Fantasy Football WR/TE FAAB Report Week 7: How Much To Spend On Curtis Samuel, Wan'Dale Robinson, Michael Mayer

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)

WR Adam Thielen FAAB Budget

Thielen was on my list last week and just continues to put up monster numbers in fantasy. He has become a must-add in all league sizes and in PPR formats he should be considered a must-start as well. He caught 11 passes for 115 yards and a TD in Week 6 and has at least 11 catches and 100 yards in three of the past four weeks. He also has four TDs in his past five games and hasn’t scored less than 14.7 PPR points since Week 1. If he is available in your shallow leagues, make sure to get him this week, and spend 13-17% of your remaining budget to do so. 

WR Curtis Samuel FAAB Budget

Samuel is an interesting addition this week. Although Terry McLaurin is the clear top WR in the offense, there is no clear number-two pass catcher any given week. Samuel lines up in the backfield at times, he is used in many formations, he sees red zone targets, and he scored a TD in Week 6. He was also the only other WR besides McLaurin to catch a pass in Week 6. These are all reasons to add him this week, especially with Week 7 being one of the biggest bye weeks this season. Spending 3-5% of your remaining budget should be enough to get Samuel. 

WR K.J. Osborn FAAB Budget

Osborn saw an increase in snaps and targets with Justin Jefferson injured and led all the Vikings WRs in catches and yards. He finished only behind T.J. Hockenson in receiving yards and was third on the team in targets. With six teams on a bye this week, there will be openings in your lineup, and Osborn is a good choice to fill one, even with a matchup against the 49ers in Week 7. You can feel fine with spending 4-6% of your remaining FAAB on him this week, as he will be a viable option for as long as Jefferson is sidelined. 

WR Wan’Dale Robinson FAAB Budget

Ever since he returned from injury a few weeks ago, Robinson has seen his usage in the offense go up, regardless of who is playing QB for the Giants. In Week 6, he caught eight passes for a season-high 62 yards and did it against a very stout Bills defense. The Giants' offense has been bad this year, the passing game especially, so I can’t say that adding any of their players should be considered a priority, but 7-9% of your remaining budget is my recommendation. 

Best Fantasy Football FAAB Pickups for Deep Leagues (14 and 16 Teams)

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba FAAB Budget

Coming into Week 6, the rookie hadn’t topped 34 yards in any game this season and still was without a TD. Although he still didn’t find pay dirt in Week 6, he did set a new career high in receiving yards and caught as many passes on the day as D.K. Metcalf. His nonproductive weeks led to him being cut in many formats, but he has already had his bye week, and he is one of the more talented rookies in the NFL this season. He is poised to have a big second half of the season, and his early-season bye week makes him even more valuable. Where he is available, spend 10-15% of your remaining budget. 

TE Jonnu Smith FAAB Budget

You would think that with Drake London catching nine passes for 125 yards and Kyle Pitts scoring a TD, there wouldn’t be enough targets to go around for Jonnu Smith in the Falcons' offense. Yet, here we are through six weeks, and Jonnu continues to produce week after week, more consistently than either London or Pitts. Jonnu’s resurgent season can’t be ignored anymore, and if you are lucky enough to still have him sitting on your waiver wire, it’s time to pick him up. The Falcons don’t go on their bye until Week 11, so you can grab Jonnu and start him for the next four weeks. 6-8% of your remaining FAAB should be enough to get this done. 

WR Elijah Moore FAAB Budget

I, for one, thought that the Browns' offense would struggle without Deshaun Watson, especially against a very good 49ers team. It turns out I was wrong, as were many people. The Browns won the game, and P.J. Walker did an admirable job as the starting QB. He hooked up with Amari Cooper for a big game, but the more surprising performance and connection was between Walker and Elijah Moore. Moore was second on the team with seven targets, coming in only behind Cooper’s eight, and although the seven targets only resulted in four catches, the number of looks Moore received is encouraging. The Browns have already had their bye week as well, so similarly to Smith-Njigba, Moore is someone who you can pick up and hold onto through all the bye weeks, and you can get him for under 5% of your current FAAB dollars. 

TE Michael Mayer FAAB Budget

The rookie tight end was basically non-existent this season until Week 6. He hadn’t caught more than two passes in a game or topped 39 yards, but in the Raiders' 21-17 win against the Patriots, Mayer delivered a strong five-catch, 75-yard performance and led the entire Raiders team in catches and yards while finishing second on the team in targets. It might have just been the matchup that led to Mayer having a career day, but either way, he now has to be looked at in the deeper formats, especially if you have been getting inconsistency from the TE position this season. I would look to spend between 3-6% of your remaining FAAB if you want to acquire Mayer in deep leagues.