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Matt MacKay's must-have fantasy football bench stashes and sleepers. He picks high-upside NFL players to target in fantasy drafts and stash on your teams.
Fantasy football often requires thinking ahead of the competition. This article introduces high-upside bench stashes to target on league waiver wires ahead of Week 2, as most leagues use either a free-agent auction-based (FAAB) waiver system or a standard worst-to-first order for top waiver priority.
Either way, taking advantage of players ahead of plus-matchups in Week 3 is one of the best strategies to implement to save your FAAB budget or waiver priority. It also allows you to acquire trade assets for future trade packages for a player rostered on a different fantasy manager's team.
Week 3 offers a few potential matchups that may rely on these waiver wire players. Managers might drop a good player off of a lousy week in favor of the hot name from Week 2. So it helps to understand your league while monitoring the waiver wire for any of the following players this weekend.
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Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
18 seasons into his career, grizzled veteran Ben Roethlisberger still holds fantasy value. It could be a cathartic year for Roethlisberger with a young, rebuilt offensive line, rookie star running back Najee Harris, and new offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
A defensive battle broke out in Week 1, but Roethlisberger threw a late-game fade to the corner of the end zone, connecting with Diontae Johnson to seal a massive win on the road against Buffalo. He threw for under 200 yards and only one touchdown, but it was a top-tier defensive unit led by cornerback Tre'Davious White.
In Week 3, Roethlisberger faces the Cincinnati Bengals. He has a 3:1 win-to-loss ratio against the Bengals, who just allowed Kirk Cousins to throw for over 350 yards in Week 1. So stash Roethlisberger on your bench and await the Week 3 kickoff before inserting him into your lineup to reap a bevy of fantasy points.
Daniel Jones, New York Giants
If Daniel Jones remains on your league waiver wires, as he does in 90 percent of ESPN leagues, prioritize adding him off of waivers for a plus-matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. We saw Jones use his mobility to lead the Giants in rushing yards (95) against Washington in Week 2, including a rushing touchdown. But, most importantly, he played a turnover-free game, as his fumbling tendencies ceased to exist.
The Falcons fared decently against the Eagles' wideouts in Week 1, holding them to the 16th-highest fantasy points per game (FPPG) against wide receivers. However, Jones' rushing upside creates a high floor. If his receivers can avoid drops, you'll be sitting atop the leaderboards in Week 3 when he gets the Falcons at home.
James White, New England Patriots
It might not feel exciting to stash James White, but he's a proven veteran that knows Josh McDaniels' offense very well. He looked in peak form against the Miami Dolphins, hauling in six of seven targets for 49 yards. White saw an 18.4 percent target share to save his low 37.3 percent snap share. This is par for the course, as White offers a safe floor in PPR formats.
The matchup is extremely difficult but White will thrive as the safety valve against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3. White will be the dump-off running back for rookie quarterback Mac Jones.
Zach Pascal, Indianapolis Colts
Carson Wentz found Zach Pascal on both of his Week 1 touchdown passes against what appeared to be a vastly improved Seattle defense. A lot of fantasy managers aren't willing to buy into the performance, as running backs Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines combined for 15 of Wentz's 38 targets in their blowout loss.
The Colts draw another tough opponent at home from the NFC West in Week 2, facing Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. However, Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans presents arguably the best wide receiver matchup for Pascal to exploit. The Titans surrendered the second-highest FPPG to the Arizona Cardinals' wide receiving corps in Week 1. The Titans lost a ton of key players from their secondary in 2020, where they still ranked second in FPPG allowed to opposing wideouts.
Michael Pittman Jr. could quickly become the WR1 for Indianapolis but Pascal clearly has the trust of Wentz, particularly in the red zone. The fourth-year wideout flies low on fantasy radars every year, so make sure you grab him before it's too late. You don't want to miss Pascal's Week 3 explosion.
K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings might be playing from behind quite a bit in 2021. The defense looks bad and the offensive line continues to struggle in pass protection, meaning Kirk Cousins could attempt 40-plus passes in most games moving forward.
Second-year wideout K.J. Osborn exploded onto the scene in Week 1, tying Justin Jefferson in targets (nine) and finishing with seven receptions for 76 yards. Talk about a high floor! We'll see whether or not the Vikings continue to use Osborn as their primary slot receiver against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2. Even if his targets are reduced to five, knowing that he is the clear-cut WR3 in an underrated passing offense creates good value as a bench stash.
Week 3 will be Minnesota's home debut, where Osborn won't have to deal with the elements and receives a friendly atmosphere. The Seattle Seahawks appear to be a tougher defensive unit than they were in 2020, while their offense is vastly improved under new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. This is the perfect recipe for Cousins to air it out to his receivers, so Osborn is certainly a stash off waivers this weekend, especially if he winds up seeing nine targets again in the desert.
Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys
Many expected the healthy return of Blake Jarwin to dominate as the Cowboys' TE1 but instead saw Dalton Schultz out-snap and out-target Jarwin in Week 1. While it's only one game, it was against arguably the best defense in the league, which forced quarterback Dak Prescott to attempt 58 passes.
In Week 3, the Cowboys return home for what promises to be a thrilling Monday Night Football matchup against Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. Ezekiel Elliot may continue to struggle against stout defensive lines, forcing OC Kellen Moore to continue a pass-centric approach. Schultz hauled in all six of his targets for 45 yards, compared to Jarwin's three catches for 20 yards on four targets.
Get yourself a piece of the Dallas offense, as their passing game might go nuclear in 2021. Stashing the TE1 on a pass-centric offense is a wise choice, as consistent TE1 fantasy finishes are difficult to find outside of the top-three.
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