Hello, Quincy Enunwa. The number one waiver pickup this week or just the number one Wide Receiver on the Jets? Hyperbole or crazy like a fox? Hard to say, but Enunwa’s production confirms that the Jets’ Wide Receivers are all dirty, filthy, nasty ballers.
The Jets elder statesman, Brandon Marshall, regenerated an ACL Wolverine-style, after a brutal facemask tackle by cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Stephon “this is why we can’t have nice things” Gilmore thanks for coming, but you can’t break Marshall and your services are no longer required. Steady producer, Eric Decker, turned in 6 receptions on 8 targets for 126 yards and a touchdown against Buffalo.
Meanwhile, the explosiveness, physicality and finesse at the catch point were all on display for Quincy Enunwa in week 2. Admittedly, Enunwa’s two-week, small sample size Catch Rate of 92.8-percent (No. 7) is unsustainable. However, the dominant start demands targets going forward and the delicious New York target pie will grow. Enunwa’s emergence serves as a hammer to punish defenses for focusing on his counterparts. Currently, Marshall and Decker are both nursing injuries, and if either were to miss time, the Enunwa targets would flow like salmon of Capistrano. It is clear last week’s RotoUnderworld waiver ranking of No. 5 for Enunwa was too cautious.
Mea culpa aside, this week the RotoUnderworld Team has rallied to provide an aggressive list of 10 players to add across all fantasy football formats. With the tight end position underperforming across the board, this week’s waiver wire piece is TE-heavy. Get yourself a good wide base, pin your ears back and let’s flat out get after the best fantasy football free agents this week.
Note: The following waiver targets were selected from a group of players owned in less than 50-percent of MFL redraft leagues.
Dennis Pitta, TE, Baltimore
Dennis Pitta Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
The number one target for Joe Flacco and the Ravens through two weeks is the forgotten man, Dennis Pitta. Across the tight end position, Pitta’s 16 targets rank 4th overall thus far. Between the hologram-like Steve Smith, question mark Breshad Perriman, and enigmatic Mike Wallace, Flacco craves the chain moving reliability Pitta provides. Early in the fantasy season, there is a need to be aggressive in the face of small sample size production. Pitta requires such an approach after proving to be healthy by avoiding the Ravens injury report for week 2, and possessing historical production with Flacco. Remember, Gary Barnidge came out of obscurity to “be a thing” in 2015, Pitta has the opportunity to provide a similar impact in 2016.
Fozzy Whittaker, RB, Carolina
I would rather not write about Fozzy Whittaker. I am not entertained. Then again, despite not being the “prototype” running back, Whittaker did outscore LeSean McCoy, Lamar Miller, Spencer Ware, Devonta Freeman, Todd Gurley and Mark Ingram this week [Zero RB wink]. For all of the average to below average aspects of his profile, Whitaker has displayed ability in the passing game evidenced by a 9.9-percent (71st-percentile) College Target Share.
Fozzy Whittaker Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
In addition, Whittaker compiled an above average 5.8 College Yards Per Carry (62nd-percentile), as well as a red flag waving, cold sweat inducing 14.0-percent College Dominator (12th-percentile). The bottom line remains that the warm embrace of a Cam Newton offense has a way of overcoming and suppressing running back deficiencies. Close your metric-snobbish eyes and click add next to Whittaker’s name, because unsexy players have feelings too.
Jesse James TE, Pittsburgh
Jesse James is a taller more SPARQy version of Rob Gronkowski. Well, other than the small fact of Gronk’s otherworldly 18.3 Breakout Age (98th-percentile) and years of elite NFL production. Hang with me here. Yes, James is young and unproven. However, the combination of his athletic profile, breakout age and opportunity is almost unprecedented in the PlayerProfiler database.
Jesse James Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Don’t worry, I’ll show you bro. The following Player Profiler’s Data Analysis Tool filter settings were chosen for comparison within the Tight End position: Breakout Age: <20, College Dominator Rating: 15%<x<20%. When the resulting data was sorted by descending Height the Top 4 players were Jesse James, Rob Gronkowski, Eric Ebron and Charles Clay.
The opportunity, precocious production and elite athleticism all make James worth an add in fantasy.
Jamison Crowder WR, Washington
Kirk Cousins has peppered Jamison Crowder with targets a plenty. Even though this is not an optimal approach from an efficiency standpoint for the Washington offense, Cousins seems to view Crowder like Ryan Tannehill views Jarvis Landry. Targets strongly correlate to fantasy production, and the newly minted target hog, Crowder, currently owns the highest skill position fantasy score in Washington. In addition, Crowder has seen a 31.2-percent Red Zone Target Share (No. 21). If Cousins converts to Crowder on one or two of the missed redzone throws, Crowder would be performing at a low end WR2 level. Please don’t trade for Landry, just pick up similar production on waivers in Crowder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5D4MgjvmpU&feature=youtu.be
Waiver Priority Ranks
Below is the order I would claim players in a vacuum not taking into account individual team needs.
Got sniped on Chris Thompson and need an RB? Dwayne Washington, Kenneth Dixon and Kenyan Drake have potential as dart throws. Dixon could be interesting as a proactive bench stash as Baltimore’s healthy RB core has been underwhelming. Following Ameer Abdullah‘s foot injury, Dwayne Washington provides immediate fill-in potential. Kenyan Drake is intriguing play, to see how the Miami backfield shakes out in the wake of Arian Foster‘s tenderloin groin injury.
