"Come on, are you really gonna drop me this week?"
This week follows a weekend of uniquely extreme highs and lows: some good, some bad, and so much ugly.
While Comeback Player of the Year candidate Alex Smith suited up and bravely played opposite Aaron Donald, Dak Prescott put on his own brave face as he was carted away with a brutal broken ankle that'll have him sidelined for the rest of the season.
The Texans won their first game, valiantly redeeming the fantasy value of Brandin Cooks and David Johnson. The Falcons lost again and finally fired disgraced head coach Dan Quinn, while Carson Wentz lost the Eagles' perch atop the division with a pick-ridden loss to a steely defense.
As Week 6 approaches, here are the drops, swaps and shops you need to make in light of a shocking Week 5.
Drop
Golden Tate
Syndication: NorthJersey
Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Golden Tate has made headlines this season, but unfortunately, it hasn't been for his fantasy performance. The veteran has made a name for himself through eleven years and four different franchises, but he hasn't been able to produce much on a weak Giants offense. Tate is on the field and does catch the majority of his targets, but they're only for a couple of yards: He hasn't gotten more than 47 yards in a game. If he's not adding at least 10 points to your roster, he's not even worth a flex spot, and it seems Darius Slayton is the guy to roster instead of Tate.
Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. 💯 https://t.co/0sjVD2FkHQ— Golden Tate (@Golden Tate)1602550826.0
Russell Gage
NFL: Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Russell Gage was a promising part of a high-powered Falcons offense in Weeks 1 and 2, but in the three weeks since, he's barely gotten more than 50 yards… total. While Gage did suffer a concussion in Week 3, he's been listed as active in every game this season. It's possible that the Falcons are reeling from their 0-5 record, and it's very possible that the offense can turn things around in a week like the Texans did, but Gage is a gamble at this point, and there are likely better options out there if you prefer not to wait.
With Week 5 almost in the books, here are some players who are droppable: - Tre'Quan Smith - AJ Green - Nyheim Hin… https://t.co/qAwR8AyBuq— Fantasy Football Laboratory (@Fantasy Football Laboratory)1602603849.0
Carson Wentz
NFL: Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
It's probably not fun being Carson Wentz right now. It's also not that fun having Carson Wentz on your fantasy team. The once-lauded Eagles quarterback who helped bring his city their only championship is now drawing ire from the NFL world for his subpar play this year. To be fair, the Eagles haven't given him much to work with: he lacks offensive line protection and receiving options, putting the quarterback in a universally difficult position. While Wentz may not be entirely to blame, he's barely broken 20 points and is the 20th quarterback after Week 4—there are better options, even in twelve-person leagues.
My man is so done with Carson Wentz 😂 https://t.co/WEcfugPkR1— DailySportsDosage (@DailySportsDosage)1601344938.0
Swap
Mark Ingram
NFL: Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Mark Ingram carries a name in fantasy, but that seems to be all he's carrying these days in Baltimore. Once upon a time, the former Saints running back shared a backfield with Kamara as half of a rare and productive RB tandem, but this year, there just aren't enough opportunities for Ingram. Between Lamar Jackson, Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins and maybe Justice Hill, Ingram can't start on your fantasy roster right now. But since so much of fantasy knowledge still relies on what happened last season, you might be able to convince someone that Mark Ingram is the starting Ravens running back and at least get something useful out of this touchdown-or-bust player.
J.K. Dobbins (Rookie) has touched the ball 25x and has 199 yards & 2 touchdowns Mark Ingram (10th year) has touche… https://t.co/Mp51Q6SsCQ— Joe Reed (@Joe Reed)1602612890.0
Darius Slayton
NFL: New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Another touchdown-or-bust kind of guy, Darius Slayton is a talented deep threat on a winless offense that ranks last in the NFL's worst division this season. He's actually averaging about 15.6 yards per game, so the guy can catch… he's just not catching enough. So even if Slayton gets points a few times this season, it's not consistent, making him a potential play in weak matchups, such as against the Cowboys this week. Either hold onto Slayton for those attractive matchups or sell him on his big-play ability.
Top 10 in percentage share of team's air yards, per @NextGenStats: Adam Thielen- 48.4% Marquise Brown- 45.1% DK Me… https://t.co/EnqGNkU5wC— Frank Stampfl (@Frank Stampfl)1602612093.0
Devin Singletary
NFL: Buffalo Bills at Las Vegas Raiders
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Devin is the starting running back for the Bills, but with Josh Allen's passing attack working fairly well for the undefeated team, the run game hasn't been so much of a factor thus far. While his carries have increased each week and he did score a touchdown in Week 4, that score is really what saved him that week and gave him RB2 numbers. With fellow running back Zack Moss set to return this week, now's a good time to score something from Singletary if you need a stable wide receiver or tight end.
