Bid suggestions will continue to get more aggressive as we get deeper into the year. If you have a question about a player or a strategy, you are welcome to reach out to me in our Discord, via Twitter @RyanReynoldsNFL, or via email RyanReynoldsNFL@gmail.com if that's your preference. We have a number of running back situations that still have some level of uncertainty that we will no doubt be discussing in the waiver wire channel in Discord as more news is released.
Week 13 Bye: Browns, Packers, Panthers, Titans
Week 14 Bye: Colts, Dolphins, Eagles, Patriots
Quarterbacks
Taysom Hill – 25% FAAB Budget
Carson Wentz – 15%
Matt Ryan – 8%
Jimmy Garoppolo – 5%
Taylor Heinicke – 1%
Running Backs
Note: The bid suggestions in this section are geared more towards competitive home leagues. If any of these options are available in competitive leagues or tournaments with deep rosters, you may need a more aggressive bid.
Alexander Mattison – All of your FAAB budget
Ameer Abdullah/Chuba Hubbard -- 50% and 30% respectively
Jamaal Williams – 30%
Boston Scott – 30%
Tevin Coleman – 20%
Matt Breida – 20%
DeeJay Dallas – 10%
Kenneth Gainwell – 5%
Running Back Committees
Note: In these instances, multiple players on the same team, in the same position group, warrant discussion. If one or more of those players in these position groups could be a potential option for this week, I provide a bid suggestion in those instances.
Titans RBs
Saints RBs
Running Backs -- Deep Leagues
Note: These options are geared for players interested in churning the back end of their roster in competitive leagues with deep rosters such as the FFPC Main Event or Scott Fish Bowl.
Austin Walter -- 10% FAAB Budget
Kene Nwangwu -- 10%
Phillip Lindsay -- 5%
Wide Receivers
Note: The bid suggestions in this section are geared more towards competitive home leagues. If any of these options are available in competitive leagues or tournaments with deep rosters, you may need a more aggressive bid.
Van Jefferson – 40% FAAB Budget
T.Y. Hilton – 15 %
Russell Gage – 15%
Marquez Valdes-Scantling – 15% (MVS is on a bye this week)
Tre'Quan Smith – 12%
Laviska Shenault – 8%
Nico Collins – 5%
Wide Receivers -- Deep Leagues
Note: These options are geared for players interested in churning the back end of their roster in competitive leagues with deep rosters such as the FFPC Main Event or Scott Fish Bowl.
Josh Reynolds – 10% FAAB Budget
Jakeem Grant – 1%
Tight Ends
Cole Kmet – 25% FAAB Budget
Jack Doyle – 20%
Gerald Everett – 15%
James O'Shaughnessy – 15%
Foster Moreau – 12%
Ryan Griffin – 5%
Defenses
Dolphins Defense vs Giants – 10% FAAB Budget
Vikings Defense at Lions – 8%
Kansas City Defense vs Denver – 2%
Defenses -- Week 14
Denver Defense vs Detroit
Tennessee Defense vs Jacksonville
Saints Defense at Jets
Packers Defense vs Bears
Kickers
Evan McPherson – 1% FAAB Budget
Drop considerations and a waiver priority key are listed at the end of this column.
Quarterbacks
Taysom Hill, Saints, 25% FAAB Budget: We talked about this back when Jameis Winston went down weeks ago, that between Trevor Siemian knocking off the Bucs and Taysom missing nearly a month after a concussion that it would likely take time for Hill to take over at quarterback for the Saints. It looks like we're here now, as New Orleans hosts Dallas this Thursday night and Taysom is seeing first-team reps at quarterback. If you're in need of a one-week fix at quarterback, I wouldn't overpay for Hill, but if you are interested in more of a long-term option in a scoring format that favors rushing quarterbacks, I don't mind being more aggressive than this when pursuing Hill. This is also a situation where it's in your best interest to check in on news related to Hill before finalizing your bids this week.
