Over the past few weeks, owners shopping the waiver wire have found mostly empty shelves with the exception of a few players here and there. This week, I believe there are a few players on the list you may not be expecting, but should seriously consider.
Remember, utilizing your waiver wire solely comes down to your own specific needs, so be sure to read through the advice, and only consider who is being mentioned if the player can in fact offer you some potential.
Onto the wire.
Damian Williams - WR - TEN: Williams sort of disappeared the last two weeks as a viable option, due to the Titans seemingly not interested in using him.
What owners may not know, if the fact that Williams was dealing with concussion-like symptoms, and the Titans really couldn't force the issue.
Williams is in fact a favorite target for Matt Hasselbeck, and moving forward, the Titans plan on getting Williams back to speed, and more involved, which makes him an interesting waiver wire score.
Brandon Jacobs - RB - NYG: There is an interesting situation surrounding Jacobs, and I felt it needed to be mentioned here.
Ahmad Bradshaw left Sunday's game with a foot injury, and was examined not once but twice before returning late in the fourth quarter. That questionable foot is becoming a problem for Bradshaw, and it also could suggest that he is not 100 percent healthy.
While Brandon Jacobs, has a high average ownership (66% average between Yahoo and ESPN), it's his start rate that is surprisingly low (less than 21%).
For someone who is looking for a RB stash, Jacobs could be that player moving forward, even in deeper leagues. His low start rate also suggests that if he is NOT available off the wire, there is the possibility of you swinging a trade for him.
Ben Obomanu - WR - SEA: Normally you would be advised to avoid any receiver out of Seattle because of how inconsistent their offense has performed this year, but a new face can change everything.
The Seahawks have decided to give Obomanu the extended trusted hand while taking away their extended trust to receiver Mike Williams.
He responded by catching four balls for 107 yards.
I believe that Obomanu offer fantasy owners some upside in time, and with a less-than one percentage average ownership, there is little rush to acquire him, affording you a little bit of time to watch his progress.
Jonathan Baldwin - WR - KC: I am going to tell you all now, if you have a spot open on your roster or going to waste, run out and grab Baldwin off the waiver wire NOW, before the Chiefs prove me right and Baldwin becomes the next hot name.
The Chiefs have said that they now want to get Baldwin not only more involved in the offense, but more involved as the true slot option, which is extra special news for those of you in deep PPR leagues who are in the need for a WR.
A lot of this was coming anyway, but it was expedited by the rise of Steve Breaston, who is the Chiefs primary possession receiver—Bowe the down-field threat, Breaston the possession receiver and Baldwin the new threat out of the slot....interesting isn't it?
Christian Ponder - QB - Vikings : despite having the bye this week, I am mentioning Ponder for two reasons, and one of them is availability.
Christian Ponder put on quite a show of improvement against Carolina this week passing for 236 yards with a 64.3% completion rate with a single score. Despite Ponder having the bye this week, you could still entertain scooping him up this week if you need a QB fill-in the FOLLOWING WEEK in Week 10.
You have to remember he did this well against a pretty good Carolina pass D, but he will face a much easier opponent in Green Bay who is horrible defending the pass—Ponder nearly defeated the Packers his last go around with them.
If you are in need of a QB in Week 10, Ponder is a pretty good consideration.
This is just a small sample to get you guys going, so stay to see what Greg picked from the garden this week.
QUARTERBACKS
Tim Tebow - DEN: Like Ray said, owners trying to find some bargains on the waiver wire are going to be out of luck until another injury or two goes down before the end of the season. Only reason I bring Tebow's name up is because he is still on many free agent lists this week. Unfortunately, he is starting to show that he isn't a starting-caliber quarterback. After coming close to being a dud in Week 7, Tebow followed that up by a so-so performance in a blowout loss to the Lions. His saving grace was his 63 rushing yards to go along with his 174 passing yards. Tebow will continue to be a shaky option if you have to start him. For now he is nothing more than a guy to use if you can use a quarterback at your flex spot.
RUNNING BACKS
Javon Ringer - TEN: Someone should tell Chris Johnson that once you score a big payday, you still have to play. Through 7 games, Johnson has averaged an awful 2.8 yards a carry, while also chipping in 43.1 rushing yards per contest. Ringer matched carries with Johnson with 14 in the win over the Colts, but he racked up 26 more yards (60) and averaged 4.3 yards a carry. Mike Munchak may have denied the rumors that he was going to give Ringer more work going into Week 8, but it's clear that Johnson isn't the same player he once was. Ringer should be picked up by all owners. It sounds like we could get the dreaded RBBC, with Ringer getting the most out of his chances.
Reggie Bush - MIA: I hate listing Bush mainly because he will do what he did Sunday (120 total yards) and then fall back down to Earth the week after. At the very least, Daniel Thomas owners should keep a tight grip on Bush for the foreseeable future. With Thomas still dealing with a hamstring injury, Bush may wind up getting the nod in Week 9 against the Chiefs.
Maurice Morris - DET: Morris did better than I expected n the win over the Broncos, carrying the ball 13 times for 58 yards and a touchdown. The Lions expect Jahvid Best (concussion) back after the team's Week-9 bye, but it's not 100 percent given. So owners who currently have Morris will want to try and keep him until Best is cleared for all football activities.
Tashard Choice - WAS: Yep you read that right, Choice goes from one NFC East team to another after he was claimed off waivers by the Redskins. Ordinarily I wouldn't recommend Choice as any type of fantasy option. But this is Mike Shanahan we're dealing with. If Choice can pick up the offense early, he could have a role as soon as this weekend.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Antonio Brown - PIT: The Steelers literally have one of the best trio of receivers in the league with Brown, Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders. With Hines Ward out and Sanders playing mostly in the slot, Brown had his way with the Patriots Defense, catching 9 passes (15 targets) for 67 yards and a touchdown. Brown will still have some inconsistency once Ward comes back, but he is still a very viable WR3. He now has 16 catches for 169 yards in the last two games.
Michael Crabtree - SF: With another 5 catches for 54 yards and a touchdown under his belt against the Browns, this should end Crabtree's reign on your waiver wire. The 49ers offense as a whole has improved vastly, making Crabtree a big target for Alex Smith. He is a must-have WR3 going forward.
Eric Decker - DEN: UH OH. Could this be what it is going to be like with Tim Tebow under center? After barely being on the radar last week, Decker bounced back with 72 yards off of 6 catches and a touchdown against the Lions. By contrast, last week's hero Demaryius Thomas caught one pass the entire game. This situation might be hard to predict on a weekly basis.
Greg Salas - STL: Brandon Lloyd has been capturing most of the attention in the Rams passing offense, but it's Salas who has been a constant asset. Even with Sam Bradford out, Salas has still managed 15 receptions and 157 receiving yards over the last three weeks. Think of him as a poor man's Danny Amendola.
TIGHT ENDS
Brent Celek - PHI: With the Eagles' offensive line starting to gel, Celek has been able to chip in more as a receiver. It's paying off. In the last 2 games, Celek has tallied 11 receptions for 136 yards and two-straight games with a score. He is easily a TE2 for now, but he always have the upside of a TE1. He just isn't there yet.
