Quarterbacks

Joe Flacco – (18.2% Owned)

Joe Flacco has officially become a viable fantasy option at the quarterback position. Yes, we are still in 2023 which makes that statement even more baffling but the stats speak for themselves. Flacco has finished no worse than QB13 in his three games with the Cleveland Browns. He is still very much a gunslinger which means there will be mistakes but the production will be there. If you have Trevor Lawrence and are worried about his concussion you should pick up Flacco as a safety option.

Running Backs

Clyde Edwards-Helaire – (36.5% Owned)

Fellow running back Jerick McKinnon may be getting the buzz this week but Edwards-Helaire is the better option going forward. Edwards-Helaire out-touched McKinnon 17 to 7 and had 101 total yards in Sunday’s win over the Patriots. If you’re stuck deciding between the two just remember that Edwards-Helaire can also be a threat in the passing game.

Wide Receivers

Curtis Samuel – (39.7% Owned)

Playing any wide receiver in the Commanders offense is risky at this point but Samuel has been the most consistent this season. He grabbed another 2 receiving touchdowns on Sunday on 9 targets for Washington. As of now, it looks like quarterback Sam Howell will finish the season as the starter (which is the right move). If that’s the case Howell has developed a nice chemistry with Samuel and I see that continuing.

Tight Ends

Hunter Henry – (20.8% Owned)

There aren’t many options at the tight end position on the waiver wire but Henry is the best option if available. Henry has now finished back-to-back weeks inside the top 5 for tight ends including 3 receiving touchdowns in that span. He also has an excellent matchup this week with the Broncos who are giving up an average of 10.6 fantasy points per game to tight ends. If you’re thin at tight end go and grab Henry.

The post Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The dynasty fantasy football world is firing off on all cylinders right now. With that said, I’m going to highlight the pivotal running back spot – as I untwine five overrated dynasty running backs.

Rashaad Penny

The explosive Seattle Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny hasn’t quite been a consistent force in the league. Unfortunately, he hasn’t played more than 10 games in each of the past three seasons. Furthermore, He will be splitting the rock with the former Michigan State Spartan Kenneth Walker moving forward. Walker has seen more action with Penny already nursing injuries in training camp.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire

I love the Kansas City Chiefs RB depth so much that I am not head over heels for RB1 Clyde Edwards-Helaire. I predict Jerick “Jet” McKinnon to be more involved and productive in the Chiefs offensive attack. Of course, Ronald Jones will be a game-changer in unique ways with the Patrick Mahomes-led offense. CEH, who still gets undeserved respect for the first-round badge and bunk bed with Mahomes, should be traded away.

Josh Jacobs

I don’t expect the Las Vegas Raiders to ship away Josh Jacobs, but I don’t believe he will elevate his game and ascend into the same caliber RB as Nick Chubb. Jacobs will share meat on the bone with the fresh rookie Zamir White. NFL.com analyst Lance Zeirlein dubbed White as a pivotal rookie for the Raiders. It’s also obvious that Davante Adams and a healthy Darren Waller will eat up a lot of attention in the Raiders passing game.

Alvin Kamara

It appears that Saints fans are happy that Alvin Kamara will not be punished by the league in 2022. However, the grim reaper will leave his mark on AK in the following season. Kamara is climbing up in age, in a loaded passing offense, and approaching a sure-fire suspension. Hence, It would be wise to find a lucrative offer to trade him away now.

James Robinson

The times are changing in the Jaguars back-field with a healthy Travis Etienne. The former Clemson RB missed the entire 2021 season, but he is back and ready to handle the load in Doug Pederson’s offense. Although, I don’t expect Etienne or Robinson to have the most stable success behind the Jags OL. I am less optimistic that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the veteran James Robinson. He is also still nursing an Achilles injury.

The post 5 overrated dynasty running backs right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Chris Moore (Twitter: @fantasy_moore)

We are now two weeks into the NFL season, and there have already been fantasy disappointments. Two games out of the fantasy season may be a small sample size. Reacting to how a player performs in their offense is the best way to find success in fantasy football. In this article, we are going to be going over some of the most underperforming fantasy running backs this season and why I think you should be selling them.

Melvin Gordon (RB ”“ DEN)

There will only be a couple of more weeks before Melvin Gordon becomes irrelevant in the fantasy world. Gordon is currently the RB14 in PPR leagues, but his stats from the past two weeks show the Gordon show is coming to an end soon in Denver. If it wasn’t for his 70-yard touchdown in Week 1, Gordon doesn’t even make this list. It’s only a matter of weeks before rookie Javonte Williams takes over the backfield from Gordon in Denver. Williams has already outperformed Gordon. Last week averaging 4.9 yards per carry against the Jaguars compared to Gordon’s 2.38. Sell Gordon while his name and stats over the past two games still hold value. It’s only a matter of time before we see the Javonte Williams show in Denver. Gordon has a lofty resume and an overrated start to the season – now is the time.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB ”“ KC)

Man, this one hurts. As someone very high on Clyde Edwards-Helaire ever since he entered the league, it stings to put him on this list. Yet the truth is, CEH isn’t the fantasy running back managers thought he would be when the Chiefs drafted him. CEH is currently the RB46 in PPR leagues, through two weeks. CEH has struggled so far to start the year, averaging 3.29 yards per carry on 27 attempts. The Chiefs talked about expanding CEH’s role in the passing game this season. But so far, through two games, that hasn’t been the case. CEH has only seen three targets in two games, which is only two targets more than backup running back Jerick McKinnon. Edwards-Helaire isn’t putting up the box score fantasy managers thought he would weekly, and now is the time to get out while his name still holds value.

James Robinson (RB ”“ JAC)

While it was encouraging to see his snap share raise significantly in Week 2, it doesn’t look like we are getting the same fantasy production out of James Robinson this year like we did last year. The Jaguars are an awful team. They have struggled to look competent on offense so far this season. It’s hard to trust Robinson in your lineup if the Jaguars are playing from behind every week. Over the past two week’s that has been the case. Carlos Hyde remains a favorite of Head coach Urban Meyer, and this is just a situation I don’t want any shares. Robinson is currently the RB40 in PPR leagues, and there are better options out there at this point.

The post Fantasy: 3 RBs to trade away appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Zach Kurt

Many people are in Panic mode 2 weeks into the season and I am going to address 3 Rbs drafted as top 12 RBs in most dynasty startups this year. The three backs I am going to highlight are Saquon Barkley, Clyde Edwards-Helaire (CEH), Antiono Gibson (Gibby). These are some high-profile guys who have had a less than stellar start to the 2021 season. As a dynasty owner, what are you supposed to do with these assets? I will tell you!

Saquon Barkley (RB-NYG) BUY!!

This one is the easiest decision of the three for me and it’s not particularly close. Saquon is the best running back in the NFL when healthy. He is a great pure runner of the ball and a pass-catching savant. He can turn any play into a TD and you don’t get that ability from many RB’s in the NFL (CMC, Henry, Dalvin, Saquon). He has been on a slow start this season. The man is coming off an ACL tear.

Let’s get some perspective here. Jamaal Charles tore his ACL in 2011 and in 2012 his first 2 games totaled 25 touches. Saquon in his first 2 games tallied 26 touches. It is okay to start slow as a skill player coming off this injury. If people are worried about him you absolutely should buy him he is the best running back in the NFL when healthy and he is a few weeks from being there. Buy! Buy! Buy!

Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB-KCC) Hold

CEH was heavily hyped a lot this offseason with the upgrades to the Chiefs O-line. Through two games in pass-heavy game scripts, CEH has been involved but not what you want for the workhorse back we were expecting him to be. It has been ugly for CEH thus far and despite the game scripts not being in his favor, he hasn’t impressed on any front. I believe that his trade value has taken a gigantic hit in the last two weeks that it is not smart to trade him right now. I have a few shares of CEH and have sent some offers out and the return I have been looking at is Chase Edmonds and Myles Gaskin. He is absolutely not worth selling for that. Wait for him to get a great majority of touches in a positive game script and his price will rocket back up because he is on the Cheifs.

Antonio Gibson (RB-WFT) SELL

Over this offseason, Antonio Gibson may have been the most hyped player in the fantasy community. People have been calling him CMC 2.0, Believing he would get a similar role to CMC. I had a lot of red flags when it came to this claim with Gibby and through a two-week sample, they seem to be coming true. J.D. McKissic was still there and was going to be the 3rd down back, Gibson was in for touchdown regression, and the more touches he saw his efficiency started to drop. All of those things have been happening two weeks in and I am a firm believer that they continue to happen. If you can sell Gibby for Saquon, Chubb, or David Montgomery I would sell Gibson for any of those guys very quickly. 

These first two weeks of NFL action have been peculiar but I believe that some of the evidence we have seen on the field is telling. None of what I have laid out here is a guarantee however sometimes it pays to buy low and sell high. Like I always say, send trade offers because Dynasty Never Rests.

The post Buy, Hold, Sell: Elite RB edition appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Jesse Moeller via JMoeller05

After the chaos in the NFL we saw in week 1, I wanted to give you a list of players I am looking to trade away in dynasty. Unfortunately, I do not see these players holding the current value long-term, otherwise known as depreciating assets. Given this is dynasty, instead of listing only older running backs, I wanted to mention a couple of veterans and a few young running backs that I do not see living up to the billing. For this article, we will be using the dynasty rankings on the DLF website.

The Vets

Derrick Henry RB7

Henry is the biggest name to trade away in dynasty among all running backs. If you can get the value of a top 7 running back, you should move him immediately. The issue with Henry is his inflated rushing volume and nonexistent pass-catching, which limits Henry in PPR leagues. In addition, it makes Henry a game script dependant running back, where if the Titans fall behind as they did in week one, it practically takes Henry out of the game.

Henry has a very high ceiling only exceeded by the elite pass-catching running backs in fantasy, and my issue is more with Henry’s floor as it is much lower than other top-tier running backs. Let’s take game one and break it down to show you my point. Henry ran the ball 17 times in a blowout loss. That may seem like a lot, but that is one of Henry’s lowest totals of the past two seasons. He only has five performances with less than 17 rushes in that period. Now, if you spread that out throughout a 16 game season, you see the big picture issue for Henry. His season total rushing comes out to 272 attempts, which is 106 attempts lower than his 2020 pace. If you gave Henry the same efficiency, his rushing totals come out to 1,457 yards and 12 touchdowns, a whopping 570 fewer rushing yards and five touchdowns fewer. That’s a significant blow to Henry’s value and would crater his dynasty value if that scenario plays out. Given Henry was drafted at his ceiling, advanced age, and has a new offensive coordinator calling plays, he is the name I am screaming to trade away while he still carries that elite fantasy value.

Mike Davis RB31

The Falcons brought over Derrick Henry’s offensive coordinator, so it must be wheels up for Mike Davis, right? There was a lot to like about the hire of Arthur Smith and why teams with Davis rostered had to be excited going into the year. The Falcons did not spend high draft capital or big money on a free agent to give Davis competition as the lead back this year. It set up for Davis to smash a second consecutive year, or at least that was the thought behind buying into Mike Davis this year.

My issue is that the Falcons do not resemble the Titans on offense and should not deploy Davis in that role because it is not in the Falcons’ strengths as a team on offense. Instead, you have Matt Ryan, Calvin Ridley, and Kyle Pitts. Those are the big names in fantasy this year, paired with a far inferior offensive line. It is not an ideal fit for Mike Davis to exceed expectations. The Falcons have a worse defense and questions marks on the line. I don’t see how that setup is strong for Davis this year from a fantasy perspective.

The problem for Davis is that he feels like a ticking time bomb this year in dynasty. If Arthur Smith does not adjust to his talent, it could spell doom for Davis. The sooner you do it, the better. The Buccaneers are in town this week, and it could be a long game for the Falcons. I would be happy to move Davis for the cost of a top 30 dynasty running back.

