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.
Albert Wilson, MIA (33%/+23%)
Cole Beasley, DAL (27%/+18%)
Jalen Richard, OAK (24%/+16%)
Raheem Mostert, SF (13%/+13%)
Tre’Quan Smith, NO (17%/+12%)
Jermaine Kearse, NYJ (10%/+9%)
Tyrell Williams, LAC (15%/+6%)
Chester Rogers, IND (18%/+2%)
Derek Anderson, BUF (1%/+1%)
Erik Swoope, 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.
Jamaal Charles, JAX (5%/-7%)
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, GB (8%/-3%)
Chris Ivory, BUF (8%/-2%)
Quarterbacks
1) C.J. Beathard, SF (9%)
2) Josh Rosen, ARI (4%)
3) Brock Osweiler, MIA (3%)
4) Chad Kelly, DEN (0%)
5) Cody Kessler, JAX (0%)
49ers QB C.J. Beathard should be a strong consideration for fantasy players in need of a short-term signal caller. While Beathard has just one QB1 game this season, he’s averaging over 20 fantasy points per game. PFF’s Scott Barrett recently pointed out that only five QBs have outscored Beathard over the past two years in games which the QBs started and finished the game…Cardinals rookie QB Josh Rosen had a game to forget against the Broncos on Thursday night but the good news came following the blowout loss. Arizona fired OC Mike McCoy, replacing him with QB coach Byron Leftwich. This should be an upgrade for the entire offense, especially Rosen…After his shocking QB7 performance in Week Six, Dolphins QB Brock Osweiler followed that up with a QB14 game. Add in the news that starter Ryan Tannehill might have a serious injury and Osweiler is suddenly a good option in all formats…As the Broncos easily got past the Cardinals, veteran QB Case Keenum’s job was safe for one night but that might not be the case for long. I’m stashing Broncos backup QB Chad Kelly everywhere I can…As Jaguars starting QB Blake Bortles was badly struggling, he was benched in favor of backup QB Cody Kessler, who performed only slightly better. Jaguars HC Doug Marrone has already named Bortles the starter for Week Eight but the team has now opened the door and everyone knows Kessler is an option. For dynasty players, Kessler should only be an option in the deepest of 2QB leagues.
Running Backs
1) D’Onta Foreman, HOU (18%)
2) Raheem Mostert, SF (13%)
3) Trenton Cannon, NYJ (0%)
4) Chris Ivory, BUF (8%)
5) Kenjon Barner, NE (1%)
Texans RB D’Onta Foreman is now eligible to return from the PUP list. The team has yet to confirm if or when Foreman will be activated but once he does, he could provide a boost to a struggling running game…49ers RB Matt Breida is hurt again after he aggravated his ankle injury and exited the team’s Week Seven game after only a handful of snaps. Former preseason star RB Raheem Mostert, not veteran RB Alfred Morris, has been the one to step up over the past two weeks. Mostert has totaled 165 yards over the past two games and is expected to see the bulk of work if Breida misses additional time…After playing 16 total snaps and not touching the ball in the first six games of the season, rookie RB Trenton Cannon took over for an injured RB Bilal Powell for the Jets. Cannon caught four of five targets for 69 yards. With Powell’s status up in the air, Cannon is a nice add in deeper leagues…Bills starting RB LeSean McCoy suffered a concussion and was spelled by veteran RB Chris Ivory, who totaled 106 yards. McCoy is likely back by next week but Ivory is worth monitoring through this situation…Patriots rookie RB Sony Michel suffered a leg injury that put him out of the game. It is unclear as to how severe the injury is or how much time Michel could miss but veteran RB Kenjon Barner is the next man up. He rushed for 36 yards in a backfield committee with RB James White. This is a desperation play but fantasy owners always seem to chase Patriots running backs.
Wide Receivers
1) Tre’Quan Smith, NO (17%)
2) Tyrell Williams, LAC (15%)
3) Marquez Valdes-Scantling, GB (8%)
4) Equanimeous St. Brown, GB (0%)
5) Martavis Bryant, OAK (4%)
6) Kelvin Benjamin, BUF (15%)
7) Jermaine Kearse, NYJ (10%)
8) Danny Amendola, MIA (10%)
9) Jakeem Grant, MIA (7%)
As expected, rookie WR Tre’Quan Smith was the main replacement for veteran WR Ted Ginn, now on the injured reserve list with a bum knee. Smith caught three passes for 44 yards, making him the team’s second-leading receiver…Chargers deep threat WR Tyrell Williams now has back to back WR1 games thanks to three deep scores in those two games. He will continue to produce up and down box scores but is worth a roster spot in all dynasty leagues…The Packers were on bye last week, offering an extended window for grabbing rookies WRs Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown from the waiver wire. It is unclear if the Pack will get veteran WRs Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison back in Week Eight…When the Raiders dealt WR Amari Cooper to Dallas, that opened up even more targets for the remaining Raiders, namely WR Martavis Bryant. As is the case with most of the Oakland offense, Bryant has been an inconsistent producer through the first several weeks of the season…The Bills have turned to veteran QB Derek Anderson and as expected, he targeted his former Panthers teammate WR Kelvin Benjamin early and often. KB led the Bills with four receptions for 71 yards. Also, Benjamin has been the subject of trade rumors, which could provide a boost to his dynasty value as well…Veteran WR Jermaine Kearse goose-egged in Week Seven, burying many DFS lineups but he remains a solid short-term option as the Jets WR corps is decimated by injuries…Speaking of injuries, the Dolphins lost WRs Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson on Sunday, leaving few options for new QB Brock Osweiler to turn to. Among the healthy targets are veteran WR Danny Amendola and speedy playmaker WR Jakeem Grant.
Tight Ends
1) Chris Herndon, NYJ (1%)
2) Vernon Davis, WAS (5%)
It’s another thin week on the waiver wire for tight ends but Jets rookie TE Chris Herndon is worth a look. He now has scored in back to back weeks and he saw a season-high seven targets last week…Redskins veteran TE Vernon Davis was shut out by the tough Dallas defense in Week Seven but he remains a player to target for short-term help based on the injuries hitting the Washington receiving corps. Davis has caught all but one of his targets this season.
Players on Injured Reserve worth stashing for 2019 (under 20%) Hunter Henry, Marqise Lee, Derrius Guice, Deon Cain, Adam Shaheen, Delanie Walker, Tyler Eifert, Jerick McKinnon, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jake Butt, Rex Burkhead
