Here is your positional breakdown of the best DraftKings & FanDuel plays for Week 2 of the Fantasy Football season. Click here to download the Cheat Sheet for better viewing.
Here is your positional breakdown of the best DraftKings & FanDuel plays for Week 2 of the Fantasy Football season. Click here to download the Cheat Sheet for better viewing.
We made it through the first week of NFL action, and it was a crazy one! There were only 13 TE with more than five targets in Week 1. Only Tyler Higbee (11) and Pat Friermuth (10) saw double-digit looks. Two of the top four in PPR scoring (Travis Kelce and Gerald Everett) play on Thursday night. Let’s find some low-owned options, cash options, and everything in between!
Be sure to jump into the WinDailySports Discord, and take advantage of our cheat sheets and projections while you build your lineups for Week 2 on DraftKings and FanDuel! Let’s dive right in for Week 2.
Andrews is the most expensive option on both sites, and for good reason. Week 1 saw the Ravens blow out the Jets, which significantly impacted his ceiling. Despite that, he still saw seven targets and was on the field for 47 snaps. He finished with a 5-52 line, which would not be good enough on this slate.
In Week 2, the Ravens are favored by 3.5 points against the Dolphins in a game with a decent total of 46 points. Vegas is expecting a close game, and so am I. Andrews is still the top option for Lamar Jackson. Big plays down the field to the WR won’t come quite as easy against a tough Miami defense. Fire up Andrews as a play with big upside in Week 2, although I would likely look elsewhere in cash at his price tag.
I am hoping that the Dak Prescott injury will keep eyes off Schultz this week. Cooper Rush will draw the start, and in his one start in 2021 he posted a decent 24-40 line with 325 yards and 2 TD (1 INT). In that game, Schultz was targeted seven times, but only caught two balls for 11 yards. Amari Cooper was the favorite target with 13 looks in that game, but as we all know, he is now in Cleveland.
I’m bullish on Schultz this week. He is in a great spot with Dallas being a 7-point home dog. The expectation is that the Cowboys will be playing from behind, and I’m all aboard the Schultz train. Rush only played for part of the 4th quarter in Week 1 and Schultz was targeted twice in that short time.
The Steelers showed us only a few things in Week 1 on offense. One of them is that Mitch Trubisky is looking to get the ball out of his hands FAST. Freiermuth was targeted 10 times in Week 1 (the game did go to OT) and posted a 5/75 line.
Bill Belichick and company always look to take away the top option on the opposing offense. That said, Najee Harris is hoping to play but will be less than 100% (and expected to see fewer snaps). Trubisky and the Steelers will need everything they can get from their big TE in this one. He could be a focal point of the offense as a safety blanket for Trubisky. I’m expecting a similar volume to what he saw against the Bengals.
If you’re looking for volume, Waller may just be your guy this week. Vegas is expecting a shootout (in Vegas) this weekend with a total of 50.5. Only the Bengals/Cowboys is listed with a higher total on the main slate as of right now.
Davante Adams has been reunited with his old college buddy Derek Carr, but that had very little effect on Waller in Week 1. He still saw six targets on 49 snaps, and will likely be asked to take on a big role again this weekend. Adams is likely to soak up the RedZone targets (he had three in Week 1), but Waller is a big-play threat any time he touches the ball. Fire him up across the board in Week 2.
He quickly built rapport with Russell Wilson in Week 1, and Wilson has always shown an affinity for his big TEs. He missed a touchdown by INCHES against the Seahawks, and still posted a 5/33 line on six targets. Finding the end zone on that play would have made him a top-five overall scorer at TE.
Your Week 1 snap leader at TE, Conklin was on the field for SEVENTY-SEVEN plays against the Ravens. His 4/14/1 line leaves plenty to be desired, but seven targets are nothing to ignore. Flacco and company will need his help in this stagnant offense.
Joe Burrow had his worst game as a professional against the Steelers in Week 1, but Hurst had a solid first appearance in Orange and Black. He posted a 5/46 line on eight targets and was on the field for 75 snaps. Tee Higgins could potentially be limited or OUT, and that would only increase the appeal of Hurst in this one.
I was one of the many who threw Mo Alie-Cox into some season-long teams where George Kittle was out last week. Big mistake. Not only did Granson out-snap Alie-Cox 51-50, but he saw seven targets to Alie-Cox’s two. He is a true punt play, but I’m completely fine rolling him out this week, especially at his DraftKings price.
Come find me on Twitter and let’s chat some football! Good luck in Week 2, and let’s meet at the top of the leaderboards!
We made it through the first week of NFL action, and it was a crazy one! There were only 13 TE with more than five targets in Week 1. Only Tyler Higbee (11) and Pat Friermuth (10) saw double-digit looks. Two of the top four in PPR scoring (Travis Kelce and Gerald Everett) play on Thursday night. Let’s find some low-owned options, cash options, and everything in between!
Be sure to jump into the WinDailySports Discord, and take advantage of our cheat sheets and projections while you build your lineups for Week 2 on DraftKings and FanDuel! Let’s dive right in for Week 2.
Andrews is the most expensive option on both sites, and for good reason. Week 1 saw the Ravens blow out the Jets, which significantly impacted his ceiling. Despite that, he still saw seven targets and was on the field for 47 snaps. He finished with a 5-52 line, which would not be good enough on this slate.
