Pickups

Ahhh, Why no list?!  I told you these lists would be getting shorter and shorter with each passing week and boy was I not kidding.  If you would like a list of the players worth picking up, you can get one here.  Confused? It’s pretty simple.  Every single player on that list is a viable pick up as you head into your super bowl match up.  You need to use strategy now more than ever.  Does your opponent have Ryan Mathews? Did he start him last week? Well that means he needs a running back.  This means that YOU need as many running backs as you can get.  I wont waste my time telling people that I think Curtis Brinkley is the best step-in for Mathews (which I do), my rankings will do that.  My point here is that if your opponent needs a RB to play, then you need to go pick up Brinkley AND Jackie Battle.  If you won’t start them and your opponent won’t either… they are safe to be dropped, no matter how “valuable” they are.  (**Disclaimer** Keeper and dynasty league owners, this advice is NOT for you)

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Pickups

David Wilson, RB, NYG – Wilson was clearly the best running back on the field for the Giants this week. Bradshaw averaged 3 yards per carry as compared to Wilson’s 7.7. Wilson tallied exactly 100 yards rushing with 2 scores (Bradshaw did not score). If your league counted return yards, he got you 327 all purpose yards too. He was literally doing back flips out there and Bradshaw was simply a mere mortal.  It’s not the regular season anymore so you have to remember not to over react to one game against the Saints abysmal run defense. Wilson is a flex play next week in case your usual guy is hurt still or has a bad match-up. This is exactly why I had Bryce Brown at only 20th last week after two David Wilson-esque games in a row.

Kenny Britt, WR, TEN – This guy has a ton of potential and yet he always finds a way to squander it.  I will say that he has repeatedly flashed onto the scene and put up some huge fantasy numbers. I won’t start him but I’ll take just about any opportunity to keep an opponent from starting him in the playoffs. pick. him. up.

Joique Bell, RB, DET – This is actually a guy that, in a ppr league, I would consider starting if I was in serious need of a running back or flex option.  He got 10 touches in week 13 and 17 touches in week 14.  at least have of these have been receptions and that makes him more consistent of an option for PPR owners.  Mikel Leshoure hasn’t been running as well recently since his first few weeks forced defenses to commit some resources to stopping the run.

Colin Kaepernick, QB, SF – He had a bad game against what should be a soft Dolphins defense.  He had 5 points worth of rushing yards and a score on the ground however and this is why I like him.  Barely top 10 QB’s don’t win playoff games unless you have a really, really good team but if you do you are looking at having the Patriots on the schedule next week and he will be in my top 10.  Still not sure why he is available in half of leagues still but if you aren’t set at QB, you should own this guy.

Andrew Hawkins, WR, CIN – You really can’t risk starting him but this is a decent time to pick up players that your opponent might need and if he needs a receiver, Hawkins has some big play potential.  Mohamed Sanu had carved out a nice niche in the offense while Hawkins was out but now that Sanu is on IR, Hawkins will have some targets coming his way.

Dump List

Sorry if this disappoints you but you can drop anyone that you aren’t going to start if you think that your opponents aren’t going to use him either.

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So these lists are small and only going to get smaller as the weeks progress through the playoffs.  In fact, this week’s list is more of a catch-all list of guys that simply shouldn’t be available.  This isn’t laziness on my part, I assure you.  It’s MORE important to make moves during this time, if you are still alive that is. The reason that the number of guys worthy of a pick-up shrinks is that there isn’t much time left! Many waiver wire additions require time for you to develop enough trust to start them and this is a ten times more relevant point in the playoffs.  You lose and you are done, are you going to trust someone that you know nothing about other than a single game’s stat line? Not very likely.

Pickups

Danario Alexander, WR, SD – I’m not regaining any confidence in Rivers or the Chargers as a whole but in 5 games, this guy has 467 receiving yards and 3 TD’s.  This is better than ANYONE has done on this offense all year and since they have stayed a bad team throughout this production, I don’t see it dropping off any time soon.  He’s a solid flex-play the rest of the way and he just might be sitting out there for you to pick-up.

