Welcome, all you fantasy football junkies, flunkies and rookies! Every Wednesday before the fantasy week starts, “Mark’s Fantasy Goldmine” will be updating you, LB Nation, on exactly who you need in that oh-so-tricky flex spot, sneaky waiver-wire pickups, one big piece of advice from me to you and my predictions for who will boom and bust this week.
To keep myself responsible to my fellow peers and prove why you should pick up these golden nuggets of wisdom, I will post my personal fantasy team each week, “The Funky Bunch.” This week I made the choice to bench Josh Gordon in favor of Emmanuel Sanders, which almost blew up in my face when the Chicago Bears D/ST dismantled the Washington Redskins offense in the final game of the week. Phew, that was close. Alright, now let’s get digging!
Flex On ‘Em
Each week, a new crop of players stand out due to new opportunities arising, good matchups presenting themselves, or just flat out catching fire on the field. Here are the best risk/reward options you should unearth and plug into your x-factor slot.
- Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Redskins: The Washington Redskins are a team in turmoil, there is no doubt about it. But every NFL team is made up of talented professionals who made it into the league for a reason. The Redskins have looked for someone to carry the offense, and McLaurin has proved to be the steadiest thus far. With a favorable matchup against the New York Giants, look for McLaurin to be one of the few bright spots Sunday morning for Washington.
- Josh Gordon, WR, New England Patriots: With the ever-evolving saga of Antonio Brown leading to his release from the team, Josh Gordon will step back into the role of most explosive offensive weapon for the Patriots. Julian Edelman is currently nursing a chest injury, giving Gordon a clear path to success against the Buffalo Bills. With a stout run defense opposing them, the Patriots will be forced to air the ball out, presenting Gordon with plenty of opportunities to make his mark against their division rival.
- Taylor Gabriel, WR, Chicago Bears: After a huge three-touchdown first-half performance against the Redskins, Taylor Gabriel was taken out of the game due to concussion symptoms. If Gabriel is able to bounce back this week and pass the concussion test protocol, look for the speedy receiver to continue his work with QB Mitchell Trubisky. The Bears have plenty of options over the middle of the field, but Gabriel is the only true threat to beat secondaries consistently.
Workin’ the Wire
Most teams won’t look the same by the end of the season as they did when you first drafted. Working the waiver wire is paramount to a successful fantasy team because unexpected injuries occur, new opportunities come up and players develop throughout the season. Here are the players you should target to bolster your team throughout the season.
- Wayne Gallman, RB, New York Giants: Losing Saquon Barkley will hurt in more ways than just the win/loss column for the Giants. Backup Wayne Gallman is no slouch though, having spent plenty of time already in the Giants’ system. Due to the nature of how much New York has relied on their run game along with having a rookie at QB, Gallman will have plenty of chances to prove his worth against a lackluster Redskins’ front line.
- Jordan Akins, TE, Houston Texans: Tight ends are hard to project in fantasy football due to the nature of the position being tasked with blocking as well as running routes. With an explosive offense like the Texans however, don’t be afraid to spend a pick on Jordan Akins. With good size and speed, Akins has shown the potential to be a dark-horse contributor in the high-powered offense. Defenses tend to design their gameplan purely to stop DeAndre Hopkins, leaving Akins as an afterthought and uncovered against the vulnerable Carolina Panthers defense.
- Preston Williams, WR, Miami Dolphins: Bringing us back to my point of how every NFL team has talent, whether their record portrays it or not, is Miami receiver Preston Williams. After creating a ton of hype with preseason highlight-reel catches, Williams is continuing his play as the only solid option on the dumpster fire known as the Dolphins. If you’re looking for depth at the wide receiver position, don’t be afraid to take a flier on Williams as he is the clear option to lead the Dolphins offense.
Look, a Golden Nugget!
Defense wins championships, even in fantasy football. Often times, defense/special teams units are forgotten until it’s waiver-wire time and you’re left choosing from scraps. Don’t be afraid to look ahead and find a defense with a favorable stretch of matchups to end the season. The extra five points a defense could add to your total points could be the game-changer you need.
Dope or Nope?
Here is a list of the players/defenses that I think will blow up in fantasy scoring at their respective positions, as well as the ones who will flop.
Dope:
- Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs
- Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins
- Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints
- Evan Engram, TE, New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins
- Baltimore Ravens D/ST vs. Cleveland Browns
Nope:
- Mitchell Trubisky, QB, Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings
- Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
- Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
- Jared Cook, TE, New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers D/ST vs. Los Angeles Rams
Stats via fantasy.NFL.com
This article was updated on Sep. 25 at 11:43 p.m.