Welcome to an abbreviated version of the Waiver Wire Watch. It’s Week 16, and most fantasy teams have been eliminated or on cruise control, so instead of listing virtually every player available on the waiver wire, I’m just going to highlight a few players at each position that might be able to help fantasy teams in Week 16. As always, I’m going to limit my scope to those players available in at least 40% (or thereabout) of ESPN leagues. I’ll put the player’s percentage-owned next to their name.

Let’s start with the quarterback position, where I still find it amazing that Josh Freeman (69.8) is still available in 30% of leagues. Not only has he been very consistent this season, but he has a great matchup with the Seahawks in Week 16. I suspect he’ll be in my Top 12 when my rankings come out on Wednesday…Ryan Fitzpatrick (31.3) has the Patriots at home this week, and barring a snow storm, that’s shaping up to be a pretty good matchup. New England showed on Sunday night that its pass defense still leaves something to be desired…David Garrard (46.4) had a strong game against the Colts and has a terrific W16 matchup with the Redskins’ porous pass defense…Need a deep sleeper? Both Tim Tebow (4.0) and Rex Grossman (0.3) have nice matchups with the Texans and Jaguars, respectively. I wouldn’t trust either guy over a more established option, but if you’re desperate, you could do worse. These are some bad pass defenses we’re talking about.

At running back, things are pretty thin, as usual. Ryan Torain (66.6) will be flirting with a Top 10 ranking this week given his matchup with Jacksonville…Tashard Choice (17.8) bounced back from a disappointing W14 outing against the Eagles with 15 carries for 53 yards and a TD against the Redskins. He should get a similar workload against the Cards in W16…Donald Brown (64.2) had a breakout game against the Jaguars, and the Raiders have had trouble stopping the run this season…Rashad Jennings (15.7) gained 64 yards through the air in W15 and figures to be involved against a struggling Washington run defense…Maurice Morris (4.6) doesn’t have a great matchup, but he got starter’s touches in W15 and produced 109 rushing yards and even found the endzone…Toby Gerhart (6.5) will probably be back in a backup role in W16, but if the Vikings decide to rest Adrian Peterson again, he could make some hay against the Eagles.

At wide receiver, there are probably a few players out there who can help. Vincent Jackson (68.5) and Big Mike Williams (66.1) are obvious choices with favorable matchups…Davone Bess (25.2) came up big in PPR formats last week and has another pretty nice matchup with the Lions in W16…Anthony Armstrong (3.3) had his first 100-yard game of the season against the Cowboys and should be able to have a nice day against the Jags this week…I mentioned David Nelson (0.1) last week and he went out and caught three passes for 61 yards and a TD against the Dolphins. I’d expect a similar line against the Pats this week…Mike Thomas (21.2) has been relatively quiet lately, but with the Redskins up next, he might have a big game…Blair White (5.1) figures to get some of Austin Collie’s targets and is a fingers-crossed start against the Raiders this week…Josh Morgan (2.6) seems to be coming on. He has 10-188-1 over the last two weeks and has a good matchup with the Rams’ pass defense this week.

At tight end, both Aaron Hernandez (56.0) and Rob Gronkowski (37.3) have a chance to put up some numbers against the Bills, who have struggled against opposing TEs this season…Owen Daniels (47.4) looks pretty good since coming back from injury, and has nine catches for 136 yards over the last two weeks. His matchup with the Broncos is favorable…Jimmy Graham (1.8) has been a little hit or miss this year, but he had two TDs last wek and has gone for 72+ yards and/or a TD in four of his last six games.

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.

Josh Freeman (59.0)
Save for a bad game against the Steelers in W3, Freeman has been solid all season throwing for at least one TD in 12 of 13 games. He’ll also add 10-40 rushing yards, which helps the bottom line. He should be able to post nice numbers in a W15 matchup against the Lions.

Jon Kitna (18.2)
Kitna has a pretty good matchup with the Redskins, who have struggled to stop the pass this season. He has thrown at least one TD in seven of his last eight games, so I’d expect 200+ yards and 1-2 TDs against Washington in W15.

Matt Hasselbeck (14.3)
The Falcons have struggled against the pass and Hasselbeck has shown that he can be productive against suspect secondaries. It would certainly help if Mike Williams and/or Ben Obomanu could make it back, since the Seahawks lost Deon Butler to a broken leg.

David Garrard (43.2)
I’m not psyched about Garrard’s matchup with Indy. He played well against the Colts in W4, but the Jags will continue to feature the run, so I don’t see another three-TD game in his near future. Still, he’s a decent matchup and has had success against the Colts recently.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (33.6)
I do like the idea of Fitzy in W16 against the Pats (though they’ve managed to shut down Mark Sanchez and Jay Cutler in recent weeks). But the Dolphins are pretty tough against the pass, so I expect I’ll rank Fitzpatrick in the high teens this week.

Jason Campbell (6.7)
Campbell played well in a good matchup against the Jags in W14 and now he has another good matchup against the reeling Broncos. Campbell has had his share of stinkers (W6 against the 49ers and W11 against the Steelers come to mind), but he has played well in good matchups, so I’d expect a good line this week against the Broncos.

Kerry Collins (1.2)
Talk about inconsistent. Collins went from dreadful against the Jags in W13 to great (fantasy-wise) against the Colts in W14. He has the Texans in W15, so I’d expect good fantasy numbers.

Sam Bradford (34.5)
What’s happened to the rookie? He had a run of six straight games with at least one TD pass, but has failed to throw any in the last two weeks. His matchups the next two weeks are decent, but his recent failings have shaken my confidence in the youngster.

Drew Stanton (0.7)
Stanton was shaky against the Packers, but Green Bay is tough to throw on. The Bucs should be a bit easier, especially with Aqib Talib out for the season.

Chad Henne (46.9)
With back-to-back stinkers, as well as losing his job midseason, I’m not sure how Henne is owned in almost 47% of ESPN leagues. He does have the Bills and Lions the next two weeks, so if you’re really desperate, you could do worse. (See below.)

Alex Smith (6.7)
Smith torched the Seahawks, but the Chargers are another story.

Matt Flynn (0.0)
He had one good drive against the Lions, but threw a costly pick in the endzone. I am not optimistic about his chances against the Pats, who have played pretty good pass defense of late.

Jake Delhomme (1.4)
Ugh.

Tarvaris Jackson (0.9)
UGH.

Ryan Torain (42.7)
If you were waiting to see how the Redskins would use Torain, well, you saw…all 172 yards of it. He’s the feature back in Washington, and while he doesn’t have a great W15 matchup (@DAL), his W16 matchup against the Jaguars is pretty tasty.

Tim Hightower (63.4)
While he’s not technically eligible for WWW, he’s available in enough leagues that I figured I’d rank him. I like his matchup this week against the Panthers, who were completely run over by Michael Turner and Co.

Brian Westbrook (51.8)
I’d have Westy a little higher, but a matchup with the Chargers isn’t particularly promising. The SD DT is playing pretty good ball right now.

Javarris James (2.8)
I don’t really know what to expect from the Colts’ backfield, but James had 17 carries against the Titans and found the endzone, and with a W15 matchup against Jacksonville, he could have a nice game.

Rashad Jennings (13.2)
He has a TD in three straight games and busted out for 109 yards on five carries against the Raiders. The Jags have gone run-heavy and Jennings is making the most of his 7.3 carries a game over the last three weeks.

Mike Goodson (29.1)
He continues to be involved in the redzone and in the passing game, making him a decent W15 flex play against the Cards, especially in PPR leagues.

Tashard Choice (22.2)
After 19 carries in W13, he got just seven against the Eagles. The next two weeks bring two great matchups, so Choice could flourish in crunch time, assuming Dallas runs the ball 30+ times per game.