Bryce Brown, RB, PHI – The LeSean McCoy injury situation is murky still and even if it was clear, Brown has been statistically more productive than McCoy was all season.  The season is a lost one for the Eagles and given that they will want to evaluate talent for next season, I can’t imagine that Brown takes a back seat when McCoy does return.  Next week is a bad match-up though so if McCoy plays, neither will be worthy of a start for fantasy owners.

Brandon Meyers, TE, OAK – The Raiders are not a great team and they aren’t going to be.  Myers isn’t an elite tight end and he isn’t going to be.  What he is however, is safe.  Myers has had just ONE game below 5 receptions since week 6 and that is an impressive feat for a tight-end this season.  He has just as good of a chance to find the end zone as any other non-elite tight end and is too important to the Raider passing attack to suddenly disappear from the stat sheet. I wish I wasn’t so skeptical about this guy for as long as I was because he is gone in all of my leagues and if he isn’t in yours, your incredibly lucky.

Josh Gordon, WR, CLE – In my one-liners column, I talked about how this guy was a possible flex-starter this past week and I mentioned how sweet his match ups are going forward too.  A big game from him this week should mean he’ll get scooped back up in a lot of leagues but make sure you at least put in a waiver claim if he is out there.  This should happen even if you don’t want to start him (and I’d really rather not in the playoffs) but given his high upside, I don’t want an opponent hitting the lottery when I could have blocked him from picking up his ticket in the first place.

T.Y. Hilton, WR, IND – I know, Avery had the better game… I don’t care.  Hilton has been providing fantasy value for a good long while now.  His targets might not knock you out of your chair but he’s been getting it done and on an offense that passes a LOT.  Teams can’t focus on him with Wayne out there having one of his best seasons either.

Dump List

I know you might think this is a cop-out but you can drop ANYONE that you wouldn’t play AND that your opponent wouldn’t start against you.  Listen, if your holding Donnie Avery and you need a receiver. Drop him for Josh Gordon.  I would personally love it if an opponent picked up my garbage and started it against me in the playoffs.  Also, maybe you own RGIII and Andy Dalton… the three other teams in the playoffs have Brady, Rodgers and Brees.  You can just drop Dalton now because the other teams are not going to waste a roster spot on him.

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Pick ups

Mohammed Sanu, WR, CIN – Hawkins could easily steal playing time from Sanu down the stretch but even when both guys were healthy, the Bengals appear to look to Sanu for big plays and Hawkins is much more the after-thought.  Sanu is scary close to being a viable flex option and if it was week 5, I would be going out on a limb and saying that you should play him. Not with the playoffs on the line though.  This is a great pickup for someone who has already locked in a playoff spot.

Knowshon Moreno, RB, DEN – Oops. Hillman was apparently not the valuable pick up that we thought he was going to be.  It was a game-time decision to go with Moreno as the starter and he did a decent job, despite the offense as a whole being a little sluggish this week. I expect Moreno to keep the job and when Peyton is the QB, the hurry up is being used. Moreno won’t leave the field too much if he is indeed starting.

Cecil Shorts, WR, JAC – Chad Henne strikes again with another fantasy-relevant performance and he is spreading his own value to both receivers.  Shorts is the guy I would rather own, simply because he’s been making big plays since before Henne took over and he is just more likely to score on a weekly basis.

Justin Blackmon, WR, JAC – I wasn’t kidding when I said that Henne was spreading fantasy value all across the Jaguars offense.  Blackmon is the receiver to own for PPR owners and is a flex option in standard leagues.  You should steer clear if the playoffs are on the line but he is absolutely worth a roster spot after a second solid outing with Henne at the helm.

Michael Bush, RB, CHI – Matt Forte’s injury is the same leg that he had his previous injury, this season.  I do not think it is an exacerbation of that injury but it is a cause for concern. He might take an extra game or two to return and Bush would be a poor RB2 option in his absence.

Colin Kaepernick, QB, SF – I’m pretty pleased to have been right on this guy.  He is a playmaker and very talented QB. His rushing ability gives him the safety that you got from Tebow at the end of last year and it was on display against the Saints.  This is not a fluke, he’s a top 10 fantasy receiver.

