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The Next In Line



By Doug Orth | 10/27/22 |

Last week did not hit as hard as others in recent memory with injuries. However, what it lacked in quantity it made up for in quality. Fantasy managers lost Breece Hall (ACL) for the season and watched as DK Metcalf (knee) left early with a patellar tendon injury. Mike Williams (high-ankle sprain) may not be his usual self again this season. J.K. Dobbins (knee) is expected to miss 4-6 weeks following a knee scope. Mark Andrews is struggling to play through a knee injury and did not practice at all leading up to Thursday's tilt (Oct. 27) against the Bucs. Deebo Samuel also suffered a hamstring of unknown severity. Allen Lazard (shoulder) showed up at the team facility on Monday (Oct. 24) with his arm in a sling.

With last week in mind, I figured it would be helpful to identify the next man up across the league at each of the different fantasy positions and ascertain which ones are worth investing in as managers begin to prepare for the second half of the season.

The "starter(s)" at each position will be listed first and in CAPS, followed by their most likely replacement(s). I will only write about the relatively few reserves who I feel has a chance at becoming a fantasy starter if fortune favors their promotion. An asterisk next to a player's name is an indication that the player is injured.

Arizona

QB: KYLER MURRAY, Colt McCoy
RB: JAMES CONNER, Eno Benjamin, Darrel Williams, Keaontay Ingram
WR: DEANDRE HOPKINS, RONDALE MOORE, MARQUISE BROWN*, Robbie Anderson, Greg Dortch
TE: ZACH ERTZ, Trey McBride

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? We have already seen what Benjamin can do in two full games without Conner. His first start in Week 6 did not bear fruit against what was expected to be a soft Seattle run defense, but the combination of a short week and a beat-up Saints' D proved Benjamin could handle at least the same kind of role Chase Edmonds held before he left for Miami. There is RB2 upside here for sure, although Benjamin would be more of a matchup-based type considering how bad the run-blocking has been in Arizona.

Atlanta

QB: MARCUS MARIOTA, Desmond Ridder
RB: CORDARRELLE PATTERSON, DAMIEN WILLIAMS, Tyler Allgeier, Caleb Huntley
WR: DRAKE LONDON, OLAMIDE ZACCHEAUS, Damiere Byrd
TE: KYLE PITTS, MyCole Pruitt

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Much like Benjamin above, we have already seen what Allgeier is capable of … or at least what he is capable of this season. The ceiling is much higher for him than he will be able to show in 2022 in large part because the offense as a whole is being limited by HC Arthur Smith's refusal to trust Mariota as a passer. It is probably not a coincidence this offense became ultra-conservative once Patterson (knee) went on IR, so there is a chance his expected Week 9 return will be good for players such as London and Pitts. The problem with treating Allgeier as anything more than a dicey flex option is that he provides so little in the passing game.

Baltimore

QB: LAMAR JACKSON, Tyler Huntley
RB: J.K. DOBBINS*, GUS EDWARDS, Justice Hill, Kenyan Drake
WR: RASHOD BATEMAN, DEVIN DUVERNAY, DeSean Jackson, James Proche
TE: MARK ANDREWS, Isaiah Likely

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Baltimore is the rare team that has potential fantasy starters at three fantasy positions. Look no further than what Huntley did at the end of last season to see why he warrants starting consideration in the event of a multi-week injury to Jackson. Hill probably is not going to get a chance to show what he can do in a lead-back role with Baltimore, but he looked incredibly explosive yet again in Week 7 despite missing a lot of time over the last two weeks with a hamstring injury. Likely just needs a chance and may not be too far away from getting his shot with Mark Andrews (knee) ailing. He cannot be expected to be everything Andrews is, but Baltimore loves what he brings to the table. He would have low-end TE1 upside if Andrews were forced to miss time.

Buffalo

QB: JOSH ALLEN, Case Keenum
RB: DEVIN SINGLETARY, James Cook, Zack Moss
WR: STEFON DIGGS, GABE DAVIS, Isaiah McKenzie, Khalil Shakir
TE: DAWSON KNOX, Reggie Gilliam

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Singletary has been a solid RB2 at worst in close games and more of an RB3 in blowouts. Considering Singletary's heavy involvement in the passing game this year, it seems only natural that Cook would slide right into low-end RB2 consideration (in projected close games) and flex consideration (in likely blowouts) if the former was unable to go for multiple weeks.

