Dynasty Waiver Wire – Week Eight

Jeff Haverlack

Editor’s Note:  This Dynasty Waiver Wire Week Eight article is being offered FREE this week as it returns to our content lineup.  We hope you will support what we’re doing here and choose to become a DLF Premium Member.  We can’t do what we do without YOU!

In the 11 years that DLF has been dispensing fantasy football advice, specifically for the dynasty format, if there is one recurring comment we never tire of hearing it’s:  DLF gives me a strategic advantage over my competition by highlighting players that my league-mates don’t even know exist!  From our humble beginning back in 2006, that has always been our calling card and the thing we’ve been most proud of from a content perspective.

Quite simply put, in a game where players make or break your team, potentially for years at a time, highlighting those assets well ahead of your competition gives you first right of refusal so to speak and a clear advantage.

Over the years, DLF’s content continues to morph as we seek the best balance of player analysis, team building strategy, in-season lineup advice, game recaps, draft and Combine coverage and so much more.  The list goes on and on and, each year, we change that mix mindfully with the hope of bringing more impact to each of you, our valued Premium subscribers.  This year, one of our regularly recurring in-season content pieces was dropped from our calendar:  Waiver Wire Advice.  Our belief was that we cover this topic indirectly with many other articles during the week but many of you disagree.

And you let us know about it!

If there’s another thing that we’re proud of here at DLF, and hopefully you know this to be true as well, is that we listen to what our members and readers are telling us.  It is through your input coupled with our passion for delivering the best content, that DLF remains the best dynasty fantasy football resource on the planet.  We certainly aim to keep it that way!

We are bringing back the weekly Dynasty Waiver Wire coverage.

We won’t be forcing waiver wire advice or suggestions.  Instead, expect to see a wide-ranging number of players each week, based solely on increasing snaps, injury or any combination of events that suggest a player’s status could change in the future.  You can expect that we will be providing a bit of justification for the addition as well as just how deep the particular player is.  It’s a format that we’ll likely be playing with over the coming weeks.  We are only highlighting those players that we believe deserve some level of attention, not players that happen to see targets or log a carry but as is always the case in fantasy, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Without further delay, let’s get to your week eight waiver wire additions:

T.J. Yeldon, RB JAX

Normally, this isn’t the type of player you can expect to be highlighted here, but Yeldon is on the wire in quite a few leagues.  You owe it to yourself to double-check your free agency pool just to ensure that he wasn’t released in the cover of darkness many weeks ago.  Yeldon erupted for 122 yards on nine carries in addition to a touchdown as Leonard Fournette took the week off to nurse an ankle.  I’ve been a fan of Yeldon’s since he entered the league and will defend him vigorously if I hear he’s “bad at football”.  Yeldon’s best opportunity will come with his next contract with a new team but you’ll have to wait until 2019 unless he’s traded or waived earlier.  Before getting too excited about Yeldon, realize he’s behind Fournette and Chris Ivory and could return to an “inactive” status on Sundays unless he supplants Ivory as Fournette’s backup, something not out of the realm of possibility.  Patient owners can roster him as a handcuff or to keep for the long haul.

Austin Ekeler, RB LAC

There’s a strong chance many coaches in your league are already sniffing around Ekeler or have added him outright.  If not, he’s worth a deep-roster stash.  He posted 38 yards on seven carries in addition to adding four receptions and six yards in the passing game.  The rookie from Western State college doesn’t carry starter size at 5’9″/200 lbs. but he runs bigger than his size would suggest and Melvin Gordon’s struggles could open up more opportunities for Ekeler.  He’s ideal as a handcuff for Gordon owners.

Demarcus Robinson, WR KC

Robinson may already be off your waiver wire but in case he’s not, he’s worthy of an addition.  He’s seeing targets due to Chris Conley’s ruptured Achille’s and, in week seven, he logged the sixteenth most snaps of all wide receivers.  He tallied five receptions on eight targets for a total of 69 yards.  He’s not lighting up the stat column yet but nearly 12 points in PPR formats is notable production during the bye week stretch.  At age 23 and in only his second season, Robinson is an intriguing addition and should continue to see snaps and targets.  He’s a deserving option in mid-size (24-30 player) roster leagues as an in-case-of-emergency play.

Keelan Cole, WR JAX

Those who follow me know that I’ve been on Cole from the pre-season.  The Kentucky Wesleyan product saw 41 snaps for the second week in a row and remains a unknown deep-threat.  To wit, Cole converted three targets into two receptions and 64 yards, including a 52 yard bomb early in the game against the Colts.  Rebuilding teams can add Cole now as a stash in hopes that his role and production both grow with the remaining games of 2017.  Of all this week’s waiver wire additions, Cole is the most intriguing to me.

Travis Rudolph, WR NYG

The 6’0/190 lb. rookie increased his snaps nearly 50% over week six, logging 33 in total.  He saw six targets with those 33 snaps, converting three of them for a total of 32 yards.  The story here is well known to all.  The Giants have been decimated at receiver and Rudolph is one of the benefactors.  With Sterling Shepard due to return shortly, it’s anyone’s guess as to what Rudolph’s role will be but he’s worth a stash during this series of bye weeks in hopes of a larger role.

Rod Smith, RB DAL

He’s been a popular add-and-drop over the past couple of weeks as the saga continues with Ezekiel Elliott.  In week seven, Smith tallied 61 yards on eight carries in addition to one reception for five yards in support of Elliott.  There’s not much to see here but should Elliott be suspended, it’s not out of the question that there could be an open competition for carries between Darren McFadden, Alfred Morries and Smith.  At only 25 year’s of age and with great stature 6’3″/235 lbs., Smith could get some play.  Add Smith only if you have a roster spot burning a hole on your bench and you don’t have a better name to add.

Cody Core, WR CIN

Only for deep mining coaches working with all the proper safety equipment, I offer Cody Core.  He’s a player I’ve had my eye on for two years now as he has the size and skill set I feel could produce in time.  At 6’3″/214 lbs., Core has yet to log a fantasy point in 2017 but I think there’s upside here.  Core logged the most snaps (21) in 2017 in week seven and saw two targets.  In 2016, Core finished with 17 receptions for 200 yards.  I’d like to see him given an opportunity with 40-50 consistent snaps to see what he could accomplish.  In the 2016 Combine, Core ran a 4.47 40 so he has the size and speed to represent on the field.  There’s no action needed at this time but keep checking back here and in box scores to see if his role grows.

Hope you enjoyed the return of our weekly waiver wire content!

Follow Jeff on Twitter:  @DLF_Jeff

 

jeff haverlack