Erin Skelley, aka "Erin the Fantasy Girl" on Texans Radio/Sports Radio 610 in Houston, dishes out waiver wire magic for Week 9.
Thank you, Marvin Jones. You are why I love the waiver wire. As last week's chancy little waiver claim, you paid off with big – I mean BIG – rewards. Before Sunday, the second-year wide receiver was fairly anonymous outside of Cincinnati and even the fantasy community. You look back and you see there were signs Jones was emerging as a threat. His touchdowns in back-to-back games garnered him some waiver wire interest. But Jones's four touchdowns – yes, four touchdowns! – earned him a bronze bust for week eight. And maybe even a parade.
The lesson I'm hoping you'll glean from Marvin's little miracle is that the waiver wire is full of hope. Dig around the little island of misfit players and you might just find a Julius Thomas or a Phillip Rivers. Here are this week's waiver gems:
Marvin Jones, WR, Cincinnati Bengals – Um, consider this my official recommendation to claim him. Four touchdowns and 122 yards last week, and six touchdowns in the last three weeks. Pretty, pretty good. Available in 74 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Darius Heyward-Bey, WR, Indianapolis Colts– With the injury to Reggie Wayne, the DHB will shoulder some of the load. In week 7, the speedster had four receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown. Remember, TY Hilton's stock also rises, so I hardly call Darius a Harry Douglas. Available in 54 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Harry Douglas, WR, Atlanta Falcons – Speaking of Douglas, let me get this straight. Matt Ryan is intercepted four times, yet Douglas still musters 12 receptions for 121 yards? His availability is shrinking. Grab him while you can. Available in 23 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals – We can't forget who fired the ball into Marvin's hands. Check out Dalton, who has 1,024 yards and 11 touchdowns in the last three games. I know he isn't widely available (23 percent), but he is starting in about a third of all leagues. It's time to give him the nod.
Shane Vereen, RB, New England Patriots – I understand why you dropped him. The bye weeks are brutal, as are all the injuries that force you to dump your players. It's time to reclaim Vereen, who could return as soon as week 11, after the Pats' week 10 bye. Available in 61 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Andre Ellington, RB, Arizona Cardinals – I've been pleading his case for weeks. Finallly, Ellington earned the start, as Rashard Mendenhall was sidelined with a toe injury. Ellington rushed for 154 yards and one touchdown, which certainly deserves consideration for starting next week. Unfortunately, Bruce Arians said that Mendenhall will likely resume the starting role when he returns. Stay patient. This will pay off eventually. Available in 46 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Erin Skelley joins Texans Radio every week on SportsRadio 610. Follow her on Twitter @erinskelley. She'll babble fantasy to anyone who will listen.
