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Jamey Eisenberg

Waiver Wire: Health crisis at quarterback

By | Senior Fantasy Writer


For those of you with Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Brett Favre and the handful of other healthy, successful quarterbacks this year, enjoy it. Because there are some owners in your league scrambling as we speak.

Tony Romo is the latest quarterback to go down. He's expected to miss four weeks with a broken pinkie in his throwing hand, although it will only be three games with Dallas having a bye in Week 10.

You can add Romo to the list of quarterbacks selected as a starter and now injured, according to their average draft position on CBSSports.com. He joins Tom Brady (knee), Carson Palmer (elbow) and Matt Hasselbeck (knee) as being done for the season or missing games due to injury.

Owners will be hard pressed to replace Tony Romo's 14 TDs. (Getty Images)  
Owners will be hard pressed to replace Tony Romo's 14 TDs. (Getty Images)  
Then there's Marc Bulger, Derek Anderson and Ben Roethlisberger, who have struggled as No. 1 options. That's left owners in search of answers.

Some backup options have thrived like Kurt Warner, Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers. But still, with the bye weeks upon us, quarterback pick ups are crucial.

Brad Johnson will start for Romo, and he's only owned in 1 percent of leagues on CBSSports.com. But Johnson probably isn't going to help your Fantasy team much even if he does have great weapons in Terrell Owens, Jason Witten and Marion Barber.

We thought the same thing about Matt Cassel with Randy Moss and Wes Welker, and that hasn't worked out too well. The Cowboys next three games are against St. Louis, Tampa Bay and the Giants before their bye, so only consider using Johnson this week against the Rams.

If you miss on Johnson, there are some quality quarterbacks available on the waiver wire.

It might be too late to add Matt Schaub (84 percent), Kyle Orton (82 percent) or David Garrard (77 percent), but grab them immediately if they are still out there. All three are playing well right and would be good replacements for Romo.

If not, look at Matt Ryan (42 percent), Gus Frerotte (37 percent) and Chad Pennington (44 percent). All three are coming off good outings in Week 6, especially Ryan.

He passed for 301 yards and a touchdown against the Bears and continues to do a good job avoiding pressure (no sacks against Chicago). He also showed nice touch on his passes while involving everyone with Roddy White (nine catches for 112 yards and a touchdown), Harry Douglas (five catches for 96 yards) and Michael Jenkins (four catches for 58 yards) playing well.

Ryan has now thrown a touchdown in all three home games. We'll see if his solid play starts to translate on the road, but this is a good game for Ryan going into the bye in Week 7.

Ryan has some good matchups ahead at home against New Orleans and Denver in Weeks 10 and 11. He also has a favorable road game at Oakland in Week 9.

Frerotte is facing the same Bears defense Ryan just had this week. In Week 6 against Detroit, Frerotte passed for 296 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He now has passed for at least 200 yards in all four starts and is connecting well with Bernard Berrian, who will face his former team this week.

It appears like Frerotte will keep it up and can be an emergency replacement, especially this week.

Pennington passed for 284 yards, two touchdowns and one interception at Houston. He has done well adjusting to the "Wildcat" formation and playing with inferior talent at wide receiver in Greg Camarillo and Ted Ginn.

Pennington has passed for at least 225 yards in four of five starts this year with five touchdowns and two interceptions. He has a tough matchup in Week 7 against Baltimore, but the Ravens just allowed three passing touchdowns against Peyton Manning.

Some other quarterbacks who could be worth adding based on their matchup this week are Trent Edwards (65 percent), Kerry Collins (23 percent) and Jeff Garcia (18 percent). Edwards plays host to San Diego, Collins is at Kansas City and Garcia, who just passed for 173 yards and a touchdown against Carolina in place of injured starter Brian Griese (elbow), faces Seattle.

It's been a rough year for quarterbacks, so feel lucky if your starter is still standing tall and playing well. Otherwise, you are dealing with guys like J.T. O'Sullivan and Cassel and keeping your fingers crossed on a weekly basis.

