Dynasty Waiver Wire: Week Two
Week two is almost in the books, and like most years, we have some injuries that are shaking up the fantasy football world. We also have some names popping up left and right that were on no one’s radar to breakout like they are. That is what is so great about fantasy football… literally anything can happen.
I am a defending champ in one of my dynasty leagues, and that team has Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Mike Evans, JuJu Smith-Schuster, George Kittle, Evan Engram, Devonta Freeman, Chris Carson, Jarvis Landry, and quite a few other really great players… I am 0-2 and haven’t even sniffed a “W” yet. Things can change so much from year to year and even week to week. Therefore it is imperative that you stay active on your waiver wires, and continue to cultivate the best available talent for your roster.
With that said, I would like to welcome you back to our in-season coverage of waiver wire considerations for each and every week. You will see a wide-ranging number of players, based on increasing snaps, injury, or any combination of events that suggest a player’s status could change in the future.
Based on the feedback from week one, I will be breaking this article down a bit more in the hopes of helping out owners who are in a shallow league, or a league where third-string quarterbacks are being rostered (not sure I’m going to be able to provide you a name who isn’t already taken). Simply put, I want this article to be helpful and awesome… so I’ll try and give advice that can help a wide range of owners.
Alright… let’s get this party started.
Shallow (18-22 man rosters)
Raheem Mostert, RB SF
Tevin Coleman got hurt, and that opened the door for quite a few different running backs to get touches in a Kyle Shanahan offense. If we have learned one thing from Shanahan, it’s that he likes to share the wealth of running back touches between quite a few different players.
Matt Breida has looked really good, but we all knew he was talented, he just needed to stay healthy. But Mostert has been a nice surprise. He had a fantastic game while receiving 16 touches and turning them into 151 total yards and a TD. He should be picked up in all leagues.
Demarcus Robinson, WR KC
If you read my article last week and went ahead and picked up Robinson… you’re welcome. An Amazon gift card would be great if you are looking for an early Christmas present. Robinson is most likely only in very shallow leagues, but while most people flocked to Mecole Hardman, Robinson could still be on your waiver wire… if he is, bid a large amount on him.
Trey Quinn, WR WAS
Quinn’s stat line from week two will not blow you away. He received seven targets and had four catches for 36 yards. There is a silver lining though… Case Keenum and the passing offense has been better than most thought it would be, and Quinn has played 96% of the snaps so far this year. If you are looking for someone who could be a reliable start (in emergency situations) for a PPR league… look for Quinn.
Jason Witten, TE DAL
A man that needs no introduction, Mr. Jason “My MNF analysis is more boring than watching paint dry, but I can still play football at this advanced age” Witten. Listen, you probably aren’t going to get more than 50-60 yards max in a game… he can’t outrun a wounded sloth let alone NFL defensive backs. But he can still run routes and catch TDs.
He may not be a guy that you want to start week in and week out, but as long as Dak Prescott is playing as well as he is, Witten is a solid streaming option on any given week.
Tyler Eifert, TE CIN
Tyler Eifert has always been one of the more talented tight ends in the NFL. The poor guy just can’t catch a break and not get injured. Eifert has three catches for nine yards and a TD. Disregard his stat line, and simply pick up Eifert because he is healthy. Once he gets his legs underneath him more, proves to the coaching staff that he is healthy (for now), and starts developing that chemistry with Andy Dalton again, Eifert could become a weekly start in your lineup. Enjoy him while you can!
Other “Shallow” roster players to keep an eye on:
- Frank Gore, RB BUF
- Preston Williams, WR MIA
- Ty Montgomery, RB NYJ
Average (23-27 man rosters)
Will Dissly, TE SEA
Will Dissly broke out… again. In week one of 2018, Dissly had a great game before being put in the IR. Now, it looks as though he has made it back after flying under the radar quite a bit over the past year. Dissly turned five catches into 50 yards and two TDs, and the connection between Russell Wilson and Dissly seems to be real.
The Seahawks are not flushed with talented receivers on the roster, and Dissly has easily become Wilson’s favorite tight end to target. He should be in serious consideration each week depending on the matchup.
Jeff Wilson Jr, RB SF
As I mentioned before, Coleman is out and that opened up a spot for Wilson to assume the RB3 duties for the Niners. I did not know that meant Wilson would be rumbling for two TDs on Sunday. He is not the most talented runner on the team, he only averaged 3.4 yards per carry, but a larger workload and two TDs means that you should be picked up in all formats.
