I'm writing this at 2:30pm today, so some news--particularly last-minute trade news--might have hit between then and now. But here are some things I'm thinking about heading into tomorrow's waiver wire push.
First, Tennessee's backfield: I have a piece coming out later on this. Can Adrian Peterson be trusted? Can the recently re-signed D'Onta Foreman revitlize a once-promising career wrecked by injuries? Could Jeremy McNichols carve out a meaningful fantasy role? This isn't unlike when Baltimore's backfield went through a complete transformation in early September: three aging veterans complementing an unproven 26-year-old. For now, I have my doubts about AP. Last year for Detroit he started out hot, and then ran for 3.8 yards per carry or worse (often much worse) in 12 of his final 14 games. He's on the down side of 36 years old. 10+ touches a game seems ambitious, and he's rarely been viable in the passing game.
McNichols remains my favorite Tennessee play from a "safe" perspective. He's a fairly capable pass-catcher who could carve out a 6-8 point fantasy role most weeks. If AP flops, and if Foreman remains in the shadows, McNichols could achieve an RB3 ceiling. But the central point is, none of these guys are worth investing in, unless you're okay stashing them on the bench for a while to see how this all shakes out.
Taysom Hill is a fantastic pickup at QB. The Saints hope to get him back this week, though we shouldn't be surprised if he's held out longer. Still, he should give fantasy managers great 2QB-league value and streaming 1QB-league value most weeks.
This morning on a Twitter Spaces broadcast I brought up Odell Beckham, Jr. Hard to believe (but not hard to believe) he's unrostered in 19% of ESPN leagues. With Kareem Hunt and Donovan Peoples-Jones on the shelf, and with the Browns nearly in must-win mode, can we really expect OBJ to scuffle his way to the finish line? Does it make any sense that Braxton Berrios (the Jets' sixth best receiver based on yards) has scored more fantasy points this year? There are trends, and there are outliers. And sometimes they intersect. OBJ's steady decline since joining Cleveland is a trend. But his virtual irrelevance seems like an outlier. Yes, he's been hurt, and the passing game has been a mess. But if the Browns are going to mount a playoff push, they need OBJ now more than ever. I think they'll figure out how to get him more involved.
And it seems to be time to take Jarret Patterson seriously. Antonio Gibson has been battling a shin injury. He's clearly not 100%, and he's not being used as a bell cow. His passing-game work is adequate, but not acceptable for most top-18-caliber RBs. With Washington going nowhere, it would not be surprising if they sit Gibson at some point. That would give Patterson an opening to produce RB3+ numbers. While he's not used much in the passing game (zero receptions in his final college season), he could help RB-needy managers down the stretch. That makes him a nice stash if you have the space.
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First, Tennessee's backfield: I have a piece coming out later on this. Can Adrian Peterson be trusted? Can the recently re-signed D'Onta Foreman revitlize a once-promising career wrecked by injuries? Could Jeremy McNichols carve out a meaningful fantasy role? This isn't unlike when Baltimore's backfield went through a complete transformation in early September: three aging veterans complementing an unproven 26-year-old. For now, I have my doubts about AP. Last year for Detroit he started out hot, and then ran for 3.8 yards per carry or worse (often much worse) in 12 of his final 14 games. He's on the down side of 36 years old. 10+ touches a game seems ambitious, and he's rarely been viable in the passing game.
McNichols remains my favorite Tennessee play from a "safe" perspective. He's a fairly capable pass-catcher who could carve out a 6-8 point fantasy role most weeks. If AP flops, and if Foreman remains in the shadows, McNichols could achieve an RB3 ceiling. But the central point is, none of these guys are worth investing in, unless you're okay stashing them on the bench for a while to see how this all shakes out.
Taysom Hill is a fantastic pickup at QB. The Saints hope to get him back this week, though we shouldn't be surprised if he's held out longer. Still, he should give fantasy managers great 2QB-league value and streaming 1QB-league value most weeks.
This morning on a Twitter Spaces broadcast I brought up Odell Beckham, Jr. Hard to believe (but not hard to believe) he's unrostered in 19% of ESPN leagues. With Kareem Hunt and Donovan Peoples-Jones on the shelf, and with the Browns nearly in must-win mode, can we really expect OBJ to scuffle his way to the finish line? Does it make any sense that Braxton Berrios (the Jets' sixth best receiver based on yards) has scored more fantasy points this year? There are trends, and there are outliers. And sometimes they intersect. OBJ's steady decline since joining Cleveland is a trend. But his virtual irrelevance seems like an outlier. Yes, he's been hurt, and the passing game has been a mess. But if the Browns are going to mount a playoff push, they need OBJ now more than ever. I think they'll figure out how to get him more involved.
And it seems to be time to take Jarret Patterson seriously. Antonio Gibson has been battling a shin injury. He's clearly not 100%, and he's not being used as a bell cow. His passing-game work is adequate, but not acceptable for most top-18-caliber RBs. With Washington going nowhere, it would not be surprising if they sit Gibson at some point. That would give Patterson an opening to produce RB3+ numbers. While he's not used much in the passing game (zero receptions in his final college season), he could help RB-needy managers down the stretch. That makes him a nice stash if you have the space.
---
- PFN fantasy site -- www.profootballnetwork.com/fantasy-football/
- PFN fantasy podcast -- podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-mood-for-fantasy-football/id1580114372
- Free fantasy advice newsletter -- www.getrevue.co/profile/pfnfantasy