Monday, October 29, 2018

2018 Fantasy Football TE Waiver-Wire Options Heading Into Week 9

Every week, we examine players that may be available on your league's waiver wire that could help your team in the short and/or long term.

For a player to be listed, he must be owned in 50 percent (or less) of Yahoo! leagues. The goal is to provide recommendations of players that have a greater chance of being available on your league's waiver wire. Of course, your league's size and settings could significantly impact whether these players (or better options) are available in your particular league(s).

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With that said, here are some tight end waiver-wire options that I like heading into Week 9 (Yahoo! ownership in parenthesis):

[Note: Players listed below are sorted by my preference to add.]

1. Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts (25 percent)

In his first game back from injury, Doyle made his presence felt as he hauled in six receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. Interestingly enough, Andrew Luck threw all three of his touchdowns to different tight ends as Eric Ebron and Mo Alie-Cox both scored as well. The Colts have a Week 9 bye, but coming out of their bye, Doyle (and Ebron) will be top-12 fantasy tight ends the rest of the way.

2. Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers (48 percent)

McDonald had three catches for 47 yards in Week 8, but he exceeded the 60-yard mark in three of his four games prior to Pittsburgh's bye. Although he has scored only one touchdown this season, McDonald has at least three catches in all but one game this season. At a position where volume and production is typically inconsistent, he provides fantasy owners with a solid floor on a weekly basis.

3. Chris Herndon, New York Jets (6 percent)

The volume is a concern to sustain the production, but Herndon continues to make his opportunities count. Extending his scoring streak to three games, the fourth-round rookie from The U. had just one catch for 16 yards and a touchdown. It was the second time in the past three games that Herndon had just two targets. Herndon will look to extend his touchdown streak to four games against the Dolphins, who allowed another rookie tight end (Jordan Thomas) to score (twice) in Week 8.

4. Hayden Hurst, Baltimore Ravens (3 percent)

The rookie had a pair of goose eggs in the previous two weeks, but he finished with two catches for 29 yards and a touchdown in Week 8. Before this game, the Ravens talked about geting Hurst more involved going forward so perhaps this is a sign of good things to come.

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2018 Fantasy Football WR Waiver-Wire Options Heading Into Week 9

Every week, we examine players that may be available on your league's waiver wire that could help your team in the short and/or long term.

For a player to be listed, he must be owned in 50 percent (or less) of Yahoo! leagues. The goal is to provide recommendations of players that have a greater chance of being available on your league's waiver wire. Of course, your league's size and settings could significantly impact whether these players (or better options) are available in your particular league(s).

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With that said, here are some wide receiver waiver-wire options that I like heading into Week 9 (Yahoo! ownership in parenthesis):

[Note: Players listed below are sorted by my preference to add.]

1. D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers (15 percent)

The first wide receiver selected in this year's NFL Draft, Moore continues to see his role expand within Carolina's offense. In a tough matchup against the Ravens, Moore had five catches for 90 yards on six targets, all of which were season highs, and added 39 rushing yards.

Although he had just two catches and four targets in his first three games combined, Moore has now exceeded 60 yards from scrimmage in three of his past four games. Over his past four games, he has 16 catches for 227 yards and 75 rushing yards.

2. Keke Coutee, Houston Texans (20 percent)

Coutee missed Thursday night's game with a hamstring injury, but the Texans wide receiving corps suffered a bigger injury in that game as Will Fuller tore his ACL. Going forward, Coutee will have a large role within the passing offense once he's able to return from his injury. He's already had a couple of big games -- 11/109 on 15 targets and 6/51/1 in Weeks 4 and 5, respectively.

3. Mohamed Sanu, Atlanta Falcons (49 percent)

Sanu had a quiet game (2/21) before the team's Week 8 bye, but he was on a bit of a tear before that. Before that dud, Sanu had either 100-plus yards or a touchdown in four consecutive games. Given the team's injury-depleted defense, the Falcons need to rely on their high-powered Matt Ryan-led offense, which puts both Sanu and rookie Calvin Ridley in the WR3 discussion on a weekly basis.

4. Danny Amendola, Miami Dolphins (41 percent)

In addition to throwing a touchdown pass in Week 8, Amendola had five catches for 43 yards as well. To be fair, Amendola's receiving totals were less than expected given all of the injuries at receiver, but he has 8/59, 6/84/1 and 5/43 over his past three games, respectively. Miami has a Week 9 matchup against the Jets, who have allowed the fifth-most PPR points per game to opposing wide receivers this season.

