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A Thin Goal Line Between Love & Hate | Week 2

Randal Kennedy
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A Thin Goal Line Between Love & Hate | Week 2

The NFL returned last week and boy was I grateful! I didn’t realize just how much I missed the roar of the cro… wait. There were no crowds. It was strange watching the games with few or no fans in the stands. Another byproduct of the new world we find ourselves in. I think the strangest part was watching the Gold Rush Girls during the 49ers game. Who were they pumping up? Certainly not the crowd. Not the 49ers offense either. Boy they stunk on ice. But for the most part I was just happy to have football back. I can get used to the absence of fans as long as it means keeping the athletes and coaches safe while they distract us for a few hours every Sunday. It’s not the same, but it’s worth it to me.

As for this column. Last week, I debuted Thin Goal Line and told you guys that this was purely about touchdowns. I wanted to outline the guys who I felt had the best opportunity to hit pay dirt. We hit on some and just missed on others. I didn’t include my preseason darling Zack Moss because I felt like you guys might roll your eyes right out of your heads… and low and behold, he scored his first NFL touchdown Sunday. Let that be a lesson, kids. Always follow your instincts. Especially when it comes to your lineup. Now without further ado.

Running Back

When I was covering recruiting for CBS (If you don’t know that story, I talk about it in Episode 13 of the Unscripted Podcast) we had a saying. Watch what they do, not what they say. Well, Bruce Arians did everything this off season, except cut Ronald Jones, to make you think that he wanted someone, anyone other than him to carry the load for Tampa. They drafted Ke’Shawn Vaughn, signed Le’Sean McCoy and then, a week before the season snagged Leonard Fournette. All the while Arians maintained that RoJo was his guy. Yeah right… hey, right? RoJo played 33 of 70 snaps (47%) far more than any other Buccs RB. He touched the ball 19 times in total and looked really good against an aggressive New Orleans front. This week will be far easier for him when the Panthers come to town. Last week I touched on just how bad the Panthers were against the RB position in 2019. Folks, they’re still awful. Raiders RB Josh Jacobs trampled the Carolina run defense for 93 yards and three scores. RoJo gets on the board Sunday. Maybe twice.

The Vikings spent most of the off season turning over their defense. And like Marge Gunderson, they could use a jump. The Green Bay Packers, led by star RB Aaron Jones, rushed for 175 yards last weekend. The ‘Pack looked more like Lambeau’s Packers than LaFleur’s as they boat raced the Vikings in their own stadium. It doesn’t get any easier for the purple people eaters this week as they square off against one of the leagues best offensive lines and prized rookie Jonathan Taylor. With Marlon Mack out of the way and the backfield to himself (I see you Nyheim Hines) look for the big man to run over, around and through Minnesota just like that big Olds Cutlass through the Fargo snow.

I know David Montgomery isn’t exactly flashy, but… the Giants just allowed Benny Snell to trample them. The Bears actually ran the ball well Sunday, scoring the 5th highest run success rate in the NFL. They’re at home, Allen Robinson is trying to leave town and Mitch Trubisky isn’t winning you any stuffed animals from the county fair. The Bears are going to have to run the football. Mark me down for a Monty TD.

When the Rodger Goodell ultimately decides to move the Jaguars to London, it’s Derrick Henry who will be called to the NFL office, because he, not Shad Khan owns the Jaguars. In his last four games against the Jags, the Alabama product has rushed for 498 yards and 7 touchdowns. Including his 99 yard rumble that brought the house down two years ago. Colts starter Marlon Mack was averaging 6.5 YPC when his Achilles gave out on him last week. With the Titans receiving corp banged up, I expect King Henry to rule the roost in Nashville Sunday. Give me two scores, please.

Wide Receiver

JuJu Smith-Schuster looked good Monday night. Did you guys see him? He caught two touchdowns and looked every bit like the player we remember from 2018. Gosh 2018 seems like a long time ago. Antonio Brown was normal, Justin Bieber was single and Childish Gambino was breaking the internet. Ah, life was good. But just like the revival of Rosanne, all good things must end. Enter Anthony Miller. Miller ran 17 routes from the slot last week and like JuJu, found his way back to the endzone. Also like JuJu he has an early season match up against Giants slot corners, who allowed the fourth most fantasy points to WR’s in 2019. While Allen Robinson tangles with James Bradberry, Anthony Miller will look to exploit Issac Yiadom? Yikes!

Who in the world is going to cover Davante Adams this week? I don’t know either.

I know it’s starting to sound like I’m picking on the Vikings, because and I am. I was notably lower on this team than most everyone this off season. It seems like everyone glossed over the fact that they have 15 new players in their defensive two deep. They’re talented but they’re inexperienced. QB Philip Rivers doesn’t have much left in the tank but the Vikings can be beaten on the back end. Parris Campbell led the Colts in targets and snaps from the WR position in week one. He’ll knock another first off the list Sunday when he scores his first NFL touchdown.

The Atlanta WRs had 12 targets Sunday. All of them. A piece. But the Offense still runs through Julio Jones, who is a lock against a Dallas secondary that just surrendered 6 for 105 to Robert Woods. It could have been worse if the Rams had had to throw the ball. They didn’t because Malcolm Brown chewed up the ‘Boys on SNF. The Falcons don’t have that ability and this game portends to be a shootout. Oh, and While I’m here, Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup get in on the fun too.

Who’s playing the slot for Kansas City this week? Whomever it is, just go ahead and take some paid time off. Chris Harris Jr. nearly blanked Tyler Boyd last week and he knows the Chiefs all too well. Demarcus Robinson dropped a 47-yard bomb from Pat Mahomes last week. He makes up for it Sunday and gets in the end zone.

Tight End

Until the Cardinals prove to me that they can cover the Tight End, (6.4 Adj FPA) I’m going to keep coming to this well. Don’t let the final stat line fool you. George Kittle was on the verge of a huge game when he went down with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. BTW, did anyone catch that nifty release Kyle Shanahan drew up for Kittle? He split the Center and Guard and fired off clean. Logan Thomas actually looked good for Washington last week and could prove to be a nice red zone threat for Dwayne Haskins.

Jonnu Smith played 73% of the snaps against Denver and caught 4 balls including a touchdown. With Corey Davis and AJ Brown on the mend, he might be the only healthy option for QB Ryan Tannehill. One Score for the talented Mr. Smith.

It might be time to dust the cobwebs off one of Twitter’s favorite love-hate prospects. I’m talking, of course, about O.J. Howard. That’s right boys and girls. Lost in Tom Brady’s third straight game with a pick-six was the fact that OJH had a pretty solid game. He played 53% of the snaps and doubled his future HOF teammate, Rob Gronkowski, in targets and receptions. In fact, his six targets were a number he saw just four times last year. Brady loves his TE’s and with WRs Chris Godwin in the concussion protocol and Mike Evans nursing a hamstring injury, he’ll find a way to get them him ball.

Who in the world will the Patriots put across from Greg Olsen? One Score for the old man who already looks in sync with Russel Wilson.

Fantasy Hot Seat | Week 2

Justin Mandaro
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Fantasy Hot Seat | Week 2

Fantasy Hot Seat Week 2: One Man’s Trash…

Last week I did something I haven’t done in a long time. As I was driving through the streets in my town on the way to the store, I noticed signs and elaborate balloons set up for a nearby garage sale. At first glance, I didn’t think anything of it. I drove past the signs and the balloons and made my way to the store. However, I said what the heck and went to the garage sale on the way back, something I haven’t done in only God knows how long.

While at the garage sale, I saw all types of things, from vintage clothing to a pretty cool record collection, baseball cards, etc. But one thing struck was this weird looking chair that was painted to look like an Elephant. It had floppy ears and everything, and I asked myself, “Why would someone own this, let alone keep it, let alone think someone else would want to buy it?” As I am sitting there contemplating the strangest things, a little old lady came in and purchased the chair.

The idea of this old lady buying this chair made me think of the things we do as fantasy football players. Last week we introduced to you a new concept called the Fantasy Hot Seat. We discussed several players that could very well be on the hot seat for fantasy owners. It was a bit of an up-and-down week with both CEH and Aaron Rodgers having some of the best weeks we’ve seen in a long time. However, both A.J. Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. missed the mark pretty significantly.

Now, there’s one thing we need to say to set them straight: this column is not to show guys we don’t like; it’s actually entirely on the contrary. From the start of the 2020 offseason, CEH was my #1 dynasty draft pick. He continues to be high on my list of “go get” guys. But, based on price, expected production, and what it’s needed to meet the numbers to pay off, it was smarter to pass on CEH in startup or redraft leagues. Context matters, so consider everything as we discuss some players on the fantasy hot seat in Week 2.

