NUVI Alumni 2026
Team Whitehead · 4 points, 6th in the standings (a three-way tie at 4, broken on points for) · 2–2 with two top-five weeks · $83 FAAB remaining · waiver priority 5th of 10 · roster full at 14/14 + 1 IR · Week 5 vs. Cee Deez Nuts (1–3, 3 points)
Through Week 4 · one point for winning your matchup, one point for finishing in the weekly top five · ties broken by total points for · Breaking Burrow is now called Shough Stopper
| # | Team | Pts | Record | Top 5 | Points For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team Jensen | 8 | 4–0 | 4 | 492.88 |
| 2 | Shough Stopper | 7 | 4–0 | 3 | 540.68 |
| 3 | Team Carvalho | 5 | 3–1 | 2 | 479.14 |
| 4 | His Airdness | 4 | 2–2 | 2 | 480.72 |
| 5 | Team Lackey | 4 | 2–2 | 2 | 463.90 |
| 6 | Team Whitehead | 4 | 2–2 | 2 | 425.96 |
| 7 | Cee Deez Nuts | 3 | 1–3 | 2 | 465.80 |
| 8 | Team Stowell | 3 | 2–2 | 1 | 433.90 |
| 9 | Team Carnahan | 2 | 0–4 | 2 | 449.18 |
| 10 | Bijan Mustard | 0 | 0–4 | 0 | 380.30 |
| Team | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Jensen | W T5 132.16 | W T5 110.80 | W T5 137.44 | W T5 112.48 | 8 |
| Shough Stopper | W 108.96 | W T5 124.88 | W T5 133.90 | W T5 172.94 | 7 |
| Team Carvalho | W T5 153.00 | W 108.70 | — 88.86 | W T5 128.58 | 5 |
| His Airdness | W T5 150.12 | — 98.66 | — 101.04 | W T5 130.90 | 4 |
| Team Lackey | — 86.98 | W T5 143.20 | W T5 136.74 | — 96.98 | 4 |
| Team Whitehead | T5 118.06 | W T5 114.22 | — 84.26 | W 109.42 | 4 |
| Cee Deez Nuts | — 114.20 | T5 109.02 | W T5 134.20 | — 108.38 | 3 |
| Team Stowell | W 110.10 | — 100.36 | W T5 125.84 | — 97.60 | 3 |
| Team Carnahan | T5 129.52 | — 94.82 | — 100.36 | T5 124.48 | 2 |
| Bijan Mustard | — 81.32 | — 85.88 | — 102.84 | — 110.26 | 0 |
W matchup win · T5 top-five scoring week · score shown beneath
Team Jensen has taken all eight available points. They are 4–0 with four top-five weeks, and they got the last one with the smallest margin possible: 112.48, the exact cut-line score. Jensen does not have the league's best offense. They have the most reliable one. They have scored between 110 and 138 every week, and in this format that range is enough to win every point.
Shough Stopper has the most powerful roster. Their 172.94 in Week 4 is the highest score of the season by almost 20 points. They also lead the league in points for (540.68), 48 points ahead of anyone else. They trail Jensen by one point only because of their Week 1 score of 108.96. The two unbeaten teams have not played yet.
Week 4 shows why the cut line is the number to watch. Bijan Mustard scored 110.26 and missed the top five by 2.22 points. Team Whitehead scored 109.42 and missed by 3.06. For both teams, one better lineup decision would have been worth a full standings point. Bijan Mustard is still at zero points after four weeks. Their score has gone up every week: 81, 86, 103, 110.
Points are spread across the middle of the table. Three teams are tied at 4 points: His Airdness, Team Lackey and Team Whitehead, each 2–2 with two top-five weeks. Cee Deez Nuts and Team Stowell are one point behind them. Team Carnahan is 0–4 but has two top-five finishes. That has earned them two points from an 0–4 record. In this format, losing to the week's highest scorer still leaves a team one point available.
Scoring format note: through Week 9, every team plays every other team once and both points are live (matchup win plus top five, maximum two per week). From Week 10 the matchups stop counting and each weekly top-five finish earns two points.
Generated Tuesday, October 6, 2026, about 3:15pm MT · all Week 4 games final · league data pulled live from the ESPN API · the whole pool is on waivers until claims process Wednesday, October 7, at about 1:00am MT
Barkley is hurt, and so is his backup. Barkley strained his hamstring on his second carry Sunday and did not return. Ian Rapoport says it "does not seem to be overly serious," and Philadelphia is calling it week-to-week. Nick Sirianni will give an update Wednesday. Footballguys projects a Week 7 return. The team's Week 4 rushing leader, Tank Bigsby (the player Justin dropped last week), needs core-muscle surgery and is headed to IR. Philadelphia plays Jacksonville in London this week with Shipley and practice-squad backs (Dameon Pierce, Carson Steele, Jaydon Blue).
