Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 14
The playoffs are just around the corner and these late-season games are crucial for many teams still hoping to qualify for the postseason. Here are some players to consider starting and others to think about benching ahead of Week 14. Start Cam Newton (QB) Carolina Panthers I know this one is scary. Especially if you fell victim to Newton when the Dolphins destroyed him before the Panthers’ bye week. However, they are now coming off that bye and this Falcons’ defense isn’t anything close to how good the Dolphins have been over the second half of the season. The Falcons are allowing the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks and Newton is likely on waivers everywhere after that awful performance. Newton does come with a brutal floor, but he’s just one game removed from a strong fantasy outing. Mark Ingram (RB) New Orleans Saints Despite coming off a terrible Week 13 showing you should get Ingram in your lineup this week when he takes on the porous Jets’ defense. They are allowing the most fantasy points in the league to running backs. If Kamara misses another game Ingram has high-end RB1 upside. Nonetheless, even if Kamara plays Ingram is a no-brainer to at the very least be in your flex spot. With a likely positive game script against the lowly Jets, I expect Ingram to get close to 20 carries, a handful of receptions, and find the end zone at least once. Rex Burkhead (RB) Houston Texans The Texans get a terrible Seahawks defense this week. The only better possible matchup for a fantasy running back is the lowly Jets’ D. Despite his Sexy Rexy moniker, I understand Burkhead is not a sexy play but maybe a strong play. We also don’t know what the availability of David Johnson will be. If Johnson is out Burkhead becomes an even stronger play against a miserable Seahawks defense who can stop anyone on the ground. It’s safe to plug him in your lineup this week. D’Onta Foreman (RB) Tennessee Titans Following the Titans’ Week 12 explosion from their running backs, all the attention has been on Dontrelle Hilliard after his highlight-reel 68-yard touchdown run. What people are overlooking is that Foreman had 19 carries to Hilliards 12 and both had a reception. Foreman also managed 109 yards against a tough Patriots’ defense in that one and if McNichols returns Hilliard could be completely irrelevant. Foreman’s job is safe. In a matchup against the Jags this week Foreman deserves flex consideration at the very least. K.J. Osborn (WR) Minnesota Vikings Osborn saw an immediate uptick in snaps once Adam Thielen went down last week with a high-ankle sprain and he’s going to miss multiple weeks because of it. Osborn saw his snaps go from about 56-percent up to 92-percent. He also saw an uptick in targets to seven. He caught four of them for 47 yards and a touchdown. As long as Thielen is sidelined Osborn becomes a WR3/flex option for owners. Tyler Conklin (TE) Minnesota Vikings Like Osborn, Conklin sees an uptick with Thielen out but perhaps with more valuable targets. Not only should Conklin see generally more targets, but he should be the top target in the end zone now. As long as Thielen is out Conklin should be started as a TE1 with confidence. Last week he caught seven of his nine targets for 56 yards and there is no reason to expect a dropoff from that and you can add TD upside. Unless you have an absolute stud on your roster he is worth a long look. I’d start him over guys like Kyle Pitts, T.J. Hockensona, and Tyler Higbee this week. Sit Matt Ryan (QB) Atlanta Falcons Ryan should be nowhere near your starting lineup this week against the Falcons. This is a bad matchup against the Panthers and despite a big name, Ryan is no longer a very good quarterback. Still, plenty of the questions in my inbox have asked me about him, especially in SuperFlex leagues and the answer is consistently to sit him. Even in a SuperFlex spot, I’d sit him for any one of the options above in the Start Em category. It’s not farfetched for Ryan to give you almost nothing or worse than nothing so avoid him this week and find a better option. Tevin Coleman (RB) New York Jets Despite being a bad running back and playing on a terrible team, Coleman has been than expected since Michael Carter went down. Nevertheless, he is going up against the Saints this week and should be firmly locked on your bench. No team has given up fewer fantasy points to the position this season and it certainly isn’t the Jets and Coleman who I expect to buck that trend. I’d rather start guys like Adrian Peterson, David Johnson, and Latavius Murray over Coleman this week. James Robinson (RB) Jacksonville Jaguars James Robinson fumbled the ball last Sunday and was barely used for the remainder of the game. Since coming to Jacksonville Urban Meyer has seemed to have it out for Robinson and he loves Carlos Hyde. I’d have a