Zero Dollar Bidding: Waiver Wire Look Ahead Week 6
by Alan Seslowsky

Our fantasy teams have started to take shape. We know if we are well-positioned for the playoffs. Perhaps your team lost a few key players and your outlook has changed for the worse. Most teams in your league are struggling and many of them will give up the grind. Not RosterWatch Nation. Fantasy football champions are often earned by those who never give up scouring the waiver wire to improve their team. It is more important than ever to look ahead to who might be the hot free agent pick up NEXT week.

This column will provide you with sneaky zero dollar pickups you can add to your roster today, which may be of great value down the road.

 

Matt Breida (RB Miami Dolphins, 25% Rostered)

There was a lot of pre-season optimism about Matt Breida, who was traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the Miami Dolphins during the real NFL draft. Miami gave up a fifth-round pick in exchange for Breida. Though that is not significant draft capital, fantasy players were excited by the flashes of speed and production Breida garnered during his time in San Fran. During the first month of the season, second-year runner Myles Gaskin has seized control of the Miami backfield touches and veteran Jordan Howard has been the goal-line back. Things changed in week five. Jordan Howard was a healthy scratch and Breida had a season-high 10 touches. Gaskin was still the lead running back, but Breida now fits the description of an RB who is one injury away from fantasy relevance. Should Gaskin go down, there is little doubt Jordan Howard would be active, but Breida would likely ascend to a startable RB2 in a formidable Miami offense. Breida is sitting on the waiver wire ready to be scooped up for a zero dollar bid if you have the roster space. 

 

Curtis Samuel (WR Carolina Panthers, 21% rostered)

Samuel has largely disappointed from a fantasy football perspective. Each year he is on someone’s breakout players list. In 2020 Samuel has already been claimed as a hot pickup when Christian McCaffrey was injured. Coach Matt Rhule said Samuel could be a running back replacement in his scheme, and your leaguemates likely spent their FAAB on him. So what has changed? Teddy Bridgewater is more than just a game manager QB. The Carolina offense is a modern, dynamic, and an efficient machine. Though Robby Anderson has emerged as the focal point of the receiving game, both Samuel and DJ Moore are seeing a reasonable floor of about 4-5 targets weekly. Samuel has been efficient with his modest volume, catching all five of his targets in week five. Should either of the Panther WRs miss time, it is reasonable to project those passing targets get allocated partially to Samuel. Now that we feel more confident in the Panthers offense, Samuel is a perfect zero dollar bid player to add to your roster. 

 

Cordarrelle Patterson (RB/WR Chicago Bears, 7% rostered)

Patterson is one of those players that when you watch him, you ask yourself why teams don’t use him more as a runner. Being one of the best kick returners in the league, you would think that translates somewhat to playing running back. Of course, there are nuisances and specific skills to playing RB in the NFL that is specific to the position. It is possible that Patterson does not do those things well enough to be a full-time RB. He is still an elite athlete and more importantly one injury away from being forced into a large role as Chicago’s lead RB. He currently has the second-most rushing attempts of any active/starting player on the team, and starter David Montgomery has already missed a game with an injury. If Montgomery misses more time this season, “C-Pat” could be thrust into a workhouse role. He is available on your waiver wire right now for a zero dollar bid.