No one (except 2009 Matt Neatock) wins a championship with just a draft. To take home the wire, one needs to know how to work the wire.
BEST MID-SEASON CUT-BUT-ADDED PLAYERS
PLAYER: Jimmy Graham
CUT BY WHOM: Robio – week one
PICK UP BY: Rob M – week one ($4)
With Greg Olsen, I didn’t need a backup tight end, although it would have been nice to be patient and have something to trade later. At least, I cut him for a good cause. I added Spencer Ware, who is currently a 2nd-team All-Robio running back. Right away, Masterson went and got Graham off the wires. He patiently waited and was rewarded, as the Seahawks TE got healthy and put up big digits in week three. Since then, he has been Russell Wilson’s favorite target, catching 23 balls in his last four, all as Rob’s starting TE.
PLAYER: Jordan Howard
CUT BY WHOM: Colby – week one
PICK UP BY: Eric – week four ($56)
Three years ago, Erich had talented young receiver, Alshon Jeffery, in the 15th round. He cut him. Jeffery put together a pair of solid games. Colby snagged him up and enjoyed having the wideout as a category three keeper until this season. Has Eric flipped the script?
Deciding to add some QB depth prior to the start of the season, Colby cut Jeremy Langford’s handcuff for Brock Osweller. Surprisingly, Howard sat there on the wire. Eric made no attempt to snag his starting running back’s handcuff until he had no choice. In week three, Langford went down and Eric had to drop a season high $56 to get Howard. He needed to spend it if he really wanted it. I put in a waiver wire for $54 and lost. Anyhow, Howard looked like he was worth every penny, hitting 264 and 396 in back-to-back games as a starter, although as the opponent has gotten tougher, he’s sort of struggled in his last two, producing just 66 yards rushing against the Jaguars and Packers.
PLAYER: Michael Crabtree
CUT BY WHOM: Robio – week one & Colby – week two
PICK UP BY: Colby – week two ($8) & Bob -week four ($11)
I don’t really mind the Jimmy Graham decision, but I hate myself for letting Crabtree go. Hell, I used a 10th round pick on him and before the season even got started, I dropped him for Kenneth Dixon. The Ravens rookie running back has done nothing for me, unable to steal the starting job in Baltimore.
After a solid 7-catch, 87-yard week one, Colby took him off the wire for $8, but four days later, he changed his mind and picked up Tyrell Williams. Now the Chargers receiver hasn’t been bad. In fact, he’s pulled out a pair of 280+ games over the last three weeks, but Crabtree has certainly been a more consistent threat.
Catching eight balls for 102 yards in week three, Bob dropped $11 on Crabtree and has never looked back. As of this writing, the Raiders receiver is the ninth best receiver in football.
PLAYER: Hunter Henry
CUT BY WHOM: Jeff – week one and week four, Rob M – week six
PICK UP BY: Jeff – week three, Rob M – week five, Rich C – week seven
Here is the fourth player that was cut prior to the season starting, who is now starting on another team. Jeff actually cut Henry prior to week one for Jesse James, but then picked him up in week three. He started him for one game (got 114 points) and cut him again, this time for Kyle Rudolph.
After a solid 182-point performance in week four, Masterson went and got Henry with Jimmy Graham on his bye. It was a great move, as the Chargers tight end put up 208 points to help Rob get to 5-0. Yet, that would be it, as Rob sent him back to the wire, picking up a kicker (Matt Bryant) in the process.
In week six, Henry again broke 200, scoring a career high 226 against the Broncos. Calderon was sold and dropped $15 to replace an injured Jordan Reed. Unfortunately, Henry was hit with a concussion and only managed to deliver 32 fantasy points.
PLAYER: Martellus Bennett
CUT BY WHOM: Griff – week two
PICK UP BY: Colby – week five ($3)
Now this is a interesting journey. Griff waited on drafting a tight end (round 7) and he was unhappy with Bennett’s 3-catch, 14-yard week one performance. However, instead of waiting for Tom Brady to return in week five, Coomer sent him packing for Kyle Rudolph (one of two teams to cut a tight end for the Vikings tight end).
However, after a second 200+ game (in three weeks), Colby cut Julian Thomas for Bennett, right as Brady was ready to make his return. He started him with Travis Kelce on a bye and he delivered, scoring three times, giving Colby 314 points. Instead of riding him though, Mr. Hall traded him back to Griff in a four-player deal, along with Jonathan Stewart, that landed him Matt Ryan and Quincy Enunwa. Unfortunately for Griff, the trade has not paid off for him so far. Bennett has only scored 106 fantasy points in two games with the Truck Nuts.
PLAYER: Michael Thomas
CUT BY WHOM: Rob M – week three
PICK UP BY: Griff – week six ($5)
Two weeks in, Thomas had looked okay. He had 10 catches for 114 yards, getting overshadowed down in New Orleans by Brandin Cook and Willie Snead, so Rob sent him packing for Mike Wallace. In week four though, Thomas added a touchdown and produced 202 fantasy points. Yet, nobody wanted him, so he remained on the wire. After a 146-point performance in week four, he went on a bye. Then out of nowhere, Griff picked him up for $5, cutting Michael Floyd. The addition paid off, as Thomas has delivered two more 200+ games, including a 10-catch, 130-yard performance against the Chiefs this past week.
