Monthly Archives: November 2015

Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickups

By MV November 30th 2015

Another Sunday another injured Patriot as Gronk goes down with a knee injury that will keep him out for a few weeks. The Cardinals have also been hit but not as impactful to the team with Ellington (turf toe) and Chris Johnson (broken tibia). Once again injuries shape the landscape of the season and it’s a game of the healthiest survive. Those that manage their FAAB the best through the season can withstand all of the injuries.

It’s a good idea to take a look at your leagues rules for playoffs if you are in the hunt. Most leagues do not allow pickups during the playoffs and you don’t want to get caught with an injury at the kicker, QB, or tight end position. It is a good idea to enter with some good backups. Also makes sense to look at the defensive matchups for week 14-16. The Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, and Kansas City Chiefs have some really soft matchups for the fantasy playoffs.

 

Quarterbacks

Russell Wilson SEA – Certainly he has been dropped in quite a few leagues. He has been lights out the last couple of weeks, and something tells me this team is primed for a big playoff run while Russell puts the team on his back.

Matthew Stafford DET – Stafford’s another guy that has been dropped after a subpar season. Don’t look now the Lions have won their last 3 after starting the season 1-7. They have some favorable matchups the next five weeks (GB, @STL, @NO, SF, @CHI). I would count on 12 TD’s over that span.

Kirk Cousins WAS – You like that? Another 300 yard game from the humble warrior.

 

Running Backs

David Johnson AZ – Now Bruce Arians has the confidence in starting David Johnson. Now that he has no choice but to start him with Ellington and CJ2K out. David was the most talented running back on this team in the preseason and the regular season but Arians stubbornly refused to let David Johnson fly. No David has an opportunity to show what he can do with a full workload. Expect him to light up the Rams this weekend.

James White NE – Sunday night was an ugly night for most of the Patriots. Brandon Bolden had 4 catches for 84 yards and a TD, not bad. We still like James White to be the best Dion Lewis impersonator for the rest of the year. Bolden will see some decent volume too with Gronk out.

Wide Receiver

DeVante Parker MIA – The rib injury to Rishard Matthews opens the door for rookie wide out DeVante Parker what he’s got for the remainder of the year. Parker saw 10 targets this week and the coaching staff will take a look at what he’s got being 4-7.

Markus Wheaton PIT – I know, he will probably do nothing this next week, but he might be a decent bench stash to own. He is on arguably the best fantasy offense in the NFL, so you could do worse. He made some nice catches for a guy that has had problems with his hands this season.

Dontrelle Inman SD – Inman went 5 for 65 and 1 TD on 9 targets on Sunday. He made some real nice grabs too. San Diego is a wreck. Sunday’s win brings them to 3-8, but they will be throwing the ball all around the field and I would not be surprised if Rivers went 4-1 from here out.

Anquan Boldin SF – Anquan again leads the SF in targets with 11. He is a fine option down the stretch in PPR. Gabbert to Boldin all day!

Tight End

Scott Chandler NE – Chandler has been on this list multiple times this season, but he really has not worked out as the double tight end for New England, simply because there have been too many mouths to feed. With all of the injuries and especially the latest with Gronk going down Scott will see a heavy workload.

Will Tye NYG – It seemed like Eli was looking for the Tye Stick all game. His production has increased over the last 3 weeks. It looks like Larry Donnell might not play for the remainder of the year, and without a clear cut second receiving option Will should see a nice workload in PPR and championship formats.

Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups

By MV November 23rd 2015

‘Tis the season of injuries. We saw a number of injuries again in week 11 with Justin Forsett and Joe Flacco both done for the year, Charcandrick West, Devonta Freeman, and Danny Amendola also left their games with injuries. Marshawn Lynch and Alshon Jeffery never saw the field. This is the time of year when some players begin to wear down and get hurt. It’s also the time of year where everyone is preparing and trying to get in the fantasy playoffs, so it’s a good idea to stack your bench and get ready to roll.

It’s a good idea to take a look at your leagues rules for playoffs if you are in the hunt. Most leagues do not allow pickups during the playoffs and you don’t want to get caught with an injury at the kicker, QB, or tight end position. It is a good idea to enter with some good backups. Also makes sense to look at the defensive matchups for week 14-16. The Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, and Kansas City Chiefs have some really soft matchups for the fantasy playoffs.

 

Quarterbacks

Matt Hasselbeck IND – The resurgence of a legend! Take it easy. Hasselbeck has a great start next week against the Buccaneers.

Brock Osweiler DEN – Happy Birthday Brock! Brock had 2 TD’s and 250 yards passing in his 1st career start.

