It’s waiver wire time! The first week of the season is notorious for its variance. Every year we think we know what is going to happen, and every year we are surprised. With that in mind, this week was still absolutely ludicrous. The Saints put up a bajillion fantasy points and STILL LOST to the Fitzmagic-led Bucs. I called Fitzpatrick having a big game in my first bold predictions article of the season. Plenty of players flashed on Sunday, and many of them are on the waiver. All of the players listed below are available on the waiver wire in 50% or more of ESPN and Yahoo leagues. No need to talk about wunderkind Patrick Mahomes when he is only available in 13% of leagues.
WAIVER ADDS
JOHN BROWN: The only game that went to script in week one was the Bills at Ravens. The Ravens DST was chalky in DFS and rightly so. They romped. But the Ravens put up points on offense, too. In a bad weather match-up that led many, including myself, to back off of the Ravens passing game, Flacco was brilliant in his two-quarters of play, and newly-acquired speedster John Brown got in the end zone. Joe Flacco still has an arm and he likes guys who can shake coverage. Brown’s stat line wasn’t hugely impressive, 3/44/1 but he did put up over 11 points in a .5ppr. That’s nothing to sneeze at from your WR3, and he is available in 80% of leagues. Both Flacco and Jackson will look for him this year.
TED GINN JR.: Some players just won’t go away. Need proof? Look at what the AARP card-carrying Darren Sproles did Thursday night. Ginn is in the same vein. The 33-year-old boom-or-bust player was drafted 11 YEARS AGO! That didn’t stop Drew Brees, another senior citizen, from targeting him five times. It looks like the Saints defense might be back to being bad, which means that Brees will have to throw the ball a lot. Kamara and Thomas are the go-to guys, but Ginn is in the mix as a trusted option for Bress. That makes him very valuable, and he is available in 83% of leagues.
NYHEIM HINES: Andrew Luck may have found himself his very own version of Chris Thompson. Hines was the most efficient Colts running back in terms of YPC, and he also had seven receptions on nine targets! Anyone getting that much attention in an Andrew Luck offense needs to be owned in 100% of leagues. Hines is available in 93% of all leagues as of this writing. If you play in either half or full ppr, you need to put in a claim for Hines right now. His snaps may dip a little when Mack gets over his hammy, but his third-down role seems pretty secure.
ERIC EBRON: Football insider Adam Caplan reported all offseason that Ebron would basically be a receiver in Indy and that indeed was the case in week one. Not only did Ebron catch five balls for 51 yards and a touchdown, but he also looked good doing it. Ebron looked like a damn gazelle running down the field on his TD grab. Tight end is a wasteland, and Ebron looks like a guy who can return TE1 value. The former Lion is available in 84% of leagues.
PHILLIP LINDSAY: The Royce Freeman hype train came to a halt in Mile High. Freeman managed 71 yards on just 15 carries and wasn’t used at all in the passing game. In one of the biggest fantasy shockers of the weekend, Philip Lindsay was also given 15 carries and managed an identical 71 yards, and saw targets in the passing game. The speedster took one of those targets to the house. Lindsay is right behind Freeman on the depth chart. He might be the more fantasy relevant of the two as well. Lindsay is currently available in over 96% of leagues.
JONNU SMITH: The Titans match-up with the Dolphins got off to a rough start. Rain made the play sloppy early in the game and lightning in the area delayed play twice. When play did resume, it wasn’t pretty for Tennessee. Mariota exited the game with an injury. The benching might have been coming regardless. The veteran threw for only 103 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions through three quarters. The Titans also lost the uber-reliable Delanie Walker to what appears to be a severe ankle injury. That leaves Jonnu Smith, a 2017 third-rounder, as the next man up. The tight end position continues to be a wasteland in fantasy, so he is worth an add. Whether its Mariota or Gabbert under center, the Titans QB will need a tight end safety blanket. Smith is available in all but the deepest of dynasty leagues.