In case you haven't noticed ... It's time to add Colts running back Dominic Rhodes. This is another example of why you should handcuff your top running back with his backup because Joseph Addai (hamstring) was hurt against the Ravens. Colts coach Tony Dungy didn't think Addai's injury was serious, but Rhodes proved he could handle the load when Addai left the game. Rhodes, who is owned in 25 percent of leagues, had 25 carries for 73 yards and scored the first rushing touchdown against the Ravens this year. If Addai is out for Week 7, Rhodes would start at Green Bay, which is a great matchup for him.

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

Warrick Dunn, RB, Tampa Bay
Owned: 56 percent of leagues
Week 6: Had 22 carries for 115 yards against and caught three passes for 18 yards against Carolina.
Analysis: Dunn continues to steal carries from starter Earnest Graham. Dunn had 16 carries in Week 4 against Green Bay and 11 carries in Week 5 against Denver and has rushed for 252 yards the past three games. Graham has 35 carries for 181 yards the past three games, but he scored two touchdowns. Graham volunteered to play fullback against the Panthers with Bryan Storer getting hurt, which gave Dunn more carries. If that continues, Dunn could be a useful No. 3 Fantasy running back, although Graham will still score the touchdowns.

Devin Hester, WR, Chicago
Owned: 53 percent of leagues
Week 6: Caught six passes for 87 yards at Atlanta.
Analysis: Hester appears to have figured out how to play wide receiver. He now has 14 catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns the past three games and has developed a solid rapport with Kyle Orton. As Orton continues to improve, so will Hester, so pick him up if you need help at receiver. He is running solid routes and has started making plays besides just running fly patterns. And in leagues where you get points for return yardage, Hester just keeps looking better and better.

Brandon Stokley, WR, Denver
Owned: 49 percent of leagues
Week 6: Caught three passes for 29 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville.
Analysis: Stokley left the game against the Jaguars with a head injury after scoring the touchdown, so keep an eye on his status. But if he's healthy and Eddie Royal (ankle) and Tony Scheffler (ankle) remain out, Stokley will continue to be the No. 2 option for Jay Cutler behind Brandon Marshall. Stokley now has 16 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns the past three games. He has a solid matchup in Week 7 at New England and should continue to play well if his head is OK.

Avoid 'Em

Patrick Cobbs, RB, Miami
Owned: 0 percent of leagues
Week 6: Had three catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns at Houston.
Analysis: It was a nice game for Cobbs, who scored on the deep pass off the "Wildcat" formation and a screen pass. It won't happen again, and Cobbs is the No. 3 running back behind Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Look for Cobbs to play a role on a trick play again at some point this year, but don't consider adding him unless Brown and Williams get hurt and miss significant time.

Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco
Owned: 43 percent of leagues
Week 6: Had six catches for 75 yards against Philadelphia.
Analysis: Davis went from a starting option before the season to being released in the majority of leagues. Don't consider adding him again at this point because he played well against a team that has struggled with tight ends all year. Prior to his game against the Eagles, Davis had five catches for 87 yards on the season and was being outplayed by backup Delanie Walker. For Davis to have any Fantasy value in the future he needs to leave San Francisco.

Malcom Floyd, WR, San Diego
Owned: 0 percent of leagues
Week 6: Caught three passes for 75 yards and a touchdown against New England.
Analysis: Floyd played well with Chris Chambers (ankle) out and has been good for a few red zone targets for the Chargers the past four years. But Floyd had no catches coming into this game, and even if Chambers is out for an extended amount of time, don't expect Floyd to play like this again. He didn't start for Chambers (Craig Davis did), and Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson will continue to be the top targets for Philip Rivers.

Others to monitor ...

Donnie Avery, WR, St. Louis
Owned: 4 percent of leagues
Week 6: Had four catches for 73 yards at Washington.
Analysis: Part of the offensive woes for the Rams has been finding a second receiver opposite Torry Holt. Avery has dealt with injuries to start his rookie season, but he appears healthy now. He has 10 catches for 119 yards the past three games, and the Rams have high hopes for Avery, which is why he was the first receiver taken in the 2008 NFL Draft. If he continues to play like this, add him and use him toward the end of the season.

Ahman Green, RB, Houston
Owned: 26 percent of leagues
Week 6: Had eight carries for 41 yards and one catch for 2 yards against Miami.
Analysis: Green continues to take carries away from Steve Slaton, who had 15 carries for 58 yards against the Dolphins. Green looks healthy the past two weeks against Miami and Indianapolis and has 20 carries for 88 yards over that span. Houston coach Gary Kubiak said Slaton will continue to start, but Green will share carries. And if Slaton hits the rookie wall at some point, Green could see more touches and increased Fantasy value.

Marcedes Lewis, TE, Jacksonville
Owned: 8 percent of leagues
Week 6: Had three catches for 64 yards and a touchdown against Denver.
Analysis: Lewis now has four catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns in his past two games. David Garrard is fond of Lewis, who remains one of the more consistent targets for the Jaguars given their problems at receiver. If Lewis can continue making plays like this, he would be a quality starting tight end in all leagues. Hopefully, Garrard will keep looking in Lewis' direction, and he will remain a red zone target.

Do you have a question? Send your thoughts to DMFantasyFootball@cbs.com and we'll post the best responses. Be sure to put Attn: Waiver Wire in the subject field. Include your name, hometown and state.

 
 
 
Player News
Rashard Mendenhall
PUP list in Mendenhall's future
Rashard Mendenhall, RB, PIT
2:15 PM
News: Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said Monday that there's a good chance RB Rashard Mendenhall will start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list. If so, he'd be forced to miss at least the first six games of the regular season. Moreover, Colbert is not convinced that Mendenhall will be able to contribute at all in 2012. "I never feel good about an ACL for a year," Colbert said according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Mendenhall tore his right ACL in Week 17 of last season; recovery time for such injuries is anywhere from nine months to a year.
Analysis: With Mendenhall iffy, it's time to start giving some legit consideration to Isaac Redman as the primary rusher for the Steelers in 2012. Redman started the Steelers' playoff game at Denver and had 121 yards on 17 carries and 21 yards on two catches. He'll likely get the first crack at starting in place of Mendenhall. There's still a lot of time between now and the regular season, but for now it's probably safe to expect Mendenhall to not be at even close to 100 percent to start the year, which will absolutely impact his Fantasy value. By August, you might be drafting Mendenhall as a middle- to late-round sleeper you'll have to sit on for a while. We'll keep you posted on Mendenhall as best as we can.

Randy Moss
Moss: I'm coming back
Randy Moss, WR, TEN
10:10 AM
News: Randy Moss took to UStream on Monday morning to announce that he plans to return to football in 2012. Moss didn't play last season after fizzling out with the Titans during a tumultuous 2010. Moss answered fan questions on the live video site and made it clear at the end of his web stream that he intends to play again after stepping away for personal reasons. "Your boy will be back for the upcoming season," he said. "Hopefully I can get on a team and finish this thing the way I want to."
Analysis: Most people remember Moss for his incredible big plays and ridiculous stats, such as the 17 touchdowns he scored as a rookie, or the record-breaking 23 touchdowns he caught in 2007, or the 14,465 yards he gained from 1998 to 2009. But some will remember him for a very counterproductive 2010 in which he caught just five touchdowns on 28 grabs with three different teams. If he does indeed return to football, where he plays and how quick he is will ultimately determine whether he's worth a late-round flier or something far more substantial.

