Week 9 Waiver Pickups

Thank you, Tony Romo, for making my Sunday complete. I was nervous about a full day without Houston Texans football. But your sloppy play, matched with the Steelers’ silly little outfits made my Sunday a good one. Laughable too. Ahem, Mark Sanchez, you should not be laughing. Nor should you, Phillip Rivers. At least the Steelers won.

And let’s not overlook the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs; they both have their own quarterback messes. As if a QB dispute isn’t bad enough, imagine being in Philly. Now imagine you’re the starting quarterback. Sadly I can empathize as I have my own QB controversy in my head – I own Cam Newton.  

But as all good game managers, we put the last game behind us, and look ahead to Week 9. Here are this week’s waiver wire considerations. I made them extra special this week:

Donald Brown, RB, Indianapolis Colts – Brown returned to action on Sunday with 80 yards on 14 carries against Tennessee. While Vick Ballard got the start, Brown sill proved to be an effective RB2-3. This week, the Colts face a Miami defense that has been tough against running backs. Available in 41 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Nick Foles – With Vick’s future in question, Foles is up next up. He was impressive in pre-season (completing 40 of 63 passes for 553 yards and six touchdowns) and really just needs a chance. No starter has been named yet, but his chances look good following Sunday’s 30-9 pummeling. Still, that team is a mess up and down the roster, so beware. Recommended only to those with very serious QB situations and a depleted wire. Or if you own Vick! Available in 99 percent of Yahoo leagues.  

Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – He was really strong last Thursday, throwing for 262 yards and three touchdowns against the Vikings. One of his problems last year was his turnovers. Freeman has been remarkable this year with only 5 turnovers, compared to 22 last year. I really like him this week. He’s going against an Oakland defense, that gives up the ninth most fantasy points to QBs. Available in 40 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Brandon LaFell, WR, Carolina Panthers – LaFell’s strong start to the season had been forgotten by most fantasy owners (including me), because he had done nothing since. That changed Week 7 when he revealed he still had a pulse. Over the last two games, he’s boasted 141 yards and a touchdown. Not magical statistics, but certainly serviceable in the throws of the bye weeks. And he’s an even better play this week as the Panthers take on the Redskins, who yield the second most fantasy points to wide receivers. Available in 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Sneaky play of the week:

Titus Young, WR, Detroit Tigers – With Nate Burleson out, Young is seeing extra work. On Sunday, he was 9-for-9 with 100  yards and a touchdown and two touchdowns. He’s becoming a very reliable target and has broken the WR 2 barrier. Faces a Jacksonville defense on Sunday that’s a little soft against the pass. Available in 60 percent of Yahoo! leagues. 

Erin Skelley joins Texans Radio every week on SportsRadio 610. Follow her on Twitter @erinskelley. She’ll babble fantasy to anyone who will listen. 

Week 8 Waiver Pickups

This Sunday won’t be the same. I can pretend the NFL’s Week 8 has as much luster and anticipation as Week 7, or any other week of the season. But it doesn’t. I’m not alone. Texans fans everywhere are sulking. It’s almost (but not quite) as bad as a loss. Why are we so sad? Yes, the Texans have a bye. Sigh…

I should be accustomed to this. It’s certainly not a surprise. And I’m probably better prepared than most. After all, I have multiple fantasy teams to keep my interest and my spirits alive. Distractions are good at a time like this. But without the Texans, Sunday Fun Day is just not the same.

It’s not just the game itself, but the other stuff. Imagine sports bars with fewer Battle Red jerseys and more Tony Romo jerseys. And if you stay at home, that’s an entire Sunday of Peyton Manning commercials. I can’t get 2 million free pizzas out of my head. Week 8 already stinks.

But perhaps I should pause and consider the positive. Maybe, just maybe, we needed a little break so I can give my fake teams the real attention they deserve. While I prefer to root for Matt Schaub and Arian Foster, rather than the stats of Drew Brees or LeSean McCoy, I will bite my lip and make the best of it. It’s OK to have fun this Sunday. I think that’s what Arian would have wanted. 

As you prepare for Week 8, here are a few waiver finds. They’ll help ease the pain.

