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.
I will note that the data presented is based on all Yahoo leagues, not just those designated as keeper or dynasty.
First, let’s look back at last week’s waiver wire suggestions that gained value, with current Yahoo ownership percentages and percentage change in parentheses.
Jamaal Williams, GB (61%/+54)
Rex Burkhead, NE (56%/+45%)
Austin Ekeler, LAC (35%/+31%)
Samaje Perine, WAS (35%/+28%)
C.J. Fiedorowicz, HOU (25%/+15%)
T.J. Yeldon, JAX (21%/+12%)
Dede Westbrook, JAX (31%/+11%)
J.D. McKissic, SEA (8%/+5%)
Kenny Golladay, DET (11%/+4%)
D’Onta Foreman, HOU (7%/+2%)
Mitchell Trubisky, CHI (6%/+1%)
Teddy Bridgewater, MIN (9%/+1%)
Chris Carson, SEA (4%/+1%)
Not all recommended players gain dynasty value from week to week. Here are some players mentioned in last week’s article whose ownership percentage took a hit over the past week.
Jacoby Brissett, IND (17%/-3%)
Elijah McGuire, NYJ (6%/-2%)
Jimmy Garoppolo, SF (9%/-1%)
Quarterbacks
1) Mitchell Trubisky, CHI (6%)
2) Jacoby Brissett, IND (17%)
3) Jimmy Garoppolo, SF (9%)
4) Patrick Mahomes, KC (1%)
5) DeShone Kizer, CLE (3%)
6) Paxton Lynch, DEN (1%)
As the end of the season nears, it is very common to see teams make changes at the quarterback position and for some teams, that is starting earlier than normal, in part due to injuries, while others are simply due to poor play…Bears rookie QB Mitchell Trubisky has shown a low fantasy ceiling, but has been consistent and is clearly the long-term starter in Chicago. Once they’ve added some offensive weapons, Trubisky could show quick improvement…QB Jacoby Brissett is the forgotten man this week as the Colts were on bye, but Andrew Luck’s replacement has played well this season and could even be a long-term option for the Colts, or another team…While the 49ers were on bye last week, they now face a big decision about which QB to start in Week Twelve and going forward. Again, even if former Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo doesn’t get the call this week, it is only a matter of time. Grab him from the wire now…The Chiefs have seemingly hit the wall and the all-world play of veteran QB Alex Smith we saw earlier in the season is fading back to what we’ve all come to know from Smith. There have even been some whispers that the team should give rookie QB Patrick Mahomes a shot. This seems a bit drastic and is not a move I expect anytime soon, but it is a good reminder than Mahomes is likely the 2018 starter for this young offense and should be stashed…Rookie QB DeShone Kizer continued to turn the ball over against the strong Jaguars defense, but got a vote of confidence from his coach as HC Hue Jackson said he’d be sticking with Kizer as the starter for the remainder of the season. The Browns will be forced to decide by the spring draft if they will stick with Kizer or use a first-round draft pick on a rookie QB…The Broncos are struggling and the move to QB Brock Osweiler has not worked well, to the surprise of no one. The next move, and one that seems likely to happen soon, is giving second-year QB Paxton Lynch a shot to be the starter. The likely outcome is that none of the three Denver QBs are the long-term answer, but Lynch has the best chance…
Running Backs
1) Corey Clement, PHI (10%)
2) J.D. McKissic, SEA (8%)
3) Mike Davis, SEA (0%)
4) Devontae Booker, DEN (7%)
5) Rod Smith, DAL (18%)
6) Andre Ellington, FA (8%)
7) Byron Marshall, WAS (0%)
8) Alfred Blue, HOU (0%)
I hope you were able to pick off a RB from the waiver wire a week ago as the options are not nearly as enticing this week. Eagles RB Corey Clement scored his sixth touchdown of the season in Week 11, leading all Eagles RBs in fantasy scoring. Even in a crowded backfield, he’s worth watching…The Seahawks continue to try and find an answer at the running back position. On Monday Night Football, they made RB Thomas Rawls a healthy scratch and started RB Mike Davis, who was recently called up from the practice squad. He began the game well, totaling 59 yards, but then suffered a groin injury. One of the young Seattle RBs will be worth adding, but