Daily Dr. Roto — October 29, 2019
Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups
Quarterbacks
Matthew Stafford, Lions
The Lions have opened up their offense, and now they are passing the ball more than ever before. This style suits the talents of Stafford perfectly, and he has finally become a solid QB for fantasy owners. This might be the last week you can get him on waivers, so if you need a QB, you will need to pay up for him.
Derek Carr, Raiders
The Raiders have been better offensively than anyone expected, and they have one of the easier schedules from Week 9 through the fantasy playoffs. I wouldn’t invest heavily in Carr, but he does appear to be worthy of being stashed on benches.
Ryan Tannehill, Titans
Even when the Titans win games, it always seems like they do it in an ugly fashion. I want to like Tannehill, but it concerns me that he could not find either Corey Davis or A.J. Brown last week against the Bucs. He’s better than Mariota, but he’s not great by any stretch of the imagination.
Brandon Allen/Drew Lock, Broncos
Allen is going to be the QB this week against the Browns, and more than likely, Lock is going to take over as the starter in Week 11 after their BYE week. The Broncos have nothing to lose by starting Lock, but he will have severe growing pains, and I expect that his presence will hurt Courtland Sutton and the other wide receivers.
Running Backs
Mark Walton, Dolphins
Hopefully by this point, you have already listened to me and added Walton in the previous two weeks, as I suggested. If not, then this is your last chance to get him as the Dolphins traded away Kenyan Drake and have named Walton as their starter. He’s never going to be a star, but he could be worth 12-16 fantasy points per week, which is well worth paying for at this point in the season.
Derrius Guice, Redskins
Redskins head coach Bill Callahan said on Monday that Guice was on target to return to the team in Week 11. If we are to believe him, then we need to start paying up for Guice in FAAB as early as this week. I don’t expect a ton of production from him as the Redskins will most likely be careful with his playing time, but he certainly needs to be owned.
Darrell Henderson, Rams
Henderson is slowly getting comfortable at the NFL level, and it would not surprise me to see him (and not Malcolm Brown) be the Rams backup RB after their BYE week. If you have the spot on your roster, this is the better week to get Henderson as next week will cost you even more money.
Raheem Mostert, 49ers
I want all parts of the 49ers run game right now. Mostert will split carries, but he certainly is worth a few dollars if you have the roster spot available. Check his injury status first before spending too much of your FAAB.
Jeffrey Wilson, 49ers
See Raheem Mostert. Also, Wilson is someone the 49ers like to use at the goal line, so if Tevin Coleman were ever to go down with another injury, Wilson would be a great addition in standard formats.
Rashaad Penny, Seahawks
It’s possible that some overanxious fantasy owner dropped Penny a few weeks ago when he was not playing. Right now, he is the backup to Chris Carson, but I think that he will begin to see more touches each week. Stash him now in case of a Carson injury.
Wide Receivers
Chris Conley, Jaguars
It’s simple — if Dede Westbrook is out for any length of time, then Conley is a must-add. Conley has shown a great rapport with Gardner Minshew during the season and was the talk of the preseason after playing so well with Nick Foles. The Jaguars offense has been more explosive than thought initially, and Conley is certainly worth an 8 to 10% bid at this point in FAAB.
Darius Slayton, Giants
Slayton is still a very young receiver, but he has tremendous speed and has shown flashes as the Giants downfield threat. I don’t love his matchup against the Cowboys in Week 9, so be careful not to overspend, but he has upside and needs to be rostered until Sterling Shepard returns.
Josh Reynolds, Rams
If Brandin Cooks is out for any length of time, Reynolds can step right in and produce as he knows the Rams offense very well. Don’t overpay for him, but if you own any of Kupp, Woods, or Cooks, he makes sense as their handcuff.
Russell Gage, Falcons
Since Sanu’s trade, he has become the de facto WR3 for the Falcons. He has limited value, but if I owned Julio Jones or Calvin Ridley, he might be worth a stash in deeper leagues in case of an injury.
Danny Amendola, Lions
When everyone was spending hundreds on Ty Johnson, I know I told you all to spend a whole lot less on Amendola. Amendola is the perfect fit for the new Lions’ short passing attack. He dominated the Giants game last week and could have a similar impact against the Raiders in Week 9.
Tight Ends
Jonnu Smith, Titans
Delanie Walker is still dealing with an ankle injury, and Smith has shown a good rapport with Tannehill thus far. Don’t expect his Week 8 production every week (Tampa is awful against opposing tight ends), but Smith is athletic and could be a plus at a challenging position to fill.
Dallas Goedert, Eagles
Carson Wentz seems determined to spread the ball around, and the Eagles love to play two tight end sets. So long as Ertz is healthy, Goedert will have his targets capped, but as I say in this article every week, Goedert is one Ertz injury away from potential stardom.
Darren Fells, Texans
I like how Fells has looked thus far this season. He is providing Watson with a huge downfield target, and he is a mismatch for most opposing safeties. He’s the perfect 8-10 Fantasy point a week type of player who can complement a winning roster.
Chris Herndon, Jets
Herndon is finally expected back in Week 9 after missing the season with a suspension and then later a hamstring injury. Herndon was such an essential target for Sam Darnold last season, and I expect that Darnold will go back to him right away in Week 9. He is worth spending up in FAAB if you are tight end desperate like so many owners are.
