FSH: WEEK 8 PLAYERS ON THE MOVE

October 24th, 2008 9:27am PST

Players On The Move
(WEEK 8 WAIVER WIRE)

We have officially reached the midpoint of the regular season matchups for most fantasy leagues with seven weeks now in the books. For some of us the first half has been a smooth ride, for others could those bumps be any bigger. As you get set to embark on the back stretch and make your run to glory, lets for a moment take a look 10 things and see what have we learned off the waiver wire in the first half of the season;

1. Back-ups can be as valuable as the starters we draft; hello Dominique Rhodes, Gus Frerotte, Antonio Bryant, and Steve Breaston.
2. You can never have too many receivers with so many injuries; Anquan Boldin, Joey Galloway, Kevin Curtis, Deion Branch, and Marques Colston.
3. This is the year of the rookie running back, 5 running backs in the top 25 rushing led by the Titan's Chris Johnson's 549 yards, and 7 running backs in the top 25 scoring, led by Tim Hightower with 5 touchdowns.
4. Wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Eddie Royal are both rookies, as well as Donnie Avery and Josh Morgan!
5. Falcons' rookie quarterback Matt Ryan is a gamer, but not a fantasy starter yet.
6. The Bills are for real and Trent Edwards is a solid QB2, and getting better.
7. Steve Breaston has been a nice fill for the injured Anquan Boldin.
8. Hasselbeck and Palmer have been huge disappointments this season. QBs Ryan Fitzpatrick and Seneca Wallace are not good replacement options, but Kyle Orton and Matt Schaub are.
9. Lance Moore could be losing some of his luster with Colston back.
10. And, finally TE Martellus Bennett, WR Steve Smith, QB Brady Quinn, and RB Ryan Torain could be names you will be hearing more in the upcoming weeks!

Willy Wants Ya (Weekly)"Golden Ticket"

This week's Tickets...
Following this past week of NFL action, there still a few players that have an interesting appeal and will be in high demand this week on most Wavier Wires. With Pittsburgh's Willie Parker struggling to get healthy there still remain favorable options in Steel-town, in Tampa Garcia's strong play in the team's win over Seattle bring the 39 year old veteran back in the mix, and the Rams high flying speedy rookie has Mark McGwire appeal and looks like a homerun every week!

RB-MeWelde Moore (Pitt)....with the Steelers top rusher "Fast Willie" Parker out and possibly now questionable for Week 8, MeWelde Moore still has staying power as a waiver wire option. Last week Moore was a highly productive fantasy option and should continue to see work, until Parker is back to 100%. If you didn't grab him last week, this could be your opportunity with his last shot at starting with Parker close to getting back on the field

QB-Jeff Garcia (TB)....the Buccaneer's quarterback return to the starting line-up has been successful with two straight wins. His performances have not been dominant, but Sunday night against the Seahawks, he looked efficient, decisive, and comfortable with the offense. His 300 yards passing has to be a big boost to his confidence which will go a long way in the eyes of head coach Jon Gruden. Gruden wants his quarterback to be bold, in control, and running the ship with a swagger. Garcia is finding his swagger and could be a decent back up for owners needing to add depth down the stretch.

WR-Donnie Avery (Stl)....in the past two weeks the Rams rookie receiver has been a frequent candidate for the weekly highlight reel. In his first start, Avery made the Sportscenter highlight show when he took the rock to the house on a 37 yard end-around against the Bills. Since that time he's been back on several occasions, including last week where he made a few cameos that were called back, but did have a 42 yard pass reception make good. Avery is explosive and no question he's always a big play threat. Now inserted as a starter he'll have more opportunities and potential to be big a flex play or mid WR3.

More "Boys on the Move"...

If you are "Searching those scarp heaps," testing the murky waters to see what is floating at the bottom, here a couple of players that have recently found opportunity in San Diego, New England, and Detroit. Injuries have allowed Floyd to surface in the Chargers passing game, Jordan to find could be making fantasy noise..

Malcom Floyd WR (SD)-....with the Chargers starting receiver Chris Chambers still limited and listed as questionable for Sunday, Floyd looks like an appealing option and pick for week 8. The Chargers receiver has come up big the past two weeks scoring a touchdown in each contest. While Floyd is not a great option for PPR leagues, at his size he's a deep threat and will chew yards on big plays. Last two games, 7 receptions for 140 yards (20 yds/catch). Even when Chambers returns, Floyd could still have value as a WR3 in deeper leagues.

