X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 9 Deeper Sleepers: Things Are Going to Get Wild

Welcome to our season-long segment at RotoBaller where we will be targeting players owned in 25% or less of Fleaflicker leagues.

Week 8 was not kind to fantasy owners or my picks. Le'Veon Bell, Steve Smith Sr., Reggie Bush, Matt Forte, and Ryan Fitzpatrick all went down with injuries, with the first three names out for the season. We're still awaiting word on the severity of Forte's knee injury, but it was an ugly weekend on the medical report. The only pick that hit on my end was Jacob Tamme, and with a lack of a second option in Atlanta at the moment he should have value going forward.

Same as last week, I'll include a player from every position (including D/ST) each week - as long as the options are worthy of discussion. Don't forget this section only highlights the players under 25% ownership, so make sure to submit a claim for DeAngelo Williams (54%) if he's available. Let's get to it.

 

Digging Deeper - Potential Week 9 Waiver Wire Sleepers

Kirk Cousins (QB, WAS)

17% Owned in Fleaflicker

Trusting Kirk Cousins to have consecutive solid performances is the definition of playing with fire, but at these ownership levels it's between him and Matt Cassel. Cousins is coming off the bye week after a sizzling Week 7 performance (317 yards, four touchdowns) to face the undefeated Patriots in Foxborough. Again, you must be thinking I'm crazy.

Here's the key factor -- the Patriots are opening as a -13.5 favorite, implying New England will have a sizable lead throughout the contest. Under this logic the Redskins will be forced to abandon the run and air it out, allowing Cousins and crew to accrue "garbage-time" points. Another key factor is the return of Jordan Reed. Reed was targeted 13 times in Week 7 and hauled in 11 of them for 72 yards and two scores. Cousins makes for a QB2 gamble or a deeeeep league play. Other choices that are above 25% to consider include Jameis Winston (30%) and Jay Cutler (41%).

FAAB: $1

Jeremy Langford (RB, CHI)

10% Owned in Fleaflicker

Just a rough, painful season for running backs. First Arian Foster, now Le'Veon Bell and Matt Forte. For our topics sake we are focusing on Forte. Forte left the game with a knee injury that is being reported as an MCL injury. Thankfully he avoided ACL damage but MCL strains can still keep players out multiple weeks. His replacement, Jeremy Langford, had a decent outing on Sunday, rushing 12 times for 46 yards (3.8 yards per carry). He did have a big drop on his lone target on the Bears final drive but luckily for Langford's sake Jacquizz Rodgers, a much better receiving-back, is on injured reserve.

Quick rundown on Langford. A fourth round pick out of Michigan State, Langford showed good vision between the tackles in college and had the 4.43 40-speed to execute stretch plays. He's not a big-body (6'0, 208) but his elusiveness should come in handy. His first chance as the lead back comes on Monday Night Football at San Diego, a team that is ranked 31st against the run per Football Outsiders. It's going to cost a pretty penny for Langford's services, but he instantly becomes RB2/Flex material.

FAAB: $25

Robert Woods (WR, BUF)

15% Owned in Fleaflicker

I was tempted to discuss Woods last week but given the bye week and the uncertainty surrounding the receiving corps at the time, it felt necessary to draw attention elsewhere. A week later and we still don't have clarity regarding Sammy Watkins or Percy Harvin, which makes Woods a sneaky Week 9 play. Watkins did not practice Monday, a scary sign considering they had a week off, and Harvin is still working with the team to determine the extent of his hip injury. Which brings us to Woods.

Woods performed admirably in Week 7, hauling in nine catches for 84 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets. Woods and Charles Clay are the current suspects for targets versus the Dolphins this Sunday, a team that was just gashed for 356 yards by Tom Brady. Sure, everyone gets rocked by Brady, but the point remains. Tyrod Taylor is expected to return this week which is a ginormous boost from E.J. Manuel and Woods should benefit from the switch. The 15 passing touchdowns allowed by Miami is fourth-most in football. Go grab a Woods share before they're gone.

FAAB: $5

Jared Cook (TE, STL)

15% Owned in Fleaflicker

Remember when the Rams offense was so porous that Jared Cook was the best option? Good times. The Pre-Gurley days are over and teams are going to be forced to stack the box more often, opening up the passing game for Nick Foles and company. That's a bold claim considering Foles hasn't eclipsed 200 yards since Week 1, but teams cannot continue to let Gurley beat them. Although if we're being honest, I'm not sure you can stop "The Gurley Man".

