The Must Stash: Week 15

Eli Grabanski looks at some deep sleepers to stash before Week 15's games.

Eli Grabanski
Going Deep 3 Years Ago

Every week 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 rostered in under 20% of leagues 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 Rhamondre Stevenson (45.4% on ESPN), Kadarius Toney (41.5% on ESPN), and Elijah Mitchell (85.5% on ESPN) are on the waiver wire, you’re either in a league too shallow for stashing, or you should go pick those guys 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. Without further ado, let’s dive in!

 

Week 14 Review

 

  • Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears: In the Sunday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers, Khalil Herbert had just one carry for three rushing yards and primarily contributed on special teams. Despite this, he’s still worth considering for a final bench spot as the clear handcuff to David Montgomery.
  • Carlos Hyde, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars: Carlos Hyde carried the ball once for two rushing yards and caught one pass for six rushing yards against the Tennessee Titans. Considering the entire Jacksonville Jaguars running back room combined for just seven carries last week, he seems like a safe drop.
  • Jalen Guyton, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: Jalen Guyton had a solid day last week where he caught three passes for 87 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. It’s hard to say how fantasy-relevant he’ll be going forward with Keenan Allen back this week, but nonetheless, he’s a player worth monitoring on the waiver wire ahead.
  • JaMycal Hasty, RB, San Francisco 49ers: JaMycal Hasty saw no work on the ground and caught just three passes for 10 receiving yards against the Cincinnati Bengals. After this poor fantasy performance and the imminent return of Eli Mitchell, he’s safe to drop.
  • Adrian Peterson, RB, Seattle Seahawks: Adrian Peterson dealt with a lower back injury late last week that caused him to miss the game against the Houston Texans. Given Rashaad Penny‘s performance (we’ll get to him in a minute), he’s safe to drop.
  • Other mentions from last week’s article worth noting are Rashaad Penny (RB, Seattle Seahawks) and Laquon Treadwell (WR, Jacksonville Jaguars). Rashaad Penny had the best fantasy stat line of his career with 16 carries, 137 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns – really kicking myself I didn’t feature him on the ‘Must Stash’ section last week after doing so earlier this year. Laquon Treadwell caught four passes on six targets for 68 receiving yards against the Tennessee Titans last week, making it his third straight week with 4+ catches and 50+ receiving yards.

 

The Must Stash

 

Samaje Perine, RB, Cincinnati Bengals (9.6% on ESPN, 15% on Yahoo)

 

We’ve talked about it a lot over the past few weeks, but the importance of rostering the top-tier running back handcuffs has increased now that we are in the fantasy playoffs of most leagues – especially with the recent wave of positive COVID tests that have hit the NFL. While many of the top-tier handcuffs are rostered at this point, there are a few that have slid under the radar and are eligible for the ‘Must Stash’ – such as Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine. As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago on the Week 13 edition of the ‘Must Stash’, head coach Zac Taylor has opted towards utilizing a bell-cow approach with his backup running back when Joe Mixon has been out in the past. Because Samaje is the primary backup to Mixon right now, he would have a ton of upside if Mixon missed time with an injury or COVID. Take a shot at him at the end of your bench.

 

Ronald Jones II, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (20.0% on ESPN, 20% on Yahoo)

 

For the first time all season, Ronald Jones II is eligible for the ‘Must Stash’ and since he’s eligible we are going to take the opportunity to feature him on the list. Leonard Fournette has been the Buccaneers bell-cow this season, but it’s important to remember that Ronald Jones is a very capable backup who has a 1000+ scrimmage yard season under his belt. As we talked about in the section on Samaje Perine, with the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases causing players to be out it is more important than ever to roster quality backup running backs. If Fournette were to miss time down the stretch, Ronald Jones II would step into the lead role on one of the highest-powered offenses in the league. If you have an open bench spot and want a strong RB lottery ticket, then Ronald Jones is a fine option.

 

 

Malcolm Brown, RB, Miami Dolphins (3.5% on ESPN, 7% on Yahoo)

 

The Dolphins running back situation is up in the air this week with Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed, and Phillip Lindsay all testing positive for COVID-19 over the last week and Patrick Laird landing on the injured reserve about a week ago. Malcolm Brown has recently been designated for return from the injured reserve list and will have a chance to lead the backfield against the New York Jets. Considering his projected goal-line role and the chance that his only real competition for touches on Sunday may be with Duke Johnson, Malcolm Brown seems like a pretty great under-the-radar lottery ticket right now.

 

Laquon Treadwell, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (0.7% on ESPN, 1% on Yahoo)

 

After being on the ‘Deep Cuts’ list last week, Laquon Treadwell is finally seeing a promotion to the ‘Must Stash’ after a string of solid games. In Week 12 he had four receptions on eight targets for 53 receiving yards. In Week 13 he had four receptions on five targets for 62 receiving yards. In Week 14 he had four receptions on six targets for 68 receiving yards. The Jaguars are in need of playmakers right now and given Treadwell’s potential (as evidenced by being a former first-round pick) and recent performance, he is capable of being that playmaker. If you are in need of a solid wide receiver option due to injuries, suspensions, or COVID, Laquon Treadwell is a fine player to take a shot on.

