Week 8 – Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy FootballLast week we struck some fantasy gold and some fantasy coal.  Blake showed up and tossed 2 tds (now tied with Aaron Rodgers for 3rd overall), and Stefon Diggs looks to be the number 1 option in Minnesota, with another solid performance, going 6/108/1.  Let’s get right to this week’s top waiver wire pickups.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB Jets (36%)

Fear the Beard!

Fear the Beard!

You think Bill O’Brien wants a do over, having jettisoned Fitz-magic to the Jets in favor of Brain Hoyer and (recently released) Ryan Mallet?  Fitzpatrick has put together a consistent first half of the season…tossing a td in every game.  The Jets have a good matchup against the Raiders this week.  Fitz is a Top 10 fantasy qb this week, and should flirt with 250 and 2 tds.

Marvin Jones, WR Cincinnati (49%)

With Andy Dalton having a career year, and quickly moving up the ranks of Top Ginger Athlete (look out Shaun White) Marvin has become one of the biggest benefactors.  Yes, having a ginger around you will make you better.  With AJ Green getting constant double teams, Marvin has stepped up.  He’s coming off a bye and his last game posted a 9/95/1 performance.  The Bengals should be well rested and fired up to play the rival Steelers.  Marvin should have plenty of opportunities to reach double digit points on Sunday.

Michael Floyd, WR Arizona (49%)

Top 1-2 duo?

Top 1-2 duo?

Floyd is coming off of back to back td performances, and has established himself as a reliable fantasy option.  He’s not going to run past anyone, but he’s established himself in the Anquan Boldin role.  Solid possession receiver, and the Cards top redzone option.  Arizona has a great matchup against Cleveland this weekend.  Look for Floyd to continue his td streak.

Eric Ebron, TE Detroit (49%)

Ebron has quietly put together an impressive first half, and starting to live up to his first round draft pick status.  It’s surprising he’s only owned in 49% of leagues.  He’s tied (with Greg Olsen) for 5th in tds by tight ends, and has scored more than Jimmy Graham a.  His problem is he doesn’t get much yards per game, but he get a lot of redzone looks.  Stafford has had a bit of a resurgence the past couple weeks, and Ebron should get some looks this weekend against the struggling Chiefs.

Week 8 TNF Picks

Foxyboro

Foxyboro

The GAME: MIA @ NE (-8)
The PICKS
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
52-36-3 50-38-3 36-52-3 46-40-3 43-45-3
NE NE NE NE MIA

WEEK 7 PICKS / LOCKS / SURVIVOR

Seriously, Bills & Jaguars?

Seriously, Bills & Jaguars?

The PICKS
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
52-36-3 50-38-3 36-52-3 46-42-3 43-45-3
SF SEA SEA SEA SF
BUF  JAC BUF BUF BUF
STL  STL STL STL STL
KC  PIT PIT PIT KC
HOU  MIA HOU MIA MIA
NE  NE NYJ NE NE
MIN  DET DET DET MIN
ATL  ATL ATL ATL ATL
TB  TB TB WAS WAS
NO  INDY INDY INDY INDY
OAK  SD SD SD SD
DAL  DAL NYG NYG DAL
CAR  CAR CAR CAR CAR
ARZ  BAL BAL BAL BAL
Lock-it-up-of-the-Week
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
5-1-0 5-1-0 4-2-0 2-4-0 2-4-0
OAK  CAR STL INDY ATL
Survivor Pool Pick
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
STL **DEAD** **DEAD** **DEAD** **DEAD**

Week6 Scorecard

Week 7 – Waiver Wire Pickups

Are you ready?!?

We’re at the halfway point for most fantasy leagues.  We were a mixed bag last week.  C-Kaep had the breakout game we expected, throwing for 340 yards, 2 tds, and 0 ints.  Reuben also turned in a respectable performance, catching 5 of 6 targets for 44 yards.  With some big names coming off the injury list soon (Big Ben, Dez, Romo) the waiver wire is still an important place to round out your squad.  Let’s take a look at our top picks for the week.

Blake Bortles, QB Jags (67% owned in Yahoo! leagues)

Yeah, I'm kind of a big deal now.

Yeah, I’m kind of a big deal now.

When we started writing this post last night, Blake was owned in only 43% of leagues (thus meeting our 50% ownership rule).  Overnight, much like the Google image searches for his girlfriend, interest in Blake skyrocketed.  And for good reason.

