The Mighty Quinn
According to the 1967 Bob Dylan song, the Mighty Quinn was an Eskimo whose arrival on the scene "changes despair into joy and chaos into rest." Quinn is a virtual messiah delivering salvation in a hopeless world.
If that sounds like a lot of pressure, try saving the freefalling Cleveland Browns from a lost season in the AFC North. Starting quarterback Derek Anderson is staggering like a punch-drunk boxer. His confidence is shot, his accuracy is waning, and he's hearing the resounding footsteps of the mighty Brady Quinn.
This week will see Quinn increasing his practice reps with the first-team offense while Anderson is left to deal with threats of quick hooks and short leashes. In other words, Derek Anderson is dead man walking. He's being set up for failure while Quinn is being set up as the hero, arriving on the scene just in time to deliver hope in a lost season.
On to the waiver wire, where we'll try to emphasize a new batch of names this week. Here's how I rank the likely targets at each position this week. Full writeups of each player are below.
QUARTERBACKS
1. Brady Quinn
2. Trent Edwards
3. Brian Griese
4. Kerry Collins
5. Sage Rosenfels
6. Drew Stanton
RUNNING BACKS
1. LeRon McClain
2. Rudi Johnson
3. Correll Buckhalter
4. Kenny Watson
5. Ryan Torain
6. T.J. Duckett
7. Lorenzo Booker
U.S. & World
WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Bobby Engram
2. Antonio Bryant
3. Kevin Curtis
4. Brandon Lloyd
5. Amani Toomer
6. Greg Camarillo
7. Chris Henry
TIGHT ENDS
1. Jerramy Stevens
2. Billy Miller
***
Join subscriber only chats, get weekly rankings before anyone else, plus exclusive weekly projections, stat tools, dynasty ranks, columns, and much more including the Rotoworld Oracle in our Season Pass.
QUARTERBACKS
Brady Quinn, Browns
Derek Anderson is not long for the starting quarterback job; in fact, he's a virtual certainty to be yanked from the game against the Bengals if he doesn't turn the ship around.
When Quinn takes over, he will be at the helm of an offense with an overdue superstar receiver in Braylon Edwards, a dominant tight end in Kellen Winslow, and a healthier version of Donte Stallworth. There's no guarantee that Quinn will guide an offense as high flying as last year's unit, but the possibility is worth a dice roll.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Trent Edwards, Bills
You know what you're getting with Trent Edwards and the Bills passing offense: 200 passing yards and a touchdown or two weekly. That's not fantasy feast material, but there's a place for that kind of consistency on medium-to-deep league rosters.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Brian Griese, Buccaneers
Sunday's fourth quarter comeback ensured that he will keep the job for the foreseeable future, but Griese's output against the Bears was an aberration. Don't expect starter-worthy numbers from Griese when he takes on the Packers this week.
Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues
Kerry Collins, Titans
Collins lends the Titans some credibility in the passing game, but his numbers will remain pedestrian as long as the defense remains dominant. Tennessee would just assume pound the ball 45 times per game while playing with the lead. Collins is worth rostering, but he's only a starting option for the truly desperate.
Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues
Sage Rosenfels, Texans
Unlike Derek Anderson, Texans quarterback Matt Shaub is likely to turn his season around. He's faced two of the staunchest defenses in the league in the Steelers and Titans and was betrayed by Andre Johnson in a fluky performance Sunday.
Still, there is pressure on Schaub to show some improvement against Jacksonville this week. If he continues to crumble behind a leaky offensive line, Gary Kubiak won't hesitate to tap Rosenfels on the shoulder.
Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues
Drew Stanton, Lions
Jon Kitna's knee injury doesn't look serious enough to keep him out, but his poor play in another lost season just might. Stanton is healthy after a preseason thumb injury, and the Lions have the bye week to prepare him to take over should they decide to change direction.
Stanton has drawn mixed reports from Lions watchers, but the early preseason results were encouraging. Better yet, he's a quarterback that can put up fantasy points with his legs while enjoying the presence of Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams as lethal weapons.
Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues
RUNNING BACKS
LeRon McClain
He's here to stay. The 270-pound bruiser looked like a possible one-week wonder while Willis McGahee was out, but McClain has earned a slice of the pie with his hard-charging style. He's a good bet for 10-15 carries per week and could be the called upon often at the stripe.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues
Rudi Johnson, Lions
Perhaps we were too quick to write him off as a washed up has-been. Rudi was "feeling it" against the 49ers Sunday, so the Lions parked starter Kevin Smith on the bench and continued to feed the veteran. He's no sure thing to take over for Smith, but the Lions have a bye week to make install some changes. If he was dropped in your league, pick him up.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues
Correll Buckhalter, Eagles
Buckhalter would top this list if Brian Westbrook's ankle injury was serious, but as it stands now Westbrook may not even miss a start. If Buckhalter does draw the start, he's a good bet for steady carries, a few looks in the passing game, and goal-line touches. Fair warning: the Eagles draw a tough Bears rushing defense in Week 4.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Kenny Watson, Bengals
Chris Perry is entrenched as the starter. On the other hand, he's an injury waiting to happen with a heavy workload. If Watson was forced to step in, he could mirror Perry's production as a reliable fantasy starter.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Ryan Torain, Broncos
The Broncos have yet to see a running back emerge from their committee attack. Torain is due back from his elbow injury around Week 7 or 8, and the talented rookie could work his way into a fairly prominent late-season role. He's worth a stash if you have the roster space available.
Recommendation: Monitor in deeper leagues
T.J. Duckett, Seahawks
Don't get overly excited about Duckett's two touchdown, 79-yard Week 3 performance. He's a short-yardage, late-game back who will disappoint more often than he will come through. If you play in a deeper, touchdown heavy league he's worth a look.
Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues
Lorezon Booker, Eagles
Correll Buckhalter is Brian Westbrook's handcuff, but Booker could have value in points per reception leagues if Westbrook misses considerable time with his ankle injury.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
WIDE RECEIVERS
Bobby Engram, Seahawks
The Seahawks have a Week 4 bye, and Engram is fully expected to re-emerge as Matt Hasselbeck's No. 1 target in Week 5 versus the Giants. He's a must grab this week for those in points per reception leagues.
Deion Branch will have his supporters, but a wide receiver coming off ACL surgery isn't a great bet to outscore the trusty Engram. When you consider that Branch averages just one 100-yard per season and rarely sees the end zone, Engram makes even more sense.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues
Antonio Bryant, Buccaneers
The Bucs aren't going to throw 67 times again, so his 10-catch, 138 yard performance against the Bears is unrepeatable. Nonetheless, Bryant did establish himself as Brian Griese's go-to receiver for as long as Joey Galloway remains out with a foot sprain. He's worth a start as a WR3 against the Packers this week.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues
Kevin Curtis, Eagles
Hank Baskett earned some quarterback trust this week by reeling in eight of his nine targets against the Steelers, but Kevin Curtis is the savvier waiver pickup. Curtis is due back from his sports hernia injury by Week 6 and figures to reclaim his starting position when the team travels to San Francisco. The Eagles offense is providing a lot more value than last year's unit, so Curtis should be a WR3 as soon as he hits the field.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues
Brandon Lloyd, Bears
We've seen dominant quarterback/wide receiver connections before: Manning-to-Harrison, Culpepper-to-Moss, the up and coming Cutler-to-Marshall. If Orton-to-Lloyd can keep up this pace for a couple more weeks, they might fall somewhere behind Beuerlein-to-Jeffers and Volek-to-Bennett in fantasy football lore.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues
Amani Toomer, Giants
At this stage of his career, Toomer is nobody's idea of an exciting fantasy player. He is, however, seeing enough weekly targets to make for a nice bye week fill-in starting in Week 5.
Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues
Greg Camarillo, Dolphins
His ceiling is limited, but Camarillo has consistently hauled in three-to-four passes per week for around 50 yards. Don't count on a trip to the end zone, but you could do worse for a bye week sub.
Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues
Chris Henry, Bengals
Henry is a dominant physical talent, but don't go overboard on your waiver bid this week. The Bengals offense is not clicking on all cylinders, and Henry will be the No. 3 option at best in the passing game when he returns from suspension in Week 5. Expect a handful of touchdowns and hair-pulling inconsistency over the long haul.
Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues
TIGHT ENDS
Jerramy Stevens, Buccaneers
Are you desperate for a tight end? Need to roll the dice on a bye week fill-in? Stevens may run afoul of the law by the time this article is posted, but he's more talented than starter Alex Smith and was targeted more frequently in Week 3.
Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues
Billy Miller, Saints
Miller is a much better receiver than Mark Campbell. If a Saints tight end steps up while Jeremy Shockey is out 3-6 weeks with sports hernia surgery, Miller is the better bet of the two.
Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues
