Rob Carter
BU News Service
As Week 7 of the fantasy football season approaches, every team needs to be making moves to ensure it’s in the hunt come playoff time. Whether your team needs help surviving bye weeks, replacements for injured players or simply extra depth, the Boston University News Service is here to help.
We’ve identified our favorite players that are still widely available (owned in under 65% of yahoo public leagues) to help out your team at every position.
Quarterback
Players On Bye: Dak Prescott, Cam Newton
Important Injuries: Ben Roethlisberger
Who to pick up for this week:
1) Marcus Mariota, QB, Tennessee Titans (60% owned)
Marcus Mariota has proved that he can translate good match ups into great fantasy performances, throwing for 3 touchdowns in back to back weeks against the Miami Dolphins and the Cleveland Browns. Taking full advantage of their dual threat signal-caller, the Titans’ coaching staff has let Mariota rush seven times for 60 or more yards the past two weeks as well, giving the young quarterback an additional boost to already great statistical performances. Owners can expect Mariota’s hot streak to continue this weekend, as the Titans host a Colts team that just gave up two touchdowns to Brock Osweiler in the final 3 minutes of the fourth quarter last weekend.
2) Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens (29% owned)
New offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg rolled out a pass heavy scheme last week allowing Flacco to attempt 48 passes. Expect Flacco to connect on more of them with Steve Smith Sr. back in the lineup against a struggling Jets secondary.
3) Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City Chiefs (28% owned)
While Alex Smith isn’t the most exciting quarterback in the league, he should be able to take advantage of a great matchup against the New Orleans Saints this week. As Jamaal Charles gets healthier expect him to have a larger role in the passing game as well, which should help Smith’s numbers.
Worth stashing on your bench:
1) Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys (12% owned)
Despite Dak Prescott’s success, the starting job should go back to Romo once he’s healthy. Expect him to be a top 10 quarterback for the rest of the season after his return.
Wide Receiver
Players On Bye: Dez Bryant, Kelvin Benjamin
Important Injuries: Terrelle Pryor Sr.
Who to pick up for this week:
1) Cameron Meredith, WR, Chicago Bears (52% owned)
Last weekend, Cameron Meredith had over 100 receiving yards and was targeted more than 10 times for the second week in a row. Brian Hoyer has a history of locking in on a single favorite receiver, and, while he is a surprising choice on a team that has Alshon Jeffery on it, Meredith seems to be that receiver. As long as Hoyer remains the starter and keeps targeting him this often, Meredith should be a solid second receiver every week. Expect this week’s game to be a bit of a shoot-out, as the Bears take on the Green Bay Packers Thursday night.
2) Torrey Smith, WR, San Francisco 49ers (25% owned)
With Colin Kaepernick taking over at quarterback for Blaine Gabbert, the 49ers’ game plan involved some actual deep throws for a change. While Kaepernick wasn’t perfect, he did manage to connect with Smith on a blown coverage play for a 53-yard touchdown Sunday. Kaepernick didn’t look capable of turning Smith into a star, but the receiver should be a usable fantasy option this week against Tampa Bay.
3) Ty Montgomery, WR, Green Bay Packers (1% owned)
With James Starks injured and Eddie Lacy battling ankle issues, Montgomery could very well end up as either the Packers’ starting running back, or the team’s slot wide receiver if Cobb is needed as a back. At worst he is probably the Packers’ No. 3 receiver this week, as Davante Adams is still showing symptoms from the concussion he sustained on Sunday night.
Worth stashing on your bench:
1) Donte Moncrief, WR, Indianapolis Colts (59% owned)
Phillip Dorsett has done little to prove he should remain the Colts No. 2 wide receiver once Donte Moncrief returns from his shoulder injury in a few weeks. Expect Moncrief to return to the role he had a fair amount of success in last season once he’s healthy again.
Running Back
Players On Bye: Ezekiel Elliott, Jonathan Stewart, Fozzy Whittaker
Important Injuries: No one new!
