Every week waivers shock you with a handful of guys you would have never thought to pick up before. Here are our favorites for this week!
Quarterbacks
Tua Tagovailoa: Tua looked unneeded in his first NFL win a week ago. Now in a tougher matchup, Tua played the part of a legit NFL QB. With the help of Zane Gonzalez somehow coming up short on a 49-yard field goal, the dolphins got the win. Losing Preston Williams will hurt a bit, but Tua looked calm and able to play the part. Definitely worth a spot on your bench with his upcoming schedule.
Drew Lock: Although it has not been the prettiest, Drew Lock does have back to back games with 25+ fantasy points. Albeit the Chargers and Falcons secondaries, I think Lock still has some easy upcoming games as well. If Mahomes is on a bye for you this week, look at Lock as a potential starting option.
Other Players to Consider: Jake Luton looked the part in his rookie debut. In an offense where this team is down in most games they play, you have to consider him a decent bye week fill-in as long as Minshew is out.
Running Backs
Duke Johnson: Duke Johnson will never be the prettiest girl at the ball, but he gets the job done when need be. He was involved in the passing game with 4 catches and fell into the endzone for 15 with David Johnson leaving early. If you own David Johnson, Duke is a must-own. If you're looking for some rb help, Duke may help out this week if David Johnson has to miss this game.
Kalen Ballage: Kalen Ballage found himself some work after being released from the Jets and actually looked pretty solid. Justin Jackson left early with a knee-injury and Josh Kelley's struggles have continued, so Ballage saw a ton of work this past week for the Chargers. He ran for 69 yards and a TD and caught 2 passes as well. If Justin Jackson misses this week as well, pick up Ballage as a decent flex option.
Rex Burkhead: Rex Burkhead reared his head from the dust yet again this past week. Stealing a TD from Damien Harris owners after Harris had a 7 yard run down to the 1-yard line. This backfield remains as unpredictable as ever, so proceed with caution, but Harris got banged up in this game and if he misses time again Rex should get some looks. Beware of Sony Michel's return though also.
Other Players to Consider: Cordarelle Patterson may be the only running back option for the Bears this upcoming week if David Montgomery is forced to sit out. If that is the case, Patterson may be a decent option, as Ryan Nall has not seen much work for the Bears. I would not bank on it though, this bears rushing attack is poor at best.
Wide Receivers
Breshad Perriman: This is the Breshad Perriman some people were calling a sleeper heading into this season. With Crowder still a bit limited, Perriman played the part as their #1 WR catching 5 passes for 101 yards and 2 TDs. The speed was in full-effect and if he can stay healthy, he can be a boom or bust flex option moving forward.
Allen Lazard: Lazard had a chance to play last Thursday vs the Niners and should have a better chance of playing the Jaguars on Sunday. He may be limited in his return, so do not plug him in right away, but if he's still out there on waivers go grab him. Lazard has some upside as the second passing option in this offense.
Richie James: Who is this? Oh right, the guy that caught 9 passes for 184 yards and a TD against the Packers on Thursday. Richie James played the part of a solid wide receiver and may have earned himself some more snaps on this offense. Beware though, Deebo Samuel should be back soon, Aiyuk will be back, and Kendrick Bourne as well. He may fall behind on the depth chart, but for now he's worth a speculative add to see if this could continue.
Darnell Mooney: Mooney has been very involved in this Bears offense who have found themselves trailing in most of their games recently. Mooney has seen at least 5 targets in every game since week 3. Including 24 over the past 3 weeks. It has not turned into that much fantasy production yet, as Foles has been inaccurate. If Foles starts to find Mooney more consistently, he could be a viable WR moving forward.
Other Players to Consider: Jakobi Meyers looked the part on Monday night for the Patriots. Proceed with caution as this was against the Kets, but with Edelman out, Meyers seems first in line to be Cam's go-to guy. Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught two touchdowns for the Packers last week, if you're looking for a boom or bust flex play, MVS always has the potential for one big play. KJ Hamler played hero last week for the Broncos, and this week he was rewarded for it. Drew Lock targeted him 10 times and he got a carry. He was able to finish with 14 fantasy points and is an interesting bench WR to look at.
Tight Ends
Jordan Reed: LOOK, I know we said to pick him up last week and he stunk. They only eased him back into the offense, where he played 23% of the snaps. As that # goes up, expect Reed to get more involved in this offense. Hold tight if you have him and pick him up if he's out there.
Logan Thomas: Logan Thomas did not exactly light it up this past week for your team if you started him. Catching 3 passes for 28 yards. However, he did get 6 targets and Alex Smith has always been one to look for tight ends. Keep Thomas on your radar at the very least if you're looking for a tight end to start and feel confident in.
Irv Smith Jr.: He has ended up on this list a handful of times this season and if you picked him up, you're feeling pretty good about it. He has 38 points over his past 4 games and caught two TDs this past week. You still would hope for more volume in this offense, but if you're desperate give Irv a look.
Other Names to Consider: Jordan Akins is still just getting back up to speed from his injury. As he continues to work back he should become the starting tight end on this offense again and can be a decent option. Mike Gesicki also now has some relevance again with Preston Williams going down. He may be the second-best option for Tua moving forward and is worth a look if he's been dropped in your league.
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