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This article covers a long list of players at each position because we try to cover all the bases for those of you in leagues with 8 or 10 teams, those that use PPR scoring or even those larger leagues with 14+ teams. What we've done this week is offer a list of players who may be available in smaller leagues that we've covered at length in previous weeks of this article. If you can grab a player from one of these lists at each position, do that first, then proceed into the write-ups that follow for players that may be better targets for deeper, more competitive leagues with larger rosters. Quarterback Grab one of these quarterbacks, if they are still available. League sizes and roster limitations vary greatly, so your mileage will vary.
Add Immediately (Impact potential)
The Titans are a team on the rise as Vince Young led the Titans to a come-from-behind victory for the second straight week upending the division leading Colts 20-17. Young completed 15-of-25 for 163 yards with two TDs and two picks and he added 78 yards rushing on nine carries. In the last five weeks, Young is the fourth ranked fantasy QB producing 887 passing yards with 6 TDs and 249 rushing yards with 2 TDs. Actually, over the past two, three, four or five weeks, Young ranks in the top 5 QBs. The Titans face the Texans next week, who passed over the hometown Young with the top overall pick in the draft. Next is a potentially tough spot for Young against Jacksonville, followed by Buffalo on the road then at home against New England.
Garrard led the Jaguars to a 24-10 win in Miami this week. He threw for 229 yards and 2 TDs completing 16-of-22 and adding 24 yards rushing on six attempts. In the last three games, Garrard is 11th among fantasy QBs with 610 yards, 4 TDs, no picks and 83 yards rushing. In Garrard’s six starts, he ranks 12th among fantasy QBs with 1088 yards passing, 7 TDs, 4 INTs and 177 rushing yards. The Jags remaining schedule looks like this: IND, @Ten, NE, @KC. Garrard doesn’t face any juggernauts in these four games, so he’s a good bet to produce top 10 to top 15 numbers the rest of the way.
Harrington started well against the Jaguars by throwing a 17-yard TD to Marty
Booker midway through the first quarter to make it 7-0 Miami. After that, he and
the Dolphins went downhill. Harrington was intercepted twice and sacked four
times, as they lost to the Jaguars 24-10 at home. It was the Dolphins first loss
in five games. Harrington finished with 267 yards on 27-of-42 passing. In the
last five weeks, Harrington ranks in the top 15 QBs averaging 15 ppg (FBG
scoring). On a ppg basis, Harrington ranks 11th YTD. With 13 INTs, he could hurt
you if your league penalizes heavily for picks. The Dolphins remaining schedule
begins with New England at home, then at Buffalo, back home again to play the
Jets, then at Indy.
Campbell has 531 passing yards with 5 TDs and 3 INT (and 33 yds rushing) to rank among the top 15 fantasy QBs in the last three games, also his first three starts as a pro. He’s 1-2 as a starter, but his stats aren’t bad considering he took over for a struggling Redskins team that was 3-6. The Redskins remaining schedule includes PHI, @NO, @STL, NYG. Overall, the matchups are better than average. Does that mean Campbell should finish among the top 12 fantasy QBs on a points-per-game basis? He’s already in that realm, but that’s a little optimistic. A solid finish for Campbell would certainly be a boost for the Redskins future (and potentially a reason for Joe Gibbs to stick around next year).
Add For Depth (Starter potential)
Green finally had his first big game since returning to the starting job a few
weeks ago. Despite losing to the Browns 31-28 in overtime, Green had a solid
game completing 24-of-32 for 297 yards with 4 TDs and an interception. In
Green’s three starts, he ranks 21st among QBs with 560 yards, 4 TDs (all this
week), 2 picks and 14 yards rushing. The Chiefs upcoming games begin at home vs.
the Ravens, then at San Diego and Oakland, then at home against Jacksonville.
That’s not a very friendly schedule for Green and the Chiefs passing game. In
all likelihood, you’ll fare better with one of the less heralded QBs on your
waiver wire besides Green.
In Garcia’s two games, he has produced roughly the type of numbers we expected.
Garcia is 45-of-71 (63%) for 329 yards with 3 TDs, no picks and 8 yards rushing.
