In a 2020 season riddled with injuries, it is even more vital that we, as fantasy owners, ensure that in the case of an injury we have good depth. Picking up the right guys on the waiver wire can make you win your league. In 2017, picking up Alvin Kamara may have seemed crazy to some and yet he finished as the RB3. The waiver wire is where leagues are won and I am here to give suggestions on intriguing fantasy options. For every player on this list, the ownership is below 50% on ESPN. Depending on how active or knowledgable your league is, these players may or may not be available however I tried to put some guys that will definitely be on the waiver wire. Now let’s dive into this week’s pick-ups.
Allen Lazard: 36% owned
At number one, I have third year wide receiver Allen Lazard. Lazard had a ridiculous week three game against the Saints where he totaled 146 yards on just six receptions to go along with a touchdown. That’s 24.3 yards per catch. However, I don’t think this is just some one week fluke that only happened because Davante Adams got injured. In week one, Lazard had four receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown as well as 19 yards on the ground. He’s the clear number two option in what has been the third highest scoring offense in NFL history through three games. I think he can definitely have week-to-week flex value and could be a borderline low-end WR2 if he continues to be such a big play threat. If Davante Adams continues to struggle with injury, Lazard could have very high potential this year so he is 100% worth a pick up.
Kendrick Bourne and Brandon Aiyuk: 2% and 17% owned respectively
I decided to group these two wide receivers together because I think both are very solid options in fantasy this year for the 49ers. Bourne seems to be that protective security blanket wide receiver who won’t ever have any amazing, ‘wow’ plays, but he can and will have around 4-5 receptions for 60+ yards. For any teams lacking depth or needing a quick flex option due to injury, I would highly recommend picking up Bourne who I feel can be that reliable, safe target in the offense. Even with Kittle playing in week one, Bourne had 5 targets and has had 5+ targets in each of the three games played thus far. Now as for Brandon Aiyuk, he has some amazing upside in my opinion. In week two, he played 72% of snaps but had just two receptions for 21 yards and only three total targets. However, in week three Aiyuk had a breakout game of sorts in which he had 5 receptions for 70 yards and 3 rush attempts for 31 yards and a touchdown. It is important to note that he played only 1% of more snaps, so the team definitely made a concerted effort to get him involved. When watching the game, I noticed that the Niners gave him a lot of short slant routes that went for 8-10 yards which were easy throws for backup QB Nick Mullens and Aiyuk was very good in that role. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of those type of concepts if Mullens is still starting the next couple of weeks.
Tre’Quan Smith: 25% owned
Smith was an absolute fantasy bust in 2019 totaling just 18 receptions for 234 yards with a shockingly high five touchdowns after a very encouraging rookie year. All it took was for Michael Thomas to get injured for us fantasy owners to see how valuable Smith could be in fantasy. In two games without Thomas, Smith has nine receptions for 128 yards, nearly half of last year’s output already. If Thomas continues to sit, Tre’Quan Smith becomes a very, very solid flex start if your team has become ravaged by injuries. Brees has shown a tendency to really favor one wide receiver over the last few years and if Smith can fill that role, he is fantasy relevant for sure.
Randall Cobb: 16% owned
Cobb had a tough start in week one against the Chiefs but since then he has been rock solid. He had five receptions for 59 yards in week two and built on that with 4 receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown. This isn’t really a league-winning pickup, but he can be a good depth guy that can be a plug and play in a bye week or due to injury. He seems to have developed a good connection with Watson and can offer flex value on a week to week basis. Don’t have the highest expectations for him but just know he can be a solid player to have on your bench.
Carlos Hyde: 10% owned
With Chris Carson’s injury likely sidelining him for a few weeks, Hyde is worth a pickup because in that high-flying offense he can get touchdowns pretty easily. Carson had three touchdowns in the first three games and Carson is probably going to get most, if not all, of that work on early downs. While Travis Homer will get his fair share of backfield receptions, Hyde can get a reception every now and again and he won’t have to face any stacked boxes with Wilson playing like the best quarterback in football.
Corey Davis: 48% owned
Davis is no longer playing with an injury and seems to be playing the best football of his career. He is averaging 6.3 targets and 68.7 yards per game this year and has capitalized on AJ Brown not being healthy enough to play. Davis offers flex value and potentially WR2 numbers if he continues to play this way. I have always been a big fan of his so I believe he has the talent to produce and simply needs to have the opportunity, which it appears he finally has. His opportunity could decrease a bit with Brown back in the lineup but in week one Davis was outstanding with over 100 receiving yards with Brown playing.
Dalton Schultz: 23% owned
Schultz has become Dak’s personal checkdown receiver. He has put up 16 targets and 13 receptions the last two games. If you really need a tight end, he could be worth the add but as the fourth option on the offense, his role will be limited. Schultz could put up TE2 numbers which could be the difference in two tight end or tight end premium leagues.
Andy Isabella: 1% owned
Isabella had a two touchdown week this week coming off a two reception game for 67 yards. It is important to note that his snap count rose to 40% this week after not topping 20% in the previous two weeks. He is worth the pickup as a bench stash if you have some expendable guys on your team. At the very least, he is a guy worth keeping an eye out for.
Comments