Tuesday, October 3, 2017

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

October 3rd, 2017
Tuesday Late Night Edition






Weekly Waiver Wire

(Week 5)

As long as injuries continue to play a big part of this game (and they always will), you can always count on the weekly waiver wire for the latest grabs, takes, and finds. Another week of action and we have another full slate of available waiver options for fantasy owners needing to fill a few holes, patch a couple of leaks, and give their week 5 lineup a lift.

QB-Deshaun Watson (Streaming option/roster worthy) Through four weeks, all we've seen Watson do is shoot up the fantasy rankings to the No.7 spot among quarterbacks. He's accounted for 9 scores and has gone 2-1 as a starter; and this is important. His overall team success is his ticket to staying on the field and remaining. Let's face it the kid's electric and ain't going no where. He's worth the add, if you can spare the spot and going forward look for the matchups and just keep watching. Watson has star power and who knows, we may quickly find out he's really a superhero and has super powers.

QB-Jared Goff (QB2/streaming option) I've mentioned his name before and if he's still available it's time to add Goff to your roster. Through 4 weeks the Rams signal caller is the No.10 fantasy quarterback. You may still not be ready to start him, but with quarterbacks like Matt, Ryan and Kirk Cousins on bye this week, Goff is not a bad fill-in option. He's got the Seahawsk next, and their defense has not handle quarterbacks over 500 (allowing over 17 fantasy points per game) as well as those under.

RB-Latavius Murray (borderline RB3/4) It's too early to anoint Murray as a fantasy starter, but he should be playable in some formats due to the expected volume he'll see. With rookie runner Dalvin Cook (ACL) done for the season, Murray should move into the starting role he was expected to inherit when he came to Minnesota. Murray who had off-season ankle surgery has seen little action this season, so this week will be his first big test and a tough one on the road against the Bears No.6 ranked run defense.

RB-Wendell Smallwood (RB3/RB4) The Eagles running back will earn all of his value in PPR. LeGarrette Blount has emerged as the team's lead horse on the ground and Smallwood showed on Sunday he can step into the Darren Sproles role snagging 4 of 6 targets for 45 yards. Smallwood also added another 34 yards on 10 carries with a score. If he can see touches in the 12-14 range each week, not only is he an RB3 option, but he'll have flex appeal.

RB-Wayne Gallman (RB4/roster consideration) It's going to be tough to give Gallman much more value than an RB4/RB5, considering how awful the Giants running game has been (ranked 30th in the league). If you are a Paul Perkins owner or at this point a former owner, Gallman may be the ideal replacement since the Giants may be leaning that way as well. He did show more on Sunday, than what we've seen from Perkins all season. Gallman rushed for 42 yards on 11 carries and added a pair of grabs including a receiving touchdown.

WR-Will Fuller (WR3/WR4) If you were savvy enough to add Fuller last week based on the news of his return, kudos to you. If you played him last week, well double down on that kudos. Fuller came back big in week 4 managing 4 catches for 35 yards and two touchdowns. Not a lot of yards there, but the scores were huge. With the number one receiver (Hopkins) on the other side, Fuller is going to face lesser talented corners and will have a chance to build on these numbers. With struggling receivers like Jamison Crowder, Sammy Watkins, and Demaryius Thomas, Fuller could be nice piece to add this week.

WR-Devin Funchess (WR4/flex option) With the bye weeks starting this Sunday, we're going to have a few studs shelved every week for the next several. Funchess could be a nice add to cover these voids. Last Sunday's performance (7 catches on 9 targets) could be a big indication of what to expect going forward. With tight end Greg Olsen on the injured reserve and not expected to return for at least six weeks, the passing game is missing that go-to option. Kelvin Benjamin hasn't been that answer so far and last week Funchess, who leads the team in catches (17) and yards (216) stepped up big with 70 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

TE-Tyler Kroft (TE2/bye week fill) Someone in Cincinnati besides AJ Green has to catch the ball. With Tyler Eifert expected to miss several weeks, the job will be Krofts for the time being. Last Sunday the 3rd year tight end took advantage posting a line of 6/68/2. His week 4 production out-did Eifert’s season contribution. It's a lot of hype for Kroft yes and this week does not look like a great matchup, but other than Carolina the Bills defense has not faced a team that features their tight end. I actually like Kroft this week; he's worth a waiver claim.

Keep On Your Radar


The Seahawks will be making a change at running back this week with the loss of rookie Chris Carson. The one to watch will be the early favorite to take the reins, Thomas Rawls. This will be Rawls first action since week 2, when he carried the ball just 5 times for 4 yards. It will be interesting to see how all of the running backs shake out and how Rawls handles the starting duties (if he gets the nod). Rawls struggles last season playing in only 9 games, so it's been a while since we’ve seen him showcase what he can do. Hopefully for him and fantasy owners he can capture some of his 2015 magic, and this week lines up as a good matchup against the Rams 30th ranked run defense.

Another one to watch is the Broncos young tight end AJ Derby. Last Sunday he showed off a little of receiving skill with a highlight worthy one-handed catch for a touchdown. Derby has not been an integral part of the Broncos passing game in the team's first three games, but on Sunday offensive coordinator Mike McCoy got him more involved. Derby was targeted 6 times (equaling his first three week total), turning the opportunity into 4 receptions for 75 yards and a score; good enough for the No.4 fantasy tight end for the week. The Broncos are on the bye this week, but keep an eye out for Derby going forward.

That's My Take

~David Ortega




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