How were we to know early last week that undrafted rookie
Danario Alexander would leapfrog
Danny Amendola,
Brandon Gibson,
Mardy Gilyard, and
Laurent Robinson to fill
Mark Clayton's cleats as the Rams' top fantasy receiver? He had spent the first five weeks on the practice squad, battling atrophy in the muscles surrounding his surgically repaired knee.
By late last week, however, a few hints emerged as to Alexander's potential. The NCAA's 2009 leader in receiving yards was handed a four-year contract and a $35,000 signing bonus when he was signed off the practice squad on Tuesday. That's unheard of for an undrafted practice squad player.
Alexander ended up seeing a
"good amount of work" with the first-team offense in practice last week, and he revealed that he was "in the game plan" for the Chargers. Cornerback
Ronald Bartell suggested Saturday that Alexander would even be featured: "He's getting an opportunity. Let's just see how he does."
The results? Alexander blew up for four receptions, 72 yards, and a touchdown by halftime as the Rams jumped out to a surprising lead over the heavily favored Chargers.
Sam Bradford spent the second half handing off to
Steven Jackson and bleeding the clock.
If the Rams hadn't been playing with a commanding lead, Alexander would have been a lead-pipe lock for 100+ yards as Bradford's new favorite. It's a useful reminder about the game momentum factor in chasing waiver wire wonders, as we pointed out last week with
Danny Amendola's fluky Week 5 target numbers.
Deion Branch, the top pick on many waiver lists this week, was sitting on two catches before the Pats' fourth-quarter comeback. If not for overtime, his statline would have read 7-63, 1 TD as opposed to 9-98, 1 TD. Not too shabby, but also not nearly as eye catching.
So what makes Alexander so intriguing as the top choice this week? Before recurring knee injuries popped up in 2006-07, he was ahead of
Jeremy Maclin on the depth chart at Mizzou. He bounced all the way back with an NCAA best 113/1,781/14 line in 2009, only to be forced under the knife again in February. If not for that most recent surgery, Alexander would have been an early round pick.
Ready for the hyperbole? Alexander checks in at 6'5" and 215 pounds with a vertical leap that has been recorded at anywhere from 41.5" to
a preposterous 46.5" for a player of his size. At the Senior Bowl last January, one scout anointed him a "
Calvin Johnson clone." Despite going undrafted, Alexander
impressed at his July pro-day, posting a 4.46 forty and a short shuttle time of 4.12. For comparison's sake, a much smaller
Jahvid Best posted a 4.17 in the short shuttle. Alexander's measurables are remarkable, bordering on freakish, and he has the college production to match.
If he can stay healthy, Alexander is the best bet to stick as Bradford's go-to target in the Rams' suddenly relevant passing game. He's a major injury risk and there will be bouts of inconsistency with the rookie-to-rookie connection, but fantasy leaguers can't pass on his upside the rest of the way.
On to the players. Here is how I rank the top players available at each position as we head into Week 7. Full writeups of each player are below.
***
Editor's Note: Join subscriber only chats, get weekly rankings before anyone else, plus exclusive weekly projections, stat tools, dynasty ranks, columns, and much more including the Rotoworld Oracle in our
Season Pass.
Wide Receivers1.
Danario Alexander2.
Patrick Crayton3.
Deion Branch4.
Jacoby Jones - Week 7 Bye
5.
Mike Williams (SEA)
6.
Robert Meachem7.
Jason Avant8.
Mike Thomas9.
Davone Bess10.
Devin AromashoduRunning Backs1.
Danny Woodhead2.
Chris Ivory3.
Donald Brown - Week 7 Bye
4.
Earnest Graham5.
LeGarrette Blount6.
Deji Karim7.
James Starks8.
Derrick WardQuarterbacks1.
Matthew Stafford - Week 7 Bye
2.
Matt Cassel3.
Josh Freeman4.
Matt Hasselbeck5.
Colt McCoy6.
Max Hall7.
Kyle BollerTight Ends1.
Owen Daniels - Week 7 Bye
2.
Ben Watson3.
Fred Davis4.
Todd Heap5.
