Hello, Week 4 of the NFL. So long, for one week, to six NFL teams.
Bye weeks always are one of the trickiest challenges to navigate during a fantasy football season. This week, players from the Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks all will be put on the bench as they get their well-earned break.
That means more activity on the waiver wire than perhaps any other week this season. Only two teams will have byes in Weeks 5-8, and the only two weeks in which six teams are inactive are Weeks 4, 9 and 10.
With that said, here is a look at some players to target this week:
Running Back
Ryan Matthews will sit out at least another three weeks in San Diego, and Danny Woodhead now is out for the season after breaking an ankle and fibula in Sunday’s win at Buffalo. That makes Donald Brown a must-own player in all fantasy leagues going forward.
The 27-year-old veteran has been reliable for years when called upon, and now he will have the chance to be the workhorse for the Chargers. He rushed for 62 yards against the Bills, but it was his five catches for 27 yards that was an even better sign for points-per-reception fantasy owners, as he proved he can stay in the backfield on passing downs. He will get all of the goal line carries and should touch the ball 30 or more times per game.
Also monitor Branden Oliver this week in San Diego. He has the ability to be a weapon on passing downs the same way Darren Sproles and Woodhead have had in the past for the Chargers. I wouldn’t add Oliver, yet, but keep an eye on him in PPR leagues.
Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro remain solid options in Baltimore, especially with Bernard Pierce battling a thigh injury. The Carolina Panthers’ defense was beat up by the Pittsburgh running game last week, and Forsett (through the air) and Taliaferro (on the ground) could be solid plays this week, provided Pierce is less than 100 percent.
Lamar Miller had a great week for the Miami Dolphins with Knowshon Moreno out with an elbow injury. Miller will be the man going forward for Miami and should be added in all formats after his 108-yard rushing day last week against Kansas City.
Wide Receiver
Jeremy Kerley had a big night Monday, especially after Eric Decker once again went down with the same hamstring injury that has bothered him since the preseason. The Jets likely will protect their investment in Decker this week, and that means Kerley should see plenty of passes come his way in what could be a high-scoring game against the Detroit Lions. Kerley caught seven balls for 81 yards and a touchdown Monday night. If you own players such as Larry Fitzgerald, AJ Green or Demaryius Thomas (bye weeks), then give Kerley a look this week.
One player to avoid is Eddie Royal in San Diego. Royal has put together two consecutive solid weeks, and he caught two touchdown passes Sunday in Buffalo. But this is eerily similar to a lot of Royal’s seasons, including last year when he went off for three touchdowns in Week 2 but never produced the rest of the season. Stay away from Royal.
Tight End
A big injury to Dennis Pitta in Baltimore will make Owen Daniels a top target on the wire this week. Daniels had two touchdown catches in Week 2 but was quiet last week at Cleveland. With Pitta out the rest of the year with a dislocated right hip, Daniels will be heavily involved in the Ravens’ passing attack, especially in the redzone. Daniels is a safe start this week against Carolina and is worth consideration as a TE2 or even a flex if you have holes to fill during bye weeks.
Niles Paul has been mentioned in this column in previous weeks, and he is worth a start in all formats as long as Jordan Reed remains out in Washington.
Quarterback
Don’t wait any longer on Kirk Cousins – stash him on your bench or even consider starting him with the amount of weapons he has to throw to in Washington.
It also may be worth adding Teddy Bridgewater, who will start in place of the injured Matt Cassel, who suffered multiple broken bones in a foot last week. Bridgewater looked OK in a 12-for-20, 150-yard passing performance in place of Cassel on Sunday, but it is his rushing ability that gives him real fantasy value. Don’t start him quite yet but consider stashing him on your bench if you feel like you need a boost at the quarterback position.
Derek Carr also has had a solid start for Oakland and is worth a bench spot. Carr has scored as many points this season as Joe Flacco.
Defense/Special Teams
A strong play this week is the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who helped make the Atlanta Falcons’ defense one of the top plays in all of fantasy football last week. The Steelers’ defense widely is available in many leagues.
Also consider adding the Chargers, who are at home against rookie quarterback Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Bortles’ first career start.
Survivor Pool
We’re off to a solid start at 2-0 with the weekly survivor pool pick. Green Bay and New Orleans already have been used, and this week I look toward the Steelers to keep survivor pool players alive another week. The Steelers looked great Sunday night in Carolina, and they should be close to a sure thing this week at home against the hapless Buccaneers and second-string quarterback Mike Glennon.
John Livingston is a sports writer at The Durango Herald and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. He can be reached at jlivingston@durangoherald.com or on Twitter @jlivi2.
