We're almost at the midway point of most fantasy league regular seasons. It is the next month of fantasy play that will most likely determine whether your team makes the playoffs. Therefore, player trades and free agent acquisitions are critical during this period of heavy BYEs. Let's get right into this week's "Market" of free agents and trading advice...

 

 

 

New York Giants QB Daniel Jones completed 19 of 27 passes for 173 yards and two scores in a win over the Ravens on Sunday. He also added six rushing yards on six carries. While this stat line is not exactly flashy, it was enough to defeat a tough Ravens team. Through the first six games, Jones has produced the following fantasy numbers: 21, 15, 17, 22, 15, and 17. That is good enough to be a mid-range QB2 for fantasy and QB19 overall. His average is 17.7 points, which doesn't sound good, but if you also take into account that his average is better than QB Russell Wilson, QB Aaron Rodgers, and QB Matthew Stafford, then he's not exactly a crappy QB. Bottom Line: Twice he's popped into the 20's, and he faces a very beatable Jacksonville Jaguars defense this week, so if you are hurting at QB, you could do a lot worse than to pick up Jones and start him this week. I'm not kidding.

 

 

One week after I talked about the back and forth of Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, he completed 20 of 22 passes for 165 yards with one score and no picks, while also rushing six times for an additional 23 yards and two scores in Jacksonville's 34-27 loss to the Colts on Sunday. Late in the game, Lawrence threw a 4th quarter touchdown pass to WR Christian Kirk and scored on two of his season-high six carries. He was also nearly perfect on the day throwing just two incomplete passes in 22 attempts. It was the first time Lawrence had managed to not commit a turnover since Week #3 against the Chargers. Lawrence has nine touchdown passes this season and has thrown at least one in five of six games this season. Lawrence and the Jaguars face the Giants and Broncos in the coming weeks. That means fantasy owners should temper thier fantasy expectations, but beyond these games, he could make for an intriguing week fantasy starter.

 

 

New England Patriots third string QB Bailey Zappe looked fantastic in his second career start on Sunday, completing 24 of 34 passes for 309 yards and scores. Zappe is now 2-0 as a starter in the NFL. However, his run under center may be coming to an end. The Patriots play against the Bears on Monday Night Football this week, giving QB Mac Jones (ankle) plenty of time to heal and get ready to start. If healthy, Jones will likely return to his role as a starter, sending Zappe back to the bench. However, if Jones isn't fully healthy, Zappe would start and be an interesting streaming option this week against a weak Bears secondary. BTW, on Sunday, Zappe set new career highs in completions, pass attempts, passing yards and touchdown passes. This is quite an amazing run by a late-round draft pick at the QB position!

 

 

New York Jets QB Zach Wilson may be leading a team that is winning, but he's not the primary reason why they are winning. On Sunday, Wilson completed only 10 of 18 passes for 110 yards with zero scores and no picks, while also rushing five times for just one yard in New York's 27-10 win against the Packers. Wilson's fantasy day was much less impressive than his day in reality. The running game and defense/special teams carried the day for the team, while Wilson failed to generate a score for the first time in his three games since returning from a preseason knee injury. Bottom Line: The Jets passing game with Wilson is not producing much of anything for fantasy. With a matchup in Denver this week, don't look for much more from it, since the Broncos defense just kept QB Justin Herbert off the board one week after shutting out QB Matt Ryan. In other words, if you own Wilson, now is not he time to turn to him due to a BYE week situation. If you need an upgrade, it's best to avoid Wilson and seek another option via the waiver wire or trade.

 

 

What is going on with the G.O.A.T.? Good question. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady completed 25 of 40 passes for 243 yards and one score during Sunday's 20-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brady and the Bucs' passing game have struggled to find chemistry thus far this season, and that struggle continued Sunday with the unit only producing 18 points on a less than average defense. Bottom Line: Tommy Boy just hasn't found his groove with the receivers yet, and they can't seem to sustain longer drives. He has been a disappointment for fantasy thus far, but there is time for him to turn it around. The Bucs play at Carolina this week, a team that is a pure dumpster fire. As such, fantasy owners should trust Brady to be a solid QB1 this week. One thing is certain. If Brady and the Bucs don't score at least 24 points this week, there are other issues at hand that isn't obvious. Let's certainly hope that isn't the case!