Carson Wentz, Colts, 15%: Indianapolis heads to Houston this week, which marks a potential smash spot for every fantasy option that the Colts have. The biggest downside here for Wentz is that the Colts jump out to a decisive lead and take their foot off the gas in the passing game. With that said, Wentz was a very big reason that the Colts nearly knocked off the Buccaneers last week, so the ceiling is really quite high here.
Matt Ryan, Falcons, 8%: If the Falcons were at full strength, Ryan would be a no-brainer streaming option this week against Tampa Bay with some real long-term viability heading into the fantasy playoffs. Since Calvin Ridley is still out, we can reasonably expect increased passing volume for Ryan against Tampa's high-end run defense, but the ceiling is certainly lower for Atlanta's passing attack without their best pass catcher.
Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers, 5%: San Francisco has been fairly run-heavy when they can be and if Deebo Samuel misses this week's contest in Seattle, that certainly hurts the upside of this offense in this spot. With that said, if the Seahawks' offense can get back on track against a middling San Francisco defense, this game has some interesting shootout potential. Jimmy is also potentially viable next week in Cincinnati.
Taylor Heinicke, Washington, 1%: December games that are played indoors with the slate's third-highest game total (49 points) make for pretty solid streaming options. Washington, who is on a hot streak right now, is a slight road underdog in Las Vegas this week before hosting Dallas next week. Heinicke is a pretty volatile player, but these are two matchups with greater than normal upside.
Running Backs
Note: The bid suggestions in this section are geared more towards competitive home leagues. If any of these options are available in competitive leagues or tournaments with deep rosters, you may need a more aggressive bid.
Alexander Mattison, Vikings, All of your FAAB budget: There have been reports that Dalvin Cook has a separated shoulder and a torn labrum, where he will be sidelined for at least two weeks. Then, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer point blank said that Cook does not have a torn labrum but did not confirm nor deny the dislocated shoulder while labeling Cook as day-to-day. Considering that Cook was carted off the field in San Francisco last week with tears in his eyes while being rumored to have one, if not two significant shoulder injuries, I'm going to lean towards Cook not being able to play running back in the NFL this week. Mattison has been a premium handcuff for several years now, and he'll be in a potential smash spot in Detroit this week with a better-than-expected matchup with the Steelers next Thursday if Cook misses these contests. Mattison is not available in any league that I'm in, but at this point in the year, I would be willing to go all in on Mattison in this situation with the expectation that he inherits most, if not all, of Cook's role over the next two weeks with the possibility of Cook being out for a more significant amount of time. If you're in a format where you need FAAB to bid on streaming options or defenses, I'd amend my bid on Mattison to account for that and, as always, if you have the hammer (meaning you have more FAAB than everyone else), just bid $1 more than the next-highest amount in your league.
Ameer Abdullah (50%) and Chuba Hubbard (30%): Christian McCaffrey is now out for the year, which means that a lot of snaps are available in the Panthers' backfield. First, Cam Newton's goal-line opportunities will reduce those for Panthers running backs. Further, we can reasonably expect the collective passing-game volume to be down for this group for as long as the mobile Newton remains under center. Considering these factors and that Carolina has a below-average line, I don't exactly view this as a great situation for any Panthers runner not named McCaffrey. With that said, Abdullah (73 snaps, 13 carries, 15 targets) has seen an edge in both playing time and opportunities over Hubbard (38 snaps, 14 carries, three targets) during the Panthers' last four games. Since Hubbard was fairly underwhelming during McCaffrey's first injury stint this season and Abdullah was acquired just before McCaffrey's return, I'm playing this one as if it's going to be a timeshare where Abdullah sees more opportunities in the passing game.
Jamaal Williams, Lions, 30%: With D'Andre Swift looking like he'll miss at least one game with a shoulder sprain, Williams becomes a real solid bye week fill-in against the Vikings with the potential to become more than that if the currently winless Lions handle this Swift injury more conservatively. Even when Swift returns, Williams would be a pretty high-end stash with some mild flex viability, which is why I wouldn't mind being more aggressive on him if you're thin at RB or flex.
