Waiver Wire: A critical week on the wire

Bernard Scott could become a popular Fantasy option this week. The same goes for Jason Snelling and Justin Forsett.

With so many key injuries at running back heading into Week 11, some players you might never have heard of could be on your roster and even starting. Making the right moves on the waiver wire will be important with the Fantasy playoffs looming.

It appears like Brian Westbrook (concussion), Ronnie Brown (foot), Julius Jones (ribs) and Michael Turner (ankle) are likely out for Week 11. Cedric Benson (hip) is questionable, and Clinton Portis (concussion), who missed Week 10, remains questionable as well.

That means Fantasy owners could be missing six running backs who have at least 95 percent ownership in leagues on CBSSports.com. There are going to be plenty of moves on the waiver wire, and here are some options to consider.

Ladell Betts should have been added last week, and he had an outstanding game against Denver with 26 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown. Betts, who is owned in 68 percent of leagues, could start in Week 12 at Dallas if Portis remains out.

Scott, who is only owned in 5 percent of leagues, would be a potential Fantasy starter if he starts in place of Benson at Oakland. The Raiders are among the worst teams in run defense this year, and Scott could post solid stats. Remember, as good as Benson has played, the Bengals offensive line deserves a lot of the credit, and they should help Scott do well.

He had 13 carries for 33 yards and caught one pass for 21 yards at Pittsburgh when Benson got hurt. Brian Leonard (1 percent ownership) would also get carries if Benson is out, but Scott is the running back to target -- depending on Larry Johnson.

The Bengals signed Johnson on Tuesday, but coach Marvin Lewis said he will be a backup. Johnson (66 percent) is worth a flier if Benson is out, but Lewis seemed to indicate Johnson would be the No. 3 running back behind Benson and Scott.

In Atlanta, Snelling (5 percent) returned against the Panthers after being out the previous two games with a hamstring injury and finished with 18 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 32 yards. He has been the No. 2 running back for the Falcons with Jerious Norwood (hip) out.

Norwood (18 percent) could return this week after being out for the past four games, but Snelling is the running back to add in Fantasy leagues. He has played well behind Turner with the limited amount of touches he has received. Snelling is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and 9.4 yards per catch.

In Seattle, Forsett (21 percent) looked phenomenal against the Cardinals with 17 carries for 123 yards and a touchdown and five catches for 26 yards once Jones got hurt. The only problem for Forsett this week is his matchup at the Vikings.

You should definitely add Forsett in case Jones is out for an extended period of time, and Forsett would have a tremendous matchup in Week 12 at St. Louis. But don't plan on starting Forsett at Minnesota, which is among the best teams in run defense.

If you miss on any of these running backs, some fallback plans should include the running backs in New England and Oakland.

In New England, Laurence Maroney had a key fumble at Indianapolis, which could be bad timing with Sammy Morris (32 percent) expected to return soon after missing the past three games with a knee injury. And if Morris is not back for Week 11 against the Jets then Kevin Faulk (22 percent) could get the majority of touches. Faulk had 12 carries for 79 yards and two catches for 7 yards against the Colts.

The Raiders continue to rotate running backs with Darren McFadden (65 percent), Justin Fargas (53 percent) and Michael Bush (29 percent). In Week 10, Bush had 14 carries for 119 yards and caught two passes for 10 yards against Kansas City. Fargas added 10 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown, and McFadden had four carries for 11 yards in his first game back after missing four games with a knee injury.

None of these running backs should be used as starters in Week 11 against the Bengals, but McFadden is worth stashing because eventually he will get the most touches as the season goes on.

And, based on the matchup, Jamal Lewis (58 percent) could be worth using this week at Detroit. Lewis had 10 carries for 36 yards and caught one pass for 5 yards against Baltimore on Monday night.

In case you haven't noticed ... Consider yourself lucky if Beanie Wells is still available since he's only owned in 81 percent of leagues. Wells had 16 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns against Seattle with two catches for 32 yards. He has at least 70 total yards in three of his past four games with three touchdowns over that span and could be on the verge of replacing Tim Hightower as the main running back in Arizona. And this week, Wells has a dream matchup at St. Louis, so look for him to remain hot. Hightower is still worth using in leagues where receptions count, but Wells should be a No. 2 Fantasy running back against the Rams.

Each week 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

Pierre Garcon, WR, Indianapolis
Owned: 67 percent of leagues
Week 10: Caught three passes for 50 yards and a touchdown against New England.
Analysis: Garcon and Austin Collie continue to flip flop as the No. 3 option in the passing game behind Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark with Anthony Gonzalez (knee) out, but you should still stash Garcon on your bench. He's going to get single coverage every week, and Peyton Manning will exploit the matchup if Garcon is open. There will be times, like Week 11 at Baltimore, where Garcon can be a No. 3 Fantasy wide receiver. You know the Colts are going to throw against the Ravens, and Garcon should benefit in that matchup.

