Detroit Lions rookie tight end T. J. Hockenson (R) had 131 yards and a touchdown on six catches during his NFL debut against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in Glendale, Ariz. Photo by Art Foxall/UPI |
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Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Week 1 of the NFL season resulted in myriad injuries for key players around the league. That means you will need to adjust your fantasy football team's roster to either drop players from your team or move them to your bench. It also means you should be on the lookout for players with new opportunities, created by increased roles because of those injuries.
I have added some of my favorite players to target ahead of Wednesday's waiver wire period and separated them by priority and position.
We are only one week into the 2019 season, so you don't need to worry about bye weeks yet. The players I have listed below have a low ownership percentage in standard size leagues.
Here are my top players to add and top players to drop for Week 2:
ALL-ADD TEAM
QB | Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford; RB | Ronald Jones, Malcolm Brown; WR | Marquise Brown, John Ross; TE | T.J. Hockenson; D/ST | Kansas City Chiefs; K | Zane Gonzalez
HONORABLE MENTIONS
QB | Jacoby Brissett, Marcus Mariota; RB | Giovani Bernard, Adrian Peterson, Carlos Hyde; WR | Jamison Crowder, D.K. Metcalf, Preston Williams; TE | Darren Waller; D/ST | Carolina Panthers
TOP DROPS
QB | Nick Foles; RB | Dare Ogunbowale, Tony Pollard; WR | Geronimo Allison; TE | Eric Ebron
QUARTERBACK
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is one of my top priorities at his position to target on this week's waiver wire. Allen passed for 254 yards and had two interceptions and two fumbles in Week 1, in addition to throwing a touchdown against the New York Jets. Despite the turnovers, Allen still had a respectable fantasy day, mostly due to his 38 yards and a score on the ground. Allen provides that value each week due to his running ability. I expect another day with at least 20 fantasy points in Week 2 when the Bills face the New York Giants, who allowed the most fantasy points to a quarterback in Week 1. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott scorched the Giants for 405 yards and four touchdowns in the season-opener. Allen is a good streaming option, especially if you lost Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles due to his Week 1 injury.
RUNNING BACK
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not play very well as a team in their Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but running back Ronald Jones showed some promise. Jones averaged 5.8 yards per carry and picked up 75 yards on 13 carries. He also had an 18-yard reception. Jones should be owned in all leagues after his Week 1 performance. He should make a good RB2 or flex option going forward, depending on his weekly matchup.
The Los Angeles Rams gave fans a glimpse of how they will use Todd Gurley this season. While Gurley owners might not be completely happy with the end result, Malcolm Brown showed he has value during the 30-27 win against the Carolina Panthers. Brown had 53 rushing yards compared to Gurley's 97 rushing yards, but it was Brown who got the ball in the red zone. He turned those carries into two touchdowns. Brown is a must-have for Gurley owners, but he has standalone value as a matchup-depended RB2 or flex option going forward. Pick him up if he is available in your league.
WIDE RECEIVER
Marquise "Hollywood" Brown was an absolute star during his NFL debut in Week 1. Brown obliterated the Miami Dolphins secondary for 147 yards and two scores on just four catches. Brown is one of my top priorities on this week's waiver wire. The Baltimore Ravens speedster can be inserted into your lineup immediately as quarterback Lamar Jackson looks to stay smoldering hot in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals. Brown is a high-end WR2 for me this week.
TIGHT END
Fellow rookie T.J. Hockenson also had a monster NFL debut for the Detroit Lions. Hockenson led all tight ends in fantasy points after making six catches for 131 yards and a score against the Cardinals. He should be added in all leagues, even if your league doesn't require starting a tight end. Hockenson has Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's eye already and he should see a large number of targets in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
