Each week during the season, I’ll give some insights on players that should/could be available on your league’s waiver wire.
Working the wire week in, week out is what the best owners do to improve their rosters.
To simplify things a bit, I’ll give each player my personal star rating from 1 to 5 as follows:
5 stars – fantasy starter
4 stars – fantasy flex option
3 stars – borderline flex option, questions about consistency
2 stars – bench player with upside
1 star – deep reach/handcuff
Quarterback
2.5 stars
- Mark Sanchez (NYJ) and that Jets offense looked nothing like they did in preseason and he ended with 266 yards and 3 scores. He looked in control the entire game and put a lot of passes right on the money, something we haven’t always see with him. Which leads me into this: Tim Tebow should not be taking up a roster spot on your team right now. Sanchez seems firmly entrenched as starter with this solid performance against the Bills, and it is my opinion he’d only get a chance if Sanchez was injured.
2 stars
- Christian Ponder (MIN) threw for 270 yards (no touchdowns), but looked like he took a step forward against a pretty good Jacksonville defense.
- Blaine Gabbert (JAX) finished with 260 yards and two scores; that long TD throw to Cecil Shorts near the end of regulation was pretty impressive.
1.5 stars
- Kevin Kolb (ARZ) looks like he’ll be getting his starting job back as reports are now surfacing that John Skelton will miss 2-4 weeks with an ankle injury. Kolb is not a bad waiver add if you can stomach getting into the Arizona QB business… but I’ll warn you now that it’s an ugly business to be in.
1 star
- Tavaris Jackson (BUF) is only being mentioned here in the context of the horrendous outing in week 1 by Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzy may not be in imminent danger, but a few more outings like this and Jackson will get his shot.
Running Back
4 stars
- Alfred Morris (WAS) finished with 98 yards on 28 carries and scored twice in week one. That is no small feat when you consider the way head coach Mike Shanahan rotates his runners. Which is why there is still some risk for guys who own Morris moving forward, but he’s a great add this week and looks like a solid start agains the Rams in week 2.
2 stars
- Jaquizz Rodgers (ATL) is a favorite sleeper of DraftCalc nation, but he still needs Turner out of the way before he becomes viable. I love his sleeper value, stash him now if you can.
- Shaun Draughn (KC) totaled 40 yards and a score in a garbage time during a blowout loss to the Falcons. He’s buried on the Chiefs depth chart and is unlikely to see consistent carries without injuries to the guys in front of him.
- Knowshon Moreno (DEN) scored a red zone touchdown for his team against the Steelers, and although he has disappointed many owners over the last few years, he still sits behind an aging Willis McGahee who has his own injury history. You never know.
- Daryl Richardson (STL) seems to be the current handcuff to Steven Jackson, but I am still thinking rookie Isiah Pead will win this job down the stretch. For now, Richardson is a decent add with a slight bump for those who own Jackson.
1 star
- Curtis Brinkley (SD) put up some decent receiving numbers in limited action with Ryan Mathews out of the lineup, but he’s not talented enough to get more than a handful of touches per game.
Wide Receiver
3.5 Stars
- Kevin Ogletree (DAL) led the Cowboys with 8 catches for 114 yards and not one, but two scores. Other than Alfred Morris, Ogletree will be one of the most sought-after fantasy free agents this week. Can he keep it up? Once Miles Austin and Jason Witten are fully healthy, who knows, but he has certainly risen above all others as the Cowboys #3 receiver.
- Randall Cobb (GB) had a monster day for the Packers catching 9 passes for 77 yards with a return score. For those in return leagues, give this guy 4 stars.
3 stars
- Stephen Hill (NYJ) caught two of the three TDs thrown by Mark Sanchez, and while I don’t believe you’ll see Hill catch 5/89/2 every week, he’s good enough to be a flex option.
- Alshon Jeffrey (CHI) had 80 yards and a score in his rookie debut Sunday. The upside is that he plays in a throw-first offense with the benefit of having Brandon Marshall drawing the defensive attention.
- Dexter McCluster (KC) led the team in targets with 10, reeling in 6 of those for 82 yards. Those target totals should mean we’ll see more consistency from him moving forward, but we’ll need a few more weeks to be sure… still a solid waiver add.
