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Fantasy football wavier wire claims and targets ahead of Week 9.
Fantasy football has hit the middle point of the regular season and now, more than ever, a waiver wire pickup could make all the difference for your team. That’s especially the case with a couple of tough injuries that occurred in the NFL this past week.
With that, here are seven wavier wire claims to make in fantasy football ahead of Week 9:
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
| SUNDAY SALUTES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks | Pass-Rush | TD |
| Patrick Mahomes | 416-0 | 5 |
| Russell Wilson | 261-23 | 4 |
| Matthew Stafford | 336-10 | 3 |
| Justin Herbert | 278-21 | 3 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 291-9 | 3 |
| Running Backs | Rush Receive |
TD |
| Dalvin Cook | 30-163 2-63 |
4 |
| Alvin Kamara | 12-67 9-96 |
0 |
| DeeJay Dallas | 18-41 5-17 |
2 |
| Giovani Bernard | 15-62 3-16 |
2 |
| Nyheim Hines | 5-8 3-54 |
2 |
| Wide Receivers | Yards | TD |
| DK Metcalf | 12-161 | 2 |
| Davante Adams | 7-53 | 3 |
| Robert Woods | 7-94 | 2 |
| Corey Davis | 8-128 | 1 |
| Tyreek Hill | 4-98 | 2 |
| Tight Ends | Yards | TD |
| Travis Kelce | 8-109 | 1 |
| Jared Cook | 5-51 | 1 |
| Eric Ebron | 4-48 | 1 |
| Jack Doyle | 2-18 | 1 |
| Ross Dwelley | 16 | 1 |
| Placekickers | XP | FG |
| Mike Badgley | 3 | 3 |
| Will Lutz | 2 | 4 |
| Cairo Santos | 2 | 3 |
| Younghoe Koo | 1 | 4 |
| Sergio Castillo | 0 | 3 |
| Defense | Sck-TO | TD |
| Dolphins | 2-4 | 2 |
| Steelers | 4-4 | 1 |
| Colts | 5-2 | 1 |
| Eagles | 4-2 | 1 |
| Seahawks | 3-2 | 0 |
WR Adam Humphries – Concussion
WR T.Y. Hilton – Groin
WR Kenny Golladay – Hip
RB Darrell Henderson – Thigh
RB Tevin Coleman – Knee
QB Jimmy Garoppolo – Ankle
TE George Kittle – Foot
Chasing Ambulances
Nothing seemed too serious this week. although Monday checkups can surprise.
RB Tevin Coleman – Left in the first quarter and never returned when he re-injured the same knee that held him out for most of the year. Raheem Mostert is on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain. Jerick McKinnon suffers from “tired legs” and only had three carries in the loss. James Hasty is still the only healthy man standing. He only carried 12 times in Seattle but scored once and the 49ers abandoned the run.
TE George Kittle – Left the game with an ankle injury. If he cannot play, HC Kyle Shanahan said that Jordan Reed is expected back this week and would take his place again.
QB Jimmy Garoppolo – Hobbled by his ankle again, he gave way to Nick Mullens who was sharp with 238 yards and two scores against a defense that had stopped caring. Hosting the Packers this week isn’t that attractive if Mullens gets the start.
RB Darrell Henderson – Injured his thigh at the start of the second quarter after running for 47 yards on eight carries. Malcolm Brown (10-40) and Cam Akers (9-35) shared the workload for the rest of the game. The Rams head onto their bye, so Henderson likely has time to heal unless the injury is worse than expected.
WR Kenny Golladay – Injured his hip and left without a catch in the loss to the Colts. Marvin Jones only caught three passes for 39 yards but two were touchdowns. Marvin Hall replaced Golladay with four receptions for 113 yards thanks mostly to a 73-yard catch.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
QB Philip Rivers – After posting only four touchdowns over his first five starts, Rivers has thrown for three touchdowns in each of the last two weeks. He finished with 262 yards and three scores at the Lions this week and heads to Minnesota this week.