which one will depend on the severity of Davis’ injury. If he can’t go next week, opt instead of J.D. McKissic, who was clearly the next option after Davis as veteran RB Eddie Lacy failed to make an impact, as usual…The Broncos have implanted a full-fledged running back by committee and while C.J. Anderson still has the name value, but it is RB Devontae Booker who has been more productive since he returned to the field in Week Four. Since Week Six, Booker is the RB25, averaging over nine fantasy points per game…With RB Ezekiel Elliott out of the lineup, the Cowboys have struggled mightily, getting blown out in the past two games. RB Rod Smith didn’t do much against the Eagles in Week 11, but the Cowboys choice to make RB Darren McFadden a healthy scratch shows how much confidence the team has in the young back. With OL Tyron Smith due back for the team’s annual Thanksgiving game, the offense should be able to bounce back and Smith should be a part of that…The Cardinals decided to pull the plug on RB Andre Ellington on Monday, who had played a limited role following the acquisition of RB Adrian Peterson. Getting cut is rarely a good thing for a player’s value, but considering the RB situations around the league, there could be several teams interested in adding Ellington, especially the Redskins, who lost RB Chris Thompson in Week 11…If the Skins don’t add Ellington, or another back, they will likely give additional playing time to speedy RB Byron Marshall, who could be worth a look in the deepest of dynasty leagues…The Texans also lost a back last week as rookie RB D’Onta Foreman tore his Achilles, ending his season. They too could add another option, but for now, veteran Alfred Blue becomes the handcuff to starter Lamar Miller…
Wide Receivers
1) Kenny Golladay, DET (11%)
2) Chris Godwin, TB (1%)
3) Zay Jones, BUF (7%)
4) Bruce Ellington, HOU (8%)
Lions rookie WR Kenny Golladay is finally back and healthy and for the second consecutive week, he hauled in a long pass, this time a 40-yarder from QB Matthew Stafford. It’s his third reception of 40 or more yards this season on only 11 catches…Bucs rookie WR Chris Godwin stepped in for star WR Mike Evans when he served a suspension in Week 10, but even with Evans back, Godwin’s increased playing time continued and he rewarded the team with a 24-yarder. He’s another player who won’t help much this season, but still has long-term upside and is worthy of a roster spot…After missing Week 10, Bills rookie WR Zay Jones returned and set a new career-high with 68 receiving yards, leading the team. The recent decision by the Bills coaching staff tells us they are looking towards 2018, so that could mean more playing time for Jones…With WR Will Fuller out with an injury, slot specialist WR Bruce Ellington played well as the second-option behind star WR DeAndre Hopkins. Ellington saw seven targets, catching six for 86 yards. If Fuller continues to miss time, Ellington will remain a decent flex option…
Tight Ends
1) Adam Shaheen, CHI (0%)
2) Ricky Seals-Jones, ARZ (0%)
With veterans Zach Miller and Dion Sims out of the lineup for the past two games, Bears rookie TE Adam Shaheen has responded, averaging 40 yards per game in the limited offense and he also scored his second touchdown of the season in Week 11. Shaheen remains more of a long-term option, but should be rostered in every dynasty league…I am fairly certain that the Week 11 production burst from rookie TE Ricky Seals-Jones, including a pair of touchdown receptions, is a fluke, but I am willing to take a shot on him to find out. Seals-Jones may be a player few were familiar with before this game, but he is a former top college recruit and he put up some big numbers early in his college career. Considering the Cardinals don’t really have a long-term option at the position, RSJ could be the answer…
Players on Injured Reserve worth stashing for 2018 (under 20%) Allen Robinson, Cameron Meredith, Spencer Ware, Julian Edelman, Ryan Tannehill, Rico Gathers, Kenneth Dixon, Carlos Henderson, Tajae Sharpe, Erik Swoope, Malcolm Mitchell, Tyler Eifert, Andrew Luck, Sam Bradford, Deshaun Watson
