Fantasy Football Week 3: Weekly Fantasy Trends Report

As injuries sweep the league and erode backfields across the fantasy landscape, it's on us as fantasy investors to prove progressive and aggressive in our management style. 

As Billy Madison sagely advised, you have to get out there and find that dog. 

Which leads us to the theme of this edition of the Weekly Trends Report, as we advise you on some key tailback stashes and deep-league streamers across all positions to consider for Week 3. We even dig into two emerging receivers still widely available in most leagues. 

If you lost out on the waiver-wave tailbacks this week, maybe the Detroit Lions' Dwayne Washington is still available. Pictured above, we find Washington floating in free agency in 97 percent of ESPN leagues as of press time, while the gifted Washington product could thrive as the early-down and goal-line back for Detroit. 

Join us in discussing some of the most telling and actionable trends in this recovery-centric edition of the Weekly Trends Report. As always, feel free to pose lineup questions or post your picks for the best free-agent finds in the comment below.

Streaming for Sleepers: Underrated Week 3 Targets

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Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill

Even though we aren't in the bye week portion of the campaign, the reality of injuries and playing in deeper fantasy formats compels us to consider widely available or underrecognized assets in lineups for Week 3.

QB Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins

Good ol' Tanny. OK, if you promise to read this, we promise to never call him that again. Either way, shares of Tannehill are attractive this week as a top streaming option against the generous Cleveland Browns defense. Opposing arms have averaged 17.5 fantasy points against Cleveland this season, a healthy allowance that often nets a signal-caller top-12 consideration most weeks. The Browns will be starting a rookie signal-caller in Week 3, thus friendly field position and extra possessions via turnover are potential boosts in this soft setup for Tannehill and the Dolphins offense. 

RB James White, New England Patriots

Patriots rookie QB Jacoby Brissett averaged just one air yard per attempt in Week 2, with none of his passes traveling over five yards. As a valuable possession receiver in the passing phase, White could earn increased value in point-per-reception (PPR) formats for this short-week setup against the Houston Texans.

RB Shane Vereen, New York Giants

For the Sunday slate we like another PPR maven in Vereen, who once served as the pass-catching specialist out of New England's backfield. Vereen has played on 47.8 percent of the team's snaps and has been targeted on a rewarding 22.2 percent of his routes, per an ESPN database, higher than wideouts Victor Cruz or Sterling Shepard. The Washington Redskins have ceded 95 receptions to backs since the start of last season, just above the league-average allowance (94 receptions). 

WR Cole Beasley, Dallas Cowboys

An efficient season has been driven by rookie signal-caller Dak Prescott's penchant for keeping passes short in the high-percentage spaces Beasley occupies on his underneath routes. Beasley has been targeted on 32.1 percent of his routes and has hauled in 72.0 percent of his 18 targets, which rank second on the team behind only TE Jason Witten. No, really, this guy has more targets than Dez Bryant so far. For fantasy owners in PPR formats looking for a high-floor flex, Beasley qualifies.

WR Tajae Sharpe, Tennessee Titans

Sharpe has run 19 more routes than any other player on the Titans and leads the team in targets by six. The capable rookie is available in more than 40.0 percent of ESPN leagues and has an inviting matchup against an Oakland Raiders defense that is allowing 18.4 percent more fantasy points per game to wideouts than any other team.

TE Dennis Pitta, Baltimore Ravens

A revival season is underway for Pitta, who is still available in 70 percent of ESPN leagues and could again thrive as Joe Flacco's security blanket. No, really, there are reports that Flacco takes naps with Pitta laying on him. Whatever it takes to be elite. Seriously though, Pitta has hauled in 80.0 percent of his targets and leads the team with a target-per-route rate of 25.4 percent through two weeks.

TE Trey Burton, Philadelphia Eagles

Going truly deep, Burton is found for free in 99 percent of ESPN leagues. With Zach Ertz still ailing, Burton could be the team's top "go" tight end, which is to say the key route-running asset from the tight end spot. Burton thrived as a target for rookie QB Carson Wentz last week and could again produce as the Eagles look to keep pace with an elite Pittsburgh Steelers offense.

D/ST Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

The selling point here is facing the Los Angeles Rams' shoddy offense on the road. The Rams' best offensive skill, in theory, is running the rock, as Todd Gurley remains a top talent at the position despite a slow start. The Bucs have allowed the fourth-fewest yards per carry to tailbacks since the start of the 2015 season. If Gurley stalls and the Rams must go to the air, we like the upside this defense offers.

Rising Receivers to Target in Fantasy Football

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Jets WR Quincy Enunwa

It's not just tailbacks getting injured at an alarming rate, as Cleveland Browns standout rookie WR Corey Coleman broke his hand in practice on Wednesday, per ESPN.com's Pat McManamon. Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts' breakout candidate Donte Moncrief is due to miss 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

We realize you are still in the early stages of "Mongrief," but it's time to buck up and assess the two key alternatives.