Marcedes Lewis, TE, JAC – With guys like Antonio Gates being dead to his fantasy owners and Gronkowski owners being suddenly desperate, Lewis’s relevance cannot be ignored.  He won’t be more than a match-up play but Henne is a legitimate threat in the passing game and the focus of defenses is sure to be Shorts and Blackmon.  Keep him on your radar, but there is no need to scoop him up until he has a good match-up.

Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, ATL – I’ve been waiting for this week all season.  Rodgers is probably my most added and most dropped player on the year as he always had a spot when I didn’t have bye-week issues but after this game and now that bye-weeks are over, he should not be available in any leagues.  You aren’t using him yet but I believe that he is going to get between 50 and 60% of the snaps for the Falcons the rest of the way.  Leave him on the bench for now though, until we see another game or two of increased touches.

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – The Cardinal offense is really bad still but Wells is going to get the goal line work and at least half the touches. He’ll be a poor flex-start unless something gets the rest of his offense in gear.

Pierre Garcon, WR, WAS – He’s out there and there isn’t a ton of receiver talent on this Redskins roster. He has the highest upside and is a viable flex play after a really nice day of fantasy production this past week.

David Wilson, RB, NYG – This isn’t for everyone but Ahmad Bradshaw owners need to go get Wilson right now.  Bradshaw should see just about ALL the touches the rest of the way for as long as he holds up, physically. Bradshaw is not know for durability and you should be proactive about guaranteeing that you have a productive guy for that roster spot at all time

Dump List

Antonio Gates, TE, SD – The tight end position doesn’t often cost you wins, but Gates has been awful this season.  It isn’t a health issue either and with the playoffs on our doorstep, you can just cut this guy to make room for someone that you can have a little more confidence in.

LaRod Stephens-Howling, RB, ARI – He’s immediately back to being an after-thought on this offense. That makes him an after-thought for fantasy owners too.

Brian Hartline, WR, MIA – The Dolphins offense has been declining over the past month and I was hoping that Hartline would get it together again in time to be worth a roster spot, in case of injuries.  The pickups list is pretty long this week and Hartline has not been a viable receiver to start in quite a while.  You’ve gotta cut him loose.

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, PIT – This goes for Redman and Dwyer too.  None of these guys will be able to do enough that I am convinced they are a safe start the rest of the season.  If you know you aren’t going to play someone, why keep them?

Greg Little, WR, CLE – Really? 25% owned… you shouldn’t need any numbers from me to demonstrate why this is insane. Cut him 3 weeks ago.

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In case you do not follow me on Twitter, I owe you an apology.  There is no excuse for a bye-week from your favorite fantasy analyst without any notice.  If you don’t know, my grandfather passed away Wednesday morning after we were told that he would have just a month to live the night before.  My heart wasn’t in it and I didn’t want to just spew out random numbers and half-hearted thoughts.   I received a lot of support from you readers and I can’t thank you enough for what your encouraging words meant to me. I hope you all continue to read my musings on the world of fantasy football and it’s time to go get us some championships.

Pick ups

Ronnie Hillman, RB, DEN – With Willis McGahee out for 6-8 weeks with an MCL tear, Ronnie Hillman is the top Waiver Wire pickup of the week. He is going to split some time with Lance Ball, who is also worth a grab in DEEP leagues, but it is Hillman’s opportunity to capitalize on.  If you are a McGahee owner, you need to run (not walk) to free agency or the waiver wire.

Danario Alexander, WR, SD – Alexander is a physically big target for Rivers in the passing game and he is now taking over for Robert Meachem.  Alexander has had two big games this year (the first filling in for Antonio Gates) and actually has a lot of upside.  This team needs to find a way to re-invigorate the passing game and Phillip Rivers.  Alexander might just give them a spark.