Calvin Johnson
Lions want to lock up Megatron
Calvin Johnson, WR, DET
9:39 AM
News: Lions president Tom Lewand, who controls Detroit’s salary cap compliance, says the team has had positive negotiations with WR Calvin Johnson over a contract extension. “(Johnson’s) got a good relationship with Matthew (Stafford),” Lewand told a local radio station in Detroit. “There’s a desire to keep that (relationship) together. When that desire exists, you can get deals done.” Johnson is entering a contract year in 2012 and is coming off a sensational season, finishing the regular season with 96 catches for 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns with another 211 yards and two touchdowns in one playoff game against the Saints.
Analysis: Johnson is not going to leave the Lions if Detroit has anything to do with it, and we expect him to get a big deal soon. Regardless of if he's in a contract year or not in 2012, it's clear Johnson is the No. 1 WR in Fantasy, and he should be drafted in Round 1 in all formats.

DeSean Jackson
Eagles could franchise D-Jax
DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI
9:36 AM
News: The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Eagles are going to use the franchise tag on WR DeSean Jackson. The report says the Eagles will not let Jackson, whose contract is set to expire, walk without getting something in return. Feb. 20 is the first day NFL teams are permitted to franchise one player before he reaches free agency. March 5 is the deadline. At 4 p.m. on March 13 the league year starts and players with four or more years of service who are not under contract are eligible to become unrestricted free agents. Jackson, who signed a four-year, $3 million deal as a rookie in 2008, will not reach the open market because the Eagles are expected to franchise him. The receiver would stand to earn approximately $9.5 million - nearly $9 million more than he made in base salary last season - if he played next season under the tag. Jackson said immediately following the season finale that he would be fine with the franchise designation.
Analysis: Jackson's play slipped some last season, partly due to his distraction over his contract, but he still caught 58 passes for 961 yards and four touchdowns. His deep routes and ability to take multiple defenders often opened up the Eagles offense underneath. Keep an eye on what happens with Jackson and where he ends up in 2012. With the Eagles he would be considered a No. 2 Fantasy WR with upside, but if he leaves Philadelphia then his value will be determined by who his quarterback is and his contract. He will likely be drafted around Round 5 in most leagues.

Isaac Redman
Redman in line to start for Steelers?
Isaac Redman, RB, PIT
2:23 PM
News: Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said Monday that there's a good chance RB Rashard Mendenhall will start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list. If so, he'd be forced to miss at least the first six games of the regular season. Moreover, Colbert is not convinced that Mendenhall will be able to contribute at all in 2012. "I never feel good about an ACL for a year," Colbert said according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That would open the door for Isaac Redman to be the starting rusher entering training camp.
Analysis: With Mendenhall iffy, it's time to start giving some legit consideration to Isaac Redman as the primary rusher for the Steelers in 2012. Redman started the Steelers' playoff game at Denver and had 121 yards on 17 carries and 21 yards on two catches. He's also stepped up while working with Mendenhall and without him, though his one other start in 2011 was a flop (61 total yards, no touchdowns vs. Tennessee). By August we might recommend drafting Redman with a pick in Round 6 or 7 as a good early-season starting option with potential to be a quality Fantasy choice for the entire season. We'll see how the Steelers' run game shakes out.

Steve Slaton
Slaton, Dolphins likely parting ways
Steve Slaton, RB, MIA
12:56 PM
News: The Palm Beach Post reports that RB Steve Slaton is not expected to return to the Dolphins in 2012. Slaton played in three games this season with zero starts after being picked up on waivers before Week 4. He had 17 carries for 64 yards (3.8 average) with one touchdown and a long of 28 and also returned three kickoffs for 85 yards. Slaton was signed as insurance early in the season when both Reggie Bush (groin) and Daniel Thomas (hamstring) battled injuries.
Analysis: Keep an eye on where Slaton plays in 2012, but he likely has minimal Fantasy value. Ignore him in all leagues on Draft Day.

