If your team is 3-1 or 4-0, you should be fine-tuning your roster every week to ensure BYE week players can be adequately covered when they sit. However, now is the time to seriously consider trading to help your unit if you are sitting at 1-3 or 2-2, struggling to find the groove in preparation of making that fantasy playoff run. Let's take a look at what gems came to the surface this week...

 

 

Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has had some success in 202, but the tema is not winning (one win). And while he probably will be the starting quarterback for this week's game, the Dolphins have not officially made a final decision, according to HC Brian Flores. He says the coaches will make a final decision within 24 hours. To date in 2020, Fitzpatrick has thrown for four scores, but also five picks this season and seems likely to be benched at some point with rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa in line to take over the starting job. Tua is one of my Bama boys, and he is very talented. I own him as my #3 QB in a few leagues, so smart fantasy owners should consider doing what I did, and pick him up as your #3 QB. What have you got to lose? It's a lock he will start this season, and it could come as soon as this week!

 

 

The Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts are winning, but if you take a look at the QB rankings for fantaay, you will see QB Baker Mayfield and QB Philip Rivers in the #27 and #28 slots respectively. How is that happening? Simply put, the Browns are winning via the run, while the Colts are winning via their defense, along with a lot of the run too. While it remains to be seen if this will remain a winning formula for the two teams, it is certain that neither Mayfield nor Rivers can be trusted to produce more than 13-20 fantasy points. In fact, only Rivers has hit the 20-point fantasy mark, and he did that way back in week #1! Bottom Line: You will see a lot of 175 passing yard games and one score from both players, so do yourself a favor and if a more productive QB for fantasy like Chargers QB Justin Hebert is still on your waiver wire, make the move to dump Mayfield or Rivers for him. You will be glad you did!

 

 

Speaking of Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Hebert, he produced another 21+ point game for fantasy this week! On Sunday against Tampa Bay, Hebert completed 20 of 25 passes for 290 yards, three scores, and one pick. He also rushed for 14 yards on five carries in Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers. Bottom Line: Herbert looked like a veteran, going toe-to-toe with QB Tom Brady in a high-scoring game. Herbert threw a 72-yard bomb for a score, giving the Chargers the lead in the third quarter, but was ultimately outdueled by the G.O.A.T.. That said, it's clear that Herbert has taken command of the Chargers offense, and despite HC Anthony Lynn's support of injured QB Tyrod Taylor (chest/ribs), it looks like the starting job is Herbert's to lose. Looking ahead, Hebert plays at New Orleans this week against an injury riddled secondary. He also plays vs. NYJ, @MIA, and vs. JAX in the coming weeks. As such, if you need a boost at QB for fantasy, pick up Hebvert ASAP! You will be glad you did!

 

 

Sometimes I'm amazed that Carolina Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater is starting in the NFL, after that serious knee injury he suffered years ago. But it's true. That and the fact that he's playing well and winning games is even more surprising. On Sunday, Bridgewater completed 26 of 37 passes for 276 yards and two scores while adding six runs for 32 yards and another score in a win over the Cardinals. This game was by far the best game Bridgewater has played since joining Carolina. The Panthers have now won both games without RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle). Best of all, the Panthers and Bridgewater gets a very soft matchup this week @ATL. As a result, fantasy owners of BYE week players like QB Aaron Rodgers or QB Matthew Stafford shouldn't hesitate to pick up and start Bridgwater if you current backup is someone like QB Philip Rivers or QB Baker Mayfield. It's really a no-brainer fantasy decision!

 

 

The schedule is getting tougher, but Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr seems up to the task. Yes, the team is losing, but it's not Carr's fault. This past Sunday, Carr completed 32 of 44 passes for 311 yards with two scores in a 30-23 loss to the Bills. Through four games, Carr has completed 73.1% of his passes for 1,095 yards and eight touchdowns with no picks. He's averaged 274 yards per game, and the Raiders are 2-2. Currently, Carr is ranked in the top-10 in the NFL in quarterback rating. That said, he'll face a very difficult divisional matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs this week. That game gives him a bit less short-term value for fantasy owners who have a BYE week issue, but if you are looking for a solid backup to hold in case your normal starter goes down with an injury, Carr is a fine candidate.

