Fridays are for Five Lists of Five here at DKNetwork, and we’re approaching the home stretch of the fantasy football regular season. Christian McCaffrey makes his big return; uncertainty surrounds high-profile players like Chris Olave, A.J. Brown, Drake London, Dak Prescott, Trevor Lawrence—the list goes on. We need fantasy football stashes. Fantasy football streamers. Now more than ever!
I, once more, digress. Fantasy Fridays!
A reminder of the premise behind this specific series of lists: All I want is for you to be better than your friends. You’re going to be surrounded by them on Sunday, probably. How sweet would it be if you could be sure you’ve checked every box possible that might guarantee you a resounding victory this week? Some kick-your-feet-up insights? I’ve got some.
Again—I know my audience. The smoke-break audience. The quick-scan-of-the-phone-on-the-way-to-the-fridge audience. The give-me-as-much-info-as-possible-as-fast-as-possible audience. I’m a man of the people.
And so, once more: Five Lists of Five. Think of these as byte-sized, two-minutes-to-yourself lists to scan during your weekend as you foam at the mouth for any competitive fantasy edge. As much relevant analysis as I can fit into, like, 250 words per player.
Keeping it rolling this week with my top five fantasy football must-starts and smash spots.
Also available from my Fantasy Friday’s Five Lists of Five:
- Top five fantasy football stash players before NFL Week 10
- Top five fantasy football streamers for NFL Week 10
- Top five wide receivers due for fantasy football breakouts in NFL Week 10
- Top five fantasy football trades to make for the home stretch
Start ‘Em
Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints (vs. Atlanta Falcons)
You all are a few weeks behind. I’ve been advocating for squirreling away Taysom Hill to the recesses of your rosters since Week 7. His inevitability as a part of the mid-to-late season New Orleans Saints offense is well-documented, at this point.
What I said of Hill in advance of Week 8 still holds:
For just about the last five years, [Hill]’s sort of been the Saints’ super-utility fantasy asset who savvy managers roster before his boom takes off.
To give you a sense of the history, here’s how many games after Week 7 of that year’s NFL season (but before Week 17, when most fantasy playoffs end) Taysom Hill scored over ten half-PPR fantasy points:
- 2023: 5 (two of these were 20+ FPT games)
- 2022: 4
- 2021: 3* (*Hill only played in six games between Weeks 8 and 17 in 2021; two of the three listed here were 20+ FPT games)
- 2020: 8 (five of these were 15+ FPT games; two were 20+ FPT efforts)
- 2019: 3
For those who don’t want to do the math, there are ten total weeks in between Week 8 and Week 17. At his worst, Hill is providing 10+ FPTs from your tight end slot 30% of the time for the second half of the season. I really do expect this to be a trend that continues this year.
Provided Hill stays healthy, I expect the Saints offense to feature him and their newly-extended superstar Alvin Kamara, primarily, in this offense in the short game. There’s a ton of value to be had there, potentially and historically.
Dennis Allen is gone. Derek Carr is back. Chris Olave is hurt. Alvin Kamara will misdirect for Hill in the backfield, and vice versa.
Taysom Hill is inevitable, and it rolls on this week against Atlanta.
Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)
I highlighted Addison as a trade target last weekend, and he posted a serviceable 16.1 PPR FPT day against the Colts. He caught all five of his targets for 42 yards and a touchdown.
As much of a smash spot as this is for Jefferson this week, I expect Addison to build on his 2024 season resumé in this one. Hockenson will probably find his groove, too. But don’t be surprised if Addison finds paydirt for a second week in a row.
“3” is, after all, freed.
Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Bills (vs. Indianapolis Colts)
Keon Coleman (wrist) is out and Amari Cooper (wrist) isn’t trending toward playing. Both missed practices, or practiced in limited fashions because of their injuries. Cooper, however, is the one who likely needed the most practice time, seeing as he’s the new guy in town.
I’m just so wary to say this means Allen’s passing game is going to totally funnel Kincaid’s way. We’ve seen situations like this before (think Week 1) when Kincaid was the apparent top option for Josh Allen, but was utterly negated by the defense.
However, it’s the Colts’ defense, so Allen should have no trouble shredding them. On Sunday, I like Shakir to return to his hyper-efficient, MVP-caliber form we saw in Weeks 1-3 He’ll be an extension of the Bills’s run game, and might get touches manufactured for him so as to create space for Kincaid.
Darnell Mooney, WR, Atlanta Falcons (vs. New Orleans Saints)
You probably were starting Mooney anyways against the Saints defense, what with Drake London’s hip injury expanding Mooney’s role in the passing attack even further. I just want it to be known that, specifically, we should be upgrading Mooney for this matchup to must-start status because of the matchup.
He’s fantasy football’s WR12; all those unrealized, empty air yards in Chicago are being fulfilled in Atlanta by the prince that was promised: Kirk Cousins. Mooney should comfortably post WR1 numbers against this Indianapolis defensive unit, which ranks ninth-worst in the league in allowing fantasy points to wide receivers.
Jauan Jennings, WR, San Francisco 49ers (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
The Bucs are reeling, especially in their secondary. Health is a consistent concern there, even though Antoine Winfield Jr. was able to go last week. He remains their best player.
Must-win game for the 49ers if they want to keep pace in a division that’s like a chorus of voices trying to be louder over one another. Jennings is the most efficient receiver the 49ers have, with or without Brandon Aiyuk.
One risk with this call is that it might end up being the Pearsall breakout game, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jennings find the end zone and return to Week 3 form.
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