2.5 stars
- Nate Burleson had 6 for 69 in a tough fought win for the Lions; he’s not consistent week to week, but until rookie Titus Young starts playing to his potential, Burleson will get the bulk of the leftover looks from Matthew Stafford.
2 stars
- Emmanuel Sanders (PIT) had a 4-for-55 stat line Sunday night, and he is still the third option for Big Ben, though I believe he’s capable of WR2 numbers with an injury to Brown or Wallace.
- Andre Roberts (ARZ) had 9 targets and ended Sunday’s win with a 5/54 and a score. Reliability is not there yet, but has upside.
- Rod Streater (OAK) will continue to see plenty of playing time in this offense with the news Jacoby Ford is headed for foot surgery. Let’s see if this preseason sensation can take advantage.
1.5 stars
- Cecil Shorts (JAX) made a great touchdown catch near the end of regulation, but I’m not convinced just yet.
- Jeremy Kerley (NYJ) is the third option in the Jets offense, so he won’t ever be more than a bench flyer. In return leagues, his value is a bit higher.
Tight End
3 Stars
- Martellus Bennett (NYG) was a one of my favorite TE sleepers this year and he managed 4/40 with a score in week 1. Lots of talent, not lots of consistency yet. If you are unhappy with your current lot of tight ends, he’s worth claiming.
- Heath Miller (PIT) led all Steelers receivers Sunday night with his 4/50/1 performance. Fluke or no fluke, he’s worthy of consideration if you need TE help.
2 Stars
- Tony Moeaki (KC) was targeted 6 times Sunday and finished with 3 catches for 37 yards. Once considered a hot TE prospect, he’s working his way back from an ACL injury and finds himself mired on a team with an average QB, fighting for looks with teammate Kevin Boss.
Solid article and advice, X! Awesome weekly feature!
Very Nice piece! I play in a dynasty league so i am always looking folr that next diamond in the rough!
Very nice X. Looking forward to the weekly opinion.
nice job X…did get one of them Jeffery..
It’s nice to see X writing for us again, I have to say!
I keep getting different opinions, so why not get 1 more. I am in 12 team league NON-PPR and these are my RB’s: Murray, McFadden, D. Williams , B. Wells
My ? Is should drop D. Williams or Beanie Wells to make for Fred Jackson? I can only carry 4 rb’s and so 1 of these players would have to be dropped. I am first in the waiver wire, So I know I can get Fjax for sure. Or should I just stay with D. Williams and Beanie Wells?
I was thinking of cutting D. Williams, but I keep going back and forward.
My ? Is should I drop D. Williams or Beanie Wells to make room for Fred Jackson? I can only carry 4 rb’s and so 1 of these players would have to be dropped. I am first in the waiver wire, So I know I can get Fjax for sure. Or should I just stay with D. Williams and Beanie Wells?
(edited, sorry its early!!)
I’d want FJax over those two RB’s if this is a redraft league and I’d probably still want him if it’s dynasty. Problem is, we don’t quite know yet when he will be returning from his recent injury so you will need to be patient. Since you have DMac and Murray to plug in weekly, I like the move to get FJax. I’d drop DWill to get him in dynasty and Wells in redraft.
Alex Smith worth a pickup in a redraft? I already have a backup in Locker and my starter is Stafford. I wouldn’t touch any of the other backups left (Dalton, Sanchez, Gabbert, Cassel, Fitzpatrick, Bradford, etc.). The idea is that I can potentially use Smith (BUF) instead of Locker (@MIN) week 5 bye and potentially trade one of them when others start getting their bye (even though everyone already has a backup – some suboptimal choices though).
hey what do you guys think about Andrew Hawkins from the Bengals ? I picked him up based on his week 1 numbers but I don’t know much about him
He is a waiver wire darling this week but I’m not expecting consistent numbers from him like he did in week 1. I like Binns as the Cincy WR2 more than Hawkins actually.
Great write up X ! That’s a perfect way to address waiver wire players’ upside.
Thanks all, glad you like the article!
ump, to answer your question about Alex Smith, I’d put him on the same level as Sanchez… not great, but not bad. Is he better than what you have in Locker? Maybe, but seems more like a lateral move to me and the upside is definitely with Locker.
Great Article! I really like how you break down the ratings of the players. One suggestion for this article though is to get it out a day or two earlier as some leagues waiver wire updates on Tuesday. Thanks!