It’s time for another week of flex options! We had a 50/50 hit rate last week since Dontayvion “Bricks” Wicks doesn’t count due to literally everyone starting him and getting burnt. Funny enough, Wicks is shaping up to be a good start again this week, but he’s ranked too highly in the Fantasy Footballers Rankings for me to include him in this article. What could go wrong? I’d like to say we always try to learn from the previous week, but in this case, I’m not sure that we have. Anyway, we’ll look to identify more Chase Browns and Wan’Dale Robinsons this week and fewer Justice Hills and Jerry Jeudys. Let’s get into it.
Tank Bigsby – RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Backup running backs outplaying the starters has been a common theme across the NFL this year, to the point where we might need an article to investigate this phenomenon. My personal theory (as a Breece Hall and Bijan Robinson manager) is that defenses pay less attention to the run when the backup goes in, which allows for bigger running lanes. Whatever the reason, Tank Bigsby is heating up, having now posted 90+ rushing yards in back-to-back games. His snap share also increased to 40% last week as he continues to outshine Travis Etienne on the ground. He draws a favorable matchup this week against the Chicago Bears, and he can be started as a flex play with upside if his snap trends continue.
Calvin Ridley – WR, Tennessee Titans
Ridley has been nothing short of a disappointment this season, having posted just one week inside the top 50 at wide receiver. His snap share has inexplicably been declining every week thus far, though game script may have had something to do with his disappearance in Week 4, as the Titans trounced the Dolphins 31-12. This week, Ridley has a home matchup with a Colts defense that just allowed Trevor Lawrence to throw for a season-high 371 yards and two touchdowns. I wouldn’t necessarily expect that from Will Levis, but the Colts have been one of the best matchups for wide receivers all year.
Let’s run it back…
Perimeter WRs have CRUSHED the Colts:
• George Pickens: 7/113/0
• Rome Odunze: 6/112/1
• Nico Collins: 6/117/0
• Brian Thomas Jr: 5/122/1Welcome to Calvin Ridley week
pic.twitter.com/G6pcKrzZ27
— Matthew Betz (@TheFantasyPT) October 10, 2024
Hopefully, Joe Flacco is once again named the starter, and the over/under for this matchup goes up a little from the 43.0 it’s currently at. Regardless, Ridley should be fine as a flex play this week, because if he isn’t he never will be.
Josh Downs – WR, Indianapolis Colts
This play is somewhat dependent on Joe Flacco getting the nod as the Colts’ starter this week, so pay attention to Anthony Richardson’s status if you’re considering playing Downs. Since returning from injury in Week 3, Downs has seen a gaudy 28.6% target share, most of which has come from Flacco. I wouldn’t expect Downs’ role in the offense to change much if Richardson were to return, but Richardson’s propensity to chuck the ball as far down the field as he can doesn’t mesh well with Downs’ short-area prowess. And that’s not to mention Richardson’s general inability to progress the offense down the field, which doesn’t bode well for any of the Colts’ fantasy options. With either starter, a 28.6% target share should give Downs a high enough floor to return flex value this week.
Jalen Tolbert – WR, Dallas Cowboys
Tolbert burst onto the fantasy scene last week with a great performance in the absence of teammate Brandin Cooks, who has been placed on injured reserve. Tolbert finished as the WR14 on the week thanks to an 89% snap share and 10 targets from quarterback Dak Prescott, which led the team. The Cowboys host the Lions this week in what figures to be a shootout. The 52.5-point O/U is the highest of the week. This is a game you want pieces of, particularly against a Lions pass defense that has been their weakest link so far this season, allowing 6.0 points above expected to wide receivers. Fire up Tolbert in all formats as he looks to build off his success of last week.
Michael Wilson – WR, Arizona Cardinals
Wilson has quietly been seeing significant target volume for the Arizona Cardinals over the last three weeks (nine, seven, and six targets). He’s yet to make much of an impact for fantasy with those targets, but he’s delivered 10+ fantasy points on two occasions, which is all you can ask for out of your flex position sometimes. In addition to the high target floor, this week’s matchup in Green Bay shapes up nicely for some touchdown upside with a 49.5-point O/U and a Green Bay defense that is beatable through the air. Fire up Wilson in your flex if you’re desperate due to a bye week or injury fill-in.
from Fantasy Footballers Podcast https://ift.tt/oxqWswg
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