Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickups: Kyle Orton and the Best Long-Term Replacements

Sometimes you make a pickup that isn’t necessarily geared for the next Sunday. Patience is a virtue.

With the fantasy playoffs quickly approaching, now is the time to start thinking about games in the middle and end of December. Here are three players that are going to be stars when the time comes—just in time for fantasy playoffs:

 

Kyle Orton, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

He’s taking first-team reps in practice and is dying to start this week against his former team, the Chicago Bears. Orton may not be a great start this week, but as he gets more comfortable with the offense and its personnel, he is going to put up big numbers in his last three-to-four games.

Remember he was putting up double-digit fantasy points all season before getting benched by Denver, and had one of the best fantasy seasons for a QB last year—now he has Dwayne Bowe running routes for him.

 

Greg Little, WR, Cleveland Browns

It’s all about the targets with receivers and Little has been getting plenty of them. He was targeted 13 times by QB Colt McCoy last Sunday and caught his first career TD.

Sure, he may have only caught five of those passes, but drops don’t matter in fantasy. Little has emerged as the Browns' top receiver and is only going to get better as he learns the game. The Browns offense is terrible, but Little is the lone option worth picking up in their horrendous group of wide receivers.

 

Riley Cooper, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are falling off a cliff and the injury to Jeremy Maclin and immaturity of DeSean Jackson has opened up a big hole for Cooper to fill. After not playing for the entire season, he has racked up 146 yards and a TD in two games with Vince Young throwing him passes.

Cooper is speedy and his short slant routes are tailor made for the antsy Young. With the season already destroyed, expect Cooper to keep getting the reps for the remainder of the season.