Over the course of the NFL season, I will be writing this article on a weekly basis. It features players at each position that I think are worth targeting on the waiver wire in fantasy football. Some of these players will be guys worth playing that have a nice matchup and some will be guys that may be a few weeks away from big action.
Quarterbacks:
Sam Bradford put up monster numbers during Week One.
Sam Bradford (Minnesota Vikings)- Bradford had an excellent performance on Monday Night Football against the Saints and he showed that he can be a top fantasy quarterback when he has time to throw the ball. Bradford showed flashes at the beginning of last season until the offensive line fell apart and if the offensive line can continue to play like they did on Monday Night Football than Bradford should be a pretty good fantasy quarterback. One other factor you have to take into consideration is that last year Bradford had a mediocre running game, now he has an offensive rookie of the year candidate with Dalvin Cook who played very good in the first regular season game of his career. If you bring in Bradford off waivers your team is getting a quarterback that could become a weekly starter for your team.
Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles)- Carson Wentz had a very good performance against a division rival and he has the chance to become a dominant fantasy quarterback in his sophomore season. The Eagles receiving corps added a new weapon with the signing of Alshon Jeffery who has the chance to help Wentz out tremendously this season especially on deep throws. The Eagles also are getting Lane Johnson for a full season (missed a large part of last year due to suspension) who is one of the best right tackles in football, getting Johnson back for a full season will give Wentz a lot more time in the pocket which will in turn help his receivers have time to get open. Wentz also has one of the best running backs in fantasy football last year with LeGarrette Blount and as a result, defenses will need to focus on both Wentz and the Eagles solid backfield.
Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams)- Goff had a very nice game against Indianapolis and it appears that Sean McVay has had an immediate impact on the second year quarterback. The Rams offensive line which was a major issue for Goff last year is improved and Goff was only sacked once in the last game. If Todd Gurley can bounce back from his sophomore slump that would have a tremendous impact on Goff and the Rams offense as a whole. Goff is worth a serious look if you are need of a backup quarterback.
DeShone Kizer (Cleveland Browns)- Kizer looked pretty good in this game and he put up the best performance of all the rookie quarterbacks this past week. I expect Hue Jackson to patch up some of the issues with Kizer’s game and Kizer should be able to hold onto the football better as the season goes on (the interception to T.J. Watt felt like more of a fluke than a normal occurrence for Kizer). Kizer was pressured a lot in this game and he still put up decent numbers including a 66% completion percentage. Kizer will also have more help on the defensive side of the ball as well once Myles Garrett gets back. If you’re looking for a quarterback to stream in the near future Kizer has some pretty good matchups in week three against Indianapolis, week five against the New York Jets, and week seven against Tennessee.
Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans)- If you bring in Watson off waivers he is a bit more of a long term pick compared to Goff or Kizer but he had some nice moments against Jacksonville and as he gets more acclimated with the playbook he should get a lot better. The fact is that Watson came in on short notice and he still looked decent against a fairly good defense, I think it is only a matter of time before Watson wins the starting job and if you’re looking for a high upside guy Watson is the way to go.
Running Backs:
Tarik Cohen (Chicago Bears)- Tarik Cohen has had lots of success at the collegiate level and he is the all-time leading rusher in the MEAC. Cohen looked very good against Atlanta and he could eat into Jordan Howard’s carries as the season goes on, if you’re a Jordan Howard owner this is a must add- Cohen had more rushing and receiving yards than Jordan Howard did and he put up a solid performance against a good defense. Don’t risk it Jordan Howard owners find a way to get Cohen, worst case scenario is that you have a solid handcuff.
Kerwynn Williams (Arizona Cardinals)- If David Johnson misses a few games or half the year this is a great target. The Cardinals pass offense looked old and sluggish in Detroit and as a result, they may turn to their run game whether or not David Johnson is healthy. Williams is the likely candidate for carries if Johnson is out for an extended period and he is worth a look. If your league has a FAAB budget and you’re torn between Cohen and Williams I would still go with Cohen assuming that David Johnson misses a few games at the most but if Johnson is out for the rest of the season than Williams could turn into a weekly fantasy starter.
Marlon Mack (Indianapolis Colts)- Marlon Mack put up a decent performance this week and I believe he could become a fantasy starter at some point in the season. Frank Gore and Marlon Mack split carries in this game and they both played decently, Mack is a great short term option if Luck can’t get back on the field since the Colts will focus more on running the ball and he is also a great long term option since Luck should be back soon and as a result defenses will focus more on stopping the pass. Mack is, in my opinion, a better value on the waiver wire and if you want to save FAAB money but still add a potential starting running back than Mack is the way to go.
Rex Burkhead (New England Patriots)- Everybody knows how Bill Belichick can frustrate owners of Patriots running backs but Burkhead is still worth a serious look from fantasy owners. Mike Gillislee was the star out of all of the Patriots running backs but Burkhead quietly had a decent performance and as Burkhead learns the offense more he may get more action as both a runner and a receiver.