Shakir stands a real chance to overtake McKenzie for top slot duties at some point this season. It is not so much that McKenzie has done anything to lose that job. Perhaps he does nothing more than push McKenzie all season long, but Shakir has just performed quite well in his limited opportunities and gives the offense more versatility. Part of the benefit of stashing Shakir in fantasy is that he is capable of playing - and is likely the top backup at - all three receiver positions. That means he has three potential paths to relevancy in perhaps the best offense in the league.

Carolina

QB: P.J. WALKER, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold*
RB: CHUBA HUBBARD, D'ONTA FOREMAN, Raheem Blackshear
WR: D.J. MOORE, TERRACE MARSHALL JR., Shi Smith, Laviska Shenault
TE: IAN THOMAS, Tommy Tremble

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Blackshear is about the only Panther reserve that has a shot to be a semi-big deal before the end of the 2022 season, although there is virtually no chance of that happening. Smith and Tremble are talented enough to contribute at some point, but the quarterback play would need to improve dramatically. Blackshear probably will not be able to push his way past Hubbard or Foreman anytime soon, but he might be the most capable receiver of the bunch on a team that figures to be in negative game script most weeks. Furthermore, it is not as if Carolina will go out of its way to give Blackshear any more help than it did Christian McCaffrey before his trade to San Francisco.

Chicago

QB: JUSTIN FIELDS, Trevor Siemian
RB: DAVID MONTGOMERY, KHALIL HERBERT, Trestan Ebner
WR: DARNELL MOONEY, EQUANIMEOUS ST. BROWN, Dante Pettis, Velus Jones Jr., N'Keal Harry
TE: COLE KMET, Ryan Griffin

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? The only player of note here is Ebner, who the coaching staff is reportedly very high on for 2023 and beyond. Like Blackshear, there is almost zero chance of him doing anything of note behind Montgomery and Herbert this year.

Cincinnati

QB: JOE BURROW, Brandon Allen
RB: JOE MIXON, Samaje Perine
WR: JA'MARR CHASE, TEE HIGGINS, TYLER BOYD, Mike Thomas
TE: HAYDEN HURST, Mitchell Wilcox

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Perine is exactly the kind of player fantasy managers should target over the next few weeks, preferably after the majority of teams have made it past their bye weeks. While the 26-year-old may not be a league-winner type, he is already getting the majority of long down-and-distance work. Although he is not an elite fantasy handcuff, he is also the clear handcuff for Mixon, who just happens to lead all running backs in carries inside the 20, 10 and 5. In this high-upside offense, Perine would be the kind of player managers would probably be forced to empty their FAAB for if Mixon missed significant time.

Cleveland

QB: JACOBY BRISSETT, Deshaun Watson
RB: NICK CHUBB, Kareem Hunt, D'Ernest Johnson
WR: AMARI COOPER, DONOVAN PEOPLES-JONES, David Bell, Anthony Schwartz
TE: DAVID NJOKU*, Harrison Bryant, Pharaoh Brown*

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Watson is a known quantity but will not have played a regular-season game in nearly two years when he steps on the field for the first time in Week 13. Nevertheless, I would strongly consider adding him in medium-sized or deeper leagues if my primary quarterback has already enjoyed his bye week (Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, etc.).

With Hunt a very strong candidate to be moved in the next week, Johnson is a shrewd add. Chubb has not played a full season since 2019 and tends to leave the field in favor of Hunt already in obvious passing situations whether or not it is warranted. Johnson would inherit that role if Hunt is moved and become the obvious handcuff in one of the best situations fantasy managers can ask for at running back.

Bryant was already starting to see regular usage before Njoku suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 7, so the former has legitimate TE1 upside now for however long the latter is sidelined (expected 2-5 weeks). His promotion may not last long as Cleveland only plays one game between now and Week 10 (Week 9 bye), which would give Njoku a fair shot of being relatively close to 100 percent if his injury is as minor as some have suggested.

Dallas

QB: DAK PRESCOTT, Cooper Rush
RB: EZEKIEL ELLIOTT, TONY POLLARD
WR: CEEDEE LAMB, MICHAEL GALLUP, NOAH BROWN, James Washington
TE: DALTON SCHULTZ, Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Hendershot toyed with fringe fantasy value while Rush was starting, Gallup was finishing his rehab and Schultz was ailing, but it seems unlikely he will enjoy any real fantasy value now.