real hard time trusting him this week against a Titans’ defense who is allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points to running backs and the most fantasy points to wide receivers. This is not lining up to be his day and coming off last week I’m hoping to find a better option if possible with all the injuries and bye weeks. Kenny Golladay (WR) New York Giants Yea, I labeled this as Golladay but it actually applies to all Giants wide receivers. I just don’t know who the WR1 will be yet with all the injuries. However, whether it’s Kadarius Toney, Sterling Shepard or Golladay don’t try to find value in any of these pass-catchers. The Chargers are a top-four defense when it comes to stopping the pass and Jake Fromm is looking like the starting quarterback
Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 8
Only the best of the best, or the luckiest, survived a brutal Week 7 unscathed. After such a brutal bye week, things will be far less chaotic in Week 8 with only the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders off. Still, plenty of regular fantasy starters are on those two rosters, which makes knowing which players to start and who to consider sitting as important as ever. Here are some unheralded starters to consider this week and some other options to consider sitting as we head into Week 8 of the 2021 NFL season. Start Daniel Jones (QB) New York Giants Jones finds himself matched up this week with the league’s worst defense on Monday Night Football in Kansas City. We keep waiting for the Chiefs to get right and they keep not doing it. It doesn’t matter who the quarterback is, you play him against the Chiefs this year. With that said, Jones has made progress this year. The touchdowns aren’t where you want them to be for fantasy, however, he’s cut down on mistakes, has solid yardage totals considering what that offense has dealt with and he has a sneaky good rushing floor. There’s no reason he can’t have a ceiling game against the Chiefs and his ceiling is higher than most give him credit for. Especially as his weapons heal up. Myles Gaskin (RB) Miami Dolphins Gaskin has been wildly inconsistent and the matchup against the Bills isn’t ideal. Nevertheless, he needs to be started this week coming off a nice outing against the Falcons. He rushed for 67 yards on 15 carries, caught four passes, and scored a TD. Look for these numbers to stay consistent now that the plodding Malcolm Brown has mercifully landed on injured reserve and will miss at least the next three weeks. Make no mistake, Gaskin is a skilled back and is much better than Brown. Inexplicable coaching decisions are what have been holding him back and that should no longer be the case. I can understand the fear of facing the Bills, but his best game all year was against the Bucs who almost no back can run on. This isn’t because Gaskin is going to gash Buffalo for 100 yards. Tua will need to get the ball out quick and Gaskin will be his outlet. Don’t be shocked if he sees double-digit targets in this one. Kenneth Gainwell (RB) Philadelphia Eagles Gainwell has been good this year with limited touches. Miles Sanders went down with an ankle injury this past week and all signs point to him missing Week 8. The logical beneficiary of this injury should and more than likely will be Gainwell. Boston Scott and somehow Jordan Howard could be a thorn in his side, but Gainwell will get more than enough work to make him start-worthy. Philly is also taking on the Lions who are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Between the juicy matchup and increased workload, Gainwell should be considered a high-end RB2 this week with mid-range RB1 upside. Jerry Jeudy (WR) Denver Broncos Many owners will look to wait on Jeudy and see how he looks and what his workload will be. That’s understandable. I’m not one of those owners. I’m looking to throw Jeudy right into the fire upon his return against the Washington Football team. Courtland Sutton has been the man in his absence, but he’s startable too against the Washington Football team. Only the Titans have given up more fantasy points to wideouts this season. There should be enough value to go around between the two receivers. If you stashed Jeudy since his injury throw him in your lineup. If he’s on waivers he should be the top waiver priority. Marquez Callaway (WR) New Orleans Saints The Bucs have been torched by wide receivers this year, although, they’ve been a bit better of late in favorable matchups. I’m still looking to pick on them and Callaway has been the guy in New Orleans. With Deonte Harris now out, Callaway has seen an uptick in targets coming off a seven-target game. He’s not a slam dunk target because of the general volatility of the Saints’ offense, but he’s the best option in that passing attack and solid flex option this week. Robert Tonyan (TE) Green Bay Packers The matchup is a bit