Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints Week 9 NFL Pick

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints Week 9 NFL Pick: I think this is one of the best games of the weekend, and that belief alone has me taking the Buccaneers and all those lovely points. Both teams are solid, and while the Saints seem to be the better team, it wouldn’t surprise me one single bit if the Buccos got the best of the Saints for the 2nd time this season. That being said, I expect the Saints to pull this one out at home.

But nine points? NINE? Good lord that’s a lot of points for two teams that play lots of close games. Tampa Bay’s gotten the best of the Saints in 3 of their last 4 match-ups. That’s probably worth nine points right there. Also, LeGarrette Blount is coming back this week, and big backs have given the Saints a little trouble.

The Bucs are coming off a bye week, not having played since their 6 point loss to the Chicago Bears in England. They did play decent football coming into the bye, beating the Saints and sticking close to a tough Bears team. They are 4-3 for a reason and have beaten the Falcons and the Saints already this year. The bye week really could have helped them a ton as they were pretty dinged up coming home from the country of beans and toast.

Josh Freeman and Mike Williams haven’t teamed up to do much damage this season, but that relationship will find itself again soon. A couple weeks to get that timing back? That might be just what the youngsters needed.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+9) @ New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Minnesota Vikings Free Pick

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Minnesota Vikings Free Pick: Neither the Vikings nor the Bucs plan on starting the season 0-2, but one of them will surely end week 2 without a win. I think these teams are fairly even, the Bucs a little younger and more athletic, the Vikings a little older and savvier. Both teams have a punishing back and want to run it. The Bucs, they’re not afraid to take chances. From what I’ve seen from Minnesota, I’m not sure they’re ready to go out and take football games. They want to lull their opponent into a loss. I think Tampa Bay’s good enough to go out and take a game that Minnesota is trying not to lose.

The Vikings certainly have the make-up to throw the ball around and use that playaction pass more frequently. But their 3rd down draws from last week, and the receivers dropping the ball a little bit, that just doesn’t excite me.

Minnesota will try and try to run the ball, and Tampa will be ready for that – will they shut down AP? Probably not, but I think they do enough to get a win in a close contest. In a close contest, I’ll take Josh Freeman – he looks good when it matters most.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3) @ Minnesota Vikings

Detroit Lions @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 1 NFL Pick

Detroit Lions @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 1 NFL Pick: I don’t know if I’m conducting the hype-train rolling through Detroit, but I can certainly understand why they have the attention of some people in the know. Defensively they’ve gotten better, if only because they are older and now have some solid talent at corner. They had a pretty good draft but that only looks good on paper because both their 1st and 2nd round picks won’t be playing come Sunday. Injuries are a real beach. Offensively they should be better as well with another year for what is basically an entire returning unit. Calvin Johnson is one of the best WRs in the game and Jahvid Best, while not a consistent runner, is bound to make some huge plays each week. Yes, there’s a lot to like.

But to make them an even bet on the road against an equally as young and impressive Tampa Bay team coming off a 10-win season? That seems a little ridiculous, now doesn’t it? Josh Freeman has proven to be all the Bucs could have dreamed of when they drafted him three years ago. Coming into his 2nd full season at the helm in Tampa, Freeman looks the part and has a confident glow about him – a natural leader. That could take these Bucs a long way.

I like both these young teams and anything can happen on Sunday, but every ounce of value rests with Tampa here. At home, even, and somehow the public is 60/40 in favor of the road team. The “experts” are 80% in favor of the Lions – it’s basically me and Herman Moore than believe in Detroit. That’s how I like it!

Detroit Lions @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (pk)

Good, Better, Best: 2011 NFL Fantasy Draft Kit

Good, Better, Best

It’s time. Drafts are really starting to get serious as the preseason winds down. Some of the preseason action has given us reason to believe in the unheralded youngsters while there have been some serious stars absent enough for the fantasy folks to start worrying. Do you draft Peyton Manning the same spot you would have with his injury uncertainty? How about Maurice Jones Drew and his knee dilemma? Are handcuffs more important now? I’m not here to draw out all the scenarios, the answers to all the questions, but I’ve definitely come across some differences in opinion.

