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The week prior to the start of the season is always an interesting one for waiver adds. On the one hand, there are always some interesting names available who went under drafted in the preseason or who benefitted from a preseason injury. On the other hand, you just drafted a team you presumably like, and unless your team suffered an injury, it probably doesn’t make much sense to make a major move before you see any of your players in games that count.
That being said, there are some names worth considering this week, especially in deeper leagues. If you were planning on streaming quarterbacks or defenses, there are some strong options heading into Week 1. In deeper leagues, there are several intriguing upside plays who were affected by news over the weekend.
The waiver adds below have been organized by 10-team leagues, 12-team leagues and 14+ leagues. Each player is listed along with his ownership in Yahoo! Leagues. These are meant to be guidelines. If you play in a 10-team league but all of the players listed are owned, then look at the 12-team options if you need to pick somebody up. Hopefully, this list will have something for everyone, but if you have more specific questions, I am happy to answer them in the comments.
10 Team League Waiver Adds
Carson Palmer, QB, ARI (63% owned) – If you are streaming quarterbacks or you need someone to start until Andrew Luck returns, Carson Palmer is your guy. Arizona begins the season at Detroit, at Indianapolis and then home to Dallas and San Francisco. Two games in a dome and two at home would be good enough, but it isn’t an exaggeration to say the Lions will probably have one of the worst defenses in the NFL again in 2017. At the very least, Palmer does not have any bad matchups in the first quarter of the season, and there is a chance all four of those defenses are pretty bad.
C.J. Prosise, RB, SEA (33%) – There is at least a chance Prosise is the best running back in Seattle. Nobody else available in so many leagues can match his ceiling, except for many Rex Burkhead. Prosise probably has a clearer path to getting the starting job all to himself.
Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST (38%) – If you own the Seahawks, Vikings or Chiefs, I would strongly recommend you drop your fifth running back and start Jacksonville Week 1. I think Jacksonville is ridiculously talented on defense, and should probably be owned in all leagues anyway. We haven’t seen that talent translate into a good NFL defense, but I suspect it will. Facing Tom Savage in Week 1 is just a bonus, and they get Baltimore and the Jets Weeks 3 and 4.
12 Team Leagues
Giovani Bernard, RB, CIN (19%) – I understand why everyone is so excited about Joe Mixon’s fantasy potential, but maybe we should actually see him take an NFL snap before we toss aside Giovani Bernard. Bernard had 673 yards and three touchdowns on 130 touches through 10 games last season before suffering a season-ending torn ACL. I think he matches those numbers at the very least if he plays 16 games, and there is a chance his role doesn’t change at all and Mixon just gets the work that went to Jeremy Hill last season.
Charcandrick West, KC (12%) – At the very least, he is probably one of the clearer handcuffs in the league. He doesn’t have much competition behind Kareem Hunt and we have seen him be successful in this league, which is more than we can say for guys like James Conner, Marlon Mack and D’Onta Foreman. Like just about every NFL backfield, this will probably be a timeshare, and West could be useful during bye weeks even if Hunt remains healthy.
Kendall Wright, WR, CHI (11%)– In 2013, Kendall Wright caught 94 passes for 1,079 yards on a team devoid of wide receiving talent. I’m not saying he repeats that production in 2017, but I think it is on the table, at least until Markus Wheaton returns. If Zach Miller and Kevin White succumb to injuries again, Wright could be the last man standing. All of the people who drafted Pierre Garcon, Quincy Enunwa and Robbie Anderson based on the “they have to throw to someone” theory should think long and hard about Kendall Wright.
Mike Williams, WR, LAC (7%) – If you are going to make an early-season add in a 12-team league, it may as well be someone with a high ceiling. Williams was activated from the PUP list Saturday, and the sky is the limit for the number seven overall pick. I would rather wait for Williams to get healthy than waste a bench spot on someone with a lower ceiling like Kenny Stills or Danny Amendola.
Tyler Lockett, WR, SEA (44%) – Maybe we were all a year early on Tyler Lockett. Lockett got better as the season went along, and it is not unreasonable to think he could break out in 2017 if he can stay healthy. It certainly helps that Jermaine Kearse was traded and Kasen Williams was released.
Austin Hooper, TE, ATL (50%) and Julius Thomas, TE, MIA (53%) – Over the weekend I had a few people reach out to me on social media and ask me to grade the team they drafted. In many cases, I recommended they replace their boring, low-upside tight end like Jason Witten or Cameron Brate with a higher upside play like Hooper or Thomas. I prefer Hooper slightly, though Thomas probably has a higher ceiling if he can actually stay healthy.
Buffalo Bills D/ST (35%) – Their Week 1 matchup against the Jets may be the ugliest game of the entire season, especially if Tyrod Taylor is out. This is simply a play against Josh McCown and the Jets, but Buffalo hasn’t managed to trade away all of their defensive talent.