Denver

QB: RUSSELL WILSON, Brett Rypien
RB: MELVIN GORDON, LATAVIUS MURRAY, Marlon Mack, Mike Boone*
WR: COURTLAND SUTTON, JERRY JEUDY, KJ Hamler, Kendall Hinton
TE: GREG DULCICH, Eric Saubert

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Considering Gordon and Murray's ages and injury histories, Boone (ankle) could return to a sizable role when he returns from IR. How much that would matter in this dysfunctional offense is another question, however. Boone is worth a stash on your league's IR, but he is not the kind of priority stash that Gus Edwards was, for example. (Think more like Kyren Williams.)

Detroit

QB: JARED GOFF, Nate Sudfeld
RB: D'ANDRE SWIFT, JAMAAL WILLIAMS, Craig Reynolds
WR: AMON-RA ST. BROWN, JOSH REYNOLDS, D.J. Chark*, Kalif Raymond, Tom Kennedy, Jameson Williams*
TE: T.J. HOCKENSON, Brock Wright

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Craig Reynolds, Raymond and Wright all flirted with fantasy value at different times last season and could do the same in 2022, but the crown jewel of this bunch is Jameson Williams. Unfortunately, reports surfaced Wednesday (Oct. 26) that Detroit "hopes" it will get him back in another month, which puts him out until around Thanksgiving. Keep stashing him on IR if possible, but the odds of him making a notable contribution this year are growing slimmer by the week.

Green Bay

QB: AARON RODGERS, Jordan Love
RB: AARON JONES, AJ DILLON
WR: ALLEN LAZARD*, ROMEO DOUBS, RANDALL COBB*, Christian Watson, Sammy Watkins, Samori Toure
TE: ROBERT TONYAN, Marcedes Lewis

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Honestly, any of the backups at receiver. My best bet would be Watson, but he has not been able to get over the hump in his recovery from a hamstring injury. If he can get and stay healthy, he should be able to play the Marquez Valdes-Scantling role in this offense at the very least. Expectations need to be kept in check, however, as he barely practiced with the team before the start of the season.

Watkins has the best track record and may provide the veteran Rodgers seems to be aching for, but his penchant for missing time is almost legendary. Toure saw his first action last week and made a name for himself at Nebraska in 2021 by stretching the field. Given the options, I fully expect Green Bay to trade for a veteran within the next week, and it would not surprise me at all if that player ends up being Kendrick Bourne. (We can pray for Brandin Cooks though.)

Houston

QB: DAVIS MILLS, Jeff Driskel, Kyle Allen
RB: DAMEON PIERCE, Dare Ogunbowale, Rex Burkhead
WR: BRANDIN COOKS, NICO COLLINS*, Chris Moore, Phillip Dorsett, Tyron Johnson
TE: O.J. Howard, Jordan Akins, Brevin Jordan

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Johnson may have just signed Tuesday (Oct. 25), but he has the best shot of this group to be somewhat viable down the road with Collins' groin injury expected to sideline him for multiple weeks. With that said, it seems unlikely many fantasy championship rosters will be carrying a Texan - outside of perhaps Pierce and Cooks.

Indianapolis

QB: SAM EHLINGER, Nick Foles, Matt Ryan
RB: JONATHAN TAYLOR, Nyheim Hines, Deon Jackson
WR: MICHAEL PITTMAN JR., ALEC PIERCE, PARRIS CAMPBELL, Mike Strachan
TE: MO ALIE-COX, Kylen Granson, Jelani Woods

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Jackson showed the Colts are in good hands if Taylor is forced to miss more game action this season, although a lot of his value came from Ryan dumping the ball off to him in Weeks 5-6. That will no longer be the case. Ehlinger has spent more time practicing with Strachan than any of the other receivers listed above, so he is a player to monitor moving forward.

However, the most impactful backup that has a chance to emerge is the one that just found out he will start for the rest of the season earlier this week. Ehlinger is highly unlikely to save your fantasy season and could easily destroy the fantasy values of the receivers. With that said, the receiving corps will not be dramatically affected by his presence if he can come reasonably close to Ryan's volume (42.4 pass attempts/game in 2022). Ehlinger is not an elite athlete by any stretch, but he is a capable dual-threat that is probably the right player at the right time for this team - especially in light of its struggling offensive line. With his ability to run for 30-40 yards per game, there is definite QB2 upside with Ehlinger.

