Every week, the waiver wire gets thinner and more difficult to sift through, and while there may not be anymore “Diamonds” in the waiver wire rough, there are a few players who still may have some sparkle and we are here to help you find a few of them.
NOTE: All ‘Percent Rostered’ stats are based off ESPN.com fantasy leagues
Quarterbacks:
Week 2 saw a lot of big injuries – and switches – at the quarterback position, but for the most part, I was low on the replacements…well, for the most part, I was wrong on how well those replacements would play. However, unless you are in a bind – or a dynasty league – I am still not recommending using a roster spot on the newly appointed rookie starters like Mason Rudolph and Daniel Jones until we have a few more games to judge them on. That being said, if you find yourself in the market for a quarterback – either because of injuries, byes, or just pure bad luck – you should have some viable options on the waiver wire.
Andy Dalton, QB, Cin:
Percent Rostered: 18.0%
Stats thru Week 3: 978 yds, 5 TD, 3 INT, 1 Rushing TD
Dalton has been a staple on waiver wire list not because he doesn’t produce, but because he has a perception of being boring – in both real football and fantasy football. Sure, he isn’t a sexy play, but we aren’t going for sexy – sexy doesn’t get fantasy points – we are going for production and Dalton produces. Through the first three weeks, Dalton is averaging two touchdowns and 300+ yards per game, and don’t forget, that production is in a brand new system and without his top wide receiver, without his starting left tackle, and against three very good defenses (Seattle, San Francisco, Buffalo), two of which were on the road. On top of that, the Bengals aren’t very good and will be throwing the ball a lot in an effort to either stay in games or play catch up. In the upcoming weeks, Dalton will: 1) get A.J. Green back; 2) get his left tackle back; and 3) get an easier schedule. As a fantasy owner, that is great news.
Jacoby Brissett, QB, Ind:
Percent Rostered: 19.3%
Stats thru Week 3: 646 yds, 7 TD, 1 INT, 38 yds rushing
Seems like every week Brissett is on at least one of my two lists – Waiver Wire Report or Studs, Duds, & Sleepers – and the reason is threefold: First off, he is playing well. Second, he is still available in most leagues. Lastly, he has a good offensive line and good weapons around him. Brissett is a legit starting quarterback option.
Case Keenum, QB, Was:
Percent Rostered: 10.3%
Stats thru Week 3: 932 yds, 7 TD, 3 INT
Keenum and Dalton are a lot alike in both real football and fantasy football. Both are very average and very boring, but average and boring is not bad thing in fantasy football as long as consistent production goes with the boring. That is the case with Keenum (see what I did there?). Keenum is fourth in passing yards and tied for fourth in passing touchdowns…and like Dalton, Keenum’s team is likely to find themselves needing to throw the ball a lot. My only concern is how long will Keenum stay under center before the Redskins turn to their first round rookie.
Gardner Minshew II, QB, Jax:
Percent Rostered: 5.2%
Stats thru Week 3: 692 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT, 73.9% Comp, 80 Rushing yards
If his moustache isn’t enough reason to put him on your roster, his play should be! Unlike the other rookies who have been forced into the starting role due to injuries or benchings – Rudolph and Jones – Minshew has 2+ games of tape to go on…and it is good! Minshew is averaging 230+ yards passing per game, nearly 2 touchdowns and is second in the league in completion percentage. He shouldn’t be your starter, but he is worthy of a bye week fill in or spot starter for an injury.
Teddy Bridgewater, QB, NO:
Percent Rostered: 6.4%
Stats thru Week 3: 342 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT
We know that Bridgewater is only keeping the seat warm for Drew Brees, but we also know he should be keeping that seat warm for at least five more weeks. As a result, he is a worthwhile pickup – especially if you own Brees. He didn’t look great coming off the bench last week, but Bridgewater played well with a week of prep and did so in what is probably the most difficult stadium for opposing quarterbacks (Seattle). With weapons like Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara, Bridgewater’s value should increase as he gets more comfortable starting again.