Boston Scott, Eagles, 30%: Miles Sanders was framed as sore but heading in the right direction by Eagles coach Nick Sirianni after suffering an ankle injury against the Giants last Sunday. In both Sanders and Jordan Howard's absence, the talented Scott saw the bulk of the action in Philadelphia's backfield. I love Scott as a talent and I truly hope he ends up in New England sooner than later so that maybe he'll be properly utilized (he's a real tough cover in the passing game), but if Sanders and Howard are trending towards being out this week, Scott has a ton of upside against the Jets.
Tevin Coleman, Jets, 20%: With Michael Carter sidelined, Coleman ran for 67 yards on a team-leading 16 carries while catching 2-of-3 targets for three yards as the Jets beat the Texans in Houston last week. Coleman is a solid veteran, so it would be no surprise if he continued to lead this team in running back opportunities until Carter returns.
Matt Breida, Bills, 20%: I've always liked Breida as a talent, but Buffalo is not very reliant on their running backs and they've been playing some form of musical chairs with this group all season. Still, I don't mind the idea of grabbing and stashing Breida with the hopes that he takes over a bigger share of the Bills' running back opportunities over the next several weeks.
DeeJay Dallas, Seahawks, 10%: The production out of this backfield has been pretty underwhelming for quite a while now, so I have very little interest in any Seattle runner at this moment. However, Dallas has seen a bit of an uptick in opportunity in each of the last two weeks while seeing five targets last Monday night in Washington.
Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles, 5%: If Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard both miss this week's contest against the Jets, Gainwell would be next in line behind Boston Scott with there being some chance that the Eagles deploy more of an even split between Scott and Gainwell.
Running Back Committees
Note: In these instances, multiple players on the same team, in the same position group, warrant discussion. If one or more of those players in these position groups could be a potential option for this week, I provide a bid suggestion in those instances.
Titans RBs: Both D'Onta Foreman (19 carries, one target) and Dontrell Hilliard (12 carries, two targets) breached 100 yards rushing against the Patriots while Jeremy McNichols was inactive. The Titans enter their bye this week, but I would still prioritize Foreman in this group as the return of McNichols is more likely to negatively impact Hilliard than Foreman. Considering that the Titans host the Jaguars in Week 14, that's a pretty good matchup for this group.
Saints RBs: If everyone is healthy, Alvin Kamara is the lead runner that is most likely to be supplemented by Mark Ingram with Tony Jones being in the mix. Since this trio has not yet played together this season, there is some chance that Jones would be ahead of Ingram in the pecking order. The pivot to Taysom Hill will hurt touchdown equity and passing-game volume for this group, but Ty Montgomery could continue to see reps in passing situations if Kamara remains sidelined.
Running Backs -- Deep Leagues
Note: These options are geared for players interested in churning the back end of their roster in competitive leagues with deep rosters such as the FFPC Main Event or Scott Fish Bowl.
Austin Walter, Jets, 10% FAAB Budget: Walter's 38 yards and a score on nine carries is a good-looking box score, but he played well enough against Houston last week where the Jets' coaching staff has to at least discuss giving him similar opportunities going forward.
Kene Nwangwu, Vikings, 10%: Nwangwu has seen very limited work as a runner this season, but he's been a factor as a kick returner for the Vikings. Given Dalvin Cook's injury situation, it's not a bad idea to make Nwangwu part of your back-of-the-roster churning in deep leagues. Similarly, I'll also have my eye on Minnesota signing or elevating anyone given the Cook injury situation.
Phillip Lindsay, Dolphins, 5%: As our Adam Levitan noted on Twitter, nine of Lindsay's 12 carries last week came towards the end of the Dolphins' blowout win over the Panthers. With that said, it's pretty interesting that the recently-acquired Lindsay saw that much work this soon.
