Not a whole lot of injuries with major fantasy implications from this past weekend. Chris Hogan is likely to miss a few weeks with a shoulder injury, but I don’t see Phillip Dorsett becoming relevant in fantasy leagues because of it. There are a couple of names to keep in mind as far as players returning from injury however. Dede Westbrook is on track to make his NFL debut and is talented enough to over take Allen Hurns or possibly Marqise Lee as the Jaguars top receiver. He is a deep league add at best right now, but is definitely a name to keep track of the next few weeks. Danny Woodhead should begin practicing this week, which is good news for owners who have him stashed on IR and bad news for Buck Allen owners. Right now, he should be able to return in week 12, and could be a fantasy difference maker (especially in PPR) down the stretch.
NOTE: Players mentioned will be owned in 40% or less of ESPN leagues. MUST ADD will be a recommended add in all leagues. MAYBE ADD is for those in 12 team leagues or deeper. DEEP ADD is for those in 14+ team leagues.
QUARTERBACKS
Jared Goff (Indianapolis Colts) – 26.7% OWNED – MAYBE ADD
Goff’s put together a fine season thus far, and while he hasn’t done anything spectacular, he is still the 13th ranked QB on the year in ESPN leagues. His schedule gets a little bit easier coming of the bye in week 8, and he should be a solid streaming option just about every other week going forward.
Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers) – 0.8% OWNED – DEEP ADD
Jimmy G was dealt to the 49ers in a shocking trade Monday night, and should find himself starting no later than week 12 after the teams bye. While talented and a good fit for Kyle Shanahans offense, the team lacks offensive weapons and their offensive line has been one of the worst units in football. but for teams that are limping toward the playoffs while streaming QB’s, Garoppolo will get Houston and Tennessee in weeks 14/15, both plus match ups. He gets the Seahawks and Bears prior to that, and while you probably want to avoid playing him in those weeks, he still may be a better QB2 play than some other options available.
RUNNING BACKS
With the news late last night of Ezekiel Elliot’s suspension being back on, Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden make for must adds where available.
ALSO, with the news of the Jay Ajayi trade this morning, Kenyan Drake makes for an intriguing spec add in 12+ team leagues. He should see the bulk of the carries in that offense.
Alex Collins (Baltimore Ravens) – 32.1% OWNED – MUST ADD
After teasing for weeks now, Collins finally busted out Thursday night, totaling 143 yards against the Dolphins on 20 touches. Even better news, he finally grabbed his first 2 receptions of the season, and while he won’t cut into Buck Allens passing down work, Collins has now emerged as the clear early down back on a team looking to run as much as possible. The TD’s should come soon too, as he has yet to score this year on 80 carries. He is a high priority add this week.
Marlon Mack (Indianapolis Colts) – 29% OWNED – MUST ADD
Mack lost snaps and touches to Frank Gore this week, but the good news here is that Gore could very well be traded by 4PM today. If he is, Mack is certainly worth a waiver claim in all leagues. Even if he isn’t, at some point the Colts should see what they have in Mack and if he can be an every down workhorse back for them going forward. He should become the focal point of the Colts offense over the second half of the season.
WIDE RECEIVERS
JuJu Smith-Schuster (Pittsburgh Steelers) – 29.1% OWNED – MUST ADD
After continuously mentioning Smith-Schuster, he finally blew up on Sunday night with a monstrous game. That will almost assuredly be his best game of the season, but being the #2 option in the Steelers passing game usually results in solid production due to a high floor with teams focusing on Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. He’s certainly gaining Ben Roethlisbergers trust and with Martavis Bryant talking his way to the end of the bench, there is a pretty high ceiling here for JuJu.
Josh Doctson (Washington Redskins) – 28% – MUST ADD
Doctson saved his fantasy day Sunday by catching a one yard TD pass from Kirk Cousins late, but outside of that was a disappointment. He played 28 more snaps than Terrelle Pryor however, and Cousins continues to look his way near the end zone.
Robby Anderson (New York Jets) – 26.4% OWNED – MUST ADD
Clearly the Jets most talented receiver, Anderson has been one of the best wide out for fantasy purposes over the past three weeks. Consistency was the one worry with him, but he is now working his way towards being a trusted WR3/Flex option. Just beware the bust potential will always be there until he proves he can be more consistent over a longer sample size.
Tyler Lockett (Seattle Lockett) – 23.2% OWNED – MAYBE ADD
Similar to Anderson, Lockett is another boom or bust option that typically needs to be playing in high scoring shootout to provide fantasy value, such as Sunday’s game with Houston. He does play in a better offense, with a better QB, but he’s the 3rd best option in the passing game whereas Anderson is the 1st or 2nd and plays on a team that figures to see plenty of negative game scripts the rest of the season.
Corey Davis (Tennessee Titans) – 24% OWNED – MAYBE ADD
After having a solid debut in week 1, Davis has missed the last five games after going down with a hamstring injury in week 2. He should eventually work himself into WR2 duties on that team with Eric Decker being a disappointment most of the year, but it could take a while since he’s missed so much time. That said, his talent makes him worth an add in most 12+ team leagues as he has a nice schedule for the playoff stretch.
TIGHT END
Jack Doyle, Austin Hooper and Tyler Kroft are all right around 40% owned. Those three in that order would be the top 3 tight end adds for this week if available, with Doyle being a must add.
Vernon Davis (Washington Redskins) – 13.8% OWNED – MAYBE ADD
The least surprising part of the NFL season so far might be that Jordan Reed once again can’t stay healthy, with him looking likely to miss some time with a hamstring injury. As usual, Davis is a solid streaming option without Reed in the lineup and given how thin the position is, is worth a look in most leagues.