Cooper Kupp – WR, Los Angeles Rams

Cooper Kupp hasn’t been the same since breaking out at the beginning of 2019. Over the first five weeks of the season, Kupp had over 100 yards in four of five games. Kupp would add a 220-yard game in Week 8. Over that span, Kupp was the 2nd-best fantasy WR. From Weeks 9-16, Kupp would rank as the 42nd-best fantasy receiver though. A lot of this had to do with the Rams changing personnel. Over the first five weeks, the Rams ran three receivers 85% of the time. Kupp saw snap counts of 68, 63, 63, 85, and 46 in those games.

After Week 4, however, Kupp would see over 55 snaps just four times. The change in snap counts came because the Rams switched to 1-2 personnel (2WR, 2TE) more frequently. Despite his limited work, Kupp did score a TD in his final five games last year. Kupp has now had fewer than 55 yards receiving in six of his previous eight games, including this past Sunday night vs. the Cowboys. At this point, to provide fantasy value, Kupp is very touchdown-dependent. If he doesn’t score, he’s not worth the starting spot.

I am still giving Kupp another chance this week vs. Philly. Philly just gave up ten catches for 132 yards to Washington receivers. The Rams offense is much better than Washington and should have higher production. But if Kupp doesn’t turn it around quickly, it may be time for him to ride your fantasy bench. 

Baker Mayfield – QB, Cleveland Browns

Last week we spoke about a Browns receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. This week, it’s only right to talk about the thing (or person) who is causing is OBJ to be on the hot seat in the first place. That, of course, is Browns’ signal-caller Baker Mayfield. Since entering the league as the #1 overall pick, Baker has been one of the more captivating QBs in the league. However, he has gained more attention for actions outside of football, such as planting the OU flag at Ohio St or running from the cops. 

A funny stat I saw the other day that might make fantasy players laugh is that Baker Mayfield has starred in more commercials than he has won NFL football games. While that is of course in jest, the numbers don’t get much better. Over his last eight games played, including Week 1 vs. Baltimore, Baker has five games of under 200 yards passing and has thrown 10 interceptions over that span.

What made us a bit intrigued by Baker going into the 2020 season was his aDOT, or average depth of the target, which ranked 2nd only behind Jameis Winston over the last seven weeks of last year. However, that number has dropped a full yard so far in 2020. You may be wondering how a single yard is worrisome? While the 9.5 aDOT he had last week was good enough for 10th, it shows regression.

Some might be attributed to the Ravens stout pass defense, but it just wasn’t right when looking at the tape. According to PFF.com’s live play by play analysis of the Ravens and Browns game, the comments are unsurprisingly negative. Despite the low, inaccurate throws, Baker does have a knack for finding the end zone. Although he only saw it once in Week 1, he finished the last seven games with 15 touchdowns, including two on the ground. The Kevin Stefanski offense will be more of a ground and pound, which if they can keep drives alive and put up points, the efficiency numbers should rise. But keep Baker and this entire Browns offense on thin ice if you plan on winning your league in 2020. 

Rob Gronkowski – TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

We haven’t seen Rob Gronkowski on an NFL field in more than a year. But with no pre-season to judge or analyze a player, the only thing we could go on was what he has done in the past. After watching Week 1, it seems as if the expectations put on Gronk by a lot of fantasy players may have been a bit higher than they should have. Before the season started, Gronkowski was drafted as the 6th tight end off the board according to FF Calculators ADP data. Currently, Gronk is the 33rd best fantasy tight end.

Obviously, it’s just one week, and there is still plenty of time for him to turn it around, but he wasn’t even the best tight end on his team. O.J. Howard had four receptions on six targets and a score compared to Gronk’s two receptions on three targets. What gives us a bit of hope is that Gronk saw more snaps (54) than Howard (37), which shows that Gronk will have more opportunities than the other guys. However, more than half of his snaps (31) were used as a blocker (24 RBLK, 7 PBLK). Howard, on the other hand, only saw 15 of his snaps as a blocking tight end.

The news of Chris Godwin in concussion protocol gives us a chance to see Gronk more involved in the passing attack. However, if he still can’t find his way, it may be time to move on. Gronk is, without a shadow of a doubt, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but if he doesn’t return to the form of the past, guys like Dallas Goedert, T.J. Hockenson, Jonnu Smith, Noah Fant, and even Jimmy Graham (all of which recorded a TD in Week 1) could pass the old man by. 

Zach Ertz – TE, Philadelphia Eagles

For what seems for as long as I can remember, Zach Ertz has been a top-5 tight end in fantasy football. He has been no lower than the top four in the last three years, and has been a stud for the Eagles since entering the league in 2013. Week 1 was strange, though, as the eight-year veteran caught three passes for only 18 yards. Ertz did score, which gave him some fantasy relevance last week. However, fellow tight end and teammate Dallas Goedert saw more targets (9), more receptions (8), more yards (101), and scored a TD as well. What seems to be getting in the way of my analysis of Ertz’s production value moving forward is his ongoing contract issues.

