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
Zack Moss, 36.5% owned
Given the current running back landscape, Moss cannot be on any waiver wires. In the three games where Moss has been fully healthy, he has played 45-47% of the offensive snaps, splitting almost evenly with Devin Singletary. The Bills clearly don’t want Singletary to play a workhorse role, and Moss presents more goal-line upside. I know Moss has a terrible Week 8 matchup against the Patriots, but he draws excellent matchups against the Seahawks in Week 9 and the Cardinals in Week 10. You cannot let this weekend pass with Moss still out there.
Dallas Goedert, 29.1% owned
Like Moss, you must add Goedert before this weekend of games. Goedert will not return from injured reserve for this week, and the Eagles have a Week 9 bye. However, Goedert will almost certainly play in Week 10, as the Eagles already opened his practice window to come off injured reserve.
Therefore, Goedert will immediately become a solid TE1 upon entering the lineup, especially as the Eagles have limited pass-catching weapons. Zach Ertz won’t return by Week 10, and Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson seem to be far away from coming back. Goedert will mix in with Travis Fulgham and Jalen Reagor as the Eagles’ top receiving targets. He’s an absolute must-add, whether you need help at tight end or not.
Jalen Reagor, 12.6% owned
Reagor will play this week against the Cowboys, although I wouldn’t necessarily start him in his first game back. However, I believe Reagor has immense talent as a first-round pick, and he has WR1 upside. I would love to stash him on my roster in any league format or size.
Deeper Options
Trey Burton, 8.9% owned
I don’t understand Burton’s ownership percentage. Burton had five or more targets in each game since he returned from injured reserve, and the Colts prefer Burton to their other tight ends, Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox. While Burton isn’t a sure thing, he has high-end TE2 value, and he should be on a roster in most leagues. He’s not a must-add if you’re set at tight end, but you should add him if you have any doubt in your starter.
La’Mical Perine, 27.3% owned
Since the Jets released Le’Veon Bell, Perine played 58 and 70% of snaps in the two games without Bell. The Jets finally realized that they should utilize their fourth-round rookie instead of handing carries to the ghost of Frank Gore. Unfortunately, the Jets’ offense is so anemic that they couldn’t even support Bell as a reliable fantasy option. Therefore, Perine isn’t a necessary addition, but he’s a running back getting carries and targets.
Tevin Coleman, 24.8% owned
The 49ers’ running back situation is an absolute disaster for fantasy owners. They have so many running back options on their roster, including Coleman, JaMycal Hasty, Jerick McKinnon, Jeff Wilson Jr., and Raheem Mostert. Both Wilson Jr. and Mostert will miss this week’s game, but Coleman might return. Even if he doesn’t, Coleman should be back for Week 9, and he will gain carries, given how the 49ers don’t trust McKinnon.
Corey Davis, 33.9% owned
Surprisingly, Davis had 10 targets in his first game back from the COVID-19 list, although he only caught six of them for 35 yards and a touchdown. Davis provides a low ceiling, but he does come with somewhat of a floor. Unfortunately, the Titans face horrific matchups against the Bears and Colts in Weeks 9 and 10, so Davis is far from a must-add. But, if you need a warm body, you could do worse than Davis.
Laviska Shenault/Keelan Cole, 26.8/22.7% owned
I’ve discussed these two Jaguars’ wide receivers almost every week, sometimes in the must-adds section and sometimes in this section. However, the Jaguars seem to want to make a quarterback change coming out of their Week 8 bye, although it’s unclear whether they’ll go with backup Mike Glennon or rookie Jake Luton. Either way, both players would represent a significant downgrade from current starter Gardner Minshew, and both would reduce Shenault and Cole’s fantasy value. But, you can still add them as desperation plays.
Tim Patrick, 18.9% owned
Patrick currently has a hamstring injury, which might rule him out for the Broncos’ Week 8 game against the Chargers. However, Patrick has carved out a substantial role in the Broncos’ offense, leading the team in receptions and yards ahead of Jerry Jeudy. The Broncos face the Falcons in Week 9, the Raiders in Week 10, and the Dolphins in Week 11, providing a cupcake schedule for Patrick after this week.
Denzel Mims, 4.1% owned
Unfortunately, I can never call any Jet a must-add, but I think Mims has a real breakout in Week 8. Both Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman will miss this week, leaving Mims as the Jets’ top receiver. In Week 7, Mims caught four of seven targets for 42 yards, and he played on 79% of snaps. I believe that Mims will have a strong game in Week 8 against the Chiefs, making him a popular waiver wire add in Week 9. But, as the Jets still employ Adam Gase as their head coach, I won’t get carried away.
QB of the Week: Tua Tagovailoa, 24.3% owned
The one-week ahead streamers are miserable this week. Therefore, if you need a QB stream for Week 9, I’ll recommend Tagovailoa, even though he’s never started an NFL game. The Dolphins have thrown Tagovailoa into the fire in Week 8, with a matchup against Aaron Donald’s Rams’ defense.
However, in Week 9, the Dolphins face the Cardinals. Tagovailoa is one of the most talented rookie quarterbacks in recent years, so he might light the world on fire from the jump, similar to fellow rookie Justin Herbert. I believe that Tagovailoa is a far better natural quarterback than Herbert, so I’m hoping he can become a streaming option. Either way, there’s no other quarterback worth adding in advance, but I wanted to highlight Tagovailoa as he starts his NFL journey.
D/ST of the Week: Washington, 19.3% owned
As usual, I’m targeting the Jets or the Giants with my D/ST recommendations. In this case, it’s the Giants, as Washington plays them in Week 9 after their Week 8 bye. The Giants have been an offensive dumpster fire, and I can’t see why anything would change now. Pick up Washington for a top-five D/ST option if you have a free bench 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, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8
