Waiver Wire Wonders: Week 8
After a week off from the waiver articles (the stomach flu sucks), I’m back! With injuries continuing to pile up and bye weeks taking their toll on our rosters, it’s important to make weekly waiver wire pickups. One name I’ll mention now but didn’t make the article is Kenjon Barner. Sony Michel went down with a nasty knee injury, but it turns out his knee has no structural damage and he may only miss a week or two. I think James White will be the main guy there, but Barner may have some deep league appeal.
Every week I will be listing my favorite waiver acquisitions. There will be multiple sections to these articles with the main parts including: Standard League Adds (owned in 50 percent or less) and Deep League Adds (<25 percent). Furthermore, there will be mini-sections that include players that you shouldn’t drop just yet (Don’t Stop Believin’) and guys you can let go of (The Droppables). So, without further ado, let’s get to it.
Standard League Adds
RB Marlon Mack — IND (54.0 percent owned)
Return of the Mack! Alright, maybe we’ll have to change the 50 percent or less rule to around 50 percent or less. Nonetheless, Colts running back Marlon Mack is available in nearly 50 percent of ESPN leagues. Mack showed us a preview of what he has to offer a week ago against the New York Jets, rushing for 89 yards on just 12 carries. In Week 7, Mack exploded onto the scene. He rushed 19 times for an impressive 126 yards and a touchdown, while adding on two receptions for 33 yards and another score. His monster fantasy day showed us that he’s capable of RB1 numbers, but I’d consider him a strong RB2 the rest of the way if he stays healthy. Provided Nick Chubb was picked up in your league, Mack is my top waiver priority this week.
RB Doug Martin — OAK (18.5 percent owned)
Besides the Browns backfield after the trade of Carlos Hyde, the other backfield to be severely effected this week was that of the Oakland Raiders. Marshawn Lynch was placed on injured reserve this week, which means he’ll miss at least eight games, likely ending his season. So, the big question is, how will the Raiders backfield be sorted out? I’ll tell you this: I like both Martin and Jalen Richard as waiver pickups this week. If you’re in a standard or .5 PPR league, I prefer Martin. I expect Martin to get all the early down work and get a lot of volume despite splitting work with Richard. RB-needy teams should definitely look to add Martin based on volume alone. However, he’s merely a flex play until we see how this backfield shakes out. The Muscle Hamster isn’t what he once was, but he’s fantasy relevant once again.
WR Geronimo Allison — GB (37.4 percent owned)
Do the Packers have a team full of the most incredible names in the league? I mean…Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, Marques Valdez-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown and yes, Geronimo Allison. My favorite thing about Geronimo isn’t his name though. It’s the fact that he has Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback. Davante Adams is undoubtedly Rodgers’ go-to guy and No. 1, however, prior to Allison’s injuries we’ve seen him emerge as Rodgers second receiver. In the first four weeks, Allison posted fantasy scores of 17, 12, 15 and 14. Pretty consistent, don’t you think? In a pass-happy offense, I’m a big fan of Allison, even with the presumed return of Randall Cobb.
RB Ito Smith — ATL (45.8 percent owned)
I know, I wasn’t exactly impressed with Ito’s Monday night performance, either. It was honestly kind of a weird game. I fully expected it to be a bit of a shootout, yet, neither team scored in the opening 22 minutes of the game. I fully believe Tevin Coleman is the better back in Atlanta, but Ito still has plenty of value, mostly because of his Red Zone usage. Let’s not forget, Ito scored a touchdown in three straight games prior to last night. He may be touchdown dependent going forward, but he’s still worth owning.
QB Mitch Trubisky — CHI (51.1 percent owned)
Once again, I’m breaking the 50 percent rule here. Trubisky is currently at criminally low ownership. Here’s a list of quarterbacks that have outscored Trubisky over the past three weeks…..end list. That’s right, nobody, not even Patrick Mahomes. Now, that numbers is inflated by his crazy six touchdown game, but let’s look at the last two games. So, last two games? Mahomes and Rodgers. That’s it. Trubisky is red hot right now, averaging nearly four TDs and at least 300 yards passing in his last three games. Granted they were against weak opponents, Trubisky should be owned in virtually all leagues and is startable if you don’t have a stud QB.
