Last week I got some flack from my regular followers questioning my advice for fantasy-goers to add Shonn Greene to their roster against a top-rated New England defense. Greene put up 54 yard on the ground and 6 receptions for 34 yards and a rushing TD, not too shabby! If you‘ve read my column you know that I’m not arrogant enough to claim to be an expert. That said, I’m just a big, BIG, fan of the game. I look for trends in players’ performances as well as shedding light on some players you might not know about. I enjoy hearing all the feedback, good or bad, so keep them coming.
This week I’m going to do something a little different. There are a few players out there who seem like obvious choices for waiver wire pickups. I’m going to tell you why they may not be as good a pickup as other writers might think. Obviously in very deep leagues they are worth the risk, but be careful on who you are dropping to pick these players up.
Rashad Jennings RB JAC – I’ve been following Jennings for a while now as I’ve always seen him as someone who has great potential and could take the Michael Turner route to join a team as a starting RB. After MJD held out in pre-season I thought getting Jennings late in the draft was going to be a steal, but his poor performance and an injury capped his potential. Going forward I see Jennings as being a very risky start in any fantasy format given that the Jaguars as a team are not getting it done and even with MJD on the bench for the vast majority of the game he only put up 44 yards on 21 carries against Oakland. Yes he scored a TD, but you cant count on this every week. Instead I’d keep an eye on back-up running back Montell Owens as you know the coaching staff will give him a chance if Jennings starts to struggle.
LaRod Stephens-Howling RB ARZ – As I mentioned in Week 6 this was a situation to monitor. Most fantasy owners jumped on William Powell and others jumped on Howling. Those who jumped on Howling were obviously rewarded as he had a big performance this week However looking at the schedule, things will not be easy this week against the tough 49ers run defense. Even going forward, I’m not convinced Stephens-Howling will be a good start after week 8. The Cardinals are going to ride the hot-hand going forward and it is still difficult to tell if it will be Howling or Powell carrying the load in any given week. If Howling can have a half-decent game against the Niners he might take over the starting job until Beanie Wells returns. However its just as likely that being shut down by the 49ers defence will lead to the coaches giving Powell more chances. Either player is too risky for a week 8 start or any other start going forward until things clarify themselves.
Santana Moss WR WAS – With RG3 moving around in the backfield he’s giving receivers more time to get into open spaces on the field. Moss caught 3 passes for 67 yards and two TD’s in week 7. It was definitely his best game of the season and he looked good running routes against a tough Giants defense. It was a big fantasy week points wise due to the two touchdowns, but Moss isn’t really much more than a bye-week start at this point. You still have to be concerned by the lack of targets here.
Jonathan Dwyer RB PIT – When Mendenhall was on the IR earlier in the season, Dwyer was lacking any kind of production. He was given a big chance to prove himself to the coaches and the team and he came up way short. Dwyer’s big week 7 of 122 yards on the ground could be a one hit wonder with Mendenhall possibly returning from his injury this week. Don’t expect Dwyer to continue to get as many carries as he did in week 7 going forward.
Flying under the Waiver Wire
Chris Cooley TE WAS – Finally, I will finish up with a player worth monitoring going forward. Cooley was just signed by the Washington Redskins to replace their injured starting Tight End, Fred Davis. The Redskins coaching staff are very familiar with Cooley, who played for the club for many years, and will bring some much needed leadership to a young offense and could become a favorite target and “safety blanket” for Robert Griffin III. Cooley is coming back after suffering a serious knee injury last season, which limited him to only 5 games played. It may be too early to add Cooley to your roster (except in the deepest of leagues) but with the lack of production coming from Tight End position this year, Cooley is a high risk, high reward guy to keep your eye on in the coming weeks.
Thanks again for reading and I hope some of my picks have helped you in your Fantasy Leagues. Good Luck this Week!
