Via Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer
Fantasy football waiver wires can get messy. One vital player goes down for your team in a 12+ man league and your season is in some serious trouble. Last week, Keenan Allen was sidelined with an injury, forcing me to start a wide receiver duo that flopped, scoring a combined 15 points (PPR) in a week where I lost by one. I promised myself that I was going to do my best to find some depth at wide receiver to guarantee I had backups with extreme boom potential. I did just that, finding two pass catchers rostered in under 18% of leagues that could get slotted into your starting lineup and produce.
Noah Brown
Noah Brown is one of the shining bright spots on a Dallas Cowboys team that’s had an unfortunate start to the season. Despite a win over the reigning AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals, Dak Prescott was announced to be out for up to eight weeks, as he recovers from a thumb injury that required surgery. Brown has 14 targets, 10 receptions, 159 yards, and a single touchdown so far, being Dallas’s WR2 with Michael Gallup and James Washington out.
.@rush_cooper right on 🎯 to @Nb_Eight5 for a TD!
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/JOQqjqiYdm
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) September 18, 2022
Yes, his targets may go down as Gallup gets instituted back into the offense, but that’s going to be a multiple week process before he even starts to heat up. Noah Brown was the WR1 on Dallas’s second team, hence the reason why Cooper Rush has a great sense of chemistry with the Ohio State product. For the foreseeable future, Noah Brown will be a safety blanket for his quarterback who’s used to and comfortable with him. Dalton Schultz is also dealing with a knee issue that could see him miss playing time, giving all the more reason for Brown to get more attention. CeeDee Lamb is of course the primary focus for any defense matching up against the NFC East team, with Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard in the backfield ready to expose your run defense. With all these other weapons, we could see Brown in one-on-one situations that could result in a huge play, or simply multiple secured targets that add up over time.
Last week, Brown was able to beat Eli Apple a lot, who contrary to popular belief, is a solid cornerback. He’s been present in over 85% of snaps so far, and after a huge performance, you have to assume that it can only go higher. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is fighting for his job and he needs to keep going with what’s working, and Brown is. There is no point in not taking a chance on this stud.
Devin Duvernay
Return specialist and wide receiver two of the Baltimore Ravens, Devin Duvernay, is a sleeper pickup in deep leagues. Duvernay is an elite kickoff returner that could help earn you points with 100+ yard touchdowns, which could be huge in leagues with custom kick return settings. In general leagues, being a special teams monster gives the Texas product another outlet to secure an extra six points for your team. Let’s also not forget that Duvernay is one of the main receivers behind Rashod Bateman in this Ravens offense. He’ll most likely get the third most targets behind Bateman and Mark Andrews. Right now, he’s averaging 16.8 PPR fantasy points a week, with a total of three touchdowns on the year. For someone who’s a smaller name, those touchdown numbers are extremely impressive, and the more Duvernay makes a name for himself, the more opportunities he’ll get.
DEVIN DUVERNAY OPENING KICKOFF TOUCHDOWN ‼️
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/oFCUeAJAtW
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 18, 2022
Unlike Noah Brown, Duvernay has his position on lock, as someone who’s stepped up in a Baltimore receiver room without a huge name. He isn’t an injury substitute, but rather a mainstay in this offense, who could become the first wide receiver on the Ravens depth chart with an injury to Bateman. Lamar Jackson is one of the best quarterbacks the league has to offer, and whenever someone of that caliber is under center, you’re bound to have potential. The Ravens are a team that has an infrastructure to support multiple fantasy players, and are certainly a high scoring unit in general. Duvernay won’t be an everyday guy for you to start, but certainly is someone worth adding to your team and starting when the matchup is right. I love him as a flex in deep leagues because of his dynamic scoring potential and you certainly should too.
Follow me on twitter (@twsn_sbs)!
