With Week 1 coming to an exciting conclusion with Monday Night Football, fantasy football managers have quickly set their sights on improving their rosters ahead of Week 2. With waivers set to run tonight in most leagues, we will jump right into some of the top waiver wire adds for those of you are lucky enough to play in IDP leagues. You truly don’t know what you are missing until you try it. Let’s dig in.
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Note: Rostered percentages provided via Yahoo! leagues
Johnathan Abram (S – LV): 15% rostered on Yahoo!
There is no excuse for there to be 19 safeties rostered in more leagues than Johnathan Abram. An exciting ball magnet who relishes laying the smackdown on his opponents, Abram racked up nine solo tackles, four assists, and a tackle for loss against the Carolina Panthers. He should only get better, as it is only a matter of time before he starts showing up on the sack sheet. One of the most exciting young safeties in the game, Abram needs to be added in all leagues. Rostered in just 15 percent of Yahoo leagues, Abram should be the top IDP target in leagues where he is still available.
Marcus Maye (S – NYJ) : 3% rostered on Yahoo!
Marcus Maye was absolutely lights out in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills. It may have been just one week, but Maye did his best Jamal Adams impression for the Jets. Maye recorded a sensational seven solo tackles, three assists, two sacks, two tackles for loss, two passes defended, and one forced fumble. For context, he had just .5 sacks and one tackle for loss in his entire three-year career prior to Week 1. He has a plus matchup against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 and should be started in all leagues that allow for two or more defensive backs. A burgeoning DB1, Maye is likely to be the hottest waiver add in deeper IDP leagues. Rostered in just three percent of Yahoo! leagues, Maye should be added wherever available.
Kenneth Murray (LB – LAC): 9% rostered on Yahoo!
Kenneth Murray led all Chargers linebackers with 91 percent of the snaps in Week 1, racking up eight total tackles, with four of them being of the solo variety. He should only get better as the season progresses and has a plus matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2. He should be extremely busy against the Chiefs scheme and could crack the double-digit tackle barrier. Rostered in just nine percent of Yahoo leagues, Murray could be counted among IDP’s LB1’s by the time the season is over.
Germaine Pratt (LB – CIN): 2% rostered on Yahoo!
Germaine Pratt dispelled all notion that he was in danger of losing his starting job by leading all Bengals linebackers with 73 percent of the snaps in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers. He responded with seven solo tackles and five assists for a total of 12 tackles for the week. He has a plus matchup this week and should be added in leagues that allow for two or more linebackers to be started. He may not reach LB1 level this season, but he more than certainly has a few more LB1 level production games left in him for the 2020 season. Pratt is available in 98 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Aldon Smith (DE – DAL): 7% rostered on Yahoo!
Aldon Smith partied like it was 2012 on Sunday Night Football. In a throwback game reminiscent of his 49ers days, Smith racked up an exciting six solo tackles, five assists, one sack, and one tackle for loss. He was incredibly active all over the field and should be added everywhere possible due to his DE eligibility. Smith will be seeing 4-3 snaps at defensive end, strong-side linebacker, and possibly at middle linebacker as well. Smith has a plus matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2, and if he can have another strong outing he can move himself into must-start territory.
Leonard Williams (DE – NYG): 0% rostered on Yahoo!
Leonard Williams looked like he regained his 2016 form in Week 1. He was a force against both the run and the pass and racked up three solo tackles, one assist, one sack, and two tackles for loss. He may not always be as busy as he was against the Steelers, but it was evident that he is in the form to continue playing at a high level. He has a plus matchup in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears and is worth a long look as a starter in leagues where two or more defensive ends or three or more defensive linemen can be started. Available in virtually every IDP league, it is worth a look to see if Willams is still on your wire.
Trey Flowers (DE – DET): 7% rostered on Yahoo!
Trey Flowers impressed in Week 1 and should be in line for a strong season for the Detroit Lions. He totaled five solo tackles, one assist, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. The Lions additions in their front seven should free Flowers up to wreak more havoc in 2020. Rostered in just 7 percent of Yahoo leagues, Flowers should be added in leagues that start two or more defensive linemen.
Jerome Baker (LB – MIA): 12% rostered on Yahoo!
It has of course been only one week, but Jerome Baker leads the NFL with 13 solo tackles and 16 total tackles overall. He is the unquestioned starter in the middle with Raekwon McMillan being shipped to Las Vegas and rounded out his Week 1 stat line with one sack, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. Baker may not be this active on a weekly basis, but this outing against Cam Newton and the Panthers serves to accentuate his upside. Baker should be treated as mid to low end LB2 going forward.
Josh Bynes (LB – CIN): 1% rostered on Yahoo!
Josh Bynes played well ahead of rookies Akeem Davis-Gaither and Logan Wilson, sliding in right behind Germaine Pratt in linebacker snaps (79 percent). Bynes was impressive in Week 1, and will likely continue to see starters snaps as the Bengals value his veteran leadership. He managed four solo tackles, four assists, one sack, and one tackle for loss against the Los Angeles Chargers, and should be a semi-consistent contributor going forward. His value may teeter between LB2 and LB3 based on the matchup, but he is active enough to continue to provide value as a starter in leagues that start two or more players at the LB position. Tap Bynes if you are in a deeper league and are in need of a linebacker.
Cameron Dantzler (CB – MIN): 1% rostered on Yahoo!
Rookie cornerback Cameron Dantzler led all Vikings cornerbacks in Week 1 by playing 82 percent of the snaps. A talented and physical corner who fell in the draft due to a poor 40 time at the 2020 NFL Combine, Dantzler had first round tape and numbers. He was solid in his NFL debut and projects to be a long term IDP force for those who play in CB leagues. Despite his thin build Dantzler can defend the run and rush the passer. Available in 99 percent of Yahoo! leagues Dantzler should be added where needed in CB leagues.
