We’re pretty much at the midway point of the season and this is when fantasy leagues are won and lost. Despite some of the biggest fantasy names missing with injury there are some good options going under the radar this week. Here are my candidates to start and sit this week.
Quarterbacks
Start ‘Em
Joe Burrow – Despite the situation around him, Burrow has been playing well. He kept things close with the Browns last weekend, becoming the first rookie quarterback in Bengals franchise history to throw for 400 yards in a game. He now has five games with 300+ passing yards, tied for the second most amongst rookie quarterbacks in NFL history. His 41.8 pass attempts per game lead the NFL and is coming up against a poor Titans secondary.
Baker Mayfield – I feel like Baker Mayfield has been easily one of the most volatile quarterbacks in 2020. At his worst it has looked like the Browns would consider a change at the position yet at his best he shows why they invested the No. 1 overall pick in him. Last week he set a Browns record for consecutive completions with 21, finishing the game with five touchdowns and 29.7 fantasy points. This week he faces a Raiders defense who rank 29th against opposing quarterbacks, giving up an average of 22.9 points per game.
Sit ‘Em
Drew Lock – With major investment at receiver and running back it looked like Drew Lock had the weapons so succeed in 2020 and big things were expected of this team. For whatever reason he has been unable to deliver and hasn’t thrown a passing touchdown since Week 1. His accuracy continues to be a concern and he is averaging just 7.1 points per game. Despite a favourable matchup against the Chargers I would sit him until he shows signs of progress.
Cam Newton – What has happened to Cam? Nobody was expecting him to play like he did in his MVP winning season but he has been poor this season. Despite a couple of good games early on he struggled against the Broncos in Week 6, before managing -0.1 points last week. After throwing three picks he was benched by Bill Belichick and things are trending badly in the wrong direction for him at the moment.
Running backs
Start ‘Em
Todd Gurley – Last week Gurley made the play that perhaps encapsulates the Falcons’ 2020 season with his ‘accidental’ touchdown. That issue aside, Gurley has continued to impress from a fantasy perspective and whilst we might never again see the player who dominated with the Rams, he presents a viable starting option. This weekend he faces a Panthers defense that have been abysmal against the run, allowing 31.8 points per game.
Myles Gaskin – Gaskin has been one of my favourite players to watch this season and he has been putting up some impressive numbers in this Dolphins offense. This week he will face the Rams in what should be a tough game for Tua Tagovailoa in his first NFL start. With this in mind, as well as Aaron Donald’s game-wrecking ability, Brian Flores will look to the running game where possible. Gaskin should also see usage as a receiving back and I think this could be a big game for the second-year undrafted player.
Sit ‘Em
D’Andre Swift – Swift wasn’t playing as often as many expected to start the season but since the Lions bye week in Week 5 he seems to have established himself as their lead back going forward. He has impressed over the past two weeks as a runner and receiver, scoring 42.1 points across the two games. This could be a tough game though as the Lions face a stout Colts defense that ranks fifth against opposing running backs, allowing just 19.3 per game.
J.K. Dobbins – It’s not yet clear whether or not Mark Ingram will play this weekend but regardless it makes sense to sit Dobbins and any other Ravens backs for that matter. The Steelers have been allowing the fewest fantasy points to running backs this season and they held Derrick Henry to just 75 yards last week. I’d expect a similar performance from them again in this one as they sell out to stop Baltimore’s running game.
Wide receivers
Start ‘Em
Travis Fulgham – Fulgham seems to have developed into the Eagles’ number one receiver out of nowhere. I was wary of buying into him after a week or two of good numbers but he has now had double digit targets in his last three games. In that period he is averaging almost 100 yards and 21 fantasy points per game. He has also put up double digit points each time he has faced top ten defenses. With a game against a crisis-hit Dallas team this weekend he could be a great option.
Henry Ruggs – Ruggs exploded in Week 5 against the Chiefs, with 118 yards on two catches for 19.8 fantasy points. I had him as a candidate to sit last week against the Bucs and as I predicted he had a limited impact, with 35 yards and 6.5 points. This week he comes up against a poor Cleveland defense who are allowing 48.7 points per game to receivers, ranked 30th. This is a great opportunity for him to put up some good numbers.
Sit ‘Em
Juju Smith-Schuster – The big question entering this season was whether last year’s slump was a one-off for Juju Smith-Schuster or where it was a return to the kind of player he is going to be for the future. Right now it looks like the latter and he doesn’t look like a WR1 in fantasy terms or on the field. He has had double digit targets just once and has managed 50+ yards twice in six games. He has suffered from a fantasy perspective from the emergence of Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool and with a tough game against the Ravens this weekend he may be best left on the bench.
Darius Slayton – The Giants are obviously a bit of a mess at the moment and Slayton has struggled too. His performances have been erratic, with two games over 20 points and four single digit performances. It is probably not a coincidence that his two good games came against teams ranked in the bottom ten for points allowed to receivers. This weekend he faces a Bucs team with one of the most talented coverage units in the NFL, ranking eighth against wide receivers this season.
Tight ends
Start ‘Em
Rob Gronkowski – It might be too early to say for sure but right now it looks like we could be getting the old Gronk back. It clearly took him some time to readjust to the NFL but the connection between him and Brady has looked as good as ever over the last two weeks. In each game he had five catches from eight targets and a touchdown, scoring 15+ points both times. Chris Godwin is out for their game against the Giants and Gronk should feature heavily again.
Richard Rodgers – This is not a name I expected to feature in a fantasy football piece this season. With Zach Ertz out and Dallas Goedert questionable for this weekend’s matchup with the Cowboys though, Rodgers could be an underrated option. This Eagles offense lives in 12 personnel and even if Goedert is back I would expect Rodgers to see plenty of snaps and a bunch of targets again. He scored 14.5 points against the Giants last week and is facing a Dallas defense that ranks 23rd against tight ends.
Sit ‘Em
Evan Engram – Engram’s fourth quarter drop against the Eagles last week pretty much summarised his season and career so far. He has 21 career drops, the most by any tight end since 2017, and is currently ranked as TE17. He has scored double digit points just twice and is set to face a lockdown Bucs defense this weekend. Maybe he will turn things around at some point but as each week goes by I feel less and less confident that it is ever going to happen.
Gerald Everett – It’s always a risk picking one of the Rams running backs or tight ends. Sean McVay’s commitment to rotation and shared targets has limited the effectiveness of Tyler Higbee and Everett from a fantasy perspective. Add this to a Miami defense that has allowed a single touchdown to tight ends all season and it is difficult to see Everett doing much here.
Defenses
Start ‘Em
Philadelphia Eagles – This Eagles defense has not been great, but the matchup this week is too tempting to miss. They are going up against a Cowboys team who look set to be without Andy Dalton. Seventh round rookie Ben Dinucci is the presumptive starter for a team that scored just three points against Washington and averaged 2.6 yards per play. The Eagles defense shouldn’t have much to worry about.
Sit ‘Em
Chicago Bears – The Bears’ defense has been one of the few positives for Chicago fans despite their 5-2 record. That said, they have a tough matchup this weekend against the Saints and it would be sensible to sit them in this one. They allowed 4.7 yards per carry to the Rams and that doesn’t bode well for dealing with Alvin Kamara. Add to this their below-average pressure rate and I wouldn’t be surprised if Brees put up a bunch of points this weekend.