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Experienced fantasy managers know that once the draft is over, the real work begins. Leagues are often won through the waiver wire, not the draft. It's never too early to start digging for gems that could pay off huge during the coming season.
As we will do every week throughout the regular season, we present the top options at each position with some analysis on their respective values, both immediate and long-term. All rostered percentages are taken from Yahoo and players are listed in descending order.
If your draft hasn't taken place yet, don't forget to check our preseason rankings!
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Quarterbacks - Waiver Wire Options
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins - 33% rostered
For many fantasy managers, the jury is still out on Tagovailoa. He was efficient last year but only produced 11 passing touchdowns across nine games in which he started (but didn't always finish). The offense around him has improved vastly with rookie and former teammate Jaylen Waddle in tow as well as free-agent addition Will Fuller. The competition is gone at QB so it's officially Tua Time. New rumors that the Dolphins are frontrunners to trade for Deshaun Watson just one week before the season kicks off are puzzling because that would be a blow to the young QB's confidence and a distraction to the team as a whole.
If you happen to need a QB for Week 1, scratch Tagovailoa off your list. The Dolphins will start their season on the road against the Patriots and their defense that allowed the seventh-fewest points last season. Plus, Fuller won't be available as he serves the last game of his suspension either. Don't be scared off by a slow start though; keep Tagovailoa in mind as the season progresses.
Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints - 29% rostered
The drama is over in New Orleans, at least as far as the QB battle goes. Although Michael Thomas won't be playing for a while, Adam Trautman is out another week or two, and Tre'Quan Smith may not suit up in Week 1, Winston is still the captain of a Sean Payton-led offense and that's worth something. The emergence of Marquez Callaway provides hope that a connection can be established early on and result in his patented deep-ball completions for big gains. It will be interesting to see if the game plan is more conservative initially with more touches going to running backs than receivers. The excitement around the former No. 1 pick's upside is palpable but it also comes with great risk, especially in leagues that penalize heavily for interceptions.
Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders - 27% rostered
Carr continues to be the most underrated quarterback in fantasy. He finished 11th in passing yardage last season and has gone over 4,000 yards in each of the past three seasons. He's also an ironman, having missed only two games over his seven-year career. Carr doesn't have huge upside because of the lack of rushing ability but he's a high-floor option in Superflex leagues.
Carson Wentz, Indianapolis Colts - 21% rostered
It appears Wentz won't miss his Colts debut after all. In a matter of days, we went from speculation that he'd be out half the season to nothing at all. There should still be concern surrounding his health and, perhaps more so, his performance last year. Wentz completed 57.4% of his passes - only Drew Lock was worse among qualified QBs. His 70.4% on-target rate was worse than Mike Glennon and Joe Flacco. New (old) coach Frank Reich might be able to remedy that but it's best to take a wait-and-see approach unless you can afford stashing him.
Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers - 15% rostered
By far one of the most intriguing storylines of Week 1 will be the former second overall pick of the Jets facing his old team. Will a change of scenery and a new system headed by supposed QB guru Joe Brady work wonders or will it be the same old Darnold seeing ghosts? So far so good in the preseason.
Sam Darnold vs Pittsburgh:
? 19/25
? 162 yards
? 2 TDs
? 119.1 passer rating pic.twitter.com/ekMODsFhZK— PFF (@PFF) August 28, 2021
For now, consider Darnold a wild card and a bench stash or someone to watch on the waiver wire if he looks sharp in the opener.
Others to consider: Teddy Bridgewater, Denver Broncos (24% rostered); Zach Wilson, New York Jets (17% rostered)
Running Backs - Waiver Wire Options
Ty'Son Williams, Baltimore Ravens - 33% rostered
Now that J.K. Dobbins is out for the season with an ACL injury and Justice Hill has a torn Achilles, the Ravens must fill the void. Gus Edwards alone won't suffice, especially since he is not exactly a proficient receiver. The team confirmed that Williams is the RB2 as of now although the recent signing of Le'Veon Bell casts some doubt. You won't find anything special in his athletic profile so base this choice on opportunity alone. According to ESPN reporter Jamison Hensley, "Williams impressed the Ravens with his physicality." Just having snaps in the most run-heavy offense in the league is good enough to make him a strong waiver wire add.
Giovani Bernard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 31% rostered
There's a crowded backfield in Tampa but newest Buc Gio Bernard has already carved out a role. He will see plenty of action on third downs and become the new James White for Tom Brady. He won't be a league winner in any circles but there's something to be said for a running back on a high-octane offense that's sure to get touches and a pass-catching floor in PPR leagues. His availability for Week 1 is up in the air but this is more of a season-long stash than a streamer anyway.
Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks - 20% rostered
The range of outcomes for Penny is as wide as anyone. He took all of 11 carries last season in recovery from ACL surgery and has been battling a thigh injury throughout preseason. Getting on the field is a minor victory for him at this point. On the other hand, he's a first-round talent who could work back into a timeshare with Chris Carson if all goes well. For a brief moment, Penny looked to be breaking out when he went for 129 rushing yards and then 74 yards with a touchdown in back-to-back games during Week 12-13 of the 2019 season. The next week, he was injured and went on IR. This is a pure risk/reward play for those looking for upside but bear in mind he'll have to beat out Alex Collins and Travis Homer for the RB2 job.
Le'Veon Bell, Baltimore Ravens - 15% rostered
Here we go. With the Ravens down to two active RBs, the free agent with the most decorated and interesting resume has joined the team days before opening kickoff. Is he going to emerge as the primary pass-catching back or simply serve as veteran depth? Time will tell but don't expect him to come close to replicating his past success. In the most prolific offense of the past few years in Kansas City, Bell averaged 39.2 total yards per game in nine contests and was never a fantasy factor at any time. He may be worth stashing at the end of the bench but don't bet the farm on a bounce back.
Darrel Williams, Kansas City Chiefs - 15% rostered
Just like last year, Williams is the backup and a high-end insurance policy for Clyde Edwards-Helaire. It doesn't appear that the ankle injury CEH sustained in preseason action is serious enough to hold him out of any games but it might be worth monitoring if he reaggravates it. Williams will see a few touches regardless but doesn't truly have standalone value.
Tevin Coleman, New York Jets - 12% rostered
A little further down, you'll see the Jets RB that I'm slightly more interested in (hint: it's not Michael Carter). For now, Coleman will at least be part of a three-man committee that could be whittled down to two if Carter struggles early. Coleman, now 28, may not have a lot of juice left. He missed half of last season with injuries and averaged a pathetic 1.9 yards per carry in limited action. He's on the team because former 49ers DC and current Jets coach Robert Saleh clearly trusts him but it could be strictly in a pass-catching role. The best hope is that he sees red-zone work as well.
Tony Jones Jr., New Orleans Saints - 11% rostered
With Drew Brees gone and Michael Thomas out, Latavius Murray seemingly got a boost. The Saints would naturally lean on their running game more. Rumors came out that Murray could be on the cut list as training camp wound down but he survived the cut... for a few days. Murray was released two days before the official start of 2021 season, leaving Tony Jones Jr. as the RB2 in New Orleans behind Alvin Kamara. Jones impressed in the preseason, rushing for 106 yards on 12 carries, and simply has more burst than Murray at this stage in his career.
Ty Johnson, New York Jets - 11% rostered
The other part of Gang Green's RBBC is Johnson, who has looked better than Michael Carter throughout training camp. He slightly outperformed Carter in game action, averaging 3.9 Y/A compared to 3.6 Y/A for Carter. Coleman didn't play in any of the games which might indicate he's the starter but he has the highest injury risk of the bunch. Johnson would be more interesting if he were competing with only one other back for touches but for now, he's someone to watch.
Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles - 9% rostered
I'll try not to make this into a Gainwell hype thread but it should be noted that the rookie has been one of the fastest risers throughout the preseason. He has the fourth-highest grade among rookie RBs after the first two exhibition games according to PFF.
Kenneth Gainwell among 146 RBs in preseason so far:
- Rush grade: 12th highest (78.8)
- Pass block grade: 12th highest (81.2)
- Overall grade: 12th highest (78.1)#Eagles pic.twitter.com/MpnnMeds3S— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) August 26, 2021
Despite a slow start, he saw the most targets among Philly running backs throughout training camp and has been praised for his hands. Miles Sanders is still there but don't be surprised if Gainwell makes him irrelevant before long.
Devontae Booker, New York Giants - 8% rostered
Booker appeared in this column sporadically throughout 2020 as the backup to Josh Jacobs. He popped in Weeks 8 & 9 with 151 total yards and three touchdowns but then failed to make a splash in Week 13 when Jacobs was out in a gimme matchup against the Jets, running for 50 yards without a score. Booker did average 4.5 yards per carry last season and should be the primary backup to Saquon Barkley. Right now, it appears Barkley is good to go for the start of the season but those who selected him should be ready to pull the trigger on Booker if things go awry.
