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 40% 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 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 (30.5)
I have been saying for weeks that fantasy owners in need of QB help should pick Stafford up and he delivered in his first game back throwing four TDs in a great matchup against the Redskins. His schedule is favorable down the stretch (though I don’t love him this week against the Jets, now that Darrelle Revis is healthy), so he should be a very capable starter over the second half of the season.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (33.2)
Fitzy’s line this week (223 yards, TD, INT) was rather pedestrian, but he also ran for 43 yards, which made for a decent fantasy day. He has a bad matchup this week (CHI), but he closes the season with three nice matchups (CLE, MIA and NE).

Chad Henne (61.2)
Henne’s surprisingly quiet output against the Bengals (217 yards, INT) broke a string of four straight productive starts where he threw for an average of 289 yards and 1.8 TD per game. The schedule over the next three weeks is rough (BAL, TEN, CHI), but after that things get a lot easier (OAK, CLE, BUF and DET over the last five games).

Josh Freeman (26.8)
Week 8 marked the fourth straight game where Freeman threw for 212+ yards and a TD. Plus, he gives you a few rushing yards as well (25 per game). The matchup this week (ATL) is pretty tantalizing and other than the Panthers in Week 10 and the Ravens in Week 12, Freeman looks like a nice start the rest of the way.

Jon Kitna (15.8)
I thought Kitna was going to play a lot better against the Jags. While he did throw for 379 yards and a TD, he also threw four picks. Going forward, the Cowboys’ defense looks brutal so Kitna should find himself throwing from behind with regularity. That could make for some nice fantasy days.

Sam Bradford (28.3)
No Mark Clayton? No Danario Alexander? No problem. The rookie just keeps playing solid ball and has now thrown five TDs and no picks in the last three games. He has a bye in Week 9, but his schedule thereafter (SF, ATL, DEN) is quite favorable.

David Garrard (25.3)
Would the real David Garrard please stand up? In the last three games he has finished, Garrard has averaged 200 passing yards and 3.0 TD per game. He has had a few terrible outings this season, but with Houston and Cleveland coming up after the bye (not to mention the Redskins in Week 16), he’s an interesting QB to be used as part of a committee.

Matt Cassel (44.7)
Cassel has had a good run the last three weeks, but both his TDs and his yards have decreased every game, which isn’t a particularly good sign. The Chiefs are a run-oriented team, so while Cassel is all right in certain matchups, he shouldn’t be counted on on a weekly basis.

Jason Campbell (5.5)
Campbell has thrown for 514 yards and four TDs in his last two starts, but if Tom Cable is to be believed, Bruce Gradkowski will retake his starting job upon his return. However, that could change if Campbell starts against the Chiefs and leads the Raiders to their third-straight win. The Chiefs are not a good matchup.

Matt Hasselbeck (20.4)
He was concussed in Week 8. Between that and his matchup with the Giants’ excellent pass defense, Hasselbeck should be avoided for the time being.

Matt Moore (2.2)
After a 308-yard, two-TD outing against the 49ers in Week 7, Moore threw for 194 yards, a TD and three interceptions against a pretty good Rams defense in Week 8. Next up are the Saints, which pretty much shut down Ben Roethlisberger this week. Steer clear if you can.

Bruce Gradkowski (1.4)
See Campbell, Jason.

Colt McCoy (1.4)
Unlike Bradford, who has been remarkably consistent for a rookie, McCoy has had his fantasy ups (281 yards, TD, 2 INT against the Steelers) and downs (74 yards against the Saints). Coming off his bye he has two nice matchups in his next three games (NE in Week 9 and JAX in Week 11), but he’s only fodder for the desperate.

LeGarrette Blount (20.7)
Blount took the starting job and ran with it, turning 22 carries into 120 yards and two TDs, and looked pretty great doing it. Grab him if you can.

Danny Woodhead (33.1)
In PPR leagues, Woodhead has averaged 12.7 fp due to his ability to catch the ball (13 catches in the last three games) and his nose for the endzone (three TDs in the last five games).

Mike Hart (10.4)
Hart got the start and was productive on Monday night, but he limped off in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. Stay tuned.