Devin Singletary has looked great all season. He currently has -130 odds to have over 58 rushing yards. Bet on th… https://t.co/T0ZLq4dS8s— BetOnline.ag (@BetOnline.ag)1602610998.0
Shop
Chase Claypool
NFL: Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Alright, so adding Chase Claypool might be so obvious that it isn't even worth mentioning, but in case you didn't hear, this Steelers WR scored 7 catches for 110 yards as well as four touchdowns, earning him… 39 points.* Even before this week, Claypool was averaging 25 yards per catch, but he wasn't getting enough volume to justify making your roster. Well, now he is, so bid for him, negotiate for him, spend half of your waiver salary… just try to get this guy, because everyone will be clamoring for him.
The Week 6 Waiver Wire WR Priority List! @FFToday discusses if Chase Claypool can consistently give your team prod… https://t.co/Xp4vRLhHLP— CBS Sports HQ (@CBS Sports HQ)1602615058.0
Laviska Shenault Jr.
NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
He may be available in two-thirds of leagues, but Laviska Shenault is an interesting WR waiver wire add if he continues at his current pace. His target share has increased week by week, and he's been able to accrue more than 10 points without scoring a touchdown. After DJ Chark exited with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter this Sunday, Shenault and Keelan Cole will be looking to split targets in a favorable Week 6 matchup against the Lions.
"Laviska Shanault Jr is better than Chase Claypool 🤢😑, Chase had 1 good game.... Laviska been doing since the start… https://t.co/xY8vcy09jB— Tramainetho (@Tramainetho)1602615184.0
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Syndication: Palm Beach Post
Allen Eyestone via Imagn Content Services, LLC
It seems that Fitzmagic wins games when he wants to, but in fantasy, it looks like he's been playing like a winner all season. Excluding a 2-point showing opposite the Patriots, Fitzpatrick had two 20-point outings and three that were around 30-points each. Here's the real magic: he's the 10th overall quarterback, but somehow only appears on 19.9 percent of ESPN rosters. Make Fitzmagic appear on yours if you need an upgrade at QB.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is in the earn the starting job phase of his cycle. Playing well tonight. #MIAvsPIT #MNF https://t.co/Ypx8e0hYXx— Willie L. Franklin (@Willie L. Franklin)1572311519.0
* — dependant on league scoring rules
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Bogdan Bogdanovic
For college basketball, the madness is over. For the NBA fantasy managers, the madness is just beginning.
We are two weeks away from playoffs, and people are scrambling for solutions to their team's problems. Take a look at these waiver wire picks and see who will give you that final push you need to get into the postseason and avoid the humiliation of whatever fantasy punishment you may face.
Booms
Bogdan Bogdanovic Guard/Forward Atlanta Hawks
While one Bogdanovic struggles through a subpar season in Utah, another is thriving in Georgia. Bogdan, the younger of the unrelated pair, missed 25 straight games this season due to a knee injury and had trouble finding consistent minutes on this Hawks team. This past week, he caught fire with John Collins and De'Andre Hunter out with injuries.
The @ATLHawks set a new NBA record for threes made in a quarter without a miss, knocking down 11 of 11 in the 3rd q… https://t.co/Vsemb5lOV6— NBA (@NBA)1617760124.0
He is averaging 37.1 minutes, 21.5 points on 51.6 percent shooting from the field, 4.3 made threes, 4.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.3 turnovers the last four games. He is only rostered in 74 percent of Yahoo leagues but should be rostered in 100 percent.
Robert Williams Center Boston Celtics
The Time Lord continues to impress, proving that Danny Ainge made the right choice at the trade deadline to deal Daniel Theis to the Chicago Bulls. In three games last week, Williams averaged 14.3 points on 82.6 percent shooting, nine rebounds, five assists, 0.7 turnovers, one steal and two blocks.
All eyes might be on Tatum and Brown as fantasy studs, but Williams is establishing himself as a legitimate seven-category contributor in 9-cat formats.
Gary Trent Jr. Guard/Forward Toronto Raptors
Trent might not have walked into a playoff-contending team in Toronto this season, but the opportunity for production has benefitted fantasy managers. After a rocky two games, he hit his stride, averaging 23.3 points on 51 percent shooting, five made threes, and 1.7 steals.
GARY TRENT JR. WINS IT AT THE BUZZER 🔥 https://t.co/L5GiM7SdeU— NBA on TNT (@NBA on TNT)1617672392.0
Despite having a bad season, the Toronto Raptors are still within striking distance of a play-in spot. If they want to make it, they're going to look to Trent's shooting to help them get there.
