The Fantasy Hipsters are back for the 2017 season with their weekly guide to how to approach fantasy football a little bit off the beaten path. In this space, Matt Harmon and Matt Franciscovich (Franchise) will give you a mix players to add, overlooked weekly plays and in-depth stats all layered with the type of unique, off-the-mainstream tone you can only expect from these two well-groomed hipsters. Since the communal approach to creating a living space is the only way to exist in harmony, the duo will split the work. Here's this week's division of labor.
Harmon:
Sustainable pickup
Barrel-aged bargain
Franchise:
Vintage veteran
Most ironic stats
Communal living space:
Pour over your lineup
Sustainable pickup
Sustainability is all about preparing for the future. From discovering and developing new sources of energy like wind and solar to crop rotation and water conservation, we all have to do our part to mitigate our impact on the environment. A small investment now goes a long way down the road. And when it comes to fantasy football, a major key to building sustainable depth from waiver wire adds means finding players that you can rely on for the long term without wasting resources. So in this section, the Fantasy Hipsters will get ahead of the curve and offer up one player to add for depth who should pay off dividends in the future. Hey man, turn that light off in the other room. It's not hard, okay?
Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
I was saying that Nelson Agholor was going to be good way back in 2015. Drop after drop in his first two seasons made me look wrong, sure, but I was obviously just ahead of the game. Well, maybe not quite, but it's clear that Agholor just needed some time to marinate. I mean, you don't just go to Trader Joes and get the meat and throw it right on your hot plate, do you? Of course not. You must find the best blend of artisanal oils and spices to whip up the best marinade to get it ready to go before just throwing it out there to cook.
It appears that Nelson Agholor also needed the right blend of conditions to be there before he was ready to play. He wasn't prepared to just get slapped onto the field in the early going of his career. Here in 2017, he's finally prepped just right for proper consumption by fantasy owners.
With the departure of Jordan Matthews, Agholor is now free to operate as the team's primary slot receiver. The third-year wideout lined up inside on 70 percent of his plays in Week 1. It's a new position for Agholor, as he played in the slot on just 19 percent of his snaps in 2015 and 22 percent in 2016. Playing on the interior is just what the slender but shifty wideout needed. Here he can focus on what he's never lost; the technical nuances to run good routes and build the confidence to avoid mistakes.
The doubters of the Agholor rebirth movement have been vocal every step of the way, saying "he needs to prove it to me." Okay. What more do you want him to do?
Starts turning heads in training camp, "he needs to prove it to me." Sustains the momentum into training camp and earns national buzz, "he needs to prove it to me."
The team trades away a young player who racked up over 2,700 yards for them in three years, "he needs to prove it to me."
Goes out and has a strong game with several big plays in the season opener, "he needs to prove it to me."
Exactly what will it take for you to get on board? When you finally do get around to buying into what's plainly apparent to see for those of us following this storyline it will be too late.
Agholor is in a good spot to accumulate volume throughout the season, as Carson Wentz likes to target the middle of the field. Doug Pederson came from the Chiefs and Andy Reid's conservative way of thinking and he may someday want to return to that style of play, but to this point, this Eagles team has yet to get there. Philadelphia was 17th in run play percentage and finished 20th among teams who played in Week 1. We have to regard them as a pass-leaning team until we see evidence that they'll be anything but that. With that being the case, Agholor offers fantasy appeal all year as a top-three target in his passing offense, especially if Carson Wentz continues to progress. If any sheep are still sleeping in your league you need to order up this well-marinated improving player. - Harmon
Vintage veteran
Some things get better with time. Like a full-flavored cask of aged bourbon or that one pair of skinny jeans you've worn in so much that they feel like sweatpants (let's be honest, I have, like, eight pairs of those). Same goes for fantasy football players. Did you draft Hunter Henry thinking the shiny new young tight end would be the next big thing? Get in line with the rest of the herd. While you and the rest of the mainstream horde are all about the up-and-coming young talent in the NFL, us Fantasy Hipsters are sticking with experience over youth. Each week in this space, we'll deliver one Vintage Veteran player of the week that you can rely on to produce for your fantasy team. Now where did I put my great-grandpa's brogues?
