The 11th 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 12. With everyone scrambling to the waiver wire, this article will look beyond that.
This is the 11th 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.
Tony Jones Jr. – RB New Orleans Saints
Returning in his first action since week four, Tony Jones Jr. carried the ball three times for just two yards. With minimal usage running behind Mark Ingram, this pickup recommendation is strictly for added depth at the running back position.
Alvin Kamara has now missed two weeks with a knee injury. There is no set timetable on when he will return to the field, so for now, it is the Mark Ingram show. This is exactly why I would be looking to pick up Jones. At 31 years old, Ingram has a lot of mileage on the legs. Should he get hurt, or New Orleans elects to use him sparingly to save him for later, Jones could step right into a big role.
Jones has not seen much action prior to getting hurt, however, he did look solid in the preseason. In addition, running behind that Saints offensive line is always a bonus. Before the Saints signed Mark Ingram, Jones was backing up Kamara. The team clearly liked what they saw from him, and they trust him when he’s on the field. If you are in desperate need of running back depth, get ahead of the curve and pick up Tony Jones Jr. before it’s too late.
Josh Reynolds – WR Detroit Lions
In his first game with the Detroit Lions, wide receiver, Josh Reynolds, unfortunately, did not record a catch. However, he was targeted three times which was just one fewer than Amon-Ra St. Brown, who led the wide receivers with four targets. With this being said, there is reason for optimism.
To start, Reynolds played on 90% of the offensive snaps. For his first game in a Lions uniform, this is an encouraging sign that they plan on playing him as a top wideout. Furthermore, he led the team in routes run with 22. As Reynolds continues to practice with the team, learning the playbook, I expect his production to climb.
While I do not think he will be the focal point on this offense as they have T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift, Reynolds could easily emerge as the number one option from the wide receiver group. He is worth picking up in deep leagues to stash on your bench for added depth.
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