Fantasy Football WR/TE FAAB Report Week 5: How Much To Spend On Adam Thielen, Jonnu Smith, Michael Gallup
Welcome to my weekly FAAB report article for Fantasy Football. Every week I am going to go over my favorite additions at the WR and TE positions in both shallower leagues and deeper leagues and tell you how much FAAB you should be spending and why.
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Best Fantasy Football FAAB Pickups for Shallow Leagues (10 and 12 Teams)
Adam Thielen FAAB Budget
The Panthers' offense has struggled this season, especially when Bryce Young has been under center. Theilen’s best game this year did come with Andy Dalton at QB, but Theilen has caught seven passes in each of his past two games with Bryce Young and has a TD and 130 yards total. That’s a big step up from his Week 1 numbers with Young where Theilen only caught two passes for 12 yards. In your PPR formats, Theilen can serve as a solid flex option who should deliver you double-digit points consistently, which is worth 5-8% of your remaining budget this week.
Darnell Mooney FAAB Budget
The Bears' offense finally woke up this week, and even though they lost, things seem to be looking up for them, at least in fantasy. Mooney is the number-two WR in this offense and although this week he was third on the team in receiving yards, there will be weeks where he is second or even leads the team in yards. He is a good WR, and if Justin Fields can put together more games passing the football like he did in Week 4, then Mooney is worthy of an add in your 12-team leagues. I would leave him on the wire in your 10-team leagues until he shows more consistency though. Given his situation, 4-6% of your remaining budget seems like a reasonable and competitive bid on Mooney.
Michael Gallup FAAB Budget
It’s now been two straight weeks where the Cowboys have gotten Gallup involved in the passing game. In the first two weeks of the season, Gallup caught just two total passes for 13 yards. In the past two weeks, though, Gallup has made 11 catches for 152 yards and looks healthy for the first time in a couple of years. The Cowboys' offense is different this season; they are not only throwing it more, but they are throwing it more efficiently, and that will lead to more success for Gallup. If you want a piece of a really good Cowboys offense, look to add Gallup this week for 3-5% of your remaining budget.
Cole Kmet FAAB Budget
It took four weeks, but it seems that Kmet is finally fantasy-relevant this season. In the first three weeks of the season, Kmet had no TDs and had a season-high of five catches and 44 yards. In Week 4, Kmet caught seven passes for 85 yards and two TDs. With TE being such a volatile position after the top two or three guys, you are going to want to snag Kmet this week. He was dropped in a number of leagues because of the Bears' offensive struggles, but there is no way that he won’t be added this week, and you likely won’t get another chance to add him this year. If you have been struggling to find production at TE, spend between 11-13% of your remaining budget.
Best Fantasy Football FAAB Pickups for Deep Leagues (14 and 16 Teams)
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine FAAB Budget
He now has a TD in back-to-back weeks and had a season-high in catches in Week 4. I still don’t trust him week to week because the Titans are a run-first team and have three other pass-catching options they can go to instead. Still, Westbrook-Ikhine’s recent success cannot be ignored, and if you are looking for a bye-week replacement this week, he can be considered. Look to spend 2-4% of your remaining budget on him.
Braxton Berrios FAAB Budget
Berrios caught all six of his targets in Week 4 for 43 yards and a TD. He won’t consistently find the end zone and will have some quiet weeks because Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill get so many of the targets in the passing game, but he does appear to be the third option in the passing game, a passing game that is one of the best in the NFL. He is likely more of a depth player for you, however, with bye weeks starting, you will need healthy bodies, and the Giants present a pretty good matchup for him in Week 5. Spend no more than 3% of your remaining budget.
Jonnu Smith FAAB Budget
The Falcons finally got production from the TE position in Week 4. It just wasn’t from the guy that everyone would have expected it from. Kyle Pitts continues to disappoint, but Jonnu Smith seems to have found a nice role. He has experience in this offense, as his head coach Arthur Smith is his former offensive coordinator from his Titans days. His familiarity with the offense definitely showed itself in Week 4, with Jonnu making six catches for 95 yards. I would be willing to spend up to 5% of my remaining budget on Smith if I need a TE in deep leagues.
