Fantasy football waiver wire targets after Week 13: Chiefs RB is a breakout candidate

Did we witness Darwin Thompson’s breakout game?

For most you, the fantasy football playoffs have arrived. And if you are reading this article, you’re probably in the playoffs. Congratulations. (If you’re still fighting to win the consolation bracket for pride or for a keeper/dynasty league, best of luck and better luck next year.)

Your roster got you into the playoffs. It never hurts to trust those championship-caliber stars. But it’s always important to build out your bench and depth, even when you’re one of the best teams in your league. A few of these players could be helpful, depending on how many players are in your league.

Here are seven players to target on the waiver wire after Week 13.

7. Gardner Minshew, QB, Jaguars

ESPN: 10%. Yahoo! 8%.

It’s likely that Minshew is in and Nick Foles is out as Jacksonville’s starting quarterback. And in a half of play on Sunday, Minshew managed just over 10 points in standard leagues. He produces in fantasy, particularly because he runs well. The Chargers defense is tough next week, but Oakland is a solid matchup in Week 15.

6. Zach Pascal, WR, Colts

ESPN: 25%. Yahoo! 17%.

With T.Y. Hilton out in Week 13, Pascal shined against the Titans with seven receptions and 109 yards. He’s a solid possession receiver when he’s in the lineup, but goes missing in action when better receivers are healthy.

5. Jordan Wilkins, RB, Colts

ESPN: 6%. Yahoo! 3%.

I mentioned that he might take the job away from Jonathan Williams. And it seems Wilkins is, at least, the top back in a timeshare in Indianapolis. Wilkins had 13 touches (11 carries, 2 receptions) for 56 yards. Williams had nine touches (8 carries, 1 catch) for 24 yards. Wilkins outplayed Williams, and seems likely to take an increased share in the backfield. The major caveat: Marlon Mack is reportedly eying a Week 14 return.

4. Cole Beasley, WR, Bills

ESPN: 24%. Yahoo! 32%.

He has turned up in recent weeks, and is becoming a viable option in both standard and PPR. In the last two weeks, he has 12 receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns. It seems the Bills offense is getting better as the season progresses and Beasley is quarterback Josh Allen’s safety valve.

3. Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins

ESPN: 10%. Yahoo! 19%.

As the Dolphins are making a late-season push into competency, Gesicki, a 2018 second-round pick, has six or more targets in the last five games. He has had a touchdown in each of the last two games. Perhaps things are beginning to click for the young tight end, who was a high-profile draft prospect.

2. Darwin Thompson, RB, Chiefs

ESPN: 5%. Yahoo! 5%.

When Darrel Williams suffered an injury in Week 13, the Chiefs began to feed Darwin Thompson (11 carries, 44 yards, 1 touchdown), who was the rookie many thought might be a breakout candidate at the start of the season. Instead, Damien Williams’ struggles and injuries led to emergences from LeSean McCoy and Darrel Williams. Perhaps Thompson has earned himself a bigger role as the season winds down.

1. Bo Scarbrough, RB, Lions

ESPN: 47%. Yahoo! 43%.

He is definitely the lead back in Detroit, and it’s wild to think he couldn’t get a job in the NFL. Scarbrough hasn’t been brilliant, but he’s an Alabama product who has been competent. His touch total has increased every week since he rejoined the Lions. He had 21 carries for 83 yards in Week 13. It may not be much in terms of points, but it’s the volume you want out of FLEX option.

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Winners and Losers from Bucs vs. Jaguars

There weren’t many positives to take from the Jags’ loss to the Bucs, but they did have some reserves step up in a big way Sunday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars once again came away from game day with another one in the losers column after falling to the Tampa Bay Bucs in Week 13. The Bucs got off to a fast start and the Jaguars never seemed to get going. The Jags were shut out in the first half and it prompted Doug Marrone to make the switch from Nick Foles to Gardner Minshew II.

In another losing effort that ended with a final score of 28-11 here are the winners and losers from Jacksonville’s Week 13 game against their in-state rivals.