The mother ship, ESPN, is the biggest fantasy center around. So I like to use their rankings/projections as a common stomping ground. In this article, I’ll take three players that I like, players that I think are fairly even, put them in projection order from good to best, list their ESPN ranking next to their name, and explain which guys I like better than the others. I’d give you an example, but I might as well just get down to business. Hopefully this helps on draft day.

Peyton Manning (5), Philip Rivers (3), Tom Brady (4): In our tiered rankings, it’s Manning ahead of Rivers, but the preseason has shown me a couple things. One, I’m worried about the Colts. They have been nothing short of pathetic in two preseason games, and while they usually stink in that area, and while they always stink with Manning out, it still scares me. Then Manning’s injury question marks are there too. Rivers and Brady are starting in Week 1, I like them more. I’m taking Brady over Rivers not because he has more weapons or his team is that much better – I just think the coaching staff in New England is better. I expect Ryan Matthews to run it a little more this season – and like clockwork, I expect Brady to continue to huck it. The Patriots are setting up for an amazing season. I expect great things from Tom.

Matt Ryan (11), Josh Freeman (10), Matthew Stafford (17): Listen, I’m not here to play the what if game. I know Stafford has been injury prone and Matt Ryan has been proclaimed the next great arm. I know the Freeman has only begun to come into his own, and that many people expect a step backwards. I know that Ryan comes with “no risk” and a loaded machine gun clip of weapons (Roddy White, Julio Jones, Tony Gonzalez, Michael Turner) but I don’t know – I just expect him to be the same, maybe even a small step back this season. I think Freeman stays the same, and I may be shooting for the moon with Stafford loans, but hey, if Matthew stays healthy, he’s going to be reeling in the touchdowns!

DeAngelo Williams (16), Legarrette Blount (25), Ryan Matthews (22): Let’s not get crazy here, I don’t hate DeAngelo or think that Blount will take a step back  – nope, in fact, I think all three of these guys are GREAT VALUE on draft day. I was just in a draft in a good league where Matt Forte went for $30 and Matthews went for $15 – I’d be stunned if they are not within a few points of each other by season’s end. I was the same guy that wasn’t crazy about Matthews last year – but he looked like a star to me, especially late. Blount is a beast. That pretty much says it all, but hopefully he stays true to the task. I think Williams is a top-notch running back, and while J-Stew still sits in Carolina, the Panthers brass obviously thought Williams was #1 material. They paid him like he is. I think he’ll be better than many expect, but not compared to Blount and Matthews. All 3 will be in the top 20, but not in ESPN’s order.

Willis McGehee (44), Ben Tate (81), Roy Helu Jr.(62): In my tiered rankings I have Helu above McGehee above Tate, but I think I’ve moved Helu Jr. ahead of Tate based off his chances to be the man where he’s at. I think Tate is the most talented, but talent doesn’t always go with upside in fantasy football. If Helu Jr. gets the nod in Washington he has the size, speed, and running style to flourish in a Shanahan scheme. Of the three he’s the closest to a starting gig. Tate looks like a stud to me, but Arian Foster is a stud. Best handcuff out there? Possibly. The reason I go Tate over McGehee is upside. Willis certainly has something left, and Moreno hasn’t been too impressive, so it’s possible he gets a big chunk of carries – but I don’t see greatness in the cards, and drafting late I’m all about upside!

Dwayne Bowe (10), DeSean Jackson (13), Vincent Jackson (12): I’m not crazy about Bowe. I get scared when a guy gets most of his fantasy points in 5 games smack dab in the middle of the season and completely disappears against top corners. What he has going for him is that he’s a beast and the defenses going up against the Chiefs are worrying about him after that rushing attack. He gets the ball, he makes a guy miss, there’s not much back there to stop him. But he’s a distant third in this group. DeSean Jackson has a ton of upside, but he’s a scary WR sometimes. He is a ghost in some games, plus he’s playing this season with a frown on his face because of his salary size. I still think he’s an upgrade from Bowe, but he’s no Vincent. VJ should get back into the Top 8 this season. He’s a freak of nature and Philip Rivers will go to him 1st. With a decent rushing attack and a TE that everyone has to look out for, Jackson will get his best season in the books!