In Week 2, the Ravens are favored by 3.5 points against the Dolphins in a game with a decent total of 46 points. Vegas is expecting a close game, and so am I. Andrews is still the top option for Lamar Jackson. Big plays down the field to the WR won’t come quite as easy against a tough Miami defense. Fire up Andrews as a play with big upside in Week 2, although I would likely look elsewhere in cash at his price tag.
I am hoping that the Dak Prescott injury will keep eyes off Schultz this week. Cooper Rush will draw the start, and in his one start in 2021 he posted a decent 24-40 line with 325 yards and 2 TD (1 INT). In that game, Schultz was targeted seven times, but only caught two balls for 11 yards. Amari Cooper was the favorite target with 13 looks in that game, but as we all know, he is now in Cleveland.
I’m bullish on Schultz this week. He is in a great spot with Dallas being a 7-point home dog. The expectation is that the Cowboys will be playing from behind, and I’m all aboard the Schultz train. Rush only played for part of the 4th quarter in Week 1 and Schultz was targeted twice in that short time.
The Steelers showed us only a few things in Week 1 on offense. One of them is that Mitch Trubisky is looking to get the ball out of his hands FAST. Freiermuth was targeted 10 times in Week 1 (the game did go to OT) and posted a 5/75 line.
Bill Belichick and company always look to take away the top option on the opposing offense. That said, Najee Harris is hoping to play but will be less than 100% (and expected to see fewer snaps). Trubisky and the Steelers will need everything they can get from their big TE in this one. He could be a focal point of the offense as a safety blanket for Trubisky. I’m expecting a similar volume to what he saw against the Bengals.
If you’re looking for volume, Waller may just be your guy this week. Vegas is expecting a shootout (in Vegas) this weekend with a total of 50.5. Only the Bengals/Cowboys is listed with a higher total on the main slate as of right now.
Davante Adams has been reunited with his old college buddy Derek Carr, but that had very little effect on Waller in Week 1. He still saw six targets on 49 snaps, and will likely be asked to take on a big role again this weekend. Adams is likely to soak up the RedZone targets (he had three in Week 1), but Waller is a big-play threat any time he touches the ball. Fire him up across the board in Week 2.
He quickly built rapport with Russell Wilson in Week 1, and Wilson has always shown an affinity for his big TEs. He missed a touchdown by INCHES against the Seahawks, and still posted a 5/33 line on six targets. Finding the end zone on that play would have made him a top-five overall scorer at TE.
Your Week 1 snap leader at TE, Conklin was on the field for SEVENTY-SEVEN plays against the Ravens. His 4/14/1 line leaves plenty to be desired, but seven targets are nothing to ignore. Flacco and company will need his help in this stagnant offense.
Joe Burrow had his worst game as a professional against the Steelers in Week 1, but Hurst had a solid first appearance in Orange and Black. He posted a 5/46 line on eight targets and was on the field for 75 snaps. Tee Higgins could potentially be limited or OUT, and that would only increase the appeal of Hurst in this one.
I was one of the many who threw Mo Alie-Cox into some season-long teams where George Kittle was out last week. Big mistake. Not only did Granson out-snap Alie-Cox 51-50, but he saw seven targets to Alie-Cox’s two. He is a true punt play, but I’m completely fine rolling him out this week, especially at his DraftKings price.
Come find me on Twitter and let’s chat some football! Good luck in Week 2, and let’s meet at the top of the leaderboards!
The Commanders are thrilled to have Curtis Samuel back from injury. Anyone watching the game knows he is ‘the guy’ on that offense. He has incredible speed and reliable hands. Consider him Washington’s version of Deebo Samuel. He was able to haul in a touchdown for them early in the game and you should continue to see more and more red zone looks from him.
Value: WR2
Elijah Mitchell is unfortunately added to the list of 49er RBs to get hurt early on in the season for San Francisco. However, this is good news for owners who are still in need of filling out some roster spots. Wilson should be the lead back while Mitchell is out and definitely has the opportunity to get you points every week. The only thing I would worry about is that the 49ers still love to run the ball with Deebo Samuel and Trey Lance, also Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price have the potential to step in as the RB from time to time. But regardless, Wilson should be in your lineup week to week for the time being.
Value: Fringe RB2/Flex
Two things that Carson Wentz reminded us this past weekend was that 1) He loves to take chances; 2) He loves to spread the ball out. For the past couple of years, Terry McLaurin has been Washington’s go-to receiver, but not anymore. McLaurin only had 2 catches all day and saved a poor fantasy performance by catching a deep ball on the sideline for a long touchdown. However, Dotson proved he belongs in the NFL with 2 amazing touchdown grabs. The first one, he had a great route where he cut to the inside, lost his defender and made a high catch. The second one was a third down, at the end of the game, all the pressure in the world, and reached around his defender to make a deep, clutch game-winning catch. This kid has hands, great footwork and nerves of steel.
Value: Fringe WR2/Flex
This is the only waiver wire pickup I am suggesting that did not actually play Week 1. Due to a hamstring injury earlier on in the week, he was not able to suit up for the game. He is not for certain to return this Sunday, but if he does, expect him to have a good target share. The Cardinals love to throw the ball and although Ertz and Brown did well this past week, they would love to add Moore back into the rotation while Hopkins is still suspended.
Value: Fringe WR2/Flex
Rex Burkhead came out hot as the lead back for Houston on Sunday and seemed to take the majority of the rush attempts as well as the targets in the backfield. He rushed for 40 yard on 14 attempts and caught 5 out of 8 targets for 30 yards. This comes as a shock because most believed Dameon Pierce would have the role mostly to himself. Now you should still expect Pierce to creep in with more and more touches as the season progresses and he becomes more comfortable in the NFL. But for now, Burkhead is Houston’s main RB and you should be able to get full use out of him for a while.