Cook has been relatively quiet this season and only saw three targets on Sunday. He turned those into 57 yards thanks to a 49-yard scamper but was easily the third wheel behind Gurley and Tavon Austin in the offense. That may change on Sunday when the Rams visit Minnesota. The Vikings are ranked 27th versus Tight Ends according to Football Outsiders and have allowed big games to Travis Kelce and Eric Ebron in the last three weeks. If you're desperate at TE, grab Cook on the low-low.

FAAB: $2

Dallas Cowboys Defense

15% Owned in Fleaflicker

Slim pickings at defense, so we're going to gamble with the home team on primetime. The Cowboys performed surprisingly well on Sunday, holding the Seahawks to 13 points and Marshawn Lynch to 71 rushing yards on a 3.4 ypc clip. Sam Bradford has not been the quarterback Chip Kelly envisioned, throwing six picks in his last three games. Look for the Cowboys to come out and try to prove a point that DeMarco Murray was a product of their offensive line in this divisional matchup.

FAAB: $1

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Aaron Gordon9 hours ago

Expected To Play On Saturday
Jamal Murray9 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Saturday
Jimmy Butler9 hours ago

Cleared For Saturday
Austin Reaves9 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Saturday
LeBron James9 hours ago

Could Miss Saturday's Game
Mark Williams10 hours ago

Uncertain For Saturday
Myles Turner10 hours ago

Ruled Out For Saturday
Ryan Dunn10 hours ago

Cleared To Play On Friday
Bradley Beal10 hours ago

Won't Play On Friday
Kevin Durant10 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Cade Cunningham11 hours ago

Misses Friday's Action
Andre Drummond11 hours ago

Returns To Action
Guerschon Yabusele12 hours ago

Out On Friday
Luguentz Dort12 hours ago

A Late Scratch On Friday Versus Raptors
Trae Young12 hours ago

Available Friday Night
Malcolm Brogdon12 hours ago

Misses Friday's Action
Brook Lopez12 hours ago

Cleared For Action
Damian Lillard12 hours ago

Active Against Hawks
Jusuf Nurkic12 hours ago

Won't Make Hornets Debut On Friday
Kyle Kuzma12 hours ago

Makes Bucks Debut Friday
Donovan Mitchell12 hours ago

Good To Go Friday
Stuart Skinner13 hours ago

Tries To Frustrate Colorado Again
Ilya Sorokin13 hours ago

Aims To Extend Seven-Game Winning Streak Friday
Igor Shesterkin13 hours ago

Takes On Injury-Plagued Penguins
Tyreek Hill13 hours ago

Says He Plans To Return To Dolphins
J.T. Compher13 hours ago

On Track To Return To Action Saturday
David Rittich13 hours ago

Starts Against Dallas On Friday
Ilya Lyubushkin13 hours ago

Out On Friday
Mavrik Bourque14 hours ago

Available Friday
MMA16 hours ago

Weili Zhang Set For Third Title Defense
Tatiana Suarez16 hours ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Tallison Teixeira17 hours ago

Makes His UFC Debut At UFC 312
Justin Tafa17 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC 312
Francisco Prado17 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Alex Lyon18 hours ago

Facing Tampa Bay On Saturday
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen18 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision On Saturday
Tage Thompson18 hours ago

Could Return On Saturday
Urho Vaakanainen18 hours ago

Will Remain Sidelined On Friday
Alex Nedeljkovic18 hours ago

Facing New York On Friday
Sidney Crosby18 hours ago

Ruled Out For Friday's Contest
Najee Harris19 hours ago

Strong Chance Steelers Re-Sign Najee Harris?
Rickie Fowler19 hours ago

Withdraws From Waste Management Phoenix Open
Kyle Tucker22 hours ago

Cubs Not Expected To Extend Kyle Tucker During The Season
Anthony Stolarz23 hours ago

Sharp In Return
Martin Necas23 hours ago

Tallies Three Points In Victory
Matthew Tkachuk23 hours ago

Scores Twice On Thursday
Filip Gustavsson23 hours ago

Stands Tall In Victory Over Carolina
Alex Ovechkin23 hours ago

Extends Scoring Streak To Four Games
Brayden Point24 hours ago

Leads The Way On Thursday
Minnesota Vikings1 day ago

Kevin O'Connell Named Coach Of The Year
Los Angeles Rams1 day ago

Jared Verse Named Defensive Rookie Of The Year
Denver Broncos1 day ago

Patrick Surtain II Named Defensive Player Of The Year
Josh Allen1 day ago

Named MVP
Joe Burrow1 day ago

Named Comeback Player Of The Year
Saquon Barkley1 day ago

Wins Offensive Player Of The Year
Jayden Daniels1 day ago

Named Offensive Rookie Of The Year
Jake Matthews1 day ago

Opens Up UFC 312 Main Card
Rodolfo Bellato1 day ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC 312
Jimmy Crute1 day ago

