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)

Marshawn Lynch (64.3)
The only thing that has me worried about Lynch’s potential in Seattle is the presence of Justin Forsett, whom I think is the better runner. That said, the Seahawks have four great rushing matchups in the next six weeks so everything’s lined up for Lynch to make a splash.

Brandon Jackson (54.4)
Just when owners started to give up on him, he rattles off a 71-yard run en route to a 140-yard day. Unfortunately, his schedule is pretty brutal over the next five games before easing up down the stretch. Owners may want to sell high.

Donald Brown (64.2)
Mike Hart (0.4)
Joseph Addai has some sort of shoulder injury. Brown figures to be the next in line if he can get healthy. If not, Hart proved on Sunday (11 carries, 50 yards, TD) that’s he’s no slouch.

Danny Woodhead (4.0)
With Kevin Faulk out and Randy Moss gone, Woodhead could get some work as the Pats’ utility man. He can run it a little bit and catch it out of the backfield or in the slot. He has 12 touches for 89 yards and 2 TDs in the last two games. He has more value in PPR leagues.

Ladell Betts (3.7)
Ladell Betts (44 yards) and Chris Ivory (39 yards) each had 10 carries, but Betts had 5-26 in the passing game and got all three carries inside the Cards’ 5-yard line, so he’s the goal line back too with Pierre Thomas out. Thomas is supposed to be back this week, but who knows.

Jerome Harrison (63.7)
Derrick Ward (2.7)
Here are a couple of reasonably talented backs playing behind banged-up starters. Peyton Hillis played through a strained quad on Sunday, so Harrison could have the honor of facing the Steelers’ vaunted rush defense this week. Arian Foster is dealing with a sore knee, and Ward appears to be Houston’s RB2 since he has out-touched Steve Slaton 14-to-9 over the last two weeks.

Earnest Graham (1.0)

Rashad Jennings (18.1)
Deji Karim (0.2)
MJD has a sore wrist and the Karim carried the ball 15 times for 70 yards against a bad Bills rush defense. Rashad Jennings is likely still the RB2 in Jacksonville, but he’s out with a bad shoulder.

Chester Taylor (54.4)

Kevin Smith (36.9)

Correll Buckhalter (50.6)

Laurence Maroney (59.5)

John Kuhn (35.6)

Keiland Williams (1.0)

Mike Williams, TB (35.1)
I am stunned that the rookie is still this available in ESPN leagues. Wake up, people! He has 19 catches and three TDs in his first four games!

Roy Williams (38.8)
I guess it’s time to truly get back on the Roy Williams bandwagon. 11-204-3 over the last two weeks is nothing to sneeze at. Maybe he’s truly ready to fulfill his considerable potential.

Danny Amendola (12.3)
With Mark Clayton out for the season, Amendola will get a lot of work, as evidenced by his 12-catch outing against Detroit. He could be the next Wes Welker in PPR leagues. He’s on pace for a 106-catch season.

Steve Johnson (1.8)
I’m as puzzled by his emergence as the next guy. Who would have thought that the WR3 in Buffalo could catch four TDs in three games? He has at least three catches in every game this season, so he has solid value in PPR leagues as well.

Jabar Gaffney (19.5)
I’m worried about his production taking a dip when Knowshon Moreno returns, but he has 26 catches in the last three games.

Kenny Britt (35.7)
Britt seems to be shaking off that horrible offseason. He now has 14 catches and three TDs in the last four games.

Devery Henderson (46.5)
There are three certainties in life: Death, taxes and a rotation as the Saints’ WR2. But Henderson has caught at least two passes in all five games and has had three 10-plus point performances.

Louis Murphy (43.5)
After showing some serious chemistry with Bruce Gradkowski in Weeks 2 and 3, Murphy has been limited to just three catches in the last two games. I’m just not as high on Murphy with Jason Campbell under center.

Davone Bess (14.0)
Mike Thomas (6.3)
Two talented possession receivers who play in run-oriented offenses. The Dolphins figure to feature the run more prominently while Thomas has to deal with David Garrard’s ups and downs and Mike Sims-Walker’s inconsistency.

Brandon Tate (19.9)
With Randy Moss gone, I think Tate has the ability to produce at WR25-WR30 levels, but we won’t know for sure until we see how the Beligenius uses him. The Patriots’ trade for Deion Branch complicates matters.

Robert Meachem (60.4)
Meachem started hitting the waiver wire after a dreadful start to the season. But after a 4-57-1 outing against the Cards, he’s back on the fantasy radar.

Nate Washington (54.9)
He has three TDs on the season and Week 5 was the first game where he didn’t catch at least three passes. It just feels like Britt may be taking over as the Titans’ WR1, at least as Vince Young is concerned.

Nate Burleson (29.0)
He’d be an interesting pickup if Calvin Johnson is out this week, but the Giants are pretty tough against the pass.

Anthony Armstrong (0.3)
A deep-threat receiver that has posted 4-141-1 over the past two weeks. That’s an impressive yards per catch, but it’s doubtful that he’ll be able to put up these numbers consistently.

Laurent Robinson (49.2)
Mark Clayton’s injury puts Robinson back in the mix in St. Louis. The Rams are desperate for playmakers at wideout.

Jacoby Jones (39.3)

Dexter McCluster (15.6)

Brandon Gibson (0.2)

Aaron Hernandez (35.7)
He has 17 catches over the last three weeks and departure of Randy Moss should result in more targets.

Tony Moeaki (6.4)
He’s not getting a ton of targets (5.8 per game) in the Chiefs’ run-first offense, but he’s making the most of the passes that are thrown his way. He’s easily Cassel’s favorite target on the underneath stuff, and he has an outstanding schedule over the next nine weeks.

Brandon Pettigrew (6.3)
Pettigrew is the Lions’ de facto WR2 and has posted 25-269-1 over the last four games.

Marcedes Lewis (58.2)
Lewis has three TD catches in the last two games and five TD catches on the year. He’s not going to make a ton of catches, but he’s definitely David Garrard’s favorite target around the goal line.

Jeremy Shockey (59.6)
He has at least six catches or a TD in the last three games, so at least he’s involved.

Owen Daniels (61.2)
Daniels posted 3-45 against the Giants. We keep waiting for a breakout game, but with only 21 targets through five games, he’s not getting enough chances to make plays.

Ben Watson (4.6)
The Browns don’t score many TDs, but Watson is worth a look in PPR leagues, where he has scored 9.5+ in the last four games.

Heath Miller (44.0)
His numbers should improve as Big Ben gives the Steeler passing game a shot in the arm. If you have a hole at TE2, pick him up.

John Carlson (24.5)
After a strong start (13 catches and a TD in the first three games), Carlson was a disappointing 1-15 against the Rams in Week 4.

Jermaine Gresham (10.9)
Gresham (4-24-1 against the Bucs) will likely get a little more work with Jordan Shipley out.

Andrew Quarless (0.1)
With Jermichael Finley out 8-10 weeks and Donald Lee also sidelined, Quarless will take over as the Packers’ TE1

Todd Heap (19.1)

Tony Scheffler (5.2)

Kevin Boss (11.5)