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 the week six edition of Waivers of the Future! Whether you are a contending or rebuilding team, this report will endeavor to spark some ideas about whom you might want to claim.
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 20-50%+ of your budget on them, depending on your league.
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Jameis Winston, NO| 75% rostered on MFL
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Sam Darnold, CAR| 86% rostered on MFL
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Mike Davis, ATL| 94% rostered on MFL
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Latavius Murray, BAL| 87% rostered on MFL|
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Alexander Mattison, MIN| 86% rostered on MFL|
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Tony Pollard, DAL, DAL| 91% rostered on MFL |
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Marquez Callaway, NO| 64% rostered on MFL
IN THE WATER
QUARTERBACK
Teddy Bridgewater, DEN| 64% rostered on MFL| Contending 4%, Rebuilding 1%|
Bridgewater was able to overcome his concussion suffered in week four and play in week five. He has been better in Denver than he was at his previous two stops. He takes care of the ball, which is a delight to those playing in leagues in which interceptions are heavily penalized. Bridgewater has some very quality options in Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick. Hopefully, he will add Jerry Jeudy to that list when Jeudy is able to return from injury. Bridgewater will face the Raiders in week six. Las Vegas is a middling unit when it comes to pass defense. The Browns in week seven are much tougher and have been a top-three unit in pass yards allowed.
Taylor Heinicke, WAS| 58% rostered on MFL| Contending 3%, Rebuilding 1%|
Ryan Fitzpatrick is on injured reserve with a hip subluxation and will not be back for several weeks, if at all this season. Taylor Heinicke has familiarity with the system and started under Ron Rivera when Cam Newton was hurt in Carolina. He also had one start last year. He will not be anything special, but he could be serviceable in certain matchups. The Kansas City defense against which Heinicke will square off in week six is more lenient against the pass. Green Bay in week seven is more stout against the pass. Their defense ranks eighth in pass yards allowed, which does not bode well for a minimal volume quarterback such as Heinicke.
Carson Wentz, IND| 59% rostered on MFL| Contending 1-5%, Rebuilding 1%|
He has earned the injury-prone label and has not played particularly well the past couple of years. He is playing through two sprained ankles currently. It should also be noted that Wentz has chosen not to vaccinate and is at greater risk of missing time due to that fact. However, he is back with the head coach who was the offensive coordinator for the Eagles in Wentz’s career year. The Eagles did a great job that year of disguising Wentz’s weaknesses and playing to his strengths. Perhaps we can see that version again in Indianapolis. In week six, the Colts face the Texans, which is a pass defense in disarray. San Francisco, Indianapolis’ opponent in week seven, is a top-ten pass defense unit, so that matchup could be a little more difficult.
Davis Mills, HOU| 22% rostered on MFL| Contending 1-5%, Rebuilding 5-10%|
Mills relieved Tyrod Taylor in the second half of the contest against Cleveland. Mills will get the start for the foreseeable future. Mills is a rookie in one of the worst-managed organizations in football, so we cannot expect too much, but there is more upside in the unknown than in some of the other prospects on this list. Week six In Indianapolis is a more reasonable time to consider using Mills. The Cardinals are a top-fifteen pass defense unit through five games, so it is a neutral matchup for Davis and company in week seven.
Brandon Allen, CIN| 4% rostered on MFL| Contending and Rebuilding 1%|
We will need to see if Joe Burrow’s throat contusion sidelines him for any amount of time. If it does, this will not be the first time Allen has taken the reins. He played a great deal last year when Burrow’s season-ending knee injury occurred. Allen was nowhere near as good at generating explosive plays, but he was competent in some contests.
Jacoby Brissett, IND| 28% rostered on MFL| Contending 1%, Rebuilding 1%
Tua Tagovailoa will be out for a while with broken ribs. Brissett has not looked great in his relief. Though Brissett has starting experience with the Colts, he was very average in his time as the starter. He is really recommended only if you desperately need help. Assuming Tagovailoa is still not fit to play in week six, we will see Brissett play against the Jaguars’ lenient pass defense. In week seven, he would face the Bills, which would not be an ideal time to use him.
Mike Glennon, NYG| 2% rostered on MFL| Contending and Rebuilding 1%|
Daniel Jones exited the game with a concussion in week five. Veteran journeyman Mike Glennon spelled him and was not particularly good, throwing a pick-six that sealed the game late. The Rams and Panthers are up the next two weeks if Jones’ concussion symptoms linger. Use Glennon only in an emergency.
