Jack Brickman
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After watching Andy Dalton get sacked *checks tape* conservatively about 463 times last night as the Bengals got curb stomped by a Steelers team that might not even be good, week four is officially in the books. And what a week it was. Rookies Gardner Minshew and Daniel Jones continued to look solid, the Browns found their offensive footing as Nick Chubb eviscerated a Ravens defense that might actually kind of suck, Dak Prescott came crashing back down to Earth in a tough Sunday night game, and Dwayne Haskins made his NFL debut.
It...went poorly. He completed just over 50% of his passes, threw three picks to no touchdowns, and was sacked twice. Quite simply, Haskins does not look like an NFL player right now. If Washington decides to start him against New England next weekend, he might actually die. And while we all killed the Giants for taking Jones over Haskins in the draft, it's increasingly looking like they made the right decision. Jones may or may not turn out to be a good NFL QB, but at the very least he's proven capable of going out there and not shitting his pants. Jay Gruden is already walking back his decision to play Haskins, and it's fully possible that Colt McCoy could be the Redskins' starter this Sunday.
To be honest, I really have no idea what the Redskins are doing here. Haskins looked so godawful that I have to think he doesn't look ready in practice either, and yet they tossed him out into the fire. I know it was against a soft Giants secondary, but the Redskins were without their best wide receiver with Terry McLaurin out, and perhaps more importantly, McLaurin is a guy that Haskins actually has a rapport with, as they played together at Ohio State. The decision to put Haskins out there with McLaurin out baffles me. If Gruden was trying to save his job by moving on from Keenum, it backfired spectacularly.
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Moving on, let's review some potential waiver wire and trade targets for this week in fantasy football.
Buy Low Candidates in Redraft Leagues
Odell Beckham - Chances are, if you drafted Odell Beckham, it was in the first round and, outside of week two, he has just not delivered. However, he is still getting a significant target share with the Browns, and volume is one of the primary keys to fantasy production. The Browns' offense looked much improved on Sunday, and Beckham's talent will win out sooner or later. See if you can get a frustrated owner to sell him off at a discount.
DeAndre Hopkins - Much like Beckham, Hopkins hasn't had the electrifying start to the season that those who drafted him in the first were hoping for. And like Beckham, he has one great week and not much else to show for it. If the team that owns him is sucking, this could be a great opportunity to buy one of football's best wide receivers at a discount.
Tyreek Hill - Targeting injured players is often a viable strategy for teams that are in good shape, and Hill is no exception. He'll be back at some point in the near future and will like retake his place as one of fantasy's best (if somewhat volatile from week to week) receivers. See how the Hill owner's team is doing and offer accordingly.
David Montgomery - Owners who drafted Montgomery likely did so fairly high in the draft, and his inconsistent volume has led to inconsistent production. However, he just received 21 carries against the Vikings. He didn't do much with them, but the Vikings have a great run defense, so that's not unexpected. Just remember that Montgomery was a 3rd round pick and will almost certainly get his shot this year. If an owner has already given up on him, see if you can buy him cheap.
Robby Anderson - Sam Darnold will be back sooner rather than later, and thus now would be a great time to inquire about the availability of the number one option in the Jets passing game. Darnold and Anderson played really well together at the end of last season, and you can probably get Anderson for next to nothing at this point while the Jets offense continues to look like trash playing a back-up QB.
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Buy Low Candidates for Dynasty
Dynasty is a different beast compared to redraft leagues, as you can (depending on your league settings) effectively hold a player for their entire career should you see fit. With that in mind, here are some guys to target who may see their immediate values crash but hold some nice potential long-term value.
Joe Mixon - Mixon has been pretty awful this year, with only one week that I would describe as fantasy viable. And given the Bengals' offensive line woes and the team's downward spiral, I'm not convinced it's going to get much better for him. He'll likely have some flex appeal this year, but beyond that I wouldn't expect much. However, this is the time to buy in dynasty. His owner is probably frustrated right now, especially if that team is trying to contend this year. Think about packaging a RB with good immediate upside but a dubious long-term outlook like Aaron Jones or Chris Carson with either a draft pick or another player and see if you can get something done.
Odell Beckham - Yeah, I know he was on the redraft list as well, but he's absolutely someone I'd be targeting in dynasty, especially if he's on a team that either isn't very good or is rebuilding. Beckham is a month away from turning 27 and still in his super prime, but a team that is a couple of years or more away from contending might be more interested in draft picks and younger players.