Wayne Gallman, Atlanta Falcons - 4% rostered
Just when it looked like Qadree Ollison had already earned the RB2 designation, the Dirty Birds dumped him as soon as they could scoop Gallman off waivers. Fantasy owners might want to do the same. He filled in capably for the Giants last season, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and scoring six times in 10 starts. If Mike Davis breaks down, Gallman inherits a big workload since the team has no other running backs on the active roster.
Others to consider: James White, New England Patriots (31% rostered); Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots (25% rostered); Carlos Hyde, Jacksonville Jaguars (17% rostered); Larry Rountree, Los Angeles Chargers (1% rostered); Alex Collins, Seattle Seahawks (1% rostered)
Wide Receivers - Waiver Wire Options
Elijah Moore, New York Jets - 32% rostered
A quad injury has limited Moore as of late but he was a standout early in training camp. The Jets may have landed one of the best wideouts in the 2021 draft when they spent a second-round pick on the Ole Miss product. With a rookie QB and completely new offense, it could take some time to get going so don't expect Moore to be fantasy-relevant right away.
Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots - 29% rostered
Nelson Agholor was signed to claim the WR1 job in New England but Meyers has been more impressive in the preseason and may be ready to take another step forward. He was actually the top receiver on the Pats last year but it only took 729 yards to claim that honor. The team also signed two proficient pass-catching tight ends in Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith and have already turned to Mac Jones at QB, so it's best to temper expectations early in the season. Meyers does figure to get a healthy target share, however, and if Jones acclimates to the pros quickly it could turn out to be an even better season for Meyers.
Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons - 22% rostered
He may not be a household name but it's hard to believe Gage isn't on more fantasy teams by now. He's clearly the second target for Matt Ryan and has been productive in the past. With Julio Jones gone, Gage is sure to get a bump from the 4.5 receptions and 49.1 yards per game he averaged last season.
Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals - 15% rostered
Based on his 4.2 40 time and inhuman vertical leap ability, there was a lot of hype surrounding Moore once he landed in Arizona, a seemingly ideal spot for a wide receiver. We've seen young wideouts fail to make a splash in this iteration of the Air Raid, though. Moore hasn't generated much in the way of headlines this preseason other than the fact he switched jersey numbers but he should get a fair amount of touches on screens, jet sweeps, and crossing routes. Whether he gains much in the way of yardage remains to be seen.
Terrace Marshall Jr., Carolina Panthers - 13% rostered
It's easy to get overly excited about rookies and preseason highlights. Put the two together and you have a recipe for full-blown mania. In the case of Marshall, it wouldn't be surprising to see him break out early in the pros. David Moore's release ensures Marshall will be the WR3 right away in Carolina. Our Eli Grabanski provided a full analysis of Marshall's outlook which you can read here.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions -12% rostered
Much of the positive buzz that St. Brown was garnering early in the summer has died down. He managed only two catches for four yards in the Lions' final preseason game. With Tyrell Williams injured, Breshad Perriman released, and nary an option to challenge him for targets other than TE T.J. Hockenson, St. Brown is still in good shape to be a productive slot receiver for a team that figures to pass quite a bit out of necessity.
Bryan Edwards, Las Vegas Raiders - 10% rostered
Edwards made the list as one of the top receivers on my 2021 All-Sleeper Team. He can easily become the team's top WR as he possesses the physical tools and the opportunity is there.
Quez Watkins, Philadelphia Eagles - 2% rostered
It's more common for an Eagles receiver to get lots of hype and then crash and burn. Watkins is the opposite, having been a forgotten man last season. He has come back with a vengeance, catching the eyes of beat reporters early on and seemingly winning the slot job. While Jalen Reagor has the higher draft capital and is selected first in most fantasy drafts, Watkins could be the more productive of the two.
