We’re getting closer to kickoff with each passing day and while I truly hope you nailed your draft to the point where not one single person you own is droppable, I find that may be hard to believe unless you’re in a shallow league. Just like in the real life world where teams draft and cut players, we’re at a point in the season where you should be trying to maximize the potential of your roster.

If you have two defenses on your roster or even worse, two kickers (seriously?), you could probably benefit from trading out one of those players for someone with high upside that could be the steal of the season. There is always a ton of action on the waiver wire after Week 1 and prices will be sure to increase. With that in mind, we asked our featured experts below who they’re stashing away now before it’s too late. Using Yahoo! ownership percentages, all players are currently under 20% owned.

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Q. Name one player with < 20% ownership in Yahoo leagues that fantasy owners should stash right now.

Paul Richardson (WR – SEA)
Yahoo! Ownership: 4%
“This is an answer I didn’t even need to look at ownership percentage to answer, as Paul Richardson is someone who’s almost always undrafted. Despite reports coming out that he was starting in two wide receiver sets in training camp, most dismissed it saying that Tyler Lockett would take over once healthy, or that Jermaine Kearse would inevitably start and let us all down. After the Seahawks traded away Kearse, it should have increased the attraction to Richardson, but for some reason, it hasn’t. Over the final four games of 2016, Richardson totaled 15 receptions for 213 yards and two touchdowns on just 21 targets. Oh, and he gets the Packers in Week 1.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

“Paul Richardson is owned in just 4% of Yahoo leagues at the moment. Richardson has had to overcome two major knee injuries to begin his young career and beat out the steady yet unspectacular Jermaine Kearse to feature in the Seahawks lineup. With Kearse traded to the Jets and Amara Darboh not yet ready for a starting role, Richardson should feature on the outside. While Richardson might not touch WR1 status, he could be a very useful big play WR3 this season. Many experts are expecting a bounce-back year from Russell Wilson and Richardson’s ability to make plays on the ball down field when covered could be a big part of it.”
– Dennis Esser (Coach Esser)

Kenny Golladay (WR – DET)
Yahoo! Ownership: 15%
“I’m surprised to see preseason superstar Kenny Golladay is owned in just 15% of leagues right now. Golladay is a darling on #fantasytwitter due to his exceptional height/weight/speed combo, which has earned him the nickname of Baby Tron in Detroit. The 6’4″ rookie is slated to start on the outside in Detroit’s three receiver sets and will likely be featured near the goal line. That’s significant because the Lions led the NFL last season in pass% inside the 10, throwing the ball 65% of the time.”
– Ryan Noonan (The Fantasy Fix)

Chris Carson (RB – SEA)
Yahoo! Ownership: 9%
“Regular season experience will see this remarkable 7th rounder begin to make noises for touches in the Seattle rotation. They’ll likely bring him along in careful steps, but there’s no rush. He unseated Alex Collins and will likely see those similar workloads for the time being – barring injury to the other backfield players ahead of him. His snap count trends will be keenly watched in fantasy as the season wears on.”
– Richard Savill (Fantasy Six Pack)

Wendell Smallwood (RB – PHI)
Yahoo! Ownership: 9%
“Smallwood is owned in less than 10% of leagues right now, and although he is battling to fully recover from a hamstring issue, he is well worth a stash. Prior to the injury, he was splitting carries with Blount on the first team. Smallwood’s upside is likely limited because Blount will remain a goal-line presence, but during the preseason, Smallwood was clearly the top talent in the backfield. There is a decent chance he becomes the lead carrier behind this terrific offensive line, which would give him week-to-week startable value.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

Matt Breida (RB – SF)
Yahoo! Ownership: 3%
“The minute Tim Hightower was cut I knew undrafted rookie running back Matt Breida was going to get some touches this season for the new look San Francisco 49ers. It was only when fellow rookie Joe Williams (drafted in the 4th round) was put on the IR with an ankle injury that it became obvious Matt Breida was a young player I wanted to target. Breida looked light-years ahead of Joe Williams all throughout training camp, not a beat writer for the team was saying otherwise. Remember, this about stashing a player and having that guy on your team before he becomes a waiver wire favorite. In Dynasty leagues and must play rookie leagues, he’ll be a gem. Carlos Hyde is the RB1 on this team, but he’s an injury waiting to happen. Plus, we’ve seen Kyle Shanahan’s approach to using his backfield and if Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman was any indication, I like the thought of Matt Brieda playing the Tevin Coleman role.  I’ll leave you with this quote from 49ers GM John Lynch. “Carlos is going to be featured in this deal but Matt Breida is very much a part of our plans. He’s a guy who from Day 1 showed up here and you didn’t have to be like a football savant to see that guy can move and he can move fast and he’s a smart football player and he has the intangibles.”
– Staff Rankings (Pyromaniac)

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Thank you to the experts for giving their waiver wire stashes. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter if you’re not already doing so and check out our latest podcast below for more great advice.

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