Contract negotiations can get ugly – ask Le’Veon Bell or Dak Prescott – and can often inject resentment from both sides of the talks. Thankfully, we know that coach Doug Pederson isn’t doing anything to hurt the team by weeding Ertz out with play calling. Although Goedert had more targets than Ertz, he still had seven on the day. However, could his poor play be his way of silently protesting the contract negotiations?

While we certainly don’t want to think either would happen if Ertz wants out of Philly because of it, he’ll do everything he can to make that happen (See OBJ in NY.) Whatever the reason, something is affecting Ertz, and we need to keep an eye on both his play moving forward and the increased involvement of Goedert in this offense.

Be sure to follow The Undroppables on Twitter for more scorching-hot takes and analysis. If that’s not enough heat for you, try some mouth-watering hot sauce! Get your Hot Box Hot Sauce, 10% off with promo code UD20.

Money Makers and Heart Breakers (Fantasy Football 2020 – Week 2)

Michael Reedy
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Money Makers and Heart Breakers (Fantasy Football 2020 – Week 2)

Ladies and Gentlemen, girls and boys, people of all ages; Week 2 is upon us.  With players like Michael Thomas getting hurt, the Eagles offensive line looking like crap, and running back committees ruining our sleep, I bring to you Week 2 of Money Makers and Heart Breakers.  Hopefully this will help you get to your happy place, which I hope is the win column.

If you follow me on Twitter, you will see a longer thread of who is a Money Maker and who will be a Heart Breaker.  The beauty of this article is you get to see more of the “WHY” someone is more likely to produce (or not) each week.

Money Maker – I think this person will perform well this week and be better than expectations

Heart Breaker – These players will not have a good week

Quarterbacks

💰 Money Makers

Matt Ryan – Against the Cowboys, Ryan is a super high-floor and high-ceiling play.  As we saw in Week 1, he has an amazing trio of wide receivers and throws often and equally to all three.  Ryan had 54 attempts in Week 1, with 450 yards and 2 TDs.  If these numbers continue, he is going to be a top-3 QB for the season.  ($7,700 on FanDuel)

Dak Prescott – Dak also has a very good trio of wide receivers.  They easily rival the Falcons in talent.  This should be a shoot out.  Last week, the Falcons defense gave up 322 yards and 4 TDs to Wilson and the Seahawks; I would expect to see comparative numbers for Dak this week.  ($8,300 on FanDuel)

Philip Rivers – With Marlon Mack out of the lineup, the Colts threw even more.  Rivers had 363 yards and a TD in Week 1.  The Vikings secondary is remade and was eviscerated by Aaron Rodgers last week.   The Colts are going to throw, and all of their pass catchers are upgraded.  Rivers will have a big day.  Kyle Larson writes more on why you may want to stream him in the Stream Option. ($7,100 on FanDuel)

Other quarterbacks I like in Week 2:

  • There are the obvious: Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Kyler Murray, and Lamar Jackson.
  • The not so obvious: Daniel Jones, Jared Goff, and Kirk Cousins.

💔 Heart Breakers

Ryan Fitzpatrick – Fitzpatrick threw 3 interceptions and had only 191 yards last week against the Patriots.  The Bills defense isn’t going to give him a respite from what he saw Week 1.  With DeVante Parker banged up and Preston Williams still recovering, it could be a very long day for Fitzmagic.

Baker Mayfield – Mayfield threw 36 passes in Week 1 for 23 completions, 193 yards with an interception and 3 sacks.  This looks like it could be a bounce-back week for him, but his history against the Bengals is abysmal.  Maybe you could play him in a 2QB league.

Others quarterbacks I am not super high on Week 2: Darnold, Lock, Carr, Taylor, and Wentz.

