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MIAMI, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Two weeks into the fantasy football season, you are about to decide if you should bench big names for unproven commodities or pull off that big trade. But what can pack the punch of acquiring a key player in a blockbuster trade without forcing you to give up a star player?
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Making a great free agent pick up. As you go into waiver wire Wednesday, here are my top players to cut loose and the largely available guys I am targeting to add to my bench. Some of these players also have immediate starter-level value.
ALL-ADD TEAM
QB | Joe Flacco, Sam Bradford; RB | Jerick McKinnon, Isaiah Crowell, Cameron Artis-Payne, Charles Sims, Kenneth Dixon; WR | Mike Wallace, Danny Amendola, Corey Coleman, Victor Cruz, Travis Benjamin; TE | Martellus Bennett, Dennis Pitta, Jesse James; D/ST | Miami Dolphins, New York Giants; K | Robert Aguayo, Cairo Santos, Nick Folk
HONORABLE MENTIONS
QB | Ryan Tannehill, Ryan Fitzpatrick; RB | Matt Asiata. Fozzy Whittaker, Kenyan Drake, Jay Ajayi, Shane Vereen, Alfred Morris, Jordan Howard, Dwayne Washington; WR | Cole Beasley, Phillip Dorsett, Tyrell Williams; TE | Kyle Rudolph, Jacob Tamme, Clive Walford, Trey Burton; D/ST | Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens
TOP DROPS
QB | Jimmy Garoppolo, Kirk Cousins, Brock Osweiler, Alex Smith; RB | Duke Johnson, Justin Forsett, Terrance West; WR | Pierre Garcon, Vincent Jackson, Kevin White, Tavon Austin; TE | Gary Barnidge, Zach Miller, Coby Fleener.
QUARTERBACK
If you are hurting at quarterback, take a peak at Baltimore Ravens' Joe Flacco. Flacco is starter-worthy this week in almost any league. His Week 3 match-up features a Jacksonville Jaguars secondary allowing 2.5 receiving touchdowns per game, to wide receivers, this season. If you are waiting for Tom Brady to get back, or just aren't happy with your current quarterback situation, don't be afraid to start Flacco. After battling the Jaguars, the Ravens host the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins, before playing the New York Giants. That's a pretty juicy slate. New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a franchise-record 31 touchdowns last season. Now he has Matt Forte in the backfield. I think Fitzpatrick is severely underrated and could top his 2015 numbers with Forte in the fold and Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker out wide. The knock on Fitzpatrick's long-term value is his upcoming slate against talented defensive backs, including games against Kansas City, Seattle, and Arizona before his Week 11 bye. I see Fitzpatrick as a replacement-level starter for a three or four game stretch. He probably isn't a starter in leagues with 10 teams or fewer.
RUNNING BACK
My top waiver wire pick up this week is a Minnesota Vikings running back. Although this one is quite obvious after the Vikings lost Adrian Peterson last weekend to a torn meniscus, you can't afford to miss out on Jerick McKinnon. The running back position is already deteriorating after two games, meaning it's essential to build up your bench depth for the weeks to come. If Peterson misses extended time, look for McKinnon to border RB1 value. McKinnon's first look comes against the Carolina Panthers this week in Minnesota. The Panthers have allowed 183 yards and two touchdowns to running backs this season. I expect the Panthers game plan to focus on stopping outside threats like Stefon Diggs more than eliminating McKinnon and Matt Asiata. McKinnon's schedule looks good in Week 4 with a match up against the New York Giants. He offers solid long-term value.
WIDE RECEIVER
I have a few favorite pick-ups at the wide receiver slot, including Baltimore Ravens speedster Mike Wallace. As I wrote in my Week 3 wide receiver rankings column, Wallace is already off to a ridiculous start. He has just seven receptions, but has turned those catches into three scores. Now Wallace gets a match up against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He looks like Flacco's favorite target through two games. Wallace is no longer just a boom-or-bust guy, in my opinion. He can offer your team solid WR2 production right now and could be an elite WR3 for the rest of the season. I see Cleveland Browns burner Corey Coleman as more of a short-term fix for fantasy football purposes. Coleman is coming off of his best game as a pro, when he had 104 yards and two scores on just five catches against the Ravens. I think he does well enough in match ups against the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins to garner WR3 consideration while Josh Gordon sits out with a suspension. If you read my Week 2 waiver-wire column, you already know that New York Giants' Victor Cruz should be on your roster. Eli Manning is blossoming into a fantasy stud this season, despite not throwing a touchdown in Week 2. I'm calling a bounce back this week for the Giants offense. San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers looked very comfortable throwing to Travis Benjamin last weekend. I expect Benjamin to put up steady WR2 production for the rest of the season, especially now, with Danny Woodhead out for the year.
TIGHT ENDS
If your league makes you start a tight end, definitely snatch up New England Patriots' Martellus Bennett, Baltimore's Dennis Pitta, or Pittsburgh Steelers' Jesse James. These guys offer immediate value at a shallow spot in your lineup. Out of the group, I prefer Pitta and James long term. Pitta is currently third in targets among NFL tight ends. His 12 receptions are tied for the most at the position. Pitta has yet to score a touchdown, but I like his chances with Flacco at the helm. James has eight catches for 60 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was likely undrafted in your league, so grab him if you haven't already. With Antonio Brown seeing an array of tough coverage schemes, I expect James to be an outlet for Ben Roethlisberger.
