Waiver Work for NFL Week #8...

[bcbadgalz]

I had Romo cause me to lose an important divisional fantasy game last night by the score of 116-113. Just one more td or a few long balls would have put me over the top, but no!
I realize that it wasn't his fault that he got injured, but like an angry Dolphins fan (LOL), I could rip my hair out!
I see they are saying pick up Kitna in some of these articles...


BUT DONT, ITS STUPID!
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QUARTERBACKS

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills – The Bills’ quarterback now has 11 touchdowns in his last four games. He heaved four scores and 394 total yards in Baltimore. He is breathing life back into Lee Evans and making a star out of Steve Johnson. Winless through six games, Buffalo will continue to play from behind and rely on Fitzpatrick’s arm. With many QB1s sitting in Week Eight, consider Fitzpatrick at Kansas City. Fitzpatrick is available in 95% of ESPN leagues and 91% of Yahoo! leagues.

Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs – Not exactly lighting up the fantasy scoreboards, Cassel has five touchdowns, 402 total yards and zero turnovers in his last two contests. Dwayne Bowe has four of those scores and Kansas City has started running the ball better. Cassel plays Buffalo at home in Week Eight and is available in 66% of ESPN leagues and 60% of Yahoo! leagues.


RUNNING BACKS

LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Blount handled the majority of the carries on Sunday with eleven compared to Cadillac Williams four. He ran hard finishing the day with 72 yards. Blount travels to Arizona in Week Eight in an extremely favorable matchup and is available in 99% of ESPN leagues and 97% of Yahoo! leagues.

Chris Ivory, New Orleans Saints – The undrafted rookie handled virtually all carries on Sunday but was limited as the Saints played from behind all day. He ended the day with 48 yards on 15 carries and will continue to have value until Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush return from injury. Ivory has considerable upside but faces a superior Pittsburgh defense in Week Eight. Ivory is available in 59% of ESPN leagues and 51% of Yahoo! leagues.

Willis McGahee, Baltimore Ravens – McGahee was more productive than Ray Rice against Buffalo with 74 total yards and a score. He had similar numbers in Week Six against Denver before a goose egg in Week Seven at New England. Heading into the bye week Eight, McGahee is little more than a handcuff for Rice owners. McGahee is available in 40% of ESPN leagues and 66% of Yahoo! Leagues before facing Miami at home in Week Nine.


WIDE RECEIVERS

Steve Johnson, Buffalo Bills – All this guy does is score touchdowns. Johnson has scored five times in his last four games and is a force to be reckoned with. He added a career high 158 receiving yard to Sunday’s score at Baltimore and should be owned in all leagues. Johnson plays at Kansas City in Week Eight and is available in 86% of ESPN leagues and 66% of Yahoo! leagues.

Mike Williams, Seattle Seahawks – Williams followed his ten catch/123 yard performance against Chicago last week with 11 more receptions for 87 yards and a score against Arizona on Sunday. Mike Williams West plays at Oakland, home against the Giants and then travels to face Arizona again. Williams is available in 42% of ESPN leagues and 70% of Yahoo! leagues.

Davone Bess, Miami Dolphins – Bess is a reception beast with receptions in his last four games to go with 285 yards. He has also scored in three straight games. Defenses focus on the Miami running game and Brandon Marshall giving Bess room to work. Bess travels to Cincinnati and then to Baltimore in upcoming weeks and is available in 81% of ESPN leagues and 60% of Yahoo! leagues.


TIGHT ENDS

Owen Daniels, Houston Texans – Daniels posted a solid game in Week Six catching five passes for 79 yards against Kansas City. With season ending injuries to Dallas Clark and Jermichael Finley tight ends are suddenly at a premium. Daniels travels to division rival Indianapolis in Week Eight and Daniels is available in 47% of ESPN leagues and 55% of Yahoo! leagues.

Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens – Heap caught 3 passes for 49 yards and a score against New England last week and added 3 more receptions for 59 yards and two scores this Sunday. Baltimore hosts Miami in Week Eight and Heap is available in 71% of ESPN leagues and 59% of Yahoo! leagues.


DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

Washington Redskins – Washington’s defense has recorded 17 sacks and 17 turnovers through the first seven games of 2010. This includes an incredible four sacks and six forced turnovers in Week Seven at Chicago. Week Eight is at Detroit where Matthew Stafford is expected to return to action after his shoulder injury. Look for the Lions look out of synch with Stafford seeing his first action since Week One. Washington is available in 89% of ESPN leagues and 78% of Yahoo! leagues.

