It’s tough to play the waiver wire in week 1, especially since you likely believe your team is the best it can be after the draft.
Even though you believe in your team, there are a few options still left on the waiver wire heading into week 1 of the fantasy football season. Here’s some players to consider on the week 1 fantasy football waiver wire.
Matt Forte, RB, New York Jets
Forte is owned in 57 percent of leagues on Yahoo, which is at the bargain basement level for a starting running back. Despite my doubts — and I have plenty — Forte will be a factor in the early going for a Jets team destined to be terrible. He’ll still get a decent amount of touches at 15 to 20 in the first few weeks, which could pay dividends as a Flex or as depth for your roster.
Forte is a well-worn running back who can’t make it through a 16-game schedule anymore. But his production was still high at the beginning of the season in 2016, with at least 17 touches in five of the first eight games of 2016.
The Jets are going to be terrible, but they’ll still have to run the ball at some point. Bilal Powell is the better fantasy option for a season-long outlook, but Forte still has some value in the first part of the season.
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
I’m bullish on Lockett’s potential. Many others in the fantasy world obviously aren’t.
Lockett is owned in 40 percent of Yahoo leagues, all the while getting a major upgrade with Seattle’s trade of Jermaine Kearse to the New York Jets. That trade cements Lockett’s position as a realistic fantasy weapon for the Seahawks, with Paul Richardson as his main competition for the second receiver position.
Before leaving the 2016 season with injury, Lockett was emerging as a go-to receiver for Russell Wilson. He was inserted as a regular starter in the Seahawks lineup, and went for at least six targets in his final four complete games. In those games, he went for four total touchdowns, and put up more than 100 yards receiving in one of those contests.
I’m expecting that same explosiveness this year and it shouldn’t take long before Richardson moves down the depth chart, while Lockett becomes more of a part of Seattle’s offense. He is a solid bench player for fantasy rosters at this point with a high ceiling.
Robby Anderson, WR, New York Jets
As you’ll notice, nobody is banking on the Jets producing much in the fantasy football department. I get the trepidation, but somebody is going to score fantasy points. Anderson is a bit of a long-shot, but he’s in the discussion as a WR3 in fantasy football. He’s locked in as the No. 1 option for the Jets at that position and New York will trail from the opening whistle this Sunday until the end of week 17.
Naturally, they will pass often. They may not complete many of those passes, but the ones they do, most of them should go to Anderson.
He’s owned in 32 percent of fantasy leagues on Yahoo. That’s not a surprising number and I don’t blame people for not buying the hype. Regardless if Kearse was shipped to the Jets, Anderson should be the main wide receiver weapon for the woeful Jets.
Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Don’t lose track of Carson this year. He may not be the biggest producer in the early part of the 2017 season, but he has the potential to make noise. Carson has been a stud in the preseason, and while I usually dismiss preseason performances, I can’t ignore Seattle’s confusing backfield.
Carson is likely the No. 4 back right now, but he split time with Eddie Lacy in the preseason, while Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise were hurt.
You can’t count on any of those three starting running backs, so Carson has major potential, especially after his solid preseason play. He’s owned in 10 percent of fantasy leagues at the moment. Don’t lose him on your waiver wire radar as the season progresses.
Kendall Wright, WR, Chicago Bears
I don’t love the Bears passing game, but I’m not sold on Kevin White being the best option. Wright has untapped potential and has shown some glimmer of hope in the preseason. The Bears will trail often this year, putting pressure on their receivers to get open.
I trust Wright more than any weapon they’ll deploy at the wide receiver position. And in the month of September, Chicago has some favorable matchups in the passing game. Three of the first four opponents ranked 11th or worse against the pass in 2016.
Wright is owned in 10 percent of fantasy leagues on Yahoo. He can provide depth for your roster and has the ability to score right away.
