God damn right.

We’re a quarter of the way through the season…the only way you’re going to weather the storm of injuries (Dez, Big Ben, Shady McCoy) and disappointing players (CJ Anderson, Demarco Murray) is to master the art of the waiver wire.  We’ve been called a lot of things…mostly derogatory ginger-shaming things…but one loyal Machine reader referred to us as the Fantasy Whisperer.  We’ll take that shit, and if you followed us last week and started Coby Fleener, you know why.

Note:  Running back is by far the toughest position to gauge.  If you’re without a stud like Jamaal Charles or Leveon Bell, you’re likely in a week by week search for a quality starter.  Here are few running backs that could help fill that void.

Antonio Andrews, RB Tennessee (11%)

Starter by default.

We don’t know what to make of Tennessee’s backfield, other than it’s a mess.  It’s the worst RBBC in the league, with disappointing running back (Bishop Sankey) after disappointing running back (Terrance West) after disappointing running back (Dexter McCluster).  The lone bright spot is Andrews, who by default moves to the top of the “depth chart.”  This is really a boom or bust pick.  Even if Andrews gets the bulk of the carries (which we think he will) he’ll still split lots of time.  Good news: He should take over goal line duties and has fresh legs coming off a bye week.

Charles Sims, RB Tampa Bay (18%)

On the rise.

Charles Sims makes sense for a lot of reasons.  First, he’s got a great match up this week against the Jags.  Second, he’s been getting more opportunities thanks to Doug Martin’s inconsistent play.  Third, he’s good for 3-5 catches, making him even more attractive in PPR leagues.

Thomas Rawls, RB Seattle (34%)

Beastmode’s pain is his gain.

Rawls is a must add this week.  Rawls will be the feature back this week against the Bengals.  Seattle loves to run the ball, and Rawls already has a 100 yard game under his belt.  Given that Marshawn Lynch has a bum hamstring (not a good sign) and Fred Jackson is 60, Rawls could be in line for more action going forward.  We like his chances to see the endzone this week.

Nelson Agholor, WE Philadelphia (47%)

Fly, Nelson, fly.

A highly touted rookie out of USC, Agholor hasn’t had much to success thus far.  Granted, no one on the Eagles has had much success thus far.  That could change this week against the Saints.  We like his chances this week against a very giving New Orleans secondary.

Gary Barnidge, TE Cleveland (48%)

Quickly catching up to LeBron as Cleveland’s most popular athlete.

We’re now believers in Gary.  His name screams accountant more than NFL player, but he’s averaged over 20 points over the past two weeks, with 12 catches and 2 tds over that span.  He has more points through four weeks than Jimmy Graham.  Those numbers don’t lie.  He’s a low end TE1 this week against Baltimore.

Are you ready?!?

First, let’s get the self-congratulatory stuff out of the way.  Again, The Machine nailed last week’s waiver wire picks.  Rishard Matthews (whom everyone is telling you to get now) was only owned in 28% of the leagues last week.  He get a shout out from The Machine and boom, he’s now owned in 67% of leagues.  That’s the type power we have here.  Ok, maybe it’s the fact that Rishard had a monster week, going 6/113/2.  He has more yards and tds than Jarvis Landry.  Continue to ride that waive.  Also, Blake Bortles turned in a serviceable start last week, throwing for 242 yards, 2 tds and 1 int.  Don’t let those ESPN fools fool you…we tell you who to pick up before it’s obvious.  So let’s get to this week’s picks.

Robert Woods, WR Buffalo (2% owned in Yahoo! leagues)

Beautiful feet.

Listen up, because you haven’t heard this sentence used much, if ever:  The Buffalo Bills have fantasy worth players.  It’s true.  Two weeks ago, we recommended Tyrod Taylor, when he was only owned in 13% of leagues.  Tyrod is now owned in 70% of leagues, and is a legitimate Top 10 fantasy qb.  And this brings us to Robert.

Woods has seen his targets increase each week, which is a good sign.  Sammy Watkins is dinged up again (can we call him oft-injured now?) which means more opportunities for Woods.

Plus, don’t forget:  Rex Ryan is crazy.  Like the Patriots, he wants to beat the Giants so bad, in his never-ending quest to prove he’s no one’s whipping boy (ironic he’s making that stand in Buffalo).  Anyway, we expect the Bills to air it out this week.  Woods is a touchdown dependent WR4/FLEX.

Coby Fleener, TE Colts (23%)

Coby should see his targets increase.