Jalen Parmele, RB, JAC – The Jaguars gave no notice to fantasy owners that Rashad Jennings had squandered his opportunity away.  There is now officially a new starting QB, a new top fantasy WR and a new top fantasy RB on this offense going into next week.  Parmele’s value is tied to the return of MJD but in the mean time, the upside is better for Parmele than it was for Jennings because Henne appears to be able to stretch the field with the vertical passing game.  This guy will be an “if your desperate” starter this week.

Justin Blackmon, WR, JAC – Blackmon had a staggering 236 yards and a TD this week against a typically stout defensive backfield as the Jaguars lost a tight game on the road at Houston this past week. Kicker is that it took the back-up QB coming into the game to give this offense a spark.  I was big on Blackmon as a sleeper in the preseason and pin his shortcomings on Blaine Gabbert being a terrible QB more than anything.  If Henne can keep getting him involved, Blackmon could be a HUGE acquisition this week.

James Starks, RB, GB – I said it as soon as Benson went down… Starks is the best RB that the Packers have on the active roster.  He has more experience in the offense and is, in my opinion, more talented. Green was almost non-existent this past week and his ownership levels should be non-existent after waivers get processed this week.

Brandon Meyers, TE, OAK – This guy has been VERY consistent for a few weeks now.  The Raiders offense passes the ball, a lot, and Meyers is clearly a top 10 TE.  I wouldn’t expect a lot of double-digit point games (unless it’s a PPR league) but he is going to see targets and he will get you a respectable fantasy point total for the week.

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – LaRod Stephens-Howling had a really strong game this past week but Beanie is going to destroy any fantasy value at the RB position on the Cardinals.  The only possible outcomes are that there are no viable options in that backfield or Beanie is a flex-able option with the lion’s share of the workload.

Dump List

Joique Bell, RB, DET – I advocated stashing Bell on your bench for a bit because he was getting a few carries and was involved in the passing game.  With Stafford faltering and his carries down to almost none, you can just drop Bell now.

Dustin Keller, TE, NYJ – He is a very viable waiver wire roulette option still but if he was going to make a serious impact and become a must-start tight end, we would know by now.  This week went as well as it could have for the Jets offense and Keller just wasn’t a factor.

Titus Young, WR, DET – I am not saying you should drop Young, I am saying that I am fine with it.  He’s benched from the Thanksgiving game due to his on field issues and it isn’t clear if his snap-count will be affected by his place in Jim Schwartz’s dog house.

Michael Bush, RB, CHI – 55% of leagues still have Bush as owned. Around 30% of the owners that own Bush should get smacked around.  If you don’t have Forte and there is any chance you want to start the guy holding this roster spot, you HAVE to drop him.  You (if you don’t own Forte) should really only keep him if you are cruising to a playoff spot and don’t have any injury prone running backs.

Andre Roberts, WR, ARI – This team is plummeting and with all the bye weeks behind us, you need to drop Roberts now.  There is an insane amount of free agent talent this week and Roberts only has two even remotely decent match-ups left.

Isaac Redman, RB, PIT – He was barely worth keeping before the concussion. Get one of the guys on the list above instead.

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Pickups

Danny Amendola, WR, STL – The fact that 30% of leagues have this guy on waivers or free agency still is mind boggling. If he is out there, SCOOP HIM UP! We are talking about a flex-option regardless of match-up. Don’t believe me? He had 11 catches on 12 targets against the 49ers, who are arguably the best defense in the NFL.

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – All signs point to an immediate return to the field in week 12, as soon as Wells is eligible to do so.  LaRod Stephens-Howling has been a Cardinal since before they drafted Wells and Williams so if they thought he was a better option, he wouldn’t have had to wait until both guys got hurt to see the field.  Wells will be the lead back and see the most carries immediately upon his return.  While I’m not convinced that he can do much with these carries, especially behind that o-line, he has to be owned if he is indeed the starter.

Colin Kaepernick, QB, SF – The 49ers may be without Smith for a little bit, a concussion is not a sure-thing to come back from the following week.  I thought Colin looked nervous and indecisive this week in the tie with St. Louis.  He missed some open receivers and didn’t make the best decisions.  On sheer athletic ability, however, he will be ranked in my top 15 should Smith be out.  He is THAT good of a rusher.

