Welcome to the NFL, Mr. Dulcich...

In today’s Fantasy Life Newsletter presented by Discount Electronics:

• Robbie Anderson gets a change of scenery
• Buy/Sell/Hold. Cooterdoodle gives you market advice
• The Commanders have a new QB
• Sam's Waiver Wire Diving: Week 7 pickups
• Sam's Breakout Watch: Wan'Dale Robinson
• It's 10/18. Take it away Peter Overzet

Trades are notoriously tough to pull off in the NFL, but every once in awhile a perfect storm of events will line up for one.

That's exactly what happened yesterday when the Panthers shipped disgruntled veteran WR Robbie Anderson to the Cardinals in exchange for a 6th- and a 7th-round pick.

The Cardinals had just received word that their star WR Marquise Brown is expected to miss at least six weeks after suffering a fracture in his foot, and the Panthers are in the midst of a total rebuild.

I won't go as far as to say this trade has flipped the fantasy landscape on its head, but there is some interesting fallout here to consider...

🐦Cardinals: Robbie Anderson (📈), Marquise Brown (🚑), AJ Green (📉)

Anderson should immediately slot in as the WR3 in this offense alongside the returning DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore. As Dwain notes, don't expect Brown-level production here, but he should be a reliable deep threat playing on the outside with a chance for top-36 WR production. 

As for Brown, it's unlikely we see him until after the Cardinals' bye in Week 13. If you have a nice record or an IR spot, feel free to stash him, otherwise don't hesitate to churn the spot for additional help. For more ideas on potential Brown replacements, read on for our Week 7 waiver recommendations from Sam.

🐆 Panthers: DJ Moore (😭), WR2/3 Free-for-all (🤮)

Even with some targets up for grabs, it's hard to get excited about any other pass catchers in Carolina. Hell, we can't even get excited about DJ Moore. One of Shi Smith, Terrace Marshall Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr., or Rashard Higgins should see a bump in usage, but solving that riddle would require answering a question no one is asking.'

With the trade deadline still weeks away, it sounds like this isn't the only shakeup we should expect:

Sean McVay said they're looking to move RB Cam Akers to a new team: Help him look for a fresh new start#Rams

— Gilbert Manzano (@GManzano24)
Oct 17, 2022

💻 Find the next "waiver wire" gem...

Hitting on your first round pick is nice, but there's no better feeling than nailing a big waiver wire pick. The satisfaction that comes with scooping Kenneth Walker at a value for just a couple FAAB dollars is so, so sweet.

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Now that's a league-winner

"Try us once, and you will never shop anywhere else. I guarantee it." - Rick Culleton, CEO

Each week during the season, Cooterdoodle walks us through the fantasy trade market from a buy, hold, sell perspective...

BUY

🛒 Aaron Jones

If there was ever a time to buy low on Aaron Jones, it’s now. The Packers aren’t looking like themselves, and the cheese is starting to mold around the edges. If you know me, I’m an AJ Dillon stan, but even I can admit that Jones deserves more opportunities. 

I don’t expect Green Bay to turn things around in a week, but if you believe in Jones, get him on your team before Matt LaFleur remembers how to utilize him.

🛒 Travis Etienne Jr.

If you roster James Robinson, look away because Etienne is starting to take over. In Week 6, Etienne took the majority of snaps at RB and produced 108 total rushing and receiving yards compared to Robinson’s 55.

The Jaguars are scoring a ton this season, and Etienne is due for his share in the endzone. This isn’t a classic ‘buy low’ scenario since Etienne is producing, but I think this is his low for the season as we start to see Etienne gaining more traction in Jacksonville’s offense.

HOLD

💼 Breece Hall

Last week I said to sell Michael Carter because Breece is undeniably the RB to roster on the Jets. With 20 attempts for 116 yards in Week 6 and Hall’s third straight week with a rushing TD, you might be tempted to sell high. 

But this is why you drafted Hall in the first place. 

He’s consistently producing week to week and even outperforming some of the guys drafted ahead of him. Don’t chase something bigger when you’ve got the player everyone wishes they had already. I just hope no one from my league reads this because I’m trying to buy Hall everywhere. I have some offers to send… BRB.

💼 Alvin Kamara

Guys, I traded Kamara away before Week 5, and I have regretted it ever since. If you’ve held on through his Weeks 1-4 woes, don’t let go now.

The Saints' offense is bruised but not broken. 