Running Backs

💰 Money Makers

Derrick Henry – Henry rushed 31 times for 116 yards in Week 1.  They are going to run him and run him some more in this offense.  The Jaguars were destroyed by the Colts running backs, more in the passing game than the running game, but that shouldn’t matter. Henry has essentially owned the Jaguars over the past two years, and that isn’t about to stop Week 2 at home.  Big day coming. ($8,300 on FanDuel)

Jonathan Taylor (and Nyheim Hines) – With the advent of Mack having a season-ending injury, Taylor is now the primary ball carrier for the Colts.  In Week 1 he did most of his damage through the air.  Week 2 will see him get yards on the ground as well.  We also know the offense and the quarterback will be targeting both of these running backs often.  If you are playing PPR, I recommend playing Taylor and Hines. Week 2 is looking bright for both in Indy. (Taylor is $5,800 on FanDuel and Hines is $5,000 on FanDuel)

Adrian Peterson – I know, I can’t believe I just typed that.  If you are in need of a running back, he had 93 yards rushing last week and 3 catches for 21 yards, out-touching and out-producing Swift in the Lions backfield.  This week he is playing the Packers, who gave up 134 yards on the ground and 2 touchdowns to the Vikings.  As surprised as I am, he is useful. ($5,500 on FanDuel)

Nick Chubb – Despite what people may think, Chubb played well in Week 1.  10 carries for 60 yards is pretty damn impressive.  This week, the Browns will be ahead, and Chubb will run more.  The Bengals are missing their defensive tackle and gave up 148 yards and a touchdown last week to Chargers RBs.  Chubb is the Thursday night Special (Bang Bang).

Other running backs to play:

  • The obvious: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chris Carson, Alvin Kamara, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, and Ezekiel Elliott

💔 Heart Breakers

Melvin Gordon – Gordon was okay Week 1. He had only 78 yards rushing and a TD.  The Steelers bottled up the Giants run game and Saquon Barkley, allowing him 6 yards rushing.  I expect to see that happen to the Broncos run game as well.  If Gordon produces, it will most likely be through receiving.  Sit him if you have better options.

Joe Mixon – Mixon didn’t look stellar in week 1.  If you know me, you know I constantly say #NeverMixon.  On top of my personal feeling towards Mixon, he is playing against the Browns, which were stingy in Week 1 to the Ravens (yes, the “we run on everyone” Ravens.) The Ravens running backs only had 63 yards on the ground, although they did produce 2 TDs.  Unless a touchdown saves the day, you can expect Mixon to struggle in Week 2.  #NeverMixon lives on!

Joshua Kelley – He had a productive Week 1 in his split with Ekeler.  60 yards and a rushing touchdown.  This week brings up the Chiefs, and what will surely be a negative game script for the Chargers chasing points on the board.  Expect the Chargers to throw the ball a lot. The only way I see Kelley producing is with goal line scores, which are unpredictable at best.

Other running backs that will cost you in Week 2: Mark Ingram, David Montgomery, D’Andre Swift, and all Patriots running backs.

Wide Receivers

💰 Money Makers

John Brown – Brown led the Bills in targets and air yards in Week 1.  He finished with 6 receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown.  Last season Brown owned the Dolphins, finishing those games with 5/83/1 and 9/137/2.   I would expect Brown to continue his great play since joining the Bills. ($6,400 on FanDuel)

Juju Smith-Schuster – The return of Roethlisberger meant the return to elite WR play for Juju.  Last week we saw 6 targets for 6 receptions, 69 yards, and 2 touchdowns.  The Broncos watched Cory Davis make 7 catches for 101 yards in Week 1.  Diontae Johnson is also a nice play here after he was targeted 10 times in Week 1.  ($7,100 on FanDuel)

Darius Slayton –  I was afraid last week to play him.  I sat him myself against that Steelers defense.  The Bears are also a good defense.  But last week Slayton caught 6 passes for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns.  I am not chasing points here.  I highly doubt Slayton will repeat with 2 touchdowns in Week 2, but he is the primary option in the passing attack; he and Daniel Jones have some “je ne sais quoi”, and I don’t want to question it. ($5,300 on FanDuel)

Other wide receivers to play:

  • The obvious: Adam Thielen, DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams, Julio Jones, and Chris Godwin
  • The not so obvious: Will Fuller, T.Y. Hilton, and Parris Campbell

NOTE: Play those Cowboys and Falcons WRs.  It should be a very fun game for us.

💔 Heart Breakers

Odell Beckham Jr. – OBJ typically does his damage running downfield outside the numbers, and when he played with Eli that was a dangerous proposition for other teams to allow.  He doesn’t play with Eli anymore, he plays with Baker Mayfield who is completely inaccurate outside the numbers.  Beckham was targeted 10 times in Week 1, and he had 3 receptions for 22 yards.  He and Mayfield go together like filet mignon and peanut butter: not at all.

Tyler Boyd – Boyd saw 5 targets in Week 1.  Burrow only threw for 193 yards.  I am not very high on any Bengals wide receiver.  Boyd may have some weeks of production during the season, but I want to see it before I believe.  The Browns were beat by a burner last week (Marquise Brown) for 5 receptions and 101 yards.  Seems like A.J. Green may be the guy and not Boyd in Cincy.

