The Must Stash: Week 13

Every Friday I will list some players who I think, if things go their way, will wind up in those waiver articles the following Tuesday. You don’t have to stash all of them – it depends on who you have on your roster, the depth of your benches, the scoring system of your league, etc. But these are guys that should at least be on your radar.

Stashing players is only something that can occur in deeper leagues with large benches, so to make this information worthwhile, I will only be recommending guys that are under 20% owned on both Yahoo and ESPN, and in many cases, you’ll see percentages in the single digits. If you’re in a league where guys like Myles Gaskin (69% on Yahoo, 81.9% on ESPN), Taysom Hill (59% on Yahoo, 72.3% on ESPN), or Justin Herbert (92% on Yahoo, 99% on ESPN) are on the waiver wire, you’re either in a league too shallow for stashing, or you should go pick them up right away.

In addition, for those of you in really deep leagues (16+ teams), we will also include some deep cut players that are rostered in less than 3% of leagues on both Yahoo and ESPN in a section at the end to try and give you the best chance of winning your fantasy league.

Week 1 was a success where we advised you to pick up Joshua Kelley, Laviska Shenault, and Jerick McKinnon. Week 2 was successful in getting you to roster Myles Gaskin on your team. Week 3 and 4 were less successful but had a few solid waiver suggestions such as Jeff Wilson, Mo Alie-Cox, and Hunter Renfrow. Weeks 5 and 6 we told you to pick up Trey Burton who has emerged as a legitimate TE1 option in the Colts offense. In Week 7, we advised you to pick up JaMycal Hasty, Giovani Bernard, and Tua Tagovailoa. In Week 8, we recommended picking up Denzel Mims, Jalen Reagor, and Darnell Mooney. In Week 9, our recommendation was that you pick up Jordan Wilkins and Jordan Reed. In Week 10, Kalen Ballage was the big piece that we told you to pick up from ‘The Must Stash’, and if you read the ‘Deep Cuts’ section, you might’ve picked up Salvon Ahmed as well. In Week 11, we advised you to grab Taysom Hill, Breshad Perriman, and Devontae Booker off the waiver wire.

 

Who made the list(s) this week? Let’s dive in!

 

Week 12 Recap

 

Frank Gore, RB, New York Jets – Gore took 18 carries for 74 rushing yards and caught three passes for 12 receiving yards against the Miami Dolphins defense. He may not be the most exciting running back, but he should be an RB2 for the rest of the year and should be rostered.

Denzel Mims, WR, New York Jets – Mims had four receptions on eight targets for 67 receiving yards against the Miami Dolphins. He’s been remarkably consistent so far this season, and the breakout performance is coming. Continue to hold.

Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks – Rashaad Penny has yet to play this year despite Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll teasing that he’ll be back soon since week 6 or so. At this point, he should not be rostered until he’s declared active for a game.

Will Dissly, TE, Seattle Seahawks – Dissly was a huge bust for this list last week and wasn’t targeted against the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s safe to drop.

Willie Snead IV, WR, Baltimore Ravens – Snead tested positive for COVID-19 prior to Wednesday afternoon’s football game. Leave him on the waiver wire for now.

 

The Must Stash

 

Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Vikings (15% on Yahoo, 13.7% on ESPN)

 

Kyle Rudolph is not the flashiest name. The 31-year-old tight end has been around since 2011 and only topped 650 receiving yards in a season once in that time frame. So why is he on ‘The Must Stash’ this week?

 

 

Rudolph makes the list for a couple reasons. One, tight end has been one of the most challenging positions to find good options this year, with only Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, and T.J. Hockenson proving to be consistent. Secondly, Irv Smith Jr., one of the Minnesota Vikings’ other primary tight ends, is still dealing with groin and back injuries. If Smith remains out, this should put Rudolph as the clear #3 option in the Minnesota Vikings passing game.

 

Devontae Booker, RB, Las Vegas Raiders (10% on Yahoo, 5.4% on ESPN)

 

In Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, the Raiders got destroyed 43-6. To make matters worse, the Raiders star running back, Josh Jacobs, suffered an ankle injury which puts his status for future games in jeopardy. 

