Welcome to the first edition of the 2014 Dynasty Waiver Wired. I’ll begin with an introduction. I’m Ryan McDowell, a Staff Writer at DynastyLeagueFootball.com and I’ll be contributing to Rotoworld this season, taking over dynasty coverage for the great Bryan Fontaine. My Twitter contact information, as well as my email address, is listed below. Feel free to contact me anytime. Now, onto some dynasty football!
In this weekly series, I will highlight players that are speculative adds in deeper dynasty leagues, since the majority of players often covered in typical waiver wire columns have long been rostered.
No matter how deep your league is or how large the rosters, you should always keep a watch list of players you are considering adding, should the opportunity present itself. The group of names below will help you form that list.
All players mentioned will be owned in less than 20 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues. I will note that the data presented is based on all Yahoo leagues, not just those designated as keeper or dynasty.
Since we’ve yet to see any of these players suit up in a game that counts this season, I’m going to focus on players that are owned in less than ten percent of Yahoo leagues.
Quarterbacks
1. Geno Smith, NYJ (9%)
2. Derek Carr, OAK (5%)
3. Ryan Mallett, HOU (1%)
4. EJ Manuel, BUF (7%)
5. Matt Cassel, MIN (4%)
6. Kirk Cousins, WAS (1%)
o After a disappointing rookie season, Jets quarterback Geno Smith is getting no respect even in dynasty leagues where youth is heavily valued. Even during the letdown of a rookie season, Smith was still a mid range QB2 and now has added weapons like Eric Decker and Jace Amaro.
o Raiders rookie Derek Carr has won the starting job over veteran Matt Schaub following an impressive performance in the team’s Week four matchup against the Seattle Seahawks and should be rostered in all dynasty leagues.
o The Buffalo Bills are clearly concerned about second year quarterback EJ Manuel. They’ve brought in veteran Kyle Orton and paid him too much money, which is not a good sign for Manuel. He’s worthy of a roster spot for now, based on his age and some young receivers, but he has to step up his play to maintain his roster status.
o The Vikings have opted for Matt Cassel as their starter over rookie Teddy Bridgewater and Cassel could help fantasy teams over the next few weeks. The Vikings offense should be much improved with electric receiver Cordarrelle Patterson a year into his career and the addition of offensive coordinator Norv Turner.
o We’re starting to hear some whispers that Robert Griffin III may not be playing up to his superstar status. If he doesn’t improve, some may be calling for his job. Even if he does hold down the starting job, there is also the injury concern that comes with his poor sliding technique when running the ball. Next in line should either of these concerns become serious is Kirk Cousins.
Running Backs
1. Bryce Brown, BUF (3%)
2. Roy Helu, WAS (7%)
3. Jonathan Grimes, HOU (8%)
4. Dexter McCluster, TEN (6%)
5. Benny Cunningham, STL (6%)
6. Jerick McKinnon, MIN (1%)
7. CJ Anderson, DEN (2%)
8. Chris Polk, PHI (2%)
9. Robert Turbin, SEA (2%)
10. Lorenzo Taliaferro, BAL (1%)
11. Latavius Murray, OAK (1%)
12. Tre Mason, STL (6%)
13. Ka’Deem Carey, CHI (1%)
o Though he’s only the third string running back for the Buffalo Bills, Bryce Brown is a player to grab now. Both runners ahead of him on the depth chart, CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson, will be free agents at the conclusion of the season. Both have also battled injuries throughout their careers, meaning Brown might get an opportunity sooner rather than later.
o In Washington, Roy Helu is another player preparing for free agency at the end of the season. He’s a prime candidate to gain value with a possible new team, similar to what happened with Toby Gerhart this past off-season.
o Though Arian Foster is clearly locked into the starting job, his former backup, Ben Tate, has moved on. It looks like the new second man up will be Jonathan Grimes, who began his career with Jacksonville before showing his skills as both a ball carrier and a receiver in very limited action a year ago.
o Dexter McCluster made the move from Kansas City to Tennessee during the off-season and reports are that he will play the Danny Woodhead role under new head coach Ken Whisenhunt. Remember, Woodhead was an RB1 in PPR leagues under Whisenhunt last season in San Diego.
o One of the more surprising reports of the pre-season was that Benny Cunningham was pushing Zac Stacy for the starting running back job in St. Louis. While Stacy remains the man for now, Cunningham has clearly earned a larger role.
o One of the most hyped rookies of the off-season has been Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon, who gained dynasty leaguers’ attention after he blew up the NFL Scouting Combine in February. He’s currently the third running back in Minnesota, but should see some work on passing downs.
o Remember last year how the Denver Broncos made use of all of their running backs? Expect to see the same thing again this year and consider stashing CJ Anderson right now. He’s third behind Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman, but will see sporadic snaps.
o The Eagles’ running back depth chart behind LeSean McCoy is cloudy right now, due to an injury to backup Chris Polk. Despite the hamstring tear that kept him out of action for nearly all of training camp, Polk still made the Eagles’ final roster, which says a lot about how the team values him. He should be back by Week one.
o All of the attention in Seattle goes to starting running back Marshawn Lynch or dynasty darling Christine Michael, but the actual backup Robert Turbin is often ignored. Turbin performs when called upon and has maintained his role behind Lynch, who is likely to be gone next year.
