Waiver Wire Work: Week 6

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)

Joe Jurevicius(Sea) – With both regular starting WRs out of action, Jurevicius stepped in nicely to record a 100 yard receiving day and a touchdown to boot. Engram and Jackson are both still out for at least a couple more weeks, so look for more of the same.

DJ Hackett (Sea) – While he did not come up as big as Jurevicius, he still turned in a very respectable day for the Seahawks. Like Jurevicius, Hackett should continue to produce while the starting WR tandem is injured.

Amani Toomer (NYG) – Toomer and company are back from a bye week and ready to go.

David Givens (NE) – Givens had an off week against the Falcons defense, but he is still a solid #3 WR pickup.

Antonio Bryant (Cle) – Bryant may be floating around on the wire after a somewhat sluggish start. He had a nice game prior to Cleveland’s bye week and followed that up with a 2 TD performance this past weekend. Dilfer promised to look towards the WRs in the endzone and so far it has helped Bryant.

Robert Ferguson (GB) – A very solid game in the Packers first victory of the season. He seems to be gaining confidence as the weeks go by.

Chris Henry (Cin) – Another week, another TD for the talented rookie. He now has a stranglehold on the #3 spot on the team and is a solid play if either starting WR goes down.

WR Pickups (Worth a Look)

Mike Williams (Det) – Roy Williams left the game this past weekend with strained left quadriceps. They are starting to run out of healthy bodies to catch passes in Detroit.

Kevin Johnson (Det) – Much like Mike Williams, he’s going to see more playing time simply by attrition at the WR position.

Eric Parker (SD) – Back to back good games from Parker. He is actually starting to see more targets than McCardell.

Antonio Chatman (GB) – He didn’t do that much this past weekend, but that is because the game was a runaway. He has proven decent enough over the past few games to at least keep an eye on after his bye week.

Brandon Jones (Ten) – While not having a spectacular game this past weekend, Jones still figured into the game plan. The Titans can and will pass so keep an eye on this promising rookie.

Az Hakim (NO) – After coming back from his early season injury, Hakim took advantage of the absence of Joe Horn by posting a 100 yard receiving game. Don’t expect this production every week, but depending on the health of Horn, he may get more playing time.

Shaun McDonald (StL) – A solid 5 catch, 8 target day for McDonald.

Samie Parker (KC) – The Chiefs are back after their bye week with a renewed offensive outlook.

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)

Antowain Smith (NO) – More sad news for the poor Saints as star RB Deuce McAllister was lost for the season with a knee injury. Smith should be the primary ball carrier for the team now.

Aaron Stecker (NO) – Smith will probably serve as the primary ball carrier now that Deuce is gone for the year, but Stecker will see some touches as well. He did produce in a couple of games last season.

Chris Perry (Cin) – Perry is starting to get more and more touches in this offense. He showed explosiveness in this past weekend’s loss to Jacksonville. Look for him to continue to get looks via the passing game and to see some more carries over time.

Patrick Pass (NE) – Pass has stepped into the backup RB role for the Patriots now that Kevin Faulk is injured. He has been pretty involved in the passing game and scored his first TD this past weekend.

Tony Fisher (GB) – Fisher has served as the third down back for the Packers, but he now moves into the backup role with Davenport’s injury. Look for his touches to go up quite a bit.

Ladell Betts (Wash) – Betts has quitely continued to get 10 plus touches a game throughout the season so far. Joe Gibbs himself has said that he prefers Betts’ running style to that of Portis’, but Portis is more of a homerun threat. Look for Betts to continue to see his share of opportunities even without a hurt Portis.

Chester Taylor (Balt) – Taylor has continued to be involved in the Ravens offense even with Jamal Lewis there. This should continue as the team looks for anything to spark the offense.

Alvin Pearman (Jax) – Pearman is starting to see more and more looks in this offense. He also serves as a kick returner so there’s always the chance of a return TD as well.

Frank Gore (SF) – Barlow had a decent outing this past weekend, but Gore still seems right on his tail.