 

 

After a nice start to the 2020 NFL season, Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan is starting to struggle to hit his receivers and make some plays. On Monday night, Ryan completed 28 of 39 passes for 285 yards, but threw no scores nor any picks in a loss to the Green Bay Packers. The issue was that Ryan only seemed to be able to connect with his RBs and secondary receivers on short passing routes. It's not often you see WR Calvin Ridley recieve only 5 targets and catch none of them. It also didn't help matters that WR Julio Jones (hamstring) left the game just before halftime. Bottom Line: Ryan and his receivers need to get back on track, or this season could become a real disaster. They also need their receivers to get healthy. This week, the Falcons host the Carolina Panthers, so there is hope that Ryan can rebound, but it's not a lock to happen. Fantasy owners of Ryan need to boost their backup QB position and be ready to sit Ryan if both Jones and Ridley don't play (or are very iffy to play) this week. I've already listed several options above, so take your pick and good luck!

 

 

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable QB performances from last week... Denver Broncos QB Brett Rypien threw two scores on the road against the Jets last Thursay night. He could start again this week for the injured QB Drew Lock (shoulder). Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield threw for two scores on Sunday against the Cowboys. Jacskonville Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew threw for two scores on Sunday against the Bengals. Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow threw for one score at home against the Jaguars on Sunday. Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins threw for one score on Sunday against the Texans. Chicago Bears QB Nick Foles threw for one score against the Colts on Sunday.

 

 

 

 

Cleveland Browns RB D'Earnest Johnson is 24 years old. He played four years at South Florida, where he rushed 421 times for 1,796 yards and 16 touchdowns. He finished as USF's career leader in all-purpose yards (4,186), receptions by a running back (73), and receiving yards by a running back (909). He also excelled at returning kicks. Johnson spent three of his four years behind Colts RB Marlon Mack. After going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, Johnson was invited to the New Orleans Saints rookie minicamp but wasn’t signed. Johnson signed with the Cleveland Browns on May 16, 2019. After an impressive training camp, Johnson made the Browns' initial 53-man roster for the 2019 season. Johnson showed off his versatility during the preseason, leading the Browns with 86 rushing yards on 20 carries. He also added seven catches for 76 yards and a touchdown, while also proving valuable in the return game. The 5-foot-10, 208-pounder returned six kickoffs for 127 yards and 10 punts for 63 yards. He returned with the Browns this summer and made the team as their #3 RB behind both RB Nick Chubb and RB Kareem Hunt. He caught 6 passes for 71 yards with the Browns in 2019, so he could see some action in the passing game, although it appears the Browns prefer to use RB Dontrell Hilliard in that role right now. The big question is should you pick him up? Well, the Browns play vs. IND this week, then play @PIT, @CIN, vs. LV, BYE, and vs. HOU over the next six weeks while Chubb is not expected to play. That means two tough matchups to start, then three fairly decent ones with a BYE mixed in. Bottom Line: I'd be conservative with FAAB regarding Johnson. I just don't see much of an impact immediately due to the tough first two games. That said, if you are in a normal waiver wire league, picking up Johnson if you own Chubb is a good idea.

 

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn saw his first real action as a pro on Sunday. He rushed three times for four yards and caught two of three targets for 22 yards and a score in the Buccaneers' 38-31 win over the Chargers. Vaughn actually scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Buccaneers on an early fourth-quarter 9-yard catch. In the game, Vaughn played 19 snaps (25%) with RB Leonard Fournette (ankle) missing the game and RB LeSean McCoy (ankle) leaving early with an ankle injury. With the Buccaneers on a short week ahead of a Thursday night road game against the Bears, it's more than likely that Vaughn is called to serve as RB Ronald Jones' primary backup for that contest. This makes Vaughn a nice quick fix, right? Not quite. First, Jones caught 6 of 9 targets himself on Sunday, so you can't expect a lot of volume for Vaughn in the passing game. Secondly, Vaughn is a rookie coming off his first game, so the Bucs are likely to be cautious with regard to playing time to ensure they limit any mistakes from the rookie. Thirdly, the Bears are the opponent, and they play tough defense, unlike the Chargers right now. Bottom Line: Pick him up if you must, but do not expect a big game or assume he will score this week. The match-up just simply doesn't scream "must play."

