We have seen many big name players go down with injuries these first few weeks of the season, but the quarterback position has been largely unscathed. All of that changed this weekend as Dak Prescott, the number one scorer in all of fantasy football, went down with a gruesome ankle injury. His season is now over.
While quarterback is always deep and late-round quarterback is usually a viable strategy, teams that drafted Prescott have had a huge advantage. Now these teams will have to scramble and look elsewhere.
As always our threshold is players rostered on less than 20% of Yahoo! leagues.
QB Andy Dalton Dallas (3%)
Dalton steps into a terrific situation in Dallas: The offense is loaded with weapons, and the defense cannot stop anyone. Dalton will be right there in the mix for teams that have been streaming the position, and a consideration for teams that lost Prescott.
RB J.D. McKissic Washington (6%)
McKissic cannot be ignored.
This is a bad offense, but McKissic seems to have filled a role as a low-ceiling PPR floor play. He has 7 and 6 catches his last two games. For teams struggling at running back, or lacking depth, consider McKissic.
RB Mike Boone Minnesota (0%)
Mattison steps into a prime situation with the Dalvin Cook injury, but Boone should not be overlooked. Cook should not miss much time, but he has struggled with injuries in previous seasons. Boone now walks into the number two role for an offense that leans on the running back heavily.
WR Chase Claypool Pittsburgh (17%)
This one is easy: Spend a lot of FAB to get Claypool if he is available.
He scored four touchdowns this past weekend and looks like an alpha wideout on the field. If Diontae Johnson misses time, Claypool would see a ton of targets and manufactured touches. If Johnson is back, Claypool is too talented and explosive to not see weekly opportunities. He should be in fantasy lineups next week.
WR Travis Fulgham Philadelphia (3%)
Two weeks ago, Fulgham caught the game winning score against San Francisco. This week, he followed up with a 10-152-1 explosion. Carson Wentz loves him. The wide receiver position is decimated and Zach Ertz is not producing; several receivers could return, but the second year option should continue to see a good amount of targets.
WR Demarcus Robinson Kansas City (1%)
Sammy Watkins will miss some time with an injury. While Mecole Hardman should be the biggest beneficiary, Robinson will also see a boost. He is a cheap add in a great offense.
WR Tim Patrick Denver (17%)
Patrick was picked up in a lot of leagues last week after his 6-113-1 performance against the Jets. The Broncos-Patriots game was postponed a week, but Patrick should remain an option for receiver-needy teams. The Broncos’ receivers have been decimated by injuries, and Patrick will be on the field nearly every snap.
TE Cameron Brate Tampa Bay (2%)
There is not a whole lot at tight end, but Brate is an intriguing option. He saw 6 targets last week in the first game the Bucs were without O.J. Howard. Brate is a TE2 who can be used as bye week fill-in.