Chargers backfield – The committee approach now includes three running backs – Justin Jackson (17-89), Troymaine Pope (10-67), and Joshua Kelley (7-32). Austin Ekeler is expected to be back in Week 10 at Miami but this week hosting the Raiders will again use all three backs. Jackson is the only safe start with the most usage. Pope only had one carry on the year until showing up on Sunday. In the end, they probably have just one more week before Ekeler takes most of the workload back.
QB Drew Lock – He threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Chargers though all three scores happened in the fourth quarter. It’s likely just a blip on his season, but the Broncos will face the Falcons this week.
RB Jordan Wilkins – He only had one carry in the two games prior to Sunday, so it was a surprise to see him lead the Colts with 20 runs for 89 yards and a touchdown plus catch a 24-yard pass. Jonathan Taylor was limited to 11 carries for only 22 yards in that game. Wilkins provided the hot hand and took over the game in the second half, helping the Colts to their win over the Lions. Taylor remains the starter but the team won’t be shy about giving Wilkins a chance to contribute if Taylor is struggling.
Ravens backfield – Mark Ingram missed Week 8 with an ankle injury and never practiced despite coming off their bye. Facing a Steelers defense that allowed just 68.8 rushing yards per game, the Ravens used Gus Edwards (16-87, TD) and JK Dobbins (15-113) with great success even in a loss. The Ravens play at the Colts this week but Edwards and Dobbins are pairing for much better production than the average backfield.
RB Giovani Bernard – He has minimal involvement while Joe Mixon is healthy, but starting for the last two weeks, he’s been productive. After totaling 96 yards and a touchdown against the Browns in Week 7, Bernard ran for 62 yards and a score versus the Titans and caught three passes for 16 yards and another touchdown. The Bengals head onto their bye and Mixon should be back for Week 10, but Bernard was a big part of the Bengals win over the Titans.
WR Jarvis Landry – It was very windy and rained in the Browns loss to the Raiders. Baker Mayfield only completed 12-of-25 for 122 yards in that contest but Landry dominated the throws with 11 targets and four receptions for 52 yards. No other receiver was thrown more than three passes and this was the first game without Odell Beckham. It was a bad weather game, so it’s harder to draw conclusions, but Rashard Higgins (1-14) did little to replace Beckham.
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire – The rookie is now splitting the carries and catches with Le’Veon Bell. The impact was softened when Edwards-Helaire ran in a score in Week 7, and his eight runs for 46 yards were matched with six runs for 39 yards from Bell. Against the Jets – who Bell would have a chip on his shoulder about – the rookie only ran for 21 yards on six runs while Bell gained seven yards on six carries as well. Both had three catches. This is nothing but a negative for Edwards-Helaire and yet not enough so far to justify a fantasy start for Bell.
QB Tua Tagovailoa – The No. 2 overall draft pick debuted with a win over the Rams though he was mostly there while it happened, rather than being an instrumental part. The rookie only completed 12-of-22 passes for 93 yards and one touchdown while running twice for a net of no yards. He’ll need to do more this week in Arizona.
RB DeeJay Dallas – The rookie from Miami ran for 41 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries plus caught five passes for 17 yards and another score in the win over the 49ers. Chris Carson was a game-time decision that was inactive, but chances are that he’ll be active for this week at the Bills. But Dallas’ only start resulted in two touchdowns.
WR Jalen Reagor – The Eagles 1.21 pick returned after missing five games with a thumb injury and caught his first NFL touchdown when he ended with three receptions for 16 yards in the win over the Cowboys. He also gained six yards on his first NFL run. Travis Fulgham (6-78, TD) remains the primary wideout but Reagor is getting back on track.
TE Dallas Goedert – The Eagles tight end was active this week after coming off injured reserve but only caught one pass for 15 yards. It was only his first game since Week 3 but he was quiet in the two games after his productive season opener. The Eagles may finally be turning away from being a tight-end heavy attack to using their wideouts more.
