“Take the cookies with you when they’re over.”

This is an old family saying that my sister likes to remind us of. Even though we are hard workers who have earned much of our good fortune, this quote reminds us to be grateful for blessings we may not have sought or earned. We – all of us – love our cookies too.

As I write this, I, an avid pickleball player, am reminded of the unwritten rule of apologizing when your shot inadvertently bounces off the net into your opponent’s body or meekly overdribbles for a point. These were not the intended outcomes, and not exactly how I could have drafted the piece, but the outcome still benefits me. The aim of the game is to score points, so why am I apologizing? Take the cookies…

I had a similar moment with my Week 6 fantasy lineup. My dynasty roster was a series of little red o’s and byes. I was staring at a starting roster consisting of Jalen Hurts, Kirk Cousins, Tyler Allgeier and (TG!) Joe Mixon, Gabe Davis, Jalen McMillan, Keon Coleman, Isaiah Likely, Theo Johnson and Hunter Henry. Pretty bleak. If you’re curious about my three tight ends, it’s a SuperFlex, TOO premium league with flexible roster construction. I literally had no RBs or WRs – out of a roster of 30 players – to start. Still, I somehow pulled off a win, even as McMillan avoided every bit of the Bucs’ 51 points.

I felt bad about it, to be honest. My opponent had really good NFL players in his lineup, like Mike Evans, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs. I didn’t feel like I deserved the win, but the win was in my lap. So I’ll take it courtesy of the football gods, fickle as they may be. So much about our game goes against expectations. We focus mostly on the negative, so I hope I can remind you that sometimes good things come out of nowhere, and it’s nice to acknowledge them with gratitude. I hope you all get a fantasy bonanza from an unexpected source this week. With that attitude, let’s take a look at the players you shouldn’t think about too much, as well as a few you’ll feel good about joining when the need or desire to tinker is present.

Don’t think too much…

Bucky Irving, RB, TB (vs. BAL)

Even though Sean Tucker has stolen the thunder and is a popular name for waiver wire, don’t bench Irving just yet. He still played more snaps than Tucker and earned one more goal than Tucker. The talented rookie has beaten Rachaad White all season and is the safest player on a potential three-man committee. The Bucs face the Ravens on Monday night, which is unfortunately a below-average matchup for running backs. Still, the game must be high-scoring and competitive, in other words, fantasy-friendly (on both sides).

Tank Bigsby, RB, JAC (vs. NE)

The Jaguars are admittedly in shambles right now, languishing in London while the world points fingers and tries to assign blame for this disastrous 1-5 start. The only place I’m sure it doesn’t belong is on Bigsby’s shoulders. He is the team’s leading rusher with almost 300 yards and has been extremely efficient with a smaller workload than Travis Etienne Jr. (Bigsby averages 7.2 YPC). He wasn’t involved in the passing game, but passed Etienne on both snap share and rush attempts, even before Etienne’s hamstring injury in Week 6. Even if Etienne plays in this weekend’s game against New England, I believe Bigsby is a fantasy must be. start. The Patriots are among the most generous fantasy defenses in the league, and the Jags are somehow favored in this matchup between two of the AFC’s worst teams.

Josh Allen, QB, BUF (vs. TEN)

The Titans have one of the best pass defenses in the league and are the sixth-worst matchup for fantasy QBs, giving up an average of eight fewer fantasy points to the position this season. The QBs Tennessee has faced? Joe Flacco, Tyler Huntley, Malik Willis, Aaron Rodgers and Caleb Williams (in his first NFL game). I like to check DvP when making tough fantasy decisions, but this can’t be considered in a vacuum. With so many young QBs and Allen struggling through Weeks 4-5, I didn’t have him as a must-start against the Jets. So of course he basically threw a perfect game, with two passing TDs and his first rushing score since Week 1. It remains to be seen how adding Amari Cooper to the mix will play out, and I’m still not excited about the Bills ‘ receivers, but Allen is once again completely confident against a defense that is more sensitive than it seems at first glance.

Crafting with…

Bub means, WR, NO (vs. DEN)

With the Saints playing Denver on Thursday night, Chris Olave will not be on the field. Although things were somewhat shaky when rookie QB Spencer Rattler took over for the injured Derek Carr, it was Means who he looked to again and again after Olave went out. With five catches for 45 yards and a score on eight targets, Means is a popular name again this week. While certainly not as fantasy-friendly as the Bucs were last week, I have no problem fitting into a decimated roster as a player with Means’ usage stats.

DeMario Douglas, WR, NE (at JAC)

I’ve alluded to this game before, which scares me a bit since I don’t normally take fantasy inspiration from the worst teams in the league. However, Drake Maye took over for the Pats in Week 6, and while he failed to beat the much better Houston Texans, he gives the team something exciting to build on in Week 7. The Jaguars’ biggest problem this season is their defense, or lack thereof. Maye seemed to have an immediate connection on the field with Douglas, targeting him nine times to yield a 6/92/1 line for the sophomore receiver. My money is on New England winning this game outright, but there should be at least some fantasy value in starting Douglas.

Jakobi Meyers, WR, LV (at LAR)

It’s easier to tinker with WR than other positions this week, so hopefully your roster offers that flexibility. Meyers should return from an ankle injury this week and would immediately help Aidan O’Connell find his footing in a good matchup against the Rams. Los Angeles allows opponents the fourth most points while being in the middle of the pack against the pass. Meyers is more of a PPR player, and always has been, but he and O’Connell had four touchdowns at the end of last season, so there is hope.

(Top photo of Bucky Irving: Matthew Hinton / Imagn Images)