Fantasy football draft day is where champions are born, but to earn the prize, you’ve got to keep working all season. The best way to do that is to stay proactive on the waiver wire. Even the most well-prepared and assembled teams need reinforcements.
Many fantasy rosters have already been assembled and open up free agency before the NFL season kicks off. Using rostered data from our friends and CBS, here are some free agents rostered in less than half of leagues to consider adding ahead of the fantasy football waiver wire Week 1.
FAAB denotes Free Agent Budget
Ty’Son Williams (RB) Baltimore Ravens (35% FAAB) – The unfortunate season-ending injury to J.K. Dobbins ruined plenty of rosters. Dobbins was a popular third-round target and fantasy managers that selected him are scrambling. Williams, a 6-foot 220-pound undrafted rookie out of BYU, posted a 79th-percentile speed score and had carved out a role in Baltimore’s backfield before Dobbins went down. He’ll now move up to second, splitting touches with Gus Edwards. Williams is in a really good position to garner 150-plus touches for a Ravens squad that likes to use multiple backs, and he’s even an underrated receiver who could surprise in that area. Fantasy managers who lost Dobbins should be prepared to throw out an aggressive bid on the rookie runner.
Elijah Moore (WR) New York Jets (10% FAAB) – Moore is one of the most coveted rookie wideouts per the analytics community. The No. 34 overall pick, Moore blasted a 4.40 40-yard dash and an elite, 98th-percentile agility score at Mississippi’s Pro Day. A minor quad injury cost Moore significant snaps during the preseason but he will open the season as the Jets’ No. 1 receiver. Moore is a screaming value who offers significant upside from where he can be drafted, or even added off the wire.
Terrace Marshall (WR) Carolina Panthers (10% FAAB) – The No. 59 pick out of LSU, Marshall had a phenomenal preseason, ranking second in the NFL with 181 receiving yards and averaging over 20 yards per grab. Marshall stood out all summer and his performance even led to the Panthers releasing presumptive WR3 David Moore. Marshall locked up that role and should see significant playing time right away in an offense that utilized three-wide sets on 57% of their snaps last season. That number should grow with new starting QB Sam Darnold under center, who flashed a solid report with Marshall. Available in over 70% of leagues, Marshall offers WR4 potential right away and is worth an add in all formats.
Rondale Moore (WR) Arizona Cardinals (8% FAAB) – By now you should be quite familiar with my infatuation with Rondale Moore. I view the rookie as a potentially potent vertical weapon out of the slot and have gone out of my way to target him in as many drafts as possible. As luck would have it, the Cardinals open the 2021 campaign in Tennessee, facing a Titans secondary that allowed 45.2 fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers last season, worst in the league.
Wayne Gallman (RB) Atlanta Falcons (6% FAAB) – There wasn’t room for Gallman in San Francisco’s crowded backfield, but Atlanta wisely scooped Gallman up off of waivers. For now, Gallman will act as the Falcons’ RB2 behind Mike Davis but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Gallman force his way into a timeshare. Gallman was surprisingly good last season, ranking 12th among all running backs in yards after contact per attempt and forcing 27 missed tackles on just 147 attempts. Until we see Davis succeed as “the guy”, Gallman is worth a bench stash in deeper leagues.
Randall Cobb (WR) Green Bay Packers (5% FAAB) – One of the demands that QB Aaron Rodgers made to return to Green Bay was for the Packers to reacquire Cobb and Brian Gutekunst obliged. From 2012-2018 with Rodgers under center, Cobb averaged 13.9 PPR points per game out of the slot. We can’t necessarily expect those kinds of numbers in 2021 now that Cobb is 32, but he can be a solid source of targets and receptions and is an instant upgrade from Allen Lazard.
Tevin Coleman (RB) New York Jets (5% FAAB) – The Jets currently list Coleman as their starting running back. Now, this might not mean much, as New York is expected to trot out a full-blown committee backfield. But Coleman still has some speed, can catch the ball, and could carve out a solid role in a ‘hot hand’ approach. Only rostered in 46.3% of CBS leagues, Coleman is worth a speculative add.
Austin Hooper (TE) Cleveland Browns (5% FAAB) – Hooper caught the second-most passes in Cleveland last year but that was with Odell Beckham Jr. missing most of the season. There has been some talk of expanding Hooper’s role in 2021 and he’s got a decent shot at posting top-15 fantasy numbers. Many fantasy managers are forced to stream tight ends, so Hooper can be a solid flier and gets a potentially high-scoring matchup against the Chiefs to open the season.
Carson Wentz (QB) Indianapolis Colts (2% FAAB) – No starting quarterbacks were injured during the preseason, so it’s doubtful many people are looking to add a QB. Wentz is only rostered in 32.6% of leagues due in part to recent surgery and his disastrous 2020 campaign. Still, Wentz is reunited with Frank Reich, who coached Wentz to a tremendous 2017 season. Wentz has some intriguing young weapons in Indianapolis, an elite offensive line, and even gets a solid Week 1 matchup against a Seattle secondary that yielded the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing passers last season.
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