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 playoffs draw 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. Assuming your league is playing the title game in Week 16, it is a long shot that any player on the waiver wire will crack your lineup, but with injuries piling up, it’s important to stay on top of the news and the waiver wire.
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’s Waiver Wired suggestions that gained value, with current Yahoo ownership percentages and percentage change in parentheses.
Marquess Wilson, CHI (30%/+29%)
Kerwynn Williams, ARZ (18%/+15%)
Marqise Lee, JAX (7%/+3%)
UPDATE: With limited options last week, only three of my suggestions gained value over the past few days. Of course, the top gainer was the replacement for Brandon Marshall, second year receiver Marquess Wilson. Kerwynn Williams had his second consecutive strong outing for the Cardinals.
Charles Sims, TB (13%/-4%)
Stepfan Taylor, ARZ (6%/-3%)
Marion Grice, ARZ (5%/-3%)
Stedman Bailey, STL (14%/-3%)
Davante Adams, GB (13%/-2%)
Allen Hurns, JAX (15%/-1%)
UPDATE: There were some gambles here with the Arizona backfield and it appears that both Marion Grice and Stepfan Taylor have no real value, either short-term or long-term. Some dynasty owners might be giving up on the young wide receivers in order to make room for a player that helps them in the playoff run.
Playoff Waiver Options
There are really only a few players worthy of monitoring your dynasty waiver wire for if you need a short-term surge of production for you playoff lineups, and as you might guess, there are no sure things here.
1. Joseph Randle, RB DAL
2. Kerwynn Williams, RB ARZ
3. Nate Washington, WR TEN
4. Teddy Bridgewater, QB MIN
5. Lance Dunbar, RB DAL
o With the news that Cowboys’ starting running back DeMarco Murray could miss Week 16 due to a broken bone in his hand, it’s time to rush to your waiver wire to add his primary backup, Joseph Randle. While Randle has failed to match his number of carries from his rookie season a year ago, his yards per carry has more than doubled. He has consistently been the first backup runner in the game behind Murray and if a replacement is needed, and it appears that will be the case, Randle should get the call. The Cowboys face off against an Indianapolis Colts run defense that has been pretty weak, allowing seven RB1 performances on the season, and another five RB2 games, meaning nearly every week this season, the opposing running back has been worthy of a fantasy start.
o It was a defensive struggle on Thursday Night Football as the Cardinals battled the Rams, but upstart running back Kerwynn Williams was able to rush for 75 yards and even got a little involved in the passing game, something he failed to do the prior week. Williams might be the top option on this list, except the Cardinals face the Seahawks in Week 16, making Williams a very dangerous play.
o Things just keep getting uglier for the Tennessee Titans, but with injuries to fellow receivers Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter, veteran Nate Washington has emerged with some fantasy relevance. Last week, Washington had his best game of the 2015 season with six receptions for over 100 yards. The good news is the Titans face a Jacksonville Jaguars team that can be scored on, but the bad news is that with season-ending injuries to both Zach Mettenberger and Jake Locker, the team now turns to Charlie Whitehurst as their starter. Consider Washington a desperation play only and if you aren’t using him this week, don’t roster him at all.
o Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater continues to turn his season around in the late going. After his play had many questioning if he could be the future quarterback for the team, he has strung together a few impressive games. In Week 15 against the division rival Lions, Bridgewater posted his second consecutive 300 yard passing game and nearly led his team to an upset victory. As your fantasy title game approaches, you’re likely set at quarterback, but Bridgewater could be an option as they face off with fading Dolphins defense.
o As the season began many weeks ago, like many, I was almost expecting an injury to DeMarco Murray. Not that I was wishing injury upon the Cowboys’ running back, but there was a lengthy history of missing games. In anticipation of that injury, I stashed backup Lance Dunbar everywhere I could. Instead, it was Randle who became the reliable backup, while Dunbar was relegated to few touches on the season. If Murray is out though, expect Dunbar to see a decent amount of playing time, especially on passing downs. After all, outside of a fluke 11 carry game in Week 2, Dunbar has more receptions on the season than carries.
With only a few options for the remainder of the 2014 season, let’s explore some additional options for future stash plays.
