Chris Wesseling

Slingbox's Waiver Wired

Hello, Helu!

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Confession: I've been waiting to use this headline since Week 1.

After breaking the franchise record of 13 receptions shared by Hall of Famer Art Monk and Kelvin Bryant, Redskins rookie Roy Helu remains unowned in more than half of CBSSports.com fantasy leagues. It’s hard to believe Rotoworld readers are sleeping on Helu, as he was promoted relentlessly by Evan Silva throughout the NFL and fantasy draft processes. He had also been a recommended waiver addition in this space for three consecutive weeks (and five overall) heading into his Week 9 breakout game.

Considered an ideal fit for coach Mike Shanahan’s zone-blocking scheme coming out of Nebraska, Helu dominated the NFL combine with a 4.40 forty and an eye-popping 1.50 10-yard split. Post-draft, Shanahan immediately compared Helu to an early-career Clinton Portis for his physicality and ability to go the distance if given a crease.

Once again citing the rookie’s “speed to make big plays,” Shanahan inserted Helu into the starting lineup against the 49ers shutdown defense and left him out there for 64-of-67 offensive snaps. Helu was a one-man show in Week 9, accounting for more than half of the team’s yardage while playing all three downs.

Shanahan’s latest backfield edict is that Ryan Torain will only see the field when Helu needs a breather. That’s subject to change with the whims of Shanny’s shenanigans, but Helu is ready to take the starting job and run with it. Even in a regressing offense, there’s plenty of fantasy upside the rest of the way -- particularly in PPR formats.

For those owners who miss out on Helu, Cowboys receiver Laurent Robinson makes a fine consolation prize as a solid WR2/3 option over the next few weeks.

On to the players. Here is how I rank the top players at each position as we head into Week 10. Full writeups of each player are below.

Editor’s Note: Join subscriber only chats, get weekly rankings before anyone else, plus exclusive weekly projections, stat tools, dynasty ranks, columns, and much more including the Rotoworld Oracle in our Season Pass.

Quarterbacks
Carson Palmer
Sam Bradford
Matt Cassel
Christian Ponder
Matt Moore

Running Backs
Roy Helu
Donald Brown
Chris Ivory
Chris Ogbonnaya
Marion Barber
Joe McKnight
C.J. Spiller
Toby Gerhart

Wide Receivers
Laurent Robinson
Jacoby Ford
Denarius Moore
Steve Breaston
Early Doucet
Santana Moss
Earl Bennett
Austin Pettis
Leonard Hankerson

Tight Ends
Heath Miller
Brent Celek
Visanthe Shiancoe
Jacob Tamme

Defense/Special Teams
Dolphins
Eagles
Jaguars

Quarterbacks

Carson Palmer, Raiders - It’s hardly a surprise that Palmer’s decision-making and accuracy have been issues as he shakes off the rust in his first two games of the season. There are plenty of reasons for optimism, though, after a 332-yard, three-touchdown performance in Week 9. Palmer’s arm looks stronger than the 2010 version, and the Raiders are getting explosive talents Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore involved just in time for a slate of plus matchups against the Chargers, Vikings, Bears, Dolphins and Packers. With offensive focal point Darren McFadden out again, Palmer may be asked to throw more again Thursday night.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues.

Sam Bradford, Rams - I’m not going to hold last week’s performance versus Arizona against Bradford after he beat his recovery timetable on a high-ankle sprain. Bradford won’t be recommended against a strong Cleveland pass defense this week, but there are plus matchups against the Seahawks and Cardinals in Weeks 11 and 12. I still expect Bradford’s production to spike with Brandon Lloyd making plays down the field.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues.

Matt Cassel, Chiefs - Cassel took a step back against the Dolphins, showing poor pocket presence while failing to lead a touchdown drive. Week 10 represents a fine bounce-back opportunity against a Broncos defense that has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks -- including 332 yards and three touchdowns to a rusty Carson Palmer last week.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play.

