Week 2 Street FA Report
Each week we will recommend a group of players that are owned in less than 75% of RSO leagues that should be rostered. Depending on roster and league sizes not all of these players may be available. For that, we will offer one (1) player that is owned in <25% of leagues as our Sleeper add.
Add of the Week
Puka Nacua, WR, LAR (Owned 59%)
Week 1: 10 Rec/119 yards
When any player in their rookie year is highlighted next to Anquan Boldin’s 2003 rookie campaign we know that they have done something special. The fifth-round selection had ten (10) receptions for a record 15 targets in his first NFL game and looks like an established veteran in Sean McVay’s system already. What is more impressive is he accomplished this feat while only playing on 79 percent of the Rams offensive snaps; third behind Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell. With Cooper Kupp on the sideline Nacua seems to have stepped right in his possession receiver role and should continue to have strong stat lines until Kupp’s return. Wally Pipp anyone?
Suggested Bid: $6,000,000-$9,000,000
RB Add
Kyren Williams, WR, LAR (Owned 58%)
Week 1: 15 Car/52 yards, 2 TDs
Nacua was not the only Rams backup to have a big open weekend as Kyren Williams outshined his backfield counterpart Cam Akers in the Rams thorough win in week one. Despite having seven (7) fewer carries Williams played double the offensive snaps (53:23) and was much more efficient than Akers’ paltry 1.3 yards per carry. We will see how much this backfield really breaks down in a more competitive game but it has to be assumed that Williams is a lot closer to being in a 50/50 split than Akers commanding the backfield like some were predicting in early training camp.
Suggested Bid: $2,000,000
Joshua Kelley, RB, LAC (Owned 48%)
Week 1: 16 Car/91 yards, 1 TD
The Chargers were able to do something that we have not seen since the height of Melvin Gordon’s time back in San Diego, run the ball. The Chargers ran for nearly 240 yards in week one while also splitting their time between star Austin Ekeler (51%) and Joshua Kelley (48%). There is also news that Ekeler is dealing with an injury to his knee already which adds even more speculation to Kelley’s role heading into week two. The Chargers expect to be one of the highest scoring teams in the league which means Kelley can stand to have his own flex appeal each week with the potential for monster RB1 upside if Ekeler was to miss/be reduced in any playing time.
Suggested Bid: $2,000,000
WR Add
Michael Wilson, WR, ARZ (Owned 60%)
Week 1: 2 Rec/19 yards
Rookie wide receivers were having showcase performances left and right in week one with Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua having elite performances and even players like Rashee Rice and Jordan Addison scoring their first career touchdowns. But of all the rookies in week one the one who had the highest snap share of all, Michael Wilson, the third-round selection for the Arizona Cardinals. Wilson played on 90 percent of the Cardinals’ offensive snaps and while the two (2) receptions are not an eye-catching stat, this likely means that in leagues where he is available he should be much more acquirable than say a player like Nacua. The Cardinals are likely going to be bad all season and their QB play will suffer until “if/when” Kyler Murray returns but Wilson leading his team in snaps week one bodes well for his opportunity shares moving forward.
Suggested Bid: $1,500,000
Kendrick Bourne, WR, NE (Owned 21%)
Week 1: 6 Rec/64 yards, 2 TDs
Beat writers in Massachusetts were discussing how Kendrick Bourne might have a bigger role in Bill O’Brien’s offense this season and when trade rumors involving Bourne at the end of the pre-season were quickly shot down by Bill Belichick it should have tipped the community off that maybe his involvement would not be just “coach speak”. Bourne played on 91 percent of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in week one and hauled in two (2) touchdowns to start the season as the WR5 in PPR formats. New England’s offense will not be as stagnant as last year’s so several players may be able to have more than bye week filler potential in 2023, Bourne included.
Suggested Bid: $2,000,000
TE Add
Hunter Henry, WR, NE (Owned 58%)
Week 1: 5 Rec/56 yards, 1 TD
As already mentioned the Patriots already looked more organized as an offense and after a rocky start ended up with Mac Jones passing for over 300 yards, a feat which he was only able to do twice in each of his first two (2) seasons. New England has always had a strong utilization of their tight ends so a productive offense means that Hunter Henry can finally return to his back end TE1 value each week. In a year of injured superstars and rookies still adjusting to the position, stallworths like Henry may be surprised top finishers by the end of the season at the tight end position.
Suggested Bid: $1,500,000
Sleeper Add (<25%)
Josh Reynolds, WR, DET (Owned 14%)
Week 1: 4 Rec/80 yards
My annual recommendation of “Remember that Josh Reynolds is still good” comes right out of the gate this year as he posted four (4) receptions for 80 yards in what did not feel like the Lions’ best offensive output. Will it be hard to predict his big weeks and once Jameson Williams returns is there a likelihood that Reynolds’ role diminishes, sure, but Dan Campbell also seems like the “no-nonsense” coach who does not care about draft capital or media pressure if he feels that veterans like Reynolds will do more to help the offense overall than a player like Williams coming off of injury and suspension. At least for the next five (5) weeks Reynolds should continue to operate as the WR2 in an offense that finished sixth (6th) in passing last year.
Suggested Bid: $500,000
