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
Giovani Bernard, 6.5% owned
Joe Mixon has been on and off the injury report and may miss this week’s game. If he does, Bernard will be a borderline RB1 while Mixon is out. I think you have to add Bernard just in case Mixon can’t go on Sunday or aggravates one of his many injuries during that contest.
Deeper Options
Dalton Schultz, 40.0% owned
I understand that the Cowboys now have Andy Dalton at quarterback, but Schultz still saw targets in Week 6. He caught four of his five targets for 35 yards, good for 7.5 PPR fantasy points. I know that’s nothing special, but tight end is a wasteland. Schultz draws a solid matchup versus Washington in Week 7, but he has a dream matchup against the Eagles in Week 8. If you need a Week 8 tight end streamer, I would recommend grabbing Schultz now.
Laviska Shenault, 38.3% owned
Apparently, you guys didn’t read my column from last week, as Shenault’s ownership percentage has declined since then. I understand that he has a tough matchup versus the Chargers in Week 7, followed by a bye in Week 8. Therefore, if you need to add someone at another position, you don’t have to add Shenault. However, in most formats, he remains worth a roster spot.
Damien Harris, 34.3% owned
I understand those who dropped Harris after Week 6. Harris had a huge game in Week 4, taking 17 carries for 100 yards. However, in Week 6, Harris declined to only six carries for 19 yards and one reception for 14 yards. Harris also has a tough matchup in Week 7 versus the 49ers, but he gets two easier games in Weeks 8 and 9 versus the Bills and Jets. If you are desperate for running back help, Harris makes a fine addition.
Cole Beasley, 31.7% owned
Beasley is the perfect wide receiver streamer. He’s had at least three receptions in every game, and he has 28 receptions for 358 yards and two touchdowns on the season. Teammate John Brown currently has a knee injury that threatens to force him to miss time. Therefore, Beasley could see more targets in the coming weeks. In Weeks 9 and 10, Beasley has matchups versus the Seahawks and Cardinals, which are two of the weakest pass defenses. I know it’s looking ahead a bit far, but you might want to add Beasley now, especially in PPR leagues.
Keelan Cole, 26.2% owned
Surprisingly, Cole is the WR20 for 2020, averaging 13.6 PPR points/game. Cole has found a lot of success with teammate D. J. Chark out of the lineup, but he had six receptions for 143 yards in Week 6 with Chark healthy. I’m not expecting Cole to keep up his WR2 pace, but he can be a reliable WR4, especially considering the Jaguars will face constant negative game scripts. Like Shenault, though, he has a Week 8 bye, so he’s not a must-add.
Allen Lazard, 25.0% owned
Lazard saw a return to working out recently, although he’s nowhere near returning from the core injury he suffered in Week 3. However, Lazard had become Aaron Rodgers’s clear second-favorite target behind Davante Adams before his injury. If you have an open IR spot, throw Lazard in there and wait for him to return. I think he could come back by Week 10 or so.
Jamaal Williams, 23.8% owned
There’s not much to say about Williams. He’s getting work behind Aaron Jones, even though the Packers should probably use Jones more. In a PPR league, you can roll out Williams as a low-upside, desperate RB option given his receiving floor. Williams is also past his bye week, so he’s available every week moving forward.
Tony Pollard, 20.9% owned
I’m a bit tired of discussing Pollard in this column, as he’s in here every week. However, Ezekiel Elliott fumbled twice in the Cowboys’ 38-10 loss to the Cardinals. The Cowboys benched Elliott for Pollard a few times, and Pollard had 10 carries in the game.
He almost doubled his carry count for the season, as Pollard had only totaled 13 carries in the previous five games. I doubt the Cowboys give Pollard more work long-term, but at least they’re willing to pull Elliott if he fumbles. Therefore, Pollard makes for a slightly better desperation start now than he did before.
QB of the Week: Teddy Bridgewater, 31.6% owned
Bridgewater has a tough Week 7 matchup at the Saints, which likely contributes to his low ownership percentage. However, the Falcons are the best matchup for opposing fantasy quarterbacks. Somehow, quarterbacks average 345 passing yards and three touchdowns per game versus the Falcons. Those numbers are ridiculous, far worse than any other defense.
Bridgewater has been a serviceable fantasy quarterback, completing 70.6% of his passes and adding 23 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown. He also might get Christian McCaffrey back for Week 8 which could allow him to complete some more dump-off passes. I will have Bridgewater as a solid QB1 in Week 8, so pick him up now if you need a QB streamer for next week.
D/ST of the Week: Chargers, 30.7% owned
I’m not sure why the Chargers are so low-owned because they have an excellent Week 7 matchup versus the Jaguars. There isn’t a perfect week-ahead D/ST this week, but the Chargers play the Broncos and their decimated offensive corps in Week 8. I wouldn’t recommend adding the Chargers though unless you have very deep rosters or plan to play them in Week 7. Their Week 8 matchup is nothing special.
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, Week 6, Week 7