Quarterbacks
Stashes for 2015:
1. Derek Carr, OAK (7%)
2. Blake Bortles, JAX (7%)
3. Brock Osweiler, DEN (0%)
4. Logan Thomas, ARZ (0%)
5. Jimmy Garoppolo, NE (0%)
o Of these young stash options, the Raiders’ Derek Carr would be my top choice. Both he and Blake Bortles have been thrust into the starting lineup, likely before they were ready, and Carr has played much better, even with an arguably weaker surrounding cast. Both Carr and Bortles are locks to start for their teams next year and are therefore the best stashes of this list. We did see Broncos’ backup Brock Osweiler with some playing time in Week 15 as Peyton manning was dealing with flulike symptoms, though he was certainly not in the game long enough to evaluate his future with the team or in the league. His value all hinges on Manning and his decision to continue playing or hang it up. With the injury to Drew Stanton in Arizona, reports are that we could see Logan Thomas in action this week.
Running Backs
Stashes for 2015:
1. Christine Michael, SEA (4%)
2. Devonta Freeman, ATL (7%)
3. Ka’Deem Carey, CHI (1%)
4. Charles Sims, TB (15%)
5. Roy Helu, WAS (10%)
6. Bryce Brown, BUF (11%)
7. Robert Turbin, SEA (3%)
8. Khiry Robinson, NO (6%)
9. James White, NE (2%)
10. Chris Polk, PHI (1%)
11. Juwan Thompson, DEN (7%)
o Expect a lot of running back movement this off-season with several starting backs entering free agency, or otherwise rumored to be leaving their current team. Those potential moves could lead to some of these young runners gaining a great deal of dynasty value in a hurry. In Seattle, rumors have Marshawn Lynch moving on, which would leave the team relying on one or both of Christine Michael and Robert Turbin. Rookie Devonta Freeman has seen his role increasing lately, which could be in anticipation of Steven Jackson being let go by the Falcons. Roy Helu himself is a free agent and no one would blame him for leaving the Redskins and the issues that continue to plague that team.
Wide Receivers
Stashes for 2015:
1. Davante Adams, GB (13%)
2. Justin Blackmon, JAX (1%)
3. Marqise Lee, JAX (7%)
4. Cody Latimer, DEN (2%)
5. Duron Carter, FA (0%)
6. Robert Woods, BUF (11%)
7. Stedman Bailey, STL (14%)
8. Nick Toon, NOS (0%)
9. Andre Holmes, OAK (13%)
10. Allen Hurns, JAX (15%)
11. Jaron Brown, ARZ (0%)
12. Albert Wilson, KC (0%)
13. Corey Washington, NYG (0%)
14. Jeff Janis, GB (0%)
15. Kamar Aiken, BAL (1%)
16. Devin Street, DAL (0%)
17. Josh Huff, PHI (0%)
o If you play in a PPR dynasty league, you know that in recent years, wide receivers dominate those leagues and carry the most value by far. This means if you are choosing players to stash for the off-season, this is the primary position to focus on and no matter the depth of your league, there should be good young options on the wire. Rookies Davante Adams, Marqise Lee and Cody Latimer should all be scooped up in anticipation of larger roles in 2015. Currently suspended receiver Justin Blackmon is the most talented player on your waiver wire by far, his dynasty value rests solely on him turning himself around and getting back on the field.
Tight Ends
Stashes for 2015:
1. Eric Ebron, DET (3%)
2. Jace Amaro, NYJ (3%)
3. Dion Sims, MIA (1%)
4. Richard Rodgers, GB (0%)
5. Gavin Escobar, DAL (1%)
o As I’ve pointed out in recent weeks, it is not rare for a rookie tight end to struggle, or sometimes not even see the field. All three of the top rookie tight ends have dealt with injuries this season and now Austin Seferian-Jenkins has even landed on the injured reserve list for the remaining two games. In fact, it’s becoming common that tight ends take two or more years before they truly make an impact. Consider the recent breakouts of Julius Thomas and Jordan Cameron, as well as the continued disappointing play of Zach Ertz and Ladarius Green. This means it could even be 2016 before these young players become fantasy relevant, which is just another reason to focus on wide receivers and running backs when stashing players.
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, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Ahmad Bradshaw, Ryan Mallett, Ahmad Bradshaw, Rod Streater, Jerick McKinnon, Aaron Dobson, Zach Mettenberger, Brandon Marshall
