Quarterbacks

Jordan Love – (23.9% Owned)

One of the biggest surprises of week 1 was how good Jordan Love looked. Most including myself were skeptical about how well Love would perform as the main man for Green Bay. Safe to say he blew away expectations and finished as QB3 on the week. Love threw for 245 yards and 3 touchdowns on the day. Most importantly he was only sacked 1 time which is encouraging for a young quarterback.

Running Backs

Kenneth Gainwell – (34.3% Owned)

You were smart if you stayed away from any Philadelphia Eagles running back during draft season. We did however get an indication that Gainwell could end up being the lead back when the season started. That was very much the case on Sunday as Gainwell had 18 touches compared to just 2 for D’Andre Swift. If you’re thin at the running back position grab Gainwell but I still have concerns about his full-season value.

Gus Edwards – (20.7% Owned)

Another year and another unfortunate injury for J.K. Dobbins. This time it’s a torn Achilles that will cause Dobbins to miss the entire season. In his place will once again be Gus Edwards but Justice Hill may sneak some goal line carries. Hill had 2 touchdowns on Sunday on just 9 yards rushing.

Wide Receivers

Puka Nacua – (5.3% Owned)

He’s much more than just a name. Nacua is Matthew Stafford‘s new favorite in LA as the rookie had a whopping 15 targets on Sunday. Perhaps we should’ve seen this coming as Nacua was the 2nd highest-graded college WR last season according to PFF. Nacua will have value until Cooper Kupp returns.

Curtis Samuel – (13.5% Owned)

Samuel was one of our fantasy football sleepers coming into this season. While Jahan Dotson and Terry McLaurin received the majority of the buzz most forgot about Samuel. He led the Commanders on Sunday with 54 yards on 5 targets. Samuel also had 1 carry for 6 yards as he will continue to be used in the backfield.

Tight Ends

Adam Trautman (0.1% Owned)

Trautman led the Denver Broncos with 5 receptions on Sunday as it appears he will be the TE1 for some time. We received word today that Greg Dulcich is set to miss several weeks with a hamstring injury. Trautman is still a risky play in this offense but the usage is encouraging.

The post Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups (2023) appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Quarterbacks

Mike White – QB New York Jets

Thankfully for Jets fans Mike White is set to assume the starting role as Zack Wilson will be relegated to 3rd string backup. This comes as a huge relief to Garrett Wilson owners as White offers the most upside in the passing game and the Jets offense. Expect a decent performance from White against Seattle this weekend.

Running Backs

Tyler Allgeier – RB Atlanta Falcons

It looks like Tyler Allgeier has taken firm hold of the starting backfield in Atlanta. This is something Cordarrelle Patterson owners don’t want to here but this is where we are. Allgeier ran 18 times for 74 yards and also racked up 43 yards in the passing game. He is our #1 priority on the waiver wire this week and surprisingly is still 50% available in most leagues.

Wide Receivers

Richie James – WR New York Giants

Richie James is back on the fantasy radar. We highlighted him a couple months ago as a possible fantasy sleeper and he is now starting to get hot. He was the man for the Giants depleted WR core this past week and saw a generous 12 targets from QB Daniel Jones. Expect him to do well again against the lowly Colts in Week 17.

Tight Ends

Juwan Johnson – TE New Orleans Saints

There is a good chance Juwan Johnson will be available in your league following his dud this past weekend. Many were high on him coming off his 2 touchdown performance in week 15 but he could not keep that momentum going. He is still worth a strong look as the Saints play the Eagles this week and he should be getting some nice garbage time points in this matchup.

The post Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Quarterbacks

Gardner Minshew – QB Philadelphia Eagles

Out of the gate we start with some unfortunate news on Jalen Hurts. It looks like he suffered a shoulder strain that will keep him out for a couple weeks. If you’re a Hurts owner this is not the news you wanted heading into your crucial playoff game this weekend. In steps Gardner Minshew whom doesn’t have the same upside as Hurts but can put up solid numbers with all the talent around him.

Running Backs

Zack Moss – RB Indianapolis Colts

More unfortunate injuries this time at the running back position. Jonathan Taylor will officially be shut down for the season due to his high ankle sprain. The next man up appears to be Zack Moss as he totaled 24 carries in the loss to the Vikings for 81 yards. This development is a bit surprising as many expected Deon Jackson to step into that lead role. Jackson is still worth stashing but Moss is our top waiver priority for week 16.