But have no fear, Devontae Booker is here! A couple of years ago Devontae Booker was being hyped as the future starting running back of the Denver Broncos. But it never materialized despite flashes of being a talented player, and he eventually found his way to the Raiders this year.

 

 

As you can see from the stats above, Booker’s been playing pretty well in a relief role for the Raiders so far this year. If Jacobs is out a while, Booker will be a strong RB2 in his stead. With the fantasy playoffs coming up, Booker should be a priority on the waiver wire.

 

Ito Smith, RB, Atlanta Falcons (1% on Yahoo, 0.8% on ESPN)

 

After Todd Gurley was declared out for week 12’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, fantasy football players rushed to the waiver wire to pick up Brian Hill. And while Hill had a solid game against the Raiders, taking 13 carries for 55 rushing yards, his backfield mate Ito Smith had a better fantasy game. Smith took 12 carries for 65 rushing yards, caught four passes for 10 receiving yards, and scored a touchdown against the Raiders. This type of performance makes it a real debate between which of the two players will be more valuable in Gurley’s absence: Hill or Smith?

 

Jeremy McNichols, RB, Tennessee Titans (1% on Yahoo, 0.5% on ESPN)

 

The Titans have a pretty good schedule ahead and Derrick Henry should be the primary beneficiary. But in fantasy football, you need to always be prepared for the worst-case scenario. If Henry happens to miss some time for one reason or another, his primary handcuff will have big value. And while cases can be made for each of D’Onta Foreman, Jeremy McNichols, and Darrynton Evans, it is McNichols that stands as the player most likely to benefit should Henry miss any time.

 

 

Take a look at the table above. Jeremy McNichols has gotten more snaps than Darrynton Evans and D’Onta Foreman in every week this season (through week 12). This shows that the Titans trust him the most of the three backs, and he is the primary handcuff to Derrick Henry. If you are looking for a high upside handcuff in the fantasy playoffs that is available in most leagues, McNichols is your guy.

 

Mike Boone, RB, Minnesota Vikings (0% on Yahoo, 0.3% on ESPN)

 

This is probably the biggest long-shot of any player included on ‘The Must Stash’ this year, but given Dalvin Cook got a little banged up in Sunday’s victory against the Carolina Panthers it is worth discussing Mike Boone as a pickup in very deep (16+) leagues heading into the fantasy playoffs. If Cook misses time, Alexander Mattison would be the player to step up first there’s no denying that and Mattison should be rostered in most leagues. But if both those guys miss time, it would be Boone that would step up in Gary Kubiak’s running back-friendly offense.

 

 

As you can see from the stats above, Kubiak has gotten phenomenal production out of his running backs for over twenty years. Is Mike Boone likely to pay off? Probably not, with both Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison ahead of him on the depth chart. But given everything that has happened in this season, it isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility that something like Mike Boone starting in the championship game of the fantasy playoffs happens. Because of Kubiak’s system it’s important to monitor Boone on your waiver wires, especially if it gets announced that Dalvin Cook‘s injury is worse than initially thought.

 

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Deep Cuts

 

(Less Than 3% owned in ESPN and Yahoo)

 

Keke Coutee, WR, Houston Texans (3% on Yahoo, 0.9% on ESPN): With Will Fuller being suspended for the rest of the season, some of the other Houston Texans pass-catchers are going to have to step up. Keke Coutee has played well in recent weeks and should benefit.

 

Peyton Barber, RB, Washington Football Team (1% on Yahoo, 1% on ESPN): Peyton Barber has taken 19 carries for 85 rushing yards over the last two weeks. While Antonio Gibson is the primary back to roster in fantasy leagues, Barber has shown that he is worth mentioning on the ‘Deep Cuts’ list.

 

Collin Johnson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (0% on Yahoo, 0.1% on ESPN): Collin Johnson led the Jacksonville Jaguars in targets this past week and ended up putting up four receptions on eight targets for 96 receiving yards and receiving touchdown.

 

Jacob Hollister, TE, Seattle Seahawks (1% on Yahoo, 0.6% on ESPN): With Greg Olsen out a while, Jacob Hollister is getting more opportunities in the passing game, getting five targets this last week. If you are in a deeper league, Hollister could be a solid TE pickup.