RB Zack Moss – He’s starting to look more like Devin Singletary of last year. In 2019, Frank Gore would typically get the highest number of carries even though Singletary would do much more with his fewer touches. Now, Singletary is the less productive runner and Moss was finally given the same 14 rushes that Singletary had in the win over the Patriots. Singletary ran for 86 yards on 14 carries while Moss gained 82 yards on his 14 runs and scored his first two rushing touchdowns in the NFL. This is a committee backfield but Moss is getting a bigger share of the workload.
Huddle player of the week
Dalvin Cook – The Packers had no answer for Dalvin Cook who rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries and added a 50-yard score on his two receptions for 63 yards as the leading receiver as well. The Packers kept the game close enough that the Vikings never bothered to let the other backs handle the fourth-quarter mop-up duty. Cook cranked out 48.6 fantasy points in a PPR league and 46.6 without receptions points.
Salute!
| Comedy | Yards | TDs | Tragedy | Yards | TDs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Philip Rivers | 262 | 3 | QB | Josh Allen | 177 | 1 |
| RB | Nyheim Hines | 62 | 2 | RB | Johnathan Taylor | 31 | 0 |
| RB | DeeJay Dallas | 58 | 2 | RB | Clyde Edwards-Helaire | 31 | 0 |
| WR | Corey Davis | 128 | 1 | WR | Kenny Golladay | 0 | 0 |
| WR | Mecole Hardman | 96 | 1 | WR | Diontae Johnson | 6 | 0 |
| WR | Marvin Jones | 39 | 2 | WR | Calvin Ridley | 42 | 0 |
| TE | Eric Ebron | 48 | 1 | TE | George Kittle | 39 | 0 |
| PK | Mike Badgley | 3XP 3 FG | PK | Robbie Gould | 3 XP | ||
| Huddle Fantasy Points = 143 | Huddle Fantasy Points = 28 | ||||||
Now get back to work…
The 49ers on Wednesday had a trio of players from Injured Reserve have their practice windows open.
The 49ers on Wednesday announced they’re opening practice windows for three players on Injured Reserve. Running back Tevin Coleman, cornerback K’Waun Williams and tight end Jordan Reed all participated in Wednesday’s session to begin their 21-day workout period before the club has to make a decision on whether they’ll rejoin the roster or not.
When a player’s practice window opens, the team has three weeks to determine whether that player will return to the active roster. If they don’t in that 21-day period, they have to be placed back on Injured Reserve for the rest of the season.
It’s not a surprise that Coleman and Williams were on the field. Head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated Monday that both players were likely to be in action for practice, but their status for Sunday’s game in Seattle remains up in the air.
Reed comes as a little bit of a surprise since his initial outlook after a knee sprain in Week 3 was a six-to-eight week time period for return. This is the fifth week, and there wasn’t an indication he’d be back early. However, he was seen at practice leading up to Week 7 working out on a side field and doing sprints.
Shanahan said the team will take a wait-and-see approach with all three players.
“I think all three of those guys have a chance this week, but they’re not going to be going today,” Shanahan told reporters Wednesday. “So we’ll see how much, I know Tevin will get a little bit today, but not very much. So, we’ll see at the end of the week with him. I’m hoping more for the Green Bay game, but I’m still holding out hope for this week.”
With a short week leading up to a Thursday Night Football game vs. the Packers in Week 9, San Francisco may opt to push some returns back to that one. We’ll find out as the week progresses though whether any of the Williams-Coleman-Reed trio will play in Seattle.
The 49ers may be getting a couple playmakers back off of Injured Reserve.
The 49ers haven’t had much in the way of good injury luck this season, but they could be getting healthier soon. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner observed during Thursday’s practice slot corner K’Waun Williams and tight end Jordan Reed working out on a side field.
Williams and Reed are both on Injured Reserve and therefore can’t practice with the team until their practice window is opened, but workouts on a side field are a positive indication of progress in their rehab.
San Francisco placed Williams on IR with a knee sprain following the team’s loss to the Eagles. He went into the game with a hip issue as well. He’s eligible to come off IR following the team’s game in New England. Jamar Taylor has been working in the slot with Williams out.