Need some more projections? Check out my TIERED RANKINGS!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints Point Spread Pick

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints Point Spread Pick: The Buccos set out to get 10 wins, and despite the Saints’ hopes to win big and watch the Falcons lose so they could walk away with a bye, those chances are slim and none and slim just ate an entire pizza, a cheese steak sandwich, and a power bar – morphing him into fat chance. Bad? Yeah, I thought so. But hey, sometimes you just have to go with it. Fat chance being considered, I actually think the Bucs have more to play for here. They could actually walk away with a playoff spot if Green Bay lost to Chicago (possible) and the New York Giants lost to Washington (NY losing to anybody, possible) – so we’re not just talking about 10 wins here, we’re talking about a possible playoff spot. Big.

The Bucs have played so many close games this season I don’t know how anybody could see value in giving them 9.5 points. The Saints still haven’t played all that well, which just reinforces my value assessment.

Josh Freeman gets better and better, and the more the Bucs give the ball to LeGarrette Blount, the better their offense becomes. He’s a beast, and I know he’ll be looking to blow up some linebackers on his way to the end-zone. If the Falcons/Panthers game gets out of hand, the Saints could very possibly pull a good chunk of their starting unit, making the Bucs an even better bet to cover.

I just don’t get the 9.5 – I know the last time these two teams went at it, the Saints destroyed the Bucs, but that was 10 games ago, and the Bucs have become a much more complete team since then. Tampa has one loss by double digits this season – one. I don’t see them doubling that this week.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+9.5) @ New Orleans Saints

Week 13 Waiver Wire Pick-Ups: Waiver Wire Warriors 2010

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pick-Ups: Week 13 Waiver Wire Warriors

Talk about some big time pick-ups. Mike Goodson continues to show us that he should be owned. Matt Cassel against the Hawks – I hope you jumped on that bandwagon last week, I know I benefited. There were just so many good pick-ups last week that went out there and proved they should be owned in more than 50% of leagues. With the playoffs just around the way, it’s time to get your team right for the stretch run. Here’s this week’s Waiver Wire Warriors article…

Papa wants to answer your questions, send them to PAPAWEIMER50@hotmail.com – he’ll answer and if it’s good (or if he gets off his lazy rump to copy and paste the interaction), post your stuff in his weekly “Ask Papa Weimer” spot. Here goes Waiver Wire Warriors for Week 11.

(Our WWW pick-ups are limited to guys owned in under 50%. Each writer ranks their Top 6. I’m also going to give you my “Pull The Trigger” area for guys that are obvious pick-ups and still owned in less than 70% of fantasy leagues. And there’s going to be an area called “End It Already” for guys that I consider drop-worthy, or try to trade now-worthy, regardless of their %-Owned.)

Top Waiver Wire Pick-Ups

Top Waiver Wire Pick-Ups (Week 13)

Ryan Kauffman	Josh Arsenault	Papa Weimer	Lucky Lester	Nate B. Kuhns
Matt Cassel	Brian Westbrook	Sam Bradford	Matt Cassel	Brian Westbrook
Jon Kitna	Tashard Choice	Matt Cassel	Kerry Collins	Toby Gerhart
Mike Goodson	Toby Gerhart	Mike Goodson	Sam Bradford	Jacoby Ford
Maurice Morris	Troy Smith	Brian Hartline	Brian Westbrook	Shaun Hill
Ben Obamanu	Legedu Naanee	Toby Gerhart	Eddie Royal	Nate Burleson
Brian Westbrook	TB Bucs D/ST	Brandon Petitgrew	Davone Bess	Matt Cassel

Pull The Trigger

Josh Freeman – (56% Owned): All there is to say is Atlanta then Washington, Detroit, Seattle for Fantasy playoffs…. wowser.

Kerry Collins- (.8% owned): If you’re in a bind this week, and you don’t have a sure thing at QB, take a chance on this guy and hope for a big day. Here’s the deal, he was healthy enough to be the #2 last week, so he’ll almost surely play this week. The Titans play the Jags, bad pass defense. Randy Moss can still do some damage, and Kerry can still throw it far.

Matt Cassel – (49.5% owned): Cassel made me look great last week, how about one more time against the Denver-doodles? The Broncos can’t seem to get anything right on defense, and Cassel should have them paying close attention to the run – that’s where guys get wide open, and Matt has been drilling them lately. Good play here.

Sam Bradford – (31% Owned): Stud. Had his best passing day of his short career last week and Arizona is on the schedule next week. I don’t expect 333 yards again, but those passes that Troy Smith just missed on during Monday Night Football, Bradford hits those – and those are touchdowns.

