Dynasty WR Sleeper: Ben Skowronek

[ZakHH]

I did not find a thread about Ben Skowronek, or even a post about him outside of some multi-player trade discussions. Which perfectly reflects the overall attention Ben Skowronek is getting: close to none.

In my eyes, that is a mistake.

Skowronek appeared on my radar last year already. Despite being only a late round selection, just a few picks away from becoming 2021's Mr. Irrelevant, the Rams started using him in the second half of the season, including the playoffs.

If a team has Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham Jr., Van Jefferson and Tyler Higbee available, but still targets a 7th round pick in key games, then it is safe to assume that they liked what they saw in practice. And if he gets 3 targets in the Super Bowl, it shows that they trust him.

This impression got stronger in 2022. He gets 4 targets per game now, so the Rams do want to get the ball in his hands. And Skowronek delivers, with a 75% catch rate and solid 11.7 yards per reception.

Allen Robinson looks like he is on his last legs. Van Jefferson is on IR. The stage appears set for Skowronek, who could establish himself as the team's #3 target behind Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee.

Of course, that won't elevate him into WR2 territory. But as a sleeper who could grow into a WR3/FLEX role, there are worse options who are traded much higher.

Skowronek reminds me of K.J. Osborn, who was also completely ignored by analysts, even after he started producing last year. Like Osborn was last year, Skowronek is still prominently absent from many analyst rankings, and is hardly rostered anywhere.

If you have a bench spot to spare, it would not be a mistake to add Skowronek now, before he has his first big game. I have him in both my dynasty leagues now, and intend to keep him for the moment, maybe even carry him over into 2023.

[Dynasty DeLorean]

Allen Robinson can’t be cut until 2024. Last legs or not they’ll be trotting him out there in a wheelchair if they have to for the next 2 years

[Jigga94]

No issue with a Sleeper call but 4 targets per game is going to dry up pretty quick once Van Jefferson is back I would think. And he had 5 in the SB so looks like he's trending down

You would like to see him doing more while Jefferson was out if he really wanted to seize the opportunity, right? These day 3 WR just don't get many opportunities before they are inevitably replaced. They brought in ARob and while it hasn't worked so far, he will be around for this year and next with Kupp. There's just not much room for upside and Skowronek looks like just another guy

[FantasyFreak]

Allen Robinson can’t be cut until 2024. Last legs or not they’ll be trotting him out there in a wheelchair if they have to for the next 2 years

Wheeling him out, you mean? Perhaps they could play him in the backfield, and have him run some wheel routes. It might work wheelie well. It could be wheels up for that offense. Of course, it could handicap the upside of their offense a bit, too if it doesn't pan out. Why is it called a wheelchair, anyways? Shouldn't it be wheels chair? There's more than one of them. A 1 wheel, wheel chair, now that would be entertaining.

I'm not sure I would have made it past sentence 2 on "the Gong Show".

[YouMightDieTryin]

Allen Robinson can’t be cut until 2024. Last legs or not they’ll be trotting him out there in a wheelchair if they have to for the next 2 years

Could be a potential trade candidate? I don't see him causing a stink about his role though. He's getting paid and having to do nothing for it. Golladay money at this point. Just unfortunate to fall so far.

[ZakHH]

You would like to see him doing more while Jefferson was out if he really wanted to seize the opportunity, right? These day 3 WR just don't get many opportunities before they are inevitably replaced.

True. But he got about as many opportunities as A-Rob, and arguable made more out of them. Something tells me they like Skowronek in L.A. I wouldn't be surprised to see his target share rising over the next 2-3 weeks.

There is no timeline for Jefferson's return yet, and even when he's medically cleared, he last practiced in July.

Of course, a late 7th round pick can vanish any time. But so far, I haven't seen much that would suggest Skowronek is destined for that fate.

I'm not suggesting to spend all your FAAB$ on him, or to drop a WR2 to make room for him on your bench. Stash Skowronek if you can, and monitor the situation around A-Rob and Jefferson. Should Skowronek outperform the former and sustain the return of the latter, you may have gotten a solid depth piece for free. If not, you haven't lost much.

But this could be the last week you can get him for free.

[Space Cowboy]

Peyton Manning has an account here?

[gpaok]

This thread was awesome, short, to the point, and made me laugh hard!

No spinning wheels with no point

[ZakHH]

Looks like everybody got a W in this thread. Some because they got a good laugh, others because they got a good depth piece.

I started Skowronek the first time today, in a redraft league no less, with a team that got badly hit by injuries and byes. And his 14.2 half-PPR points should help securing an unexpected W in that league.

Of course, unless you play in a really deep league, he's still a backup player. But as such, he worked like a charm today, and even comes with a better floor than some fantasy starters, at least for the moment.

I'd be very surprised if he didn't start showing up on waiver pickup recommendation lists after this week, even though he has a BYE coming up now. After that BYE, Van Jefferson may (or may not) be back, which would become Skowronek's litmus test for the rest of the season. I wouldn't be surprised if he passes it.

[Suiken]

I was offered a 2023 3rd round for him and I'm thinking of taking it. I'm not a serious contender this year. Thoughts?

[ZakHH]

That's fair value for him.

