The Christian McCaffrey injury was a huge blow to a bunch of teams out there.  Jordan Mason will once again be a top-5 or top-10 fantasy back.  There’s still a bit of value to be had at WR, QB and Defense, though the TEs and rest of the running backs are thin.

Quarterback:  

1. Tua Tagovailoa (38% available) – I’d rather have him playing in warm weather games than start him in cold weather games.
2. Russell Wilson (57%) – I think he’s thought of as a poor fantasy QB this year because he missed a chunk of games at the start of the year.  But if you look at his per-game average, he’s been very good.
3. Caleb Williams (63%) – he’s been on a tear since the change at OC.  With Eberflus gone, things could go sideways, but I suspect Caleb will continue his solid play.
4. Anthony Richardson (43%) – his rushing ability means he’ll be useful each week, but I don’t like him as much where quality passing QBs are rewarded more than run-specialist QBs.

Running Back:

1. Jordan Mason (58% available) – we know Mason can be an elite fantasy RB.  Reports of Christian McCaffrey’s PCL injury sound ominous for his 2024 availability.  Look for Mason to step in without missing a beat.
2. Jonathan Brooks (53%) the reason I have him so high compared to other publications is because Brooks is a player who is ascending where the other guys on this list are mostly baked into their role for the rest of 2024.
3. Tank Bigsby (67%) – I wouldn’t feel great about starting Bigsby in my playoff stretch, but he does have a defined role and can get you 10 touches per game.
4. Braelon Allen (78%) – there are rumors that Rodgers could get benched (though it won’t happen this week).  Breece Hall is nicked up.  Do we start to see Allen getting more touches?
5. Gus Edwards (46%) – I left him off my list last week.  I don’t think he’s particularly special, but with Dobbins on IR, Edwards gives you a reasonable chance for quality fantasy points at the RB position.  If you can’t get Edwards, you can take a flyer on kimani Vidal (90% available).
6. Sincere McCormick (100%) – I’d normally dismiss as a flash in the pan, but he actually looked the best of any Raiders running back this year.  They should keep him in the lineup.
7. Jeremy McNichols (89%) – he’s 3^rd on Washington’s depth chart, but with Ekeler on IR, that will get McNichols a shot at TDs for the next few weeks.
8. Chris Rodriguez Jr. (100%) – he’s the 4^th string RB in Washington and was even cut a couple of weeks ago, but this is the second time he’s looked very good in backup action.  Ekeler is on IR, so Rodriguez may get another game or two to showcase his talent.

Wide Receiver:

1. Keon Coleman (47% available) – he missed another game this week, but he’s still my top available WR.
2. Elijah Moore (87%) – Moore and Tillman are neck-and-neck in terms of my next WR selection here, but Moore has been slightly more consistent on his output.  Tillman has scored more points, but Moore seems to be the safer play.
3. Cedric Tillman (51%) – he was on fire after the Browns traded Cooper, but he’s pulled back a bit while his teammates (including Moore) have put up stronger numbers
4. Adam Thielen (73%) – he looks like he’s the #1 WR in Carolina again.
5. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (80%) – he catches a lot of TDs.  You don’t get a ton of targets or receptions, but what he does catch is of great quality.
6. Parker Washington (99%) – he has the talent, but I wonder if he’ll be consistent enough through the rest of this season.  If you’re very thin at WR, he’s worth the pickup.
7. Tre Tucker (93%) – he had a big game against the Chiefs and does play a bit better with O’Connell throwing the ball.
8. Noah Brown (90%) – he had a down week while the Commanders emphasized Terry McLaurin, but Brown will be a nice bench-to-flex type player.
9. Devaughn Vele (94%) – we’ll see how he does on MNF, but Vele has been trending upward lately.

Tight End:

1. Juwan Johnson (95% available) – I could make the case for Foster Moreau instead, but I think Johnson will be the better of the Saints TEs now that Taysom Hill is out for the rest of the season.
2. Noah Gray (93%) – he didn’t have an amazing game vs the Raiders, but he still put up 4 receptions and close to 60 yards.
3. Zach Ertz (33%) – he found the end zone this week and has been a bit better these past couple of weeks.
4. Will Dissly (87%) – he had a goose egg vs the Falcons, but I still think he’s a decent pickup.

Defense:

1. Philadelphia (41% available) – this defense has been quietly improving the rest of the year and they have a lot of games against weaker division opponents coming up.
2. LA Chargers (61%) – if it weren’t for the Eagles being on a tear lately, I’d have the Chargers as my top choice.
3. Green Bay (67%) – they’ve been a strong defense all year and cold weather will help this unit slow down quality offenses down the stretch.