NFL Fantasy Football News & Info 2021/2022 🏈

[Wagerallsports]

Fantasy football flex and superflex rankings for Week 1​

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Welcome to the 2021 fantasy football season and the newest version of our weekly flex rankings, the debut of the Superflex 150! This season, we decided to add quarterbacks to these PPR rankings and extend the list deeper than ever. Why? Well, we know many of you now compete in Superflex formats that invite/covet second quarterbacks in starting lineups, thus the adjustment. It may look odd to see the lowest-ranked fantasy passers ranked ahead of typical RB2 and WR2 options, but the potential point impact demands it. If your league is of the standard flex variety, just ignore the presence of quarterbacks. Regardless, good luck in Week 1 and beyond!

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Panthers: We all await him averaging 30 PPR points again, but over 17 weeks!
2. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs: First-round pick, if not first overall, in Superflex formats, for obvious reasons.
3. Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals: Will be interesting to see how his fantasy performance is affected if he really does run less.
4. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens: He should run even more. Just. Stay. Healthy.
5. Tom Brady, QB, Buccaneers: We should all be so productive when we hit 40. Guess I will find out soon! LOL!
6. Josh Allen, QB, Bills: Give him credit for amazing strides in throwing accuracy last season. Should be awesome for a long time.
7. Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings: Only concern is health, but he is surely healthy this week.
8. Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints: Few doubt the skills, but there is a new QB leading the way.
9. Davante Adams, WR, Packers: He got his old quarterback back, and could not be happier.
10. Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs: Rare to find a tight end ranked so well, but every season the numbers are there.
11. Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs
12. Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys: Certainly one to watch early on for the shoulder injury. Team says, of course, that all is well.
13. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
14. Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks
15. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Cardinals
16. Derrick Henry, RB, Titans: Rare to find a running back with so little impact in the passing game still awesome in PPR formats.
17. DK Metcalf, WR, Seahawks: Would not be surprising to see him end up as fantasy's top wide receiver.
18. Stefon Diggs, WR, Bills
19. Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles: Intriguing situation, because his running ability makes him a hot commodity. The Eagles may not be all-in here.
20. Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers
21. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Titans
22. Calvin Ridley, WR, Falcons: Will not miss his former teammate and future Hall of Famer. Ridley was awesome last season no matter what.
23. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
24. A.J. Brown, WR, Titans: He gets to play with Ridley's former teammate and again, it should not greatly change the statistical dynamic or fantasy value.
25. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts
26. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington: Could be an underrated offense in Washington, with Gibson ready to emerge as a star.
27. Nick Chubb, RB, Browns
28. Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers: Why not another 92-catch season? It starts this week.
29. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys: The best of Prescott's options.
30. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington
31. Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers
32. Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Washington: There will be some turnovers, but the veteran surely shows confidence throwing the football downfield.
33. Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams
34. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars: Top-notch skills, intriguing players and coaching around him. Stardom must be pending.
35. Baker Mayfield, QB, Browns
36. Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons
37. Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers: Pick a Brady receiver, one cannot go wrong. Evans is the touchdown maker.
38. Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers
39. James Robinson, RB, Jaguars: With Travis Etienne Jr. out, expectations for Robinson suddenly returned to 2020 levels, at least.
40. Aaron Jones, RB, Packers
41. Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings
42. Allen Robinson II, WR, Bears: Rough Week 1 matchup, and rough Week 1 quarterback.
43. Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals
44. David Montgomery, RB, Bears
45. Najee Harris, RB, Steelers: Seems guaranteed for high volume as a rookie, and should factor into passing game as well.
46. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys
47. Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles: Eagles have options if he cannot hold on to the football, or cannot stay healthy.
48. George Kittle, TE, 49ers
49. Darren Waller, TE, Raiders
50. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs: Ankle injury may keep volume down a bit early on, but he remains a trusted option.
51. Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants: You may think you know about his volume, but the Giants may not even know. Certainly some risk here.
52. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
53. Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings
54. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers
55. Tyrod Taylor, QB, Texans: Keeping company with reliable veterans in these rankings, because he can be a surprise fantasy asset.
56. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins: Possesses the skills to be great, and Miami surrounded him with better receivers this season.
57. Mac Jones, QB, Patriots
58. Zach Wilson, QB, Jets: Well, it is the Jets, but perhaps Wilson can overcome it.
59. Sam Darnold, QB, Panthers: Be willing to give him a chance.
60. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Broncos
61. Jameis Winston, QB, Saints: There will be interceptions, unless the Saints really play it safe, which they may.
62. Carson Wentz, QB, Colts
63. Derek Carr, QB, Raiders
64. Jared Goff, QB, Lions: Not a good offense, but he is a competent quarterback.
65. Daniel Jones, QB, Giants
66. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, 49ers
67. Andy Dalton, QB, Bears: Week to week, much like all of us.
68. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks
69. Amari Cooper, WR, Cowboys
70. Robert Woods, WR, Rams
71. Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams
72. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 49ers: Would have surpassed 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie, if healthy. Ah, always the "if healthy" part.
73. Gus Edwards, RB, Ravens: It is his backfield, and he can do what he wants with it. Invest.
74. Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks
75. Diontae Johnson, WR, Steelers: One of several Steelers receivers that may reach 1,000 receiving yards. Or all of them may do it.
76. DJ Moore, WR, Panthers
77. Robby Anderson, WR, Panthers
78. Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals: Burrow has plenty of receivers as well. Higgins should be the best of them.
79. Julio Jones, WR, Titans: Name gets him overrated a bit, but he remains a productive player when on the field. Make sure he is on the field.
80. Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders: Odd situation here in that Jacobs better produce, or he may end up sitting.
81. Raheem Mostert, RB, 49ers
82. Chase Edmonds, RB, Cardinals
83. D'Andre Swift, RB, Lions: Groin injury remains an issue, and it should compromise his Week 1 volume. We just do not know how much.
84. Brandin Cooks, WR, Texans
85. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Steelers
86. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Broncos: Obvious breakout possibilities, but difficult Week 1 matchup.
87. Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals
88. Mike Davis, RB, Falcons
89. Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Rams: Health is the only thing worrying us, but he looks to be healthy today.
90. Damien Harris, RB, Patriots: Not a pass catcher, but should score more touchdown runs now that Cam Newton is gone.
91. Myles Gaskin, RB, Dolphins: Preseason scare about his place on the depth chart is over now.
92. Michael Gallup, WR, Cowboys
93. Chase Claypool, WR, Steelers
94. Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens
95. Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers
96. Kenny Golladay, WR, Giants
97. Antonio Brown, WR, Buccaneers
98. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Browns: Overrated for fantasy.
99. Kareem Hunt, RB, Browns: Underrated for fantasy.
100. Jamaal Williams, RB, Lions: Rated pretty well for fantasy, especially this week with Swift not as swift as usual.
101. Sony Michel, RB, Rams: Make sure he is rostered in your league, because Henderson is not the most durable fellow.
102. Kenyan Drake, RB, Raiders
103. DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles: Heisman-winning rookie has mad skills, but can his quarterback find him enough?
104. Marquise Brown, WR, Ravens: Because his quarterback does not find him enough.
105. DJ Chark Jr., WR, Jaguars
106. Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Jaguars
107. Leonard Fournette, RB, Buccaneers: Get ready for another frustrating season of relying on Tampa Bay running backs.
108. Ronald Jones II, RB, Buccaneers
109. Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos
110. Jarvis Landry, WR, Browns
111. Marquez Callaway, WR, Saints: Figures to get enough targets to matter, and Michael Thomas is not playing this month.
112. Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons: Exciting rookie should make his mark right away.
113. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Lions
114. James Conner, RB, Cardinals
115. Javonte Williams, RB, Broncos: Perhaps Broncos will be patient, but this rookie is ready to take over the backfield. Expect a higher ranking in future weeks.
116. Melvin Gordon III, RB, Broncos
117. Phillip Lindsay, RB, Texans: Former Bronco is better than most think. Appealing flex option this week.
118. David Johnson, RB, Texans
119. Marvin Jones Jr., WR, Jaguars
120. DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins
121. Curtis Samuel, WR, Washington
122. Michael Carter, RB, Jets: Give it time.
123. J.D. McKissic, RB, Washington: Now we come to the pass-catching, running back section. Hey, McKissic outscored all but 16 running backs in PPR last season. Not bad.
124. James White, RB, Patriots
125. Nyheim Hines, RB, Colts
126. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts
127. Corey Davis, WR, Jets
128. Mike Williams, WR, Chargers
129. Logan Thomas, TE, Washington
130. Jakobi Meyers, WR, Patriots
131. Zack Moss, RB, Bills: Potential for 1,000 rushing yards, but needs to find the end zone, too.
132. AJ Dillon, RB, Packers
133. Trey Sermon, RB, 49ers
134. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
135. Jalen Reagor, WR, Eagles
136. Henry Ruggs III, WR, Raiders: Tough matchup vs. Ravens, and we should still expect future breakout.
137. Devin Singletary, RB, Bills
138. Giovani Bernard, RB, Buccaneers
139. Damien Williams, RB, Bears
140. Tony Pollard, RB, Cowboys
141. Darnell Mooney, WR, Bears
142. Mecole Hardman, WR, Chiefs
143. Parris Campbell, WR, Colts
144. Alexander Mattison, RB, Vikings: One of the top backup situations in the league.
145. Malcolm Brown, RB, Dolphins
146. Noah Fant, TE, Broncos
147. Jonnu Smith, TE, Patriots
148. Carlos Hyde, RB, Jaguars: A bit underrated, and in a decent position should Robinson struggle.
149. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins
150. Tyrell Williams, WR, Lions: And our first No. 150 of the young season, the pride of Western Oregon!

 

[Bettor Days]

Fantasy football flex and superflex rankings for Week 3​

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Week 3 of the fantasy football season is upon us, and you have flex concerns! Well, that is why we are here: to offer opinions on options, and perhaps entertain along the way. Fantasy managers should manage their teams their way, of course, but if you crave a bit of advice, here we go. Quarterbacks are now included in our superflex rankings, and even the worst ones still rank well. Regardless, check the matchups each week, go with your best options, and good luck in Week 3 and beyond!

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Panthers: Went from 30 touches in Week 1 to only 29 last week. Nobody is complaining.
2. Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals: Awesome numbers, including two rushing touchdowns already. Unstoppable, especially by the Jaguars.
3. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs: He has thrown 16 incomplete passes in two weeks. How do the Chiefs ever lose?
4. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
5. Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks
6. Tom Brady, QB, Buccaneers: Facing the Rams is a bit different than the lowly Falcons, but we are confident there will be numbers anyway.
7. Josh Allen, QB, Bills: You should not sit him. Just don't.
8. Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings: His managers wince whenever he limps around or needs medical attention. Will he play all 17 games?
9. Derrick Henry, RB, Titans: Exploded in the second half last week, but I keep watching his receptions. He should have a career high before Week 5!
10. Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs
11. Davante Adams, WR, Packers: And you were worried about this offense. Ha!
12. Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs
13. Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers: Nine targets and nine rushing attempts in Week 2. Well, we could use more rushing attempts, but hard to complain.
14. Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers
15. Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles: Still concerns about his throwing -- remove one play last week and he had only 99 passing yards. As long as he runs, nobody minds.
16. Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys: Quiet in Week 2, but at least he looks healthy. The Eagles defense appears improved so far, but Dak should get his production.
17. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
18. Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints: One more disappointing game and we worry, but we have to assume the Saints figure this out.
19. Nick Chubb, RB, Browns
20. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks: Unstoppable, and this week, sure, he gets the nod for Seattle's top WR.
21. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Cardinals
22. Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams
23. Derek Carr, QB, Raiders: Reasons for optimism, but would be nice if team could protect him better. And threaten to run the ball.
24. Justin Fields, QB, Bears: I think Bears fans have had enough of the Andy Dalton experience, and so has everybody else.
25. Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings
26. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Broncos
27. Daniel Jones, QB, Giants: Plays the Falcons. If there was ever a time to go with Jones, this is it.
28. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Titans
29. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers: Pectoral injury could be a problem, so watch the updates later this week. Steelers' O-line is a problem.
30. Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals
31. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts: The time to trade a reasonable amount for this RB1 is running out.
32. Aaron Jones, RB, Packers: Not one, not two, but four touchdowns. Another reason to trust your top players after one rough week.
33. Stefon Diggs, WR, Bills
34. DK Metcalf, WR, Seahawks
35. Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams: At some point defenses will handle him better, and then the other Rams options will make more plays.
36. Darren Waller, TE, Raiders: Just seven targets in Week 2, coming off 19 of them, but still, no Raiders player had more.
37. Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers
38. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington
39. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
40. Najee Harris, RB, Steelers: Still has yet to rush for 50 yards in a game, though it seems he has nowhere to run, too. Keep the faith.
41. Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks
42. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys: Better Week 2 performance, but this is clearly a two-back offense now. Elliott may be more of an RB2 now.
43. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys: Perhaps 1,400 receiving yards is possible here. Really, this is a star.
44. Amari Cooper, WR, Cowboys
45. David Montgomery, RB, Bears
46. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington: No real difference for him with another quarterback. He is just not a factor on third downs.
47. Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles
48. Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons: Easy to see lots of fourth-quarter numbers for him as team will face large deficits.
49. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
50. Sam Darnold, QB, Panthers
51. Baker Mayfield, QB, Browns
52. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, 49ers: As long as he avoids turnovers, he can keep the starting role from Trey Lance longer than anyone except him seems to want.
53. Jared Goff, QB, Lions
54. Taylor Heinicke, QB, Washington
55. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars: Remember, Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions his first season (with 26 TDs). Lawrence can have that season still.
56. Carson Wentz, QB, Colts
57. Jameis Winston, QB, Saints: What, you actually expected consistency with this fellow?
58. Davis Mills, QB, Texans
59. Mac Jones, QB, Patriots
60. Zach Wilson, QB, Jets
61. Jacoby Brissett, QB, Dolphins
62. Calvin Ridley, WR, Falcons
63. Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings
64. A.J. Brown, WR, Titans: Good time to trade for him. Too talented to be this average and he looks healthy enough. Invest.
65. Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers
66. Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers
67. Allen Robinson II, WR, Bears
68. D'Andre Swift, RB, Lions: Odd usage. He should be getting 25 touches a week. Not sure what the Lions are seeing here.
69. Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants: About time for him to be getting 25 touches as well.
70. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs: He is not getting 25 touches, and if he is no factor in the passing game, then we all overrated him.
71. Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers
72. Robert Woods, WR, Rams: Just wait, his numbers will come -- though perhaps not in this tough matchup with Tampa.
73. George Kittle, TE, 49ers
74. Mike Williams, WR, Chargers
75. Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals
76. Chase Edmonds, RB, Cardinals: As with Swift, this makes little sense. Edmonds warrants far more touches than 14.5 per game.
77. Damien Harris, RB, Patriots
78. Julio Jones, WR, Titans
79. Diontae Johnson, WR, Steelers
80. Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders: Missed Week 2 with toe/ankle issues, and would not count on him suiting up for this one.
81. Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Rams: Would not assume he plays through rib injury, either. It is only Week 3. You knew this was likely.
82. Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos
83. DJ Moore, WR, Panthers
84. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
85. Ty'Son Williams, RB, Ravens: Averaging 6.5 yards per carry so far. Certainly a relevant fantasy option.
86. Devin Singletary, RB, Bills: I rank him higher than my colleagues, but acknowledge he has not received a ton of touches.
87. Leonard Fournette, RB, Buccaneers
88. Elijah Mitchell, RB, 49ers
89. Sterling Shepard, WR, Giants: Other than QB, this is New York's PPR scoring leader so far. Leads team with 19 targets, 16 catches.
90. Marquise Brown, WR, Ravens: His yards per target is way up, indicative of his talent and that of Lamar Jackson.
91. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts
92. Tony Pollard, RB, Cowboys: At 7.7 yards per tote, the offense has to continue getting him involved. Add him in case he takes over.
93. Mike Davis, RB, Falcons
94. James Robinson, RB, Jaguars: Not a good ranking for any Jaguars, but at this point how can we rely on any of them? Keep Robinson on your roster, though.
95. Marvin Jones Jr., WR, Jaguars
96. Kareem Hunt, RB, Browns
97. Kenyan Drake, RB, Raiders: Jacobs may sit, but Drake looks like he is merely a pass-catching option. Peyton Barber would get the Jacobs carries.
98. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Buccaneers: We want to say this production cannot possibly continue, but it is Brady and Gronk. Maybe it can.
99. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Lions
100. Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens
101. Chase Claypool, WR, Steelers
102. Robby Anderson, WR, Panthers: With four catches in two weeks, managers are moving on. I think it is a bad idea to do so.
103. Antonio Brown, WR, Buccaneers: Did little in Week 2 and many will move on, but again, that is ill-advised. This offense can support many individuals. Brown was placed on the COVID-19 list Wednesday, so be sure to seek updates on his status.
104. Myles Gaskin, RB, Dolphins
105. James White, RB, Patriots
106. J.D. McKissic, RB, Washington
107. Brandin Cooks, WR, Texans: Targets kept on coming when backup Davis Mills entered in Week 2. He knows who to look for.
108. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Steelers
109. DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles
110. Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals
111. Henry Ruggs III, WR, Raiders: Hard for defensive backs to keep up with him. Nice to see Carr is finding him downfield.
112. Rondale Moore, WR, Cardinals: This fellow is electric, and Murray definitely looks for him.
113. Javonte Williams, RB, Broncos: I do not know when I will stop preaching patience with this backfield, but it surely is not yet.
114. Melvin Gordon III, RB, Broncos
115. Noah Fant, TE, Broncos
116. Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons
117. Cordarrelle Patterson, RB, Falcons: Here is Atlanta's PPR scoring leader so far, and that includes the QB! Seems time to give him more touches, eh?
118. Nyheim Hines, RB, Colts
119. Jamaal Williams, RB, Lions
120. DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins: Cannot say I would utilize him with Jacoby Brissett at QB, but then again, it may not matter.
121. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins
122. Tyler Higbee, TE, Rams
123. Logan Thomas, TE, Washington
124. DJ Chark Jr., WR, Jaguars
125. Jakobi Meyers, WR, Patriots
126. Kenny Golladay, WR, Giants: Too early to give up, but this ranking shows you do not have to play him.
127. Jalen Reagor, WR, Eagles: You would think of him differently if he had not stepped out of bounds on his Week 2 touchdown catch.
128. Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Eagles
129. Michael Carter, RB, Jets: No guarantee the Jets start giving him major touches soon, but it would be nice.
130. Corey Davis, WR, Jets
131. Mark Ingram II, RB, Texans
132. Jared Cook, TE, Chargers: He had a TD overturned by penalty. Again, he would be more popular if he had scored, but it should not alter much. He matters.
133. Damien Williams, RB, Bears
134. James Conner, RB, Cardinals: Nary a target so far, and not much success in the ground game. Cannot recommend him in fantasy.
135. Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Jaguars
136. Sammy Watkins, WR, Ravens
137. Darnell Mooney, WR, Bears
138. AJ Dillon, RB, Packers: Roster him in case Aaron Jones gets hurt, but he is not playing much so far.
139. Latavius Murray, RB, Ravens
140. Sony Michel, RB, Rams: Hardly the talent Henderson is, but if he gets a chance, he may create at least a timeshare.
141. Dallas Goedert, TE, Eagles: May get more looks if Zach Ertz misses the game, but hard to call Goedert a safe TE1.
142. Robert Tonyan, TE, Packers
143. David Johnson, RB, Texans
144. Darrel Williams, RB, Chiefs: He and Mahomes have the team's rushing touchdowns so far. May become meaningful in time.
145. Zack Moss, RB, Bills: Two touchdowns on eight carries is nice work. Perhaps he sees more overall work this week.
146. Salvon Ahmed, RB, Dolphins
147. Ronald Jones II, RB, Buccaneers
148. Ty Johnson, RB, Jets
149. Mecole Hardman, WR, Chiefs
150. K.J. Osborn, WR, Vikings: And finally, we end these proceedings with this Miami product, who has outscored his teammate Jefferson so far.

 

[Bettor Days]

Fantasy football Week 3 shadow report: Key WR/CB matchups​

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By utilizing our play-by-play data, we're able to identify defensive schemes and where each wide receiver and cornerback lines up on each play. By tracking these WR/CB matchups, including potential shadow situations, we can offer the best projections, rankings, sit/start decisions and fantasy advice each week. Fantasy football is a weekly game, so knowing the matchups can also help you make the best waiver wire pickups.

Below are the receivers with the best and worst Week 3 matchups, as well as the corresponding fantasy impacts. To view the primary defenders the top three wide receivers for each team will see this weekend, be sure to check out our weekly WR vs. CB Cheatsheet. Note that, unless otherwise noted, references to where teams rank in statistical categories adjust to a per-game basis in order to avoid distortion due to bye weeks.

​

Advantageous Matchups​

Rams' Cooper Kupp vs. Buccaneers' Ross Cockrell

Kupp is the top-scoring wide receiver in fantasy through two weeks and he's a good bet to keep rolling in Week 3. Having aligned in the slot on 68% of his routes this season, he's set up for a matchup with Cockrell, who has aligned inside 79% of the time since replacing injured Sean Murphy-Bunting as the Buccaneers' primary slot corner. Just like perimeter corners Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean, Cockrell has been heavily targeted -- but unlike them, he's struggling, having allowed more than double the fantasy production they have on a per-snap basis.

Tampa Bay has allowed the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, but they've actually been efficient in slowing down the position. The culprit is heavy volume, as they've faced a league-high 66 WR targets, which has led to a league-high 114 expected fantasy points (they've allowed 110). In fact, they've allowed 6.5 yards per target to the position, which is third-lowest in the league. That's all a long way of saying that, while the Buccaneers' defense is good, teams are forced to throw often against them, which leads to a lot of fantasy production from opposing wideouts. Kupp gets the biggest value boost for his matchup, but Robert Woods and Van Jefferson can also be upgraded.

Seahawks' Tyler Lockett vs. Vikings' Bashaud Breeland

Lockett is currently fantasy's No. 2-scoring wide receiver after posting point totals of 26 and 32 in his first two games of the season. Same as Kupp, he's positioned to do even more damage in Week 3. The Vikings' defense looked very good on paper prior to the season, but the results out of the gate are not good at all. That's especially the case against wideouts, as Minnesota has allowed 107 fantasy points to the position. That's third-most in the league (second-most if adjusted for expected points). Despite the overall struggles, free agent signing Patrick Peterson has actually worked out well at right corner.

The problem has been left corner, where Breeland has been targeted on 29% of his coverage snaps and is allowing an atrocious 1.00 fantasy points per route. Breeland has allowed 45 fantasy points, which is most among all defenders. Lockett moves around the formation quite a bit, but he's been at right perimeter receiver 54% of the time this season, which means he's set to face Breeland (or Cameron Dantzler if Breeland is benched) over half the time this week. Lockett should be upgraded, but we don't need to adjust DK Metcalf, as while Minnesota has allowed the second-most fantasy points to Lockett's primary side, it has surrendered the 13th-fewest to Metcalf's side (58% left perimeter).

Colts' Michael Pittman Jr., Zach Pascal and Parris Campbell vs. Titans' Janoris Jenkins, Kristian Fulton and Chris Jackson

The Titans have allowed 130 fantasy points to wide receivers this season, which most in the league by 20. Even we adjust for heavy volume (they've faced 50 WR targets), they've still allowed 40 points above expected, which is also worst in the league (by nine points). They've allowed the most receiving yards and touchdowns to the position as well.

The Colts stand to benefit in Week 3. Pittman (75% perimeter) and Campbell (85%) will see plenty of Jenkins and Fulton on the outside, which bodes well considering the Titans have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to the perimeter. Pascal (86% slot) has three touchdowns this season and should be upgraded against Jackson (the Titans have allowed the second-most fantasy points to the slot). Note that should Campbell remains out due to injury, rookie Mike Strachan will step into his role and will be a deep sleeper for a big play or two.

Ravens' Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins and Devin Duvernay vs. Lions' Amani Oruwariye, Bobby Price and AJ Parker

Detroit's secondary remains a work in progress, especially after a season-ending Achilles injury to 2020 first-round pick Jeff Okudah in Week 1 and an injury that landed his replacement, Ifeatu Melifonwu, on injured reserve in Week 2. The Lions will now utilize Oruwariye and 2020 undrafted free agent Bobby Price on the perimeter with Parker -- an undrafted rookie -- set to continue handling slot duties. Detroit has allowed the eight-most fantasy points over expected to wide receivers through two weeks. The lack of corner talent is a major concern for Detroit and sets up the Ravens for a big Week 3. Brown (48% perimeter) has aligned inside more this season, allowing Watkins (81%) and Duvernay (58%) to handle primary perimeter duties. All three should be upgraded, with Brown a weekly must-start and Watkins a viable flex.

Other notable upgrades:

Bengals' Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd vs. Steelers' Cameron Sutton, Tre Norwood and Joe Haden (or, if Haden remains out, James Pierre)

Cardinals' DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore, A.J. Green and Christian Kirk vs. Jaguars' CJ Henderson, Tyson Campbell and Shaquill Griffin

Jaguars' Marvin Jones Jr., DJ Chark and Laviska Shenault Jr. vs. Cardinals' Marco Wilson, Robert Alford and Byron Murphy

Tough Matchups​

Falcons' Calvin Ridley vs. Giants' James Bradberry (shadow)

Though these two spent two years together in the NFC South, they didn't face each other much, as Bradberry was tasked with shadowing Julio Jones when the Falcons and Panthers met. During those four games, Bradberry covered Ridley on only 13 pass plays and allowed a 3-64-0 receiving line on four targets. Bradberry has been one of the league's best and most-utilized shadow corners during his time in the league and we saw him in that role against Terry McLaurin in Week 2. McLaurin put together a strong 11-107-1 receiving line in the game, but about half of that came on a few plays he wasn't facing Bradberry. Bradberry doesn't work in the slot much, but neither does Ridley (88% perimeter), so these two could be aligned against one another 80-90% of the time in Week 3. Ridley gets the downgrade and is a name to avoid in DFS cash games.

Dolphins' DeVante Parker vs. Raiders' Casey Hayward Jr. (shadow)

These two veterans don't have much history (35 coverage snaps against one another), though it includes a 2020 Week 10 game in which Hayward (then with the Chargers) was tasked with shadowing Parker. Parker posted a weak 2-31-0 receiving line on seven targets in that game, with Hayward on him on 18 of his 24 routes. That underwhelming showing is one thing working against Parker this week and there are several others: One, Hayward has played terrific ball so far this season while being tasked with shadowing Sammy Watkins part-time in Week 1 and Chase Claypool on most of his routes in Week 2. Two, Will Fuller is back this week and could steal some targets from Parker. And three, Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa is out with a rib injury. Hayward hasn't been targeted much this season and that doesn't figure to change while he's traveling with Parker. Parker has major bust potential and should be downgraded.

Eagles' DeVonta Smith vs. Cowboys' Trevon Diggs (shadow)

The Cowboys have allowed 45-plus fantasy points to both WR units they've faced this season, but we have to dig deeper to see why this could be a trouble spot for Smith. Diggs has shadowed the opposing team's No. 1 wide receiver in each of Dallas' first two games. He was assigned to Mike Evans in Week 1 (2-15-0 receiving line on 38 routes against Diggs) and Keenan Allen (2-72-0 line on 19 routes against Diggs) in Week 2. The two star receivers combined to run 37 perimeter routes against Dallas and Diggs was aligned against them on all 37. Diggs also traveled inside part time, covering Evans on nine of 19 slot routes and Allen on six of 24.

Smith has aligned outside on 80% of his routes this season, so it's reasonable to expect Diggs to cover him roughly 80% of the time this week. Especially after Smith was quiet against the 49ers' in Week 2, he needs to be downgraded against Diggs. With Diggs shadowing on one side, Anthony Brown shadowed on the other during Weeks 1-2. He traveled with Antonio Brown (4-94-1 receiving line on 27 routes against Brown) and Mike Williams (4-55-1 on 22 routes against Brown). The 39 fantasy points he's surrendered this season are second-most in the league behind only aforementioned Breeland. This week, he'll work primarily against Jalen Reagor (80% perimeter), who should be upgraded.