Sam Ehlinger, IND| 2% rostered on MFL| Contending Watchlist, Rebuilding 1%|
Ehlinger had some great moments in preseason action. He split first-team reps with Jacob Eason before suffering a knee sprain that placed him on injured reserve. Carson Wentz is not a sure thing as a reclamation project, so it would be good for quarterback-needy dynasty teams to roster Ehlinger and see if he continues to develop.
Jake Fromm, BUF| 0% rostered on MFL| Contending Watchlist, Rebuilding 1%|
The development of adding Mitch Trubisky to the roster is concerning. But it may just be that Trubisky is more ready for backup duty than Fromm, and the team is in a contention window. Fromm will have to work his way up the depth chart, but he is the most promising backup the Bills have in terms of decision-making and accuracy.
Josh Rosen, ATL | 4% rostered on MFL| Contending Watchlist, Rebuilding 1%|
It is not encouraging that Rosen has bounced around quite a bit in his short career, but he is still one of the league's more talented backup quarterback prospects. He is also behind Matt Ryan and can continue to learn from another quality veteran as he did last season in Tampa Bay behind Tom Brady.
If you play in a superflex or desperately need a quarterback who might earn valuable fantasy starting work in future weeks if the starter struggles or is hurt, consider picking these quarterbacks up for free or a minimal bid. They are listed in order of the writer’s preference:
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Mitchell Trubisky, BUF| 20% rostered on MFL |
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Gardner Minshew, PHI| 21% rostered on MFL
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Drew Lock, DEN| 32% rostered on MFL |
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Tyler Huntley, BAL| 8% rostered on MFL |
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Blaine Gabbert, TB| 2% rostered on MFL |
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Chad Henne, KC| 4% rostered on MFL |
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P.J. Walker, CAR| 7% rostered on MFL |
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Case Keenum, CLE| 7% rostered on MFL |
RUNNING BACK
Darrel Williams, KC| 57% rostered on MFL| Contending 10-15%, Rebuilding 1-5%|
Clyde Edwards-Helaire left Sunday night's contest with an injury. Should that prove to be serious, Williams would handle the bulk of the rushing and receiving back duties. Even in a blowout loss, he managed to be productive. The Chiefs have Washington and Tennessee over the next two weeks and neither has an especially stifling rush defense.
Devontae Booker, NYG| 31% rostered on MFL| Contending 5-10%, Rebuilding 1-5%|
Saquon Barkley will likely be out for some time after rolling his ankle. With Daniel Jones also missing, the Giants gave Booker all the work he could handle with sixteen carries. Booker is not an amazing runner and struggles with vision, but he can get what is blocked. The Rams and Panthers that he will face in the next two weeks might be challenging matchups for Booker and his offense, which is why he is not being valued higher as a pickup.
Samaje Perine, CIN| 57% rostered on MFL| Contending 5-10%, Rebuilding 1-5%|
Perine will likely help carry the load for at least a week or two with Joe Mixon clearly not himself. Perine is a bigger, straight-line runner, but even that kind of player can have value with as many touches as he will likely see. The Lions and Ravens matchups coming over the next couple of weeks are not scaring anyone in terms of stuffing the run.
Damien Williams, CHI| 89% rostered on MFL| Contending 5-10%, Rebuilding 1%|
Williams may inherit the starting job courtesy of a David Montgomery knee injury. Williams had value as a Chief and won championships for many fantasy players in 2018. While the Bears are not the Chiefs in terms of having a prolific offense, Williams will at least have ample carry opportunities. The Packers in week six are not a great matchup in terms of rush yards allowed. Neither are the Buccaneers, against whom the Bears will play in week seven.
Dwayne Washington 2% rostered on MFL| Contending and Rebuilding 1-5%|
While Tony Jones remains on IR, Washington becomes the primary backup to Alvin Kamara. Washington has prior NFL experience and while he will be no Kamara, he can be competent and marginally fantasy relevant if called upon.
