It’s over! You’ve made it through the NFL schedule’s toughest two-week stretch. There were twelve teams on bye over the last two weeks so if you’ve made it this far and still have a chance at the playoffs, then congratulations. Double congratulations if the injuries your team has sustained this season were at the cost of your higher-profile players. In many of my leagues this weekend, I found it difficult to construct a lineup that I would normally consider viable. Week 10 should be better. Only Baltimore, Kansas City, Oakland, and Philadelphia are off this week so hopefully you have the majority of your lineup to work with. If you don’t, some of the players listed below could help push you past the last two weeks of byes. Most of the players on the list this week are short-term plays, intended to help you push for a championship the season. There aren’t a lot of prospects that haven’t been mentioned in previous articles. Even so, those players have likely already been added by non-contenders. If you’re making a playoff push and need someone to fill in for either this week or beyond, these are the players you should seek out:
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If you don’t play in a superflex or two-quarterback league, you can pass this suggestion and continue on to the next player listed. For those of you who can roll out two QBs every week, Ryan Fitzpatrick might be a serviceable option for the next couple of weeks, if not more. Jameis Winston left the game on Sunday after he re-aggravated his shoulder injury and word came out the following day that the Buccaneers are shutting him down for at least a few weeks. Tampa Bay’s offense hasn’t been great and Fitzpatrick is far from magic these days but he does have a prime matchup this week against the Jets who have given up 19 touchdowns through the air, as well as the fifth most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, this season. He will follow that up with games against the Dolphins, Falcons, and Packers; none of which should scare you from starting him too much. The biggest concern for rolling out Fitzpatrick against those teams would be the game script, but since the Buccaneers defense is giving up over 24 points per game, it’s likely that they will throw it often. Fitzpatrick should help clinch your team a playoff berth but his schedule during those playoff weeks is formidable, with the Lions and Panthers standing in the Texans way in Week 14 and Week 16, respectively. Make sure you have other plans if you make it that far and still require an extra quarterback.
Thomas Rawls, RB – Seattle Seahawks
I’m always a big fan of teams who decide to build their NFL rosters from the lines out. Historically, Seattle has spent wisely on their defensive line while ignoring their offensive line altogether. That tradition halted last week when the Seahawks traded for All-Pro offensive tackle Duane Brown. Brown’s impact was immediate and even with a few growing pains this past week, Seattle’s offensive line appeared vastly improved. Brown’s acquisition and immediate impact spell good things for the Seahawks running backs who, up to this point, have been awful. The terrible running back play in Seattle so far this season, combined with the recent announcement that Eddie Lacy was going to get an extended look as the lead back, may have resulted in Thomas Rawls being dropped in some leagues. Well, Lacy left the game on Sunday after only six carries and tagged in Rawls who, when he took the field, appeared to be running with a purpose. The Seahawks don’t have fantastic matchups for running backs the rest of the season, with the exception of the game against the 49ers in Week 11, but if Rawls can get an extended look this week against the Cardinals and actually perform effectively, he could be handed the lead role keys going forward.
Rod Smith, RB – Dallas Cowboys
At this point, I do not believe there is anyone in the world who can predict what is going to happen with the Ezekiel Elliott suspension matter next. There is another hearing in his legal saga on Thursday but it is possible a decision won’t be made until next week. When that decision finally does come down, we should have some clarity on his chances of playing sometime this year. In the meantime, most people are stashing either Alfred Morris or Darren McFadden on the chance that Elliot’s suspension will be reinstated (again). However, not nearly as many people are holding onto Rod Smith, despite reports from last week claiming that he would see action in the passing game if Elliott were to miss time. In his eight games this season, Elliott has just 26 targets and 19 receptions so he isn’t exactly lighting the league on fire in the passing game. If Elliot’s suspension were to be reinstated, the Cowboys would need to lean more heavily on Dak Prescott which could result in more passing formations where Smith could be utilized. Smith is definitely a speculative add but you would only need to stash him as long as the chance of Zeke getting suspended remains.
Terrance Williams, WR – Dallas Cowboys
Sticking with the Cowboys, Terrance Williams is another player who may be available in your league. Williams has been consistently disappointing so far this season which means he could very well have been dropped at some point. Dez Bryant left the game against the Chiefs with an ankle injury and his status for Week 10 is up in the air. Williams took advantage of the increased looks and managed to catch all nine of his targets for 141 yards. We’ve seen him flash before and it usually doesn’t last long but, as mentioned in Smith’s blurb above, the Cowboys may need to lean more on their passing game if Elliott gets suspended. While the looming suspension is a factor in Williams’ success going forward, the biggest factor would be if Dez were to miss time.
Robby Anderson, WR – New York Jets
Robby Anderson is currently leading his team in targets, yards, and touchdowns but since his team is the New York Jets, no one is paying attention. Because of this, Anderson may have snuck past acquisition from your league’s waiver wire the past few weeks, leaving now to be the ideal time to add him. Favorable games to start Anderson are those in Week 10 and Week 13, when the Jets matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively. Kansas City is currently giving up the most fantasy points to wide receivers and Tampa Bay is not far behind, yielding the third most fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers. While Anderson is definitely not an every week start, you should feel comfortable enough locking him in during those two weeks. In any other week, he should continue to receive enough volume to warrant flex consideration.
Marquise Goodwin, WR – San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are 0-9 and have scored only 10 points in each of their last three games. C.J. Beathard has been dreadful as their starting quarterback and the team surely has nothing to play for except maybe to avoid a winless season. They did trade for Jimmy Garoppolo last week and despite reports that he might not play at all this season, I think we will see him take the field in due time. Meanwhile, Pierre Garcon has been placed on injured reserve with a neck injury, leaving Marquise Goodwin as the only serviceable receiver on the roster. Picking him up this week is mostly about the fact that Garcon was averaging over eight targets per game and those targets have to go somewhere. Plus, I expect Garoppolo to improve the passing game (it couldn’t be worse) and justify consideration for adding Goodwin.
C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE – Houston Texans
Two weeks ago, this would have been an absolute no-brainer decision. C.J. Fiedorowicz has been on injured reserve as a result of a concussion suffered in Week 1. The way the Texans offense has looked with Deshaun Watson at the helm left much to be excited about for when Fiedorowicz returned. Unfortunately, his expected return against the Rams this weekend isn’t quite as tasty with Tom Savage as his starting quarterback. There is still reason for hope, though; as Fiedorowicz managed to finish third in targets last season in a Texans offense that was led by both Savage and Brock Osweiler. With the tight end position always in disarray, Fiedorowicz is a player you should be able to rely on for volume.
