Fantasy football best-ball – Syndication Server

Fantasy football gamble of the week

Week 1 is upon us, and savvy fantasy footballers are always looking for an edge — even if that means sitting their drafted starters.

Every week, at least one player becomes my fascination of whether he’s worthy of a fantasy football start or bench The decision can be a mental wrestling match, but for the purpose of brevity, only one player can be chosen as the fantasy football gamble of the week.

The best fantasy football gamble for Week 1

Dallas Cowboys TE Blake Jarwin at Los Angeles Rams

In 2020, the Los Angeles Rams underwent significant changes on defense, and the early going of it all suggests it will not be for the better out of the gates. LA’s best coverage linebacker, Cory Littleton, is now in Las Vegas, and the team also saw veteran safety Eric Weddle hang up his cleats. Furthermore, the entire defensive system is different. New coordinator Brandon Staley, a disciple of Vic Fangio, takes over as a first-time NFL defensive playcaller and makes his debut.

In 2019, the Cowboy hosted the Rams and ran all over the field on the field in the 44-21 win. Running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard racked up three rushing touchdowns and 248 yards, largely eliminating the need for Dallas to throw the ball against what was a formidable secondary. Los Angeles is bound to be better vs. the run in this one, although Zeke should feast.

One byproduct often seen when a team faces a strong secondary is checking down to the backs and tight ends. We saw that play out with the Rams in 2019, although not to an extreme degree. This was the ninth-weakest defense for receiving yards granted to tight ends and No. 12 for ease of touchdowns, and one of those scores came from Dallas’ Jason Witten.

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Dallas boasted wideouts Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup going into the matchup, and they return for this one as the top tandem. Los Angeles stifled not just Cooper, as expected against cornerback Jalen Ramsey, but also held Gallup to a single grab. Witten finished with 13.6 PPR points.

Now also a Las Vegas Raider, Witten is out of the picture. His replacement, Jarwin, faces an even better matchup, and the Rams still have Ramsey to lock down Cooper. Rookie receiver CeeDee Lamb is the x-factor here, but he’s a rookie making his first appearance, so Jarwin has an advantage there. Realistically, there’s no reason both couldn’t shine if Cooper is blanketed again.

Gamers should strongly consider starting Jarwin if stuck with deciding against tough matchups facing the likes of Evan Engram (PIT), Hunter Henry (@CIN), Austin Hooper (@BAL), Rob Gronkowski (@NO) and a few others. Daily fantasy sports players should look to Jarwin as a low-cost dice roll in the season’s opening week.

My projection: 5 catches, 70 yards, 1 TD

Fantasy football best-ball gambles: Wagers of the week

There’s less than two weeks left to bet on your fantasy football knowledge in best-ball drafts.

Fantasy football best-ball drafts are a blast. My preferred league platforms for these drafts are RTSports.com and SportsHub’s “Best-Ball 10s” services. Neither company sponsored this article … I just like what they do in the space. Check ’em out, or look around the web to find competitors.

Let’s dive right into my four favorite gambles for this upcoming week’s drafting action:

Fantasy football best-ball gambles of the week

QB Drew Lock, Denver Broncos: Going in 14th round, on average, Lock is a fine QB2 target for gamers who spent an early pick on the position or preferred to wait for a tandem of late-rounders with upside. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton has been nothing short of awesome in training camp, and the short-term loss of rookie slot receiver K.J. Hamler opens the door for veteran DaeSean Hamilton to reclaim his role on the inside. Rookie Jerry Jeudy has shown the game isn’t too big for him without a formal offseason program, and tight end Noah Fant can house it from anywhere on the field. Invest with confidence in the big-armed Lock.

RB Darrynton Evans, Tennessee Titans: Evans, a third-round pick from Appalachian State, is the primary backup to Derrick Henry. The 2019 rushing champ is the obvious engine to this offensive vehicle, although it won’t stop rushing should he go down with an injury. Evans is a capable receiver and could even be featured in such a way — an element this system didn’t employ in 2019. The rookie has missed several practices of late with an undisclosed injury, so this one is a gamble inside of a gamble. Feeling lucky?

