Tag: news – fantasy

Trade Value Rankings: Aaron Rodgers dips; Breece Hall creeps higher

Eric Karabell ranks players for their fantasy football trade value for the rest of the 2022 NFL season every week until the fantasy football trade deadline (noon ET on Nov. 30). Use the information to propose or assess trades and to optimize the players on your bench for their future potential. Eric’s top 100 can be found below the positions in this column.

Quarterback

Rankings changes: Quarterback is normally so deep that we find it difficult to narrow down 13 or 14 choices into the top 10. Not this season. Packers starter Aaron Rodgers continues to underwhelm, for whatever reason, falling short of 17 PPR points in each game, and he falls to No. 14. Yep, even behind Seattle’s surprising Geno Smith and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence. Hey, we deal in numbers here, and Rodgers enters Week 7 with fewer fantasy points than Denver’s Russell Wilson, Washington’s Carson Wentz and Cleveland fill-in Jacoby Brissett!

Meanwhile, Vikings starter Kirk Cousins deservingly breaks into the top 10, which isn’t so shocking; he’s been a borderline QB1 in standard, 10-team leagues for years, and he is 10th among QBs in PPR scoring today. He passes Buccaneers starter Tom Brady, though Brady remains top 10 for now, mostly due to the position lacking someone that deserves his spot. Geno Smith over Tom Brady? We can make the case.

Trade for: While the Bills’ Josh Allen remains in his own top tier, the truly trustworthy fantasy options here end at the Bengals’ Joe Burrow at No. 7. Perhaps that’s unfair. Cousins may not win real playoff games, but he’s always serviceable in fantasy, perhaps underrated, really, especially as top-end depth eludes us in 2022. The Cowboys’ Dak Prescott likely returns this week. Trade for him as a borderline QB1, but not a safe one.

Be cautious: As we keep noting weekly, assuming normally dependable Rodgers or Brady (or Wilson or the Rams’ Matthew Stafford) simply alter the trajectory of their rather disappointing seasons and start playing like their versions from recent seasons is asking a lot. The Bears’ Justin Fields still has that QB1 upside because of his legs, occasionally showing it, but trading for him remains high risk. The Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa likely returns this week. He is not Prescott. Be wary.

Top 40 Quarterbacks

Pos. Rank	Ovr. Rank		Team	Next 3
1	17		BUF	BYE, GB, @NYJ
2	24		KC	@SF, BYE, TEN
3	25		PHI	BYE, PIT, @HOU
4	26		BAL	CLE, @TB, @NO
5	31		LAC	SEA, BYE, @ATL
6	41		ARI	NO, @MIN, SEA
7	42		CIN	ATL, @CLE, CAR
8	97	UP	MIN	BYE, ARI, @WSH
9	98		TB	@CAR, BAL, LAR
10	99		DAL	DET, CHI, BYE
11	100		LV	HOU, @NO, @JAX
12	111		SEA	@LAC, NYG, @ARI
13	116	UP	JAX	NYG, DEN, LV
14	117	DOWN	GB	@WSH, @BUF, @DET
15	125		MIA	PIT, @DET, @CHI
16	127	DOWN	LAR	BYE, SF, @TB
17	130		DEN	NYJ, @JAX, BYE
18	134		DET	@DAL, MIA, GB
19	135	UP	IND	@TEN, WSH, @NE
20	136		CHI	@NE, @DAL, MIA
21	139		SF	KC, @LAR, BYE
22	142	DOWN	NYJ	@DEN, NE, BUF
23	143		TEN	IND, @HOU, @KC
24	144	UP	ATL	@CIN, CAR, LAC
25	146		NYG	@JAX, @SEA, BYE
26	148		NO	@ARI, LV, BAL
27	150		PIT	@MIA, @PHI, BYE
28	151	UP	CLE	@BAL, CIN, BYE
29	153	UP	WSH	GB, @IND, MIN
30	155	DOWN	WSH	GB, @IND, MIN
31	157	DOWN	HOU	@LV, TEN, PHI
32	159	DOWN	NE	CHI, @NYJ, IND
33	160	DOWN	CLE	@BAL, CIN, BYE
34	163		ATL	@CIN, CAR, LAC
35	174		NO	@ARI, LV, BAL
36	175		NE	CHI, @NYJ, IND
37	176	DOWN	CAR	TB, @ATL, @CIN
38	178	DOWN	DAL	DET, CHI, BYE
39	180		CAR	TB, @ATL, @CIN
40	186		PIT	@MIA, @PHI, BYE

Running back

Rankings changes: Young running backs continue to rise, with the Jets’ Breece Hall forcing his way into the top 10, even jumping ahead of the Bengals’ Joe Mixon. Volume matters, and Mixon’s odd season continues. The Patriots’ Rhamondre Stevenson is getting volume for now and joins the RB2 party along with Seahawks rookie Kenneth Walker III. The Jaguars’ Travis Etienne Jr. closes in as well. A pair of Packers (Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon) fall, along with the Ravens’ J.K. Dobbins and Commanders’ Antonio Gibson. The Rams seem to want Cam Akers on their team even less than you do, and who knows what’s happening in Denver?

Trade for: As long as the Jets and Seahawks keep feeding their rookies, we can count on them. The Saints’ Alvin Kamara certainly looks safe again. There was much skepticism surrounding the NFC East running backs in the preseason, but the Giants’ Saquon Barkley, Eagles’ Miles Sanders, Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard continue to stay healthy and play well. Perhaps the Commanders’ Brian Robinson becomes statistically trustworthy soon. Trade for the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor with fingers crossed.

Be cautious: The risk on acquiring Stevenson is that he goes back to splitting touches with Damien Harris. May happen, may not happen. The only RB to outscore Stevenson in Week 6 was the Colts’ Deon Jackson, but there’s no looming timeshare there. When Taylor is healthy, he gets the touches. Who gets the touches for the Rams? It’s so risky to assume it is Darrell Henderson Jr. Nor can we assume Kenyan Drake is safe for the Ravens or that Latavius Murray, of all people, is Denver’s guy. We want to believe the Packers will figure everything out soon, but Jones and Dillon aren’t giving us much hope.

Top 60 Running Backs

Pos. Rank	Ovr. Rank		Team	Next 3
1	4		NYG	@JAX, @SEA, BYE
2	5		LAC	SEA, BYE, @ATL
3	6		CAR	TB, @ATL, @CIN
4	10		TEN	IND, @HOU, @KC
5	13		CLE	@BAL, CIN, BYE
6	15	UP	NO	@ARI, LV, BAL
7	16		MIN	BYE, ARI, @WSH
8	18		IND	@TEN, WSH, @NE
9	19		TB	@CAR, BAL, LAR
10	20	UP	NYJ	@DEN, NE, BUF
11	22		CIN	ATL, @CLE, CAR
12	23		DET	@DAL, MIA, GB
13	29		HOU	@LV, TEN, PHI
14	30		PHI	BYE, PIT, @HOU
15	32		LV	HOU, @NO, @JAX
16	33		SF	KC, @LAR, BYE
17	34	UP	SEA	@LAC, NYG, @ARI
18	35	UP	NE	CHI, @NYJ, IND
19	37		ARI	NO, @MIN, SEA
20	39		PIT	@MIA, @PHI, BYE
21	45		DAL	DET, CHI, BYE
22	46	UP	JAX	NYG, DEN, LV
23	48	DOWN	GB	@WSH, @BUF, @DET
24	49		KC	@SF, BYE, TEN
25	53	DOWN	JAX	NYG, DEN, LV
26	54		CHI	@NE, @DAL, MIA
27	57	UP	WSH	GB, @IND, MIN
28	58		MIA	PIT, @DET, @CHI
29	59		DET	@DAL, MIA, GB
30	61	DOWN	DEN	NYJ, @JAX, BYE
31	62	DOWN	BAL	CLE, @TB, @NO
32	68		CLE	@BAL, CIN, BYE
33	69	DOWN	GB	@WSH, @BUF, @DET
34	70		DAL	DET, CHI, BYE
35	72		NE	CHI, @NYJ, IND
36	73		CHI	@NE, @DAL, MIA
37	74	UP	LAR	BYE, SF, @TB
38	75		BUF	BYE, GB, @NYJ
39	76		ATL	@CIN, CAR, LAC
40	88		ARI	NO, @MIN, SEA
41	89		MIA	PIT, @DET, @CHI
42	101		NYJ	@DEN, NE, BUF
43	103		MIN	BYE, ARI, @WSH
44	104	UP	BAL	CLE, @TB, @NO
45	105	UP	ATL	@CIN, CAR, LAC
46	106	UP	DEN	NYJ, @JAX, BYE
47	107	DOWN	WSH	GB, @IND, MIN
48	110		WSH	GB, @IND, MIN
49	112		PHI	BYE, PIT, @HOU
50	115		SF	KC, @LAR, BYE
51	119		IND	@TEN, WSH, @NE
52	121		ATL	@CIN, CAR, LAC
53	122	DOWN	LAR	BYE, SF, @TB
54	124	DOWN	HOU	@LV, TEN, PHI
55	126	UP	IND	@TEN, WSH, @NE
56	129	UP	JAX	NYG, DEN, LV
57	137	DOWN	NO	@ARI, LV, BAL
58	138	DOWN	DEN	NYJ, @JAX, BYE
59	140	DOWN	CIN	ATL, @CLE, CAR
60	141		TB	@CAR, BAL, LAR

Wide receiver

Rankings changes: The big mover at this position is someone who hasn’t played all season. The Cardinals get DeAndre Hopkins back from suspension for Thursday’s game against the Saints. It should aid QB Kyler Murray and the running game. In addition, Arizona acquired disgruntled Panther Robbie Anderson, and he replaces an injured Marquis Brown, who may be done for a while. Lots going on in Arizona!

Meanwhile, it was nice to see the Colts’ Michael Pittman Jr., 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk and Steelers’ Chase Claypool remind us of their special talents. Pittman returns to safe WR2 range. It remains to be seen if Aiyuk and Claypool remain statistically relevant. Finally, learn the name of Patriots rookie Tyquan Thornton. He scored two touchdowns Sunday.

Trade for: It’s still not many targets, but the Bills’ Gabe Davis makes big plays, and his QB may win MVP. Now is a good time to get the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown, seeing that he is presumed healthy and his bye week passed. Saints rookie Chris Olave should play Thursday. Who knows about veteran Saints WR Michael Thomas?

Be cautious: Just because the Cardinals dealt for Anderson, who has been disappointing since his breakout 2020 campaign, doesn’t mean you need to. The Jets sure are running the football quite a bit, lowering the value of their receivers. Rams disappointment Allen Robinson II outscored Cooper Kupp in PPR points, but we can count on only one of them at this point. Ben Skowronek scored a touchdown, too.

Top 60 Wide Receivers

Pos. Rank	Ovr. Rank		Team	Next 3
1	1		LAR	BYE, SF, @TB
2	2		MIN	BYE, ARI, @WSH
3	3		BUF	BYE, GB, @NYJ
4	7		CIN	ATL, @CLE, CAR
5	8		MIA	PIT, @DET, @CHI
6	9		LV	HOU, @NO, @JAX
7	12		SF	KC, @LAR, BYE
8	21		PHI	BYE, PIT, @HOU
9	27		CIN	ATL, @CLE, CAR
10	28		TB	@CAR, BAL, LAR
11	36		LAC	SEA, BYE, @ATL
12	38		MIA	PIT, @DET, @CHI
13	40		DAL	DET, CHI, BYE
14	43		SEA	@LAC, NYG, @ARI
15	44	UP	IND	@TEN, WSH, @NE
16	47		DET	@DAL, MIA, GB
17	50	UP	DEN	NYJ, @JAX, BYE
18	51		NO	@ARI, LV, BAL
19	52		PIT	@MIA, @PHI, BYE
20	55		JAX	NYG, DEN, LV
21	56		BUF	BYE, GB, @NYJ
22	60		LAC	SEA, BYE, @ATL
23	63		TB	@CAR, BAL, LAR
24	64		SEA	@LAC, NYG, @ARI
25	65	UP	ARI	NO, @MIN, SEA
26	66		PHI	BYE, PIT, @HOU
27	67		ATL	@CIN, CAR, LAC
28	71		CLE	@BAL, CIN, BYE
29	77	UP	MIN	BYE, ARI, @WSH
30	78		NO	@ARI, LV, BAL
31	79		WSH	GB, @IND, MIN
32	83	UP	KC	@SF, BYE, TEN
33	84	DOWN	WSH	GB, @IND, MIN
34	85		CAR	TB, @ATL, @CIN
35	86		NYJ	@DEN, NE, BUF
36	87		HOU	@LV, TEN, PHI
37	90		DAL	DET, CHI, BYE
38	91		DEN	NYJ, @JAX, BYE
39	95	DOWN	NYJ	@DEN, NE, BUF
40	96	UP	SF	KC, @LAR, BYE
41	102		BAL	CLE, @TB, @NO
42	108		LV	HOU, @NO, @JAX
43	109	UP	ARI	NO, @MIN, SEA
44	113		PIT	@MIA, @PHI, BYE
45	114		NE	CHI, @NYJ, IND
46	118		GB	@WSH, @BUF, @DET
47	120		GB	@WSH, @BUF, @DET
48	123		BUF	BYE, GB, @NYJ
49	128		WSH	GB, @IND, MIN
50	131	UP	IND	@TEN, WSH, @NE
51	132	UP	PIT	@MIA, @PHI, BYE
52	133	UP	NE	CHI, @NYJ, IND
53	156	DOWN	LAR	BYE, SF, @TB
54	158	UP	LAR	BYE, SF, @TB
55	161	DOWN	BUF	BYE, GB, @NYJ
56	162		LAC	SEA, BYE, @ATL
57	164	UP	ARI	NO, @MIN, SEA
58	165		HOU	@LV, TEN, PHI
59	166		NE	CHI, @NYJ, IND
60	167	DOWN	ARI	NO, @MIN, SEA