Brian Hoyer HOU – This might be the stream play of the week as Brian is named the starter now back from a concussion. I am sure the Saints have made some post Rob Ryan adjustments and their defense will not be as bad as they have been, but with the Brees putting up TD’s in bunches Hoyer to Hopkins will be fun to watch.

Kirk Cousins WAS – Kirk has a decent schedule from a fantasy perspective down the stretch (NYG, DAL, CHI, BUF and PHI) and can be teamed up with another stream option for this week against Carolina.

 

Running Backs

Thomas Rawls SEA – I am not sure that Marshawn will play again this year, or again for the Seahawks, or again period. I have so many questions and so little information. The fact is that Rawls looks to be the next starting running back for the Seahawks.

James White NE – As I was typing his name he caught a TD pass from Brady. He is a nice add in PPR leagues as the weapons are being depleted in New England.

Javorius Allen BAL – AKA Buck Allen is now the lead back for the Ravens with Justin Forsett breaking both bones in his forearm. Buck saw a lot of volume catching 5 of 6 targets and also rushed 22 times. He will carry the load down the stretch.

Spencer Ware KC – Chracandrick West strained his hamstring in the week 11 blowout over the Chargers. Hamstring injuries can be tricky, everybody is different. Ware should be definitely added as a handcuff to West, but can also be a speculative add if you miss out on Rawls or Allen.

Tevin Coleman ATL –  Reports are in that Devonta Freeman should start this weekend against the Vikings, but it’s time to add Coleman if you are a Devonta owner, or are just desperate. It is handcuff season.

Robert Turbin DAL – As expected Robert Turbin has been added to the Dallas roster to back up the frail Darren McFadden. He is worth an add in all formats on the chance that DMC cannot finish the season healthy.

Shaun Draughn SF – Shaun was targeted an RB weekly high of 11 times and caught 8 of them for 40 yards. He gained 37 yards on 12 carries as well. That’s not horrible in PPR considering where he played. Shaun will be the lead back for the team down the stretch.

Jordan Todman PIT – I will give you two words to believe in handcuffs in Pittsburgh: DeAngelo Williams.

 

Wide Receiver

Chris Harper NE – Next man up. I am not sure how serious the Danny Amendola knee injury is yet, but it looks here in the 4th quarter like Chris will be the Edelman/Amendola replacement.

Dwayne Harris NYG – It really looks like Dwayne is taking over as the #2 WR in this offense. Reuben Randle has been relatively ineffective this season and Harris could see an increase in targets down the stretch. Don’t read too much into the Hakeem Nicks signing this week.

Roddy White ATL – Well he got the volume I was talking about last week, but he just didn’t do much with it. 4 of 9 caught for 24 yards.  I still like him to get some looks as the Falcons high-powered offense makes a push for the playoffs. Hands of Stone Hankerson is back and also drew 7 targets, but I don’t know why he gets any looks at all. His drops are ugly.

Marquess Wilson CHI – Alshon’s in then he’s out, then he’s in, and then he’s out. Meanwhile Wilson had a 100 yard game. He is a big dude that is proving to be a starter in the NFL.

Anquan Boldin SF – Did he get dropped in your league in the midst of the Gabbert era and injury? Well he and Gabbert looked pretty well connected yesterday in Seattle. Boldin has great hands and will be a chain mover in this weird decent offense for the next 6 weeks.

JJ Nelson AZ – It’s tough to assume that he will have a major role in this offense, but he is worth a look after the monster game he had on Sunday night. He’s definitely worth picking up in dynasty or super deep leagues as a bench stash.

Tight End

Zach Miller CHI – Zach came down to Earth a bit, but still had a decent outing with 3 catches for 47 yards. With Alshon out Miller will pick up some of the slack in double TE formations.

Brent Celek – The veteran will get an up-tick in volume if Zach Ertz is out with a concussion for Thursday’s game.

Vernon Davis DEN – VD caught all of his 6 targets and looks like Brock gets it. VD is a freak when he is properly used and motivated.

Week 11 Waiver Wire Pickups

By MV November 17th 2015

The Julian Edelman injury was painful for the New England Patriots and for fantasy owners, but it presents a great opportunity for all of the other owners. This means that there are a lot of targets that need to go around.

As we get closer to the playoffs it is time to review the rules of your leagues. Many leagues do not allow pick-ups during the playoffs. Over the next few weeks we will look at some speculative adds for the playoffs. Starting next week we will talk about some kicker/defense combinations that can be added for streaming week 14-16.

The basic rule of thumb is to keep the cost of your pick-up beneath 20% of your total FAAB for any one player. There are always exceptions to this rule and it is contingent upon a ton of variables; what week we’re in, situation, opportunity, etc.