o We know Ray Rice is suspended for the season’s first two games and Bernard Pierce just suffered a concussion. The player who could benefit from these tough circumstances is the Ravens’ fourth round selection Lorenzo Taliaferro, a bruising 6’0”, 226 pound back once viewed as a fullback by some coaches and scouts.
o A season ago, deep dynasty leaguers pegged the Raiders’ Latavius Murray as their favorite sleeper and we saw his value rise. That is, until training camp when he suffered an injury that landed him on injured reserve for the season. The team still has Darren McFadden and added former Jaguar Maurice Jones-Drew, but Murray could be the team’s future at the running back position.
o One rookie who has been somewhat disappointing this pre-season is the Rams’ Tre Mason. He wasn’t expected to push Zac Stacy for the starting job, but he never even came close. While he’s listed fourth on the depth chart, he is very young and has some nice talent.
o One other rookie disappointment in the early going is Chicago’s Ka’Deem Carey. The team was very thin behind Matt Forte on the running back depth chart, but Carey could not use that to his advantage. With that said, he’s still worth monitoring with hopes he shows improvement.
Wide Receivers
1. John Brown, ARZ (6%)
2. Allen Hurns, JAX (6%)
3. Marquess Wilson, CHI (0%)
4. Mohamed Sanu, CIN (6%)
5. Denarius Moore, OAK (5%)
6. Rod Streater, OAK (5%)
7. Andre Holmes, OAK (5%)
8. Robert Woods, BUF (4%)
9. Jarvis Landry, MIA (1%)
10. Brian Quick, STL (2%)
o Surprising rookie John Brown has earned the third wide receiver spot for the Arizona Cardinals, who used a third round draft pick on the slot man. With Brown, Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, this pass offense could be a fun one to watch.
o Another rookie surprise is undrafted Allen Hurns from the University of Miami. The Jaguars scooped him up even though they’d already drafted Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson and Hurns has outplayed them all in pre-season action, earning a spot on the final roster.
o It looked like this would be the year young Marquess Wilson would break out for the Bears and Marc Trestman’s high-powered offense. Instead, Wilson suffered a broken collarbone that will keep him out of action for the next several weeks, at least. Don’t let that dissuade you from grabbing him now.
o A player taking advantage of an injury is the Bengals’ Mohamed Sanu, who has played well with teammate Marvin Jones out of action. Sanu is in line to be the second wide receiver for the Bengals and could earn a larger role if he continues his strong play.
o As I mentioned earlier, Derek Carr has been named the Raiders starting quarterback and that is good news for all offensive skill players, including a trio of wideouts sitting on many waiver wires- Denarius Moore, Rod Streater and Andre Holmes. It’s difficult to predict which of these forms a bond with Carr and becomes the team’s top receiver, but all are worth taking a shot on.
o There is a similar situation in Buffalo with a muddled depth chart. Of course, we assume rookie Sammy Watkins is the man to own over the long haul, but you won’t find him on any waiver wires. His teammate Robert Woods could be there though and is a talented player in his own right. There is concern that he’s been running with the second, or even third team units, but I expect him to gain a starting role soon.
o The Miami Dolphins have some questions of their own when it comes to their receiving corps. Mike Wallace is penciled in as the number one, but reports persist that he lacks the necessary bond with quarterback Ryan Tannehill. This could open the door for rookie Jarvis Landry to gain more snaps and targets.
o Another pre-season, and long list of glowing reports about Rams receiver Brian Quick. He’s on the radar, but has to prove he can perform when the real games kick off.
Tight Ends
1. Dwayne Allen, IND (7%)
2. CJ Fiedorowicz, HOU (0%)
3. Richard Rodgers, GB (4%)
4. Jermaine Gresham, CIN (3%)
5. Mychal Rivera, OAK (2%)
6. Brandon Williams, CAR (0%)
7. Levine Toilolo, ATL (1%)
o I have to admit, I’m shocked to see Colts tight end Dwayne Allen owned in such a low percentage of leagues. It’s likely due to the fact he missed much of the 2013 season with a hip injury. As the Colts’ offense continues to grow and improve, so will Allen.
o Would you like to grab a player from the waiver wire who has been compared to New England’s Rob Gronkowski? Then go get Texans rookie CJ Fiedorowicz right now. He’s currently second on the depth chart and set to play the in-line tight end role (the same as Gronkowski). It is worth noting rookie tight ends rarely become fantasy relevant.
o On that note, another rookie to watch is Richard Rodgers of the Packers. One difference between him and Fiedorowicz is that Rodgers has earned the team’s starting role. He also has Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball, which doesn’t hurt.
o Many dynasty owners gave up on the Bengals’ Jermaine Gresham too soon a year ago after the team drafted Tyler Eifert. Gresham still finished as a TE2, outscoring Eifert along the way.
o A season ago, rookie Mychal Rivera was one of the surprises and bright spots of the Oakland Raiders, hauling in 38 passes, including four touchdowns. Expect his role to grow with more consistent quarterback play.
o The basketball player turned tight end has become quite the trend in the NFL and the next player to successfully make the switch could be Carolina’s Brandon Williams. He won’t be passing Greg Olsen on the depth chart, but the Panthers are desperate for quality pass catchers and Williams had a nice pre-season. He’s a player to watch.
o It finally happened. Future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez retired, leaving a gaping hole at the position for the Atlanta Falcons. Although no player will fill Gonzalez’ shoes, the team will use youngster Levine Toilolo as their starter and he should see a good percentage of the 121 targets Gonzalez had last year.
