RADIO
Justin Carter's fantasy football wide receiver waiver wire pickups before Week 2 of the 2019 NFL season. These are free agent fantasy WRs to potentially add and stash.
Well, an exciting Week 1 is almost in the books, with just two Monday night games left on the docket. Sunday was a day of surprising performances, headlined by Ravens rookie wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown catching a pair of deep touchdowns.
Welcome to RotoBaller's NFL wide receiver waiver wire article. Let's try to make sense of the things we saw on Sunday and what those things may mean for you, the fantasy football owner who needs a wide receiver to replace one of your injured or underperforming players. Is Hollywood worth an add? Was D.J. Chark's big game an outlier? Let's talk about those things.
Not all options are the same. Some players may be better in PPR or deeper leagues, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all comparison. Use your best judgment when deciding which of these players is the right fit for your roster. Check here for a complete list of our Waiver Wire Adds for Week 2 for help at all the skill positions. All players on this list are around 30% owned or below.
Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.
WR Waiver Wire - Free Agents To Consider Adding
Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens - 26% owned
Oh my.
Brown's first two NFL catches went for 130 yards and two touchdowns and that was in the first quarter of his season debut. Yes, it was against a weak Dolphins Defense, but for a rookie wide receiver to start off like that...well, wild stuff.
Brown finished with four catches for 147 yards. He was only targeted five times and while there's definite reason to worry about that volume, if Lamar Jackson -- who threw 20 passes and ran just three times -- is going to be staying in the pocket and launching the ball downfield more, Brown becomes one of the more interesting deep threats in the NFL. Opposing defenses have to respect Jackson's running ability, which means there will always be some seams that Jackson can put the ball in. Brown looks to be the biggest beneficiary of this development.
Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs - 15% owned
Hardman was only targeted once against the Jaguars, but with Tyreek Hill set to miss multiple weeks, the Chiefs are going to need to make use of Hardman's skill set. You could call Hardman the poor man's Hill if you want, as he's got the speed to stretch the field but doesn't have the same track record of doing it at the pro level. Hardman should be added in most leagues, though there is some danger that Demarcus Robinson winds up playing more than him. Still, this is a pass-heavy offense that will need someone like Hardman to step up.
Randall Cobb, Dallas Cowboys - 10% owned
Dak Prescott passing for over 400 yards won't happen every week, but it's probably fair to say that under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore they'll be throwing the ball more. Ezekiel Elliott is good, but being a run-first team doesn't win you a title, especially with a quarterback as good as Prescott.
So, Cobb. He's the Cowboys' slot option and is pretty clearly third in the pecking order behind Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, but he put up a good line on Sunday, catching four of his five targets for 69 yards and a touchdown. I think Dallas will target Cobb out of the slot on a pretty consistent basis, making Cobb a solid PPR option most weeks. Cobb screams safe play this year. He's basically going to be a safer version of what Cole Beasley gave Dallas.
John Ross, Cincinnati Bengals - 8% owned
There was a lot of discussion before the year about who would be the number-two receiver behind Tyler Boyd until A.J. Green was back. Damion Willis was a popular option, but it turned out that John Ross -- the team's first-round bust from 2018 -- was the guy for the job. Ross led the team with 12 targets, turning those into seven receptions for 158 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Look, I know you've been burned by John Ross in the past. We've all been burned by John Ross in the past. But the Bengals looked like a team that would be throwing a lot on Sunday, and Joe Mixon left Sunday's game with an ankle injury. If he misses time, the Bengals will be throwing even more. Dalton clearly liked throwing the ball Ross's way in Week 1, and we finally saw the flashes of talent that reminded us of why he was a top-10 pick two years ago. I know you're hesitant, but give Ross a chance.
Cole Beasley, Buffalo Bills - 6% owned
Fun fact: Cole Beasley is older than his replacement in Dallas, Randall Cobb. Seems unbelievable, right?
Anyway, Beasley. He had five catches for 40 yards in Sunday's game and was targeted nine times. He's going to be Josh Allen's safety valve this year, and while his usage is going to come pretty exclusively near the line of scrimmage -- only one target on Sunday was more than 10-yards from the line -- and limit his ceiling, Beasley should have a safe floor in full-PPR leagues due to the way Buffalo uses him. He's probably the least appealing player on this list from an upside standpoint, but sometimes you need to play it safe.
Danny Amendola, Detroit Lions - 5% owned
Oh yeah, Amendola exists. Danny Amendola hasn't been talked about much this offseason, but he ended up leading the Lions in targets with 13. He brought in seven of those targets for 104 yards and a touchdown. Marvin Jones Jr. was barely a factor until overtime arrived as Amendola, Kenny Golladay, and tight end T.J. Hockenson were the key players throughout this one. A healthy Amendola is a very solid NFL receiver, and it looks like he'll be continuing that as a member of the Lions.
Terry McLaurin, Washington Redskins - 2% owned
Washington is the NFL team whose receiving situation has felt the most primed for a "wait, where'd he come from" moment in Week 1, because...well, because Washington didn't really have anyone. Their most-owned fantasy receiver is a tie between McLaurin and teammate Paul Richardson, who are both at two percent. Someone was going to do something for this team. McLaurin and Richardson were both targeted seven times, but it was McLaurin who provided Case Keenum with a downfield presence, catching five passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. That won't happen every week, but McLaurin did enough in Week 1 to show that he can be a viable fantasy option in weeks where Washington faces defenses that are susceptible to the long ball.
D.J. Chark, Jacksonville Jaguars - 1% owned
I mentioned Chark last week, but for those of y'all who didn't read a Week 1 waiver column because the NFL season hadn't started yet, let's talk about Chark. He caught four passes for 146 yards and a touchdown in this one, finally flashing the big-play ability that led the Jaguars to draft him last year. Chark's future is complicated by quarterback Nick Foles' collarbone injury, which will lead to Gardner Minshew starting for a big chunk of the regular season, but it's hard to ignore Chark's ability to stretch the field for a Jaguars team that needs someone who can do that. With Leonard Fournette and Dede Westbrook both being used heavily close to the line of scrimmage, expect to see Chark get some open space down the field as defenses crowd the line.
Cody Latimer, New York Giants - 0% owned
Are you in a very deep league? Like, 16 teams deep? Or 30 bench spots deep? Well, here's a bonus player for you: Cody Latimer. Owning a Giants receiver is a scary situation, but Latimer was second on the team in targets in Week 1 with eight, behind only tight end Evan Engram. Latimer ended with three catches for 74 yards, and while he'll likely settle in as the fourth option for now until Golden Tate returns, the fact that New York should be playing from behind and throwing a lot means Latimer should have chances to score every week. He's worth a roster spot in a deep league.
More Waiver Wire Pickups and Advice