scary this week against Arizona, but I like Tonyan this week. He finally had a good week last week for the first time since Week 2. However, while last week does build some confidence that’s not why I’m back in on Tonyan. I’m back in because the Packers are running out of options to throw to due to Covid and with the game being on Thursday night, players won’t be able to get cleared in time. Davante Adams and Allen Lazard are both on the Covid list, and there is a concern there could be more to come. Marques Valdez-Scantling is yet to be activated from IR but has a chance to return this week. Tonyan should be a solid streaming option this week on necessity alone. Sit Tua Tagovailoa (QB) Miami Dolphins Since coming off IR, Tagovailoa has worked himself from a non-factor to sleeper to start option and has put up nice numbers. Unfortunately, he falls to a sit option this week. The last time Tua played against the Bills he broke his ribs and landed on IR. Neither of these teams has shown any reason why the Bills defense won’t beat up on him again. The Bills defense have done nothing but dominate since these two teams last met and the Dolphins haven’t won a game and most of their top weapons have gotten hurt. Antonio Gibson (RB) Washington Football Team Gibson is great but he just isn’t healthy and that disaster of a franchise won’t step in and make sure he gets the rest he needs to get healthy. He was significantly out-snapped
Fantasy Football Sleepers: Week 6
We’re already into Week 6 of the 2021 NFL season. Bye weeks have arrived to complicate roster construction, so knowing which unheralded players come with sleeper appeal can make all the difference between winning and losing. Here are some of those undervalued players that make solid fantasy football sleepers in Week 6. Tua Tagovailoa (QB) Miami Dolphins Tua is expected to make his return from injured reserve this week and the Dolphins desperately need him. The offense has completely stalled without him. He draws the Jacksonville Jaguars in his return which is as good a matchup as you could hope for. To make adding him off waivers even more enticing if you’re streaming quarterbacks, he plays the Falcons next week. So he should be startable for multiple weeks. He doesn’t come without risk. We aren’t sure what this offense is going to look like. We only saw this offense together against an exceptional Patriots defense and the Bills’ defense for less than two drives. However, if it all clicks you could find yourself a gem who can give you a big week and be a matchup-based start for you moving forward. Khalil Herbert (RB) Chicago Bears With all the focus on Damien Williams last week with David Montgomery out, Herbert somewhat surprisingly saw 18 carries. Williams only saw 16 carries, although, he did score a touchdown. It’s unclear exactly how these backs will split touches over the next couple of weeks, nevertheless, even if it’s a 50/50 split Herbert is a sneaky good flex option you likely stole off the waiver wire. The Bears take on the Packers week, which is a decent matchup for running backs. They are middle of the pack this year against fantasy backs but have had a tough time stopping the run for years and didn’t do much to fix that issue this off-season. There is a good chance they slip in the rankings as the season goes on. If Herbert sees significant touches against them he should have a nice fantasy day. Brandon Bolden (RB) New England Patriots James White went down with an injury in Week 3 and Bolden has slid into his pass-catching role. Over the past two weeks, he has caught 10 of 10 targets. Like White there will be weeks where Bolden gives you very little value, however, there will also be weeks where his PPR value is inevitable. He will likely get you around five catches and a couple of carries each week and will see some red-zone work. If he can get you six catches, 50 yards, and a touchdown in your flex spot you have struck gold with a guy you picked up off waivers for next to nothing. Jerick McKinnon (RB) Kansas City Chiefs With Clyde Edwards-Helaire sidelined for the foreseeable future, McKinnon slides into the RB2 role behind Darrell Williams. He could see a decent amount of touches and work in the passing game. He is a risky play because we don’t have much of an idea of how this backfield will split touches while CEH is out. Nevertheless, this is an explosive high-powered offense and McKinnon could be a cheap way for you to get a piece of it. Expect Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense to be focused and rolling after a bad loss to the Bills last week. They take on the Washington Football Team this week whose defense has been beyond disappointing. I like him better as a DFS play this week, but you can also use him as a desperation flex if your roster is beaten up with injuries and bye weeks. James Washington (WR) Pittsburgh Steelers Juju