Because league formats vary, one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to your waiver wire. That’s why I break possible free agent adds into three categories. Follow me on Twitter for the latest on possible additions to your fantasy roster.
Addable In All Leagues
Karlos Williams, RB, Buffalo Bills (25 percent owned) — Williams rode a couple quarters of garbage time Sunday to 110 yards on 12 carries, but what’s most important is the fact that teammate LeSean McCoy played only 35 of 60 snaps and still has a balky hammy. There’s word that the Bills could rest McCoy in Week 4, which means Williams could start. I mentioned Williams—a burly converted safety—in the “speculative” portion of this column last week; he can be owned in all leagues now, even if you’re not a McCoy owner.
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Thomas Rawls, RB, Seattle Seahawks (three percent owned) — Marshawn Lynch’s hamstring is also an unknown quantity; he tweaked it in Week 3 after only six touches and 11 total snaps. If he has to miss Monday night’s contest, Rawls may be the guy to own over veteran Fred Jackson (12 percent owned). When Lynch sat out the Seahawks’ first series Sunday, Rawls played on first and second downs, while Jackson came in on third. Rawls is an undrafted rookie who reminds me of Robert Turbin, the man he replaced on Seattle’s depth chart.
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Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego (46 percent owned) — Gates still has one more week remaining on his season-opening suspension, but this is a reminder that he should be owned in all leagues beginning now. His erstwhile replacement, Ladarius Green, is suffering concussion symptoms and as a result hasn’t exactly run away with the Chargers’ tight end job. Gates will make his debut Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and will almost certainly be a top-10 fantasy tight end.
Oakland Raiders Defense (one percent owned) — Turns out I had the right game selected for a streaming defense in Week 3, but the wrong team. The Raiders collected two turnovers and produced five sacks on the way to a solid outing against the Cleveland Browns, and this week, they face a Chicago Bears team that likely will be again led by Jimmy Claussen. The Bears were just shut out by the Seahawks and punted on every single possession.
Players listed in previous weeks who are still addable in all leagues: Ronnie Hillman, RB, Denver Broncos (36 percent); Chris Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals (42 percent).
When you enter the fantasy picture as a bye-week fill-in. — Photo by Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Speculative Adds
Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders (24 percent owned) — If you’re looking for a Ben Roethlisberger replacement, Tyrod Taylor is probably my first choice. But if he’s taken, you could try streaming Carr in Week 4. As I mentioned, the Raiders take on a bad Bears team, and Carr’s game tape from his trip to Cleveland was borderline immaculate. I remain skeptical, but I have to admit he was very good against a shoddy defense, and it’s a shoddy defense he’ll again face in Chicago.
Michael Crabtree, WR, Oakland Raiders (49 percent owned) — Amari Cooper has already established himself as the main man in Oakland’s passing attack, but Crabtree does have 33 targets in three contests. He’s become an inefficient receiver, having failed to top 40 yards in two of his three outings, but when you’re speculating, sometimes volume is half the battle.
Leonard Hankerson, WR, Atlanta Falcons (12 percent owned) — The Falcons may be phasing out Roddy White. Hankerson has played nearly as many snaps as White in each of Atlanta’s first three games, and White hasn’t registered a catch in back-to-back weeks (though to be fair, he had an end-zone target in Dallas that was wiped out by penalty). Hankerson hasn’t really shown the burner speed he once flashed in Washington and his hands are shaky, but ours is not to reason why.
Rueben Randle, WR, New York Giants (28 percent owned) — Randle has been a perpetual fantasy disappointment in his three-plus-year NFL career, so it’s probably wise not to overreaction to his seven-catch 116-yard Week 3 performance, especially when his touchdown catch basically ricocheted off his shoulder pads and into his arms. But even though Victor Cruz is slated to return in Week 4, I’m skeptical he’ll be the same after his torn patellar tendon. Maybe Randle is finally ready to grow into his considerable athletic ability.
Party with ALF. — Photo by Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Alfred Blue, RB, Houston Texans (23 percent owned) — I’m not a huge believer in Blue. First of all, Arian Foster is this close to returning. Plus, Blue has been given chances before; heck, he’s produced big games before. But if I proclaim to be agnostic about players as I watch tape, I have to admit Blue was powerful and decisive Sunday versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He lost his starting job after Week 1, but perhaps (only perhaps) he has won it back for a week or two in a Foster-free backfield.