Not great, but not terrible either. He’s the 22nd ranked (PPG) in that span
depending on how he fares on Monday Night Football against Carolina. The Eagles
remaining schedule is mixed. Three straight road games in Washington, NY Giants
and Dallas followed by the porous Falcons defense back at home to end the
regular season. The Redskins, Giants and Falcons are solid matchups, especially
Washington and Atlanta. Garcia could be a solid emergency option in those games
if you’re looking for better options in those weeks.
In his first NFL start, Cutler completed 10 of 21 for 143 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs. Cutler struggled protecting the football as the Seahawks defense took advantage of Cutler’s inexperience by blitzing regularly. The Broncos remaining schedule begins with San Diego and Arizona in the next two weeks and then home against the Bengals and 49ers. The last three games, in particular, are above average matchups for QBs, but we’ll have to see if Cutler is able to take advantage of them. As we saw on Sunday night, he’s still a rookie and he will make mental mistakes and struggle at times.
Add for Later (Sleeper potential)
Brooks wasn’t very productive against a Texans defense that has been a solid matchup for most opposing QBs. He completed 25-of-42 for 238 yards with no TDs and and two interceptions while rushing for 13 yards. The Raiders remaining schedule is at Bengals, vs Rams, vs Chiefs and at the Jets. With new OC John Shoop calling the shots from here on out, Brooks could be a moderate sleeper. Keep in mind in his three starts, Brooks is no better than 26th among QBs producing 604 yards with two TDs, five picks and 76 rushing yds in his three starts. Add for Insurance (Injury or bye week replacement)
Charlie Frye hurt his right wrist and Derek Anderson got his first NFL action when he started the second half against the Chiefs with the score 14-10 (KC leading). Anderson threw 2 TDs passes – both to TE Steve Heiden – in the fourth quarter to force OT and the Browns went on to win 31-28. They trailed 28-14 early in the fourth quarter. Anderson proved to be a dual threat, too. He ran for 44 yards on just two attempts. His 33-yard run in overtime helped setup the Browns for the game-winning FG. He wound up with 171 yards on 12-of-21 passing with 2 TDs, one pick. The Browns have some interesting matchups during the playoffs weeks at Pittsburgh, at Baltimore, then home vs Tampa and at Houston. Let’s see what Frye’s status is going forward. Anderson is an intriguing, if not inexperienced QB to grab if Frye is unable to play next week or going forward.
The Vikings lost 23-13 in Chicago on Sunday as Brad Johnson was picked off four times before being replaced by Brooks Bollinger late in the third quarter. Johnson was picked off twice in the first half, then his last two passes were intercepted as Bollinger entered the game. Johnson completed only 11 of 26 passes for 73 yards. Later, rookie Travaris Jackson got his first taste of NFL action finishing the game off going 3-of-4 for 35 yards, adding a 2-yard run. Bollinger left the game himself with an elbow injury after he completed 7-of-9 for 70 yards. With the Bears behind them, the remaining schedule matches up well for their passing potential: @DET, NYJ, @GB and STL. The Vikings are now 5-8 and losers in five of their last six games. There's always a chance that HC Brad Childress could run with Jackson as the starter next week at Detroit. Keep him in your sights just in case. He would be a major reach as a starting fantasy QB, but with that schedule one of them could finish the season as mild surprise with some sleeper potential. Add for Insurance (Backup Plan for playoffs)
Grossman has simply been horrible in the second half of the season. The Bears
still managed to beat the sinking ship that is the Vikings 23-13 despite
Grossman’s 6-of-19 passing for 34 yards with 3 picks. Grossman is 28th among
fantasy QBs in his last 5 games, 30th in the last 4 games and 34th in his last
three games (329 yds, 1 TD and 6 INTs). HC Lovie Smith was steadfastly behind
Grossman in the past two weeks in his pressers, but Bears fans are more than
nervous. Until Smith says otherwise, Grossman is still the man, but if I owned
Grossman, I’d be either cutting him at this point, or grabbing Griese to cover
my backside. The Bears finish the season at St. Louis, vs. Tampa Bay, at Detroit
and then home against Green Bay. All four games are better than average
matchups, so keep an eye on this situation because it could bear fruit.
