Tag: Leonard Fournette

Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 10 free-agent forecast

Check out the top waiver wire targets for Week 10.

As we enter into the home stretch of the fantasy football season, managers are either looking to stay in the hunt or play spoiler for the rest of the league. Either way, the waiver wire is a vital part of the process.

There will be another four teams on a bye in Week 10 while another four will return from their week off.

Teams on a bye in Week 10 include the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles.

We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo leagues, using the 75% rostered mark 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.

Pat McAfee Show loves Rasul Douglas, Leonard Fournette additions by Bills

They love the deals:

The Bills added cornerback Rasul Douglas and running back Leonard Fournette around the 2023 NFL trade deadline.

Douglas, who was traded for, got into an argument with Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the past. Meanwhile, Fournette–who was signed as a free agent–got into a fist fight on the field with his new teammate, Shaq Lawson, in 2018.

But upon reflecting on the acquisitions, the Pat McAfee Show thinks those are actually positives.

“This is what teams love,” McAfee said.

Listen to McAfee and co-host AJ Hawk explain why in the NSFW clip below:

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Bills’ Rasul Douglas, Leonard Fournette, Linval Joseph pick new numbers

#Bills’ Rasul Douglas, Leonard Fournette, Linval Joseph pick new numbers:

The Buffalo Bills decided to bring in a trio of new players on this week as the 2023 NFL trade deadline went down.

The Bills (5-3) landed cornerback Rasul Douglas in a deal with the Green Bay Packers. Then via the free agency route, running back Leonard Fournette and defensive lineman Linval Joseph were signed.

Days later, they took in their first ever practice in Buffalo. But before even doing that, Douglas, Fournette and Joseph had another mission to accomplish: Picking a new number that they will wear as members of the Bills.

Check out all the new numbers that will be on the field for the Bills moving forward:

Leonard Fournette: Bills were ‘right opportunity’ for him

Lenny on signing with the #Bills:

The Buffalo Bills signed running back Leonard Fournette, hoping he’ll make contributions to the team’s offense during the latter half of the 2023 season.

Fournette, 28, was a free agent for the first half of the season but he said it wasn’t for a lack of interest.

Fournette said the Bills (5-3) weren’t the only team looking to sign him. However, he believed they were the right one for him.

“I had a couple teams reach out to me. But I really wanted to do what’s best for me, a fresh start out here in Buffalo,” Fournette said. “I have a lot left in the tank to play, it was all about the right opportunity.”

Fournette heading to Buffalo was a bit of time in the making, too. Earlier in October, Fournette previously had a free-agent workout scheduled with the Bills.  It was anticipated that afterward he would sign with the team but the workout was canceled.

It appears the two sides remained in contact since he eventually did join the team. Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane acknowledged there had been previous conversations with Fournette.

“We’ve been talking to Leonard (for) a little bit,” Beane said via video conference. “At this point, he was ready to join a team, so I’m excited to get him here.”

But it still remains to be seen how long until Fournette can make an impact. The big-bodied rusher said it could take anywhere from two-to-four weeks for him to fully get a grasp on the playbook, but it’s likely he’s brought along sooner than that after he learns a handful of plays he can play in.

As far as Buffalo’s upcoming matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) on Sunday, it remains to be seem if Fournette plays. Since he signed with the team’s practice squad and not to the active roster, he’ll have to be called up for game day… which would take place on Saturday.

For more from Fournette on signing with the Bills, see the attached Bills Live clip below:

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Bills at Bengals: 5 things to watch for during Week 9’s matchup

#Bills at #Bengals: 5 things to watch for during Week 9’s matchup:

The Buffalo Bills (5-3) continue their regular season journey at on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) in Week 9 on Sunday Night Football at Paycor Stadium.

All week, topics and storylines have been discussed ahead of these two familiar foes facing off. In the end, regardless of what is said by players, coaches, media outlets and fans, it always comes down to what unfolds on the field in the NFL.

And once the battle arrives, there will be a few particular things to keep in mind to look out for.

With that, are five things to watch for during Sunday’s Bills-Bengals matchup:

No more beef: Leonard Fournette posts video with Shaq Lawson in Bills locker room

Friends now:

Fighters have now become friends.

Once upon a time in 2018, Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson and new teammate Leonard Fournette got into a fight on the field.

No, not pushing and shoving… a fight. The two were throwing haymakers at each other at Highmark Stadium as things got heated in a game against the Jaguars. Fournette was suspended for it, even.