Reed sprained his knee in the 49ers’ Week 3 romp over the Giants. He initially twisted his ankle and left the game, but returned only to hurt his knee on his next reception. He’s been on IR since before Week 4 and is eligible to come off the injured list once he’s deemed healthy enough to play. Head coach Kyle Shanahan initially said Reed would be out six-to-eight weeks, and San Francisco recently released TE Daniel Helm who was signed to take Reed’s roster spot.
The 49ers will never be fully healthy this season, but Williams and Reed are both bona fide playmakers who make the team better.
The 49ers officially activated WR Deebo Samuel as part of a number of roster moves leading up to Week 4.
The 49ers on Saturday announced a series of roster moves ahead of their game against the Philadelphia Eagles. They officially activated Deebo Samuel off Injured Reserve, placed tight end Jordan Reed and defensive end Dee Ford on IR, and promoted linebacker Joe Walker, cornerback Jamar Taylor and running back JaMycal Hasty from the practice squad.
Samuel was originally placed on IR before Week 1 with a foot injury. He was only on the injured list for the required minimum of three weeks. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Samuel will ease into his role as the team’s top receiver, so don’t expect a full workload from him in his season debut. He’ll take one of the spots vacated by Ford and Reed.
Ford will head to IR while he tries to get healthy from a back injury. Originally the team believed he was just dealing with neck spasms, but further evaluation deemed it something more serious. He’s had back issues before so the 49ers are being extra cautious in waiting on his return. There’s no timetable for his return.
Reed is out six-to-eight weeks with a knee sprain he suffered last week vs. the Giants. The good news is he won’t be limited when he has rehabbed and returns to the field according to Shanahan. A fully healthy Reed would be a nice late-season addition for San Francisco.
There weren’t any surprises among the practice squad promotions. Walker and Hasty were both active last week with Dre Greenlaw and Raheem Mostert sidelined by injuries. Their roles will likely be relatively minimal barring injuries in front of them on the depth chart, but there’s a subtle distinction in their two promotions.
Walker was “flexed” per the Athletic’s Matt Barrows. That means he’s on a temporary promotion and will revert back to the practice squad following Sunday night’s game.
Hasty was added to the active roster, which means he’ll not go back to the practice squad following Sunday’s contest. He’ll be the fourth running back with Raheem Mostert, Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson Jr. while Tevin Coleman remains on IR with a knee sprain. He gets the other roster spot opened by Ford and Reed going to IR.
Taylor on Saturday was signed to the practice squad. His promotion, like Walker’s, is temporary. He spent the last three weeks of training camp working in the slot while K’Waun Williams worked through a calf injury. Now Williams is dealing with a hip issue that’s left him ‘questionable’ for Week 4. Taylor would likely work as the nickel corner should Williams be unavailable.
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Jordan Reed’s knee injury will land him on Injured Reserve, and tight end Daniel Helm will be his replacement.
The 49ers on Tuesday scooped tight end Daniel Helm off from the Bucs’ practice squad according to Greg Auman of the Athletic. Helm will join San Francisco’s active roster.
Helm was with the 49ers last season on the practice squad and had a stint on the 53-man roster. He was an undrafted rookie last season out of Duke and was with the Chargers prior to landing with San Francisco. He was released this offseason and claimed by the Chiefs before making his way to Tampa Bay.
He’ll give them a fourth tight end with Jordan Reed heading to Injured Reserve with a knee injury. A year-plus with San Francisco gives Helm the opportunity to step in and contribute right away if need be.
Once George Kittle returns, Helm figures to be the fourth tight end behind Kittle, Ross Dwelley and rookie sixth-round pick Charlie Woerner.
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Jordan Reed suffered a knee injury in the 49ers’ win over the Giants, but it shouldn’t impact him late in the year.
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Tight end Jordan Reed was off to a good start with the 49ers before a knee injury in Week 3 continued a troubling trend in his injury-plagued career. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan is optimistic the MCL sprain Reed sustained against the Giants isn’t something that’ll keep him from being a factor when he returns in six-to-eight weeks.
