It appears I start this column every week by saying something about how tough the week before was for injuries. Well, this one may take the cake! I don’t care about the format of your league, but unless that format doesn’t require a quarterback, Aaron Rodgers was near the top of that league’s point leaders. Unfortunately, he was the big name to go down in week 6; suffering a broken collarbone that will require surgery. It’s more than likely that his season is over which means several owners will be scouring for a quarterback via this week’s waiver wire. Add in the reversal of the reversal of Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension and there is a lot of scrambling going on in fantasy football right now.
Brett Hundley, QB – Green Bay Packers
Brett Hundley was a fifth-round raw prospect draft pick out of UCLA in 2014 with a lot of talent who many thought would go much earlier in the draft. He’s tall, fast, and has learned for two years under Rodgers, which should give him a leg up on others. Many NFL analysts believe that because of what he’s shown in preseasons the past two years, that he would be one of the next backups to receive a legitimate opportunity at starting once his predecessor’s time in Green Bay came to an end. Because of this, Hundley may not be available in your league but if he is, you should grab him. It’s apparent that the offensive weapons surrounding him provide a notable advantage and his running ability will offer him a solid floor as a second-tier fantasy quarterback this year. Not to mention, he has a soft-landing matchup against New Orleans this week.
C.J. Beathard, QB – San Francisco 49ers
Remember two weeks ago when 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Brian Hoyer would be the starting quarterback for the foreseeable future? Well, Hoyer was benched in week 6 after another incredibly ineffective performance and Shanahan has since stated that C.J. Beathard played well enough in his place to keep the starting job. Beathard earned a lot of praise early in the offseason and many speculated that he could attain the starting gig at some point this season. At 0-6, Shanahan and the Niners appear to have nothing to lose so they may as well see what they have in the third-round prospect. Beathard was a solid NFL prospect in his high school days but struggled quite a bit in his last season at Iowa leading many to think the third round was a reach. Although, he did play in a pro-style offense and has displayed decent mobility and solid mechanics so he’s worth a look. Stash him now in the event that he shows real promise.
Chris Ivory, RB – Jacksonville Jaguars
This is for those of you contenders out there; particularly those contenders who have Leonard Fournette on their roster. I’m sure many gasped when Fournette went down with an ankle injury and did not return. It appeared to be serious at first but luckily enough, test results verified that he will be fine. Although, if you have Fournette on your roster, are in contention, and have a bench spot to burn, you may want to consider owning Chris Ivory. Additionally, the Jaguars are certainly unlikely to allow Blake Bortles to throw more often if Fournette ever does miss games. For those of you who don’t own Fournette but are desperate at running back, you could do worse than Ivory. Prior to this week, Ivory was averaging around five fantasy points per game. He only rushed twice in week 6 but did accumulate nine receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Dion Lewis, RB – New England Patriots
In the interest of full disclosure, I must advise you that I am a Patriots fan. Some may argue that Patriot fans blindly follow the jersey and are much higher on the team than they should be, but it’s quite the opposite for me. I dislike owning Patriots, especially their running backs, and I dislike recommending them to others even more. It’s difficult to predict which New England running back will receive the most volume on any given week but the coaching staff appears to love Dion Lewis. They’ve brought him along slowly this season and have used him sparingly in an obvious attempt to avoid re-injury. While Lewis has only played a little more than 21% of the Patriots offensive snaps this season, he played in over 43% of their snaps in week 6. There may not be a lot of long-term value here, but I would expect him to continue to receive increased usage down the stretch this year.
Devontae Booker, RB – Denver Broncos
Devontae Booker was the popular name in Denver after being selected in the fourth round and showing promise last preseason. That promise didn’t translate well to the regular season field as he averaged just 3.5 yards per carry and displayed mediocrity in every possible way. Booker entered 2017 injured and as a result, missed the first three games. With Denver having their bye in week five, Booker’s only been active for two games. CJ Anderson is dominating the touches in Denver this year which is why Booker may be available in some leagues, but after catching four passes for 78 yards in week 6, Booker hinted on why owners may want to snag him off waiver wires if the opportunity presented itself. It’s worth noting that the increased passing game usage last week was a result of injuries to the Broncos wide receivers. Not only is Booker a considerable long-term stash, he’s also on the short-term play radar with Emmanuel Sanders ruled out for at least week 7.
Taylor Gabriel, WR – Atlanta Falcons
It’s becoming increasingly clear that Dan Quinn and the Falcons coaching staff are lying when they say they want to get Julio Jones the ball more often. While Jones may lead the team in targets, he has yet to find the end zone and has broken 100 yards only once this season. Meanwhile, Taylor Gabriel is second on the team in targets with 26. While he hasn’t done much to warrant owners to acquire him which means he may be available in some leagues, eight of his 26 targets came in week six when Mohamed Sanu was sidelined. If Sanu were to miss more time, Gabriel should continue to see an uptick in volume, something that he’s never truly had. He’s fast enough to break a long one at any given time and is a great boom or bust option to start alongside some consistent performers.
Adam Humphries, WR – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers had one of the league’s best receiving corps heading into 2017. To take some pressure off Mike Evans, they added Desean Jackson to stretch the field and drafted O.J. Howard in the first round to compliment the already productive Cameron Brate. Meanwhile, the name Adam Humphries appears to be an afterthought in fantasy football, yet he is third on his team in targets with 32 and second on his team in receptions with 23. Now in his third year, Humphries is shaping into form as one of the more reliable slot receivers. If he begins to score touchdowns at any point, watch out!
