A lot of articles about the waiver wire can look alike, so we try something a little different this week by ranking 100 players that are available in fantasy leagues.
"Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not."
George Bernard Shaw did not play fantasy football, but he brings up an interesting point. When it comes to the waiver wire, we can't just talk about all the guys that are making headlines. A dedicated fantasy owner should have a good idea of players who are on the radar and haven't blown up yet. Once a player that is at the end of your bench is losing his luster, you can cut him for a guy that has some promise.
Most of the time the easiest way to get help on the waiver wire is to look at what happened the previous week, then help use that to project how the next few weeks will go. That's especially true when it comes to injuries. You'd have to be a fantasy idiot to not expect C.J. Spiller to bust out. It's not that simple all the time, though. Daryl Richardson was a fantasy unknown and he ranked 10th in rushing yards for Week 2.
It's with that idea in mind I thought I'd put together a little list of the top 100 guys that are both on the radar and could go off and mixed in some stealth bombers that are off the radar and may see a sudden boost like Richardson.
The following is a list of offensive players that are available in at least 25 percent of leagues. They're rated on their current value with all things being equal (format, need, need for upside, a plug-n-play guy for the next couple weeks):
2. Randall Cobb
4. Dennis Pitta
5. Andrew Luck
7. Evan Royster
9. Kyle Rudolph
11. Donnie Avery
12. Mikel Leshoure
13. Brent Celek
14. Austin Collie
15. Greg Little
17. Mike Williams (TB)
18. Kendall Hunter
19. Andre Brown
20. Mike Goodson
21. Dexter McCluster
22. Jake Locker
23. Greg Olsen
24. Alshon Jeffery
25. Russell Wilson
26. Daryl Richardson
27. Donald Jones
28. Jason Avant
29. Kevin Ogletree
30. Carson Palmer
31. Jonathan Dwyer
32. Jermaine Gresham
33. Robert Turbin
34. Dustin Keller
35. Bilal Powell
36. Vick Ballard
37. Vincent Brown
38. Kendall Wright
39. Rod Streater
41. Daniel Thomas
42. Rashad Jennings
43. Stephen Hill
44. Jonathan Baldwin
45. Brandon Gibson
46. Scott Chandler
47. Heath Miller
48. Andrew Hawkins
49. Santana Moss
50. Laurent Robinson
52. Golden Tate
53. Julian Edelman
54. Sam Bradford
55. Ryan Fitzpatrick
56. Lamar Miller
57. Javon Ringer
58. Bernard Scott
59. Nate Burleson
60. Alex Green
61. Brandon Stokley
62. Bryce Brown
63. Ryan Tannehill
64. Jackie Battle
65. Armon Binns
66. James Jones
67. Coby Fleener
68. Steve Smith (STL)
69. Brandon Myers
70. Matt Cassel
71. Kevin Kolb
72. Bernard Pierce
73. Harry Douglas
74. Jacoby Jones
75. Braylon Edwards
76. Emmanuel Sanders
77. Jerome Simpson
78. Mark Sanchez
79. Anthony Fasano
80. James Starks
81. Doug Baldwin
82. Kevin Walter
83. Lance Ball
84. Marcel Reece
85. Andre Roberts
86. Mike Tolbert
87. Jeremy Kerley
88. Aldrick Robinson
89. Dante Rosario
90. Jerome Simpson
91. Isaiah Pead
92. Michael Jenkins
93. Shaun Draughn
94. Davone Bess
95. Brandon Weeden
96. Ronnie Brown
97. Marcedes Lewis
98. Tim Tebow
99. Joe McKnight
100. Tashard Choice
Not in a deeper league? Here are a few guys that might be available for some 10-team formats:
David Wilson- The rookie from Virgina Tech made it to Coughlin's doghouse quickly by fumbling on his second carry of the season. Consequently, Wilson didn't see another offensive snap for the rest of that Cowboy game. He only saw six snaps on Sunday and had a big drop as well. He's a better own than Brown for the long haul and he could be a pleasant surprise and bust out. After all, he got plenty of reps with the ones in preseason.
Pierre Thomas- Thomas kind of went off thanks to his 48 yards to launch him to 110 yards on nine carries. P.T. also added four catches for 33 yards. The NO backfield isn't as messy as we once thought with Darren Sproles not even registering a carry so far this year. Thomas is in front of Ingram on the value scale and should be owned by any owner that isn't sure about their RB4 or has a back that is struggling right now.
Denarius Moore- His numbers weren't of the eye-popping variety with only three catches for 67 yards. Moore led the team in targets (tied with DHB) and many of them were down the field. He's only going to get better and should be owned in all leagues.
You can follow me on Twitter (@MikeSGallagher) for some input or ask me a question about this list and who you're considering to cut. You can also check out the SB Nation Fantasy War Room 4-8:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday.
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