Waiver Wire Work for Week #9

[bcbadgalz]

Well the season is rolling along here boyz and it has been exciting. Fantasy football is frustrating isn't it? Perhaps that is what makes it so damn fun though!

I have three teams and the one that I thought would be my best led by who i thought was going to be the break-out QB of the year, Romo the homo, as i now refer to him, has a 2-6 record. That said I am in first place in my division in another league but its going to be a dog-fight to the end. My other team is hanging in the mix but has Pierre Thomas and Joseph Addai pissing in the wind!

Before you go on reading the articles that I copied i want to make all of you that lost again this week feel a little better.

I was down by less than 15 points going into a game that i was certain was a victory in the making. My opponent's active roster was finished after the 4pm games and I still had Roethlisberger(masturbating), Heath Miller (fumble), and Jeff Reed(wanting huge contract but cant kick in bad weather of domes) going Sunday night. That didnt go real well did it...uggghh!

I got a tie out of it. I would have been up two games but my Steelers once again ruined it. This week i play the best team in my league and will probably get crushed.

NICE! Well good luck this week people, just venting!

P.S...Jonathon Stewart is a piece of crap!



So, what to do with Randy Moss?

This answer is pretty easy for fantasy owners: Stay away. Vikings coach Brad Childress announced he'd be putting Moss on waivers sometime this week. With the Vikings, Moss' stats in four games: 13 catches, 174 yards, two touchdowns. While with the Patriots earlier this year, Moss caught nine passes for 134 yards and three scores.

The touchdowns are good. The problem is Moss hasn't been getting enough targets (just two Sunday in his one-catch effort) to be in your starting fantasy lineup now. Unless he's going to sign with a UFL team, you have to bench him. There's a chance he turns it around with his third team of the season, but right now he's just too much of a risk to get single-digit points in any given week. You probably have someone better.

There are other fantasy implications with Childress' decision. Although the Moss move had nothing to do with his fitness, Sidney Rice could be returning to the lineup sometime in the next few weeks.

Some owners have been stashing Rice the entire season; he might not be available in your league. If he is, though, it might be a good time to stash him now before someone else gets the idea. He had a good rapport with Brett Favre last year and could be your difference-maker come playoff time.

Quarterback
So much for being rusty after a layoff. Matthew Stafford returned to the starting lineup for the Detroit Lions and threw four touchdowns in a 37-25 comeback win over Washington. He went 26-for-45 for 212 yards and a pick in his return.

Stafford's an intriguing pickup option: He faces the Jets this next Sunday, then gets two bad pass defenses in Buffalo and Dallas in Weeks 10 and 11. If you're still scrambling for a QB this late in the year, Stafford is probably your best option.

• Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills (24-for-48, 223 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 6 rush, 43 yards): Nothing spectacular, but it's a good sign that Fitzpatrick put up decent fantasy points when the Bills scored just 10 points. Some weeks he might even pick up points on the ground. Fitzpatrick keeps looking like a better fantasy option each week.

• Jon Kitna, Cowboys (34-for-49, 379 yards, 1 TD, 4 INT): Uh, maybe. Kitna played poorly in his first start, but the Cowboys' running game is so bad he may throw enough times to be valuable in leagues that give a lot of points for passing yardage. Dallas is a mess, of course, but Kitna could pile up nice garbage-time points.

On the hot seat: Donovan McNabb. Is it his fitness? Is it his lack of two-minute drill capability? Will Mike Shanahan have a new explanation for benching McNabb later in the week? Either way, yikes. McNabb's thrown for a ton of yards this season, but he has more picks than touchdowns (8 to 7) and is now in limbo. You need to see if there's a better option.

Running back
The Lions' Kevin Smith vultured carries from Jahvid Best on Sunday against the Redskins, rushing 11 times for 51 yards. He also caught two passes for 16 yards. Best had 12 carries for 48 yards. While this is largely bad news for Best owners, Smith isn't a fantasy option right now.

But Smith could be an intriguing possibility later in the season. The two backs split carries evenly in Week 8, each getting five in the first half and seven in the second. If Best tires -- or his toe injury comes back -- Smith could end up carrying the ball more in the second half of the season. Smith isn't 100 percent, either; he tore his ACL nine months ago. Still, at this point in the year, desperation rules with running backs.

• Fred Jackson, Bills (20 carries, 64 yards): Buffalo's running game is still fairly anemic, but Jackson is getting a majority of the carries. He still only has the one touchdown this year, but if teams concentrate on stopping the Bills' passing game he could end up getting more yardage.

• Ricky Williams, Dolphins (9 carries, 47 yards, 1 TD): He still doesn't get many carries -- right around 10 a game -- but he occasionally gets involved in the passing game and is an option down the road.

