Waiver Wire: Houston, we have questions

Gary Kubiak didn't help Fantasy owners much at his news conference Monday when the Texans coach was asked about his running back situation.

"I'm going to play them all," Kubiak said. "I'm in no hurry to make that decision. But, obviously, we're going to need all three of them. We'll make a decision when we get to Indianapolis."

Houston doesn't have a problem, it has a mess, mostly for those of us making lineup decisions when it comes to Steve Slaton, Ryan Moats and even Chris Brown. We don't have a clear understanding if Slaton is benched or if Moats is starting, and Brown might also see his role change.

The first thing to do is add Moats in all leagues, especially if you own Slaton. Based on what transpired in Week 8 at Buffalo, Slaton might find himself on the bench Sunday at Indianapolis.

Slaton lost another fumble against the Bills, his fifth of the season, which leads the NFL, and allowed Moats to take over. Moats finished with 23 carries for 126 yards and a team-record three touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 25 yards.

Moats is owned in only 5 percent of leagues on CBSSports.com, and you'll want to put in a waiver claim for him in case the Texans hand him the starting job. Most likely, Kubiak was just sending a message to Slaton, but you don't want to risk Moats taking over the role and not adding him when you had the chance.

No matter who starts, it appears like Moats has earned the right for additional carries because of Slaton's inability to hold onto the ball. And it's not like Slaton was tearing it up on the ground with a 3.1 yards per carry average. The Texans could also use Slaton and Moats in tandem with Slaton being limited to passing downs based on his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield (29 catches for 314 yards and three touchdowns).

We should get a better idea during practice this week who is getting the first- and second-team reps, which will indicate who is starting against the Colts. But you should take advantage of the chance to add Moats now in case the move last week was permanent.

As for Brown (8 percent ownership), he will likely remain in his short-yardage role and has minimal Fantasy value. He had seven carries for 22 yards against the Bills and is not worth adding.

Even though Kubiak might be upset with Slaton, he's still the future at running back for the Texans, who are in playoff contention at 5-3. Maybe this was the wake-up call Slaton needed because Houston still needs Slaton as the season goes on. Don't do anything drastic and drop Slaton out of spite, and you can't trade him now because his value is too low to get anything of quality in return.

Moats showed he could be a productive Fantasy running back when given a chance, but we're all still rooting for Slaton to get the job back. If he can stop his fumble issues then the problem in Houston will be solved.

In case you haven't noticed ... It's time to add Jamaal Charles since the Chiefs plan to start him in Week 9 at Jacksonville with Larry Johnson suspended. Charles, who is owned in 60 percent of leagues, is coming off a bye week and has two weeks to prepare for this game. The Jaguars just allowed Chris Johnson to run for 228 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Week 8, and six times a running back has had at least 70 total yards against Jacksonville this season. We're not saying Charles is going to run like Johnson or even finish as a Top 10 Fantasy running back, but he could be a good flex option this week or a bye-week replacement if you're missing Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, Thomas Jones or Steven Jackson.

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

Fred Davis, TE, Washington
Owned: 24 percent of leagues
Week 8: On a bye.
Analysis: As an Owen Daniels (torn ACL) owner myself, I'm in need of a starting tight end for the rest of the season, and Davis is the first player I will target. He has the most upside of the tight ends available. Davis had eight catches for 78 yards and a touchdown when he came on for the injured Chris Cooley (ankle) in Week 7 against Philadelphia and will remain a starter for at least the next four weeks with Cooley out. Cooley averaged five catches for 52 yards prior to the Eagles game with two touchdowns, and the Redskins will likely be throwing often while playing from behind. If you own Daniels or Cooley and need a replacement, Davis is your man. Some other tight ends who could be available include Todd Heap (67 percent ownership), Dustin Keller (54 percent), Benjamin Watson (43 percent) and Kevin Boss (38 percent). Boss (vs. San Diego) and Watson (vs. Miami) have the best matchups this week.

Malcom Floyd, WR, San Diego
Owned: 6 percent of leagues
Week 8: Caught two passes for 64 yards against Oakland.
Analysis: Floyd is worth a flier in deeper leagues with the Chargers getting rid of Chris Chambers this week. San Diego wants to get Floyd in the starting lineup and use his size (6-foot-5) and speed to help stretch the defense. He only has 11 catches for 251 yards and one touchdown this season, but the extra playing time should help to improve his stats. Remember, Philip Rivers likes throwing downfield, and Floyd has been a good deep threat in limited use. He has four catches of 20-plus yards this season. Some other receivers to target this week include Pierre Garcon (66 percent), Jeremy Maclin (64 percent), Nate Washington (54 percent) and Sam Aiken (5 percent). It appears like Garcon will continue to start with Anthony Gonzalez (knee) not close to returning, and Washington (at San Francisco) and Maclin (vs. Dallas) have good matchups this week.

Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco
Owned: 41 percent of leagues
Week 8: Completed 19 of 32 passes for 198 yards, one touchdown and one interception and also had one carry for 10 yards at Indianapolis.
Analysis: We had Smith as an avoid last week with the exception of his Week 9 matchup against Tennessee, where he could be useful for one week. Now, there aren't a lot of quality quarterbacks on a bye with Brett Favre the lone starting option who is off, but Smith is facing the worst secondary in the NFL. The Titans are getting healthy on defense and the 49ers are now down another offensive lineman with Joe Staley (knee) out, but Smith is doing a good job getting the ball to Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree and should make some plays against the Titans. Some other quarterbacks to consider adding this week include Vince Young (15 percent) and Matt Cassel (61 percent). Young is facing a 49ers defense that just lost Nate Clements, and Cassel has a good matchup against the Jaguars.

Avoid 'Em

Deion Branch, WR, Seattle
Owned: 9 percent of leagues
Week 8: Caught three passes for 36 yards and a touchdown at Dallas.
Analysis: Don't be fooled by Branch catching a touchdown, which was his first of the season, and all of a sudden becoming a vital part of this passing game. He only has 15 catches for 130 yards on the season, and he hasn't topped 50 yards in a game. T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Nate Burleson are clearly ahead of Branch in the pecking order for Matt Hasselbeck, and Branch hasn't been a consistent Fantasy option since the beginning of 2007. Let him start to rack up some quality stats for several weeks in a row before considering him for one of your roster spots.

Ted Ginn, Jr., WR, Miami
Owned: 43 percent of leagues
Week 8: Had no catches at the Jets.
Analysis: Ginn might get a confidence boost from his performance against the Jets when he had two kickoff returns for touchdowns, but you have to see it first before adding him. He has been a disappointment as a receiver this season with only 18 catches for 211 yards and one touchdown. The Dolphins passing game has struggled the past two games against New Orleans and the Jets, and Ginn is a big reason for that. Now, if you're in leagues where you get points for return yardage, Ginn could start to pay dividends if his offensive production improves. But again, let it happen first before putting him on your roster.

Leonard Weaver, RB, Philadelphia
Owned: 0 percent of leagues
Week 8: Had eight carries for 75 yards and a touchdown against the Giants.
Analysis: Even if Brian Westbrook (concussion) remains out for Week 9 against Dallas and Weaver gets more carries, he's still just a fullback who broke off a big 41-yard touchdown run against a struggling defense. That's it. Prior to that, Weaver had four carries for 16 yards on the season and seven catches for 35 yards and a touchdown. He will get a touchdown here or there, but Weaver's role is to block and be an outlet in the passing game. The only reason to add Weaver would be if Westbrook is still limited or LeSean McCoy gets hurt as well.

Scout 'Em

Joel Dreessen, TE, Houston
Owned: 0 percent of leagues
Week 8: Had no catches at Buffalo.
Analysis: With Owen Daniels and James Casey out, Dreessen is expected to start at tight end. He isn't known for having good hands as a receiver (he also serves as Houston's long snapper), but he could be a good option in the red zone. Also keep an eye on rookie Anthony Hill (0 percent) because the Texans have a huge hole to fill at tight end with Daniels out. If Dreessen or Hill play well in Week 9 against the Colts then they could be worth adding, but wait and see what happens first.

Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland
Owned: 56 percent of leagues
Week 8: Did not play at San Diego.
Analysis: McFadden has missed the past four games with a knee injury, but he said Monday he plans to return in Week 10 against Kansas City after the Raiders' bye in Week 9. That would be a favorable matchup for him if he's able to start and get the majority of carries. We'll find out how he does in practice over the next two weeks, but it might be worth adding McFadden for that game alone. His only game with double digits in Fantasy points this year was Week 2 at Kansas City when he had 55 total yards and a touchdown.

Maurice Morris, RB, Detroit
Owned: 5 percent of leagues
Week 8: Had 14 carries for 63 yards and caught one pass for 19 yards against St. Louis.
Analysis: Morris came on for the injured Kevin Smith (shoulder) against the Rams and played well. Smith is expected to be fine for Week 9 at Seattle, but keep an eye on what happens during the week. If Smith shows up on the injury report and isn't able to practice then Morris is worth adding. Remember, there are some quality running backs on a bye this week -- Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, Thomas Jones and Steven Jackson -- and if Morris starts against the Seahawks he could be a good flex option. Morris' value is tied to what happens with Smith heading into the Seattle game.

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