Jerry Jones says WR has a shot to play vs. Giants
NFL reporter Charean Williams on Twitter: “Jerry Jones says on @1053thefan that Dez Bryant has a chance to play this week. They will see if he’s comfortable making his cuts Wed and Thurs.” (Twitter)
Nerdy Football Analysis: It’s good news that he’s giving it a shot in practice, but we suspect there’s no way that Dez is ready to play at 100 percent.
With one of the worst bye weeks of the fantasy football season upon us, people are left scrambling for replacements on the waiver wire. As always, we are here to help.
The Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears are all on bye, taking away many of the quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, tight ends and even defenses you have been depending on for much of the year.
Without many notable injuries, the obvious replacements just aren’t there. Still, you can get through the week and beyond by adding these players on the waiver wire, all of whom are available in more than 50 percent of ESPN leagues.
Brian Hoyer, QB, Houston Texans
It’s easy to question playing a quarterback who can seemingly get benched at any minute, but Brian Hoyer has played extremely well over the past three weeks, as noted by the team’s public relations Twitter account:
The veteran tossed three touchdown passes last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, marking his third game in a row with multiple touchdowns. It certainly helps to have the hottest receiver in the sport, DeAndre Hopkins, catching his passes. The third-year wideout currently leads the NFL in receiving yards and seemingly catches anything in his area.
This simply makes it easier for Hoyer, who has been avoiding mistakes and finding his top targets for big gains.
With a bunch of quarterbacks on bye and Baltimore’s Joe Flacco having a tough slate of upcoming games, Hoyer and Blake Bortles might be the best options for a lot of teams.
Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit Lions
The choices at running back aren’t great this week, but Theo Riddick now deserves a spot on all rosters thanks to his versatility and opportunity in the Lions backfield.
Joique Bell has been in and out of the lineup all year, and Zach Zenner is now out for the season with chest injuries, according to Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com. This has left Ameer Abdullah for the starting job, but fumbling issues and his own injuries cause hesitation from the coaching staff.
This leaves Riddick, who finally got some chances to run the ball after being used almost exclusively on pass plays this season, per Mike Clay of Pro Football Focus:
The former Notre Dame star had a respectable 28 rushing yards on seven carries, much better than we have seen from Detroit’s other running backs this season. He also added 50 receiving yards, giving him 278 for the season.
He is not a prototypical running back, but he has a chance to keep posting big numbers if he can stay healthy.
Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings
He didn’t score a touchdown, but Stefon Diggs should probably be the first priority on the waiver wire this week. After catching six passes for 87 yards in his debut in Week 4, the rookie receiver came back after the bye with an impressive 129 receiving yards on seven catches.
Although the fifth-round pick took awhile to get onto the field, he has impressed many in the organization along the way. Cornerback Terence Newman had especially high praise for the receiver, per Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune:
He’s polished. Runs good routes. Quick as a hiccup. Very smooth. When I first got here I was like, ‘Hey, who is this kid?’ I was impressed with him from Day 1.
If he keeps his head on straight and keeps doing what he’s doing, he’ll be one to watch. Potential Hall of Famer, down the road.
College injuries kept him from being an early-round draft pick, but it seems the Vikings could have a steal on their hands with Diggs. As Teddy Bridgewater’s new favorite target and little legitimate competition for targets (sorry, Mike Wallace), the rookie could end up being a star for the rest of the season.
Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals
John Brown was the star at receiver in Week 6 for the Cardinals, finishing with 10 catches for 196 yards. However, the game was also a bit of a breakout for Michael Floyd, who scored for the first time this season and had five catches for 50 yards. His eight targets were also a season high.
Floyd has dealt with injuries this season but finally got back into the swing of things Sunday. Evan Silva of Rotoworld noted the playing-time increase:
In reality, the receiver could have had an even bigger day if not for a few more misses in the end zone.
The former first-round pick hasn’t been able to replicate his 2013 season, when he had 1,041 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Still, the Cardinals passing attack might be better than it has been in years. If healthy, he could have more big games, even while splitting targets with Brown and Larry Fitzgerald.
Everyone knows all about Jay Cutler and Joe Flacco by now, but both have become more aggressive in the passing attack this season. Cutler is on bye, and Flacco has to deal with tough matchups against the Cardinals and San Diego Chargers over the next two weeks, which makes picking either up this week unnecessary. Still, there could be more quality games ahead.
The most interesting player on this list might be Robert Turbin. The former Seattle Seahawks running back made his first appearance of the season in Week 6 with the Cleveland Browns and finished with 10 carries for 27 yards.
While the numbers don’t look all that impressive, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com noted the running back’s impact:
Considering his 10 touches were almost as many as fellow running backs Isaiah Crowell (13) and Duke Johnson (12), Turbin remains someone to keep an eye on going forward.
Lance Moore could also potentially return to fantasy relevance after totaling 106 receiving yards Sunday while grabbing a touchdown for the second game in a row. Even if he is the third option in the Lions passing attack behind Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate, there could be a lot of targets in an extremely pass-heavy offense.