Jermaine GreshamDefense/Special Teams1. Seahawks
2. Redskins
3. Chiefs
4. 49ers
Wide ReceiversDanario Alexander, Rams -
Danny Amendola remains the best bet to lead the Rams in receptions going forward, but Alexander's playmaking ability and red-zone presence give him a considerable edge in standard scoring leagues. Shadow corner
Aqib Talib has been far from shutdown quality this season, and the Bucs allow the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing receivers. Expect the Bradford-to-Alexander connection to produce WR3 numbers again this week.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues
Patrick Crayton, Chargers - The Bolts are expected to be without
Malcom Floyd (hamstring) this week against the Pats, and
Antonio Gates (toe/foot) may be a long-shot as well. That would leave Crayton as
Philip Rivers' top target in the passing game. In which case, Crayton would be a must-start WR2/3 and a good bet to repeat his 6-117 line from Week 6.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Deion Branch, Patriots - Expect Branch to start opposite
Wes Welker going forward, but keep in mind that the Pats are essentially using a committee approach depending on matchup and situation. Branch's Week 6 numbers were boosted by the comeback attempt and overtime. He has just six 100-yard games in his regular-season career, and he's never scored more than five TDs in a season. While Branch is a fine pickup in PPR leagues, he's not going to be worthy of WR3 consideration the rest of the way in standard scoring formats.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Jacoby Jones, Texans - Jones would be much higher on this list of the Texans weren't heading into their bye week. The Texans offense is a sleeping giant in the second half now that Jones,
Andre Johnson, and
Owen Daniels are all healthy.
Matt Schaub will have to pass like crazy to make up for a historically bad secondary, and Jones has the potential to breakout if he can stay ahead of
Kevin Walter (0 targets in Week 6).
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues
Mike Williams, Seahawks - The
Deion Branch trade paid off immediately for both teams. Williams was the primary beneficiary for the Seahawks, hauling in 10 of 15 targets for 123 yards against the Bears. It's just his second time over 50 yards this season, though, and he's an unimpressive 61st in receiver fantasy scoring. Williams is worth picking up as the Seahawks' No. 1 receiver, but there are more talented options available this week.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Robert Meachem, Saints - His role is growing by the week while
Devery Henderson's continues to shrink. Meachem has topped four receptions and 70 yards with a touchdown in each of the past two weeks. The Saints' spread-the-wealth mentality at receiver can be maddening, but Meachem's upside is worth carrying as a WR 4/5.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Jason Avant, Eagles - With
DeSean Jackson (concussion) already ruled out this week, Avant will start opposite
Jeremy Maclin at Tennessee. He's strictly a possession receiver as opposed to playmaker, though, which makes him a much better target in PPR leagues. A half-dozen receptions and 50+ yards is a reasonable expectation for Week 7.
Recommendation: Should be owned in PPR leagues
Mike Thomas, Jaguars - He just keeps outplaying an unreliable
Mike Sims-Walker. Eight of Thomas' nine targets came with
Trent Edwards under center, so give him a boost if
David Garrard (concussion) can't go this week at Kansas City. Thomas has yet to find the end zone this season, but he's 31st in fantasy scoring over the past three weeks.
Recommendation: Should be owned in PPR leagues
Davone Bess, Dolphins - Bess is 19th in total WR fantasy points the past three weeks, which is even more impressive when you consider the Dolphins had their bye in that stretch. He's averaged 6.7 catches and 72 yards over his past three games, good enough to land a contract extension from the Dolphins as the highest-paid slot receiver in the league. As Miami's clear second option in the passing game, he's a rock-solid WR3 in PPR circles.
Recommendation: Should be owned in PPR leagues
Devin Aromashodu, Bears - Look who's earned his way back into the Bears' receiver rotation. With
Devin Hester's snaps reduced to concentrate on return duties, Aromashodu came out of the doghouse for five targets against the Seahawks. He has a much higher fantasy upside than
Earl Bennett, which makes him the receiver to stash behind
Johnny Knox in Chicago.
Recommendation: Worth a look as a roster stash
Long-Term Fliers: Craig Davis,
Deon Butler,
Nate Burleson,
Anthony Armstrong,
Jordy Nelson,
Riley Cooper,
Emmanuel SandersDavis is worth a look if hamstring injuries keep Legedu Naannee and
Malcom Floyd out this week. ... Butler can't get over the 50-yard mark in Seattle, but he's clearly ahead of
Golden Tate for now. ... Burleson has scored in two straight as the Lions enter their bye week. ... Armstrong's role continues to grow. ... Cooper will be the Eagles' third receiver with
DeSean Jackson out.
Cut Bait: Devin Hester,
Kevin WalterHold Off Michael Jenkins,
Earl Bennett
How were we to know early last week that undrafted rookie
Danario Alexander would leapfrog
Danny Amendola,
Brandon Gibson,
Mardy Gilyard, and
Laurent Robinson to fill
Mark Clayton's cleats as the Rams' top fantasy receiver? He had spent the first five weeks on the practice squad, battling atrophy in the muscles surrounding his surgically repaired knee.
