By Ryan Weisse
Another week is in the books but thankfully with far fewer injuries than Week 3. We didn’t come out completely unscathed though. While running backs are starting to thin out, unfortunately, there isn’t a ton of help on waivers– but you are in luck if you need a wide receiver. To recap, last week we told you to go get Mike Davis and Jerick McKinnon (and to avoid Dion Lewis) and hopefully that helped you at RB because there won’t be much out there this week. Our WR pickups fared worse but injuries played into that and I stand behind Russell Gage and N’Keal Harry. We won’t talk about Quarterbacks and Tight Ends but suffice it to say, it was not pretty. As mentioned, this week brings fewer great RB options but a plethora of WRs that need to be added to most fantasy rosters. All players below are available in more than 50% of leagues according to Yahoo’s roster %…that is until you Pick ‘Em Up!
Quarterbacks
Ryan Fitzpatrick (93% Available)
While you would need to pretty desperate to add any of the QBs available in most leagues right now, FitzMagic might be the best of the bunch. While his yardage (160) wasn’t great on Thursday night, his two TDs and zero turnovers look much better in the fantasy stat box. He’s completing 71% of his passes on the year and has thrown four TDs to three INTs. You’d like to see fewer INTs to keep Tua Tagovailoa at bay but that’s not Fitzpatrick’s game. His schedule is what makes him so intriguing in the near future. With Seattle, a banged-up San Fran, and Denver on the schedule over the next three weeks, Fitzpatrick has top-12 potential for the foreseeable future.
Nick Foles (97% Available)
New QB, who dis? It didn’t take long for Nick Foles, and his smoke black visor, to usurp the starting job from Mitch Trubisky. Anyone who has followed Foles’ career knows that the Bears are now likely to win the Super Bowl. Jokes aside, Foles threw three TDs in the 2nd half of his Week 3 comeback, albeit against the Falcons, and brought Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, and even Jimmy Graham back to life. This is a pure desperation play but Foles might have top-12 upside in this offense.
Running Backs
Myles Gaskin (53% Available)
As if 2020 wasn’t weird enough, now Myles Gaskin is a thing. The former 7th Round draft pick out of Washington, Gaskin has taken ownership of the Miami backfield. He hasn’t looked great in any game, but he is playing 67% of the snaps and dominating the passing-game work. He may never score a TD thanks to the ultimate vulture in Jordan Howard, but Gaskin will be a solid RB3 as long as the Dolphins keep relying on him.
Carlos Hyde (82% Available)
This is more of a speculative add. On Sunday, Chris Carson injured his knee on one of the dirtier plays we’ve seen recently in the NFL. After a play ended, a Dallas defensive tackle continued to twist Carson’s knee and Carson was forced to exit the game. He escaped without major injury but will likely be limited for the next couple of weeks. Seattle is going to run the ball and Hyde will be first in line for touches if Carson misses time.
Chris Thompson (78% Available)
While Thompson disappointed the in Week 1, hence his availability, he has come on as of late. He is firmly behind James Robinson in the pecking order but has been targeted in the passing game ten times over the last two games. He is not going to win you many games but he is a good depth piece and should not be available in this many leagues, especially in PPR scoring formats.
Wide Receivers
Allen Lazard (52% Available)
I have been a major doubter of the WR2 role for Aaron Rodgers as of late but you cannot ignore Lazard’s production. It must be noted that he has been doing it as the de facto WR1 with Davante Adams hurt but he still needs to be added to fantasy rosters. He just put up a 6/146/1 stat line against New Orleans and is the WR9 on the young season. Every week won’t be 26 fantasy points but for those that lost WRs, Lazard should be an admirable fill-in.
Justin Jefferson (70% Available)
The first rookie WR to make a huge splash in 2020 was not Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, or Ceedee Lamb. Instead, Justin Jefferson showed us a glimpse of what him playing in the Stefon Diggs role might look like…and it was a sight to behold. Jefferson was targeted nine times, catching seven balls for an insane 175 yards and one TD. Much like others on this list, you can’t count on that every week but has his role in this offense solidifies, Jefferson could be a fantasy WR2 by year’s end.
Tee Higgins (95% Available)
Another rookie breakout in Week 3. The Bengals benched former 1st Round pick John Ross in favor of Higgins against the Eagles and it paid dividends. Higgins led the group in snaps played and was 2nd on the team with nine targets. He reeled in five of those targets for just 40 yards but two TDs. As Joe Burrow develops into a superstar, Higgins’ value is sure to rise as the season progresses.
Brandon Aiyuk (72% Available)
Yet another rookie WR breakout. While Aiyuk didn’t put up the gaudy numbers of Jefferson or Higgins, he has the potential to be something San Francisco desperately needs: a WR1. With Deebo and Kittle hurt, Aiyuk led the team in targets (eight) and put up a respectable 5/70 stat line. He also rushed the ball three times for 31 yards and a TD. Watching the game, his play-style and usage immediately reminded me of Robert Woods. Those are big shoes to fill but the rookie has a lot of potential moving forward.
Randall Cobb (94% Available)
It was a tough matchup and we figured the outside WRs would have some issues — Cooks did, Fuller did not — but Cobb in the slot felt like the safe play against Pittsburgh. He caught all four balls thrown his way and managed 95 yards and a TD. This team is still finding its identity without DeAndre Hopkins but expect Watson to lean on Cobb more and more as the season progresses.
Cole Beasley (91% Available)
Cole Beasley is just out here doing Cole Beasley things and everybody is ignoring him. Through three games, he has caught 15 of 20 targets for 228 yards. He hasn’t found the end zone yet and he won’t much this season but he is still looking like a borderline WR3 in fantasy football. He’s been targeted at least six times in every game this season and looks like a lock to hit 90+ targets if the Bills keep letting Josh Allen sling it.
Andy Isabella (99% Available)
Isabella is a long-shot to have every week value but in Week 3, with Christian Kirk out, he delivered. He reeled in four of four targets for just 47 yards but added two TDs. The issue is that he will likely cede playing time back to Kirk once he returns but may have some long-term value as the season moves along. With Larry Fitzgerald aging and Kirk approaching injury-prone status, Isabella could start to see the field more often. This is the first sign of life that we’ve seen from the 2nd-year wideout but if your bench is deep, he may be worth a stash.
Late Addition from Monday Night: Mecole Hardman, though you might be better off waiting til free agency, he is worth a waiver claim for WR-needy teams
Tight Ends
Mo Alie-Cox (91% Available)
Tight End continues to be a wasteland in fantasy football and it also appears that many fantasy managers are holding more than one or their roster. Translation: the free-agent pool is shallow. While we saw a possible resurgence of Jimmy Graham, I cannot condone rostering him at this point. Alie-Cox has now shown his worth in back-to-back games and is going to be a weapon that is often utilized by Philip Rivers. He has weekly TD upside and has already put up one 100-yard game this season.
