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Nick Wass/Associated Press
The start of the NFL season always carries some unknowns when it comes to fantasy football rosters.
Established stars such as Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook are known quantities, but others who were chosen in the latter rounds could come with question marks.
Some of the uncertainty that comes with late-round draft picks could fuel a push to the waiver wire to find better options who became available in the time between your draft and Week 1.
For example, Baltimore Ravens running back Ty’Son Williams carries more fantasy value now than he did a week ago since another injury occurred at the position with Justice Hill out for the season.
On the opposite end of the waiver wire, Deshaun Watson is one of the most released players. The Houston Texans confirmed Tyrod Taylor as their starting quarterback, which took away any prospect of the 25-year-old taking the field.
The waiver-wire moves will be more pronounced after Week 1, but the transactions involving Williams, Watson and a few others stand out ahead of the season’s first set of games.
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Daniel Kucin Jr./Associated Press
Ty’Son Williams, RB, Baltimore
Baltimore’s running back situation is a mess right now.
With J.K. Dobbins and Justice Hill injured, Gus Edwards and Ty’Son Williams are the top two RBs on the depth chart.
Edwards will be the No. 1 on the roster, but Williams should play a role in the offense given how much the team runs the ball. That has led to the 25-year-old being the top added individual player in Yahoo fantasy football leagues to start the week.
Baltimore will likely bring in another running back in the coming days, but that player likely won’t be up to speed for Week 1. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reported Le’Veon Bell, Devonta Freeman and Elijah Holyfield were worked out by the Ravens.
For now, Williams seems like a decent pickup, but given the fluidity of the situation, he may not stick on fantasy rosters.
Carolina Panthers Defense
The top waiver-wire addition is purely driven by a Week 1 matchup.
The Carolina Panthers host a New York Jets offense that carries an abundance of question marks going into the new season.
New York has a rookie quarterback in Zach Wilson, no clear-cut No. 1 running back and a single big-play wideout in Corey Davis. It will likely use Tevin Coleman first in its backfield rotation, but rookie Michael Carter could also be employed in some capacity.
Since the Jets are expected to be among the worst teams in the NFL, fantasy players have jumped at the possibility of a high-scoring day for the Carolina defense.
While the matchup seems ideal, the Panthers’ defense comes with some concerns. Carolina allowed 25 points or more in five of its eight home games in 2020.
The defense could always play better against a weaker foe, but a high-scoring fantasy week is not a guarantee based off last year’s totals.
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Justin Rex/Associated Press
Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston
Houston’s announcement that Taylor would take the starting quarterback job for Week 1 sent Watson to the waiver wire in over 200 Yahoo leagues.
The Clemson product is the top dropped quarterback and the fifth-most dropped individual over the last few days. Most of the other players with high cut rates have suffered long-term injuries.
With so much uncertainty surrounding Watson’s availability, it appears fantasy players are taking no chances on the Houston quarterback and are looking elsewhere for positional depth.
Taylor is not the automatic replacement for Watson. Jameis Winston is the top added quarterback from the waiver wire at the moment.
There is little faith in the entire Houston offense since running back Phillip Lindsay is high up on the drop list as well.
Cleveland Browns Defense
The Cleveland Browns defense should be one of the best units in the NFL, but fantasy players aren’t showing much confidence in that squad for Week 1.
Cleveland’s defense has the highest drop rate in Yahoo fantasy leagues heading into Week 1. The matchup with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs likely factors into that decision.
If you are shopping for a fantasy defense, now could be the time to take advantage of the drops involving Cleveland.
The Browns’ schedule gets much easier in the coming weeks, with the Texans and Chicago Bears coming to Ohio. There is a total of five home games in the first eight weeks.
If you can manage rostering two defenses for a week, a forward-looking move for the Cleveland defense could pay dividends in the coming weeks if it is available on the waiver wire.
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