Fantasy Football Saturday Mailbag for Week 7

Good morning Footclan and welcome to yet another week of The Fantasy Footballers’ Saturday Morning Mailbag! We are almost halfway through the regular season (for fantasy at least) but your questions aren’t slowing down one bit! As we do here each and every weekend here at Ballers’ HQ, I have selected a handful of your questions from The Fantasy Footballers’ Discord server, and given you the Footclan my hot takes and opinions ahead of this weekend’s matchups and beyond. The Ballers’ Discord is home to the biggest and best online fantasy football community in the world and is your go-to source if you’re looking to talk about all things fantasy football. Head over today and get involved with thousands of members across dozens of dedicated channels for start/sit questions, trade advice, and waiver wire insights, as well as exclusive areas that are only available to members of the Footclan.

Week 6 of the fantasy season was a blur – and not because I was at the Bears vs. Jaguars game in London…well not just because I was at the Bears vs. Jaguars game in London. We saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers give us not one, but two RB1s on the week as they blew away the Saints in New Orleans…yet surprisingly neither was named Rachaad White. It was just another normal week in the world of fantasy football – one that saw Sean Tucker finish as the overall RB1, Cole Kmet go full beast mode on the Jags’ secondary, and the New York Jets finish with two wideouts in the top four…and then of course go on to trade for Davante Adams. We also got news that Amari Cooper has found a new home in Buffalo, which led to a number of questions in this week’s mailbag, trying to ascertain the future value of Josh Allen now that he has a real receiver to throw the ball to. We’ve got the answer to that one and a whole lot more…so let’s dive right in!

Question #1 – Start/Sit (TE Edition) 

What is Chuba Hubbard’s outlook with Jonathon Brooks coming off IR? Will he be quickly phased out, or hold onto RB2/FLEX value? – The Breect with Two Backs

Answer: Chuba managers knew this time was coming, but what a ride it has been so far! This week saw the Carolina Panthers finally open the 21-day practice window for their rookie running back Jonathon Brooks, so it looks like we’ll be seeing the first rusher selected in this year’s NFL draft make his professional debut sooner rather than later. As a long-term Jonathon Brooks IR stasher, I am delighted by this news…but after seeing the start that Chuba Hubbard has made to the season in his absence – I am not as bullish as I was when taking him with a 10th-round draft pick back in August. Hubbard has flourished in this rejuvenated Carolina offense ever since Bryce Young was replaced by the ‘Red Rifle’ Andy Dalton back in Week 3. The 25-year-old scat back finished as the overall RB66 and RB26 in his first two starts of the season…since then he’s finished as a top-12 back three times and inside the top-20 on the other occasion. In those last four weeks, only King Derrick Henry has scored more fantasy points at the position than Hubbard, with Chuba’s 488 yards from scrimmage also only bested by The Yeti.

But what does that all mean now that Brooks is set to take the field as early as Week 8? Well, there are two ways of looking at it if you’re a Chuba manager. The first is that the Panthers realize just how well Hubbard is playing in this offense and slowly start to ease Brooks in. After all, Carolina may have lost their last three games, but rushing at 5.8 Y/A and adding over 20 yards receiving each week, the blame can hardly be placed at the feet of the running back. Coupled with the high-draft capital the Panthers invested in Brooks, and after such a long recovery from his torn ACL…why would they rush the rookie into action on what is already essentially a lost season? On the other hand…the Panthers will want to see what they have got in return for such a lofty investment at the position, and may want to give Brooks the remainder of the season to get acclimated to life in the National Football League – after all, if I am Head Coach Dave Canales – I sure as heck don’t want to risk losing my job by writing off the remaining eight or nine games out of blind loyalty to Chuba Hubbard over a player the franchise sees as their future at running back. 

Honestly, I think it will be somewhere in between – Chuba should be given enough opportunities each week – particularly as a pass-catcher, to provide enough fantasy value to make him flex-worthy on any given week…especially with byes. If you can sell high on him right now before Brooks takes the field, that sounds like a great idea…otherwise, he’s a hold and will ride out the season in RB3 territory, only seeing true value if Brooks were to go down.

Question #2 – Season-Long Strategy

Howdy Ballers! As a fantasy manager AND Cardinals fan – what do I do with Kyler Murray in a half PPR redraft? I’m a believer but he has looked terrible lately. I’m trying to not overreact and just pick up Caleb Williams for my bench. – Big Chungus

Answer: Howdy Big Chungus! As a fantasy manager of Kyler Murray and a Cardinals fan…you have my deepest sympathies (I’m only kidding – as a Dolphins fan and Tyreek Hill manager, I feel your pain of watching and playing fantasy with a very underwhelming offense).