• LeGarrette Blount, Bucs (22 carries, 120 yards, 2 TD; 2 receptions, 9 yards): If Blount went unclaimed on your league's waiver wire last week, he won't last another one. With Cadillac Williams struggling, it was only a matter of time before Blount had a breakout game with the Bucs. Williams had been getting the bulk of the carries, but had only four on Sunday. Look for Blount to continue to get a majority of the touches.

On the hot seat: Jonathan Stewart, Panthers. With DeAngelo Williams inactive, Stewart started -- and rushed 14 times for just 30 yards. He's had double-digit fantasy points in only one game this season and probably shouldn't be in your starting lineup anymore.

Wide receiver
A lot of owners probably gave up on Steve Breaston due to injuries (he missed three straight games) and the Cardinals' horrific quarterback situation. Even with Max Hall and Derek Anderson combining for four interceptions, Breaston still caught 8 passes (on 11 targets) for 147 yards in his return to the lineup Sunday.

While Larry Fitzgerald is going to get the majority of QB attention (he was targeted 12 times Sunday) he also gets the majority of secondary attention, leaving Breaston open for easier catches (Fitzgerald only had six receptions). Breaston is available in about 60 percent of leagues and is worth grabbing if you're in need of wideout help.

• Brandon Tate, Patriots (3 rec, 101 yards, 1 TD): Tate isn't going to be targeted enough (just four times) to put up huge numbers, but he's becoming a threat to break a long one, as he did on a 65-yard touchdown catch from Tom Brady on Sunday. It's getting late in the season, and free-agent talent is getting slim; if Tate continues to get a chance at a long pass each game he could be serviceable down the stretch.

• Anthony Armstrong, Redskins (3 rec, 92 yards): Armstrong is in the same situation as Tate; he's not going to get that many looks, but he's going to be a deep threat who could possibly score or at least put up huge yardage totals on a small number of catches.

• Brandon Gibson, Rams (6 rec, 67 yards): With Danny Amendola -- St. Louis' No. 1 target -- probably already on someone's roster, you might want to look at Gibson. Amendola reached the end zone Sunday, but Gibson was targeted the same number of times and had more yardage. He's worth a look in deep leagues.

On the hot seat: Hines Ward, Steelers. He's had some solid games but he's also disappeared in a few other times and only has two games over 100 yards this year. He has scored in three of his last five contests, but if you have more promising options Ward should be on your bench.

Tight end
If Jacob Tamme wasn't picked up in your league before, he will be now. Filling in for Dallas Clark, who's out for the year, the Colts' TE caught 6 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown on Monday night. He was targeted nine times. This is a no-brainer. The Colts throw a ton, and that throwing is done by Peyton Manning. Tamme could be a solid starting tight end for the rest of the season.

• Todd Heap, Ravens: His numbers haven't been bad so far this year and he's had a week off to rest up and get healthy. He's available in over 50 percent of leagues and is playing Miami this week, and the Dolphins don't cover tight ends well; if you're in need of a tight end he could put up solid-if-unspectacular numbers.

On the hot seat: Brent Celek, Eagles. Michael Vick didn't look for Celek often as the Eagles' starting quarterback; now that he returns to the lineup this week, it'll be interesting to see how many passes are thrown in Celek's direction. If you're stuck you can start him, but it'd be nice to see production with Vick at QB before he's your every week starter at tight end.

Kicker
Dan Carpenter hasn't missed a field goal since Week 4 -- and that was a 63-yarder -- and he connected on five on Sunday. And he's still out there in 40 percent of leagues. With Miami continuing to struggle to get it into the end zone, Carpenter should be starting in every league. Grab him if you can.

Defense
Oakland is currently one of the top five fantasy defenses and is unowned in most leagues. The Raiders held Seattle to just three points on Sunday. They haven't had a truly bad performance since Week 1 against Tennessee. It's the Raiders, who haven't had many fantasy relevant players in a while, but pick them up if you need bye week help or have an underperforming D.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

QUARTERBACKS

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions – The Lions' Quarterback is healthy again and threw 45 times against Washington on Sunday. He connected on 26 passes, launched four touchdowns including three to Calvin Johnson. He also limited his turnovers to just one interception after resting his injured shoulder for six weeks. Detroit faces a tough New York Jets defense at home in Week Nine before travelling to Buffalo for a favorable matchup. Stafford is available in 71% of ESPN leagues and 54% of Yahoo! leagues.

Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Freeman had 300 total yards and a touchdown pass against a weak Arizona defense. He did not turn the ball over and makes a solid start against Atlanta as he looks for his sixth win of 2010 and First Place in the NFC South. Freeman is available in 74% of ESPN leagues and 65% of Yahoo! leagues.


RUNNING BACKS

LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Blount was used as a feature back against Arizona and ended the day with 24 touches for 129 yards and two scores. Cadillac Williams had just seven touches for 36 yards. Blount travels to Atlanta in Week Nine in an important divisional matchup and is available in 81% of ESPN leagues and 70% of Yahoo! leagues.

