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Week 3 didn't have a ton of injuries, but there were some big ones. Saquon Barkley owners will be scrambling to find a replacement at RB. There are some decent options this week, but replacing a player like Barkley is pretty much impossible. Keep in mind the owner % mentioned is for 10-team standard ESPN leagues.
Some of these players below are good for the short-term, while others have more long-term value. You have to make the call on what your team needs. Immediate help to start this week, or a player to stash on your bench and hope he breaks out. Let's get started.
QB
Matthew Stafford: He's surprisingly available in 62% of ESPN leagues, and he should be chasing points against the Chiefs this week.
Jameis Winston: He had a great week throwing for 3 TDs against the Giants. He might be starting to figure it out in Bruce Arian's system, and he's available in 52% of ESPN leagues. He has a tough matchup against the Rams this week though.
Daniel Jones: Jones looked good in his first NFL start so you can pick him up if you need help. It was nice to see him get points with his legs, but let's not forget how well he threw the ball. Jones plays the Redskins this week, so you have to like that matchup. He'll be without his all-world RB which could cause him to underwhelm a bit this week. He wasn't quite as good after Barkley left with the ankle injury. His next 2 matchups after this week will be tough facing the Patriots and Vikings though. He's available in most leagues.
Andy Dalton: Say what you want about Dalton, but he's throwing the ball a lot. His defense isn't very good, and the running game has struggled because of a poor offensive line. He faces the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football, so the matchup is pretty good. He's out there in 82% of ESPN leagues.
RB
Wayne Gallman: Don't count on him to be much better than a No. 2 RB or a flex play, but he could be serviceable over the next few weeks until Barkley returns. The offense looks better with Daniel Jones in the fold, and Gallman should have some decent value for more than a couple weeks. Several of the backs I'll list below might be better starts this week, but they have limited upside in the long-term. He's available in 98% of ESPN leagues.
Darrel Williams: He looked good last week needing only 14 touches to produce over 100 total yards. LeSean McCoy and Damien Williams are dealing with injuries so Williams should produce some nice numbers in the Chiefs high-powered offense. Many thought Darwin Thompson would be the guy to replace McCoy, but that just wasn't the case. Williams is only owned in 2% of ESPN leagues.
Ronald Jones: He's hard to trust but after a nice game against the lowly Giants he might have some value. He's younger and more explosive than Peyton Barber, so he might be a good option to stash. He has the Rams this week if you need to start him. Jones is available in 60% of ESPN leagues.
Rex Burkhead: I told everyone that would listen last week to pickup Burkhead and start him against the Jets. That advice paid off but many fantasy "experts" are pushing him again this week. James White is expected to return to action against the Bills, which makes Burkhead's value significantly less. If you're desperate in a PPR league, he may be usable but I'm skeptical. James White missing last week's game for the birth of his child was why Burkhead had so many touches. He may see more work in the passing game with the Patriots throwing more after losing their fullback to injury. He's still available to add in 78% of leagues. At least he's in an elite offense if you're desperate.
WR
Phillip Dorsett: With Antonio Brown gone and Julian Edelman dealing with a chest injury you have to add Dorsett if you need help at WR. He played over 90% of the snaps last week and should be in store for a big role going forward, especially if Edelman misses time. He's scored 3 TDs in 3 games, so you have to like that. Dorsett is available in 88% of ESPN leagues.
D.J. Chark: 3 straight games with over 17 points in a PPR isn't bad, in fact it's really good. His QB situation seems a lot better than initially thought after the Foles injury. Grab him if he's out there. He gets the Broncos this week which isn't a great matchup but this is probably your last chance to get him on your team. He's out there in 59% of ESPN leagues.
Marquez Valdez-Scantling: He's still available in about 50% of ESPN leagues, and he had 10 targets against the Broncos last week. Rodgers said he will try to get the ball to Devante Adams and Jimmy Graham more on Thursday night, but he's still a great option against the Eagles' poor secondary.
Mecole Hardman: I love this guy, but I'm worried Tyreek Hill will be back soon. When Hill returns I don't expect Hardman to be startable, but he's a nice flex until that happens. You can get him in 55% of ESPN leagues.
Nelson Agholor: I pushed him hard last week, and he came through with a huge game scoring 2 TDs. Much like Hardman, he's a great option until his teammates return from injury. He's available in 54% of ESPN standard leagues.