Dustin Keller, TE, New York Jets
Owned: 65 percent of leagues
Week 10: Caught six passes for 58 yards against Jacksonville.
Analysis: We told you to add him last week, and he played well enough against the Jaguars that you should still pick him up if he's out there. Keller now has 14 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown in his past two games, and he's doing well with the single coverage he's getting now that Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery are healthy and on the field. Mark Sanchez continues to look for Keller, who was targeted nine targets against Jacksonville, which was among the leaders for tight ends in Week 10.

Robert Meachem, WR, New Orleans
Owned: 40 percent of leagues
Week 10: Caught one pass for 27 yards and a touchdown and had one carry for 41 yards at St. Louis.
Analysis: The key for Meachem is the health of Lance Moore, who has missed the past two games with an ankle injury. In those two games, Meachem has six catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Hopefully this type of production will continue when Moore returns, but Meachem is worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy wide receiver when Moore is out. Now, you should still add Meachem in all leagues because he plays for the Saints and will likely get single coverage, which is always a good thing with Drew Brees. But when setting your lineup with Meachem, check out the health of Moore.

Avoid 'Em

Brandon Gibson, WR, St. Louis
Owned: 0 percent of leagues
Week 10: Caught seven passes for 93 yards against New Orleans.
Analysis: The Rams need help at wide receiver, especially with Keenan Burton (leg) getting hurt against the Saints. But we're still talking about the Rams passing game, and it's not like Gibson is going to develop into the next Sidney Rice, Miles Austin or Mike Sims-Walker. Donnie Avery is the only wide receiver to own for the Rams since Marc Bulger's best days are behind him. This was Gibson's first game with a catch, so let's see if he can follow it up before adding him to your Fantasy roster.

Muhsin Muhammad, WR, Carolina
Owned: 16 percent of leagues
Week 10: Caught six passes for 91 yards and against Atlanta.
Analysis: This was Muhammad's best game this season, but it's not time to relive the past and add him to your roster. He still hasn't scored a touchdown this year, and the Panthers still have Jake Delhomme at quarterback. If Steve Smith is struggling, Muhammad isn't going to do much better. Hopefully he's healthy after missing two games prior to Week 10 with a knee injury, but he's not going to play like it's 2004 all over again. At 36 and in this offense, his best days are behind him.

Chris Simms, QB, Denver
Owned: 16 percent of leagues
Week 10: Completed 3 of 13 passes for 13 yards and an interception at Washington.
Analysis: Simms came on for the injured Kyle Orton (ankle) and did not play well against the Redskins. We'll find out how long Orton is out, but there are better quarterbacks out there than Simms. The Broncos passing game has been better than expected with Orton not making mistakes this season, but Simms is not going to be as efficient. He also won't post great Fantasy stats in Week 11 against San Diego if he gets the start this week, so ignore him in deeper leagues if you just lost Orton.

Scout 'Em

Jason Avant, WR, Philadelphia
Owned: 1 percent of leagues
Week 10: Caught eight passes for 156 yards at San Diego.
Analysis: We've been here before with Avant. In Week 2 against New Orleans he had seven catches for 79 yards and a touchdown. Since then, he has combined for seven catches for 101 yards before his performance against the Chargers. But with Brian Westbrook (concussion) now hurt, the Eagles might be throwing more than usual, which could increase the production for Avant. If he has another good game in Week 11 at Chicago then consider adding him to the end of your Fantasy roster as a reserve.

Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay
Owned: 17 percent of leagues
Week 10: Completed 16 of 28 passes for 196 yards, one touchdown and one interception and had four carries for 36 yards with one fumble at Miami.
Analysis: We'll continue to scout Freeman as long as he keeps showing promise. He struggled with turnovers against the Dolphins, but he could be a serviceable replacement for Kyle Orton (ankle) in Week 11 against New Orleans. The same goes for Vince Young (24 percent) at Houston or even Matthew Stafford (23 percent) against Cleveland. If Orton is out, these are some quarterbacks to pick up and start based on their matchups.

Chaz Schilens, WR, Oakland
Owned: 5 percent of leagues
Week 10: Caught three passes for 27 yards against Kansas City.
Analysis: Schilens made his 2009 debut after missing the first eight games of the season with a broken foot. He has plenty of potential to be the No. 1 wide receiver for the Raiders and even emerge as a No. 4 Fantasy option based on what we saw last year when he finished the season with six catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns in the final two games. The problem for Schilens is the quarterback play in Oakland is so bad with JaMarcus Russell that you'll be hesitant to use him most weeks, which is understandable. But the minute he has a breakout game you should add him and stash him on your bench.

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