Welcome to our weekly fantasy dive into identifying those elusive flex starters who are primed to find the end zone. In the world of fantasy football, touchdowns are the ultimate currency, and we’re here to help you cash in. In this article, we’ll uncover a lineup of under-the-radar players who have the potential to not only score fantasy points, but also those coveted touchdowns as well.
Whether you’re looking for running backs, wide receivers, or tight ends, we’ve scoured the matchups to bring you the best candidates for your flex position. This week, get ready to uncover those hidden gems that could turn your fantasy team into a touchdown machine.
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Craig Reynolds – RB – Detroit Lions
David Montgomery suffered a thigh injury and is doubtful to play this week against the Atlanta Falcons. While Jahmyr Gibbs is likely to lead this backfield, Craig Reynolds is going to factor in more than people think. The Lions are still going to want to run the football, and Jahmyr Gibbs isn’t built to handle a heavy rushing workload.
Enter Reynolds, who will fill the early-down role that has seen Montgomery and Jamaal Williams score 19 rushing touchdowns since the start of last season. If the Lions get within the 10-yard line, a touchdown vulture from Reynolds could very well be in play.
Rashid Shaheed – WR – New Orleans Saints
Rashid Shaheed has become a popular sleeper this offseason, a significant part of the New Orleans Saints’ offense. He also ranks second in the NFL in yards per route run since the start of the 2022 season. He is the primary deep threat in the offense and has an impressive 15-percent target share on the season.
Rashid Shaheed ranks 7th in yards per route run since the start of 2022:
— SAL VETRI (@SalVetriDFS) September 19, 2023
With his propensity for the big play and Carr’s willingness to throw the deep ball (No. 5 in air yards per attempt), Shaheed has a great chance of finding the end zone this week against the Green Bay Packers.
Elijah Moore – WR – Cleveland Browns
Elijah Moore was in this article last week and once again finds himself here against the Tennessee Titans. The Tennessee Titans have one of the best rush defenses in the NFL, and Cleveland lost Nick Chubb for the season in week two. Furthermore, this season, Tennessee is No. 6 in the NFL in pass yards allowed per game. The Titans have a strong front seven but are weak in the secondary.
With Amari Cooper also dealing with shoulder and groin issues, he could be limited during the game, too. The Browns’ offense will be forced to throw, and Moore is the likely beneficiary. He is only two years removed from his rookie breakout that saw him record 28 receptions, 392 yards, and 5 touchdowns over a five-game stretch before falling to injury.
Sky Moore – WR – Kansas City Chiefs
The Bears have already given up strong passing performances to Baker Mayfield and Jordan Love in 2023. As a result, the Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiving corps is likely due for a much-needed bounce-back. The problem is picking which wide receiver to start because each has been far from consistent this season.
Enter Sky Moore, who had a bounce-back performance in week two against the Jaguars, finishing as a WR2 in fantasy leagues. Kadarius Toney is questionable this week, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling has a putrid 6.8-percent target rate this season. Moore is a high WR4 this week in fantasy rankings and the receiver most likely to score a touchdown.
Jayden Reed – WR – Green Bay Packers
This may seem like an obvious pick after Jayden Reed scored two touchdowns this past weekend. However, Reed is a strong play regardless of whether Christian Watson is in the lineup or not. Watson only managed a limited practice session Friday and has yet to make an appearance this season.
In his absence, Reed has garnered a 25-percent target share and looks to quickly be closing the gap between him and Romeo Doubs. Similar to Moore, Reed will be a WR4 if Watson plays but moves into my top 36 receivers if he’s absent.
Pat Freiermuth – TE – Pittsburgh Steelers
Pat Freiermuth has had a disastrous start to his 2023 fantasy football season. Besides a touchdown catch in week one, he has only accounted for two receptions and five yards through two games. The Pittsburgh passing offense has struggled, and that has translated to Freiermuth’s fantasy production.
Nonetheless, Freiermuth has gotten his work in the red zone, still tied for third among tight ends in red zone targets. He will also be taking on a bad Raiders’ defense that has surrendered 5 passing touchdowns already in 2023. Freiermuth is a borderline TE1 and flex option in deeper fantasy formats.
Cade Otton – TE – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After an impressive rookie season with Tom Brady at the helm, Cade Otton has continued his success into his sophomore season. He is No. 1 in the entire NFL in snap share among tight ends and is coming off an impressive week two performance. He caught six receptions for 41 yards on his way to a TE1 finish.
In week three, he will take on an Eagles defense that has been No. 31 in passing yards allowed and dead last in touchdowns given up. Furthermore, they’ve allowed 122 receiving yards and three touchdowns to the tight end position in two weeks. Otton is a streaming option and a deep league flex option, given his touchdown upside.
Hayden Hurst – TE – Carolina Panthers
After the Carolina struggled last week to gain any traction, Hayden Hurst will be back in the streaming conversation against the Seahawks. Seattle’s giving up 30.5 points per game and the 4th most passing yards in the NFL to opposing offenses. Hurst is one of the only reliable pass catchers on the Panthers as well.
As a result, he’s as good a bet as any tight end to find the end zone this week. It should be noted that Andy Dalton will get the start over Bryce Young this weekend. However, given Young’s inexperience and play so far, the passing game shouldn’t suffer.
