The Redskins are not a good football team. They have issues at quarterback and on the offensive line, and there's a reason Jim Zorn should be updating his resume. You don't lose to Detroit, among other things, and get a raise -- let alone keep your job.
The reason we're talking about the Redskins is Washington now has an opening at running back with Clinton Portis suffering a concussion Sunday at Atlanta. This has Fantasy owners giddy about the potential of adding Ladell Betts, which you should since he's only owned in 11 percent of leagues on CBSSports.com.
You always want to stash someone on your roster when they get the chance to start, and it's unknown how long Portis could be out -- he's doubtful for Week 10 against Denver. A good comparison should be Brian Westbrook, who has missed two games after suffering a concussion in Week 8. Portis also has been playing through ankle and foot injuries, which has ruined his year.
Portis has 124 carries for 494 yards (4.0 yards per carry) with only one touchdown. He also has nine catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. So if Portis has struggled running behind this offensive line, what would make Betts an appealing option?
Don't drop someone of significance for Betts. It's not like Portis is out for the season. The only thing you can hope for is Betts plays like 2006 again, but that's a stretch. The one thing in his favor this week is the Broncos struggled in run defense against the Steelers on Monday night and are making the long road trip on a short week.
In 2006, Portis broke his hand in November, and Betts started the final seven games of the season. He had 879 yards and three touchdowns and 23 catches for 214 yards and another touchdown as a starter when Portis was out.
Could that happen again? Maybe. Betts played well in relief of Portis against the Falcons with 15 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown and one catch for 23 yards. If Portis struggles to return from the concussion or decides to shut it down with the foot and ankle injuries, Betts could take over the full-time job.
But the Redskins haven't played well on offense and don't have an easy schedule remaining. Portis only had one 100-yard game when the Redskins faced St. Louis, Detroit, Tampa Bay and Kansas City in the first eight games.
Again, it's worth adding Betts with the chance he takes advantage of this opportunity. He could also prove that Portis, and not the offensive line, is the reason for the running game having problems. But just have realistic expectations and don't expect Betts to become a starting Fantasy option. And remember, Portis has yet to be ruled out for any period of time, but we just want to make you aware of the running back situation with the Redskins.
Some other running backs to consider if you're dealing with injuries to Portis and Westbrook or just looking to add depth would be Jamaal Charles (81 percent ownership), Ryan Moats (78 percent), Shonn Greene (70 percent) or Darren McFadden (59 percent) if they are still available.
Charles just got a boost with the Chiefs releasing Larry Johnson on Monday, and Greene has a great schedule the rest of this year as he shares carries with Thomas Jones. Moats scored a touchdown at the Colts on Sunday in his first game starting ahead of Steve Slaton, and McFadden plans to return from his knee injury in Week 10 against the Chiefs, which is a favorable matchup.
In deeper leagues, Tashard Choice (53 percent) was used to run the Wildcat at Philadelphia and scored a touchdown. If that continues, his role could increase as he shares carries with Marion Barber and Felix Jones.
Sammy Morris (34 percent) also could return soon from his knee injury and resume sharing carries with Laurence Maroney. And Kolby Smith (4 percent) was activated off the PUP list prior to last week's game at Jacksonville, so he will share carries with Charles. If Smith plays better than Charles, which is a possibility, then Smith could win the starting job in Kansas City.
If you're looking for running backs to add to your scout team, put rookie Rashad Jennings (4 percent) and Aaron Brown (0 percent) there as players to monitor. Jennings, the backup to Maurice Jones-Drew, scored his first touchdown against Kansas City. Brown (0 percent) is third-string in Detroit behind Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris, but with Smith dealing with a shoulder injury Brown's role could increase.
In case you haven't noticed ... It's time to pick Kevin Walter up again for those of you who dropped him, and he's owned in 70 percent of leagues, so he could be available. Walter is back as the No. 2 target for the Texans with Owen Daniels out with a torn ACL, and that's the role he played in Week 9 at Indianapolis. Walter was second behind Andre Johnson with five catches for 67 yards. He was targeted six times, and that should continue following Houston's bye in Week 10. Walter was a big part of the offense the past two years (125 catches, 1,699 yards and 12 touchdowns) before disappearing this season. But now he could finish with a strong second half, so get him on your roster if you can.
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
Chris Chambers, WR, Kansas City
Owned: 16 percent of leagues
Week 9: Caught three passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns at Jacksonville.
Analysis: Chambers was released by San Diego and signed by Kansas City, and with less than a week of practice, he made an immediate impact. The Chiefs will usually be throwing most games, and Chambers should emerge as the No. 2 wide receiver behind Dwayne Bowe. This was a good signing by the Chiefs, and Chambers is worth a roster spot in deeper leagues. He won't post stats like this most weeks, but Kansas City is desperate for playmakers. Also keep an eye on Lance Long (0 percent), who had eight catches for 74 yards at Jacksonville with 11 targets.
James Jones, WR, Green Bay
Owned: 4 percent of leagues
Week 9: Caught four passes for 103 yards and a touchdown at Tampa Bay.
Analysis: We've been telling you about Jones for the past three weeks since Jordy Nelson (knee) got hurt. Since Nelson was injured in Week 6 against Detroit, Jones has three touchdowns in his past four games. Nelson could return soon, but Jones is worth using as long as he remains the No. 3 wide receiver for Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers continues to look for Jones, who has eight catches for 205 yards since he's been more involved in the offense.