Christian Ponder, Vikings - Ponder was a recommended add in 12- and 14-team leagues heading into the bye week. This is a reminder that he posted a more than respectable 22 fantasy points against the Packers in Week 7, and he gets a healthy Percy Harvin back for the rematch. Green Bay is surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks after a big game from Philip Rivers in Week 9.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 14-team leagues.

Matt Moore, Dolphins - Moore was the one quarterback to top Aaron Rodgers’ 146.5 passer rating as fantasy’s No. 3 quarterback for Week 9. While Moore can’t be recommended as a weekly option in any format by two-quarterback leagues, it’s worth noting that he’s incrementally increased his fantasy output in each of the past five games.

Recommendation: Worth a look in two-quarterback leagues.

Watch List: Vince Young, Matt Flynn, Shaun Hill, Rex Grossman

Young, Flynn and Hill are the three backups with the highest upside should the starter go down with an injury. … Beck’s poor play could force the Shanahan’s to revisit Grossman.

Hold Off: John Skelton

Skelton’s spot start was more of a catastrophe than the numbers suggest. He will never be ranked as a top-30 fantasy starter in a given week.

Cut Bait: Andy Dalton, Tarvaris Jackson, John Beck, Curtis Painter

Dalton is playing well, but he can dropped in 12- and 14-team leagues due to matchups against top-five pass defenses in each of the next four games. … With a matchup against the Ravens looming, T-Jack can also be dropped in 12- and 14-team leagues. … Beck and Painter have reached the stage of wretchedness where we can no longer expect them to avoid the hangman for four quarters.

Running Backs

Roy Helu, Redskins - Coach Mike Shanahan named Helu the starter Sunday morning, and the rookie responded with 14 receptions and 146 total yards due in large part to John Beck’s checkdown tendencies. The newest Shanny backfield edict is that Ryan Torain will only play when Helu needs a breather. Helu played on 64-of-67 snaps against the 49ers, suggesting that he will join the ranks of the three-down backs going forward. Even in a subpar offense, there’s plenty of breakout potential here over the final two months.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.

Donald Brown, Colts - Coach Jim Caldwell confirmed that Delone Carter landed in fumble jail after coughing up his second carry against the Falcons. Playing as well as he has since entering the league as a busted first-round pick, Brown took over as the featured back in comeback mode. The workloads in this backfield are unpredictable due in large part to Joseph Addai’s (knee, hamstring) uncertain week-to-week status. Brown is worthy of a stash to see if the Colts can recoup some value on this investment down the stretch of a lost season, but he can’t be trusted as a weekly fantasy option just yet.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues.

Chris Ivory, Saints - Mark Ingram’s injury replacement got the nod as the Week 9 starter, leading the backfield with 67 rushing yards and 15 carries. Ivory has no role in the passing game, so he’s not going to be ranked higher than Darren Sproles or Pierre Thomas even if Ingram misses another week. Between his talent and the Saints’ high-scoring offense, Ivory is worthy of a stash for as long as Ingram sits out.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues.

Chris Ogbonnaya, Browns - Filling in as the starter last week, “Silent G” fumbled his first carry, failed to make tacklers miss and managed a paltry 2.2 yards on 13 carries. In other words, keep expectations low even though Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty have already been ruled out of an attractive matchup against the Rams. It’s quite possible that Thomas Clayton could end up with more touches than Ogbonnaya.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a desperation spot start.

Marion Barber, Bears - Monday night’s game proved once again that Marion the Barbarian is entrenched as the Bears’ goal-line back. He’s now scored in four of the five games he’s been active this season, which certainly earns him a long look in touchdown-heavy leagues. Those in standard-scoring leagues should feel no obligation to add Barber.

Recommendation: Worth a look in touchdown-heavy leagues.

Joe McKnight, Jets - The Jets coaching staff has promised increased offensive workloads for McKnight all season, and they finally followed through with a season-high nine carries against the Bills. McKnight isn’t going to hold fantasy value barring a Shonn Greene injury or extended slump, so he’s purely a deep-league pickup.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.

