Weekly Hail Mary: Week 7
Each week, HMF will provide you with at least one “Hail Mary” at RB, WR, and TE - a guy who is not generally regarded as a starter for the week, but who has the potential to pay off big. These are lottery tickets that are not likely to hit, but if they do, you’ll be thrilled, as you can likely grab them for free off your waiver wire. We only focus on players who are available in at least one-third of Yahoo! leagues.
In other words, if you’re desperate, we’re giving you a prayer. The Hail Marys for Week 7:
Running Backs
Peyton Barber, Buccaneers (34% owned). This one may be a bit of a cheat, since he’s at 34% rather than 33%, but close enough - he’s available in nearly 2/3 of leagues. Barber finally got some run this past week, collecting 82 yards on 13 carries. Regression is bound to happen, so the Bucs are going to rely on the run more than they did through the first quarter of the season. Barber is the most likely beneficiary, because I’ve seen Ronald Jones play, and he isn’t good.
Nick Chubb, Browns (29%). He had 8.3 YPC on Sunday to Carlos Hyde’s 2.4. Now generally, I feel that YPC is a misleading stat, but still. It’s baffling that Hue Jackson has yet to give Chubb more carries, because if you watch the two backs play, it’s plainly evident that he is a superior talent to Hyde. It’s only a matter of time, so I’d want him on my team before he has his breakout game. It’s coming, and soon.
Gus Edwards, Ravens (0%). He started the year on the practice squad, and came out of nowhere on Sunday to get 10 carries. This was probably related to game flow, as the Ravens were crushing the Titans, but still - this is a backfield that does not have a star, so there could be opportunity for Edwards to see his role increase. I wouldn’t be comfortable starting him, at this point, but he could be worth a bench add.
Frank Gore, Dolphins (10%). The ageless wonder is still going strong. On Sunday, against the vaunted Bears defense, he posted his first 100-yard rushing day of the season. He received 15 carries, whereas teammate Kenyan Drake received 13.
Chris Ivory, Bills (10%). I mean, he has a pulse. He received 7 total touches on Sunday, which isn’t great, but he’s clearly the man if LeSean McCoy gets traded or goes down. Plus, with the Bills starting either Nathan Peterman or Derek Anderson in Week 7, there’s a chance that the Bills go even more run-heavy than usual (if that’s even possible).
Marlon Mack, Colts (28%). Mack returned on Sunday and was given the starting gig. He responded with 12 carries for 89 yards. No other Colt had more than 4 carries. He’s the lead dog going forward.
Raheem Mostert, 49ers (1%). Mostert has seemingly taken Alfred Morris’ job. On Monday night, he received 12 carries and a team-high 87 yards. Morris didn’t get a single carry. He split carries almost evenly with Matt Breida, so he is at least worth rostering.
Jalen Richard, Raiders (8%). I threw up in my mouth a little writing that. I don’t really care for Richard much as a player, but the Raiders are really bad. They tend to get down early and throw a lot, and Richard is their receiving back. He has 6 or more receptions in three of the past four games, and led his team in targets on Sunday. His target share could rise if Amari Cooper’s concussion keeps him out for any extended period of time. Plus, there are rumors that Marshawn Lynch might not be able to suit up. While the majority of Lynch’s work is expected to go to the Muscle Hamster, Doug Martin, it wouldn’t be a shock to see a few extra carries to go Richard. At worst, he’s a PPR floor play. Bear in mind, though, that the Raiders are on bye this week, so he’s not going to help you in Week 7.
Ito Smith, Falcons (11%). If Smith is still available on your waiver wire, run to grab him. He’s scored in three straight weeks, received more carries than teammate Tevin Coleman on Sunday, and now Devonta Freeman has been placed on injured reserve. Smith should continue to see a steady workload moving forward.
Wide Receivers
Christian Kirk, Cardinals (15%). Frankly, I’m surprised he is only 15% owned. A HMF favorite dating back to the preseason, this is a kid that was a five star recruit coming out of high school and was drafted relatively high (second round) to a team in need of playmakers. He has 75+ receiving yards in 3 of the past 4 weeks, and had seven targets on Sunday. In addition, he returns punts, so you could get extra points in leagues that give points for return yardage. He’ll likely be covered by the Broncos Chris Harris this week, so temper your expectations, but he’s a strong pickup for the rest of the season.