Justin scored 109.42 and beat Team Stowell (97.60), but finished seventh and missed the top five by 3.06. The starting lineup lost 25 points to injuries: McLaurin was inactive (0.0) and Barkley left early (2.0). The best possible lineup from this roster would have scored about 140.
| Player | Pos | Bye | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Status and Week 4 usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen | QB | 7 | 17.5 | 18.5 | Healthy. The knee bruise is no longer an issue. He plays the Rams at home. |
| Jonathan Taylor | RB | 13 | 9.2 | 22.7 | Back to normal production against Washington in London. He plays Pittsburgh at home. |
| Saquon Barkley | RB | 10 | 9.0 | 2.0 | Questionable Hamstring injury on his second carry. Week-to-week. Sirianni will give an update Wednesday. Footballguys projects a Week 7 return, so assume he misses this week and next. |
| Keaton Mitchell | RB | 7 | 13.7 | 11.3 | He played the most snaps of the Chargers' three backs for the first time: 26 snaps and 15 touches, against 11 for Omarion Hampton. Harbaugh endorsed a committee. With Barkley out, Mitchell is the RB2 this week. Note that the Chargers are another Week 7 bye. |
| J.K. Dobbins | RB | 10 | 6.3 | 7.2 | Watch 21 snaps and 11 carries for 40 yards. RJ Harvey played 29 snaps and caught 10 passes for 68 yards. Harvey is taking over the role, and Jonah Coleman is eligible to return from IR in Week 7. Dobbins is a FLEX option only. |
| Rachaad White | RB | 7 | 11.1 | — | Questionable Shoulder injury; he missed Week 4. Dan Quinn expects him to practice this week, with a chance to play against the Giants. Croskey-Merritt handled the early-down carries without him, and Ekeler played about a quarter of the snaps. |
| Terry McLaurin | WR | 7 | 19.7 | 0.0 | Questionable He was added to Friday's injury report with a hamstring injury. He "pushed to play" and was declared inactive anyway. His Wednesday practice status is undecided. Jayden Daniels (elbow) is expected to practice fully and start against the Giants, which raises McLaurin's ceiling if he plays. |
| Zay Flowers | WR | 13 | 15.4 | 25.8 | Back to a full workload and Justin's top scorer of the week. Lamar Jackson (ankle) may miss time, with Tyler Huntley as the backup. That is the risk for Flowers's value. |
| Jameson Williams | WR | 6 | 8.9 | 16.2 | His best game of the season. He plays Arizona this week, then has his bye in Week 6. |
| Rome Odunze | WR | 10 | 7.4 | 15.4 | 6 catches on 7 targets for 94 yards, a season high, in Tyson Bagent's first start. He led Chicago's receivers in targets. Bagent starts again against Green Bay. |
| KC Concepcion | WR | 11 | 2.9 | 11.4 | 5 catches on 8 targets for 64 yards. He ran a route on 100% of dropbacks and led Cleveland in routes and targets. His share of routes has risen every week: 57%, 74%, 90%, 100%. He was last week's drop candidate, but he has earned a roster spot. |
| Brian Thomas Jr. | WR | 7 | 1.8 | 9.7 | Drop 38 snaps, third among Jacksonville's receivers behind Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers. He caught 2 passes for 17 yards and a touchdown. Liam Coen says Jacksonville's two-tight-end sets keep him off the field. He has not been in Justin's starting lineup in two weeks, and his bye is in Week 7. |
| George Kittle | TE | 8 | 26.2 | 17.0 | Healthy and productive. |
| Mark Andrews | TE | 13 | 5.4 | 13.7 | The hand injury did not limit him. He covers Kittle's bye in Week 8. |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 8 | — | — | IR Schefter (October 5): "still weeks away." New Orleans' bye is in Week 8. Week 9 against Cleveland is the realistic target. |
Week 7 now takes five players: Josh Allen, Terry McLaurin, Brian Thomas Jr., Rachaad White and Keaton Mitchell (the Chargers also have their bye that week). Dropping Thomas reduces that to four. If Barkley is not back by Week 7, the running backs that week would be Taylor, Dobbins and whoever covers for Barkley. That is a second reason to want Shipley. The quarterback plan is unchanged: stream a free quarterback that week. Week 6 takes only Jameson Williams. Week 10 takes Barkley, Dobbins and Odunze. If Shipley is added, he would be a fourth Week 10 bye.
