Fantasy Football Week 1 Waiver Wire Must-Adds
September 3, 2019Fantasy Football Week 1 Waiver Wire Must-Adds
We're days away from Week 1 of the regular season, and some of you may be scrambling to replace that iffy player on your bench. Fortunately, the waiver wire offers plenty of options for consideration in the first slate of games.
Strategically, owners can approach acquisitions in two ways at this point of the season: adding players in favorable Week 1 matchups or picking up potential long-term contributors without much concern for their first opponents.
We'll focus on players owned in fewer than 75 percent of Yahoo point-per-reception leagues as of 10 p.m. ET Monday and use a $100 free-agent acquisition budget, which means managers can use up to that amount in bids on successful pickups.
Typically, free-agent signings after roster cuts have minimal impact on fantasy outlooks, but one transaction deserves your attention. We'll dive into two backfields that may shift in favor of players floating around on a quarter of Yahoo waiver wires along with other available short- and long-term assets.
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QB Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (62 Percent Owned)
The Atlanta Falcons have two safeties coming off significant injuries, Keanu Neal (torn ACL) and Ricardo Allen (torn Achilles). Cornerback Isaiah Oliver will attempt to replace Robert Alford on the perimeter.
As the Falcons secondary takes shape, Kirk Cousins will have the perfect opportunity to strike with two wide receivers, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. Both recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards last season.
Cousins will square off against the Falcons at home where he threw 13 touchdown passes and five interceptions with a 70 percent completion rate last year.
In 2018, the Falcons pass defense surrendered 33 touchdowns and ranked 27th in yards allowed. With two safeties knocking off the rust and a new full-time starter at cornerback, Cousins has a good matchup for Week 1.
Because of Cousins' primary perimeter weapons and a healthy dual-threat talent in Dalvin Cook out of the backfield, he's a potential keeper beyond opening week.
FAAB bid: $10
QB Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (27 Percent Owned)
Staying in the NFC North, Matthew Stafford isn't owned in 73 percent of leagues, but managers with low-tier options at quarterback should consider him an early streamer.
Stafford goes up against an Arizona Cardinals secondary without its starting cornerbacks. Patrick Peterson will serve a six-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. Alford fractured his tibia in Week 2 of the preseason, and the team placed him on injured reserve Sunday.
Rookie Byron Murphy, second-year undrafted cover man Chris Jones and Tramaine Brock Sr. will handle starting responsibilities. The latter has opened five games with the first unit over the last two years—all with the Denver Broncos in 2018.
Playing against a new starter on one end and a veteran who served as a backup in recent seasons on the opposite side, Stafford should start the 2019 campaign with a big game. He'll throw to Kenny Golladay, a 6'4", 214-pound wideout coming off a 1,063-yard term, and Marvin Jones Jr., who's healthy after battling a knee injury in 2018.
FAAB bid: $5
QB Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers (56 Percent Owned)
In 2018, Jimmy Garoppolo didn't start the year on a strong note, throwing one touchdown pass and three interceptions while completing just 45 percent of his attempts against the Vikings.
Garoppolo should jump out to a better start in the upcoming season. He's not facing a top-10 defense like Minnesota's unit last year. The San Francisco 49ers signal-caller will take aim at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' relatively unproven group.
Vernon Hargreaves III is the most experienced among the Buccaneers' starting defensive backs. Yet, he's only suited up for 26 games because of shoulder and hamstring injuries over the last two seasons.
Opposite of Hargreaves, Carlton Davis has 12 starts on his resume. Rookie cornerbacks Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean will serve as backups. Darian Stewart is the only safety on the active roster with more than two years in the league.
Garoppolo will bounce back from an ACL tear in a matchup against inexperience backs learning on the job. As an offensive coordinator and head coach, Kyle Shanahan's passing offenses have ranked top 10 in three of the last four years, so you may want to keep the 49ers quarterback on your roster.
FAAB bid: $10
RB LeSean McCoy, Kansas City Chiefs (68 Percent Owned)
After his release from the Buffalo Bills, running back LeSean McCoy opted to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, joining Damien Williams, rookie sixth-rounder Darwin Thompson, Darrel Williams and Tremon Smith—a cornerback converted to tailback.
Although Damien Williams goes into the season as the projected lead ball-carrier, he's only started seven contests in five seasons. McCoy has experience in head coach Andy Reid's offensive system dating back to their shared time with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2009 to '12.
Thompson logged 98 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown during the preseason. He could handle spot touches in a three-man rotation. Nonetheless, McCoy should see a fair number of opportunities to make an impact on the ground and in a pass-catching role.
