YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO BE WRONG (A LOT) TO BE GOOD AT FANTASY FOOTBALL.

To that end, I like to devote at least one column per season to longshot players who are widely available in most leagues. There is a good chance none of the 12 players I discuss will "hit" this year and be the league-winner we all seek about this time of year. What I can do, however, is familiarize you with some of them now. Maybe that familiarity will lead to you using your last roster spot on a stash-worthy player who is next week's waiver-wire darling. At the very least, you can save yourself some FAAB. In a best-case scenario, he steps right into your starting lineup in Week 11 and remains there.

To be clear, I am highlighting players who could be useful over the second half of the season and are owned in less than 20 percent owned in ESPN leagues. (The only reason I am using ESPN roster numbers is that they are easy to find.) The goal here is not finding potential league-winners. Several of these players will already be owned because they have already had big games recently or are about to step into a prominent role. Most of them can be had for a song via trade, however, assuming they are not sitting on the waiver wire.

Note: Because the running back position is a different animal - opportunity means just as much, if not more, than talent in many cases - I will be putting them into a separate group after I am done discussing the other positions.

Here are 12 players to consider adding in deeper leagues:

WR Malik Washington, Dolphins (16.1 percent owned)

It was surprising to learn that Washington is sitting on the waiver wire in five of every six leagues. While it is true he is more of a PPR scam - and a low-end one at that - in this edition of the Dolphins' offense, the only real encouragement fantasy managers should need to stash him is to remember how often Jaylen Waddle has dealt with an injury during his 4 1/2-year NFL career. It is also easy to forget that Washington is essentially in the same position now that Waddle has been playing second fiddle to Tyreek Hill in recent years. Admittedly, Washington is not in Waddle's class talent-wise, but managers need to remind themselves that the Miami passing game is heavily reliant on Waddle and De'Von Achane right now. I feel confident in saying that if Waddle misses time this season - as he has in each of the last two seasons - it will not be Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tahj Washington, Cedrick Wilson or Dee Eskridge picking up the majority of his targets.

Say what you will about HC Mike McDaniel, but he is probably doing a lot more with the talent he has at his disposal than most coaches would be - especially when we consider the lack of talent on the offensive line. In much the same way he has been able to make sure Achane is highly involved in the passing game, he would likely do the same for Washington if he needed to become the No. 1 receiver for a short time. The good thing about stashing Washington right now is that Miami made sure to involve him when Hill was still around and has increased his usage since, so he is already a decent low-end flex option. Like it or not, he is probably an injury to Waddle away from being a weekly low-end fantasy WR3.

WR Chimere Dike, Titans (15.4)

It is impossible to deny that Dike has already done twice what no other Tennessee receiver has done once lately: be relevant in fantasy. Yes, he only managed a single catch (for five yards) in Week 9, but he went off for a couple of 16-point fantasy games right before that. Even in last week's dud, he was able to save some of his fantasy managers with a 67-yard punt return touchdown. Is it sustainable? Well, this is the Titans we are talking about, so probably not (especially once Calvin Ridley returns from his hamstring injury).

With that said, we are not necessarily looking for sustained excellence from him this year so much as the ability to pop at the right time for fantasy managers. Advanced analytics do not tell the whole story, but it cannot be a bad thing that defenses respect him enough to give him an average cushion of 6.9 yards (tied with eighth in the league with such players as Chris Olave, Wan'Dale Robinson and Troy Franklin). He is also tied for second with Marvin Mims in creating the most separation (4.2 yards). (Both stats courtesy of NextGen Stats.)

Targets do not figure to be a problem with Tennessee being so dreadful, so Dike checks the opportunity box. The Titans seem to realize his explosiveness belongs in the slot (he has lined up inside over 70 percent of the time in four of the last five games). He will remain there even after Ridley returns because Tyler Lockett is no longer around to steal snaps AND because Elic Ayomanor and Ridley are the primary X and Z receivers in this offense, respectively. The question that needs to be answered with Dike is if this offense can function at a respectable level for long enough each game to make sure Cam Ward attempts at least 30 throws. (He only had 21 in Week 9.) Dike will be hard-pressed to make much of an impact against Houston and Seattle coming out of the team's Week 10 bye, but Kansas City (Week 16) is the only remaining matchup that feels overly daunting for this passing attack. There is WR4/flex upside to be had here moving forward.

TE Luke Musgrave, Packers (14.4)

While I understand the majority of people play leagues in which they can wait for a player to break out before they feel the urgency to add him in fantasy, I was stunned to learn that Musgrave is so widely available. (Then again, Mason Taylor's ownership rate is only a couple of points lower coming off a big game followed by a bye week, so maybe I shouldn't be all that surprised.) Let's be clear about something right away: Musgrave is not Tucker Kraft. He might be a better athlete overall, but he is not the well-rounded player or YAC machine that Kraft is.

With that said, this is HC Matt LaFleur's seventh season in Green Bay. During his time in charge, LaFleur has typically had one tight end finish with 60-70 targets. Two years ago, the coaching staff thought enough of Musgrave to draft him ahead of Kraft and give him more work in 11 games (46 targets) than Kraft (40) saw in 17 contests. Don't get it twisted; I thought Kraft was a better and more complete prospect than Musgrave all along. What I'm about to say is not an endorsement of Musgrave so much as it is a recognition that he is a highly athletic player who has a great opportunity in front of him if he can stay healthy for the first time in years. At his best, the Oregon State product is a seam-stretcher in an offense that desperately needs someone who can stretch the seam. The offense will be even more reliant on Josh Jacobs and Romeo Doubs than it already was. Christian Watson should be heavily involved as well, but how long can we count on him staying healthy?

Here is one of Green Bay's dilemmas: Kraft (12) and Doubs (10) lead the Packers in red zone targets. No other Green Bay player has more than four (Savion Williams). Does this mean someone like Dontayvion Wicks steps up in Kraft's absence? Maybe. I would bet it is more likely that a player who possesses the same size Kraft does will be the coaching staff's first choice, though. While it is true that Musgrave will not see the same amount of playing time as Kraft (he is nowhere close to being on the same level as a blocker), I think it is reasonable to suggest he has an opportunity to be 75 percent of what Kraft was as a pass-catcher. That should put him squarely in the high-end TE2 conversation.

WR Luther Burden III, Bears (5.1)

My stance on Burden remains the same as it did in the preseason: the only thing that has really changed is the timetable for when HC Ben Johnson unleashes him. Olamide Zaccheaus has done enough to keep the slot job in Johnson's eyes, so it may not happen for Burden this year. And that's OK. Good process does not always equal good results for fantasy managers. Nevertheless, managers should always aspire to have as many high-upside players on their bench as possible, especially once the majority of bye weeks are over.

Chicago's receivers have stayed healthy this season, which has allowed Johnson to slow-play things with his second-rounder. That is part of the reason that his Week 3 coming-out party (3-101-1) remains the only game in which he made a significant fantasy impact. Another unexpected occurrence is that Zaccheaus actually seems to be earning more targets as the season progresses. Regardless, this feels like a situation in which Burden only needs one of D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze or Zaccheaus to go down to create the opening he needs to solidify his place among the top three.

Expecting the Amon-Ra St. Brown scenario (when he went from a virtual nobody in the first half of the season to a league-winner in the second half) to play out a second time just might have been foolish all along. Yes, Johnson was a part of both situations and both players were drafted with an eye on being the primary slot option in an offense that features them. However, that does not mean something like it cannot still happen in 2025. We need only look at what a journeyman like Zaccheaus is doing to realize how much more is possible if the Bears allow a yard-after-catch machine like Burden play in the same role full-time. Although I have had to cut him in too many leagues due to bye-week crunches and injuries, he remains one of the best upside stashes in fantasy.

TE Jake Tonges, 49ers (2.2)

About the only comment I need to make regarding Tonges is this: he has been targeted once over the last three weeks (a 2-yard touchdown that some believe was intended for George Kittle) and he is still the TE20 on the season. Not only does it reinforce how important the tight end can be in HC Kyle Shanahan's offense, but it also proves he earned the coach's trust with his play earlier in the season. Much like the other players on this list, Tonges is one injury away from having a big role (again). The fact that he has already proven he can fill in capably for Kittle makes him the rare tight end handcuff. Especially once the bye weeks start becoming less of an issue for fantasy managers, Tonges should be a priority add for Kittle managers and anyone in tight end-premium leagues.

WR Adonai Mitchell, Jets (1.3)

If only because it is asking more than any player should be asked to do during the middle of the season (learning a new playbook well enough to carry out his assignments correctly play after play), it is with some hesitation that I include Mitchell. With that said, the Jets insisted that he be included in the deal that sent Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis at the trade deadline. Why? Maybe they saw what the Colts saw over the last 1 1/2 years. Getting open has rarely ever been an issue for the former University of Texas standout, but finishing the catch has. A glass-half-full perspective would say he is good at the most difficult part of being an NFL receiver. Of course, no one plays in an average-yards-of-separation fantasy league.

Why is Mitchell a player that deserves any consideration from fantasy managers then? This is a bet-on-talent situation, largely because that player is headed to a team that has a whole lot of average talent in the receiver room behind Garrett Wilson. The quarterback situation is not great either, but Justin Fields finds himself in yet another situation in which it is difficult to assess his talent. Is he inaccurate at times? Absolutely. Has he proven he can help he can make a very good player look very good - if not great? It was a while ago, but absolutely. Is Mitchell likely to shine over the final few weeks of the season given everything working against him right now? No.

The reasons he is worth considering - outside of the obvious talent he brings to the table - are that New York will almost certainly play its young guys moving forward and the lack of target earners the Jets have after Wilson and Mason Taylor. While I would not expect Mitchell to be worth consideration in most normal 12-team leagues, a case could be made for him in 14-teamers or leagues with multiple flexes.

TE Greg Dulcich, Dolphins (0.1)

Dulcich is not for the faint of heart. He may not even be useful for more than two or three weeks. However, I do think he will be useful - at least until Darren Waller returns (assuming that happens). If this were just a matter of him having a semi-productive game in Week 9, that would be one thing. Dulcich has been productive before. So have the last two Dolphins' tight ends with any kind of track record before their time in South Beach (Jonnu Smith and Waller). Julian Hill (ankle) has been sidelined for the last two games, which created the opening that Dulcich needed to be elevated from the practice squad initially. Then, the Dolphins announced they waived Tanner Conner this week, which suggests Dulcich has earned a spot on the roster.

Bringing it back to how this affects fantasy managers, Hill is not a huge threat in the passing game. In 2 1/2 seasons, he has 28 catches in 38 games. (Blame that on Smith and Waller to a degree, but he would have produced more if he were a bigger threat in the passing game.) Dulcich is the only other tight end on the roster. As I established earlier, there is plenty of opportunity available in Miami after De'Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle get their 15 or so targets each week.

In Week 9, Dulcich ran 20 routes and was targeted five times. No one is saying he is about to take off like Smith did in 2024 or Waller did earlier this season. What I am saying is that Smith was considered an Arthur Smith creation until he came to Miami. Waller was retired until he wasn't. He even missed the first three games of this season before making his splash. It would not be a surprise if Dulcich becomes the latest one-dimensional tight end to become a success story in this offense.

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Running Back Corner

I think the best way to handle the running back section is to rank them in the order I think they would fall if they became the bell-cow in their offense due to an injury ahead of them. I will make some brief comments about each one before wrapping up for the week.

Blake Corum, Rams (8.0)

It is stunning to see how low Corum's ownership percentage is. The good news is we are already seeing Corum handle a fair amount of work of late. (Admittedly, some of that has been a product of how uncompetitive the Rams' last two games have been.) HC Sean McVay's tendency to lean on one running back - along with the complete lack of playing time he has given Jarquez Hunter in 2025 - makes it likely that Corum would be the bell-cow that Kyren Williams has been for the last 2 1/2 seasons.

Emanuel Wilson, Packers (7.1)

Just about everything I just said about Corum applies to Wilson as well. While I have my doubts Wilson would be featured as much as Corum (Chris Brooks is a trusted player in the passing game), there is little doubt in my mind that he would see the bulk of the workload. I would argue the thing that makes him more attractive than Corum right now is that Josh Jacobs has been no stranger to the injury report lately.

Ameer Abdullah, Colts (0.3)

It took fantasy managers far too long to realize Abdullah passed D.J. Giddens on the depth chart this season. As it turns out, Tyler Goodson appears to have done so as well. While it seems unlikely to matter before Week 18, fantasy owners need to remember that Jonathan Taylor has not come close to playing a full season since 2021. Abdullah would likely share some snaps with Goodson if Taylor misses some time, but there is little doubt in my mind he would be the back to own in what is arguably the best offense in the league in 2025.

Ray Davis, Bills (9.3)

Davis showed out in his one opportunity as the featured back last year, totaling 152 yards in a Week 6 win over the Jets. Ty Johnson would likely see a slightly expanded role on top of his usual part-time third-down duties, but there is little doubt in my mind that Davis would handle a bell-cow role with aplomb.

Isaiah Davis, Jets (11.1)

Davis finds himself here for one major reason: Breece Hall's contract is set to expire at the end of the season. While the team may put the franchise or transition tag on him this offseason, I highly doubt his preference is to sign a long-term contract as the team enters another rebuild phase. Davis has already flashed when given the chance, although he does not possess the upside Hall does. However, Davis is the most likely player of the bunch to become important before the end of the year. Why would I say that? Would anyone be surprised if Hall decides enough is enough in an attempt to enter free agency as healthy as possible?

Sean Tucker, Bucs (3.3)

While I have been a fan of Tucker for some time, the only reason he finds himself here is that Bucky Irving (foot, shoulder) appears unlikely to return to action coming off the team's Week 9 bye. There has been precious little information about when he will be ready. Although I doubt he will miss much more time, the fact that he was not put on IR after Week 4 and remains out suggests the team did not expect his recovery to take nearly as long as it has. That means Tucker is one injury to Rachaad White away from handling a massive workload.