WAIVER WIRED

By FANTASYBOYZ Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

Week in and week out new players seemingly come out of nowhere to post huge fantasy numbers.  This week was no different with players like Jake Locker and  Ramses Barden (WHO???) posting monster numbers.  With tons of injuries already this season chances are you are looking for some players to step in.  Below is our weekly report of who you should be taking a look at to help strengthen your roster. 

PICK ME UP BITCHES!!!!

Jake Locker - Owned in 7.3% of ESPN Leagues

Locker finally burst onto the fantasy scene Sunday with a 378 yard 2 TD effort.  While we don't envision those types of numbers every week he is poised to build on that performance and could be a useful Bye week replacement

Worth a look in larger leagues

Shaun Hill - Owned in .3% of ESPN Leagues

As it seems it is a yearly occurence Matt Stafford was injured and Shaun Hill came in and lit it up.
While Hill will only play if Stafford is out with injury it is sure something Stafford owners need to monitor closely

Should be picked up by all Stafford owners

Daniel Thomas - Owned in 58% of ESPN Leagues

Thomas appears to be the new lead back in Miami for the short term while Reggie Bush heals.  He could be a nice cheap pickup of a player getting 15 plus carries

Should be owned in all leagues

Lamar Miller - Owned in 2.9% of ESPN Leagues

While it seems Daniel Thomas will get the majority of carries in the absence of Reggie Bush Miller will get some carries

Worth a look in larger leagues

Lance Ball- Owned in .3% of ESPN Leagues

When Willis McGhahee went down Sunday Lance Ball appeared to be the guy Denver will turn to.  Continue to monitor McGhahee's status going into Sunday

Worth a look in larger leagues

TY Hilton - Owned in .2% of ESPN Leagues

With Austin Collie lost for the season Hilton stepped in with a 113 yard effort on 4 receptions.  He won't do that every week but increased looks are likely

Worth a look in larger leagues

Ramses Barden - Owned in .3% of ESPN Leagues

With Nicks and Hickson out Barden had a huge day.  9 catches for 138 yards were huge numbers from the virtually unknown player

Worth a look in larger leagues

Kevin Walter - Owned in 1.4% of ESPN Leagues

Walter is clearly the number 2 wideout on the high powered Texans offense.  He is a decent flex play in very large leagues

Worth a look in larger leagues

WAIVER WIRED.....

By FANTASYBOYZ Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

Get this guy while you can

Week 1 is in the books and now comes the time when you really make your money.  Sure your lineup is set with studs from your yearly draft or keepers but as we say there is always work to be done with your roster.  While your waiver wire probably is not overflowing with talent there are definitely some gems out there that can help strengthen your bench.   Below we advise who we think you should pick up.




QUARTERBACKS

Mark Sanchez - Owned in 12.3% of ESPN Leagues

While all the hype in NYC has been on what Prayer Tim Tebow read that day and if he does or does not shave his chest Sanchez did and said all the right things in the preseason.  He then proceeded to carve up a newly revamped Buffalo Bill's Defense.  While you probably don't want him as your starter he is a very solid QB2 at this point

Should be owned in all leagues


Russell Wilson - Owned in 24.3% of ESPN Leagues

Don't tell this guy he can't do something because you are only setting yourself up for failure.  Wilson won the Seahawk job out right and is another solid backup to add to your roster for insurance.  He didn't light things up Sunday but keep in mind that was only his first start in the league and will only get better

Should be owned in larger leagues

Matt Cassell - Owned in 31.2% of ESPN Leagues

Cassell is another guy that doesn't get any fantasy respect.  While he certainly is not an upper tier QB he is a Bye week gem when given the right matchup.

Should be owned in larger leagues

RUNNING BACKS

Alfred Morris - Owned in 18.2% of ESPN Leagues

In the ever complicated world of Mike Shannahan we saw not Roy Helu or Evan Royster get the Lion's share of carries Sunday but Alfred Morris.  In doing so Morris took the ball and produced big time.  Chances are you have room to add a guy that goes for 90 yards and 2 TDs on a consistent basis.

Should be owned in all leagues

Kendall Hunter - Owned in 8.1% of ESPN Leagues

While Hunter has only really been thought of as a possible cuff to Frank Gore he showed Sunday that he was much more than that.  Sure if you have Gore we think you should pick up Hunter right away but in deep leagues Hunter could be a nice Bye week Flex option

Should be owned in larger leagues

Dexter McCluster - Owned in 3.9% of EPSN Leagues

McCluster has pretty much moved to receiver full time this season but is intriguing since he still has RB eligibility in many leagues.  With that being said he could be a great flex play in PPR leagues.

Should be owned in larger PPR leagues

WIDE RECEIVER


Kevin Ogletree - Owned in 49.8% of ESPN Leagues


Ogletree is probably the #1 waiver pick in almost every league nation wide.  He showed that he was up to the task in stepping up into the role held by Laurent Robinson last season.  He will continue to see single coverage game in and game out.  Don't expect 100 yards and a TD every week but Ogletree should produce some decent numbers.


Should be owned in all leagues

Brandon LaFell - Owned in 19.2% of ESPN Leagues

When doing this write up we were very surprised to see that LaFell wasn't owned in majority of leagues especially since he was named starter in Carolina.  He showed Sunday with 65 yards and a TD that that Owned percentage should be trending upward

Should be owned in larger leagues


Alshon Jeffery - Owned in 11.5 of ESPN Leagues

Wide Receiver is certainly the deepest position on this weeks wire report.  Alshon Jeffery is case and point.  He is a guy starting for the Bears potent offense and has rapport with Jay Cutler.  We envision stat lines like his 80 yard 1 TD performance quite often this season.

Should be owned in larger leagues

Stephen Hill - Owned in 7.4 of ESPN Leagues

Hill had a huge first game of his young career Sunday.  He had 89 yards and 2 big TDs.  Another young guy that seems to be a favorite target of his QB.  Hill will have ups and downs but he will get better as the season goes on.

Should be owned in larger leagues

TIGHT ENDS

Kyle Rudolph  - Owned in 9.9% of ESPN Leagues

Rudolph has a ton of talent and we think that by the end of the season he will be in the top 10 of Fantasy Tight Ends in most scoring formats

Should be owned in larger leagues

Mercedes Lewis - Owned in 4.4% of ESPN Leagues

Lewis had a down year in 2011 as Gabbert really struggled in the starting role.  With Gabbert really looking like a completely different QB Lewis could trend more towards the Lewis of 2010

Should be owned in larger leagues

WAIVER WIRED............

By Fantasy Boyz Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

We have been scouring the waiver wires of late and there are some really intriguing options available.  We tend to look for not too obvious options, as we feel this is truly how you get the edge in your leagues.  Below is a list of guys you may not be looking for but guys you should most certainly find.


Michael Brantley - While Brantley has shown absolutely no power thus far he has contributed in all other areas.  He has 25 runs, 21 RBIs to go along with his 9 steals.  He is currently riding a 9 game hit streak so grab him while he is hot.

Span is the man....to pick up

Denard Span - Span is another guy who is owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues and a guy who is quite similar to Brantley in that he contributes in all areas outside of Home Runs.  With 13 hits in his last 9 games he is on a nice streak.

Justin Smoak - While Smoak is currently batting in the .220s he has been a nice source of power in the recent weeks.  He has 3 bombs in his last 6 to go with 9 RBIs.

Anthony Rizzo - PROSPECT WATCH.... Rizzo was the darling of Fantasy circles around this time last year when the mega prospect was on the verge of a call up.  What a difference a year makes.  He bombed out in San Diego last season and was traded to the Cubs.  Well what do we know Rizzo is absolutely tearing the cover off the ball in Triple A and on the verge of another call up.  Worth a risk if you need help at First Base.

James Russell - With Rafeal Dolis banished to the minor leagues Russell stands as the best option to step into the Closer's job at Wrigley.  He already notched his first save this week and could be in line for more.

Tom Wilhelmsen - Another Closer in the wings.  Wihlelmsen has the best skill set of the Mariner relievers in line to take Brandon League's closer's job.

Kyle Kendrick - Coming off of 9 inning shutout of the Cardinals was word that Roy Halladay is out 6 to 8 weeks with a shoulder strain.  Kendrick stands to stay in the rotation for the foreseeable future.  While he would continue to deal zeros on the board he could be serviceable going forward.

Hector Noesi - Not only did the Yankees give up Jesus Montero in the Pineda trade they also lost Noesi, who is coming off two straight 8 inning outings.  While his ERA and win totals are nothing to write home about currently he is progressing nicely.

WAIVER WIRED.....

By Fantasy Boyz Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen

Welcome to this weeks edition of our waiver wire report.  With the season in full swing we are now more able to diagnose which players are for real and which players are pretenders.  Below is a list of some guys we think you should jump on if still available.

Stephen Drew - Drew went down late last year with a bad ankle break.  He is a bit behind schedule on his rehab but reports out of Arizona are that he is running the bases hard and is slated for an early May return.  He is a perfect fit for those who passed on Shortstop early in their drafts.

Drew could make your lineup smile

Jon Jay - Yes we know he has a bum shoulder right now but it has been noted that the injury is not serious and Jay should be back to smashing the ball all over the field this weekend.


Nate Schierholtz - Yes he is a journeyman outfielder but he is tearing the cover off the ball of late.  Grab him and ride this streak out.

Alejandro De Aza - You may be late to this party but De Aza is on fire to start the season.  He has a bit of pop and blazing speed.  Scoop this guy up already

Barry Zito - Only owned in 41% of ESPN leagues at the time of this article Zito is pitching like he actually deserves that contract.

AJ Burnett - Another veteran hurler who has started strong.  Maybe the quiet confines of PNC park are just what the doctor ordered for AJ.

Now this is baseball! (thanks to Yahoo sports)

MLB Free Agent Report

By Fantasy Boyz Editor in Chief Corey Bugenhagen


With our first week of match-ups coming to a close you may already be experiencing some lineup concerns.  With injuries to Ellsbury, Bailey, Pineda, and Berkman, to name a few, the waiver wire may already be in full swing.  Below we list some players that may be out there for you that you might want to pounce on right away.

Jordan Schafer - This speed demon isn't going deep very often but with 5 steals already he could be a steady source of steals.


Omar Infante - While you may already be late to this party if Infante is still on your wire snatch him up immediately.  He is producing big time and is in a powerful lineup.

Rodney is a #1 pickup

Jon Jay - After years of part time duty Jay is getting a full time nod in center for the Cards.  He has an all around game that could be plugged in as your last outfielder and not miss much of a beat.


Clayton Richard - Richard is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA and a sub 1 WHIP in 2 starts.  While Richard has had success before he is someone you would start when the match-up is right

Fernando Rodney - Another guy who may not still be around but he looks to be in line for a bunch of saves until Farnsworth returns

Brad Lidge/Henry Rodriguez - Will alternate save attempts for the season as Storen looks to be out with elbow troubles.  Lidge blew a save his last attempt so we are not sure if that will hurt his chances going forward.  If you need saves add either or both if you have the room.