Doug Baldwin
Baldwin already working hard
Doug Baldwin, WR, SEA
11:14 AM
News: The Tacoma News Tribune reports that Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin is already working out with the hope of building on an impressive rookie season. As an undrafted rookie free agent out of Stanford, he was a long shot to make the team last season, let alone lead Seattle in receiving. But that’s what Baldwin did. He finished with a team-high 51 receptions for 788 yards and four touchdowns, good enough for fourth in the league among rookies in receptions and yards. Baldwin also finished 11th in the league in percentage of receptions caught for first downs (78.4 percent), and fourth in the league with 23 catches on third down to move the chains. The hard-working Baldwin said he thinks he can do better. “I felt like the stats and everything (were) real average,” he said. “But you’ve got to have that sense of confidence about yourself when you step out on the field. To be honest with you, I didn’t think I’d have the opportunity to step out on the field that early. And with that, the transition wasn’t really that difficult because we have such a great coaching staff and they explain everything so well that it makes it easier for you to understand it and grasp the offense.”
Analysis: Baldwin’s production in 2011 secured his spot as Seattle’s slot receiver. But Baldwin wants to be considered a compete receiver. “They say that I’m the slot guy, but every year they’re bringing somebody in to try to take your job – that’s the upper management’s job,” he said. “So my job is to make sure that whoever they bring in doesn’t have a chance. That’s why I’m here, to be honest with you. “I want to be known as the greatest receiver who ever played the game, and it’s going to be hard to do that strictly out of the slot.” We like the way Baldwin is talking, and he has plenty of potential heading into 2012. Plan on drafting Baldwin as a sleeper with a late-round pick in all leagues.

Hines Ward
Ward hopes to remain with Steelers
Hines Ward, WR, PIT
9:53 AM
News: Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said Monday that no decision has been made on the future of Hines Ward. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported previously that if the Steelers did decide to release Ward, he was unaware of it. NFL Network reported that Ward won't be back with the Steelers in 2012 but a source close to Ward refuted the report. Ward's 2012 salary is high and he's expected to at least take a significant pay cut, if not get released altogether. Ward has said many times that he wants to end his career in Pittsburgh but he is determined to play somewhere in 2012, even if the Steelers do not want him. Ward, who turns 36 March 8, has played all 14 of his seasons in the NFL with the Steelers and holds nearly every team receiving record.
Analysis: Keep an eye on what happens with Ward and where he ends up in 2012. No matter where Ward plays, however, he would have minimal Fantasy value, and he is not worth drafting in the majority of leagues.

Josh Morgan
Morgan fine, looks at future
Josh Morgan, WR, SF
9:49 AM
News: The Sacramento Bee reports that 49ers WR Josh Morgan left the team facility after a workout Thursday as if there was nothing wrong with him. Morgan broke his lower right leg on Oct. 9 and was placed on injured reserve. He told the Associated Press that he's begun sprinting again, and he promises to be at full speed in the spring. Coach Jim Harbaugh has said the 49ers want to re-sign Morgan, who is a good fit for their power-based West Coast offense. Morgan, however, likely will test the market in free agency before agreeing to a new deal in San Francisco.
Analysis: Keep an eye on where Morgan ends up in 2012, but he has minimal Fantasy value in the majority of leagues. Morgan is the type of player who is more valuable to his team than Fantasy owners.

Jeremy Shockey
Panthers could bring back Shockey
Jeremy Shockey, TE, CAR
9:46 AM
News: The Charlotte Observer considers re-signing free agent TE Jeremy Shockey a "high priority" this offseason. Shockey was the No. 2 TE for the Panthers behind Greg Olsen, and he had a productive season when he caught 37 passes for 455 yards and four touchdowns and missed only one game to injury.
Analysis: Though not the same receiver he was a decade ago, Shockey still is a dependable target, particularly in the red zone. If his asking price is too high, Panthers could turn to Gary Barnidge, who was having a great 2011 camp before breaking his ankle. Keep an eye on what happens with Shockey, and if he returns to the Panthers as expected he would be a No. 2 Fantasy TE on Draft Day worth a late-round pick in deeper leagues.

 
 
 
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