Injuries, Injuries, Sadness

Week two was an up-and-down week for me. I had the highs and lows. Prop bets hitting, DFS not so much. Some teams I dominated, others I got dominated. Such is the life of a fantasy football player. Though at this point I’d say a fanatic.

We’ve got several injuries to dive into briefly, but I just wanted to wish Nick Chubb a speedy recovery. It’s tough when any player goes down, especially from your favorite team. Chubb is a player that I feel is almost universally loved by the sports world, and my heart sank when I saw him down on the field on Monday night. Prayers to Chubb and his family. We’ve seen too many injuries this year to big name players.

But, we have to press on. And so we shall.

As I do every week, I’ll try to keep my player takes as short and sweet as possible to make the newsletter easily digestible, yet impactful and informative.

News and Notes from Week 2

• Saquon Barkley is expected to miss 3 weeks with an ankle injury. We’ll go over the waiver pickups in a moment.

• Diontae Johnson has been put on IR, he will miss at least four games. The earliest he can return in week 7, after the Steelers bye in week 6.

• Nick Chubb is likely out for the year after suffering a horrific knee injury against Pittsburgh. Jerome Ford is far and away the top waiver wire target of the week.

• Deshaun Watson needs to get it together if Cleveland is going to have any hope of playoff success this year. 22 of 40 passing for a touchdown, one pick, and a fumble is not what you need to see.

• Pittsburghs offense is still struggling big time. They won the game against Cleveland thanks to two defensive touchdowns, as the offense managed only one touchdown of their own.

• Puka Nacua is that dude. The man had 20 targets against the 49ers and didn’t miss a beat from his week 1 explosion. Kupp will return at some point, but the offense was in need of a reliable No.2 ever since Robert Woods left. Looks like they found it and then some.

• We can start to worry about Justin Fields. His fantasy performance should be fine, but his real life performance is in question. We just haven’t seen the progression we need to see from a QB this far into his career.

• The Bengals are going to struggle some with Joe Burrow struggling with an injury. Overall they should be fine but we may need to temper expectations.

• Gus Edwards and Justice Hill appear to be in a committee, with Hill getting the passing work. They’re both fine flex plays.

• The usage Dameon Pierce is getting is concerning, I’m letting him ride on my bench if I can until something changes. Nico Collins and Tank Dell on the other hand, scoop them up.

Waiver Wire and Trade Targets

It’s a tough week for streaming the onesie positions this week, be it QB, TE, or DST. But I have a few options for you. And yes I feature both Stroud and Jacksoville D. Pick one or the other depending on your need. Both could end up doing just fine for what you need.

• QB: Sam Howell vs BUF, C.J. Stroud vs JAX

• RB: Jerome Ford, Zack Moss, Matt Breida, Justice Hill and Gus Edwards, Roschon Johnson

• WR: Josh Reynolds, Tank Dell, Tutu Atwell,

• TE: Jake Ferguson, Zach Ertz

• DST: Kansas City vs CHI, Jacksonville vs HOU

If you’re wanting a more long term add, it’s Tank Dell. Short term WR help I’m looking Reynolds way. For an all-in type of add, it’s no doubt Jerome Ford.

Thursday Night Preview

San Fransisco 49ers

Start your Niners. Christian McCaffrey is going to be a stud per usual. George Kittle has been a disappointment, but you’re starting him given where you drafted him and how the tight end position looks. Deebo Samuel will continue to get touches in this offense, and Brock Purdy is a good streaming candidate against a struggling Giants defense.

New York Giants

The Giants are a puzzle. Who are they really? We’re about to find out against a defense that might not be quite as dominant as Dallas, but a better one that what they faced against Arizona. Daniel Jones always has rushing upside, but he’s a risky play in 1QB leagues. Matt Breida figures to be the RB1 of the Giants, and he’s worth a pickup and start. Darren Waller is the only pass catcher I can confidently put in my lineup.

Final Thoughts

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