In a 2020 season riddled with injuries, it is even more vital that we, as fantasy owners, ensure that in the case of an injury we have good depth. Picking up the right guys on the waiver wire can make you win your league. In 2017, picking up Alvin Kamara may have seemed crazy to some and yet he finished as the RB3. The waiver wire is where leagues are won and I am here to give suggestions on intriguing fantasy options. For every player on this list, the ownership is below 50% on ESPN. Depending on how active or knowledgeable your league is, these players may or may not be available however I tried to put some guys that will definitely be on the waiver wire in your league. Now let’s dive into this week’s pick ups.
Running Backs to Target:
Nyheim Hines: 41% owned
Hines isn’t the most consistent or best choice at running back given how he is in a three-man committee, however with how shallow the running back position is in fantasy anyone who can put up 20+ points should be picked up. Hines is a great bench player in fantasy who can be a plug and play due to injury or a bye week. He does has at least two targets in every game this year except one.
Kalen Ballage: 30% owned
Ballage has become the bell-cow back in LA as he finished this past game with 23 total touches. His efficiency wasn’t amazing at just 3.8 yards per carry but the volume alone makes him a must-have on your roster. Ballage can put up RB3 numbers or even low-end RB2 numbers if Anthony Lynn keeps feeding Ballage the ball game in and game out. He is definitely a surprising guy to see getting this many touches out of nowhere.
Salvon Ahmed: 7% owned
I had never heard of this guy before this game but here we are. Ahmed had 21 rushes for 85 yards and a touchdown plus one reception for five yards. Another bell-cow who emerged out of nowhere, Ahemd could provide great value while Myles Gaskin is sidelined for the next few weeks. Especially given how Miami just cut Jordan Howard, Ahmed appears to be the clear workhorse in this offense and the coaching staff clearly likes him a lot.
Wide Receivers to Target:
Cole Beasley: 46% owned
Quite possibly the least exciting top 25 fantasy wide receiver, Beasley has quietly been one of the most reliable fantasy options week in and week out. He just had a monster game with 11 receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown. Beasley’s issue the couple weeks before was lack of value but other than those two games, he has four or more targets in every single game. I like Beasley as a flex option and he is way too good to still be on the waiver wire in your league.
Michael Pittman: 5% owned
Since returning from IR, Pittman has 15 catches for 157 yards in just two games. He has led the Colts in targets in this time and is coming off his first career 100 yard receiving game. Pittman is definitely worth a spot on your team as he has a high floor given his target share and his production is at least flex value. I think Pittman can be a league-winning type pickup at this stage of the year when you are trying to make a playoff push.
Jakobi Meyers: 23% owned
Meyers has been nothing short of incredible the past four games as if you extrapolated these four games to a 16 game season, he would have 108 receptions for 1384 yards. He hasn’t scored a touchdown yet, but he definitely is due for one given his massive target share. Meyers has six plus targets in all four of these games and has 10+ in two of them. Meyers is the best pickup this week in my opinion and deserves to be rostered in every league this season.
Tim Patrick: 16% owned
Patrick has been very underrated as shown by his very low ownership percentage. Patrick has four or more targets in every game this year and has five plus targets in every game but two. He has a very, very nice floor at about six points per week and can easily surpass that number on a weekly basis. I love Patrick on my bench as I feel comfortable playing him if I have an injury or a bye week.
Josh Reynolds: 3% owned
It pained me to make this as a big Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp guy, however Reynolds has been nothing short of great this year. In the last five games he has over two receptions for 46 yards and just had a big game in which he had eight receptions for 94 yards. Reynolds doesn’t have a ton of upside but he is very consistent and can offer flex value. Reynolds is best served as a depth piece at this point as I wouldn’t really love having to start him.
Marquez Valdez-Scantling: 10% owned
If MVS could catch the ball consistently, he would be a top ten fantasy wide receiver. Instead, he struggles with drops and will most certainly let you down some weeks. On the other hand, MVS is coming off a game in which he had four receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown. He was spectacular in the game before as he had two receptions for 52 yards and two touchdowns. MVS needs to be rostered and is the perfect depth piece this late in the season.
Tight Ends to Target:
Logan Thomas: 20% owned
Thomas has 4+ targets in every single game this year. He has six in each of the last two and seems to have a relatively stable target share in this offense. This past game he had four receptions for 66 yards and Alex Smith clearly likes him a receiving option. He should be picked up due to the lack of other options for tight ends on the waiver wire.