Smith-Schuster has been placed on IR and is out for the season. Washington now slides into the WR3 spot. He is going to have some big games moving forward. However, he’s more of a boom or bust option. We have seen in the past when he gets opportunities for an extended period of time he will have games when he does nothing and turn around and have a game where he has 100 yards or multiple TDs. Don’t expect a high volume of targets, however, he will be targeted with deep balls and in the end zone. This week the Steelers take on the Seahawks which is a very favorable matchup for any fantasy option. They are giving up the sixth-most points to fantasy wide receivers. Washington will be a boom-or-bust option this week and moving forward, but playing Seattle upgrades his chance of a boom week. Jaylen Waddle (WR) Miami Dolphins The last time we saw Tua on the field he played two series against the Bills before his porous offensive line got his ribs crushed in. In the short time, Waddle was in Tua targeted him non-stop. He already saw six targets before the injury occurred. Since then we have seen Waddle become a target monster in Miami. He’s seen 36 targets so far this season. Taking on the Jags is another benefit this week and Waddle could once again be the last wideout standing. Will Fuller is on IR and DeVante Parker is once again very questionable with a hamstring injury. He should be locked into your flex spot this week in PPR leagues. If he finds the end zone he has high-end potential. Donovan Peoples-Jones (WR) Cleveland Browns Peoples-Jones or Rashard Higgins, not Odell Beckham are the top wideouts in Cleveland. I know this is difficult for people to accept but both have been better and more productive since OBJ returned. I prefer DPJ over Higgins. He had more targets, receptions, and yards last week and is a more talented player, although, Higgins has the better fantasy day thanks to a TD. If I’m starting a Browns’ wideout this week against the Cardinals it’s DPJ. And starting a Browns’ wideout isn’t a bad idea being that they are giving up the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts. Their secondary isn’t
Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers
All successful investors know they have to pay attention to the stock market. This is also true for football fans who are poised to invest their draft picks in players. Knowing which players are surging and who is tanking can be quite beneficial. Even better is understanding the stock market according to the world’s best high-stakes fantasy minds. Fulltime’s Advanced ADP Tool monitors the ups and downs of FFWC drafts and can be one of the most useful weapons in the arsenal of the well-prepared fantasy football manager. Here are the 2021 fantasy football risers and fallers using our Advanced ADP. Risers Antonio Gibson (RB) Washington Football Team – In the early FFWC drafts, Gibson barely slipped into the bottom of the second round but after seeing his preseason usage, which has included a promising role in the passing game, Gibson has cracked the top-10 in a handful of drafts. Overall, Gibson is now firmly entrenched as a top-10 running back and regularly being selected near the turn of the first round. Those that envisioned Gibson being used in a Christian McCaffrey-type role may just be right, and high-stakes drafters are buying in. Tee Higgins (WR) Cincinnati Bengals – Initially, Higgins was being selected in the fifth round after teammate Ja’Marr Chase but Chase’s struggles have cemented Higgins as Cincinnati’s top target. Higgins is now going a full round earlier and has even gone in the third round. High-stakes drafters still like the Bengals’ offense overall but it now appears that Higgins is the preferred option. Darrell Henderson (RB) Los Angeles Rams – Before the Cam Akers injury, Henderson was a ninth or tenth-round target. That changed overnight as Henderson shot up into the top-50 but after the Rams traded for Sony Michel, Henderson has settled into the fifth or sixth round. There are still a lot of questions about LA’s backfield usage, so experts view Henderson as a high-risk, high-reward mid-round target. As for Michel, he has shot up from outside the top-200 (and even undrafted in a couple of FFWC drafts) to the ninth round. Marquez Callaway (WR) New Orleans Saints – No player has shot up draft boards more than Callaway, who went from undrafted to sneaking into the sixth round. Callaway’s huge performance on Monday Night Football was undoubtedly the catalyst for his meteoric rise and the announcement that Jameis Winston would be the club’s starter didn’t hurt. Callaway has stepped up as the Saints’ top wideout in the absence of Michael Thomas and he appears to have earned the club’s No. 2 role, giving him solid WR3/4 value on a week-t0-week basis. Gus Edwards (RB) Baltimore Ravens – Edwards opened up FFWC drafts as a solid 11th-round target and