WEEK 11: 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.
Rashod Bateman- Wide Receiver, BAL
ESPN Roster Percentage- 32.5%
Rashod Bateman has only played 4 games for the Ravens, but he is quickly emerging as their 2nd best wide receiver option. Normally, I would say this is irrelevant for a team that has a run-heavy scheme, however, that isn’t the case this year. Lamar Jackson is currently on pace to break his career highs in both passing attempts and passing yardage by a wide margin, mostly due to the Ravens lack of ability to run the ball outside of his own production. This means a larger target share is available, and while Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews will be the most important benefactors, Rashod Bateman is the next man up. Bateman has seen over a 60% snap count in his first 4 games, and that will likely continue to rise as he gets more involved and established within the offense. Bateman could have an important role heading into the fantasy playoffs and is someone I would invest a chunk of FAB in to make sure I can roster him down the stretch. He is worth a higher waiver wire priority and is a potential trade target if you can't secure him through waivers.
Rhamondre Stevenson- Running Back, NE
ESPN Roster Percentage- 29.1%
This waiver wire add is all about timing. If Damien Harris is cleared prior to the Patriots game on Thursday, then this pickup is more about injury insurance if Harris were to be hurt again. If Harris is ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Falcons, then Stevenson is a smash play and will continue to be so in Harris’ absence. Stevenson has shown flashes of brilliance in small sample sizes, but the worry about Patriots running backs always creeps into the back of my mind. Stevenson saw his highest snap percentage in Week 10 at 55%, which resulted in 25 opportunities for 114 yards. The Falcons are a great fantasy matchup for just about every single position, so Stevenson is worth a higher waiver wire priority this week. I would place a FAB bid in the $8-$12 range as he will have great value as a backup going forward.
