| NFL Waiver Wire Wonders |
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This past weekend saw a lot of high round draft picks display for the first time this season why they warranted a high round pick. Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Braylon Edwards caught for 154 yards and a touchdown. Peyton Manning threw for 271 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. Derek Anderson threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns. Marvin Harrison caught for 83 yards and two touchdowns. For some, the turnaround came at the right time, saving a 1-4 team from being eliminated at the half way mark. Others may have watched these players put up massive points on their bench. A certain group of people may have grown impatient with some of these guys, and dropped them to the waiver wire. That’s not going to be the case with Manning or Jones-Drew, but I saw Derek Anderson land on the waiver wire in one or two leagues, and Marvin Harrison was foolishly dropped in one league of mine. If you own any of these breakout players from week six, you’ve probably stopped your search for replacements on the waiver wire. If you own guys who disappointed, like Brett Favre and Eli Manning, or guys who are injured, like Brian Westbrook and Felix Jones, then the search continues with this week’s Waiver Wire Wonders. Quarterbacks Derek Anderson – He’s not available in every league, but a few of my leagues saw him dropped just before his big game. It’s not just the 310 yard, two touchdown performance that I liked. It was the fact that he completed passes to eight different receivers, all without Kellen Winslow being active. It’s also encouraging to see him re-connect with Braylon Edwards. Or I should say, it’s encouraging to see him connect with Braylon Edwards, with Edwards actually catching the pass. Brad Johnson – With Tony Romo out for at least four weeks, Johnson becomes the best backup you can find. He has a great running game, and great receivers, plus he has a history of completing a lot of his passes. This Sunday he takes on the Rams, which should make you forget about Romo, at least for one week. Matt Ryan – Ryan is kind of like Ben Roethlisberger in his first season. He doesn’t throw a lot of passes, but he completes a lot of the passes he does throw. He gets about 200 yards a game, and most of the time gets you a touchdown. He won’t explode for a big game, but he is a good shot to get you 10 to 15 points a week, which is good production from a quarterback. Jeff Garcia – Garcia is a one week starting option, as he goes up against a Seahawks defense that has been horrible against quarterbacks this year. Garcia showed some promise last week, scoring double digit points against the Panthers. I think 200 yards and two touchdowns is about what you can expect. Running Backs Kenny Watson – After another horrible performance by Chris Perry, the Bengals could finally turn to Kenny Watson and Cedric Benson. Benson may be the guy who gets the job first, but I’ve been saying all season that Watson is the best option in Cincinnati. Watson ran for 763 yards last year and seven touchdowns, spending most of his time replacing Rudi Johnson as the starter. I have no clue why the Bengals want to try to find a running back when they have a good one in Watson. Sammy Morris – With Laurence Maroney and LaMont Jordan both hurting, Sammy Morris becomes the primary runner in New England. He also has been getting the goal line carries, so this additional work load increases his value. The next few weeks should be solid for Morris, with games against Denver, St. Louis, and Indianapolis, all with poor running defenses. Michael Pittman – Selvin Young is out in Denver, and Pittman took the bulk of the workload on Sunday, running 20 times for 109 yards. There is talk of Ryan Torain getting playing time, and Andre Hall is also in the mix. I don’t trust the Denver running game to carry my fantasy team. You’re taking a gamble no matter who you start. Warrick Dunn – Dunn carried the ball 22 times for 115 yards on Sunday. Over the last three weeks he has 49 carries for 252 yards. He won’t find the end zone that often, but he’s a decent option for yardage, and a solid flex player who can get you close to double digit points each week. Wide Receivers Lance Moore – With Marques Colston expected to return this week, Moore becomes a must own in all leagues. In the last four weeks Moore has 26 catches for 307 yards and two touchdowns. With Colston returning, Moore will be the number two receiver, and should see some favorable one-on-one matchups for Drew Brees to exploit. Bobby Engram – With Charlie Frye as the quarterback, Engram’s value takes a dip. Frye completed just three passes to wide receivers on Sunday, targeting Engram four times. I like Engram with Hasselbeck as the quarterback, but I’m benching him with Frye under center. Devin Hester – In the last three weeks Hester has caught 14 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. If you play in a league that gives points for return touchdowns, he’s an added bonus. Hester is a risky play in two wide receiver leagues, but a great high reward option in leagues that start three wide receivers. Kevin Walter – In his last two games with Matt Schaub, Walter has caught 12 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns. The Texans play the Lions this weekend, making Walter a solid start from the waiver wire. Tight Ends John Carlson – Unlike Bobby Engram, I like Carlson with Charlie Frye as the quarterback. Carlson caught four passes for 22 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, and is a solid play this weekend against Tampa Bay if Frye remains the quarterback, which is very likely. Vernon Davis – After combining for five catches and 87 yards in the first five weeks, Davis caught six passes for 75 yards in week six. Was it a one week fluke, or is this the Vernon Davis we’ve been expecting to see in a Mike Martz offense? I’m going to go with the latter. I am more surprised by the first five weeks from Davis than the week six performance. Defense/Special Teams Miami – AccuScore simulations have the Dolphins rated as the number two defense against the Ravens this week, allowing 14 points, three sacks, and two turnovers. I don’t know if they’ll be the second best option, but I’m definitely starting them this week. Houston – Detroit’s offense has been horrible so far, especially with Dan Orlovsky as the quarterback. The Texans haven’t been the best defense this year, but they should fare well against the Lions. AccuScore simulations project three sacks and two turnovers for the Texans. Trackback(0)
Comments (7)
TEASipping
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Thanks. Your advice was very helpful. Man, it's a shame I blew the whistle on Torain, as if I hadn't he might have remained available for another two weeks or so. |
twilliams
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I would drop Torain. Denver isn't running the ball that much this season, and their backfield is way too crowded for any individual to get meaningful points. The defense has also been horrible, which will put them in more passing situations. Unless Selvin Young, Andre Hall, and Michael Pittman all go down with an injury, Torain won't hold much value. Oakland on the other hand doesn't want to put the game in Russell's hands, so they're going with a heavy running attack between McFadden, Fargas, and Bush. With the injury concerns to McFadden, Fargas is a great guy to have stashed on the bench, as he would be next in line for the big load of carries. And of course, with the injury concerns to McFadden AND Fargas, Bush provides a better gamble than Torain, because at least you know Oakland will be running the ball, as they really have no other choice, unlike Denver and their exceptional passing offense. |
TEASipping
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Oh, the title didn't appear. The question was do I drop Michael Bush or someone else for Justin Fargas? |
TEASipping
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I just picked up Tim Hightower and Ryan Torain last week to try to patch up my decimated RB squad. Torain is a long term gamble but I figure my squad is going to need some help to get there in the playoffs. 4-1 currently but tough schedule. RBs are Marion Barber, Lendale White, Le'Ron McClain, Ryan Torain, Michael Bush, Tim Hightower. Also could drop either Bobby Engram or Chris Chambers(if its a high ankle sprain or something) |
Dan Wms
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Don't expect an invite into the Chad Pennington fan club anytime soon! |
cfox69
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Great article. It is really nice when your #1 RB/WR picks, Jackson/Edwards, have zero points so far. At 0-2 I am thinking of sitting them for I cannot risk another zero point production week. Plus I have other worthy players. |
Joedude
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Nicely said my man. I agree with everything except Fasano and Jason Campbell. I think you should never start Campbell ever. And I think Fasano is going to be incredibly streaky with the offense Miami has. |
