Fantasy football owners are likely starting to panic or get more comfortable with their roster.
Whether you’re in panic mode or in the driver’s seat in your league, it doesn’t hurt to get on the waiver wire this week. With injuries piling up and players turning in better-than-anticipated performances, there are still some viable options available.
Here are the best bets on the waiver wire this week.
Charcandrick West, Kansas City Chiefs, Running Back
If you’re in need of a running back, you better hope you’re high in the waiver wire priority to snag West.
He will be by far the most picked up player this week on the wire because of starting running back Jamaal Charles’ injury. West was the clear back-up on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, meaning he will likely shoulder the bulk of the carries this week against Minnesota.
This is only the second year in the NFL for West, who played his college ball at Abilene Christian. In limited action this season, he has 12 carries for 48 yards.
The Chiefs are a run-first team and that won’t change with Charles out. West should be your priority this week, especially considering the philosophy of the Chiefs offense.
Knile Davis, Kansas City Chiefs, Running Back
Most people are handing the running back job to West. But that’s not a guarantee.
Davis is the more experienced option and head coach Andy Reid said the two would split carries. The problem with Davis is that after Charles went down with injury, West and Davis didn’t split carries.
West garnered seven carries, compared to Davis’ two.
We’ve seen Davis fill in for Charles and be a productive back, though. Last season, Davis turned in three performances where he churned out 79, 132 and 107 yards rushing. During those three games, he also scored three touchdowns.
We still see value in Davis. There’s no guarantee that West will dominate the workload and if you’re sitting back in the waiver wire priority, you’re not likely to nab West anyway.
Owning Davis has its benefits, too. Don’t let him sit on the wire.
Willie Snead, New Orleans Saints, Wide Receiver
If Snead is still on your waiver wire, then stop letting him sit there before some other fantasy football owner grabs him.
The rookie is quickly becoming one of Drew Brees’ favorite targets on a team that features far less weapons that it once previously boasted.
Snead turned in his season’s best performance with 141 yards receiving last week on six catches. He was targeted a team-high 11 times.
He has consistently gotten more looks, generating at least six targets from weeks 2 to 5.
The opportunities will rise for Snead as the Saints will continue to throw the ball consistently more than other NFL teams.
Gary Barnidge, Cleveland Browns, Tight End
We’re convinced.
It only took three performances of 75 yards or more receiving, but we’re jumping on the Barnidge bandwagon. We can’t quite explain his sudden rise to prominence, other than the fact that the Browns don’t really have quality skill positions, forcing Josh McCown to throw to the bigger target.
This doesn’t mean that Barnidge will continue to rack up double-digit points each week. The schedule gets much tougher for the Browns in upcoming weeks, but McCown looks for Barnidge as a safety blanket.
Just go back to Barnidge’s touchdown on Sunday against Baltimore. The Ravens brought the house in a blitz and McCown pretty much just threw up the ball to Barnidge. He went up and grabbed it.
That trust will help increase Barnidge’s value throughout the season. With the amount of volume Barnidge continues to see, he is a good bet on a weekly basis for your fantasy team.
Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers, Wide Receiver
Any wide receiver for the Packers is usually a pretty good bet and with Green Bay’s continued offensive approach to include Montgomery, we like his stock rising as the season progresses.
As far as wide receivers go, we do like Chicago Bears wide receiver Marquess Wilson, too. But despite his recent strong output, we’re concerned what will happen to him when Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal return.
Even if those wide receivers don’t return this week, the Bears will see a bye in week 7, diminishing Wilson’s value based on Jeffery and Royal likely at least returning after the bye week.
While Montgomery is the third option now at receiver for the Packers, behind Randall Cobb and James Jones, we like how the Packers are trusting him in the offense.
Green Bay is involving him in the run game and creating plays for him in the passing game. That says a lot for a rookie.
We’re a bit concerned when Davante Adams returns from injury, but Montgomery has shown in the last few weeks that he’s capable of catching the ball and making the most of his catches.
Last week, he caught four-of-five targets and notched his second touchdown. His production should continue to increase and as the trust continues to develop, we like Montgomery’s value going forward.