Tight end

Rankings changes: There remains a rather large drop between the top two options and the rest. While the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and Ravens’ Mark Andrews thrive each week, it was nice to see some strugglers rebound. The Falcons’ Kyle Pitts, Bills’ Dawson Knox and Patriots’ Hunter Henry scored touchdowns, the Dolphins’ Mike Gesicki scored two, and the Packers’ Robert Tonyan was the prime Rodgers target. Names to watch in deeper formats: the Broncos’ Greg Dulcich, Buccaneers’ Cade Otton, Giants’ Daniel Bellinger. The Saints’ Taysom Hill remains all or nothing statistically.

Top 30 Tight Ends

Pos. Rank	Ovr. Rank		Team	Next 3
1	11		KC	@SF, BYE, TEN
2	14		BAL	CLE, @TB, @NO
3	80		ARI	NO, @MIN, SEA
4	81		LV	HOU, @NO, @JAX
5	82		SF	KC, @LAR, BYE
6	92		PHI	BYE, PIT, @HOU
7	93		DET	@DAL, MIA, GB
8	94		ATL	@CIN, CAR, LAC
9	147		LAR	BYE, SF, @TB
10	NR	UP	LAC	SEA, BYE, @ATL
11	NR	UP	CLE	@BAL, CIN, BYE
12	NR	UP	PIT	@MIA, @PHI, BYE
13	NR	UP	BUF	BYE, GB, @NYJ
14	NR	DOWN	DAL	DET, CHI, BYE
15	NR	UP	GB	@WSH, @BUF, @DET
16	NR		MIA	PIT, @DET, @CHI
17	NR	UP	NE	CHI, @NYJ, IND
18	NR		CIN	ATL, @CLE, CAR
19	NR	DOWN	NYJ	@DEN, NE, BUF
20	NR	DOWN	WSH	GB, @IND, MIN
21	NR	DOWN	NO	@ARI, LV, BAL
22	NR		MIN	BYE, ARI, @WSH
23	NR	DOWN	JAX	NYG, DEN, LV
24	NR	UP	NYG	@JAX, @SEA, BYE
25	NR	DOWN	CHI	@NE, @DAL, MIA
26	NR	UP	TB	@CAR, BAL, LAR
27	NR	DOWN	NE	CHI, @NYJ, IND
28	NR	UP	DEN	NYJ, @JAX, BYE
29	NR	DOWN	DEN	NYJ, @JAX, BYE
30	NR	DOWN	SEA	@LAC, NYG, @ARI
31	NR	DOWN	CAR	TB, @ATL, @CIN
32	NR	DOWN	SEA	@LAC, NYG, @ARI
33	NR	DOWN	IND	@TEN, WSH, @NE
34	NR	DOWN	BAL	CLE, @TB, @NO
35	NR	DOWN	TEN	IND, @HOU, @KC
36	NR		TB	@CAR, BAL, LAR
37	NR		NO	@ARI, LV, BAL
38	NR		LV	HOU, @NO, @JAX
39	NR	UP	DAL	DET, CHI, BYE
40	NR	UP	IND	@TEN, WSH, @NE

Team Defense/Special Teams

Pos. Rank	Ovr. Rank		Next 3
1	168		BYE, GB, @NYJ
2	169		@CAR, BAL, LAR
3	170		BYE, PIT, @HOU
4	171		DET, CHI, BYE
5	172		BYE, SF, @TB
6	185		KC, @LAR, BYE
7	188		NYJ, @JAX, BYE
8	191		@ARI, LV, BAL
9	192	UP	@DEN, NE, BUF
10	194		CLE, @TB, @NO
11	195		CHI, @NYJ, IND
12	NR		@WSH, @BUF, @DET
13	NR		@TEN, WSH, @NE
14	NR		NO, @MIN, SEA
15	NR		@NE, @DAL, MIA
16	NR		PIT, @DET, @CHI
17	NR	UP	BYE, ARI, @WSH
18	NR		ATL, @CLE, CAR
19	NR		@BAL, CIN, BYE
20	NR	DOWN	NYG, DEN, LV
21	NR		IND, @HOU, @KC
22	NR		@MIA, @PHI, BYE
23	NR		@SF, BYE, TEN
24	NR	DOWN	SEA, BYE, @ATL
25	NR	UP	@JAX, @SEA, BYE
26	NR	UP	@LAC, NYG, @ARI
27	NR		@LV, TEN, PHI
28	NR		TB, @ATL, @CIN
29	NR		@CIN, CAR, LAC
30	NR		GB, @IND, MIN
31	NR	DOWN	HOU, @NO, @JAX
32	NR	DOWN	@DAL, MIA, GB

Eric Karabell’s Rest-of-Year Top 100 Rankings

Rank		Team	Pos. Rank	Next 3
1		LAR	WR1	BYE, SF, @TB
2		MIN	WR2	BYE, ARI, @WSH
3		BUF	WR3	BYE, GB, @NYJ
4		NYG	RB1	@JAX, @SEA, BYE
5		LAC	RB2	SEA, BYE, @ATL
6		CAR	RB3	TB, @ATL, @CIN
7		CIN	WR4	ATL, @CLE, CAR
8		MIA	WR5	PIT, @DET, @CHI
9		LV	WR6	HOU, @NO, @JAX
10		TEN	RB4	IND, @HOU, @KC
11		KC	TE1	@SF, BYE, TEN
12		SF	WR7	KC, @LAR, BYE
13		CLE	RB5	@BAL, CIN, BYE
14		BAL	TE2	CLE, @TB, @NO
15		NO	RB6	@ARI, LV, BAL
16		MIN	RB7	BYE, ARI, @WSH
17		BUF	QB1	BYE, GB, @NYJ
18		IND	RB8	@TEN, WSH, @NE
19		TB	RB9	@CAR, BAL, LAR
20	UP	NYJ	RB10	@DEN, NE, BUF
21		PHI	WR8	BYE, PIT, @HOU
22		CIN	RB11	ATL, @CLE, CAR
23		DET	RB12	@DAL, MIA, GB
24		KC	QB2	@SF, BYE, TEN
25		PHI	QB3	BYE, PIT, @HOU
26		BAL	QB4	CLE, @TB, @NO
27		CIN	WR9	ATL, @CLE, CAR
28		TB	WR10	@CAR, BAL, LAR
29		HOU	RB13	@LV, TEN, PHI
30		PHI	RB14	BYE, PIT, @HOU
31		LAC	QB5	SEA, BYE, @ATL
32		LV	RB15	HOU, @NO, @JAX
33		SF	RB16	KC, @LAR, BYE
34	UP	SEA	RB17	@LAC, NYG, @ARI
35	UP	NE	RB18	CHI, @NYJ, IND
36		LAC	WR11	SEA, BYE, @ATL
37		ARI	RB19	NO, @MIN, SEA
38		MIA	WR12	PIT, @DET, @CHI
39		PIT	RB20	@MIA, @PHI, BYE
40		DAL	WR13	DET, CHI, BYE
41		ARI	QB6	NO, @MIN, SEA
42	UP	CIN	QB7	ATL, @CLE, CAR
43		SEA	WR14	@LAC, NYG, @ARI
44	UP	IND	WR15	@TEN, WSH, @NE
45		DAL	RB21	DET, CHI, BYE
46	UP	JAX	RB22	NYG, DEN, LV
47		DET	WR16	@DAL, MIA, GB
48	DOWN	GB	RB23	@WSH, @BUF, @DET
49		KC	RB24	@SF, BYE, TEN
50		DEN	WR17	NYJ, @JAX, BYE
51		NO	WR18	@ARI, LV, BAL
52		PIT	WR19	@MIA, @PHI, BYE
53	DOWN	JAX	RB25	NYG, DEN, LV
54		CHI	RB26	@NE, @DAL, MIA
55		JAX	WR20	NYG, DEN, LV
56	UP	BUF	WR21	BYE, GB, @NYJ
57	UP	WSH	RB27	GB, @IND, MIN
58		MIA	RB28	PIT, @DET, @CHI
59		DET	RB29	@DAL, MIA, GB
60		LAC	WR22	SEA, BYE, @ATL
61	DOWN	DEN	RB30	NYJ, @JAX, BYE
62	DOWN	BAL	RB31	CLE, @TB, @NO
63		TB	WR23	@CAR, BAL, LAR
64		SEA	WR24	@LAC, NYG, @ARI
65	UP	ARI	WR25	NO, @MIN, SEA
66		PHI	WR26	BYE, PIT, @HOU
67		ATL	WR27	@CIN, CAR, LAC
68		CLE	RB32	@BAL, CIN, BYE
69	DOWN	GB	RB33	@WSH, @BUF, @DET
70		DAL	RB34	DET, CHI, BYE
71		CLE	WR28	@BAL, CIN, BYE
72		NE	RB35	CHI, @NYJ, IND
73		CHI	RB36	@NE, @DAL, MIA
74	UP	LAR	RB37	BYE, SF, @TB
75		BUF	RB38	BYE, GB, @NYJ
76		ATL	RB39	@CIN, CAR, LAC
77	UP	MIN	WR29	BYE, ARI, @WSH
78		NO	WR30	@ARI, LV, BAL
79		WSH	WR31	GB, @IND, MIN
80		ARI	TE3	NO, @MIN, SEA
81		LV	TE4	HOU, @NO, @JAX
82	UP	SF	TE5	KC, @LAR, BYE
83	UP	KC	WR32	@SF, BYE, TEN
84	DOWN	WSH	WR33	GB, @IND, MIN
85		CAR	WR34	TB, @ATL, @CIN
86		NYJ	WR35	@DEN, NE, BUF
87		HOU	WR36	@LV, TEN, PHI
88		ARI	RB40	NO, @MIN, SEA
89	DOWN	MIA	RB41	PIT, @DET, @CHI
90	UP	DAL	WR37	DET, CHI, BYE
91		DEN	WR38	NYJ, @JAX, BYE
92		PHI	TE6	BYE, PIT, @HOU
93		DET	TE7	@DAL, MIA, GB
94		ATL	TE8	@CIN, CAR, LAC
95	DOWN	NYJ	WR39	@DEN, NE, BUF
96	UP	SF	WR40	KC, @LAR, BYE
97	UP	MIN	QB8	BYE, ARI, @WSH
98		TB	QB9	@CAR, BAL, LAR
99	UP	DAL	QB10	DET, CHI, BYE
100	UP	LV	QB11	HOU, @NO, @JAX

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October 18, 2022

Fantasy football Week 6: Rhamondre Stevenson, Brandon Aiyuk impress

Week 6 of the 2022 fantasy football season was highlighted by big games by Rhamondre Stevenson and Brandon Aiyuk and more struggles for Aaron Rodgers. Which developments from the week are worth reading into? Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analysis.

Stevenson gets a heavy workload

With Damien Harris sidelined — remarkably, despite hints that he’d be out multiple weeks, he was ruled out on Sunday only at inactives list time — Rhamondre Stevenson stepped up with a huge amount of work, demonstrating his versatility and raw ability in the process. He played 85% of the offensive snaps, absorbed 19 of 23 rushing attempts that went to running backs and ran all 19 routes by Patriots running backs, things that look completely out of the ordinary considering Bill Belichick’s tendency to spread things around in his backfield. Stevenson had his moments in this game, struggling to find space at times, but his 31-yard touchdown underscored his potential as a runner, and his receiving chops had previously been well-known. He’s a potential RB1 — more so in deeper-than-standard leagues, however — anytime this backfield is his alone. — Cockcroft

Stevenson has the physical profile and make-up of an RB1. We know he can drop the hammer on contact and, as we saw on Sunday, Stevenson will hit the accelerator when he gets into the open field. The Patriots running back has also caught 14 passes over his last four games. There’s PPR upside here, too. — Bowen

Pitts finds the end zone

Kyle Pitts caught his first touchdown of the year on a red zone slant route in the Week 6 win over the 49ers. Play-action with the tight end aligned as the backside X receiver. That’s easy money. Given his traits as a receiver, however, why aren’t we seeing more target volume and matchup-based deployment for the tight end in Arthur Smith’s offense? Pitts’ 10.9 PPR points on Sunday were his most since the Week 3 game at Seattle (13.7), but he still sits at 13 total receptions on the season. Without the volume, and the usage that creates consistent scoring opportunities or explosive play situations, Pitts will remain a lower-tier TE1 for the Week 7 game versus the Bengals. — Bowen

play

1:03

With Kyle Pitts scoring his first touchdown of the season, Tristan H. Cockcroft expresses his hope that better things are coming for the Falcons tight end.

More struggles for Rodgers

Davante Adams‘ absence is clearly having an adverse impact on Aaron Rodgers‘ production, as 2022 is now the first season in his 15 as an NFL starter in which he has failed to deliver a 20-plus-point fantasy performance during one of the first six weeks, and his 81.02 points total in those six games are easily his fewest. Rodgers was pressured relentlessly by the Jets’ defense in this one, and that’s not a defense that’s traditionally considered one of the league’s most ferocious, and Randall Cobb‘s early exit due to an ankle issue can hardly take all of the blame. Rodgers doesn’t seem in rhythm at all with this group of receivers when he’s aiming deep, and that’ll put him in rough spots against tougher opponents, especially if playing from behind as he was in this game. He’s looking like a matchups quarterback through and through. At least that means he could deliver QB1 numbers against the Commanders next week or Lions in Week 9, but there’s no way right now that you can trust him against defenses like the Bills in Week 8 or Cowboys in Week 10. — Cockcroft

Aiyuk comes up big

Game flow forced the 49ers to throw the football in the Week 6 loss at Atlanta, but let’s still focus here on Brandon Aiyuk. The wide receiver did post season highs in PPR scoring (23.3), targets (11), receptions (8) and touchdowns (2). And we have to account for his red zone usage in this one. Aiyuk scored his first touchdown on a wide receiver screen, and came back to win a one-on-one matchup from a slot alignment for his second score — with both receptions inside the 20-yard line. With a Week 7 matchup versus the Chiefs, Aiyuk will remain a touchdown-dependent WR3 in my rankings. — Bowen

Other observations

Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals: Thanks in large part to his 60-yard, game-winning touchdown reception with less than two minutes left in the Bengals’ 30-24 victory, Chase delivered his fantasy managers 32.2 PPR fantasy points, most among wide receivers from the 1 p.m. ET games. It’s already the third time this season, and sixth in his two-year NFL career, that he has exceeded 25 points, and while the matchup here skewed heavily in his favor after Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore was scratched due to an abdominal injury, Chase’s full skills were on full display in this one. He’s a top-shelf NFL (and fantasy) talent, locked into the top five at his position for our purposes, with four of six games in double-digit targets to go along with great chemistry with his quarterback, Joe Burrow. — Cockcroft

Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets: After posting 27.7 PPR points in the Week 5 win over Miami, Hall dropped 20.1 PPR points on the Packers up at Lambeau Field on Sunday. The rookie has now scored a touchdown in three straight games, with at least 19 touches per game over that stretch. We know he has explosive play ability as a dual-threat option in this New York system. It’s also pretty clear that the Jets see him as the No. 1 back given his volume and offensive deployment. Need an example? Look at Hall’s 34 yard touchdown run on Sunday. That’s a counter scheme — with Hall aligned as a wing back. Hall and the Jets get the Broncos next. He’ll be a fringe RB1 in my rankings. — Bowen

Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills: His 30.8 PPR fantasy points on Sunday gave him a position-best — and second-best overall — 150.6 through six weeks, which is the 14th most by any wide receiver through that many team games since at least 1950. Diggs has delivered back-to-back elite performances, doing so in games where Gabe Davis was equally noteworthy, which underscores both his own elite talent and the Bills’ heavy passing leaning. Diggs is a locked-in, weekly top-5 wide receiver. — Cockcroft

Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks: You can lean on Walker in this Seattle offense. Taking over as the lead back for an injured Rashaad Penny, Walker posted 110 total yards — on 23 touches — to finish with 19.0 PPR points in the Week 6 win over the Cardinals. The rookie, who has now scored a rushing touchdown in two straight games, showcased the traits of a No.1 back, in my opinion. He can slip tacklers. The ball carrier vision is there. And he has the lateral juice to bounce the ball on the edge. The Seahawks get the Chargers’ leaky run defense in Week 7, where Walker will be an RB2 in my ranks. — Bowen

DJ Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers: Things can’t get much worse for him, can they? Moore managed only three catches and 7 yards on his seven targets, with even the change at quarterback to P.J. Walker failing to turn his season around. At this point, Moore’s managers, who roster him in 94.4% of ESPN leagues, are assuredly hoping the Panthers trade him in advance of the Nov. 1 deadline — though the team will certainly aim to move Robbie Anderson, who was ejected from the game by his own coach, first. Even Moore’s schedule doesn’t inspire optimism, as he’ll face the Buccaneers, Falcons (twice) and Bengals the next four weeks, with all of those defenses either tougher than average against wide receivers or sporting decent talent at cornerback. — Cockcroft

Marcus Mariota, QB, Atlanta Falcons: His best fantasy performance in a starting assignment in more than three years was one in which he didn’t have to do much at all via the air, as Mariota scored 24.16 points despite attempting just 14 passes. Remarkably, he did it by capitalizing upon a run-heavy offensive approach, and against a 49ers defense that traditionally has been quite good at containing the run. Mariota could contribute for fantasy purposes at the level of a high-end QB2, though his unpredictability with falling into the matchups makes him a tough guy to roster outside of those two-quarterback or superflex leagues. I can’t say I see value in him in other circumstances, not yet. — Cockcroft

Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers: Jones’ 7.4 PPR points were his second-lowest scoring totals of the season, and it’s now been four weeks since the Packers running back has found the end zone. In a game versus the Jets, where I expected to see heavy run game volume for Jones, he totaled just 19 yards rushing (on nine carries). He’ll slip down to the RB2 range for the Week 7 game at Washington. — Bowen

Matt Ryan, QB, Indianapolis Colts: Ryan’s 58 pass attempts on Sunday in the win over the Jags were a season high. So were the four touchdown throws and the 27.16 fantasy points. Without Jonathan Taylor, the Colts went pass heavy — and Ryan distributed the ball to eight different players. His tape has been below average at times this season, but give the veteran quarterback some credit here. Ryan made some throws in this one, including the deep-ball toss to rookie Alec Pierce to win it. — Bowen

This was a heck of a performance in a game that, early on, looked like it was leaning heavily the Jaguars’ way, and it restored some of my faith in Ryan, but more importantly made me feel a lot better about Michael Pittman Jr.’s appeal going forward. Pittman saw 16 targets, caught 13 and scored 26.4 PPR fantasy points, and I’d argue that of the Colts’ most heavily targeted receivers in this game, he’s the one most likely to keep up the usage in future weeks. He aligns brilliantly the next two weeks, facing the Titans and Commanders. — Cockcroft

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1:18

A Colts wide receiver returning to prominence, the Packers’ running game disappearing and the odd trend with the Ravens’ offense are among the things Eric Karabell noticed Sunday.

Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots: His production has spiked with the change at quarterback to Bailey Zappe, an injury-driven move to be fair, as Henry saw a team-high seven targets and scored a season-best 16.1 PPR fantasy points. That gives him a combined 12 targets and 25.5 points in Zappe’s two starts, and it’s clear by watching that Zappe has brought a spark to the offense and has Henry in his sights. Keep tabs on the Patriots’ quarterback decision through the week — Mac Jones was nearly ready to return for this game — as Henry could be a borderline TE1 in Zappe’s games. — Cockcroft

I’ve been impressed with Zappe, Tristan. The rookie quarterback can read it out quickly. He throws with timing, too. And the schemed concepts can set him up. Good fit for what the Patriots want in their offensive system. — Bowen

Allen Lazard, WR, Green Bay Packers: With another touchdown reception on Sunday in the Week 6 game versus the Jets, Lazard has now scored in four of five games played this season. Yes, he is a touchdown-dependent option in your lineup who has caught five or more passes only once this season. But given how critical the one-on-one throws are in this Green Bay offense, Lazard still provides WR3 value (with more non-PPR upside) as a vertical target for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Throw the outside verts and the slot fades. Lazard heads into a Week 7 matchup with the Commanders next. — Bowen

Deon Jackson, RB, Indianapolis Colts: His breakthrough performance — 8.1 PPR fantasy points while catching a whopping 10 passes — was marred by his early departure due to a quadriceps injury, and at this stage it certainly seems that the Colts are snake-bitten at running back, with Jonathan Taylor (ankle) and Nyheim Hines (concussion) ahead of him on the depth chart having missed this game with injuries of their own. We’ll need to see who is healthy and practicing throughout the week to make a determination as to Colts running back utility for Week 7 at the Titans, but Jackson has shown that he’s roster-worthy even as a mere insurance policy. — Cockcroft

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October 17, 2022
What are the top fantasy basketball draft trends, strategies for 2022-23?

The 2022-23 NBA season is less than a week away and fantasy basketball draft season is in full swing. Our fantasy basketball experts have been busy participating in a number of drafts across leagues as well as offering advice about strategy in different formats.

However, there are always a few last-minute takeaways that can help anyone just starting their draft now. André Snellings, Eric Moody, Eric Karabell, Jim McCormick and John Cregan break it all down.

Waiting on centers can pay off

In the most recent draft I did, nine starting centers went between picks 76 and 121, including all three of my centers on that team. I was able to go perimeter early and often and was still able to balance out my squad with quality big men late. — Snellings

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Depth at point guard

There is a lot of depth at the point guard position, with a lot of quality starting options for managers. In my H2H category tiers column, I mentioned how essential it is to leave your draft with one from the top three tiers even with the depth at the position. There are 15-point guards in those tiers combined. — Moody

Lack of quality small forwards

I seem to have this issue every season, but even more so this season: I just can’t find many small forwards I feel good about at their ADP, so I keep on passing them up and ending up with Portland’s Josh Hart or the Suns’ Mikal Bridges in the end. I like those Villanova products, of course, and it’s not a bad idea to load up on point guards and power forwards, but still, I find the top-100 depth lacking at the position. — Karabell

Fear of tanking teams is leading to overlooked players

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The fantasy market seems to be fading most of the tanking teams and their respective players. I think there is value in this trend, as the market is likely letting team goals influence player expectations too much. Take Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for instance; his recent knee injury has tanked his fantasy stock, but a good degree of the fade is also drive by the risks associated with being on the Thunder. There’s Sexton, who is bound to finish in the top 10 or 12 in usage rate this season, but has relatively zero buzz. Young, and arguably emergent, players from the likes of the Spurs (Devin Vassell, Tre Jones), Pacers (Jalen Smith, Isaiah Jackson), and Rockets (Alperen Sengun, rookie wings) are all somewhat discounted in drafts this season. — McCormick

Clinging to established names over emerging young stars

The second round has the same concentration of uncertainty as the 10th round. Once you get beyond the seventh pick, (let’s say Ja Morant), the next 15 picks are a crapshoot. There In the late-first, early-second round range, managers are clinging to established names with pronounced injury concerns (Durant, LeBron Lillard, Harden, KAT). I think it speaks to how 2022-23 looks like a transitional year in the NBA overall, with this under-recognized rash of under-25 talent staging a low-level takeover. — Cregan

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October 16, 2022
Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: All you need to know to win in Week 6
6:33 AM ET

AJ MassESPN Staff Writer

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Fantasy football, baseball and college basketball contributor.

Author of book, “Yes, It’s Hot in Here.”
So much changes from week to week around the NFL, and we’re here to make sure you’re on top of it all heading into Week 6 of the 2022 NFL season.

The weekly fantasy football cheat sheet provides a rundown of the best tips from all the fantasy football content that ESPN has posted over the past seven days. You’ll find answers to the biggest start/sit questions of the week and other pertinent matchup advice from our team, including Field Yates, Mike Clay, Eric Karabell, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Matt Bowen, Seth Walder, Al Zeidenfeld, Eric Moody, Liz Loza, Daniel Dopp, DJ Gallo and ESPN Insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, plus all of NFL Nation. It’s all the best advice in one handy article.

Here’s what our experts are saying about Week 6 in the NFL:

Which wideouts can we rely on?

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The bye weeks have begun and that means fantasy managers are going to have to go deeper into their benches in order to field full lineups on a weekly basis. Several members of our NFL Nation team took a look at wide receivers this week, giving their forecast — for both the short and long term — as to which options might be worth keeping around for the next few games and which ones you shouldn’t be locking into lineups quite yet.
- Can we lock in both Seahawks receivers weekly like we did during the Russell Wilson days? “Yes. A week ago, there was still reason to proceed with some caution with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. They had just one touchdown between them over the first four games. That seemed like a function of a passing game that was largely getting by with short and intermediate throws and not the deep shots that were a staple of Seattle’s offense under Wilson. But Geno Smith has been finding more success down the field of late, especially Sunday against New Orleans with two deep touchdown passes to Lockett. Both are on pace to top 1,200 receiving yards.” — Brady Henderson
- Brandin Cooks has been underwhelming and now is losing volume … any hope for a bounce back from him?
  “Quarterback Davis Mills and Cooks’ connection hasn’t been great throughout the year as he’s catching only 57% of his targets in 2021, tied for a career low. But always keep faith in Cooks bouncing back. He has totaled 8,152 career receiving yards in nine seasons for a reason. He’s still the Texans’ best receiver and still leads the team in targets (42) which is 15 more than the next receiver, Nico Collins. Once Cooks and Mills get back on the same page, Cooks’ production should increase substantially.” — DJ Bien-Aime
- Is Darius Slayton worth a fantasy roster spot? “Slayton had one catch before Sunday’s matchup with the Packers. So there isn’t much of a track record that this new regime wants to feature him long term. But there is a path for Slayton still being a factor in the near future with Kenny Golladay (knee) and Kadarius Toney (hamstring) not near full health. And even if Wan’Dale Robinson (knee) returns this week, he will likely chip into Richie James‘ snaps in the slot. That makes Slayton a potential fill-in option for another week or two. Otherwise, it’s hard to trust he’s going to contribute consistently. — Jordan Raanan
- Who do you think will be the most valuable Steeler the rest of the way? “George Pickens. He was largely ignored in the first two weeks of the season, but in Kenny Pickett‘s first start, he led Steelers receivers with 83 yards and six receptions on eight targets. But because of Pittsburgh’s red zone woes, it’s risky to start any Steelers offensive skill player.” — Brooke Pryor
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2:11

Field Yates discusses why he doesn’t see fantasy upside for DJ Moore with PJ Walker being the starting quarterback.

Looking for the latest injury news leading up to kickoff? Check out all of the Week 6 inactives here.

Are we having fun yet?
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To borrow from Nickelback: “Never made it as a wise man. I couldn’t cut it as a poor man stealing. Tired of livin’ like a blind man. I’m sick of sight without a sense of feeling.” Our fantasy experts all seem to want to talk about one thing in Week 6. With that in mind and with that tune stuck in your head, folks, this is how you Rhamondre.
- Field Yates starts us off with his take on what might happen if Damien Harris (hamstring) has to sit out again: “Rhamondre Stevenson — who was already providing value as a strong flex — moves into must-start territory against a Browns defense that has allowed 440 rushing yards over the past two weeks. … While it would stand to reason that the Patriots will have Pierre Strong Jr. active and possibly bring up another back from the practice squad if Harris is out, Stevenson could be used similarly to how he was last year against the Browns: he had 24 total touches and amassed 114 yards. He’s just outside my top 10 running backs for Week 6.”
- Tristan Cockcroft echoes the positive expectations of New England’s running back: “Stevenson broke out in a big way in Week 5 while setting career highs by playing 89% of the offensive snaps and totaling 27 touches. … Expect him to handle the lion’s share of the Patriots’ rushing chores, an unusual thing in the Bill Belichick era. Even if Ty Montgomery steps in for some passing downs, there should be more than enough for Stevenson to be a top-15 positional option for so long as Harris is sidelined.”
- After his weekly film study, Matt Bowen is also in Stevenson’s camp: “Stevenson is up to RB13 this week in my PPR rankings. Stevenson dropped 19.5 PPR points on the Lions in Week 5, and we saw his ability to slip tacklers in that game. He’s an easy mover at 230 pounds. Stevenson has also logged 10 receptions in his past three games. There’s RB1 upside here.”
- And, as far as the DFS market is concerned, the $6,000 price tag on DraftKings has Al Zeidenfeld convinced, too: “The Patriots are expected to be without Harris this week and Montgomery isn’t yet ready to return from IR, opening up a massive workload for Stevenson in Week 6. Cleveland is allowing just under 6.0 RB yards per carry and a touchdown on every 17.5 RB carries.”
Catching on with the Saints?

Get your lineups set for your Week 6 fantasy football matchups with analysis for each of the games left to be played, last-minute pickup options, and our take on the biggest stories of the weekend.

• The Playbook: Week 6
Mike Clay breaks down each game from all angles, with projections and advice for key players.

• Fantasy Hot Seat
Eric Karabell discusses players who are facing the most pressure to perform, including some tough start/sit decisions.

• Last-minute pickups
Matt Bowen offers names to consider if you need a bye-week fill-in or if you’re streaming at a position.

Also See: Week 6 rankings | Daily Notes

Chris Olave suffered a nasty concussion last week and his status for Week 6 might depend on how quickly he can leave the league’s protocol for such injuries. Still, the rookie has already intrigued fantasy experts with his 25 catches over the first five games of his career. Here’s what they’re saying about him and the rest of the New Orleans Saints‘ offense for Week 6.
- “If Olave sits, Michael Thomas would see an uptick in targets. Thanks in large part to the play of cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie (minus-14.4 Targeted EPA, third-best per Next Gen Stats among those with at least 125 coverage snaps) and Eli Apple (minus-5.2 Targeted EPA), the Cincinnati Bengals have limited opposing wide receivers to just 1.33 PPR fantasy points per target, second-fewest in the league. Tyreek Hill (25.9 PPR fantasy points in Week 4), Noah Brown (20.1 in Week 2) and Lamb (15.1 in Week 2) are the only individual wide receivers to have exceeded 13 PPR fantasy points against the Bengals thus far.” — Cockcroft
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1:13

Mike Clay explains why the Saints wide receivers will have a tough time against the Bengals defensive backs.
- “The Bengals have been elite against perimeter receivers this season, allowing the third-fewest fantasy points. They’ve also allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points overall to receivers (fewest over expected). Despite facing 103 WR targets (11th most), the Bengals have allowed 709 yards (10th fewest) and only one TD to the position. Thomas (80% perimeter) is expected back from injury this week and both he and Olave (79%), assuming he’s cleared, will have their hands full against Awuzie and Apple. Top corner Awuzie would likely shadow Thomas if Olave is ruled out.” — Clay
- “Taysom Hill‘s 34.09 PPR points in Week 5 — and his offensive deployment in the game plan — should pique your interest. Hill logged 121 yards rushing out of Wildcat sets on Sunday with four total touchdowns (three rushing, one passing). Now, the call sheet could shift if both Thomas and QB Jameis Winston return for Week 6, which might limit Hill’s overall usage. However, if you play in a deeper 12-to-14-team league, I would still take a chance on Hill versus the Bengals this Sunday. He’s now seen 14 carries over his past two games (with four total rushing scores), and the Wildcat schemes are a critical piece to what the Saints do in the low red zone.” — Bowen
Quick hits, starts and sits
- Start Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie. Manning the slot in the Bills’ offense has proved fruitful. McKenzie produced three touchdowns and 153 yards before entering the concussion protocol in Week 4, and rookie Khalil Shakir held it down with 75 yards and a touchdown in Week 5. Assuming McKenzie is cleared for the Chiefs game, he should return to open patches of grass and yards. — Fowler
- Downgrade Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce vs. Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars rank third in EPA per dropback allowed this season, sandwiched between the Bills and Eagles. This is a really good unit! … It will make for a tough day for Pierce to try and repeat his breakout Week 5 performance. — Walder
- I’m expecting a George Kittle breakout game for the 49ers. Kittle has been a huge disappointment so far this year, even since coming back from injury. He has being asked to do a lot of things in the Niners’ offense that aren’t helpful to his fantasy numbers. But I’m betting he’s a bigger part of the pass-catching game plan this week against an Atlanta team that’s allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. — Graziano
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1:12

Field Yates and Stephania Bell discuss the boom or bust in starting George Kittle in Week 6.
- Russell Wilson has struggled out of the gates in Denver. He has one boom week with more than 27 fantasy points, but three games with 11.06 or fewer. Wasn’t going to Denver supposed to mean Wilson would take his game to new heights? Not so fast. The offensive operation is disorganized in Denver, the offensive line is struggling (16 sacks in five games) and the receiving group isn’t as dynamic as it looked on paper. Wilson has a rapport with Courtland Sutton, but that’s about it. … Visions of Wilson reestablishing himself among the fantasy elite this season are a distant thought. — Yates
- In the absence of DeAndre Hopkins, Zach Ertz has done absolutely nothing but produce all season long. The Seahawks are allowing a league-high 3.0 points per drive over the past two weeks, resulting in a whopping 84 points on the NFL scoreboard. Ertz has had four games with six-plus catches — the only tight end in 2022 who can claim such a feat. If you’re not willing to pay up for Kelce, Ertz provides the best value option under $5,000 on DraftKings. — Zeidenfeld
- Najee Harris is on the proverbial hot seat for fantasy managers, despite his lofty draft-day investment and the bye weeks starting (no Lions, Titans, Raiders, Texans this week). Undrafted Oklahoma State alum Jaylen Warren handled much of the second half in the blowout loss at Buffalo, though it probably meant little, and some call for him to handle a larger role. Will it matter against the Buccaneers, one of the toughest teams for running backs to accrue fantasy points against? Perhaps not. Perhaps this will be a lost season for Harris, too. Nobody should drop him, of course, but it’s getting tougher to trust him as an RB2, and certainly to trade for him. — Karabell
- James Conner is expected to miss Sunday’s game (and possibly even longer) against the Seahawks with a rib injury. Darrel Williams, the Cardinals’ backup running back, is also expected to miss the game due to a knee injury. Jonathan Ward, who injured his hamstring, has also been placed on IR by the Arizona Cardinals. Eno Benjamin is expected to fill the void left by Conner. He accumulated 53 total yards and a touchdown on 11 touches against the Eagles last week. The Seahawks’ defense has allowed 170.2 rushing yards per game. — Moody
- Fantasy (and fandom) is truly a week-to-week proposition. And we can be both right and wrong about a player in the same season. I try, for my own sanity, to focus on what’s directly in front of me … but it’s definitely hard not to spiral. For example, I’ve gotten a ton of questions about Jaylen Waddle and whether it’s time to freak out. Ultimately, though, what does freaking out do? Are you really going to drop (or even bench) a guy who averaged 114 yards and scored three TDs over the first three weeks of the season before his QB was sidelined in historical fashion? I guess it depends on the options available that particular week. — Loza
- Against a Pittsburgh defense that is reeling right now, let’s go with Rachaad White of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (24.3% rostered) as a PPR option in deeper leagues. The rookie has now caught all eight of his targets over his past two games, and QB Tom Brady will see Cover 2 from the Steelers’ defense on Sunday. That means more underneath flat and check-down options for White, who should get some work in the run game, too. — Bowen
- Outside of Kenny Pickett taking on Brady and supplanting him as the greatest quarterback of all time — or at least throwing his first NFL touchdown pass — it will be hard for anything to match the Chiefs-Bills this week. You know Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen will try to put on a show. In fact, if you are facing anyone in fantasy this week who has Mahomes or Allen as their QB, just take the loss now, rest your starters and give it another shot again in Week 7. — Gallo
- AJ Dillon is a tackle busting monster who dominates on carries up the middle. That’s why he’s recorded 28 such opportunities to Aaron Jones‘ 11. As it turns out, the Jets allow the fifth-most yards before contact to opposing RBs on runs up the middle. So, Dillon figures to bully his way past the first line of defenders and rumble through the second level before eventually (if ever) getting caught. I like him for OVER 50.5 rushing yards (-117). — Loza
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October 16, 2022
Week 6 inactives: Who’s in and who’s out?
6:48 AM ET

AJ MassESPN Staff Writer

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Fantasy football, baseball and college basketball contributor.

