October 21st, 2009 9:15pm PSTWATERCOOLER CHAT
The Weekly Waiver Wire
Wayne “The Wire” Bosco (Courtesy of the Fantasy Football Gang)
The Bye weeks continue in the NFL and the Waiver Wire just keeps getting busy. As the fantasy football season progresses, you weekly moves take on more importance; your studs are on the bye, your lineup is depleted and you need some serious help. Never fear because Wayne is always here to lend a helping hand, offer some good advice or just take up 10-15 minutes of your day with some senseless rants about a few guys he believes may have something to say this week!
So once again grab a cold one (better make it two) and tae a lot of notes, and just remember Wayne is working hard, so you don’t have to and because he’s got nothing better to do!
Week Seven
After spending the first five weeks of the season dormant, the Saints wide receiver Lance Moore has awaken from his slumber. Slowed by injuries, Moore has played very little in 2009 missing a few games and being limited, but on Sunday it was a different story. Finally looking healthy Moore resembled more of his 2008 self catching six passes for 78 yards, including a 12-yard score. With the Saints flying high and Brees getting the ball to everyone, Moore looked very good on Sunday and could be one of those options down the road with a big game here and there. He’s definitely going to figure into the Saints passing attack and if available needs to be on someone’s roster.
With the Panther’s return to doing what they do best, run the ball running back Jonathan Stewart will figure into this equation. Last week against the Buccaneers Stewart saw his fair share of carries with 17. He gained 110 yards on the ground and scored a rushing touchdown. With the inconsistent play from the passing game it's safe to expect the Panthers to run the ball. As long as Carolina is committed to the run, expect Stewart to have good value always with plenty of chances to score. Coming off the injury bug Stewart should be available and would be a good bye week fill-in.
The Raiders have had more than their share of offensive woes in this young season, but just last Sunday there was a ray of some hope. With injuries sidelining Darren McFadden, running back Justin Fargas has had opportunity this season. This past week Fargas earned 23 carries and totaled 98 yards. In one game Fargas doubled his carries for the season and with the Raiders in search of any kind of offense, expect head coach Tom Cable to start with Fargas. The former SC Trojan running back is not going to blow up, but he's a solid runner and a decent fill-in to cover a bye or injury.
When Fred Taylor went down, the Patriots turned to Sammy Morris, now that Morris is down they'll look to running back Laurence Maroney. In his first extended action of the season or the past decade (injured in 2008) or so Maroney jumped all over the chance and made the most of his time in the spotlight. As the team’s featured snowplowing machine this past Sunday Maroney touched the ball 19 times and totaled 133 yards of offense. With numbers like this the Patriots will more than likely stay with the hot hand and keep feeding the horse. With the schedule sitting right in the middle of the byes, Maroney becomes an appealing fill-in option with the Bucs up next.
“Wayne’s Word”
Enough with the running back theme, looking for a hot tip or just some helpful advice, either way Wayne has the latest insight for this week. Another worthy spot where you can find some good help is the tight end position and with this week’s hottest pickup Wayne offers you these words;
Over the past several weeks the Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe has quickly become quarterback Brett Favre’s most reliable target. Shiancoe is not being heavily targeted, but he’s not dropping many of Favre’s rockets. In the past three weeks the tight end has seen 11 passes thrown his direction and he’s managed to snag everyone; more importantly he’s making the most of his opportunities. Shiancoe has four touchdown receptions in his last three games and has five for the season. With Favre spreading the ball so well, expect him to keep looking for Shiancoe in the critical moments and in scoring position. As long as Shiancoe remains a favorite of Favre’s his numbers figure to improve. His fantasy scoring for the past three games is 7-points, 10-points, and 16-points.
Playing the Fantasy GM
Don-Pietro "The GM" Zamboni
Trade’em away or cut your tiesWith the season one third of the way in, it’s time to start shaping your team for it’s championship run; and that means time to trim the fat. After six weeks of football we’ve seen plenty to know what needs to be done. You have a few studs that still have some appeal, but it looks like they could be heading for a cooling trend. Before their plate cools off, it’s time to make a move and trade away your stud for some potential upside that could come into play when the stretch run starts.
The GM Game
When the 2009 season opened up running backs Fred Jackson, Willie Parker, and LaDanian Tomlinson had the look of promise, but six weeks later a lot of that has changed. With injuries piling up and bye weeks coming into play a fantasy GM has to get creative to make his team better. These players may offer more value in a trade than in your lineup;
Trimming the fat….
Out of the gate running back Fred Jackson looked like he was going to be a beast in Buffalo, but since the return of Marshawn Lynch to the lineup in week four Jackson has seen his number dip significantly. He’s averaging only 14 touches and 56 yards per game in his last three starts. With the memories of what Jackson did in the first three weeks (291 rushing yards) still somewhat fresh, now is the time to part ways and get good value for him. Like Jackson, the Steelers running back Willie Parker may offer some value for what he has done (in the past) and not what he is doing. Parker is an explosive runner that has the potential for big games, but playing behind Mendenhall, it may be a while before we see a big game. Your better off dealing him away to an owner that can afford to wait for Fast-Willie to come around. Parker is still not healthy and likely drafted as a mid RB2, you can’t afford to have him just riding your bench and taking a roster spot. He’s not going to give much value injured, but you may still be able to deal him away as insurance for Mendenhall or if the market is dry just cut your losses. Now Tomlinson is a different story. With L.T. being injured and off to a slow start this season, you have already addressed your needs at running back. His Monday night performance (100 total yards) was not brilliant, but there were a few runs we saw that made you think, if the Chargers had stayed with the ground attack more perhaps he could have had a big night. Signs or not, Tomlinson is still a name and still has a market and will also be worth more to you in a trade, than in your lineup. The Chargers defense is not going to hold many leads and this is River’s team now. The offense will flow through the pass and while L.T. will contribute his value will be limited. Right now would be a great time to make a deal to trade L.T. with a strong game under his belt. Someone will be willing to acquire the former NFL MVP and you should be able to get good value. Make the deal now and fill the holes at other positions in your lineup.
Keep checking back for more football....
By David G. Ortega