Maurice Morris (5.5)
Call me crazy, but I have a feeling Morris finds the endzone against the Bucs, who aren’t very good against the run. He has received at least 11 touches in each of the last four games and outperformed Jahvid Best on Sunday.

Darren Sproles (55.6)
He continues to be a decent spot starter/flex option in PPR formats.

Anthony Dixon (9.2)
W14 against the Seahawks was his chance for a big game, but he only managed 14 carries and 60 yards.

James Starks (7.6)
Starks was a popular sleeper pick in W14 that just didn’t pan out. The Packers tried to get the running game going to no avail. I don’t see Starks doing much against the Patriots or the Giants over the final two weeks of the fantasy season.

Kenny Britt (60.4)
He returned last Thursday to catch four passes for 39 yards. More importantly, he was targeted eight times, which was tied with Chris Johnson for the most on the team. With Houston on deck in Week 15, he’s a WR2/WR3 start with upside.

Ben Obomanu (9.0)
The Falcons are coming to town and the Seahawks are hurting at WR, so if Obomanu’s hand is good to go, he could have a very nice game this week. Keep an eye on whether or not he’s practicing and make your moves accordingly. The early word is that he’s expected back at practice on Wednesday.

Davone Bess (26.6)
He visited Revis Island on Sunday and it wasn’t pretty (1-6). I’m still buying Bess at this point with Henne under center and two nice matchups over the next two weeks. With Brian Hartline out, Henne will have to lean on Bess even more and there are no cornerbacks of Revis’s quality in Bess’s near future.

Blair White (3.6)
This ranking assumes Austin Collie misses another week of action. White is more valuable in PPR leagues than standard leagues, though he does get a few redzone targets here and there.

Louis Murphy (21.5)
He posted 6-59-1 against the Jags as the Raiders started throwing to stay in the game. He has a nice matchup this week against the Broncos, but Champ Bailey is a concern.

Nate Washington (47.5)
He seemed to benefit from the return of Kenny Britt and was targeted seven times by Kerry Collins. I do think the Titans will try to throw Randy Moss a few times per game and I suspect that those targets will come out of Washington’s share, not Kenny Britt’s, so his upside is limited.

Roy Williams (40.0)
He was a dud against the Eagles and I thought he was going to have a nice game. He has nice matchups over the next two weeks, but seems to be behind Miles Austin and Jason Witten in terms of pecking order.

Anthony Armstrong (3.4)
He only got five targets against the Bucs, which was his lowest total since Week 10. With the Cowboys and Jaguars coming up, Armstrong is bound to catch a couple of deep balls before the season’s over.

Brandon Gibson (0.3)
Gibson is out Danny Amendola’ing Danny Amendola. He now has 32 catches in his last six games, making him a solid PPR fill in.

Jacoby Jones (23.3)
He posted 7-72-2 over the last two weeks. He’s not trustworthy, but I’d recommend that Andre Johnson owners pick him up as insurance.

Earl Bennett (2.7)
Sunday was a disaster on many levels for the Bears, but Bennett still posted somewhat decent numbers in PPR formats. The upcoming matchups (MIN, NYJ) aren’t pretty though.

Jacoby Ford (12.1)
He should be able to make a couple of big plays this week assuming he doesn’t draw Champ Bailey.

Arrelious Benn (0.5)
I hesitate to list Benn here because he failed to do much of anything for three games preceding his 4-122 outburst against the Redskins. But with Detroit and Seattle coming up, Benn could benefit if Freeman continues to spread the ball around instead of throwing to Mike Williams and Kellen Winslow 80% of the time.

David Nelson (0.0)
His W15 matchup isn’t pretty, but with Lee Evans sidelined with a high ankle sprain, Nelson may get a few extra targets per game. He has 10-103-2 over his last three games, so he has been decent.

Owen Daniels (41.8)
He returned on Monday night and had his best game of the season, hooking up early and often with Matt Schaub. He has a nice matchup in W15 to boot. He’s not a solid start, but there’s some upside here.

Rob Gronkowski (22.3)
Lately it seems like he has a nice game every other week, which means he’s due for a clunker against the Packers. But he has seven TDs on the season, and it’s not often you’re going to find that on the waiver wire.

Brandon Pettigrew (40.8)
I expect Pettigrew and the Detroit passing game will bounce back a bit against the Bucs.

Benjamin Watson (40.4)
He was a huge disappointment in a great matchup against the Bills, but he was only targeted once. That’s on Jake Delhomme, not Watson.

Bo Scaife (3.3)
He scored twice against Indy and Collins has a habit of looking for him around the goal line.

Tony Moeaki (23.7)
Moeaki needs Matt Cassel back.

Anthony Fasano (9.2)
Chad Henne didn’t look his way to often against the Jets, but maybe Fasano can get it going against the Bills, who have been bad against TEs this season (but shut down Ben Watson last week).

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.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (34.0)
He had a brutal first half in a so-so matchup, but the Vikings’ defense plays pretty tough at home. Over the next three weeks he has CLE, @MIA and NE. That W16 matchup against the Patriots is tasty.

Jon Kitna (14.1)
It wasn’t a great matchup against Indy, but Kitna fared pretty well. He has PHI, WAS and @ARI over the next three weeks, so even without Dez Bryant, he should still be able to post solid numbers down the stretch. Romo’s pending return could be a headache, but I don’t think the Cowboys are going to rush him back.

David Garrard (42.1)
The Jags are running the ball more and more and it’s eating into Garrard’s numbers, though he has rushed for a TD in each of the last two weeks. He’s startable in W14 (OAK) and W16 (WAS).

Sam Bradford (36.3)
Do I see a chink in the rookie’s armor? After a string of five consecutive games with at least 251 yards passing or two TDs, Bradford had his first bad game since Week 5…against the Cardinals no less. I’m not terribly optimistic about his chances against a relatively tough Saints pass defense.

Matt Hasselbeck (14.3)
His matchups down the stretch (@SF, ATL, @TB) are pretty favorable, but with Mike Williams 1.0 out, Hasselbeck is running out of options, and fast. Hopefully, Ben Obomanu can shake off that lacerated hand and make it back by Sunday.

Troy Smith (4.4)
After hooking up with Vernon Davis for a long TD, Smith finished with decent numbers on the day. He has a nice matchup this week against the Seahawks, but should be avoided after that (@SD, @STL).

Jason Campbell (6.2)
It’s not always pretty, but Campbell is capable of putting up good fantasy numbers when the stars align. He has two good matchups coming up (@JAX, DEN) before a date with the Colts in W16.

Chad Henne (47.7)
He had three picks against the Browns. What is the Jets’ defense going to do to him?

Drew Stanton (0.3)
He was decent in a tough matchup with the Bears. I wouldn’t want to use him against the Packers this week, but his W15 matchup with an Aqib Talib-less Bucs secondary isn’t a bad matchup.

Kerry Collins (1.2)
Maybe dreadful is too strong of a word to describe Collins’ performance against a sketchy Jags’ pass defense. 169 yards and two TDs…no it’s not too strong. He has the Colts this week (so-so) and the Texans in W15 (great matchup) before traveling to KC.

Jake Delhomme (1.1)
Congratulations to Jake Delhomme, who threw a TD without throwing an interception for the first time this season. Assuming Colt McCoy can’t make it back, he has a decent matchup with the Bills this week.

Jimmy Clausen (1.0)
Very good matchup, but he hasn’t thrown a TD pass since W4, so why are you reading this?

Tarvaris Jackson (0.7)
He threw two TDs and three picks against the Bills. The Vikings would be better off giving him some reps to see where he’s at heading into next season, but they appear to want Favre back under center if he’s healthy. We’ll see.

Jonathan Stewart (68.4)
He’s not technically eligible for this list, but he is available in almost one-third of ESPN leagues. Mike Goodson sprained his shoulder so Stewart should get the lion’s share of touches the rest of the way, and he’s looked pretty sharp the last two weeks.

