Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE
With Week 1 of the NFL season now in the books, fantasy football owners everywhere are either optimistic about their chances for the season with a 1-0 record or ready to start over with a 0-1 record. Either way it’s important to not overreact in either direction, as it’s still too early to completely overhaul a roster but also important to not rest on your laurels if you came away with a decisive victory in Week 1. In both cases a well thought out and well placed waiver wire addition or two right now can be beneficial when bye weeks become a factor down the road.
Each week during the season I will analyze and recommend waiver wire pickups for fantasy football owners, with a particular focus on players (or teams, as it relates to team defenses) that could have the most impact long-term.
With that, here is the Week 2 edition of my Waiver Wire Pickups.
Quarterbacks
Mark Sanchez, New York Jets
The demise of Sanchez seems to be premature, at least for a week, as he went 19-for-27 for 266 yards with three touchdowns and an interception against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. Some tougher matchups are coming, most notably Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers and Week 5 against the Houston Texans, but also in the mix are a couple favorable matchups against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3 and the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6. So all may not be lost if Sanchez can continue to play solidly, though numbers similar to Sunday should not be expected on a weekly basis. The spector of Tim Tebow won’t go away anytime soon, but any fantasy owner looking to upgrade their backup quarterback can certainly do worse than Sanchez at this point.
Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs
Cassel had a fairly productive outing against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, passing for 258 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions along with 20 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Not outstanding certainly, but a stretch of favorable-looking matchups starting next week against the Bills and ending in Week 4 against the San Diego Chargers creates some upside potential for Cassel and the Chiefs’ passing game over the next few weeks. Fantasy owners should not consider him to be a weekly fantasy star, but Cassel has the potential to be a solid bye week fill-in along with some solid potential if you have to start two quarterbacks.
Others To Consider Depending On League Format And Roster Size: Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville Jaguars; Carson Palmer, Oakland Raiders, Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings
Running Backs
Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins
Morris clearly emerged as the Redskins’ top tailback in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, with 96 yards on 28 carries along with two touchdowns. Head coach Mike Shanahan has said he is the team’s starting running back right now, but any fantasy owner knows it could still be a fluid situation with Roy Helu and Evan Royster in the mix and given Shanahan’s history of managing his backfield rotation. But with running backs that can make an impact and are available in most leagues few and far between, Morris is still worth a speculative add for any owner needing to bolster their running back depth.
Jonathan Dwyer, Pittsburgh Steelers
With Rashard Mendenhall out for Week 1 against the Denver Broncos, Dwyer led the Steelers running backs in snaps (42) and had nine carries for 43 yards and two catches for 11 yards in the game. Isaac Redman had more total touches than he did (11 carries and two receptions), but was not nearly as productive with just 20 rushing yards and seven receiving yards. There was some buzz that Mendenhall was going to play against the Broncos, but he was ultimately inactive and exactly when he will return to game action coming off his ACL tear last season has to be considered up in the air. It looks like Pittsburgh will use multiple backs if Sunday night was any indication, but Dwyer definitely looks like the best of the current crop and may be able to secure a significant role even after Mendenhall returns. He should be available in the vast majority of leagues, though that has a chance to change dramatically with a good performance in Week 2 against the New York Jets.
Others To Consider Depending On League Format And Roster Size: Jacquizz Rodgers, Atlanta Falcons; Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos; Dexter McCluster, Kansas City Chiefs; Kendall Hunter, San Francisco 49ers
Wide Receivers
Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
Cobb had nine receptions for 77 yards against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 along with a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown in the game. He even saw some snaps while lined up in the backfield, though he did not have a rushing attempt. The potential for an increased long-term role in one of the league’s best offenses will make Cobb a popular waiver wire addition in all fantasy leagues this week, but with all the other options in the Packers’ passing game his production could be very inconsistent week-to-week. But all things considered he is definitely worth adding in all formats and even has increased value and potential in leagues that reward return yardage.
Kevin Ogletree, Dallas Cowboys
Ogletree emerged as the first out of nowhere fantasy star of 2012 in the season opening game against the New York Giants, with eight receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns while also being targeted 11 times in the game. It’s easy to overreact to such a great performance, and fantasy owners should not run out and drop a more proven player that is healthy to add Ogletree. That said, it’s worth mentioning that the Cowboys’ No. 3 wide receiver spot was lucrative for fantasy owners in 2011, as Laurent Robinson had 54 catches for 858 yards and 11 touchdowns in that role, though the fact Miles Austin missed six games last season surely elevated Robinson’s role and numbers. If injuries have hit your wide receiver depth, Ogletree is a worthwhile addition. Just be sure to keep your expectations realistic.
