Welcome to "Money Talks". The general purpose of this column will be to give you some advice for one of the more popular methods of adding new fantasy players each week – the Free Agency Acquisition Budget, or "FAAB". What this is in a nutshell is a budget of money that every team is given to bid on free agents each week, much like in an auction. Usually this is done via blind bids, meaning that no other owner knows how much you have bid on a given player – unless you announce your bid in some sort of a poker-like bluff move. Some leagues do reveal all bids after the bidding is closed and waivers are processed, while other leagues just show winning bids. It can be fun to see if several teams bid on a given player or if an owner spent a ton of money on a guy no one else even wanted.
Enough of that for now. I will give both general advice and also some weekly assistance for this advanced waiver process in this column. I hope you enjoy and get the player(s) you want every week. Here we go.
ASSUMPTIONS
As with anything in fantasy football, not all leagues are the same. Some are big, some are small. Such is the way with FAAB waivers. Some leagues use a big budget of $1,000 per owner or more, while others use $100 or less. I will assume $1,000 for the purposes of this article and let you, the reader, do the math to adjust to your league. Another difference is that in some leagues the FAAB process is the ONLY way to get new players. Other leagues have the FAAB process first and then allow free transactions for that week on any player not getting a bid (so you can cover your kicker's bye, for example, for free). I will assume that is NOT the case here and think that every transaction will cost you something. If it does not, great – but at least you know why I might say to grab a kicker now for a buck.
Now let's talk about bidding in general. For many more experienced leagues, round numbers are the kiss of death. Even older leagues (and owners) start to see bidding trends over time ("Jeff loves to end in a 7"), which can be dangerous when you are trying to outbid everyone. The natural assumption is to bid in large round numbers – please avoid that temptation. $53 vs. $50 may seem like a trivial difference, but many more people bid $50 instead of adding a few extra bucks that can change who wins.
Another generally accepted rule – do not be stingy early in the year. Sure it is nice to hold on to extra "cash" in case a stud RB goes down for the year, but look around your league and count how many NFL backups are even available on the waiver wire. Not many? Right. Go big early on players who seem to come out of nowhere, like Victor Cruz last year. Most fantasy studs appear on the scene in September instead of weeks later.
There is a "ying" to the "yang" of the last rule – which is to not excessively churn your roster. While it may not seem like much, but if you drop 5-10% of your bankroll each week on bench players that never see the light of day in your lineup, then you are just wasting money. Think about it this way – if you save for a rainy day, you can be prepared to go all out for when you need that money to go "all in" on a player you really want. Of course the trick is figuring out which player is worthy of such a big bid.
Last comment for now – it is far better to bid on a player a week or two early instead of a week late. That can be the difference between a $3 player and a $300 player. If you really want Frank Gore’s understudy, get him now before he pulls that hammy and everyone gets in on the action.
Week 3 Comment: Another item to discuss – who to drop. Keep perspective on your team. If you are short on running backs, you probably want to cut a different position player to grab running back depth. To say that another way, if you are strong and deep already at wide receiver, a sixth or seventh wideout is very unlikely to help. Let that steer your cuts.
Week 4 Comment: Bye weeks are starting now, so teams are going to be more active on the waiver wire, especially with Green Bay off in Week 4. Kickers and defenses will be added and dropped, so start looking ahead and you’re your lineups for the weeks where you will be short a starter or two. Depth is going to play a bigger part in the next several weeks, so do not be afraid to add players for a rainy day now instead of later.
Week 5 Comment: Bye weeks are here, so some of the best deals are both players on a bye week or coming off of one. For example, Green Bay and Philadelphia were both off last week. With the idea of "out of sight, out of mind", players on both teams could be bargain acquisitions – and this general trend will continue through Week 12.
Now, on to some specific players to target here in NFL Week 5 of the 2016 season:
BIG BUCKS
Big Bucks are reserved for immediate starter potential players (QB1, RB1/2, WR1/2/3, Flex, TE1) in most league formats.
- Jordan Howard, RB, Bears ($377): If Howard is available in your league, he should be at the top of your waiver wire list this week. Howard looks to be the new starter in Chicago, and he amassed great numbers in Week 4 (23-111 rushing, 3-21 receiving) against the Lions as the lead back for the Bears. Howard has looked better than Jeremy Langford, who may be on the sideline even when he gets healthy.
- Terrance West, RB, Ravens ($285): Terrance West was elevated to a starting role for Baltimore in Week 4, and he salvaged his performance with a late touchdown to highlight a 21-113-1 day. Week 5 against Washington is a great matchup as Washington cannot stop the run game, so West is an immediate starter if you can grab him. The longer term concern remains, however, as Kenneth Dixon is due to see action as soon as this Sunday.
