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I'm not gonna lie, this is a pretty ugly week for the waiver wire. With that being the case, try improving your team through trades, not just the waiver wire. This is the time of year when fantasy owners tend to get desperate, so make some trade offers. You might get a steal from an owner that has to win this week.
Alright, let's see which free agents are still available. 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
Jimmy Garoppolo: He's widely available in leagues and looked great against the Browns on Monday Night Football. He's rostered in about 34% of 10-team ESPN leagues, and most weeks he'll have to throw more than he did against Cleveland. Also, he's already had his bye week so his numbers are better than they look. Jimmy should have to pass more this week against the Rams.
Josh Allen and Jacoby Brissett: They both have a bye this week, but you can beat the waiver wire by picking one of them up now, and not having to worry about getting them next week. Coming off a concussion Allen still had 10 carries against the Titans, so you know he'll continue to run. Plus, Allen gets the best possible matchup against the lowly Dolphins in Week 7. He could win your week for you, so grab him now. As for Brissett, he gets the Texans in week 7 so the matchup isn't scary, and we know what T.Y. Hilton can do to Houston.
Matthew Stafford: He gets the Packers this week in what could be a high-scoring game. The Lions scored 62 points against the Packers in 2 meetings last year, so he could be poised for another big game despite the Packers having a revamped defense this year. He's owned in 42% of standard ESPN leagues.
Gardner Minshew: Dude continues to produce, and he has a great No.1 WR with D.J. Chark. This week, he gets a nice matchup at home against the Saints, so fire him up if you need him. He did really well against a Panthers defense that held Deshaun Watson and the Texans to 10 points in week 4. He's only rostered in 18% of ESPN leagues.
RB
Chris Thompson and Adrian Peterson: If there's ever a week to use these guys, this is it. They get the Dolphins, so feel free to use Thompson in a PPR as a flex, and Peterson in non-PPR as a flex. Thompson is probably owned in your league, but somebody might drop him because the Redskins are a disaster. Peterson is out there in 52% of leagues, so pick him up if you need him.
Jon Hilliman: He has a tough matchup against the Patriots this week, but if you're desperate you should be able to use him before Saquon Barkley likely returns for Week 7. Hilliman's widely available.
Ito Smith: Devonta Freeman hasn't looked good, so Smith is a decent stash as the Falcons might be looking to see what Smith can do with their season in the toilet.
WR
Robbie Anderson: He's only available in shallow leagues, but he might have been dropped. With Darnold returning, Anderson could be a nice option down the stretch. He's rostered in 66% of ESPN leagues.
D.K. Metcalf: He's coming off a decent game against the Rams where he caught a long TD. He might have been dropped in your league, so he's worth taking a look at. He's available in about 38% of standard leagues. Metcalf is very talented, but he seems dependent on the big play for now.
Geronimo Allison: He's out there in 58% of leagues and there's a good chance Devante Adams misses another game.
Auden Tate: Somebody has to catch some passes for the Bengals besides Tyler Boyd. Is that a ringing endorsement of what?
Mohamed Sanu: Sanu made the list last week, and he came through with a TD against Houston. He's hard to trust though since he's the 4th option in Atlanta's passing game.
Byron Pringle: Tyreek Hill may return this week, so Pringle is a bit of a dart throw. But he is available in almost all leagues, and he faces the Texans this Sunday.
TE
Chris Herndon: He's finally off suspension and Sam Darnold might be back this week too. He's out there in about 88% of leagues, so pick him up if you need a TE.
Gerald Everett: That's 2 straight quality games for Everett, and we know the Rams will score points. He's only rostered in 3% of ESPN 10-team standard leagues.
DEF
The Cowboys and the Ravens have good matchups this week against the Jets and Bengals respectively, so look for them first on the waiver wire.
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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4 important elements that could tip the scales in Texans-Colts matchup
Oct 25, 2024, 2:30 pm
This week, the Houston Texans take on the Colts in a matchup with division supremacy on the line. If the Texans are able to come away with a victory, they will own the tiebreaker over Indy and enjoy a comfortable lead in the division.
However, a loss to the Colts means the Texans will be in a virtual tie with Indy in the AFC South. So what do the Texans need to do to secure a win?
On offense, they'll have to do a much better job of protecting CJ Stroud. In their last game against the Packers, Stroud faced immense pressure on third downs, with 12 of his 14 dropbacks resulting in pressure.
During one series, Stroud was flushed from the pocket and forced to scramble on three straight plays. They have to clean up the protection, or it will be another long day for the offense.
Fortunately for the Texans, this game is at home. So hopefully the communication issues the Texans o-line dealt with on the road last week won't be an issue at NRG.
Rushing attack
Houston can't afford to rely solely on Joe Mixon and the run game to carry the offense. While Mixon has been terrific, contributing significantly in recent weeks, the Texans will need a balanced attack. Which means Stroud must have time to operate in the pocket.
Bulls on parade
The defense last week was another story for the Texans. They played well against Green Bay, limiting them to 24 points. This week, they face a very different type of quarterback. Anthony Richardson is dead last in passer rating and completion percentage, so that's definitely working in their favor.
We know what Richardson can do with his legs, and Indy is expecting running back Jonathan Taylor to return from an ankle injury, so the rushing defense will be tested.
Richardson's accuracy is certainly a weakness, but he does throw a good deep ball that gave the defense problems in Week 1 this season.
What does Vegas think?
The Texans are favored by 5 points and the total is set at 45.5 points.
This is one video you don't want to miss as we share our in-depth breakdown of the game, as well as our predictions for Sunday's contest.
For Texans’ conversation, catch Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo on our Texans On Tap podcasts. Thursdays feature a preview of the upcoming game, and then we go live (then available on demand) after the final gun of the game: Texans on Tap - YouTube
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Fans of Houston sports and Houston food can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm November 11 at 8th Wonder. Find out more about it here.