While my partner the "Guru" will infuse this blog with news and humor, I the "Scholar" am here to bestow some wisdom. Without further ado here is my inaugural Waiver Wire Tuesday post... where you can come every Tuesday to see who you should be putting in waiver claims for. We knew the lockout and the condensed offseason would expose players to higher injury rates this season but the first weekend sure brought us some surprises. I'll assume you're aware of the big names that showed up on the injury report and jump right into some more obscure names that should be on your radar this Tuesday evening, depending on where your roster may need depth or if you're just gunning for best player available.
QB
Cam Newton - if you're in a keeper league this guy should have been on your radar on draft day but maybe he slipped through the cracks and is still available. Don't expect #'s every week like he put up. But he's worth the grab if you have a spot for him on your bench. In redraft leagues you really should be looking elsewhere for QB help. I know he was the #1 pick and I know his week 1 stat line was outstanding but I think it will turn out to be an aberration when all is said and done. QB's rarely have fantasy relevance their rookie years. If you don't believe me check Sam Bradford's line from 2010 (I'll save you the trouble... 3500 yds / 19 tds/ 15 ints). By all accounts one of the best rookie campaign's in years but he still finished around 20th in scoring depending on your rules.
Ryan Fitzpatrick - I drafted 3 teams in 3 competitive leagues and in all 3 this guy was available after the last pick was called. He's good enough to be someones backup / bye-week replacement. I expected KC to struggle all year long on both offense and defense so temper your expectations. Fitzy's numbers were definitely bloated. Speaking of the Chiefs D, if you own Stafford make sure he's active this week. I may bench Brady in favor of Stafford in one of my leagues, even after last nights performance.
RB
Cadillac Williams - yep... time to get the Caddy out of the garage and shine him up and get him in the lineup. Steven Jackson has a ton of mileage on his wheels and even though Caddy has been an injury risk his whole career, he should get a ton of looks in the Rams offense while S-Jax is rehabbing his quad. Even after Jackson returns it may be worth stashing Caddy if you have the roster space.
Earnest Graham - a blast from the past... Graham is back on the fantasy radar. Last year I loved Blount coming out of college and even drafted him while he was behind CJ2K because I saw the potential. He played great down the stretch but draftniks got a little over their ski's when projecting his numbers out to 16 games. This year the Buc's schedule is much tougher and I expect them to be playing from behind much more often. Blount has hands of stone and that means Graham will be a larger part of the offense when playing from behind. It's been a few years since he's been fantasy relevant but if you're in a PPR league, he could have some solid numbers come year end.
WR
Nate Burleson - Plain and simple this guy puts up numbers when Stafford is calling the shots. If he's available in your league, put a claim in for him. As long as Stafford stays upright this guy will finish in the top 30 WR come year end. Bank it.
Steve Smith (Car) - I drafted the real Steve Smith in the middle of one of my drafts last week as my WR3 after locking up Rice/Nicks/Forte/Marshall/Moreno/Stafford/Jimmy Graham. If Cam can actually do half what he did this weekend all season long that investment will pay huge dividends. I point this out because people don't invest much in 8th round picks. And they may be thinking they struck fantasy gold with him. While he most likely isn't available on waivers, keep a close eye on his performance this week. Cam/Steve will be facing Woodson and the Packers vaunted D. Their numbers will surely take a hit. If Smith posts a goose egg this week, use that as an opportunity to trade for him at a "buy low" price while his owner will still be looking to capitalize on his Week 1 outburst but be secretly concerned last years falloff wasn't a fluke. He should be a solid Flex play all year long.
TE
Lance Kendricks - with the injury to Amendola I expect Kendricks to pick up the slack. He is probably available in your league but he won't be for long. Grab him and get him in your lineup against the Giants D if Bradford's finger doesn't prevent him from starting. You saw what Grossman to Fred Davis did this week, don't miss out on Bradford to Kendricks.
Fred Davis - old is better than new. Cooley is on a bum knee and it's not going to get any better. Grossman has a few targets in the passing game, Moss, Gaffney and Davis to name a few. Davis will be his favorite security blanket all season long. Davis is a playmaker in an offense that has been lacking in that department for quite some time.
K
Nick Novack - no joke... Novack is my POW (pickup of the week). He signed a 2 year contract with the Chargers today. Kicking is about opportunity and he'll get plenty of it in the Charger's high powered offense. If you were smart and waited until the last round of your draft to nab a kicker, now is your chance to acquire a top level player at almost no cost. Unless you have a stud, drop your kicker and pickup Novack. If you have 2 kickers on your roster, you should have your backup kick you in the ass... or better yet, drop him and kick your own ass.
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