Tampa Bay – The Buccaneers are a mediocre defense with a favorable matchup against Arizona in Week Eight. Tampa Bay has had a hard time pressuring the quarterback with just five sacks in six games but they have forced 14 turnovers. Arizona has had a hard time protecting the football in 2010 and lost four fumbles and an interception in Week Seven. Tampa Bay is available in 91% of ESPN leagues and 93% of Yahoo! leagues.


KICKERS

Dan Carpenter, Miami Dolphins – Carpenter connected on all five field goal attempts in Week Seven. This gives him eight made field goals in his last two games and three PATs. Carpenter travels to Cincinnati in Week Eight and is available in 89% of ESPN leagues and 83% of Yahoo! Leagues.

Olindo Mare, Seattle Seahawks – Mare also connected on all five field goal attempts this Sunday including a 51-yarder. Seattle’s offense moved the ball well against Arizona and has won four of six in 2010. Seattle travels to Oakland in Week Eight and Mare is available in 97% of ESPN leagues and 92% of Yahoo! leagues.


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Tony Romo will be out 6-8 weeks with a broken collarbone suffered in the Cowboys' loss to the Giants Monday night. His backup is 38-year-old Jon Kitna, who hadn't thrown a pass since 2008 before Monday. It's hard to evaluate quarterbacks forced into the game due to injury, but the numbers looked OK, fantasy-wise: 16-for-33, 187 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Kitna is not going to be a great quarterback this year, but he might put up very good fantasy numbers. Dallas, though 1-5, has an explosive passing offense; much of that is due to the play of Romo, sure, but a veteran like Kitna can do something with all those weapons.

Kitna is not going to make or break your season. But those of you in dire quarterback situations -- horrified Jay Cutler owners, for example -- can get a QB that just might do very well for himself.
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Quarterback
Before this season, Ryan Fitzpatrick was mostly known as "the NFL quarterback from Harvard," mostly because every story written about him mentioned it. He had also thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in his NFL career. This year, the Harvard man has 11 touchdowns against 4 picks in just four starts since taking over for Trent Edwards in Buffalo. Against Baltimore on Sunday, Fitzpatrick went 29-for-43 with 4 TDs and 2 INTs against a Ravens' third-ranked pass defense that also got back Ed Reed.

The Bills' defense gives up a ton of points; the offense generally ends up throwing a lot. Fitzpatrick's receivers have been singing his praises. And Fitzpatrick is available in most fantasy leagues. The touchdown numbers will probably come down -- his percentage of passes for touchdowns is 8.6, a very high rate -- and he's been inconsistent in the past, but those in need of a quarterback can get a guy who could put up very solid numbers for nothing more than a waiver pickup.

Matthew Stafford, Lions: It's risky to start him on his expected return to the starting lineup Sunday, but he's an option going forward. Shaun Hill put up good numbers and he faces a bunch of pass defenses that haven't played well this year in the coming weeks. The Lions are in D.C. this week; Washington's pass defense isn't great except when facing Jay Cutler.

On the hot seat: Kevin Kolb, Eagles. This one's easy: He's no longer the starter. Michael Vick will return to the lineup after the bye week as the Eagles continue their quarterback carousel.

Running back
By this point in the season pretty much everyone is taken. Fight for scraps on the waiver wire. One option in Buccaneers running back LeGarrette Blount. Bucs coach Raheem Morris doesn't want to start him because he's still working on his blocking, but Blount may force his way into the lineup. He ran 11 times for 72 yards on Sunday and is averaging 4.9 yards per carry compared to starter Cadillac Williams' 2.5.

If Blount ends up learning the protection better and getting more playing time, he could be a decent starter at running back by late-season. If you have the roster spot, definitely pick him up now.

Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks: He didn't have any sort of great day Sunday, but it looks like Lynch is taking the starting role in Seattle. He scored in his first game and got a ton of carries in his second; he's available in about 60 percent of leagues. It looks like he might put up serviceable numbers eventually.

Reggie Bush, Saints: He's been cleared to play Sunday and is available in about half the leagues out there. It's definitely a gamble starting him this week -- he still hasn't practiced, and the reeling Saints play Pittsburgh -- but he's out there.

On the hot seat: Beanie Wells, Cardinals. He finally got into the end zone Sunday against the Seahawks, but he's still not starting, he hasn't run for more than 75 yards in a game and he doesn't inspire much confidence in fantasy owners each week. You might have a better option.

