I usually encourage owners to be aggressive on the waiver wire early in the season. Last year around this time, some of you may have hesitated on Jordy Nelson or Victor Cruz. It could have cost you a title.
This year, we have some interesting candidates after a solid Week 1. These guys are available in a majority of leagues:
1. Randall Cobb, WR, Packers: Hopefully, you already had this guy on your roster. I talked about him in my fliers column here and word was out that he’s a special talent. The bottom line was that Cobb is too good to keep off the field, even if the Packers are already loaded at wideout. That proved to be true on Sunday as he lined up in the backfield often and caught nine passes. He’ll play less when the Packers have a lead, but he’s still a solid add.
2. Alfred Morris, RB, Redskins: On the Saturday before Week 1, the Redskins informed Morris that he’d start. We know that whoever gets carried for a Mike Shanahan squad will produce, so that was enough for me. Morris proceeded to gain even more leash by running solidly in a huge win for the Redskins. For now, he’s the clear starter and a candidate for 100 rushing yards weekly. The only reason he’s not No. 1 on this list is because by midseason, Shanny could be doting on another back.
3. Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, Chiefs: This is a PPR special. We know how thin RB is and McCluster qualifies there in a lot of leagues even though he’s now a slot receiver. He racked up 10 targets in Week 1.
4. James Jones, WR, Packers: Jones played a ton of snaps as the clear No. 3 wideout, ahead of Donald Driver. Cobb, as mentioned, came out of the backfield. With Greg Jennings ailing, Jones could end up being a must-start on Thursday night.
5. Dennis Pitta, TE, Ravens: If you watched the game Monday night, you saw a new-look Ravens team. They are aggressive on offense in spots where they used to be afraid to fail. The no-huddle and downfield passing is a nice fit for Pitta, a pure pass-catching tight end.
