https://www.nbcsports.com/fantasy/football/news/flex-finder-week-7-the-struggles-continue-at-rb
I do my best to write to inform, not just entertain, so when I look at last week’s article and how I became a victim of what I’m now calling the Hassan Haskins Industrial Complex, what I hope you understand is that we are captive to the coachspeak. Kimani Vidal‘s big day should have been this column’s big day. But none of the signs were actually pointing there from any real sources or quotes. It is a humbling hobby, sometimes.
But hey, the show must roll on and the bye weeks are in full effect, which makes this an even harder article to write every week.
Once again, my rules for this weekly article:
1) I will not recommend quarterbacks — you’re on your own there.
2) I will not recommend any running back who costs more than $5,000, wideout who costs more than $4,500, or tight end that costs more than $4,000 in DraftKings’ DFS Slate — I just figured this was an easy cutoff for what a FLEX really is.
3) I consider any player who garners over 50 yards or scores a victory for the column — anything more you get out of that, well, great for you. Let’s set expectations low because we are combing for outliers.
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▶ Running Backs
Tyjae Spears, TEN — $4,900
While the Haskins take aged like milk on the counter, my Spears take from last week felt downright prescient. He bumped his share of snaps to 60 percent and handled nine touches to Tony Pollard‘s 12.
Brian Callahan is gone, but the more important part of this game to me is the fact that the Patriots are coming to down. New England, in Week 4, went into halftime with a 28-6 lead and kept throwing. It was 42-6. Now let’s think of any reasons that Mike Vrabel would have to be upset about the Tennessee Titans together. Hm, I have at least one.
I think this projects to be a blowout game script. Spears is going to get plenty of checkdowns just like he did last week.
Kareem Hunt, KC — $4,800
Both Chiefs backs are technically eligible for this column with Isiah Pacheco at $5,000. The Raiders simply put, are not very good. Hunt leads Pacheco in red zone totes 11-7 and in goal-to-go attempts 7-1. The state of finding running backs that could find their way into work in this column gets harder every week, but the combination of projected script and Hunt’s goal-line role gives me some hope that he can find six points.
Tyler Allgeier, ATL, $4,800
The Falcons have played five games and Allgeier has received 10 or more carries in four of them. This is usage that seems almost bankable at this point? The Falcons only led against the Buccaneers for a small part of that game as well, so it’s not completely because they got up big against the Commanders and Bills and ran all over them.
Anyway, the 49ers defense no longer has Nick Bosa or Fred Warner. Someone named Tatum Bethune was playing the snaps for Warner last game — I’m sure Mr. Bethune could play football much better than me, but Fred Warner he is not. The 49ers may not have Brock Purdy (toe, limited Wednesday) back and have the look of a paper tiger. I think Allgeier is worth a plunge the way the Falcons are playing right now.
Michael Carter, ARI, $4,800
A key cog in the Green Bay Packers’ plan to play with their food rather than actually beat anyone convincingly is that they must take an early lead. They had leads of 10-0 on the Bengals, 13-0 on the Cowboys, and 10-0 on the Browns. The Cardinals, with or without Kyler Murray, are a team that feels ready to be treated like mashed potatoes by a two-year-old.
With Emari Demercado nursing an ankle injury and not practicing early this week after leaving Week 6, Carter managed to take control of the Arizona passing-down role and saw five targets for the second week in a row. I believe it is the passing-down back, not Bam Knight, that we want to be rostering this week. So if Demercado miraculously recovers that throws a wrench into my plans. But I think Carter should leave Week 7 as the “lead” of this committee even though nobody is actually impressive.
▶ Wide receivers
Demario Douglas, NE, $4,000
Remember what I wrote earlier about Vrabel running up the score? Yeah. Douglas regained a foothold in the passing game against the Saints with a 53-yard touchdown catch and had another one overruled by a weirdly late flag. Stefon Diggs has drawn a new chest designation on the injury report. I like Douglas to find his way into the end zone this week against a depleted Titans unit that is going to realize on Sunday that there’s still 10 more games of football left before they can go home and solve anything.
Michael Wilson, ARI ($3,800) and Zay Jones, ARI ($3,500)
Astute ball knowers will remember that Kyler Murray (foot) is still limited and the wheels were already greased for him to miss another week via Sunday morning’s reporting, while remembering that Marvin Harrison Jr. left with an in-game concussion and does not appear to be a lock to play.
You don’t need to rush to get either Wilson (also limited because of a foot injury) or Jones (actually missed Wednesday’s practice altogether with a knee) into your lineups. But last I checked the Cardinals will need someone to catch the football on Sunday and these are two players who very well could fill someone-sized holes.
Olamide Zaccheaus, CHI, $3,700
Surely the Bears will reduce this guy’s workload as the year goes on, and Luther Burden will take over. Except, instead, after their bye week Zaccheaus played a season-high 84.4 percent of the snaps and was targeted six times for the second straight game. Yes, that’s right, Burden had a better fantasy game despite having just 15 offensive snaps.
With DJ Moore (groin) hospitalized after the game, I think there’s room for both players to be worthwhile FLEX plays. (Moore did not practice on Wednesday.) But only one of the two players actually costs less than $4,000 on DraftKings, and that’s the veteran.
Isaiah Bond, CLE, $3,400
Listen, I hate this play.
I am staring at the target counts and the snap counts, and Bond is a full-time receiver playing an awful Dolphins defense. I have zero faith that Dillon Gabriel can connect with a wide receiver because I watched him play against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But anyone with this kind of matchup can pop off and Bond is a speed receiver who could pay off this price on one play. David Njoku is day-to-day with a knee injury and may not go. I simply have to put it out there and wear the 3/18 line on seven targets next week when I look at the piece.
Alec Pierce, IND, $4,100
Josh Downs is taking his turn in concussion protocol, which should open up a spot in the Indianapolis pecking order for Pierce. Ashton Dulin also popped on to the report with a chest injury, perhaps freeing Adonai Mitchell from exile. Pierce has been sneaky important for the Colts and gone over 35 yards in every game they’ve played. This game’s over/under has climbed from 45.5 at open to 48.5 now. The Colts are the league’s top scoring offense and favored in this game. This all could add up to a nice little day for Pierce.
See which players are running hot and which ones are running cold headed into Week 7, and what that might mean for your fantasy team.
▶ Tight ends
Harold Fannin Jr., $3,900
Dillon Gabriel is a walking tight end PPR scam — Fannin had 10 targets last game and four over the pond against Minnesota despite missing a chunk of that game with a minor injury. If David Njoku‘s knee is bad enough to keep him sidelined, I think Fannin could have a top-5 day at tight end. Even if it’s not, we should still generate value on this cost.
Kyle Pitts, $3,800
A disappointing 3/18 day on Monday night against the Bills, but the seasonal record for Pitts has been strong and the entire Falcons passing offense got funneled to Drake London. That won’t happen every week. As I mentioned in discussing Allgeier above, Fred Warner is gone. I want a few different shots at the 49ers defense in this column as I think they are well-coached but talent-bereft. Pitts feels like a solid bet to score, especially if Darnell Mooney remains out.
https://www.nbcsports.com/fantasy/football/news/flex-finder-week-7-the-struggles-continue-at-rb
