Fantasy Football: Week 6 Must-Haves Off The Waiver Wire
Fantasy owners again saw elite options plagued with the injury bug this week. St. Louis Rams No. 1 receiver Mark Clayton was on pace for a career year, finding instant chemistry with rookie QB Sam Bradford.
Through four weeks, Clayton was good for just over 53 points for owners, giving him fantastic value for a player that went largely undrafted in fantasy leagues.
Unfortunately, Clayton suffered a torn patella tendon in the first quarter of action against the Lions, when he attempted to make a diving catch on a deep ball.
Equally frustrating for owners was when elite option at the tight end position Jermichael Finley injured his knee trying to make a tackle after his QB Aaron Rodgers threw an interception.
It is already confirmed that Finley will need arthroscopic knee surgery and miss at least three weeks.
This could put owners in a bind all the way until Week 11, since the Packers have a bye Week 10 and they may opt to let Finley sit out and heal for one more game in Week 9.
Nevertheless, there are still plenty of players to grab off the waiver wire this week that can lead your fantasy team to the promised land.
Let us take a look at whose worth adding this week.
Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers
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Smith has left a lot to be desired since being drafted No. 1 by the Niners in the 2005 draft.
He is one of only two quarterbacks (Charlie Frye) on a roster, excluding rookie Sam Bradford, with more interceptions than touchdowns in his career.
This year was supposed to be the year San Francisco raised to prominence again, yet they have started off the season with an incredibly disappointing 0-5 record.
While the future looks bleak in San Fran this season, they could have some useful options for fantasy purposes.
Smith threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns against a stout Eagles defense in Week 5, showing great poise in the pocket and exceptional accuracy on the deep ball.
Of course, he still threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, so Smith has a long way to go.
However, he could be a worthwhile plug and play for owners with their starting QB on bye week and a fairly reliable backup in a deeper league.
Smith and No. 1 receiver Michael Crabtree were finally on the same page, and tight end Vernon Davis finally had the big day owners have been yearning for.
Both players had over 100 yards and a touchdown.
If you are still skeptical about starting Smith in your lineup, the Niners remaining schedule is very fantasy friendly.
In the next four weeks, Smith faces off against Oakland, Carolina, Denver and St Louis, with Denver being the only halfway decent defensive unit.
Therefore, a repeat performance of Week 5 is more than attainable in any of these games.
Also, if you are lucky enough to be in a league where a frustrated owner dropped Michael Crabtree prematurely, he is clearly worth adding right now.
Kenny Britt, WR, Tennessee Titans
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The Rutgers product showed flashes in his rookie season last year, leading the team in receiving yards.
Many expected him to turn the corner this season and really explode as a top notch receiver, but a lackluster training camp and a marginal passing game left Britt as an afterthought in the Titans first couple of games in 2010.
However, Britt and Young appear to have recaptured the late season connection they had last year: Britt has a touchdown in his past three games.
He had his best performance of the season against a respectable Dallas Cowboys secondary with four catches for 86 yards and a score.
With Justin Gage nursing injuries on a regular basis, Britt will be in on all two receiver sets for Tennessee.
This, coupled with great size (6’3, 215 pounds) and the trust of his quarterback, makes Britt an attractive option in most leagues.
Although there will not be a ton of games where Vince Young throws for more than 160 yards, Britt is clearly his preferred target and has established himself as a legitimate red zone threat at this point.
Felix Jones, RB, Dallas Cowboys
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Dallas fans have all but gotten on their knees and begged offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to use his three running backs more often, particularly the former Razorback Felix Jones.
Finally, Garrett decided to move the chains on the ground a bit against the Tennessee Titans.
Jones did not disappoint, gaining 109 yards on 15 carries: that’s 7.3 yards per carry.
Jones was also targeted on a few short passes and screen plays, grabbing four catches for 17 yards.
Felix “The Cat” is the most dynamic of any Cowboys running back, and from here on out, will receive the bulk of the carries.
While Jones was likely drafted in just about all leagues, he was probably dropped from quite a few teams when he gained just 14.6 points through three weeks.
Now is the time to add him to your roster for running back depth, as he could prove to be a very useful player this season as long as he remains healthy.
Also, if you are in a deeper league, Jones’ teammate Roy Williams has scored in consecutive weeks and has been seeing way more targets from his QB Tony Romo.
While Williams is no sure thing, keep in mind that Dez Bryant was banged up this week, and even if he is active, Williams will continue to be utilized more often until Bryant is 100 percent.
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Danny Amendola, WR, St. Louis Rams
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The impact of Mark Clayton’s season ending injury has already been discussed here, but the one guy who benefits from the injury is slot receiver Danny Amendola.
Amendola has become a reliable guy for a six catches for 60 yards type of stat line this season, but he exploded in Clayton’s absence with 12 catches for 95 yards.
The Rams as a whole have a long way to go, best evidenced by the fact that they were blown out by the Lions 44-6.
This means that the Rams will be throwing often; rookie QB Sam Bradford has only thrown under 37 passes once in five starts.
Additionally, Amendola will receive this type of work load on a regular basis now, making him a must add in PPR leagues.
Consider Amendola a Wes Welker lite type of receiver (coincidentally, both players went to Texas Tech) and a dependable option for the rest of the season, as long as his health stays in tact.
Those in deeper leagues should also see how Mardy Gilyard performs in the next couple of weeks, as he makes his way up the depth chart with Clayton out for the season.
Mike Hart, RB, Indianapolis Colts
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The Rutgers product showed flashes in his rookie season last year, leading the team in receiving yards.
Many expected him to turn the corner this season and really explode as a top notch receiver, but a lackluster training camp and a marginal passing game left Britt as an afterthought in the Titans first couple of games in 2010.
However, Britt and Young appear to have recaptured the late season connection they had last year: Britt has a touchdown in his past three games.
He had his best performance of the season against a respectable Dallas Cowboys secondary with four catches for 86 yards and a score.
With Justin Gage nursing injuries on a regular basis, Britt will be in on all two receiver sets for Tennessee.
This, coupled with great size (6’3, 215 pounds) and the trust of his quarterback, makes Britt an attractive option in most leagues.
Although there will not be a ton of games where Vince Young throws for more than 160 yards, Britt is clearly his preferred target and has established himself as a legitimate red zone threat at this point.
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