Pour one out for everyone that drafted Zero RB or Zero WR this season. Thanks for coming out, guys. Week 2 killed so many hopeless hopes and turned lucid dreams into fevered ones as the 2nd coming of LT (and the former 2nd overall pick by the GMen) got shaken up and now looks to be done for the year. If that wasn’t enough, Hot Sauce decided to end his AND1 career to take his talents to Tampa, snatching Christian McCaffrey’s ankle for what looks to be a somewhat serious injury (not many details yet, but with how this year is going, I’m preparing for the worst). And the cherry on top? I had to watch Tyrod Taylor pound his chest on the sidelines like he was trying to hype up Jordan Belfort as Justin Herbert got his heart broken in his NFL debut. Just a solid Sunday all around, right guys?
QUARTERBACK
Gardner Minshew - Jacksonville Jaguars
Ownership: 32%
FAAB: $3-5
Waiver Priority: No
Well, if there’s one thing that put a smile on my face this weekend, it was watching Gardner Minshew continue his farewell tour for Trevor Lawrence’s hopes of ending up in Jacksonville. Although they didn’t come out of this one victorious, I think it’s clear that Uncle Rico is not a backup QB in this league, which I guess is more important for dynasty purposes than redraft. If you own GM in dynasty, congratulations, you didn’t just play yourself. As for redraft, it still hurts my heart that he’s owned in under ⅓ of leagues. What more does he have to do? Their defense STINKS, and with the conglomerate of 6’3 wideouts that run sub 4.40’s, he’s bound to produce. The man has thrown for six tuddies over his first two outings, adding 19 yards on the ground in each as well. The “concerns” of him not airing the ball out due to a one game sample was thrown to the wayside, as his attempt total read 45. Some are saying it’s more iconic than Jordan’s double nickel at MSG. Some = Me. But for real, this team isn’t good and with their upcoming slate of games, Minshew looks to be a legitimate QB1 on a weekly basis. The Jaguars draw the Dolphins, Bengals, Texans, Lions, Chargers, Texans, and Packers all in a row, and of those games, the only one that scares me is LAC. Every other matchup looks like either a shit defense or a gamescript that will dictate a pass heavy outing from the mustachioed menace, and with the addition of his legs, should have zero issues being a near-elite option going forward.
Justin Herbert - Los Angeles Chargers
Ownership: 3%
FAAB: $0-3
Waiver Priority: No
So it looks like Anthony Lynn isn’t committing to Justin Herbert long term. I don’t blame him, six months ago I didn’t want to either, but I’d be remiss to say the kid didn’t look like a complete animal out there. Facing the defending Super Bowl champs, J-Herbo showed there was no limit to the amount of confidence he had in himself, calling his own number on the goal line a few times and throwing the ball into triple coverage like Zac Efron was on the field, because he was looking like #17 again (shoutout Uncle Phil). He’s a modern day Daniel Jones, who’s also a modern day Daniel Jones, and we all know that for fantasy, that’s a pretty good thing. If he keeps the job, which I don’t understand why he wouldn’t given how much better this offense looked with him under center, Herbert would become an immediate streaming candidate as early as week three. The Chargers draw the Panthers, Buccaneers, Saints, Giants, Dolphins, Jaguars, and Raiders all in a row, which, by the looks of it, sets up favorably for his fantasy potential. If he isn’t facing a slouch like the Panthers or Giants over that stretch of games, he’s matching up against a pass-funnell/high-powered offense that will force the Chargers to throw. He’s the discount Minshew imo, and if you know me, mentioning anyone in the same breath as Gardner is very high praise.
Jeff Driskel - Denver Broncos
Ownership: 0%
FAAB: $0-3
Waiver Priority: No
With Drew Lock suffering an AC joint sprain that looks like it’ll sideline him for 2-6 weeks (I’m not a doctor, I can just read twitter blurbs really well), Jeff Driskel now steps into the limelight as the gunslinger for the Broncos. For fantasy purposes, I actually kinda like Driskel, and may even favor him over Drew Lock. I’m not a huge fan of one-dimensional QBs like Lock, especially if they stink in that one dimension, but a two dimensional QB, that is a little below mediocre in both of those dimensions? I’m all about it. He did look really good this past week considering he was thrown in with no preparation against one of, if not the league’s best defense, and he barely even used his best attribute: his legs. In three starts last season, Driskel logged 37, 58 (and a TD), and 61 rushing yards, which helped boost his weekly floor and spiked his weekly fantasy average to 21.5 points. I’m not saying this is bound to repeat, but we know he can run and we know he has a whole lot of dynamic playmakers all over the field. Both Noah Fant and Jerry Jeudy are cementing roles in this offense, KJ Hamler looked good in his NFL debut, and even Melvin Gordon has decided he wants to play football this year. If Lock does miss the expected amount of time, then I’d be pretty confident in saying Driskel will be a more than adequate QB2 for the next month with a few favorable matchups around the corner. Denver gets two pass-funnel defenses in Tampa and the Jets over these next two weeks, which warrants a pickup if you’re into streaming the position. After that, the Broncos face the Patriots, which is a no-go unless you’re My. Unlimited, so even if it’s just a two-game stretch for Driskel, you could do much worse if you’re thin at the position.
Nick Mullens - San Francisco 49ers
Ownership: 0%
FAAB: $0
Waiver Priority: No
This is one I’m not all too excited about. I’m only picking up Mullens in SF leagues because there just isn’t an instance I’m excited about streaming an immobile QB on an offense with no real pass-catching weapons, not even if he’s playing the Giants, Eagles, and Dolphins all in a row. Wow, what a coincidence, those are San Francisco’s next three matchups. Yes, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle look to be returning soon enough, but with how good the ground game has looked and with Mullens’ inexperience, I just don’t see him dropping back enough times to warrant ever streaming. His ceiling is like 289 yards and 2 TDs and his floor is 11 attempts, especially with how shitty these upcoming opponents are, but he warrants making the list because he’s a fresh face in the starting QB pool which is always a welcomed sign in 2QB leagues. It’s exciting, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up.
RUNNING BACK
Dion Lewis + Devonta Freeman - New York Giants
Ownership: 5/1%
FAAB: $5-10
Waiver Priority: No
I almost feel like there’s zero point in picking up ANY Giants’ running back. Do we really think Dion Lewis is the answer? I know I don’t. What about Wayne Gallman? Oh, you mean the guy behind Dion Lewis on the depth chart? How about Devonta Freeman, he’s getting talked up about potentially landing in the big apple? Oh, isn’t that the guy that averaged 3.6 YPC on the Falcons last year? It’s really just a messy, shitty, situation in New York right now. I know this isn’t what you want to hear if you’re 0-2 and excited to spend your waiver priority/all your FAAb on what seems to be a newly donned starting running back, but I’m just being real. Look at what Saquon Barkley did these past two weeks: 19 rushes for 34 yards. His YPC was looking like Skip Bayless’ high school PPG on JV, and let’s keep in mind, this is SAQUON BARKLEY we’re talking about. Do we really think that anyone else on this offense is going to find more success on the ground than Barkley was? Obviously 1.8 YPC is a low bar to clear, but with how poor this o-line is, paired with the talent disparity between him and every other back on this roster, it’s not going to be much better. The only positive through two weeks for Saquon was his receiving usage, seeing nine targets in week one, so I guess you can say that’s a positive for Dion Lewis, who has shown to be good in that department in the past, but if you wanted a satellite back in a terrible offense, you could just pick Chris Thompson up off waivers.
I’m not saying to completely avoid picking up Dion Lewis, though. If a $15 bid is what it takes, go for it, but just know someone in your league is about to shell out 80% of their budget for a back that’s going to be averaging 4.1 yards per touch on 13 touches for the next four weeks before he’s replaced, so don’t be too upset if you wake up Wednesday morning without seeing DL on your roster.
