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Players on the Move |
Week 10
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When the week started, did we think we'd see so many new faces becoming a factor, making an impact, and becoming relevant in fantasy football? Week 9 was a surge of the "unknown soldiers", the "who knew?", and a little of "where have you been?" From Hightower in Arizona to Rice in Baltimore, if you can't find your Golden Ticket, then you're just not looking.
Willy Wants Ya (Weekly)"Golden Ticket"
This week's Tickets...
QB-Sage Rosenfels (Hou)....the Texans will be without starter Matt Schaub for a while, so Rosenfels will take over the reins and step back into familiar territory. If fantasy owners recall when Andre Johnson began his tear earlier this season, it was Rosenfels who started back in Week 5 and got AJ rolling. Rosenfels is a capable back-up that has a strong arm, so the offense should not miss a beat. Owners can expect him to be a solid QB2 or flex option in most fantasy formats and he will likely be in high demand on the waiver wires this week.
 RB-Tim Hightower (ARI)....the Cardinals have officially made their youth movement and Hightower is now the starter. The former Richmond Spider performed well in Week 9 as a starter, rushing for over 100 yards and there’s no reason his strong play shouldn’t continue. The rookie is likely not available in most deep leagues, but in formats that carry shallow rosters, if he is available he's worth snatching up. Hightower should be a solid low-end RB2 the rest of the way playing in the weak NFC West division.
RB-Cedric Benson (CIN)....a surprise grab this week will be Bengals’ running back Cedric Benson, who has suddenly revitalized the team's dormant running game. The Jaguars weren't one of the top running defenses, but they weren’t pushovers either. Benson’s 100-yard rushing performance on Sunday was a good sign that he could be fantasy-relevant. While owners will rush to the wires, he's still no more than a low end RB3 in most leagues with the Eagles, Steelers and Ravens due up next on the schedule.
More "Men on the Move"...
While it certainly seems that there are never enough tickets to go around, Week 10 presents fantasy owners with an ample amount of choices and many players available on most waiver wires. If you have found yourself looking for help in this coming week, check out these "Men on the Move”.
Jamaal Charles RB (KC)-....the Chiefs’ rookie rebounded from his sore ankle injury in Week 8 and turned in a solid performance this past Sunday. Charles rushed for more than 100 yards on 18 carries against a pretty good Buccaneers’ run defense. With no other options available, Charles will get the start in Week 10 and should do well against the Chargers. With all the troubles surrounding LJ, Charles could see a larger role in the second half of the season. He's worth having on your roster with games against the Raiders and Broncos still ahead.
Ryan Torain RB (DEN)-....the Broncos placed two running backs on the IR and Selvin Young is still trying to recover from a groin injury. With a short week, Young is a long shot to be 100% and that will open the door for Torain to start. He could be worth taking a flier on this week, but he’s a risky play as owners haven’t seen him in action much this season and Mike Shanahan isn’t exactly reliable, fantasy-wise. With Young still limited, Torain will have a chance to earn more time on the field in the coming weeks.
Ray Rice RB (BAL)-....the Ravens are playing this one close to the vest, but following his performance this past Sunday and with McGahee's current injury track record, our guess is Rice will start not only in Week 10, but the rest of the way. With McClain as their short-yardage option, this backfield could get crowded in a hurry leaving someone out in the cold.
Greg Camarillo WR (MIA)-....the Dolphins’ poor-man’s version of Wes Welker was in fine form this past Sunday with 11 receptions against the Broncos. While we don't expect to see other defenses to play so soft against Camarillo in the future, he is the team’s leading receiver and has emerged as Pennington's favorite target. Camarillo is worth consideration in most leagues, but in PPR leagues he is a must pick up.
"Diamonds in the Rough"
Last Sunday was a day filled with many of those "where did they come from?" guys as well as the ever popular "is that guy still playing?" Players like Clayton and McDonald that had brief stays in Club M.I.A, have suddenly reappeared and lead a list of some now-relevant players that could offer some help and hope to your fantasy teams.
Your Week 10 Deep Sleepers...
Robert Royal TE (BUF).....the Bills’ tight end has quietly become a more prominent option in the Bills’ passing game this season. In his last three games, Royal has caught 11 passes, including 5 this past week, and it was his 4th game this season with at least 4 receptions. Royal does not offer more value than a low end TE2, but he's worth keeping your eye on going forward.
