Devonta Freeman headlines the most dropped players in Week 2. (Getty)
Devonta Freeman headlines the most dropped players in Week 2. (Getty)

You know the saying. One man's trash is another man's Zac Stacy.

Of course not every free agent flier is that successful, but there's a lesson to be learned about playing the Waiver Wire: Sometimes it pays to go against the grain, and sometimes it hurts really bad when you overreact.  

Let's preface this post by saying that as recent as last season, Week 1 hasn't been kind to rookie running backs. Eddie Lacy only averaged 2.93 yards per carry in Week 1 of 2013. Giovani Bernard got just four carries, and the aforementioned Stacy only received one. But it's safe to say anyone who dropped one of those three after Week 1 ended up regretting it. With that said, let's look at which rookie runners got dropped after a slow start this season.

The rookie running back pile 

First-year Falcon Devonta Freeman headlines this group, as one of CBSSports.com's most dropped players (down eight percent to 70-percent owned). I don't blame anyone for doing so. That Atlanta backfield looks deep and useful for winning football games, which makes for an awful Fantasy situation. Atlanta used four backs in its win over New Orleans, and Freeman only totalled four touches on the day.

Those that dropped him probably did it to pick up someone that fills an immediate need. Freeman looks like the kind of tough, physical runner who would benefit from a possible (perhaps eventual) Steven Jackson injury, but Jacquizz Rodgers and even Antone Smith still hanging around, it's hard to put a lot of faith in Freeman's role. Our resident Falcons' expert Scott White says he thinks they'll treat their RB stable the same way the Saints do theirs, meaning there will be games where Freeman shines, but when that's going to happen is the hard part to predict. But you can see it when he gets the ball: Freeman is quicker than Steven Jackson and more physical than the other two. Plus he has the innate ability to almost always fall forward at the end of each run. This makes him a prime candidate for goal-line carries down the road. His path to playing time is perhaps the toughest, but you could do worse at a shallow position if you wanted to stash someone. 

Bishop Sankey also got dropped in a few leagues (down six percent to 86-percent owned). He's another back who could be a late bloomer in Fantasy. Shonn Greene and Dexter McCluster got a larger workload than Sankey, with Leon Washington trailing just behind him. Ken Wisenhunt has said the Titans will use four running backs each week, which makes Sankey's scenario similar to Freeman's. And just like Freeman, Sankey is the most well-rounded piece in his team's backfield. This approach worked in Week 1, but if anything changes in the Titans' gameplan down the road, it'll likely be Sankey that benefits. 

Jeremy Hill also falls into the "not enough work" group, totalling just four carries in his debut (down four percent to 71-percent owned). Hue Jackson said after the game that he intends to give Hill more work going forward, but it will be pretty tough to take a versatile back like Giovani Bernard off the field. Goal line work for Hill was all the rage int he preseason, and at 6-1, 240, Hill certainly has the size to do what BenJarvus Green-Ellis did last season. Since BJGE is no longer on the roster, Hill seems like a nice handcuff for Gio at the very least. 

Basically, the justification for adding guys who get dropped goes as follows: While everyone else in your league clears space to go hard after the trendier names at each position, you're reacting by picking off your favorite among those who got cut. People play the Waiver Wire for different reasons. Some need a short-term bandaid, or they're chasing touchdowns from the week prior. Others know they'll never start Kenny Britt or Rueben Randle over their WR2 and flex options, so they cut bait early and grab a long-term gamble. Think back to your draft to the kinds of deep sleepers or undervalued veterans you wanted, but got snatched up before your turn. Chances are some of them will be falling off rosters in the next few weeks, and snagging one of them might pay off down the road.