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Running Backs:
Unlike the quarterback position, most waiver wires are pretty thin when it comes to running backs in general, let alone starters. Here are some players who may be available in your league and could provide some short term value
Wayne Gallman, RB, NYG:
Percent Rostered: 1.2%
Stats thru Week 3: 7 carries 30 yds, 1 TDs, 3 rec, 24 yds
Gallman is going to be the hottest guy on the waiver wire this week and unless you are number one in your waiver wire order, you won’t get him – he may also set a record in going from 1.2% rostered to 100% rostered in one week. With Saquon Barkley going down and reports having him out four to eight weeks, Gallman is now the lead back for the Giants and while he won’t be putting up Barkley type numbers, he will get the first crack at taking the bulk of Barkley’s work and with a Week 4 matchup against the Redskins, could be worthy of a flex start.
Carlos Hyde, RB, Hou:
Percent Rostered: 53.5%
Stats thru Week 3: 40 carries, 192 yds, 1 TDs 1 rec, 2 yds
Hyde is still available in nearly 50% of leagues, despite being the lead back on what should be a good offense. In Week 3, Hyde had 10 carries to Duke Johnson’s four and on the season, has 40 carries to Johnson’s 17. Hyde is clearly the lead back right now in Houston, is averaging 4.8 yards per carry and is ranked 14th in rushing yards. Hyde is a borderline Flex start and could become a solid RB2 once this offense gets going.
Rex Burkhead, RB, NE:
Percent Rostered: 22.1%
Stats thru Week 3: 24 carries, 112 yds, 1 TD; 13 rec, 110 yds (17 targets)
Burkhead being available in nearly four out of every five leagues is amazing to me! Sony Michel is rostered in more than 96% of leagues, yet Burkhead has more yards rushing on nearly half the carries. Not only does Burkhead lead the Patriots in rushing yards (112), yards per carry (4.7 to Michel’s 2.4), he also leads the Patriots in yards from scrimmage (222). He is also third on the team in targets (17), tied for third with 13 receptions, and fourth on the team with 110 yards receiving. Pick him up…and play him!
Chris Thompson, RB, Was:
Percent Rostered: 52.9%
Stats thru Week 3: 12 carries, 42 yds; 16 rec, 195 yds (23 targets)
In non-PPR leagues, Thompson really has no value, but in PPR leagues, he has great value and is still available in nearly half the leagues. Thompson is averaging nearly eight targets per game and turning that into 5+ receptions and 65 receiving yards per game. Those number make him a flex start option in PPR leagues.
Raheem Mostert, RB, SF:
Percent Rostered: 46.5%
Stats thru Week 3: 34 carries, 202 yds, 0 TD; 4 rec, 68 yds, 1 TD
Mostert is not a backup, he and Matt Brieda time share…and do a very good job at it. Mostert and Brieda both rank in the top 13 in rushing yards and top six in yards per carry. Mostert has compiled at least 40 yards per game, and is averaging nearly 13 touches per game and turning that in to 65+ yards rushing per game, while averaging an impressive 5.9 yards per carry. Unfortunately, because Brieda is also playing so well, Mostert’s value right now is simply as a borderline Flex start, but when you need a spot starter, you could do much worse.
Wide Receivers:
Finding running backs on the waiver wire is tough sledding. Not so much for the wide receiver position. If you need help at wide receiver or need a spot starter, there are plenty options out there each and every week. Here are some of the better options this week.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Was:
Percent Rostered: 67.1%
Stats thru Week 3: 16 rec, 257 yds, 3 TD (24 targets)
Alright, my secret is finally getting out on this one, but McLaurin is still available in nearly one out of every three leagues…which befuddles me. The guy is averaging 5+ receptions 85+ yards and 1 touchdown per game on eight targets per game. In PPR leagues, that is nearly 20 points per game! Those are WR2 numbers – and good ones at that! If you are in one of the leagues where this guy is still out there, grab him as quick as possible.
