Only two teams on bye this week (Dal, Stl) and one is the Rams who only matter if you own Zac Stacy or are one of the 35% of owners stupid enough to start Jared Cook every week. The Cowboys hurt a bit more with three elite fantasy options on the shelf this week (Romo, Bryant, Witten). I’ve listed a few players owned in less than 60% of Yahoo leagues that could help this week or the rest of the season. I was 4-4 last week on popular waivers adds that I didn’t like, so I will try again this week just in case anyone is reading this.
QB:
Case Keenum HOU(23%): Keenum is averaging 274 yards and 2.3 TDs in his 3 starts this year and is facing a defense that gave up 7 TDs to Nick Foles two weeks ago. Sounds like a decent Romo replacement to me.
Max FAAB: $15
Joe Flacco BAL (55%): This one is a futures move as Flacco faces Minnesota (29th pass defense) in week 14 and Detroit (27th pass defense) in week 15. Those are playoff weeks in most leagues. If you have a QB with a tough match-up in those weeks (Kaepernick, Wilson) you might want to stash Flacco.
Max FAAB: $5
No: Carson Palmer: You’re going to start a BAD QB just because they are playing the Jags? How did that work out with Jake Locker last week?
RB:
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Andre Brown NYG (51%): I recommended adding Brown last week, but even I didn’t expect a 30 carry, 115 yard performance with Peyton Hills still in the mix for carries. Brown looked considerably more explosive than Hillis and should be the main guy going forward. If he’s still available in your league, use the rest of your FAAB to get him.
Max FAAB: $35
Brian Leonard TB (6%): With the Bucs losing yet another starting RB for the season, they are down to Leonard and the next guy on this list at RB. Leonard has been a reliable but boring runner over the course of his 6 years in the league (3.6 YPC). His main advantages over Rainey are experience, the size to hold up over 20+ carries (6’1, 225), and pass protection. He’s also a good receiver out of the backfield (so is Rainey) and I expect him to get around 15 carries with 3-4 catches a game for around 80 total yards. You could do worse at your flex, especially if he finds the end zone a few times over the next few weeks.
Max FAAB: $15
Bobby Rainey TB (4%): He’s already been released by two teams this year (Bal, Cle), which isn’t a great sign but I think that has more to do with his size (5’8, 212) then his skill level. Rainey is an ideal change of pace back and should be used accordingly in TB which gives him some value. Think of him as a poor man’s Danny Woodhead or a homeless man’s Darren Sproles.
Max FAAB: $10
Dennis Johnson HOU (21%): Arian Foster is out for the year and Ben Tate has been playing with bruised ribs. DJ is next in line when (not if) Tate goes down.
Max FAAB: $10
Christine Michael SEA (4%): So what if he has a girl’s name, the dude can run. He’s played two of the last three weeks and averaged over 4 yards a carry in both games. If Lynch goes down (please no), I think Michael will be the feature back and Turbin will stay in a back-up role. Worth stashing if you have an extra spot.
Max FAAB: $5
NO – Mark Ingram: One good game. Ingram has shown flashes before, but hasn’t been able to string together 2 or 3 good games in a row. I’m not sold and the Saints backfield is still crowded (Thomas, Sproles, Robinson).