was already slowly climbing the ranks. Obviously, he’ll be one of the hottest targets in all drafts moving forward following the J.K. Dobbins injury. Look for Edwards to garner RB2 status and top out as a late third or early fourth-rounder. Rhamondre Stevenson (RB) New England Patriots – A fourth-round rookie out of Oklahoma, Stevenson opened the summer buried on the depth chart but has rumbled his way to fantasy significance with an impressive showing in New England’s preseason tilts. Stevenson (6-0, 227) has drawn LeGarrette Blount comparisons but Stevenson is actually a good receiver in addition to being pretty agile for a big man. The trade that sent Sony Michel to LA opened up some touches for Stevenson behind Damien Harris and he’s gone from undrafted to an 11th round prospect in two weeks. Justin Fields (QB) Chicago Bears – Once available as late as the 17th round, Fields has looked tremendous on preseason action and is now commanding 12th and 13th round attention and this is with Matt Nagy continuing to insist that Andy Dalton will open the season as Chicago’s starter. As soon as he’s named the stater, Fields will offer QB1 upside and high-stakes drafters are eager to get a piece of that action. Fallers Saquon Barkley (RB) New York Giants – Despite concerns over his surgically repaired knee, Barkley was still commanding a top-10 pick early. Now, despite the fact that Barkley has finally been cleared to practice, he’s dipped down to the 15th-overall pick and oftens slides even further. It’s still not certain how much of a role Barkley will have early on and that lack of preseason action has worried some. Love the talent, but Barkley looks like a risky proposition in the first round and a half. Ja’Marr Chase (WR) Cincinnati Bengals – While teammate Tee Higgins has surged, Chase’s preseason struggles to catch the ball after a long layoff has led to his tumble down the Advanced ADP standings. After opening up inside the top-40, Chase is 44th overall but is regularly now being nabbed outside of the top-50. There is still a lot to like about the promising rookie but seasoned FFWC veterans are appraoching with caution. Miles Sanders (RB) Philadelphia Eagles – Uncertainty about Sanders’s status as the lead back has caused his ADP to plummet more than two rounds. Throughout training camp, beat writers have alluded to both Boston Scott and now Kenneth Gainwell as being candidates to take touches away from Sanders, who was notoriously awful as a pass-catcher in 2020. There’s still plenty to like about Sanders overall but his RB2 status is losing steam. Kenny Golladay (WR) New York Giants – Golladay injured his hamstring early on in camp and has been absent from practices and games ever since. That, and uncertainty about Saquon Barkley has caused New York’s skill position players to slip. Golladay went from an early fifth-round ADP to the middle of Round 7 in recent FFWC drafts. Jalen Hurts (QB) Philadelphia Eagles – The constant rumors of Philadelphia’s staff being linked to Deshaun Watson and other quarterbacks hasn’t helped Hurt’s value to the high-stakes community. Hurts opened as a sure-fire top-10 QB and even went with the 89th pick but has plummeted down to 151.9 overall ADP. There is a lot to like about Hurts as a runner
Last Minute 2021 Fantasy Football Deep Sleepers
The 2021 football season has arrived and that means millions of fantasy football fans are preparing for what is often the best day of the year: fantasy football draft day. One of the best ways to make that occasion even better is to walk away from your draft with the best roster. Targeting this season’s coveted sleepers and undervalued players is integral towards accomplishing that goal and dominating your draft. Here are some of the top 2021 fantasy football deep sleepers to keep in mind as you finalize your draft day preparations. We’re talking stash and cash. Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB) Washington Football Team With great risk comes great reward and few quarterbacks embody the boom-or-bust mantra quite like Fitzmagic. You can rarely draft a quarterback as the QB24 and roster a player who can easily win you a week, and over the past few seasons has done just that more often than not. In six starts last season, three times he threw posted at least three touchdowns, and three times topped 340 total yards. That’s following a 2019 campaign in which he finished as a high-end QB2. However, his upside does not come without risk. Much like in 2020 he could lose his starting job to a significantly younger Taylor Heinicke and he is also prone to untimely turnovers throughout his career which can sink his Fantasy value any given week. Despite these concerns, he is well worth the risk at his current ADP of 212.83. If he’s sitting there at the bottom of your draft he’s a great backup to grab who can win you a week if needed. Something other