Levi Chappell discusses which players you should consider grabbing from your dynasty league’s waiver wire.
This piece is part of our article program that features quality content from experts exclusively at FantasyPros. For more insight from Levi, head to Dynasty League Football, and follow him on Twitter @LeviChappell.
What an odd week in fantasy. This had to have been one of the single weirdest and lowest scoring weeks I have seen in 15+ years of playing fantasy football. I am sure that many matches were ruined because of Keenan Allen, Aaron Jones, Cam Newton, Drew Brees, Eric Ebron, or any other studs who had quite a “down” week. But chin up… dynasty is forever. So although you may have lost the battle, you have not lost the war. You simply reading this article and staying informed for the upcoming year has to count for something.
I have thoroughly enjoyed writing these articles every Monday night over the past 15 weeks and look forward to many more. FantasyPros has a ton of great content to keep you up to date and informed on all the latest and breaking news around the sports world. If you are looking for another great dynasty fantasy football resource, look no further than Dynasty League Football. DLF is where I started researching dynasty and finally ended up committing to my first dynasty league which happened to be a Devy, IDP, PPR league (ya, I know right…). Needless to say, I had no idea what I was doing.
I have come a long way. From a guy who had done redraft/keeper for about eight years and then ultimately committing to dynasty, I went from knowing absolutely nothing to having a decent amount of knowledge and being able to write about something that I am very passionate about. I feel very blessed to be able to do this, and I am very thankful for all of you who have read these articles, any of my DLF pieces, or simply reached out to me on Twitter. Thank you.
But enough with the sappy chit-chat. Are you in your championship game? Good for you! Are you chilling on the couch not worrying about the final because you didn’t make the cut? Join the party. Either way, Week 16 is a crucial one to gather some talent for the upcoming fantasy season. Who knows… maybe you can pick up the next Jerick McKinnon off of waivers (a guy whose value skyrockets in the offseason… minus the leg injury part).
I wholeheartedly believe that transparency and honesty are two of the most important traits to have if you want to be successful in the fantasy industry. Over the last 15 weeks, I have definitely given you some names that have gained a lot of value. I also have given you some names that have disappeared over recent weeks. Fantasy is a hit and miss game, but hopefully, you found some value from some of the names I listed in the past. Did you hop aboard the value train of Chris Herndon, Robert Foster, Josh Adams, Gus Edwards, or Damien Williams? I hope so. I also hope you completely ignored me when it came to C.J. Anderson, Jeff Heuerman, Jakeem Grant, or Dan Arnold. Either way, I hope you enjoyed my recurring articles over the last 15 weeks. So without further ado and for the last time in 2018, here are some names to keep track of.
Some of the names that I will be listing below and in future articles will already be owned in your league. If you are in a 10-team league, many of these players may be available, but if you are in a 12 or 14 team league, fewer may be available. For the most part, I will be listing players that are owned in less than 40% of 12 team leagues.
View your league’s top available players with My Playbook
Jamaal Williams (RB – GB)
The Aaron Jones hype has been quite a roller coaster. It looks like he may have suffered an MCL injury which would keep him out for the rest of the season. Remember Jamaal Williams? Well, he filled in very nicely after Jones was knocked out, totaling 97 total yards and a touchdown on only 16 touches. Williams is a must-own in every league.
Kalen Ballage (RB – MIA)
Ballage was a height/speed freak coming out of college, but the question was always if he could fit into a typical running back role in the NFL. It took an injury for Ballage to see the field as Frank Gore suffered an ankle injury Week 15. Ballage took full advantage of his playing time as he ran for 123 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries. For some reason, the Dolphins seem hesitant to give Kenyan Drake a full workload, so if Gore is out, expect Ballage to receive a hefty workload in week 16.
Zach Zenner (RB – DET)
Zenner has been much more efficient than Blount has been (surprised? No). While Zenner’s stats won’t wow you, he did have a solid game, and most importantly, got the goal line carry for the touchdown. He received 10 carries and turned that into 45 yards and that score. If you are in serious need of RB help for your final matchup, you could look at Zenner if Kerryon Johnson is out again.
Tim Patrick (WR – DEN)
Once Emmanuel Sanders got hurt, all of the love and hype was spread to Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton. Quietly, Tim Patrick has been the most consistent Broncos’ wide receiver over the past couple of weeks. I am not sure what the Broncos’ plan for 2019 is, but Patrick could very well be in the future plans with the team and enters consideration as a WR3/Flex play this week.
Alfred Blue (RB – HOU)
Lamar Miller injured his right ankle on Sunday, and D’Onta Foreman may or may not be ready to go. If Foreman does not play, that will leave a sizable workload for Blue. The cupboards are pretty thin in the running back department for the Texans right now, and they will be playing for a first-round bye. Blue could be an integral part of the Week 16 plans.
Wendell Smallwood (RB – PHI)
Smallwood is a guy that has appeared on this list more than once. It is tough to trust a Philly running back with Josh Adams, the ageless one Darren Sproles, and Smallwood all in the mix. But it was Smallwood who recorded two touchdowns in the upset win over the Rams. I am not sure that Smallwood can be trusted week to week, but if you are riding the hot hand Smallwood is definitely the guy to own.
Other players to watch out for:
- Darrel Williams (RB – KC)
- Kenneth Dixon (RB – BAL)
- Randall Cobb (WR – GB)
- Jamison Crowder (WR – WAS)
- Blake Jarwin (TE – DAL)
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