You Look FAABulous

11/04/2009 11:16 AM -  Perry Van Hook

You Look FAABulous

Week Eight>Nine – 2009

Chris Cooley, Larry Johnson, and Leon Washington.

What do all three have in common?

Well in many FF leagues these names are on the free agent list. Washington should be, he is OUT for the rest of the year, having been put on injured reserve. But reports of Cooley’s status were changed when he got a second opinion and had the surgery and he is now expected to be back in Week 12. While Cooley does play for the hapless Washington Redskins, he was averaging over eleven PPR PPG (and that includes the zero he had in Week 5 when for some reason the Redskins brain trust [talk about an oxymoron] decided not to throw to their top receiver at all. Cooley might be a very good player to add NOW to get your team ready for the playoffs in your league – especially if you went light at that position. LJ is a different case, we don’t really know at this point if he will play again this season for either the Chiefs or another team, or even be suspended by the league. While he has terribly disappointed those who drafted him this year, there is hope IF he were to be re-instated – look at the Chiefs schedule for the FF playoffs……vs Buffalo; vs Cleveland; and @ Cincinnati. Bottom line is look carefully at your league’s free agent list to see if there is someone who might be worth a roster spot over your fifth wide receiver (who you are never going to start anyway).

This weekly column will take an in depth look at free agents for the offensive positions.

PLEASE remember that the information must be adapted for your league – many of you play in 10, 12, 14 team leagues while others maybe be in leagues far deeper or far shallower. You also have to view free agents in the Context of YOUR team….how many players do you start each week? How many roster spots do you have? These questions that are different for many of you shape the ultimate answer of whether Joe Blow is a player YOU need to bid on this week. If your league uses a waiver wire, you just need to order your list…and mine is done that way if all other factors are equal.

Free Agents for Week Eight

QUARTERBACK – Absent a key injury at quarterback which means a starter has to be replaced or there is a new playable quarterback, free agents at this position don’t command large bids. Depending on the size of your league you may have your bye week play already rostered. ON BYE this week: Fitzpatrick/Edwards, Anderson, Favre, Sanchez, Russell, and Bulger

Look for some who may have been dropped because of Bye last week

1) Matt Cassel, Kansas City – excellent matchup this week at Jacksonville, and Charles is a much better receiver out of the backfield than Larry Johnson.

2) Vince Young, Tennessee – in case he was missed last week in your league. Clearly the Titans need to see how VY has matured as an NFL quarterback, and frankly he did pretty well in his first week back under center.

RUNNING BACK – obviously your choices here are dependent on how many teams there are in your league; how many roster spots you have; and whether you are limited in how many each team can carry. ON BYE this week: Lynch, F. Jackson, J. Lewis, ADP, C. Taylor, T. Jones, S. Greene, Fargas, DMac, and S. Jackson

1) Ryan Moats, Houston – First remember he was inserted into the game because of yet another Steve Slaton fumble, but Slaton is STILL the starter (as of now)…..but I suspect a time share going forward with Chris Brown out of the picture and if Slaton fumbles again……[props to those who picked him up and held him after I mentioned him earlier, but unless you had severe bye/injury problems you didn’t get his Career game] $range = 200+

2) Aaron Stecker, Atlanta – The former Saints running back looked pretty good for just returning – Watch the injury progress of Norwood and Snelling which could give him more looks this week, or in the future. [$range = 1-65]

3) Jamaal Charles or Dantrell Savage, Kansas City – One or both may be available in your league, more likely Savage, but I suspect both will be busy this week with Larry Johnson suspended and facing a defense with big holes. I would add Kolby Smith – and he may come into play, but I think Savage is still second for now. [$range = 1-50]

4) Justin Forsett, Seattle – the Seahawks cut Edgerrin James removing one hurdle in Forsett’s path to carries, and one of these days will realize how bad Julius Jones is. I have Forsett rostered on half of my teams waiting to pencil him into the starting lineup. [$range = 1-11]

WIDE RECEIVER – There are simply a LOT more choices at this position. That said, you need to look carefully at your current receivers and see WHY you think you need to replace them……and WHEN you would play the shiny new WR toy over the ones already in your closet. ON BYE this week are: T. Owens, L. Evans, Massaquoi, Berrian, Harvin, S. Rice, B. Edwards, Cotchery, Clowney, Schilens, Avery and Burton.

