Fantasy football is about adapting to change and creating the best possible team through trading, waiver wire pickups, and starting the right guys at the right time. I am a massive proponent of using the waiver wire in a way that gives your team the ability to improve without sacrificing your best players in a big trade. Through the year, after every single week I will be telling you, by position, the players I feel deserve to be picked up on your rosters. The way I judge a player to be on “waivers” is based on the percentage in which they are available across every ESPN league. In order to be considered on the waiver wire, the player must have a 50% or less ownership percentage according to ESPN data. I will be striving to find the most unique values that will offer you an advantage over your opponents who may not even know that player exists. So strap in and get ready for your team to get better.
Running Backs:
JD McKissic (42% owned):
McKissic is a player built for PPR fantasy rules. With ten targets through the first two weeks, he has the ability to impact the game rushing and receiving. While he won’t ever put up massive numbers, he will be able to grind for passing yards and give your team enough production in the flex that you will not regret starting him. With running back already being as shallow a position as it is. McKissic is absolutely worth taking a shot on this early.
Brian Robinson Jr. (36% owned):
The fact that Robinson Jr. was shot just a few weeks ago and is already coming back to play is nothing short of incredible. He was productive as can be in the preseason and even supplanted Antonio Gibson as the starting running back before the shooting incident. He is absolutely worth the pickup as he offers the redzone value and early down touches that McKissic above simply does not have the athleticism to do.
Darrel Williams (4% owned):
James Connor went down with an injury in the game and Williams stepped up with eight carries for 59 yards and a touchdown. Along with two receptions for three yards. While Connor appears to be okay, his injury history is widely known and Williams appear to be the workhorse if Connor goes down. Williams would be a stash for your team, but a stash that could very well payoff in a great offensive scheme.
Wide Receivers:
Richie James (1% owned):
James is coming off back to back week with 6+ targets. Not only is he getting targeted, but James now has 50+ yards in each of those two weeks at all. He is a great, consistent option in fantasy and is a perfect flex option to get you roughly 10 points a week. I think he should be rostered everywhere as there aren’t many waiver wire players who have displayed the consistency that James has in the first two weeks of the season. He isn’t a sexy pickup but he will produce well enough to be a flex for your squad.
Nelson Agholor (1% owned):
Similar to James, Agholor has been targeted quite a bit through the season thus far. With five targets in week one and six targets in week two, Agholor is definitely establishing himself as a wide receiver with a big role on the Patriots. Although the week one output was only 28 yards on three receptions, Agholor had a huge day with six receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. He is a big play waiting to happen (as long as he catches the ball) and is worth taking for the upside of the Patriots not really having many other options at receiver.
Greg Dortch (3% owned):
Another name you would not expect to be on this list, but Dortch had nine targets in week one and followed it up with four targets in week two. Without DeAndre Hopkins for a few weeks, Dortch has stepped into a volume role and even was able to convert for a touchdown this past week. With over 55+ yards in both games to start the season, I see no reason not to use him as a plug and play flex while Hopkins is out for a while. The Cardinals have a high-flying offense and Dortch seems to have established a very solid role for himself.
Noah Brown (1% owned):
Going into the season, new starting quarterback Cooper Rush established a great rapport with Noah Brown in the preseason and in training camp. Rush seems to trust Brown quite a bit and with very little wide receiver depth on this Cowboys roster, it appears that Brown will be fantasy relevant for the foreseeable future. He has five receptions in both of his games, not to mention the fact that he has 68 or more yards in those games as well. Grab him while you still can, I think he has low WR2 upside if Rush keeps targeting him in the same way that he has thus far.
Tight Ends:
Gerald Everett (31% owned):
With a great quarterback like Justin Herbert, any target in the Chargers' offense will be impactful. With Keenan Allen out, Herbert gave his tight end an elite 33% target share in week two with 10 targets and six targets in week one. Everett is a big part of this offense and must be rostered on every single fantasy roster because tight ends with target shares like this rarely ever have a true impact.
Isaiah Likely (4% owned):
Likely had a slight break out this week with four receptions for 43 yards. He has collected nine targets through the first two weeks and seems to be a solid part of this offense. Despite having no receptions in week one he still had four total targets. I think he is a good upside play in an offense that loves to use the tight end position. Tight end is shallow and getting someone with even decent targets per week is worth it as a fill-in or a backup.
Hayden Hurst (23% owned):
Even in a horrible offense through two weeks, Hurst has done nothing but produce. He has five receptions in both weeks and his target count has been 7+ consistently. As a tight end, similar to Likely, any solid targets from this position is worth a pickup and Hurst has been very involved thus far on the Bengals.