Fantasy football is a cruel, cruel beast. Fantasy football will chew you up, spit you out and not think twice about it. Fantasy football will see your Anthony Richardson and De’Von Achane breakouts and raise you two players on injured reserve. Fantasy football will make you watch all the way to the end of Monday Night Football to see your team lose by .15 to your friend’s grandma in a must-win game. Fantasy football will make you decide between committing to Sam Howell or Baker Mayfield for the foreseeable future. Am I speaking from experience and projecting a bit? Perhaps, but any team that goes the entire season without being forced into a desperate start is either extremely lucky or in a four person league. In honor of the fantasy managers who don’t have the luxury of choosing between D.J. Moore and Brandon Aiyuk at flex, here are some hail mary plays for this week.
Zach Wilson vs. Philadelphia – In the last two games, Wilson has looked like a significantly better, more confident version of himself. Whether that’s due to playcalling or him no longer wearing a headband, managers should consider him as a streaming option against plus matchups going forward. This week, the Jets will not be able to get whatever they want on the ground like they did last week against Denver. Philadelphia’s offense will also force them to keep their foot on the gas for the entire game. Although the group chat will subsequently blow up, there is reason to be optimistic about Wilson going against a defense that has given up the sixth most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
Keaontay Ingram @ Los Angeles Rams – Emari Demercado was a popular waiver pick up this week, handling ten carries and finding the endzone after James Conner went out against the Bengals. However, Ingram was the clear backup to Conner through three weeks before missing their last game with a neck injury. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has already said he expects Ingram to be back next week, and he is listed as their official starter. He’ll be best viewed as a touchdown dependent flex option for the time being.
Craig Reynolds @ Tampa Bay – Jahmyr Gibbs was listed as doubtful going into the Lions last game against the Panthers after picking up a hamstring injury at Friday’s practice. The Lions rookie was then absent from Wednesday’s practice this week and is trending towards missing a second game. Reynolds had seven carries for 52 yards and a touchdown last week with Gibbs out. Jared Goff is notorious for underperforming in away games, yet the Lions’ offense is too good to somehow miss out on success against Tampa Bay. Detroit projects to thrive in the rushing game this week, to the benefit of David Montgomery and Reynolds.
Kendre Miller @ Houston – Miller got a career-high 16 touches last week against the Patriots, particularly excelling through the air as he hauled in four passes for 53 yards. The rookie will have one more week to carve out a role for himself before Jamaal Williams is eligible to return from injured reserve. Expect his youth and athleticism to continue to show against a bad Texans-run defense.
K.J. Osborn @ Chicago – Osborn has a massive opportunity to shine in the wake of Justin Jefferson landing on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. He will likely see a relatively equal share to Jordan Addison, with both receivers having the chance to earn more. Addison is likely the player who will prevail there as he was a first round draft pick this year and has looked great in limited opportunities thus far. However, Osborn will still have a significant role for the time being, and Kirk Cousins is more than capable of supporting multiple strong fantasy options. Osborn has a chance to exceed expectations against a Bears secondary that shouldn’t scare managers away.