It’s finally game day! Week 1 of the NFL season begins with the Patriots vs Steelers but with it also comes the first FAAB Thursday post of the year where I offer some advice on how much to bid on some of the players mentioned earlier this week during the Waiver Flavor article. For the sake of this article I will assume all FAAB budgets are set at $100. If this is your first year doing FAAB I recommend reading Ray Flowers article Draft Guide Strategy- Using Your FAAB/Waivers which can be found HERE. So let’s get started.
Quarterbacks
Carson Palmer, ARI- As I noted earlier I am a big fan of what Carson Palmer can bring to the table this season. He was on pace for a monster year in 2014 before suffering a season ending knee injury but the man is 100% ready to go in Week 1 and has a great matchup against the Saints. It is also possible that he will have his full complement of receivers available come Week 1 as Michael Floyd returned to practice and could play come Sunday. If you find yourself unhappy with your QB situation or are looking for somebody to just play the matchups with Palmer is a fine choice and likely went undrafted in most standard leagues.
FAAB Bid- $10-$15
Kirk Cousins, WSH- Cousins should have little issue holding onto the starting QB job as he is clearly the favorite of head coach Jay Gruden but his inconsistencies last season certainly have brought some questions around his dependability as an every week fantasy starter. Cousins won the starting job with a great preseason and his two primary options in DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon are heading into the season with great health so there certainly is potential here if you find yourself looking to stream your QB.
FAAB Bid- $5-$10
Running Backs
Christine Michael, DAL- Michael finds himself in a good situation despite the crowded backfield of Dallas given who is competition for carries are. Michael was a second round pick by the Seahawks back in 2013 but found himself stuck behind Marshawn Lynch for carries. When given the opportunity however Michael averaged 4.9 yards per carry for the Seahawks which is fairly impressive. Given Darren McFadden’s injury history and the unknown surrounding Joseph Randle it could be Michael that earns the lion share of the playing time if he can impress the Dallas coaching staff who have gone on record as saying each man will get a chance to prove they deserve to be the leading back.
FAAB Bid- $10-$15
Dion Lewis, NE- Earlier this week reports were that Brandon Bolden was likely going to start for the Patriots as their early down back but as game day approaches it now seems just as likely that preseason standout Dion Lewis could be seeing the majority of the work. Lewis signed with the Patriots in the offseason and proved effective in not only the running game but in the passing attack as well. The Patriots are likely to use a spread offense with LeGarrette Blount suspended for Week 1 which could open up Lewis for some easy yards. An easy comparison would be to look at how the Patriots used Danny Woodhead a few years back with a majority of his rushing yards coming out of shotgun draws while often running routes out of the backfield as a receiver. In PPR formats Lewis’s pass catching ability should be enough to make him a fringe flex play in Week 1 but only Bill Belichek knows who will really get the ball.
FAAB Bid- $1-$5
Wide Receivers
Markus Wheaton, PIT- The Steelers are one of the more pass happy offenses in the entire NFL and with Le'Veon Bell suspended for the first two games and Martavis Bryant suspended for the first four games Markus Wheaton should see a great opportunity to solidify his presence in the passing attack. Wheaton was hyped going into 2014 but failed to meet expectations but with this new opportunity and a great Week 1 matchup he is certainly worth a look.
FAAB Bid- $5-$10
James Jones, GB- Jones could have the most upside of anybody on this list if he can rekindle the chemistry he had with Rodgers over the previous few seasons before going to the Raiders last season. In 2013 Jones caught 59 passes for 817 yards in a season where Randall Cobb played just six games due to injury and in 2012 Jones caught a ridiculous 14 touchdown passes from Rodgers. With Cobb himself dealing with an AC Joint sprain which could hinder some of his production and Davante Adams expected to make a big leap in his sophomore season it could very well be Jones who earns Rodgers trust and becomes a legitimate fantasy option.
FAAB Bid- $15-$20
Tight Ends
Kyle Rudolph, MIN- Injuries have really hampered Rudolph over the past two seasons and because of it his draft stock has fallen significantly off since his impressive nine touchdown catch season of 2012. With the tight end position fairly shallow his ability to find the end zone with regularity will be a key factor in his value. Still just 25 years old and a matchup problem for most linebackers and safeties a healthy season could very easily vault Rudolph back into the top 10 of fantasy tight ends.
FAAB Bid-$1-$5
Charles Clay, BUF- The quarterback situation in Buffalo certainly leaves a lot to be desired but Clay enters a situation where he should find himself heavily involved in the offense thanks to new Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman who was the OC for the 49ers from 2011 to 2014 where he made Vernon Davis the focal point of his offense. While Clay finds himself behind Sammy Watkins in the pecking order for targets he could very well garner more looks than the combo of Robert Woods and Percy Harvin who the Bills have listed as co-starting No.2 receivers.
FAAB Bid- $1-$5