RADIO
Rishi Patel identifies players at QB, RB, WR, and TE to target or add from the waiver wire in deep fantasy football leagues for Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season.
Ah, the waiver wire. It can be what you make of it: a place where you pick up the biggest steals of the week or just a place where players of no value reside, but you can check on them anyway in case you need to. I like to think of the waiver wire as the former because you could potentially even win your week based on several players you choose from the wire.
Beginning with Week 1, I will be writing this column exploring the deepest of the deep in terms of players who are barely rostered in Yahoo leagues but could provide you sneaky fantasy value any given week. For Week 1, there’s still some uncertainty as to who could truly emerge as a sleeper because, well, the season has not started.
Nevertheless, if you need to head to the waiver wire due to injuries on your team, here’s who you could fill in as a substitute for Week 1.
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Free Agent Quarterbacks
Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers - 8% rostered
The first Chargers game without Philip Rivers it will be in Week 1, and new starter Tyrod Taylor has a chance to shine right off the bat in an inviting matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Taylor appeared in eight games for the Bolts last season but finished with a meager 33 passing yards, seven rushing yards, and one passing touchdown. The veteran QB will need to make a strong impression on coach Anthony Lynn to retain the starting job and fend off rookie Justin Herbert.
Therefore, Taylor will be putting out his best effort as the season progresses and could bring value in deep leagues.
Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears - 3% rostered
You are probably thinking that Mitchell Trubisky is coming off a lengthy QB competition and just won the starting job, so why start him then? Well, no matter how maligned he may be, the signal-caller has always enjoyed playing against Detroit because this is an opponent he has been very successful against. Last season, he threw for 511 yards on a 73.8 completion percentage against Detroit with six touchdowns, one pick, and a 124.4 rating in two games total.
The rating and touchdowns were the highest Trubisky had against any opponent in 2019. Add in the fact that the Lions allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to QBs, and you can’t deny Trubisky is an intriguing option for fantasy this week (and then likely won’t be until his next matchup vs. Detroit, if he’s still starting).
Free Agent Running Backs
Justin Jackson, Los Angeles Chargers - 15% rostered
With Melvin Gordon now gone, Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson will head this Chargers backfield. While Jackson has dealt with a toe injury recently, his status for the opener was cleared up as coach Anthony Lynn specified the RB should be good to go for Week 1 against the Bengals. Jackson was a third-string RB for the past couple years, and only had 79 rushes, 406 rush yards, two rush touchdowns, 24 receptions, and 157 receiving yards in two career seasons. In Week 1, the back could be an intriguing option to get some carries considering the Bengals allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to backs last season. Assuming he stays healthy, Jackson could bring more fantasy value as the season progresses because of his role as RB2 on the team now and therefore more opportunities.
Joshua Kelley, Los Angeles Chargers - 11% rostered
If Justin Jackson deals with any setbacks, Joshua Kelley will elevate his role to RB2 on the Chargers. The 2020 fourth-round pick played college ball at nearby UCLA and recorded over 1,000 yards rushing in both his seasons there. If anything happens to Jackson, expect Kelley to play a bigger role in the Bolts’ backfield and be in the conversation for flex value.
Bryce Love, Washington Football Team - 10% rostered
The Washington Football team now has an opening for an RB1 after Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice were both released. Love must fight for the role with guys like Antonio Gibson and Peyton Barber, but the 2019 pick did have 2,118 yards rushing in one of his seasons at Stanford. If he gets the opportunity, Love can emerge as a strong back for Washington and bring weekly flex value.
Malcolm Brown, Los Angeles Rams - 9% rostered
With no Todd Gurley II anymore, rookie Cam Akers and Malcolm Brown will head the Rams’ backfield along with Darrell Henderson. It seems there will be more of a committee approach to start the season, but Brown can remain in the mix for good touches if he makes the most of his carries. The Texas product has played five seasons with the Rams and is already adjusted to the system. He could carve himself a role as the RB2 at the very worst as the season progresses, meaning he would stay fantasy-relevant.
Jamaal Williams, Green Bay Packers - 6% rostered
Always known as the pass-catching back on the Packers, Jamaal Williams has put up respectable numbers for fantasy managers each year he has played. Though Green Bay drafted A.J. Dillon this year, he is more of a workhorse back and therefore is a bigger threat to Aaron Jones rather than Williams. Meanwhile, Williams’ role should remain the same for 2020 and he should be a flex candidate.