Kelly Olynyk Forward/Center Houston Rockets
Gonzaga could've used the former Spokane stud in the National Championship Game on Monday. In the last four games, Olynyk is averaging 18.8 points on 57.4 percent shooting, 1.8 made threes, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 blocks.
The Rockets may be playing for the future, but Olynyk has proven to be a dependable fantasy option for the present.
Busts
Moses Brown Center Oklahoma City Thunder
After spending last week rebounding like he was Dennis Rodman, he spent this past week looking a bit more human. After averaging 16.8 rebounds last week, Brown dropped down to 10.5 and the rest of his numbers slipped as well. He averaged 9.3 points on 42.3 percent shooting and only shot 60 percent from the foul line.
Moses Brown has been HOOPING recently... and the Thunder have awarded him with a multi-year contract. Love it. https://t.co/z0jFDmcbPR— Legion Hoops (@Legion Hoops)1616970263.0
He is averaging about five fewer minutes a game than he did in the previous week, which could be contributing to his drop in production. With Al Horford completely shut down and Mike Muscala hurt, he will have plenty of chances to increase his numbers
Seth Curry Guard Philadelphia 76ers
Slumping shooters are the most at risk to be on this "bust" list and this week it's the younger Curry brother. He still contributed 2.5 made threes, but he only shot 38.1 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from the free-throw line.
If shooters aren't hitting, they're basically an empty slot in a fantasy lineup. Still, Curry isn't worth dropping because of his potential to get hot, but these are the rough patches managers are going to have to deal with.
Kyle Kuzma Forward Los Angeles Lakers
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis out, now would be the time for Kyle Kuzma to shine. His star is looking more like a lantern fantasy-wise.
He did average 17.3 points last week, but he only shot 44.4 percent and 63.6 percent from the free-throw line. He's also only making 1.7 threes, grabbing 5.3 rebounds and turning the ball over three times in that same time span.
Lebron watching Kyle Kuzma air ball free throws like https://t.co/jy0HzCWdu3— Rich (@Rich)1617567541.0
If Kuzma wanted to prove himself a star, this period of time was not that moment.
R.J. Barrett Guard/Forward New York Knicks
The former Duke player's career season hit a speedbump this past week. In the last four games, Barrett has averaged 13.3 points on 41.7 percent shooting, 1.5 made threes, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists. The Knicks have unsurprisingly lost three of those games.
Fantasy managers in a position to make the playoffs can be patient with Barrett, but those who are fighting for a playoff spot may need to look for other options.
Shane Bieber faced off against the Dodgers in Spring Training. He bested Trevor Bauer, allowing only two runs, and striking out nine
Welcome to the Mock Draft lab.
This is where we are running experiments, crunching the numbers, and proving hypotheses, so you can reap the rewards of our hard work. The rules for this exercise were simple: Take the best pitcher in each round without reaching more than 10 spots away in either direction. (This kept us honest and realistic as to who would be available and prevented any major overpays for talent.)
The first simulation that I'm offering as a tool going into your fantasy drafts is a breakdown of the best pitcher available in each round left for the taking. This has been achieved by studying the results of numerous mock drafts, cross-referencing those results against average draft positions, and the plain old eye test.
How should something like this be applied? Well, imagine yourself in this situation: You've gone best player available for the first six rounds and realize that starting pitcher is a bigger hole on your team than the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Reference this handy-dandy sheet to assuage those concerns. Not to fear, there's plenty of talent to be had in the next round, the round after that, and the round after that.
This is based on a mid-round draft position in a 12 team league. Obviously, higher rated players could fall because there's no accounting for the taste, or lack thereof, of your fellow managers.
Round | Pitcher |
1 | Shane Bieber - CLE |
2 | Max Scherzer - WSH |
3 | Luis Castillo - CIN |
4 | Tyler Glasnow - TB |
5 | Lance Lynn - CWS |
6 | Liam Hendriks - CWS |
7 | Kyle Hendricks - CHC |
8 | Ian Anderson - ATL |
9 | Zach Plesac - CLE |
10 | Chris Paddack - SD |
11 | Patrick Corbin - WSH |
12 | Sixto Sanchez - MIA |
13 | Devin Williams - MIL |
14 | James Paxton - SEA |
15 | Alex Colome - MIN |
16 | Mike Soroka - ATL |
17 | Dustin May - LAS |
18 | Jose Urquidy - HOU |
19 | Ryan Yarbrough - TB |
20 | Jameson Taillon - NYY |
21 | Matthew Boyd - DET |
22 | Tony Gonsolin - LAD |
23 | Zach Davies - CHC |
As you can see, there is talent at every level of the draft, both for starters, relievers, and guys who can do both. The highlights:
SHANE BIEBER
Beginning at the beginning, I can't tell you how much I like getting Shane Bieber anywhere in the back half of the first round. The reigning Cy Young winner looked transcendent last season, and I've seen just as many fantasy projections that squarely place him in the conversation as the #1 overall pitcher. Getting a guy who led the league in strikeout percentage, strikeouts, ERA, and wins is a no-brainer. It's not his fault that he doesn't pitch in New York.
