As we head into the first week of the NFL season, many of us are looking at our fantasy football roster. How did you do with your draft? Are you happy with it? Or did you pick Geno Smith before his little locker room scuffle? Did you forget to change your auto draft settings and end up with Jordy Nelson?
Don’t worry, we are going to take a look at some players that should be available that could add depth to your roster.
All ownership numbers are based on ESPN Fantasy Football leagues.
QB Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals, 20.2% owned
http://gty.im/485200246
Dalton is coming off a year in which he had career lows in attempts, yards, and touchdowns. The Bengals relied much more heavily on the run, which was a big factor in those numbers being so low. Also, A.J. Green missed three games, and even when he was in the game, his numbers were not quite as prolific as they were in 2012 and 2013.
The upside for Dalton is that he had a career high 64.2% completion percentage and still averaged more than seven yards per attempt. If he can pair that with more attempts and a full season with his favorite target, look for his fantasy numbers to jump this season.
RB Cameron Artis-Payne, Carolina Panthers, 13.3% owned
http://gty.im/486398670
Rookie running back Artis-Payne appears to be the main backup for Jonathan Stewart. Though he is not the featured back, it is possible that he gets a fair amount of carries as Stewart has averaged just 11.6 carries per game in his career.
Artis-Payne was drafted out of Auburn where he gained 1,755 yards from scrimmage last season. He may not be the right guy to pick up in PPR leagues, with only 13 catches last season, and he may see even less at the pro level. Overall, Artis-Payne may be a good pickup that could produce more points as the season goes along.
WR Danny Amendola, New England Patriots, 5.8% owned
http://gty.im/470145712
Now that Tom Brady will be playing all 16 games, Amendola’s stock has risen. Brandon LaFell was placed on the PUP list, so he will be ineligible until Week 7. That leaves Julian Edelman and Amendola as the primary targets for Brady.
Amendola is a six-year veteran who has been with the Patriots since 2013 and has averaged 10.3 yards per catch since then. Amendola also racked up over 600 return yards last season. He has not scored many touchdowns in his career, but that could change now that he is one of Brady’s top options.
TE Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers, 38.3% owned
http://gty.im/460799114
Miller is going into his 11th season as the Steeler’s tight end. He is a dependable pass catcher, averaging over 53 catches for over 600 yards and 4.3 touchdowns per season. He has never started less than 14 games in a season and he has averaged at least 10.2 yards per catch in every season.
Miller should make an impact early in the season with the suspensions of Le’Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant. Miller’s short catches over the middle can help open up the Steeler run game and offset the absence of Bell. He can also draw some of the coverage to help the receivers while Bryant is out.
