Rising stocks Week 4, for a bargain

(Made this on Thursday September 26th, 2024)

Jonathan Brooks (RB) Carolina Panthers:

I get it the Panthers aren’t the most attractive team to have a player with a rising stock, but I just have to believe that Jonathan Brooks could pay off in a big way once he returns to football. At Texas he was outrageously explosive, putting up 200 yard games as if it was another day in the office, turning heads with every highlight reel play he made both on the ground and in the passing game. With this much draft capital invested into a running back early you just have to assume that the backfield is his once he returns, even with Chuba being far more efficient than years past. Having Andy Dalton at the helm, this offense is far more likely to move the chains and he might just be a key piece for fantasy teams in any format. This offensive line has drastically improved over the offseason and that has been evident through the NFL’s first three weeks although Bryce Young made it look way worse than it really was early on. This team just went from a bottom five offense to one that could easily end up in the middle of the pack, which is why their players, even at wide receiver, now have perceived value moving forward. Don’t sleep on this young man and if you could poach him off a leaguemate for cheap now would be the time to make that happen. Historically rookie running backs that assume a huge workload get plenty of work in the passing game on bad teams. Just look at Najee Harris’ heroic fantasy numbers when Big Ben was dumping him the ball nearly every play. Supreme talent will find opportunity and Brooks has that supreme talent. 

Jordan Addison (WR) Minnesota Vikings: 

In a turn of events no analysts projected the Vikings have seemingly risen to relevancy out of nowhere on the shoulders of Sam Darnold. He has looked phenomenal considering most thought he was an afterthought on a one year deal with a team in rebuild mode. Through three weeks though it wouldn’t be a stretch to say he’s played top five quarterback level ball. This is in part due to the league’s shift to a less dynamic passing attack we are seeing in real time across the board. One thing that might elevate Sam Darnold to potentially putting up numbers with consistency though is having a Biletnikoff award winning wide receiver, Jordan Addison, back in the lineup after missing the last two weeks. Even factoring in the emergence of former Michigan State Spartan, Jalen Nailor into the equation there is a world in which Addison gives you five to seven catches consistently hauling in a touchdown grab or a long bomb every week at your flex. He looked pretty solid last year as a rookie and did everything he could do to cement himself as a real deal pass catching option. The thing is with this Vikings offense is that they have been absolutely nuking some league juggernauts to start the season blowing out the Niners as well as the vaunted Texans. This means their offense hasn’t necessarily been asked to air it out all game or go for the homerun shots that come with being in close games. At least to me that translates to huge upside for everyone in this passing offense as the season progresses because although they have impressed so far I don’t think they are currently at the team’s potential ceiling on the offensive side of the ball. With Kevin O’Connell dialing it up, weapons set to return across the board, and a red hot start, it’s just whether or not you believe in this team for a whole season. Their second pass catching option in the offense has immense value down the stretch for fantasy playoffs and in real life if they are fighting for the division with the Lions and Packers.

Pick your poison with Addison now and maybe look to scoop T.J Hockenson before he returns. Both these guys are discounted heavily.

Xavier Legette (WR) Carolina Panthers:

I already talked about how Andy Dalton allows this offense to move the chains and next to Diontae Johnson as a pass catcher all they have now is Legette now that Adam Thielen has been placed on IR. Out of necessity I think he is a good low end value pickup for your fantasy team and if Dalton trusts him with 50/50 balls like Rattler did on South Carolina you never know what they could get going. Dave Canales knows how to call an offense. He just needs a QB who can execute at an average level. Legette had a crazy profile at this year’s draft and the team spent the 32nd pick in this year’s NFL Draft. You’d think he’d have to get going with Jonathan Mingo as the only thing in his way for WR2 in this offense. Not a pretty situation in Carolina, but it is most definitely worth monitoring moving forward. Dalton might have a slight Flacco effect kind of year like we saw with the Cleveland Browns a season ago as Flacco got things going with Amari Cooper. That alone makes Legette a worthy target for your fantasy team because Diontae is not quite a bonafide wide receiver number one.

Jake Ferguson (TE) Dallas Cowboys:

In a league where tight ends do not produce Ferguson seems to be peppered with targets in every game. In the Cowboys offense he is effectively the second option behind Lamb and even with offensive struggles he isn’t affected getting seven and eleven targets in the last two games. To be honest I had no idea that Ferguson would even be on the football field considering the bad hit he took to his knee in week 1 against the Cleveland Browns. Being back from that and looking like he has so far is insanely promising considering the Cowboys have looked awful through three weeks. If this team gets better moving forward then his ceiling is immense with potential to be a reliable target in their red zone offense and if their offense struggles then he still will get his with his only competition being Brandin Cooks for targets outside of Ceedee. The Cowboys choice to have no run game also has boosted Ferguson’s stock from last year now that Dallas knows they can’t get anything going on the ground with Zeke and Rico Dowdle. Ferguson is essentially the Malik Nabers of tight ends when it comes to getting the most volume at his position and there is nothing to indicate that the situation will change. 

Jayden Reed (WR) Green Bay Packers:

After two straight down weeks in a new offense without Love, Reed is ready to breakout this season. In game one against the Eagles he displayed his explosiveness breaking several long touchdowns, which he did all season last year for Green Bay. He plays hard and has a knack for finding open space on the field that makes him a constant threat to turn the game upside down with just one play. In the Packers offense he is the main target and provides the most consistency out of all their young, talented targets. People often disregard him as a top tier option because of Love’s tendency to spread the ball out with all of his targets, but Reed is a complete player with run after the catch ability, solid route running, and sticky hands that don’t let the football see the ground. When looking at how tough some of the defenses have been in the NFC North I just have to think that coach Lafleur factors Reed into his game plan every week especially when knowing his effectiveness in the quick game since his days at MSU. I love the guy's talent, his work ethic, and his professionalism considering he had to endure one of the worst situations in all of college football having Payton Thorne as his QB at MSU. Now that he has the chance to show who he really is he surely won’t ever look back to those dark days of despair back in East Lansing. I’d say you wait a week, hope he puts up not too great of numbers versus a tough Vikings defense and then buy him at good value from the team that has him. In most leagues I envision the guy that has him doesn’t have a great record in fantasy football considering in all my leagues those teams are struggling mightily. His flex upside with Jordan Love at QB turns into potential WR2 upside as the season progresses. He has one of the healthiest target shares in the NFL and also sees plenty of usage on outside runs that have worked very well when dialed up by this Packers offense. Believe in him.