LUIS CASTILLO
A couple rounds later, I believe you can still snag a dude that's about to prove he could be an ace on pretty much any staff. His numbers have improved from year to year, specifically cutting his walks and increasing his strikeouts. Without Bauer in the rotation, Castillo will be the Opening Day starter and can use this chance to solidify himself as a premier pitcher.
This Luis Castillo dude seems to be pretty good at throwing baseballs. https://t.co/jVcslXwKDi— Cincinnati Reds (@Cincinnati Reds)1600307193.0
DEVIN WILLIAMS
In the middle rounds of the draft, I am all about jumping on Devin Williams. The man has a pitch so mesmerizing that it got a name: "The Airbender." He uses a normal circle change grip, but himself sees it as a reverse slider, or what was one time known as, a screwball. He's been ridiculously valuable as Hader's setup man, piling up holds left and right and center. Look here for the possibility of him assuming the closer role if the trade talk surrounding Hader finally comes to fruition.
JAMESON TAILLON
Nearing the end and looking to fill out your roster, I think Jameson Taillon provides a ton of upside this season. He's coming off of a second Tommy John surgery, and the Yankees have already said they plan to ease him into the rotation by having Cole take two starts before his first. (This sets him up to face the Baltimore Orioles, by the way, a team who doesn't have a clear second baseman on the team). However, he's completely rebuilt his throwing motion, which should be more sustainable for his elbow.
Of course, exhibition games don't predict future success, but Taillon has looked tremendous in his four outings. He has one earned run and 14 strikeouts over the 8.1 innings, and this could, finally, be the season that he lives up to the lofty expectations of his high draft status.
Jameson Taillon is bringing a new and improved throwing motion to the Bronx for his first season with the New York… https://t.co/w862Pq5NvK— YES Network (@YES Network)1611673320.0
ZACH DAVIES
In the final round, I'm a big fan of Zach Davies, who put together a respectable season for the Padres last year, proving to be a valuable waiver wire addition. Once San Diego decided they were going the nuclear route and compiled the best staff in baseball, Davies saw himself dealt to the Cubs, as a part of the Darvish trade. The increased use of his change up resulted in more strikeouts. The change of scenery to a weaker division should provide a boost to his stats across the board.
Zach Davies was 5th in the NL in ERA last season (2.73). JD likes what he sees. https://t.co/FILc8Zi8yr— Marquee Sports Network (@Marquee Sports Network)1613489190.0
Zach Davies was 5th in the NL in ERA last season (2.73). JD likes what he sees. https://t.co/FILc8Zi8yr— Marquee Sports Network (@Marquee Sports Network)1613489190.0
Zach Davies was 5th in the NL in ERA last season (2.73). JD likes what he sees. https://t.co/FILc8Zi8yr— Marquee Sports Network (@Marquee Sports Network)1613489190.0
Jared Butler cuts down the net after Baylor won the school's first Men's NCAA Basketball Championship on Monday
Now that March Madness is over, here are a few games to mark on your calendar this week to keep feeding your sports appetite.
After a thrilling season of college basketball we saw Stanford take home their first Women's NCAA Basketball title in 29 years while on the men's side Baylor handed Gonzaga their first and only loss of the season and earned the school's first Men's NCAA championship. Since we didn't have the tournaments last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was amazing getting to see the highlights and the drama return, and both tournaments delivered on the promise of madness.
Gonzaga all season until they played Baylor tonight 😂 #NCAAChampionship https://t.co/2O2M1ZiXBy— El Maestro (@El Maestro)1617678325.0
But now that we'll have to wait until next year to get more college basketball action, here's a rundown of some of the best matchups in the NBA as their season is getting closer to their postseason, and in the MLB where teams are just ramping up nearing the end of the first week of their season.
Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns Wednesday April 7
We start with the top two teams in the NBA's western conference who play on Wednesday night. The Utah Jazz bring the league's best record to Phoenix to take on the second place Suns. If you haven't been paying attention to the NBA and are now craving more basketball, now is a perfect time to jump in.