1) Malcolm Floyd, San Diego – with the Chargers cutting Chris Chambers, Floyd who had been splitting time to a degree moves up. That means he should be starting as a WR4

(perhaps WR3 during bye weeks) or Flex play in larger leagues. [$range = 30-100] If Mason is not available in your league, 1b) is Legedu Naanee moves up a spot and should be playable in any matchup where it looks like Rivers will be throwing a lot. [$range = 20-199]

2) Deion Branch, Seattle – still a very good receiver and while crowded out there, Hasselbeck will be throwing and they have a very nice schedule going forward. [$range = 1-55]

3) Kelly Washington, Baltimore – Washington is averaging almost nine ppr ppg and you never know when Derrick Mason will miss his next game. [$range = 1-29]

4) Jabbar Gaffney, Denver – Gaffney knows the routes better than Marshall or Royal and is averaging seven ppr ppg if you are in a deep ppr league. [$range = 1-21]

5) Sam Aiken, New England – If he is still available in your league, Tom Brady should be throwing a lot this week (weather permitting), at home versus a tough Dolphin run defense, but remember he is target #3 at best. [$range = ? of how deep your league goes]

TIGHT END – Unless you are in a very deep league, you probably already have a better starting tight end…..but for those of you who slough the position until late in the draft and didn’t get much production last week from whomever you ended up with there are some very reasonable plays out there > just be careful as there is target risk for many of them on a continued basis. ON BYE this week: S. Nelson, Royal/Heiden, Shiancoe, Keller, Z. Miller, and Fells/McMichael.

With the injuries to Cooley a week ago and Daniels this week, if you don’t have a good tight end already rostered you need the high wading boots on

1) Fred Lewis, Washington – Lewis was likely picked up in most leagues last week even though the Redskins were on bye….and even then he was NOT cheap, averaging $145 in sixty seven WCOFF (12 team) leagues with four winning bids over $400. Yeah I didn’t believe it either. [$range = 1-200+ for mandatory TE, PPR leagues]

2) Sean Ryan, Kansas City – Seems like he is still available even in some deep leagues and with another week to work with Cassel and facing the Jaguars this week could help if you are in need. [$range = 1-31]

3) Joel Dressen, Houston – not only is Owen Daniels the highest scoring TE out for the year, but his replacement last week James Casey had a scope job on Monday. At least Dressen knows where the end zone is – he did have two TD receptions in 2007. For now he looks like the TE for Schaub, although I suspect he will have far fewer targets than Daniels. [$range = 1-21]

KICKERS – good matchups for available kickers this weekend:

Olindo Mare, Seattle Seahawks – home vs Detroit

Jason Elam, Atlanta Falcons – home vs Washington

Steven Hauschka, Baltimore Ravens – @ Cincinnati

Joe Nedney, San Francisco 49ers – home vs Tennessee

DEFENSIVE/SPECIAL TEAMS that are likely available with good matchups this week:

Atlanta Falcons – home vs Washington

Cincinnati Bengals – home vs Baltimore

Kansas City Chiefs – @ Jacksonville (yes the Chiefs – they average over 7.5 ppg)

A look ahead – BYEs for Week 10…….the last two teams

New York Giants – E. Manning, Jacobs, Bradshaw, S. Smith, Nicks, Manningham, Boss, and Tynes

Houston Texans – Schaub, Slaton, Moats, A. Johnson, K.Walter, Daniels, and K. Brown