Mike Tolbert, San Diego Chargers – Tolbert has now scored touchdowns in five straight games and has seven scores in eight games played. He is a legitimate touchdown vulture as San Diego moves the ball up and down the field before inserting Tolbert for highlight films. Tolbert also ended Sunday’s matchup against Tennessee with 90 total yards and outplayed Ryan Mathews. Tolbert is available in 39% of ESPN leagues and 38% of Yahoo! Leagues before facing Miami at home in Week Nine.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, New England Patriots – Green-Ellis turned 18 touches into 123 yards and two scores against a tough Minnesota run defense. He is not available in the majority of leagues but Sunday’s top scoring running back is worth a quick search on the waiver wire. New England has a favorable matchup in Week Nine at Cleveland and Green-Elliot is available in just 11% of ESPN leagues but 46% of Yahoo! leagues.


WIDE RECEIVERS

Davone Bess, Miami Dolphins – Bess is a reception beast with 32 receptions in his last four games to go with 332 yards. He has also scored in three straight games before Sunday’s seven reception 53 yard outburst while being kept out of the end zone. Miami travels to Baltimore in Week Nine where the focus will be on Brandon Marshall giving Bess room to work. Bess is available in 70% of ESPN leagues and 45% of Yahoo! leagues.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oakland Raiders – Oakland has been lighting the scoreboards up and Heyward-Bey is healthy. He torched a strong Seattle defense for 135 total yards and a score. Oakland hosts a tough Kansas City team in Week Nine and Heyward-Bey is available in 99% of ESPN leagues and 97% of Yahoo! leagues.

Steve Johnson, Buffalo Bills – All this guy does is score touchdowns. Johnson has scored six times in his last five games and is a force to be reckoned with. He has 195 yards in his last two games and with Ryan Fitzpatrick’s play, he should be owned in all leagues. Johnson plays at home against Chicago and then Detroit and is available in 53% of ESPN leagues and 28% of Yahoo! leagues.


TIGHT ENDS

Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens – Heap has six catches for 108 yards and three scores in his last two contests. Coming off a bye week, Heap is largely available. With season ending injuries to Dallas Clark and Jermichael Finley tight ends are suddenly at a premium. Baltimore hosts Miami in Week Nine and Heap is available in 64% of ESPN leagues and 54% of Yahoo! leagues.

Tony Moeaki, Kansas City Chiefs – The rookie was off to a hot start scoring in two of his first three games. He has cooled considerably but is still involved in the Kansas City passing game. The last two weeks Moeaki has recorded 87 yards on six receptions and is bound to start scoring again. Moeaki travels to Oakland in Week Nine and is available in 57% of ESPN leagues and 52% of Yahoo! leagues.


DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

Detroit Lions – The Lions looked terrific pressuring the quarterback against Washington and recording seven sacks. They also picked off Donovan McNabb and recovered a fumble for a touchdown. They host a New York Jets offense at home that was shut out against Green Bay on Sunday before travelling to Buffalo. Detroit is available in 95% of ESPN leagues and 90% of Yahoo! leagues. The Jets are a high-scoring offense and came off a bye week, so this is not a pick for the faint of heart.

Minnesota Vikings - A popular pick going into 2010, Minnesota has not impressed. Look for a strong showing against a turnover prone Arizona team in Week Nine. The Arizona quarterbacks combined to throw four interceptions on Sunday. The Vikings are available in 33% of ESPN leagues and 37% of Yahoo! leagues.


KICKERS

Dan Carpenter, Miami Dolphins – Carpenter connected on all five field goal attempts on Sunday for a second straight week. This gives him thirteen made field goals in his last three games and four PATs. Carpenter travels to Baltimore in Week Nine and is available in 78% of ESPN leagues and 48% of Yahoo! Leagues.

Garrett Hartley, New Orleans Saints – Hartley connected on two easy field goals and two PATs on Sunday. New Orleans schedule gets easier in Week Nine at Carolina and Hartley should have plenty of scoring opportunities. Hartley is available in 49% of ESPN leagues and 48% of Yahoo! leagues.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice
NFL Week 9


Monday, November 1, 2010




Welcome to the Team (a.k.a. Pick-Up)
Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, OAK - DHB had a week that would make any momma proud. In fact, he had by far his best day as a pro, pulling down receptions for 105 yards and a TD. As if that wasn't enough, he also tacked on a rush for 30 yards. Like it or not, the Raiders are on fire and clicking on all cylinders on offense. For the first time in team history, they have posted back-to-back weeks with over 500 yards of offense. Momentum is a strange thing, and perhaps there is even enough momentum in Oakland to get DHB going.

Steve Breaston, WR, ARI - Breaston is finally back from injury and he wasted no time reminding everyone that he is part of the formula that let Boldin go to Baltimore. Breaston toasted the Bucs to the tune of 8 receptions for 147 yards and even had 1 rush for 14 yards. This is great news for Larry Fitzgerald owners as the Red Birds needed someone else to emerge to keep the defense honest on Fitzgerald. Breaston could be a great grab for down the stretch towards your fantasy playoffs.

