6 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups to Add BEFORE Week 1 (Ep. 2178)

0:00This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hi, this is Kylie Breakman, Angel Jaretana. Jeremy Cole, Hank Paschek McDonald. And we're the hosts of the artist on artist on artist podcast. The improvised character comedy podcast, where each week a new panel of artists discuss their craft. Join us for a panel of Eurovision participants. And we do a little Halloween sometimes. Does the Pope dress up? He winks on Halloween. He gets right up next to the microphone. I hear you get the almost here. The eyelashes hit each other. You never seen Italy so quiet as when the Pope gets up to wink on Halloween. Listen to artists on artist on artist on artist every Thursday on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome into the fantasy pro's football podcast. I'm Alfredo Brown. And today we're talking about six fantasy football waiver wire pickups ahead of week one. I'm joined by Derek Brown and Tom Stracken and gentlemen today. We're going to go quickly with this one. We got six players.

1:00They may not all be available in your leagues, but we did something here for everybody. Those of you who are in the shallower leagues, that there's some good players still there in the way for wire. And those of you that are in the deep leagues, all of you that love to say, yeah, guys, you're not available in my league. Well, we got a couple of those here too. All right, but you know what? Hey, that's what the comments. Let us know that these players aren't available in your league. Because it helps the algorithm. You know what I'm saying? That's just that's just helpful for us. Hey, guys, what we're going to do here? It's just to give a little brief outline. Okay, we're looking at those early week one waiver wire stashes players that could pay off here either in week one or down the line. And all these players are going to be available in at least 50% of leagues. And we're going to start out with some of the more highly rostered players. And then we're going to go and head down to those deeper league players. So if you're looking for those 99% available players, just just stick around stick around for that one. All right, so deep route. Why don't you kick us off with the first guy here that you are looking to add before week one? Yeah, so for a you talked about the keyboard heroes at the top of the show here for everybody that says, oh, that guy's already rastered my league.

2:02I tell you to hold my beer and I say Jacobi Lane is rastered and less than 20% of leagues. So if he's in your league, who knows to you? And if you have him already, who knows to you as well? And I'm kind of playing to the crowd here. I feel like this is probably a name Tom was going to bring up, but I stole it from him. So he couldn't get to a rave into the sheet before I did. But Jacobi Lane, if all of the training camp hype and hope and promise and the preseason stuff does cross over the regular season and he is the clear third option, second option on some weeks in the Baltimore passing attack. I think he's going to pay dividends. And people need to be rostring him because the opening schedule. I'm not telling you like the Indianapolis colds, the Saints aren't matchups that are really want to attack. But then after that boys, he gets Dallas Cowboys, the Tennessee Titans and the Falcons. Why do all those matchups matter? No big deal. Just to close last season, they were all top five and fantasy points for target. A lot of the perimeter wide receivers. Pretty good matchups. A guy you could be looking at in the early part of the season, depending on how these games

3:03and if injuries do happen in them. As somebody's like, hey, it's going to be a little bit pretty good. Like spot. Yeah, thanks. It all sounds like Z-Flowers is probably a pretty good pick in my home draft leagues. That was that what we're saying. Yeah, but a better good one. Yeah, yeah, what a bit. Yeah. There is really a path here, Tom, for someone like Jacobi Lane to be very relevant early in the season. You got Mark Andrews, who's not a spring chicken anymore. You've got Rashad Bateman, who I'm not trying to put anything out there, but Mr. Games have followed him throughout his career. So if there was an opportunity, there was an opportunity, especially with a new offensive coordinator here. We could see a heavier passing game, a better, a more interesting passing game with Jacobi Lane here. How do you feel about Jacobi Lane as a mustache before we go on? Well, I think Jacobi Lane, like you said, and let you both said, the opportunities there, because what the Ravens need is more options in the red zone, like much as we all believe in Z-Flowers, and we will expect him to take a jump. That's never been where Z-Flowers has done his work with his size. It's not like he can expect him to necessarily be prototypical down there, but like a big body guy, like six foot four Jacobi Lane.

