Weekly Waiver Wire

Whether you find yourself sitting at 0-1 in your fantasy football league looking to make some season-saving changes or 1-0 seeking even more firepower, look no farther. Fantasy veterans are sure to agree that the scope of fantasy football changes with every given week — and this week is no different. So if you’re close to entering panic mode, here are the weekly waiver wire additions you should make to bolster your squad.

*The “%OWN” statistic is based on ESPN standard leagues from Sept. 13.

Quarterbacks

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, *%OWN: 29.4%

Our first selection starts off with a name no one expected to make a fantasy football splash. The perennial backup Fitzpatrick earned the Bucs starting job after regular starter Jameis Winston received a three-game suspension from the NFL for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Going against the New Orleans Saints defense, no one expected Ryan “Fitzmagic” to pass for 417 yards and four touchdowns while adding a rushing score, amassing over 40 fantasy points. Fitzpatrick is guaranteed to start for the Bucs’ next two games, but if he keeps lighting it up, then the team may just decide to stick with him at the helm. Not to mention the Bucs have no shortage of weapons for Fitzpatrick in young pass catchers O.J. Howard and Chris Godwin, in addition to veterans DeSean Jackson and Mike Evans.

Case Keenum, Denver Broncos, %OWN: 23.8%

Many worried about how efficient Case Keenum would be in a new offense after leaving the Minnesota Vikings. But Keenum proved he wasn’t just a product of quarterback-whisperer Pat Shurmur’s system last Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks when he passed for 329 yards and three touchdowns. Keenum possesses several top-end targets at his disposal in Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Courtland Sutton — in addition to a quality pass-catching back in Phillip Lindsay. Keenum will draw an even more favorable matchup in week two against the Oakland Raiders, who gave up 33 points on Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams.

Running Backs

Phillip Lindsay, Denver Broncos, %OWN: 59.8%

On most fantasy radars, the Bronco running back coming out of the preseason was not Lindsay, but fellow rookie Royce Freeman. However it was not Freeman but the undrafted Lindsay who looked more impressive on Sunday nonetheless. Lindsay and Freeman had the same number of rushing attempts and yards — 15 and 71, respectively — but Lindsay really turned heads in the passing game, catching two passes for 31 yards — including a long touchdown. If you watched Lindsay play on Sunday, then you’ll agree he looked like the best talent in the Denver backfield and I would not be surprised if general manager John Elway took notice. It’s worth mentioning that Lindsay just finished up his senior season at the University of Colorado, where he set the school record for most all-purpose yards.

Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers, %OWN: 40.3%

Make no mistake, Melvin Gordon is the bell cow back on the Chargers. But don’t count out Austin Ekeler, who thrives in the change-of-pace role. Ekeler rushed only five times for 39 yards, but did his damage by catching passes from Philip Rivers, hauling in five catches for 87 yards plus a touchdown. Teams have recently proven they can utilize two successful fantasy running backs on the same roster, as the Saints did it with the duo of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram last season.

Wide Receivers

John Brown, Baltimore Ravens, %OWN: 23.9%

Remember this, John Brown is only three years removed from a 1,000-yard season. Now with the Ravens, Brown was rumored to be quarterback Joe Flacco’s favorite target in the preseason. Week one proved this, as Brown had three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown. Interestingly enough, that touchdown came from only seven yards away. When Brown had his career year in 2015 with the Cardinals, it seemed that a lot of his production came from long vertical routes, so it’s encouraging to see him being productive in the short and intermediate game.

Quincy Enunwa, New York Jets, %OWN: 53.4%

Enunwa broke out in the 2016 season with 857 yards and four touchdowns, and was considered a relatively household name in the fantasy community. He unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason last year, so the 9.5 percent of fantasy owners who took a chance on him were highly anticipating his debut. Enunwa not only produced with six catches for over 60 yards and a touchdown, but also looked to be rookie quarterback Sam Darnold’s favorite target in the Jets statement win.

Tight Ends

Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks, %OWN: 23.5%

I was curious who Seahawk quarterback Russell Wilson would turn to at the tight end position this year, since they lost Jimmy Graham to the Green Bay Packers this offseason. I, along with everyone else, was shocked when that void was filled with the rookie fourth-round pick, Will Dissly. Dissly performed like a savvy veteran, catching three passes for a whopping 105 yards and a touchdown. With not a lot of other tight end competition in Seattle, Dissly may be on the fast track to a solid rookie campaign.

Ian Thomas, Carolina Panthers, %OWN: 5.6%

Thomas saw his fantasy value skyrocket as the Panthers announced regular starter Greg Olsen will be out for a significant amount of time with a fractured right foot. The second fourth-round rookie tight end to make our list, Thomas was a dynamic pass catcher at Indiana University and will be the featured tight end on the Carolina Panthers roster. Quarterback Cam Newton has shown an affinity for throwing to his tight ends, so expect Thomas to start doing numbers.