The key to winning your fantasy football league is not how well you draft, but the players you add off waivers. This is extremely important because securing hidden talent could replace those late-round selections, even mid-rounders, that aren’t having the best season. Here at NFS, we provide the best picks for players you should grab off waivers now before it is too late. As always, both opportunity and performance are taken into consideration for these players. You can also make life easier by checking out our Consistency Rankings!
Elijah Moore, WR, New York Jets
Surely but slowly, Elijah Moore has started to live up to the hype set for him at the beginning of the season. He had the best game of his young career against the Colts last week on TNF. Moore finished with seven receptions for 84 yards and two touchdowns. He did stack up these numbers without Corey Davis, who is the consense number one receiver for the Jets. But it will interesting going forward what Moore’s role will be with both of them on the field. For now, he’s still a great pick-up while Davis continues to be sidelined with injury.
Russell Gage, WR, Atlanta Falcons
While I wish nothing but ht best for Calvin Ridley as he handles his mental health issues, Russell Gage’s stock now takes a major jump with Ridley’s absence. Matt Ryan has always been known to be a throw-first quarterback for chunk yardage and big plays. We’ve already seen Russell Gage benefit as the new number one receiver. He finished last week with seven receptions for 64 yards against a non-favorable matchup in the New Orleans Saints. He’ll continue to form a solid duo with Kyle Pitts as the top weapons for Matt Ryan going forward. He just needs to do better with staying on the field and avoiding injuries.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland Browns
The Odell Beckham Jr. debacle did not look good for the Cleveland Browns as an organization. But it did help them find their new deep-shot target in only a matter of days. Donovan Peoples-Jones exploded with two receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown. Already establishing himself as the number two wide receiver, his target share should continue to increase. The bottom line, his upside now shoots through the roof, making him a player to not miss out on off waivers.
Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
With Eric Ebron continuing to deal with an injury, rookie Pat Freiermuth has emerged as another receiving option for Big Ben and the Steelers. He’s coming off weeks with back-to-back touchdowns and had his best performance on MNF against the Bears. He finished with five receptions for 43 yards and two touchdowns. Even on a team stacked with weapons, Freiermuth has still found his fair share of targets three weeks in a row now. He’s a solid tight-end option going forward for the rest of the season.
Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears
Despite the offensive struggles from the Chicago Bears as a unit, Cole Kmet has been a solid consistent player for the team in terms of production. He finished with six receptions for 87 yards. Struggles will certainly come with Kmet finding the endzone, as he has yet to score this season and wouldn’t be too surprised if that stayed that way. But he hasn’t had less than five targets since Week 5 against the Raiders. Justin Fields has also made small improvements weekly that’ll help Kmet receive more opportunities. Kmet for now is a last option waiver wire claim until he has more touchdown upside.
Ethan Hartley 