Dexter Lawrence (DT – NYG): 0% rostered on Yahoo!
Dexter Lawrence lined up almost exclusively at defensive tackle in Week 1 (76 percent of his snaps), recording two solo tackles, one assist, one sack, and one tackle for loss. Lawrence is one of the more talented defensive tackle eligible players in the league, and even warrants consideration as a matchup DT1 play in deeper leagues. For those in the deepest leagues, he may even be worth looking at in a DL3 or DL4 slot. There should be better days ahead for Lawrence who will be much more capable of recording multiple sacks when the opposing quarterback does not stand 6’5, 240 lbs like Ben Roethlisberger.
Jerry Tillery (DT – LAC): 0% rostered on Yahoo!
While Tillery is rostered in most deep IDP dynasty leagues, his rostered numbers suggest that he should be available in most redraft leagues. The Chargers run enough hybrid fronts for Tillery to become a consistent contributor in DT leagues. He is still more of a matchup based DT2, but he has the upside and talent to shed the qualifier. Tillery had a solid two solo tackles, one sack, and one tackle for loss against the Bengals and could have another solid game in Week 2 against the struggling Cleveland Browns.
Denico Autry (DT – IND): 0% rostered on Yahoo!
Autry is a defensive tackle with defensive end eligibility in most formats. Now while this will not matter if you play in DL leagues, those who play in leagues with one or more starting DT slots should take notice. Autry played 76 percent of the defensive snaps in Week 1, with 35 of his 38 snaps coming as an edge rusher. He managed to record two solo tackles, two sacks, and two tackles for loss to round out an excellent fantasy outing against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He will of course need to be more active in the tackle department to be a consistent producer, but his DT eligibility alone makes him worth the add. He should continue to see sack opportunities on a line with DeForest Buckner and Justin Houston, especially if he continues to see heavy snaps in the LEO role.
Janoris Jenkins (CB – NO): 3% rostered on Yahoo!
Janoris Jenkins makes for a very strong add for those in CB or interception heavy IDP formats. Jenkins should continue to be targeted in coverage due to playing with lockdown corner Marshon Lattimore. Jenkins is one of the top corners in the league when he is near the top of his game and could continue to produce in his second year in the Saints system. Jenkins racked up eight solo tackles, one assist, one touchdown, one interception, and one pass defended against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. Available in 97 percent of Yahoo! Leagues, Jenkins should be added in all CB leagues.
Casey Hayward (CB – LAC): 1% rostered on Yahoo!
Casey Hayward was much busier than expected in Week 1, totaling 12 solo tackles, and two passes defended against the Cincinnati Bengals. He will not be close to this good on a weekly basis, but this serves to show his considerable upside in the right matchups. Hayward could become a busy man if opponents start to treat Chris Harris Jr. as the number one corner, choosing to target Hayward in coverage instead.
Jeremy Chinn (S/LB – CAR): 3% rostered in Yahoo!
Jeremy Chinn was excellent for IDP managers who took a risk starting him in Week 1. He piled up seven solo tackles and one assist against the Las Vegas Raiders and looked every bit the part of an impact player in the NFL. He played 100 percent of the snaps for the Panthers, meaning that he is locked into an exciting everydown role for Carolina. He was used all over the field similar to how many hoped Isaiah Simmons‘ would be deployed. Chinn saw 29 snaps in the box, 18 snaps at safety, 11 snaps in the slot, and five snaps at the line of scrimmage. Chinn is going to quickly become one of the top players in IDP, with his safety eligibility making him all the more valuable.
Jeffery Simmons (DT – TEN): 1% rostered on Yahoo!
Jeffrey Simmons shined on Monday Night Football. He created constant pressures and caused havoc against the run. He was held off the sack sheet but recorded three solo tackles, one assist, and one fumble recovery. Simmons looks to be fully over the injury that caused him to slip to the Titans at the 19th pick the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft and is set to show the NFL that he indeed deserved to be drafted inside the top-10.
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (CB/S – NO): 1% rostered on Yahoo!
I was very excited about Chauncey Gardner-Johnson’s prospects for the 2020 season following Vonn Bell‘s departure in free agency. However, the Saints decided to stick CGJ in the slot as opposed to having him bump former second round pick Marcus Williams from the starting lineup. Gardner-Johnson is versatile enough to play either role, but the fear was that his tackle opportunities and aggressiveness as a pass rusher would be limited in the slot corner role. However, if Week 1 and his nine solo tackles, one assist, and one pass defended is any indication, CGJ may be busy regardless of where he lines up. CGJ played 39 slot snaps, but also saw four snaps on the outside, 15 snaps in the box as a safety, and three snaps near the line of scrimmage. Available in 99 percent of Yahoo! leagues, he is worth adding in all leagues with one or more CB positions.
B.J. Goodson (LB – CLE): 0% rostered in Yahoo! leagues
B.J. Goodson is the ocean deep league special. Left on most waiver wires despite it being announced that he would be an unquestioned starter with Mack Wilson injured, Goodson accrued five solo tackles and four assists on 83 percent of the snaps. He should continue to see heavy snaps until Wilson’s return at which time the Browns will need to decide whether or not to replace Goodson or Sione Takitaki in the starting lineup. Goodson should be added in all deeper IDP leagues, even if it is just as a depth play.
Sione Takitaki (LB – CLE): 0% rostered in Yahoo leagues
Sione Takitaki led all Cleveland Browns linebackers by playing 93 percent of the snaps in Week 1. He recorded five solos, two assists, and one QB hit and should continue to be a bear everydown player for the Browns at least until Mack Wilson returns. Takitaki should be added to watch lists and deserves to be rostered in the deepest of IDP leagues.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.
