Waiver Wire Week 2 FAAB Report

Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books and with it we saw some big-time performances from players who were popular sleepers heading into the season. Unfortunately, we also saw some major injuries with Keenan Allen’s season coming to a quick end with a torn ACL and Robert Griffin landing on short-term IR with a broken bone in his shoulder. In this week’s FAAB Report we will take a look at some quarterbacks who turned in big Week 1 performances and a group of wide receivers who immediately lived up to their preseason hype.

All FAAB bids are based off a $100 budget

Quarterback

Matt Ryan, ATL- Ryan turned in a big Week 1 performance against the Buccaneers, completing 69 percent of his passes for 334 yards and two scores.  Ryan did a good job spreading the ball around as he targeted receivers Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu and tight end Jacob Tamme eight times each to lead the team.  Ryan is building a solid chemistry with Sanu which bodes well for both of their fantasy values as Ryan will not feel pressured into forcing throws to Julio Jones because of the lack of another receiving option.  In Week 2 the Falcons will be heading out to Oakland to face a Raiders team that was just torched by Drew Brees for 423 yards and four touchdowns. While the Falcons do not necessarily have the offensive firepower that the Saints offense boasts Ryan should be able to put up solid numbers against the Raiders.  Furthering Ryan’s fantasy value is the fact that in Week 3 he faces the Saints who do not figure to stop many offenses this season.

FAAB bid- $ 10

Jameis Winston, TB- Winston is coming off a solid rookie year which saw him complete 58.3 percent of his passes for 4,042 yards with 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.  During the offseason Winston was praised for being in much better shape and it appears that increased work ethic is already paying dividends as Winston lit up the Falcons defense in Week 1 for 281 yards and four touchdowns.  In Week 2 he will face a much tougher test as the Buccaneers head out to Arizona to face the Cardinals who have a strong defense but did just allow Jimmy Garoppolo to complete 73 percent of his passes for 264 yards and a score in Week 1 so there is a shot that Winston can build off his Week 1 success should Arizona again struggle.

FAAB bid- $5

Joe Flacco, BAL- On the whole Flacco turned a relatively average Week 1 performance against the Bills but there is plenty of reason for optimism as he has a stacked wide receiver group which includes Mike Wallace, Steve Smith Sr., Breshad Perriman and Kamar Aiken.  In Week 2 the Ravens will face a Browns team that just allowed 278 yards and two touchdowns to rookie QB Carson Wentz in Week 1.  Flacco should put up much better numbers against the Browns than he did a tough Bills defense and finds himself with a relatively easy schedule during the first half of the season which makes him a solid waiver wire grab.

FAAB bid- $3

 

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Running Back

Spencer Ware, KC- Ware was everything his fantasy owners could have hoped for in Week 1 as he carried the ball 11 times for 70 yards and a touchdown while adding seven catches for 129 yards.  With news that Jamaal Charles was not going to play in Week 1 many owners went and grabbed Ware however he finds himself unowned in nearly 20 percent of standard leagues and therefore he tops this list as Ware should again be the Chiefs lead back in Week 2 with Charles questionable to play.

FAAB bid- $20

Justin Forsett, BAL- Forsett’s 10 carries ranked him second on the team behind Terrance West’s 12 carries however Forsett was much more effective on the ground, averaging 4.1 yards per carry to West’s 2.7 yards per carry.  Seeing that Forsett had the better output in Week 1 and has been the Ravens lead back for the previous two seasons it would make sense that Baltimore begins to feature Forsett a bit more heavily in Week 2 against the Browns who allowed Ryan Mathews to rush for 77 yards and a score in Week 1.

FAAB bid- $10

Theo Riddick, Det- Riddick got his 2016 season off to a fast start as he totaled 108 yards and two scores.  In the past Riddick was never heavily involved in the running attack but in Week 1 against the Colts he saw seven carries for 45 yards while adding his typical five catches for 63 yards.  Riddick figures to be a PPR machine this season but if the Lions find themselves committed to also giving him some carries his value should skyrocket.  He is currently owned in about 70 percent of standard leagues and if on your waiver wire he is worth grabbing.  In Week 2 the Lions face a tough Titans defense that just shut down Adrian Peterson which should bode well for Riddick as the Lions likely give him more snaps if Ameer Abdullah struggles on the ground.