There is a chance his stock will be rising with Cooper Kupp out of the picture. Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson will draw the main defensive attention, which could open some doors for Skowronek. I don't expect a big increase in volume, though. Maybe an increase in TD opportunities, though.

But even as a Skowronek believer, I don't see a scenario where anybody would pay you a 2nd for him. Much as I like him, but I would probably take that offer myself.

[halfbaked88]

If you ever get the chance. You take the 3rd for Skowronek and never look back. He was traded for Chase Edmonds in one of my leagues.

Funny you get the feeling the Rams like him when for the last couple years, at any given chance, if they find a dollar in their jeans pockets on laundry day, or some spare change in the couch, they always seem to make their first priority going out and getting other WRs. Clearly, Skowronek ain't it.

He's just a team roster depth piece. He gets targets because he's "there." He's got 2 years left on his rookie deal so there's that.... Kinda sounds like a roster clogger to me. He's like the guy at work that gets paid 5 dollars less than everyone, but you know he's not going anywhere because it's cheap labor. Somebody's gotta break down the cardboard boxes. Much better WRs have been taken in the back and shot on NFL draft day. It's not uncommon to spend a 3rd or 4th round pick on a rookie WR and then you never hear from these guys again. Sorry Ben....

[ZakHH]

Skowronek saw 4.3 targets per game so far. And that was with Cooper Kupp in the lineup.

Here's a selection of WRs with a similar target count in the games they played:
Rashod Bateman
Alec Pierce
Darius Slayton
Jahan Dotson
Treylon Burks
Mecole Hardman
Julio Jones

I'm still not saying that Skowronek is as good (or even better) than any of these WRs. I never sold him as the up-and-coming star WR in this thread. But he is a solid depth piece who is still available on most waiver wires, even now that Cooper Kupp will miss some time.

Again: if I was offered a 2023 3rd for him, I'd take the offer. But without knowing your roster(s), I'd bet $5 that, as long as the league offers at least 24 slots (not counting IDP), I'll find players on there that I'd replace with Skowronek without even thinking twice.

There are always NFL players who are undervalued in fantasy. People still won't pay RB1 prices for Austin Ekeler, even though he's playing his second top 3 season in a row now. Jakobi Meyers is another player whom I have in every single league I play, and will never trade him. Not because he's irreplaceable, but because I know I will never get a serious offer for him.

Last year, it was K.J. Osborn, who was prominently absent from many a dynasty ranking, despite finishing the season in low-end WR3 territory. And he was (and still is) young and sits behind an ageing star with a dwindling volume. Yet the fantasy world chose to ignore him and rather chased ageing players with impressive injury histories, just because they played that one good season 4 years ago.

I won't complain. The more players like Skowronek get ignored, the easier it is for me to scoop them up in my leagues, while other owners complain that Julio Jones will again not win them a fantasy title this year, and put him on the trading block for a 2023 2nd (but only early ones please).

[halfbaked88]

If his ceiling is a 3rd then I don't know what the claim is. If he's in your starting Line-Up you're not a real contender. If you're stashing for a 3rd and you can't get it right now then it's kinda over.

Kupp is out. Arob is underperforming. Van Jefferson is healing.... That WR room is open..... Zero run game i.e. should be passing more garbage time targets, etc

I suppose the flipside to this coin is: what if you're looking at peak value? Perhaps his highest value is today. And today, nobody wants him. That's a roster clogger my friend. My dynasty compass says get your 3rd or get out. He's droppable for me for a RB that might net you a 3rd with an injury ahead of him.

[ZakHH]

It seems you're only playing shallow leagues. In those formats, Skowronek is hardly an option.

But most dynasties I know (and certainly the ones I play) are deeper formats. In my main dynasty (12 teams, 10 starters, 15 bench, 10 reserve spots), 118 WRs are rostered right now. In my other one (12 teams, 9 starters, 11 bench, 4 reserve spots), it's still 105.

So you try to tell me there's 100 better fantasy WRs than Skowronek? Come on, man!

Skowronek is a depth piece, and I never sold him as anything else in this thread. But he is a good one, and he is completely ignored in the fantasy world.

I started him as a desparation play in week 6, when BYEs and injuries hit me hard. He rewarded me with 14.2 half PPR points and helped me secure a shallow W.

He is once again startable as a depth / flex option this week, now that Stafford has been cleared. And while I have Slayton and Pickens ranked higher for my FLEX spot, it's still good to know I have Skowronek as an option, in case one of my other WRs is not available. I'm already missing Chase and Waddle.

If you play in a league that has 250+ players rostered, and your team consists only of players that represent 1st and 2nd round value, then this is actually bad news. Because it means at least half of the owners in your league are clueless.

In reality, you need depth pieces. You may not need them often, some maybe not at all. But when you need them, you have to be sure they'll score at least a few points for you. Skowronek is such a player. He gets 4-5 targets every week, and as long as his QB isn't named John Wolford, he usually catches most of them. And now, his target count could even rise to 6-8.

So tell me, who is that mystery player you keep referring to, who has a better ROS outlook and is still available on most waiver wires? You gotta have at least one or two names there for me, and I would really love to hear them.