Mike Sims-Walker, WR, JAX - After a nice run during the year last season, Sims-Walker has yet to flash much of a fantasy pulse until this week. The Jaguars unloaded on the unsuspecting Cowboys, and Sims-Walker helped on that front with 8 receptions for 153 yards and a TD.

Brandon Tate, WR, NE - There was a brief moment in time that Tate was tapped as Randy Moss' replacement on offense. Most fantasy owners haven't forgotten that, so Tate will probably be a hot pick-up after his 101 receiving yards and TD in week 8. Note he only had 3 receptions, but for those in leagues that also rewards points for kick return yardage, Tate also had 58 return yards, making him a particularly attractive option in leagues setup in that type of format.

David Garrard, QB, JAX - This one is tough to figure out as Garrard swung 180 from the doghouse to the penthouse. He absolutely toasted the Cowboys with a near perfect game of 260 passing yards and 5 total TDs (4 passing and 1 rushing). It was probably more of a function of catching the Cowboys in maximum turmoil mode, but again, momentum can be a strange thing.

Matthew Stafford, QB, DET - Stafford is back in a big way. The Redskins horrible secondary was a good way to ease him back into action, and he did not waste the opportunity given to him. Stafford ended the day with 212 passing yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT, and a 2 pt conversion pass. He also did not waste any time locking onto Calvin Johnson, which is great news for Johnson's fantasy owners.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF - Whether it is with his arm or with his legs, Fitzpatrick just keeps getting it done fantasy wise. This week looked like it should have been awful if you just saw the score (KC - 13 and BUF - 10). However, Fitzpatrick still held his own with 223 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT and most importantly, 43 yards rushing.

Jon Kitna, QB, DAL - Kitna was a hot pick-up last week after the injury to Tony Romo, but there are still some leagues out there where he is available on the waiver wire and more than a few fantasy teams out there hurting for their fantasy QB to at least show-up each week. First the good: Kitna tossed the rock for 379 yards and a TD. Now the bad: Kitna also had 4 INTs. That sort of turnover production from the QB slot can get a player benched, but the Cowboys don't have a whole lot of other options. While it wasn't a good NFL performance, Kitna did have a decent fantasy performance due to the gaudy yardage numbers.

Troy Smith, QB, SF - Smith is another QB that leaves you tilting your head a little confused trying to make out the situation. He rallied the troops to a much needed �W�, and played pretty decent in doing so. He ended the day with 196 passing yards and 2 TDs (1 passing and 1 rushing). While those numbers aren't going to knock your socks off, Smith did hold his own and at least showed up for those in deep leagues desperately needing QB help with slim pickings on the waiver wire. It remains to be seen if the Niners keep Troy Smith as their starter, but it is hard to see them going back to Alex Smith just yet after the game and momentum Troy Smith generated. Holy "That's a lot of Smith's" Batman! While we are at it, why can't we once, just once, have a QB named "Smith" and a RB named "Wesson" that feature the Pistol formation on offense. Talk about a real T-shirt seller.

LaGarrette Blount, RB, TB - For any of you that got to see this game, you watched LaGarrettee �man-child� Blount run over, through, and away from people all day long. He ended the day with 120 yards and 2 TDs on 22 carries. The plan entering the game was for a split of duty between Blount and Williams, but Blount ran so well it was hard to not keep giving him the ball. Williams ended the day with just 4 carries, and this very well could have been the game that established Blount as the feature back in Tampa. This fantasy stock is sky rocketing, so run, don't walk to the waiver wire if Blount is available for pick-up in your league.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE - Before we go much further, we do have to toss out the caveat this is New England, and nobody really knows what they are going to do at RB each week. Having said that, this week they fed the Vikings a healthy dose of Green-Ellis, who nailed 112 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 17 carries. We like the 17 carries part, and there was a time many moon s ago New England did feature a RB each week (ref: Corey Dillon). We are far from that point here, but you never know, and you can always hope.

Keiland Williams, RB, WAS - Due to injuries to Clinton Portis and Ryan Torain, who was pulled in the second half and did not return due to a hamstring injury, Williams went from third down back to feature back. He ended the day with 6 carries for 25 yards and a TD, as well as 3 receptions for 19 yards. With time to heal for the guys ahead of him on the depth chart, it remains to be seen how much of a role Williams will have moving forward. However, if there was ever a fickle HC in the NFL, it is Shanahan, and you just never know when a little positive momentum can lead to more carries in the future.

Oakland Raiders Defense and Special Teams - The Raiders are just hot right now, and their defense has taken their game to another level. Whatever cancer has been in the Oakland clubhouse more almost a decade appears to have left for the time being. This positive momentum is spilling over into all facets of the Raiders clubhouse, including the defense, which is a sack happy, turnover getting machine as of late.

