The Pick-up Artist: Beanie baby

What’s the saying? One man’s loss is another man’s gain?

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so many important roles change hands in a single weekend. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see owners spending more FAAB cash and banking on No. 1 waiver wire priorities this week than at any other point this year. We can thank Chris Cooley(notes), Jermichael Finley(notes), Leon Washington(notes), Trent Edwards(notes), Julian Edelman(notes), Ken Whisenhunt and Jerious Norwood(notes) for that.

Oops. Almost forgot. A special tip of the cap to Jack Dorsey and Larry Johnson(notes) as well.

As we all saw this week, injuries can wreak havoc at any time. And with half the regular season in the books, it’s more imperative than ever to insure your starters. That means not waiting for an injury to occur to make the necessary moves. It also means carrying your stars’ real-life backups and ditching those “sleepers” who weren’t going to make your starting lineup anyway. I realize that in some leagues, benches are short, but if you were a Leon Washington owner, would you rather have had Shonn Greene(notes) on your bench or that extra tight end? If you’re an Andre Johnson(notes) owner, why have Josh Cribbs in reserve instead of Jacoby Jones(notes)? If you own Michael Turner(notes), you should be carrying Jason Snelling(notes), not Chester Taylor(notes).

Be proactive. Injuries can shatter your championship dreams in the blink of an eye. Save yourself the headache of a waiver wire scramble to get the guy you need, and prepare for the worst now.

Quarterbacks

Marc Bulger(notes), STL – 13-percent owned in Yahoo! PLUS Leagues
Go ahead, laugh at me. I haven’t had the best luck at predicting future success when it comes to quarterbacks (anybody who has picked up Byron Leftwich(notes) or Shaun Hill(notes) has felt the sting of the Artist’s curse.) It’s not so much that I thought these guys were great when I suggested them; it’s just that the opportunity was there for them to post decent totals. Same goes for Bulger. He’ll head to Detroit in Week 8 to take on a Lions secondary with zero bite: 27 points per game allowed to QBs (standard scoring). Built into that point production are 274 passing yards and 2.8 passing TDs per game, with four interceptions in six contests. Bulger hasn’t played well of late, but last time he faced a pass defense this bad, he went 22-of-34 for 213 yards, one TD, and one pick (vs. Jacksonville in Week 6). Expect about the same this week and you won’t be disappointed.

Running backs

Shonn Greene, NYJ – 35-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Ouch (reader discretion advised about 45 seconds into that cip). Suffice it to say, if you saw the Leon Washington injury on Sunday, you had a good hunch he’d be done for the year. If you saw Greene’s performance in his absence, you were immediately aware of the fantasy implications. Look, Greene has neither the versatility or speed and quickness of Washington, but he does bring some muscle to the party – a trait that’s been absent from the Jets’ ground attack since the departure of LaMont Jordan(notes). Not that Thomas Jones(notes) has been ineffective in short yardage/goal-line situations, or that Greene is slow/plodding, but the rookie is a true power RB. Rarely will you see him hit the turf on first contact and would-be-tacklers will often pay the price when attempting to take him down. His hands leave much to be desired, so don’t expect him to take on Washington’s role in the passing game, but 10-12 carries along with some goal-line work seem like reasonable expectations. In terms of fantasy value, he could be this year’s Le’Ron McClain(notes).

Beanie Wells(notes), ARI – 48-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
The Cardinals’ victory over the Giants represents more than just a plus in the win column; it represents a changing of the guard. Not in terms of the hierarchy in the NFC, but in the Arizona RB pecking order. Through six weeks, Tim Hightower(notes) had out-touched his rookie counterpart by more than a 2-to-1 margin. On Sunday, however, Wells took the upper hand, rushing 14 times for 67 yards (4.8 YPC) and a TD, to go along with three receptions for 10 yards (Hightower had just six touches for 20 total yards and a TD). Wells’ work on the ground was impressive, but it’s his improvement in the passing game that will determine whether he can keep the momentum. Why’s that? Because up until last week, Wells didn’t have a chance. Opposing defenses knew the minute they saw Wells on the field that the Cardinals were running the ball. Now that he’s established himself as an adequate blocker and receiver, defenses will have to think twice about how they play him, or risk further abuse at the hands of Kurt Warner(notes), Larry Fitzgerald(notes), Anquan Boldin(notes), Steve Breaston(notes) … I think you get the point. This should open up running lanes for the talented first-rounder, where he’ll be able to use his size, strength and speed to wreak havoc on second-level defenders. I’m not quite ready to anoint him a featured RB, and Hightower may still see more of the short-yardage work, but the role reversal may be permanent, with Wells the one holding the 2-to-1 advantage moving forward.

Jason Snelling, ATL – 3-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Just a few things I wrote about Snelling a month ago:

“Turner isn’t losing his job or ceding additional carries to Snelling, but if Norwood (head) is out for any length of time, this special teamer becomes the official handcuff.”

“He runs hard, he’s a handful to tackle, and he’s got great hands. And if he were to ever replace Norwood long-term, he’d inherit a role that produced 822 total yards and six scores last season. Just a little something to keep in your back pocket.”

After his seven-touch, 78-yard effort against the Cowboys, I feel even better about him today. In deeper leagues, consider him a flex option next week against the Saints.

