There are some great matchups for quarterbacks available on waivers. Cam Newton versus the Atlanta defense but can we trust Cam’s arm? Teddy Bridgewater against Detroit but Denver could easily just lean on the run. Davis Mills against Seattle…risky with a capital R…I, S, K, Y. Whole thing caps. But I’m looking at Jimmy Garoppolo. For the most part, Jimmy G has been a pretty consistent guy who consistently averages around a high-end QB2. San Francisco has been leaning heavily on their run with Elijah Mitchell and company, BUT throughout all of that, Jimmy G has found the endzone 9 times over the past 5 games, giving him a nice, stable floor. This week he faces Cincinnati who has been inconsistent on defense, giving up big games at times…particularly last week to Justin Herbert. Of all the quarterbacks out there on waivers, I feel like Jimmy G is that guy you can plug in and feel safe that he will give you a solid chance at winning without tanking your lineup.
At running back, the big obvious one is going with Jeff Wilson. I’m not gonna dive too deep into this one because more than likely I will film this video and we’ll get a definitive answer an hour later. But if Elijah Mitchell is out, your priority is Jeff Wilson who is rumored to get the bulk of the carries. No questions…this is 100% the top add. So monitor and act accordingly.
Moving onto running backs we actually have to talk through and justify…
I hate the Seattle backfield. It’s inefficient. It’s a committee. It’s a nightmare. I don’t want to use it. But this is deep cuts…and if you need someone who could be a factor this week…you could probably do worse than Rashaad Penny. Penny led the backfield in snaps last week and Seattle faces Houston this week…if this were any other team I’d be turning elsewhere but Houston is just plain awful against the run. Penny will likely repeat this week as the lead-ish back and could help your lineup in a pinch.
A second option at running back is Ameer Abdullah. With Christian McCaffrey going down for the season, everyone rushed to waivers to snag Chuba Hubbard. Leaving Ameer Abdullah very available on waivers. In 4 of the past 5 games, Abdullah had a minimum of 4 targets. In PPR formats, I think Abdullah could have decent upside to make a viable play this week against Atlanta.
At wide receiver, we’re gonna have a little fun because I’m going to give you some guys who offer a different benefit to your team.
If you need a warm body guarantee targets and don’t want to take a risk on a high upside player, Tre’Quan Smith is your guy. In DFS I’m recommending Lil’Jordan Humphrey but that’s a little too risky to plug into a season-long lineup when you can just go with smith who has been the most steady target recipient over the past 4 weeks for New Orleans seeing anywhere from 5 to 8 targets a game. He’s not really productive with them. But with Deonte Harris having to serve out his suspension and the Saints playing the Jets, it might add JUST enough upside to justify plugging him in as a low-end flex option.
On the opposite end, if you want a high upside player, Marquez Valdes-Scanting is available on waivers to give your lineup a potential boost. In week 11 he caught 4 of 10 targets for 123 yards and 1 touchdown. In week 12, he caught 4 of 9 targets for 50 yards. This week the Packers face the Chicago bears and while divisional matchups don’t always go as expected, the Bears have struggled against the pass this year and he could have another big game.
At tight end, it makes the most sense to go with Austin Hooper. Hooper is currently the last man standing in that frustrating 3-man tight end group for Cleveland. David Njoku is on the COVID IR, Harrison Bryant is battling an ankle injury. And the Browns face a Baltimore team that is in the bottom 10 of points given up to tight ends. Combine all of that with Hooper being very cheap, and you’ve got a budget-friendly guy who is now the only tight end in an offense that leans heavily on that position.