Cedric Houston (NYJ) – Derrick Blaylock was lost for the year this past weekend. Houston now is the primary backup to the suddenly aged Curtis Martin.

Jerome Bettis (Pit) – Guess who’s back? The Bus ended up in the endzone this past Monday night in his first action back since his injury. He also more than halfed the carries with Willie Parker.

Tatum Bell (Den) – Bell had an explosive day against Washington this past weekend. This is becoming reminiscent of last season when Bell supplanted Droughns at year’s end before getting hurt. If he is on the wire, pick him up.

Lamar Gordon (Phi) – Gordon and the Eagles are last in rushing offense in the NFL. Look for that to change somewhat when the Eagles come back from the bye week, and expect Gordon to play an active role in changing that trend.

Jarrett Payton (Ten) – He scored his first NFL touchdown this past weekend. He’s a Chris Brown twisted ankle away from being a starter in the league.

Ricky Williams (Mia) – He’s now officially done with his suspension. How will they use him?

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.

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.

QB Pickups (Immediate)

Josh McCown (Ari) – Wow! McCown shredded the Panther’s defense for nearly 400 passing yards this past weekend in a close loss. The way he has played may well keep Kurt Warner on the bench when he is back and healthy.

Brian Griese (TB) – Another tough week for Griese. The team and it’s offense seem to run better when Carnell Williams can run the ball. He’s still a strong bye week filler though.

Trent Dilfer (Cle) – Dilfer delivered 2 TD passes this past weekend on a decent Chicago defense. Depending on his matchup, he makes a nice start on bye weeks.

Mark Brunell (Wash) – Brunell has been on fire since he was named starter, throwing for no less than 225 yards and 2 TDs in each appearance. It’s time to stop doubting him and play him, at least during a bye week.

Gus Frerotte (Mia) – All Frerotte does is throw 2 TDs a game so far this season. Much like Brunell, it’s time to start believing.

Steve McNair (Ten) – He may still be floating around in some leagues. That offense is going to pass, so if he’s out there, grab him.

QB Pickups (Worth a look)

Jeff Garcia (Det) – Joey Harrington and the Lions couldn’t even crack the 100 yard barrier this past weekend, and I do mean passing, not rushing. The heat is on in Detroit.

Kelly Holcomb (Buff) – I’d like to see one more week of Holcomb before he climbs the list, but he looked in control against the Dolphins.

Matt Schaub (Atl) – Given an entire week of preparation, Schaub rewarded the Falcons with 3 TD passes this past weekend. If Vick is healthy, he is the starter without question. However, keep an eye on Vick’s health. Based on Schaub’s performance last week, he would merit at least a bye week start if Vick misses more time.

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.

Nate Kaeding (SD) – A superb Monday night showing for Kaeding. The offense seems to be clicking and he seems to have his confidence back.

Josh Scobee (Jax) – Scobee has a very strong leg as was exhibited on Sunday night. The offense is good enough to move the ball but seems to bog down. This makes for a good combination.

TE Pickups (Immediate)

Heath Miller (Pit) – A TD catch in his first Monday Night appearance, not too shabby.

Ben Troupe/Erron Kinney (Ten) – This week it was Troupe’s turn to lead the team. If you need a TE, grab one of these guys quickly.

Courtney Anderson (Oak) – Back after a bye week off.

Jerramy Stevens (Sea) – A solid week with a TD for Stevens. With both starting WRs gone, he’ll be a bigger part of the game plan.

Aaron Shea (Cle) – Coming off his injury, he posted a solid game for the Browns.

Chris Cooley (Wash) – He had a huge game against the Broncos. He seems to be one of Brunell’s favorite targets.

Defensive Pickups (Immediate)

Detroit – A very solid game against a poor offensive opponent. Nonetheless, they put pressure on the offense and made plays.

Miami - A solid, yet unspectacular week of work. Still not a bad start.

Tennessee – They do bring the heat. They put up seven sacks this past weekend which leads to turnovers as well. If you need a filler defense, this may be the team that you are looking for.

 
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!