The NFL is a "next man up" league. By extension, your fantasy football league is as well. You acquired your team during the draft, but it's the moves you make as the season unfolds that will ultimately decide if you're playoff-bound or planning for next season. Every week, we'll help you identify the players available in more than 50% of ESPN leagues whose value has taken a turn for the better and should be added to your roster as starters or as smart stashes for your bench.
Next man up
Folks, brace yourselves as "bye-mageddon" is here. The Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, and New York Jets are all off this week. That's a lot of firepower that will be left on the fantasy sidelines.
Meanwhile, this past Sunday gave us plenty of fantasy headlines, like the offense of the Detroit Lions, the passing attack of the Los Angeles Rams, Las Vegas Raiders TE Brock Bowers and, of course, the "Saint of all trades" Taysom Hill -- more on him later. But first, let's focus on one of the biggest redemption stories -- Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson.
Richardson, who is rostered in just 43.5% of ESPN leagues, saw his first start since Week 8. He certainly delivered, putting up a season-best 28.0 fantasy points against the Jets and reminded everyone why his dual-threat ability had so much hype in the preseason.
Richardson's roster percentage took a big hit when Joe Flacco replaced him a few weeks ago, but that was then. This is now. If he's available in your league, grabbing the Colts QB should be a top priority -- whether you need a starter or just want to upgrade your backup.
Richardson has all the upside you need as we move one week closer to the fantasy playoffs He faces the Lions in Week 12 -- a defense allowing the fourth-most passing yards per game. The opportunity is here. Don't miss it.
Other QB options
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (28.3% rostered): Stafford finished with a season high 27.8 fantasy points against the New England Patriots on Sunday. Having both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp on the field clearly makes a huge difference for Stafford. He targeted his wide receivers on a season-high 93% of passing attempts. Looking ahead, Stafford is best viewed as a low-end QB1 against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (42.7%): Tagovailoa delivered his best fantasy performance of the season on Sunday, scoring 23.5 points against the Raiders. He also posted his highest yardage total since Week 1 and also tied a season high in completions. It was his 27th career game with a completion rate of at least 70%, tying Russell Wilson for the most in any player's first five seasons. Tagovailoa continues to maximize his playmakers in the passing game, making him a strong, high-end QB2 option against the Patriots in Week 12.
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (40.0%): Williams scored 16.2 fantasy points against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. It was one of his better outings this season. Credit to new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown for simplifying the gameplan with quick, short throws, as it has made a noticeable difference. He's also building strong chemistry with fellow rookie Rome Odunze. Looking ahead, Williams profiles as a QB2 option against a Minnesota Vikings defense allowing the sixth-most passing yards per game.
Drake Maye, New England Patriots (17.7%): Maye delivered his best performance of the season against the Rams, throwing for 282 yards (2 TDs) and adding 27 rushing yards for 17.9 fantasy points. He's been steady since taking over in Week 6, scoring 15-plus points in four out of six games. With all those Week 12 byes, Maye is a solid QB2 option against the Dolphins.
Next RB up
Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears (14.2%): Johnson had 11 touches and 11.1 fantasy points in his first game with Brown calling the plays. The play-calling was balanced, well thought out, and set up both Johnson and D'Andre Swift for success. The Bears' offensive line ranks third in run block win rate, which is key here. Johnson and Swift combined for 27 touches against the Packers, so there's potential for more work ahead. Johnson is worth adding as a bench stash in most leagues, but he could be a flex option in deeper formats.
Other RB options
Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars (42.3%): The Jaguars may be struggling right now, but don't sleep on Bigsby, especially with his roster percentage now under 50%. He was inactive on Sunday against the Lions due to an ankle injury, but here's the thing -- Travis Etienne Jr. finished with just 6.3 fantasy points on 15 touches. Bigsby has shown he can make an impact in this backfield. Remember, he's scored double-digit fantasy points in three of the four games in which he's had double-digit touches this season, including two with over 23 fantasy points. Now's the time to scoop him up.
Zamir White (30.4%) and Dylan Laube (0.1%), Las Vegas Raiders: Alexander Mattison injured his ankle in the fourth quarter against the Dolphins, and White suffered a quadriceps injury. As we wait for updates on both, White becomes a waiver wire target if Mattison misses time as he would certainly see plenty of volume in the Raiders backfield. However, if both White and Mattison are out, keep an eye on Laube.
I know what you're thinking-why Laube? Well, Ameer Abdullah took over when White and Mattison left the game, but he's more of a passing-down back. Laube, although he's been inactive for most of the season, had an every-down role in the preseason. The Raiders' running game needs a spark, especially with their offensive line ranking 31st in run block win rate. Laube has a solid college resume as both a runner and a receiver, and he could be the guy to fill that potential void.