Dustin Keller, TE, NYJ – Wake up fantasy owners (especially in PPR leagues).  Dustin Keller is back from injury.  He would have been inside my top 5-7 had he not been hurt coming into the season and he is definitely the best pass catcher that the Jets offense has.  It was a tough matchup this week and he didn’t kill you but things look even brighter next week against the Rams.

Sidney Rice, WR, SEA – He really isn’t available in many leagues but you have to double-check and hope that he is.  His numbers made me stop and double check to see if it was an error… I’m not a Russell Wilson fan but he knows how to get the most from Rice and really Golden Tate too.  He is a very good flex option until he stops performing like it.

Chris Ivory, RB, NO – This isn’t the first time I’ve said this so apparently the Saints don’t read my blog… absurd right? Chris Ivory is the best rushing RB that the Saints have.  I’m sorry Thomas or Ingram supporters, it’s the truth.  He may not be the most talented but his instincts are better and he is making plays that the other backs simply are not.  There is a decent chance that the Saints just put this guy back to the bench but what I saw this week was enough to make Ivory worth picking up and stashing on your bench until we see if he gets more carries.

Dump List

Dolphins, D/ST, MIA – The Dolphins defense was allowing just 60 or so rushing yards per game in the first quarter of the season.  In the second quarter, they have allowed around 120 per game.  Something has changed and you can’t sit around and hope they figure it out.  Drop them and continue playing the waiver wire on a weekly basis.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR – There is just always going to be a time split here.  We’ve seen one of the two guys get hurt and have never seen either Panthers back do anything with the lead carries in quite a while.  I’m done waiting around hoping they get some of their value back.  Dump them with confidence.

Jonathan Stewart, RB, CAR – See above.

Jeremy Kerley, WR, NYJ - He is admittedly, the best wide receiver on the team but I don’t want my fantasy success tied to Mark Sanchez in any way.  You aren’t likely using him anyway so if you can get someone on the pick-up list, I have NO problem with dropping Kerley.

T.Y. Hilton, WR, IND – Only owned in 30% of leagues but even that is too many.  If it isn’t a 14 team league, look somewhere else… there is almost CERTAINLY better options out there.

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Pickups

Dustin Keller, TE, NYJ – My stance on picking up and owning Keller pre-dates the week 8 loss to the Dolphins but he was pretty solid yet again.  You aren’t picking up an elite TE here but you are getting a guy that you can play week in and week out, regardless of match up.  He is the possession receiver for the Jets offense and Shonn Greene FINALLY impressed me this week as his respectable performance came against one of the worst match-ups possible and while the rest of his team played like crap.  Keller has to be owned in 90% or more of leagues and that number is currently 47%.

Cecil Shorts, WR, JAC – Back to back 11 yard performances are enough to make you worth a speculative pick up but I have to say, the ceiling is pretty low here.  The offense is bad and banged up to boot.  Gabbert has his moments where he seems like he may be able to provide a talented receiver with enough fantasy value to be worth owning (high praise, right?) so it can’t hurt to pick him up as he could end up a flex consideration.

Vick Ballard, RB, IND – A lot of owners dropped Ballard when Donald Brown’s return was announced and Ballard was still very productive with 12 fantasy points, despite splitting time.  Ballard still has value when both guys are active and will do well if Brown goes down again.  Pick him back up!

Santana Moss, WR, WAS – With Pierre Garcon’s return timetable still completely up in the air. Fred Davis on IR and Leonard Hankerson dropping an unseemly number of passes, Moss is clearly a must-own player in all leagues.  RG3 hasn’t stopped making plays and the defense is still struggling.  All of this bodes well for Moss’ fantasy production.  He’s available in 40% of leagues.

Jonathan Dwyer, RB, PIT – I expected this to happen much earlier in the year but with Redman and Mendenhall out, it appears as though Dwyer has played his way into at least a 50/50 time split when Mendenhall is healthy again.  Ownership percentage is rising quickly but if your league does use waivers (as it should!) then make sure you put a claim in before it’s too late.