PLAYER: Terrance West
CUT BY WHOM: Robio – week three
PICK UP BY: Colby – week five
It’s not a good thing that I show up on this list three times already. Not satisfied cutting eventual starters Jimmy Graham and Michael Crabtree, I also let West go as well. The difference is, I didn’t draft West. With Justin Forsett cut, I spent $6 on the Ravens running back (I also picked up Dixon). Yet, it was a trick. Baltimore re-signed Forsett and West languished on the bench. After two weeks, I saw enough and cut him for Kenyan Drake, who lasted one whole day on my roster.
Of course, the very next week, West became the starter and rocked it, with 21-113-1 (286 fantasy points). Colby spent a solid $38 on him and he has had his moments, including a 366-point effort in week six. Although, like with Bennett, Colby didn’t have him in his lineup. West ended up having a rough 8-carry, 10-yard performance in week seven against the Jets, but he remains a decent RB2 option.
PLAYER: Josh Lambo
CUT BY WHOM: Rich C – week six
PICK UP BY: Molly – week seven
It’s a kicker, so I’m sure Calderon will get over this. However, he cut Lambo in week six and picked up Brandon McManus. Molly picked him up after he scored 160 in week six and she got 210 points (after he kicked four field goals and three extra points) in Atlanta). Lambo is now the third best kicker in the league. Meanwhile, McManus has 160 in the last two games (he’s currently ninth among all kickers), which cost Rich 210 points, which are valuable when you’re trying to win your second career scoring title. But again…just a kicker.
BEST UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT PICK UPS
- A player may end up on both lists.
PLAYER: Spencer Ware
PICK UP BY: Robio – week one
Lucky. That’s it. I got lucky that no one else noticed I had the wrong handcuff. With word coming down that Jamaal Charles wasn’t going to be ready to roll when the season got started, I somehow landed Ware, who was pretty damn good as a starter in 2015. Best yet, I got him without spending a dime. No free agent pick up has done better. He’s on pace for over 2,000 total yards (if Charles doesn’t get in the way). Not bad for the second player picked up via free agency.
PLAYER: Terrence West
PICK UP BY: Robio – week one, Colby – week five
I already talked about him up above. Oddly enough, his two best performances this year, 286 in week four and 366 in week six, were wasted. He was a free agent during the former and sitting on Colby’s bench in the latter.
PLAYER: Hunter Henry
PICK UP BY: Jeff – week three, Rob M – week five, Rich C – week seven
Again, already talked about him. He remains on Calderon’s roster and may never see the field again (other than a bye) if Jordan Reed is healthy. Yet, we all know how well Philip Rivers has treated his tight ends over the years, so he could be a solid keeper option next year.
PLAYER: Tyrell Williams
PICK UP BY: Colby – week two ($0)
With Kenaan Allen out for the year, someone had to step up, although Travis Benjamin was the likeliest choice. However, it appears to be Williams. He’s on pace for about 65 catches and 1,200 yards, averaging a solid 17.0 yards per reception. Best yet, Colby didn’t spend a dime on him.
PLAYER: Mike Wallace
PICK UP BY: Rob M – week three ($14)
Not quite sure if this will turn out to be a good pick. After a solid first two weeks, Wallace did nothing for three weeks, averaging 106 points per game. However, since the Ravens fired their offensive coordinator, Wallace has looked like a solid WR2, scoring 194 and 240 fantasy points in his last two contests.
PLAYER: Jacquizz Rodgers
PICK UP BY: Matt – week three ($6)
With both Doug Martin and Chris Sims out, Rodgers has done well as the starter. He scored 258 in week five and this past week in Matt’s starting lineup, he had 326 fantasy points after rushing for 154 yards and one touchdown. Long term though, it’s hard to see him as a solution if Doug Martin is healthy.
PLAYER: Quincy Enunwa
PICK UP BY: Griff, week three ($0)
After producing 146 yards and one touchdown through two weeks, Griff grabbed the Jets third receiver. Yet, with Decker out and Marshall not living up to the WR1 hype, Enunwa’s value continued to climb, even if his stats have not. Eventually, Griff included him in a four-way trade that landed him Jonathan Stewart and Martellus Bennett. He’s now a starter for Colby.
PLAYER: Eagles DST
PICK UP BY: Griff, week four ($8)
Outside one bad game against the Redskins in week six, the Eagles have been down-right nasty. Currently, they are even better than the Denver Broncos, earning third-team All-Robio.
PLAYER: Terrelle Pryor
PICK UP BY: Rob M – week four ($6)
The Browns receiver has been a big hit or miss. He scored over 400 in week three, a game in which he caught the ball, ran the ball and even played quarterback. Yet, he’s hit 200 only once more since then and now he has a hamstring injury.