 

Dwayne Washington, RB, New Orleans Saints (0% on Yahoo, 0% on ESPN): Dwayne Washington is a player who could see his fantasy value grow in Sean Payton’s offense if either Alvin Kamara or Latavius Murray end up missing time. While he’s not worth picking up now, keep an eye on him.

 

Darrynton Evans, RB, Tennessee Titans (1% on Yahoo, 1.9% on ESPN): Darrynton Evans is the on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury in week 5, but should be back at some point in the near future. If he can wrestle away the backup running back role from Jeremy McNichols, he could have value.

 

Gabriel Davis, WR, Buffalo Bills (3% on Yahoo, 1.9% on ESPN): Gabriel Davis had three receptions on four targets for 79 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown this past week. Keep an eye on him.

 

DeAndre Washington, RB, Miami Dolphins (1% on Yahoo, 0.4% on ESPN): DeAndre Washington took 13 carries for 49 rushing yards and caught two passes for 11 receiving yards against the New York Jets. With Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed‘s status up in the air the next couple weeks, Washington could be worth an add.

 

D’Onta Foreman, RB, Tennessee Titans (0% on Yahoo, 0.3% on ESPN): D’Onta Foreman has gotten 22 carries over the last five weeks. Derrick Henry‘s handcuff has value, so it’s important to monitor who is in control of the job between Foreman, Darrynton Evans, and Jeremy McNichols.

 

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Detroit Lions (1% on Yahoo, 0.5% on ESPN): Mohamed Sanu has been on a bit of a journey this year, playing for quite a few teams but he seems to have found a home (at least temporarily) in Detroit. Against the Houston Texans, Sanu caught four passes on four targets for 32 receiving yards and a touchdown.

 

Justice Hill, RB, Baltimore Ravens (2% on Yahoo, 1.9% on ESPN): With the Ravens backfield a little shorthanded against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Justice Hill stepped up and was their most effective running back, taking nine carries for 35 rushing yards. This was likely a one-time performance, but he’s still worth monitoring in the coming weeks.

 

Rodney Smith, RB, Carolina Panthers (0% on Yahoo, 0.3% on ESPN): Rodney Smith has taken 15 carries for 47 rushing yards over the last two weeks as the backup running back to Mike Davis.

 

Tyron Johnson, WR, Los Angeles Chargers (0% on Yahoo, 0% on ESPN): Tyron Johnson had two receptions on four targets for 63 receiving yards. He’s been a solid deep threat for the Chargers at times this year.

 

Josh Gordon, WR, Seattle Seahawks (1% on Yahoo, 0.8% on ESPN): There are probably people out there who are sick of the Josh Gordon hype. I get it. But his god-given talent combined with MVP candidate Russell Wilson potentially throwing to him makes it worth monitoring when he makes his return (currently no timeline on when this might be).

 

Bisi Johnson, WR, Minnesota Vikings (0% on Yahoo, 0.1% on ESPN): Bisi Johnson caught seven passes on seven targets for 74 receiving yards against the Carolina Panthers this past week. While that was largely a product of Adam Thielen being declared out with COVID-19, this kind of performance makes him worth monitoring in the coming weeks.

 

Chad Beebe, WR, Minnesota Vikings (0% on Yahoo, 0.1% on ESPN): Like Bisi Johnson, Chad Beebe also benefited from Adam Thielen‘s absence this past Sunday, catching seven passes on seven targets for 63 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. While it’s likely this was a one-time performance, it’s worth keeping an eye on Beebe just in case.

 

KhaDarel Hodge, WR, Cleveland Browns (0% on Yahoo, 0.1% on ESPN): Two weeks ago, despite horrible weather conditions, KhaDarel Hodge led (or tied for the team lead) the Cleveland Browns in receptions, targets, and receiving yards. Last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars Hodge he had another solid game, catching three passes on three targets for 31 receiving yards.

 

That’s it for week 13. Feel free to weigh in and mention any players you believe should be on this list.

 

Featured Image by Justin Paradis (@freshmeatcomm on Twitter)