Buccaneers' Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Antonio Brown vs. Rams' Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams and David Long

The Rams' pass defense may be missing John Johnson III and Troy Hill from last season's dominant unit, but it's nonetheless off to a very good start in 2021. The Rams have faced the ninth-most WR routes and targets, but have allowed the 10th-fewest yards, second-lowest yards per target (6.4) and only one touchdown to the position. That's troubling news for a Tampa Bay offense off to a hot start in 2021. These teams met in Week 11 last season and the result was all three Tampa Bay wide receivers clearing 13 fantasy points. Ramsey shadowed Evans in that game (33 of his 45 routes, including 28 of 29 on the perimeter), so it's possible he does so again this week, but I'm betting against it for two reasons: One, Ramsey didn't shadow Allen Robinson or Michael Pittman Jr. in Weeks 1-2, and two, Godwin has been Tampa Bay's No. 1 and most-productive wideout so far this season. Godwin has aligned in the slot on 73% of his routes this season, which is problematic for him considering how Ramsey has been utilized this season. Ramsey, who has been his usual terrific self while playing the unique "star" position, has aligned in the slot on 55% of his coverage snaps. The Rams have, in turn, allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the slot on the season. Godwin is an obvious downgrade.

Looking at personnel matchups in this scenario, Evans would seem to have the best matchup, as he'll see Long -- the team's replacement for offseason departure Hill -- most often. However, Long hasn't allowed much production thus far and the Rams have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to his primary side of the field. Though Evans would see Long the most, he'd get some slot run against Ramsey and work against Williams a few times. Brown is tricky as well. Williams was very good last season, but he's been heavily targeted and is struggling in coverage early on this season. In fact, the Rams are allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to right perimeter receivers, which is Brown's primary spot and where he aligns 61% of the time. This is a tough pass defense as a whole, so we need to keep expectations in check for all three Tampa Bay receivers, but Brown is likely to get the least attention and should benefit from Ramsey covering Evans and/or Godwin. Note that Brown had a team-high 13 targets in the 2020 game.

WFT's Terry McLaurin vs. Bills' Tre'Davious White (shadow)

Buffalo has allowed 55 fantasy points to wide receivers through two games, which is 25 below their expected total of 80. That gap is best in the NFL. Buffalo has faced the fourth-most WR routes and targets, but has allowed only 255 yards (sixth-lowest), one touchdown and 4.9 yards per target (lowest). As if that's not enough to make us wary of McLaurin, it's possible that he'll draw shadow coverage from White. Buffalo's star corner hasn't shadowed yet this season, but did when the matchup called for it in the past, including 2020 showdowns with Preston Williams, DK Metcalf, DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown and Travis Kelce. Even if White doesn't shadow McLaurin, Buffalo's pass defense has played so well overall that we should lower expectations for "F1" and his fellow pass-catchers.

Other notable downgrades:

Raiders' Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards vs. Dolphins' Xavien Howard and Byron Jones

Saints' Marquez Callaway vs. Patriots' J.C. Jackson and Jalen Mills

Jets' Jamison Crowder vs. Broncos' Bryce Callahan (slot)

Other potential shadow scenarios

Bengals' Chidobe Awuzie shadowed Justin Jefferson and Allen Robinson II on the perimeter during Cincinnati's first two games, leaving Eli Apple (subbing for an injured Trae Waynes) to travel with Adam Thielen and Darnell Mooney. Diontae Johnson is the Steelers' No. 1 receiver, so it's possible Awuzie (who has played decently) shadows him, leaving Apple (who has struggled) on Claypool. Even if he doesn't shadow, Johnson aligns wide left 52% of the time, which is where Awuzie has been on 72% of his coverage snaps. We don't need to be too worried about this matchup, but a slight upgrade for Claypool and downgrade for Johnson seems warranted.

 

[Wagerallsports]

Fantasy football waiver wire for NFL Week 4: RB replacements among top pickups​

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There are a bunch of different things in the conversation for being the absolute best part about fantasy football. In fact, there are far too many to list here. However, there is one thing that is the far and away the worst -- injuries.

Injuries stink. They are wretched. There's no sugarcoating it. No matter the player, an injury is an injury and a completely disheartening situation.

On Thursday night, we saw an injury to the most high-profile player in fantasy football, Christian McCaffrey. A strained hamstring will keep him out for some period of time, although the specific timetable for his potential return remains uncertain.

While those who currently roster McCaffrey are unquestionably disappointed that their best player will not be available for the near future, here's your reminder that no matter how disappointed you are about your fantasy team, the player himself is exponentially more disappointed to not be on the field. Don't vent your disappointment at them -- ever!

We'll keep tabs on the timeline for the McCaffrey injury and follow along with how the Carolina Panthers divide his workload amongst the rest of the backfield. As to who we think gets first crack at the almost assuredly temporary starting gig there, read on! The identity of that individual leads our Week 4 ESPN Fantasy waiver-wire conversation below.

Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers (11.3%): Hubbard is a fourth-round rookie who had an excellent career at Oklahoma State that included over 2,000 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in 2019. When McCaffrey went down, Hubbard handled 11 carries and five targets, clearly playing ahead of former Broncos back Royce Freeman (only five carries and just one target). While we hope McCaffrey is back sooner rather than later, Hubbard is a must-add in all leagues -- and a player that will likely land inside the top 25 of the RB rankings as soon as Week 4.

Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings (40.7%): While it seems well within the range of possibilities that Dalvin Cook will return this weekend, Mattison has major value if he does not. Mattison stepped in and delivered a Cook-approved effort in Week 4, handling 26 carries for 112 yards, adding six catches on eight targets for another 59 yards. Mattison should be rostered in all leagues and, hopefully, those fantasy managers who have Cook had already worked to acquire him.

Peyton Barber, RB, Las Vegas Raiders (7.3%): With Josh Jacobs on the mend from an ankle injury, the Raiders have turned to Barber (and not Kenyan Drake) as their No. 1 runner. In Week 3, Barber had his best day in a while, toting the rock 23 times for 111 yards while also finding the end zone. Not to be overlooked in this effort was that Barber also saw five targets. While the rushing volume figures to be in his favor until Jacobs returns, his integration into the passing game raises the floor. He's an add in leagues of any size.

Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona Cardinals (22.7%): The Cardinals offense is absolutely electric right now, as Kyler Murray cannot be stopped. Plus, he's getting help from his wideouts -- including Kirk, who has 60-plus receiving yards in every game this season and is coming off of a seven-catch, 104-yard effort in Week 3. The line of thinking is relatively simple: You want as much exposure to this offense as you can get. Kirk is a smart add for WR depth.

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Buffalo Bills (23.2%): There's wisdom behind another very simple idea: Get as many of Buffalo's pass-catchers as you can. While Stefon Diggs will be the "go-to guy" and Cole Beasley feasts in the middle of the field, Sanders had a throwback performance in Week 3 that reminded people that he still has gas left in the tank. While it's hard to consistently expect a ton from any team's third wideout week-in and week-out, the Bills offense is explosive enough at its apex to invest in three receivers. This is another solid player to add to your bench who will get opportunities for your roster when the bye weeks roll around.

Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos (14.0%): The Broncos have had woeful injury luck at wide receiver this season, as KJ Hamler (torn ACL) joins Jerry Jeudy (high ankle sprain) on the list of electric, young pass-catchers who will miss time. Jeudy was expected to miss just four to six weeks, while Hamler is out for the year. Patrick, who has scored double-digit fantasy points in every game this season, should step up into an almost every-snap role for Denver. He is a huge target who scored in Weeks 1 and 2 while pacing the Broncos with 98 receiving yards in Week 3. He's an add in 12-team leagues or larger.

Kendrick Bourne, WR, New England Patriots (0.4%): This is a monitor add, as Bourne had an awesome Week 3 that included a circus catch for a touchdown. While the Patriots have been conservative offensively this season, Mac Jones found his best Week 3 rhythm when the team opened things up and his coaches let him go to work through the air. Let's see if that trend continues, particularly with an upcoming matchup against the Buccaneers, where they'll need to score. Bourne is an "add and stash."

Hunter Renfrow, WR, Las Vegas Raiders (11.0%): The Raiders offense is humming so far this season and Renfrow has been a busy man. He has five-plus catches and at least 57 receiving yards in each game so far this year, good enough for double-digit fantasy points in every outing. Renfrow is a route-running maven, Derek Carr is playing lights out, and Las Vegas figures to stay pass-heavy. He's a deep-league add.

Quarterback Report​

We'll offer our usual QB caveat that, while there are certainly addable players this week, the reality is that for those who play in a league with 10 to 12 teams, there are going to be more than 10 to 12 weekly options for whom I'd advocate starting. Accordingly, I understand why the roster percentage will likely stay down for these players, despite their strong performances thus far.

Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders (49.2%): Carr has been absolutely incredible through three games, as he's now averaging over 400 yards per game and playing (arguably) the best football of his career. While the Raiders may not yet have a dominant receiver you can consistently trust in your fantasy lineup, they do have one of the best tight ends in the game (Darren Waller) and an allotment of useful pass-catchers. Carr can be your starting quarterback.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings (32.3%): Cousins has been really, really good to start the season, with over 21 fantasy points in each of the Vikings' first three games. Cousins has been typically accurate, completing nearly 74% of his passes. As we have always known, he has excellent wide receivers to target and, whether it's Cook or Mattison, he also has an effective screen game that leads to yards after the catch. Cousins has been solid early this season and I suspect that will remain the case going forward.

 

[Wagerallsports]

Fantasy football trade index and rest-of-season rankings: Derrick Henry is pulling away​

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It is not too often a wide receiver leads all of fantasy in PPR scoring, but credit to Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp. He enters Week 4 with the slight edge over Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady, who we hear has an interesting reunion game pending this week. Quarterbacks make up 11 of the top 14 scorers so far, with Kupp, Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry and Los Angeles Chargers WR Mike Williams infiltrating the top scorers.

Not surprisingly, those aforementioned names all moved up in the end-of-season rankings, though only one of them usurps the top spot at his position. Check below and you will see. Still, there is ample movement, as always, and we continue to add our positional trade index to spice things up. Make those trades now and do not wait until it is too late!

Quarterback​

Rankings changes: New Rams leader Matthew Stafford may be the real-life MVP leader after another terrific performance, and he moves into the top 100 here, but remains just shy of the top 10 at his position. Hey, it is deep! Who would leave the top 10? Minnesota Vikings starter Kirk Cousins may deserve inclusion soon as well. Carolina Panthers starter Sam Darnold moves into solid QB2 territory while Pittsburgh Steelers disappointment Ben Roethlisberger and Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Trevor Lawrence move out. Week 3 was not a strong one for rookie passers. Is Justin Fields the problem for the Chicago Bears or may it be the mess around him?

Trade for: As expected, Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen is back on track. May be too late to reasonably trade for him. Same with Chargers star Justin Herbert. He is already a dominant player. The price would be sky high.

Be cautious trading for: Consider backing off trading for any of the rookie passers, including Lawrence and Fields. It may not be their fault, but we may not see nice numbers for a while. Roethlisberger looks done. Jameis Winston averaging 130 passing yards per game does not excite. It would be something if he falls short of 2,500 passing yards, or more than half his 2019 total. Wow.

Running back​

Rankings changes: We have a new No. 1! Derrick Henry was already a star but now, even in PPR formats, his newfound use in the passing game pushes him to the top. Henry also boasts 80 rushing attempts! Joe Mixon is the only other RB with more than 52! Anyway, the latest Christian McCaffrey injury played a role in Henry moving up, too. The Carolina Panthers are without him again, perhaps only for a few weeks. Chuba Hubbard rises to relevant flex territory. The Giants' Saquon Barkley gets back into the top 10. Clyde Edwards-Helaire and James Robinson rebounded. Darrell Henderson Jr. and Elijah Mitchell did not play. Miles Sanders did, but it was tough to tell.

Trade for: Denver Broncos rookie Javonte Williams has RB2 status in is future. Do not wait. As for the other North Carolina rookie running back, the Jets' offense is so ineffective it may be tough for Michael Carter break out. Touted Steelers rookie Najee Harris is a major factor in the passing game. If the Lions' D'Andre Swift gets more touches, he may be a RB1 option.

Be cautious trading for: Many of us scoffed at the notion of McCaffrey having a durability problem, but perhaps that was a premature reaction. His talent is ridiculous, but we cannot go through what we did a season ago, when he played in a mere three games. We like the Robinson Week 3 workload for the Jaguars, but still, it is the Jaguars, and who knows what they do moving ahead. It is risky to trade for backups Hubbard and Alexander Mattison on the premise the starters keep getting hurt.

Wide receiver​

Rankings changes: Chargers veteran Mike Williams and Bengals rookie Ja'Marr Chase left us no choice with their play. Welcome to WR2 territory, fellows. Titans star A.J. Brown is off to a rough start, but he remains ahead of them, for now. What is going on with Steelers wide receivers and have the Panthers forgotten about Robby Anderson? By the way, we barely resisted adding new Chief Josh Gordon to the rankings. Perhaps next week.

Trade for: Chase may not get to Justin Jefferson numbers from a season ago, but he looks relatively safe, as rookies go. The Titans' Brown is going to be fine, assuming reasonable health. Speedy Baltimore Raven Marquise Brown just needs to drop fewer passes to flirt with WR2 status.

Be cautious trading for: Giants options. Jaguars options. Steelers options. It was nice to see Odell Beckham Jr. returning to the lineup but do not confuse him with a WR2 option. We are getting closer to Saints star Michael Thomas returning to his lineup, but do not assume he is a safe WR2 option, either.

Tight end​

Rankings changes: Perhaps we were too hasty in exalting Atlanta Falcons rookie Kyle Pitts to star status. So far, no star. Next drop may be out of the top 100, but they do have a Jets game approaching. Miami's Mike Gesicki saw volume. It may have nothing to do with the QB change. Travis Kelce opens up a larger lead and his own tier at the top, as Darren Waller and George Kittle are fine, but not statistically special lately. The Jaguars traded for Dan Arnold, so one presumes he will play a key role in the offense.

Trade for: Waller and Kittle will return to special statistics soon. Not sure trading for any tight end outside of the top three is wise.

Be cautious trading for: Certainly when Rob Gronkowski left Sunday's game after a hard hit his detractors wondered if he would miss games. He did not. Still, he is not 25. Pitts is 20. He may need a year or two.

Top-100 Rankings For Rest Of Season​

RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	POS. RANK	NEXT 3
1		Derrick Henry	TEN	13	RB1	@NYJ, @Jax, BUF
2		Alvin Kamara	NO	6	RB2	NYG, @WSH, BYE
3		Dalvin Cook	MIN	7	RB3	CLE, DET, @CAR
4		Christian McCaffrey	CAR	13	RB4	@DAL, PHI, MIN
5		Jonathan Taylor	IND	14	RB5	@MIA, @BAL, HOU
6		Nick Chubb	CLE	13	RB6	@MIN, @LAC, ARI
7	UP	Aaron Jones	GB	13	RB7	PIT, @CIN, @CHI
8		Austin Ekeler	LAC	7	RB8	LV, CLE, @BAL
9		Davante Adams	GB	13	WR1	PIT, @CIN, @CHI
10		Tyreek Hill	KC	12	WR2	@PHI, BUF, @WSH
11		Travis Kelce	KC	12	TE1	@PHI, BUF, @WSH
12	UP	Saquon Barkley	NYG	10	RB9	@NO, @DAL, LAR
13		Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	7	RB10	CAR, NYG, @NE
14		Stefon Diggs	BUF	7	WR3	HOU, @KC, @TEN
15	UP	Cooper Kupp	LAR	11	WR4	ARI, @SEA, @NYG
16		DeAndre Hopkins	ARI	12	WR5	@LAR, SF, @CLE
17		Joe Mixon	CIN	10	RB11	JAX, GB, @DET
18		Najee Harris	PIT	7	RB12	@GB, DEN, SEA
19		Antonio Gibson	WSH	9	RB13	@ATL, NO, KC
20		DK Metcalf	SEA	9	WR6	@SF, LAR, @PIT
21		Justin Jefferson	MIN	7	WR7	CLE, DET, @CAR
22		Calvin Ridley	ATL	6	WR8	WSH, NYJ, BYE
23		Terry McLaurin	WSH	9	WR9	@ATL, NO, KC
24		David Montgomery	CHI	10	RB14	DET, @LV, GB
25		D'Andre Swift	DET	9	RB15	@CHI, @MIN, CIN
26	UP	Chris Carson	SEA	9	RB16	@SF, LAR, @PIT
27	UP	Clyde Edwards-Helaire	KC	12	RB17	@PHI, BUF, @WSH
28	DOWN	Darren Waller	LV	8	TE2	@LAC, CHI, @den
29		George Kittle	SF	6	TE3	SEA, @ARI, BYE
30		Patrick Mahomes	KC	12	QB1	@PHI, BUF, @WSH
31		Kyler Murray	ARI	12	QB2	@LAR, SF, @CLE
32		Lamar Jackson	BAL	8	QB3	@den, IND, LAC
33		Mike Evans	TB	9	WR10	@NE, MIA, @PHI
34	DOWN	Miles Sanders	PHI	14	RB18	KC, @CAR, TB
35		Keenan Allen	LAC	7	WR11	LV, CLE, @BAL
36		Tyler Lockett	SEA	9	WR12	@SF, LAR, @PIT
37		Adam Thielen	MIN	7	WR13	CLE, DET, @CAR
38	DOWN	A.J. Brown	TEN	13	WR14	@NYJ, @Jax, BUF
39	UP	Mike Williams	LAC	7	WR15	LV, CLE, @BAL
40	UP	James Robinson	JAX	7	RB19	@CIN, TEN, MIA
41	UP	Josh Allen	BUF	7	QB4	HOU, @KC, @TEN
42	UP	Tom Brady	TB	9	QB5	@NE, MIA, @PHI
43	UP	Russell Wilson	SEA	9	QB6	@SF, LAR, @PIT
44	UP	Justin Herbert	LAC	7	QB7	LV, CLE, @BAL
45	UP	Dak Prescott	DAL	7	QB8	CAR, NYG, @NE
46	DOWN	Damien Harris	NE	14	RB20	TB, @HOU, DAL
47	DOWN	Chris Godwin	TB	9	WR16	@NE, MIA, @PHI
48	DOWN	Allen Robinson II	CHI	10	WR17	DET, @LV, GB
49	DOWN	CeeDee Lamb	DAL	7	WR18	CAR, NYG, @NE
50	DOWN	Josh Jacobs	LV	8	RB21	@LAC, CHI, @den
51	UP	Ja'Marr Chase	CIN	10	WR19	JAX, GB, @DET
52	DOWN	DJ Moore	CAR	13	WR20	@DAL, PHI, MIN
53	UP	Javonte Williams	DEN	11	RB22	BAL, @PIT, LV
54		Kareem Hunt	CLE	13	RB23	@MIN, @LAC, ARI
55	DOWN	Julio Jones	TEN	13	WR21	@NYJ, @Jax, BUF
56		T.J. Hockenson	DET	9	TE4	@CHI, @MIN, CIN
57		Mark Andrews	BAL	8	TE5	@den, IND, LAC
58		Courtland Sutton	DEN	11	WR22	BAL, @PIT, LV
59	DOWN	Amari Cooper	DAL	7	WR23	CAR, NYG, @NE
60		Myles Gaskin	MIA	14	RB24	IND, @TB, @Jax
61		Deebo Samuel	SF	6	WR24	SEA, @ARI, BYE
62	DOWN	Rob Gronkowski	TB	9	TE6	@NE, MIA, @PHI
63	DOWN	Darrell Henderson Jr.	LAR	11	RB25	ARI, @SEA, @NYG
64		Chase Edmonds	ARI	12	RB26	@LAR, SF, @CLE
65	UP	Melvin Gordon III	DEN	11	RB27	BAL, @PIT, LV
66		Tee Higgins	CIN	10	WR25	JAX, GB, @DET
67	UP	Brandin Cooks	HOU	10	WR26	@BUF, NE, @IND
68		Ty'Son Williams	BAL	8	RB28	@den, IND, LAC
69	DOWN	Robert Woods	LAR	11	WR27	ARI, @SEA, @NYG
70	UP	Jalen Hurts	PHI	14	QB9	KC, @CAR, TB
71	DOWN	Kyle Pitts	ATL	6	TE7	WSH, NYJ, BYE
72	UP	Noah Fant	DEN	11	TE8	BAL, @PIT, LV
73	UP	James Conner	ARI	12	RB29	@LAR, SF, @CLE
74	UP	Jaylen Waddle	MIA	14	WR28	IND, @TB, @Jax
75	DOWN	Devin Singletary	BUF	7	RB30	HOU, @KC, @TEN
76		Logan Thomas	WSH	9	TE9	@ATL, NO, KC
77	UP	Aaron Rodgers	GB	13	QB10	PIT, @CIN, @CHI
78	UP	Matthew Stafford	LAR	11	QB11	ARI, @SEA, @NYG
79	UP	Marquise Brown	BAL	8	WR29	@den, IND, LAC
80	DOWN	DeVonta Smith	PHI	14	WR30	KC, @CAR, TB
81	DOWN	Diontae Johnson	PIT	7	WR31	@GB, DEN, SEA
82		Mike Davis	ATL	6	RB31	WSH, NYJ, BYE
83		Chase Claypool	PIT	7	WR32	@GB, DEN, SEA
84	DOWN	Antonio Brown	TB	9	WR33	@NE, MIA, @PHI
85		Leonard Fournette	TB	9	RB32	@NE, MIA, @PHI
86	DOWN	Elijah Mitchell	SF	6	RB33	SEA, @ARI, BYE
87	UP	Brandon Aiyuk	SF	6	WR34	SEA, @ARI, BYE
88	DOWN	Corey Davis	NYJ	6	WR35	TEN, @ATL, BYE
89		DJ Chark Jr.	JAX	7	WR36	@CIN, TEN, MIA
90	DOWN	JuJu Smith-Schuster	PIT	7	WR37	@GB, DEN, SEA
91		Michael Carter	NYJ	6	RB34	TEN, @ATL, BYE
92	DOWN	Kenny Golladay	NYG	10	WR38	@NO, @DAL, LAR
93		Rondale Moore	ARI	12	WR39	@LAR, SF, @CLE
94	DOWN	Robby Anderson	CAR	13	WR40	@DAL, PHI, MIN
95		Michael Pittman Jr.	IND	14	WR41	@MIA, @BAL, HOU
96		Henry Ruggs III	LV	8	WR42	@LAC, CHI, @den
97		Kenyan Drake	LV	8	RB35	@LAC, CHI, @den
98		Tony Pollard	DAL	7	RB36	CAR, NYG, @NE
99		Tyler Boyd	CIN	10	WR43	JAX, GB, @DET
100		Jamaal Williams	DET	9	RB37	@CHI, @MIN, CIN

Top Quarterbacks For Rest Of Season​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	30		Patrick Mahomes	KC	12	@PHI, BUF, @WSH
2	31		Kyler Murray	ARI	12	@LAR, SF, @CLE
3	32		Lamar Jackson	BAL	8	@den, IND, LAC
4	41		Josh Allen	BUF	7	HOU, @KC, @TEN
5	42		Tom Brady	TB	9	@NE, MIA, @PHI
6	43		Russell Wilson	SEA	9	@SF, LAR, @PIT
7	44		Justin Herbert	LAC	7	LV, CLE, @BAL
8	45		Dak Prescott	DAL	7	CAR, NYG, @NE
9	70		Jalen Hurts	PHI	14	KC, @CAR, TB
10	77		Aaron Rodgers	GB	13	PIT, @CIN, @CHI
11	78		Matthew Stafford	LAR	11	ARI, @SEA, @NYG
12	114		Ryan Tannehill	TEN	13	@NYJ, @Jax, BUF
13	115		Kirk Cousins	MIN	7	CLE, DET, @CAR
14	116		Derek Carr	LV	8	@LAC, CHI, @den
15	120		Joe Burrow	CIN	10	JAX, GB, @DET
16	131	UP	Sam Darnold	CAR	13	@DAL, PHI, MIN
17	133	UP	Daniel Jones	NYG	10	@NO, @DAL, LAR
18	134		Baker Mayfield	CLE	13	@MIN, @LAC, ARI
19	137		Teddy Bridgewater	DEN	11	BAL, @PIT, LV
20	138		Matt Ryan	ATL	6	WSH, NYJ, BYE
21	157	DOWN	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	7	@GB, DEN, SEA
22	165	UP	Jimmy Garoppolo	SF	6	SEA, @ARI, BYE
23	169		Trevor Lawrence	JAX	7	@CIN, TEN, MIA
24	171		Taylor Heinicke	WSH	9	@ATL, NO, KC
25	172	DOWN	Jameis Winston	NO	6	NYG, @WSH, BYE
26	173		Mac Jones	NE	14	TB, @HOU, DAL
27	174		Carson Wentz	IND	14	@MIA, @BAL, HOU
28	175	DOWN	Justin Fields	CHI	10	DET, @LV, GB
29	176		Trey Lance	SF	6	SEA, @ARI, BYE
30	177		Tua Tagovailoa	MIA	14	IND, @TB, @Jax
31	178	DOWN	Jared Goff	DET	9	@CHI, @MIN, CIN
32	181		Zach Wilson	NYJ	6	TEN, @ATL, BYE
33	NR		Andy Dalton	CHI	10	DET, @LV, GB
34	NR		Jacoby Brissett	MIA	14	IND, @TB, @Jax
35	NR		Tyrod Taylor	HOU	10	@BUF, NE, @IND
36	NR		Davis Mills	HOU	10	@BUF, NE, @IND
37	NR		Taysom Hill	NO	6	NYG, @WSH, BYE
38	NR		Jacob Eason	IND	14	@MIA, @BAL, HOU
39	NR		Drew Lock	DEN	11	BAL, @PIT, LV
40	NR		Ryan Fitzpatrick	WSH	9	@ATL, NO, KC

Top Running Backs For Rest Of Season​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	1		Derrick Henry	TEN	13	@NYJ, @Jax, BUF
2	2		Alvin Kamara	NO	6	NYG, @WSH, BYE
3	3		Dalvin Cook	MIN	7	CLE, DET, @CAR
4	4	DOWN	Christian McCaffrey	CAR	13	@DAL, PHI, MIN
5	5		Jonathan Taylor	IND	14	@MIA, @BAL, HOU
6	6		Nick Chubb	CLE	13	@MIN, @LAC, ARI
7	7		Aaron Jones	GB	13	PIT, @CIN, @CHI
8	8		Austin Ekeler	LAC	7	LV, CLE, @BAL
9	12	UP	Saquon Barkley	NYG	10	@NO, @DAL, LAR
10	13	DOWN	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	7	CAR, NYG, @NE
11	17		Joe Mixon	CIN	10	JAX, GB, @DET
12	18		Najee Harris	PIT	7	@GB, DEN, SEA
13	19		Antonio Gibson	WSH	9	@ATL, NO, KC
14	24		David Montgomery	CHI	10	DET, @LV, GB
15	25		D'Andre Swift	DET	9	@CHI, @MIN, CIN
16	26		Chris Carson	SEA	9	@SF, LAR, @PIT
17	27		Clyde Edwards-Helaire	KC	12	@PHI, BUF, @WSH
18	34		Miles Sanders	PHI	14	KC, @CAR, TB
19	40	UP	James Robinson	JAX	7	@CIN, TEN, MIA
20	46	DOWN	Damien Harris	NE	14	TB, @HOU, DAL
21	50		Josh Jacobs	LV	8	@LAC, CHI, @den
22	53	UP	Javonte Williams	DEN	11	BAL, @PIT, LV
23	54		Kareem Hunt	CLE	13	@MIN, @LAC, ARI
24	60		Myles Gaskin	MIA	14	IND, @TB, @Jax
25	63		Darrell Henderson Jr.	LAR	11	ARI, @SEA, @NYG
26	64		Chase Edmonds	ARI	12	@LAR, SF, @CLE
27	65	UP	Melvin Gordon III	DEN	11	BAL, @PIT, LV
28	68		Ty'Son Williams	BAL	8	@den, IND, LAC
29	73	UP	James Conner	ARI	12	@LAR, SF, @CLE
30	75	DOWN	Devin Singletary	BUF	7	HOU, @KC, @TEN
31	82		Mike Davis	ATL	6	WSH, NYJ, BYE
32	85		Leonard Fournette	TB	9	@NE, MIA, @PHI
33	86	DOWN	Elijah Mitchell	SF	6	SEA, @ARI, BYE
34	91		Michael Carter	NYJ	6	TEN, @ATL, BYE
35	97		Kenyan Drake	LV	8	@LAC, CHI, @den
36	98		Tony Pollard	DAL	7	CAR, NYG, @NE
37	100		Jamaal Williams	DET	9	@CHI, @MIN, CIN
38	101		Latavius Murray	BAL	8	@den, IND, LAC
39	102		AJ Dillon	GB	13	PIT, @CIN, @CHI
40	103	UP	Chuba Hubbard	CAR	13	@DAL, PHI, MIN
41	104	UP	Alexander Mattison	MIN	7	CLE, DET, @CAR
42	109		Sony Michel	LAR	11	ARI, @SEA, @NYG
43	110		Nyheim Hines	IND	14	@MIA, @BAL, HOU
44	111		J.D. McKissic	WSH	9	@ATL, NO, KC
45	113		Kenneth Gainwell	PHI	14	KC, @CAR, TB
46	118		Cordarrelle Patterson	ATL	6	WSH, NYJ, BYE
47	121		Zack Moss	BUF	7	HOU, @KC, @TEN
48	123		Mark Ingram II	HOU	10	@BUF, NE, @IND
49	132	UP	Giovani Bernard	TB	9	@NE, MIA, @PHI
50	135	DOWN	James White	NE	14	TB, @HOU, DAL
51	140		Trey Sermon	SF	6	SEA, @ARI, BYE
52	141		Phillip Lindsay	HOU	10	@BUF, NE, @IND
53	144	DOWN	Ronald Jones II	TB	9	@NE, MIA, @PHI
54	146		Tony Jones Jr.	NO	6	NYG, @WSH, BYE
55	158		David Johnson	HOU	10	@BUF, NE, @IND
56	159	UP	Peyton Barber	LV	8	@LAC, CHI, @den
57	161		Larry Rountree III	LAC	7	LV, CLE, @BAL
58	168		Carlos Hyde	JAX	7	@CIN, TEN, MIA
59	NR		Damien Williams	CHI	10	DET, @LV, GB
60	NR		Tevin Coleman	NYJ	6	TEN, @ATL, BYE