4:09That can really help Lamar out, because Lamar was not good in the red zone. A big part of that comes back to the offensive line was awful. They let a lot of pressure for you, particularly in the red zone. But if he's got a big target who can go up and make plays, which is what Lane's done all through training camp. Look, I've been a Ravens fan since 2008, I think I've never ever seen this much sustained hype for a wide receiver. Not even when Z-Flowers came into the NFL, because everyone expected him to be good. But this has just been crazy this summer, so hopefully you can follow through on it. Not many receivers have been drafted for these Ravens that early since 2008. Was that before or after Prasad Paraman? I feel like that's like the Paraman line for the Ravens here. I would say I definitely had a few years where maybe I took Prasad Paraman and Fantasy Leagues before I got smart with it. We're still a whole doubt hope, man. There are dozens of us truthers out there. We got another player on here, Tom. You got a quarterback and this is probably the most widely rostered player that we have on this list.

5:11But I agree with you 100% I think this is an important player to bring up again. Talk to us about Tyler Schuck. Yeah, Tyler Schuck's just in two good of a situation to not roster him because if he finishes, well, if he starts a season like he finished last season, then he's going to be somebody that when we get to wave as next week and the week after that, we're going to be talking about everywhere like he finishes the top ten option in three of the last five games of the season. He was QB9 and Fantasy Points for Game from week 10 onwards, average 18.8 points per game, second highest completion rate in that period, 69%, seventh in yards for attempt. And everything just kind of clicked. But part of it was like why it surprised me so much was last off season was split between him and Spencer Ratler. Now you get a complete off season just everything was tailored to Tyler Schuck. The playbook is entirely tailored to him. You've got Chris Alar, they healthy, Johan Johnson. It would be nice if Jordan Tyson was out there, but I don't really think it matters too much, particularly because they open up with an absolute cupcake game against the Lions who yes, they're favored heavily in this game.

6:12But they're without Brian Branchville without Kirby Joseph and it's going to be a fast paced game with a high over under. And then you've got games against Ravens, the Raiders, the Falcons like we're a plenty of opportunities over the next few weeks of Tyler Schuck to start the season really strong. Yeah, can I just throw it, Johan Johnson is another guy that if he's on your way of a wire like go out and grab and play. Yeah, he should be on your way of a wire just like Tyler Schuck, but if he is, that's another way I want so many pieces of this week one Saints Lions game. Debrot sounds like you are right there on a bunch of these Saints players. Yeah, man, just look at the freaking total. It's 50 and a half. I got the over when it was at 40 and open at 48 and a half and I've and it's been bet up and it's probably going to close probably at 51. But the point of top by Tyler Schuck like I also don't have a problem with anybody picking him up and starting in this week like you're looking at low in QB1. Like do you feel better playing Tyler Schuck in a high total game than you do like rock per week. I like I like suck over patch of a roll. Yeah, Kailer Murray. Yeah, oh, dude like like easy.

7:14There's a bunch of names in that low in QB1 territory or if you're playing in super flex where it's like as a QB2. Ah, yes. Schuck could do a lot of things in week one. I think what happens to with a lot of these guys is like you you get like a name blockage almost where it's like you're looking at the roster and you're Oh, patch of homes. Come on. This guy, you know, go right. Well, that's transition from draft season to in season and people are still in draft season mode about. Oh, these are my thoughts about some baby we're in in season mode now. We hear about matchups and stuff. Matchups and stuff. New name of the podcast. That's what we're just going to call it every week. I like it. Close off the tone. Yeah, deep. Bro, hit us with another guy here. I know I mentioned you on Johnson earlier as a tight end to pick up. But you've got another guy here at tight end that I absolutely love. I should have been drafted everywhere, but still available in a ton of leagues. I mean, maybe I'm just running down too much of hype and narrative street right now, but if all of that offseason fodder does hit and come to fruition.

8:14Then you need to be picking up and stashing Terrence Ferguson. Like if you were one of these teams that like cobbled together like a juwan Johnson, Isaiah likely team or Dallas Goddard and don't shoulder two of these guys. And you're like, I'm just going to play the matchup. So I'm just going to kind of figure it out and stream tight ends. Ferguson needs to be parked on your bench. Absolutely unequivocably now. Because if he does hit the upside, if he is the wide receiver three of the Rams. If he is the guy that's the move piece, what we want to invest in boys is young hyper athletic tight ends at that position. Because the highest correlation to fantasy success and the high upside outcomes of fantasy success goes back to good offenses and athleticism. And if Ferguson emerges out of like this muddy soup of that tight end room for the Rams of, is it Tyler Higby? Is it Colby Parkinson? Is it none of them? Is it Terrence Ferguson? If he emerges as the clear top tight end and he's getting like a 60% plus route share for this team.

