By Zack Cimini
notjustagame23@gmail.com
Every year as the injuries pile up teams find a gem buried on their roster. We’ve seen flashes from some of the guys mentioned below already this year. More than likely most of them are available on your waiver wire. We profile eight guys that have little fantasy relevance right now but may have an opportunity to shine and save your fantasy season.
Brandon Jacobs- He is not in any way shape or form a fantasy stud, but the Giants have a prolific offense. They move the ball up and down the field with ease, and lately Jacobs has been capitalizing on it. He has scored touchdowns in each of the last three weeks and has been ticking off Ahmad Bradshaw owners.
Chris Ivory- Word is even if Pierre Thomas returns, Ivory has played his way into a complimentary role with Thomas. Will have to see if Thomas can stay away from the injury bug and how this plays out overall. With the amount of throws Drew Brees has per game, the Saints crowded backfield could be detrimental for any type of reliable fantasy numbers.
Derrick Ward- Steve Slaton is completely out of the picture with the Texans. It’s astonishing to see that with the way his rookie season went. Ward has solidified the backup role and has done a swell job. If you’re an Arian Foster owner make sure you take note. Handcuffing Foster with Ward is a must.
Mike Hart- Colts are on a bye week with a plethora of injury issues. At running back Joseph Addai has been dinged up continuously this year, and Donald Brown’s had a tough go with a hamstring injury. Hart’s scored a touchdown this year and might have to start a few games for the Colts.
Danny Woodhead- An emergency filler for fantasy teams. Woodhead is filling Kevin Faulk’s old role and may keep it. New England loves to throw the short dink and dump throws to all their players. Woodhead keeps getting involved more and more each week and is becoming a main threat for the Patriots. He poses a mismatch for opposing linebackers. With all the Patriots receivers running short routes it’s too difficult for teams to shackle everyone.
James Starks- Jackson has done little with his starting role and the Packers need someone to alleviate the pressure off of Aaron Rodgers. Starks just came off the PUP list and will likely not be used for a week or so. Remember Starks had a second round grade by NFL scouts before sustaining an MCL injury his senior year.
Javon Ringer- We’ve talked about the worries of Chris Johnson in previous articles. He is roughly 200 pounds and has been getting pounded thus far. Teams are stacking the box with eight or nine guys and laying tough licks on him. It’s just bound to happen that Ringer either gets more involved, or Johnson gets hurt.
LeGarrette Blount- Blount was inactive this past week but that should not happen again. Kareem Huggins was lost for the season, and the Buccaneers have been awful running the ball. They may split carries all around for a few weeks, but Blount should separate himself to be the number one guy. Going into the off-season he will be their clear cut fantasy starter.
Joe Lopat, Zack Cimini, and Jabbar Harris return once again to talk football hot topics, as well as their usual fantasy football segments. They’ll tell you who to start/sit and provide spread picks for week seven.