Player value in dynasty football reminds me of watching ocean waves. They ebb and flow, always in a state of flux. Competitive dynasty players anticipate these movements before they happen and act by picking up, buying, or selling players as the situation demands. Dynasty general managers have previously been at the mercy of regular waiver segments to assist in dynasty pickups, but these fail to account for the long-term view necessary to dynasty success. This weekly column will focus on identifying assets that will help dynasty teams build for the future, as well as players that may plug a hole at a position of need on an otherwise strong squad.
Welcome to Week 13 of Waivers of the Future! Whether you are a contender or a rebuilder, this article will seek to help you put yourself in the best position to have success in your dynasty league by assisting you in making preemptive pickups.
The trade deadline is rapidly approaching or past in most dynasty leagues. Weeks 10-13 are the most common dates for trade deadlines across dynasty leagues that do not allow year-round trading. That means that once the deadline passes, your only way of acquiring players for the remainder of the year is via the waiver wire. This tends to inflate the amount of capital you need to spend to secure a player. That said, do not be afraid to be aggressive with your spending at this point. The wire is razor-thin by this time in the year and any player you can secure for your team with waiver dollars is going to be of help. You should never end the year with a waiver budget leftover unless it is going to roll over to your next league year.
Budget percentages are to give the reader guidance regarding how the writer would prioritize these players. However, you know your league best. If you think you can get away with bidding less than recommended or nothing at all, go for it!
IN THE SKY
Players on this list have previously appeared in this article as pickups, but have had value spikes at points in the season that make them unlikely to be out there in your league. If they are still available and you need help contending, consider spending 30-50%+ of your budget on them.
IN THE CLOUDS
Players on this list are probably also rostered but are worth less than 30% of your budget.
- Jacoby Brissett
- Gardner Minshew
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Malcolm Brown
- Adrian Peterson
- Frank Gore
- Giovani Bernard
- Matt Breida
- Raheem Mostert
- Damien Williams
- Darrel Williams
- Wayne Gallman
- Chase Edmonds
- Brian Hill
- Sterling Shepard
- Demarcus Robinson
- Ted Ginn Jr
- Phillip Dorsett
- Auden Tate
- Zach Pascal
- Darren Waller
- Jason Witten
- Jordan Akins
RIDE THE WAVE
(These are plug-and-play options who might patch a hole on your team in the short-term.)
QUARTERBACK
15-25%| Ryan Tannehill, TEN- Tannehill has played with more confidence than Marcus Mariota and the Titans have gotten four wins with him at the helm. The scheme by Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith still does not seem to fit the strengths of the player personnel, which has been problematic for this offense when they play against quality defenses. The Titans will get a tough divisional test against the Colts this week, so it may not be a matchup in which you want to play Tannehill. However, if you want Tannehill, this is probably the last week he’ll be out there to grab.
10-20%| Jeff Driskel, DET- Driskel has bounced around the league but has ended up in a spot that is fairly fantasy-friendly and will encourage him to be an aggressive downfield passer. Matthew Stafford’s season is very much in doubt and Driskel could earn work for the remainder of the season if Stafford’s back gets him shut down for the year. The Lions will play the Bears this week, so you may not want to risk playing Driskel unless you have no choice.
10-20%| Andy Dalton, CIN- Finley was so bad in relief of Dalton that the Bengals decided to change back. Fantasy general managers may need someone due to the abundance of injuries and benchings at the quarterback position and Dalton has been serviceable at points. The Bengals will play a Jets team that has been exploitable at points this year but looked quite stout against the Raiders last week.
5-15%| Devlin Hodges, PIT- Mason Rudolph was benched for poor play and Hodges led the Steelers to victory, albeit against the Bengals. It is likely that we see the Steelers turn to Hodges in the upcoming week against the Browns.
5-15%| Ryan Fitzpatrick, MIA- You can play Fitzpatrick, but just be aware that he is at a high risk of turning over the football and getting benched. It has happened a couple of times already this year. The Dolphins play the demoralized Eagles this week.
5-10%| Brandon Allen, DEN- With Flacco placed on IR, the team had no choice but to roll out an inexperienced Brandon Allen. Surprisingly, Allen has been relatively sound, though not amazing. The Broncos will play the Chargers in their upcoming contest.