Jacksonville

QB: TREVOR LAWRENCE, C.J. Beathard
RB: TRAVIS ETIENNE, JaMycal Hasty, Snoop Conner
WR: CHRISTIAN KIRK, ZAY JONES, MARVIN JONES, Jamal Agnew
TE: EVAN ENGRAM, Dan Arnold

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? It sounds as though Hasty will get a shot to handle at least some of the work left behind by James Robinson. However, Hasty has struggled to stay healthy throughout his three years in the league and probably needs to be capped at 5-8 touches per week (which is all he will likely see behind Etienne). Conner is the only back on the roster that potentially gives Jacksonville the thump it loses with Robinson's departure. While he may not be the hot pickup this week, Conner could be the better long-term stash in case Etienne goes down.

Agnew has already proven himself on a couple of occasions and is worthy of flex consideration in deeper leagues in any game where one of the top three wideouts is out. Arnold is one of the better backup tight ends in the league and would be worth starting in a pinch if Engram misses time at some point.

Kansas City

QB: PATRICK MAHOMES, Chad Henne
RB: CLYDE EDWARDS-HELAIRE, Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon
WR: JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER, MARQUEZ VALDES-SCANTLING, MECOLE HARDMAN, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson
TE: TRAVIS KELCE, Jody Fortson

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Pacheco logged his first NFL start in Week 7 and could be on the verge of establishing himself as the lead back down the road, but it seems unlikely to happen anytime soon. Kansas City appears committed to rotating its backs for the time being - something that seems unlikely to change until Pacheco begins running with more nuance.

As much as I want Moore to happen this year, it does not look like it will. He has consistently played about 20-25 percent of the snaps and is not doing himself any favors with his work in the return game. Watson has done more with his opportunities and could be the preferred option should one of the top three wideouts go down. The name I like here the most, however, is Fortson. Kelce has been an absolute ironman since entering the league, but I think Fortson would be an automatic TE1 option in fantasy if that ever changed.

LA Chargers

QB: JUSTIN HERBERT, Chase Daniel
RB: AUSTIN EKELER, Joshua Kelley*, Sony Michel, Isaiah Spiller
WR: KEENAN ALLEN*, MIKE WILLIAMS*, Josh Palmer, DeAndre Carter, Michael Bandy
TE: GERALD EVERETT, Donald Parham*, Tre' McKitty

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? There are several backups to stash or monitor here. Kelley was already starting to separate from the pack before his Week 5 knee injury. He is well worth stashing on IR, as he figures to have some standalone value moving forward and a huge ceiling if Ekeler gets hurt. I am still holding out hope for Spiller, but it is also possible he missed too much time in August and September and will not be able to make up enough ground in time to be relevant this year.

It may not have happened in the way we want it to, but Palmer is poised to be relevant over the next month - if not the rest of the season. Maybe Allen's hamstring holds up with another week to rest and rehab it after the Week 8 bye, maybe it doesn't. (He had to check out early in Week 7.) We already know Williams (high-ankle sprain) is not expected to play for at least a month, which leaves Palmer in the position we thought he would have before Williams re-signed with the club this offseason. Palmer made his name in college as a vertical receiver and carried that over to his rookie season (10.1 average depth of target in 2021). With Allen missing most of the first half of the season, Palmer ended up becoming more of a short-area target (6.0 aDOT). Carter and Bandy could come into play if Allen's hamstring does not hold up and would work closer to the line of scrimmage, although it is probably just as likely Everett would see crazy volume in such a scenario since Ekeler already is.

LA Rams

QB: MATTHEW STAFFORD, John Wolford
RB: DARRELL HENDERSON, Cam Akers*, Kyren Williams*, Malcolm Brown, Ronnie Rivers
WR: COOPER KUPP, ALLEN ROBINSON, Van Jefferson*, Ben Skowronek, Brandon Powell
TE: TYLER HIGBEE, Brycen Hopkins

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? The most obvious candidate here is Jefferson, who adds a vertical element to this offense that did not exist over the first six games. I will continue to push back on anyone who believes Jefferson's eventual return will affect Robinson's playing time until I see it with my own eyes. The Rams' problems have very little to do with Robinson and much more to do with the number of injuries on the offensive line - and a lack of imagination in how to create favorable matchups for Robinson - so far.