Winners

In a game like this, it is hard to identify many “winners,” but a few players stuck out to me.

Pass rusher Josh Allen

Josh Allen continued his sensational rookie campaign against the Bucs. The Kentucky alum registered two quarterback hits, and a sack in yet another solid performance. While he had a great day no doubt, Allen is a winner today for breaking the Jaguars’ rookie sack record with his ninth sack on the season.

Allen was recently second in Pro Bowl voting for AFC defensive ends and his production has been a big reason as to why. With four games still left to be played, Allen will only continue to bolster his lead on the Jaguars record and may even near Javon Kearse’s NFL rookie record of 14.5. He has been one of the Jags’ best and most consistent players, which is a truly remarkable and exciting feat for the young Jaguar.

The Jaguars’ reserve defenders stepped up

Continuing on the defense, both linebacker Donald Payne and safety Andrew Wingard had to be called on to start for Myles Jack and Ronnie Harrison, and neither disappointed. Payne and Wingard were first and second, respectively, as far as tackles go with 13 and seven tackles on the day. Payne also nearly had a pick while Wingard caused a fumble on Jameis Winston which was recovered by the Jags.

If anything, the Jags left the game confident in the two reserves if they have to be called upon again and should look to continue playing both players with the postseason out of reach. Fans should also be mindful of both players in the future because the Jags could be rebuilding, and often times depth is an issue for a team that has reset. If Wingard and Payne continue to make progress, however, the Jags’ depth might be better than expected in the future.

Losers

QB Nick Foles

Nick Foles didn’t have a good day against the Bucs — and he has yet to have one at all since returning. In fact, it’s looking like the Jags may be losing money after signing Foles to an $88 million contract in March.

Sunday, Foles arguably had his worst day aside from his Chiefs debut. Foles couldn’t seem to get anything going and was the reason for three first half turnovers and no points being put on the board. As a result, Marrone decided the offense needed a ‘spark’ and made the change at quarterback.

Minshew instantly gave the offense new life, accumulating their only touchdown drive of the game. Going forward, it seems he’ll be the guy the team might roll with. That would certainly mark a bad season for the former Super Bowl MVP.

The Run Game

Early in the year, Leonard Fournette was on a tear, leading the AFC in rushing yards at the mid-season mark. However, the team has moved away from their strong run game as of late in favor of a more pass-heavy attack. Fournette has become a reliable receiver, but the run game has suffered dearly.

With the return of Minshew under center, the team may return to a more run-based offense, but ultimately, time will tell. Hopefully, the offensive line can open up some more holes for Fournette as the young tailback ran for just 38 yards on 14 carries Week 13. If they can, the Jags would make things much more interesting heading into the last stretch.

Things we learned from Sunday’s games in Week 13

Baltimore’s win against San Francisco was a Super Bowl preview and what else we learned from Week 13.

Here are nine things we learned from Sunday’s games of Week 13 in the NFL season.

9. The Bengals messed up

Cincinnati brought back veteran quarterback Andy Dalton after he was benched for three games in favor of rookie Ryan Finley. The Bengals got a win against the Jets, their first of the season. Sounds like a good move, right? No. It was totally wrong. Dalton won’t be with the Bengals next year. They need to take a long look at Finley. But they paused that. Worse, they hurt their chances of getting the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft, where they can get a sure-fire quarterback.

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Devin White delivers locker room speech after Bucs’ big win over Jags

Watch Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker deliver a postgame speech to his team after the Bucs’ 28-11 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers tamed the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road Sunday, dominating from start to finish in an impressive 28-11 win that gave the Bucs their first back-to-back wins of the season.

At 5-7, Tampa Bay now sits in second place in the NFC South. One of the big reasons for their win was the stellar performance of rookie first-round pick Devin White, who showed why many people had him pegged as a preseason favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The former LSU product had an interception, fumble recovery and defensive touchdown in the first quarter, helping the Bucs jump out to an early 15-0 lead.

Not surprisingly, after the game, White was the one to deliver an inspiring postgame speech in the locker room to his team.

