Fantasy Football 2020: Players to Add Before Week 1 Kicks Off

Fantasy football drafts are winding down as Week 1 nears, but there are still plenty of appealing players managers can pick up before the 2020 NFL season begins.

In what might be one of the most uncertain and unpredictable fantasy football seasons ever, any opportunity to find an edge will be amplified this year. That will make finding diamonds in the rough and waiver wire sleepers more important than ever.

Fortunately, there are a handful of promising players with legitimate long-term upside this season sitting unclaimed in fantasy leagues. It's always smart before the season begins to stash players with big-time potential on the bench as their roles become more evident.

Let's take a look at just a few of those guys rostered in less than 50 percent of leagues.

All rostered percentages are courtesy of ESPN.com and are up to date as of Sunday, September 6.

Bryan Edwards, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

John Locher/Associated Press

The Las Vegas Raiders drafted a pair of promising rookie wide receivers in the 2020 NFL draft. While former Alabama star Henry Ruggs III has been drawing most of the attention, fantasy managers should take a long look at former South Carolina receiver Bryan Edwards.

Edwards was selected in the third round of the draft with the 81st overall pick. Despite a number of talented receivers to come out of South Carolina's program, Edwards holds the school records for both career receptions and receiving yards. At 6'3", he has a big body and does a great job of being physical with cornerbacks and making big plays after the catch.

Edwards is now expected to see a significant role in the team's offense. Tyrell Williams was placed on season-ending injured reserve last week, forcing Edwards to move up the depth chart.

Inconsistency at quarterback could be a concern, especially if Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota both see significant action. However, rostered in less than 10 percent of leagues and with an opportunity to get a ton of targets, Edwards isn't a bad depth receiver to have now, especially if he starts breaking out.

Fantasy managers could start flocking to Edwards after a good game or two, so it's a great idea to snag him now while he's a relatively unknown commodity.

Drew Lock, QB, Denver Broncos

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Considering Drew Lock convincingly took over the Denver Broncos starting quarterback job in 2019, it's a bit surprising to see that he's rostered in less than 20 percent of fantasy leagues heading into Week 1. That's great news for fantasy managers searching the waiver wire for a high-upside quarterback to stash on their bench.

Lock started his rookie season on injured reserve (designated to return) with a thumb injury. Once healthy, he was immediately named the starter and helped lead his team to a 4-1 record, with the only loss coming to the future Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. In those games, Lock threw for 1,020 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 64.1 percent of his passes. 

Those aren't eye-popping numbers, but they're impressive when considering how quickly Lock went from not being able to practice to being thrust into a starting role. Now, with a full training camp to get comfortable with his offense, he should be able to process what's in front of him much more quickly. Having a ton of athleticism and speed on offense with guys like Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler and Noah Fant won't hurt, either.

Lock may not be a guy you want to start right out of the gate, but down the road, especially in two-quarterback leagues, he's someone with the talent and supporting cast to be a viable fantasy option under center.

Parris Campbell, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

After a disappointing and injury-riddled rookie season, Parris Campbell has less hype. Fortunately for fantasy managers, that means the Indianapolis Colts receiver might be an overlooked player worth snagging before the season begins.

Coming off a dynamic final college season with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Campbell couldn't stay healthy as a rookie, dealing with a sports hernia, fractured hand and eventually a broken foot that ended his campaign.

The young Colts receiver finished the season with just 18 receptions and four rushing attempts for 161 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. However, with a clean bill of health, the opportunity for Campbell to become a full-time starter is there for the taking.

Outside of T.Y. Hilton and rookie Michael Pittman Jr., there isn't too much competition for Campbell to see plenty of snaps on the field, and his blazing speed could allow him to secure a role as the team's go-to slot receiver.

Campbell is an electric player with the ball in his hands, and head coach Frank Reich will likely keep that in mind by finding ways to get him the ball quickly with short crossing routes, screens and creative handoff plays. If he establishes a good connection with Philip Rivers early in the season, Campbell could become a big-play machine.

With Campbell rostered in 31 percent of leagues right now, it might be worth finding a spot on your bench to snag the Colts receiver, who has the potential to be a great flex option in fantasy.

Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Normally, a backup tight end wouldn't be the most exciting player to add before Week 1. Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert isn't a normal backup, however.

At 6'5" and 256 pounds, Goedert is a mismatch in the passing game, and that was clear in his second NFL season in 2019. The former South Dakota State star finished last season with 58 receptions, 607 yards and five touchdowns, leading to a top-10 fantasy season among tight ends.

It's worth nothing that a lot of that production was because of a depleted roster of wide receivers last season for the Eagles. That being said, when called upon, Goedert stepped up in a big way, even if Zach Ertz is still firmly ahead of him on the depth chart as the team's top tight end.