Rishard Matthews (9%). He’s still a free agent, but it’s looking like he’ll find a team soon. He worked out with the Jets on Monday, and he was a reliable player with Tennessee before he got cut. Be ready to pounce if he signs with a new team.
David Moore, Seahawks (2%). Seattle is on bye this week, so keep that in mind. But Moore has seen back-to-back weeks with a touchdown. While that may grab your attention, bear in mind that he’s not getting much of the target share. He had only 3 targets in Week 6, and 4 in Week 5. He’s certainly making the most of those targets, but his production is unsustainable unless his role in the offense grows.
D.J. Moore, Panthers (17%). He’s been recommended before and his role in the offense continues to grow. He had 4 catches for 59 yards on Sunday, and he is getting some rushing attempts as well. It is baffling that the first wide receiver picked in the NFL draft is on waivers.
Terrelle Pryor, Jets (2%). Another name that feels yucky to type, Pryor suddenly finds himself in a situation where targets may be available due to Quincy Enunwa’s injury. Hey, we’ve seen flashes from Pryor in the not-so-distant past: in 2016, he had 77 catches and over 1,000 yards for the hapless Browns.
Josh Reynolds, Rams (1%). Reynolds will likely get Cooper Kupp’s snaps this week while Kupp recovers from an MCL sprain. Cupp was seeing 8 targets per game before his injury this past week.
Chester Rogers, Colts (17%). Not a sexy name by any means, but he’s been getting a ton of looks with T.Y. Hilton out. He has at least 10 targets in each of the past three weeks. Teammate Zach Pascal is also seeing decent volume but isn’t doing as much with it, so Rogers is probably the better start of the two.
Courtland Sutton, Broncos (5%). I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Sutton is a better play than Demaryius Thomas at this point, and will overtake him by the end of the year. With the Broncos offense a dumpster fire right now, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see them move Demaryius Thomas or Manny Sanders to a WR-needy team (Dallas? Cleveland?) and give Sutton a full-time role.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Packers (13%). Kid can play a little bit. Has 100 yards or a score in back-to-back games, and a 35+ yard reception in 2 of the last 3 weeks. There are worse things than being a wide receiver who has gained the trust of Aaron Rodgers. The Packers are on bye this week, so don’t get too excited. And buyer beware: he’s likely headed back to the bench when Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison return . . . or is he?
Albert Wilson, Dolphins (11%). Dude is lightning quick and it’s finally showing up in the box score. On Sunday, he hauled in 6 of 9 targets for 155 yards and two touchdowns. His role in the offense appears to be growing: he has four touchdowns in his past five games.
Tight Ends
Ricky Seals-Jones, Cardinals (22%). Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times… whatever. I’m in on Seals-Jones with Josh Rosen under center. He’s consistently logging around 6 targets per game (4 of the past 6 games), which would translate to just under 100 targets for the season. I’ll take that every day of the week and twice on Sunday (see what I did there? Football games are on Sundays - get it? Nevermind. Moving on). This past week he corralled 5 of 6 targets for 69 yards. At 6’5, he’s the best red zone presence the Cardinals have. Good days are coming, you can just feel it.
James O’Shaughnessy, Jaguars (0%). This is a deep dive. With the injuries to Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Niles Paul, O’Shaughnessy is the next man up. He went 3 of 4 for 29 yards on Sunday. With him, you’re basically hoping he grabs a touchdown against the Texans on Sunday.
C.J. Uzomah, Bengals (33%). Back-to-back weeks recommending Uzomah. He has another soft matchup this week against the Chiefs and is playing in prime time. This is probably the last week you can grab him for free.
Bonus name: Evan Engram, Giants (72%). He’s not eligible for the list because he’s owned in more than one-third of leagues, but he was dropped in over a quarter of leagues following his early-season injury. He was probably drafted as a top-five tight end in your league, so check the waiver wire to see if he is available. He may return this week, and has a tasty matchup against the sieve-like Falcons defense. Added bonus: He plays on Monday night.