They’re navigating a world with a new HC and finding a way to score without their starting WRs. I think the Kamara of old will start to shine through, especially once Chris Olave and Michael Thomas take the field. We’re already seeing his usage increase since his return from injury, and we know what he can do in the endzone if given the chance.

🎯 A sneaky RB target for the Rams. If they ship out Akers, I'd love to see this happen.

🤔 Who will be the Commanders new QB? The Carson Wentz experiment is on pause.

🎵 Oh no, I think that's Taysom Hill's music. This will be something to monitor for Thursday.

⁉️ The Packers are working out who??? Why couldn't this be Will Fuller? This team is a mess, btw.

🐕 Deebo Samuel's got that dog in him. What a beast.

🙃 Is NFL scoring actually down? It would appear so.

Waivers are a crucial component of fantasy football, and nabbing the next league winner ahead of your leaguemates can help you edge out that title. Each Tuesday, Sam Wallace will highlight players to target in your redraft leagues. 

These players are rostered in most leagues, but would be priority adds over anyone mentioned in this column if available in your league..

• Rachaad White (Available in 66% of leagues)

➕ RB Kenyan Drake

• Available in 96% of leagues

Veteran RB Kenyan Drake out-carried, out-gained, and out-targeted teammate RB JK Dobbins in Week 7. With fellow RB Justice Hill (hamstring) unable to suit up, Drake handled 10 carries while Dobbins, who sat out the second half with knee soreness, saw just seven. Dobbins has been inconsistent in his first games back since injury, and Drake looked the part on Sunday. If Hill continues to miss time, Drake figures to play a prominent role in this committee backfield.

FAAB: 20%

➕ WR Tyquan Thornton

• Available in 99% of leagues

Rookie WR Tyquan Thornton, a Round 2 pick this past spring, made his NFL debut last week (25 snaps) but really made his presence known by racking up 40 snaps (PFF). 

He was No. 3 on the team in targets (5) but added three rushing attempts while scoring both through the air and on the ground. Thornton boasts a 4.28 40 time, and that speed will make him an intriguing asset for both the Patriots and fantasy managers.

FAAB: 15%

➕ WR Wan'Dale Robinson

• Available in 92% of leagues

Rookie WR Wan’Dale Robinson played for the first time since Week 1 and scored his first NFL TD. The Giants have struggled to get meaningful, consistent production from their WRs this season, so the emergence of Robinson is significant. He finished second on the team in targets (4) and should see his role continue to expand in the coming weeks.

FAAB: 10%

➕ RB J.D. McKissic

• Available in 74% of leagues

The recovery of rookie RB Brian Robinson has been one of the best stories to follow. However, his return to the field directly coincided with veteran RB J.D. McKissic seeing his lowest touch count (2) and snap count (17) of the season. Prior to Week 6, McKissic was averaging over six targets/game and received a handful of backfield touches each week.

It doesn’t look promising for McKissic, but I’m inclined to believe it was an outlier performance for the pass-catching specialist. With the injury to QB Carson Wentz, some combination of QBs Taylor Heinicke and rookie Sam Howell could lean on McKissic even more in the weeks ahead.

FAAB: 10%

Check out our NEW Waiver Wire Hub for more waiver picks from Sam & Dwain McFarland! 

Joey B in a homecoming game at the Superdome? It was never in doubt...

Playing safe ain't it. We need to make big moves to win our leagues. Today, Sam Holt shares a rookie she thinks is primed for a breakout...

🤯 Wan'Dale Robinson

Looking for a receiver worth starting on the Giants has been painful. Every player with the slightest potential has gotten hurt. Luckily, Wan'Dale Robinson returned from his knee injury on Sunday and jumped into the WR1 role.

At first glance, Robinson was only on the field for 35% of the team’s total passing plays, but Daniel Jones focused on Robinson when he was in action. He had a whopping 36% of the targets per route run for an ADOT of 9.3 (usage per Dwain McFarland.).

On top of that, Robinson’s first RedZone target turned into his first career TD on Sunday. He had three receptions on four targets and 37 yards to round out his day. Given the run-first nature of the offense through Saquon Barkley, Jones should utilize Robinson going forward to open up the field. 

The Giants have the Jaguars, Seahawks, Texans, and Lions coming up next on their schedule, and all of those teams have provided ample opportunities to receivers this season.

Each team has allowed an average of 261.8 yards and 16.67 fantasy points to the position. This potential volume and little competition surrounding him put Robinson in the perfect place for a breakout.

The post game interview is with the kicker. Tells you everything you need to know about this game.

— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR)
Oct 18, 2022