Mitch Staniger is enjoying a much-deserved vacation this week. When the bullpen phone rang and my number called, I was ecstatic to get an opportunity to share not only my “Target Trends” but also my “Waiver Wire” thoughts with you this week.
I feel like the football gods are taking it easy on me though, which I’m 100% ok with on many levels. The most important of which was the limited number of injuries this weekend. For too many weeks, most of us fantasy owners have been scrambling mid-week to find plug-n-play options to make up for our injuries. Throw in the bye weeks and some underperforming stars at the same time, it all adds up to a ton of FAAB monies being tossed around for names nobody would have expected to be a “thing” in late October (Does the “Add: Malik Willis; Drop: Aaron Rodgers” move ring a bell for anyone?). If only there was a prop bet available for that one! I digress…
So, fear not my friends, Mitch will be back in the saddle next week, refreshed and ready to help you navigate the rest of the regular season and prepare you for the fantasy playoffs. In the meantime, I’ll do my best to highlight some options that should help you this week and beyond. With six teams on bye (Browns, Cowboys, Broncos, Giants, Steelers and 49ers), it’ll be a challenge for many of us to navigate week 9. The roster may not look great Sunday morning but don’t forget we’re all going through this together. At the end of the day, only 3 words matter: Just Win Baby!
NOTE: Rostered percentages and scoring system is based on Yahoo! PPR league scoring.
Quarterbacks:
QB: Justin Fields (CHI, 41% rostered) – The Bears are not a good team and their fantasy “stars” have been a disappointment for the most part. Despite this, there have been some signs of fantasy life for some of their key offensive weapons. Exhibit one: Justin Fields. Let’s not sugar coat it, Fields was a terrible fantasy QB over the first for games, providing his owners an average of 13 fantasy points per game. To be fair, he was also facing top ten defenses verses QBs over those four weeks. The schedule got a bit easier for Fields starting in week five and his fantasy production is responding in kind, averaging over 24 points per game. Despite this, his ownership still lags below 50%. After putting up a nice effort versus the Cowboys, I suspect will now change. If you’re still rostering the likes of Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, note the next 3 matchups for Fields are all against bottom third defenses.
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo (SF, 49% rostered, bye week add) – Since being reinstated as the 49ers QB, Jimmy G has been deployed as a game manager. In this role, he’s been about as consistent as they come, scoring 20 or more fantasy points over the last 4 games. Mix in a new weapon in Christian McCaffrey with a healthy Deebo Samuel after the upcoming bye week, and it’s going to be hard to stop this team. The 49ers have a QB-friendly schedule during the stretch run and fantasy playoffs. He should already be on your roster in a 2-QB or super flex league, on your waiver priority list as a bye-week filler in week 10 and on your radar as a late season starter following his bye week.
Honorable Mention: PJ Walker (CAR, 6% rostered), Taylor Heinicke, (WAS, 7% rostered)
Running Backs:
RB: Kenyan Drake (BAL, 31% rostered) – Thankfully, there weren’t many backfield injuries of note in Week 8. One that may have short-term implications is in Baltimore. The Gus Bus suffered a flat tire early in the game, paving the way for Drake to get the lions-share of backfield work (42 snaps) versus the Bucs. He turned that into 62 yards rushing, 4 receptions and a TD. Early indications are Edwards’ hammy is not too serious but with the Ravens bye coming up in week 10, Drake may get one game all to himself.
RB: Tyler Allgeier (ATL, 55% rostered) – Tyler Allgeier won’t be a league-winner by any means and may not even be a long-term solution with Cordarrelle Patterson coming back soon, but his fantasy ownership remains too low. I get it, he plays for the Falcons and who can predict their game plan week to week (I know all you Kyle Pitts owners feel me!). If your league falls into the 45% category and he’s available, be sure to put in a claim. What makes him a little more interesting is the new targets in the passing game. Prior to week 8, Allgeier only received 2 targets. He turned his 3 targets versus the Panthers into 46 yards and a score. Don’t go overboard with your FAAB bid here, but we’re playing week-to-week here. With so many good RBs on bye, you could do a lot worse.