- Eddie Royal, WR, Bears ($208): I have an admittedly soft spot for Eddie Royal, as I have followed his career closely since his days at Virginia Tech. Royal is an excellent route runner, so it does not surprise me that he is, once again, being productive. The only time he really was not productive was in Denver, where he was asked to read defenses on the fly – which is not his strength. Now that he is back to action and running routes for the Bears, he is being very effective like on Sunday (7-111-1) as the second target opposite of Alshon Jeffery. With Kevin White (ankle) hurting, Royal should be at the top of your wide receiver list this week.
- John Brown, WR, Cardinals ($207): John Brown was on fire in Week 4, leading all players with 16 targets for the week. Brown pulled in 10 of those for 144 yards (but no touchdowns), more than doubling his production so far on the year. He is certainly worth adding, but until the Cardinals figure out the quarterback role (Carson Palmer has a concussion, and Drew Stanton could start on a short week), Brown may only offer WR3/flex value at best.
MEDIUM MONEY
Medium Money is reserved for players who could be bye week starters or that have upside potential on good matchups in most league formats.
- Quincy Enunwa, WR, Jets ($159): With Eric Decker out, Enunwa jumps up in value quickly as the WR2 for the Jets. While New York struggled in Week 4, Enunwa still managed to turn seven targets into a reasonable day (6-60), showing off his floor in PPR leagues. He is definitely worth a roster spot in all formats.
- Martellus Bennett, TE, Patriots ($157, $191 in TE PPR-bonus leagues): Tom Brady is back for the Patriots (by the way, he should NOT be on waivers), so all of the New England receivers get an immediate value boost. Bennett is the second tight end behind Rob Gronkowski, but Bennett showed his value (5-109 receiving) even in a terribly disappointing shutout performance Sunday. Expect more upside for Bennett going forwards, even as the second tight end on the team.
- Robert Woods, WR, Bills ($151): Many are going to overlook the Bills offense (including myself), but Woods is the WR1 there now with Sammy Watkins out. Woods has 13 catches and 140 yards over the last two weeks while dominating targets. He makes for a reasonable WR3 in fantasy with some WR2 upside.
- Dontrelle Inman, WR, Chargers ($146): I have a feeling that fantasy owners hoping for consistency from San Diego receivers are going to be frustrated all season long. Dontrelle Inman, the three-year veteran, led all receivers in Week 4 for snaps, targets, catches and yards (68 / 11 / 7 / 120) plus the only wide receiver touchdown against the Saints. It might be rough to be chasing points and production here, but as long as Philip Rivers is throwing, Inman is worth a roster spot.
- Jeremy Kerley, WR, 49ers ($144): Kerley is the slot and possession receiver for a team that runs a ton of plays. Considering that Blaine Gabbert has to get rid of the ball quickly quite often, it does not surprise me that Kerley sees a ton of targets each week. Kerley is averaging eight targets a game, which has boosted his numbers to 18-202-1 for the season. Week 4 was not much different with his biggest yardage game (88 yards) and first touchdown. Arizona will be a good test in Week 5, but Kerley is a near lock for the most targets each game for San Francisco and is a solid PPR flex option.
- Cameron Brate, TE, Buccaneers ($143, $177 in TE PPR-bonus leagues): Tampa Bay continues to target Brate in the passing game, as he produced again (5-67 on eight targets) in Week 4 against Denver. Tampa Bay (and Jameis Winston) love to get the tight end involved, and another strong matchup lies ahead with Carolina,who gave up two scores to Atlanta tight ends last week.
- Jimmy Graham, TE, Seahawks ($141, $183 in TE PPR-bonus leagues): Graham posted a second 100-yard week in a row, hinting that Graham may finally be starting to click with the Seahawks. Now is the best time to grab him if he is available as Seattle is on a bye, leaving many fantasy team owners to overlook Seattle players.
- Hunter Henry, TE, Chargers ($137, $171 in TE PPR-bonus leagues): Are we seeing a changing of the guard in San Diego? Is Antonio Gates finally acknowledging Father Time? Hunter Henry saw seven targets and all the snaps for the Chargers in Week 4, producing a strong 4-61-1 day, which nearly was bigger had he been able to land a second foot on a great catch in the end zone. Henry has all kinds of upside as the tight end of the future for the Chargers, and the future may be sooner than most thought.
- Brian Hoyer, QB, Bears ($126): Many have said that players do not lose their starting roles due to injury, but that might be what is happening in Chicago. Jay Cutler remains day to day, but Brian Hoyer looked solid in Week 4, taking advantage of a good matchup against Detroit. If Hoyer starts again in Week 5, he has an even better matchup against the Colts.
- Sammie Coates Jr, WR, Steelers ($117): Pittsburgh is trying so hard to find a second viable receiver to use opposite of Antonio Brown. The leading vote-getter after Week 4 is now Sammie Coates Jr, who was second on the team in targets and snaps en route to a 6-79 day. Coates had two long catches, highlighted by a 48-yard strike. If he continues to see the field with this amount of regularity, he offers solid WR3 value.