The September 30 run broke every price record in the league:
| Date | Team | Player | Bid | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30 | Team Carvalho | Braelon Allen (RB) | $51 | Handcuff for Carvalho's own Breece Hall. His Airdness lost at $30, their first claim ever. Justin bid $6. |
| Sep 30 | Bijan Mustard | Ollie Gordon II (RB) | $17 | Beat Justin's $11. |
| Sep 30 | Bijan Mustard | Sam Darnold (QB) | $12 | |
| Sep 30 | Bijan Mustard | Kenyon Sadiq (TE) | $10 | Beat Carvalho's $1. |
| Sep 30 | Team Carnahan | C.J. Stroud (QB) | $3 | |
| Sep 30 | Bijan Mustard | Kalif Raymond (WR) | $1 | |
| Sep 30 | Team Jensen | Emmett Johnson (RB) | $1 | |
| Oct 2 | Team Stowell | Colston Loveland (TE) | $1 | Mid-week drop by Carvalho, claimed on the 24-hour window. |
Price read: the consensus #1 running-back add has now gone for $12, then $17, then $51. Unhyped depth players still go for $0–3. Since the September 30 run, all the activity has been $0 free-agent adds: Jaylen Wright, Kendre Miller, Emanuel Wilson, Brian Robinson Jr., Darren Waller and Joe Mixon. Total league spend is $179 of $1,000. Carvalho ($33 left) and Bijan Mustard ($37 left) have spent two-thirds of their budgets. Every other team has $83 or more. Cee Deez Nuts and Team Lackey have still never won a claim, and His Airdness has bid once, $30 on Allen.
Waiver priority (1→10): Cee Deez Nuts, His Airdness, Team Lackey, Shough Stopper, Team Whitehead, Team Carvalho, Team Carnahan, Team Jensen, Bijan Mustard, Team Stowell. Justin moved up to 5th. On equal bids he now beats Carvalho, Carnahan, Jensen, Bijan Mustard and Stowell, which includes the league's two biggest spenders.
The same rule applies: a team is a threat only if it has an acute need and has shown it will pay. This week that is two teams, and possibly a third.
| Team | FAAB | Priority | Running-back situation | Threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| His Airdness | $100 | 2 | Kyren Williams, Javonte Williams, Woody Marks and Kendre Miller, with Conner on IR. Has depth but no clear starter. | High. Bid $30 on the last #1 running back, has a full budget, and wins ties against Justin. |
| Bijan Mustard | $37 | 9 | Bijan, Judkins and Gordon, with Charbonnet on IR. No real need. | Medium-high. Bids on the consensus #1 add by habit ($12, $17). Can spend at most $37. Loses ties to Justin. |
| Team Stowell | $98 | 10 | McCaffrey and Corum. Jacobs is on the exempt list, Etienne and Brooks are on IR, and Mixon just joined Seattle as a backup. | Medium. The most urgent running-back need in the league and a full budget, but has never bid more than $6. Loses ties to Justin. |
| Team Carvalho | $33 | 6 | Seven running backs. | Low on need. They did pay $51 last week. Loses ties to Justin. |
| Everyone else | $89–100 | — | Lackey (Monangai thumb, day-to-day), Shough Stopper (Love ankle), Jensen, Carnahan and Cee Deez Nuts are all covered. | Low. Cee Deez Nuts and Lackey have never won a claim. |
Conviction: medium-high on the player, medium on the price. 0.8% rostered on ESPN · FantasyPros' #1 priority add this week ($12 true value, $25 if desperate) · CBS suggests 10% · PHI bye Week 10 · Week 5 vs. JAX (London), Week 6 and beyond depend on Barkley
Other managers see Shipley as a one- or two-week fill-in. For Justin he has three uses. This week, he is the lead back on an Eagles offense whose running back has been a top-tier fantasy producer. Justin's alternatives at RB2 and FLEX are a Chargers committee back and a Denver back losing his role. In Week 7, with Mitchell and White on bye, he may be needed even if Barkley is back. For the rest of the season, he is the handcuff for a 29-year-old with a hamstring injury, on the team whose running back matters most in fantasy. When Barkley returns, Shipley's value drops to near zero for everyone except Barkley's owner.
