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Aaron Doster/Associated Press
The Cleveland Browns offense did not need Odell Beckham Jr. to blow out the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
In fact, an argument can be made that the Browns offense looked better without Beckham on the field than it did in previous weeks with him on the field.
Donovan Peoples-Jones was the direct beneficiary of Beckham’s absence, as he brought in two passes for 86 yards and found the end zone for the third time in two weeks.
Peoples-Jones missed Cleveland’s Week 7 and 8 games, but it did not look like he missed time when he broke free for a 60-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.
The Cleveland wide receiver is one of two AFC North players that deserve your attention on the fantasy football waiver wire.
Baltimore Ravens running back Devonta Freeman turned in a strong performance on Sunday and he could provide a nice boost at the position for any fantasy players in need of depth help.
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Bryan Woolston/Associated Press
Peoples-Jones has been a vital part of the Cleveland passing attack recently.
Baker Mayfield started the season without Beckham due to his recovery from an ACL injury and Jarvis Landry missed time in September and October with an injury of his own.
Due to those injuries, Peoples-Jones left Sunday as Cleveland’s second-best player in receiving yards behind tight end David Njoku, who also scored a touchdown against the Bengals.
Peoples-Jones has 257 receiving yards and three touchdowns in his last three trips to the gridiron.
The Michigan product should see an uptick in targets and receptions with Beckham on his way out of the franchise and Landry expected to earn more attention from the top cornerbacks on opposing teams.
Peoples-Jones is the perfect addition for the coming weeks since Cleveland faces New England, Detroit and then Baltimore twice around its Week 13 bye.
Cleveland should rout Detroit in Week 11 and that matchup could lead to high totals for Peoples-Jones. If the Patriots and Ravens focus in on Landry, Peoples-Jones could break free for a long touchdown, or earn a handful of receptions to push the ball down field.
No matter which way you break the situation down, Peoples-Jones should be a popular name on the fantasy football waiver wire for the second half of the season.
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Nick Wass/Associated Press
Devonta Freeman has become the latest running back to find success in the Baltimore offense over the last few weeks.
Freeman’s role expanded on Sunday. He earned a season high of 13 carries and totaled 79 yards on the ground.
Freeman also found the end zone for the third time in three weeks on a short touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson.
Baltimore’s running back situation has been difficult to read all season, but it appears we have some clarity with how successful Freeman has been recently.
Latavius Murray was inactive for Sunday and Le’Veon Bell featured in a supporting role, while Freeman was the feature back.
Freeman should be trusted off the waiver wire since he has 26 carries and eight targets in the last three weeks.
Most importantly, Freeman has been able to find the end zone for the Ravens. His scoring ability could make all the difference when comparing him to other available running backs.
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Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press
Tim Patrick carved out a role for himself in the crowded Denver Broncos offense,
Patrick caught his fourth touchdown pass of the season on Sunday in Denver’s surprising blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Patrick finished with four catches for 85 yards. He had three catches for 64 yards in the Week 8 matchup with the Washington Football Team.
Teddy Bridgewater has a ton of options to choose from now that Jerry Jeudy is healthy, but he has still found targets for Patrick with Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Noah Fant on the field.
That is a promising sign for anyone who has considered Patrick as a waiver-wire pickup in recent weeks. He has three games with 80 ore more receiving yards and five appearances with over 40 yards through the air.
Patrick could be a solid No. 3 wide receiver or flex option for fantasy players in need of extra help at the position.
He is not expected to earn a large amount of catches each week, but if his yardage total remains decent and he finds the end zone, he could be a nice depth piece for the fantasy stretch run.
Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.
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