By Chet Gresham – @ChetGresham
Follow @walterfootball for updates.
Published Sept. 12, 2017.
Below are players I’ll be targeting on the waiver wire this week. As usual, I’m using the 50-percent(ish) ownership threshold at Yahoo to determine who is allowed on the list.
Players are listed in the order I would assign waiver priority for each position.
Running Backs
Tarik Cohen, Bears (14 percent) Cohen is likely your No. 1 waiver priority. The Bears lost Kevin White, and Cohen was easily the target leader on the team against Atlanta. With Jordan Howard dropping a would-be game-winning touchdown pass, I think we can expect Cohen to remain the receiving back for the near future. In PPR leagues, I want Cohen on my team.
Javorius Allen, Ravens (2 percent) Woodhead is likely out for multiple weeks, and Allen is the only running back on the team who can catch the ball. He saw a ton of rushing attempts with a big lead on the Bengals, but that likely won’t be his main job, as Terrance West will be the early-down back. Allen could cut into West’s work, but Allen’s job will most likely be as a receiver in games where the other team keeps the game close.
Kerwynn Williams, Cardinals (8 percent) David Johnson is going to be out for a large chunk of the season, so even though Williams isn’t a slam-dunk pick, he should get a lot of time as the lead back for Arizona. This backfield will be a committee, but Williams won the backup job and will get the majority of the early-down work.
Marlon Mack, Colts (9 percent) Mack had a mixed-bag performance against the Rams, but showed enough and was used enough to be a useful addition to your team.
Shane Vereen, Giants (17 percent) Vereen is strictly a PPR add. When Odell Beckham Jr. returns, the Giants’ offense should be better, but they are going to continue to be in pass mode for most of their offensive snaps, and that means Vereen will be on the field catching dump-off passes from Eli Manning.
Chris Thompson, Redskins (17 percent) Washington may end up needing Chris Thompson much more than Rob Kelley or Samjae Perine, and Thompson has shown that he is an above-average offensive player. He will be more useful in games where his team is trailing, so you need to hope for the Washington defense to be lackluster.
Chris Carson, Seahawks (15 percent) Carson showed more than Eddie Lacy in Week 1 and has a real shot of winning the running back job in Seattle, but this is truly a crowded backfield with Thomas Rawls likely returning next week. Carson is a good upside pick for your bench in deep leagues.
Andre Ellington, Cardinals (1 percent) Ellington should end up as the main running back receiver with David Johnson out, which isn’t a bad place to be.
Alvin Kamara, Saints (13 percent) Kamara actually led the Saints’ running backs with seven carries and six targets, but the Saints were shut down by the Vikings Monday night. He shared a lot of work with Adrian Peterson and Mark Ingram.
Samaje Perine, Redskins (34 percent) I like Perine’s ability, plus Rob Kelley looked like hot garbage in Week 1. The Eagles’ defensive line is good, so Kelley could bounce back, but I still like Perine’s upside more.
Wide Receivers
Kenny Golladay (19 percent) Golladay is a no-doubt play-maker on a team that needs one, so he’s my No. 1 receiver to go after. The Lions also appear to be running more hurry up than they did toward the end of last season, which is good for offensive opportunities and Golladay.
Cooper Kupp, Rams (27 percent) Kupp is a perfect foil for Sammy Watkins and should be a solid PPR contributor all season as long as this new-fangled Jared Goff sticks around.
Corey Davis, Titans (46 percent) Davis was a little rusty after missing much of training camp with injuries, but he also made some amazing catches and led the team. I expect him to continue to improve and lead this team in targets for the season.
Nelson Agholor, Eagles (14 percent) Agholor isn’t going to put up his Week 1 numbers all that often, but he’s playing well and is on an offense that should continue to throw the ball often. He has full-season appeal.
Marqise Lee, Jaguars (16 percent) The Jaguars would rather not throw the ball at all, but they won’t get to play the Texans’ offense every week, which means someone will need to take over for Allen Robinson. Lee is my favorite to lead the team in receptions this season.
Kendall Wright, Bears (14 percent) Wright was a bust for most of Week 1, but then Kevin White left the game – and the season. Wright saw a quick four targets, catching three of them. He should see more snaps now and be useful in PPR.
Tight Ends
Charles Clay, Bills (11 percent) The Bills aren’t packed with talent, so Clay has become one of the few stable targets for Tyrod Taylor.
Zach Miller, Bears (5 percent) Miller has some upside now that Kevin White is out, as he should be a top-3 target on his team from here on out.
George Kittle, 49ers (1 percent) Kittle has ability, and the 49ers aren’t stacked with talent, so expect him to be heavily involved each week.
Quarterbacks
Sam Bradford, Vikings (24 percent) Bradford looked amazing against the Saints on Monday night, which isn’t the hardest thing to do, but it’s also not a given that Bradford would complete 27-of-32 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns. He has the offensive teammates to keep putting up good fantasy points, and the Vikings’ schedule is also a plus moving forward.
Alex Smith, Chiefs (23 percent) Smith must feel Patrick Mahomes breathing down his neck, because he let loose Thursday night and played one of, if not the best, game of his life. Does Smith really have it in him to continue this elevated play? I don’t know, but if you have Carson Palmer as your starter, you might be looking to upgrade. For more recommendations, check out WalterFootball.com’s Fantasy Football Rankings.
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Fantasy Football Rankings
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Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings - 8/28 (Chet)
2017 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/6 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings - 8/28 (Chet)
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2017 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Preseason - 9/1 (Walt)
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2025 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 20
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