Week One is officially in the books, which means there's only 15 more weeks of David Johnson and Derrick Henry tag-teaming me into submission. Just kidding, both stink, it was only one game, they're bound to regress...whatever that means. You'd think someone pursuing a CPA would be a little more accountable.
Anyways, enough about my perennial terrible takes regarding husky RBs (shoutout Myles Gaskin and Donald Brown), it's time to look at who you should look to add following the first weekend of the beautiful game.
***Note: all ownership % numbers are collected from Yahoo the day prior to the article's release. All players included will be sub-60% owned***
QUARTERBACK
Garnder Minshew - Jacksonville Jaguars
Ownership %: 25%
FAAB Amount: $0-3
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
The fate of my floppy head of hair weighs heavily on Gardner Minshew’s 2020, and I’m here to say I am not worried one bit about it. He came out the gates hot, throwing just one incompletion en route to a divisional dub over the only other QB in the NFL that has planted more seeds than Minshew this offseason. The yardage total wasn’t quite there, but his three tugs made up for it, and the gamescript the Jags faced early on should be one to be accustomed to. Even if he doesn’t find the endzone thrice in any single game for the rest of the szn, the attempt total should definitely trump the lowly 20 mark he set this past week. On top of that, he flashed a little bit of his rushing upside, carrying the ball five times for 19 yards. Not a great total, I get it, but we saw what he could do on the ground in 2019 (344 yards in 12 starts), and the fact that he wasn’t afraid to drop his shoulder a few times this past week serves as a sign of things to come.
The reason Minshew’s worth the stash (no pun intended but definitely intended), though, isn’t just because of what he did this week; look at his upcoming schedule. Tennessee is tough, but picking him up now, ahead of that performance, is what people with big brains and an even greater amount of bench spots would do. Nobody is going to stream him against the Titans (I’m writing this before the MNF games, so maybe they suck, but I’d bet against that), so he should be an easy grab off waivers, but heading into week three, he gets a beautiful slate. First, the Dolphins, who Cam just thrashed on the ground. The Jacksonville gunslinger isn’t as dominant on the ground as Newton, but it’s not like the Jags have the same rushing attack as the Pats, either, so I don’t expect a low attempt total, which is what we saw from NE. The whole game seems like it’ll be garbage time, which bodes well for GM. After Miami, the Bengals stand in his way. Again, they didn’t face the best QB in the NFL week one, so I wouldn’t look at Tyrod’s numbers as an indication of what’s expected of Minshew, but their defense has been garbage for as long as I can remember, and week one didn’t show me otherwise. Then, the Texans. Yup, the same Texans that Patty Mahomes just tore up. They are simply not good. And then, they follow that up with the Lions, who just gave up three tugs to Mitchell Trubisky. All in all, Gardner looks to be in line for some great matchups on a team that should be playing from behind quite often. Go out and grab this man.
Mitchell Trubisky - Chicago Bears
Ownership %: 3%
FAAB Amount: $0-1
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
Imagine someone telling you to pick up Mitchell Trubisky. Couldn’t be me, which is why I write under the completely not-pretentious pseudonym “FbGawd”. The guy still stinks and did nothing until the fourth quarter, but it’s the Bears, and with that means that will likely be a scenario they find themselves in quite often. The matchup was a dream, playing the Lions who lost more pieces on the defensive side of the ball than Stringer Bell when he found out McNulty was on the case. The dream continues for a good stretch, as the Bears get to play the Giants, Falcons, Colts, Buccs, and Panthers all in a row, none of which showed much promise in slowing down opposing QBs in week one. The best of that bunch is likely Tampa, but nobody in the Bears’ backfield is going to find any room to run in that game, meaning they’ll resort to their last option: having Trubisky drop back. It’s not a sexy pickup, and it’s definitely one where you’ll wake up at 3 A.M. the night of waivers and question if you should just remove your claim, but the stars seem to be aligning for the former #2 overall selection. Just don’t say I told you to pick him up when he gets benched in a week.