5. Tyrell Williams, Los Angeles Chargers (31 percent)

When Williams posted a 3/118/2 line in Week 6, I thought there was no way that he would duplicate that production. And he didn't, sort of. While he finished with the same yardage total (118) in Week 7, he had one more catch and one fewer touchdown.

Getting only four targets in each of those games, the volume doesn't suggest that he can sustain that level (or even close to that level) of production coming out of the team's bye. It's not out of the question, though, that he finishes as a top-40 fantasy wide receiver the rest of the way.

6. Willie Snead, Baltimore Ravens (33 percent)

With double-digit targets in two of the past three games, Snead now has a minimum of seven targets in five consecutive games. In addition, Snead has at least five catches and 50 yards in four of those games. Better in PPR formats, Snead and Baltimore's receivers will face the Steelers in Week 9 and their division foes have allowed the sixth-most PPR fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season.

7. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos (10 percent)

Bad news first: Sutton has yet to exceed three receptions in any game this season. The good news, however, is that the rookie has either reached the 50-yard mark or scored a touchdown in each of his past five games. In the (perhaps unlikely) event that the Broncos trade Demaryius Thomas before Tuesday's deadline, Sutton's role could really expand as the season progresses.

8. David Moore, Seattle Seahawks (3 percent)

Russell Wilson isn't throwing it often -- 21, 23 and 17 pass attempts in his three most-recent games, respectively. That said, he has thrown exactly three touchdowns in each of those games.

Of those nine touchdowns, Moore has four of them as he extended his scoring streak to three games. Although he had failed to reach the 50-yard mark before this week, he set season highs in both receptions (four) and yards (91) on Sunday.

While Wilson is unlikely to continue to throw three touchdowns weekly on such low volume, Moore is at least worth a look in deeper leagues and he should be owned in more than three percent of Yahoo! leagues.

9. Cole Beasley, Dallas Cowboys (23 percent)

With the Cowboys trading for Amari Cooper, it's clear that he will be the focal point of the Cowboys passing attack sooner rather than later. Before their bye (and trade for Cooper), however, Beasley was becoming Dak Prescott's favorite target. The slot receiver from SMU had 9/101/2 and 7/56 in back-to-back games on 19 combined targets. It will take some time for Cooper to learn the offense and Beasley should continue to be a useful fantasy asset in deeper PPR leagues.

10. Tajae Sharpe, Tennessee Titans (1 percent)

Sharpe has 16 catches for 222 yards and a touchdown this season and nearly half of that production (7/101) came in his most-recent game. Can he build upon that outing? Sharpe and the Titans will face the Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

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2018 Fantasy Football RB Waiver-Wire Options Heading Into Week 9

Every week, we examine players that may be available on your league's waiver wire that could help your team in the short and/or long term.

For a player to be listed, he must be owned in 50 percent (or less) of Yahoo! leagues. The goal is to provide recommendations of players that have a greater chance of being available on your league's waiver wire. Of course, your league's size and settings could significantly impact whether these players (or better options) are available in your particular league(s).

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With that said, here are some running back waiver-wire options that I like heading into Week 9 (Yahoo! ownership in parenthesis):

[Note: Players listed below are sorted by my preference to add.]

1. Peyton Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (46 percent)

For the second time in three weeks, Barber rushed for 80-plus yards and scored a touchdown. Barber now has double-digit carries in three consecutive games and five of his seven games played this season.

Rookie Ronald Jones left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury and is expected to miss a few weeks. Averaging 2.6 yards per carry and 6.0 yards per reception, Jones has been a major disappointment this season.

Barber will continue to lead the backfield the rest of the way and should approach back-end RB2/flex value. While he hasn't been much more efficient (3.5 YPC, 6.2 Y/R) than Jones, Barber has been more effective since the team's bye (4.58 YPC).

2. Wendell Smallwood, Philadelphia Eagles (43 percent)

The Eagles head into a bye following their win across the pond, but Smallwood is in the flex mix the rest of the way and he has been more effective than teammate Corey Clement. In addition, Smallwood has out-touched Clement in each of the team's past three games -- 19 to 14 in Week 6, 11 to 10 in Week 7 and 10 to five in Week 8.

Since Week 2, Smallwood has finished no worse than the RB41 and has been a top-20 fantasy running in three of six games. (He's currently the RB18 this week through Sunday Night Football.)

