Every so often I take a close review of the waiver wire in my dynasty league, seeing if there's someone out there who's been missed. We have 26-man rosters, so most of the noteworthy rookies and veterans who can be expected to have value are already on teams. But there are always some you can look at and say, Hmm, maybe I should pick him up. Before it's too late.
1. Breshad Perriman, Buccaneers. Perriman (pictured) was a bust with the Ravens, but he flashed the talent that made him a first-rounder with the Browns late last season. Now he's in Tampa Bay in a Bruce Arians offense that needs to replace a pair of key wideouts from last season, DeSean Jackson and Adam Humphries. Perriman won't be better than No. 3 behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but John Brown turned that role into a 1,000-yard season in an Arians offense back in 2015.
2. Damarea Crockett, Texans. He was on my roster until this morning, when I dropped him to add Braxton Berrios (discussed elsewhere on the site). Undrafted out of Missouri, Crockett is competing for a roster spot on a team that has Lamar Miller and D'Onta Foreman -- one an unexciting veteran, another an unproven youngster working his way back from an injury that few ever come all the way back from. I couldn't keep him around, but the first positive training camp story will get him back on a roster.
3. Jake Kumerow, Packers. It's hard to know exactly who to support in the battle for No. 2 receiving duties in Green Bay. Geronimo Allison is our favorite. Marquez Valdes-Scantling flashed at times as a rookie and got some positive ink at OTAs. But among the players repeatedly getting praise from Aaron Rodgers is Kumerow, so he needs to be considered in dynasty leagues. Allison has had some injury issues thus far, and Valdes-Scantling hasn't shown a lot more to this point than Kumerow.
4. Alize Mack, Saints. Mack was just a seventh-round pick, and his path to a role in the passing game this year is definitely blocked by Jared Cook. Saints have moved away from featuring the tight end in the offense since trading away Jimmy Graham, too. All this is why Mack is available. But: Cook never stays anywhere for very long, and Sean Payton could decide to swing things back the other way if he's less enamored of his wide receiver options behind Michael Thomas. I'm very certain Mack won't do anything this year, but think 2020 is a possibility. Tight ends get 1.5 points per reception in this league, and with flex spots you can start three of them.
5. Benjamin Watson, Patriots. No, not much dynasty value in 38-year-old tight ends. But while others use picks on Matt LaCosse and Stephen Anderson, I'll go with New England's Week 5 starter -- after he serves a four-game suspension to open the season -- as the team's best tight end this year. There is no point in picking him up in July, and maybe not even August. But I'm very comfortable feeling that in Week 5, Watson will be New England's main tight end, catching a handful of passes and the occasional touchdown. TE-premium scoring systems only, granted.
6. Andre Ellington, Buccaneers. If you're like me, you drew no pleasure from the story that Ronald Jones "put on 13 pounds of muscle." First, it's probably nonsense -- more accurately, he gained 13 pounds. Some of it is muscle, I'm sure, and some of it is just weight, and neither one will necessarily help his speed (which is his strength) or his receiving ability (which seems to be his weakness). Enter Ellington, who can catch and was productive for Bruce Arians a few years back. Very possible we see a Peyton Barber-Ellington tandem.
7. Jordan Wilkins, Colts. Another guy I dropped myself for a higher-upside prospect. Wilkins might barely play at all this season. He needs to beat out Spencer Ware to even guarantee he'll be active on gamedays, though I do think that will happen. But if Marlon Mack's hamstrings act up at some point, they're not going to move Nyheim Hines into a starting role. Hines will remain as the passing downs back and Wilkins will get the bulk of the inside running and goal-line work. There are people on rosters in this league with a lot less potential to be fantasy factors in 2019 than Wilkins.
A lot of these guys might never be relevant in fantasy leagues. But the one or two that are could pay off handsomely. Wait until they're making noise in August, and it might be too late.