SYMBOL LEGEND
	Rock Star Free Agent
	Injury Replacement
	Grab & Stash
	1 Week Plug & Play
	Dumpster Dive

Given the diverse scoring systems and sizes of fantasy leagues, producing a weekly list of free agents that satisfies the masses can be challenging. For the most part, the column will hone in on players who are available in at least 35% of all fantasy leagues. If you play in a small league (8 teams), chances are there may be better players to pick up than you see listed here. If you play in a large league (16 teams), the majority of the players highlighted may already be on a squad; however, expect to find hidden gems, as well.

Quarterbacks

Jay Cutler, Bears
How bad is the Buccaneers defense? The Falcons didn’t punt once last week. Cutler strikes fear into the hearts of many fantasy owners but when a defense is so bad that punters can take the week off, virtually any quarterback is a viable streaming option against it. The Buccaneers are allowing the fifth most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Cutler played well in his first game back against the Vikings. He threw for 252 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He has a much easier matchup this week. Cutler should carve up a dreadful Bucs pass defense.
Availability: Owned in ~ 3% of leagues.
FAAB: $
Forecast: Cutler is a strong streaming option this week.

On the Radar: Colin Kaepernick (20%), Carson Wentz (40%)

Running Backs

Tim Hightower, Saints
Sean Payton said he was going to use both Hightower and Mark Ingram going forward and he was true to his word on Sunday. Ingram rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, while Hightower added 87 yards and a score on 23 carries. Granted, this was against a 49ers rush defense that’s by far the worst in the NFL.  Ingram is clearly the more talented of the two and likely to see more touches in the coming weeks. He’s also one costly fumble away from getting benched. Even though Hightower is limited physical, the Saints like him. He’s carried the ball 49 times in the last two games. Hightower isn’t going anywhere. Pick him up if you need running back depth.
Availability: Owned in ~ 35% of leagues.
FAAB: $$-$$$
Forecast: Hightower is a RB3/Flex option.

James Starks, Packers
Starks may be the least effective back to ever be on a roster this long. This season Starks is averaging a Curtis Enis-like 1.8 yards per carry. Even so, Starks has one of the best opportunities to help fantasy owners once he returns from his knee injury. The Packers have no running backs. Green Bay is using receivers and fullbacks to run the football so even though Starks has been struggling, he should see plenty of touches in the Packers backfield once he’s healthy. Starks could return this week. He’s only owned in 15 percent of leagues. Now is the time to add him.
Availability: Owned in ~ 15% of leagues.
FAAB: $$-$$
Forecast: Starks will be an RB2/3 once he returns to the lineup.

Rob Kelley, Redskins
Filling in for an injured Matt Jones, Kelley chugged his way to 87 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries (4.1 YPC) against the Bengals before Washington’s bye week. Jones is expected to return this week versus Minnesota but Redskins coach Jay Gruden said he’ll have to earn his way back into the lineup. Kelley will serve as the Redskins early-down back. Washington’s backfield is still a bit muddled but Kelley will have a clear opportunity to establish himself as the top guy, albeit against a tough rush defense. Kelley should be owned in a majority of leagues at this point.
Availability: Owned in ~ 20% of leagues.
FAAB: $$
Forecast: Kelley is an RB2/3 depending on the matchup.

Kapri Bibbs, Broncos
Devontae Booker was supposed to take over as the Broncos lead back for the rest of the season after C.J. Anderson was injured. He’s struggled though, gaining just 76 yards on 29 carries (2.6 YPC) over the last two games. Against the Raiders Booker out-touched Bibbs 11-3 but Bibbs out-gained him 80-30. Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said Bibbs has earned more touches and reports out of Denver say he could supplant Booker as the starter. It’s too soon to hand Bibbs the starting job but a matchup against the lowly Saints rush defense is a great place for him to make a statement. The Broncos merry-go-round of running backs continues. It could be time to ride Bibbs. Pick him up.
Availability: Owned in ~ 4% of leagues.
FAAB: $$-$$$
Forecast: Bibbs is a Flex play this week versus the Saints and a weekly RB2 if he becomes the starter in Denver.