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The Bills have officially signed offensive tackle Jordan Mills from off the Lions’ practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. The signing, which was first reported yesterday, required a corresponding roster move, so the Bills have placed wide receiver Marquise Goodwin on injured reserve.
Mills, 24, started 29 games at right tackle for the Bears during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, but was cut by the team last month and has bounced around a little since then, spending time with the Cowboys and Lions. He figures to play a backup role in Buffalo, providing depth on the offensive line.
As for Goodwin, 2015 was another injury-plagued season for the young wideout, who has failed to make much of an impact since joining the Bills as a third-round pick in 2013. Before a hip injury landed him on IR, Goodwin caught just two balls for 24 yards this season, and returned a pair of kickoffs.
There’s nothing fantasy football players can do about an NFL team changing course without giving proper notice.
In an age where every organization has dozens of beat reporters live-tweeting every step, it seems impossible for a squad to catch anyone off guard. Yet the Green Bay Packers pulled a fast one on everyone, turning to James Starks when everyone expected a bounce-back outing from Eddie Lacy.
Lacy received four touches to Starks’ 11, including a 65-yard touchdown run during Green Bay’s 27-20 victory over the San Diego Chargers. Had the Packers shared their plans to switch up their starting running back, fantasy managers would have adapted accordingly. Instead, they spent Monday in agony over playing (and drafting) Lacy.
Considering the difficulty of setting a lineup on Sunday morning, finalizing those plans early is nearly impossible. Not every team will keep their secrets sealed behind closed doors, and injury developments will especially alter these early rankings. Entering Week 7, here’s a look at the top 50 players for standard and point-per-reception (PPR) formats.
Antonio Brown occupied the No. 1 wide receiver spot until Ben Roethlisberger‘s injury placed him in purgatory. Then Julio Jones spent a few weeks in the top position, only to cool down from a scorching-hot start while battling a toe and hamstring injuries.
Throw in Odell Beckham Jr.’s hobbling hamstring, and there’s a new name sitting on the wideout throne. Congratulations to DeAndre Hopkins, who is putting up monster numbers despite the Houston Texans’ quarterback quandary.
Hopkins submitted his fourth straight 100-yard performance on Sunday, giving him an NFL-best 726 receiving yards this season. He’s on pace for a cool 138 receptions and 1,936 yards. Texans head coach Bill O’Brien realizes the playmaker he has at his disposal.
“He’s a force in this league,” O’Brien told the Houston Chronicle‘s Aaron Wilson. “Anytime you have a guy like that on the perimeter, who can make plays like that, and you have the confidence that no matter what kind of coverage there is, you can throw it up there to him and he’s going to make a play. He’s a great competitor.”
Whether Ryan Mallett or Brian Hoyer is playing under center, Houston’s offense revolves around the star receiver, who has already seen an incredible 90 targets. According to Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson, that rate would shatter a league record since the stat’s inception:
These video game numbers will prove difficult to sustain, but Hopkins has risen into the top tier of pass-catching studs. Entering a solid matchup with the Miami Dolphins, he’s the best receiving option out there.
After waiting three weeks for Todd Gurley‘s arrival, the scheduling gods cruelly placed the St. Louis Rams’ bye on the heels of two breakout games. Giddy owners who watched him gain 305 rushing yards through two weeks had to sit him again, but their patience will pay off this Sunday.
The Cleveland Browns have relinquished an NFL-worst 149.8 rushing yards per contest on 5.0 yards per run. They let a bumbling Denver Broncos offense tally 152 yards through the ground last Sunday, and now they’ll have to deal with a tougher quarterback in Nick Foles. (Kidding. Probably. Maybe not.)
In those dominating two games, Gurley rattled off five 20-yard runs on 49 handoffs. Mike Clay of Pro Football Focus noted his heavy workload, surprising out of the gate for a rookie returning from a torn ACL:
He’s a rare running back carrying the full load, and he brings breakaway ability on every play to the table. Somebody with such an elite combination of opportunity and talent will eventually find the end zone. Cleveland’s porous run defense is the perfect opponent for him to record his first career touchdown with another 100-yard afternoon.
Welcome to the 2015 season, Jonathan Stewart. Perhaps he mistakenly thought he had to leave alongside The Daily Show host. While the Carolina Panthers’ 4-0 start would seemingly benefit their starting running back, he entered Week 6 with 220 rushing yards on 59 carries alongside a goose egg in the touchdown column.
He snapped the drought against an unlikely opponent, storming into the end zone twice against the Seattle Seahawks. The 28-year-old rusher recorded 78 rushing yards on a season-high 20 carries. No scores against the Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints or Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but a pair at Seattle. Fantasy football will test the calmest person’s sanity at times.
He’ll get another tough adversary in the Philadelphia Eagles, who have limited the opposition to one rushing score. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has also poached three rushing touchdowns, so Stewart is hardly a stud play now.
Stewart isn’t the flashiest option, but there’s safety in a starting running back who has recorded at least 50 rushing yards on 10 carries in every game this season. He’s not going to disappear (why do the Arizona Cardinals hate David Johnson?) and leave onlookers asking if he’s even playing.
