This could be a rough week for wide receivers. Plaxico Burress is suspended for Week 5, and Anquan Boldin's status is questionable with a head injury.
Throw in other injuries with Marques Colston (thumb), Deion Branch (knee), Bobby Engram (shoulder), Joey Galloway (foot), Kevin Curtis (hernia) and Donte Stallworth (quadriceps), and you're possibly missing more guys this week. Then you have Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery, Torry Holt and Braylon Edwards on a bye in Week 5.
You could make a case that Holt and Edwards have been on a bye all season.
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Muhsin Muhammad has been a pleasant surprise in his second tour with the Panthers.
(Getty Images)
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It's been tough to get the right wide receivers in your lineup each week, but help could be on the way. Some lesser-known receivers are stepping up, including some standout performances in Week 4.
In a standard-scoring Fantasy league, 16 of the top 33 wide receivers from this past week were owned in less than 60 percent of leagues on CBSSports.com. Four of those receivers finished in the top 10, with Lance Moore, Muhsin Muhammad, Kevin Walter and Steve Breaston leading the way.
Breaston would be the biggest beneficiary if Boldin is out. He had nine catches for 122 yards at the Jets and is only owned in 2 percent of leagues.
Jerheme Urban (0 percent) also played well against the Jets with five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, but Breaston was thrown at 10 times, with Urban only seven times. Add Breaston before Urban if Boldin misses Week 6 against Buffalo.
Moore (12 percent) should be a top receiver on the waiver wire also after two great weeks. He has emerged as the top replacement for Colston with seven catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns against the 49ers and now has 14 catches in his past two games.
Meachem (58 percent) also has played well for the Saints. He had two catches for 99 yards and a touchdown against the 49ers and now has five catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns the past three games.
Muhammad (48 percent) had a great day against Atlanta with eight catches for 147 yards and a touchdown and is glad to be back with a good quarterback in Jake Delhomme. Muhammad has played OK so far with 22 catches for 287 yards and a touchdown but has a great matchup in Week 5 against Kansas City.
Walter (36 percent) also played well at Jacksonville with eight catches for 76 yards and two touchdowns and has three touchdowns in three games, but he's still too inconsistent to be anything more than a No. 3 or 4 Fantasy option. Put him low on your waiver-wire requests unless you are in a deeper league.
Some other receivers to target this week include Justin Gage (35 percent), Matt Jones (41 percent), Antonio Bryant (54 percent) and Amani Toomer (45 percent). Toomer should be in line for a boost with Burress out, and Gage, Jones and Bryant are now the No. 1 receiving options on their respective teams. Bryant will remain in that role even when Galloway returns, and I've changed my tune on Jones considering he has at least five catches in each game this year.
Some receivers to monitor or reach for depending on your situation include Miles Austin (15 percent), Antwaan Randle El (40 percent), Arnaz Battle (3 percent), Chris Henry (25 percent), Greg Camarillo (1 percent), Jabar Gaffney (21 percent) and Devin Hester (19 percent). Austin has scored in two consecutive games and plays in a dynamic offense, Henry's four-game suspension ends this week and Hester finally made an impact at wide receiver with three catches for 27 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles.
Chansi Stuckey (74 percent) is also still worth adding even though he had only two catches for 12 yards against the Cardinals despite Brett Favre throwing six touchdown passes. Stuckey still has 14 catches for 134 yards and three touchdowns this year, but remember the Jets are off in Week 5.
In case you haven't noticed ... It's time to add Eagles RB Correll Buckhalter. With Brian Westbrook (ankle) out against the Bears, Buckhalter again was a solid replacement with 16 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 24 yards. Westbrook will probably return in Week 5 against Washington, but if he doesn't, make sure you add Buckhalter, who is only owned in 67 percent of leagues. This is a great example of why you handcuff your stud rushers so you have their backups if they get hurt.
Each Monday we will highlight players who might be available in your league and whether you should consider picking them up off waivers based on their recent performances. The players chosen are based on the percentage of ownership in CBSSports.com leagues.
Add 'Em
Michael Bush, RB, Oakland
Owned: 45 percent of leagues
Week 4: Had 14 carries for 48 yards and seven catches for 80 yards against San Diego.
Analysis: Bush has been the best running back for the Raiders the past two weeks with Darren McFadden (toe) and Justin Fargas (groin) banged up. That will probably continue unless one or both come back at 100 percent in Week 6 following Oakland's bye week. Bush might end up as the goal-line back for the Raiders, but he's a good player to stash on your bench for now.
