Here are some early targets that are of interest. For purposes of this article, I will assume your league uses $1000 FAAB. The newer names to each position are on the bottom of each positional listing. Please note that these names are not in order of preference so look over the list carefully.
I’ve been saying all pre-season that Mayfield is underrated as a fantasy QB. I’m all in on him going for 4000+ passing yards and 25+ TDs. He’s a must-add. FAAB: $30-50
Darnold is playing in a Dome with great receivers and an excellent play-calling head coach. 3500 yards and 25 touchdowns are not out of the question. In fact, that seems very possible. FAAB: $20-25
New Orleans seems to be the surprise team of the NFC thus far. Yes, they’ve played Carolina and Dallas, but they have also bought into Klint Kubiak’s offense. Carr hasn’t thrown a ton, but he’s made the most out of his throws. FAAB: $15-20
Dave Canales made the switch to Dalton, most likely because his receivers were beyond frustrated with Bryce Young. This bumps up the fantasy value of Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen, but playing Las Vegas won’t be a high-scoring affair. FAAB: $5-7
Willis did a credible job with Jordan Love out against the Colts. One thing to note is that the Colts’ run defense is terribly weak, so Green Bay was able to hide Willis’ deficiencies. The Titans’ run defense is much better, and it’s a revenge game for Willis. FAAB: $3-5
Tua will be out for a few weeks, and Thompson will get a chance to lead the offense. He’s average as far as backups go. On Monday, the team signed Tyler Huntley off Baltimore’s practice squad. Huntley will need a few weeks to learn the offense. FAAB: $10-15
Minshew led the team to a great road win in Baltimore after putting up a stinker against the Chargers. The Raiders will be playing Carolina at home and should be able to dominate both lines of scrimmage. I like Minshew way more in games where they are expected to play from behind, and his gunslinging can lead to production. FAAB: $3-5
Chandler will be heavily involved in the running attack, as Aaron Jones is not a true bellcow. With all the injuries, you might need to raise the bidding to get him. FAAB: $80-100
He hasn’t played a ton, but he’s shown some burst when he has. FAAB: $30-40
Get him now in case of a Rachaad White injury. He’s the real deal. FAAB: $70-90
Nix is going to dump the ball off to his running backs a ton and McLaughlin is the best pass catcher of the group. FAAB: $20-25
He is the 3rd down and receiving back. Better in PPR formats than standard. FAAB: $15-20
Allen is Hall’s backup, and if he’s available in leagues, you need to pick him up right now. He’s difficult to stop when he gets a head of steam going. Now that he has two TDs, his price has gone up drastically. FAAB: $100-125
He looked impressive running the ball against Seattle this past week. Stevenson is still the RB1, but Gibson has made a claim for 5-10 touches per week. FAAB: $25-30
With CMC out for six weeks, Guerendo is one Jordan Mason injury away from being the starter. A lot of my high-stakes friends were all in on him prior to the draft. FAAB: $40-50
When the Browns were leading the Jags, they turned to Foreman to run the ball to close out the game. He’s not much of a pass catcher but I do like him in standard and .5ppr formats. FAAB: $25-30
With Pacheco out, he should be the short yardage back. If he can get 10-12 touches, he will be worth the add. That said, I would NOT take him if I had the overall #1 waiver wire add. There will be better options down the line. FAAB: $80-100
In PPR formats, I would lean toward Perine, as he is a much better pass catcher and blocker. Look for him to be involved in the two-minute and obvious passing-down situations. FAAB: $60-80
Joe Mixon looked a little gimpy at the end of the Sunday night game, and Dameon Pierce has not looked right for over a year. Could this be Cam Akers’ opportunity? I am interested but won’t overpay. FAAB: $45-50
Cooper Kupp is heading to the IR to join Puka Nacua, leaving DRob as the WR1. There are a lot of WR options for the Rams, but DRob is the best of the bunch by far, and Matthew Stafford trusts him. FAAB: $200-225
Iosivas Is going to play the Tyler Boyd role this season, and he’s already becoming one of Burrow’s more trusted receivers. He will lose targets when Tee Higgins returns, but he’s still worth a look. FAAB: $25-30
I loved him at the University of Washington, and he’s already worked his way into the starting lineup for Tampa. He scored one TD against Washington and will continue to shine. FAAB: $45-50
He has a very good rapport with Kyler Murray, so it wouldn’t shock me to see him stick in the starting lineup even when Zay Jones returns. FAAB: $20-25
Brown finally played against the Giants and had three receptions. The Commanders are having Jayden Daniels throw short high percentage passes, which is right up Brown’s alley. FAAB: $5-10
The Cowboys like Tolbert as their WR3. A lot of people are overlooking him and that might be a big mistake in case of an injury to Lamb or Cooks. Dak seems to like throwing to him, and he made a great hustle play against New Orleans, which should endear him to the coaching staff. FAAB: $35-40
I would pay an extra dollar for Dotson if I already had A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith on my roster. FAAB: $15-20 if you have A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith. $1-2 if you don’t.
