15 fantasy waiver-wire sleeper targets before Week 1

15 fantasy waiver-wire sleeper targets before Week 1

Whether from injury or auto-draft, sometimes you need to fix your lineup before Week 1 even gets started. Or perhaps you're just looking for some high-upside players hanging around on the waiver wire you can tuck away safely on your bench. With that in mind, I scoured the NFL.com resources to find 15 sleepers who are available in the vast majority of NFL.com fantasy leagues. So take a look, and if you have an injured player, backup tight end/kicker/defense sitting on your bench, give them the old President James Marshall and tell them to "" ... or bench. You get the point. Anyway, onto the sleepers!Colonel Sanders' Super Secret Sleeper, QB, , 2.0 percent ownedI'm required to highlight one super secret sleeper in this column, and there is no way it wasn't going to be . On the latest episode of the NFL LIVE podcast, Matt Harmon referred to running quarterbacks as a fantasy "," and he's absolutely right. Taylor offers a safe week-to-week floor thanks to his running ability, making him a very serviceable starting or backup quarterback. If you have concerns about your starter, especially one with recent injuries like or , then rush to the waiver wire to claim Tyrod before he flashes early in the season and is unattainable. Need more convincing? . Quarterbacks, QB, , 14.0 percent ownedThe hate on in has gone too far. Dalton was a top-five fantasy quarterback in 2013, but all any one wants to remember is his disatrous 2014 campaign where he threw 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Yet, no one wants to acknowledge that Dalton was without , , , and for all or parts Enderson Franco Jersey of the season. Dalton is a quarterback who needs his weapons to produce in fantasy, and he now has ALL of them healthy for 2015. He's not a sexy or exciting pickup, but if you're looking for solid QB production on the waiver wire, don't shy away from the Red Rifle., QB, , 2.7 percent ownedI know, a player. Your initial reaction is to probably light me on fire in the comments section here or on Twitter, but hear me out first. Bortles has looked great this preseason, and now has an actual NFL-level of weapons surrounding him. He has completed 65 percent of his pa ses for 461 yards with one touchdown in limited action, and looks much more comfortable and in control than he did during his rookie season. As an added bonus, he added 42 rushing yards on five attempts, flashing his underrated athleticism. For those in two-QB leagues or people worried about their starting quarterback, Bortles offers some nice upside as a QB2 off of waivers in most leagues.Running Backs, RB, , 2.4 percent ownedTWO JAGUARS?! HOW DID I GET MY JOB!? OK, now back to reality. Rookie , the long-presumed bell-cow during the offseason, mi sed most of the preseason with a finger injury and looked rather average in his NFL debut. On the other hand, Robinson has looked strong in the preseason and is the established veteran who some believe . Worst case scenario, Robinson becomes the third-down, change-of-pace back, giving him a better fantasy ceiling in PPR formats. Either way, why not take a flier on a talented player in a rejuvenated offense who might lead the team in touches early in the Madison Bumgarner Jersey season? , RB, , 26.5 percent ownedI'm kind of surprised how high Johnson's ownership is in NFL.com, leagues, but he bears mentioning here since he's available in almost 75 percent of leagues. If you're playing in a PPR league, Johnson is definitely someone to grab and stash. He might not produce immediately, but he excelled in college as a pa s-catcher and it appears the might deploy him in that vein frequently in the NFL. Don't expect him to be a week-in, week-out starter though. Stat lines like he posted in Week 3 of the postseason -- four carries, -2 yards, four catches, 40 yards, one TD -- could be the norm for him during the regular season., RB, , 0.1 percent ownedAs Matt Franciscovich frequently breaks down in "Committee Meetings," figuring out the backfield is akin to solving four separate puzzles after the pieces have been mixed in a blender and dumped into one pile. That being said, Lews could have some value early in the season. is going to mi s the first game of the season, and Lewis seems to be the favorite to take over 's pa s-catching back role. If you're in need of some RB help early on, especially in PPR formats, give Lewis a look. When the backfield returns to being a complete fantasy disaster, you can send Lewis back into the void., RB, , 2.4 percent ownedAfter years of failing to live up to his potential in Seattle, Michael was shipped to Dallas to further cloud their backfield situation. He has a lot of talent, though, and could be a huge fantasy steal if he ends up seeing some serious action. He's 100 percent worth a speculative add if you have the space on your bench., RB, , 0.9 percent ownedI admittedly wasn't a huge fan during