It’s my favorite time of year, the days are as long as they will get, and the air is warm. The kids are splashing in the pool and generally driving you nuts as you count down the days until they return to school. Vacations and lots of time with family, nothing better!
But it’s also the time of year when fantasy football slows down a little. Time to comb over rosters and offer trades, and time to find some players at the ends of rosters worth targeting or adding to your team.
Today, I outline four deeper candidates in the NFC North that I would be targeting via trade or in my early waiver runs if they are free agents.
Tyler Scott, WR CHI
Rookies can take some time to reach the starting lineup, and many rookies fall far in rookie drafts that really shouldn’t like Scott has. There are two wide receivers I like more than Scott on this depth chart, and they are named DJ Moore and Darnell Mooney. Chase Claypool? Child, please.
Scott is currently going off the board as the WR70, around player 172 on average. He’s got some work to do, as his college body of work wasn’t the most complete. But – what I saw was impressive. Scott has top-end Olympic sprinter speed and fluid movement skills. He gets to top speed quickly and is surprisingly versatile. It all comes down to learning fundamentals. If he does, Scott is going to be rising up boards faster than he runs (4.44 40-yard dash).
Don’t forget rookie WR Tyler Scott when looking at the #Bears offense this year.
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) June 17, 2023
He’s a dynamic athlete with a high route-running IQ, which is a good combo for immediate success. It’s a crowded room but think he’ll play a role in 2023. pic.twitter.com/b45BH07Ad3
As mentioned, the depth chart and path to targets aren’t imposing, and I could see Scott surpassing Mooney by the end of 2024. I will take a deep shot at a young, talented receiver in an ascending (hopefully) offense any day.
Josh Reynolds, WR DET
Who would like a starting wide receiver who is not even in the top 100 wideouts on our most recent ADP? I get it; Reynolds could be relegated to obscurity when Jameson Williams returns. What if isn’t?
Reynolds is a journeyman receiver that has been pretty productive in spurts. He started five games after coming over to Detroit and caught 19 balls for 306 yards and a pair of scores. He’s currently starting opposite Marvin Jones, the consummate vet, and Amon-Ra St. Brown mans the slot.
Jones is now 33 years old, and while he has been productive his whole career, his skill set is similar to Reynolds’. When Williams returns, Jones could be bumped in favor of Reynolds. It would still put Reynolds as the third or fourth option in the receiving game, but Jared Goff is still going to throw 600 times.
I typically target a younger option for a stash, but there aren’t any options I would take and hold on to here for the Lions. Quarterback Hendon Hooker isn’t a deep stash, and I don’t love any of their rookie receiver options. I do, however, like Reynolds to fill a deeper spot on my bench. He’s got a shot to be a decent WR4/5 for your fantasy squad.
Grant Dubose, WR GBP
Now that Aaron Rodgers has left town, the Pack finally addressed their wide receiver room fully by adding five rookie wideouts and two rookie tight ends. And several of their ‘veteran’ wide receivers were drafted last year. This group is YOUNG, and it’s hard to project which ones will emerge. Even last year’s standout, Christian Watson, could realistically be passed by in the target pecking order.
Grant DuBose had no business being available in the 7th.
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) May 1, 2023
The #Packers got a steal here. pic.twitter.com/QcY6vWJc1M
Another player not even in our most recent pull of ADP, Dubose, had a productive last two years with Charlotte in the Conference USA. He tallied 126 grabs for 1,684 yards and 15 TDs over 2021 and 2022. He followed it up with a strong combine showing and has great size at 6’2” and 200 pounds.
Dubose was taken in the seventh round and is a raw prospect. He’s got a massive catch radius and wins on contested catches. Dubose has strong, secure hands, and I love how he transitions to a runner after the catch. His route running is good, but where he needs the most work is creating separation in the route. Dubose will need to learn pacing and how to use his body better to get that space throughout the route.
Unfortunately, it’s going to be tough to break through without that improvement. I do like Dubose better than rookies Dontayvion Wicks, Malik Heath, and second-year guy Samori Toure. But it will all hinge on who develops quickest, and Dubose will get a chance to emerge.
Kene Nwangwu, RB MIN
The primary kick returner for the Vikes over the past few seasons, Nwangwu could find himself in a great position for carries in 2023. He’s worked hard and wasn’t a highly regarded prospect entering the draft. But he’s impressed with his athleticism and work ethic. Nwangwu is now in a much better spot on the depth chart with the departure of Dalvin Cook.
At 6’1” and 210 pounds, he’s an imposing runner, and he gets north-south very quickly. Nwangwu can knock defenders over; he’s got great strength and loves to drop his shoulder to blast forward for extra yards. He’s got enough speed to break a big play but isn’t a burner. Nwangwu was a work in progress, and it’s close to time to see what he’s got.
The depth chart is led by long-time backup Alexander Mattison and former Tarheel Ty Chandler is currently listed as the RB2. Nwangwu is third, and rookie Dewayne McBride is listed as fourth. Chandler isn’t an inspiring runner, and if Mattison can’t handle the full workload, someone will need to step up. I do like McBride, but Nwangwu’s knowledge of the offense and running style will get him on the field first.
It’s possible Nwangwu is rostered as a player some loved as a deeper stash a few years back. We’ve known Cook was gone soon, and now that it’s happened, it helps Nwangwu’s value. Check and see if you can still get him crazy cheap; I am sure it’s a possibility.
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