Hitting The Waiver Wire For Week Nine; Matchups To Watch For

Welcome in week nine of the football season and week nine of your fantasy season. Like last week I will go over the top five waiver wire acquisitions as well, the top three matchups I like that could potentially help you get a win over your opponent.

The first player I see jumping off the boards this week is Tennessee Titans quarterback Jack Locker, who is owned in just over 12 percent of leagues. Locker is back in at quarterback and the Titans are looking to make some moves in the AFC South. This week against the St. Louis Rams I could see Locker have a career game, I would take a shot on Locker if you need a bye week start.

The second player I like this week is Carolina Panthers running back Mike Tolbert, who is owned in just over 23 percent of leagues. Tolbert has had five scores through seven weeks making him a threat on the ground in just about any game. This week the Panthers take on the Atlanta Falcons who have been having their own sizable troubles on defense. I like the fact that Tolbert has been getting goal line carries so I like him this week as a flex or a bye week start at running back.

The third player I see coming off the boards this week is Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin, who is owned in just over six percent of leagues. Baldwin had a huge touchdown last week; forget about the huge penalty that came as he taunted his way into the end zone, and think about the good. Baldwin’s score was also the longest touchdown pass quarterback Russell Wilson has tossed in his career, so I could see more targets coming for the wide out. I would start Baldwin as a flex or a bye week start.

The fourth player I like this week is Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who is owned in over 79 percent of leagues. While I am not a huge fan of the Steelers offense, Sanders fills in nicely at wide receiver with quarterback Ben Rothelisberger in the pocket looking for a deep target. I could see the Steelers getting behind this week against the Patriots and Rothelisberger looking to sling the ball around. Sanders hopefully is the recipient of those targets. I would start Sanders a third wide out, flex or a bye week start.

The fifth player I would take a shot on this week is New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, who is owned in over 42 percent of leagues. The Patriots have had their share of offensive woes this season, but Edelman has been as consistent as they come when he is healthy and on the field. I like Edelman this week against the Steelers, as he could find his way into several mismatches against linebackers. I like Edelman as a third wide receiver option, a flex or a bye week start.

Now that I have gone over the top five waiver wire pickups I will go over the top three matchups I think you could benefit from starting players in to get a jump on your opponent this week.

The first matchup I like this week is the Pittsburgh Steelers at the New England Patriots. I like this matchup because the Patriots are coming off a poor showing from their offense, and the Steelers are coming off a loss to the Raiders. In this matchup I like lots of offense, including the Patriots Tom Brady, Stevan Ridley, and Danny Amendola. For the Steelers I like Ben Rothelisberger and Emmanuel Sanders. I expect this to be a game in the mid 20’s; so two touchdowns for each quarterback wouldn’t be a shocker.

The second matchup I like this week is the Kansas City Chiefs at the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs continue to impress and I see them with another win in Buffalo this weekend. I like the Chiefs offense and defense, while I only like one player on the Bills. For the Chiefs I like Alex Smith, Jamaal Charles and their defense. For the Bills I like Fred Jackson. I could see the Bills getting some late points against the Chiefs defense, but I don’t see either team topping 28 points.

The third matchup I like this week is the Philadelphia Eagles at the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders are coming off of a nice win over the Steelers and the Eagles are coming off a loss to the New York Giants. With the Eagles quarterback situation still in shambles, it’s hard to like many of their offensive weapons they have but there are some I still like. For the Raiders I like Terrelle Pryor, Darren McFadden and their defense. For the Eagles I like LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson.

That’s all for this week, check back next week when I go over the top five waiver wire pick ups and the top three matchups to watch for.

Hitting The Waiver Wire For Week Eight; Matchups To Watch For

Welcome in week eight of the football season and week eight of your fantasy season. Like last week I will go over the top five waiver wire acquisitions as well, the top three matchups I like that could potentially help you get a win over your opponent.

The first player I see jumping off the boards this week is Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Mike James, who is owned in just over seven percent of leagues. With starting running back Doug Martin out for the week and possibly more, James is a solid pick up. While James might not put up Martin-esque type numbers, he will be the ‘starting back’ this week, so he is worth a shot. I would take James if you had Martin or need a bye week spot start at a flex.

The second player I like this week is Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who is owned in just over seven percent of leagues. I like Heyward-Bey because of two reasons, he is coming off a game with a touchdown, and he will be seeing more targets from quarterback Andrew Luck now that Reggie Wayne is injured. I would take a shot on Heyward-Bey if you had Wayne, or are looking for a bye week spot start at a flex.

The third player I see coming off the boards this week is Philadelphia Eagles Riley Cooper, who is owned in just over three percent of leagues. I like Cooper this week because he has seen a big increase in the amount of targets going his way over the past two weeks. Also in the same past two weeks Coopers has totaled over 200 yards receiving with a score on 10 catches. While I don’t see Cooper getting 100 yards a game with a score, he is being targeted opposite of DeSean Jackson and could do well this week against the New York Giants who have been pretty bad on defense for the majority of the season. I would start Cooper as a flex start for a bye week fill in.

The fourth player I like this week is New York Giants running back Peyton Hillis, who is owned in just over nine percent of leagues. The Giants have been having running back issues all year, first with David Wilson, then with Brandon Jacobs. The Giants have landed Hillis and he showed off his skills last week in the win against the Minnesota Vikings. While I don’t think Hillis will put up 100 total yards and a score every week, he has a good chance to if the Giants get on track. I would take Hillis for a test drive this week against the Eagles, and if he pays off keep starting him. Remember at one point in his career Hillis was a top 10 fantasy back, could he be channeling his past? If you grab you him, you better hope so.

The fifth player I would take a shot on this week is Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, who is owned in just over 34 percent of leagues. Dalton put up a monster game last week with 372 passing yards and three touchdown passes, which sparked my re-interest in Dalton. Before the season started I was high on Dalton as he was once again paired with AJ Green, but early on he Dalton didn’t pay dividends, but after last week I want to give him another shot. I like Dalton as a bye week start, or someone you can stash on the bench for a matchup start later in the year.

Now that I have gone over the top five waiver wire pickups I will go over the top three matchups I think you could benefit from starting players in to get a jump on your opponent this week.

The first matchup I like this week is the Dallas Cowboys at the Detroit Lions. The Cowboys will be looking to take a hold of the NFC East with a win, while the Lions are trying to stay in the mix in the NFC North with a win of their own. I expect this game to be a shootout as have been many of the Cowboys games this year, so it is no shocker that I don’t like the start of either defense, but love the start of several players on offense. On the Cowboys side I like Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. On the Lions side I like Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush.

The second matchup I like this week is the San Francisco 49ers at the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 49ers are looking to creep closer to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West while the Jaguars are still looking for their first win of the season. The Jaguars have been giving some tough teams a good battle, but I don’t see that happening this week against the 49ers. I like several players from the 49ers this week including their defense, Colin Kaepernick, Frank Gore, Anquan Bouldin and Vernon Davis.

The third matchup I like this week is the Green Bay Packers at the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers are looking to take a hold of the NFC North while the Vikings are looking to secure their second win of the season. The Vikings are also in the middle of a quarterback quandary, so I expect the Packers to take this one with ease. In this game I like several players on the Packers including their defense, Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy and Jordy Nelson.

That’s all for this week, check back next week when I go over the top five waiver wire pick ups and the top three matchups to watch for.

Hitting The Waiver Wire For Week Seven; Matchups To Watch For

Welcome in week six of the football season and week six of your fantasy season. Like last week I will go over the top five waiver wire acquisitions as well, the top three matchups I like that could potentially help you get a win over your opponent.

The first player I see jumping off the boards this week is St. Louis Rams running back Zac Stacy, who is owned in just over seven percent of leagues. I like Stacy for the fact he has made it clear he will be getting the majority of carries for the Rams, and now has beaten our former starting running back Darryl Richardson for the first team job. I would take a shot on Stacy if you need a running back, a bye week start, or just want someone on the bench going forward incase one of your backs goes down.

The second player I like this week is Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle, who is owned in just over one percent of leagues. With an injury to DeMarco Murray, Randle is worth a shot. I would go for Randle is you have Murray or need a bye week running back. Randle’s value could rise quickly if he shows he can step in and fill Murray’s role, so now is a good time to buy on Randle.

The third player I see coming off the boards this week is San Diego Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, who is owned in just over six percent of leagues. I should have seen this coming from the former California Golden Bear wide receive, as he was put on the Biletnikoff watch list as a junior. But there are still a few things don’t make Allen my number one choice this week. Allen’s teammate Eddie Royal had a hot start, and now is very cold after posting less than spectacular numbers in his last three starts, which leads me to believe the same could be true of Allen if quarterback Phillip Rivers changes his mind on who to target. However, I do like Allen as a bye week start, or a flex start if you are needing a waiver wire pick up as the Chargers face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.