3. Frank Gore, Miami Dolphins (22 percent)

Gore extended his streak of double-digit carries to five games as he rushed 12 times for 53 yards in Thursday night's loss to the Texans. Kenyan Drake has four touchdowns in his past four games and is more of a threat as a receiver (17 catches over the past four games), but Gore's consistent workload should keep him in flex range until Miami's bye (Week 11).

4. Ito Smith, Atlanta Falcons (37 percent)

Before their Week 8 bye, Smith rushed seven times for 16 yards and added two catches for 29 yards. Smith failed to extend his scoring streak to four games, but he's a threat to approach double-digit touches on a weekly basis in Atlanta's high-powered offense as the 1(b) to Tevin Coleman. In his past four games, he has finished as the weekly RB24, RB31, RB25 and RB37, respectively.

5. Elijah McGuire, New York Jets (6 percent)

Before landing on IR, McGuire generated some preseason buzz. Now eligible to return and with teammate Bilal Powell (neck) placed on IR last week, McGuire has some value in deeper leagues.

6. Devontae Booker, Denver Broncos (5 percent)

With Royce Freeman (ankle) out, Booker had his best of the season, by far. Forming a 1-2 punch with Phillip Lindsay, Booker had nine carries for 78 yards and four receptions for 23 yards. Heading into MNF, Booker is the RB22 so far this week. If Freeman's high-ankle sprain keeps him out another week, Booker will have fantasy value this week against Houston. Denver has a Week 10 bye.

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2018 Fantasy Football QB Waiver-Wire Options Heading Into Week 9

Every week, we examine players that may be available on your league's waiver wire that could help your team in the short and/or long term.

For a player to be listed, he must be owned in 50 percent (or less) of Yahoo! leagues. The goal is to provide recommendations of players that have a greater chance of being available on your league's waiver wire. Of course, your league's size and settings could significantly impact whether these players (or better options) are available in your particular league(s).

Embed from Getty Images

With that said, here are some quarterback waiver-wire options that I like heading into Week 9 (Yahoo! ownership in parenthesis):

[Note: Players listed below are sorted by my preference to add and all stats are through Sunday's games.]

1. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (26 percent)

Perhaps Carr won't be on the roster in 2019, but Gruden has given him a vote of confidence (ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. trade deadline). With Amari Cooper on a double-bye (Oakland and now Dallas), Carr had his second-best fantasy performance of the season.

In a losing effort, Carr accounted for all four of the team's touchdowns -- three passing and one rushing -- and threw for 244 yards. On a short week with a plus matchup, Carr will have a chance to do it all again as he travels to the other side of the Bay to face the 49ers, who have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.

2. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (34 percent)

Prior to his Week 8 bye, Prescott had his two best games of the season in terms of fantasy production. Rushing for a score and eclipsing the 20-point fantasy threshold in back-to-back games, Prescott finished as the weekly QB2 and QB8, respectively, in Weeks 5 and 6.

It's unclear how much the Cowboys will get from Amari Cooper in Week 9, but it's only a positive for Prescott's rest-of-season outlook that Dallas has tried to address their lack of weapons in the passing game. We may not see another 20-point, top-eight performance from Dak in Week 9, but his outlook is on the rise.

3. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (five percent)

Beginning the 2018 season with three consecutive 400-yard games, Fitzpatrick nearly pulled off a magical comeback in relief of Jameis Winston. Not only did Winston throw four interceptions on Sunday, but he has thrown multiple picks in all four games played this season.

Given how Sunday unfolded, it's little surprise that the Bucs will start Fitzpatrick in Week 9. There is some uncertainty in regards to how long he'll hold on to the job. Not only do the Bucs lead the league (by a wide margin) in passing yards per game (376), but the duo of Fitzpatrick and Winston trail only Patrick Mahomes in fantasy points scored this season.

4. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns (43 percent)

Mayfield threw for just 180 yards in Sunday's loss to the Steelers, but the rookie quarterback once again threw multiple touchdowns. In his five starts, Mayfield has thrown for 300-plus yards and/or multiple touchdowns in four games. With a pair of plus matchups against the Chiefs and Falcons before his Week 11 bye, Mayfield continues to have streaming appeal over the next couple of weeks.

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Saturday, October 27, 2018

Week 8 Fantasy Football: Tight Ends Start'em, Sit'em

Ultimately, the decision of which player to start is largely determined by the composition of your roster (as well as your league's settings).

As an example, David Njoku is listed below as a "start" for Week 8. And I'd feel comfortable going into Week 8 with him as my starting tight end.

That said, he may be a sit for your team.

