Every week I will list some players who I think if things go their way, will wind up in those waiver articles the following Tuesday. You don’t have to stash all of them – it depends on who you have on your roster, the depth of your benches, the scoring system of your league, etc. But these are guys that should at least be on your radar.
Stashing players is only something that can occur in deeper leagues with large benches, so to make this information worthwhile, I will only be recommending guys that are rostered in under 20% of leagues on both Yahoo and ESPN, and in many cases, you’ll see percentages in the single digits. If you’re in a league where guys like D’Ernest Johnson (69.9% on ESPN), Kadarius Toney (51.7% on ESPN), and Elijah Mitchell (79.6% on ESPN) are on the waiver wire, you’re either in a league too shallow for stashing, or you should go pick those guys up right away.
In addition, for those of you in really deep leagues (16+ teams), we will also include some deep cut players that are rostered in less than 3% of leagues on both Yahoo and ESPN in a section at the end to try and give you the best chance of winning your fantasy league. Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Week 8 Review
- Boston Scott, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: Boston Scott had a great game against the Detroit Lions where he carried the ball 12 times for 60 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He’s now rostered in over 20% of fantasy leagues on both Yahoo and ESPN, so he’s no longer eligible for the ‘Must Stash’.
- Mo Alie-Cox, TE, Indianapolis Colts: Mo Alie-Cox was targeted four times against the Tennessee Titans, but failed to haul in any of them. He’s pretty touchdown-dependent, so if you need a bench spot feel free to drop him.
- Brandon Bolden, RB, New England Patriots: Brandon Bolden carried the ball four times for 26 rushing yards against the Los Angeles Chargers but was not targeted in the passing game. He seems to be a matchup-based player for the Patriots.
- Tyrod Taylor, QB, Houston Texans: Tyrod Taylor still has yet to return to game action, but should be making his return any day now. If you are desperate for a quarterback he’s still worth a shot.
- Salvon Ahmed, RB, Miami Dolphins: Salvon Ahmed carried the ball seven times for 22 rushing yards and caught one pass for six receiving yards against the Buffalo Bills. If you need space, feel free to drop him.
- From the ‘Deep Cuts’ section, Jeremy McNichols (RB, Tennessee Titans) saw his value explode after Derrick Henry got injured…also Jordan Howard (RB, Philadelphia Eagles) showed that he may be worth rostering as long as Miles Sanders is out.
The Must Stash
Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers (0.4% on ESPN, 8% on Yahoo)
In the 2020 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers shocked the world by selecting quarterback Jordan Love out of Utah State despite already having a star quarterback in Aaron Rodgers on the team. The team was planning for the future, and the future may finally be here with Aaron Rodgers out this week after testing positive for the coronavirus. While it’s likely just a one-week start against the Kansas City Chiefs, there has been a bit of a media firestorm around Aaron Rodgers after it was revealed that he was not indeed vaccinated as he implied he was and has been breaking the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols all season. As unlikely as it may seem, if Rodgers ends up facing NFL discipline for misleading the league about his status, Jordan Love would have a great opportunity to be fantasy-relevant.
Tajae Sharpe, WR, Atlanta Falcons (2.7% on ESPN, 2% on Yahoo)
This past week Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver Calvin Ridley announced that he would be taking a leave of absence to focus on his mental health and wellbeing. We have no idea when he will be back, and it means that the Falcons will need someone else to step up to the plate and take on Ridley’s role in the offense. My expectation is that player will be Tajae Sharpe. Sharpe has been hyped up as a sleeper in the past, most notably in his rookie year, but has largely failed to live up to expectations thus far in his career. Having said this, he may now have the best opportunity of his career to put up numbers with a consistent role in the offense (as long as Ridley is out) and an above-average starting quarterback in Matt Ryan. In addition, we’ve seen him produce in the two games that Ridley was out as he’s put up nine receptions on 11 targets for 111 receiving yards. Keep an eye on Sharpe in this new role.
Jamal Agnew, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (3.3% on ESPN, 6% on Yahoo)
Jamal Agnew was originally drafted by the Detroit Lions to play cornerback back in 2017 but made the transition to wide receiver in 2020. In the offseason, he left the Lions to go play for the Jacksonville Jaguars and was expected to be mainly a return specialist for the 2021 season. But when D.J. Chark went down with a fractured right ankle, the Jaguars needed someone to step up at wide receiver and Agnew answered the call. In the last three games, Agnew has caught 17 passes on 25 targets for 157 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown and played at least 59% of the team’s offensive snaps in each game. If you are playing in a deeper league and hurting at receiver, Agnew could be a good option in the next few weeks.