Dan Carpenter, PK, MIA - Carpenter had another 5 FG game this week, giving him 10 FGs over his last two games. That kind of production is hard to ignore, so ride the hot leg of Carpenter while you still can.



Show 'em the Door (a.k.a. Drop)
Note: This advice is intended for redraft leagues only.

Derek Anderson, QB, ARI - Wow. This is just nasty. Keep Anderson far, far away from your roster.

Donnie Avery, WR, STL - The stage was set for Avery to have a big season, but a torn ACL has ended those hopes.

Bernard Berrian, WR, MIN - Berrian has been a huge disappointment. He has all the opportunity in the world to take advantage of the Vikes needing someone to step up in the receiving corps, and he absolutely blew it. The door has completely slammed shut now with Randy Moss in town, although you could argue it was slammed shut much earlier than that.

Antonio Bryant, WR, FA - In another brilliant managerial move by the Bungles, they evaluate both Bryant and Terrell Owens in March... decide to shell out the big bucks on Bryant... just to come crawling back to Owens in the summer. Now Bryant is out as his bum knee continued to bother him, taking the Bungles' cash with him.

Dallas Clark, TE, IND - Clark is out for the season with a wrist injury suffered in week 5.

Mark Clayton, WR, STL - Clayton was tapping into that Sooner magic with his new QB, but a torn patella tendon suffered in week 5 has ended his 2010 season.

Jermichael Finley, TE, GB - Finley is an incredible talent, but unfortunately he suffered a knee in injury in week 5 that will force him to miss most, if not all, of the season.

David Gettis, WR, CAR - Gettis had a huge week 7, but then had an equally huge but completely in the opposite context week 8 (as in finishing the game with negative fantasy points... as in you would have been better not starting anyone rather than eating the negative fantasy points from him). Gettis could flash a nice game or two before the season is over, but in the meantime he will be crushing your team with bad performances as you start him thinking "this is the week". Gettis is a rookie WR, and he reminded the fantasy world why that so often is a bad thing rather than a good thing.

Ryan Grant, RB, GB - Grant suffered a season ending ankle injury in week 1.

Montario Hardesty, RB, CLE - Hardesty injured his knee (ACL tear) and is done for the year.

Jerome Harrison, RB, PHI - Just a season ago Harrison notched nearly a 300 yard rushing game, but now his fantasy value is next to zilch. Peyton Hillis ran him out of Cleveland, and now he slides into a back-up role behind LeSean McCoy in Philly.

Devin Hester, WR, CHI - Unless in a league that also rewards fantasy points for kickoff and punt return yardage, it is best to catch-and-release Hester if you drafted him. He has done anything but clicked in Mike Martz's new offense.

Shaun Hill, QB, DET - He was a nice spot start for a couple of weeks, but the shelf life on Hill has expired.

Tory Holt, WR, FA - This perennial Pro-Bowler's best years are far behind him. Don't waste a roster slot reflecting on yesteryear.

Larry Johnson, RB, FA - This once proud fantasy back is beyond washed up.

Matt Leinart, QB, HOU - So much for taking advantage of the departure of Kurt Warner. Leinart stunk up the joint in the preseason, got shipped to Houston, and now is floating around in the land of worthless fantasy value.

Laurence Maroney, RB, DEN - There was some hope the trade to Denver may spark something in Maroney. That didn't happen. He has run poorly and things are awfully crowded in New England West.

Legedu Naanee, WR, SD - After week 1 it looked like Naanee might capitalize on the opportunity left by Vincent Jackson's absence, but injuries and Malcom Floyd have crushed that opportunity.

Greg Olsen, TE, CHI - OC Mike Martz does not like to use TEs in his offense, and Olsen's numbers reflect that.

Willie Parker, RB, FA - Fast Willie Parker is nowhere to be found on the football field. Looks like roller skates at Sonic are the only way for him to keep his title now.

Jason Snelling, RB, ATL - Unless you own Michael Turner, it is best to let Snelling go at this point. After a week 2 explosion, his role in offense has decreased.

Kevin Walter, WR, HOU - Walter had a huge week 2 and will probably pop at least one, if not two, more decent games. However, your team will get crushed as you start him each week thinking "this is the week."

Roy Williams, WR, DAL - Williams had his fun in the sun, but the Dez Bryant show is in town and Williams is seeing the light at the end of the NFL playing career tunnel.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Lions second-year quarterback Matthew Stafford was solid in his return after a shoulder injury. Stafford did not throw for many yards, but he did throw four touchdown passes, three of them to Calvin Johnson. If Week 8's performance against the Redskins is any indication of how Stafford is going to play, he is worth giving a look.

The Lions have a tough matchup at home against the Jets in Week 9.

David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars

David Garrard had a monster game in Dallas during Week 8, throwing for four touchdowns and running in for one more. Garrard had five total touchdowns, and had his way with the Cowboys. Garrard and the Jaguars have a bye in Week 9, but return home to take on a poor defense in the Houston Texans.

Garrard should be available in most leagues and is worth giving a look.



Running Back

LaGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

LaGarrette Blount may have solidified himself as the starting running back in Tampa Bay during Week 8. Blount had a career day carrying the ball 22 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Blount has been effective after being picked up by the Bucs, and it is clear that he will get most of the carries in Tampa Bay.

Blount has a decent matchup in Week 9 at Atlanta.

Wide Receiver

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oakland Raiders

Darrius Heyward-Bey has been a hot pickup of mine earlier this season, but after his Week 8 performance, he is back in the mix. The second-year receiver had a career day against the Seahawks, catching five passes for 105 yards including a 69-yard touchdown, both career highs. Heyward-Bey is not owned in many leagues, so he will definitely be available.

With Louis Murphy sidelined, Heyward-Bey stepped up in a big way. Add him off the waiver wire as he faces a weak Kansas City pass defense in Week 9.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maybe Raheem Morris was right. Maybe Tampa Bay is the best team in the NFC.

Now, the Giants, Falcons, Saints and Packers might have an argument with Morris, but that will all get settled soon enough.

As for Morris' running back, he definitely found his best one, and that's LeGarrette Blount, who ran all over Arizona in Week 8 with 22 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns and two catches for 9 yards with a lost fumble. We told you to add him last week when his ownership was at 15 percent in CBSSports.com Fantasy leagues, but if he's still out there now run to the waiver wire.

He's at 62 percent owned heading into Week 9, but that number should reach 100 percent by Sunday. He has the chance to be a solid Fantasy option for the rest of the season, and he's worth using in all leagues. Cadillac Williams is no longer a factor after he had just four carries for 10 yards and three catches for 26 yards against the Cardinals.

Follow us on ...
Get the latest news and analysis from the most informed Fantasy staff in the industry by following us on Twitter and Facebook.
@cbsfantasynews
Facebook.com/cbssportsfantasy
Running back could be an issue for Fantasy owners in Week 9. Several prominent players are on a bye -- Chris Johnson, Frank Gore, Maurice Jones-Drew, Knowshon Moreno, Steven Jackson and Ryan Torain -- and we also had some injuries with Beanie Wells (back) leaving his game and Joseph Addai (shoulder) and DeAngelo Williams (foot) out.

It's not a great week on the waiver wire aside from Blount, but there are a few options available to consider for Week 9 and going forward. In Indianapolis, Mike Hart (63 percent) took over for Addai against Houston on Monday night and played well with 12 carries for 84 yards and three catches for 19 yards. He left the game with an ankle injury, which should be monitored, but he is worth adding in case Addai remains out. Donald Brown (56 percent) is also worth a look, but he might have re-injured his hamstring against the Texans. He had nine carries for 16 yards and two catches for 13 yards.

Wells is expected to play in Week 9 at Minnesota, but if he's out then Tim Hightower (76 percent) would likely get the start with LaRod Stephens-Howling (2 percent) also mixed in. Hightower was the starter earlier this year, but his fumbling issues have decreased his playing time. He had one carry for no yards and one catch for 11 yards against Tampa Bay.

Stephens-Howling, however, had four carries for 41 yards and a touchdown but left the game with a rib injury. If he's able to play and Wells is out then he could end up as the starter against the Vikings depending on how much coach Ken Whisenhunt wants to punish Hightower. It's a situation worth watching all week even though it's not the greatest matchup for the Cardinals.

In New England, it appeared as if Danny Woodhead's time as a relevant Fantasy option was over. His three-game streak with double digits in Fantasy points had ended in Week 7, but he found a way to be productive again in Week 8 against Minnesota with six carries for 13 yards and a touchdown and five catches for 45 yards.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis remains the best running back for the Patriots, but Woodhead (66 percent) has done an excellent job replacing the injured Kevin Faulk (knee). In leagues where receptions count, Woodhead should be considered a starting option with 13 catches in his past two games, and he has a favorable matchup in Week 9 at Cleveland.

The Chargers found a way for all three running backs to be useful in Week 8 against Tennessee with Mike Tolbert, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles all scoring touchdowns. Mathews and Tolbert are owned in the majority of leagues, but Sproles (44 percent) is worth adding in leagues where receptions count and even in standard formats.

As we told you last week, with all the injuries at wide receiver for the Chargers, Sproles has returned as a prominent part of the offense. He had four carries for 41 yards and four catches for 36 yards with the touchdown against the Titans, and he now has 147 total yards with 13 catches in his past two games with a great matchup at Houston in Week 9.

Jahvid Best remains the starter and the best running back for the Lions, but he has struggled with his toe injury. In Week 8 against Washington, Best had 12 carries for 48 yards and five catches for 31 yards, but Kevin Smith (11 percent) ran better and could be making this into a tandem.

