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.
Phillip Lindsay, DEN (4%/+4%)
Mike Gillislee, NO (4%/+2%)
John Brown, BAL (20%/+2%)
Antonio Gates, LAC (9%/+1%)
Nick Vannett, SEA (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.
Christian Kirk, ARZ (7%/-3%)
Donte Moncrief, JAX (15%/-3%)
Dede Westbrook, JAX (16%/-2%)
Ryan Grant, IND (3%/-1%)
Tyler Boyd, CIN (0%/-1%)
Antonio Callaway, CLE (3%/-1%)
Taywan Taylor, TEN (3%/-1%)
Boston Scott, NO (0%/-1%)
Quarterbacks
1) Josh Rosen, ARZ (2%)
2) Mitchell Trubisky, CHI (18%)
3) Ryan Fitzpatrick, TB (3%)
The Cardinals offense got off to a bad start in Week One, scoring just six points. If they don’t show improvement quickly, we can expect to see rookie QB Josh Rosen take over for veteran QB Sam Bradford. Even if that doesn’t happen soon, Rosen should be rostered in dynasty leagues…Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky got his team off to a good start on Sunday Night Football but struggled down the stretch. He can’t be considered a weekly fantasy starter, but he did show enough to excite dynasty players for the future…Week One will almost certainly go down as the best game of the season, or maybe even career, for veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick but that doesn’t mean we should ignore him now. He’s set to make at least three more starts as QB Jameis Winston serves his suspension, and that could change if Fitzpatrick can replicate even half of his Week One production moving forward…
Running Backs
1) Phillip Lindsay, DEN (4%)
2) Austin Ekeler, LAC (17%)
3) T.J. Yeldon, JAX (15%)
4) Spencer Ware, KC (13%)
5) Nyheim Hines, IND (5%)
6) Chase Edmonds, ARZ (2%)
There are always surprises in Week One, even after weeks of preseason and months of offseason information to gather. This year, that surprise is Broncos UDFA rookie RB Phillip Lindsay, who split carries with fellow rookie RB Royce Freeman in what now appears to be a committee backfield. Lindsay is also the PPR back for Denver, boosting his weekly fantasy floor…I mentioned last week that it was reasonable to expect Chargers RB Austin Ekeler to produce at high enough level to have standalone fantasy value. That didn’t take long, thanks to his involvement in the passing game. Ekeler caught five balls for 87 yards and a score and added 39 rushing yards. That’s almost certainly on the high range of what we can expect, but Ekeler should be a waiver wire target regardless…Jaguars starting RB Leonard Fournette left the game with a hamstring injury, which is now being called minor. Unfortunately, hammy issues don’t always go away quickly or quietly, so have RB T.J. Yeldon on speed dial. With Fournette out of the game, Yeldon totaled 69 yards and a touchdown and led the Jags in targets…After an up and down preseason, rookie RB Nyheim Hines had a clear role with the offense in Week One, totaling 52 yards and seeing nine targets in the passing game…Cardinals rookie RB Chase Edmonds was the clear second back behind starter David Johnson and accounted for 48 total yards on eight touches in a game where the entire Arizona offense struggled. He’s a must-add, especially for DJ owners…
Wide Receivers
1) Phillip Dorsett, NE (4%)
2) Dante Pettis, SF (1%)
3) Dede Westbrook, JAX (16%)
4) Tyrell Williams, LAC (19%)
5) Cole Beasley, DAL (8%)
6) Geronimo Allison, GB (12%)
7) Brandon Marshall, SEA (7%)
8) Ryan Grant, IND (3%)
9) Willie Snead, BAL (2%)
There was much discussion about who would replace the production for the Patriots during the suspension served by WR Julian Edelman. That answer just might be WR Phillip Dorsett, who tied TE Rob Gronkowski with a team-high seven receptions, good for 66 yards and a touchdown. Not only is Dorsett a waiver wire target, he might even be considered a fantasy starter…49ers WR Marquise Goodwin was expected to be the top target for QB Jimmy Garoppolo, but an early quad injury took him out of the game. That opened the door for more playing time for rookie WR Dante Pettis, who responded with two receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. While Goodwin’s