Tashard Choice (5.0)
He carried the ball 19 times for 100 yards and a score and has a nice schedule down the stretch. But he’ll be sharing time with Felix Jones, which is going to put a cap on his value.

Chris Ivory (38.1)
Pierre Thomas is supposed to be back this week, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Ivory has had three good fantasy games in a row and is a borderline RB2 in most formats.

Danny Woodhead (59.9)
The Pats aren’t going to feed him the ball, but if he can shake loose like he did on Monday night, he’s going to post good numbers, especially in PPR leagues.

Ryan Torain (46.8)
He is supposed to practice this week, per Skeletor (a.k.a. Mike Shanahan). Neither James Davis or Keiland Williams has been consistent enough to keep Torain from getting a shot to retake the starting job. Plus, he has a favorable matchup this week against the Bucs…assuming he can play.

James Starks (0.1)
With Dimitri Nance out, Starks was the main ballcarrier for the Packers with Brandon Jackson acting as the main threat out of the backfield. He finished with 18 carries for 73 yards and could perhaps surprise in good matchups over the next two weeks.

Javarris James (0.9)
Mike Hart (3.2)
I have no clue where the Indy running game is headed. James was the most impressive against the Cowboys and Hart outplayed Donald Brown a few weeks ago. Oh, yeah, Joseph Addai’s return is looming.

Maurice Morris (7.9)
I guess Jahvid Best has a little gas left in the tank this season. Week-to-week, Morris’ carries dropped from 14 to 11 and he failed to score. With the Packers up this week and Best vulturing touches, he’s not a good option.

Tim Hightower (56.4)
He continues to dominate the carries, even though Beanie Wells is supposedly healthy.

Anthony Dixon (6.9)
The Packers are a tough matchup for opposing RBs, so it’s no surprise that Dixon didn’t do much with his 10 touches. He should fare better against a Seattle rush defense that has really struggled this season.

James Davis (0.5)
If Ryan Torain can’t go, Davis appears to be gaining favor with Shanahan. He had 12 touches to Williams’ seven.

Sidney Rice (55.7)
Um, yeah. After 4-76 over the previous two games, Rice took advantage of Percy Harvin’s absence and a sketchy Bills secondary to the tune of 5-105-2. Even with bad matchups over the next two weeks, Rice can help fantasy owners down the stretch.

Roy Williams (38.3)
With Dez Bryant out for the year, Williams should be usable in three pretty nice matchups down the stretch (PHI, WAS, @ARI).

Ben Obomanu (13.4)
He cut his finger, but should be able to go in W14, and with Mike Williams 1.0 out for at least one week, Obomanu could help a fantasy owner in need.

Davone Bess (27.9)
With Chad Henne back under center, Bess is back to being a quality PPR WR. It only helps that Brandon Marshall (hamstring) and Brian Hartline (finger) are struggling with injuries. He has a bad matchup in W14 (@NYJ), but things ease up in W15 (BUF) and W16 (DET).

Mike Thomas (24.3)
It was a rather quiet day against the Titans (4-34), but Thomas has 27 catches in his last five games, so he’s startable in PPR leagues. He could struggle this week against Nnamdi Asomugha.

Earl Bennett (1.0)
It’s time to take notice of Bennett, who has back-to-back good games and has been a relevant PPR wideout in five of his last seven games. Throw in a great matchup with the Pats and maybe he can keep this run going.

Kenny Britt (54.0)
He’s no longer on the Titans’ injury report. Perhaps with a decent showing against the Colts in W14, he might be usable in a great matchup against the Texans in W15.

Robert Meachem (53.8)
It seems like Meachem is having a nice day every other week.

Steve Breaston (48.8)
Breaston has been spotty of late, but with a nice matchup coming up in W14 (DEN), he may be startable in deeper formats.

Danny Amendola (30.4)
Brandon Gibson (0.3)
Amendola only got two targets on Sunday, and there were four other Rams with more. Not good. As for Gibson, he now has four double digit games (in PPR formats) in his last five games. He’s worth a look if you’re in a bind.

Jacoby Ford (7.9)
He caught a TD against the Chargers, but that was about it. He has the Jags and Broncos over the next two weeks, so who knows.

Blair White (4.8)
He didn’t do much against the Cowboys, but if Austin Collie misses W14, he could be a factor.

Anthony Armstrong (1.9)
With Aqib Talib out for the season, there are going to be some holes in the Bucs’ secondary. If Armstrong can connect on one deep ball…

Derek Hagan (0.9)
His value hinges on the overall health of the Giants’ receiving corps.

Mohamed Massaquoi (9.5)
He now has four catches in three straight games and four of the last five.

Nate Washington (53.7)
The Tennessee passing attack looks dreadful right now. Dreadful.

Benjamin Watson (21.5)
Watson erupted for 10-100-1 and has a great matchup with the Bills, who have struggled against opposing TEs this season. He and Jake Delhomme built a rapport on Sunday, so if Delhomme gets another start, it will be good for Watson.

Brandon Pettigrew (40.8)
I was worried how the change at QB would affect Pettigrew, but he posted five catches for 36 yards. That’s not a great day, but he’s still usable in most formats.

Jimmy Graham (2.1)
He now has 14 catches in the last four weeks and is clearly outplaying Jeremy Shockey, at least from a receiving standpoint.

Kevin Boss (53.1)
Boss only had three targets as the Giants’ passing attack suddenly looked pretty suspect. If Steve Smith 2.0 makes his return, it will likely cut into his targets.

Rob Gronkowski (23.0)
Aaron Hernandez (57.9)
Just when it looks like Gronkowski is taking over as the Pats TE1, Tom Brady targets Aaron Hernandez five times to Gronk’s two against the Jets. Apparently, Hernandez plays better against man coverage (due to his athleticism), while Gronk finds success against zone defense, so keep that in mind when setting your lineup each week.

Tony Moeaki (25.5)
He got seven targets this week, which is partially why Dwayne Bowe was so quiet. The Chargers aren’t very good against opposing TEs, so Moeaki is something of a W14 sleeper.

Greg Olsen (54.0)
The Lions are tough against TEs, but Olsen has only been targeted twice in the last two weeks. He has a nice matchup this week, however.

Owen Daniels (42.5)
Joel Dreessen (3.9)
Daniels may return this week. I wouldn’t recommend using him in his first game back

Martellus Bennett (0.6)
Jason Witten apparently has a high ankle sprain, but he played through it on Sunday, so he should play W14. If he can’t go, his owners could do a lot worse than Bennett.

Billy Bajema (0.6)
He has a good matchup, so there’s that.

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.

Josh Freeman (56.6)
If you’re looking for a solid QB to run out there every week the rest of the way, Freeman is your guy. He has two solid matchups (ATL, DET) and two good matchups (WAS, SEA) the rest of the way, so he should be able to give you borderline QB1 numbers over the final month of the fantasy season. His somewhat Week 12 outing against the Ravens marked only the second time all season that he didn’t throw for at least 212 yards or toss two TDs.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (33.4)
The Bills have that Bad News Bears feel about them. I find myself rooting for Buffalo every week. He finished with decent numbers (265 yards, TD, INT) in a terrible matchup, and would have had 300+ and 2 TDs if not for Stevie Johnson’s dropped TD in overtime. The matchup this week isn’t great (@MIN), but Fitzy is still a solid start. I love him in W14 and W16 against the Browns and Patriots, respectively.

Jon Kitna (13.9)
I wouldn’t want to start him this week against an angry Colts’ defense, but his W15 (WAS) and W16 (@ARI) matchups are great, and in W14 he faces an Eagles defense that just got torched by Jay Cutler.

Matt Cassel (49.5)
He may not be the greatest QB in the world, but he’s taking full advantage of Dwayne Bowe’s ascendancy to stud status, tossing 12 TDs in the last four games. With Denver’s lowly pass defense up next, he’s a great pickup this week, though things get tougher in W14 against the Chargers.

Sam Bradford (30.6)
I watched quite a bit of the STL/DEN game, and Bradford is cool, calm and collected, especially for a rookie. I’m waiting for one of those nightmare games, but it just hasn’t come. His last ‘bad’ game was in Week 5 against the Lions (215 yards, 2 INTs), but other than that, he has thrown at least one TD in every game and has tossed five TDs in the last two weeks. He has a great matchup with ARI this week and is startable the rest of the way outside of a W14 date with the Saints.

David Garrard (47.3)
It wasn’t pretty through the air in a terrible matchup, but Garrard had a brilliant TD run to save an otherwise forgettable fantasy day. The Titans aren’t a great matchup, so Garrard is just a mediocre start this week. He has nice matchups in W14 (OAK) and W16 (WAS), however.

Chad Henne (47.7)
Henne had a nice outing (307 yards, 2 TDs, INT) in a good matchup against the Raiders, and should find more success through the air this week against the Browns. In fact, the rest of his schedule is pretty nice, outside of a W14 road trip to face the Jets.

Matt Hasselbeck (14.1)
I don’t like his matchup this week (CAR), but otherwise, Hasselbeck has decent matchups to close the season.

Jason Campbell (6.6)
It looks like Bruce Gradkowski is out again, so Campbell should take over. His matchup this week is poor, but things ease up in W14 (@JAX) and W15 (DEN).

Derek Anderson (3.7)
Troy Smith (4.7)
Jake Delhomme (1.2)
Jimmy Clausen (0.9)
If you are in a situation where you’re considering picking up any of these guys, I feel for you. I really do.

Brian Westbrook (12.0)
Frank Gore has a fractured hip and will miss the rest of the season. (Breathe, Frank Gore owners…just breathe.) Westy came in and racked up 136 yards and a TD on 23 carries. He’s a great add this week if the Gore owner in your league wasn’t pragmatic enough to handcuff their injury-prone star.

Maurice Morris (1.5)
Last week, I advised Best owners to pick up Morris, and he didn’t disappoint on Thanksgiving, gaining 75 total yards and scoring twice. The matchups are decent down the stretch.

Mike Goodson (25.7)
Jonathan Stewart returned and ran the ball better than Goodson, but Goodson scored the TD and caught eight passes against the Browns, meaning he has extra value in PPR leagues.

Toby Gerhart (3.3)
Adrian Peterson may very well play this week, but color me skeptical given the news surrounding his injury this week. The matchup (BUF) is great, so if AP does sit, Gerhart is in for a big day.

Anthony Dixon (3.3)
He toted the ball 14 times for 56 yards and a TD. He’s going to be the RB2 behind Brian Westbrook, who hasn’t been known as the most durable RB in the world. There’s a decent chance that Dixon is the 49er feature back before the season’s out.

Chris Ivory (13.0)
If Pierre Thomas doesn’t get back soon, Ivory should maintain his value. He only had seven carries this week, but two went for scores so right now he’s the clear goal line back in New Orleans.

Cadillac Williams (53.1)
Caddy is still involved, either around the goal line or in the passing game. This week, it was in the passing game.

Darren Sproles (58.2)
As long as the Chargers are nicked up the way they are, Norv Turner will continue to use Sproles as a receiving weapon out of the backfield. In PPR leagues, he has scored double figures in four of his last six games.

Ryan Torain (57.2)
James Davis (0.6)
Keiland Williams seemingly fell behind James Davis in the race to be the Redskins RB1, so if Torain can get healthy, maybe he can win the job back. But you never know with Mike Shanahan (a.k.a. Skeletor).

Tashard Choice (2.9)
With Marion Barber out for the next two weeks (at least), Choice takes over as the short yardage back and should get a few standard carries as well. With Felix Jones not known for his durability, Choice’s role could increase by season’s end.

Ben Obomanu (2.5)
I had him as my 6th-ranked waiver wire WR last week, but it’s time to move him up after his 5-159-1 outing against the Chiefs. The matchup isn’t great in W13 (CAR), but after that it looks like smooth sailing. His value will stay high if Mike Williams’ injury lingers, and he’s worth a roster spot even if Williams returns to action.

Sidney Rice (53.7)
Wha’ happened? He had a decent showing against GB and a great matchup with WAS, and then…1-20. We’ll see how he fares this week against the Bills at home.

Deion Branch (46.1)
He went nuts against the Lions (3-113-2) and now has 17-254-2 over his last three games. Unfortunately, his upcoming schedule (NYJ, @CHI, GB) is not kind.

Danny Amendola (29.1)
He has gone for 12.9+ points in his last five games and is the Rams receiver to own, especially in PPR leagues.

Kenny Britt (54.5)
Nate Washington (49.9)
These guys need Kerry Collins back, and quick. (Boy, I never thought I’d say that.) With the Jaguars in W13 and Texans in W15, the potential is there for a strong finish. But as long as Rusty Smith is under center, stay away. However, it sounds as if Collins will be back this week.

Mike Thomas (22.6)
Thomas is a PPR favorite of mine. With MSW back, his upside is limited, but he seems like a sure 10-15 points in that format.

Davone Bess (25.0)
With Henne back under center and Brandon Marshall sidelined, Bess turned nine targets into 6-111 against the Raiders. With a nice schedule to close the season, he shouldn’t be on the waiver wire in most PPR leagues.

Blair White (2.4)
If/when Austin Collie comes back, White’s value will plummet. For now, he’s Indy’s crafty WR3 with nice hands.

Nate Burleson (34.1)
He had a rough day against the Pats (3-35) but he had eight targets and has just one fewer target than Calvin Johnson over the last four weeks. He has two tough matchups coming up, but W15 against the Bucs is promising.

Brian Hartline (1.6)
He hasn’t caught a TD since W2, but with 32 receptions in his last seven games, he should be rostered in most PPR formats. He has gone for double digits in that format in five straight games, and with Brandon Marshall sidelined, that trend should continue.

Eddie Royal (40.4)
What should we make of his 6-74-1 against the Rams? Well, he’s finally healthy, so that’s something. Maybe he’s poised for a strong finish. He has a nice schedule to close the season and the Denver defense can’t stop anyone, so he’s worth an add in bigger PPR leagues.

Steve Breaston (50.0)
Early Doucet had twice as many targets (10) as Breaston (5) on Monday night, bringing their four-week total to 27 and 33, respectively. In other words, Doucet is closing on Breaston in terms of attention from his QB. Still, Breaston seems to be the better bet for targets down the stretch.

Seyi Ajirotutu (2.2)
Legedu Naanee (26.9)
Philip Rivers didn’t throw to his WRs much Sunday night, but V-Jax is out a while and Malcom Floyd continues to work his way (slowly) back from a hamstring injury, one of these two could emerge.

Jacoby Ford (3.0)
He’s a rookie, so he’s going to have his ups and downs, but he has 12 catches over the last three weeks and has gone over 100 yards twice during that span. He could make some noise in W14 (@JAX) and W15 (DEN).

Robert Meachem (54.3)
It’s boom or bust with this guy.

Earl Bennett (0.3)
Color me skeptical, but he does have three TD catches in the last four games and the Lions and Patriots coming up.

Jordan Shipley (4.4)
10-109-1 in the last two games. 6-131-1 in W7. Shipley thrives when Cincy starts throwing the ball a lot, and that could be the case against the Jets and Steelers in the next two weeks. PPR leaguers should consider him as a flier.

Jason Avant (1.2)
Avant thrives when teams are focused on DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. He went for 8-83 in a bad matchup, but with HOU and DAL on tap, one wonders if Jackson and Maclin will be the ones to thrive in great matchups.