By late last week, however, a few hints emerged as to Alexander's potential. The NCAA's 2009 leader in receiving yards was handed a four-year contract and a $35,000 signing bonus when he was signed off the practice squad on Tuesday. That's unheard of for an undrafted practice squad player.
Alexander ended up seeing a
"good amount of work" with the first-team offense in practice last week, and he revealed that he was "in the game plan" for the Chargers. Cornerback
Ronald Bartell suggested Saturday that Alexander would even be featured: "He's getting an opportunity. Let's just see how he does."
The results? Alexander blew up for four receptions, 72 yards, and a touchdown by halftime as the Rams jumped out to a surprising lead over the heavily favored Chargers.
Sam Bradford spent the second half handing off to
Steven Jackson and bleeding the clock.
If the Rams hadn't been playing with a commanding lead, Alexander would have been a lead-pipe lock for 100+ yards as Bradford's new favorite. It's a useful reminder about the game momentum factor in chasing waiver wire wonders, as we pointed out last week with
Danny Amendola's fluky Week 5 target numbers.
Deion Branch, the top pick on many waiver lists this week, was sitting on two catches before the Pats' fourth-quarter comeback. If not for overtime, his statline would have read 7-63, 1 TD as opposed to 9-98, 1 TD. Not too shabby, but also not nearly as eye catching.
So what makes Alexander so intriguing as the top choice this week? Before recurring knee injuries popped up in 2006-07, he was ahead of
Jeremy Maclin on the depth chart at Mizzou. He bounced all the way back with an NCAA best 113/1,781/14 line in 2009, only to be forced under the knife again in February. If not for that most recent surgery, Alexander would have been an early round pick.
Ready for the hyperbole? Alexander checks in at 6'5" and 215 pounds with a vertical leap that has been recorded at anywhere from 41.5" to
a preposterous 46.5" for a player of his size. At the Senior Bowl last January, one scout anointed him a "
Calvin Johnson clone." Despite going undrafted, Alexander
impressed at his July pro-day, posting a 4.46 forty and a short shuttle time of 4.12. For comparison's sake, a much smaller
Jahvid Best posted a 4.17 in the short shuttle. Alexander's measurables are remarkable, bordering on freakish, and he has the college production to match.
If he can stay healthy, Alexander is the best bet to stick as Bradford's go-to target in the Rams' suddenly relevant passing game. He's a major injury risk and there will be bouts of inconsistency with the rookie-to-rookie connection, but fantasy leaguers can't pass on his upside the rest of the way.
On to the players. Here is how I rank the top players available at each position as we head into Week 7. Full writeups of each player are below.
***
Editor's Note: Join subscriber only chats, get weekly rankings before anyone else, plus exclusive weekly projections, stat tools, dynasty ranks, columns, and much more including the Rotoworld Oracle in our
Season Pass.
Wide Receivers1.
Danario Alexander2.
Patrick Crayton3.
Deion Branch4.
Jacoby Jones - Week 7 Bye
5.
Mike Williams (SEA)
6.
Robert Meachem7.
Jason Avant8.
Mike Thomas9.
Davone Bess10.
Devin AromashoduRunning Backs1.
Danny Woodhead2.
Chris Ivory3.
Donald Brown - Week 7 Bye
4.
Earnest Graham5.
LeGarrette Blount6.
Deji Karim7.
James Starks8.
Derrick WardQuarterbacks1.
Matthew Stafford - Week 7 Bye
2.
Matt Cassel3.
Josh Freeman4.
Matt Hasselbeck5.
Colt McCoy6.
Max Hall7.
Kyle BollerTight Ends1.
Owen Daniels - Week 7 Bye
2.
Ben Watson3.
Fred Davis4.
Todd Heap5.
