Fantasy: Week 1 Waiver Wire

Welcome to the Week 1 Waiver Wire. Although they won’t always be quite this thorough, there are always a ton of names worth mentioning in week one. Note that players under each position are in order based on priority. For example, Michael Vick is listed before Jimmy Clausen under quarterback. This means that, in most formats, you’ll want to pick up Vick if both are available. Note that this advice is strictly for redraft formats and usually will towards a fairly standard 12-team PPR league.

Quarterbacks:

David Garrard – Jaguars – 16-of-21, 170 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 7 carries, 10 yards

Available in way too many leagues, Garrard is a respectable QB2 option and a borderline QB1 in leagues that award 4 points (not 6) for a pass TD. Known for his ability to rack up fantasy points via the rushing game (something often overlooked in fantasy), Garrard is also one of the best at avoiding interceptions. He finished the preseason strong and put up one of the best week 1 quarterback performances. If he’s available in your league, you now have your QB2.

Michael Vick – Eagles – 16-of-24, 175 yards, 1 TD, 11 carries, 103 yards

Not only did Kevin Kolb leave Sunday’s game at halftime after suffering a concussion, his poor play also picked up where it left off in the pre-season. Vick, on the other hand, was outstanding in relief. Kolb’s status for Sunday is up in the air, but it seems unlikely the he will play. If you’re relying on Kolb as your starter, go hard after Vick. If not, he’s worth some consideration in leagues with deep benches, but I wouldn’t give up too much. Although his match-up in week 2 is pretty, you, more than likely, have a top 12 QB on your roster already and Kolb should be back in week 3. From there, Kolb will get every chance to prove he is or isn’t the team’s quarterback of the future.

Shaun Hill – Lions – 9-of-19, 88 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

Matt Stafford is reportedly out 4-8 weeks after suffering a shoulder injury on Sunday. Shaun Hill came on to replace him and wasn’t too bad, putting up a 1.5 PFF pass rating on 20 pass plays. The former 49er has a fairly respectable 62% completion percentage and 23:11 TD:INT ratio in his short career, but will be dealing with an inexperienced offense and a poor overall team. Unless you’re in a 16-team league with deep benches (especially if you own Stafford), don’t waste your waiver slot.

Sam Bradford – Rams – 32-of-55, 253 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT

Let’s not get too crazy here. Bradford managed only 253 yards and 1 score despite a whopping 55 pass attempts. His receiving options are either less than impressive or young and inexperienced. Consider also that St. Louis will throw closer to 35 times per game most weeks and that he’s a rookie playing for a team that isn’t going to score many touchdowns. Leave him on the Waiver Wire.

Jimmy Clausen – Panthers – 0-for-2

Matt Moore left Sunday’s game with a concussion and was playing poorly when he went down. Opposite of the situation in Philly, Carolina has more invested in their back-up quarterback, which, of course, is Jimmy Clausen. Still, the Panthers will be one of the league’s run heaviest teams, which significantly limits the fantasy stock of any Panthers’ quarterback. Avoid both of these guys.

Running Backs:

Brandon Jackson – Packers – 18 carries, 63 yards, 2 targets, 2 receptions, 13 yards

UPDATE: 3:40 PM EST – Grant is done for the year. Everyone should be putting in a claim for Jackson. He immediately becomes a good RB2 option.

Ryan Grant is out for Week 2 and it sounds like the injury could knock him out even longer. The Packers have only fullback John Kuhn left to backup Jackson and it doesn’t appear that they will activate James Johnson from the practice squad. This means Jackson will be in for a significant workload against the lowly Bills in week 2. It’s no secret that the Packers love what Jackson brings to the table, so don’t be surprised if a strong performance in week 2 leads to a bigger share of the carries once Grant returns. If you can get your hands on him, he’s a solid play while Grant is out and a bench stash going forward.

Peyton Hillis – Browns – 9 carries, 41 yards, TD, 5 targets, 4 receptions, 24 yards

I need another week of data before I’d consider starting Hillis over Jerome Harrison, but you can’t argue with the numbers. Hillis had 14 looks, while Harrison saw 10. Harrison was more effective overall (39 yard run helps), but Hillis scored the only rushing touchdown between the two. Two fumbles does not bode well for Hillis’ playing time going forward, but he’s definitely worth a look as a speculative bench player.