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WR John Hightower, Philadelphia Eagles: While Alshon Jeffery is nearing a return from Lisfranc midfoot surgery, he’s still going to be rusty and is fragile. The latter also can be said for DeSean Jackson. Rookie first-rounder Jalen Reagor was turning heads before suffering a torn shoulder labrum, an injury expected to sideline him up to a month. In training camp, another rookie, Hightower, has been a stud and appears poised to man the starting job as long as Reagor is out.

TE Greg Olsen, Seattle Seahawks: Reports of considerable chemistry between Olsen and Russell Wilson shouldn’t be ignored. The Seahawks have weapons on the outside in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but it’s rather slim pickings behind them. Olsen will pair with Will Dissly, who is coming off of a consecutive major injury. The veteran, 35, still has the skills to exploit linebackers and some safeties enough to be relevant. Even if the volume isn’t great, gamers could hit the occasional jackpot via multi-touchdown efforts.

For more fantasy football tips, insight and expertise to win your league, visit TheHuddle.com today! Use the code SBW20 to take $10 off of your 2020 subscription. Valid for new customers only, offer expires 9/30/2020.

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Is Clyde Edwards-Helaire worth an early fantasy football draft pick?

Assessing Kansas City Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s 2020 ADP and fantasy football draft value. Is he a sleeper or bust? Under or overvalued?

Fantasy football season is in the air and the unique offseason is causing more questions than answers as we enter our fantasy football drafts. Today we focus on Kansas City Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire and his fantasy football potential this year.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire Fantasy Football ADP

Edwards-Helaire’s current ADP (average draft position) on MyFantasyLeague.com is 8.63, which is ahead of reigning rushing champion Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry, Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. Five of the six players being drafted ahead of Edwards-Helaire are running backs.

Reasons to draft Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s offenses typically feature running backs heavily in the passing game. Edwards-Helaire was an excellent receiver at LSU and should see at least 30 passes come his way this season.
The competition behind Edwards-Helaire at running back is minimal. Damien Williams opted out of the 2020 season, leaving DeAndre Washington and Darrel Williams as the rookie’s biggest competitors for snaps.
The Chiefs ignored other positional needs in the draft to select Edwards-Helaire, which shows how committed they are to incorporating him early and often.

Reasons not to draft Clyde Edwards-Helaire

He is a rookie, which means he’ll have to make adjustments to the speed of the NFL compared to college.
He plays in a pass-heavy offense led by reigning Super Bowl LIV MVP Mahomes, who is known to sling it around and push the ball downfield rather than opting for checkdowns.
Edwards-Helaire missed out on OTAs and minicamp, thus making the learning curve even steeper as he learns the offense.

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Where should I pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire in fantasy football drafts?

Edwards-Helaire is admittedly a somewhat risky pick at the top of fantasy drafts because of the relative unknown surrounding his rookie year. He wasn’t a top-five pick in the draft like Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott and New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley, who had outstanding rookie seasons.

Edwards-Helaire was the 32nd pick in the first round, which is still fairly early but he wasn’t viewed as a blue-chip prospect. That’s partly because he only has one season of strong production on his resume.

Still, he’s absolutely worth a top-10 pick in 2020 fantasy football drafts. Safer options include Adams, Mahomes and even Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs, but Edwards-Helaire’s ceiling is extremely high in the Chiefs offense. He could conceivably be the No. 3 target behind TE Travis Kelce and WR Tyreek Hill, which would be huge in PPR leagues.

I would take him ahead of Henry in PPR leagues and possibly even in standard leagues, but be sure to select a safer option at running back in the second or third round to protect against a rookie slump.

That being said, Edwards-Helaire is deserving of being selected between picks No. 7 and 10.

Fantasy football best-ball drafts: Wagers of the week

These are the top best-ball fantasy football dice rolls for the week of Aug. 24.