Those standards seem low, but his floor is high enough to keep him perched in the flex or low-end No. 2 rusher discussion.
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It’s never too early to take a look at the next week of start ’em, sit ’em action, especially with the renewed emphasis on matchup plays and sleepers.
The prior week always provides lessons in this way. Before Monday, Houston Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer was the fifth-highest scorer at the position. Top matchup play Devonta Freeman of the Atlanta Falcons bullied his way to top all running backs with 27 points thanks to slashing against the New Orleans Saints.
Below, let’s look at the top matchup plays and sleepers while also using start-sit scenarios to identify the best values among some of fantasy’s biggest names.
QB
Top Matchup Play: Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals (vs. BAL)
Few players are as consistent as Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer this year. He’s gone for at least 16 points in every outing with 14 touchdowns to his name already.
Palmer and Co. return home for perhaps the most salivating matchup of the week by hosting the Baltimore Ravens.
Entering Week 6, Baltimore surrendered the most points to quarterbacks on average and then proceeded to let San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick to break free of his struggles en route to 22 points.
Palmer’s more of a pure passer and at home, so the 22 looks like the floor.
Sleeper: Nick Foles, St. Louis Rams (vs. CLE)
St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles hasn’t been the most trustworthy player by any means this season, but he looks like a great option in Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns.
Foles went out and threw four interceptions while trying to keep up with the Green Bay Packers in Week 5. He’s coming off a bye, though, and it’s important to remember he has a pair of 18-point outings to his name this year.
Another, at least, seems in store against the Browns, owners of a defense that gave up 10 touchdowns through the first five weeks and another with 290 yards this past weekend.
At home coming off a bye, Foles looks like a top sleeper start.
RB
Top Matchup Play: LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills (at JAC)
He’s back.
Buffalo Bills starting back LeSean McCoy looked great in Week 6, fully healthy for the first time on the way to 17 carries for 90 yards and a score, which was good for 15 points.
If his body can stay healthy, the only way to go is up for Shady, who next gets the reeling Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars ranked among the five worst teams against backs on average before Week 6, then let Houston’s Arian Foster go for 16 points on just 18 carries. Shady can do similar harm and stands a better chance of finding paydirt in the top running back matchup of the week.
Sleeper: Christine Michael, Dallas Cowboys (at NYG)
Sometimes the best sleepers come from a miserable situation.
The Dallas Cowboys come out of the bye without Tony Romo and likely Dez Bryant, fully understanding the pairing of Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden isn’t doing enough.
Hence these comments captured by David Helman of DallasCowboys.com:
Christine Michael might be unproven, but his athleticism is off the charts, and it sounds like he’s in for a full workload in a great matchup.
Going into Week 6, the New York Giants allowed every backfield encountered to score at least 15 points. Michael might do that on his own in a prove-it game as the only viable contributor on the Dallas offense.
WR
Top Matchup Play: Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals (vs. BAL)
Quarterback and wide receiver go hand-in-hand this week as top matchup plays.
Thank the Ravens. The once-proud defense entered Week 6 as the second-worst unit against wideouts on average, having allowed seven scores to the position and outbursts of 45 and 51 points. San Francisco’s Anquan Boldin added 10 points and Torrey Smith 15 this past weekend.
As for Larry Fitzgerald, he’s among the leaders in scoring at the spot with 25 and 29-point outbursts and six scores. He’s good for at least one score at home against a miserable defense.
Sleeper: Willie Snead, New Orleans Saints (at IND)
With Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills gone, Drew Brees has turned to a hodgepodge of names to keep the Saints offense alive.
One of those is Willie Snead, who has at least four catches in five consecutive games. He’s emerging as one of Brees’ favorite deep targets, with his fantasy upside predicated on matchup.
Good thing he’s in one of the week’s best against the Indianapolis Colts. The unit has already allowed nine touchdowns to wideouts and well into double digit points for wideout corps each time out.
Snead won’t have any problem going for double digits.
TE
Top Matchup Play: Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers (vs. OAK)
It’s been a while since anyone could say this, but here goes: Start whichever tight end is lucky enough to face the Oakland Raiders.
Oakland’s the worst team in the league against tight ends by a mile, although it’s easy to forget because in Week 5 Denver attacked with wideouts on the edges, not tight ends, then the Raiders had a Week 6 bye.
Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers won’t have any issues exploiting the weakness. He’s caught a ridiculous nine passes in each of his two last games back from suspension, going for better than 90 yards in both.
Gates finding paydirt multiple times wouldn’t be a shock.
Sleeper: Coby Fleener, Indianapolis Colts (vs. NO)
Owners have given up on the idea of the Colts’ Coby Fleener, hence the 16.8 ownership percentage.
They’ll want him back in a big way after Week 7.
Andrew Luck is back and healthy under center, which boosts Fleener’s stock. More than anything, though, a matchup against the Saints looks great considering the defense has allowed four touchdowns to the position.
Luck won’t hesitate to look to his top tight end in what figures to be a shootout.
All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of October 19. Statistics courtesy of ESPN. Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Green Bay on bye.
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