Levi Chappell discusses which players you should consider grabbing from your dynasty league’s waiver wire.
This piece is part of our article program that features quality content from experts exclusively at FantasyPros. For more insight from Levi, head to Dynasty League Football, and follow him on Twitter @LeviChappell.
I am a big fan of Bill Murray, and one of my favorite films that he starred in was Groundhog Day. One morning, Phil (Murray’s character) wakes up and is living the exact same day as yesterday, and this continues every single morning he wakes up. It seems as though no matter what he does, he wakes up on the same day, over and over again. He tries different tactics each day to break the repetitive cycle. He gets in a police chase, jumps off a building, answered all the questions to Jeopardy, and even drops a plugged-in toaster into the bathtub he is sitting in. Phil just wanted the day to end.
You may feel like Phil, but instead of it being February 3, it is weekly fantasy, and you cannot figure out how to break the cycle. No matter what you try, it doesn’t seem to work. You try streaming a defense who ends up giving you negative points or you play the “upside” wide receiver who scores you three points…nothing works.
It was not until Phil realized that he had to be truly happy and kind toward others before the calendar would finally move to February 4. That may be the case for you as well, and you may need to realize that life could get a whole lot worse, but stay positive and keep fighting!
So whether you are a “work in progress” like I stated above, or a multiple-year champ, the waiver wire is one of the best ways to cultivate talent for your squad while not breaking the bank to do so. Staying on top of the latest news and being the first to pull the trigger will play a vital role in building and/or restructuring your squad. It can be a time commitment to stay involved and on top of the latest transactions, but it will pay off in the long run.
Some of the names that I will be listing below and in future articles will already be owned in your league. If you are in a 10-team league, many of these players may be available, but if you are in a 12- or 14-team league, fewer may be available. For the most part, I will be listing players that are owned in less than 40% of 12-team leagues.
Get free start/sit and waiver wire advice for your fantasy team 
Elijah McGuire (RB – NYJ)
With Bilal Powell going down for the year, we were all curious as to who would benefit most behind Isaiah Crowell, and Week 8 did not paint us a clear picture. Trenton Cannon was the popular name last week, but he struggled on the day, turning nine touches into 22 yards. McGuire will be coming off of the IR shortly, and he showed flashes when he played for the Jets in the previous year. He may be in line for a decent role once he gets back into the lineup.
Josh Adams (RB – PHI)
How many running backs from Philadelphia have I mentioned so far this year in these articles? The next one in line seems to be Adams who lead all Philly runners in carries and rushing yards across the pond on Sunday. Adams looked really good and could be in line for a serious increase in usage. The Eagles are still trying to find out who is there best healthy running back, and it may be Adams. Consider Adams a top priority for your dynasty roster.
Dontrelle Inman (WR – IND)
Another growing trend on these articles is Colts wide receivers. Do me a favor, name the Colts’ WR2 behind T.Y. Hilton…I’ll wait. Nothing? Ya, me neither.
The Colts are one of the few teams in the NFL to have a complete rotation between WR2 and WR5. Inman signed with the Colts recently and instantly became a part of the game plan. He saw seven targets which he turned into six catches for 52 yards. We know that Inman can play ball due to his Chargers days, so if you are in need of a deep dive for a wide receiver, Inman may be your guy.
Cordarrelle Patterson (WR – NE)
He is listed as a wide receiver, or should we call him a running back? In what could probably be considered typical New England fashion, a complete unknown or random player led them in rushing. Patterson led the team in carries and rushing yards in Week 8…yes, the return specialist/speedster was their primary ball carrier. While his value is very low going forward due to Sony Michel coming back at some point, he does carry value as an insurance policy since the Patriots don’t play until Sunday night next week.
Chris Conley (WR – KC)
Tyreek Hill is nursing a groin injury which knocked him out of the game on Sunday. That means that Conley could be elevated to the WR2 position behind Sammy Watkins, and a starting receiver position in the Chiefs offense could be instant fantasy relevance. With the way that offense can put up points, owning a starting skill position player is a smart move to stash on your bench.
Seth Roberts (WR – OAK)
Talk about a depleted skill position group. The wide receivers for the Oakland Raiders are now Roberts, Jordy Nelson, and Brandon Lafell…ouch. Based on the names that I just listed, Roberts could end up being the de facto #1 wide receiver job in Oakland. He saw four targets and turned that into 46 yards and a touchdown. Being a Raiders wide receiver doesn’t hold much value, but picking up a team’s #1 wide receiver off of waivers is not all bad.
Vyncint Smith (WR – HOU)
Here is a deep dive for you dynasty nuts out there. Will Fuller is done for the season with an ACL tear, and while Sammie Coates may be the popular name to pick up…I would target Smith. He is a Division II guy and completely unknown, but he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds and profiles similar to Fuller. Some of these young guys need an opportunity to show what they can do (ex. Marquez Valdes-Scantling), and Smith gets that opportunity now. Keke Coutee looks like he will primarily occupy the slot, leaving the starting spot opposite Hopkins wide open in Houston’s offense.
Other players to watch out for:
- Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB – TB)
- Chris Ivory (RB – BUF)
- Rishard Matthews (WR – NYJ)
- Chris Herndon IV (TE – NYJ)
- Ed Dickson (TE – SEA)
Import your team to My Playbook for instant Waiver Wire advice
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | TuneIn | RSS