Brian Westbook – (12% Owned): Gore is out for the season, Westbrook looked very good (though it was against the Cardinals’ corpses, but still). Westy does a lot of good things, and in an offense that loves the dump down, his receiving skills could really pay dividends.

Eddie Royal (40% Owned): Demaryius Thomas wasn’t atop the depth chart or anything, but with him out there’s more snaps for other receivers. Aside from Lloyd, Royal is one of the best playmakers on the team, he could be a good weapon against KC’s pass defense that can let receivers loose from time to time.

Davone Bess (25% Owned): We have Marshall out with an injury, and vagitas so Bess is the man. He proved he could be with 6 grabs for over 100 yards last week. This week the Dolphins play the Browns, so big plays could be in the cards, especially in the 4th quarter when Cleveland quits tackling.

Brandon Petitgrew (42% Owned): Consistent double digits – can you ask for more from your TE?

Anthony Dixon (3% Owned): Westbrook is obviously the lead back, but Dixon runs very hard, is a big boy, and Westbrook hasn’t been the beacon of health throughout his career – and he’s older these days.

Danny Amendola (27% owned): I hate to beat a dead horse (or a live one for that matter) but Amendola puts up points every week, and there’s plenty of guys that don’t (Randy Moss owners say “I”).

Joel Dreessen (3.7% Owned): Laugh all you want, but he’s outperforming 90% of owned fantasy TEs over the last 4 games. 11, 2, 20, 10 – Those are his points over the last 4 weeks, only a handful of guys are much better than him over that span. Tamme and Gronkowski – everyone else is below him or within 4 points of him. He’s been better than Olsen, Witten, Marcedes, Shiancoe, Hernandez, Miller, Moeaki, Watson, and he has about 30 more points than Vernon Davis over that time.

End It Already

Last week I said park it to Roy Williams (who was crap except for one long catch that he fumbled to seal the deal for the Cowboys), McNabb (who produced another 12 pointer in week 12 – hey, jinx), Ricky Williams (who blew up on a long run to total near 100, sorry), Clinton Portis (who ended up going on IR), and the Vikings (who had their 2nd best fantasy outing of the year) who I still wouldn’t trust with a butter knife. Here are this week’s drops…

Frank Gore (100% Owned): After seeing Gore come back in, give it a shot, and look like he was a smile away from coming back in at any moment throughout the 1st half, I can’t believe the guy broke his hip. But that’s the news, and out for the year is also the news, and fantasy owners crying follows.

Donovan McNabb (79% Owned): On the road against the Cowboys and Jaguars for two likely fantasy playoff weeks keeps him somewhat keepable – but I wouldn’t play him until then, and even there, he’s had 3 games over 20 points all season long – but he consistently hits double digits, if that’s all you’re looking for from your starting QB, by all means, keep him in there, coach!

Marion Barber (63% Owned): Barber hurt his leg and is supposedly out for two weeks. That is the time in which Tashard Choice will probably come in and show that he’s a better option, and keeping Barber for the playoffs seems like an oxymoron, anyway. Go ahead and use that roster space on someone else!

Bernard Berrian (49% Owned): No reason to, even though he’s not healthy, even if he was – Rice is back and Harvin is explosive, and Berrian is forgettable.

A couple guys WE think should be owned in ALL LEAGUES….

Mike Tolbert (88%) Josh Freeman (56%) Jonathan Stewart 66%) Sidney Rice (53%)  Brandon Petitgrew (42%)

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pick & and Preview

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pick & and Preview: There’s no excitement in taking the Bucs as a 6.5 point favorite. This team has won 5 games this year, so I don’t doubt their ability to come out victorious, they just happen to be the cardiac kids of the NFL this season. Of their 5 wins (against the likes of NFL Super Teams: Arizona, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Carolina, and Cleveland) the Buccaneers have won only one of those games by more than 3 points. One. Who did that win come against? Yes, you guessed it, Carolina. So will we see a repeat performance from these two teams?

Maybe. Remember, it was Carolina winning the yardage battle in Week 2 of the season at home. The panthers out-rushed the Bucs in what was a very ugly game. That was the game where Matt Moore was benched for Jimmy Clausen, and basically when the Panthers’ brass admitted the season was over. Josh Freeman only completed half his passes, and the Bucs hardly found any room to rush, finishing with less than 90 yards on 34 carries.

