Waiver Wire: Week 4 scouting report
In Week 3, we saw a slew of relevant injuries that will leave owners either searching for a handcuff or a replacement. Never a dull moment during the season, eh?
We're a little quarterback-heavy this week, which speaks to the tremendous depth at this position, but also to some of the nice matchups on the horizon.
We are at a point in the season where we'll continue to have weekly flashes from players, but matchups should be at the forefront of your waiver planning.
BCS
Sean Renfree, QB, Duke: Renfree is one of those guys you never feel safe starting, but come December, he's had a handful of 300-plus yard, three-score games. Well, he just had one of those against Boston College, and now goes out of conference to play Tulane and Florida International. I'm smelling one more of those big outings soon, so now is the time to look at Renfree as a stopgap.
B.J. Daniels, QB, South Florida: Don't look now, but Daniels has 741 yards and five scores over the last two weeks. Yeah, it was against Ball State and Florida A&M, but now Daniels gets UTEP and Pitt. Not exactly causing heartburn, is it? Daniels looks like he is trying to be a real passing threat, and isn't even thinking run as he once did. And that means you should be thinking about nabbing him for your squad.
MarQueis Gray, QB, Minnesota: Scoring is the only thing keeping Gray from being a top tier Fantasy quarterback. The signal caller has already rushed 58 times through three games, and now he gets to continue to work on his passing ability against North Dakota State and a Swiss cheese Michigan defense.
Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson: Boyd is a no-brainer addition at this point, but unless you have space and depth, I'm recommending you let someone else take the plunge here. Clemson plays Florida State and Virginia Tech over the next two weeks. There are obviously better choices, and maybe you can even grab Boyd in a week or two once this storm has passed.
Davin Meggett, RB, Maryland: Time to eat some crow, because I had written Meggett off coming into 2011. He's averaging 20 carries through two games and is snagging four passes per game. Don't look now, but Maryland has already had its bye week and welcomes Temple and Towson over the next two weeks.
Terrance Ganaway, RB, Baylor: This will most likely be your last chance on Ganaway, who is running through and past teams after two games. Three scores, a terrific passing game to open up lanes and Rice, Kansas State, Iowa State and Texas A&M on the horizon. Yes please.
Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson: Schedule be damned with this rookie, because Watkins is a budding star. I still can't get over the fact that Watkins had 17 touches against Auburn, and it's a number that seems sustainable given how many plays the Tigers run weekly. It's getting to the point where Watkins is the focal point of this offense.
DeAnthony Arnett, WR, Tennessee: The lack of explosive plays on eight grabs in the Swamp two days ago is disheartening, but you simply have to take a flier on this freshman. He isn't Justin Hunter, but you have to think he's good enough to keep defenses honest. Tennessee will still wing it, and Arnett is worth snatching just for speculation. The Vols are off this week however, and still have LSU and Alabama coming in consecutive weeks.
Matt Furstenburg, TE, Maryland: I'm simply a sucker for this budding reception machine -- 6.5 catches per game for a tight end is beyond impressive. Touchdowns will come, and we already noted the Terps' schedule above.
All 120
Matt Schilz, QB, Bowling Green: This will buck the trend of situational additions, but Schilz is simply too hot to ignore at this point. Last year, Schilz had an 8-14 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Through three games, he's already up to 11 scores with just three picks. The bad news is the Falcons face the upper echelon of MAC teams, with a matchup with West Virginia sprinkled in. The good news is that's still mostly the MAC, not the SEC.
Mike Ball, RB, Nevada: This is probably too obvious, but there is a chance Ball remains un-owned in your league thanks to a bogus depth chart and an opening week bye for the Wolfpack. He's seen 43 carries in two games, the rest of Nevada's backs have just 21. Add him if you can.
Jahwan Edwards, RB, Ball State: Edwards is my MAC flavor of the week, and is relatively unknown in Fantasy circles to date. He's 5-foot-10, a punishing 232 pounds and runs with an attitude. He's got a landmine known as the Sooners on tap in two weeks, but the schedule is manageable otherwise. Get in now before the secret is fully out.
Bryan Burnham, WR, Tulsa: What you probably missed while Tulsa and Oklahoma State played until 3:30 am ET on Sunday morning was Burnham scoring twice. He's up to five on the season and is the obvious benefactor of Damaris Johnson's legal woes, and deserves to be owned in all leagues. Exercise patience here though, as Tulsa plays Boise State this week and will be without their starting quarterback for two to four weeks. Regardless, Burnham is worth a look.
Nick Harwell, WR, Miami (OH): I'm assuming most folks who drafted Harwell lost patience in two weeks. But now that his suspension is over, and the RedHawks have their bye out of the way, Harwell is poised to take off against MAC defenses. He stepped in and immediately came up with 12 catches, and he'll be scoring soon enough.
And finally, can anyone explain to me why Josh Boyce is only owned in 35 percent of leagues out there?
