This has been one of the weirdest fantasy football seasons because the injuries have forced fantasy football owners to reconfigure their rosters.
Players that should be on your radar:
QB Gardner Minshew II- Jacksonville Jaguars: Now Minshew is a risk to start week to week but playing him while he has a beneficial matchup may score you big points. Minshew had a down week against the Miami Dolphins, but prior to that, he put up 20.82 and 23.46. He plays the Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Texans in the next two weeks, and both matchups present great opportunities.
QB Jared Goff- Los Angeles Rams: The Rams offense is looking good again after a down year last season. Goff is the 13 ranked quarterback by ESPN’s Weekly Fantasy Football Rankings. In the upcoming two weeks, the Rams play the Giants and the Washington Football Team. Both weeks present opportunities for Goff to put up high numbers. He has had two boom performances according to ESPN’s Fantasy Football and he looks to continue that trend.
RB Antonio Gibson– Washington Football Team: Gibson is in a backfield with J.D. McKissic and Peyton Barber, but he outpaces both. Gibson leads the team in carries and rushing yards, and it is a matter of time with his breakout performance. The Washington Football Team plays the Baltimore Ravens in week four, but Gibson can produce against the Rams in week five. Get him on your roster before the week six matchup with the Giants as they have struggled defensively all season.
RB Devonta Freeman- New York Giants: With Saquon Barkley out for the season, the Giants brought in Freeman. He matched Daniel Jones for a team-high five carries in his first game with the Giants, and his production and touches will increase with another week of practice. The Giants need offensive production from Freeman in both the passing and rushing game.
WR Hunter Renfrow- Las Vegas Raiders: Yes, it even feels weird to type Las Vegas Raiders, it’s not just saying it. Renfrow had a great showing last week against the New England Patriots as he had six receptions, one touchdown and 84 yards. Henry Ruggs III doubtful in week four and struggling with knee and hamstring injuries, Renfrow’s role in the passing game should open up for a few weeks.
WR Justin Jefferson- Minnesota Vikings: Jefferson just needed a breakout week, and boy oh boy did he have a breakout week. He scored a touchdown, but the big step he took was he proved to be capable of taking over Stefon Diggs’s position in the passing game. He had seven receptions and 175 yards receiving as he now leads the team in receiving. The next three weeks present opportunity for Jefferson as the Vikings take on the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons.
TE T.J. Hockenson- Detroit Lions: Hockenson is going to consistently get you points in your starting lineup. He is a big target and Matthew Stafford loves throwing the ball to him. He leads the team in receiving yards with 171, and he leads them in yards per game as well. Hockenson is tied for a team-leading three big plays which is a trend that should continue. If Hockenson is on your waiver wire, pick him up especially if you don’t have one of the league’s top tight ends.
TE Jimmy Graham- Chicago Bears: Graham has been inconsistent in his previous couple of years, but he looks to be getting back to his old self. He had six receptions for 60 yards, and the highlight of his day was the two touchdowns he caught. Graham is second on the team in both receptions and targets behind Allen Robinson II. With the switch at quarterback from Mitchell Trubisky to Nick Foles could prove beneficial for Graham.
Players to stay away from:
QB Philip Rivers- Indianapolis Colts: It’s very clear that Philip Rivers has been declining in the previous few years. This year, he hasn’t scored more than 15 fantasy points and one of the Colts main receivers T.Y. Hilton has failed to score double-digits points thus far. Rivers has thrown three touchdowns and matched the number with interceptions as well. Stay away from Rivers this year.
Deandre Swift and Kerryon Johnson- Detroit Lions: The Lions drafted Deandre Swift in the second round of the NFL Draft. Then, they signed Adrian Peterson was signed a couple of days before week one, and he quickly became the number one back. Peterson has carried the ball 43 times, and Kerryon Johnson is the next closest with 18 carries. Swift and Johnson are losing the backfield and their role in fantasy lineups will be minimal unless Peterson goes down.
WR Laviska Shenault Jr.- Jacksonville Jaguars: Shenault is a fun pick in fantasy, but he doesn’t have enough value to be trusted week to week in your fantasy lineup. He is being used in both the passing and the running game by the Jaguars, but his points are touchdown reliant. He had five receptions against the Dolphins for his season-high and carried the ball five times against the Tennesse Titans for his season-high. Unless those numbers of carries and receptions go up more, leave Shenault on the waiver wire.
TE Chris Herndon- New York Jets: Herndon plays for the Jets which should make anyone skeptical, but he is on this list because Sam Darnold has threats in the receiving game this year. He had six receptions in week one but has been quiet since. Herndon is fifth in receiving for the Jets but ranks third in targets as he has failed to convert on his chances. Stay away from Herndon unless the Jets experience injuries in their wide receiver corps.