Young Bucks

Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB12

I have never understood the CEH hype, as people draft him due to the situation and not talent. It is how you set yourself up for failure as a dynasty manager””propping up worse players due to where they were drafted or signed as free agents. With CEH, the signs are there for us to take notice. What continues to concern me about him is the lack of targets, CEH’s calling card in college. His ability to be a pass-catching weapon. The community thought he would explode attached to Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. Instead, it was an up and down rookie year with a disappointing finish that stuck in the craw of managers. The problem is that CEH stayed in the top 12 RB range this offseason. Meaning for CEH to live up to expectations, he needed to produce high-end fantasy numbers.

I have seen enough from CEH to move on to get the return of an RB1 in dynasty. Whether you are a win-now or in a rebuild, you can pivot off of CEH to better options. Talk to a team with Sanders, Ekeler, Dobbins, Williams, or Montgomery and see if you can get that player+ in a return trade. I happily make that type of move to give me a boost for the short and long term.

Michael Carter RB24

The post Dynasty RBs to trade away appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the all purpose running back out of LSU, has high expectations entering year two of his career. The Kansas City Chiefs elected not to bring back veteran RB Le’Veon Bell, nor draft a RB early with hopes of CEH proclaiming the draft stature he was given. 

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the RB that Patrick Mahomes personally wanted to be drafted. Many fanatics are harsh on the Chiefs halfback for not quite living up to his first round bill in 2020. However, it’s well seen that Helaire is a very talented player, amid a well oiled machine offense, and will be given the opportunities to oust high success in 2021. 

It’s apparent that Helaire showed potential last season with his rushing yard tally that was knocking on the door of a 1,000 yard season (803 yds). I fully expect CEH to crack the 1,000 yard mark and likely oust around 1500+ all purpose yards. Here is why CEH will take the next step, which ultimately should earn him a Pro Bowl nod.

• Improved OL 

The KC Chiefs offensive line was a musical chairs performance throughout the 2020-2021 season. The stud Mitchell Schwartz played in a mere six games, while Kelechi Osmele played in only five matchups. When CEH found rushing success early on, it was largely due to Osmele’s ability to maul defenders in his path. Osmele and Schwartz are no longer on the roster.

The Chiefs decided to not let their wounds heal on the OL, but rather acquire upgrades upfront. The reigning AFC champion signed OG Joe Thuney and made a blockbuster trade by acquiring LT Orlando Brown from the Ravens. The Chiefs undoubtedly improved their offensive line from a weak link into possessing one of the top AFC offensive line units. There is still a chance Mitchell Schwartz opts to return to the club. 

• Absence of Le’Veon Bell 

Le’Veon Bell wasn’t his All Pro self in KC, but he was an effective, involved weapon. He eked out 350 total yards and had 63 carries in the running game. CEH should see a noticeable increase in carries behind a titan like offensive line with Bell out of the building, which should result in an improved running effort from the second year RB. It’s also been reported by ESPN that Mahomes and Helaire have discussed with the Chiefs about a stronger passing game to the RBs. The team’s No. two wideout is currently Mecole Hardman, who recorded a mere 560 yards last season. CEH should get significantly more involved in the run and pass game and it helps he’s the lead back with no true 1B in the offense.

• Travis Kelce playing like a HOF TE

It’s no surprise that Travis Kelce was one of the best TEs in the league entering the 2020 season. At the eclipse of the 2020 campaign, it’s well documented that Kelce isn’t just elite, but the best TE in the NFL. His 105-1,416-11 mark was one of the best seasons from the TE spot of all time. Defenses now know that the TE can take over games with his superb connection to Mahomes. There will be extra precaution taken from the AFC West defenses and the rest of the NFL next season. CEH should see more dump passes, play action plays, and overall production with extra attention being demanded to Kelce.

The post 3 reasons why Clyde Edwards Helaire will really be a Pro Bowler in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.