Chris Carson (Seattle Seahawks)- Chris Carson looked very good against Green Bay and he could eventually become the starter there. The only problem is the Seattle backfield is a little crowded so that could take away carries from Carson but this is a great sleeper add, Carson probably won’t be a stud for the first few weeks of the year but over time I could see him becoming the lead guy there.
Javorius “Buck” Allen (Baltimore Ravens)- Buck Allen had tons of carries against Cincinnati and if Danny Woodhead misses time this is a great add. Allen could become a workhorse back while Woodhead is out for an extended period and this would be a smart add which will have great value since most owners will be focused on getting either Cohen or Williams.
Wide Receivers:
Cooper Kupp (Los Angeles Rams)- Kupp was a star at Eastern Washington and so far he has looked like a stud with the Rams. This is my favorite receiver in this article and I think he should be one of your top targets this week. The Rams finally have some decent options in their receiving corps and opposing defenses will likely be more focused on stopping Sammy Watkins and Todd Gurley than stopping Kupp so Kupp could get lots of targets as the season rolls on. Kupp has a decent schedule coming up and if I were picking any receiver for you to target Kupp would be it.
Danny Amendola (New England Patriots)- The Patriots have a hole in their receiving corps after losing Julian Edelman for the rest of the season. Amendola will get lots of targets as a result of this and he is a great target since he already has Brady’s trust and many years of experience in that offense. Amendola had a nice performance against the solid Kansas City defense and I expect him to continue to produce this season. One nice thing about owning Danny Amendola is that you get a receiver who plays the Jets and Bills twice.
Nelson Agholor (Philadelphia Eagles)- Agholor has underachieved some considering he was a first round pick but he looked pretty good against Washington this week and his speed is always something that you want on your fantasy team. If you decide to pick up Agholor you are getting a speedy receiver who has deep play potential but may be a little inconsistent.
Zay Jones (Buffalo Bills)- Jones is one of the top receivers in Buffalo and he should get a fair share of targets as he earns Tyrod Taylor’s trust. I really like the potential that Jones brings this year and he is a very underrated target on the waiver wire this week.
Sterling Shepard (New York Giants)- Shepard is an underrated receiver and he doesn’t get the attention that New York’s two star receivers get but he is quietly becoming a great young receiver in New York who is becoming a major part of the Giants offense. The Giants have a poor run game so it is expected that Eli throws a lot and Shepard will benefit mightily from that. Shepard will bring consistency to any team that adds him.
Kenny Golladay (Detroit Lions)- Golladay was a major deep threat against Arizona and the Lions offense looked very good in week one. Everybody knows how Stafford loves to sling the football and Golladay is already one of his deep targets, Golladay showed his ability on deep routes and he played tremendously this past week. Golladay may not be great in the near future though since he faces both the mighty Giants and Vikings defense in the next three weeks.
Terrance Williams (Dallas Cowboys)- Williams has been a key weapon in the Cowboys offense for a few seasons now and he the most experienced receiver on this list besides Danny Amendola. If you’re looking for a safe waiver wire add this is a good way to go as Williams should consistently put up fairly decent numbers.
Tight Ends:
Austin Hooper (Atlanta Falcons)- Hooper played like a stud against Chicago this past week and he has the chance to have a solid sophomore season. Hooper should already have the trust of Matt Ryan and Austin Hooper will quietly have good performances while defensive coordinators are focused on covering Julio Jones. Hooper plays on one of the best offenses in football and adding Hooper ensures that you have a safe option at the tight end position that also has plenty of upside throughout the season.
Jesse James (Pittsburgh Steelers)- James already has lots of experience in the Pittsburgh and he showed lots of potential in week one. James has a nice matchup coming up against Chicago and he is worth a look that week if you’re streaming tight ends. Once Le’Veon Bell starts getting more touches James value will go down though since he may be used more for blocking than as a receiving threat.
Kickers:
Giorgio Tavecchio (Oakland Raiders)- Tavecchio put up many a lot of points in his first game of the season. If he continues to put up those type up games than the Sebastian Janikowski era in Oakland could be over sooner rather than later.
Matt Prater (Detroit Lions)- Prater is known by many fantasy owners already since he was pretty good in Denver and he has been pretty good in Detroit. This is a kicker worth targeting and he showed that he can kick from far away. The Lions have a high-powered offense and with Prater, you get upside for long kicks while also getting a consistent number of PAT’s since Detroit should put up over twenty points in most games.
Defenses:
Jacksonville Jaguars- Jacksonville has plenty of issues on the offensive side of the ball but so far the defense has played pretty well (they were the best defense in fantasy football in week one). If you add the Jaguars defense you get a team that can rack up sacks with players like Calais Campbell but you also get great corners with Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. This is the top defense I would target on the waiver wire and if you add them you can look forward to their game in week four against the Jets.
Oakland Raiders- The Raiders have plenty of issues with their secondary but this is a great defense to stream this week with their matchup against the Jets. The only real nice thing about having this defense is that you get Khalil Mack who should consistently put up sacks. This is purely a short term option for this upcoming week and I would not recommend them as your long term defense.