***UPDATE***
Devonta Freeman is signing with the New York Giants pending a physical and Covid-19 test.
This is the death blow to anything resembling a ceiling out of Dion Lewis.
What does this make Devonta Freeman. An overhyped, broken down 28-year old back that no NFL team wanted to sign. Oh you mean for fantasy my bad.
My initial thought is this, I'm letting someone else spend the money on him. If you're a really optimistic person, ok, go for it - but I would NOT be spending anything more than 10% of your budget on him.
Freeman had a great few years in Atlanta, but hoping for anything resembling that is irresponsible. Freeman ran as hard as Chris Carson, with 25 fewer pounds on his frame. Hence why the injuries started to accumulate over the last three seasons:
I'm trying to be as objective as I can about this. Freeman has simply had too many lower-body injuries, combined with lack of conditioning right now + likely being thrown into a big workload, it's going to put him at a crazy increased risk of an early-stint injury.
But even if he miraculously stays healthy, what does he offer? He's probably a better early-down runner than Wayne Gallman, but he's not a better pass-catcher than Dion Lewis. Freeman's "good" fantasy games in 2019 came on the byke of big receiving performances, which stemmed from the fact that the Falcons lead the NFL in passing.
I'm confident that this will be a committee in New York in which the combination of Freeman, Lewis and Gallman all see between 7-10 touches/game, and Freeman may very well be the odd-man out when it comes to valuable touches in fantasy: receptions and GL work.
The hype of who Freeman once was will far exceed the production he can still offer. Throw a few very low bids at these backs, maybe you'll get one, but let someone else overpay for a low-ceiling, low-floor low RB3.
Mike Davis - Carolina Panthers
Ownership: 2%
FAAB: $45-50
Waiver Priority: Yes
I’m writing this on Monday morning, so I don’t know all the details about CMC’s ankle, but early reports are saying they’re hoping it isn’t too serious. “They” in this case is everyone who had the 1.01 in 2020. Because this doesn’t look to be anything like a season-ending injury for McCaffrey, along with the Panthers drawing a fairly stout Chargers’ defense next week, Davis isn’t someone I’m necessarily running to the waiver wire to grab. He did see a healthy eight targets this past week, but he paired that with just one tote of the rock. This is mainly due to Carolina being down the entire game, which is a script we should be fairly accustomed to for them, so if he does draw a start of two in the wake of CMC’s potential absence, he could return low-end RB2 value. Unless you own CMC, or had Saquon, though, there aren’t many situations where I’m looking to start Davis, even in my FLEX spot. The chances of him matching McCaffrey’s 90% snap share are as thin as Davis is thicc, so it won’t be easy trusting a committee back in a below-average running attack that will be constantly playing catch up, which makes it even harder to cough up any substantial FAAB for him knowing he’s just a rental, if that.
***Update***
I decided to leave my initial writeup in here so y’all know how big of a fraud I am. I’ve already told you I’m not a doctor, so it’s no surprise I was way off on my initial diagnosis that I surmised from Twitter hopefuls. CMC is dealing with a high ankle sprain, which is basically a pseudo-ACL tear for workhorse RBs. It knocked Kamara and Saquon out for a bit last year and neither really looked the same until the very end of the season where Barkley decided to turn tf up in weeks 15-17. Drake actually predicted what would happen to AK with his “Nothing Was The Same” project half a decade byke because ever since Jamaal Crawford hit him with that shamgod in week six last szn, his efficiency has taken a bigger dip than Trot Nixon.