 

 

Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson (hamstring) suffered a hamstring injury during the Monday night game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The injury occurred in the 4^th quarter, but Wilson didn't miss a snap. On the night, he completed only 15 of 28 passes for 188 yards and one score. At one point, Wilson completed his first 10 passes for 125 yards and a score, but once again, the wheels fell off, and Wilson struggled to complete any passes in the second half and OT in this game. Why does this keep happening? Good question. Simply put, the Broncos are not making any adjustments in the middle of their games. In addition, there is no chemistry offensively, especially in the red zone where the offense is a train wreck. This team is too talented to be 2-4, but if they keep losing, don't be surprised to see HC Nathaniel Hackett fired. That might actually be a good thing. As for fantasy, Wilson belongs firmly on your bench until further notice!

 

 

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable QB performances from last week... Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields threw for one score last Thursday against the Commanders. Indianapolis Colts QB Matt Ryan threw three scores on Sunday against the Jaguars. Cleveland Browns QB Jacoby Brissett threw for a score on Sunday against the Patriots. San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo threw for two scores against the Falcons on Sunday. Atlanta Falcons QB Marcus Mariota threw for two scores and ran for one on Sunday against the 49ers.

 

 

 

The Denver Broncos are a real mess. That said, they signed veteran RB Latavius Murray over a week ago, and he made his debut on Monday night. RB Melvin Gordon started the game, but the Broncos used a rotation by drive in the first half with Murray entering the game on the second drive. RB Mike Boone remained the receiving down back, but saw less work than in previous games on early downs. At halftime, Gordon led the team with only 3 carries for 8 yards. He never saw the field again. Why? Who knows, but Murray took over the backfield in the second half, receiving all of the early-down snaps while Boone saw action on passing downs. The Broncos relied on the run game more as the game progressed. Murray finished with 66 rushing yards on 15 carries, while QB Russell Wilson completed only 3 of 15 passes for 15 yards after halftime. Gordon was seen standing without issue on the sideline in the second half wondering what happened. It's clear the team is desperate for any kind of spark, and felt that Murray was the provider of that spark. As such, he could start moving forward and becomes a decent fantasy free-agent pickup to target this week. Obviously, Gordon should be benched, but I wouldn't cut him just yet. This team needs healthy backs, and he could reclaim a significant portion of the playing time as soon as this week. Bottom Line: The Broncos don't appear to know what they are doing, so ALL players are risky plays. Take it for what it's worth and move on…

 

 

The Buffalo Bills made a change to their RBBC again on Sunday when RB Zack Moss was a surprise inactive. That move reduced their three-man backfield into a two-back rotation. Of course, Moss was also inactive in multiple games last season when the Bills believed they didn't need him to win. On Sunday, RB Devin Singletary started and has played a higher percentage of snaps when the Bills are losing or if it’s a close game. This game against the Chiefs remained close through it's entirety, which meant more Singletary and less Cook. Singletary finished the game with a stat line of 17-85 in the running game and 4-22 in the passing game. Cook saw just two carries for 8 yards. Bottom Line: When the Bills have a tough matchup, neither Moss nor Cook have real fantasy value. The Bills have a BYE this week, but when they return, they host the Green Bay Packers in week #8, a game where Moss could be inactive once again and Cook has little value. Keep their schedule in mind when considering any of their backs for fantasy the rest of this season.

 

 

While the Bills went from three backs to two in their RBBC, the Chiefs took the opposite approach in the same game. Kansas City shifted further toward a three-man backfield, making it harder than ever to trust them for fantasy. Rookie RB Isiah Pacheco had primarily played in blowouts or when another back was hurt in previous weeks, but he handled a significant workload on Sunday. He also took his first snaps in two-minute drills all season. Veteran RB Jerick McKinnon had played 100% of those snaps in recent weeks. At least McKinnon saw the goal-line snaps, which is something he’s at times split with RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Meanwhile, CEH is still handling enough carries to at least make him a fantasy starter during these BYE weeks. This 3-headed RBBC would be a disaster for fantasy on a team like the Ravens, but because we are talking about the high-powered Chiefs offense, any of them could hit for fantasy in 2022. And that gives them all decent fantasy value (if not consistent), even Pacheco, during these BYE weeks.

 

Why did Baltimore Ravens RB Kenyan Drake blow up this past Sunday? Well, first we have to look at why he saw so much action. Starting RB J.K. Dobbins actually played 16 snaps to Drake‘s 7 over the first three drives against the New York Giants. Then, Dobbins' knee tightened up, and Drake played all but six offensive snaps the rest of the game. RB Mike Davis served as the third-string back, and he continues to handle significant work at the goal line. RB Justice Hill (hamstring) missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury, but could be part of the rotation when he returns. Finally, RB Gus Edwards (knee) could also return soon and further complicate this RBBC. If you need immediate help, grabbing Drake off the waiver wire is a good idea, especially if you own Dobbins. That said, there is no guarantee that Drake will start this week, but he has earned more playing time due to his big game. Picking up and stashing Edwards until he returns isn't a bad idea either. Bottom Line: This running game is a RBBC, and when they get it going, it could support two backs for fantasy, at least as flex plays. But until some stability exists, it's a bit of a crap shoot as to who will play and produce week to week. It's just a lot of speculation!