Ameer Abdullah| 3% rostered on MFL| Contending 1-5%, Rebuilding 1%|
With Dalvin Cook’s re-aggravation of his ankle injury, we could see Ameer Abdullah get more work and possibly even become the starter if Alexander Mattison also gets banged up. Abdullah has proven to be a career backup caliber player, but he is one that has some ability as a pass-catcher, which cannot be said for all running backs.
Justin Jackson, LAC| 44% rostered on MFL| Contending and Rebuilding 1-5%|
He has not been the healthiest himself, but he is the primary backup to Austin Eckler. If he can suddenly have a stint when he stays healthy and Eckler does not, Jackson could pay off big for patient fantasy general managers.
Malcolm Brown, MIA| 44% rostered on MFL| Contending 1-5%, Rebuilding 1%|
Brown is not flashy or as explosive as some other backs in the NFL, but he could easily lead the Dolphins’ running back group in yardage and touchdowns at the end of the year, simply because he understands how to take what yardage is there and he does not lose yardage trying to make a bigger play. If Myles Gaskin goes down again, Brown will still split carries with Salvon Ahmed but will become much more interesting in a two-way split rather than a three-way split.
WIDE RECEIVER
Tim Patrick| 67% rostered on MFL| Contending 20-40%, Rebuilding 1-5%|
Patrick is a low-ceiling, high-floor pickup. The ankle injury Jeudy sustained was serious and is likely to sideline him for the foreseeable future. K.J. Hamler also hurt his knee and will miss the rest of the season. Patrick will now have even more opportunity for fantasy relevance with increased snap counts and targets. Grab him now, as he is unlikely to be around next week on waivers. The Steelers and Raiders are the next teams on tap and the outlook is the same as was listed for Teddy Bridgewater above.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, CLE| 29% rostered on MFL| Contending 10-20%, Rebuilding 20-40%
Peoples-Jones jumped up the list when Odell Beckham Jrmissed the first two contests. With Jarvis Landry now ruled out for quite some time and Beckham struggling to stay on the field, People-Jones is the primary starter. It is largely a run-first attack, but there will be games in which Peoples-Jones has more value. His long-term value has never been higher. The contest against the Cardinals is unlikely to make Cleveland deviate from their winning game plan of running the football and passing sparingly. Denver is surprisingly a top-six pass defense, so the Browns may continue to lean more on the run game in that contest in week seven as well.
Byron Pringle, KC| 19% rostered on MFL| Contending and Rebuilding 5-20%
He is a Matt Waldman favorite, but beyond that, he is also in an extremely good organization. He is clearly over Demarcus Robinson for the WR3 spot. Mecole Hardman has been something of a disappointment with the opportunity he has had, so it is not beyond imagination that by more usage or by injury, Pringle could end the year as the #2 WR in the offense. Do not worry about Josh Gordon encroaching on his role. Pringle should be rostered everywhere.
Collin Johnson, NYG |11% rostered on MFL| Contending and Rebuilding 5-10%|
The Jaguars’ new regime cut Johnson and New York picked him up off waivers. The writer was not convinced that Kenny Golladay would stay healthy and live up to his paycheck in the Big Apple and it appears that has come to pass with Golladay suffering a knee injury in week five. Also, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton have been banged up regularly, which means Johnson can get more involved going forward. Johnson flashed somewhat in his limited work during his rookie season, so he is worth a look.
Josh Reynolds, TEN| 26% rostered on MFL| Contending 5-10%, Rebuilding 1%|
Tennessee lost Julio Jones to a hamstring injury in the week three game and it is unclear when he will be healthy enough to return. Someone other than A.J. Brown has to catch passes, despite it being a run-first offense. With both Brown and Jones out in week four, it was a finally healthy Josh Reynolds drawing the majority of targets against the Jets. If Jones misses extensive time, you might think of playing Reynolds, especially in formats in which three or more receivers are starting. The Bills contest in week six is not an especially great one for Tennessee’s offensive outlook. The Chiefs in week seven do not have a great pass defense and the Titans will need to pass to keep up with Patrick Mahomes II.
Josh Palmer, LAC| 27% rostered on MFL| Contending 1%, Rebuilding 1-5%|
As injured as Mike Williams has been, we could see rookie Josh Palmer step in and play Williams’ rebounder role in the offense at some point this year. Palmer was impressive in camp, so he may get an opportunity sooner rather than later.