injury is not considered serious, Pettis has earned a larger role in the offense…The Jaguars don’t have the passing volume to support a weekly fantasy starter, but second-year WR Dede Westbrook might be the favorite to become that if given the opportunity. He led the Jags wideouts with six targets, catching five for 51 yards against the Giants…Chargers WR Tyrell Williams didn’t have the best season-opener, catching just two of five targets, but he was targeted twice in the red zone, catching one for a score. Although there are many options for the Chargers offense to focus on, Williams seems to be the sure bet for the deep pass plays and we know QB Philip Rivers likes to air it out on occasion…The Dallas offense won’t be pretty this year, but slot WR Cole Beasley has already been referred to as QB Dak Prescott’s “best friend,” and he also led the team in receiving in Week One with 73 yards on seven receptions on a team-high eight targets. Beasley is not an exciting play, but he might be a safe one…The Packers offense, assuming QB Aaron Rodgers really did avoid a major injury on Sunday night, is one that I want as many pieces of as possible, including third WR Geronimo Allison, who posted a 5/69/1 line in Week One…Seattle WR Doug Baldwin suffered a knee injury and missed most of the Week One contest. With Baldwin out, veteran WR Brandon Marshall helped out, catching three passes for 46 yards and a score. He’s not a weekly start, but he is solid depth for a contender that could possibly become more…More WR depth ideal for those in PPR leagues is Colts second receiver Ryan Grant, who began his Colts career with an eight-catch, 59-yard performance…WR Willie Snead led the Ravens in receiving in Week One, albeit with just 49 yards on four receptions…
Tight Ends
1) Jonnu Smith, TEN (1%)
2) Ian Thomas, CAR (0%)
3) Antonio Gates, LAC (9%)
4) Will Dissly, SEA (2%)
5) Dallas Goedert, PHI (3%)
Among the top waiver wire targets of the week are a pair of young TEs, boosted up by the injuries to their veteran teammates. For the Titans, TE Delanie Walker suffered a nasty ankle injury against the Dolphins Sunday and will miss the remainder of the season. Many dynasty players had been hoping to see more of young TE Jonnu Smith, but not this way. Regardless, Smith is expected to become the starter and see the bulk of reps at the position. While there are questions about the state of the Titans offense, Smith could ascend as high as the third option in the passing game…The other young TE to target is rookie Ian Thomas, who is expected to take over for an injured TE Greg Olsen in Carolina. Olsen’s injury has yet to be officially diagnosed, but it is presumed to be a repeat of his 2017 foot injury that kept him out of action for nearly half the season. If that’s the case, Thomas should see plenty of work moving forward and considering the early struggles of the Panthers offense, Thomas could play a pivotal role…The Chargers have plenty of weapons for QB Philip Rivers to choose from, which limited veteran TE Antonio Gates to just two receptions on three targets in Week One, but that is after no preseason work. Gates is a low-ceiling option for those that need immediate help at the position…QB Russell Wilson is lacking weapons on offense in Seattle and that is part of the reason he leaned heavily on rookie TE Will Dissly early in the game against the Broncos. Dissly led the team with 105 yards on three grabs, thanks to a 66-yard touchdown to kick off the scoring for the Seahawks. Despite the impressive performance, don’t consider Dissly a must-add or even a fantasy starter, but he is certainly on the dynasty radar after this debut performance…Rookie TE Dallas Goedert hauled in just one pass in his debut against the Falcons, but he was targeted in the end zone and made the catch, but couldn’t stay in bounds. It is an encouraging sign to see QB Nick Foles trust him in that way. He remains a dynasty stash, for now…
Players on Injured Reserve worth stashing for 2019 (under 20%) Hunter Henry, D’Onta Foreman, Marqise Lee, Derrius Guice, Deon Cain, Adam Shaheen