the , but boy, has Pablo Sandoval Jersey he won me over since then. Jones looks electric, showing great burst and balance for a bigger back. He has become one of my favorite late-round fliers to target when I'm still drafting, and if he's available in leagues, I've been racing to the waiver wire to pick him up. Look, I love too, but it's been clear that his team does not (especially around the goal line). Jones has been so impre sive in the preseason that the team envisions him and Morris as a "" in the backfield. Jones probably won't have flex value out of the gate, but don't be surprised if he starts making some noise in the fantasy world as the season progre ses.Wide Receivers, WR, , 2.3 percent ownedI made the case for in our during " Draft Week," but I'll thump the table for him once more. He is already with . That was evident when they connected four times for 63 yards against the in Week 3 of the preseason. That means if anything, and Johnson are a 1A-1B pairing. Getting the 1B wide receiver off of the waiver wire for a talented offense is a luxury that won't last long once he starts producing in the regular season. Get him now if you're looking to replace , , or need WR depth. He takes on the defense at home in Week 1, WR, , 15.5 percent ownedMany might remember for the eight touchdown pa ses he caught last year. Others might remember him for being wildly inconsistent and disappearing for weeks at a Jandel Gustave Jersey time. Either way, Williams has some upside in 2015 as he enters his third year as a pro -- the old standard for wide receiver breakouts. As the No. 2 option in the Dallas pa sing attack behind , Williams could see more frequent looks from as the aren't likely to run as much as they did a season ago with . Williams could still be as up-and-down as he was last year, but his talent and experience warrant a stash as a WR4/5., WR, , 9.2 percent ownedAs we discu sed on the latest episode of the NFL LIVE podcast, we still know nothing about 's mysterious calf injury. And while is also knicked up with a hip injury, he should be owned in more leagues. has left the Windy City, leaving 106 targets behind. Royal's best pro season was the last time he played with , and they're now reunited in Adam Gase's offense that has made slot-receiver stars out of (although he was a star beforehand) and . Royal's ceiling isn't that high, but he could easily turn in a WR3-level season and he's basically free at this point. If Jeffery mi ses more time, Royal could see even more targets, too., WR, , 5.4 percent ownedHurns made a splash in Week 1 last season when he had 110 yards and two touchdowns, but he fizzled a bit after that. However, in the games where he garnered nine or more targets, Hurns averaged 13.1 fantasy points per game, a very solid number. With out of the lineup for a few weeks and both struggling in general and in returning from injury, Hurns could see plenty of targets come his way early in the season. With likely commanding more attention from the defenses, the stars could be aligning for another early-season splash from Hurns. If you're in need of another wide receiver or looking for an upside add, don't shy away from Hurns because he's a Jaguar. , WR, , 4.1 percent ownedQuick was on fire to start last season, averaging 12.55 fantasy points per game over the first four weeks of the season. However, he lost basically the rest of the season to a shoulder injury that almost cost him his career. He's back, though, healthy and ready to resume his role as the ' No. 1 WR. People have forgotten about Quick, but his upside is HUGE this year if he stays healthy. He'd be the wide receiver I'd target first after Johnson of the five listed in this article. Tight Ends, TE, , 1.4 precent ownedGillmore was another player I pushed in our deep sleepers column, and I like his potential in Week 1 against the if you're waiting on to get healthy or to return from his suspension. At 6-foot-6, Gillmore will give a big target in the red zone, and a safety-valve when he needs to move the chains. is on the PUP, and is a rookie who needs to adjust to the pro game and bulk up for blocking duties. Gillmore is a very sneaky add who could turn in a solid fantasy season at the game's most frustrating and nebulous position., TE, , 4.9 percent ownedWhen it comes to upside tight ends, has to be near the top of the list. He barely made an impact in 2014 as a rookie, but has been outstanding in team practices and a frequent target of in the red zone. With lost for the season because of injury, his 151 targets will be dispersed Gaylord Perry Jersey between , Rodgers, and /. Rodgers could see a bigger role in the offense this year now that he understands the playbook and has a rapport with Rodgers. Plus, it never hurts to have more guys on your team who catch pa ses from . That's just good sense.-- Alex Gelhar is a writer/editor for NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter

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