Author of book, “Yes, It’s Hot in Here.”
Whom should you start? Whom should you sit? To help you set your fantasy football lineups and avoid starting a player who won’t be in the lineup, we’ll post fantasy-relevant updates and analysis here as NFL teams release their official inactives lists. Any rankings cited in this column come from our ESPN Fantasy staff ranks.

Official Sunday inactives should begin coming in approximately 90 minutes prior to the scheduled kickoff times, including around 11:30 a.m. ET for the early games and 2:30 p.m. ET for the late games.

Refresh often for the latest information.

1 p.m. ET games

Offense

Get your lineups set for your Week 6 fantasy football matchups with analysis for each of the games left to be played, last-minute pickup options, and our take on the biggest stories of the weekend.

• The Playbook: Week 6
Mike Clay breaks down each game from all angles, with projections and advice for key players.

• Fantasy Hot Seat
Eric Karabell discusses players who are facing the most pressure to perform, including some tough start/sit decisions.

• Last-minute pickups
Matt Bowen offers names to consider if you need a bye-week fill-in or if you’re streaming at a position.

Also See: Week 6 rankings | Daily Notes

Kyle Pitts, TE, ATL: Hamstring — Questionable
Impact: He’s going to be a game-time decision, but is looking likely to play.

Justice Hill, RB, BAL: Hamstring — Doubtful
Impact: Kenyan Drake is expected to once again backup J.K. Dobbins.

Rashod Bateman, WR, BAL: Foot — OUT
Impact: Devin Duvernay once again rules the roost in the Ravens’ WR pecking order.

Tee Higgins, WR, CIN: Ankle — Questionable
Impact: It’s looking like he’ll be a game-time call. Have other plans in place.

Hayden Hurst, TE, CIN: Groin — Questionable
Impact: Hurst has played through being questionable since Week 4. He should be able to suit up.

Christian Watson, WR, GB: Hamstring — OUT
Impact: Amari Rodgers could take over his targets.

Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND: Ankle — OUT
Impact: Deon Jackson is expected to handle a large chunk of the RB1 duties.

Nyheim Hines, RB, IND: Concussion — OUT
Impact: Phillip Lindsay was promoted from the practice squad to take his place.

Zay Jones, WR, JAX: Ankle — Questionable
Impact: Currently expected to play, although Christian Kirk might be the better fantasy option.

Marvin Jones Jr., WR, JAX: Hamstring — OUT
Impact: Tim Jones will get extra looks in the Jaguars offense.

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, MIA: Concussion — OUT
Impact: All signs point to Tagovailoa returning to action next week.

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, MIA: Concussion — Questionable
Impact: He’s cleared the league’s concussion protocol, but Skylar Thompson will still start.

Raheem Mostert, RB, MIA: Knee — Questionable
Impact: He’s expected to start as usual this weekend.

Alexander Mattison, RB, MIN: Shoulder — Questionable
Impact: If he can’t go, Kene Nwangwu would be Dalvin Cook‘s relief.

Mac Jones, QB, NE: Ankle — Questionable
Impact: He did practice some this week, but Bailey Zappe is more likely to start.

Damien Harris, RB, NE: Hamstring — Questionable
Impact: Expect this weekend to be the start of the Rhamondre Stevenson show.

Nelson Agholor, WR, NE: Hamstring — OUT
Impact: Kendrick Bourne might be worth a look if you’ve got some WR byes.

Jakobi Meyers, WR, NE: Knee — Questionable
Impact: He’s expected to play and would be the most valuable Patriots WR.

Jonnu Smith, TE, NE: Ankle — Questionable
Impact: Hunter Henry‘s fantasy value diminishes should Smith be able to play.

Jameis Winston, QB, NO: Back — Questionable
Impact: Andy Dalton is going to start, with Taysom Hill‘s gadgetry at the ready.

Jarvis Landry, WR, NO: Ankle — OUT
Impact: Marquez Callaway is in line to start.

Michael Thomas, WR, NO: Foot — OUT
Impact: Tre’Quan Smith is in line to start.

Chris Olave, WR, NO: Concussion — Questionable
Impact: Olave is expected not to be active for this week’s game.

Kenny Golladay, WR, NYG: Knee — OUT
Impact: Once again, Richie James and David Sills V will fill in.

Kadarius Toney, WR, NYG: Hamstring — OUT
Impact: Darius Slayton was a popular target for Daniel Jones last week.

Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, NYG: Knee — Questionable
Impact: With all the injuries in the WR room, this would be a golden opportunity.

Pat Freiermuth, TE, PIT: Concussion — OUT
Impact: Zach Gentry has a chance to make some noise.

Julio Jones, WR, TB: Knee — Doubtful
Impact: Russell Gage and Chris Godwin are not on the injury report and should both play.

Defense

Shaquille Leonard, LB, IND: Concussion — OUT

Julian Blackmon, S, IND: Ankle — Questionable

Folorunso Fatukasi, DT, JAX: Quad — Questionable

DaVon Hamilton, DT, JAX: Foot — Questionable

Foyesade Oluokun, LB, JAX: Calf — Questionable

Kader Kohou, CB, MIA: Oblique — Doubtful

Christian Barmore, DT, NE: Knee — Questionable

Josh Uche, LB, NE: Hamstring — OUT

Jonathan Jones, CB, NE: Ankle — Questionable

Marshon Lattimore, CB, NO: Abdomen — OUT

Marcus Maye, S, NO: Ribs — Questionable

Paulson Adebo, CB, NO: Knee — Questionable

Leonard Williams, DE, NYG: Knee — Questionable

Azeez Ojulari, LB, NYG: Calf — Doubtful

Tony Jefferson, S, NYG: Foot — OUT

Cor’Dale Flott, CB, NYG: Calf — OUT

Ahkello Witherspoon, CB, PIT: Hamstring — OUT

Cameron Sutton, CB, PIT: Hamstring — OUT

Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, PIT: Knee — OUT

Arik Armstead, DT, SF: Foot — OUT

Nick Bosa, DE, SF: Groin — Questionable

Javon Kinlaw, DT, SF: Knee — OUT

Jimmie Ward, S, SF: Hand — OUT

Akiem Hicks, DE, TB: Foot — OUT

Logan Ryan, S, TB: Foot — OUT

Mike Edwards, S, TB: Elbow — Questionable

4 p.m. ET games

Offense
1 Related
Darrel Williams, RB, ARI: Knee — OUT
Impact: Keaontay Ingram becomes a fantasy wild-card as the Cardinals’ No. 2 RB option.

James Conner, RB, ARI: Ribs — OUT
Impact: Eno Benjamin will likely become the Arizona’s primary back.

Matt Prater, K, ARI: Hip — OUT
Impact: Matt Ammendola kicks in his place.

Jake Kumerow, WR, BUF: Ankle — OUT
Impact: Meanwhile, Isaiah McKenzie has cleared the league’s concussion protocol.

Baker Mayfield, QB, CAR: Ankle — Doubtful
Impact: PJ Walker is going to start this one for the Panthers.

Robbie Anderson, WR, CAR: Illness — Questionable
Impact: This will probably depend on how he feels in the morning.

Cam Akers, RB, LAR: Personal — OUT
Impact: Ronnie Rivers and Malcolm Brown will back up Darrell Henderson Jr.

Cooper Kupp, WR, LAR: Foot — Questionable
Impact: While his mere appearance on the injury report may give you the jitters, currently it looks like he will play.

Tyler Higbee, TE, LAR: Ankle — Questionable
Impact: All signs point to his being able to play today.

Rashaad Penny, RB, SEA: Ankle — OUT/IR
Impact: Kenneth Walker III takes over RB1 duties for Seattle with Penny now done for 2022.

Dee Eskridge, WR, SEA: Illness — Questionable
Impact: Dareke Young would be the one to step in, if needed.

Marquise Goodwin, WR, SEA: Knee — Questionable
Impact: He would be the WR3 behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett if he plays.

Defense

Rashard Lawrence, DT, ARI: Hand — Questionable

Byron Murphy Jr., CB, ARI: Groin — Questionable

Frankie Luvu, LB, CAR: Shoulder — Questionable

Donte Jackson, CB, CAR: Ankle — Questionable

Jaycee Horn, CB, CAR: Ribs — OUT

Rashad Fenton, CB, KC: Hamstring — OUT

Aaron Donald, DT, LAR: Foot — Questionable

Cobie Durant, CB, LAR: Hamstring — Questionable

Al Woods , DT, SEA: Knee — Doubtful

Shelby Harris, DE, SEA: Hip — Questionable

Sunday night game

Dak Prescott, QB, DAL: Thumb — Questionable
Impact: Cooper Rush could easily still start in this one, so be careful.

CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL: Hip — Questionable
Impact: The late add to the injury report is concerning, but it may well just be precautionary.
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October 16, 2022
Fantasy football rankings for Week 6

ESPN’s weekly PPR, non-PPR and IDP fantasy football rankings are an aggregate of our rankers (eight PPR, four non-PPR, four IDP), listed alphabetically. They are Matt Bowen, Mike Clay, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Daniel Dopp, Eric Karabell, Liz Loza, Eric Moody and Field Yates.

Rankings for the week will be published every Tuesday and are updated throughout the week for news and emerging analysis. Rankings are refreshed every Friday to take out players from Thursday’s game(s).

PPR rankings:
Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers
Tight ends | Kickers | Defense/Special teams

Non-PPR rankings:
Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers
Tight ends | Kickers | Defense/Special teams

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October 11, 2022
Which players to grab from the waiver wire ahead of Week 6 action
2:35 PM ET

Eric MoodyESPN

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Former manager at a Fortune 100 financial services company, now living my dream creating fantasy and sports betting content about the NFL, NBA, and WNBA for ESPN.
Week 5 of the NFL season culminates with a Monday night matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders (8:15 ET, ESPN). Unfortunately, the weekend’s action came with a development that has huge fantasy football implications: Seattle Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny suffered a fractured fibula on Sunday. The injury will require surgery that will force Penny to miss the remainder of the season.

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Before leaving the game in the third quarter, Penny had rushed for 54 yards on eight attempts. The tears in his eyes spoke louder than words as he was carted to the locker room. Penny was coming off an excellent performance in Week 4 against the Lions, in which he rushed 17 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns. However, injuries haven’t exactly been kind to Penny. Entering the season, he had played in only 37 out of a possible 65 games for his career.

Kenneth Walker III (47.5% rostered in ESPN leagues) should be able to fill the void. He finished out Week 5 with eight rushing attempts for a career-high 88 yards and a touchdown. Walker played in 32 collegiate games (20 at Wake Forest, 12 at Michigan State), finishing with 3,069 yards and 36 touchdowns between the two schools. Walker certainly becomes the top waiver-wire pickup for this week, immediately jumping into the RB2 conversation.

If somebody else had already snatched up Walker, either as an insurance policy for Penny or simply as a bench stash, here are a few other RB options to consider grabbing:

Mike Boone, Denver Broncos (26.9%): On Thursday night, Boone finished with 85 total yards on 10 touches against the Colts. There was no doubt that Melvin Gordon III led the Broncos’ committee with 103 total yards and 18 touches. Boone, however, played on 30 snaps, compared to Gordon’s 41. With reports that QB Russell Wilson is battling a partially torn lat near his right shoulder, the Broncos could be forced to rely even more on the running game in the future.

Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers (3.9%): Najee Harris, who was the RB5 in ESPN live drafts this summer, has been a disappointment this season. Harris has averaged just 16.4 touches and a dismal 10.3 fantasy points per game. Warren, on the other hand, played on 38 snaps against the Bills — one more than Harris, who was the only starter to be taken out of the game during the fourth quarter, even with the game against Buffalo no longer in reach. Harris dealt with a Lisfranc injury in training camp and a foot injury to start the season. He’s averaging a suboptimal 3.2 yards per rushing attempt. Fantasy managers should stash Warren now.

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Liz Loza, Mike Clay and Daniel Dopp all don’t expect Najee Harris’ numbers to get better moving forward.

Eno Benjamin, Arizona Cardinals (6.8%): Benjamin was the “last back standing” on Sunday after James Conner (rib), Darrel Williams (knee) and Jonathan Ward (hamstring) all suffered injuries. He finished with 53 total yards and a touchdown on 11 touches against the Eagles. Benjamin has accumulated only 82 career touches, as he plays in just his second NFL season, but his success in college says he’s capable of more. If both Conner and Williams remain sidelined, Benjamin would be on the RB2 radar against the Seahawks.

Quick hits: J.D. McKissic (41.7%) provides fantasy managers with a high floor. He has averaged 8.2 touches and 10.0 fantasy points per game. With the start of bye weeks having arrived, McKissic could find himself in your starting lineup. … Atlanta’s backfield is crowded, but Tyler Allgeier (45.0%) still led the way in snaps (39), routes run (19) and touches (13).

Now let’s take a look at our recommended Week 6 ESPN Fantasy waiver-wire adds at the other skill positions.

Quarterbacks
1 Related
Carson Wentz, Washington Commanders (47.7%): Starting Wentz as your fantasy quarterback can make your stomach as queasy as eating sushi that you bought at a gas station. In three of his five games, he has scored 21-plus fantasy points. In the other two games, Wentz combined for only 16 fantasy points. Only the Jets (42.8) and Cardinals (43.8) average more passing attempts per game than the Commanders (42). Still, Wentz is a QB2 option for fantasy managers thanks to upcoming games against the Bears and Packers.

Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (32.2%): So far this season, Smith has way exceeded expectations, averaging 31.4 passing attempts and 19.6 fantasy points per game. He’s now had three consecutive games with multiple passing touchdowns — the longest streak of Smith’s career. Smith and the Seahawks’ offense will need to cook a lot, since the Seattle defense is giving up 430.0 yards and 30.8 points per game.

Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (27.0%): It’s safe to say that the Bears’ offense hasn’t exceeded expectations so far this season, ranking 31st overall with only 274.0 total yards per game. Against the Vikings on Sunday, Fields set a season high in passing yards (208) and fantasy points (17.0) while avoiding any turnovers. Additionally, he has now rushed for 45-plus yards in three consecutive games. In this week’s matchup against the Commanders, Fields is on the streaming radar. Looking ahead, in Weeks 9-11 he will face the Dolphins, Lions and Falcons. That’s something to be aware of if you are planning for upcoming bye weeks.

Wide receivers

With all but one game of Week 5 in the books, it’s time to start thinking ahead to Week 6’s lineup decisions and waiver-wire pickups. Reminder: The Lions, Raiders, Titans and Texans will all be on bye this week.

• Week 5 Fantasy Highs and Lows
Tristan H. Cockcroft and Matt Bowen back look at Sunday’s action through a fantasy lens.

• Waiver Wire Pickups
Eric Moody identifies the top players to add to your roster.

• Daily Notes
Eric Moody keeps you up to date on what you need to know from a fantasy perspective.

Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys (51.0%): QB Dak Prescott is expected to return from thumb surgery in a couple of weeks, so Gallup could see a boost in both offensive snaps and fantasy production. Gallup played on 55% of the snaps and had five targets against the Rams, compared to Noah Brown, who played on 76% but saw just two targets. As a reminder, in his 31 career games with six-plus targets, Gallup has averaged 69.2 receiving yards and 14.0 fantasy points.

George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers (50.6%): Pickens followed up his breakout performance in Week 4 with another superb outing against the Bills on Sunday. He played on 57 snaps and ran 48 routes. Yes, Diontae Johnson (70) and Chase Claypool (68) both played on more snaps, but they each ran a similar number of routes (52). For the second consecutive week, it was the rookie who led the Steelers in receptions and receiving yards. There’s no doubt that Pickens’ skill set is incredible and needs to be the focus of Pittsburgh’s passing game. Pickens has flex upside going forward.

Isaiah McKenzie, Buffalo Bills (26.3%): McKenzie didn’t play on Sunday because of a concussion, but it’s likely he’ll return against the Chiefs in Week 6. With Jamison Crowder (ankle) on IR, McKenzie will play a significant role in the Bills’ offense. Josh Allen‘s performance on Sunday against the Steelers reminded fantasy managers how lethal Buffalo’s offense can be. It was his second career game with at least 400 passing yards and four passing touchdowns. For the upcoming bye weeks, McKenzie is a great player to stash. He accumulated 15 targets over Weeks 3-4 and has found the end zone in three of his four games this season.

Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals (19.6%): Moore played a much bigger role on Sunday, catching 7 of 8 targets for 68 yards. Moore played on more snaps and ran more routes against the Eagles than did A.J. Green. It certainly looks like Moore appears to be no worse than the No. 3 option in the passing game, after Marquise Brown and Zach Ertz. Now, DeAndre Hopkins can return in Week 7, which may ultimately reduce Moore’s target share, but the Cardinals’ pass-heavy offense still positions Moore for fantasy relevancy. For Week 6, a meeting with the Seahawks presents a favorable matchup.

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Liz Loza breaks down why she likes Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore’s fantasy matchup vs. the Seahawks in Week 6.

Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts (8.6%): Pierce was the lone bright spot on the Colts’ offense Thursday. He set career highs with eight receptions (on nine targets) and 81 yards. He appears to have great rapport with QB Matt Ryan. Pierce is on the flex radar against the Jaguars in Week 6. I think it’s only a matter of time before he takes over as a starter in 2-WR sets.

Quick hits: Darius Slayton (0.2%) led the Giants with 79 receiving yards against the Packers. New York was without Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay and Wan’Dale Robinson. The role Slayton plays in the offense when the team is fully healthy remains to be seen, which makes him only a deep-league target. … Dyami Brown (0.2%) caught 2 of 4 targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns against the Titans in place of Jahan Dotson. If Dotson is out again, Brown is a nice pickup in deeper leagues. … Nico Collins (11.9%) is also someone to keep on your radar in deeper formats. He led the Texans with 65 receiving yards on Sunday.

Tight ends

Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings (32.1%): Smith was third on the Vikings behind Justin Jefferson (13) and Adam Thielen (6) in targets on Sunday, helping him post a season high in receiving yards (42). Given how many routes Smith typically runs (23.2 per game), he’s on the verge of a monster fantasy performance.

Hayden Hurst, Cincinnati Bengals (24.2%): In three of Hurst’s five games this season, he has been targeted seven-plus times. He’s averaging 9.5 fantasy points per game. He’s also scored a touchdown in two straight weeks, making him a great choice if you’re looking for a TE streamer in Week 6 against the Saints.

Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars (20.2%): On Sunday, Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars’ offense struggled against the Texans. Engram did not. He caught 6 of 10 targets for 69 yards. In the two games this season in which he had eight-plus targets, he scored at least 11 fantasy points. One of those games was against the Colts, whom the Jaguars will face again in Week 6.

Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (11.8%): Hill is now the TE4 for the season after becoming only the third player since 1970 to have 100 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown in the same game. Hill was started in only 3.3% of ESPN leagues, which is not that surprising. Due to his inconsistent usage, Hill is difficult to routinely insert into starting lineups. However, since Chris Olave had to leave Sunday’s game because of a concussion, Hill might get some extra opportunities against the Bengals this week.
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October 11, 2022
Week 5 fantasy highs and lows: No stopping Taysom Hill

Week 5 of the 2022 fantasy football season was highlighted by Taysom Hill reaching the end zone four times and Josh Allen coming up with another monstrous game. Which developments from the week are worth reading into? Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analysis.

Taysom Hill runs, throws all over Seahawks

He’s that tight end who delivers you good fantasy totals in ways you wouldn’t expect from a player at the position, scoring 34.08 PPR fantasy points in the Saints’ thrilling 39-32 victory over the Seahawks. Hill had nine rushing attempts, three going for scores, and a single pass attempt, that going for a 22-yard touchdown, as he was frequently aligned as a quarterback for rushing purposes in short-yardage situations. His enhanced usage — he played 31% of the offensive snaps — was surely fueled partly by the absences of Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas, and it’ll be interesting to see how he’s used when the offense is closer to 100%. That said, Hill has proved he’s a handy weapon for this team. Gadget players like Hill are often tough to evaluate for fantasy because of their limited play time, which explains how he has a pair of big games (Weeks 1 and 5) but was a total nonfactor in Week 2. He should certainly be universally rostered, though, and is well worth the dice roll when he faces weaker defenses, like the Cardinals in Week 6 and Raiders in Week 7. — Cockcroft

We have to talk about Hill’s offensive deployment as a runner here, Tristan. Aligned as a quarterback, the Saints are getting “plus one” to the play side. That opens the door for Hill on power, counter and even QB draw. And, given the production here, we have to think that we continue to see Hill utilized as a runner. — Bowen

He had a huge, and position-best, 35.16 fantasy points against a bad Steelers defense, capped by a pair of 60-plus-yard touchdown passes (one 98, one 62) to Gabe Davis. Allen has now scored 146.54 fantasy points through the Bills’ first five games, the fourth most by any quarterback in history through that stage of the season. — Cockcroft

Is Justin Fields back on the fantasy radar?

The Bears quarterback logged a season-high 17.02 fantasy points in the Week 5 loss at Minnesota. Yes, the rushing totals were there, as Fields posted 47 yards (on 8 carries). He’s going to create plays on second-reaction rushing attempts. But I’m more focused on his efficiency as a passer. Fields completed 15 of 21 passes for 208 yards and a score. He was much more willing to take the throws that were available, working the ball underneath and finding tight end Cole Kmet on middle-of-the-field concepts. Plus, for the second straight week, Fields completed an explosive play throw to wide receiver Darnell Mooney. Some positives here on a day when Fields recorded his highest passing volume of the season. With a Week 6 TNF matchup versus Washington at home, you can play Fields as a deeper league streaming option or as a starter in 2QB formats. — Bowen

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Matt Bowen says Justin Fields is a “viable streaming option” moving forward.

For the second consecutive week, he exceeded expectations, and despite this week’s total being the lesser of the two (24.02 fantasy points, compared to Week 4’s 31.70), that it came against a tougher defense speaks volumes. The Saints might have some issues with their secondary depth, but Smith still weaved between spots in their defense, finding DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett at opportune times, giving the look of a viable QB1 just as he had previously in Week 1 against the Broncos and Weeks 3 and 4 against the Falcons and Lions. Smith, believe it or not, has the NFL’s best completion percentage through five weeks (75.2%). He is available in more than two-thirds of ESPN leagues and is now very much a matchups-candidate quarterback, thanks in large part to the talent with which he has to work. — Cockcroft

Geno is dealing right now, Tristan. Poise in the pocket. Movement to climb with the eye level up. And the deep-ball accuracy on Sunday. He’s pretty dialed in. — Bowen

Other observations

Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers: This is why you drafted Ekeler as a top-five pick. After posting 34.9 points in Week 4, Ekeler checked in with a season-high 35.9 PPR points in Sunday’s win over the Browns. Ekeler has now scored multiple touchdowns in back-to-back weeks, the run game efficiency is up and his red zone usage is leading to fantasy production. Ekeler gets the Broncos’ defense in Week 6. — Bowen

Gabe Davis, WR, Buffalo Bills: Games like his 32.1 PPR fantasy points-on-three-catches masterpiece don’t come around very often. In fact, the only other receiver (wide receiver or tight end) to manage a greater score on three or fewer catches was Randy Moss, who scored 39.3 on three catches in Week 13 of 1998. Moss caught three touchdowns of greater than 50 yards in that one, whereas Davis managed 98-yard and 62-yard scores in this game, in a positively Stefon Diggs-esque performance. Chalk the huge gains up to a bad Steelers defense rather than a trend, but it was good to see Davis showing absolutely no ill effect of the ankle injury that cost him Week 2 and had him on the injury report each week since. — Cockcroft

Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets: Even with the presence of Michael Carter in the Jets’ backfield (who scored two red zone touchdowns on Sunday), you can bump Hall into the RB2 mix after he dropped a season-high 27.7 PPR points on the Miami defense. The usage is up for Hall (41 total touches in the past two games), and we’re now seeing how explosive he can be as a dual-threat player. Hall posted a 79-yard reception on Sunday. Man-coverage beater. Wheel route. Schemed throw to get Hall loose. And we’ve seen Hall’s deployment in the pass game this year already from multiple alignments. The rookie out-touched Carter 20-to-12 in this one, racking up 197 total yards. Hall and the Jets get the Packers’ defense in Week 6. — Bowen

Matt, Hall is definitely trending brilliantly, and any worry managers had about his “slow start” appear to have faded now. But here’s the stat I loved seeing come game’s conclusion: He has six goal-to-go rushing attempts to Carter’s three through five games, so I see no reason to call this a between-the-20s/goal-line back arrangement. Hall looks like the guy, with Carter more of a change-of-pace option. — Cockcroft

Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans: It’s the running style that pops here. Pierce is going to invite contact now. Downhill juice. And, for the second straight week, the Texans running back posted 20 or more PPR points (20.3) with at least 20 total touches. He’s seeing high-end volume — and that includes some looks in the pass game. With nine total receptions over the past two weeks, Pierce is climbing the PPR ranks, too. The Texans head into the bye week but return in Week 7 with a matchup versus the Raiders’ defense. I’m all-in on the Texans rookie as a midtier RB2 in that one. — Bowen

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0:51

Tristan H. Cockcroft explains why fantasy managers should run to pickup Dameon Pierce.

Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks: He scored a season-high 27.4 PPR fantasy points on his six targets while facing the Saints, as Geno Smith, Lockett and DK Metcalf exposed the relative lack of depth in that team’s secondary. Remarkably, when aligned against cornerback Marshon Lattimore, Seahawks receivers were targeted just once and didn’t have a single catch, but Metcalf, who was lined up against Lattimore most often (17 times), still managed a solid 17.8 PPR fantasy points of his own. It was Paulson Adebo who had the especially rough game in this one, as on his 28 coverage snaps, he was targeted 12 times and surrendered 10 catches for 216 yards and three scores, including both of Lockett’s as well as Metcalf’s. Let that serve a reminder that receivers often benefit from moving around the formation, easing some of those WR/CB matchup worries, but also that the Saints aren’t as good a defense against the position as one might think judging from Lattimore’s presence. Teams with multiple elite receivers, like the Seahawks, are going to be in much better shape facing this defense. — Cockcroft

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars: After an encouraging first three weeks to his sophomore season, Lawrence has taken significant steps backward, following up his 5.66 fantasy points against a tough Eagles defense in Week 4 with only 10.34 while facing a favorable matchup in the Texans on Sunday. Considering he had been projected for a 14th-best-at-his-position 17.10 points, this was well short of the mark. Lawrence’s accuracy was sorely lacking in this game, especially on his interception in the end zone during the second half, giving all the look of a quarterback who is still getting his feet wet in the NFL. He remains a worthwhile speculative QB2 in larger leagues but took a major hit in terms of matchups appeal in this one. Here’s hoping he’ll deliver an encouraging rebound performance sometime in advance of his next few favorable matchups (Raiders in Week 9, Chiefs Week 10, etc.) — Cockcroft

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Eric Karabell says Trevor Lawrence “looked terrible” against Houston in Week 5.

Raheem Mostert, RB, Miami Dolphins: It’s becoming pretty clear that Mostert is the Miami running back you want in the lineup. In Sunday’s loss to the Jets, Mostert finished with a season-high 19.2 PPR points, 122 total yards and touchdown off a fly sweep in the red zone. Plus, he out-touched Chase Edmonds 19-to-1. With back-to-back games of 15 or more rushing attempts, and creative deployment in the Miami game plan, Mostert will jump into my RB2 rankings for the Week 6 matchup versus the Vikings’ defense. — Bowen

Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, San Francisco 49ers: He appears to have stepped up as “the guy” for a 49ers team that is notorious for leaning on the running back with the hot hand, playing 57% of the offensive snaps and totaling 18 touches, meaning that in four games since Elijah Mitchell’s injury, Wilson has played 60% of the snaps (140-of-232) and totaled 71 touches while scoring in double digits in terms of PPR fantasy points each week. Wilson’s 20.2 PPR fantasy points were easily his most all season, capped by a 41-yard run that Next Gen Stats clocked at a 20.8 mph max speed, and he managed a goal-line score to give him a team-leading seven goal-to-goal rushing attempts. He sure looks like an RB2 at this point. — Cockcroft

Dallas D/ST: There were clear matchup advantages for the Dallas pass rush versus a Rams offensive line that is going through a transition period due to injuries. But to put up 22.0 fantasy points? The Cowboys completely controlled the line of scrimmage in this one, tallying five sacks, a defensive score, two forced fumbles and a pick. They blocked a kick, too. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has the unit playing fast, now. Schemed fronts and pressure. Up next, it’s Jalen Hurts and the Eagles in Week 6. — Bowen

With the performance, the Cowboys are now the third highest-scoring fantasy defense/special teams with 56 points, behind only the 49ers (65) and Bills (64). They are also on pace for 190.4 fantasy points, or 27.4 more than they managed as the league’s best D/ST in 2021 (163). — Cockcroft

Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles: With a season-high 17.5 PPR points in the Week 5 win over the Cardinals, Goedert has now posted 10 or more PPR points in four straight games. He’s a critical piece to the Eagles’ pass game on RPO concepts. And he can stretch the seams. With 13 receptions over the past two weeks, the volume is moving up for Goedert. He’ll be a midtier TE1 for me next week versus the Cowboys. — Bowen

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October 10, 2022
Week 5 inactives: Who’s in and who’s out?
6:35 AM ET

AJ MassESPN Staff Writer

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Fantasy football, baseball and college basketball contributor.

Author of book, “Yes, It’s Hot in Here.”
Whom should you start? Whom should you sit? To help you set your fantasy football lineups and avoid starting a player who won’t be in the lineup, we’ll post fantasy-relevant updates and analysis here as NFL teams release their official inactives lists, typically about 90 minutes before kickoff. Any rankings cited in this column come from our ESPN Fantasy staff ranks.

Official Sunday inactives should begin coming in approximately 90 minutes prior to the scheduled kickoff times, including around 11:30 a.m. ET for the early games and 2:30 p.m. ET for the late games.

Refresh often for the latest information.

9:30 a.m. ET game, London

Tyrod Taylor, QB, NYG: Concussion — OUT
Impact: Daniel Jones (ankle) is expected to start, but Davis Webb could still end up under center at some point.

Kenny Golladay, WR, NYG: Knee — OUT
Impact: Richie James will be the Giants’ No. 1 WR option.

Kadarius Toney, WR, NYG: Hamstring — OUT
Impact: David Sills V will be the Giants’ No. 2 WR option. We got up early for this?

Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, NYG: Knee — OUT
Impact: Darius Slayton will be the Giants’ No. 3 WR option. Getting excited yet?

Leonard Williams, DE, NYG: Knee — Questionable

Azeez Ojulari, LB, NYG: Calf — OUT

Cor’Dale Flott, CB, NYG: Calf — OUT

Adrian Amos, S, GB: Concussion — Active after clearing protocol

1 p.m. ET games

Offense

Get your lineups set for your Week 5 fantasy football matchups with analysis for each of the 15 games left to be played, last-minute pickup options, and our take on the biggest stories of the weekend.

• The Playbook: Week 5
Mike Clay breaks down each game from all angles, with projections and advice for key players.

• Fantasy Hot Seat
Eric Karabell discusses players who are facing the most pressure to perform, including some tough start/sit decisions.

• Fantasy Field Pass
Field Yates provides the intel you need to set your fantasy football lineup.

Also See:

• Week 5 ESPN Fantasy staff rankings
Positional ranks for PPR and non-PPR leagues.

• Last-minute pickups
Matt Bowen offers names to consider if you need to make a late change to your roster or if you’re streaming at a position.

• Daily Notes: Eric Moody keeps you up to date on what you need to know from a fantasy perspective.

Kyle Pitts, TE, ATL: Hamstring — OUT
Impact: Parker Hesse is no Kyle Pitts. Go to the waiver wire for your TE replacement.

Isaiah McKenzie, WR, BUF: Concussion — Questionable
Impact: He has to make it through the league’s protocol in order to play.

Jamison Crowder, WR, BUF: Ankle — OUT/IR
Impact: Khalil Shakir will get a chance to step up.

Jake Kumerow, WR, BUF: Ankle — OUT
Impact: Crowder’s move to IR opens up playing time for Kumerow over the next few weeks. He just has to get healthy himself first.

Dawson Knox, TE, BUF: Foot — OUT
Impact: Quintin Morris will start in his place, but has little fantasy value.

David Montgomery, RB, CHI: Ankle — Questionable
Impact: There’s a good chance that he will play, but that doesn’t preclude Khalil Herbert from getting more snaps than him today.

D’Andre Swift, RB, DET: Shoulder — OUT
Impact: Jamaal Williams once again steps into lead-back duties.

DJ Chark, WR, DET: Ankle — OUT
Impact: Kalif Raymond and/or Tom Kennedy might end up with some looks this week.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, DET: Ankle — Questionable
Impact: Early Sunday morning reports have Brown looking like he’s going to play.

Josh Reynolds, WR, DET: Ankle — Questionable
Impact: He should he be able to play. The door could be wide open for a big day here.

Quintez Cephus, WR, DET: Foot — OUT
Impact: Meanwhile, TE T.J. Hockenson is expected to be back in action.

Chris Moore, WR, HOU: Hip — OUT
Impact: Phillip Dorsett could get some looks in 3-WR situations.

Brevin Jordan, TE, HOU: Ankle — OUT
Impact: O.J. Howard will get a chance to start.

Zay Jones, WR, JAX: Ankle — Questionable
Impact: His situation seems a bit murky. It’s probably a good idea to start somebody else this week.

Keenan Allen, WR, LAC: Hamstring — OUT
Impact: DeAndre Carter might get some looks.

Joshua Palmer, WR, LAC: Ankle — Questionable
Impact: Practiced in full towards the end of the week, so it looks promising.

Dustin Hopkins, K, LAC: Quad — Questionable
Impact: Taylor Bertolet would kick if Hopkins can’t go.

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, MIA: Concussion — OUT
Impact: Teddy Bridgewater will handle the Miami offense.

Tyreek Hill, WR, MIA: Quad — Questionable
Impact: This might come down to a game-time call.

Jaylen Waddle, WR, MIA: Groin — Questionable
Impact: He played through this injury last week, so odds are good he can play in this one.

Mac Jones, QB, NE: Ankle — Doubtful
Impact: Nobody will be surprised to see Bailey Zappe starting this one.

Jakobi Meyers, WR, NE: Knee — Questionable
Impact: Kendrick Bourne would likely get a value bump if Meyers sits.

Jonnu Smith, TE, NE: Ankle — Doubtful
Impact: Hunter Henry might actually see a few extra red zone targets.

Jameis Winston, QB, NO: Back — Doubtful
Impact: Andy Dalton is going to start this one.

Alvin Kamara, RB, NO: Ribs — Questionable
Impact: He’s expected to play, but Mark Ingram II will still see some action.

Michael Thomas, WR, NO: Foot — OUT
Impact: Chris Olave remains the No. 1 WR option in New Orleans.

Jarvis Landry, WR, NO: Ankle — Questionable
Impact: This is probably a player to bench in fantasy this week, even if he does suit up.

Kenneth Walker III, RB, SEA: Shoulder — Questionable
Impact: Rashaad Penny is no longer on the injury report, so he’ll handle the RB duties.

Marquise Goodwin, WR, SEA: Knee — Questionable
Impact: Dee Eskridge would likely fill in should Goodwin not play.

Julio Jones, WR, TB: Knee — Questionable
Impact: Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will be the team’s top-two wideouts.

Breshad Perriman, WR, TB: Knee — Questionable
Impact: He could end up with some looks if he plays and Russell Gage sits.

Cameron Brate, TE, TB: Concussion — OUT
Impact: Who knows? Maybe we’ll all be familiar with Cade Otton after this week.

Treylon Burks, WR, TEN: Toe — OUT/IR
Impact: Kyle Philips now gets an extended audition for the Titans.

Jahan Dotson, WR, WAS: Hamstring — OUT
Impact: Curtis Samuel and Terry McLaurin will see a ton of targets. Dyami Brown becomes the No. 3 WR.

Logan Thomas, TE, WAS: Calf — Questionable
Impact: Still up in the air, but John Bates would start if Thomas can’t.

Defense

Ed Oliver, DT, BUF: Ankle — Questionable

Tremaine Edmunds, LB, BUF: Hamstring — Questionable

Jordan Poyer, S, BUF: Ribs — OUT

Christian Benford, CB, BUF: Hand — OUT

Jaylon Johnson, CB, CHI: Quad — Doubtful

Jadeveon Clowney, DE, CLE: Ankle — Questionable

Taven Bryan, DT, CLE: Hamstring — Questionable

Charles Harris, DE, DET: Groin — OUT

Jonathan Greenard, DE, HOU: Ankle — Questionable

Blake Cashman, LB, HOU: Concussion — OUT

Folorunso Fatukasi, DT, JAX: Quad — OUT

Xavien Howard, CB, MIA: Groin — Questionable

Raekwon McMillan, LB, NE: Thumb — Questionable

Jalen Mills, CB, NE: Hamstring — Questionable

Kyle Dugger, S, NE: Knee — Questionable

Marcus Maye, S, NO: Ribs — Questionable

Quincy Williams, LB, NYJ: Ankle — OUT

Ahkello Witherspoon, CB, PIT: Hamstring — OUT

Cameron Sutton, CB, PIT: Hamstring — Questionable

Terrell Edmunds, S, PIT: Concussion — Questionable

Akiem Hicks, DE, TB: Foot — OUT

Logan Ryan, S, TB: Foot — OUT

Bud Dupree, LB, TEN: Hip — OUT

Zach Cunningham, LB, TEN: Elbow — OUT

Amani Hooker, S, TEN: Concussion — OUT

4 p.m. ET games

Offense
1 Related
Rondale Moore, WR, ARI: Knee — Questionable
Impact: The team is optimistic that Moore will be able to play.

