Every week in fantasy football, the waiver wire becomes a battleground where championships are won and lost. The landscape constantly shifts as injuries create unexpected opportunities and unknown players emerge from the shadows to deliver game-changing performances.
Competent fantasy managers know that success often hinges on identifying these diamond-in-the-rough pickups before the competition catches on. This week’s waiver wire presents another intriguing mix of players who could dramatically alter the trajectory of fantasy rosters.
Kendrick Bourne, San Francisco 49ers
Rostered: 4%
The time to add Kendrick Bourne was probably last week. By no means is Bourne a long-term solution for fantasy managers. He is 30 years old and has never been consistently productive in his career.
Last week, Bourne caught 10 passes for 142 yards. It was the best game of his career and largely a product of circumstance.
The San Francisco 49ers were without George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings. Bourne was the last man standing. It just happened to work out.
Both Pearsall and Jennings are tentatively expected to return this week. If even one returns, Bourne will not be startable.
The value in Bourne is that we now know he can produce if he’s the top receiver. How often will that happen? Given the 49ers’ injury issues, it is likely to happen again. If you have a roster spot available, there are worse players you can stash. But Bourne is not a priority add.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Ryan Flournoy, Dallas Cowboys
Rostered: 0%
Easily the most out-of-nowhere blow-up game of the week, Ryan Flournoy popped off for 114 yards on six receptions. With KaVontae Turpin out, Jalen Tolbert was the presumptive next man up. Instead, Flournoy came out of nowhere to end up as the most productive wide receiver in the game.
When a wide receiver sees nine targets and goes for over 100 yards, fantasy managers take notice. With that said, it’s hard to buy this as real. This was a weird game script where the New York Jets put up absolutely no resistance.
CeeDee Lamb is expected to return in a week or two from his ankle sprain. George Pickens remains the clear top option in the interim. His having only two receptions feels very fluky.
If you want to throw a few bucks at Flournoy, by all means, take the chance. I do not think he is worth it.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts
Rostered: 47%
At this point, it’s quite clear Josh Downs is never going to be an every-down player. Michael Pittman Jr. is the WR1. Alec Pierce typically serves as the starting Z receiver. With him out due to a concussion, Adonai Mitchell got the first crack at the role. After he was demoted due to his bonehead fumble on a walk-in touchdown last week, Ashton Dulin took over the role.
Downs is still a talented player. He’s produced big games before. But in what was his best game of the season, he caught a mere six passes for 54 yards. Everything was underneath.
There’s really no upside with Downs. He can be useful in the right game environment, but it’s hard to envision him ever having a full game with heavy usage. He played 50% of the snaps against the Colts. Downs is not a priority pickup.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.5
Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders
Rostered: 46%
Tre Tucker’s 8-145-3 explosion feels so long ago. He’s now alternated double-digit fantasy points with total duds all season. At the very least, if you need to start Tucker, there’s at least the potential for him to produce WR3-caliber numbers.
Tucker had another serviceable outing on Sunday, catching four passes for 62 yards, while adding a nine-yard rush. It’s just going to be very hard for anyone on the Las Vegas Raiders to produce consistently, which is why Geno Smith is playing this poorly.
If you want to add Tucker because you need someone to step in for a game, you can do worse. But he is not someone who needs to be picked up.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0