 

 

Carolina Panther RB Reggie Bonnafon saw extended action on Sunday. He rushed 10 times for 53 yards and caught both of his targets for 18 yards and a score in a 31-21 win over the Cardinals. Bonnafon actually set a new career high in touches in this game, while playing just over a quarter of Carolina's offensive snaps. In his extended work, the second-year back produced some big gains, including a 22-yard run and 15-yard catch. Bonnafon's touchdown closed out the second quarter. Based on his strong performance, Bonnafon could see similar usage behind starting RB Mike Davis this week against the Falcons. That said, Davis remaisn the temp starter saw 21 touches on Sunday, making him the clear top option with RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle) still out. Of course, this week's opponent, Atlanta, is terribly defensively, so we could see both Davis and Bonnafon score in this game. If you are feeling lucky and like to gamble, pick up and start Bonnafon accordingly. Just be aware of the risk you are taking...

 

 

Detroit Lions RB Kerryon Johnson rushed only three times for nine yards and added one three-yard catch in the Lions' 35-29 loss to the Saints on Sunday. Clearly, both RB Adrian Peterson and RB D'Andre Swift are getting work ahead of Johnson. In addition, Johnson had to be looked at by trainers in the second half on Sunday after taking a shot to the hip, but he didn't need to be removed from the game. He ran behind both Peterson and Swift even before getting nicked up. While Johnson could continue to maintain a small role in this RBBC due to his pass-blocking abilities, Johnson clearly seems to have the lowest fantasy upside of the group. That means he's firmly planted on your fantasy bench for now. In fact, unless you also own Peterson or Swift, I wouldn't have an issue with dropping Johnson to fill an urgent need at another position with the BYE weeks here. Remember, it's all about winning now, and Johnson's current role will not get the job done for fantasy owners!

 

 

The New England Patriots activated RB Damien Harris (hand) from Injured Reserve to play on Monday night. The team also placed RB Sony Michel (quad) on injured reserve. Against the Chiefs, Harris rushed 17 times for 100 yards in his 2020 debut on Monday night. New England had to lean on the running game of their backs without QB Cam Newton (COVID-19) of the field. Harris virtually filled the Michel role of the team as the starter, but he wasn't targeted at all in the passing game. Still, he looked solid as a runner and even broke a long run of 41 yards in the second half. If you have a need for a RB or are a Michel fantasy owner, be sure to grab Harris is hre's still available on your league waiver wire. The kid has talent and should be considered a decent flex option at worst this week against the Denver Broncos.

 

Special note: I wanted to repeat this story from SI.com and provide my comments below... "Neither Los Angeles Rams RB Darrell Henderson nor RB Malcolm Brown was much of a factor on Sunday as the Giants not only did a good job stopping the run, but they also took away screen passes to the running backs and rallied to the ball when QB Jared Goff checked it down. Brown rushed for 37 yards on nine carries, while Henderson gained only 22 yards on eight attempts. Combined, the two averaged only 3.5 yards per carry, with the team rushing for a total of 58 yards – 95 fewer than any other game this season. Moving forward, it's anyone's guess as to which running back will command the most touches and playing time. It'll get even more complicated when RB Cam Akers (ribs) returns from his rib injury, which could potentially be this week if he’s able to practice. HC Sean McVay said before the season that the team would likely ride the hot hand, whoever that ended up being. Henderson certainly had been playing better than Brown in the previous two weeks, and he was rewarded with eight carries – four of which came on the opening drive. He only got one carry in the fourth quarter while the Rams were leading, going two possessions without even playing a snap. His second-to-last carry came with 6:53 left in the third quarter, and he didn’t touch the ball again until 2:33 were left on the clock in the fourth – which was also his last touch. Neither Henderson nor Brown really got going on Sunday so it’s not as if McVay abandoned one of them in the midst of a great game, but his decision to go away from Henderson so quickly was surprising." Mike's View: This is a very strange story, and it leads me to believe that Henderson may have suffered an injury in the game, but the Rams refused to talk about it post-game. That means we must wait until the Wednesday injury report comes out to see if Henderson is, in fact, injured. If he's not listed with an injury, then we must accept the fact that the Rams are using a puzzling RBBC that makes little sense, meaning NONE of the Rams backs will make solid fantasy plays in any specific game this seson. It's a fact of life if that is the case, and one to avoid for fantasy if at all possible.

