It was a wild week in fantasy as Ryan Fitzpatrick finished as the top scoring fantasy passer, DeAndre Hopkins finished as WR1, and guys like Roy Helu, Dan Herron, Donte Moncrief, and Eddie Royal were all among the week’s top performers.
It’s another reminder that top 12 production is readily available on the waiver wire if you’re willing to go with an unsexy name that has a good opportunity and a good matchup.
Last week we suggested picking up Fitzpatrick, Zach Mettenberger, Herron, Latavius Murray, and Jarvis Landry. Outside of injuries to Mett and Murray, we made out pretty good. Let’s see who’s available in nearly all leagues this week.
Quarterback Targets:
Colt McCoy (Owned in 6 percent of Yahoo leagues): Over his two starts this season, McCoy has completed 73 percent of his passes for 691 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception while adding ten rushes for 28 yards and a score. Yeah, that Colt McCoy.
Even if you’re not sold on McCoy’s numbers because you’re biased from watching him chronically struggle in Cleveland, his matchups are excellent. Up next he’ll face the Rams, who give up the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and have given up 290+ passing yards in five of their last seven games.
Then he’ll face a Giants D that gives up the sixth most fantasy points to opposing QBs and even allowed Blake Bortles to post a strong fantasy day in Week 13, a week removed from a four-touchdown Tony Romo performance.
In Week 16, McCoy will see the Eagles who give up the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks of any team and have given up massive games to the likes of Zach Mettenberger and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Johnny Manziel (12 percent): Manziel completed five of his eight pass attempts for 63 yards and rushed twice for 13 yards and a score in relief of Brian Hoyer on Sunday. Obviously, fantasy owners have been waiting for this opportunity since Johnny Football provides a nice boost on the ground, and showed that ability as he ran it in himself for a 10-yard touchdown on his very first drive.
Assuming he keeps the starting job, up next he’ll see a Colts defense who just allowed 392 yards and three touchdowns to Colt McCoy. The Bengals are a tough draw in Week 15 but after that he’ll face a weak Panthers defense that has allowed at least two passing touchdowns in eight of their 12 games this season and give up the seventh most fantasy points to opposing passers.
Running Back Targets:
Mike Tolbert (1 percent): Tolbert didn’t do much in his first game back but seasoned deep leaguers know his value. He is a touchdown-dependent back who will play alongside Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams and poach their good goal line carries. Not a burning value but definitely someone you can plug in if your running back position has been decimated by injuries in recent weeks.
Roy Helu (12 percent): Helu is strictly a PPR pickup but I think he’ll be more involved in the passing game with Colt McCoy at the helm. Helu caught four passes for 61 yards and a touchdown against Indy and had seven touches for 44 yards the last time McCoy started against the Cowboys. With the Redskins’ schedule, DeSean Jackson banged up, and Pierre Garcon failing to catch more than three passes since Week 8, look for Helu to emerge as a reliable target alongside the Skins’ tight ends down the stretch.
Wide Receiver Targets:
Donte Moncrief (5 percent): We’ve been waiting for Moncrief to go off and boy did he finally deliver, scorching the Redskins defense for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Moncrief was only targeted four times so this is a bit of a trap given he’s only exceeded 55 yards one other time this season but it’s clear that the rookie out of Mississippi is emerging as a legit target for Andrew Luck, who always has plenty of yards and touchdowns to go around. I wouldn’t go after Moncrief in standard leagues but he’s a good deep league target.
Stedman Bailey (1 percent): Bailey has suddenly become Shaun Hill’s favorite target, racking up 15 targets, 12 catches, 189 yards, and a touchdown over the last two weeks with Hill at the helm. St. Louis has pretty juicy matchups sandwiched around Arizona in Week 15 and Bailey could certainly benefit from games against the Redskins and Giants.
Robert Woods (6 percent): Over the last two weeks, Woods has caught 13 of 18 passes thrown his way for 189 yards and a touchdown. With Sammy Watkins nursing a hip injury and no other viable wideouts on the roster, expect Woods to be the go-to target for Kyle Orton.
Their upcoming games against Denver and Green Bay are tough and should be very pass heavy so look for Woods to get a lot of work over the next two weeks.
