đđWeek 9 Waiver Wire Report and Calvin Ridley
A subtle but important distinction changes everything with Calvin Ridley's status moving forward
QB
Carson Wentz | IND
Carson Wentz went from a sleeper to someone to watch in my preseason rankings after an injury kept him out the entire preseason. He finally seems to be coming along in Indy, limiting his turnovers on the year and putting up 2+ TDs in 6 straight games including 3 in each of his last 2. If Aaron Rodgers is your QB and Wentz is available he makes for a great insurance policy if Rodgers canât be cleared by Sunday (Saturday is the earliest he can be cleared).
RB
Devonta Freeman | BAL
I mentioned Devonta Freeman a few weeks ago as the Ravens RB Iâd most like to own after Latavius Murray went down and Freeman has been nothing shy of a solid fantasy play since. 3 straight games with 10+ points and while Murray may be back soon, he did not participate in practice on Monday and with the quick turnaround to Thursday Night in Miami itâs hard to imagine Murray being available in time. Freeman should continue to be a reliable player in a favorable matchup come Thursday Night.
DâEarnest Johnson | CLE
DâEarnest Johnson has once again presented himself as a great streaming option. Fantasy owners who streamed him back in week 7 were rewarded with a 146 yard rushing performance with a touchdown to go with it. Expect much of the same against New England with Hunt still on the mend and Nick Chubb and Demetric Felton testing positive for COVID. Keep in mind that Chubb could be cleared to return from COVID protocol with back to back negatives tests 24 hours apart but if he doesnât Johnson jumps into the RB2 tier.
WR
Rashod Bateman | BAL
Iâve been a Rashod Bateman fan since the Ravens selected him with the 27th overall pick in Aprilâs draft and while he hasnât had a breakout game yet I love what Iâve seen from the rookie WR. 6+ targets in every game heâs played in and 8 last week coming out of the bye. Marquise Brown still has a tight grip on his lion share of targets but Bateman is showing signs of being a second half breakout candidate. Speaking of second half breakout candidatesâŠ
Elijah Moore | NYJ
Elijah Moore finally burst on the scene on Thursday night, playing 60% of snaps and reeling in 7 of his 8 targets for 84 yards and 2 scores. The Jets had high hopes for their rookie and like Bateman, he too has seen 6+ targets in each of his last 3 games. The Jets have also found creative ways to get Moore the ball in the ground game too which is always a positive sign of a playerâs usage rate on the rise. Moore and Wilson didnât click early in the season and Davis is set to return as early as this week but hopefully with a little more experience under both rookiesâ belts, the second half could be a sign of things to come for Gang Green.
TE
Pat Freiermuth | PIT
Pat Freiermuth didnât get a ton of predraft hype as a TE due to all the (rightfully deserved) fanfare around Kyle Pitts and in fantasy itâs rare for TEs to make an impact but in recent weeks Freiermuth has done just that. 6+ targets in 3 straight games along with 3 TDs, two vs Chicago, Freiermuth has also played in 70% of snaps or more in the Steelers two games after their bye. Keep expectations grounded because he hasnât accumulated a ton of yards in any single game this season but after the top TEs youâre just hoping for volume and a chance at a TD and Freiermuth gives you both which is a gift from the fantasy gods this late in the year.
I want to address the Calvin Ridley situation that came up last week, first from a reality perspective and then from a fantasy manager perspective. First and foremost I hope he gets the help he needs and gets right. For those who missed it, here is his statement.
These past few weeks have been very challenging and as much as I'd like to be on the field competing with my teammates, I need to step away from football at this time and focus on my mental wellbeing. This will help me be the best version of myself now and in the future
Ridley needs time to step away and I hope he is able to deal with whatever challenges he is facing. As for fantasy, I couldnât include Ridley above because heâs still owned in about 86% of leagues at the time of writing this. However he was dropped in 13% of leagues so here is how I approach Calvin Ridley if he gets dropped in your league (remember weeks ago when I said to always watch who gets dropped after waivers process on Wednesday). If Ridley is available in any league, dynasty, redraft, punishment, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 teams, whatever. He is a MUST add. Find room for him as best you can unless you happen to have the perfect roster constructed and here is why. With Ridley out, the Falcons placed him on the ânon football injury,â list NOT the âreserve/retired list.â Calvin Ridley DID NOT retire and the non football injury list means he can come back in as little as 3 weeks. The top 10-15 WR upside Ridley provides in exchange for the last spot on your bench (or your IR spot in leagues with them) is absolutely worth it. Even if Ridley never comes back which he very well may not this year, it is worth the price of the last guy on your bench to add a player of his talent and production for a stretch run. That being said, DO NOT be mad at him if he doesnât return. No single player in the NFL cares about your fantasy team. Not your top pick, not the buy low you traded for 3 weeks ago, not your sleeper, none. Ridley getting his mental health takes priority over both fantasy and reality football and he should be left alone (in reality) because of it. So donât go tweeting nasty things at him if he doesnât return to the field this season. If you lose your league because of the last spot on your bench I got bad news for you, you were never winning anyway. So add Ridley because of the upside he provides is absolutely worth the low risk it comes with, holding him for a few weeks and the end of your bench. But remember that low risk if he doesnât return to the field.
While Calvin Ridley made no mention or indication of suicide, a friend who has had his own mental health struggles before once told me âitâs silence that kills us,â so I want to leave with this note: If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255