By Rich Cordaway
Photo: Football Schedule via Flickr
Sitting out there on every waiver wire are players whose value exceeds their ownership percentage. This is mostly due to them being up-and-coming guys who have shown flashes of play-making ability but haven’t been given their due yet because of either injury, lack of playing time or just playing on a bad, small market team. But these waiver wire “gems” could be the difference between your team winning or being an also-ran.
All of these players are owned in less than 50% of CBS leagues (all but one are under 25% actually). They will give your team immediate depth at each position and they might even deserve starting on your squad at some point. They are fantasy “diamonds in the rough” whose production exceeds their value.
Here they are in descending order:
6) Brandon LaFell, CAR
This season LaFell has quietly slipped under the fantasy radar. He’s posted double-digit fantasy point games in 5 of the 9 games he’s played in. His 29 receptions for 489 yards and 3 TD’s are solid. His yardage total is better than bigger names such as Hakeem Nicks (465), Darrius Heyward-Bey (440), Justin Blackmon (486), Jeremy Maclin (449), and Sidney Rice (475). And he’s sitting right there in most leagues waiting to be scooped up as he’s only owned in 38% of CBS leagues.
5) Donald Jones, BUF
I’ve been high on Jones for a couple of weeks now. He flies under the radar because he plays for a mediocre Buffalo team. But his 4 TD’s are more than Andre Johnson, Wes Welker, Reggie Wayne, Percy Harvin, and DeSean Jackson (all have 3 at the moment). I like Jones personally because I think the mix of his consistent, blue-collar work ethic with Fitzpatrick’s Mensa/gunslinger mentality is a lethal combo. He’s a #2 WR only owned in 23% of CBS leagues. He warrants more ownership than that even if he’s riding the bench.
4) Shane Vereen, NE
Vereen finally had a big fantasy game against the Jets on Thanksgiving. He showcased his “homerun play” ability with an 83-yard TD catch from a short Brady swing pass. In the last 2 games, he’s gotten 10+ carries averaging about 4 yards per carry. Although he backs up the tough-running Stevan Ridley, he still has fantasy value. He’s only owned in 19% of CBS leagues but that number will be higher next week. Get your claim in now.
3) Bilal Powell, NYJ
Last week Powell was my over-hyped pick. While I still maintain he’s not good for 20+ points each week, the game against the Patriots proves he still has some value. 12 carries for 40 yards and a TD along with 2 catches aren’t throw away stats. With the Jets having officially imploded in the second quarter of that disastrous Thanksgiving game, it’ll be interesting to see how Powell is used for the duration of the season. Might he be the running back of the future? Possibly. But right now he’s only owned in 19% of CBS leagues, so it’s a good time to buy low on him.
2) Joique Bell, DET
Here’s an interesting fact: Bell is a top 30 RB in one dynasty league I play in yet he’s only owned in 48% of CBS leagues. His season numbers are Popeye’s Extra Spicy good with 244 rush yards on only 50 attempts (an impressive 4.9 average) and 3 TD’s. And his receiving totals of 31 catches for 312 yards would make most TE’s blush. He gets a bad rap because he backs up Leshoure and plays for a high-octane passing offense. But his fantasy point totals are legitimate with the potential to be even better. If Leshoure goes down for any reason, Bell is an immediate #1 RB and probably the main reason your team makes a title run.
1) Ryan Broyles, DET
Mike loves this kid and he has an uncanny ability to pick the good ones. The NFL is a fickle league (“What’s your time in the 40?”, “How much can you bench?”, “Is your last name Tebow?”). Sometimes good players slip through the cracks in the real game and in fantasy. Broyles is looking to be one of those guys. In the Week 12 shootout against Houston, Broyles broke out with 6 catches for 126 yards. And he was targeted 12 times! He has many things going for him as a young rookie: he plays in a potent offense next to arguably the best WR in the game with a young, stud QB throwing him the ball in a dome. And, get this, he’s only owned in 20% of CBS leagues!?! That number will skyrocket next week and Broyles will be on many championship fantasy teams at the end of the 2012 season.
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