Quarterbacks

Jordan Love – (23.9% Owned)

One of the biggest surprises of week 1 was how good Jordan Love looked. Most including myself were skeptical about how well Love would perform as the main man for Green Bay. Safe to say he blew away expectations and finished as QB3 on the week. Love threw for 245 yards and 3 touchdowns on the day. Most importantly he was only sacked 1 time which is encouraging for a young quarterback.

Running Backs

Kenneth Gainwell – (34.3% Owned)

You were smart if you stayed away from any Philadelphia Eagles running back during draft season. We did however get an indication that Gainwell could end up being the lead back when the season started. That was very much the case on Sunday as Gainwell had 18 touches compared to just 2 for D’Andre Swift. If you’re thin at the running back position grab Gainwell but I still have concerns about his full-season value.

Gus Edwards – (20.7% Owned)

Another year and another unfortunate injury for J.K. Dobbins. This time it’s a torn Achilles that will cause Dobbins to miss the entire season. In his place will once again be Gus Edwards but Justice Hill may sneak some goal line carries. Hill had 2 touchdowns on Sunday on just 9 yards rushing.

Wide Receivers

Puka Nacua – (5.3% Owned)

He’s much more than just a name. Nacua is Matthew Stafford‘s new favorite in LA as the rookie had a whopping 15 targets on Sunday. Perhaps we should’ve seen this coming as Nacua was the 2nd highest-graded college WR last season according to PFF. Nacua will have value until Cooper Kupp returns.

Curtis Samuel – (13.5% Owned)

Samuel was one of our fantasy football sleepers coming into this season. While Jahan Dotson and Terry McLaurin received the majority of the buzz most forgot about Samuel. He led the Commanders on Sunday with 54 yards on 5 targets. Samuel also had 1 carry for 6 yards as he will continue to be used in the backfield.

Tight Ends

Adam Trautman (0.1% Owned)

Trautman led the Denver Broncos with 5 receptions on Sunday as it appears he will be the TE1 for some time. We received word today that Greg Dulcich is set to miss several weeks with a hamstring injury. Trautman is still a risky play in this offense but the usage is encouraging.

The post Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups (2023) appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The New Orleans Saints tight end Adam Trautman had a “Coby Fleener”- like performance last season (263 yards and 2 TDs), but the tides should finally be turning for the Dayton legend. Trautman has the athletic ability to consistently wreak havoc on opponents ”“ as he was a stud at the NFL combine. His 3-cone time (6.78) was the best 3-cone by a TE and his 20-yard shuttle (4.27) tied for second-best among TEs at Indy. Trautman just needs to be in sync with the Saints offense and a bit of experience.

It shouldn’t be nerve-wracking that Trautman hasn’t exploded in his first two seasons. After all, Jimmy Graham only mustered out 356 yards in his first season and Travis Kelce didn’t make his first Pro Bowl trip until his third NFL season. Trautman should also be cut some slack for having a QB sandwich of Trevor Siemen and Taysom Hill through most of last season.

Trautman also went into TE university this off-season ”“ which was carried out by George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Greg Olsen. The group of unearthly TEs created a class that helps TEs improve in many facets of the game.

It’s clear that Trautman has shown improvement in training camp already Nick Underhill of NOF noted that Trautman was impressive on Day 2 of minicamp. It should also be noted that he has a QB that has found success with his TEs. Kristen Wong of Who Dat Dish nicely pointed out that Winston had the fifth-best passer rating when targeting TEs in a Buccaneers uniform. The Saints may have a heathly Michael Thomas, the Big Easy hero Jarvis Landry, and the rookie Chris Olave, but Trautman can absolutely shine (with his impressive match-ups) as the x-factor moving forward.

The post Why Adam Trautman is a fantasy sleeper in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The New Orleans Saints drafted Jimmy Graham in the third round of the 2010 draft. Graham was more than a pleasant surprise in his time as a Saint. The former Saints TE unveiled 99 receptions (career-high), 1,310 yards (career-high), and 11 receiving touchdowns in his second season in the NFL. Graham progressed and unleashed an All-Pro season in 2013, where he registered 16 touchdowns with 1,215 yards.

Graham was shipped out of the Big Easy in the 2015 offseason and started a new journey as a Seattle Seahawk. Graham didn’t have his older brother Drew Brees in Seattle, but it didn’t stop him from making his mark in Seattle. Graham ousted 65 receptions and 923 yards in year one as a Seahawk. Those stats were both franchise records at the TE position in the rainy city. The former college football and college basketball stud would spend two years in Green Bay (2018, 2019) and then play the last two seasons in the NFC North for the Chicago Bears.

Graham is 35 years old, but I certainly believe he can be a red-zone threat and modest receiving threat down the seam in the right scheme. Furthermore, I believe he can find the right scheme in a familiar place: New Orleans. It wouldn’t only be poetic if Jimmy returned to his roots, but I believe they need his skillset.

Jimmy Graham might have had his worst season in his career in 2021, but it was largely due to the Bears having a disaster offense as a whole. In 2020, Graham unleashed 8 touchdowns. Since 2014, Graham has only had two seasons of 8+ touchdowns (2017, 2020). He may not be burning defenses for 20+ yard catches at this stage in his career, but he still can be a challenge to guard in the red zone.