In other words, if you owned both Travis Kelce and Njoku, you should start Kelce -- and in turn, bench Njoku.

So while you won't find absolute start-sit recommendations below (use my Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings for that instead), the goal here is to highlight some players that I like (and would feel comfortable starting) as well as some players that I dislike for this week (and would prefer to keep on my bench).

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Week 8 Fantasy Football TE Start'em

TE - David Njoku, Cleveland Browns (at PIT)

Not only has Njoku scored in back-to-back games, but the second-year tight end has exceeded 50 receiving yards in four consecutive weeks. In those four games, he has averaged nine targets per game and has a total of 22 catches for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Even though he had just 3/13 against them in Week 1, the Steelers have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season.

TE - Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. CLE)

Still available in under 50-percent of Yahoo! leagues as of Friday, the other tight end in this game could be a plug-and-play option for those in need of a bye-week replacement. McDonald has exceeded 60 receiving yards in three of four games and he has at least five targets in four of his past five. Going into Week 8, only four tight ends -- Travis Kelce (five), Zach Ertz (four), O.J. Howard (four) and George Kittle (four) -- have more 60-yard games than McDonald (three), who missed Week 1 and has already had his bye.

TE - Jared Cook, Oakland Raiders (vs. IND)

Historically (and this season too), Cook has been inconsistent. While he has 9/180 (Week 1) and 8/110/2 (Week 4) games, he is also coming off a disappointing performance (two catches for 10 yards). That said, the Raiders have just traded Amari Cooper and I'd expect Cook to be heavily targeted by Derek Carr against the Colts, who have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to the position.

Week 8 Fantasy Football TE Sit'em

TE - Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers (vs. BAL)

The good news is that Olsen scored a touchdown last week, but the veteran tight end finished with just two catches for five yards last week. The week before that, Olsen had four catches for 48 yards. In a tough matchup against the Ravens, who have allowed the 13th-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends, Olsen is more of a high-end TE2 than a must-start TE1 this week.

TE - Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings (vs. NO)

Scoring a pair of touchdowns in his first three games, Rudolph has a four-game scoreless drought. Not only has he failed to reach 50 receiving yards in any of his past three games, he has only four targets in back-to-back games. The Saints have limited opposing tight ends to the fourth-fewest fantasy points and Rudolph simply isn't getting the volume. As my 13th-ranked tight end for the week, he's a TD-dependent play.

TE - Evan Engram, New York Giants (vs. WAS)

Returning from a multi-game absence, Engram had two receptions for 16 yards and a 10-yard rush. Like the others on the "sit" of this list, Engram is just outside my top-12 as Rudolph, Olsen and Engram sit 13th, 14th and 15th, respectively, in my rankings. Allowing the 11th-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends, Washington has yet to allow a tight end reach 50 receiving yards in a game this season.

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Week 8 Fantasy Football: Wide Receivers Start'em, Sit'em

Ultimately, the decision of which player to start is largely determined by the composition of your roster (as well as your league's settings).

As an example, Tyler Boyd is listed below as a "start" for Week 8. And I'd feel comfortable going into Week 8 with him as one of my starting wide receivers.

That said, he may be a sit for your team.

In other words, if you start two wide receivers and owned Adam Thielen, A.J. Green and Boyd, you should start Thielen and Green -- and in turn, bench Boyd.

So while you won't find absolute start-sit recommendations below (use my Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings for that instead), the goal here is to highlight some players that I like (and would feel comfortable starting) as well as some players that I dislike for this week (and would prefer to keep on my bench).

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Week 8 Fantasy Football WR Start'em

 

WR - JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. CLE)

Smith-Schuster had a 100-yard game against the Bengals last week and now has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in four of seven games this season. Not only did he have a 100-yard game against the Browns in Week 1, but he ended his rookie season with a 143-yard performance against them in the final game of 2017.

Over his past 16 games, the second-year receiver has a 92/1,376/7 line with 100 yards and/or a touchdown in 11 of his past 14 games. Looking to extend his 100-yard streak against the Browns to three games, Smith-Schuster is a top-10 option for me this week.

WR - Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams (vs. GB)

The high-powered Rams offense is projected to score a week-high 33.0 points based on their implied total from Vegas odds. Of course, Todd Gurley is always a threat to account for multiple touchdowns, but the absence of Cooper Kupp (MCL) provides a boost to Brandin Cooks and Woods.

If there's a concern, it's that Jared Goff has just 52 pass attempts over the past two weeks and the Rams are nearly double-digit favorites once again. That said, Aaron Rodgers always has the chance to keep the game closer than the spread suggests.