RUNNING BACK (RUNNINGBACK IF UR CULTURED)
James Robinson - Jacksonville Jaguars
Ownership %: 56%
FAAB Amount: $15-20
Worth Waiver Priority?: Yes
He is who we thought he was, and by “we” I mean dynasty twitter where nobody takes accountability unless they’re right about a take. James Robinson, or JRob as myself as well as his other close personal friends call him, was the clearcut #1 back in Jacksonville, as he logged 16 carries, 16 more than any other RB on the team (16 - 0 = 16; thank you 12 years of public education). More importantly, though, was his snap count. We didn’t know exactly how big of a role he’d play, because we know the only people that lie more than coaches talking about players’ roles are GMs talking about how much they love their 6th round pick’s upside a week prior to them getting cut, but Robinson shined in terms of how much play he got. The former Illinois State back played 69.4% (34/49) of the team’s offensive snaps, greatly outnumbering Chris Thompson (<25%), which is even more impressive considering the Jaguars didn’t have a lead until the 4th quarter. With Ozigbo out for the next few weeks and the coaching staff not having much hope in Armstead returning any time soon, it looks like Robinson is currently and will be the lead back of the Jags going forward. What does that really mean? Who knows, really. I mean, they’re still not a good team, but as I brought up in the Minshew writeup, their schedule following this Titans game is so cake that there are rumblings that Eddie Lacy may come out of retirement to put on the teal and gold. For now, though, Robinson looks like a fairly safe FLEX play going forward, and if he capitalizes on his opportunities, could sneak his way into the RB2 conversation off of volume and snap share alone.
Benny Snell - Pittsburgh Steelers
Ownership %: 18%
FAAB Amount: $15-20
Worth Waiver Priority?: Yes
James Conner left MNF's first outing with a sprained ankle, after running for 9 yards on 6 carries (1.5 ypc) and catching 2-of-4 targets for 8 yards. Before the injury sidelined Conner, Snell was already the Twitter-proclaimed best looking back in black and yellow. The reports of Snell looking slim and spry all summer were, in fact, not farce. As the BBB boys professionally put it:
With Conner's departure, Snell handled 19-of-20 non-Conner Steeler running back carries. Jaylen Samuels took one for two yards and looks like a mid-season practice squad candidate.
Snell turned his 19 carries into 119 yards (5.9 ypc), including a 30-yard breakaway run. He didn't haul in any passes, which has never been Snell's strong suit, but if Conner misses time, he'll take over early-down + GL work in an at least above-average offense.
Conner's ankle injury was enough to keep him sidelined after it happened, no hopping on-and-off the field for half-assed 3 yard-runs, which indicates it could be a bit more serious than a light ding. My only concern for Snell would be the offensive line in Pittsburgh. OT Zach Banner tore his ACL on MNF, after losing David DeCastro (knee) and his replacement Stephen Wisniewski (torn pectoral), we'll have to hope Snell is as good at creating on his own as he seemed to the naked eye on MNF.
Regardless, if Snell plays well enough, there's a chance he out-right steals the job from Conner once he returns, or at least force a 1A-1B situation.
Adrian Peterson - Detroit Lions
Ownership %: 46%
FAAB Amount: $3-5
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
Death, taxes, and Adrian Peterson averaging > 6 YPC on a brand new team two weeks after signing. This man does not age and Matt Patricia does not know anything but a RBBC. KJ is basically a non-factor, as he logged 10 less touches than Peterson, and on those seven carries, logged 2 YPC. He did out-touch Swift, but he was third in line for snaps (Swift 44%; AP 31%; KJ 26%) and looks to be no challenge to Peterson. Seeing as he’s such a recent signing and he already dominated the ground work leads me to believe this is no fluke: it’s time for KJ to meet his maker, and his maker is AP, and AP told him to ride the bench. As far as how the rest of the backfield touches are divvied up, with D’Andre Swift committing a pretty terrible drop late in the game, I wouldn’t be surprised if AP acts as a pseudo-workhorse as Matt Patricia takes a page out of Uncle Bill’s laminated book and relegates Swift to a complimentary role these next few weeks. In doing so, Peterson should eat in what look to be two very favorable matchups against the Packers and Cardinals. We all know how bad the Cheeseheads were against the run last season, and seeing Dalvin and Mattison combine for 100 yards and 2 tugs on 18 carries in the first week of action seems to prove they haven’t taken much of a step forward. After that, the Lions draw the Cardinals, who did a decent job against Mostert on the ground, but you have to keep in mind this is a revenge game. At this point, there’s about a 37% chance that whoever AP plays is a revenge game, but all jokes aside, I expect him to garner enough touches these next few weeks to turn in some decent FLEX-worthy performances. Longevity-wise, Swift seems to be the guy, so I’m not breaking the bank on AP, but if you’re in need of some early work due to injuries, he’s worth the pickup.
