Waiver Wire: New life springs renewed hope

A funny thing happened along our three-week journey toward the playoffs and 2012 keepers. Suddenly, the waiver wire seems fruitful once again. Matchups reign supreme, but injuries are also forcing owners to make changes. It's remarkable we don't have desperation moves here, rather solid, thoughtful choices who've earned larger roles.

I'm giving myself a one-week break from predicting 2012. Wide receivers are the pending topic, and deserve two weeks’ worth of digging. If quarterback was obvious and running back was speculative ... wide receiver became a toss-up. Be prepared for an extended treat next Monday.

This Week's Additions

Zac Dysert, QB, Miami (OH): If you are a stats guy, Dysert is an interesting specimen. On one hand, he has three 300-yard passing efforts in his last four games, and has 12 touchdowns over that span compared to just two in his first four. You can argue that his success has come against passing defenses ranked in the 90 range, and that none of his remaining opponents rank below 44 in passing yards allowed. You could argue that, but I'd ask you if that number matters when I tell you his opponents are Temple, Ohio, Western Michigan and Akron. He's hot, and he will finish strong.

Clint Moseley, WB, Auburn: If you are playing for a championship, Moseley has to be on your roster. His yardage totals as a starter aren't worth reporting, but he's completed 24 of 35 passes in two games as a starter. He also has a bye this week, meaning he'll largely be overlooked. I mentioned championships yes? Moseley plays Samford in Week 12, your likely semi-final or final week.

Curtis McNeal, RB, Southern California: Fumble schmumble. McNeal arguably cost the Trojans the game Saturday night, fumbling into the end zone during the third overtime. But he's also won me my Pac-12/MWC/WAC games each of the past two weeks while I've played without a quarterback (darn Oregon injury reports.) He's got 350 yards and three scores in his last three, and has Colorado and Washington coming up.

Charles Sims, RB, Houston: Sims is a tough guy to feel great about; you just don't know where or how he'll touch the ball. In his last four games, Sims has managed 45 combined touches, and he has scored seven times. That's a darn nice ratio, and Sims is a rare player that offers that "wow" factor in your lineup. He could go for three or more scores at any given point.

Zac Stacy, RB, Vanderbilt: What on Earth is going on in Nashville? All of a sudden, Stacy has 95, 198, and 128 yards in his last three outings while scoring twice. His cutback scoring strike last Saturday was simply beautiful, and Stacy still gets Kentucky and Wake Forest coming down the pike.

Brandon Wilds, RB, South Carolina: No one will confuse him with Marcus Lattimore. Well, maybe after a few more performances like last week, a fan base in Columbia, SC will be that delusional. Wilds carried 28 times against Tennessee for 137 yards, and the Ol Ball Coach doesn't appear interested in letting Wilds slack down the stretch. He will not always be this successful, but he will always get the opportunity to explode.

I'm not overly enamored with the available wide receiving options. But if you are in dire need, give Oregon's Lavasier Tuinei, Oklahoma's Jaz Reynolds, and North Carolina's Erik Highsmith a glance over. And my deep sleeper would be Troy Evans at Marshall, who has 192 of his 263 yards on the season in his last two games.