Woods has three 100-yard games this season, but he's been a model of consistency for the Rams. Since Week 2, Woods has at least five catches and more than 75 yards in every game. During that six-game span, he's averaging 6.3 catches for 94.2 yards with three touchdowns. Like Smith-Schuster above, Woods is a top-10 fantasy receiver this week.

WR - Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. TB)

Coming off his worst performance (3/27) since Week 1 (3/26), Boyd will look to bounce back in another plus matchup. The Buccaneers have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season and the Bengals have a top-three implied total this week. Boyd has either 100 yards and/or a touchdown in four of his past six games and he has scored the 17th-most fantasy points this season.

Week 8 Fantasy Football WR Sit'em

 

WR - Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears (vs. NYJ)

Likely to play in Week 8 at less than 100 percent, it's been a disappointing season for A-Rob. As great as Mitchell Trubisky has been playing over the past month, Robinson has just eight catches for 91 yards over his past three games and Trubisky has thrown for 1,003 yards over that span. Robinson has two touchdowns over that stretch, but it's difficult to trust that he'll bounce back this week.

WR - Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals (vs. SF)

Fitzgerald scored his first touchdown of the season in Week 7, which means he had his best fantasy performance (weekly WR22) of the year. If you have a glass-half-full outlook, Fitzgerald had his highest yardage total since Week 1. If you're glass is half-empty, however, that six-week high was 40 yards. Fitz has averaged just 3.17 catches for 29.83 yards over the past six weeks. Once again, I would prefer rookie Christian Kirk over Fitzgerald this week if I were forced to start a Cardinals receiver.

WR - Marquise Goodwin, San Francisco 49ers (at ARI)

Aside from a monster performance (4/126/2) against the Packers in Week 6, Goodwin has had a relatively quiet season when on the field. That big week against Green Bay was his only game this season with more than 30 receiving yards. In addition, he has yet to see more than five targets. With a matchup against Patrick Peterson, it's likely that Goodwin has another quiet performance.

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Week 8 Fantasy Football: Running Backs Start'em, Sit'em

Ultimately, the decision of which player to start is largely determined by the composition of your roster (as well as your league's settings).

As an example, Phillip Lindsay is listed below as a "start" for Week 8. And I'd feel comfortable going into Week 8 with him as one of my starting running backs.

That said, he may be a sit for your team.

In other words, if you start two running backs and owned Todd Gurley, James Conner and Phillip Lindsay, you should start Gurley and Conner -- and in turn, bench Lindsay.

So while you won't find absolute start-sit recommendations below (use my Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings for that instead), the goal here is to highlight some players that I like (and would feel comfortable starting) as well as some players that I dislike for this week (and would prefer to keep on my bench).

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Week 8 Fantasy Football RB Start'em

RB - Phillip Lindsay, Denver Broncos (at KC)

Lindsay had 14 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown last week and added a six-yard reception in the Thursday night win over the Cardinals. Lindsay now has 14-plus touches in three of his past four games and five of his seven games played this season. Helping his workload cause this week, fellow rookie Royce Freeman has already been ruled out.

Except for Week 3 when he ejected from the game early and had just four touches, Lindsay has finished as a top-30 fantasy running back (standard scoring) with 11-plus PPR points every week. Averaging 5.81 yards per carry this season, the UDFA has yet to average below 4.5 YPC in any game this season.

RB - James White, New England Patriots (at BUF)

Granted, White is better in PPR formats, but he has scored the eighth-most fantasy points (in standard-scoring formats) through Week 7. Even more impressive has been his level of consistency as he has finished no worse than the RB26 despite some big games by backfield mate Sony Michel.

Before last week when Michel left the game early, White had averaged 13 touches per game over his three previous games. With Michel sustaining the injury last week, White set season highs with 19 touches and 11 carries.

Perhaps he won't get as many carries this week even though Michel is expected to miss this week's game, but it'd be reasonable to expect 15-plus touches from White. On 8.71 targets per game, White has averaged an impressive 6.43/54.29/0.86 receiving line this season. Amongst all players, White ranks 11th in receptions and is tied for second behind Tyreek Hill in receiving touchdowns.

With the Patriots favored by nearly two touchdowns in Week 8, there is a ton of touchdown equity for the backfield. White is a high-end RB1 for this week and Kenjon Barner is a nice sleeper play (if Michel sits) as it's possible that the Patriots go into the game with only two active running backs.

