The fantasy football playoffs are just a month away, and now is the time when fantasy heroes are made. We’ve seen it so many times before — a late-season pickup that surges through the final stretch of games and delivers you a trophy or the ability to mock your league-mates. It’s a beautiful thing, and there are some breakouts waiting to happen in this thin, but crucial week of waiver wire pickups.
GB RB Jamaal Williams: Aaron Jones was carted off and Ty Montgomery re-injured his ribs, so in their place, Williams carried the Green Bay load with 20 carries for 67 yards. As the Packers offense continues to get by without Aaron Rodgers, their running game will get a ton of work. Get Williams.
J Williams kicking ass thru 3 players pic.twitter.com/U1whONBtgw
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) November 13, 2017
WAS RB Samaje Perine: Rob Kelley looks like he’s going to be out as Washington’s between-the-tackles runner for a while, so now you get Perine, a living, breathing, starting running back with a low, low floor who could be a decent replacement while your team heals up/gets through the byes when he takes on New Orleans in Week 11. He’s not a sexy pick.
Lowest yards per carry average, minimum 50 rushing attempts:
2.86 Christian McCaffrey
2.89 Jonathan Stewart
2.90 Joe Mixon
3.07 Semaje Perine
3.17 Rob Kelley— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) November 7, 2017
NE RB Rex Burkhead: With Chris Hogan out, Burkhead caught three passes for 27 yards and a touchdown, and also saw 10 carries to touch leader Dion Lewis’ 14 carries. Burkhead was involved when everyone was healthy and Mike Gillislee was getting the Dion Lewis touches, so it seems like Burkhead will remain a consistent presence in both the passing and rushing game for now, until he fumbles or Bill Belichick decides he hates your fantasy team. There’s a reason why the Patriots paid him this offseason:
Rex Burkhead is the most successful RB in the NFL this year after ranking 2nd best last year (success rate on rushes+receptions). [Look at all the NE RBs at the top of the rankings] pic.twitter.com/piRVYkErlV
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) November 13, 2017
Score a TD on offense AND block a punt on special teams?
@RBrex2022 is doing it all for the @Patriots! #NEvsDEN #GoPats https://t.co/Om8vR6fhOv
— NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/929887782176096256
CHI WR Dontrelle Inman: A 2017 Bears receiver with picking up? That’s what we’ve got in former Charger Dontrelle Inman, who turned 8 targets into 6 catches for 88 yards in his first game as a Bear. Mitch Trubisky and the Bears offense is still a total mess, but they’re going to get into some knock down drag out fights and Inman could benefit in deeper leagues.
Dontrelle Inman’s 88 yards today the second-most for a Bears receiver this season and his 5 first downs were the most for any Bears pass catcher in a game in 2017.
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) November 12, 2017
LA Rams WR Robert Woods: We’ve written about him multiple times in the weeks leading up to his back-to-back breakout games, so consider this your final chance to get him (he’s still available in about 30 percent of leagues). Keep in mind that Sammy Watkins hasn’t been cut, and Jared Goff is coming off the two best games of his career, so this isn’t the second coming of Doug Baldwin, yet. He’s still looking like an every week WR2.
NINETY-FOUR YARD TD!@JaredGoff16 to @robertwoods! #LARams https://t.co/QUd2pQiUgq
— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2017
DAL RB Rod Smith: So, the Dallas running back situation is weird. Without Ezekiel Elliott, we saw heir-apparent Alfred Morris get out-snapped 39-21. Smith didn’t do much with his time on the field, but he did catch three passes, so he’ll see time on the field whenever Dallas is behind. He can pass block, too!
https://twitter.com/MeMeSyndrome_/status/928736836566110208
Pick up Smith, drop McFadden, bench Morris, expect McFadden to get activated in two weeks and do really well, scramble to get McFadden, get McFadden, put him in your lineup, be disappointed as McFadden puts up a dud. That’s how this might work.