Quarterbacks

Matt Hasselbeck IND – He plays the Falcons in week 11. Here is to taking a shot on the 40 year old living out his glory years and recapturing excellence in an ugly divisional race. The Colts are very much still alive and Matt has a chance to succeed for the first time since his pre-12th man Seahawks days.

Brock Osweiler DEN – This is another decent QB stream option for week 11 against the Bears as Peyton has been ruled out. Brock has a chance to audition for the job for future years and has an awesome opportunity to start by lighting up the Bears.

Mark Sanchez PHI – Mark has clearly been the favorite to take the job in terms of fantasy. He makes a lot of mistakes, but he is fearless and will make a lot of plays. I like his chances to keep the job for the resto of the year.

Kirk Cousins WAS – Kirk is beginning to make a case to remain a starter in the NFL. Relax though it was the New Orleans defense last week. Kirk has a decent schedule from a fantasy perspective down the stretch (CAR, NYG, DAL, CHI, BUF and PHI) and can be teamed up with another stream option for this week against Carolina.

 

Running Backs

Denard Robinson JAX – If TJ Yeldon cannot play (in a walking boot Monday) then Denard will get the start for Thursday Night Football. This would be a decent start if Yeldon was ruled out.

James White NE – James looks to be the clear-cut 3rd down back in New England which carries a ton of value in PPR formats. While he did not have a big statistical outing this Sunday he played on 38 snaps. With Edelman out James will see more volume in this high-powered passing attack.

Shaun Draughn SF – Shaun looks to be the lead back in San Francisco if Carlos Hyde does not return. Exciting right? But really, he had 16 carries for 58 and caught 4 of 5 targets for 38 yards.

Rod Smith DAL – Rod Smith is a big back (6’3 226) from The Ohio State University. After today’s release of Christine Michael Rod steps in as the #2 back in an offense that has the best offensive line and Darren McFadden in front of him. That is enough for me to add him everywhere I possibly can.

Jay Ajayi MIA – This one is tough because he has Lamar Miller in front of him, but he is a must add in keeper leagues. Jay runs with a ferociousness and quick burst through the line to the second level. The Dolphins may want to see what kind of workload he can carry if and when the Dolphins are eliminated from contention. He could be a decent stash in redraft leagues just for that chance during the fantasy playoffs.

Jordan Todman PIT – I will give you two words to believe in handcuffs in Pittsburgh: DeAngelo Williams.

 

Wide Receiver

Danny Amendola NE – With Julian Edelman out through at least the fantasy playoff season someone has to pick up the volume. Look for Amendola to fill the shoes the rest of the way.

Kamar Aiken BAL – Kamar has carved out a #1 WR role in this offense. He had 14 targets and will continue to get plenty of looks.

Dwayne Harris NYG – It really looks like Dwayne is taking over as the #2 WR in this offense. Reuben Randle has been relatively ineffective this season and Harris could see an increase in targets down the stretch. Don’t read too much into the Hakeem Nicks signing this week.

Roddy White ATL – Roddy complained about not getting enough looks before the bye week. With Leonard Hankerson’s cement hands Roddy would be a guy that we look at to get some targets and will have decent PPR value from here on out.

Harry Douglas/Dorial Green-Beckham TEN – Neither WR has impressed in their Titans debuts, but with Kendall Wright still ailing from a sprained MCL (questionable for TNF) and Justin Hunter sent to the IR for the rest of the year these are the #1 and #2 wide outs for Tennessee. Both are available in most leagues and can be used as PPR spot starts this week.

Dontrelle Inman SD – With Malcolm Floyd leaving MNF with a shoulder injury Dontrelle steps in as the #2 WR in San Diego. Not a bad place to be a wide receiver.

 

Tight End

Zach Miller CHI – The Zach Miller resurgence has been great. He is 10 for 165 and 3 TD’s over his last 2 games. He probably won’t be busting long ones every week, but he has built the confidence of this team and the Bears have a legitimate target along with Jeffery and Martellus Bennett. Zach was a promising star in the NFL but his injuries have held him back the last 3-4 seasons. He looks healthy to us.

Coby Fleener IND – Matt Hasselbeck heavily relied on Fleener as a check down option when Luck was out earlier in the season. I am positive that trend will continue the next few weeks.

Scott Chandler NE – Look for the Patriots to run more double tight end sets now with Julian Edelman sidelined. Chandler has the goods to be a decent start in TD heavy leagues or championship formats (1.5 PPR for TE).

Garrett Celek SF – 2 catches for 12 yards, but with 2 big TD’s. Not terribly excited about this one, but in championship formats (1.5 ppr for TE’s) he could be a decent spot start as a flex.

Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups  

 

By MV November 9th 2015

I always start writing this article by reading the previous week’s article, sort of a where we were right and wrong. Well I said to use 100% of your remaining FAAB on DeAngelo Williams and I hope you got him. I said Bortles, Cutler and Carr at the QB position, nice. The only two I was “wrong” on was Vernon Davis and Malcolm Floyd. Vernon is learning the offense and is still on this week’s list while Malcolm Floyd suffered a shoulder injury in the first half of Monday Night Football.

The basic rule of thumb is to keep the cost of your pick-up beneath 20% of your total FAAB for any one player. There are always exceptions to this rule and it is contingent upon a ton of variables; what week we’re in, situation, opportunity, etc.

Quarterbacks

Blake Bortles JAX – Blake had 2 interceptions, but who cares when you put up 381 yards and 2 touchdowns. He plays the Titans stingy pass defense twice over the next 2 weeks, but the Jets were supposed to be pretty good too. He sees a vanilla Baltimore next week and then San Diego in week 11. I’ll take that action.

Tyrod Taylor BUF – Somehow he managed to throw 168 yards to Sammy Watkins while only throwing for 181 total yards. He only had 13 yards combined passing to the rest of the team. That’s the Greg Roman I remember. Still when he is in at QB this team scores a lot. He rushed for 44 yards too. He is a good bet to play better in his next couple of starts at home against the Colts and Patriots. I love it.

Derek Carr OAK – C’mon is he still available? Carr and this offense is for real.

 

Running Backs

Christine Michael DAL – Same story as last week, Michael is worth a stash in deeper leagues. We love McFadden’s talent but we cannot keep total faith in him given his injury history.

David Cobb TEN – The Titans said that he showed up out of shape which is not great, but we still like his chances of taking the reins over Antonio Andrews. The Titans will want to get him involved when he comes back this week to see what he’s got.

Shaun Draughn SF – Shaun looks to be the lead back in San Francisco if Carlos Hyde does not return. Exciting right? But really, he had 16 carries for 58 and caught 4 of 5 targets for 38 yards.

Brandon Bolden NE – He is not startable yet, but if something were to happen to Blount, like say, Le’Veon Bell calls him over to play Madden or something and they get busted driving too fast leaving a Carl’s Jr. or an injury then he could be a decent spot start.

James White NE – James was a healthy scratch last week, but he will surely get a chance to be the best option to fill in pass-catching opportunities when the Patriots are running their fast tempo offense.

Karlos Williams BUF – Likely he was dropped in many leagues with missing the last number of weeks dealing with concussion recovery. This guy is perfect for this Roman offense, and if McCoy Thursday night then Karlos becomes a great start against the Jets. He is a decent emergency start even if Shady plays.

Marcel Reece OAK – Reece has been one of the best producing fullbacks in the league over the last several years. If Latavius Murray’s concussion holds him out ofr any length of time the Raiders will go to Reece to fill the void at RB. Taiwan Jones fumbled twice last week. Olawale is a big blocking back which makes Reece the most likely fill in. He would be a decent start in PPR leagues in this surprising high powered offense should Murray miss time.

Jordan Todman PIT – I will give you two words to believe in handcuffs in Pittsburgh: DeAngelo Williams.

 

Wide Receiver

Kamar Aiken BAL – Off the bye he still may be available. At this point Breshad Perriman was supposed to take over as the #1 wideout in Baltimore, but he still out indefinitely with a torn MCL. Harbaugh said that he hopes he can play week 13. Gulp.

Nate Washington HOU – Off the bye he may still be available.

Cecil Shorts HOU – Short pants may have lost his #2 WR title with the play of Washington, but he made the list as a speculative add now that he has resumed practice. He is a quick WR that has the ability to put together monster games quickly.

Dontrelle Inman SD – With Malcolm Floyd leaving MNF with a shoulder injury Dontrelle steps in as the #2 WR in San Diego. Not a bad place to be a wide receiver.

Cole Beasley DAL – The way it looked on Sunday is the way that I forecasted Cole Beasley for the year, but when Dez went down it forced Cole into a role that he cannot play. Now that Dez is back Cole becomes the dump off short yardage underneath guy. He should be a decent PPR start.

Dorial Green-Beckham TEN – Well he definitely has been eased in. He had 10 targets this week and caught half of them for 77 yards. I’m sure that this is a trend with the right trajectory.

Tight End

Vernon Davis DEN – OK, he scored zero in his first week with Denver, but give the guy a chance to read the playbook. We still like him as a #2 tight end down the stretch.

Garrett Celek SF – 2 catches for 12 yards, but with 2 big TD’s. Not terribly excited about this one, but in championship formats (1.5 ppr for TE’s) he could be a decent spot start as a flex.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins TB – ASJ should be rostered because of his opportunity to be a force during the fantasy playoffs. Excellent speculative add.