What a week. We should have known it was going to be a wild one as soon as the Chiefs upset the Patriots on Thursday night, but the first Sunday of the NFL season definitely did not disappoint in terms of drama and intrigue. Plenty of big-name fantasy players disappointed, but that's the way the cookie crumbles in this fake game based on a game we all cherish so dearly. On a sadder note, several stars suffered injuries in Week 1 as well, something we never want to see at any point, but especially so early in the season. Hopefully, they can recover quickly, but until then there will be new opportunities for young players we need to assess for fantasy football. While there are two games still to come on the Week 1 slate (a Monday night double-header, which, attention league people with actual influence, you should do more often), below are 11 players to add on waivers this week. Stay tuned for Matt Harmon's waiver-wire deep dive and Matt Franciscovich's Week 2 streaming article (published Monday) for more under-the-radar options to add to your fantasy squad. Until then, here's who you need to be targeting.
If you missed Tarik "The Human Joystick" Cohen's NFL debut on Sunday, do yourself a favor and watch the highlights above. Cohen took his five carries for 66 yards and caught eight of his team-leading 12 targets for 47 yards and a touchdown. We wondered in the preseason if Cohen would eat into Jordan Howard's passing game work, but it appears this could be more of a full-fledged committee after Cohen played on 43 percent of the plays to Howard's 56. Cohen needs to be one of the priority adds this week as there's no way the Bears stop using him after that display. (Percent owned: 1.0, FAAB suggestion: 35 percent)
Danny Woodhead was off to a hot start for the
Ravens, but pulled up with a non-contact hamstring injury (the same thing that dogged him in the preseason). That opened the door for
Javorius Allen to come in and surprisingly lead the backfield in plays (29 to
Terrance West's 25). Allen is a nice dual-threat player, capable of running between the tackles and catching passes out of the backfield. He gutted out 71 yards on 21 carries against the
Bengals but failed to haul in his lone target. Baltimore loves to target backs though, and if Woodhead misses significant time as the team fears, Allen could at worst slot into that role, and at best take over the lead duties from West. Either way, he needs to be added before Week 2. (Percent owned: 1.6, FAAB suggestion: 30 percent)
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Sunday was a tough one for David Johnson fans. Not only did the superstar back struggle on the ground (11 carries, 23 yards) but he suffered a wrist injury that could potentially require surgery and even land him on injured reserve. That puts Kerwynn Williams at the top of the waiver-wire list, especially for those who drafted Johnson. Williams didn't get a ton of work in this game because the Cardinals were behind, but he did come in and score a touchdown immediately after Johnson suffered his injury. He'll be the starting running back and should receive the most carries from the backfield (career 5.4 yards per carry average), though Andre Ellington figures to work in more as a receiver and the team could re-sign Chris Johnson. This figures to be some sort of committee, but Williams looks like the best bet to receive the lion's share of the ground work and have goal-line upside for now. Don't overspend though in free agent budget situations, as Williams isn't a clear-cut replacement for DJ's workload. (Percent owned: 0.1, FAAB suggestion: 25 percent)
There were plenty of believers in Austin Hooper's breakout potential, and he sure made them feel smart on Sunday as he beasted his way to 128 yards and a touchdown ... on two catches. Hooper has to compete with a talented crew for targets, which could be a weekly uphill battle. However, his athleticism and potential were on full display against a sneakily good Bears defense. Tight end is a pretty touchdown-dependent position anyway, and at 6-foot-3, Hooper has the size and speed to score from distance, or in the red zone. He's a great target, especially if his role begins to expand. (Percent owned: 3.9, FAAB suggestion: 10 percent)
If you follow any fantasy analysts on Twitter, you likely saw them throwing fuel into the engine of the Kenny Golladay hype train. Well, in Week 1 that train hit speeds previously believed to be unreachable after the rookie scored two touchdowns and racked up 69 yards on four catches. Golladay has the athletic profile and talent to be a true difference maker, and the only thing possibly holding him back will be market share. He saw seven targets in this game, but that could have been partially because Marvin Jones drew Patrick Peterson in coverage for much of the game (37 plays, allowing two targets, one rec, six yards, and a touchdown). Jones and Golden Tate were on the field for 94 and 87 percent of the snaps, respectively, while the rookie clocked in with 62. Golladay needs to be picked up this week, but owners should be mentally prepared in case Jones jumps back ahead of Golladay in the pecking order next week against the Giants. (Percent owned: 1.7, FAAB suggestion: 5 percent)
