SFLEX: Start Mecole Hardman or Case Keenum?

Start/Sit
1

Half PPR SFLEX league. 7 of my 10 regular starters are on BYE, including Justin Herbert, so it’s desperation time this week.

My QB3 is Jordan Love, who isn’t startable yet. But, on the news that Baker Mayfield has been ruled out for TNF, I just added Case Keenum off the waiver wire.

He will start tomorrow, but do I want to start him? The Browns are crippled by injuries, and they play against a stout Denver defense.

So do I really want to start Case Keenum on the SFLEX position?
Or do I go with Mecole Hardman, who has a solid matchup against the Titans, and should provide a floor of around 6 FFP in half PPR.

My opponent is struggling himself. I am 8 FFP ahead in projections, which can shift either way, depending on the status of Trey Lance and Antonio Gibson on his roster.

2

A run-first team with a backup QB? I think I’d take my chances with Mecole.

3

A run-first team without running backs, though. And while Keenum is not a great QB by any means, he’s not completely terrible, either. Plus, the Browns will play from behind most of the time.

My evaluation (floor / ceiling):
Keenum: 0 / 18
Hardman: 5 / 11

4

The floor for Keenum could even be negative if he plays poorly enough.

5

He did, last time I started him. Week 4 in 2019. -0.15 FFP… Lost my matchup for starting him over Gardner Minshew.

I’m sure Keenum will do everything to repay me for that mishap. :sweat_smile:

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6

Good that I started Case Keenum.
(Things I thought I’d never say again in my life :sweat_smile: )

The only problem: my opponent this week started D’Ernest Johnson. :scream:

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7

Keenum just BARELY beat the top end for Hardman. Don’t have your victory parade yet. KC has Tennessee next, and the Titans give up THE MOST points to the WR position. Look at last week vs. Buffalo:

  1. Diggs: 19.4
  2. Beasley: 18.3
  3. Sanders: 11.6

Good luck.

8

I do expect the top 3 KC WRs to put up similar numbers this week. If only I could be sure that Hardman will be one of those 3, and the list won’t ready Tyreek Hill, Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle.

But Hardman isn’t out of the race yet. I still have each 1 RB, WR and FLEX spot to man. The candidates are:

Damien Harris
Michael Carter
Myles Gaskin
Jakobi Meyers
Mecole Hardman

I usually don’t start Harris and Meyers in the same week, but will probably do it this week. Gaskin is too erratic to feel comfortable with him.

That would leave the decision whom to start in the FLEX spot: Carter or Hardman? Carter has been trending up, and could show a breakout performance now after the BYE. But the matchup isn’t ideal for an RB, so I am leaning towards Hardman here.

I’m certainly not having a victory parade yet, especially since I fell behind thanks to Johnson’s stellar perfomance. But Keenum gave me 14.65 FFP, and I’ll gladly take that from a desperation FLEX starter.

9

You’re right about Carter. I knew he’d be good, and he keeps showing me more every week. He’s my pick until he has an off week.

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10

You know what? I’ll start Harris, Carter and Hardman, and bench Gaskin and Meyers. I’m also doing Jakobi a huge favor there, because me benching him certainly means he’ll finally catch his first TD on Sunday. :sweat_smile:

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