Years later, the two are fine. Even friends now.

Upon signing with the Bills this week, Fournette and Lawson came face-to-face again… but it’s all good. Fournette posted a funny video to his Instagram page sharing that the two had squashed any beef between each other.

But Fournette got one more shot in: Joking that he won the fight. It was all laughs.

Check out the video Fournette shared below:

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Six points with David Dorey

Friday’s quick look at six fantasy items to know

The trade deadline came and went without any real fireworks other than Joshua Dobbs switching to the Vikings for almost no cost. Dobbs gets a nice upgrade to his receivers, especially when Justin Jefferson makes it back. We saw a painful week for quarterbacks, and as of this week, eight teams will have started a different quarterback for at least one game. We haven’t seen any of the top quarterbacks miss games, though Kirk Cousins’ season is now over.

Injuries seem to be coming in waves. Two weeks ago was a very light week. But it all draws the same conclusion – you need depth. You can never let your roster just ride and not worry about upgrading it at every chance you get. True – there won’t likely be any Top-10 players waiting for you to rescue them from the waiver wire. But some players develop through the season and grow in value. And you likely have players that are not exactly who you hoped they would be.

It’s also important to consider carrying two defenses and two kickers to give you options. And upgrading those positions as well. Here’s a look at six things to follow heading into Sunday for Week 9.

  1.  QB Taylor Heinicke (ATL) –  The Falcons have benched Desmond Ridder for this week (at least) and are starting Heinicke, who stepped in last week in the third quarter and completed 12-of-21 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown. It complicates evaluating Ridder because he plays in a run-heavy offense, but through eight games, he’s only thrown six touchdowns against six interceptions. Heinicke plays the visiting Vikings this week, and if he throws well, HC Arthur Smith would have to consider keeping him on the field. The fantasy futures of Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Jonnu Smith depend on it. 
  2. WR Demario Douglas (NE) – The Patriots lost their No. 1 wideout Kendrick Bourne to a torn ACL, and DeVante Parker is out with a concussion. The rookie Douglas had already seen a rise in pass targets with a high of seven last week. He’s been below fantasy relevancy but is now a starting slot receiver. JuJu Smith-Schuster is second string now, so Douglas has a nice chance to shine and this week faces the visiting Commanders’ defense, who rank No. 31 versus wideouts. Kayshon Boutte is also expected to start seeing playing time.
  3.  WR Jonathan Mingo (CAR) – The 6-0, 220 star wideout from Mississippi was the second-round pick of the Panthers. The Panthers’ passing offense is slowly improving, with Bryce Young at the helm, and Adam Thielen has already been a fantasy gem this year. Mingo is one to watch as the starting flanker. He’s only been good for around three catches in most weeks, but he ended with four receptions for 62 yards last Sunday. His 40-yard catch and run in the third quarter set up a much-needed field goal in their 13-15 win over the Texans. Facing the Colts this week and the Bears in Week 10 are worth tracking to see if he’s starting to assert himself in the second half of the season.
  4. RB Leonard Fournette (BUF) – Chances are exceedingly high that he will disappoint every fantasy owner who waited for eight games to have him find a team or the waiver wire hound that outbid the rest of their fantasy league dreaming of the old Touchdown Lenny. He was signed to the practice squad and there is a reason why no one wanted him for eight weeks. We’re all waiting for him to be added to the active roster, and the expectation will be that he can be a short-yardage back. Bills GM Brandon Beane said, “He’s a heavy, heavy dude–mid to 230s. He looks good…just competition to the room, but he doesn’t know this playbook. And so, I think it’s good for him to come in here and start on the practice squad. He’s head down. He’s been great, and we’ll take it one day at a time with him.” Fournette may become a factor later in the year, but he’s no Week 9 consideration.
  5. Yards per catch for NFL wideouts – Every so often if is good to review which receivers are being the most effective with their catches, especially for the younger ones who are still developing.
    Wide Receiver Yards/Catch Receptions Yards
    1    DEN Marvin Mims 22.4 11 246
    2    NO Rashid Shaheed 20.8 23 479
    3    DET Josh Reynolds 18.0 22 397
    4    SF Brandon Aiyuk 17.7 35 620
    5    HOU Nico Collins 17.5 33 577
    6    PIT George Pickens 17.4 30 521
    7    MIA Tyreek Hill 16.6 61 1014
    8    LAC Joshua Palmer 16.4 23 377
    9    TEN DeAndre Hopkins 16.1 35 564
    10    ARI Michael Wilson 16.0 25 401

    The above considered players with at least ten catches. Marvin Mims is starting well but the Broncos didn’t trade away any starters. Rashid Shaheen has been a factor in a few games but lacks consistency. It is a plus to see Nico Collins already connecting with C.J. Stroud. The rookie Michael Wilson is also notable since he’ll be paired with Kyle Murray soon.

