Fantasy Football fans rejoice. Football season is finally here. Drafts are done, and team owners have a full roster of players ready to go for week one. However, the draft is just the beginning. While it provides the foundation of a championship team, anyone who has played fantasy sports knows that leagues are won and lost through free agency. Rookie players will go out and waste their waiver priority on a weekly basis, but the veterans save their claims for the right player. It should be one who trends upwards for weeks and shows long-term potential, rather than some lightning-in-a-bottle one-time flash.
Last Word on Sports weekly watch list highlights players with under 60% ownership who are just waiting for the right situation to break out. They are usually not next week’s waiver wire adds, but instead players who owners need to put a star next to and keep an eye on. Then, when the time is right, they can usually grab the player after the player after the waiver period as a free agent, thus preserving their precious claim.
Week One Fantasy Football Watch List Featuring Michael Gallup
Michael Gallup (34% Owned)
One of the bigger storylines of the offseason was the Dallas Cowboys releasing big-name wide receiver Dez Bryant. Many fans were visibly upset when the Cowboys passed on names like Calvin Ridley in the first round of this year’s draft. It took a while, but Dallas did select wide receiver Michael Gallup in the third round. It is rare for a first-round pick, let alone a third-round wide receiver to make an impact in fantasy, but with the Cowboys lack of an established number one target, Gallup could be an exception to the rule.
Gallup played two years of college football at Colorado State. During that time he looked explosive and knew how to high point the ball really well. He was very good after the catch and runs above average routes. He isn’t the biggest, or the quickest, but a nice balance between the two. In an ideal situation, he would get a few years to develop and learn behind established veteran receivers. Gallup might not have that luxury and has a good chance of being counted on right away.
Cole Beasley has been quarterback Dak Prescott’s favorite target through his first two years, but he is a slot guy who would not do well on the outside. Terrance Williams also returns but has been pedestrian at best during his tenure with the Cowboys. From there, the team signed Allen Hurns from the Jaguars this offseason. He is expected by many to become their number one guy. But, Hurns’s track record doesn’t show he’ll be successful in that role. Hurns has only had one 1,000-yard season in his career. The year he did, he played second fiddle to Robinson, benefitting from going up against team’s number two corners
Blake Bortles (34% Owned)
Blake Bortles. Just speaking the name aloud invokes shudders from anyone who is not a Jacksonville Jaguars fan. Bortles is one of the most interesting players in terms of the divide between his real life and fantasy play. Bortles gained notoriety in the 2015 and 2016 seasons for being the king of garbage time. His team was awful, winning a combined eight games during those two years. However, Bortles was also a top-ten quarterback in fantasy in that same span.
Bortles finished as the QB4 in 2015, and then QB9 in 2016. He faded last year after his number one guy Allen Robinson went down with injury, and probably also due to a change in philosophy on offense. The Jaguars took running back Leonard Fournette in the first round of last year’s draft, and the offense went through Fournette last year. Bortles’ yardage and touchdowns were down from years past. However, he was much more efficient, completing 60% of his passes for the first time in his career, and throwing the least interceptions of his career.
Bortles still finished as a respectable quarterback for the year in 2017, taking the QB13 spot. On the surface, this still doesn’t look rosterable, but breaking down his year shows a promising finish. From week ten and on, Bortles climbs all the way up to claim the QB6 spot. This was likely due to Bortles getting used to his new targets and more comfortable in his new offense. Now, he did lose his favorite target last year, Marqise Lee for already this season, but there are plenty of other wideouts on the team to take his place. It could take him a few weeks to work on timing and chemistry with his new receivers, but not as long as it took last season.
Tyler Eifert (59% Owned)
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert is starting to resemble some type of mythical creature, leaving many to wonder if he ever existed. Eifert has only appeared in 39 games during his first five years in the NFL. During that span, he has scored 20 touchdowns, including 18 during a span of 21 games. He is an absolute monster in the red zone when he is on the field. The problem is that he just never seems to make it there.
Eifert has only appeared in ten games the past two seasons, leaving many to wonder if he would simply call it quits for good. He returned to the Bengals, and so far looks healthy. How long he will hold up is the question. Last year it was two games, and he didn’t do much, only managing four receptions for 46 yards and no touchdowns.
At 59% ownership in Yahoo leagues, Eifert is right on the fringe of our criteria for watch list candidates. He likely becomes a waiver wire target if he has a good game week one, but smart players should sit and wait. He needs to show consistency and health for at least a few weeks before owners should target him. This means he might be gone before some are able to pull the trigger, but a monitor and wait-and-see approach is best for a player like this.
C.J.Anderson (53% Owned)
Many people are already writing off newly signed Carolina Panthers running back C.J. Anderson. Sure, he is running behind Christian McCaffrey, a first-round pick a year ago, but there are still questions on whether or not McCaffrey is fit to be an every-down back. The Panthers didn’t seem confident, attempting to start Jonathan Stewart for as many games as possible last season. It was only after Stewart showed he was completely ineffective that Carolina finally gave up and started McCaffrey towards the end of the season.
Still, McCaffrey only had 15 carries in one game last season and had only three games with more than ten. He never even cracked 70 yards rushing, and his yards per attempt were a dismal 3.7. Overall he had 117 carries for only 435 yards and two touchdowns. McCaffrey is much better as a pass catching back, gaining 651 yards on 80 catches and scoring five touchdowns. There is no question as to his skills as a receiving back, but he should be kept at that rather than trying to be an every-down back.
Anderson, on the other hand, has been a lead back for years with the Denver Broncos. He was considered to have a disappointing season last year but still ran for over 1,000 yards. Admittedly, it was Anderson’s first year where he played in all 16 games or had over 1,000 yards on the ground. Still, he’s proven to be effective when he’s on the field, with a 4.4 career yards-per-carry average. Anderson is someone team owners need to keep a really close eye on in the first few games of the season. Watch his snap count and carries. If they start trending upwards, he needs to be grabbed immediately.
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