David Biggs
I try to always keep an open mind and my wits about me. Other than that, anything goes! Makes for some unpredictable adventures out there in the real world. I've worked in the publishing industry for 10+ years and have been a member of the FSWA for 5+ years. Go Steelers!
Website URL: http://www.drinkfive.com
September
A few more injuries (Saquon Barkley, T.Y. Hilton, Vance McDonald) and upsets (Falcons, Eagles, Seahawks, Bucs) later, and we're on to Week 4. After some tweaks to the rankings this week, a few players stand out for me among the rest as guys that are currently a little underrated: Daniel Jones, Joe Mixon, Darrel Williams, and Kenny Stills, to name a few.
Pay attention to these rankings throughout the week, as they will continue to evolve based on the latest injury updates, news, and player/matchup analysis. Good luck this season and remember, you can tweet us @drinkfive with any of your lineup questions!
September
For more in-depth analysis and discussion of these injury scenarios, tune in to the Fantasy Finish Line Podcast, Week 3 Preview: The Replacements
QUARTERBACK
Ben Roethlisberger (elbow) – Big Ben will be out for the season after undergoing surgery on his elbow this week. This elevates Mason Rudolph to a permanent starting position for the Steelers offense which has been struggling over the first two weeks of the season. Strangely, Rudolph was able to spark the offense against Seattle more than Ben had earlier in the game. Whispers that this elbow issue had been going on with Roethlisberger since before the season even started would make some sense of that. The Steelers just traded for a new safety to bolster their secondary and Rudolph and the offense are being undervalued right now. They all make for good ‘buy’ targets.
Drew Brees (thumb) – Brees had thumb surgery today, and according to Ed Werder from ESPN the target date for a return will be Week 10, after the Saints bye. Teddy Bridgewater becomes the starter in New Orleans and immediately puts a damper on the offense there. Michael Thomas still received plenty of targets with Teddy under center, but surprisingly Alvin Kamara (13 for 45 on the ground, 1-of-3 for 15 yards receiving) did not. This will lower Kamara’s ceiling and push Latavius Murray off the radar. One interesting note, Sean Payton today was very ambiguous when asked about the starting QB going forward – maybe we’ll see Taysom Hill take over, or possibly even QBBC?
Cam Newton (foot) – This could be the end of an era for the Panthers’ QB. He looks beat up, is apparently nursing a foot (left, same as in preseason), and hasn’t been able to throw the ball downfield consistently and accurately since his shoulder issues. If Cam can’t run, and can’t throw.. it makes sense that someone else should step up in Carolina. But Christian McCaffrey can’t also be the Quarterback. Newton’s primary backup is Kyle Allen and they also drafted rookie QB Will Grier in the third-round this year, but neither seems primed to be a difference-maker or take the mantle from Cam. It just looks rough out there in Charlotte. (update via Ian Rappaport: Cam is in a walking boot)
Jets QBs are unusable (Sam Darnold w/ Mono out until Week 5 at the earliest, Trevor Siemian (leg), only Luke Falk left so no hope for Jets fans until October. This also decreases the fantasy viability of Jamison Crowder based on his usage in Week 2. It does look like Robby Anderson (4-of-6 for 81 yards) and Le’Veon Bell (21 for 68 on the ground, 10 for 61 in the air) will still be forced the ball, so while Falk being under center is certainly not a long-term positive change for them, both players should still be considered for your starting lineup.)
RUNNING BACK
James Conner (knee) – All signs point to Conner playing against the 49ers this week, but we’ll likely see a little more of Jaylen Samuels. Of course, the Steelers tend to just pepper the starting RB with carries as long as they’re playing so I ultimately wouldn’t start anyone but Conner as long as he’s active and starting.
Damien Williams (knee) – and LeSean McCoy (ankle). It could be Darwin Thompson time somewhat soon. He will certainly be getting more snaps in the coming weeks with both starting RBs on the Chiefs already showing up on the injury list.
Josh Jacobs (groin) – Interesting that Jacobs isn’t being used in the passing game (zero targets last week) currently, but that may be completely because of his injury. Something to monitor, but if he’s only rushing and getting no passes in the backfield, his value is slightly depressed (and so will you be while watching the game!)
Devin Singletary (hamstring) – Devin played well last week (6 rushes for 57 yards and 1 TD) but was ruled out late in the game with a hamstring injury. Clearly the best RB in Buffalo right now, this is another situation to monitor. Frank Gore (19 for 68 and 1TD on the ground, 2 receptions for 15 yards) is still chugging along and is startable this week, especially if Singletary is limited or out.
Marlon Mack (calf) missed practice Wednesday – Nyheim Hines gets a boost if Mack can’t go.
WIDE RECEIVER
Alshon Jeffery (calf) – The Eagles canceled practice on Wednesday since their entire team is injured. At this point, it’s not likely that Jeffery plays in Week 3 and that may work in Nelson Agholor’s favor (8-of-11 for 107 yards and 1 TD). Agholor and Ertz (8-of-16 for 72 yards) are going to have a fantasy field day in Week 3 against the Lions. Lock n’ load!
