Photo: Keith Allison
Last year, I won my league in large part because I grabbed Cam Newton off of the waiver wire in Week 1. There may not be any players of Newton's fantasy caliber available this year, but there are some very good options waiting for you. Here are my top 10 options for this week.
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Alfred Morris, Redskins - So it looks like Evan Royster was right for saying he didn't trust Mike Shanahan's depth chart. Alfred Morris made the most of his carries and is the top waiver wire pickup this week. However, buyer-beware as Mike Shanahan is unlikely to ride a single back all the way in for the entire season. If he does, Morris is a gold mine.
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Randall Cobb, Packers - Randall Cobb is worth a look in standard scoring leagues to be sure, but he is a priority pickup this week in PPR leagues. With 9 catches and opportunities expected to arise in the future for carries as well, Cobb is a very safe addition. The Bears will get in Aaron Rodgers face all game which means quick-release targets and that is where Cobb should reap the rewards in week 2.
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Jonathan Dwyer, Steelers - Anyone with eyes who happened to watch the Broncos and Steelers scrap could see that Dwyer was clearly superior to Isaac Redman. Dwyer ran with great balance and was still fighting for yardage after the initial hit. While he will have to share carries this year, I think he'll be the Steelers best option as the year rolls on.
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Kevin Ogletree, Cowboys - Every slapnuts owner in America is going to be after Ogletree after they watched him dismantle the Giants, but maybe they're right. Sure, Ogletree isn't always going to have some of the soft matchups he saw against the Giants, but then again, Tony Romo proved last year with Laurent Robinson that he's willing to look for the 3rd WR at any point in the game.
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Dexter McCluster, Chiefs - While McCluster doesn't play in a potent offense like Cobb, there are signs that he'll be the safety blanket for Matt Cassel. McCluster is versatile enough to be moved around the field and utilized on the move and there is no reason why he shouldn't see at least 6+ targets per game which makes him worth a look at WR3 and certainly WR4 in PPR leagues.
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Jacquizz Rodgers, Falcons - Quizz was on the field for several more snaps than some may have expected, but that is actually consistent with how Mike Smith said they were going to use him this year. While Quizz isn't a waiver wire option in standard scoring leagues, he is a consideration in deeper PPR leagues as he will be getting targets out of the backfield.
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Martellus Bennett, Giants - Over the last five years in Kevin Gilbride's offense, the Giants starting TE has averaged 40 catches, 541 yards and 4.6 TDs per season. Considering Bennett's potential as a receiving TE, there is no reason to believe that Bennett shouldn't be able to perform above those averages. He is worth a look for TE-thin teams.
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Cowboys Defense - I know it is one game, but I'm a believer in what I saw from Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne at the CB spots for the Cowboys. If they are able to lock down WRs and allow Dallas to play more man-to-man with only single high safety coverages, then Rob Ryan can cut the Dallas defense loose a little more which could lead to some big defensive plays.
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Stephen Hill, Jets - I know that the popular sentiment is going to be that the Jets fluked into a high scoring game and that Hill isn't really ready to build on his big game against the Bills since he's still very raw. From a football standpoint, I see a vertical threat who plays on a team with a declining veteran WR (Santonio Holmes) and a QB who isn't afraid to cut it loose down the field. He's not a priority pickup, but future success won't shock me.
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Jake Locker, Titans - Locker is only worth a claim as a QB2 so maybe this is too early in the year to look at him as a waiver wire pickup, but the Titans have some decent weapons to throw to and if Chris Johnson doesn't get it together, Locker will have greater value as a solid backup as the season rolls on.