Welcome to the two part pre-draft edition of the Waiver Wire. The goal for these next two Wednesday’s is to figure out who is worth drafting and who is not in light of the upcoming NFL season. This is a positional look, but also a look at what order to grab your players, so here we go:
The Strategy
I play PPR leagues. While the point rules vary within each, one thing is certain: The number of balls you catch directly translate into points. In one league the QB points far supersedes this number, so in that league a QB is gold. In the other two it is about them hands, so my suggestion is to pick a RB or WR that has a high catch volume first. So, I’m going to start there
Running Backs
Christian McCaffery a.k.a Run CMC ought to be the first pick in all draft formats this year. Though injured last season, he has been a consistent point horse for his entire career and serves as the backbone of the Panthers offense. Are there legitimate questions about what that offense is going to look like under new leadership? Yes, but we saw the answer last year pre-injury: More of the CMC show.
Somewhere nearby Alvin Kamera is screaming ‘Cap!’ with all the truth and ferocity of a multi-time pro-bowler. The man is not wrong, and while both he and McCaffery are dealing with new QBs, he is dealing with a crowded backfield as well. CMC doesn’t have a reliable back to do what he does. He does have a change of pace guy who will steal some goal line work, but that isn’t enough to change the vote.
But what about Saquon or Henry or Cook? Henry should be your 3rd choice. Then Cook and then Chubb…. yeah. I’m a lifelong Giants fan and a Barkley fan since before he put on the blue. Still, he isn’t a sure thing early on. He gains value as the season progresses to be sure and is far from a sleeper, but if the others are available you have to take them first.
Quarterbacks
Honestly, there are no surefire QB standouts this year beyond Prescott. He’s that dude to be sure. Behind him I can pick 10 other guys who will put up tremendous numbers, but they don’t have the kind of offense he does. He carried so hard last year that folks began to question what Zeke could even do without him. He’s the standout. Rodgers, Mahomes, Wilson, Allen, Jackson, Murray will all give you SOLID numbers that are similar to each other in terms of total points but in different ways. If Dak comes back right then he will be the top guy.