Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups: Why You Should Start Christian Ponder over John Beck

You may think it’s crazy, but Christian Ponder is worth starting this week. If you are stuck with a QB on a bye (Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Mark Sanchez, Jay Cutler and Josh Freeman are all not suiting up this week), strongly considering these QBs that are available in almost ever fantasy league.

Strong Arm:  Ponder threw a 72-yard strike to Michael Jenkins and proved to his critics that not only does he have outstanding arm strength, but he can throw it with some accuracy as well.   Unlike McNabb, Ponder isn’t afraid to take shots down the field and connecting on just one or two a game will equate to mucho fantasy points.  

Running Ability:  Ponder had 31 yards on the ground on Sunday, averaging almost eight yards per carry. He is fast for a QB, and will be a goal line option to score touchdowns. This is a great attribute to have in fantasy.  

His opponent: The best reason to start Ponder this week is because he is playing the Carolina Panthers. Only two defenses give up more points than the Panthers, mostly because they have gotten crushed by injuries. It may sound wacky to start a QB in his second career start, but it’s not nearly as crazy as starting this next guy.

John Beck, Washington Redskins: I don’t care that the Bills have the 30^th ranked pass defense, this 30-year-old has been a career backup for a reason. He turned the ball over on two separate occasions in his first start of the season, and is now without Santana Moss for the next five to seven weeks. Now that Jabar Gaffney is the No. 1 receiver, expect the ‘Skins to rely heavily on the run in order to keep the ball out of Beck’s hands.

If you have to make this decision, start Ponder over Beck.