Still, how can you not go for the Buccaneers here? They’ve played some of the best teams in the NFL down to the one-yard line. They have found a little strength on the ground over the last few games and they still have a young quarterback and a young receiver that can make plays all over the football field.

With the injuries mounting in Carolina, the questions become even tougher for the Panthers’ coaches to answer – how will they move the ball? Who will run? Who will take pressure off Steve Smith? If DeAngelo and Stewart are both out, will this team just melt? Maybe. The biggest injury that nobody talks about is Jeff Otah, out all season long thus far, the team just isn’t the same rushing force without him in the line-up.

I think the only play here is Tampa Bay – a team that really struggles to blow teams out, but always finds a way to beat the teams they should.

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6.5)

Week 10 Waiver Wire Pick Ups: Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Warriors

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pick-Ups: Week 10 Waiver Wire Warriors

If you want some proof of our work, check last week’s Waiver Wire Warriors article where we advised the masses that “Mike Wiliams-TB (56%), Steve Johnson (51%), Davonne Bess (51%) Josh Freeman (26%) and Sam Bradford (28%) should be owned in all leagues.” As it just so happens to be, every single one of those guys (aside from Sam I am, because he was on bye) produced starter-worthy stat-lines. Steve Johnson was the #5 WR with 11 grabs for 145 yards. Mike Williams was the #16 WR with 4 grabs for 89 yards and a touchdown. Davone Bess didn’t light it up, but 5 grabs for 50 yards made him startable as teh 30th WR for Week 9. And Freeman put up 17 fantasy points, good for 14th amongst QBs. Believe! And that’s just the beginning, because if you listened to me about James Jones you probably got a huge day from a rarely owned WR, and the same can be said for guys that listened to Josh and Nate about Jacob Tamme – dude put up monster stats in Dallas Clark’s spot- I think it’s a trend. Here’s this week’s WWW!

Papa wants to answer your questions, send them to PAPAWEIMER50@hotmail.com – he’ll answer and if it’s good, post your stuff in his weekly “Ask Papa Weimer” sections. Here goes Waiver Wire Warriors for Week 10.

(We are switching our WWW article from guys under 20% owned in ESPN leagues to guys owned in under 50%. Don’t worry, we’ll still have some low-level guys to pick-up, we just don’t want to leave out obvious options. Just like the weekly fantasy rankings, each writer ranks their Top 5. I’m also going to give you my “Pull The Trigger” area for guys that are obvious pick-ups and still owned in less than 70% of fantasy leagues. And there’s going to be an area called “End It Already” for guys that I consider drop-worthy, or try to trade now-worthy, regardless of their %-Owned.)

Top Waiver Wire Pick-Ups

Top Waiver Wire Pick-Ups (Week 10)

Ryan Kauffman	Josh Arsenault	Papa Weimer	Lucky Lester	Nate B. Kuhns
Sam Bradford	Colt McCoy	Davone Bess	David Garrard	Sidney Rice
Jon Kitna	David Garrard	Jabar Gaffney	Shaun Hill	Mario Manningham
Mike Hart	Jimmy Graham	Nate Washington	Sam Bradford	Mike Goodman
Marcel Reece	Arrelious Benn	Sidney Rice	Nate Burleson	Brian Hartline
Sidney Rice	Tashard Choice	Ryan Fitzpatrick	Mike Goodman	Mohamed Massaquoi
Nate Burleson	Sam Bradford	Blair White	Josh Freeman	Sam Bradford

I cut off everyone from picking up guys going into that players’ bye week, so James Jones won’t be seen on anybody’s list and neither will any other Packers, Saints, Raiders, or Chargers… I’ll list a couple guys we’re interested off of those teams below.

Bye Week guys that could be solid pick-ups (We all think picking up VJ is a good idea, Vincent Jackson 52% owned, Arse and Papa both like Jacoby Ford .1%, James Jones 5.4% owned, Arse likes Jimmy Graham .1% owned, and then there is Seyi Ajirotutu – if Charger receivers still aren’t ready after the bye, keep him on your minds)

Pull The Trigger

Steve Breaston - (53% owned): Breaston didn’t have a great week to follow up his big performance two weeks ago, but he still has a lovely schedule in the next four games, going up against Seattle’s little corners the KC, San Francisco, and St, Louis. He could have a nice little stretch there if Derek Anderson can complete at least 50% of his passes.