Dustin Keller, TE, Jets
Owned: 37 percent of leagues
Week 4: Caught one pass for 24 yards and a touchdown against Arizona.
Analysis: With the way Brett Favre is playing right now, you'll want to own all of his targets. And Keller appears to be one of his red-zone favorites with two touchdowns in his past two games. Keller is Favre's new Bubba Franks, even though Franks is on the Jets. Keller will lose some catches to Franks and Chris Baker, but Keller has the most upside and is a good bye-week replacement.
Deuce McAllister, RB, New Orleans
Owned: 45 percent of leagues
Week 4: Had 20 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass for 10 yards against San Francisco.
Analysis: McAllister just passed the one-year mark of his second torn ACL, which was Sept. 24, 2007, so he's ready to go. And the Saints turned him loose against the 49ers. McAllister hadn't appeared in two games this season and was a non-factor in Week 2. But it appears like he's back and will regain the role of the traditional rusher for the Saints in tandem with Reggie Bush. With McAllister back, you can release Pierre Thomas.
Derrick Ward, RB, Giants
Owned: 36 percent of leagues
Week 4: Bye week
Analysis: Ward is the No. 2 running back behind starter Brandon Jacobs, but Ward has been making plays even with Jacobs healthy. He has 26 carries for 177 rushing yards and six catches for 55 yards on the season. With Plaxico Burress suspended in Week 5, Ward could play an increased role in the passing game. Consider adding him as a handcuff to Jacobs or as a good bye-week option in deeper leagues.
Avoid 'Em
Brian Griese, QB, Tampa Bay
Owned: 60 percent of leagues
Week 4: Completed 15-of-30 passes for 149 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions against Green Bay.
Analysis: I didn't like Griese in Week 4 against the Packers, and I don't think he will be a good Fantasy option going forward. Obviously, the 407 passing yards in Week 3 at Chicago were nice, but he has six interceptions in two games and not a lot of weapons. His job is to manage the game, and the Bucs will depend on their ground attack, which will limit what Griese can do.
Zach Miller, TE, Oakland
Owned: 26 percent of leagues
Week 4: Caught five passes for 95 yards and a touchdown against San Diego.
Analysis: Miller had a career game against the Chargers, but so have several tight ends this year. It was just a good matchup for him. Dante Rosario, Tony Scheffler and Dustin Keller also had career games against the Chargers this year, and Anthony Fasano will be next in Week 5. The Chargers can't defend tight ends, and Miller took advantage of it. If he does it again, add him, but I don't know if that's possible.
Kyle Orton, QB, Chicago
Owned: 17 percent of leagues
Week 4: Completed 18-of-34 passes for 199 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and lost two fumbles against Philadelphia.
Analysis: Orton has played OK the past two weeks against the Eagles and Bucs with 467 passing yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions and 21 rushing yards and two fumbles, and he could be in line for a solid outing in Week 5 at Detroit. But for the season, he's not a good quarterback, especially with all the turnovers. The Bears want to run the ball for a reason, and that's because Orton could lose a game by himself.
Others to monitor ...
Brandon Jackson, RB, Green Bay
Owned: 42 percent of leagues
Week 4: Had one carry for no yards and two catches for 21 yards at Tampa Bay.
Analysis: At some point the Packers are going to give up on Ryan Grant (15 carries for 20 yards in Week 4) and let Jackson get more touches. Even though Jackson has also struggled, he has a better yards-per-carry than Grant (5.2-3.4) and has one rushing touchdown to none for Grant. He also is the better receiver and could thrive with more carries. It might not happen for a while, but keep an eye on Jackson if Grant continues to falter.
Fred Jackson, RB, Buffalo
Owned: 24 percent of leagues
Week 4: Had seven carries for 46 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 9 yards at St. Louis.
Analysis: Jackson will occasionally be good for a game like this where he scores or puts up good yardage. He also should be owned by most Fantasy owners who drafted Marshawn Lynch. At some point, just like in 2007, Jackson will play a role for a week or two, and you'd be smart to add him in case Lynch gets hurt or the Bills continue to use the two in tandem.
Leon Washington, RB, Jets
Owned: 28 percent of leagues
Week 4: Had seven carries for 26 yards and four catches for 17 yards against Arizona.
Analysis: Washington started Week 4 against the Cardinals, but Thomas Jones still had more carries (18) and rushing yards (46). Still, this could be a sign of things to come with Jones' struggles. And with the Jets going to a more pass-oriented attack, Washington will likely be on the field more than Jones. If you have the roster space, add Washington now before he becomes the permanent starter for the Jets.
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