It is always hard to not over react to what we see during Week 1 of the NFL season, but in order to win your fantasy league, you need to do just that. You should go out and try and acquire players who did well last week, but by no means should you drop players who did not do well without context. For instance, Adrian Peterson was a healthy scratch and was a cut candidate in my first draft of this article just two days ago, but now he is one of my top RB adds with Guice expected to miss time. Here are some of my other favorite add/drop candidates entering Week 2.
To be considered as a possible “add,” they need to be owned in less than 60% of ESPN leagues. The drops on this list are by no means must drop, but if you can add one of the add players, these are some of the first players you should drop.
QB/RB Adds
Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions (16.3%)
Stafford threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns in week 1 and appears to be back to full health. In Week 2, the Lions play a not fully healthy Chargers team who almost lost to the Colts. I expect Stafford to continue to show why he deserves to be owned in most fantasy leagues.
Adrian Peterson, RB, Redskins (27.7%)
Peterson may have missed Week 1, but he will be back and get a full workload in Week 2 against the Cowboys. His healthy scratch was due to the fact that Gruden only wanted to dress three running backs and Peterson does not offer use in the special teams. If Guice misses multiple weeks with his injury, Peterson is a great addition to your team. As soon as Guice returns, I am going to try and trade Peterson for a profit.
Chris Thompson, RB, Redskins (18.9%)
In Week 1, Thompson led the team in targets and receptions. Whether Guice or Peterson is on the field, Thompson’s usage should not be impacted all that much due to his usage in the passing game, especially when they will find themselves behind in many of their games.
Giovani Bernard, RB, Bengals (32.3%)
With Mixon battling an ankle injury, Bernard is in line to see not only passing down work, but an increase in carries, which he has shown he can handle. The Bengals also just extended Bernard, showing that they trust him to do the job. Make sure to add Bernard to your roster if he is available.
Malcolm Brown, RB, Rams (6.5%)
In Week 1, it was clear that the Rams think of Malcolm Brown and not Darrell Henderson as their RB2. Even though Gurley had more than double the snaps as Brown, he only had four more touches. When in the red zone, Brown got the majority of the work and two touchdowns. If Brown continues to dominate the red zone work, he is more than just a handcuff and offers weekly flex upside.
Carlos Hyde, RB, Texans (39.4%)
Carlos Hyde is currently on his fourth team since the start of the 2018 season. Last season, he wasn’t much more than replacement level, at best, and I don’t expect much more from him this year. But if he continues to get the bulk of the carries for the Texans, then he offers a floor that could be helpful during bye weeks or in case of injuries.
WR/TE Adds
Terry McLaurin, WR, Redskins (7.3%)
Prior to the start of the season, Terry McLaurin was being projected to be the top WR in Washington. McLaurin finished his Week 1 performance with five receptions on seven targets for 125 yards and a touchdown. McLaurin could have possibly had two touchdowns on the day, but was overthrown by Keenum. If McLaurin is not owned in your league, you need to make sure you put a claim in for him, because he appears to be one of Keenum’s favorite targets and will be a favorite of Haskins when he eventually wins the job.
John Brown, WR, Bills (35.3%)
In Week 1, Brown caught 7/10 targets for 123 yards and a touchdown (38 yards). Brown’s only incompletions came on long pass attempts. As the chemistry between Allen and Brown continues to improve, their long ball completion percentage should increase. Brown’s Week 1 fantasy performance is a sign of good things to come for the receiver and I want to get him in my team.
Mecole Hardman, WR, Chiefs (17.4%)
The Chiefs drafted Mecole Hardman thinking they could be without Hill for a significant amount of time. Now, it looks like that may actually be the case. Hill is expected to miss multiple weeks due to his Week 1 shoulder injury. Hardman proved his worth this preseason, scoring two touchdowns. This could be your best chance to get a cheap piece of the KC offense.
Preston Williams, WR, Dolphins (2.6%)
His Week 1 performance was not incredible, but he caught 3/5 targets for 24 yards and a touchdown. I am trying to add him this week before he sees an increase in production. I will not be starting him yet, but I’d rather him on my bench than an opponent’s. I’d rather be a week early on him than a week late.
Marquise Brown, WR, Ravens (28.2%)
Brown may have had the best start to an NFL career ever. His first two receptions were touchdowns for 130 yards, then he finished the day with four receptions for 147 yards. He did manage to do this on only 12 plays, so he needs to see more snaps to be a reliable weekly starter. He is worth an add, but I am not putting him in my lineup until he is on the field more.
Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Saints (15.3%)
Ted Ginn is one of those players that is always in consideration for a flex start, but probably won’t make it into your starting roster unless there is an injury or bye week. With that in mind, he started 2019 with seven receptions for 101 yards and finishes as the Saints number two wide receiver. The WR2 on the Saints is a fantasy asset that I would want on my team if I had the space, so I would consider adding him.
Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens (51%)
Mark Andrews caught all eight of his targets for 108 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens will not play the Dolphins every week, so his numbers are likely to decrease, but that probably won’t happen next week versus the Cardinals who just gave up 131 yards and a touchdown to rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson.
T.J.Hockenson, TE, Lions (30%)
Tight ends typically take some time to develop in the NFL, however, T.J. Hockenson started his career with 131 yards and a touchdown. Nearly 25% of all pass targets came his way in Week 1. Hockenson was also on the field for 60/84 offensive snaps, which leads to an incredibly safe floor. If this usage continues, there are only a handful of tight ends that I would rather have on my team.
Darren Waller, TE, Raiders (26.8%)
Even before the departure of Antonio Brown, Waller seemed like he might be worth owning. But with the departure of Brown, there are way more targets available than before. The primary recipient was Tyrell Williams (add him if available, but he is owned in just over 60% of leagues) but Waller is in line to get his fair share as well. In Week 1, Waller caught 7/8 targets for 70 yards. If you need a tight end, Waller is not a bad option if either of my two other suggestions aren’t available.
Drops
N’Keal Harry (Trade Candidate), WR, Patriots
You may have invested a fairly high pick in Harry, but with him finding his way onto the IR for the Patriots, he does not add any value to your team. If I have an IR spot, I will use it on Harry, but I am okay with letting him go all together and counting this as a miss.
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Patriots
Thomas has been on quite a ride the past few weeks. First, he was cut after preseason Week 4, then he re-signed just two days later. Now that the Patriots have signed Antonio Brown, Thomas offers zero value to the Patriots and is likely on the chopping block once again.
Dante Pettis (Trade Candidate), WR, 49ers
In the 49ers Week 1 victory, Pettis was only on the field for two snaps. His usage will most likely go up as the season goes on, but for now, he is not worth a roster spot.
Players who got injured who are expected to miss multiple weeks that are not worth stashing on your bench or IR:
Nick Foles, QB, Jaguars
Devin Funchess, WR, Colts
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