MOORE TO LOVE
Take a fantasy spin with Panthers’ DJ
FINDING a great pickup on the waiver wire is a satisfying victory. But such triumphs are useless unless you know when to use those players.
You might like the potential, but fear the lack of reliable production. It is possible you have other, more dependable options already on your roster. Perhaps you have not properly adjusted future projections for a player whose role and production are increasing.
Whatever the reason, you have to put them in your starting lineup to reap the rewards. This is something to consider if you have acquired DJ Moore.
The rookie wide receiver appears to have elevated himself to the top option in the Panthers’ passing game. Over the past two weeks, he has a combined 15 catches for 248 yards and a touchdown. That ranks him sixth among all fantasy WRs in that span.
Before you chalk up Moore’s solid outings to Devin Funchess’ absence, remember Funchess played two weeks ago at Detroit and caught just two passes for 39 yards and had a collection of drops. Moore, in that game, had seven catches for 157 yards and a touchdown.
Worried about Curtis Samuel cutting into potential Moore production? Samuel has six TDs on the season, but he is averaging just three touches per game. That minimal volume isn’t going to significantly impact Moore’s production.
Plus, Samuel was dealing with a hamstring problem earlier this week. He is an explosive, gadgetty pe pl aye r. We don’t like whe n those guys have hamstring problems, which could mean Moore, instead of Samuel, gets a red-zone end-around carry this week.
Funchess is returning this week, Samuel is expected to play and you still have running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end Greg Olsen competing for targets. And you know what? We don’t care.
We are perfectly comfortable starting Moore as a WR3 or Flex spot this week and going forward. Sunday he gets the Buccaneers, who rank 29th in fantasy points allowed to receivers.
But wait, you say. Tampa Bay has done better recently. You know, you’re right. The past three weeks the Bucs have held opposing WR corps to a fewer than 30 total points combined, well below the PPR average of 36.4. Those games also came against the 49ers and Redskins — both of which rank in the bottom third in pass offense — and the Giants, who managed just 26.6 fantasy points collectively among WRs despite scoring 38 points, which is odd. We also aren’t worried about the ho-hum outing Panthers WRs had versus the Bucs just four games ago — which included just one catch for 16 yards by Moore. That game was dominated by McCaffrey and Olsen in the air and McCaffrey on the ground. But you can bet that is exactly what Tampa Bay gameplans to prevent this time. Even better, future weeks feature games against the Browns, Saints and Falcons. That is a schedule that screams Moore power to you.