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.
As the fantasy football regular season draws to a close, the waiver wire becomes even more important for dynasty owners. There are fewer and fewer impact players available since the wire has been thoroughly picked over for the first three months of the season. This means when there is a player who could have an impact down the stretch, he becomes even more in demand. Also, for those teams who may be out of title contention at this point, it’s time to consider some stash options. This would include players who are unlikely to help your team this season, but could make an impact in 2015. Following this week’s waiver wire suggestions, I’ll rank some stash players you may want to take a chance on as the 2014 season winds down.
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First, let’s look back at last week Waiver Wired suggestions that gained value, with current Yahoo ownership percentages and percentage change in parentheses.
Latavius Murray, OAK (25%/+24%)
Dan Herron,IND (23%/+22%)
Jacob Tamme, DEN (23%/+22%)
Kenny Stills, NO (34%/+21%)
Kenny Britt, TEN (27%/+12%)
Jarvis Landry, MIA (21%/+6%)
Jermaine Gresham, CIN (8%/+4%)
Drew Stanton, ARZ (10%/+1%)
Cody Latimer, DEN (2%/+1%)
Charles Johnson, MIN (1%/+1%)
UPDATE: As is usually the case, any running back showing a pulse becomes a hot waiver wire add, and that holds true here with Latavius Murray and Dan Herron topping this week’s list of most added players. Murray exploded in the first half against the Chiefs before suffering a concussion. Let’s hope he can fully heal, because he looked like the best player on the Raiders’ offense and could be a big boost for fantasy owners down the stretch.
While these players are on the rise, some of last week’s suggestions lost value over the past week.
Theo Riddick, DET (9%/-3%)
Davante Adams, GB (12%/-2%)
UPDATE: Here we have just a pair of young players with some inconsistency in playing time and production this season. I think both Theo Riddick and especially Davante Adams are still well worth a roster spot in dynasty leagues.
Quarterbacks
1. Zach Mettenberger, TEN (4%)
o Yes, that’s correct, Titans rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger, the sixth round pick who began the season behind Jake Locker and Charlie Whitehurst is now one of the top rookie options as we head towards the end of the season. Mettenberger was QB9 in Week 12 and since he took over the starting job, he is a high end QB2. The Titans are clearly ready to move on from Locker and Mettenberger is now playing for the lead job in 2015. If you’re really desperate, Mettenberger has a nice schedule down the stretch, including the Jaguars in Week 16.
Stashes for 2015:
1. Teddy Bridgewater, MIN (7%)
2. Blake Bortles, JAX (7%)
3. Johnny Manziel, CLE (10%)
4. Derek Carr, OAK (8%)
5. Brock Osweiler, DEN (0%)
6. Logan Thomas, ARZ (0%)
7. Jimmy Garoppolo, NE (0%)
8. Tom Savage, HOU (0%)
o Among this group, which is filled almost exclusively with rookie signal callers, are three players who are already starting for their teams, yet struggling through their rookie season. That trio, Bridgewater, Bortles and Carr, all have upside, but are beginning to show cause for concern. Even with that, all three should get another shot to be the man in 2015. In Cleveland, veteran Brian Hoyer is not making things easy for former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel, but odds are still in Manziel’s favor to be the starter next season. The final four players are either behind veterans who are nearing the end of their careers in Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, or are part of an unstable quarterback depth chart.
Running Backs
Stashes for 2015:
1. Christine Michael, SEA (4%)
2. Ka’Deem Carey, CHI (1%)
3. Devonta Freeman, ATL (8%)
4. Ray Rice, FA (8%)
5. Khiry Robinson, NO (6%)
6. Lorenzo Taliaferro, BAL (13%)
7. Antonio Andrews, TEN (0%)
o Sadly, there is not a single running back available this week who could really help you down the stretch. Hopefully, you were able to grab one of the recent waiver wire suggestions like CJ Anderson or Latavius Murray.
o There are a few names who could help your team in 2015 though and it’s another rookie heavy list. Rumors are that Seahawks veteran running back Marshawn Lynch could be shown the door following the season, meaning the job will be open and Michael could be the main beneficiary. Matt Forte has again handled nearly all running back touches, but the Bears would be wise to take some of the load off him and next in line is the rookie Carey. The rest of this list are real long-shots for varying reasons, but the most interesting, and certainly the most controversial, is former Ravens’ back Ray Rice. Of course, Rice is currently suspended and not expected back this season, but could be reinstated for next season. There are still a lot of questions to answer, including how the season away from football might affect his ability and if there are any teams willing to take a chance on signing Rice.
Wide Receivers
1. Charles Johnson, MIN (1%)
2. Robert Woods, BUF (3%)
3. Marqise Lee, JAX (1%)
4. Stedman Bailey, STL (0%)
o I mentioned Vikings’ receiver Charles Johnson last week, but didn’t give a strong endorsement for the former Brown and Packer. That will change this week as Johnson was clearly the team’s best receiver for the second consecutive game, playing well enough to finally move struggling Cordarrelle Patterson down the depth chart. Johnson must improve on his catch percentage though, as he only hauled in three of his 11 targets, though some of those were clearly the fault of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Johnson is my top waiver wire add of the week and may be the last player who could really make an impact as the season winds down.
o Bills’ receiver Robert Woods was able to overcome the issues stemming from the blizzard in Buffalo, which displaced the Bills matchup with the Jets all the way to Detroit. Woods posted a career high in receptions with nine. The Monday Night Football special also marked Woods’ first career 100 yard game. If rookie Sammy Watkins continues to be bothered by nagging injuries, Woods could end up as a reliable play in the season’s final few games.
o We knew this was coming once the Jaguars lost Allen Robinson for the season…we’d finally get to see fellow rookie Marqise Lee get in on the fun. Lee led the team in receiving yards and was tied for the most targets on the team, both good signs of his role in the offense going forward. Lee has been lost in the rookie receiver hype but it wasn’t too long ago that he was considered the top receiver in the class.
o Over the past few weeks, veteran Kenny Britt had established himself as the go to receiver in St. Louis, but this week, with Shaun Hill returning to the starting lineup, that changed. Stedman Bailey, who had been suspended earlier in the season, led the team in targets, receptions, receiving yards and also scored his first career touchdown.
Stashes for 2015:
1. Davante Adams, GB (12%)
2. Donte Moncrief, IND (3%)
3. Cody Latimer, DEN (2%)
4. Aaron Dobson, NE (4%)
5. Marquess Wilson, CHI (0%)
6. Justin Blackmon, JAX (0%)
7. Jeff Janis, GB (0%)
8. Josh Huff, PHI (0%)
9. Jaron Brown, ARZ (0%)
o When looking for future upside, the search often begins with youth, and that search has again led us to a group of targets compiled mostly of rookies.
o From this list, I consider the top three rookies, Adams, Moncrief and Latimer to be “must adds” in all dynasty formats. These players are part of arguably the three best offenses in the league, each playing alongside a top five NFL quarterback. While the stacked depth chart has kept their production down during their rookie seasons, aging veterans and potential free agent departures could lead to increased playing time in 2015.
o There is more risk, but less cost, with the others on the list. Blackmon, like Rice, could never pay off if he’s unable to make his return to the league, but is easily the most talented player on the list.
Tight Ends
1. Marcedes Lewis, JAX (7%)
o Again, there are limited options for those looking for tight end help at this late point in the season, and with the mounting injuries at the position, help is likely needed. Last week, Jaguars’ veteran starter Marcedes Lewis returned to action after a stint on the injured reserve list. Lewis put up an ugly stat line, one reception for a five yard loss, but did get an end zone target and might be your best bet for tight end help from the waiver wire.
Stashes for 2015:
1. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TB (9%)
2. Eric Ebron, DET (3%)
3. Jace Amaro, NYJ (6%)
4. Gavin Escobar, DAL (1%)
5. Richard Rodgers, GB (0%)
o You guessed it…more rookies. As is usually the case, this year’s top rookie tight ends have gotten off to a slow start. It is rare that a rookie tight end will make an impact and acclimate themselves well enough to play a significant role. Don’t give up on these players, especially the highly drafted threesome of Seferian-Jenkins, Ebron and Amaro.
Some players on Injured Reserve that could be worth stashing for 2015: Allen Robinson, Tyler Eifert, Stevan Ridley, Dennis Pitta, Brian Quick, Knowshon Moreno, Marvin Jones, Danny Woodhead, Sam Bradford, Tyler Gaffney, Carson Palmer, Victor Cruz, CJ Spiller, Ahmad Bradshaw, Ryan Mallett