- Fozzy Whittaker, RB, Panthers ($109): Jonathan Stewart (hamstring) remains out, so a committee approach remains for the Panthers and their backfield with Cameron Artis-Payne and Fozzy Whittaker. Whittaker played over twice as much as Payne (41 snaps to 19), as Whittaker is the passing down back for Carolina. Neither of the two ran much, but Whittaker’s 9-86 receiving on nine targets salvaged his value. I still put Whittaker’s value as moderately high with two plus matchups (Tampa Bay, at New Orleans) in Weeks 5-6.
- Charle Clay, TE, Bills ($106, $135 in TE PPR-bonus leagues): With Buffalo without Sammie Watkins, Clay saw the second-most targets in Week 4 and converted five of those seven looks for 47 yards. Clay has a tougher matchup against the Rams in Week 5, but is worth a spot on the bench.
- Brock Osweiler, QB, Texans ($104): With two great wide receivers in DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller as your primary targets, any quarterback merits roster consideration. Now with a defense missing J.J. Watt, Houston may be forced to throw more, increasing Osweiler’s value.
- Paxton Lynch, QB, Broncos ($102): This season is quickly becoming the season of rookie quarterbacks, as Paxton Lynch stepped up and in for Trevor Siemian last Sunday after an injury. Lynch has excellent targets and a strong defense plus upside to his scrambling ability. Week 5 is also a plus matchup against the Falcons if Lynch gets the start.
CHUMP CHANGE
Chump Change is reserved for players who are relatively considered to be a good flier pick to stash on a fantasy bench in case he blows up over the next few weeks and becomes a potential immediate or spot starter.
- Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Vikings ($98): Cordarrelle Patterson caught five of six targets against the Giants on Monday Night Football, accounting for just 38 yards, but the big takeaway was how much Minnesota used him on the night. Patterson was on the field for 36 offensive snaps, the most since 2014. Patterson was also involved once as a rusher and returned kicks (plus covering them as well), so the Vikings clearly are looking to get the speedster involved again in all phases of the game. If that is the case going forwards, Patterson has some flex appeal with so many chances to break off a big gain on any touch of the ball.
- Orleans Darkwa, RB, Giants ($95): Aside from having a very cool name, Orleans Darkwa is a very hard runner. He consistently moved the pile against Minnesota, picking up 48 hard-earned yards on 12 carries and a goal line touchdown. Darkwa looks like the lead back going forwards, but it also looks very much like a committee. He is worth adding in deep leagues, but only use him in plus matchups (not against Green Bay in Week 5).
- Chris Conley, WR, Chiefs ($91): Conley has emerged as the WR2 for Kansas City, and his speed and separation abilities after the catch give him quite a bit of upside. Conley had a productive Week 4 (6-70) in a very forgettable blowout loss in Pittsburgh, but he offers a ray of hope after that dismal loss.
- Bobby Rainey, RB, Giants ($89): Bobby Rainey was brought in prior to the season as a direct backup for Shane Vereen, and that was the role he played in Week 4 with Vereen sidelined. Rainey pulled in seven catches on nine targets, leading the team in both categories. Rainey was on the field the most of all three backs on the night, but part of that was due to the Giants trailing most of the contest. He is worth an add in PPR leagues as a RB3/flex option.
- DeAndre Washington, RB, Raiders ($87): Oakland still has a large committee in their backfield, sharing snaps amongst Latavius Murray (34 snaps), Jalen Richard (15) and Washington (10 snaps, 5-30 rushing with a key fumble, 3-16 receiving). Washington still has solid upside, but losing a late fumble nearly cost the Raiders the game in Baltimore.
- C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Texans ($86, $97 in TE PPR-bonus leagues): No, I am not talking about this guy, but the tight end for the Texans. Fiedorowicz caught 4 of 5 targets for 48 yards and a touchdown, showing promise for a Houston team that rarely seems to use the tight end. He offers some value in deep tight end leagues.
- Anquan Boldin, WR, Lions ($84): Don’t look now, but could Boldin be pushing to start ahead of Golden Tate? Boldin had eight targets and six catches in Week 4, but for just 31 yards. That is the problem with the veteran, as he just cannot do much after the catch. That said, he can and does get open, and Matthew Stafford is targeting him, especially in the red zone. Tate was benched after causing an interception, so keep an eye on this situation and if you have room on your bench, Boldin is worth a speculative pickup.
- Austin Hooper, TE, Falcons ($83, $85 in TE PPR-bonus leagues): Hooper scored his first NFL touchdown in Week 4 on a well-designed play that resulted in a wide open for a 42-yard score. The rookie tight end is still behind Jacob Tamme on the depth chart and in seeing the field (48 snaps vs. 19), but as long as Matt Ryan continues his strong season, Hooper has solid upside.
