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A weekly look at the players who are likely available in most leagues at each position. For up-to-date injury news and information to help you make critical waiver wire decisions please take this information into consideration along with other subscriber articles such as the weekly Upgrades/Downgrades and the Players in the News. Quarterbacks Add immediately, impact potential Drew Brees (SD) - Not only is Brees
warding calls for rookie Philip Rivers to take
over the starting job, but he's playing
efficiently and winning football games. Over the
last three weeks Brees is producing numbers that
are starter quality in most leagues. He's thrown
5 TDs, no INTs and produced 538 yards while also
rushing for another score. He's got three
legitimate receiving threats in LT, Antonio
Gates and Reche Caldwell. If you are in dire
straits for a QB then Brees would be a nice
addition at this point in the season. Tim Rattay (SF) - Rattay went bonkers
this week. Playing from behind has it's benefits
and it appears the 49ers could be doing their
fair share of that this season. In the past two
weeks Rattay has 716 passing yards, 4 TDs and 1
INT. This week he torched a Cardinals defense
missing Duane Starks, but if he can stay healthy
then he could be nice addition. Rattay was this
week's top fantasy QB outside of Culpepper
throwing for 417 yards on 38 for 57 passing with
2 TDs. Chris Simms (TB) - Simms got his first
NFL start this week against the New Orleans
Saints, but didn't last long as he was sacked by
rookie DE Will Smith injuring his shoulder and
fumbling on the play. Brian Griese
replaced him and finished game. It's unknown
whether Simms will miss extensive time, or any
time at all at this point, but he deserves a
spot on the waiver wire list simply because if
he's healthy and able to go - he will be the
Bucs starting QB moving forward. Simms didn't
seem too bothered by his injured shoulder
following the game stating "I don't think it's
serious. I was just trying to throw the ball and
I felt something and couldn't go on." Stay tuned
for FBG's full injury recap, Players in the News
and Upgrades & Downgrades to get the full story.
If Simms is good to go, you'll want to keep him
near the top of the list of available QBs. Add for depth, starter potential Ben Roethlisberger (Pit) - After being thrown to the wolves as a
rookie, Big Ben is playing much better than anyone could've possibly
anticipated. He's 3-0 as a starter and produced another strong game
statistically this week completing 16 of 21 passes for 231 yards with 1 TD and 1
INT. He also rushed for a TD. He's not quite starter-quality at this point, but
he's quickly becoming a solid 2nd option and potentially a very good spot
starter for the bye weeks if you're in need. Just don't get crazy, pick him up
and start him against top ranked defenses like Baltimore. That might be pushing
it for the talented rookie. He's got some tough matchups in the month ahead, but
after that the outlook is brighter is he retains the job if/when Maddox returns. Brian Griese (TB) - Griese took over
for the injured Chris Simms (see above) this week and
finished with 194 yards and 1 TD. If Simms misses a lot of time with an
apparent shoulder injury, then Griese could
benefit given the upcoming schedule for Tampa
features some solid matchups on paper including
two games against Atlanta and home games against
Chicago, KC and San Francisco. Griese
has plenty of downside as he's hardly been a
mark of consistency or productivity since
leaving Denver. Brad Johnson could potentially
re-emerge for the Bucs as well. Stay tuned to
the FBG Upgrades/Downgrades and Players in the
News to get a good read on this situation as it
bears watching. Gruden's teams throw the ball a
lot and with good matchups sprinkled all over
the schedule, Griese could be worth a roster
spot if the situation is right. Add for insurance, potential down the road Josh McCown (Ari) - Slowly, but surely
McCown is rounding into shape. After a rocky
start, McCown has rebounded the past two weeks
throwing for 388 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT.
Surprisingly, McCown hasn't added much value
with his running. Maybe Dennis Green is trying
to reel him in to keep him healthy for the full
slate. As his WR corps gets healthier with
Anquan Boldin possibly returning mid-season,
McCown could once again be a good QB to add for
depth now or as a spot starter for a bye week if
the matchups look favorable. Jonathan Quinn (Chi) - Quinn didn't
play this week as the Bears had a bye week.
