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Every fantasy writer and their mothers want to find the potential "next big thing," off the waiver wire or the ultimate mid-season buy-low that will catapult your team to a title. Been there. Done that.
Sometimes gap between earning a playoff spot and getting bounced in the regular season comes down to those 2-3 games during the bye weeks where 5-7 points from one player would have been the difference. Maybe you're waiting on a player like Ryan Mathews, Mark Ingram, or Knowshon Moreno to solidify an RB2 or flex spot in your RB corps. Maybe you gambled on the hot weekly waiver wire pick and it turned out to be the wrong call. Or, you took a shot on Josh Gordon's imminent returning happening earlier than the NFL's ruling because you had a good enough squad that the Browns receiver would have put you over the top, but now you've blown your waiver wire budget and you're forced to hold serve with a solid team, but free agent leftovers after your league finishes its weekly blind bidding of the premium options.
Whatever the reason, here's a list of players capable of earning you those 3-5 points per week and in some cases, much more, but could be cited for loitering on your waiver wire. Before I proceed, a bit of common sense that unfortunately needs to be written: Please consider players on Sigmund Bloom's Upgrades-Downgrades list well before you come trolling around here for an option at closing time -- these are mostly "safe" options with a high enough floor that you're unlikely to earn a zero in any given week.
QB Kirk Cousins, Washington: He's a full-tilt fantasy option. Sometimes it's a good thing (427-3-1 vs. Philadelphia) and other times it's horrific (257-1-4 vs. New York), but Cousins will see enough attempts to make him worth your time against the likes of the Cardinals, Titans, Cowboys, and Vikings between Weeks 6-9. Aggression may cost you, but it also helps you win big.
QB Mike Glennon, Buccaneers: Like Cousins, Glennon is aggressive and he has the surrounding talent to make good on his vertical leanings. Since Week 3, seven points separate Glennon from QB1 territory.
QB Kyle Orton, Bills: Not a great option, but he gets rid of the ball faster than EJ Manuel and he's an accurate intermediate passer in the middle of the field. As I described last week, Manuel missed all eight attempts in the middle of the field the week before and only of those missed targets might have been the receiver's fault.
QB Brian Hoyer, Browns: After the Steelers in Week 6, Hoyer will face the Jaguars, Raiders, Buccaneers, Bengals, TExans, Falcons, and Bills. If you're desperate for additional talent and need to make a trade of a top quarterback, I'd take the shot on Hoyer while dealing that stud QB for multiple parts. Then again, I'd probably do the same with any of the passers on this list if in desperatio mode.
WR Kenny Britt, Rams: Don't look now, but Britt has two weeks in a row with close to 70 yards and double-digit fantasy PPR totals. Brian Quick is the hot fantasy option in St. Louis, but Britt is flashing some of his old skill at aggressively winning the ball in tight coverage and earning separation on vertical routes. The defenses ahead for the Rams aren't fantasy favorites (49ers, Seahawks, Chiefs, and Cardinals during the bye weeks), but it could be Quick who draws the top cornerback a significant amount of the time.
WR Travis Benjamin, Browns: Cleveland's return specialist and and reserve receiver has the speed and toughness in tight coverage to approximate DeSean Jackson if given the opportunity. Benjamin flashes as much when he and Brandon Weeden were rookies a few years ago. The problem with Benjamin is he's a short, thin player and unless you consistently play like Jackson or Marvin Harrison, you're not going to convince a new coaching staff that didn't pick you that you deserve a true shot to see the field as a primary option. Unless of course, you're the current Browns staff that is starting Andrew Hawkins and using 5-8, 167-pound Taylor Gabriel.
The rookie Gabriel also belongs on this list, but Benjamin is the pick if you're seeking upside because he's faster than Gabriel, more dynamic in space, and he's had better outings in three of the first four contests. Considering that the opposition will try to stop the Cleveland ground game first and the Brian Hoyer entered the league with essentially the same status as Benjamin and Gabriel, don't think the Browns' quarterback will shy away from these two receivers if they're open. Here's a summary of my 2012 breakdown of Benjamin as an NFL prospect.
RB Antone Smith, Falcons: One thing I can say about Atlanta's offense is that its consistent with its distribution of running back touches. At most, Smith sees 3-5 touches per game, but the Falcons have done a fine job of getting the dynamic little runner into the open field where he breaks tackles and blows by defender angles like the Road Runner. Hey may only earn you 15-25 yards if he doesn't score, but he has multiple touchdowns over 40 yards in length and if anything, he's making a case for more carries at the expense of either Jacquizz Rodgers or Devonta Freeman.
RB Benny Cunningham, Rams: He'll be in greater demand if Zac Stacy's calf injury forces the starter to miss time. Cunningham runs a little like Alfred Morris in the sense that he has strength, balance, decent feet, and the patience to milk the most from a crease with his limited speed. He has a tough slate of games ahead if Stacy is out, but he'll earn consistent looks and he's proving to be a solid receiver from the backfield.