Wide Receivers
Note: The bid suggestions in this section are geared more towards competitive home leagues. If any of these options are available in competitive leagues or tournaments with deep rosters, you may need a more aggressive bid.
Van Jefferson, Rams, 40% FAAB Budget: Jefferson was real close to turning his 3-93-1 line on nine targets into 100-plus yards and two scores last week in Green Bay.
T.Y. Hilton, Colts, 15%: If you're looking for a bye week fill-in, the Colts head to Houston this week and Hilton has destroyed the Texans throughout his career.
Russell Gage, Falcons, 15%: Gage has been a solid PPR option over the last few years and he's easily the most reliable option out of the Falcons' current wide receivers. Given this week's matchup against Tampa Bay, where we can reasonably expect Atlanta to crank up the volume in the passing game, Gage has more upside than normal this week.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Packers, 15%: The Packers are on their bye this week, but MVS had nine targets against the Rams last week and 10 against the Vikings before that. There's no guarantee that type of usage continues, but if the Packers had a consistent WR2 in this offense, they would be a rather valuable fantasy option.
Tre'Quan Smith, Saints, 12%: The Saints' wide receiver group has been one to avoid all year, but Smith has between five and eight targets in each of his last three games. With a potential shootout looming against Dallas this week, if I had to bet on one Saints wide receiver having a strong game in this matchup, it would be Smith.
Laviska Shenault, Jaguars, 8%: If you've been reading this column over the last two years, you may be aware that I'm not a big Laviska guy. I also have very little interest in this Jacksonville passing game that couldn't even do much against the Falcons last week. With all that said, injuries are really mounting for Jaguars pass catchers and Laviska had a team-leading nine targets last week.
Nico Collins, Texans, 5%: Even in superflex, Collins would be a pretty thin option this season due to the volatility and low ceiling of this Texans offense, but if he's available in dynasty or even a deep multi-keeper format, I notice Collins virtually every week when I watch the Texans.
Wide Receivers -- Deep Leagues
Note: These options are geared for players interested in churning the back end of their roster in competitive leagues with deep rosters such as the FFPC Main Event or Scott Fish Bowl.
Josh Reynolds, Lions, 10%: Most of us probably want to continue avoiding the Lions' wide receiver group even though Reynolds had a nice 3-70-1 line on five targets against the Bears, but if you're in a superflex league, it could be worth grabbing Reynolds considering the lack of options at wide receiver in Detroit and his familiarity with Jared Goff when they were both Rams.
Jakeem Grant, Bears, 1%: Grant is one of those guys that I've always loved as a talent, so I found it interesting that the Bears manufactured a few touches for him on Thanksgiving.
Tight Ends
Cole Kmet, Bears, 25% FAAB Budget: We've discussed Kmet many times this season in this column, and one of the most befuddling aspects of the Matt Nagy era has been the sporadic usage of Kmet this season. With that said, Kmet saw 11 targets against the Lions last week while seeing at least six targets in four of his last five games. I don't trust this coaching staff to continue doing obvious things, but this is one that should continue from a logic standpoint.
Jack Doyle, Colts, 20%: I'm not mentioning Doyle because he had a bit of a spike game last week, but he should now be on your radar as he's seen at least five targets in each of his last three games.
Gerald Everett, Seahawks, 15%: Everett has had strong fantasy outputs in two of his last three games while seeing nine targets in Washington last Monday night. The Seahawks' offense has been disappointing since Russell Wilson's return, but Everett is an above-average athlete at the tight end position that has seen at least eight targets in two of the three games since Russ returned from injury.
James O'Shaughnessy, Jaguars, 15%: With Dan Arnold out for the next 4-6 weeks, O'Shaughnessy could end up being a low-ceiling, solid-floor PPR option given some of the usage that Jaguars tight ends have seen throughout this season.