Williams' inexperience could lead to McCoy breaking out against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who ranked 19th against the run last year, and in games throughout the 2019 season. Managers should pick him up with a long-term outlook in mind.
FAAB bid: $15
RB Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills (71 Percent Owned)
McCoy's departure creates an opportunity for Devin Singletary to have a solid rookie campaign in Buffalo. Based on the front office's decision to release the former, we can surmise the coaching staff feels the latter could thrive in the backfield alongside Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon.
According to general manager Brandon Beane, the team has high hopes for Singletary's future, but he'll split touches, per Chris Brown of the team's official website.
"We do see this being a running back by committee, whatever group that we kept," Beane said. "We're excited with where [Singletary is] heading, but he'll have a lot to prove as a rookie this year."
Now, let's take a look at recent workload patterns for the veterans.
Gore logged 200 or more carries in 12 consecutive seasons, but that streak ended last year with the Miami Dolphins; he finished with 156 rush attempts. That's probably the new norm for him at 36 years old. Yeldon hasn't averaged more than nine carries per contest since his rookie season in 2015.
With the veteran running backs likely to take on limited workloads, expect Singletary to log a bulk of the touches in the near future. Fantasy managers should feel encouraged to acquire him after he registered 88 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown during the preseason. The rookie third-rounder should see 12 to 14 carries and a handful of targets in most weeks.
FAAB bid: $15
WR John Brown, Buffalo Bills (48 Percent Owned)
John Brown won't provide a heavy volume of catches in the Bills offense. In five seasons, he's finished with 50 receptions once, in 2015. In terms of fantasy usage, the 29-year-old projects as a decent streamer for select matchups.
Fantasy managers shouldn't worry about Brown's adjustment to a new team. In his first season with the Baltimore Ravens last year, he immediately built a rapport with quarterback Joe Flacco. He hauled in 34 passes for 601 yards and four touchdowns in the first nine weeks before Lamar Jackson took over the huddle.
Brown will line up across from a questionable New York Jets secondary. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson practiced with limitations August 27, recovering from a hamstring injury that's sidelined him for about two weeks. Darryl Roberts, Gang Green's No. 2 cover man, has 16 starts in three seasons.
Though quarterback Josh Allen has accuracy and ball-placement issues, he'll have an opportunity to take shots downfield against the Jets secondary. Using his big arm, the Bills signal-caller should connect with Brown, who's a deep-threat target averaging 15 yards per reception.
FAAB bid: $5
TE Darren Waller, Oakland Raiders (22 Percent Owned)
The Oakland Raiders may have a sleeper on offense. The front office allowed Jared Cook to walk in free agency, which opened a spot in the starting lineup. Darren Waller, a collegiate wide receiver converted to tight end, will have the opportunity to fill a pass-catching void in the aerial attack.
Throughout his career, Cook garnered praise for his ability as a pass-catcher more so than a blocker. Because of his wide receiver background, Waller may fit into the same mold. At Georgia Tech, he averaged 19 yards per catch; the 6'6", 255-pounder could attack the seams and stretch the field for the Raiders while wideout Antonio Brown commands double coverage downfield.
Last year, Cook led the team in targets (101), but Brown's presence and Waller's learning curve as a tight end won't allow him to see a similar number of looks from quarterback Derek Carr. Still, in the lead spot on the depth chart with solid hands, he's an intriguing fantasy asset with long-term value.
In 2018, Waller suited up for four games with the Raiders, catching all six of his targets for 75 yards. Perhaps a full offseason with Carr will help him get off to a quick start against the Broncos defense under first-time head coach and defensive play-caller Vic Fangio.
FAAB bid: $10
DEF Detroit Lions (3 Percent Owned)
The Lions should be licking their chops in Week 1. They'll have the first regular-season look at rookie quarterback Kyler Murray, who struggled to evade blitzes in Week 2 of the preseason against the Raiders; he was sacked twice in that contest.
According to Football Outsiders, the Cardinals pass protection ranked 26th in 2018.
The front office acquired guard J.R. Sweezy, and A.Q. Shipley reclaimed his starting spot at center over Mason Cole. In March, Arizona acquired right tackle Marcus Gilbert in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He's played just 12 games over the last two years because of hamstring and knee injuries as well as a four-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing substances policy.
Murray's offensive line may need time to jell before it is able to shield him in the pocket. Furthermore, as a rookie, he's more than likely to struggle against a defense that ranked 10th in yards allowed last year and added a solid pass-rusher in Trey Flowers.
Don't keep the Lions defense around long term, but if you need a plug-in starting unit for Week 1, take advantage of Murray's season debut behind a questionable five-man group.
FAAB bid: $5