Sam Darnold
Darnold was a stud prospect coming out of USC. Now he has fallen into the hands of head coach Adam Gase, otherwise known as the worst HC in the NFL. It’s very well known that players who leave Gase’s system become great fantasy players. Tannehill, Drake, Parker, and even Ballage have had great fantasy seasons and performances after leaving coach Gase. Sooner or later, Gase will get canned from the Jets, or Darnold will sign with a different team. Either of those options will make Darnold a better fantasy quarterback.
Darnold has shown flashes that he has the ability to be a solid QB2, with potential to be a low-end QB1. And if there was ever a chance to buy a young QB with plenty of upside, it’s now. You can get Darnold for cheap now as well. I’d try to trade someone like Brady to a contender, or potentially Stafford for Darnold and another piece.
Damien Harris
Harris was the Patriots third round pick in 2019, and only played in two games in his rookie season. Then he gets injured during training camp to start his 2020 season. Harris didn’t see any game action until week four. He hasn’t let that stop him from being a productive running back this year. He’s rushed for 100 yards in three games out of seven total. He’s averaging 5.35 yards per carry in 2020, and he’s doing this while being on the field for less than 50% of the Patriots snaps.
The negatives with Harris is his lack of use in the passing game, and only having two touchdowns in 2020. This is why Harris can be bought for cheap, at least compared to what his ceiling can be. James White, the Patriots receiving back, is an unrestricted free agent in 2021. This opens the door for Harris to get more targets as soon as next year. I’m also not worried about his lack of touchdowns. Cam Newton has been stealing red zone looks from every skill position player on the Patriots, and it is not a guarantee that Newton is the quarterback next season.
I’m buying Harris with the expectation that he can be a solid FLEX option, with the upside of being an RB2. He should be an easy asset to aquire from a contending fantasy team.
DJ Chark
Chark was one of my favorite players heading into the 2020 season. He’s currently the WR34 on the season, way below where I was projecting him to be. So when we see a player like Chark this low, we wanna see what has contributed to it. Chark has been dealing with nagging injuries throughout the year. He hasn’t had the best quarterback play to help him out either. Gardner Minshew didn’t give us a great season, and backup Jake Luton was not any better. It may seem like I’m making a lot of excuses for Chark, and I am, but this is the best time to buy Chark before he booms again.
It’s presumed that the Jaguars will potentially draft a quarterback 2021, and if it’s any of the top guys in this class, it would be a huge win for Chark. He needs a quarterback who can throw an accurate deep ball, and is willing to look his way in the red zone. Minshew just hasn’t been able to do that on a consistent basis. Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Trey Lance can do it.
Chark is the perfect example of a player that had high expectations for another great year after a breakout, and failed to deliver fantasy wise. If you believe in the talent, and I do, then Chark should have a bounceback 2021 season, and could even finish 2020 on a high note. Buy him NOW, before the price sky-rockets again.
Dallas Goedert
Goedert is one of the most underrated tight ends in the NFL, and it’s mostly due to the fact that he’s been behind Zach Ertz since he was drafted. When he’s asked to make plays, he performs well. He still plays in the majority of the Eagles snaps, even when Ertz is healthy. The biggest problem with Goedert is the inconsistency, at least in terms of his targets. When we look at his stats, he seems to get either 6-8 targets per game, or none. We don’t see those 3-6 target games, which has hurt his upside.
That should change sooner rather than later. Goedert will always be a red zone threat, no matter what quarterback is throwing him the ball. And this is the lowest his value will be, possibly the lowest it will be ever again. There is some risk, but with the price I’m willing to make the gamble. Ertz should be off the team soon, and we could see the Eagles move away from Wentz in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts. That may not seem like a positive, but with how Wentz has performed in 2020, this could make Goedert a better fantasy option.