Fleener gets a bump this week thanks to Dwayne Allen and his bum ankle.  With Allen out last week, Coby had six targets, and ended up with 4 catches for 51 yards.  Not bad for a fill in TE.  The goal of waiver wire pickups is either (a) weekly band-aid for your team, or (b) picking up a player for the long haul before everyone else does.  Coby fits the former.  If you’re looking for a stop-gap TE this week, Fleener’s your guy.

Brian Quick, WR St. Louis (24%)

Welcome back.

Quick will make his season debut for the Rams this week.  He instantly becomes the Rams top option at receiver.  Although the match up isn’t great against the Cardinals, it’s not often you see a #1 WR sitting on waivers.  He’s definitely worth a spot on your bench, and if you’re desperate at receiver, plug him in but please temper expectations.

Bonus Pick

Antonio Gates, TE San Diego (52%)

Antonio will soon see the endzone again.

We normally only focus on people who are owned in fewer than 50% of leagues (it’s stupid for us to tell you to pick up Karlos Williams when he’s owned in 80% of leagues).  Anyone that mentions him as a waiver wire pickup should be quickly met with a “no shit” comment.

But we will break from tradition slightly to tell you to look at your waiver wire, and if Antonio Gates is still there, pick him up immediately.  Gates tied for the league lead in tds by a TE with 12 last year, and was a Top 4 TE overall.  He’s finishing up his four game suspension, and next week will resume his place as a TE1.  By next week, he will be owned in 80% of leagues.  Get him now.

Giddy up!

Happy football Sunday!  Not to toot our own horn, but last week The Machine crushed it with our Fantasy advice.  Tyrod Taylor threw for 3 tds (and rushed for 1), and both David Johnson and Larry Donnell scored.  You’re welcome, America.  Let’s look at who’s still out there that can help your team this week.

Dexter McCluster, RB Tennessee (5% owned in Yahoo! leagues)

Tennessee, like most of the league, has a running back by committee approach, with Dexter sharing time with Bishop Sankey and Terrance West.  But Dexter has carved out a nice little niche as the pass catching running back.  In a PPR league, he makes a lot of sense this week.  He’s got a great match up against the Colts.  Sankey and West aren’t exactly lighting it up, which equals more opportunities for the shifty McCluster.  If you’re one of those teams already plagued with RB injuries (Andre Ellington) or on a team whose coach doesn’t like black people (Demarco Murray) Dexter could fill in.

Blake Bortles, QB Jacksonville (11%)

For the reasons we like Tyrod last week, we like Blake.  It’s all about matchups, and there is much to like about Bortles this week.  First, he’s going to be throwing a lot.  The Pat are 13.5 point favorites and will probably cover.  This means the Jags will abandon the run early and throw the ball.  Second, New England’s secondary is weak, which will allow Blake to rack up yards.  Third, Bortles is coming into his own.  He played great last week against Miami – a team with a much better defense than New England – throwing for 273 yards, 2 tds and 0 ints.  A repeat of those numbers this week isn’t out of the question.  We like him better than guys like Alex Smith, Joe Flacco, and Carson Palmer this week.  Fourth, see below.

Rishard Matthews, WR Miami (28%)

Tannehill’s secret weapon.

Matthews has put together two solid weeks, and he’ll look to make it three today against Buffalo.  His problem is that he’s (at best) the #3 WR, behind Jarvis Landry and Devante Parker.  However, if he keeps balling like this, they’ll have to find room for him.  Devante Parker is still not 100%, which slides Matthews up to #2.  We like him as a 3WR/FLEX today against a Bills D that gave up 466 passing yards last week.

Crockett Gillmore, TE Baltimore (45%)

New kid on the block.

If you asked yourself, “who the fuck is Crockett Gillmore”, you’re not alone.  But he has established himself as a TE1 through two weeks.  Averaging 5 targets a week, Crockett has become a reliable passing option for Joe Flacco.  He grabbed 2 tds last week.  Jason Witten’s status is iffy this week, so you’re looking for another option at TE, Crockett’s a good play.

BONUS PICK:

Rueben Randle, WR Giants (28%)

Here’s a sneaky play.  Yes, the Giants already played this week, but if you got a spot on your bench, make room for Randle.  With Victor Cruz’s status still uncertain, and with Preston Parker cut (thank you), Reuben will see plenty of action as the #2 receiver behind Odell Beckham, Jr.  Rueben is streaky, but he pulled it together this week, catching all 7 of his targets for 116 yards and a touchdown.  He will quickly be added in leagues next week, but because you read The Machine, he’ll already be on your team.

Even when Blake loses, he wins.

