Approaching its fourth week, Fantasy Football excites fans yet again. From the points behind quarterback scrambles to the surprising scoring of kickers, Fantasy is frequently unpredictable. Luckily, this column is here to aid in lessening that unpredictability. From who to drop to who to pick up, to injuries and sleeper picks, this column has it all.
Waiver Watch
Last week running backs dominated, and they will continue to ride that electric wave this week. The Giants’ Cam Skattebo is a prime example of this; going against the Chiefs tough run defense, he scored a heavy 24 points, the most for any rookie running back last week. As he meets a stronger Chargers defense this week, he’s a good second running back option or a player to put on the bench for future use.
Yet another breakout rookie running back is the Browns’ Quinshon Judkins. After a strong 17-point performance against a highly ranked Packers defense, he goes against a slightly worse Lions defense in which he has a higher chance to score even more points. He is still stuck on the waiver wires in many leagues due to his rookie status, so he is an easy prospect to put on your team.
A receiver worth picking up off the waiver is the Chiefs’ Tyquan Thornton. After having a breakout game in which he scored 18 points against the Giants defense, Thornton has flown under the radar while climbing the position ranks, but he’s still only rostered on 2% of teams nationally. Even though he will be matching up against some of the best secondaries in the league, the Ravens’s Jaire Alexander and Kyle Hamilton, he’s a good bench or secondary receiver to silently pick up.
Trade Targets
One disappointing player this year has been the Eagles’ A.J. Brown. After a painfully slow start to the season, scoring a total of nine points in two games, he finally exploded last week against a mediocre Rams defense, scoring 23 points. Approaching a matchup against the strong Buccaneers run defense, ranked 6th by Fox Sports, the Eagles will increase their passing output, especially to Brown. Trade for him now; his value has been underappreciated because of his slow start, significantly lowering his trade stock.
Another undervalued player is the Bears’ D’Andre Swift. After gaining some traction in the past two weeks, scoring 25 points in the past two weeks, he goes against a lower-end Raiders run defense. While he has been labeled questionable for his matchup against the Raiders, I expect him to return healthy and continue to perform.
Injury Interruption
Injuries plagued Week Three, dropping many players out for the foreseeable future, some even for the season. Cardinals’ running back James Conner is a prime example. After suffering a gruesome ankle injury, he’s been ruled out for the rest of the season. Despite having a consistent start to the season, being top 20 in his position in Fantasy, he is unfortunately an easy drop to the waiver wire. Instead, pick up Trey Benson, who will dramatically increase in touches.
Yet another running back that has succumbed to injuries is the Chargers’ Najee Harris. After tearing his ACL against the Broncos, he is out indefinitely. While this is a worst-case scenario for Najee Harris owners, those who drafted Omarion Hampton are reaping the rewards as the weeks go by. With clear talent since the start of the season, his main obstacle has been sharing a significant number of snaps with Harris. After scoring an impressive 25 points last week, he goes against a struggling Giants run defense, giving him a chance to replicate his performance last week.
Rising Rookies
Buccaneers’ wide receiver Emeka Egbuka has been fantastic these past few weeks and is in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year. He’s averaged 17 Fantasy points over three weeks and is 10th in his position rank, despite tough matchups against cornerbacks like Jets’ Sauce Gardner and safeties like the Texans’ All-Pro Derek Stingley Jr. As he goes against a slightly weaker Eagles pass defense, expect him to rack up a healthy number of receptions, especially in the absence of Mike Evans, the Bucs’ wide receiver who hurt his hamstring last week.
Another rookie worth noting is the Giants’ Jaxson Dart. After backing up first-string quarterback,Russell Wilson, since Week 1 with very few snaps, he finally gets a well-deserved start against the Chargers. Even though many fans are anticipating his debut, he meets a highly ranked Chargers defense who will likely give him trouble. As he progresses and gains experience throughout the season, he’s a good backup quarterback to keep on the bench.
Blown Bets
It’s hard to call any player a bust only three weeks into the season, yet some may be reaching that point. After a mediocre first game for his standards, Jets’ running back Breece Hall continues to plummet, putting up less than 10 points in both weeks two and three. Hall owners are hopeful he can finally perform in his next game against a weak Dolphins defense, or they’ll have to reevaluate starting him.
Another stumbling player is the Seahawks’ veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp. After a significant decline last year in productivity, he was traded to an extremely talented wide receiver room in Seattle. With few touches due to fellow receiver Jaxon Smith-Njgiba, who is having a breakout season, managers should be wary of predicting that he can increase his average Fantasy points of eight.
Although all these predictions are based on stats and logic, nobody can foresee what will happen in any given Fantasy league. It is up to you as a manager to make your roster choices and hope for the best.