Bilal Powell, RB, New York Jets (16 percent owned) — Chris Ivory owners were treated to Week 3’s least welcome surprise, as Ivory as active on game day but never actually played. In his stead, Powell was the Jets’ main man, racking up 17 touches compared to four for Zac Stacy. Powell is the prototypical unspecial “ham-and-egger,” but sometimes volume is what you need. If Ivory can’t play in London, Powell might be a decent solution.
Charles Clay, TE, Buffalo Bills (18 percent owned) — Clay’s cutting, powerful touchdown run Sunday was great revenge against his former Miami Dolphins teammates. Unfortunately, it was also his first glimmer of fantasy relevance this season. Part of my reluctance to trust Clay this summer was worries over the Bills’ QB situation. But maybe Tyrod Taylor—who has been pretty solid so far—can support Clay as an every-week weapon.
Players listed in previous weeks who are still speculative adds: Tyrod Taylor, QB, Buffalo Bills (38 percent); Duke Johnson, RB, Cleveland Browns (34 percent); Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB, Baltimore Ravens (six percent); Christine Michael, RB, Dallas Cowboys (four percent); Marvin Jones, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (20 percent); Rishard Matthews, WR, Miami Dolphins (32 percent); DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins (20 percent); Ty Montgomery, WR, Green Bay Packers (five percent); Richard Rodgers, TE, Green Bay Packers (14 percent); Crockett Gillmore, TE, Baltimore Ravens (46 percent).
Running into the deep-league picture as a stopgap quarterback option like… — Photo by Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Deep-League Adds
Michael Vick, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers (three percent owned) — Big Ben is done for at least a month, so the field is all Vick’s. Unlike his gig with the Jets last year, you can’t argue Vick doesn’t have great weapons in the Steel City. I’m skeptical he’ll remain mistake-free enough to be a fantasy asset, because his legs have finally left him. But if you’re a Roethlisberger owner in a two-QB league, you may not have a choice.
Ted Ginn, WR, Carolina Panthers (10 percent owned) — While we all wait for Devin Funchess (31 percent owned) to ascend to the No. 1 receiver job in Carolina, Ginn is sitting atop that perch, and while he’s an inconsistent pass catcher, he’s made at least play of 25 yards in each of the Panthers’ first three games. Of course, Cam Newton’s real top receiver is Greg Olsen, but Ginn can be a sneaky bye-week fill-in if you happen to get him on a day when he busts a long touchdown.
Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Tennessee Titans (17 percent owned) — The Titans are off in Week 4, but DGB is worth monitoring. He’s only played 32 snaps across three contests and caught three passes, but two of those grabs went for red-zone touchdowns, which suggests the Titans will make use of his nearly unmatchable size. With Marcus Mariota looking at least like an average NFL quarterback through three weeks, Green-Beckham could be worth a deep-league flyer.
Antonio Andrews, RB, Tennessee Titans (one percent owned) — Again, the Titans have a bye this week, but Andrews was their starting running back this Sunday. Don’t get me wrong: Ken Whisenhunt will almost certainly never commit to one rusher. It’s not his thing. But Andrews is big enough for feature-back work and ran with power and decisiveness that players like Bishop Sankey and Dexter McCluster don’t always display.
Alonzo Harris, RB, Green Bay Packers (zero percent owned) — I’d be lying if I said I knew much of anything about this undrafted rookie out of Louisiana-Lafayette, but he did get carries Monday night when Eddie Lacy was receiving treatment on his ankle. Lacy was able to return, so we’re probably not talking about any fantasy value for Harris, but in case Lacy misses time, it seems Harris would be James Starks’ backup.
Players listed in previous weeks who are still addable in deep leagues: Khiry Robinson, RB, New Orleans Saints (three percent); Lance Dunbar, RB, Dallas Cowboys (17 percent); Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit Lions (one percent); Buck Allen, RB, Baltimore Ravens (one percent); Josh Robinson, RB, Indianapolis Colts (one percent); Jeremy Langford, RB, Chicago Bears (one percent); Quincy Enunwa, WR, New York Jets (zero percent); Scott Chandler, TE, New England Patriots (three percent).
Christopher Harris is a six-time Fantasy Sports Writing Association award winner. He hosts the Harris Football Podcast every weekday. Find it on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn and most other podcast apps, as well as at www.HarrisFootball.com.
