Week 6 Street FA Report

Updated: October 10th 2023

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

Emari Demercado, RB, ARZ (Owned 9%)

Week 4: 10 Car/45 yards, 1 TD, 1 Rec/12 yards

There are three (3) big IR designations heading into Week 6 and all of the players who are expected to see increased production because of it are some of our recommendations this week. Emari Demercado came out of nowhere as the fill-in for Keaontay Ingram as Arizona’s RB2 but once James Conner also went down with his injury it was all Demercado for the second half. He finished as the RB18 for Week 5 and Connor will be out at least the next month and Ingram’s own status for Week 6 is still up in the air. Both Demercado and Ingram should be added this week but if you need immediate RB help this week Demercado is likely your higher priority. 

Suggested Bid: ($2,000,000)

RB Add

D’Onta Foreman, RB, CHI (Owned 64%)

Week 4: N/A

Similar to the Arizona backfield situation, Chicago was decimated all at once on Thursday night with not only their starter Khalil Herbert, but also their backup Roschon Johnson and special teams option Travis Homer all exiting the game. Johnson, at least for now, projects to be the starter if he can clear the concussion protocol before Sunday but his availability at practice and for the game opens up the door for D’Onta Foreman who was a healthy scratch the last two (2) games to potentially see a role in the Bears’ gameplan. He is likely already owned in your league but if not add Foreman as an insurance policy for the end of the week. 

Suggested Bid: $500,000

WR Add

K.J. Osborn, WR, MIN (Owned 55%)

Week 4: 5 Rec/49 yards

Some may have been frustrated with K.J. Osborn’s up-and-down production over the first month and already moved on to other options at wide receiver. If that is the case, with the news of Justin Jefferson’s injury and subsequent trip to the IR, both Osborn and rookie Jordan Addison will see a massive increase in their usage over the next month. There is also the outside, and honestly low probability, that Jefferson does not return this season, either due to injury/contract concerns or his trade to another roster. If that were the case, Osborn’s availability as a viable fantasy asset goes from a few weeks to a major contributor the rest of the seasons.

Suggested Bid: $2,000,000

TE Add

Logan Thomas, TE, WAS (Owned 40%)

Week 4: 9 Rec/77 yards, 1 TD

It seems like forever ago that Logan Thomas was on the receiving end of 72 receptions and 6 touchdowns in 2020 but he has finally bounced back from his 2021 injury to return to a fringe TE1 start each week. He currently sits as the TE12 is PPR tied for 15th in targets and 12th in receptions. The Commanders have been up and down as an offense this season but Sam Howell is currently 4th in pass attempts which continues to provide Thomas with plenty of opportunities to see the ball. Washington has also attempted the 6th most passes inside the 10 yard line, which is a tight end’s dream. Streaming tight end is always a hair-pulling experience to make the right decision but at 60 percent availability Logan Thomas should be part of each streamer’s rotation.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

Sleeper Add (<25%)

Craig Reynolds, RB, DET (Owned 11%)

Week 4: 7 Car/52 yards, 1 TD

All of Craig Reynolds’ success came in garbage time, I get it, but this did give a clear vision from a usage standpoint of where the Lions sit with their backfield. When David Montgomery missed part of the second half in Week 2 the staff did not immediately hand Jahmyr Gibbs the full workload, instead using Reynolds in the traditional “thumper” role and continued to use Gibbs as a chance of pace option. Reynolds is the clear RB3 and does not hold much value as a stand alone but with injuries to Montgomery and Gibbs in just the first month there may be more spot start opportunities for Reynolds during the rest of the season.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

More Analysis by Nick Andrews

Week 14 Street FA Report

Updated: December 9th 2020

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

Peyton Barber, RB – WAS (Owned 25%)

Week 13: 14 Car/26 yards, 1 TD

One big game to give people a shot at the playoffs and then likely a huge disappointment from Antonio Gibson’s owners when he left early in week 13 with what has now been designated as a turf toe injury. Immediately, Gibson is unlikely to play in week 14 but in my un-medically licensed opinion, this likely ends his [fantasy] season with only three (3) games of interest left. Everyone already has J.D. McKissic taken in their league (80 percent ownership) so the next option to go to is Washington’s more traditional running back, Peyton Barber. Barber had been losing much of his workload to Gibson in recent weeks but early in the season (and intermittently since), Barber had been the goal-line option. He even started the season with a two-touchdown performance so his opportunities could be there. The remaining schedule is not an immediate plug-and-play for Barber but for those struggling for weekly running back help, Barber likely will have the biggest upside of running backs still available in most leagues.

