Waiver Wire Week #4

Waiver Wire Work
Bubba tips on who to consider on the free agent market

WEEK #4

Pick'em Up

Team	Player	The scoop
	QB Eli Manning	The fact that I am mentioning Manning here you can take with a grain of salt. You might look at the box score and get mildly giddy. Don’t let his numbers alone lead you to believe he is turning into his brother Peyton. Truth be told, he was the benefit of some terrible lapses in coverage and deplorable tackling on two of his touchdown strikes. However, looking at Manning’s upcoming schedule he could be a solid bye week addition, with matchups against Arizona, Seattle, Buffalo, Miami, New England and San Francisco. If you need a bye week option with some nice upside, Manning could be your man.

	QB Vince Young	QB Mike Kafka’s “incredible grasp of the offense” means little to me. He basically slings the ball up for grabs to wide receivers who, quite honestly are vertically challenged. Despite the talent at the position, there is no Randy Moss type receiver on the Eagles roster that can climb the ladder for many of these passes. So enter Vince Young, who has been battling a hamstring injury since training camp. I expect him to get special attention on the trainer’s table this week, as it looks like Vick is a question-mark for Week 4 with a broken hand. If Vick can’t go, I would have to think the Eagles would want the ball in Young’s hands, as he brings a similar mobile style to the table.

	QB David Garrard	I would have to think that the Indianapolis Colts brass are sitting down as we speak and seriously considering a move that would bring Garrard in for a tryout. Consider this: You have an old and inept Kerry Collins leaving yesterdays the game with a suspected concussion, no timetable on Peyton Manning’s return, I would think handing the reins over to QB Curtis Painter does not seem overly attractive. Garrard is healthy, mobile, in shape and available. Seems like a no brainer. Or do the Colts chat with the Bengals about Carson Palmer? I mean good Lord, the guy is trying out for a minor league hockey team while he and Bengal’s owner Mike Brown play “who can hold their breath the longest?” Ah, I love intrigue.

	QB Curtis Painter	Unless you are Mrs. Painter, see above.

	RB Ryan Grant	Don’t count him out yet! Ok, it’ll probably go this way all season, James Starks one week, Ryan Grant the next week. Well, this week against a pretty tough Chicago run defense, it was Grant. While Starks struggled mightily all day with 5 yards on 11 carries, Grant carried the ball 17 times for 92 yards, averaging over 5 yards per carry. If you have a roster spot, consider adding Grant as I still think he emerges as the better option in the Green Bay backfield.

	RB Stevan Ridley	As far as the Patriots running game, the rookie brought the most to the table. Simply put, he looked pretty decent, and the other guys not so much. If you are in a dynasty of keeper format he is a no-brainer, if not and you have a spare roster spot, add him and pat attention, as the kid earned some more carries, without question.

	RB Ronnie Brown	I mention Brown because while LeSean McCoy is playing very well, I see him getting A LOT of carries and I see him limping off the field more often than I’d like. If you drafted or own McCoy, do yourself a favor and add Brown to you roster as an insurance policy. He’s a talented runner whose value will skyrocket if McCoy misses any time due to injury.

	RB Kendall Hunter	He scored the only touchdown for the Niners in week 3, and with news coming out that RB Frank Fore tweaked his ankle and is unsure of his Week 4 status, Hunter could have a better than average day against a suspect Philadelphia run defense. Stash him away if you own Gore, or find yourself in a spot at running back for the upcoming week.

	RB Alfonso Smith	With Chris Wells injured and Chester Taylor showing signs of age, Smith was given a fair amount of work and while not knocking anyone’s socks off, could get some more opportunities to showcase his talents. He’s worth keeping one eye on.

	WR Lance Moore	You have to admit it, despite the plethora of talent downfield for the Saints (envision the radar screen for a busy air traffic controller), the little guy always manages to get his. This was quite evident Sunday against the Texans, as Moore reeled in 9 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. He’s worth an add as he always has his quarterback’s attention, as well as a nose for the endzone. Always a plus.

	WR Nate Washington	With Kenny Britt seemingly lost for the season to injury, Washington’s value increases ten-fold. He managed to get involved with Britt, as well as without him, as he had 92 yards and a touchdown against Denver. He’s not your prototypical #2 moving into the #1 role. He has the talent to succeed, and a quarterback who is passing for 250-300 yards every week. All this despite RB Chris Johnson still struggling.

	WR Donald Jones	Another relevant Bills WR? I am as surprised as you. If Buffalo keeps up the pace offensively, Johnson, Nelson, Chandler and now Jones all are worth taking a look at and are worth fantasy consideration. Jones has 10 targets, over 20 yards per catch average, on his way to 101 yards receiving. There was plenty to go around.

	WR Torrey Smith	Talk about making the most of your opportunities! With WR Lee Evans out, Smith grabbed the bull by the horns in a big way, with 144 yards receiving and THREE touchdowns. That in itself warrants waiver wire consideration. The talent is obviously there. I wonder if they’ll hurry Evans back.

	WR Denarius Moore	Coming off a solid Week 2 against Buffalo, I was skeptical of Moore’s effectiveness against the New York Jets. He runs solid routes, has the size and speed to present matchup problems for defenders, and he will only get better. There are some intangibles here that could make him special. If you are concerned about the injured starters, don’t be. It’s not as though they were lighting up the scoreboard – Moore might be something special, and his coach knows it.

	WR Victor Cruz	Sure one touchdown was on the most ridiculous missed tackle ever, and the other, well.. But don’t mind my Philly bitterness… Bottom line is due to injury Cruz will get the chance to play, and delivered 110 yards and two scores against the Eagles. If you are in a pickle at wide receiver, given the Giants weak upcoming schedule he may be a nice addition.

	WR Andre Caldwell	Granted, I realize I am not talking Jerry Rice here. But he did get 12 targets and 53 yards and if you consider the Bengals issues at the wide receiver position, his upside is attractive, especially in PPR leagues.

	WR Michael Jenkins	Do yourself a favor and keep the ex-Falcon on your radar. Even with McNabb’s struggles, Jenkins was targeted 11 times against the Lions, and grabbed 9 of them for 88 yards. Someone to keep an eye on.

	WR Randy Moss	Rumors are he is in tremendous shape and willing to come back in the right situation. It may take a few weeks, but I fully expect Moss to return to the league and make an impact. Most definitely worth stashing away.

	TE Randy McMichael	As long as starter Antonio Gates is out, McMichael moves in and takes over. He’s no Gates, but is a decent option on a team that looks heavy to the tight end down field. You could do worse than the ex-Ram if the Gates are closed for a while.

	TE Brandon Pettigrew	Many forgot about this guy as he struggled early with injuries. Well, his QB Matthew Stafford welcomed him back with open arms, and so should you. He is clearly the best TE option on the Lions, and showed that against the Vikings with 11 receptions for 112 yards. If he was prematurely discarded, pick him up.

	TE James Casey	As quickly as he emerged, he could disappear. ESPN lists him as a fullback, others as a tight end. Whichever way, he was listed as quite a performer yesterday, lining up at fullback and grabbing 5 passes for 126 yards and taking one the distance. TE Owen Daniels seems to be back at 100%, but it will be interesting to see how Casey is utilized moving forward.

	TE Greg Olsen	He was a nice target in Chicago until Mike Martz and his anti-TE offense came to town. He's a nice option for Newton in addition to WR Steve Smith. While Jeremy Shockey is also on the field, I feel that Olsen is just the better, more consistent option.