First things first, congratulations on even contemplating making the switch at quarterback – far too many managers show way too much loyalty to the players they have spent draft capital on, and continue to plug them in week after week – only to the detriment of their fantasy team. It’s been a rough season so far for Kyler and the Cardinals. With only two top-12 finishes on the year, K1 currently sits just inside QB1 territory as the QB12 through six weeks. In his last four games, Kyler has finished the week as the QB17, QB24, QB7, and Q25…woof. In stark contrast, after a shaky start to his NFL career (perhaps calling finishes at QB31 and QB29 “shaky” is a bit of an understatement), this year’s number one rookie draft pick, Caleb Williams, has started to show Bears fans – and fantasy managers – just why he was worthy of that first overall selection back in April. In his first three weeks as a pro, Williams threw for just two touchdowns, adding on four interceptions as Chicago squeaked to a 2-1 start. In the three games that have proceeded, the former USC Trojan has connected with his receivers in the end zone seven times, being picked only once – guiding the men from Soldier Field to three comfortable Ws.

With Williams on bye this week, your decision for the immediate future is easy…play Kyler against the Chargers – but with Murray going on to face three defenses on the bounce who all rank top eight against the quarterback then having his bye week…this may be the last time you get to use him in over a month. If you can find a willing trade partner to take Kyler off your hands for a reasonable offer and pick up Caleb – I would be happy streaming the position this week with Kirk Cousins, Geno Smith, Sam Darnold…or dare I even suggest Drake Maye.

Question #3 – Trade Advice

Good day mates, I have Nico Collins and am in need of another receiver. Should I be trying to acquire Tank Dell, or should I be trying to sell Collins to the Dell manager? – That Sinnot a Knife

Answer: Bonjour! This is a tough one. If you are in need of a wide receiver right now, then I can only recommend trading Nico away to any party that is willing to give you reasonable value for the runaway WR1 through the first month of the season. Collins has suffered the dreaded hamstring injury – one serious enough to have him considered day-to-day, then week-to-week, then injured reserve…all within the space of around 24 hours – that’s not good Bob. He is guaranteed to miss until at least Week 10…but given the sudden and exponential elevation in the severity of his injury, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nico sit until at least Week 12 – and with Houston having a Week 14 bye, he may not be back until the Texans host Miami in Week 15. If you have the IR spot and are sitting comfortably at 6-0 or 5-1, I would be holding him for the fantasy playoffs – but if you are in desperate need of the wins right now, it may be time to let him go.

To answer the other half of your question…maybe? I wouldn’t lock your focus solely on the Tank Dell manager – sure Dell finally looks healthy and put up his best game of the season in New England last week…but he’s not the caliber of receiver I’d be targeting if you are trading away Collins. Go grab yourself an underperforming wideout with a WR1 ceiling, or another top-12 guy at the position who may also be hurting right now – see if you can acquire Tyreek Hill, Malik Nabers, or possibly D.K. Metcalf – those are all players who could get you wins now, as well as perform for you in the back half of the season.

Question #4 – Season-Long Strategy (Packers WR Special)

With Green Bay’s wide receivers being so hard to pick week to week, do I have the green light to sell Doubs this week and Watson the next time he gets a big game – or would you hold? – Freckle Foot

Answer: He was my personal My Guy selection in this year’s Fantasy Footballers Writing Staff My Guys for 2024 article…but you can absolutely sell high on Christian Watson – or his enigmatic teammate Romeo Doubs – after their next big performance…or even half-decent one. This Green Bay passing offense is flying – after missing two games with a knee injury, Packers’ QB Jordan Love has been a man possessed since he returned against the Vikings in Week 4. Nobody in the National Football League – not even Laser Mayfield – has thrown for more touchdowns in that time, and only Geno Smith and Captain Kirk Cousins have more yards through the air…so why are fantasy managers so disappointed with everyone in this wide receiver corps not named Jayden Reed?

The answer is simple…consistency. In the three games since returning, Jordan Love has thrown for 871 yards and 10 touchdowns, and here are the fantasy positions of his non-Reed wideouts:

*Screams internally*. In the same spell, Reed has ended the week at WR2, WR25, and WR25…at least that is startable in a worst-case scenario. With the emergence of Tucker Kraft with Love back under center, there simply isn’t a wide receiver in this room that I would be comfortable having in my lineup outside of Reed. Before the season started, Head Coach Matt LaFleur was quoted as saying he “had a bunch” of WR1s…no Matt, you have one, and a whole bunch of WR4s. Sell high on any of them if you can…good luck.

Question #5 – Trade Advice

Hi Hi! Should I sell-high on Josh Allen? I picked up Caleb Williams and am weak at WR with Calvin Ridley doing diddley, as well as having lost Puka Nacua and Rashee Rice. WWTBD? (What would the ballers do?) – JAKE From state farm

Answer: Let’s answer a different question first…can you sell high on Josh Allen? The Bills’ franchise quarterback entered the season as the highest-drafted QB – with an ADP of 2.08 in half-PPR formats. That investment looked to have paid off for fantasy managers as early as Week 1, with Allen finishing as the QB1 on the week, with four total touchdowns and over 30 fantasy points. Since then…yikes. You heard Mike “The Fantasy Hitman” Wright comment on the main show how Allen has a real red light/green light situation going on – and boy did he nail that analogy. In Weeks 1, 3, and 6 – the Stallion lived up to his name, finishing as the QB1, QB2, and QB6 on the week…his other finishes have been QB20, and QB28…twice. Thankfully, if you’re looking to move Allen, we’ve just come off a green light game – and with the star power his name commands, you’re always going to be able to get something of value for him…unfortunately, your replacement option is going to be on a bye this week, and the Bills welcome a defensive unit ranked number one in the NFL against fantasy quarterbacks – the Tennessee Titans. 

