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Andy's fantasy football draft sleepers, bench stashes and sneaky waiver wire adds for 2024. Now that drafts are complete, stash these high-upside players.
Mastering the waiver wire is a crucial skill that can lead you to a fantasy football championship. It's not just about strategically placing your FAAB budget on specific players but also about knowing when to stash players. This dual strategy keeps you engaged and focused on your ultimate goal of winning a fantasy championship.
As the season progresses, injuries occur, or rookies begin to break out. Many of these NFL players are often drafted but dropped after the first handful of weeks due to impatient league managers. This article will pinpoint which players we’d want to stash on our bench as fantasy football waiver wire pickups to power us down the stretch.
This weekly column will look at players from each position who are either on the verge of breaking out or could see a dramatic increase in touches if they were to become the starting option on a given offense. All players will be below a 25% Yahoo! roster percentage.
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Ray Davis (RB) - Buffalo Bills
15% rostered
The Kentucky rookie has seemingly claimed the backup role in Buffalo. During the preseason, Davis frequently entered the game immediately after starter James Cook was taken off the field.
When Cook was absent during team practices, Davis and Ty Johnson typically split first-team reps. Fantasy managers should expect Cook to be the primary back in Buffalo, but Davis has shown some flashes during the preseason.
In Week 2 of the preseason, Davis led the team in rushing with 58 total yards, including the longest run of the day, going for 19 yards.
Ray Davis with 8 for 58 last week, he’s better than the masses are aware of I promise
- Vision
- Contact balance
- Needs very little room to make a guy miss
- Always falling forwardAll the makings of a RB that the Bills have lacked for about a decade pic.twitter.com/tTAAr90hFJ
— Rob (@Quintorris_) August 20, 2024
Even if Davis is used as a change-of-pace or a short-yardage option in the Bills offense as the season progresses, he could have value, especially if he begins to earn coveted goal-line work.
Jordan Mason (RB) - San Francisco 49ers
13% rostered
Jordan Mason was already making a solid case to be the backup running back in the Bay, and now with Elijah Mitchell hitting season-ending injured reserve, Mason has officially claimed that role to start the season.
In addition, the new No. 3 back in San Francisco, rookie fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo, missed most of camp with a hamstring injury, which gives Mason even more job security.
Christian McCaffrey suffered a calf strain earlier in August but should return to his usual workload come Week 1. However, the starting running back in this offense could be a potential weekly top-12 option. If you are currently rostering CMC, Mason is a must-roster.
MarShawn Lloyd (RB) - Green Bay Packers
18% rostered
Another running back who moved up the depth chart due to an injury is rookie MarShawn Lloyd. AJ Dillon (neck) was ruled out for the 2024 season, which now moves the third-round rookie into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart.
While Lloyd missed most of minicamp and training camp due to a lingering hamstring injury, the USC product was able to avoid IR and may only miss a handful of games, if any.
Once he returns to full health, Lloyd could eventually enter a timeshare with Josh Jacobs and would be next in line if Jacobs misses any extended period.
Quentin Johnston (WR) - Los Angeles Chargers
8% rostered
The Chargers wide receiver room was a hot topic of debate this offseason. Will rookie Ladd McConkey immediately slot in as the alpha, or will Joshua Palmer take the lead? Given his disappointing season last year, former first-round pick Quentin Johnston was often seen as an afterthought in the Los Angeles offense.
In his rookie campaign, he caught just 431 yards with two scores. However, despite this poor output, he saw 12.8 yards of average depth per target and averaged 49.6 air yards per game. Even if Johnston sits as the “No. 3” today, given his ability to see targets downfield, he is worth holding onto.
Jalen Tolbert (WR) - Dallas Cowboys
3% rostered
CeeDee Lamb made headlines earlier this week, signing a massive contract extension. However, the second spot on the wide receiver depth chart in Big D might still be a bit unclear.
Veteran Brandin Cooks was the No. 2 option last season but has been dealing with a lingering knee injury this season and may not be ready for the season opener. While Cooks sat out, Jalen Tolbert was surprisingly held out of all preseason action, suggesting he might have a large role this fall.
Jalen Tolbert SNAG
Early play of the day candidate here in the red zone#DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/6P9P1iScA3
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisDC) July 25, 2024
The 25-year-old could eventually become an every-down player in a high-octane offense. Even though Tolbert did not have a large role last season, he is a must-stash in three wide receiver leagues given that he could emerge as an every-down player in a high-octane passing attack.
Dyami Brown (WR) - Washington Commanders
1% rostered
The final wideout I wanted to highlight this week is in the nation’s capital. Surprisingly, the Commanders traded former first-round pick Jahan Dotson to their division rival, which opened the door for a potentially significant role in this offense.
During the preseason, Dyami Brown made a name for himself, especially when Jayden Daniels was on the field with him. In the opening drive of the preseason, Daniels hit the UNC product on a nice 42-yard pass.
Jayden Daniels with the DEEP ball to Dyami Brown 🎯 pic.twitter.com/xffRqKRRIn
— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) August 10, 2024
Similar to Tolbert, the Commanders WR room outside of Terry McLaurin is lackluster. Brown has a chance of seeing a decent target share and could see looks down the field, as he posted a strong 16.5 average yards per target last season.
Greg Dulcich (TE) - Denver Broncos
2% rostered
The 24-year-old had a 2023 to forget, as he played in only two games after dealing with several foot and hamstring injuries. This season, he should be seen as the clear lead tight end in Denver, with Adam Trautman serving more as the blocker.
I included Dulcich on this list not only because he is quite underrostered but also because he has the potential to see a high target share. Currently, the Broncos wide receiving corps is headlined by proven veteran Courtland Sutton, and nothing much else follows.
Rookie Troy Franklin and the speedy Marvin Mims Jr. should contend for the No. 2 and 3 spot, but there is no guarantee that either one can stick at the NFL level. If you faded tight end in your draft and are looking for an upside option on the waiver wire who could finish as a top-12 option, take a look at Dulcich this weekend.
Drake Maye (QB) - New England Patriots
6% rostered
Rounding out this week's stash list is New England rookie quarterback Drake Maye. While New England has named Jacoby Brissett the Week 1 starter, Maye is still worth holding onto in deeper leagues.
The UNC product looked sharp in the preseason and capped things off with a stellar outing last weekend against Washington, going 13-of-20 for 126 yards and a score.
Some very impressive plays by Drake Maye on that drive.
- 17-yard scramble on third-and-14
- Cross-body completion to Polk for 29 yards
- 16-yard completion to Douglas on third-and-8 pic.twitter.com/UHSLSAZmvV— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) August 26, 2024
If you faded the quarterback position, look to stash Maye on your bench if you are looking for upside. Once he earns an opportunity at the professional level, he could be a viable starter.
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