Wide Receivers

Zay Jones – WR Jacksonville Jaguars

Zay Jones lit up the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday hauling in 3 touchdowns and 109 yards. The last 4 weeks he has seen a whopping 41 targets from his emerging QB Trevor Lawrence. If somehow Jones is available in your league you should prioritize picking him up. The Jaguars offense is getting hot at the right time and Jones should continue to soar.

Tight Ends

Dallas Goedert – TE Philadelphia Eagles

Goedert is getting set to come back off of IR and could be on track to play this weekend. More than likely he was dropped a while back when he suffered his shoulder injury. Goedert has shown he can put up solid fantasy numbers and if you need to stream a TE for your pivotal matchup this is the guy.

The post Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Quarterbacks

Desmond Ridder – QB Altanta Falcons

Last week news broke that the Atlanta Falcons named Ridder the starter going forward. Many including myself liked Ridder coming out of the Draft and you could see his upside during the pre-season. Ridder has an accurate arm and is not afraid to scramble when needed.

Anthony Brown – QB Baltimore Ravens

Yet another QB injury for the Ravens forced Brown into action Sunday. Tyler Huntley went down with a concussion and it looks like Brown will be filling in vs the Browns on Sunday. He has the ability to escape pressure and get into the endzone just don’t expect many big plays in the passing game.

Running Backs

Jerick McKinnon – RB Kansas City Chiefs

McKinnon turned in one of the top Fantasy performances on Sunday benefiting from more Patrick Mahomes magic. Isiah Pacheco has been getting all the love and rightfully so but McKinnon showed he can be a dangerous weapon for teams looking for another RB.

Wide Receivers

DJ Chark – WR Detroit Lions

The Lions are hot and their offense can’t be stopped at the moment. Chark piled up 94 yards on Sunday along with a touchdown. Jared Goff continues to spread the ball around to his wide receivers with ease and Chark was the beneficiary on Sunday. It’s also worth checking in on Jameson Williams as the rookie hauled in his first NFL touchdown on a long bomb from Goff.

Tight Ends

Chigoziem Okonkwo – TE Tennessee Titans

There is a good chance Okonkwo is not available in your league as he has been given the volume the past couple of weeks. The rookie out of Maryland is showing that patience pays off as he hauled in a touchdown on six targets in the loss versus the Jaguars. It’s slim pickins at the TE position but if Okonkwo is available in your league it’s time to snatch him up.

The post Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Quarterbacks

Brock Purdy QB – San Francisco 49ers

There is a new starter for the 49ers as Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a broken foot ending his season. In steps the 2022 Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy. The former Iowa State product stepped in admirably for Garoppolo on Sunday going 25-37 for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns. He almost certainly will be the starter going forward even if the 49ers sign a couple of quarterbacks from the wire. Purdy offers a little more mobility than Garoppolo and with the amount of weapons available on this offense he should put up respectable numbers.

Tyler Huntley QB – Baltimore Ravens

Another unfortunate injury propelled Tyler Huntley into action on Sunday. Lamar Jackson went down with an apparent knee injury versus the Denver Broncos. Huntley has a similar skill set to Jackson and scored a crucial rushing touchdown that helped propel the Ravens to victory. He is worth picking up as we don’t yet know how serious Jackson’s injury is.

Running Backs

James Cook RB – Buffalo Bills

The Bills are finally letting Cook cook as he was fed Thursday night against the New England Patriots. He racked up over 100 scrimmage yards and out touched lead back Devin Singletary. The rookie has taken some time to settle in but you can see his explosiveness and speed, especially in the passing game. The momentum is real and we can see him eventually becoming RB1 for the Bills down the stretch.

Wide Receivers

Jahan Dotson WR – Washington Commanders

Dotson started the year as one of the hottest rookie wide receivers scoring 4 touchdowns in his first four games as a pro. He went down with a hamstring injury in Week 4 against Dallas that sidelined him for over a month. Fast forward to Sunday when Dotson flashed his pre-injury explosiveness when he dropped a spin move on his way for game tying touchdown. The Commanders wanted to get him more involved in the passing game and QB Taylor Heinicke is starting to gain more chemistry with the talented rookie. Look for that to continue in the coming weeks. Dotson and the Commanders are on a BYE this week but now is the time to stash him for the playoff run.