(Ask yourself two questions if you believe Robinson is a problem: why is he ranked fourth in the league among receivers in red zone targets with 10? Why is he second in targets inside the 10 with eight if he is "washed"? The answer to both questions is not "sunk cost.") He is who he always has been … the Rams just have not been great with making him a regular part of the offense for whatever reason. Furthermore, do you think the same front office personnel that has nailed just about every veteran receiver acquisition (dating back to Sammy Watkins and Brandin Cooks) it has made over the last few years spent $15.5 M/year to miss so badly on Robinson?

Getting back to Jefferson, adding his speed back into the offense might be the best thing for Robinson and help Kupp as well. Stafford and HC Sean McVay have repeatedly stated how often defenses have had a safety over the top on Robinson's side. Getting Jefferson to threaten that safety may open things up. It remains to be seen if the offensive line can protect Stafford long enough for Jefferson to stretch the field, but the good news is there should be enough volume in this offense for Robinson, Jefferson and Higbee to be fantasy-relevant most weeks. (Kupp is a given.)

Las Vegas

QB: DEREK CARR, Jarrett Stidham
RB: JOSH JACOBS, Zamir White, Brandon Bolden
WR: DAVANTE ADAMS, MACK HOLLINS, HUNTER RENFROW, Keelan Cole
TE: DARREN WALLER, Foster Moreau

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? There has never been a question in my mind about Jacobs' ability. However, I vastly underrated HC Josh McDaniels' willingness to commit to one back this summer. With that said, he is handling a workload he has rarely seen in 3 1/2 years as a pro. Jacobs has been about as durable as running backs can be expected to be nowadays with at least 217 carries (and 262 touches) in each of his first three NFL seasons, but he has never played a full schedule. While White may not be in Jacobs' neighborhood in terms of talent, he runs with the same kind of power. Considering that is how Jacobs has done most of his damage lately, White would have high-end RB2 upside if Jacobs has to sit for a while.

Miami

QB: TUA TAGOVAILOA, Teddy Bridgewater, Skylar Thompson
RB: RAHEEM MOSTERT, Chase Edmonds, Myles Gaskin
WR: TYREEK HILL, JAYLEN WADDLE, Trent Sherfield, Cedrick Wilson
TE: MIKE GESICKI, Durham Smythe

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Edmonds does not appear to have any confidence in himself right now. Gaskin has not been active the last two weeks because he does not contribute on special teams, but he appears to be the most likely player to handle a huge workload if Mostert succumbs to injury yet again. Even though Mostert has proven to be a surprisingly steady option in the passing game in 2022, Gaskin has more of a track record in that regard. He could possess a slightly higher upside than Mostert is showing now.

Minnesota

QB: KIRK COUSINS, Nick Mullens
RB: DALVIN COOK, Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler*
WR: JUSTIN JEFFERSON, ADAM THIELEN, K.J. Osborn, Jalen Reagor
TE: IRV SMITH JR., Johnny Mundt

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Fortunately, Mattison and Osborn have already established themselves as potential fantasy starters with their past work should something happen ahead of them on the depth chart. Mattison is probably a low-end RB1 play at worst if Cook gets hurt again, while Osborn would probably be a strong flex option with WR3 upside if Jefferson or Thielen go down.

New England

QB: MAC JONES, Bailey Zappe
RB: RHAMONDRE STEVENSON, DAMIEN HARRIS, Pierre Strong Jr., Kevin Harris
WR: JAKOBI MEYERS, DEVANTE PARKER, TYQUAN THORNTON, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor
TE: HUNTER HENRY, Jonnu Smith

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Bourne and Agholor, but only if they are off the roster before next week's trade deadline. Both players would be good fits in Green Bay, for example, although I think Bourne would be significantly better. Otherwise, the player to track here moving forward is Thornton. He appears to be pushing for a full-time role, which is quite impressive considering all the time he missed time earlier this season. His speed jumps off the screen and he has already shown he can win at the catch point.

New Orleans

QB: ANDY DALTON, Jameis Winston
RB: ALVIN KAMARA, Mark Ingram
WR: MICHAEL THOMAS*, CHRIS OLAVE, JARVIS LANDRY*, Tre'Quan Smith, Marquez Callaway, Rashid Shaheed
TE: JUWAN JOHNSON, Taysom Hill, Adam Shaheen

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Seeing as how Hill is the TE6 in PPR scoring this year, he is the obvious answer. The only problem is he is already on most fantasy rosters. The player that has likely turned the most heads in New Orleans over the last two weeks might be Shaheed. He has turned both of his NFL touches (one end-around and one catch) into big-play touchdowns. It is no accident either; he appears to be one of the fastest players in the league. Shaheed is highly unlikely to see much playing time in the event Thomas (foot) and Landry (ankle) return from injury, but there is also no guarantee of that happening anytime soon.