RB - Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns (at PIT)

With Carlos Hyde traded to Jacksonville, Chubb carried the ball 18 times for 80 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. Finishing as the weekly RB14 in standard-scoring formats, the rookie has yet to record his first NFL reception so his PPR upside is somewhat limited. The Steelers have been stingy to opposing running backs, fifth-fewest fantasy points allowed this season, but Chubb remains a viable RB2 this week.

RB - Kerryon Johnson, Detroit Lions (vs. SEA)

Eclipsing the 100-yard mark for the second time this season, Johnson set career highs with 158 rushing yards on 19 carries. Except for Week 1, Johnson has double-digit carries in his other five NFL games and is averaging 15.2 touches per game since Week 2. Even though LeGarrette Blount may steal the goal-line opportunities, Theo Riddick (knee) will miss another game this week. Currently, I have Johnson ranked as a top-10 play this week.

RB - Isaiah Crowell, New York Jets (at CHI)

Crowell has been great, or terrible, or just ok. In the first five weeks of the season, Crowell alternated between big game and dud -- weekly RB3, RB48, RB8, RB70 and RB3, respectively. Over the past couple of weeks, he's been solid and has finished as the weekly RB36 and RB35, respectively. As we've seen, the range of outcomes is wide -- e.g., four carries for zero yards in Week 4 to 15 carries for 219 yards and a touchdown in Week 5.

Granted, the matchup isn't favorable, as the Bears have limited the position to the fourth-fewest fantasy points and are the only team to not yet surrender a rushing touchdown this season. That said, Bilal Powell (neck) was placed on IR and Crowell should get enough work to perform as a volume-based back-end RB2 in Week 8.

Week 8 Fantasy Football RB Sit'em

RB - LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills (vs. NE)

Yet to clear concussion protocol, McCoy has an extra day to get healthy given that the Bills play on Monday night. That said, he's a "sit" even if he gets clearance. Before leaving Week 7 with a concussion, McCoy had heavy volume in his previous two games -- combined 40 carries and five receptions. Given New England's focus on taking away an opponent's best offensive weapon and their league-low Week 8 implied total, McCoy is not much more than a flex option if he's active.

RB - Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers (at LAR)

In between his two-game suspension and the team's Week 7 bye, Jones has led the Packers in rushing in all four games he has played. In addition, he's led the team's backfield in touches in each of the past three weeks. Clearly the team's most talented runner, Jones is averaging 5.9 YPC this season after averaging 5.5 YPC last season. That's the good news.

That said, Jones has just seven, 12, nine and eight touches in his four games, respectively. In fact, none of Green Bay's running backs have reached double-digit touches in their past two games. While he's my highest-ranked Packers running back, it's difficult to trust any of them given the low volume.

RB - Duke Johnson, Cleveland Browns (at PIT)

An excellent receiver out of the backfield, Johnson has four catches in three of his past four games. If you were expecting an increase in usage, however, with Hyde traded to Jacksonville, that didn't come in his first game without Hyde. Instead, Chubb dominated touches, 18 to five. Tied with Oakland for allowing a league-low 21 receptions to opposing running backs this season, the Steelers have been even better against running backs in PPR formats -- second -fewest PPR points allowed this season.

RB - Carlos Hyde, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. PHI)

Before being traded, Hyde averaged exactly 20 touches per game in Cleveland's first six games. Inactive last week, Hyde should make his Jacksonville debut in London on Sunday. That said, it's unlikely that he approaches anything close to the workload level he experienced in Cleveland and T.J. Yeldon should continue to handle a larger share of the workload this week.

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Week 8 Fantasy Football: Quarterbacks Start'em, Sit'em

Ultimately, the decision of which player to start is largely determined by the composition of your roster (as well as your league's settings).

As an example, Jameis Winston is listed below as a "start" for Week 8. And I'd feel comfortable going into Week 8 with him as my starting quarterback.

That said, he may be a sit for your team.

In other words, if you owned both Aaron Rodgers and Winston, you should start Rodgers -- and in turn, bench Winston.

So while you won't find absolute start-sit recommendations below (use my Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings for that instead), the goal here is to highlight some players that I like (and would feel comfortable starting) as well as some players that I dislike for this week (and would prefer to keep on my bench).

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Week 8 Fantasy Football QB Start'em

QB - Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at CIN)

Before the team's Week 5 bye, Ryan Fitzpatrick was benched for Jameis Winston. If you exclude that game, the Bucs starting quarterback has finished as a top-10 weekly fantasy quarterback in all five games where the starter finished it. In addition, both Fitzpatrick and Winston have individually finished as the weekly QB1 this season.

