We're approaching the halfway point of the fantasy season, and now we're really up against it with several teams on bye this week. I'll pick a couple of guys available in 25% of leagues or more that can serve as a nice desperation fill in for you this week in fantasy. Ownership percentages courtesy of Yahoo fantasy.
Quarterback
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Fitzy is owned in 23% of leagues, and he travels to New England to face off against the Patriots this week. While the Patriots are no pushover, they can force opposing quarterbacks to air it out. So far this year, Fitzpatrick has taken advantage of the weapons that surround him, and he's handed in several excellent fantasy performances. Fitzpatrick should start in most leagues this weekend.
Kirk Cousins
Washington hosts Tampa Bay this weekend, and the Buccaneers have been horrible this year. Cousins is certainly a desperation play, I don't feel great about him like I do Fitzpatrick. But, if you're desperate, Washington should trounce Tampa Bay this weekend.
Wide Receiver
Jamison Crowder
Crowder will continue to benefit from the injuries in Washington this week. With a bad Buccaneers team coming to town, Crowder is going to have a shot at a big fantasy day. Crowder is a safe option that may not have the biggest upside, but he is establishing himself as a go-to option for this mediocre Washington offense.
Dorial Green-Beckham
Green-Beckham may not go off this week, but he is getting more and more playing time as his rookie year goes on. While he has been limited by his coaching staff, he is just too big, fluid, and talented to be held down for long. If Beckham isn't rostered in your league, go ahead and grab him before he breaks out.
Running Back
Joique Bell
Naming Bell here as a desperation play should tell you a story about what is available on the waiver wire this week at running back. With Bell you're hoping that he can get a few carries near the red zone and hit pay dirt. The Detroit backfield is pretty banged up, so if Bell can go, and he himself is healthy, he may see a nice workload in his return game.
Dexter McCluster
McCluster had a nice game before going in to the Titans bye week, and the Titans are traveling to Atlanta this weekend. I expect the Falcons to get out to a big lead early and then Tennessee will have to play catchup. The Titans backfield is a mess, but they clearly like Dexter to play their receiver out of the backfield.
Tight End
Crockett Gillmore
I'll take one more shot here on Gillmore. The Ravens are desperate for pass catchers and Gillmore has flashed some real talent from the Tight End position.
Jared Cook
The Rams have been up and down, to be polite, this year so far. Cook started strong and has since disappeared. But, this week, the Rams will face a Cleveland Browns team that has been fairly generous to tight ends giving up 3 TDs for TEs so far. It's a long shot, but if you're up against it, Cook might pay off.
Kicker
Graham Gano
Gano is the fill in kicker for this week, with the Carolina Panthers hosting the Eagles. The Panthers are moving the ball well, and the Eagles are forcing their opponents to score lots of points to keep up. Plug and play Gano this week.
Defense/Special Teams
The Cowboys head north to take on their division rival New York Giants. Going in to the bye against New England, Dallas showed they have a formidable pass rush with Greg Hardy playing. Coming off the bye, I'm betting the ‘Boys get after Eli, force some turnovers, and live in the offensive backfield.
That does it for week 7 folks. If you've got questions, I've got answers. Hit me up on Twitter @NFLClark.