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Let’s spend those FAAB bucks! We’re working with $100 and that has to get us through the whole season. It already looks to me like 25% of ESPN and Yahoo! Leagues are abandoned, so cut-offs are 50% owned (except for a couple).

*All ownership as of Monday 9/9

Wide Receivers: Well another NFL season, another week 1 of solid performances by undrafted/under-drafted Wide Receivers. You know that saying the more things change the more they stay the same? Yeah, that’s what is happening here. The top two could slide into a WR2 with luck, but I’d rather have them as a WR3.  The rest are WR3 at best.

$26 – Terry McLaurin, WAS (4% Y!, 8% ESPN) Very solid week 1; if he’s the guy for Keenum, then he’s worth it. Can’t wait another week to find out, so he’s the guy I’m targeting. Him and the next guy.  Also, Haskins was his college teammate and they did quite will together at Ohio State, so there’s that too.

$26 – Marquise Brown, BAL (31% Y!, 28% ESPN) See above, just swap Jackson for Keenum. 

$8 – John Ross, CIN (10% Y!, 4% ESPN) He had a real good week. So did Tyler Boyd. AJ Green will return in the not too distant future, and that likely bumps Ross to #3 status. But that hasn’t happened yet, and if you need a #3 WR you could do worse. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, but it is an endorsement.

$6 – AJ Brown, TEN (3% Y!, 6% ESPN) Brown made the most of his catches, but there are talented guys ahead of him on the depth chart, so he’s not on the McLaurin & Marquise level. But he could be, so worth a bench spot.

$5 – DK Metcalf, SEA (37% Y!, 64% ESPN)  Had a good week 1 with Lockett not doing much. I don’t foresee that continuing. 

$4 – Jamison Crowder, NYJ (46% Y!, 70% ESPN) Now he’s good? Yeah, no. You want him on your bench, really? Next week Robby Anderson could be huge and Crowder gets 2-25. Better to add upside, but you do you.

$4 – Golden Tate, NYG (38% Y!, 54% ESPN) When he returns in a few weeks he’s the #1 WR in New York and the targets that come with it. If you have the room, Tate’s worth it.

$2 Adds: DJ Chark, John Brown, Chris Conley, Mecole Hardman, Kenny Stills

Running Backs:

$31 – Carlos Hyde, HOU (31% Y!, 39% ESPN) It pains me to add Hyde, and I feel much better about the teams of mine that he is already on. No matter, he’s the starter in Houston, and if you liked Lamar Miller, Hyde’s not going to be that much different. Double that amount if you need a flex or RB2; go a bit lower if he’s an end of your bench guy.

$11 – Malcolm Brown, LAR (12% Y!, 7% ESPN) Did I draft him on multiple teams and drop him for guys like Devin Singletary, Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde? You know I did. I’m holding those guys over him, but if you’re a Gurley owner you should’ve already owned him, and he’s going to be in the mix until the team signs some guy like CJ Anderson again. Also you have to hold Darrell Henderson, but I’m not expecting much this season.

$4 Ronald Jones, TB (28% Y!, 40% ESPN) and $2 Dare Ogunbowale, TB (9% Y!, 6% ESPN) Tampa looks to stink it up again this year, so since both these guys can catch the ball, they should be rostered before Peyton Barber. Don’t break the bank on bench or deficit-dependent guys, which these two most certainly are.

$4 – Justin Jackson, LAC (42% Y!, 40% ESPN) He’s part of the RBBC for the Chargers, but the weaker end and not playing on passing downs limits his upside, and if/when Gordon returns his value is non-existent. I’m not spending my funds on him.

$3 – Mike Davis, CHI (14% Y!, 4% ESPN) Whatever game plan the Bears had on Thursday night it wasn’t a winning one, that’s for sure. Not really sure how it will shake out, though I know how it should, and that one shouldn’t involve Mike Davis. 

$2 Adds (as necessary/depth): Raheem Mostert, Gio Bernard, Chris Thompson, Ito Smith

Tight End:

$16 – TJ Hockenson, DET (52% Y!, 30% ESPN) He looks to be a big part of the offense, and possibly top 12 ranking every week from TE with upside? Yes, please. This is the amount to pay if you don’t have a top 8 or so TE; if you do, don’t bid since what do you need two TEs for?

$6 – Darren Waller,OAK (27% ESPN) A sleeper coming in, if you didn’t like him then do you really like him now? Seven catches is a nice start, just feels TD dependent, like so many TEs.

$4 – Jimmie Graham, GB (48% Y!, 48% ESPN) Same ownership in both? That’s nuts. You know what else is nuts? Thinking that Graham is going to return to his Saints days. So while he has name value, he needs TDs every week to be valuable, and that’s not happening. He’d be my second bid if I don’t get TJ. Same rule applies as above, if you already have a decent TE, don’t add Graham to your bench.

$1 Adds: Mark Andrews, Jason Witten, Tyler Eifert

Quarterbacks:  You should have a decent starting QB (unless you had drafted Luck), so these adds are need based only.

$3 – Josh Allen, BUF (32% Y!, 21% ESPN) He had an alright week 1, and he’s a fine fantasy backup. He also shouldn’t cost much. So if you don’t have a decent backup and have the roster space to add him, go for it.

$2 – Marcus Mariota, TEN (8% Y!, 7% ESPN) He has the Colts next week, and a good week 4 matchup at Atlanta and week 5 at Buffalo if you’re looking ahead.

$1 – Matt Stafford, DET (26% Y!, 16% ESPN) He had a good week 1. Wouldn’t see starting Stafford until Week 4 vs KC though. 

$1 Defenses

I like to stream Defenses so every week I’ll usually look for a $1 defense to add. Try not to do this every week, but even if you added a different D for a buck every week, $16 isn’t going to destroy your FAAB budget by the end of the year. Later in the season I’m apt to run with two defenses or making a preemptive D add if they have a promising matchup the next week. In any case, don’t bid more than $1 for a D; don’t make me beg.

NE @ Mia

Hou vs Jax

Den vs Chi

Car vs TB

KC @ Oak

Ten vs Ind

Also mentioned last week was keeping track of adds I would make in a theoretical league, so we’ll see how much the guys go for in my leagues, and determine if I got them or not next week. I’m in on McLaurin, Marquise Brown, Josh Allen, and Golden Tate with my money this week. 

Lastly, just a friendly reminder not to give up on your team after week 1. Maybe I’m telling myself that since I started Cam against the Rams (which, you know what? I knew was a bad call. But all the pundits had him rated higher than my backup Stafford, who I knew was going to have a decent game versus a crappy Arizona D, and he did). Moral of that story? Go with your gut, which, by the way I did on Sunday and had a sweet pre-game watching brunch of Carnitas Pancakes, which were one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Sounds like it wouldn’t work, but it did. Oh yes it did.

If there’s a guy available in your league not on my list, drop his name and your team in the comments and I’ll give him a value. Good luck on the wire Razzballers and Razzballettes!