RADIO
Are you someone who plays in a 16, 18 or even 20-team league? Are you sick of never having waiver wire articles geared towards your league? I know what you are thinking -- when you click on waiver wire articles, they are all naming players that are not available. Even when they say "deep league," they mean 14 teams. Well, do I have the article for you!
Okay, the sales pitch is over. But I do fully get the struggle. I play in a 24-team league! Yes, 24 teams, we do not even mandate a QB spot. It’s a wild league. But there are never really any fantasy football waiver wire articles that ever help for a league that deep. That’s why I decided to take matters into my own hands and write about those deep leagues here.
Every player featured in this article will be rostered in less than 30 percent of leagues, with many likely much less than that. Let’s get to these deeper waiver wire adds!
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Quarterbacks
Tyrod Taylor, Houston Texans
Tyrod Taylor was undrafted even in most really deep leagues. But, Taylor put up numbers in Week 1 throwing for 291 yards and two scores while adding in 40 rushing yards in vintage Taylor form. You can knock the fact that it was against the Jaguars, but the Texans get the Browns and Panthers in the next two weeks. He is not an option in 12-team leagues, but this is not for those players! Taylor will never be a must-start option, but due to what he gives you with his legs he will always be more valuable than perceived in fantasy. He is in play in 16-team leagues or deeper.
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Goff was just a forgotten man all draft season after getting shipped out of LA and ending up in Detroit. Goff and the Lions offense played much better than expected against a tough 49ers defense in Week 1. Goff ended the day with 338 yards, three touchdowns, an interception and 14 rushing yards. The best part? He threw 57 times! Not only that, but the Lions are not afraid to abandon the run when they are trialing. Rather than try to run the ball, they dumped it off to their back as an extension of the run game. Both their RBs combined for 20 carries, but they also had 20 targets between them. With the Lions expected to trail frequently this season, Goff could throw a ton this season. Goff is certainly on the radar in deeper leagues.
Taylor Heinicke, Washington Football Team
Sadly, Ryan Fitzpatrick went down due to injury and will miss several weeks, which meant Heinicke had to take over. It's far from ideal, but Heinicke may just have a little Fitzpatrick in him (see below). He is not afraid to air the ball out and can add some value with his legs. Also, he has a nice cast of weapons around him such as Terry McLaurin, Logan Thomas and Antonio Gibson that should help raise his weekly floor.
We do not have much on Heinicke as the starter to go by, but he did throw for 306 yards with a TD, while adding in 46 rushing yards and a TD on his way to nearly 25 fantasy points in his playoff start against the Bucs and their stout defense last postseason. There is some upside and in the coming weeks he faces the Giants, Bills, and Falcons in the next three weeks.
Taylor Heinicke has a little Fitzy in him. Last two seasons
Fitz: 68.1 completion %, 7.7 yards per attempt, 7.8 air yds per attempt, 40% wide, 35% slot
Heinicke: 67.6% completion %, 7.6 yards per attempt, 10.7 air yds per attempt, 35% wide, 41% slot
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 13, 2021
Running Backs
Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers
This is kind of a cheat, but Mitchell was universally overlooked, meaning even in those real deep leagues he could still be out there. Trey Sermon was a healthy scratch in Week 1, while Mitchell went off for 104 yards and a TD on 19 carries, while playing 64 percent of the snaps. Raheem Mostert is expected to miss the next eight weeks with a knee injury, meaning the opportunity will be there for Mitchell to be the lead back on a Kyle Shanahan-led run attack. Moving forward you can expect a Mitchell and Sermon backfield. Sermon was a healthy scratch and JaMycal Hasty was active over him, but that largely has to do with special teams. The fact that Shanahan felt comfortable with Mitchell being the primary backup, despite having an often injured starter, does indicate how they view Mitchell. He is not going away anytime soon. Hasty is also a flier in these deep formats.
Mark Ingram II, Houston Texans
This is another name that you will see recommended in 12-team leagues, but I prefer him in deeper formats. Ingram looked washed at times last year, but then came out in Week 1 and carried the ball a whopping 26 times. He turned them into 85 yards and a touchdown. He also led the Texans with 45 percent of the snaps and had all three of their carries inside the five-yard line. That led all RBs in Week 1. That sort of usage means he needs to be added, particularly in deep formats.