Wide receiver
If Fitzpatrick's performance this year isn't a fluke and the Bills keep passing, someone has to catch those passes. Lee Evans probably isn't available in your league -- grab him if he is -- but if not you might want to consider Steve Johnson. The third-year wide receiver has a career-high five touchdowns already and has scored in five straight games, including a 8-catch (on 10 targets), 158 yard, 1 TD game Sunday.

Dez Bryant, Cowboys: Kitna's favorite target -- at least for one game -- is available in about 30 percent of leagues. Go get him if you can.

David Gettis, Panthers: With Steve Smith double covered in his return to the Carolina lineup, Gettis was the beneficiary of a ton of one-on-one coverage and got nine targets from Matt Moore. This will probably be his best performance of the season, but he's serviceable bye-week filler.

On the hot seat: Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals. No matter who's in at quarterback, Fitz isn't getting the ball. He had just three catches for 30 yards Sunday. It's not as bad as it looks: Though all the Arizona QB options are bad, he was targeted 10 times last week. More of those should turn into catches eventually.

Tight end
The Colts come off by this week without tight end Dallas Clark. He'll be replaced by Jacob Tamme, an intriguing option if some Clark owner didn't stash him on the bench during the bye week. He won't put up Clark-like numbers and the Colts may use more three- and four-wide receiver sets, but he's Peyton Manning's tight end. There's a good chance he'll do better than your tight end. Jim Caldwell is mum on his starter, but the Colts' other tight ends are more blocking tight ends. It should be Tamme.

On the hot seat: Kellen Winslow, Bucs. Owners are grumbling because he's not getting into the end zone. He's still getting a ton of targets each week -- 10 on Sunday -- and his yardage totals are high and consistent enough for a tight end. He'll start finding the end zone eventually.

Defense
On the other side of the ball, Seattle's defense continues to surprise and continues to be available in about 30 percent of leagues. Playing in the NFC West, the Seahawks don't have a tough schedule and should put up relatively decent numbers.

On the hot seat: What's up with Baltimore's D? It wasn't just last week against the Bills; the Ravens' defense has given up almost 20 points a game and has just 12 sacks, 5 picks and 4 fumble recoveries. The Ravens' pass defense should get better as Ed Reed continues to get back in the game, so it's not worth dropping Baltimore's D yet, but they're on a short leash.

Kicker
If the Seahawks continue to struggle to get into the end zone -- and best guess is they will -- then Olindo Mare remains an attractive fantasy option available in a ton of leagues. He kicked five field goals Sunday and is 9-for-9 this year. He's not going to have games like Sunday every week, but he's good for an attempt or two a game and is accurate enough to start.

On the hot seat: David Akers, Eagles. This is a case of a guy getting off the hot seat, as Akers went 4-for-4 a week after missing three field goals. Looks like the 1-for-4 performance was an anomaly. He's safe to use.



Read more: Week 8 fantasy waiver pickups Jon Kitna, Ryan Fitzpatrick - Daniel McQuade - SI.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------Quarterbacks

Josh Freeman, QB, TB – No change here, he continues to stay on the list. He is putting up consistent fantasy numbers and if a good option as a bye week or injury replacement. The Cards are up next and he continues to be worth a roster spot.

Matt Cassel, QB, KC – Cassel’s stock is on the rise and his schedule is very favorable over the next few weeks. He is still around in quite a few leagues and is someone who you can start with the favorable match-ups.

Ryan Fitzpartick, QB, Buf – Guy is legit at this point, 4 weeks of top tier production. His average fantasy points per start is tops in the league and while I don’t anticipate him keeping this up, he won’t just go away either. He’s available in almost 95% of ESPN leagues which is staggering with his point production. That number will sky rocket this week, if you can, be one of the owners who add him.

Matthew Stafford, QB, Det – Looks like he’ll be back this week and that passing game has been productive in his absence. Stafford’s upside upon his return is worth a gamble. Take a shot if you need a back-up.

Tarvaris Jackson, QB, Min – Jackson may be getting his shot. Favre has two fractures in his ankle and it’s unclear if he will be able to go. Favre is an iron-man, but this may be too much for the 40 year old. With the weapons that Minnesota has assembled, Jackson may be a nice pick up in larger leagues.




Running Backs

LaGarrette Blount, RB, TB – A few weeks ago I predicted he would be the most valuable RB in Tampa. He is close to making this happen. His role keeps expanding and he came through with his best performance of the year with 72 yards on 11 carries. He should be added in almost all formats and is a candidate for one of the 2nd half break out stars.