Top Wide Receivers For Rest Of Season​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	9		Davante Adams	GB	13	PIT, @CIN, @CHI
2	10		Tyreek Hill	KC	12	@PHI, BUF, @WSH
3	14		Stefon Diggs	BUF	7	HOU, @KC, @TEN
4	15	UP	Cooper Kupp	LAR	11	ARI, @SEA, @NYG
5	16		DeAndre Hopkins	ARI	12	@LAR, SF, @CLE
6	20		DK Metcalf	SEA	9	@SF, LAR, @PIT
7	21		Justin Jefferson	MIN	7	CLE, DET, @CAR
8	22		Calvin Ridley	ATL	6	WSH, NYJ, BYE
9	23		Terry McLaurin	WSH	9	@ATL, NO, KC
10	33		Mike Evans	TB	9	@NE, MIA, @PHI
11	35		Keenan Allen	LAC	7	LV, CLE, @BAL
12	36		Tyler Lockett	SEA	9	@SF, LAR, @PIT
13	37		Adam Thielen	MIN	7	CLE, DET, @CAR
14	38	DOWN	A.J. Brown	TEN	13	@NYJ, @Jax, BUF
15	39	UP	Mike Williams	LAC	7	LV, CLE, @BAL
16	47		Chris Godwin	TB	9	@NE, MIA, @PHI
17	48		Allen Robinson II	CHI	10	DET, @LV, GB
18	49		CeeDee Lamb	DAL	7	CAR, NYG, @NE
19	51	UP	Ja'Marr Chase	CIN	10	JAX, GB, @DET
20	52		DJ Moore	CAR	13	@DAL, PHI, MIN
21	55		Julio Jones	TEN	13	@NYJ, @Jax, BUF
22	58		Courtland Sutton	DEN	11	BAL, @PIT, LV
23	59	DOWN	Amari Cooper	DAL	7	CAR, NYG, @NE
24	61		Deebo Samuel	SF	6	SEA, @ARI, BYE
25	66		Tee Higgins	CIN	10	JAX, GB, @DET
26	67	UP	Brandin Cooks	HOU	10	@BUF, NE, @IND
27	69	DOWN	Robert Woods	LAR	11	ARI, @SEA, @NYG
28	74	UP	Jaylen Waddle	MIA	14	IND, @TB, @Jax
29	79	UP	Marquise Brown	BAL	8	@den, IND, LAC
30	80		DeVonta Smith	PHI	14	KC, @CAR, TB
31	81		Diontae Johnson	PIT	7	@GB, DEN, SEA
32	83		Chase Claypool	PIT	7	@GB, DEN, SEA
33	84	DOWN	Antonio Brown	TB	9	@NE, MIA, @PHI
34	87	UP	Brandon Aiyuk	SF	6	SEA, @ARI, BYE
35	88	DOWN	Corey Davis	NYJ	6	TEN, @ATL, BYE
36	89		DJ Chark Jr.	JAX	7	@CIN, TEN, MIA
37	90	DOWN	JuJu Smith-Schuster	PIT	7	@GB, DEN, SEA
38	92	DOWN	Kenny Golladay	NYG	10	@NO, @DAL, LAR
39	93		Rondale Moore	ARI	12	@LAR, SF, @CLE
40	94	DOWN	Robby Anderson	CAR	13	@DAL, PHI, MIN
41	95		Michael Pittman Jr.	IND	14	@MIA, @BAL, HOU
42	96	DOWN	Henry Ruggs III	LV	8	@LAC, CHI, @den
43	99		Tyler Boyd	CIN	10	JAX, GB, @DET
44	106	UP	Jakobi Meyers	NE	14	TB, @HOU, DAL
45	107		William Fuller V	MIA	14	IND, @TB, @Jax
46	108		Odell Beckham Jr.	CLE	13	@MIN, @LAC, ARI
47	112	DOWN	Laviska Shenault Jr.	JAX	7	@CIN, TEN, MIA
48	122		Michael Thomas	NO	6	NYG, @WSH, BYE
49	125		Marvin Jones Jr.	JAX	7	@CIN, TEN, MIA
50	128		Sterling Shepard	NYG	10	@NO, @DAL, LAR
51	139		Jalen Reagor	PHI	14	KC, @CAR, TB
52	142	UP	Emmanuel Sanders	BUF	7	HOU, @KC, @TEN
53	143	UP	Marquez Callaway	NO	6	NYG, @WSH, BYE
54	145	UP	Cole Beasley	BUF	7	HOU, @KC, @TEN
55	148		Elijah Moore	NYJ	6	TEN, @ATL, BYE
56	149	UP	Hunter Renfrow	LV	8	@LAC, CHI, @den
57	150	DOWN	Darius Slayton	NYG	10	@NO, @DAL, LAR
58	151		K.J. Osborn	MIN	7	CLE, DET, @CAR
59	153	DOWN	Mecole Hardman	KC	12	@PHI, BUF, @WSH
60	155		DeVante Parker	MIA	14	IND, @TB, @Jax

Top Tight Ends For Rest Of Season​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	11		Travis Kelce	KC	12	@PHI, BUF, @WSH
2	28		Darren Waller	LV	8	@LAC, CHI, @den
3	29		George Kittle	SF	6	SEA, @ARI, BYE
4	56		T.J. Hockenson	DET	9	@CHI, @MIN, CIN
5	57		Mark Andrews	BAL	8	@den, IND, LAC
6	62		Rob Gronkowski	TB	9	@NE, MIA, @PHI
7	71		Kyle Pitts	ATL	6	WSH, NYJ, BYE
8	72		Noah Fant	DEN	11	BAL, @PIT, LV
9	76		Logan Thomas	WSH	9	@ATL, NO, KC
10	105		Tyler Higbee	LAR	11	ARI, @SEA, @NYG
11	117	UP	Mike Gesicki	MIA	14	IND, @TB, @Jax
12	119		Dallas Goedert	PHI	14	KC, @CAR, TB
13	124		Robert Tonyan	GB	13	PIT, @CIN, @CHI
14	126	UP	Dalton Schultz	DAL	7	CAR, NYG, @NE
15	127		Hunter Henry	NE	14	TB, @HOU, DAL
16	129		Jared Cook	LAC	7	LV, CLE, @BAL
17	130	DOWN	Jonnu Smith	NE	14	TB, @HOU, DAL
18	136		Austin Hooper	CLE	13	@MIN, @LAC, ARI
19	147		Zach Ertz	PHI	14	KC, @CAR, TB
20	154		Cole Kmet	CHI	10	DET, @LV, GB
21	160		Blake Jarwin	DAL	7	CAR, NYG, @NE
22	164		Jack Doyle	IND	14	@MIA, @BAL, HOU
23	184		Eric Ebron	PIT	7	@GB, DEN, SEA
24	185		Juwan Johnson	NO	6	NYG, @WSH, BYE
25	187	UP	Dan Arnold	JAX	7	@CIN, TEN, MIA
26	200	UP	Dawson Knox	BUF	7	HOU, @KC, @TEN
27	NR		O.J. Howard	TB	9	@NE, MIA, @PHI
28	NR	DOWN	Gerald Everett	SEA	9	@SF, LAR, @PIT
29	NR		Hayden Hurst	ATL	6	WSH, NYJ, BYE
30	NR	UP	Tyler Conklin	MIN	7	CLE, DET, @CAR
31	NR	UP	Pat Freiermuth	PIT	7	@GB, DEN, SEA
32	NR	DOWN	Anthony Firkser	TEN	13	@NYJ, @Jax, BUF
33	NR		Maxx Williams	ARI	12	@LAR, SF, @CLE
34	NR		Foster Moreau	LV	8	@LAC, CHI, @den
35	NR	DOWN	Adam Trautman	NO	6	NYG, @WSH, BYE
36	NR		Pharaoh Brown	HOU	10	@BUF, NE, @IND
37	NR	UP	Tommy Tremble	CAR	13	@DAL, PHI, MIN
38	NR		Evan Engram	NYG	10	@NO, @DAL, LAR
39	NR		Harrison Bryant	CLE	13	@MIN, @LAC, ARI
40	NR		Albert Okwuegbunam	DEN	11	BAL, @PIT, LV

Top D/STs For Rest Of Season​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	152		Buccaneers D/ST	9	@NE, MIA, @PHI
2	183		Rams D/ST	11	ARI, @SEA, @NYG
3	191		Bills D/ST	7	HOU, @KC, @TEN
4	192	UP	49ers D/ST	6	SEA, @ARI, BYE
5	193		Steelers D/ST	7	@GB, DEN, SEA
6	194		Browns D/ST	13	@MIN, @LAC, ARI
7	195		Patriots D/ST	14	TB, @HOU, DAL
8	196	DOWN	Ravens D/ST	8	@den, IND, LAC
9	197		Broncos D/ST	11	BAL, @PIT, LV
10	198		Saints D/ST	6	NYG, @WSH, BYE
11	199	UP	Panthers D/ST	13	@DAL, PHI, MIN
12	NR		Colts D/ST	14	@MIA, @BAL, HOU
13	NR	UP	Vikings D/ST	7	CLE, DET, @CAR
14	NR	DOWN	Bears D/ST	10	DET, @LV, GB
15	NR		Eagles D/ST	14	KC, @CAR, TB
16	NR	UP	Packers D/ST	13	PIT, @CIN, @CHI
17	NR	DOWN	Washington D/ST	9	@ATL, NO, KC
18	NR	DOWN	Chiefs D/ST	12	@PHI, BUF, @WSH
19	NR		Cardinals D/ST	12	@LAR, SF, @CLE
20	NR	DOWN	Dolphins D/ST	14	IND, @TB, @Jax
21	NR		Chargers D/ST	7	LV, CLE, @BAL
22	NR		Seahawks D/ST	9	@SF, LAR, @PIT
23	NR		Giants D/ST	10	@NO, @DAL, LAR
24	NR		Titans D/ST	13	@NYJ, @Jax, BUF
25	NR		Cowboys D/ST	7	CAR, NYG, @NE
26	NR		Jets D/ST	6	TEN, @ATL, BYE
27	NR		Raiders D/ST	8	@LAC, CHI, @den
28	NR		Bengals D/ST	10	JAX, GB, @DET
29	NR		Falcons D/ST	6	WSH, NYJ, BYE
30	NR		Texans D/ST	10	@BUF, NE, @IND
31	NR		Lions D/ST	9	@CHI, @MIN, CIN
32	NR		Jaguars D/ST	7	@CIN, TEN, MIA

 

[Wagerallsports]

First look at fantasy football for NFL Week 4: Uncertain RB situations, Mike Williams and more​

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady seems all but guaranteed to make history in the highlight game of Week 4, and he will do so in a stadium where he has made lots of history previously. Brady, who famously led the New England Patriots to unparalleled success for two decades, makes his road return to Massachusetts on "Sunday Night Football" versus legendary coach Bill Belichick and his former franchise. Brady needs a mere 68 passing yards to break Drew Brees' NFL mark, and he can do so back in New England. We must watch!

For fantasy purposes, however, the quarterbacks are not really the story of this game. After all, Brady is universally rostered, and for Week 3, a tough road game against the Los Angeles Rams, he was active in more than 75% of ESPN standard leagues. That figure should be higher in Week 4. Put simply, after 56.8 PPR points in three games, Brady forces us to play him. Then there is Patriots rookie Mac Jones, rostered in 17% of leagues and barely active in any of them, and that should not change against the challenging Buccaneers defense, either.

No, this matchup -- at least in fantasy -- might be about the running backs. For the Patriots, there was very little running game in a Week 3 loss to the New Orleans Saints, as Damien Harris turned his six carries into a mere 14 yards. His pair of receptions actually cost the team 3 yards. Harris ran well the first two games of the season and saw ample touches, and he has already caught five passes in three games, matching his season total from 2020. Still, if opposing defenses force the raw Jones to throw, it might be a problem for Harris. Keep the faith for now, but there are concerns.

On the Tampa Bay side, Brady led the team in rushing yards in Sunday's loss to the Rams, as Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II continue to underwhelm. Fournette has a mere 84 rushing yards this season, though he is a factor in the passing game. On Sunday, Giovani Bernard was a bigger factor, scoring 20.1 PPR points. Jones has 5.1 PPR points after three games. Fantasy managers have been moving on from him already. Fournette remains universally rostered, but is not much of a worthy flex option. Bernard is not a pickup yet, but he could be soon, if healthy.

Another Buccaneer to watch returning to New England is wide receiver Antonio Brown, currently on the COVID-19 reserve list. He missed the Rams game but should be available to face the Patriots, with whom he famously played in one game during the 2019 season. Brown, 32, remains talented, though Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and mercurial tight end Rob Gronkowski -- who also has quite the history in New England -- play larger roles in the offense.

Huge NFC West matchup

Speaking of the unbeaten Rams, they host the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals this week, and running backs will again be a focus for fantasy managers. The Rams' Darrell Henderson Jr. missed the Week 3 game with a rib injury, and former Patriot Sony Michel handled a heavy workload, though he barely made it to double-digit PPR points. If Henderson returns, this might be a timeshare situation. On the Arizona side, after an uninspiring start to the season, James Conner scored a pair of rushing touchdowns in the win over the beleaguered Jacksonville Jaguars. Chase Edmonds, who catches passes, remains the better fantasy option, but this ongoing timeshare restricts each player from RB2 status.

One more Rams note: While Cooper Kupp looks like a prime Jerry Rice these days, and others, such as DeSean Jackson and Van Jefferson, continue their relevance, Robert Woods investors continue to sigh. Most evaluators regarded Kupp and Woods as similar in the preseason as mid-to-late WR2 types, but Kupp is currently dominating ... while Woods has 31 PPR points so far. Woods should improve, but he is more flex choice than clear fantasy starter moving ahead. It remains a bit too early to give up on numerous wide receivers off to slow starts, such as Woods, Allen Robinson II and Robby Anderson.

Injuries to watch

Running back is also the focus here, and not because of Henderson or Las Vegas Raiders starter Josh Jacobs, who missed the past two games with an ankle injury. Minnesota Vikings star Dalvin Cook was the No. 2 player in ESPN ADP and he missed Sunday's game with a sprained ankle, though fantasy managers did not get clarity until the morning of the game. Alexander Mattison starred in his absence against the Seattle Seahawks, netting 23.1 PPR points, more than Cook had attained in either of the first two games. There is no controversy here; Cook is the starter when healthy, and perhaps in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns, but fantasy managers must roster Mattison just in case. A star lurks.

As for wide receivers to watch, Tennessee Titans star A.J. Brown left Sunday's win over the Indianapolis Colts in the first half with a hamstring injury, this after catching nary a pass. Brown has 7 catches and fewer than 100 receiving yards after three games, which is not what fantasy managers expected. The Titans play the New York Jets Sunday, a favorable matchup, but the Titans might be cautious knowing they are heavy favorites. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Steelers starter JuJu Smith-Schuster (ribs) left Sunday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals early, while the Bengals' Tee Higgins (shoulder) did not play at all.

Monday night madness


The Raiders play the Los Angeles Chargers and will have to deal not merely with Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler and Keenan Allen, but with one of the emerging stars of the young season in Mike Williams. It took a few years for him to arrive at proper consistency with health and performance, but Williams boasts four touchdown receptions and 77.5 PPR points already, making him a clear WR2 entering this contest. The Chargers took down the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3, but Williams was active in only 50% of ESPN leagues. Fantasy managers must take Williams more seriously.

As for the Raiders, off to a magical 3-0 start including Sunday's overtime win over the Miami Dolphins, we await clarity on whether Jacobs suits up, but given the way Peyton Barber ran on Sunday perhaps they exercise their own caution. Barber, with his third franchise in as many seasons, ran for 111 yards and a touchdown Sunday, and caught three passes. Kenyan Drake continues to earn his fantasy points mainly in the receiving game, but as long as Jacobs is out, Barber might earn RB2 status. It is good to have depth.

 

[Wagerallsports]

Fantasy football waiver wire for NFL Week 5: Essential RB pickups​

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Somehow, we've made it almost one quarter of the way through the NFL's regular season.

The fantasy regular season is more than a quarter of the way through and right now is about when you know what you need. And that's my bit of advice for you as you ponder the waiver wire this week: take a good hard look at your roster and size up what you most desire.

There isn't a guarantee that every week will include a bunch of must adds. In fact, many weeks there are not. But now is a good time to see if you might be in need of a bench wide receiver who has a high floor. Maybe a backup quarterback whose matchup you like when your regular starter will be on a bye. Maybe the insurance back to your best running back.

It's always good to know your needs.

Here's the Week 5 ESPN Fantasy waiver wire column.

Note: All players listed below are available in over 50% of leagues on ESPN.

---

Damien Williams, RB, Chicago Bears (10.4%): The Bears were dealt a major blow when starter David Montgomery left Week 4 due to a left knee injury, opening the door to Williams stepping into a larger role. Williams handled eight carries, scored a touchdown and caught two passes, one area that he especially excels in.

Williams did deal with a quad injury late in the game, though there are no indications on the severity as of yet. The Bears are thin at running back - especially until Tarik Cohen returns - making Williams an essential add. Should it appears that Williams will miss any time, Khalil Herbert is the only other running back on the active roster and should be added as well.

Samaje Perine, RB, Cincinnati Bengals (1.5%): With news from colleague Adam Schefter that Joe Mixon has a low-grade ankle sprain that has left him week-to-week, Perine profiles as the next man up in the Bengals' backfield. While rookie Chris Evans could figure into the mix as well, Perine has the likelier shot at a steady workload. Perine has filled in on occasion for Mixon in the past and while he's clearly not the same level of explosive and adept in the passing game, he's useful enough that he should be added in all leagues.

Dalton Schultz, TE, Dallas Cowboys (20.9%): The Cowboys have an endless supply of pass catchers and Schultz has been scorching over the past two weeks. He's scored three touchdowns in those games and now has exactly six catches in three of their four games this season. Tight end is the hardest position to find consistent production in fantasy, and even with Schultz playing alongside Blake Jarwin (who also found the end zone), he's proven there's plenty of fantasy points to be had.

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Buffalo Bills (44.4%): Another week, another five catches for Sanders. It's clear that he's the Bills' number two wide receiver and his volume is steady: he's seen at least six targets in all four games this year. Sanders has not lost his speed, is an exceptional route runner, and plays with one of the best quarterbacks in football. A useful add and stash or deep league flex.

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (24.7%): The Eagles' backfield is tough to size up right now. While Miles Sanders is the starter, he has just eight carries over the past two weeks, with Philly's porous defensive play leading to the offense having to throw a ton. But all that throwing has helped the value of Gainwell, who had six catches in Week 4 and three in Week 3 despite playing a decided smaller number of snaps than Sanders. He's a deeper league add to stash, especially as benches become more useful when bye weeks pick up.

Jamison Crowder, WR, New York Jets (14.2%): Making his season debut in Week 4, Crowder did what he normally does: piled up targets and produced. The slot option hauled in seven catches for 63 yards and a touchdown during the Jets' initial victory of the season. While Elijah Moore will likely be the slot receiver of the future, Crowder is a useful piece of the passing game this season and until Moore returns (concussion). I'd grab Crowder as an add and stash in 12-team or larger leagues.

Sam Darnold, QB, Carolina Panthers (9.0%): Who amongst us didn't expect Sam Darnold to be leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns so far this season? It's difficult to forecast that Darnold will continue this torrid pace he's on as a runner, as five touchdowns through four games is highly unusual. That being said, Darnold is playing really strong football, has an excellent group of pass catches to distribute the ball to and there are going to be opportunities as a runner near the goal line, so there's a chance he'll sprinkle a few more in. Bye weeks are coming around the corner Darnold is a smart add to potentially use now or when your normal starter is sitting.

Trey Lance, QB, San Francisco 49ers (19.8%): The exciting rookie has a chance to start until Jimmy Garoppolo (calf) returns, though a strong audition would seem likely to lead into an extended stay under center. In relief duty in Week 4, Lance accounted over 20 fantasy points, over four of which came with his legs. And while there's no doubt that Lance will need to develop as a thrower, the upside he presents with his legs is exceptional. I'd be looking to add Lance now and see if he can quickly develop into a dynamic fantasy star; we've seen it in recent years, including with Jalen Hurts just last season.

Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears (41.4%): The Bears' offense found life in Week 4 with Justin Fields making his second start, as he connected with Mooney for five catches and a season-high 125 yards. The flat-out flier now has five catches or more in three of four games this season and while he's yet to find the end zone, he's absorbing a notable target share and has obvious talent. He's another bench add to consider, especially if Fields' growth comes rapidly for as long as he's the starter. He throws an exceptional deep ball.

A.J. Green, WR, Arizona Cardinals (27.2%): The fountain of youth! Green has back-to-back games with at least five catches and over 13 fantasy points in three straight games. We've written about teammates Rondale Moore and Christian Kirk in this space before and the logic that we used then will apply here: you want as much of this Cardinals offense as you can get. Kyler Murray is en fuego and players like Green have helped that become the case. Green can be added as a bench stash.

Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills (19.3%): The Bills' offense looks much more like... the Bills offense. Buffalo has been shredding defenses in recent weeks after a sluggish start in Week 1, in part because of Knox's rise. He's got four touchdowns in his last three games and is an emerging player. While he's likely his team's fourth or fifth option in the passing game, he's still a possible add given the dearth of tight ends.

 

[Wagerallsports]

First look at fantasy football for NFL Week 5: Christian McCaffrey eyes return​

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The first thing to know about the Week 5 fantasy football slate for Sunday is that it actually begins in the morning. Rookie Zach Wilson and the New York Jets, fresh off their first win of the season, face Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons, fresh off a discouraging loss, at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at 9:30 a.m. ET. Perhaps Harry Kane will attend. Fantasy managers love their handful of standalone Sunday morning games, but chances are someone in your league(s) forgets they are happening, wakes up at halftime and begs for roster maneuvering forgiveness. Commissioners, do not fall for this.

Something else fantasy managers might not want to fall for is Falcons RB Cordarrelle Patterson, one of the more surprising PPR stars of the first month of the season. Patterson, a 30-year-old journeyman of five franchises who scored seven touchdowns from scrimmage in the past four seasons, now has five of them in the past three weeks alone, including his three on Sunday. He scored a career-best 34.6 PPR points Sunday, and this season he has already outscored -- for fantasy -- his 2019 and 2020 seasons. Can this continue? Well, not nearly at this rate, but Patterson can remain relevant as a flex option.

Patterson hardly gets enough snaps for this mighty level of efficiency to continue, but he does earn touches on nearly half his snaps. That is simply wild! Perhaps we said this entering Week 4, and yeah, in Week 5 he gets the Jets, but still, trading for Patterson is risky. We love how much the Falcons focus on him when he is on the field, but opposing defenses have to figure this out, too. What is odd is that Ryan rarely looks downfield now. He lost Julio Jones, sure, but he still has Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts. Ryan has averaged fewer than 7 yards per pass attempt each week, which is low for him and unlikely to continue.

Regardless, it makes sense to rely on Patterson in Week 5 and perhaps a bit longer, certainly over starter Mike Davis, who salvaged another disappointing fantasy game Sunday with a receiving score but is not doing much. The Falcons do not defend well, and they cannot open reasonable running space for the aforementioned running backs -- and Wayne Gallman, who got a chance Sunday -- so Ryan keeps on throwing. He just figures to throw a ton more to Ridley and Pitts, and these touchdowns will slow down. Most of them time, after all, they do.

Return of the great one

The Carolina Panthers expect RB Christian McCaffrey back in their lineup for the Week 5 home game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and not a moment too soon for fantasy managers everywhere. McCaffrey amassed 52.4 PPR points the first two weeks of this season and then suffered a hamstring strain during Week 3 and missed this past Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Nothing against talented rookie Chuba Hubbard, who scored 9.1 PPR points at Dallas, but there is nobody like McCaffrey. Check in with health updates as the week progresses and, for those concerned the next McCaffrey injury is just around the bend, consider trading him before it happens. Hey, he played in three games last season. It might be a trend ... or he might end up fantasy's top option.

Meanwhile, Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery has a pending MRI on his left knee scheduled for Monday. He rushed for 106 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns (22.6 PPR points) in the win over the Detroit Lions before exiting, and in a fantasy world in which we cannot find 20 reliable running backs, he surely is one of them. Former Kansas City Chiefs great Damien Williams, who scored 15 PPR points in relief Sunday, is the valuable backup, and potentially the hottest pickup of the week if Montgomery is out long term, but then again, Williams did not finish the game himself. He has a quad injury.

As for other injury situations to watch, check out quarterback with San Francisco 49ers starter Jimmy Garoppolo (calf) and the Denver Broncos with Teddy Bridgewater. If Garoppolo sits in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, intriguing rookie Trey Lance would get the nod, and fantasy managers would become very interested. If Bridgewater misses time with a concussion, Drew Lock would play against the sputtering Pittsburgh Steelers, and that is not quite as exciting.

Arizona's new, old star

As for that final NFC unbeaten team, the Kyler Murray-led Cardinals, they face another tough NFC West matchup against the 49ers. Murray continues his MVP level of performance, though his three-game streak of rushing for a touchdown ended in Sunday's blowout win over the Los Angeles Rams. James Conner rushed for multiple touchdowns for the second consecutive game, while Chase Edmonds remains a safe flex option. What is new of late is at wide receiver.

Speedy Rondale Moore was one of the Week 2 stars, catching 114 yards worth of passes including a touchdown, and the fantasy world could not get enough of him. Since then, Moore has been less, scoring 9.1 PPR points over two games, while former Cincinnati Bengals franchise icon A.J. Green continues his relevant role. He should be one of the more popular fantasy pickups this week.

Green, 33, missed the 2019 season and last year averaged a mere 5 yards per target, but with Murray he is rolling along, reminding us of his Pro Bowl days. While defenses pay close attention to Hopkins, Green gets single coverage. He caught a 41-yard touchdown on Sunday, dragging a defender over the goal line after a long catch, and he has averaged 16 PPR points over the past three games. Hopkins, incidentally, has not reached 16 PPR points in any of those games.

Monday night madness


The Indianapolis Colts return to their franchise beginnings in Baltimore to face the Ravens (they bolted Maryland for Indiana for the 1984 season). For fantasy purposes, there are few similarities between these teams. The Ravens' Lamar Jackson is one of the most valuable quarterbacks in fantasy, while the Colts' Carson Wentz is surely not. Jonathan Taylor is one of the most valuable running backs around for Indy, but the Ravens, in their Sunday win at Denver, relied on castoffs Latavius Murray, Le'Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman, benching the once-promising Ty'Son Williams. Murray looks like the Ravens running back to roster for now, but that will likely change.

