Lather, rinse, repeat.
That’s how I describe the waiver wire lately.
The same group of players are being added and dropped. Guys like Nick Foles, Riley Cooper and Scott Tolzien. Wait, who the heck is Scott Tolzien? Okay, that one was a joke, but it’s already almost Week 11 (yuck) and fantasy owners need to continue to add depth in order to make that final playoff push.
Note: Ownership percentages based off Yahoo! leagues.
Andre Brown, New York Giants (48%): I didn’t feature Brown in last week’s column, strictly because I assumed many would be wise enough to own him before he made his debut. They weren’t, as Brown is still available in half of leagues. A dominant short-yardage back, Brown found the end zone in his debut on Sunday, while carrying the ball 30 times. All of that talk surrounding Peyton Hillis being the starting back was just that; talk. Brown was the featured back from the get-go, and never looked back. His last nine rushing touchdowns have come from inside the two-yard line, and the Giants love to run the ball when up close. Brown is not a sell-high candidate, but a legitimate add that can win fantasy championships. We’ve seen how talented this guy is, and if he can stay healthy, should be a running back two the rest of the way, especially with David Wilson (neck) on injured reserve.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tennessee Titans (2%): It’s so upsetting that Jake Locker can’t stay healthy. After all, the best ability is availability. Locker left Sunday’s game due to injury, and did not return. Enter Fitzpatrick, who wasn’t too shabby, throwing for 264 yards and two touchdowns in limited action, not to mention a rushing score. Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt has stated that the Titans believe Locker has the dreaded Lisfranc injury (I hate that girl) and could be done for the remainder of the year. If you are in a deeper league or two-quarterback format, Fitz is worth a look. He gets the Colts twice, Raiders, Jaguars and Broncos in the coming weeks, and he does give you a slight presence with his legs.
Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears (50%): Cutler didn’t look 100 percent in his game back from a groin injury, but if he can get back to 100 percent, he could be a QB1 the rest of the way. We’ve already seen him as a more efficient passer under Marc Trestman’s offense, ranking inside the top-10 in completion percentage. Before he went down, he was a top-12 option, and with Alshon Jeffery coming into his own, along with Brandon Marshall, Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett, there are weapons everywhere. He did leave this game with a sprained ankle, so that’s obviously worth monitoring. But his upcoming schedule is so darn juicy. He still faces the Vikings, Eagles, Packers, Rams and Cowboys (who are being dissected upon writing this). In games he’s started and played the majority of, Cutler is averaging almost 37 pass attempts per game. Even if it’s Josh McCown under center, he’s looked strong this season, so he’d be worth a look, too.
Case Keenum, Houston Texans (28%): What else do I have to do to make the case for Case? Three straight strong defenses, and Keenum has been fantasy gold in all three. Against arguably his toughest task this season in Arizona, Keenum tossed three more touchdowns, to go along with 201 passing yards. He continues to religiously target Andre Johnson, as a young quarterback should. Sure, his gun-slinging mentality may lead to some interceptions, but with those turnovers will come boatloads of fantasy points. It’s not everyday you find a waiver wire signal caller that is beginning to become a lock for 20 fantasy points. Coming into this week, Keenum led the league in average depth of target (12.4) according to Pro Football Focus. His big play potential is inviting for fantasy owners, and with Arian Foster out for the remainder of the season, Keenum should continue to sling the rock enough to matter.
Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts (16%): Make all the Trent Richardson jokes you want. No, really. They are all accurate and acceptable. Brown continues to cut into Richardson’s ugly workload, currently seeing 24.8 snaps per game, compared to Richardson’s 36. Still, if you were to cut Brown’s yards per carry in half, it would still be more than T-Rich’s. Brown carried the ball two times for a whopping -1 yards on Sunday, but salvaged his fantasy outing with five grabs for 64 yards and a score. The Colts fell very far behind early, which forced them to abandon the run. This is a split backfield, folks, and if you are sick of starting Richardson, perhaps you’d have better luck with Brown, who has outplayed Richardson since he joined the Colts.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
