Another week, another rash of injuries. Seems like this week, the majority of the injuries were to the New York Giants wide receivers but there were plenty of others out there too. A couple of the players in this week’s article have been on this list before, but they absolutely need to be added if they are still available. Not only is the talent there, but in many cases, the opportunity is now following. As we all know, opportunity is paramount in fantasy football and the players below may be getting their fantasy break sooner than expected. Grab them now before it’s too late:
Kevin Hogan, QB – Cleveland Browns
Kevin Hogan was drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. Playing his college ball at Stanford, after taking over for Andrew Luck, he was very inconsistent as a passer but was a certified winner. That carried into his first training camp where he was cut by the Chiefs at the beginning of the season but subsequently picked up by the Browns. He played sparingly in 2016 as the Browns searched for a serviceable quarterback, and he’s been a backup for most of 2017 as well. That was, of course, until first-round rookie Deshone Kizer was benched after the first half on Sunday. Hogan may not be the answer the Browns are looking for, but with quarterbacks, there’s always a chance if someone plays well enough, they will get a shot somewhere else. It’s for that reason that he’s worth a stash in some deeper leagues where you can start two quarterbacks.
Aaron Jones, RB – Green Bay Packers
Aaron Jones was mentioned in this column last week because of the injuries to Jamaal Williams and Ty Montgomery, and while both Williams and Montgomery are not expected to be out for long, Jones delivered with 19 carries, 125 yards and a touchdown in Week 5. It is expected that he will receive more carries throughout the year based on this performance. Not to mention, it’s entirely possible the Packers look to alter their offense going forward as Ty Montgomery has proven to be a bit injury prone.
Matt Breida, RB – San Francisco 49ers
Another player who has made this list before, Matt Breida, was fairly active this weekend in playing 49-percent of the 49ers snaps; two more than Carlos Hyde. Most people felt this was due to Hyde’s lingering hip injury, but coach Kyle Shanahan came out and said they were riding the hot hand. If Hyde struggles at all going forward, we could see more of Breida, making him a smart add for not only the future, but this season as well.
Elijah McGuire, RB – New York Jets
Elijah McGuire was a sixth-round draft choice for the New York Jets after playing his college ball at Louisiana Lafayette. He wasn’t expected to get a lot of work this year with Matt Forte and Bilal Powell, but because they can’t seem to stay healthy, he has seen 21 carries in the past two weeks. He was decidedly better in Week 4, rushing 10 times for 91 yards compared to the 11 carries for 20 yards in Week 5. McGuire definitely has some long-term value if he can show progress this year, and could be a decent add for 2017 if the two lead backs in New York continue to miss time.
Marlon Mack, RB – Indianapolis Colts
You may only be able to add Marlon Mack if you are in some deeper leagues because there was a lot of hype surrounding him throughout the offseason. The fourth-round pick has blazing speed and excellent college production, a reason for people ‘s excitement. Additionally, Frank Gore isn’t getting any younger and a lot of people thought this would be the year he broke down. That hasn’t happened yet, and Gore continues to get the majority of the work. Mack showed his stuff this weekend however, being incredibly efficient in rushing for 91 yards on nine carries and adding a touchdown. All signs point to Mack getting the first shot at the job once Gore is out of the picture and if he continues to run like this, he could earn himself some more carries this season as well.
Nelson Agholor, WR – Philadelphia Eagles
Nelson Agholor may not be available in too many leagues, but there are a lot of people that buy into the “USC receiver’s aren’t good” myth so it’s possible he was dropped. He’s been inconsistent this year and probably can only be currently counted on as a WR3 or flex play, but as a first-round pick in his third year, it appears that things might finally be clicking. Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith probably won’t be in Philadelphia for very long, so Agholor could see a serious increase in workload next year. Just like many of the other players on the list this week, he’s a long-term play that could help your current contending roster.
Travis Rudolph, WR – New York Giants
This was a very tough week for the New York Giants. They saw their top three targets, Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard, and Brandon Marshall, all leave the field with injuries. Shepard appears to be day-to-day, Marshall week-to-week, and unfortunately, Beckham Jr. will miss the rest of 2017. As a result of the injuries, the Giants have called up Travis Rudolph from their practice squad. An undrafted free agent out of Florida State, Rudolph is a solid route runner who was a consistent producer in college. He may not be ready for prime time but this opportunity will allow him to showcase his talents and savvy owners may want to get in on this opportunity at the ground floor. At this point, it’s a speculation add, but make sure he’s on your roster instead of your opponent’s on the off chance he produces.
George Kittle, TE – San Francisco 49ers
George Kittle was a solid tight end prospect who would have garnered more fantasy attention if he didn’t come out in the same year that three tight ends were drafted in the first round. A very dynamic Iowa Hawkeye product, he’s a classic H-Back type who can be very effective in the passing game and adds just enough blocking ability to stay on the field regularly. The 49ers must’ve agreed as they were willing to ship Vance McDonald to the Steelers prior to the start of the season without much else on the depth chart. Kittle looked good in Week 5, catching seven passes on nine targets for 83 yards and a touchdown. In a league that does not have a lot good tight ends who can stay healthy, Kittle should be a top priority this week for a number of fantasy teams.
Trey Burton, TE – Philadelphia Eagles
Make no mistake, with the way Zach Ertz is playing, he will not be losing his job anytime soon. However, as mentioned earlier, a lot of tight ends have trouble staying healthy. Trey Burton is a player who has shown that he can be effective, most notably during this past weekend where he caught a touchdown pass from Carson Wentz. Burton is a player to stash on the end of your roster in deep leagues in the event that Ertz goes down at any point this season. Clearly, the Eagles favor their tight ends and Burton would be the next man up.
