Fantasy football playoff push: Trade goals and what to expect from mysterious RB rotations
As we head into Week 9 of the fantasy football season, it’s time to tighten up rosters and prepare for the stretch to make that push to get to the playoffs.
Let’s take a tour of the league and go through some final observations I have after looking at the game tape. It’s really about trends and what I’m seeing in terms of player usage and deployment. This affects your fantasy lineup.
We’ll start with a rookie tight end who projects in a versatile — and productive — role. There are also several running backs worthy of your attention, and I also see an emerging wide receiver worth adding to rosters.
Vannin is averaging 13.1 PPG over his past four games, but I still see more upside here for the rookie tight end due to his versatility in coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense for the Cleveland Browns. In Week 8 against the New England Patriots, Fannin caught six of eight targets for 62 yards and a touchdown and also had a carry for two yards (18.4 points). Fannin scored a touchdown on a deep sail concept – from the backfield (linebacker) alignment. He’s a “kinetic” player in this system, and the numbers support his versatility in the alignment.
In the past four games, Fannin has run 60 routes from the slot, 24 from the traditional tight end alignment, 18 wideout routes and two backfield sets. Now, couple that type of deployment with Fannin’s smart running style and pick-and-run ability. This is how you create production.
The Browns are on a bye this week, but if I need a tight end to get ready to race to the fantasy playoffs (or to get back into the playoff discussion), Fannin would be on my list of trade targets. He’s an up-and-coming player.
How to evaluate the Chargers’ WR trio
Ladd McConkey has seen his volume spike over the past three games, drawing at least nine goals in each, with 25 over the past two games. Easy break in the road tree Now playing at the level we expected in the summer, McConkey has averaged 19.9 PPG over that stretch. He’s a fringe WR1 for me this week versus the Tennessee Titans.
But McConkey’s jump, combined with the emergence of rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II (22 targets over his past three games), has made an impact on the Chargers’ wide receiver room. Yes, Keenan Allen will still be a reliable flex/WR3 due to his coverage awareness and ability to make himself available to quarterback Justin Herbert. It is a chain drive, the goal of isolation.
But Quentin Johnston, who had at least 23 points in two of his first four games this season, was hit hard. Johnston has been down in size while working out due to a hamstring injury. In the Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Johnston ran 22 tackles but did not have a single target. He still brings a much-needed vertical component to the Chargers’ offense, but without consistent size, he should be viewed as an oversized WR3.
I understand the concerns of the Montgomery managers (of which I am one). Montgomery has scored fewer than 10 points in three of his past four games. Meanwhile, teammate Jahmir Gibbs just dropped 36.80 points on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense in Week 7. It also sounds electric on tape.
But even though Montgomery has declined in production, he is still getting opportunities. Montgomery is averaging 11.0 points over the past four, with at least one attempt inside the 5-yard line in two of them. His next three games (Minnesota, at Washington, at Philadelphia) will be against defenses that rank outside the top 10 against opposing running backs.
Remember, we’re betting on size and red zone touches with Montgomery – in one of the most exciting offenses in the league. And we should get that this week against the Vikings, which is why Montgomery will start at the flex position.
Understanding the Panthers’ right back rotation
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Could Rico Doodle become a fantasy RB2?
Field Yates explains why Rico Dowdle should take over Starting running back for the Panthers could impact his fantasy outlook.
This is a tough one for me because I loved the tape on Rico Doodle in Weeks 5 and 6 while Chuba Hubbard was out with an injury. Dowdle had back-to-back games of 32 or more points and looked explosive, decisive and fast. since then? Sharing time in the backfield with Hubbard greatly reduced Dowdle’s value.
Last week, in a loss to the Buffalo Bills, Hubbard outgained Dowdle 12-8, but it was Dowdle who averaged 6.8 YPC. We can see Dowdle bringing more excitement to this Panthers run game, but until the club makes a switch for Dowdle, he can’t be played as more than just a flex player. And that’s where I rank Dowdle for his Week 9 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
The impact of Aaron Jones Sr.’s return to Minnesota
Jones returned to the lineup in Week 8 after missing four straight games with a hamstring injury, but his return did not lead to big numbers or flashy play. The game’s negative flow against the Chargers limited Jones to just seven touches for 30 yards, while No. 2 running back Jordan Mason finished with four.
So, how do we see this Vikings backfield moving forward?
I’m leaning toward Jones here because of his pass-catching style and screen concepts in coach Kevin O’Connell’s system. Additionally, Jones can serve as an outlet for quarterback JJ McCarthy (ankle), who is expected to return for Sunday’s game at Detroit. Yes, Mason will still get his share of touches. Given Jones’ injury history, Mason is a valuable piece of insurance for the second half of the season. Keep it on the list. But for now, Jones is the Vikings’ running back, and I’d put him in the flex range against the Lions.
Franklin caught six of eight targets for 89 yards and two touchdowns in the Broncos’ Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys, and his 26.9 points led all wide receivers. The Cowboys’ defense is certainly a zone-heavy unit that lacks impact players, and Dallas has given up a league-leading 20 receptions this season. But Franklin has the potential to score touchdowns in back-to-back games and at least eight scores in each, and there’s an obvious connection to quarterback Bo Nix, his college teammate at Oregon State. Franklin is a glider as well, with the ability to make a deep ball and the movement skills needed to glide through pursuit angles after the catch.
In my view, Franklin’s jump in size tells a story. And we have to admit that. He gets the ball for a reason. And if you have room in a less deep league, I would target Franklin as a potential roster addition. But with a tough matchup against the Houston Texans defense on Sunday, Franklin only holds value in deeper formats this week.
Will Woody Marks take over the lead role in Houston?
Marks passes the eye test when watching the Texans backfield, doesn’t he? It’s the jump in play speed, as well as the upside in pass catching that can be seen when compared to veteran Nick Chubb. Marks had over 100 total yards in Week 8 against the San Francisco 49ers, plus he has seven receptions for 69 yards and a score over his past two games.
While Chubb has outscored the mark 19-15 against the 49ers, the veteran is simply a volume grinder at this point in his career. But Marks can create more positive scoring in your lineup, which includes increased PPR value due to his dual-threat attributes. For this reason, I have Marks ranked as a starter for this week’s game against Denver. It’s a Houston team that returns to the roster.