1%| Taysom Hill, NO- Hill has his own package of snaps in every contest and has a high upside to score on any given week because of the potency of this offense. He is a last-resort option at the position, but for some in very deep or superflex leagues, putting him in is better than taking a zero. The Saints play the Falcons this week, who is back to looking befuddled on defense.
RUNNING BACK
20-50%| Jonathan Williams, IND- This is probably your last chance to snag Williams on the off-chance he is still out there. Even with Wilkins healthy, it was Williams who led the way for the Colts and appears to be the running back to own for this team for the remainder of the fantasy year. They will play Tennessee this week, who has allowed some big days on the ground for opposing runners.
15-20%| Bo Scarbrough and J.D. McKissic, DET- The Lions decided to use recently-acquired Bo Scarbrough extensively in the ground game and McKissic handled the pass-catching work. It will depend on if your scoring system places a higher emphasis on carries or catches as to which will be more valuable, but their roles are clear at this point. The Lions will play a soft Washington defense, which is great if you need to use one of these two as a spot starter. This is likely your last chance to grab the pair, as the waiver wire continues to thin out.
5-10%| Benny Snell, PIT- Jaylen Samuels appears to be in the doghouse with the coaching staff and Snell got the bulk of the carries against the Bengals. The value is limited because most of the remaining teams the Steelers will play will be superior. However, because there are so few available running backs who will get significant carries, general managers may need to consider Snell against the Browns this week.
WIDE RECEIVER
10-15%| Allen Lazard, GB- Lazard has been filling in to supplement a banged-up receiver group and has proven to have value even with Davante Adams in the lineup. The Packers get a better matchup against the Giants in the upcoming contest.
10-15%| Chris Conley, JAX- Conley continues to be targeted and is producing even with the Jaguars reeling in the standings. They will have a nice matchup against the Buccaneers this week, so start Conley if needed.
1-10%| Tim Patrick, DEN- While opportunities in this offense are not extremely valuable, Patrick will be second only to Courtland Sutton in the passing game pecking order and that is worth something. The Broncos will not have things as tough this week as they did last week against the Bills. They will play the Chargers.
TIGHT END
15-40%| Ryan Griffin, NYJ- The Jets were so impressed with Griffin that they already inked him to a long-term contract on Saturday. The scarcity at the position combined with the fact the Jets have made such an investment should compel general managers to get Griffin on their rosters.
1-5%| Anthony Firkser, TEN- Could the Titans have made a significant discovery last year with the undrafted Firkser? It is a possibility. He has size, reliable hands, and the ability to box out defenders in the middle of the field. Jonnu Smith and Firkser could become quite the duo when Delanie Walker moves on in a few years or if Walker once again fails to complete the year due to injury. Walker suffered an ankle injury in week six and Firkser has become a contributor in the games since. We will see where Walker is in his recovery later this week, but Firkser is a very interesting addition for both now and the future. The Titans play the Colts this week.
1%| Jaeden Graham, ATL- It was Graham who assumed the pass-catching tight end role, not Stocker. While Graham has not been extremely involved, he could play a larger role in matchups in which Atlanta falls behind and must throw the football. The Falcons get a difficult Saints matchup this week, so put Graham in only if you must.
THE SPLASH
(Might be available in 30 or fewer roster spot leagues.)
QUARTERBACK
None this week due to positional scarcity. See other quarterback sections of this report for suggestions.
RUNNING BACK
1-5%| Mike Davis, CAR- With the waiver wire so thin at this position, fantasy general managers may have to begin thinking about players in productive situations that are also not rostered because they are not thought of as future starters. Enter Mike Davis, who was cut by the Bears and signed by the Panthers. An accomplished runner, Davis would become a lot more interesting if McCaffrey were to go down.
1-5%| Gus Edwards, BAL- Edwards also falls into the category of valuable backup who is unlikely to be rostered in dynasty leagues and is not getting many touches now, but he would benefit greatly if the lead back were to go down. Mark Ingram II has been banged up before, so Edwards having fantasy relevance this year is not impossible.
WIDE RECEIVER
1-5%| Deon Cain, PIT- Cain gets bumped up here from the watch list because he was elevated to the Steelers’ active roster after being stolen from the Colts’ practice squad. That move shows that they value Cain highly. With the starting group in front of him pretty banged up, Cain has a chance to show what he can do with an organization known for cultivating receivers.
