If it’s been a rough start to the season for you, by all means, feel free to shake your fist at the heavens and curse the fantasy gods for smiting you. But fight on, friends. None of us have been mathematically eliminated from the fantasy playoffs yet. Miracles do happen.
Fight on.
Here are my tiers and rankings for the week. Below we dive into a few notable players.
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Fantasy Football Outlook
With Justin Jefferson out, Vikings WRs Jordan Addison and K.J. Osborn gain significant fantasy value. Addison became fantasy-viable even before the Jefferson injury. That’s impressive considering that Osborn has been playing ahead of Addison in two-WR sets. So far this season, Osborn has outsnapped Addison 294-216, yet Addison has 61.9 PPR fantasy points vs. 41.6 for Osborn. Consider Addison a low-end WR2 this week and Osborn a low-end WR3. Both might be ranked slightly higher if not for an ominous weather forecast in Chicago for their matchup against a bad Bears pass defense.
Don’t be afraid to start Garrett Wilson this week even though his target-delivery mechanism is Zach Wilson. The Eagles’ pass defense was terrific last season. This season … not so much. Philadelphia has given up the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing WRs, and CB Darius Slay, who was likely to be tasked with covering Wilson on a good number of his routes, is questionable with a knee injury.
Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson investors are not pleased with their early returns on investment. McLaurin is WR36 in fantasy scoring. Dotson is WR62. The problem is that Washington’s target distribution has been truly egalitarian with Sam Howell at quarterback. No Washington pass catcher has a target share higher than McLaurin’s 17.3%. McLaurin, Dotson, Curtis Samuel and TE Logan Thomas all have between 25 and 31 targets. Five other Commanders have drawn double-digit targets. It’s probably time to downgrade the fantasy value of McLaurin and Dotson if you haven’t already. I’m ranking McLaurin as a low-end WR3 this week against the Falcons and their tough outside cornerbacks, with Dotson checking in as a low-end WR4.
I’m usually an Amari Cooper proponent, but I’m not eager to use him this week. The Browns have a tough matchup against the 49ers in a game with a Vegas total of 37 points. Part of the reason for that low total is the windy, rainy forecast for Cleveland that I mentioned earlier. Another concern for Cooper’s productivity is the status of QB Deshaun Watson, who’s been dealing with a shoulder injury. Watson was a surprise scratch in Week 4, which forced rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson to make his first NFL start against the Ravens. Thompson-Robinson completed 19-of-36 passes for 121 yards, and Cooper had 1-16-0 on six targets. I’m ranking Cooper WR34 for now, but if Watson is out again, Cooper’s ranking will plunge into the 40s.
-Pat Fitzmaurice
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