Derrick Ward, RB, Hou- 3 weeks, 3 TD’s. He’s not getting many carries, but he continues to produce with what he gets. His primary value is that of an emergency start or better yet, Foster’s handcuff. Coming off a bye this may be the week to stash him.

Mike Hart, RB, Ind – Brown and Addai might as well be made of glass it seems. Addai failed to finish for two straight weeks. Hart is a tough kid who does the little things well. At this point, Hart is worth holding onto. If he’s the only RB in Indy who can stay healthy (as it seems he may be) he’ll get some opportunities.

Danny Woodhead, NE (RB/WR) – Little Faulk is still going to find himself right in the thick of this offense the rest of the year. He is a jack of all trades guy and will find his opportunities. In ppr leagues he is still worth a shot.




Wide Receivers
Danny Amendola, WR’s, St. L – Not jumping off the bandwagon, though many have. Amendola scored this week but receptions and yards were limited. He is still the best option left at receiver in St. Louis.

Steve Johnson, WR, Buf -Where did this kid come from? 4 straight games with at least one TD (5 total) and he exploded with 158 yards this past week. At this point, he’s not only worth a roster spot, he’s making it hard to keep him on the bench.

Partick Crayton, WR, SD – SD’s receiving options have been decimated by injury and Crayton is a major beneficiary of this. Until Floyd comes back, Crayton is worth a spot.

Nate Burleson, WR, Det – Healthy and producing. With Calvin on the other side you will have plenty of chances. If Burleson can stay healthy he should have a nice 2nd half. Coming off a bye he was not added in many leagues last week.

David Gettis, WR, Car – Gettis keeps getting looks and this past week he did something big with them. 8 rec, 125 yards, 2 TD’s; that type of production is worth taking a shot on in larger leagues.

Sidney Rice, WR, Min/Vincent Jackson, WR, SD – Both are still a few weeks away. Neither may do much, but both could also come up big down the stretch. Put them on your radar and stash them away if you can.

Tight Ends



Owen Daniels, TE, Hou – Well TE was a deep position…..with all of the injuries many are scrambling for an answer. Daniels had a bye week to continue to get healthy and started to look like the Daniels we saw last year. Daniels will have a much better 2nd half of the season than first and is someone you should look to add to your roster.

Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Det – 40 yards or a TD in each of his last 5 games. He is another TE who should be getting more love than he is. He is out there in over 90% of ESPN leagues and is coming off his bye. A lot of owners stay away from players going into their bye week, which makes him available is a lot of leagues this week.


Jacob Tamme, TE, Ind – Tamme is taking over for Dallas Clark. He won’t put up Clark numbers, but he should be serviceable in that offense. He’s worth a look.
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you can believe it we’re almost halfway through the season (and probably more than halfway through your fantasy season). Fantasy values are becoming a bit more predictable – ok, with a surprise or two (or ten) every week. There is one major injury (addressed below); beyond that, this waiver wire is mainly about the returning player. And of course, there are always players that have emerged or solidified their fantasy value and are worth a pick-up, if needed. Check out the following options.

Quarterbacks

Matt Stafford, Lions – All signs point to a Matt Stafford return this week. It’s not really fair to judge Stafford on anything this season since his only game was against the Steelers. But the Lions are 7th in the league in passing with 10 touchdowns and it’s hard to imagine those numbers taking much of a hit with the golden-armed Stafford back at the helm.

Tavaris Jackson, Vikings – The news came rolling in today that Favre has two fractures in his left ankle. While the injury won’t require surgery, it’s hard to imagine Favre starting this week against a porous Patriots defense. It’s been so long, it’s almost impossible to get a read on Jackson - but anyone throwing to Moss, Harvin and Shiancoe, is worth the risk.

Running Backs

Reggie Bush, Saints – Definitely the pick-up of the week, if he’s available. With Sean Payton’s frustration with the absence of Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory coming down to Earth a bit with a 3.2 yards per carry average on Sunday, the Saints running game (and entire offense) needs a boost. Well, lo and behold the news just came in that Reggie Bush has been cleared to play this week. The multi-purpose back could be exactly what the Saints are missing.

Danny Woodhead, Patriots - Even with the law firm in place (BenJarvis Green-Ellis), Woodhead’s role is increasing. Yesterday he had 8 carries and 3 catches, not mind-boggling stats, but ok by Patriots standards. The point is with Moss out of the picture and Woodhead gaining respect from Belichick, his role should only get bigger. He’s not starting material at this point, but he could be considered for a flex role or for deeper leagues.

