Fantasy Football's Best Players to Stash on Your Bench Entering Week 4

Patience is an important trait of the best fantasy owners, but it’s not practiced enough, and that often leads to shortsighted decisions that can cost you in the long run. 

After just three weeks, many are looking to cut ties with slow starters such as Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson, Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill and, before he ran for 150 yards on Thursday, Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett.

Instead of playing to those irrational owners, this column helps those looking at the big picture.

Acquiring players before they become hot waiver-wire pickups can pay off big time, if you’re willing to be patient. You haven’t seen quick starts from Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor or Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Phillip Dorsett yet, so if others have given up on them, this could be a time to pounce on their upside potential.

I’ll also be looking at some players who’ve made some impact early on but are still widely available in most leagues, such as wide receiver/kick returner Tyler Lockett of the Seattle Seahawks.

Due to long-term injuries, this list won't include Chicago Bears wide receiver Kevin White (shin), Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman (knee) and Tennessee Titans running back David Cobb (calf). Waiting for these players to not only come back but also be productive will take too much time to consider them as stashes. 

Now I know that reserve spots can be valuable, especially in leagues with short benches, so these stash players may be sacrificed for a quick fix if you’re dealing with injuries or bye-week issues. However, I’d highly suggest practicing patience whenever possible because one of these players could end up being the difference in winning a championship and settling for anything less.

DeVante Parker

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Percent Owned: ESPN 30.6, Yahoo 19 

Through the first three games of the season, Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker has barely made a blip on the team’s radar, much less the fantasy radar. He has just four receptions for 49 yards on eight targets. Over that span, he’s been on the field for just 29.6 percent of the team’s offensive plays. 

However, a deeper look at the numbers shows that Parker’s involvement has increased in each game, going from zero targets in the opener to one target in Week 2 (one reception, three yards) and then up to seven targets last week (three receptions, 46 yards). Remember, Parker had foot surgery during the offseason and wasn’t even a lock to be ready for Week 1.

With wide receivers Jarvis Landry, Greg Jennings and Kenny Stills on the roster, the Dolphins had an excuse to bring Parker along slowly, especially coming back from his injury, but the door could be opening for him sooner than expected.

Landry has produced, and wide receiver Rishard Matthews has been a nice surprise, but Jennings and Stills have combined for seven receptions and 50 yards. Other than Landry, there’s really no one standing in Parker’s way to carve out a larger role, and the Dolphins may need him to step up after opening the season with a 1-2 record.

According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said he expects “more play, more production” out of Parker and that the rookie “is getting better every single day.” The Dolphins' approach with Parker has been smart, and if he continues to trend in the right direction, the fantasy production may soon follow.

Dorial Green-Beckham

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Percent Owned: ESPN – 15.4, Yahoo – 18

If I had to put an immediate buy on one player on this list, it would be Tennessee Titans wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.

Efficiency has been the key for the rookie and the Titans don’t have much of that in their receiving corps. Veteran wide receiver Harry Douglas leads the group with 70.3 percent of the offensive snaps. However, he’s hauled in just six receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown on 16 targets. Other than the score, that’s a terrible amount of production considering the amount of playing time Douglas has received. 

On the flip side of that is Green-Beckham. He’s been on the field for just 15.8 percent of offensive snaps (36 snaps), but has managed to score twice with three receptions for 35 yards on five targets. That works out to about a target every seven snaps and more than half the production that Douglas has on 119 fewer snaps.

The Titans do have a reliable and productive wide receiver in Kendall Wright and with a strong start, he’s not going anywhere, nor should he. But what Wright needs is another legit target to share the field with and someone who can draw attention from the defense.

Green-Beckham seems to be making an impact because head coach Ken Whisenhunt told titansonline.com that the plan is to continue integrating Green-Beckham into the offense. Hopefully, a little extra time to gameplan for Week 5 with the Titans on a bye in Week 4 earns Green-Beckham a significantly bigger role.

Tyler Lockett

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Percent Owned: ESPN 14.9, Yahoo 23

The Seattle Seahawks are finding it difficult to dominate their opponents in the first three weeks of the season and head into Week 4 at 1-2 following their first win of the season at home against the hapless Chicago Bears.

The Bears are in a rebuilding stage, so it’s understandable to look lifeless. The Seahawks are trying to head to the Super Bowl for the third straight season and look like they need more than the buzz from Starbucks to wake their offense up.

If they want a human version of caffeine to send a jolt into their offense, I highly suggest a bigger role for rookie wide receiver and returner Tyler Lockett. 

In three games, Lockett has just six receptions for 51 yards on his only six targets and didn’t record a catch in the Week 3 victory over the Bears. The Seahawks should look no further than his work as a returner to see how dangerous he can be with the ball in his hands. 

In his NFL debut back in Week 1, Lockett returned a punt for a touchdown. In last week’s win at home against Chicago, he returned a kick 105 yards for a touchdown. That ties him for the team lead in touchdowns with tight end Jimmy Graham.