McCaffrey is an animal, and I’m sure a few footrubs from Olivia Culpo could nurse him back to health in no time, but he’s likely to miss a month or so of football and will be largely hampered for some time there after. With this being the case, and the Panthers’ current depth chart sporting just Davis and Trenton Cannon, a scat back special-teamer, I’m willing to make a splash for Davis. My previous statements stand about him being on a poor offense, but I think he’s a well-rounded enough back to be able to command around 15-20 touches per game while handling goal line and passing down work. Treat him as you would someone like James Robinson or David Montgomery.
Jerick Mckinnon - San Francisco 49ers
Ownership: 23%
FAAB: $15-20
Waiver Priority: Yes
Now this is someone I’m excited about. Jerick Mckinnon looks...good? I know, I’m surprised as well. With Raheem Mostert dealing with some sort of MCL injury, and Tevin Coleman not being good at football, Jerick seems to be in line for some serious touches going forward. Over his first two weeks, he’s commanded six targets and has produced to the tune of 121 YFS and two tugs...on NINE touches. It looks like the 49ers are slowly ramping up his workload, as he hasn’t played a down in two years due to multiple knee injuries, so I wouldn’t be shocked if Coleman leads the team in snaps next week, but it’s just a matter of time before Mckinnon overtakes TCo’s touches, and if Mostert’s injury is more serious than they’re letting on, that could be huge for JM’s future prospects. Even if Mostert returns in a week or two, if Jerick earns the #2 role, that could be enough to return FLEX upside on a weekly basis because of just how run heavy this team is, as well as with how often the 49ers are targeting RBs (Mostert, Jerick, and Coleman have combined for a 28.8% target share thus far). He’s already been a top-24 option through the first two weeks on minimal work, so even as the efficiency dips, the increase in volume should make up some ground and help maintain his value going forward. He’s this week’s Nyhiem Hines, except he’s actually pretty good, so take that for what it’s worth.
Darrell Henderson - Los Angeles Rams
Ownership: 31%
FAAB: $10-15
Waiver Priority: No
I don’t know what to do with this Rams backfield. Malcolm Brown was legit week one, then he stunk week two. It was reported that MB had some sort of finger injury, which doesn’t sound serious, so he should be in the mix again next week, and Cam Akers suffered a rib injury early, which he did not return from. If Akers’ injury is something that holds him out for a while, then Henderson looks to be a solid add off waivers as I doubt they find another back to turn this situation into a three headed monster again, but even if they don’t, I’m not getting my hopes up. Brown still led the team in snaps to the tune of a 54% snap share, and although Henderson looked really good this past week, I doubt they completely phase out Malcolm, who has already shown to be a viable option in both the passing game and on the goal line. I know I sound really pessimistic this week about waiver running backs, but I’m just trying to remain conservative with my FAAB as we’re just two weeks in and the only major injury sustained has been by Saquon in a terrible situation. Sure, Henderson could pop off and be the next big thing, but what’s more likely, that, or you getting a headache on a weekly basis wondering if that’s the week you start a RB behind a bad o-line in a committee that relies on extreme efficiency and TD luck to return value for you? I’m going to go with the latter. If he had carved out a significant role in the passing game, as Mckinnon did, or goal line duties, like the next back we’ll talk about, I’d be singing a different tune, but there’s just so much up in the air here that I’m not going to be the one to drop all my FAAB on someone who could be the 3rd leg in a committee by the end of next week.