Check out wide receiver for potential value on these teams. The Ravens' Marquise Brown has scored a touchdown in three of four games this season, as he redirects the narrative about his many dropped passes. Brown scored on a pretty, 49-yard, diving grab of a Jackson pass at Denver, and is well on his way to 1,000 receiving yards, after leading the Ravens with only 769 of them last season. He remains available in more than 10% of ESPN standard leagues. As for the Colts, Michael Pittman Jr. is available in more leagues, and by far the top Wentz target. The second-year player from USC should find the end zone soon, so do not despair. Pittman has 32 targets over the past three games.

 

[Wagerallsports]

Fantasy football flex and superflex rankings for Week 5​

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Welcome to Week 5 of the fantasy football season and the latest edition of the superflex rankings, as we combine the best of the running backs, wide receivers and tight ends -- and the quarterbacks now! -- into one tidy package of 150 names to aid in your decision-making. Remember, this is a special week, in that there is a London game on Sunday morning (Jets-Falcons), and, in addition, this is the final week of games until the byes begin. We all love those! Good luck in Week 5 and beyond!

1. Josh Allen, QB, Bills: Still only one big fantasy game, but the way the Chiefs defend, this should be No. 2.
2. Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals
3. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs: Could not have made his five-TD performance at the Eagles look easier. Buffalo will be more of a challenge.
4. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
5. Tom Brady, QB, Buccaneers: Perhaps his 11-point outing at New England will be his worst game of the season. Expected so much more.
6. Derrick Henry, RB, Titans: Has 14 catches on 15 targets, which seems unsustainable, but clearly he has more of a role in the passing game.
7. Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings
8. Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys: Are his days of adding rushing value gone? He always likes facing the Giants.
9. Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams
10. Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks
11. Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams: Fantasy clunker against Arizona, but the entire offense looked flat. He will bounce back.
12. Davante Adams, WR, Packers
13. Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs: Two great games. Two nothing games. Would like to see just all good games.
14. Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints
15. Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants: He is definitely back. Just. Stay. Healthy.
16. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys: Touchdowns in three consecutive games, but has anyone noticed he is barely a factor in the passing game?
17. Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers
18. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
19. Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles: More than 20 PPR points in each game. Even when the team stinks -- and they will again -- he gets his numbers.
20. Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings
21. DJ Moore, WR, Panthers: It is not just one game. He has four excellent games. Graduating into WR1 territory.
22. Stefon Diggs, WR, Bills: So many targets. Honestly, the window to buy low is just about run out. Big game coming Sunday.
23. Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs: Amazing how Philly, with no linebackers, is the game Kelce provides disappointing numbers.
24. Najee Harris, RB, Steelers: More targets than Kelce this season. Extremely high floor for fantasy stats here.
25. Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers
26. Aaron Jones, RB, Packers
27. Daniel Jones, QB, Giants
28. Sam Darnold, QB, Panthers: If you think he will rush for 20 touchdowns, then by all means deal for him. He cannot rush for 20 touchdowns.
29. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Titans
30. DK Metcalf, WR, Seahawks: Amazing how someone with touchdowns in three of four games can be mildly disappointing so far. Invest.
31. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington
32. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
33. James Robinson, RB, Jaguars: Well, amidst a disappointing circus around him, nobody can say a bad word about him so far.
34. Nick Chubb, RB, Browns
35. D'Andre Swift, RB, Lions: More volume should equal a run into RB1 territory soon. The time-share could become one-sided.
36. Derek Carr, QB, Raiders
37. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
38. Trey Lance, QB, 49ers: No guarantee he starts Week 5 over recovering Jimmy Garoppolo, but honestly, what are they waiting for?
39. Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons
40. Calvin Ridley, WR, Falcons: So many targets, things will work out fine. Remember, not that you sit him, but his game is Sunday morning.
41. Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers
42. Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers: Looks like it is very challenging to cover him. Making a run at WR1 status.
43. Chase Edmonds, RB, Cardinals: This offense can actually support three runners, including the QB. Would be nice if Edmonds scored an occasional TD, though.
44. Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks
45. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts: About to fall from RB1 discussion and really, is it his fault? No asterisks in fantasy, though.
46. Darren Waller, TE, Raiders: Something to consider, he has exactly seven targets in each of past three games. We may be overrating him in the big picture.
47. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks
48. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Cardinals: Obvious buy-low candidate, but ... what if he is just a WR2 now? Low target share.
49. A.J. Brown, WR, Titans: Hamstring injury cost him Week 4, and probably the offense's ability to move the ball. Figures to play this week. Make sure first.
50. Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers
51. Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings: Rough Week 4, but now he gets the Lions. Vikings employ two safe, top-15 WRs.
52. Diontae Johnson, WR, Steelers
53. Taylor Heinicke, QB, Washington
54. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars
55. Jared Goff, QB, Lions
56. Mac Jones, QB, Patriots: Well, he gets the Texans this week. Have to assume some numbers. Still like the long-term outlook here.
57. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Broncos: Could come off concussion protocol by Sunday. If not, Drew Lock gets the Steelers. You probably do not want Lock.
58. Jacoby Brissett, QB, Dolphins
59. Carson Wentz, QB, Colts
60. Jameis Winston, QB, Saints: Still stunning that he has 86 pass attempts in four weeks, and 60 rushing yards. You cannot rely on him in fantasy.
61. Zach Wilson, QB, Jets: Showed signs of future stardom in Sunday's win. It remains early.
62. Baker Mayfield, QB, Browns
63. Justin Fields, QB, Bears: Blame the decision-makers around him. Honestly, this fellow should be great, and that means great right now. Something is awry.
64. Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Rams: Limited at practice this week. Easy to be skeptical he remains healthy enough to really aid fantasy managers this week and long term.
65. Chuba Hubbard, RB, Panthers: If Christian McCaffrey plays, he becomes the No. 2 RB on this list. Hubbard would drop far. We shall see.
66. Kareem Hunt, RB, Browns
67. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington
68. James Conner, RB, Cardinals: Four touchdown runs. Three receptions. Still, he does matter.
69. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs: A fine flex choice, but in retrospect, Chiefs may easily find someone better, more electric. Be careful trading for him.
70. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers
71. Mike Williams, WR, Chargers: Vegas had little trouble shutting him down. Window to sell high as WR1 has probably passed.
72. Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers
73. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
74. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts: Window for stardom is just opening, if his QB would just get his act together.
75. Brandin Cooks, WR, Texans: Perhaps my fave bad team stat so far is Cooks has 28 catches, 369 yards. Second on the team has 8 and 67! Incredible! There is nobody else in this passing offense!
76. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
77. Marquise Brown, WR, Ravens
78. Damien Williams, RB, Bears: Should get the volume with David Montgomery out a month, but there is a younger option waiting, too.
79. Leonard Fournette, RB, Buccaneers: He is the team's running back. Some touchdowns should come.
80. Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders: Obviously not 100% healthy, but he just looks awful out there. Should improve.
81. Amari Cooper, WR, Cowboys
82. Marvin Jones Jr., WR, Jaguars
83. Jakobi Meyers, WR, Patriots
84. Michael Carter, RB, Jets: I will keep saying that both the North Carolina running backs (Javonte Williams, Denver) will bring decent value this season.
85. Cordarrelle Patterson, RB, Falcons: Great story, but as written here, it is not at all realistic that he keeps doing this at this rate. You know that, deep down.
86. Mike Davis, RB, Falcons
87. Zack Moss, RB, Bills: Week 1 absence scared us, but he is clearly the better Buffalo option.
88. Davis Mills, QB, Texans
89. Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals
90. Allen Robinson II, WR, Bears
91. Julio Jones, WR, Titans
92. Damien Harris, RB, Patriots: Totaled 10 carries, 10 rushing yards the past two games. If he does not run all over Houston, then worry.
93. Javonte Williams, RB, Broncos
94. Jamaal Williams, RB, Lions: Despite talk of Swift taking over, Williams just had 14 rushing attempts. He is not going away.
95. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Lions
96. George Kittle, TE, 49ers: Looks hurt. You cannot sit him, of course, but something just looks off and it is not the QB play.
97. Robert Woods, WR, Rams: He does not look hurt. Still think a WR2/3 lurks.
98. Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos
99. Antonio Brown, WR, Buccaneers
100. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Bills
101. Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals
102. Samaje Perine, RB, Bengals: Ankle injury may keep Joe Mixon out, though I believe he does play. Would rank Mixon just behind Carson.
103. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Browns
104. DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles
105. Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles: Keep him rostered, but, at this point keep him benched if you can. Saw a big drop in the rest-of-season rankings/trade index. There must be more to this odd turn of events.
106. Sterling Shepard, WR, Giants
107. Kenyan Drake, RB, Raiders
108. Latavius Murray, RB, Ravens: Few seem to have noticed, but he has touchdowns in three games. May approach RB2 status soon.
109. Melvin Gordon III, RB, Broncos
110. Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Eagles: He may become the top Philly RB soon. He has mad skills. This is not ridiculous.
111. Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens
112. Noah Fant, TE, Broncos
113. Kenny Golladay, WR, Giants
114. DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins
115. Chase Claypool, WR, Steelers: Eleven touchdowns as a rookie, nary a one so far. Hamstring injury sure is not helping.
116. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Steelers
117. Tyler Higbee, TE, Rams
118. Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins
119. Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons: Kind of mad I fell for this one. Rookies. Always with the rookies. Still bright future, but perhaps not in 2021.
120. Darnell Mooney, WR, Bears: Rarely discussed, but he has more catches and yards than teammate Robinson. Not that either has many.
121. Corey Davis, WR, Jets
122. Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Jaguars: No more DJ Chark Jr. How can Lawrence not look in Shenault's way more? Oh, Jaguars.
123. Cole Beasley, WR, Bills
124. Hunter Renfrow, WR, Raiders: Did you see his special teams hit? As the silly announcers say, this guy is a football player!
125. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins
126. Henry Ruggs III, WR, Raiders
127. Robby Anderson, WR, Panthers
128. Tony Pollard, RB, Cowboys: Dallas may have a pair of 1,000-yard rushers. Hey, he remains on pace!
129. Nyheim Hines, RB, Colts: Nobody in this offense is thriving right now. Nobody.
130. J.D. McKissic, RB, Washington
131. Devin Singletary, RB, Bills
132. Tim Patrick, WR, Broncos
133. Jamison Crowder, WR, Jets: Looked great in season debut, and remains available in leagues. Go get him!
134. Kalif Raymond, WR, Lions: Raymond or Quintez Cephus? This week, we like Raymond. Well, we like neither, but Raymond got ranked.
135. Myles Gaskin, RB, Dolphins
136. Khalil Herbert, RB, Bears: Virginia Tech product may see opportunity this week. Add in deep formats.
137. Elijah Mitchell, RB, 49ers: Shoulder injury may keep him sidelined yet again. 49ers have Week 6 bye.
138. Dawson Knox, TE, Bills
139. Dalton Schultz, TE, Cowboys
140. Marquez Callaway, WR, Saints
141. Van Jefferson, WR, Rams: Stop playing DeSean Jackson. Jefferson is far more involved.
142. A.J. Green, WR, Cardinals: Yeah, most of us thought he was done. He is not, but not exactly a WR3 yet, either.
143. Curtis Samuel, WR, Washington: Four targets in debut, but if it doubles this week, that would interest us.
144. Brandon Bolden, RB, Patriots
145. Chris Evans, RB, Bengals
146. Trey Sermon, RB, 49ers: Sure would like to see him get 19 touches each week. If Mitchell sits, Sermon moves into top 90 here.
147. AJ Dillon, RB, Packers
148. Jeremy McNichols, RB, Titans
149. Ronald Jones II, RB, Buccaneers
150. Josh Gordon, WR, Chiefs: And we close this week, not entirely facetiously, with the star of the 2013 season ready to debut with another team. Hey, there are worse landing spots for a receiver. Like 31 worse landing spots.

 

[Wagerallsports]

Fantasy football trade index and rest-of-season rankings: Is Sam Darnold for real?​

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October football is here and while we still have plenty of time to make trades, it hardly means you should wait too long to make those trades. Make those deals now! We hope our weekly end-of-season rankings help you in that respect, along with our positional trade index.

With the NFL season heading into Week 5, it is quite amazing how quickly things can change in fantasy football. One month in and look at all the new names that suddenly matter in fantasy football ... and the many names that might not.

Quarterback​

Rankings changes: It remains completely unrealistic to expect Panthers newcomer Sam Darnold to continue scoring rushing touchdowns at a rate of more than one per game, but still, it is fun to point out he is fifth in QB scoring. He has solid players around him. The Giants' Daniel Jones is sixth in scoring, with both ahead of the Bills' Josh Allen. No, we still take Allen every single time, but Jones and Darnold move into safer QB2 territory. Jones comes first because his rushing prowess might stick.



Trade for: Keep a close watch on the 49ers because even if Jimmy Garoppolo plays through a calf injury, the Trey Lance era is going to start at some point soon. Get in on the fun if you still can. No other rookies look like stars in 2021, though it is rarely just their fault. The Titans' Ryan Tannehill makes for a decent trade target, assuming his starting receivers return to health.

Be cautious trading for: Darnold, for an obvious one. The Saints' Jameis Winston has attempted 86 passes in four games. Yikes. Tom Brady has nearly 100 more. Starting to get a bit worried that Dak Prescott, who always seems to rush for six touchdowns, will not get close to that.

Running back​

Rankings changes: Why is the Titans' Derrick Henry still at the top even though the Panthers' Christian McCaffrey might be back this week and other pass-catchers such as the Saints' Alvin Kamara and Giants' Saquon Barkley look great? Henry is catching passes! More than Kamara so far. Twice as many as Ezekiel Elliott. Anyway, McCaffrey and Barkley do move up, while Dalvin Cook, Jonathan Taylor and others slide a bit. Each Cardinals running back rises. Injured Bengal Joe Mixon falls some. Injured Bear David Montgomery falls some more. Miles Sanders appears healthy, but his volume is not. Nice job, Eagles. The Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson, wildly, even sans volume, is now a strong flex option.

Trade for: Well, Barkley for sure. Steelers rookie Najee Harris is safe for volume. The Colts' Taylor can clearly do more. Same with the Lions' D'Andre Swift.

Be cautious trading for: Patterson, obviously. What he is doing is stunning, much like Darnold. If you think McCaffrey will just keep getting hurt, then let someone else deal with it. Who knows? The Sanders situation boggles the mind. Tough to trade for him.

Wide receiver​

Rankings changes: The 49ers' Deebo Samuel and Panthers' DJ Moore keep producing and moving up, while fantasy managers complain about their ignored teammates Brandon Aiyuk and Robby Anderson. The Cardinals remain unbeaten, but DeAndre Hopkins' fantasy managers are not enjoying it the past three weeks. Nearly 40 wide receivers alone boast more targets this season. The Raiders' Hunter Renfrow is legit. The Jaguars' Laviska Shenault Jr. will score a touchdown soon. Farewell, DJ Chark.

Trade for: Titans A.J. Brown and Julio Jones will find health, will play again and will play well. Same for the Seahawks' DK Metcalf. The Bears' Allen Robinson II will improve.

Be cautious trading for: Even when the Saints' Michael Thomas is healthy, will Winston be permitted to throw the football downfield? The Rams claim they must get Robert Woods more involved. Wait until they do -- if they do.

Tight end​

Rankings changes: Well, this is what we were afraid of with the Buccaneers' Rob Gronkowski. The team says he might play in Week 6, but the way Gronkowski plays, more injuries and missed games seem likely. The 49ers' George Kittle looks hurt. Washington's Logan Thomas is hurt. The Cowboys' Dalton Schultz and Bills' Dawson Knox look legit. The Packers' Robert Tonyan looks ignored.

Trade for: Other than the Chiefs' Travis Kelce and Raiders' Darren Waller, it is tough to trade for any tight end as of now.

Be cautious trading for: Everyone else, and that includes Kittle.

Eric Karabell's Rest-Of-Year Top 100 Rankings​

RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	POS. RANK	NEXT 3
1		Derrick Henry	TEN	13	RB1	@Jax, BUF, KC
2		Alvin Kamara	NO	6	RB2	@WSH, BYE, @SEA
3		Christian McCaffrey	CAR	13	RB3	PHI, MIN, @NYG
4	UP	Saquon Barkley	NYG	10	RB4	@DAL, LAR, CAR
5		Dalvin Cook	MIN	7	RB5	DET, @CAR, BYE
6		Austin Ekeler	LAC	7	RB6	CLE, @BAL, BYE
7		Jonathan Taylor	IND	14	RB7	@BAL, HOU, @SF
8	UP	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	7	RB8	NYG, @NE, BYE
9		Nick Chubb	CLE	13	RB9	@LAC, ARI, DEN
10		Tyreek Hill	KC	12	WR1	BUF, @WSH, @TEN
11		Davante Adams	GB	13	WR2	@CIN, @CHI, WSH
12		Aaron Jones	GB	13	RB10	@CIN, @CHI, WSH
13	UP	Najee Harris	PIT	7	RB11	DEN, SEA, BYE
14		Travis Kelce	KC	12	TE1	BUF, @WSH, @TEN
15		Stefon Diggs	BUF	7	WR3	@KC, @TEN, BYE
16		Cooper Kupp	LAR	11	WR4	@SEA, @NYG, DET
17	UP	Terry McLaurin	WSH	9	WR5	NO, KC, @GB
18		Antonio Gibson	WSH	9	RB12	NO, KC, @GB
19	UP	James Robinson	JAX	7	RB13	TEN, MIA, BYE
20		Justin Jefferson	MIN	7	WR6	DET, @CAR, BYE
21		D'Andre Swift	DET	9	RB14	@MIN, CIN, @LAR
22		Calvin Ridley	ATL	6	WR7	NYJ, BYE, @MIA
23	DOWN	Joe Mixon	CIN	10	RB15	GB, @DET, @BAL
24		DK Metcalf	SEA	9	WR8	LAR, @PIT, NO
25	DOWN	DeAndre Hopkins	ARI	12	WR9	SF, @CLE, HOU
26		Darren Waller	LV	8	TE2	CHI, @den, PHI
27		Chris Carson	SEA	9	RB16	LAR, @PIT, NO
28		Clyde Edwards-Helaire	KC	12	RB17	BUF, @WSH, @TEN
29	UP	Kareem Hunt	CLE	13	RB18	@LAC, ARI, DEN
30		Patrick Mahomes	KC	12	QB1	BUF, @WSH, @TEN
31		Kyler Murray	ARI	12	QB2	SF, @CLE, HOU
32	UP	Josh Allen	BUF	7	QB3	@KC, @TEN, BYE
33		Lamar Jackson	BAL	8	QB4	IND, LAC, CIN
34		Mike Evans	TB	9	WR10	MIA, @PHI, CHI
35		Keenan Allen	LAC	7	WR11	CLE, @BAL, BYE
36		Tyler Lockett	SEA	9	WR12	LAR, @PIT, NO
37		Adam Thielen	MIN	7	WR13	DET, @CAR, BYE
38	UP	Deebo Samuel	SF	6	WR14	@ARI, BYE, IND
39	UP	DJ Moore	CAR	13	WR15	PHI, MIN, @NYG
40		Russell Wilson	SEA	9	QB5	LAR, @PIT, NO
41		Justin Herbert	LAC	7	QB6	CLE, @BAL, BYE
42	UP	Jalen Hurts	PHI	14	QB7	@CAR, TB, @LV
43		Tom Brady	TB	9	QB8	MIA, @PHI, CHI
44	DOWN	Mike Williams	LAC	7	WR16	CLE, @BAL, BYE
45	DOWN	A.J. Brown	TEN	13	WR17	@Jax, BUF, KC
46	UP	Chase Edmonds	ARI	12	RB19	SF, @CLE, HOU
47	UP	James Conner	ARI	12	RB20	SF, @CLE, HOU
48		CeeDee Lamb	DAL	7	WR18	NYG, @NE, BYE
49		Ja'Marr Chase	CIN	10	WR19	GB, @DET, @BAL
50		Josh Jacobs	LV	8	RB21	CHI, @den, PHI
51		Chris Godwin	TB	9	WR20	MIA, @PHI, CHI
52		Allen Robinson II	CHI	10	WR21	@LV, GB, @TB
53	DOWN	George Kittle	SF	6	TE3	@ARI, BYE, IND
54		Javonte Williams	DEN	11	RB22	@PIT, LV, @CLE
55	DOWN	Dak Prescott	DAL	7	QB9	NYG, @NE, BYE
56	DOWN	Miles Sanders	PHI	14	RB23	@CAR, TB, @LV
57		T.J. Hockenson	DET	9	TE4	@MIN, CIN, @LAR
58	UP	Marquise Brown	BAL	8	WR22	IND, LAC, CIN
59		Courtland Sutton	DEN	11	WR23	@PIT, LV, @CLE
60	DOWN	Julio Jones	TEN	13	WR24	@Jax, BUF, KC
61	DOWN	Damien Harris	NE	14	RB24	@HOU, DAL, NYJ
62	UP	Cordarrelle Patterson	ATL	6	RB25	NYJ, BYE, @MIA
63	DOWN	Mark Andrews	BAL	8	TE5	IND, LAC, CIN
64	UP	Noah Fant	DEN	11	TE6	@PIT, LV, @CLE
65		Melvin Gordon III	DEN	11	RB26	@PIT, LV, @CLE
66		Darrell Henderson Jr.	LAR	11	RB27	@SEA, @NYG, DET
67		Brandin Cooks	HOU	10	WR25	NE, @IND, @ARI
68		Tee Higgins	CIN	10	WR26	GB, @DET, @BAL
69	DOWN	Amari Cooper	DAL	7	WR27	NYG, @NE, BYE
70	UP	Zack Moss	BUF	7	RB28	@KC, @TEN, BYE
71	DOWN	Myles Gaskin	MIA	14	RB29	@TB, @Jax, ATL
72		Robert Woods	LAR	11	WR28	@SEA, @NYG, DET
73		Aaron Rodgers	GB	13	QB10	@CIN, @CHI, WSH
74		Matthew Stafford	LAR	11	QB11	@SEA, @NYG, DET
75	DOWN	David Montgomery	CHI	10	RB30	@LV, GB, @TB
76		DeVonta Smith	PHI	14	WR29	@CAR, TB, @LV
77		Diontae Johnson	PIT	7	WR30	DEN, SEA, BYE
78	UP	Leonard Fournette	TB	9	RB31	MIA, @PHI, CHI
79	DOWN	Kyle Pitts	ATL	6	TE7	NYJ, BYE, @MIA
80	UP	Michael Pittman Jr.	IND	14	WR31	@BAL, HOU, @SF
81	DOWN	Devin Singletary	BUF	7	RB32	@KC, @TEN, BYE
82	DOWN	Jaylen Waddle	MIA	14	WR32	@TB, @Jax, ATL
83		Mike Davis	ATL	6	RB33	NYJ, BYE, @MIA
84	UP	Trey Sermon	SF	6	RB34	@ARI, BYE, IND
85	UP	J.D. McKissic	WSH	9	RB35	NO, KC, @GB
86	UP	Kenneth Gainwell	PHI	14	RB36	@CAR, TB, @LV
87		Chase Claypool	PIT	7	WR33	DEN, SEA, BYE
88		Antonio Brown	TB	9	WR34	MIA, @PHI, CHI
89	UP	Damien Williams	CHI	10	RB37	@LV, GB, @TB
90		Corey Davis	NYJ	6	WR35	@ATL, BYE, @NE
91		JuJu Smith-Schuster	PIT	7	WR36	DEN, SEA, BYE
92	UP	Latavius Murray	BAL	8	RB38	IND, LAC, CIN
93		Michael Carter	NYJ	6	RB39	@ATL, BYE, @NE
94		Kenny Golladay	NYG	10	WR37	@DAL, LAR, CAR
95		Henry Ruggs III	LV	8	WR38	CHI, @den, PHI
96	UP	Hunter Renfrow	LV	8	WR39	CHI, @den, PHI
97		Kenyan Drake	LV	8	RB40	CHI, @den, PHI
98		Tony Pollard	DAL	7	RB41	NYG, @NE, BYE
99		Tyler Boyd	CIN	10	WR40	GB, @DET, @BAL
100		Jamaal Williams	DET	9	RB42	@MIN, CIN, @LAR

Top 40 Quarterbacks​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	30		Patrick Mahomes	KC	12	BUF, @WSH, @TEN
2	31		Kyler Murray	ARI	12	SF, @CLE, HOU
3	32		Josh Allen	BUF	7	@KC, @TEN, BYE
4	33		Lamar Jackson	BAL	8	IND, LAC, CIN
5	40		Russell Wilson	SEA	9	LAR, @PIT, NO
6	41		Justin Herbert	LAC	7	CLE, @BAL, BYE
7	42		Jalen Hurts	PHI	14	@CAR, TB, @LV
8	43	DOWN	Tom Brady	TB	9	MIA, @PHI, CHI
9	55		Dak Prescott	DAL	7	NYG, @NE, BYE
10	73		Aaron Rodgers	GB	13	@CIN, @CHI, WSH
11	74		Matthew Stafford	LAR	11	@SEA, @NYG, DET
12	113		Ryan Tannehill	TEN	13	@Jax, BUF, KC
13	114		Kirk Cousins	MIN	7	DET, @CAR, BYE
14	115		Joe Burrow	CIN	10	GB, @DET, @BAL
15	117		Derek Carr	LV	8	CHI, @den, PHI
16	120		Daniel Jones	NYG	10	@DAL, LAR, CAR
17	121		Sam Darnold	CAR	13	PHI, MIN, @NYG
18	130		Matt Ryan	ATL	6	NYJ, BYE, @MIA
19	138		Baker Mayfield	CLE	13	@LAC, ARI, DEN
20	152		Teddy Bridgewater	DEN	11	@PIT, LV, @CLE
21	169		Trevor Lawrence	JAX	7	TEN, MIA, BYE
22	171	UP	Trey Lance	SF	6	@ARI, BYE, IND
23	174		Taylor Heinicke	WSH	9	NO, KC, @GB
24	175	DOWN	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	7	DEN, SEA, BYE
25	177		Jameis Winston	NO	6	@WSH, BYE, @SEA
26	178		Mac Jones	NE	14	@HOU, DAL, NYJ
27	179		Carson Wentz	IND	14	@BAL, HOU, @SF
28	180		Justin Fields	CHI	10	@LV, GB, @TB
29	181		Tua Tagovailoa	MIA	14	@TB, @Jax, ATL
30	182		Jared Goff	DET	9	@MIN, CIN, @LAR
31	183	DOWN	Jimmy Garoppolo	SF	6	@ARI, BYE, IND
32	186		Zach Wilson	NYJ	6	@ATL, BYE, @NE
33	NR		Andy Dalton	CHI	10	@LV, GB, @TB
34	NR		Jacoby Brissett	MIA	14	@TB, @Jax, ATL
35	NR		Tyrod Taylor	HOU	10	NE, @IND, @ARI
36	NR		Davis Mills	HOU	10	NE, @IND, @ARI
37	NR		Taysom Hill	NO	6	@WSH, BYE, @SEA
38	NR		Jacob Eason	IND	14	@BAL, HOU, @SF
39	NR		Drew Lock	DEN	11	@PIT, LV, @CLE
40	NR		Ryan Fitzpatrick	WSH	9	NO, KC, @GB