WR Quincy Enunwa, New York Jets 

The Jets are fourth in the league with 109 offensive snaps with at least three receivers on the field and third in passing yardage on such plays, per an ESPN database. As the tertiary receiver for New York, Enunwa is essentially earning similar exposure as Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, as he's been targeted 14 times on the season to 17 and 15 looks, respectively, for the aforementioned veteran stars. 

Going a bit deeper into advanced data, we find Enunwa has been targeted on 23.7 percent of his routes run with a team-leading rate of a reception on 22.0 percent of his routes. Enunwa has forged a rare rapport with signal-caller Ryan Fitzpatrick, hauling in 93 percent of his targets to lead the Jets with 13 receptions. In a leaguewide context, Enunwa is 24th in yards per route run, per Pro Football Focus. 

As ESPN.com's Rich Cimini notes from studying the film: "Quick study of the all-22 tape of the Jets' 37-31 win over the Bills illustrates how Enunwa can thrive in the offense. There were plays in which Decker and Marshall drew four defenders in the middle of the field—a box-like coverage—with Enunwa singled up on the perimeter."

For those in need of immediate support at the position, Enunwa is rostered in just 25.9 percent of ESPN leagues and should continue to shine against one-on-one coverage in 2016.

WR Tyrell Williams, San Diego Chargers

Williams is rostered in 51 percent of ESPN leagues after registering the largest leap in ownership in the most recent waiver cycle. Like Enunwa, Williams has been efficient on a per-route basis, ranked 10th in the NFL with 2.81 yards per route run, per Pro Football Focus.

Undrafted out of Western Oregon, Williams registered a blazing 4.38-second 40-yard dash and 39.5-inch vertical at his pro day, according to RotoViz. Even under the friendly conditions often found at a pro days, these are entirely impressive metrics for a guy who measures in at 6'4" and 205 pounds. Williams took a shallow cross for a 44-yard score in Week 2, flashing that rare brand of speed, as you can see in this tweet from NFL Network.

On an offense that led the league in passing attempts last season, Williams could provide a bevy of big plays, proving ideal for fantasy fun.

With Ameer Abdullah on IR, Speculatively Add Dwayne Washington

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Lions RB Dwayne Washington

The Detroit Lions' backfield took a hit with the news of Ameer Abdullah heading to injured reserve, per Tim Twentyman of the team's website. Fantasy investors in Abdullah can safely drop him given the news, while the next quest is finding replenishment at this shallow position.

The solution might be in Motown, as Dwayne Washington is set to assume early-down duties in the wake of Abdullah's injury. The team will lean heavily on Theo Riddick, but with Riddick grading out 52nd among tailbacks in rushing at Pro Football Focus last season, he might just continue to shine as the team's top receiving back.

From analyst Bill Connelly of Football Study Hall we learn Washington—who fittingly played for the Washington Huskies—produced a quality rate of "Highlight Yards" in college, which he describes as, "the yards that aren't credited to the line per the Line Yardage formula; you divide that by highlight opportunities (i.e., the number of carries going at least five yards), and you get a pretty clean, easy way of looking at how big a runner's big plays are."

Washington's rate compares favorably to that of Miami's Duke Johnson (now of the Cleveland Browns) and Georgia's Nick Chubb, widely regarded as one of the top tailbacks at the NCAA level.

From Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press we find Washington's peers are optimistic he has the talent to thrive in this opportunity. "His explosiveness," receiver Marvin Jones said. "For how big he is, he can get from Point A to Point B in a flash, and I think that’s what stuck to basically everybody when he first came in, how explosive he was for being his size."

Opportunity becomes a coveted commodity in fantasy football once the attrition hits, and even though it's just Week 3, it's time to speculate on talents like Washington. We don't advise deploying him in lineups just yet, but stashing Washington is highly advisable given the scarcity of the position.

Stash These Rookie Runners Before the Market Warms Up

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Ravens RB Kenneth Dixon

Week 2 of the 2016 NFL season was one of the tougher stretches of prominent backfield injuries we can remember. The Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson could miss the rest of the season, per Josina Anderson of ESPN. Danny Woodhead of the San Diego Chargers has already been placed on injured reserve, while the Detroit Lions' Ameer Abdullah joined him on IR, per Tim Twentyman of the team's site. 

Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins' Arian Foster is ailing with a soft-tissue injury, and the Tampa Bay Bucs' Doug Martin is expected to miss three weeks with a hamstring injury, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 

It's a cold world for running backs, especially for those of us who rely on them for happiness and pride...we mean fantasy points.

The waiver wire in your league likely already scooped up any available shares of Charles Sims in Tampa or Jerick McKinnon for the Vikings, so let's discuss three names worthy of stashing in deeper leagues with an eye on emerging as difference-makers down the stretch. 

