It’s the first week of byes in the NFL which means XN writers who own Packers and Panthers players all had to scramble to find suitable replacements for the week. The XN Sports League of Champions waiver wire saw a flurry of moves once again this week, let’s take a look at what the fantasy football crew is doing with their own teams and some ideas you can put into action in your own league. You can follow the action at any time at the XN Sports LoC league page.
The Winter Classics (Chris Blanchard) dropped Nate Burleson, added Kendall Wright
A receiver with a broken arm doesn’t typically catch too many balls so Chris looked to replace the injured Burleson with the considerably less injured Kendall Wright. Wright has a concussion but could play on Sunday and he’s seen 17 targets over this last two games. He saw 104 targets last year in his rookie campaign and could continue to see increased totals with Kenny Britt having disappeared and Nate Washington seeing only about seven targets per game.
Keepin Heads Ringin (Michael Clifford) added Matt Flynn, dropped Zac Stacy
Matt Flynn could start on Sunday over Terrelle Pryor and that alone gives him value in 2QB leagues. Stacy is hardly a big loss since the rookie has seen all of one carry in three weeks. Michael is hoping Terrelle Pryor is still seeing stars over the weekend for this play to work.
Studfeldsville (Salvatore Stefanile) added Kansas City D/ST, dropped Miami D/ST
The Chiefs suddenly have the one of the best Ds in the league and you have to pounce on them if they’ve available – especially heading into a matchup with the turnover-happy Giants.
My Buddy and Me (Dave Major) added Johnathan Franklin, dropped Kendall Hunter
Dave added Franklin about a week too late and, with a bye week this week, Franklin will likely once again find himself behind Eddie Lacy and James Starks (if healthy) once the Packers resume action. Kendall Hunter has only seen 12 touches for 35 yards over the first three weeks and could see an even more diminished role with LaMichael James on the mend.
Coconut Pete (Tom Fitzgerald) added Denarius Moore, dropped Doug Baldwin
After catching seven passes for 91 yards in Week 1, Baldwin has been targeted a mere three times over the last two games. Meanwhile, Moore has caught 11 passes on 20 targets for 167 yards and two TDs over two games and seems to be Terrelle Pryor’s favorite target. Tom is on a two-game winning streak, coming off a one-point victory in Week 3, but will have his hands full with C.D. Carter’s Derwood Degenerates looking to finally get in the win column.
Fantasy Foundation (Rich Hribar) added Indianapolis D/ST, dropped Minnesota D/ST
The Indy D suddenly looks legit and has a hugely favorable matchup coming up against the Jags. If you want to stream defenses like Rich and C.D. Carter, a good place to start looking is which team is playing Jacksonville that week.
Blurred Goal Lines (Tony Consiglio) added Brandon Bolden, dropped James Starks
While James Starks left Sunday’s game with a knee injury and is heading into a bye week, Brandon Bolden came out of Week 3 looking like a true replacement for Danny Woodhead. After missing the first two weeks with injury, it’ll be interesting to see how Bolden fits in a backfield with Stevan Ridley and LeGarrette Blount. Tony is a perfect 3-0 so with his luck, Bolden will be the next Matt Forte.
Studfeldsville (Salvatore Stefanile) added Stephen Hill, dropped Robert Woods
Woods caught just two of his 10 targets and has only caught seven passes all season. Rookie receivers are rarely a good bet. Meanwhile, Hill, who struggled mightily as a rookie, looks like the prototypical much-improved second-year receiver. He leads the Jets in targets with 22 and has 13 receptions for 233 yards and a TD. Sal (fourth in points) is in one of the matchups of the week, facing Tony Consiglio (second in points).
Fifty Shades of Cats (Felipe Melecio) added Ryan Broyles, dropped Detroit D/ST
With Burleson out, Broyles figures to take on a lot of the workload, at least until Detroit can find a replacement to trade for. The 2012 second-rounder saw limited action in his first year but will likely be the go-to guy when Megatron is double-covered. Despite ranking fifth in points, Felipe is on a two-game losing streak and needs the Lions to stop calling teams.
My Buddy and Me (Dave Major) added Nick Foles, dropped Chad Henne
With Blaine Gabbert back in the Jaguars starting lineup, Dave is taking a bet on Michael Vick’s health and picking up Foles. The quarterback waiver wire in 2QB leagues like ours calls for this kind of speculation often but, unlike someone like Mike Glennon, Foles would have immediate value if Vick gets hurt. Dave (third in points) is heading into the other matchup of the week against Rich’s Fantasy Foundation (first in points but still third place).
4th and Goal (Neil Parker) added Donnie Avery, dropped Jerome Simpson
After a huge Week 1, Simpson has only caught five of 13 targets for a mere 78 yards over the last two weeks. Donnie Avery is an interesting pickup. Sure, he saw seven targets in Week 3 and walked away with seven receptions for 141 yards but the Chiefs aren’t going to play the Eagles again. Avery came into the game with four receptions on nine targets for 49 yards in his first two weeks.
Bryno Rhinos (Bryan Knowles) added Tampa Bay D/ST, dropped Brandon Pettigrew
With 38 yards through two games, Pettigrew doesn’t have a whole lot of value anywhere. The Bucs D looks much better than last year, aided by the arrival of Revis Island.
Make It Wayne (Igor Derysh) added Santonio Holmes, dropped Brent Celek
I really thought with no options outside of DeSean Jackson, Vick would be forced to pass to Celek. Since I picked him up, he’s given me all of 18 yards. Back to Kyle Rudolph for me. Meanwhile, Stephen Hill came away from the Bills game with the most hype but Santonio leads the Jets over the last two weeks in receptions and although he’s not practicing, he looks plenty healthy on the field. Holmes is more reliable than Hill and Geno Smith should look his way often.
Make It Wayne (Igor Derysh) added Justin Tucker, dropped Phil Dawson
With the 49ers offense stalling over the last two weeks, Dawson has just three field goals on the season. Tucker had three field goals in his last game alone, though it was only a week after missing both of his tries against the Browns. I’m going to need all the help I can get as Make It Wayne (second-fewest points) takes on Neil’s 4th and Goal (third-fewest points, though still good for sixth-place) in the anti-matchup of the week.