Foster Moreau, Raiders, 12%: With Darren Waller currently listed as doubtful, Moreau is a really solid second tight end that put up a 6-60-1 line against the Eagles the last time Waller missed a game this season. Further, the Raiders host Washington, which has this week's third-highest game total, so we're getting a potential streaming option here with a good quarterback in a good game environment.
Ryan Griffin, Jets, 5%: Griffin has between four and seven targets in three of the Jets' last four games.
Defenses
Dolphins Defense vs Giants, 10% FAAB Budget: I call what Miami is about to do to Daniel Jones the no respect defense, which is essentially when a defensive play caller mercilessly blitzes an offense/a quarterback that they do not fear as a passer. Miami has been doing this a lot lately. The upside here is considerable for Miami, and as we'll discuss in the final installment of Preparing for the Playoffs, the Dolphins have very interesting matchups left on the schedule.
Vikings Defense at Lions, 8%: We don't have to get too cute here. We can reasonably stream anyone against the still-winless Lions.
Kansas City Defense vs Denver, 2%: The Chiefs are currently a 10-point home favorite this Sunday night against Denver. The Broncos suffer from very average quarterback play and the Chiefs' defense has been the driving factor behind their recent surge back to the top of the AFC West.
Defenses -- Week 14
Denver Defense vs Detroit: The Broncos have a high-end secondary and one of the league's more unique home field advantages. In Week 14, they'll get a dome team in December that has still not won a game as of this writing.
Tennessee Defense vs Jacksonville: The Titans really needed their bye, which they will be getting in Week 13. The Titans will be coming off that to host arguably the worst offense in football in the Jaguars. While anything can happen in division games, this one looks like a get-well game for the Titans.
Saints Defense at Jets: Even if the Saints lose to Dallas this Thursday night, they will still be alive in the NFC Wild Card race. We can expect this defense, which was very solid through the first half of the season, to be highly motivated against a volatile Jets offense.
Packers Defense vs Bears: Green Bay's defense has put together some strong games this season, and there is some chance that they could be hosting Andy Dalton in this one while coming off their bye.
Kickers
Evan McPherson, Bengals, 1% FAAB Budget: Bengals vs Chargers is tied for this week's highest game total (50.5) and McPherson represents a chance to get a share of that contest. We have to check the weather in Cincinnati, as this game will take place in the Midwest in December, but if the wind is manageable here, I'd be interested in getting a share of this game if I'm streaming a kicker.
Drop Considerations
Ryan Tannehill: I consider Tannehill as a Jimmy Garoppolo-level streaming option currently.
Christian McCaffrey: McCaffrey is out for the year and is droppable for anyone.
Zack Moss/Mike Davis: Moss was a healthy scratch last week and Davis has been a non-factor all season. At this point, I'd consider both backs as back-of-the-roster churn options in deep leagues.
Nyheim Hines: I would be willing to drop Hines for any player on this list with a 20% or greater bid amount.
Jeff Wilson/Darrel Williams/Alex Collins: If I had all of these runners, Wilson is the first one that I'd be willing to part with, and I'd be willing to drop him for any runner on this week's list with a bid amount of 30% or more with no hesitation. I would prefer to hold both Williams and Collins for one more week in most scenarios, though I would be willing to drop both for Alexander Mattison, either Panthers running back, or Jamaal Williams.
Corey Davis/Emmanuel Sanders/Allen Robinson/Tyler Boyd: I would be willing to drop a player from this group for the priority adds of Alexander Mattison, Van Jefferson, Jamaal Williams, or either Panthers running back.
Dan Arnold: Arnold is out for the next four to six weeks and is droppable for anyone.
Waiver Priority Key
20% or more: Warrants the first overall waiver move (Depending on your situation).
10-19%: Warrants an early move, potentially the top move based off team need.
5-9%: If you don't have an immediate roster need, I'd usually try to get these players for free. If you do have an immediate need, using a mid-range priority is fine; beyond that is entirely based on team need/situation.
0-4%: Try to get these for free as often as possible.
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