It’s getting late out early for some teams out there, which means it’s the perfect time to make targeted strikes to improve your dynasty football position. So far this year we’ve hit on Kadarius Toney, Alex Collins, Josh Jacobs, Damien Harris, Henry Ruggs and a few more—we don’t always get it right, but on the whole we’re in the positive on these recommendations, which feels pretty nice, tbh. Another week means another chance to buy low, and here’s who we suggest you target this week… and to be clear, by we, I mean *I*. I suggest it. But “we” is more fun to type, so I—we—will type that.

TARGETS FOR COMPETING TEAMS

Trade targets

The big one: Darren Waller (TE, LV)

The consensus No. 2 tight end in fantasy has had a rough go of it after a dominating Week 1 performance that saw him get a whopping 19 targets, which is the same number he’s had in the last three games combined. Obviously the 19 targets in a game is the outlier here, as his 105 yards in that game were 40 more than he’s had in any other match up this year. In fact, Waller’s been incredibly consistent after the Ravens game, notching between 45 and 65 yards every week of the year with a single touchdown over that span. All that said, he’s due for positive regression for several reasons. First, his meh games have come against largely good defenses, the Dolphins win being an exception, but in that game the Raiders ran at will. Second, Ruggs’s continued emergence might pull more attention to the sides and deep parts of the field, leaving more room for Waller to work. Third, and this is just science, he’s really freakin’ good. If you can get a manager to part with him now, however unlikely that seems, it should reap immediate rewards.

The surprising one: Ricky Seals-Jones (TE, WAS)

I struggled with this one but went with Seals-Jones because, with Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Logan Thomas limping, he might be the best receiver on the Washington Football Team right now. He caught a touchdown on Sunday and is in line for more work until Thomas gets back, and maybe after. He shouldn’t cost much and can help you ride the byes. It’ll play.

The long-term play: Corey Davis (WR, NYJ)

The Jets were on a bye this week, which allowed Zach Wilson to save himself a few picks heading into next week’s game against New England, who intercepted him four times the first time these two teams met this year. I expect something similar from the lad this time around, but I still think Davis is worth scooping on the low if you’re able to get him. As dim as things seem now for the Jets offense, they should get better, and there are some enticing matchups against the Bengals, Colts, Texans and Jaguars left on the schedule, each of which could see Davis eat like the de facto No. 1 receiver he is. You might want to avert your eyes rather than watch the games, but the stat lines should be good enough to justify whatever expense you have to put out in this particular post-bye dead zone.

Waiver Wire/Free Agent targets

The one I like this week: Jamal Agnew (WR, JAX)

With D.J. Chark out for potentially the whole season, it’s tempting to say someone had to step up to catch passes in his absence, but if there’s one thing we know about the Jaguars, nobody has to do anything good. That said, Jamal Agnew stepped up huge in Jacksonville’s first win in 21 games—oof—in London, going for 78 yards in a game Trevor Lawrence threw the ball 41 times on several chunk plays. The Jags should be bad enough to be throwing virtually all year, so Agnew should continue to see work and is worth an add if he’s hanging out on your waiver wires as he is on mine.

TARETS FOR REBUILDING TEAMS

The big one: Jalen Hurts (QB, PHI)

The Pro Football Focus podcast talked this week about whether Hurts would stick with/to the Eagles, and the answer was like, “maybe he does and maybe he doesn’t,” which seems about right. The QB class of 2022 looks pretty weak right now, especially with regard to last year, and Hurts has started a whopping 10 games in his career, so there’s a real reason the Eagles might decide he’s the best of seemingly suboptimal choices. Then again, maybe they get [insert likely better QB here] and keep Hurts as a backup or try to trade him. My point is that his upside is still huge, and even if the worst-case scenario plays out in Philly, he’ll get a shot somewhere. He’s too much in the very general Josh Allen/Tyrod Taylor mode not to get a protracted look from one team or another, with chances to start peppered throughout in the more negative scenarios and a long run as a starter in the more optimistic ones. Even this year, the highs are coming again, and if you buy now off a five-day-old loss to the bully Bucs that seems like it happened a month ago, you could probably flip him mid-season for something good, especially in the likely event that another QB goes out for the year. There’s downside, but i don’t think it’s bleak enough to block out the sun, so to speak.

The surprising one: Nico Collins (WR, HOU)

A Texas receiver? In this economy? Yes, it’s pretty rough out there beyond Brandin Cooks, but Collins is starting to see increased targets on a team devoid of good, like, targets, and seems poised to reap what seems like an inevitable bump in production when Tyrod Taylor returns. The umbrella point here is that the Texans will have to pass in almost every scenario, and that means Collins will be a viable target with a chance to take the storied Year 2 Leap next season.

The long-term play: Jordan Love (QB, GB)

With Aaron Rodgers owning one opponent after another, we’re entering the valedictory period of his Green Bay career, which, absent any new information, seems like to end after this season. With everyone focused on Rodgers, now is the perfect time to poach Love from any manager who’s impatient or needs to fill a hole or two right now with a warm body. Even in the worst-case scenario w/r/t Love, the one in which Rodgers returns, it seems likely the Packers will attempt to trade Love on account from having done him dirty. Actually the worst-case scenario is that he never starts at all, but it’s that exact downside that makes him potentially available, cheap, right now.

Waiver Wire/Free Agent targets

The one I like this week: Jamal Agnew (WR, JAX)

The second week in a row I’ve doubled up on these for contenders and rebuilders, it’s probably a sign that the waiver wire is thinning out as the season goes on. (It’s also a sign that all of these targets, especially the rebuilding ones, are designed to be good for a team of any status.) The more Agnew can do to endear himself to Trevor Lawrence, the better off he’s going to be in his early career. There’s a wagon right there—he just needs to hitch to it.