I had my first board meeting with the Razzball executives this past week and was it a doozy. If you’re wondering what a meeting with Razzball looks like, it is all very secretive and mysterious. None of our identities are known and we all wear large teddy bear suits. We often get accused of copying the 1998 motion picture The Avengers (no not the Marvel one), but they told me we did it first. At the meeting we addressed how we should refer to the free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) percentages going forth. After two darts in the neck to teddy bears I can only assume were Skorish and JB Barry (neither returned my calls over the weekend), we decided going forth the percentages will still reflect the original budget. We would like to thank all who contributed and Reddit for sending their weird bear with the crazy smile. Apparently, he had to pay extra tokens for it and we know this because he just would not shut up about it! Alas, your waivers.
My goal is to keep it simple with the waiver wire recommendations in terms of layout. I will include player, team, roster percentage, free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) dollar amount (in percentage) I would use on the player, and of course a little background on why the player is suggested. The players will be listed by position in order of priority. The threshold I work with is generally less than fifty-percent rostered in leagues. I also want to provide you with something quick and easy to pull up while making your waiver claims on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. At the bottom of every article, you will find the “waiver cheat sheet.”
QUARTERBACK –
Jameis Winston | New Orleans Saints
16% Rostered | 10% of FAAB
The Saints just completed their first leg against three of the worst defenses against quarterbacks. Jameis Winston threw for 222 yards with a touchdown and rushed for forty yards. He has remaining matchups against the Buccaneers and Falcons the next two weeks, which should be favorable for him. One thing Winston finally seemed to figure out was putting the ball in Kamara’s hands and letting him work. Winston has also dramatically reduced his tendency of turning the ball over multiple times a game. He only has three interceptions through seven games, crushing his career lows. A great schedule paired with an upward-moving needle, has me adding Winston in all formats where I need to carry two quarterbacks.
Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville Jaguars
41% Rostered | 6% of FAAB
If you take out the Week Nine matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Trevor Lawrence has a surprisingly favorable schedule going forth. This season has been a bit of a rocky start for the number one pick in the draft with only one win on the season and a less than desirable touchdown to interception ratio. However, he has only thrown one pick in his last three games after starting the season with seven. He’s also coming off his second three hundred yard passing performance of the season. I like Lawrence mainly as just a bye week replacement for the Lamar Jackson managers, but he could be poised for a second half of the season breakout as he gets more comfortable with the NFL.
Teddy Bridgewater | Denver Broncos
20% Rostered | 5% of FAAB
The waiver wire feels really thin this week for quarterbacks with good matchups heading into Week Eight and Nine who could give you some bye week relief. However, Teddy Bridgewater is someone I do like, if he keeps his job. His next two weeks he plays the Washington Football Team and Dallas Cowboys, two of the five worst teams against quarterbacks. Bridgewater is also getting arguably his best weapon back in Jerry Jeudy this week, so things may be looking up. Bridgewater has struggled the past three out of the last four weeks, but those were against three of the better passing defenses in the league. There are better options season long but in a two-week window if you’re awaiting Russell Wilson’s return or just need a Lamar Jackson substitute, Bridgewater should be able to fill in fine.
Derek Carr | Las Vegas Raiders
73% Rostered | 10% of FAAB
I wanted to include a note about Derek Carr in case he is dropped going into his bye week. I know, I know, here I go again with the Derek Carr recommendations. Carr had his fifth game of 2021 throwing for over 320 yards with two touchdowns posting another top 12 quarterback performance. The good news with Carr is these were when the Raiders had the second most difficult schedule in the league as it pertains to teams allowing fantasy points to the quarterback. The good news is now the Raiders have the easiest strength of schedule rest of season. When they return from their Week Eight bye, seven out of his final nine fantasy matchups are against teams giving up at least the seventh-most fantasy points per game to the quarterback. If you punted on quarterback in this year’s draft or are unsatisfied or worried about your current starter, Carr is your man. You will have wait a week, but the roads are paved in gold once he returns.
