The NFL takes a fair share of criticism for just about everything it does. We are very quick to blame them for the poor handling of suspensions or the bad officiating. It’s time we praised them for one of the more underrated changes they’ve made to the rules. Back in 2012, the NFL pushed the trade deadline back from Week 6 to Week 8. While it may not seem like a lot, an additional two weeks are an incredible difference for teams assessing whether or not they have a legitimate chance at a championship. As we know from other sports, the decision to buy or sell is largely influenced by the assessment of that chance. Since the deadline change, we’ve seen more trades occur which not only impacts the NFL but our fantasy teams as well. These NFL changes could add additional potential targets for your waiver adds this week. In addition, it’s a constant reminder that you should be assessing your competitive chances regularly to determine if you’re a buyer or a seller.
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB – San Francisco 49ers
Admittedly, I am a New England Patriots fan so there is a solid chance I am overrating Jimmy Garoppolo as a quarterback. However, having watched him in the preseason and as a fill-in for Tom Brady last year, it is clear to me he will be a solid NFL quarterback. There were rumors back in the offseason of the Patriots turning down offers of at least a first round pick for Garoppolo. Instead, they waited until the trade deadline and received a second round pick. As a fan, I’m not big on this deal but, from a fantasy perspective, if Garoppolo is available in your league, I would add him now. This is not for this season since it will probably take him a few weeks to learn the 49ers offense. Not to mention, the 49ers are still not going to be competitive. This is a long-term play. We’ve seen Kyle Shanahan turn some solid, but not spectacular, QBs into very productive fantasy options and I think Jimmy G will be just that.
Austin Ekeler, RB – Los Angeles Chargers
A lot of people were touting Austin Ekeler as a pick up last week because of the uncertainty surrounding Melvin Gordon’s health. Ekeler only had two carries for eight yards and one catch for 13 yards in the game against the Patriots on Sunday. Meanwhile, we saw Gordon rush for 132 yards on 14 carries and chip in a touchdown. Gordon is clearly still the guy there and should be unless his injuries get worse. Although, outside of his long touchdown run, he wasn’t super productive. Ultimately, Ekeler didn’t see the field much and as a result, owners could decide on dropping him this week. If that’s the case for your league, grab him, stash him, and be more patient than those who dropped him. There aren’t a lot of good running back options out there. Since Gordon is seemingly banged up every week, Ekeler could see some time.
Darren McFadden/Alfred Morris, RB – Dallas Cowboys
Here they are again. I wrote about both Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris back in Week 5 when we thought the Ezekiel Elliott suspension was going to be reinforced the first time around. Not much has changed in Dallas since then and with the suspension apparently back on, if either McFadden or Morris are still available on your league’s waiver wire, you need to grab one. The preferred pick up would be Morris since he was officially named the starter in Elliott’s absence. Although, McFadden should still see some work on early downs or in short yardage situations and is worth a look as well. There’s no telling how either of these running backs will pan out during the Elliott suspension so it’s ultimately dealer’s choice.
Tre McBride, WR – Chicago Bears
It is so hard to recommend someone from Chicago’s offense, yet it seems as though we suggest that you add a different Bears receiver from your league’s waiver wire every week. It doesn’t help that the Bears are still looking for their answer at wide receiver either, so without further ado, Tre McBride, come on down! You’re the next contestant on the Bears receiver match game. McBride is in his third year as a pro after being drafted by the Tennessee Titans and spending his first two seasons with them. With the Bears this season, he’s played in five games and while he only started two of them, he did catch three balls for 92 yards last week.
Malcolm Mitchell, WR – New England Patriots
Malcolm Mitchell was a fourth-round draft pick for the Patriots last year and showed flashes of being a very reliable wide receiver. In 15 games last season, he caught 32 passes for 401 yards and four touchdowns. He was also praised by both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, which is no small feat for a rookie wide receiver. Unfortunately, he has a history of knee injuries and some of those injuries resurfaced during the preseason which resulted in him being placed on injured reserve. There’s no guarantee he will be back this season, but with Chris Hogan suffering a shoulder injury and the Patriots already thin at receiver, Mitchell will certainly be in consideration for a return from injured reserve if he can get healthy.
Vernon Davis, TE – Washington Redskins
Jordan Reed left Sunday’s contest against the Cowboys with an apparent hamstring injury and did not return to the game. We all know that Reed has a long history of hamstring injuries as well as several other injury variants and regularly misses time as a result. For many of the same reasons, it’s possible that Vernon Davis has already been scooped up in your league. Even with Reed on the field, Davis has been very productive, amassing over 300 yards and a touchdown with some pretty nifty long plays this season. He’s 33 years old but I don’t think he’s necessarily a one-and-done add either since he is signed through 2019 and Washington will obviously continue the need for a Reed insurance policy. Davis will be a top play any week that Reed is inactive, and remains a quality bye week fill-in, regardless if Reed is active or not.