Tyron Johnson, JAX| 6% rostered on MFL| Contending 1%, Rebuilding 1-5%|
Johnson switched teams this offseason, and while he went to an inferior organization, he may have landed in a situation with greater opportunity for him. Laviska Shenault is not known for his robust health and Marvin Jones also spent some of the offseason banged up. There will likely be an opportunity for Johnson at some point this season, especially if he can ingratiate himself to Trevor Lawrence with the limited looks he will get in the meantime.
Tyler Johnson, TB| 19% rostered on MFL| Contending and Rebuilding 1-5%|
A recommendation in last year’s iteration of The Replacements, Johnson showed last season he could win contested balls. Johnson is merely a name to keep in mind if injuries or COVID devastate the Buccaneers receiving corps or if Antonio Brown’s off-field issues once again become a problem.
TIGHT END
O.J. Howard, TB| 39% rostered on MFL| Contending and Rebuilding 5-10%
Rob Gronkowski is going to miss time with a punctured lung and broken ribs. O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate are most likely to absorb the tight end targets left in his absence. Howard has been a massive dynasty disappointment for his general managers but has been serviceable in a sheltered role with Tampa Bay. Perhaps he can step up later in his career, much like Delanie Walker. The Buccaneers have an easy Eagles matchup in week six. In week seven, they will face the Bears, a middling pass defense.
Harrison Bryant, CLE| 22% rostered on MFL| Contending and Rebuilding 5-10%
With multiple injuries at the wide receiver position for the Browns, the ancillary pass catchers are getting more involved. Bryant has a bright future and may become what the team hoped David Njoku would develop into. Bryant is starting to get increased targets and is worth stashing away for the day when Njoku and Austin Hooper are no longer on the roster.
Tyler Conklin, MIN| 49% rostered on MFL| Contending and Rebuilding 1-5%|
With Irv Smith done for the year, Conklin will step in to receive some of the volume that Smith would have gained. Conklin is not a revelation at the position, but he has proven to be serviceable. In week six, Conklin will face a Panthers defense that does not allow much passing yardage. In the seventh week, the Vikings will face the 31st ranked Dallas pass defense.
Dan Arnold, JAX| 28% rostered on MFL| Contending 1-5%, Rebuilding 1%|
Dan Arnold is once again on the move! He was traded mid-week to the Jacksonville Jaguars. While it is not a great organization, he at least gets a quarterback upgrade and was utilized from the get-go. Jacksonville will play the lax Dolphins defense in week six. In week seven, the matchup gets only slightly more challenging in facing the Seahawks.
Kyle Rudolph, NYG| 18% rostered on MFL| Contending 1-5%, Rebuilding 1%|
Rudolph signed a short-term deal this offseason and will serve as the primary option until Evan Engram can return from injury. Do not count out Rudolph because he is old -- he has been very good in the red zone and could become a favorite of Daniel Jones when the Giants are in scoring range. In week six, the Giants face the Rams, so that is not the best time to use Rudolph. The Panthers matchup in week seven is also a bad time to put Rudolph into the lineup.
Ricky Seals-Jones, WAS| 14% rostered on MFL| Contending and Rebuilding 1%|
Seals-Jones is the very definition of a veteran journeyman, which is why Logan Thomas’ knee injury could open the door for more work. The other options on the roster are inexperienced rookie John Bates and undrafted free agent Sammis Reyes. The Chiefs matchup in week six is an easy one, but the Packers contest in week seven is not going to be as generous. He is likely only an emergency option for those desperately needing a plug-and-play option.
Kaden Smith, NYG| 4% rostered on MFL| Contending 1%, Rebuilding 1-10%|
Evan Engram is often banged up (he was yet again this offseason) and Smith has demonstrated surprising competency for New York when called upon to fill in. Could he be the future for the team at the position? It is certainly possible and worth taking a flier on. Kyle Rudolph is a mere stopgap for the team. We will see if the team lets Engram move on this offseason and if they trust Smith enough to let him take the role of starter.
Out to Sea
Tony Jones, NOS| 26% rostered on MFL|
Jones is on IR for at least the next two weeks. We will revisit picking up Jones at the point that he is activated. For now, you can drop him in more shallow bench formats.
Peyton Barber, LVR| 48% rostered on MFL|
Jacobs is back and Barber is dealing with a turf toe injury of his own. You can part with him in all but the deepest of leagues.