This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- Backup RBs of Note
- The Beltway's (Baltimore and Washington) RB Rooms
- Every Week, Bye Week, or Weak Sauce: Players on the Fence of Exhibiting Reliable Fantasy Value (See below)
- Rebound or Retread: Forecasting players, units, and/or teams that have underperformed.
Every Week, Bye Week, or Weak Sauce?
Waldman: Pick three players from this list and explain why they are an every-week starter in value, a bye-week/match-up option for a fantasy lineup, or too weak in value to have on a roster.
You can go outside the 1 QB, 2 RB, 3WR, 1 Flex, 1 TE PPR lineup consideration but explain the lineup consideration that's different from this, if you do. For example, Super Flex.
1. Geno Smith
2. Breece Hall
3. Rashaad Penny
4. D.K. Metcalf
5. Eno Benjamin
6. Chris Olave
7. Drake London
8. Mack Hollins
9. Josh Reynolds
10. T.J. Hockenson
11. Tyler Conklin
12. Will Dissly
Scott Bischoff: Metcalf is an every-week starter. He is an incredibly talented athlete. He is big and fast, and there is no great way to defend him. I’m not sure I’d ask any NFL cornerback to press him because he is too big, and after defeating the press, he's fast enough to simply run away from a defender. Having receiver Tyler Lockett on the other side occupies coverage as well, and the Seahawks are throwing the ball a bunch this year. In totality, he’s too much for most defenses to handle.
Olave is an excellent route runner, and he is emerging in his rookie season as the Saints’ No. 1 receiving weapon. He is an every-week starter and a reliable option too. He has 36 targets (only 12 receivers have more targets) through four games, and he has 21 catches for 335 yards and a score to this point in the season. It is not out of the question to think he can become even more productive if he can convert more targets into catches.
Ben Cummins: I wasn’t projecting this heading into the season, but Metcalf is once again an every-week starter. Seattle’s offense shockingly ranks tied for fourth in Pass Rate Over Expected, and Geno Smith is playing good football. Those factors, combined with Metcalf’s elite talent, have his fantasy football value skyrocketing.
London is a solid match-up play. London’s first-round talent has been on display to begin the 2022 season and could easily be an every-week starter in the right situation. The issue is, Arthur Smith wants to run the football to hide his struggling quarterback, Marcus Mariota. Atlanta has the third-lowest Pass Rate Over Expected rank in the NFL. Thus, London is more of a match-up-based play when the game environment projects to force Atlanta to throw. Week 5 looks like a great example of this against the Buccaneers.
Hollins is too weak in value to have on a roster. His Week 3 blow-up game almost certainly will be the best game of his career, and Hunter Renfrow will return soon from his concussion. At best, Hollins is fourth in the opportunity pecking order in Las Vegas behind Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller, and Renfrow.