9:21Yeah, man, like he's got top 12 upside. If we knew he was the starter, he wouldn't be available on the waiver wire. Yeah, there's a lot of excitement building for Terrence Ferguson here. And so much of it is just the way he plays coming out of Oregon. And he played tight end like a wide receiver. By the way, do you want Johnson? We talked about earlier was wide receiver at Oregon mood. And like, it's he was their field structure last year for the Rams like his eight out through the damn roof. He was the downfield wide receiver last year. And really what he becomes, I think Ferguson is almost like a handcuff for both wide receivers. If either or to miss any time, he becomes the disadvantage of a wide receiver to his team. Tom, any worries about like, because I saw people say, the Rams have traded for two to add. Well, that said, there it goes. All the Terrence Ferguson bags. And I'm like, come on, man. Come on. They traded away the running back. They were going to cut and then the dolphins did cut. Like it's not that. No, I mean, the main pushback I've had is from people just switching on who perhaps haven't been dialed in through the whole off season.

10:22And we're going, we really hyping up a guy who had 11 catches for 203 yards and free touchdowns on like 25 targets in his rookie season. And he's a little bit. So when you pull up the hood and let us deeper said, V.A. Dot was really impressive. And that kind of tends to be some of the points towards future success. Nine of his 11 receptions went for first downs. Like this is a guy who showed plenty of talent and the Rams are a team who are quite slow to bring rookies along. And if everything they're saying this off season is to believe, then they tend to be one of the teams that we can believe more often than not. Then yeah, that this seems like it's going to be a really fun season for Terrence Ferguson. I had the exact the situation you are talking about that scenario, the exact same thing happened in my home league draft this weekend. One of my buddies draft the Terrence Ferguson maybe a little early. It took him before I took you on Johnson the 13th round. But then one of the guys behind me is like, I don't get it. And everyone's in on Terrence Ferguson like this guy did nothing last year. Why not just take someone you know is already doing it. I'm like, my guy fantasy football is quite literally predicting what's going to happen in the future.

11:22I can't project it. Why even do a draft at that point. So I love this pick. I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you're waiting to see it, you're already too late. That's that's what the whole game is guys before we go on to the next three players who want to talk about here. If you need to see it on the waiver wire each week, you need a little help with that. We've got the fantasy pros waiver wire assistant here. You can make smarter waiver wire decisions with the waiver wire assistant get instant advice powered by more than 100 fantasy experts. All the experts like literally any single one you can think of that does fantasy football advice. They are in there. It is powered into this awesome tool that fantasy pros has. And you can see how every little move can impact your team for this week or even the rest of the season. Get started head on over to fantasy pros dot com slash waiver and you can use that tool today. All right gentlemen, we got three more players here and these are going to be the players that are available in a few more leagues. Tom, let's start with you on this one. We got a tight end. Man, this is I like this the middle of this sandwich here.

12:22Tide ends. He's fun to talk about. Tom hit us with your guy. Yeah, so Chica conco who in fantasy pros real time ADP was going as tight and 23. So what I've been drafted in a lot of leagues, but up until Stefan digs signed there was plenty of optimism starting to build for him. And I think it was warranted like you look at this off season how it's played out for a con quote goes from the Titans to a commander's team that we expect to have a far better offense. Signed a three year, 27 million dollar deal plenty of guarantees in there. And this is a commander's team that over the last couple of years have sent a ball towards the Titan plenty when Zach Hertz was out there over the last two years. He had 163 targets combined. Now yes, they've got to him. They've got Stefan digs, but they're still pretty thin behind that. Yes, Antonio Williams is a nice option who maybe will come on later on. But a con quote has been a pretty good option over the last couple of years like 50 plus receptions in each of the last three seasons top 500 receiving yards in two of the three. The bit that's been missing has been touchdowns for him. We've just five touchdowns over the last three years. Now Tennessee ranked bottom six in points per game in each of those last three seasons like the turmoil there.

13:26And then we're going to have a quarter back situation, the changing of staff. No situation there has proved particularly good. But if Jane Daniels and new offensive coordinator David Blow can get Washington back towards like the 2024 version of Washington. We saw when Jane Daniels was healthy and they were averaging like the sick most points per game. Then I think that we're going to get a really good season from a con quote. I'm not going to be in every week's start, but he's the kind of guy that I would like on my bench and be able to choose when to stream him and he's the kind of guy again if we talked about Isaiah likely like there's a lot of projection going on with him. If you've drafted him as you tie and one having someone like sugar con Quo, you can ping pong back and forth between feels pretty good to me. Tom, everything changed for a checker con quote once the fond digs sign there for the commanders. And honestly, maybe it shouldn't have changed so much in the ADP you said he was going he was what like Titan 23 according to real time ADP. Titan 23 according to our real time ADP behind TJ Hawkinson Ken Yen City Brendan Strange.

