Fantasy Football: Waiver wire finds from the Deep State heading into Week 1

Most fantasy football drafts are in the books and the regular season is finally here. If you’re still shaping your roster due to injury or depth concerns, there are some waiver wire gems to be had.

Fantasy Football: Waiver wire finds from the Deep State heading into Week 1

With Week 1 of the regular season upon us, you may still be tinkering with your fantasy football roster. There are still plenty of quality options available on the waiver wire to bolster your fantasy squad’s depth before Sunday’s kickoff. Here are some of the most attractive options available on the wire.

Quarterback

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Since 2011, Stafford has averaged nearly 4,400 yards passing and 25 touchdowns and 13 interceptions per season. Last season was the first time he started all 16 games without topping 4,000 yards. The cause for the dip? A slow-paced, run-first offensive philosophy by head coach Matt Patricia.

The Detroit Lions replaced their offensive coordinator in the offseason with the run-happy Darrell Bevell, but Stafford remains a viable short-term option in any league. He might not regularly top 300 yards, but he’s efficient and can be trusted as a streaming option or short-term injury replacement.

Running Back

Ty Montgomery, New York Jets

New York Jets head coach Adam Gase has admitted that he wants to avoid wearing Le’Veon Bell down this season. Enter Ty Montgomery, a less-prized free agent pickup on the Jets running back depth chart. Look for Gase to utilize Montgomery’s versatile skill set in numerous ways this season. Montgomery is just two seasons removed from gaining 1,171 all-purpose yards with Green Bay. He’s not an RB2 but could be flex-worthy depending on Bell’s workload and Gase’s gameplan.

Dare Ogunbowale, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I participated in a draft where I made Ogunbowale my final draft selection. People in the room laughed. That’s when I knew I was going to win the league this year. Ogunbowale has been anointed as the third-down back in a pass-heavy Tampa Bay offense. There are only two other backs on the roster in Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones, so there’s a chance Ogunbowale could end up the lead back by mid-season.

Wide Receiver

Albert Wilson, Miami Dolphins

Two of Miami’s top three receivers from last season, Danny Amendola and Kenny Stills, are gone. Albert Wilson takes over the slot position for a team that figures to be playing from behind a lot this season. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick loves to target the slot receiver, and it’s also where he’s most effective. Though Miami is slated to be one of the worst teams this season, don’t discount the potential for fantasy production, especially with Wilson.

 

Kenny Stills, Houston Texans

Speaking of Stills, he has a unique skill set other Texans receivers lack: the ability to stay healthy. He’s started 47 of a possible 48 games the last three seasons. Granted, in those years he averaged 47 receptions, 708 yards and 7 TD’s on some bad Miami teams.

Stills is currently listed behind Will Fuller on the depth chart, but both Fuller and slot receiver Keke Coutee have checkered medical histories. If Stills becomes a prominent part of this offense, look for numbers closer to his best year in New Orleans, where he hauled in 63 passes for 931 yards.

Tight End

Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts

In our AFC South studs and duds article, I pointed out how Jack Doyle finished second in targets for the Indianapolis Colts from 2016-2017. New starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett was Doyle’s QB for one of those two seasons, so the two have already shown chemistry together. Injuries robbed Doyle of most of his 2018 season, but he’s back and paired with Brissett again, who loves targeting the tight end.

T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions

As I mentioned earlier, the Lions hired run-first Darrell Bevell to run the offense in 2019. The good news? Bevell also loves utilizing the tight end if he has a good one. While in Seattle, TE Jimmy Graham averaged 58 receptions, 683 yards and 6 TD’s from 2015-2017. Bevell may like to run first, but he also won’t hesitate to throw to the tight end. Though tight ends don’t normally see a lot of success in their first year, Hockenson could break that trend in Bevell’s offense.

Travis Yates is a writer for the Pro Football Network covering the Cincinnati Bengals and Fantasy Football. Travis is also a co-host of the Fantasy Fixers podcast for PFN. You can follow him on Twitter @TheTravisYates.

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