Alexander Mattison - Minnesota Vikings
Ownership %: 45%
FAAB Amount: $5-10
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
Dalvin got the bag, but Mattison still saw a good bit of work week one. I’m not going to overreact to his performance this week, logging 80 yards on 10 touches, as this is likely due to Cook not being as heavily involved this offseason as normal due to contract talks and rumors of a holdout. His 37% snap share this past week was a mark we only saw him hit twice in all of 2019 (48% and 38% in weeks 14 and 13, respectively). As the season goes on, Dalvin will see his workload ramp up, and in turn, Mattison won’t be on the receiving end of as many looks both on the ground and through the air. On the flip side, though, the Vikings don’t have much to work with in the receiving game, which could lead to another run-heavy season in Minnesota, creating a bigger pie for AM to carve a slice out of. In the end, though, he’s not so much of a must-add player unless you own Dalvin, and if you own Dalvin, there’s already a good chance you have Mattison. He’s not someone I’d ever really feel comfortable playing in my FLEX as his standalone value is pretty minuscule and unpredictable week to week, so he isn’t a must-add for me.
Chase Edmonds - Arizona Cardinals
Ownership %: 40%
FAAB Amount: $5
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
Despite being spotted in a walking boot not too long ago, Kenyan Drake looked to be the guy in Arizona, playing 71% of the team’s offensive snaps. Even with this workhorse snapshare, though, Edmonds still found his way onto the field for 34% of the Cardinals’ offensive plays and found paydirt early. His nine touches weren’t anything to write home about, averaging just five yards on those opportunities, so just like the previous writeup, he looks to be someone worth adding only if you have the team’s top back (Drake in this case). If you own him though and aren’t the Drake owner, he’s still worth holding, as we’ve seen his upside in this offense before, torching the G-Men for three tuddies last season. That likely won’t happen as long as Drake is there, but the upside is too great to drop in hopes of hitting on an upside dart this early in the season.
Malcolm Brown - Los Angeles Rams
Ownership %: 26%
FAAB Amount: $20-25
Worth Waiver Priority?: Yes
I typically wouldn’t be this high on a running back who weighs over 220 pounds, but seeing as Cam Akers looked like Trent Richardson with a blindfold for good measure running between the tackles, I’m all in on Brown. I’ll admit it, I was super high on Killa Cam this season, and I’m not declaring him dead yet, but his opening night was woeful, whereas Brown looked the part of a true lead back. The snaps spoke to that point, as he was on the field 60% of the time, greatly outpacing Akers’ 33% and Henderson’s 7%, and his 110 yards on 21 touches in a competitive game was all I needed to see to push all my chips into the middle of the table on Brown. There really isn’t much to not like about the guy, as he was peppered in the receiving game (4 targets, 3-31-0 receiving) and was the Rams’ goal line back, scoring twice from inside the five. It isn’t all positive, though, as LA’s o-line still doesn’t look great, and his upcoming slate of games comes against a ton of strong front sevens, namely the Eagles, Bills, Washington, and San Francisco, but neither reason is going to stop me from investing in Brown. Volume trumps all, and when you can show decent efficiency and valuable usage on that volume, then that makes for a quality FLEX/RB2 going forward, no matter who the opponent is.