Value: Flex
Duvernay had an amazing opening game against The Jets this past weekend. He had 4 catches on 4 targets resulting in 54 yards and 2 TDs. Now I do not expect him to continue this production every week, but he has made himself a potential threat to get a TD in any game this year. Consider him the new Marquise Brown with a little more downside. Remember, Andrews did not do well in Week 1 but that will certainly not be the case the whole year. I view him as a boom-or-bust player for right now.
Value: Flex
It is clear the Titans can not rely on Derrick Henry to run the ball for the whole game, and with Robert Woods and Treylon Burks being new to the system, they are lacking in the passing game. Hilliard emerged as a reliable outlet for Tannehill on Sunday, proving he can be a viable starter for your fantasy football roster. Although he hauled in 2 touchdown passes, that was probably his ceiling. Consider him a boom-or-bust player as well as a solid handcuff for Henry.
Value: Fringe Flex
Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have benefitted from being in a pass heavy offense over the past 2 years. And with Allen going down with an injury, it has created a void for the Chargers. Palmer should be able to jump in right away and start producing for this team while Allen is recovering.
Value: Flex
What inexperienced fantasy football owners do not realize, is that championships are won in the later rounds of the draft and the waiver wire. Sure, your team might have some injuries or you might have the most points against, but having a deep roster is what will turn an average owner to a champion. Anyone can pick good players in the early rounds when they are sitting at the top of the draft board, but how do you find the diamonds in the rough?
The key to the later rounds is to look at skill and opportunity. The goal is to acquire as many players as possible that can hit it big. When you play it safe and take players with low ceilings, you end up scrambling weeks 13-15 looking for someone to fill in for your injured 2nd round draft pick. I am going to give you 14 players who are all below the 100th ADP and who all have the potential to be top performers in their respected position given their circumstance. Now, not all of these will hit it big, but I guarantee you a handful of them will. Giving you the perfect opportunity to win it all come December. Even if you do not have any injuries and these players blow up, you have great trade value to take your team to the next level.
Keep in mind these players are rated on their value, meaning the chance of them making a big impact mixed with where you can take them in the draft.
ADP: 120
Position: RB
Team: Bills
Summary:
The little brother of Dalvin Cook looks like he could make a big impact as a rookie running back this year in Buffalo. He was one of the most efficient runners in this class with 6.5 yards per carry at Georgia. It is important to note he played in the SEC because that is where most NFL defenders come from. Obviously, the NFL is a step up, but he is used to playing against elite talent unlike most rookie RBs this year. He is extremely explosive and fast, running a 4.42 40-yard dash. But the number one thing he has going for him is his ability to catch the football. Buffalo has been looking for a solid RB on passing downs, and if Cook can prove his pass blocking, he will be that guy. Which is great considering he is in a pass-heavy offense. The down side is the Bills already have their go to rushing RB in Devin Singletary, but if he struggles with any injuries this year, Cook could easily be a top 12 RB in fantasy.
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ADP: 161
Position: RB
Team: Commanders
Summary:
Robinson was my #1 on this list until this past Sunday where he was tragically shot in an attempted car jacking. Since then a lot of good news has happened for him. The injuries were not serious and he should be able to come back around Week 4. Robinson has already established that he can be the number 1 back in Washington, and has seemed to become Ron Rivera and Scott Turner’s favorite RB on the depth chart. And with this injury, he has even more to prove when he returns. Do not expect a lot out of him early on, but come playoff time, he can easily be a RB2 with RB1 upside.
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ADP: 164
Position: RB
Team: Rams
Summary:
If you drafted Henderson last year, you already know the upside he brings to the table. Last year, he went into the preseason as the second string behind Cam Akers before Akers suffered an unfortunate Achilles injury. This year he is coming back in a similar way but with much more upside. In the 2021 season, Henderson developed a great rapport with the new Rams QB, Matthew Stafford, especially when it came to receiving TDs in the red zone. And even though Akers is healthy, the Rams will most likely keep Henderson as their receiving back. Given Henderson’s larger frame, he might also be looking at red zone carries as well, even though that has not been proven quite yet. Also, Akers already dealt with a minor injury in this preseason, so it looks like he could potentially continue to get hurt. If that is the case, Henderson would step in a be the Rams #1 RB in LA which is a high scoring offense. The one red flag is Henderson also suffered an injury late last season but he seems to have bounced back from that and is currently as healthy as ever.
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ADP: 233
Position: WR
Team: Colts
Summary:
The NFL draft can be a funny thing sometimes. In 2019, both Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin came out of Ohio State, but almost every scouting report had Campbell as the better receiver. In fact, Campbell was taken a whole round ahead of McLaurin. However, McLaurin has gone on to have consecutive 1,000 yard receiving seasons and Campbell has yet to make any name for himself. Both WRs had to deal with inconsistent QB play but Campbell’s real issues have been injuries and being stuck in a run-heavy offense. But now the Colts have Matt Ryan who loves to throw the ball, and made that known when 2 years ago both Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley had great seasons in Atlanta. If Campbell can stay healthy, he could be a huge threat. He can line up anywhere on the field and now has a steady QB throwing him the ball. And at an ADP of 251, there is really no reason not to take him.
