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Another odd, annoying, insanely maddening week of fantasy football has come to a close.
I mean, did you know that Thad Lewis, Sam Bradford and Nick Foles outscored the big name guys such as Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning? It was, for many fantasy owners, a facepalm-filled Sunday afternoon. However, don’t close your computer just yet. Go out and grab the following guys from your league’s waiver wire. You’ll need them down the road.
Note: Ownership percentages are based off Yahoo! leagues.
Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles (12%): Speaking of Foles, it’s no coincidence that he is on this list. After original starter Michael Vick suffered an apparent hamstring injury last week, Foles filled in admirably. And with Vick unable to suit up in Sunday’s contest, Foles filled in once again, but this time, he was the once who looked like the initial starter. Foles completed 22-of-31 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns, while also adding another score with his legs on a QB draw. We may once again have a quarterback controversy on our hands, as Foles has looked extremely sharp in two straight weeks, both resulting in wins. Vick isn’t quite sure if his hamstring will be ready by next week’s game against Dallas, and if Foles ends up under center again, he could have another monster game. The Cowboys are currently allowing 30.96 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, the most in the league. And oh, by the way, if Foles does take this job over, he’ll get to play the entire NFC East once again. Matchup heaven for fantasy owners.
Andre Ellington, Arizona Cardinals (35%): I’ve been talking up Ellington for a while now, but this kid seriously needs to be owned in more leagues. The workload continues to get closer and closer to a split, as Rashard Mendenhall had just 10 carries, while the rookie Ellington had seven carries for 56 yards and a score, while also hauling in five balls for 36 yards. Whether or not head coach Bruce Arians sees Elington as a 40-snap guy honestly doesn’t matter, because at the end of the day, Ellington gives this team the best chance to win football games. Arians considers him as a lighter version of Darren Sproles, which is a very good compliment. Ellington will be this team’s premiere pass-catching back, and although the snaps are being shared right now, it’s only a matter of time before Ellington pulls ahead.
Harry Douglas, Atlanta Falcons (35%): With the season-ending injury to Julio Jones, Douglas will have to play a much larger role for the rest of the year. Atlanta knows that, as they are planning on relieving him of his punt return duties, in order to keep him healthy. Douglas has WR2 upside in this offense. Quarterback Matt Ryan currently ranks inside the top-10 in passing attempts this season (218), and with how badly their defense has been playing, Atlanta should be throwing the ball quite a bit. Also, as John Paulsen from 4for4 pointed out, Julio Jones missed two games. During that time, Douglas saw his snap count increase from an average of 33 to 51. He’s shown up for this team in the past, and offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter likes to draw various screen plays. While Douglas is no Julio, he is a threat to make some plays after the catch. The volume and opportunity alone make Douglas a must-add for anyone who is in need of a receiver.
Denarius Moore, Oakland Raiders (73%): More widely available here, but Denarius is obviously benefiting from Terrelle Pryor being under center, and the two are developing quite the rapport. Moore was targeted 10 times on Sunday against the Chiefs, hauling in five balls for 82 yards and a score. That’s now two straight games with a touchdown and at least 80 receiving yards. Since Week 2, Moore has been targeted a healthy 35 times. He still gets to face the likes of the Eagles, Giants, Cowboys, Chargers and Broncos secondaries this season, and with Pryor at the helm, Moore has re-emerged into a viable WR3 once again.
Percy Harvin, Seattle Seahawks (42%): Many people have probably forgotten all about Harvin because he’s been hurt, but now is the time to place him back onto your radar. Harvin is inching closer and closer to a return, and while a could make his debut next week, a Week 8 return seems more likely. After today’s game, Seahawks’ cornerback Richard Sherman stated that Harvin could suit up during Monday night football in Week 8 against the Rams. When on the field, Harvin should thrive alongside Russell Wilson and this intermediate passing offense. He is familiar with the offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, Harvin’s coordinator during his time in Minnesota. He needs to be owned in more than less than half of leagues if he is close to hitting the field. We saw how good he can be in Minnesota, so I can only imagine the things he can do in this situation. Keep him on your radar.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