Happy Thanksgiving fantasy fans.  Here at the Big Red Sports Machine, we have a lot to be thankful for.  We’ve qualified for the playoffs in each of our three fantasy leagues (real men play in multiple fantasy leagues) and we’re past the halfway point to the ’15 Draft Party…err, I mean we’re thankful for our family and friends.   But being thankful isn’t going to be enough to get you in the playoffs.  That’s why we’re here.  So let’s get right to it.

Daniel Herron, RB Colts (44%)

Meet the Colts newest starting back, just in time for (your fantasy) playoffs.

With Ahmad Bradshaw out, Herron steps up as the next Colts running back to outplay Trent Richardson.  He’s in line for at least a 50/50 split, and could see more action as he’ll be starting.  Last week he had 12 rushing attempts to go along with 5 receptions.  Look for those numbers to increase this week.

The Colts play a high octane brand of football, are unstoppable at home, and are playing the forever-dysfunctional Washington Redskins.

Herron offers great upside as a flex/RB2.

Jarvis Landry, WR Miami (36%)

Tannehille’s newest weapon.

In any other year, Jarvis would be getting much more attention for his play as a rookie receiver.  But with Sammy, Mike Evans, and ODB making headlines, it’s easy to see how Jarvis got lost in the shuffle.  But his play over the last few weeks has not gone unnoticed by The Machine.

Jarvis has had 4 straight double digit games, including an impressive 2 touchdown performance against Denver last week.  His role in the offense is increasing daily, and he has established great rapport with (the vastly improved) Ryan Tannehill.  Also working in Jarvis’ favor is the Dolphins opponent this week, the forever-dysfunctional New York Jets.  Jarvis has scored in three of the past four games.  Look for that streak to continue Monday night.

Owen Daniels, TE Baltimore (45%)

Meet your starting tight end and accountant.

If you’re in a pinch at TE (perhaps you need a replacement for Dwayne Allen) Owen could serve as a serviceable stop gap.  He only has 3 tds on the year, but is still involved in the offense, getting between 4-9 targets each week.  With defenses having to focus more on the ageless wonder that is Steve Smith, that opens some lanes for Owen.

Alex Smith, QB Chiefs (38%)

Great matchup at home.

If you’re a Phillip Rivers/Cam Newton/Andy Dalton/Eli Manning owner, you may want to hand the rains over to Alex this weekend.  KC is home against Denver in what would be the game of the week (but for Green Bay/New England).  Anyway, lost in all the Peyton Manning fawning is that Denver’s defense sucks.  They have given up the fantasy points to quarterbacks.  The Dolphins exposed them last week (in Denver), as Tannehille threw for 3 tds and ran for 1.  Smith is equally shifty, and we like his chances to gain a few points on the ground.

Bonus Advice:

Fool’s gold

Do not pick up any of the following New England Patriots:  Jonas Gray, Legarrate Blount, Tim Wright.  Don’t believe the hype, but believe this:  Bill Belichick hates fantasy football, and he will fuck with you just because he can.  Two weeks ago, everyone rushed to the waiver wire to pick up Jonas Gray, fresh off his 201 yards (37 attempts), 4 touchdown performance.  How did he follow that up:  0 yards on 0 attempts.

It’s a Belichick trap!

Tim Wright (the other TE) had 2 touchdowns last week, as did newly signed LeGarrette Blount.  However, don’t be fooled.  Belichick wants you to waste a roster spot on them this week, just to show you that he doesn’t need to use them on his roster.  It’s too unpredictable to know which Patriot (not named Brady or Gronk) will be a regular contributor.  Consider yourself warned.

Alright Machine loyalists, if you paid attention to us last week, you probably won.  Matt Asiata, Larry Donnell, and Jake Locker all turned in stellar performances.  So here’s your hookup for this weeks’ games.  Note, Knile Davis is obviously the pickup of the week, but he’s already owned in over 75% of leagues.  The Machine’s here to give you the under-the-radar guys that will put you over the top.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington (44%)

RGIII’s pain is Kirk’s gain.

If you’re an RGIII owner and didn’t take our advice to grab Jake Locker, then take our advice and pick up Cousins.  Kirk, who some people think is better suited for Jay Gruden’s offense, showed that he can carry the Redskins.  Granted, he played against the Jaguars last week, but the numbers don’t lie:  22/250/2 and 0 ints.  Kirk chucked it 33 times last week, and we like his chances to have 30+ attempts again.  With RGIII out an indeterminate amount of time and some favorable matchups in the next few weeks, Kirk could slide in nicely for you and keep your team afloat.

Jared Cook, TE, St. Louis (17%)

Great matchup today.

