We all love the waiver wire each week during the season, but there are weeks where you don’t get your guys. It may be that you were a lower waiver, or you did not bid enough FAAB to get your guy. If that is the case, there are still options out there and players you can pick up now before they become waiver wire targets next week. We will give you some players that may have a breakout game or players that you should keep at the end of your bench incase of injury (we all saw what happened to CMC on Thursday night).
First let’s talk about the handcuff RBs out there that could have a large role if, god forbid, the starter gets injured. Now this is if you have a deeper bench, and you want to add these guys to the end of it ‘just in case’ (not adding Chubba Hubbard since he is already on waivers after playing TNF). I will rank them from highest priority to the least. Of course, Alexander Mattison should be owned especially since Dalvin Cook is questionable for this week, so if he is still out there for some reason, he needs to be added right away. I am not adding Tony Pollard to this since he has stand alone value with Zeke and is highly owned in all fantasy leagues. A.J. Dillon (GB), Damien Williams (CHI), Tony Jones (NO), Devontae Booker (NYG), Larry Rountree (LCA), Chris Evans (CIN), Marlon Mack (IND), Carlos Hyde (JAC), Darrell Williams (KC), Malcolm Brown (MIA), Kalen Ballage (PIT), and Mekhi Sargent (TEN), in that order, are all RBs that you can add if you have that deep bench and can afford to take one of them. If any one of these guys is available, I would toss them on your bench just in case.
Now let’s get to the other players out there that could have a big week and you should grab before it is too late. Now I am not saying these guys will for sure break out this week and if you pick them up to keep at the end of the bench and they don’t do anything, just drop them at the end of the day.
Bryan Edwards
Edwards’ snap percentage has gone up each week and he runs a shit load of routes. In week 1, he had a big catch and scored, but it was overturned and ended up being down on the 1-yard line. Now if he gets that TD, he has roughly 16 points instead of 10, but it is what it is. In week 2, he had another big TD catch called back once again, so his 5-point outing should have been 12 or more depending on the league format. Now Henry Ruggs had a big game based off his big TD catch in Week 2, so everyone thinks it is Ruggs who is the WR1 on the team. If you look closer, Edwards is right there if his big plays are not called back. We know Waller is the guy to own in LA, but Edwards is a big-bodied WR that can be used down in the red zone more than Ruggs and Renfroe. Do not be shocked if Edwards has a TD in Week 3 and is talked about a waiver add after Week 3. Get him now before it will cost you.
Jalen Reagor
Reagor had a poor rookie season and battled injuries and QB changes in that year so he really did not have the time or opportunity to really have a role. In Week 1 he did have a TD, so it was a decent game, but he did nothing in Week 2 with 1.5 fantasy points (Half-PPR). If you recall in Week 2, he had a massive TD catch called back because while running down the sideline before the catch, his heel hit out of bounds to call it back. If that did count, it would be a different story. He has at least 5 targets in the first 2 weeks and if the Eagles want to keep winning, they need to get their passing game down and I believe Reagor will be a solid piece to that offense. Get him now before he blows up.
Emmanuel Sanders
Now Sanders has not done much this season, but he is on the field quite a bit. In week 1, he played 93% of snaps and in Week 2 he played 77%. He has not done a lot with that as of now, but Josh Allen has not looked great either. We know what Josh Allen can do and we know he will turn it around and be what he was last season. We all know Stefon Diggs is the lead WR there, but there must be a number 2. I believe that role is carved out for Sanders instead of Cole Beasley or Gabriel Davis. Sanders has been in the league forever and a guy like Josh Allen will trust him more than the other two to solidify that role. He goes up against Washington this week. Washington has a great D line, but they have been burnt to start the season in the secondary. Do not be surprised if Sanders has a big game this week and is a hot waiver add going into Week 4.
K.J. Hamler
Jerry Jeudy is now out for at least 3 more weeks and Tim Patrick has been the guy to pick up from waivers and play. This does not count Sutton as he is the hands down WR1 on the Broncos. Let’s not forget that Hamler was a second-round pick last season out of college and has all the talent in the world. It was unfortunate that he landed on a team with so many weapons already and that he was banged up all last season. He has not done much at all to start 2021, but from Week 1 to Week, his snap percentage has gone from 36 to 71. I know everyone loves Tim Patrick, but at the end of the day, he was an undrafted player out of college. It is only a matter of time that Patrick carves out a larger role and surpasses Patrick as the number 2 WR on the team.