QUARTERBACK
Derek Carr - Las Vegas Raiders
Ownership: 42%
FAAB: $1
Waiver Priority: No
I am writing this while watching the Chargers game, so if there’s some pain behind these words, you know why. Derek Carr has been on this list a few weeks in a row now because he just seems to never get the respect he deserves. It’s either that, or Yahoo’s ownership numbers are fugged all the way up. Whatever the case may be, Mr. Mascara deserves to be picked up and streamed this week against the Denver Broncos. Justin Herbert put up 278 and three tugs against this fraudulent team a few weeks byke, and on Sunday, Matty Ice put up 284 and three total scores in what was a blowout (which didn’t look like the case by just checking the box score). I don’t even need to see how bad this defense is on paper to just let you know that they past the eye test, and by “pass”, I mean look really fucking bad. Carr has been consistently producing this season (aside from the rapture against Cleveland), and I don’t expect that to stop in a divisional game at home.
Drew Lock - Denver Broncos
Ownership: 20%
FAAB: $0
Waiver Priority: No
On the other side of the ball, we have the biggest fraud in the AFC West. I am a firm believer that Drew Lock stinks, but for fantasy, when you get to play the entire second half in garbage time, things aren’t so bad. The Broncos found themselves in big deficits these past two weeks, and because of that, Lock has lucked his way into 561 yards and 5 tugs. If Melvin Gordon was good, I’d be a little worried about Denver abusing the run game against a horrific defensive front, but that’s something we don’t have to worry about. This should be a back and forth affair where two below average QBs put up the numbers you’d expect from guys whose names you’d feel ashamed to mention in the same sentence as, but that’s the beauty of fantasy football. Idiots like Lock can be more coveted than gods like Drew Brees.
Nick Foles - Chicago Bears
Ownership: 10%
FAAB: $0
Waiver Priority: No
Last week I said Drew Lock was a decent QB streamer solely due to matchup but felt sick to my stomach putting my credibility on the line by suggesting him. Well, here we are again, and I learned something: I don’t have any credibility to begin with. I told you all to fade Derrick Henry the year he paced the league in rushing and scored a million touchdowns, so suggesting BDN in a matchup against the atrocious Vikings defense is pretty tame. This past week, Foles threw the ball 52 times due to the Bears playing from behind for about 75 of the 60 minutes, and with Dalvin Cook looking like prime Bo Jackson on even more steroids and Chicago not being able to pose any sort of offensive threat, I’d assume the same type of scenario. Yeah, I just said the Bears pose no offensive threat, but again, garbage time is a glorious thing, where duds turn to studs because of desperation and the opposing defense not caring anymore. The Vikings D stinks as is, so them in garbage time will only make them even more susceptible to getting nicked down. Also, Foles doesn’t play until Monday night, so you can sweat out your fantasy matchup for an abnormal amount of time this week. That should be a whole lotta fun.
RUNNING BACK
Gus Edwards - Baltimore Ravens
Ownership: 37%
FAAB: $10
Waiver Priority: No
Gus Eswards was outsnapped by J.K. Dobbins 35:24 this past week, so the changing of the guard is well underway, but in the end, Gus was still the one that found paydirt, seeing three straight goal line carries, with the final one resulting in a tug. Aside from that, he couldn’t get much going on the ground, but nobody really could against that stout Indy front. Up next are the Patriots, who just let both Zack Moss and Devin Singletary go for 80+ against them (writing this before MNF so idk if La’Mical Perine and Frank Gore did anything...I assume not), so I expect a solid output from both backs in Baltimore this week. If Ingram misses even more time, then Edwards should see some more value in Week 11 as well, facing the Tennessee Titans, who are a middle of the pack run defense. It’s not sexy starting a back in a timeshare that doesn’t catch passes, but when you get the goal line work on a really good offense, it doesn’t have to be pretty.
