WEEK 2: WAIVER WIRE
Every Tuesday, I will be bringing to light the best potential waiver wire additions across fantasy football. Let’s begin with some basic principles for each article and some of the qualifiers that will be used each week. First off, the minimum rostered percentage threshold that I will be using is 33.3%, so any player that is rostered in ESPN leagues above that percentage will not be written about (until near the end of the season when it gets harder to wade through the constantly thinning waiver wire.) Second, not all waiver wire additions are created equal and all are dependent on the roster you have. Each week I will be writing about players and the potential they bring to your fantasy roster, but I obviously don’t know who is on your team or what you may need in terms of roster construction. If I say a quarterback is the top waiver wire addition for the week, and you have Patrick Mahomes, that doesn’t mean you need to add that player to your team while dropping a potentially valuable player in order to do so. Third, I will frequently be using the abbreviation FAB, which refers to Free Agent Budget. This refers to the potential amount you might spend to acquire someone off the waiver wire if your league has that as a part of their system. Now, with all the rules and jargon out of the way, let’s get to it.
Elijah Mitchell- Running Back, SF
ESPN Roster Percentage- 1.9%
Elijah Mitchell took over for Raheem Mostert, who was injured during the 49ers Week 1 game against the Lions, and he showed out. He turned 19 carries into 104 rushing yards and 1 TD, receiving over 68% of the team’s carries and was the sole workhorse throughout the game. With Mostert being put on the IR Monday, that leaves the lead back duties for the 49ers up in the air. Mitchell would appear to be the leading candidate, but I wouldn’t be so surprised if rookie Trey Sermon has an equal shot at the job. I know that Sermon was a healthy inactive in Week 1 but a large part of that was the role that Elijah Mitchell and JaMycal Hasty play in special teams, something that Sermon isn’t involved in. While Mitchell is the clear waiver wire addition this week, I wouldn’t spend all my FAB to make sure he's on my roster.
Sterling Shepard- Wide Receiver, NYG
ESPN Roster Percentage- 25.3%
While the majority of the Giants offense looked like a garbage fire, Sterling Shepard looked like a #1 wide receiver. He led the Giants in all receiving categories while also running the most routes of any Giants player. The Giants will continue to struggle on offense this year, not likely at the level they showed Sunday, but it’s likely not far off their expected season performance. However, as we’ve seen in the past and already this season (see Brandin Cooks’ box score), even bad offenses have players that are fantasy relevant. Shepard won't be the main guy all year, but he's worth a shot as a small FAB bid.
Mark Ingram- Running Back, HOU
ESPN Roster Percentage- 11%
This waiver wire addition is a close your eyes and pretend it’s a different name selection. Mark Ingram didn’t look overly exceptional, but he was the lead back for an NFL team, which makes him a worthwhile addition. The Texans likely scored the most points they’ll get in a single game in Week 1, and unfortunately for them, they won't get to play the porous Jaguars defense every week. That being said, however, this team may have a little more fight in them than we thought. Ingram is purely a flyer addition that I wouldn’t use unless you’re very desperate. Ingram is an add and bench, nothing more kind of guy as of right now.
