Week 1 of the 2022 NFL fantasy football season has finally arrived, and we have you covered for all of your waiver wire questions. While most fantasy owners will stand pat after your fantasy football draft, staying flexible with your roster can swing a matchup.
Pay attention to the top names on the waiver wire all season long. Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devin Duvernay is one of the top available players on most waiver wires right now. We’ll dive into Duvernay’s value against the New York Jets for Week 1.
Should you add Devin Duvernay from the waiver wire for Week 1?
Available in 83 percent of Yahoo leagues and 98 percent of ESPN leagues, Duvernay was buried on most fantasy draft boards. The public’s interpretation of Duvernay’s fantasy value is low considering he’s a projected starter on a team with playoff expectations. Are we all sleeping on Duvernay?
The third-year receiver battled with James Proche II and Tylan Wallace for the No. 2 job across from Rashod Bateman. Injuries limited everyone within that three-man group from establishing themselves, causing fantasy managers to fade each. But that means the waiver wire will heat up if Lamar Jackson and one of these playmakers connect for a big game early on.
It’s fair to question how much of an opportunity Duvernay will have weekly, even as Marquise Brown now resides in Arizona with Kyler Murray. Tight end Mark Andrews is undoubtedly the star pass-catcher, and Bateman was efficient enough last year to project for a consistent workload even if he’s not explosive. But this offense needs speed and downfield playmaking.
Duvernay is a vertical threat, even if he’s averaged only 8.9 yards per catch on 53 receptions over his two-year career. The Ravens have to do a better job of getting him into schemed downfield opportunities. Jackson is a strong vertical passer, and the offense must hit deep shots in order for this unit to work effectively.
While the opportunity is certainly there, this isn’t the week to bench one of your stars to pick up Duvernay. The Jets revamped their defensive backfield with needed upgrades. Even if they hadn’t, this unit ranked 15th in fantasy points allowed to receivers last year. They should be a top-10 team after adding Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed, and Jordan Whitehead.
However, there are more advantageous matchups coming should your team suffer an injury that requires you to add a body. Matchups against New England, Cincinnati, the New York Giants, Carolina, and Jacksonville will have Duvernay facing some slower, more vulnerable cornerbacks even if the defenses are good overall. It’s possible Duvernay could become a situational flex option or bench receiver if he proves to have one big scoring play in him every few games.
That bar is not particularly high. Brown’s 146 vacated targets and Sammy Watkins’ 49 vacated targets have to go to someone. Even if Duvernay gets 40 of those, he’ll get close to 100 on the season if he’s adding in his 47 from last year. Any receiver seeing close to 100 targets should be rostered in most fantasy leagues.
Then again, the Ravens are a uniquely-built team. Keep an eye on Duvernay’s waiver wire status if you need a variance play over the next couple of weeks. He could reward you handsomely when you need it most.
