Fantasy Football 2018: Waiver Wire Watchlist
By Jon Dove
Most fantasy football leagues have finished their drafts or will do so in the next week. This means it’s already time to start monitoring the waiver wire.
The waiver wire is one of the most important aspects of fantasy football. Every year there are more than a few waiver wire adds that help owners win a championship. Last year, there were a few leagues where Alvin Kamara was a waiver wire addition.
Things are already shaping up nicely for the wavier wire this year. The league is loaded with young players who are just waiting for their opportunity.
This list features a group of players who need an injury or a small opportunity to become a fantasy star. Injuries are a part of the game and fantasy owners need to be ready to take advantage of every situation.
It’s a rare thing to keep every player you drafted on your roster for an entire season. This is why I start to develop a waiver wire watchlist immediately after the draft.
These are players I monitor all year long and look to get a jump on the competition should their situation change. Some things I’ll be keeping a close eye on is the recover of David Johnson and whether or not Randall Cobb is on the Green Bay Packers roster come opening day.
Alshon Jeffery is expected to miss some time with an injury. He has a history of letting nagging injuries keep him out of the line. This is one of the main reasons the Chicago Bears let him leave via free agency.
I’ll be closely watching the Eagles practice reports to see whether or not Jeffery is going to be out longer than expected.
No. 10 Luke Willson, TE, Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions finally pulled the plug on Eric Ebron and signed the more reliable Luke Willson this offseason. Willson isn’t nearly the same type of athlete as Ebron, but he runs clean routes and is a limits drops.
Having a more consistent presence from the tight end spot is something Matthew Stafford will appreciate. The Lions have plenty of pass catching options, but Willson offers someone with a wide frame and the ability to attack the seam.
Opposing defenses will spend most of their time trying to defend Golden Tate, Marvin Jones Jr. and Theo Riddick in the passing game.
This will help Willson fly under the radar and find open holes in the defense. Willson is also a solid run blocker which means he’ll be on the field often. He’s someone to keep an eye on during the early part of the season.
If Stafford starts to give him targets, especially in the red zone, Willson could be a great waiver wire pick up. At the very least, he is someone that can fill in if your starting tight end is injured or on a bye week.
Willson is likely going undrafted in your league for a reason. He has never had great production and is a limited athlete. There are absolutely more exciting opens and younger tight ends in the league that offer more fantasy upside.
However, don’t read too much into his production in Seattle as Jimmy Graham never found his rhythm there either.