Why $19: it beats every running-back bid in league history except the Braelon Allen bidding war. It is $2 above Bijan's Gordon bid, and Justin wins ties against Bijan and Stowell anyway. It does not chase His Airdness to $30, the price of a long-term starter. If His Airdness pays $30 or more, let Shipley go. Justin would keep $83 for a later week. The fallback is free on Wednesday: Austin Ekeler or Tyler Allgeier for this week, and Dameon Pierce if Philadelphia promotes him.
The risk: Philadelphia could split the work with a practice-squad back or trade for a veteran. Shipley has never been a starter. He also loses most of his value the week Barkley returns. $19 is a premium for insurance, and Justin is the one manager who gets the full benefit of that insurance.
The drop: Thomas has been benched for two weeks running and is Jacksonville's third receiver in their two-tight-end sets. He is also one of the five Week 7 byes. Justin's other receivers (Flowers, Williams, McLaurin, Odunze and Concepcion) are all playing more than he is right now. When Tyson returns around Week 9, one more receiver will have to go anyway.
Conviction: medium. 29.2% rostered · dropped by Team Stowell on October 5 · CBS's headline add · Drew Rosenhaus expects him to sign "this week," with Kansas City the likely landing spot
If he signs with Kansas City, Hill has a real ceiling. The Chiefs have lost Rashee Rice for now and Tyquan Thornton for the season. But he is 32, coming back from a 2025 knee injury, has no team yet, and Kansas City is on bye this week. The earliest he could help is Week 6, and his role would be uncertain. Justin's receivers are not the problem, and paying FAAB for a sixth receiver means outbidding the national hype. If he goes unclaimed, adding him for free on Wednesday in place of Concepcion would be reasonable. Bidding is not worth it.
Conviction: medium. 4.3% rostered · 6 catches for 116 yards and a TD with DJ Moore out
DJ Moore's shoulder (AC joint) is not a long-term injury, and Buffalo plays the Rams on Monday night. Coleman is a one-week start with a short-term role, and Justin has five starting-caliber receivers. Bijan Mustard is the most likely bidder.
Conviction: medium. 21 snaps to Harvey's 29 in Week 4
Dobbins is losing playing time, and Coleman's return in Week 7 will cut into it further. He still gets the early-down carries in a decent offense, though. With Barkley hurt and two other backs on bye in Week 7, Justin needs every running back who has a role. He becomes a drop when Barkley is healthy again.
Every player in the pool is on waivers until about 1:00am MT Wednesday. After that, any player not claimed is a $0 add. Bijan Mustard has been adding free agents between about 6:30 and 10:00am Wednesday mornings. Add anyone you want before then.
| Player | Pos | Rostered | Why he is likely free, and whether to care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Ekeler | RB | 2.2% | Back from an Achilles tear and played about a quarter of Washington's snaps in Week 4 as the relief and third-down back. This is the Shipley fallback for PPR. He is limited if White returns, and Washington also has its bye in Week 7. |
| Tyler Allgeier | RB | 28.1% | Played 36 snaps to Jeremiyah Love's 30, with Love's ankle being managed. He scored 12.9. A Week 7 option (Arizona's bye is Week 14). |
| Kaleb Johnson | RB | 6.1% | Josh Jacobs is on the Commissioner's Exempt List and faces a possible suspension of up to eight games. Johnson splits Green Bay's work with Chris Brooks. |
| Kirk Cousins / Aaron Rodgers | QB | 6.5–16.9% | Not needed now. These are the early candidates to stream for Week 7. Cousins has three straight games over 20 points. Rodgers has scored 22+ twice in a row. Pick the one with the better Week 7 matchup in that week's report. |
| Tre' Harris | WR | 5.7% | Played 93% of the snaps with Ladd McConkey week-to-week (foot). Only needed if McLaurin is ruled out and another receiver gets hurt. |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 9.6% | Touchdowns in three of four games, and Cincinnati's receivers are hurt. Justin has two tight ends, so this is information, not a recommendation. |
Consensus names that are already rostered in this league: Emanuel Wilson (Carvalho, a $0 add on October 3 before his 27-point game), Zach Charbonnet (Bijan Mustard, IR), Kendre Miller (His Airdness), Romeo Doubs (Stowell), Jacory Croskey-Merritt (Cee Deez Nuts).
Avoid: Tyquan Thornton (28.1 points, then a dislocated ankle, out 12–16 weeks), De'Von Achane (torn ACL, out for the season, so not worth an IR stash), Jadarian Price (chest injury, on IR until at least November 2), Isiah Pacheco (back surgery, possibly out until December), and Bo Nix (CBS now lists him as a drop).