Austin Ekeler - Melvin Gordon is coming back, and Ekeler's value is quickly crashing. A smart dynasty owner might be able to take advantage of that, along with the knowledge that Gordon will likely not be a Charger next season. Sure, it's possible that Los Angeles might draft a RB in what projects to be a pretty great draft class next spring, but if you can snag Ekeler at a bargain price, I'd say it's worth the risk. He looked fantastic as the primary back in Los Angeles this year and there's absolutely a chance they'll hand the reins to him next fall with Gordon presumably gone.
DJ Chark - Chark has looked fantastic this year for the Jaguars after a forgettable rookie year last season. With that being said, he's still a relatively uncertain commodity who can likely be bought for a reasonable price. Given his insane athletic profile, that's a gamble I'd be trying to take if the price is right.
Diontae Johnson - Now might be your last chance to snag Diontae Johnson at a cheap price. Since Mason Rudolph took over for the Steelers, Johnson has looked great, catching long touchdown passes in two consecutive games and being targeted six times in each. With that being said, he's still an unproven rookie from a MAC school with an underwhelming athletic profile. You may be able to get him for a second or third rounder from a team that just doesn't believe in him, and I'd be jumping at the chance if you can.
Corey Davis - I know he's coming off of a big week, but I'd be willing to wager that a lot of Davis owners know he'll probably suck again next week and are ready to jump ship. I remain a huge fan of Davis' talent, even if his situation is terrible. But the great thing about the NFL is that, eventually, situations change. Davis is a great guy to target if you're a rebuilding team looking for a guy who may see his value increase a year or two down the line when either the Titans finally replace Mariota with someone competent, switch to a pass-first offense, or he lands on a new team.
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Waiver Wire Targets
I'm only going to cover the waiver wire for redraft, because dynasty roster sizes just vary far too much for me to say with any consistency who might be on your wire. I'll be covering a couple of guys from each position who could be available in your league's waiver pool.
Andy Dalton - If you are the type who likes to stream QBs, likely you won't find a much better option this week than Andy Dalton. He's going up against an Arizona team that is going to push the pace and pass a lot, and we just saw the quality of the Bengals defense last night. Conveniently, Arizona has consistently allowed opposing QBs to have big games against them as well.
Jacoby Brissett - Brissett continues to impress as the starter in Indianapolis, posting viable starting fantasy numbers all four weeks so far this year. He's thrown multiple touchdown passes in every game and only two picks on the year. He's also going up against a Chiefs defense that is middle of the pack against opposing quarterbacks.
Ronald Jones - Jones has finally come alive in Tampa, rushing for 80 yards in week three and adding 70 more in week four. He doesn't offer much upside as a pass catcher with only three targets on the season, but he's looking like the primary back in what will continue to be a high volume offense, which offers upside. I would consider him a match-up dependent flex play going forward.
Jaylen Samuels - The Steelers essentially split their backfield duties on Monday night, with both James Conner and Jaylen Samuels receiving 10 carries and 8 targets. If this continues, Samuels could see his value quickly spike and he could become a fantasy-relevant back. Someone is picking him up this week if he's on your waiver wire, so this is probably your last chance if the Steelers continue to run with the split backfield.
Golden Tate - Tate is returning from a four game suspension this week to a Giants offense that suddenly has some life. If nothing else, he's worth a speculative add with the potential to become the WR1 in that Giants offense. Tate is the type of player who could win you your fantasy league this year, a former star fantasy player who became an afterthought due to a terrible situation and the suspension. Well, that situation might not be so terrible any more, and many have likely forgotten Tate entirely.
Diontae Johnson - I already mentioned him above, but here's a guy who is almost certainly available on your waiver wire. He's showed out in two straight games and Mason Rudolph seems to trust him, and more importantly trust throwing to him downfield. He's an intriguing target in deeper leagues who may pay dividends later this year.
Tyler Eifert - Eifert is an excellent streaming option at the tight end position this week, as he goes up against an Arizona team that has been absolutely gashed by the TE position this year. The Cardinals are last in the league in yards, touchdowns, and fantasy points to tight ends. Remember TJ Hockenson's amazing breakout week one game? It was against the Cardinals. They've been subsequently torched by Mark Andrews, Greg Olsen, and Will Dissly.
Jimmy Graham - Assuming that Davante Adams misses time, Graham could be a nice waiver wire add to help you out for a few weeks if you are weak at the TE position.
Chris Herndon - Much like Golden Tate, Herndon was hit with a four game suspension in the offseason. Unlike Tate, Herndon's team has already had their bye, so Herndon still has to sit out week five. However, he's got the potential to perform as a top ten TE going forward, at least once Darnold is back. If he's available, grabbing him a week before many others would think to is a great idea.
