Running Back:
Jeff Wilson (SF)
Jeff Wilson is establishing himself as one of the league’s more effective goal line RBs. On the season, he is tied for first with Ezekiel Elliott for most red zone rushes with 13. Of those 13 rushes, 11 of them came inside the 5-yard line, and 4 of them resulted in a touchdown. After failing to record a snap in the first game of the season, Wilson saw 10 carries in week 2 and 8 carries in week 3, scoring 2 touchdowns in each week. Despite his red zone success, he has never played more than 30% of the total offensive snaps, giving him more upside than most undervalued, unnoticed RBs. The San Francisco 49ers are on a bye this weekend, but in week 5, the Cleveland Browns will provide a true defensive test for Wilson. He should continue to see most of the goal line work with Jerick McKinnon and Tevin Coleman injured. The 49ers’ backfield will remain crowded with Matt Brieda and Raheem Mostert playing well, but Wilson still has high touchdown potential until Coleman returns. He is worth streaming in season-long fantasy leagues and rostering in daily fantasy leagues.
Wide Receiver:
T.Y. Hilton (IND)
Prior to the start of the 2019 NFL season, the Indianapolis Colts lost their franchise QB, Andrew Luck, to retirement. Jacoby Brissett, who started plenty of games due to Luck’s frequent injuries, took over under center, but there were a lot of questions regarding the value of the Colts’ RBs and WRs post-Luck retirement. One player that should never be questioned is T.Y. Hilton. Hilton has at least 6 targets, 4 receptions, 40 yards, and 1 touchdown in all of his first 3 games. He is second in the league, behind only Emmanuel Sanders, in red zone targets with 7. Of those 7 targets, he has 6 receptions and 4 touchdowns. With over 40% of the Colts’ red zone target percentage, Hilton is the focal point of the offense. When targeting Hilton, Brissett’s QBR is over 120, and Hilton is averaging just under 1 fantasy point per route run. He should continue to see most of the red zone targets when the Colts decide to pass inside the 20-yard line, and he should be rostered in both season-long and daily fantasy leagues, especially this weekend agianst the Oakland Raiders. Hilton’s touchdown production is going to start to slow, but double-digit touchdowns this season are definitely within reach.
Tight End:
Zach Ertz (PHI)
Zach Ertz is being undervalued in both season-long and daily fantasy leagues due to his lack of touchdowns, but his lack of touchdowns is not the result of a lack of red zone targets. In fact, he leads the NFL in red zone targets for a TE with 6. Ertz has at least 7 targets in all of his first 3 games, and his upside is much higher than his current production level. Catching only slightly over 50% of his targets, Ertz has 248 air yards compared to only 190 receiving yards. As his catch rate starts to increase, Ertz will start producing fantasy points at a much higher level, especially in the red zone. He has 0 touchdowns on 6 red zone targets, and the Philadelphia Eagles are going to continue to target him inside the 20-yard line. It seems odd to say that one of the biggest TE names in the league is underrated, but right now, he is. Trading for Ertz in season-long fantasy leagues makes sense, as long as the fantasy owner that has him is basing his value on his recent production level. In daily fantasy leagues, Ertz is too cheap right now. The Green Bay Packers have a great secondary, but they tend to lose the TE in traffic, and as a bold prediction, Ertz will score his first 2019 touchdown this weekend.
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