Generated Thursday, October 8, 2026, about 2:45pm MT · before Thursday Night Football (Buccaneers at Cowboys, 6:15pm MT) · lineup, projections, schedule and transactions pulled live from the ESPN API · Wednesday and Thursday practice reports · lines as of October 8
How Shipley got here. Justin didn't place the $19 bid. Bijan Mustard won Shipley at $8 in the overnight run, then dropped him at about 9:00am Wednesday to add another player. Justin picked him up for free at 3:08pm, dropping Brian Thomas Jr. Earlier Wednesday morning, Keaton Mitchell was dropped for Tank Bigsby, and Bigsby (headed to IR) was then swapped for Malik Washington (MIA). Justin got the insurance this report wanted for $0, and he still has $83 in FAAB. The cost is Mitchell, a Week 7 bye, which no longer matters.
| Slot | Now | Recommended | Game (MT) | ESPN proj | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Josh Allen | Josh Allen | @ LAR, Mon 6:15pm | 19.9 | Total 54.5, tied for the highest of the week. Bills implied 25.75. |
| RB | Jonathan Taylor | Jonathan Taylor | @ PIT, Sun 11:00am | 18.9 | Locked in. |
| RB | J.K. Dobbins | Will Shipley | @ JAX (London), Sun 7:30am | 10.2 | Change Lead back, about a 50%+ rushing share plus the passing-down role. |
| WR | Zay Flowers | Zay Flowers | @ ATL, Sun 6:20pm | 14.0 | Questionable. Limited Wednesday. Tyler Huntley is likely at QB. |
| WR | Jameson Williams | Jameson Williams | @ ARI, Sun 2:25pm | 10.9 | Detroit's implied total is 30.0, the highest of the week. Ceiling start. |
| TE | George Kittle | George Kittle | @ SEA, Sun 2:25pm | 13.7 | Locked in. |
| FLEX | Terry McLaurin | KC Concepcion | @ NYJ, Sun 11:00am | 10.5 | Change Runs a route on 100% of dropbacks, and his 22.6% target share leads Cleveland. |
| FLEX | Rome Odunze | Rome Odunze | @ GB, Sun 11:00am | 10.9 | Led the Bears in targets with Bagent at QB. Chicago is implied for about 22–24 points. |
Bench: Saquon Barkley (out in all but name), Terry McLaurin, J.K. Dobbins, Malik Washington, Rachaad White, Mark Andrews · IR: Jordyn Tyson · Cee Deez Nuts' starters project to 120.7 on ESPN. Justin's recommended lineup projects to about 109 on ESPN, which I think undersells Shipley. This matchup is winnable, but Justin starts it as the underdog.
DNP Wednesday · DNP Thursday · hamstring · Washington vs. Giants, Sun 11:00am
Two missed practices in a row, the same hamstring injury, and Stefon Diggs is also out with a hamstring. Washington has every reason to be careful with McLaurin. Even if he is somehow cleared Friday, a receiver coming off a hamstring injury who hasn't practiced is a risky start. I wouldn't put him above Concepcion even if he plays, and benching him costs nothing. ESPN's 13.2 projection still assumes he plays. Ignore it.
Concepcion 10.5 · Washington 11.1 · White 8.0 (ESPN projections)
This is close, and ESPN slightly prefers Washington. I'm going with Concepcion because of his role. He has run a route on every dropback, leads Cleveland in targets and first reads, and is tied for the team lead in red-zone targets. Washington does lead Miami in routes, targets and yards. But he plays in a Dolphins offense implied for 18 points as a 6.5-point home underdog, and that offense has thrown the ball very little. White returned to practice limited on Wednesday, but he is splitting the work with Croskey-Merritt and Ekeler. A third-string RB role in a 19–23 point offense is not a FLEX start. If Concepcion shows up on Friday's injury report, start Washington instead. Both play at 11:00am.
Shipley: Philadelphia +7.5, implied 17.0 in London · Dobbins: Denver −3.5 at the Chargers, implied 23.0
The game script is a concern for Shipley. Philadelphia is a 7.5-point underdog against a good Jacksonville run defense, and its implied total is only 17. But he is the only experienced back on the active roster, and he catches passes, which matters if the Eagles fall behind. Fifteen or more touches is a reasonable expectation. Dobbins played 31% of the snaps in Week 4 with almost no route share, RJ Harvey is the receiving back, and the Chargers' run defense is a tough matchup. Dobbins needs a touchdown to beat Shipley's floor. Shipley does not need one to beat Dobbins.