Ends Layoff At UFC 312
Sean Strickland1 day ago

Looks To Reclaim Middleweight Title At UFC 312
Dricus Du Plessis1 day ago

Puts Middleweight Title On The Line At UFC 312
Alexandre Texier2 days ago

Out On Thursday
Shane Pinto2 days ago

Will Not Play On Thursday
Adam Thielen2 days ago

Plans To Play In 2025
Tommy Pham2 days ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Pittsburgh
Pete Alonso2 days ago

Returning To Mets On Two-Year Deal
Alex Bregman3 days ago

Cubs Offer Four-Year Deal To Alex Bregman
Sandy Alcantara3 days ago

Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
Brandon Woodruff3 days ago

Not Expected To Be Ready For Start Of Spring Training
Christian Yelich3 days ago

Not Expected To Be 100% For Start Of Spring Training
Eric Cole3 days ago

Faces Challenges At WM Phoenix Open
Gary Woodland3 days ago

A Strong Value Play At WM Phoenix Open
Lee Hodges3 days ago

Looks To Build On Strong Start At WM Phoenix Open
Ben Griffin3 days ago

Still Searching For Consistency At Scottsdale
Rashee Rice3 days ago

Doing Well In His Injury Recovery
Denny McCarthy3 days ago

A Volatile Option At WM Phoenix Open
Lucas Glover3 days ago

Looks To Build On Strong Pebble Beach Finish
Andrew Novak3 days ago

In Good Form Ahead Of WM Phoenix Open
Keith Mitchell3 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At WM Phoenix Open
Sam Stevens3 days ago

Looking To Stay Hot At WM Phoenix Open
Matt Fitzpatrick3 days ago

Worth Considering At WM Phoenix Open
J.J. Spaun3 days ago

In Great Form Ahead Of WM Phoenix Open
Davis Thompson3 days ago

Is Riding The Struggle Bus To Scottsdale
PGA3 days ago

J.T. Poston Looks To Overcome Putting Woes At WM Phoenix Open
Akshay Bhatia3 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent At WM Phoenix Open
Robert MacIntyre3 days ago

A Solid Option At WM Phoenix Open
Corey Conners3 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At WM Phoenix Open
Matthieu Pavon3 days ago

Should Be Avoided At All Costs At TPC Scottsdale
Nicolai Hojgaard3 days ago

Will Be Hard To Trust At WM Phoenix Open Debut
PGA3 days ago

Sungjae Im Searching For Consistency At WM Phoenix Open
Justin Thomas3 days ago

Looks To Rebound At WM Phoenix Open
Shane Bieber3 days ago

Not Expected To Rejoin Rotation Until Midway Through The Season
Nolan Arenado4 days ago

Red Sox Discussing Nolan Arenado Trade
Jose Altuve4 days ago

Has Been Working In Left Field
Kansas City Chiefs4 days ago

Andy Reid Won't Retire After Super Bowl LIX
Travis Kelce4 days ago

Doesn't Appear To Be Eyeing Retirement
Cooper Kupp4 days ago

Rams Seeking Trade Partner For Cooper Kupp
Nassourdine Imavov5 days ago

Picks Up Second-Round Knockout Win At UFC Saudi Arabia
Israel Adesanya5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Saudi Arabia
Said Nurmagomedov5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Saudi Arabia
Vinicius Oliveira5 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Mike Davis5 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC Saudi Arabia
Farés Ziam5 days ago

Fares Ziam Extends His Win Streak To Five
Cleveland Browns5 days ago

Myles Garrett Requests Trade, Browns Sticking To Their Stance
Jack Flaherty5 days ago

Returning To Detroit On Two-Year Contract
Las Vegas Raiders6 days ago

Raiders Hire Chip Kelly As Offensive Coordinator
Shohei Ohtani6 days ago

Expected To Pitch In May
Freddie Freeman6 days ago

Starts Swinging, Not Running
Tyler Glasnow6 days ago

Throwing Bullpens, Feels Good Heading Into Spring Training

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP