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.
Editor’s Note: Rotoworld’s partner FanDuel is hosting a one-week $2 Million Fantasy Football league for Week 15’s games. It’s only $25 to join and first prize is $200,000. Starts Sunday, December 14th at 1pm ET. Here’s the link.
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.
First, let’s look back at last week Waiver Wired suggestions that gained value, with current Yahoo ownership percentages and percentage change in parentheses.
Donte Moncrief, IND (28/+23%)
Stedman Bailey, STL (17%/+15%)
Johnny Manziel, CLE (22%/+10%)
Ryan Fitzpatrick, HOU (17%/+9%)
Stepfan Taylor, ARZ (9%/+8%)
Marion Grice, ARZ (8%/+7%)
Robert Woods, BUF (11%/+5%)
Davante Adams, GB (15%/+4%)
Marqise Lee, JAX (4%/+3%)
Colt McCoy, WAS (8%/+2%)
Charles Johnson, MIN (20%/+2%)
Jermaine Gresham, CIN (9%/+1%)
Richard Rodgers, GB (1%/+1%)
UPDATE: Every player recommended last week saw an increase in value, based on Yahoo’s ownership percentages. Young receivers Donte Moncrief and Stedman Bailey were the biggest gainers and look to be locked into prime positions for their teams as the season wraps up. Even though he didn’t end up starting for the Browns, rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel was also a popular option for fantasy owners, as he should be.
Quarterbacks
1. Teddy Bridgewater, MIN (9%)
o There were big expectations for rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater after the Vikings traded up and spent a first round pick on him. After a bit of a slow start, the former Louisville Cardinal has played well in recent weeks, which coincides with the breakout performance of wide receiver Charles Johnson. With only two weeks left in most fantasy football leagues, it’s doubtful you’ll need to use Bridgewater in your lineup, but he makes an excellent options heading forward into the off-season and is more than just a stash.
Stashes for 2015:
1. Blake Bortles, JAX (7%)
2. Derek Carr, OAK (7%)
3. Jake Locker, TEN (2%)
4. Brock Osweiler, DEN (0%)
5. Logan Thomas, ARZ (0%)
6. Jimmy Garoppolo, NE (0%)
o Another group headlined by rookies, both those already starting as well as some who haven’t gotten their chance yet. With the season ending injury to Titans rookie Zach Mettenberger, former starter and first round NFL Draft pick Jake Locker will finish out the season. This will likely mark the end of Locker’s Titans’ career and if he plays well, he could land a job elsewhere in 2015. Granted, that is a long shot, but that’s why he appears among the stashes.
Running Backs
1. Kerwynn Williams, ARZ (3%)
2. Charles Sims, TB (17%)
3. Stepfan Taylor, ARZ (9%)
4. Marion Grice, ARZ (8%)
o There are few running back options left, but with the season ending foot injury to Cardinals’ starter Andre Ellington, most of your waiver wire attention should be spent choosing which Arizona running back will get the most touches in Week 15. Surprisingly, it was Kerwynn Williams who was the man last week, rushing for 100 yards and dominating the backfield touches. Based on what we saw last week, he has to be the favored choice among the three headed backup running back group. If you have the space and are desperate, you may want to grab the other members of the trio- Stepfan Taylor and Marion Grice. I don’t see any of these as long-term options in Arizona and it would be difficult to carry any on your roster through the off-season.
o With Doug Martin back in action, rookie Charles Sims has been relegated to backup touches, which has obviously affected his dynasty value. Sims is still involved in the passing game though and is worthy of a pickup as we follow the Bucs plan and how they handle the running back position. While Martin was injured and evidently in the dog house, there were multiple reports and rumors that the team was ready to move on from Martin and even attempted to trade him at the deadline.
Stashes for 2015:
1. Christine Michael, SEA (4%)
2. Devonta Freeman, ATL (7%)
3. Ka’Deem Carey, CHI (1%)
4. Bryce Brown, BUF (12%)
5. Robert Turbin, SEA (3%)
6. Khiry Robinson, NO (6%)
7. Joseph Randle, DAL (5%)
8. Lorenzo Taliaferro, BAL (9%)
9. De’Anthony Thomas, KC (1%)
10. Glenn Winston, CLE (0%)
11. James White, NE (2%)
12. Antonio Andrews, TEN (0%)
o The stash options at running back are again filled with rookies ad other young players. I contend Seahawks back Christine Michael has the most upside, and could potentially have a great opportunity should Marshawn Lynch leave Seattle.
Wide Receivers
1. Marqise Lee, JAX (4%)
2. Stedman Bailey, STL (17%)
3. Marquess Wilson, CHI (1%)
4. Allen Hurns, JAX (16%)
5. Nick Toon, NO (0%)
o This is what many expected from Jaguars’ rookie Marqise Lee, it just took many weeks and some injuries to make it happen. Lee continues to play well as he had five grabs for 67 yards last week against the Texans. The poor quarterback play from Blake Bortles has limited the entire offense, but there is a good chance Lee is a starter in 2015 and it is fair to expect improvement and more production from the offense overall.
o After back-to-back big games from Rams’ receiver Stedman Bailey, expectations were high for the Week 14 matchup with the Redskins and of course, Bailey disappointed. He had just two receptions for 47 yards, but caught his only two targets and the Washington defense focused on taking him out of the game and allowed tight end Jared Cook to have a big game. This will be typical of a receiver like Bailey as he lacks the weekly upside of the top receivers, but he is still well worth a roster spot in most dynasty formats and will even make a fine starter on occasions.
o Young wide receiver Marquess Wilson didn’t do much in the teams’ Thursday Night Football loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but the big news from the game could lend him greater opportunities for the remainder of the season. Star wideout Brandon Marshall suffered injuries to his ribs and lungs, which has landed him on the injured reserve list. With the Bears out of the playoff contention, expect them to see what they have in Wilson, who could play as the Bears’ second wide receiver over the final three weeks.
o We just keep counting out the undrafted free agent for the Jaguars, but Allen Hurns just keeps producing. He again led the team in receptions and targets, and also scored the team’s only touchdown of the day. Much like Bailey, Hurns does not possess elite receiver ability, but should be owned in most dynasty leagues. Guessing when to start him is the challenging part.
o I can’t figure out the New Orleans Saints’ offense. You probably can’t either. They have elite and proven pass catchers and Drew Brees continues to spread the ball around to every pass catcher on the roster. While it’s frustrating for Jimmy Graham owners, that method has given some value to players like Nick Toon. Over the past three weeks, Toon is averaging over eight PPR fantasy points per week. While that’s not starting level, it does show some potential and with Marques Colston slowing down, the Saints may have found a potential replacement.
Stashes for 2015:
1. Justin Blackmon, JAX (0%)
2. Duron Carter, FA (0%)
3. Cody Latimer, DEN (2%)
4. Corey Washington, NYG (0%)
5. Jeff Janis, GB (0%)
6. Devin Street, DAL (0%)
7. Josh Huff, PHI (0%)
o After months of no news, which dynasty owners have equated to bad news, there are finally some positive reports about suspended Jaguars’ wide receiver Justin Blackmon. Blackmon is reportedly continuing his recovery and is on track to be reinstated and on the field in 2015. As we’ve recently learned with Josh Gordon, betting on talent usually works out, so if you can get Blackmon for free off the waiver wire, or even acquire him at a discounted cost in a trade, that could pay off in a big way.
Tight Ends
1. Jermaine Gresham, CIN (9%)
Veteran tight end Jermaine Gresham continues to be an important part of the Bengals’ offense. This week, he was second on the team in receiving yardage and also scored a touchdown. He’s the TE7 in PPR leagues since Week Six and is an underrated fantasy starter. With Tyler Eifert expected to return at full strength in 2015 and Gresham entering free agency, another team could be interested in signing the veteran and making him their starter.
Stashes for 2015:
1. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TB (4%)
2. Eric Ebron, DET (3%)
3. Jace Amaro, NYJ (3%)
4. Dion Sims, MIA (1%)
5. Richard Rodgers, GB (0%)
6. Gavin Escobar, DAL (1%)
At this point, there should be no surprise at the struggles of the rookie tight ends, even those who were highly drafted like Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Eric Ebron and Jace Amaro. In Miami, second year man Dion Sims has seen his playing time increase in recent weeks. With normal starter Charles Clay entering free agency following the season, an opportunity could open for Sims.
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, Ahmad Bradshaw, Rod Streater, Jerick McKinnon, Aaron Dobson, Zach Mettenberger, Brandon Marshall