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That's it for tonight. Check back in a couple of days for what is now going to be my weekly Start/Sit column.
It...went poorly. He completed just over 50% of his passes, threw three picks to no touchdowns, and was sacked twice. Quite simply, Haskins does not look like an NFL player right now. If Washington decides to start him against New England next weekend, he might actually die. And while we all killed the Giants for taking Jones over Haskins in the draft, it's increasingly looking like they made the right decision. Jones may or may not turn out to be a good NFL QB, but at the very least he's proven capable of going out there and not shitting his pants. Jay Gruden is already walking back his decision to play Haskins, and it's fully possible that Colt McCoy could be the Redskins' starter this Sunday.
To be honest, I really have no idea what the Redskins are doing here. Haskins looked so godawful that I have to think he doesn't look ready in practice either, and yet they tossed him out into the fire. I know it was against a soft Giants secondary, but the Redskins were without their best wide receiver with Terry McLaurin out, and perhaps more importantly, McLaurin is a guy that Haskins actually has a rapport with, as they played together at Ohio State. The decision to put Haskins out there with McLaurin out baffles me. If Gruden was trying to save his job by moving on from Keenum, it backfired spectacularly.
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Moving on, let's review some potential waiver wire and trade targets for this week in fantasy football.
Buy Low Candidates in Redraft Leagues
Odell Beckham - Chances are, if you drafted Odell Beckham, it was in the first round and, outside of week two, he has just not delivered. However, he is still getting a significant target share with the Browns, and volume is one of the primary keys to fantasy production. The Browns' offense looked much improved on Sunday, and Beckham's talent will win out sooner or later. See if you can get a frustrated owner to sell him off at a discount.
DeAndre Hopkins - Much like Beckham, Hopkins hasn't had the electrifying start to the season that those who drafted him in the first were hoping for. And like Beckham, he has one great week and not much else to show for it. If the team that owns him is sucking, this could be a great opportunity to buy one of football's best wide receivers at a discount.
Tyreek Hill - Targeting injured players is often a viable strategy for teams that are in good shape, and Hill is no exception. He'll be back at some point in the near future and will like retake his place as one of fantasy's best (if somewhat volatile from week to week) receivers. See how the Hill owner's team is doing and offer accordingly.
David Montgomery - Owners who drafted Montgomery likely did so fairly high in the draft, and his inconsistent volume has led to inconsistent production. However, he just received 21 carries against the Vikings. He didn't do much with them, but the Vikings have a great run defense, so that's not unexpected. Just remember that Montgomery was a 3rd round pick and will almost certainly get his shot this year. If an owner has already given up on him, see if you can buy him cheap.
Robby Anderson - Sam Darnold will be back sooner rather than later, and thus now would be a great time to inquire about the availability of the number one option in the Jets passing game. Darnold and Anderson played really well together at the end of last season, and you can probably get Anderson for next to nothing at this point while the Jets offense continues to look like trash playing a back-up QB.
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Buy Low Candidates for Dynasty
Dynasty is a different beast compared to redraft leagues, as you can (depending on your league settings) effectively hold a player for their entire career should you see fit. With that in mind, here are some guys to target who may see their immediate values crash but hold some nice potential long-term value.
Joe Mixon - Mixon has been pretty awful this year, with only one week that I would describe as fantasy viable. And given the Bengals' offensive line woes and the team's downward spiral, I'm not convinced it's going to get much better for him. He'll likely have some flex appeal this year, but beyond that I wouldn't expect much. However, this is the time to buy in dynasty. His owner is probably frustrated right now, especially if that team is trying to contend this year. Think about packaging a RB with good immediate upside but a dubious long-term outlook like Aaron Jones or Chris Carson with either a draft pick or another player and see if you can get something done.
Odell Beckham - Yeah, I know he was on the redraft list as well, but he's absolutely someone I'd be targeting in dynasty, especially if he's on a team that either isn't very good or is rebuilding. Beckham is a month away from turning 27 and still in his super prime, but a team that is a couple of years or more away from contending might be more interested in draft picks and younger players.
Austin Ekeler - Melvin Gordon is coming back, and Ekeler's value is quickly crashing. A smart dynasty owner might be able to take advantage of that, along with the knowledge that Gordon will likely not be a Charger next season. Sure, it's possible that Los Angeles might draft a RB in what projects to be a pretty great draft class next spring, but if you can snag Ekeler at a bargain price, I'd say it's worth the risk. He looked fantastic as the primary back in Los Angeles this year and there's absolutely a chance they'll hand the reins to him next fall with Gordon presumably gone.