 

Trey Lance, QB, San Francisco 49ers (5.0% on ESPN, 12% on Yahoo)

 

If you are a frequent reader of the ‘Must Stash’ you are probably sick of seeing Trey Lance‘s name on here at this point of the season. But given the state of the waiver wire at this point of the year with many of the other higher upside players already gone, Lance is a great under-the-radar player to monitor with the recent uptick of players being placed on the COVID-19 list – primarily because of his rushing upside. In his 19 game college career, Lance averaged 10.11 carries for 69.74 rushing yards and 0.95 rushing touchdowns per game. We’ve seen him flash this rushing upside at the NFL level, as he carried the ball 16 times for 89 rushing yards in his one start this season against the Arizona Cardinals. He’s not starting right now and may not at all during the rest of this season since Jimmy Garoppolo is playing pretty well. But with his rushing ability, he could be a league-winner if he manages to get a spot start or two in the fantasy playoffs. Keep an eye on him in these final weeks of the year.

 

Deep Cuts

 

(Rostered In Less Than 3% Of Leagues)

Both Websites (ESPN and Yahoo)

 

Jakeem Grant Sr., WR, Chicago Bears (0.6% on ESPN, 2% on Yahoo): Jakeem Grant Sr. has had two very strong fantasy weeks in a row, with over 50 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in each of the last two games.

 

Benny Snell Jr., RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (0.6% on ESPN, 1% on Yahoo): It’s handcuff season with the fantasy playoffs approaching quickly and if Najee Harris ends up missing time at any point this year (he did have an injury scare against the Chargers a few weeks ago), it’s likely that Snell would step into the role as the lead back.

 

Corey Clement, RB, Dallas Cowboys (0.5% on ESPN, 1% on Yahoo): Against the Washington Football Team last week, Corey Clement carried the ball 13 times for 44 rushing yards. With Tony Pollard‘s status up in the air for Week 15, Clement could be involved again next week behind Ezekiel Elliott.

 

Duke Johnson, RB, Miami Dolphins (0.4% on ESPN, 1% on Yahoo): The Miami Dolphins could be missing Myles Gaskin, Phillip Lindsay, Salvon Ahmed, and Patrick Laird this week, and there’s an off-chance that Duke Johnson is featured as the bell-cow if Malcolm Brown is limited.

 

John Bates, TE, Washington Football Team (0.1% on ESPN, 0% on Yahoo): With Logan Thomas on injured reserve, rookie John Bates could be seeing more action for the late-season stretch.

 

Josh Oliver, TE, Baltimore Ravens (0.0% on ESPN, 0% on Yahoo): The Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman has historically loved to feature the tight end position. If Mark Andrews ended up missing any time, Josh Oliver would have a solid role in the offense.

 

Craig Reynolds, RB, Detroit Lions (1.5% on ESPN, 2% on Yahoo): Craig Reynolds carried the ball 11 times for 83 rushing yards and caught two passes for 16 receiving yards last week against the Denver Broncos. If D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams continue to miss time, he could be fantasy-relevant.

 

Davis Mills, QB, Houston Texans (1.1% on ESPN, 3% on Yahoo): Davis Mills is expected to be the Houston Texans starting quarterback the rest of the season.

 

Marlon Mack, RB, Indianapolis Colts (1.1% on ESPN, 2% on Yahoo): Marlon Mack has been a healthy scratch in each of the last five weeks, but it’s handcuff season and in the event that Jonathan Taylor misses time, he would have a good shot of leapfrogging Deon Jackson on the depth chart and receiving a majority of the work on the ground.

 

Albert Wilson, WR, Miami Dolphins (0.2% on ESPN, 0% on Yahoo): With Jaylen Waddle‘s status for this week in jeopardy after testing positive for the coronavirus, Albert Wilson may see a larger role in the offense. In the four games before the BYE, Wilson caught 16 passes on 23 targets.

 

Mack Hollins, WR, Miami Dolphins (0.2% on ESPN, 0% on Yahoo): With Jaylen Waddle‘s status for this week in jeopardy after testing positive for the coronavirus, Mack Hollins could also see a larger role this week.

 

Brock Wright, TE, Detroit Lions (0.2% on ESPN, 0% on Yahoo): With T.J. Hockenson out for the year, Brock Wright is expected to step into the Detroit Lions’ primary pass-catching tight end role.

 

ESPN/Yahoo Only

 

Royce Freeman, RB, Houston Texans (1.0% on ESPN, 11% on Yahoo): With Rex Burkhead ruled out this week, Royce Freeman is expected to see a decent workload alongside David Johnson. He had 11 carries for 15 rushing yards on the ground and six receptions for 51 receiving yards through the air against the Seattle Seahawks last week.

 

 

That’s it for Week 15. Feel free to weigh in and mention any players you believe should be on this list.

 

Featured Image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)

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