Head coach Doug Pederson almost has no choice but to find creative ways to get Goedert onto the field in 2020 given his production last season. Goedert is rostered in about 25 percent of leagues, and although he's one of the riskier additions on this list, any injuries at tight end or wide receiver this year for the Eagles will likely make the tight end a must-have player in deeper fantasy leagues.

Allen Lazard, WR, Green Bay Packers

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Plenty of Green Bay Packers fans were frustrated that the team elected to draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft instead of taking a wide receiver. However, the team may have found a legitimate option to play opposite Davante Adams last season thanks to the emergence of Allen Lazard.

The 6'5" ex-Iowa State receiver went undrafted in 2018. After spending time on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad, Lazard made his way to Green Bay later that same year. He was thrust into a larger role in the offense last season out of necessity and played well in some big moments when Adams was out with a nagging turf toe injury.

The less-than-exciting stats from last season are likely a big reason Lazard is rostered in 25 percent of fantasy leagues right now. He finished 2019 with just 35 receptions for 477 yards and three touchdowns.

However, Lazard is now a presumed starter with a full offseason to work on the nuances of his game, along with finding the right timing with Aaron Rodgers. He'll also have the luxury of opposing defenses spending much more time focusing on Adams than him, which will mean opportunities to go against less talented defensive backs.

It's a riskier pick for fantasy managers if Rodgers continues to drop off statistically, but if the passing game in Green Bay returns to its old ways, that will mean plenty of opportunities and targets for Lazard.

Ryquell Armstead, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

The running back position can be tricky for fantasy football, especially when trying to find less-established players on the waiver wire. Many teams are taking a by-committee approach, with the top running backs on the depth chart getting limited touches.

However, some players can prove themselves as the season goes on to increase their workload, and Jacksonville Jaguars running back Ryquell Armstead is a good candidate to do just that.

A fifth-round pick out of Temple in 2019, Armstead saw limited action as a rookie, running the ball 35 times for just 108 yards. He did see some production catching passes out of the backfield, however, adding 14 receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns.

Armstead will certainly see an uptick in touches with Leonard Fournette gone and the competition for the starting running back role wide-open. Chris Thompson is likely to secure a role as the team's third-down running back, leaving the starting job to either Armstead or Devine Ozigbo.

Armstead may not take the league by storm on a team that appears to be tanking for the No. 1 overall pick, and he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list for the second time this offseason a few days ago. However, rostered in 37 percent of leagues, he's not a bad long-term option given what is likely to be a heavy workload moving forward.

N'Keal Harry, WR, New England Patriots

Steven Senne/Associated Press

For the first time in what feels like an eternity, the New England Patriots are a big fantasy question mark in 2020. With the departure of Tom Brady, the arrival of Cam Newton and a questionable group of wide receivers, it's unclear which skill players will be viable fantasy options outside of Julian Edelman.

Like Parris Campbell, N'Keal Harry was the victim of nagging injuries that hampered his rookie season. He played in just seven games last season, getting just 23 targets for 12 receptions, 105 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He did slowly get more involved in the offense, however, as he was targeted seven times each in the final regular-season game and the AFC Wild Card Round matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

Harry is an impressive athlete with the combination of explosiveness and size at 6'4" and 225 pounds. The fact that the Patriots released Mohamed Sanu last week likely indicates that the team has faith in Harry to take on a bigger role in the offense in 2020.

A lot of Harry's production will depend on the effectiveness of Newton. Although Newton has dealt with injuries the past few seasons, the 2015 MVP is drawing all kinds of praise in training camp. Bill Belichick even praised Newton's work ethic.

With a healthy Newton and a hungry offense, Harry has the chance for a much bigger season than most are anticipating. He's rostered in 43 percent of leagues right now, so those who are high on the Patriots this year would be smart to add him before the season begins.

Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Aaron Doster/Associated Press

Rookie quarterbacks usually start slow at the beginning their first NFL seasons, but No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow could be an exception.

The Cincinnati Bengals rookie put up ridiculous numbers in his final college season at LSU, throwing for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Ridiculous stats, a Heisman Trophy and a national championship are just a few of the reasons that the Bengals took Burrow with the first overall pick.

Learning an NFL offense is no easy task for a rookie quarterback, but the scheme, situation and personnel in Cincinnati will make it a much easier transition for Burrow. Despite a much different kind of offseason in the NFL, head coach Zac Taylor has been more than impressed with Burrow during training camp.

"He's just been impressive," Taylor said, according to ESPN's Ben Baby. "He's what we expected when we took him No. 1 overall. He hasn't disappointed one day he's been out there."

With Taylor's modern offensive philosophy and a loaded group of receivers that includes A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, Auden Tate, John Ross III and promising rookie Tee Higgins, Burrow will have plenty of weapons to work with.

Burrow is rostered in 49 percent of leagues, and with him going up against the questionable secondaries of the Eagles, Jaguars and Browns in three of the first four games, he is a solid pickup with a ridiculously high ceiling in the long run.