It’s that time of year again! The anticipation, the speculation, and the endless off-season chatter have all led to this. The NFL season is finally upon us, and with that comes the excitement of fantasy football. In my weekly column, “Shop or Drop”, I will give my expert advice on who to pick up and drop every week, allowing you to put your best roster together and eventually win your league. But first, knowing some fantasy football lingo is vital to dominating your league. Here are some helpful fantasy football terminologies and their meanings.

Terminology to know

Handcuff – Having your running back’s backup on your bench, just in case the starting back gets injured.

Drop – To remove a player from your roster.

Flex – A spot in your starting lineup that allows you to start either a running back, wide receiver, or tight end.

Stream – Not having a dedicated starter week-to-week and switching players based on matchups. For example, I may stream the Atlanta Falcons defense this week because they have a favorable matchup against a poor Pittsburgh Steelers offense. Then, after the week is over, I will drop the Falcons and pick up another defense.

Waiver Wire – A pool of free agents available to add to your team. Usually, there is an order to the waiver wire, meaning you may not be able to pick up every player that you want. Another league member may be ahead of you in the order; therefore, they get the rights to that player.

Waiver Wire additions:

J.K. Dobbins – RB – Los Angeles Chargers – 51% rostered via Yahoo! Sports

In what has been an injury-riddled start to his NFL career, J.K. Dobbins seems to be enjoying a fresh start with Justin Herbert and the Chargers. In his debut, the Ohio State product rushed for 135 yards, caught three of four targets, and found himself in the end zone. Dobbins will still split the backfield with Gus Edwards, but his performance in the first week has made a strong argument for him to be the No. 1 option going forward.

Bucky Irving – RB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 21% rostered via Yahoo! Sports

Following Rachaad White’s breakout season last year, Bucky Irving was not expected to lead the Buccaneers backfield. Or so we thought. Despite being the second option, Irving wound up doubling White’s rushing yards total (62). He carried the ball six fewer times than White but was much more productive. Irving would be a great handcuff to White if there is ever a situation where he does not suit up. 

Demarcus Robinson – WR – Los Angeles Rams – 7% rostered via Yahoo! Sports

Although he may be forgotten behind Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson is a proven weapon for the Rams’ offense. Through weeks 13-18 of last season, Robinson finished 26th in fantasy points per route run among 109 qualifying receivers (per Fantasy Points Data). With Nacua sidelined for the time being, expect the veteran Robinson to make his presence known.

Isaiah Likely – TE – Baltimore Ravens – 29% rostered via Yahoo! Sports

Isaiah Likely started the NFL season with a bang on Thursday night. The athletic tight end caught nine of 12 targets for 111 yards with a score. He single-handedly almost led the Ravens to victory in a game where Lamar Jackson struggled. Even with All-Pro Mark Andrews in the lineup, Likely is seemingly the TE1 in a Baltimore offense that will continue to improve throughout the season.

Baker Mayfield – QB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 35% rostered via Yahoo! Sports

Baker Mayfield continues to put the NFL on notice after resurging his career in Tampa Bay. Mayfield threw for 289 yards and tossed four touchdowns to a receiving core that doesn’t ever seem to age. As long as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are out there, the sky is the limit for Mayfield and this Bucs offense.

Allen Lazard – WR – New York Jets – 3% rostered via Yahoo! Sports

In his first full game reuniting with Aaron Rodgers, Allen Lazard had himself a nice night. The former Packer caught six of nine targets for 89 yards while scoring two touchdowns. Granted, one of his touchdowns came from the hands of Tyrod Taylor in garbage time. However, Lazard seems to fit the No. 2 receiver role nicely behind superstar Garret Wilson.

Players to Drop

Dontayvion Wicks – WR – Green Bay Packers

There was always going to be an odd man out in the Packers crowded receiver room. After not recording a catch in Week 1, we are going to assume that the odd man is Dontayvion Wicks. Green Bay’s offense has a lot of question marks at the moment, meaning Wicks will do you no good as of right now.

Jaylen Wright – RB – Miami Dolphins

There was a lot of excitement surrounding rookie halfback Jaylen Wright after the explosive Miami Dolphins added him to their backfield. With a healthy Achane, Mostert, and even Wilson, this is not the year for the product out of Tennesee.

Deshaun Watson – QB – Cleveland Browns

It was a disastrous start for Deshaun Watson this past week against a tough Dallas defense. Yes, he was missing two starting offensive linemen. However, Watson seemed to struggle with what should have been routine throws. There are a plethora of better options out there than Watson at the moment.

If you see some of these guys on your waiver wire, try and scoop them up. Although some players may not have a spot on your starting roster at the moment, injuries are bound to happen. When everyone else in your league is scrambling around looking for replacements, you will remember that you read “Shop or Drop”, and reinforcements are already sitting on your bench.

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