14:27And I understand like players like this you take a small dip right but go back last year and Zach Irts with Terry McClure and D. Bo Samuel and at a lot of times no Jane Daniels. Still finishes the tight end 20 and he missed four plus games and we're just like I don't know this younger and more athletic version with his quarterback in here probably not going to do that. There's a lot of other context that goes with it, but deep row you still good with with sugar con Quo. Yeah, I'm going with the con Quo and especially if you're looking at the upcoming matchups like Philly and Dallas are not teams I really want to pick on. But if you fast forward to weeks three and four Seattle ton of two high coverage they're going to funnel targets underneath or a lot of usage for the running backs well. I mean that's good for Rashad White, but it's not so great for Bill like he's not known as a pass catcher. So I think she can get a lot of targets against the Seattle Seahawks as well as dude the Colts they have been a tight end funnel and this is more of a Lou and Ruma thing like we're last year the Colts were horrible versus tight ends you go back to like five 10 years for the Bengals.

15:28Basically, and Ruma's entire tenure there been horrible so it's a defensive design thing. So again, even if you're not looking at a con Quo is like, okay, full season once the upside and things like that. If you're piecing together tight end or if you got somebody like a George Kittle and let's just fast forward guys and say week one. He only plays like 40 or 50% of the snaps and everybody that drafts him is freaking out. They're like, what if I got to do with tight end that you can pick up chicken. You're like, okay, well, cool. I'll play in week three. I'll play on like four week four and I'll figure it out. And honestly, week two, like let's just say he does have himself a big week here in week one. Like he just catches there's always the tight ends that line of like three catches three targets for a touchdown and he becomes everyone's favorite way for wire pickup. Tight ends well for the week and then in week two. You're looking at a shootout against Dallas. And so like this is going to be one of those guys you can kind of see the writing on the wall where everyone's going to be already talking about him as the week two way of a wire pickup there at tight end. Deeper let's go to the next player you got on here is a wide receiver that is still available at 87% of leagues of commenters.

16:32This is insane. Show out. Don't get angry at him. Deeper. I picked a good one here for you. Dude, this is this is absolutely insanity. Like I talked about him like for a ton of the end of draft season. The fact that he is this wildly available is a travesty. You need to pick up Don Tavion wicks. Like I you need to pick him up now. Because before week one, I mean, just I'll read off the beginning of his schedule. He gets the commanders, the Tennessee Titans and the Chicago Bears. No biggie. They just gave up the six the second and they were ranked 15th. Those respected defenses and fantasy points per target allowed to perimeter wider receivers. McKaylen Limon missed most of rookie camp, most of training camp, most of the preseason. New offense. No big deal. Worried about his role. No big deal. Don Tavion wicks capping off a monster training camp where every day he's posting some of the things that he's going to do. He's posting spots where he's making big time catches in practice. He's been a deeper analytics darling over the last two years for a player that's ranked third and 24th in separation score sixth and seventh and rat win rate.

17:33Yes, I said 67. That guy. Again, what he's been on the field, he's out of the money ball wide receiver rooms. He's going to play a full-time role. If there's a player on this roster that could that could shove McKaylen into a Luther burden. Yes, type of rookie season where he struggles to consistently get on the field. It's Don Tavion freaking win. You said you said the magic word to get me get me go and you said Luther burden. Thanks, buddy. And don't take me to like this guy who can win contested catches. And that was something that Jaylen hurts really like to do with AJ Brown last year. And some of that is just like the chemistry being off. But as great as Devon Tay Smith is as a receiver and as a route runner. Like sometimes you're going to want to go with maybe the slightly beefier guy for the contested catches that they have there. I want to reference that draft. I did this past weekend. McKaylen went in round nine ahead of Dejon Shroom my own draft. There's a lot of excitement because he was a first round NFL draft pick. So a lot of people say, okay, well, that's the first round pick for the Eagles. Right? Like he jumps into this AJ Brown role. Don Tavion wicks went undrafted.

