The Pick-up Artist: Pretty Boy Floyd

I went trick or treating this weekend for the first time in about 25 years. It was my son’s first time taking part in the time-honored tradition and he couldn’t have been more excited to fill up his bag with a month’s worth of candy. Of course, when we got home and he found out he couldn’t eat all of it, he proceeded to throw a tantrum … and a few pieces of candy.

Sometimes, as fantasy football owners, we do the same exact thing. We fill our bags with candy off the waiver wire each week, expecting them to immediately produce for us the minute we insert them into our lineups. When they don’t, we throw tantrums and often kick them to the curb.

Bad move.

Throwing the lollipop away just because we can’t immediately enjoy it is a huge mistake. Don’t believe me? Ask those owners who picked up Miles Austin(notes) and then proceeded to drop him because he had a bye week immediately after his 250-yard game. Or talk to the guys who grabbed Jeremy Maclin(notes) after Week 5, only to wash their hands of him because of a poor showing in Week 6.

The lesson here? Don’t be so quick to divest in players based strictly on immediate returns. In most cases, the chocolate will taste just as good a week from now (as long as it’s refrigerated).

Here’s a few Kit Kats from last week’s column who may have been forgotten or neglected because they were on byes: Jamaal Charles(notes) (60-percent owned), Sam Aiken(notes) (2 percent), Fred Davis(notes) (14 percent), and Mike Wallace(notes) (54 percent). Give your free agent list a quick look-see to gauge their availability. Charles, Davis, and Wallace, in particular, could satisfy your cravings in Week 9.

Quarterbacks

Alex Smith, SF – 34-percent owned in Yahoo! PLUS Leagues
Owners were enamored with Smith after his second-half performance against the Texans two weeks ago. Sadly, all it took was one game against the Colts to bring that love affair to an end. For shame. You couldn’t really expect him to play well against Indianapolis, a team that had allowed just two passing TDs. He could, however, have his best game of the year this week against the Titans, the 32nd-ranked pass defense. Tennessee is so bad defending the pass that despite holding David Garrard(notes) to 139 passing yards, zero TDs, and two interceptions in Week 8, they’re still allowing 299.1 passing yards and three TDs per game (including two rushing scores). For those QB-starved owners in deeper formats, make the move. Who knows, you might even be able to cash in after the game.

Running backs

Ryan Moats(notes), HOU – 39 percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
If Gary Kubiak was trying to send a message to Steve Slaton(notes), he picked the perfect messenger. Not only did Moats prove himself capable of carrying the load after Slaton fumbled for the seventh time this year, but he racked up 151 total yards and three scores in the process. As for how the workload will be split going forward, Kubiak hasn’t yet shown his hand. One thing is for sure, though: Moats has earned a more significant role in the Texans offense. It’s highly doubtful that Slaton will lose his job outright, but it’s entirely possible that we’re looking at a full-blown committee, with Chris Brown also getting a few touches. Perhaps Slaton is involved more on passing downs, with Moats taking on more of the workload in the ground game. Maybe Moats picks up work as the short-yardage and goal-line back. Who knows? Regardless of how it all shakes out, Moats will be the most coveted pickup in all the land this week. If you’re a Slaton owner, get your bids in to protect yourself from a worst-case scenario. If you’re not a Slaton owner, do the same. Running backs are hard to find at this point in the season and Moats could have value all year long.

Maurice Morris(notes), DET – 4-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
I gotta tell ya, as a Kevin Smith(notes) owner, I felt extremely uncomfortable watching Morris run well on Sunday (14 rushes, 63 yards). Why? Because Smith’s production is tied directly to the number of touches he accumulates. As one of the few remaining featured backs in the league, you could at least take solace in the 80-90 total yards he gave you each week. If he’s forced to share carries with anybody, it’s going to hurt. But this isn’t about Smith; it’s about Morris. It’s all just speculation at the moment, but if Morris does take on a bigger workload, his value gets a significant bump. Like a flex-play-against-weaker-run-defenses kind of bump. Besides, you never know; with Kevin Smith’s knack for injuries, he might even become the starter at some point.

Danny Ware(notes), NYG – 1-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
While Ahmad Bradshaw(notes) continues to chug along on a broken foot, Giants third-stringer Danny Ware is waiting in the wings just itching to play. In other words, one false move, and Ware could get his wish. The rookie running back has been out since dislocating his elbow on the opening kickoff of the Giants’ first game, but he’s been practicing with the team the past two weeks and could be activated shortly. There’s some concern that the brace he has to wear could result in ball security issues, but if he can prove that’s not the case, he could be all systems go in short order. He’d probably be no more than a third-down back to start, but if you combine Bradshaw’s uncertainty with perennial injury concerns surrounding Brandon Jacobs(notes), there’s a slim chance he becomes the Giants go-to-guy down the stretch. In the world of deep leagues, slim chances reek of opportunity. Stash Ware on your bench now, and you could look like a genius.

