By Winsto (10/08/2024)
There are a few names here to consider for Week 06 and beyond. Keep in mind that the Chiefs, Dolphins, Rams, and Vikings all have their Bye Week this week, so there will be several fantasy relevant players not playing.
(The following players are rostered by less than 50% according to Yahoo Fantasy.)
QUARTERBACK
Kirk Cousins (Atlanta)–I am cheating here, as he is rostered on 51% of leagues, but make sure he is not on the wire. I mentioned this in an earlier write-up, but it is starting to look like the coaching staff is opening up the offense more. 509 passing yards and 4 TDs (with 1 INT) in Week 05 simply cannot be overlooked. In addition, his opponent in Week 06 is Carolina. He is an add not only for this week, but also for the rest of the season, as he has the look of a low-end QB1.
Daniel Jones (NYG)?–Let me clear, I do not trust Daniel Jones. However, 3 out of his 5 games this season have been good fantasy games. He faces a Cincinatti defense in Week 06 that does not seem too interested in preventing points—it has given up the 2nd most points per game this year (29). In addition, the remaining pass defenses for Jones are not scary at all. I am not looking for him to be my weekly starter, but for a Bye Week or 2 QB leagues, I am okay (I guess?) with him.
Joe Flacco (Indianapolis)–Look, this is partially dependent on the health of Anthony Richardson, but its not like Richardson was one fire before he went down—he failed to complete over 50% of his passes in any of his 3 complete games!!! Flacco has filled in more than capably, and he has lifted up the pass catchers in this offense. And just to remind people, he also proved to be a fantasy hero down the stretch last season. Could he do it again???? He does face a decent pass defense (Tennessee) in Week 06, and the remaining schedule is not great. That said, you could do worse.
(For Deep Leagues or 2 QB Leagues) Drake Maye (New England)–I mean, who knows, right? If you have the bench, see what happens?
RUNNING BACK
Tank Bigsby (Jacksonville)–Simply put, he has played well in support of Travis Etienne (RB), rushing 20 times for 191 yards and 2 TDs over the past two games. He even had 1 reception for 28 yards. Rumors circulated that Bigsby may have overtaken Etienne, but the coaching staff stated Etienne had less usage due to a shoulder injury. Bigsby already has some stand-alone value, but he could easily enter RB2 discussion if Etienne’s shoulder issue is worse than being reported. Or, maybe Bigsby is overtaking Etienne. Either way, he is an add.
Roschon Johnson (Chicago)–He has not been overly impressive his yards per carry this season (3.2). But, he has seen 30% or more of the snaps over the last 3 weeks, and he is getting usage in the Red Zone (7 touches over that same span). He has 3 TDs in his last 2 games. And, if something happens to D’Andre Swift (RB), then he looks to be next in line, as he seems to have overtaken Khalil Herbert (RB).
Tyron Tracy Jr. (NYG)–Tracy had a nice day filling in for an injured Devin Singletary (RB) on Sunday, rushing for 129 yards on 18 carries. He also took over the backfield after Eric Gray (RB) fumbled. The rookie should continue to dominate the carries for as long as Singletary is OUT, but the latter could return this week. If that happens, I think Singletary still leads the backfield, but Tracy should have a share of the carries moving forward.
Dameon Pierce or Cam Akers (Houston)—Same situation as the last few weeks. Again, this is dependent on the health of Joe Mixon. It will also depend on the health of Pierce. Akers has served as the main rusher of Houston’s offense with Mixon and Pierce missing time thus far, but Dare Ogunbowale is the preferred pass-catching back over Akers and can cap his ceiling.
Trey Benson (Ari) and Blake Corum (LAR)—I suppose this is just going to be a weekly reminder. I am not sure how these players are under 50% rostered. They are both one injury away from being borderline RB1s, and neither James Conner nor Kyren Williams have been models of durability. These are two of the best lottery picks to stash on your bench.
Braelon Allen (NYJ)—Another lottery pick, Allen has proved to be a thorn in the side of Breece Hall fantasy managers. I think Hall is the better back, but Allen is not going away. Thus, he has some stand-alone value, though I am not sure how valuable a time-share running back in this offense actually is. But, he is a high end hand-cuff. I put him on a tier below Benson and Corum simply because I am not completely sold of the ability of the Jets offense at this point, thus limiting his upside.
