A lot of times in fantasy football, players will bust or get injured and you feel your team is basically done for the year. However, without even making trades you can drastically improve your team by working the waiver wire. For those new to fantasy football, the waiver wire is full of ‘free-agent’ players that you can pick up and add to your team.
Oftentimes, there will be a variety of players worth adding to your roster and depending on your team this article might contain most of them or just a few. Therefore, whenever I put a player on this list he will have a 50% ownership percentage or lower to make it so there should be players for everyone to add and make their teams significantly better.
Additionally, all ownership percentages will be based on the ESPN website data but usually the percentages are relatively uniform across platforms from my experience.
I am going to always divide this article into three sections: Running Backs, Wide Receivers, and Tight Ends. So if you need one of those positions more than anything else feel free to just scroll to that given section.
Running Backs:
Kenneth Gainwell (26% owned): Gainwell has been very solid for a fifth round rookie. He had eight targets for four receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown this past week against the Raiders. In addition, he had five rush attempts for 20 yards. With Miles Sanders going down with an injury, Gainwell could have the opportunity to take over this backfield and become very fantasy relevant. If Sanders does not play, Gainwell easily has RB2 upside and a solid floor given how often he is used in the pass game.
Brandon Bolden (6% owned):
The James White injury has meant that the Patriots have been looking for someone to fill his role as the main pass catcher of the team and it appears that Bolden might be that guy. He has 4+ targets in each of the last five games and 7+ points in 3 out of the last 4. While he isn’t a high upside player, he represents someone who can fill a flex spot for a week due to an injury or a bye week. I wouldn’t start him with confidence but if I really need a running back Bolden is a surefire player to start.
Alex Collins (50% owned): I was very shocked to see that Collins is still available in this many leagues but here we are. Collins is one of those guys who will get all of his points simply from volume. While this week was a bit of a dud, Collins still had 17 touches which is very impressive to me. Not many running backs are being given this many touches on the waiver wire. He’s honestly a must-pick-up to me because he holds so much more value than a lot of these other players.
Wide Receivers:
Rashod Bateman (19% owned): Is the Bateman breakout on the way? We have seen him get six targets in each of the last two weeks. Not to mention the fact that he had 80 yards this past week on those targets. He really has the potential to be a league winning type of guy if given the role I think he might have. However, it is important to note that he has a bye this week so don’t pick him up if you are not willing to stash him for a week.
Darius Slayton (11% owned): Say what you want about drop issues, but when Slayton has been healthy he has been really involved. He has had 6+ targets in each of the three games he has started and finished. Slayton is coming off of a nine target performance in which he had 63 yards and five receptions. He is a good, solid wide receiver and with all of the injuries in New York do not be surprised if he continues to be very fantasy relevant this year.
KJ Osborn (8% owned):
Who would have thought that a once very run heavy offense could support three viable fantasy football options at wide receiver? Osborn has had three massive 14+ weeks and some other solid weeks. The floor is there as he has 4+ targets in five out of six games. Osborn just caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime so obviously the Vikings trust him to catch the ball. I think he is a good pick up if you need a player with a high floor. Osborn won’t have the highest of upsides but he can have a good week to week outlook.
Tight Ends:
Evan Engram (23% owned):
People hate Engram because he can’t catch very well and while that still is true that has not stopped Daniel Jones from peppering him with targets. Engram had eight targets this week and has never had less than four in any game he has played this year. The fact is that the Giants want him to be a big part of their offense. He is a great pick up and I honestly am fine with him starting as my tight end for a few weeks.
Cole Kmet (18% owned): Kmet is a very solid possession tight end who has slowly been building a solid rapport with Fields. He has 40+ yards in both of the last two games and is someone Fields can trust given the complete lack of pass protection in Chicago. He’s a great fill-in option at tight end.