Zero Dollar Bidding: Waiver Wire Look Ahead Week 12
by Alan Seslowsky

Each week this column will provide you with sneaky zero dollar pickups you can add to your roster today, after the first run of waivers is executed. The second run of the waiver wire is often how you can gain an edge. Not only the players that your leaguemates missed but players that were cut from your leaguemate’s rosters.

 

It’s time to cut marginal backup QBs, TEs, and depth WRs that you would not be excited to start in the fantasy playoffs. RosterWatch wants you to load up your fantasy bench with “one injury away” RBs, and “league winning” upside players. In addition, it’s time to look at DST’s with plus matchups for the fantasy playoffs.

Seattle Seahawks Defense and Special Teams (38% rostered)

Rosterwatch’s Byron Lambert beats the drum this time of year to “consolidate your roster.” Adding a DST that you can use in future weeks, is exactly that kind of roster move. As we just wrote in the into, it is time to cut your backup QBs, WRs, and TEs that will be unlikely to crack your starting lineup. It IS time to pick up DST’s that you plan to start in the fantasy playoffs. 

Some of the marginal real-life DSTs, like Seattle, maybe good starts in fantasy football, mainly due to their matchup. Teams facing bad offensive lines, or below average QBs are ideal targets. 

Seattle Seahawks are 38% rostered so there is a decent chance they are available in your league. With many teams making moves to patch holes this week, it is possible that a team holding Seattle cuts them. It is time to pick them up for a zero dollar bid. Seattle’s upcoming schedule is:

Week 13 vs Giants

Week 14 vs Jets

Week 15 vs WFT

 

Jalen Hurts (QB Eagles, 1% rostered)

We wrote about Hurts in last week’s “Zero Dollar Bid” column. He is still only 1% rostered so it makes sense to underline him this week. It is obvious Carson Wentz is not playing well. Anecdotally it looks like Wentz is giving it his all. Scrambling under duress, diving head first to try to make plays, but he is far from the player who had MVP chatter a few years ago. His efficiency stats are below average with a 6.2 yards per attempt (YPA) on the season. Another half of poor play and the team may give Jalen Hurts a try. We saw Miami bench Tua for ineffectiveness in week 11. The NFL has always been a copycat league, and there is serious bench risk for Wentz from here forward. As a reminder Hurts had off the charts rushing numbers as a QB last year at Oklahoma. Hurts rushed for an eye-popping 1298 yards and 20 rushing TDs. Hurts has true league tilting upside even in one QB leagues. Sharp fantasy football players should find a way to roster him for a zero dollar bid. 

 

Brian Hill (RB, Atlanta Falcons 7% rostered)

If you told us that Todd Gurley would be healthy and not miss any games through week 12 of the NFL season back in August, there is little doubt his ADP would have been in the second round of fantasy drafts, instead of a middling third-round pick. Gurley’s injury history was the driving force to his consensus ranking. Though Gurley has amazingly stayed upright so far, his injury history has not changed, and this is an excellent time to roster his backup, Brian Hill. Hill actually out-snapped Todd Gurley in the Falcons’ loss last week. If you are a team that has a plausible path to a championship, adding Hill for a Zero Dollar bid makes a ton of sense. The Falcons have a nice matchup with Kansas City in Week 16. It is easy to see Hill as a player we are projecting for double-digit touches in that game regardless of Gurley’s health. Should Todd Gurley’s injury luck run out, Hill is a top 20 RB right away.