Are These Players LEEEEGIT? (Week 5)

Harrison Zuckerberg is a Fantasy Football Fellowship coach and contributor. This is his weekly blog where he asks the question, is he LEEEEGIT and provides insights following Week 4.  (Harrison pronounced legit as leegit one time on the podcast, and it stuck!)

As a Fantasy Manager, you may have these players on your roster or you may be trying to figure out if they are worth acquiring on the Waiver Wire.

Tank Bigsby

Despite being more productive than Travis Etienne for almost the entire season, Week 5 was the first time Bigsby took more snaps than Etienne in a game. This was mainly due to Etienne re-aggravating a shoulder injury, but Bigsby made the most of his opportunity, rushing 13 times for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns. What has been most surprising about Bigsby's breakout is that he has gone from being one of the worst running backs in the NFL last year (2.6 yards per carry) to looking like a game-changing player. Bigsby is LEGIT and worth picking up with uncertainty around Etienne's injury, but this is the toughest LEGIT vs NOT LEGIT call I have had to make this season. All of the stats say that Etienne is still the guy in Jacksonville: Etienne vs Bigsby—Snaps: 181 to 66, Red Zone Opportunities: 15 to 5. In addition, most of Bigsby's opportunities have come in the second half of games when Etienne has left injured or in garbage time. On the other hand, the eye test has shown that Bigsby has been the better running back this season (not to say Etienne has been bad with 4.4 YPC), and the Jaguars could be looking for a spark after a disappointing 1-4 start.

Jalen Tolbert

Like Bigsby, Tolbert made the most of an increased opportunity due to an injury to the starter. Brandin Cooks missed this weekend's game, and Tolbert broke out with a season-high in receptions, receiving yards, and added a touchdown. Even with Cooks returning from injury, Tolbert is LEGIT. The Dallas offense has been desperately searching for playmakers, and Tolbert showed that he can be just that. Cooks has been declining for a few years, and I believe the younger, more explosive Tolbert has passed him on the depth chart.

Tucker Kraft

Kraft has had back-to-back incredible weeks since Jordan Love returned from injury. Fantasy managers have been trying to sort out which Packer’s wide receivers they should invest in—Reed, Doubs, Watson, Wicks? —but everyone forgot about the tight end position. Kraft is a fantastic football player with a rare combination of size and speed and certainly passes the eye test. With Watson injured and Doubs’ future with the team in question, Kraft is LEGIT as he has cemented himself as a top-3 target in one of the NFL’s best offenses.

Darius Slayton

Malik Nabers sat out with a concussion, which led to an increased role for Slayton this weekend. Slayton made the most of this opportunity, catching 8 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown. However, he is NOT LEGIT for the rest of the season. With Nabers returning, Slayton should revert to his normal role, in which he had been a non-factor for fantasy. As the WR3, Slayton had only caught 10 passes for 122 yards all season before his breakout game.

Jaylen Wright

Wright saw an increase in snaps and opportunities due to a mis-game injury to Devon Achane. He carried the ball 13 times for 86 yards. If Achane remains out, Wright is worth adding due to his explosiveness and the Dolphins' efficiency running the ball. However, his upside is limited in an offense that has struggled without Tua. He is not worth starting right now, but if everything breaks right for him and he secures a solidified role once Tua returns, he will be LEGIT and a possible league-winner.