Werbung

Pickups of the Week: Davante Adams, Chris Thompson are priority adds

Each week throughout the NFL season, we identify six players to target on fantasy waiver wires, plus a lightly owned D/ST. All are available in a majority of Yahoo leagues. Add as needed.

Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers, 18% owned

Sixteen targets. Sixteen. That’s the workload Adams received in Green Bay’s win against Chicago, a number that led all NFL receivers in Week 7. Adams isn’t exactly known for his reliable hands, but he managed to catch 13 balls on Thursday night, gaining 132 yards and finding the end-zone twice. He’s obviously not a lock for double-digit weekly target totals going forward, but it’s worth noting that he’s seen at least seven chances in four of his six games this season. Next Sunday, the Packers travel to Atlanta to face a defense that ranks next-to-last against the pass (294.3 YPG). Green Bay clearly doesn’t trust its ground game at the moment, not with Eddie Lacy sidelined, so it’s reasonable to expect another 50-plus pass attempts from Aaron Rodgers. Don’t be surprised if Adams delivers another useful fantasy line.

FAAB bid: $9

Brandon LaFell, WR, Cincinnati Bengals, 12%

And speaking of receivers with questionable hands, let’s acknowledge the fine recent work by LaFell. He’s hauled in four touchdown passes over his last three games, catching 14 balls on 21 targets. LaFell remains a supporting receiver in Cincinnati’s offense, of course, but he benefits from the extreme attention that defenses devote to A.J. Green and the Bengals’ ground game. LaFell is at least competent enough to take advantage of favorable matchups, and quarterback Andy Dalton has routinely been looking his way. Washington’s middle-of-the-pack pass defense is on deck for Cincy, so there’s a decent chance he’ll make yet another house call in Week 8.

FAAB bid: $4

Chris Thompson, RB, Washington, 12%

Thompson dominated the backfield touches for Washington on Sunday, carrying the ball 12 times for 73 yards and catching seven passes for 40. Matt Jones, meanwhile, lost yet another fumble at the goal-line — hardly a surprise, because it’s his signature move. Head coach Jay Gruden continues to refer to Jones as his starting back, but it’s clear that he’s fed up with the ongoing ball security concerns…

Thompson may not be the game’s flashiest runner, but he’s actually averaging 5.1 YPC on the season, plus he’s a capable receiving threat. It’s tough to imagine that Gruden will continue to rely on Jones as anything more than a rotational back. If No. 31 is allowed to touch the ball again inside the 5-yard line, it should be a fireable offense.

FAAB bid: $6

Peyton Barber, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 0%

OK, here’s a flier for deep league fantasy players. The Auburn rookie carried 12 times for 84 yards against the Niners on Sunday, capping the scoring for the Bucs with a 44-yard touchdown run. San Francisco’s run defense is abysmal, of course, ranking dead-last in the league, so let’s not get too carried away with Barber’s performance. But it’s worth mentioning the fact that Doug Martin (hamstring) remains sidelined by injury and without a timetable. In Martin’s absence, the undersized Jacquizz Rodgers is the featured back for Tampa Bay, with Barber filling a supporting role. The Bucs have another appealing matchup ahead, as the team hosts Oakland next Sunday; the Raiders are allowing 5.0 YPC to opposing runners. In deeper formats, Barber belongs in the flex discussion.

FAAB bid: $4

Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City Chiefs, 38%

Another week, another spectacular matchup in which Smith can underwhelm. Sigh. He threw for 214 yards and two scores against the Saints’ horrendous defense in Week 7, and that’s probably a reasonable forecast for the upcoming matchup at Indianapolis. The Colts have allowed 281.1 passing yards per game and 7.7 per attempt, ranking in the bottom-third of the league in both stats. Vontae Davis is good, but he’s only one guy. We’re heading into a week in which six teams are on bye, so any QB capable of tossing multiple TD passes is in play.

FAAB bid: $4

Jack Doyle, TE, Indianapolis Colts, 30%

Doyle has made house calls in back-to-back weeks, and he hauled in nine balls for 78 yards on 10 targets at Tennessee on Sunday. Dwayne Allen is dinged at the moment, dealing with an ankle issue and potentially facing a multi-game absence, so Doyle will continue to see plenty of work. Andrew Luck tends to pepper the tight end position with targets near the goal line, and Doyle should dominate those chances.

FAAB bid: $5

New York Jets, 19%

New York forced three turnovers against Baltimore in a Week 7 win, somehow holding the Ravens to only six rushing yards on 12 attempts. Next week, the Jets travel to Cleveland to face a winless team with a tragic quarterback situation and no healthy receivers. It will be a minor surprise if New York can’t generate multiple takeaways and finish as a top-10 D/ST for fantasy purposes.

FAAB bid: $1

Additional adds to consider: Devontae Booker, RB, Denver Broncos, 34% (vs. SD); Zach Zenner, RB, Detroit Lions, 8% (at Hou); Knile Davis, RB, Green Bay Packers, 36% (at Atl); Marquise Goodwin, WR, Buffalo Bills, 4% (vs. NE); Jamison Crowder, WR, Washington, 37% (at Cin); Brock Osweiler, QB, Houston Texans, 14% (vs. Det)

Follow the Yahoo fantasy crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, Brad Evans, Brandon Funston, Liz Loza and Scott Pianowski