“I know he’s disappointed, but not discouraged,” Shanahan on Monday told reporters in a video conference. “I think he was really liking where he was at. It’s something that’s going to take some time, just what they say, probably six to eight weeks, which does take time. So, I know he’s disappointed in that, but nothing that’s going to affect him after that. He’ll hit his rehab hard and hopefully we can weather the storm while he’s gone and he’ll come back to a good team.”
Reed was tied for the 49ers’ team lead in targets with 16, and led the club in receptions with 11 and touchdown catches with two. He left Sunday’s game with two catches for 23 yards.
It’d be a significant accomplishment for Reed to return and finish out the year healthy. A six-week recovery time puts him back in the lineup for Week 9 against the Packers. Eight weeks makes him healthy for the bye week and back in action vs. the Rams in Week 12.
Injuries have been an unfortunate commonality for the former third-round pick. He’s never played in 16 games, and he’s reached the 14-game mark only once. It sounds like this season he may not get to double-digit games for the fourth time in his career.
While the injury isn’t good, the fact he can return is a huge plus. The 49ers never meant to lean on Reed the way they did in Weeks 2 and 3, and he should come back to a healthier version of the team that has a slew of other weapons around him.
Reed may not get to play a full season, but he has a chance to come back and have a major impact for a 49ers team that still has visions of winning a Super Bowl.
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
| SUNDAY SALUTES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks | Pass – Rush |
TD |
| Russell Wilson | 315 – 22 | 5 |
| Josh Allen | 311 – 8 | 5 |
| Dak Prescott | 472 – 26 | 3 |
| Jared Goff | 321 – 4 | 3 |
| Kyler Murray | 270 – 29 | 3 |
| Running Backs | Rush Receive |
TD |
| Rex Burkhead | 6-49 7-49 |
3 |
| Austin Ekeler | 12-59 11-84 |
1 |
| James Robinson | 11-46 6-83 |
2 |
| Dalvin Cook | 22-181 2-18 |
1 |
| Alvin Kamara | 6-58 13-139 |
2 |
| Wide Receivers | Yards | TD |
| Tyler Lockett | 9-100 | 3 |
| Keenan Allen | 13-132 | 1 |
| Justin Jefferson | 7-175 | 1 |
| Allen Robinson | 10-123 | 1 |
| Cedrick Wilson | 5-107 | 2 |
| Tight Ends | Yards | TD |
| Jimmy Graham | 6-60 | 2 |
| Tyler Kroft | 4-24 | 2 |
| Eric Ebron | 5-52 | 1 |
| Zach Ertz | 7-70 | 0 |
| Robert Tonyan | 5-50 | 1 |
| Placekickers | XP | FG |
| Stephen Gostkowski | 1 | 6 |
| Joey Slye | 0 | 5 |
| Matt Prater | 2 | 4 |
| Robbie Gould | 3 | 3 |
| Jake Elliott | 2 | 3 |
| Defense | Sck-TO | TD |
| Colts | 2-3 | 2 |
| Buccaneers | 6-2 | 0 |
| Patriots | 2-3 | 1 |
| Seahawks | 2-3 | 0 |
| Browns | 3-5 | 0 |
No first-round fantasy picks this time but enough fantasy starters to impact your league.
QB Mitchell Trubisky – Benched
QB Jeff Driskel – Benched
RB Tarik Cohen – Knee (ACL?)
RB Chris Carson – Knee
TE Dallas Goedert – Ankle
TE Jordan Reed – Knee, ankle
TE Jared Cook – Ankle
WR DeSean Jackson – Hamstring
WR Russell Gage – Concussion
WR Diontae Johnson – Concussion
WR Bryan Edwards – Ankle
WR John Brown – Calf
WR Michael Pittman – Ankle
WR Mike Williams – Hamstring
WR Chris Godwin – Hamstring
Chasing Ambulances
Not as bad as Week 2 but still worth noting.