Bernard Scott – Bengals – 6 carries, 35 yards, 4 targets, 3 receptions, 15 yards

My affection for Bernard Scott is no secret. I own him in a ton of leagues and he should be on someone’s bench in yours. There’s nothing terribly wrong with Cedric Benson, but Scott is a talented back and was more effective than Benson in week 1 on only 10 touches. Not only could Scott force a timeshare, if Benson goes down for any extended period of time, Scott will be a must start. Stash him on your bench.

Wide Receivers:

Mike Thomas – Jaguars – 7 targets, 6 receptions, 89 yards

Mike Sims-Walker is the main man in Jacksonville, but was a non-factor in week 1 and failed to catch a single pass. Mike Thomas took advantage with a half dozen receptions and 89 yards. Don’t overreact. Although I continue to view Thomas as a very good WR4, Sims-Walker is still a borderline WR2 and the Jaguars wide receiver to own. Thomas is unowned in way too many leagues and should be on a roster, but don’t give up on Sims-Walker quite yet.

Legedu Naanee – Chargers – 8 targets, 5 receptions, 110 yards, 1 TD

Back in the pre-season days, I got the “Which player had the best chance to be this year’s Miles Austin?” question a lot. Although I doubt anyone will climb quite that high, my answer was always Legedu Naanee. Unlike Malcom Floyd, Naanee fits the bill because he wasn’t being selected until very late, if at all, in fantasy drafts. He also fits because he’s (1) a young player whose (2) shown upside, (3) is in an elite passing offense, and (4) is in position for a large increase in targets. Consider Naanee batting 1.000. The only Charger targeted more than Naanee was Floyd with 12. Naanee took better advantage of his looks, going over the 100 yard mark and scoring a touchdown. Needless to say, he should be owned in all 12-team leagues.

Davone Bess – Dolphins – 7 targets, 6 receptions, 51 yards

Bess is a bit underrated in PPR formats. The trade for Brandon Marshall has distracted most people from Bess’ ability to haul in almost everything thrown his way. Consider him a back-end WR4 in PPR, which means he’s worth a bench spot.

Lance Moore – Saints – 4 targets, 3 receptions, 23 yards

Moore sits in the WR5-6 zone in my PPR projections, but he’s worth discussing for several reasons. First of all, the Saints had a few designed plays for him early in Thursday’s opener. Secondly, the Saints pass offense is one of the finest in football, which translates to some serious upside. Although he’s best suited for best ball formats, he should be on someone’s bench in any league that allows room for 2-3 wide receivers.

Danny Amendola – Rams – 9 targets, 6 receptions, 67 yards -and-

Mark Clayton – Rams – 16 targets, 10 receptions, 119 yards

One of the most targeted players in the league on Sunday, Clayton had an impressive debut with the Rams. Don’t get too excited. The former Raven took advantage of a whopping 55 pass attempts by his rookie quarterback, Sam Bradford. The Rams will average closer to 35 pass attempts/week going forward, which will translate to 6-7 looks each game for Clayton. He’s worth a bench spot as a fifth receiver, but nothing more. Week 1 will be his best game of the year.

Sticking with the Rams theme, Danny Amendola is worth a look after seeing 9 looks on Sunday. I like Amendola a lot as a player, but, as was the case with Clayton, his fantasy stock is limited by being on a poor team with a rookie quarterback  Still, I suspect Amendola will be the more consistent of the two going forward. If I’m taking a shot on a WR5 in PPR, I’m taking Amendola.

Brandon Lloyd – Broncos – 8 targets, 5 receptions, 117 yards

Considering the question marks at wide receiver for Denver right now, Lloyd’s 8 targets on Sunday shouldn’t be too shocking. Eddie Royal (10) and Jabar Gaffney (7) were also heavily involved. Although Lloyd could see 5-8 targets/game for the next few weeks, rookies Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker are waiting in the wings. As the season progresses, they’ll see more playing time. It will be at the expense of Lloyd. Don’t waste your waiver position.

