means is we will probably have to catch lightning in a bottle and that means we need to pay attention to hot hands and possibly chase points from the prior week.
NOTE: Rostered percentages and scoring system is based on Yahoo! PPR league scoring.
Waiver Add of the Week: WR – Rondale Moore (AZ, 46% rostered). Heading into Monday, there are two major reasons Moore should not be atop this list. The first is the conclusion of the DeAndre Hopkins suspension. I can get behind that reason as Hopkins will probably see a lot of targets upon his return. I will go out on a limb in stating that 2022 Hopkins is not 2016 Hopkins and we simply do not know what we will get from the former stud WR as he shakes off the rust. The second is the emergence of Hollywood Brown. The targets and production have Brown within the top ten WR on the season, so Moore looks buried when you look at the stat book. What we must take into account is the late-game injury suffered by Brown and the news the injury may be season-ending. Being the key slot WR, I see Moore continuing to play a significant role in this offense and the Monday trade acquisition of Robbie Anderson does not scare me off one bit. Moore had 10 targets Sunday with Brown playing most of the game. Tell me you would not like 10 targets from a WR, especially during the bye weeks. The hope is Moore’s average depth of target (4.9 yards Sunday) improves. The key is the volume in an offense that simply needs to get better in a division that is not offering a lot of defensive opposition. Add another game with Seattle coming up shortly and Moore is a sure-fire top add this week.
QB: Matt Ryan (IND, 28% rostered) – Week 6’s QB2 threw the ball 58 times! Read that again…58 times. I am sure you knew he was chucking all day, but what you may have missed in the box score is Ryan did so without throwing one interception, fumbling once, or taking one sack. Read THAT again! Is that sustainable? Probably not, but we will take it as a bye-week replacement. The QB position is an absolute mess right now unless you roster Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes or Jalen Hurts. Don’t believe me? Go look at the top ten QBs for Week 6 and you will see names like Bailey Zappe, Matt Ryan, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Marcus Mariota. Not exactly the list you would expect. What this means for you heading into Week 7 byes is that you will be without two of the top QBs (Allen, Hurts) plus Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford. I am happy to chase those points if I am down my QB1 for Week 7.
QB: Ryan Tannehill (TEN, 17% rostered) –Sometimes you just need to remember that slow and steady (sometimes) wins the race. Maybe it is time you looked for a steady if unspectacular QB to put up enough points to keep you competitive. There is no season-long Josh Allen-like QB on the wire, so look at Week 7 matchups and do your best to invest wisely in a guy like Tannehill that can get you some rushing yards while providing enough passing to be in the mix. He is not flashy but can get the job done in one week.
Honorable Mention: Jameis Winston (NO, 28% rostered), Daniel Jones (NYG, 30% rostered), Marcus Mariota (ATL, 14% rostered),
RB: Deon Jackson (IND; 43% rostered) – Our dude Deon was a Week 6 winner and was less than 50% owned with the late news Jonathan Taylor would sit out the week after participating in practice during the week leading up to Week 6. 10 targets and 10 catches. Over 120 all-purpose yards with a TD. What more could we ask for? Two issues to consider with Jackson. First, Taylor should be back in Week 7 and second, Jackson departed Week 6 with a quad injury. If the injury is not too limiting leading up to Week 7, Jackson is an excellent addition considering the RBs on bye (Dalvin Cook, Devin Singletary, Miles Sanders and the atrocious options for the Rams). If healthy, I look for Jackson to continue to see reps with Nyheim Hines out and to spell Taylor if, indeed, Taylor is back for Week 7.
RB: Kenyan Drake (BAL; 5% rostered) – I have listed Gus Edwards a couple of times and still like him to take over carries from J.K. Dobbins when he is fully back from PUP. What I neglected to do was notice Drake lingering on the depth chart just waiting for a chance. That chance presented itself on Sunday when Dobbins left with knee tightness. That tightness occurred in the same leg that required him to miss an entire season. Keep an eye on the depth chart and Dobbins’/Edwards’ status heading into Week 7. You may find Drake to be a cheap, sneaky add against the Giants. Sure, the Giants have been tough against the run, but as I mentioned in the opening, you may need to chase points to be competitive at this point.
Honorable Mention: Dontrelle Hilliard (TEN, 12% rostered), Latavius Murray (DEN, 15% rostered), Sony Michel (LAC, 3% rostered)
WR: Darnell Mooney (CHI; 54% rostered) – Two of the last three games, Mooney has put up 13 PPR points. Not what you want from your WR1, but if someone dropped him and you are in need of production, Mooney could be your guy. I am still not sold on Fields as a starting NFL QB, but remember, we are chasing points and swinging for the fences with our waiver names this week.
WR: Donovan Peoples-Jones (CLE; 15% rostered) – Our guy DPJ is averaging double-digits over his last three games. He is not a league winner, but we need consistent points, and 10+ in PPR is a nice average and can probably be viewed as his floor at this point. As the season progresses, we may even see him take a step forward if/when Deshaun Watson usurps Jacoby Brissett as the QB1. Cleveland is a run-first team but must throw to ensure there are not consistently eight in the box against Nick Chubb. Balance is important and the Browns understand that as much as you do when you build your weekly lineup.
Honorable Mentions to STASH: Ben Skowronek (LAR, 2% rostered), Jameson Williams (32% rostered)
TE: Daniel Bellinger (NYG; 3% rostered) – The Giants’ offense does not rival those in Buffalo or Kansas City, but it is what it is in the 2022 fantasy tight end wasteland. Bellinger has found the end zone each of the past two weeks, so he is just as likely as any other streamer to score. Shoot for the moon when looking at TE since there appears to be nothing but disappointment outside of Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews.
