If you read last week’s ‘Bargain Bin’,, let’s pretend I didn’t go 1 for 5 from the field — as Baker Mayfield, Kyren Williams, Jordan Addison, Nico Collins and Hunter Henry all performed below expectation.
Thankfully, Isiah Pacheco salvaged me by putting up a respectable and season-high in scrimmage yards while recording his first TD of the season in a drubbing of the struggling Bears.
I’m looking to atone for last week's debacle and here are the players I’ve hand-picked to assist me in that journey (all salaries are courtesy of FanDuel).
QB: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals ($7,200, QB16 at cost)
Here’s a major positive: according to reports, Burrow left ‘Monday Night Football’ unscathed against the Rams and that there were no ‘setbacks’ to his strained calf.
Perhaps FanDuel hasn’t caught on yet, hence the low salary, relative to his standing amongst QBs in the NFL that is.
Burrow has a juicy matchup against the Titans in Week 4. While their front seven could wreak havoc against the Bengals’ still-questionable offensive line, the Tennessee secondary has been exploited all season.
- Cody's Rankings: WR | RB | QB | TE-K-Def.
- Go with These TEs in Week 4 Pick 'Ems
- Week 4 Stacks: Go Chalk, Go Contrarian
- Bargain Bin: Burrow Is Ready to Show He's Back
- Vegas Lines: In Ron You Should Trust
Just ask Derek Carr and Deshaun Watson, who have each had their best games of the season (statistically) against Tennessee.
Against the Titans – ranked 28th in passing yards allowed per game (275.3) – Burrow is due for his best statistical output of the season. It doesn’t hurt that he and Ja’Marr Chase finally got on the same page on MNF, as Chase racked up a career-high in catches with 12 while simultaneously putting up a season-high in yardage with 141.
Arguably the healthiest he’s been in the last month or so and a matchup on tap against an opponent who's vulnerable against the pass? He’s a must-start. Give me Burrow all day long, baby!
RB: Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints ($6,500, RB24 at cost)
I know, I know. AK has yet to play because of suspension, but with the absence of Jamaal Williams (IR) and unproven depth at RB in New Orleans with only rookie RB Kendre Miller and Tony Jones Jr to spell him, I expect the Saints to put about as much on Kamara’s plate as he can handle in Week 4 against the Buccaneers.
Not as stout against the run like we’re accustomed to seeing, Tampa Bay has shown cracks in their run defense armor.
Take for example, DeAndre Swift’s 130 rushing yards in Week 3. Or the fact that Tampa allowed Philadelphia RB’s to account for 173 yards rushing (201 rushing yards on the day).
With Jameis Winston in at QB as Derek Carr is dealing with a sprained AC joint, I expect New Orleans to play more conservative in Week 3 and run more.
What better way to do that then with a RB who has fresh legs and is still considered one of the premium guys at his position?
WR: Tank Dell, Houston Texans ($6,200, WR40 at cost)
Another week, another fantasy scoring output north of 20 points for rookie WR Nathaniel ‘Tank’ Dell in Houston after he put up a 5-catch, 145-yard, and 1 TD performance in Jacksonville in Week 3.
After clamoring for the Texans to draft him shortly after he was drafted No. 2 overall, C.J. Stroud not only got his wish, but the Texans might have gotten one of the steals of the draft in the diminutive, yet explosive and extremely talented wideout from Houston.
Not only that, but this rapport has been making local headlines in Houston all summer long, as it was reported a number of times that Stroud and Dell had showcased strong chemistry with one another during training camp and that has since showcased itself through the first few weeks of the regular season.
Having received 7 targets and caught a TD in back-to-back weeks for the Texans, Dell is gaining traction as a coveted fantasy commodity and definitely not somebody you want to miss out on as this will likely be the last week you can get him outside of the top 30 at WR as far as price point.
One more point: the Steelers pass defense has been BLEEDING points to opposing WRs all season – just ask Brandon Aiyuk, Amari Cooper, Davante Adams, and Jakobi Meyers.
Start Dell with confidence.
WR: Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers ($6,100, WR41 at cost)
First off, prayers up for Mike Williams, who had been on a statistical tear to start the season.
In his place, enter Joshua Palmer, who finished Week 3 with 7 targets, 66 yards and a touchdown.
Against a secondary that has not only struggled all year long, but has been struggling for the last few years now, Palmer is very fantasy-friendly in one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league playing alongside one of the NFL’s most prolific WR’s in Keenan Allen.
And Palmer is the No. 2 option catching passes from one of the hottest QB’s in the game right now? It doesn’t get any better than that.
Hold on, maybe it does.
$6,100.
End of story.
TE: Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys ($5,100, TE18 at cost)
Having received 4 or more targets in every game this season so far, Ferguson has flown under the radar as a fantasy relevant TE.
In a matchup that’s expected to be difficult for Dallas’ wide receivers as New England’s cornerbacks have been shut down, I expect Dak Prescott to look to Ferguson early and often as not only a security blanket, but as the go-to guy in the red zone as well.
Still entrenched as the TE1 on the depth chart ahead of other young TE’s with potential, Ferguson has even caught the attention of his QB, as Prescott is on record saying that Ferguson is ‘close to becoming a big-time guy’.
We’ll see if that tree bears any fruit come Week 4, but for now -- I’m willing to bet that it will, given what I’ve seen so far.
FLEX: Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears ($5,300, RB51 at cost)
If you’re looking for the ultimate dart throw, look no further than the man matching up against a team that gave up 70 points and 350 yards RUSHING (on 8.1 yards per carry) to the Miami Dolphins last week.
While leading the league in scoring helps when it comes to accumulating fantasy points, don’t let the Bears’ inability to move the ball (or score points for that matter) stop you from getting a bargain on Johnson.
Coming off a season-high in snap percentage (45%), carries, and rushing yards, this is the week in which the Bears will start to utilize their talented rookie back. And if there’s a week for this offense to get back on track, it has to be against the Broncos, who have given up 105 POINTS in their last two outings.
With 50 other guys ahead of Johnson in the salary pecking order regarding RB’s, I don’t believe there could be more bang for your buck than in the former Longhorn.
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