The fourth player I like this week is Houston Texans tight end Garrett Graham, who is owned in just over 36 percent of leagues. In his first start with the offense in place of injured Owen Daniels, Graham made only two catches. I look for that to change if the offense goes forward with TJ Yates. The best protection blanket for a new quarterback is a tight end, and Graham can be effective if given the ball. I would go after Graham if you need a bye week start or had Daniels.

The fifth player I would take a shot on this week is Washington Redskins wide receiver Leonard Hankerson who is owned in just over 14 percent of leagues. The Redskins offense is starting to pick up and in my eyes Hankerson will be the person to put the Redskins offense over the top. While teammate Pierre Garcon takes the majority of targets, the ones Hankerson does receive can come in big spots, the problem is consistency for the former Miami University wide out. Hankerson has not posted a touchdown since week one. I would look for Hankerson to fill in as a bye week start as a last choice flex.

Now that I have gone over the top five waiver wire pickups I will go over the top three matchups I think you could benefit from starting players in to get a jump on your opponent this week.

The first matchup I like this week is the New England Patriots at the New York Jets. Tom Brady and company will look to stay atop the AFC North with this divisional matchup against Geno Smith and the Jets. The Patriots are coming off a solid week a good win over the New Orleans Saints, and will look to improve their record to 6-1 with a win over the Jets. While on the Jets side of the football Smith has been Jekyll and Hyde at quarterback, every other week he seems to put up good numbers. This week is that week if he continues the trend, and in a divisional matchup I am looking for a good game albeit lower scoring than suggested. I like Tom Brady, Julian Edelman, Stevan Ridley, Geno Smith, and Santonio Holmes in this matchup.

The second matchup I like this week is the Cleveland Browns at the Green Bay Packers. The Packers are coming off a nice win over the Baltimore Ravens while the Browns are coming off a two-score loss to the Detroit Lions. I look for more of the same as the Packers roll to an easy win over the Browns here. In this matchup I like Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, Jermichael Finley and Willis McGahee.

The third matchup I like this week is the Denver Broncos at the Indianapolis Colts. In Peyton Manning’s first visit to Indianapolis since joining the Broncos, this will matchup two of the power house teams in the AFC against each other with the undefeated Broncos taking on the one-loss Colts. I like all the big guns in this matchup as I look for another shootout on Sunday night. The players I like the most include Peyton Manning, Wes Welker, Julian Thomas, Knowshon Moreno, Andrew Luck, Reggie Wayne and Trent Richardson.

That’s all for this week, check back next week when I go over the top five waiver wire pick ups and the top three matchups to watch for.

Hitting The Waiver Wire For Week Six; Matchups To Watch For

Welcome in week six of the football season and week six of your fantasy season. Like last week I will go over the top five waiver wire acquisitions as well, the top three matchups I like that could potentially help you get a win over your opponent.

The best player I see this week coming off the boards is Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who is owned in just over 85 percent of leagues. If you had this guy on your team last week and started him, you most likely won, as he went off against the Saints going for 10 catches totaling 218-yards with a touchdown. While I don’t see this performance coming in the short week against the New York Giants on Thursday, it’s not impossible. However, I could see Jeffery put up a game like he did in week four against the Detroit Lions when he had five catches for 107 with a touchdown. I would go for Jeffrey now, if you hesitate you might be on the wrong side of the matchup next week.

The second player I see coming off the boards is New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas, who is owned in just over 15 percent of leagues. With Mike Ingram injured the last few weeks Thomas has seen an increase in the number of carries he gets a game, although he hasn’t really provided the numbers the team was looking for. But the Saints have seen him do very well in the passing game, last week catching nine passes on nine attempts with two scores. While I don’t see Thomas getting multiple scores a week with Ingram out and working along side of Darren Sproles I think Thomas could be a valuable pick up like he was in years past. I would take a chance on Thomas if Ingram remains injured and if you believe the Saints will continue to target him out of the backfield like they did last week against the Chicago Bears.

The third guy I see coming off the board is Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who is owned in just over 20 percent of leagues. Blackmon was suspended the first four games of the season and saw his first action of the year last week against the St. Louis Rams, and impressed going for 136-yards on five catches with a touchdown. While this might come as a shock, it shouldn’t. Blackmon will do better in Jacksonville with Chad Henne under center rather than starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert. With Henne at the helm, the Jaguars have seen the passing game eclipse 200-yards multiple times, which was something they haven’t with Gabbert. Blackmon should be picked up if you are in a pinch at wide receiver, or if you need a bye week receiver. The schedule for Jacksonville doesn’t get easier going to Denver and San Francisco in the next few weeks, but that could mean increased targets in the passing game for Blackmon. I’d grab Blackmon if you have a chance.