RB Kenneth Dixon, Baltimore Ravens

Among the best receiving backs of the 2016 draft class, Dixon earned the top receiving grade on College Football Focus last season among draft-eligible prospects. The Louisiana Tech product is primed to return in the next few weeks from an MCL injury suffered in the preseason. A growing buzz in the preseason suggested Dixon could become the team's feature back not just of the future, but the present.

Offensive coordinator Marc Trestman's scheme is notoriously friendly for receiving backs, while current usage leaders from the Baltimore backfield Justin Forsett and Terrance West are struggling to find efficiency. It won't be a difficult depth chart to scale for Dixon, who should be added in all formats as a savvy stash. Thank us later. 

RB Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears

We like a signature statistic Pro Football Focus developed called Elusive Rating, which takes the number of forced missed tackles a running back induces on the field and creates a frequency rate based on total touches. The Bears' Jeremy Langford is the only back among 42 qualifying runners to have consumed at least 25 percent of their team's carries and not forced a single missed tackle this season. 

Last season, Langford was, you guessed it, dead last in Elusive Rating among 51 NFL backs in forcing just 10 missed tackles on 170 touches in PFF's index. Enter Howard, a bruising rookie back with some real skill as a between-the-tackles runner. On a team languishing in all offensive phases, it's possible we see the team turn to Howard at some point to revive the running game. While he's not an impending asset like Dixon, stashing Howard in deeper formats could prove profitable down the line.

RB Paul Perkins, New York Giants 

An aging and often injury-prone Rashad Jennings is atop the Giants' depth chart, while receiving back Shane Vereen is isolated to a specialist role. Perkins is a devastatingly talented runner who graded tops among the 2016 class in rushing on College Football Focus for his deft running at UCLA. It will take patience to hold on to Perkins, but the rewards could be massive if an injury above him on the depth chart opens up an opportunity. 

Charles Sims Set to Star in Doug Martin's Absence

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Bucs RB Charles Sims

Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reported Charles Sims has a real opportunity as the feature back for the Tampa Bay Bucs in place of an ailing Doug Martin: 

"

Bucs OC Todd Monken says Charles Sims has earned the right to be the lead back in Doug Martin's absence. Also counting on Jacquizz Rodgers.

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 21, 2016"

Sims was fifth in the league in Elusive Rating at Pro Football Focus last season with 37 forced missed tackles on his 158 touches, so there is legitimate reason to get excited for his bid as the team's workhorse. 

Joe Holka of 4for4.com finds real value in Sims' decisive running behind the line:

"

Elusiveness behind the line of scrimmage is an extremely underrated—but prevalent—ability among the league's best feature backs. Sims’ before contact yards (rushing) of 6.4 yards per carry were fifth-best of my initial sample. He is not the kind of running back who is going to lose yards often, even in less than desirable situations where his line does not block well in front of him.

"

We like Sims in both traditional and season-long fantasy football this Sunday against the L.A. Rams. While the Rams' talented front seven isn't the easiest group to run on, it's worth noting the team has surrendered the third-most receptions and is one of just three teams to cede as many as 1,000 yards in the air to tailbacks since the start of last season. A gifted receiver, Sims is set to shine right away in his new role.

Target Tracking: Top Red-Zone Opportunities

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Lions TE Eric Ebron

Leveraging data from an ESPN database to help us identify some of the better opportunity rates available in the league, below you'll find the leaders in targets within 10 yards of the goal line. 

We can't extract an amazing amount of analytical juice from this small sample, but we can recognize, for example, that a scoring correction in the positive sense is likely en route for the New York Giants' Odell Beckham, or that the San Diego Chargers' Melvin Gordon could thrive assuming Danny Woodhead's valuable red-zone role. 

One player we're particularly impressed with early on is Detroit Lions TE Eric Ebron, as he had a touchdown called back by penalty last week but could challenge for a top-five fantasy season at tight end this year given the trust Matthew Stafford is affording him in close.

The chart below lists the leaders in targets within 10 yards of the goal line so far this season. 

Player	Team	Tar	TD
Larry Fitzgerald	ARI	5	3
Jordy Nelson	GB	3	2
Emmanuel Sanders	DEN	3	0
Mohamed Sanu	ATL	3	1
Odell Beckham	NYG	3	0
Jesse James	PIT	3	1
Antonio Gates	SD	2	1
Brandon Marshall	NYJ	2	0
Pierre Garcon	WSH	2	0
Danny Woodhead	SD	2	1
Eric Decker	NYJ	2	1
Dez Bryant	DAL	2	0
Victor Cruz	NYG	2	1
DeMarco Murray	TEN	2	2
Bilal Powell	NYJ	2	0
Andre Holmes	OAK	2	1
Marvin Jones	DET	2	0
Michael Floyd	ARI	2	1
Travaris Cadet	NO	2	1
Jack Doyle	IND	2	1
Brandin Cooks	NO	2	0
Braxton Miller	HOU	2	0
Jamison Crowder	WSH	2	0
Eric Ebron	DET	2	1
Kelvin Benjamin	CAR	2	2

Route, target and defensive allowance information sourced from an ESPN database.