Isaac Guerendo (SF)—I still have no clue if/when Christian McCaffrey is coming off the I.R. Thus, Jordan Mason is going to be the guy for the foreseeable future. Look, running backs in the 49er offense tend to have success. For the foreseeable future, the rookie, Guerendo, is one injury away from being the number one RB in the 49er offense.
WIDE RECEIVER
JuJu Smith-Schuster (Kansas City)–No, it is not 2022, but Smith-Schuster looks like the number one option at WR for now. He led the WR room in targets (8), receiving yardage (130), and receptions (7) in Week 05. In essence, he is the replacement for Rashee Rice (WR) in this offense. Now, he does not have the ceiling as Rice did before the injury (sigh), but for the foreseeable future, he is going to be peppered with targets in the middle of the field, along with Travis Kelce (TE), while Xavier Worthy (WR) stretches the field. If he can keep his knees healthy, he has a chance to finish as a borderline top 30 WR from here on out.
Darnell Mooney (Atlanta)–If I am going to buy into Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta offense starting to open things up, then I am logically going to buy into Mooney. He is tied with Chris Godwin as the 14th most targeted WR in 2024. Targets equal opportunities. Only 5 WRs have more receiving TDs than Mooney. (Yes, there are many tied with him at 3). He currently has more receiving yards than the likes of Stefon Diggs, Brandon Aiyuk, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Terry McLaurin. The fact of the matter is after being misused in Chicago, Atlanta seems to be using him correctly. What are you waiting for??? I would not be surprised if he finishes the season as a low-end WR2. He is an add.
Darius Slayton (NYG)–With Malik Nabors (WR) missing Week 05, Slayton became a target monster, going 8-122-1 on 11 targets (32 % target share). If Nabors were to be unable to suit up for Week 06, Slayton could be a sneaky play.
Dontayvion Wicks (Green Bay)–Wow, so Week 05 did NOT go according to play. Yes, Wicks has had issues with efficiency, but 2 receptions for 20 yards on 7 targets against an average Rams secondary? Well, the optimist would see the 7 targets, which led the team. I am going to stay with Wicks being an add. As long as Christian Watson is OUT, Wicks will see opportunities. What he does with them is a great question.
Josh Downs (Indianapolis)–This is contingent on Joe Flacco starting. He has seen 21 targets over the last 2 games with Flacco mainly at the helm, going for 151 receiving yards and 1 TD on 17 receptions. I would put him higher, but Week 06’s match-up against a solid Tennesse secondary.
Xavier Legette (Carolina)–He left Week 05 in the 2nd Quarter with an injury. Monitor the practice reports, but there is still a window for production here if healthy for as long as Adam Thielen is Out.
Allen Lazard (New York Jets)–He will score the occasional TD with Aaron Rodgers throwing. The ceiling is probably a WR3 here, but there is value with that. So far, he has caught at least 1 TD every other week, and he DID catch one last week. So, may consider waiting until Week 07 to play him. Just saying….
TIGHT END
Taysom Hill (New Orleans)–I mentioned Hill last week, and now Derek Carr appears to be missing time for the next few weeks. I basically less than full games played, Hill has accounted for 75 rushing/receiving yards and 2 TDs. The problem, however, is Hill is iffy to play. IF Hill can return from some cracked ribs, his role in the offense should only grow. That said, he has now missed time due to multiple injuries. The 34 year old QB/FB/RB/TE may be showing some wear, but he still has the potential to win a fantasy week for you. Given the landscape of the position, how many Tight Ends can do that?
IDP
Trevin Wallace (LB-Carolina)–Shaq Thompson (LB) is out for the season, and Josey Jewell was unable to play in Week 05 due to injury. Wallace (3rd Round Rookie) stepped in, wore the Green Dot, and amassed 15 total tackles (10 solo). Jewell will eventually return, but Carolina may be playing for the future. And if so, they may stick with Wallace as the full-time player. He may have already been cutting into Jewell’s playing time before Jewell was injured.
DeMarvion Overshown (LB-Dallas)–I mentioned him a few weeks ago when I wrote that he could be an upper level fantasy IDP play if he started seeing a full-time role. In Week 05, he saw a full-time role, and amassed 8 total tackles (7 solo) and pass defensed. I would like to see the full-time role again before I trust him, but he is already worth an add.