Welcome to Week 8 of the 2023 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- Rams and Cardinals Backfields
- Every Week/Bye Week/Fluke Week (see below)
- Quit/Don't Quit
- Either/Or: The RB Edition
Let's roll.
Every Week/Bye Week/Fluke Week
Matt Waldman: Pick three from the list and tell me which is the best candidate for each label.
- D'Onta Foreman
- Emari Demercado
- Demario Douglas
- Jalin Hyatt
- Tyrod Taylor
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- Joshua Kelley
- Rachaad White
- Najee Harris
- Jakobi Meyers
- Rashee Rice
- Cade Otton
Go . . .
Jason Wood: Rookie Rashee Rice is an Every Week option. Rice only saw approximately 25% of the snaps in Weeks 1 and 2, but he's been on the field for nearly 55% over the last two games as he's begun to separate from the rest of the Chiefs' mile-wide, inch-deep roster.
As he performs, it's natural that Patrick Mahomes II will trust him more, and a virtuous cycle is likely to elevate Rice into a top-30, every-week scenario with potential far beyond that depending on touchdown variance. Rice currently ranks 11th among qualified receivers in yards per route run.
Keenan Allen, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Amon-Ra St. Brown are just below him in the rankings, while everyone above him is also a bona fide fantasy star this year.
Honorable Mention: Jakobi Meyers.
Rachaad White is a Bye Week option. White hasn't had the breakout some hoped for, but he's currently RB28 in PPR scoring despite only scoring one touchdown. White isn't a powerful or instinctive runner (3.2 yards per rush), and the Buccaneers offensive line doesn't do him any favors. But the coaches trust him as a pass protector, and rookie Sean Tucker still isn't getting the snap share to warrant worrying about a committee approach.
Honorable Mention: Najee Harris
D'Onta Foreman is my Fluke Week option. Foreman was the No. 1 fantasy running back in Week 7 with 120 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. But his role only came after Khalil Herbert was placed on injured reserve and rookie Roschon Johnson was out with a concussion, not to mention uber-mobile quarterback Justin Fields was out, too.
We can't rule out Foreman having another big week, but reports suggest Johnson will be back from the concussion this week, and the team understandably thinks highly of him. Expect a committee approach, and that's only until Herbert returns, when it should become more of a two-man rotation with Herbert and Johnson.
Zareh Kantzabedian: Jakobi Meyers has averaged 9 targets per game, seen less than 10 targets only twice, and has 5 receiving touchdowns on the year. He's currently seventh in red zone targets and third in receiving touchdowns. Because of those touchdowns, he averages more fantasy points per week than Davante Adams. Adams will likely outproduce Meyers by year-end, but Meyers' volume and red zone stats are all I need to see to feel confident in him as an every-week starter.
Tyrod Taylor was a sight for sore eyes for managers needing a starting quarterback in Week 7. Taylor brings added value with his rushing upside and anything else he can muster through the passing game. If Daniel Jones can't return, Taylor must play against a suffocating Jets defense in Week 8. That would presumably be Taylor's final start, as Jones will likely return for Week 9. Use Taylor as a bye-week option.
Have a day, Joshua Kelley, but 7 rush attempts for 75 yards and one rushing touchdown? Come on now. I'm a closet Kelley fan, but nobody should read too much into this. Leave Kelley on the waiver wire; he had a fluke week.
Andy Hicks: As I mentioned last week in the dynasty movement article, Rice is starting to stand out from the other Chiefs receivers who have more experience and, yes, talent. With Patrick Mahomes II at quarterback and Andy Reid coaching, Rice will only get more looks as they gain more confidence in his ability to make plays. This team needs an alternative to Travis Kelce, and Rice is that guy already. The numbers are coming very soon, but even his floor this season has been reliable WR3/Flex. He's my Every-Week option.
With DK Metcalf missing a game, Jaxon Smith-Njigba scored his first touchdown. He has been in the box score every other week and is improving. With Metcalf and Tyler Lockett around, Smith-Njigba is unlikely to be a reliable starter, but as a depth option, he is useful as a bye-week replacement for now.
It’s a bit harsh to say a lot of the players on the list had a fluke week. Most have had multiple good weeks of production, just not reliably. Either that or they are rookies just starting to make their mark.
That said, let us talk about Joshua Kelley, who struggled in the absence of Austin Ekeler. When Ekeler is available, Kelley has two big games with touchdowns out of the three to choose from. That’s flukey, but it has happened twice. It's unlikely to happen again, but crazier things have happened this season.
Daniel Harms: Once again, Jason and I are in lockstep. Rashee Rice has established himself as the No.1 receiver in Kansas City. His route participation the last two weeks continues to climb, but the biggest reason he’s an every-week play for me is that Andy Reid is scheming up play designs specifically for him every week. They want the ball in his hands, and with Travis Kelce exploding, defenses should be keying more on him. Rice also plays with the best quarterback in the NFL. Rice is an Every Week option.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is still earning targets, 18 in his last three weeks, and running routes 72% of the time, but hasn’t been a consistent producer in the offense with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. He’s starting to show signs of life but can’t be trusted every week. Still, he's worthwhile as a Bye-Week option.