The Saints starting TE Adam Trautman has been a bust for Who Dat Nation thus far. He’s recorded a mere 434 yards and three touchdowns in the past two seasons. He also takes the phrase “Butterfingers” to a whole new level, as he caught 27 of 43 targets last season. Taysom Hill has also caught a whopping one touchdown in the last two seasons combined. The Saints have been aching for a reliable TE, particularly a TE that can consistently catch passes and moss defenders for six points.

The Saints don’t have Sean Payton calling the shots, but they do still have General Manager Mickey Loomis and Offensive Coordinator, Pete Carmichael, in town. Loomis was the GM that drafted Graham and Carmichael was the Saints OC when Graham first played in a Black and Gold uniform. It’s also been recently noted that Graham wished he never left the Saints and the establishment that first gave him an opportunity.

Dennis Allen, who is the new ring leader in town, needs to get creative this offseason and lobby for players that aren’t pricey. The Saints are buried in cap hell, as they are ranked dead last in the league. The Saints realistically can’t obtain weapons like Michael Gallup, JuJu Smith Schuster, and Robert Gronkowski. They will need to find under-the-radar players for potentially QB Jameis Winston and find ways for the cheaper acquisitions to outperform their expectations. Graham should be looking at a lower-end picture of $4-5 million per season at this stage in his career.

If the Saints can’t find a TE or big body WR that is a good long-term fit or player worth a heftier price tag, they should consider calling Graham to return home. Graham could be a smart addition that can be a nice veteran presence and slot weapon across from the hungry Michael Thomas.

The post Why the Saints and Jimmy Graham should reunite appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Joe Mason @JosephMason94

Rookies that have quiet or disappointing first year offer opportunities for a discount on their fantasy value. In 2019, guys like Josh Allen, Mark Andrews, and D.J Moore all made giant step ups from their 2018 rookie campaign. Last year in 2020, guys like T.J. Hockenson, Diontae Johnson, and Kyler Murray all made significant strides moving near the top at their position.

There are some obvious guys that I believe will bounce back such as Tua or Jeudy, but I want to call out some guys who are under the radar that have low risk high reward returns.

Quintez Cephus (DET)

Cephus had a relatively quiet rookie year putting up 20/349/2 on 35 targets but he did so in the shadows of Golladay, Jones, Amendola, and Hockenson. The reason he is on the year two breakout list is because the talent is there, and he’s the only wideout currently under contract for the Lions in 2021.

Cephus received a second/third round grade but fell to the fifth round out of Wisconsin after some off the field issues. He missed his entire 2018 college campaign but returned in 2019 after the charges were dropped. He is not a fast receiver, but his play style dictates physicality and he makes the contested catches.

Pre-2020 NFL draft, Ohio States Jeff Okudah, who some regarded as a top five talent and top cornerback in the class, gave his thoughts on who gave him the most trouble in college.

Cephus has the potential to be the next Cooper Kupp for Jared Goff. With the departures of Golladay and Jones likely, Cephus will have all the opportunity in the world to contribute in 2021. The Lions likely take a WR in the upcoming NFL draft, but even if they go with Ja’Marr Chase at seventh overall, I still like Cephus’s chances to contribute. It will just mean that his price would be even cheaper to acquire. He can be had for a 2021 third round pick and has top 36 WR upside.

Adam Trautman (NO)

Trautman did not play much in his rookie year, putting up 15/171/1 on 16 targets in 15 games. He came from Dayton which is a smaller school but hung 70/916/14 in his last year in college.

2020 was not a great class for tight ends, especially with the upcoming 2021 class led by Kyle Pitts. Pre-draft a lot of analysts were split between Trautman and Kmet for which TE was going to lead the class. Trautman ended up being the fifth TE selected in the 2020 NFL draft in the third round to New Orleans. We know coach Sean Payton likes his tight ends, so Trautman instantly was on the radar after being selected.

He slotted in behind Jared Cook on the depth chart but was very impressive in camp. Coaches and players nominated him as the best rookie performer in camp during the 2020 pre-season. With the Saints in trouble with their current cap situation, look for Jared Cook to sign elsewhere. I fully expect Trautman to be the TE1 for the Saints in 2021.

DeeJay Dallas (SEA)

In a fantastic running back class in 2020 led by guys such as Swift, Taylor, and Dobbins, Dallas is somewhat of a hidden gem. DeeJay was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft out of Miami, where he put up 833 all-purpose yards with eight touchdowns in his final year in college.

Seattle decided to invest in a running back in the middle rounds knowing Rashaad Penny would most likely not be able to play after he tore his ACL in 2019. Dallas began the year and the third RB on the depth chart behind Carson and Hyde. As injuries pilled up at the RB position in Seattle, Dallas got his chance to start in week eight.

Dallas finished as the RB3 in week eight in his first NFL action. The reason why he is on this list is he has a chance to either lead or split the backfield work with Penny with the unknown future of Carson and Hyde who are both UFAs this upcoming offseason. He can produce on the ground and through the air, and any RB on the Seahawks is a player I want in fantasy especially after Pete Carroll commented he wants to commit more to the running game for the Seahawks in 2021. Dallas can be acquired for a third-round rookie pick.

The post 3 Fantasy Second-Year Breakout Candidates: Adam Trautman Can Replace Jared Cook appeared first on Pro Football Mania.