If you can move Allen before they host Tennessee, then, by all means, do so and pick up a streamer in the form of Cousins, Geno, or Sam Darnold – because if you don’t get a deal off before Sunday, and the Stallion puts up another single-digit stinker – this may be a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Don’t accept pennies on the dollar and give him away – but if you have your doubts, go get yourself a top-15 running back or wide receiver for the stretch, and let Caleb give you a run of solid performances heading into the fantasy playoffs.

Question #6 – Waiver Wire

Hey Ballers, Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk were both dropped in my league post waivers. Are either of them worth picking up? – Loud and Stroud

Answer: The short answer here is – yes…probably. Unless you are in an eight-team league – or you are absolutely stacked at both the WR and RB position – then both of these wide receivers should be rostered in all formats. To give you an insight into my League of Record – Christian Kirk was dropped as recently as last night (ironically by the manager who also has Ridley) and I will 100% put in a bid for him so he can battle it out with Darnell Mooney, Jakobi Meyers, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the WR3 spot on my roster each week. Sure, Kirk has been disappointing (as has almost all of the Jaguars’ offense) – but we would do well to remember he wasn’t fully fit to start the year and was still carrying a calf injury that he picked up late in the offseason. His 39 looks on the year are just one short of rookie Brian Thomas Jr., and while the return of target hog tight end Evan Engram has many worrying about Kirk’s future as a significant piece of this passing game, I am the opposite. With three legitimate weapons through the air, and a more than capable pass-catching back in the form of Tank Bigsby – things should open up for Kirk in the coming weeks. Heading into their Week 12 bye, the Jags have a very receiver-friendly run of opponents – including the bottom two ranked teams against wideouts in the National Football League – Minnesota and Green Bay in Weeks 10 and 11.

Christian Kirk will undoubtedly give you some WR2-level performances over the latter half of the season, and Calvin Ridley…well he may even catch a pass! I am very much on the Kirk side if I can only grab one of these guys, but Ridley is definitely worth the add if your roster allows it – there are few players with his upside that are likely to be sitting in your league’s free agency pool, and if he poops in his (ever shrinking) big boy pants…you can cut him and let someone else deal with the headaches.

Question #7 – Start/Sit (TE Special)

Greetings Ballers from Northern AZ!  I’m in a unique situation where I have both Brock Bowers and Travis Kelce. Can I get permission to start both of them or should I look to trade one? At wide receiver I have: Diontae Johnson, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaylen Waddle, Josh Downs, Cooper Kupp and Chris Olave…it’s a 2 FLEX league. – Prounced PreSKitt

Answer: Bonjour! That truly is a fairly unique…but also fortuitous position to find yourself in. Rostering two elite tight ends in this year of all years gives you a massive advantage – both in your matchups and in terms of leveraging a trade with your league mates. Through six weeks, rookie Brock Bowers (TE2) has scored 64.1 fantasy points, with Travis Kelce (TE14) putting up just 34.9. While the latter’s production has been incredibly disappointing, injuries to Rashee Rice and Isiah Pacheco have thrust the 35-year-old veteran back into the limelight as Patrick Mahomes’ number-one target since Rice was placed on the IR. The chutes of recovery are there for Kelce, following finishes as TE14, TE47, and TE19 to start the year – back-to-back top-eight performances have re-cemented him in the must-start category once again. 

Looking at both players’ FPPG – over the season, Bowers is sitting at 10.7 in half-PPR formats, with Kelce at just 7.0…however, in his last two games in his re-elevated position, Zeus is averaging a much more respectable 11.9 FPPG – second to only George Kittle among all TEs. If we use Bowers’ slightly lower numbers – his average performance would see him rank as WR31…well ahead of Waddle and Olave (both T-WR57), but behind Johnson (WR29), Downs (WR20), and Kupp (WR8). Marvin Harrison Jr. is Bowers’ closest comp at 10.1 FPPG, and when healthy, I am starting the Cardinals’ WR in my flex 100 times out of 100. 

I would let both these tight ends play this week to see if Travis Kelce is following NBA JAM rules and is truly on fire – if so, package one of them with any of those wideouts and upgrade at the receiver position. Kelce has the name recognition, and is on the much better offense – but Bowers has proven himself to be more than capable of being the lead receiver on his team, and his lofty position as TE2 will command major trade clout.