Wow! The 1st quarter of the season is behind us! Did we have fun? I know that I can say, without a doubt, that this was the craziest 4 weeks to start a fantasy season.
Fantasy owners, we should be very proud of ourselves for dealing with the vast amounts of uncertainties that we have had to overcome! From soft tissue injuries to Covid-19, and everything in between, maintaining a positive attitude and being diligent on the waiver wire and trade market is the key to a successful 2020 season. While I mention that utilizing the waiver wire and trade market as tools for success, there is another very important tool in our toolbox that we should also learn how to use. That tool is name recognition! No, I don’t mean to go out and grab all of the players whose names are highly recognizable! What I mean is the following: Don’t just start a player because you spent high draft capital on the player!
Each year, many of us continue to plug and play the guys who we drafted early, in the anticipation that they will “eventually come around”, or “this has to be the week”. Don’t let me fool you, I am guilty of the same thing! Let’s take a look at some of the main culprits of fantasy fraud!
- Darius Leonard-Most likely the #1 player off the board in 2020 drafts, Leonard has failed to crack the top 12 in IDP scoring (use table below) in any week. Currently, on the shelf with a groin injury, Leonard hasn’t been rushing the passer or possessing the high tackle volume that he has displayed in previous Fantasy MVP seasons. Don’t drop him, but bench him until arrows point up
- Cory Littleton-The Raiders’ prized offseason signing was coming off of a 130+ tackle season and poised to be many managers’ #1 LB. So far in 2020, he has 1 week finishing in the top 36, and currently is averaging 7.5 FPPG
- Cameron Jordan-Easily taken as one of the top DL off the board, Jordan hadn’t recorded a sack until week 5. Keep an eye if this is the week he needed to get back to elite production (at least 12 sacks in past 3 seasons)
What can we learn? Well, now is the time that we recognize that 1 week might be a fluke, but a quarter’s worth of production is becoming a trend. Here are the players that are still rostered in less than 40% of the leagues, that NEED TO BE ON A TEAM! MIGHT AS WELL MAKE IT YOURS!
Defensive Line
Akiem Hicks
% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus) 25%
Week 5 Fantasy Points 5.25
FPPG (Fantasy Points Per Game) 10.36
After recording sacks in his first 3 games, he has failed to record a sack in back-to-back games. While you may read this as a condemnation, I am here to tell you that his return to greener pastures is just around the corner. The 1st 3 weeks’ attention had been paid to Khalil Mack, thus leaving Hicks free to live in the backfield. After this past week, where Mack received a mortgage notice from his occupying the pocket, DC’s will not let that happen again. If you happen to be in a league with specific DT positions, Hicks should be 100% rostered!
Yannick Ngokoue
% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus) 21%
Week 5 Fantasy Points 7.5
FPPG (Fantasy Points Per Game) 10.2
After failing to register a fantasy point in week 1, Ngokoue has recorded 5 sacks, 2 FF, and has averaged nearly 13 fppg in that span. He has cracked the top 20 twice and even turned in a top 4 finish in week 4! Being in the top 3 in sacks and forced fumbles, this is the type of season that we expected from his injured teammate, Danielle Hunter.
Kerry Hyder Jr.
% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus) 6.9%
Week 5 Fantasy Points 8.25
FPPG (Fantasy Points Per Game) 9.2
Filling in for the injured Nick Bosa, Kerry Hyder Jr has taken the role and absolutely ran with it. He has a sack in 4 of the 5 games, and the lone game without a sack, he registered 9 tackles. Constantly in the backfield, and playing a high percentage of the snaps, Hyder Jr has outperformed IDP household names, Joey Bosa, JJ Watt, and Fletcher Cox.
Linebacker
Patrick Queen
% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus) 36.3%
Week 5 Fantasy Points 33.25
FPPG (Fantasy Points Per Game) 18.4
From week 1, I have been banging the drum on Patrick Queen! You can read it here.
I am not here to take a victory lap, but I am here to say that Patrick Queen being rostered in only 36% of leagues is an absolute joke. Queen is currently the #1 LB in IDP scoring, but let’s go even further! In the 4-Eyed Championships, which use the same IDP scoring rubric, he is the 18th player OVERALL! I know that he isn’t available in any of my IDP leagues, but there is a chance that he is in yours! I don’t have to accentuate the players that he is outscoring, because he is #1, which means he is outscoring everyone.
Za’Darius Smith
% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus) 15.9
Week 5 Fantasy Points 30.5
FPPG (Fantasy Points Per Game) 12.2
Za’Darius has recorded a sack or a FF in each game this season and is in a good position to be picked up from the waiver wire. Not only is he only rostered in 15% of leagues, but the Packers were also on a BYE in week5. In all reality, he should have been picked up last week, but with the Covid season, roster depth is at a premium. The Packers face the Tampa Bay Bucs, who just allowed Khalil Mack to destroy the backfield. With Aaron Rodgers playing the best football of his life, expect a lot of positive game scripts going forward and a lot of opportunities to see heavy pass rush volume.
Foyesade Oluokon
% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus) 3%
Week 5 Fantasy Points 21.5
FPPG (Fantasy Points Per Game) 11.8
If asked 5 weeks ago which Falcons LB you wanted in fantasy drafts, Deion Jones would have been resounding, and possibly the only, name you would have heard. In fact, if you still asked that question, most would answer with Jones’ name. I am here to tell you that moving forward, it should be Foyesade Oluokon. Battling an oblique injury leading up to week 5, many were concerned with his usage, but Oluokon responded with 14 tackles and a top 5 finish on the week. In fact, Foyesade has not recorded less than 6 tackles in any game in which he has been active.
Defensive Backs
Mike Hilton
% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus) 32%
Week 5 Fantasy Points 18
FPPG (Fantasy Points Per Game) 19
The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of, if not the, most deadly defenses in the NFL. While it would be easy to point to TJ Watt, Bud Depree, or Cameron Heyward, it’s actually Mike Hilton who is at the tops in terms of IDP scoring. Currently the #4 overall in IDP scoring, Hilton has accomplished this in only 4 games! Hilton leads all DB in sacks, QB hits, and is 2nd in Solo Tackles. Hilton’s ability to play in coverage as well as in the box keeps the IDP floor high, and the ceiling even higher! Keanu Neal and Harrison Smith may be the Hotel 6 of DB’s, but I would rather stay at the Hilton.
Chuck Clark
% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus) 22%
Week 5 Fantasy Points 16.5
FPPG (Fantasy Points Per Game) 12
The play-caller for the Baltimore Ravens has been one of the most important positions in recent years past, and Chuck Clark appears up for the task. Having played in every snap for Baltimore, Clark is doing the absolute most with the playing time. Sitting near the top in total tackles, Clark has failed to record less than 6 tackles in any game. Add in the 2 FF and the 1.5 sacks and you have the 7th highest scoring DB in IDP formats. Still un-rostered in 4 out of 5 leagues is an absolute travesty!
Jordan Whitehead
% Rostered (FantasyPros Consensus) 9.3
Week 5 Fantasy Points 8
FPPG (Fantasy Points Per Game) 10.4
I mentioned Whitehead in this exact spot last week, and his percentage stayed the exact same. Whitehead has recorded 6 tackles in multiple weeks, and even sprinkled in a couple of sacks along the way! If I have to continue to repeat myself until the #12 DB is rostered in more than 9% of the leagues. The Bucs will face the high-powered Packers and should see plenty of action. If you’re still putting players like the aforementioned Neal or Smith, take the plunge and forget name value!
That brings this week to a close. As always, if you have any questions, comments, etc, feel free to reach out to me at @natemarcum on twitter.
