Fantasy Football Week 14 Waiver Wire Options
If you play in a head to head league that means Week 13 was your make or break week. So, if you made the playoffs, congratulations and good luck! If you didn’t, then there’s always next year! For those of you that play in a points league you have four more weeks to try and catch up to first place or solidify your first place spot!
Hopefully the players mentioned below will be available in your league to help you out for this week, and possibly beyond…
QUARTERBACK
This late in the season means most of the good quarterbacks are already on some fantasy team’s roster, especially if you’re in a 2-QB league, so I don’t expect many QBs to be available on waivers in your league. Kyle Orton might still be there and he could be useful when the Chiefs play the Packers. So, pick him up and stash him. If guys like Matt Moore, Christian Ponder and Carson Palmer are still sitting in free agency grab them if you need a QB, as you probably won’t find anybody else unless another season ending injury happens to any more quarterbacks. Oh, and, if Donovan McNabb gets signed, don’t pick him up.
RUNNING BACK
Marion Barber. If you lost Matt Forte on your roster due to his injury Sunday then rush out to grab Barber if you didn’t already have him on your team as a Forte handcuff. We all know what Barber offers at this point in his career and it doesn’t result in a pretty stat line at end of the day. Except for one very important category: touchdowns. In the nine games Barber has played in this year for the Bears the dude has five touchdowns! The Bears don’t have a great offensive line, are starting a quarterback who doesn’t scare anyone and play a good run stuffing defense in the Denver Tebows this week. All that adds up to a probably unproductive day but Barber will have be a threat to score goal line touchdowns, that is if the Bears make it that far down the field.
Brandon Saine. I mentioned Saine in last week’s column as a dark horse sleeper candidate. Well, he didn’t do a whole lot totaling 45 yards on 10 touches but James Stark had to leave Sunday’s game against the Giants because of an ankle injury and Ryan Grant kind of stinks. Grant will probably be named the starter for Sunday if Starks can’t go but the smart play is to pick up Saine. The Packers have to run the ball sometimes, right?
Ricky Williams. The Ravens ran wild against the Browns and Williams got in on the action with 76 yards and 1 touchdown on 16 carries. Not a bad day for a back-up. With the Colts, who have surrendered 14 touchdowns to running backs this season, coming up on the schedule you could see Williams being given some garbage time carries if it turns into a blowout.
WIDE RECEIVER
Brandon LaFell. You might be hesitant to pick up any receiver from the Panthers that’s not named Steve Smith because most Panthers’ touchdowns are a result of Cam Newton’s feet. But with the news that Falcon’s top CB Brent Grimes has been ruled out for Week 14’s clash between the Panthers and the Falcons, LaFell could be in line for a big day while Steve Smith draws the double teams. LaFell did lead the team in receiving yards against the Buccaneers in Week 13.
Malcolm Floyd. If it weren’t for injuries he’d probably be on a team in every fantasy league as a WR3 this season but Floyd hasn’t been able to stay healthy and has played in only eight games this season. Out of those eight games though he has put up 100 yards or more three times, including last night’s 108 yards against the Jaguars on Monday Night Football. He also scored a touchdown. Rivers is a much better passer with Floyd in the line-up so pick him up before somebody else does.
TIGHT END
I can’t really mention any name out there worth picking up that hasn’t already been inserted into someone’s starting roster or stashed on their bench. Guys like Brent Celek, Jermaine Gresham, Anthony Fasano and Jake Ballard should all be on teams. If you’re one of the few unfortunate souls who will be hurt by Fred Davis’ four-game suspension then look to the next player on the Redskins’ tight end depth chart: Logan Paulsen. Just don’t expect much out of Paulsen.
One other name to keep an eye on throughout the week is Minnesota Viking and former Notre Dame Fighting Irish Kyle Rudolph. He has a touchdown in two out of his past three games and might have an increased role if starting TE Visanthe Shiancoe has to miss Week 14 because of a hand injury.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Seattle Seahawks. They’ve been producing fantasy points for the past four weeks and even reached double digits twice! Last week they picked off Vince Young four times. This week they play the Rams who have been brutal offensively and that’s been with Sam Bradford and A.J. Feeley at QB. Neither one of them might be able to suit up this week and that would leave the quarterbacking duties to third stringer Tom Brandstater. Plus the game is in Seattle and you know how tough it can be for opposing teams in that stadium. Not to mention the threat of Leon Washington returning a kick or punt for a touchdown!
The only other team worth picking up that might still be available are the Denver Broncos. They’ve been a great real life and fantasy football defense and with Caleb Hanie on the dock things could get ugly real quick.