Waiver Wire Work: Week 5

Welcome to another week of Waiver Wire Work. Solid pickups from the wire during the season can make a huge difference to a fantasy football team, and turn a pretender into a contender overnight. With that in mind, here are some of the top candidates to check out on the waiver wire this week.

WR Pickups (Immediate)

Bobby Engram (Sea) – Engram had a spectacular game against a very tough Washington defense. He did break a rib, though, in that contest, which means that he could go out of a game at any time if that injury flares up again. At any rate, he’s definitely worth a roster spot, especially once that injury heals a bit.

Amani Toomer (NYG) – Toomer scored his first touchdown since the 2003 season this past Sunday. With Eli Manning looking confident in the passing offense, look for Toomer to continue to produce for the Giants.

David Givens (NE) – Givens was the leading WR for the second week in a row for the Patriots which earns him an upgrade into the “immediate pickup” crowd.

Travis Taylor (Min) – Taylor had a decent game against a stingy Falcons defense. He remains Daunte Culpepper’s number one option in the passing game.

Joey Galloway (TB) – There is no way that this guy should not be owned now especially after last week’s explosion against the Lions defense.

Robert Ferguson (GB) – It was a disappointing Monday night game, to be sure. However, Ferguson should continue to see plenty of passes opposite Donald Driver for the Packers.

WR Pickups (Worth a Look)

Mike Williams (Det) – The big news from Detroit this week is that Charles Rogers is expected to be suspended for four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Enter “Big” Mike Williams into the starting lineup. While the passing game leaves much to be desired, he should see more looks with more playing time.

Eric Parker (SD) – There was a Parker sighting this past weekend in New England as he turned in a pretty solid game for the Chargers. Someone to keep an eye on for sure.

Antonio Chatman (GB) – Chatman has played well since the injury to Javon Walker, actually outperforming Ferguson on Monday night. One more week of good production will vault him up into the next level.

Greg Lewis (Phi) – He played well in a win against Kansas City, but was largely overshadowed by Terrell Owens and his 22 targets this past weekend.

Joe Jurevicius(Sea) – Joe has got the majority of his work in the end zone so far this season, but if the rib injury sustained by Engram this past weekend keeps him out, look for Joe to see some more passes thrown his way.

Brandon Jones(Ten) – Jones has supplanted the disappointing Tyrone Calico as the #2 WR for the Titans. With more playing time, Jones should start to see more looks soon.

Jabar Gaffney (Hou) – Gaffney is staking his claim to the #2 WR job in Houston opposite Andre Johnson. Gaffney turned in a good game against a touch Cincinnati defense this past weekend.

Shaun McDonald (StL) – It’s hard to gauge McDonald’s true value based on Bulger’s 62 pass attempts this past weekend. There is no doubt that in Isaac Bruce’s absence McDonald and Kevin Curtis will see more targets, but don’t expect McDonald to produce as he did this past weekend from here on out.

Chris Henry (Cin) – Henry had a TD catch overruled by instant replay this past weekend but still performed admirably. He really seems to have cemented himself as the #3 WR in Cincinnati and should continue to see more balls thrown his way.

Samie Parker (KC) – Parker has struggled with consistency in the last two games, dropping several passes along the way. He still deserves to be watched, however, as he has shown flashes of brilliance.

Braylon Edwards (Cle) – Trent Dilfer has vowed to get the WRs more involved in the red-zone offense. This should bode well for the very athletic Edwards.

Troy Williamson (Min) – Williamson looks to be developing into a playmaker for this offense. He may have supplanted Marcus Robinson on the depth chart.

RB Pickups (Immediate)

Mewelde Moore (Min) – Moore performed pretty well against a swarming Atlanta defense. He now seems entrenched as the starter for the Vikings.

Michael Pittman (TB) – Carnell Williams was forced to leave the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury and Pittman responded very nicely with a solid game, especially catching the ball. Williams’ injury has left his status up in the air for this week

Marcel Shipp (Ari) – Shipp had a fairly decent outing for the Cardinals this past weekend.

RB Pickups (Worth a Look)

Alvin Pearman (Jax) – The rookie from Virginia has supplanted LaBrandon Toefield as Fred Taylor’s backup and is starting to get more touches in the offense. Should Fred regain the “Fragile” tag, look for Pearman to really make a mark.

Frank Gore (SF) – Gore did fumble this past weekend, but Kavan Barlow didn’t do much to distinguish himself, either.

Derrick Blaylock (NYJ) – Curtis Martin had another tough week against another tough defense. Is his knee hurting?

Duce Staley/Jerome Bettis (Pit) – Both players should be available for the Monday night matchup with San Diego. How much will they begin to cut into Willie Parker’s playing time?

Ron Dayne (Den) – Don’t dismiss Dayne yet, but Tatum Bell seems to be back in the coach’s good graces.

Lamar Gordon (Phi) – Gordon has cemented himself in the Philadelphia RB rotation to the point that he seemed to be in quite a few goal-to-go situations this past weekend.

Jarrett Payton (Ten) – The son of “Sweetness”, Payton appears poised to serve as the primary backup to Chris Brown while Travis Henry is suspended. If Brown is hurt, Payton should be the go-to guy.

Travis Henry (Ten) – Henry is officially gone now for three more weeks after being suspended for a substance abuse violation. If he is out there and you are desparate, he may be worth stashing on your bench.

Ricky Williams (Mia) – Welcome back to the NFL, Sticky. Let’s see how you can do.

Micheal Bennett (Min) – Rumors abound that Bennett will soon be reunited with his old coach Dennis Green in the Arizona desert. If a disgruntled owner has dropped him in your league, he may be worth the gamble that a change of scenery is just what he needs.

QB Pickups (Immediate)

Josh McCown (Ari) – Questions certainly did abound as McCown showed little in relief last week against Seattle. Many of those questions appeared answered, though, with a rousing performance on Sunday night against a feisty 49er defense. While the San Francisco secondary was pretty banged up, he showed poise and presence in the face of pressure and made many good throws.

Brian Griese (TB) – Griese did have four turnovers this past weekend, but still passed for two TDs. He’s a good bye-week filler.

Trent Dilfer (Cle) – Dilfer rested an achy knee during the bye week and promises to involve his WRs more in the red zone. Look for his TD pass total to increase soon.

Mark Brunell (Wash) – Joe Gibbs appears to have once again revived the flailing career of a veteran QB. While you wouldn’t want him starting every week for you, he seems to be a nice play during a bye week.

Gus Frerotte (Mia) – Frerotte has been reunited with offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, formerly of the Vikings, and has prospered in this system so far. To date, Frerotte has played well enough to be a bye week filler and decent backup.

QB Pickups (Worth a look)

Jeff Garcia (Det) – The cast is off of Garcia’s broken leg, though he is still two to four weeks from playing. Don’t let that stop you from thinking about him though. Coming off of a bye week, Joey Harrington had another below-average start in a losing effort. Simply put, with a division title within their grasp, the Lions will be looking to pull any and all strings to get to the playoffs. Garcia may be their best hope at QB.

Kelly Holcomb (Buff) – The starting QB job was given to JP Losman to run with during the off-season. While rookie QBs will make mistakes, Losman seems to have made more than his share. Much like the Lions, the Bills feel as if they have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. To do that, however, the Bills may need to put Losman’s development on hold for the year and hand the reins over to the more seasoned Holcomb.

Kicker Pickups (Immediate)

Jay Feely (NYG) – With the Giants’ offense taking off, Feely should continue to see more and more attempts.

Todd Peterson (Atl) – Atlanta boasts another offense that is really taking off. With a suspect passing game, expect Peterson to continue to get his opportunities at field goals.

Todd France (Phi) – France is taking David Akers’ spot while Akers rests his ailing hamstring. While we have yet to see France’s range, he should continue to get the same opportunties as Akers.

TE Pickups (Immediate)

Heath Miller (Pit) – He is flying under the radar after the bye week. Let’s see how the Steelers plan on incorporating this valuable weapon into their offense.

Ben Troupe/Erron Kinney (Ten) – Whether it’s due to Norm Chow’s schemes or just Steve McNair’s comfort level, the Titans’ tight ends were the leading receivers in Sunday’s game far and away. That’s easy to understand based on their talent. Look for continued success from these two.

Courtney Anderson (Oak) – Anderson had a fairly solid game in what ended up turning out into a surprising defensive struggle. It was good to see that he was a definite part of the game plan this week.

Defensive Pickups (Immediate)

Denver – Despite not having Champ Bailey out there, the defense turned in a spectacular effort on the road. If you pair that with the team’s previous Monday night game with the Chiefs, this unit is worth more than a passing glance.

Miami - Flying under the radar after a week off, the Dolphins appear solid against the run, which was their Achilles’ heal last year.

New York Giants – With Manning and Co. apparently getting the offense up and going, the defense is able to do what it does best and tee off on the opposing QBs, forcing them into mistakes. If this trend continues, look for this defense to come up with sacks and force turnovers.

A special thanks to Cafe members Maddog60 and ABC for their help in this compilation.

 
Scott Houlding, known to forum regulars as MadScott, set the pace in this year’s Lucky Ladders contest by winning week 1. He’s currently in 12th place, just two points out of the top ten.

Questions or comments for Scott? Post your thoughts in the Cafe’s forums!