Players On The Move
(WEEK 12 WAIVER WIRE)
Back in Week 10 it was the rise of the Silver-surfers or in this case NFL tight ends with the likes of Scaife, Winslow, and Gonzalez putting up the big numbers for fantasy owners. Even players like Keller, Scheffler, Heap, and Boss came on to make impacts.
In Week 11 there was a change in the guard like a changing of the wind with wide receivers flying high and a pair of Cardinals (Boldin and Fitzgerald) leading the way. Some un-notables that made noise were players on the move like, Justin Gage and Donnie Avery. For those owners that had these wingmen in their line up, also had their lucky tickets last Sunday. So who will be your Golden ticket for Week 12?
Willy Wants Ya (Weekly) "Golden TicketS"
This week's Tickets...
QB-Matt Cassel (NE)
....the Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel did his best Tom Brady impression in Week 11 and he wasn't all the bad. In fact Cassel played extremely well passing for 400 yards with three touchdowns and adding 62 yards rushing against the Jets Thursday night. With weapons like Welker, Moss, and Watson starting to make plays for him, Cassel figures to be a hot ticket in Week 12 and could make a big impact heading into the fantasy playoffs.
RB-Warrick Dunn (TB)
....with Earnest Graham going down and Carnell Williams making his season debut this Sunday against the Lions, Dunn figures to big the featured back in Week 12. Dunn played well last Sunday totaling 118 yards of offense with 24 touches on the day. Dunn is more than capable of being a featured back in the run game, but at his age and size how much can he shoulder. There's no question with his two career 100-yard rushing performances (in his last four games) against the Lions owners will scramble to pick up the 5'9" dart from Baton Rouge. Dunn is a strong play in Week 12, but owners should check matchups and watch how the Caddy runs on Sunday.
WR-Justin Gage (TEN)
....with opposing team's stacking the line these days, the Titan's have been forced to take to the air. With Kerry Collins showing he can still chuck the rock, wideout Justin Gage has quickly become an impact fantasy receiver. In his last two starts Gage has put up solid fantasy numbers scoring three times and totaling 194 yards with 8 receptions. Gage has actually been better than that this season with Collins. In the five games Gage has started with Kerry, he has scored in three of those games and has 18 receptions. The Titan's receiver will be a hot ticket item for owners and could pay huge dividends if defenses continue to focus on the run.
More "Men on the Move"...
Just when you thought it was safe to go back with your starters, Lee Evans in Buffalo disappears, Jake Delhomme in Carolina barely passes the century mark, and Willis McGahee in Baltimore can’t find any holes. What is an owner to do? And so the weekly saga continues once again as fantasy owners hope to find and awake their sleeping fantasy giant in Week 12.
QB-Kerry Collins (TEN)
.....is there any surprise to see people starting to talk about Collins at this point in the season? The natural response is yes of course, but maybe there shouldn't be. Collins has always had a big arm, add a solid running game and one of the league's best offensive lines (5 sacks allowed this season), and should we really be surprised to see what he is doing; 519 yards passing, 5 touchdowns the past two Sundays. If Collins is not owned, at this point he should be.
WR- Kevin Curtis (PHI)
.....the Eagles wideout is slowly working his way back into the mix. Over the past three weeks, Curtis has caught 16 passes for 172 yards and a score. While he has yet to put up big numbers, Curtis was targeted 12 times on Sunday and 36 times in his four games back. It's just a matter of time before he and quarterback Donovan McNabb start connecting.
RB-Antonio Pittman (STL)
.....the Rams will be without running back Steven Jackson, which will mean Pittman will get his 5th consecutive start this season. Last week the Rams running back was a solid start rushing for 95 yards on 14 carries and in his four starts this season Pittman has caught 12 passes. With Jackson out again, Pittman could be a weekly rental this week against the Bears for owners out of options.
