Overspend for these Week 12 Fantasy Football FAAB Players: Anthony Richardson, Trey Benson, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Taysom Hill

It’s time for another article in my fantasy football series on FAAB players to overspend on.

Also be sure to check out Daniel Hepner’s FAAB story for week 12.

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Overspend on Anthony Richardson

Richardson returned as the Colts’ starting quarterback in week 11 and delivered a monster performance against the Jets.

He threw for 272 yards and a touchdown, while adding 32 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. Richardson did lose a fumble, but he avoided an interception and delivered his best fantasy showing of the season.

Richardson has underwhelmed in his short time in the NFL. Fantasy owners were hoping he’d be the next big dual-threat fantasy QB, but things haven’t come together yet. Now fantasy owners are hoping week 11 was the start of Richardson’s breakout.

He’s got more tough matchups coming, but after delivering against a good Jets’ defense, fantasy owners should have more confidence in the young QB. If I’d been streaming quarterbacks most of the season and was looking for a possible starter for the remainder of the season, I’d have no issues throwing a good remaining portion of my budget at Richardson.

If he indeed turns into that dual-threat star, he could win you a fantasy title. If week 11 was an outlier performance, then you can just drop Richardson. I’m willing to gamble on the youngster though.

Overspend on Trey Benson

Benson hasn’t held a major role this season because of James Conner being on the team and performing well, but Benson is definitely trending up.

This season, the rookie Arizona back has 216 rushing yards and a score on 49 carries. He’s added 55 receiving yards on five catches and targets. Benson has scored 38 fantasy points.

He’s scored 24 of those fantasy points in the past two weeks. He had 62 rushing yards on 10 carries and 25 receiving yards on two grabs and targets in week 10 (the team’s last game). The week prior, Benson had 37 rushing yards and a score on eight carries and an 18-yard reception.

He’s starting to carve out an offensive role, and is already a flex starting option as a result. Benson and the Arizona backs have very favorable matchups coming, so I’d be all for throwing a bunch of my FAAB budget at Benson, even though he’s the clear backup to Conner. 

If you are desperate for a fantasy running back, I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my budget on him. He might never get a starter’s workload, but with how many touches he’s getting lately and the favorable schedule ahead, you should have a flex-level starting option at the very least.

Overspend on Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Valdes-Scantling has taken on the role of the Saints’ top receiver after injuries to Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave. He’s delivered two straight great fantasy showings, and should remain heavily involved with Shaheed out for the season and Olave possibly joining him.

In week 10, MVS had 109 yards and two touchdowns on three receptions and targets. This past week, he had 87 yards and a score on two grabs and four targets.

He’s not likely ever going to be a wideout who is targeted 8-10 times a game, but Valdes-Scantling needs only a catch or two to deliver a good score. That’s basically calling him a boom-or-bust fantasy option, but given the circumstances, MVS should be an appealing waiver target for a lot of fantasy teams.

He’s got some tougher matchups ahead, but that doesn’t scare me off MVS. He should remain involved every week, especially if Olave is done for the season. There’s definitely risk involved when starting MVS, but on weeks where a ton of players are on their bye weeks, he’s going to be an above-average starting option because of his big-play potential and upside.

You likely won’t need to spend as much on him to acquire him either. If you are desperate for fantasy wideout help, or simply are looking for a high-potential guy, then MVS is your guy.

Overspend on Taysom Hill

We’ll stick with the Saints to wrap things up and talk about Hill, who is probably the biggest waiver option going into week 12.

Hill rushed for 138 yards and three scores on seven carries this week. He also had 50 receiving yards on eight receptions and 10 targets. Hill completed one of his two pass attempts for 18 yards. The lone blemishes were an interception and lost fumble, but he still was a fantasy star this past week.

Again, with so many big-time Saints’ offensive playmakers out, the team needs players to step up, and Hill could certainly be one of those players. He’s a better fantasy option than most waiver options because he can score points as a passer, rusher and receiver.

He’s most likely a tight end in your fantasy league, and I know he has quarterback eligibility in some leagues. Regardless of his position, Hill is a player I’d be all for adding to my fantasy team. He’s a good flex-level option every week, even in standard leagues.

If there was one player in this overspend article that I’d empty the FAAB budget for, it’s Hill. He’s one to go after if your team is pretty set and you are just looking for one final piece. At this late juncture of the fantasy football season, do what it takes to get Hill on your team.