Methodology
In this weekly article, I’m going to look ahead to the following week. I’ll point out a few players below 40% owned on ESPN who have strong matchups next week that you can pick up ahead of time to beat the waiver run. I’ll also try and get ahead of breakouts that could happen in the current week, as predicting breakouts is the best way to save your FAAB budget.
With added IR spots in most leagues, you can also shift injured players there, opening up a roster spot for these options. Since most of these additions will occur on the weekend, I’ll exclude any players from the Thursday night game, as you won’t be able to add them to your rosters. This season more than any other, it’s essential to remain active and stay ahead of your league mates. I hope you find value in this column and that it helps you succeed on a week-to-week basis.
Also, I realize that this article takes on a whole new meaning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Every week, we seem to have some games in doubt or rescheduled. For this article, I will assume that all games in the following week will play as scheduled at the time of writing, usually on Thursday night or Friday morning. I can’t predict how the NFL schedule might change that far in advance, so that’s how I have to handle this article.
I won’t limit myself to any specific number of players or force myself to choose specific positions, outside of a few exceptions. Each week, I’ll provide one look ahead streamer at quarterback and D/ST, as those positions are easy to predict every week. Quarterback streaming mostly comes from the opposing defense and D/ST from the opposing offense, and we know those schedules ahead of time.
Must Adds
Damien Harris (RB – NE), 39.2% owned
I mentioned Harris as a deep-league addition last week, and now he’s moved up to the must-adds section. Harris debuted with a 17 carry, 100-yard performance in Week 4, replacing Sony Michel as the Patriots’ early-down back. Michel is on the injured reserve list, and who knows when he will return. A starting running back like Harris should not be on any waiver wires. Fix this mistake in your leagues. I also wrote a free dynasty profile on Harris if you want even more details.
Tee Higgins (WR – CIN), 37.4% owned
Like Harris, Higgins was also in my deeper leagues section for Week 5. I mentioned that he started to compete with A.J. Green for targets and snaps in the Bengals’ offense. In Week 4, nothing changed, as Higgins had four receptions on seven targets for 77 yards. Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow continues to impress, and he’s shown a demonstrated connection with Higgins. Higgins shouldn’t be on any waiver wires right now.
Laviska Shenault (WR – JAX), 30.8% owned
As you might notice, there’s a pattern here. Shenault was also in my deep leagues’ column from Week 5. Like Higgins, he also continued to excel in Week 5, catching five of six targets for 86 yards. I believe the Jaguars will also involve Shenault in the running game, as he’s seen nine carries thus far in 2020. They have James Robinson, but little depth outside of him, which should open carries for Shenault. I don’t understand Shenault’s ownership percentage, and I hope my readers won’t leave him on their waiver wires.
Deeper Options
Eric Ebron (TE – PIT), 32.9% owned
Some fantasy owners are struggling at the tight end position in 2020. Ebron already had his unexpected bye week in Week 4, so he will be available every week in the future. He draws an excellent matchup against the Eagles in Week 5, where I expect him to have a good game.
Ebron then faces the Browns in Week 6, who recently gave up 38 points to the Cowboys. You can use Ebron in Week 5 and Week 6, so he might be a solid waiver wire add this weekend. In the craziness of 2020, I don’t mind holding a backup tight end, so Ebron might be a good bench add even if you don’t necessarily need him.
Duke Johnson (RB – HOU), 28.0% owned
I’ve talked about Johnson the previous two weeks, but he finally saw the field in Week 4. He saw a similar workload to what he saw in Week 1. Johnson had five carries for 24 yards and three receptions for 21 yards behind starter David Johnson. While Duke Johnson has little upside unless David Johnson goes down, he provides a decent PPR floor in deeper leagues. If you need a desperate running back, you could do worse.
Tony Pollard (RB – DAL), 24.9% owned
I mention Pollard every week in this article. He’d be an instant RB1 if Ezekiel Elliott suffered an injury, although he has no standalone value. Pollard is always an excellent stash option if you have extra roster spots due to using your in-season IR.
Cole Beasley (WR – BUF), 24.8% owned
At this point, I have to take the Bills’ passing offense, led by Josh Allen, seriously. Allen has succeeded in throwing to Stefon Diggs, John Brown, rookie Gabriel Davis, and Beasley. Beasley currently finds himself second on the team in targets, yards, and receptions, behind only Diggs. The Bills have multiple excellent matchups in the next few weeks, with the Chiefs, Jets, Seahawks, and Cardinals in their next five games. With all the injuries and COVID issues in the NFL, Beasley represents an excellent WR streamer.
D’Ernest Johnson (RB – CLE), 23.9% owned
I’m a bit surprised that Johnson is only 23.9% owned, considering that he was a hot waiver wire pickup this past week. Browns’ starting running back Nick Chubb suffered an injury in Week 4, forcing the Browns to turn to backup Kareem Hunt. However, Johnson out-carried Hunt, 13 to 11, although Hunt was a bit banged up with a groin injury.
Hunt remains limited in practice with that same injury, so Johnson should continue to see work behind Hunt while Chubb is out. The Browns and head coach Kevin Stefanski prefer to employ a run-heavy offense, so Johnson will have RB4 value moving forward. Running backs are hard to find, and Johnson should be on a roster in most redraft leagues.
Alshon Jeffery (WR – PHI), 14.3% owned
I’ve discussed Jeffery a few times so far in 2020, although he hasn’t played yet due to a Lisfranc injury. The Eagles and quarterback Carson Wentz desperately need pass-catchers, as they’ve lost tight end Dallas Goedert and wide receiver Jalen Reagor to injured reserve. Receivers DeSean Jackson and JJ Arcega-Whiteside have also missed time with injuries.
Therefore, once Jeffery returns, he will immediately become Carson Wentz’s second target, behind tight end Zach Ertz. I assume that Wentz will force targets to Jeffery, simply because he has no alternative. A healthy Jeffery presents a low-end WR3 value. It’s unclear exactly when Jeffery will be back on the field, but he’s a good pickup in advance of that time.
QB of the Week: Ryan Tannehill (TEN), 36.3% owned
As I mentioned above, I will assume that all future games will occur as scheduled when writing this article. Therefore, I’m looking at the Titans and Tannehill as an excellent option for their Week 6 game against Houston. Tannehill has been a solid fantasy quarterback in his three games, averaging 19.6 fantasy points/game. The Texans’ pass defense is putrid, allowing 912 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and no interceptions so far in 2020. Tannehill will be a low-end QB1 in Week 6 if you can afford the roster spot.
D/ST of the Week: Chargers, 31.6% owned
There’s almost nothing to say about the Chargers as a D/ST pickup. They play the Jets at home in Week 6, who might be without starting quarterback Sam Darnold for this game. The Chargers are a decent real-life defense, but that doesn’t even matter. They’ll be a top-3 fantasy D/ST for the week, so add them to your roster if you have a free spot.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
Previous Look Ahead Articles: Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5
