So, fantasy football may have already started, but if you didn’t know, it’s not too late to draft or drop some disappointing picks to waiver-wire a newly-found stud who dropped 23 points last week. I’ll explain for those who don’t play or are new. 

In fantasy, you make a team in a league with your friends or random people. It can be four people up to 12 and beyond, but 10 is recommended. Come draft night, you each take turns to draft offensive players to your team for 15 rounds. When the season starts, you face your friends in a usually 14-week season, with playoffs after. You score points by your players doing well, with each catch usually being worth a point, and 1 yard being 0.1 points (10 yards is 1 point).

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, here are some of Gavin and I’s draft, waiver claims, and trade suggestions.

First Player Selected:

Zealan: If Jonathan Taylor, the running back for the Indianapolis Colts, isn’t the draft’s first pick, you might as well be playing with lunatics. He was the best running back in the league last year and gets lots of yards. Besides Michael Pittman, Matt Ryan (the quarterback) has no other weapons, so Taylor will get a lot of carries. He’s 23, so obviously in fantastic shape, and he isn’t going to slow down. If CMC is taken here, kick the guy who took him from your league.

Gavin: Theres no doubt in my mind that Jonathan Taylor should be the first overall pick in each and every semi-competitive league this year. Taylor recorded a whopping 1811 yards rushing on 332 touches, averaging a high 5.4 yards per carry. Taylor is entering his 3rd season after back to back 1000 yard rushing years, and shows no signs of slowing down, especially running behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.

A Player Drafted Too High:

Zealan: As a Rams fan, I love Cooper Kupp, our star wide receiver who just had the best WR season of all-time last year — but everyone has to accept the fact that with Allen Robinson II joining the team, Kupp isn’t going to get as many targets and catches. He just won’t be able to replicate the pure awesomeness of last season. While he should be a top-3 WR taken in the draft, the top one should be none other than Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings (Offensive Player of the Year???). Kupp is explosive and can have a big game anytime, but with the help of the Rams having more options, Jefferson should do way better in PPR (points-per-reception) leagues this season.

Gavin: A player drafted far too high this year has to be Christian McCaffrey. Although he proved to be among the best running backs in the league in 2018 and 2019, the young tailback out of Stanford has played in just 10 games over the past two years due to injury, recording only 158 touches in 2020 and 2021 combined. I simply don’t see a future where McCaffrey totals over 2000 yards again like he did in 2019, yet he’s still being considered as a top draft pick in most leagues.

Who to Add to Your Team on Waiver Claim:

Zealan: While the Washington Commanders (except what are they commanding, the title of never being in a Super Bowl?) have Terry McLaurin, an underrated wide receiver, in my opinion, people forget about Curtis Samuel. The former Carolina Panther had a good first week against Jacksonville, getting 19.20 points in my league with 8 catches, 55 yards, and 1 touchdown. As quarterback Carson Wentz really only has them two besides rookie Dotson, expect Samuel to keep getting targets and racking up points.

Gavin: I do believe the best waiver-wire player is Curtis Samuel; however, there’s another player that you should certainly consider snagging if left as a free agent. Jeff Wilson Jr., running back for the San Francisco 49ers, has assumed the starting role in the run-heavy Niner’s offense after Elijah Mitchell suffered a knee injury in week 1. Wilson’s backup, Tyrion Davis-Price, suffered an ankle injury in the Niner’s win over the Seahawks in week 2. This means Wilson should get the bulk of carries for the 49ers in the coming weeks, and starting him in that RB2 or FLEX slot should pay off until Mitchell returns.

Who You Should NOT Drop:

Zealan: Okay, so Dak Prescott got injured — except now the Dallas Cowboys are saying that he should only be out 4-6 weeks after he gets surgery on his right thumb due to a fracture he sustained in Week 1 against the Buccaneers. Only thing is, most leagues have an IR spot, also known as Injury Reserve. So yes, the Cowboys quarterback will be out for a little, but instead of dropping him, put him on IR and pick up another QB for the time being. He may not be 100% when he comes back, but with Ceedee Lamb at wide receiver, Dak is sure to still put up some big numbers when he returns to America’s Team.

Gavin: Although it may be tempting to drop this player simply collecting dust on your bench, don’t be that guy who drops this stud unaware of his potential. This player has averaged over 12 yards per catch every year he’s played in the NFL, and consistently saw the bulk of targets each of these years. He’ll be the clear WR1 for the young but talented Arizona Cardinals when he returns from his suspension, so be ready for his return in week 7 to be passionate and electric. This star wide receiver is none other than DeAndre Hopkins.

Zealan’s Freshman Football League’s First Overall Picks:

• Gabe Paz Drew took Derrick Henry, RB for the Tennessee Titans, with the 4th pick
• Lincoln Adams took Joe Mixon, RB for the Cincinnati Bengals, with the 9th pick
• Parker Moore took Austin Ekeler, RB for the Los Angeles Chargers, with the 3rd pick
• Jackson Arrasin took Najee Harris, RB for the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the 7th pick

Gavin’s Senior Football League’s First Overall Picks:

• Kaiyal Das took Jonathan Taylor, RB for the Indianapolis Colts, with the 1st pick
• Noah Landa took Raashad Penny, RB for the Seattle Seahawks, with the 5th pick (This was a terrible pick, please don’t take Penny this high)
• Gavin Zaengle took Christian McCaffrey, RB for the Carolina Panthers, with the 7th pick
• Sam Garwal took Stefon Diggs, WR for the Buffalo Bills, with the 6th pick

So, as you can see from our friends’ picks, we’re right about running backs. Take a running back in the first round as they are super valuable, or you can take a star wide receiver if you really want to. A running back can make or break your matchup. Taylor and Ekeler should be guaranteed top 3 picks in every draft. Top wide receivers do have that breakout-game possibility; however, on some weeks they can leave you with single digit points, which could ruin your week. 

Well, that’s it for us, but good luck with your fantasy season. If you get last place, sorry, but that’s not our fault. See ya!