Keiland Williams (0.9)
Remember him? He was supposed to get his shot when Clinton Portis got injured, but was quickly passed on the depth chart by Ryan Torain. Now that Torain is nursing a hamstring injury, Williams is the next guy up. But don’t be surprised if Shanahan goes another direction — it appears that he thinks Williams is more of a third-down back than a carry-the-load kind of a player.

Mike Tolbert (60.6)
That’s five straight games with a TD, not that we’re counting. Tolbert is putting a serious dent into the value of Ryan Mathews and there’s a bona fide RBBC forming in San Diego. Tolbert is startable in TD-heavy leagues or standard leagues when the Chargers have a good rushing matchup. He carried the ball 11 times for 63 yards on Sunday.

Willis McGahee (57.8)
It appears that McGahee’s goose egg in Week 6 was related to the team potentially trading him before the deadline. But now that it has passed, McGahee should return to his role of backing up Ray Rice. He has carried the ball 10 times and scored a TD in three of the last four games.

Darren Sproles (59.8)
Sproles has gained 57+ yards in the last three games and even found the endzone on Sunday. He’s a decent RB4 in PPR leagues.

Julius Jones (1.1)
Chris Ivory was concussed against the Steelers and is iffy for Week 9. If he sits, and if Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas are out for another week (which is likely given the fact that the Saints have a bye in Week 10), then Julius Jones would likely see most of the work out of the backfield. Jones had already passed Ladell Betts to be the team’s third-down back and with Ivory potentially out, he’d see more carries as well. If all those aforementioned players are still out, Jones would be a decent RB2/flex start in a good matchup with the Panthers.

Javarris James (0.0)
He filled in for Mike Hart and Donald Brown when they both left the Monday night game with injuries.

LaRod Stephens-Howling (1.7)
It seems that Stephens-Howling has passed Tim Hightower on the depth chart and with the semi-fragile Beanie Wells ahead of him, he may be pressed into action.

Kevin Smith (30.5)
Smith got the same number of carries (12) as starter Jahvid Best and did more with them (51 vs. 48 yards). Smith isn’t as explosive as Best, but the Lions appear to be willing to use him to take some of the load off their star rookie. In any event, he’s the clear handcuff for Best owners.

Derrick Ward (6.3)
He only touched the ball four times against the Colts after scoring TDs in three straight games.

Mike Goodson (0.5)
He caught four passes against the Rams and could see a little more work if DeAngelo Williams continues to be sidelined and/or Jonathan Stewart continues to be ineffective.

Mike Williams, TB (56.5)
Really? He’s still available in more than 40% of fantasy leagues? His 4-105-1 outing against the Cardinals should change that. He has a great matchup against the Falcons in Week 9.

Steve Johnson (51.0)
That’s now six TDs in his last five games. I think it’s safe to pick him up now.

Davone Bess (31.5)
I love this guy in PPR leagues. He has 32 catches and three TDs in his last five games.

Mike Thomas (6.5)
Mike Sims-Walker is finally playing well, but Thomas added 4-41-1 against the Cowboys. Forget about that goose egg in Week 7; Thomas has been solid with Garrard at QB. He should be owned in all PPR leagues.

Jabar Gaffney (54.2)
It seems like Kyle Orton’s star is fading a bit, but Gaffney is worth a roster spot in PPR leagues.

Robert Meachem (60.5)
6-76 against the Steelers after a 2-31 outing against the Browns. You try to figure out the Saints’ pecking order at WR.

Vincent Jackson (52.4)
Is it Week 12 yet?

Steve Breaston (48.4)
Breaston now has 22 receptions in four games, making him an interesting pickup in PPR leagues. Beware of the knee, however.

Mario Manningham (46.0)
Those two goose eggs are perplexing (and a little scary) but he has averaged 4.2-66-0.6 in the other five games. I definitely recommend Nicks or Smith 2.0 owners keeping Manningham as insurance.

Nate Washington (33.6)
With Kenny Britt sidelined, Washington picked up the slack with his best fantasy line (4-117-1) of the season. Britt may be out a while so Washington’s value is back.