Top 60 Running Backs​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	1		Derrick Henry	TEN	13	@Jax, BUF, KC
2	2		Alvin Kamara	NO	6	@WSH, BYE, @SEA
3	3		Christian McCaffrey	CAR	13	PHI, MIN, @NYG
4	4	UP	Saquon Barkley	NYG	10	@DAL, LAR, CAR
5	5		Dalvin Cook	MIN	7	DET, @CAR, BYE
6	6		Austin Ekeler	LAC	7	CLE, @BAL, BYE
7	7		Jonathan Taylor	IND	14	@BAL, HOU, @SF
8	8		Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	7	NYG, @NE, BYE
9	9	DOWN	Nick Chubb	CLE	13	@LAC, ARI, DEN
10	12		Aaron Jones	GB	13	@CIN, @CHI, WSH
11	13		Najee Harris	PIT	7	DEN, SEA, BYE
12	18		Antonio Gibson	WSH	9	NO, KC, @GB
13	19	UP	James Robinson	JAX	7	TEN, MIA, BYE
14	21		D'Andre Swift	DET	9	@MIN, CIN, @LAR
15	23	DOWN	Joe Mixon	CIN	10	GB, @DET, @BAL
16	27		Chris Carson	SEA	9	LAR, @PIT, NO
17	28		Clyde Edwards-Helaire	KC	12	BUF, @WSH, @TEN
18	29	UP	Kareem Hunt	CLE	13	@LAC, ARI, DEN
19	46	UP	Chase Edmonds	ARI	12	SF, @CLE, HOU
20	47	UP	James Conner	ARI	12	SF, @CLE, HOU
21	50		Josh Jacobs	LV	8	CHI, @den, PHI
22	54		Javonte Williams	DEN	11	@PIT, LV, @CLE
23	56	DOWN	Miles Sanders	PHI	14	@CAR, TB, @LV
24	61	DOWN	Damien Harris	NE	14	@HOU, DAL, NYJ
25	62	UP	Cordarrelle Patterson	ATL	6	NYJ, BYE, @MIA
26	65		Melvin Gordon III	DEN	11	@PIT, LV, @CLE
27	66		Darrell Henderson Jr.	LAR	11	@SEA, @NYG, DET
28	70	UP	Zack Moss	BUF	7	@KC, @TEN, BYE
29	71	DOWN	Myles Gaskin	MIA	14	@TB, @Jax, ATL
30	75	DOWN	David Montgomery	CHI	10	@LV, GB, @TB
31	78		Leonard Fournette	TB	9	MIA, @PHI, CHI
32	81		Devin Singletary	BUF	7	@KC, @TEN, BYE
33	83		Mike Davis	ATL	6	NYJ, BYE, @MIA
34	84	UP	Trey Sermon	SF	6	@ARI, BYE, IND
35	85	UP	J.D. McKissic	WSH	9	NO, KC, @GB
36	86	UP	Kenneth Gainwell	PHI	14	@CAR, TB, @LV
37	89	UP	Damien Williams	CHI	10	@LV, GB, @TB
38	92		Latavius Murray	BAL	8	IND, LAC, CIN
39	93	DOWN	Michael Carter	NYJ	6	@ATL, BYE, @NE
40	97	DOWN	Kenyan Drake	LV	8	CHI, @den, PHI
41	98	DOWN	Tony Pollard	DAL	7	NYG, @NE, BYE
42	100	DOWN	Jamaal Williams	DET	9	@MIN, CIN, @LAR
43	102	DOWN	AJ Dillon	GB	13	@CIN, @CHI, WSH
44	103	DOWN	Chuba Hubbard	CAR	13	PHI, MIN, @NYG
45	105	DOWN	Alexander Mattison	MIN	7	DET, @CAR, BYE
46	111	DOWN	Sony Michel	LAR	11	@SEA, @NYG, DET
47	112	DOWN	Nyheim Hines	IND	14	@BAL, HOU, @SF
48	131	UP	Jeremy McNichols	TEN	13	@Jax, BUF, KC
49	133	DOWN	Elijah Mitchell	SF	6	@ARI, BYE, IND
50	142	UP	Ronald Jones II	TB	9	MIA, @PHI, CHI
51	148	DOWN	Ty'Son Williams	BAL	8	IND, LAC, CIN
52	151		Tony Jones Jr.	NO	6	@WSH, BYE, @SEA
53	158	UP	Khalil Herbert	CHI	10	@LV, GB, @TB
54	159		Phillip Lindsay	HOU	10	NE, @IND, @ARI
55	160	DOWN	Mark Ingram II	HOU	10	NE, @IND, @ARI
56	163		David Johnson	HOU	10	NE, @IND, @ARI
57	165		Larry Rountree III	LAC	7	CLE, @BAL, BYE
58	173		Carlos Hyde	JAX	7	TEN, MIA, BYE
59	NR	DOWN	Giovani Bernard	TB	9	MIA, @PHI, CHI
60	NR	UP	Le'Veon Bell	BAL	8	IND, LAC, CIN

Top 60 Wide Receivers​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	10		Tyreek Hill	KC	12	BUF, @WSH, @TEN
2	11		Davante Adams	GB	13	@CIN, @CHI, WSH
3	15		Stefon Diggs	BUF	7	@KC, @TEN, BYE
4	16		Cooper Kupp	LAR	11	@SEA, @NYG, DET
5	17	UP	Terry McLaurin	WSH	9	NO, KC, @GB
6	20		Justin Jefferson	MIN	7	DET, @CAR, BYE
7	22		Calvin Ridley	ATL	6	NYJ, BYE, @MIA
8	24		DK Metcalf	SEA	9	LAR, @PIT, NO
9	25	DOWN	DeAndre Hopkins	ARI	12	SF, @CLE, HOU
10	34		Mike Evans	TB	9	MIA, @PHI, CHI
11	35		Keenan Allen	LAC	7	CLE, @BAL, BYE
12	36		Tyler Lockett	SEA	9	LAR, @PIT, NO
13	37		Adam Thielen	MIN	7	DET, @CAR, BYE
14	38	UP	Deebo Samuel	SF	6	@ARI, BYE, IND
15	39	UP	DJ Moore	CAR	13	PHI, MIN, @NYG
16	44		Mike Williams	LAC	7	CLE, @BAL, BYE
17	45	DOWN	A.J. Brown	TEN	13	@Jax, BUF, KC
18	48		CeeDee Lamb	DAL	7	NYG, @NE, BYE
19	49		Ja'Marr Chase	CIN	10	GB, @DET, @BAL
20	51	DOWN	Chris Godwin	TB	9	MIA, @PHI, CHI
21	52	DOWN	Allen Robinson II	CHI	10	@LV, GB, @TB
22	58	UP	Marquise Brown	BAL	8	IND, LAC, CIN
23	59		Courtland Sutton	DEN	11	@PIT, LV, @CLE
24	60	DOWN	Julio Jones	TEN	13	@Jax, BUF, KC
25	67		Brandin Cooks	HOU	10	NE, @IND, @ARI
26	68		Tee Higgins	CIN	10	GB, @DET, @BAL
27	69	DOWN	Amari Cooper	DAL	7	NYG, @NE, BYE
28	72		Robert Woods	LAR	11	@SEA, @NYG, DET
29	76		DeVonta Smith	PHI	14	@CAR, TB, @LV
30	77		Diontae Johnson	PIT	7	DEN, SEA, BYE
31	80	UP	Michael Pittman Jr.	IND	14	@BAL, HOU, @SF
32	82	DOWN	Jaylen Waddle	MIA	14	@TB, @Jax, ATL
33	87		Chase Claypool	PIT	7	DEN, SEA, BYE
34	88		Antonio Brown	TB	9	MIA, @PHI, CHI
35	90		Corey Davis	NYJ	6	@ATL, BYE, @NE
36	91		JuJu Smith-Schuster	PIT	7	DEN, SEA, BYE
37	94		Kenny Golladay	NYG	10	@DAL, LAR, CAR
38	95	UP	Henry Ruggs III	LV	8	CHI, @den, PHI
39	96	UP	Hunter Renfrow	LV	8	CHI, @den, PHI
40	99	UP	Tyler Boyd	CIN	10	GB, @DET, @BAL
41	101	UP	Laviska Shenault Jr.	JAX	7	TEN, MIA, BYE
42	104		Robby Anderson	CAR	13	PHI, MIN, @NYG
43	108		Jakobi Meyers	NE	14	@HOU, DAL, NYJ
44	109		William Fuller V	MIA	14	@TB, @Jax, ATL
45	110		Odell Beckham Jr.	CLE	13	@LAC, ARI, DEN
46	122		Michael Thomas	NO	6	@WSH, BYE, @SEA
47	123		Marvin Jones Jr.	JAX	7	TEN, MIA, BYE
48	125		Sterling Shepard	NYG	10	@DAL, LAR, CAR
49	132	UP	Curtis Samuel	WSH	9	NO, KC, @GB
50	134	UP	Randall Cobb	GB	13	@CIN, @CHI, WSH
51	135	DOWN	Brandon Aiyuk	SF	6	@ARI, BYE, IND
52	136	DOWN	Rondale Moore	ARI	12	SF, @CLE, HOU
53	137	UP	Van Jefferson	LAR	11	@SEA, @NYG, DET
54	139	UP	Quintez Cephus	DET	9	@MIN, CIN, @LAR
55	141	DOWN	Jalen Reagor	PHI	14	@CAR, TB, @LV
56	145	DOWN	Emmanuel Sanders	BUF	7	@KC, @TEN, BYE
57	146	DOWN	Cole Beasley	BUF	7	@KC, @TEN, BYE
58	147	DOWN	Marquez Callaway	NO	6	@WSH, BYE, @SEA
59	149	UP	Kadarius Toney	NYG	10	@DAL, LAR, CAR
60	150	UP	Kalif Raymond	DET	9	@MIN, CIN, @LAR

Top 30 Tight Ends​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	14		Travis Kelce	KC	12	BUF, @WSH, @TEN
2	26		Darren Waller	LV	8	CHI, @den, PHI
3	53		George Kittle	SF	6	@ARI, BYE, IND
4	57		T.J. Hockenson	DET	9	@MIN, CIN, @LAR
5	63		Mark Andrews	BAL	8	IND, LAC, CIN
6	64		Noah Fant	DEN	11	@PIT, LV, @CLE
7	79		Kyle Pitts	ATL	6	NYJ, BYE, @MIA
8	106		Tyler Higbee	LAR	11	@SEA, @NYG, DET
9	107	UP	Dalton Schultz	DAL	7	NYG, @NE, BYE
10	116		Mike Gesicki	MIA	14	@TB, @Jax, ATL
11	118		Logan Thomas	WSH	9	NO, KC, @GB
12	119		Dallas Goedert	PHI	14	@CAR, TB, @LV
13	124	UP	Dawson Knox	BUF	7	@KC, @TEN, BYE
14	126		Hunter Henry	NE	14	@HOU, DAL, NYJ
15	127		Jared Cook	LAC	7	CLE, @BAL, BYE
16	128	DOWN	Rob Gronkowski	TB	9	MIA, @PHI, CHI
17	129		Jonnu Smith	NE	14	@HOU, DAL, NYJ
18	140		Austin Hooper	CLE	13	@LAC, ARI, DEN
19	143		Zach Ertz	PHI	14	@CAR, TB, @LV
20	144	DOWN	Robert Tonyan	GB	13	@CIN, @CHI, WSH
21	164		Blake Jarwin	DAL	7	NYG, @NE, BYE
22	168		Jack Doyle	IND	14	@BAL, HOU, @SF
23	187		Eric Ebron	PIT	7	DEN, SEA, BYE
24	188		Juwan Johnson	NO	6	@WSH, BYE, @SEA
25	200	UP	Mo Alie-Cox	IND	14	@BAL, HOU, @SF
26	NR		Dan Arnold	JAX	7	TEN, MIA, BYE
27	NR	UP	C.J. Uzomah	CIN	10	GB, @DET, @BAL
28	NR	UP	Cameron Brate	TB	9	MIA, @PHI, CHI
29	NR		O.J. Howard	TB	9	MIA, @PHI, CHI
30	NR	UP	Maxx Williams	ARI	12	SF, @CLE, HOU
31	NR	UP	Evan Engram	NYG	10	@DAL, LAR, CAR
32	NR	DOWN	Gerald Everett	SEA	9	LAR, @PIT, NO
33	NR	DOWN	Hayden Hurst	ATL	6	NYJ, BYE, @MIA
34	NR	DOWN	Tyler Conklin	MIN	7	DET, @CAR, BYE
35	NR	DOWN	Cole Kmet	CHI	10	@LV, GB, @TB
36	NR	DOWN	Pat Freiermuth	PIT	7	DEN, SEA, BYE
37	NR	DOWN	Anthony Firkser	TEN	13	@Jax, BUF, KC
38	NR	DOWN	Foster Moreau	LV	8	CHI, @den, PHI
39	NR	DOWN	Adam Trautman	NO	6	@WSH, BYE, @SEA
40	NR	DOWN	Pharaoh Brown	HOU	10	NE, @IND, @ARI

Top 32 Team Defense/Special Teams​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	153		Buccaneers D/ST	9	MIA, @PHI, CHI
2	189		Bills D/ST	7	@KC, @TEN, BYE
3	190		Rams D/ST	11	@SEA, @NYG, DET
4	191		49ers D/ST	6	@ARI, BYE, IND
5	192		Browns D/ST	13	@LAC, ARI, DEN
6	193		Patriots D/ST	14	@HOU, DAL, NYJ
7	194		Ravens D/ST	8	IND, LAC, CIN
8	195	DOWN	Steelers D/ST	7	DEN, SEA, BYE
9	196		Broncos D/ST	11	@PIT, LV, @CLE
10	197		Saints D/ST	6	@WSH, BYE, @SEA
11	NR		Colts D/ST	14	@BAL, HOU, @SF
12	NR		Panthers D/ST	13	PHI, MIN, @NYG
13	NR		Vikings D/ST	7	DET, @CAR, BYE
14	NR		Bears D/ST	10	@LV, GB, @TB
15	NR		Packers D/ST	13	@CIN, @CHI, WSH
16	NR		Washington D/ST	9	NO, KC, @GB
17	NR	UP	Cardinals D/ST	12	SF, @CLE, HOU
18	NR		Chiefs D/ST	12	BUF, @WSH, @TEN
19	NR		Dolphins D/ST	14	@TB, @Jax, ATL
20	NR		Chargers D/ST	7	CLE, @BAL, BYE
21	NR		Seahawks D/ST	9	LAR, @PIT, NO
22	NR	UP	Jets D/ST	6	@ATL, BYE, @NE
23	NR		Giants D/ST	10	@DAL, LAR, CAR
24	NR		Titans D/ST	13	@Jax, BUF, KC
25	NR	DOWN	Eagles D/ST	14	@CAR, TB, @LV
26	NR		Cowboys D/ST	7	NYG, @NE, BYE
27	NR	UP	Lions D/ST	9	@MIN, CIN, @LAR
28	NR		Raiders D/ST	8	CHI, @den, PHI
29	NR		Bengals D/ST	10	GB, @DET, @BAL
30	NR		Falcons D/ST	6	NYJ, BYE, @MIA
31	NR		Texans D/ST	10	NE, @IND, @ARI
32	NR		Jaguars D/ST	7	TEN, MIA, BYE

 

[Wagerallsports]

Fantasy football waiver wire for NFL Week 6: Kadarius Toney, Devontae Booker and more​

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While there have been plenty of notable fantasy football performances from unexpected quarterbacks this NFL season (Sam Darnold and Taylor Heinicke, just to name a couple), the reality is that most weeks the top 10 or so quarterbacks in our rankings are going to be a pretty consistent group.

If you figure that Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Kyler Murray, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott, Jalen Hurts, Matthew Stafford and Justin Herbert are likely to land in those 10-ish spots (in some order), it lines up that in a 10-team league, you don't see much quarterback movement.

But on Thursday night of Week 5, Wilson went down with a finger injury that is likely going to cost him as few as four weeks but perhaps a bit longer. Wilson being out is literally uncharted territory -- he hasn't even missed a practice in his career -- and has a trickle-down impact in fantasy. The most direct one is how those who have been starting Wilson will fill their quarterback voids.

Here's to hoping Wilson makes a speedy and full recovery, as the game is always better off when he is at his best.

Until he returns, we'll deliver the names you need to know at quarterback and otherwise.

Here's the Week 6 ESPN fantasy football waiver wire.

Note: All players in this column are available in more than 50% of leagues on ESPN.

Week 6 byes: 49ers, Falcons, Jets, Saints

Kadarius Toney, WR, New York Giants (10.7% rostered): The Giants have been decimated by injuries on offense in a way that is hard to believe. They finished Week 5 without Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton on the field, prompting even more opportunity for the already exciting rookie ankle breaker. He finished with an electric 10 catches for 189 yards, despite leaving the game once because of injury (which we'll monitor through this week) and again after being ejected for punching an opposing player. The talent is way too obvious, and the opportunity should be there now too. Add!

Darrel Williams, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (7.5%): Clyde Edwards-Helaire suffered a knee injury in the third quarter on Sunday night that is expected to sideline him for multiple weeks. While Williams didn't handle a major rushing load in his place (just five carries), much of that can be attributed to the Chiefs playing at a major deficit. Williams stands to see a significant workload and has plenty enough ability to make good on those touches. He's an adept pass-catcher and the Chiefs have shown a willingness to rely more on him at the goal line than CEH. He's a top add.

Devontae Booker, RB, New York Giants (3.8%): It was devastating to see Saquon Barkley leave the game for the Giants early after suffering an ankle injury that did not look good. Booker wound up leading the Giants in rushing attempts in Week 5 and finished with 42 rushing yards and 20.8 fantasy points after finding the end zone both as a runner and a receiver. He's obviously not the player that Barkley is, but Booker's workload should be large enough to expect borderline RB2 value until Barkley returns, especially considering that he's an adept pass-catcher. He's a must-add.

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots (5.8%): The hits kept coming for the Patriots' backfield in Week 5, as Damien Harris left the game on two occasions and did not return after the second time. Stevenson handled 11 carries in Week 5, though he managed just 23 yards. With that being said, volume and talent are essential in fantasy football and Stevenson would likely be in line for double-digit touches if Harris misses any time. Stevenson can handle work in the passing game and is a powerful runner. What would unlock the potential to handle a big workload would be proving he is capable of holding up in pass protection. He should be added in all leagues, too.

Mecole Hardman, WR, Kansas City Chiefs (42.4%): The Chiefs dealt with a rash of injuries on Sunday night, including Tyreek Hill, who is now dealing with an undisclosed knee injury. We have no word on the severity as of this writing, including whether it would prevent him from being on the field in Week 6 against the Washington Football Team. That being said, Hardman would be the Chiefs wide receiver I most prefer if Hill misses any time.

Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos (29.8%): I've long felt Patrick was an underrated player, and he has a unique opportunity right now to prove it while both Jerry Jeudy (ankle) and KJ Hamler (torn ACL) are unavailable for Denver. Patrick has been busy in the two games since Hamler went down, as he has 15 targets and a total of 10 catches. Patrick has scored double-digit fantasy points in four of his five games this season and should remain a fixture in the Denver passing game until Jeudy returns. He's an add in leagues of 12 teams or larger.

Quarterbacks section: Names to consider in the event you roster Russell Wilson, who is expected to miss at least the next four weeks after suffering a finger injury in Week 5.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars (42.9%): Lawrence is starting to make some strides, even if the numbers are not eye-popping as of yet. Over his past two games, two of the most encouraging signs are his accuracy and decision-making. He has completed better than 70% of his passes with zero turnovers, and he has rushed for a touchdown in back-to-back weeks. The matchup across the pond in London against the Dolphins isn't one that strikes major fear, as while Miami has a strong cornerback room, the defense just hasn't been nearly as good as it was a season ago.

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins (24.7%): This comes with the obvious caveat that we don't yet know if Tua will play in Week 6, but he is eligible to do so and the team has been targeting that date for his return. The matchup is a juicy one against a Jaguars defense that frankly hasn't done much to impress this season. In the event that Tagovailoa is unavailable, I do believe Jacoby Brissett has a comparable chance for a good enough day to justify the stream.

Taylor Heinicke, QB, Washington Football Team (12.5%): It might sound ironic to list Heinicke this week given how he played in Week 5 (fewer than 10 fantasy points), but I do believe that was an atypical dud game for him. He had three straight games with at least 20 fantasy points prior to that, and while Heinicke may be error prone, he is a playmaker with his legs (40 or more rushing yards in back-to-back games) and seems to find a way much more often than not.

 

[Wagerallsports]

NFL launches responsible betting awareness campaign​

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By utilizing our play-by-play data, we're able to identify defensive schemes and where each wide receiver and cornerback lines up on each play. By tracking these WR/CB matchups, including potential shadow situations, we can offer the best projections, rankings, sit/start decisions and fantasy advice each week. Fantasy football is a weekly game, so knowing the matchups can also help you make the best waiver-wire pickups.

Down below are the receivers with the best and worst matchups this week, as well as the corresponding fantasy impact.

To view the primary defenders the top three wide receivers for each team will see this weekend, be sure to check out our weekly WR vs. CB cheat sheet.

Note that, unless otherwise noted, references to where teams rank in statistical categories adjusts to a per-game basis in order to avoid distortion due to bye weeks.

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Advantageous Matchups​

Packers' Davante Adams, Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard vs. WFTs' Benjamin St-Juste, Kendall Fuller and William Jackson III

The Washington Football Team's secondary looks like a strength on paper, but it has been quite the opposite so far this season. Washington is allowing the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers, including the second most to the perimeter and fourth most to the slot. Heavy volume has been the primary culprit, as Washington ranks no better than third in WR targets, receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and end-zone targets.

Adams (66% perimeter) and Lazard (65%) align all over the formation and will see an even share of Washington's top three corners. Upgrade them both, though Lazard is no more than a deep-league sleeper. The same goes for Cobb (83% slot) against Fuller in the slot, though he's super risky after a catchless Week 6.

Cardinals' DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk and A.J. Green vs. Texans' Vernon Hargreaves III, Tavierre Thomas and Terrance Mitchell

Revenge Game Alert! Hopkins is set to face off with his old team for the first time since being traded to Arizona. Hopkins' targets are way down this season (9.9 per game in 2020, 6.0 in 2021), but he's still in a good spot against a Houston pass defense that has faced very little volume (100 WR targets ranks sixth fewest) but struggled with efficiency (9.8 yards per target ranks third highest). Houston's primary weakness is against left perimeter receivers (fifth-most fantasy points allowed), which is where heavily targeted Hargreaves aligns. Hargreaves has already been benched this season but slid back into the lineup over converted safety/slot corner Desmond King in Week 6. Hopkins (78% left perimeter) will work against Hargreaves on a majority of his routes this week. There is a major talent discrepancy between Arizona's wide receivers and Houston's corners, so the only concern here is that the heavily favored Cardinals will build a lead and simply won't need to throw as often as usual. It's tough to predict which Arizona wide receivers will hit in a given week, but Hopkins has the best matchup of the group this time around.

Texans' Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins vs. Cardinals' Byron Murphy Jr., Marco Wilson and Robert Alford

The other side of the Hopkins "Revenge Game" also features a plus WR/CB matchup. The Arizona defense has allowed a league-high 10 touchdowns to wide receivers and is allowing the 12th-most fantasy points to the position, including the ninth most to the perimeter. Alford and the rookie Wilson are the team's perimeter corners in nickel, and that duo will be tasked with slowing Cooks (70% perimeter) and Collins (87%) this week. Both corners have been heavily targeted this season, and that won't change this week considering Cooks has been targeted on a massive 31% of his routes. Upgrade Cooks and consider Collins a sleeper.

Chiefs' Tyreek Hill vs. Titans' Elijah Molden (slot)

Hill has been a bit boom/bust this season, with three top-10 fantasy weeks, as well as two outside the top 45. He appears more likely to boom this week against a Titans defense that has already allowed eight wide receivers to reach 19 fantasy points this season. Tennessee has allowed the most yards, touchdowns and fantasy points to the position (fifth most over expected), as well as the most to the slot. Injuries are also an issue, as with Kristian Fulton and Caleb Farley out, Chris Jackson has moved outside, leaving Molden to handle the slot. That bodes well for Hill, who has aligned inside on 55% of his routes this season. Upgrade Hill and the rest of Kansas City's wide receivers this week.

Other notable upgrades:

Dolphins' Jaylen Waddle vs. Falcons' Avery Williams (slot)

Tough Matchups​

Seahawks' DK Metcalf vs. Saints' Marshon Lattimore (shadow)

New Orleans went into its Week 6 bye having allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to wide receivers, but fifth fewest over expected. The story here is a ton of volume faced (second-most WR routes and most WR targets), but strong efficiency (ninth-lowest YPT and fifth-lowest catch rate allowed to WRs). Regardless, we know Lattimore is one of the best in the business, and we've already seen him shadow Davante Adams and Terry McLaurin this season. Adams was held to a 5-56-0 receiving line on seven targets in Week 1 (2-37-0 on five targets and 15 routes against Lattimore), and McLaurin stumbled to a 4-46-0 line on 11 targets (2-31-0 on eight targets and 30 routes against Lattimore). This week, we should expect Lattimore to travel with Metcalf. We already saw Seattle's passing game struggle without Russell Wilson in Week 6, and that was against a Pittsburgh defense that had been brutal against wideouts this season. Metcalf is too good and too heavily targeted to bench, but he aligns outside 78% of the time, so he'll see a ton of Lattimore this week. Tyler Lockett will primarily see rookie Paulson Adebo and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, which puts Lockett in a good spot, but he fell flat in the same conditions in Week 6, so tread lightly on those DFS streets.

Raiders' Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards vs. Eagles' Darius Slay and Steven Nelson

The Eagles are 2-4, but they've done a pretty nice job against wide receivers this season. They've allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points (11th fewest over expected), including the second fewest to the perimeter and fewest to the left perimeter (Slay's primary side). Ruggs (58% perimeter) and Edwards (63%) primarily work on the outside, so they'll be in the toughest spot this week with Slay and Nelson on the other side. Philadelphia has shadowed in consecutive games, with Slay traveling with DJ Moore and Mike Evans, and Nelson following Robby Anderson and Antonio Brown. Slay has clearly covered the opposing No. 1 perimeter wideout, so it's possible he follows Ruggs this week. That would be even worse news for Ruggs, though his speed and explosiveness make him a candidate for a big play at any given point. Regardless, we'll need to lower expectations for the Raiders' wideouts this week.

Panthers' DJ Moore vs. Giants' James Bradberry (shadow)

Panthers' Robby Anderson vs. Giants' Adoree' Jackson (shadow)

"Revenge Games" are a hot topic this week, as Bradberry will face off with his former team for the first time since signing with the Giants. Bradberry has shadowed in three games this season (Terry McLaurin, Calvin Ridley, Marquez Callaway) and is a strong bet to travel with Moore in Week 7. Bradberry doesn't travel to the slot often (9%), but neither does Moore (15%), so these two figure to be aligned against each other a majority of the time. With Bradberry on Moore, Anderson (who will play at Metlife Stadium for the first time since departing the Jets) will draw plenty of Jackson on the other side. Though we know Bradberry and Jackson are good corners, the Giants have still allowed a ton of fantasy production to wide receivers this season. They've surrendered the 11th-most fantasy points (seventh most over expected), including the fourth most to the perimeter and eighth most to the slot. This makes me a bit hesitant to call this a "tough" matchup, as scheme matters in addition to player personnel, but we nonetheless need to be aware that shadow coverage by talented corners is looming for Moore and Anderson.

Buccaneers' Mike Evans vs. Bears' Jaylon Johnson (shadow)

Johnson, Chicago's 2020 second-round draft pick, appears to be in the midst of a second-year breakout. The 22-year-old has aligned at right perimeter corner on 87% of his coverage snaps this season, and the Bears are allowing the fewest fantasy points to that spot. They're also allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points to perimeter receivers as a whole. Johnson has shadowed twice this season, including Week 3 against Odell Beckham Jr. and last week against Davante Adams. Beckham posted a 5-77-0 receiving line on nine targets in the Week 3 game, with 3-57-0 coming on six targets (20 routes) against Johnson. Adams posted a decent 4-89-0 receiving line on five targets (all against Johnson) on Sunday, though limiting Adams to five targets on 23 routes is an achievement in its own right. It's not a lock, but Johnson is a decent bet to travel with Evans (62% perimeter) when he's aligned outside this week. That, of course, won't be full time, so Johnson figures to see some of Chris Godwin (31% perimeter) and Antonio Brown (82%) as well. We should anticipate a potential dip in targets for Evans this week, but he should obviously remain in lineups in Tampa Bay's high-scoring offense.

Other notable downgrades:

Eagles' DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins and Jalen Reagor vs. Raiders' Casey Hayward, Nate Hobbs and Brandon Facyson

Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. Rams' Jalen Ramsey (slot)

Patriots' Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne vs. Jets' Brandin Echols, Michael Carter II and Bryce Hall

Other potential shadow scenarios​

Falcons' Calvin Ridley vs. Dolphins' Xavien Howard (shadow)

Falcons' Kyle Pitts vs. Dolphins' Byron Jones (shadow)


There's a bit to unpack here, so I'll start by noting that both Howard and Jones missed Week 6 due to injury and should be considered questionable for Week 7. If they're out, that's good news for Ridley and Pitts. If they play, we should expect them to shadow. We got a glimpse of what we might expect back in Week 3 when Howard shadowed Henry Ruggs part time (including most of his perimeter routes) and Jones shadowed Darren Waller on 27 of his 40 routes (a massive percentage for a tight end). Howard has also shadowed Antonio Brown and Stefon Diggs this season, with Jones following Mike Evans, Nelson Agholor and Emmanuel Sanders. Ridley (80% perimeter) primarily works outside, and Pitts has been aligning all over the formation.