Dustin Keller, TE, New York Jets
Owned: 57 percent of leagues
Week 9: On a bye.
Analysis: Prior to the Jets bye week, Keller had eight catches for 76 yards and a touchdown against Miami. Now, while the Dolphins struggle against tight ends, this could be a good sign Keller is coming around, and he's worth adding, especially if you need a tight end with injuries to Owen Daniels or Chris Cooley. The Dolphins game was the first time Keller, Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery were healthy for a full game, and Keller should benefit with plenty of single coverage. Consider Keller a sleeper for the second half of the year.
Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco
Owned: 46 percent of leagues
Week 9: Completed 29 of 45 passes for 286 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions and also had two carries for 11 yards against Tennessee.
Analysis: Smith is one of four quarterbacks you can consider adding for Week 10 with Matt Schaub and Eli Manning on a bye. Smith faces a Bears defense that has allowed 10 passing touchdowns in two of the past three games. You can also consider Mark Sanchez (67 percent) with his matchup against Jacksonville, Matt Cassel (61 percent) at Oakland or Chad Henne (26 percent) against Tampa Bay. That's the order you should rank them on waivers based on their recent play and the matchups.
Avoid 'Em
Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Indianapolis
Owned: 64 percent of leagues
Week 9: Did not play.
Analysis: Gonzalez might be available on the waiver wire, but keep him there since he will have more surgery on his injured knee. He might return at some point this season, but it will likely be too late to help your Fantasy team. We had such high hopes for Gonzalez coming into the season. It was his third year in the NFL, and he was starting opposite Reggie Wayne in place of the departed Marvin Harrison. But he was hurt in Week 1, and we haven't seen him since. Hopefully next year he can fulfill his potential as a quality Fantasy option.
Jason Hill, WR, San Francisco
Owned: 0 percent of leagues
Week 9: Caught four passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee.
Analysis: We might not see Hill and his touchdown dance again since this was the first time he's caught a pass all season and only the third time he was active. Hill took advantage of Isaac Bruce (ankle) getting hurt, but the 49ers only have three playmakers you can count on with Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree. Smith said he trusts Hill, who is in his third season, but we need to see him play at a consistent level before recommending him to be added in any format.
Bryant Johnson, WR, Detroit
Owned: 7 percent of leagues
Week 9: Caught two passes for 35 yards and a touchdown at Seattle.
Analysis: Johnson had a nice one-handed touchdown catch against the Seahawks, but this was only his second touchdown of the season. He's only cracked double digits in Fantasy points once in Week 3 against Washington and he tends to disappear too often in games. With the Lions, Fantasy owners should only own Calvin Johnson and Kevin Smith in the majority of leagues unless tight end Brandon Pettigrew becomes a playmaker, so keep Johnson where he belongs -- on the waiver wire.
Scout 'Em
Laveranues Coles, WR, Cincinnati
Owned: 37 percent of leagues
Week 9: Caught six passes for 72 yards against Baltimore.
Analysis: Coles could actually see a boost in Fantasy production with Chris Henry (forearm) now out for the season. And Coles has actually started to come around the past three games. He scored two touchdowns in Week 6 against Houston and Week 7 against Chicago, and he was targeted nine times against the Ravens. If that continues then you'll want to add Coles immediately, but for now just track his progress and hope that Carson Palmer continues to look in his direction.
Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay
Owned: 6 percent of leagues
Week 9: Completed 14 of 31 passes for 205 yards, three touchdowns and one interception and had four carries for 20 yards against Green Bay.
Analysis: The Bucs found themselves a quarterback with Freeman's first NFL start against the Packers. He threw three touchdowns with his best receiver in Antonio Bryant (knee) out for this game. In deep leagues, you can include Freeman on the list of quarterbacks with a good matchup this week since the Dolphins have some holes in their secondary, but Freeman had two weeks to prepare for Green Bay with Tampa Bay coming off its bye week. In most formats just keep an eye on Freeman, and if he plays well against Miami then consider adding him as a reserve.
Robert Meachem, WR, New Orleans
Owned: 14 percent of leagues
Week 9: Caught five passes for 98 yards and a touchdown against Carolina.
Analysis: Meachem might be on the verge of his third-year breakout based on his performance against the Panthers, or this could just be another tease from the former first-round pick in 2007. Meachem has flashed his potential before, but the problem is the Saints have too many weapons. Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey are the main options in the passing game, and then Drew Brees will spread the ball around to Meachem, Devery Henderson, Lance Moore and the running backs. The key could be the status of Moore, who missed the Carolina game with an ankle injury. If he's out for an extended period of time, that could help Meachem's outlook.
Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Detroit
Owned: 10 percent of leagues
Week 9: Caught seven passes for 70 yards and a touchdown at Seattle.
Analysis: The Lions had their full complement of playmakers on the field together for the first time since Week 4 at Chicago with Matthew Stafford, Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson all healthy. That could be the reason Pettigrew had a good game against the Seahawks. His best game prior to this was against the Bears when he had four catches for 64 yards. This was Pettigrew's first NFL touchdown and first game with double digits in Fantasy points, but it could be a sign of things to come. Hopefully he continues to play like this and maybe he can turn into a No. 1 Fantasy option as the year goes on.
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