I’m going to change things up on the Waiver Wire Watch and start including players that are available on the waiver wire in at least 40% (instead of 50%) of ESPN 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.

Matthew Stafford (23.4)
He’s not quite back yet, but in 12-team leagues it’s time to start thinking about picking him back up if you are past your QB’s bye. Starting in Week 8, the Lions’ schedule gets pretty favorable for the next eight games.

Josh Freeman (11.9)
Throwing out that game against the Steelers’ suffocating defense, Freeman has thrown for at least 280 yards or two TDs in three of his first four games. He’s a solid start against all but the toughest pass defenses, and his remaining schedule is very favorable (including WAS, DET and SEA during the fantasy playoffs).

David Garrard (40.8)
I used to think he was one of the most underrated fantasy QBs playing today. Then he posted a total of 278 yards, one TD and five INTs against the Chargers and Eagles. I was done with him. Then he threw for 341 yards, five TDs and one pick against the Colts and the Bills. Now I don’t know what to think. His upcoming schedule isn’t bad, but it isn’t terribly good either.

Matt Hasselbeck (21.1)
Hasselbeck’s schedule the rest of the way is largely mediocre, making him a middle-of-the-road fantasy QB2.

Alex Smith (10.6)
If the 49ers let him be himself (i.e. run the offense out of the shotgun) then Smith will continue to post good fantasy numbers. I don’t know if he’s going to win any games, but he will continue to post good numbers. His upcoming schedule should get easier.

Kevin Kolb (58.8)
He played pretty well in a good matchup against the 49ers, but I wouldn’t want to start him against ATL or TEN in the next two weeks. (Though it should be noted that neither matchup is dreadful.)

Sam Bradford (39.1)
Things were looking good for the rookie, with four straight games of at least 235 passing yards or two TDs. But Mark Clayton’s knee injury is going to knock him down a few pegs in my rankings. And he has a rough matchup with SD this week.

Shaun Hiill (12.2)
There’s no arguing that Hill has been on fire of late, but with Calvin Johnson possibly out for a Week 6 date with the Giants (who just shut down the Texans’ offense), he’s not a good pickup this week.

Matt Cassel (9.9)
Had Dwayne Bowe held on in the endzone, Cassel would have finished with respectable numbers. With HOU, JAX and BUF coming up, Cassel is a sneaky good (yet undependable) play.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (6.3)
He’s going on his bye, but Fitzy has averaged 198 yards, 2.3 TDs and 0.7 INT since taking over as the starter. He has a rough upcoming schedule (BAL, CIN, PIT, MIN in his next seven games), but a great matchup in Week 16 (NE).

Jason Campbell (4.2)
Campbell filled in for an injured Bruce Gradkowski and threw for 159 yards and a TD in a pretty tough matchup with the Chargers. With SF, DEN and SEA coming up, he’s a decent start in two-QB leagues.

Max Hall (1.0)

Jimmy Clausen (1.5)

Colt McCoy (0.4)

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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 guys 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.

Bruce Gradkowski (5.1)
He doesn’t have the greatest matchup this week (SD), but Week 6 (@SF) and Week 7 (@ DEN) get easier. He has thrown for 533 yards, 3 TDs and 3 INTs in the last two weeks.

Sam Bradford (23.1)
He’s not setting the world on fire, but with a per-game average of 236 yards and 1.5 TDs, he’s playing very well for a rookie. He has the Lions this week as well, which makes him an interesting pickup for Mike Vick owners.

Matt Hasselbeck (29.2)
Hass has been solid, but he didn’t do much in a good matchup with the Rams. The Seahawks are on bye this week and have the Bears in Week 6, so if you need a QB in the next two weeks, look elsewhere.

Josh Freeman (13.4)
Coming off his bye, Freeman has a bad matchup with the Bengals this week, but things get back to normal with the Saints, Rams and Cardinals after that.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (1.1)
Need a fill in for Week 5? Fitzy has a nice matchup at home against the Jaguars, who are coming off an emotional win over the Colts. He has tossed four TDs over the last two weeks and even ran for 74 yards against the Jets in Week 4.

