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With the 2015 NFL season kicking off this week, you've probably already held your fantasy football league's draft.
That does not mean, however, that should be the team you take into Week 1 of the regular season. In the past week alone, there have been several developments around the NFL that have caused some late-round draft picks to become irrelevant while making others much more attractive.
With that said, here is a look at our first fantasy football waiver wire of the 2015 NFL season.
Add
Browns RB Duke Johnson:
The Cleveland Browns made a significant move Sunday by trading running back Terrence West to the Tennessee Titans, leaving only starter Isaiah Crowell and third-round rookie Duke Johnson as the only two backs for now. Even if another back is added, Crowell and Johnson are the ones who've been getting the reps and learning the system this offseason, and Johnson is the one who offers more upside.
Crowell will be the starter to open the year, but considering he was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama State in 2014, Cleveland already has more invested in Johnson, the former Miami star who had 2,073 yards from scrimmage and 13 scores last year. Though a concussion sustained in the third preseason game has compromised his availability, Johnson is still far too talented of a back in too promising of a situation to not be rostered.
Running behind a stout Browns offensive line with All-Pros Joe Thomas and Alex Mack paving the way, whoever is carrying the ball in Cleveland should have good production now that West is gone after he, Crowell and Ben Tate split carries last year.
Patriots WR Danny Amendola
The New England Patriots are dangerously thin at wide receiver right now. The good news is Tom Brady isn't suspended, so whoever starts at receiver should be productive in fantasy football. Julian Edelman has one of the starting spots locked down, but hasn’t practiced in full since suffering an ankle injury early in training camp, and there hasn’t been much revealed by the time as to when he'll return.
Whether Edelman plays in Week 1 and early in the season, Danny Amendola will likely be the other starting wideout. That's because Amendola's teammate, Brandon LaFell, was placed on the regular-season PUP list and is ineligible for the first six games. The enigmatic Aaron Dobson, who was on the roster bubble, is the only other proven receiver on the roster. Amendola could be in for some big games to start the 2015 season.
Drop
Seahawks RB Fred Jackson
Had Fred Jackson remained with the Buffalo Bills, he was an intriguing fantasy option with LeSean McCoy dealing with a groin injury. However, Buffalo cut Jackson, and now he's with the Seattle Seahawks backing up Marshawn Lynch. While it makes Seattle's backfield arguably the best in football, it's not a good situation for Jackson as a fantasy back.
After all, Lynch has missed a grand total of one game over the past four seasons, and he doesn't turn 30 until next April. There's no sign of him wearing down, and that means Jackson simply won't touch the ball enough to make a fantasy impact.
Titans RB Bishop Sankey
As mentioned above, the Titans now have Terrance West in their backfield after he led the Browns with 171 carries for 673 yards (3.9 ypc) and four scores. However, West gained 235 yards on 54 carries (4.4 ypc) in his first five games of 2014 when starting center Alex Mack was healthy. Once Mack went down, the Browns ground game vanished the rest of the year.
Point being, West is a good enough back to take away touches from current starter Bishop Sankey, which makes him undraftable at this point. There's also promising second-year man Antonio Andrews challenging for carries after a solid preseason.
WR Reggie Wayne
After signing with the Patriots on Aug. 24, wide receiver Reggie Wayne played in two preseason games before being cut on Saturday after asking for his release. In those two games, Wayne caught a total of two passes for 24 yards, and if you snagged him near the end of your draft hoping he could do something, you should cut your losses now.
Wayne will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day after catching 1,070 receptions for 14,345 yards and 82 touchdowns during the course of his career. However, he was limited to 64 receptions for 779 yards and two touchdowns in 2014 while dealing with an elbow injury and torn triceps in the second half of the season.
His days of making an impact in fantasy football are over, as too may be his playing days altogether.