Are you under .500 in your fantasy league? Is your star player hurt or suspended? Well, have no fear! Stick with lateroundsleepers and we’ll get your through it. Uhhh…Just kidding. You’re probably screwed in reality. If I don’t make those kinds of claims why read my columns, right? No matter what you have to keep trying in fantasy football. You can’t be one of those GM’s that flames out if you start to lose. Be fair to the GM’s that played you early in the season when you were giving it your best. It’s fantasy ethics, man! They don’t call it fantasy football for nothing, either. Plenty of GM’s have fantasy come back seasons if they stick with it. Believe it or not the mid to late season waiver wire can really help turn a pretender into a contender. In addition to your normal waiver moves for bye week or injury purposes a savvy GM will make what’s known as a speculative waiver or trade.
What is a speculative waiver, you ask? It’s picking up a player that you think might be good in a few weeks. Picking the diamond in the rough before anyone else, so to speak. You can do this in the draft as well. An example in the draft would be drafting a rookie RB you think might win the starting job by mid-season. Another would be drafting the backup of an injury prone starter. I made a speculative trade in 2005 when I traded a bench player for Priest Holmes backup Larry Johnson. If you don’t remember how well that turned out, look it up. All leagues are different. If you’re in an 8-10 team league there is probably plenty of talent on your waiver wire. If there are players like Carson Palmer, Ben Tate and Torre Smith available in your league, you should go with them before any of the players I am going to write about. If you are struggling the mid-season waiver wire may be the only thing that can bail you out. If you’re doing a well a speculative move could save your bacon in the playoffs. Here’s a look at what’s left in most 12 team 15-16 player leagues. This is about the order I would take these guys in.
Josh Gordon, WR, CLE – He’s coming back people! He is still available in over 80% of ESPN leagues. If you are in one of those leagues pick him up now. You also aren’t in a very good league.
Jonas Gray, RB, NE – Gray is now listed as the 2nd string RB on the Patriots depth chart and ran for 86 yards on 17 carries in Week 8. Even though he is listed as the #2 back he is a good bet to take over Stevan Ridley’s carries. Gray is owned in less than 1% of leagues on ESPN. He is sure to be one of the most added players this week.
Martavis Bryant, WR, PIT – Bryant had a breakout game in Week 8 with 2 TD’s and 19 fantasy points in standard ESPN leagues. Maravis was one of our big sleepers in the NFL draft if you followed our coverage. It looks like we hit on this one! He is a great fit in Pittsburgh and his role should only increase as the season goes on.
Brandon LaFell, WR, NE – LaFell has emerged at the top WR for Tom Brady. He is still available in almost 80% of leagues but that # will sky rocket after an 18 point explosion in Week 8.
Tre Mason, RB, STL – Anytime a RB gets a start and has a good game like Mason in Week 7 he is going to garner a lot of fantasy attention. Mason is likely to see the most of carries for the Rams from here on out. There has to be a rookie RB to break through. Doesn’t there?
Denard Robinson, RB, Jax - Shoelace was best known for his running as a QB at Michigan. Has he found his role in the NFL as the Jags starting tailback? Fantasy owners are going to find out. There is a good chance he was picked up in your league after his breakout performance in Week 7 but he is still available in almost 70% of ESPN leagues.
Allen Robinson, WR, Jax – Robinson a rookie out of Penn State was also a top sleeper in our draft coverage. He was my 2nd top value pick in the draft being picked late in the 2nd Round. Giants RB Andre Williams was #1. Jacksonville is terrible but Robinson is finding a way to contribute every week.
John Brown, WR, ARI – Brown has had 17 point games in Week 3 and again in Week 8. His week 8 performance is surely to find him as a popular add this week. Brown has been more consistent than most rookies so far this season. With a healthy Carson Palmer it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Cardinals start including him in the game plan more.
Davante Adams, WR, GB – Rookie Adams has taken over the #3 WR job for Green Bay. That is probably as good of a spot for fantasy owners as a #1 WR for half the league. Owned in less than 3% of ESPN leagues Adams is a good bet to be an upgrade over someone on your bench.
Colt McCoy, WR, Wash – My predictions regarding Redskins QB’s have been all over the place. First, I looked great ranking Robert Griffin III #18 amongst QB’s in my preseason rankings. That looked even better when RGIII went down in Week 2. I was high on Kirk Cousins before most. While that was a great thing until Week 4 it doesn’t look so good now. Griffin will play as soon as he is healthy but I expect him to struggle again. I think McCoy will get another chance this season. I’ve always been a fan of McCoy. Take that for what it’s worth.
Jarvis Landry, WR, MIA – A theme is developing. Landry is another rookie that is starting. Unlike the others I was not high on Landry coming out. I’m not always right but he’s not exactly tearing it up either. Owned in 1% of leagues I do think there is some upside here in an improving Dolphins offense.
Seahawks WR’s – With Percy Harvin traded to the Jets the thinking is there is more targets for the rest of Seattle’s WR’s. I don’t think that is necessarily the case. Harvin isn’t a traditional WR. Doug Baldwin was always the #1 WR there and he is probably no longer available in your league. I’m not very high on Seattle’s WR #2 Jermaine Kearse but I do see upside in rookie Paul Richardson.
Andrew Hawkins, WR CLE – Hawkins has had 2 big fantasy games in a row. He has taken over the top WR spot in Cleveland. I’m not sure that means too much. Those big games were against Jacksonville and Oakland. With Gordon coming back I would only pick up Hawkins if I couldn’t get one of these talented rookies.
Donte Moncreif, WR, IND – If you followed our NFL draft coverage you know that we thought it was a stacked year for WR’s. Half way through the season it looks like we were dead on! Moncrief is just another example of a lateroundsleeper. Well mid round anyway. Donte broke out in Week 8 but I’m not as sold on him as other rookie WR’s. He put up his big game only with Reggie Wayne sidelined. He did show the kind of upside he has if there is a more long term injury at the WR position in Indy.
Anthony Dixon/Bryce Brown, RB’s, Buff – The Bills had the horrible luck of having both of their RB’s Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller hurt in Week 7. Fantasy owners are clamoring to pick up Dixon and Brown to replace them. Will the Bills new duo put up the same kind of production? I don’t think so. One of them may give you a decent 2 or 3 game run but Jackson should be back eventually. Brown suited up for the 1st time in Week 8 and only put up 1 fantasy point.
Michael Vick, QB, PHI – It looks like Vick is now the starter for the Jets. He may be worth taking a flyer on if you need a QB. He is one of the best fantasy producers in NFL history when he’s playing at the top of his game. He is far from that now but he can still run. There are some weapons in New York with Decker and now Harvin. I don’t think Vick will save your season but as you can see there isn’t much else out there.
If you want to see why you should read us, and I hope you do! Check out our NFL Draft coverage of the WR class. It was a loaded class. We knew it then and the results are already starting to show! Here’s the link.
