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Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press
It only took one week for some fantasy football plans to be blown up by injuries and lack of production.
As is the case every year, the waiver wire is a popular place after Week 1 for fantasy players to find gems they missed out on in the draft process.
New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson was not on many fantasy radars in the preseason, but then a two-touchdown performance in Week 1 turned him into a potential waiver-wire sleeper at the position.
At wide receiver, the search is on for someone who can replace an injured Jerry Jeudy or benched Brandon Aiyuk.
One of the best pickups could be Jeudy’s teammate that is expected to receive more targets from Teddy Bridgewater during the layoff experienced by the Alabama product.
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Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press
Fantasy players were rightfully skeptical of what Johnson’s role would be inside the New Orleans offense before Week 1.
The Saints converted Johnson from wide receiver as part of their plan to replace Jared Cook, who left in free agency.
Additionally, there were concerns about how often the Saints would put the ball in the air during Jameis Winston’s first start.
All of those questions were answered in Week 1’s blowout win over the Green Bay Packers. Johnson caught two of the five touchdown passes thrown by Winston in Jacksonville.
Johnson’s touchdown outburst led to a waiver-wire rush, but he should still be available in most leagues.
There could still be some hesitancy to adding Johnson since he split time with Adam Trautman at tight end. Trautman finished with three more targets and the same number of catches as Johnson.
Johnson is not yet a high volume tight end, but his production in the red zone is notable for any fantasy player in need of an upgrade at that spot.
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Adam Hunger/Associated Press
Tim Patrick will likely be the top beneficiary from Jeudy’s injury absence inside the Denver offense.
Patrick caught all four of his targets for 39 yards and a touchdown in the Week 1 victory over the New York Giants.
The 27-year-old wide receiver was on the fantasy football radar last season, when he produced 729 receiving yards.
Patrick turned in a trio of 100-yard performances in 2020, but he also finished the campaign with six straight games with 50 or fewer yards.
Patrick can be a hit-or-miss pick off the waiver wire, but such is life when an average quarterback is in charge of the offense.
The good news for anyone that adds Patrick is the Broncos play back-to-back games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets.
If anything, Patrick is worth the waiver-wire selection for those two games to take advantage of poor defensive play.
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Tony Avelar/Associated Press
It is time again to play the guessing game regarding which San Francisco 49ers running back will receive the bulk of the carries
San Francisco’s offensive approach changed in Week 1 when Raheem Mostert went down with a season-ending injury.
Elijah Mitchell has been the most popular running back on the waiver wire because he was the team’s rushing star in Week 1.
If you pivot away from Mitchell, Trey Sermon could be the San Francisco running back worth picking up for Week 2 and beyond.
The rookie out of Ohio State was a healthy scratch in Week 1, but he should earn snaps in Week 2 as the backup behind Mitchell.
With how often the 49ers run the ball, Sermon could receive some carries behind Mitchell. If he plays well, Sermon could be the preferred back in some instances.
A year ago, Kyle Shanahan used a running back by committee approach because of the injuries that affected the position. Jeff Wilson Jr. finished as the team’s leading rusher with 600 yards.
Mostert is out for the year and Mitchell is unproven as a No. 1 running back, so there is a chance for Sermon to take the job if he performs well.
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