Joshua Kelley - Los Angeles Chargers
Ownership: 39%
FAAB: $25-30
Waiver Priority: Yes
I’m still firmly in the “Joshua Kelley isn’t good” camp, but it seems to me that my opinions don’t matter. No matter how many straight lines he runs in, it seems like the goal-line job is his, with many more opportunities between the 20s sprinkled in as well. A ton of his work this week could be chalked up to gamescript, as the Chargers did everything in their power to kill the clock and limit turnovers from their rookie gunslinger, but that narrative sounds a whole lot better when you spin it this way: the Chargers decided to turn to Joshua Kelley in a game where they were on the brink of winning against the reigning super bowl champions. However it’s spun, with the way this offense, and team as a whole, is built, it looks like there are many more JK double-digit touch outings are on the horizon. The Chargers are never going to be down by a million because their defense is simply too legit, and on the off chance they’re up by that margin, guess who’s toting the rock? I mean, if there was one game we’d expect a below-average impact out of the former UCLA back in, it would be against the Chiefs, right? Yes, but we just saw him log 25 touches and 113 YFS in that exact scenario. On top of that, he’s completely overtaken goal line duties, though he may be vulture by Herbert here and there. All in all, he’s basically just a less talented Melvin Gordon with a lower receiving floor on a weekly basis, and when I put it that way, he just starts to sound like 2018 Sony Michel. With him being the only back thus far on this list that hasn’t benefit based on a player ahead of him on the depth chart getting injured, I feel much more confident taking a shot on him than the others who have proven nothing (other than Mckinnon) but staying healthy while riding the bench.
Myles Gaskin - Miami Dolphins
Ownership: 15%
FAAB: $20-25
Waiver Priority: No (unless desperate)
I’m still wary about investing in any Miami Dolphins RB, but it’s hard to deny that Gaskin seems to be the guy there. He has now played >60% of the team’s offensive snaps in each of the first two weeks, and along with that, has carved out a very notable receiving role in this offense. His 11 targets through two weeks have been topped by only Aaron Jones (14) and Giovani Bernard (12), and his efficiency on the ground is nothing to scoff at, either (5.4 YPC). There are only two things I hate about this situation: one, he’s on the Dolphins, and two, Jordan Howard is their designated goal line back. Through two weeks, Howard has 13 carries, FIVE of which coming from inside the five yardline. Gaskin has zero totes inside the five, so it’s starting to shape up like a very discounted version of what the Chargers have going on. The good news is that he’s done what he’s done against both the Patriots and the Bills, two stout defenses, and now draws the Jags and Seahawks back to back, which should allow for a little more running room. I’m more confident in Gaskin than I was last week, but again, it’s hard to break the bank on any Dolphins player. I will say, though, I’m not comfortable dropping Breida for him. I know, pretty brave of me to say.
Frank Gore - New York Jets
Ownership: 14%
FAAB: -$1,000
Waiver Priority: No
Frank Gore just had the most Frank Gore game of his career. 21 carries. 63 yards. Zero TDs. That’s what he’s going to give you week in and week out in the place of Le’Veon Bell. He draws the 49ers next week and Denver after that. Please don’t pick up Gore, I beg you.
WIDE RECEIVER
Brandin Cooks - Houston Texans
Ownership: 59%
FAAB: $10-15
Waiver Priority: No
Brandin Cooks was on the brink of making this list due to his ownership, but since he was slightly below the threshold, I figured why not add the guy. The Texans are shockingly healthy through two weeks, as even Will Fuller tried to play through a hammy pull early in this week’s contest. His limited play, combined with Houston getting their ass handed to them by the Ravens worked in Cooks’ favor, as he saw eight targets, turning them into 5-95-0. He started off 2020 slow, as Will Fuller looked like the only wideout to trust, but seeing as his injury history is longer than a CVS receipt and Cooks’ target total and snap share (90%) in week two, I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes over the reigns as the top dog in the passing game. It could be a 1A 1B situation, as nobody else on this offense is really worth targeting on the outside, which leaves BC as a solid weekly FLEX play depending on his matchup. Next week will be tough against Pittsburgh, but after that, gets Minnesota, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Green Bay, Jacksonville, and Cleveland all in a row. That schedule alone is worth adding him, hoping you choose the right week to stream him, but if Fuller were to miss serious time, could sneak his way into the low-end WR2 conversation based off of volume + matchups alone. Not to mention his QB is pretty decent, so I’ve heard.