Jordan Howard - Miami Dolphins
Ownership: 35%
FAAB: $1-3
Waiver Priority: No
Speaking of fat RBs that you don’t want to play because they’re in a timeshare, we have Jordan Howard. He stinks, we all know that, but he gets the goal line work on a...well...idk what type of offense. They’re probably as average as it gets, but with how their defense has been looking as of late, they can create a whole lot of short fields for the offense, which will only make Howard’s job that much easier. On top of that, he gets to play the Chargers defense who just let Devontae Booker reincarnate right in front of our very own eyes on Sunday. He’s a rental, as Gaskin is the workhorse when he’s on the field, and he even got out snapped by Salvon Ahmed, but for a one week fill in for a bum like Todd Gurley who’s on bye, you could do a whole lot worse (actually, maybe not).
Jordan Wilkins - Indianapolis Colts
Ownership: 26%
FAAB: $1
Waiver Priority: No
This backfield is a complete timeshare. The snaps on Sunday were split about as evenly as they could be, as Wilkins and Hines saw 22 while JT was out there for just 20 of them. Taylor had a few nice runs and scored a goal line plunge, but he also fumbled and found his ass planted firmly on the bench thereafter. It’s a hot hand approach, and with JT having issues with his eyes and now his ball security, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Wilkins lead the charge in Week 10 against a mediocre Titans front. In the end, though, he’s someone I’m not going out and trying to acquire. Unless Taylor gets hurt or something of that sort, then the chances of you confidently starting JWilk and him going out and producing for you that week are extremely slim and definitely not worth the hassle.
J.D. McKissic - Washington Football Team
Ownership: 24%
FAAB: $10 ($20 if PPR)
Waiver Priority: No
With Alex Smith under center, it’s wheels up for McKissic. By wheels up, I mean he’s gonna catch like 9 passes for 52 yards and not score, but people drafted Tarik Cohen in the 7th round to do that, so there’s some value there. Jokes aside, McKissic actually has a pretty big role in this offense, as we saw this past week, outsnapping Gibson 45:25 and hauling in 9 balls on 14 (!!!!) targets. The last time Smith played, albeit in limited fashion in week five, J.D. put up an 8-6-46-0 receiving line. He’s the epitome of a low ceiling, due to the lack of scoring opportunities, high floor, because of gamescript and Alex Smith’s tendencies, running back play that is certainly more valuable in full-PPR leagues.
Rex Burkhead - New England Patriots
Ownership: 20%
FAAB: $10
Waiver Priority: No
This was Burkhead's third straight week seeing 40% of the snaps, and along with this, earned 15 touches. Damien Harris looked good, but he went down with an injury late in the game, so that's something worth monitoring. If he misses time, then Burkhead could provide RB2 upside because the biggest issue in this Patriots running game is you never know who's going to get the touches. Well, if he sits, James White isn't running the ball and Sony Michel is dead, so all that leaves is Rex. He even got a goal line carry in this one, even prior to Harris' injury, so he has a somewhat lucrative role regardless. I will say, though, that if DH is good to go, I'd probably just shy away from this pickup because it's a headache I'm not looking forward to dealing with this late in the season.
Duke Johnson - Houston Texans
Ownership: 15%
FAAB: $20 (only if DJ is out)
Waiver Priority: No (unless really desperate this week)
We will have to see what happens to David Johnson, as he’s in the concussion protocol, but if he were to miss time, Duke would definitely be worth the pickup. It’s a rental on a team that can’t run the ball for shit, so it isn’t very enticing, but just like with David Johnson, there will be enough volume for him to churn out 3.2 YPC and an RB2 finish. This past week, following DJ’s injury, Duke outsnapped Buddy Howell 50:4, saw 20 touches, and found paydirt. He caught four passes, something we hoped we’d see consistently from David Johnson this year, and got the goal line work to boot. He should be in line for a workhorse role against the Browns this week, a revenge game for the ages. Even if he’s a one game rental, he’s someone I’m fine paying up a little bit for (if Davey sits) because it’s not very often you can grab someone from waivers with as solidified as a role as he will have (see Boston Scott).