Take a look.

View this post on Instagram

"Let's get better next week and get another win."

A post shared by Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@buccaneers) on Dec 1, 2019 at 2:38pm PST

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Instant analysis: Bucs down Jags, win back-to-back games for first time this year

See who the heroes of the game were for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their 28-11 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It may have taken 13 weeks, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are beginning to look more and more like the team we all thought we were going to see when Bruce Arians came aboard as head coach.

The Bucs, fresh off last week’s big road win over the Atlanta Falcons, kept the momentum going in their 28-11 thrashing of the in-state rival Jacksonville Jaguars. It was an another complete performance by this team and there are several players worthy of recognition.

With that, here are some instant thoughts and analysis from Tampa Bay’s big win.

Good Jameis shows up (mostly)

Quarterback Jameis Winston entered today with 20 interceptions on the year, already a career high for a season. While Winston had no touchdown passes in the team’s win, he also didn’t throw an interception. He’d thrown eight picks in his last three games, so he deserves credit for not making bad choices and forcing throws like he’s done in the past. He did have another lost fumble, but his performance today is worth celebrating. Winston has taken a lot of heat this season for his turnover problems, and rightfully so, but today was a good example of how well this offense can operate when the quarterback takes care of the ball.

Rookies shine on defense

Linebacker Devin White had a monster first quarter today, which really set the tone for this team. The rookie out of LSU had an interception on Jacksonville’s first drive, ultimately leading to a Peyton Barber 15-yard touchdown run, and then had a fumble recovery and touchdown on Jacksonville’s next possession when Nick Foles fumbled the ball after being sacked by Shaq Barrett. Then, after Foles was replaced in the second half by Gardner Minshew, rookie cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting helped stop a Jags comeback attempt by intercepting Minshew on a 3rd-and-goal from the Tampa Bay 2-yard line. A touchdown and extra point would’ve cut the Bucs’ lead to 25-18. That interception by Murphy-Bunting helped seal the win.

Unlikely receiving duo

While Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have been the dynamic receiving duo for the Buccaneers this season, they took a backseat today to Breshad Perriman and O.J. Howard, who were the top two receivers against the Jags. Perriman finished with a season-high five receptions for 87 yards, while Howard, who has had a tumultuous season, finished the day with five catches for 61 yards. Evans, meanwhile, had four receptions for 53 yards, while Godwin finished with four receptions for 50 yards. If the Buccaneers can spread the ball around and get guys like Perriman and Howard involved more often, this team will be unstoppable.

Tampa Bay returns home next week to take on the Indianapolis Colts.

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Nick Foles’ benching probably not permanent, based on his salary situation

The Jaguars probably are stuck with quarterback Nick Foles because of his huge contract.

Nick Foles was supposed to be the missing link for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Instead, he’s just missing.

The quarterback signed a four-year, $88 million contract (including $50 million in guaranteed money) with Jacksonville in the offseason. The expectation was that Foles would help the Jaguars play more like they did in 2017 when they made it to the AFC Championship before having a disappointing 2018.

It hasn’t worked out that way. Foles broke his collarbone in the season opener and didn’t return until Week 10. He’s lost all three games he’s started and it looks like he’ll had a fourth Sunday against Tampa Bay.

Foles already is done for the day. He was benched in favor of rookie Gardner Minshew at halftime with the Jaguars trailing 25-0 after completing seven of 14 passes for 93 yards with an interception in the first half. Minshew led the Jaguars to a 4-4 record while Foles was injured. Minshew came into the game with 2,285 yards and four interception.

Could Foles benching be permanent? Probably not. The Jaguars have too much money invested in Foles in the first two years of his contract. Cutting Foles before next season would cost the Jaguars nearly $34 million in dead money.

But there is a way the Jaguars can void Foles’ contract before the 2021 season. That’s likely when Minshew takes over on a permanent basis.

Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Jags bench Nick Foles in favor of Gardner Minshew in second half vs. Bucs

After another poor day by Nick Foles, the Jags have turned back to Gardner Minshew II against the Bucs.