He’s the WR3 for the Vikings, but both Jefferson and Addison are banged up and could miss Week 3. FAAB: $15-20
Johnson has excellent value now that we know Puka and Kupp will miss time. FAAB: $120-140
Pierce scored for the second week in a row, but Richardson scares me. Downs looks like he will return in Week 3 so the question is whether Pierce or Mitchell is the WR3. Don’t pay for the last two week’s worth of production. FAAB $10-12
Ray Ray is a shifty slot WR, and he could see some quick looks every game. Atlanta is in hurry-up offense mode. FAAB: $5-10
He is the WR3 in Detroit. I would certainly grab if I had Jameson/St. Brown or was in a super deep league. FAAB: $10-15
Carolina will be playing from behind most weeks, and they are trying to get him reps. FAAB: $20-25
Played more than expected against Arizona and should have a continued role with Nacua and Kupp out. FAAB: $40-50
Deebo Samuel will miss time with a calf injury, and Jennings is the WR3. He’s a terrific blocker and does well in the red zone. It’s worth an extra buck since he knows the offense, and it’s a high-scoring team. FAAB: $40-45
He’s the WR2 for Denver and will see the better CB matchup since most of the top CBs will be on Sutton. FAAB: $5-10
I know he caught two TD passes, but he was SO WIDE OPEN. Not sure he is that open again in his career. FAAB: $15-20
With Hollywood Brown out until January, it looks like Watson is the WR3. FAAB: $10-12
He knows Aaron Rodgers well, and Mike Williams is still recovering from a major injury. He’s more of a DFS play than anything, but with BYE weeks coming up soon, he’s worth rostering. FAAB: $10-15
I don’t trust Deshaun Watson, but he was heavily involved against Jacksonville. FAAB: $5-10
He dropped a TD pass against Washington, but he’s playing a ton of snaps. FAAB: $5-10
Kraft will likely not see a ton of receptions, but I think he could be used in the red zone due to his size and pass-catching ability. He’s the TE1 over Musgrave due to his exceptional blocking. FAAB: $10-15
With Tyler Higbee on the PUP, Parkinson is the TE1 for the Rams. FAAB: $20-25
He could be a sneaky source of receptions, but this is an offense that would prefer to throw fewer than 30 times per game. FAAB: $5-10
There are lots of potential short passes for this tight end, who plays more like a wide receiver. FAAB: $10-15
Josh Allen’s road roommate. Kincaid dominated last season but that was when Knox missed time. Allen always looks for him in the red zone. FAAB: $3-5
Kingsbury will get him the football until he inevitably misses time. Played well vs. the Giants. FAAB: $5-10
Worth a bid so long as Njoku is out. FAAB: $3-5
Ferguson has a sprained MCL, and there’s a chance he will miss Week 3. Don’t overbid until there is more news. FAAB: $3-5
Evan Engram injured his hamstring during pregame warmups, and Strange got the start. The Jaguars are not playing well on offense, so don’t overbid. FAAB: $3-5
He looked terrific against Kansas City, but be aware of two things: 1) Kansas City struggles vs opposing tight ends, and 2) Tee Higgins is expected back in Week 3. FAAB: $8-10
I am betting on Deshaun Watson underperforming again. FAAB: $5-10
Get Denver at home. FAAB: $5-10
Get Carolina at home. Yes, please! FAAB: $5-10
Skylar Thompson could throw 2 INTs. FAAB: $3-5