Wide Receivers

Steve Johnson, Bills –Johnson is a touchdown machine, with FIVE TDs in his last four games. This week his receptions jumped to eight, which is a great sign. And now that Lee Evans and his three touchdowns will garner the attention, look for Johnson to have continued opportunity.

David Gettis, Panthers – It was the long awaited return of Steve Smith, yet it was David Gettis who shined. Gettis had eight receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Minus the fourth-quarter touchdown drop, Gettis made spectacular catches left and right, and essentially earned the trust of his quarterback and offensive coordinator.

Tight End

Todd Heap, Ravens – Heap has three touchdowns the past two weeks, establishing himself as a reliable end zone target. He’s great at getting open and is viable at all different lengths of the field. With an extra defensive back often on Anquan Boldin, Heap’s a great option. Just ask Joe Flacco.


----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 7 was another wild one in the NFL, with the three highest fantasy scorers of the week on a lot of owners' benches.

Darren McFadden personally stated that he saw about a “70 percent chance of playing Sunday” against the Broncos. Owners who benched him for just about any other back were incredibly disappointed.

McFadden was a man possessed against the divisional rival, totaling 196 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns in a highlight-reel performance.

He averaged an astonishing 10.3 yards per carry and totaled a magnificent 43 points in standard scoring leagues.

The next big story of the day was sophomore stud Kenny Britt. The Titans' go-to guy in recent weeks was becoming a must-start receiver, but then news broke about his involvement in a bar room brawl earlier in the week.

Head coach Jeff Fisher said that Britt would not get the start as punishment, and furthermore, Kerry Collins was getting the start with Vince Young was nursing knee and ankle injuries.

Taking all this into consideration, you had to have someone equally useful on your bench, right?

Wrong.

Britt established himself as one of the premier receivers in the league with seven catches for 225 yards and three touchdowns. No Vince Young, no problem.

The Rutgers product finished the day with a mind-boggling 32.1 yards per catch and a rock-solid 40 fantasy points.

Finally, the Bills' passing attack was arguably the biggest surprise of the day, with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick having a career day.

He went 29-43 for 374 yards and four touchdowns. Although he also threw two interceptions, he doubled the fantasy output of some elite options such as Drew Brees.

The one thing that did not make this week unique was that it spawned plenty of worthwhile grabs still on the waiver wire. Let's see who is still most likely available in your league.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------If you failed to get the message the past two weeks, go scoop up Buffalo receiver Steve Johnson before it's too late.

Johnson caught 8 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown against Baltimore on Sunday and now has at least one touchdown in each of his last four games and five on the season.

Lee Evans is also a hot commodity after catching a pair of touchdowns against the Ravens as well.

Seattle's Mike Williams and Tennessee's Kenny Britt are another two wide receivers who seem to be floating around the waiver wire in most leagues, so don't hesitate to jump on any of these guys as they seem poised to have a strong second half of the season.

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo has a broken collarbone, which means Jon Kitna will be the guy in Big-D for the foreseeable future.

It would not be surprising to see the efficient Kitna have some pretty solid passing games throwing to the likes of Miles Austin, Roy Williams and Dez Bryant. Pick him up if your starter has a bye or you are weathering an injury.

Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard is also supposed to be returning in week eight, although he wont necessarily factor into many fantasy plans.

At tailback, Arizona Cardinal Beanie Wells seems like he is finally getting some play in Arizona and had a decent game with 54 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Washington tailback Ryan Torain had a monster game with 125 yards rushing against Chicago, but fumbled twice and is probably not available in most leagues after his 100 yard, 2 touchdown performance against Indianapolis.

For a tight end fix, Baltimore's Todd Heap is owned in only 42 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so if your league is part of the other 56, grab the Ravens tight end who registered a 2 touchdown, 59-yard performance this week and has 3 touchdowns in his last two weeks.

The Cleveland Browns had an incredible day defensively against the New Orleans Saints, with linebacker David Bowens returning two interceptions for touchdowns this past Sunday, but taking a leap of faith on their defense long term would not be wise.

Washington's defense might work in a pinch, especially with DeAngelo Hall grabbing interceptions the way he has been this season (Hall had 4 ints against Chicago).