Eagles Wide Receivers –  Do you really want me to name them?  All of them. If someone is playing wide receiver for the Eagles, just ignore that player.

Tight Ends

💰 Money Makers

Dallas Goedert – Strike up the bandwagon for Goedert and Ertz.  They are playing the Rams, they line up out wide a lot, and will lead the team in targets.  Essentially, the Eagles tight ends are everything the Eagles wide receivers are not.  I would play both Ertz and Goedert where needed.  In Week 1 Goedert led the team in targets (9), receptions (8), and yards (101).  He also had a touchdown. (Ertz is $6,300 on FanDuel and Goedert is $5,500 on FanDuel)

Noah Fant – Week 1 we watched Fant have 5 receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown.  I wasn’t sure what to expect from him in the preseason.  He was everything all my friends on Twitter told me he would be in Week 1.  If Sutton is out, someone has to catch the ball and it appears Fant is that someone. ($5,300 on FanDuel)

Hunter Henry – In Week 1, Henry had 5 receptions for 73 yards.  The Chiefs gave up 4 receptions for 58 yards and a TD to tight ends in Week 1.  I would expect a high floor for Henry in Week 2.  ($6,100 on FanDuel)

Jared Cook – Week 1 Cook saw 7 targets for 5 receptions and 80 yards.  Michael Thomas is OUT, so someone has to help Kamara pick up the passing game. Cook is that guy.

Other tight ends to play:

  • The obvious: Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Darren Waller.
  • The not so obvious: O.J. Howard, Tyler Higbee, Logan Thomas, (mentioned on Unscripted in July) and T.J. Hockenson.

💔 Heart Breakers

Austin Hooper – In Week 1 Hooper saw 2 targets, which he turned into 2 receptions for 15 yards.  Njoku did get hurt and is OUT, so there is hope here for Hooper.  I think I need to see it before I plug him in a DFS or redraft line up though.

NOTE: If Landry doesn’t suit up on Thursday night, Hooper becomes a money maker and not a heart breaker for me.

Hayden Hurst – He was the fifth option in the passing game in Week 1, garnering 5 targets for 3 receptions and 38 yards.  The Cowboys are up next; they only allowed 5 receptions for 47 yards to the Rams tight ends last week.  Hurst may be the victim of simply being behind more talented guys right now in Jones, Ridley, Gage, and Gurley when looking for targets and production.

Thanks for checking out our Money Makers and Heart Breakers column. For more great content from the Undroppables, follow us on Twitter, follow @MikeReedyFF for more great content, and visit back soon for Mike’s weekly UNtangling the Wire (waiver wire) article.

The Stream Option (Fantasy Football 2020 – Week 2)

Kyle Larson
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The Stream Option (Fantasy Football 2020 – Week 2)

The Stream Option is a weekly article where The Undroppables explore the best options at Quarterback, Defense, and Tight End that should be available in most leagues.
*Note: ESPN rostership rates were gathered prior to the weekly waiver run and have likely changed.

Quarterbacks

Philip Rivers – IND vs MIN

Aaron Rodgers torched the Minnesota defense in Week 1 with 30.76 fantasy points, while throwing for 364 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Packers wide receivers constantly burned the Vikings cornerbacks throughout the game. Meanwhile, the Vikings failed to tally a single sack against the Packers, and, with Danielle Hunter still on IR, the Vikings pass rush will continue to struggle to reach the Quarterback in Week 2 against Brad Wire’s #1 ranked offensive line. While Rivers struggled Week 1 against the Jacksonville defense, he should be able to bounce back against the paltry Vikings Defense in Week 2. Rivers is rostered in only 20.2% of ESPN leagues and that number could be even lower after waiver runs due his poor performance in Week 1. He is most likely available in your league, and there are worse options if you are looking to stream this position.

Mitchell Trubisky – CHI vs NYG

The Giants defense gave up 22 points and a top ten QB finish to Big Ben on Monday Night, doing little to disprove any pre-season expectation of them to have one of the lower-tier defenses. Meanwhile, Trubisky lit up the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter on Sunday, finishing with 242 yards and 3 touchdowns in a comeback win. Trubisky has ample opportunity to keep his starting job and continue to put up points with another nice matchup in Week 2. Trubisky is only rostered in 2.7% of ESPN leagues. As long as there aren’t any hardcore Bears fans in your league, he will be available. This will be a great game for Mitch to prove if he can continue to stay fantasy viable.