 

 

What happened to San Francisco 49ers RB Jeff Wilson on Sunday? Well, he rushed for only 25 yards on 7 carries against a very beatable Falcons defense. Why? The 49ers fell behind early and th game script changed in a big way… away from the running game. As such, Wilson didn't play much, since he is not their receiving back. RB Tevin Coleman received significant playing time last week, but even he only saw 4 carries on Sunday. Rookie RB Tyrion Davis-Price returned after missing a few weeks with injury, but played just one offensive snap. Moving forward, Wilson has two more games as the starter before the team's Week #9 BYE. While it's not set in stone, RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) is expected to return from injury at that time. Why should you consider benching Wilson now? The 49ers play the Chiefs and Rams in the next two games, contests that could have similar game scripts as the one on Sunday. And that would mean little opportunity for Wilson to do his thing, especially this week against he Chiefs. It's just something to be aware of…

 

 

It's no secret that the Carolina Panthers could trade RB Christian McCaffrey before November. If that happens, who is left behind and is worth of fantasy consideration? Well, RB D’Onta Foreman is the guy to target. Why? He has more than doubled RB Chuba Hubbard in both pass routes run and carries. Both running backs would see significant playing time, but Foreman would likely be the starter. As such, if you hsave room on your roster to stash and hold anyone from the Panthers, it should be Foreman before Hubbard. Of course, there is always the chance that trade of McCaffrey would also include a running back coming over to Carolina, which would destroy any value that Foreman and Hubbard has, but if that is the case, you can just dump the player you picked up back onto the waiver wire.

 

 

The Arizona Cardinals didn’t have two of their top three running backs available on Sunday due to injury, leaving RB Eno Benjamin as a workhorse back. Unfortunately, it didn't go well for Benjamin, as he only rushed for 37 yards on 15 carries against a very beatable Seahawks defense. He saved his fantasy day (in PPR leagues) with another 28 yards on 3 catches. What happened? Well, what we thought would be a shootout, turned into a defensive battle, a game where pretty much no one produced well for fantasy. The good news is that it appears that both RB James Conner (ribs) and RB Darrel Williams (knee) are likely to sit Thursday night's game against the Saints this week, giving Benjamin another chance to shine. That said, the matchup against New Orleans is not a good one, but all one can ask for is opportunity this time of the season. And that is what Benjamin is likely getting… a second opportunity. Start him if you need him during this BYE week!

 

 

 

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable RB performances from last week... Chicago Bears RB Khalil Herbert saw 7 rushes for 75 yards last Thursday against the Commanders. New York Giants RB Matt Breida saw 5 touches on Sunday against the Ravens. New Orleans Saints RB Mark Ingram saw 10 touches on Sunday against the Bengals. Jacksonville Jaguars RB JaMycal Hasty scored on just 3 carries with a 61-yard TD run on Sunday against the Colts. Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Rachaad White saw 7 touches with 3 catches on Sunday against the Steelers. Finally, Los Angeles Chargers RB Sony Michel saw 11 touches with 3 catches on Monday night against the Broncos.

 

 

 

 

The New Orleans Saints do not expect to have WR Michael Thomas (foot) or WR Jarvis Landry (ankle) back in time for the Cardinals game on Thursday night. Meanwhile, rookie WR Chris Olave says he is fully cleared, 100%, and planning to play Thursday at Arizona after missing last week with a concussion. That means the two primary widouts playing alongside Olave will be WR Tre'Quan Smith and WR Marquez Callaway. On Sunday, Smith scored and produced a 3-43-1 stat line, while Callaway produced a 3-36 stat line on a wideout high 7 targets. Of course, RB Alvin Kamara led the team with 6 catches on 9 targets, but both Smith and Callaway will have some BYE week flex value for desperate fantasy owners in larger leagues this week. Take your pick here and good luck to you!