 

 

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable RB performances from last week... Dallas Cowboys RB Tony Pollard scored on 4 touches on Sunday against the Browns. Baltimore Ravens RB Gus Edwards rushed for 38 yards on 9 carries on Sunday against Washington. Washington RB J.D. McKissic saw 9 touches with 7 catches on Sunday against the Ravens. Arizona Cardinals RB Chase Edmonds scored on 9 touches with 5 catches on Sunday against the Panthers. Minnesota Vikings RB Alexander Mattison scored on 7 runs on Sunday against the Texans. Houston Texans RB Duke Johnson saw 8 touches with 3 catches on Sunday against the Vikings. Indianapolis Colts RB Jordan Wilkins saw 10 toches on Sunday against the Bears. Atlanta Falcons RB Brian Hill saw 6 touches with 2 catches against the Packers on Monday night. Finally, Green Bay Packers RB Jamaal Williams saw 16 touches wth 8 catches on Monday night against the Falcons.

 

 

 

Denver Broncos WR Tim Patrick is starting to emerge, and it doesn't seem to matter who the QB is that is throwing to him. Patrick caught 6 passes for 113 yards and a score in a win Thursday night over the Jets. Patrick succeeded with QB Jeff Driskel playing two weeks ago, and had more success last Thursday with QB Brett Rypien throwing the rock. And with WR Courtland Sutton (torn ACL) lost for the season, Patrick has at least 5 targets in 3 of 4 games and has scored a touchdown in consecutive weeks. All one can ask for is opportunity, and Patrick has seen plenty of it, so he's definitely worthy of serious fantasy consideration from your waiver wire. Let's just call him a matchup-based flex starter moving forward for fantasy, especially with rookie WR K.J. Hamler (hamstring) injured too.

 

 

New York Jets WR Jeff Smith was a member of the Boston College Eagles for four seasons from 2015 to 2018. As a true freshman, he started the final three games of the season at quarterback following an injury to starter QB Darius Wade. Smith signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent on April 27, 2019. He was cut at the end of training camp during final roster cuts, but was re-signed by the Jets to their practice squad on September 1, 2019. The Jets promoted Smith to the Jets active roster on December 9, 2019. Smith made his NFL debut on December 12, 2019 against the Baltimore Ravens, catching one pass for 12 yards. He was placed on injured reserve on December 17, 2019, after suffering a seson-ending injury. Smith was just activated last week, and made an immeditate impact on Thursday night, catching 7 of 9 targets for 81 yards. He was obviously the best wideout on the field for the Jets not named WR Jamison Crowder. With QB Sam Darnold (shoulder) very uncertain to play this week, fantasy owners may want to pick up Smith and stash him for when Darnold is healthy. The Jets need a speed guy to fill the vacant role left by WR Robby Anderson, and Smith just may fit that bill!

 

 

For the second time in three games, Miami Dolphins WR Isaiah Ford drew at least 9 targets on Sunday. Overall, Ford caught 4 of 10 targets for 48 yards in the Dolphins' 31-23 loss to the Seahawks. The 2017 seventh-round draft pick put together his second-best reception tally of the season in the loss, while notably placing second in catches, receiving yards, and targets behind WR DeVante Parker. Ford appears to have grasped the intricacies of OC Chan Gailey's offense, now having produced 15 catches for 151 yards on 26 targets through four games. The real question is has he passed WR Preston Williams on the depth chart? Well, consider the following... Williams has been targeted on only 11.5% of his pass routes this season. Parker has been targeted on 23.2% of his routes and Ford has received a 20.5% target per route rate through four weeks. Finally, TE Mike Gesicki has a 16% team target share. Form all indications, Ford is getting more targets and chances to produce than Williams, so fantasy owners in need should give him some waiver wire love. That said, if a QB change is made, all bets are off. However, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will start this week's game, so Ford will maintain his edge over Williams for at least one more week.