Titus Young, WR, DET – Nate Burleson’s injury seems like it will bean good things for Titus Young so far. Defenses have been effective at containing Calvin Johnson thus far and finally someone has shown that they can also make some plays in the receiving game.  Something tells me that his 22 point outing this week against a great Seahawks secondary will bring his ownership percentage up from the 40% it is at now. 80% or so is where it SHOULD be.

Daryl Richardson, RB, STL – You might be surprised to hear that Richardson is averaging 5.4 yards per carry on the season.  Combine that with trade rumors circling around about SJax, Richardson should have a lot of claims put in for him right now.  What is really nice is that the trade deadline is before the standard Wednesday morning processing of waiver claims so you can just cancel the claim if there is no trade!

Dump List

Brandon Gibson, WR, STL – Amendola is due to return after the bye and Chris Givens has asserted himself as the team’s deep threat.  Gibson’s role in the offense is about to drop off a cliff and you should drop Gibson NOW rather than wait around through his bye week.

Martellus Bennett, TE, NYG – 4 of the last 5 games have been 3 or less fantasy points. The bubble burst a while ago and you can do better by using free agency on a weekly basis.

Brandon Bolden, RB, NE – I’m not saying I think anyone has taken his number two spot from him but Bolden is going to be REALLY hard to trust so feel free to drop him now if you can pick up someone that can make a considerable impact right away.

Greg Little, WR, CLE – Owned in a third of leagues? I guess some people really do need to hear it get said. DROP HIM ASAP!

Michael Bush, RB, CHI – He’s just a handcuff. If you need someone that is a flex-option, I am completely fine with dropping Bush.  Don’t do it though, Forte owners.

Donnie Avery, WR, IND – I have been big on Avery the past few weeks. Targets have been high but production hasn’t.  It doesn’t take me long to bail on a guy like that and I recommend you stop trying to rely on him at all immediately.

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Pickups

Rashad Jennings, RB, JAC – With Blaine Gabbert going down it was really something to see Jacksonville take this game to overtime. Jennings played almost the entire game and totaled over 100 all-purpose yards as well as a TD.  He won’t be stellar but any back that is due for a starter’s work load is DEFINITELY worth owning. He also has a decent amount of talent but will be limited by the rest of the offense.  He has the potential to be a #2 back for fantasy owners.

Santana Moss, WR, WAS – Moss has 4 TDs in 5 games and with Fred Davis headed to IR with an Achilles injury, someone has to get those targets.  Moss is the best possession receiver they have and I think he should have more value in PPR formats. I think he will be a viable flex option next week vs a Pittsburgh secondary that can be had, considering there are 4 teams on bye.

LaRod Stephens-Howling, RB, ARI – This is another guy on a pretty bad offense that has a low ceiling but he is the first Cardinals back to put together a decent game all season and I would find it hard to imagine that he isn’t the better fantasy back until week 12 at the soonest, when Beanie Wells is eligible to return.  He had 20 carries for over 100 yards and a score.  He also had a surprising 45 yards receiving to throw in and if he can be effective in the passing game, he will be a flex-worthy option during bye weeks or injuries.

Dustin Keller, TE, NYJ – The Jets offense was able to move the ball against New England because the Patriots secondary is pretty terrible. But Keller is their most talented receiver and he is definitely going to lead the team in red zone targets in weeks where he is healthy.  I’ll be ranking him as a top 10 guy against the Dolphins next week, in all likelihood.

Montario Hardesty, RB, CLE – I am no medical expert but when Vick had rib cartilage problems, it was a pain management issue. If he can’t lower his head and attack defenders like he’s been so far this season, he will continue to play fewer snaps than you want to see. This could be really annoying to watch from week to week but for now I am not sure Richardson suits up next week and that means Hardesty is worth an expendable roster spot until we know more.

Josh Gordon, WR, CLE – Another big play from Gordon this week and it’s becoming painfully obvious that there is a connection between him and Brandon Weeden that is at least producing fantasy points. That’s as far as I’ll go because I feel like this bubble has to burst at some point but for the time being, he could be a great bye week plug-in with a good match-up. And if he does continue to make plays, he has some pretty nice match ups at the start of the fantasy playoffs.

