Dalvin Cook was a massive question mark heading into the week. Many thought he wouldn’t play after missing his previous game against Detroit. Late in the week, it was announced that Dalvin was going to play and many did not think he would get a full workload. He proved all of his doubters and benchers wrong as he had 222 total yards and 2 touchdowns on 3 opportunities. This resulted in a season-high 35 fantasy points for Minnesota’s running back as he undoubtedly carried his owners to a spot in the playoffs.
There are many weeks where the best game of the week could go many ways, but this week it was different. The Buccaneers defeated the Bills in one of the most entertaining games of the season in overtime. What made this game so interesting was the fact that it went to extra time after Tampa Bay held two 17 point leads (one early in the third quarter and one early in the fourth quarter). Josh Allen put his team on his back as he led the Bills to score 17 unanswered points in a little over 9 minutes. The game then went to overtime where Tom Brady made Buffalo pay for going three and out on their first possession, and the Buccaneers won 33-27.
Notable injuries: Austin Ekeler (ankle), Terry McLaurin (concussion), Lamar Jackson (ankle)
Stud of the week: Josh Allen (35.22 fantasy points)
Dud of the week: James Robinson (0.4 fantasy points)
1. Amon-Ra St. Brown WR DET (10.5% owned)
Amon-Ra St. Brown was on this list last week after a 12 target game, and he had another game with 12 targets this week. If you listened last week you were rewarded for not just this week, but for the rest of the season. The former fourth-round pick has emerged as the top target in Detroit. This might not seem too amazing, but he will always have game-script working with him. Going forward, Amon-Ra St. Brown has a very soft schedule and has WR2 upside in every week.
2. Rashod Bateman WR BAL (24.9% owned)
Rashod Bateman has been on this list for almost the entire second half of the season and has been benefitting owners who have listened to me from the start. Bateman needs to be owned in all leagues, especially after his performance a couple of days ago. He tied his season-high in targets with eight, caught a season-high of 7 passes, and had a season-high of 103 receiving yards. Bateman currently is a very solid flex in ten or twelve-team leagues. The Baltimore receiver hasn’t found the end zone yet, but when he does, he is sure to explode.
3. Rashaad Penny RB SEA (5.7% owned)
Rashaad Penny flew under the radar this week even though he ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns in Seattle’s win over the Texans. This could be a sign of new things to come for the former first-round pick who has proved the draft analysts correct with their “D” grade. Penny is a great addition for playoff teams who are still looking for an RB2 as he might have locked up the role as the top back in Seattle. Penny would be higher on this list, but he is one of the most injury-prone players in the NFL. A healthy Rashaad Penny is something we haven’t seen yet, but if he looks like this, there could be a fantasy star in the making.
4. KJ Osborn WR MIN (26.5% owned)
KJ Osborn has appeared here before but is still only owned in 26.5% of leagues so he is here again. Osborn is the direct benefactor to Adam Thielen’s injury and that proved correct on Thursday as he had the second-highest target share on Minnesota (29%) behind only Justin Jefferson (48%). He only caught three passes, but he made the most of them as he had 83 receiving yards and a touchdown. Osborn should be considered a WR3 or FLEX moving forward until Adam Thielen comes back and should be owned in most leagues.
Deep add: Davis Mills QB HOU (0.9% owned)
Davis Mills was announced as the starter for the rest of the season and proceeded to have a great game, despite being blown out. Mills threw for 331 yards and a touchdown and led Houston on some long drives. Houston’s next four games are against the Jaguars, Chargers, 49ers, and Titans, who average the 19.5th least fantasy points per game given up to quarterbacks. Mills is a sneaky good pickup in deep superflex and 2QB leagues as his schedule should help him pick up some fantasy points when it matters most.
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