NY Giants

QB: DANIEL JONES, Tyrod Taylor
RB: SAQUON BARKLEY, Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell
WR: DARIUS SLAYTON, WAN'DALE ROBINSON, Marcus Johnson, Richie James, David Sills, Kenny Golladay
TE: DANIEL BELLINGER*, Chris Myarick, Tanner Hudson

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Breida might initially find himself in the RB2 conversation if Barkley has to miss time, although New York would probably opt for a committee if that happened. With Robinson emerging as more of a full-timer in recent weeks, Johnson is about the only other reserve worth monitoring.

NY Jets

QB: ZACH WILSON, Joe Flacco
RB: MICHAEL CARTER, JAMES ROBINSON, Ty Johnson
WR: COREY DAVIS*, GARRETT WILSON, ELIJAH MOORE, Braxton Berrios, Denzel Mims
TE: TYLER CONKLIN, C.J. Uzomah

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Berrios is making the most of his playing time, but he probably needs at least another injury even if Davis misses multiple weeks with what is believed to be a sprained MCL. With that said, he seems to have a better connection with Zach Wilson than he does with Garrett Wilson or Moore.

Philadelphia

QB: JALEN HURTS, Gardner Minshew
RB: MILES SANDERS, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott
WR: A.J. BROWN, DEVONTA SMITH, Quez Watkins, Zach Pascal
TE: DALLAS GOEDERT, Jack Stoll

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Minshew and Scott would be perfectly viable bye-week options should Hurts or Sanders miss time, but it would be hard to get excited about either one long-term. Watkins and Pascal probably have the most fantasy upside of the reserves, although it feels like both are miles away from relevancy for as long as Brown and Smith stay healthy. It is also entirely possible that Brown or Smith would just see more targets if the other missed time, leaving Watkins and Pascal as fringe plays at best.

Pittsburgh

QB: KENNY PICKETT, Mitchell Trubisky
RB: NAJEE HARRIS, Jaylen Warren
WR: DIONTAE JOHNSON, GEORGE PICKENS, CHASE CLAYPOOL, Miles Boykin, Gunner Olszewski
TE: PAT FREIERMUTH, Zach Gentry, Connor Heyward

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? In part because I believe Harris is a power runner stuck behind an offensive line that needs its running back to run with more explosion right now, we are not going to get a good idea of Harris' ceiling for a second consecutive season. I also believe Harris still is not fully healthy, although he has looked better since removing the device in his shoe that he was playing with throughout September. With that said, as unenjoyable as it has been for managers to slog through the season with Harris, he is consistently delivering double-digit fantasy efforts. Warren is his clear backup and would likely be featured if Harris misses time.

For that reason alone, it boggles the mind that Warren is so far away from being universally owned in fantasy leagues, even as we enter the bye-week crunch. Warren is explosive and healthy. I have my doubts that Harris is (although he is better than he was last month). Bourne has the explosiveness this offense needs right now. This statement should not be taken as an indictment of Harris' talent, but he is not a good fit for this edition of the Steelers' offense. If Harris misses time at some point this season, Warren would be a viable (and perhaps very good) RB2 option in most leagues.

Seattle

QB: GENO SMITH, Drew Lock
RB: KENNETH WALKER, Tony Jones DeeJay Dallas, Travis Homer*
WR: DK METCALF*, TYLER LOCKETT, Marquise Goodwin, Dee Eskridge
TE: NOAH FANT, WILL DISSLY

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? While Goodwin should be a good add in fantasy leagues this week as managers prepare to be without Metcalf (knee) for a short time, I think there is a higher-upside player on this roster. I am prepared to be loud wrong on this, but Jones is still an intriguing talent to me. He is no Rashaad Penny or Walker, but I was impressed enough by him during the 2021 preseason (with the Saints) to believe he is capable of filling in as a featured back. It seems unlikely he will get that chance in 2022 since Seattle seems to trust Dallas and Homer with passing-down duties, but we already know the Seahawks can open up running lanes and do not mind pounding the rock.

