You've figured out most of your starting lineup. Quarterback? Check. Running backs? Check. Receivers, tight ends, kicker and defense? Check, check, check and check. But there's still that pesky flex spot. Do you go with that mid-round running back you drafted for this exact purpose? What about that wide receiver that has a favorable matchup this week? Then there are you masochists who play in superflex leagues. Godspeed to all of you.
If you're looking for help, you've come to the right place. Every week in this space I'll do my best to help you #FixMyFlex. Well, actually I'll try to fix YOUR flex. But that's not how the hashtag goes. I guess it just wasn't quite as catchy. Anyway, you've got problems, I've got answers. Here we go.
This was a problem you probably weren't expected to have when the season began. While I'm not a huge believer in Adrian Peterson's longterm value, I do think his matchup this week against the Colts is a positive one. My only concern is whether Jay Gruden will funnel him another 28 touches this week. If that doesn't happen, Peterson's lack of efficiency will show up in his production. In the meantime, Lewis' 21 touches from last week seem easily repeatable and with Delanie Walker out for the season, that number could rise. Opportunity is king in fantasy football and it appears to be residing more comfortably in Tennessee.
The play here is Chris Thompson. Even as good as Peterson was last week, Thompson did a lot with a little, posting 128 total yards on just 11 touches. Also because of his role in the offense, he's less impacted by game script. Corey Davis does have increased value going forward in the wake of Walker's injury but this week's matchup against Houston isn't quite as favorable. I'm avoiding Dorsett this week against the Jaguars secondary.
I like Chris Thompson but I like Dalvin Cook more. Cook is the undisputed leader in the Vikings backfield. Last week, the Packers had a hard time slowing down Jordan Howard as both a runner and a receiver and Cook offers more of the same ... except maybe better. The bigger upside is that Cook also can double as Minnesota's closer in the run game if they take a lead late in the contest. Thompson doesn't quite have that role locked down in Washington.
Based on my earlier answer about Dorsett, you can probably guess where I'm going with this one. I included the question as a reminder that you can get Gordon into your lineups with more confidence this week. Now you just have to hope that Tyrod Taylor throws it to him more than three times. It's also a reminder that what Hue Jackson says and what the Browns do can sometimes be two different things. Pitch count, my (expletive)!
This is quite the conundrum. Both of these guys have pretty good season-long value, especially in PPR settings. But for this week, the winner is Demaryius Thomas. One word: Raiders. That defense looks to be just a forgiving as we expected it to be with all three of the Rams wide receivers seeing ample opportunity. The upside for Thomas is that in Week 1, the Broncos passing game looked to be as concentrated as it ever was with nearly 54 percent of the targets going to him and Emmanuel Sanders. Roll with the Bronco this week.
If we've learned anything in the past week, it's that Ekeler has standalone value in the Chargers offense -- even more if he continues to be as wildly efficient as he was in Week 1. Ekeler caught all five of his targets and racked up 126 yards on 10 total touches. That will be difficult to keep up all year, but he could do something similar against the Bills offense this week. In this head-to-head, the matchup is the deciding factor.
There's a lot of depth here and I have a feeling you'll be having this same head-scratcher multiple times this season. This week, I'd give the nod to Enunwa. After watching him last week against Detroit, it was a reminder of how good he was in 2016. It also let us know how much he seems to have a connection with Sam Darnold. The rookie quarterback has 21 passing attempts in Week 1 with 10 of them going to Enunwa. If that's the level of attention that he'll get from his quarterback every week, Enunwa is going to be hard to keep out of the lineup.
And then there's Enunwa's wide receiver running buddy, Robby Anderson. This would be a ceiling play if you're willing to take the risk. The consistent opportunity might not be there but there's a chance for Anderson to make big chunk plays. If you're not feeling quite a frisky, then Miller is the play. He saw a big workload, as expected, with 21 total touches in a game where the Texans couldn't quite get on track. He should see a similar workload this week against Tennessee and would be the strongest flex play. Jamaal Williams is a scary proposition against the Vikes, especially if Aaron Rodgers' knee issue forces Williams into more pass protection.
This is a very tough call. Both young players opened eyes with the opportunities they got in Week 1. Both players also have positive matchups this week. In this case, I'd give the nod to Williams. As good as Lindsay was, the Broncos are still likely to go with a hot hand approach in the backfield. It also looks like Royce Freeman is still the back who will get work near the goal line and in the fourth quarter of positive game scripts, which could be the case this week. After Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin struggled with drops in key situations, it could open the door for Mike Williams to get more looks from Philip Rivers.
T.J. Yeldon was a popular waiver wire name this week after he took over in the backfield following Leonard Fournette's injury. The problem is two-fold: Fournette (as of now) isn't officially ruled out and there's talk the Corey Grant could see more snaps. Breida is not only locked in to a consistent role in the Niners offense, but it could be growing after Alfred Morris had ball security issues in Week 1. Oh, and the Lions defense looked pretty awful against the Jets running game in Week 1. Get Breida in your flex.
