The Gut Check No.607: Cardinals RBs and TE Michael Mayer Film Rooms

Photo: Joe Camporeale, USA Today Sports

The Cardinals' reserve running backs and the Raiders' rookie tight end are not sizzling topics. What you may not realize is that I'm trying to be considerate of you.

This feature is published on Wednesday afternoon. Most of you already had your waivers processed on Tuesday night, and many of you may not get to this analysis until Thursday morning if your league processes waivers on Wednesday night.

Why am I going to tell you all about the player that you probably missed out on? That doesn't help your teams, especially your squads seeking every potential advantage from less desirable sources.

You need intel on players and units who could be available as first-come, first-serve options during the next 1-3 weeks. Let's begin with the Cardinals backfield committee of Keaontay Ingram, Damien Williams, and Emari Demercado and finish with Raiders tight end Michael Mayer.

There's production potential to be mined here for those of you missing out on the marquee waiver-wire additions.

Arizona Cardinals' Backfield

James Conner will miss at least the next three weeks and potentially more. Last week, Demercado was the hot pickup. I profiled him here and showed why I wasn't expecting him to overtake Ingram with his skills. The addition of Damien Williams signaled the Cardinals wanted a hedge for Ingram and aren't sure of who will emerge as the lead option during Conner's absence.

Although the Browns and Falcons in Weeks 9-10 are good defenses against the run, the Cardinals' next two opponents are the average units of the Seahawks and Ravens. It's at least worth knowing who could have the best shot of delivering meaningful fantasy value this week and next. If Arizona's ground game re-establishes the rhythm it showed against the good Dallas defense, it may make matchups with Cleveland and Atlanta less imposing.

You can watch the video below to get the details behind my conclusions. For those of you who want quick insights...