Kalen Ballage - Los Angeles Chargers
Ownership: 0%
FAAB: $10-15 (depending on severity of Justin Jackson injury)
Waiver Priority: No
I can not believe that Kalen Ballage is on this list. I also can’t believe he’s on the fucking Chargers. Why did nobody tell me this? I’m so pissed rn. Whatever. He’s definitively better than Joshua Kelley, which isn’t saying much, but it was promising to see him command as much work as he did in his debut. He had 17 touches for over 80 yards and adding a TD on top, but more importantly, he didn’t look bad. If Justin Jackson misses any serious time, I’d expect Ballage to slot into the JJ role seamlessly, and maybe even get the goal line work in favor of Kelley. Again, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but he may be the top RB add this week. Yes, I just threw up in my mouth as well. Joshua Kelley still outsnapped him 39:31, but just watching the two play, it was clear who the better back was. Another week in this offense should only help Ballage, and seeing as how the Miami matchup is a ~revenge game~ he may just go full Jay Ajayi and run for 200 yards and three tugs.
It now looks like Ballage was relegated to the practice squad. This is a bit concerning for a few reasons. One, it means Joshua Kelley is still ahead of him for whatever reason. Technically, he was on the field more than KB this past week yet was still outproduced, so that doesn't worry me much. Secondly, though, this may indicate that Justin Jackson maybe has a chance to suit up this week. Honestly, I'm not sure what the case is, so it's a situation to monitor throughout the week. If JJ is good to go, Ballage is an easy pass, but if he's #dead like everyone else on this GD team, then he's worth the $10-15 you were going to shell out initially.
WIDE RECEIVER
Emmanuel Sanders - New Orleans Saints
Ownership: 52%
FAAB: $1-3
Waiver Priority: No
It was another solid outing for Eman on SNF, scoring his first TD since week three and looking every bit of the team’s WR2 throughout the contest. The game got out of hand quickly, but Sanders was still able to see five targets, a mark he has now hit in all but one of his performances. Sanders has also quietly logged either 90 yards or a score in five of his six games, but that’s more me finessing the numbers than anything, as I could also say he’s fell short of 60 yards four times. Either way, it’s hard to deny he’s an integral part of this offense, as he’s actually seen the 11th most RZ targets (9) in the NFL to this point, and he has done well on these opportunities, catching six of them and scoring on half of those receptions. Michael Thomas is back, and Kamara is Kamara, so at best ES will be the 3rd option in the passing game, but in the context of the Saints’ offense, that isn’t all too bad. He’s a WR4 in my eyes and someone you can confidently start if you’re in need of a bye week fill in going forward.
Sterling Shepard - New York Giants
Ownership: 51%
FAAB: $10-15
Waiver Priority: No
It was a disappointing output for Shepard, totaling just 39 yards, but again, he dominated in terms of targets, seeing eight. It was less than Engram’s 10, but honestly, I don’t care. As long as Shep is consistently seeing near double digit totals on a weekly basis, he will remain in the WR3 conversation. Since his return, he has seen 8, 10, and 8 targets all in a row, and although the production hasn’t quite followed, scoring just once and topping 60 yards the same amount of times, he’s in line for some pretty solid matchups against the Eagles, Bengals, Seahawks, Cardinals, and Browns. Volume + Good Matchups = a WR I’m confident in starting, so he’s well worth the add, no matter what format or how deep of a league you play in,
Curtis Samuel - Carolina Panthers
Ownership: 29%
FAAB: $5-10
Waiver Priority: No
Over the past few weeks, the Panthers have turned Curtis Samuel into rookie year Tyreek Hill. For whatever reason, he’s become a trusted running back in the red zone, and has now scored at least one tuddy in three straight weeks. The former Buckeye has touched the ball at least seven times in each game over that same span and has totaled over 200 yards from scrimmage to boot. D.J. Moore looks to be an afterthought now, so calling Samuel the WR2 at this point isn’t even all that hot of a take. He’s still not on Robby’s level in terms of receiving usage (despite out producing him this week) and will never threaten CMC’s job, but in a high-powered offense - one that is manufacturing touches for him - he should provide FLEX upside on a weekly basis.
Now with CMC looking to miss some more time with a shoulder injury, I'd expect to see Samuel get rotated into the backfield a bit more again. As long as CMC is out, Samuel should be a nearly must-start WR3 play, and if he continues to impress, could maintain that role even upon McCaffrey's re-emergence.
