Week 4 fantasy buy/sell/sleeper: Rebirth of Jamaal Charles
By Matt Kelley (@Fantasy_Mansion)
Special to Yahoo Sports
Every week we look at one player whose fantasy stock is trending up (our buy), one trending down (or sell), and one deep sleeper who could be an interesting add in the weeks ahead.
Trending Up: Jamaal Charles
Jamaal Charles is making my Spidey senses tingle. The Denver Broncos have been treating Charles like the Ferrari you only drive when your friends are in town. But for the first time last week, Charles received more carries than C.J. Anderson, and after three straight weeks of injury-free football, there are reasons to think his role will expand.
Efficient, pre-injury Charles is back. Trevor Siemian was designed in a lab to be the ultimate NFL game manager. The Broncos need playmakers. Any time Denver is trailing in the second half, expect the Broncos to take this toy out of the garage. Get Charles on your fantasy team and play him against opponents with high-scoring offenses.
Jamaal Charles Advanced Efficiency Metrics | |
Yards Per Carry | 5.1 (#12 among NFL running backs) |
Yards Created Per Touch | 2.5 (#5) |
Juke Rate | 43.3% (#6) |
This week, the Broncos face the division rival Oakland Raiders. Denver will need some splash plays from Charles to be competitive.
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Trending Down: Amari Cooper
On the flip side, what happened to Cooper?
The one-time Alabama ubër-prospect is suffering a nightmare 2017 season that culminated with one reception on five targets last week. Furthermore, Cooper is last in numerous efficiency metrics on PlayerProfiler.com, but he is first in one… Drops.
Amari Cooper Advanced Efficiency Metrics | |
Yards Per Target | 4.4 (#101 among NFL wide receivers) |
-35.7 (#111) | |
-53.6% (#112) | |
Catch Rate | 43.5% (#102) |
Drops | 5 (#1) |
Given Cooper’s cratering per target output, fantasy gamers are understandably distraught. It feels like the odds of Cooper converting a reception on any given target are less than Phil Simms getting his job back from Tony Romo.
It gets worse. In four games against Denver, Cooper is averaging 7 targets, 3.5 receptions, 35.5 yards, .25 touchdowns. Don’t be a hero. Bench Cooper this week against the Broncos and shutdown corner Aqib Talib.
Sleeper Watch
Want a deep sleeper? An explosive little receiver in Kansas City has been developing trust with Alex Smith, his role is expanding, and his name is not Tyreek Hill.
It’s Albert Wilson.
As NFL defenders bend their will to stop Hill, Wilson is stepping up and commanding targets. Like Hill, Wilson also offers speed and burst, and most importantly, Wilson has a history of on-field production going back to his time at Georgia State where he posted a mind-bending 59.9-percent College Dominator Rating.
So far this season, Wilson is commanding more targets than Chris Conley despite receiving far fewer snaps.
Albert Wilson | Chris Conley | |
Snap Share | 59.4% | 92.3% |
Target Share | 14.6% | 11.0% |
The Chief offense is experiencing a rebirth, and Wilson is emerging as the No. 4 option on the target hierarchy. Wilson is a sneaky upside stash in deep fantasy leagues.
