FantasyNFL

11 Potential Fantasy Football Lottery Tickets Available On The Waiver Wire

by Pat Mayo | 3:47 pm, September 3rd, 2012

NFL kickoff is two short days away, meaning you’re primed and ready for fantasy football season. Because who you pick to be on your pretend football team will be the most important set of decisions you make this year, we gave you some tips on which under-the-radar players to draft, which players to avoid, and general rules for top-quality drafting. But now that your draft’s over, what now?

WAIVERS.

That’s right – the drafting might be over, but the roster strategizing DAMN WELL ISN’T. And to help you spot some under-appreciated gems to burnish your roster, we’ve enlisted the help of RotoExperts.com staff writer Pat Mayo. Below, Pat presents 11 players who might have gone undrafted in your league, but shouldn’t be without a fantasy home. Heed his words, and make your opponents look like the FOOLS THEY ARE. All photos via Getty.

Enable JavaScript to check out our fancy slideshow.

1.149245188RM00023_Washington

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 9, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

2.149099400PA015

KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 9: Running back Jacquizz Rodgers #32 of the Atlanta Falcons bobbles a kick-off against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter season opener on September 9, 2012 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Atlanta defeated Kansas City 40-24. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

3.147963400NH007_DENVER_BRONC

against the Denver Broncos at University of Phoenix Stadium on August 30, 2012 in Glendale, Arizona.

4.71285363

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 09: Blaine Gabbert #11 of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the opening day against the Minnesota Vikings September 9, 2012 at Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Jaguars 26-23 in overtime. (Photo by Andy King/Getty Images)

5.147962203JD060_Cleveland_Br

GREEN BAY, WI - AUGUST 16: of the Green Bay Packers of the Cleveland Browns during a preseason game at Lambeau Field on August 16, 2012 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Browns defeated the Packers 35-10. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

6.70888053

JACKSONVILLE, FL - AUGUST 10: Running back David Wilson #34 of the New York Giants rushes upfield against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a pre-season football game August 10, 2011 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

7.71133332

ST. LOUIS, MO - AUGUST 30: Running back Isaiah Pead #24 of the St. Louis Rams attempts to outrun defensive back Corey Graham #24 of the Baltimore Ravens to the outside during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at the Edward Jones Dome on August 30, 2012 in St. Louis, Missouri. The St. Louis Rams defeated the Baltimore Ravens 31-17. (Photo by David Welker/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Isaiah Pead; Corey Graham

8.149099706DP018_Pittsburgh_S

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on September 9, 2012 in Denver, Colorado.

9.149099258MH00037_Dallas_Cow

during the 2012 NFL season opener at MetLife Stadium on September 5, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

10.70996543

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - AUGUST 17: on August 17, 2012 at Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** =m#3;=v#3

11.Jason Snelling

Worries of Michael Turner’s eventual demise have reached a tipping point. This is not breaking news. What may come as a shock, though, is which one of the Falcons backups that you want on roster. Jacquizz Rodgers has been the popular pick, but his smaller frame begs the question of whether he can handle the burden of a full workload. Snelling, on the other hand, has proved he’s more than game. Each time Turner was absent over the last three years, Snelling handled the job with ease. Rodgers will pilfer touches regardless if Turner’s on the field or not. But Snelling is one tweaked hamstring away from Fantasy glory.

12.Kendall Hunter

Hunter is just one of a trio of backs in the San Francisco backfield lined up for touches should injuries or ineffectiveness affect Frank Gore. The difference between Hunter and his teammates – LaMichael James and Brandon Jacobs – is that he has a real chance to flourish with every down play. James will work primarily as a third down, pass-catching option and, come on, is anyone really concerned with Brandon Jacobs getting touches? Of course not. Hunter performed up to task with an increased workload at the end of last season and appears primed to lay claim to the job.

13.Mike Goodson

The Darren McFadden debate has been Fantasy’s most polarizing since Marino or Dickerson in 1987. If you fall in the anti-DMC camp, Goodson, not Taiwan Jones is the pickup you want. Jones pulled his best McFadden impression, missing six games as a rookie in 2011, totaling just 16 carries. Goodson is certainly not a beacon of health either, but has experience as a starter and proved to be a credible Fantasy option in 2010 with the Panthers. The Raiders want to run the ball, and Goodson could be a huge beneficiary of circumstance.

14.Jonathan Dwyer

The Steelers can’t throw every down. There’s simply no way their offensive line would be able to keep Ben Roethlisberger upright for every snap. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley understands the best way to keep Big Ben on the field is forcing him to hand the ball off every now and then. While Isaac Redman is officially the "starter," Dwyer has an opportunity to steal the job in week one with a strong outing. He has been wildly under-drafted for a player so close to a starting gig.

15.Danny Amendola

Two years ago, Amendola morphed into a Wes Welker 2.0 type, grabbing 85 passes and a key to the heart of PPR players. That season, he developed a strong connection with Sam Bradford, milling about the line of scrimmage, bailing out his under siege signal caller. Unfortunately, that led to a pitiful 8.1 yards per reception - not exactly useful for standard scoring. Last season, Amendola blew out his elbow in week one and missed the rest of the year. He returns in 2012, as Bradford’s most familiar target, with a chance to seize the number one job. With a slight increase in yardage, and a few additional touchdowns, Amendola is an easy pick to shore up your team’s receiving corps.

16.Brandon LaFell

Entering his third season out of LSU, LaFell has been handed a prime opportunity to establish himself as a big play, number two opposite Steve Smith. This is almost a Peerless Price/Eric Moulds situation. Smith was Cam Newton’s only reliable receiving option last season and defenses are hip to what the Panthers are trying to do with the ball. LaFell is going to see more single coverage than the newborns on Teen Mom, with an All-World quarterback getting him the ball.

17.Sam Bradford

It’s easy to forget that Bradford was terrific in his rookie year. How easy? The 2010 first overall selection went undrafted in most Fantasy leagues. More teams chose to roster Andy Dalton, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Alex Smith. And do any of those have as much upside as Bradford? Not close. The Rams’ pivot has a lot of unproven options to work with, but is still an elite prospect, with the skills to take a Matt Stafford-like jump in his third season. He just needs a full season of health.

18.Joe Webb

Tim Tebow was the backup quarterback of choice on draft day for no other reason than his name. Webb is the backup with the most to gain with some playing time. Is he a great quarterback? Not especially. But he can fill the stat sheet when given the chance. He’s a dual threat, of the Michael Vick mold, with a chance to be a Top 10 option at the position if he can get on the field. With Christian Ponder’s recurring case of the dizzies, that could come any moment.

19.Alshon Jeffery

The best thing for a rookie is to be left alone, under little scrutiny and have a proper chance to grow at his own pace. Jeffery had the good fortune of being drafted into that opportunity. Lining up opposite Brandon Marshall means he’ll only have to deal with single coverage, and the return of Matt Forte will have safeties cheating up into the box. The table set for Jeffery to feast. He’s a giant target with tremendous speed, who will be on the receiving end of many Jay Cutler deep balls.

20.Coby Fleener

The Colts are not going to be a quality team by any means, but they won’t be half as disastrous as last season. Still, they’ll find themselves down in games early and be forced to play catch-up through the air. Andrew Luck will take time adjusting to his new weapons and is likely to lean on his college teammate in a pinch. Fleener is a disciplined route runner with excellent size that will translate into a slew of receptions and plenty of red zone targets.

21.Greg Little

The Browns figure to be their typical, inept selves, so passing is going to be the prevalent option for Brandon Weeden and his cavalcade of mediocre receivers. Fortunately, someone will have to end up with a respectable stat line at season’s end, simply through attrition - and Little figures to be the best bet. He, briefly flashed some ability in his rookie season, but all anyone can remember were his staggering 14 drops. With the improvement at quarterback – yes, Weeden is better than Colt McCoy; everyone is better than Colt McCoy – Little is a burgeoning talent who could explode. He only needs to douse his gloves in pine tar before each snap.

For more in-depth analysis on these players and many more, scramble over to RotoExperts.com and check out the Xclusive Edge Fantasy Football package, your deluxe guide to drafting a great team and for setting ideal lineups during the regular season.

–

Pat Mayo was nominated by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association for both Golf Writer of the Year and Humor Article of the Year in 2011, but came away empty handed. He’s yet to recover.

Follow Pat Mayo