RADIO
Ah, fantasy football. Don't you just love it? Sometimes you can do all the research in the world, study matchups for hours, look at who's hot or cold and who's injured, when really the player you were looking for was sitting on the waiver wire, just waiting to be claimed.
Case in point, let's look at Week 10's top three receivers, in terms of raw yardage. No. 1? Martavis Bryant with 178. OK, I can see that -- a speedy, deep threat against the weak Browns defense. Fair enough. No. 2? His Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Antonio Brown with 139. Brown's an absolute stud, no surprise with that one. And No. 3, with 134 yards? Doug Baldwin ... ? Yes, Doug Baldwin. Someone you could have picked up in roughly 70 percent of leagues on the waiver wire was a top-three option.
Waiver wire pickups are crucial. This is hardly breaking news. Performances like Baldwin's happen every week. We're simply here to help identify some of the wide receivers you'll want to target.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Targets
Danny Amendola - WR, NE - 28% owned on Fleaflicker
Amendola figures to be the most popular waiver wire target this week, and for good reason. In the span of two weeks, the Patriots have lost Dion Lewis to a torn ACL and Julian Edelman to a broken foot. That's two major cogs in the unstoppable machine that is New England's passing attack. Enter Amendola, who finished with 10 receptions (on 11 targets) for 79 yards in Sunday's win over the New York Giants.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski still figures to be Brady's top target and security blanket, but Amendola should immediately pick up the majority of Edelman's targets. And, in New England's offense, that gives him WR3 status (WR2 in PPR leagues) right away.
Terrance Williams - WR, DAL - 52% owned on Fleaflicker
Welcome back, Tony Romo. Cowboys fans and fantasy owners are rejoicing in the news of Romo's pending return from a fractured collarbone. According to a report from ESPN's Ed Werder, Romo is expected to start Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. This is good news, obviously, for Romo owners, but also owners of Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Darren McFadden and even Terrance Williams. The Cowboys' offense simply operates on another level with Romo under center.
In the two games Romo started earlier this season, Williams posted lines of 5-60-0 and 4-84-1. Not earth-shattering, but certainly WR3 or flex worthy. In the seven games since, he's eclipsed 50 yards only once. So with Romo back, Williams again gets a corresponding bump in value.
Jamison Crowder - WR, WAS - 11% owned on Fleaflicker
Crowder's body of work this season is impossible to ignore. The Washington Redskins rookie won't single-handedly win you any matchups, but he won't lose them for you, either. Unlike his teammate DeSean Jackson, who's about as boom-or-bust as wide receivers get, Crowder has carved out a nice little niche as Washington's possession receiver. He ranks second on the team in receptions (42) and yards (402), and third in targets (55).
Washington has struggled to consistently run the ball this season, and has often trailed in games. That's an ideal combination for Crowder, who should continue to offer WR3 or flex value in PPR leagues.
Dwayne Harris - WR, NYG - 14% owned on Fleaflicker
Take note: The Giants are on a bye this week. But it still felt right to include Harris here after his 6-catch, 82-yard, one-touchdown performance in Sunday's loss to the Patriots. Look, Harris is far from a safe option (see his one-catch, one-yard outing in Week 9), but his three touchdowns over the last three games are hard to ignore.
New York is a pass-first offense that continues to find itself in high-scoring games. Odell Beckham Jr. is a stud and Reuben Randle is steady as the No. 2 wideout. But with veteran Victor Cruz (calf) now out for the season and tight end Larry Donnell still sidelined, Harris has picked up some extra targets. If you're looking for WR depth, there are worse options than Harris right now.
Other Wide Receivers to Consider Adding
Doug Baldwin - WR, SEA - 29% owned on Fleaflicker
Baldwin is usually good for three or four solid outings each season, as the Seahawks' offense simply doesn't produce monster statistical performances from its wide receivers. By any measurement, Baldwin has had two of those outings already -- 7 catches for 92 yards and a score in Week 2, and seven catches for 134 yards and a touchdown this past Sunday night.
What does this mean? Well, for one, don't expect a repeat performance this week against San Francisco. Baldwin had just 19 yards in the previous meeting in Week 7, and Seattle will likely go Marshawn Lynch-heavy again. But if you can grab Baldwin with an eye toward the future, he should make for a sneaky play in Week 12 against the suspect Pittsburgh Steelers secondary.
Wes Welker - WR, STL - 18% owned on Fleaflicker
Welker made an appearance in this article space last week, but he's worth mentioning again. In the St. Louis Rams' disappointing pass game, Welker's value will be capped. Quarterback Nick Foles simply doesn't throw the ball accurately or efficiently, and the team increasingly has relied upon its defense and rookie running back Todd Gurley.
Welker finished with three catches for 32 yards in his season debut last Sunday, a modest but encouraging output with limited preparation time. Moving forward, Welker should be good for a handful of catches each week, but he'll likely hover around 10 yards per catch. He's certainly addable as WR and flex depth in PPR leagues.
Lance Moore - WR, DET - 7% owned on Fleaflicker
Quick, who leads the Detroit Lions in touchdown receptions this season? Golden Tate? Wrong. Gotta be Megatron then? Nope, not Calvin Johnson, either. Try veteran Lance Moore with four, and he's scored all of them over the last five games.
Moore is not going to save your season, but with three straight home games against soft pass defenses (Oakland, Philadelphia, Green Bay), he certainly could find the end zone again. He's certainly a WR depth option for deeper leagues at this point.
Marqise Lee - WR, JAC - 6% owned on Fleaflicker
Lee likely isn't going to have much value unless fellow wide receiver Allen Hurns misses an extended period of time. Reports Monday indicated Hurns has been playing through an abdominal injury that might require surgery. Bryan Walters suffered a concussion in Sunday's win over Baltimore and could miss Thursday's game against the Titans. If that's the case, Lee could become an interesting pickup.
NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room
[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]
Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!
