Waiver Wire: A must-add Brown? Go figure
There's a running back in the AFC North who is about to become relevant in all Fantasy leagues. The starter is hurt and has struggled, and the backup stepped up with an outstanding game in Week 4.
And no, he doesn't play for the Steelers, although we'll get to Rashard Mendenhall later. We're talking about Jerome Harrison.
Jamal Lewis has been out the past two games with a hamstring injury, and he looked like a 30-year-old running back in the first two games. Remember, Lewis was on the verge of being cut prior to season. Along with that, rookie James Davis (shoulder) has been placed on injured reserve and is out for the year.
That has allowed Harrison to show his overall skills. He had 29 carries for 121 yards and caught five passes for 31 yards with a lost fumble against Cincinnati this past week and had 85 total yards in Week 3 at Baltimore.
Harrison is only owned in 44 percent of CBSSports.com leagues, so add him immediately. He could be at least a No. 3 Fantasy running back for the rest of the year and a spot starter during the bye weeks if not more.
The Browns don't face many of the top-tier run defenses the rest of this season outside of two more games with Pittsburgh and one more with Baltimore, so Harrison has the chance for some big outings. The only concern will be what happens when Lewis returns.
What the Browns should do is let Lewis assume the No. 2 role and allow Harrison to prove his worth. Cleveland has to start planning for the future, and Lewis is not part of those plans.
Even if Lewis does ruin Harrison's potential progress, it's still worth adding Harrison because there aren't many quality running backs on the waiver wire. Maybe if you're lucky, Mendenhall is available since he's owned in 67 percent of leagues.
Mendenhall took over for the injured Willie Parker (toe) against San Diego and had 29 carries for 165 yards and two touchdowns and two catches for 26 yards. This came after he was benched in Week 3 at Cincinnati.
The question for Mendenhall becomes what happens when Parker returns, and he wants to play in Week 5 at Detroit (who could blame him with that matchup). But in case Parker is out again, Mendenhall has the chance for a huge outing against the Lions and would be considered a No. 1 option in all formats.
Mewelde Moore (28 percent) is also a good option to add, especially in leagues where receptions count, since he's the running back on the field during passing downs. Moore caught three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown and also threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Heath Miller against the Chargers.
Along with Harrison, Mendenhall and Moore, some other running backs to consider for the rest of the season are Sammy Morris (17 percent) and Shonn Greene (20 percent). Morris shares carries with Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk, but Morris has played well the past two weeks for New England. He had 56 total yards and a touchdown against Baltimore this past week and 62 total yards in Week 3 against Atlanta with eight catches over that span. In deep leagues where receptions count, Morris could be useful during bye weeks even though Taylor appears to be the best running back option for the Patriots so far this season.
As for Greene, the Jets finally let him play Sunday at New Orleans, and the rookie responded with four carries for 23 yards. As the season goes on, Greene could get more playing time ahead of Thomas Jones and Leon Washington, so consider him someone to add to your scout team in standard formats.
In case you haven't noticed ... It's time to add two players from the Jaguars if they are still available, and we're talking about all leagues. Mike Sims-Walker has become a go-to wide receiver and is on the verge of becoming an elite Fantasy option. He had seven catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee in Week 4 and now has 19 catches for 278 yards and three touchdowns in three games. He is owned in 78 percent of leagues, but that should be above 90 percent before Week 5. Along with that, David Garrard (70 percent) is worth owning in all leagues as a No. 2 Fantasy quarterback, and he's a great option to use during bye weeks. Garrard had 323 passing yards and three touchdowns and eight carries for 38 yards and a lost fumble against the Titans. The Jaguars face Seattle, St. Louis, Tennessee and Kansas City in the coming weeks, so their passing game should continue to click.
Each Tuesday 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
Heath Miller, TE, Pittsburgh
Owned: 62 percent of leagues
Week 4: Caught eight passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns against San Diego.