Jordan Shipley – Bengals – 7 targets, 5 receptions, 82 yards

The rookie slot man has plenty of competition for targets in Cincinnati, but it appears that he will be a PPR force for the next decade. Playing from behind on Sunday, Palmer racked up 50 pass attempts – something we won’t see often this year. Although Shipley will have a few games where he approaches 10 targets, Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco, and Jermaine Gresham will steal away too many for him to be a consistent fantasy force in 2010. He’s worth bench consideration in PPR leagues, but that’s it.

Micheal Spurlock – Buccaneers – 4 targets, 2 receptions, 49 yards, TD

Spurlock was a cut day casualty that Tampa Bay snagged to replace Clifton Smith (also a cap casualty). Unlike Smith, however, Spurlock is a wide receiver and was thrown right into the mix on Sunday. That being said, the Bucs do not sport an elite passing attack and Spurlock is behind Mike Williams, Kellen Winslow Jr. and Sammie Stroughter for targets. Add to the mix rookie wide receiver Arrelious Benn, who will make more of an impact as the season progresses, and you’ll want to avoid Spurlock on the wire.

Tight Ends:

Jermaine Gresham – Bengals – 10 targets, 6 receptions, 25 yards, 1 TD

The rookie tight end entered the season as a decent TE2 option and little has changed. Cincinnati threw it a ton in the opener, which isn’t going to continue, but 10 targets says something about Gresham’s role in the offense. Expect him to continue seeing plenty of underneath looks from Carson Palmer, which will lead to a borderline top 15 season among tight ends. If he’s still unowned in your league and you need a backup with upside, Gresham is your man.

Tony Scheffler – Lions – 7 targets, 6 receptions, 43 yards

One of my favorite sleepers at tight end heading into the season, Scheffler racked up 7 looks in Sunday’s opener. Unfortunately for him, he’s been building chemistry with Matt Stafford, who is now out 4-8 weeks. Shaun Hill isn’t going to add anything to Scheffler’s value and it we could even see a slight dropoff. Consider that Vernon Davis didn’t break out in San Francisco last season until then-49er Hill was replaced with Alex Smith. Although some of that coveted upside is gone, Scheffler remains a good TE2.

Marcedes Lewis – Jaguars – 2 targets, 2 receptions, 31 yards, 2 TD

A backend TE2 with upside heading into the season, Lewis raised some eyebrows with two quick touchdowns on Sunday. Unfortunately for those who moved fast and grabbed him in first-come-first-serve leagues, those were his only receptions on the day. Lewis remains as a borderline top 20 tight end who will be limited by backup TE Zach Miller (the other one) and an underwhelming pass offense. Lewis’ value is as a bye week fill-in.

Todd Heap – Ravens – 11 targets, 6 receptions, 72 yards

Anquan Boldin had more receptions and yards, but it was Todd Heap who led the Ravens in targets on Monday night. In previous seasons, 11 targets for a tight end would trigger an instant add. However, tight end is so deep that Heap still doesn’t make the TE1 cut. He’s an okay TE2, but nothing more.

Tony Moeaki – Chiefs – 4 targets, 3 receptions, 21 yards, 1 TD

Matt Cassel didn’t throw the ball very well on Monday night, but, if anything, his target distribution was relatively spread out. Moeaki, Chris Chambers, and Dexter McCluster were each targeted 4 times, while Dwayne Bowe led the team with 5. The Chiefs will throw it better when it isn’t pouring down rain and it appears that Moeaki will be involved in the passing game. That being said, if your backup tight end is a question mark and you’re looking for some upside, he’s not a bad option.

Travis Beckum – Giants – 2 targets, 2 receptions, 11 yards

Kevin Boss suffered a concussion on Sunday and his status is up in the air for week 2. Beckum is the only other tight end on the roster and will step in for Boss – like he did in week 1 – if he misses any time. Eli Manning won’t look to Beckum any more than he did Boss, so don’t expect much here. There are close to 20 better options at tight end.

Evan Moore – Browns – 5 targets, 3 receptions, 87 yards

Moore took advantage of a missed tackle and scampered down the field for a 45 yard reception before catching a deflection (off himself) for another long gainer. At the end of the day, he had a respectable fantasy day, but remains a poor fantasy bet going forward. Ben Watson is still the TE1 in Cleveland and Moore won’t see more than a catch or three in a given week.