Fantasy Football Week 12: Must-Haves Off the Waiver Wire
One week after Michael Vick’s masterful performance against the Redskins, he had another divisional showdown against the New York Giants.
Vick had an “off day”, earning 293 yards from scrimmage and rushing in for a score. The most elusive quarterback in the league also lost a fumble, registering his first turnover of the season.
Also, recognize that Vick would have thrown for two scores had DeSean Jackson and Jason Avant been able to hang onto two very catchable balls in the end zone.
Regardless, the Eagles beat the Giants 27-17 and now sit atop the NFC East with a 7-3 record. With a healthy Michael Vick at the helm, this team looks like a Super Bowl contender at the moment.
However, the Atlanta Falcons improved to 8-2 after a victory over the St. Louis Rams in Week 11 and would like to recognized as team to beat in the NFC.
Matt Ryan is quietly having a great season, accounting for 18 touchdowns to just five interceptions at this point. He is also boasting a career best 92.9 quarterback rating.
When talking about Ryan’s success, it is impossible to ignore the play of star wide receiver “Rowdy” Roddy White.
White currently has 79 catches for 1,017 yards and seven touchdowns, which would already be quality wide receiver numbers for a season.
The scary part is that White still has five more games to play, meaning that he is all but a sure thing to shatter his career bests in catches (88), yardage (1,382) and touchdowns (11).
The South Carolina native is playing at such a high level, it is hard not to consider him a top MVP candidate right now.
Finally, in what had to be the most shocking game in Week 11’s Sunday slate was the Buffalo Bills wild come from behind victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In seemed like the proof was in the pudding for the Bills. They trailed 31-14 at halftime and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had thrown two interceptions and no touchdowns.
There was no way a come back seemed feasible...right?
Wrong. Cincinnati’s secondary lost cornerback Johnathan Joseph and safety Chris Crocker due to injuries late in the first half, and Fitzpatrick had no problem exploiting those weaknesses in the second half.
He went on to finish the day 21 of 34 for 314 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Fitzpatrick was nearly flawless in the second half.
The other star of the show was one of 2010’s biggest surprises in wide receiver Steve Johnson. Johnson took the attention away from the "TOchocino Show" by making eight catches for 137 yards, crossing the chalk three times along the way.
Owens and Ochocinco combined for six catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns to put things into perspective.
With the recap out of the way, let us take a look at whose available on the waiver wire to lead our teams into the playoffs on a high note.
Donald Jones, WR Buffalo Bills
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Has anyone heard that the Bills are a passing team this year? I noted in Week 10 that either Donald Jones or David Nelson would likely step up with Roscoe Parrish on injured reserve.
Jones showed that spark in Week 11, grabbing five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.
The rookie out of Youngstown State showed great speed and elusiveness during his breakout game as a pro.
While he may not be an every week start due to Steve Johnson playing out of his mind football and Lee Evans still eclipsing over 70 yards in most games, he is a guy worth adding for receiver depth at the very least.
Keep in mind that in that in eight games as a starter, Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown under 30 times just twice and thrown over 40 times, three times.
This means that the youngster, Jones, will get his opportunities, and therefore has great sleeper appeal as fantasy owners enter the most critical portion of the season.
Tashard Choice, RB Dallas Cowboys
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Don’t look now, but the Cowboys are 2-0 with Jason Garrett as interim head coach. And only God knows how, but somehow 38-year-old backup Jon Kitna has scored seven touchdowns against just one interception in the past two games.
That includes a 29-yard rushing score on a bootleg against his former team, the Detroit Lions, in Week 11.
Is this really happening? Apparently it is, but the biggest news coming out of Dallas in Week 11, as far as fantasy owners are concerned, is that Felix Jones left the game early in the second half with a bruised right hip.
This makes Tashard Choice an attractive pick-up this week. The third string back has barely seen the field this season, having just 13 carries and nine catches so far and yet to find the end zone.
Nevertheless, it is no secret that the ‘Boys aren’t interested in Marion Barber being the workhorse anymore and Choice has proved he can handle a lead back role while Dallas’ other runners have been injured in both 2008 and 2009.
Jones did return in a limited capacity in Week 11, but his status remains in jeopardy for Week 12.
The Cowboys have their annual Thanksgiving game on Thursday, which means less time to recover from the week before.
Therefore, “The People’s” Choice could see plenty of touches against a Saints team that has been mediocre, at best, against the run.
Why take a chance of missing out on a great stat line? Make the right choice and pick up Tashard today, before someone else in your league does.
Ben Obomanu, WR Seattle Seahawks
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Mike Williams is no longer the only skills player worth owning on the Seattle Seahawks. No. 2 on the depth chart, Ben Obomanu, has performed admirably in recent weeks.
Since seeing more snaps in the absence of rookie Golden Tate, Obomanu has either eclipsed 50 yards or scored in his past three games.
He did both against a respectable Saints secondary in Week 11, reeling in five balls for 87 yards and finding the end zone in the process.
Obomanu is a great pickup in leagues of all sizes since his production has largely went under the radar, making him easy to add to your virtual team for practically nothing.
Grab him today before he goes off on your squad during the playoffs.
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Cadillac Williams, RB Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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It may not be time to drive the Caddy over to the junk yard just yet. Right now, it looks like Williams has still got some mileage left as a useful third down back.
While rookie LeGarrette Blount has rightfully earned his place atop the Bucs running back depth chart, take a look at Williams’ numbers the past two games: 143 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns with only 15 touches.
This makes Williams a quality flex play for the rest of the season, as the Bucs do not face a top tier rush defense along the way.
Do not shy away from Williams in Week 12 just because the Baltimore Ravens are on the slate. The Carolina Panther’s third string running back, Mike Goodson, had 151 yards from scrimmage against them in Week 11.
Delanie Walker, TE San Francisco 49ers
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This is not a typo or mistake; I realize I recommended adding Walker to your team’s roster last week.
Walker’s value could go through the roof this week though, as Vernon Davis left the game against the Bucs in Week 11 with an ankle sprain.
This is an injury that has been plaguing Davis all season, and allowed him to finish the day with only one catch for three yards, as the entire Niners offense struggled in a game where they eventually got shut out.
Davis is a tough guy and has already gone on the record stating that the injury is not serious.
Nevertheless, if Antonio Gates can miss a game, so can anyone else in a year where no tight ends appear to be safe from injuries.
Walker is a must add immediately, especially if you already own Vernon Davis.
For a more in depth look at Walker, check out last weeks waiver wire column: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/518216-fantasy-football-week-11-must-haves-off-the-waiver-wire#page/3
Blair White, WR Indianapolis Colts
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There have been a couple of situations this year where it looked like White could be a sneaky play in fantasy land, but that never came to fruition due to an incredibly deep depth the Colts have at wide receiver.
In a year where the Colts have been decimated by injuries, Week 12 against the Chargers could finally be White’s time to shine.
Wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez is on injured reserve…again and Austin Collie left Week 11’s affair against the Patriots in the first half due to an undisclosed injury.
Many believe Collie suffered a head injury that brought on a relapse of post-concussion symptoms stemming from being knocked unconscious in Week 10 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Whatever the official word is, one would have to think that Collie is a long shot to suit up for the team’s next game.
Although his field time has been very limited this year, in the three games where White has had at least three catches, he has scored three touchdowns.
This says three things: White is ready to perform when called upon, he has good hands and has already earned the trust of his quarterback, Peyton Manning.
All of these factors work into the favor of the lanky rookie out of Michigan State.
The Blair White project will post scary totals in Week 12 if given the Colts third wide receiver designation, so make the effort to add him to your fantasy roster today.
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