Every fantasy football manager should already know that working the waiver wire is important to their team’s future prospects. If you play it too cautious, you may miss out on that waiver wire breakout. Play it too aggressive, and you might make regrettable moves that come back to haunt you later in the season. The latter is especially true for those of you in leagues with FAAB (free agent auction budget).
Typically the aftermath of week one is the time to strike on the waiver wire although this year doesn’t have quite the same feel as years past. There are a number of solid options on the wire in a number of leagues, but no name stands out as a “must grab” at this point. But every situation is different. Some of you may be in dire need of running back or wide receiver depth after the recent string of injuries. If that’s the case, or if you’re just looking to upgrade your team, here are some potential targets for your team.
Fantasy Football: Working the Waiver Wire Week Two
Quarterbacks
Sam Bradford – Yahoo: 24% owned, ESPN: 11% owned
Well, that was quite the performance, wasn’t it? You could argue that his 346 yard and three touchdown effort was the result of playing the New Orleans Saints. However, that would ignore a number of impressive throws that Bradford made in the game. For the nonbelievers, this is his second year in the system, and, according to Warren Sharp, Bradford has the easiest schedule this year. While he may not be a great option every week, he is certainly a worthy QB2 or streaming option.
FAAB bid: ~7% of budget; although, you may need to bid more aggressively if you’re covering for the loss of Andrew Luck.
Watch List:
Scott Tolzien. My apologies to the Tolzien family, but no. Although, I should extend a thank you to Tolzien for padding those sweet, sweet Los Angeles Rams defensive points. In all seriousness, after Sunday, Jared Goff deserves to be on your watch list.
Running Backs
Javorius Allen – Yahoo: 2%, ESPN: .6%
Outside of RotoUnderworld’s Matt Kelly, I don’t see many people promoting the Baltimore Ravens running back. That should all change now. Danny Woodhead is hurt, and the Ravens are reportedly worried that he will miss significant time. Enter Allen, who out-touched Terrance West in week one, and has a 12 catch game in his past. In other words, he can potentially fill the spot that Woodhead’s injury created. The downside here is that the Ravens can’t play Andy Dalton forever. The Dalton special, five turnovers, created a game script that will likely be hard to replicate going forward. Then you have West likely holding onto a decent snap share and the goal line back role. Invest in Allen with the understanding that West will likely maintain a decent role going forward.
FAAB bid: ~10% of budget in both PPR and standard leagues
Tarik Cohen – Yahoo: 12%, ESPN: 4.4%
It’s safe to say that those percentages will change going forward. The Chicago Bears running back was easily one of the highlights of the first week. His 66 rushing yards combined with his 47 receiving yards and a touchdown were not only impressive, but they also indicate some bad news for Jordan Howard and his value going forward. Sure, Howard led the team with a 56 percent snap share. However, I doubt anyone who drafted him around the second round was expecting that rate. Add on the fact that Cohen lead the team with a 30 percent target share, and it looks like he will remain a weapon for the Bears going forward. If he retains the same role for the rest of the season, Cohen will be more valuable in PPR leagues than standard.
FAAB bid: 15-20% of budget in PPR leagues
Kerwynn Williams – Yahoo: 8%, ESPN: 1.8%
While the collective fantasy football world holds its breath for David Johnson, the news isn’t looking good. And neither is the outlook for the Arizona Cardinals run game if Johnson is out for awhile. The likely result of a long absence from Johnson would be a running back by committee that would include Williams. While Andre Ellington will also carry value, Williams is the name to add because he received the goal line carry while Johnson was out.
FAAB bid: ~18% of your budget if you’re a Johnson owner; although I don’t think he’ll be worth that in the end.
Marlon Mack – Yahoo: 9%, ESPN: 3%
One of the more encouraging things for Mack this Sunday was his use in the red zone. Technically, he should have had two touchdowns, but Chuck Pagano for some reason decided not to challenge the play. While Mack should be classified as a deep league target, he does offer some promise going forward. In week one, he received the same amount of touches as Frank Gore. Mack also out-touched Robert Turbin 11-1, which is obviously a positive sign for Mack going into this next week.