These seem like tough matchups on paper, but, even with a healthy Howard and Jones, Miami's defense has struggled this season. The Dolphins are allowing the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers (most over expected), including the third most to the perimeter and seventh most to the slot. They're middle of the pack against tight ends, but Pitts has run 68% of his routes from the slot or perimeter, so that doesn't matter much here, especially because he figures to draw Jones. Perhaps Jones and Howard show up healthy and playing at a high level, but the performance of this defense so far this season suggests we don't need to worry about it. Ridley and Pitts should, of course, be in lineups.

 

[Wagerallsports]

Fantasy football waiver wire for NFL Week 7: Derek Carr, Tua Tagovailoa and others​

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You know that feeling during your draft when you starting selecting your players and pay little attention to their bye weeks?

"I'll worry about that later."

We've all been there. And truth be told, that's the way to go. For starters, the team you draft is not the team you'll finish the season with. You're constantly tinkering, so paying too much mind to a bye week that's two months after your draft is a bit fruitless. Secondly, even if your roster is largely stagnant, you don't want to build a team that is too focused on one or two weeks of action. You need 18 weeks of upside.

Alas, Week 7 is one of those weeks when everyone is going to have to adjust a bit, as we've reached the first six-team bye of the season and there are some heavy hitters.

Players on a bye this week include: Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Dalton Schultz, Stefon Diggs, Josh Allen, Emmanuel Sanders, Zack Moss, Dawson Knox, Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, James Robinson, Marvin Jones Jr., Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, Keenan Allen and Justin Herbert.

We're all filling in this week together. ... With that in mind, here is the Week 7 ESPN fantasy waiver wire.

Note: Players on this column must be available in at least 50% of leagues on ESPN.

Week 7 byes: Bills, Chargers, Cowboys, Jaguars, Steelers, Vikings

Quarterback fill-ins​

With three surefire quarterbacks in Allen, Herbert and Dak Prescott on a bye, this is a week when many will need to turn to an alternative. These names suggested are specific to their Week 7 value.

Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders (46.4%): Carr has four games of 20-plus fantasy points this season with a looming matchup against Philadelphia. While Philly's defense has not allowed a ton of passing yards per game, it has surrendered 12 touchdown passes and allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.5% of their passes, each among the worst in the NFL.

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins (25.3%): Tua returned in Week 6 and put up a 300-plus yard passing effort and over 21 fantasy points. His Week 7 matchup features the Falcons, a team that has allowed 11 passing touchdowns and picked off just one pass this season. Moreover, Miami cannot run the ball, leaving Tua likely to throw it aplenty. He did so 47 times in Week 6.

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Denver Broncos (16.9%): Teddy B has played pretty well so far this season, completing north of 70% of his passes and averaging over 250 yards per game. The Browns are another defense that has been a bit vulnerable against the pass, allowing 14 touchdowns through the air already this season. There isn't massive upside with Bridgewater, but he does have over 18 fantasy points in four of six games this season.

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RBs, WRs and TEs​

Alex Collins, RB, Seattle Seahawks (46.6%)/ Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks (3.2%): The Seahawks have turned to Collins to fill in for Chris Carson while he nurses a neck injury, and the results have been solid so far: Collins has handled 38 touches in two games and rushed for over 100 yards in Week 6. It's worth noting that Collins is nursing a hip issue, but coach Pete Carroll has not slammed the door shut on him playing in Week 7. If he does play, it's an essential add. Penny is mentioned here because Carroll has stated he expects him back in Week 7 and there's a chance he'd take over for Collins if Collins is unable to go. He's a deeper league consideration.

Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos (40.4%): I've become a broken record and a Tim Patrick stan, as the man simply keeps on producing. He has a touchdown in three games this season and at least 10 fantasy points in all but one game. His role has expanded with the injuries to Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, but even when Jeudy returns, I suspect Patrick will stay involved. Patrick deserves to be rostered in many more leagues.

J.D. McKissic, RB, Washington Football Team (46.7%): Antonio Gibson was in and out of the lineup for the Football Team in Week 6 as he battles through a shin injury, which created even more opportunities for McKissic. But this is not tied exclusively to the fact that Gibson was banged up, as McKissic is an exceptional receiving back who has been good for Washington for quite some time. With the team ignoring defense this year, it figures to be playing from behind frequently enough that McKissic should be added in all leagues.

Zach Ertz, TE, Arizona Cardinals (48.4%): Ertz capped off an incredible stay in Philadelphia with a four-catch effort in Week 6 that included a touchdown. Now he goes to Arizona, where he should be a nearly every-down player for an offense that recently lost Maxx Williams to a major injury. While the Cardinals have a lot of mouths to feed and Ertz is no lock to see a massive target share, he should have enough opportunities in one of the best offenses in football to have some vintage Ertz moments. He's an add in all leagues.

Ricky Seals-Jones, TE, Washington Football Team (19.1%): Once Logan Thomas went down, the Football Team turned to Seals-Jones, and he has basically become a full-time player. He found the end zone in Week 6 and hauled in four total catches for 58 yards. This comes on the heels of five catches for 41 yards in Week 5. It's hard to find tight ends who have a steady role in the passing game, and RSJ is that right now. He's an add for anyone looking for a usable tight end at the moment.


Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens (14.6%): It was great to see Bateman make his NFL debut in Week 6 after he dealt with an injury during training camp that landed him on injured reserve. Bateman saw six targets against the Chargers, most among all Ravens wideouts, and caught four of them for 29 yards. There's plenty to be excited about from a talent standpoint with Bateman, which makes him a smart add-and-stash for those who can afford to be patient as his role grows.

T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts (23.1%): Hilton made his season debut in Week 6 and looked pretty darn good for a guy who hadn't played football for a while. And although Hilton he did leave the game with an injury, coach Frank Reich did not seem overly concerned about it after the game. We've seen more than enough from Hilton in the past to know he can be a factor in fantasy. Hilton is an add-and-stash, particularly because we don't yet know whether he'll be available in Week 7.

Jamal Agnew, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (0.4%): When the Jaguars lost DJ Chark for the season, we figured it would mean that Laviska Shenault Jr. would become a very busy man. Although Shenault has received work, the emergence of Agnew has been a surprise over the past two weeks, as he has seen 13 targets. It's at least worth monitoring and makes Agnew a deep league add-and-stash. He's a speedster and proved to be a very smart addition by the Jaguars this offseason.

 

[Wagerallsports]

Fantasy fallout: Don't go chasing Cincinnati's other receivers​

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Nobody has a more stacked lineup of fantasy analysts and NFL team reporters than ESPN. It's the rare "backfield by committee" that is actually a good thing for fantasy football managers.

Every Tuesday, Mike Triplett will ask our NFL Nation reporters a series of burning questions about the weekend's biggest stories in order to help inform you for your waiver-wire pickups and roster decisions.

Among this week's topics: Why you should be prepared to wait for New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas to make an impact and why you should lower expectations for Cincinnati Bengals receivers Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.

It's time to begin our weekly trip around the league, so fasten your seat belts and get ready to tour the NFL Nation!

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New Orleans Saints​

How soon will Michael Thomas be back on the field?

That's still a big TBD. However, even if he returns to practice this week now that he is eligible to come off of the PUP list, fantasy managers should be prepared to wait a little longer for him to be usable in their starting lineups. Remember, Thomas hasn't practiced with the Saints since January, and he had major ankle surgery in June.

He has been working out individually with the team, but it's unclear whether he is ready to be a full practice participant right away. Plus, he will need some time to ramp up before being activated for a game and ultimately resuming a full-time role. Eventually Thomas should return to being a major target for a passing offense that badly needs one. Just don't expect that to happen overnight. -- Triplett

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Cincinnati Bengals​

Is Cincinnati's WR corps too crowded for both Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd to be consistent fantasy producers?

Yes. The reliability of Higgins' and Boyd's respective target shares has dropped for two big reasons. One, Cincinnati's overall passing volume has plummeted significantly as the Bengals have employed a more balanced attack. Secondly, rookie Ja'Marr Chase has become QB Joe Burrow's preferred receiver target. It's fair to say he's Cincinnati's WR1 already. Given the LSU connection between Burrow and Chase, Higgins and Boyd could continue to see fewer targets throughout the season. -- Ben Baby

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Baltimore Ravens​

Could Devonta Freeman's role be big enough for fantasy managers to use him as a bye-week or injury replacement?

This really depends on Latavius Murray's availability. Murray left Sunday's game with an ankle injury and didn't return. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he didn't think it was serious, but acknowledged he didn't know the full extent of it. If Murray is sidelined, Freeman will step into a starting role against a Cincinnati defense that has struggled to stop Baltimore's running game in the past. The Bengals allowed the Ravens to run for 565 yards in two games last season. If Murray can play, though, Freeman might get only 4-5 carries. It's a situation worth monitoring. -- Jamison Hensley

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Chicago Bears​

Do you expect Justin Fields to be a bigger part of Chicago's run game after his career-high 43 rushing yards Sunday?

The Bears want Fields to extend plays and run when it makes sense. Also, look for Chicago to call 4-7 designed runs for Fields each week, especially with star running back David Montgomery (knee) on short-term injured reserve. Fields is always a smart play for fantasy managers because he has elite speed and moves within the pocket. The Bears are not about to stifle that. -- Jeff Dickerson

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Cleveland Browns​

Do the Browns have yet another running back who will become fantasy-relevant while Kareem Hunt is sidelined? Do you think they'll remain a run-heavy team even while Nick Chubb is also banged up?

The Browns are not changing their identity. After all, QB Baker Mayfield and offensive tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin are banged up as well. That said, Chubb is the only fantasy-relevant Browns back right now. However, since he will be missing another game on Thursday versus Denver, D'Ernest Johnson becomes intriguing. In the game when Chubb got injured last year, Johnson came in and rushed for 95 yards on 13 carries. Rookie Demetric Felton is worth monitoring too. The Browns need playmaking, and Felton, whether out of the backfield or at receiver, can give them that as a pass-catcher. -- Jake Trotter

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Denver Broncos​

Do you expect more consistent production from Noah Fant going forward after his career-high nine catches?

Fant is going to get plenty of targets at the position because the other pass-catching tight end (Albert Okwuegbunam) is on injured reserve. However, everybody's total targets are in for an adjustment with Jerry Jeudy coming back to the lineup at some point over the next three weeks. The Broncos have started the practice clock on Jeudy, who has been on IR since suffering an ankle injury in the season opener. Coach Vic Fangio said its "possible'' Jeudy would play as soon as Thursday night against the Browns, but it's far more likely that he'd return Oct. 31 against Washington or Nov. 7 against Dallas. -- Jeff Legwold

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Indianapolis Colts​

Apparently it didn't take long for T.Y. Hilton to establish himself as a go-to guy for yet another Colts quarterback. Do you expect that to continue -- and could that slow Michael Pittman Jr.'s rise?

Hilton, especially with the potential loss of Parris Campbell (foot) for the rest of the season, is Indianapolis' best deep threat. However, Pittman is the Colts' No. 1 receiver because he can do a little bit of everything, especially going into traffic to get a ball (see his effprt against Baltimore in Week 5) due to his size. You might want to pump the brakes on Hilton briefly, though, because he suffered a quad injury in the fourth quarter against Houston and his status for Sunday's game at San Francisco is up in the air. -- Mike Wells

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Las Vegas Raiders​

Any chance Kenyan Drake's two touchdowns could lead to a bigger role under a new coach?

To quote '90s R&B group Blackstreet, "No Diggity, no doubt." The funny thing is, before his 2-TD performance at Denver on Sunday (one by ground, one by air), Drake was going to be my 32-for-32 trade candidate. No more. Not after showing what he can do when used properly.

In his final Raiders media conference, Jon Gruden was asked specifically about Drake and whether he needed to use him more. "No," Gruden said, adding that he wanted to get "everyone" involved. But, as new offensive playcaller Greg Olson later said, you're bound to have a different "flow" with a different playcaller. And there it is.

I like the way he works it, but I'm just not sure Drake is a safe bet for fantasy managers to go all-in on with so much in flux with the organization. -- Paul Gutierrez

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New England Patriots​

Do you expect Rhamondre Stevenson's role to keep growing?

Absolutely. He was a bright spot in the game, showing up as a rusher (5 carries, 23 yards, 1 TD) and as a pass-catcher (3 catches, 39 yards). Plus, with Damien Harris managing an injury to his ribs, Stevenson is in position to do more. This was an important bounce-back game for him, as he is back to level ground after being benched for three games following a lost fumble and blitz-pickup struggles in the opener. -- Mike Reiss

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Washington​

Could J.D. McKissic keep up this kind of workload if Antonio Gibson misses time, or would another back get significant snaps?


Nobody knows, but he'll certainly get the chance. Jaret Patterson would play a little more, of course. I could see Patterson getting more early-down carries. But they love McKissic, and with good reason. So, I don't know that his snaps would increase a ton as much as his productivity would be more consistent. He hasn't caught more than two passes in consecutive games. The team has no chance at all if that remains the case and Gibson can't play. -- John Keim

Ricky Seals-Jones has played almost every snap since Logan Thomas got hurt. Should he be a serious consideration for fantasy managers dealing with byes or injuries?

Sure. He'll continue to get chances, and Taylor Heinicke is comfortable throwing to him. The two worked together a lot in training camp on the second unit, so that familiarity has helped. Seals-Jones is a bit limited, but the team keeps losing other weapons and the tight end has had 15 combined targets over the past two games. Thomas should be back in November, but that still gives Seals-Jones a chance to help someone for the next two weeks. -- Keim

 

[Wagerallsports]

Fantasy football trade index and rest-of-season rankings: Joe Burrow, Darrel Williams moving up​

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Have you made more trades this season than the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles did last week? Sure, perhaps it was not loaded with big names but in the fantasy community, it certainly mattered. It helped both teams, too.

We will get to that, the positional rankings and our trade index as well as continue our trek through October. Good luck trading!

Quarterback​

Rankings changes: Time to shine some praise on a few second-year passers. Philadelphia Eagles runner Jalen Hurts has surpassed 20 PPR points in each game this season. He can thank his legs. Cincinnati Bengals passer Joe Burrow has thrown two or more touchdowns in each game. He can thank his arm. Hurts moves into the top five and Burrow solidifies his top 100 spot, though he remains one spot outside the top 10 quarterbacks. A big Week 7 game at Baltimore changes that.

Trade for: We mentioned trading for Seattle's Russell Wilson a week ago, and we mean it. He will have a big second half. You know, nobody ever wants to trade for the Vikings' Kirk Cousins and most of the time he is solid. He is the No. 10 QB for the season but a value in these rankings. Patrick Mahomes must stop these interceptions and, it says here, he will. As for the Ravens' Lamar Jackson and Chargers' Justin Herbert, who each scored 11 PPR points even though the former QB blew out the latter on Sunday 34-6, definitely invest.

Be cautious trading for: Miami's Tua Tagovailoa. Let him prove he can stay on the field. The Giants' Daniel Jones was terrible on Sunday. He has four touchdown passes ... this season! Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger won Sunday night, but he still has yet to reach 17 PPR points in a game. Let us not assume good times are pending. As for passers half his age, there remains no rookie QB to count on at this point.

Running back​

Rankings changes: First of all, for those still arguing about No. 1, well, stop it. Derrick Henry is unstoppable. Second, we got a bit of clarity on the former No. 1 Carolina's Christian McCaffrey, as he went on the injured reserve list. See you in Week 9, but only maybe and there should be real concerns about him staying healthy for December. One Cleveland running back takes a much larger tumble than the other. Tampa Bay's Leonard Fournette is the big riser. Hey, good for him. He has the backfield to himself, pretty much. Others moving up include the Chiefs' Darrel Williams, Panthers' Chuba Hubbard and Raiders' Kenyan Drake. Do not assume they are one-week wonders.

Trade for: The top 10 running backs appear awesome and safe. Anyone injured is, well, not on the field and we know that injury often leads to more injury. Think about that with McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley and Chris Carson. They belong in the next section. In deeper formats, it appears Washington's J.D. McKissic is not going away. Love those pass-catching running backs!

Be cautious trading for: The injured fellows. And we know you love the Rams' Darrell Henderson Jr. today, and we hope for durability, but let us see more. Be careful of the Patriots' Damien Harris. Still no factor in the passing game and no reason to believe it changes. James Conner has more PPR points. Three of the top four PPR running back scorers take their bye this week. Do not make a bad trade just for a Week 7 fill-in.

Wide receiver​

Rankings changes: His quarterback moves up, and so does his former LSU teammate Ja'Marr Chase, into our top 10. Pittsburgh's Diontae Johnson is back in the top 20 and Tampa Bay's Antonio Brown is just about there. We shall see if the Saints' Michael Thomas plays this coming week, and how it affects the offense. The bigger news is probably the droppers: The Bears' Allen Robinson. The physically compromised Titans. The Wilson-less Seahawks. Poor Robby Anderson.

Trade for: Unlike running back, there are about 25 or so wide receivers to be comfortable about. Seattle's Tyler Lockett is on the line but remember, Wilson will return soon. The Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb breaks into the top 10 soon. The Chargers' duo should be fine. Courtland Sutton is breaking out.

Be cautious trading for: Any rookie not named Chase. We want to believe Miami's Jaylen Waddle is safe. Perhaps he is. His QB must stay healthy, though. Trading for any Chiefs WRs other than Tyreek Hill seems too risky.

Tight end​

Rankings changes: Trade! Zach Ertz moves on from the Eagles to the Cardinals and that is key for not only his statistical value, but of Dallas Goedert. Now they can each play more snaps and get more targets! Everyone wins and perhaps we have a pair of TE1 options soon. For now, the back end of the TE1 discussion is rather crowded. Good for those in 14-team leagues! As always, unless it is one of the top three or four options, tough to trade for a tight end when there is relative depth.

Eric Karabell's Rest-Of-Year Top 100 Rankings​

RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	POS. RANK	NEXT 3
1		Derrick Henry	TEN	13	RB1	KC, @IND, @LAR
2		Alvin Kamara	NO	6	RB2	@SEA, TB, ATL
3		Austin Ekeler	LAC	7	RB3	BYE, NE, @PHI
4		Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	7	RB4	BYE, @MIN, DEN
5		Jonathan Taylor	IND	14	RB5	@SF, TEN, NYJ
6		Najee Harris	PIT	7	RB6	BYE, @CLE, CHI
7		Dalvin Cook	MIN	7	RB7	BYE, DAL, @BAL
8		Aaron Jones	GB	13	RB8	WSH, @ARI, @KC
9		Davante Adams	GB	13	WR1	WSH, @ARI, @KC
10		Tyreek Hill	KC	12	WR2	@TEN, NYG, GB
11	UP	Cooper Kupp	LAR	11	WR3	DET, @HOU, TEN
12		James Robinson	JAX	7	RB9	BYE, @SEA, BUF
13	UP	Joe Mixon	CIN	10	RB10	@BAL, @NYJ, CLE
14		Justin Jefferson	MIN	7	WR4	BYE, DAL, @BAL
15		Terry McLaurin	WSH	9	WR5	@GB, @den, BYE
16	DOWN	Nick Chubb	CLE	13	RB11	DEN, PIT, @CIN
17		Stefon Diggs	BUF	7	WR6	BYE, MIA, @Jax
18		Travis Kelce	KC	12	TE1	@TEN, NYG, GB
19		DeAndre Hopkins	ARI	12	WR7	HOU, GB, @SF
20		D'Andre Swift	DET	9	RB12	@LAR, PHI, BYE
21		Antonio Gibson	WSH	9	RB13	@GB, @den, BYE
22		Calvin Ridley	ATL	6	WR8	@MIA, CAR, @NO
23		Josh Allen	BUF	7	QB1	BYE, MIA, @Jax
24		Kyler Murray	ARI	12	QB2	HOU, GB, @SF
25		Patrick Mahomes	KC	12	QB3	@TEN, NYG, GB
26		Lamar Jackson	BAL	8	QB4	CIN, BYE, MIN
27	UP	Jalen Hurts	PHI	14	QB5	@LV, @DET, LAC
28		DK Metcalf	SEA	9	WR9	NO, JAX, BYE
29	UP	Ja'Marr Chase	CIN	10	WR10	@BAL, @NYJ, CLE
30		Mike Williams	LAC	7	WR11	BYE, NE, @PHI
31	UP	CeeDee Lamb	DAL	7	WR12	BYE, @MIN, DEN
32		Mike Evans	TB	9	WR13	CHI, @NO, BYE
33		Darren Waller	LV	8	TE2	PHI, BYE, @NYG
34		Keenan Allen	LAC	7	WR14	BYE, NE, @PHI
35		Adam Thielen	MIN	7	WR15	BYE, DAL, @BAL
36	DOWN	Justin Herbert	LAC	7	QB6	BYE, NE, @PHI
37		Tom Brady	TB	9	QB7	CHI, @NO, BYE
38	DOWN	Christian McCaffrey	CAR	13	RB14	@NYG, @ATL, NE
39		Saquon Barkley	NYG	10	RB15	CAR, @KC, LV
40		DJ Moore	CAR	13	WR16	@NYG, @ATL, NE
41	UP	A.J. Brown	TEN	13	WR17	KC, @IND, @LAR
42	UP	Diontae Johnson	PIT	7	WR18	BYE, @CLE, CHI
43	DOWN	Deebo Samuel	SF	6	WR19	IND, @CHI, ARI
44	UP	Darrell Henderson Jr.	LAR	11	RB16	DET, @HOU, TEN
45	UP	Leonard Fournette	TB	9	RB17	CHI, @NO, BYE
46		Chase Edmonds	ARI	12	RB18	HOU, GB, @SF
47		James Conner	ARI	12	RB19	HOU, GB, @SF
48		Josh Jacobs	LV	8	RB20	PHI, BYE, @NYG
49		Chris Godwin	TB	9	WR20	CHI, @NO, BYE
50		Marquise Brown	BAL	8	WR21	CIN, BYE, MIN
51		Javonte Williams	DEN	11	RB21	@CLE, WSH, @DAL
52	DOWN	Chris Carson	SEA	9	RB22	NO, JAX, BYE
53		Cordarrelle Patterson	ATL	6	RB23	@MIA, CAR, @NO
54		Courtland Sutton	DEN	11	WR22	@CLE, WSH, @DAL
55	UP	Antonio Brown	TB	9	WR23	CHI, @NO, BYE
56		Dak Prescott	DAL	7	QB8	BYE, @MIN, DEN
57	UP	Aaron Rodgers	GB	13	QB9	WSH, @ARI, @KC
58	UP	Matthew Stafford	LAR	11	QB10	DET, @HOU, TEN
59	UP	Chuba Hubbard	CAR	13	RB24	@NYG, @ATL, NE
60		Mark Andrews	BAL	8	TE3	CIN, BYE, MIN
61		Robert Woods	LAR	11	WR24	DET, @HOU, TEN
62	DOWN	Myles Gaskin	MIA	14	RB25	ATL, @BUF, HOU
63		Damien Harris	NE	14	RB26	NYJ, @LAC, @CAR
64	DOWN	Tyler Lockett	SEA	9	WR25	NO, JAX, BYE
65		Tee Higgins	CIN	10	WR26	@BAL, @NYJ, CLE
66		Amari Cooper	DAL	7	WR27	BYE, @MIN, DEN
67		Kyle Pitts	ATL	6	TE4	@MIA, CAR, @NO
68		T.J. Hockenson	DET	9	TE5	@LAR, PHI, BYE
69	UP	Noah Fant	DEN	11	TE6	@CLE, WSH, @DAL
70	UP	J.D. McKissic	WSH	9	RB27	@GB, @den, BYE
71	DOWN	Allen Robinson II	CHI	10	WR28	@TB, SF, @PIT
72	DOWN	Zack Moss	BUF	7	RB28	BYE, MIA, @Jax
73	DOWN	Brandin Cooks	HOU	10	WR29	@ARI, LAR, @MIA
74		Miles Sanders	PHI	14	RB29	@LV, @DET, LAC
75	UP	Alex Collins	SEA	9	RB30	NO, JAX, BYE
76	DOWN	Melvin Gordon III	DEN	11	RB31	@CLE, WSH, @DAL
77	UP	Jaylen Waddle	MIA	14	WR30	ATL, @BUF, HOU
78	DOWN	Dawson Knox	BUF	7	TE7	BYE, MIA, @Jax
79	UP	Darrel Williams	KC	12	RB32	@TEN, NYG, GB
80	UP	Joe Burrow	CIN	10	QB11	@BAL, @NYJ, CLE
81	DOWN	Michael Pittman Jr.	IND	14	WR31	@SF, TEN, NYJ
82		Chase Claypool	PIT	7	WR32	BYE, @CLE, CHI
83	DOWN	David Montgomery	CHI	10	RB33	@TB, SF, @PIT
84	DOWN	Julio Jones	TEN	13	WR33	KC, @IND, @LAR
85	DOWN	Clyde Edwards-Helaire	KC	12	RB34	@TEN, NYG, GB
86	UP	Devontae Booker	NYG	10	RB35	CAR, @KC, LV
87		Elijah Mitchell	SF	6	RB36	IND, @CHI, ARI
88	DOWN	Kareem Hunt	CLE	13	RB37	DEN, PIT, @CIN
89	DOWN	DeVonta Smith	PHI	14	WR34	@LV, @DET, LAC
90	DOWN	Michael Carter	NYJ	6	RB38	@NE, CIN, @IND
91		Latavius Murray	BAL	8	RB39	CIN, BYE, MIN
92	DOWN	Alexander Mattison	MIN	7	RB40	BYE, DAL, @BAL
93	DOWN	Mike Davis	ATL	6	RB41	@MIA, CAR, @NO
94	DOWN	Damien Williams	CHI	10	RB42	@TB, SF, @PIT
95	DOWN	Devin Singletary	BUF	7	RB43	BYE, MIA, @Jax
96	UP	Tony Pollard	DAL	7	RB44	BYE, @MIN, DEN
97		AJ Dillon	GB	13	RB45	WSH, @ARI, @KC
98	UP	Kenyan Drake	LV	8	RB46	PHI, BYE, @NYG
99	UP	Marvin Jones Jr.	JAX	7	WR35	BYE, @SEA, BUF
100	UP	Michael Thomas	NO	6	WR36	@SEA, TB, ATL

Top 40 Quarterbacks​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	23		Josh Allen	BUF	7	BYE, MIA, @Jax
2	24		Kyler Murray	ARI	12	HOU, GB, @SF
3	25		Patrick Mahomes	KC	12	@TEN, NYG, GB
4	26		Lamar Jackson	BAL	8	CIN, BYE, MIN
5	27		Jalen Hurts	PHI	14	@LV, @DET, LAC
6	36		Justin Herbert	LAC	7	BYE, NE, @PHI
7	37		Tom Brady	TB	9	CHI, @NO, BYE
8	56		Dak Prescott	DAL	7	BYE, @MIN, DEN
9	57		Aaron Rodgers	GB	13	WSH, @ARI, @KC
10	58		Matthew Stafford	LAR	11	DET, @HOU, TEN
11	80		Joe Burrow	CIN	10	@BAL, @NYJ, CLE
12	115		Kirk Cousins	MIN	7	BYE, DAL, @BAL
13	116		Ryan Tannehill	TEN	13	KC, @IND, @LAR
14	121		Russell Wilson	SEA	9	NO, JAX, BYE
15	125		Derek Carr	LV	8	PHI, BYE, @NYG
16	126		Matt Ryan	ATL	6	@MIA, CAR, @NO
17	134		Daniel Jones	NYG	10	CAR, @KC, LV
18	136		Sam Darnold	CAR	13	@NYG, @ATL, NE
19	139		Baker Mayfield	CLE	13	DEN, PIT, @CIN
20	140		Teddy Bridgewater	DEN	11	@CLE, WSH, @DAL
21	183		Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	7	BYE, @CLE, CHI
22	185		Carson Wentz	IND	14	@SF, TEN, NYJ
23	188		Trevor Lawrence	JAX	7	BYE, @SEA, BUF
24	189	UP	Tua Tagovailoa	MIA	14	ATL, @BUF, HOU
25	190		Jimmy Garoppolo	SF	6	IND, @CHI, ARI
26	191		Trey Lance	SF	6	IND, @CHI, ARI
27	192		Jameis Winston	NO	6	@SEA, TB, ATL
28	193		Mac Jones	NE	14	NYJ, @LAC, @CAR
29	194		Justin Fields	CHI	10	@TB, SF, @PIT
30	195		Taylor Heinicke	WSH	9	@GB, @den, BYE
31	196		Jared Goff	DET	9	@LAR, PHI, BYE
32	NR		Zach Wilson	NYJ	6	@NE, CIN, @IND
33	NR		Andy Dalton	CHI	10	@TB, SF, @PIT
34	NR		Jacoby Brissett	MIA	14	ATL, @BUF, HOU
35	NR		Geno Smith	SEA	9	NO, JAX, BYE
36	NR		Davis Mills	HOU	10	@ARI, LAR, @MIA
37	NR		Tyrod Taylor	HOU	10	@ARI, LAR, @MIA
38	NR		Ryan Fitzpatrick	WSH	9	@GB, @den, BYE
39	NR	UP	Case Keenum	CLE	13	DEN, PIT, @CIN
40	NR		Taysom Hill	NO	6	@SEA, TB, ATL

