This article references Ahmad Bradshaw, Bernard Pierce, Brian Hartline, Coby Fleener, Cordarrelle Patterson, DEF, Donnie Avery, Dwayne Allen, Dwayne Bowe, Eric Decker, Garrett Graham, Geno Smith, Greg Jennings, Jake Locker, Jamaal Charles, Jeremy Kerley, Jordan Cameron, Josh Gordon, Kendall Wright, Matt Cassel and more! Week 1 Waiver Wire for Fantasy FootballWe have many great waiver wire articles at RotobBaller that will be coming out weekly, covering individual players and digging deeper into each position for fantasy football.This waiver wire piece is an overview for all the position players, and highlights who I believe to be the best waiver wire pickup options and potential sleepers at each position for the week. Each week, I am going to discuss three players owned in less than 50% of Fleaflicke[...] Keep on reading: Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 1 Waivers Overview

This article references Aaron Dobson, Adrian Peterson, Brian Hoyer, Cam Newton, Chad Henne, Cordarrelle Patterson, Danny Amendola, DEF, Geno Smith, Greg Jennings, Heath Miller, Jay Cutler, Jimmy Graham, Julian Edelman, Julio Jones, Kenbrell Thompkins, Matt Cassel, Matt Ryan, Michael Vick, Rob Gronkowski and more! Amazingly, we are three preseason games in yet we have been graced by a relatively injury-free August. There have been some bumps and bruises along the way but nothing that will require anyone to miss an extended period of time. Hopefully I didn't just jinx the entire league and everyone comes out of the last week of exhibition games unscathed. Even without injuries, we have risers/fallers, ADP sleepers emerging, busts in sight, rookies to scout, players looking like PPR gems, and much more[...] Keep on reading: Stock Rising / Falling for Fantasy Football After Preseason Week 3

Should Matt Cassel start this season, or is his career history?

It may have taken awhile to finally arrive but the 2014 NFL draft was well worth the wait. The weekend was full of twists, turns and the inevitable longer than expected waiting for certain names to be called. There were fewer early round trades than expected but enough to keep things interesting. It's always a fascinating event to behold and this year's version did not disappoint. Grades will be assigned much too early to teams because...well... we love grades, dang it! I will allow folks much more invested in the college game to handle those assignments and stick to what I know best. Now that we know where the rookies will be plying their trade for the 2014 season we can begin to evaluate their fantasy value. For the sake of this article we will be looking at the dynasty value of this year's rookie class. Some of these youngsters are poised to hit the ground running and pay immediate dividends for fantasy owners while others will require a bit of time to reach the potential shown in college. Injuries, offensive schemes and sometimes just plain old luck can factor in to a player getting the chance to shine and projecting when those opportunities will come to fruition can be a bit tricky. That being said here is a first look at dynasty rankings for the top of the rookie class of 2014 from an offensive skill position standpoint. QUARTERBACKS 1. Teddy Bridgewater, MINNESOTA: Bridgewater will beat out Matt Cassel for the starting gig and benefits from playing with the best RB in the league and a solid supporting cast. The QB of the future will also be the starting QB week one in 2014. 2. Blake Bortles, JACKSONVILLE: Forget the talk of sitting out a season as Bortles starts from week one. He'll grow in the offense with fellow rookies Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson along with veteran Cecil Shorts as his receiving corps. 3. Johnny Manziel, CLEVELAND: Manziel's devil may care playing style doesn't usually lend itself to a lengthy NFL career. He'll be exciting as long as he is on the field but the concern over the lack of immediate receiving options and potential for injuries limit his long term value. 4. Derek Carr, OAKLAND: Carr will sit and learn the offense behind Matt Schaub for at least one season. In the meantime, the Raiders can upgrade the WR and TE positions before Carr takes the reins. 5. Zach Mettenberger, TENNESSEE: The Titans would love for Mettenberger to get completely healthy before taking over as the starting QB. Jake ...