RB Storm Johnson, Jaguars: A good receiver on screen passes, Johnson has decent footwork, burst, and good lateral movement. His opportunity might be a one-time thing, but why not take a chance on him in case it isn't?
RB Chris Ogbonnaya, Panthers: Although Jonathan Stewart is expected back in a few weeks, Stewart has rarely stayed healthy and Ogbonnaya is a quality receiver with enough experience and skill to be the best option Carolina has if its normal platoon system remains sidelined.
RB Trey Watts, Rams: The UDFA has short area quickness and a high-energy style that offsets limited speed or power. He's a slippery runner who rarely allows the opposition to get a great angle on him. Watts is a versatile player who won't wow anyone, but he has earned opportunities the past two weeks.
WR Louis Murphy, Buccaneers: Mike Evans is expected back by month's end, but Murphy is playing strong football as the rookie's replacement. After a 99-yard effort against the Steelers two weeks ago, Murphy had another strong game versus the Saints. His touchdown catch was a good display of sideline awareness while adjusting to the football near the boundary. The journeyman's speed and routes are good enough for quarterbacks to target him in the intermediate and deep range of the field. Further, Mike Glennon has no qualms about taking shots down field. Murhphy had three receptions called back in the Saints game and he still had 3 catches for 35 yards and a score.
WR Robert Woods, Bills: One of the better young route runners, Woods' rapport with Orton should develop fast enough that he could earn enough targets for reasonably strong flex production. If not, he's still a lock for some bye-week points in a pinch.
WR Junior Hemingway, Chiefs: Hemingway is a poor man's Marques Colston. He's not fast, but he has good size and sticky hands. He manages to find good creases in the middle zone and he is gradually gaining Alex Smith's trust as a secondary option. He won't earn the red zone targets and he's not a a deep threat, but he's one of those solid PPR options at the bottom of the barrel who can earn you points if your're in a pinch.
WR Steve Johnson, 49ers: Other than a 9-catch game against the Cardinals in Week 3, Johnson has been earning 1.5 targets per game during the four other weeks. In fact, he's earned a catch a game the past two weeks. However, each catch has resulted in a touchdown. Both were fine plays. This weekend, Johnson used a forearm shiver to swat past contact and create separation in the red zone. He's a higher risk than some of the options above, but he's a savvy receiver in tight coverage. Despite San Francisco limiting its use of Johnson, they've done so with high-leverage opportunities where Johnson thrives.
WR Brandon Lloyd, 49ers: I admit it, I love Brandon Lloyd's game. He's an artist of the highest order when it comes to the ability to make difficult catches. The grab he had on Sunday versus the Chiefs might not even be in Lloyd's top-20 NFL catches -- and if using difficulty as the only determining factor, at least 10 of Lloyd's catches belong on a list of the top 100 NFL receptions of all time and I'd put a few of them in the top 20. Hell, Lloyd was smiling while he was leaping for the ball -- well before he made the catch. He knew that ball was his.
Lloyd makes this list because he saw the field in every offensive series of the Chiefs game. He was not only used in three and four-receiver sets, but the 49ers occasionally replaced Anquan Boldin with Lloyd in two-receiver alignments opposite MIchael Crabtree. While San Francisco put Lloyd on the field in its own territory, Lloyd saw a significant amount of his opportunities past the 50 and Colin Kaepernick is gaining confidence in targeting the receiver down field in tight coverage.
There was a deep throw on 2nd and 6 with 11:37 in the half where Lloyd broke the route short and Kapernick went deep. I'm highlighting this mistake becuase on the very next play, the 49ers quarterback targeted a wide-open Lloyd who got free up the same sideline on a double move on 3rd and 6. In addition to the third-and-long reception that has made the highlight reels this week, Lloyd saw final deep target in the middle of the fourth quarter.
Maybe this was just the game plan against the Chiefs, but considering how much confidence Kapernick displayed with Lloyd in this game I don't think Week 5 will be an anomaly when it comes to routine targets for the high-flying veteran. The combination of skill and high-leverage targets makes Lloyd a decent bet in a pinch.
TE Scott Chandler, Bills: Kyle Orton understands how to play the game at a high enough level to keep the Bills competitive and keep unforced errors at a minimum. Chandler has four straight weeks with points. He also has the height to earn red zone targets. He may not offer you the big-play upside of Tim Wright, who will be a hot commodity this week, but he migth be steadier.
TE John Carlson, Cardinals: Troy Nikklas is hurt and Rob Housler's game has been hurting since he arrived in the NFL. Carlson is probably fifth on the Arizona list of receivers to consider, but he's earning catches every week and if you're desperate, you want points.