The Jacksonville Jaguars apparently have seen enough of Nick Foles, who has been struggling since returning from collarbone surgery and turned the ball over three times against the Tampa Bay Bucs Sunday. As a result, they benched the veteran during the second half of Week 13’s game and put in Gardner Minshew II to try and propel the Jags from their 25-0 deficit.

Reaction, from fans who didn’t leave, to Minshew coming back in #duuuval #TBvsJAX @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/i1IVJZ2Fb2

— Lorena Inclán (@LorenaANjax) December 1, 2019

Foles, who returned Week 11 against the Indianapolis Colts, could never find his rhythm and all of the Jags’ game since have been blowouts. That said, it appears Doug Marrone felt a change was and spark was needed.

Minshew took the NFL by storm this season, winning six Pepsi Rookie of the Week awards. He was able to garner a 4-4 record while starting and was 188-of-307 (61.2%) for 2,285 yards, 14 touchdowns and four picks before Foles replaced him.

Future QB Rankings: Rating all 32 NFL teams’ situations from worst to best

Touchdown Wire ranks the 32 NFL teams in terms of stability and potential at the game’s most important position over the next 3-4 seasons.

Future QB Rankings: Rating all 32 NFL teams’ situations from worst to best

Touchdown Wire ranks the 32 NFL teams in terms of stability and potential at the game’s most important position over the next 3-4 seasons.

Tom Brady might be the best quarterback ever, but he’s not the best in the NFL right now. He certainly won’t be the best in 2022.

He’s human, after all, and at age 42, regression is inevitable even for someone with six Super Bowl rings. That puts the New England Patriots in an uncertain situation at quarterback two or three years down the road. The New Orleans Saints, with 40-year-old Drew Brees under center, find themselves in a similar scenario.

Other teams, such as the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers, likely will face difficult personnel decisions at the quarterback position much sooner than that. Only a handful of teams, notably the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks, appear secure in their quarterback situation for years to come.

All this got us thinking about the quarterback situations of the future — and where each of the NFL’s 32 teams ranks in terms of preparedness at the game’s most crucial position.

By quarterback situations, we mean the full overview of each team’s quarterbacks group, including backups and a potential succession plan, if necessary. For this exercise, we will define the future as three to four years down the road.

To help form these opinions, we consulted with a blue-ribbon panel of one former head coach, two former general managers and one current general manager. They were asked for their thoughts on each team’s quarterback situation. They provided insight to inform our rankings.

With that in mind, we present Touchdown Wire’s future quarterback rankings for every NFL team, from worst to first:

32. Miami Dolphins

Earlier this season, many observers accused the Dolphins of tanking to earn the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and presumably select a quarterback. Since then, Miami (2-8) has been eclipsed by the ineptitude of Cincinnati (0-10) and Washington (1-9), so the Dolphins might not get the first QB off the board. Currently, the Dolphins have Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen on their roster. Rosen has failed in his playing time. There’s no way he’ll be back next year. The Dolphins have the option to hang onto Fitzpatrick, 36, who’s currently under contract next season at $5.5 million. It makes sense to keep Fitzpatrick around for one more year to help groom a young quarterback. That could be LSU’s Joe Burrow, Alabama’s Tua Tagavailoa (although his recent hip injury now complicates his draft status), Oregon’s Justin Herbert or Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts. Two members of my panel said they like Burrow better than Tagovailoa. Either way, it’s going to take some time to develop a young quarterback.

31. Chicago Bears

For the moment, Mitchell Trubisky is Chicago’s starting quarterback. But it doesn’t appear that he will be in that role next year — although he remains under contract and the team holds a fifth-year option on the No. 2 overall pick from 2017. Given his level of play this season, it’s highly unlikely he will receive the option year, and he might not even see 2020 with the Bears — although the cap hit for cutting him would be slightly more than $9 million. The Bears are 4-6 after going 12-4 last year. There’s one main reason for the decline. That’s Trubisky. My panelists say he’s holding the offense back and could end up keeping a good team out of the playoffs. All four panelists agree Trubisky should be nothing more than a backup. Current backup Chase Daniel’s contract expires after this season. So there’s no telling who will be Chicago’s quarterback next year. Maybe the Bears will draft a quarterback. But with a talented roster already in place, the Bears should be first in line to sign New Orleans backup Teddy Bridgewater as a free agent.