WR-Deion Branch (SEA)
.....the Seahawks receiver returned in Week 11 and suffered no setbacks or incidents on Sunday. Branch caught just 4 passes for 54 yards and was targeted 9 times. With quarterback Matt Hasselbeck back in the line up Branch becomes an appealing option for owners needing help at the receiver position. Look for Branch to move quickly from the waiver wires into fantasy line ups down the stretch.
"DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH"
It can become a mind numbing process "Searching the scrap heaps" trying hard to find those hidden gems when you need them to shine most. Fortunately in fantasy, there’s always a new flavor of the week to come along. After looking over “the week that was” here are a few "Diamonds in the rough" that could be flickering bright sometime soon.
YOUR WEEK 12 DEEP SLEEPERS...
RB-Peyton Hillis (Den)
....the Broncos' rookie running back was the featured short yardage ball carrier and goal line back in Week 11. Hillis took advantage of his role barreling into the end-zone twice on Sunday. With Tatum Bell figuring into the mix, Hillis is not likely to see a lot of yardage, but could continue to see the goal line carries and steal a few rushing touchdowns. The Bronco's boast one of the league's top offenses, so there shouldn't be any shortage of opportunities.
RB-Derrick Ward (NYG)
.....with rumors abound suggesting that the Giant's running back Brandon Jacobs suffered a knee injury in Week 11 and that he could miss time this weekend, Derrick Ward becomes a hot pick up for this week. The "Wind" of the Giant's three headed rushing attack has been a solid runner this season gaining over 500 yards in part-time duty and averaging over 5-yards per carry. Ward normally a solid fantasy flex option is a dual threat and solid play in Week 12, if Jacobs sits.
RB-Jerome Harrison (Cle)
....the Brown's change-of-pace running back broke loose Monday night for a 72-yard rushing score. Over the past couple of weeks Harrison has shown great quickness on the field and a burst of speed that has head coach Romeo Crennel singing his praises. There was talk that Harrison could see a larger role in the offense, but this has yet to be confirmed. Harrison did suffer a minor setback Monday night injuring his hamstring, but if he's available in Week 12, he could be an interesting consideration with a favorable matchup against the Texans.
RB-JJ Arrington (Ari)
....over the past several weeks the Cardinal's new number two running backs has been making his name more common in the fantasy world. In two of his past three games Arrington has found the end-zone and in those two combined, he has 7 receptions, 15 carries and 180 total yards. He did disappear in Week 10, when the team decided to air it out. Arrington had just one carry. With Hightower not performing quite as well as many had speculated, Arrington has found more opportunity and as long as he runs well (5.9 yards per carry this season) he could spend more time on the field.
RB-Tatum Bell (Den)
....the Bronco's newest running back was able to see a little action in Week 11. Tatum Bell was limited to just 7 carries in his return debut with the Broncos, but he did gain 34 yards. As he continues to work with the team and gets back to football shape, Bell could see his work load and numbers increase. The Broncos will likely be without running back Selvin Young for another week, leaving the door open for Bell to works his way into the mix.
"LYING IN WAIT" UNDER WATCHFUL EYES...
By this time of the season, it starts getting tough to find anything worth value left on the free agent market. Sometimes you have to take a second look at some players that were cast aside or consider new options that have just become available. Whether it’s the former of the latter, when considering these options, it’s always a safe move to consider under watchful eyes.
Your Week 11 Players to watch....
QB-Marc Bulger (STL)
.....the Rams quarterback did not play very well in Week 11 committing three turnovers in the first half, however in the second half it was a different story. Once the third quarter began in a game that was already decided, Bulger did not commit any turnovers, led the team to 16 points, and over 200-yards of offense. It wasn't a spectacular day for Bulger, but it was a nice way to bounce back after a horrendous start. Bulger has struggled this season compared to most and with OT Orlando Pace out his future does not look appealing. With the Bears 26th ranked secondary due next in town, Bulger is a deep sleeper to turn his fortune around against a team he shredded for 356 yards and three touchdowns back in 2006.