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ADP: 182
Position: WR
Team: Bills
Summary:
Jamison Crowder started off relatively unknown coming out of Duke University. But once he got to Washington, he quickly became known as the most reliable hands on the team. Almost every important 3rd down, they would hit him for a short, quick slant route for the first down. He became so good, Washington could no longer afford him, so he got a big check from the Jets and moved to New York. And even on a lackluster offense, he produced many catches there. But Crowder’s biggest issue has been staying healthy. Now that he is on a very pass heavy offense, with a fantastic QB, Crowder could quickly emerge once again as the go-to receiver if he stays healthy. The good news is he is only 29 which means he should still have plenty of juice left in him.
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ADP: 130
Position: WR
Team: Titans
Summary:
Drafting a rookie will always come with its uncertainties, but Treylon Burks is one that you can go in feeling a lot more confident than most. He has a great frame, fast, very strong and reliable hands. He could easily emerge as the #1 WR in Tennessee. However he does have some competition. Granted, AJ Brown went to Philly and Julio Jones went to Tampa Bay, but the Titans did bring Robert Woods in from LA, and he is no joke. Woods consistently put up good numbers for the Rams when he was there and healthy. However, Woods tore his ACL last year and there is no guarantee that he will return back to his usual form. With all that being said, Burks is a great option for owners to grab in the later rounds.
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ADP: 101
Position: WR
Team: Saints
Summary:
In this year’s NFL draft, Chris Olave was taken early at the 11th pick and for a good reason. He ran a 4.39 40-yard dash which means he’s lightning fast. And he can line up out wide or in the slot. And having Jameis Winston as his QB, in my opinion, has a huge upside. In Tampa Bay, Winston was #2 in passing TD’s, only behind Lamar Jackson who ended up winning the MVP that year. So it has been established that Winston loves airing the ball out. And reports show that Olave and Winston are already starting to build a great chemistry together. So this extremely fast rookie could be looking at a huge target share in his first season in the NFL. He does have to beat Michael Thomas, who has consistently struggled with injury, and Jarvis Landry who is a little past his prime.
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ADP: 203
Position: WR
Team: Packers
Summary:
There is no doubt about it, the Packers struggle when it comes to drafting WRs for Aaron Rodgers. Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams were both huge standouts, but Green Bay eventually let them both go. Now that Adams left this offseason, there is a massive void on who will be Rodgers go-to guy. Allen Lazard is assumed to take over that role, but that is not guaranteed. However the 4th round rookie, Romeo Doubs, could emerge as that guy. He has great size, solid hands and loves to go deep and spread the field. He still needs to build chemistry with Rodgers, but if he does that early on in the season, he could have a stellar year.
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ADP: 169
Position: RB
Team: Falcons
Summary:
Tyler Allgeier is coming into the NFL as one of the most successful collegiate backs in this year’s class. He was top 5 in carries (276), rushing yards (1,606) and rushing TDs (23). It should be noted that he did play at BYU, so his level of competition was a little bit lower than most, however he was still extremely efficient. On top of that, all the signs point to him starting off as the #1 back in Atlanta. If he does immediately step into that role, expect him to consistently put up top 20 numbers. What he lacks in speed, he makes up for in size. So it is a no brainer that he will get the red zone carries. Unfortunately, Atlanta just got a new QB so no one knows how exactly their offense will look or how successful they will be. But Allgeier should be the focal point of that squad.
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ADP: 117
Position: WR
Team: Chiefs
Summary:
The Kansas City Chiefs might have one of the most explosive offenses in the entire league. They are blessed to have one of the best coaches of all time in Andy Reid and a superstar QB, Patrick Mahomes. This makes anyone fortunate enough to be a receiver on this team an immediate threat in fantasy football. The bad news is the Chiefs already have Kelce and Juju Smith-Schuster who already established talents. But the good news is they lost Tyreek Hill, their leading receiver in the offseason. Hill was a speed guy who would love to spread the field, and Skyy Moore just might be able to fill that void. He is a versatile receiver and can line up inside or out and has huge hands with a secure catch. If he can click well with Mahomes he can easily be considered a WR2 or even a WR1 by the end of the season.
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ADP: 248
Position: TE
Team: Commanders
Summary:
Washington has built their receiving corps on quick, fast guys like Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel, but what they really lack is a big target. That is where Logan Thomas comes in. He is a huge guy that can make room for himself in the endzone. Last season, he scored 2 out of the first 3 games before having a hamstring injury. But when he came back later in the season, he was on the receiving end of a cheap hit that tore his ACL. You could argue that he is injury prone, but the truth is, the second injury was just a fluke accident. If he can stay healthy, there is no question in my mind that he will be a TE1
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ADP: 189
Summary:
This defense is absolutely loaded with talent. They already had Joey Bosa as an elite pass rusher, but then they went out and got Khalil Mack to rush the otherside. They have their leader, Derwin James, returning from injury at safety. They signed Bryce Callahan, who is a solid CB and on top of all of that they got J.C. Jackson this offseason. Jackson has 8+ interceptions the past 2 years with the Patriots and is an absolute monster at CB. From top to bottom this squad is stacked. And the crazy thing is, their ADP doesn’t even have them going as a top 10 defense. If you are able to get them and another good defense to pair them with, you will be set for this position. The one downside is they are in, what many consider, the most competitive division in the NFL. They have to go against Patrick Mahomes, Russel Wilson and Derek Carr twice this year. Fortunately they play one of the Broncos games in the last week of the season so you’ll probably only see Wilson once this year if your championship ends in Week 17 like most do.