Nyhiem Hines - Los Angeles Rams
Ownership %: 20%
FAAB Amount: $20-25
Worth Waiver Priority?: Yes
With Marlon Mack done for the year, it looks like it’s officially JT season, but that doesn’t mean Nyhiem Hines can’t eat. He actually led the backfield in snaps with 39, 13 more than Taylor (little math problem for ya there), and commanded 15 touches in a loss to the fuggin Jags. The promising thing here is that the Colts were winning the entire game up until the 4th quarter, meaning it wasn’t a script you’d usually assume Hines to get much play in, and in the second half, matched JT’s snaps, as both backs saw 20 in quarters three and four combined. I think it’s safe to say that Hines is going to be a staple of this Indianapolis offense (which isn’t saying much), and as long as Rivers is slinging it, should see heavy usage in the passing game. I mean, even taylor logged six catches, so no matter who’s back there is going to get peppered, and with Hines’ snap share ending up the way it did, he’s going to see enough volume to return RB3/FLEX consideration weekly.
Joshua Kelly - Los Angeles Chargers
Ownership %: 12%
FAAB Amount: $5
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
Joshua Kelly was...good? He didn’t play all too many snaps (18; 24%), which is a bit concerning, but he was dominant on the looks he was given. He commanded three goal line carries to Ekeler’s zero, and averaged 5.0 YPC on 12 carries. It should be considered that the Chargers were playing the Bengals, and a big chunk of his yards came on one big carry, but it's hard to deny he’s going to be a pretty big part of the team’s red zone/goal line offense. What does this mean, exactly? Who knows. Ekeler still dominated touches and snaps (20; 68%), and it’s not like he’s a bad goal line back, so I doubt this is solely Kelly’s job for the season. Because of this, and the fact that the Chargers are a pretty bad offense (only 16 points against the Bengals? Shit’s sad), I’m not running to the waivers to grab the best rookie running back that goes by JK.
Jamaal Williams - Green Bay Packers
Ownership %: 6%
FAAB Amount: $0-3
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
Jamaal Williams is exactly what Jamaal Williams has been these last few years. 40% of snaps, 11 touches, and although a measly 42 yards to his name, he’s still involved. The Packers actually look good, and Jamaal Williams has shown in the past that he can be a FLEX play with Jones active, and a fringe RB1 if AJ were to miss time. He’s actually someone I’m interested in stashing just because of his passing game involvement and inevitable and perennial 40% snap share despite looking like Kalen Ballage with contacts that are two prescriptions behind. If you’re a Jones owner, go out and grab Williams, and even if you’re not, you’re likely rostering a shitty WR that should be dumped in favor of the Packers’ #2 back.
Frank Gore - New York Jets
Ownership %: 4%
FAAB Amount: $0
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
Le’Veon Bell hurt his hammy, and I’m not sure about the extent of the injury, but let’s just say he’s out for the year. Let me ask you this: do you really want any piece of this Jets’ backfield? That’s what I thought. I don’t wanna dive too deep into this one because, honestly, I don’t think it’s worth it, but I guess if you have 10 bench spots and enough FAAB to make Jeff Bezos look like me, then I’d throw a dollar on Gore just to show respect to the gawd.
Peyton Barber - Washington Football Team
Ownership %: 3%
FAAB Amount: $0-3
Worth Waiver Priority?: Never
Command+C, Command+V Frank Gore’s writeup here. Do you really want the “starting” back in Washington? The guy had 17 carries for 29 yards, which is respectable for a fat back, but he blew everyone out of the water with his two tugs. The volume was largely due to Washington doing whatever they could to kill the clock, and his TDs came off the back of FIVE goal line carries. In the grand scheme of things, he had a horrible day, and with how one-dimensional he is, and the chances of Washington ever being in this “good” a gamescript again, he’s definitely not someone I’m looking at.