.....with rumors abound suggesting that the Giant's running back Brandon Jacobs suffered a knee injury in Week 11 and that he could miss time this weekend, Derrick Ward becomes a hot pick up for this week. The "Wind" of the Giant's three headed rushing attack has been a solid runner this season gaining over 500 yards in part-time duty and averaging over 5-yards per carry. Ward normally a solid fantasy flex option is a dual threat and solid play in Week 12, if Jacobs sits.
RB-Jerome Harrison (Cle)
....the Brown's change-of-pace running back broke loose Monday night for a 72-yard rushing score. Over the past couple of weeks Harrison has shown great quickness on the field and a burst of speed that has head coach Romeo Crennel singing his praises. There was talk that Harrison could see a larger role in the offense, but this has yet to be confirmed. Harrison did suffer a minor setback Monday night injuring his hamstring, but if he's available in Week 12, he could be an interesting consideration with a favorable matchup against the Texans.
RB-JJ Arrington (Ari)
....over the past several weeks the Cardinal's new number two running backs has been making his name more common in the fantasy world. In two of his past three games Arrington has found the end-zone and in those two combined, he has 7 receptions, 15 carries and 180 total yards. He did disappear in Week 10, when the team decided to air it out. Arrington had just one carry. With Hightower not performing quite as well as many had speculated, Arrington has found more opportunity and as long as he runs well (5.9 yards per carry this season) he could spend more time on the field.
RB-Tatum Bell (Den)
....the Bronco's newest running back was able to see a little action in Week 11. Tatum Bell was limited to just 7 carries in his return debut with the Broncos, but he did gain 34 yards. As he continues to work with the team and gets back to football shape, Bell could see his work load and numbers increase. The Broncos will likely be without running back Selvin Young for another week, leaving the door open for Bell to works his way into the mix.
"LYING IN WAIT" UNDER WATCHFUL EYES...
By this time of the season, it starts getting tough to find anything worth value left on the free agent market. Sometimes you have to take a second look at some players that were cast aside or consider new options that have just become available. Whether it’s the former of the latter, when considering these options, it’s always a safe move to consider under watchful eyes.
Your Week 11 Players to watch....
QB-Marc Bulger (STL)
.....the Rams quarterback did not play very well in Week 11 committing three turnovers in the first half, however in the second half it was a different story. Once the third quarter began in a game that was already decided, Bulger did not commit any turnovers, led the team to 16 points, and over 200-yards of offense. It wasn't a spectacular day for Bulger, but it was a nice way to bounce back after a horrendous start. Bulger has struggled this season compared to most and with OT Orlando Pace out his future does not look appealing. With the Bears 26th ranked secondary due next in town, Bulger is a deep sleeper to turn his fortune around against a team he shredded for 356 yards and three touchdowns back in 2006.
RB-Carnell Williams (TB)
.....the Buccaneers running back is set to make his 2008 debut on Sunday against the Lions, normally a great matchup. Considering that Williams has yet to play this season, the risk may be too great for owners to start him in Week 12. Williams may be worth picking up this week, but should be left on your benches until we've seen what the kid can do. If his knee is fully recovered, Williams becomes a more appealing option to consider versus Dunn, because of his speed and size (he's 30-lbs heavier than Dunn). This week owners will definitely want to keep the Caddy under watchful eyes.
.....the Buccaneers running back is set to make his 2008 debut on Sunday against the Lions, normally a great matchup. Considering that Williams has yet to play this season, the risk may be too great for owners to start him in Week 12. Williams may be worth picking up this week, but should be left on your benches until we've seen what the kid can do. If his knee is fully recovered, Williams becomes a more appealing option to consider versus Dunn, because of his speed and size (he's 30-lbs heavier than Dunn). This week owners will definitely want to keep the Caddy under watchful eyes.
1 comment:
Nice write up on Kerry!! us PSU alumni rock don't we LMAO!
titans are going to own soon!!
Post a Comment