Fantasy Football Week 9 Waiver Pickups

Brace yourself. The eye of the bye weeks is here. And it’s going to be ugly. With the exception of week 4, the byes so far have been relatively painless, with only two teams on vacation each week. Pfft! Anyone can handle a few add/drops. But weeks 9 and 10, a total of 12 teams will be resting.

The really crafty owners master the bye weeks. They poach the wire looking for discarded jewels. They look ahead a week and grab the good defensive matchups. But this little plan is ruined. How can you plan for week 10 if you’re forced to play without a kicker this week?

On the bright side, you are not alone. In fact, it’s possible your opponents are even worse off than you. But most teams will require a few adjustments. So with that, here are a few friendly suggestions:

Brandon LaFell, WR, New England Patriots – I dismissed his performance week 4 when he snagged six receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown. And then again week 6, when he totaled 97 yards and two touchdowns. But it’s hard to deny this fantasy free agent much longer after catching 11 receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown from vintage Tom Brady.     

Martavius Bryant, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers – If you were able to overlook the awful uniforms, you noticed Pittsburgh wideout Martavius Bryant burn the Indy defense with five receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns. And the Colts have a solid pass defense. Bryant now has three touchdowns in two weeks. He’s a good claim, especially with the bye week pains. I’ve already claimed Bryant in one league, but do plan to talk to him about his attire. It’s the right thing to do.  

Denard Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars – Two weeks in a row, Denard has dazzled with 100-yard performances, this time with 108 rushing yards. This week, he faces a Cincinnati defense that is generous to running backs. Consider Robinson a Jag  you can trust.  

Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City Chiefs – He wasn’t spectacular on Sunday. But he also wasn’t bad with 226 yards, 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Yes, it was the Rams defense. But guess what, he plays the Jets on Sunday. Kyle Orton threw four touchdowns against them week 8. Yes. That Kyle Orton.   

Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB, Baltimore Ravens – It appears the Ravens have replaced TD vulture Bernard Pierce with new TD vulture Taliaferro. On Sunday, Zo cashed in on two touchdowns on 69 combined yards. This little surprise is worth an add, especially for deep leagues or bye week blues.  

Cleveland DEF – They play Tampa Bay. I’ll leave it at that.

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

Fantasy Football Week 8 Waiver Pickups

Zero. Zilch. Nada. Zip. After doing the math, that’s how many fantasy points Zac Stacy earned on Sunday. And I don’t know if this lessens or worsens the pain for Stacy owners: Stacy had zero carries. So he wasn’t just ineffective, or clumsy. He wasn’t used. Stacy played one snap, saw zero looks, zero carries, which equals zero points. Ouch.

With Jeff Fisher practicing sneaky Belichick-like antics, Stacy not only saw one running back surpass him, but two: Tre Mason and Benny Cunningham. All fantasy owners have been there, and will be there again. All you can do is sprint to the waiver wire and recharge your fantasy energy with a free agent.

Speaking of the waiver, wire, here are a few free agents for your considerations. And please be kind to the Stacy owners in your league. Allow them first dibs on running backs. I don’t really mean that.    

Tre Mason, RB, St. Louis Rams – As mentioned, Mason was one of two running backs to outplay Stacy in the St. Louis Rams’ gutsy and glorious performance over the Seattle Seahawks. Mason, who is in his rookie season, finished the day with 85 yards and a touchdown. Looks like this little lamb is the Rams new starter.

Benny Cunningham, RB, St. Louis Rams – Cunningham can help you also. While Mason was the lead back with 18 touches, compared to Cunningham’s seven, Cunningham contributed with five catches for 46 yards a touchdown. Mason is clearly the favorite, but if you’re hurting at RB, Cunningham is a good add with 10+ points in consecutive weeks.  

Denard Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars – Looks like another running back established a starting role on Sunday. Robinson, who entered the Jags-Browns game with 160 career yards, dazzled with 127 yards on 22 carries, and his first career touchdown. Robinson is still widely available. Feeling good about this Jag.

Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks – With Percy Harvin traded earlier last week, Baldwin stepped up as Seattle’s No. 1 target, and reeled in seven receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown. I don’t expect performances like this every week, but he’s worthy of a WR3 slot.  

Gavin Escobar, TE, Dallas Cowboys – There are some who already know this guy: Cowboys fans, and those who own Jason Witten… and I’m guessing this is probably a sensitive subject for Witten owners. Meet Gavin Escobar, the Dallas tight end with three touchdowns over the past two games. I don’t think he has replaced Witten, but he’s worth watching. For now, deep leagues only.  

Bryce Brown and Anthony Dixon, RB, Buffalo Bills – And just like that, the Fred Jackson-C.J. Spiller tandem is over, at least for now. Spiller is done for the season and Jackson will miss as many as four games with a groin injury. In their absence, Dixon stepped in on Sunday and rushed for 51 yards on 13 carries. Seems like the logical pickup, right? And that’s my guess. But keep in mind that Bryce Brown, who had been the inactive fourth-stringer, has been activated and likely to help carry the load. Not really sure how this will shake out, but my guess is Dixon, at least for now.

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants – Against an improved Cowboys defense, Beckham was impressive with two touchdowns on 34 receiving yards. He added 13 rushing yards. Consider Beckham a WR2-3 each week. Except this week, of course – he has a bye. Beckham is still available in half of all fantasy leagues. Don’t make me beg you to take him.

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

Fantasy Football Week 7 Waiver Pickups

This isn’t easy, that’s for sure. As a fantasy owner, you’re the owner, general manager and head coach combined. Maybe even the commissioner, and surely the one measly fan of your team. Choosing who sits and who starts each weak is agonizing. Waiver wire shopping can be daunting too. But when you get it right, it feels pretty good, doesn’t it? Now raise your hand if you started Mohamed Sanu or Joe Flacco. Very well done. And if you started Brandon LaFell or Antone Smith, you are a genius. Or a liar.  

Cheers to the geniuses – and the liars too. And, because I care, here’s a little help with this week’s shopping list:

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Cincinnati Bengals – I expected an uptick in Sanu’s production on Sunday, but not quite this much. With A.J. Green sidelined, Sanu delivered with 11 receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown. Both Green and Marvin Jones are expected to sit out week 7, so count on another red hot Sanu when the Bengals face Indy on Sunday. Sanu is still available in 40 percent of leagues.

Ronnie Hillman, RB, Denver Broncos – Fantasyland wasn’t sure exactly how this would shake out with so many options. But on Sunday, Hillman was the featured back with Montee Ball sidelined for 3-4 weeks. Hillman rushed for 100 yards on 24 carries, and added three receptions for 16 yards. Look for Hillman to continue the lead role until Ball returns.

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants – While Beckham didn’t match his week 5 performance of 44 yards and a touchdown, Victor Cruz’s injury means Beckham will be inserted into a starting role. Consider Beckham a WR2-3.  

Tim Wright, TE, New England Patriots – If you’re going to catch only one pass, for one little yard, the end zone is a good place. And that’s what Wright did on Sunday. The Pats tight end, who has two touchdowns in two weeks, may not get a lot of looks, but red zone territory is what matters. Consider Wright a good add for deep leagues or bye weeks.

Storm Johnson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars – Look, I wouldn’t rush for this pickup. I’m trying to stay away from Jaguars (and Vikings too). Yes, Johnson scored a touchdown, but his 10 carries amounted for only 21 yards on Sunday. Still, he’s worth an add if you’re hurting at RB. Toby Gerhart’s ineffectiveness means more opportunities for Stormy.

Antone Smith, RB, Atlanta Falcons – Yes, Steven Jackson is the lead back in Atlanta, but you have to wonder how much longer. With Jackson’s numbers declining, and Smith putting together 40-, 50- and 60-yard touchdowns, it’s only a matter of time before Smith works himself into a more prominent role.   Consider Smith an investment pick.

Cleveland DEF – Keeping the Steelers to 10 points should get your attention. Oh, but yes, they don’t really force a lot of turnovers. But wait, their next three opponents are Jacksonville, Oakland and Tampa Bay. Have fun with that, streamers.

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