For all intents and purposes, the fantasy football season is over. Most leagues (wisely) hold their championships in Week 16 to avoid the kind of debacle situation that happened yesterday in the Colts game.

So in lieu of our normal list of waiver wire pickups, I’m going to list a few guys that might be able to help a team that has another game to play in Week 17. I’m looking for two things: 1) the player is readily available on the waiver wire and 2) has a good matchup in Week 17.

Josh Freeman (2.6)
Freeman has averaged 208 yards and 1.1 TD in eight starts and has a nice matchup with a sketchy Falcons defense in Week 17. He throws a lot of picks (2.0 per game), but if you’re in a league that doesn’t penalize too heavily for INTs, he wouldn’t be a bad Week 17 play. Atlanta’s offense is picking up now that Matt Ryan is back under center so the Bucs will probably have to throw to stay in the game.

Justin Forsett (54.6)
Julius Jones re-aggravated his ankle and ribs against the Packers, so expect Forsett to carry the load in Week 17 against a Titans defense that had trouble keeping LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles in check. Forsett is a Sproles-like back, so he should have success against Tennessee.

Donald Brown (58.1)
Brown will probably get the start against the Bills’ league-worst rush defense. Don’t let his numbers (16 carries, 22 yards, TD) against the Jets worry you. He should have a big game against the hapless Bills.

Sammy Morris (33.0)
It looks like Laurence Maroney fumbled his way out of the Pats’ RB1 job. He had four carries for 22 yards before fumbling the ball on his fifth carry as he headed into the endzone. Sammy Morris took over and rushed the ball 12 times for 95 yards and a TD. Moreover, he has a pretty good matchup in Week 17 with the Texans.

Austin Collie (37.6)
He doesn’t have a great matchup (BUF), but the Bills were torched last week against the Falcons, and with Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Dallas Clark likely limited or sidelined, Collie could be in for a big day.

Muhsin Muhammad (17.2)
Muhammad’s days of consistent domination are long over, but with Steve Smith sidelined with a broken arm, Muhammad figures to get the lion’s share of targets in a very good matchup against the Saints. New Orleans should be able to put some points on the board, so expect the Panthers to throw the ball to try to stay in the game.

Jermichael Finley (26.7)
He’s still out there on almost three-quarters of ESPN waiver wires and I have no idea why. He has gone over 70 yards receiving in four consecutive games and has three TD in that span. With a nice matchup against Arizona in Week 17, another nice outing is likely.

Todd Heap (38.8)
The four TD that Heap has scored the last two weeks came completely out of nowhere — zero TD in the previous 11 games — but he seems to be rolling now and although the Raiders aren’t a great matchup, he is a big target in the Ravens’ passing game, especially with Mark Clayton sidelined and Derrick Mason banged up.

David Thomas (1.7)
As long as Jeremy Shockey is sidelined, Thomas is a starter-caliber TE, at least in PPR leagues. He has 13 catches for 102 yards over the last two weeks, so if Shockey sits again, Thomas should have a solid outing against a Carolina defense that is better against wideouts than it is against tight ends.

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Week 16 is here, so it’s do or die time for most fantasy owners. I wouldn’t imagine that there are too many championship-caliber teams out there scouring on the waiver wire for guys to start in the title game, so I’ll make this WWW relatively brief. Here are a few guys that could help fantasy owners that are in a pinch at a particular position. Remember, to be eligible for the WWW, a player needs to be owned in no more than 50% of ESPN leagues.

* Alex Smith (37.2) didn’t have a very good game against the Eagles, but with Lions coming to town, he is very much startable in Week 16.

* Vince Young (27.1) has thrown nine TD in the last six games and is also making plays with his feet. The Chargers are just a so-so matchup, but the Titans will have to throw to keep up.

* Jason Campbell (30.6) doesn’t have the greatest matchup in the world (DAL), but he has played pretty well of late and is usable in a pinch.

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It’s playoff time in the world of fantasy football, so let’s take a look at a few players that could potentially help owners in need over the next couple of weeks. Remember, to be eligible, a player has to be available in at least 50% of ESPN’s fantasy leagues. I’ll list the player’s percentage-owned in parenthesis.

* Alex Smith (36.8) has been very solid of late and in Week 15, he has a pretty good matchup against an Eagles defense that has struggled to stop the pass in recent weeks. Eli Manning threw for 391 yards and three TDs in Week 14.

* Vince Young (27.9) left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, so keep an eye on his status this week. If he’s able to go, he has a nice matchup with a pretty suspect Miami secondary.

* Jason Campbell (23.6) doesn’t have the greatest matchup (NYG), but it isn’t bad and he has been as hot as a pistol over the last few weeks, averaging 273 yards and 2.3 TDs during that span.

* Brady Quinn (3.4) was quiet against the Steelers, but a Week 15 matchup with the Chiefs is pretty favorable and he has shown signs of growth over the past month.

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Most leagues are entering the fantasy playoffs, so I’m going to do something a little different this week and only list a few guys at each position that could help out a fantasy owner for the next week or three. I’ll even offer up a couple of “by committee” pairs to get owners by at the QB and TE position. Remember, to be eligible, a player has to be available in at least 50% of ESPN’s fantasy leagues. I’ll list the player’s percentage-owned in parenthesis.

Alex Smith (29.0)
I’ve been beating the Alex Smith drum for a while now, and he’s still available in more than 70% of ESPN leagues. Since becoming the starter, he has averaged 225 yards and 1.9 TD per game, and other than that clunker against the Bears in Week 10, he has played QB1 ball. He has Arizona this week, Philly in Week 15 and Detroit in Week 16, so aside from that tough matchup with the Eagles, he’s startable the rest of the way. Fantasy owners who have Eli Manning, Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb or Ben Roethlisberger might want to pick up Smith to give them a good option in Week 16. All of those QBs have tough matchups that week.

Vince Young (25.2)
This looks like 2006 again. Since taking over as the starter, he has averaged 208 passing yards, 1.0 pass TD, 28 rushing yards and 0.2 rush TD per game. Young has three straight home games coming up, and his Week 15 matchup with Miami is a good one. In fact, he and Alex Smith would make a fine QBBC for the next three weeks. Just start Smith in Week 14 and Week 16 and Young in Week 15.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (1.4)
He had a pretty awful game on Thursday, but the Jets have one of the best pass defenses in the league. Things get much easier down the stretch with Kansas City in Week 14 and Atlanta in Week 16. Even Week 15’s matchup with the Patriots doesn’t look so bad given the way New England has played in recent weeks. If Smith is unavailable in your league, Fitzpatrick could be used in a QBBC with Young.

Recommended QBBC combos (along with the good matchups for each player): Smith (14, 16)/Young (15), Smith (14, 16)/Sanchez (14, 15), Smith (14, 16)/Stafford (15), Fitzpatrick (14, 16)/Young (15), Sanchez (14, 15)/Fitzpatrick (14, 16), Henne (14, 15)/Fitzpatrick (14, 16), Henne (14, 15)/Campbell (16)

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Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 50% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance, PPR scoring system.

Alex Smith (18.7)
Smith is startable the rest of the way, but he has especially nice matchups in Week 14 (ARI) and Week 16 (DET).
Vince Young (14.9)
Young has the Rams and Dolphins in Week 14 and 15, respectively.
Mark Sanchez (40.4)
Sanchez has nice matchups in Week 14 (TB) and Week 15 (ATL).
Ryan Fitzpatrick (0.8)
The Bills have the Chiefs and Falcons in Weeks 14 and 16.
Matthew Stafford (7.2)
Josh Freeman (2.6)
Jason Campbell (19.5)
Matt Leinart (2.0)
Chad Henne (4.6)

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Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 50% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance, PPR scoring system.

Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

Alex Smith (12.8)
Why Smith is still available in 87% of leagues is beyond me. Since taking over as the starter, he is averaging 207 pass yards and 1.8 pass TD. Moreover, he has three good matchups coming up — JAX, SEA, ARI — and another good matchup in Week 16 (DET).
Mark Sanchez (43.5)
He had a rough go of it against New England, but with a pair of nice matchups in Week 14 (TB) and Week 15 (ATL), he wouldn’t be a bad backup for the home stretch.
Vince Young (9.4)
Jason Campbell (19.5)
Jake Delhomme (11.8)
Matthew Stafford (6.8)
He’d be higher on this list if not for the injury to his left shoulder that he suffered at the end of Sunday’s game.
Josh Freeman (3.1)
Ryan Fitzpatrick (0.6)

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Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 50% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance, PPR scoring system.

Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

Alex Smith (17.0)
Of this group, I’d still take Smith first despite a bad outing against a suspect Bears secondary. He has a great upcoming schedule and has a few good options in the passing game in Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree.
Vince Young (6.6)
Young has been very solid of late, and with the Texans and Cardinals up next, he has a chance to post decent fantasy numbers.
Mark Sanchez (46.4)
The rookie has been pretty good over the last three weeks, but with the Pats and Panthers up next, that may not last.
Jason Campbell (19.2)
Matthew Stafford (5.8)
Marc Bulger (3.7)
Josh Freeman (3.4)
Chad Henne (5.2)

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Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 50% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance, PPR scoring system.

Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

I’d grab Matt Hasselbeck (73.2) and Matt Cassel (68.0) before moving onto this list. I’d take Smith over David Garrard (78.2) right now.

Alex Smith (16.5)
Since taking over in Week 7, Smith is averaging 230 yards and 2.0 TD per game, and has a pretty nice schedule going forward.
Mark Sanchez (44.3)
He’s not going to put up consistently good numbers, but nice matchups in Week 10 (JAX) and Week 14 (TB) make him worth rostering in deep leagues.
Vince Young (6.0)
Young has been solid if unspectacular. He’s not going to rack up a ton of passing yards, but he’s a threat to score on the ground.
Jason Campbell (20.6)
Trent Edwards (29.4)
Matthew Stafford (5.9)
Josh Freeman (0.7)
Chad Henne (4.2)

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Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 50% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance, PPR scoring system.

Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

This week, I am going to spend extra time on the TE position to try to help those Owen Daniels owners pick up the pieces.

Alex Smith (9.7)
After a better-than-expected showing against a good Colts pass defense, Smith has TEN, CHI, GB, JAX, SEA and DET over the next seven weeks. If you have two good QBs and can trade one of them away, Smith should be a solid backup.
Mark Sanchez (45.6)
He’s on bye this week, but has a tasty matchup against the Jags in Week 10.
Jason Campbell (22.0)
Despite his team’s struggles, Campbell has been pretty solid, posting 12+ fp in all but one game.
Matthew Stafford (6.0)
Vince Young (3.9)
Trent Edwards (31.1)
Chad Henne (4.9)

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Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 50% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance, PPR scoring system.

Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

According to the numbers, David Garrard and Matt Hasselbeck are the next most likely QBs to be out on the WW, so grab them first before moving on to the rest of the list.

Mark Sanchez (45.2)
Jason Campbell (28.2)
Alex Smith (0.2)
Smith looked great in relief of Shaun Hill on Sunday, and has been named the starter for the time being. Next week is a pretty tough matchup (@ IND), but after that it’s pretty smooth sailing the rest of the way.
Ryan Fitzpatrick (1.3)
He has been decent the last two weeks and has the Texans in Week 8.
Marc Bulger (2.1)
He has the Lions in Week 8, which is about the only thing he has going for him.
Kerry Collins (7.6)
Chad Henne (6.1)
Matthew Stafford (5.1)
Once Stafford gets back on the field, he will be somewhat startable in some formats, though he may be w/o Calvin Johnson for a while.
Derek Anderson (2.2)
Josh Johnson (2.1)

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