Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Every week in the NFL is a routine. There are games on Sunday and Monday (sometimes Thursday and Saturday as well) and then on Tuesday and Wednesday, fantasy owners everywhere make waiver pickups and trades to try and improve their teams.
Each week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. This week, I’m going to try something a little different. I’m going to 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 of 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 talk about a player or two that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters.
QUARTERBACKS
Matt Schaub (41.9) isn’t going to be on the waiver wire for long. It’s one thing to slice and dice the Chiefs at home, but it’s another to do the same thing to the Panthers on the road. He and Andre Johnson are starting to look like Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. OK, I’m exaggerating, but he’ll make a great QB2 and a good starter, depending on the matchup…David Garrard (32.7) is settling in behind a Jacksonville O-line that is doing a much better job pass protecting than they are opening holes for the run…Derek Anderson (1.3) lit up a suspect Bengals’ D en route to 328 yards and 5 TD. He’s probably not the answer in Cleveland, but he has Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow to throw to, so he should be a decent start against weak defenses…JaMarcus Russell (16.6) could be the starter in Oakland before too long. There were rumors of Daunte Culpepper playing against Denver, but Josh McCown started instead and struggled to 73 yards and three picks in the near-upset.
RUNNING BACKS
He just misses the cutoff, but if Derrick Ward (62.7) is still on your waiver wire, jump on him. He looked good yesterday, gaining 125 total yards against a very good Green Bay defense. He has good quickness and agility and can catch the ball out of the backfield. He’ll be a solid RB2 as long as Brandon Jacobs is out…Kevin Jones (72.5) also merits discussion. He is considered probable for week 3 and has a shot to take over RB1 duties by mid-season (or sooner). If he’s available, snatch him up…Selvin Young (10.7) is Travis Henry’s backup and would see his value skyrocket if Henry were to go down…Larry Johnson missed a series against the Bears to get treatment on his leg. If he starts to break down, it looks as if Michael Bennett (18.4) would benefit the most. Bennett has proven to be a fantasy tease in the past, but he looked OK in the preseason and would probably be the main man if LJ went down…Musa Smith (4.2) and Sammy Morris (6.8) continue to vulture carries from Willis McGahee and Laurence Maroney, respectively, and are becoming must-handcuffs for those players…Ricky Williams (4.0) has applied for reinstatement, and if he’s allowed to re-join the Dolphins, he may hold some value down the line, either with Miami or via a trade to a team willing to roll the dice on the talented yet troublesome RB.
WIDE RECEIVERS
If he stays healthy, Wes Welker (56.7) is going to be a top 20 WR in PPR scoring formats and should be owned in all leagues…Brandon Marshall (40.8) looks great. Along with Jay Cutler and Javon Walker, he’s part of a very nice passing attack in Denver. He’s big, strong and quick. As long as he can stay healthy, he should put up nice numbers…Amani Toomer (27.2) just keeps on truckin’. It looks like the G-men will be playing from behind quite a bit this season, which means lots and lots of passes. He’s also a nice insurance policy for Plaxico Burress owners …Don’t give up on Patrick Crayton (22.5) just yet. A dislocated finger derailed his second game as the starter. The WR2 in Dallas should be in for a very productive year, so I’m still high on him. If possible, stash him away on your bench…Joe Jurevicius (49.2) had a great game against the Bengals and will see lots of single coverage playing alongside Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow. He has been notoriously inconsistent in his career, but with Dennis Northcutt gone, there’s a role that needs to be filled and he just might be the guy…Shaun McDonald (11.9) continues to impress and is worth a roster spot in PPR leagues…Dwayne Bowe (10.7) is very talented, but will be limited by the Chiefs’ inept passing game. If Damon Huard can get back on track, Bowe is a sleeper…Nate Burleson (5.2) turned nine targets into 39 yards and a score and should continue to get lots of opportunity as long as D.J. Hackett is out…In big leagues, keep an eye on Roydell Williams (0.4). He caught four passes for 74 yards and a score, and Vince Young is desperate for one of the young receivers to emerge as a viable WR1.
TIGHT ENDS
People were quick to cut Owen Daniels (43.2) last week, but he showed nice hands against the Panthers en route to a five-catch, 58-yard. The Texans look like the real deal, so he should have a top 15 year when it’s all said and done…Eric Johnson (22.4) will benefit once the Saints’ offense gets back on track…Donald Lee (0.8) has caught eight passes for 62 yards in the first two games and seems to be one of Brett Favre’s favorite targets in the middle of the field. He seems awfully slow and won’t put up any big yardage games, but he has nice hands and has some value as a backup in PPR leagues.
If you have any roster questions, be sure to hit our Week 3 Q&A.