Dump List

William Powell, RB, ARI – There was no pre-game indication that Powell was playing back up but Stephens-Howling got almost all the work and made the most of it.  As I said above, I would be really surprised if it wasn’t Stephens-Howling’s job to lose.

Jerome Simpson, WR, MIN – In case you weren’t already on-board, his upside has just vanished.  Harvin carries the load in the passing game with Rudolph assisting and this just in, Adrian Peterson is really good and needs touches.

Kendall Wright, WR, TEN – Britt is the only Titans receiver I want to own.  Despite the win, I don’t really want to be a part of what this offense is doing right now.  Chris Johnson is NOT back yet and I expect I’ll be screaming it all week.  Buffalo’s defense is terrible and there was not a lot of opportunity for receivers in this game.  Only Nate Washington put together a note-worthy day but I’d still be looking to trade him while you can.

Domenik Hixon, WR, NYG – Not sure why almost 40% of leagues have this guy owned but that’s too much.  Nicks is healthy and will be in there on every snap with Cruz. Neither Hixon or Barden are worth a roster spot right now.

Brandon Pettigrew, TE, DET – I was stunned to see that he was at 80% ownership. I wouldn’t be clinging to him any longer folks. I don’t think he changes my mind tonight either but unless its a HUGE game, you can drop him to play the weekly match-up game.

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Pickups

Mike Williams, WR, TB – The Buccaneers passing offense looked good finally. Williams has had some big plays throughout the season and warrants a spot on someone’s team somewhere now.  I’m not going to try and start him yet but we’ll see what happens in the next couple of games.

Kyle Rudolph, TE, MIN – This guy is STILL available in a little over a quarter of all leagues. WHY?! 5 tds in 6 games is NOT a coincidence. He is someone you can start week in and week out.  His ownership needs to get to 100%.

Kenny Britt, WR, TEN – I was SHOCKED when I saw only 83% ownership… This guy plays like a top 10 receiver when healthy.  The problem is he’s usually suspended or healthy.  Until he gets hurt or arrested, do NOT let him sit on free agency under any circumstance. He will almost definitely make my top 10 next week against my Bills, who can’t even cover their mouth when they talk.

Daryl Richardson, RB, STL – Ummm, so do you remember how the Dolphins run defense has been lights-out against EVERYONE this year?  Well despite the loss, that is now not the case for the two-headed monster the Rams put on the field this Sunday.  Here is how I think this situation is going to go; Steven Jackson splits the snaps pretty evenly on first and second down with Richardson but Jackson is the third down back when possible. I believe that they trust Jackson a lot more in pass blocking schemes and they used him more as a receiver than Richardson this week.

James Jones, WR, GB – The Pack is back, folks. They made that announcement loud and clear.  Funny how it happened when they lost their new running back… coincidence? I think not.  They spread the field and let Aaron Rodgers do what he does, throw perfect passes. He picked this STOUT Texans secondary apart and it wasn’t pretty. I might have been epically wrong about the Starks vs Green debate but I guess they really do trust Green in pass protection because Starks didn’t hit the field hardly at all. Jones is a decent flex option through bye weeks for as long as Jennings is out.

Felix Jones, RB, DAL – We DO see this a lot from Felix admittedly, so don’t blow your entire FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget… if you don’t know, don’t worry) on him, but there is a decent chance that DeMarco Murray misses next week and Jones was very productive in his stead.  You may have noticed Jones was out for a bit too but it was just cramps and not something to be concerned with going forward. If you need a guy for more than one week, this is not your man.

Josh Gordon, WR, CLE – This Browns team hasn’t had much in the way of deep threats and with 3 TDs in 2 games, I have my eye on Gordon now.  I won’t be in a rush to get him active but if you have some roster spots for developmental talent, snatch him up now.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, TB – If you’re set at RB but have a disposable roster spot, you should pick up Blount.  He may be looking to take over goal line duties and he remains effective with the work they give him.  While Doug Martin is playing decent, Blount is a highlight-reel guy and the offense could use more big plays.  I feel as though they would benefit from increasing his touches.

