Fantasy football waivers: Any player is fair game
Us fantasy football players are incredibly reactionary. Why aren’t we more anticipatory? Instead of waiting for Running Back C to blow up for 151 total yards and three touchdowns, put in your clairvoyant contacts and give yourself a chance to feel conspicuously clever.
You’re probably one of innumerable fantasy managers who’ll try to lay claim to the wavering Ryan Moats wave on your league’s waiver wire. (I was and still am. Shhhh.)
But what if you already owned him? Moats would have cost you virtually nothing in an FAAB system, until this week. He’d have been taking up your No. 5 or No. 6 running back spot, perhaps occupied by the likes of Justin Fargas.
True, we already house players like this. Patient Jamaal Charles owners feel vindicated, for now. Folks (like myself, in the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Industry Insiders League) enjoyed the fruits of Jerome Harrison’s labor in Weeks 3 and 4, when Jamal Lewis was letting his booboos heal.
That list goes on. We’re all waiting on someone to get hurt or suspended. There was reason to believe that Moats was worth stashing, too. The factors in the equation – talent, work ethic, size, maturity, the system, etc. – can make the disparity between one backup and another in the NFL negligible.
And so, we know that Kolby Smith, like Charles, has an opportunity in front of him because Larry Johnson is an ignorant malcontent. Smith is coming off a serious knee injury, but top-end speed isn’t a requirement to play tailback, even in the NFL – not that such an attribute was his anyway.
Lewis plans to retire – he affirmed that decision today – after this season. The Cleveland Browns aren’t going anywhere, so why would they feel obligated to give the ball to Jamal very much? Harrison isn’t a featured back, but he should become a factor again.
The Seattle Seahawks released Edgerrin James this week. Justin Forsett’s playing time will increase to some degree. In point-per-reception leagues, he’s a no-duh addition.
Walter is an obvious beneficiary of Owen Daniels' misfortune
What about Louis Rankin? At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, he’s built more like a receiver than a back. But the second-year man from Washington is a speedy slasher familiar with OC Greg Knapp’s offense from his days (granted, mostly as a practice squadder) with the Oakland Raiders. Oh, sorry, has Julius Jones impressed you?
The Houston Texans lost Owen Daniels for the remainder of this campaign. Joel Dreessen, he of 25 career receptions, will fill in most of the time, at least initially. Don’t expect him to be a fantasy factor.
Instead, the backs and Kevin Walter, who had been trickling into more and more free-agent pools every week, should benefit. Don’t be surprised to see Houston employ more three-wide sets, perhaps giving the dangerous Jacoby Jones and the slippery David Anderson a few more looks.
I added Malcom Floyd in the FSWA IIL because he had slowly been eating into Chris Chambers‘ snaps. I got off cheaply.
Did you keep asking, Might Steve Slaton lose his job, or at least some of his touches, if he continues to put the ball on the carpet? Did your answer fall in line with those popular? The suggestion seemed preposterous. But the many don’t make the decisions.
If we have to keep asking, we obviously don’t accept the answer. Trust your instincts. Give credit to your ability to analyze. Slaton will remain a factor – he’s too dangerous – but now others are sharing his pie.