Joshua Kelley found a giant hole and took it to the house. He was unable to be productive as the full-time starter with Austin Ekeler. It’s just a fluke week.
Matt Montgomery: Jakobi Meyers is a player who needs to be in your lineup every week. To start, he can be a #1 receiver but has the benefit of playing alongside an elite player who will take the majority of the attention from defenders. He also has a Quarterback who is underrated in his ability to help produce fantasy-relevant receivers.
Tyrod Taylor can be an effective backup quarterback if you are in need of playing one. He isn’t going to flash anything more than an ability to move the ball down, but the Giants' offense has shown some promise with him at the helm alongside a healthy Saquon Barkley, forcing defenses to move closer to the line of scrimmage. He's the bye-week option of choice from this list.
Jeff Bell: Jakobi Meyers is WR12 through the first seven weeks, and outside of a poor offensive support system, there’s little reason for it to change. The Raiders have shown us who they are; the offense flows through Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams, and Meyers. Meyers should be relied on for consistent volume and has made himself a presence in the red zone. Every week.
The Chiefs have been hunting for a reliable second option since the Tyreek Hill trade. Rice looks like he might be it. Over his past five games, he has averaged 5.4 targets, 4.2 receptions, 51.2 yards, and scored twice. A 71-catch, 870-yard, 6.8-TD trend line may not stand out on its own, but he has accomplished that with a snap share of over 51% just once. There is a lot of growth potential here, and the likelihood of finding the end zone with Patrick Mahomes II makes him a nice bye-week fill-in.
We are in year four now with Kelley, and we got a picture of what it looks like without Austin Ekeler in the lineup. It was not pretty. Kelley has the power and explosion to break off a long run like he did this week, and in Week 1 against Miami, he posted some chunk yardage plays. But he was not fantasy viable when given the whole work share. Most NFL players are capable of breaking an occasional big play.
Will Grant: Jakobi Meyers has found a new home with the Raiders and has cemented himself as their #2 receiving option after Davante Adams. Even better for fantasy owners, Meyers is seeing plenty of action near that goal line, has a receiving touchdown in each of the previous three games, and has five total for the season. With double-digit targets in four of his first six games this season, Meyers is a player you can easily start every week as your WR2 or Flex option in PPR leagues.
Rachaad White has emerged as the feature back for Tampa Bay this season. He's had four times as many touches as any of the other running backs on the team and is averaging almost 50 offensive snaps per game. But with only 3.2 yards per carry and only one touchdown in six appearances, White isn't a guy you can count on every week for your fantasy team. He's a classic example of a bye-week filler — someone who will get decent volume and, if you are lucky, score a touchdown and give you a 'less than zero' performance when you need it.
Jalin Hyatt had 2 catches for 75 yards last week against Washington. That basically defines fluke. He had 2 catches for 89 yards back in Week 2 against the Cardinals. Take away those 4 catches and his remaining stats are 5 catches in 5 games for 31 yards. No, thank you.
Joey Wright: Much of the focus on the Las Vegas Raiders goes to Davante Adams, and well, that includes opposing defenses. Benefiting from this is most is Jakobi Meyers, who is on pace for career-high totals in yardage, touchdowns, and receptions. He has scored touchdowns in three straight games with a total of five on the season. The quarterback situation may be shaky for Meyers week to week, but this offense is targeting him. He is a must-start, especially in PPR, every week going forth.
Here comes the Footballguys resident Buccaneers fan telling you to roster Cade Otton, but there may be a good reason. In Week Nine, the following tight ends are on bye: George Kittle, Sam LaPorta, and Evan Engram. All three of those are top six tight ends in PPR points per game. In Week Nine, the Buccaneers play the Houston Texans, the worst team in the NFL this season against the tight end position. Otton has two games this season with six or more targets.
Those weeks featured matchups against the Bears and Falcons, both bottom ten against tight ends. The Buccaneers might be showing their hand when they want to utilize Otton. We are one week away from when you would need to roster him to start but act now to get a leg up on Week Nine.
With the release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder last Friday, it was no WONDER Demario Douglas had a good game. “It’s a mee, fluke-week wide receiver!”
Waldman: You're him, aren't you? And I don't mean that him that's trendy, but that guy.
Wright: Unapologetically.
Waldman: That's what I like to hear. Be you. Why are you hating on Douglas?
Douglas eclipsed fifty yards receiving for the first time this season, but it came in a game where the Patriots threw the ball only thirty times and Mac Jones completed an unsustainable 83% of his passes. It was the second most passes attempted by the Patriots all season. Maybe this is a turning point for the Patriots passing offense and they will begin to throw more. However, with the limited amount of work we’ve seen from Douglas and this pass offense, he doesn’t feel like a consistent source of production for your fantasy team.
Waldman: Fair enough. Thanks for reading. If you'd like to see the rest of the topics, once again, you can find them here:
Thanks, and good luck this week!