Dump List

Andre Roberts, WR, ARI – I’m not saying you have to drop him. He may well rebound but it will take a little time for me to trust him and if you need a receiver now, this isn’t someone I would want to turn to.

LaRod Stephens-Howling, RB, ARI – William Powell was always going to be the guy and the offensive line for Arizona is really just bad. They can NOT support two productive fantasy backs so unless Powell gets hurt too, Stephens-Howling is not own-able.

Kevin Ogletree, WR, DAL – I’m not making this up, people still own this guy.  If he’s on your team, you should wake up and get rid of him. 30% of leagues?! I promise, there aren’t enough 16 team leagues on the major websites to warrant this level of ownership.

Bilial Powell, RB, NYJ – I still think he’s the better back but the Jets stuck behind Greene vehemently thus far and it’s not like this Sunday will inspire them to play Powell.  You can drop him, he won’t be doing anything good for a while.

Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, KC – I know, Brady Quinn hurt his value. Did you hear the rumor that Matt Cassel hasn’t been playing well either? Dwayne Bowe is the only receiver I want anything to do with in KC and Jamaal Charles is the only RB.  It’s cool that he can play either/or but not that cool.

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Pickups

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, PIT – He’s still available in over 18% of leagues. He was drafted low because it would take time to see the field but he is back now and helped out any fantasy owners who risked using him as a bye week replacement. He won’t be great but he is certainly someone that will get flex consideration and will serve you well when you have bye week problems of your own.

Chris Givens, WR, STL – Amendola suffered a bizarre injury in the Thursday night game and SOMEONE has to catch some balls in this offense. Givens had the most targets other than Amendola in this game as well as the big insurance score.  That play was his only catch so DEFINITELY don’t try and use Givens quite yet but if you don’t need a receiver for a couple weeks, he has a chance to rack up some stats while Amendola is out.

Kendall Hunter, RB, SF – Obviously San Francisco isn’t going to be decimating teams like they have the past couple of weeks but Hunter is probably the best handcuff option in the league right now.  Gore may be playing great but Hunter has also been really effective with his limited time.  Gore is getting up there in age and San Fran loves to pound the running game so I think Gore is a likely candidate to miss a couple games. Everyone who owns Gore should make a run at this guy.

Kendall Wright, WR, TEN – He was a popular preseason sleeper and he struggled early.  His stock is on the rise again after 9 grabs on 11 targets. He didn’t break double digit points but what he was able to do was impressive considering just how bad this Titans team is through 5 weeks. He’s a flex possibility for bye weeks and injuries.

Kyle Rudolph, TE, MIN – So a lot of people, myself included, like to play TE roulette on free agency all year and Rudolph might be worth holding on to.  I almost NEVER carry multiple tight ends on my roster so with a matchup against the Redskins next week, Rudolph is as likely as ever to score a TD and have a big day. Take note Jimmy Graham owners, he is on bye next week!

Jordan Norwood, WR, CLE – So clearly there aren’t very many injuries or shake ups this week because Jordan Norwood has graced one of my posts.  You’d need to be in a pretty deep league to go for this guy in my opinion but over the past two weeks he has 13 catches on 14 targets.  There has been some chemistry between him and Brandon Weeden, which can not be denied so if your digging really deep, then as long as Massaquoi is out, Norwood has a chance to be productive.

Dump List

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – You almost get two bonuses when you drop Johnson at this point. A) you don’t have to waste time thinking about this walking disappointment and B) one of the other guys in your league does! What kind of damage has he done to your weekly match-ups thus far?

Donnie Avery, WR, IND – If you truly won’t need him for a while, you can hold him.  The Colts looked better than I thought they were going into this game against the Packers.  It was a huge win and the manner in which Luck drove down the field on the final drive might just be a foreshadowing of the future for Indianapolis fans. Avery will have some nice games but given how successful they were without using him, I have a hard time trusting him for next week.

Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, KC – There just is nothing going on in Kansas City not named Jamaal Charles that I want to be a part of at the moment. Hold him in PPR leagues but you can’t play him.

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