Your roster was set. You jumped on the chance to draft Jordy Nelson in the middle of Round 2. Then you snuck back and nabbed Kelvin Benjamin. Arian Foster fell to you in the fifth, and you took a chance on Kevin White as Jay Cutler’s new favorite target in Chicago.
Then preseason happened and it all went to hell. You lost Nelson and Benjamin for the season. And Foster and White are huge liabilities who are going to miss major time. If there’s one silver lining, it’s that none of those guys (with possible exception to Nelson) should anchor a solid fantasy lineup.
But without surgery, your team is also done for the year. Which is why you’re scouring the waiver wire. Here’s a short list of undrafted flex guys. None of these players have delivered fantasy all-star numbers, but their production could soften the blow.
Kenny Stills – MIA – WR
A young receiver on the rise with an emerging quarterback. If Ryan Tannehill is the quarterback the Dolphins hope
for, then Stills nestles perfectly as the speed threat who’s most likely open when Greg Jennings and Jarvis Landry face double teams.
Stills played a similar role in New Orleans where his stats steadily rose. As a rookie in 2013, he averaged 20 yards per catch. He turned 32 receptions into 641 yards of offense. The next year, he was targeted 30 more times, caught 63 and almost toppled the 1,000-yard mark with 931 yards receiving .Stills is a guy, on waivers, who has less than 100 receptions on his career and 1,572 total yards and eight touchdowns, playing with a quarterback who Miami believes is at the start of his prime years.
That’s a pretty cost-effective pickup if you’re still mourning the loss of Nelson.
Jeremy Langford – CHI – RB
If there’s any year to treat Matt Forte’s backup differently, fantasy-wise at least, here are the two circumstances working in Langford’s favor.
New coaches: Head coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Adam Gase are bringing a run-heavy approach to the Bears offense, an alleged attempt to prevent Cutler turnovers.
Dating back to Fox’s days in Carolina, he has steadily deployed a back-by-committee philosophy. While Fox has never had a running back as talented and versatile as Forte (who set the season record for catches by a running back last year), a look at Fox’s history with backs indicates how Langford can be utilized.
In Denver, Fox cycled through Knowshon Moreno, Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball without blinking. As good as Forte has been, his ability to score pails in comparison to his ability to pick up yards. Forte had six rushing touchdowns last year, tied for 17th in the league. That’s fewer than Joique Bell and Matt Asiata and tied with Knile Davis and Darren Sproles. It’s plausible Langford can step into the vulture role.
Contract year: You might also wonder why Chicago hasn’t resigned the best receiving back in football. Forte has been healthy enough, and has enough tread on the tires, to have some skepticism about how much more he has in the tank. It’s not always safe to prognosticate injuries. But the Bears spent a fourth round pick on a back for the second consecutive year.
I wonder if the staff sees some writing on the wall. Langford could demand extra carries, especially later in the year when Chicago’s playoff hopes are dashed, because Fox and Gase want to see if they have Forte’s successor on the roster. A good sample size is going to tell the franchise if they should let Forte walk next year. The biggest threat to Langford is that the more experienced Jacquizz Rogers could beat him on the depth chart. Langford is someone to keep an eye on for the first six weeks.
Rueben Randle – NYG – WR
To me, it’s unfathomable that someone like Randle goes undrafted. Of course you want Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham. Both possess the speed to open up the field for Eli Manning. But at the end of the day, offenses need a durable possession guy to get first down catches. That’s where Randle comes in, slated as a day 1 starter after starting 13 games last year.
After starting just four games prior to last season, he had a pretty strong showing with 938 yards on 71 receptions. With a healthier receiving corps in 2013, Randle also showed he can be a reliable red zone target with six scores. Like Stills, Randle has also grown in production through three years in the league. Expect that growth to taper off. But he is astoundingly sitting right at the top of the wire for owners looking to patch up their corps.
If healthy, he’s a safe bet for 750 yards and three to four touchdowns, which is more than you can expect out of most free agents.
Others to take a flyer on:
Brian Hartline – CLE – WR
Another top three receiving threat with a solid history who slipped through the cracks. Hartline topped 1,000 yards in Miami in 2013 and could emerge on a team that will probably need to throw the ball to catch up to teams.
Ted Ginn Jr. – CAR – WR
Benjamin’s replacement in the Panthers’ starting lineup. Unlike other receivers on the list, Ginn is not on the rise. He had 14 receptions in 2014 and has started five games since leaving Miami in 2009. Even so, Cam Newton has to throw the ball to someone.
Allen Hurns – JAX – WR
Being projected as the second target in Jacksonville isn’t saying much. But Hurns put together quite a season for a 2014 undrafted free agent. If Blake Bortles can develop into a serviceable quarterback, it’ll mean bigger things for Hurns, who caught 51 balls for 677 yards and six touchdowns last year.