FAAB bid- $10

 

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Wide Receiver

Will Fuller, Hou- The Texans 2016 first round pick turned in quite the debut in Week 1 as he caught 5-of-11 targets for 107 yards and one touchdown.  Fuller’s day could have been even greater but he had a few drops including one downfield pass which he easily beat the defender and would have resulted in big yardage and a score.  His 11 targets were a team high as he outpaced DeAndre Hopkins and while that is unlikely to be a weekly occurrence it is a great sign that he and QB Brock Osweiler already have some chemistry together.  Fuller is owned in about 60 percent of standard leagues and in Week 2 will face a Chiefs defense that allowed 172 yards to Charger receivers in Week 1.

FAAB Bid- $15

Tajae Sharpe, Ten- The Titans rookie made quite the impression in Week 1 as he lead the team in catches (7), targets (11) and yards (76) in the teams loss to the Vikings.  Sharpe had an impressive camp and despite being a fifth round pick has seemingly found himself taking over as the Titans No.1 receiver role. He is owned in just about 40 percent of standard leagues and in Week 2 he draws a favorable matchup against a Lions defense that just allowed 237 yards and a touchdown to Colts receivers in Week 1.

FAAB bid- $10

Travis Benjamin, SD- Benjamin signed with the Chargers this offseason after a career year in Cleveland and now finds himself as the likely No.1 receiver target of Philip Rivers after Keenan Allen suffered a torn ACL in Week 1.  Against the tough Chiefs secondary Benjamin totaled a team high seven catches on eight targets and while his 32 yards certainly leads more to be desired we know from his days in Cleveland that he is much more of a down field threat than he showed in Week 1. Benjamin is owned in just about 65 percent of standard leagues and in Week 2 he and the Chargers will face off against the Jaguars who allowed 147 yards and two touchdowns to Packers wide receivers last week.

FAAB bid- $5

 

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Tight End

Eric Ebron, Det- Many were high on Ebron coming into the season now that Calvin Johnson had retired and he turned in a solid Week 1 performance, catching all five targets for 46 yards and a touchdown. Ebron tied for second on the team with his five catches and his five targets placed in him in a tie for third.  Ebron should consistently see this type of offensive involvement and be a big red zone target of Matt Stafford given his size and athleticism.  Ebron is currently owned in just under 50 percent of standard leagues and in Week 2 he faces a Titans defense that allowed 65 yards to Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph in Week 1.

FAAB bid- $7

Kyle Rudolph, Min- Rudolph found himself second on the team with eight targets in Week 1 agaisnt the Titans as QB Shaun Hill consistently looked for both him and Stefon Diggs in the passing attack.  Rudolph caught just four of those eight targets for 65 yards which both ranked him second on the team behind Diggs.  Hill is a below average QB so it’s encouraging that Rudolph had this level of involvement in the offense with the likelihood that Sam Bradford will start at QB in Week 2.  Bradford and Eagles tight end Zack Ertz made quite the pair last year and it’s possible that Bradford could again lean on his tight end in Minnesota which is great news for Rudolph.  Rudolph is owned in about 20 percent of standard leagues and in Week 2 he and the Vikings will face off against the Packers who allowed 64 yards and a touchdown to Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas in Week 1.

FAAB bid- $3

Jacob Tamme, ATL- Tamme is coming off a career year in 2015 which saw him catch 59 passes for 657 yards.  In Week 1 he tied for the team lead in targets with eight while hauling in a team best six passes for 51 yards.  The Falcons offense should once again rely heavily on the pass in 2016 which makes Tamme a solid cheap option at tight end where he should be able to notch similar production on a weekly basis.  The one downside here is the lack of touchdowns as the Falcons have numerous other options to go to when down by the goal line so Tamme’s value is much greater in PPR formats.  He is owned in just 3 percent of standard leagues and will find himself up against the Radiers in Week 2 who struggled mightily last season against opposing tight ends but were able to shut down Colby Fleener in Week 1.

FAAB bid- $1