Lockett has been on the field for 54.8 percent of the team’s offensive snaps, but that’s still way behind wide receivers Doug Baldwin (79 percent) and Jermaine Kearse (77.2 percent). Those two have held their own in the passing game, with Baldwin catching 17 of 20 targets for 162 yards and a touchdown and Kearse hauling in 14 of 18 targets for 152 yards.

Still, the Seahawks are just 1-2 and don’t have a lot of firepower in their offense other than Graham. They’ve relied on running back Marshawn Lynch and the rushing attack to carry the offense for years, but Lynch is battling a hamstring injury that limited him to just one partial half of action in Week 3.

If Seattle wants to hang with division rival Arizona Cardinals (3-0) and the Green Bay Packers (3-0), it needs to get more creative with its offense. Lockett could be the key to jump-starting an offense that’s been pretty average and boring so far.

Khiry Robinson

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Percent Owned: ESPN 9.8, Yahoo 3

Investing in your fantasy roster with the New Orleans Saints doesn’t give you the same boost it once did, mostly because quarterback Drew Brees has been battling a shoulder injury that hurt his performance in the first two weeks of the season and kept him out in Week 3. That puts a lot more emphasis on the backfield to produce, although I believe that was the plan coming into the season.

Running back Mark Ingram clearly tops the Saints backfield, but so far, it’s been Khiry Robinson, not C.J. Spiller, as the No. 2 running back in New Orleans. Thanks to a minor knee procedure, Spiller missed the opener but returned in Week 2 and has been limited to just 9.8 percent of the offensive snaps so far. 

Meanwhile, Robinson has seen 26.3 percent of the offensive snaps, rushing for 79 yards and a touchdown while racking up eight receptions for 68 yards on nine targets.

Robinson looks like the handcuff to both Ingram and Spiller, which is important with both players known for their length injury history. Ingram has missed 14 games in four seasons with various injuries. Spiller has just two seasons with 16 games played in his first five seasons and has missed 11 games just three weeks into his sixth season.

Not only is it important to have the handcuff of both players in this case but also to have a player who has a chance to play a prominent role in an offense that needs to take some of the pressure off Brees and find new ways to produce.

Nelson Agholor

Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Percent Owned: ESPN 53.4, Yahoo 51

If you already own Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor and know there’s still potential for a solid rookie season, then skip right to the next player. If you’ve already cut him or see that he’s available on your waiver wire, let me talk you into the potential he still has despite a slow start this season. 

After three games, Agholor has posted four receptions for 36 yards on 12 targets. Those are disappointing numbers, but at least he’s been on the field as often as top receiver Jordan Matthews, as both have played about 84 percent of the offensive snaps. Any concerns about wide receiver Riley Cooper (52 percent) keeping Agholor off the field should be eradicated.

As the team’s first-round pick in this year’s draft, Agholor can still play a prominent role in the offense this season, and while he’s gotten off to a bad start, so has the entire offense. Some adjustments and improvements, specifically by quarterback Sam Bradford, can turn things around quickly. Plus, the team plays in a division that looks wide open.

I realize Agholor is the most widely owned player in this column, but following last week’s goose egg against the New York Jets, his ownership percentage is on the decline and will likely continue until he starts producing. The Eagles can fix their issues, and if they do, Agholor has a chance to put his slow start behind him. You’ll reap the benefits of the owners who quit on him too quickly.

Phillip Dorsett

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Percent Owned: ESPN 6.1, Yahoo 7

Many, including myself, took a late-round flier on Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Phillip Dorsett when most indications were that he had the inside track for the third spot on the depth chart behind T.Y. Hilton and Andre Johnson. The snap counts tell a different story.

With Johnson struggling and Hilton dealing with an injury early on, it’s been wide receiver Donte Moncrief who’s stepped up in the biggest way, leading the team with 81.2 percent of the snaps. He has 17 receptions for 200 yards and three touchdowns and is the top fantasy wide receiver on the team.

Because Moncrief has surged, many have moved on from Dorsett, which is understandable, especially since the Colts have struggled early on and are one of the biggest disappointments after the first three weeks.

Hilton and Moncrief have led the way, and Dorsett has been more of a background player with just 22.3 percent of the offensive snaps compared to 80.2 percent for Hilton, 81.2 percent for Moncrief and 73.3 percent for Johnson. But unlike Hilton and Moncrief, Johnson has been a non-factor with just seven receptions for 51 yards on 18 targets.

I suspect the Colts wanted to bring Dorsett along slowly knowing they had Johnson and Hilton to lead the way in a division they’ve dominated the last few years. Unfortunately, Johnson has been so bad that you have to wonder if Dorsett will eventually cut into his snaps and targets. Johnson has only a two-year deal, so it’s not a major commitment to him if they decide to move away from using him as much.

If the Colts continue to struggle, they may be more inclined to put their best talent on the field, which is why Dorsett still has a chance to contribute as more than just a depth option. Getting a piece of an offense led by Andrew Luck has usually been very helpful for fantasy teams.

Snap counts provided by ProFootballFocus.com. Targets provided by ESPN.com.