Start Em’

Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

Carson Wentz is definitely not very good but that doesn’t really matter when you play the Miami Dolphins. 

Baker Mayfield was bottom-six in adjusted yards per attempt and top-three in interceptions heading into last week. Then he faced the Dolphins. Mayfield went for 327 yards and three scores en route to his best game of the season. If you’re quarterback needs a get-right game, just call Miami.

This week Wentz and the Eagles get that honor. The Dolphins have allowed the fourth-most points per game to opposing passers this season. They have given up the second-most passing touchdowns this season, 26. 

The Eagles also cut Jordan Matthews which means it’s likely that they’re getting at least one of Nelson Agholor and Alshon Jeffery will be returning. Given Wentz one more chance this week.

Russel Gage, WR, Atlanta Falcons

Austin Hooper has missed two games and Russel Gage has been one of the two beneficiaries:

• Calvin Ridley - 22 targets, 313 air yards
• Russel Gage - 14 targets, 98 air yards

Julio Jones has kept his very not Julio Jones-like role:

• 17 targets, 159 air yards

Julio Jones is still a starter but the loss of Hooper has done nothing for him. It has, however, made Russel Gage a viable flex option. It has also turned Calvin Ridley into our generation’s Julio Jones.

Jonathan Williams, RB, Indianapolis Colts

The Colts committed to Jonathan Williams for the second week in a row and got the exact same results as the first time. He went over 100 yards again and found the end zone this time.

Indianpolis even had Jordan Wilkins active and chose not to give him a single touch. Williams will be spelled by Nyheim Hines in the passing game but his rushing usage is more than enough to give him the start. 

As a bonus, Williams was targeted three times last week as well.

Jack Doyle, TE, Indianapolis Colts

Eric Ebron was placed on IR this week after it was announced that he would be undergoing multiple ankle surgeries. The puts Jack Doyle in a great spot to see a significant uptick in receiving work.

Ebron leads the team in targets (52) and is second in air yards (495). He was also seeing in uptick in playing time recently with the Colts’ injuries at receivers. With Parris Campbell, Devin Funchess, and Ebron all dealing with injuries, Doyle is going to be on the field for nearly every play.

He’s not the flashiest option but Doyle can be found on many waiver wires and has no real competition for targets.

Sit Em’

Jaylen Samuels, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Even with James Conner out last week, Jaylen Samuels wasn't involved. He carried the ball  two times (T-5th on the team) and was targeted three times (T-3rd on the team). The Steelers have slowly been phasing Samuels out of the offense in favor of rookie Benny Snell Jr. whenever Conner has been out. Snell had 21 rushes.

Samuels has been a gadget player going back to his days as an H-Back/Tight End hybrid in college. Pittsburgh seems content using him in that role again and that makes him completely not viable for fantasy.

Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos

Tim Patrick was a popular play as a deep flyer for teams in desperate need of help at the wide receiver position. That proved to be an awful idea as Patrick was targeted three times, played a third of the team’s snaps, and caught one ball. He’s a rotational player on a bad offense. Please don’t play him.

T.J. Hockenson, TE, Detroit Lions

Some players listed as Sits here are still worth holding onto. If Benny Snell’s knee injury flares up again, Jaylen Samuels will likely be a valuable player once more.

There’s really no scenario where T.J. Hockenson can provide sustained fantasy value for the rest of this season. Jeff Driskel has gotten it done on the ground but is a mediocre passer and the Lions have been limiting his passing-volume. 

Hockenson also has to compete with Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones for targets. The duo owns 40% of the team’s targets while Amendola has a 17% target share when he’s been healthy. On a limited offense, there just isn’t enough room for Hockenson to be a reliable starter.

Phillip Rivers, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

Phillip Rivers looks to be nearing the end of his career. Rivers has played 14 seasons and he is setting bottom-three marks for his career in:

• Touchdown Rate - 3.6%
• Interception Rate - 3.4%
• Adjusted Yards per Attempt - 6.8
• Quarterback Rating - 85.5

Rivers has hit rock-bottom as a passer and it’s showing. He’s on a streak of four games outside of the top-20 passers on the week. He’s also yet to record a week inside the top-five. There’s no upside to playing him anymore but all the downside. It’s time to cut Rivers and head to the stream.