Working the Waiver Wire - Week 7

Typically, this list is filled with unowned guys who had big games over the previous weekend. But the more important pickups for this week did not even play this weekend.


1) Reggie Bush (NO RB)
Bush is planning on playing this week against Pittsburgh. It's not certain that he actually will play, and I cannot recommend him in his first game back from an injury against the nearly impossible Steel Curtain. But he's worth picking up now. With Pierre Thomas' outlook not looking good, and Chris Ivory's inability to take hold of the job this week against Cleveland, Reggie Bush could be in line for significant carries very soon.

2) Owen Daniels (HOU TE)
We discussed Daniels last week, but he's still unowned in many leagues because people were not rushing to pickup a player with a bye. But now you have to pounce. He should be a top 10 TE going forward. 

3) Matt Stafford (DET QB)
Stafford is due to return this week. Four of his next five matchups are against top 10 most generous secondaries. Believe it or not, Detroit has the 7th most passing yards per game in the NFL. In the four games that Hill started and finished, he had the 6th most fantasy points per game of all QBs. If Stafford can step in and replicate Shaun Hill's stats, he will be valuable. If Stafford can improve upon Hill's performance, he will be a true stud. With Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson, Tony Scheffler, Brandon Pettigrew, and Jahvid Best catching balls, Stafford will have plenty of weapons. 

4) Nick Folk (NYJ K) and Jason Hanson (DET K)
We usually don't talk Kickers in the Waiver column, but it's worth noting that Folk is the number one fantasy kicker and Hanson is number five. Why not add 'em? 

5) Mike Williams (SEA WR)
We pumped up Big Mike last week and boy did he deliver. In the past two games, Williams has racked up an astounding 21 receptions. Deion Branch was not a huge part of the offense before being traded, so it's surprising how much his departure has opened up a hole for Mike Williams. Either way, he is now the unquestioned number one target on the team. He's only owned in a third of all leagues, but he must be owned in yours.   

6) LeGarrette Blount (TB RB)
Blount had 11 carries for 72 yards, while Caddy Williams had just 4 carries. They're giving Blount the opportunity to be a featured back, and he's taking advantage. Williams still has some value in deep PPR leagues as a third down back; he added 8 catches for 34 yards and a TD. When Tampa's not playing catchup, you can expect Blount to get closer to 15-20 carries. 

7) Lee Evans (BUF WR)
If Evans was dropped in your league, now is a good time to scoop him back up. He had 6 catches for 105 yards and 3 TDs. With Ryan Fitzpatrick playing extremely well, you want to own the number one receiver on this team. Evans has been very inconsistent so it's hard to recommend plugging him right into your starting line-up, but you can start him in a pinch and hope he has one of his great games rather than a stinker. 

8) Steve Johnson (BUF WR)
Johnson is second in targets on the Bills and put together another solid game with 8 catches for 158 yards and a TD. He's been a TD-machine lately and it's time to take him seriously. He's been more consistent over the past few weeks, and he's a viable flex option against KC this week. 

From The Obvious Department:
These two adds may be obvious, but they're still available in a third of leagues. They should be added over any of the aforementioned players. 

1) Brandon Jackson (GB RB)
In the first four weeks, Jackson could not manage to average more than 4 yards-per-carry in any game. It's no wonder the team split carries between Jackson and Kuhn, rumors of an RB trade swirled, and fantasy owners everywhere dropped Jackson. But over the past three games, Jackson has averaged 11.5, 4.4, and 4.5 yards per carry. His number of carries has increased in every week since week three, as Kuhn is being phased out. And he's consistently been able to add a few dozen receiving yards. The brutal upcoming schedule prevents Jackson from being the RB2 you initially hoped for, but he should be a more than serviceable flex option for you patient owners and savvy vultures. 

2) Kenny Britt (TEN WR)
There's not much to say about Britt's monstrous day yesterday. After seven TDs in five games, he's a no-brainer must-start. However, the NFL is currently investigating Britt's bar brawl from last week, and there is a chance the NFL suspends Britt. But he's got to be the top pickup in the surprisingly high number of leagues where he's available.