LaMont Jordan RB (NE)- Inj....with Maroney done and Sammy Morris not practicing the door to the Patriots running back job appears to be open and the man that could be called upon to fill it just returned to full practice this week. Running back LaMont Jordan participated fully in practice Wednesday and could be a good bet to see considerable action in Week 8. With Morris now hobbled, Jordan is a better option to start than Kevin Faulk, although the two would likely share the workload. Because Jordan is also a good receiving option out of the backfield in the short-passing game, owners could look for him as a solid flex when and if healthy ( with Sammy still OUT).

Steve Smith WR (NYG)-....the Giants number three receiver has recently turned into a consistent flex option for owners these past couple of weeks. Out of the slot position, Smith and Manning have developed quite a nice rapport with one another. Smith is a big receiver, with good hands and looks like he is quickly becoming a focal point in the Giant's passing game. Smith has been steady, but fantasy owners shouldn't consider him anything more than a low end WR3 or flex option, but he is a serviceable insert as a bye week fill.

"Diamonds in the Rough"

Week 7 complete, the midpoint of the fantasy season reached, it's time to start shopping for players that could come into play later down the line for your play-off push and eventual Championship run!

Your Week 8 Deep Sleepers...

David Martin TE (Mia).....quietly the Dolphins tight end David Martin has been as productive as their more notable other pass catcher Anthony Fasano. Martin has 16 catches this season for 233 yards, he's a big target and has very good hands. Much like Fasano, he's an appealing option in the red-zone and fits Pennington short passing game style. Last week Martin caught 4 passes for 71 yards and could become a more frequent target going forward.

Derrick Mason (Bal)....while it wasn't a big game on Sunday, it was Mason's typical day of production. Much like Welker in NewEngland, the Raven's wideout is a must play every week in PPR leagues, but with his yards typically limited, normally fluctuating between the 50-75 yard range in some leagues he may be an overlooked option. If available in traditional leagues Mason could be nice option coming off your bench later on down the road. As he and rookie quaterback Joe Flacco continue to develop their rapport with one another, Mason could have similar days (even bigger), like this past weekend where he caught 6 passes for 87 yards and a score.

Josh Morgan-WR (SF).....the Niner's rookie receiver appears now healthy and has worked his way back into the starting line up. In week 7, Morgan had a strong outing catching 5 passes for 86 yards and touchdown. Not bad for his first start of the season and if this is any indication of what the kid can do, he could be worth considering as a low end WR3 or matchup flex. Looking at his Week 8 matchup against the Seahawks, he will face the leagues 29th ranked pass defense, and could be a nice insert. As the weeks press on, Morgan has the talent that could mean bigger Sundays for fantasy owners.

Mike Furrey-WR (DET).....with all the recent changes in the Motor City, it looks like receiver Mike Furrey has risen from the ashes in the Lions passing game. Furrey is the team's number three receiver, but his production last week (6 catches, 89 yards) could indicate when the dust settles in Detroit, he could be a more favorable option over receiver Shaun McDonald.

"Lying in wait" under watchful eyes...

These boys are not quite ready to be every week playmakers, but they are making a push to see more air-time. With their most recent performances these "ones to watch" could soon become relevant in your weekly line-ups!

Running Backs

Kevin Smith-RB (DET).....every week, more and more the rookie running back is looking like the better option. In the team's last game he totaled 68 yards with a score to Rudi Johnson's 8 yards. Over the past two games Smith is averaging 8.2 yards per carry, to Johnson's 2.0 yards and has out-gained Rudi 141 yards to 50. With the team in turmoil, searching for wins, it may not be long before they turn to the youth movement and stay with the kid!

Wide Receivers

Harry Douglas (ATL)....the Falcons rookie receiver is the first receiver with a name that is not Roddy White to put up decent receiving numbers (last week; 5 catches for 96 yards). It's too soon to start up the Harry Douglas train, but back in week 6 against the Bears, the rookie made plays and looked very good. With much of the defenses attention surely to be on WR Roddy White, Douglas could see favorable opportunities to keep up the strong play. He's a flier worth keep both eyes on!