C.J. Spiller, Bills - Spiller is returning to the backfield now that Donald Jones is healthy. The 2010 first-rounder is not going to have value unless Fred Jackson goes down with an injury, but there’s breakout potential in that scenario.

Recommendation: Worth a look as injury insurance.

Toby Gerhart, Vikings - Much like Ricky Williams and Kendall Hunter, Gerhart should be added as an obvious handcuff for a stud starter. Only four more teams have byes (in Week 11), so it’s time to add that injury insurance before another owners swoops in and starts stashing high-upside backups.

Recommendation: Worth a look as injury insurance.

Watch List: Thomas Clayton, Kevin Smith, Jacquizz Rodgers, Taiwan Jones

As poorly as Ogbonnaya has played, Clayton is worth monitoring in case the Browns decide to increase his workload this week. … Smith is expected to play behind Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams. … Rodgers’ increased workload was due to the Falcons’ jumping out to a commanding lead. … Jones didn’t see enough touches in Week 9

Hold Off: Tashard Choice, Danny Woodhead

Choice is expected to practice this week. Any Shanahan running back is worth monitoring, but he’s going to start out third on the depth chart. The real issue is that Choice is no longer a good player. … Woodhead’s snaps could go down again with Kevin Faulk due to return in Week 10.

Cut Bait: Curtis Brinkley, D.J. Ware, Da’Rel Scott, Lance Ball, Phillip Tanner, Thomas Jones

Brinkley, Ware, Scott, Ball and Tanner are heading back to the bench now that Ryan Mathews, Ahmad Bradshaw and Felix Jones are getting healthier. … Jones played just four snaps in Week 9.

Wide Receivers

Laurent Robinson, Cowboys - A fine fallback option for those owners losing out on Roy Helu, Robinson will step into the starting lineup once again for Miles Austin. Returning to his promising early-career form, the brittle but talented Robinson has cleared 100 yards in two of the past five games -- the first two 100-yard performances of his career. Robinson clearly has the trust of his quarterback, and Romo showed a willingness to stand in the pocket and make throws down the field last week. Robinson has the look of an every-week starter for the next three weeks against the Bills, Redskins and Dolphins -- all of which rank in the bottom half of the league against opposing wide receivers.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.

Jacoby Ford, Raiders - Coach Hue Jackson won’t explain why Ford and Denarius Moore displaced Darrius Heyward-Bey coming out of the bye week. I can only surmise that Carson Palmer had better immediate chemistry with Ford and Moore than he did with DHB. Ford started against the Broncos while racking up 105 yards and a touchdown on five catches in an ascending passing offense. With Darren McFadden expected to sit again in Week 10, Ford is back on the radar as a WR3 option Thursday night.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues.

Denarius Moore, Raiders - The Oakland coaching staff ostensibly worked on getting the talented Moore and Jacoby Ford more involved in the offense during the bye week, the results were telling. Moore was all over the field with 12 targets and four punt returns against the Broncos. We can’t say with any degree of certainty how the receiving corps will shake out in Week 10, but Moore has plenty of upside if that Week 9 role carries over.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues.

Steve Breaston, Chiefs - Dropped in quite a few leagues after Jonathan Baldwin’s Week 8 breakout, Breaston is now owned in less than 50 percent of CBSSports.com leagues. He’s coming off his best game of the year with a team-high 11 targets, seven receptions and 115 yards. While never a good bet to find the end zone, Breaston has 50 or more yards in six of his past seven games. Week 10 brings a plus matchup against a Denver secondary that has struggled against No. 2 receivers.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues.

Early Doucet, Cardinals - Feasting off the single coverage provided by Larry Fitzgerald’s presence, Doucet continues to produce as an under-the-radar top-30 fantasy receiver. More consistent than expected, Doucet has topped 50 yards or found the end zone in 6-of-8 games this year. The upside is low, but Doucet is worth a look as a WR3 in PPR formats.

Recommendation: Should be owned in PPR leagues.

Santana Moss, Redskins - The Redskins’ No. 1 receiver is entering the third week of a 5-7 week recovery timetable on his broken left hand. With bye weeks winding down, he should be owned in more than 50 percent of CBSSports.com leagues. Stash him at the end of your roster if he was dumped.

Recommendation: Should be stashed in 12-team leagues.

Earl Bennett, Bears - After missing the majority of the first half with a chest injury, Bennett immediately returned as Jay Cutler’s security blanket and Chicago’s most effective receiver versus the Eagles. Even if he is as reliable as a Bears receiver gets at this point, just keep in mind that Bennett has never been much of a fantasy asset. I wouldn’t bother with him outside of PPR formats.

Recommendation: Worth a look in PPR leagues.

Austin Pettis, Rams - The Rams have now lost Danny Amendola and Greg Salas for the season, leaving Pettis as the default starter in the slot for Week 10 against the Browns. Mark Clayton (Achilles, knee) is expected to be activated from the PUP list this week, and he could end up battling for snaps inside as well. Pickup Pettis in PPR formats, but keep an eye on Clayton.

Recommendation: Worth a look in PPR leagues.

Leonard Hankerson, Redskins - We advised last week that Hankerson’s role was due to increase, and he ended up being named a starter by Sunday morning. Better yet, the third-round rookie led all Redskins receivers by playing in 63-of-64 offensive snaps. Don’t expect much in a declining offense, but Hankerson has talent worthy of a stash in deeper leagues.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.

Watch List: Mark Clayton, Danario Alexander, Vincent Brown, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Josh Cribbs, Chad Ochocinco, Taylor Price, Jerricho Cotchery, Damian Williams, Titus Young, Brandon LaFell

Clayton and Alexander are in a race to see which injury-prone receiver can rejoin the lineup the fastest. … Brown is an intriguing Dynasty league stash, but unlikely to possess much redraft value as the third or fourth option in San Diego. … Housh could end up with PPR value down the stretch. … The Pats need Ocho or Price to start pushing a slow Deion Branch. … Cribbs has been more involved offensively with 50 yards and a score in each of the past two games. I need to see him do it in a third before recommending a pickup. … There’s a small chance Young and LaFell will earn promotions coming out of the bye week.

Hold Off: Jerome Simpson, Lavelle Hawkins

Simpson’s production is not only incredibly inconsistent, he also has brutal matchups on the horizon against the other three AFC North squads. … Hawkins is just the third receiver in Nashville.

Cut Bait: Demaryius Thomas, Jacoby Jones, Kevin Walter, Ben Obomanu, Robert Meachem, Arrelious Benn, Greg Salas, Davone Bess

The Texans are now a running team, leaving Walter and Jones without reliable value no matter Andre Johnson’s status. … Obomanu’s Week 8 production was a fluke. … Benn is simply unreliable. … Bess played just nine snaps in Week 9.

Tight Ends

Heath Miller, Steelers - A fantasy afterthought as an extra blocker early in the season, Miller has regained relevance since Max Starks returned to solidify the offense line. Miller is fantasy’s No. 2 tight end over the past five weeks and the No. 3 tight end over the past three. A 73-yard performance against the shut-down Ravens defense bodes well for Miller’s production regardless of matchup going forward.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues.

Brent Celek, Eagles - The good news is that Celek has drawn exactly nine targets in three consecutive games. The bad news is that the Eagles have been taking advantage of matchups against teams that don’t defend tight ends well. Though Celek has been a top-10 fantasy tight end over the past three weeks, the matchups aren’t nearly as friendly over the next month.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.

Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings - The Packers allow the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, and Shiancoe managed a 4/45/1 line against them three weeks ago on a season-high eight targets. He’s a borderline top-15 option for Week 10.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play.

Jacob Tamme, Colts - A hot waiver pickup at mid-season last year, Tamme averaged nearly seven catches and 65 yards down the stretch with Peyton Manning. Dallas Clark, a superior player, was averaging just three catches and 32 yards with Curtis Painter this year. The math tells us Tamme won’t be good for more than 25-30 yards per week as long as Clark is out. Don’t waste a roster spot.