14+ Team Leagues
DeShone Kizer, QB, CLE (10%) – There is a pretty excellent chance Kizer is the new Tyrod Taylor. Even if he isn’t particularly accurate, he can still be a useful fantasy quarterback if he gets you seven points per game with his legs.
Matt Breida, RB, SF (3%) – After Tim Hightower was released and Joe Williams was placed on injured reserve, Breida should be the clear backup to Carlos Hyde. Breida could have some deep PPR appeal as the passing down back, but at the very least he looks like Hyde’s handcuff.
Matt Jones, IND (3%) – Jones almost certainly has the most upside in Indy’s backfield if something were to happen to Frank Gore. That doesn’t mean he would get the first shot at the job, or that he could keep his fumbling issues in check, but I would rather take a shot at Jones than Robert Turbin or Marlon Mack.
Paul Richardson, WR, SEA (3%) – Richardson was a second round pick in 2014, and he was solid in the last two games of 2016 and in two playoff games. Like Lockett, he benefits from a thinner WR depth chart, and he would be an instant add in most leagues if Lockett were to suffer another injury.
Zach Miller, TE, CHI (6%) – Miller made my list of preseason tight end movers, and he absolutely should be owned in deep leagues. He was a starting fantasy tight end as recently as Week 11 of last season, and the Bears need someone to throw to with Cameron Meredith and Markus Wheaton out. I would much rather bank on Miller repeating his production from 2015 or 2016 than take a chance on someone like Jared Cook, Jesse James, Tyler Higbee or any of the rookie tight ends
Player News
CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala says free agent QB Aaron Rodgers “is not going to play just for the sake of playing.”
Kinkhabwala has had conversations with Rodgers and executives around the league trying to sign him. Based on those conversations, she says, “it’s extremely clear Rodgers is not going to play just for the sake of playing.” He remains unsigned with the 2025 NFL Draft on the horizon and multiple teams needing quarterback help. The Steelers are the most likely fit, but it seems Rodgers won’t force it if he does not find a good fit. This explains why Rodgers has been interested in the Vikings and has not yet signed. The 41-year-old may be headed for retirement if a situation he prefers, like the Vikings, does not want him back. His options remain limited and Rodgers may call it a career if he still does not like his options later in the offseason.
Bears signed LB T.J. Edwards to a two-year, $20 million extension.
Edwards’ extension includes $16.6 million guaranteed. The Bears originally signed him to a three-year, $19.5 million contract two seasons ago and he has outplayed that salary. Edwards has four interceptions, 6.5 sacks, and 20 tackles for loss in two seasons starting for Chicago in the middle of the field. He gets a raise as the Bears lock up another important part of their defense after extending CB Kyler Gordon earlier in the week.
Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams visited the Falcons on Wednesday.
Williams posted on his Instagram that he visited the Falcons facility on what was the last day of pre-draft visits. The 20-year-old is a Georgia native, played at the University of Georgia, and is expected to be selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Falcons have a need for an edge rusher and hold the No. 15 pick. They may look to keep Williams in-state and add his skillset to their pass-rushing group. Williams tallied five sacks last season and has explosive production for any team looking to add an edge rusher in the first round.
Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart “won’t fall out of the first round.”
Schultz reports his sources are indicating that Dart will not fall out of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He continues that the Giants are a candidate to trade up from pick No. 34 into the first round to take Dart if they do not take a quarterback at pick No. 3. The Saints are also an option with pick No. 9 or a trade up from pick No. 40. Dart is generally considered the third quarterback to come off the board after Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, so a team in need of a franchise quarterback may take a chance on him after Ward and Sanders are selected. Teams could look to gain a fifth-year option on Dart and trade into the first round if he is not taken earlier.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Raiders LT Kolton Miller is not participating in the voluntary offseason program and seeks an extension.
Miller was the Raiders’ first-round pick in 2018 and has started 107 games over seven seasons for the team. He is set to enter the final year of his current contract in 2025, making $12.25 million. Though he is not technically holding out yet since the offseason program is voluntary, Fowler notes Miller is seeking an extension. He finished last season with an 80.6 PFF grade, No. 14 among offensive tackles. Miller has been the Raiders’ franchise left tackle for seven years now and both sides will certainly discuss an extension as training camp nears.
Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten said he had a private workout with the Commanders’ running backs coach.
Tuten didn’t name him directly, but Anthony Lynn is currently the Commanders’ running backs coach and run game coordinator. The Commanders were hampered by injuries to both Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler last year. Robinson Jr. missed three games and played through some of his injuries while Ekeler missed five contests and was limited to just 112 touches. Tuten crushed the combine with a 4.32 Forty at 5'9/206. He handled 200 touches in back-to-back seasons at Virginia Tech while topping 1,100 yards from scrimmage in both campaigns. He would offer the Washington backfield a good mix of durability and home run potential.