Danario Alexander (0.8)
Finally healthy, he went for 4-95 against the Broncos and almost scored a TD. With the Cardinals on tap in W13, a desperate owner could do worse.

Devin Hester (19.8)
Eleven catches over the last three weeks with the Lions and Patriots on deck. You could do worse in PPR leagues.

Louis Murphy (22.2)
He was decent against the Dolphins, but the Raiders are likely to have a new QB under center yet again.

Early Doucet (6.0)
He now has 13 catches for 144 yards and a TD in his last three games, and is closing on Steve Breaston in the targets department.

Derek Hagan (1.3)
He squandered a nice W12 matchup with just 2-21 against a sketchy Jags defense. So far, Kevin Boss is getting the extra targets, not Hagan. His W13 matchup with the Redskins is tempting, however.

Laurent Robinson (38.6)
Brandon Gibson (0.3)
Each guy is limiting the other. They’re both worth rostering in super-deep PPR leagues.

Brandon Pettigrew (42.0)
He keeps chugging along, especially in PPR leagues. He has scored at least 8.8 points in that format in 10 straight weeks.

Rob Gronkowski (26.4)
He has six more targets than Aaron Hernandez over the last four weeks, so it appears that he’s the Pats’ TE1, at least for now.

Kevin Boss (25.3)
With Steve Smith 2.0 and Hakeem Nicks sidelined, Boss has emerged as one of Eli Manning’s favorite targets. He has 12 catches for 192 yards and three TDs over the last four games.

Joel Dreessen (3.7)
3-15-1 to follow up his 4-106-1 outing against the Jets. As long as Owen Daniels is sidelined, Dreessen is a decent TE play.

Greg Olsen (54.6)
He only had one target against the Eagles, but it went for a score. He now has three TDs in the last four games and is Jay Cutler’s favorite target around the goal line.

Benjamin Watson (23.0)
He has a bum ankle but still caught four passes for 40 yards.

Jermaine Gresham (10.7)
He has a good matchup this week against the Saints, who have been only average against a very weak schedule, but he’s a desperation play at best.

Tony Moeaki (22.9)
Hey, he caught a TD, so there’s that.

Jimmy Graham (2.7)
He has upside, but with Jeremy Shockey on his way back and Drew Brees’ penchant for spreading the ball around, I don’t know that he’s going to be a dependable start.

Heath Miller (42.1)
Paging Mr. Miller…

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.

Shaun Hill (8.8)
In his last six full games, Hill has averaged 290 yards and 1.8 TDs, so why is he still available in 91% of ESPN leagues. He has a great matchup this week (NE) and the fantasy playoffs (@TB, @MIA) look pretty good too.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (32.4)
The Bengals weren’t a great matchup for Fitzy, but he shredded them to the tune of 316 yards and four TDs in a big comeback win. He has proven that he’s startable even in bad matchups, but Week 14 (CLE) and Week 16 (NE) look tasty, assuming the weather in Buffalo cooperates (and that’s a BIG assumption).

Josh Freeman (59.1)
Freeman has now thrown two TDs in each of his last three games, and has thrown for at least 212 yards or two TDs in nine of 10 games this season. In other words, he’s been really consistent, and with a favorable fantasy playoff schedule (@WAS, DET, SEA), he’s a nice guy to have on the roster.

Sam Bradford (28.4)
Bradford is posting the best rookie season of any QB since Matt Ryan. He had two more TDs (along with 233 yards) against the Falcons on Sunday, and has a couple of nice matchups (@DEN, @ARI) coming up. And while other QBs will be battling the elements, Bradford will be playing indoors during the entire fantasy playoffs (@NO, KC, SF).

Jon Kitna (11.7)
Kitna has posted back-to-back three-TD games in the last two weeks against a pair of pretty good pass defenses. The next two weeks (NO, @IND) are kind of tough, but Week 15 (WAS) and 16 (@ARI) are tantalizing, assuming Tony Romo is still sidelined.

Matt Cassel (43.8)
After a tremendous 469-yard, four-TD effort in Week 10, Cassel posted a solid 193 yards and two scores against the Cardinals. The schedule for the next two weeks is nice (@SEA, DEN) and he wouldn’t be a terrible start in Week 15.

David Garrard (53.3)
It wasn’t pretty, but Garrard mustered 254 yards and two scores against CLE, though he did turn the ball over four times. He has a terrible matchup this week (@NYG), but can be used in Week 14 (OAK) and Week 16 (WAS) as part of a QBBC.

Matt Hasselbeck (14.3)
He posted good numbers (366 yards, TD) in a bad matchup, and other than a semi-tough matchup against the Panthers pass D in Week 13, his schedule is quite favorable down the stretch.

Bruce Gradkowski (0.9)
He replaced the ineffective Jason Campbell and is likely to be the starter going forward. He has nice matchups in Week 14 (@JAX) and 15 (DEN).

Tyler Thigpen (0.9)
Okay, he looked pretty awful against the Bears, but everyone is struggling against Chicago’s pass defense right now. With OAK, CLE, BUF and DET up in the next five weeks, Thigpen isn’t a bad guy to use in deeper leagues.

Derek Anderson (3.8)
He hasn’t been terrible lately, throwing for one TD in each of the last four games. Other than a Week 15 game in Carolina, the schedule looks pretty nice down the stretch.

Colt McCoy (4.2)
He has accounted for one TD (two pass, one rush) in each of the last three games, but other than a Week 14 trip to Buffalo, the schedule is pretty rough.

Brian St. Pierre (0.1)
Well, the schedule is pretty nice, so there’s that…

Rusty Smith (0.0)
He’s taking over for the Titans at the right time, with the Texans and Jags up the next two weeks. Throw in another date with Houston in Week 15, and Smith could post surprisingly decent numbers down the stretch.

Keiland Williams (12.4)
Clinton Portis returned to the starting lineup and almost immediately injured himself, so the job is Williams’s for the time being. Ryan Torain and/or James Davis could take over if Williams proves to be ineffective.

Mike Goodson (10.5)
Goodson now has two straight 100-yard days, which is two more than the number of 100-yard games DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have combined for this season. Moreover, he racked up 120 yards in Week 11 against a pretty good Balitmore rush defense. Until Stewart comes back, Goodson should continue to be a decent RB2 start for owners in a pinch.

Chris Ivory (11.7)
Ivory was iffy all week, but carried the ball 23 times for 99 yards and a TD against the Seahawks on Sunday. Reggie Bush is due back soon and Pierre Thomas should be back in Week 13, so Ivory’s long-term value seems to be limited.

Maurice Morris (0.7)
Has Jahvid Best left you in a pinch? With Kevin Smith headed to IR, Morris will be the Lions’ feature back while the team lets the rookie rest his toes. Plus, he has a pretty nice matchup with the Pats this week.

James Davis (0.5)
With Portis likely done for the season and Ryan Torain out for the time being, it looks like Davis will be the RB2 in Washington for now.

Vincent Jackson (59.2)
He’s due back this week and with the Charger receiving corps banged up, Philip Rivers sure could use him.

Sidney Rice (43.1)
He saw 10 targets in his first game back, and only posted 3-56. The important thing is that Brett Favre was looking his way often, and with a pair of nice matchups coming up (@WAS, BUF) he’s usable in deeper formats.

Nate Washington (45.8)
I have my doubts about his consistency, especially with Randy Moss on the other side and Rusty Smith under center, but I can’t argue with his upcoming schedule (@HOU, JAX).

Nate Burleson (27.1)
Burleson has a pretty nice run going — he has posted an average of 5.8-68-0.7 over the last six weeks. With the Pats’ suspect pass defense on tap this week, he’s a decent start.

