Daily Dr. Roto — November 19, 2019
Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups
Quarterbacks
Brandon Allen, Broncos
Allen acquitted himself nicely against the Vikings, and although he doesn’t appear to be the long-term answer as a starter (rookie Drew Lock is their heir apparent), Allen should finish the season with the role. The Broncos play the Bills in Week 12, so I wouldn’t spend a ton on Allen unless you are desperate.
Nick Foles, Jaguars
In his first game back after being out over two months with an injury, Foles looked a bit rusty at first, but by game’s end, he was back into the swing of things. Jacksonville has one of the easiest Fantasy schedules in the coming weeks, so if Foles is somehow on your waiver wire, you need to pick him up now.
Ryan Tannehill, Titans
Although not a tremendous weekly play, Tannehill benefits from teams trying to focus on Derrick Henry. Tannehill is never going to put up huge numbers in this conservative offense, but his Fantasy floor is higher than a lot of guys at this point.
Jeff Driskel, Lions
With the word that Matthew Stafford will be out for the next six weeks, it looks likely that Driskel will finish the season as the team’s starter. Driskel is a bit better than most backups, mainly due to his mobility. I still wouldn’t spend more than a few bucks on him unless you are desperate and have no other choices.
Chase Daniel, Bears
I am not sure if Mitch Trubisky’s hip is injured or if the Bears are ready (willing?) to make a QB change. However, if I owned Trubisky, I would make sure I had Daniel just in case the team decides to go in a different direction.
Dwayne Haskins, Redskins
I think he’s an awful prospect, but the Redskins have nothing to play for, and Haskins is going to have every opportunity to prove that he can play at the NFL level. He did have one great throw to Terry McLaurin negated by a dubious penalty call. If he could only get a bit of confidence, that might help him out a lot.
Running Backs
Jonathan Williams, Colts
Williams looked spectacular after Mack left with an injured hand. I am not sure if that was a mirage or not, but he will get the first chance to start against the Texans on Thursday. You might want to go all-in on him as there are only a few weeks left on the waiver wire.
Jordan Wilkins, Colts
Had Wilkins been active, we might be talking about him and not Williams as the running back to shoot for this week on waivers. Wilkins is expected to play on Thursday and will likely share the carries with Williams with Mack out.
Gus Edwards, Ravens
Edwards is more than “just a guy.” He is a legitimate weapon who could easily have 80+ yards rushing per game if Mark Ingram was sidelined for any reason. Stash and cash if you have the room.
Wayne Gallman, Giants
There is a rumor floating around that the Giants might shut down Saquon Barkley before the end of the season. I am not sure that I believe those rumors, but with the Giants having nothing to play for, I can’t imagine that Barkley is going to get his usual 25 touches per game. It might be a good idea to stash Gallman just in case.
Patrick Laird, Dolphins
Kalen Ballage is awful, and the Dolphins need to get the ball into the hands of Laird more. He had six receptions in garbage time against the Bills in Week 11, and he might have a similar opportunity against the Browns in Week 12.
Malcolm Brown. Rams
It seems to be clear after Sunday night’s game that Brown and not Darrell Henderson is Todd Gurley’s backup. He could see his role increase towards the end of the season if the Rams are out of playoff contention.
Bo Scarbrough, Lions
Bo knows the Lions. Bo ran so well, he might be the Lions starter for the remainder of the season. Scarbrough is not much of a pass-catcher, so don’t overspend in PPR formats, but in seasonal leagues, he might be worth a look especially with Week 12 being a BYE week headache with four teams off.
Qadree Ollison, Falcons
Brian Hill was a disaster against the Panthers (only 30 yards on 15 carries), so with Freeman likely out for another game, look at Ollison this week if you are desperate for a plug and play. He is strong at the goal line and will be used there.
Ryquell Armstead, Jaguars
As I mentioned earlier, the Jaguars have a terrific playoff schedule, so if Armstead is available, you might want to stash him now in case of a Fournette injury.
Wide Receivers
Kendrick Bourne, 49ers
Bourne seems to have surpassed Dante Pettis on the team’s depth chart. The 49ers like to use a ton of receivers in various ways, so even if Bourne is not the starter, he should still see about 35-40% of the team’s snaps. The 49ers schedule is much harder down the stretch, and Jimmy G will be forced to throw the ball more than ever. With that in mind, Bourne might be worth a buck or two in FAAB.
Alex Erickson, Bengals
With AJ Green likely done for the season and Auden Tate dealing with an injury as well, the Bengals are down to Tyler Boyd and Erickson as their starting receivers. Erickson is more of a possession receiver than a downfield threat, but his major hindrance is Ryan Finley’s lack of consistency.
Chris Conley, Jaguars
It’s clear that Nick Foles likes throwing to Conley (they built a strong rapport in the preseason before Foles got hurt), and the Jaguars have a fantastic end of season schedule. Conley is a solid WR3 and is certainly worth a few FAAB dollars.
N’Keal Harry, Patriots
The Patriots desperately need a receiver who they can use in the red zone as Edelman and Dorsett are too small to run fade patterns from five yards out. First-round pick Harry has the size and speed to be a difference-maker. I would be shocked if the Patriots didn’t start to give him reps as the playoffs approach.
Tim Patrick, Broncos
Patrick returned from IR and immediately became the Broncos’ WR2. Unfortunately, the Broncos are not much of a passing team, and I don’t expect Patrick to get more than five or six targets per game, but he still offers more than your typical bye week fill-in.
Allen Hurns, Dolphins
The Dolphins just gave Hurns a two-year contract extension, which tells me that the team likes him. Hurns runs great routes and has excellent hands. His biggest problem has always been his inability to stay healthy. There’s a ton of garbage time production available for Hurns, and he should be able to get 10-12 Fantasy points per week down the stretch.
Kelvin Harmon, Redskins
Harmon stepped into the lineup in Week 11 and flashed nicely. With Darius Slay most likely draped all over Terry McLaurin this week, look for Haskins to find other targets. Harmon might be the next man up and someone capable of putting up sneaky Week 12 numbers.
Tight Ends
Noah Fant, Broncos
With each passing week, Fant seems to play a more significant role in the offense. I think I like him as much if not more than TJ Hockenson.
Cameron Brate, Bucs
OJ Howard is officially in Bruce Arians’ doghouse which means that Fantasy owners should expect to see Brate in the Bucs starting lineup in the coming weeks
Jordan Thomas, Texans
Thomas is expected to return from IR within the next two weeks. Darren Fells has done well in the starter’s role up to this point, but Thomas might be too good to leave on the bench. If anything, there should be room for both to split snaps and play.
Ryan Griffin, Jets
Sam Darnold loves throwing to his tight end, and Griffin has taken a considerable step forward in recent games. The Jets have an easy schedule the rest of the way, so Griffin might be an excellent option to bid heavily on this week. One bit of caution: Griffin has dealt with significant concussion issues in the past, so if he is injured, he could be done for the season.