Rashad Jennings, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars – OK, I had to get the obvious one out of the way. Maurice Jones-Drew was forced to leave Sunday’s game with a foot injury. In four quarters of action, Jennings tallied 102 yards on 28 carries with one touchdown. While Jennings has shown in his spotty starts that he’s not exactly Ben Tate, he’s certainly serviceable. And with bye weeks forcing you to reach – with the likes of Foster, Ray Rice and Fred Jackson on the bench – Jennings is a welcome addition. Faces a Green Bay defense that is mediocre against the run. Available in 76 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

LaRod Stephens-Howling, RB, Arizona Cardinals – Is Ken Whisenhunt the new Mike Shanahan? It feels like he pulled the ole bait-and-switch with William Powell only getting four carries, while giving the lion’s share to Stephens-Howling. (Can I call you LaRod? These hyphenated names are a pain.) LaRod finished the game with 20 carries for 104 yards, plus four receptions for 45 yards. And this was against the Vikings, a team that was fourth best in fantasy against running backs. With the 49ers up next, lessen your expectations. Available in 84 percent of Yahoo! leagues. 

Joel Dreessen, TE, Denver Broncos – The Broncos tight end appears to have surpassed Jacob Tamme as the favorite TE for Peyton Manning. With six catches for 57 yards in Week 6, Dreessen was held scoreless, but still has three touchdowns on the season. With some of the top tight ends on byes this week, Dreessen is a nice plug-n-play. Available in 88 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Shane Vereen, RB, New England Patriots – Stevan Ridley owners were hoping for an increased workload with Brandon Bolden out. Nope. Enter Shane Vereen, proof that anyone can run the ball in a Pats uniform. Even at fourth string, Vereen had eight carries for 49 yards. Ridley was still the favorite, finishing the day with 65 yards on 17 totes. Danny Woodhead contributed with 17 yards. See a lot of names in this paragraph? Exactly my point. Bill Belichick will run anyone. Need someone for Week 8? Deep leagues should give Vereen a shot. Available in 96 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Jeremy Kerley, RB New York Jets – I’m going against my “No Jets” policy here because this guy is clearly their No. 1 guy, and a viable start, with Santonio Holmes lost for the season. On Sunday, he reeled in eight catches for 118 yards against the Patriots, and he’s emerged into a solid WR2. Count on him this week against a Miami defense that surrenders the 10^th most fantasy points to receivers. Available in 57 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Brandon Weeden, QB, Cleveland Browns – With RGIII and Andrew Luck getting most of the rookie fanfare, it’s easy to overlook Weeden, who put up nearly 18 fantasy points on Sunday with 264 yards and two touchdowns against the Colts. In his last three weeks, he has nearly 800 yards and six touchdowns, with only three interceptions. This week he faces the Chargers who give up the eighth most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Available in 84 percent of Yahoo! leagues.  

Erin Skelley joins Texans Radio every week on SportsRadio 610. Follow her on Twitter @erinskelley. She’ll babble fantasy to anyone who will listen. 

 

 

Week 7 Waiver Pickups

To the down and desperate fantasy owners, let me just say I can empathize. It’s hard to admit, but one of my teams is not considered unbeatable. I feel like a parent of many kids, with one of them underachieving. I love them all. But come on, I love this one the least.

My other teams are just fine (according to this article), but my squad against the Houston Texans front office – not so hot. My most recent pummeling came at the hands of HoustonTexans.com’s very own Nick Scurfield (cue your pic please, Nick). I have an excuse this week, as I do every week. My team isn’t very good. It’s the same combination that plagues most teams: injuries, bad luck and bad choices. If only I read my own articles!

I feel bad airing my team’s dirty laundry in the media. But I wanted you, the reader, to know I’m right there with you. Whether you’re 2-4, 1-5 or even 0-6, it’s not too late. OK, maybe you 0-6’ers should just take a knee. But for the rest of you, don’t stop believing. I can’t believe I just wrote that.

Here are a few fantasy finds for Week 7:

Felix Jones, RB, Dallas Cowboys – With DeMarco Murray sentenced to week-to-week status, Jones becomes the starter this week, potentially longer. Jump on this one. Jones rushed for 92 yards on 18 carries against the Ravens. This week, he faces a Carolina defense that is generous, surrendering the third most fantasy points to running backs. Available in 77 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns – Thanks, Josh, for boosting my self-esteem with this little pickup last week. You did so well, that I’m giving you a shout out this week. Kudos to you, getting three receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown against Cincinnati. Can you make it three in a row? The Browns wideout plays an Indy defense that gives up touchdowns to everyone. Even the Jets. Available in 86 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Brandon Gibson, WR, St. Louis Rams – Sure, I saw this one too… except I didn’t at all. When Danny Amendola went down, there was no “next best.” It was like picking a horse at the track. How do I pick the best one? The one with the best name? Sure, any of them could do the job with the right jockey. Gibson fared just fine with seven receptions for 91 yards. This week, he faces a Packers defense which yields the eighth most fantasy points to wide receivers. Available in 79 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Chris Givens, WR, St. Louis Rams – He finished second at the Derby with three catches for 85 yards. If you had the Gibson-Givens exacta, you had a nice payout. Available in 97 percent of Yahoo! leagues. 

William Powell, RB, Arizona Cardinals – Sorry, this article really isn’t a rerun, but I have to mention he’s still available. With 13 carries for 70 yards in Week 6, Powell stands to get the nod again this week vs. the Vikings. Not a favorable matchup, but Powell is still a good start at RB2 or flex, especially during bye season. Available in 69 percent of Yahoo! leagues. 

Daryl Richardson, RB, St. Louis Rams – With 11 carries for 76 yards, it looks like we have ourselves a little platoon situation. Good news for those who need another RB, bad news for Steven Jackson owners. The Packers are just so-so against the run, so play Richardson with confidence in your RB3/flex spot. Available in 86 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

 Erin Skelley joins Texans Radio every week on SportsRadio 610. Follow her on Twitter @erinskelley. She’ll babble fantasy to anyone who will listen. 

Week 6 Waiver Pickups

Sean Payton, you are magical. Better than any white unicorn or double rainbow or silly little leprechaun. How do you do it? Please teach me. Is it the luck of the Irish? Or just really amazing telekinetic powers? Or perhaps you’re a throwback to Bewitched and you just wiggle your nose. Whatever it is, I’m a believer. With your watchful eye from a Superdome luxury suite, the winless Saints looked decent, even good. Drew Brees threw for 370 yards with four touchdowns. Marques Colston contributed with131 yards, and three scores. Even former Saints receiver Robert Meachem got a piece with two touchdowns.

So Sean, this is kind of a crazy thought, but here I go… If I send you my fantasy rosters, will you take a quick glance at them? All I need is a little look-see for some of that Peyton flair. Cool?  

Fantasy owners, obviously, we’d all love a “lucky Sean Payton’s foot” key chain, but absent of that, here are a few waiver finds to help your team for week 6. It’s the best I can do.

Robert Meachem, WR, San Diego Chargers – It’s about time, Robert. Finally, you and Phillip Rivers connected with 67 yards on three receptions and two touchdowns. You still make me nervous, but you’re making up for four weeks of dissatisfaction, so keep up the good work. Meachem is an adequate substitute for those replacing bye-week casualties. This week, the Chargers face the Broncos who have been average against the pass. Available in 57 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Alex Green, RB, Green Bay Packers – Poor Cedric Benson is out for at least eight weeks with a foot injury. Green’s stats were decent as a fill-in, with nine carries for 55 yards. A probable time-share with James Starks, Green is an RB3 at best, and perhaps just a benchwarmer this week facing the Texans defense. Still a good steal with nice upside. Available in 90 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

William Powell, RB, Arizona Cardinals – I seem to have the opposite effect of Payton. Sorry, Ryan Williams. Obviously, I had high hopes when I wrote about you. With your season-ending shoulder injury, Powell is expected to land the starting job. Likely to split carries, so consider him an RB3 for now. Powell and the Cardinals face the delectable Bills run defense this week. Did you see what San Fran did? Available in 95 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Bilal Powell, RB, New York Jets – No relation to William Powell (OK, maybe there is, but no time to verify). His stats aren’t that great, not even for the Jets. But there’s value here down the road. Shonn Greene remains the starter, but Powell is getting good playing time (around half the snaps) and appears to be the better runner. This week he faces the Indy run defense, which has struggled. Still, consider him a stash-n-save grab for now, or a starter in deep or desperate leagues only. Available in 85 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns – Another sneaky pick with big upside, Gordon reeled in two receptions for 82 yards against the Giants on Sunday. He also has an open door (although just barely cracked), with favorite target Greg Little dropping passes. This week, Gordon takes on the Cincy defense, which presents some problems to wideouts. Available in 98 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins – Remember all the buzz around Brian Hartline in week 4? With 12 receptions for 254 yards, who do you think helped him? That’s right, Ryan Tannehill. Expect Tannehill to continue scoring in the 10-14 point range, not bad for a QB2 or backup. Available in 91 percent of Yahoo! leagues. 