DJ Chark, WR, Jax:
Percent Rostered: 41.0%
Stats thru Week 3: 15 rec, 277 yds, 3 TD (18 targets)
Another one of my season long secrets is still available in two out of every three leagues. Look, I get it, he is a rookie, getting thrown to by another rookie, so you don’t trust the numbers, but he has now produced three out of three weeks. At this point, Chark is top 10 in receiving yards and only Julio Jones, T.Y. Hilton and Amari Cooper (4) have more receiving touchdowns than this guy. He has caught 15 of his 18 targets and is averaging five receptions, 92+ yards and one touchdown per game. In PPR leagues, that is 20+ points per game. He not only needs to be on your roster, he should be starting.
Demarcus Robinson, WR, KC:
Percent Rostered: 65.9%
Stats thru Week 3: 10 rec, 215 yds, 3 TD (12 targets)
After his Week 2 explosion, Robinson saw his ownership numbers jump 64.8% from 1.1% to 65.9%. Robinson’s production took an expected dip this week – especially against a good Ravens defense – over the last two weeks, he has nine receptions, for 215 yards and three touchdowns and with Tyreek Hill out for the foreseeable future, Robinson should continue to have WR2/Flex value.
Nelson Agholor, WR, Phi:
Percent Rostered: 45.9%
Stats thru Week 3: 10 rec, 118 yds, 1 TD (16 targets)
Still available in more than half the leagues, Agholor has 16 receptions for 157 yards and 3 touchdowns on 23 targets over the past two weeks. With the Eagles receiving corps still banged up, Agholor should continue to get opportunities. He is worthy of a start again in Week 4.
Adam Humphries, WR, Ten:
Percent Rostered: 21.8%
Stats thru Week 3: 9 rec, 97 yds, 0 TD (12 targets)
Humphries was a big offseason acquisition for the Titans but up until this week, was completely non-existent – a whopping three receptions for four yards! He finally came through in Week three with six receptions for 93 yards on nine targets. It is tough relying on anyone in the Titans passing game, so I wouldn’t start Humphries, but he is worth picking up while he is available to see if this is the start of a solid connection between he and Marcus Mariota.
Tight Ends:
Shopping for tight ends on the waiver wire may be about as hard – if not harder – than shopping for running backs. Here are a few who may be available in your league.
Tyler Eifert, TE, Cin:
Percent Rostered: 17.9%
Stats thru Week 3: 9 rec, 54 yds 1 TD (11 targets)
When healthy, Eifert is one of the most talented pass-catching tight ends in the NFL. Well, he is healthy (for the moment), and as a result, may be worth the flyer. Despite being in a pass happy offense, his production has been limited because the Bengals are limited his snap counts to try and keep him healthy. However, he is always in when the Bengals are in the redzone, so touchdowns are always a possibility with Eifert, therefore, if you are looking for a spot starter at the tight end position, Eifert is a decent option.
Will Dissly, TE, Sea:
Percent Rostered: 27.3%
Stats thru Week 3: 12 rec, 124 yds, 3 TD (14 targets)
Another one of my secrets is finally starting to get some love! In the last two weeks, Dissly has caught 11 of his 12 targets for 112 yards and three touchdowns. The Seahawks don’t have a ton of options in the passing game and he and Russell Wilson look to be establishing some chemistry – only Tyler Lockett had more targets than Dissly this week. The last two weeks, Dissly has put up TE1 numbers.
Vernon Davis, TE, Was:
Percent Rostered: 13.2%
Stats thru Week 3: 9 rec, 118 yds, 1 TD (15 targets)
With Jordan Reed still out with a concussion – and reports that he could be out for an extended period of time – Davis has some value. You don’t want to be starting him every week, but when you need a starter for a week, he will get you a few points. Davis is averaging five targets per game and has hauled in nine of those and one for a touchdown.