Honorable Mention: Latavius Murray (DEN, 40% rostered, bye week add), Dontrell Hilliard, (TEN, 12% rostered), James Cook (BUF, 22% rostered, buy-low candidate)
Wide Receivers:
WR: Rondale Moore (ARI, 35% rostered) – Sunday was a big day for many top WRs. Nestled amongst those names on the week 8 leaderboard is Rondale Moore. Despite the loss of Hollywood Brown and failure of Robbie Anderson to make a mark with his new team, Moore is still rostered in only a third of leagues. That will likely change in a big way after logging his best game as a pro on Sunday hauling in 7 of 8 targets for 92 yards and a TD. The Cardinals have some important games coming up against divisional opponents in the Seahawks, Rams and 49ers so all hands will be on deck. Look for the targets to continue and grab yourself a nice bye-week flex option.R
WR: Joshua Palmer (LAC, 26% rostered) – Joshua Palmer turned in his best game of the season in week 6 versus the Broncos, logging 9 receptions on 12 targets, including a season-high 72 snaps. Unfortunately, he suffered a concussion and missed the week 7 game versus the Seahawks. The bye week came at a fortunate time and now Palmer should be fully cleared for the upcoming matchup versus the Falcons. Palmer’s potential generally aligns with Keenan Allen’s status, who after running only a total of 16 routes in week 8, is still clearly affected by the hamstring injury. Additionally, Mike Williams remains out this week so there’s another boost to Palmer’s potential. Plucking a low-owned WR off the waiver wire in week 9 is never a sure bet but the potential return here makes Palmer an interesting play.
WR: Terrance Marshall Jr. (CAR, 1% rostered) – Right when we thought the Panthers were folding up their tent and going home, a few fantasy options are floating to the surface. D’Onta Foreman has been a beast over the past two games with 118 rushing yards in both and DJ Moore has re-emerged as a fantasy-relevant WR. After a career-high nine targets leading to 87 yards receiving, Marshall has a chance to carve out a WR #2 role which at minimum, puts him into consideration as a bye-week flex option.
Honorable Mention: Romeo Doubs (GB, 46% rostered), Darius Slayton, (NYG, 7% rostered, bye week add)
Tight Ends:
TE: Tyler Conklin (NYJ, 12% rostered) – Tyler Conklin got off to a hot start with Joe Flacco under center, averaging 8 targets over the first three games. Since then, he disappeared from the fantasy radar, to include a big jelly donut in week 5 versus the Dolphins. Dunkin Donuts can’t hold this guy down forever though as he busted out in a big way on Sunday with 10 targets, 6 receptions for 79 yards and 2 scores. With Conklin back in the Jets playbook and 6 teams on bye in week 9, you could do worse to fill your short-term TE needs.
TE: Isaiah Likely (BAL, 5% rostered) – Much to the chagrin of fantasy owners everywhere, Mark Andrews watched most of the Ravens win over the Bucs from the sidelines due to a shoulder injury. Enter stage right Mr. Isaiah Likely! Likely took full advantage of his expanded role by catching 6 of his 7 targets for 77 yards and a score. The early returns suggest Andrews’ injury will respond well to the extra rest and he’ll suit up at New Orleans. In case this proves to be nothing more than optimism and Andrews gets an early jump on the week 10 by week, Likely is a must add in all formats. Granted, the Saints defense is strong versus TEs but this cat confirmed the analysts correct, he can ball. Regardless of Andrews’ situation, the Ravens would be fools to not take advantage of their newly unveiled weapon. I’m not saying he’s a league-winner but his ownership could increase 10-fold by the end of the week. Don’t wait for the Andrews owner to scramble to the wire if Coach Harbaugh and the fellas feel Andrews needs more rest.
Honorable Mention: Greg Dulcich (DEN, 42% rostered, bye week add), Evan Engram, (JAC, 43% rostered)
There you have it, my player recommendations that may be available to you on the waiver wire. Let me know what you think and feel free to ask any specific questions. Like Mitch, I’m here to help!
