Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups: Verdicts for Week 11 Studs

You're running out of time to make a run at your fantasy football championship.

Sorry to spring it to you like that, but I figure there's no point holding anything back in crunch time. There are only six weeks left in the NFL regular season, and only a couple weeks left in the fantasy football regular season.

If your team is in need of help, there's no time like the present to hit the waiver wire. If you want to know which players to pick up, studs from the previous week are usually a good place to start.

However, you must be cautious about who you pick up. Here are verdicts for five Week 11 studs.

Rex Grossman, QB, Washington Redskins

Rex Grossman?!

I know, right? Grossman has been a punching bag all season, but he was pretty impressive against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. He threw for 289 yards, had just one pick and had a total of three touchdowns. Not exactly the kind of production we've come to associate with Grossman.

The question is whether Grossman turned a corner on Sunday. My first instinct is to say no. You can't teach an old dog new tricks, and Grossman doesn't know that many tricks.

Translation: He sucks, and he will continue to suck.

That's the harsh way of putting it, but it's also the honest way of putting it. Unless you absolutely must have a quarterback, I would let Grossman lie.

"I Guess You're Right" Tweet:

Jabar Gaffney, WR, Washington Redskins

You wouldn't know it, but Gaffney is in the midst of what might be his finest season as a pro. 

Even if Gaffney falls short in that regard, he certainly had his finest game as a Redskin on Sunday. Grossman found Gaffney seven times for 115 yards and a touchdown, making Gaffney one of the most productive receivers in fantasy in Week 11.

But make no mistake, this was a far cry from the kinds of numbers Gaffney usually produces. He's typically only good for four or five catches every game, and he's not likely to get into the end zone on any given Sunday.

You can go out and get Gaffney, but you'd be hoping for a lot and getting very little. 

"Does He Get Points for That?" Tweet:

Jerome Simpson, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Jerome Simpson has had a weird season. For the most part he's been pretty unproductive, taking a back seat to the impressive connection between Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. But somehow, he has three games with over 100 yards receiving.

The most recent of these came on Sunday, and it was easily the best of the bunch. Simpson pulled in eight catches for 152 yards.

Concerning whether you should go out and add Simpson, I think that has everything to do with Mr. Green. He had to sit out Sunday's game with a knee injury, but it sounds like he's on the mend. 

If Green is cleared for action in Week 12, I wouldn't bother with Simpson. If Green has to miss another week, Simpson definitely gets the green light. It's a 'play it by ear' situation.

"Low Blow" Tweet:

Johnny Knox, WR, Chicago Bears

Bears wide receivers have not been a great source of fantasy points this season, but Johnny Knox defied the trend on Sunday against the San Diego Chargers. He pulled in three receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown.

This is probably as good as it's going to get for Knox. He's been mediocre all season, and the Bears are going to be without Jay Cutler for a couple of weeks. That's not going to help Chicago's passing attack, which is lousy to begin with.

So yeah, I'd pass on Knox.

"Too Bad He Doesn't Catch More" Tweet:

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, Cleveland Browns

Who needs Peyton Hillis when you have the great Chris Ogbonnaya?

Somewhat quietly, Ogbonnaya piled up over 100 total yards in Week 10, and followed that up with 134 total yards and a touchdown in Week 11. Not bad for a guy who was on the Houston Texans' practice squad not too long ago.

However, Ogbonnaya's reign could be at an end. Montario Hardesty is on the mend, and Browns head coach Pat Shurmur has said Hardesty will start on Sunday against the Bengals if he's healthy.

Whether Hardesty is going to be able to play remains to be seen, but I take this as a sign that the Browns aren't ready to place too much trust in Ogbonnaya. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's peaked.

"You and Me Both" Tweet: