Week 2 Streamer Stock Watch

Ranking The Best of the Worst Starts in Week 2

Hey folks,

Very light Thursday post for you. For the early-season, I’m typically going to write something to release Saturday AM / Afternoon with some deeper thoughts on notable RB performances from the previous week — or anything else percolating in my brain, and then put the “streamer stock watch” at the end — where I rank all streaming RBs (plausible starters w/ pre-season ADPs of 100+) in order of how I’d start them in the coming week. I also post my up-dated view of their dynasty value and where they’d fit in my annotated RB tiers.

This week two of the most interesting ‘streamer’ candidates are playing on Thursday Night Football, so I wanted to make sure you had my thoughts on them ahead of that game.

I wish I had better analysis but there’s a ton of volatility in this spot. For now, here’s where I’m at — and it’s very subject to change if we get more concrete reporting.

I think the most likely scenario is we see Achane play, but do so in a limited fashion. If I had to guess he’s used more in the receiving game, and perhaps on a few sweeps, but I don’t think he’ll get the bulk of between-the-tackles carries, at least not unless it’s a very close game in the 2nd half. He was generally limited when playing hurt last year. Where I have him, I’m playing him if active, with exception of the most stacked rosters in my portfolio.

I think Jeff Wilson is probably the safest start among the other two RBs in this scenario. He’ll probably play a decent amount of LDD work as he’ll be more trusted to pass protect than the rookie Jaylen Wright, and I suspect they won’t want to waste Achane’s snap count on 3rd and 9 too often. I think Wright will mix in, but it’s not guaranteed, and based on last week Wilson is potentially the more trusted of the two — although it might have been a special teams thing. I think you have an 8-10 touch floor with Wilson tonight and a reasonable chance at HVTs in passing spots and at the goal-lines.

If Achane plays I’m not starting Jaylen Wright outside of showdown lineups. The floor is zero touches, and barring an in-game injury I think your best reasonable ceiling would be 10-12 touches if he plays ahead of Wilson. However, I think he’s mostly likely to see lower value touches, as they might want to use him between the 20s, but defer to more trusted players in the red zone and in passing situations.

If Achane is out, I think Wright may be the better start. Both backs will have to play and I think you want to be on the efficiency play, even if the floor is still lower. Both would be mid-range RB2s, but give me the wider band option in Wright.

STREAMER STOCK WATCH

In this section, I quickly run down where the current streamer landscape sits in all formats. To count as a “streamer” for the purposes of this section, you must have been drafted outside the top-100 picks (underdog ADP), and be a plausible weekly starter and/or RB1 on their team. The idea here is to give you start/sit advice in the near term for teams relying on these backs, along with a longer-view dynasty stance. The backs are ranked in order of my preference in starting them in the coming week.

The categorizations are taken from my those I used for my pre-season annotated RB tiers. Refer to the legend below for what each mean: (or ask in the comments if you need more clarification)

1. JK Dobbins

   • Production Class: Starter

   • Contingent Class: N/A

   • Asset Class: Speculative

   • Week 2 Projection: Low-End RB1

   • Matchup: Elite

   • Dynasty Value: Base 2

   • NOTES: Looked electric Week 1, more likely to buy than sell, and starting everywhere

2. Devin Singletary

   • Production Class: High-End Streamer

   • Contingent Class: N/A

   • Asset Class: N/A

   • Week 2 Projection: Mid-Range RB2

   • Matchup: Elite

   • Dynasty Value: Early 3

   • NOTES: ceiling limited by team environment, but strong floor play in good matchup

3. Jerome Ford

   • Production Class: Starter

   • Contingent Class: N/A

   • Asset Class: Speculative

   • Week 2 Projection: Low-End RB2

   • Matchup: Poor

   • Dynasty Value: Late 2

   • NOTES: brutal rushing matchup, value to come via the passing game here in potential trail script

4. Brian Robinson Jr.

   • Production Class: High-End Streamer

   • Contingent Class: B

   • Asset Class: N/A

   • Week 2 Projection: Low-End RB2

   • Matchup: Strong

   • Dynasty Value: Late 2

   • NOTES: good game script potential, and Giants were gashed by Aaron Jones

5. Zack Moss

   • Production Class: High-End Streamer

   • Contingent Class: B

   • Asset Class: N/A

   • Week 2 Projection: Low-End RB2

   • Matchup: Average (matchup is tough, but game environment strong)

   • Dynasty Value: Late 2

   • NOTES: game script proof if Week 1 role holds, worried about TD opportunities after how offense looked Week 1

6. Chase Brown

   • Production Class: Low-End Streamer

   • Contingent Class: A

   • Asset Class: Speculative

   • Matchup: Average (matchup is tough, but game environment strong)

   • Week 2 Projection: Flex

   • Dynasty Value: Late 2

   • NOTES: may be relied on more in Week 2 as team needs explposive plays to keep up with Kansas City

7. Chuba Hubbard

   • Production Class: High-End Streamer

   • Contingent Class: N/A

   • Asset Class: N/A

   • Week 2 Projection: Flex

   • Matchup: Poor

   • Dynasty Value: Base 3

   • NOTES: role is good, don’t trust the team to keep this close

8. Tyjae Spears

   • Production Class: Streamer

   • Contingent Class: A

   • Asset Class: Upside

   • Week 2 Projection: Flex

   • Matchup: Average

   • Dynasty Value: Base 2

   • NOTES: expect early schemed looks after the positive coach speek about getting him more touches, not sure the overall role changes after Pollard looked strong

9. Ezekiel Elliott

   • Production Class: Streamer

   • Contingent Class: B

   • Asset Class: N/A

   • Matchup: Poor

   • Week 2 Projection: Flex

   • Dynasty Value: 4th

   • NOTES: played awful in Week 1 but role should hold up short term

10. Rico Dowdle

    • Production Class: Streamer

    • Contingent Class: B

    • Asset Class: Speculative

    • Matchup: Poor

    • Week 2 Projection: Flex

    • Dynasty Value: Base 3

    • NOTES: role better in Week 1 than it seemed — question is whether he would retain goal-line work on his own drives (lone GL touch came on a ‘Zeke’ drive in Week 1)

11. Jaleel McLaughlin

    • Production Class: Streamer

    • Contingent Class: B

    • Asset Class: Speculative

    • Matchup: Poor

    • Week 2 Projection: Low-End Flex

    • Dynasty Value: Early 3

    • NOTES: offense looked over-matched Week 1 and Steelers defense should feast on Bo Nix. Floor-based play on receiving volume.

CONTINGENT STARTERS

1. Zach Charbonnet (if Ken Walker OUT)

   • Production Class: Bench

   • Contingent Class: A

   • Asset Class: Upside

   • Matchup: Average

   • Week 2 Projection: Low-end RB1

   • Dynasty Value: Late 2

   • NOTES: played every non-Walker snap in the backfield. Game environment may be poor, but will project well as a fringe-RB1 if Walker sits.

2. Jeff Wilson

   • Production Class: Bench

   • Contingent Class: B

   • Asset Class: N/A

   • Matchup: Average

   • Week 2 Projection: Flex if Achane active, Mid-Range RB2 if Achane OUT

   • Dynasty Value: 4th

   • NOTES: see inro

3. Jaylen Wright

   • Production Class: Bench

   • Contingent Class: B

   • Asset Class: N/A

   • Matchup: Average

   • Week 2 Projection: Dart-throw streamer if Achane active, volatile RB2 if Achane OUT

   • Dynasty Value: Late 2

   • NOTES: see intro