Jared Cook, TE, Oakland Raiders
Man, Jared Cook has been around since forever it seems. This is his ninth year in the NFL, he's a true, hardened veteran tight end. Dude still has game, too. You might have been burned by Cook last year when he played for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback he's had in his career was the generalization among the populous, but Cook injured his ankle early in the season. He was never the same, and only had 377 yards and one score. But stick with me.
Cook's in a new spot with the Oakland Raiders. He tied for second most catches on the team last week, five, and most of his production came from the slot. He's a perfect fit there with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree mainly lined up wide. And this week the matchup couldn't be better for the old man.
Cook will face the New York Jets who, sorry not sorry, can't stop tight ends from putting up points. In fact, the Jets allowed 10 touchdowns to the position a season ago, tied for third-most in the NFL. And just last week, New York made Charles Clay look like Rob Chudzinski, uh, Gronkowski. Clay saw nine targets and caught four weathered pigskins for 53 yards and reached critical mass once (scored a touch for you squares). And the Raiders are the kind of team to sling it in the red area, which makes Cook's upside even more enticing. Oakland had 90 red zone targets last year, fourth-most in the league. While the Jets allowed the fifth-most targets to tight ends last year with 22. It's a vintage match made in Black Hole heaven, so get Cook in your make-believe lineups. - Franchise
Barrel-aged bargain
When we're building lineups for the week, we're always looking for a bargain. The thing is, those of us who don't want to live cookie-cutter lives aren't chasing for some boring old fill-in; we're still after something fresh. Just like a good barrel-aged craft beer that's off the beaten path away from dull domestic brews, we want a different kind of bargain brought on by a unique spin on an outcome of a game that the public just hasn't considered yet.
Corey Coleman, WR, Cleveland Browns
Obviously, you come to this column for forward-thinking analysis, so I'm going to give you a preemptive buy-low target. The Browns draw a matchup with the Ravens in Week 2 and it's unlikely the Browns and rookie DeShone Kizer will post much offensive success in the Baltimore. If the entire offense falters, there's a good chance Corey Coleman suffers through a quiet outing.
However, that just makes the proposition of the bargain that much better. I can taste it now; slow-poured into a tall glass after being properly aged through the barrel of chaos set to roll over Kizer and company in Baltimore.
Your league mates are sure to be frustrated with Coleman after playing the Ravens this week but you know the best is yet to come. After the date in Baltimore, Coleman and the Browns travel to take on the Colts before welcoming the Bengals and Jets to Cleveland. All those teams are vulnerable in the secondary and Coleman will be in far better of a position for success.
Best of all, if you've been paying attention and not blindly following the fake hipsters who thought they were oh so sharp chasing Kenny Britt all summer, you know by now that Corey Coleman is DeShone Kizer's guy. Not only did the young receiver draw eight targets in the third preseason game, he led the team with six in Week 1. Kizer slung a pass into a tight red zone window that Coleman snared before getting blasted as he scored the touchdown. The rookie quarterback consistently looks downfield to make plays, even when it was to his detriment in Week 1, and that fits right in Coleman's wheelhouse as he averaged 13.4 air yards per target.
You might not see it just yet because it's still a bit under the radar, and your league mates certainly don't, but Corey Coleman is on a breakout path. All I'm saying here is we need to let it age one more week. Come Week 3, he's going to be one of the best bargain buys in fantasy football. Just make sure you get in line for a tasting before it's too late. - Harmon
Most Ironic Stats of Week 2
-- Joe Flacco should throw less. He's 11-0 with a 101.1 passer rating over the last five seasons in games that he attempts 30 or fewer passes. Compare that to a 19-29 record with a 79.6 rating in the same span when he throws more than 30 times. I hear the team is converting him to running back.