Brandon LaFell, Carolina Panthers
LaFell had a productive game in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as he had three receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown. He is clearly the Panthers’ No. 2 wide receiver, and a couple of favorable-looking matchups are coming in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints and Week 3 against the New York Giants. If nothing else, Carolina quarterback Cam Newton should be throwing the ball plenty in each of those games, so Steve Smith and LaFell should each see plenty of targets. LaFell does not look likely to become a great option in PPR leagues at this point, but his big-play potential makes him a worth considering as a waiver wire addition in all other scoring formats.
Others To Consider Depending On League Size And Format: Stephen Hill, New York Jets; James Jones, Green Bay Packers; Brandon Gibson, St. Louis Rams; Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears
Tight Ends
Martellus Bennett, New York Giants
Bennett had a nice game in his Giants debut, posting four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys, which also happens to be his former team. Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning has a history of liking to use tight ends, particularly in the red zone, and Bennett may be the most physically gifted player he has had at that spot during his career. Bennett will have to work to shake the underachiever label he earned while in Dallas, but he is worth considering as a low-end TE1 or upper echelon TE2 for any fantasy owner looking to bolster their tight end situation.
Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars
Lewis got off to a nice start in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings with five receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown as he looks to put a dismal 2011 behind him. That touchdown-less campaign likely left him undrafted in a lot leagues, but any progress quarterback Blaine Gabbert can make this season is good news for everyone in the Jacksonville passing game. The Jaguars also upgraded their wide receiver group by drafting Justin Blackmon and adding Laurent Robinson in free agency, which should make things easier for Lewis in the middle of the field. The Jaguars will not suddenly become an offensive juggernaut, but fantasy owners who want to add a tight end that has a fair amount of upside potential should consider Lewis.
Kickers
Blair Walsh, Minnesota Vikings
When the Vikings drafted Walsh in April and then released veteran kicker Ryan Longwell, many heads were turned as Longwell had been one of the best kickers in the NFL over the last few years. The rookie out of Georgia made the move look great in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, making all four of his field goal attempts, including a 55-yarder late in the game. Week 2 brings a favorable matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, who allowed 11 points to Robbie Gould of the Chicago Bears in Week 1 and the Vikings’ offense should have little trouble moving the ball next Sunday. A tough matchup is on the slate in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers, but after that things may get easier again with the Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins and Arizona Cardinals on the schedule from Week 4-Week 7. It may be worth adding Walsh now as a potential bye week replacement, if you have the available roster space.
Billy Cundiff, Washington Redskins
Cundiff was released by the Baltimore Ravens this preseason, but quickly latched on with Washington as they retooled their placekicking situation. His Redskins debut was a prolific one, as he went 4-for-4 on field goals as well as making all four of his extra points against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Two of those field goal makes came from 40 or more yards out, and a favorable matchup is coming in Week 2 against the St. Louis Rams, who allowed 11 points to Jason Hanson of the Detroit Lions in Week 1 and may have a hard time holding down the Redskins’ offense. Cundiff likely went undrafted in most leagues due to the uncertainty surrounding him, but now he is well worth adding in all fantasy formats for any fantasy owner that left Week 1 disappointed with their kicker situation.
Team Defenses
The Bengals’ defense did not look good on Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens, as they allowed 34 offensive points and 430 yards while not forcing a turnover in the game. They did register three sacks in the game, and now a much more favorable matchup is coming for Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns, who scored just nine offensive points and turned the ball over four times in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. A more challenging matchup will come against the Washington Redskins in Week 3, but after that things get easier with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins on the slate over the following two weeks and then a rematch with the Browns in Week 6. The Cincinnati defense may have been dropped in a lot of leagues after their dismal Week 1 performance, but they are well worth adding as a matchup play for Week 2 and there is a fair chance they can make lasting impact for a lot of fantasy owners.
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland defense was not outstanding from a fantasy perspective against the San Diego Chargers in Week 1, but they did allow just 258 offensive yards and held the Chargers to just one touchdown in the game. Things are likely to get a lot easier in Week 2 against a talent-poor Miami Dolphins’ offense with a rookie starting quarterback in Ryan Tannehill. The Raiders are likely be fairly inconsistent if history is any indication, and more often than not their ability to generate big plays defensively will be the main driving force of their fantasy value. This unit is really nothing more than a one-week play for Week 2 right now, but a potentially favorable matchup is coming in Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in what looks to be a challenging bye week. That alone makes the Raiders’ defense well worth adding now if you aren’t adverse to carrying two defenses for a few weeks.
