Getty Dallas Cowboys WR Cole Beasley
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley had a big-time game in the team’s Week 6 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. When the 40-7 victory had wrapped up, Beasley’s stat line featured nine catches on 11 targets for 101 yards and two touchdowns. He paced the Cowboys passing attack and totaled all but 82 of Dak Prescott’s passing yards.
The question now becomes, should fantasy football owners in need of some depth at wide receiver consider adding Beasley off the waiver wire? It’s somewhat of a loaded question, but the upside is certainly there.
Currently, Beasley is available in 91 percent of Yahoo! Sports fantasy leagues, which is both good news and also somewhat concerning. The fact that the Cowboys leading receiver is available almost everywhere shows just how woeful the team’s passing attack has been this year.
Is Cole Beasley Worth Adding off Waivers Ahead of Week 7?
While Beasley has 164 more yards than the next-closest Cowboys wide receiver, he’s still totaled just 294 yards through six games. The numbers aren’t terrible, but considering he picked up nearly one-third of the yards and both of his touchdowns this season last week, it’s not an ideal spot.
There has been some reason for optimism about Prescott’s new favorite receiver. He’s seen at least five targets in four of the six games while topping 46 yards in each of those spots. Those numbers aren’t superb, but they could make him a fine option as a bye-week filler if you really need someone.
On the flip side, another cause for concern is that Beasley played just 60 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in Week 5, per Football Outsiders. He also saw just 55 percent in Week 4 and prior to that, 72 percent the week before. Beasley’s snaps jump around quite a bit (although he was out there often against the Jaguars), but regardless of those numbers, it’s apparent he’s the best option through the air for Prescott and the Cowboys.
The final factor for deciding on a potential addition of Beasley is the matchup. Dallas will face the rival Washington Redskins on the road in Week 7. Unfortunately, the Redskins have been one of the better teams against opposing receivers, allowing just 47 receptions for 633 yards and five touchdowns.
Consensus: Adding Beasley in 14-team leagues is fine, while deep-roster 12-team leagues make sense as well.
Analysis: There’s certainly a world where Beasley posts another strong game against a solid defense, so I’m ok with him in some formats. But this week there are likely better options on the waiver wire in 10 and 12-team leagues.
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