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Our NFL Nation reporters answer fantasy football questions every Tuesday during the NFL season. Here’s what they had to say following Week 10.
Is it safe to label this run-centric offense a no fly zone for fantasy managers given the touch distribution Thursday night?
This is tough because the target share for tight end Kyle Pitts (29.8) and receiver Drake London (28.6) is high. Very high. And while the Falcons don’t throw much, both Pitts and London do receive a reasonably high amount of targets. So you’re still living in a land of breakout hope there. As far as the running back distribution, Tyler Allgeier is going to get carries. We’ll see what Cordarrelle Patterson‘s workload looks like after the mini-bye. If it doesn’t get back to close-to-pre-injury levels, then you can be concerned there. From a fantasy perspective, it’s just a tough offense to truly gauge other than they will run. — Michael Rothstein
D’Onta Foreman had 31 touches against the Falcons on Thursday night. Are we looking at an elite workload or will he settle back into the 14-17 touch range?
Somewhere in between. I’d say somewhere in the 17-21 range. Foreman’s style as a power runner similar to what Derrick Henry is in Tennessee is what interim coach Steve Wilks wants the identity of his offense to be. As long as the Panthers can manage the game and keep it close, look for Foreman to continue to be the workhorse. — David Newton
Are you more encouraged by the continued involvement of Donovan Peoples-Jones or concerned about the lack of looks for Amari Cooper?
Probably more encouraged by Peoples-Jones. Cooper needs more than the three targets he received in Sunday’s lopsided loss to Miami. But DPJ is quietly having a breakout season as Cleveland’s No. 2 receiver, thanks to his ability to make contested catches. DPJ still isn’t worth starting in fantasy, and Cooper’s production has been frustratingly up and down despite some big performances. But maybe all that changes when Deshaun Watson returns in Week 13? For now, it’s difficult to trust anyone in Cleveland’s offense in fantasy, except for Pro Bowl producer Nick Chubb. — Jake Trotter
Should fantasy managers hold out hope that D’Andre Swift‘s role increases moving forward or is this 8-12 touch role all we can expect?
Yes, they should hold on to hope. I know it’s frustrating as the Lions try to figure out a way to get him more involved, but Swift is capable of exploding for big numbers at any moment, when healthy. Although Jamaal Williams has been rock solid for the Lions all season, with nine rushing touchdowns, Swift is a dual-threat at rushing and receiving and if his body is able to heal properly from the shoulder and ankle injuries, it’s a chance he could go on a hot streak that you wouldn’t want to miss. I know it’s a gamble, but don’t give up just yet because Detroit’s coaching staff sure hasn’t and they’re trying to put him in the best position to succeed by managing his load right now. — Eric Woodyard
Is Christian Watson worthy of a roster spot for fantasy teams looking to catch lightening in a bottle?
The Packers have been waiting for this from Watson all season, but there’s reason to be skeptical if it’s sustainable given how prone he has been to injuries and drops. If he’s over those things, he could be valuable because he’s the only legitimate speed/deep threat the Packers have at receiver and they’re going to need to take shots like they did against the Cowboys to open things up for their best playmaker, Aaron Jones, in the run game. — Rob Demovsky
What should fantasy managers take away from Jeff Saturday’s head coaching debut?
It’s notable that the Colts had a perfectly even split between their run and pass play selection. They had 29 dropbacks and 29 called runs against Las Vegas. Whether that was an intentional effort by new playcaller Parks Frazier isn’t clear, but Frazier is a Frank Reich protégé and balance was a hallmark of Reich’s offensive philosophy. The Colts also did a much better job with handling line twists and stunts along the offensive line, which had a noticeable impact on the passing game. But the Raiders are the single-worst pass-rushing team in football, so let’s see if that continues against the Eagles next week. — Stephen Holder
Is it safe to call Isiah Pacheco “the guy” moving forward? If so, will he average over/under 16 touches (his Week 10 total) per game the rest of the way?
It sure looks that way after Pacheco ran for 82 yards against the Jaguars. But given the way the Chiefs have shuffled their running backs all season, making any prediction for the next game is risky, much less the rest of the season. In that case, I would go under on the 16 touches per game for Pacheco. — Adam Teicher
Is Jeff Wilson Jr. “the guy” in this backfield with Raheem Mostert an accent piece or do you still think it’s a committee of sorts?
Wilson has been excellent since joining the Dolphins in Week 9 but this backfield still feels like more of a “hot hand” approach. Coach Mike McDaniel didn’t see a reason to stop giving Wilson carries but Mostert was also highly efficient with his touches. Especially with the bottom-feeding Texans defense on deck following Miami’s Week 11 bye, both players are worthy of FLEX consideration. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Which running back leads this team in fantasy points the rest of the way?
Todd Bowles said it’s “too early to tell” if Fournette will be able to play coming off the bye week with his hip pointer. But it’s pretty clear that White gives this offense juice and I think when the coaching staff self scouts during the bye week, they’ll see White has earned more opportunities in this second half of the season and that will show up in the form of more fantasy points. I wouldn’t discount Fournette though. He had experience and a knack for showing up in meaningful games, and I think this will push him harder. — Jenna Laine
With Ryan Tannehill back under center, there is some passing volume … but is there a pass catcher we should be rostering?
One game doesn’t eliminate the fact that through eight weeks the Titans failed to have a pass-catcher post a 100-yard receiving game. The opportunities don’t come frequently for any receiver to be worth rostering because Tennessee’s tendency to heavily rely on Derrick Henry and the rushing attack. Treylon Burks is intriguing because he’ll be the primary option on play-action passes across the middle. Austin Hooper is another player to consider since the chemistry he built with Tannehill during camp is finally starting to show. But his season-high five receptions only generated 41 yards. It’s best to pass on Titans pass catchers. — Turron Davenport