RB Tarik Cohen – Is believed to have a season-ending ACL injury. The Bears have not done much with the backfield so far and David Montgomery remains the primary back. Ryan Nall is the only other back on the active roster so they’ll be either calling up a practice squad player or scraping a “best available” back from the waiver wire. Cohen lacked any consistent fantasy value, so his absence likely means that Montgomery will be a bit more work rather than a new back will be worth grabbing.
RB Chris Carson – Left the game and HC Pete Carroll said he had a knee sprain and would get an MRI on Monday. Carlos Hyde should be owned by the team with Carson but if not he’s worth grabbing. Hyde would be first in line to replace Carson if needed and is second on the team with 16 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown this year. The Seahawks face the Dolphins and Vikings next, so the starting running back is a fantasy option for the next two weeks.
WR Diontae Johnson – Missed the second half with what was reported to be a concussion while running a reverse. If he misses time, it is less clear that any individual wide receiver will see more work. James Washington would be first in line but the rookie Chase Claypool also figures in and tight end Eric Ebron just had his best game as a Steeler. Washington is the best bet but that may not mean much.
WR DeSean Jackson – Left with a hamstring strain and so did Dallas Goedert (ankle). They were already without Jalen Reagor (thumb) and Alshon Jeffery (foot). That allowed Greg Ward to have a career-best performance of eight catches for 72 yards and the lone receiving touchdown. His 11 targets paced the team. Deontay Burnett had been called up from the practice squad to help out but only caught three passes for 19 yards. Ward deserves to land on a fantasy roster as (currently) a starting wideout on an offense that has to throw to catch up. But the next two games are at the 49ers and at the Steelers, so roll back the expectations for any of their receivers.
WR John Brown – Suffered a calf injury and had been nursing a foot injury last week. In his place, fourth-round rookie Gabriel Davis took his place and caught four passes for 81 yards while Cole Beasley stepped up to lead the team with six receptions for 100 yards. Stefon Diggs still caught a touchdown but ended with four catches for 49 yards. The Bills hit the road for the next two weeks to play at the Raiders and Titans. Davis and Beasley become at least lower-end options for those games if Brown remains out.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
QB Deshaun Watson – He’s been sacked 13 times and hit many more. The Texans have to start protecting him better because they have no chance if he is injured. Joe Burrow leads the NFL with 14 sacks only because the Eagles dumped him eight times this week. Watson was sacked at least four times each week.
QB Nick Foles – The change isn’t official yet, but Foles replaced the benched Mitchell Trubisky and led the Bears to a three-touchdown fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Falcons. He threw for 128 yards over the final 20 minutes of the game. The Bears host the Colts and Buccaneers next and came into the season with one of the most advantageous passing schedule strengths. Maybe Foles is the guy to realize that advantage.
TE Jimmy Graham – Caught six passes for 60 yards and two touchdowns against the Falcons. He scored in Week 1. But he flopped with just one catch in Week 2. Could be worth a stash to see if Foles continues to look for him but he’s been invisible in home games so far.
RB Darrell Henderson – He scored for the second week in a row and ran for 114 yards on 20 carries at the Bills. Malcolm Brown still had seven runs but only gained 19 yards. Cam Akers was out with a rib injury. He may end up a factor later in the year but at least for now, Henderson is the only fantasy play in this backfield.
WR Donte Inman – Scored twice in the loss to the Browns but only caught three of six targets for 38 yards. The Football Team host the Ravens and Rams next, so repeating the production is very unlikely.
WR Kalif Raymond – He led the Titan receivers with three receptions for 118 yards at the Vikings but that included a 61-yard catch. He’s on his third NFL team and never caught more than nine passes in a season. Not worth a free agent pick.
WR Justin Jefferson – The Vikings 1.22 pick this year, Jefferson broke out with a seven-catch, 175-yard effort against the Titans and scored his first NFL touchdown. His 4.43/40 speed was on display when he included catches of 31, 33 and 71 yards. The Vikings play on the road these next two weeks against the Texans and Seahawks, so there should be plenty of opportunities for him to contribute.