Jamaal Charles(notes), KC – 22-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Whether the team (or Roger Goodell) suspends Larry Johnson or simply cuts ties with him is anybody’s guess. Let’s just say the odds of seeing him in a KC uniform two weeks from now are getting slimmer by the “tweet.” That would leave Charles in charge of the KC backfield against Jacksonville in Week 9, and possibly beyond. Based on his size (5-foot-11, 199 lbs.), Charles probably won’t ever be an every-down RB, but he is the most explosive weapon the Chiefs have (629 total yards and a TD on 94 touches last season) and they’d be foolish not to utilize him more regardless of LJ’s status. He’s not a between-the-tackles type of guy, but he doesn’t need to be. His speed and elusiveness are both plus skills (5.3 YPC on 90 career rushes), and his ability as a receiver separates him from his peers. For those in PPR leagues, he could have a Reggie Bush(notes)-like impact if given the opportunity (well, Bush from a few years ago). He’ll also be facing Oakland in Week 10, San Diego in Week 12, and Buffalo and Cleveland in Weeks 14 and 15. Make the preemptive strike.

Wide receivers

Lee Evans(notes), BUF – 74-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
The poor play of Trent Edwards convinced more than a few owners to send Evans packing, but Lee’s quickly worked his way back into the fantasy conversation with Buffalo fill-in Ryan Fitzpatrick(notes) under center. Over the past two weeks, Evans has been targeted a team-high 20 times, catching nine balls for 153 yards and two scores. Is it merely coincidence that his play has taken off since Edwards went down? I think not. Evans is now on pace for a 58-catch, 845-yard, five-score season (remarkably similar to the year he had in 2007) – numbers worthy of WR3 consideration, not waiver wire fodder. Fitzpatrick will once again get the call in Week 8 against Houston, a defense that surrendered 250 passing and three TDs to San Francisco QB Alex Smith. Evans gets Tennessee and Jacksonville after the Bills’ bye in Week 9, the two worst teams in the league at defending wideouts (they’ve combined to allow 203 receiving yards and 2.1 TDs per game to opposing WRs).

Mike Wallace(notes), PIT – 41-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Homework assignment: Take a look at the Top 25 wide receivers in your league (standard scoring), glance over to the left at the ownership percentages, and then tell me who sticks out like a sore thumb.

Sam Aiken(notes), NE – 2-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
I’m not plugging Aiken because of his performance Sunday; after all, it was his first TD catch in seven years as a pro. I would, however, like to point out something I should’ve highlighted last week. With Julian Edelman out indefinitely (broken arm) and Joey Galloway(notes) no longer in the picture, Aiken is the de facto No. 3 on the Patriots’ WR depth chart. Obviously, he still takes a back seat to Randy Moss(notes) and Wes Welker(notes), and to some degree, Kevin Faulk(notes) and Ben Watson, but that doesn’t mean he’s worthless. Is he still boom or bust? You bet. But the minute you step on the field as a wide receiver in an explosive, pass-heavy offense like New England’s, you’ve got some value. If you’re in a deep league or a bye-week pinch, take the shot. Tom Brady(notes) doesn’t discriminate and neither should you.

Brian Hartline(notes), MIA – 1-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Teddy Ginn owners, you can now safely cut bait. The athletic, yet hands-challenged receiver is officially in Bill Parcells’ doghouse. According to published reports, Ginn will see less field time at the expense of Hartline after the rookie outshined him on Sunday (three catches, 94 yards). The Ohio State product doesn’t have the physical skills that Ginn possesses, but he does present a much bigger and more reliable target for strong-armed Chad Henne(notes). He packs a little bit of punch as well, with a knack for breaking tackles after the catch. Miami is a run-first squad, and Hartline must still earn his place in the pecking order (the more experienced Greg Camarillo(notes) and Davone Bess(notes) are still around), but he does make for a nice deep-league spec grab based solely on the opportunity in front of him.

Tight end

Fred Davis(notes), WAS – 2-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
I really hate doing this because I need him in one league and want him to stay under the radar but … ladies and gents, meet your new Washington Redskins tight end. After Cooley went down with a broken ankle against the Eagles, Davis took on the role and ran with it to the tune of eight catches, 78 yards and a score. The tight end has been a focal point of the ‘Skins offense for years now, and that won’t stop just because Cooley’s done for the year (see Davis’ 10 targets in three quarters on Monday night). He’ll need to sharpen his pass-blocking skills to be an every-down guy, but he’s got enough talent as a receiver to make a fantasy impact. He won’t quite match Cooley’s production, but the drop-off shouldn’t be steep. Before you rush out to grab him, though, note that he has a bye in Week 8.

Donald Lee(notes), GB – 10-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Add Lee to the list of tight ends whose stock rises as the result of a teammate’s injury. With Jermichael Finley expected to miss a couple of weeks, Lee will see the field a whole lot more. It’s perfect timing too, because the Packers take on a Minnesota team in Week 8 that has allowed a season’s worth of production to tight ends (48 catches, 561 yards, four TDs) through seven games. Lee won’t automatically see all of Finley’s targets, and he doesn’t have the same athleticism, but he does have sure hands and Aaron Rodgers(notes) trusts him, specifically in the end zone (five TD grabs in 14 games last season). If Lee is taken and tight end pickings are slim, you might also want to give converted linebacker Spencer Havner(notes) a look. He caught two balls for 59 yards and a TD on Sunday, and will probably see more action in the passing game as well.

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