For a while, Nelson Agholor seemed to be heading towards the dreaded first-round bust label. Not anymore. An offseason of focused work and a move to the slot netted the former USC standout a new lease on life, and a new role as one of Carson Wentz' favorite targets. Agholor only played 61 percent of the offensive plays (70 percent of which came from the slot), but tied for the team lead with eight targets. The good news for Agholor's fantasy outlook was that he averaged 12.6 air yards per target, 16th highest in Week 1 prior to Sunday night. That is buoyed by his deep touchdown catch, but it shows Agholor has the vertical ability in his game that boosts his weekly ceiling. Agholor received plenty of hype from the team and front office this offseason, and it's time for fantasy players to take notice. (Percent owned: 1.7, FAAB suggestion: 5 percent)
It always feels good when your research lines up into actual fantasy production on Sunday, and that was the case for many fantasy analysts with Charles Clay this week. The Bills offense is a run-heavy unit, but Clay led the team with nine targets, catching four of them for 53 yards and a touchdown. Clay has been with Tyrod Taylor for the quarterback's entire tenure in Buffalo, so the two have a chemistry that can't be rivaled by new additions like Jordan Matthews, Zay Jones and Andre Holmes. Clay's ceiling is low, but in PPR formats he offers a nice floor, and for those just chasing touchdowns, he could continue to be a factor in the red zone. Clay draws the Carolina Panthers, who figure to be tougher on tight ends in 2017 with a healthy Luke Kuechly. They allowed George Kittle to catch five passes for just 27 yards in Week 1. (Percent owned: 3.8, FAAB suggestion: 1-3 percent)
No, this isn't an overreaction to Smith's epic performance on Thursday night (368 passing yards, four touchdowns). Smith has long been a viable streaming fantasy quarterback, and his upcoming home matchup against the Eagles sets him up to post another solid fantasy outing. The Eagles lost cornerback Ronald Darby to an injury on Sunday, whom they recently acquired via trade with the Bills. That'll open up more holes in a secondary that allowed 240 yards, one touchdown and one interception to a struggling Kirk Cousins. If you streamed the position in Week 1 or have a quarterback with an unfavorable matchup in Week 2 ( Dak Prescott at Denver, for instance), Smith should be in play as one of the better options available on waivers.(Percent owned: 16.5, FAAB suggestion: 1-5 percent)
Chris Hogan is pretty widely owned, but this is just a reminder to take a look and see if he's free in your league. With
Danny Amendola suffering a concussion in Week 1, Hogan could see an uptick in volume in the
Patriots' suddenly thin receiving corps. We know he's a big-play threat for
Tom Brady, and he'll certainly have usable weeks moving forward. (Percent owned: 43.1, FAAB suggestion: 10-15 percent)
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The news of Allen Robinson suffering a torn ACL is just brutal. Robinson was in a contract year and a big piece of the Jaguars' passing attack. His absence now puts the spotlight (and pressure) on Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee to perform. This is going to be a low-volume passing attack as evidenced by Blake Bortles' 21 attempts on Sunday, the second-lowest in the league among QBs who played the whole game (sorry about your luck, Tom Savage). Both of these wideouts have performed at times in the past, but neither made much of an impact on their four targets against the Texans. They certainly warrant a speculative add, but don't go crazy here. The Jaguars expressed their intent to be a run-first team all offseason, and they made good on that promise in emphatic fashion in Week 1. (Percent owned: 1.8 [Hurns]/3.2 [Lee], FAAB suggestion: 1-3 percent)
Like with Hogan, Ginn is simply a friendly reminder, especially for those who had to quickly take Odell Beckham Jr. out of their lineups on Sunday night. Ginn is available in roughly 70 percent of NFL.com leagues, and with Willie Snead serving a three-game suspension to start the season, he'll see plenty of run. (Percent owned: 29.6 percent, FAAB suggestion: 5 percent)
NOTE: It's worth checking the waiver wire to see if any of your league mates dropped Buccaneers or Dolphins after their game was postponed. Players like Jameis Winston, Jacquizz Rodgers, Cameron Brate or Kenny Stills might be available and could prove productive.
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