
Photo via: Redskins/Facebook
Now that the first week of football is in the books, it's time to put in those waiver claims and strengthen your overall roster. You may be loaded from top to bottom, and have no moves that need to be made. Sometimes, no move is the best move. But that's not the case for every roster, and injuries often create the need for free agents. Right Tyreek Hill owners? Without further ado, let's take a look at some targets on the waiver wire heading into week 2.
Some of these players are good for the short-term, while others have more long-term value. You have to make the call on what your team needs. Immediate help to start this week, or a player to stash on your bench and hope he breaks out.
QB
Josh Allen picked up where he left off from last season putting together a solid fantasy performance. He had a couple TDs and some of that sweet sweet rushing production that fantasy owners covet. He has a great chance to put up some numbers against the Giants this week just like Dak Prescott did on Sunday. He's available in 80% of ESPN leagues.
Matthew Stafford had a great game against the Cardinals, and it looks like his connection with rookie TE T.J. Hockenson will be a big boost for the offense. He gets the Chargers this week, and should be a good option for fantasy. He's owned in 16% of ESPN leagues.
Andy Dalton showed some chemistry with John Ross in week 1, and Dalton has typically been a QB that's pretty good every other year. Maybe this is one of his good years, and A.J. Green should return at some point to give the offense a boost. He has a nice matchup against the 49ers this week. He is only owned in 4.2% of ESPN leagues.
RB
Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson should get more work going forward with Derrius Guice dealing with a knee issue. Thompson is a nice option in PPR, and Peterson showed last year that he can still get it done. Peterson is owned in 27% of ESPN leagues and Thompson is owned in just under 19% of leagues. They play the Cowboys this week which means Thompson might be the better play in PPR with the Redskins likely playing from behind. Peterson is a better add in standard scoring, but both players should be rostered.
Carlos Hyde: Hyde surprised me on Monday night running with power and showing he still has some juice. He'll share the load with Duke Johnson, but he should get a lot of opportunity on what looks to be a great offense. He's owned in 39% of ESPN leagues, and gets the Jags this week. Not bad.
Giovani Bernard: It looks like the Bengals dodged a bullet and Joe Mixon shouldn't miss much time, but while he's out, Bernard is a great fantasy option. Mixon isn't a lock to miss time, so you'll have to monitor his status this week. Bernard catches a lot of passes when given the opportunity, and has shown he can handle the load when Mixon is out. Nothing scary about his matchup with the 49ers this week, and Mixon owners should definitely pick him up as insurance. Bernard is more of a short-term option, and he's only owned in 32% of ESPN leagues.
Ronald Jones showed some good signs in week one rushing for 75 yards on just 13 carries. The Bucs spent significant draft capital on him, and would love to see that payoff. Also, Winston looked terrible, and they may look to lean a little more on the running game. His ownership in ESPN leagues is a little over 40%. Jones plays the Panthers on Thursday night if you're desperate.
WR
John Brown tops the list because he was highly involved in the offense. He received 10 targets in week 1 and recorded over 100 receiving yards. This offense needs a No. 1 WR, and Brown looks to be that guy. He's owned in 35% of ESPN leagues.
DK Metcalf flashed on Sunday and was way more involved in the offense than I expected. He had the most targets on the team, and his size could make him a big threat in the red zone. He's owned in 63% of ESPN leagues, so you might have missed out on him. Metcalf gets the Steelers this week.
Marquise Brown: What a pleasant surprise he was on Sunday. It turns out the Ravens have themselves an offense. Brown wasn't on the field a ton, but you saw what he can do especially on deep balls. DeSean Jackson 2.0 seems about right. Brown is available in 72% of ESPN leagues, and has a juicy matchup against the Cardinals in week 2. Remember, Arizona is down their top 2 corners right now. I think Brown has the most long-term value at WR, and I would target him first if I have the option to put him on my bench.
Others of note:
Jamison Crowder had a ridiculous 17 targets against the Bills this week, and we know Adam Gase loves his slot receivers. Bills CB Tre'Davious White kept Robbie Anderson in check for most of the game which led to more opportunities for Crowder. Crowder's target share will surely go down, and he seems to be injured a lot, so I'm not running to add him just yet. He's owned in 70% of ESPN leagues.
John Ross exploded for the Bengals week 1 and maybe there's hope for him yet. Notice the trend of small speed receivers having success this week. Ross, DeSean Jackson, and Marquise Brown all had big performances. Ross is worth watching especially while A.J. Green is out, and he gets the 49ers this week. He is available in 95% of ESPN leagues.
TE
Darren Waller had a solid performance against the Broncos on Monday night recording seven catches for 70 yards. His role in the offense increased after the departure of Antonio Brown. Add him if you need help at TE, he's only rostered in 26% of ESPN leagues.
Greg Olsen is available in 33% of ESPN leagues, and he may be able to help you...until he gets hurt again. He plans to play on Thursday night against the Bucs, but he's already dealing with a back issue.
Jimmy Graham came through with a TD catch against the Bears, and that's really all you're hoping for with him. TE is a wasteland for the most part, so Graham does have some appeal because of the position scarcity. He's available in 53% of ESPN leagues.
If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up on Twitter or listen to my radio show with Jerry Bo Sundays from 10-noon on ESPN 97.5 FM. We talk all things fantasy football and NFL gambling getting you ready for kickoff every Sunday.
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Era of excellence: The pinnacle of Houston sports history unveiled
Dec 6, 2023, 3:19 pm
The Houston Astros were in need of some serious help in the bullpen with Phil Maton, Hector Neris, and Ryne Stanek likely leaving this year in free agency.
The Houston Astros have acquired RHP Dylan Coleman from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for RHP Carlos Mateo. pic.twitter.com/hDYuBLn2Kv
— Houston Astros (@astros) December 6, 2023
While some fans were getting concerned about the quiet offseason, the club has made two moves this week to get the ball rolling.
First the team signed Victor Caratini to be the backup catcher, and now they have added some relief pitching.
The Astros traded pitching prospect Carlos Mateo to the Royals for RHP pitcher Dylan Coleman.
Coleman appeared in 96 games in the past three seasons for KC, including 68 games in 2022 and 23 games last season. He has a career 3.88 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. He’s fastball (95 mph), slider (81) and cutter (90) and walked 57 batters and struck out 99 in 92 2/3 innings.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) December 6, 2023
Coleman is under club control for the next several years, and made just over $700,000 in 2022. With the Astros right up against the tax threshold, this is a good way to add to the bullpen without having to hand out a large contract.
The Royals had a tough roster decision to make with Coleman, and the Astros made the decision easy for them by making the trade.
Something to note
There's a reason Kansas City wasn't determined to protect Coleman from the Rule 5 Draft. Despite his decent numbers over the last three seasons, 2023 was a rough year for him, posting an 8.84 ERA over 23 games.
In fact, Coleman pitched more innings (30.2) for the Royals AAA team than he did for the big league club (18.1) in 2023.
Hopefully, the Astros can get him back on track this season with some help from their highly touted player development program.
You can watch some of his 2022 highlights above.