Steve Johnson (64% Owned): Steve jumped another 13% in ownership this week, making that nearly 40% more people owning the top Buffalo WR. Something tells me that next week he won’t be under 70% owned, making him unavailable for this list. Still, what’s not to like? Now with Roscoe Parrish out, Steve will likely see even a couple more targets per game. Fitzpatrick has been the best thing Buffalo WRs have had going in years – take advantage and get Steve if he’s there to be got.

Josh Freeman (43% Owned): Aside from his elite consistency (another 17 point week in Week 9 means he’s finished with 17 points or more in 6 games this season) Freeman has one hell of a playoff schedule, and you know the Bucs aren’t going to be “resting their starters” come playoff time. All Josh has done is be one of the most consistent sophomore QBs in some time. Can you say Washington, Detroit, and Seattle? That’s money right there. That’s like no lines at 6 flags, like free gummy bears for life, like double pay-checks – it’s good.

Mario Manningham (49% Owned): Just 4 catches for 56 yards last week, but Manningham is basically good for that just about every week. He didn’t score any fantasy points in Week 4 and Week 5, but he’s been good for 12, 20, 13, 14, 13, and 9 in those other 6 weeks – ain’t nothing wrong with that.

Nate Burleson (26% Owned): Nate has been doing work if you haven’t noticed. He had his best week as a Lion in Detroit’s tight loss to the Jets, doing work on that famed Jets secondary, going for 113 yards and a touchdown on 7 catches. That’s 24 catches for 210+ yards and 3 touchdowns over the last 4 games. He’s scored 15 or more fantasy points in 3 of those 4 games.

David Garrard (26% Owned): David played awesome coming off a week off when he and the Jags visited Dallas a week after he sat due to injury. Well, after another week off (his bye) Garrard plays the chronically poor Houston Texans secondary where he might just have another huge game. If you need a good week from a guy, going with DG for Week 10 might be a great option.

Sidney Rice (31% Owned): Sidney is a huge pick up right now. He could be playing as early as next week, and he could be playing a lot in 2 to 3. That kind of possibly production, really high upside, is worth stashing right now. Go. Stash. Hurry!

Blair White: With Collie out he could be a solid fill-in. Brian Hartline: At least 4 catches for 40+ yards in 5 of his last 6 games. Shaun Hill: Had 27, 11, 27, and 23 fantasy points in the 4 games he started and finished for the Lions this year – sees Buffalo, Dallas, and New England in the next 3, not really shut down secondaries – if he starts he could be great for you.

End It Already

Deion Branch (52% Owned): It may be his hamstring, it may be that once defenses realized they actually had to guard him now that Tom Brady was throwing the ball, but I don’t Branch having an upside over 5 grabs for 50 yards the rest of the season.

Marion Barber (69% Owned): Have you had enough yet? Only 3% of you cut Barber last week. It’s time. Take your chance on a guy like Hightower, Woodhead, Mike Goodson, even Tashard Choice (at least we don’t know what he’s going to do, yet). I’ve always been a big MBIII fan, but he’s lost something and I don’t see him finding it this season.

Lance Moore (82% Owned): Okay, last chance, it’s either hold on to him and hope his value doesn’t take a huge hit with Bush’s return, or find some owner that thinks Moore is going to continue his production (that’s foolish, but you never know).

Steve Smith (CAR) (97% Owned): Can you drop him? Probably not – but it wouldn’t be as crazy as it seems. Look at the numbers – are Tony Pike and Jimmy Claussen going to get the ball to SS enough to make him fantasy worthy down the 2nd half of the trail? I don’t think so, do you? Find somebody who does, or maybe it’s best not to rely on Steve at all – bench him (at least) until you find out he can produce with the guy throwing the ball.

Kenny Britt (68% Owned): If it’s a deep league, hold on just in case. In fact, hold on until further notice unless you can get top dollar for Britt. Kenny is rumored to be out 6-8 weeks, aka the rest of meaningful fantasy football. If you have an IR spot in your league, go ahead, stick Kenny there, but if you don’t and you need guys, it might be best to cut your losses and pick up another up and coming WR.

A couple guys WE think should be owned in ALL LEAGUES….

