It may have felt like we would have never gotten to this point, but we officially have gotten through Week 1 of the NFL season. Now that we have gotten through the week, we are faced with one of the more important waiver wire periods of the year.
As usual for week one, we had several big-time performances as well as numerous players who did not have the best showing. One thing that is important to always remember is to not overreact to Week 1 performances. Whether it be overreacting to a strong performance or overreacting to a poor performance.
One thing we can do is take the information we have and explore who might be a strong addition to our fantasy team. I took the opportunity to try and identify several players who could be strong contributors moving forward.
Now every league may be a little different, but I will be looking at players who have 50% or less ownership across Yahoo and ESPN platforms. I will also include some players who might be above 50% owned, but are worth it to see.
Week 2 Waiver Wire: Possibly owned, but worth a look
TJ Hockenson (TE, DET)
Hockenson was a waiver wire darling in Week 1 last year and then went on to disappoint. Once again he had a strong outing and was able to pull in all 5 of his targets for 56 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. Detroit looks to be a team that will be passing a lot, which benefits Hockenson. Also if Golladay continues to miss time then Hockenson should stay involved.
Jamison Crowder (WR, NYJ)
The Jets offense was again not very impressive this last week, but Crowder was quite busy. Darnold looked his way 13 times in this matchup and Crowder managed to pull in 7 receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown. Another team that probably will be playing from behind, Crowder seems to continue to be a favorite of Darnold. He should be a reliable flex play and worth a pickup with the volume he should get this year.
Less than 50% ownership
Gardner Minshew (QB, JAX)
Minshew mania strikes again, as he completed 19 passes for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Week 1 victory over the Colts. He also rushed 5 times for 19 yards. With the Jaguars appearing to be in the position of playing from behind a lot this year Minshew is an interesting streamer at the quarterback position. He faces off against the Titans in Week 2, but then gets Miami, Cincinnati, Houston, and Detroit before their Week 7 bye. If you’re needing some help at quarterback, there might be worse options out there.
Robby Anderson (WR, CAR)
In Anderson’s debut with Carolina he pulled in 6 receptions (8 targets) for 115 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a 2 point conversion. Anderson’s stat line got a hug bump from a 75 yard touchdown reception, which those can be hard to count on. However, he can probably be played as a flex option in certain matchups.
Corey Davis (WR, TEN)
If you didn’t stay up to watch the late Monday Night Game you might need to check twice, but Davis caught 7 receptions (10 targets) for 101 yards. The Titans offense still will run through Derrick Henry, but it’s promising to see Davis with 10 targets in a game where Henry rushed 31 times and had 3 targets himself.
Scott Miller (WR, TB)
Miller may be a better pickup in deeper leagues, but he appeared to have a good week 1 outing. With Tom Brady in town, Miller was targeted 6 times and caught 5 of those for 73 yards. Miller also managed to drop a deep ball from Brady that would have made his stat line much better. Miller was also given a rushing attempt in the game. He will have Godwin and Evans to compete with, but if you’re in a deeper league he might be a good waiver pickup.
Parris Campbell (WR, IND)
Campbell was tied for the most targets with TY Hilton and finished with 6 receptions for 71 yards. He appeared to have an immediate connection with Rivers. He’s worth a pickup and can probably be played in your flex in a good matchup.
Nyheim Hines (RB, IND)
Hines may be one of the popular waiver wire additions this week after rushing 7 times for 28 rushing yards and a touchdown as well as 8 receptions for 45 yards and a receiving touchdown. During the game Rivers targeted his running backs on 44% of his passes and Hines was third in line for targets (Hilton 9, Campbell 9, Hines 8). He may play second fiddle to Taylor in the backfield, but it appears the Colts want to use him and get him the ball in different ways. With Marlon Mack out for the year, it will now be Taylor and Hines moving forward.
Joshua Kelley (RB, LAC)
Kelley ran as the No. 2 running back for the Chargers on Sunday and took advantage of the opportunity. He rushed 12 times for 60 yards and a touchdown. Kelley also was given several carries inside the 10-yard line. He is worth an add and brings some stand-alone value, but if Ekeler were to miss time Kelley would appear to be the beneficiary.
Adrian Peterson (RB, DET)
With just about one week with the team, Peterson came out Week 1 and had a strong outing. He led the three-headed backfield of Detroit and rushed 14 times for 93 yards while also catching 3 receptions for 21 yards. Kerryon Johnson and De’Andre Swift probably aren’t going away, but if you’re in a deeper league and needing a fill in, you might get some good outings from Peterson.
Malcolm Brown (RB, LAR)
Brown will be another very popular waiver wire add this week after his Week 1 outing. Brown appeared to lead the backfield committee for the Rams this week and rushed 18 times for 79 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also was targeted 4 times, catching 3 of them for 31 yards. Brown should be the lead back moving forward in L.A. and is worth an add.
Benny Snell (RB, PIT)
James Conner left their Week 1 matchup with an injury and Snell took over. He rushed 19 times for 113 yards. With Conner’s injury history Snell appears to be the backup. He’s worth a pickup.
Dallas Goedert (TE, PHI)
Dallas Goedert flashed on Sunday when the rest of the Eagles seemed to implode. He managed 8 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. What’s even more interesting is Goedert only had 4 fewer snaps than Ertz (58-54) and led the team in targets. He still has Ertz who will have his big games, but Goedert can be a top-12 tight end. He is owned in 55% of Yahoo Leagues, but less than 25% of ESPN leagues.