-- T.J. Watt had two sacks and a pick in his NFL debut. J.J. Watt has never done that. The young rookie is clearly better than his older brother at football. One game proves that.
-- The Giants have scored fewer than 20 points in seven straight games dating back to last year. Safe to say the Giants need an offensive spark. Or a run game. Or Odell Beckham Jr. back. Anything really.
-- Drew Brees is the only quarterback to have four-plus starts against Tom Brady and have a winning record (3-1). He must have been on the TB12 diet before TB12.
-- Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette faced eight-plus defenders in the box on 57.7 percent of his rush attempts. Dude still ran for a hundo and a score. There's a chance he's good. - Franchise
Pour over your lineup
Every week we'll put a call out from @FantasyHipsters four you to send us in your weekly lineups. The hipsters will take a pour over approach to examining your squad, a careful, patient and fresh taste on the best players for you to deploy.
Franchise: Let's help one of our loyal followers out here, I think we can make some changes to give her lineup more upside on Sunday.
Harmon: I concur, my compatriot. But before we drip drop drip drippety drop the kettle and pour-over this lineup, let me officially congratulate Shayla for being one of the lucky humans who drafted Stefon Diggs. It probably feels almost as good as being on a hit show. Maybe. She obviously didn't listen to the literally thousands of sheep who got in line in my Twitter mentions asking if his move out of the slot hurt his fantasy value. Those were the days.
So, in case that wasn't clear enough, Diggs will remain in the lineup for Week 2.
Franchise: Forgive me for this oversight. You are correct as usual. And I think Jordy Nelson stays too. He had a big game against Seattle and has his Falconry gear on with a target on the end zone. The running backs are a different story. I think Mark Ingram and Mike Gillislee have more potential than Carlos Hyde and DeMarco Murray in unfavorable matchups, as contrarian as that may seem to the populous.
Harmon: You know me, I'm all about getting into the flea market and picking up as many steals as I can to decorate my all hardwood studio apartment. It's the same way with shootouts in football. Get me all the players in those games. So, I hear you on Gillislee for the touchdown appeal, but you really want to play Mark Ingram right now when he's trailing Alvin Kamara in snaps in that backfield?
Franchise: Ingram has 45-plus catches in each of the last two seasons, so he is no bum in that department. I think, even if there is a split between him and Kamara, Ingram gets his this week. I'll wager a six-pack of double IPAs on it.
Plus the Patriots are prone to allowing fantasy points to running backs, especially in unconventional ways, like receiving yards (see Kareem Hunt).
So I think the last thread of organic yarn we need to unwind here is what to do at quarterback. I think Shayla is fine at wide receiver and tight end, personally.
Franchise: Um. Most important issue first here, everyone knows I have better hair. And second, I already hand-crafted a case for Matthew Stafford this week, even in what seems like a difficult match against the Giants. With a lackluster run game for the Lions and that new kid on the block in Kenny Golladay, I am confident that Motown's signal-caller can get down in New York.
Harmon: Personally, I think Cam Newton gives her a better floor than Stafford in a road voyage. I don't buy the Bills defense as anything to fear and Newton started slinging it better in the second half last week. He's always a good top-10 play at home. I feel better with him at quarterback considering we know her running backs are pretty risky.
Look, we don't always agree. People can't put us into a box, you know? That's the worst.
Franchise: Boxes, squares, man I do not want to be associated with any of that. For what it's worth, Carolina should run the ball a ton, so I will stick with Stafford. Folks might think we're pals, but we're really more like acquaintances this week. May the worst Hipster lose.
But hopefully our follower wins
Harmon: Agree all around. Hipsters out.
- Follow the Fantasy Hipsters on Twitter @MattHarmonBYB and @MattFranchise. You can also see them on Sunday morning on the NFL's Twitter Blitz show streaming live 8:30 am PST on Twitter.com. You've heard of that website, right?*