Myles Gaskin - Miami Dolphins
Ownership %: 1%
FAAB Amount: $0-3
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
Do you really want the starting back on the Dolphins? Maybe. Gaskin shockingly played 63% of the team’s offensive snaps, greatly outpacing both Breida (22%), who was used on special teams, and Jordan Howard (15%). If anything, his usage in the passing game was a good sign, hauling in all four of his targets, and on the day as a whole, totaled 66 yards on 13 touches, but I just don’t see how this is anything but a murky backfield going forward. Breida is the best back, Howard has the most years under his triple XL belt, and Gaskin got the most work early in a game that was never within reach, despite just a 10 point margin of victory. I’m not interested in him at all, and on the off chance Breida hits waivers in your league in favor of Gaskin, grab him instead (but preferably grab neither). I’ll never bet against him no matter how many times he burns me. With Parker dealing with a bad hammy and Ryan Fitzpatrick being Ryan Fitzpatrick, this is just an offense worth avoiding.
WIDE RECEIVER
Sammy Watkins - Kansas City Chiefs
Ownership %: 49%
FAAB Amount: $10-15
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
I’ve asked this question before: Who would you rather have, prime Jerry Rice or week one Sammy Watkins? I was kidding at first but now idek. I want to keep this short because I feel like it’s not worth hyping Sammy for what feels like the 14th straight season, but it’s hard to deny just how good he looked. Not only did he lead the team in targets on Thursday with 9, but he also hauled in seven of those opportunities for 82 yards which also paced the team. Aside from his atual counting numbers, his snap % tells the story as well, as he was on the field 79% of the time, a hell of a lot more than YPRR king Mecole Hardman (28%) and Demarcus Robinson (47%). I’m not going to tell you to drop a bag on Watkins, but I’m also not going to tell you not to do that. All I know is if it was me, which it will be this week, I’m just going to be cautious. He may be 2020’s DeVante Parker, or he may be 2020’s Sammy Watkins, and the disparity between the two is why I’m hesitant to spend anything more than 10% of my FAAB on the guy. I’m sorry it has to be this way Lizard King.
Mike Williams - Los Angeles Chargers
Ownership %: 45%
FAAB Amount: $5-10
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
Bias aside, Mike Williams looked incredible. Tyrod is kind of a shit head and most of his throws 10+ yards down field looked more like punts than dimes, but the former Clemson wideout made some great, athletic grabs to bail Taylor out. Williams surprisingly led the team in targets (9) despite being questionable to not only play this week, but even this month as a whole, and was looked to heavily on the few occasions LA made it into the red zone. Despite how good he looked, though, we have to keep in mind this is still not a great offense, as well as both Keenan and Ekeler not seeing nearly as many looks as we should expect on a weekly basis. Williams is someone who I think should be rostered, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this is one of his highest target totals on the season, and I’m not all too high on heavily investing in a low-ish volume receiver relying on deep targets from an inaccurate QB.
Allen Lazard - Green Bay Packers
Ownership %: 42%
FAAB Amount: $5-10
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
Lazard’s 4-63-1 day paled in comparison to MVS’s 4-96-1, but his snap share tells the story here. Lazard trailed just Adams in snap % (90% for DA, 87% for AL) while blowing MVS’s 54% out of the water. As I said earlier, this Green Bay offense was humming, and if that remains, then there is certainly room for more than one Green bay wideout to be fantasy relevant, and if I were to bet on who it is between the guys behind Adams, it’s Lazard. It’s also worth noting that he was in the slot in three receiver sets (44.1% slot snap share), which also bodes well for his weekly floor. The Packers are in line for a bunch of favorable passing matchups in a row (DET, NO, ATL, TB, HOU, MIN), so grab Lazard now before the freak comes alive.