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ADP: 125
Position: TE
Team: Patriots
Summary:
Hunter Henry finally lived up to the hype late into the 2021 season. We all expected big things from him when he left the Chargers the year before but it took some time to get there. By the end of the season, he ranked first in TDs (9) and second in red zone targets (12). It took some time to build a rapport with rookie QB, Mac Jones, but it finally started to happen once they both got comfortable in their new surroundings. Now that they know each, I only expect his numbers to increase both in and outside the red zone. Do expect some down weeks because the Patriots coach, Bill Belichick, has made it abundantly clear he does not care about fantasy, only about winning games. So the game plan might vary from week to week.
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ADP: 103
Position: QB
Team: 49ers
Summary:
For most QBs in fantasy there is not a huge difference in scoring. In fact, a lot of owners end up using players they got off the waiver wire. But for the top tier QBs, there are 2 different types. First type is the big arms that love to air it out in the pass-heavy offense like Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers. But then there is the other type that still has very good passing ability and also likes to run the football like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. I prefer the second type because those are the types of players that can give you a huge advantage every week when they put up 30 to 40 points in any given game. That’s why Jackson and Allen both finished as the #1 QB in fantasy over the past 3 years. The problem is having to forfeit a premium pick on these types of QBs. Well this year you are in luck because you can get a top level QB later in the draft. Now Trey Lance has not proven anything quite yet, but he shows all the signs of an elite fantasy football QB. He’s an excellent runner and can really air it out. Plus he has the added benefit of being surrounded by top talent with Kittle, Samuel, Aiyuk and even his pass friendly RB corps. Now he will most likely have some rough games, but for this value, there is no other QB I would say is worth having.
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Welcome to the Week 16 edition of The Inside Look for the 2021 NFL season. This will be a data-driven article and will go under the hood to see if the box scores tell the whole story about what transpired during the weekend. My goal here will be to either calm your nerves about a player that may have underperformed or cause you to rethink some of the spots you may have taken.
Outside of the MNF game, we have a pretty good sense of what transpired this past weekend.
Let’s dig into the data!
Before we dig into individual player performances I wanted to take a moment to talk about why we focus so heavily on Targets. Targets equal opportunities and fantasy opportunities more often than create production. The more targets that a player gets the better chance there is that the player will return on value.
This weekend saw the return of two important receivers. The first was A.J. Brown. After missing weeks 12-15 with a chest injury Brown returned and his presence was felt immediately. Brown led everyone this weekend with 16 targets. He was able to catch 11 of his 16 targets for 145 yards and 1 touchdown. The 145 yards was the third time that Brown has reached the 100 yard mark this season.
Something to keep an eye on over the last 2 weeks will be Brown’s pursuit of 1,000 yards. Brown was able to accomplish this in each of his first 2 seasons. Now, he’s just 240 yards shy of that mark, even though he’s missed multiple weeks. Over the final 2 weeks, he needs to average just 120 yards to accomplish that feat for a third straight year. Do they funnel as many passes to him as possible? I sure hope so.
The other receiver making his return was Antonio Brown. With a wide receiving corps decimated by injuries, the return of Brown could not have come at a better time. With Evans and Godwin on the shelf, Brown stole the show. Tom Brady targeted him 15 times and he was able to catch 10 of them for 101 yards. The only thing missing from Brown’s stat-line in week 16 was a touchdown pass. Should Evans make a return next week the production from Brown may be short-lived. We’ll need to keep an eye on the Buc’s roster throughout the week.
Have yourself a day Tee Higgins. Tee Higgins had by far his best game of the season. While it seemed like everyone on the Bengals had a solid day, it was Higgins that nearly broke 200 receiving yards. On his 13 targets, his final stat-line was 12 catches, 194 receiving yards, and 2 touchdowns. Week 16 was very kind to the Bengals, specifically Higgins. Up next week is a much tougher task with a hot Chiefs team.
With James Conner unable to finish the game due to injury, Chase Edmonds became more two-dimensional than he normally is. Edmonds was targeted a season-high 9 teams and was able to catch 8 of them. He also had a season-high 71 receiving yards. Should Conner miss again next week and Hopkins already out, there will be plenty of targets to go around.
The Los Angeles Chargers were without their star running back this weekend, Austin Ekeler. Justin Jackson tried his hardest to make sure that his team remained successful. In what was a common trend among players having season-high performances, Jackson was targeted a season high 9 times. Coming into the week he had only been targeted 5 times over the prior 5 weeks. Jackson caught 8 of the 9 targets for 98 yards. If Ekeler should miss next week the Chargers will be in fine hands once again.
There’s no way around it, the loss of DeAndre Hopkins has really hurt the Arizona Cardinals. That said, there are players that are really trying their hardest to step up and make up for the lack of production. Zach Ertz is one of those guys. For the second consecutive week, Ertz saw double-digit targets. Ideally, he would have done just a bit more with those targets though. While he caught 8 of the targets, he was only able to gain 54 receiving yards. If the Cardinals are going to get back on track they’re going to need more out of Ertz and others.
It does not matter who is throwing the ball to Mark Andrews. Andrews just continues to pile up stats as he had his third straight game with at least 100 receiving yards. His final line in week 16 was 10 targets, 8 catches, 125 yards, and 1 touchdown. The Ravens season is in a freefall, but it has nothing to do with Mark Andrews. Andrews will look to help his team right the ship next week against a very tough Rams team.