With two 2018 starts under his belt, Winston has thrown for 365-plus yards each week to go along with 86 combined rushing yards as well. Of course, Fitzpatrick had a historic start to his season with three consecutive 400-yard passing games.

Facing the Bengals on the road, the Bucs are 4.5-point underdogs in a game with the second-highest game total (54.0) of the week. Both quarterbacks in this game have top-five matchups in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks so there's a good chance that Winston and the Bucs have another top-10 QB performance this week.

QB - Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. TB)

As noted above, Dalton and Winston face off in a matchup with a high total (54 points) and no team has allowed more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season than the Bucs. The Bucs have allowed a quarterback to throw for 300-plus yards and/or multiple touchdowns in every game this season and they have allowed a top-10 weekly finish in five of six games.

Over the past three weeks, Dalton has been a disappointment -- weekly QB24, QB17 and QB25, respectively. Before that, however, he had averaged 20.5 fantasy points per game in his first four games. To make his recent disappointing performances more disappointing, he's had plus matchups against the Steelers and Chiefs in each of the past two weeks. That said, this sets up as the perfect opportunity for Dalton to end his skid.

QB - Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears (vs. NYJ)

Despite a slow start, few quarterbacks (in fantasy football) have been as productive as Trubisky over the past month. Trubisky has scored the ninth-most fantasy points amongst quarterbacks this season -- just ahead of Aaron Rodgers (10th), Tom Brady (11th) and Ben Roethlisberger (12th).

After throwing for 220 yards or less in his first three games, Trubisky has thrown for 316 yards or more in his past three games. During that three-game span, he has accounted for 12 touchdowns -- 11 passing and one rushing -- and has averaged 34.07 fantasy points per game as he has finished as the weekly QB1, QB5 and QB2, respectively. The good times should continue to roll for the second-year quarterback.

Week 8 Fantasy Football QB Sit'em

QB - Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (vs. SEA)

Imploding with a four-interception performance in Week 1, Stafford has bounced back by throwing multiple touchdowns in each of his past five games. Even better, Stafford has compiled an 11-to-one TD-INT ratio during that five-game span.

That's the good news. More good news for the Lions (but perhaps not Stafford's fantasy outlook) is their new-found running game. Rookie Kerryon Johnson recorded his second 100-yard game of the season last week.

With the team more committed to the run, Stafford has set a season low in pass attempts in each of the past three games including just 22 attempts in their Week 7 win over the Dolphins. Stafford has now failed to exceed 30 pass attempts in any of his past three games.

In a tough matchup against a transformed Seattle secondary that has allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, it's possible that Stafford finishes outside the top-12 fantasy quarterbacks for a fifth consecutive week.

QB - Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (at DET)

Wilson has thrown exactly three touchdowns and has finished as the weekly QB12 in each of his past two games. Moreover, Wilson has thrown multiple touchdown passes in five of six games this season.

Like Stafford, however, the volume hasn't been there lately. Wilson has thrown 26 or fewer pass attempts in four consecutive games. In the past he made up for low passing numbers with rushing production, but he has yet to rush for more than 21 yards in any game this season. The low passing-game volume and lack of rushing production means that Wilson has finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback only once (QB9 in Week 1) this season.

If Wilson doesn't maintain his level of efficiency (six touchdowns on 44 combined pass attempts in his past two games), it's unlikely that he'll finish as a top-12 fantasy quarterback this week. Both Stafford and Wilson are ranked as high-end QB2 options for me this week.

QB - Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles (at JAX)

Throwing multiple touchdowns in four consecutive games, Wentz has thrown for 300-plus yards and scored 20-plus fantasy points in three of those four games. The matchup isn't as difficult as it may have appeared at the beginning of the season, but the Jags still allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season. Like Stafford and Wilson, Wentz is just outside top-12 fantasy quarterbacks this week.

- More Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em for Week 8

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Tuesday, October 23, 2018

2018 Fantasy Football QB Strength of Schedule (SOS): Weeks 8 to 16

There are many factors to consider in a player's outlook and his fantasy strength of schedule is far from the most important aspect.

If you're debating a pair of players to add from the waiver wire or acquire via trade, however, a more favorable fantasy schedule could potentially break the tie of two players that you would otherwise view as comparable.

With that said, our 2018 fantasy football strength of schedule ranks a player's remaining schedule in terms of average fantasy points allowed collectively by their remaining opponents.

