Targeting weekly waiver picks is a completely subjective business,
but this column hopes to point out some obvious and not-so-obvious
selections to help your team from week to week while you strive
to collect fantasy wins, reach your league playoffs and win the
elusive title that your friends say is out of your grasp. While
I’m a big proponent of making trades to bolster your roster,
the waiver wire can be an almost limitless resource when it comes
to discovering fantasy value in strange places. Each week, I’ll
highlight some of the popular (and not-so-popular) players who can
help your squad and may still be available in your league.
Mitchell Trubisky, CHI – Trubisky is a tough nut to crack
heading into his third NFL season. He finished the 2018 campaign
completing 66.6 percent of his passes for 3,223-24-11, adding
an additional threat with his legs by posting 421 rushing yards
and three TDs. FFToday’s preseason rankings have him 16th
among QBs between Philip Rivers and Kirk Cousins, and he’s
in an offense that could vault him into the Top 12. He’s
owned in just 60-70 percent of leagues and really should be owned
in all 12-team leagues based on his upside.
Kirk Cousins,
MIN – Cousins was drafted like a Top 10 QB last season, and the
sheer depth of talent at the position has him dropping down that
list in 2019. About 40-60 percent owned in fantasy leagues post-draft,
there will be a close eye on him the first couple games of the
season to se if he’s worth an ad. A complete meltdown by some
of the younger QBs could mean a Week 2 pickup, so if you’re dealing
with some uncertainty at the position it might be worth it to
make some extra room for a proven performer.
Derek Carr, OAK – Entering his sixth NFL season without
a top-10 fantasy campaign to his credit, Carr has much to prove
in 2019. But since the Raiders offense should be a much-improved
unit, Carr’s current ownership of 25-30 percent doesn’t
account for the massive upside he represents. Antonio Brown may
be past his physical prime, but he's still an elite piece who
promises to be “the best pass catcher Carr has ever had
the pleasure of throwing the ball to,” in the words of Mike
Krueger. The addition of Tyrell Williams and rookie RB Josh Jacobs
should help him crack the 4,000-yard passing mark for a second
consecutive season and add another 5-10 TDs to his paltry 2018
total.
Matt Breida, SF – I led off my RB list with Breida last
season and I’ll do it again this year. With Jerick McKinnon
out for the second consecutive year due to injury and Tevin Coleman’s
history struggling under lead-back duties, Breida offers plenty
of upside as an all-purpose weapon out of Kyle Shanahan's backfield.
The overachieving undrafted back from Georgia Southern averaged
5.3 YPC in 2018 and could end up leading the 49ers backfield for
the second-consecutive year. He’s owned in just 70-75 percent
of leagues and is being drafted as a mid-range RB4 – but
he should be owned in all formats at this early stage, including
10-team leagues.
Devin Singletary, BUF – Singletary’s ownership percentage
was just 30-35 percent heading into this weekend, but the release
of LeSean McCoy has vaulted him into RB3/4 consideration, especially
in PPR leagues. He’s undersized (5-7, 203) lacks breakaway
speed (4.66 40-yard dash) and will be sharing touches with Frank
Gore, but he’s got all the attributes necessary to shine
for the Bills, including toughness, elusiveness and solid pass-blocking
skills. He was drafted as a late-round flier and is one a path
to do a lot more in 2019 and beyond.
LeSean McCoy,
KC – McCoy may not be the workhorse back under Andy Reid that
he was a few years ago, but he’s going to get a chance to show
he can still get the job done in an offense that features more
RB targets in the passing game and smart utilization of his backs.
While this could be more of a committee to start the season, Reid’s
offenses have always been potent units that end up highlighting
one back: the veteran coach has produced a Top-16 running back
in 16-of-his-20 seasons as a head coach. McCoy is about 80 percent
owned in ESPN leagues, but there will definitely be some formats
where he was dropped following his release form Buffalo and now
gets waiver designation heading into Week 1.
Nyheim Hines, IND – Hines had a good rookie season despite
being limited to 85 carries. He ranked in the top-10 among backs
in pass routes (294), targets (81), receptions (63) and average
depth of target (2.3), finishing 27th in fantasy points The retirement
of Andrew Luck may put a damper on his TD upside, but his role
as a PPR flex option remains defined and relevant to our conversation
here. Like Breida, he’s being underestimated as a worthy
offensive cog on a team that needs to utilize its backs to move
the football in the passing game.
Tony Pollard, DAL – A few folks may have dropped Pollard
to pick up LeSean McCoy, buying into the news that a deal between
Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys was imminent. I’m writing
this as of Monday morning, and well, that might not be the case.
The latest news has the Cowboys retreating a bit in frustration,
and possibly setting up a Week 1 without Zeke in Dallas. Pollard
(50-60 percent owned) fits into the jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none
category if he’s asked to shoulder a large workload, and
the sheer volume of touches may be enough to make him a must-own
commodity. He’s received praise for his one-cut ability
in the Cowboys zone-blocking scheme, and he’s a capable
pass receiver.
Michael Gallup, DAL – I probably don’t need to say
much about Gallup since he’s about 75 percent owned, but
I’ll emphasize that he’s got massive upside in the
Cowboys offense and offers the requisite breakaway speed and ability
to consistently get open. Gallup played 77 percent of the Cowboys’
snaps from Week 6 forward and ranked near the top of the league
in several important categories, including a 14.1 average depth
of target (aDOT – 13th highest in the NFL), 5.1 RAC (22nd),
and 15.4 YPR (12th). Even more telling was that 31 percent of
the passes thrown his way were considered off target, and that
number should improve in 2019 as he and Dak Prescott develop even
more rapport.
James Washington, PIT – The 2018 second-round pick didn’t
really move the needle as a rookie, but he was an explosive downfield
playmaker at Oklahoma State and is looking at an increased role
with Antonio Brown gone. He’s looked good in the preseason
games and is still building chemistry with Ben Roethlisberger,
but there’s plenty of upside considering the perennial issues
with Donte Moncrief, his main competition for targets. Washington
is a possible big-play breakout spot this season if he can carve
out an every-down role in this offense. Washington is still available
in 25-30 percent of leagues and is exactly the kind of high-risk/high-reward
player worth adding before he’s scooped up in all formats.
Jamison Crowder, NYJ – Crowder (60-65 percent owned) has
an impressive fantasy résumé and looks to slot in
between Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa (a personal favorite
of mine) in this burgeoning Jets offense. New head coach Adam
Gase has made good use of his receivers, which adds to Crowder's
upside. If he can stay healthy, Crowder could be a sneaky add
in PPR leagues (he saw 103 targets in 2017) and a versatile on-field
WR.
Tyrell Williams,
OAK – I mentioned him earlier while discussing Carr and he’s worth
a few more words. Just 50-55 percent owned and coming off a disappointing
season with the Chargers, Williams might be a better under-the-radar
DFS play than a season-long performer – but he’s a guy that needs
to be in your purview if you’re looking for matchup-dependent
sleepers. Cornerbacks will have trouble defending this large,
talented target (6-4, 205) in 2019, especially with Brown drawing
most of the coverage.
Adam Humphries, TEN – Humphries is an excellent fit in
Tennessee, as Marcus Mariota is starved for consistent receiving
options outside his main squeeze (Corey Davis) and TE Delanie
Walker. The fourth-year WR enjoyed a breakout 2018 which included
career-high marks in targets (105), receptions (76), receiving
yards (816) and TDs (five). Just 35 percent owned heading into
Week 1, he’s not a huge red zone/goal line threat but will
see plenty of snaps in 2019 and offers a solid and safe value
in PPR leagues.
TE Mark Andrews, BAL – Andrews was the second tight end
drafted by Baltimore last season, but the Oklahoma product had
a solid 34-552-3 season – and one of the best seasons by
a rookie tight end over the past decade. His receiving yardage
total ranks sixth among rookie TEs since 2007, and his 16.2 YPR,
10.0 YPT and 10.4 aDOT all rank second in that same pool. He’s
likely looking at an increase in snaps (35 percent in 2018) and
more usage in the red zone as QB Lamar Jackson gets more comfortable
in this offense.
TE T.J.
Hockenson, DET – Detroit picked this Iowa product 8th overall
in the April draft, and it wasn’t because they just wanted a decent
blocker. Hockenson fits the mold of an every-down TE and excels
in both pass-catching blocking – drawing comparisons to studs
like Travis Kelce,
Rob Gronkowski
and even former Hawkeye George
Kittle. A monster athletics specimen (6-5, 221) with great
hands and elite toughness, he’s a solid late-round flier in 12-team
leagues and an interesting speculative add heading into Week 1.