Smith had 12 carries for 51 yards and two catches for 16 yards against the Redskins, and he appears to be 100 percent recovered from last year's knee injury. The Lions don't have a great matchup in Week 9 against the Jets, but Smith is worth stashing on your bench, especially if Best's toe injury gets worse.

Looking past the bye week, Washington could be headed for some trouble with their running backs. Torain injured his hamstring in Week 8 at Detroit, and hopefully the week off will allow him to come back at 100 percent. But Clinton Portis (groin) has said he hopes to return in Week 10, and he is worth stashing on your roster in case Torain is out. Portis is owned in just 51 percent of leagues. Also keep an eye on Keiland Williams (3 percent) in case both running backs are out for the Redskins in Week 10 against Philadelphia.

In case you haven't noticed ... Matthew Stafford played better than we could have hoped in Week 8 against Washington with 212 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He could have had five touchdowns if not for DeAngelo Hall stepping in front of Calvin Johnson in the end zone. Stafford is owned in 73 percent of leagues, but he could be a tremendous Fantasy option for the rest of the year based on Detroit's offense. He has a tough matchup in Week 9 against the Jets, but Stafford appears ready to go after missing five games with the shoulder injury.

Each Tuesday we will highlight players who might be available in your league and whether you should consider picking them up off waivers based on their recent performances. The players chosen are based on the percentage of ownership in CBSSports.com leagues.

Quarterbacks ...
Add 'Em
David Garrard, Jacksonville
Owned: 28 percent of leagues
Week 8: Completed 17 of 21 passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns and had a rushing touchdown with a lost fumble at Dallas.
Analysis: Most people will look at this game and say the Cowboys defense is just awful and they have given up on the season. They might be right, but Garrard deserves plenty of credit for his recent play. Prior to getting a concussion against Tennessee in Week 6 and missing Week 7 at Kansas City, Garrard was playing well. In his past three full games against Indianapolis in Week 4, Buffalo in Week 5 and now Dallas, he has missed on just 13 passes with 11 total touchdowns and four turnovers. The Jaguars have a bye in Week 9, but they face Houston in Week 10, which should be an excellent matchup. Plan ahead and add Garrard now.

Avoid 'Em
Jason Campbell, Oakland
Owned: 12 percent of leagues
Week 8: Completed 15 of 27 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns against Seattle.
Analysis: Campbell was a star against the Seahawks, but that had more to do with Seattle's poor pass defense than Campbell playing well. The Raiders, who were missing Louis Murphy (chest) and got nothing from Zach Miller (one catch for 8 yards), had three players catch at least one pass for 50 yards in Darrius Heyward-Bey, Marcel Reece and Michael Bush. That speaks to poor tackling, which was evident in the game. Campbell also is expected to return to the bench once Bruce Gradkowski (shoulder) is healthy, and the Raiders have a tougher opponent in Week 9 in Kansas City. Don't expect Campbell to play like that again.

Scout 'Em
Tarvaris Jackson, Minnesota
Owned: 8 percent of leagues
Week 8: Completed 4 of 6 passes for 36 yards and a touchdown and also had one carry for 33 yards at New England.
Analysis: Brett Favre (head) is going to play in Week 9 against Arizona, but it's clear the end is near. He already has the broken bone in his ankle and a sore elbow, and now he's taking vicious hits to the face, which caused him to leave the game against the Patriots. If Jackson takes over at some point he would be worth a look because of all the weapons for the Vikings even with Randy Moss gone. You might not start Jackson in the majority of formats, but he could be worth stashing on your bench in leagues where you start two quarterbacks.

Wide receivers ...
Add 'Em
Mario Manningham, New York Giants
Owned: 53 percent of leagues
Week 8: Bye week.
Analysis: Manningham is the No. 3 wide receiver for the Giants behind Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith, but he's still posting quality stats. And this week he has a favorable matchup at Seattle. In his past two games against Detroit and Dallas, Manningham has seven catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks have allowed six wide receivers to reach double digits in Fantasy points this year, and Manningham could extend his touchdown streak to three this week.

Steve Breaston, Arizona
Owned: 52 percent of leagues
Week 8: Had eight catches for 147 yards and one carry for 14 yards against Tampa Bay.
Analysis: Breaston returned after missing three games with a knee injury and played well against the Bucs. He now has three games this year with double digits in Fantasy points in four outings, and he's doing well in the starter's role vacated by Anquan Boldin. With Larry Fitzgerald drawing plenty of double teams, Breaston is becoming a go-to threat. You can't ignore his production, and the Cardinals will continue to rely on him, especially in Week 9 at Minnesota.

Anthony Gonzalez, Indianapolis
Owned: 39 percent of leagues
Week 8: Had four catches for 55 yards against Houston.
Analysis: He made it through the game with the Texans without suffering an injury, so that's a step in the right direction. He had six targets, and that number will increase each week with Austin Collie (thumb) out. Gonzalez isn't going to become a must-start Fantasy option, but in leagues where receptions count he could end up as your No. 3 wide receiver. We know the Colts will always be throwing, and Gonzalez's role has now increased due to the injuries.

