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Week 1 Beating the Waiver Wire: Last Minute Adds

The fantasy football season is basically 17 week-long cycles where you go through a process of trying to create a team with the best chance to win for the week and for the season. Generally, the week goes something like this; Sunday you get up and indulge in as many games as you possibly can. You play Monday Morning Quarterback the following day analyzing what you saw. Tuesday and Wednesday you start tinkering with your team for the week by adjusting lineups and pouring over waiver wire articles which should be coming from our talented RotoBaller writing staff (Yes, that's a shameless plug to my own RB article. Also check out our WR and QB articles from week 1) . By Thursday some serious decisions need to be made and an initial lineup needs to be set in time for the Thursday night game, which of course you will find a way to watch. Finally you get out of work Friday and see a glorious weekend ahead.

But the work is not done my friends. The moves that you make Friday and Saturday can change the result of your game that week and maybe even the outcome of your season. By this time, injury reports are out, practice notes are in, and even though the waiver wire has been picked over earlier in the week, there are still some potential week-saving gems out there. Which brings us to the point of this article...to find those fill-in, desperation gems that can win you a week or be valuable over the course of a season. Again, the high priority waiver wire finds have been written about all week. Here, we are digging a little deeper and finding guys that you can use in a pinch, or long shots that may play out down the road.

Editor’s Note: RotoBaller's NFL Premium Subscriptions are your secret weapon. Sign up now and get access to our in-house developed tools including the DFS matchups tool, lineup sleepers/streamers tool, live expert Q&A chats, DFS lineups picks newsletter, ADP draft sleepers tool & much more. 

 

Week 1 Waiver Wire Adds: Quarterbacks (QB)

Derek Carr (OAK) - 35% owned in all FleaFlicker Leagues

In week 1 you probably don't need a QB fill in. Nobody has had a surprise injury pop up and nothing has changed enough since the draft that you will need to start Derek Carr this week. However, if you are looking for a second QB in a two-QB league, or just someone backup your starter, Carr may not be a bad option. He threw 599 times last season, 7th in the league for 2014 and 2nd most by a rookie QB in the history of the NFL. The only other rookie QB's to eclipse 550 attempts were all number 1 overall draft picks by the names of Sam Bradford, Peyton Manning, and Andrew Luck. Not bad company. This season, Carr adds dynamic rookie WR Amari Cooper to the mix, which signals to me that Carr will only improve on his 3,270 yard, 21 TD, 20th place fantasy QB finish from 2014.

 

Week 1 Waiver Wire Adds: Running Backs (RB)

Benny Cunningham (STL) - 10% owned in all FleaFlicker Leagues

This is likely a one-week play, but Cunningham can definitely provide some value this week even though he faces the daunting Seattle defense. Rookie sensation, and eventual starter, Todd Gurley has been ruled out for the week and his supposed replacement, Tre Mason, is questionable with a hamstring injury. Mason didn't practice at all this week which opens the door for Cunningham to be a decent desperation play based on the volume that he should get alone.

Chris Polk (HOU) - 21% owned in all FleaFlicker Leagues

Bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp. If you've had the pleasure of watching Hard Knocks this season, you know this is Chris Polk's saying. You also know that he's a real character and fun to pull for. As of right now, the situation in Houston is that eventual lead back, Arian Foster, is likely out for the first four weeks and potentially beyond. This leaves Alfred Blue as the week one starter in a tough matchup against the Chiefs. Blue will get the carries this week, but I'm not sure how successful he'll be, which could leave Polk as the next guy in line with a much easier schedule in the coming weeks against the Bucs, Falcons and Colts in weeks 3-5. If you're anticipating needing some help during those weeks, or want some trade bait for before Foster returns, add Polk.

 

Week 1 Waiver Wire Adds: Wide Receivers (WR)

Brandon LaFell (NE) - 52% owned in all FleaFlicker Leagues

Normally we don't highlight players that are more than 50% owned on our waiver wire pieces, but in my opinion LaFell is a special case. He was put on the PUP designated to return list earlier this week, which means he's out for at least six games. This has made him the #1 most dropped position player that wasn't cut this week, so this own percentage is only going to continue to drop. Here is how I see it...LaFell is a luxury, not a necessity. If you can carry him for six weeks while he heals up I think it will be worth the reward. LaFell was WR22 last season and the Pats passing offense looked electric last night against Pittsburgh. Eventually teams will double and triple team Gronk (not that it will completely stop him) and LaFell will reap the rewards of one on one coverage in the second half as he did last season.

Corey "Philly" Brown (CAR) - 7% owned in all FleaFlicker Leagues

Brown had a terrible pre-season, there is no dancing around that fact. However, he has some skills and is starting in week one with a healthy Cam Newton at the helm. I expect Cam to look to Greg Olsen early and often, but I'm sure Jacksonville is expecting that too, meaning that Brown, who is starting alongside Ted Ginn at WR, will be Cam's next look. A desperation play indeed, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Philly get 10 targets in this game.

 

Week 1 Waiver Wire Adds: Tight Ends (TE)

Richard Rodgers (GB) - 25% owned in all FleaFlicker Leagues

With Jordy Nelson out for the season there are a lot of targets to go around in Green Bay. Sure, Davante Adams will eat up most of them, but I have a feeling that in the red zone, Rodgers may become a favorite of Aaron Rodgers. I expect the Pack to move up and down the field against the Chicago Bears defense on Sunday and spend a lot of time in the aforementioned red zone making a Rodgers to Rodgers TD hookup more than likely.

 

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