The seventh week of the NFL season is officially behind us. The long-awaited Sunday has come and gone in a blink of an eye. After countless hours of only moving from the couch to use the bathroom, we look ahead to week eight. With everyone scrambling to the waiver wire, this article will look beyond that.
This is the seventh installment of the weekly series, One Week Ahead. We will use our fantasy football crystal ball to look ahead to future weeks and try to predict players who will emerge with fantasy relevance. We will try to get a leg up on our opponents by picking up potential fantasy assets before they become a major waiver wire pick-up.
JaMycal Hasty – RB San Francisco 49ers
Coming back from injury in Week 7, JaMycal Hasty only saw 34% of the offensive snaps. However, while his rushing was limited to just three attempts for one yard, he was targeted six times in the passing game. He turned this into three catches for 15 yards.
Not eye-popping numbers, but in his first game back and playing second fiddle to Elijah Mitchell, this isn’t too shabby. I expect Hasty to remain behind Mitchell, but it is clear the 49ers trust him in pass-catching situations. Running routes on 12 of his 19 snaps, he drew all the running back targets. Mitchell didn’t record a single target. Running backs that catch the ball have standalone value regardless of their rushing attempts and playing time.
I don’t expect Hasty to steal too many touches from Mitchell as he is the clear better running back, but if Mitchell were to miss any time with an injury as he has done so already, Hasty would inevitably see the field more. Furthermore, in the game this past week, no other running back recorded a single snap. This is an encouraging sign that Hasty will without a doubt see some touches on a weekly basis.
We have also seen the 49ers use Hasty down at the goal line. It’s no guarantee he will still have that role, but in the chance that he does get some of those opportunities, I am looking to stash him on my bench in deeper leagues.
Mo Alie-Cox – TE Indianapolis Colts
Playing on just over 50% of the offensive snaps for the season, tight end Mo Alie-Cox may be a decent pick up in a position that is so hit or miss. Scoring touchdowns in back-to-back weeks, Alie-Cox is a big target who can pose as a real red-zone threat.
This past week, Alie-Cox played fewer snaps and ran fewer routes than fellow tight end Jack Doyle. However, he drew more targets and produced better fantasy numbers than him. Alie-Cox he yet to log more than three catches in a game and has recorded over 30 yards in just two contests. Most likely, he will be a touchdown-dependent player.
This may not be the worst news though, as the tight end landscape is brutal and there have been worse options out there. As the season continues and Alie-Cox produces when called upon, he could easily see his snap percentage rise, becoming a more dependable weekly starter.
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