Kyle Pitts is quietly having a really solid season. At this point, he’s just 51 yards shy of breaking 1,000 yards receiving. In week 16 Pitts broke the hundred-yard mark for the third time in 2021. Since their bye in week 6, Pitts has had no fewer than 5 targets and no more than 8. His target share has been as consistent as there is. He’ll look to continue his solid season next week against the Bills.
With a pair of top Packers receivers missing this week’s game, we saw Rodgers lean pretty heavily on his running backs and tight ends in the passing game. While Adams saw 13 targets, we also saw Rodgers throw 15 passes to his non-wide receivers. Should MVS be back next week we are sure to see a swing back to more targets to his wide receivers
I noted it above, but we’re really seeing a different game plan recently out of the Cardinals. Without their star wide receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, they’re really having to spread the ball out more these days. Murray threw the ball 39 times in week 16. Of those 39, 23 went to either his backs or tight ends. Two of his top targeted guys were Zach Ertz and Chase Edmonds.
If you ask people on Twitter, Jonathan Taylor played poorly this week. The only thing that Taylor was missing in week 16 was a touchdown. Taylor broke the 100 yard mark for the third straight week and made it 100 yards or more for the sixth time in the last 7 weeks. He continues to be the workhorse of this offense and is putting up numbers worthy of being in the MVP conversation.
With a banged-up Darrell Henderson ruled out in week 16, Sony Michel was asked to pick up the load. He delivered as he rushed 27 times this weekend for 131 yards and one touchdown. It was the second time in the last 4 weeks that Michel produced over 100 yards. Over the last 4 weeks, he’s now rushed for over 400 yards. Should Henderson miss week 17 against the Ravens, the Rams will be in fine hands with Michel in the backfield.
The Texans were without 2 of their main offensive guys in week 16 with both David Johnson and Brandon Cooks out. Rex Burkhead said not to worry as he had arguably one of the best games of his career. His 22 carries on Sunday were by far the most he’s had all year, as were the 149 yards rushing he had. The 2021 season has been kind to Burkhead as he’s rushed for a career-high of 356 yards.
The ‘Playbook’ as I like to call it shows a breakdown of the play splits that teams used this past weekend.
Usually, when I get to this section we see the Buccaneers all the way on the right of the chart as they’ve thrown the ball a ton this season. This week we saw a little bit of a different plan. Where they normally run the ball about 30% of the time, they ran it more than 50% of the time in week 16. With the top two receivers out for them this weekend it made sense to change things up a bit. It worked as they had a very convincing win over the Panthers.
Conversely, with the Panthers down almost from the start, they took to the air often. They threw the ball this weekend more than 70% of the time, with very little success. While they threw the ball 43 times, they were only able to garner 251 yards through the air. 2021 has been a struggle for the Panthers at the quarterback position and week 16 was no different.
We saw some dominant performances this weekend. Joe Burrow threw for over 525 yards against a decimated Ravens secondary. That’s over 900 passing yards against the Ravens this year. It’s like Chipper Jones-esque against the Mets. All in all, we saw 11 different guys get over 100 yards receiving in week 16. On the ground wasn’t much different as 8 guys had over 100 yards rushing. This was a fantasy player’s dream this weekend with all the production.
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Welcome to the Week 16 edition of The Wire Report for the 2021 NFL season. In this article I’ll be highlighting some of the top available players to help your team make the playoff push.
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Heading into the second round of most playoffs in week 16 we’re going to have some injury news we’ll want to keep an eye on all week. We’ll also want to keep an eye on the COVID lists all week too as new targets for the waiver wire will pop up in an instant.
Below are my top waiver wire targets:
In one of the NFL’s biggest shockers this season, the Detroit Lions beat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. A lot of that had to do w/ the play of Amon-Ra St. Brown. Brown led all Lions with 11 targets. That was nearly twice as many as any of his teammates. He was able to turn those 11 targets into 8 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. This is now three weeks in a row that St. Brown has double-digit targets. He’s become a favorite target for Lions QB Jared Goff. St. Brown makes for a nice pickup if you’re currently battling it out in the playoffs.
With Leonard Fournette expected to miss some time with the hamstring injury he suffered in Sunday night’s brutal loss to the Saints, Ronald Jones should slide right into the primary back role in week 16. After Fournette went down Jones rushed the ball 8 times. It was the most rushes he had seen since week 7 against the Bengals. His 63 yards were also the most he’d seen since week 7.
While the Bucs have been a pass-heavy offense all year I expect them to get out early against a bad Panthers team this weekend and that should lead to some extra runs. Jones is available in the majority of the leagues out there and will help solidify your backfield if you’re down a running back.
I recommended Davis last week and I’ll do it again this week since he’s only rostered in 12.6% of rosters heading into week 16. Davis was tied for second on the Bills in terms of targets this weekend with 7. Only Cole Beasley had more. What Davis did with those targets really stood out. He was able to catch 5 balls for 85 yards and most importantly, 2 touchdowns. Should Sanders miss time again this weekend Davis become a must pick up
Heading into week 16 MVS is rostered in just 15% of ESPN leagues. That just seems like a crime. Is he a safe pick? No, he’s definitely not. Is there anyone else on the waiver wire with the pure upside that he has? Also a definitely not. While his targets are a little on the inconsistent side when MVS gets the ball he normally makes something happen.
This weekend he was targeted 7 times and caught 5 for 98 yards and a touchdown. That’s his third touchdown of the year and definitely not his last. If you’re in one of the 85% of ESPN leagues where he’s available, you should pick him up.
