Waiver Wire Pickups Week 9: 2012 Fantasy Football Lineup Advice

This has to be one of the lighter weeks for waiver wire pickups I’ve seen in my four years of blogging about fantasy football.

I won’t list a quarterback below, but if Josh Freeman is still available, he would of course be the top option at his position to pickup. Ryan Tannehill is a decent option as well, but he has an injury, so we may see Matt Moore start after a respectable performance (in NFL terms) against the Jets last week.

RB Jonathan Dwyer

A quad injury could be the undoing for Jonathan Dwyer if he should miss game time because his play on the field in recent weeks has earned him the right to start going forward. If Dwyer is still sitting around in your league, make sure you target him.

He could very well play this week, but even if he should miss time, I think he’s earned a role in this offense when healthy, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he beats out Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman to start again upon his return.

RB Phillip Tanner 

If DeMarco Murray fails to return this week, expect the Cowboys to use more of Tanner in contrast to Felix Jones. Tanner at least gives Dallas some tough running while Jones continues to look soft at times, and we know he can’t stay healthy worth a darn.

RB Ronnie Hillman

Hope you were watching Hillman on Sunday night because the rookie had a mini-breakout performance with 86 yards on 14 carries. Then again, the Saints are going to make many running backs look good, but it wasn’t just numbers that stood out to me in Hillman’s performance.

Denver continues to work him in as the main backup to Willis McGahee, and what we should know about that is, the coaching staff brings McGahee on and off the field with regularity during most drives. Hillman has a chance to make an impact through the rest of the season, as the Broncos are through most of their difficult games on their schedule this year.

RB. Joique Bell 

Injury or no injury to Mikell Leshoure, fantasy owners need to take note that Joique Bell continues to see a majority of the work in the Lions backfield when Leshoure is not around. We may see Bell pickup a start if Leshoure is out, but for PPR leagues, he continues to be an option even if Leshoure suits up.

RB Robert Turbin 

Turbin continues to impress when he subs in for Marshawn Lynch, and if the rookie is sitting out on the waiver wire, it’s time to pick him up. Lynch is prone to nagging injuries, and with his physical running style, he could go down with an injury at any point. Turbin would be an instant RB2 to low-end RB1 if he should take over at any point.

WR Titus Young 

The Lions finally started to look like the team we expect them to be at the beginning of the year when they faced Seattle last week. Why it’s taken so long for this young offense to turn things around is beyond me, as it should be no surprise that defenses would make stopping Calvin Johnson a priority.

Perhaps Detroit felt a balanced offense would do the trick, as it has done a good job of sticking with the run throughout this season.

In the end, it’s about making plays and beating the guy in front of you, and over the past two weeks, Young has done a good job, against quality defenses. It’s time to believe in Young, and we should stick with him for more than one week, even if he has a disappointing effort in Jacksonville.

WR Cecil Shorts

The Jaguars have turned things around some on offense in recent weeks, and Shorts is one of the key reasons why. Emerging as the top target in the passing game, Shorts is worth using as a WR3 or flex play this week as the Jaguars return home to face a shaky Lion secondary.

WR Ryan Broyles

Love Broyles' skills, and it appears he’s ready to help the Lions offense after rehabbing a major injury back in college. Look for the rookie to play a key role in helping the Lions sustain the success they enjoyed last week, and we should view him as a matchup play going forward.

TE Brandon Myers

If Myers finished the season as the team leader in receptions, I wouldn’t be surprised. Both Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey are more big-play options in the passing game, leaving Carson Palmer to target Myers as a possession option over the middle and underneath routes.

TE Logan Paulsen

Niles Paul is a talented rookie, but still a little to raw to outwork Logan Paulsen on a weekly basis in the Redskins offense. Paulsen should continue to work in the same role Fred Davis had before his injury.

Week 9 Standard Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex