Better late than never, right? After a delay to begin a wonky 2020 season, Sneaky Stashes have returned to help you stow away players that will win you games in coming weeks. With COVID-19 burning through the NFL like a California wildfire, building a strong bench is more vital than ever.
For those unfamiliar, the goal of Sneaky Stashes is to get ahead of the waiver wire. By identifying valuable players before they break out, we can avoid dipping into that precious FAAB budget or getting beat out by someone with higher priority on waivers. However your league handles it, we get a leg up by stashing fantasy assets on our bench before they become hot commodities. The players featured below are prospects who either have juicy matchups awaiting them in the weeks ahead, have immense talent that is primed to break out sooner or later, or possibly a combination of both.
Nonetheless, the guys you’ll see on Sneaky Stashes are players we recommend considering if you have dead weight at the end of your bench.
Criteria for sneaky stashes require players to be available in 40% or more of ESPN leagues.
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Week 6 Bye Weeks: New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks
QB — Justin Herbert — Los Angeles Chargers
Week 6 Matchup: vs New York Jets
Available in 70.4% of leagues
Through his first three starts, Herbert looks like a star in the making. The rookie has posted game totals of 311, 330, and 290 passing yards, and his 20 fantasy points per game rank ninth among quarterbacks. On Thursday, head coach Anthony Lynn rewarded the team’s fifth-overall pick by naming him the starter moving forward.
With Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, and Drew Brees on bye next week, Herbert provides an excellent fill-in option at home against a Jets defense that has allowed the third-highest completion percentage (72.1) and has the eighth fewest sacks (6). Beyond that, the Chargers face a slate of exploitable pass defenses with games at Miami, and then at home against the Jaguars and Raiders. Snatch up Herbert while you still can.
RB — Chase Edmonds — Arizona Cardinals
Week 6 Matchup: at Dallas Cowboys
Available in 56.8% of leagues
Going into the season, Edmonds was considered one of the league’s top handcuffs because of the uncertainty around Kenyan Drake’s ability to hold up as a feature back. Four weeks in, and Drake has just .2 PPR points more than Edmonds, largely due to Edmonds’ surprising stranglehold on the receiving work. Edmonds has 17 targets to Drake’s five and has played 34.5% of the offensive snaps this season, giving him stand-alone value as a low-floor FLEX play.
Should Drake succumb to injury, Edmonds enters RB2 territory and will likely be in line for even more volume than Drake is currently getting, with only rookie seventh-round pick Eno Benjamin and undrafted rookie free agent Jonathan Ward behind him on the depth chart. Having Edmonds on your bench could not only help you out in an RB-pinch but also provide you with a weekly starter if Drake goes down.
TE — Dalton Schultz — Dallas Cowboys
Week 6 Matchup: vs Arizona Cardinals
Available in 47.2% of leagues
Why this man isn’t owned in more leagues is beyond me. The 2018 fourth-round pick out of Stanford — otherwise known as Tight End University — is currently seventh at the position in PPR scoring. Since taking over as the starter in week 2 following an ACL injury to Blake Jarwin, Schultz has seen 24 targets, which trails only Amari Cooper (37) and Ezekiel Elliott (26) on the team during that time.
Schultz’s situation lends itself to a borderline top-five finish at the position. He’s the third or fourth option on the NFL’s top passing offense (50.7 pass ATT & 407.8 pass yards per game) that is forced to keep its foot on the gas with the league’s worst scoring defense (36.5 PPG) on the other side. Schultz should be owned in every league.
RB — Alexander Mattison — Minnesota Vikings
Week 6 Matchup: vs Atlanta Falcons
Available in 58.3% of leagues
A Sneaky Stash darling last season, Mattison will probably be a mainstay on this series again in 2020 thanks to his tremendous upside should something happen to starter Dalvin Cook. The 2019 third-round pick is a talented runner with a 4.6 career yards per carry average and can get it done as a pass-catcher as well. The Vikings are a run-first offense under coordinator Gary Kubiak, whose run scheme has historically been a gold mine for running backs.
Though he stayed healthy throughout most of the season last year, durability hasn’t exactly been Cook’s strong suit as a pro. Mattison becomes a borderline RB1 in the event Cook misses time.
WR — Mecole Hardman — Kansas City Chiefs
Week 6 Matchup: at Buffalo Bills
Available in 62.4% of leagues
Hardman was a popular breakout candidate entering the season and for good reason. The speedy second-round pick is now in his second year on an explosive offense headed by the NFL’s best quarterback. But through the first few games, volume has been an issue, leading many owners to jump ship.
However, there have been encouraging signs in recent weeks. Hardman has out-snapped Demarcus Robinson in two of KC’s last three games and has seen nine more targets over their last two contests. And while touchdowns can be sporadic, Hardman has made the most of his opportunities by scoring a touchdown in back-to-back games. The former Georgia Bulldog appears to slowly be cementing himself as the Chief’s third wide receiver, making him a low-floor FLEX option.
While it may take an injury to someone ahead of him on the depth chart — say Sammy Watkins, who has struggled to remain healthy in years past — Hardman’s individual talent and the offense he plays within make him worthy of a spot on your bench.