Jalen Reagor - Philadelphia Eagles
Ownership %: 39%
FAAB Amount: $0-3
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
This team STINKS. Their o-line rivals Florida State, which isn’t great news for a receiver that looks to pick up chunk yardage on deep plays, but it’s worth noting he led all Philly receivers in snaps (40; second closest was DJax with 37) despite not looking like he was going to be 100% until a few days ago. Again, his four targets wasn’t anything to write home about, as the tight ends took up most of the market share in Philly, but it just makes too much sense to think that as the season progresses and Reagor gets healthier, his role is set to improve. I doubt anyone is scrambling to the waiver wire to add him after a 1-55-0 performance, especially with the Rams, 49ers, Steelers, and Ravens right around the corner, but he’s someone I’m monitoring in the coming weeks to see which way his playtime is trending. Keep an eye on JR.
Preston Williams - Miami Dolphins
Ownership %: 38%
FAAB Amount: $10-15
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
I’m starting to think ACL tears aren’t real. Preston took a trip to snap city no more than 10 months ago, and now, he’s back on the field playing 90% of the team’s offensive snaps. That mark didn’t mean all too much facing a stout New England defense, but with DeVante Parker dealing with a sore hammy, it’s hard to see any outcome other than PWill acting as the team’s #1 for the foreseeable future. What exactly does the #1 on the Dolphins look like? Who knows, because with Fitzy slinging the ball, it could mean a top 10 guy or a ton of empty targets. I’ll bet on a mixture of the two depending on matchup. With games against the Cardinals, Jets, Bengals, Jags, and Seahawks sprinkled throughout the next few months, there are plenty of chances for him to make the cut for your starting roster, and even in the tougher games, could warrant FLEX consideration due to weekly double digit target upside as long as Parker is < 100%.
Robby Anderson - Carolina Panthers
Ownership %: 31%
FAAB Amount: $5
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
I don’t know why, but I always talk myself into Robby Anderson, and this year is no different. He did have a pretty big role in this Carolina offense, though, commanding eight looks, hauling in six for 115 and a tug, adding a two-point conversion on top. His 75-yard tuddy came on a double move that left his corner in the dust, which is something we shouldn’t come to expect on a weekly basis, but it was good to see Teddy Two-Gloves wasn’t afraid to throw the ball more than 7 yards downfield. He also commanded 33% of the offense’s air yards, and in a division notorious for not playing any sort of defense, could sneak his way into your lineup when playing the likes of ATL, TB, or NO in the future. Because of his boom-bust nature, and track record of WRs in year one in a new offense not boding well for their production, though, he’s not someone I would consider a must-add heading into week two.
Bryan Edwards - Las Vegas Raiders
Ownership %: 23%
FAAB Amount: $0
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
I’m basically going to echo the Jalen Reagor writeup here. Edwards didn’t do much of anything production wise, but he did pace the receiving core in snaps (47; next closest was Ruggs with 42). He’s someone I was a big fan of coming out of South Carolina, and with Tyrell out for the year, it looks like Henry Ruggs is set to play the deep-ball role in an offense led by a QB that spends more time reciting the new testament than his playbook. Edwards should act as a Michael Crabtree-esque option for Carr, but that role seems a little too far away to warrant a waiver add this week. Monitor his snaps going forward, though, as he may be someone that creeps towards the 80-90% range as the weeks go by (was already at 74.6% this week).
Parris Campbell - Indianapolis Colts
Ownership %: 22%
FAAB Amount: $8-10
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
Never change, Phil, If there’s one thing he loves more than his wife, it’s targeting slot receivers and running backs. The former Ohio State standout commanded nine targets, reeling in six of them for 71 yards while also logging a carry, bringing his YFS up to a nice round 80 for the day. His 61 snaps (83.6%) paced the team as well, and with just three of those snaps not coming from the slot, it’s clear to see what role he will be playing in this offense. He was known for his YAC ability at the collegiate level, and although it didn’t show completely today, I think that’s something to look forward to in the future, especially with the usage he saw in his new QB’s debut. I’m not necessarily excited about rostering any pass catcher on a team led by #17, but to me, he’s certainly worth the add given the role he’s set to play on what looks to be a fairly conservative offense.
