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Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Generally speaking, the team you draft should be the team you take into Week 1, but we all know that's not how it always works. Maybe you panicked with the clock running down and drafted the wrong Chargers backup running back or tried to price enforce with an extra bid, only to get left with a player you didn't really want. Look, it happens to the best of us. That's what waivers are for. 
We'll have a mad rush to pick up the next great thing every week, but why not beat the crowd and go pick up those players now. In today's Fantasy Football Today newsletter, that's what we're looking for, as Jamey Eisenberg's first waiver-wire column is here, focusing on those late-round gems you might have overlooked. Plus, I'm looking at the 10 most important players in Fantasy for 2020 and looking at Week 1 injuries from around the league. 
But first, here's what you need to dominate your drafts, for those of you still drafting: 
And here's what the rest of today's newsletter has in store for you:
  • ➕Week 1 waiver targets
  • 🔟10 most important players for 2020
  • 📰News and notes
Whether you're still drafting or looking to tweak your roster, Jamey Eisenberg has some late-round players to consider adding for Week 1 and beyond. That includes some great stash candidates for the long run, which we also discussed on Tuesday's episode of Fantasy Football Today.
  • QB: Ben Roethlisberger (72%); Gardner Minshew (46%); Tyrod Taylor (19%)
"That said, for Fantasy managers who can find Roethlisberger available and have the ability to carry two quarterbacks, he's worth it. He has the chance to go off against the Giants in Week 1."
  • RB: Boston Scott (60%); Chase Edmonds (61%); Joshua Kelley (31%); Sony Michel (77%); Darrel Williams (37%)
"Kelley should get the chance for a decent workload. I love the upside for Kelley as a rookie, and he's worth between 5-10 percent of your FAB where available."
  • WR: Anthony Miller (55%); Steven Sims (18%); Allen Lazard (53%); DeSean Jackson (60%); Laviska Shenault (23%)
"The No. 2 receiver spot in Green Bay has been a storyline we've followed all offseason, and Lazard seems poised to win that job."
  • TE: Mike Gesicki (68%); Blake Jarwin (54%); Chris Herndon (52%); Jonnu Smith (67%); T.J. Hockenson (62%)
"I'm hopeful Hockenson is a sophomore star, and I love drafting him as a second tight end. He could easily emerge as a weekly starter in all leagues."
  • Stash candidates: The lottery ticket running backs to stash/add are Darrel Williams, Alexander Mattison, Tony Pollard, Benny Snell, A.J. Dillon and Darrynton Evans, in that order. … But I keep hearing good things about Jacksonville's James Robinson, and he's an interesting end of bench stash to open the year. … Don't be afraid to stash Jalen Reagor or Alshon Jeffery if you have the roster space. At some point this year, one or both could be useful in all leagues.
🔟10 most important players for 2020
Every Fantasy team has at least one player who serves as the pivot point for the season. In one league I drafted over the weekend, it was Antonio Gibson. If Gibson turns into an Alvin Kamara-light type of player for Washington, my team is going to be pretty tough to beat thanks to a core of Calvin Ridley, Mike Evans, and Odell Beckham at WR. But, if Gibson is just a PPR specialist, my path to victory gets a lot more narrow. Every team will have a different pivot point, but here are the 10 players whose success or failure will shape the Fantasy season most, for better or worse.  
  • Tom Brady: If Brady is still an elite quarterback, this is going to be a very fun offense, with potential elite options at each position. If the 43-year-old's apparent decline last season was real, there could be a lot of disappointed Fantasy players with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on their rosters — and this running back situation we're so obsessed with may end up with neither Leonard Fournette or Ronald Jones being very useful. 
  • Le'Veon Bell: If Bell gets something like his role from last season and benefits from an improved offensive line, he could be a league-winner. But there has already been friction between him and Adam Gase, and Frank Gore looms as a spoiler. It's not out of the question Bell doesn't finish as a top-24 back. 
  • Joe Burrow: There's plenty of talent on this offense, between Joe Mixon, A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd. If Burrow is an above-average QB from Week 1, there could be fireworks in this offense. 
  • Jonathan Taylor: It's a perfect blend of situation and talent … except for the whole "three-headed backfield" thing. If Taylor gets the touches, he could be a top-10 RB. 
  • DeAndre Hopkins: Hopkins tumbled to the late second round range this year over concerns that he won't get as many opportunities on his new team. If he gets to 150 targets again, Hopkins still has No. 1 WR upside, obviously.
  • Josh Jacobs: Jacobs is a borderline No. 1 running back as is. But if he can get to 50-plus receptions, then you're talking about potential to be the No. 1 running back. 
  • Antonio Gibson: It might not have been important back when he was available in the double-digit rounds, but Gibson's late surge makes the question of whether he's truly ready to play running back a significant one. What if he's just Chris Thompson?
  • Todd Gurley: Gurley landed in a great offense in Atlanta. If he looks more like his pre-2019 self, you don't need me to tell you how good he can be. He was the unanimous No. 1 pick two years in a row for a reason. 
  • Adam Thielen: With little competition for targets, Thielen could be an easy top-10 WR at a discount. On the other hand, he's a 30-year-old coming off a lost season, playing for a team that gave just 94 targets to its No. 1 receiver last season. There's an incredibly wide range of potential outcomes here. 
  • Cooper Kupp: Kupp relies on a steady diet of touchdowns to be an elite wide receiver, and that was what helped cover up for a significant decline in playing time last season. If that was the start of a change in offensive philosophy, can Kupp remain a top-20 WR?
📰News and notes
Brandin Cooks (quad) was limited at practice Tuesday. We'll see what his status looks like on the official injury report tomorrow, but you might be best steering clear of Cooks for Week 1 vs. the Chiefs. … James Robinson is listed as the starter for the Jaguars. Devine Ozigbo will still see work, but Robinson is worth a late-round pick or waiver-wire add. Let's see if he can make the most of this opportunity. … Trey Burton (calf) was placed on IR. Burton was expected to have a pretty big role for the Colts, and with Jack Doyle nursing a nick injury, there could be a significant chunk of the team's offense missing in Week 1. That could mean extra looks for Nyheim Hines and Parris Campbell. ... Justin Jackson (hamstring) expected to play in Week 1. Joshua Kelley benefited from Jackson being limited in camp, so we'll see if he can lock up the No. 2 job even if Jackson does play. … Sean McVay remains optimistic about Darrell Henderson (hamstring), though if you ask me, the chances of Henderson playing a significant role in Week 1 seem pretty slim. It should be the Cam Akers/Malcolm Brown show. … Golden Tate (hamstring) didn't practice Monday. The Giants don't play until Monday in Week 1, so this isn't reason to be concerned yet, though if he is limited, Evan Engram and Sterling Shepard look like even better options. … Ryan Fitzpatrick will start for Miami . This will be Tua Tagovailoa's job before long, but for now Fitzpatrick is the starter, and that's good news for DeVante Parker, Preston Williams and Mike Gesicki, who should benefit from Fitzpatrick's aggressive approach.
The Fantasy Football Today Draft Guide is here, and I promise, you'll want to have it by your side on Draft Day. We've boiled down everything you need to draft in one place, with consensus expert rankings and auction values, tiers, a round-by-round walkthrough, and Draft Day strategies and rules from Jamey, Dave, Heath and Ben. It's the next best thing to having them next to you while you draft.  Head here to sign up for it, because it's absolutely free — which seems like a good value to me. 
 
 
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