 

 

Dallas Cowboys WR Michael Gallup caught just 2 of 5 targets for 29 yards in Sunday's shootout 49-38 loss to the Browns. It may not be a surprise to see WR Amari Cooper (12-134-1 on 16 targets) or rookie WR CeeDee Lamb (5-79-2 on seven targets) get more targets from QB Dak Prescott in any specific game, but Gallup has found himself with fewer targets than even WR Cedrick Wilson and fewer catches than WR Noah Brown in another disappointing performance. As long as Prescott is forced to attempt 50+ passes a game, however, there should be more opportunities for Gallup to rebound from his slow start to the season. That said, fantasy owners may want to consider sitting Gallup for a hotter wideout like Packers WR Robby Anderson or even Vikings rookie WR Justin Jefferson, at least until Gallup shows more consistency. It's just a thought...

 

 

Cincinnati Bengals WR A.J. Green caught just one of five targets for three yards in Sunday's 33-25 loss to the Bengals. What happened? Well, Green had slow start in the game, and then spent some time on the sidelines in the second half with a wrist injury. Apparently, with the game in hand, the Bengals kept him on the bench to finish the contest. The Bengals play the Ravens this week, so it's probably a good idea to sit Green anyway (consider him when healthy) for your fantasy starting lineup, that is assuming he even plays this week. Meanwhile, Houston Texans WR Brandin Cooks failed to catch any of his three targets and had a drop in Sunday's 31-23 loss to the Vikings. This was the third time in four games Cooks has finished with 23 yards receiving or less. It's interesting to note that QB Deshaun Watson told the media that the Vikings schemed to eliminate Cooks. "I mean, it was the scheme of Minnesota," Watson said of Cooks' lack of involvement. "They did their part. I did my job of whatever play call was called to execute the reads and find the open guy. Not saying he was open, but by the time I got back to him, either a defender was in his way or he was probably on the back side of the read." In other words, Watson and Cooks are simply not connecting well, just like QB Joe Burrow snd Green in Cincy. Smart fantasy owners know what to do here... BENCH THEM. Hopefully, things will turn around shortly for both Green and Cooks!

 

 

Chicago Bears rookie WR Darnell Mooney caught 5 of 9 targets for 52 yards in the team's 19-11 loss to the Colts on Sunday. Mooney bounced back from Week 3's 19-yard showing with a 5-catch performance on Sunday. He's now produced a 13/145/1 stat line on the season. Mooney is an interesting fantasy free-agent waiver wire pickup right now, becuase he's yet to produce a big game, so he can be stealthly picked up. In addition, he is the official starter in two-WR sets on the opposite side of WR Allen Robinson. WR Anthony Miller is playing exclusively in the slot in 3-WR sets only, limiting him to only 57% of the offensive snaps. This is why if I own Miller, I'd drop him for Mooney right now without hesitation! It's all about the odds of producing solid numbers due to enhanced playing time!

 

 

The following wideouts caught at least two passes or scored this past weekend and deserve fantasy consideration: Seattle Seahaks WR David Moore (3-95-1), Washington WR Dontrelle Inman (4-29), Jacksonville Jaguars WR Laviska Shenault Jr. (1-5, 5-86), Jacksonville Jaguars WR Keelan Cole (4-46), Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Scotty Miller (5-83-1), Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Justin Watson (4-40), Arizona Cardinals WR Christian Kirk (3-19-1), New Orleans Saints WR Tre'Quan Smith (4-54-2), Detoit Lions WR Danny Amendola (2-57), Houston Texans WR Kenny Stills (2-39-1), New York Giants WR Golden Tate (4-20), Indianapolis Colts WR Zach Pascal (3-58), Buffalo Bills WR Cole Beasley (3-32-1), Las Vegas Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow (5-57), Las Vegas Raiders WR Nelson Agholor (4-44-1), Philadelphia Eagles WR Greg Ward (4-38), San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel (3-35), New England Patriots WR Damiere Byrd (5-80), Kansas City Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (4-27-1), and Atlanta Falcons WR Olamide Zaccheaus (8-86).