Running Back In most leagues, the waiver options for RBs are slim this deep into the season. Most of the players available at this point are backups on their NFL teams or part-time players. The players who garner the most attention, especially RBs, are those who benefit from injury and their role increases or those who gradually work into a larger role in their team's offense (like Cedric Houston). The backs listed here are gone in most competitive leagues, but not all of them. We’ve covered others in previous weeks, but we continue to list them in the event they are available. Check this list and then start with the “Add Immediately” section and work your way down the list to find players that best fit your league’s criteria.
Add Immediately (Impact potential)
Houston emerged from the Jets RBBC this week as the lead runner for the team entering the last month of the season. Kevan Barlow was inactive. Houston ran for 105 yards on 22 carries, scoring two TDs and catching three passes for 24 yards against Green Bay. The Jets took advantage of a golden opportunity to run the football jumping out to a 31-0 lead in the first half. The remaining schedule looks like this: Buffalo, at Minnesota, at Miami and then Oakland. Minnesota and Miami are tough matchups, but Houston could be productive next week vs. Buffalo, then he’ll be an interesting option if he remains in his current role.
Norwood ripped of a 69-yard TD run in the 4th quarter against the Redskins to
help get the Falcons back on track with a 24-14 win on the road. Last week,
Norwood rambled for 54 yards on 13 carries and he caught two passes for 7 yards.
He’s a tremendous change-of-pace back for Warrick Dunn. He is averaging over six
ypc on the season and he could play a bigger role down the stretch for the
Falcons. He should see around 10 or more touches each week, so if he’s some how
available, grab him if you can.
Fargas made his second start for the Raiders replacing the injured LaMont Jordan, who is done for the year. Last week, Fargas ran 14 times for 32 yards against a tough Chargers D while catching one pass or 16 yards. This week, Fargas ran for 49 yards on 14 carries with a TD and a 9-yard catch. In the last three games, he’s handled the majority of the carries. He’s 43rd amongst RBs in those games with 170 combined yards and 1 TD. The Raiders schedule going forward looks like this: at Bengals, vs Rams, vs Chiefs and at the Jets. All of those games are good matchups for RBs, so Fargas could be a sneaky play in the last month of the season if he remains healthy. Add For Depth (Starter potential)
For those of you in smaller leagues, Benson may be available, though not likely.
He gained 60 yards on nine carries this week with a 32-yard TD against the
Vikings top-ranked run defense. It’s a good thing because Rex Grossman and
Thomas Jones struggled. Last week. Benson scored a TD and ran for 46 yards on 10
carries. Benson is handling 10 carries per game in the last few weeks. If he’s
out there for some strange reason, grab him as he might come in handy if Jones
is banged up going forward.
A few weeks ago, it seemed like Fason could be completely written off as a potential factor in the Vikings offense. He was relegated to fourth string behind Chester Taylor, Mewelde Moore and even Artose Pinner. So, when he appeared in last week’s game it was minor surprise. This week, Chester Taylor left the game in the third quarter with bruised ribs and Fason took over. Handling the bulk of the carries, Fason ran for 75 yards on 11 carries. He scored a TD and caught two balls for 7 yards. Taylor returned to the game, but he didn’t carry the ball again. Keep an eye on Taylor’s ribs. If he’s less than questionable, keep Fason in mind as an insurance policy. Mewelde Moore would also figure into the mix, but Fason was getting almost all of the carries, not Moore. Moore caught 5 balls for 51 yards.
Lee saw extensive action this week against Houston carrying 6 times for 42 yards
while catching 5 balls for 57 yards. Justin Fargas has never been the most
durable RB, so Lee will probably continue to see something like 5 to 10 touches
each week going forward. He’s a bigger back and handles the Raiders goal line
duties, so he’s worth a roster spot in deeper leagues or those that are
TD-heavy.
Wright got the start this week even though Rueben Droughns was healthy. Droughns was still the more productive of the two, but Wright continues to play a decidedly large role in the Browns running game. He ran 11 times for 25 yards, but he had a huge catch and run to produce 70 yards on two catches. Wright looks like he’ll continue to log around 10 or more carries each week going forward, though since Droughns performed well himself, pay attention to any comments from HC Romeo Crennel this week for hints as to who will take on a larger role next week.
