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.
Nyheim Hines, IND (59%/+44%)
Dede Westbrook, JAX (51%/+34%)
Keke Coutee, HOU (34%/+31%)
Mike Davis, SEA (19%/+17%)
Taywan Taylor, TEN (12%/+9%)
Jameis Winston, TB (20%/+9%)
Mitchell Trubisky, CHI (24%/+9%)
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, GB (9%/+9%)
Hayden Hurst, BAL (8%/+5%)
Corey Grant, JAX (6%/+4%)
Frank Gore, MIA (10%/+2%)
Tyler Kroft, CIN (2%/+1%)
Zach Pascal, IND (1%/+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.
Dallas Goedert, PHI (8%/-5%)
Christian Kirk, ARI (9%/-3%)
Ito Smith, ATL (3%/-1%)
Mike Gesicki, MIA (4%/-1%)
Quarterbacks
1) Sam Darnold, NYJ (7%)
2) Josh Rosen, ARI (4%)
The options are few and far between at quarterback this week. A pair of rookies continue to flash upside and get better each week. If either of QB Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen are on the waiver wire, correct that immediately.
Running Backs
1) Wendell Smallwood, PHI (7%)
2) Mike Davis, SEA (19%)
3) Alfred Blue, HOU (14%)
4) Kyle Juszczyk, SF (0%)
5) Darren Sproles, PHI (4%)
6) Mark Walton, CIN (0%)
On Monday, we learned the Philadelphia Eagles had placed starting RB Jay Ajayi on the injured reserve list with a torn ACL. This makes RB Wendell Smallwood the immediate top waiver option of the week. With the Eagles dealing with backfield injuries all season, Smallwood finished as the RB10 in Week Three and had another top 24 game this week. He’s also been more involved in the passing game than previous years. If he’s already gone, consider shopping for another Eagles RB, veteran Darren Sproles. He’s also been dealing with injuries but is expected back on the field soon…I told you last week I wasn’t really a believer in Seahawks RB Mike Davis but he was one-half of a committee backfield even with RB Chris Carson back in the lineup. Davis finished with 75 total yards and a touchdown and should not be on any dynasty waiver wires…Texans RB Lamar Miller missed the Week Five game with a chest injury and his backup Alfred Blue finished with over 19 fantasy points, thanks to a heavy involvement in the passing game. That’s more than Miller has scored in any game this season. I won’t be surprised if we see more of an equal committee moving forward…49ers RB Matt Breida suffered yet another injury, giving RB Kyle Juszczyk more opportunities. Breida’s status is still unclear but Juszczyk should continue to see plenty of work in the passing game. He caught six passes for 75 yards in Week Five…Rookie RB Mark Walton didn’t see much action in Week Five but with veteran RB Giovani Bernard expected to miss more time, Walton is worth stashing, especially for Joe Mixon owners…
Wide Receivers
1) Tre’Quan Smith, NO (2%)
2) Marquez Valdes-Scantling, GB (9%)
3) Equanimeous St. Brown, GB (0%)
4) Donte Moncrief, JAX (13%)
5) Curtis Samuel, CAR (0%)
6) Martavis Bryant, OAK (4%)
7) Josh Reynolds, LAR (0%)
8) Trent Taylor, SF (0%)
9) David Moore, SEA (0%)
10) Zach Pascal, IND (1%)
When you’re part of history, you can quickly gain some dynasty value. Saints rookie WR Tre’Quan Smith caught the record-breaking pass from QB Drew Brees last night and wasn’t done there. If he’s still available in your shallow dynasty league, he is the top priority at the wide receiver position and maybe the top option overall…With WRs Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison out for the game, rookie WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling got his shot. He played well, catching seven balls for 68 yards and a score. He nearly had a second touchdown before it was overturned. It is very realistic that we could see MVS playing ahead of Cobb this season. It’s the same story for former Notre Dame WR Equanimeous St. Brown, who had three receptions for 89 yards. These are both ascending dynasty assets…Jaguars WR Donte Moncrief has not been the most efficient option for QB Blake Bortles but he continues to somehow be the top target. Moncrief leads the team with 37 targets. As long as the volume remains, Moncrief will carry dynasty value…Panthers second-year WR Curtis Samuel made his season debut after a heart scare cost him the first month. Samuel got going early with a pair of catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. He was quiet for much of the game but the Panthers made a strong effort to get him involved…The Raiders continue to use WR Martavis Bryant, who is reportedly facing a long suspension, pending an appeal. This definitely impacts his dynasty value but he might be an option for contenders in need of short-term help at the receiver position…In Sunday’s game, Rams WRs Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp both left the game with concussions. The next man up was WR Josh Reynolds, who ended with a pair of catches and 49 total yards. With Kupp and Cooks iffy for Week Six, keep Reynolds on your radar…With 49ers WRs Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin banged up, second-year WR Trent Taylor set new season-highs with seven receptions for 61 yards and his first touchdown of the year. Monitor these injuries throughout the week to gauge Taylor’s value…Young WRs David Moore in Seattle and Zach Pascal for the Colts have seen their playing time grow in the past two weeks, making them options to consider in the deepest dynasty leagues…
Tight Ends
1) Geoff Swaim, DAL (9%)
2) Nick Vannett, SEA (3%)
3) Hayden Hurst, BAL (8%)
4) Niles Paul, JAX (0%)
After Cowboys legend Jason Witten retired last offseason, dynasty players began debating which inexperienced tight end on the roster would take his place. It now seems the answer is TE Geoff Swaim, who has played 90%+ snaps in all five games this season. Swaim is now second on the team with 159 receiving yards and third with 14 receptions. He’s a low-ceiling weekly option but worth a look considering injuries at the position…The Seahawks lost rookie TE Will Dissly for the season and TE Nick Vannett is next in line. In his first game without Dissly, Vannett caught three passes for 43 yards and played a season-high 83% of the snaps…Ravens first-round pick TE Hayden Hurst made his season debut. He only managed one reception but did start the game for Baltimore. Hurst is a long-term stash for dynasty leaguers…The Jaguars placed veteran TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins on the injured reserve, leaving TE Niles Paul as the starter. Paul caught seven passes for 65 yards in Week Five, a promising look at what he might do with a full-time role…
Players on Injured Reserve worth stashing for 2019 (under 20%) Hunter Henry, D’Onta Foreman, Marqise Lee, Derrius Guice, Deon Cain, Adam Shaheen, Delanie Walker, Tyler Eifert, Jerick McKinnon, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jake Butt