Experts Week 8 Picks

Mike Williams (WR) Tampa Bay
Nate Burleson (WR) Detroit
Mario Manningham (WR) New York
Chad Henne (QB) Miami
Danny Amendola (WR) St. Louis
Mathew Stafford (QB) Detroit

Fanhouse Waiver Wire Wonders
Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB) Buffalo
Kenny Britt (WR) Tennessee's
Lee Evans (WR) Buffalo
Steve Johnson (WR) Buffalo
Darren Sproles (RB) San Diego
LeGarrette Blout (RB) Tampa Bay
Patrick Crayton (WR) San Diego
Jordan Shipley (WR) Cincinnati



-----------------------------------------------------------------------The clavicle injury to Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo may have some fantasy owners reeling this fine Tuesday morning. His backup, Jon Kitna, may not be the best quarterback to target on the Week 8 fantasy football waiver wire, however. That quarterback might be backing up a certain No. 4 that wears purple.

Add, Or Consider Adding

Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson. In case you didn't even spend four seconds on ESPN Monday night, Brett Favre has been diagnosed with two separate fractures in his left ankle. He's in a walking boot, and the general - albeit early - feeling is that he won't be able to play in Week 8, when Minnesota travels to New England. That could leave the door open for Tarvaris Jackson, an explosive player in his own right, to lead Minnesota's loaded offense against a very susceptible Patriots defense. Don't count Favre out yet - he's all about the heroic efforts, after all - but if he doesn't play, Jackson is dangerously close to a must-start.

Buccaneers RB LeGarrette Blount. The undrafted rookie out of Oregon is coming off of an excellent performance in Week 7, when he gained 72 yards on just 11 rushes in a Bucs victory over St. Louis. Cadillac Williams is injury-prone, so if Buccaneers coaches are smart, they'll begin using the effective Blount a bit more to keep Cadillac fresh. When that happens, Blount will be in line for 12-18 touches per game, including goal line work. That will make him a nice spot start for the rest of the season.

Chargers WR Patrick Crayton. With Malcom Floyd out of the lineup, Crayton has had two excellent performances in back-to-back weeks, totaling 13 receptions for 199 yards in those contests. Floyd doesn't appear ready to return to the lineup, and even if Legedu Naanee does, Crayton will still be in line for plenty of targets in San Diego's pass-happy, efficient offense. There's not a lot of upside here, but you'll get solid production so long as Floyd remains sidelined.

Packers TE Andrew Quarless. Even though his Week 7 touchdown shouldn't have counted - he was clearly out of bounds - Quarless is a solid add this week, with good upside. The rookie out of Penn State will be in a personnel rotation replacing the injured Jermichael Finley. Quarless' length and athleticism make him a better receiving threat than Donald Lee, and while we don't expect consistency, Quarless could put up some nice numbers on occasion as the Packers push for the playoffs.

Drop, Or Consider Dropping

49ers QB Alex Smith. Maybe you were one of those owners that saw Smith struggling early in the season, but saw San Francisco's schedule and the presence of Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree as reasons to hold out hope that Smith could turn it around. If you're one of those owners, that dream is officially dead. Not only has he continued to flounder against poor competition, but he now has an injury to his left shoulder that could sideline him for the foreseeable future. Move on. It's well past time.

Broncos RB Laurence Maroney. Upon his trade to Denver, playing in place of the injured Knowshon Moreno, Maroney got a good amount of work early on, carrying 12 times - including some red zone work - in his first game as a Bronco. Since that game, in which he was very ineffective, Maroney's playing time has dwindled severely. Now Moreno is healthy and putting up good numbers, and Maroney did not see a single touch in Denver's embarrassing loss to Oakland. Moreno is ready to assume a full rushing workload, so go ahead and cut Maroney - and get rid of Correll Buckhalter, too, while you're at it.

Panthers WR Brandon LaFell. A third-round pick out of LSU, most experts expected LaFell to start and complement Steve Smith in Carolina. LaFell, however, has been a disappointment to start his career, catching just 11 passes through Carolina's first six games. He also appears poised to lose looks to fellow rookie David Gettis, who had eight catches, 125 yards and two touchdowns in Week 7, and has better chemistry with Matt Moore than does LaFell.

Seahawks TE John Carlson. Seattle's offense is getting more conservative by the week, and surprisingly, that hasn't helped matters for Carlson, a third-year pro that had seven touchdowns in 2009. Carlson has just four catches for 39 yards in the Seahawks' last three games, and just one touchdown this season. Meanwhile, Matt Hasselbeck is getting good production out of his young receiving corps. Carlson is not a big enough factor in this offense to make him fantasy-worthy.