Dan Arnold, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars (8.8% on ESPN, 19% on Yahoo)
Two Jaguars on the ‘Must Stash’ this week!?!? Has the world gone mad? Well at this point of the season, when you see anyone get 10+ targets in a game you have to pay attention. And this past week against the Seattle Seahawks, Dan Arnold saw that kind of workload as he went for eight receptions on ten targets for 68 receiving yards. Since being traded to Jacksonville prior to Week 4, Arnold has seen a decent workload – seeing 25 targets (6.25 per game) his way and playing 60%+ of the offensive snaps in each of the last three games. If you are looking for a tight end available on waivers that can contribute right away, Arnold is a solid choice.
Trey Lance, QB, San Francisco 49ers (11% on ESPN, 19% on Yahoo)
Originally I was going to feature Ty Johnson (RB, New York Jets) for the last spot of the ‘Must Stash’ this week, but seeing as he is playing on Thursday Night Football (before this article is published) we will go a different route and feature San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance. The biggest draw of Lance at this stage of his career is his rushing upside. In his 19 game college career, Lance carried the ball 192 times for 1325 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. On a per-game basis, this was 10.11 carries for 69.74 rushing yards and 0.95 rushing touchdowns per game. We’ve seen him continue to flash this rushing upside at the NFL level, as he carried the ball 16 times for 89 rushing yards in his one start this season against the Arizona Cardinals. While there is the major question of whether or not he will start again this season, the bottom line is that he has game-changing potential and at this point of the fantasy season it’s hard to find guys on the waiver wire who have as much upside as Lance. If you want to stash a high-upside QB with one of your last bench spots, Lance is a great option.
Deep Cuts
(Rostered In Less Than 3% Of Leagues)
Both Websites (ESPN and Yahoo)
Trevor Siemian, QB, New Orleans Saints (1.5% on ESPN, 2% on Yahoo): Starting quarterback Jameis Winston tore his ACL against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Trevor Siemian was solid replacing him. While you should prioritize Taysom Hill over Siemian because of Hill’s rushing upside, Siemian may have some immediate value in deeper leagues.
Rex Burkhead, RB, Houston Texans (0.7% on ESPN, 1% on Yahoo): Rex Burkhead carried the ball four times for 21 yards and a rushing touchdown on the ground and caught three passes for 27 receiving yards through the air against the Los Angeles Rams. With Mark Ingram II traded to New Orleans, he has an opportunity to be the most valuable Houston Texans running back.
Anthony Schwartz, WR, Cleveland Browns (0.3% on ESPN, 0% on Yahoo): Anthony Schwartz hasn’t really done much since Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, but with Odell Beckham Jr. out of the picture, he may be worth a look in deeper leagues.
Olamide Zaccheaus, WR, Atlanta Falcons (0.3% on ESPN, 1% on Yahoo): Calvin Ridley has stepped away from football indefinitely to focus on his mental well-being, so the rest of the Atlanta Falcons wide receivers may get more opportunities in the coming weeks.
Zay Jones, WR, Las Vegas Raiders (0.3% on ESPN, 1% on Yahoo): Henry Ruggs III is unlikely to ever play another down in the NFL after a fatal car crash where he killed someone driving 156 miles per hour while intoxicated. After this incident, Zay Jones may find himself getting a few more snaps for the rest of the season.
Philip Rivers, QB, Retired/Free Agent (0.1% on ESPN, NA on Yahoo): Philip Rivers has recently said that “he hasn’t heard from the Saints but would listen.” It’s unlikely, but on the off-chance that the Saints sign Rivers with Jameis Winston out for the year, he’s worth monitoring.
Benny Snell Jr., RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (0.5% on ESPN, 1% on Yahoo): If Najee Harris ends up missing time at any point this year, it’s likely Snell would step into the role as the lead back.
James Washington, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (0.7% on ESPN, 1% on Yahoo): James Washington has been a solid receiver over the course of his career and will have an increased role with JuJu Smith-Schuster out for the year.
ESPN/Yahoo Only
Derrick Gore, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (1.6% on ESPN, 22% on Yahoo): Derrick Gore carried the ball 11 times for 48 rushing yards and a touchdown against the New York Giants this past week. He may have some fantasy relevance until Clyde-Edwards Helaire gets back.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland Browns (2.1% on ESPN, 5% on Yahoo): Donovan Peoples-Jones hasn’t played since Week 6, but with Odell Beckham Jr. likely out of the picture for the rest of the season, he may have some value.
The Must Stash – Week 9
Players Rostered In Under 20% Of Leagues That You Should Be Monitoring
Ty Johnson
Jordan Love
Tajae Sharpe
Jamal Agnew
Trey Lance
Dan Arnold
Tyrod Taylor
Donovan Peoples-Jones
Rex Burkhead
Zay Jones— Eli G (@3li_handles) November 4, 2021
That’s it for Week 9. Feel free to weigh in and mention any players you believe should be on this list.
Featured Image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)