September 27, 2011

Week 4 Pickups

By: Gabriel Harber

It was business as usual this week in the NFL.  The Bolts edged out the Chiefs in a close one, the Colts took the Steelers down to the wire, and Tom Brady tossed 4 INT's. Wait...What!?

If week 3 left you scratching your head, don't worry, you're not alone. If you are looking for that one waiver wire pick up that is going to give you a W in week 4? That's what we're here for.

Antonio Brown:  This one is born of necessity more than anything else.  Anyone who watched Sunday's game against the Colts knows the offensive line has more holes in it than Kesha's clothing.  With the running game being non-existent, and Big Ben under constant pressure, the slot receievers stand to benefit a great deal.  Brown did, with a team high 8 targets.   He is also a great punt returner, so if your league uses return yardage, fire away.

Dane Sanzenbacher:  This one is more of a gut call than anything else, but when you go from relative unknown to catching TD passes in back-to-back weeks, you're bound to turn some heads.  It's been a long time since Chicago fans had a receiver to be excited about, and with Johnny Knox panning out as extraordinarily average, there is room for someone to steal the show.  Sanzenbacher may just end up being that guy.  It's worth noting that he had 5 catches on 7 targets.  If your league is PPR, you want to keep a close eye on him; think shades of Wes Welker.

Brandon Gibson:  Gibson has posted three weeks with respectable yardage totals, and even found the end zone this weekend.  Bradford clearly trusts him, and with the intermittent success he experienced in 2010, he could very well be stepping it up for real this time.

Jason Campbell:  Don't be fooled, the only reason he put up a stinker this weekend is because everyone in California got to sit back and watch the McFadden show.  With emerging weapons in Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford, and a two-headed monster in the backfield, Campbell has all the tools to work with he never had in Washington.  I'm sold.

Torrey Smith: He caught a long TD pass.  Then he caught another one, but for less yardage.  Then it happened again for less yardage.  Then he starts catching passes that aren't even for touchdowns.  I'm really concerned about the downward trend with this guy.......All jokes aside, a lot of people are down on this kid and I can't for the life of me tell why.  The Ravens have matchups against soft pass defenses for most of the season, and Lee Evans sure wasn't producing like this when he was on the field.  It will be interesting to see what happens from here on out, but I can't see the Ravens sitting idly on his talent.

Denarius Moore:  Darrius Heyward-Bey was back and guess what?  Moore thoroughly outplayed him, just as predicted, despite being listed behind him on the depth chart.  McFadden clearly stole the show, but Moore still had 6 targets and a rushing touchdown.  The score was particularly interesting given it was on a run, proving that the Raiders are committed to getting the ball to their playmakers any way possible.

David Nelson/Donald Jones:  As long as Buffalo's offense continues putting up numbers, these guys are worth a flier.  Nelson is a pass-catching monster, but he may already be gone.  Jones is a sneaky flex play in deeper leagues.

Kendall Hunter:  Hunter got most of the workload when Gore went down, and even flashed some brilliance.  With the 49ers looking for any way to generate offense, and Gore averaging only 2.51 yards per carry, Hunter will be given his fair shake.  If Gore can't go this weekend, Hunter is a must add against the Eagles putrid run defense.

Daniel Thomas: This one is a long shot, but I see Thomas still sitting on wires in quite a few leagues.  If you happen to be in one, burn that waiver priority right now!  This guy has all the makings to be the real deal, and it looks like the Dolphins have finally figured out that not only is Reggie Bush not a feature back, he's not even a running back.

Montario Hardesty: Every Hillis owner should be taking note as Hardesty didn't look that bad against a stout Miami run defense.  If Hillis goes down or begins wearing out, Hardesty would be up for an expanded role.  The 4.8 yards per carry was most impressive.

Eric Decker: Decker didn't post the eye popping numbers he did the week before, but still had 12 targets.  I'm willing to chalk this one up to the Titans secondary and as long as the Broncos are committed to feeding him, he remains a viable option.

Brandon Pettigrew/Titus Young:  While defensive coordinators everywhere draw up triple teams to slow Megatron down (hint: it won't work), the rest of the field is becoming wide open for Stafford and crew.  Pettigrew posted a huge game while Young had a fine game to the tune of 8 targets.  As long as the Motor City Massacre (my name for the Lions offense) continues on this pace, both are intriguing options.

James Casey: Super sneaky sleeper here.  Casey exploded from nowhere onto the scene Sunday and was a nightmare for the Saints defense.  He lined up at running back, wide receiver, and tight end, creating matchup problems all day.  Because of his flexibility and knack for getting open, I believe the Texans will be looking for more ways to get him the ball.

Victor Cruz: This one's tough because on one hand, he did have 2 TD's, but on the other hand he only 3 receptions on 5 targets.  For now I say monitor the status of Manningham and Nicks.  If they're out, Cruz makes a decent flex play.
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Gabe is the newest addition to TheFFAddict.com. He will be writing a pickup article every week so check that out. You can also shoot him any questions on Twitter and you can also check out his blog.

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