Matt Prater, K, ARI: Hip — OUT
Impact: Matt Ammendola gets a new team and fan base to potentially disappoint.

Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, CAR: Hamstring — OUT
Impact: If this is the type of news that upsets your fantasy plans, you might need a new hobby.

Dak Prescott, QB, DAL: Thumb — OUT
Impact: Cooper Rush fans can rejoice for at least one more week.

Tony Pollard, RB, DAL: Illness — Questionable
Impact: He traveled with the team to Los Angeles, which is a very good sign.

CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL: Groin — Questionable
Impact: The Cowboys say they expect Lamb to play, but if you’ve got a deep bench, you may want to use it.

Boston Scott, RB, PHI: Ribs — Questionable
Impact: Miles Sanders is unaffected by Scott’s status, but Kenneth Gainwell could see more touches.

Jake Elliott, K, PHI: Ankle — OUT
Impact: Rookie Cameron Dicker will swing the leg.

Tyrion Davis-Price, RB, SF: Ankle — OUT
Impact: Jordan Mason gets to back up Jeff Wilson Jr.

Defense

Rashard Lawrence, DT, ARI: Hand — OUT

Frankie Luvu, LB, CAR: Shoulder — Questionable

Xavier Woods, S, CAR: Hamstring — Questionable

Quinton Bohanna, DT, DAL: Neck — Questionable

Jourdan Lewis, CB, DAL: Groin — Questionable

Cobie Durant, CB, LAR: Hamstring — OUT

Taylor Rapp, S, LAR: Ribs — Questionable

David Long Jr., CB, LAR: Groin — Questionable

Avonte Maddox, CB, PHI: Ankle — OUT

Arik Armstead, DT, SF: Foot — OUT

Javon Kinlaw, DT, SF: Knee — OUT

Sunday night game

Tee Higgins, WR, CIN: Ankle — Questionable
Impact: The team has stated that they expect Higgins to suit up.

Hayden Hurst, TE, CIN: Groin — Questionable
Impact: Likely to play, but have someone like Mitchell Wilcox on your roster, just in case you need to make a late swap.

Justice Hill, RB, BAL: Hamstring — OUT
Impact: Kenyan Drake might get some run as J.K. Dobbins‘ understudy.

Rashod Bateman, WR, BAL: Foot — OUT
Impact: Devin Duvernay might get some extra looks.

Justin Houston, LB, BAL: Groin — OUT

Marcus Peters, CB, BAL: Quad — Questionable
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October 9, 2022
Baltimore blunders, bathroom breaks and more bad beats of the week

Misery loves company. At least that’s what my fellow Las Vegas Raiders fans have been telling me since I was 5 years old. Conversely, celebrating is always more fun when you’ve got friends. That’s why starting this week, we are adding the fantasy football world to our weekly therapy session.

There are two things I’m sure of: My weeks are better when my beloved Raiders win, and all of our weeks are better when we share the chaos together. Let’s start filling those buckets with tears of joy or sadness.

Fantasy frustrations

The football gods wasted NO time Sunday reminding us that they run things. Imagine being the guy who was offered Rashaad Penny in a fantasy trade this week, turned the trade down, and then faced him this week? Yeah, that was my buddy Dave. Fear not, Dave, the pain was felt everywhere.

Revenge of the ‘dead zone’ RB:

– Josh Jacobs 34 pts
– Miles Sanders 29.6
– Rashad Penny 28.7
– Dameon Pierce 25.9
– CEH 22.4
– JK Dobbins 22.3

6 of Week 4’s top 10 RBs

#FantasyFootballhttps://twitter.com/DrakeFantasy/status/1576914454172008448?s=20&t=LWr_H75Sh5TWcHR0gIVQgg

—
Brian Drake
(@DrakeFantasy) Oct 2, 2022

From the Raiders suddenly deciding to hand the ball off to Josh Jacobs to Penny throwing up Madden-like numbers to Miles Sanders absolutely making us all look stupid, it was what I like to call Pie Week for fantasy football players. Because by late Monday night, all of us were eating a slice of that humble pie.

I feel you, Vann.

Had JK Dobbins on the bench for one team. Rashad Penny on the bench for another. The people I started over them sucked! Lol terrible fantasy week. All my teams about to losehttps://twitter.com/themadlineman/status/1576708417141739520?s=20&t=LWr_H75Sh5TWcHR0gIVQgg

—
Vann “Just take that L” Pugh
(@themadlineman) Oct 2, 2022

Verdict: Five buckets. Five overflowing buckets.

Ahhhhh, the joy of betting is that a game that most of these players’ families don’t even want to watch becomes must-see TV. The Browns were up by three at the half, and everyone who bet Cleveland in this game had to feel good. Not so fast! Two late fourth-quarter field goals gave the Falcons the win — and more importantly kept Atlanta undefeated!

No, not in the standings, don’t be silly. But where most of you care most.

1 team remains undefeated against the spread

The Atlanta Falconshttps://twitter.com/Pickswise/status/1576950702223421448?s=20&t=lTmPjklSn5_cEjL7FLqg-g

—
Pickswise
(@Pickswise) Oct 2, 2022

Verdict: Three buckets of mostly happiness

Look, I don’t know Brandon. But Brandon deserves a hug. In the world of bad beats we’ve all got that story. This one, though, might take the cake.

This final play of the TB game where a 15 yard pass was graded as 14, smashing 3 SGP’s with Gage at 25+ yards. Unreal! 45 to the 30 sure looked like 15!https://twitter.com/btsullivan91/status/1576789759808372737?s=20&t=lTmPjklSn5_cEjL7FLqg-g

—
Brandon Sullivan
(@btsullivan91) Oct 2, 2022

It’s a game of inches, Brandon … or yards, in this case. Actually, a yard. Yikes. I’m not helping this situation.

Verdict: Four buckets

Don’t @ me, analytics nerds, about John Harbaugh’s decision to go for fourth-and-goal late in a tied game from the 2-yard line. Sometimes taking the points is like a plain bologna sandwich on generic bread. Is it exciting? No. Is it satisfying? Kind of. Do you wish it was better … had more flair … was more what you expected? Obviously. But you’ve got to eat, and food is food. You have to win, and points are points. Instead of taking those points, you give the Bills the ball back tied and Josh Allen has one of those MVP-type moments that MVP-type players have.

Meanwhile …

Ravens fans watching John Harbaugh go for that 4th Downhttps://twitter.com/PointsBetUSA/status/1576661178364747776?s=20&t=ZHgiMZgmY5xNIKQIUQqphw

—
PointsBet Sportsbook
(@PointsBetUSA) Oct 2, 2022

Verdict: Three buckets

Saturday was also … well … interesting? I mean, most of us were done before the day had even started thanks to TCU’s shocking shellacking of Oklahoma. This was how we ALL felt by halftime of the early games!

Bettors watching all their picks get upset 😕
@BR_Bettinghttps://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1576306955190149121?s=20&t=-G3P2LXB_8udkpLrnkyPVw

—
Bleacher Report
(@BleacherReport) Oct 1, 2022

But just when you thought life couldn’t get any weirder, this happened.

Imagine being the guy who went to Syracuse, knows his team incredibly well and advises all of his buddies to take the under against Wagner at 63.5. It’s 49-0 at halftime …

Courtesy of David Bearman

Everyone can rejoice! Crisis averted! We’re all rich! Orrrrrrrrrr ……

Ohio State would never https://twitter.com/caesarssports/status/1576366427556093952?s=46&t=30YfkoNsRMY-Xf78MkET6g

—
Caesars Sportsbook
(@CaesarsSports) Oct 1, 2022

Dust if off. We will get ’em next week. And just remember no matter how much grief your friends are giving you this week for your performance last weekend, it won’t equal the amount of grief the world is giving DK.

Per the FOX broadcast, D.K. Metcalf was actually carted off to the locker room for a bathroom break.

When you gotta go, you gotta go. https://twitter.com/fieldyates/status/1576661309281767428?s=46&t=6qyxsFcSPGV5rmNbIDBiKw

—
Field Yates
(@FieldYates) Oct 2, 2022

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October 4, 2022
Fantasy basketball: How to find hidden value in salary cap drafts

In a snake draft if you don’t have the No. 1 pick, you’ll have a hard time getting Nikola Jokic. However, in a salary cap draft you can absolutely land the Joker, you just need to pony up.

The reigning two-time MVP has been going for an average of $70 of the standard $200 budget used in ESPN salary cap drafts. You can even pair him with his rival Joel Embiid for a cool $130 and create an incredibly talented, if awkward, MVP competition on your own fantasy roster. This strategy leaves you little left to build out the rest of your team, but speaks to the freedom managers have in this format.

With this freedom comes the responsibility to refine and define your strategy and player valuations. You determine which players best fit your philosophy, rather than the draft spot you have. Longtime ESPN fantasy hoops analyst Jon Cregan even wrote an evergreen opus covering all things salary cap. If you want to dive into the details of budgeting strategies and team-building philosophies germane to salary drafts, start with that piece.

Some might call paying up for Embiid and Jokic the beginning of a “stars and scrubs” approach, one that surrounds a handful of pricey superstars with a series of sleepers and fringe fantasy options. The extreme version suggests, in snake draft terms, you pay for two or three first rounders and then 10 late-round players.

Create or join an ESPN Fantasy Basketball league for the 2022-2023 NBA season.

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This isn’t an ideal approach, mostly because there are so many high-level NBA stars and thus scarcity isn’t in your favor when pursuing a top-heavy build. Such an approach is more palatable in fantasy football, where there is more scarcity of reliable elite skill players.

In basketball, you can argue there are nearly 20 players “worthy” of first-round consideration in statistical terms. You should still pursue multiple stars atop your hoops roster, but it shouldn’t take up such a disproportionate part of your budget.

While snake drafts can certainly offer surprises and create real pivot points you might not have expected, the volatility of the unique market that develops in each salary cap draft is more pronounced. Being informed allows you to be adaptive in the draft, so you can recognize where to spend and where to stay patient.

LeBron James will be another reliable superstar on fantasy teams this year but might not be worth a hefty price in salary cap drafts. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Is the room not valuing players on tanking teams? You can be that team. Are your buddies letting older stars like LeBron James, James Harden, and Kevin Durant go well below reasonable value? You can and must adapt based on how the other members of your draft behave.

What makes fantasy basketball so rewarding is how managers recognize and value versatility. Save for points formats, most leagues are driven by categories. You need your superstar wings to produce, but you also need rim-protection specialists to supplement the build.

You know who the high-dollar superstars are but can you get the best price? It’s good to have some price points that you really stick to. There’s not a ton of strategy when it comes to pairing Durant and Dejounte Murray to open your draft if the driving force was purely value.

If you believe Durant is still a bankable $55 player (worth more than that last season) and you can land him at $46, that’s highly advisable. If the room was too scared to pay market value for Murray amid the mystery of his fit with Trae Young, that can prove profitable. Some drafts might unfold and see each player go well above expectations or projections. Variance from draft to draft is a feature of the format.

My favorite approach in recent years has been to identify a collection of sleepers and specialists at each position who can serve to complement whatever collection of higher-dollar stars I’ve already built. Which is to say, I’m more likely to consistently target and land these players given their markets aren’t as fluid as those of star players. I might not intend to draft Damian Lillard and Anthony Davis, but I am fine doing so if the prices are true values. I do intend, however, to draft Desmond Bane in almost all salary cap leagues this season.

Bane leaps off the page as a major value in salary cap drafts because he going to see a career high in minutes, he’s entering his prime in his third season, and the Grizzlies’ dont have much depth behind him. If Bane cruises past 30 minutes per night, he is on the path to posting prime Klay Thompson lines, with an average price point of just $8 in ESPN drafts.

In addition to Bane, I also like Herbert Jones for his incredible steal and block rates and scoring forces Jamal Murray and Collin Sexton. These are players that are going below $10 that could triple their current value this season. Guys like Devin Vassell, Gordon Hayward, Monte Morris, and P.J. Washington won’t cost much more than a dollar in most drafts, but will be on almost all of my rosters. Having a list of players you want will often result in you landing a lot of those players.

Being nimble during those early big-name nominations is pivotal. Value will absolutely develop; it just might not be in those first few names. Then you can pursue your own list of sleepers and values at each position. It sounds like something on a terrible motivational poster, but the balance between patience and preparation is what we aim to strike in salary cap drafts.

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October 4, 2022