The fourth guy I see jumping off the boards this week is New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith, who is owned in just over five percent of leagues. With his performance Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons it looks as if the Jets don’t look like they jumped the gun when they decided to throw Smith into the fire that is the quarterback position in the NFL. While I don’t except Smith to top 300-yards this week, I could see him toss another three-touchdown game against the Steelers. I would take a chance on Smith if you need a bye week quarterback or have a place to stash him on your bench for later in the season when he faces up against the Bills again.

The fifth guy I like this week off the waiver wire is Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas, who is owned in just over two percent of leagues. With Roddy White still lingering from his high ankle sprain and the emergence that Julio Jones will be out for the season Douglas is in line to see more targets from Matt Ryan. While Douglas and the Falcons are on a bye this week, I still see a need to target Douglas off the waiver wire with Jones’ injury. The schedule for the Falcons will see them take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins down the line so Douglas should have a solid season lining up opposite of White. I would go for Douglas if you have a spot to stash a receiver or if you have Jones or White.

Now that I have gone over the top five waiver wire pickups I will go over the top three matchups I think you could benefit from starting players in to get a jump on your opponent this week.

The first matchup I like this week is the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Denver Broncos. I am assuming this game will be a blow out as the Denver Broncos continue to steam roll the NFL, and the lesser opponents they face in the AFC such as the Jaguars. So it comes with no hesitation that I like a lot of the players on the Denver offense including Peyton Manning, Knowshon Moreno, Demaryius Thomas, Julian Thomas and Wes Welker. I do like starting Maurice Jones-Drew and Justin Blackmon, but that is more out of need that want, as they are the only players the Jaguars have of any value.

The second matchup I like is the New Orleans Saints at the New England Patriots. With Tom Brady breaking his streak of 52-consecutive games with a touchdown, I am looking for a rebound game at home against the high-powered offense in the Saints. Also for Brady he will see the return of tight end Rob Gronkowski, which should help in the passing game. I feel this game will be a shootout so I like several players from each team’s offense. But I will be taking the Patriots to upset the Saints. For the Patriots I like Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. On the Saints side I like Drew Brees, Marques Colston, Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas.

Watch out, the third matchup I like this week is the Monday Night game. The game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Diego Chargers. Another Monday Night game means rallying in the final game of the week to overcome your deficit against your opponent, or one last game to tack on extra points. I like the Colts in this game over the Chargers, as Andrew Luck and co. continues to impress the AFC critics. I believe this game will be high scoring, but it might be one sided early with the Colts taking control first and the Chargers scrambling to come back like they did last week against the Oakland Raiders. On the Colts side I like Andrew Luck, Trent Richardson and Reggie Wayne. On the Chargers side of the ball I like Phillip Rivers and Antonio Gates.

That’s all for this week, check back next week when I go over the top five waiver wire pick ups and the top three matchups to watch for.

Hitting The Waiver Wire For Week Five; Matchups To Watch For

Welcome in week five of the football season and week five of your fantasy season. Like last week I will go over the top five waiver wire acquisitions as well, the top three matchups I like that could potentially help you get a win over your opponent.

Before I get into the top players I see coming off the board, I would like to remind everyone that this week will see four teams with bye weeks, so here is a chance to catch your opponent sleeping with some quality acquisitions this week.

The top player I see coming off the boards this week is Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings, who is owned in just over one percent of leagues. With highly touted running backs like Adrian Peterson, Doug Martin and Alfred Morris on bye weeks, and Darren McFadden and Marcell Reece questionable to start this weekend Jennings might be a good start. While Jennings didn’t impress on the ground last week after coming in for McFadden, he had just 45 yards on 15 carries, he did look good in the short passing game, with eight catches for 71 yards. If you need a bye week pick up, or you are just looking to block your opponent from getting a back with potential Jennings is your man.

The second player I like this week on the waiver wire is wide receiver Donnie Avery of the Kansas City Chiefs, who is owned in just over 12 percent of leagues. With quarterback Alex Smith riding high in a new situation in Kansas City, Avery is making the most of his chances with his new quarterback. While Avery has had 26 targets over four weeks, he has yet to make the most of his chances pulling in just half of those passes, 13 for 213 yards with one touchdown, he is likely to continue seeing more targets with Dwayne Bowe slow start to the season. With guys like Minnesota Vikings Greg Jennings, Pittsburgh Steelers Antonio Brown, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson on bye weeks Avery is worth a look this week at the minimum. The Chiefs schedule also sees them face off against the Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills before their week 10 bye, so Avery could play a significant role in your offense in the next few weeks.

