Fantasy managers who scrambled for a quarterback after injuries to Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees may have solid alternatives on the waiver wire going into Week 4...
Terry McLaurin, Paul Richardson Jr., Chris Thompson Fantasy Outlook After Week 3
Sep 24, 2019
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 23: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Redskins reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the second half at FedExField on September 23, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The Washington Redskins suffered a 31-15 defeat to the Chicago Bears on Monday night, but it was a good time to have one of Terry McLaurin, Paul Richardson Jr. or Chris Thompson in your lineup.
Richardson was the team's leading receiver, catching eight passes for 83 yards and one touchdown. McLaurin had 70 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. Thompson only got seven carries for 29 yards but padded his fantasy output with four receptions for 79 yards.
McLaurin's effort continues what has been an encouraging start to 2019. The rookie wideout had 10 catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns in Washington's first two games.
Terry McLaurin’s first three games: 5/125/1, 5/62/1, 6/70/1. McLaurin is leading Washington in targets (24), is 12th among WRs in receiving yards, and he faces the Giants secondary next.
He's quickly emerging as the team's best fantasy threat from the receiving corps, and the only real concern is the combination of quarterback Case Keenum and head coach Jay Gruden, which limits his ceiling.
I feel bad for Terry McLaurin. He deserves better.
McLaurin's stock has steadily risen, to the point he might already be unavailable in your league. If he's still on the waiver wire, then you need to make a claim as soon as possible to have him on your squad for Week 4.
The New York Giants, who host the Redskins on Sunday, are allowing a league-high 332.3 passing yards per game, so it's a favorable matchup for the Washington offense.
That might also bode well for Richardson, though he is a far riskier fantasy option. Keenum targeted him just 10 times in the first two weeks, and the sixth-year receiver fell short of expectations in his first season with the team. During the 2018 campaign, he caught only 20 passes for 262 yards and a pair of scores.
Maybe Monday represented a turning point for Richardson, and facing the Giants positions him as a streaming option for receiver-needy owners. But he hasn't yet shown enough week-to-week consistency for anyone to think he's worth a roster spot for more than a game or two at a time in standard leagues.
Meanwhile, the calculus doesn't change too much for Thompson.
He continues to be the second option on the ground behind Adrian Peterson, yet his contributions to the passing game prop up his value, especially in point-per-reception leagues.
Until Derrius Guice is activated from injured reserve, Thompson might get enough carries to be a low-end flex or RB2. At the very least, he's a good player to stash on your bench in the event Peterson misses time with an injury, as well.
Raiders' Darren Waller, Tyrell Williams, JJ Nelson Fantasy Outlook After Week 3
Sep 22, 2019
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 22: Tyler Conklin #83 of the Minnesota Vikings congratulates teammate Tyrell Williams #16 on Williams' touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Raiders 34-14. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
The Oakland Raiders offense has stalled in the two weeks following their 24-16 win over the Denver Broncos to open the regular season, but the team's 1-2 record doesn't totally reflect how effective some players can be in fantasy.
During Oakland's 34-14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, tight end Darren Waller was the brightest spot with 13 catches for 134 yards on 14 targets. It marked the 27-year-old's first 100-yard receiving game in the NFL, and he showcased plenty of ability to believe in moving forward:
What's most promising is how much quarterback Derek Carr depended on Waller to move the offense. At halftime, Waller had accounted for 54 of Carr's 199 passing yards (h/t Eddie Paskal).
Through the first three weeks of 2019, the one component keeping Waller from being a no-brainer starting fantasy tight end is his inability to find the end zone. He has zero touchdowns in three games.
That said, NFL.com's senior fantasy analyst Michael Fabiano categorized Waller as a late-round flier prior to this season. He has proved since then he has more value than that.
If Waller is still available in your league, snag him. If he's on your bench, it's worth taking a chance and starting him in Week 4 when the Raiders travel to play the Indianapolis Colts, who allowed 66 yards and two touchdowns to Atlanta tight end Austin Hooper on Sunday.
While Waller led all pass-catchers Sunday, wide receivers Tyrell Williams and J.J. Nelson each caught a touchdown to record the Raiders' only points. Williams recorded a season-low three receptions for 29 yards, and Nelson hauled in his first four passes of 2019 for 36 yards.
