Fantasy Football Waiver Wire 2014: Top 10 Week 1 pickups

Heath Miller-TE-Pittsburgh Steelers (28.4%)

Grabbing Miller off the waiver wire won’t draw oohs and ahs from your fellow-owners, but it represents the kind of move that builds a solid team from top to bottom that’s ready for the long haul of the fantasy season.  Miller may not have the upside of some of the riskier TE1 options, but he’s the ultimate insurance policy as your number two tight end if you do have a riskier option as a starter.

Last season, Miller’s numbers ticked down as he came back from a catastrophic knee injury at the end of 2012, but there have been positive reports out of camp this preseason that he’s fully recovered and his on the field results have reflected some of that optimism.  The Steelers will need Miller to return to his pre-injury form as they search for receiving options after losing Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery.  The reviews on new number two receiver Markus Wheaton have been mixed at best, so don’t be surprised when Big Ben returns to his faithful option in Miller.

While Miller doesn’t have the flash and upside of some of the younger tight ends, he also has very little risk involved and can be a solid fill-in if your sizzle pick at TE turns out to be more of a fizzle due to injury or ineffectiveness. Adding him as a depth option could pay off as the season goes along.