By The Commish (Cole Hoopingarner)
This will be a little different than my previous waiver wire columns. I suggest you pick up all of these players, but you’ll see that I’m less enthused about some of them than the others. I know they’re going to be popular pickups so rather than just tell you to pick them up, I want you to be sure about what you can expect from these players. Let’s get into it!
Jay Ajayi
There’s a little known rap by Will Smith called “Pump Ya Brakes.” It features Snoop Dogg. It’s a weird combo, but it kind of works. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Will Smith rap without some hilariously lame lyrics, and this one in particular almost sounds like Josh wrote it: “This is where the pumping of the brakes should start.” I kid, Josh. I kid because…I love to kid. Enter Jay Ajayi. Look, I was as entertained as anyone else to see him pick apart the Steelers on Sunday. The Steelers are, after all, the Gators of the NFL, and there’s nothing more satisfying than watching entitled jerks watch their teams lose. And I played someone who started Arian Foster, so Ajayi’s high volume was a welcome sight. But slow your roll if you’re one of the fools christening Ajayi as the next greatest RB. Let me throw some statistics out at you: 0, 6.5, 8.8, 6.6, 10.2, 38.7. Those are point totals for Ajayi in each game this year in Club Fantasy scoring.
Ajayi’s schedule the next few weeks is actually favorable for continued success, but let’s be real: it’s the freaking Miami Dolphins. The only consistent offensive weapon is Jarvis Landry. It’s likely Ajayi crashes back to earth, and very soon. I’m not saying he’s not worth a claim, but you should temper your expectations.
Torrey Smith
Smith’s burned me several times in the past, so this endorsement will be much like Ajayi’s: he’s probably worth a claim but you’d better not be planning on starting him until he shows consistency. The number one wide receiver in Chip Kelly’s offense always seems to produce, but Torrey Smith is largely a deep threat and not very well-rounded – something Kelly’s number ones need. Still, you can do worse on the waiver wire this week.
Coby Fleener
Babies. Donald Trump’s defeat. My championship in the league I run. What do all those things have in common? They all take longer to develop than Coby Fleener. At last, the long wait is over for Mr. Fleener. After months of hype and six weeks of waiting, Coby Fleener has finally shown up as the tight end Drew Brees needs! There’s a good chance he’s already owned in your league, but if he’s not and you need a tight end, he should be number one on your waiver priority. Welcome to the party Coby!
Kenny Britt
I’m recommending that you add and start a Los Angeles Ram wide receiver. This column is officially over.