*
Erin Skelley, aka "Erin the Fantasy Girl" on Texans Radio/Sports Radio 610 in Houston, digs, mines and rummages for Week 2's waiver wire wonders.
*Peyton, Peyton, Peyton. That's all I saw on Thursday as I browsed my Twitter feed. Not sure what was more impressive: Peyton Manning's NFL record-tying seven touchdowns, or Peyton Manning single-handedly almost breaking Twitter.
Manning's seven TDs were matched with 462 passing yards, resulting in a huge head start for some lucky owners, which makes the rest of us resentful. Naturally. And if that weren't insulting enough, some poor fools faced Wes Welker too. And somewhere, someone out there, unfortunately also started the Ravens defense.
Fantasy football is back in gear. And so are the weekly pains of playing this guessing game. But with every bad move, you have the chance to stop future damage with a little waiver wire shopping. So without anymore Peyton talk (enough is enough, right?), here are this week's waiver finds:
Julius Thomas, TE, Denver Broncos – Peyton wasn't the only newsmaker on Thursday. The Manning-Thomas era blasted off with five receptions for 110 yards, and two scores. Currently available in 55 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots – There's a new Wes Welker in Boston, and as planned, it's Danny Amendola. But you probably didn't expect that kind of performance out of Edelman. We'll call him Welker Lite, who certainly proved to be roster-worthy with his 79-yard, two-TD performance on Sunday. Drafted in the late rounds, or not at all, Edelman is worth a second look. Available in 78 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers – I'm guessing this was an awkward phone call, but the Steelers begged him back. After a poor showing by Isaac Redman, and an injury to LaRod Stephens-Howling, the Steelers turned to Dwyer, a player they had cut just nine days earlier. Consider Dwyer a temporary option as he'll go back to the bench when Le'Veon Bell returns from his foot sprain. In the meantime, if you're running back-deficient, check out Dwyer, who is available in 90 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Joique Bell, RB, Detroit Lions – Make no mistake, Reggie Bush wears the RB1 pants on that team. But Bell has potential to be the goal-line back. On Sunday, he had six carries for 25 yards and two touchdowns, while also tallying 67 yards in the air. But somebody, anybody, please tell me how to pronounce his name. Available in 64 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Ben Tate, RB, Houston Texans – Hardly Little Man Tate. His 61-yard effort – with 6.1 YPC – makes him a good candidate for your flex play. While available in only 27 percent of Yahoo leagues, he started in only 9 percent in week 1. Green light to start him in week 2.
*Erin Skelley joins Texans Radio every week on SportsRadio 610. Follow her on Twitter @erinskelley. She'll babble fantasy to anyone who will listen. *
