Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: RB - Week 7

October 21, 2009 @ 17:35:57

By Nicholas Minnix and Bryce McRae
Edited by Tim Heaney

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: QB | RB | WR | TE | PK | DT

If you are serious about winning your fantasy league football championship, stay on top of your fantasy football team throughout the year.

Each week during the NFL fantasy football season, KFFL brings you its Fantasy Football Waiver Wire, which breaks down players to pick up. Be aggressive when picking up fantasy football free agents. Even if you do not need a player, you can tuck him away for depth or block others from adding him to their fantasy football team.

Note: Percentage of polled leagues in which player is available in parentheses

Fantasy football free agents: Priority additions

The following players should be high on your radar and are worthy of being added immediately to your fantasy football team.

Mike Bell, New Orleans Saints (48 percent)

Pierre Thomas had a solid day, and Reggie Bush scored on the ground, but Bell factored in as well, with 15 carries, 34 yards and a score. As long as all three backs are healthy (which is no guarantee from week to week), they'll cannibalize one another. If one goes down, the other two are even more valuable. It's baffling, then, why Bell is owned in so many fewer leagues than his mates.

Justin Fargas, Oakland Raiders (88 percent)

Fargas an interesting depth option

We've plugged him as a depth player because of this possibility. In Week 6 Fargas took the lead in the backfield by rushing 23 times for 87 yards and catching a pass for 11 yards. He's a confident runner in Oakland's zone-blocking scheme. Darren McFadden (knee) hasn't practiced yet. When McFadden returns, Fargas might be his new partner in crime. He's at least part of the conversation.

Laurence Maroney, New England Patriots (76 percent)

Sammy Morris (knee) sustained an injury on the Pats' first offensive series of Week 6 and didn't return. Maroney seized the day with 123 yards and a score on 16 carries. On his fourth attempt, he went 45 yards to paydirt. That's the kind of performance once expected of Maroney. He has delivered - quite infrequently, and with little conviction. It's hard to have faith in the 5-foot-11, 220-pounder. However, there's no word on the severity of Morris' injury, and Fred Taylor (ankle) is MIA. BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Kevin Faulk will challenge Maroney for touches if they're the last three standing. Maroney would have first crack and has the most upside of the bunch, though.

Fantasy football free agents: Look to acquire

The following players will have greater significance in deep fantasy football leagues. In shallow fantasy football leagues, they are not as high of a priority but should be considered based on your fantasy football team's needs.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, New England Patriots (99 percent)

Green-Ellis piled up 78 total yards on nine touches in Week 6. Much of the yardage came in the second half, but the Pats used him a handful of times in the first half, too. Laurence Maroney stole the spotlight early, but he pairs buildup with letdown. What if the injury to Sammy Morris (knee) is serious? Fred Taylor (ankle) is out indefinitely. New England desires reliability; Green-Ellis chugged it for 3.7 yards per carry and five TDs in limited action last season.

Fantasy football free agents: Watch list

These fantasy football free agents shouldn't be on your immediate list. They may have had a big week. They may have talent but are buried on the depth chart and merely awaiting an opportunity. Still, fantasy football players must know who they are for their potential contribution in the future.

Javon Ringer, Tennessee Titans (99 percent)

In the second half of the Titans' blowout loss to the Patriots, LenDale White (knee) left the field and was carted to the locker room, though he was able to walk out of the clubhouse under his own power. His six carries for 15 yards and a lost fumble to that point weren't inspiring. Ringer racked up 47 yards on seven carries, all in the second half, when the game was out of hand. Ringer gave plenty of reason to speculate, though; White's status is unknown, and he has had no impact in 2009 regardless.

NEW - Kolby Smith, Kansas City Chiefs (99 percent)

Smith (knee) returned to practice this week, and Kansas City now has three weeks to decide if they want to activate him from the Physically Unable to Perform list. Expect them to do so eventually. The third-year rusher could be worked into the running back rotation once he does return to game action. Though there's no threat to his majority share if he's healthy, starter Larry Johnson has been ineffective (2.7 yards per carry), while Jamaal Charles is more of pass-catching back and has fallen out of favor a bit. Keep Smith in mind, but you won't need to make a move on him yet except if you are in the deepest of leagues or own LJ.

NEW - Brandon Jackson, Green Bay Packers (96 percent)

Against the Detroit Lions last week, the Packers utilized a short passing game, targeting their backs and tight ends more, in order to try to jumpstart their rushing attack; it's something they did under Mike McCarthy at the beginning of 2007. For Jackson, who is the best pass-catching back they have, this could mean a few more targets. B-Jax was also healthy for the first time this year against Detroit; his workload should increase moving forward.

The Cleveland Browns are on tap this week, so it's possible Green Bay will go right back to pounding the ball, but that philosophy could have been adopted last week. Players said after the Detroit game that the short pass was part of their game plan going in. It's something to be aware of, mainly in point-per-reception leagues.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: QB | RB | WR | TE | PK | DT

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Nicholas Minnix

KFFL's baseball editor plays in LABR and Tout Wars and won the FSWA Baseball Industry Insiders League in 2010.

The University of Delaware alum is a regular guest on Sirius/XM Fantasy Sports Radio and Baltimore's WNST AM 1570. Follow him on Twitter.

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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