If your league uses a TD-only or TD-heavy scoring system, consider grabbing
Marcel Shipp. Edgerrin James ran for 115 yards on 26 carries this week against a
soft Rams run defense, but he was yanked from goal-line duty following a series
early in the game in which he was stuffed near the goal line after dancing
behind the line. Shipp handled most of the carries near the goal line after
that, though J.J. Arrington also saw action. Shipp scored three TDs while
finishing with 21 yards on 7 carries. It seems crazy that Dennis Green would
replace Edge at the goal line and on third downs, but he’s recently said that he
wants to find ways to get Shipp and Arrington involved in the offense. Whatever,
Denny. Whatever value Edge had is lost since he’s not a) catching the rock or b)
putting it into the end zone anymore.
Morris ran for 47 yards on 12 carries and he caught three passes for 20 yards
against a tough Jaguars run defense this week. Ronnie Brown broke a bone in his
hand on Thanksgiving. Brown is week-to-week after having surgery a week ago.
Morris is the interim starter, so we’ll have to see whether Brown will be able
to return next week before considering Morris next week. Regardless, his chances
aren’t good against a tough Patriots defense. Beyond that, the Dolphins end the
season at Buffalo, home vs NY Jets and then at Indianapolis.
Guess who emerged in the Texans backfield this week? Sam Gado? Wrong. Chris Taylor? Wrong again. It was Ron Dayne with 18 carries for 95 yards against the Raiders. The way HC Gary Kubiak is using his RBs this year, good luck trying to guess which one will get the rock any given Sunday. Dayne could disappear as quickly as he came to the forefront this week. Wali Lundy ran 9 times for 33 yards including 1-yard TD run. He’s also the best receiving option out of the backfield (2 catches for 9 yards). Dayne managed 1 catch for 5 yards. Lundy is still the back with the most fantasy value, but Dayne is once again proving to be a wild card. Just don’t put much stock in him, unless Kubiak explicitly states that he’ll be used extensively next week or beyond. Add for Later (Sleeper potential)
Vernand Morency continues to be productive with the touches he gets. He ran for 14 yards on six carries and caught 3 balls for 43 yards against the Jets this week. Meanwhile, his counterpart Noah Herron caught seven balls for 51 yards. Normally, Morency gets more touches, but since the Packers were down 31-0 in the 2nd quarter, Herron saw more action as a receiver out of the backfield while the Packers were in “catch up” mode. Morency could be auditioning for a bigger role next, as could Herron. Watch to see how he does down the stretch.
A few weeks ago, it seemed like Fason could be completely written off as a potential factor in the Vikings offense. He was relegated to fourth string behind Chester Taylor, Mewelde Moore and even Artose Pinner. So, when he appeared in last week’s game it was minor surprise. This week, Chester Taylor left the game in the third quarter with bruised ribs and Fason took over. Handling the bulk of the carries, Fason ran for 75 yards on 11 carries. He scored a TD and caught two balls for 7 yards. Taylor returned to the game, but he didn’t carry the ball again. Keep an eye on Taylor’s ribs. If he’s less than questionable, keep Fason in mind as an insurance policy. Mewelde Moore would also figure into the mix, but Fason was getting almost all of the carries, not Moore. Moore caught 5 balls for 51 yards.
Wide Receiver Here's a list of players we've covered in previous weeks in this column. Most of these players are gone in the majority of competitive 10 and 12 team leagues. That said, some of these players might be available on your league's waiver wire. If so, consider grabbing them first, but check them against the players in this week's column in the "Add Immediately" section for the players we feel will be the most sought after in this week's waivers.
Add Immediately (Impact potential)
Another week and barely a peep out of Doug Gabriel (1-12-0), while Reche Caldwell continued to rack up strong numbers (8-112-0) against the Lions. Caldwell has produced 23 catches for 329 yards and 2 TDs in the last four games (5th among WRs). In the last six weeks, Caldwell ranks 10th and he is now 39th (YTD). Get him if you still can.
Booker is now 28th among WRs following another solid game in which Booker produced five catches for 61 yards with a 17-yard TD. In the last four weeks, Booker is 8th among WRs with 20 catches, 276 yards and 3 TDs. He’s Harrington’s go-to guy right now, so there’s a very good chance he could sustain his production the rest of the way. The Dolphins remaining schedule begins with New England at home, then at Buffalo, back home again to play the Jets, then at Indy. There are no outstanding matchups in this group, but the Jets are a solid matchup in week 16 for Booker.
Against the 49ers this week, Henderson didn’t yield any big plays catching only two balls for 14 yards. Last week, Henderson caught a 76-yard TD on his way to 158 yards and four catches. In his last five games, Henderson has 3-100 yard games (he didn’t play in one game). Henderson remains a big play threat and he’s worth using as a WR3/WR4/flex option as long as Marques Colston isn’t able to play. Henderson is probably long gone in 90% or more of the leagues out there, but he may be lurking in smaller ones.
Robinson had a nice game last week against the Cardinals this week, catching a 17-yard TD and finishing with 7 catches and 82 yards. He’s been the Vikings best WR lately. This week, he led the WRs with five receptions for 37 yards. Billy McMullen had three catches for 42 yards. Travis Taylor had two for 9 yards. He’s worth a roster spot, but he’s a gamble as a starter. Robinson is 36th among WRs in the last three games with 13 catches, 136 yards and a TD. The matchups look good down the stretch, too. The Vikings end at Detroit, vs the Jets at home, at Green Bay and then home against the Rams. Robinson looks like a solid reach in all four games.
Add For Depth (Starter potential)
Washington got the start against the Buccaneers this week as Hines Ward sat with
his bad knee. Washington caught three balls for 78 yards leading the Steelers
WRs in both categories. As long as Hines Ward is sidelined, Washington makes for
a decent fill-in for fantasy purposes as well. He’s a reach, no doubt, but the
Steelers are throwing the ball enough to provide a good opportunity for
Washington, Santonio Holmes and Cedrick Wilson all to have solid games, but none
of them will likely be a consistent producer (especially when Ward returns).
Jenkins actually broke out of his 2-3 catch/game mold this week by grabbing four balls for 43 yards and catching his fifth TD in his last seven games. Until this week, Jenkins had 2 or 3 catches in every game. He now has 6 TDs on the season, too bad that accounts for almost 20% of all his catches. Jenkins has 32 catches for 365 yards in 11 games. He’s better in TD-heavy leagues. Otherwise, he’s ranked 50th among WRs (YTD) in standard FBG scoring leagues.
Battle is ranked 46th among WRs (YTD). He caught four balls for 43 yards this week and that’s pretty close to what you should expect out of him on a regular basis. He already has career highs in targets, catchers, yards and TDs with four games to play. He’s 2nd on the team in targets (57), receptions (39) and yards (421), but he’s first in TDs (3). Now, it’s just too bad the 49ers weren’t producing more passing yards and TDs. Battle can be a decent reach (WR4/flex) when the matchups look favorable. The 49ers close out against Green Bay (good matchup), at Seattle (good), vs Arizona (good) and at Denver (poor).
Michael Clayton has been a bust for the second season in a row. He caught four balls this week for 57 yards in what was his most productive game in the last seven games. Unfortunately, he injured his knee and he could miss some time going forward. Look for Ike Hilliard and rookie Maurice Stovall to get more looks as a result. Hilliard would seem to have the inside track as the vetern No. 3, but Stovall is an interesting option, too. Stovall's size and great hands make him a great option in the red zone, where he was a monster at Notre Dame. The Bucs offense isn’t producing a whole lot of anything and neither of these players will likely produce much in comparison to Joey Galloway. Regardless, if Clayton is out for a while, one of these two could be worth a pickup.
Jurevicius caught six balls for 75 yards this week against the Chiefs. He was targeted 8 times. This was the most production we’ve seen from Jurevicius since week 9 (3-76-0). He had only 5 catches in the past three games (13 targets). He could be a sleeper if Derek Anderson is forced to start next week or longer. He was targeted four times by each QB this week, but Anderson is more of an unknown, so we can’t just assume he’ll target Kellen Winslow, Braylon Edwards, Jurevicius or even Steve Heiden (2 TDs this week) the most. We don’t expect it will be Heiden, but Jurevicius could be worth grabbing in deeper leagues. The Browns are at Pittsburgh, at Baltimore, then home vs Tampa and at Houston. Almost all of those defenses have been favorable for WRs this year.
Welker produced 5-44-0 against the Jets this week. Much to the dismay of Chris Chamber’s owners, Welker has been the most consistently targeted of the Dolphins WRs, especially in the slot where Chambers did a lot of his damage last year when he produced career-highs. Chamber is still the 24th ranked WR using FBG scoring, while Marty Booker is 28th and Welker is 40th. Welker’s 58 catches is the most among the trio (Chambers has 52, Booker 43). On the flip side, Welker has just 1 TD this year. Welker will get you around 5 catches for 50 yards a game. He’s a good player to throw in as your WR3 if you need somebody to get you a few safe points, but he’s not a “home run” type.
The Jaguars need Williams to produce for them down the stretch. Williams produced 5-42-0 vs Dolphins this week, but after a promising start to the season, he did the same disappearing act that he’s pulled in each of his previous seasons as a pro. On the year, Williams is 47th among WRs with 38-412-4. However, in the last six games, Williams is only 75th. The Jags play the Colts next week, then at Tennessee, vs New England and at Kansas City. Williams still leads the team with 32 receptions and 4 TDs, but this week was the first time he caught more than one pass in the last six games. Add for Later (Sleeper potential)
Curry caught 3 balls for 32 yards this week and he also had a 4 yard run. Randy Moss isn’t doing anything (just 4-44-0 this week). Curry has been targeted 4 to 6 times in four of the last six games. In that six game stretch, he has 16 catches for 183 yards and no TDs. Not exactly worthwhile in most leagues, but if OC John Shoop uses as many screen passes in the last four games as he used in his previous stints as a play caller, Curry could get a few more targets and have a couple decent games, but not enough to get excited about.
Moss finally got back onto the field this week against the Cowboys. He caught one pass for 10 yards. He missed the entire season due to injury, but he’s finally close to 100% again. The coaches took their time getting him back on the field, but now that he’s healthy, he could emerge as a deep sleeper in the last four games. Moss can be dangerous after the catch with his quickness and ability to make people miss. The Giants remaining games are at Carolina, vs Philly, vs New Orleans and at Washington. The last two games, in particular, are good matchups where Moss could be worth a look if he sees more action in the next two games.
Josh Reed led the Bills WRs with 50 yards (4-50-0) while Peerless Price caught a 6-yard TD pass (3-17-1) and Roscoe Parrish chipped in with 3-33-0 (though he lost fumble). Reed is back in the rotation now that he’s healthy and Parrish has been coming on, especially last week. Peerless Price hasn’t been much of a factor this year, aside from a TD once every 5 weeks or so. Lee Evans (5-45-0) is obviously the man here, but Parrish or Reed could be worth a look. The last four games are at NY Jets, vs Dolphins, vs Titans and at Ravens – no real bad matchups in that mix.
The Jets have used Smith almost every way possible so far this year. He’s lined up at quarterback, in the backfield and at receiver. He can hurt a defense in many of the same ways as someone like Antwan Randle El. With Tim Dwight on IR, Smith should play a slightly larger role for the Jets down the stretch. He caught two balls for 14 yards this week while adding a 32-yard run. He’s a solid talent to hold onto in dynasty leagues since he could emerge as a starter down the road.
Michael Clayton has been a bust for the second season in a row. He caught four balls this week for 57 yards in what was his most productive game in the last seven games. Unfortunately, he injured his knee and he could miss some time going forward. Look for Ike Hilliard and rookie Maurice Stovall to get more looks as a result. Hilliard would seem to have the inside track as the vetern No. 3, but Stovall is an interesting option, too. Stovall's size and great hands make him a great option in the red zone, where he was a monster at Notre Dame. The Bucs offense isn’t producing a whole lot of anything and neither of these players will likely produce much in comparison to Joey Galloway. Regardless, if Clayton is out for a while, one of these two could be worth a pickup.
Tight End Here's a list of the top players that are likely to be available for those of you in smaller leagues. If any of these players remain on waivers, then grab them first. If not, keep digging and look at our players below for more options.
Add Immediately (Impact potential)
The question regarding which of these two TEs would benefit from Dallas Clark’s
absence in the lineup was initially answered this week. It’s only one game, but
Bryan Fletcher produced a nice game against the Titans (3-56-0) while Ben
Utecht, the better blocker of the two, caught one ball for 18 yards. Rumors
persist that Dallas Clark suffered a torn ACL – meaning he would be gone for the
year – but the Colts haven’t reported that officially. Clark remains out until
otherwise reported, so grab Fletcher if you need a TE and he’s out there. Utecht
remains a solid option for depth in bigger leagues. Both of these guys could
have decent games and ultimately they’ll limit each other’s ceiling, but with
Peyton Manning targeting them, they’re both of interest.
Williams caught six pass for 46 yards this week, but he also coughed up two
costly fumbles in the second half that helped damper the Raider’s attempts to
keep it a reasonably close game. Williams now has 18 catches for 177 yards in
the last four games. Aaron Brooks is targeting him frequently and it’s unclear
if his fumbles could cost him next week or not. The same thing caused Doug
Gabriel to vanish from the Patriots offense about a month ago. If not, Williams
is worth grabbing as long as he remains among Brook’s top targets.
Eric Johnson suffered a knee injury that should safely remove him from the fantasy landscape for most if not all of the remaining games. That leaves the immensely talented rookie as the 49ers primary TE. He caught one pass for 21 yards against the Saints this week. He should get some opportunities, so grab him if you’re in need. Players this talented are worth gambling on, even if he’s just a rookie and he probably isn’t quite 100% yet.
Add For Depth (Starter potential)
Wrighster continues to do just enough to warrant being a top waiver choice, but not quite enough to consider as a starter most weeks. He caught just one pass this week, but it went for a 16-yard TD. The Jags also have a talented rookie in Marcedes Lewis, who could see more time down the stretch now that he’s gained some experience in the league. Wrighster is a good backup and he can be a decent reach/gamble in deeper leagues.
Alexander has 12 catches for 88 yards and two TDs in the last four games to rank him among the top 15 tight ends in that short span. He caught two passes for 16 yards with a TD against Seattle this week. As a Bronco, he’ll always be a decent threat in the red zone, but he’s never going to produce consistently enough to use on a regular basis in fantasy leagues. Alexander did tweak his ankle in Sunday night's game, so if he's limited, then switch your attention to rookie Tony Scheffler instead.
Add for Later (Sleeper potential)
Campbell will continue to be the Saints starting tight end now that Ernie Conwell has been placed on the season-ending IR. Campbell caught two balls for 10 yards this week. He caught three balls for 13 yards last week. That’s about what you might expect out of Campbell. His best game was 4-4-2-0 in week 8. The Saints are throwing the ball all over the place this year, but they use three WRs and Reggie Bush more than their tight ends.
Heiden caught two TDs this week, but let’s not jump out of our seat to get pick him up. Kellen Winslow is still the man in Cleveland, but Heiden has always been a guy defenses have to account for near the goal line. That’s because he’s never going to be a player defenses focus on, so he gets open looks and he cashes in on them from time to time. Don’t expect much going forward here unless Winslow is sidelined for any reason or length of time.
Kicker Here's a list of the top players that are likely to be available for those of you in smaller leagues. If any of these players remain on waivers, then grab them for your bye week needs or as a new starter if your current kicker is not producing as much as you need.
Defense At this point in the season the best defenses are almost always gone. Some defenses are cut during the season because owners don’t like to carry more than one defense so they can use roster spots for an extra RB, QB or WR. Some owners prefer to go with a Defense-by-committee approach and play the matchups to the best of their ability each week. That strategy often requires a weekly look at the waiver wire defenses so they can grab one with a good home matchup for that week. There may be a few good defenses remaining in your league that have good schedules during the fantasy playoffs. Here’s the list of defenses to target down the stretch to use either as a starting defense or to platoon with another defense and play the matchups.
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