All in all it was a strong week for our roster making transactions rather difficult. The brightest star is of course Darrell Henderson. The former Memphis Tiger played 82-percent of his team’s snaps and dominated usage in all situations. While he was not able to punch in a score or provide much in terms of efficiency, his usage profile was that of an RB1.
The goal of this column is simple. Just as the hitchhiker attempts to achieve their destination without a consistent or known vehicle, we will reach your league championship relying on a mix of temporary solutions and unexpected revelations. I will attempt to stream the highest scoring season long RB2 slot we can, relying only on a finite pool of late round picks and the waiver wire. I will explain the parameters in detail at the end of the article.
Jimmy Garoppolo is dealing with a thumb injury. Trey Lance would be an instant fantasy upgrade due to his rushing ability. A healthy trio of George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and “The Terminator” Deebo Samuel would provide him with great weapons. This week, Lance could help Superflex players win leagues with a great matchup against Houston.
With Buffalo decimated at WR, Isaiah McKenzie stepped right into a significant role and did not disappoint. He finished with 11 catches on 12 targets with 125 yards receiving and a TD. This week, expect another high Snap Share and potential for another useful fantasy performance.
We’ve recommended Gabriel Davis for several weeks now, and he continues to come through with fantasy contributions. Davis had one of the best performance of his career with five receptions for 85 yards, and two TD catches. He now has four TD catches in his last three games and 15 targets over his previous two games. He looks to be part of the Bills weekly game plan down the stretch and he has the trust of Josh Allen. Davis can be treated as a WR3.
Amon-Ra St. Brown is almost assuredly rostered, but if he is somehow available, be aggressive as you can in adding him. He is the midwest version of Hunter Renfrow, and has become the focal point of Detroit’s offense. ARSB is heating up and is a player whose stock should rise this summer in dynasty. Craig Reynolds continues to be a Cinderella story for Detroit. The 25-year-old seemingly came out of nowhere in Week 14, and this past week saw a bell cow-like 26 carries for 101 yards as Detroit convincingly upset Arizona. This week, Reynolds has a plus matchup against Atlanta.
Pete Carroll promised that Rashaad Penny would be a big part of the game plan, and he certainly kept his word. Penny ran wild against The Texans with 137 yards rushing and two TDs. He played his best game as a pro and looked like a former first round pick. The competition gets a lot stronger with the Los Angeles Rams on tap this week, but Penny will get every chance at another high volume day.
Gabriel Davis played very well this past weekend at Tampa Bay. He caught a TD pass and converted a huge first down with effort and athleticism. He has now scored TDs in back-to-back games and should see even more snaps with Emmanuel Sanders now injured. Davis is a WR3 for me this week and can be used as a Flex play (monitor the Josh Allen injury).
Christian McCaffrey paid the ultimate price for becoming a bell cow.
Josh Palmer and Jalen Guyton are big play receivers.
Kenny Gainwell has been in this article multiple times, but this time he could stick and actually be usable in deep formats for the fantasy playoffs. Miles Sanders injured his ankle and Gainwell stepped in to catch five passes and rush 12 times for 54 yards and a TD. This backfield is very much in flux, but I want to try and add as much Gainwell as possible with the hopes that the rookie can be a useful fantasy play after the bye.
If you need a Flex or WR3 this week, K.J. Osborn is one of the best options. Adam Thielen suffered a high ankle sprain and Osborn saw his highest number of snaps of the season with 70. If Thielen misses more than a week, Osborn could be a helpful player in the playoffs as an every-down player on a team with a narrow target tree.
Jamaal Williams should be a strong start at RB this week with the potential for 20-plus touches. When D’Andre Swift went down, Williams handled 15 carries and caught all five of his targets this past week. While Williams is no Swift, he can handle a large workload. The Lions offense limits Williams, but he should be a low-end RB2 this week.
DeSean Jackson sent a reminder to all football fans that he can still get behind the defense for a long TD. He saw four targets and turned those into three catches for 102 yards and a TD. If you like revenge game narratives, Jackson faces his former team in Washington this week.
Michael Carter is out for at least two weeks. Ty Johnson split time with Tevin Coleman, but outsnapped him last week. Expect Johnson to see an even larger share of the RB work this week. We have already seen his ability as a receiver with three games of five receptions or more. Treat him as a high end RB3/flex play this week.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling led the Packers with 10 targets this past weekend, including a 75-yard TD grab. He finished with 123 yards receiving and has a plus matchup this week as Green Bay faces off in a potentially high-scoring game with the Rams. MVS can be frustrating at times, but he has big-play potential and can be started if you need a flex with upside.
Bryan Edwards has the combination of draft capital, size, speed, athleticism, and early Breakout Age. What he lacks are consistent production and Target Share. Last week he produced an absolute dud with zero catches against the Giants. This week he flashed again with 88 yards receiving on three catches and found the endzone. The Raiders could potentially do some self-scouting and target Edwards more than the four times he was this past weekend.
Rhamondre Stevenson saw an un-Belichickian Snap Share and produced a dominant performance with two TDs on 24 touches. He is big, agile, AND is a threat in the passing game. Damien Harris missed practice on Monday and will most likely be out for Thursday’s smash spot against Atlanta. If he is available in your league, he is worth an “a lot of whatever you have left” type bid.
