We’re more than a third done with the fantasy football regular season. Do not get waiver wire fatigue! The allure of fantasy drafts and hot starts is wearing off means you can easily separate yourself from casual league mates and dominate the rest of the season. Here are some names to keep in mind for this week’s waiver claims.
Running Backs
Joshua Kelley (RB – LAC): 1% rostered
Kelley asserted himself today as a candidate to be Austin Ekeler‘s clear handcuff. We learn time and time again how valuable these handcuffs are, so if you roster Ekeler, I’d highly consider grabbing Kelley.
Rachaad White (RB – TB): 24% rostered
White was steadily involved with the Bucs’ offense today. He showed potential as both a runner and pass-catcher. While he’s not exactly startable in standard-sized leagues yet, he could get there sooner rather than later. If Fournette misses any time, it’s wheels up for the rookie.
Wide Receivers
Alec Pierce (WR – IND): 9% rostered
Pierce and the Colts played Thursday, he was also on my list here last week. However, I’m including him again because he just caught eight passes for 81 yards in an ugly game. I’m excited to see what his numbers could look like in a shootout.
Dyami Brown (WR – WAS): 0% rostered
If you’re in an incredibly deep league, and only an incredibly deep league, why not take a shot on someone who caught two passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns today?
Khalil Shakir (WR – BUF): 1% rostered
Happy Gabe Davis Day to those who celebrate. That being said, I’m all in on young players who produce and are in good offenses. Who isn’t? Shakir, a 2022 fifth-round pick, caught three of his five targets for 75 yards and a touchdown. He’s likely not startable until these numbers can be expected with some degree of consistency, but the prospects of Shakir are nice.
Darius Slayton (WR – NYG): 1% rostered
As long as the Giants are riding this newfound wave of success, why not roster their WR1? Sterling Shepard is out for the year, and the statuses of Kadarius Toney, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Kenny Golladay are about as reliable as advice from the Dolphins’ unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant. Ride the Slayton wave while it’s here.
Tight Ends
Cade Otton (TE – TB): 1% rostered
It’s tough for a tight end not to be involved in Tom Brady‘s calculated, check-down style of offense. The fourth-round rookie had sure hands today, earning him a solid target share. Otton is only startable if Cameron Brate is out, but that could change later in the season if Otton keeps proving to be reliable.
Taysom Hill (TE – NO): 11% rostered
Taysom Hill’s usage is extremely unpredictable. However, with how thin fantasy production at the TE position is, if you’re really struggling or looking to fill during a bye week, you might as well take a shot on a man who can play quarterback and running back and scored three touchdowns today.
Quarterbacks
Carson Wentz (QB – WAS): 18% rostered
Carson Wentz is throwing a ton. Maybe it’s because the Commanders are often losing in games, but the beauty of fantasy is that does not matter one bit. If you like to stream QBs or have one on a bye, Wentz’s 42 attempts per game will do just fine.
Daniel Jones (QB – NYG): 13% rostered
Jones and the Giants took down the Packers in London today in quite the upset. While Jones is certainly capable of displaying some putrid fantasy performances, if you are QB-needy, you could do worse than starting him next weekend at home against one of the most generous pass defenses in the league, the Baltimore Ravens.
Kickers
Brett Maher (K – DAL): 13% rostered
Maher is 12 for 13 kicking field goals this year, including a long of 54 at the time I’m writing this. For those of you scoring at home, that’s nearly three field goal attempts per game.
Chase McLaughlin (K – IND): 1% rostered
Watching the Colts’ offense, especially without Jonathan Taylor, was painful on Thursday. However, the fantasy silver lining is when their red zone worries start surfacing, McLaughlin, who’s only missed one field goal this year, spends quite a bit of time on the field.
Defense/Special Teams
Cleveland Browns: 26% rostered
The Patriots are averaging roughly 20 points per game through the season’s first five weeks. They’re also averaging more than two turnovers per game. Give me the favorite in what’s projected to be a low-scoring game.
Washington Commanders: 20% rostered
Chicago Bears: 5% rostered
If last week’s Thursday night game was any indication of the offensive firepower (or lack thereof), we can expect either one of these defenses is a stellar choice. I’m including both because Vegas has already projected this game to be close and low-scoring. The Bears’ offense is worse by about 55 yards per game, so I’ll probably lean toward the Commanders’ defense.
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