However, he's going to be the Bears starting QB
for the immediate future barring injury or
potential trade. Quinn didn't look all that
impressive in his first start. Then again, he
faced the hyper-aggressive Eagles defense that
was stacking the line and pressuring Quinn to
beat them downfield. He managed to protect the
football and didn't turn the ball over, so
that's at least ONE good thing to take away from
that experience. Otherwise, he fits into the
category where he needs to show us more before
he's someone you would consider starting - good
matchup or not. As such he's worth a gamble, but
not a lot more at this point though 2 of the
Bears 3 games in the playoffs look potentially
favorable for the Bears passing game. Running Backs Add immediately, impact potential Reuben Droughns (Den) - Droughns has been biding his time just hoping for a shot at the Broncos starting gig. This week he got what we wanted and did nothing to disappoint carrying the rock 30 times for 193 yards while catching 4 passes for 18 yards including a TD. Quentin Griffin might not get the job back after that kind of performance. The Broncos featured back is like a fantasy treasure chest, especially if/when someone falls off the waiver wire like Droughns. He was compared to Mike Anderson in some conversations this past week considering their relative obscurity and move to tailback from fullback. The Broncos play at Cincy in two weeks, against Houston in week 9 and then at New Orleans in week 10. It gets better though. Denver finishes the season with a strong fantasy playoff schedule featuring games against Miami, KC, Tennessee and Indy over the last four weeks - all of which are favorable rushing matchups on paper. Run don't walk and get Droughns based on his week 5 performance and what might lie ahead. At some point though, Mike Shanahan must want to see rookie 2nd round pick Tatum Bell in the starting role, but for now Droughns looks like the hot back to ride. Mewelde Moore (Min) - With Michael Bennett set to miss at least one more week and Onterrio Smith serving three more games of a 4 game suspension by the league, Mewelde Moore stepped in and had an outstanding game. Known as a pass-catching RB coming out of college, Moore showed he can also run the ball effectively between the tackles. Moore produced big numbers in both facets of the game. He rushed 20 times for 92 yards and hauled in 12 catches for another 90 yards. Next week Mewelde should shine again facing a SUPERB matchup against the Saints. If Bennett doesn't return in week 7 he gets yet another solid matchup against the Titans. Beyond that it's difficult to predict how many touches Moore will get with Smith returning from suspension and Bennett likely returning. Chester Taylor (Bal) - Jamal Lewis will miss two games due to suspension following the Ravens bye week (week 6). Taylor is expected to get the bulk of the carries in his absence though Musa Smith will likely get some of the workload as well. Taylor has looked good in limited play as the backup, but has never carried the ball more than 10 times in an NFL game. If you need a short-term solution, the Rouge Rocket is a potentially good pickup with 2 starts coming against Buffalo and Philadelphia. Others worth a look - Two other backs who might still be available, but who were likely snatched up already include Amos Zereoue (Oak) and Michael Pittman (TB). Pittman will be the Bucs starter for the rest of the season barring injury or trade while Zereoue will split carries with Justin Fargas while Tyrone Wheatley is out with a shoulder injury. If you are in a TD only scoring league then you'll want to see if Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala is available. He appears to be the Jags goal line runner again as he rushed 4 times for 6 yards including a TD this past week. Otherwise, his value is rather limited at best considering the crowded backfield in Jacksonville. Patrick Pass logged 10 carries this week after replacing Corey Dillon late in the game after twisting his ankle. If doesn't look like Dillon will miss any time moving forward, but Pass would benefit in the short term if he did as would Kevin Faulk. Beyond the next couple games, see the analysis on rookie Cedric Cobbs (below). Lastly, if the Panthers Stephen Davis has any setbacks practicing this week, you'll want to look at grabbing Nick Goings or Brad Hoover. Both players saw more action this week when DeShaun Foster broke his collarbone. Davis is expected back this week, but just to be safe, you should keep an eye on the situation and grab one of these two if Davis isn't able to go for any reason. Add for depth, starter potential Steven Jackson (Stl) - It seems like only a matter of time before one of two things will happen - Marshall Faulk getting hurt or Jackson getting more touches regardless. In the later case, Jackson would pretty much be a tease week in and week out. In the former case, Jackson would likely jump into the top 10 realm of fantasy backs. Down the stretch the Rams face what appears to be good rushing matchups in week 12 at Green Bay and week 14 at Carolina. In most leagues, Jackson won't be available, but he's definitely worth mentioning to those of you sitting on Faulk with Jackson hanging out there on the wire. Willis McGahee (Buf) - Travis Henry injured his ankle in this week's game against the Jets, left the field and then returned after sitting for a series. He didn't appear to be 100% though and McGahee did well in his place rushing 8 times for 42 yards. The Bills ground attack has been nearly invisible through the first five weeks but there are exploitable matchups ahead including four games in a row around the playoffs where the Bills could have success running the ball - week 13 at Miami, week 14 vs Cleveland and week 15 at Cincinnati. If Henry does miss any games, then you'll want to do some prospecting and get McGahee in the fold especially considering the possibility of the Bills running game finding some success during these critical weeks. Troy Hambrick (Ari) - Hambrick appears to have earned himself a supporting role in the Cardinals ground attack supplanting Emmitt Smith. In the past two weeks he's rushed for 108 yards, scored a TD rushing and receiving and carried the ball at least 10 times in each game. Emmitt has shown no signs of slowing down though he did appear to tweak his groin near the end of the Cardinals game against the 49ers this week. Given his age it wouldn't be a surprise if Hambrick were thrust into the starting role at any point moving forward if Emmitt were to falter. The Cardinals have potentially good rushing matchups in week 8 at Miami, week 9 vs NYG, week 10 at Carolina and week 15 vs St. Louis. In deeper leagues, Hambrick should be considered a strong pickup if he's still available. Artose Pinner (Det) - Pinner was likely snatched in most leagues a week or two ago after Kevin Jones suffered a high ankle sprain. Filling in for Jones this week against a tough Falcons run defense, Pinner performed fairly well (all things considered). Pinner ran 23 times for 68 yards, less than 3 yds a carry, but he managed to cross the goal line. Jones may return next week putting Pinner back to the bench, but Mooch has stated repeatedly that Pinner will be involved. If Jones does NOT return in week 6 at home against the Packers, then Pinner is worthy of consideration as a starter. The Lions schedule only feature a couple games with bad rushing matchups the rest of the way so Pinner is definitely worth a look either way even though the Lions running game isn't anything to write home about through 4 games. Add for insurance, potential down the road Cedric Cobbs (NE) - Set to come off the team's PUP list, Cobbs could be cleared to play as early as week 7. Dillon twisted his ankle against the Dolphins this week and if should miss any time down the road, then Cobbs would almost surely benefit. He could jump right into a featured back role with Kevin Faulk or FB Patrick Pass figuring prominently as a 3rd down back. A lot of owners have forgotten about Cobbs, but he could be worth a roster spot if not only to provide insurance to Dillon's owners. Cobbs led the SEC in rushing at Arkansas and he's talented enough to be a potentially very good fantasy RB if the opportunity presents itself. In the 2nd half of the season the Patriots have some SERIOUSLY good rushing matchups including week 11 at KC, week 13 at Cle, week 14 vs Cin and week 15 at Miami. Consider Cobbs a great pre-emptive pickup for the opportunistic owner if you can afford the roster spot. Jesse Chatman (SD) - It was unclear earlier this season whether Chatman or rookie Michael Turner would be a good handcuff for Tomlinson's owners. At this point, it's safe to say that Chatman has answered that question. He rushed for 103 yards on 11 carries this week mopping up on the Jaguars strong run defense in relief of Tomlinson, who left the game with an apparent injury. Don't fret though.. it doesn't look like Tomlinson owners have any reason to worry as the Chargers held him out with the game clearly in hand. That said, Chatman scored a TD and showed he's very capable if given the opportunity. Just for kicks, it's worth noting the Chargers have strong matchups in week 7 at Carolina, week 9 vs New Orleans, week 12 at KC, week 15 at Cleveland, week 16 at Indy and week 17 vs KC again. That should underscore Chatman's potential value in the event of an injury to LT. Musa Smith (Bal) - See Chester Taylor above, but when Jamal Lewis misses two games in weeks 7 and 8, Musa will likely get some of the rushing load as well. It's hard to say how much real value he'll add considering the matchups aren't particularly good, but he's bigger than Taylor and could get some goal line carries and 5 to 10 touches a game as a baseline. Keep an eye on this situation and any news coming out of Baltimore to see if Brian Billick tips his hat regarding how the carries will be dispersed in Lewis's absence. Miami Dolphins RBs - It might be safe to say that no Dolphins RB will have much success this year unless Smoke a Rope somehow returns to the team and doesn't get suspended by the league, but that's a pipe dream. So, we're probably looking at Leonard Henry, Brock Forsey, Sammy Morris or Travis Minor - or some combination there in for the rest of the season. None of these guys stand out amongst the crowd of free agents likely available in your league, but in some deeper leagues they may be worth a roster spot nevertheless. The Dolphins schedule doesn't feature many potentially good matchups either, so adding any one of these players is strictly for the benefit of rolling the dice and seeing what happens. In this week's game Forsey became the latest back to get the bulk of the carries - 13 rushes for 44 yards. He may be worth a fishing trip, but that's probably all it would amount to given the Dolphins shoddy offensive line play and lack of offensive firepower in general. Wide Receivers Add immediately, impact potential Ron Curry (Oak) - Another strong week for Curry. 10 catches for 72 yards. He's turning into the second coming of Hines Ward, or a West coast version at least. Curry's also a former QB, not to mention a McDonald's All-American PG from the same Hampton, Virginia area that produced other names like Allen Iverson, Aaron Brooks and Michael Vick. Curry is quickly establishing himself as the Raiders go-to / possession WR. His counterpart Doug Gabriel would've had a big TD play this week if Kerry Collins hadn't completely missed him streaking down the sidelines uncovered. These two will likely alternate big games, but it looks like Curry is going to be the more consistent with Gabriel potentially more explosive. If your league rewards pts for receptions then put Curry at the top of the WR list of available free agents, otherwise, if your league is geared more towards TDs or yards, go down to the next guy - Marcus Robinson. Marcus Robinson (Min) - Robinson re-emerged this week catching the game-winning TD from Daunte Culpepper in overtime. He's got a nasty habit of breaking out with huge games then disappearing for long stretches causing his owners to pull their hair out and scream profanities. Then there's that injury bug.. The bottom line with Robinson is if he can stay healthy in Minnesota he has perhaps his best chance in years to be productive on a more consistent basis. 9 catches for 150 yds and 2 TDs this week is definitely a great start after a slow start to the season. Michael Clayton & Charles Lee (TB) - It looks like once again Charles Lee is emerging from the train wreck that has come of the Bucs WR situation. McCardell is still holding out. Galloway is still not healthy and might not be for the next few weeks. Tim Brown is just plain slowing down and really not all that effective. That leaves us with Lee - a big, physical WR with good after the catch potential. He's been productive when given the opportunity to play and he was again this week catching 4 passes for 76 yards. The previous week against the Broncos he caught 5 passes for 47 yards. Expect more of the same moving forward. Meanwhile, talented rookie Michael Clayton is also proving to be a handful. He's caught at least 4 passes in all but one game this year. Against the Saints this week he finished with 4 catches, 61 yds and 2 carries for 24 yards to boot. The sky is the limit for Clayton. He's physical, knows how to get open and has great hands. His one knack is that he's not a burner. He knows how to use his body, and despite the lack of top-flight speed, he still makes big plays downfield with his size. Both are worth grabbing in re-draft leagues. Keary Colbert (Car) - Here's another rookie who is playing well beyond his experience. Colbert exploded this week for 115 yards on 4 catches including a 26 yd TD haul that gave the Panthers the lead in the 2nd quarter against Denver. With Steve Smith out for the near future, Colbert will continue to start opposite Muhsin Muhammad. He looks like he'll be reasonably consistent and productive. He's been producing big plays and has done nothing but make the coaching staff smile from the moment he sported a Panthers uniform in mini-camps. Brandon Lloyd (SF) - Lloyd came up huge for the 49ers catching a TD pass and the following 2 pt conversion to push the game into OT prompting a 49ers come from behind win at home against the visiting Cardinals. Lloyd was bothered by the same groin injury that sidelined him the previous 2 weeks and he also had some cramping issues. Regardless, as long as Tim Rattay is starting at QB then Lloyd's stock is going to be a bit higher. He and Rattay have good chemistry and it doesn't look like the 49ers defense will be keeping them in games after losing Julian Peterson and Mike Rumph in consecutive weeks for the season. With their ground game struggling it could be a weekly aerial show with Rattay, Lloyd, Cedrick Wilson and Curtis Conway all benefiting. He's been a supreme disappointment in the first 4 weeks of the season, but injuries happen. If he's healthy and starting don't be too down on him because of the slow start. He just might turn it around and this week was a good indicator that he's on the right path. Lee Evans (Buf) - Slowly, but surely Evans is taking over the starting job from Josh Reed. He only caught one pass this week against the Jets, but he made it count - a 46 yd TD haul that put the Bills ahead late in the game. In the last three games Evans ascent is noticeable. He caught a 65 yd pass against the Raiders in week 2, then caught 4 passes for 93 yards in week 4 against the Patriots (including a 55 yarder). You think he can bust a big play? Evans has incredible speed and he's as polished of a WR as you'll find in terms of rookies. Expect more big things from him this season, but especially in years to come. Generally, rookies are hard to rely upon in re-draft leagues, but Evans looks to be an exception of the rule. Get him if you still can. Add for depth, starter potential Az-Zahir Hakim & Tai Streets (Det) - It looks as if Roy Williams could miss a few weeks - at least - if it turns out his ankle injury is indeed a "high" ankle sprain as expected. With Williams out Hakim and Streets are thrust back into full-time roles as the Lions starting WRs. Hakim may be the more productive of the two, if not the most explosive, while Streets will likely be more of a possession WR than any sort of deep threat. The Lions will probably revert back to last year in terms of how teams will play them. Expect a lot of 8 man fronts as defenses load up to stuff the run and make Harrington beat them. Well, he did just that this week connecting on a quick slant with Hakim as he did all the work after the catch going 39 yds for the game-tying TD in the 2nd quarter. Neither one of these guys are likely to give your team a big boost, but they are worth snagging if not to add depth and give yourself a reasonable plan B for bye weeks. Marty Booker (Mia) - Booker is what he is. A good possession WR with speed and playmaking ability that will ultimately languish behind the pathetic offense that is the Miami Dolphins. On a better team he's be a viable #2 fantasy WR, but as it stands he's going to produce some big weeks (7 catches for 123 yards vs. the Pats in week 5) along with a lot more mediocre of bad weeks. When you have A.J. Feeley and Jay Fiedler as a QB that's what you can look forward to.. that said, both QBs were hurt this week so keep your eyes peeled for any news surrounding this situation. It's questionable whether Sage Rosenfels could spice things up for the Dolphins, but he probably couldn't HURT Booker's value either. He's worth adding to your roster on the outside chance he could produce another big game like this week. But more often than not, he'll put up the typical 2 or 3 catches for 30 to 40 yards. Wayne Chrebet (NYJ) - 8 catches for 90 yards? For those of you who drafted Justin McCareins, I'm sure that's a comforting stat to see in the box score. The flashlight was beaming in week 5, but it's hard to get excited about any of the Jets WRs at this point in time. They are running the ball so effectively and playing good defense. This typically translates to fewer opportunities for Santana Moss, Wayne Chrebet and Justin McCareins. This might be an aberration so I'd recommend treading lightly, though if you're really hurting for WR production it might not hurt to churn the roster a little, drop some fat and take a chance on the old gym rat. Add for insurance, potential down the road Derick Armstrong (Hou) - Here's a guy who most folks probably don't know about, but you should. He's already better than Corey Bradford and he appears to be earning a larger role each week given his consistent increase in playing time and production. Armstrong has good size, speed and hands. The Texans offense is really starting to fire on all cylinders as David Carr comes into his own. Armstrong could emerge either as a start opposite Andre Johnson or as a slot WR with Jabar Gaffney being the starter. Either way, Corey Bradford is a one trick pony and he should not be on anyone's roster at this point especially with Armstrong playing well. While he's still probably more of a dynasty league guy with solid upside long-term, he just might earn his keep as a re-draft player if he sustains the momentum he's built over the past two weeks. 6 catches, 101 yards and an 11 yard TD against the Vikings is a great start. Tight Ends Add immediately, impact potential Jermaine Wiggins (Min) - Richard Owens is holding down the fort until Wiggins is healthy and returns to the lineup. That should happen in the next week or so. If Wiggins is available, grab him if you can. The Vikings are consistently utilizing their TEs and Wiggins figures to be a 3 to 5 catch guy as long as he can stay healthy. Dallas Clark (Ind) - Marcus Pollard was inactive this week which opened the door for Clark to get re-acquainted with Peyton Manning. He only caught 1 pass, but it was for a TD. Clark has big play potential for a TE and he should be more productive in the weeks ahead. He missed a few games this season due to injury, but when healthy has to be considered a top 10 fantasy TE in most leagues. I've seen him cut in a lot of leagues by impatient owners who couldn't burn the roster spot waiting for him to get back. If he's out there, get him. Jerramy Stevens (Sea) - The perennial bust appears to be finally turning the corner. The Rams have been a decent matchup for TEs this year and both Stevens and Mili produced something this week. The problem with Stevens will be splitting time with Mili on the field or just plain sharing the stats. Stevens is one of those players with a world of talent, but he's yet to put it all together on the field. The Seahawks largely ignored their TEs through the first four games, but judging from their production in the past few years under Holmgren we all know that wasn't going to last. He could emerge as a viable start in the 2nd half of the season. Get him if you can as a backup or bye-week starter and you might be surprised. George Wrighster (Jac) - Wrighster wasn't active this week, but once he's back in the lineup he looks like he could be a border-line starter. Leftwich is comfortable with him and the two have developed a solid rapport. Kyle Brady appears to be on his last legs with the Jags meaning Wrighster looks like the Jags TE of the present and future. Add for depth, starter potential Chris Baker (NYJ) - Baker is finally nudging Anthony Becht aside. It took a few years but he's now getting those looks around the goal line and could wind up being a 5 to 7 TD guy this year. Most likely, he won't be all that consistent but if you don't have one of the stud TEs, then the difference between winning and losing some weeks might be getting a TD from your TE position. Baker looks like he could fill that role reasonably well. Desmond Clark (Chi) - Clark was on the bye this week and hasn't been all that productive this year. He's been slowed by injury and the Bears passing attack has been sporadic at best. With Jonathan Quinn now starting that could give Clark an upswing in production. Quinn is unproven and inexperienced so it wouldn't be much of a stretch to expect more dump off passes and check downs to the TE and RBs. Clark is more of a pass-catching TE than blocker anyway, so he might be worth a look if he's out there. Add for insurance, potential down the road Courtney Anderson (Oak) - Anderson is starting to emerge as the Raiders best option at TE. He caught 3 passes for 38 yards and a TD this week. At 6' 7" and 270 yards he has the size to be an effective red zone target and in-line blocker. It's hard to say if he's worth a roster spot yet, but obviously if you can afford a roster spot or if you are in a dynasty league, then consider adding him before his value goes much higher. Kickers Generally, I won't spend much time on kickers simply because of their nature. For what it's worth, here's a quick list of kickers who are exceeding expectations thus far and appear to be solid fantasy options at this point. Kris Brown (Hou) Defense / Special Teams The same goes for defenses. In many leagues - beyond the top 5 or 10 - they are touch and go. You are more likely better off playing matchups each week if you are struggling at the position. That said, if you can grab the Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, NY Jets or NY Giants then you should probably do so. All are playing well and proving to be opportunistic in terms of making big plays. Top 20 Waiver Wire Pickups 1. RB Reuben Droughns (Den) |
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