  6. QB Joshua Dobbs (MIN) – With only a few days since the trade was accomplished, the Vikings will start the rookie Jaren Hall versus the Falcons, and there’s no guarantee that the rookie doesn’t also start against the visiting Saints in Week 10. It’s not impossible that Hall does well and keeps the job – but it is less likely. Justin Jefferson has missed three games with a strained hamstring and only has to miss this week. Ian Rapoport reported that Jefferson is “coming back sooner than later.” Dobbs may be stepping in at a very opportune time in Week 10. What Jaren Hall does this week will be a key to what happens with Dobbs.

About last night…

Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Titans 16, Steelers 20

The Will Levis Experience apparently does not include four touchdowns every week, and while he did not throw any, he was still admittedly impressive with his 262 yards and one interception that ended the game. DeAndre Hopkins (4-60) still had several nice catches and Kyle Phillip (4-68) turned in a season-best but no one else had more than 30 yards. Levis cooled off without those touchdown bombs to Hopkins, but he still looked more poised and capable than someone in their second career start. 

Derrick Henry ran for 75 yards on 17 rushes with one touchdown, and even added three catches for 27 yards. Tyjae Spears handled five carries for just 18 yards and caught four passes for just four yards. The Titans were in the game until the final seconds and Levis took over with 1:44 left to play at their own 15-yard line and drove the team to the PIT 24-yard line with 11 seconds left to play when he threw an interception instead of a game-winning touchdown.

Kenny Pickett only passed for 160 yards and one score, with Diontae Johnson (7-90, TD) as the only receiver with more than 25 yards. George Pickens almost caught a touchdown but settled for only two catches for a net one-yard loss. Jaylen Warren (11-88) and Najee Harris (16-69, TD) split up the backfield workload. This was a low-scoring game with minimal fireworks, but it was a Thursday game.

Bills’ Rasul Douglas, Leonard Fournette pick new numbers

#Bills’ Rasul Douglas, Leonard Fournette pick new numbers:

The Buffalo Bills decided to bring two players on board this week ahead of the 2023 NFL trade deadline. Both could be impact makers.

The Bills (5-3) landed cornerback Rasul Douglas in a deal with the Green Bay Packers. Then via the free agency route, running back Leonard Fournette was signed.

One day later, the duo took in their first ever practice in Buffalo. But before even doing that, Douglas and Fournette had another mission to accomplish: Picking a new number that they will wear as members of the Bills.

Check out both Douglas and Fournette’s number selections they made upon joining the Bills:

Bills at Bengals: 7 storylines to watch for in Week 9

#Bills at #Bengals: 7 storylines to watch for in Week 9:

The Buffalo Bills will turn the page of their 2023 NFL season to Week 9 and the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bills (5-3) are fresh off a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following a 24-18 final last week. Buffalo will hope to stick to those winning ways against Cincinnati, however, the Bengals (4-3) will be no pushover as there is plenty on the line ahead of this matchup.

But before we even get to kickoff, there will be a lot of Bills-related discussions and conversations to be had throughout the coming days.

With that, here are seven storylines to watch for during the lead up to Bills-Bengals on Sunday:

Practice highlights: Rasul Douglas, Leonard Fournette take in first Bills practice

Practice highlights: Rasul Douglas, Leonard Fournette take in first #Bills practice:

The Buffalo Bills welcomed Rasul Douglas and Leonard Fournette to practice on Wednesday as the team begins their preparations for the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9 on Sunday Night Football.

The two new players were acquired by the team just one day earlier.

Fournette, previously a free agent, signed to Buffalo’s practice squad. Meanwhile, Rasul Douglas was acquired via trade with the Green Bay Packers. Tuesday at 4 p.m. was the NFL’s 2023 trade deadline.

Upon taking the practice field at One Bills Drive in Orchard Park for the first time, local media capture the pair taking in their new digs for the first time.

Check out images and video shared of Douglas and Fournette on Wednesday during their first practice with the team: