Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Taking a look at some potential sleepers to play in Week 16 for fantasy football.
Just two weeks remain in the fantasy football season as the playoffs have gotten underway in the majority of leagues.
Whether you’re looking for a boost to help your playoff lineup or simply looking for some dart throws in daily fantasy, we’ve got you covered on potential sleepers at every position.
Be sure to check out The Huddle’s weekly PPR projections and rankings as well as the start/bench list to help formulate the best lineup possible.
Here are the top targets on the waiver wire for fantasy football entering Week 8.
Nearing the midway point of the fantasy football season, the waiver wire continues to be one of the most important tools for a manager to access down the stretch.
Oddly enough, there are no teams on a bye in Week 8, so we’ll have the full slate of games to choose from.
We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo, using the 75% rostered mark (at least 25% availability) as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!
We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.
Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.
Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.
These players are on the upswing in fantasy football drafts.
With training camps in full swing and teams starting to take the field for their preseason openers, it can only mean that we’re drawing ever closer to Week 1, and the start of another NFL season. Along with that, of course, comes the beginning of another year of fantasy football. While some leagues have already held their drafts, many more will do so between now and Sept. 7 when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Detroit Lions in the Kickoff Game.
With that in mind, here’s a look at five players to keep an eye on as they climb up draft boards.
Will Alexander Mattison slide right in as a fantasy RB1 replacement?
For the past six years, the Minnesota Vikings have leaned heavily on running back Dalvin Cook as a centerpiece of their offense. Despite playing every game of a season just once in six years, over the last four seasons, Cook rushed for more than 1,100 yards each time, averaged 43 receptions, and scored 46 touchdowns. That is a ton of production, but with a contract that called for him to get paid $10.4 million, the Vikings opted to release Cook. It wasn’t a move that was received well, but it was part of the franchise’s desire to rid itself of some large veteran contracts.
The Vikings made their intentions known months earlier when they re-signed Cook’s backup, Alexander Mattison, before he had the chance to test free agency (two years, $7 million) and did little else to shake things up in the running backs room. The message sent by the Cook release is that head coach Kevin O’Connell may want to replicate the Los Angeles Rams‘ pass-happy offense that won a Super Bowl when he was offensive coordinator.
For the first time since Adrian Peterson came to Minnesota in 2007, there are more questions than answers for the Vikings’ running game in the short- and long-term outlooks.
What does the star back’s release mean for fantasy football purposes?
In a long-awaited move, the Minnesota Vikings released standout running back Dalvin Cook, meaning he’s free to sign with any team of his choosing.
The release immediately elevates veteran backup Alexander Mattison into the starting lineup and opens the door for one of several packs — perhaps one of whom not currently on the roster — to slide into the top reserve role.
Mattison started his NFL career by averaging 4.55 yards per attempt over 196 carries spread over 26 games in the first two seasons. He filled in respectably a few times for the oft-injured Cook, though Mattison himself missed time in each of his first three seasons, which should be concerning when considering he was a backup. The Boise Stater has shown capable as a receiver out of the backfield, especially in 2021 when Mattison caught 32 of 39 looks for 228 yards and a score. He’s not quite the same caliber receiver of Cook, and it will be interesting to see if that’s the area in which Minnesota opts to spell him most frequently.
Second-year back Ty Chandler is an excellent receiver and should make a strong case for the No. 2 role. The 2022 fifth-rounder rushed only six times for a mere 20 yards last year, and he lacks open-field movement traits. As a positive, however, a blazing 4.38-second 40 time puts Chandler in the mix for two-down, change-of-pace work in relief of the much slower Mattison.
[lawrence-related id=477517]
The other two existing backs on the roster are return man Kene Nwangwu and seventh-round rookie DeWayne McBride. The latter has practically no collegiate experience as a receiving outlet, and his likeliest role in the pros will be as a direct, two-down replacement should Mattison miss time. At 5-foot-11, 215 pounds, McBride comes with average speed but has proven himself as a steady, productive rusher.
Nwangwu is more dynamic and could earn the third-down role with a strong offseason. The 2021 fourth-round pick has just 22 total carries and six receptions in this NFL career. He has three kickoffs returned for touchdowns. Few NFL players, regardless of position, rival Nwangwu’s 4.29-second 40 speed, which is even more remarkable given his 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame. As the saying goes, you can’t teach speed, so there’s an opportunity here for the third-year back to emerge as the primary backup.
Of course, there’s also a chance the Vikes turn to the wire and look toward the likes of Leonard Fournette or Kareem Hunt. Both are proven vets who can serve as third-down backs and also man the No. 2 role should something happen to Mattison. Hunt makes the most sense and has played in similar systems throughout his career. Ezekiel Elliott remains on the market, too, but it’s tough to see him signing given the expected cost in relation to what he brings to the table at this stage of his career. Minnesota also could explore less accomplished backs, such as J.D. McKissic, Kenyan Drake or Dontrell Hilliard.
As for Cook, he’ll look to sign with a contender at this stage of his career. Miami immediately jumps to the top of the list of potential landing spots, and Denver could be in play, too. His brother plays for Buffalo, but it’s already a crowded backfield, making the signing seem much less likely. One interesting spot could be Cincinnati, even with Joe Mixon on the roster. That’s a long shot, but it would protect the Bengals against his looming legal issues. The Kansas City Chiefs are the best spot if he wants a primary role with a contender. Whether there’s mutual interest is to be determined. Dallas could be a viable option, too.
For now, Mattison is a strong RB2 candidate, which is subject to change pending the team’s approach to the No. 2 spot with regard to his role on third downs. Whoever secures the top backup role will have handcuff value thanks to Mattison’s injury history.
The future for Cook is less certain until he finds a home, but as long as he has the bulk of the RB1 responsibilities, expect no less than No. 2 value in PPR. We’ll revisit the situation upon his signing with a new team.
Alexander Mattison is the clear choice to top this list of running back handcuffs to target in fantasy football.
There are some NFL backfields with two fantasy-relevant running backs who have standalone value in fantasy football even if both RBs stay healthy.
And there are other backfields that feature a backup who doesn’t offer much standalone value but is still a must-roster player due to the workload he’d assume if the starter went down. That’s a handcuff running back, or an insurance running back, and these are five of the top candidates you should consider this season.
Seven of the top running back tandems to handcuff in fantasy football drafts.
It’s common for fantasy football players to “double down” on running backs in whom they’ve made a significant investment by adding the backup late in drafts or auctions. The term for this practice is called “handcuffing” – having two running backs from the same team on your roster.
The key to executing a proper handcuff is in direct relation to the investment made in the first of the two running backs. The player almost certainly needs to be an RB1. There are exceptions to the rule – the first back can be an RB2 in the event there is a belief that two backs will share playing time.
The rationale is pretty simple – if the top guy gets injured, the “handcuff guy” can step in and closely replicate the production.
These are the top seven handcuff players you should consider.
Fantasy football risers and fallers as we enter the penultimate playoff push.
Injuries are always a part of any NFL season, but when you look at the running backs who were ranked highest heading into auctions and drafts prior to the start of the season, it just goes to show why RBs maintain their fantasy value – they’re an endangered species.
The list is impressive and growing with those who will be out in coming weeks. It’s staggering.
Derrick Henry has missed four games and counting. Christian McCaffrey has missed five games and left Sunday’s game, only to be placed on season-ending IR. Dalvin Cook has missed two games and left Sunday’s game. He’s out at least two more. Alvin Kamara has missed three games. Saquon Barkley has missed four games. Nick Chubb has missed three games. Josh Jacobs has missed two games. Clyde Edwards-Helaire has missed five games. Aaron Jones has missed one game and parts of three. Chris Carson has missed six games. J.K. Dobbins has missed the entire season. Miles Sanders has missed three games. David Montgomery has missed four games. James Robinson has missed one game and parts of two others. Raheem Mostert has missed 10 games. Darrell Henderson has missed one game. Kareem Hunt has missed five games.
Considering fantasy owners get heartburn when their star players are on their bye weeks, missing time at this rate for a critical position has likely broken a lot of teams – both fantasy owners and NFL franchises.
Here is the Week 13 Fantasy Market Report:
While his numbers don’t jump off the page as a receiver, when you split them out between home and road production, the contrast is stark. He has scored five touchdowns – all at home. He has five games with 60 or more receiving yards – all at home. While he has just one game with more than five receptions, he has showed that he can be a valuable fantasy contributor when playing at Gillette Stadium, and his numbers all year have borne that out.
Many fantasy owners will forget that two weeks into the 2021 season, Gronk stood alone as the leading scorer in the NFL with four touchdown catches. That was good Gronk. Then came bad Gronk. Late in the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Rams, he went down with an injury and didn’t have a reception in the next six games. In his two games since returning, he has reestablished himself as Tom Brady’s go-to target. He has been targeted 18 times, catching 13 passes for 194 yards and putting himself back into the discussion of the top fantasy tight ends in the game – just in time for a postseason run in defense of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl championship.
For those who didn’t have Mattison as a handcuff for Dalvin Cook, these could be heady days. Cook has a history of injury because of his punishing running style. In the last three games Cook has missed due to injury, Mattison has rushed 72 times for 320 yards, has caught 16 passes for 149 yards and scored three touchdowns. With Cook sidelined with a shoulder injury and free-falling Detroit and Pittsburgh next up on Minnesota’s schedule, Mattison could be one of the most valued running backs in the fantasy game.
At a time when game-changing tight ends are in short supply, fantasy owners scramble in hopes of tight ends that are used considerably in the red zone. Everyone is looking for the 2021 version of what Green Bay’s Robert Tonyan accomplished last year. That is becoming Freiermuth this season. While he only has one game with more than 45 receiving yards, in his last five games, he has caught five touchdown passes and has four or more receptions in each game. While not earth-shattering numbers, at a time when the tight end pool is relatively dry, these are numbers sent from heaven.
Typically, we don’t put weekly fantasy starters on the risers list, but for most of his career, Mixon was a premium pick in fantasy drafts that was most likely to be benched for a better matchup due to long stretches without consistent production. In his first four seasons, he missed time due to injury in three of them and scored just 20 rushing touchdowns in 40 games. This season, he has scored 13 touchdowns (11 rushing, two receiving) and has scored two TDs in each of his last four games. With the Bengals staring down a trip to the playoffs, over his last two games against wild-card contenders (the Raiders and Steelers), he has rushed 58 times for 288 yards and four touchdowns. He’s lining up with Jonathan Taylor for fantasy MVP consideration.
[lawrence-related id=462522]
The Broncos have been snake-bitten when it has come to pairing up Jeudy and Sutton. Last year, it was Sutton, who played just one game before going down for the season. This year it was Jeudy, who was injured in Week 1 and missed the next seven games. The two have been playing together for the last month, and, in those four games, Jeudy has caught 18 passes for 181 yards and no touchdowns. In that same span, Sutton has caught seven passes for 95 yards and no TDs. Both players have a high ceiling to their talent, but neither is worth putting in a lineup as things currently stand, much less when the stakes are higher in December.
Similar to McCaffrey, Barkley has been battling injuries the last two seasons and the results have been numbingly bad. Prior going down in Week 5, Barkley never had more than 57 rush yards in a 2021 game. While he managed to score three TDs in that span, he wasn’t putting together the type of huge numbers that were expected. He’s back and has taken over the lead back role, but he has just 19 carries for 65 yards, 10 receptions for just 44 yards and no touchdowns in those two games. At this point, it’s difficult for those who made a big investment in him to bench him out of fear he will be the Barkley of past vintage. In the end, most owners who invested in Barkley will have to sink or swim with him and, at the moment, they’re drowning.
I’ve never been a huge Hilton guy but had to respect the numbers he put up with Andrew Luck at the wheel. However, this season has been a disaster. He missed the first five games and has been inactive in two more. At least under those circumstances, he doesn’t hurt fantasy players. In the last four games he has played, he has caught just nine passes for 75 yards and one touchdowns. At a time where Michael Pittman has established himself as the No. 1 guy and four others have more receptions than Hilton in the games in which he has played, it seems about time to stick a fork in Hilton as fantasy commodity and move on.
It was curious on two fronts when Drake hit free agency last year – one that the Arizona Cardinals made no effort to re-sign him and second that the Raiders did. In 23 games with the Cards, Drake was close to dominant from the fantasy perspective, rushing for almost 1,600 yards and scoring 18 rushing touchdowns. His role with the Raiders has never been defined. He has played in every game and has more than eight carries just once and averaging less than six. He has more than 34 rush yards in just one game and when Josh Jacobs was down with an injury, Peyton Barber was the primary back. He has talent, but it isn’t being utilized in Las Vegas.