Cam Akers, Minnesota Vikings (26.0%): Akers has had 12-plus touches in both of his last two games. Meanwhile, Aaron Jones, who has been dealing with a rib injury, had 16-plus touches in his last two outings. With the Vikings sitting at 8-2, they may continue to give Akers more work while allowing Jones to get healthier for the playoffs. That said, for now Akers is only a solid stash as he's not someone you should be starting just yet.
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals (17.3%): Before the Cardinals' Week 11 bye, Benson posted back-to-back games with at least nine touches and scored double-digit fantasy points. While he's not going to take over as the starter from James Conner, remember, Conner has never played a full NFL season. He's already logged a heavy workload this year, with 19-plus touches in eight out of nine games. If you've got room on your bench, Benson is a solid stash.
Next WR up
Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears (57.0%): Against the Packers, Odunze saw seven-plus targets for the third time this season. He's now scored 12-plus fantasy points in all of those games. Odunze also led his team in targets. With the Bears having the second-most favorable WR schedule going forward and a matchup next week against a Vikings defense allowing the third-most WR fantasy points, Odunze should be rostered in many more leagues.
Other WR options
Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers (48.4%): The Packers have a crowded WR room with Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed all getting significant snaps and running a high percentage of routes. But keep in mind, Reed primarily operates from the slot. Green Bay also tends to run more 12-personnel when they have a lead, but they shift to 11-personnel when trailing. It's good to see the Packers making an effort to get Watson more involved, but we'll need to see if this continues moving forward. With a favorable rest-of-season schedule, Watson is worth adding, if only to see how his role develops.
Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers (40.4%): With the Panthers trading away both Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo, Legette has emerged as a top target alongside Jalen Coker. He's posted six-plus targets and scored at least 13 fantasy points in two of his last three games. With one of the most favorable schedules for fantasy wideouts ahead, Legette is a flex option in deeper leagues against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, New Orleans Saints (14.0%): Valdes-Scantling has been a consistent performer for the Saints lately, leading their WR group in routes run and now scoring 16-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games (with seven total targets over that pair of games). New Orleans is on a bye in Week 12 but, after that, their remaining schedule (Rams, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Packers, and Raiders) sets up well for fantasy receivers, providing MVS with a strong chance to keep producing.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans (1.6%): Over the last four games, Westbrook-Ikhine has been a solid fantasy option, scoring 12-plus points in three of those contests. His season-high 19.7 points and six targets came against the Vikings this past Sunday. With DeAndre Hopkins now in Kansas City, Westbrook-Ikhine has stepped up as a starter. He's a player to watch, especially for those in deeper formats. The Titans have the third-most favorable WR schedule going forward.
Next TE up
Will Dissly, Los Angeles Chargers (13.9%): Dissly led the Chargers in receiving yards on Sunday night against the Bengals, despite not running as many routes as expected. He caught four out of his six targets, finishing with 18.0 fantasy points. Now, here's the thing: Dissly is part of a TE rotation that also includes Tucker Fisk and Stone Smartt. However, Dissly runs the most routes of the trio. The Chargers have the most favorable TE schedule moving forward and, with so many teams on bye, he should be a top target at the position.
Other TE options
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (46.2%): Injuries to Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and others have led to a bigger role for Hill. But who expected him to get 15 touches and rack up 41.5 fantasy points against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday? Hill became just the fifth player in NFL history with three rushing touchdowns and eight receptions in a game. Interestingly, three of those five players were with the Saints at the time. While Hill is not likely to get 15 touches following the Saints' Week 12 bye, he's still a future fantasy starter with solid upcoming matchups against the Rams and Giants.
Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins (31.7%): Smith had a breakout game on Sunday against the Raiders, scoring 28.1 fantasy points. He reeled in a career-high 101 receiving yards and tied his career-best with two receiving scores in the game. Since Tagovailoa has returned, Smith has seen more snaps, which is a positive sign. He's also had six-plus targets in three of the last four games. With that role and upside, Smith is a solid TE2 option heading into Week 12 against the Patriots.
Theo Johnson, New York Giants (2.0%): The Giants are making a QB change, benching the struggling Daniel Jones and turning to Tommy DeVito as their new starter. Prior to the Week 11 bye, Johnson had been involved in the passing game, with six targets in both of the last two games. He scored seven-plus fantasy points in both, including a solid 14.1-point performance. Over the three games leading into the bye, Johnson was targeted on 17% of his routes, the second-highest rate on the team. Even with DeVito at the helm, Johnson remains on the TE2 radar for those in deeper formats, especially against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that's been generous to tight ends, allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to the position.