DeSean Jackson (groin) – Jackson is getting old. He’s been injured in every game so far, and Tom Pelissero from NFL.com reports that he will not play in weeks 3 or 4.
Michael Gallup (knee) – Gallup has been killin’ it on the Cowboys (6-of-8 for 68 yards last week after 7-of-7 for 168 yards in week 1) and would surely have been an excellent play against the hapless Dolphins this week, but he’s dealing with a meniscus tear that will sideline him for 2-4 weeks. Perhaps Devin Smith will take some of those targets, and Jason Witten will be getting a few extra as well.
Tyrell Williams (hip) – It’s a hip pointer! Not horrible news, but still questionable for Week 3. He’ll also be going up against Xavier Rhodes this week, so it was already a bad matchup. May be a player to avoid starting against the Vikings, knowing that he has a bit of an injury going into the week. Darren Waller might be sucking up even more targets than usual.
Tre’Quan Smith (ankle) – Didn’t practice, probably won’t matter anyway with Bridgewater in.
TIGHT END
David Njoku (concussion, wrist) – Not only did Njoku suffer a concussion during the crazy fall to the head/neck that happened at the beginning of Monday Night Football in Week 2, he has also been confirmed to have broken his wrist. This will leave Njoku on the sidelines for several weeks, and early speculation from beat reporters has him coming back in Week 8 – one week after the Browns’ bye. At least he’ll have enough time to get over his concussion, yipes!
- Tevin Coleman (high-ankle sprain) – Coleman was injured in the first play of the game. Typical. He won’t be going on IR and is expected to miss at least a few games. In the meantime, the 49ers will use Matt Breida, and Raheem Mostert (10% owned) in a greater capacity from week-to-week. We know who Breida is from last year, able to handle a little bit of everything he’s called upon to do and putting up 153 rushes for 814 yards and 3 TDs (5.3 YPC) and 27 receptions for 261 yards and 2 TDs. That said, everyone is still sleeping on Mostert – he has averaged 6.7 YPC over his career, had 9 carries for 40 yards in Week 1, and a 15-yard TD that was canceled due to a flag. Breida always seems to be on the verge of coming out of the game, so Mostert should be on fantasy rosters everywhere.
- Joe Mixon (sprained right ankle) – Mixon did not participate in practice on Wednesday. Looks like he’s headed for a game-time decision on Sunday. If he doesn’t play, Giovani Bernard (36% owned) has been, and will be a great fill-in starter. He’s had practice at this role and does just fine. With Rodney Anderson going to IR and Mixon starting off the season injured, Bernard’s fantasy production will just go up from here.
- Derrius Guice (meniscus sprain/tear) – Guice injured his other, non-ACL knee in Week 1. Guy can’t catch a break. The team is still trying to figure out whether he will need surgery. Adrian Peterson (53% owned) will be starting at RB once again for the foreseeable future and , but the guy we need to talk about here is Chris Thompson (36% owned) who caught 7-of-10 targets for 68 yards in Week 1. He needs to be owned as a bench stash in PPR leagues at the very least. There is no one else on the depth chart worth discussing right now, so Thompson should be in line for enough playing time to be fantasy relevant this year.
- Tyreek Hill (sternoclavicular joint) – Looks like 4-6 weeks out for Hill, but it could be more if rehabilitation doesn’t go as expected. No worries for Patrick Mahomes, though, as he can just fill-in-the-blanks at this point with whatever healthy receivers are on the squad, plus Travis Kelce. At this point, Sammy Watkins is the #1 WR (9 -of-11 targets for 198 yards and 3 TDs in Week 1) and it doesn’t look like that will be changing anytime soon. Apparently fully healthy for the first time since his rookie year in 2014, Watkins should be an every-week WR1 in the Chiefs offense. Congrats to those of you who snagged him in your drafts! With Hill out an extended time, Mecole Hardman (27% owned) was targeted heavily on waiver wires this week and we’ll surely see what he can do against the Raiders. Keep in mind he didn’t catch any passes in week 1 – temper expectations. Demarcus Robinson (1% owned) is my pick for the under-the-radar guy that gets a boost from this whole situation, not Hardman.
- Hunter Henry (tibial plateau fracture) – The good news is that this shouldn’t require surgery, the injury is to the left knee (as opposed to the right knee ACL tear from last year), and there are some new techniques to inject calcium into the fracture area to enhance healing and speed up his return. It’s not likely, though, that he’ll return before 4-6 weeks of recovery. Virgil Green (1% owned) is the next man up, but he has never been fantasy relevant. No, it’s more likely that we either see the return of Antonio Gates, or the Chargers simply redistribute Henry’s targets to Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams, mostly. Williams is notably also out with a knee injury and questionable for Sunday’s matchup with the Lions. Ouch, Chargers.
- Sterling Shepard (Concussion) – Cody Latimer, Bennie Fowler, and T.J. Jones would make up the Giants’ receiving core if Shepard can’t be cleared in time for week 2’s matchup vs. the Bills. Just more targets for Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley, I suppose.
