Riding the Waivers for Week 4

How about them replacement refs? They are the talk of the town, and for good reason. The refs in the Seahawks-Packers game really blew it. You can’t really blame them, though. They were given an opportunity to ref at the NFL level. Would you not accept that opportunity if you were in their shoes? That is why I can’t stand when people get angry at the actual officials.

It would be like a career minor leaguer hitting .240 in Single-A getting called up to the Major Leagues. Would you expect him to perform like a top prospect who was hittting .340 in Double-A, at the age of 19? Of course not. You wouldn’t get mad at that player, either. You would blame all the people responsible for allowing him to be in that position. Sorry if I lost you on that baseball analogy. Lets look at this with the glass half full, there is no way the real refs aren’t back on the field within two weeks.

Putting all the ref controversy aside, let’s take a look at some players that can help you in week 4. Last week I told you to get Andre Brown, Mikel LeShoure, Buffalo Defense, and Martellus Bennett. Let’s see if I can repeat that kind of success in week 4. As always, these players must be available in over 50% of Yahoo! Leagues:

Christian Ponder – MIN @ DET (14% Owned)
Ponder has been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL so far. It looks like he actually made adjustments in the offseason, and it shows in his completion percentage. Now he gets a legitimate deep threat added with Jerome Simpson returning from suspension. Then, look at the matchup against Detroit. The Lions just gave up nearly 400 yards to Jake Locker, including six plays of 20 yards or more. After putting on a clinic against the stout 49ers defense, the Lions will be like playing against High Schoolers.

Jerome Simpson – MIN @ DET (11% Owned)
You like-a-the juice? You want more juice? I’ll give you more juice. The Juice is back, and ready to save the abysmal corps of receivers in Minnesota. Simpson is back from suspension and will immediately take the deep threat role that Minnesota was desparately lacking. With an improved Ponder and soft matchup vs. Detroit, Simpson should make an immediate impact.

Leonard Hankerson – WAS @ TB (6% Owned)
Hankerson got the promotion into #1 receiver while Garcon was out last game. He didn’t do anything fascinating but he was on the field more than any other Redskin receiver in week 3. With RGIII at the helm, that should mean the best is yet to come. If Garcon is active in week 4, then Hankerson may not be worth starting, but he will still be worth owning. Hankerson has a lot of upside, especially in this offense. Take a flyer.

Jacquizz Rodgers – ATL vs. CAR (47% Owned)
A lot of owners are giving up on Rodgers, but now is the time to buy on the young Falcon. Prior to week 3 the snap % distribution on offense was 62/38 in favor Turner. In week 3, Rodgers was on the field for 47% of the snaps while Turner was only on the field for 44%. Look for Rodgers role to keep increasing as the season goes on. If someone already gave up on Rodgers, you better snag him up now.

Ryan Williams – ARI vs. MIA (37% Owned)
All you need to know here is that Beanie Wells is the other running back in the equation. The Cardinals should have a lead against the Dolphins this week, allowing Williams to get plenty of touches. Should be owned in most leagues by now.

Kyle Rudolph – MIN @ DET (40% Owned)
Both Josh and I have been touting Rudolph all year, and he has certainly not disappointed. Simpson is now in the equation, but that doesn’t mean Ponder won’t still look for his security blanket, Rudolph, when he gets in a pickle. There is no way Rudolph should be unowned in 60% of leagues.

Arizona Defense vs. Miami (44% Owned)
This is a defensive streamer’s dream come true. A Top 10 defense facing a terrible rookie QB, a banged up running back, at home. Tannehill should be good for at least two turnovers. Other good options that are widely available this week are Miami, Dallas and St. Louis.

==Last Week’s Recap==
Russell Wilson – The International man of Controversy didn’t really do much, but he ended up with an OK stat line. I called for 235, 2 TD and an INT. Instead we got 130 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, with an asterisk. Not great but depending on your leagues scoring he probably outscored Eli Manning, Mike Vick, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Phillip Rivers and Cam Newton. This performance dropped his ownership from 29% to 25%.
Brandon LaFell – The Panthers were embarassed by the Giants on Thursday night, but people are still starting to realize LaFell’s upside. Even after one catch for 27 yards, his ownership rose from 36% to 58%.
Laurent Robinson – Robinson left the game early with what appears to be a concussion, or something like a concussion. Not much you can do about that. Ownership dropped from 44% to 40%.
Mikel LeShoure – Fantasy Football is often won by anticipation. Here at Future of Fantasy, we strive to bring you the future before it happens. Last week I said “LeShoure could be the feature back in Detroit a lot sooner than you realize.” That really escalated quickly, didn’t it? Kevin Smith has basically disappeared off the depth chart within a week. LeShoure is the man in Detroit now, ownership rose from 37% to 58%.
Andre Brown – Last week I said Brown would be a good one-two week filler. However, I did not expect 130 total yards and two touchdowns. Hopefully you listened to me last week, and now you have a great bargaining chip to use against Bradshaw owners. Ownership rose from 14% to 66%.
Martellus Bennett – The rest of the nation is coming around on what our writer, Josh Hill, has been saying all year. Bennett is now on pace for 990 yards and 16 TD. His ownership also raised from 38% to 76% after last week.
Buffalo Defense – Held the Browns to 14 points with 4 sacks and 2 INTs, which is pretty solid in most fantasy scoring formats.