The third player I see making his way on to fantasy teams is tight end Brandon Pettigrew of the Detroit Lions, who is owned in just over 37 percent of leagues. While Pettigrew will hope to see a continued increase in workload due to Nate Burleson’s injury, Pettigrew has still yet to break through in the Lions offense, with only 12 catches for 92 yards with no scores. However, I do expect this to change as the Lions face off against the Green Bay Packers this week, in what should be a show down between to NFC North conference foes. The Lions schedule also gets easier, with the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on the schedule for week six and seven. I would take a stab on Pettigrew if you are looking for a bye week fill in tight end for Pittsburgh Steelers Heath Miller or Washington Redskins Fred Davis, or you have a bad matchup to play against.

The fourth player I like this week, is actually a defense, the Carolina Panthers defense who last week shutout the New York Giants. The Panthers should be an easy pick up, as they are owned in just over five percent of leagues. While I don’t believe in repeat performances, because face it, no two teams in the NFL are exactly alike, I do like the Panthers chances this week against the Arizona Cardinals, and their struggling running game. Making a team one-dimensional is the first step in keying in on a specific player to target, that being Arizona Cardinals Carson Palmer. While Palmer might put up some high fantasy value points from week to week, this is usually based on the fact his team is losing, if the Panthers can shut the door on the Cardinals attack early, look for lots of pressure to find Palmer, and rack up the sacks or interceptions. I like the Panthers this week, and into the schedule they face the St. Louis Rams, New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so they might be worth your while stashing on the bench for a good matchup.

The fifth player I see coming off the boards this week is quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Tennessee Titans, who is owned in just one percent of leagues. With Jack Locker, the starting quarterback on the bench Fitzpatrick will get another chance to prove he is worth of a starting quarterback spot in the NFL. This week also features quarterbacks like Ben Rothelisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins on the bench so the need for a quarterback is growing. Taking a chance on Fitzpatrick might not pay off immediately as the Titans are playing the Kansas City Chiefs, but if you do grab him it might pay of soon as the Titans have the St. Louis Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars and the Oakland Raiders on the schedule down the season.

Now that I have gone over the top five waiver wire acquisitions for the week, I will go over the top three matchups this week.

The first matchup I see that can be beneficial to your fantasy week is the Philadelphia Eagles against the New York Giants. Two divisional foes, both struggling to get anything going in their favor this week face off in week five. While the Giants will play at home, I like more of the offensive weapons on the Eagles sidelines. With the Giants defense getting blown out in nearly every game this season it was easy for me to target Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson to have big games for the Eagles, but it also makes me think that the Giants will have to throw the ball when playing catch up, so I also like Eli Manning, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks. I would stay away from both teams’ defenses in this matchup, even though the Giants have been held to seven-points or less in the last two weeks, it’s hard to keep anyone down for that long in the NFL.

The second matchup I like this week is between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders. This matchup will feature the Chargers first AFC West divisional matchup, and the second for the Raiders. The Chargers are looking to get above .500, while the Raiders are looking for that elusive second win, which slipped out of their grasp last week against the Redskins. In this matchup I like Phillip Rivers, Antonio Gates and Ryan Matthews for the Chargers, as for the Raiders, depending on who the quarterback is, Terrelle Pryor would be nice, but outside of that I am not putting any money down, on any one. This game should go the Chargers way, but the Raiders do make things interesting when playing at home, and last time Pryor faced off against the Chargers in week 17 over last year, he beat them in his first NFL start. I could see the same happening again this week if his concussion symptoms pass, and the Raiders deem him eligible to play.

The third matchup I like this week is the New York Jets against the Atlanta Falcons. Hold on to your seats, I chose a Monday Night matchup. In my opinion the Falcons are due. Due for a big win that is. At 1-3, the Falcons are without their starting running back Steven Jackson, and are barely able to use Roddy White, who is still hampered by an ankle injury, but I see good things in the matchup against the Jets. In this matchup I like Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Jaquizz Rodgers and Tony Gonzalez. I am not quite set on White making his first quality start of the season. If you are forced to start him, I wouldn’t look elsewhere for help, as Monday might be the day he finally breaks out, but I wouldn't put money on it. On the Jets side of the ball, I like Geno Smith and Santonio Holmes, as I expect the Jets to get down early, forcing them to throw the ball in catch up mode.

That’s all for this week, check back next week when I go over the top five waiver wire pick ups and the top three matchups to watch for.