RB Rex Burkhead – James White remained out with his family tragedy, so Burkhead filled in. Sony Michel ran for 117 yards on nine carries but Burkhead converted his six rushes into 49 yards and two touchdowns, plus he led the team with seven catches for 49 yards and a third touchdown. It was everything that the James White owner was hoping to get. The backfield remains a committee approach and White will return, but Burkhead earned a spot on any fantasy roster with Michel or White on it.
RB Jerick McKinnon – With Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert out, McKinnon led the backfield with 14 runs for 38 yards and a score but was only good for three catches for 39 yards. Jeff Wilson was also allowed 12 rushes for 15 yards and a touchdown plus three receptions for 54 yards and a second score. The 49ers hit a string of three straight home games that go against the Eagles, Dolphins and Rams. There will be at least moderate fantasy value from whichever backs can play.
Giants backfield – They only ran the ball ten times but that divided into Devonta Freeman (5-10), Wayne Gallman (4-7) and Dion Lewis (1-0). Worse yet is that the only times they used the position for a reception was with Gallman (2-7) and Lewis (1-10) in a game that they lost by 27 points. None of the backs merit a fantasy start until one proves worthy and the Giants face three road venues over their next four games.
WR Tee Higgins – Played in his second NFL game and turned nine targets into five catches for 40 yards and two touchdowns. It’s a nice sign that the Bengals first two draft picks are already connecting so well.
RB Antonio McFarland – The Steelers 4.18 pick finally saw his first action when he ran for 42 yards on six carries and added a seven-yard catch. The 5-8 Maryland star sports a 4.4 speed and averaged 7.0 yards per carry. James Conner remains safe as the workhorse back, but McFarland was chosen to add a new, speedy complement in the backfield.
RB Mike Davis – Nice payback on handcuffing Christian McCaffrey or at least having early access to the waiver wire. Davis was limited to 46 yards on 13 runs but led the Panthers with eight catches for 45 yards and the lone offensive touchdown. Not that much of a step down from what McCaffrey would have done.
QB Justin Herbert – He’s only started two games but topped 300 yards in both. Versus the Panthers, the rookie passed for 33 yards and one score though he lost two fumbles and tossed an interception. When Herbert plays, Keenan Allen hasn’t gained fewer than 96 yards. HC Anthony Lynn said that Tyrod Taylor was still the starter when healthy… but why?
WR Kenny Golladay – Missed the first two weeks with a hamstring strain, but returned despite the questionable tag. He led the Lions with six catches for 57 yards and one score and the passing offense just seemed to operate better in their win over the Cardinals. He’ll likely draw CB Marshon Lattimore when the Saints visit this week, but at least he’s back and helping the other receivers as well.
Buccaneers backfield – Despite the success of Leonard Fournette in Week 2, the Bucs reverted back to favoring Ronald Jones (13-53) while Fournette was left with seven carries to gain 15 yards. Both backs caught two short passes and neither scored. The schedule tightens up with the next matchups going against the Chargers, Bears and Packers, so there’s nothing safe about this backfield.
TE Rob Gronkowski – After a catchless Week 2, he was roundedly dropped in all fantasy leagues and even said he was there to block. So, naturally, he led the Buccaneers with seven targets for six catches for 48 yards. There’s no reliability in any receivers outside of Chris Godwin or Mike Evans. Too early to buy back into Gronk as a fantasy option.
WR Cedrick Wilson – The Cowboys No. 4 wideout just caught five passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns. He recorded no catches in the first two weeks and totaled just five receptions in all of last year. It’s favorable for the Cowboys to get that level of production from a No. 4 wideout, but he’s not worth touching for a fantasy team.
WR Allen Lazard – scored in the two road games this year and did little in the one homestand. Lazard ended with a team-high six catches for 146 yards and one score at the Saints on Sunday night. The Packers face the Falcons this week but – at home.