Longtime defensive guru Mike Zimmer will bring a feisty attitude and hard-nosed approach to a Vikings club that begins preparations for their season outdoors. Zimmer and the Vikings have turned to Norv Turner to revamp the offense and with plenty of toys to play with, it should be fun in Minnesota in 2014. Adrian Peterson - While Zimmer will maximize the talent on the defensive side, Norval Turner will be handed the reigns of an offense that features the greatest running back of our generation in Adrian Peterson . We do not need another reason to draft Adrian Peterson #1 overall again but we have one anyways. Turner has always leaned on his running backs to be the workhorse of his offense and Peterson should set a career high for receptions in 2014. Cordarrelle Patterson - Patterson will easily avoid the sophomore slump as former OC Bill Musgrave decided to keep Patterson under wraps for a majority of the season. Norv Turner will not make that same mistake. With a veteran like Greg Jennings on the team to lean on and attract a little defensive attention, Patterson is already being ticketed for a breakout season and rightfully so. Kyle Rudolph - Anyone who drafted Jordan Cameron last season knows very well the impact Norv Turner's offense has on the tight end position. It would be a major disappointment if Rudolph doesn't set career highs in receptions and receiving yards this season while flirting with the 9 touchdowns he scored in 2012. Quarterback TBA - Well all of that above sounds very promising, doesn't it? This Vikings offense appears to be set at every skill position besides the most important one. Norv worked miracles last year with a mishmash of second and third string quarterbacks who didn't win games but did sustain the fantasy values of their teammates. At this point, Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel are set to return and believe it or not, they are probably enough to make a Norv Turner offense fantasy relevant. However, a failure to upgrade the position over the summer will be a poor start to the Zimmer era. There are no answers in free agency so GM Rick Spielman will have to look to the draft to find his next quarterback whether it be a high profile first day pick or a mid round project. Conclusion - Whatever they decide to do at quarterback, fantasy values in Minnesota are on the rise.

Quarterbacks Jay Cutler shook off the rust last week and looked decent in doing so. This week, you can feel safe starting him. His trip to Philadelphia should be friendly to his fantasy owners. Just last week Matt Cassel had 31 fantasy points playing the Eagles. If that doesn't say enough, you haven't been paying attention this year. The Eagles have allowed the second-most passing yards and third-most completions this season. You don't need to be nervous about this one, just start him and worry about the rest of your lineup. If you're trying to decide between another quarterback and Ryan Fitzpatrick, pick Fitzpatrick. Playing in Jacksonville is going to result in some good fantasy points for you if you do. The Jaguars have allowed nine of the 15 quarterbacks they've faced to get 20 or more fantasy points. Fitzpatrick should have no problem hitting that mark since he's done it five times in his eight starts this year. Jacksonville also sacks the quarterback the second-least of any team in the league, so you don't have to worry about Fitzpatrick getting injured in your championship game either. He's safe and is going to have a good game. Matt Ryan has been the epitome of mediocre this year. With Roddy White banged up and Julio Jones out, his weapons have been diminished as has his fantasy potential. If you've been spot-starting him, this is a week to sit him. San Francisco has been holding quarterbacks to an average of 14 fantasy points. They've even held three pass throwers to under 10 points. This isn't the week to be starting Ryan, and he's a bad call this week. Running Backs If you've got Fred Jackson, you've probably been starting him. If you haven't, this week you're going to want to. Miami gives up an average of 27 fantasy points a game to their opponents' running backs, which ranks ninth in the league. With Jackson being the guy who's been getting a majority of the rushing totals for Buffalo, there's a good chance he's going to be close to 20 fantasy points this week. That kind of production is what you want to see, and Jackson is a good call for you to start this week. Rashad Jennings has been the seventh-best running back since Week 9. He could have been the guy that turned your fantasy season around or pushed you into the playoffs. This is the kind of guy that helps teams win championships, since he was probably on the waiver wire for half the season. This week you're going to want to start him for sure. San Diego has given up 20 or more ...