Nelson had been recovering from a sprained ankle suffered in mid-August, and head coach Jon Gruden hyped his return:
Gruden excited to have J.J. Nelson back from ankle injury: “He’s a guy that had a great training camp for us. He was getting a lot of reps, for a lot of reasons, and he took advantage of them, but yeah, we need the speed. No doubt.” #Raiders
The fact Nelson notched a touchdown in his first game back from injury could be encouraging. However, the Raiders incorporating him back into the offense could take targets away from Williams.
Even so, Williams has scored a touchdown in each of the season's first three games and got off to a hot start with 105 yards receiving in the season-opener. In other words, he still holds the potential to be Carr's undisputed No. 1 target, though Sunday's performance was enough to give some fantasy owners pause.
In the coming weeks, Williams remains a WR2 option, while Nelson is one to monitor at flex.
Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard's Fantasy Outlook for Giants vs. Cowboys in Week 1
Sep 4, 2019
Take a sigh of relief, fantasy football players: Ezekiel Elliott is back.
The league's reigning rushing champion's holdout ended Wednesday when he agreed to a six-year, $90 million extension with the Dallas Cowboys, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater. It was fair to question when or if he would return, especially after Le'Veon Bell sat out the 2018 campaign, but Dallas' go-to option is back in time for Week 1.
Slater later reported "the plan right now" is for Elliott to receive 20 to 25 reps versus the New York Giants, with rookie Tony Pollard behind him.
Elliott led the league in rushing as a rookie in 2016 and again last season, and he arguably only fell short in 2017 because he was suspended six games. The Ohio State product is on the shortlist of the best fantasy players in the NFL.
Elliott has performed well after missing time before. He had 118 yards from scrimmage against the Seattle Seahawks in his first game back from a six-game suspension and 141 yards from scrimmage against the Philadelphia Eagles in the following contest.
He should thrive against a Giants defense that was 20th in the league in rushing yards allowed last season.
For those who drafted Pollard with the hope he might be the next James Conner, this news is a bummer.
Pollard impressed with five carries for 42 yards and a touchdown in a preseason win over the Los Angeles Rams and looked the part of someone who could thrive as an RB2 or RB3 behind an offensive line Football Outsiders ranked eighth in the league in run blocking last year.
However, he's not worth playing against the Giants or anyone with Elliott active.
Need more help with your fantasy football lineup? Matt Camp solves your fantasy problems live on B/R Gridiron's new show, Your Fantasy Fire Drill. Download the B/R app now to submit your questions and tune in every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Fantasy Football 2019: Sleepers to Target and Possible Team Names for Your Squad
Aug 23, 2019
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 16: James Washington #13 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action during the game against the New England Patriots at Heinz Field on December 16, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
The fantasy football industry is a booming, 24-hour business. That being the case, when we use the word "sleeper," we understand that it has a specific context within the nonstop world of fantasy football.
A fantasy sleeper in 2019 will rarely be a player no one has heard of. Sure, it happens sometimes—usually in season, when a third-string running back or an unestablished rookie breaks out for a ton of yards or a flashy score. Then everyone runs to the waiver wire.
But in the offseason, during your fantasy football draft, a sleeper is more commonly a player whose name might be familiar but whom people are sleeping on in the sense that his average draft position (ADP) is much lower than his upside.
Using that definition, we have collected a handful of sleepers to keep an eye out for as you draft your teams. And speaking of teams, what good is one without a great name? Some suggestions are made for you there as well. You can thank us when you win your championship.
In considering the following sleepers, we're working from a 12-team league with PPR scoring.
Sleepers to Target
Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals: With an ADP of 110, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is, on average, the 15th quarterback coming off most people's boards. That means that in a 12-team league, he isn't on most rosters. Given Murray's double threat ability with his arm and his legs, he's likely to pile up fantasy points for your team, even if he's an unproven commodity.
Darrell Henderson, RB, Los Angeles Rams: It's not a surprise anyone is sleeping on Darrell Henderson; he's sitting behind one of the best running backs in the game in Todd Gurley. However, Gurley may never be the player he once was thanks to his knee, and more than Henderson occasionally relieving him, it's possible this backfield becomes a timeshare situation. That would make Henderson much more valuable than his ADP of 120 suggests.
Jaylen Samuels has soared up our rankings in recent weeks. He waltzed into the end zone tonight. #Steelers#KCvsPIT#NFL
Jaylen Samuels, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Speaking of sleepers sitting behind stars, with the way Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner came on last season, it's no wonder Jaylen Samuels is an afterthought. But when Samuels stepped in for Conner in three starts last season, he averaged 16.9 points per game. The two are a great handcuffing option, but Samuels might be worth a late-round pick in his own right. He should be better than the 52nd running back coming off the board.
James Washington, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: Another Steeler makes the list; don't go after James Washington if you're going after Samuels and/or Conner. But Washington's ADP of 125 belies the success he could see with the team this year. He dropped 15 pounds in the offseason, and there's an Antonio Brown-sized void in the passing game. And for whatever it's worth, he's been the Steelers' leading receiver in the preseason.
Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens: The problem with sleeper tight ends is that some people only keep one on their roster. But if you're someone who likes to keep a second TE option on your bench, Mark Andrews is a good bet. He looked great when he played with Lamar Jackson last season, going 13-of -9 for 308 yards and one score. Expect him to get more volume this season and to make more of the looks he does receive.
Fantasy Football 2019: Cheat Sheet for Injured Players and Holdout Candidates
Aug 13, 2019
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown during NFL football minicamp Tuesday, June 11, 2019, in Alameda, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
It's a fraught time of year for fantasy football managers.
Between training camp injuries and big-name holdouts, navigating your draft board can feel more like navigating a minefield. How do you evaluate a player who has no set timetable for a return from injury? And where do you draft a superstar who is threatening to sit out the entire season if he doesn't get a suitable contract for his team?
And what on earth do you make of the current situation between Antonio Brown and the Oakland Raiders?
In this fantasy cheat sheet, you'll find answers to all those questions and more, putting your mind at ease before you commit yourself to the squad that will take you all the way this season.
Let's take a look at some of the biggest players affected by injury or holdout this offseason, and break down exactly how you should handle them in your upcoming draft.
Injured Players and Holdout Candidates Cheatsheet
Antonio Brown, WR, Oakland Raiders (foot)
Antonio Brown's offseason saga has been a long and strange road, indeed. On August 7, ESPN confirmed that Brown suffered frostbite on his feet due to cryotherapy. It explained why Brown had missed a significant portion of the team's training camp. However, on Friday, Michael Silver published the bombshell Twitter thread detailing Brown's displeasure with the NFL's refusal to let him wear his old and since banned helmet model. This grievance appeared to be partially responsible for Brown's absence from the team. Brown lost the grievance, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that he'll be back at the training facility Tuesday.
Advice: Despite all of the above, stay the course; if you have the chance to draft Brown in Round 1, or you own him in a dynasty league, you simply can't pass up the chance to add a WR1 of his caliber to your squad.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers (holdout)
For the 2nd straight year, a running back holdout is a story in fantasy football and this time there are two of them...
Ezekiel Elliott and Melvin Gordon both rank in the Top 3 in fantasy points by a RB over the last 3 seasons.
Per ESPN Stats and Information, Melvin Gordon ranks in the top three in fantasy points by a running back over the last three seasons. Yeah, he's pretty good...which is why he thinks he deserves a hefty new contract.
Gordon is entering the third week of his holdout and missed the team's first preseason game. Per ESPN's Eric D. Williams, the Chargers offered Gordon roughly $10 million annually, but the two sides have yet to reach an agreement.
Gordon has indicated that if he doesn't get the offer he desires from the Chargers, he'll demand a trade.
Advice: The Chargers have a history of paying to keep the players they've developed (see: Keenan Allen, Melvin Ingram). If you don't draft Gordon early in your fantasy draft, chances are one of your opponents will.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys (holdout)
Similar to Melvin Gordon, Ezekiel Elliott has been one of fantasy's highest-scoring running backs over the last three seasons. Also similar to Melvin Gordon, Elliott thinks he deserves to be paid like a top back.
Elliott's camp has told the Cowboys straight up that the running back will not suit up in 2019 without a new deal, per ESPN's Josina Anderson. As with any holdout situation, it takes some thoughtful reading between the lines to figure out what's a bluff and what's a promise.
