Welcome to the latest and greatest installment of Waiver Wire Wednesday.
Every Tuesday, we arm you with 5 (this week 6!) guys to target on the waiver wire. We give you a quick snapshot of the player, and why you should consider adding them to your squad. Regardless your current record, you should never ignore the waiver wire. Bye weeks, injuries (looking at you Julio), and stars continuing to underachieve, makes effectively navigating the waiver wire on a weekly basis extremely important.
Below, check out our breakdown of the 5 guys you should be targeting this week on the waiver wire.
Zac Stacy – RB, St. Louis Rams
- ESPN: 1.2%, Yahoo: 20%
- @ Texans
- Stacy stepped in, and before getting injured, was having a nice game against the lowly Jags last week. Jeff Fisher confirmed he will be the starting running back for the Rams going forward, and he could see his role grow within the offense. Daryl Richardson and Isaiah Pead were both hot names in training camp and fantasy draft rooms, but they have both been underwhelming to say the least. Stacy has the potential to be a weekly FLEX option, and if his role continues to increase, a low-end RB2.
Rueben Randle – WR, New York Giants
- ESPN: 55.6%, Yahoo: 39%
- @ Bears
- Yes, the Giants suck. Their defense resembles a colander, and their offensive line is in shambles. So why would I recommend picking up the 3rd WR on this terrible team? 3 reasons. 1. He’s super athletic. 2. They’re going to be trailing most games, thus forcing Eli to throw A LOT. 3. He runs quick slant and short routes, which are key reads for Eli when the pass rush is bearing down on him. He has boom or bust written all over him, but I like his potential as a WR3.
Andre Ellington – RB, Arizona Cardinals
- ESPN: 4%, Yahoo: 24%
- @ 49ers
- Ellington is an interesting pick up. While he does not have the size to be a “bell cow” back (5’9″, 199lbs), Mendenhall has been under-performing (averaging 6.8 fantasy points per week in standard leagues), and Ellington has good hands out of the back field. He is a much more attractive pick up in PPR leagues, but HC Bruce Arians insists he will play around 30 snaps per game, with room to grow. With the 49ers next up for the Cardinals, they are going to need to get creative with their backfield, which means more swing and screens, than dive plays. This bodes well for Ellington to get the majority of the snaps. FLEX option in all formats.
Marcel Reece – RB, Oakland Raiders
- ESPN: 3.7%, Yahoo: 8%
- @ Chiefs
- As of right now, it looks like Reece will be the only “healthy” back this Sunday for the Raiders. Oft-injured Darren McFadden, and back up Rashad Jennings are both very iffy for next week, which makes Reece the next man up. Once viewed as simply a goal line back, Reece showed he could be an effective runner between the 20’s last week. If you are desperate for an RB2 or FLEX play, pick up Reece, and monitor the health of McFadden and Jennings over the week.
Stash Options – Percy Harvin and Mario Manningham
- This one goes out to the fantasy owners who don’t need someone to start for them this week. If you are sitting pretty, and want two potential key contributors for later in the year, it’s time to look at Harvin and Manningham as stash options. Both will move into starting roles upon return, and while there is no guarantee they will return to their pre-injury levels of play, if you can afford to pick them up, I recommend doing it sooner rather than later.