We are now through two weeks of the XFL season, and we did get a little more clarity of who are the playmakers in this league. A few of the teams are really struggling on offense, but more than half the league appears to be putting a pretty decent product on the field. Even if you have dropped your first two matchups in your XFL fantasy leagues, there is still time to get back in it with a few decent roster moves. Below are the players that could be available in your league and help you as we get near the mid-point of the season.
DeAndre Thompkins, WR, D.C. Defenders. He missed the first week of the XFL season with a foot injury, but certainly popped in Week 2 as he had six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. Thompkins also led the team with nine targets. It will be curious to see if he can keep this up because he is on a team with some talent at wide receiver with Eli Rogers and Rashad Ross. However, he is also on a team with one of the best quarterbacks in the XFL and it appears that the Defenders are going to be putting up solid point totals each week. Thompkins had just 83 catches and six touchdowns in four seasons at Penn State, but he does have a ton of speed that could translate well in the XFL.
Reece Horn, WR, Tampa Bay Vipers. He was mentioned in this column last week, but continues to at least have some impact on the game. He had three catches for 42 in the first game, but then led the team with eight targets in last week’s game. Horn turned that into five catches for 51 yards. The biggest problem with Horn is the quarterback play through two weeks. The Vipers are yet to have an offensive touchdown, and they can’t seem to find a quarterback that they are comfortable with. Horn has great hands and is not afraid to go over the middle. You have to hope that the offense settles in and starts to score, and Horn could have more of an impact going forward.
Keenan Reynolds, WR, Seattle Dragons. The former quarterback at Navy looked to be one of the more exciting playmakers in the XFL coming into the season, but struggled in the opening game with just two catches for five yards. However, he had seven targets in that game, and he was close to making a few plays. Well, Reynolds made the big play this past week and finished with three catches for 87 yards, including a 67 yard touchdown. He had eight targets in Week 2, and the next closest receiver had just four. The issue with Reynolds is the quarterback play as Brandon Silvers is just not very good. The long touchdown was a perfect pass, but there aren’t many of those coming in Seattle. Reynolds has big play capabilities, and can take a short pass for a big gain. It is just a matter of if he can get the ball delivered to him.
Donnel Pumphrey, RB, D.C. Defenders. While he was on the short end of the committee in Week 1 with Jhurell Pressley, Pumphrey had one more carry than his teammate in Week 2. Pumphrey also brings the extra element of being a solid pass catcher out of the backfield. He has just four catches in two weeks, but he has been targeted eight times. He had a storied career at San Diego State with nearly 7,500 all purpose yards and 67 touchdowns in four years. He is a smaller guy at 5’9” and just 180 pounds, but he is incredibly shifty and agile. If the Defenders continue to give him touches, he will certainly produce.
Trey Williams, RB, Seattle Dragons. He was mentioned last week as well, and had even more chances in the second game. Williams has shown a good deal of explosiveness early in the XFL season, but is in a committee with Kenneth Farrow and Ja’Quon Gardner. While Williams had catches in the first week and not many carries, he led the team in carries by one in Week 2, but only had one catch. He hasn’t scored many points so far this season, but he appears to be close to having a big game.
Joshua Crockett, WR, Dallas Renegades. It wasn’t a huge game for Crockett, as he only had two targets, but he did catch them both for 57 total yards. The Renegades aren’t exactly loaded with talent at wide receiver, so if Crockett can show more big play ability he could find fantasy success. He has good speed, and considering he actually has a competent quarterback throwing him the ball, he has a chance of being a fantasy option in the coming weeks.
Jacques Patrick, RB, Tampa Bay Vipers. He had just eight carries in the first game, but did also have three catches, but led the team in rushes last weekend. Patrick looked as decent as a running back could in this pass-happy league, although it still appears that DeVeon Smith will be the lead dog in the backfield. Patrick does have the ability to catch some passes out of the backfield so he carries some value, but he is nothing more than depth on your season long rosters.
Alonzo Russell, WR, St. Louis Battlehawks. He might not be on too many waiver wires after scoring a touchdown in Week 1, but the window to acquire Russell will surely be closed after another decent game. Russell had five catches on six targets for 42 yards in a game where the Battlehawks showed that they are very capable of throwing the ball. Russell is clearly one of their more favored targets.
L’Damian Washington, WR, St. Louis Battlehawks. He caught all five of his targets in Week 1, but it amounted to just 20 receiving yards, and he could have been banished to the waiver wire in your league. Washington showed his big play abilities in the second game though with six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. Through two weeks, St. Louis has proven to be one of the more reliable offenses in the XFL, and Washington is among their top receiving options with 13 targets in two weeks. If somehow he is left out there, go make the move quickly.