We’re just hours away from the official start of the NFL season. The Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens will kick off the 2013 season on the NBC later tonight.
For fantasy owners obsessed with constantly having the best roster top to bottom (as any good owner should be), there’s also someone on the waiver wire just waiting to improve your team. Due to early drafts, training camp position battles and preseason injuries, numerous players are available that could immediately help your team. Let’s look at a few such players for Week 1.
*Note: League ownership percentages are averaged between ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports.
Julius Thomas - Tight End, Denver Broncos
Thomas, the third-year tight end out of Portland State, has really taken his game to the next level and emerged over the course of the preseason as Denver's No. 1 tight end. Peyton Manning has always loved his tight ends (see: Dallas Clark) and should look to make good use of Thomas.
In last year’s AFC Divisional Playoff matchup, Manning targeted his tight ends 11 times and completed nine passes for 90 yards. Thomas is bigger and faster than Baltimore’s linebackers and safeties, and Denver should look to exploit this once again.
Thomas is only owned in 13.1 percent of leagues currently, so it should be relatively easy to snag him in your league.
Quinton Patton - Wide Receiver, San Francisco 49ers
Patton has established himself has San Francisco's No. 2 wide receiver, opposite Anquan Boldin due mostly in part to his solid hands, ability to stretch the field and two touchdown catches in two preseason games. As long as Michael Crabtree is sidelined by injury, Patton has a ton of fantasy value in the 49ers’ high-octane offense.
Patton is owned in just 2.9 percent of leagues, so if you need receiver help, grab him now!
Jacoby Jones - Wide Receiver, Baltimore Ravens
Jones is the unquestioned No. 2 receiver in Baltimore, which means he’ll get a ton of targets with Boldin no longer in the fold and Dennis Pitta out for the season due to injury. Jones is a solid WR3 option for the duration of the season and owned in just 19.7 percent of leagues.