The Cowboys also have to re-sign Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper.
Advice: You may have to watch Elliott languish on your bench a couple of weeks into the regular season, but, like with Melvin Gordon, it's hard to imagine Elliott's team isn't able to reach a satisfactory agreement with its star back.
Those fantasy managers who have Julian Edelman in dynasty leagues have had a hard go of it. After sitting out four games in 2018 due to suspension, Edelman is heading into the regular season nursing a broken thumb.
However, it's not all bad news. With tight end Rob Gronkowski out of the picture, Edelman should have the best season of his career catching passes from Tom Brady.
Advice: Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, don't fret if Edelman misses the entire preseason. He should be ready to go for Week 1. Accordingly, draft him if you have the chance. His current ADP is 45th overall.
The latest news on Bengals wideout A.J. Green is that he's undergone surgery and he's expected to miss "multiple regular-season games," per Rapoport via NFL.com. It's the second straight year Green will miss multiple games with an injury.
Advice: With Green's timetable for return being up in the air, let someone else in your league spend a too-high draft pick on him. If he falls in your league, try handcuffing him with teammates Josh Malone or Auden Tate, whose draft stock has been rising considerably in training camp.
Trey Burton, TE, Chicago Bears (hernia)
The Chicago Bears have had a rough go of it at the tight end position recently, to say nothing of the players who have found themselves struggling to get back on the field for their team due to injuries.
Trey Burton is "the guy" in Chicago, but he may not be the guy in Week 1. Burton had offseason sports hernia surgery, which kept him out of OTA workouts. The good news for Burton and fantasy managers both is that this is the first major injury of his NFL career, and everyone just needs to exercise patience as he works his way back.
Advice: If you're in a 12-team league, there are hardly 12 starting-caliber tight ends available in the draft this year. However, if you draft Burton and he misses time early in the season, you'll have to be comfortable keeping two tight ends on your roster as you wait for him to make his way back.
Circumstances change, which means fantasy football rankings remain fluid. How does one determine if they're getting good value or drafting a player too earlier? Everyone has their favorite magazine or source they like to use for standard rankings...
49ers' Jalen Hurd's Fantasy Stock After 2 TDs vs. Cowboys, Trent Taylor Injury
Aug 11, 2019
SANTA CLARA, CA - AUGUST 10: Jalen Hurd #17 of the San Francisco 49ers catches a pass and races towards the endzone against the Dallas Cowboys in the second quarter of a preseason NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on August 10, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. Hurd scored a touchdown on the play. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Jalen Hurd snagged three passes for 31 yards and two touchdowns in his preseason debut against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, a 17-9 win.
The question is whether that performance translates to more opportunities for Hurd, especially in light of slot wideout Trent Taylor's foot injury.
The answer is that Hurd's fantasy football stock has clearly risen, to the point where he may be a shrewd late-round sleeper in all formats.
As Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweeted, Taylor is out for the "near future." That means Hurd "will see more action at slot receiver," per the beat writer.
Establish The Run's Evan Silva posited that Hurd has a "real shot" to be San Francisco's slot man. Hurd certainly has experience there, with Pro Football Focus' Jeff Deeney reporting that the rookie ran 96 percent of his route there at Baylor last season.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area provided compliments for Hurd's performance in his postgame takeaways piece:
"On Saturday, he showed his running back skills as a receiver, lining up in the slot on the left side and catching a pass from Mullens on a crossing route," Maiocco wrote. "Hurd then turned up field and flattened Cowboys safety Kavon Frazier at the goal line for a 20-yard touchdown."
Maiocco wrote on Saturday that (a) the team doesn't have a true No. 1 wideout and (b) he expected Taylor to lead the team in targets.
That was written before news of the injury, but if that prediction was to ring true, then there is target volume to be had in the 49ers' passing game. Furthermore, the lack of a No. 1 wideout now means someone can take the role down the road. Why not Hurd?
The rookie is currently listed with an average draft position of 374, per FantasyPros. If your league is drafting any time soon, consider jumping on the Hurd fantasy bandwagon before it potentially gets full.
In standard fantasy football leagues, running backs take precedence over every other position, especially in point-per-reception formats. Your search for productive tailbacks shouldn't stop after the few first rounds: Grab a handcuff option...