Danny Amendola (26.6)
Amedola continues to be a solid PPR start. He has 21 catches in his last three games.

Mike Thomas (16.4)
Thomas is another PPR star — he has gone for double digits in that format in six of his last seven games, and has scored a TD in his last three outings. Beware: His upcoming schedule is pretty tough save for a great matchup in Week 16 with the Redskins. However, with Mike Sims-Walker out with a high ankle sprain, Thomas should get plenty of targets.

Blair White (0.6)
With Austin Collie sidelined for half of the NE game, White stepped up with 5-42-2 during the Colts’ near-comeback. He has a bad matchup this week, but with the Cowboys in Week 13 and the Jags in Week 15, he could surprise down the stretch if Collie remains sidelined.

Deion Branch (40.5)
Branch has turned 18 targets over the last two weeks into 14 catches for 141 yards. He probably won’t score many TDs as the Pats like to use their TEs and Danny Woodhead in the redzone, but he should be rostered in most PPR formats.

Ben Obomanu (0.0)
Even before Mike Williams hurt his foot, Obomanu was starting to gain some fantasy relevance with his 4-60 outing against the Cards in Week 10. If Williams is sidelined for any length of time, Obomanu becomes the Seahawks’ de facto WR1, and given his 5-87-1 line against a pretty good Saints’ pass defense, he’s capable.

Derek Hagan (0.1)
With Steve Smith 2.0 sidelined and Hakeem Nicks out for three weeks with a leg injury, the Giants are likely going to turn to Hagan as a fill in. He caught three passes for 10 yards and a TD against the Eagles on Sunday, and has a pair of great matchups (JAX, WAS) coming up. He’s probably not going to help you in the fantasy playoffs, but he may help you get there.

Kenny Britt (57.1)
He has a hamstring issue, but if he can get healthy, the Titans have some great matchups coming up.

Robert Meachem (53.4)
I wouldn’t get too excited about Meachem’s fine 3-50-2 day against the Seahawks; he was only targeted three times. However, with the Cowboys up on Thanksgiving, Meachem isn’t a bad stab-in-the-dark play.

Jabar Gaffney (39.4)
Eddie Royal (39.6)
They didn’t do much against the Chargers, but San Diego has been tough on opposing WRs all year. In PPR leagues, they’re worth rostering.

Louis Murphy (22.5)
Murphy has a chance to make a little noise down the stretch if Bruce Gradkowski can recapture his early season magic.

Davone Bess (29.5)
The former PPR machine has only been targeted 11 times in the last two weeks as Tyler Thigpen has taken over at QB.

James Jones (7.4)
He has 11 catches for 174 yards and two TDs over the last two weeks, but Donald Driver looked pretty good in his return against the Vikings, and that’s going to eat into Jones’s value.

Donald Jones (0.0)
Jones has apparently taken over for Roscoe Parrish in the slot. He posted 5-70-1 against the Bengals, which will put him on the fantasy radar.

Brandon Pettigrew (36.9)
Pettigrew continues to play an integral role in the Lions’ passing attack, as evidenced by his 8-75 outing against the Cowboys on Sunday. He’s not going to set the world on fire, but in PPR formats, Pettigrew has posted at least 8.8 points in each of his last nine games.

Greg Olsen (54.6)
Cutler looks for him in the redzone, so you’re banking on a TD when you start Olsen. He has three-plus catches in his last four games, so at least he’s involved.

Kevin Boss (10.5)
With both Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith 2.0 sidelined, Boss could make some noise in the next two weeks against the sketchy secondaries of the Jags and Redskins.

Jimmy Graham (0.3)
He’s been drawing comparisons to Jermichael Finley, which is a stretch, but Graham now has eight catches for 121 yards and a TD in his last two games. With Jeremy Shockey sidelined and a date with the Cowboys on Thursday, there’s some upside here.

Benjamin Watson (29.9)
Watson squandered an outstanding matchup with the Jags and failed to register a single catch. So he’s now caught less than two passes in three of his last four games.

Joel Dreessen (1.1)
Dreessen posted 4-106-1 on Sunday, which was the kind of numbers I was expecting in Week 10 against the Jaguars. Better late than never, I guess.

Heath Miller (43.0)
Miller only posted 3-26 despite Big Ben’s monster day. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.

Bo Scaife (3.9)
PPR leagues should be aware that Scaife has cuaght 11 passes for 102 yards in his last two games, and faces the Texans and Jaguars over the next two weeks.

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.

Josh Freeman (57.1)
In a not-so-great matchup against the Panthers, Freeman still produced. Other than a poor Week 3 outing against the Steelers, he’s been remarkably consistent throwing for at least 212 yards or 2 TDs in every game this season. Other than a shaky Week 12 matchup in Baltimore, the rest of his schedule is quite favorable.

David Garrard (56.5)
Garrard was the beneficiary of a fluke Hail Mary TD to win Sunday’s game against the Texans, but he still would have posted nice numbers without it. He has a nice matchup with the Browns this week before two tough matchups with the Giants and Titans.

Jon Kitna (8.8)
I’m shocked at Kitna’s line from Sunday in a matchup with a very good Giants pass defense: 327 yards, 3 TD and 1 INT. The Lions are a pretty good matchup in Week 11.

Shaun Hill (5.4)
I’m pretty surprised that Hill struggled in the first half against the Bills, but maybe he was just shaking the rust off. He finished with solid numbers (323 yards, TD, INT) though another TD would have been nice. He has the Cowboys and Patriots coming up, so he’s a fine starter in the short term.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (39.5)
It was a surprisingly quiet day for Fitzy against a suspect Lions pass defense, but he still finished with 146 yards and a TD. He almost connected with Lee Evans on a long TD pass earlier in the game as well. The Bengals held Peyton Manning in check in Week 10, so the Buffalo pass offense might have problems in Week 11.

Matt Cassel (39.3)
The Chiefs were in catch-up mode for the entire Denver game, so don’t let Cassel’s numbers fool you — the Chiefs are a running team. Still, Cassel now has 12 TDs in his last five games, and that’s not bad at all. His upcoming schedule (ARI, @ SEA, DEN) is favorable.

Sam Bradford (28.6)
The rookie keeps chugging along, throwing for 251 yards and a TD on the 49ers. His short term schedule (ATL, @ DEN, @ ARI) is nice.

Troy Smith (3.1)
Smith now has three touchdowns (2 pass, 1 rush) in two games and will continue to start for the 49ers. His next two matchups (TB, @ ARI) are favorable.

Jason Campbell (7.4)
It looks like Tom Cable is going to stick with Campbell and why not — he has thrown for 743 yards and five TDs in three straight wins. If the Raiders can get Zach Miller and Louis Williams healthy, they could be in business. Too bad Oakland faces the Steelers in Pittsburgh in Week 11.

Vince Young (59.6)
He’s really nicked up, but he has Randy Moss and Nate Washington to throw to and the threat of Chris Johnson to keep the safeties honest.

Tyler Thigpen (0.2)
Please see: What can we expect from new Miami QB Tyler Thigpen?

Colt McCoy (3.5)
Outside of a quiet game in Week 7, McCoy has thrown or ran for one TD in his other three starts. He’s not a bad start this week against a very sketchy Jags defense.

Matt Hasselbeck (14.5)
He threw for 333 yards and a TD against the Cardinals, but did break a bone in his non-throwing wrist. Given a matchup with a pretty stout Saints defense in Week 11, he’s not starter-worthy anyway.

Derek Anderson (3.8)
He’s something of a turnover machine, but Anderson has thrown three TDs in the last three games and his upcoming schedule isn’t terrible.

Keiland Williams (1.2)
Williams got the start with Clinton Portis sidelined and Ryan Torain gimpy. He finished with 139 yards and three TDs on 20 touches and has obviously earned more work going forward. But with Mike Shanahan, it’s anyone’s guess who’s the RB1 in Washington in Week 11.

