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Waivers of the future will focus on making decisions that improve our odds of our dynasty championship. The back of your dynasty roster should be flexible, with preference made for players you can use in your lineup during the season.

Quarterbacks

Among the quarterbacks, there are three types of waiver options: those moving up this week, veteran backups, and potential young players with future roles.

Moving Up this Week

• Sam Howell, WAS/Taylor Heinicke, WAS

Carson Wentz suffered a broken finger which required surgery and is expected to keep him out for a month.

There has been turmoil in the recent Carson Wentz experience in Washington, signaling he is unlikely to be the long-term answer to their quarterback position. Backup Taylor Heinicke got an opportunity to start in 2021 before the team turned to Wentz this offseason. It is clear Washington does not view Heinicke as a long-term option.

As a fifth-round pick, it is very unlikely that Sam Howell will become a long-term starter in the NFL. Teams passed on him multiple times during the draft before he was selected by the Commanders with the 144th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Entering the 2021 season, Howell was considered a potential first-round pick, but Howell’s draft prospects fell throughout his final season at UNC and throughout the pre-draft process.

Heinicke is expected to get the opportunity to play with Wentz out for his finger surgery, but it is Howell the Commanders need to audition before they draft in the 2023 draft and the injury to Howell gives Washington the opportunity in 2022. Heinicke can be a streaming option in Superflex/2QB leagues, while Howell is a more speculative add in 25 roster spots or less, and a roster hold in formats with deeper than 25 roster spots.

Veteran Backups

As a general rule, you should have a limited amount of backup quarterbacks on your monitor list. With roster spots tight, optimized dynasty rosters under 25 spots in Superflex or quarterback premium. If you are in 25 to 35-man rosters and have a roster spot, these quarterbacks are the premium backups:

• Case Keenum, BUF
• Tyrod Taylor, NYG
• Tyler Huntley, BAL
• Andy Dalton, NO

Andy Dalton has played the third consecutive game for the Saints in place of Jameis Winston. Dalton has averaged a touchdown but has only thrown for 200 or more yards in one of his starts. There are rumblings the Saints could turn to Dalton even when Winston is healthy. He is a roster hold in deeper than 25-man rosters and can be a streaming option in shallower formats if presented with bye issues.

• Gardner Minshew, PHI

In leagues deeper than 35 spots, consider:

• Colt McCoy, ARI
• Nick Foles, IND
• Chad Henne, KC
• Chase Daniel, LAC

Younger Stashes

Stashing young quarterbacks can be tricky because it is rare quarterbacks without high draft pedigree will become fantasy starters. These options are more depth opportunities with the hope to include in a future trade than they are solutions to a quarterback issue.

• Desmond Ridder, ATL

Marcus Mariota is playing well enough to hold off Ridder for the foreseeable future.

• Jordan Love, GB

Jordan Love is a pure stash behind Rodgers heading into the offseason. He will be in the final year of his rookie contract in 2023.

• Matt Corral, CAR (IR)

If you can roster Matt Corral as an IR stash, there is no clear QB1 in front of him for 2023.

Running Backs

One of the keys to dynasty fantasy football is continuously optimizing your backup running back situation. The last five to ten roster spots on your roster should be very fluid, with little allegiance if the player does not offer the capacity to help your lineup. A constant churn on the back end of your roster is critical.

Moving Up this Week

The following running backs have improved this week and are available in more than 50% of MFL leagues.

• Malcolm Brown, LAR (89% available)

After tearing his Achilles tendon during the summer of 2021 and rehabbing to return for a Super Bowl run, Cam Akers has quickly fallen out of favor with the Rams. The team made Akers inactive in week six and is seeking to trade Akers. The team brought back Malcolm Brown, who spent several years as a backup with the Rams. Rookie Kyren Williams is on injured reserve and is expected to enter his return-to-play practice window in the coming weeks, but it is Brown who will serve as the injury-away back behind Henderson for the foreseeable future.

• Latavius Murray, DEN (51% available)

It took all of one game for Latavius Murray to overtake the Denver backfield. Within a month, Murray has gone from street free agent to Denver starter on Monday Night Football after a one-week trip to London as a member of the Saints. There was uncertainty in the market about the role Murray would play when he was signed by the Broncos, so there is a possibility he is still available in shorter-depth leagues. He requires a high-level bid wherever he is available.

• Chuba Hubbard (53% available)/D’Onta Foreman (61% available)

There is a good chance Christian McCaffrey is traded before the November 1^st deadline. Foreman is the primary backup, playing the larger share of snaps at present, and still is more available than Hubbard. If he is available, or Hubbard is available, they warrant an addition, with a priority on Foreman.

Other Backups

Other backups with high availability include:

• Kenyan Drake, BAL (64% available)
• DeeJay Dallas, SEA (70% available)
• Sony Michel, LAC (61% available)
• Tevin Coleman, SF (58% available)
• Jaylen Warren, PIT (51% available)
• Justice Hill, BAL (77% available)
• Samaje Perine, CIN (55% available)
• Matt Breida, NYG (75% available)
• Caleb Huntley, ATL (65% available)

Wide Receiver

The odds wide receivers from the waiver wire will become a big difference maker on your dynasty roster are very small. For every Tyreek Hill, there are 100 Travis Fulgham. Your strategies on the wide receiver position should be to find immediate lineup help or a flip candidate.

Players who warrant addition include:

• WanDale Robinson (60% available)

WanDale Robinson returned to the team after being inactive since week two. Robinson played 15 of the team’s 64 snaps and ran routes on 11 of 32 dropbacks and led the wide receiving corps with 37 yards and a touchdown. Robinson warrants a small waiver claim where he is not rostered in smaller-sized roster formats.

• Marquez Callaway, NO (68% available)/Tre’Quan Smith, NO (77% available)

Marquez Callaway has played the Michael Thomas role in the offense when Thomas has been out, while Tre’Quan Smith has played in place of Jarvis Landry. Callaway led the wide receiving corps with seven targets in week six while Smith was targeted three times. New Orleans plays on a short week, with Thomas and Landry both not practicing on Monday, so Callaway and Smith have a chance to contribute in week 7.

• Laviska Shenault (66% available)/Terrace Marshall (73% available)

The Panthers traded Robbie Anderson to Arizona, creating a spot in the offense. The offense is struggling in 2022, particularly with Baker Mayfield injured. Shenault has an injured hamstring and he has not played since week four. Marshall is a former second-round pick who has played 38% and 45% snap shares in the most recent two games and warrants a small waiver addition.

• Olamide Zaccheaus, NO (67% available)

Olamide Zaccheaus is playing a lot of snaps in the Atlanta offense, including leading the team in snaps in week six (74%). The Atlanta offense is a low passing game volume, leading Zacceheaus to only 8 targets in the past two weeks, but he is playing the clear WR2 role in the offense, at WR44 on the season. He is an option for those needing a waiver wire streaming option.

Tight End

Three tight ends in changing circumstances include:

• Greg Dulcich, DEN (84% available)

Greg Dulcich played his first game with the Denver Broncos, played 41 of 58 snaps, and ran 27 routes on 34 dropbacks. Denver has a clear TE1 role in the offense and is a top-20 lineup consideration. He is a priority add in premium formats and an add on smaller rosters without premiums.