FAAB bid: ~3% of your budget
Watch List
Chris Carson is someone worth monitoring. Pete Carroll is famously in favor of competitions and Carson clearly outplayed Eddie Lacy last week and has earned more touches as a result.
Wide Receivers
Kenny Golladay – Yahoo: 19%, ESPN: 10.4%
The positive drum beat isn’t going to stop now. After receiving a lot of attention during his preseason, Golladay is currently fanning those hype flames. After putting up 69 yards, a highlight catch, and a pair of scores, Golladay will likely be one of the more popular adds this week. And rightfully so after that diving grab. However, he will likely be an inconsistent option going forward. In order for that to change, he will need to surpass Marvin Jones on the depth chart. Temper your expectations until then, but he’s still worth a roster spot in all standard leagues.
FAAB bid: 5-8% of your budget
Cooper Kupp – Yahoo: 27%, ESPN: 16.6%
This was one of my favorite calls on Sometimes a Fantasy Podcast last week. Sure, I missed on a few calls (*cough* Brian Hoyer *cough*), but Kupp was certainly a highlight. He looked to have gained the trust of Goff in the preseason, and that trust carried into last week. Kupp tied with Todd Gurley for the lead in target share and finished the game with 76 yards and a touchdown. As long as Kupp and Goff continue to show this kind of chemistry, Kupp is a legitimate threat for 70+ receptions.
FAAB bid: 8-10% of your budget
Marqise Lee/Allen Hurns – Yahoo: 16%, ESPN: 20.2%/ Yahoo: 9%, ESPN: 1.5%
As you may have already heard, Allen Robinson is out for the year. This, of course, opens up an opportunity for someone to step into his role. On one hand you have Lee, who enjoyed somewhat of a breakout season last year, and has the better athletic profile. On the other hand there’s Hurns, who has a more productive fantasy season in his past. With all things being equal, the logical move would be to side with the better athlete. However, I don’t think either is worth blowing a lot of money on. The Jacksonville Jaguars showed they want to be a run first team, which will limit the volume heading towards Lee or Hurns.
FAAB bid: 1-5% of your budget
Kendall Wright – Yahoo: 15%, 12.6%
With Cameron Meredith done for the year and Kevin White on injured reserve with a fractured scapula, someone has to step up. While that someone could be Zach Miller, Wright is also a decent bet to see an uptick in targets. As of right now though, he’s not worth an aggressive bid. The Bears should be facing their fair share of negative game scripts, but Wright will face target competition from Cohen, Miller, Dion Sims, and others.
FAAB bid: 1-3% of your budget
Watch List
After his big game, Nelson Agholor is definitely worth monitoring, especially since he tied for the lead in targets. The New York Jets are going to be hard to watch all year, but Jermaine Kearse put up 59 yards. Sure, that’s not great, but he led his team in targets, and that team should be trailing a lot. Keep an eye on Danny Amendola and his concussion. If he’s healthy, he’s worth an add.
Tight Ends
Austin Hooper – Yahoo: 55%, ESPN: 36.4%
In this offense, targets are going to be a problem. The Atlanta Falcons have a bevy of talent. Julio Jones will eventually dominate, Mohamed Sanu is reliable, Taylor Gabriel is good for a splash play or two, and there’s the backfield that Matt Ryan can also throw to. All of this helps to explain why Hooper only received two targets this past week, but he certainly made the most of those targets. While he may not see an ideal amount of targets every week, Hooper is still a part of one of the better offenses in the NFL. It’s an offense that will see a good amount of red zone chances.
FAAB bid: 8-10% of your budget
Charles Clay – Yahoo: 11%, ESPN: 6.9%
I wrote about Clay being a value pick here. In short, Clay already has rapport with Tyrod Taylor while newcomers like Jordan Matthews are still building chemistry with their quarterback. This chemistry was on display last week as Clay put up 53 yards and a touchdown. Consider him a solid option for deeper leagues or as a streaming option in future weeks.
FAAB bid: 1-3% of your budget
Watch List
One guy that is on all of my watch lists is Austin Seferian-Jenkins. There isn’t going to be much competition for targets when he returns from his suspension, and he has the physical ability to dominate at his position.
