Fantasy Forum Week 4: The Kids are Alright

The influx of talent the last couple of years at the Wide Receiver position has elevated passing games around the league. This year was considered one of the deepest and most talented WR drafts in modern history, offering all types of pass catchers and plenty of them.

Headlined by CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, and the recent emergence of Justin Jefferson, the rookies are now viable assets to fantasy lineups as well. You can be forgiven if you bet on the side of the weird off season to slow these rookies down, but the reality is that talent normally wins out.

I drafted Jeudy in a couple of places simply because I like his game and I thought the Broncos were going to be competitive. He might not be as productive as we all hoped coming into the year given the injury to Drew Lock, but he’s still a viable WR3 play. It’s tough to keep Lamb out of the WR3 spot as well but given the number of mouths to feed in the Dallas offense, he’ll have plenty of disappointing weeks. Jefferson just had his big breakout game and I see no reason to not believe in him the rest of the way, Kirk Cousins jokes aside.

But what about the other guys? Brandon Ayuik was the hot pickup this week and boasts a soft schedule moving forward, but just remember that when Kittle returns, he’ll fall back in the pecking order. Henry Ruggs III is such a beautiful Raiders pick from the standpoint of history with their love speed but Derek Carr is not the guy to unlock Ruggs. I’d stay away.

Tee Higgins found paydirt twice against the Eagles for the Bengals and while you love the nine targets, the Bengals are a tough bet right now. He’s probably worth a roster spot at the end of the bench to roll out in desperate times. Laviska Shenault Jr. has made an interesting case, getting carries and targets for the Jaguars. I think he’s worth watching if he can increase his tough share or will he continue to have only a small presence in the offense.

Jalen Reagor will be out for a few weeks with a thumb injury and things are going downhill fast in Philly. If you have an injury spot, he’s a good stash, but otherwise, I wouldn’t worry about him. Chase Claypool has one big play so far but he’s averaging only 3 targets per game. Unless and until he can increase that target share in a good offense, leave Claypool in the, ahem, pool.

Still, it’s a strong start for this rookie class of pass catchers - and I didn’t even mention Darnell Mooney who, while real-life football interesting, shouldn’t be in your fantasy lineups just yet. Let’s see how Nick Foles distributes the ball before you do anything too crazy.

How did September go for your teams? Everyone 3-0 and feeling good? Hit up the comments below.

Need some last second advice? Hit us up on Twitter @gridironborn and @whiskeyranger29.