Fantasy NFL: Week 1 Waiver Wire
Thursday 8 September 2016 22:59, UK
With the season nearly upon us, now is the time to take a look into the waiver wire and make the final changes to your roster. Like real owners and head coaches, week one is the time to set your stall out and show your mates that this year you mean business.
With that in mind, if there's a particular position match up that you need to address, Sky Sports takes you through some of the players that might still be available.
Quarterback - Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens)
Having been out since week 11 of last season, there is obvious concern around Flacco. However he still has good weapons to throw to, including the addition of Mike Wallace and the improvement in Kamar Aiken. The Ravens defence still looks wobbly, which means that Flacco will be forced to throw and pull his team back in to the mix. Not so good for the Ravens but a positive for fantasy owners.
Wide Receiver - Tyler Boyd (Cincinnati Bengals)
The Bengals don't have a huge amount of options when it comes for Andy Dalton to throw the ball. Having lost Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones in free agency, and Tyler Eifert still working his way back after injury in the Pro Bowl, Boyd will see plenty of action in the first few weeks of the season. The rookie has impressed in preseason and should partner AJ Green as a Cincinnati starter.
Running Back - Jerick McKinnon (Minnesota Vikings)
The Vikings were thrown a curveball with the injury to Teddy Bridgewater so close to the season. With Sam Bradford under centre it is expected that the Vikings will continue to run the ball. As Adrian Peterson gets older his production, though still valuable, will be limited, especially if Bradford finds himself and the team behind. McKinnon is a pass-catching back and, if only to protect Peterson, will see a lot of the ball at the end of games where it's possible to run up the score.
Tight End - Virgil Green (Denver Broncos)
The options at tight end are slim, particularly on the waiver wire, but Green is fancied to have positive year in Denver. Having already established a relationship with quarterback Trevor Siemian, Green should see his fair share of the ball. Head coach Gary Kubiak likes to utilise the tight end, so expect Green to improve on his solitary touchdown from last year.
Defence - Philadephia Eagles
Philadelphia finished 13th in defence in 2015, just a point behind the Redskins, and still look pretty talented across the defensive side of the ball. New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will want to make an impression, and it helps that the Eagles open against the new look Cleveland Browns. Though talented, the Browns may take some weeks to gel and without centre Alex Mack, quarterback Robert Griffin III could find himself under a lot of pressure.
Kicker - Josh Brown (New York Giants)
It's hard to predict which kickers will get left and when they'll get hot. Usual advice for kicker selection, which can be done through the waiver wire week on week, is to plump for a team likely to score a lot of points. The Giants take on a poor Dallas Cowboys defense in week 1, and Brown will have every opportunity to rack up a few points.