Let’s dive right into my four favorite gambles for this upcoming week’s drafting action:

Fantasy football best-ball gambles of the week

QB Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints: While some gamers may not be inclined to potentially waste any pick, especially if Drew Brees isn’t on their team, this is one of the smartest wagers late in fantasy drafts. Brees is 41 years old, and he missed several games last year with a thumb injury, albeit kind of a fluky one. Winston has as dangerous a weapons cache as one will find in the NFL for a backup with considerable starting experience. The mistakes are part of owning Winston in fantasy, but he’s a lock for QB1 production should Brees miss action in 2020. Speculative mining is absolutely in play here, too, for gamers who don’t draft Brees.

RB Reggie Bonnafon, Carolina Panthers: Similar to the Winston recommendation, here’s an opportunity to spend a 19th- or 20th-round pick on a guy one injury away from replacing the best back in fantasy football. There will be zero utility here if Christian McCaffrey doesn’t miss time, but after registering the most touches in football over the past two seasons, what’s the harm in investing next to nothing in covering your bases, particularly if Run CMC is on your roster. This one should be an no-brainer for McCaffrey owners, although there’s only pure upside for those looking to steal a handcuff.

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WR Kenny Stills, Houston Texans: Is there a late-round receiver better suited for best-ball flier picks? Stills has the ability to uncork a defense, and he’s returning to an even friendlier situation than last year. No DeAndre Hopkins opens a significant amount of targets to be distributed, and the two primary receivers ahead of Stills in the pecking order come with serious injury concerns. Will Fuller is about as fragile as a receiver can be made, and Brandin Cooks is a concussion away from possibly before forced to sit out the year. Stills posted double-digit fantasy points in four of his final six games last season, showing chemistry with Deshaun Watson in their first year together. Enjoy the late-round return on investment!

TE Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings: In the past three years, Rudolph has 17 individual games (35 percent of appearances) with at least one touchdown, and three of those contests were two-score outings. … Not too shabby for a guy going in the 18th round of many best-ball drafts. Low investment, big pay-off potential for the cagey veteran. Sure, he’ll lose some touches to Irv Smith Jr., but Rudolph isn’t going anywhere, and the offense is more than capable of feeding both tight ends. The loss of Stefon Diggs and the familiarity with Kirk Cousins makes Rudolph a total steal in this format.

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Fantasy football best-ball drafts: 4 wagers to make this week

These four fantasy football best-ball gambles will pay off in the long run.

Fantasy football best-ball targets

Let’s dive right into my five favorite gambles for this upcoming week’s drafting action:

QB Drew Lock, Denver Broncos: Yes, he lost his starting right tackle to the opt-out, but that’s not as significant as it may seem. Lock still has an emerging WR1 in Courtland Sutton and one of the most polished rookies to come out in recent memory in Jerry Jeudy. While recommending rookies is usually a crapshoot, it is only amplified during the pandemic. Yet, slot receiver KJ Hamler also warrants a mention. His game-breaking speed creates mismatches vs. almost any NFL defender. It’s not hard to tell a rookie to “go” when we’re looking at a guy with world-class speed to burn. An improved backfield and a blossoming TE in Noah Fant make Lock a strong bet for a payoff as QB25 in the ADP charts.

RB Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team: The rookie has arguably the easiest positional transition from college to the NFL, and the release of Derrius Guice blows the door wide open for Gibson to have a massive role in the backfield. He’s a wide receiver turned running back, much like Ty Montgomery, so catching passes is likely to be the primary means of utilization as he finds his way through the early portion of the season. Adrian Peterson is poised to once again claim the obvious rushing action, although Gibson won’t go down without a fight. Plus, Peterson is ancient no stranger to injuries. Going in the middle of Round 9 for PPR drafters, the Memphis product is an intriguing risk-reward wager.