5-3 1 PPR 0.2 PPC
QB: Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow
RB: Singletary, K Herbert
WR: Evans, JuJu, ARSB
TE: Tonyan
Flex: D Harris
Bench:
Tannenhill, M Willis
Deebo(bye), Lamb (bye)
D Henderson, C Hubbard
Waivers – 88% FAAB left.
RB: J Cook, J Warren(bye), Huntley, K Williams
WR: R Moore
TE: Dulchich, I Likley, Conklin
I am dropping M Willis. Not sure about Hendo since this is 0.2 PPC and people hoarded RBs. Please advise who shall I drop and add from waivers? How much FAAB to spend here?
I really like your team makeup here and wouldn’t make too many changes. This may be a tough week but you’ll be golden in the WR/Flex spots once Lamb and Deebo are back. Here is what I’d suggest to strengthen your bench:
Of the RBs listed, I’d only suggest adding J Cook and do it now. He’s carving out a role with Singletary already and if Singletary misses any game action, Cook could be a league winner. I would drop Henderson. Even if they don’t add a RB at the deadline (Hunt), Henderson isn’t getting the workload to warrant a roster spot. Hubbard should be back this week and I’m expecting a 65:35 split (leaning Foreman) initially but trending more to 50:50 in the coming weeks.
100% agree on dropping Willis. Target Dulcich and plan on him being your starting TE after the bye. He shouldn’t be a priority add to many teams because of the bye (and 5 other teams on bye).
With 88% FAAB remaining, you are in a strong position at this point of the season. I also assume you know the waiver tendencies of your league mates. I’d suggest 10% FAAB for Cook and 2% for Dulcich. If your league mates are more aggressive, increase those a bit. If they are more conservative, you could probably save a few. Just be sure to get these two.
Thanks for reaching out. Let me know how it goes.
Well, so much for the Cook love. Nyheim Hines to the Bills. I’d still stash Cook for Henderson but you can safely drop your FAAB bid to a minimum.
I’ll be back next week Achilles but my guy has you this week!
Drop FAAB on Pickens or Doubs in a .5 PPR?
For me, Pickens is a must add with the Claypool trade today and some WR-friendly matchups coming up during the fantasy playoffs. The Steelers are going to play spoilers and should look to build rapport with their young QB-WR connection.
The Lineup Builder! I am in a ten team 0.5 ppr league with big play bonuses. Could you please help me figure out who to pick up off the waiver wire for week 9? Thank you!
QB: J. Hurts/D. Prescott
WR1: C. Kirk/B. Aiyuk/J. Waddle/M. Gallup/A. Brown
WR2: C. Kirk/B. Aiyuk/J. Waddle/M. Gallup/A. Brown
RB1: J. Taylor/D. Henderson/D. Forman/J. Robinson/K. Walker
RB2: J. Taylor/D. Henderson/D. Forman/J. Robinson/K. Walker
TE: Z. Ertz
F: B. Aiyuk/J. Waddle C. Kirk/M. Gallup/D. Henderson/D. Foreman/K. Walker/J. Robinson/J. Taylor/A. Brown
D: Dallas
K: B. Maher
Thank you!
Possible targets:
-Prater for Maher
-What defenses are you targeting this week?
-Who would you drop with G. Pickens, K. Herbert, N. Hines, J. Wilson Jr, and C. Edmonds on the waiver wire?
The only player I’d consider dropping is Henderson. I think you have enough RB depth without him. I like the names listed in order, especially Pickens.
Since he’s the only drop, I see a dilemma.
My suggestion would be to:
Drop Henderson, Add Pickens
Drop Maher, Add Prater (I like Crosby too)
Keep Dallas and win with a 0.
The Lineup Builder! Thank you for the advice! I dropped Henderson for Hines. Would you drop Gallup for Eno Benjamin (my opponent has Connor) and then drop Eno for either Ravens, Cincinnati or Miami? Thank you!
I see you working here and I like it. Yes, I would grab Eno. Since the Ravens play Monday night, wait to see if Conner plays (true GTD) then make the move for Ravens D (assuming your league allows that). Best case scenario, Conner sits and you can play Eno in the flex and don’t need a Def. If you’re behind but close, drop Cowboys D for Ravens D.