DeSean Jackson - Philadelphia Eagles
Ownership: 48%
FAAB: $8-10
Waiver Priority: No
DJax has quietly remained healthy through two weeks of play, which is something we haven’t been able to say about the guy in a long time. Not only has he been healthy, but despite his lack of production, he’s seen some pretty consistent usage. DeSean has averaged eight targets per game over his first two contests and his snap share jumped from 54% to 77%. On top of this, his fantasy relevance has always centered around deep plays, but with the Eagles’ o-line and the two opponents Philly has faced thus far, Carson Wentz hasn’t been able to fully sling it just yet. The Bengals this week should buck that trend, but has another tough slate of games following Cincy with the 49ers, Steelers, and Ravens. Those are matchups to fade, but this week, and a few following that three week stretch, seem to be good weeks to trust the speedster to break a big play or two, which is all he needs to return WR2/3 production. Then again, banking on him now to last until week seven is very hopeful, so maybe just grab him for this matchup and try to sell high,
Golden Tate - New York Giants
Ownership: 36%
FAAB: $10-15
Waiver Priority: No
I was irrationally high on Tate heading into the year, but as news of a sore hammy surfaced, I started to lose help. Well, now Saquon Barkley is out, and Sterling Shepard made his way back home into the injury bubble, dealing with what looks to be turf toe. This leaves the GMen with just Engram, Slayton, and Tate, as well as a motley crew of RBs people thought were good in 2016 as the main weapons. Last season, in games that Shepard missed, Tate logged an average receiving line of 6-79.6-0.6, or a season long pace of 96-1,274-10. Am I saying this is going to be a carbon copy of what to expect from here on out? Yes, but no. I think he can very well be a fringe WR2 in the same sense that Julian Edelman provides WR2 value off volume alone, to a lesser degree, especially when you consider there aren’t going to be many games where the Giants will have the luxury of milking clock, especially with their rushing attack, or lack thereof. He isn’t a sexy pickup by any means, but I’ll take an un-sexy 120 targets off waivers any day of the week, unless that un-sexy pickup was DeVante Parker in 2019 because I faded him everywhere.
Corey Davis - Tennessee Titans
Ownership: 42%
FAAB: $8-10
Waiver Priority: No
Speaking of DeVante Parker, is this Corey Davis’ year? He looked legit good week one, commanding eight targets and making AJ Brown look like Corey Davis, and followed that performance up with a (5 target) 3-36-1 line in a game where Ryan Tannehill attempted 24 passes. Of course, as Brown makes his way back onto the field, Davis’ targets are bound to dip a bit, but with how efficient this passing offense has remained from the second half of last season until now, and Corey Davis’ seemingly large role in the air attack, I’m not all too worried. He’s a matchup-dependent FLEX play from here on out, and seeing as they’re facing a lowly Vikings team this week, looks to be a pretty solid starter that you can grab off waivers (and potentially sell high if he outperforms Brown once more).
N'Keal Harry - New England Patriots
Ownership: 27%
FAAB: $5-10
Waiver Priority: No
Harry has now seen 18 targets through two weeks, playing 80% or more of the team’s offensive snaps in each contest. Has he produced? No, not really, but it’s not always about that. Yes, James White missed the Seahawks game, which likely helped Harry’s target total a bit, along with the fact that the Pats were playing from behind for a large majority of the game, a script that isn’t likely to repeat itself very often, but Cam Newton has had nothing but positive things to say about the kid and his actions are speaking louder than those words. They do have the Chiefs right around the corner, which should be a similar type of game as what we just saw against Seattle, which bodes well for Harry’s potential for volume, but until then, I’m not going out and starting N’Keal. He’s someone I’d want to grab sooner or later, though, because he seems to be fitting the mold of that 2nd year breakout candidate due to his high usage and positive trend WoW, even if it’s just a two game sample.