This is 100% reliant on the health of his teammates D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams. Should they both miss the week 16 matchup vs. the Falcons Reynolds is a must-start. Should only one of them miss he becomes a “good” play. Reynolds was the main guy this week and boy was he productive.
On a heavy workload of 26 carries Reynolds was able to crack the 100-yard rushing mark in just his second game of the season. What is a feel-good story in real life may also end up as a feel-good story for your fantasy team if you pick him up.
I make it a point each week to pick at least one player going up against the New York Jets. In week 16 my potential pick up will be Laquon Treadwell. Treadwell’s production has really been trending up. He’s had at least 4 catches now in 5 straight games and has surpassed the 50-yard mark in all of them. He’s not going to win you a playoff game but he’s going to do enough to keep you in the game.
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Welcome to the Week 15 edition of The Inside Look for the 2021 NFL season. This will be a data driven article and will go under the hood to see if the box scores tell the whole story about what transpired during the weekend. My goal here will be to either calm your nerves about a player that may have underperformed or cause you to rethink some of the spots you may have taken.
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Unlike weeks past, we still have 2 games to play today and 2 tomorrow. Thanks COVID!
Let’s dig in to the data!
Before we dig in to individual player performances I wanted to take a moment to talk about why we focus so heavily on Targets. Targets equal opportunities and in fantasy opportunity more often than creates production. The more targets that a player gets the better chance there is that the player will return on value.
If you have ask most Ravens fans, Marquise Brown had 1 less target than he should have had in Week 15. Many camera angles show him wide open in the end zone when they went for 2. That said, he still had a great weekend in terms of targets. No one in the NFL had more targets than Brown did this weekend. Brown was targeted 14 times this. It’s not all rosy picture though for Brown.
Even though he was able to catch 10 of his targets, he went for only 43 yards passing. After getting 116 yards vs. the Vikings in week 9 Brown now has 6 consecutive weeks of less than 60 receiving yards and also hasn’t found the end zone since Week 7 vs. the Bengals. If the Ravens have any hope of beating the Bengals next weekend they’ll need a bounce back game from Brown.
While Brown had a down week, Tyreek Hill showed the world why he is one of the most dynamic players in the game, albeit frustrating players as well. Hill had gone 9 consecutive games without breaking the 100 yard mark. This week he broke it with some room to spare. Hill was able to catch 12 of his 13 week 15 targets for 148 receiving yards. He was also able to find the end zone for the first time since week 10. Hill and his teammates look to keep the good times rolling against the Steelers in Week 16.
Brandon Cooks, have yourself a day! For the second consecutive week Cooks had double digit targets and over 100 yards receiving. With opening week starter Tyrod Taylor down with an injury, Cooks and Davis Mills have really found a rhythm together and it’s been somewhat fun to watch. The two of them also connected for 2 touchdowns this weekend. Up next week is a much tougher assignment in the Chargers. Can they keep connecting like they have been?
Penn State alum Saquon Barkley led all backs this weekend with 8 targets. The good news? He was able to catch 4 of them. The bad news? He did absolutely nothing with the targets as he finished with just 24 receiving yards. There’s no other way to describe his 2021 season than saying it’s an utter disappointment. He’ll look to get back on track next weekend vs. an Eagles team that is fighting for their playoff lives.
I’m not going to spend too much time talking about running backs and targets this weekend as running backs and targets did not mix well. Not a single back had more than 50 yards receiving this weekend and there were only 5 receiving touchdowns for backs. Ameer Abdullah led all running backs in receiving yards. If that doesn’t tell you about the weekend and running backs, I don’t know what will.
Where I do want to spend some time is with Tight Ends. I’ll start with Mark Andrews. Week 15 was very kind to Andrews. He led all tight ends with 13 targets. Andrews was able to catch 10 of them for 136 yards and 2 scores. My season long fantasy team thanks you very much. This was Andrews second consecutive week with over 100 yards receiving and fourth overall. Up next week for Andrews and his mates are the Cincinnati Bengals in a must win game for the Ravens.
While Andrews had a stellar week, Travis Kelce was really the one who stole the show. Kelce finished 9 yards shy of the 200 yard mark. He was able to convert his 13 targets into 10 catches and 2 touchdowns. This was Kelce’s first 100 yard game since week 10 against the Raiders. The combo of Hill and Kelce combined for well over 300 yards. They’ll look to do it against this coming weekend against the Steelers.
We won’t go down the negative road and talk about the night that Rob Gronkowski had. Ok, you talked me into it. Gronk had arguably his worst game of the year, as did Brady. The only other game that comes close to his poor week 15 performance was all the way back in week 8 vs. the same New Orleans Saints. Gronk was targeted 11 times yesterday and was only able to catch 2 of them for just 29 yards. Gronk season long owners in the playoffs probably weren’t too happy with that yesterday.
Ryan Tannehill threw the ball 32 times in week 15. Of those 32 times, more than half went to either his running backs or tight ends. Once Julio Jones left the game yesterday, it became a much different plan of attack for Tannehill. Tannehill now has 3 consecutive weeks with less than 200 yards passing. With both his top receivers injured he’s struggled to find anyone else.
When you have a tight end like Mark Andrews, you use him heavily. That’s exactly what Tyler Huntley did on Sunday. Of the 39 pass attempts for Huntley, a third of them went to Andrews. Another third went to Marquise Brown, although those were far less successful than Andrews’ targets. This has pretty much been the game plan all year. Thrown to either Andrews or Brown and it has worked with much success.