You are awesome! I appreciate you! I hope you win in all your leagues this week.
What do you think of stashing Cordarelle Patterson over Rachaad White? In a PPR, I think the ceiling might be higher with White, but Patterson’s more of a sure thing to contribute when healthy. Right?
Yes, stash Patterson. The shine is off White and practically the whole TB offense right now. You should have an opportunity to add White back during their bye week, if needed.
I’m waiting for big Razzball supporter Sport to jump in with his questions. His rosters are SICK!
I’m in a 12 team full PPR. Trade Chubb for Pierce, Christian Kirk and DK Metcalf? I need some receivers but Chubb is special.
Chubb is special but so is winning a title. If you need to trade Chubb to make your team better, do it. But he should return a premium package so be sure to use all your leverage to do so. I like Pierce as a RB replacement for Chubb. Can you get more thank Kirk and DK? Try to get a #1 WR. Your trade partner may say “no” today but let it simmer and see if he comes around. Also, don’t negate the two player you’ll have to drop to make room.
Thanks man!
Hello Lineup Builder! Good stuff with these Waiver Adds.
A trade question for you in our Yahoo 12 Team Points League with 1 PPR.
I was wondering what you thought of me trading Mostert for K. Allen or maybe Thielen.
My RBs are CMC, Mixon, M. Sanders and Mostert. My WRs are Lamb, Waddle, DK, Lazard and Pickens. Lamb and Pickens are on a Bye and Lazard is banged up. I will also be losing Waddle and DK for Week 11. I am worried about my WR3 spot mainly.
Panic move? Let me know what you think. I am currently in third place and catching up to second.
Thanks much TLB.
Hey YMW, thanks for the question. I see why you’re concerned but I’d recommend holding Mostert and letting your WR situation play out a little more before making a move like this. I don’t think you’re getting the right value with Allen or Thielen.
Thanks very much TLB! I know Mostert’s value went up with the Edmonds trade, so I will do that.
I have to drop one of the following:
Najee
Pollard
Hunt
All three on a BYE this week. Which one are you giving up here?
I actually need to drop 2. I could add Foreman and need a defense. I don’t want to drop the 49ers. So I guess the question is which 1 are you holding onto?
Of the 3, I’m definitely keeping Pollard. I like Foreman but Hubbard should be back in the mix so temper expectations a bit. Personally, I still like him over Najee but I wouldn’t fault you for passing on Foreman to keep Najee as well.
Patterson of the Falcons is also available. Does that change anything?
I’m still keeping Pollard overall. I’m concerned with Patterson’s knee injury and the timeline for him to be back to full speed (plus the timeshare with Allgeier).
Thank you!
Was offered Stevenson (NE) for my Evans (TB) straight up.
Or should i ask for Deebo?
Worth it?
12 teamer – Guillotine league. .5PPR
Current Roster
Brady
Tyrek
Waddle
Mostert
Swift
Ertz
Evans
Bench
Hunt
DK
Theilen
Love the concept of Guillotine leagues. I’ll have to do one next year. Your team is probably going to live/die with the Dolphins. That said, adding Stevenson is a smart move, especially if Swift’s return is slowed. I’d accept the Stevenson – Evans deal and slide DK to the Flex, depending on Swift news. I’m not too concerned on Harris taking too many snaps from Stevenson.
Also, check out my “Target Trends” article posted today. There’s a little nugget at the end on Thielen’s matchup this week.
Good luck!
Thanks Man. Guillotine leagues is where its at!!
Help with the lineup for this week please
Would you start DJ Moore or Hardman?
Eso Benjamin or Donta Foreman?
Moore and Foreman for me.
I like the matchup Hardman has vs the Titans but there are too many mouths to feed there. I expect Carolina to be playing from behind so more targets for DJ (maybe some garbage points too).
Both RBs should have their backfield mates back this week so I lean toward the higher volume. Even with Chuba suited up, D’onta should get 50-60% of carries. If Conner is healthy enough, I expect Eno to get only 30-40%.
Thanks!!