Jermaine GreshamDefense/Special Teams1. Seahawks
2. Redskins
3. Chiefs
4. 49ers
Wide ReceiversDanario Alexander, Rams -
Danny Amendola remains the best bet to lead the Rams in receptions going forward, but Alexander's playmaking ability and red-zone presence give him a considerable edge in standard scoring leagues. Shadow corner
Aqib Talib has been far from shutdown quality this season, and the Bucs allow the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing receivers. Expect the Bradford-to-Alexander connection to produce WR3 numbers again this week.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues
Patrick Crayton, Chargers - The Bolts are expected to be without
Malcom Floyd (hamstring) this week against the Pats, and
Antonio Gates (toe/foot) may be a long-shot as well. That would leave Crayton as
Philip Rivers' top target in the passing game. In which case, Crayton would be a must-start WR2/3 and a good bet to repeat his 6-117 line from Week 6.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Deion Branch, Patriots - Expect Branch to start opposite
Wes Welker going forward, but keep in mind that the Pats are essentially using a committee approach depending on matchup and situation. Branch's Week 6 numbers were boosted by the comeback attempt and overtime. He has just six 100-yard games in his regular-season career, and he's never scored more than five TDs in a season. While Branch is a fine pickup in PPR leagues, he's not going to be worthy of WR3 consideration the rest of the way in standard scoring formats.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Jacoby Jones, Texans - Jones would be much higher on this list of the Texans weren't heading into their bye week. The Texans offense is a sleeping giant in the second half now that Jones,
Andre Johnson, and
Owen Daniels are all healthy.
Matt Schaub will have to pass like crazy to make up for a historically bad secondary, and Jones has the potential to breakout if he can stay ahead of
Kevin Walter (0 targets in Week 6).
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues
Mike Williams, Seahawks - The
Deion Branch trade paid off immediately for both teams. Williams was the primary beneficiary for the Seahawks, hauling in 10 of 15 targets for 123 yards against the Bears. It's just his second time over 50 yards this season, though, and he's an unimpressive 61st in receiver fantasy scoring. Williams is worth picking up as the Seahawks' No. 1 receiver, but there are more talented options available this week.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Robert Meachem, Saints - His role is growing by the week while
Devery Henderson's continues to shrink. Meachem has topped four receptions and 70 yards with a touchdown in each of the past two weeks. The Saints' spread-the-wealth mentality at receiver can be maddening, but Meachem's upside is worth carrying as a WR 4/5.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Jason Avant, Eagles - With
DeSean Jackson (concussion) already ruled out this week, Avant will start opposite
Jeremy Maclin at Tennessee. He's strictly a possession receiver as opposed to playmaker, though, which makes him a much better target in PPR leagues. A half-dozen receptions and 50+ yards is a reasonable expectation for Week 7.
Recommendation: Should be owned in PPR leagues
Mike Thomas, Jaguars - He just keeps outplaying an unreliable
Mike Sims-Walker. Eight of Thomas' nine targets came with
Trent Edwards under center, so give him a boost if
David Garrard (concussion) can't go this week at Kansas City. Thomas has yet to find the end zone this season, but he's 31st in fantasy scoring over the past three weeks.
Recommendation: Should be owned in PPR leagues
Davone Bess, Dolphins - Bess is 19th in total WR fantasy points the past three weeks, which is even more impressive when you consider the Dolphins had their bye in that stretch. He's averaged 6.7 catches and 72 yards over his past three games, good enough to land a contract extension from the Dolphins as the highest-paid slot receiver in the league. As Miami's clear second option in the passing game, he's a rock-solid WR3 in PPR circles.
Recommendation: Should be owned in PPR leagues
Devin Aromashodu, Bears - Look who's earned his way back into the Bears' receiver rotation. With
Devin Hester's snaps reduced to concentrate on return duties, Aromashodu came out of the doghouse for five targets against the Seahawks. He has a much higher fantasy upside than
Earl Bennett, which makes him the receiver to stash behind
Johnny Knox in Chicago.
Recommendation: Worth a look as a roster stash
Long-Term Fliers: Craig Davis,
Deon Butler,
Nate Burleson,
Anthony Armstrong,
Jordy Nelson,
Riley Cooper,
Emmanuel SandersDavis is worth a look if hamstring injuries keep Legedu Naannee and
Malcom Floyd out this week. ... Butler can't get over the 50-yard mark in Seattle, but he's clearly ahead of
Golden Tate for now. ... Burleson has scored in two straight as the Lions enter their bye week. ... Armstrong's role continues to grow. ... Cooper will be the Eagles' third receiver with
DeSean Jackson out.
Cut Bait: Devin Hester,
Kevin WalterHold Off Michael Jenkins,
Earl BennettQuarterbacksMatthew Stafford, Lions - Stafford nearly entered the game as the emergency quarterback last week, a sign that he should be good to go when the Lions come out of their bye in Week 8. He'll return to an offense ranked eighth in the NFL in scoring and sixth in passing yards. The bye week comes at the perfect time, enabling
Calvin Johnson (shoulder) and
Jahvid Best (turf toe) to get back to full strength. Stafford could flirt with QB1 value the rest of the way if he stays healthy.
Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues
Matt Cassel, Chiefs - Cassel came through with three touchdowns and 22.9 fantasy points against a disastrous Texans secondary last week. It's more of the same this week with an equally porous Jaguars pass defense on the docket. Cassel will be a top-15 fantasy option against a defense allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing QBs.
Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play
Josh Freeman, Buccaneers - Freeman continues to make steady progress, increasing his completion percentage to 60 while cutting down on his turnovers this season. He's consistently between 15-20 fantasy points each week, which leaves him as a solid if unspectacular TE2 option. He takes on the Rams' suddenly frisky pass defense this week.
Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues
Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks - Hasselbeck can look like a spry 25-year-old one week and an over-the-hill cripple the next. Fortunately he has a plus home matchup against a Cardinals defense allowing the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing QBs this week. Hasselbeck is a top-20 option for owners of bye week studs
Peyton Manning and
Matt Schaub.
Recommendation: Worth a look as a bye-week fill-in
Colt McCoy, Browns - Considering his lack of experience and the opposing defense, McCoy was arguably more impressive than
Ben Roethlisberger in the Week 6 loss. He showed no fear of the pass rush and was accurate enough to squeeze throws into tight spaces. McCoy is expected to start this week at New Orleans, and he may just keep the job with another inspiring performance.
Recommendation: Worth a look in two-quarterback leagues
Max Hall, Cardinals -
Steve Breaston (knee) and
Early Doucet (groin) are expected to begin practicing this week, which should give Hall a boost heading into Seattle. The Seahawks allow the sixth-most points to opposing fantasy quarterbacks, but keep in mind that they play much better at home. With his receivers getting healthy and
Beanie Wells taking over the feature back role, things are looking up for Hall. For now, he's only a low-end TE2 option.
Recommendation: Worth a stash in 12-team leagues
Kyle Boller, Raiders -
Jason Campbell may have a torn meniscus and
Bruce Gradkowski (shoulder) is touch-and-go for this week's game against the Broncos. Boller "absolutely" could start this week, according to coach Tom Cable, and he can't do worse than Campbell did in Week 6. He's only a desperation fantasy play for those in two-quarterback leagues.
Recommendation: Worth a look as a desperation play
Fliers Ryan Fitzpatrick,
Matt Moore,
Kerry Collins,
Trent EdwardsFitzpatrick has been living well off garbage time points, but he can't be counted on against the Ravens this week. ... The best that can be said about Moore is that he's played well in lost seasons before. ... Collins and Edwards would play this week if
Vince Young (knee) and
David Garrard (concussion) can't go. Neither is an attractive fantasy play.
Running BacksDanny Woodhead, Patriots - Meet the Pats' new lead back. Woodhead played 51 of 76 snaps against the Ravens compared to 24 for
BenJarvus Green-Ellis and two for
Sammy Morris. Woodhead is now being used in two-receiver packages, and his touches have gone up by the week. The Pats will continue to mix and match based on opponent and game momentun, but Woodhead is now the best bet for touches and yards in this backfield. He may have RB2/flex value the rest of the way in PPR leagues.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Chris Ivory, Saints - Sporting an impressive power/speed combination, Ivory took advantage of
Pierre Thomas' absence and an awful Bucs run defense to rack up 175 yards in Week 6. Those numbers are gone, however, as we head into Week 7. Thomas (ankle) has a chance to return this week, and
Reggie Bush (leg) will return the following week, putting a serious dent in Ivory's fantasy potential. Ivory is worth carrying in all leagues, but fantasy owners would be foolish to expect a repeat of last week's "perfect storm" performance against the Browns.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Donald Brown, Colts - Due to a lingering hamstring injury, Brown is unowned in half of all CBSSports.com leagues as the Colts head into their bye week.
Joseph Addai is expected to undergo more testing on his injured shoulder, and the Colts may have to scale down his role in Week 8. Brown should be back to full health just in time to take on a greater share of the workload.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues
James Starks, Packers - As Adam Levitan pointed out Tuesday morning,
the fantasy buzz for Starks is out of control considering he hasn't played football in two years. The Packers still haven't seen him in pads, and he's not expected to be active on game days this week or next. He's talented enough to be worthy of a stash in deeper leagues, but don't expect a fantasy impact before Thanksgiving.
