The first week of the NFL season is like Christmas to those of us that play Fantasy Football.  Hopefully, you get the NFL Ticket for at least the 1st week for free and watched the Red Zone or just flipped games (my preference).  Wifi networks across America worked overtime, so all of us can check our scores constantly.  It is really one of the few days of the year (Sunday) that are just so much fun.

Week 1 Review

The first thing I want to say is that it’s only 1 week.  Do not panic if your team just sucked or you got destroyed in your match up against a team that went off.  On the flipside, your team is not that great if you went off.  Sure, nothing feels better than winning Week 1 by a huge margin.  Just remember, the only win that matters is the Championship.  Here are the notable things I saw in Week 1.  Stick to your established routine.  Check your players, stats, etc.  It’s Week 1, but you can make things happen for Week 2 no matter what.

  • Tampa Bay is still Fantasy relevant – QB Ryan Fitzpatrick did what he has done before giving him the nickname, FitzMagic.  He lit up the Saints DST, which is another story.  A healthy Desean Jackson (although has a concussion now) at WR really opened up the offense for Tampa.  Mike Evans has equal value with Fitzpatrick in the lineup.  So, if you had faded your Bucs in Week 1, then don’t do that again in Week 2.
  • Drew Brees is Back – The Saints defense was just terrible.  If that continues, then Brees will be back to his old self.  He was great for years and still got yards last year, but if they are in shoot outs all the time, then Brees will kill it.
  • Tyreke Hill is fast – No, Hill is not going to score 3 TDs again this year.  However, if you have him, you have to start him every week just in case he breaks a big play (which he can do on any play).  His raw speed is probably better than anyone in the league, and it is good to see Andy Reid utilizing it to the max.
  • Tennessee Titans are going to struggle offensively early on – It’s only one week, but the Titans lost their safety blanket in TE Delanie Walker for the year with a dislocated ankle – hope you didn’t see that one.  Mariota was knocked out early, so he may be fine, but if they ever rely on Blaine Gabbert, bench your guys.  Now, they also had an injury to Taylor Lewan, starting left tackle.  However, I don’t like early injuries on teams.  Watch your Titans closely in matchups.
  • Cleveland’s Defense May Be Great – Cleveland didn’t lose on Sunday with a tie against the Steelers.  The Defense forced 6 Steeler turnovers.  DE Myles Garrett is legit, and although the weather helped, I would not be looking at Cleveland as a cupcake anymore.  They may be the most improved unit in the league.
  • Alex Smith is a Fantasy Starter – KC lit up the Chargers without him, but Alex Smith looked incredible in his debut for Washington.  Smith had a career year last year, and he has a ton of weapons.  You can start Smith most weeks with confidence.
  • Aaron Rodgers is incredible – We will see if the injury limits him during the week, but A-Rod was just incredible in the 2nd half against the Bears.  Nobody is more accurate and as much as I hate to admit it, he is an excellent competitor.

Waiver Wire and FAAB Pick Ups

So, in Fantasy 101 (post below), we discussed one the important elements of a Fantasy League.  How your league rules require you to manage your roster.  There are 2 main ways to do it:  Waiver Wire or FAAB.

NFL – Fantasy Football 101

  • Waive Wire – Like pro teams, all the undrafted players sit in a pool where any team can pick them up given a specific schedule.  So, during a specified schedule, the team owner can attempt to pick up the player off of “Waivers” to “Add” to their team, usually with a corresponding “Drop” of a current player on the roster to maintain the Roster Limit.  Most leagues have a specified time when this can take place.  The general rule is that any player can be picked up prior to the kickoff of the next game, but there will be a defined time when “Waivers will run.”  Also, most leagues have a cost for every “Add” to your team that will accumulate through the season adding to the pool of money for the winners.  Some leagues also charge you for the “Drop.”
    • First Come First Served – Some leagues will open up Waivers at a given time, say 12 Noon on Tuesday when everyone can go to the Waiver Wire and claim a player.  This method is a bit chaotic, so not a lot of leagues do this.
    • Specified Order – The most popular method is the reverse standings order.  So, the team that is in last place will get the first selection off of the Waiver Wire, and up the standings in order.  Now, most leagues will run the Wire automatically at a given time at like 2 AM on Wednesday or Thursday morning.  So, all teams can put in their claims on their site in advance, and then they will run through the claims and assign the players who were claimed.  For example, if I want to pick up the hot new RB on Waivers, I will put in a claim for them with a corresponding Drop of a player on my roster.  If a team is earlier in the order for the same player, then I will not be given the player.  The computer will look to my 2nd claim I put in, if any, before moving to the next team.
  • FAAB or Free Agent Acquisition Budget – An alternative to the Waiver system is FAAB, which gives each team an allocation of Dollars (fictional) that teams can bid on Free Agents each week.  Now, the team that bids the highest for the player is awarded the player.  However, FAAB is not replenished, so once a player is acquired, then that amount is removed from the FAAB for the season.  There is a lot of strategy involved in this system, and it also levels out the fact that the worst teams will not always get the best Free Agents.  Typically, after the FAAB acquisitions are complete, then a normal Waiver Wire process will take place for non-priority free agents.  Most FAAB systems still charge teams for the Add/Drop.