Wide receivers

Kevin Walter(notes), BUF – 74-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Walter’s owned in almost three quarters of leagues right now, but if you’re in a shallow pool where he’s still available, pick him up ASAP. With Owen Daniels(notes) out for the year, his value could skyrocket. He hasn’t done much to date, but he did catch 60 balls for 899 yards and eight TDs last season. Healthy, 28-year-old wide receivers don’t lose those skills overnight. If he’s owned in your league and you need WR help, you can probably still acquire him at a discount. A breakout could be on its way.

Jeremy Maclin, PHI – 70-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Here’s another shout out to the shallow leaguers. If Maclin’s out there, go get him. With DeSean Jackson(notes) playing the role of stud, Maclin is quietly producing as second fiddle. He still has to compete for grabs with Jackson, Brent Celek(notes), and Brian Westbrook(notes)/LeSean McCoy, but he’s a big-play guy in a pass-heavy offense. Trust me; you’ll want a piece of that Philly attack when they play Dallas, San Diego, and Chicago the next three weeks.

Malcolm Floyd, SD – 17-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey-ey-ey, good-bye. In a move that was probably long overdue, Chris Chambers(notes) was given his walking papers this week. Floyd actually started over Chambers in Week 8, catching two balls for 64 yards, but now that move is permanent, he’s got a chance to make some serious fantasy waves. It’s no secret that Philip Rivers(notes) loves to throw the ball, and with defenses honing in on Vincent Jackson(notes), LaDainian Tomlinson(notes), and Antonio Gates(notes), Floyd could immediately pay big dividends. He’s a huge target (6-foot-5) with a knack for the big play (his 22.8 YPC leads the team) and he could quickly become a favorite for Rivers in the red zone based on his ability to make highlight-reel grabs on jump balls. We’re talking No. 1 waiver priority material here folks. You snooze, you lose.

Bobby Wade(notes), KC – 13-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Wade’s numbers may not jump off the page (20 catches, 226 yards, two TDs), but he’s been targeted 24 times over his last four contests, including a team-high eight targets in Week 7 (four catches, 66 yards). With Matt Cassel(notes) looking his way often, and Dwayne Bowe(notes) commanding an extra defender, this week’s matchup with Jacksonville looks awfully enticing. The Jaguars have allowed 13.4 catches, 168.3 yards, and 1.6 TDs to opposing wide receivers this season, making Wade a possible one-week wonder for those in deeper formats.

Deion Branch(notes), SEA – 8-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
The former Super Bowl MVP has been a non-factor this season with just 15 catches, 130 yards, and a single score in five games. He’s also the fourth option on a team that employs T.J. Houshmandzadeh(notes), Nate Burleson(notes) and John Carlson(notes). So why’s he here? Check his sked the rest of the way: DET, ARI, MIN, STL, SF, HOU, TB, GB, TEN. Five of those matchups are against the bottom five pass defenses in the league, and Seattle could go into full-blown catch-up mode against the rest of them. There are no guarantees here, and Branch could turn out to be a complete dud, but if the receiver pickings are slim and you’re tired of playing those Danny Amendola(notes) or Dennis Northcutt(notes)-types at one of your WR slots every week, Branch might be a better option.

Tight end

Chris Cooley(notes), WAS – 46-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
The downside: Cooley’s still expected to miss another three weeks, and it’ll probably take him another couple weeks to get back up to full speed. He also could be ineffective when he returns and there’s a chance he doesn’t come back at all. Lastly, you need the bench room to make a move like this.

The upside: Even if takes him another five weeks before we see him on the field again, 50 percent of Chris Cooley is still better than most tight ends. Oh, and five weeks from now just happens to be the start of the fantasy playoffs.

Kevin Boss(notes), NYG – 32-percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Last season, Boss scored four of his team-leading six TDs when Plaxico Burress(notes) was on the field. Obviously, the defensive attention paid to the former star wideout contributed to the tight end’s success. No offense to Steve Smith (possession receiver) and Mario Manningham(notes) (after-the-catch type, dropsies), but this season, the Giants haven’t employed the type of impact receiver who can consistently draw extra defensive attention. And sadly, Boss has paid the price. That is, until Hakeem Nicks(notes) saw the most playing time of his career Sunday. Was it a coincidence that Boss caught his first TD of the season? It’s possible. And maybe it was just because he was playing Philly, a team that hasn’t been able to cover tight ends. Still, Nicks, like Burress, brings a sizeable presence to the Giants passing game that they’ve been missing since Plaxico Burress’ departure. And, at least for one week, Boss reaped the benefits, finding soft spots in the coverage to make a few plays up the seams. Call it a hunch, but if you assume that Nicks’ role in the offense will continue to grow (and it should), Boss could once again become one of Eli Manning’s(notes) most trusted weapons, specifically near the stripe.

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