In a week where so many contenders with so much to gain went down in defeat, we once again look for fantasy players that can be of help to the fantasy owner that is still battling at this late stage in the season. Those in keeper or partial keeper leagues should also be on the lookout. While most owners out of the playoffs have packed it in, take a look at what is out there and see if you can grab a nugget or two, something that will bear fruit next season. We've got a dozen players to talk about this week. As usual, a heavy dose of wide receivers with some running backs and tight ends sprinkled in. A single quarterback also gets a mention this week, there's something for everyone! Solid Pickups RB Jordan Todman, Jacksonville Playing in place of the injured Maurice Jones-Drew, Todman excelled in carrying the entire running load for the Jaguars. He rang up more than 150 yards in total offense, coming on 25 rushes and four catches out of the backfield. Denard Robinson was not even an afterthought, it was the Todman show all day against Buffalo. Jacksonville welcomes the Tennessee Titans and their porous rushing defense, meaning Todman is primed to have another big day if Jones-Drew sits out this game. Even if he's back, Todman figures to have carved out at least a 50-50 split of the rushing load. TE Zach Ertz, Philadelphia We had Ertz listed in our deepest category last week, but after another eye-opening fantasy performance, he makes his way into this week's top category. Though the spike in his stats was because the Eagles abandoned the running game this week, he is getting more action than Brent Celek. Six catches for 57 yards and a touchdown against Minnesota is enough for us to give him a recommended pickup. TE Andrew Quarless, Green Bay With back-to-back good fantasy weeks in the books, Quarless is shaping up to be a viable fantasy option these last few weeks of the season. Repeating the numbers he had the prior week against Atlanta, Quarless put up an identical line of six catches for 66 yards and a score against Dallas. Brandon Bostick was carted off the field with a foot injury, which will solidify the opportunity that Quarless has to excel. On the Radar WR Robert Woods, Buffalo Looking as healthy as he has all season, Woods and E.J. Manuel are clicking once again. Against Jacksonville, Woods caught five passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. He has seen a steady growth in his numbers the past three games. We are confident...

Every week I will pick and choose certain players that will produce above (feast) or below (famine) our Fantasy Sharks Player Projections. A couple guys every week may be obvious, but some might surprise you. Feast Danny Woodhead, RB, San Diego Fantasy Sharks Projection: 8 Points Woodhead showed that he can be a viable fantasy option even when Ryan Mathews does well. Look for even bigger things this week against Jacksonville, especially in the passing game. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Fantasy Sharks Projection: 4 Points Jay Cutler missed Jeffrey on multiple throws last week against the New York Giants. Start him with confidence against Washington, one of the worst defenses in the league. Jeffrey will be fine as long as Cutler is on. Jerome Simpson, WR, Minnesota Fantasy Sharks Projection: 3 Points Although it may not be by much, Josh Freeman is an upgrade over Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder. Simpson has been involved each week while averaging almost eight targets per game. Coby Fleener, TE, Indianapolis Fantasy Sharks Projection: 4 Points Fleener is his own worst enemy. The recent case of stone hands he developed has been annoying, but he has the best opportunity of the season this week against Denver. Tight ends with competent quarterbacks have shredded the Denver defense for years. Famine Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Fantasy Sharks Projection: 24 Points Flacco is a below-average quarterback and usually struggles against Pittsburgh. I expect this game to be an old-fashioned slugfest between these teams with Flacco putting up a line around 215 yards with a touchdown and an interception -- his average game against Pittsburgh. Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Fantasy Sharks Projection: 18 Points Randall Cobb's injury will boost Lacy's fantasy value in the long term, but don't expect much change this week. Cleveland has the seventh-best rush defense in the league. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Fantasy Sharks Projection: 13 Points Rudolph put up his first solid game of the season because Adrian Peterson had only 10 rushing attempts. Minnesota will have a much more balanced game this week and Rudolph will regress back into the fantasy wasteland.