Brett Favre (77%) Steve Johnson (64%) Davone Bess (31%) Vincent Jackson (52%) Sidney Rice (31%)

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pick-Ups: Week 9 Waiver Wire Warriors

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pick-Ups: Week 9 Waiver Wire Warriors: Well, team LuckyLester hit a couple right on the head in our 1st Waiver Wire Warrior s article. The new addition to our weekly writings was a big hit, not only in mass readership, but in the production our pick-ups gave owners this week. Of course we’re not going to nail every waiver pick-up, but certainly those of you who grabbed LaGarrette Blount, Danny Woodhead, Steve Johnson, Davone Bess, Brandon Tate, or Brandon Pettitgrew all ended up with touchdowns and more for your Week 8 match-up. Hopefully we can give you some more pearls of wisdom for Week 9.

Remember, if you have any fantasy football questions, and want to get them answered by Papa Weimer himself, send your questions to PAPAWEIMER50@hotmail.com – you’re bound to get something informative at the very least. Here goes Waiver Wire Warriors for Week 9.

(Our Waiver Wire analysis, and top pick-ups, will be limited to guys that are under 20% owned in ESPN leagues. That means the guys we suggest should be available in about 80% of fantasy leagues out there and should help you out. Just like the weekly fantasy rankings, each guy agreed to give their Top 5 (even though we play in the same leagues together and that might be considered top-secret information). I’m also going to give you my “Pull The Trigger” area for guys that are obvious pick-ups and still owned in less than 60% of fantasy leagues. And there’s going to be an area called “End It Already” for guys that I consider drop-worthy, or try to trade now-worthy, regardless of their %-Owned.)

Top Waiver Wire Pick-Ups

Top Waiver Wire Pick-Ups (For Week 9)

Ryan Kauffman	Josh Arsenault	Papa Weimer	Lucky Lester	Nate B. Kuhns
Troy Smith	LeGarrette Blount	Jordy Nelson	LeGarrette Blount	Anthony Gonzalez
LeGarrette Blount	Rams D/ST	LeGarrette Blount	James Jones	Darrius Heyward-Bey
Mike Hart	Jordy Nelson	Jason Campbell	Patrick Crayton	Jacob Tamme
Jason Campbell	Damian Williams	Roscoe Parrish	Mike Thomas	Mike Hart
Brandon Tate	Troy Smith	Patrick Crayton	Brandon Gibson	Josh Freeman
Patrick Crayton	Jacob Tamme	Brandon Tate	Troy Smith	LeGarrette Blount

I like James Jones while nobody else does. This is my thinking. At the #2 this week or the #3 (behind Jordy Nelson) whichever he plays, he’s still going to get plenty of looks. James has huge play potential, and with Finley out for the season and Driver hobbled and likely at least out for this week, Jones should be in line for some solid looks in Week 9. Their thinking could be his zero catches last week against New York. We all dig LeGarrette Blount, still, obviously – we liked him last week and he did some big things in Week 8  – he’s a beast and you never know, he might just punch you in the face. I’ve always liked Troy Smith and I’m willing to bet he holds onto the job even when Alex Smith comes back – so if you’re in a deep league, he might be a nice pick-up for you.

Pull The Trigger

Mike Williams -TB (58% owned): I can’t believe it, but the masses don’t think like I do. Weird. What do I mean? I listed this guy at the top of my list for cats you should pick up and hurry, and he dropped a percentage this week. So what did he do? Oh, just score again, on a big time play – so what is this, his 5th double digit fantasy day as a WR, and his 2nd 20+ point game already this season. Just pick him up already, Roy Williams and Deion Branch owners…

Steve Johnson (51% Owned): Steve jumped more than 36 percentage points in ownership this week, and for good reason. Still, he’s owned in just half of leagues out there (well a percentage over half, but you get me). You can’t get him in all your leagues, but this guy is probably a better option than Donald Driver, Roy Williams, and Braylon Edwards moving forward – I’m not saying drop those 3 guys immediately, but find room for Steve -he has a touchdown in 5 straight now, and 5 or more catches in each of his last 3 games. Ryan Fitzpatrick likes his style, and so should you.

