This article is part of our Fantrax Waiver Wire series.
Following each Premier League Gameweek, I'll take a look at sub-50 percent rostered players on Fantrax whose situations may have changed or improved, and assess whether or not they are worth a pickup in season-long leagues.
GOALKEEPER
Gavin Bazunu (five-percent rostered): It may seem odd to be recommending a keeper who just conceded four goals, but Buzunu still put up a top-11 keeper score in Gameweek 1 on the back of five saves. If you don't own one of the big six goalkeepers, you're likely streaming the position weekly and the highly-touted Buzunu makes for a nice play in an easier matchup against Leeds at the weekend. For now, it already seems like he won the job against former starter Alex McCarthy.
Illan Meslier (26 percent): On the flip side of that matchup is Meslier, who may be owned in your leagues but comes into the week with a sub-30 percent rostership. Meslier and Leeds conceded a ton of goals last season, but this assault on their goal also led to a league-high 143 saves. He made five saves in Saturday's win over Wolves while conceding just once and now faces an up-and-down Southampton side.
DEFENDER
Joel Veltman (23 percent): Veltman started on the right side of Brighton's back three Sunday but has featured at times as a wing-back in Graham Potter's highly-fluctuating tactical setups. He doesn't offer a ton of attacking upside, especially if he continues in a back three, but is a solid source of both tackles and interceptions, finishing top 15 among defenders in both categories last season.
Nathan Ake (50 percent) - Ake is at the cutoff of selection for this article but is worth a look if available as long as he continues to start for Manchester City while Aymeric Laporte is injured. The cente-back won a team-high three aerial duels in Sunday's win over West Ham and should have a high opportunity at another clean sheet in Gameweek 2 against newly promoted Bournemouth.
MIDFIELDER
Moises Caicedo (13 percent): Caicedo had been hyped in the preseason and it looks like he's ready to fill the hole of Yves Bissouma in Brighton's midfield. In the opening upset win at Manchester United, he seized his opportunity, contributing top-four totals among midfielders in clearances, interceptions, aerials won and tackles, but also made three key tackles in a well-rounded effort. While he started only eight matches for Brighton last season, there's a decent chance he remains in this role as long as he's healthy.
Marcus Tavernier (four percent): Tavernier is not a pickup for this weekend heading into an away clash with Manchester City, but he makes the list after taking a team-high four corners during Saturday's win over Aston Villa. The midfielder had three key passes, playing in a role just behind the striker for the Cherries. Tavernier is one to watch in the coming weeks but could lose his role on set pieces if Ryan Christie, who didn't start Saturday, makes a more regular return to the Bournemouth starting XI. On the positive side, Tavernier received an immediate start in the opener despite not even being with the club a full week.
FORWARD
Hwang Hee-Chan (22 percent): Hee-Chan makes the list after an opening-day assist in Wolves' loss to Leeds. The assist was great but so too is the opportunity afforded Hee-Chan as incumbent starter Raul Jimenez remains out with injury. Hee-Chan has already matched last season's assist total in addition to his five goals in 30 appearances for the club last season. The new signing of Goncalo Guedes could hurt playing time but as of now, Hee-Chan is expected to continue up front for Wolves.
Odsonne Edouard (43 percent): Edouard is not the best pickup for this week, staring down a trip to Liverpool, but is worth a pickup for teams needing help at the forward position. It seems that Edouard will be the first-choice striker for a Palace side that is always sneakily better than most expect. The forward scored six goals and had three assists in 28 appearances last season and will look to build on last year's figures if he can nail down the full time starting role in between Wilfried Zaha and Jordan Ayew. The transfer away of Christian Benteke helps, while Jean-Philippe Mateta will be his main competition for minutes. On the downside, Edouard only played 58 minutes in the opener, which was often the case for whoever started centrally for Palace last season.
