This weekly article is focused on identifying players who are owned in less than 40% of redraft leagues. These players are going to help your team win this week and every week to come! We are looking for guys you should be able to plug into your starting lineup without hesitation.
While there were still plenty of injuries around the league in Week 3, there should be much less waiver wire activity than last week as the player pool is beginning to dry up. But, we’ll continue to find you some opportunities to take advantage of!
Be sure to check out all of our in-season content right here.
(There will be no recommended FAAB spends in this article, as those decisions always depend on your team’s needs)
Travis Homer (RB – SEA)
Ownership: 1.33%
Running back has become the most scarce group on the waiver wires these days. But, with injuries come opportunities. Seattle Seahawks starting running back Chris Carson suffered a sprained knee this Sunday leaving the job to Carlos Hyde and Homer. Homer will likely shoulder the majority of the passing work but we even saw him involved when Carson was healthy. Homer is a great fill-in for your flex spot if you’ve found yourself with few options left.
Rashaad Penny (RB – SEA)
Ownership: 28.11%
Penny is on IR but you want him for the same reason you want Homer, except Penny has an even greater chance of opportunity and success. The key is you can actually stash Penny in your IR spot and see your return on investment later in the season. Penny will be added when he returns from IR, so you may as well get ahead of the curve.
Greg Ward (WR – PHI)
Ownership: 2.11%
The Eagles just can’t seem to stay healthy. DeSean Jackson suffered the inevitable soft tissue injury this weekend and Phillidelphia lost tight end Dallas Goedert as well, completely decimating their receiving corps. Greg Ward received a whopping 11 targets in their absence. He finished the game with eight catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. The nature of both injuries means Ward will likely see significant playing time for the foreseeable future, so go get this guy. He should be available just about everywhere.
Andy Isabella (WR – ARI)
Ownership: 9.78%
Isabella’s snap count has been increasing with each game this season and jumped from 18% in Week 2 to 40% in Week 3 and oh boy, did he make the most of it. Isabella caught all four targets for 47 yards and two touchdowns. That’s right, two touchdowns and both from the red zone. I found that funny considering they could be throwing to extraterrestrials like Dan Arnold or DeAndre Hopkins in the red zone, but nope, Andy Isabella for two. Is this the end of Christian Kirk? Maybe, but either way, I want Isabella on my roster.
Robert Tonyan (TE – GB)
Ownership: 26.33%
Tonyan must be rostered at this point. He’s a player the Packers seem to want to get involved regardless, but it doesn’t hurt his chances that Davante Adams continues to be limited by soft tissue injuries. Adams was out again Sunday with a hamstring injury. Tonyan got involved in Week 2 and scored a touchdown but was even more impressive in Week 3. He caught all five targets for 50 yards and a touchdown. He proved to Aaron Rodgers he’s reliable if nothing else, and that will earn him more playing time and more targets. There are too many injuries and too few passing targets on the Packers to leave this guy on the waiver wire.
Cordarrelle Patterson (WR/RB – CHI)
Ownership: 0.44%
Patterson’s ownership is shockingly low considering the Chicago Bears have three running backs on the roster. David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen, and Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson is a hybrid wide receiver/running back but will see much more work out of the backfield now that Tarik Cohen has suffered a season-ending ACL tear. The Bears could certainly still sign someone but they seem comfortable with who they have and we’ve seen Patterson have success in this role before with the New England Patriots.
Tee Higgins (WR – CIN)
Ownership: 3.95%
Higgins is another player who continues to see a rise in snap count each week. He was virtually non-existent Week 1 but Week 3 is a completely different story. Higgins finished with five receptions on nine targets for 40 yards and two touchdowns. Tee Higgins may be replacing A.J. Green sooner than expected. While that could be the case, it’s more likely he remains the third or fourth option in the passing game. But, this encouraging outing could lead to more opportunity and it’s better to be early on these guys than late.
Thank you for reading. If you have any thoughts or would like to discuss, you can find me on Twitter @WillieBeamanDFF.
