Notable Injuries
- Austin Ekeler (Achilles)
- Aaron Jones (Hamstring)
- Jayden Reed (Collarbone)
- Joe Burrow (Turf Toe)
- Jayden Daniels (Knee)
- J.J. McCarthy (Ankle)
- Justin Fields (Concussion)
Waiver Wire Targets:
Bhayshul Tuten (Rostered in 40% of ESPN leagues) Genius Pick of the Week
A repeat from last week’s list, the rostership percentage of Tuten surprisingly decreased a little even after the departure of Tank Bigsby. Against the Bengals, Tuten would go for 42 rushing yards, averaging 5.3 yards a carry as well as pull in 2 catches for 32 yards and a touchdown. Consider this your last reminder that Tuten needs to be on rosters. He is the clear backup to Travis Etienne and has a clear path to consistent fantasy production should Etienne miss time due to injury. I urged people to pick him up last week and I’m doing so again now.
Elic Ayomanor (Rostered in 7.7% of ESPN leagues)
The rookie out of Miami had a much better week against the Rams than he did in his first outing against the Broncos. Ayomanor brought in 4 of his 6 targets for 56 yards and a touchdown. So far through 2 games, Ayomanor is 2nd on the team in targets and is averaging 11.5 yards per catch. Ridley should continue to draw most of the attention from opposing defenses which leaves some room for Ayomanor to potentially add fantasy value. That plus his already existing connection with fellow rookie Cam Ward, adds to his case as a potential flex option. The Titans have played 2 of the league’s best defenses so far so I’m excited to see what happens as the season progresses and the offense develops.
Quentin Johnston (Rostered in 64.9% of ESPN leagues)
Johnston had a productive outing against the Raiders catching 3 of his 7 targets for 71 yards and a touchdown. Last week, while I said I still have consistency concerns, I also said Johsnston was certainly worthy of a flex spot. My opinions still stand on that and while above my 50% threshold, Johnston may just be out there on waivers and should be added to your roster.
Juwan Johnson (Rostered in 48.2% of ESPN leagues)
My Genius Pick of the Week from last week’s waiver wire targets did not disappoint as he churned out 15.9 fantasy points against the 49ers with 5 catches on 9 targets and 1 touchdown. The connection with Spencer Rattler feels real and Juwan Johnson has no business being available on waivers. If you and our league mates for some reason left him on waivers last week, you better try and snag him now because he won’t be there next time.
Harold Fannin Jr. (Rostered in 27.7% of ESPN leagues)
In a brutal loss to the Ravens, Harold Fannin Jr. brought in all 5 of his targets for 48 yards. While not the most sexy statline of all time, it was still good for just under 10 points. What I like the most about Fannin is his utilization in the Browns offense so far. Fannin is 1st in receptions, 2nd in receiving yards and 3rd on the team in targets. He leads Njoku in each of those categories.
Ja’Tavion Sanders (Rostered in 1% of ESPN leagues)
Listen man, the Panthers have been pretty abysmal through 2 games so far and I get it, rostering one of them can be a hard sell. One hidden gem though is Ja’Tavion Sanders. Against the Cardinals, he saw 9 targets. Now you could say that came down the game script, and you could be right. The Panthers attempted 55 passes after ending the first half down 20-3. I imagine a lot of the games this year will be from behind and that’s where the PPR magic happens. Legette has been a bust so far and the only capable target so far is Tetairoa McMillan. It’s also worth mentioning that Sanders has overtaken Tommy Tremble for the starting gig. He may not produce every week but the potential is there.
Daniel Jones (Rostered in 21.2% of ESPN leagues)
This one is tough because it’s Daniel Jones and he has an upcoming matchup against a tough defense that does not get enough credit. However, he just came off a win against the Broncos who also boast a dominant defense. At this point though I think fantasy managers know who Daniel Jones is and what he is capable of (at times) fantasy wise and that’s a guy who can throw the ball and make plays with his legs when needed. Things are looking up for the guy though and this Colts team has weapons across the board and an o-line that Russell Wilson dreams he had. There’s no guarantee he can continue to produce against these next two tough matchups against the Titans and Rams but I feel he is worth rostering and even starting across the whole of the season if the Colts keep their momentum.
Michael Penix Jr. (Rostered in 28.2% of ESPN leagues)
Another repeat from last week, Penix put up a dud against the Vikings in primetime. I’ll take that one on the chin. I still believe in Penix though. In week 3, Penix and team face a much less competent Panthers defense that has shown its ability to give up major yardage through the air and on the ground. Give me a bounce back game against the Panthers.
Mac Jones (Rostered in 1.4% of ESPN leagues)
Hear me out… what if Mac Jones plays another bad defense? That’s right, after torching the Saints for 279 yards and 3 touchdowns, the Arizona Cardinals are looking pretty lackluster. Against my Carolina Panthers, the Cardinals lost 3 of their starting cornerbacks (Max Melton, Will Johnson and Garrett Williams) to injury and their status for week 3 remains up in the air. There are rumors that Brock Purdy may be ahead of schedule on his turf toe recovery so it’s worth monitoring but Jones could be a homerun streaming option in week 3 with QB injuries piling up quickly.
Sam Darnold (Rostered in 7.3% of ESPN leagues)
Mac Jones just did it so why not Sam Darnold? I just mentioned the performance Mac Jones put on against the Saints. Darnold is just as primed as almost anyone else in the league to do just the same. With capable weapons in Cooper Kupp and Jaxson Smith Njigba, I would not be surprised if Darnold was able to put up a good amount of points on the Saints. It’s also worth mentioning that Darnold also gets to play against the Cardinals following the Saints so he has multi-week value as a potential starter. Especially if you are one of the unlucky managers who had their top QB taken out due to injury.
*Point totals mentioned assume full point PPR scoring
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