Fantasy Footballl: Waiver Wire
The Waiver wire is coming up in only a few hours for most leagues so let’s take a look at some of the players that should be on your radar.
QB:
Alex Smith vs. Tennessee Titans – If I could have told you that through 4 games Alex Smith would have more fantast points than Andrew Luck, Tom Brady, Cam Newton, and Colin Kaepernick most of you would have thought I was crazy…I would have thought I was crazy! But that’s exactly what has happened so far. Smith will be playing Tennessee who just ripped through the NY Jets on a 38-13 rout. The Titans will be looking to keep Jamal Charles in check, which could leave Smith some wide open passes.
Brian Hoyer vs. Buffalo Bills – Has anybody noticed the life the Browns have been playing with since Weeden left? I know it a nasty thing to say because he seems like such a good guy, but Hoyer has quietly led this team to two straight wins with a 5:3 TD/INT ratio. With his cast of skill players in Gordon, Cameron, and McGehee, Hoyer stands a good chance on putting up some respectable numbers if you’re short a QB this week.
Sam Bradford vs. Jacksonville Jaguars – Bradford hasn’t been himself in the last 2 weeks, but Jacksonville is going backwards right now as a franchise. Blaine Gabbert looks terrible, they can’t seem to draft good offensive lineman, the defensive secondary looks like a college team playing against the pros in a scrimmage, and MJD can’t do it all by himself. Bradford is my least favorite waiver suggestion of the week however he stands a chance to get back on track with the rest of the St. Louis Rams.
RB:
Lamar Miller vs. Baltimore Ravens – Had Miami been able to keep up with the Saints offense on Monday, Miller could have had a phenomenal game. That being said few teams are going to keep up with the Saints offense this year. Still, Miller has begun to separate himself from Daniel Thomas and managed 62 yards on only 11 carries on MNF. This might be a good time to jump on board before he has another good performance and someone uses their own waiver claim on him.
Willis McGahee vs. Buffalo Bills – I am picking on Buffalo this week a little. They just look to be struggling to me in so many ways that I want to exploit any matchups against them much like Jacksonville. McGahee will be sharing the ball in a 3 man RBBC, but seems to have earned the feature back part of the rotation already. Look for him to earn a low flex spot or bye week replacement for Adrian Peterson, Doug Martin or Alfred Morris.
Roy Helu – Speaking of Alfred Morris, Morris took a car crash like hit to the ribs that left him unable to finish the game last Sunday. Since that game he has said he will be fine for the game after his bye week, but I do think Morris owners should be thinking about Helu as a flex come week 5. Helu carried the ball 13 times for 41 yards and a TD in the second half vs. Oakland.
WR:
Kenbrell Thompkins vs. Cincinnatti Bengals – Tom Brady has to throw to somebody right??? Well Kendrelll is his new main man until Amendola and Gronk get back. Thompkins caught 6 passes for 127 yards against Atlanta last week and though Cincinnati should be a more difficult defense to work against. His talents are unquestionably good enough to be a play maker in the NFL. Look for new about Danny Amendola leading up to the game. If he doesn’t play, Thompkins will have another explosive performance and should be owned under those circumstances.
Josh Gordon vs. Buffalo Bills – Keeping with the explosive performance theme what Gordon did in week 3 was simply amazing. It was not able to be duplicated in week 4, but Gordon was still a serviceable flex play as he racked up 4 catches for 71 yards. The Bills rank 27th overall in defense and with Brian Hoyer throwing the ball in Cleveland, the Browns are starting to look like they weren’t so foolish to trade Richardson after all.
Alshon Jeffrey vs. New Orleans Saints – Jeffrey has 12 catches for 168 yards and a TD in the last 2 games which ranks 8th among receivers. This is also a difficult recommendation because I am also recommending the Saints D, however Jeffrey’s talents are Brandon Marshall like. Since both he and Marshall can play off of each other, it should make for some wide open looks in the Bears new offense.
DST:
Browns DST vs. Buffalo Bills – The Browns have been surprisingly good this year defensively. They have held opponents to less than 300 yards per game at 291.5, and have generated 3 interceptions and 4 fumble recoveries. Buffalo hasn’t been able to put it together consistently yet. C.J. Spiller hasn’t been what most fans, NFL personnel and especially the Buffalo Bills had expected. The Browns are stout upfront and not afraid to rush the QB. They should play as a great bye week replacement, or a high end DST 2.
Saints DST vs. Chicago Bears – a Switch turned on for this defense somewhere after week 2. Rob Ryan is working some serious magic and his results are something fantasy owners should take notice of. With 8 sacks and 5 INT’s in the last two games the Saints haven’t allowed more than 17 points in any of their first 4 games. They would make a decent BYE replacement against the Bears. The Bears have been putting on a show offensively, but New Orleans is just hot right now.
Rams DST vs. Jacksonville Jaguars – Want some numbers? Blaine Gabbert through 4 games – 300 passing yards, 5 INT’s, 10 Sacks. IN 4 GAMES! Jacksonville looks terrible. The Rams defensively have not lived up to their potential thus far this season. With Jeff Fisher and his defensive mindset at hand, this could be just what they need to get back on track.