Others to consider: Jalen Reagor, Philadelphia Eagles (26% rostered); Tyrell Williams, Detroit Lions (7% rostered); Parris Campbell, Indianapolis Colts (7% rostered); DeSean Jackson, L.A. Rams (3% rostered); Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns (3% rostered); Josh Reynolds, Tennessee Titans (2% rostered)
Tight Ends - Waiver Wire Options
Gerald Everett, Seattle Seahawks - 37% rostered
Everett never quite lived up to his billing as a second-round pick in L.A. and was passed by Tyler Higbee on the depth chart. He did get slightly more productive as the years went on, handling a career-high 62 targets and producing 41 receptions for 417 yards last season. He stands alone as the top TE in Seattle after Greg Olsen retired so a bump in stats is highly likely. Among tight ends who aren't always drafted in fantasy, Everett is the best of the bunch and a suitable replacement for those who selected Irv Smith Jr.
Anthony Firkser, Tennessee Titans - 24% rostered
When Jonnu Smith left in free agency and the Titans didn't draft or sign a tight end of consequence, it was Firkser SZN. Then they went out and got Julio Jones. There's still room for Firkser to make an impact but the Titans threw the ball the third-fewest times last year and only have so many targets to go around. He will be mostly TD-dependent and is a better option in non-PPR leagues.
Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles - 23% rostered
Remember when Ertz was part of the "Big Three" at tight end? Just two seasons ago he posted 88 receptions for 916 as a follow-up to his 1,163-yard season in 2018. Last year was an unmitigated disaster for him and the entire Philly offense. The question is whether Ertz is past his prime or if 2020 was a blip on the radar due to injury and Carson Wentz imploding. Ertz has looked good in the preseason and will still be a part of this passing attack. He can no longer be counted on to start but might present sneaky value.
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints - 3% rostered
The rare WR/TE qualifier, at least on some sites, Johnson could be a sneaky tight end value for the first couple of weeks. Adam Trautman is a popular sleeper but he's sidelined with an ankle injury. Johnson has rightfully been the better of the two during exhibition play anyway, making impressive grabs downfield. The former UDFA doesn't have much in the way of production on his resume but he boasts good speed for his position (4.58 40) and hands of a receiver.
Dan Arnold, Carolina Panthers - 2% rostered
This is The King's special, so any credit for a Week 1 breakout goes to Scott Engel. Arnold only got a 10.4% target share last year and the Niners, aside from being one of the best defenses in the NFL, were one of the stingiest against the tight end. So don't expect much but keep an eye on Arnold's involvement as the weeks go on to see if becomes a glorified wide receiver at the TE position.
Tyler Kroft, New York Jets - 1% rostered
The Jets finally gave up on Chris Herndon. He's been a disappointment and hadn't been working with the starters throughout training camp so reports that Kroft earned the TE1 job came to fruition. This won't be a super pass-heavy offense and there are only so many targets slated for the tight end but he makes for a solid TE2 especially if Jamison Crowder (COVID) misses Week 1.
Tyler Conklin, Minnesota Vikings - 1% rostered
The Vikings went from having two productive pass-catching tight ends last year to hoping Conklin can handle the job in 2021. Kyle Rudolph went to New York and Irv Smith is on the mend from meniscus surgery for at least six weeks. Conklin has all of 32 receptions over three NFL seasons but that number will obviously jump up now. The Vikes did acquire Chris Herndon but he's been with the team less than a week so don't expect him to get major snaps right away. It's hard to envision Conklin as a starting tight end in 12-team leagues but he's a backup with upside.
Others to consider: Jared Cook, L.A. Chargers (26% rostered); Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears (25% rostered);
Team Defense - Waiver Wire Options
Miami Dolphins Defense - 40% rostered
Although it's a road game for Miami in Week 1, they face rookie Mac Jones in his first taste as a starter. The Fins tied for the league lead in interceptions last year and were top-10 in sacks and points allowed. They are still flying under the radar this year but make for a safe bet to start the season.
Carolina Panthers Defense - 18% rostered
This is a defensive unit that could be sneaky good with the addition of Haason Reddick at linebacker and first-round pick Jaycee Horn at cornerback. A step forward from last year's early draft picks on the defensive line, first-rounder Derrick Brown and second-rounder Yetur Gross-Matos, could improve the pass rush significantly. They face the Jets and rookie Zach Wilson making his first NFL start. We'll see how poised and ready Wilson is on the road for Week 1.
Jacksonville Jaguars Defense - 2% rostered
It won't be often that we recommend streaming the Jaguars defense but it definitely won't be the last time we recommend adding whoever is going against the Texans. There's a zero percent chance Deshaun Watson plays for Houston in Week 1, if ever again, and their backfield is a collection of veterans past their prime. Tyrod Taylor might keep the game respectable but this offense will pose little threat all year long.
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