Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Hitting The Waiver Wire For Week 13; Matchups To Watch For


Happy Thanksgiving! 

Week 13 of the football season is upon us and week 13 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 Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn, who is owned in just over one percent of leagues. While I was not high on Flynn after he was benched in favor or Terrelle Pryor on the Oakland Raiders, I am high on Flynn running the Packers offense. Flynn has a positive track record, albeit a small sample size, it is positive. This week I like Flynn taking on the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. I think Flynn is worthy of a start if you have a bad matchup, or had one of the myriads of quarterbacks the Packers have started this year.

The second player I like this week is Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, who is owned in just over 11 percent of leagues. Another former Oakland Raider I was not high on with his time in the Silver and Black has turned the page and regained his gunslinger form in Arizona. While Palmer had tossed quite a few interceptions this season, his rate is slowing down, not having thrown one in his last two weeks. I would spot start Palmer this week against the Philadelphia Eagles and stash him on your bench for starts down the road against the St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans.

The third player I see coming off the boards this week is Minnesota Vikings running back Toby Gerhart, who is owned in just over one percent of leagues. With Adrian Peterson dealing with some injury issues still, Gerhart is going to be the recipient of some extra carries. In the last two weeks Gerhart has only managed 15 carries, but made the most of it going for over 150 yards combined. If you ask me any running back that averages 10 yards a carry is worth a shot. So I like Gerhart if you have Peterson, or need a flex start.

The fourth player I like this week is Oakland Raiders wide receiver Rod Streater, who is owned in just over six percent of leagues. While Streater is not the a-typical number one receiver, he has been doing as much for the Raiders of the past few weeks, and I expect that to continue this week on Thanksgiving when the Raiders take on the Cowboys. I like Streater this week as a second receiver option of a flex, and like him going forward against the New York Jets, and San Diego Chargers.

The fifth player I would take a shot on this week is Houston Texans running back Dennis Johnson, who is owned in just over one percent of leagues. With Arian Foster done for the season, and Ben Tate dealing with some injuries, I could see Johnson taking the majority of the carries again this week as he did last week if Tate continues to perform below the norm. I like Johnson as a handcuff to Tate owners, or a flex start if you are in dire need of a running back.

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 a Turkey Day special as the Oakland Raiders face off with the Dallas Cowboys. This has always been one of my favorite games as a Raiders fan. But the same can be said for Cowboys fans, when facing the Raiders since 2003. I expect this game to be another fun and challenging back and forth contest. While I don’t expect the teams to score in the 30’s, that’s not completely out the realm of possibility. One quirk could be the return of Darren McFadden, so I caution Rashad Jennings owners on the start. On the Raiders side I like Matt McGloin, Rod Streater and Sebastian Janikowski. On the Cowboys side I like Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray, Jason Witten and Dez Bryant.

The second matchup I like this week is another Turkey Day special as the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Baltimore Ravens. In this classic AFC North matchup, it’s a battle between two teams looking to fight their way into the playoffs. I could see this game being a shootout, which is no wonder I don’t like either of these defenses that are usually stout against one another. On the Steelers side I like Ben Rothelisberger, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders. On the Ravens side I like Joe Flacco, Ray Rice and Jacoby Jones.

The third matchup I like this week is a Monday night game as the New Orleans Saints take on the Seattle Seahawks. This is a potential playoff preview as the Saints travel into the Seattle to take on the Seahawks. On the Saints side you have a high powered offense that likes to spread the ball around, while on the Seahawks side you have a stout defense that is charged by the downhill running style of their offense. I could see this game going either way, but I do think the Saints are one for the upset here as the Seahawks are coming off a bye week. On the Saints side I like Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston. On the Seahawks side I like Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and Percy Harvin.

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.

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