Blake is the 6th highest fantasy scoring QB in the league, ahead of guys like Cam Newton, Peyton Manning, and Russell Wilson.  He ranks 5th in TDs, 6th in rushing yards, and 7th in passing yards.  He is a top 5 QB this week, playing across the pond against the Bills.  The Bills used to have a good defense, way back in Week 1, but recently they have (much like Rex) been exposed as frauds, giving up big games to Andy Dalton and Eli Manning.  Look for Blake to continue that success.

Blake is a legitimate starting QB for the rest of the season.  FWIT, Blake started his hot streak in Week 3, when he was only owned in 11% of leagues.  What could have jumped started his career, you ask?  Probably this.

Stefon Diggs, WR Minnesota (58%)

Stefon DiggsDammit.  If only we were more motivated to finish this while watching the Royal/Blue Jays game last night.  Stefon was owned in only 2% of leagues last night.  He took a meteoric rise overnight and is now up to 58%.

You may ask yourself, who is Stefon Diggs?  Well, if you’re draft nerds like us, you’d know he’s a rookie 5th round pick out of Maryland.  We thought he could’ve gone as early as the third round, so the Vikings really got a steal.  And now he’s starting to prove us right.  Over the last two games, he’s become Teddy Bridgewater’s favorite target, average 9.5 targets per game.  We expect a shoot-out on both sides against the Lions this week, and Stefon is in a good position to continue his stellar performance.  We like him as a WR3/Flex.

Theo Riddick, RB Detroit (29%)

PPR stud.

PPR stud.

For the reasons we like Stefon, we also like Theo.  The Lions/Vikings game is going to be pass early and often.  We expect 80 passes total.  That benefits Theo, who surprisingly leads all RBs in receptions.  He’s a low end RB2 but makes for a great Flex play, especially in PPR leagues.

Nick Foles, QB St. Louis (10%)

If you're desperate, Nick can help you out (for one week only).

If you’re desperate, Nick can help you out (for one week only).

With Andy Dalton, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers on byes this week, and assuming Blake is not around, you may be in a pinch for a quarterback.  With names like Jameis Winston, Kirk Cousins, Teddy Bridgewater, and Nick Foles likely available, how do you know who to pick up?  Of those QBs, our money is on Foles this week.  But wait, isn’t Nick coming off a wretched 141 yards, 4 interception performance?  Well, yes, but that was on the road against Green Bay.  Foles has been solid at home this year, averaging nearly 250 yards.  We think he’ll hit that number at home against Cleveland tomorrow.

Week 7 TNF Picks

Sea chickens!

Sea chickens!

The PICKS
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
52-36-3 50-38-3 36-52-3 46-40-3 43-45-3
SF SEA SEA SEA SF

WEEK 6 PICKS / LOCKS / SURVIVOR

Something about this line STINKS!

Something about this line STINKS!

Bye week dilemma?!  Check out our Waiver Wire Pickups.  Hit up The Machine on Twitter for any last-minute fantasy football decisions: @BRSMachine

The PICKS
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
44-31-2 43-32-2 32-43-2 40-35-2 36-39-2
NO ATL ATL ATL NO
CLE  DEN DEN CLE DEN
BUF  CIN BUF BUF CIN
MIN  KC KC MIN MIN
HOU  HOU HOU JAC HOU
DET  CHI CHI CHI DET
WAS  NYJ NYJ WAS NYJ
ARZ  ARZ ARZ PIT ARZ
TEN  MIA MIA TEN MIA
CAR  SEA SEA CAR CAR
SD  SD SD SD GB
SF  SF BAL BAL BAL
INDY  INDY NE INDY NE
NYG  NYG NYG NYG NYG
Lock-it-up-of-the-Week
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
4-1-0 4-1-0 4-1-0 2-3-0 1-4-0
HOU  NYJ  DEN WAS CAR
Survivor Pool Pick
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
MIN *DEAD* *DEAD* *DEAD* *DEAD*
footballlocks.com

footballlocks.com

Week 5 Scorecard

Week 6 – Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football IntroWelcome back for another exiting week of fantasy football.  If you listened to us in our RB heavy waiver wire last week…well, you’re welcome, as all three of our picks had banner weeks.  Thomas Rawls propelled us to victory last week, and all because we recommended him.  How about our boy Gary Barnidge?  A no name last week, owned in fewer than half of all leagues, we give him one shout out, now he’s owned in 76% of leagues, is a legitimate Top 10 TE, and is second only to Drew Carrey in popularity in Cleveland.  Like you needed more proof of The Machine’s bedroom fantasy prowess.  So let’s get right to the action.