 

 

What should you do with New York Jets WR Elijah Moore? Good question. I own him in a few leagues, but haven't started him the past two weeks. The problem is two-fold. First, he wasn't catching many of the targets he was getting earlier this season, but now it's evolved to less playing time and no real targets, at least that is what happened on Sunday. Belive it or not, Moore actually lost playing time to WR Braxton Berrios. For the game, Moore played 32 of 55 snaps, and ran only 14 pass routes in the entire contest. WR Garrett Wilson actually played less and ran one less route, but saw 5 targets, catching just one pass for 8 yards. Bottom Line: QB Zach Wilson just isn't looking to get the football to Moore when he runs routes. Unless that changes, he should remain benched. Moore has just a 12.2 target share, which won't support a fantasy start. The bigger question is should you cut him? Some say you can. I'm not one of those people. I say you hold him a few more weeks to see if the Jets make an effort to get him more involved. HC Robert Saleh knows the issue here, and we will see this week (and next) if Moore rates an increase in playing time and targets. If things don't change by week #8, then I seriously think about cutting bait.

 

 

New England Patriots rookie WR Tyquan Thornton is starting to emerge as an option for fantasy from this team. How? Well, injuries have been an issue with the entire wideout corps for most of the season. WR Nelson Agholor (hamstring) was inactive on Sunday, while WR Kendrick Bourne (toe) suffered a toe injury early in the first quarter and didn’t return. Bourne started the game as the third wide receiver, ands when he left, Thornton took his place for the rest of the game. As a result, he caught four of five targets for 37 yards and his first career NFL touchdown. Just today, news is breaking that Bourne is drawing trade interest, so if he's traded, then there is room for Thornton in this corps. That said, when Agholor is healthy, Thornton is likely to share the #3 WR job with him, limiting his upside. In other words, if you pick up Thornton, be sure to check on the playing status of Bourne and Agholor before considering him for a fantasy start.

 

 

It's more than fair to say that WR Robbie Anderson has had more than his fair of frustration playing for the Carolina Panthers. Well, Anderson is now an Arizona Cardinal, and the Panthers have a starting job to fill. When Anderson was benched on Sunday, WR Terrace Marshall Jr. took over as the starting outside receiver in his place in every personnel group. Meanwhile, WR Shi Smith’s role as the team’s slot receiver in three-receiver sets remained unchanged. As such, Marshall is worthy of a waiver wire pickup in larger fantasy leagues this week. He was a popular fantasy sleeper pick a year ago and was one of the best rookie wide receivers during the 2021 preseason. While it didn't carry over in that regular season, things could easily change here for 2022. Now, there is one more possibility. WR Laviska Shenault (hamstring) has missed a lot of the season with a hamstring injury, but he could also be in the mix for significant playing time once he's healthy. But for right now, Marshall is the guy to pick up first. That said, these are the Panthers, so everyone is a real fantasy risk with the exception of CMC.

 

Things were looking up for Buffalo Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie, as he seemed a lock for an increased role with WR Jamison Crowder (ankle) on injured reserve, but he still lost playing time to rookie WR Khalil Shakir. This past Sunday, McKenzie ran a route on only 26 of the Bills' 44 pass plays. He caught two of five targets for only 9 yards. Meanwhile, Shakir’s playing time was also limited, but he did play more snaps as the game progressed. This could easily become a trend where Shakir take more playing time away from McKenzie as the season progresses. Shakir ended the game with one catch for 14 yards on 2 targets. Is it too soon to cut bait on McKenzie? I think so, but he's obviously not a solid flex option for fantasy at this time, even in PPR leagues. Sit McKenzie and watch and learn to see if Shakir's presence will hinder McKenzie's fantasy value moving forward, or possibly even kill it.

 

 

New York Giants rookie WR Wan’Dale Robinson returned to action on Sunday for the first time since week #1. He was eased into play, but looked good in limited time. For the game, 13 of his 15 snaps came in 3-WR sets, where he rotated in and out with WR Richie James. Robinson caught three of his four targets for 37 yards and a score. Look for Robinson's playing time to increase as the games go on, provided he stays healthy. In fact, he could become the new lead target for the Giants passing moving forward with all of the injuries the team has faced. That makes him a valuable fantasy commodity, especially during these BYE weeks. As such, you should pick him up off your league waiver wire if he's available and start him accordingly. There may not be much excitement in New York for the Giants beyond RB Saquon Barkley, but this kid has the potential to change that!