Deep League Adds
RB Jalen Richard — OAK (18.4 percent owned)
As I stated earlier, the Martin/Richard dilemma fully depends on what type of league you’re in. The only type of league I prefer Richard in is full PPR. Listen, in case you haven’t noticed, the Raiders are a dumpster fire this year and will probably be behind in most games. Cue the Richard checkdowns. Derek Carr could easily be referred to as Captain Checkdown, just ask Amari Cooper, who is now a Dallas Cowboy. With the potential for a high-volume passing game script, Richard is certainly worth a look, not just in deep leagues, but all leagues.
RB Chris Ivory — BUF (9.0 percent owned)
Buffalo isn’t exactly the most appealing place for fantasy relevance. However, with LeSean McCoy in the concussion protocol, there’s a shot that he doesn’t play this week against New England. It’ll likely get ugly on Monday night, but Ivory could still be a deep league flex if McCoy can’t go. Ivory rushed 16 times for 81 yards, adding three receptions for 25 yards as well. If you’re desperate at RB, Ivory is a so-so option.
WR Martavis Bryant — OAK (2.4 percent owned)
Another big trade went down in the NFL yesterday. Raiders’ receiver Cooper was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a first round pick. So, with Cooper out of the equation, who’s next up for Oakland? Jordy Nelson gets a solid bump in volume, but I also think Bryant could be fantasy relevant again. Bryant was a stud in Pittsburgh, but his off the field issues have stymied his production on the field. However, he has another new start with Oakland (for the second time). The potential and talent is there, despite the fact that he’s merely a dart throw. Bryant is worth a stash in deep leagues.
WR Tre’Quan Smith — NO (8.7 percent owned)
Saints’ receiver Ted Ginn was recently placed on IR. As a result, the likes of Tre’Quan Smith and Cameron Meredith are going to benefit. While I didn’t see snap count percentages, I watched most of their game this past Sunday and Smith seemed to be on the field much more. Tre’Quan is surely more of a deep threat than possession receiver, shown by his three receptions for 111 yards and two scores the week before. He saw six targets this past week in a game where the Saints ran 11 more times than passed. I expect that to change a little in the future. Smith is worth a bench stash.
WR Tyrell Williams — LAC (8.4 percent owned)
So, maybe Williams isn’t a fluke after all? He has undoubtedly become Philip Rivers favorite deep threat, as he has three straight weeks of a catch of at least 45 yards. Williams has accumulated 118 yards receiving in each of the past two weeks to go along with three touchdowns on only seven receptions. He’ll be very hit or miss every week, but he could help you win any given week. The big question you’ll have to ask yourself each week is how lucky do you feel?
The Droppables
QB Blake Bortles: He was benched for Cody Kessler this past week. I’ve lost all hope for him and the Jags.
RB Marshawn Lynch: After being placed on IR, Lynch’s season is likely over. Hopefully, Beast Mode returns for another year though.
RB Peyton Barber: Don’t be fooled by his big game the week before. Barber isn’t any good and this is a pass-first offense.
WR Allen Robinson: He’s been hampered by injuries this year and has flat out stunk. Mitch loves Cohen and Burton much more, so if there’s a better option on the wire, it’s reasonable to cut bait.
WR Corey Davis: I still think Davis has a lot of talent but he’s stuck in one of the league’s worst offenses. Barely eclipsing 10 yards isn’t worth owning.
Don’t Stop Believin’
QB Deshaun Watson: We all saw what Watson was capable of last year. Don’t panic after a few bad weeks.
RB Dalvin Cook: Bye week’s are tough, but don’t make a dumb mistake a drop a big name like Cook despite the frustrating injuries.
RB Aaron Jones: Yes, Mike McCarthy is an idiot. Yes, he still hasn’t figured out who the best RB on the team is. Stay patient.
WR Larry Fitzgerald: Earlier in the year I was fine with dropping him, but if you still own him, hang tight. Byron Leftwich is the new OC and I’ve heard nothing but good things about him.
TE Evan Engram: Tight end is so thin due to injuries and byes. Despite the poor stat line this past week, Engram looked good out there. Eli can’t check down to Barkley every play right?
The Fantasy Life app is the best sports community app to talk fantasy football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, WWE, MMA, Nascar, golf, eSports, or anything else you would hear about at a sports bar. Find or post funny memes, polls, GIFs, or join chats about your teams. Matthew Berry (ESPN, The Talented Mr. Roto), the face of fantasy football co-founded the app as a place for fans to chat about sports, get fantasy advice, or find sleepers for your team. Find Matthew on the app @matthewberry
Download the iPhone or Android app at fantasylifeapp.com. Also available in theApp Store and Google Play. And be sure to add me on Twitter @Ray_Levay13 to chat and ask Fantasy Football related questions!