Laviska Shenault Jr. - Jacksonville Jaguars
Ownership %: 12%
FAAB Amount: $5
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
I love this guy. He did everything we expected...which was everything. You name a position, he played it. Outside? Check. Slot? Check? Running back? Check. QB? Yup. Missionary? Never that vanilla. Although playing on just 62% of the snaps may sound shitty, I was actually quite impressed considering how many injuries this guy has sustained recently, combined with the shortened offseason and him being a rookie and all. It was good to see the Dede Westbrook experiment finally come to an end, and with that, I think it’s safe to say Viska should be at least the third option in the passing game going forward. That didn’t mean too much this week, seeing as the Jags threw the ball just 20x, but as I touched on in the Minshew writeup, things are bound to improve in the volume department. He’s someone I’m targeting in all my leagues given his versatility and how much this coaching staff seems to trust/love him this early in his career.
Russell Gage - Atlanta Falcons
Ownership %: 2%
FAAB Amount: $0-5
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
This one’s tough. Gage had a monster slashline, logging 9/114/0 on 12 targets, but I have two questions. 1: Will Hayden Hurst ever get more involved? My answer: Yes. And Q #2: Will Atlanta ever get their ass beat this bad again? Yeah probably. Russell Gage is the epitome of a trap play, as he’s never going to be anything more than the 3rd option, and I’d bet that, at best, he’s the 4th on a weekly basis. It’s also not like we haven’t seen him get volume in the past and be meh with it as well. Last year, over the final six weeks, the guy was averaging eight targets a game, but that translated to just a 5.3/48.2/0.2 average slashline. He does play in the NFC South which bodes well for his upside about six times a year, but there are too many other guys worth adding this week that Gage seems to be nothing more than a nice little consolation prize.
TIGHT END
Dallas Goedert - Philadelphia Eagles
Ownership %: 55%
FAAB Amount: $25-30
Worth Waiver Priority?: Yes
There isn’t much to say here. Reports are that Zach Ertz isn’t happy, and if he were to get moved this season, Goedart would become a locked and loaded top-6ish tight end. Even if Ertz does stick around, though, Goedart still seems to be a TE1 purely because of what this Eagles offense is. Wentz has no time to throw and it’s only a matter of time before all his WRs are hurt, so with DG being a big body over the middle, he’s bound to see work. Philly was getting manhandled by the Football team’s front seven this past week, and Goedart benefit heavily off that, commanding 9 looks and turning that into an 8-101-1 line. He also played 79.4% of the team’s offensive snaps, and per John Daigle, has averaged 8 targets, 83% snaps, and a 19.2% target share since their week 10 bye last season. He’s a must add at a very thin position for fantasy and should look to be a top target of Wentz’s going forward.
Logan Thomas - Washington Football Team
Ownership %: 2%
FAAB Amount: $10-15
Worth Waiver Priority?: No
The man everyone claimed to be this year’s Darren Waller looked to be actually decent. His 8 targets led the Football Team, and he also found paydirt at the end of the first half. The guy’s an athletic specimen, which bodes well for his fantasy upside, but beyond that, played a major role in week one, seeing 74% of the teams snaps and commanding a 26% target share. Other than Terry McLaurin, there doesn’t seem to be another trusted pass catcher in this offense, so it may be Logan Thomas’ for the taking. Add in the fact that their rushing game seems to be subpar and you start to realize that he may actually be in line for decent volume in 2020. At the tight end position, you either hope for a TD or like six targets, and it just so happens LT (the real LT) hit one and surpassed the other mark week one, and it’s likely the latter mark will be one he flirts with on a weekly basis in a thin receiving core.
D/ST Streamers
***Nick's Rule of Thumb***
- Team is Favored to Win
- Team Playing at Home
- Low Over/Under Total
TENNESSEE TITANS vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Favored to Win?: Yes (-10.5)
At Home?: Yes
Over/Under: 43
ARIZONA CARDINALS vs Washington Football Team
Favored to Win?: Yes (-6.5)
At Home?: Yes
Over/Under: 45.5
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS vs New England Patriots
Favored to Win?: Yes (-4)
At Home?: Yes
Over/Under: 44