Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Tips

This one is almost obvious.

With Cassel hurt, Thigpen could start the regular season. Haley is the type of coach to stick to who's playing well. If Thigpen plays well in the regular season, and they are winning, Cassel might not make it back on the field. It doesn't matter what they are paying him.

Now, it is likely that they will be losing lots of games due to terrible defense, but 8-8 won this division last season, and that could easily happen again.

It is a wait and see situation. But if you have Cassel, or some other injured QB or dud, then you may want to add Thigpen to your scout team.

Joe Flacco has a big arm and I'm certain he is going to use it more this season.

Derrick Mason had 80 catches and 1037 yards with five TDs. In PPR leagues, he performed admirably. His retiring and unretiring, as well as the Ravens' commitment to the run, hurt his stock and make him likely to go undrafted. I'd expect a similar performance this season.

Snatch him up once you realize Josh Morgan or Antonio Bryant aren't doing it for you.

With his off the field issues and with Coles joining the Bengals receiving corps, Chris Henry has little value right now.

Also, without Carson Palmer behind center and a running back not named Cedric Benson, his stock is hurt even more. He'll go undrafted and then you'll want to monitor the passing game in Cincinnati.

This team is looking like the Arizona Cardinals last season. I expect Palmer to stay healthy and return to his old form. Ochocinco and Coles will demand a lot of the cover so Henry should be able to get open deep due to his speed.

Michael Turner had 376 carries last season. The curse of 370 is bound to hit him even though he has a relatively young and strong body.

Norwood is already the receiving back and should see more carries to lighten the load off Turner. Turner gets hurt, then this playmaker's value will soar. Norwood's rush average is over five yards for all three of his seasons with close to 100 carries every year.

His TDs and receptions saw a nice increase last season. Watch for this trend to continue.

The Oakland Raiders made Darren McFadden the starter this offseason, but we all know that he is injury-prone.

Look for Justin Fargas to fill in at least twice this season as the starter. Last season, he started 14 games and had 218 carries. His production wasn't very good with only a 3.9 average and one TD, but this runner is hard nosed and quick.

The Raiders will run often. So no matter what, Fargas will see time spelling McFadden and most likely break 150 carries on the season.

With Derrick Ward in Tampa, the New York Giants backfield will look a little different this season.

Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw look to be the duo to get it done on 1st-and-3rd downs, but we all know how fragile Jacobs can be. Danny Ware has shown excellent skills this preseason.

He's a big guy at 6'0", 230 lbs and has experience in his third season with the Giants, who have a knack for finding excellent runners in recent years. Ryan Grant, Derrick Ward, Ahmad Bradshaw...they thought Andre Brown would be the No. 3, but he's on IR. Ware should be it so watch for him if Jacobs misses any time.

If you are desperately looking at the waiver wire for a RB who will make an impact every week, then Faulk is your man.

He will be the Patriots third-down RB because he is the only back on this team that Bill Belichick will trust to block for Brady.

Tom Brady relies on him like he relied on Troy Brown. Screens, dump offs, and draws are this guy's specialty to help move the chains. He had six TDs and almost 1000 all-purpose yards.

He'll probably have another year at this job before Sammy Morris or Lawernce Maroney are ready to take over.

Anyway, monitor the situation in New England, because the third-down back will be as productive as their starter. With Brady back, this team will be up and down the field scoring lots of points.

The Titans have been testing out the passing game with Collins to Gage for a pair of TDs this preseason.

I think the Titans finally have enough confidence in their receivers to lean on them when needed.

Between Gage, Nate Washington, and speedy rookie Kenny Britt, they could be airing it out on some nice 2nd-and-short play actions. Also, Gage had six TDs last season on only 34 receptions. His receptions should go up as he is the unquestioned starter.

Two seasons ago this guy was a No. 1 WR cracking 1000 yards in three straight seasons. He is old and injuries have taken a toll, but this season he is healthy and working hard to stay that way.

Much like Stallworth, it might take a few weeks for him and Brady to sync up, but once they do the scoring will pile on.

He'll be matched up on second and third CBs, which means he'll be open a lot.

Brady doesn't like throwing into coverage, so Galloway will be a favorite target in the middle of the season.

I wanted to do another RB, but there really aren't any others that won't be drafted in most formats (unless you're in a Yahoo! Public league, which features 10 teams and only starts two backs). So any other RBs I list are a real stretch.

As for QBs, most will be taken, and those that aren't will most likely flounder due to inexperience, poor skills, or a porous offensive line.

Wide receiver tends to be the position with a lot of talent that slips through the cracks of the draft.

Here are a few guys to watch, but I'm not endorsing: Earl Bennett, Mushin Muhammed, Ronald Curry, Arnaz Battle, Greg Camrillo, and Devone Bess. These guys all have a good chance to produce points, but I can't say any will be better than anyone you just drafted.

Kicker and defense tend to get swallowed up like QB and RB. Very rarely someone comes out of nowhere. If they do, then they are probably sitting on someone's bench.

Tight end is a position where a random player can shine for a season. QB and offensive coordinator have a lot to do with that.

Alge Crumpler was a stud with Vick, but then turned into a dud in Tennessee. Randy McMichael was great in Miami. As soon as he put on a Rams' helmet, it was as if he didn't have hands.

So it is good to stay away from a TE who switches teams (Tony Gonzalez!), and stick with guys who get an upgrade at QB or OC.

With Brett Favre coming to Minnesota, Visanthe Shiancoe's stock hasn't soared, but it will when Favre starts hitting him in the redzone in the regular season.

With eight catches this preseason, he seems to be part of the offense and not just a blocker. Last season he recorded seven TDs and 596 yards on 42 catches. Not too shabby. I expect to see him improve those numbers.