TIGHT END
15-25%| Foster Moreau, OAK- Moreau came up from the watch list earlier this year because of continued involvement in the game plan, despite the presence of Darren Waller. He is a good pass catcher and a great blocker. Jon Gruden has shown the propensity to target his tight end heavily and there is no one on the roster that is a long-term lock to hold the job. Moreau has scored multiple touchdowns and has been involved in most games so far this year, which is encouraging for his future prospects.
10-15%| Jeremy Sprinkle, WAS- Sprinkle was elevated from the watch list based on the fact that Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis are now on injured reserve and both have careers that may not continue. Sprinkle has proven to be an able blocker and receiver. He is someone we want to monitor for now and pick up if we see him start to get more opportunities now that the season is lost for Washington.
10-15%| Ian Thomas, CAR- Thomas has been tossed back out on some waiver wires. However, when the box score is examined it is clear that he actually acquitted himself well when Greg Olsen was out last year. Thomas will need seasoning, but with Greg Olsen near the end of his career, Thomas is worth holding.
THE DEEP
(Might be available in 30+ roster spot leagues.)
QUARTERBACK
Watch List| Jarrett Stidham, NE- It is notable that New England cut backup Brian Hoyer and will roll with the rookie. Stidham performed well in preseason and shows promise to be the next in a long line of developmental quarterbacks for the Patriots. He is worth rostering in deep leagues because his perceived value will only grow with time.
Watch List| Chad Kelly, IND- Kelly moved back down to the watch list due to Jacoby Brissett being recovered enough to play, but keep Kelly in mind. Kelly has talent, but the downside is that he has had a variety of character issues both in college and the NFL that suggest he might not be mature enough to handle the opportunity. The talent is such that we should keep him on our radar and perhaps on our roster now that he is only one injury away from relevance.
RUNNING BACK
None this week, as the position is depleted. See other running back sections for pickup recommendations.
WIDE RECEIVER
Watch List| Byron Pringle, KC- Pringle moves back to the watch list with Sammy Watkins returning to the lineup. Pringle is a very good route runner and the coaching staff was complimentary of his improvement and professionalism towards improving his game this offseason. The quality of the offense also makes him worthy of consideration.
Watch List| Richie James, SF- James is getting more work in the passing game and has the skills to eventually play from any receiver position in this offense. Kyle Shanahan values this kind of multiplicity in his offense. James’ trademark skills are being very shifty and great on contested catches, despite his smaller size.
Watch List| Juwann Winfree, DEN- After a recent injury to Tim Patrick, Winfree had a chance to play a part. He was a camp standout who may have more upside for the team long-term than DeSean Hamilton. Winfree also should be counted on more with Emmanuel Sanders traded away to the 49ers. He is one to keep an eye on for the future.
Watch List| Emmanuel Butler, NO- Like Winfree, Butler made a name for himself in camp practices and has a disappointing role player in Tre’Quan Smith ahead of him on the depth chart. Butler currently resides on the practice squad. If he can stick with this team for another year or two, he has a great chance to step into that role.
Watch List| Javon Wims, CHI- Wims was constantly making plays throughout the preseason last year, so much so that the Bears dared not put him on the practice squad. He was doing the same in camp again this year and there have been some games in which Wims has been on the active roster and has even been targeted.
TIGHT END
Watch List| Alizé Mack, PIT- Things just keep getting better for Mack. He is now on the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad after spending time with the Steelers and Saints earlier in the year. Mack is a good prospect who impressed over the summer as a receiving tight end in the Saints’ camp. If Travis Kelce were to get hurt, Mack would become even more intriguing to fantasy general managers.
LOST AT SEA
- Mason Rudolph, PIT- He got benched in week twelve and it is unlikely he will get to start for the rest of the year.
- Ryan Finley, CIN- He’s so bad that they’ve gone back to Andy Dalton. That’s really saying something.
- Chase Daniel, CHI- Trubisky was able to play through his hip ailment.
- Keelan Cole, JAX- With Dede Westbrook back, Cole is not going to get enough weekly targets to matter.
- Ross Dwelly, SF- Now that George Kittle is back in the lineup, Dwelly can return to the waiver wire.