quarterbacks like Taysom Hill and Daniel Jones going in the same range as him haven’t proved they are capable of doing with any sort of consistency. Latavius Murray (RB) New Orleans Saints The Saints offense looks like a shell of its former self from Week 1 2020. Drew Brees has retired and Michael Thomas will miss a significant portion of the season. Last season Murray handled 146 carries for 656 yards and added 23 receptions for an additional 176 yards while scoring five touchdowns. That volume should only increase this season as the Saints will presumably look to rely heavily on the rushing attack. Murray holds value with Alvin Kamara healthy, but is a home run pick should he get injured. Last season with a healthy Kamara, Murray still managed double-digit touches in 10 of 15 games. His value is unbelievable with his current ADP making him the 45th running back off the board. You should smash the draft button every time he’s sitting there for you and even reach for him a bit making him a bit. It’s worth drafting him as a top 40 back. Updated: Look out for Tony Jones who’s been flashing well this pre-season. The Saints signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame. He has secured a spot on this roster and can be had in the 15th round on draft day. Giovani Bernard (RB) Cincinnati Bengals Tom Brady has shown us he loves having a running back as a dump-off option out of the backfield. We’ve seen him make James White Fantasy relevant, in his last 16-game season catching 87 of his 123 targets for 751 yards and seven touchdowns. The Bucs offense missed this type of back last season as both Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette failed to impress in the passing attack or even prove to be competent. Gio is among the best pass-catching backs in the league and is a significantly better runner than White giving him even more upside. He’s proven he can handle upwards of 150 carries and still play a full 16-game season. Something that White wasn’t capable of. This backfield could very well be a cluttered mess, but the potential upside Bernard brings being drafted as the RB50 is undeniable. Phillip Lindsay (RB) Houston Texans Depth charts this time of year don’t mean everything, nevertheless, Lindsay currently sits atop the Texans. Combine that with the fact Lindsay ran with the starters and out-snapped David Johnson 8-to-2 in the preseason opener and there may be something brewing in Houston. Lindsay was banged up in 2020 but has proven to be a more than capable back during his time in Denver. With a career average of 4.8 yards per carry, Lindsay topped 1,000 rushing yards in both his first two seasons, with 35 receptions each year and 17 touchdowns during that span. Currently being drafted as the RB52, Lindsay could be a legitimate starting running back with three-down capabilities. Don’t expect him to be a full-blown workhorse, but we have seen 250-plus touches out of him before and he has a lot more left in the tank than David Johnson or Mark Ingram. Jakobi Meyers (WR) New England Patriots After a sneaky good sophomore campaign in 2020, Meyers has been the talk of camp for the Patriots this summer. In 12 games last season he caught 59 of 81 targets for 729 yards. All reports out of New England are stating that he looks to be in line for a big jump and is likely to lead the team in targets this season as the WR1. If you are looking for the next Julian Edleman for the Pats, this is the most likely candidate. He’s a guy being drafted as the WR72 who can often see double-digit targets and be a strong PPR contributor. If he can start finding the end zone, don’t be shocked if he becomes a weekly Fantasy start by the end of the season. Albert Wilson (WR) Miami Dolphins After injury issues in 2019 and sitting out 2020 with Covid concerns, Wilson has returned to Miami with a vengeance. He has been the best offensive player in camp bar none. Once considered to be on the wrong side of the roster bubble entering camp, expectations are now that he will be a Week 1 starter for the Phins.
2021 Fantasy Football Breakout Player of the Year
Who is the 2021 Fantasy Football Breakout Player of the Year? Identifying the players that are poised to eclipse their perceived value is one of the most coveted tools in the arsenal of the successful fantasy football manager. Whether the
In the case of our breakout fantasy player of the year, we are defining breakout as a good player that has already arrived onto the fantasy landscape but is primed to enter elite status. This player will garner first-round considerations next season.
FullTime Fantasy’s 2021 Breakout Player of the Year is…
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Introduction to Advanced ADP with High / Low Draft Windows
Join FullTime Fantasy for access to the High / Low data, ADP, and each player’s unique draft position over the 10 most recent high-stakes drafts.