RADIO
Here we are, Week 3, and we have a whole bunch of stars out of action. Whether due to off-field issues, injury or lack of production, fantasy owners are scurrying to the waiver wire to pick up either the new starter or the hot hand from the past two weeks.
While riding the hot hand is always smart in fantasy, we're here to distinguish the contenders from the pretenders. Here are the five most added fantasy football players according to our friends at Fleaflicker, along with some analysis as to whether these guys are worth rostering or should be left on the waiver wire.
Editor’s Note: Our famous 2014 fantasy football waiver wire pickups list is updated daily, and is a running list of waiver wire pickups for all fantasy football positions. You can also download our free waiver wire pickups iPhone app, to easily follow our waiver wire analysis on the run.
Top Fleaflicker Players Added For Week 3
Knile Davis - RB, KC - 7,278 Adds, 78% Owned
Handcuffs, people!!! Jamaal Charles is most likely out for at least Week 3, and Knile Davis is set to start in his place. While most Charles owners are running to the waiver wire trying to add Davis, the smart few had him on their bench as a handcuff in case this scenario came to pass. Shame on you for not listening to me all preseason about adding handcuffs. For those that lost Charles for the week, Davis is a must-add against Miami. If you don’t have Charles but are still thinking about Davis, he is a great plug-and-play option for Week 3, and I can’t imagine there are too many better options on your waivers.
Kirk Cousins - QB, WAS - 5,736 Adds, 42% Owned
Robert Griffin III’s poor play might have warranted a change at quarterback, but now his season is now in jeopardy and it’s Kirk Cousins's time to take the starting gig in Washington. For those that had RG3 as their starter, you probably didn’t have the best draft. Perhaps, as in the case of one of my teams, Griffin was drafted as your backup and you can now add Cousins to take RG3's place on your bench. However, for those that have to now start Cousins, he draws a reasonably tough matchup in Philly-- they've had solid secondary play so far this season.
It is my belief though, that Cousins has the tools to succeed, with Pierre Garcon and Desean Jackson catching his balls and a very productive backfield of Alfred Morris and Roy Helu behind him. Jay Gruden has yet to commit to Cousins in the long term, but if Cousins runs with the job, he should keep it for the remainder of the season. For you RG3 owners: I would dump him if you haven’t already, and add Cousins, who is startable in all leagues with 12+ teams.
Mohamed Sanu - WR, CIN - 5,600 Adds, 43% Owned
When it comes to Mohamed Sanu, I have mixed feelings about whether or not it makes sense to invest. With AJ Green dealing with a toe injury, Sanu had a great 16.40 point Week 2, after an average 6 points for Week 1. Yet last week, Sanu earned a nice chunk of those points on a trick play which saw him throw for 50 yards. Along with that, his 84 yards and a touchdown are a bit deceiving. He only had three catches on four targets, with one a 76-yard defensive error that left Sanu wide open and led to his TD.
Sanu's success depends on AJ Green not playing, and with Green looking likely to suit up for Week 3 against Tennessee, Sanu may just see another four or five targets again. Considering Cincinnati has a Week 4 bye, Sanu looks like a one-week wonder. Look for other options.
Bobby Rainey - RB, TB - 5,670 Adds, 67% Owned
::cough::HANDCUFFS! Especially in a case like Doug Martin’s, where he missed essentially all of the 2013 season. With Thursday’s murder of the Buccaneers by the Falcons, I’m sure the adding of Rainey has cooled down a bit. Not helping is the fact that he was benched during the first half after giving up one fumble, and then started the second half by coughing up another ball. He still managed to end the night with 6.50 standard league points, but most of his yards came in garbage time. Still, the two fumbles are discouraging considering the opportunity Rainey was given with Martin’s absence.
With Doug Martin likely back next week in Pittsburgh, Rainey’s role will be heavily limited, especially considering his uninspiring performance on Thursday night. However, I do advise to hold on to Rainey, especially if you own Martin. He could still be productive off the bench, and is worth holding onto for when/if Martin gets hurt again.
Niles Paul - TE, WAS - 5,870 Adds, 45% Owned
Another Redskin on this list due to an injury. I’m not as confident in adding Niles Paul as I am about Kirk Cousins. Last week, Paul went off with eight catches for 99 yards and a TD for 15.90 points. It was a nice game for Paul, considering the QB situation in DC. Jordan Reed is out again for Week 3, making Paul a decent TE2 option against the Eagles. I wouldn’t expect anything close to his Week 2 performance, but he will be a nice target for Kirk Cousins behind Pierre Garcon (Jackson looks like he'll be out).
I don’t like Paul as a long-term add. Reed is week-to-week with his hamstring injury, which isn’t exactly a telling sign of how long Paul’s run as starting TE will be. However, once Reed does come back and is healthy, Paul will likely fade back into fantasy irrelevance and isn’t worth holding on to. For now, he's a solid pickup for all Reed owners.
There you have it. A case can be made to add any and all of the players on this list. However, in most cases, there's a reason you didn't drft these guys in the first place. There is obviously a risk in starting every player, and these waiver wire adds might represent yet further risk for your teams. You'l have to make the decision as to whether the risk is worth it or whether you're happier waiting another week until you know for sure what you are going to get.
If you have any thoughts or comments, hit me up @JustBerglund. Good luck in Week 3, RotoBallers.
