Here are my possible player pickups for week 13. It’s not bursting at the seams with greatness but you never know what might be just under that next rock. There’s gold in them thar hills!
Quarterbacks:
There’s a pretty good crop of quarterbacks here that can help your team. You don’t want to go into the fantasy playoffs without a good backup And Dalton, Moore, Grossy and Orton have some good matchups come playoff time.
Vince Young: With a Thursday night game coming up against Seattle there is a good chance we won’t see Michael Vick back. Young will face a Seattle team that just gave up a big game to Rex Grossman and Young showed that he can take advantage of a good matchup when he threw for 400 yards against the Patriots.
Andy Dalton: Dalton continues to put up steady numbers even against good defenses. I really don’t know how widely owned he is so I’ll prepare myself for the “what’s this shit? Are you in a 2 team league? Come on you son of a polecat!” crowd. In the next two weeks he faces two tough defenses in the Steelers and Texans but weeks 15 and 16 he gets the juggernauts known as the Rams and the Cardinals. I’ll take those games with the Red Rifle at my side.
Matt Moore: He continues to get the ball to his best receiver which is good for his fantasy prospects and he also faces the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots weeks 15 and 16. He’s a great stash for those games in case your starter has a tough matchup, horrible weather or hurts his thumb plucking out a plum.
Rex Grossman: Grossman gets New England week 14 and Minnesota week 16 and just threw for 300 yards and a TD against the Seachickens. He can put up Grossmanesque games at anytime but with his free wheelin’ ways he also has good upside in plus matchups.
Kyle Orton: The Chiefs aren’t going to air it out a ton but with the ThreeBees, Bowe, Breaston and Baldwin, Orton will have some nice targets to work with. Orton isn’t afraid to throw a pick so he should open up the offense enough to have some value and he also gets the Packers and Raiders at home week’s 15 and 16. They have allowed the 6th and 4th most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
Caleb Hanie: Hanie is no savior but he showed an ability to get down the field using his legs and targeting Johnny Knox. In 2 QB leagues a starting quarterback of any skill level has value. See below.
T.J. Yates: Y.A. Tittle Jones Yates was rushed into duty (insert poo joke) and looked ok kinda sorda. There’s a decent chance that Yates might prove to be better than Leinart and if he can get on the same page as AJ could keep from having negative points. Watch out for them going after another QB but the Dolphins aren’t letting Sage Rosenfals go and Brett Favor is still retired.
Running Backs:
Kevin Smith and Roy Helu are my only must grabs this week. Of course Smith probably isn’t there but make sure you check. The other guys are a little scarier but running backs are always worth hoarding.
Kevin Smith: There is a chance that all the 2-4 week talk about Smith’s high ankle sprain made an owner drop him. If so you should pick him up. The news is that the sprain is milder than first rumored. We won’t know much until later this week but even if he doesn’t play this week (which there’s a good chance he won’t) he can still have value in the fake playoffs. And in those fake playoffs they get the Raiders and the Chargers who both have had trouble against the rush this season.
Roy Helu: It’s true, Shanahan is a moron, we know this, but we’ve got to move on. Helu had to beat it down his throat but I think he’s finally got it. Oh, and they have nobody else to go to. Yes Shanny might start a half-blind toad next week but I at least think he wants to win games so I’m going to say Helu will be the guy this time around. The Redskins don’t have an easy schedule against the run but it’s not a stone wall. Helu is my #1 pick up this week. Spit on Superman’s cape. Nick Novak into the wind.
Peyton Hillis: If he’s out there he is worth a pickup. He wants to prove himself and he was running very hard against Cincinnati but of course he is on a poor offense and has a brutal schedule coming up against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, ARIZONA!, Baltimore and Pittsburgh again! You want him for that Arizona game.
Maurice Morris: Morris’ value depends on Kevin Smith’s ankle but there’s a good chance Smith won’t be able to go against New Orleans and he could grab a bunch of dump offs like last week. He could be a nice PPR play.
Donald Brown: He’s proven he’s not a total scrub but his schedule and Joseph Addai make it hard for me to have much faith in him.
Marcel Reece: Reece is a very good receiver and has the skills to make things happen when he gets the ball. When/if Darren McFadden gets back he’ll lose value but until that day Reece is worth a filler flex play based on his upside alone.
Marion Barber: The Barbarian took waaaay too many touches away from my man Matt Forte and I sure hope this isn’t a trend but he’s getting goal line caries and it looks like they want him in there more with Hanie at the helm.
Joseph Addai: Addai looked rusty/old last week and Brown ran much better but you never know if Addai will get the nod once he gets up to speed.
Stash for lottery hopes:
Shane Vereen: Vereen has a ton of ability but will be hard pressed to get opportunities. But there is a decent chance depending on the playoff scenarios that he could be in line for a lot of work come week’s 16 and 17. And if you have a playoff game week 17 that makes guys like Vereen and the following guy worth a whole lot.
Brandon Saine: Saine has a lot of talent and of course he is the third running back (was the fourth before Green got hurt) for the Packers. I’m thinking the Pack may win the next 50 Super Bowls. There is a decent chance with Ryan Grant not playing well and James Starks hurting that we could see a lot of Saine toward the end of the season.
Johnny White: C.J. Spiller had a lot of trouble running between the tackles last week and there is a good chance we will see White at least get a tryout for that job. If he can be successful he could have some value late.
Da’rel Scott: This s a pipe dream but Scott is much more explosive than Brandon Jacobs or Danny Ware and Ahmad Bradshaw is MIA. No he’s not in Miami. Well, he may be. If Scott is available in a deep league and you have room to throw him on the bench and prepare to keep him there, do it.
Wide Receivers:
Johnny Knox has the most upside out of this group and Santana Moss the highest floor. After that it is a bit of a crapshoot. None of these guys are “spend all your free agent money” adds in my estimation.
Johnny Knox: Caleb Hanie targeted Knox 10 times which led to 4 receptions for 145 yards and a touchdown. There’s a good chance that Hanie ends up helping Knox to a big fat goose egg next week but if the targets are even close to 10 again he has a ton of upside.
Santana Moss: He’s old/seasoned. Grossman likes to chuck the rock. Gaffney and he both had 7 targets but Gaffney had a better game. I think Moss ends up on the good side of that comparison soon.
Lance Moore: I was high on Mr. Moore coming into the season but Jimmy Graham and Darren Sproles destroyed his value. But he does seem to find the end zone still and especially tonight while I’m writing this! I’m a little biased because I think he could be huge in this offense if he had a chance but he’ll remain inconsistent.
Doug Baldwin: With Sidney Rice getting his second concussion there s a chance we’ll see more of Doug E. Doug.
Riley Cooper: Cooper’s value depends on Maclin’s injury status but they play Thursday and it may still be too early for Maclin to return.
Jason Avant: Avant got a ton of garbage time looks but they were looks none the less.
Steve Breaston: This pickup is a preemptive Orton strike. Jon Baldwin may also see some Orton love but Breaston is most likely going to see an uptick in looks.
Deion Branch: He has had 4 games of 10 or more fantasy points which means he’s had 7 games of less. I’m staying away.
Tight Ends:
I kind of doubt these tight ends are available in your league except for Scott Chandler but if they are they are very good options.
Jermaine Gresham: In Gresham’s three games since returning from injury he has 2 touchdowns and you saw that fake football playoff schedule Andy Dalton has. Yeah, that’s also Mr. Gresham’s.
Brent Celek: Celek has had a nice revival this season. His numbers don’t look great but his 75 yards led all tight ends this week until Jimbo Graham beats that total tonight. Remember, not all tight ends are Robbie Grahamkowski.
Kellen Winslow: Winslow has a nice schedule since he gets to face the Panthers twice. They aren’t good against, well, anything.
Scott Chandler: Most of the season he’s only had the ability to catch touchdowns but thankfully now he’s not! Oh wait. I mean thankfully he is now catching more than one pass which means he’s getting more than one target!
D/ST
This chart here takes a look at D/ST matchups the rest of the season. It may help. It may not.
New England Patriots: Next week they get the Indianapolis Colts at home. The Colts still aren’t good.
Tennessee Titans: They get the Jaguars and Colts in week’s 15 and 16. I like them fantasy apples.