College Fantasy Football 2019: Flex Player Rankings and Creative Team Names
Aug 1, 2019
TEMPE, AZ - NOVEMBER 03: Running back Eno Benjamin #3 of the Arizona State Sun Devils rushes the football against the Utah Utes during the first half of the college football game at Sun Devil Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
College fantasy football provides fans with a tougher challenge than NFL fantasy football, but you can win your league if you do your research.
While the names are certainly less familiar to the average person, there are stars who can carry your team and tons useful players who can be reliable on a weekly basis.
Quarterbacks are important, so make sure to grab players like Jalen Hurts and Sam Ehlinger early, but the flex players will provide the much-needed depth in a sport that features a lot of uncertainty at the positions.
Here are the best flex options across college fantasy football, featuring only players in the Power 5 conferences.
There are several players in contention for the No. 1 running back, with Jonathan Taylor, Eno Benjamin and Travis Etienne all having a strong claim.
Etienne was one of the breakout stars of last season, finishing seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting while totaling 1,658 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. However, Clemson is expected to rely on the passing game more this season behind Trevor Lawrence, and those touchdowns are difficult to replicate.
Benjamin is exciting thanks to his touches after getting 300 carries and 35 receptions in 2018, keeping him a solid option all year.
However, Taylor is the best player on the board thanks to his consistency and production on the ground.
The Wisconsin running back has 4,171 rushing yards in just two years in college football, including an NCAA-best 2,194 yards last season. He topped 100 yards in 12 of 13 games last season, breaking 200 yards in five games.
This is just too difficult to pass up from a fantasy perspective, and the 20-year-old should be the top overall pick in all leagues.
Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
No freshman had a better debut last season than Rondale Moore, who tallied 109 receiving yards, 79 rushing yards and 125 kick return yards in his first collegiate game for Purdue.
The receiver continued to make a huge impact during the campaign with 1,258 receiving yards, 213 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns. He showed over the course of the year he is a menace with the ball in his hands:
He's electrified the entire country all season - especially the B1G.
So it's no surprise that @BoilerFootball's Rondale Moore is taking home ✌️ B1G awards:
After a huge freshman year, Moore has a chance to be even better as a sophomore.
Purdue clearly wants to get the ball to the 19-year-old in any way possible, and that alone could lead to huge numbers given his talent.
Even if defenses key on him in 2019, Moore should be able to break through with some big games in the upcoming season.
Sleeper
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State
STILLWATER, OK - OCTOBER 27: Running back Chuba Hubbard #30 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys runs against defensive lineman Chris Nelson #97 of the Texas Longhorns in the second quarter on October 27, 2018 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Oklahoma State had a two-headed rushing attack last season between Justice Hill and Chuba Hubbard, while quarterback Taylor Cornelius was very active in the run game.
However, Hill and Cornelius are now gone, and replacement QB Dru Brown is more of a passer than a runner.
This leaves Hubbard as the best player left offensively, and he should see a lot of touches over the upcoming season. In a Mike Gundy offense, this could lead to some major production from the running back.
Hubbard already had a good year in 2018, totaling 740 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground to go with 229 receiving yards and two scores through the air. His versatility could be extremely valuable in this attack, and he could become an every-down player during the upcoming season.
After showing a glimpse of what he could as a freshman, he could be a star in 2019.
JD Spielman, WR, Nebraska
MADISON, WI - OCTOBER 06: JD Spielman #10 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers makes a catch in the third quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Adrian Martinez is one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in college football, totaling 2,617 passing yards and 629 rushing yards last season as a freshman for the Nebraska Cornhuskers despite dealing with injuries.
If he stays healthy, the offense could be elite in 2019, meaning plenty of production to go around.
JD Spielman is already coming off a strong season with 66 catches for 818 yards and eight touchdowns, his second straight year with at least 800 receiving yards. He can now be in for an even bigger year with Stanley Morgan moving on to the NFL.
Morgan had 70 catches for 1,004 yards last season, and those targets will have to go somewhere.
Other players will have to step up, especially considering no other receiver had more than 200 receiving yards last season, but Spielman should be the go-to target as a reliable option who can make things happen.
The fact Nebraska had the No. 88 defense in the country last year should only help as the team must rely on the passing game to stay competitive in 2019.