San Francisco

QB: JIMMY GAROPPOLO, Brock Purdy
RB: CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY, Elijah Mitchell*, Jeff Wilson, Tyrion Davis-Price, Jordan Mason
WR: DEEBO SAMUEL, BRANDON AIYUK, Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud, Danny Gray
TE: GEORGE KITTLE, Ross Dwelley

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? As is typically the case with a Kyle Shanahan offense, anyone who plays running back. It is unfathomable to me that Mitchell has been dropped in several competitive fantasy leagues already - especially those that have IR spots. McCaffrey's durability is an issue, which means San Francisco is one CMC injury away from likely giving Mitchell 15-18 touches every week again (assuming he returns is expected following the team's Week 9 bye).

The other player I will mention here is Jennings. Samuel is currently dealing with a hamstring injury, although there is no indication yet it is anything serious. Either way, Jennings is already getting regular work in an offense that would not seem to have room for him. An injury to Samuel or Aiyuk would make him a full-time player and a viable flex option at worst.

Tampa Bay

QB: TOM BRADY, Blaine Gabbert
RB: LEONARD FOURNETTE, Rachaad White
WR: MIKE EVANS, CHRIS GODWIN, Julio Jones*, Russell Gage*
TE: CADE OTTON, Cameron Brate*

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? The obvious answer is White, but he is rostered in most leagues and has been since the start of the season. While Jones is not technically a reserve in the traditional sense, he is available in many leagues because most managers do not have the space to keep someone around when his NFL team determines it wants to "play the long game" with him. We are likely nearing the end of his recovery from the knee injury that has hindered him since mid-September, but managers already know not to count too much on his body holding up. With that said, there is definite WR3 upside here. With Jones expected to be a game-time decision in Week 8, now may be the time to stash him if the bye-week crunch is not hurting your team too much.

Tennessee

QB: RYAN TANNEHILL, Malik Willis
RB: DERRICK HENRY, Dontrell Hilliard, Hassan Haskins
WR: ROBERT WOODS, TREYLON BURKS*, Kyle Philips*, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Chris Conley
TE: AUSTIN HOOPER, Chigoziem Okonkwo

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Willis is not ready to be a full-time starter in the league yet, but his raw athleticism may allow him to push for high-end QB2 status right away if/when Tannehill misses time. That time could be as soon as Week 8 with Tannehill dealing with an ankle injury. Willis is not as far along as Justin Fields, but the same kind of game plan Chicago laid out for its quarterback against New England in Week 7 would be a good blueprint for what Tennessee should do with its third-round rookie if he is forced into action in 2022. In what has been a down year for the fantasy quarterback position as a whole, Willis could be one of the players that gives it a jolt.

Washington

QB: CARSON WENTZ*, Taylor Heinicke, Sam Howell
RB: BRIAN ROBINSON JR., Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic
WR: TERRY MCLAURIN, CURTIS SAMUEL, JAHAN DOTSON*, Dyami Brown*, Cam Sims
TE: LOGAN THOMAS, John Bates, Cole Turner*, Armani Rogers

Which reserve has a chance to emerge? Gibson is the obvious answer here in any league in which he was dropped, but I doubt it happened in many. Assuming that is the case, allow me to talk a bit about Rogers. While he is highly unlikely to contribute in a meaningful way in 2022, he is probably the future at the tight end position for the Commanders. Rogers spent his college career at UNLV and Ohio playing quarterback and only shifted over to tight end during the college all-star game circuit. After making a splash play in Week 1 on a screen, he barely saw the field again until he logged his most extensive playing time by far in Week 7. Rogers is a remarkably fluid and agile athlete who ran a 4.58 at about 230 pounds and posted a 34-inch vertical and impressive 10-foot-10 broad jump this spring. He needs to be monitored just in case last week's playing time was not a fluke. (To that end, Thomas has not played since Week 4 with a calf injury and Turner was ruled out late in the first half of Week 7 after suffering a concussion.)

 


Doug Orth has written for FF Today since 2006 and been featured in USA Today’s Fantasy Football Preview magazine since 2010. He hosted USA Today’s hour-long, pre-kickoff fantasy football internet chat every Sunday in 2012-13 and appears as a guest analyst on a number of national sports radio shows, including Sirius XM’s “Fantasy Drive”. Doug is also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.