Gross Bombs: NFL Props for Week 16
Josh Gross
Trying to piece together a dynasty fantasy football team is fun but can also be a bit of a challenge. It is very difficult to trade for some of the top players in the league but some of the best moves you can make are the less exciting ones. Trading for overlooked players who could see their values skyrocket can help put the finishing touches on your roster.
Let’s take a look.
Jameis Winston, QB, Free Agent
As of this writing, Jameis Winston is still a free agent. However, a return to New Orleans to start at quarterback is possible, and if that happens, he’d have plenty of fantasy value. In seven games with the Saints last year, Winston tossed 14 touchdown passes to just three interceptions, while completing over 76% of his red zone passes. He also averaged 0.64 fantasy points per dropback, which led the league (yes, he only played seven games), while averaging nearly 18 fantasy points per game. And that was all without playing alongside Michael Thomas, who should be back in 2022. If someone is desperate for a quarterback in a two-quarterback or superflex league, trading for Winston for next-to-nothing right now makes plenty of sense. You could be looking at a top-15 fantasy signal caller if he’s back with the Saints in 2022.
Eno Benjamin, RB, Arizona Cardinals
It is entirely possible the Cardinals aren’t done at running back for the offseason. But at the moment, Eno Benjamin is the backup to James Conner, who re-signed with Arizona. Chase Edmonds is now in Miami and if Benjamin takes over his role in 2022, that will lead to fantasy relevance. In Weeks 1-8 last year with both running backs healthy, Edmonds averaged about 13 touches and 4.6 targets per game. I’m not saying Benjamin is going to see that volume, especially after the Cardinals gave Conner a three-year deal. However, the Cardinals clearly want to use their running backs, and this is an offense that throws a lot of screens and short passes, which could benefit Benjamin. In 2021, 78 of Kyler Murray’s pass attempts came off screens, the fourth-most in football, despite the fact that he also missed three games. Don’t sleep on Benjamin over the course of the summer.
D’Onta Foreman, RB, Carolina Panthers
D’Onta Foreman now joins the Panthers to (you would assume) backup Christian McCaffrey, who has missed 22 games over the last two seasons. We saw Foreman start in the absence of another All-World running back last year in Derrick Henry, and while you can’t replace The King, Foreman filled in admirably, averaging 63 rushing yards, 15.7 touches and around 11 PPR points per game. He passed the eye test, too, avoiding 21 tackles on 133 rushing attempts. Thirteen of his carries went for 10 yards or more, and after rookie Chuba Hubbard was one of the least efficient running backs in the NFL in 2021, Foreman will have every chance to win the backup job. Hubbard averaged just 4.0 yards per touch and less than 4.0 yards per carry, and given McCaffrey’s issues with injuries over the past few seasons, it wouldn’t shock me to see Foreman start multiple games during the 2022 campaign.