TE
Will Dissly: He had another big game on Sunday against the Saints so this will be the last time he's available on waivers in most leagues. If you need a TE, he's the best option. He's rostered in 27% of ESPN leagues. His matchup is fantastic this week!
Chris Herndon: You can't use him until Week 6, but he's an option if you're desperate. Adam Gase loves to get his TEs involved in the passing game, so you could do worse when he returns. You can add him in 93% of ESPN leagues.
Defense
If you need a defense this week, the Texans and Colts are pretty good options. The Texans might have been dropped because of their matchup against Philip Rivers and the Chargers last week. I know Kyle Allen played well throwing 4 TDs against the Cardinals on Sunday, but I don't see him doing that to the Texans defense. They're available in 67% of ESPN leagues. Also, don't forget to see who the Dolphins are playing each week. The Chargers get that beautiful matchup on Sunday.
If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up on Twitter or listen to my radio show MoneyLine with Jerry Bo Sundays from 10-noon on ESPN 97.5 FM. We talk all things fantasy football and NFL gambling getting you ready for kickoff every Sunday.
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As the Astros head down the homestretch, it appears some reinforcements are arriving at the perfect time.
One day after the return of Justin Verlander to the starting rotation, the Astros are adding a top-notch high-leverage relief pitcher.
According to multiple reports, the Astros are signing former Houston reliever Hector Neris.
The Astros are close to a major-league deal with reliever Héctor Neris, source confirms what @AriA1exander first reported. The Cubs DFAd Neris earlier this week. Houston would be on the hook for the prorated league minimum salary.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 22, 2024
The timing of this move couldn't be better, with Ryan Pressly on the injured list and Bryan Abreu racking up a massive amount of innings.
Neris was arguably the club's most dominant relief pitcher last season, posting a 1.71 ERA and coming up with some huge outs in the postseason.
Neris also brings leadership to a team that lost Martin Maldonado and Michael Brantley after the 2023 season.
His ability to get left-handed hitters out with his nasty splitter will definitely come in handy down the stretch and hopefully into the playoffs.
Last season, Neris held left-handed batters to a .155 batting average and only allowed one homer to lefties. He was also effective against righties, who only recorded a .187 batting average against him.
If he's so good, why did the Cubs release him?
If Neris had continued pitching for Chicago, he would have hit certain milestones in his contract that would guarantee his salary for next season. So the Cubs decided to put him on waivers and eventually DFA him.
Neris also won't be expected to be the team's closer in Houston. He will provide Joe Espada with another quality option to attack hitters late in games.
And while Kaleb Ort and Tayler Scott have been pleasant surprises this season, 2024 has been an outlier when looking at their career numbers.
Also, Scott has been used a lot this season, and we're seeing some diminishing returns. In his last 8 outings, he's given up at least one run in 4 of them.
What should we expect?
Neris is sporting a 3.89 ERA in 2024, but the biggest concern is his 1.52 WHIP. His WHIP is inflated because of the massive amount of walks he's allowing.
Hector is surrendering over FIVE walks per nine innings this season. A number he's only reached in the COVID-shorted season.
Last year, he walked a little over four batters per nine innings. So he's walking one extra hitter per nine this season. And when we look back at his 2022 numbers with the 'Stros, he was only allowing free passes at a rate of 2.3 per nine innings.
Hopefully, reuniting with the Houston pitching coaches will help him get that walk number down and make him more effective.
Double whammy!
Neris had a lot of interest since his release from the Cubs, so it says a lot that he wanted to return to Houston instead of going to the Yankees, Red Sox, or another contending team. Plus, his signing with the 'Stros not only strengthens them, but also keeps him from making one of Houston's competitors stronger.
It's a win-win for Hector. If he pitches well for the remainder of the season, he'll likely get another nice contract in the offseason either from the Astros or another team.
If Neris pitches up to his potential and Pressly returns healthy and effective, it's hard to imagine a better bullpen than the Astros'.
He also provides an extra arm to go to when Josh Hader, Pressly, or Abreu are unavailable in a must-win situation.
Be sure to watch the video above as we examine the addition of Neris, and discuss how Alex Bregman's arm injury will impact the DH spot in the lineup, and the challenges this will present moving forward.
Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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