Clocks move back as football season moves forward. We are officially playing in football weather. As seen yesterday, there were several games in either freezing temperatures or high winds. The cold day piled on to what has already been an injury plagued season. We are here for another injuries and opportunities article to help you sort through this past week's injury list and let you know who to pick up and who to forget about.
San Francisco 49ers
Injuries
RB - Tevin Coleman (D-Knee)
QB - Jimmy Garoppolo (O-Ankle)
TE - George Kittle (O-Ankle)
Opportunities
Brandon Aiyuk - WR3 (63% owned)
Jordan Reed - TE2 (2% owned)
JaMycle Hasty - RB3 (62% owned)
Jerrick McKinnon - RB3 (82% owned)
Once again the 49ers pop up on my list. This time losing their best offensive weapon in George Kittle. In last week's article I told you to pick up Brandon Aiyuk and now I reiterate... PICK HIM UP. Aiyuk led the team in targets and receptions and is the clear number one target on this offense right now. Look for his target share to be very steady in upcoming weeks as he is an indefinite flex play for the rest of the year. He already looked to have solid chemistry with backup QB Mullens, catching a touchdown in last week's matchup against the Seahawks. Jordan Reed could be a sneaky pickup as he’s set to come off IR this week. Kittle looks like he will miss extended time, so Reed has TE1 upside going forward, health pending. Speaking of pending health, Welcome Back Tev... - Oh, he's hurt again? Tevin Coleman returned and looked to retain his role in this offense, until he reaggravated his knee early in the contest. The 49ers have been bouncing back and forth between running backs, making it hard to determine who will have the big game. This week, both McKinnon and Hasty will face one of the worst run defenses in football. Now, they won't do what Cook did last week, but they should see about a 50/50 split against a bad defense, in a high-scoring game. They can both be flexed this week with Mostert and Coleman out.
Los Angeles Rams
Injury
RB - Darrell Henderson (Q-Thigh)
Opportunity
Malcolm Brown - RB2 (36% owned)
Cam Akers - RB3 (34% owned)
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, if at all possible stay away from the Rams backfield. You just never know who’s gonna get the ball. Now, with Henderson possibly missing a few weeks, this turns into a 2-headed backfield. After the upcoming bye, the Rams have a favorable matchup against a poor Seahawks defense. With both Brown and Akers getting double digits touches last week, either option will be a solid flex play. It is a roll of the dice to pick which one will have the better game. With Brown getting double digit touches in over half the games this year, I would lean towards picking him up. Akers is their young rookie that could see more touches down the road, so he is more of a stash acquisition for upcoming weeks. But, either player is a good pickup if you have a spot open on your bench.
Indianapolis Colts
Injuries
WR - T.Y Hilton (Q-Groin)
RB - Jonathan Taylor (Q-Ankle)
Opportunities
Zack Pascal - WR3 (2% owned)
Marcus Johnson - WR4 (0% owned)
Michael Pittman - WR5 (5% owned)
Nyheim Hines - RB3 (43% owned)
Jordan Wilkins - RB4 (1% owned)
This year has been a disaster for Hilton, who has yet to catch for over 70 yards or even a touchdown all season. The Colts receiving corps as a whole is a mess, as 11 people caught a ball in Week 8. Yes 11! It's hard to find who will be the wide receiver to emerge from this receiving corps. With Hilton getting banged up, look for Pascal to take the biggest jump forward along with Marcus Johnson. Pascal is the more reliable play as he’s gotten about five targets every game he’s played this year. Johnson on the other hand is the only wide receiver to have a 100-yard game all season for the Colts, so if Hilton misses some time Johnson becomes a high-risk high-reward play. The rookie Pittman is the X factor. I thought at the beginning of the year he would be a bigger part of this offense, but he has been banged up and only had one catch last week. He could be a good stash player by the end the season as they might work the rookie into a more primary role with Hilton's career going downhill. Taylor disappeared after the first half, as head coach Frank Reich said he had a 'bit of an ankle injury', and Hines and Wilkins made the most of their touches out of the backfield. I expect Taylor to play next week, but a matchup with the Ravens and a banged up Taylor, he is a risky play. Hines and Wilkins are risks as well, as they will fight for limited touches against a tough front seven in Baltimore. I'd look elsewhere for an option outside of all three, but for most of us, if Taylor is playing then he's in our lineups.
Detroit Lions
Injuries
WR - Kenny Golladay (O-Hip)
Opportunities
Marvin Jones - WR3 (54% owned)
Marvin Hall - WR3 (0% owned)
It has been a rough year for Golladay owners. When he’s on the field he is great, earning double digit fantasy points in every full contest he has played in. However, he has missed four games already this season and just can't seem to stay healthy. Now, enter the two Marvin's. Marvin Jones has been a steady target for Matt Stafford for years now and if Golladay is to miss some time, the eight-year veteran falls close to the must-start category, as he has a nice matchup against the Vikings in Week 9. Now the fun, but risky pickup would be the other Marvin. Marvin Hall led the team in Week 8 with 113 yards on four catches. He rarely sees the field, but if Golladay is out Hall could have another big week due to the pending shootout between two terrible defenses in the Lions and Vikings. Marvin Hall just might be the sneaky play to get you a win next week.