DuJuan Harris, 49ers
Harris got the start at running back for an injured Carlos Hyde on Sunday. He racked up 142 total yards and a score on 15 touches. Like Hightower, Harris benefitted from an extremely favorable matchup. He has a tougher test this week versus Arizona but Harris is on the RB2/Flex map as long as Hyde is out. Harris’ fantasy value will obviously take a hit once Hyde returns. Although, Harris has clearly established himself as the No. 2 back and Hyde hasn’t shown he can stay healthy. Harris is a solid pickup this week. Given Hyde’s injury history, there’s a good chance Harris is the 49ers starting running back come fantasy playoffs.
Availability: Owned in ~ 15% of leagues.
FAAB: $$
Forecast: Harris is an RB2/Flex play while Hyde is out.

Chris Ivory, Jaguars
Nathaniel Hackett replaced the fired Greg Olson as the Jaguars offensive coordinator last week. If you follow Hackett’s coaching career, you know he loves to feature running backs. It took him all of one game to get the running backs move involved in Jacksonville’s offense. Ivory ran for 107 yards on 18 carries (5.9 YPC). T.J. Yeldon gained 65 yards on 11 touches and scored a touchdown. Expect this to continue under Hackett. Ivory may need to score some weeks to pay off fantasy owners but he’ll get more opportunities in the red zone now that Hackett is calling plays. Ivory should have a much more productive second half of the season.
Availability: Owned in ~ 40% of leagues.
FAAB: $$
Forecast: Ivory will be a RB3/Flex option most weeks.

Dion Lewis, Patriots
Lewis returned to practice two weeks ago. The Patriots have a 21-day window to active him off of the PUP list from the day he first practiced. New England is coming off its bye week. Lewis could return this week against the Seahawks barring a setback. James White has been solid in the Patriots pass-catching back role but Lewis will certainly push him for playing time when healthy. It’s hard to predict Lewis’ role for the rest of the season in terms of fantasy production but given his numbers in the Patriots offense last year, he’s worth adding if you have the roster space.
Availability: Owned in ~ 25% of leagues.
FAAB: $$
Forecast: Lewis will be a factor in PPR leagues over the final month of the season.

On the Radar: Ronnie Hillman (3%), Paul Perkins (5%), C.J. Prosise (20%)

Wide Receivers

Rishard Matthews, Titans
Matthews is making the end zone his second home. He caught six passes for 63 yards and scored twice on Sunday. Matthews has now scored five touchdowns in his last five games. Over that same span, Matthews has at least four receptions in every game but one. He doesn’t rack up a ton of yardage but owners can do worse than a receiver that has 21 receptions and five touchdowns in his last five games. Marcus Mariota is red hot and Matthews has emerged as his favorite receiver. Matthews’ fantasy value is still dependent on him scoring but right now he’s scoring consistently. He’s also been targeted 21 times in his last three games. Matthews is coming on. Pick him up if you need a receiver.
Availability: Owned in ~ 10% of leagues.
FAAB: $$
Forecast: Matthews is a WR3/4.

Corey Coleman, Browns
Coleman returned from a broken hand Sunday and caught three passes for 41 yards. It wasn’t a big fantasy day but Coleman did tie Terrelle Pryor for the team-lead with seven targets. The Browns are going to be playing from behind most weeks. There’s no denying Coleman’s ability. He’s going to have some much bigger fantasy days on the horizon. Coleman is still available in roughly half of fantasy leagues right now. Grab him if you’re looking for a high-upside receiver for the rest of the season.
Availability: Owned in ~ 50% of leagues.
FAAB: $$
Forecast: Coleman will be a WR3/4 over the final month of the season.

J.J. Nelson, Cardinals
In his last two games Nelson has 11 receptions for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 19 targets. Michael Floyd has struggled this year and now he’s been dealing with a hamstring injury. Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said Nelson is now a starting receiver; meaning he has replaced Floyd in three-receiver sets. Nelson should be earned in more than 10 percent of leagues right now coming off Arizona’s bye week. He gets the 49ers on Sunday. Assuming the Cardinals do something other than hand the ball off to David Johnson against the NFL’s worst rush defense, Nelson could have his third strong fantasy game in a row. Either way, he’s in position to make a fantasy impact over the final month and a half of the season
Availability: Owned in ~ 10% of leagues.
FAAB: $-$$
Forecast: Nelson is a WR4 with upside.

