Isiah Pacheco is nearing a return 👀

ICYMI: yesterday’s waiver wire episode covered everything you need to know from Monday night’s Dolphins/Rams game, as well as top players to add and QB/TE streamers! Catch up and listen today, and stay tuned later on for what could be our final buy/sells episode of 2024!

Also, make sure to check out the Upper Hand Fantasy Discord server if you haven’t already! Get your start sit questions answered, talk smack, and become part of a great community as we push into the stretch run of the fantasy season!

• Chiefs officially designate RB Isiah Pacheco to return from IR ahead of Week 11 matchup vs Bills

  • The designation to return is much anticipated for managers who lost Isiah Pacheco earlier in the season, and a reminder to Kareem Hunt managers that they can’t cling to their upstart RB1 forever. Hunt has played admirably in the wake of Pacheco’s injury, monopolizing touches in the Kansas City backfield and relying on heaps of opportunity to make ends meet despite predictable inefficiency. It’s important to note that although Pacheco has been designated to return, it’s not an activation as of yet to the active roster – meaning there’s a chance that Pacheco misses another game or two yet as he ramps back up to speed. That has the potential to give Kareem Hunt managers a unique selling window, or at the very least, another week or two of short term RB1 production. Once Pacheco returns, it’s hard to imagine Kareem Hunt holding onto any useful role int he Chiefs’ backfield besides as a high-upside handcuff with a pinch of standalone value. At the end of the day, we don’t know what designs Andy Reid has for the backfield once Pacheco returns, but if both are healthy, Pacheco is the best bet to get the first crack at the money touches and work in the receiving game. Until Pacheco’s return, though, Hunt managers can ride the wave until it crashes. Pay attention to practice reports later today and the rest of the week to get a better idea of the way Pacheco is trending.

• Bears part ways with OC Shane Waldron after disastrous three-game run coming out of the bye

  • The writing was on the wall for Waldron, who has effectively watched all of the life drain out of his passing game since Chicago’s Week 7 bye. In the interim, the Bears have named former Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown as their new offensive coordinator. If you remember, it was Thomas Brown who was in command of overseeing Bryce Young’s development at the NFL level – and we know how that ended. It’s hard to fault Brown, however, given that he’s been tasked with coaching some of the least inspiring offenses over the past two years. Expectations in the wake of the move should remain low as far as scoring prospects go for the likes of Caleb Williams, D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze, but the change can’t possibly be worse than what had become status quo since the bye. The Bears have an absolute gauntlet of an eight-game schedule looming, with two matchups against all three division rivals on tap as well as dates with the 49ers and Seahawks. Caleb Williams will profile as nothing more than a desperate QB2 start in nearly all of those matchup until noted otherwise, while the Bears WRs will all likely be relegated to WR3/flex status.

• Quarterback changes looming in New York, Las Vegas with Daniel Jones, Gardner Minshew potentially on the outs

  • As expected, Daniel Jones has played at a below average level for most of his sixth season as the Giants’ starting quarterback. Things really hit the wall last week in Munich as the Giants dropped their fifth-straight game to the lowly Panthers with Jones contributing two interceptions and no passing touchdowns in the losing effort. The lack of success has led to the possibility of backup QB Drew Lock stepping in the rest of the way, as the Giants would owe Jones a $23M injury guarantee should he end up being hurt over the course of New York’s final seven games of the season. New York has its bye this week, but there certainly seems to be a chance that we’ve seen the last of Daniel Jones in 2024 – and in a Giants uniform. Meanwhile in Las Vegas, Desmond Ridder appears primed to take up the mantle as the Raiders’ starting quarterback in Week 11 against the Dolphins. While he shouldn’t be added anywhere besides the deepest superflex leagues, Ridder was able to give the Raiders at least a heartbeat in limited action in Week 9 against the Bengals. The upside for the Raiders’ top weapons in Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers remains low, but change under center can’t be a bad thing at this point with Gardner Minshew striking out hard and Aidan O’Connell remaining sidelined.

Buy Baker Mayfield - QB, TB

• He’s coming off the worst fantasy performance of the season against the 49ers – a game in which he threw for just 116 yards and one touchdown – and is heading into the bye this week. Capitalize on his lack of availability for this weekend and nab your solid QB1 the rest of the way. 

• Mayfield has scored 18 or more points in all but two games this season, and that’s including two games where he’s been down his top-2 weapons in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Godwin remains out for the year, but Evans should be back in the lineup for Week 12 to give Mayfield help on the outside. The Bucs passing game has gotten by through huge contributions from TE Cade Otton and the running backs, Rachaad White and Bucky Irving. Evans will be a welcome addition to the offense that has lacked any significant production from its wide receivers since Evans and Godwin went down. 

• Tampa Bay’s schedule is cupcake from Week 12 on, to say the least. Mayfield will face four defenses inside the top-7 for most fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks this season in the last six weeks, as well as another solid matchup against the Giants off the bye.

• Buying the overall QB2 won’t be cheap, but he has the chance to go on a league-winning run with an incredibly soft schedule and the Buccaneers needing to push for a wild card spot at 4-6.

Buy Brian Thomas Jr. - WR, JAX

• Brian Thomas followed up a poor performance against the Eagles in Week 9 with an even worse performance in Week 10 with Mac Jones under center, catching just four of seven targets for 34 total yards over that two game span. Those performances, combined with uncertainty under center, concern about his own health, and a bye week coming up in Week 12 should have his price notoriously low heading into Week 11. 

• This reminds me of the same situation we were in with Chris Olave a few weeks ago. Like Olave, Thomas’ QB is hurt, he’s dealing with an injury of his own, and the target competition around him has been thinned due to injury. Trevor Lawrence could be out another week or two, but he should be back before the end of the season and hopefully as soon as Week 13 after Jacksonville’s bye. That upgrade under center should put Thomas immediately back on the map as a fantasy WR2.

• Then, consider the WR Thomas was when he was healthy from Weeks 1-8. 24% target rate, 20% target share, and he was tied for 2nd in the NFL in touchdowns with 5. He was on pace to set rookie records but his chest injury and Trevor Lawrence going down threw a wrench in those plans.

• Luckily, Lawrence and Thomas can get healthy for the stretch run. He has a good matchup on paper against the Lions this week, and you can use the fact that he has a bye yet to drive his price down even lower. Whoever has him is likely disenchanted with his lack of production and will sell for lower than WR2 value – something he can return later in the season along with potential weekly WR1 upside. Gonna bet on the talent here.