 

 

 

 

I discussed briefly the impact Green Bay Packers TE Robert Tonyan made over the past few games. Then came Monday night. With the Packers shorthanded at wideout, Tonyan (along with the RBs), stepped up their play to help the team beat the Falcons. Perhaps "stepped up" is an understatement. What rally happened is that Tonyan had a breakout "George Kittle" type game, where he caught all 6 of his targets for 98 yards and THREE stunning scores! Now, when WR Davante Adams (hamstring) returns after the team's BYE this week, Tonyan is unlikerly to repeat these stats in any one game, but one thing is certain. QB Aaron Rodgers knows fully well what Tonyan can do, and he smiled from ear to ear on Monday night, as Tonyan was destroying the Falcons secondary. The trust is there. In other words, fantasy owners in need in TE-required leagues should immediately pick up Tonyan and sit him this week during the BYE. The Packers and Rodgers are exciting about Tonyan, since the team has not had a TE this talented since TE Jermichael Finley! And that means he should be making a solid impact for fantasy owners in the coming weeks!

 

 

Don't look now, but TE Austin Hooper had his best day in a Cleveland Browns uniform on Sunday, recording season highs in targets and catches while scoring his first touchdown. On the day, Hooper caught 5 of 7 targets for 34 yards and a score in Sunday's 49-38 win over the Cowboys. Believe it or not, Hooper has actually been on the field more than any Cleveland receiver, so the opportunities should be there for him. He has two red zone targets this season, tying him for second on the team with RB Kareem Hunt, one behind WR Odell Beckham Jr.. Unfortunately, there are other TEs in the league with a lot more red zone targets, like Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki, whom has nine. In addition, this coming week, the Browns head home for a game against the Indianapolis Colts, who have allowed just 11 catches (22 targets) over four games to opponents' tight ends. In other words, Hooper is far from a good play this week, but his recent score gives him a bit of fantasy value if you simply play the match-ups moving forward.

 

 

I had high hopes for Indianapolis Colts TE Jack Doyle back in the summer. It made sense that QB Philip Rivers would target the big Doyle early and often in games, especially near the goal. Well, that simply is not happening. As a result, you can safely waive Doyle from your fantasy roster this week. Why? Let's take a closer look. First, Doyle only had one catch 12 yards on his only target in Sunday's win over Chicago. With injuries at wide receiver (Parris Campbell and Michael Pittman on IR), the Colts actually used three tight ends in the passing game against the Bears. TE Mo Alie-Cox was a starter in a two-TE set with Doyle. Alie-Cox played 33 of the offense's 72 snaps, while Doyle played 45 snaps, and Trey Burton played 36 snaps. It was thought Doyle would have a large role in the Colts offense, but he has just four catches on five targets in the three games he's played. Simply put, there is no volume here, and now Doyle is sharing playing time and targets with two other TEs. Until this changes, Doyle is worthless for fantasy, and with the Colts winning, there is no reason for them to change their offensive passing system.

 

 

The following tight ends caught at least two passes this past weekend or scored and deserve fantasy consideration: Seattle Seahawks TE Greg Olsen (5-35), Cleveland Browns TE Harrison Bryant (4-37), Cincinnati Bengals TE Drew Sample (3-47), Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate (1-3-1), Arizona Cardinals TE Dan Arnold (4-39), Carolina Panthers TE Ian Thomas (2-5-1), Houston Texans TE Jordan Akins (3-46), Indianapolis Colts TE Mo Alie-Cox (1-13-1), Las Vegas Raiders TE Jason Witten (2-18-1), and Philadelphia Eagles TE Richard Rodgers (3-35).

 

The following is the 4th in-season free agent player rankings list for the 2020 NFL season. If you're looking for a free agent off your leagues' waiver wire to fill a need (maybe depth), these are the players to consider...

 

 

 

End.