Suggested Bid: $4,000,000

RB Add

Ty Johnson, RB – NYJ (Owned 11%)

Week 13: 22 Car/104 yards, 1 TD, 2 Rec/13 yards

Looks like I was right when I suggested in last week’s One Big Thing that Frank Gore may have flex appeal to close out the season. Okay, maybe it was not actually Frank Gore who scored the points but I was right that whoever was the starter was going to be a flex option. With Gore leaving early with a concussion, former Detroit Lions running back Ty Johnson stepped in and had 24 touches for over 100 yards and a touchdown. It is unknown at this time if Gore would be able to clear concussion protocol before next week’s game and so Johnson could be in line for a second consecutive “primary back” role on Sunday. If you have made it this far you likely would not be starting Johnson but keeping options away from your opponents is a big part of fantasy playoffs.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

WR Add

Rashard Higgins, WR – CLE (Owned 36%)

Week 13: 6 Rec/95 yards, 1 TD

The flashy stat being thrown around after Cleveland’s win was that when Baker Mayfield targets Rashard Higgins he ranks seventh (7th) with 133.4 in passer rating. While the stat makes it seem like Higgins is an awesome receiver to throw to, having a lower volume of targets and just being efficient with them is a good way to pad this stat. Then why am I recommending him? Because last week Higgins saw the most targets (9) that he had seen since week 1 of 2017 when he had 11 from DeShone Kizer. He has also been on the field just as much as Jarvis Landry since their week 9 bye, and twice as much (157:72) as Donavan Peoples-Jones who many thought was going to be the WR3 behind Landy and Odell Beckham Jr. This was Higgins’ first game putting it all together but maybe this could be him rounding into a strong end to the season. Breshad Perriman came off the streets and into championship lineups this time last year and Higgins could be that guy in 2020.

Suggested Bid: $2,500,000

TE Add

Logan Thomas, TE – WAS (Owned 69%)

Week 13: 9 Rec/98 yards, 1 TD

It had been a roller coaster starting Logan Thomas over the first five (5) games of the season as he had a stellar opening weekend and then slowly fizzled out over the next four, probably leading to him being dropped in several leagues. Since then, he has scored at least 10 PPR points in five (5) of the last seven (7) games which for tight ends means consistently being in the top 10 at the position. His ownership is quite high now so it is not as likely that he is still sitting in free agency as a lot of these other suggestions. If Thomas is still available, however, and you are heading to the playoffs, look to have him on your squad whether you need a tight end or not.

Suggested Bid: $5,000,000

Sleeper Add

Cordarrelle Patterson, WR (RB?) – CHI (Owned 14%)

Week 13: 10 Car/59 yards, 1 TD, 1 Rec/4 yards

It finally happened! I mean, it is just one week after 12 other weeks of basically no production but Cordarrelle Patterson finally had a strong statistical game being used primarily as a runner for the Bears. Coming into the 2020 season I thought that taking advantage of Patterson’s designation as a receiver, but likely playing out of the backfield, was going to give a savvy edge to those who played with deep starting wide receivers. Especially once Tarik Cohen was lost for the season I expected Patterson to become a super weapon that could be both the pass-catching and thumper running back. Unfortunately, that has not paid off but maybe now in the final three (3) games, the Bears are willing to give him a more substantial workload. Patterson does have 10 or more carries in two (2) of the last (3) games so for those hanging on in the playoffs maybe keep Patterson at the end of the bench in case anything were to happen to David Montgomery.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

More Analysis by Nick Andrews

Week 2 Street FA Report

Updated: September 17th 2020

The Free Agent (FA) Report is back for another season. Due to the addition of the Practice Squad last year increasing the percentages of player ownership we will be making slight changes to the criteria for 2020. 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 1 player that is owned in <25% of leagues as our Sleeper add.

Add of the Week

Malcolm Brown, RB – LAR (Owned 56%)

Week 1: 18 Car/79 yards, 2 TDs, 3 Rec/31 yards

I went back and forth on who should be the most added player this week between Benny Snell, Nyhiem Hines, and Malcolm Brown. In the end, Brown is available in more leagues and therefore felt more relevant to what this series is here for. Despite it being suggested that the Rams backfield was going to be fairly evenly split between the three running backs it was only Brown with 21 touches and rookie Cam Akers (15) who saw any significant playing time in week 1. Akers may earn more of a role as he becomes more comfortable in the offense but Brown will likely keep the goal line work as he had with Todd Gurley in years past. This, along with continuing to see the majority of carries bodes well for his fantasy production floor as an RB2/Flex. He is the big fish that will require spending a good amount of your available cap space on to acquire but he will be worth it if you are finding yourself thin at the RB spot.

