It’s week 7, which means those of you who rely heavily on Bengals, Packers, Bears and Broncos are going to have a lot of roster work to do.
Although this week might not be ideal, it had to be encouraging for owners to finally start seeing some clarity from players they’ve stashed. Ronnie Hillman put together his second 100-yard game in three weeks; all but ensuring that unless he gets hurt he’s the new lead back in Denver. We were also privy to our first, real Jeff Janis sighting of 2015 as he caught two passes for 79-yards. With the Packers offense in first-gear don’t be surprised if after the Bye he becomes more of an option in the passing game.
Something to keep in mind this week: just because key pieces are on Bye, you don’t have to concede the week. Remember that. Don’t use it as an excuse. Think I’m joking? How much fun am I going to have with this lineup?:
Obviously, it’s going to be really difficult to win this week, but it isn’t impossible. Remember that.
Waiver Targets
Christine Michael, RB, Dallas Cowboys
We’ve seen this name before, right? He was the man who was supposed to replace Marshawn Lynch in Seattle. But since being drafted out of Texas A&M he hasn’t lived up to the hype. Now in Dallas, with Joseph Randle (predictably) unable to come close to RB1 production the Cowboys are prepared to give Michael a shot at the lead role. I recommend adding and stashing for a week until he proves he’s up to the challenge.
Josh McCown, QB, Cleveland Browns
Let’s face it, if you have Aaron Rodgers as your QB1 and need a backup pickings are slim (remember all those “Quarterback is So Deep You Can Wait To Draft One” articles and experts? Can’t find them, now). While I’ve forever stressed the value of a plug and play QB1 who can spot you 25-30 points from the get-go, replacing that during Byes is challenging. McCown isn’t going to light the stat sheet on fire, what he might do is complete enough passes, throw for enough yards, and sneak in just the right amount of touchdowns to get you by. That’s what you need, right?
Note: Teddy Bridgewater and Colin Kaepernick fit this mold as well.
Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings
One of the hotter names on the waiver wire, Charles Johnson has all but vanished (a la Cordarrelle Patterson) from the Vikings offense. What Diggs brings to the table is good speed, routes, and dependable production. Something not seen from a Vikings receiver since the Randy Moss/Cris Carter days. Seriously. If he’s available snag him. If you can buy high, do so.
Brian Hoyer, Houston Texans
Brian Hoyer has survived it all and then some. His latest trick? Beating out Ryan Mallett for the starting Texans job for the rest of ’15. A few more weapons are in Houston than Cleveland so consider him a solid Bye week start against the Dolphins.
Follow me on Twitter @DACubbage for more NFL, MLB, and Fantasy Football notes
