Notable Injuries from week 6:
- Emari Demercado (Ankle)
- Miles Sanders (Knee)
- Puka Nacua (Ankle)
- Emeka Egbuka (Hamstring)
- Garrett Wilson (Knee)
- Marvin Harrison Jr. (Concussion)
- Calvin Ridley (Hamstring)
- Dontayvion Wicks (Ankle)
- Mike Gesiki (Left Pectoral)
- David Njoku (Knee)
Teams on a BYE week:
- Baltimore Ravens
- Buffalo Bills
Waiver Wire Targets:
Kimani Vidal (Rostered in 27.1% of ESPN leagues) Genius Pick of the
After one game without Omarion Hampton, we were given a little bit of clarity on how the starting gig is going to be handled between Vidal and Hassan Haskins. Vidal made the most of his opportunities against one of the league’s worst run defenses and put up a solid 124 on 18 carries. He also brought in 3 catches for 14 yards and a touchdown. Compare Vidal’s 18 carries to Haskin’s 6 and that should tell you all that you need to know. If you go even further, Vidal was on the field for 67.2% of the Chargers offensive snaps on Sunday compared to Haskins 31.3%. The Chargers next 2 matchups could be a bit dicey for Vidal but if you have the chance to add a starting running back, you should take that chance.
Tyler Allgeier (Rostered in 32.9% of ESPN leagues)
I’ve been an Allgeier stan since his rookie season in which he rushed for 1,000 yards. This year, he has found success within this new offensive system while backing up Bijan Robinson. While he clearly won’t get the main work every week, he has received at least 10+ carries in every game but one this season which gives him a fair chance at fantasy production. Allgeier should be on every roster out there as a top tier insurance option for Bijan or even a desperation flex play should you need an RB fill in. Worth noting the next 2 teams the Falcons face (49ers and the Dolphins) should both be an appetizing matchup for RBs.
Jaydon Blue (Rostered in 19.1% of ESPN leagues)
Real quick shoutout to my Panthers for a great win against the Cowboys!
Now down to business. I feel like a lot of people (including myself) took a flyer on Blue later in drafts hoping for a potential boom should the RBs ahead of him miss time. So far, Blue has been the one to miss time early on, mostly because the Cowboys could afford to keep him as a healthy scratch. However, Miles Sanders is set to have season-ending knee surgery and that now promotes Blue to the RB2 role. Right now he is only worth rostering as insurance for Javonte Williams. With running back depth as shallow as ever, Blue is worth rostering if you have room should Williams miss any time.
Elic Ayomanor (Rostered in 27.7% of ESPN leagues)
The big news from the Titans is that head coach Brian Callahan was fired after the Titans loss to the Raiders. I don’t think much changes regarding Ayomanor that I haven’t mentioned before in these lists. He has an established connection with QB Cam Ward, the Titans will likely often play from behind and he sees a decent amount of targets. The big kicker this week is that Calvin Ridley is set to miss at least a little bit of time with a Hamstring injury which opens the door for Ayomanor to step into a bigger role. He is at least a flex option should you need one.
Tez Johnson (Rostered in 0.7% of ESPN leagues)
Man, everybody is getting hurt for the Bucs right now. That brings us to “MVP” Tez Johnson. The stat floating around right now is that in week 6 he saw his routes jump from 49% to 84%. It’s hard to judge just how productive he will be in the long term but in the short term, someone has to catch passes down in Tampa Bay. Looks like it will be Johnson and his fellow tight end Cade Otton (See below) that will pick up the mantle for a little bit. If you’re thin at wide receiver this week, consider taking a chance on Tez Johnson.
Harold Fannin Jr. (Rostered in 29% of ESPN leagues)
Fannin has flashed fantasy potential at times this season but has been limited by a poor passing offense as well as the presence of David Njoku. Things are kind of looking better for the Browns offensively, at least a little bit. Njoku also left Sunday’s game against the Steelers with a knee injury. This primes Fannin has a startable fantasy tight end moving forward. Important to note he is currently TE12 on the year.
Cade Otton (Rostered in 8.9% of ESPN leagues) Genius Pick of the Week
The Bucs have been great offensively for most of the season regardless of who picks up an injury. With Chris Godwin out, Mike Evans still out and now Emeka Egbuka dealing with a hamstring, Cade Otton becomes fantasy viable. We saw this same song and dance last year with him. When the receivers are hurt, Baker turns to Otton. In Sunday’s win against the 49ers, Otton led the team in targets and receptions. Should Bucs wide receivers continue to miss time, look to Otton as a great fill in. I’m going all in on Otton this week as a tight end streamer.
Mason Taylor (Rostered in 35.4% of ESPN leagues)
After claiming him as my “Genius Pick of the Week” last week, Taylor (and the entire Jets offense) put up a dud against the Broncos on Sunday. I’ll take that one on the chin but it wasn’t just him. The whole team was garbage offensively. I do still believe in Taylor though. Prior to the Broncos game, Taylor had seen his targets increase every week. While he likely won’t see 12 targets like he saw against the Cowboys each game, It is encouraging to see Fields look his way often. Next up is the Panthers who offer a much softer matchup.
Jaxon Dart (Rostered in 35.4% of ESPN leagues)
I chose not to add Dart to my list last week purely because I thought the Giants were not the best offensively, he threw 2 picks against the Saints and that their next 3 games (Eagles, Broncos, Eagles) were going to be super tough for him. The Eagles however are not looking good and Dart showed that by throwing for 195 yards and a touchdown while also punching one in himself on the ground. The dual threat obviously makes him appealing from a fantasy perspective. I do need to mention that I don’t like Dart this week against the Denver Broncos but moving forward he could be worth starting. You may not have a better chance to pick him up unfortunately.
Sam Darnold (Rostered in 23% of ESPN leagues)
Darnold has been cooking for the Seahawks this year and has been a semi respectable QB from a fantasy perspective. Sitting right outside of the top 10, Darnold is worth taking a look at should your starter miss time due to an injury or be out due to a BYE week. It certainly never hurts to have great offensive weapons to help raise his floor. Next up before the Seahawks BYE week is the Texans who have been vulnerable defensively. I like Darnold in this week’s matchup.
*Point totals mentioned assume full point PPR scoring
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