Erin Skelley joins Texans Radio every week on SportsRadio 610. Follow her on Twitter @erinskelley. She’ll babble fantasy to anyone who will listen. 

 

Week 5 Waiver Pickups

Who is Brian Hartline? Brian Hartline? Sure, you were one of the 4 percent who owned and started the Miami Dolphins wideout. I somehow missed that one. Andre Roberts and Michael Turner too. And of course, my fantasy foe Chris Johnson. Next, you’ll tell me the Baltimore Orioles clinched a playoff spot.

All these players had career days, or at least season-best. Likewise, these players were either on the bench, on the free-agent market, or in the doghouse. Setting a lineup is not easy! Sometimes it seems so obvious, your pet parakeet could do it. But these little surprises serve as gentle reminders as to why we play fantasy – because we love suffering.

Yes, we love the drama. Seriously. And I mean you – sports fans of any variety, and especially fantasy football fans. I’m talking to you, guys. I’ve heard you. You tell girls you hate drama, yet you manage three fantasy teams. Morons.

Cheers to a drama-free season! I don’t really mean that, of course. I secretly root for the Brian Hartlines of the world. Just not against me.

Here are this week’s waiver finds:

Brian Hartline, WR, Miami Dolphins – When you look back, you see the Ryan Tannehill-Hartline relationship was heating up, but just you didn’t know it would go this far – 12 receptions for 254 yards. In one game! I like Hartline going forward as a WR2. By the way, as a Texans fan, thank you, Brian, for waiting until Week 4 to emerge. Available in 74 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals – The Cincy QB has been under the radar this year, with the usual suspects getting the attention. Last week, he posted impressive numbers against the Jaguars, going 21-for-36 for 244 yards and two touchdowns. And let’s not forget he had three touchdowns week 3. Available in 36 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Ryan Williams, RB, Arizona Cardinals – Yep, saw his numbers – 13 carries for 26 yards. The matchups will get better, starting this week against the Rams. And remember Beanie Wells doesn’t return for at least six weeks. Don’t stop believing. Available in 37 percent of Yahoo! leagues. 

Owen Daniels, TE, Houston Texans – Without looking, tell me who leads the Texans in receptions. Yes, O.D. has been solid this year, working himself into the must-start tight end club. I’ve said this on the air many times – predicting the hot tight end is difficult, but you want a guy who is targeted near the end zone. As a team-leading target, pluck this guy off the wire. Available in 30 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers –If you’ve been palling around with Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer, consider expanding your circle of friends to include Rashard, who is desperately needed with the Pittsburgh running game in sad shape at 2.6 YPC. He’ll be a welcome addition to the Steelers and fantasy teams everywhere. Expected to assume the starting running back position. Available in 34 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Buffalo Bills – Surprisingly, the QB who leads the league in touchdown passes is widely available. Fitzpatrick posted massive numbers again on Sunday, going 22-of-39 for 350 yards and four touchdowns, giving him 12 on the year. This week he faces a durable San Francisco defense. Still expecting two touchdowns from the Amish Rifle. Available in 53 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Minnesota Vikings, DEF – Coming off a 23-point performance vs. Detroit is good. Facing a Tennessee Titans offense this week is even better. Are you salivating? More than a plug-and-play; the Vikings were strong against the 49ers too in Week 3. Available in 89 percent of Yahoo leagues.   

J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans – Most leagues don’t draft individual positions, including mine. Make him honorary captain. Your team will be better for it. 

Erin Skelley joins Texans Radio every week on SportsRadio 610. Follow her on Twitter @erinskelley. She’ll babble fantasy to anyone who will listen.