- Mike Gillislee, RB, Dolphins ($82): Gillislee is the clear backup to LeSean McCoy now, as Reggie Bush was a healthy scratch in Week 4. Gillislee had 43 total yards on just seven touches, showing he can be productive even in a diminished role. McCoy owners looking for a handcuff should target Gillislee.
- C.J. Spiller, RB, Seahawks ($81): C.J. Spiller reemerged in the league with Seattle, returning kicks in addition to seeing limited (nine) snaps. He was productive on those limited touches, rushing twice for 12 yards and grabbing two balls for five yards and a short touchdown. Christine Michael owners should consider grabbing Spiller as a handcuff.
- Kenneth Dixon, RB, Ravens ($77): Questions surrounded Baltimore’s ground game as we entered last weekend, and it appears that Terrance West is now the lead back. Kenneth Dixon is due to see action as soon as this week, however, which further confuses the situation. The long term solution may be Dixon, who is worth stashing now for later in the season if you have roster room.
- Seth Roberts, WR, Raiders ($76): The slot guy for Oakland continues to produce, especially in the red zone. With just 10 catches on the season, Roberts has turned three of them into scores so far. If you have Michael Crabtree or Amari Cooper, Roberts is a smart handcuff if you have room on the bench.
- Garrett Celek, TE, 49ers ($65, $77 in TE PPR-bonus leagues): Chip Kelly’s offense gives the quarterback the tight end as the primary read on most plays, which opens up plenty of opportunity for the starter in that offense. With Vance McDonald sidelined, Garrett Celek (5-79) filled in admirably as the starter. If McDonald is out again, Celek is a reasonable fill in should you need a tight end in a deep league.
- Paul Perkins, RB, Giants ($64): Perkins saw action in the Giants backfield for the first time, rushing twice for eight yards and catching just two of three targets, but two things were on display in Week 4. First, Perkins is explosive, as he ran a short screen pass for a big 67-yard gain, the first 40+ yard play the Vikings have given up all season long. Secondly, and this is his downside – Perkins was weak on blitz pickups and that is why he is not ready for prime time playing time yet. He is worth grabbing for some potential upside (if Darkwa struggles), but only in very deep leagues.
- Kyle Juszczyk, RB, Ravens ($57): One of my favorite names in all of football, I often refer to Juszczyk as “Scrabble”, because his name is worth an outstanding score. The fullback was targeted often by QB Joe Flacco in short yardage and red zone situations with short passes, racking up 6-56 receiving in Week 4. If he continues to see the field as often as he did in Week 4 (39 snaps, seven targets), he offers some value in very deep leagues.
- John Kuhn, RB, Saints ($55): John Kuhn did his best Jerome Bettis impersonation in Week 4, finding the end zone three times even though he only had five touches for 12 total yards. The ultimate goal line and short yardage guy, Kuhn should only be added in touchdown heavy leagues and used in dire roster weeks as his scoring changes are very unpredictable.
- Kenny Britt, WR, Rams ($53): It is tough to recommend any wide receiver for Los Angeles, especially after watching how bad they played in Week 1, but there is some upside as the Rams start to get the offense together. Britt leads all Rams in targets with 26 but has only caught more than four balls in a game once all season and also has yet to find the end zone. He is only worth a spot in very deep leagues.
- Brice Butler, WR, Cowboys ($52): One trend I have seen over the years is that backup quarterbacks often develop a rapport with backup receivers, mostly because they work with the scout team or second string in practice. How is that relevant for Brice Butler? Dak Prescott surely worked with him quite a bit in the preseason, so it does not surprise me too much that Prescott targeted Butler quite a bit with Dez Bryant sidelined in Week 4. Butler had a big day against San Francisco (nine targets, 5-41-1) with one score and nearly another against the 49ers. Butler is worth adding if you have Bryant as a solid PPR handcuff play.
- Brian Quick, WR, Rams ($51): Similar story to Kenny Britt here, except Quick has more upside so far (three touchdowns) despite only 14 targets. He is also only worth a spot in very deep leagues.
- Derek Anderson, QB, Panthers ($51): Cam Newton is questionable for Week 5, so Newton owners should consider grabbing Anderson just in case they are stuck next Monday night against Tampa Bay. Anderson is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league, as evidenced by his comeback efforts against Atlanta in Week 4.
- Drew Stanton, QB, Cardinals ($15): Carson Palmer is very questionable this week after entering the concussion protocol in Week 4. Arizona has a short week this week with a matchup with the 49ers this Thursday, so Stanton may be thrust into the starting role for the Cardinals. While he does have solid receivers all around him, Stanton has not proven to be a very capable understudy and should only be considered as a last resort.
Questions, suggestions and comments are always welcome to pasquino@footballguys.com.