Huddle player of the week
Alvin Kamara – He everything you hoped for when you drafted him last year. It took a little more faith to draft him this summer after that down year and he’s paid back his team owners. Kamara was Saints’ best (and nearly only) weapon in their loss to the Packers. He rushed for 58 yards and caught 13 of 14 targets for 139 yards and two scores. If your league awards reception points, his 44.70 probably helped you to a win. His 52-yard touchdown catch through much of the Packers defense should end up on an NFL highlight reel for 2020.
Salute!
| Comedy | Rush Receive |
TDs | Tragedy | Rush Receive |
TDs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Carson Wentz | 225 – 65 | 3 | QB | Cam Newton | 162 – 27 | 1 |
| RB | Rex Burkhead | 6-49 7-49 |
3 | RB | Kenyan Drake | 18-73 1-6 |
0 |
| RB | Jeffery Wilson | 12-15 3-54 |
2 | RB | Joe Mixon | 17-49 2-16 |
0 |
| WR | Justin Jefferson | 7-175 | 1 | WR | Julian Edelman | 2-23 | 0 |
| WR | Cedrick Wilson | 5-107 | 1 | WR | Brandin Cooks | 3-23 | 0 |
| WR | Tee Higgins | 5-40 | 2 | WR | Diontae Johnson | 1-9 | 0 |
| TE | Jimmy Graham | 6-60 | 2 | TE | Darren Waller | 2-9 | 0 |
| PK | Stephen Gostkowski | 1 XP 6 FG | PK | Jason Myers | 4 XP | ||
| Huddle Fantasy Points = 205 | Huddle Fantasy Points = 49 | ||||||
Now get back to work…
Kyle Shanahan doesn’t believe Jordan Reed’s knee and ankle injuries are significant.
The 49ers couldn’t make it through Sunday’s win over the Giants without some injury problems. Jordan Reed was one of the players hurt in the contest after he twisted his ankle and knee trying to make a catch in the back of the end zone. He wound up leaving the game early, but head coach Kyle Shanahan after the game told reporters he’s optimistic that the knee and ankle injuries that knocked Reed out aren’t serious.
There were no specifics from the 49ers coach on what exactly the ailment is. Reed left the game in the second quarter under his own power.
#49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said he's "pretty optimistic" that TE Jordan Reed's injury won't be anything long term but they'll know more on Monday.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) September 27, 2020
Reed initially exited right after the play where he got hurt. He came back out of the locker room with a freshly-taped ankle, but left the game again after getting tackled on a short throw. Before leaving he hauled in two receptions for 23 yards.
With his injury history, it’ll be worth keeping a very close eye on Reed’s status throughout the week.
Avery Williamson returned to fold Sunday but wasn’t in the Jets starting lineup.
Avery Williamson returned to the fold Sunday but wasn’t in the Jets’ starting lineup.
After making his way back from an ACL injury that was suffered in August 2019, Williamson dealt with a hamstring injury that held him out of New York’s Week 1 matchup against Buffalo. On Sunday, however, Williamson made his first regular season appearance in green and white since 2018, when he compiled a career-high 120 combined tackles, three sacks, one interception, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles. His return, however, was not all that productive.
Williamson played sparingly in the Jets’ 31-13 loss, taking just 17 snaps on defense while tallying three tackles on the day. Neville Hewitt and Alec Ogletree, started up the middle, with Ogletree playing 33 of 59 defensive snaps.
Both Ogletree and Hewitt struggled mightily in controlling the 49ers’ run game and containing tight end Jordan Reed. The 49ers rushed the ball 29 times for 182 yards and two touchdowns, while Reed caught seven passes for 50 yards and two scores of his own.
This left many wondering why a healthy Williamson wasn’t getting more action, but it seems like the Jets weren’t fully ready to unleash one of their defensive leaders. Williamson was limited to special teams duties with some defensive snaps sprinkled in.
If he’s healthy, it’s likely that Willamson will be involved more in the Jets’ defensive game plan in next Sunday’s matchup against the Colts. Based on the performances of Ogletree and Hewitt, Williamson should get some more snaps.
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