At this point in the fantasy season, pretty much everyone fits into one of three groups: 1) Sitting Pretty. Stay the course. Your team is performing well, and you just need to keep your fingers crossed that you can stay healthy. 2) Cautious Optimism. You have 2-4 wins, but between guys getting healthy and solid matchups in the coming weeks, you're feeling good about your chances. 3) Crap. This one is fairly self-explanatory. If you are sitting pretty, congratulations. Grab an adult beverage and kick back. If you're cautiously optimistic, you're doing OK, but you may want to add a flier or two before they take-off. Lastly, there's crap. All you can do is play spoiler, hopefully preventing someone from getting to the playoffs. Everyone knows your team is struggling due to injuries or bad luck, but they're going to mess with you anyway. So do it back. Be brash, annoying, outspoken, nonsensical. Have fun. Regardless of your situation, you may need to fill a hole in your lineup this week. It's time, once again, to scour the waiver wire, in search of players that might provide value. Below, I'll list a player with some upside for this week, their Week 7 matchup, and the percentage of leagues in which he is owned according to our friends at fleaflicker.com . DISCLAIMER The hope is that you don't find yourself in a situation like this. The hope is that you dodge the bullet. But hope won't help you come Sunday. Let's move on to this week's targets, keeping in mind that these aren't every week starters. Instead, these are guys that should only be used if you're in some kind of roster emergency. QB Nick Foles vs. Dallas -- 44 percent. Foles lit up the Tampa Bay secondary last week to the tune of 296 yards and three touchdowns while running for another score. He looked comfortable, and he was effective, completing 22-of-31 passes. He now gets a Dallas defense that has given up more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks than any other team. Prior to Michael Vick being ruled out, we had projected Foles for 220 yards passing and two scores. I think Foles easily surpasses those numbers, and, if he wins the job going forward, he will continue to be an asset for the stretch run. Mike Glennon at Atlanta -- 9 percent. Glennon performed well against Philadelphia last week, posting 272 yards and two scores. He looked to be gaining confidence. He also seemed to realize that that this Vincent Jackson guy might be his best shot, targeting him 14 times. ...

Knowshon Moreno - Let's start with full disclosure here, I hate him. No two ways around it. I'm fully in support of LeSean McCoy's "he sucks" comment. Moreno was a full buy-in player in his rookie season when he just missed a 1,000-yard season and pitched in mightily in the receiving game. Then the wheels fell off. Moreno pulled three hamstrings (that's right, three) the following season and then suffered a significant knee injury. Adding insult to literal injury is the fact that Moreno was then arrested in the offseason for DUI. Heading in to this season, rumors swirled around Moreno being supplanted on the roster by rookie Montee Ball and being downright cut from the team. Things have certainly turned around for Moreno as he's been one of the best fantasy producers to date and is coming off a triple touchdown game. Is Moreno an unquestionable top-10 fantasy football running back? This game, and the rest of 2013, could lead us to believe so. If he continues on this pace, there is no doubting a top-10 designation next season. Brandon Jacobs - The new, old New York Giants runner had more than 20 carries last Thursday against the always powerful Chicago defense. He turned those carries into more than 100 yards and two touchdowns. With David Wilson's neck injury looking to bother him for the rest of the season, Jacobs could be in line for about 20 touches a game. It's extremely rare to find a player with such a workload at this point in the season on the waiver wire. The question is: Can Jacobs keep converting those carries into meaningful fantasy stats? Added to the question of Jacobs being able to handle such work at his age, with his offensive line, and his below average speed, is the recent pickup of Peyton Hillis. Will Hillis cut into Jacobs' touches? Will Hillis, more importantly, be utilized in the red zone, all but ending Jacobs' true value? This week will show if Jacobs is for real or just a one-and-done performer. Kyle Rudolph - Last week he had a nine-catch effort for just less than 100 yards with a touchdown. These are the kind of numbers owners were expecting from Rudolph here in 2013. The change at quarterback from Matt Cassel to newly acquired Josh Freeman could either be a blessing or a curse. In his time with Tampa Bay, Freeman leaned heavily on his wide receivers and often overlooked the tight end. There were games where Dallas Clark was effective but more often than not it was the wide receivers who handled the load. That means that ...