The potential value of Ben Skowronek and Van Jefferson as Week 11 waiver wire fantasy football targets jumped with the news that Cooper Kupp could miss the next few weeks with a high ankle sprain. Therefore, with the Los Angeles Rams‘ offense likely to look very different in the coming weeks, are either Skowronek or Jefferson going to be the player who sees the most benefit in the coming weeks?
Let’s take a look at the Rams’ offense so far this season and determine how fantasy managers should prioritize Skoronek Jefferson heading into Week 11.
Ben Skowronek or Van Jefferson: Who Should You Add From the Waiver Wire?
It has been intriguing to see how the Rams have used their receivers since Jefferson returned from a knee injury. The expectation was that Jefferson would be the third receiver behind Kupp and Allen Robinson II, but that has not been the case.
After playing more than 80% of the offensive snaps in the first five weeks and 68% in Week 6, Skowronek has continued to be the primary third-receiving option for this offense. However, the high snap share has not resulted in consistent fantasy value. Just once has Skowronek crossed 50 receiving yards this season, and he’s only topped five receptions on one occasion.
However, in Week 10, it was Skowronek who was clearly preferred to Jefferson. The third-year receiver played 98% of the snaps, keeping Jefferson off the field until after the injury to Kupp. However, Skowronek could only turn seven targets, the most among WRs, into two receptions for 14 yards.
Jefferson’s usage since his return has been intriguing. He played 53% of the offensive snaps in Week 8 but was not targeted once. Then, in Week 9, he played just 35% of the offensive snaps but saw five targets, with one every four snaps he played on average.
Then, in Week 10, his snap share dropped further to 28%. His targets also dropped to just three, but he caught a touchdown to finish with a line of 27 receiving yards and a touchdown on his first three receptions of the season.
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Frustratingly, Jefferson did not play a single snap on offense until after Kupp’s injury but was at least the third receiver from that point onwards.
That leaves fantasy managers in a strange limbo. Jefferson’s fantasy performance with just 17 snaps was better than all but one game this season from Skowronek. Despite seeing four fewer targets, Jefferson had more receptions and more receiving yards.
This situation in Los Angeles is very confusing. Skowronek has been given the opportunities but has not produced for fantasy managers. Meanwhile, Jefferson has struggled to hit the ground running for the Rams. That could mean that the biggest beneficiary of this situation is actually TE Tyler Higbee.
Higbee came into this game on the back of a bad run, with three receptions from nine targets in the last three games. However, he saw eight targets this past week, six of which came in the second half and four after Kupp left the field hurt. Higbee caught all eight of his targets for 73 yards, reminding the Rams of his credentials as a potential safe pair of hands for this passing game.
This injury certainly appears to increase Higbee’s floor. Whether that be to make him a safe starting option in season-long leagues or a potential value option for Underdog Fantasy DFS or Best Ball contests going forward.
How Should Skowronek and Jefferson Be Prioritized This Week?
It’s really tough to know how to prioritize Skowronek and Jefferson on the Week 11 waiver wire. With Kupp set to miss time, both have the potential to see their values increase. Kupp has seen 10.9 targets per game, with Robinson the only other WR seeing more than five targets per game. Those 10.9 targets per game now should be distributed across the offense, but who ultimately benefits is tough to know.
Therefore, it’s hard to put either Skowronek or Jefferson over the likes of Parris Campbell and Donovan Peoples-Jones, who have demonstrated themselves to be reliable fantasy options in the past six weeks, assuming Matt Ryan remains the starter in Indianapolis for Campbell.
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Meanwhile, the upside for Christian Watson and Kadarius Toney is actually more intriguing than for either of the two Rams’ receivers. The same could be said for Nico Collins, who has seen an average of 5.71 targets per game, converting that into 3.29 receptions for 50.6 receiving yards per game. Collins also found the end zone for just the second time in his career this week upon his return from injury.
Therefore, Jefferson and Skowronek sit pretty low in the priority order this week. Still, with Kupp’s injury, both could be popular names on the waiver wire this week. If you’re going to chase them, then you need to be measured.
We have no real idea how this offense will shape out without Kupp. Therefore, restrict any FAAB offers to below 5%, unless you play in a very deep league, where I value both Jefferson and Skowronek much higher entering Week 11.