DO NOT ADD TO PLAY IN WEEK EIGHT
Tua Tagovailoa & Taylor Heinicke
I usually don’t discourage adding players, but I wanted to address why I am not recommending two players who played excellent in Week Seven. In the case of Tua Tagovailoa, it is all about next week’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Currently the Bills are allowing the least amount of fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks and I don’t see Tagovailoa being the quarterback to break the code. Following Week Eight, Tagovailoa has a decent set of matchups if you are the Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, or Joe Burrow manager.
For Taylor Heinicke it is a tad more complicated. I don’t particularly like the matchup against a well-rested Broncos team on the road and then the Football Team has their bye week. After the bye, it may be Fitzmagic time again with the Football Team moving back to Ryan Fitzpatrick. The fantasy performance from Heinicke in Week Seven was good for those who started him. However, from a winning football games standpoint, it was not encouraging. The Football Team’s schedule following their Week Nine bye is quite good, but there are too many variables including job security which have me hesitating on adding Heinicke.
RUNNING BACK
Boston Scott | Philadelphia Eagles
2% Rostered | 15% of FAAB
Kenneth Gainwell | Philadelphia Eagles
21% Rostered | 15% of FAAB
Miles Sanders exited Sunday’s game against the Raiders with an ankle injury. Coach Nick Sirianni said he does not believe Sanders broke any bones, but did not give a timetable for his return. Once Sanders left the game, Kenneth Gainwell lead the backfield in snaps thirty-five to Boston Scott’s twenty-three. This was most likely the product of Gainwell being the passing downs back. The question of which running back to add boils down to the type of league you are playing in. If you are playing in any type of point per reception format, Gainwell would be the one to add and Scott for any standard formats.
Khalil Herbert | Chicago Bears
59% Rostered | 15% of FAAB
It appears the running back battle in Chicago has come to an end, well until David Montgomery returns. Khalil Herbert dwarfed the touches of Damien Williams by a twenty-three to four count. Herbert also caught all of his five targets which I honestly just always love to see. Williams was returning from the COVID list, but Herbert put up 133 total yards on a Tampa Bay run defense many backs have struggled against this season. The timetable for Montgomery’s return is still unknown, but until then he is the only Bears back to play. His matchup in Week Eight is against the 49ers who have allowed six touchdowns to running backs on the season.
Samaje Perine | Cincinnati Bengals
7% Rostered | 8% of FAAB
Samaje Perine has returned from the COVID-19 list and done so with a solid running back performance in tandem with Joe Mixon. Perine had eleven total carries for his second straight game, although his targets were down from his Week Five performance. The majority of Perine’s work came when the Bengals were ahead 34-17 including the fourth quarter forty-six yard run which sealed the win for Cincinnati. Perine has the best matchup he could ask for with Sunday’s matchup against the Jets, who just allowed the Patriots’ running back trio of Damien Harris, J.J. Taylor, and Brandon Bolden 218 total yards and five touchdowns. Both Mixon and Perine should see plenty of work.
Brandon Bolden | New England Patriots
6% Rostered | 8% of FAAB
Speaking of the devil and he shall appear. Brandon Bolden’s performance against the Jets should not have been surprising once Rhamondre Stevenson was declared a healthy scratch before game time. Bolden did nothing with his two carries, but as the passing down’s back was superb hauling in six receptions for seventy-nine yards and one touchdown. Damien Harris is the lead back in this offense, but the check down passes to Bolden should continue both for Mac Jones’ security and it is kind of the Patriots way. The Patriots matchup next week is against the Chargers who have been very vulnerable to run this season, but follow it up with two difficult matchups against the Browns and Panthers. I am still adding Bolden, but may avoid starting him unless I need to in weeks nine and ten.