Free Agent Wide Receivers
James Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers - 14% rostered
Big Ben Roethlisberger is back, and now the Steelers’ WR corp hopefully starts putting up some good numbers again. Despite competition for targets, you could take a chance on James Washington, who had 44 receptions on 80 targets for 735 yards last season, in Week 1. He plays the New York Giants, a team that allowed 180.5 yards and 32.65 fantasy points per game to opposing WRs last season for the sixth-most fantasy points to the position. The Steelers could air it out if the run game stalls this week (the Giants allowed only the 16th-most points to RBs), therefore boosting the values of all their WRs. In addition, Washington could emerge as a valuable WR3 on the team as the season progresses and therefore be a solid flex piece.
Cole Beasley, Buffalo Bills - 9% rostered
Cole Beasley can be reliable in fantasy depending on the matchup and his Week 1 matchup against the Jets is an inviting one. New York allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to receivers last season along with 161.1 yards to opposing team wideouts on average, and Beasley could surely get in on the action if Josh Allen starts throwing the ball more in this matchup. Though Stefon Diggs is now in the equation, Beasley could provide flex value throughout the season as he is one of the top-three wideouts on the team and did have a great rapport with Josh Allen last season.
Steven Sims Jr., Washington Football Team - 6% rostered
In addition to a solid RB1, the Washington Football team also lacks receiving firepower apart from Terry McLaurin. Dwayne Haskins cannot heave the pigskin to McLaurin on every play and with no reliable tight end either, Steven Sims Jr. is a sneaky pickup at this point. He is the WR2 on the team and should see plenty of targets throughout the season. He could emerge as a solid flex play or WR3 in fantasy depending on how much playing time he receives.
Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams - 5% rostered
Rams rookie Van Jefferson has impressed throughout camp so far. With Brandin Cooks no longer in the picture, there is room for another Rams receiver to emerge as the WR3 alongside Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. Kupp was reported to have leg soreness recently, so any setbacks for him during the season could mean Jefferson seeing a larger role than expected during his rookie season. He’s a good stash right now who could possibly merit more value down the road.
Kendrick Bourne, San Francisco 49ers - 5% rostered
The 49ers have a ravaged WR corps right now. With Deebo Samuel and rookie Brandon Aiyuk ailing, Kendrick Bourne is the next man up and could provide more value for fantasy in the first weeks of the season as the other San Fran receivers look to get fully healthy. For his part, Bourne recorded 30 receptions on 44 targets for 358 yards last season and has a rapport with Jimmy Garoppolo. Bourne could emerge as a solid fantasy sleeper this season due to this thin 49ers WR group.
Free Agent Tight Ends
Tyler Eifert, Jacksonville Jaguars - 15% rostered
Despite their roster purge, Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew stated he wants to go out and win games. With the defense stripped of talent, it will likely be the offense that needs to put up big numbers to win games. Tyler Eifert signed with the Jags in the offseason after an injury-marred tenure with the Bengals. Nevertheless, when healthy, Eifert can be a solid player on the field. Though he is the TE2 on the team, he’s worth a stash right now as he could hopefully emerge as a reliable option for Minshew down the road.
Ian Thomas, Carolina Panthers- 14% rostered
With Greg Olsen gone, 24-year-old Ian Thomas will lead the tight end unit for Carolina. Unfortunately, he’s been dealing with a toe injury. Fortunately, coach Matt Rhule specified the Indiana product should be able to suit up in the Week 1 matchup against the Raiders. This bodes well for Thomas considering the Raiders allowed 54.8 yards per game to TEs last season and the fifth-most fantasy points overall. In a position sparse with lots of fantasy stars, you could do worse than stash Thomas, a guy who figures to have a bigger role this year with Carolina and could provide good value at the position.
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams - 3% rostered
Yes, Tyler Higbee was the Rams TE getting all the hype last year. Actually, he still is this year. Nevertheless, Gerald Everett, the TE2 on the team, put up a solid campaign last year too. He notched 37 receptions on 60 targets for 408 yards and two touchdowns. With Brandin Cooks gone and Cooper Kupp ailing right now, Everett could see his role elevate should the Rams lack reliable receiving options at any point during the season. He is a sneaky stash at this point.
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