Quarterbacks:
Tarvaris Jackson — Seahawks ($2 FAAB value)
The latest in a host of quarterbacks to pass for 300+ yards, Jackson has had two good weeks in a row. The caveat? He has played against weak pass defenses in Arizona and Atlanta. Jackson’s leg work gives him a boost, and his chemistry with Sidney Rice is undeniable at this point. It helps that he faces the Giants, Browns, Bengals, and Cowboys in the coming weeks, and he gets another shot at the Arizona secondary later this year. While you should not start him over a bona fide top-10 option, he will be a good spot starter and QBBC plug depending on the matchup.
Running Backs:
Stevan Ridley — Patriots ($15)
Rolling with a New England running back is a risky proposition, but Ridley has made the most of his opportunities, giving Bill Belichick the confidence to utilize him more often. He is averaging a whopping 8.2 YPC, albeit on just 18 carries, and has seriously started to cut in on BenJarvus Green-Ellis’ and Danny Woodhead’s playing time. Ridley possesses the playmaking ability that the Law Firm does not, and can catch the ball out of the backfield. If he keeps performing well, he may well win the lion’s share of playing time in New England, making him a highly valuable fantasy commodity.
Isaac Redman — Steelers ($6)
Rashard Mendenhall is the latest hamstring victim, leaving Redman to take over the lead back duties in Pittsburgh if Mendenhall misses time. Redman has a career 4.8 YPC average, and he represents a more versatile threat than Mendenhall. His value is really determined by the amount of time Mendy will miss, though, and it sounds like the injury is not too serious. It would put Redman in the position to score some big fantasy points as bye weeks start rolling around if Mendenhall misses time, making Redman a valuable roster plug while he recovers. Of course, once Mendenhall returns, Redman’s fantasy value disappears like Keyser Soze.
Ryan Torain — Redskins ($10)
Tim Hightower’s fantasy value has completely deflated with Mike Shanahan’s latest switcheroo, and I cannot say you were not warned. Shanny has stated that he will ride the “hot hand”, and that all but eliminates Hightower from the picture — Roy Helu is the change-of-pace back. Unsurprisingly, Hightower has not been very good, averaging 3.5 YPC through four games. A couple of touchdowns have saved his owners from disaster, but they had better go hard after Torain if they want to survive drafting Hightower. His 7.1 YPC against the Rams must have been a breath of fresh air after Hightower’s inability to gain yards on the ground.
Kendall Hunter — 49ers ($6)
He was in last week’s waiver wire, but well worth another mention as he had a good game splitting time with Frank Gore in last week’s victory against the Eagles. It looks like the 49ers have finally figured out that Gore is better-served in a timeshare to keep him fresh, and Hunter has performed well when given the opportunity. Unfortunately, it means the fantasy value for both takes a hit, but at least Hunter is getting opportunities going forward.
Wide Receivers:
Jacoby Jones / Kevin Walter — Texans ($2 / $1)
The fantasy community collectively gasped when Andre Johnson went down with a non-contact injury. Thankfully, it seems Johnson’s hamstring will only keep him out a few weeks, and not just from a fantasy perspective — the Texans are my AFC Super Bowl pick! The sad reality without him in Houston, though, is that his backups are not very good. Thankfully, Johnson will eventually return, but Jones and Walter will not be nearly as valuable as you might think in his absence.
It is going to be tough to forecast what kind of production these two will have in Johnson’s absence — they have combined for just 15 targets through four games, and Arian Foster figures to carry most of the load. Jones is slightly more valuable on upside alone — alas, if only he would capitalize on his potential, he could be lethal opposite Johnson someday. You obviously need to pick someone up if you own Johnson, but there could be better options out there if you want to pick up a wide receiver.
Steve Breaston — Chiefs ($4)
Despite a bad overall offense, Breaston is quietly performing well in Kansas City opposite Dwayne Bowe. After a slow start he has been targeted six times in each of his past two games, nearly topping 100 yards last week. He has a +1.3 rating and catches 67% of his targets, both pretty good numbers. As byes start to take players out of your lineup, Breaston could be a sneaky good spot starter depending on the matchup.
Pierre Garcon — Colts ($11)
It is clear why Reggie Wayne wanted Curtis Painter to be the quarterback: he is unafraid to throw it downfield. Garcon was a huge beneficiary of this as he torched the Buccaneers’ defense for 147 yards and two touchdowns. The downside to his success? He did that on his only two catches. The upside? He was targeted eight times, and continues to be a focal point for Painter in the passing game. If you are fortunate enough to see him available in your league, though, he is well worth the waiver wire pickup. He is a good flex option on upside alone.
Josh Morgan — 49ers ($2)
Do not let Morgan’s good fantasy day fool you — he was targeted just three times and happened to catch a touchdown on one of them. With Braylon Edwards’ eventual return, Morgan’s fantasy value is a bit of a mirage. However, being that Alex Smith is actually playing well and Edwards could be out a little longer, Morgan makes for a decent spot starter as we enter bye week season.
Jabar Gaffney — Redskins ($4)
While Sexy Rexy has fallen back to earth, it seems he has made Gaffney a favorite target. He has seen 24 targets, catching 71% of passes thrown his way. While the Redskins’ offense is not going to light teams up, Gaffney is the WR2 there and should continue to have some fantasy value.
Vincent Brown / Patrick Crayton — Chargers ($2 / $1)
With Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates ailing, the Chargers could be forced to press rookie Brown and/or Crayton into more playing time. Brown seems to be the better choice here, as the rookie was targeted a couple of times for 26 yards last week. The reality here is that Rivers will probably continue to target his running backs more and more as the trend has shown throughout the season, thus far. Brown could be the latest rookie to break out if Jackson sits, though, especially since the Chargers get the Broncos defense next week.
Tight Ends:
Ed Dickson — Ravens ($5)
Dickson is near the top of the league with 31 targets, and if you watch the Ravens play, you can tell Joe Flacco is looking his way a great deal. While he may not be putting up big numbers outside of week one, against the Steelers ironically, he will find his way to the end zone a few more times before all is said and done. As tight ends go, having a guy who is targeted 7-8 times a game on average is a good thing.
Jared Cook — Titans ($11)
If Cook owners gave up on him after a very slow start, pounce on him. He is going to be coveted because of a great fantasy output last week, even though the bulk of the damage was done on an 80-yard touchdown reception. Much like Garcon, though, he was targeted six times overall. With Kenny Britt out, it seems Matt Hasselbeck finally decided to get his athletic TE some action. If Chris Johnson gets it going, there could be plenty of room for Cook to operate on the field.
Questions and comments are always welcome via Twitter – @PFF_Alex.
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