Odell Beckham Jr. WR – Free Agent

It’s time. The superstar wide receiver is close to signing on with a playoff contender. He recently visited with the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys as the push to sign the talented Beckham Jr. continues. We all know the upside and if he does end up signing with the Cowboys its hard to ignore the potential. Now is the time to pick up Beckham Jr. as it’s only a matter of time before he signs.

Tight Ends

Noah Fant TE – Seattle Seahawks

Ideally you are set at this spot and have one of the top 10 tight ends already on your roster. We all know outside of the top 10 its a crap shoot at this position but that’s where we are. With six teams on BYE there is a good chance you need to pick one up for your critical matchup this week. Fant got back into the endzone this week and hauled in 4 catches on 5 targets for 42 yards. If you are desperate at the TE position for this week look Fant’s way.

The post Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Calvin K (Twitter: @Calvin_SGF)

The Sunday slate of NFL Week 5 action has officially wrapped up, and Sunday’s games were wild, featuring upsets, shootouts, and plenty of new storylines to unpack. As always, a new week brings new discussions regarding the fantasy football waiver wire. In this article, I’ll be naming my top five players to target on waivers this week.

(NOTE: These players are rostered in 40% or less of ESPN leagues)

Kadarius Toney (WR, New York Giants)

Toney exploded against the Cowboys on Sunday, hauling in 10 passes for a whopping 189 yards on 13 targets. The first-rounder out of Florida was able to take advantage of his many opportunities, and with Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, and Kenny Golladay injured for most or all of Sunday’s contest, he was forced into a heavy role out of necessity.

Toney was viewed mostly as a gadget player upon his entrance to the NFL, but yesterday’s performance proved he can succeed at all levels of the field. Toney is still at his best when his touches are manufactured, but he proved himself as a route-runner and separator as well. This will hopefully lead to more opportunities for Toney in the future, and we now have two weeks of evidence that he can be heavily involved in the Giants’ offense, making him more likely to retain much of his role even when his fellow wide receivers return.

Devontae Booker (RB, New York Giants)

Booker was another beneficiary of New York’s void in playmakers, and he racked up 19 touches on Sunday after starting running back Saquon Barkley left the game with a sprained ankle. Barkley’s injury is not believed to be serious, and he’s only expected to miss a week or two, but Booker should still be rostered in every league purely because of his potential for a heavy workload.

Booker was somewhat inefficient on Sunday, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry, but his fantasy day was carried by two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air. Those goal-line opportunities will make him a borderline starting option at running back. Although he’ll likely only be a short-term factor, Booker is really the only starting RB who is widely available right now, making him well worth a modest waiver bid.

Hunter Henry (TE, New England Patriots)

Henry has established himself as the tight end of choice in New England, and with 19 targets in his past three games, he’s become a favorite target of Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. Henry has now picked up a touchdown in back-to-back games as well, and he turned in his best performance of the year against the Texans this week, catching six or eight targets for 75 yards and a score.

It may be too soon to consider Henry as a permanent starting tight end, but he’s certainly become a decent streaming option for any tight-end-needy team. His future schedule is also looking bright, with matchups against the Cowboys and Jets coming up over the next two weeks. Henry seems like a good bet to continue his run of success in those matchups, making him someone you should certainly consider rostering on your fantasy team.

Tim Patrick (WR, Denver Broncos)

Patrick continued his stretch of productivity on Sunday, catching seven of nine targets for 89 yards against Baltimore. With K.J. Hamler out for the season and Jerry Jeudy gone, in all likelihood, until at least Week 7, Patrick’s target share should continue to be quite solid.

Patrick has scored over 11 half-PPR points in all but one game this year, averaging 5.6 targets per game, including 20 over his last three matchups. Patrick is still available in over 70% of ESPN leagues, so if you’re looking for a consistent flex, he’s a good option to consider.

Rondale Moore (WR, Arizona Cardinals)

Moore, who was Arizona’s second-round pick this year, isn’t someone you should be relying on just yet due to his inconsistent target share, but his upside that he’s flashed makes him worth an add as an end-of-bench stash. Moore will probably continue to be somewhat unreliable while competing for targets with DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, and Christian Kirk, but he will still have a clear opportunity to be the WR2 out of that group as the season progresses.

The Cardinals WR2 is likely to reap major fantasy rewards, as Kyler Murray has played in shootout after a shootout and shows no imminent signs of slowing down. The Cardinals have exceeded 30 points in four of five games this season, so there’ll almost always be lots of scoring from this offense. Green and Kirk are also worthy of roster consideration, but if you’re looking for an upside pickup, the rookie is the best bet.

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