RankTeamPlayerCumulative PointsFantasy Playoffs
1Baltimore RavensJoe Flacco21.8166.6
2Seattle SeahawksRussell Wilson20.8361.48
3Carolina PanthersCam Newton20.6765.52
4Dallas CowboysDak Prescott20.5861.59
5Cleveland BrownsBaker Mayfield20.5355.08
6New Orleans SaintsDrew Brees20.4968.96
7Denver BroncosCase Keenum19.6955.27
8New York GiantsEli Manning19.1450.14
9Arizona CardinalsJosh Rosen19.0456.52
10Tampa Bay BuccaneersJameis Winston18.8854.07
11Washington RedskinsAlex Smith18.7647.82
12Cincinnati BengalsAndy Dalton18.4452.13
13Oakland RaidersDerek Carr18.2461.07
14Los Angeles RamsJared Goff17.8550.01
15Minnesota VikingsKirk Cousins17.844.88
16Buffalo BillsDerek Anderson17.6955.75
17Pittsburgh SteelersBen Roethlisberger17.5965.31
18Los Angeles ChargersPhilip Rivers17.5656.66
19Philadelphia EaglesCarson Wentz17.4247.11
20Jacksonville JaguarsBlake Bortles17.3749.77
21Green Bay PackersAaron Rodgers17.3559.6
22Chicago BearsMitchell Trubisky17.3252.2
23New England PatriotsTom Brady17.2754.42
24Tennessee TitansMarcus Mariota17.2350.9
25Atlanta FalconsMatt Ryan17.0948.53
26Miami DolphinsBrock Osweiler1754.51
27New York JetsSam Darnold16.6248.26
28Houston TexansDeshaun Watson16.4651.8
29Detroit LionsMatthew Stafford16.2948.21
30Indianapolis ColtsAndrew Luck16.1250.36
31Kansas City ChiefsPatrick Mahomes15.0743
32San Francisco 49ersC.J. Beathard14.9644.4


* Note: Totals above are the average fantasy football points allowed based on their remaining opponents.

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2018 Fantasy Football TE Waiver-Wire Options Heading Into Week 8

Every week, we examine players that may be available on your league's waiver wire that could help your team in the short and/or long term.

For a player to be listed, he must be owned in 50 percent (or less) of Yahoo! leagues. The goal is to provide recommendations of players that have a greater chance of being available on your league's waiver wire. Of course, your league's size and settings could significantly impact whether these players (or better options) are available in your particular league(s).

Embed from Getty Images

With that said, here are some tight end waiver-wire options that I like heading into Week 8 (Yahoo! ownership in parenthesis):

[Note: Players listed below are sorted by my preference to add.]

1. C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals (52 percent)

Owned slightly over our self-imposed 50-percent ceiling, Uzomah should be added if available in your league(s). At a position where waiver-wire options are generally limited, Uzomah is set up nicely for a productive outing in Week 8 with a matchup against the Buccaneers.

Through Week 7 NFL games, no team has allowed more fantasy points to the position than the Buccaneers. Uzomah had just two catches, two targets and 13 yards on Sunday Night Football, but he scored a touchdown. He now has 40-plus yards or a touchdown in five of his past six games.

2. Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers (39 percent)

Before Pittsburgh's Week 7 bye, McDonald set season highs in both receptions (seven) and targets (eight) for 68 yards. The Steeler tight end has now exceeded 60 receiving yards in three of four games and he has at least five targets in four of his past five. Going into Week 8, only four tight ends -- Travis Kelce (five), Zach Ertz (four), O.J. Howard (four) and George Kittle (four) -- have more 60-yard games than McDonald (three), who sat out Week 1 and has already had his bye. It's certainly possible that McDonald posts back-end TE1 numbers the rest of the way.

3. Benjamin Watson, New Orleans Saints (40 percent)

Scoring his first touchdown of the season against his former team, Watson finished Sunday's win with six catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. Except for Week 4, Watson has a minimum of three receptions in every game played this season. Drew Brees, Watson and the Saints will face the Vikings in Week 8 and Minnesota has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season.

4. Chris Herndon, New York Jets (1 percent)

In Week 6, Herndon had a productive outing despite a lack of targets as he turned both into receptions for a total of 56 yards and a touchdown. In Week 7, Herndon had another productive outing (4/42/1) and this time did it with greater volume (seven targets) and he nearly had a second touchdown. The fourth-round rookie is at least worth consideration in deeper league formats.

- More Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Advice Heading Into Week 8

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