Dynasty Football Advice: Week 12
Are we there yet? Like a kid in the back seat of a car on a long trip, it feels like we should be there already. The destination we all strive to reach when we start the year, no matter what the odds, is the fantasy football playoffs. Most of us get eliminated by a lack of elite roster talent, the inconsistency of solid production or injuries that hit our team at a roster spot where we lack the depth to recover. Whether you are hanging in for one of the last spots or already mathematically eliminated, there is always a need to check the waiver wire for talent to acquire.
Running Back
Davis was looking like a player that had found a team that was looking to rebuild its run game. Fantasy players were hoping the same thing as he went from mostly irrelevant in Seattle to a possible breakout player in Chicago. Then Chicago drafted David Montgomery and Davis became someone who was destined to be replaced. He was claimed off of waivers by the Carolina Panthers because they want to see if he can be the guy who gives workhorse running back Christian McCaffrey a break every once in a while. Davis is also a slightly back who can relieve some of the short-yardage running opportunities that can take a pounding on a player’s body. I like Davis’s chances to stick with Carolina and even if he doesn’t I am going to watch where he gets his next chance because he proved himself in relief duty in Seattle when he had to become the starter. He is young enough to have several good years left in his prime and can catch the ball as well as run it. Running backs like that are always going to get a look from teams in need because they can be put onto the field in multiple formations.
Running Back
Here is another running back who was claimed off of waivers recently, but unfortunately for the Lions, they need him to be their starter depending on the packages they are running out of. Fortunately, for those of us who play dynasty, we can cash in on the fact he is a bigger back with enough elusiveness to make the first guy miss and enough power to knock over tacklers to fall forward for an extra yard. Some GMs were already able to pick him up and use him this past week when Detroit was forced to bring him up off of the practice squad and activate him. He won’t keep up his production from week 11 against Dallas, 14 carries for 55 rushing yards and a TD, but he will get opportunities to give you streaming production if you need an option because of injuries. Every year in the fantasy playoffs there is a guy who comes out of nowhere to show up for one or two games and helps a fantasy team get deeper into the playoffs than they maybe should have. Scarbrough is running hard and with the direction that Detroit’s season is going, they might as well let him play for a couple of weeks to see what they have with him. Some of us might benefit from a 3-4 game surge if he can keep making the most of the chance he has been handed.
More Deep Diving for IDP’s
If you play in IDP leagues you have to watch the waiver wire for both offense and defense. On average, there are less elite players on defense across the league than there are on offense so you can usually find more pickups on defense than offense. Here are a few players that might be available who can help you out in the years to come.
Linebacker
One of the things that makes Ragland available in most leagues, is the fact that he needs to get a large volume of snaps to get stats so he can give your team some fantasy points. He also isn’t someone who can go out and dominate a game, like an elite player can, to get the big stats like sacks or turnovers that turn into touchdowns. It is no secret that Kansas City goes as the offense goes and the defense’s job is to stay on the field long enough to give the offense enough of a break to catch their breath so they can come back out and have a track meet up and down the field. They can bleed yards and just force the opposing team into more field goals than touchdowns when they make it into the endzone. The Kansas City’s offense seems mostly set so they need to build up the defense in the next couple of years to help the team become a team that can go deep into the playoffs for the next half a decade. Ragland hasn’t shown consistent ability but he has the size and is young enough that he could be coached up and developed into a player that graces your starting lineup for years to come.
Corner Back
Mills is a player that just needs to catch a break and stay healthy for a season so he can be given his due in fantasy circles. I have had him in a couple of my leagues and he produces when he can be on the field, but then I have to find a replacement for him when he gets injured. You can’t say a player is injury-plagued and count on him to get injured, but Mills’s injuries have been injuries that have knocked him out for multiple game stretches. Mills is an IDP that does make the most of his snaps by racking up tackles and defending plenty of passes both of which give him points quickly. Tracking from his rookie year in 2016, he has averaged 3.9, 4.26, 5.25 tackles per game respectively. In 2019 he only played in 4 games and is averaging 4.25 tackles per game heading into the tail end of the season. The bottom line is if he stays healthy Jalen Mills is going to produce for your team. If he is out there on the waiver wire in your league, you need to find some space on your roster for him.
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I am a diehard Detroit Lions fan living in enemy territory about 35 miles south of Green Bay, WI. It all started when Barry Sanders got drafted in ‘89. I have been watching the NFL since I was 11. I’ve been playing Fantasy Football since you had to wait to get the USA today Monday morning to manually do stats to figure out if you were up or down on points going into MNF. The FF Leagues I am involved with include redraft, dynasty, best-ball, superflex.
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