Eddie Royal (51.3)
He’s been quiet the last few weeks, but he’s been injured. The Broncos have their bye this week so maybe the rest will do Royal some good.

Jacoby Jones (27.8)
Kevin Walter (37.1)

Danny Amendola (24.4)
The possession receiver has hit paydirt with two TDs in the last two weeks. He’s still the Rams WR to own, at least in PPR leagues.

Nate Burleson (27.3)
Burleson went for 7-47 in Stafford’s first game back, giving him 17 receptions in his last four games.

Anthony Gonzalez (4.0)
Gonzalez caught four passes for 55 yards on Monday night while Blair White wasn’t even targeted in the passing game. But he drew the ire of Peyton Manning on a play in the 4th quarter which leads me to believe that Manning will welcome Austin Collie back with open arms upon his return. Still, Gonzalez is worth a pickup in PPR formats.

Patrick Crayton (8.8)
The good times are going to end for Crayton when Malcom Floyd and/or Vincent Jackson return, but he has a nice Week 9 matchup with the Texans.

Bernard Berrian (52.9)
If/when Moss is released, Berrian should see a jump in targets, but who knows if he’ll do anything with them.

Sidney Rice (28.4)
If/when Randy Moss does get released, there will be plenty of opportunity if/when Rice returns. Those are a lot of if/whens.

Darrius Heyward-Bey (1.1)
With Louis Murphy out and Zach Miller gimpy, DHB rallied for 5-105-1. Is this a sign of more to come or will Heyward-Bey continue to tease us?

Brandon LaFell (0.1)
After five catches in his first five games, the rookie has gone for 10-131-1 in his last two games. Is he for real?

James Jones (2.4)
Jordy Nelson (0.8)
With Donald Driver sidelined for the second half of the Jets game, it was Nelson, not Jones, who was more involved.

Brandon Tate (6.7)
He caught a long TD and will get extra looks as long as Deion Branch is gimpy.

Anthony Armstrong (2.1)
The Redskins’ deep threat has caught 13 passes in the last four weeks. Keep an eye on him.

Roscoe Parrish (0.9)
PPR owners should take note — Parrish has scored 9.8+ in five of seven games this season.

Brandon Gibson (0.2)
Gibson might be worth a pickup in deep PPR leagues. Someone has to catch the ball in St. Louis.

Jacob Tamme (4.2)
It appears that Tamme will get most if not all of Dallas Clark’s looks. He showed nice hands and mobility on Monday night en route to a 6-64-1 night. Pick him up.

Todd Heap (33.6)
Heap has posted 6-108-3 in his last two games, but was awfully quiet in the previous four games. His schedule down the stretch is pretty nice.

Heath Miller (53.3)
After a 2-50-1 outing in Roethlisberger’s first game back, Miller had just five catches for 72 yards in the next two games. He has a very nice upcoming schedule, however.

Brandon Pettigrew (25.1)
Pettigrew only caught two passes against the Redskins but one was for a TD. He was targeted five times by Stafford, which was 4th-most after Calvin Johnson (15), Nate Burleson (9) and Jahvid Best (8).

Benjamin Watson (24.6)
With the way the Saints shut down the Steelers, let’s write off that 1-18 outing in Week 7 and pencil Watson in as a starter in Week 9 against the Pats.

Tony Moeaki (45.4)
After a great start, Moeaki is entering fringe TE2 territory with just 12 catches and zero TDs in his last four games (in some nice matchups).

Owen Daniels (58.2)
After looking like he was getting back to form, Daniels turned in 1-8 in a bad matchup with the Colts. Schaub only targeted him three times. If he can’t get it done in the next two weeks (SD, JAX) it may not happen this season.

Jermaine Gresham (10.2)
He’s involved — 3+ catches in every game this season — but his 6.9 ypc doesn’t excite me.

Greg Olsen (52.6)
3.0-37-0.3 with Jay Cutler this season. Not great, but not terrible either. He’s fill-in fodder with some upside.

Jeremy Shockey (56.3)
After a nice little three-game run, Shockey is back to his 3-30 self.

John Carlson (17.0)
He’s just not living up to his potential and now Hasselbeck might be out with a concussion. Stay away if you can.