18:34What? He went undrafted in this league and it was a 16 round draft. He's sitting around the waiver wire for me. So it's just this is a player who I think a lot of people are still sleeping on man. Like he can be a good one. It real quick on him too. If you look at this entire depth chart, Devon to Smith, do you profile him to play the X? No. Do you profile? Does anybody should anybody that's not like I'm like, I was a guest. I was a guest when you were like people projecting McKaylen to play the X. That's not what he's going to do. He's not an extra receiver. McKaylen is not going to do that. So I think that role goes to Don Tavion wicks and when they're we're discussing who is in out on the field and two wide receiver sets, I think it's Don Tavion wicks and Devon to Smith. Oh, yeah. And honestly, I'm saying kind of these things deep, bro, because I know it's going to get you riled up. And it makes for good content. Let's go. Let's go. All right. Last player on here, Tom, you got a running back. And honestly, I know that people say it is one of the easiest positions to get later in the season right to find an RB2.

19:37But if you could do that now before the game start to kick off, you're a step ahead of the gate. So talk to us about your. Yeah, it's Dylan Samson. And I think that this was one which really matters to get him now before the games of play because I think that this isn't going to be as defined as people expect with Quinch on Jo Kins taking huge amounts of a workload, which is what you assume when you look at their ADP in which wide Dylan Samson's available this much heading in a week one. But Todd Munkin rotates backs. He likes to have the ground and pound guy and he likes to have the receiving back. We've seen that for hours career. We saw it with Derek freaking Henry last year, taking him off the field for justice hill in clear and obvious passing situations. And Dylan Samson is receiving back in Cleveland. Like you look at the yard's per out numbers and it's massively in favor of Dylan Samson. Same for yards, but target, same for yards per reception. And I think this weekend we're going to see this come to fruition, particularly because the play and the Jags who were an excellent run defense last year ranked second in EPA allow per attempt. And if they shut down the run and put this game script the way we expect and the Browns are having to pass more than Dylan Samson's going to be out there plenty.

20:45And I think that's going to be the way it goes throughout this season because there is no miles. There are original gym shorts that are going to have to pass the ball more often and they're going to have to figure out what they've got a quarterback and that just leads me to wanting Dylan Samson. Yes, there will be weeks where it ends up being a bit of a wet far. But ultimately I think he can pee Pias Gam is way to relevant. See this year. I mean, yeah, when you look at this team, do we think they're going to be leading a lot of games? We think we're going to find them a lot of passing scenarios and whether it's to Sean Watson, Shadore Sanders, Dylan Gabriel, Taylor Green, maybe not Taylor Green. I hope I'll probably run. But amongst those other three, we're looking at a lot of guys that will probably be checking down a ton. And that's something that we saw in Dylan Samson's rookie season and Quenchon Jenkins is not as healthy as everyone wants him to be. Then we can see more Samson here. Deep, bro, how do you feel about Dylan Samson? I like him, especially if you're looking at like a PPR centric flex for the beginning of the season, because I was kind of like walking the his beginning of season schedule.

21:50So he gets the Jaguar Jaguars, bucks, Panthers, Steelers, jets in the first five weeks. Three of those five opponents. If you go and look at receiving fantasy points per game allowed to running backs just amongst the top 12 happened to be the Buccaneers at the second most. The jets, the fourth most and the Jaguars at the 11 most. So three top 12 matchups, just three top 12 matchups in the first five weeks for Dylan Samson receiving back on a crappy team. Here with the running back that doesn't catch passes and Quenchon Jenkins. I mean, these are all these all six of these are great options that should be available for nearly all of you still here out on the way for wire. As always, man, like this is this has been a blast guys. This is good. This is good. Clean family fun. It was entertaining. It was informational. And I want to thank the audience for joining us here today for watching and listening all the way through for myself for deep room for Tom. We'll see you next time. Ideas. Thanks for listening to the fantasy pros fantasy football podcast. If you love the show, the best free way to support us is by leaving a positive review on Apple podcasts at fantasy pros.com slash review or on Spotify.

22:58Follow us on X, Instagram and TikTok at fantasy pros and subscribe to our YouTube channel at youtube.com slash fantasy pros. Hi, this is Kylie breakman, Angela Jaretana, Jeremy Cole, Hank Cash McDonald, and we're the hosts of the artists on artists on artists on artists on artists podcast. The improvised character comedy podcast were each week a new panel of artists discuss their craft. Join us for a panel of Eurovision participants and we do a little Halloween sometimes. Does the Pope dress up? He, he winks on a low end. It's right up next to the microphone. I hear you get the elbows here. The eyelashes hit each other. You never seen it least so quiet as when the Pope gets up to wink on Halloween.

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