RADIO
The days after Week 2 can be critical to your year-long success in fantasy football. Starting your season 0-2 means you might need to open up to more risks, and this is a week where you can make a splash on the waiver wire to plug those lineup holes.
Perhaps you were bitten by the injury bug and need to find a replacement? Or you’re sitting pretty at 2-0 and want to stay ahead of the competition. Whoever you are, there are plenty of intriguing options that want your attention on the Week 3 waiver wire.
Let’s look at those price tags, which will be based on a $100 FAAB budget. I’ll explore the names that intrigue me that I feel warrant some context.
FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Quarterbacks
This is basically the “Forgetting Tony Romo” section, but also includes those of you looking for a potential plug in for Drew Brees if he doesn’t respond well to treatment before Week 3.
First of all, if Carson Palmer (QB, ARI, 71% owned in Fleaflicker leagues) is somehow available in your league, snatch him up, I need to get that out of the way. I’d feel comfortable dropping quite a bit for him if I lost Romo. FAAB Bid: $18 - 22.
Tyrod Taylor (QB, BUF) – FAAB Bid: $10 - 15
23% owned in Fleaflicker
Tyrod Taylor looked like the victim of gameflow in Week 1 when the Bills jumped out to an early lead against the Colts, and the beneficiary of it in Week 2 when Taylor needed to make some serious moves trailing the Patriots. Taylor ended up with a 23/30-242-3-3 line on Sunday, but what you love to see is the 5-43-1 rushing line. He was exposed a bit with some errant throws against New England, but he showed why he has plenty of potential, and that his legs can give you a solid floor. He gets Miami next week, who many pegged to be a strong defensive play but their secondary woes are really hurting them, and then the Giants in Week 4 (so Taylor will get 20 points in consecutive scoring drives in the fourth quarter as the Giants collapse), and the Titans in Week 5. These are favorable matchups to me, and I would consider myself lucky to have Taylor there to step in for Romo.
Joe Flacco (QB, BAL) – FAAB Bid: $5 - 8
57% owned in Fleaflicker
Joe Flacco did well yesterday in a shootout with the…Oakland Raiders. While the Raiders secondary should be gashed, he still had to actually perform. Flacco went against a good Broncos defense in Week 1, and this scared some people off of him. Yes, he isn’t great, but he can pull it together. This is also more about his upcoming schedule. Flacco gets a tough matchup in Week 3 vs. Cincinnati (at least it’s at home), but after that he gets Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and San Francisco. I’ll sign up for that.
Others To Note:
Andy Dalton (QB, CIN) – 43% owned
Dalton has performed admirably in his first two games, but look at the upcoming schedule: @BAL, vs. KC, vs. SEA, @BUF. That’s not preferable. FAAB Bid: $5 - 8
Derek Carr (QB, OAK) – 14% owned
Carr had some iffy underthrows where his receivers bailed him out, but he still showed poise and a gunslinger attitude. He gets Cleveland and Chicago next, but Weeks 5 (DEN) and 6 (Bye) will have you wanting out. FAAB Bid: $3 - 5
FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Running Backs
Dion Lewis (NE, RB) – FAAB Bid: $15 - 23
33% owned in Fleaflicker
Lewis looks great, his one blemish was he had another fumble. He still got the rock after this, and continued to perform very well. You know the deal with New England backs. They get Jacksonville in Week 3, which should be a LeGarrette Blount (or insert power back here) game, and their bye week follows this. What I’m eyeing is the stretch starting in Week 7: vs. NYJ, vs. MIA, vs. WAS, @NYG, vs. BUF, @DEN. Plenty of strong run defenses in there, and later on they also face Houston, then get the Dolphins and Jets again to close out the year. Plenty of opportunities even if you just see Lewis as the “passing” back, which Week 2 showed might not be entirely true. I want this guy on my team, but the returns might not be immediate.
James Starks (GB, RB) – FAAB Bid: $7 - 10 / Lacy Owner: $18 - 25
5% owned in Fleaflicker
Starks is the immediate beneficiary to any Eddie Lacy injury. Reports are already coming out that Eddie Lacy might suit up next week (they get an extra day as they have a Monday Night tilt in Week 3). No matter what, if Lacy is out then Starks is propelled into solid RB2 territory. Unfortunately for speculators, it just doesn’t look like there’s much here. Now it’s early to make a call on Lacy’s status, and if you’re a Lacy owner you have to spend towards the upper limit here, but for most others I’d suggest you stay towards the lower end. Starks may just be a one week guy, but if you own Lacy and you await a game time decision on Monday night, you’ll need Starks.
