Dynasty Waiver Wire: Week One
Oh boy… Football is back. We have all waited patiently for six months, and week one did not disappoint. We already had quite a few surprises and story lines coming out of the week. The Ravens scored more points than any other team in week one since Nixon was president, the Browns lost by 30 (are we really surprised?), the Lions beat the Cardinals, wait… never mind, they tied, and the Patriots look really good… again.
We already have some big-name injuries, and I will touch on some of those and the fantasy impact they will have on certain players.
With that said, I would like to officially welcome you to our in-season coverage of waiver wire considerations for each and every week.
We won’t be force-feeding you waiver wire advice or suggestions. Instead, you will 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. Heck, if I like how the player ran out of the tunnel or what cleats he was wearing… he might make it on this list.
No, he won’t, but I might mention it anyway.
You can expect we will be providing a bit of justification for the addition as well as just how deep the particular player is. Obviously a certain player listed may not be available in a 14-team league, while that same player may not be worth picking up in a ten-team league. You will need to address what is best for your squad and adjust accordingly. We are only highlighting those players that we believe deserve some level of attention, not merely players who happen to see targets or log a carry. As is always the case in fantasy, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Whether you are a multiple-year winner or in a constant state of rebuilding, the waiver wire is the largest source of talent from which you will build your future dynasty. Being first to act and last to react, year over year, will play a huge role in the building and shaping of your team(s). It takes a lot of commitment to stay engaged, but it’s an activity that will pay dividends year after year.
So without further ado… Let’s do this thing, Jimbo!
John Ross III, WR CIN
Ross was a fantasy darling after he set NFL scouting combine ablaze and posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.22 seconds. Fast forward to present day, and that seems like a lifetime ago. Seriously, that was just two years ago, and injuries and inconsistency have plagued him so far in his career. Tyler Boyd established himself as the Bengals go-to receiver without AJ Green consistently in the lineup, but Ross took a huge step forward today. He received a whopping 12 targets from Andy Dalton, and turned that into seven catches for 158 yards and two TDs. His target share will take a dip once Green comes back, but he is worth a pickup.
DJ Chark, WR JAC
One of the big injuries in week one was the broken clavicle of Nick Foles. While this does hurt the offense as a whole, Gardner Minshew looked like he could handle the load. The injury to Foles didn’t slow down Chark at all, who racked up four catches for 146 yards and a TD. The Jags receiving group looks like it is settling in as Dede Westbrook, Chris Conley, and Chark. With a couple more performances like this for Chark, he could be pushing for a more consistent stream of targets.
Demarcus Robinson, WR KC
This waiver add is clearly speculative on what happens to Tyreek Hill. Hill injured his clavicle, and I have seen varying reports suggesting Hill could miss anywhere from three-eight weeks with this injury.
Most people will flock to Mecole Hardman because of his draft capital and speed. But Robinson has already established himself in the offense and if one thing was reaffirmed on Sunday, it’s that Patrick Mahomes is still really good – making all pass catchers on the Chiefs worth adding to your roster,
Danny Amendola, WR DET
I’ll be honest, when Detroit signed Amendola, I didn’t think it did much to move the needle for fantasy purposes. One week into the season, and I could not have been more wrong. Amendola turned out to be Matthew Stafford favorite target on the day, being targeted 13 times and catching seven of them for 104 yards and a TD.
The Detroit offense may not be a top five-ten unit, but Stafford has shown that he is good enough to support some viable receivers. With how poor the Lions’ offensive line looks at times, Stafford may need to get the ball out of his hands quickly, and Amendola might be the best answer for that.
Chris Conley, WR JAC
Does this article really have two Jacksonville Jaguars receivers listed? Yep… you bet your bottom dollar. Conley’s game may have been a bit overshadowed by Chark’s. Conley actually ended up with seven targets compared to Chark’s four, and Conley caught six balls for 97 yards and a TD. I do not think that the Jags’ offense will put up 350 yards passing in every game. But I do believe that it is better than most people thought it would be.
Whether it is Minshew or Foles behind center, those quarterbacks need someone to catch the ball, and Chark and Conley look like they could be solid options for them.
Vernon Davis, TE WAS
Tight ends aren’t supposed to be making plays at age 35. They are washed up and can’t contribute. Apparently no one told Davis, Ronald Darby, or Andrew Sendejo. Davis made what could be the play of week one with an incredible hurdle and broken tackles in route to a 48-yard TD.
We all know Jordan Reed’s injury history. Reed could wake up in the morning, roll out of bed, and proceed to sneeze… which could knock him out four-six weeks. Davis is the starter in Washington for right now, and he looks like a solid play until Reed comes back. He turned in a solid performance on Sunday with four catches on seven targets for 59 yards and a TD.
Phillip Dorsett, WR NE
This is a tricky one. On one hand, four receptions for 95 yards and two TDs in a Tom Brady lead offense is nothing to be ignored. On the other hand, the looming arrival of Antonio Brown will surely eat into some targets for each and every pass catcher in New England. Regardless, if a player catches the eye of Tom Brady… they are worth a stash on the bench.
Malcolm Brown, RB LAR
Let’s clear the air. Todd Gurley had a really good game. He played 70% of the team’s snaps, which is rare for backs to do in today’s NFL. The only difference between his performance and Mark Ingram’s was that Ingram found the end zone twice and Gurley ceded those carries to someone else.
Brown only played on 26% of the team’s plays, but some of those plays happened to be near the goal line, and he converted two of those carries into scores. I have a feeling that Brown is not someone that you will want to have in your lineup on a weekly basis, but if anything were to happen to Gurley, Brown’s value skyrockets. After all, Brown had 11 touches to Gurley’s 15… maybe the Rams are hinting towards Gurley’s workload already.
Rex Burkhead, RB NE
Sony Michel received a lot of chatter over the off-season and training camp, and rightfully so. He is the lead back in a fantastic offense. James White had a breakout year last season, and looks like he can continue to contribute to the team. Dynasty owners were very aware of Damien Harris as well, the solid prospect out of Alabama that the Patriots traded up to get.
The one back no one was talking about was Rex Burkhead. He is finally healthy this year, and his versatility allows the Patriots to use him in a lot of different packages. Will this backfield be frustrating to try and figure out? Yes. Is it worth picking up Burkhead for next to nothing? Absolutely.
Touches for running backs, Sunday night vs. the Steelers:
- Michel – 15
- Burkhead – 13
- White – 9
They have plans for Burkhead. Add him to your roster.
Other players to keep an eye on
- Mike Davis, RB CHI
- Randall Cobb, WR DAL
- Terry McLaurin, WR WAS
- Trey Quinn, WR WAS
- Ronald Jones, RB TB
Deep Rosters
- Cody Latimer, WR NYG
- Darren Sproles, RB PHI
- C.J. Uzomah, TE CIN
- Preston Williams, WR MIA
- KeeSean Johnson, WR ARI
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