Here are players to consider stashing ahead of this weekend’s slate of games.
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QUARTERBACKS
Trey Lance at Bears in Week 8
The power of the Konami Code is formidable. For those unfamiliar with the term, it dates back to the 1980s and refers to a sequence of button presses on video game controllers that allowed you to unlock secret features or extra lives. Fantasy analyst Rich Hribar began applying the phrase “Konami Code” to running quarterbacks because the rushing points they provide are a fantasy football cheat code. Lance is the perfect example of a Konami Code quarterback. He’s not going to be a consistently effective passer at this stage of his NFL career. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that he’s such a good runner. Playing in relief of Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 4, Lance produced 20 points in the second half alone. There’s more where that came from. The 49ers won’t keep playing Garoppolo all season. Lance is the 49ers’ future, and he’ll be starting again soon. This is the perfect time to cheaply stash a quarterback whose running ability is going to provide immense fantasy value.
RUNNING BACKS
Rashaad Penny vs. Jaguars in Week 8
Injuries and the presence of Chris Carson have prevented Penny from getting serious traction in the NFL, but it’s not too late for the 2018 first-round pick. Carson is dealing with a neck injury that could be season-threatening or even career-threatening. Alex Collins has been serving as the lead back in Carson’s absence, but Collins is a replacement-level talent, and now he’s banged up, too. Penny is expected to come off IR this weekend and could immediately play a significant role. We may yet get fantasy-relevant numbers from the guy who ran for 2,248 yards and 23 touchdowns in his final college season at San Diego State.
Jaret Patterson at Broncos in Week 8
Antonio Gibson has a stress fracture in his shin. He played just 23 snaps last week and may eventually be shut down. J.D. McKissic has been an effective passing-down back for Washington, but he’s too small to handle a feature back role. If Gibson has to sit for a while, Patterson is going to get a lot of early-down work. The rookie from the University of Buffalo was a prolific three-year producer in college and looked terrific in the preseason. D’Ernest Johnson showed us on Thursday night that opportunity is everything (well, almost everything) at the RB position. Patterson could be on the verge of getting his opportunity.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Michael Gallup at Vikings in Week 8
Sidelined for weeks with a calf injury that he sustained in the season opener, Gallup is eligible to come off IR in Week 8 and has a good chance to play against the Vikings in next week’s Sunday-night game. Yes, he has to compete for targets with WRs CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper and now TE Dalton Schultz, too. But Gallup finished WR38 in half-point PPR fantasy scoring last year despite sharing targets with talented teammates, and the Dallas offense is explosive enough to float the fantasy value of multiple contributors. It’s rare to see a receiver as talented as Gallup unrostered in a majority of fantasy leagues.
Will Fuller at Bills in Week 8
The oft-injured Fuller has barely played for his new team, but he could be back from a broken finger as early as next week. Teammates Jaylen Waddle, DeVante Parker, and Mike Gesicki complicate the target outlook for Fuller, and unlike the Cowboys, the Dolphins’ passing game isn’t explosive enough to make four different pass catchers fantasy-relevant. But Fuller is a talented dude, and sometimes it pays to ignore the depth chart and just bet on talent.
Elijah Moore vs. Bengals in Week 8
Moore is making a second straight appearance in this column. I’ll leave him out next week if he doesn’t show us anything in Week 7. But let’s not forget how the rookie from Ole Miss wowed onlookers in training camp. There’s still time for Moore to have a significant rookie-year impact.
TIGHT ENDS
Evan Engram at Chiefs in Week 8
Engram is questionable with a calf injury this week. He’s injury-prone and drop-prone, but he’s also fast and athletic, and he has a 700-yard season on his résumé. He has a Week 8 matchup against a Chiefs defense that’s giving up 11.9 fantasy points per game to tight ends, the second-highest figure in the league.
DEFENSES
Bengals at Jets in Week 8
The Bengals’ defense ranks 15th in fantasy scoring, and it’s been the 12th-best fantasy defense since Week 3. Cincinnati gets a favorable Week 8 matchup against rookie QB Zach Wilson and the Jets. Act now and you can get the Bengals for a zero-dollar bid.
Philadelphia Eagles at Lions in Week 8
The Eagles’ defense is a middling 17th in fantasy scoring, but it’s a fine streaming option against Jared Goff and the Lions in Week 8.
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