DJ Chark - Chark has looked fantastic this year for the Jaguars after a forgettable rookie year last season. With that being said, he's still a relatively uncertain commodity who can likely be bought for a reasonable price. Given his insane athletic profile, that's a gamble I'd be trying to take if the price is right.
Diontae Johnson - Now might be your last chance to snag Diontae Johnson at a cheap price. Since Mason Rudolph took over for the Steelers, Johnson has looked great, catching long touchdown passes in two consecutive games and being targeted six times in each. With that being said, he's still an unproven rookie from a MAC school with an underwhelming athletic profile. You may be able to get him for a second or third rounder from a team that just doesn't believe in him, and I'd be jumping at the chance if you can.
Corey Davis - I know he's coming off of a big week, but I'd be willing to wager that a lot of Davis owners know he'll probably suck again next week and are ready to jump ship. I remain a huge fan of Davis' talent, even if his situation is terrible. But the great thing about the NFL is that, eventually, situations change. Davis is a great guy to target if you're a rebuilding team looking for a guy who may see his value increase a year or two down the line when either the Titans finally replace Mariota with someone competent, switch to a pass-first offense, or he lands on a new team.
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Waiver Wire Targets
I'm only going to cover the waiver wire for redraft, because dynasty roster sizes just vary far too much for me to say with any consistency who might be on your wire. I'll be covering a couple of guys from each position who could be available in your league's waiver pool.
Andy Dalton - If you are the type who likes to stream QBs, likely you won't find a much better option this week than Andy Dalton. He's going up against an Arizona team that is going to push the pace and pass a lot, and we just saw the quality of the Bengals defense last night. Conveniently, Arizona has consistently allowed opposing QBs to have big games against them as well.
Jacoby Brissett - Brissett continues to impress as the starter in Indianapolis, posting viable starting fantasy numbers all four weeks so far this year. He's thrown multiple touchdown passes in every game and only two picks on the year. He's also going up against a Chiefs defense that is middle of the pack against opposing quarterbacks.
Ronald Jones - Jones has finally come alive in Tampa, rushing for 80 yards in week three and adding 70 more in week four. He doesn't offer much upside as a pass catcher with only three targets on the season, but he's looking like the primary back in what will continue to be a high volume offense, which offers upside. I would consider him a match-up dependent flex play going forward.
Jaylen Samuels - The Steelers essentially split their backfield duties on Monday night, with both James Conner and Jaylen Samuels receiving 10 carries and 8 targets. If this continues, Samuels could see his value quickly spike and he could become a fantasy-relevant back. Someone is picking him up this week if he's on your waiver wire, so this is probably your last chance if the Steelers continue to run with the split backfield.
Golden Tate - Tate is returning from a four game suspension this week to a Giants offense that suddenly has some life. If nothing else, he's worth a speculative add with the potential to become the WR1 in that Giants offense. Tate is the type of player who could win you your fantasy league this year, a former star fantasy player who became an afterthought due to a terrible situation and the suspension. Well, that situation might not be so terrible any more, and many have likely forgotten Tate entirely.
Diontae Johnson - I already mentioned him above, but here's a guy who is almost certainly available on your waiver wire. He's showed out in two straight games and Mason Rudolph seems to trust him, and more importantly trust throwing to him downfield. He's an intriguing target in deeper leagues who may pay dividends later this year.
Tyler Eifert - Eifert is an excellent streaming option at the tight end position this week, as he goes up against an Arizona team that has been absolutely gashed by the TE position this year. The Cardinals are last in the league in yards, touchdowns, and fantasy points to tight ends. Remember TJ Hockenson's amazing breakout week one game? It was against the Cardinals. They've been subsequently torched by Mark Andrews, Greg Olsen, and Will Dissly.
Jimmy Graham - Assuming that Davante Adams misses time, Graham could be a nice waiver wire add to help you out for a few weeks if you are weak at the TE position.
Chris Herndon - Much like Golden Tate, Herndon was hit with a four game suspension in the offseason. Unlike Tate, Herndon's team has already had their bye, so Herndon still has to sit out week five. However, he's got the potential to perform as a top ten TE going forward, at least once Darnold is back. If he's available, grabbing him a week before many others would think to is a great idea.
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That's it for tonight. Check back in a couple of days for what is now going to be my weekly Start/Sit column.