- Devin Funchess (broken collarbone) – Say what you will about Funchess, but he was still involved in this offense with 5 targets in week 1. With Funchess out until at least week 10, Parris Campbell (5% owned) should be forced to step up and we should see even more passes to the TE tandem of Eric Ebron and Jack Doyle.
September
More injuries this week can really rough up some lineups. We'll look at fill-in replacements and match-ups looking forward to Week 3 and beyond. What is short-term vs. long-term, and where should you focus to improve a team that just got punched in the stomach? For those of you unaffected by injuries, congrats! We'll also chat about some of the most surprising and disappointing performances of the week and what they might mean for the immediate future.
Can you guess the musical theme for this podcast? Contact us via email with your guess and we'll send a prize out to the first person to guess correctly. Cheers! Feel free to consult This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or ask us your lineup questions @drinkfive on Twitter. Best of luck going forward!
Listen to the Fantasy Finish Line, 9/18/2019: Week 3 Preview: The Replacements
Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes to get notifications whenever we release a new episode. We also broadcast the shows live at http://www.mixlr.com/drinkfive on Wednesday nights. Feel free to browse over and join in the discussion in the chat room!
September
Well that was unexpected. Lots of major QB injuries and surprises in the NFL world this week. As Antonio Brown returns to fantasy production as a New England Patriot and Odell Beckham Jr. proves against the hapless Jets' secondary that he didn't just go to Cleveland to die, we're seeing quite a few new players rise up as well, like Raheem Mostert and Terry McLaurin. Best of luck on your decisions this week, and tune in to the podcast on Wednesday at 9pm CT with any lineup questions!
Pay attention to these rankings throughout the week, as they will continue to evolve based on the latest injury updates, news, and player/matchup analysis. Good luck this season and remember, you can tweet us @drinkfive with any of your lineup questions!
Recent Articles
-
NFL Confidence Pool Picks & Strategy 2024 - Week 12
Welcome to Hell (bye) Week! This is just another way to show that doing the confidence pool is a lot…in Fantasy Football / NFL -
NFL Confidence Pool Picks & Strategy 2024 - Week 11
Don’t look now but we are getting close to the end of the season. If you are somewhere in the…in Fantasy Football / NFL -
NFL Confidence Pool Picks & Strategy 2024 - Week 10
We’re already on double digit weeks? How can this be! And after last week, we are ready to get into…in Fantasy Football / NFL
-
NFL Confidence Pool Picks & Strategy 2024 - Week 9
Oh this is gonna be an interesting week for sure. Looking down the list of games and there aren’t too…in Fantasy Football / NFL
Recent Podcasts
-
2023 Preseason Rankings & Name That Player
This week we're kicking off the 2023 season of fantasy football podcasts while on vacation - we'll chat about some players that we have ranked higher or lower than the expert consensus ranking at FantasyPros.com, and play a little game to see if folks can identify NFL players without their helmets on! Tune in and subscribe for more content from Jason & Dave throughout the season. -
Week 17, 'You're starting HIM?!'
We've taken our teams down the long road to victory, lined with those on injured reserve, guys who put up poor performances, and the blood, sweat, and tears of fantasy managers that were just unlucky. But let's not worry about that. The important thing is diving into some interesting starts and sits for the championship and discussing what's in the news that could affect your players or matchups over the next few days. Tune in live and ask your questions or leave your comments for us. Signing off until next preseason, your hosts Dave & Jason. This video/podcast will go live at 9pm CT on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 - it will also be available on all major podcast channels and remain available on YouTube for later review and comments. Join us live and add your comments/questions to the show! This video features the songs and artists listed below, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license: - Various original music by David Biggs -
Week 16, Trending Topics
The fantasy football semifinals are upon us this week and your hosts Jason & Dave will be diving into some trending topics for week 16 including injuries, defensive matchups to exploit in the playoffs, weather reports for upcoming games, how to manage your roster for the last few weeks of the season, and more. Have a lineup question for your all-important matchup? Let us know! This video/podcast will go live at 9pm CT on Tuesday, December 20, 2022 - it will also be available on all major podcast channels and remain available on YouTube for later review and comments. Join us live and add your comments/questions to the show! This video features the songs and artists listed below, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license: - Various original music by David Biggs -
Week 15, Playoff Q&A
Oh, so many questions. We take them via social channels, email, and website, and we watch network shows and listen to podcasts and radio broadcasts before, during, and after football games all to get a little bit of that tasty Q&A. Well, this week it's our turn and we've gathered some great questions from fellow fantasy football playoff bound folks that we intend to dig into this evening. Tune in live and add your comments and questions to the podcast. This video/podcast will go live at 9pm CT on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 - it will also be available on all major podcast channels and remain available on YouTube for later review and comments. Join us live and add your comments/questions to the show! This video features the songs and artists listed below, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license: - Various original music by David Biggs
Please wait...User Login
Social Media
Stay Informed! Follow us on..