Russell Gage - Atlanta Falcons
Ownership: 21%
FAAB: $5-10
Waiver Priority: No
People are asking if Russell Gage is the WR2 in Atlanta. Those people are smart. Gage has now logged nine or more targets in five of his last eight games, as well as six or more looks in all but one of those eight. The volume is certainly there, which is good because the efficiency isn’t. He’s basically like if you took Dede Westbrook out of Jacksonville and tossed him into the Falcons’ offense, which is ugly, but seems to be getting the job done. He was also a Julio Jones drop away from throwing a 50 yard dot, which would have further inflated his fantasy output. With how awful the Falcons are on the ground, as well as maintaining leads, Gage actually looks to be a fairly reliable FLEX option going forward, benefitting heavily from the type of offense Atlanta is subjected to weekly. This week may be a bit different, as the Bears are pretty unlikely to match the 38 and 40 point outputs the Seahawks and Cowboys dropped on ATL these last few weeks, but you don’t have to grab Gage for just one week. He gets Carolina and Green Bay the following two weeks, and contrary to popular belief, he’s gonna be in the NFC South the rest of the year. They don’t play defense in that division unless it’s selling out for the run, so he’s worth the add in all leagues imo.
Laviska Shenault Jr. - Jacksonville Jaguars
Ownership: 17%
FAAB: $10-15
Waiver Priority: No
This kid’s really fuggin good. His fantasy output may not show it, but he’s a star in the making. His snap share did dip a little this past week, going from 62 to 57%, but his touches went from 5 to 8, including three totes of the rock. It’s obvious they want to get the ball into Viska’s hands when he’s on the field, and seeing as how he’s averaging a healthy 9.3 yards per touch on his various looks tells me he deserves to keep seeing the opportunities he’s getting. I had a feeling he had an A.J. Brown-esque rookie campaign in the tank, but he’s starting to look a little bit more like Deebo Samuel, which is nothing to scoff at. Both Shenault and Chark are seeing about the same usage in the receiving game, albeit in different quadrants of the field, but the fact that they are utilizing LS so heavily just shows the confidence they have. Their schedule is a beautiful thing, along with the fact that they’re going to keep slinging given the Jags’ defense, which means he’s going to keep getting fed. All it’s going to take is one 75-yard house call for him to land on everyone’s radar, so jump on the bandwagon before it’s too late.
Keelan Cole - Jacksonville Jaguars
Ownership: 3%
FAAB: $0-5
Waiver Priority: No
Jacksonville may be my 2nd favorite team in the NFL. There isn’t a single player on their offense I don’t like, and that certainly includes Keelan Cole. He has quietly operated as the team’s top-option in the receiving game, commanding 12 looks and scoring in each of the first two weeks of the season. He’s played about ⅔ of the team’s snaps thus far (66%, 68%), so he’s not an every-down alpha by any means, but when he’s on the field, he’s being targeted. Jacksonville draws the Dolphins this Thursday, likely without Byron Jones, which could prove to be another big spot for him, and with all of America watching (except those with a life because who tf wants to watch Jackonville plays Miami), will be a priority waiver add come next week. My rule of thumb for week two waivers: pick up every Jag you can before you see how good they are on TNF and regret not putting faith in Gardner.
K.J. Hamler - Denver Broncos
Ownership: 1%
FAAB: $0-5
Waiver Priority: No
Cortland Sutton suffered a torn ACL in week two, which means it’s now KJ Hamler’s time to shine. Given he entered the game as the team’s 4th, maybe even 5th option, and having to play with the backup QB, Hamler had a very solid NFL debut. He played on 62% of the team’s snaps, commanding 7 targets in that time. His output wasn’t anything crazy, but he showed to be a versatile option for Denver, receiving looks in the passing, rushing, and return game. I’m not sure what this offense is going to look like with Lock sidelined, but then again, I wasn’t sure what it was when he was active, so saying Hamler won’t have a role due to a backup gunslinger taking over is a bit disingenuous. If anything, we should be hopeful, as he saw a hefty target share against one of the league’s best defenses with Driskel under center. The Broncos’ schedule also sets up to be pretty favorable for the passing game, outside of their matchup with New England in three weeks time, so Hamler is someone I’d consider picking up this week instead of waiting it out to see how his snaps/targets trend in the coming weeks. TB could be his coming out party, or the Jets in the following week, so get there before it’s too late.
