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Week 8: Deep Sleepers and DFS Bargains

It’s time for another TGIF addition of Deep Sleepers and DFS Bargains. I had my best showing of the season in Week 7, making good on four of my six picks (Alex Smith, Tyreek Hill, Mike Davis and Vernon Davis). Not sure if I’ll be able to repeat that in Week 8, but I’ll definitely try.

To review … all of these players are owned in less than 60 percent of Yahoo leagues (at time of writing) and/or are a significant value in our daily game. They’re not the obvious picks, and they’re not without their risks, but that’s why they’re so cheap and available! I’d never advocate taking all of these guys, but rather utilizing them if a manager were in a pinch at a position or aiming to build a “stars and scrubs” sort of DFS lineup.

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Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, New York Jets ($26)
This is purely a matchup play. I’m not even going to try to sugarcoat it. But desperate times call for desperate measures. As someone who has multiple shares of Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger, I’ll be rolling out Fitzy in a horrifyingly large number of leagues myself.

And, you know what? Sometimes matchup plays are OK. In fact, I’m guessing the guy who dubbed my Alex Smith call from last week “fools gold” (Smith ended up Week 7’s QB11, well ahead of Carson Palmer, Derek Carr, Russell Wilson, and Matt Ryan) is reconsidering his stance this go-around.

Football Outsiders ranks the Browns’ pass rush as the 23rd-worst in the league. This is a unit that has, over the last four weeks, allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing QBs. Additionally, it has given up 18 TDs, the most of any other passing defense, on the season. With Fitzmagic feeling frisky and Josh McCown potentially starting for Cleveland, this matchup has shootout implications … as ugly as they may be.

Can Fitzpatrick turn things around in Week 8? (Getty Images
Can Fitzpatrick turn things around in Week 8? (Getty Images)

[Week 8 rankings: Overall | FLEX | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K]

J.J. Nelson, WR, Arizona Cardinals ($10)
If Tyreek Hill is a cheetah in human form, than J.J. Nelson is a cheetah with Peregrine Falcon wings. Potentially the fastest player in the NFL, Nelson possesses 4.28 speed. He also has a good shot of showing off that play-making ability Sunday in a matchup against the Panthers, whose secondary has been all sorts of exposed.

With John Brown (leg/sickle cell trait) and Jaron Brown (ACL) both sidelined in Week 7, Nelson saw an increased role. On the field for 84 percent of Arizona’s offensive snaps, the speedster ran seven more pass plays than Michael Floyd.

Currently, Smokey Brown is expected to see the field in Week 8, but Floyd (who has struggled with focus issues as well as health ailments) continues to miss practice. Regardless, Nelson’s fresh legs and unique skill set (one that Bruce Arians certainly digs and knows how to utilize) make him an upside play against a Panthers secondary that gave up over 320 yards and two scores to New Orleans in Week 6.

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Matt Asiata, RB, Minnesota Vikings ($15)
I was digging on Cordarrelle Patterson this week, but since he’s entered the league’s concussion protocol my adoration has waned. Instead, a different Viking has replaced him. Given Jerick McKinnon’s ankle woes, the Purple Sloth looks like a cheap and surprisingly available play for Monday night.

With McKinnon in-and-out of last Sunday’s contest, Asiata received his highest snap total (55.6 percent) and number of goal-line looks (3) of the season. Racking up 80 combined yards on 18 total touches, the admitted plodder closed out Week 7 as fantasy’s 27th-most productive player at the position. Facing a Bears defense that’s among the bottom 10 in terms of run-stuffing prowess and in an offense that’s averaging the eighth-most rushing attempts per contest, Asiata projects to put up low-end RB2 numbers in Week 8.

[Week 8 rankings: Overall | FLEX | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K]

Petyon Barber, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($10)
An undrafted rookie, Barber scored his first career touchdown in the Bucs’ Week 7 win over San Francisco. Breaking off a 44-yard score in the fourth quarter, the Auburn product showed off his ability to lower his pads and get downhill. While his usage was primarily restricted to the second half, after Tampa Bay had grown a sizeable lead, it’s worth noting that the team felt compelled to spell the undersized Jacquizz Rodgers.

Heading into Week 8, the Bucs will host the Raiders’ bottom-five run defense, which is allowing an average of 5.0 YPC. Quizz is absolutely expected to see the lion’s share of the touches, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Barber notched in the neighborhood of 14-16 totes. In a week in which there are six teams on a bye, that’s decent volume. Consider the fact that outside of Mike Evans the team doesn’t have a go-to TD producer, and Barber could easily get some goal-line love. FF: 15 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD

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C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Houston Texans ($12)
This isn’t the first time I’ve been irrationally high on an Iowa tight end, but Fiedorowicz has been the second-most targeted TE over the past three weeks. Second in team targets since Will Fuller developed a hamstring issues, the former Hawkeye has emerged as a security blanket for Brock Osweiler. Catching five of seven targets for 35 yards in a tough matchup against the Broncos last Monday night, Fiedorowicz closed out the week on the TE1/TE2 bubble.

He figures to have an easier time Sunday as he’ll face the Lions, who gave up six catches for nearly 80 yards to the 32-year-old Vernon Davis in Week 7. Even with Ziggy Ansah back, Detroit has allowed nearly 10 fantasy points per contest to opposing TEs over its past two outings. A player who can block and catch, Fiedorowicz will be on the field for a large percentage of his team’s snaps, making him all the more available in scoring situations … especially with Lamar Miller nursing a sore shoulder.

Follow Liz on Twitter @LizLoza_FF.