FREE AGENT FRENZY - wk #16 By: Jason "J-Mad" Madeja
Good luck to all in their championship games this week. Here are a few last minute pickups that could help you win the coveted crown.
Shallow Leagues - Should I start Reggie Wayne or Andre Johnson to go along with Moss this week? These players are known by the great majority of fantasy players and likely are owned in many leagues already this season. If you play in these leagues, typically a league with 8-10 teams. You may get lucky and have some of these talents available.
RB / Jerome Harrison: Tricky, tricky. Everybody turned to another Browns running back last week after Harrison sat the 2nd half of the week before. What happens? He sets a franchise record with 248 yards and two touchdowns. He HAS to get 20 carries this week. A lot of his success had to do with playing against the Chiefs, but he’s still worth a pick up this week against Oakland.
RB / Maurice Morris: I don’t expect a whole lot out of Morris this week but he’s going to get all the Lions carries and that’s the most you can hope for on the waiver wire. The 49ers play a stingy D but Morris is worth a flex play for those with rough match ups elsewhere.
Average Leagues – This is the most traditional mid-sized league, typically 12 teams with a standard scoring format and one starting quarterback. Most ADP and free agent lists are created with this type or size of league in mind. It usually leaves less talent in the free agent pool and creates a need for a strong bench to compete at a high level.
D / San Fran: Now is a great time to check the waiver wire for defenses playing against poor teams in case your current D has a tough match up. Detroit has been one of the easiest for the last few years and while they are slowly improving, I don’t think they can put up 24 points in weeks straight. Plus, Drew Stanton and Kevin Smith are both out, leaving the likes of Cullpepper to run the game. The 49ers are lead by Mike Singletary and won’t lie down even if they are out of contention.
RB / Michael Bush: Speaking of Oakland, Michael Bush has come on strong over the last couple of weeks. He’s averaging around 5 yards per carry, which is great, but he’s also in a committee with Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden. None of the guys are great options, but if you decide to buy a black and grey lottery ticket (they do play the Browns after all), Bush is the guy to have.
Deep Leagues – These leagues are much harder to find valuable free agents in. Often you will need to be several weeks ahead of the curve in order to land a rising star. Taking flyers and reaching for possible production is encouraged in these leagues that typically have 14+ teams. We will try to list a player that could have been overlooked in your league although these leagues are highly competitive and it is any ones guess if these players are available for you.
WR / Josh Morgan: He plays the Lions and is available. That is all you need to know...