TIGHT END
Logan Thomas - Washington Football Team
Ownership: 32%
FAAB: $10-15
Waiver Priority: No
Tbh, I care about like three things when it comes to tight ends: targets, routes run, and RZ usage. I touched on LT last week as a priority WW add due to his proficiency in all three areas in Washington’s first game, and that didn’t change against the Cardinals. He failed to find the end zone, but he had nine targets and played 91% of the team’s offensive snaps (don’t have route run #s on hand, but I’d imagine they’re very good given his target total). He’s a locked and loaded TE1 on a weekly basis, regardless of matchup, simply because he’s too involved not to. Sure, the offense isn’t great, but I’ll take 8-9 targets from an uber athletic TE any day of the week over 4-5 from a typical streamer who you’re playing in hopes he scores a TD.
Jordan Reed - San Francisco 49ers
Ownership: 7%
FAAB: $0
Waiver Priority: No
What just happened. How did CMC and Saquon get hurt while Jordan Reed put up 7-50-2? The world may never know. I’m only putting Reed in here to tell you not to draft him, though. With Jimmy G sidelined for a bit, along with Kittle and Deebo’s return just around the corner, there’s no reason to spend any sort of FAAB on the oft-injured Reed. He’s the Frank Gore of tight ends, except he never plays.
Dalton Schultz - Dallas Cowboys
Ownership: 2%
FAAB: $0-5
Waiver Priority: No
Any time a tight end sees 10 targets, I’m intrigued. The fact that Schultz turned that into 9-88-1 is even more appealing. I was about to write “but how often do we expect the Cowboys to be in such a negative gamescript that dictates that many passing attempts…”, but upon further review, I actually don’t think that’s too bold a take. They are huge fans of playing from behind like Johnny Sins, and no matter how much people want to hype their defense, they simply aren’t good. With that being said, though, does that mean I think you should go out and break the bank on Dalton? Hell no. He’s the 5th option in Dallas, even if it didn’t look like it last week, which isn’t a good recipe for week to week consistency. With all the options on waivers this week, Shultz doesn’t catch my eye.
Drew Sample - Cincinnati Bengals
Ownership: 1%
FAAB: $5-10
Waiver Priority: No
*Chris Collinsworth voice* Now here’s a guy that’s going to catch 87 passes for 574 yards. After C.J. Uzomah’s departure on Thursday night, Drew Sample became a staple of the Bengals’ passing attack. Will Joe Burrow ever throw the ball 61 times in a game again? No, but he doesn’t necessarily need to for Sample to be a target magnet. Uzomah racked up 5 looks in week one, and had 6 before leaving with an achilles tear this past week, so it’s no secret iso Joe is going to be peppering the TE in 2020. Sample slid in seamlessly, seeing 9 looks, turning that into a very efficient 7-45-0 line. That YPR isn’t ideal, but with Cincy likely playing from behind every week, and Burrow’s affinity to make the safe throws underneath, he could be a volume play similar to Logan Thomas. I don’t think his ceiling is quite as high as Thomas’ is, but being the 3rd option on a pass heavy offense isn’t anything to scoff at.
D/ST
Indianapolis Colts vs New York Jets
Ownership: 40%
Home?: Yes
Spread: IND (-9)
O/U: 45
Cleveland Browns vs Washington Football Team
Ownership: 17%
Home?: Yes
Spread: CLE (-6)
O/U: 44.5
Los Angeles Chargers vs Carolina Panthers
Ownership: 30%
Home?: Yes
Spread: LAC (-6.5)
O/U: 43.5
Philadelphia Eagles vs Cincinnati Bengals
Ownership: 36%
Home?: Yes
Spread: PHI (-6)
O/U: 46