Why am I reviewing all this?  Well, Week 2 is usually the first time anyone will look to add new players to their teams.  The Waiver Wire or FAAB system is essential in replacing injured players (like TEs Delanie Walker and Greg Olsen, WR Doug Baldwin, and even QBs like Aaron Rodgers).  Plus, teams can always speculate on new talent emerging as the season goes on.  I will go over some key guys below and every week to target, but what needs to be understood is that the Waiver Wire is key to your weekly routine, whether you pick up someone or not.  You should always see who is available and who is Added and Dropped.

Waiver Wire and FAAB Dos and Don’ts

  • Don’t – Go All In on Anyone – In the FAAB world, people will go nuts over the next great RB.  That is great, but you have to remember you have an entire season with that budget.  So, be realistic.  There are tons of podcasts (mentioned last week) or articles telling you how much FAAB to allocate to a player.  It is usually a percentage of your remaining budget.  Be judicious and don’t fall in love with the hot waiver name.
  • Do – Put in Multiple Claims – For both Waives and FAAB, it is important for you to put in multiple claims, especially if you have to replace an injured player.  Unless you are bidding all your FAAB or the 1st in Waiver Priority, then you will likely not get the top guy on Waivers.  If you absolutely have to replace someone, then be sure to target another player at that position.  I always do Player 1 Add with My Player Drop, Player 2 Add with My Player Drop (same player).  This way if Player 1 is gone, then I get Player 2, but I am giving up the same guy so I will not add too many players to my roster at once.  Of course, sometimes I do this with up to 4 players.  With FAAB, the same thing is true, but I may adjust the Bid Amount for Player 2 based on their ability and my research for the player.
  • Don’t – Freak Out – You will miss out on players you want, all the time.  Do not act rashly and take someone else just to do it.  Do your research upfront and if Player 2 is who you can use, then put in the 2nd claim, so you get your 2nd choice.  If you don’t get anyone, then there is always next week.  It’s a process.
  • Do – Review The Transactions – After Waivers run, it is a good idea to see who was Dropped and who still remains unclaimed.  I have seen several good players dropped by other teams who I picked up and started – WR Adam Thielen was one last year on my Championship team.  So, it is a good practice to review and put in another claim to players newly released.  Now, often times, leagues do not let you pick up newly dropped players for a day or so, that way everyone has a chance to claim them.  Check your league settings or ask your Commish.
  • Don’t – Think the Waive Wire or FAAB is it – The Waiver Wire and FAAB are great ways to improve your team, but firstly, it costs money in most leagues and not everyone on the Wire is going to lead you to the promised land.  Secondly, trading is a big part of Fantasy, and you can really improve your team there.  We will talk more about trades another time.
  • Do – Track Your Spending – FAAB is going to be tracked for you, which is important to know where you are when the bid goes in, but also with Waiver Wires, you should know those are real dollars you are spending in most leagues.  Don’t get carried away with adding and dropping all the time, since you will be paying up at the end of the season.  Also, if you are shrewd with your FAAB, then mid-season when you have more money than others, you will be able to get that top Free Agent that really matters for your team down the stretch.

I hope this review of the Waiver Wire and FAAB are helpful to you this week.

Week 2 – 4 x 4

Yes, last week it was the 4/4/4, but I realized I should add another 4 guys who you normally start and should not this week.

