Here comes the home stretch! There are only a handful of games left before the playoffs. Teams making a push should already have a solid foundation of starters. Now the goal is to get some depth to take advantage of matchups or to in case of injury. Admittedly, there isn’t much out there this week, but here at Last Word on Sports, we take a deep dive into players to keep an eye on during games who might be worth adding in the near future.
Week 11 Fantasy Football Watch List Featuring Josh Adams
Josh Adams
Ever since Jay Ajayi went down for the Philadelphia Eagles, their running back situation has been a mess. Wendell Smallwood and Corey Clement have struggled to make an impact however, the past two games rookie Josh Adams has been getting some buzz in his limited workload. This week, head coach Doug Pederson admitted that Adams productivity has earned him some more playing time.
With only 27 rushing attempts on the season, it is tough to really judge Adams’s stats, but so far, they look good. His 154 rushing yards is good for 5.7 yards-per-carry. His last two game he has been even better, combining for 16 carries for 108 yards (6.75 YPC). Smallwood is currently the team’s leading rusher, with 261 yards, but he’s faded the past three games, averaging just over three yards-per-carry.
Adams has thoroughly outplayed him, and the Eagles are going to be looking for an offensive boost to get them through the rest of the season. At 4-5, they are in danger of missing the playoffs if they don’t get it together. Fantasy team owners should keep a close eye on Adams’s workload the next few weeks.
Lamar Jackson/Robert Griffin III
With longtime Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco dealing with a hip injury, many fans are clamoring to see Lamar Jackson. The rookie first-round pick says that he is ready to go if it comes to it, but reports are also circulating that former first-round pick Robert Griffin III has just as much of a shot to start if Flacco can’t go. Whichever of the two it is, their dual-threat potential gives them both fantasy appeal.
Jackson has been active all season, so most initially expected him to get the start. However, it looks like he’s only really ahead of Griffin on the depth chart for the dual quarterback packages that the Ravens have been running all year. Jackson is still very raw in his passing, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team turn to the veteran Griffin while Jackson continues to develop.
The last time Griffin saw any playing time was back in 2016 with the Cleveland Browns. He wasn’t overly impressive, but it is worth noting that he got the Browns their only win that season. Griffin only threw two touchdowns to three interceptions but did show his rushing prowess with two scores on the ground.
Whoever gets the start, however, is looking at great matchups for the rest of the season. With games against terrible defenses like the Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, even pedestrian quarterbacks have the opportunity to put up points. This week will be a good gauge to have a look at whoever gets the start. They could be worth adding if Flacco misses significant time.
Redux: Marcus Mariota
Last week’s watch list touched on Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota. After a tough start to the season, Mariota has been heating up since the bye week. He has thrown four touchdowns to zero interceptions the last two games and has rushed for another touchdown. After dismantling the New England Patriots last week, Mariota and the Titans have put the league on notice.
There is little room for error for Tennessee if they want to get into the playoffs. The Houston Texans have won six straight and sit atop the division. The Indianapolis Colts are also not giving up either at 4-5 and host the Titans this week. Mariota will have to stay on top of his game for the rest of the season to stay in the thick of it. That looks thoroughly possible though, as the team looks to be clicking. Corey Davis is starting to become the first-round pick they took a year ago at wide receiver. The team looks like it is finally carving out stable roles for running backs Dion Lewis and Derrick Henry.
Plus, the defenses Mariota faces are suspect. Indianapolis and the New York Jets are a few. But, he also goes against the New York Giants and Washington Redskins. His toughest test for the rest of the year is the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they have looked like a shadow of their 2016 selves. Mariota is a quarterback to consider rostering and perhaps even starting for the rest of the season.
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