Shaun McDonald WR (Det)....for the past three weeks, McDonald has been a steady target in the Lions’ passing game. This past Sunday, the Lions receiver saw six targets and had six receptions while finding the end-zone once. With Megatron likely to see more and more double coverage, McDonald could continue to be targeted often and put up steady numbers. In his past two games, McDonald has 11 receptions for 133 yards. The Lions will face tough times ahead, falling behind early and being forced to throw more. Owners should consider McDonald a possible flex or low end WR3 option going forward.
Brent Celek TE (PHI)....with starter L. J. Smith (concussion) on the sideline, Celek will continue to see work in the passing game. The Eagles’ back up tight end has nice hands and is a good receiving option. Even if and when Smith returns, the way Andy Reid spreads the offense and how McNabb is able to spread the ball around, Celek should continue to be involved and get his share of looks in the red-zone. With the tight end position being so thin this season, Celek is a solid pick up that could offer immediate value as good as any TE2 available.
Mark Clayton WR (BAL)....not much has been said of Ravens’ receiver Mark Clayton. He's been one of those receivers that haven’t lived up to the hype. He has great speed and playmaking ability but never blossomed during the McNair & Boller era. Now that he has the strong-armed Flacco tossing the rock his way, he’s found the Fountain of Youth and fantasy relevance. Clayton was heavily targeted in Week 9 and could become a solid flex and mid WR3 option moving forward
Rex Grossman QB (CHI).....the Bears’ back up quarterback has never been a fantasy favorite with his up and down play, but last week he was solid with a rushing score and passing touchdown. He will now start for the next three to four games for the Bears, but with the Titans up next, he's not worth consideration. Looking forward, however, with a more favorable schedule, he could offer some value.
Michael Jenkins WR (ATL)....Jenkins has been quiet since Week 1, when he took Matt Ryan's first career pass 62 yards to the house. While Jenkins has not been targeted much this season--only two games with over 5 targets--we could see him become more prominent in the deep passing game. With Ryan playing well, the team could start opening up the playbook more and more. Jenkins has big-play ability and could get more opportunities. While he's not an immediate play or pick-up, owners that need to take chances may want to consider Jenkins as a low end WR3 or flex. Note--the Falcons do have a favorable match-up in Week 10 and Jenkins could test a Saints’ secondary that was repeatedly burned in Week 8.
"Lying in wait" under watchful eyes...
Week 10 brings an interesting mix of speculation and prognostication, with so many new faces at quarterback taking the reins. One player will be making his NFL debut, while another could start having been with his new team for less than a week. Someone would have to be psychic to make any kind of an accurate prediction for Week 10, but one thing is certain--while no one can be sure of how these players will perform, owners should have them on their radar.
Your Week 10 Players to watch....
Quarterbacks
Daunte Culpepper (DET).....incredibly, the Lions are hurting so bad at the quarterback position that recently signed Daunte Culpepper is currently working with the first team in practice and could start this Sunday. While the opinion of the organization is that Culpepper has looked good, it's hard to imagine that he could just step back on the field having missed so much time and play at a high level.
Fantasy owners should avoid drinking any of this Kool-Aid and take the wait-and-see approach, as it is difficult to imagine Culpepper contributing anything significant this soon.
Brady Quinn (CLE).....the Browns have made the change and the Quinn era has begun. While it was always speculated that at some point in the future Quinn would take over (sound familiar Arizona and Green Bay), the move may seem a bit sudden. The Browns have struggled, but it's hard to place all of the blame on Derek Anderson. That being said, the change could be a good thing. The offense has all of its weapons from last season and at 3-5 with nothing to lose, Quinn may be given a little more freedom to utilize his playmakers. Quinn offers and interesting appeal of risk versus reward and owners that have limited options may want to take a shot this week. However, if you can afford to be patient, you may want to hold off until Quinn shows you something.
Tyler Thigpen (KC).....while he is risky play right now, the recent play of quarterback Tyler Thigpen deserves some attention. Over the past two weeks, Thigpen has performed well against two defenses in the top 13. While he offers value as no more than a back-up in any league, he could be considered as a weekly flex option playing in the AFC West, depending on the match-up.
Wide Receivers
Derek Stanley (STL)....while Torry Holt reappeared in Week 9 with six catches, fantasy owners should not get too comfortable with the idea of returning Holt to their line up as a weekly start. Like the rookie Donnie Avery, another name to watch in St. Louis is wide receiver Derek Stanley, another high-flyer like Avery. Stanley was only targeted once in Week 9, with great results. While the jury may still be out on this one, with the Rams seemingly cleaning out their closet with injured receivers, Stanley definitely becomes one to watch.
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