This week, the waiver wire prize was Charcandrick West, as Jamaal Charles is out for the season.  Unless you had a ton of waiver wire bucks, you likely lost out on picking him up.  So let’s look at some people who may still be available.

 

Reuben Randle, WR Giants (47%)

Should see first receiver targets Monday night.

Should see first receiver targets Monday night.

Reuben has gotten over his early season yips and is starting to put together some consistent output.  Over the past 3 weeks, he’s caught 2 tds and has averaged 5 catches for 63 yards.  With Odell Beckham’s status uncertain for Monday Night, Reuben stands to see increased targets.  Even if ODB plays, he’s going to be limited.  Reuben’s had some monster games against Philly, including a 6 catch, 158 yard performance last December, and that was with a healthy Odell Beckham.  Look for (dreamboat) Eli Manning to find Reuben early and often.  He is a high upside WR2.

Richard Rodgers, TE Green Bay (48%)

Aaron Rodgers' newest weapon

Aaron Rodgers’ newest weapon

Rodgers has seen his targets increase each game, with a season high 8 last week which he converted into 6 catches for 45 yards.  Again, what you’re looking for is someone who won’t be a complete dud and can weather the storm while your other players are out on bye or injury.  Ideally, you want someone to get you double digit points, and Rodgers has done exactly that, scoring double digit points in 3 of the last 4 weeks.  With Jordy Nelson out for the year, Rodgers has become the second option behind Randall Cobb.  Green Bay also has a great matchup at home against San Diego.  If you’re a Jason Witten owner and looking for a bye week replacement, Rodgers makes a ton of sense.  We like him as a Top 12 TE this week.

Colin Kaepernick, QB San Francisco (51%)

Don't worry brah, you still got that one time you beat out Alex Smith.

Don’t worry brah, you still got that one time you beat out Alex Smith.

It wasn’t that long ago that Roid Rage and I were debating the Kaepernick v Alex Smith duel.  Kaep won that battle, but he lost the war because he’s still on the Niners, which has turned into a complete shit show.  But Kaep offers some value this week for those in pinch for a quarterback.  Colin had a bounce back week last week against the Giants, going 262/2/0.  He also ran for 23 yards.  We like his chances again this week against Baltimore.  The Ravens are turning mediocre qbs into heroes.  Christ, Josh McCown threw for 457 yards and two touchdowns against them last week.  We think that streak continues.  I’m not going to go on a limb and say he’ll run for a touchdown…but he will.

Duke Johnson, Jr., RB Cleveland (51%)

PPR stud.

PPR stud.

Duke is quietly making some noise as Cleveland, as he’s worked his way up to the first team.  If you’re in a PPR league (let’s be honest, all the cool kids are) he makes a great play this week.  He’s averaged 7 catches over the past three weeks. Look for that to continue against the Broncos this week.

 

Week 6 TNF Picks

 

Fantasy sports are hot!

The PICKS
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
44-31-2 43-32-2 32-43-2 40-35-2 36-39-2
NO ATL ATL  ATL NO

WEEK 5 PICKS / LOCKS/ SURVIVOR

It's wear slutty pink outfits month, YAY!

It’s wear slutty pink outfits month, YAY!

The PICKS
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
37-25-1 38-24-1 26-36-1 32-30-1 31-31-1
HOU HOU INDY INDY HOU
TB  JAC JAC JAC TB
BUF  BUF BUF BUF BUF
CLE  BAL BAL CLE BAL
ATL  ATL ATL WAS ATL
KC  KC CHI KC KC
NO  PHI NO PHI NO
STL  GB GB GB GB
CIN  CIN CIN CIN CIN
ARZ  ARZ ARZ ARZ ARZ
NE  NE NE NE DAL
DEN  DEN OAK DEN DEN
SF  NYG SF NYG NYG
PIT  SD SD SD PIT
Lock-it-up-of-the-Week
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
3-1-0 4-0-0 3-1-0 1-3-0 0-4-0
DEN  NYG ARZ ARZ GB
Survivor Pool Pick
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
NE **DEAD** **DEAD** **DEAD** **DEAD**
footballlocks.com

footballlocks.com

Week 5 – Waiver Wire Pickups

God damn right.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.