Recommendation: Worth a stash in deeper leagues
Earnest Graham, Buccaneers -
Cadillac Williams is sitting on a completely useless 2.5 yards per carry average, and
Kareem Huggins (ACL tear) is done for the season. Graham is not expected to miss any game action with his own hamstring injury, and he's averaging a stellar 7.8 yards per touch. He could be next in line to eat into Caddy's workload.
Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues
LeGarrette Blount, Buccaneers - The Bucs kept talking up Blount as a candidate to take on a larger role, but he was deactivated in Week 6. It turns out they simply don't trust him to play in pass-blocking situations. He'll suit up this week, but his role is negligible in the short term.
Recommendation: Worth a stash in 12-team leagues
Deji Karim, Jaguars - Karim managed just three yards on three carries Monday night, but he played ahead of
Rashad Jennings as
Maurice Jones-Drew's primary backup. Owners of a disappointing MJD will want to carry Karim over Jennings as the "handcuff."
Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues
Derrick Ward, Texans - What happened in Tampa? It could be that Ward simply fell out of shape after signing the big contract. He's back in shape now and flashing his old Giants form with TDs in three consecutive games. Ward isn't a threat to
Arian Foster's production, but he's a fine handcuff.
Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues
Long-Term Fliers: Jerome Harrison,
Keiland Williams,
Kevin Smith,
LeRon McClain,
Mike HartHarrison is basically a poor man's
LeSean McCoy. He'd fill the same role if McCoy goes down. ... Williams is one Torain injury away from feature back duty. ...
Jahvid Best reportedly has turf toe issues in both of his feet. ... McClain is only worthy of a roster spot if
Willis McGahee is traded Tuesday.
Tight EndsOwen Daniels, Texans - If your biggest need is a bye-week or injury fill-in, skip Daniels as the Texans are on bye. If you're looking for a long-haul solution, though, Daniels is easily the best bet. After he and coach Gary Kubiak both deemed him back to pre-injury form last week, he posted his best performance (5-79) of the season. Even more telling,
Matt Schaub looked for him in crunch time. Daniels is still owned in less than 50 percent of CBSSports.com leagues. Pick him up as a TE1 the rest of the way.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues
Ben Watson, Browns - I've been advising a wait-and-see approach with Watson due to the Browns' QB woes, but it's time to add him in a down week for tight end options. With
Joshua Cribbs and
Mohamed Massaquoi both concussed, the Browns tight ends will be counted on to pick up the slack at New Orleans. Watson's 6-88, 1 TD line with
Colt McCoy was the top fantasy tight end performance in the league in Week 6. Pick him and plug him right into your starting lineup.
Recommendation: Should be owned as a matchup play
Fred Davis, Redskins -
Chris Cooley performed well on his baseline tests Monday, but his three college concussions suggest the Redskins will treat him extra cautiously this week. If he ends up sitting out, Davis is an immediate TE1 in a week without
Jermichael Finley,
Dallas Clark,
Dustin Keller,
Owen Daniels, the Detroit tight ends, and possibly
Antonio Gates.
Recommendation: Worth a look as an injury fill-in
Todd Heap, Ravens - Heap was lit up by Pats safety
Brandon Meriweather on a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit, so make sure he's on track to play this week before adding him to your roster. If he does play, the matchup couldn't be better against a Bills defense allowing the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.
Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play
Jermaine Gresham, Bengals - Gresham is 17th in fantasy points per week, and the Falcons are 19th in fantasy points surrendered to opposing tight ends. In other words, you know exactly what you're getting with Gresham: a textbook TE2 play.
Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues
Hold Off: Evan MooreDefense/Special TeamsSeahawks - After six sacks against
Jay Cutler last week, the Seahawks defense is now No. 1 in fantasy points per game and a surprising sixth in the league in sacks. Perhaps no team has a more drastic home/road split, and Seattle welcomes new
Cardinals QB Max Hall and a shaky offensive line to town this week.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues
Redskins - This defense has been a major disappointment this year, but they've also played against a murderer's row of QBs in
Peyton Manning,
Aaron Rodgers,
Matt Schaub, and
Tony Romo. They travel to Chicago this week for a matchup against
Jay Cutler, who has been sacked 15 times(!) in his last two games.
Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play
Chiefs - The upcoming schedule is a breeze with the Chiefs playing host to the Jaguars and Bills before traveling to Oakland in Week 9. With
Javier Arenas and
Dexter McCluster also threatening to break a return each week, the Chiefs are a nice pickup for the next month.
Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues
49ers - A matchup with
Jimmy Clausen would have been ideal, but
Matt Moore will suffice. The Panthers offense has been a nightmare this year.
Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play
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