Honorable Mention: Robert Tonyan (GB, 42% rostered), Cade Otton (TB, 6% rostered), Juwan Johnson (NO, 1% rostered)
I stress this point again…survive and move on. You need points anywhere you can get them during these dark injury and bye days. Do not be prideful at this point. Just add the names you think have the best path to a certain level of points and hope for the best.
Best of luck heading into Week 4 and may the wire be with you!
Hey there,
What are your thoughts on dropping Antonio Gibson for Brian Robinson?
Thank you!
Great question! I think ROS the better player is Brian Robinson, but we are just not sure how Ron Rivera will employ both backs at this point. If you have another player to drop or move to IR, I may consider doing so over Gibson. Right now, I much prefer Robinson over Gibson.
Thanks so much, Mitch!
Any time. Let me know next week how the decision plays out.
i love that you still are correct in saying “if/then” on watson, who lately had a 27th abused woman show up, hers took longer as she didn’t have the same lawyer as the first 26. serious question though, how much is CLE spending let’s say weekly to make sure watson is followed around by lawyer(s)/security agents making damn sure he’s just never alone with any females (could always hope for the best and watch their whatever hundred million investment get banned entirely if they don’t want to put in this effort, and really how many more instances would even be needed for him to run afoul of some lady and being removed from the NFL forever (and outside prison society at all really) by this point?
I will not pretend to be an expert on any of the legal happenings surrounding Deshaun Watson. For now, it is Jacoby Brissett’s team and we will deal with him for now.
sorry, if/then.
shit, if/when, got it that time.
Hey man! Full ppr (10 team). Currently 4-2. 1st in my division but everyone’s close. So my waiver priority is 9/10
Thoughts on who to add / drop this week
1.) do I hold or drop Russell Wilson (my only QB) to add one of: Geno Smith, or Tua?
2.) hold or drop Pickens? I’d be adding wan dale Robinson
3.) hold or drop chase Edmonds (he’s my cuff for my Mostert) I’d be adding one of lat Murray or Kenyan drake
My RBs are Dalvin cook (bye), zeke Elliot, Dameon Pierce, mattison, pollard, chase Edmonds, Mostert, Darrel Henderson
My WRs (we start 3); Justin Jefferson (bye), davante adams, courtland Sutton, Gabe Davis (bye), Gallup (gets dak back ), Romeo Doubs , Pickens
We also have one flex (rb/WR/TE)
Stashed on IR: Jameson Williams & kyren Williams of the rams
Thanks man!
Drop Wilson for Tua immediately; Hold Pickens; Drop Edmonds for Drake. All good moves in my humble opinion.
What’s up Mitch? Can you please choose 2Wrs and a Flex for PPR? Options are shitty but.. Doubs, Alec Pierce, Renfroe, Mostert, Curtis Samuel and Najee.
Also would you run Pitts out there this week or stream Bellinger, Engram, Ottin, Gesicki or Dulcich? Jesus that sounds gross. Thanks for the time man
Mike – sorry for the delayed response. I was down sick yesterday. At WR this week I like Pierce and Renfrow with Doubs third. Flex for me is probably Mostert unless you hear bad news about his knee. I like Doubs as secondary Flex option. Of those names at TE I think it has to be Pitts but I say that as someone who does not own, who is not infinitely frustrated by Pitts at this point. Pitts and then Dulcich as the swing for the fences option.
In a superflex league, would you: give sam darnold, Kenyan drake, Gus Edwards for Jeff Wilson jr, Jared Goff. I’m a cmc owner, so Wilson jr may be valuable this week as a start and potentially a handcuff? I know Elijah Mitchell is supposed to come back at some point but curious on what you think of this move. Only Other rbs are: swift/jamaal Williams. Qbs: Daniel jones/Herbert/gene smith then darnold.
Thanks!
I would absolutely make that deal. Do it now. Do it quick!
Update- dobbins out 4-6 weeks!?
WOW….just read the same news. Maybe you hold Drake and Edwards.
Hey Mitch! Thank you for all the great content!
I have a little bit of a dilemma. My team is 4-2 in a 10 team .5 ppr.
QB-Mahomes
WR-Pittman, Amon-Ra, DK, DeAndre Hopkins, Diontae Johnson, B.Cooks, Olave
RB-CMC, Chubb, Hunt, B.Robinson, D.Harris
TE-Pitts and Goedert
Dilemma 1. Stay with CMC? Or go with Hunt?
Dilemma 2. Olave and D.Harris are occupying my IR spots. No big deal since I had other starters in their place. But next week Mahomes is on a bye and my roster will be locked from making adds until I clear them out of the IR spots. There’s a small possibility someone gets hurt and I can swap, but assuming I have to drop two players so I can add a plug in QB, who do I drop? D.Johnson and B.Robinson?
Welcome back Sport! I think the first drop is Hunt then Robinson. I life your roster as we discussed on Sunday’s and think you are in a good place. Consider adding your QB this week if the right name is available.
I had actually considered adding the QB this week to avoid the WW.
D.Jones at Seattle
Carr at New Orleans
Geno vs NYG
Winston vs LV
Mariotta vs Carolina
Stafford vs SF
Decent names I think. One jump out as a must add for week 8?
All solid options. I really like Carr against the depleted Saints D. Just look what AZ did last night and you can see Carr should be in a good spot to thrive. Seattle cannot stop the run or pass so Jones is a solid option too. Carolina is awful but I do not think Atlanta throws enough to add Mariota over the other names.