Other options: Ben Roethlisberger vs DEN (65% rostered), Kirk Cousins @ IND (22.1% rostered)

Tight Ends

I want to preface this section by saying that Dallas Goedert is only rostered in 27.2% of ESPN leagues and just finished Week 1 with the highest score by any Tight End. There is little excuse for this number not to absolutely skyrocket, and you should be one of the people helping to increase that roster percentage. If he continues to surpass Ertz in targets like he did Week 1, it is likely Goedert will have a huge season. Read more about Goedert and other waiver wire pickups in UNtangling The Waiver Wire.

Austin Hooper – CLE vs CIN

While Hooper was out-targeted by David Njoku in Week 1, Njoku suffered a sprained MCL near the end of the game and was placed on IR, meaning he will be out for the next three weeks. Meanwhile, Hunter Henry finished last week as the TE12 against the Bengals even with a poor performance from Tyrod Taylor. Hooper is rostered in 67.7% of ESPN leagues and has already proved that he can be an elite option while with the Falcons. The Browns need to have a bounce back game after getting trounced in Week 1 and getting the ball to a camp darling in Hooper should be on the menu.

Tyler Eifert – JAX @ TEN

Noah Fant was able to catch 5 passes for 81 yards and a score on Monday Night against the Titans. While Eifert is not as good an option as Fant, and the Titans will have Rashaan Evans in this game, Eifert will still see a solid matchup in Week 2. With only a 6.4% rostership rate on ESPN, Eifert should fill in decently as a last ditch option in Week 2.

Logan Thomas – WAS @ ARI

Arizona was by far the worst defense against the Tight End position last year. On the surface, last week’s performance against San Francisco and George Kittle looks like they may have remedied the issue. However, the 49ers were without both starting wideouts, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, and the Cardinals were very keyed into George Kittle defensively. Washington will still feature Terry McLaurin in their passing attack, so don’t expect the same kind of defense Arizona played against Kittle this week. In their Week 1 game against the Eagles, Thomas (eight) was the most targeted Washington receiver. He turned those targets into 4 receptions, for 37 yards and a touchdown. While the efficiency was lacking, the volume was there and he should see increased efficiency against the Cardinals’ secondary.

Other Options: Chris Herndon vs SF (41% rostered), O.J. Howard vs CAR (4.9% rostered)

Defenses

Cardinals D/ST – ARI vs WSH

While Thomas showed up last week, the rest of the Football Team offense didn’t, as the Eagles D/ST finished in the top ten at the position. This is due to Washington gaining the least amount of total offensive yards by any team in Week 1. Somehow, the Eagles let that turn into 27 points, but don’t expect the same from the Cardinals. Expect the Cardinals to have a decent fantasy output in Week 2, although their inability to force sacks and turnovers will likely mean they won’t be elite this week. With only a 1% rostership rate on ESPN, they’re a solid add if you don’t need your defense to win you your game.

Browns D/ST – CLE vs CIN

While the Browns’ defense got cooked by the Ravens in Week 1, they were without or saw heavily limited versions of Mack Wilson (ILB), Olivier Vernon (Edge), and cornerbacks Greedy Williams and Kevin Johnson. With all those defensive players hopefully returning for Thursday night and a juicy match-up against the Bengals offense, the Browns could do well Thursday night. Personally, I’m not terribly excited about them coming back to health on a short week but a rookie QB on a short week is always a viable start. The Browns are rostered in 3.1% of ESPN leagues, so they will very likely be available.

Chiefs D/ST – KC @ LAC

Tyrod Taylor couldn’t seem to get it going in Week 1 against the below average Bengals defense. Next, he’ll face off against a Kansas City defense that was able to limit Deshaun Watson in most of their Week 1 match-up and really kicked their defense into gear in the second half of 2019. This could be another solid game from a defense that is coming off a top-ten finish at the position. The Chiefs are my go-to defensive stream for Week 2 with my only worry being a garbage time yards and points being racked up by the Chargers at the end of the game. They’re rostered in 20.2% of ESPN leagues, so, while still widely available, there is a higher likelihood they are already taken than the other two options above.

Other Options: Titans D/ST vs JAX (22.2% rostered), Rams D/ST @ PHI (13.2% rostered)

UNtangling the Waiver Wire (Fantasy Football 2020 – Week 2)

Michael Reedy
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UNtangling the Waiver Wire (Fantasy Football 2020 – Week 2)

I am so happy to get a chance to write our weekly waiver wire column, looking at our top targets for Week 2.  I have written a weekly waiver column in the past, and you may be familiar with my thread on Twitter.

