10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Acquisitions Who Will Turn Your Season Around

Four weeks into the 2011 NFL season, many people believe their fantasy football season is over. With a little help however, there is plenty of time to turn your fortunes around.

The waiver wire is the great equalizer in fantasy sports. Injuries and changing roles allow players to climb into the spotlight at different points in the season. A good fantasy owner jumps at the opportunity to grab a player to help his team after all the drafting is done.

While many people are searching for roster fill-ins during the upcoming bye weeks, this list looks towards players that will help during the entire course of the season.

All ownership percentages are courtesy of ESPN.com.

Matt Hasselbeck, QB

I am sure few have noticed, but the Tennessee Titans are 3-1. The main reason for that has been the solid play of quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

He has been incredibly consistent as he has scored at least 16 fantasy points in each game this season.

While many expected a drop in production without star receiver Kenny Britt, Hasselbeck still performed very well with 220 passing yards and three touchdowns. 

The veteran is only owned in 28 percent of leagues, and he is much better than some other options.

Matt Cassel, QB

The general perception around Matt Cassel is that his stock is falling. He lost his best playmaker for the season, and he recently got into an argument with his head coach on the sidelines. 

However, the argument must have lit a fire under the quarterback because he followed it by playing his best half of football on the season. 

After a terrible performance against the Detroit Lions, Cassel has steadily played better over the past two weeks for the Kansas City Chiefs. The team needs him to be a leader and they will rely on him to throw more often to get victories.

Cassel has a lot of talent, but the slow start has scared fantasy owners. Still, the best is yet to come for the former Pro Bowl quarterback.

Ryan Torain, RB

Mike Shanahan sure likes to keep fantasy owners on their toes.

After not recording a single touch in the first three games for the Washington Redskins, running back Ryan Torain rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

While this does not guarantee that Torain will have the starting job for the rest of the season, it is certainly worth a roster spot to find out.

The Redskins have a bye this week, but owners should jump at the opportunity to grab a running back who is line for more carries this season.

Kendall Hunter, RB

Kendall Hunter started Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, but Frank Gore was the one who finished it.

Still, Hunter shows tons of upside for the San Francisco 49ers. He is very quick to the hole and has breakaway speed that Gore might not have anymore.

The rookie impressed over the last two games both as a runner and receiver. He is due for an increased workload even with Gore in the lineup. Also if Gore ever goes down, Hunter will turn into a must-start for a team that loves to run the ball.

Kendall Hunter is available in 88 percent of fantasy leagues, so owners should take the chance on him before the secret is out.

Stevan Ridley, RB

Like Mike Shanahan, Bill Belichick loves to mess with fantasy owners.

An injury to Danny Woodhead has forced rookie Stevan Ridley into action, and the running back is taking full advantage of his opportunity.

Ridley had 100 yards from scrimmage on Sunday and a touchdown on top of it. At this point he is expected to get more touches than Woodhead, and if he keeps playing this way, he will pass BenJarvus Green-Ellis on the depth chart as well. 

The Patriots are still a passing offense, but Ridley has the potential to be a very good running back in this league.

Michael Crabtree, WR

Like any receiving option for the San Francisco 49ers in the past few years, Michael Crabtree has not been able to put up good numbers due to the limitations of the offense.

Quarterback Alex Smith has struggled over his career under defensive-minded head coaches, but now seems to have found his fit under Jim Harbaugh. The former first overall draft pick had one of the best games of his career in a comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles, and everyone on the offense will stand to benefit from his production.

Michael Crabtree still has a lot of talent, but has been sidelined by injuries this season and over his career. He is returning from a foot injury but seems to be closer to full-strength, and will only get better with time.

He is owned in 42 percent of leagues, but he will have some great games this season.

Torrey Smith, WR

Torrey Smith was a hot pickup during last week's waiver acquisitions. The rookie was grabbed in over one-third of leagues after his three-touchdown, breakout performance.

On Sunday night, Smith caught only a one-yard pass leading people to believe that his game against the St. Louis Rams was a fluke.

While that was a career game, Smith is not finished scoring for the Baltimore Ravens or fantasy owners this season. He was targeted six times by Joe Flacco, who looked awful in a turnover-heavy game against the New York Jets.

Smith will continue being the deep threat for a team in desperate need of someone to stretch the defense. Lee Evans might return after the bye week, but the rookie has shown to be faster and fresher.

If Flacco can regain his accuracy, look for Smith to get a lot of long touchdown passes that can get him 10-13 fantasy points in one play.

Victor Cruz, WR

Another player that had a breakout week with long touchdowns in Week 3 was Victor Cruz. The difference between him and Torrey Smith is that Cruz built on that performance with another solid game this Sunday.

The receiver finished with six receptions for 98 yards, showing that quarterback Eli Manning has faith in him as a receiver. Therefore he should continue to produce, despite almost blowing the game with a fumble late in the fourth quarter.

The offense of the New York Giants has been working well, and Cruz has been a big part of it. Manning has been spreading the ball around, so even with Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham healthy, Cruz will still get his receptions and even some touchdowns due to his big play ability.

Jermaine Gresham, TE

Jermaine Gresham is quietly becoming one of the better tight ends in the AFC.

He already has two touchdowns this season and has finished with over 50 receiving yards in three of his four games so far, which is not easy for a tight end.

Gresham plays in a run-first offense featuring a rookie quarterback, so a slow start would be understandable. However, as teammate Andy Dalton feels more comfortable in the pocket, he will be expected to shoulder more responsibility.

As Dalton improves, expect Gresham to get more receptions and eventual more touchdowns. Until then, the tight end currently has the 10th most points at his position and yet is only owned in 13 percent of leagues.

Pick him off waivers while you still have a chance.

Texans D/ST

If you remove one wild game against the New Orleans Saints, the defense for the Houston Texans has been outstanding this season. Even with the Week 3 defeat, the Texans currently have the fifth-ranked fantasy defense this season.

They have an improved secondary from a year ago, and Mario Williams is as good as ever. Even with a knee injury, Williams recorded two sacks against the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend.

The Texans also have a favorable upcoming schedule against mistake-prone quarterbacks. They should be able to capitalize on turnovers while racking up sacks to help fantasy owners.

The team is only owned in 47 percent of leagues, so many of you have a solid chance to grab a defense you can start for weeks.