Kevin Kolb (57.8)
Kolb breaks my under-50%-owned rule, but I thought I’d include him given the magnitude of Michael Vick’s injury in the world of fantasy football. Kolb threw for 201 yards and a TD in a good matchup against the Redskins, and has a pretty good matchup with the 49ers in Week 5. I’m not terribly optimistic about his chances for fantasy success over the next three weeks.

David Garrard (24.2)
Garrard looked like his old self against the Colts, but he has a tendency to play worse on the road. Still, the Bills are a good matchup.

Alex Smith (11.7)
Spotty is the word that I’d use to describe Smith this season. Who knows how he’ll play against the Eagles in Week 5.

Matt Cassel (10.2)
Cassel was pretty dreadful in the first two weeks, but tossed three TDs against the 49ers in Week 3. Coming off his bye, he has the Colts, Texans, Jaguars and Bills, so he could be a decent spot starter for fantasy owners in need.

Shaun Hill (2.8)

Jimmy Clausen (1.3)

Max Hall (0.4)

Seneca Wallace (0.9)

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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 guys 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.

Matt Hasselbeck (24.6)
Fantasy owners were down on Hass this year because he has had trouble staying healthy, not because he isn’t a good fantasy QB when he is healthy. Right now, he’s healthy, and with the Rams on tap in Week 4, he’s a good start this week.

Mark Sanchez (34.9)
The Jets seem to be limiting him to short drops so that he gets the ball out quick. That keeps the pressure off of him and helps him avoid mistakes. 476 yards and six pass TD later, and Sanchez is looking like a viable QB2, and he has the Bills this week.

Josh Freeman (16.6)
Yes, he struggled in Week 3, but that was against the Steelers, who made Matt Ryan and Vince Young look foolish in Week 1 and Week 2. I still like him as part of a committee — he has great matchups in weeks 10-11 and 15-16. After his bye, things are pretty neutral, so he’d be a solid second guy in two-QB leagues.

Bruce Gradkowski (2.1)
He wasn’t bad against the Cardinals, but he did throw 2-3 passes that should have/could have been picked off. Still, with Louis Murphy, Zach Miller and Darren McFadden, he has enough weapons to look pretty good. With the Texans on deck, he’s a sneaky good start in Week 4.

Sam Bradford (20.2)
The rookie is a shoe-in for 20+ picks if he stays healthy, but he’s also on pace for almost 3,500 yards and 21 TD. With Seattle and Detroit on tap, he isn’t a bad short-term fix.

Matt Cassel (9.5)
Cassel’s 250 yards and 3 TD came out of nowhere against an underachieving San Francisco defense. A pretty nice upcoming schedule — HOU, JAX, BUF in weeks 6-8 — makes him an interesting start in two-QB leagues.

Alex Smith (14.0)
Well, he has thrown for at least 232 yards and a TD the last two weeks. But he’s also thrown five picks in three games. The 49ers just fired their offensive coordinator, so let’s see how Smith fares against the Falcons and Eagles before giving up on him.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (0.3)
Fitzy had a nice game against a very questionable New England secondary. With Jacksonville on tap this week, he should be a good start if you’re in a pinch.

Derek Anderson (7.2)
How long will the Cards put up with Anderson’s play with Max Hall waiting in the wings?

David Garrard (29.3)
He used to be the most underrated QB in fantasy football. But he’s been absolutely brutal lately and has a pretty tough matchup (IND) this week.

Shaun Hill (2.0)

Seneca Wallace (0.8)

Jimmy Clausen (1.7)
Boy, that first start didn’t go very well.

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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 guys 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.

Kyle Orton (45.9)
The competition (JAX & SEA) wasn’t the greatest, but Orton absolutely shredded those defenses to the tune of 602 yards and 3 TDs, while throwing just one pick. His upcoming schedule isn’t the greatest, but he has several nice matchups in the second half.

