The first week of the 2017 regular season is just about coming to a close with two Monday Night games remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.
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We will be ranking the top five players likely to be available in your league at each of the four major positions. Some weeks there might not be five good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change and news arrives. The following ownership percentages come via CBS Sportsline after Week 1.
Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears (28 percent owned)
If you read any of my preseason daily fantasy columns (besides you, Mom), you know I was a Tarik Cohen Whisperer. The Bears love the guy and see him as Darren Sproles 2.0. He wasn’t a big factor in the passing game in the preseason, but that changed on Sunday, as Mike Glennon targeted him a whopping 12 times. Cohen converted eight into catches for 47 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 66 yards on just five carries. This was not a fluke. And with the Bears likely to be trailing in games the majority of the season, Cohen will be just as valuable as Jordan Howard.
Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks (21)
The Seattle backfield is a mess, no question about it. Too many mouths to feed. But in Week 1, anyway, Carson got the fed the most, getting six carries and breaking off a 30-yard run for a big chunk of his 39 yards. Eddie Lacy looked terrible and C.J. Prosise wasn’t much better, so maybe Carson can separate himself from the group.
Handcuff alert! David Johnson will have an MRI on his wrist today and for one scary moment for Shady McCoy owners he was writhing in pain on the sidelines. Williams and Tolbert each vultured a touchdown out of those drives when Johnson and McCoy got hurt. It was a (literally) painful reminder that if you own these stud backs, you better get their handcuffs for emergencies.
Terrance West is owned by 98 of owners in CBS Sportsline fantasy leagues. He had a tidy 19 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown. Allen is owned by 2 percent of owners. But look here: Allen outcarried West 21-19 and racked up 71 yards of his own. If this is what the timeshare is going to look like, Allen has real value here. And if West gets hurt, Allen suddenly becomes fantasy gold.