Devonta Freeman (ATL, RB) – FAAB Bid: $9 - 13
45% owned in Fleaflicker
Tevin Coleman was on his way to a great day against the subpar Giants defense, but then he left with a rib injury. Enter Devonta Freeman. Freeman has shown that he really isn’t that good of a pure running back, as he only had a 3.8 YPC in 2014, and he had a 12-25-1 line in relief of Coleman. He is a scat back and isn’t going to get many yards after contact, but as long as Coleman is out, he’s going to have the opportunity to get points. Also note that Weeks 4 and 5 he gets Houston and Washington. Good luck kid.
Others To Note:
David Johnson (RB, ARI) - 58% owned
You know the deal, he's very good but Ellington comes back soon and Arians is dedicated to Chris Johnson. Talent should win out eventually, but it might be 2016. It pays to be ahead of the curve though. Boom or bust play until then. FAAB Bid: $12 - 16
Matt Jones (RB, WSH) - 45% owned
Another boom or bust play, him and Alfred Morris hurt each other's value, but huge guy if Alf goes down.FAAB Bid: $12 - 16
Ronnie Hillman (RB, DEN) - 57% owned
Looks good amidst Denver question marks, but C.J. Anderson still the guy for now. FAAB Bid: $6 - 10
FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Wide Receivers
Michael Crabtree (OAK, WR) – FAAB Bid: $7 - 10
56% owned in Fleaflicker
So Amari Cooper is getting a lot of love, and deservedly so, but Crabtree looks to be comfortable in Oakland. He’s seen 24 targets in the first two weeks, which is incredible. A week 2 line of 9-111-1 puts him squarely on the radar, and it looks like being in a spread offense with an improving slinger in Derek Carr has rejuvenated Crabtree. Not to mention, Oakland should find themselves in “catch up mode” often, which is always nice for receivers.
Rishard Matthews (MIA, WR) – FAAB Bid: $4 - 7
5% owned in Fleaflicker
The Miami Dolphins have a lot of mouths to feed, and Jarvis Landry is firmly planted in the top receiver spot. However, Matthews has held off the other receivers and garnered six targets in each of the first two games. He probably won’t ever drop a 25 point performance for you, but it looks as though he can provide a decent floor. His value is higher in PPR leagues.
Leonard Hankerson (ATL, WR) – FAAB Bid: $3 - 5
5% owned in Fleaflicker
Roddy White owners are freaking out. Hankerson was buried in Washington for a while, and never really did anything special. It was speculated that if Roddy White gets hurt, Hankerson could step into some nice value as a WR2 in Atlanta. As far as we know, Roddy isn’t hurt, but Hankerson dominated, with 11 targets to Roddy’s lone one. If you’re mining in deeper leagues for talent and opportunity, looking at Hankerson on a team that likes to pass and just lost their starting running back is a good start.
Others to note:
Travis Benjamin (CLE, WR) – 21% owned
He's flashed this before, the epitome of boom or bust, think DeSean Jackson lite. FAAB Bid: $4 - 7
Ted Ginn (CAR, WR) – 3% owned
Basically an older Travis Benjamin with some more mileage on him. FAAB Bid: $2
Doug Baldwin (SEA, WR) – 28% owned
Reliable guy with a pretty low ceiling, but he's still Seattle's most consistent receiver, and that has value. FAAB Bid: $2
FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Tight Ends
Eric Ebron (DET, TE) – FAAB Bid: $7 - 9
15% owned in Fleaflicker
Ebron came out of Week 2 with a 5-43-1 line, but it’s the ten targets you like to see. Brandon Pettigrew was out, and it looks the Lions are finally willing to roll Ebron out there on a significant amount of snaps. Split out wide plenty of the time, Ebron showed that he can use his size to dominate over the middle. There are many tight ends emerging this year, and Ebron is making his case to be one of them.
Crockett Gillmore (BAL, TE) – FAAB Bid: $7 - 9
4% owned in Fleaflicker
Don’t scoff at this guy if you’re in the hunt for a tight end. His Week 1 wasn’t impressive, but he did get that crucial red zone target on the game clinching interception against Denver. Week 2 might have been aided by a Raiders defense that apparently refuses to guard tight ends, but all the same Gillmore was out there fighting for yards and making catches, getting himself a 5-88-2 line. Until Brashad Perriman is ready to show up for Baltimore, Gillmore looks like he could compete to be Flacco’s #2 receiver out there.
Others To Note:
Vernon Davis (SF, TE) – 46% owned
Still a great athletic talent, finally getting some production again. FAAB Bid: $4
Jared Cook (STL, TE) – 20% owned
Another athletic talent, but inconsistent and doesn't seem to get touchdowns. FAAB Bid: $2
Richard Rodgers (GB, TE) – 21% owned
Will Aaron Rodgers create a tight end of value in Green Bay? Doubtful, but Richard Rodgers still might have his games if Green Bay needs to attack through the air. FAAB Bid: $1
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