If you expected the Lions to completely dominate the Cardinals in week 15 raise your hand? I doubt anyone is raising their hand right now. Jared Goff had his way with the Cardinals secondary yesterday. Goff only threw the ball 26 times yesterday, but 21 of them were caught which is an extremely solid completion %. Of his 26 attempts, 20 went to his wide receivers. Amon-Ra St. Brown was the biggest beneficiary as he caught 8 of his 11 targets for 90 yards and a score.
At this point, Jonathan Taylor has to be considered one of the front runners for the MVP. Week in and week out he has been a stud. He’s reached the 100 yard mark in 8 of his last 11 games. Taylor also has touchdowns in all but his first 3 games of the year. The Colts are in the thick of the playoff race right now and it’s 100% due to the play of Taylor.
With the Lions top 2 running backs on the shelf this weekend, Craig Reynolds stepped up and boy did he step up. He was second to only Taylor in week 15 with 26 carries. He made the most of his carries as he finished with 112 yards on the ground. In his two weeks carrying the ball Reynolds now has 195 yards on 37 carries. Not bad for someone cut earlier in the year.
Just moments before kick off the Dolphins announced that Duke Johnson would be the starting running back. That 100% looked like the right call in week 15 as Johnson finished with 107 yards on 22 carries and 2 touchdowns. While Gaskin owners I’m sure weren’t overly enthusiastic about the move, it worked for the Dolphins as they beat up on the lowly Jets. Up next week is a much tougher task in the Saints and you have to think that the Dolphins will turn to a healthy Gaskin more.
The ‘Playbook’ as I like to call it shows a breakdown of the play splits that teams used this past weekend.
The Indianapolis Colts ran the ball almost 80% of the time in week 15. Why not when you have the league’s most prolific back. Of the Colts 51 plays this week, 39 were for runs compared to just 12 pass plays. It worked for them this week as they surprisingly beat the Patriots 27-17.
Tampa Bay continued to throw often last night, even thought it just wasn’t working. Tom Brady threw the ball 48 times and had only 26 completions. It was just the second time all year that Brady was held without a passing touchdown. A lot of it was due to the fact that the Buccaneers were decimated by injuries last night as they lost Fournette, Evans, and Godwin to injuries mid game. That led to Tom Brady being shutout for the first time in 15 years.
Week 15 was as weird of a weekend as we’ve seen in quite some time, and hope to see in the near future. Covid wreaked havoc on the schedule as we now have a 2 game slate on a Tuesday and a Monday afternoon game. We did have some solid performances as 5 backs rushed for over 100 yards and another 5 guys had over 100 receiving yards. We still have a healthy amount of games left with 4 still to play.
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Welcome to the Week 12 edition of The Wire Report for the 2021 NFL season. In this article I’ll be highlighting some of the top players that should still be available in your season long leagues.
We’re at the point in the year where the waiver wire in most leagues is going to be slim pickings. This week is no exception. There isn’t too much out there but I tried to find the best available players still unowned in many leagues.
Below are my top waiver wire targets:
This was the breakout game many have been hoping for from MVS all season. Thanks to a 75 yard reception that resulted in a TD, MVS cracked the 100 yard mark for the first time this year. MVS was in this spot due to an injury to teammate Allen Lazard. Should Lazard miss again this week MVS becomes a must pick up as he’d have another game starting where there should be plenty of volume for him.
I wrote up Cam Newton last week and I’ll write him up again. If your QB is hurt or struggling, it’s time to rethink your strategy and pick up Newton. He’s the guy now in Carolina. While he’s no Lamar Jackson at this point in his career, Newton is still a double threat as this weekend he threw for 2 touchdowns and also ran one in himself.
That’s 2 straight weeks now with a rushing touchdown for Newton. He’s still available in 60% of ESPN leagues. Pick him up if you’re in need.
I told you earlier that we are at the point where the waiver wire is slim. This recommendation is based purely on volume. This weekend Burkhead saw 18 carries. Although he did absolutely nothing w/ them, it’s still volume. Similar to targets with wide receivers and tight ends, we want carries with running backs. If you’re desperate for a running back, Burkhead is out there. I’ll just leave it at that for him.
Tyrod Taylor hasn’t played much this season due to injury, but outside of his one poor game in Week 8 against the Dolphins Taylor has been extremely solid. This weekend he used his wheels as he rushed for 2 touchdowns.
While the weather impacted his passing game, he did enough to help his team beat a solid Titans team. This weekend he gets a dream matchup vs. the New York Jets. While I favor the longevity in Newton, if you need to stream a QB for just 1 week, go Taylor due to the matchup.
This was a breakout game for Moore. For the first time this year Moore cracked 100 yards receiving. He also saw double digit targets for the first time as well. This is now 3 consecutive weeks with a touchdown for Moore and has 4 in those 3 games. The Jets offense is becoming clearer by the day and Moore is a big part of it. He’s still available in more than half of ESPN leagues and that’s far too many.
While the Ravens have somewhat of a crowded backfield now with Latavius Murray back in the mix, Freeman is still a big part of the running game. This weekend Freeman had 16 carries for 49 yards and 1 touchdown. Ravens have a big game this weekend against divisional rival Cleveland and they’ll need all hands on deck. Freeman should be a big part of the game plan, especially if Jackson is forced to miss again with his illness.
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