Brandon Tate, New England
Owned: 20 percent of leagues
Week 8: Had three catches for 101 yards and a touchdown against Minnesota.
Analysis: Tate finally was able to catch a deep ball, and it came on a broken play against the Vikings. But you have to hope it's a sign of things to come, and he has a favorable matchup in Week 9 at Cleveland. The Browns have allowed 10 touchdowns to opposing wide receivers and seven have reached double digits in Fantasy points. Look for Tom Brady to take a few shots downfield for Tate, especially if he's matched up with Cleveland defensive back Eric Wright. That said, Tate is only worth owning in deeper leagues.

Avoid 'Em
David Gettis, Carolina
Owned: 23 percent of leagues
Week 8: Had no catches and one carry for minus-12 yards at St. Louis.
Analysis: So much for Gettis becoming a go-to threat for the Panthers. He had eight catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns against San Francisco in Week 7, and then he disappeared against the Rams. He'll likely be hit or miss all season, but the Panthers passing attack doesn't warrant anyone being owned aside from wide receiver Steve Smith. Leave Gettis on the waiver wire until he has at least two games in a row with consistent production.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oakland
Owned: 5 percent of leagues
Week 8: Had five catches and 105 yards and a touchdown against Seattle.
Analysis: It was nice to see Heyward-Bey play well against the Seahawks. He had nine targets and will likely see an increase in production with Murphy out and Miller (foot) banged up. But don't look at the game with the Seahawks as an indication of Heyward-Bey about to have a breakout year. Seattle couldn't tackle anyone in that game, including Heyward-Bey's 69-yard touchdown catch. If he plays well against Kansas City in Week 9 then we might say to add him, but for now just leave him on the waiver wire in standard leagues.

Scout 'Em
Sidney Rice, Minnesota
Owned: 48 percent of leagues
Week 8: On PUP list.
Analysis: The Vikings now have a need for Rice with Moss being waived Tuesday, and Rice is getting closer to a full recovery. He is expected to be activated off the PUP list with his hip injury prior to Week 10, but he might not play right away. Minnesota has a need at wide receiver, and Rice should be able to fill the void. Don't expect the Rice we saw last year when he was 100 percent and Favre was playing at a high level, but he could be someone to use as a No. 2 or 3 Fantasy option down the stretch as long as he doesn't suffer a setback with his hip.

Tight ends ...
Add 'Em
Jacob Tamme, Indianapolis
Owned: 43 percent of leagues
Week 8: Had six catches for 64 yards and a touchdown against Houston.
Analysis: Dallas Clark who? Clark is out for the season with a wrist injury, and Tamme stepped in and played just like Clark against Houston. Now, he's not going to produce at Clark's level, but for one game he was right there. With all the injuries in Indianapolis (Clark and Collie), Tamme has the chance to see plenty of targets from Peyton Manning (he had nine Monday night). He has a great matchup in Week 9 at Philadelphia, and Tamme is going to become an every-week starter in the majority of leagues.

Greg Olsen, Chicago
Owned: 40 percent of leagues
Week 8: Bye week.
Analysis: Olsen hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 3 and has just three catches for 43 yards in his past three games. He's been asked to do more blocking than pass catching recently, and he's playing exactly the way many Fantasy owners feared when Mike Martz took over as offensive coordinator. But he's facing the Bills in Week 9, and Buffalo has been the worst team at defending tight ends. Martz should be able to get Olsen involved for this matchup, and he's worth adding in deeper leagues if you need a tight end this week with Vernon Davis, Chris Cooley and Marcedes Lewis on a bye.

Avoid 'Em
Tony Moeaki, Kansas City
Owned: 68 percent of leagues
Week 8: Had three catches for 45 yards against Buffalo.
Analysis: It's time to give up on the rookie since it seems like he's no longer a significant part of the offense. Since scoring a touchdown in two of his first three games he has just 12 catches for 158 yards. And in his past three weeks, he has faced some of the worst pass defenses against opposing tight ends in Houston, Jacksonville and the Bills. He has another favorable matchup in Week 9 at Oakland, but all we can tell you is use him at your own risk since he only has 10 Fantasy points in his past three games.

Scout 'Em
Daniel Fells, St. Louis
Owned: 1 percent of leagues
Week 8: Had four catches for 35 yards and a touchdown against Carolina.
Analysis: The Rams are in need of help at wide receiver, and Fells could be ready to fill the void. He had seven targets against the Panthers, which was the same amount as Danny Amendola. Fells now has two touchdowns on the season, and he could be a useful Fantasy option in Week 10 against San Francisco following the bye in Week 9. Keep an eye on his health as he was dealing with a back injury after the game with Carolina, but in deeper leagues he could be worth adding if you need help at tight end.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ZoomVT]

thanks for the post.