Tim Hightower (56.5)
He’s starting to hit the waiver wire, and I’m not sure why. Don’t people know that Chris Wells is out with a swollen knee?

Clinton Portis (54.7)
He’s not back yet, but he’s getting closer.

Cadillac Williams (52.7)
He rattled off a long TD run on Sunday, but is definitely playing behind LeGarrette Blount.

Mike Hart (5.0)
If he can get healthy before Joseph Addai, he’d likely be the Colts main RB.

Mike Goodson (7.8)
DeAngelo Williams and/or Jonathan Stewart will likely be back this week, but if not Goodson would get the bulk of the carries once again.

Javarris James (2.4)
With Joseph Addai and Mike Hart sidelined, James is the Colts’ goal line back. He carried the ball 10 times for 26 yards against the Bengals.

Chris Ivory (13.3)
Ladell Betts (1.5)
Julius Jones (1.2)
Reggie Bush is due back soon, so this ugly three-headed RBBC is about to get uglier.

Vincent Jackson (56.2)
He’s due back in Week 12, and with the way the Chargers have been decimated at WR, I’d expect he’ll be used early and often. He could be a great addition for a playoff run, and unlike Sidney Rice, he’s not trying to come back from injury.

Danny Amendola (19.6)
He’s the receiver to own in St. Louis. He now has 16-108-3 in the last three weeks and is more valuable in PPR leagues than in standard formats.

Mike Thomas (6.7)
If he’s not the best WR in Jacksonville, he’s certainly the most consistent, at least when David Garrard is under center. He was sitting at about 7-100 on Sunday before he caught that now-famous Hail Mary ricochet to win the game.

Steve Breaston (51.3)
He posted 4-98 against the Seahawks, but is competing with Larry Fitzgerald and Early Doucet for targets.

Deion Branch (39.5)
He appears to be healthy again after a 7-71 effort against the Steelers.

Jabar Gaffney (39.1)
I saw Gaffney hit the waiver wire in one of my 12-team leagues, and he turned around and went for 3-57-1 against the Chiefs. If Kyle Orton continues to play well, Gaffney will be a decent PPR league start.

Nate Washington (37.3)
He posted 3-26-1 in Randy Moss’s first game as a Titan. His value is pretty up in the air, but one look at his upcoming schedule (WAS, @ HOU, JAX) and he looks to be startable in deep leagues.

Sidney Rice (40.0)
He’s getting close, but I suspect he’ll be on a snap count and won’t be of much use for another two weeks.

Davone Bess (31.9)
He’s still startable in deeper PPR leagues, but with three straight weeks of fewer than 55 yards receiving (and zero TDs), he’s starting to lose his luster. Plus, we’re not sure how the targets are going to shake out with Tyler Thigpen at QB. I still like his game, but the MIA passing attack can’t support three wideouts.

Robert Meachem (54.8)
He’s plenty good to be a WR2 in the NFL, but Drew Brees spreads the ball around a lot, and right now he seems to be favoring Lance Moore.

Nate Burleson (28.3)
After a nice four-game stretch (24-266-3), Burleson was rather quiet (4-47) against the Bills.

Seyi Ajirotutu (5.1)
After a huge Week 9 (4-111-2 against the hapless Texans), Ajirotutu should continue to start if Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee continue to miss time.

Kevin Walter (26.1)
After going three straight games without scoring and five straight without more than 35 yards receiving or a TD, he erupted for 6-90-1 against a sketchy Jags defense and appears to have moved back into the Texans’ WR2 role.

Eddie Royal (41.8)
There just aren’t enough targets to go around in Denver.

Louis Murphy (21.9)
He’s coming back from injury, but may be pushed by Jacoby Ford for targets.

Jacoby Ford (4.0)
He burst onto the scene in Week 9 with a 6-148 effort against the Chiefs. He has a bad matchup in Week 11 (PIT), but things get easier after that. It sounds like the Raiders intend to get him more involved.

Jason Avant (0.9)
His upside is limited, but he has gained 60+ yards in three of his last four games. He’s on the radar in PPR leagues.

Brian Hartline (1.0)
Hartline has 23 catches in the last five games, and has scored double digits PPR formats in the last three games. He’s worth a look.

James Jones (6.4)
Jones’s value is dependent on Donald Driver, who is supposed to return this week.

Brandon Gibson (0.3)
PPR leaguers should take note: Gibson now has 14 catches in the last two games. File this one under ‘someone has to catch the ball in St. Louis.’

Anthony Armstrong (2.2)
He posted 3-83 on Monday night, which is his second straight game with 80+ yards and his sixth-straight with 40+ yards.

Todd Heap (59.9)
Heap now has three good games in his last four outings and has a very nice upcoming schedule.

Brandon Pettigrew (33.4)
Pettigrew didn’t quite have the game I was expecting against the Bills, but he was targeted eight times by Shaun Hill, and that’s a good sign.

Benjamin Watson (30.1)
After a pair of bad outings, Watson rebounded with 5-74 against the Jets. His upcoming schedule is very nice, with three good matchups in the next four games.

Rob Gronkowski (5.2)
Aaron Hernandez owners have to be dismayed at Gronkowski’s performance against the Steelers (5-72-3). Are we witnessing a sea change in New England? I doubt it, but Hernandez owners should pick up Gronkowski to hedge their bets.

Greg Olsen (54.9)
Over the last month, Olsen is tied for 12th in targets at 5.7 per game and has three catches in each of his last three games.

Heath Miller (43.6)
Miller posted 5-60 against the Pats and has favorable matchups in Weeks 11 and 12. If Hines Ward misses any time, Miller’s value will be enhanced.

Anthony Fasano (6.5)
Fasano had his best game of the year (5-107-1) thanks to Tyler Thigpen, who found him for a long pass and again for a TD. Since Thigpen is going to be QBing the Dolphins for now, Fasano’s stock is on the rise.

Kevin Boss (10.2)
With Steve Smith 2.0 sidelined, Boss got seven targets against the Cowboys and responded with his best game of the season (5-81-1). As long as Smith 2.0 is out, Boss is a respectable start.

Tony Moeaki (37.9)
Moeaki only got three targets even though Matt Cassel threw the ball 53 times. Not good.

Jeremy Shockey (46.9)
Meh.

Jermaine Gresham (9.4)
Look at it this way: Gresham’s 9-85-1 outing against the Colts is better than his last three games combined. He just isn’t consistent enough to be counted on.

Joel Dreessen (1.6)
He had a chance to shine with Owen Daniels sidelined and posted just 2-24 in a terrific matchup with the Jags. This is worrisome.

Bo Scaife (3.6)
Scaife posted 7-51 against the Dolphins and faces three terrible pass defenses in a row. He will be open with defenses focused on Randy Moss and Chris Johnson. The question is — will Vince Young throw to him consistently.

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.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (33.3)
If it seems like Fitzy’s sheen has worn off a little bit, it has, but only because he’s hit the rough part of his schedule with games against the Ravens (whom he torched), Chiefs and Bears. His schedule is pretty favorable the rest of the way and the Bills are bad enough that he’ll always be throwing.

Josh Freeman (43.8)
With two TDs against the Falcons, Freeman now has thrown at least one TD pass in seven of his eight games. His matchup this week against the Panthers isn’t great, but at least it’s at home. Things are shaping up quite nicely down the stretch with a very nice W14-16 schedule (WAS, DET, SEA).

Vince Young (59.4)
He’s having trouble staying healthy, but with Randy Moss in town, Young shouldn’t be hamstrung by the loss of Kenny Britt. Schedule-wise, things look great, with WAS, HOU (x 2) and JAX on tap down the stretch.

