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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

FREE weekly fantasy football pick-up / drop advice

Our weekly "Waiver Wire" column is part of FootballDocs In-season content. All of FootballDocs In-season content is 100% free and starts September 7, 2011.

Truism of fantasy football: every year there are players that will not be drafted in a fantasy football draft but will emerge off the fantasy football waiver wire to be solid additions for a fantasy football team, sometimes exploding to stud status. Good work on the waiver wire involves knowing who is low on the radar just before their stock goes through the roof. But who has time for that? That answer is easy... the Docs. These are the geeks that live, breathe, and talk fantasy football 365 days a year. So just sit back, relax, and let the Docs do the work for you. Come check out FootballDocs Fantasy Football Pickup Drop Advice every Monday as the Docs boil it down for you nice and simple: who to watch, who to ignore, and most importantly... who to grab! Since each team's needs are unique, the Docs will suggest players to pick up based on the following significant positions: QB, RB, WR, TE, K, and D. Word of caution: While a quick trigger in the free agent market can make a bad team good, it can also make a good team bad. Before just adding the players listed below to your roster, here are a few guidelines to help ensure that the former happens rather than the latter.

1. Do not just randomly pick-up a player or drop a player solely based on the information given below - use some discretion - as the quality of the player varies from league to league due to the size and scoring system of each league. In addition, team needs vary from fantasy team to fantasy team, so some discretion can go a long way. The list posted below is to bring some players to your attention and give you a comment or two regarding their possibilities.

2. Generally speaking, it is not a good idea to drop any player you drafted in the first ten rounds of your draft in the first few weeks. Be patient, particularly with wide receivers as they are very inconsistent in most scoring systems, posting a horrible week one week and then backing it up with a good performance in the following week.

3. Be quick to grab running backs, especially as new starters are announced or as players emerge with huge games. This does not mean dropping a traditionally good player in order to pick up one of these running backs, but if you have an extra D, K, TE, or even a lower tier WR, it is probably in your best interest to drop one of them and take a chance.  RBs are in high demand and almost always carry value provided they are a primary back for a NFL team.

As always, thank you for visiting and welcome to FootballDocs Fantasy Football - "Where the geeks meet the gridiron."

Note: This advice is intended for redraft leagues only.

Javon Ringer, RB, TEN - After blowing a golden opportunity to finally post a decent game against a horrible defense, it is just looking sad for Chris Johnson. The fans in Tennessee are booing, and former NFL players turned commentators are calling him out for not trying as hard after getting paid. Due to the holdout, it was expected to take up to five weeks for Johnson to readjust to the speed of the NFL, but not eight weeks. To make matters worse in a head to head comparison on Sunday, Ringer just flat out played better than Johnson (60 rushing yards on 14 attempts and 42 receiving yards on 5 receptions vs. 34 rushing yards on 14 attempts and 17 receiving yards on 3 receptions). If you own Johnson and haven't already done so, better handcuff Ringer in what is shaking out to be a nasty situation.

Reggie Bush, RB, MIA - Everybody and their brother is hurt in Miami at the tailback slot, and ironically Bush is not one of them. As such, the Phins fed him the ball to the tune of 15 carries, which he converted to 103 rushing yards. He also had 4 receptions for 17 yards. Miami is a mess, and Bush was the line bright spot on an otherwise frustrating day.

Kevin Faulk, RB, NE - It is hard to get too excited here on the 35 year old veteran, but the Pats activated him from the Physically Unable to Perform list and promptly used him against the Steelers. Faulk ended up getting 11 touches and led the team with six rushes for 32 yards. He also pulled in 5 passes for 20 yards. It's a nasty Running Back By Committee in New England, but we know many of you are in very deep leagues needing something, anything at your RB slot.

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, CLE - Here is another RB for those desperate for anything at the RB slot. The Browns backfield is banged up, and Montario Hardesty left early with a calf injury. This led to Ogbonnaya being featured. While he didn't do anything to call home to mom about, he did post some production getting 37 rushing yards on 11 attempts and 24 receiving yards on 5 receptions. The health of the backfield in Cleveland will unfold as the week develops, but when it comes to the waiver wire, oftentimes you don't have the luxury of time to wait and see what develops.

Bernard Scott, RB, CIN - Scott filled in for the suspended Cedric Benson and looked good against a very tough Seattle run defense. He ended the day with 76 rushing yards on 22 attempts and also got 3 receptions for zero yards. While the numbers don’t looked great, you had to watch the game to appreciate how well Scott ran. He showed a noticeable burst through the hole, and he also was difficult to bring down. He's earned the right to get more touches moving forward, and you just never know when the Bengals patience with Benson will wear thin. There is a scenario by which Scott could takeover the feature role by season's end.

Brent Celek, TE, PHI - After a horrible start to the season, Celek is catching fire and posted his second consecutive nice fantasy start. He is becoming a reliable option for Vick, who has targeted Celek 9 times in each of the last two weeks. Celek ended the day with 7 receptions for 94 yards and 1 TD.