Josh Freeman (26% Owned): All Josh has done is be one of the most consistent sophomore QBs in some time. I know that “consistent” isn’t fantasy-speak for “sexy” but hey, what more can you ask for from your #2 QB than what Freeman is dealing out every single week? For being 26% owned, it’s crazy how solid he’s been. Only once this season has Freeman finished under 14 points (against Pittsburgh, give him a break), and already 5 times he’s finished with 18 points or more. Sure, he hasn’t scored more than 20, but what do you want from your fantasy guys (especially #2 QBs)? Do you want a guy that gets 26 then 4 then 22 then 8? No thanks, I’ll take 15 every week, and that’s what Freeman gives you, except it’s usually 18.

Davone Bess (31% Owned): Bess jumped 12% from last week, but he’s still owned in just under 1/3 of fantasy leagues. If it’s being the #3 receiver that worries you, he just took the #2 spot from Brian Hartline. The bottom line here is that Bess is the biggest play guy opposite Brandon Marshall, and BM gets most of the coverage and attention so Bess should continue to capitalize.

Jabar Gaffney (54% Owned): Not a flashy player by any means, but you could do a lot worse than a WR play for 4 catches and 50 yards at it’s lowest total. Because that’s what Gaffney has (at the very least) in each of his last 6 games. He has just 1 TD on the season, and he rarely gets above 14 fantasy points (just twice) but as far as sure thing numbers go, for a fill in guy, he’s a pretty solid bet.

End It Already

Deion Branch (71% Owned): Honestly, I know he came in and rubbed fantasy points all over the field, but I’d rather have Mike Thomas, Steve Johnson, James Jones, Danny Amdendola, and Davone Bess than Branch, and all those guys are way less owned than Branch.

Marion Barber (72% Owned): Still here from last week, but more people are dropping him… (down nearly 10% from last week) I don’t know if it’s Marion’s fault, but that running game in Dallas is atrocious, and Barber didn’t look good this weekend despite his touchdown.

Lance Moore (73% Owned): I’m sticking with dealing Moore – now’s the time, even better than last week. Bush will almost certainly be back after the Saints’ bye, and that’s when Moore will submit to a lesser role. You have a week of value left, treat it wisely!

Donald Brown (67% Owned): I’ve always liked Brown, but Mike Hart ran with much more success than Brown, seemingly taking the #2 spot from the former #1 overall pick, and Brown has another injury after Monday Night’s game – might be a good time to deal him if someone still believes in him as a handcuff.

Roy Williams (74% Owned): If somebody still buys the 5 touchdown guy from week 3, 5, and 6 then SELL!!!! If not, well, he’s hard to drop, yes, but I don’t think he’s easy to hold onto either. I’m predicting maybe 2 double digit fantasy performances over the rest of the season, a drop to 3rd on the depth chart (soon), and a pretty-unownable guy moving forward. I wouldn’t drop him yet, for the chance that I’m wrong, but if you can trade him to help your team somewhere, as a throw in with another good player for a better player, I think it’s a great move.

A couple guys WE think should be owned in ALL LEAGUES….

Mike Williams-TB (56%) Steve Johnson (51%) Davone Bess (31%) Josh Freeman (26%) Sam Bradford (28%)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers VS Carolina Panthers Prediction

Tampa Bay Buccaneers VS Carolina Panthers Prediction: I hate to take the Tampa Bay Bucs on the road, but the injuries mounting on Carolina’s roster are too much to pass up. Only one sportsbook that I use has this game, and it’s giving the Bucs points. It’ll be close, but I think the Bucs offensive line plays well and gives Cadillac some rushing lanes while whoever the Panthers put at QB won’t be ready for NFL-defenses, even if that is starter Matt Moore, and even if the Bucs are barely an NFL-defense.

It took the Bucs a while to get things going last week, but they were looking much more solid offensively in the 2nd half. Josh Freeman is a good young player, and while growing pains are certain, I don’t think he’s going to have the sophomore slump drop off so many were suggesting. Remember, this guy had some time to sit back and learn last season, and while he ended up starting much earlier than most people expected, that watch and learn technique is proven to work better than play and learn. The fact that he has one of the more athletic TEs in the league and a super talented rookie WR (Mike Williams) means he has all the tools he needs to be mildly successful. Against Carolina, the team without a defensive push, a team unable to slow the run – I think Freeman depends on Cadillac Williams a lot more this week, and I think Williams impresses.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3.5) @ Carolina Panthers

Next Page »