That wasn't a typo you just read either; the Jazz and Suns are ahead of the likes of the Clippers and Lakers in the standings, and these are two very good teams you need to get acquainted with. If only someone could have suggested you do it sooner by, I don't know, writing a feature article about one of them in the first week of the season.
DEVIN BOOKER. Another 30 point performance. https://t.co/DN07ZaMsnd— Phoenix Suns (@Phoenix Suns)1617675411.0
Chris Paul continues to make everyone around him better, including Alfonso Ribeiro in those State Farm commercials. But more importantly his presence has expedited the development of all of the young talent around him in Phoenix, resulting in the Suns being a team we talk about in terms of "they can win now" versus "they can win someday."
The Jazz are basically the Spurs during the Duncan era. They're a very fundamentally sound team that plays basketball the way you should play it, and it's not very fun to watch most of the time. But that's not a shot at them, it's a testament to their coaches and players for putting together an excellent game plan and executing it night in and night out.
Longest win streaks in the NBA this season: Utah Jazz - 11 Utah Jazz - 9 (active) Utah Jazz - 9 Hawks - 8 Bucks - 8 Nets - 8— John Keeffer (@John Keeffer)1617514941.0
If you haven't seen these teams play it's a great opportunity to see two of the best fight it out as they battle for positioning atop the western conference.
Washington Wizards vs Golden State Warriors Friday April 9
I know what you're thinking. Why would I spend my Friday night watching a Wizards game? Well a lot of this rests on Bradley Beal returning to action who has missed the last five games with a hip injury. But if Beal is good to go against the Warriors, we'll get to see the aforementioned Beal go head to head with Stephen Curry. Beal is currently leading the league in points per game with 31.3 ppg, and Curry is third in that category averaging 29.4.
People seem to forget Steph Curry led the Warriors to 73-9 WITHOUT Kevin Durant— Ben Stinar (@Ben Stinar)1617637387.0
Even if Beal is unable to go, my backup argument for watching this game is that you then get a matchup of Curry vs. Russell Westbrook who is fresh off leading the Wizards to a win over the Raptors behind the former MVP's triple double on Monday. Either way it's a low stakes game with some talented scorers, and it's going to be fun.
Russell Westbrook insane game: 35 PTS 14 REB 21 AST The first 35/10/20 game in NBA history. https://t.co/MnS5NHOAHH— StatMuse (@StatMuse)1617067788.0
Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals Wednesday April 7 3:35 pm EST
The reason I had to denote the time of this game is that it's the second game of the scheduled double-header we'll see between these teams on Wednesday. Due to some positive Covid-19 test results the series that was meant to start last week will actually begin today on Tuesday April 6.
GOT 'EM! Bryce Harper tried to stretch this into a double, but @Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. had other plans 💪 https://t.co/bESXJlYJPY— FOX Sports: MLB (@FOX Sports: MLB)1617481262.0
Furthermore, the reason that this game is on this list is that the Braves and Nats are going to play three baseball games in the span of about 27 hours. This is the last game on the schedule within that timeframe. That means we could very well see some weird stuff, and in baseball we love weird stuff.
We could see minor league call-ups whose only professional game is this one. We could see pitchers being used as pinch hitters. We could see position players being called upon to be relief pitchers, maybe even a half inning called by only one announcer because the other had to make a bathroom break run.
Considering we don't even know who the probable pitchers are for this one yet, it's a safe bet that we're going to get weird.
Washington Nationals vs Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday April 10
I promise you that I didn't intend to list three Washington sports games on here, but it's just how the schedules played out.
This day was supposed to be all about the star power that the Lakers and Nets were going to bring to Brooklyn in primetime, but thanks to injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it will instead be a game worthy of a blackout rather than a national spot.
So instead we turn to another L.A. team taking on an east coast powerhouse in the MLB, and if it's star power you want, these teams can bring it. Even though we don't have projected starting pitchers yet, it's likely we see Trevor Bauer toe the mound for the Dodgers, and it's unlikely we'll see Max Scherzer ready to go by then as he's going today in their season opener.
Hi hello Opening Day is TOMORROW Let's watch some *crushed* Juan Soto homers to get us ready 🙌 ⬇️ https://t.co/SWGADq3deS— Sarah Langs (@Sarah Langs)1617236372.0
But on the offensive side there is an endless supply of power for both teams. Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger lead the way for the 4-1 Dodgers while Juan Soto and Trea Turner highlight the lineup for the Nationals.
If you're bummed you're missing out on the Lakers and Nets matchup we've been waiting for, tune in for this one as it could turn into a barnburner of a Saturday night.