Week 7 was a devastating week on the injury front. Several big players went down. As a result, fantasy managers are looking to the waiver wire to plug the holes in their rosters. One of those players could be Indianapolis Colts WR Parris Campbell, who is coming off the best game of his career. How much of a priority is Campbell for fantasy football managers to add off the waiver wire ahead of Week 8?
Parris Campbell Broke Out in Week 7
Campbell entered Sunday Night Football as the overall WR5 on the week, catching 10 of 12 targets for 70 yards and a touchdown. Typically, that alone would be enough to draw the attention of fantasy managers — especially for a post-hype player like Campbell. But it’s the underlying numbers that have me intrigued.
For starters, Campbell was right up there with Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce in snaps. Pittman played every snap, while Campbell played just one fewer. And Pierce just one fewer than him. Their routes run followed the same pattern (48-47-46).
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Perhaps most importantly, the Colts appear to have shifted their offensive philosophy. Matt Ryan is averaging 47 pass attempts per game over his last three. He’s been woefully inefficient, but volume is king in fantasy football. If Ryan is dropping back to pass that frequently, Campbell will have more opportunities to see targets.
This is now two consecutive games with double-digit targets for Campbell. While he’s scored in both, his fantasy-point total would’ve been very viable even without the touchdowns.
The question, of course, is whether Campbell can keep this up. Obviously, he won’t do this every week. But will he be a consistently reliable fantasy producer?
How Aggressively Should Fantasy Managers Pursue Campbell Off the Waiver Wire?
This is the challenge for fantasy managers this week. Campbell unquestionably needs to be added in a bunch of leagues. But do you absolutely need to get him? I’m not so sure.
I like Campbell as a prospect. He always flashed athleticism but was just never able to stay on the field. Injury concerns are not what pushes me away from Campbell. I’m just not sure if he will ever be a player you’re confident starting.
If you need a wide receiver to start immediately, Campbell has more than proven himself. At the very least, he won’t get you zero. Campbell’s performance has likely established a floor of at least around 3-30. I just don’t think I buy Campbell as a weekly startable WR3.
Wherever Campbell is out there, I would put in a FAAB bid on him. He just strikes me as the type of player I wouldn’t mind missing out on. My recommendation is bid what you think he is worth, and if you don’t get him, so be it. For me, that’s around 5-10% of my budget.
If your league still uses the continual rolling list waiver system, I would only put in a claim for Campbell if you really needed to start him over the next couple of weeks.