Heath Miller, TE, PIT - Don't look now, but Miller is settling into being a reliable option at the TE slot. He had his best day of the season on Sunday pulling in 7 receptions for 85 yards and a TD. Many thought we were crazy back in August when we pegged the Steelers to feature the pass rather than run, but the passing schedule was just that favorable and we had serious doubts about Rashard Mendenhall having another good year after his huge workload in 2010.

Laurent Robinson, WR, DAL - Despite headline names like Miles Austin and Dez Bryant lining up at WR for the Cowboys, Robinson had the big game on Sunday Night and posted 5 catches for 103 yards and a TD. It's actually his second 100+ yard receiving game of the year (116 yards in week 4 vs. the Lions), and he will probably post another decent outing or two before the year is over.

Note: This advice is intended for redraft leagues only.

Jason Campbell, QB, OAK - Campbell broke his collarbone in week 6 and is out for at least 6 weeks.

David Garrard, QB, JAX - In a surprise move, the Jaguars cut Garrard just before the start of the season. You should too.

Rex Grossman, QB, WAS - Grossman came out of the gates firing, but he has really struggled since, highlighted by a 4 INT game in week 6.

Chad Henne, QB, MIA - Henne is dinged up and that is more than enough reason to drop him. He wasn't all that impressive prior to his injury, but now he just isn't worth the hassel.

Peyton Manning, QB, IND - Unless you are in some sort of keeper league, you should give up hope that Manning will return. It's over! You just have to come to grips with that.

Jamaal Charles, RB, KC - Charles' season is done no thanks to a season ending knee injury suffered in week 2.

Earnest Graham, RB, TAM - It was a very brief fantasy ride with Graham, but unfortunately he tore his Achilles in week 7 and is out for the rest of the year.

Jamie Harper, RB, TEN - Give this up. Harper just isn't going to pay off at this point.

Jerome Harrison, RB, DET - Jahvid Best can only hold out so long before he succumbs to injury, but Harrison won't be the answer. You have better be in a very deep league if you are hanging onto Harrison.

Dexter McCluster, RB, KC - The Dexter McCluster experiment at RB is failing. Despite being given plenty of opportunity with the season ending injury to Jamaal Charles, this situation is just not working out.

Isaac Redman, RB, PIT - Redman blew his chance to shine in week 5 as the show was stolen by Jonathan Dwyer. With Dwyer in the mix and Mendenhall set to return, Redman's fantasy value has tanked.

C.J. Spiller, RB, BUF - Fred Jackson has looked like a super star, and Spiller has been a non-factor. If you are in a non-ppr league, he should already be long gone. If you are in a PPR league, you had better be in a real deep one if you think you need to take a chance on Spiller. He isn't worth much in most leagues.

Derrick Ward, RB, HOU - Foster is back and playing well, and Ben Tate has proven that he can carry the load for Houston when Foster is limited by injury. Ward doesn't have a lot of opportunity at this point. You can let him go.

Carnell Williams, RB, STL - The shelf-life on Williams was short, and his usefulness fantasywise has expired. Unless you own Steven Jackson, it is best to let Williams go at this point.

Danny Amendola, WR, STL - Amendola is out for the year with a torn tricep.

Kenny Britt, WR, TEN - The music Britt and his fantasy owners were making has come to an abrupt stop no thanks to a season ending knee injury suffered in week 3.

Austin Collie, WR, IND - Without Peyton Manning, Collie is just another WR that you don't need to bother with.

Braylon Edwards, WR, SF - Edwards has struggled and is now out due to meniscus surgery. He isn't expected back until mid-season at the earliest, and it will take time to ramp back up to the speed and timing of the NFL. Use your valuable roster spot on someone else with better upside.

Donald Jones, WR, BUF - We know that Jones had his first career 100 yard game in Week 3, but we think you should put him back out there on the waivers unless you have a better option.

David Nelson, WR, BUF - It is hard to believe in Nelson. He had some nice games when the Bills were on fire, but we just don't see Nelson being a consistent threat. We also don't see the Bills offense as being prolific enough to support more than one fantasy WR. Cut Nelson loose.

Chad Ochocinco, WR, NE - Tom Brady has been throwing for a bazillion yards every week, but hardly any of it gets to Ochocinco. Cut him loose please.

Hines Ward, WR, PIT - Time has passed Ward by and the team has way too many great options at WR to use Ward on a consistent basis. You should look for a better option.

Roy Williams, WR, CHI - In most leagues, you can find a better option.

Chris Cooley, TE, WAS - Cooley has been surpassed by Fred Davis. Cooley has little value in almost all formats.

Jeff King, TE, ARZ - We didn't realize that anyone owned this guy.

Marcedes Lewis, TE, JAX - Lewis was primed for a great season until the team stuck him with a rookie QB and a journeyman to start the season. The departure of David Garrard marked the end of Lewis' fantasy prospects in 2011.

Tony Moeaki, TE, KC - Moeaki is out of the year with a season ending injury.

Garrett Hartley, K, NO - Hartley is done for the season with an injury.

Nate Kaeding, K, SDG - Kaeding is out of the season with an ACL tear to his left knee.

Note: This advice is intended for redraft leagues only.