David Garrard (36.0)
His outing against San Diego was rough, but three of his next four games are at home (where he plays well) and the only road game is in Buffalo.

Josh Freeman (5.2)
Freeman has averaged 180 yards and 2.0 TDs in his first two games. There are a few tough matchups coming up (PIT, CIN, NO), but after that, things get a lot easier, and he has two great matchups in Week 15 and Week 16 (DET & SEA).

Alex Smith (9.3)
After a dreadful Week 1, Smith bounced back with a 275 yards and a TD against (with two INTs) against the Saints.

Shaun Hill (0.4)
He threw for 335 yards and 2 TDs against a pretty good Eagles defense. With plenty of weapons to throw to coupled with the Lions’ propensity to play from behind, Hill is a good bet to post solid numbers week in and week out.

Mark Sanchez (22.7)
Which Sanchize is going to show up? The one that threw for a measly 74 yards in Week 1 or the one that tossed 3 TD against the Patriots. Only use Sanchez in good matchups.

Matt Hasselbeck (21.5)
Hass has (try saying that five times fast) always been a decent fantasy player when healthy. This week’s matchup with the Chargers isn’t favorable, but it is at home where the Seahawks seem to thrive.

Sam Bradford (15.0)
A favorable upcoming schedule (WAS, SEA, DET) makes Bradford an interesting play in two-QB leagues.

Bruce Gradkowski (0.0)
It looks like he’ll be starting as news broke last night that Jason Campbell has been demoted to QB3.

Derek Anderson (11.1)

Matt Cassel (11.0)

Jimmy Clausen (0.5)

Ryan Fitzpatrick (0.2)
Trent Edwards is out, Fitzy is in. God help us.

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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 guys 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.

David Garrard (20.4)
Always underrated, Garrard performs much better at home (195 y-40 TD-17 INT in 39 games) than he does on the road (172-26-22 in 33 games). (Nice split find by ESPN, BTW.) With Mike Thomas and Marcedes Lewis emerging, he now has a few weapons in the passing game.

Alex Smith (23.1)
I still like Smith, though I can understand the trepidation after Week 1. If he can’t produce against the Saints, Chiefs and Falcons over the next three weeks, then he probably shouldn’t be on fantasy rosters. He did play well last season, right?

Kyle Orton (35.0)
He has what looks to be a nice matchup this week against SEA (though Alex Smith might argue with that) but then he has a fairly brutal schedule over the next several weeks.

Michael Vick (3.6)
Vick is probably the best option for Kolb owners looking for answers. He was always a pretty good fantasy QB and he proved against the Packers that he still has the wheels to be a major threat in the running game.

Derek Anderson (12.3)
Anderson’s completion percentage in W1 leaves something to be desired, but once he and Fitzy get on the same page, he could be a solid fantasy QB.

Jason Campbell (12.2)
With STL, ARI and HOU up next there’s no reason that Campbell can’t post respectable fantasy numbers.

Matt Hasselbeck (6.7)
Hass was sharp against the 49ers in W1 and has a pretty nice upcoming schedule. Hopefully his back will hold up.

Matt Cassel (12.2)
He only threw for 68 yards, but the Chiefs had the lead for most of the game and conditions were horrible. (However, that didn’t stop Phillip Rivers from throwing for 298-2.)

Shaun Hill (0.0)
Hill proved in San Francisco that he was a capable backup and with all the weapons in Detroit, he should put up decent numbers.

Sam Bradford (14.3)
Bradford has a nice second half schedule, but all rookies have their ups and downs.

Josh Freeman (3.4)
It could be an ugly couple of weeks with Carolina and Pittsburgh coming up.

Matt Moore (3.5)

Jake Delhomme (2.3)

Mark Sanchez (29.2)
Like a lot of people, I’m just not sold on the Sanchize, and he didn’t do anything on Monday night to make us feel any better about him.

Dennis Dixon (2.4)

Trent Edwards (0.8)

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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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