Recommendation: Worth a look only in deeper leagues.

Watch List: Jared Cook, Dennis Pitta, Kyle Rudolph

Cook has only topped three catches in a game twice this season, but his targets are climbing steadily. … Worth a look in deeper leagues, Pitta has 16 targets, 11 catches and 99 yards over the past two games. … Keep an eye on Rudolph to see if the second-rounder has earned a bigger role coming out of the bye week.

Hold Off: Anthony Fasano

Pay no mind to Fasano’s two-touchdown performance in Week 9. He's averaged just over one reception per game this year.

Cut Bait: Evan Moore, Kevin Boss, Zach Miller, Lance Kendricks, Donald Lee

Moore and Boss aren’t playing starter’s snaps. … Miller took a back seat to Anthony McCoy in Week 9. … An unproductive Kendricks is now nursing a foot injury. … Lee should head back to the bench with Jermaine Gresham returning to practice this week.

Defense/Special Teams

Dolphins - As Adam Levitan pointed out in Monday’s Daily Dose, Miami is allowing just 13.6 points over the past three games while the Redskins have managed a total of 11 in their last two outings. The Dolphins defense is starting to play up to its talent level.

Jaguars - Jacksonville quietly boasts a top-eight NFL defense heading into a matchup against Indy’s 30th-ranked offense. The Colts have multiple turnovers in four consecutive games, and a regressing Curtis Painter has led the offense to less than a touchdown per game over the past three.

Eagles - This defense failed to record a sack Monday night, but the Week 10 matchup is setting up perfectly with Kevin Kolb’s status in doubt. The Cardinals fly to the east coast with a quarterback possessing an Orlovskyan sense of his own end zone and a feature back on a bum wheel. The Eagles should have little trouble shutting down this offense.

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter.

continue story »

1 2 3 4 next

Chris Wesseling is a senior football editor and Dynasty league analyst for Rotoworld.com. The 2011 NFL season marks his fifth year with Rotoworld and his third year contributing to NBCSports.com. He can be found on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
Email :Chris Wesseling

MLB PAGES

COLUMNS

PREMIUM CONTENT

FANTASY BASEBALL HEADLINES

NFL PAGES

COLUMNS

PREMIUM CONTENT

FANTASY FOOTBALL HEADLINES

NBA PAGES

COLUMNS

PREMIUM CONTENT

FANTASY BASKETBALL HEADLINES

NHL PAGES

COLUMNS

PREMIUM CONTENT

FANTASY HOCKEY HEADLINES

NASCAR PAGES

COLUMNS

PARTNERS

FANTASY NASCAR HEADLINES

GOLF PAGES

COLUMNS

PARTNERS

FANTASY GOLF HEADLINES

NFL DRAFT PAGES

COLUMNS

PARTNERS

NFL DRAFT HEADLINES

FEATURED BLOGS

NBC SPORTS TALK

HardballTalk

ProFootballTalk

ProBasketballTalk

ProHockeyTalk

CollegeFootballTalk

GolfTalkCentral

CollegeBasketballTalk

Off the Bench

ProSoccerTalk

FANTASY GAMES

Yahoo! Games

Yahoo! Sports FantasyBaseball

Yahoo! Sports FantasyHockey

Yahoo! Sports FantasyGolf

Yahoo! Sports FantasyAuto Racing

Chris Wesseling

Slingbox's Waiver Wired

Hello, Helu!

NFL Headlines

Slingbox's Waiver Wired Articles

Highest Searched Players over the last 7 days

Chris Wesseling Articles

Video Center

Headlines

Fallout: 49ers lose CrabtreeMay 22

More NFL Columns

NFL Headlines

NFL Links

Site Links

Facebook

Twitter

Fantasy Guides

Yahoo! Sports Fantasy
Baseball

Yahoo! Sports Fantasy
Hockey

Yahoo! Sports Fantasy
Golf

Yahoo! Sports Fantasy
Auto Racing

Fallout: 49ers lose Crabtree
May 22