Top 60 Running Backs​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	1		Derrick Henry	TEN	13	KC, @IND, @LAR
2	2		Alvin Kamara	NO	6	@SEA, TB, ATL
3	3		Austin Ekeler	LAC	7	BYE, NE, @PHI
4	4		Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	7	BYE, @MIN, DEN
5	5		Jonathan Taylor	IND	14	@SF, TEN, NYJ
6	6		Najee Harris	PIT	7	BYE, @CLE, CHI
7	7		Dalvin Cook	MIN	7	BYE, DAL, @BAL
8	8		Aaron Jones	GB	13	WSH, @ARI, @KC
9	12		James Robinson	JAX	7	BYE, @SEA, BUF
10	13	UP	Joe Mixon	CIN	10	@BAL, @NYJ, CLE
11	16		Nick Chubb	CLE	13	DEN, PIT, @CIN
12	20		D'Andre Swift	DET	9	@LAR, PHI, BYE
13	21		Antonio Gibson	WSH	9	@GB, @den, BYE
14	38	DOWN	Christian McCaffrey	CAR	13	@NYG, @ATL, NE
15	39		Saquon Barkley	NYG	10	CAR, @KC, LV
16	44	UP	Darrell Henderson Jr.	LAR	11	DET, @HOU, TEN
17	45	UP	Leonard Fournette	TB	9	CHI, @NO, BYE
18	46		Chase Edmonds	ARI	12	HOU, GB, @SF
19	47		James Conner	ARI	12	HOU, GB, @SF
20	48		Josh Jacobs	LV	8	PHI, BYE, @NYG
21	51		Javonte Williams	DEN	11	@CLE, WSH, @DAL
22	52	DOWN	Chris Carson	SEA	9	NO, JAX, BYE
23	53		Cordarrelle Patterson	ATL	6	@MIA, CAR, @NO
24	59	UP	Chuba Hubbard	CAR	13	@NYG, @ATL, NE
25	62	DOWN	Myles Gaskin	MIA	14	ATL, @BUF, HOU
26	63		Damien Harris	NE	14	NYJ, @LAC, @CAR
27	70	UP	J.D. McKissic	WSH	9	@GB, @den, BYE
28	72		Zack Moss	BUF	7	BYE, MIA, @Jax
29	74		Miles Sanders	PHI	14	@LV, @DET, LAC
30	75	UP	Alex Collins	SEA	9	NO, JAX, BYE
31	76	DOWN	Melvin Gordon III	DEN	11	@CLE, WSH, @DAL
32	79	UP	Darrel Williams	KC	12	@TEN, NYG, GB
33	83	DOWN	David Montgomery	CHI	10	@TB, SF, @PIT
34	85	DOWN	Clyde Edwards-Helaire	KC	12	@TEN, NYG, GB
35	86	UP	Devontae Booker	NYG	10	CAR, @KC, LV
36	87		Elijah Mitchell	SF	6	IND, @CHI, ARI
37	88	DOWN	Kareem Hunt	CLE	13	DEN, PIT, @CIN
38	90	DOWN	Michael Carter	NYJ	6	@NE, CIN, @IND
39	91	UP	Latavius Murray	BAL	8	CIN, BYE, MIN
40	92	DOWN	Alexander Mattison	MIN	7	BYE, DAL, @BAL
41	93	DOWN	Mike Davis	ATL	6	@MIA, CAR, @NO
42	94	DOWN	Damien Williams	CHI	10	@TB, SF, @PIT
43	95	DOWN	Devin Singletary	BUF	7	BYE, MIA, @Jax
44	96		Tony Pollard	DAL	7	BYE, @MIN, DEN
45	97		AJ Dillon	GB	13	WSH, @ARI, @KC
46	98	UP	Kenyan Drake	LV	8	PHI, BYE, @NYG
47	105		Sony Michel	LAR	11	DET, @HOU, TEN
48	106		Jamaal Williams	DET	9	@LAR, PHI, BYE
49	107	UP	Khalil Herbert	CHI	10	@TB, SF, @PIT
50	114	DOWN	Trey Sermon	SF	6	IND, @CHI, ARI
51	119		Nyheim Hines	IND	14	@SF, TEN, NYJ
52	120	DOWN	Kenneth Gainwell	PHI	14	@LV, @DET, LAC
53	123		Rhamondre Stevenson	NE	14	NYJ, @LAC, @CAR
54	144	UP	Devonta Freeman	BAL	8	CIN, BYE, MIN
55	145		Ronald Jones II	TB	9	CHI, @NO, BYE
56	149		Giovani Bernard	TB	9	CHI, @NO, BYE
57	152	UP	Rashaad Penny	SEA	9	NO, JAX, BYE
58	154	UP	Le'Veon Bell	BAL	8	CIN, BYE, MIN
59	157		Tarik Cohen	CHI	10	@TB, SF, @PIT
60	163		Marlon Mack	IND	14	@SF, TEN, NYJ

Top 60 Wide Receivers​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	9		Davante Adams	GB	13	WSH, @ARI, @KC
2	10		Tyreek Hill	KC	12	@TEN, NYG, GB
3	11	UP	Cooper Kupp	LAR	11	DET, @HOU, TEN
4	14		Justin Jefferson	MIN	7	BYE, DAL, @BAL
5	15		Terry McLaurin	WSH	9	@GB, @den, BYE
6	17	DOWN	Stefon Diggs	BUF	7	BYE, MIA, @Jax
7	19		DeAndre Hopkins	ARI	12	HOU, GB, @SF
8	22		Calvin Ridley	ATL	6	@MIA, CAR, @NO
9	28		DK Metcalf	SEA	9	NO, JAX, BYE
10	29	UP	Ja'Marr Chase	CIN	10	@BAL, @NYJ, CLE
11	30		Mike Williams	LAC	7	BYE, NE, @PHI
12	31	UP	CeeDee Lamb	DAL	7	BYE, @MIN, DEN
13	32	DOWN	Mike Evans	TB	9	CHI, @NO, BYE
14	34		Keenan Allen	LAC	7	BYE, NE, @PHI
15	35		Adam Thielen	MIN	7	BYE, DAL, @BAL
16	40		DJ Moore	CAR	13	@NYG, @ATL, NE
17	41	UP	A.J. Brown	TEN	13	KC, @IND, @LAR
18	42	UP	Diontae Johnson	PIT	7	BYE, @CLE, CHI
19	43	DOWN	Deebo Samuel	SF	6	IND, @CHI, ARI
20	49		Chris Godwin	TB	9	CHI, @NO, BYE
21	50		Marquise Brown	BAL	8	CIN, BYE, MIN
22	54		Courtland Sutton	DEN	11	@CLE, WSH, @DAL
23	55	UP	Antonio Brown	TB	9	CHI, @NO, BYE
24	61		Robert Woods	LAR	11	DET, @HOU, TEN
25	64	DOWN	Tyler Lockett	SEA	9	NO, JAX, BYE
26	65		Tee Higgins	CIN	10	@BAL, @NYJ, CLE
27	66		Amari Cooper	DAL	7	BYE, @MIN, DEN
28	71	DOWN	Allen Robinson II	CHI	10	@TB, SF, @PIT
29	73		Brandin Cooks	HOU	10	@ARI, LAR, @MIA
30	77	UP	Jaylen Waddle	MIA	14	ATL, @BUF, HOU
31	81		Michael Pittman Jr.	IND	14	@SF, TEN, NYJ
32	82		Chase Claypool	PIT	7	BYE, @CLE, CHI
33	84	DOWN	Julio Jones	TEN	13	KC, @IND, @LAR
34	89	DOWN	DeVonta Smith	PHI	14	@LV, @DET, LAC
35	99	UP	Marvin Jones Jr.	JAX	7	BYE, @SEA, BUF
36	100	UP	Michael Thomas	NO	6	@SEA, TB, ATL
37	101		Henry Ruggs III	LV	8	PHI, BYE, @NYG
38	102	DOWN	Corey Davis	NYJ	6	@NE, CIN, @IND
39	103		Hunter Renfrow	LV	8	PHI, BYE, @NYG
40	104		Tyler Boyd	CIN	10	@BAL, @NYJ, CLE
41	108		Laviska Shenault Jr.	JAX	7	BYE, @SEA, BUF
42	122		Kadarius Toney	NYG	10	CAR, @KC, LV
43	124		Emmanuel Sanders	BUF	7	BYE, MIA, @Jax
44	130		Rondale Moore	ARI	12	HOU, GB, @SF
45	131	UP	A.J. Green	ARI	12	HOU, GB, @SF
46	132	UP	Sterling Shepard	NYG	10	CAR, @KC, LV
47	133	UP	Christian Kirk	ARI	12	HOU, GB, @SF
48	135	UP	K.J. Osborn	MIN	7	BYE, DAL, @BAL
49	137		Randall Cobb	GB	13	WSH, @ARI, @KC
50	138		Brandon Aiyuk	SF	6	IND, @CHI, ARI
51	141	DOWN	Jakobi Meyers	NE	14	NYJ, @LAC, @CAR
52	142		Van Jefferson	LAR	11	DET, @HOU, TEN
53	143		Marquez Callaway	NO	6	@SEA, TB, ATL
54	146		William Fuller V	MIA	14	ATL, @BUF, HOU
55	148	UP	Tim Patrick	DEN	11	@CLE, WSH, @DAL
56	150	UP	Kalif Raymond	DET	9	@LAR, PHI, BYE
57	151		Cole Beasley	BUF	7	BYE, MIA, @Jax
58	153	DOWN	Robby Anderson	CAR	13	@NYG, @ATL, NE
59	155	UP	Donovan Peoples-Jones	CLE	13	DEN, PIT, @CIN
60	156	DOWN	Odell Beckham Jr.	CLE	13	DEN, PIT, @CIN

Top 30 Tight Ends​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		PLAYER	TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	18		Travis Kelce	KC	12	@TEN, NYG, GB
2	33		Darren Waller	LV	8	PHI, BYE, @NYG
3	60		Mark Andrews	BAL	8	CIN, BYE, MIN
4	67		Kyle Pitts	ATL	6	@MIA, CAR, @NO
5	68		T.J. Hockenson	DET	9	@LAR, PHI, BYE
6	69		Noah Fant	DEN	11	@CLE, WSH, @DAL
7	78		Dawson Knox	BUF	7	BYE, MIA, @Jax
8	109	UP	Mike Gesicki	MIA	14	ATL, @BUF, HOU
9	110		Hunter Henry	NE	14	NYJ, @LAC, @CAR
10	111		Dalton Schultz	DAL	7	BYE, @MIN, DEN
11	112		Tyler Higbee	LAR	11	DET, @HOU, TEN
12	113		George Kittle	SF	6	IND, @CHI, ARI
13	117		Dallas Goedert	PHI	14	@LV, @DET, LAC
14	118	UP	Zach Ertz	ARI	12	HOU, GB, @SF
15	127		Jared Cook	LAC	7	BYE, NE, @PHI
16	128		Rob Gronkowski	TB	9	CHI, @NO, BYE
17	129	DOWN	Logan Thomas	WSH	9	@GB, @den, BYE
18	147		Robert Tonyan	GB	13	WSH, @ARI, @KC
19	170		David Njoku	CLE	13	DEN, PIT, @CIN
20	179	UP	Ricky Seals-Jones	WSH	9	@GB, @den, BYE
21	181	DOWN	Jonnu Smith	NE	14	NYJ, @LAC, @CAR
22	182		Dan Arnold	JAX	7	BYE, @SEA, BUF
23	187		Jack Doyle	IND	14	@SF, TEN, NYJ
24	NR		Blake Jarwin	DAL	7	BYE, @MIN, DEN
25	NR	UP	Pat Freiermuth	PIT	7	BYE, @CLE, CHI
26	NR		Juwan Johnson	NO	6	@SEA, TB, ATL
27	NR	DOWN	Austin Hooper	CLE	13	DEN, PIT, @CIN
28	NR		Mo Alie-Cox	IND	14	@SF, TEN, NYJ
29	NR		C.J. Uzomah	CIN	10	@BAL, @NYJ, CLE
30	NR		Cameron Brate	TB	9	CHI, @NO, BYE
31	NR		O.J. Howard	TB	9	CHI, @NO, BYE
32	NR		Evan Engram	NYG	10	CAR, @KC, LV
33	NR		Tommy Tremble	CAR	13	@NYG, @ATL, NE
34	NR		Gerald Everett	SEA	9	NO, JAX, BYE
35	NR		Hayden Hurst	ATL	6	@MIA, CAR, @NO
36	NR		Tyler Conklin	MIN	7	BYE, DAL, @BAL
37	NR		Cole Kmet	CHI	10	@TB, SF, @PIT
38	NR		Donald Parham Jr.	LAC	7	BYE, NE, @PHI
39	NR		Anthony Firkser	TEN	13	KC, @IND, @LAR
40	NR		Foster Moreau	LV	8	PHI, BYE, @NYG

Top 32 Team Defense/Special Teams​

POS. RANK	OVR. RANK		TEAM	BYE	NEXT 3
1	173		Bills D/ST	7	BYE, MIA, @Jax
2	175		Buccaneers D/ST	9	CHI, @NO, BYE
3	197		Rams D/ST	11	DET, @HOU, TEN
4	198	UP	Ravens D/ST	8	CIN, BYE, MIN
5	199	UP	Steelers D/ST	7	BYE, @CLE, CHI
6	200	UP	Broncos D/ST	11	@CLE, WSH, @DAL
7	NR	UP	Cardinals D/ST	12	HOU, GB, @SF
8	NR	UP	Cowboys D/ST	7	BYE, @MIN, DEN
9	NR		Bears D/ST	10	@TB, SF, @PIT
10	NR		Saints D/ST	6	@SEA, TB, ATL
11	NR	DOWN	49ers D/ST	6	IND, @CHI, ARI
12	NR	DOWN	Browns D/ST	13	DEN, PIT, @CIN
13	NR	DOWN	Patriots D/ST	14	NYJ, @LAC, @CAR
14	NR		Colts D/ST	14	@SF, TEN, NYJ
15	NR		Panthers D/ST	13	@NYG, @ATL, NE
16	NR		Vikings D/ST	7	BYE, DAL, @BAL
17	NR		Packers D/ST	13	WSH, @ARI, @KC
18	NR		Chiefs D/ST	12	@TEN, NYG, GB
19	NR		Eagles D/ST	14	@LV, @DET, LAC
20	NR		Dolphins D/ST	14	ATL, @BUF, HOU
21	NR		Chargers D/ST	7	BYE, NE, @PHI
22	NR		Seahawks D/ST	9	NO, JAX, BYE
23	NR	DOWN	Washington D/ST	9	@GB, @den, BYE
24	NR	UP	Raiders D/ST	8	PHI, BYE, @NYG
25	NR		Jets D/ST	6	@NE, CIN, @IND
26	NR		Titans D/ST	13	KC, @IND, @LAR
27	NR		Giants D/ST	10	CAR, @KC, LV
28	NR		Lions D/ST	9	@LAR, PHI, BYE
29	NR		Bengals D/ST	10	@BAL, @NYJ, CLE
30	NR		Falcons D/ST	6	@MIA, CAR, @NO
31	NR		Texans D/ST	10	@ARI, LAR, @MIA
32	NR		Jaguars D/ST	7	BYE, @SEA, BUF

 

[Wagerallsports]

Fantasy football waiver wire for NFL Week 8: Mining the NFC East for pickups​

ESPN PLUS


Congratulations!

You've navigated the most difficult week of the fantasy football season, as Week 7 presented significant challenges with countless good players either on their bye or simply out because of injury.

Week 7 was the only week during the NFL calendar this season that scheduled six teams for a bye, which left us without the likes of Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Dalton Schultz, Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, Keenan Allen, James Robinson, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook, Diontae Johnson and Najee Harris.

Many, many more names were also unavailable for fantasy managers. We are all glad this past week is over. Now, byes are hardly gone forever and, in fact, 24 teams have still have yet to take theirs -- starting with the Ravens and Raiders in Week 8. Still, there has to be some rejoicing that the hardest week is behind us.

So, let's look forward and dive into the Week 8 ESPN Fantasy waiver-wire conversation below.

Note: All players on this column are available in at least 50% of leagues on ESPN.com.

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, (25.64% rostered) and Boston Scott, RB, (0.7%), Philadelphia Eagles: Miles Sanders left early in Week 7 due to an ankle injury, forcing the Eagles to turn to Gainwell and Scott, who both found the end zone. Gainwell is the better receiver and already had a role this season, while Scott had largely been relegated to a depth-level spot within the Philadelphia offense. So, while my preference would be to add Gainwell (more receiving upside), both merit consideration because I don't think either one will dominate the vast majority of touches. Because of that uncertainty, I'm not sure either player is a "lock it in" starter, even as I do recommend prioritizing Gainwell.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers (1.6%): While it's unclear right now if MVS will even play on Thursday night after dealing with an injury that's kept him out for about a month, the Packers are severely thin at wide receiver after both Davante Adams and Allen Lazard landed on the COVID-19 list. Good things tend to come when you play with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and while this is still a roll of the dice, hopefully MVS finds somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-7 targets and one long catch, as he's also possesses elite long speed.

Dante Pettis, WR, New York Giants (0.6%): After a rash of injuries in the huddle, Pettis has become an unlikely top target for the Giants over the last two weeks. He has a total of 16 targets over the past two games and picked up a touchdown in Week 7. While his value would certainly diminish if several of the Giants' top pass-catchers (Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney) were to be available in Week 8, it's too soon to tell if that will indeed be the case. Either way, it's good to see the former second-round pick taking advantage of this opportunity.

Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens (17.2%): The first-rounder has played in just two games this season and already looks like he'll have a nice home within the Ravens offense. He has posted back-to-back games with six targets and on Sunday he turned them into 80 receiving yards against the Bengals. Baltimore is extremely optimistic about his outlook as a player and, while they head into a bye this week, this is a "talent add" for a guy who should only improve as the season moves along.

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins (42.4%): The Dolphins quarterback has returned from an injury and has now delivered in back-to-back weeks for fantasy purposes. He has recorded nearly 24.0 points per game and completed over 70% of his passes in both contests. While his Week 8 matchup against the Bills is more daunting, I think the play here is to add Tagovailoa now before you need a bye-week fill-in later. For example, Tom Brady is on a bye in Week 9 and Matthew Stafford has Week 11 off. Miami faces favorable matchups in the Texans and the Jets, respectively, in those two weeks.

Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona Cardinals (30.8%): The Cardinals offense just keeps on rolling and Kirk has been rock-solid as a part of this roll. He has had five games this season with 50-plus receiving yards and five games with double-digit fantasy points. While DeAndre Hopkins figures to lead the team in targets and others like A.J. Green and Rondale Moore will also have a role, there's been enough to go around for Kirk. Snatch him up in deeper leagues. He has had three games with eight targets this season. When you have Kyler Murray as your quarterback, you have a chance.

Russell Gage, WR, Atlanta Falcons (9.9%): Gage was a fairly trendy preseason sleeper, but he's been limited to just three games so far this year, including a goose egg in Week 1. With that being said, he looked much more like the 2020 version of himself in Week 7, when he posted four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown on six targets. Gage plays in an offense that is one of the higher-volume passing units in the league. Matt Ryan has thrown at least 35 passes in every game this season and Gage figures to be a potential top-three option for Atlanta weekly. He's a nice deeper-league add.

Foster Moreau, TE, Las Vegas Raiders (0.2%): The Raiders head into their bye this week, affording Darren Waller an extra week to get healthy after an ankle injury kept him out of Week 7. If Waller is back in Week 9, Moreau's value is toast, but he stepped up and did a darn good job filling in for Waller in Week 7, catching six passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. Moreau is a solid player who just happens to be behind one of the best tight ends in the league, so his production should not be a total shock. If Waller's injury lingers, I'll have Moreau as a top-12 consideration in Week 9.

 

[Wagerallsports]

Fantasy football flex and superflex rankings for Week 8​

ESPN PLUS

Welcome to Week 8 and the latest edition of the fantasy football superflex rankings, as we combine the best of the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends into one tidy package of 150 names to aid in your decision-making. Only two teams are on a bye this week (Ravens, Raiders). Follow our projections and myriad words online and in videos to help in roster decisions, but just trust your gut, too. Good luck in Week 8 and beyond!

1. Josh Allen, QB, Bills: Leads all quarterbacks in fantasy points per contest and this week, he plays Miami. Nice.
2. Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams: Here is the No. 1 overall scorer. Would have gotten pretty great odds on this one back in August.
3. Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals: No. 3 QB scorer but a mere 10th in rushing yards at the position. Still, it is all working out. Packers matchup is tough, but you cannot sit him.
4. Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams
5. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs: Nobody has more interceptions. That noted, Mahomes is fifth in QB scoring. Faces Giants on Monday. Should bounce back nicely.
6. Derrick Henry, RB, Titans: Comes off worst game since Week 1. Something to watch is his decreased passing game usage. We were so excited about this until recently.
7. Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints: No decreased anything for him in Week 7. But no other Saints are fantasy-relevant.
8. Tom Brady, QB, Buccaneers
9. Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles: Cannot recall another player whose fantasy and real-life performance were so vastly different. He might really get benched soon.
10. Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers
11. Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys
12. Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings
13. D'Andre Swift, RB, Lions: The next Kamara. Seriously, trade for him if still possible. Eagles will not stop him this week.
14. Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs: Still nothing to worry about here. Ample targets. The interceptions do not go on his ledger.
15. Najee Harris, RB, Steelers: More than 20 PPR points in four consecutive and even at Cleveland, with his volume, he is safe.
16. Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers
17. Daniel Jones, QB, Giants: He throws. He runs. He even catches passes. Jones should get numbers against sputtering Chiefs defense.
18. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals: Just annihilated the Ravens defense, so no matchup should scare you. Now he plays the Jets.
19. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Broncos
20. Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings
21. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
22. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Bengals: On pace for around 7 million receiving yards. OK, not quite, but it feels like it.
23. Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Rams: Not to jinx him, but only one missed game and now comes a great matchup versus Texans. Enjoy it.
24. James Robinson, RB, Jaguars
25. Nick Chubb, RB, Browns: Expected to return from calf injury this week, but no word yet on what kind of workload he gets. Browns have such ample running back depth.
26. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts
27. Aaron Jones, RB, Packers: We presume Davante Adams is out, so perhaps the Packers let Jones top 20 touches.
28. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Titans: Titans are winning, but their QB still has not reached 20 points since Week 3.
29. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers: Watch him throw for 300 yards even sans his top receiver.
30. Carson Wentz, QB, Colts
31. Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons
32. Taylor Heinicke, QB, Washington: He ran for 95 yards last week and topped 20 PPR points for the fourth time. Overall numbers look much like Daniel Jones, which is just fine.
33. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars: Comes off bye week with fewer points than 25 QBs. Not what we had in mind.
34. Stefon Diggs, WR, Bills
35. DJ Moore, WR, Panthers
36. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys
37. Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals: He has RB1 numbers, though pedestrian receiving numbers are a worry. Had nary a target in win over Ravens.
38. Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers
39. A.J. Brown, WR, Titans: Back on track in wins over Bills and Chiefs. Certainly could be a WR1 soon.
40. Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs
41. Cordarrelle Patterson, RB, Falcons: OK, I am convinced he is a safe RB2 now. Notice he passed his ballyhooed teammate Ridley in these rankings. He is easily outscoring him.
42. Calvin Ridley, WR, Falcons: Everyone pegged him for WR1 status and he has not delivered. Had only 26 receiving yards last week. Key week versus Panthers for his fantasy value.
43. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Cardinals
44. Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings
45. Leonard Fournette, RB, Buccaneers: Tough matchup at Saints, but he is barely sharing touches. This is an RB2.
46. Diontae Johnson, WR, Steelers
47. Mike Williams, WR, Chargers
48. Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers
49. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington: Perhaps someday he will have a QB1 to play with. Can only imagine his numbers then.
50. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
51. Jared Goff, QB, Lions: Hard to believe Goff twice threw for more than 4,600 yards. This version will fall short, though he is a reasonable QB2 for Eagles matchup.
52. Jameis Winston, QB, Saints
53. Mac Jones, QB, Patriots
54. DK Metcalf, WR, Seahawks: Made one big play on Monday to salvage statistical game, but overall he really, really needs Russell Wilson back.
55. Antonio Brown, WR, Buccaneers: He leads Bucs WRs in PPR points per game, so perhaps it is time we rank him that way. No, really. Make sure he returns to action this week, though.
56. Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers
57. Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers
58. Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos
59. Damien Harris, RB, Patriots: Can make it three 100-yard rushing games in a row against the Chargers, who by the way, are not what most think defensively.
60. Robert Woods, WR, Rams
61. Geno Smith, QB, Seahawks
62. Sam Darnold, QB, Panthers: Could easily be P.J. Walker early in this one, but who is still relying on Darnold? Other than Carolina, of course.
63. Baker Mayfield, QB, Browns: Might return from messy shoulder, but you should look elsewhere regardless.
64. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers
65. Tyrod Taylor, QB, Texans: Perhaps Davis Mills is not the future for this club.
66. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins
67. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, 49ers: The minute Trey Lance is ready he really should be the starter. His legs alone should make him fantasy viable.
68. Justin Fields, QB, Bears
69. Joe Flacco/Mike White, QB, Jets: Either way, what are you doing investing here? I will say Flacco, even at this stage, is a clear upgrade.
70. Chuba Hubbard, RB, Panthers
71. Khalil Herbert, RB, Bears: Just ran for 100 yards on mighty Bucs run defense. He has to play over Damien Williams.
72. Elijah Mitchell, RB, 49ers: Looks the part of solid RB2, and Bears can be run on.
73. Brandin Cooks, WR, Texans
74. Kadarius Toney, WR, Giants: Ankle injury could make him unavailable again, but if he plays, he is relevant.
75. Devontae Booker, RB, Giants
76. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington: Should rush for 1,000 yards, but I cannot help but think, "is this all there is?"
77. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts
78. Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons: Looks like the next Travis Kelce, right?
79. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Bills
80. Alex Collins, RB, Seahawks: Held in check by Saints, but now he gets the Jaguars. Running out of time to solidify role before Chris Carson returns.
81. Chase Edmonds, RB, Cardinals
82. Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals
83. Amari Cooper, WR, Cowboys
84. Julio Jones, WR, Titans
85. Sterling Shepard, WR, Giants
86. Darrel Williams, RB, Chiefs: Nothing special, but likely keeps some role even when Clyde Edwards-Helaire returns.
87. Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Eagles: No Miles Sanders this week, but the way the Eagles utilize running backs, will anyone notice?
88. Zack Moss, RB, Bills
89. Michael Carter, RB, Jets: Should be the three-down back. Nice future here.
90. Javonte Williams, RB, Broncos
91. James Conner, RB, Cardinals: Five receiving targets versus six rushing touchdowns this season. One of my favorite stats.
92. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Broncos: Do not forget him! He is back from ankle injury, and he is a game-breaker.
93. Chase Claypool, WR, Steelers
94. J.D. McKissic, RB, Washington
95. Jamaal Williams, RB, Lions: No role in passing game with Swift around, but does have 50-plus rushing yards in three of four games.
96. Melvin Gordon III, RB, Broncos
97. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks: I needed 2.2 PPR points from him on Monday to win a matchup and, LOL, he scored 3.2. You can sit him, even against Jags.
98. DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles: His QB is just so inaccurate. Yes, Gardner Minshew II would be better for Smith, much better in fact.
99. Marvin Jones Jr., WR, Jaguars
100. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins
101. Myles Gaskin, RB, Dolphins
102. Nyheim Hines, RB, Colts
103. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Lions: Still only one game with more than 75 receiving yards, and no TDs since Week 2. Not all his fault, of course.
104. Boston Scott, RB, Eagles: Again, he should play, but relying on an Eagles RB seems so risky.
105. Tony Pollard, RB, Cowboys
106. Kalif Raymond, WR, Lions
107. A.J. Green, WR, Cardinals: Averaging 11.6 yards per target, which is easily a career best.
108. Randall Cobb, WR, Packers: Have to think he sees ample targets on Thursday. Who else is left?
109. Noah Fant, TE, Broncos
110. Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins: Quiet in first Bills matchup, but still trending toward top-five TE status.
111. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Buccaneers
112. Dallas Goedert, TE, Eagles
113. DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins
114. Cole Beasley, WR, Bills
115. Devin Singletary, RB, Bills
116. D'Ernest Johnson, RB, Browns: Interested to see how many touches he gets if Chubb is active. Could play the Kareem Hunt role.
117. Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Jaguars
118. Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals: Has obviously been chased out of WR3 status, but this is a Jets matchup, so there is upside this week.
119. Samaje Perine, RB, Bengals
120. Mike Davis, RB, Falcons: You probably wish to move on, but Week 7 was his first single-digit PPR game this season. It is not all bad.
121. Damien Williams, RB, Bears
122. Corey Davis, WR, Jets: Do not laugh, but the Flacco trade definitely helps Davis. You know, if Flacco plays.
123. Kenny Golladay, WR, Giants: And you thought he would reach 1,100 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns again. Silly you.
124. Jakobi Meyers, WR, Patriots
125. Brandon Bolden, RB, Patriots
126. AJ Dillon, RB, Packers
127. Jerick McKinnon, RB, Chiefs: Surprised Mahomes does not throw his way a bit more. Nothing worked last week, though.
128. Dalton Schultz, TE, Cowboys
129. Tyler Higbee, TE, Rams
130. Robert Tonyan, TE, Packers: Nice red zone upside with Adams out.
131. Robby Anderson, WR, Panthers
132. Allen Robinson II, WR, Bears: You know it is bad when 76 other wide receivers average more PPR points per game. Wow.
133. Michael Gallup, WR, Cowboys
134. K.J. Osborn, WR, Vikings
135. Zach Ertz, TE, Cardinals: Definitely a red zone factor for his new team and likely TE1 option for us.
136. Ty Johnson, RB, Jets
137. JaMycal Hasty, RB, 49ers
138. David Johnson, RB, Texans: Has five receptions in two of past three games, a sign he could become relevant in fantasy.
139. Mark Ingram II, RB, Texans
140. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Browns: Averaging poor 6.8 yards per target, in case you were thinking he was just unlucky.
141. Jarvis Landry, WR, Browns
142. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts
143. Christian Kirk, WR, Cardinals
144. Jamison Crowder, WR, Jets
145. Russell Gage, WR, Falcons
146. Van Jefferson, WR, Rams
147. Tim Patrick, WR, Broncos
148. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Packers
149. Rashaad Penny, RB, Seahawks
150. Elijhaa Penny, RB, Giants: And we close with the Penny running back brothers, because you know you care. Family first! Elijhaa is three years older and has 10.8 more PPR points this season. We do not recommend a Penny brother for this week in fantasy, but remain open-minded in the future and we will follow this storyline all season because we care and it is fun.