30. Cincinnati Bengals

Veteran Andy Dalton has been benched, and the Bengals are giving rookie fourth-rounder Ryan Finley a shot. There should be no turning back to Dalton, even though he remains under contract for 2020 with a $17.5 million scheduled salary. The Bengals can cut Dalton after the season without any salary cap ramifications. It’s too early to judge Finley. Cincinnati is going to end up with an early draft pick and could have a shot at Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert or Jalen Hurts. The Bengals will be starting over. But, given their current state, that’s not a bad thing. “Dalton had more than enough time and couldn’t win consistently,” one panelist said. “I have no idea what they have in Finley. But they have to draft a quarterback if they’re sitting there at No. 1 or 2.”

29. Washington Redskins

The current situation is a mess. Veterans Colt McCoy and Case Keenum, who clearly aren’t the answer, each is in the last year of their contract. The Redskins have little choice but to play rookie Dwayne Haskins, who has five interceptions and two touchdown passes, the rest of this season. Call it an audition for Haskins. But this situation is complicated because the Redskins currently have interim coach Bill Callahan, who took over when Jay Gruden was fired. There will be a new coach next year, and he might not like Haskins. With an early draft pick likely, the new coach might want his own guy. Give up on Haskins after only one season? Arizona did it with 2018 first-round pick Josh Rosen after drafting Kyler Murray. All four of our panelists said Haskins was overrated when he was drafted.

28-25 / 24-21 / 20-17 / 16-13 / 12-9 / 8-5 / 4-1

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Chris Wesseling of NFL.com thinks Nick Foles could be the next Bucs quarterback

Find out why Chris Wesseling of NFL.com thinks Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles could be in a Bucs uniform next season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a big decision to make this offseason when it comes to quarterback Jameis Winston. Do they give a new contract to the former number one overall pick, whether short term or long term? Or, do they let him walk as a free agent and start over at the position?

At 3-6, Tampa Bay may well find themselves in an envious draft position when the season ends. With a quarterback-rich 2020 NFL Draft that will likely include guys like Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow, there could be plenty of options for the Bucs.

But, it seems Chris Wesseling of NFL.com thinks there could be a veteran signal-caller under center for the Buccaneers next season: Nick Foles. In his article on the top 10 potentially available passers in 2020, Wesseling listed both Foles and Winston, and offered up the idea that Foles could find his way to Tampa Bay.

Take a look.

“As Minshew Mania entered full bloom, Foles was the quarterback name most bandied about at last month’s trade deadline. Armed with the assurance that they now have an intoxicating young fallback option under center, the Jaguars opted to keep their $88 million investment for a seven-game trial run that will offer ostensible clarity in the 2020 QB room. Should Foles succeed in transmitting his Super Bowl LII magic to a less talented supporting cast than the one he enjoyed in Philadelphia, the best course of action may be to hold Minshew in reserve as a premium insurance policy. Should Foles flounder or suffer yet another injury, however, it will behoove the Jaguars to solicit potential suitors such as the Bears, Broncos or Buccaneers. Yes, the Bucs.”

Foles had a storybook-run to the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, but I think he was in the right system, under the right circumstances. I don’t think he’s worth the big-money investment, though.

If the Buccaneers want to start over at the position, the 2020 NFL Draft is probably the best place to find a quarterback, depending on where they pick. Let a young quarterback learn and grow under Bruce Arians.

Remember, Arians served as the offensive coordinator/interim head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 2012, Andrew Luck’s rookie year. Indy went 11-5 and made the playoffs, one year after going 2-14.

Translation: Arians knows how to work with young quarterbacks, not just veterans.

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