 

 

The following wideouts caught at least two passes or scored this past weekend and deserve fantasy consideration: Chicago Bears WR Dante Pettis (4-84-1), Cincinnati Bengals WR Tyler Boyd (6-66), Jacksonville Jaguars WR Zay Jones (5-42), Indianapolis Colts WR Alec Pierce (3-49-1), Indianapolis Colts WR Parris Campbell (7-57-1), New England Patriots WR DeVante Parker (4-64), Cleveland Browns WR Donovan People-Jones (4-74), New York Jets WR Corey Davis (2-52), San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (8-83-2), Atlanta Falcons WR Olamide Zaccheaus (4-58), Pittsburgh Steelers WR Chase Claypool (7-96-1), Los Angeles Rams WR Allen Robinson (5-63-1), Los Angeles Rams WR Ben Skowronek (5-40), Kansas City Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (3-42-1), Denver Broncos WR K.J. Hamler (2-44), and Los Angele Chargers WR Joshua Palmer (9-57).

 

 

 

 

I was down on New England Patriots TE Hunter Henry as recently as last week. Things have changed a bit, though. One week after catching 4 of 5 targets, Henry saw 7 targets on Sunday against the Browns. He had previously seen only 14 total targets during the team's first five games. He ended the game on Sunday with a 4-61-1 stat line with a score. Bottom Line: Even with TE Jonnu Smith returning to action from injury, Henry dominated snap count, playing 68 snaps to only 30 for Smith. Henry ran 29 routes in the game, compared to just 5 for Smith. As for Smith, he played mostly in two-tight end sets, which included Henry. There is no indication that Henry's playing time will decrease, especially coming off a score. And that is the reason why Henry is a solid fantasy free-agent pickup if he's on your league waiver wire!

 

 

Coming off a disappointing game, things didn't get any better for New York Jets TE Tyler Conklin. In fact, he lost significant playing time to TE C.J. Uzomah for a second straight week. He ran a route on only 12 of the Jets' 21 pass plays against the Packers. Uzomah ran 11 route on Sunday. Conklin has only seen three targets over the past two games. Bottom Line: Just like WR Elijah Moore, Conklin is fading into the woodwork. His value over the first four games was entirely volume based despite a low efficiency. But over the past two weeks, Conklin doesn’t have that volume to reply upon for production, so you can cut him for fantasy if any decent option is out there… like perhaps TE Hunter Henry.

 

 

There is good news and bad news on Atlanta Falcons TE Kyle Pitts. First, the good. Pitts scored on Sunday. Now, the bad. His playing time continues in a downward direction. Pitts played only 33 of 58 offensive snaps in the game. Yes, he was on the field in most of the team's passing plays, but still ran just 14 total routes in the game! He also saw just 3 targets, catching all 3 for just 19 yards and his score. Based upon this usage, he will not be running routes on even half of the team's passing plays moving forward. Worst of all, the Falcons are a run-oriented team. When RB Cordarrelle Paterson (knee - IR) and RB Damien Williams (ribs - IR) return, the team will run even more, especially since their schedule is one of the softest in the league! Any way you slide it, it adds up to SELLING HIGH on Pitts if you can upgrade your tight end situation via trade!

 

 

Back in Week #4' Market feature, I discussed the fantasy future of New York Giants rookie TE Daniel Bellinger. At the end of my discussion, I said… " In a season where tight ends seem to die off for fantasy, Bellinger may be worth the risk moving forward." Three weeks later, and Bellinger has two more scores and is heating up! On Sunday, he caught all five passes thrown his way for 38 yards and a touchdown. Most importantly, he is finally playing on third downs, something he wasn't doing before Sunday. Bellinger had been the Giants' primary tight end on early downs this season, but TE Tanner Hudson was playing the third-down snaps. Well, on Sunday, Bellinger played all 16 third downs this week against the Ravens. Hudson’s only snaps in this game came in three-tight end sets. Bellinger finsally has the playing time of a fantasy starter, and believe it or not, he’s been the highest-graded Giants receiver on the season. In other words, if you aren't stacked at TE, then don't hesitate to pick up Bellinger now!

 

 

The following tight ends caught at least two passes this past weekend or scored and deserve fantasy consideration: New Orleans Saints TE Juwan Johnson (4-41), Jacksonville Jaguars TE Evan Engram (5-40), Indianapolis Colts TE Jelani Woods (2-27-1), Minnesota Vikings TE Irv Smith (4-7-1), Miami Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki (6-69-2), New England Patriots TE Jonnu Smith (2-61), Green Bay Packers TE Robert Tonyan (10-90), Seattle Seahawks TE Noah Fant (6-45), Dallas Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson (4-40-1), and Denver Broncos TE Greg Dulcich (2-44-1).

 

The following is the 6^th in-season free agent player rankings list for the 2022 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.