WIDE RECEIVER
Rashod Bateman | Baltimore Ravens
32% Rostered | 10% of FAAB
Rashod Bateman has graced us with two games in 2021 and the talent is bubbling at the surface just waiting to explode. Bateman hauled in three of his six targets last Sunday for eighty yards including a thirty-five yard reception. He is third in targets the last two weeks, but only one behind Mark Andrews. Bateman’s role should continue to grow and the schedule ahead is fantastic once you get past their week eight bye. If you see Bateman dropped this week in your leagues, add him immediately. The upside for the rest of season is worth the stash.
K.J. Osborn | Minnesota Vikings
8% Rostered | 8% of FAAB
Lest we forget the great performance right before the bye. With an eight percent roster percentage, it seems some people did. Osborn had an excellent Week Six performance where he turned six receptions into seventy-eight yards and a touchdown. It was his fourth game this season with over six targets in a game. Osborn is currently the third option in the passing game with the Vikings, but with the Cowboys up next for Minnesota he should continue to see work.
Kalif Raymond | Detroit Lions
3% Rostered | 8% of FAAB
Trying to nail down a number one wide receiver for the Lions has been a difficult task. Tight end T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift have been Jared Goff’s two main targets season long. In the last week, Kalif Raymond has emerged from the receiving room as a preferred receiving option with fifteen total targets. The Lions look to be trailing a lot this season so as long as Raymond is getting the work he has the previous two weeks, he will provide your team a great flex option especially through the bye weeks.
Wide Receiver is always deep, so here are a few more players rostered in less than 25% I would recommend rostering on your bench:
Kendrick Bourne
Van Jefferson
Russell Gage
Nelson Agholor
Dante Pettis
TIGHT END
C.J. Uzomah | Cincinnati Bengals
19% Rostered | 12% of FAAB
C.J. Uzomah is only six points shy of his best fantasy season in his seven-year career and he still has nine games to play. The Bengals tight end has been a touchdown monster with five scores in his last four games. He has almost doubled his season-high in only five games. I am not expecting him to keep pace though. Both games he had two touchdowns and topped ninety yards were against the third and fourth worst teams against tight ends. The other two games he put together a total of thirty-one yards and a touchdown on five total receptions. Still the offense is looking amazing and Uzomah has another great matchup against the New York Jets next Sunday. A high note for Uzomah is his fantasy playoff schedule. He gets another matchup with the Ravens and the Chiefs who are allowing the fifth-most points to tight ends on the season. Until the wheels fall off, Uzomah is a top ten tight end.
Evan Engram | New York Giants
31% Rostered | 8% of FAAB
If things continue for the Giants injury-wise, Evan Engram might be their only dependable receiving option left standing. Maybe I shouldn’t call him dependable event though he has the second-highest catch rate of his career. Anyhow, Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney, and Saquon Barkley have all missed games the last few weeks. Engram is averaging just over six targets a game this season, but has yet to record a receiving touchdown. Things could change for him next week when he plays the Kansas City Chiefs, who give up the third-most fantasy points to tight ends this season.
Gerald Everett | Seattle Seahawks
31% Rostered | 3% of FAAB
There is one thing teams have loved doing when playing against the Jaguars this season: throwing the ball to their tight ends. Currently the Jaguars allow the fourth-most points per game to the tight ends. Gerald Everett plays them next week and this recommendation is solely for those with Darren Waller or Mark Andrews who are both on bye.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS-
Cincinnati Bengals
17% Rostered | 3% of FAAB
Cincinnati has a great matchup with the free space New York Jets this week making them a top 5 defense or special team to throw into your lineup. The Jets give up the most points to DST’s this season allowing double-digits three times this season. Following the Jets, the Bengals face the Browns who looked good against the Broncos last Thursday, but still figures to be a good matchup for the Bengals if Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb are both out.
Los Angeles Chargers
16% Rostered | 2% of FAAB
The Chargers were a casualty of both their Week Seven bye and a poor defensive performance in Week Six against the Cleveland Browns. They’ve had the bye week to address the performance and face the Patriots, who allow the second-most fantasy points to DST’s this season.
