IAN'S WAIVER WIRE PICKUP - WEEK 3
Mike Davis - Carolina Panthers RB
Twister is a 1996 movie starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt as storm chasers trying to use science to better predict when, where, and how destructive tornados will be. Clearly this movie was based in fallacy because we had no early warning or knowledge of the storm that was upon us for week 2 of the NFL season. I mean, you could maybe say the general aura of 2020 was the warning and that after 9 months of this hellscape we should have known to never hold onto hope again. Much like Twister, which is a pretty decent movie if you’re bored. You should watch it. All we can see is this path of destruction left where promise and hope once lay. Saquon is gone, Courtland Sutton is gone, and Christian McCaffrey is gone for at least 4 weeks, but what must every strong fantasy manager do in times like this? We must rebuild. Take a step back, lick our wounds and start making moves to help recover from the huge holes week 2 left in not only our teams but in our hearts. A small piece that I believe is surely to help even just a little bit comes in the form of Mike Davis.
Mike Davis, in the running game, was a non factor this past week with only 1 carry for 1 yard, but that is to be expected when being the backup for CMC. Mike Davis stats before CMC was injured were 1 rush for 1 yard and 1 reception for 4 yards, Mike Davis stats once CMC was out were 0 rushes and 7 receptions for 70 yards, all in just the 4th quarter. The rushing attempts come as no surprise as it was the 4th quarter in a losing battle, so they abandoned the run. Davis sees his value in PPR leagues and will most likely see lots of his fantasy value come during garbage time, and for Carolina this year, there will be plenty of garbage time especially with the loss of their All-Pro running back. The reason Mike Davis has this PPR value and only saw 7 targets in the last 12 minutes of the game alone was due to 2 additional targets that were negated by penalty. Teddy Dripwater, as James, our podcast host, likes to put, throws the ball what seems like max 10 yards down the field. He lives and dies by the short passing game which just so happens to be where Mike Davis resides.
To me, with the absence of CMC, Mike Davis has immediate flex potential and should be at least rostered in most leagues. He is a good option to look for if your team was affected by this weeks injury storm. The Panthers are going against a very good defensive front in the Chargers this Sunday, so I wouldn’t expect brilliance from Davis rushing the ball. However, the Chargers still have no problem allowing the backfield to eat in the receiving game. Pick him up.
