Fantasy Football: Hot Pickups – Week Six
Charcandrick West – Charcandrick West. If you have not been paying attention to Chiefs games this season this may not be a name many owners are familiar with but he appears to be in line to grab the lead back role in the Chiefs offense going forward which gives him immediate RB2 upside and worthy of a large percentage of your FAAB budget. Expect Knile Davis to see heavy snaps as West’s backup and consider him a major threat to West’s job if West underperforms but it is the 88 percent available West who appears the best bet for your FAAB dollars but that does not rule out adding Davis as a supremely high upside stash in the event West falters. Consider West a low end RB2 and the 85 perecent available Davis a flex option with a bench floor.
Willie Snead – Somehow still available in 54 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Snead operated as Drew Brees’ top target this past Sunday and may continue to shine with Brandin Cooks dealing with the extra defensive attention a number one receiver garners. Snead went off against the Eagles with 141 receiving yards off of six receptions and eleven targets and is someone that needs to be added in started in most league sizes.
Darren McFadden – Available in 65 percent of Yahoo! leagues McFadden has indeed become the Cowboys passing down back as we suggested last week. McFadden is worthy of an add in all leagues and has much higher upside than Lance Dunbar ever possessed due to the fact he can grab hold of the starting job in Dallas on any given Sunday. Still one of the best talents in the league, albeit a brittle one, McFadden could be the lottery ticket to fantasy gold this year. Make the add wherever available.
Shane Vereen – Strangely available in 57 percent of Yahoo! leagues I cannot tell you anything about Shane Vereen’s upside you do not already know. Go make the add where available.
Brandon LaFell – LaFell is due back soon and needs to be scooped up in all league sizes. Edelman is the only true threat at wide receiver so you can be sure that Tom Brady will be anxious to get him heavily involved in the offense as soon as he hits the field in what is expected to be week seven. LaFell, who is available in 79 percent of Yahoo! leagues will have immediate WR4 value with WR2/WR3 upside in a turbulent wide receiver landscape.
Duke Johnson – Still available in 51 percent of Yahoo! leagues Duke needs to be added in all PPR formats as he has hauled in six plus receptions the past two weeks and figures to stay heavily involved in the Browns passing game given the decrepit state of their receiving corps at wide receiver. It has also become apparent that Duke is just not good enough as a runner yet to grab hold of the starting job but is a high upside stash for speculative owners.
Thomas Rawls – Still available in 54 percent of Yahoo! leagues Rawls is worth an end of the bench spot at the very least and is a no-brainer must add for any Lynch owners who declined to add the rookie running back. Beast Mode Jr. rumbled his way to 162 yards and a touchdown and will be on the RB1 radar whenever Marshawn Lynch is unable to go. Dynasty league owners need to make a move to acquire now as he will soon be as untouchable as Christine Michael was as a member of the Seahawks.
Kamar Aiken – Number one wide receiver still available in 76 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Make the add where possible. Aiken is slowly but surely improving from week to week and with rookie Breshad Perriman looking like a ‘slow healer’ Aiken should be added in most formats. Aiken looks to have WR3/WR4 value with Steve Smith out and is a solid play during the mind numbing fantasy football exercise known as the bye week olympics.
Jamison Crowder – Relatively unknown rookie Jamison Crowder has amassed over eight targets over the past three weeks and is someone who needs to be on fantasy radars in deeper leagues especially with the bye week crunch now underway. He is a serviceable bye week filler and one would suspect that he has carved out the third receiver slot role he was ticketed for coming out of college. Still available in 95 percent of Yahoo! leagues Crowder has WR3 upside with a bench floor at least until Desean Jackson returns, maybe longer.
Brian Quick – Available in 82 percent of Yahoo! leagues Brian Quick is slowly seeing himself integrated into the offense and after a three target week five look for him to be more heavily involved going forward as arguably the Rams top weapon at wideout. Quick has WR3 upside in this offense and will be a direct beneficiary of the emergence of Todd Gurley. With the Rams on bye for week six and yet to have his breakout game of the Quick is someone that will be available at a low cost and possibly even after the waiver period has ended. Those in need of wideout depth with serious upside should look hard at the Rams receiver.
Deep league radar: Jaelen Strong, Charles Sims, Josh Huff, Marquess Wilson, Marvin Jones, Tavon Austin, Dorial Green-Beckham