Who to pick up for this week:
1) Jay Ajayi, RB, Miami Dolphins (31% owned)
Miami’s backfield has been a confusing mess all season. Kenyan Drake is stealing goal line touchdowns, Arian Foster can’t stay healthy, and Ajayi’s attitude problems got so bad the team actually left him behind when travelling to Seattle week one. However bad Ajayi’s attitude is though, it will be hard for the team to get away from him after his performance last week. Ajayi rushed for over 200 yards and scored 2 touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who hadn’t given up more than 100 yards to a running back in any game prior to last weekend. Despite a healthy Foster, Ajayi’s performance should keep him as the lead back next week against the Bills.
2) James White, RB, New England Patriots (57% owned)
Now that Tom Brady has returned the pass-catching back in New England is a much more valuable position. While it will still be LaGarrette Blount carrying the ball to run out the clock at the end of a game, James White will now likely be on the field anytime Brady is trying to score in a hurry. Scoring two touch downs last week, White has a clear role in this offense and Brady is likely to lean on him heavily in tighter matchups like the upcoming one against the Steelers.
3) Spencer Ware, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (63% owned)
Even though Jamaal Charles returned last week and nearly had two touchdowns, Spencer Ware looked like the Chiefs’ lead back, rushing 24 times for 131 yards. Kansas City was likely being overly cautious with Charles in a rainy game on bad turf, but nonetheless, Ware proved he can still be a useful part of this offense, even with Charles active. I would expect the workload to shift over the next two weeks until Charles takes about 60 percent of the carries, but given the Chiefs’ run-heavy offense he will still be worth a start depending on the matchup. Expect another solid outing next week against the New Orleans Saints.
Worth stashing on your bench:
1) Dion Lewis, RB, New England Patriots (25% owned)
Although he is officially eligible to return next week, the Patriots will likely be cautious with Dion Lewis as they have been doing just fine in his absence. Lewis should take over Whites role as the pass-catching back in the New England offense once he is healthy enough to play. A more dynamic play maker, Lewis offers much more upside than White.
Tight End
Players On Bye: Greg Olsen, Jason Witten
Important Injuries: No one new!
Who to pick up for this week:
1) Hunter Henry, TE, San Diego Chargers (35% owned)
Antonio Gates told reporters on Monday that he still isn’t entirely recovered from the hamstring injury that had limited him earlier this season. Regardless of health though, Henry has simply looked like a faster, more explosive player. He clearly has the trust of Philip Rivers, who connected with the tight end six times last week against a normally stingy Denver defense. In a passing game without a lot of options, expect Rivers to continue getting the ball to Henry this week against the porous Atlanta Falcons defense.
2) Cameron Brate, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19% owned)
Since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, Cameron Brate has been the primary pass-catching tight end for the team. While quarterback Jameis Winston has struggled to get Brate the ball in some difficult matchups recently, Winston has favored throwing to tight ends for the vast majority of his career. Facing a 49ers defense without Navarro Bowman to defend the middle of the field, expect Winston to look Brate’s way frequently this weekend.
3) Vernon Davis, TE, Washington Redskins (4% owned)
If Jordan Reed’s concussion keeps him out of Washington’s lineup for a second week in a row, Vernon Davis could be a valuable replacement against Detroit this weekend. Davis is no longer the dominant force he was years ago with San Francisco, but the veteran can still get open in the red zone and is probably the best pass-catching tight end on Washington’s roster other than Reed. Kirk Cousin’s is used to leaning on his tight end to open up the middle of the field, so Davis could see a fair number of targets if Reed can’t play.
Streaming DST
1) Bengals, DST, Cincinnati (47% owned)
The Bengals were dropped in many leagues because of their matchup with the Patriots last week. Things get easier this week as they take on the Cleveland Browns, who may not have their most dangerous receiver Terrelle Pryor this week.
2) Raiders, DST, Oakland (43% owned)
With the exception of an ugly performance last week against the chiefs, the Raiders have played well this season. They should get back on track against turnover machine Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars
3) Giants, DST, New York (15% owned)
The Giants have had great success against running backs so far this season, giving up only 76 rushing yards per game. That bodes well for the G-men as they face the Rams this weekend, who have struggled to find any offensive weapons outside of running back Todd Gurley. Don’t expect many take-aways by New York, but they should prevent the Rams from scoring much this weekend.