TE Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans: Tight end Delanie Walker is no longer a concern for the first time in Smith’s pro career. The Titans’ system is friendly to the position, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is a former tight ends coach as recently as 2018. It’s fair to say we’ve seen enough of wide receiver Corey Davis to trust he won’t suddenly emerge as a legitimate weapon, and Adam Humphries has exactly one season of productivity to his name, which came in an entirely different offense. The fourth-year Smith is poised to burst onto the season as the No. 2 target for Ryan Tannehill, and gamers are snoozing on Smith as a 14th-round fantasy draft pick. Don’t expect huge volume; rely on Smith’s explosive nature after the catch.

TE Blake Jarwin, Dallas Cowboys: Last year, coming out of retirement, a 400-year-old Jason Witten saw 83 targets in this offense. The ‘Boys feature one of the game’s best running backs and a pair of explosive receivers, but this offense is counting on a rookie in CeeDee Lamb to pick up the slack as the No. 3. In 2020, with the pandemic derailing all semblance of a conventional offseason program, how much do you really trust rookie wideouts, even the best of them? Jarwin is built for best-ball action. There probably won’t be 80 passes coming his way, yet it’s totally conceivable he pops off for a couple of multi-touchdown games or has at least one dynamite effort. He’s the 16th tight end drafted, on average, and that’s pure gravy for a TE2 target in an offense in which defenders can focus on only so many studs.

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Fantasy football best-ball drafts: 5 late-round gambles

Target these five players late in best-ball fantasy football drafts this upcoming week.

If you have yet to try them, fantasy football best-ball drafts are a blast. My preferred fantasy football league platforms for these drafts are RTSports.com and SportsHub’s “Best-Ball 10s” services. Neither company sponsored this article … I just like what they do in the space. Check ’em out, or look around the web to find competitors.

Five Fantasy Football Best-Ball Targets

Let’s dive right into my five favorite gambles for this upcoming week’s drafting action:

QB Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina Panthers: If there ever was a draft format built for Bridgewater … He’s a game manager who is capable of popping off once in a while. The Panthers essentially sport an entirely new defense, one that is woefully inexperienced. That translates to more passing than has been asked of him in prior stops. Carolina sports three very capable *veteran* receivers, plus the best pass-catching (and arguably overall) running back in the game today. An average draft position of 14:11 is awesome value for a backup to an elite, like Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes, and Teddy B. is an ideal No. 3 for teams drafting a duo of lesser starters.

RB Damien Harris, New England Patriots: The second-year Alabama standout should get a chance to showcase his skills in training camp as presumed starter Sony Michel is poised to miss time after foot surgery in May. Being this is the Patriots, we’ll never actually know the severity of the injury or Michel’s true prognosis, so we’re taking an educated guess here. After two respectable but mostly unspectacular seasons, Michel isn’t a lock as the incumbent starter if Harris lights it up in camp. Take full advantage of Harris’ 12th-round ADP before it is no longer a value.

RB Darrynton Evans, Tennessee Titans: With an ADP of 14:06, the Appalachian State rookie sits directly behind Derrick Henry and is an obvious handcuff. Sneaky gamers will snatch him before Henry owners secure their insurance policy. Think of how the Titans operate offensively. Everything the team does revolves around Henry and the running game. While the passing share would uptick slightly, there’s no denying Evans would become a top-tier fantasy addition if King Henry is dethroned.

WR Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers: Aside from Davante Adams, Aaron Rodgers’ receiving corps has a prominent role to be seized. Lazard showed a hint of chemistry with No. 12 in 2019, and the 6-foot-4 Lazard was good for a line of 35-477-3 on 52 targets, gaining much-needed experience after seeing action in exactly one game as a 2018 rookie. Lazard sees less competition with Devin Funchess opting out, and unless something goes south, 100 targets sent to the guy opposite Adams is not too much to expect.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals: Days of 100-plus catches are behind the future Hall of Famer, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to be put out to the fantasy pasture. Fitz landed a serviceable 75 balls for 804 yards and four scores will seeing most of the defensive attention in Kyler Murray’s first season. In Year 2, DeAndre Hopkins will be the top target, and Murray should take a major step forward. Fitz may not be a sexy pick, but he offers useful value as WR63 in ADP.

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