Wide Receivers
Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals
Christian Kirk is going to get a lot of the attention after going off for 70 yards and two touchdowns, but Moore had the same number of targets as Kirk. He caught four of his for 68 yards, showing off his explosiveness. Moore was only out there for 30 percent of the snaps, being used as the fourth receiver, but the Cardinals did run the second-most four-wide receiver sets in the NFL in Week 1 (17 percent). Four wide receiver sets have been a staple of this offense the past two seasons. Moore may be behind Kirk and AJ Green right now, but he showcased that he can play at this level and he is an explosive option. Grab him now before people take notice of him.
Jalen Reagor, Philadelphia Eagles
After a failed rookie season, there was not much hype on Reagor this summer. He had six targets, the second most on the Eagles, catching all six for 49 yards and a score. In all, he scored 16.9 PPR points, which is not only his best as a pro, but he had only topped double-digits twice last season. He played 69 percent of the snaps, the second most on the Eagles. His strength is his speed and his downfield abilities, which is a good pair for Jalen Hurts, who averaged the second-most air yards per throw last season. Reagor is a nice post-hype sleeper that should be grabbed in deeper formats if he is still out there.
Cedrick Wilson, Dallas Cowboys
With Michael Gallup out, Wilson will be asked to step up more for the Cowboys. In Week 1, he ran 66 percent of his snaps from the slot, catching all three of his targets for 24 yards. Wilson has shown that he can be an explosive option at times out of the slot. He is not going to be a league winner, but he can be a useful piece in deeper leagues as the third wideout in a pass-happy Cowboys offense. Also, if Dalton Schultz is still out there in your league, grab him as well.
Zach Pascal, Indianapolis Colts
Pascal found the endzone not once, but twice. While fantasy managers everywhere (myself included) were excited for Michael Pittman Jr. and Parris Campbell, but it was the stable veteran Pascal that got the job done for the colts. He saw five targets and finished with four catches for 43 yards and those two touchdowns. In fact, those five targets were the most among any Colts receiver, as their top two targets were their running backs. Pascal has value in three-wide receiver sets with T.Y. Hilton sidelined for a while.
Trent Sherfield, San Francisco 49ers
So, after being perceived as a breakout star all preseason, Brandon Aiyuk struggled to consistently see the field in Week 1. Shanahan referenced a hamstring injury, but then threw in that Sherfield played well enough all summer to be out there over him. That is the notable part. Sherfield played 49 percent of the snaps (Aiyuk: 47 percent) and had three targets (Aiyuk: zero). Aiyuk is likely to be more involved moving forward, but take note of Sherfield, who the coaching staff is clearly high on.
Tight Ends
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
This is another player that will be grabbed in shallower formats, but still needs to be included here. Johnson saw just three targets in Week 1, but when two of them are end zone targets, you won’t complain. Johnson is a huge target standing at 6’4, 231 pounds and could be the Saints' top red/end zone target this season. Last year, that title was held by Jared Cook, and we know Sean Payton is not afraid to get his tight end involved there.
Johnson could legitimately score double-digit touchdowns this season. Now, if only they used him more in between the 20s... Also, if Adam Trautman is available in your league, he is worth an add as well. He had a team-high six targets, catching three for 18 yards. He also played 83 percent of the snaps, to Johnson’s 18 percent. Trautman’s numbers won’t blow anyone away, but the usage is what matters most.
Tyler Kroft and Ryan Griffin, New York Jets
Tyler Kroft played 63 percent of the snaps and had five targets, catching three of them for 26 yards. Ryan Griffin played 50 percent of the snaps, seeing six targets, three receptions for 22 yards. It would be better for everyone if they opted to only use one tight end, and it is worth noting that the Jets were without Jamison Crowder, but Zach Wilson threw 11 passes to his tight ends and that should not be overlooked. Kroft is the preferred add of the two, but if you are in need of a tight end in a deep format, anyone with a pulse (and some consistent targets) is worth taking a shot on.
These players are likely rostered in deep formats, but check just in case: Kenneth Gainwell, Nelson Agholor, David Johnson, Tim Patrick, K.J. Hamler.
Keep an eye on these players: Van Jefferson, K.J. Osborn, Anthony Schwartz, Danny Amendola.
Follow Michael Florio on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio
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