2013 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 2 Wide Receivers & Defense

Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots

BALLER MOVE: Add Immediately (8+ teams PPR & Standard)
ANALYSIS: Last year, New England frustrated fantasy owners by starting Julian Edelman over Wes Welker for the first few weeks of the season.  Unfortunately for Edelman, a hand injury brought the opportunity for Welker to return back to the starting lineup.  Now in 2013, Edelman again shows why the Patriots value his services, with seven catches for 79 yds. and two TDs.  To boot, Edelman played 83 of 94 offensive snaps.  If he can stay healthy, which has been an issue in his career, he will have tremendous fantasy value this year.  Edelman is primed for a repeat in Week 2 with Rob Gronkowski, Zach Sudfeld and Danny Amendola all nursing injuries.

Marlon Brown, WR, Baltimore Ravens

BALLER MOVE: Add in Standard Leagues (10+ teams Standard)
ANALYSIS: The Ravens' offense is missing many of the offensive playmakers that helped them win the Super Bowl last year.  With Boldin traded and Pitta on the IR, the Ravens lost another key offensive player in Jacoby Jones with an MCL sprain that will take him out four-to-six weeks.  This immediately gives Brown an opportunity to step up, and he played nicely with four catches for 65 yds. and one TD.  With Jones out, expect Brown to step in and see numerous targets and the opportunity to stack up fantasy points.  If you are in need of a WR, Brown will be a nice option for you.

Kenny Stills, WR, New Orleans Saints

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues (12+ teams & Standard) & Continue Scouting (10 teams or fewer)
ANALYSIS: Kenny Stills, a rookie from Oklahoma, had a decent first game as a professional:  two catches for 86 yds.  Stills flashed his potential in the high-powered Saints offense with a 67-yard play.  In previous years under Sean Payton, the third and fourth WRs have shown value to fantasy owners.  While Stills is still a little raw, I expect that over the course of the season he will become a player fantasy owners will want to play for flex or bye weeks.  If you are in a league of 10 teams or fewer, put Stills on your watch list and see how he develops.  For the larger leagues, consider Stills as an option if you are weak on WR.

Dallas, DEF

BALLER MOVE: Add Immediately (All Leagues)
ANALYSIS: Last year, the Cowboys made a surprise decision to fire their defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan, after one season.  To replace Ryan, they hired Monte Kiffin and immediately showed what he brings to the table.  In the first game of the season against the division-rival Giants, the Cowboys had three sacks, three fumble recovers and three interceptions.  Kiffin's aggressive defensive approach will provide numerous opportunities for fantasy owners to get points if the team plays like it did versus the Giants. If you have a weak defense, the Cowboys may be the answer to your problems.  Week Two versus the Chiefs will be a nice test to see if they can repeat Week One's showing.

New England, DEF

BALLER MOVE: Add Immediately (All Leagues)
ANALYSIS: This coming week the Patriots have the Jets, and I really don't need to say much more than that.  The Jets are a mess again this year and will start Geno Smith at QB who will make a mistake in the game which the defense will feast on.  If New England is available on your waiver wire and you need a defense go for the Patriots as they are a solid option for Week Two.