Analysis: Miller isn't the most consistent tight end out there since he had eight catches for 64 yards in Week 1 at Tennessee and then eight catches for 47 yards combined the next two weeks at Chicago and Cincinnati. But if you're looking for a good bye week replacement at tight end, especially in Week 5, add Miller now. The Steelers play the Lions, and Detroit has allowed five touchdowns to opposing tight ends this season, including two in Week 4 against Chicago to Kellen Davis and Greg Olsen. The Steelers should do whatever they want against the Lions, and Miller is a good one-week option as well as a quality player to stash on your bench when the matchup is right.
Kyle Orton, QB, Denver
Owned: 61 percent of leagues
Week 4: Completed 20 of 29 passes for 243 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against Dallas.
Analysis: As far as No. 2 Fantasy quarterbacks go, Orton has been among the best, and he's even worth using as a spot starter when he has a favorable matchup. Orton has six touchdowns and no interceptions on the season, and he's starting to get Brandon Marshall involved, which will only continue to help his stats. The schedule starts to get rough for Orton with matchups ahead against New England, Baltimore and Pittsburgh in three of his next four games. But Orton has posted better Fantasy stats than Tony Romo and could have been very helpful for owners dealing with injuries to Donovan McNabb (ribs) and Matt Hasselbeck (ribs).
Sidney Rice, WR, Minnesota
Owned: 17 percent of leagues
Week 4: Caught five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay.
Analysis: You know we like third-year wide receivers, and Rice is on the verge of joining Steve Smith of the Giants and Mike Sims-Walker this season as breakout candidates. He now has nine catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns in his past two games and is quickly becoming one of Brett Favre's favorite targets. Coming into the season, I liked Rice as a red-zone threat because of his 6-foot-4 frame, and he had eight touchdowns in his first two seasons despite limited playing time. Favre continues to look for Rice, and he has a good matchup in Week 5 at St. Louis if you're looking for a bye-week replacement. Hopefully he will continue to play like he has for the past two weeks.
Nate Washington, WR, Tennessee
Owned: 51 percent of leagues
Week 4: Caught seven passes for 66 yards and a touchdown at Jacksonville.
Analysis: With the Titans defense unable to stop anyone, it appears like they will be throwing a lot and playing from behind or in close games. That should allow Washington, as well as rookie Kenny Britt (21 percent), who had seven catches for 105 yards against the Jaguars, to continue to post solid stats. Washington has scored in each of the past three games with 13 catches for 127 yards over that span. He's definitely a good bye-week replacement and someone you can use as a spot starter based on his ability to find the end zone. Britt hasn't been as consistent with no touchdowns, but he does have three games with at least 55 receiving yards.
Avoid 'Em
Derek Anderson, QB, Cleveland
Owned: 13 percent of leagues
Week 4: Completed 26 of 48 passes for 269 yards, one touchdown and an interception and a rushing touchdown against Cincinnati.
Analysis: Anderson might be a good bye-week replacement for Week 5 at Buffalo, but I'm not ready to count on him in most leagues. The Browns are starting to show signs of life with Jerome Harrison and Mohamed Massaquoi, but Braylon Edwards has disappeared and Josh Cribbs isn't ready to be a full-time contributor on offense. This isn't 2007 when Anderson was playing behind a great offensive line in a productive system. Maybe he starts to play well, but I'll let someone else in my league have him for the rest of the season unless he shows a dramatic turnaround from this point forward.
Kellen Davis, TE, Chicago
Owned: 0 percent of leagues
Week 4: Caught two passes for 20 yards and a touchdown against Detroit.
Analysis: Davis had more catches and yards than Greg Olsen (one catch for 1 yard and a touchdown) against the Lions. He also has two touchdowns on the season, which is more than Jason Witten, Dustin Keller, Kevin Boss and Zach Miller. But don't think the Bears are going to make him a focal point of the offense. He only has seven catches for 58 yards with eight targets on the season. By comparison, Olsen has 10 catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns, but he's been targeted 25 times. Don't even consider Davis as a bye-week replacement except for the deepest of leagues, especially now that Desmond Clark is also back after being out the past two weeks.
Justin Fargas, RB, Oakland
Owned: 8 percent of leagues
Week 4: Had 10 carries for 24 yards and caught one pass for 14 yards at Houston.
Analysis: With Darren McFadden (knee) now out for 2-4 weeks, Fargas will get a chance to share carries with Michael Bush. But based on how McFadden played before the injury, you should plan to avoid the Raiders at all costs at this point. They are not worth owning after showing nothing through the first four games. Fargas might make some plays going forward, but there are better players out there in standard formats. As long as JaMarcus Russell is leading the offense, this team will struggle, especially in Week 5 at the Giants.
Scout 'Em
Chad Henne, QB, Miami
Owned: 10 percent of leagues
Week 4: Completed 14 of 22 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown and had two carries for 14 yards with a lost fumble against Buffalo.
Analysis: Henne is the quarterback of the future for the Dolphins, and he will start for the rest of the year with Chad Pennington (shoulder) out. He's someone to keep an eye on if he can play well, and he should be added in all keeper leagues and dynasty formats. The Dolphins don't have the most dynamic receiving corps, but rookie Brian Hartline (1 percent) is another player to monitor after he scored his first touchdown against the Bills. He also added two catches for 17 yards. The Dolphins schedule starts to improve toward the end of the season, and that's when the passing game could start to click. If only Ted Ginn, Jr. wasn't playing so poorly.
Jermichael Finley, TE, Green Bay
Owned: 22 percent of leagues
Week 4: Caught six passes for 128 yards and a touchdown at Minnesota.
Analysis: We had Finley listed as a sleeper prior to the game against the Vikings, and he more than lived up to the billing. We also liked him as a sleeper coming into the season, but he's been inconsistent through the first three weeks with five catches for 62 yards before Monday night's game. The Packers are off in Week 5, but Finley has some nice matchups after the break against Detroit, Cleveland and the Vikings again. Either add him now if you have the roster space or look to pick him up in Week 6 when the Packers play host to the Lions.
Sam Hurd, WR, Dallas
Owned: 0 percent of leagues
Week 4: Caught three passes for 62 yards at Denver.
Analysis: Roy E. Williams has struggled and is now dealing with a rib injury following the Broncos game. Hurd came on and made a big play in the fourth quarter, and Tony Romo looked at Hurd twice in the end zone on the final drive even with Champ Bailey in coverage. If Williams is out for Week 5 at Kansas City, Hurd could be a one-week replacement. And with the Cowboys desperate for playmakers in the passing game to help Romo and Jason Witten, Hurd could have value going forward. Continue to watch how he does and what happens with Williams.
Mohamed Massaquoi, WR, Cleveland
Owned: 1 percent of leagues
Week 4: Caught eight passes for 148 yards against Cincinnati.
Analysis: Massaquoi was targeted 13 times and was able to make plays against the Bengals. He's definitely someone to monitor going forward, but remember he had only two catches for 31 yards in the first three games. He also has Derek Anderson as his quarterback, and as bad as he is, Braylon Edwards remains the No. 1 option in the passing game. Don't run out and add Massaquoi just yet unless you need a bye-week replacement for Week 5 at Buffalo, but he's definitely worth owning in keeper leagues and dynasty formats if this is a sign of things to come.
Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Detroit
Owned: 12 percent of leagues
Week 4: Had four catches for 64 yards at Chicago.
Analysis: Pettigrew was targeted 10 times against the Bears, which was tied for the second-most targets in Week 4 for tight ends with Chris Cooley and Dallas Clark and two behind Antonio Gates. The Lions need someone to make plays alongside Calvin Johnson, and Pettigrew has good size (6-foot-5) and ability. In deeper leagues, Pettigrew can be a good bye-week replacement, but for now just keep an eye on him and see if he continues to improve. He is worth owning in keeper leagues and dynasty formats.
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