Another week, another breakout performance by a rookie. Ever since undrafted Jaguars receiver Allen Hurns recorded 110 yards and 2 TDs in week one it seems like each new week brings us another rookie to the top of the weekly waiver wire. Chargers rookie Branden Oliver made sure week 6 was no different with a 119 rushing yards on 19 carries and a TD paired with an impressive 68 receiving yards on 4 catches and another TD. I mentioned Oliver last week as an explosive talent that could produce given the chance, but last week’s performance jumped him up from interesting talent to must own. Oliver is available in nearly every league (owned in only 0.4% of leagues on both NFL.com and ESPN leagues) and with Donald Brown recovering from a concussion and a nice match-up against the Raiders this week, Oliver is certainly an intriguing spot start and should continue to have value going forward picking up the touches that would have otherwise gone to Danny Woodhead, once Ryan Matthews (currently estimated at about two weeks.) Make no mistake though, Oliver isn’t just a shifty pass catcher, at 5’7, 207 pounds he’s got a solid frame and can explode through the tackles, as we saw this past Sunday against the Jets.
Also being promoted from last week’s ‘talented back-up’ to ‘must own’ is Giants rookie Andre Williams (37.5% on NFL)(36.4% on ESPN) who will get at least one start in a nice matchup against the Eagles as Rashad Jennings recovers from a sprained MCL. It’s being reported that Jennings could be back as soon as week 7 against the Cowboys, and the Giants have a bye in week 8, but if Williams continues to run well Jennings could return to a bit more of a timeshare as the Giants offense is currently firing on all cylinders and the defense continues to get better, there could be ample work for Williams as a late game clock killer.
Now, on to some new names. As always the names are in no particular order, and the parentheticals to the right of the name reflect the ownership percentage of each player in NFL and ESPN leagues.
Ronnie Hillman, RB, Broncos: (1.3% on NFL)(0.9% on ESPN) Ran hard against a good Cardinals defense after Montee Ball left the game with a groin injury. Ball is expect to miss time, and Hillman’s performance should give him the inside track on the job. The next two weeks don’t exactly provide favorable match-ups with the Jets on tap this week followed by the 49ers in week 7, but Hillman is a solid pass catcher out of the backfield, and with Peyton Manning throwing the ball there’s bound to be some weak 5 or 6 man boxes for Hillman to exploit.
Antone Smith, RB, Falcons: (4.9% on NFL)(1.9% on ESPN) Another week, another long TD for Smith. He’s recorded at least 50 yards and a TD in 4 of the Falcons 5 games, and at some point it stops being a fluke and becomes a trend. The falcons need to get him the ball more before you can start him with any confidence, but in the mean time his big play ability makes him worth a flier if you need RB help or are relying on Steven Jackson as a starter.
Joseph Randle, RB, Cowboys: (0.3% on NFL)(0.4% on ESPN) He’s becoming a must own for Demarco Murray owners, not so much for what he’s done as the fact that the Cowboys continue to give Murray the ball 30+ times a game. It’s brilliant as long as it works, but should anything happen to Murray it seems clear that Randle would be first in line for the featured role with Lance Dunbar contributing as a change of pace back and on 3rd downs.
Malcom Floyd, WR, Chargers: (6.4% on NFL)(4.4% on ESPN) I was holding off to see if Keenan Allen could capitalize on his performance against Jacksonville, but he couldn’t and it’s looking like Malcom Floyd is the Chargers receiver to own with at least 70 yards or a touchdown in every game this season. He’s got chemistry with Rivers and operates as the team’s deep threat; he’s not spectacular, but he’s solid and will put up points.
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants: (3.0% on NFL)(3.8% on ESPN) The past 3 weeks Rueban Randle has been targeted 30 times, and has caught only 17. Beckham had 4 catches on 4 targets in his debut and with the Giants running a Ben McAdoo offense based around time and moving the ball Beckham should start to eat into Randle’s targets as he get’s up to speed now that he’s recovered from the injury that cost him the early part of the season.
Jarius Wright, WR, Vikings: (0.7% on NFL)(1.0% on ESPN) Cordarrelle Patterson exited Thursday nights blowout early, but even though it looks like he’ll be ready to go next week, the Vikings have looked to Wright often the past two weeks and Patterson hasn’t exactly drawn a ton of targets in the passing game so far. With a tough Lions run defense up next on the schedule Wright could put up another good game and could have success going forward if the connection with Teddy Bridgewater is for real.
Timothy Wright, TE, Patriots: (1.1% on NFL)(2.4% on ESPN) Don’t expect 80 yards and a TD every week, but it might be safe to start adding Wright to your roster. Sunday night’s game against the Bengals was a weird one, but it was the first time the team really looked to Wright for production and got it. With the way the Pats offense has struggled, Wright doesn’t have to be Aaron Hernandez, he just has to be better than Brandon Lafell (and he is.)…. (add this: Kenbrell Thompkins is gone, Amendola is injured, they need to throw to some one besides Gronk and Edelman)
One to Watch
De’Anthony Thomas, RB, Chiefs: (1.4% on ESPN)(1.5% on ESPN) Not a hugely impactful debut for the rookie, only 1 reception, but it went for a 17 yard touchdown. The Chiefs were excited to grab the former Oregon speedster and still lack playmakers outside of Travis Kelce and Jamaal Charles. Thomas’ role should increase as he gets healthier and more familiar with the playbook and that could add up to legitimate fantasy value, but I’d still like to see more before adding him to a roster.
Streaming QB of the Week
Mike Glennon, QB, Buccaneers: (0.5% on NFL)(0.5% on ESPN) If you took my advice on Bortles last week, I apologize, I forgot just how good Dick Lebeau’s defenses are against rookie QB’s. If you chose to roll with Eli Manning I think he’s got a nice matchup this week against the Eagles. And if you’re willing to hop back on the Kirk Cousins train, the Cardinals will be short on pass rushers without Calais Campbell, but if you’re looking for a new face, I like Mike Glennon. I’ll be honest and say that I’d be tempted to play Drew Stanton against Washington or Jake Locker against Jacksonville if I knew they were playing, but with their status cloudy I look to Glennon to solidify his standing as the Buccaneer’s franchise QB. It’s not a great match-up against a Ravens secondary that just returned it’s best player in Ladarius Webb, but Glennon has looked good throwing the ball the past few weeks and I’d rather roll the dice with him than Austin Davis against the 49ers or Teddy Bridgewater against the Lions. That said anything can happen in a divisional rivalry game, so I could eat those words come week 7.
Streaming Defense of the Week
Green Bay Packers D/ST: (25.3% on NFL)(12.3% on ESPN) If you’re reading this in time and their available in your league I’m buying the Colts defense Thursday night against the Texans. Since this is coming in late however, I’m making the Packers my official choice for defense of the week. In the past 3 weeks the Packers have registered at least one sack and 2 INTs while allowing less than 20 points. This week they’ll square off against a Dolphins team that is still vulnerable along the offensive line, and Ryan Tannehill has thrown 3 interceptions in 4 games. The Packers should be able to get up early and force the Dolphins to throw, giving them plenty of chances to rack up sacks. If you’re really desperate in a deeper league…I actually sort of like the Jaguars defense coming off a game where they played tough against a talented Pittsburgh team and facing a Titans offense that has had trouble moving the ball.