Waiver Wire Pickups (guys under 60% owned that should be)

  • Jonnu Smith, TE, Titans (1% Owned on CBS) – Smith will step in to fill in for Delanie Walker.  He has shown athleticism and good hands.  He should be a Top 10 TE the rest of the season.
  • Phillip Lindsay, RB, Broncos (2% Owned on CBS) – Lindsay is the 2nd back in the rotation and has passed Devonte Booker on the depth chart.  Lindsay got 15 carries and 3 targets in Week 1 compared to the rookie, Royce Freeman’s 15 carries and 0 targets.
  • Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks (41% Owned on CBS) – Top target Doug Baldwin was banged up coming in and got hurt even more leaving the game.  Lockett got a big TD for most of his production, but someone will be targeted here, and that should be Lockett.
  • TJ Yeldon, RB, Jaguars (23% Owned on CBS) – Leonard Fournette has a hamstring injury.  He may play on Sunday, but Yeldon has stand alone value for his pass catching abilities.  If you have Fournette, he is a must add.  If you need a guy or want to speculate, then he is worth the add, too.  I like him against New England either way.

From Week 1, if you didn’t pick up James Connor, than shame on you.  He is only 89% owned.  Has to be 100% owned.

Trade Targets (guys to go after now – still early to trade – Buy Low!!)

  • Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys – The Cowboys are not going to be the offense they have been in the past.  Elliott is probably not worth his draft stock (Top 5), but he is still going to be solid.  Make an offer to the now disgruntled Elliott owner and you can get a Top 12 RB for a good price.
  • Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans – Watson had an off game at New England.  With no Will Fuller in the lineup, his upside is limited.  However, I expect Watson to bounce back big time.  It is worth an offer to get him at this point.
  • Corey Davis, WR, Titans – Yes, the Titans offense will not be great.  However, Davis got a team high 13 targets and was missed on several of them.  He had 6 catches for 62 yards.  He will have some big games this year regardless of who is at QB.
  • Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs – Kelce only had 1 catch at the Chargers despite them scoring 38 points without him.  Kelce will have big games ahead.  Why not try to approach the scared owner now.

Sneaky Starts (Guys you may not think to start, but should) 

  • Jimmy Garappolo, QB, 49ers (FanDuel $7300) – Garappolo had a poor game against a great defense in Minnesota.  However, he comes home to play what looks to be a terrible Lions defense.  Start him with confidence in a Top 8 spot this week.
  • Adrian Peterson, RB, Redskins (FanDuel $6700) – AP had a great game in Week 1 with almost 100 yards and a TD.  He plays Indianapolis at home in Week 2.  He is a must start against that bad defense.
  • Nelson Agholor, WR, Eagles (FanDuel $6100)– Agholor had a ton of targets in Week1, but limited production.  He plays at Tampa who gave up mega yards to Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara.  He should have a big game.
  • Josh Gordon, WR, Browns (FanDuel $6300) – Gordon may not be sneaky this week, as the Saints looked terrible last week.  Desean Jackson scored on 2 deep TDs as did Mike Evans.  That is Gordon’s expertise.  He will score at New Orleans.

Week 1 review – Collins was a disappointment, but he did score a TD.  Wilkins was ok with 61 total yards, but he did get 17 touches.  Stills was incredible as expected – 2 TDs.  Jared Cook was my best call with a Top 5 all time yardage performance on Monday – 12 targets, 9 catches and 180 yards (no TD, but who cares).  Cook now has 2 of the Top 10 yardage performances by any TE in NFL history.

Guys To Avoid (Only if you have alternatives at the position)

  • Tom Brady, QB, Patriots (FanDuel $8500) – TB12 is the best of all time.  Maybe Belichick has a great game plan for the best defense in football.  If I had a good alternative, then I would sit Tommy.  Yes, it is crazy, but the Jags will be out for blood after the AFC Championship loss.
  • Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals (FanDuel $7100) – Mixon dominated in Week 1.  I like him a lot, and he would be tough to sit in most formats, but the Ravens are one of the best defenses in the league.  Mixon will struggle, and I see Bernard getting more involved this week.
  • Devonte Freeman, RB, Atlanta (FanDuel $6800) – Freeman is banged up, so if he plays he will split time anyway.  Tevin Coleman will not be great either against the Carolina Panther front.
  • Stefon Diggs, WR, Vikings (FanDuel $7400) – The Packers have improved their CBs in the off season.  Diggs was out targeted in Week 1 by Thielen and without the TD would have had a lackluster outing.  I think he struggles in Week 2 at Green Bay.

Alright, that is our week.  Good luck and send me questions on Twitter @Wegspool.

Wegs

About the author

I'm a 49 year old, twice divorced guy with a 20 year old. The blog has morphed a bit lately. Not just sports or dating, social commentary and now some stories from my past experience.