 

[Wagerallsports]

Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: NFL Week 8 fantasy tips on start, sit, stream and more​

ESPN PLUS $ MATERIAL

The ESPN+ cheat sheet provides a rundown of the best tips from all of our fantasy football content. You'll find answers to the biggest start/sit questions of the week, along with injury updates, matchup advantages and wild-card plays from Matthew Berry, Eric Karabell, Mike Clay, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Matt Bowen, Field Yates, Seth Walder, Al Zeidenfeld and myself. It's all the best advice in one handy article.

Here's what our experts are saying about Week 8 in the NFL.

Top Tips for Week 8​

Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles (at Lions)

Hurts hasn't had the transcendent season many fantasy managers were expecting, but he has still been productive. "Hurts is now 7-for-7 on the season in scoring at least 20 fantasy points in a game," writes Matthew Berry in this week's fantasy football Love, Hate and Blind Résumés. "The man is seemingly incapable of not producing in fantasy, no matter how poorly his team -- or even Hurts himself some weeks -- performs." He now faces a Lions defense that has allowed 275.2 passing yards per game over its last five to Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields, Kirk Cousins, Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford. The second-year quarterback will put on a show against Detroit and silence his critics. Hurts has averaged 51.6 rushing yards per game this season. The Lions allowed 58 rushing yards to Jackson in Week 3.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Cowboys)

"You're never excited to have Cousins in your starting lineup," Berry wrote. "It's like opening your freezer to grab some dessert and there's just a tub of half-eaten vanilla ice cream in there. Then you open the lid and the top layer is covered with frost." Cousins, however, averages 294.8 passing yards per game this season. The Vikings have scored 87% of their touchdowns through the passing game. As for the Cowboys, they allowed the ninth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. According to Berry, "teams facing Dallas are averaging the seventh-most pass attempts per game and the Cowboys allow 295 passing yards per game, fifth-most in the league."

Dallas' running game

Seth Walder believes that the Cowboys have an individual mismatch that greatly benefits the team. "The great Tyron Smith is still producing on the ground -- he ranks 10th in run block win rate at tackle -- and he'll have D.J. Wonnum across from him," writes Walder in his fantasy football quarterback and running back upgrades/downgrades. "That's a cake assignment for Smith in the run game, because Wonnum is the worst-rated run-stopper at edge among qualifiers, period." Ezekiel Elliott should continue to provide you with RB1 returns in this matchup, but Tony Pollard remains a flex option as well. Each game, this dynamic duo averages 27.2 rushing attempts, 147.8 rushing yards, and a touchdown. Elliott and Pollard are likely to surpass these per-game averages against the Vikings.

Playing the matchups​

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Denver Broncos (vs. Football Team)

"The QB2 tier is loaded with attractive matchups plays during Week 8, but few stand out to Bridgewater's extent." writes Tristan H. Cockcroft in his best and worst matchups at each position column. "Washington's defense sports a bevy of league-worst rankings: Most fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks (186.82, or 26.7 per game) and most adjusted fantasy points allowed to the position (4.7) for the season, and most fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks (143.98, or 28.8 per game) and most points per pass attempt allowed (0.63) during the past five weeks." As for passing attempts of 20 or more yards, Bridgewater has the fourth-most. With that stat, the matchup and the return of electrifying receiver Jerry Jeudy, he's firmly on the streaming radar.

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (at Lions)

Miles Sanders left early in Week 7 because of an ankle injury, forcing the Eagles to turn to Gainwell and Scott, who both found the end zone," writes Field Yates in his waiver wire column. "Gainwell is the better receiver and already had a role this season, while [Boston] Scott had largely been relegated to a depth-level spot within the Philadelphia offense." There are only five running backs who have more red zone targets than Gainwell this season: Najee Harris, D'Andre Swift, Aaron Jones, Leonard Fournette and Cordarrelle Patterson. Over the past five games, the Lions' defense has allowed some monster performances by running backs. In their games against Detroit, Latavius Murray, David Montgomery, Alexander Mattison, Joe Mixon, and Darrell Henderson Jr. averaged 20.6 touches, 100.8 total yards and 17.88 points. In this week's game, Gainwell might have his best performance to date.

James Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars (at Seahawks)

"Robinson has at least 19 touches and a touchdown in four straight games, and is averaging 21.7 PPG over that stretch," Berry writes. "He's also getting a ton of usage at the goal line with nine goal-to-go rushes in those four games, tied for third-most among backs. Now, with a week of rest, Robinson faces a Seattle team allowing 111.3 rushing yards to running backs this season and the second-most fantasy points to backs." The Seahawks defense has provided the runway for some exceptional fantasy performances to running backs this season. Alvin Kamara, Najee Harris, Henderson, Trey Sermon, and Mattison all excelled against them over the last five games. This group averaged 21.5 points per game.

Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos (vs. Football Team)
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos (vs. Football Team)
Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos (vs. Football Team)

"Jeudy is expected back from injury this week, which is bad news for a Washington defense that is already struggling against the pass," writes Clay in his tremendous best and worst WR/CB matchups. "Washington has allowed the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers (eighth most over expected), as well as the most to the perimeter and second-most to the slot. Jackson (104 fantasy points allowed), who missed Week 7, and Fuller (96) were supposed to be one of the league's top CB duos, but instead both rank among [the 5 worst] defenders in fantasy points allowed this season. Washington is surrendering an astounding 46.1 fantasy points per game to wideouts, including at least 39 points in six of seven games." Emmanuel Sanders, Calvin Ridley, Marquez Callaway, Tyreek Hill, and Davante Adams all had great games against this secondary over the past five weeks. This group averaged 9.2 targets, 6.2 receptions, 82.2 receiving yards, and 21.62 points per game. For Jeudy to deliver such a performance would not be surprising.

Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (at Jets)

Clay also likes Boyd's matchup against Jets slot cornerback Michael Carter II. Boyd ranked third in targets last week behind alpha wideout Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who led the Bengals with 15 targets. The Bengals continue to lean more on quarterback Joe Burrow and his arm each week, so he could see more targets. Perhaps this will be the matchup Cincinnati exploits.

DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (at Lions)

"Smith hasn't reached the end zone since Week 1 on a schemed route to give the rookie free access off the ball versus man coverage," Bowen wrote in his film room column. "And the only time Smith has topped the 100-yard receiving mark this season was back in Week 4 against a struggling Kansas City defense. However, with a pretty good matchup this Sunday against the Lions, I like Smith as an upside WR3 in PPR formats." Despite averaging 7.6 targets and 100.4 air yards per game, Smith catches only 4.6 passes per game. Hurts' accuracy remains a concern. However, that could change against the Lions this week. "Detroit will sprinkle in some man coverage, based on down and distance or game situation, but the Eagles can prep for more two- and three-deep zone shells here. And that means designed throws from quarterback Jalen Hurts to interior windows. Toss in some RPO targets, too, and I think Smith can get you 5-7 receptions in this game, with some catch-and-run balls on crossers and in-breakers."

T.J. Hockenson, TE, Detroit Lions (vs. Eagles)

"Tight ends who see at least six targets against the Eagles this season are averaging 14.9 PPG. And now here is the part where I tell you that Hockenson has at least eight targets in five of his seven games this season and 10-plus each of the past two weeks, which bodes well for him against Philadelphia," Berry writes. "And now here is the part where I really seal the deal for Hockenson being on the Love list by telling you the Eagles have allowed six touchdowns to tight ends this season, tied for the most in the league."

Lottery Tickets​

Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants (vs. Chiefs)

Jones has thrown for more than 300 yards or multiple touchdowns only once so far this season, but he faces a Chiefs defense that has allowed some exhilarating performances. Against this defense, Jackson, Justin Herbert, Hurts, Josh Allen, Taylor Heinicke and Ryan Tannehill have averaged 275.4 passing yards and 25.0 fantasy points. Last week, Jones won a game against a stout defense with multiple offensive playmakers absent, a subpar running game and a bad offensive line. Jones is on the QB1 radar and is someone I wrote about in my streamers and last-minute pickups column.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars (at Seahawks)

"Lawrence and his offense are in a great spot to put up big numbers," Zeidenfeld writes in his DFS best buys. "Lawrence has hit the 300-yard bonus twice this season and has seen his YPC rise in his last three games (12.3) compared to his first three contests (10.5)." With every game, the rookie improves. From Weeks 1 to 3, he had a QB rating of 60.3, a completion percentage of 54.2%, and seven interceptions. From Weeks 4 to 6, Lawrence showed dramatic improvement in those areas with a QB rating of 93.8, a completion percentage of 66.3% and an interception. Playing in redraft formats and need a streamer? Look no further than Lawrence.

Michael Carter, RB, New York Jets (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

Carter ran more routes in Week 7 than any other week of the season, writes Zeidenfeld. "Hopefully, a merit-based promotion is due for the rookie who is the most talented back in the Jets backfield. Running backs have averaged 9.6 targets per game against the Bengals this season, second-most in the league."

Russell Gage, WR, Atlanta Falcons (vs. Panthers)

In his first action since Week 2, Gage caught 4 of 6 targets for 67 yards and a touchdown against the Dolphins. Calvin Ridley is expected to rebound and last week against the Dolphins, he caught 4 of 10 targets for 26 yards and a TD. Ridley also allowed a defender to rip the football away from him, resulting in an interception, and he also dropped a screen pass. He doesn't seem to be in sync with Matt Ryan this season, and there could be more going on in Atlanta behind the scenes that we do not know about. Against a Panthers defense that has struggled in recent games, Gage can be used as a WR3 and is another one of my streaming recommendations.

Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts (vs. Titans)

"Despite their dominant win against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7, the Titans have struggled mightily against the past this season," writes Cockcroft. "To illustrate, they have allowed 12-plus PPR fantasy points to multiple wide receivers in five of seven games this season, and in the past five weeks alone, they've afforded the position the third-most points (206.5). Cornerbacks Elijah Molden, Chris Jackson and Janoris Jenkins have been responsible for 75.6 of those points alone, as the nearest defenders to the wide receivers who have accrued them, and Jenkins in particular stands to see a lot of Pittman in Week 8."

Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams (at Texans)

Last week against the Lions, Tyler Higbee caught five of eight targets for 46 yards. He has been targeted 11 times in the red zone this season but has only scored two touchdowns. He will now face the Texans, who have allowed five touchdowns to tight ends over the last four weeks. "Nine tight ends have managed at least 8.0 PPR fantasy points in a game against them, their 2.31 points per target afforded to the position ranks third-highest, and consider some of the players who have delivered good scores against them: James O'Shaughnessy (10.8, Week 1), Tommy Tremble (10.7, Week 3), Dawson Knox (20.7, Week 4), Mo Alie-Cox (9.8, Week 6). Heck, Zach Ertz managed 16.0 points against the Texans just last week, in what was his Cardinals debut," writes Cockcroft.

Injuries of Note​

Quarterbacks: Questionable but expected to play

Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers (not expected to start)

Quarterbacks: Questionable, likely game-day decision

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints

Quarterbacks: Ruled Out

Tyrod Taylor, Houston Texans

Zach Wilson, New York Jets

Running backs: Questionable but expected to play

Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

D'Andre Swift, Detroit Lions

Jamaal Williams, Detroit Lions

Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team

Running backs: Questionable, likely game-day decision

Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

Alex Collins, Seattle Seahawks

Running backs: Ruled Out

Tevin Coleman, New York Jets

Chris Evans, Cincinnati Bengals

Wide receivers: Questionable but expected to play

Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns

DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins

Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots

Deonte Harris, New Orleans Saints

Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers

Wide receivers: Questionable, likely game-day decision

Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos

Terrace Marshall Jr., Carolina Panthers

Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns

T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts

Kadarius Toney, New York Giants

Sterling Shepard, New York Giants

Kenny Golladay, New York Giants


DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks

Julio Jones, Tennessee Titans

Curtis Samuel, Washington Football Team

Wide receivers: Ruled Out

Will Fuller V, Miami Dolphins

Corey Davis, New York Jets

Antonio Brown, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tight ends: Questionable but expected to play

T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions

Jonnu Smith, New England Patriots

Evan Engram, New York Giants

O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tight ends: Questionable, likely game-day decision

Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers

Big question of the week​

Will Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd each exceed 100 receiving yards?

The Bengals are 10.5 point favorites against a New York Jets team coming off a 54-13 loss to the Patriots. As a team, the Jets give up 402.5 yards per game, including 275.7 passing yards. Joe Burrow averaged 34 passes and 329 yards over the last four games. Combined, Chase, Higgins and Boyd have averaged 24 targets, 15.5 receptions and 226.5 receiving yards per game. Cincinnati hasn't yet reached its full range of offensive capabilities. That could change against the Jets. Things could get ugly in this game for New Yor

 

[Bettor Days]

Fantasy football waiver wire for NFL Week 9: Is Adrian Peterson worth a look?​

ESPN PLUS

The most valuable player in fantasy football will miss a significant period of time, as Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry will have foot surgery that will keep him off the field until further notice.

It's a major bummer for the player and the franchise, as his brilliance has landed him in the conversation for the NFL's Most Valuable Player, a spot usually earmarked for top quarterbacks on successful teams.

As far as fantasy is concerned, there is no easy way to replace Henry. Through eight weeks, he has been over 40 points better than the next-best running back in fantasy this season, a gargantuan gap that is just one way to describe his impact.

It's sort of unprecedented as well, as Henry's durability has been a hallmark of his dominance. For those asking what the Titans' offense looks like without Henry ... who knows? Henry has missed just two games in his career because of injury and has handled over 95% of the running back rushing attempts for his team this season.

It took just hours for the Titans to make a move at running back, as they added veteran Adrian Peterson to their practice squad, with the expectation that he'll be elevated to their active roster in short order. In recent seasons, I've been skeptical of consistent fantasy value for Peterson because he has minimal passing game impact. He posted just 12 catches in 16 games last season while splitting duties in Detroit.

With that being said, if there were ever a team with which his between-the-tackles prowess could shine through, Tennessee is it. Peterson not only still has enough acceleration to get to the second level but plenty of ability to handle a significant workload, as he had five games last season with at least 15 touches. We'll continue to follow along for any updates or news surrounding the Henry situation, with more insight below.

It's the Week 9 ESPN Fantasy waiver wire.

Note: All players on this column are available in over 50% of leagues on ESPN.com.

Week 9 byes: Buccaneers, Lions, Seahawks, Washington Football Team

Adrian Peterson, RB, Tennessee Titans (0.1%): Could this be an example of a player signing that is much bigger in name than impact? It sure could. There are enough variables in play to note that we do not know with certainty how Peterson will fit into Tennessee and just how much it will rely upon the now 36-year-old back. However, if a role exists for Peterson that includes 12 to 15 carries per game behind a stout offensive line in a potent offense, I do believe there's enough value to take a look. We're at the point of the season where most waiver-wire claims come with some baked in risk, and Peterson is part of that group. But there's a possible floor here that makes him worthwhile enough to consider in any league.

Boston Scott, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (4.5%): With Miles Sanders on injured reserve, we knew the Eagles would have to adjust their backfield somehow. We just didn't realize it would involve Kenneth Gainwell hardly playing until garbage time and both Boston Scott and Jordan Howard finding the end zone twice. Scott looked to me like the best runner for Philly on Sunday, and while Howard could steal goal-line work, I do believe Scott is the more complete player. So I'm prioritizing Scott, while noting that the game script in Week 8 was extremely favorable. But he's a must-add.

Jeremy McNichols, RB, Tennessee Titans (1.9%): I don't want to totally overlook the role that McNichols could play in this Titans' offense, as it's possible Tennessee adjusts its approach a bit and leans a little less run heavy. McNichols figures to get a few more carries and should stay busy in the passing game -- he's had 21 catches through the team's first eight games. I'm not discounting anything from this backfield situation, so I do believe McNichols is worth an add for the chance he plays a large role.

Carlos Hyde, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars (6.7%): James Robinson left the Jaguars' Week 8 game and is dealing with a bruised heel, though the timetable for a return was uncertain. Hyde -- a trusted back of head coach Urban Meyer -- is the next man up and volume should be in his favor if Robinson is out in Week 9. While Hyde is not an explosive runner at this stage of his career, he's capable as a pass-catcher, can finish at the goal line and can make an impact with 15 or so touches. Another must-add.

Taysom Hill, QB, New Orleans Saints (.9%): After Jameis Winston suffered a significant knee injury in Week 8, the Saints will have to turn to a new starting quarterback, and Hill is in line to start as soon as he returns from a concussion. While we do not know if that will be in Week 9, we do know that when he was a starter last year, he was a strong option for your fantasy team. Hill is an unrefined passer but did enough through the air (in three of his four starts, he threw for over 230 yards) to complement his excellent rushing strength, as he had four rushing touchdowns and averaged over 52 rushing yards per game during that same stretch. He's a good option as a bye week fill-in and has the upside to be a near weekly starter.

Jamal Agnew, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (1.6%): When the Jaguars lost DJ Chark Jr. because of injury, it was unclear how the team would account for his absence. One surprising development has been the emergence of slot option Jamal Agnew, whose target share has ballooned of late. He has six, seven and now 12 targets over his past three games, including his first receiving touchdown of the season in Week 8. The volume should stay steady, as Jacksonville is playing from behind almost perpetually. He's an add for deeper leagues.


Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears (18.0%): Fields had his best effort of the season in Week 8, showing strides as a thrower with better decision-making and the arm strength we all knew was a top trait of his. But most importantly -- for fantasy purposes -- Field was unleashed as a runner, scampering for 103 yards and a magnificent touchdown on 10 carries. I'm hopeful that this is a sign of things to come from the Bears' offense, as Fields has such unique physical skills that he can become a significant force if allowed to run frequently. We've seen how much it raises the floor for a quarterback in fantasy, and I'd be open to adding Fields if there's room for a stash quarterback in the hopes that the Bears continue to turn to Fields frequently as a runner.

Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears (48.6%): We saw the best version of the Bears' passing offense that we've seen in any game this season, even if Justin Fields threw for just 175 yards. He looked to be in more rhythm and clearly has a favorite target in Mooney, who now has at least five targets in seven of eight games this season and double-digit fantasy points in half of his games. He's not a lineup lock yet, but if Fields continues to improve, Mooney should be the beneficiary of a steady target share and downfield upside.

Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers (6.2%): The Steelers have found a good one in Freiermuth, as their second-round draft pick has shown that he can be a real factor in the red zone. With Eric Ebron out in Week 8, Freiermuth found the end zone and picked up four catches for 44 yards. That comes on the heels of a pre-bye seven-catch effort. He has been good enough to earn more looks and more playing time in this offense.

 

[Bettor Days]

Fantasy fallout: How Titans, Saints will be affected by loss of Derrick Henry, Jameis Winston​

ESPN PLUS

Nobody has a more stacked lineup of fantasy analysts and NFL team reporters than ESPN. It's the rare "backfield by committee" that is actually a good thing for fantasy football managers.

Every Tuesday, Mike Triplett will ask our NFL Nation reporters a series of burning questions about the weekend's biggest stories to help inform you for your waiver-wire pickups and other roster decisions.

Unfortunately, injury replacements are the major topic heading into Week 9, with Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry and New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston suffering season-ending injuries Sunday.

It's time to begin our weekly trip around the league, so fasten your seat belts and get ready to tour the NFL Nation!

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Tennessee Titans​

How do you expect the Titans to divide their running back workload in the wake of Henry's injury?



Mike Vrabel pointed to the running back by committee approach when asked how the Titans will handle the loss of Henry. But they'll continue to have a run-heavy offense. Expect to see most of the carries go to Jeremy McNichols and Adrian Peterson. "I'm not ready to commit to anything or a wholesale change," Vrabel said Monday. "A lot of teams rely on multiple backs to run the football within their same scheme." -- Turron Davenport

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New Orleans Saints​

Will Taysom Hill be the Saints' starting quarterback once he returns from his Week 5 concussion? And how will that affect Alvin Kamara's fantasy value?

The Saints haven't announced their QB plans yet, aside from Sean Payton insisting that they don't plan to look outside the building. And Hill has not been officially cleared from the concussion protocol yet. So there are reasons to be cautious, especially if Trevor Siemian starts this week and plays well against the Atlanta Falcons. But I still consider Hill the front-runner for the job long term. And his potential fantasy upside is so high as a running quarterback that he should be a top free-agent priority even if it's just a speculative add. Payton said Hill is doing well in his recovery from the concussion, so it's possible he could return to practice and start as early as this week.

As for Kamara's value, obviously there would be some concern because Hill seemed uncomfortable targeting him on checkdowns last season (Kamara caught zero, one, two and seven passes during Hill's four starts). However, we also saw Winston struggle to develop a rhythm with Kamara in the passing game early this season before they started to get on the same page. And we know from that experience that the Saints will keep trying to feed Kamara in one way or another because they recognize how vital he is to their offense. -- Triplett

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Jacksonville Jaguars​

Will Carlos Hyde get an RB1 type of workload as long as James Robinson is sidelined? Or do you expect more of a timeshare?

Hyde will get the bulk of the work, but there will be multiple players used in the run game as well. After Robinson went out against Seattle, Hyde had nine carries, Dare Ogunbowale had two and Laviska Shenault Jr. had one. Expect that ratio to be pretty similar going forward, with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell mixing in Ogunbowale, Shenault and maybe even Tavon Austin at times, too. -- Michael DiRocco

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Philadelphia Eagles​

Boston Scott and Jordan Howard had 12 carries each (mostly with the starters) and Kenneth Gainwell had 13 (mostly with the backups). Should we expect that type of even distribution going forward? If you could keep just one in your fantasy lineup, who would it be?

A committee approach seems most likely in Miles Sanders' absence, with the distribution of snaps dictated in part by whether the Eagles have a more run-based attack (which would lean more toward Howard and Scott) or go pass-heavy (in which case Gainwell would have a more prominent role). Tough call, but I'd probably lean toward having Howard in the lineup for now, given the likelihood he'll be used in goal-line situations. -- Tim McManus

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Washington Football Team​

Do you expect Antonio Gibson to return to a RB1 workload if he can get healthier after the bye? Or should fantasy managers expect this timeshare to continue with Jaret Patterson and J.D. McKissic?

I do expect a heavy load, but the problem is we don't know if he'll be able to handle it. Will one week off change his situation? The shin remains an issue and has cost him some of his explosiveness. But also it has robbed him of practice time, and that's something he still needs at this position. It's not completely natural for him. I'd be wary of believing he can not only handle a full load -- he's had two 20-carry games with the shin injury -- but be as productive as we anticipated before the season. It would help him, too, if and when they get back players such as tight end Logan Thomas, guard Brandon Scherff and right tackle Sam Cosmi. The line is a mess with injuries right now, another reason to be cautious thinking that Gibson is close to that sort of production. -- John Keim

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New York Jets​

Kudos on pointing out last week that Michael Carter should remain heavily involved in the passing game as long as Mike White is at quarterback (Carter had nine catches for 95 yards on Sunday). Should fantasy managers look to trade him before Zach Wilson returns, or has he done enough to ensure a major featured role no matter who is at quarterback?

I'll say 24 touches (Sunday's total) is a lot to expect every week, but it's reasonable to believe he will be in the 15-20 range. The coaching staff's confidence in Carter is growing. The same could be said of Ty Johnson, the Jets' third-down back, which is why they will continue to share the reps. But, yes, Carter is a worthwhile fantasy option ... and thanks for the shout-out on last week's projection. -- Rich Cimini

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Miami Dolphins​

DeVante Parker was one of the most-dropped WRs in ESPN fantasy leagues after missing three straight games with injuries. But he came back with season highs of eight catches and 85 yards. Should he be a trusted fantasy option whenever he's active?


Can't blame anyone for looking for help while Parker nursed a hamstring injury, but the opportunities he gets each game will be there for as long as he is a Miami Dolphin. He's seen no fewer than seven targets in each game he's played and is a major part of an offense that averages the fourth-most pass attempts per game this season. Tua Tagovailoa said the team needs to get its playmakers involved early and he stuck to his guns, targeting Parker five times in his first nine attempts. If he's available and you have a need, go for it. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

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Buffalo Bills​

Any particular reason why Cole Beasley had 10 catches and Emmanuel Sanders had none Sunday? (Beasley has now had his two biggest fantasy weeks of the season over the past two games.) Or is it just a reminder that fantasy managers should expect random spikes from this crowded WR group?

Unfortunately for fantasy managers, Beasley's success in the past couple of games and Sanders not having a reception against the Dolphins aren't necessarily telling signs for the weeks to come. Beasley's production, especially in the second half, came from the slot position and quarterback Josh Allen finding openings in the Dolphins' scheme and taking advantage of them. One of the things that the Bills do well is adapt the game plan to the opponent. Beasley will still be a key option for Allen, but the next week Sanders might explode or Stefon Diggs could have a big game. While tight end Dawson Knox is out, there will be more opportunities in the middle of the field for the likes of Beasley, which could help him continue to see more targets. But don't be surprised if opportunities still get spread around. -- Alaina Getzenberg