Tim Patrick - Denver Broncos
Ownership: 22%
FAAB: $3
Waiver Priority: No
Whatever I wrote about Drew Lock applies here. I don’t think Patrick is any sort of world beater, but any time you can play 30 minutes of garbage time every week, there will be some fantasy relevance. I don’t want to sell TP short, though, as he has now totaled either 100 yards or a TD in four of his last five games, seeing at least seven targets in three of those outings as well. It looks like Jeudy is filling into that WR1 role in Denver, but with the consolidated target share in Mile High, he can be viewed as a trusted WR4 going forward, depending on the matchup.
Jakobi Meyers - New England Patriots
Ownership: 13%
FAAB: $15-20
Waiver Priority: No
Jakobi Meyers is basically a carbon copy of Sterling Shepard at this point. The volume has been there these past few weeks, he has totaled 30 targets and has eclipsed a 40% target share in this offense twice now. Cam Newton's arm is dead, but he showed his accuracy in the short and intermediate game is still there, which is where Meyers runs all of his routes. He was getting open at will, albeit against the Jets defense, but also displayed some nice moves and ability to gain chunk yardage after the catch. In PPR leagues, he's a legit back-end WR2 given the lack of competition in this passing game, and even in half-PPR leagues, he provides WR3 upside as long as Edelman is out.
K.J. Hamler - Denver Broncos
Ownership: 2%
FAAB: $0
Waiver Priority: No
Again, we’re back on the Broncos. Hamler surprisingly saw 10 targets on Sunday, easily the most action he’s seen all season, and turned those looks into a 6-75-0 line. Not too shabby. As I said with Lock and Patrick, this is a team that can’t seem to stop anybody on defense, resulting in a whole lot of throwing. Hamler is still well behind Jeudy, and at best, on par with Patrick in the receiving game, so he isn’t any sort of league-winner, but he’s shown to be competent on the chances he’s been given, and if he were to continue earning these reps, could eventually pan out as a WR4 option. I’m not holding my breath, but he’s someone I wouldn’t mind stashing in deeper leagues if he does eventually leap Patrick on the depth chart.
TIGHT END
Dallas Goedert - Philadelphia Eagles
Ownership: 54%
FAAB: $20
Waiver Priority: No (unless desperate at TE)
I’m getting tired of adding him to this list. I think it’s safe to assume there are many dead Yahoo leagues, which is the cause for him not breaching that 60% ownership threshold. Whatever the case may be, this is just a friendly reminder that if he’s available, go out and grab him. I know he didn’t do much of anything before the bye, but that was his first week back from an extended absence in a game where he wasn’t really needed all that much. He should return from bye as at least the 2nd option in the receiving game on an offense that should benefit heavily from the upcoming schedule. Treat him as a locked-in top 10 TE going forward.
Jimmy Graham - Chicago Bears
Ownership: 49%
FAAB: $5
Waiver Priority: No
Week after week Jimmy Graham gets the usage of Travis Kelce, but week after week he produces like Jimmy Graham. He has now seen 6 or more targets in five of his last seven games and is averaging seven looks a game over that span. I always say, at tight end, all you want is either volume or TD upside, and as it looks right now, JG brings both to the table. The consistency may not be exactly what you hope for week to week, but I’d much rather trot him out than hope to hit on a one-off streamer and inevitably ending up with a 1-9-0 line.
Austin Hooper - Cleveland Browns
Ownership: 38%
FAAB: $5
Waiver Priority: No
Hooper is someone that was featured last week as well, and with him being on bye, his ownership didn’t spike nearly enough to reach the 60% threshold. As I said with Graham, all you hope for is volume or TD upside at the TE position, and with OBJ out for the year and Baker leaning heavily on the position over these past few weeks, especially down by the end zone, Hooper fits that mold. It’s not just speculative, either, as Hooper saw 7, 10, and 6 targets the three weeks prior to his injury, so he’s shown to be a trusted member of this passing offense. AH should slot right back into the TE1 conversation upon his return, somewhere between Goedert and Jimmy Graham.
D/ST
Philadelphia Eagles vs New York Giants
Home: No
Spread: Eagles (-3)
Total: 41.5
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Green Bay Packers
Home: Yes
Spread: Packers (-13.5)
Total: 53.5 (high, but Jags’ implied team total is 20)