Here’s how this column will work: Every Tuesday morning, there will be a review of players that are rostered in 50% of Yahoo leagues or less that you will want to consider to add to your team through the waiver process of your league. We’ll go through the top options available by position.

Quarterbacks

Gardner Minshew – Rostered in 26% of Yahoo leagues.  Minshew opened the season with 19 completions on 20 pass attempts for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Next up is the Titans. Last season he threw for 204 yards and 2 TDs against them, so you can expect more of this in Week 2.  Kyle Larson talked about streaming Minshew for Week 1 in his  streaming options article.

Philip Rivers – Rostered in 27% of Yahoo leagues.  Rivers produced well behind one of the best offensive lines in the league. He threw an outrageous 46 times and had 36 completions for 363 yards and a TD.  Next up are the Vikings, who were just torched by Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

If you are REALLY desperate (you shouldn’t be after one week): Mitchell Trubisky and Derek Carr.

Running Backs

Nyheim Hines – Rostered in 20% of Yahoo leagues. Since the start of the 2018 season, Hines has 108 receptions. This ranks 8th most in the NFL among RBs. In Week 1, Hines had 8 receptions for 45 yards and a TD.  Fellow teammate Marlon Mack tore his Achilles tendon in the game, which means Jonathan Taylor and Hines will see increased roles in this offense.  If you are playing point per reception or half point per reception, Hines should be your priority add off the waiver wire.

Malcolm Brown – Rostered in 26% of Yahoo leagues.  Brown totaled 110 yards and 2 touchdowns in Week 1 against the Cowboys.  Brown looked like the better Rams running back on the field.  There’s a little buyer beware with this player, last season Brown opened up Week 1 with 53 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns only to completely cool off after.

Adrian Peterson  – Rostered in 45% of Yahoo leagues. Peterson ran for 93 yards and had 3 receptions for 21 yards.  The Packers, who gave up 2 TDs to Dalvin Cook in Week 1, are up next.  Peterson is producing for the Lions.

Joshua Kelley – Rostered in only 13% of Yahoo leagues, Kelley got the goal line work for the Chargers with 12 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown.  It appears he has the Melvin Gordon role in this offense.

Other running backs to consider if you are desperate: Chase Edmonds, Josh Adams, and Alexander Mattison.

NOTE:  James Conner went down with an injury in the second quarter of the Monday night game between the Steelers and Giants. Benny Snell will be a premier add at running back if Conner ends up missing time.

Wide Receivers

Robby Anderson – Rostered in 31% of Yahoo leagues. This was discussed on the Unscripted podcast. Anderson obviously feels free from Adam Gase with his Week 1 performance: 6 receptions for 115 yards and a TD on 26% target share.  This looks like it will continue.

Russell Gage – Rostered in 2% of Yahoo leagues.  Gage had 9 receptions for 114 yards.  The downside here for Gage is there’s a lot of competition for targets, but Week 1 ended with Gage, Julio Jones, and Calvin Ridley receiving 12 targets a piece.  Gage is manning the slot exceptionally well since the Sanu trade last season.

Parris Campbell – Rostered in 22% of Yahoo leagues.  Campbell was targeted 9 times and had 6 receptions for 71 yards in Week 1.  He was Philip Rivers’ most targeted receiver.  Campbell is someone the Undroppables have been touting all preseason, while manning the slot he will continue to be the guy Rivers targets early and often.

Other wide receivers to consider: Sammy Watkins, Marques Valdez-Scantling, Laviska Shenault, and James Washington.

Tight Ends

Dallas Goedert – Rostered in 55% of Yahoo leagues. I know this breaks the rules, but if he is out there, he is the top TE add off the waiver wire.  Lining up out wide often, Goedert produced big Week 1 against the Washington Football Team. Goedert had 8 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Logan Thomas – Rostered in just 2% of Yahoo leagues. Thomas was targeted 8 times and produced 4 receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown. Thomas had a 26% target share from Haskins to start the season.

Other tight ends to consider: O.J. Howard,  Jimmy Graham, and Greg Olsen.

Defense

Rams – Rostered in 48% of Yahoo leagues.  The Rams defense had 3 sacks against the Cowboys in Week 1.  Next up is the Eagles, who were destroyed by the Washington Football Team (8 sacks) in Week 1.  Expect the Rams defense to get you double-digit points in Week 2.

Thanks for checking out our waiver wire collumn. For more great content from the Undroppables, follow us on Twitter, follow @MikeReedyFF for more great content, and visit back soon for Mike’s weekly Money Makers and Heart Breakers article.

 

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