Andy Richardson
The waiver wire in my dynasty league opens up this week. It seems kind of silly, given that there's no actual free agency yet, but players are available and people are going to claim them. Here now are 10 players who weren't drafted in my three-round (mostly) rookie draft, and are out there for the taking. Perhaps they're available in your deep dynasty league, as well.
Jordan Todman, Chargers. Viewed as possibly a top-5 rookie RB in most pre-draft analysis, Todman didn't get selected until the 6th round -- after his UConn teammate, a fullback, last month. But although he projects as no better than the No. 3 runner in San Diego this year, it's not a bad spot for the youngster to carve out a role for himself. Mike Tolbert and Ryan Mathews have short resumes thus far.
Taiwan Jones, Raiders. Really fast. Does he have anything else going for him? Well, maybe he'll be the No. 2 running back in Oakland this year, with Michael Bush's future uncertain.
Tandon Doss, Ravens. He was selected after Torrey Smith by the Ravens, but maybe, like Mike Williams in Tampa Bay, he'll turn out to be the better of the two wideouts the team drafted. Doss has great hands, and the Ravens have a grizzled receiving corps that will need a couple of youngsters to step up over the next year or two.
Virgil Green, Broncos. I almost drafted this rookie tight end, but passed for a couple of reasons -- not least of which is that he fell to the NFL draft's seventh round, and he was the second tight end the Broncos selected. But he's a talented receiver who might immediately be Denver's best player at the position at the one thing fantasy coaches care about.
Roscoe Parrish, Bills. Not a rookie, obviously, but he was dropped in most dynasty leagues, if owned at all, after a season-ending injury last year. But he had really started to come on in Chan Gailey's offense before getting hurt last season, and the Bills didn't draft any receivers. In a PPR format (plus one that gives credit for return yards), Parrish could be a decent spot start.
LeRon McClain, Ravens. Somebody is going to be the counterpart to Ray Rice (replacing Willis McGahee) this season. Jalen Parmele is the fashionable pick that the team has talked up, but this is a guy who was a sixth-round pick of Miami back in 2008; is it realistic to expect him to suddenly emerge in his fourth year in the league? I'm thinking McClain, who desperately wants to play tailback again, is a better choice.
Cecil Shorts, Jaguars. I grabbed Jason Hill late last year, and some have also stumped for a breakout campaign for Mike Thomas. Maybe even Jarett Dillard will step up in Jacksonville. In any case, the inevitable departure of Mike Sims-Walker creates a void atop the Jaguars' receiving depth chart, and this small-school rookie has the talent to make an impact.
Evan Royster, Washington. Roy Helu is the favorite to supplant Ryan Torain in Washington this year, but we've heard a lot about favorites in Mike Shanahan backfields over the years, and someone else frequently steps up instead. I drafted Helu, and don't have the roster room for Royster, but he's a guy I'd take a flier on if I did have a spot.
Jamie Harper, Titans. As a Chris Johnson owner, I had Javon Ringer on my roster until a few weeks ago -- and dropped him shortly after the team selected Harper. Ringer might still earn the backup spot, but he certainly hasn't been so special that Harper can't take it away.
Rex Grossman, Washington. The top add across the MyFantasyLeague websites that my league is housed on is John Beck, thanks to a recent story suggesting he'll be the team's starter this year. In a word, Yuh. Grossman is an error-prone signal-caller who probably won't keep the job in Washington for long, but he's got more talent than Beck. If I were desperate for a quarterback, Grossman is the guy I'd be considering.
None of these guys may amount to anything; there's a reason they're available. But a couple of them might., and I'll be adding one or two of them this week.
And hey, I got through the entire article without talking about a couple of exciting veterans out there sure to be added in your league. I'm talking about you, Tiki and Plaxico.
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Posted by IAN ALLAN | May. 21 at 06:43 AM
Of the guys listed here, I will put Cecil Shorts at the top of my board. He's making the step up some Division III, so I don't know that he'll do much this year, but they don't have much in Jacksonville in terms of pass catchers. He might be their top guy in 2012.
Posted by ANDY RICHARDSON | May. 22 at 11:41 PM
Shorts was my top choice as well; I added him this morning. Also claimed from this list were Taiwan Jones and Virgil Green. I may or may not try to clear a roster spot today to add somebody else.