Teddy Bridgewater (QB, MIN) - @CHI
Just like last week when Bridgewater was in this piece thanks to the weak opponent he was facing (the Detroit Lions), the Chicago Bears secondary gives him a chance to repeat. He put up 22.7 in last week's matchup against a terrible secondary, and the hope here is that he can replicate the effort. He has shown his coaches, his teammates, and most importantly himself that he can be the guy.
The only worry is that he's not a guy with the best chance at that 300+ passing yard bonus due to volume, but for $5,100 this is a solid dice roll. While Adrian Peterson continues to not be a superstud and he's a bit dinged up going into this week, Stefon Diggs has officially arrived for Teddy and the Vikings, giving him a trusted option. Just as last week, I'll say that I'd rather own the other names versus Teddy, which is why he is explored more than just a namedrop.
Charles Sims (RB, TB) - @ATL
With Vincent Jackson and Louis Murphy (Tampa Bay's #2 and #3 wide receivers) out, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins still looking iffy (he is practicing, but Lovie Smith says he still needs to see more from him), the Buccaneers are absolutely strapped for guys who can catch the ball. Doug Martin is a strong play this week, but he really can't be shoehorned into any sleeper type of article because he is finally getting some recognition. Charles Sims could be a diamond in the rough.
Last week the Buccaneers came out and destroyed the Redskins early, so Sims wasn't really needed. Before that he had gone double digits (with increasing point totals) in the previous three weeks. The Falcons should pick apart the Buccaneers' defense, and Jameis Winston is going to need Charles Sims. Even if ASJ plays, Sims should still see a good amount of work. All you need from him is to rack up some garbage time catches, or break a screen pass/wheel route and take it to the house. You can do a lot worse, plus the Falcons are 25th against running backs in the passing game.
Nate Washington (WR, HOU) - vs. TEN
Cecil Shorts has been ruled out, and while later I will touch on how the Titans' secondary is actually playing very well this year, the Houston Texans are beaten up. Losing Arian Foster cripples their rushing attack, and also means there are more targets to go around in the passing game. Houston doesn't have any playmaker at tight end. DeAndre Hopkins is a monster, but FootballOutsiders has the Titans' pegged as third best against #1 receivers, and third worst against #2 receivers. Nate Washington flashed the brilliance last week, so unfortunately that may push more ownership his way. But the matchup, combined with how many targets Washington sees when he's healthy (at least eight per game), are really difficult to get away from.
Crockett Gillmore (TE, BAL) - vs. SD
Crockett Gillmore posted a 10.3 total last week, and while you will want more, those who watched the Monday night tilt against the Cardinals saw that Gillmore was getting those red zone desperation looks from Flacco. The Chargers are 30th against the tight end according to FootballOutsiders, and he is an undeniable hot read for Flacco. He has that touchdown potential, and has proven that he has a good chance of not goose egging you if he doesn't catch a touchdown.
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