Matt Cassel (34.6)
Cassel has tossed eight TDs in the last four games and his schedule is very favorable in the short-term (DEN x2, ARI, SEA over the next four weeks).

Sam Bradford (27.8)
Fantasy-wise, the rookie has been terrific all season and now has 11 TDs in eight games. The schedule looks pretty nice down the stretch, but I wonder if his lack of weapons is going to come back to bite him.

David Garrard (27.3)
When last we left him, Garrard was tossing four touchdowns against the Cowboys while running for a fifth score. He has HOU and CLE in the next two weeks, so he’s definitely startable in the short-term.

Jon Kitna (13.4)
Boy I was expecting bigger things from Kitna, who has struggled to execute Jason Garrett’s offense. He isn’t being helped by the Cowboys’ anemic running game and with the Giants on tap, I’d steer clear for now.

Chad Henne (58.4)
After a nice five-game run where he threw eight TDs against six interceptions, Henne has zero scores and four picks in his last two games. With Tennessee and Chicago up next, he’s not looking like a strong start.

Jason Campbell (8.7)
As the Raiders head into their bye, Tom Cable is left with a decision. Does he bench Campbell after he led Oakland to three straight wins? Or does he give the reins back to Bruce Gradkowski? With the Steelers up after the bye, I’d wait a while and let this one sort itself out.

Matthew Stafford (40.4)
If healthy, Stafford is probably the best QB available out there on a reasonable amount of waiver wires. He has six TDs over the last two weeks, but obviously his shoulder injury in Week 9 is a big concern. He had an MRI on Monday and won’t need surgery, but he could be out a while. Update: MLive is reporting that he may miss the rest of the season.

Derek Anderson (3.3)
Anderson should only be used under the most dire of circumstances. One look at his game log and it’s easy to see that he should not be trusted.

Colt McCoy (2.1)
McCoy has a couple of tasty matchups (JAX in W11 and BUF in W14) and a few scary ones, but he’s okay as a spot starter.

Troy Smith (1.9)
Smith has a pretty nice schedule so if he continues to play solid football, he should be able to keep the starting gig.

Jimmy Clausen (0.9)
Matt Moore is out for the season. My heart goes out to anyone who has to pick up Clausen.

Willis McGahee (56.1)
McGahee now has a TD in four of his last five games, which makes him a solid RB3 in most leagues.

Danny Woodhead (49.3)
Woodhead has averaged 73 yards from scrimmage over the last five games and has scored two TDs during that span.

Clinton Portis (54.8)
He’s baaaaaaack. Maybe.

Tim Hightower (57.2)
Hightower’s very quiet Week 8 caused him to start hitting the waiver wire at a greater rate. He only gained 39 yards on 13 carries, but he got the start with Chris Wells out.

Mike Hart (7.6)
If Hart can get back on the field, there may be an opportunity for him to make some fantasy hay. Donald Brown was mediocre (3.3 ypc) running the ball against the Eagles.

Javarris James (0.6)
He had four carries, but two were for TDs. He’s the Colts’ goal line back with Mike Hart and Joseph Addai sidelined.

Keiland Williams (1.2)
Ryan Torain and Clinton Portis were both in pads on Monday, but Williams would get the start if neither can play.

Ladell Betts (1.7)
Chris Ivory (21.3)
Julius Jones (1.4)
Betts got the start in Sean Payton’s rotating cast of running backs. Honestly, I’ve given up trying to figure out where this is headed.

Mike Goodson (0.6)
He gained 47 total yards with Jonathan Stewart (knee) and Tyrell Sutton (ankle) out with injuries.

Vincent Jackson (52.6)
He’s due back Week 12, and with the way the San Diego passing attack is firing away, he could be very valuable down the stretch.

Davone Bess (33.0)
He had his second-worst game of the season but still managed double figures in PPR formats.

Steve Breaston (53.2)
3-28 in Week 9 isn’t encouraging, but the Vikings are tough against the pass. He should find the going easier against Seattle.

Danny Amendola (20.1)
He’s the Rams receiver to own, especially in PPR formats. Plus, he has caught two TDs in the last two weeks.

Sidney Rice (31.2)
Due back soon. But don’t expect too much too early.

Mario Manningham (49.1)
Along with Austin Collie, James Jones and Robert Meachem, Manningham is one of the best WR3s in the league. He’s been solid outside of a couple of goose eggs in Weeks 4 & 5.

Jacoby Ford (0.2)
The rookie went for 6-148 to lead the Raiders’ dilapidated receiving corps against the Chiefs. With Louis Murphy hobbled and Darrius Heyward-Bey completely undependable, Ford is an interesting flier this week.

Mike Thomas (5.7)
I get the trepidation after his goose egg in Week 7. But when David Garrard plays, Thomas puts up good numbers (4.7-55), though the TDs leave something to be desired. He definitely has more value in PPR leagues.

Nate Burleson (26.4)
He now has 24 catches and three TDs in the last four weeks, and has an outstanding schedule (BUF, DAL, NE) coming up.

Patrick Crayton (33.4)
Seyi Ajirotutu (0.5)
With his 20 catches over the last four weeks, Crayton seems likely to perform well over the short term, but there won’t be as many balls headed his way when/if V-Jax and Malcom Floyd rejoin the lineup. That goes double for Ajirotutu, who is fine a spot starter in the next week or two.

Bernard Berrian (51.6)
Clearly, Randy Moss’s departure was good for Berrian, who racked up 9-89 against the Cardinals. But his value is going to take a hit when Sidney Rice returns.

Jabar Gaffney (42.6)
Eddie Royal (44.5)
Bothered by a leg injury, Royal hasn’t cracked 8 points in a month and Gaffney has been held under 10 in the last two weeks. They are both PPR WR4/WR5 fodder at the moment.

Nate Washington (33.5)
With Kenny Britt out, Washington broke out of his slump to the tune of 4-117-1, but there’s no telling how many looks he’ll get in the Titans’ run-oriented offense with Randy Moss on board.

James Jones (5.4)
Believe me, I like Jones, but if Driver comes back after GB’s bye, his value is going to take a big hit.

Robert Meachem (58.7)
He’ll have a nice game every so often as Drew Brees continues to spread the ball around.

Brian Hartline (0.7)
He has 29 catches in the last seven games, and that’s something in PPR formats.

Blair White (0.6)
Keep an eye on Austin Collie this week. If he can’t go, White would be the Colts’ WR3.

Jacob Tamme (52.2)
If Gates’s foot doesn’t allow him to play, there’s a decent chance Tamme will be the top TE over the second half of the season.

Tony Moeaki (30.1)
Moeaki had a great recent schedule, but didn’t do much with it, though he did post 6-63 against the Raiders this week. His matchups the next two weeks are average.

Brandon Pettigrew (26.4)
Thanks to Nate Burleson, Pettigrew isn’t getting a ton of targets lately, but he’s making the most of them. He has two TDs in his last two games.

Greg Olsen (59.1)
Has he been disappointing? Yes. But even counting that goose egg in Seattle, he has been decent (3.0-36-0.4) with Jay Cutler under center.

Heath Miller (48.1)
Miller has a terrific upcoming schedule. Will he capitalize?

Joel Dreessen (0.3)
He’s a decent start as long as Owen Daniels is sidelined.

Benjamin Watson (27.9)
His nice run seems to have ended. He has just two catches in the last two weeks. His schedule down the stretch is favorable, however.

Randy McMichael (1.1)
I guess you could run him out there if Gates can’t go. Antonio should be back after the Chargers’ bye, however.

Jeremy Shockey (54.0)
He went to the hospital after his TD catch on Sunday, but should be available after the Saints’ bye.

Jermaine Gresham (10.7)
He’s involved. That’s something.

John Carlson (15.8)
Ugh.

Kevin Boss (10.1)
He’ll catch the occasional TD.