It’s boom or bust in the TE market.  You either have Jimmy, Gronk, or Julius, or you have a revolving door of uncertainty.  It’s totally boom or bust, just ask Antonio Gates and Jason Witten owners.  But The Machine’s trying to add some clarity to the murky TE world, and we like Cook’s matchup against Dallas.  He’s a solid TE2, and should reach double digits in points.  As the Rams primary red zone option, he has a chance to sneak a touchdown in as well.

Justin Forsett, RB, Baltimore (47%)

We like Justin’s chances to score against Cleveland.

We’re surprised Justin’s available in more than half of Yahoo! leagues.  Sure, he’s splitting carries with Bernard Pierce, but very few teams don’t have a running back by committee.  With Baltimore though, there’s no clear cut favorite, which means that Justin and Bernard should each receive double digit touches week in and week out.  Forsett should have plenty of opportunity against Cleveland.  He’s a low end RB2 and is at least worth a spot on your bench.

When setting your lineup, make sure to…whatever, just enjoy.

Finally, football is back.  That awful taste that was the World Cup is now completely out of your mouth, baseball is mildly entertaining as they’re getting close to almost playing games that count.  But now you’re back in the driver’s seat, and can focus 100% attention on what really matters:  family fantasy football.  And who better to help you win than the Big Red Sports Machine.

You know the drill.  Come here each week to find our waiver wire pickups.  Whether you won last week or lost and are freaking out over your lineup, we got your back

Matt Asiata, RB Minnesota (% owned in Yahoo! leagues, 21%)

Please save my season.

If AP is on your team, stop reading this right now and pick up Matt Asiata.  Seriously, DO IT NOW.  Who is Matt Asiata?  Up until around Friday at 6:00 pm, he was an NFL nobody…a third year back out of Utah with 3 career touchdowns.  That is all about to change.

Apparently the last book AP read was “How to raise your child in the 1950’s.”  He picked the wrong week to have this story burst, as the NFL is a tad sensitive to off-the-field violence related issues.

Anyway, AP’s pain is Asiata’s gain, who now becomes the #1 running option for a team that is very run dependent.  The Vikings also face New England this week, and the Patriots have (putting it nicely) a run friendly defense, giving up 134 yards to Knowshon Moreno last week.

He’s available in 79% of Yahoo leagues right now.  That’s going to change by the minute, and come Sunday, he’ll be owned in 79% of leagues.  With AP being out for an indeterminate amount of time, this could be a season-saving move, especially for AP owners.

How serious of a must is this?  Well, The Machine was at a kids’ b-day party when this story broke, and instantly snapped up Asiata in all three of our leagues.  He instantly becomes a low-end RB2, and would start over names like CJ 750, Doug Martin, and Danny Woodhead.

Larry Donnell, TE, Giants (17%)

Your 2014 no-name Giants TE.

Yes yes, we know, the Giants, despite having a new offensive coordinator and completely revamped offense, picked up right where they left off.  Eli threw 2 picks, and the offensive line still sucks.  But one person stood out from the rest, and it wasn’t the JPP of Tight Ends.

No, it was Larry Donnell, the lone bright spot on the Giants offense, who ended last week with a respectable 5/56/1.  Donnell also had the most targets (8) out of any Giants receiver.  For now, Donnell’s a TE2, but the Giants have been known to take no name Tight Ends and turn them into solid players (see Boss, Kevin).  With the O-line still in flux, Eli will be forced to check down more often.  That bodes well for Larry.

Get him now while he’s still available in over 80% of leagues.

Allen Hurns, WR, Jacksonville (55%)

Henne to Hurns…just rolls off your tongue!

Allen was the star of Week 1, torching the Eagles secondary to haul in 4/110/2.  For those of us that have no life pay attention to the preseason, you know that Allen is picking up where he left off.  An UDFA from the U, Hurns is now starting alongside fellow rookie Marquise Lee.

With Cecil Shorts injured, Hurns has the opportunity to become the #1 WR for the Jags.  Yes, that’s like the skinniest kid at Fat Camp, but it could mean some consistent production from a very unlikely source.  Hurns has an attractive match-up against Washington this week, and, if you’re thin at receiver, is worth a look as a WR3/Flex.

Jake Locker, QB, Tennessee (31%)

When healthy, offers QB1 potential.

If you’re an RGIII or Tony Romo owner, or perhaps you need a solid backup because you don’t totally trust Cam Newton’s ribs, give Jake the Snake a look.  Jake looked really good last week, winning on the road at Arrowhead in commanding fashion.  His numbers were solid, 22/246/2 and 0 ints, and he also ran for 14 yards.

Jake plays at home this week against Dallas and their wretched defense.  We like the Snake’s chances of posting similar numbers and yes, we’re going to call a rushing touchdown.

Fantasy sports are hot!