Add Joe Flacco to Your Squad in 2024…What a World

Welcome back to Tanner’s Top Free Agents! Last week was a wild one in the NFL, and the fantasy fallout from those games is huge. Multiple previously-quiet players surprised with big-time performances, and there’s reason to believe that they can continue to be quality fantasy contributors throughout the season.

With that, let’s get into the recap:

Recap

On a rainy Sunday night in Pittsburgh, Rico Dowdle had his best fantasy performance of the year. The Cowboys’ lead back impressed with a season-high 19.1 PPR points while handling his biggest workload of the season, logging 20 carries for 87 yards alongside a pair of receptions for 27 yards and a receiving touchdown. Sure, the poor weather conditions had something to do with Dallas’s gameplan, but Dowdle’s volume has been ticking up over the past couple of weeks. After averaging 7.7 carries per game in the first three weeks of play, the fourth year running back got 11 in Week 4 against the Giants before jumping to 20 in his team’s win over the Steelers. Dowdle’s snap counts have been steadily on the rise all season, while Ezekiel Elliot’s have been in steep decline. It’s clear that the former has separated himself as the top dog in the RB room (4.1 yards/carry vs. 3.3), and his fantasy numbers figure to reflect that down the stretch. Right now, I see him as a mid-tier FLEX/RB3, so grab Dowdle if you can.

Who else should you be searching for on waivers this week?

Jalen Tolbert – WR, DAL (7.6% rostered)

Staying in the Big D, the hottest name on the board this week is Jalen Tolbert, who posted a very impressive 21.7 PPR points on Sunday. I was lucky enough to grab him in free agency late last week when Brandin Cooks was placed on injured reserve, elevating Tolbert to the WR2 role in a very high-volume passing offense. He earned his opportunity, too; he was arguably outplaying Cooks through the first month of 2024.

And boy did Tolbert have the trust of Dak Prescott. He was targeted a season-high ten times on Sunday Night Football, hauling in seven of those passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. Interestingly, although it was just one game, he got more looks than CeeDee Lamb, who has yet to get on the same page as his QB despite finishing as last year’s fantasy WR1. Chris Colinsworth noted that something seems “off” between the two of them, and I think it’s notable that it was Tolbert who brought in the game-winning touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal. Claim him if you can, because the door is wide open for him to contribute. For the next few weeks, he figures to be a solid FLEX/WR3 in nearly all leagues.

Tank Bigsby – RB, JAX (9.5% rostered)

In yet another surprising breakout on Sunday, Tank Bigsby, a second-year player out of Auburn and the Jaguars’ RB2, put up a whopping 25.9 fantasy points as Travis Etienne suffered a shoulder injury against Indianapolis. In case you aren’t familiar with him, Bigsby is a big power back, and he’s a nice complement to Etienne, giving the Jags a solid “lightning-thunder” combo.

And, just like Tolbert, Bigsby shined in his first big opportunity of the season. His snap count ticked up to 40%, a season high, and he rumbled for 101 yards on just 13 carries – good for 7.8 (!!!) yards per attempt. He also caught one ball out of the backfield, taking it for 28 yards. Bigsby also added a pair of rushing scores, adding to an already-impressive day. Etienne is still the undisputed RB1 in Jacksonville, but it’s very possible that we see him cede some carries to his counterpart in the coming weeks. The former Clemson Tiger thrives in the pass game, whereas Bigsby excels in the power game, so there’s room for both backs to thrive.

Plus, the sophomore back’s frame sets him up to convert goal line opportunities at a high rate, and we could see head coach Doug Peterson call his number more often as the Jags get in goal-to-go situations. Given that Bigsby is a handcuff to Etienne, his production will largely be touchdown dependent. Yet, I’m confident that there will be some weeks where he eclipses 15 fantasy points if he keeps up his current level of efficiency. Week 6 could be one of those weeks, since Etienne is a bit banged-up, and his workload on the ground was limited in Week 5 as a result. Stash Bigsby on your bench for now and monitor the injury situation down in Jacksonville. If Etienne, for whatever reason, can’t go, Bigsby catapults into the RB2 conversation. Right now, however, he’s a solid bench piece or a low-tier FLEX in deeper leagues.

Joe Flacco – QB, IND (5.5% rostered)

If you told me two years ago that, in 2024, I’d be writing about Joe Flacco as a fantasy-relevant quarterback, I would’ve called you crazy.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, here we are.

In his first game as the starter for the Colts, Joe lit up the Jacksonville secondary to the tune of 359 yards and 3 touchdowns to go along with a big fat goose egg in the interception column. Always known for being a quick and noble quarterback, the former Raven carried the rock three times for 22 yards, even topping 18 MPH on what turned out to be the fastest scamper of the Next Gen Stats era… at 39 years old.

Despite the loss, Flacco picked apart the Jaguars’ defense, completing 75% of his passes for a passer rating of 121.3. That performance was good for 26.6 fantasy points, topping the likes of Jayden Daniels, Kyler Murray, Josh Allen, and more. While Anthony Richardson will almost certainly be the starter when he returns to full health, Flacco has been more than good enough for Indy in the meantime… statistically outplaying the QB1. His high passing volume (44 attempts on Sunday) gives him a solid floor going as long as he’s starting, and he’s probably the best option out there for fantasy managers electing to stream at the quarterback position.

And wouldn’t it just be awesome to roll out Joe Cool as your starter next week?

The post Add Joe Flacco to Your Squad in 2024…What a World appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2024/10/08/fantasy/joe-flacco-tank-bigsby/