Damiere Byrd, WR ARI
Remember when the Cardinals drafted three receivers in the 2019 draft and all of them were going to make a difference? Well, Hakeem Butler has been put on IR, and Andy Isabella was a healthy inactive for Sunday’s game. KeeSean Johnson is the only rookie even making a dent in the offense. Enter Byrd.
We all knew Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk would be locked in as WRs one and two, but we weren’t entirely sure how the rest would shake out. Byrd has made a really good impression so far through two weeks. He played in 88% of the team’s snaps in week one, and had six catches on seven targets in week two for 45 yards. The Cards are obviously throwing the ball a ton (94 pass attempts in two games) and can support three-four receivers in the process.
Mack Hollins, WR PHI
It seemed like it was only a matter of time before Alshon Jeffery and/or DeSean Jackson got hurt. It just so happened to fall in the same game. I love JJ Arcega-Whiteside for dynasty purposes, but the coaching staff seems to think he is far off from making a huge impact. Therefore, Mack Hollins is the target.
With quite a few wide receiver snaps opening up, Hollins had five catches on eight targets for 50 yards. If Jeffery or Jackson have to miss an extended amount of time, Hollins starts to enter into the WR3/4 territory.
Benny Snell, RB PIT
The trend is growing here… injuries to top players allowing snaps for guys who are lower on the depth chart. James Conner was knocked out of the game with a knee injury, and Jaylen Samuels and Benny Snell may be left the carries moving forward until Conner can return.
I have stated before that I think Jaylen Samuels is a really, really good player, so I would not expect Snell to dominate the workload. But the Steelers like to have fresh legs in the game and Snell could provide solid relief for Samuels, and possibly handle the short-yardage duties. Snell is a must pickup for Conner owners as well.
Other “Average” roster players to keep an eye on:
- Chester Rogers, WR IND
- Bennie Fowler, WR NYG
- Adam Shaheen, TE CHI
Deep (28+ man rosters)
Devin Smith, WR DAL
Smith is a boom or bust fantasy play. He only played 9% of the team’s snaps in week one, but showed out in week two. His skill-set is a deep ball receiver, which means that there will be weeks where he could drop a big goose-egg for catches or fantasy points. On the other hand, he is on the field with Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and Ezekiel Elliott, so the deep ball may open up due to the loose defense on him. He is worth a shot in deep leagues.
Mason Rudolph, QB PIT
Ben Roethlisberger is one of the toughest guys in the sport, so if he pulls himself out of a game, you know there is probably something serious going on. Rudolph stepped in and looked pretty darn good.
Rudolph was a former second-round pick of the Steelers, and is the heir apparent to Roethlisberger, so it is no surprise that he performed well. In deep roster leagues, you are looking for just about anyone who can make even a remote impact for your team. Rudolph could be in line to start multiple games, so take your shot on the young guy from Oklahoma State.
Malik Turner, WR SEA
Malik Turner may have passed Jaron Brown on the depth chart midway through Sunday’s game. Brown made penalty after penalty, and Turner jumped him on the depth chart. Turner caught all three of his targets for 54 yards and helped Wilson and the Seahawks win another “ugly” game.
David Moore will be returning soon, so Turner may be relegated back to WR4, but on a team with DK Metcalf who has already struggled with injuries, and Tyler Lockett who has an injury history as well… He is just one injury away from making an impact on a playoff-bound team.
Isaiah McKenzie, WR BUF
McKenzie got a significant boost in playing time this past Sunday due to Andre Roberts being out. McKenzie became the main returner for the Bills, and that ended up spilling into the receiving game as well. McKenzie caught both of his targets for 40 yards and a TD. McKenzie is still behind John Brown, Cole Beasley and Zay Jones, but the receiving unit has not been great yet.
Buffalo could be looking for anyone on the team to give the offense a jolt, and McKenzie provides a different aspect of explosiveness and speed that Josh Allen could find very helpful.
Mark Walton, RB MIA
Did I just recommend that you pick up a Miami Dolphins player? Yes, I did… and I feel a little sick. Here’s the deal, in my 15-20 year window of really watching football, I have never seen an NFL team tank like the Dolphins are tanking. Have I seen it in the NBA? Yes. MLB? Absolutely. NFL? Nope.
With all that said, Kalen Ballage has looked awful through two games so far. Walton could very well supplant Ballage sooner rather than later, and Drake could get hurt, traded for a 19th-round pick, or simply get benched… who really knows what the Dolphins will do next? Walton is free, so why not stash him on the end of your bench.
Other “Deep” roster players to keep an eye on:
- D’Ernest Johnson, RB CLE
- Teddy Bridgewater, QB NO
- Taysom Hill, QB/utility NO
- Virgil Green, TE LAC
Happy waiver wire hunting!
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