Marqise Lee, Jaguars
Lee has put up solid production in PPR leagues recently. He’s caught at least four passes and gone over 60 yards three times in his last four games. Allen Hurns left Sunday’s game against the Chiefs with a concussion. Both Hurns and Allen Robinson’s production has gone down this season. Lee surprisingly has been targeted eight times in two of the Jaguars last three games. He’s on the Flex radar in deeper PPR leagues and his fantasy value gets a bump this week if Hurns is out against the Texans.
Availability: Owned in ~ 3% of leagues.
FAAB: $-$$
Forecast: Lee is a Flex option in PPR leagues this week if Hurns doesn’t play.

Eli Rogers, Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger was coming off meniscus surgery against Baltimore and he was rusty. Roethlisberger was forced to settle for a lot of shorter passes Sunday, so Rogers benefited by seeing 10 targets. He caught six passes for 103 yards. Don’t expect Rogers to put up those types of numbers every week but he could have another strong performance against Dallas. The Cowboys defense struggles against slot receivers. Victor Cruz, Jamison Crowder, Jeremy Kerley, Randall Cobb and Jordan Matthews have all scored touchdowns against the Cowboys this season. Rogers will be inconsistent on a week-to-week basis but he’s a sneaky start versus Dallas if you need a receiver.
Availability: Owned in ~ 2% of leagues.
FAAB: $
Forecast: Rogers is a WR4/Flex option in deeper PPR leagues this week.

On the Radar: Adam Humphries (2%), Jalin Marshall (1%), Cordarrelle Patterson (3%)

Tight Ends

C.J. Fiedorowicz, Texans
Fiedorowicz has emerged as a weekly fantasy starter at tight end. He caught five passes for 43 yards and a touchdown against the Lions before the bye week. Fiedorowicz now has at least five receptions and two touchdowns in his last three games. He doesn’t have a huge ceiling but Fiedorowicz faces the Jaguars and Raiders in his next two games – two defenses that struggle to cover tight ends. Now is the time to grab Fiedorowicz if you need help at tight end.
Availability: Owned in ~ 10% of leagues.
FAAB: $-$$
Forecast: Fiedorowicz is a low-end TE1 most weeks.

Zach Ertz, Eagles
Ertz has been a major disappointment this season. He finally broke out on Sunday and caught eight balls for 97 yards. It was by far Ertz’s best game of the year. With a lack of quality receivers, Ertz should be a bigger part of the Eagles passing game going forward. At least that’s the conventional thinking. Ertz has an opportunity to make it two good games in a row when he takes on the Falcons Swiss cheese defense that bleeds fantasy points to tight ends.
Availability: Owned in ~ 50% of leagues.
FAAB: $
Forecast: Ertz is a low-end TE1 this week vs, the Falcons.

On the Radar: Austin Hooper (2%), Lance Kendricks (15%)

Kickers

Caleb Sturgis, Eagles
The Eagles don’t have trouble moving the football but they do struggle in the red zone. Carson Wentz lacks weapons and Doug Pederson’s red zone playcalling in the last couple of games has been head scratching. Sturgis has taken advantage by making three field goals in each of the last two games. He’s also made three kicks of 50+ yards this season. The Falcons rank in the Top 10 when it comes to giving up fantasy points to kickers. Sturgis should hit double-digit fantasy points for the third straight week.
Availability: Owned in ~ 30% of leagues.
FAAB: $
Forecast: Sturgis is a Top 10 fantasy kicker this week.

On the Radar: No one

Defense/Specials Teams

St. Louis Rams
The Rams defense has been playing well enough to win games. The problem is they have to share a field with the Rams offense. St. Louis’ defense is coming off a five-sack performance against the Panthers. Now the Rams get a Jets offense that allows the most fantasy points to team defenses. Whether it’s Ryan Fitzpatrick or Bryce Petty under center, the Rams defense is a strong play this week.
Availability: Owned in ~ 30% of leagues.
FAAB: $
Forecast: The Rams defense is a Top 10 play this week vs. the Jets.

On the Radar: Ravens (50%)