Suggested Bid: $8,000,000 – $10,000,000

 

RB Add

Benny Snell, RB – PIT (Owned 73%)

Week 1: 19 Car/113 yards

As it turns out all Pittsburgh needed to return to fantasy relevance really was Ben Roethlisberger as the Steelers looked back to their 2018 selves on MNF. Unfortunately for James Connor owners they may be left holding the bag as he once again will be sidelined with an injury. In his spot, Benny “The Snail” Snell stepped up in a big way as he currently sits third in rushing yards after week 1 (113). Much like Le’Veon Bell after his rookie season, Snell seems to have trimmed down and added some burst that was missing last season which may result in him losing his “snail” nickname. If the owner who drafted him either bailed after year one or is willing to move on, Snell is a plug and play flex player right now with Connor out. Even when Connor returns to the lineup there is no guarantee that he will be walking back into his old job now. We will have to re-evaluate the situation once it becomes more clear who Mike Tomlin will use as his primary back once Connor is healthy but if last night showed us who fits better with this offense the safer bet might be Snell.

Suggested Bid: $5,000,000

Nyheim Hines, RB – IND (Owned 71%)

Week 1: 7 Car/28 yards, 1 TD, 8 Rec/45 yards, 1 TD

Marlon Mack is out for the season with an Achilles injury but even before he was ruled out surprisingly Nyheim Hines was working better in tandem with the rookie running back Jonathan Taylor during the Colts’ opener. Hines scored twice, once on the ground and once through the air and also had eight (8) receptions to lead all running backs in week 1. We know that Philip Rivers likes to get his running backs involved in the passing game. Guys like Darren Sproles and Austin Ekeler were fantasy relevant even when not being the primary ball carrier. Hines isn’t likely to be a free agent in your league but if he is he is worth dropping a large percentage of your remaining cap space on. He could see upwards of 70-80 targets by the time the season is over and be a weekly flex option through the bye weeks.

Suggested Bid: $8,000,000 – $10,000,000

 

WR Add

Russell Gage, WR – ATL (Owned 26%)

Week 1: 9 Rec/114 yards

The Falcons were boat raced in their first game of the season, resulting in Matt Ryan throwing 54 pass attempts and having three (3) different receivers going over 100 yards. If this trend continues, and in a division that features both the Saints and Bucs it very well could, that will make Atlanta’s WR3 Russell Gage a savvy depth receiver to have. With Calvin Ridley out to end last year, Gage quietly had a good closeout to the 2019 season with an average of eight (8) catches and 50 yards over his final six (6) games. He may not put up the numbers he did in week 1 consistently but he should be a player to monitor each week based on the matchup. If anything was to happen to either Julio Jones or Calvin Ridley, Gage would immediately step into a WR2/3 amount of targets and be a flex option each week.

Suggested Bid: $2,000,000

Quintez Cephus, WR – DET (Owned 36%)

Week 1: 3 Rec/30 yards

Kenny Golladay was a late addition to the injury report last week and missed the season opener for Detroit. In his absence the rookie 5th round pick, Quintez Cephus, had a shocking 10 (!) targets to lead all Lions’ receivers. He was also on the field for 80 percent of the team’s offensive snaps as well showing the confidence that the team already has in him. Unfortunately, he was only able to have three (3) catches but we know volume is the stat to be chasing when it comes to upside. Golladay’s return will surely limit the opportunities that Cephus will have moving forward but we know the Lions have leaned on Matt Stafford in the past and with their up-and-down running game, Cephus may earn the WR2 role sooner than expected over Marvin Jones. Compared by some to Anquan Boldin, Matt Waldman listed Cephus as one of his under the radar rookies which is a good enough excuse to start stashing him everywhere.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

 

TE Add

Logan Thomas, TE – WAS (Owned 14%)

Week 1: 4 Rec/37 yards, 1 TD

There were plenty of options to choose from at the tight end position as free agent targets for week 2 with honorable mentions to Jimmy Graham and C.J. Uzomah. However, I am going with Logan Thomas as he was the second most targeted tight end (8) in week 1 and there just isn’t the same receiver talent around him as there is in Chicago or Cincinnati. Other than Terry McLaurin there isn’t much that would suggest Thomas will see any less volume than what he saw in week 1 which should give him a safer floor than most third-tier tight ends. Thomas was a sleeper pick leading into the season so hopefully he can build off this performance to earn even more scoring opportunities.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

 

Sleeper Add (<25%)

Scotty Miller, WR – TB (Owned 21%)

Week 1: 5 Rec/73 yards, 1 Car/6 yards

There are a lot of question marks surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers heading into week 2. One question that was answered however was who would be the third receiver in the slot for Tom Brady to feed targets too? In week 1 that was Scotty Miller who finished second on the team with five (5) receptions and looked the part of every slot receiver that Brady had leaned on in New England. It remains to be seen how much of his usage was simply because of Mike Evans’ injury and how much was on Brady falling back onto old habits. The Bucs have a much easier matchup this week against Carolina which could provide a spark for the offense. They looked unstoppable after the opening drive and then rather pedestrian throughout the rest of the game. Either way, he should be rostered for now while we see how this offense grows during the season and into the bye weeks.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

More Analysis by Nick Andrews