Running the Wire

Heading into Week 17 I'm assuming that the majority of your seasons have either already ended unsuccessfully due to Marion Barber's decision to jump off a cliff or successfully due to dumb luck. But then there's the idiots who set up their leagues to last all 17 weeks. And you bums are probably freaking out trying to find a quarterback on waivers to fill in for Peyton Manning who will sit this weekend which is totally predictable and happens every year and is similar to benchings that occur throughout the league during the last week of the season and are the reason why you don't make your leagues last 17 weeks. Well, because you're idiotic, I'm not going to reveal wire wonders. You don't deserve help. Instead, I'm going to help out those who have suffered all year through NFL hobos dropping bust seasons for the Americans who spent 29,384 hours researching and deciding to draft said hobos. For the last Running the Wire of the year, I tell you whom to drop. It's the spirit of giving after all. Might as well give back the waiver wire the soap on a rope crap that deserve to be there. It'll make you feel good to let these guys go, I know it. Merry Christmas. [Ed's note: This is not the end of the post. There's a big space that is of no use; click the "Keep going..." below.] Gold Wire Drops Chad Ocho Cinco WR/Cincinnati Bengals—He should have changed his name to Chad Cero. He's worth nothing. For the future, don't even draft him until the Ocho Cincoth round. Carson Palmer QB/Cincinnati Bengals—Don't want Chadwick to get lonely on the wire. Actually I kind of do. Joseph Addai RB/Indianapolis Colts—Congratulations, Alex. Congrats. Braylon Edwards WR/Cleveland Browns—He only came 14 touchdowns short of winning that bet with Michael Phelps. So there's that. Gold Wire Drops Edgerrin James RB/Arizona Cardinals—Your one 100-yard game this season was much appreciated. Get a haircut. Derek Anderson QB/Cleveland Browns—More proof that money isn't everything. Actually this is proof that money is nothing. Absolutely nothing. Darren McFadden RB/Oakland Raiders—Of course in a season that sees the greatest class of rookie running backs in the history of the world emerge, the back who was drafted the highest would not be part of the emergence. I blame Art Shell. Willis McGahee RB/Baltimore Ravens—You couldn't secure the starting job from a rookie and a 260 pound fullback? Really? More Gold Wire Drops Plaxico Burress WR/New York Giants—Is it wrong to feel the urge to shoot someone who just got shot? Torry Holt WR/St. Louis Rams—This one kind of makes me sad. Jamal Lewis RB/Cleveland Browns—You weigh 245 pounds! Four touchdowns? Willie Parker RB/Pittsburgh Steelers—Well, I enjoyed the first two weeks... We'll be coming over later to sing Christmas Carols. Get some cocoa ready or something. FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Running the Wire

Screwing League Mates Over By Stealing The Missing Pieces Of The Puzzle That They Need 101 I'm guessing that about 80 percent of people couldn't care less about the waiver wire at this point in this season. Most leagues are deep into the playoffs by now, meaning that only a small amount of the best and the luckiest of American males still have anything to play for. I say that's BS. Haven't you watched any ESPN lately? Jimmy Valvano says to never give up, god dang it! Never give up! We're going to a commercial break now. Never frickin' give up! Besides, even if you're in a redraft league, you can't rebuild for next year with draft pick trades, you're not in the running to win any point total money, there's no weekly high point total payouts; if you have absolutely nothing at all to play for, can you think of anything better to do with your time than steal a stud pickup off the wire from under the nose of that dick who ripped you off in that DeAngelo Williams trade from earlier in the season and who just lost his own waiver wonder boy Peyton Hillis to injury and now is panicking, and then you can laugh in his face as he falls flat without a No. 2 running back because you exacted sweet revenge on his roster? [Ed's note: And no, that wasn't a run-on.] No? I'm the only one who is laughing wildly right now? Well, then I guess there's no reason to read on then. Besides the super secret secret prize code password message in a bottle at the end of this article.... Gold Wire Pickups Seneca Wallace QB/Seattle—The latest from the Matt Hasselbeck camp is that the Seahawks are considering shutting him down for the season. That came after scrambling, fast, athletic, failed wide receiver experiment Seneca Wallace dropped a beast of a game in Week 14 against the Patriots. Sounds like he has confidence behind him and after seeing him throw three touchdowns, I think I like him too. Tatum Bell RB/Denver—I'll be the 37,947th person to spit this cliché, meme, and joke that another Bronco running back has "bitten the dust." Hahaha. I'm so originallllll and funnyyy. It's true though. And Tatum Bell and Selvin Young are the only guys with legs left on the team. And Selvin Young is hurt. And Tatum Bell was touching the ball a little bit even with Hillis raging as a starter. Bell's the guy you want. Deion Branch WR/Seattle—He caught two touchdowns the week that Seneca Wallace broke out. Obviously he's the No. 1 option for Seneca. He could surprise down the home stretch. Copper Wire Pickups Gijon Robinson WR/Indianapolis—Robinson had 6 catches for 69 yards week 14, but he's really more along the lines of a Chicken Wire Pickup. There's no chance he passes Dallas Clark on the depth chart. But his name's Gijon. Heck ya. That's a copper wire name. Anthony Fasano TE/Miami—He's been on the list before, but is still available in more than half the leagues. He put up some decent numbers this week and has four scores on the year. He's a fine tight end if you're desperate. Chicken Wire Pickups Ladell Betts RB/Washington—Clinton Portis and Jim Zorn clearly hate each other. And when a coach hates a player, he doesn't give him the ball every play. There's touches available for Betts. Unfortunately, when he got them Week 14 he put up three yards on six carries. Not much to look at here. JP Losman QB/Buffalo—Hahahahaha. 12-3-7-9-1. That has no meaning at all. Or does it...? FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Running the Wire

Screwing League Mates Over By Stealing The Missing Pieces Of The Puzzle That They Need 101 You can feel it coming. Playoffs. Whether you're expecting to be looking in from the outside as you knife Steven Jackson in the lymph node or sitting pretty on the top of the standings, riding BenJarvus Green-Ellis (who seriously is in need of a nickname ... I say BenJGe, pronounced Benjee) to a No. 1 seed, you know the final draw is fast approaching. So you gotta prepare. And the most efficient place to gear up is on the wire. Now you are not looking for high potential guys, players who look like they could break out one week. It is about finding diamonds in the rough who are looking to be more involved in their offenses during the home stretch, rushers who are going to carry more of a load for their team, quarterbacks who are being leaned on by their team more, wideouts who are increasingly being targeted. Start mining folks, start mining. Gold Wire Pickups Shaun Hill/QB San Francisco—I liked him before his break out performance on ESPN, I swear. In his first start in J.T. O'Sullivan-replacement duty, he had a passer rating of 102.3 with one score and no picks. That was a good sign. Then on Monday Night he had two touchdowns in the first half before the Niners collapsed. And from the cliché argument logic department, Hill is the starter in a Mike Martz offense, and he seemingly has that role secured. Hill is a cheap option who I think can be a serviceable starter—yes, starter—in bigger leagues for the rest of the year. Mark Bradley/WR Kansas City—Tyler Thigpen has looked amazingly impressive since he's become the full time starter in KC. No, really. Six touchdowns in those three games and a 102.9 passer rating over that stretch to boot. If you ignore the three losses, one could argue that the Chiefs have definitely found their franchise QB. But I'm assuming Thigpen has already been added in most leagues, so I'll move to the next best part of my little KC fantasy mancrush, Mark Bradley. Over the course of Thigpen's starts, Bradley has led all Kansas City wide receivers in receptions. Bowe seems to be the focus of defenses, allowing Bradley to be the main target after Tony Gonzalez. Peyton Hillis/RB Denver—He's the only Broncos' running back who's still alive. You gotta take a flier on the 250-pound, 4.58-running white guy. Copper Wire Pickups Koren Robinson/WR Seattle—He's put up two straight games with four receptions and a touchdown, but with Matt Hasselbeck expected to be back Week 11 I just don't see him remaining the No. 1 option ahead of Bobby Engram. And the No. 2 guy in the Seahawks passing offense is not a guy you want on your fantasy team. Dustin Keller/TE New York (Jets)—The rookie caught six passes for 107 yards and a score on Sunday against the Rams, but his second highest yardage total on the year is 41. I suspect that the production was more due to Cotchery's shoulder injury holding him back than Keller emerging as Brett Favre's new favorite underneath option. Jason Hill/WR San Francisco—The main beneficiary of Shaun Hill's nice little primetime performance was sophomore Jason Hill who put up a nice little stat line of his own, seven catches and 84 yards. Hill, whom Mike Singletary and receivers coach Jerry Sullivan like, may have grabbed the No. 3 spot on the depth chart away from Arnaz Battle, but Isaac Bruce and Josh Morgan are still the only two San Fran pass catchers who really have much value. Chicken Wire Pickups Matt Spaeth/TE Pittsburgh—No. The 6'7'' tight end had six receptions for 53 yards against the Colts. Who cares? He never caught more than one pass in a game the rest of the year. No. Dantrell Savage/RB Kansas City—He led the Chiefs running game against the Chargers, with 44 yards on 12 carries. You gotta do more than that if you want some touches when LJ returns next week and Charles gets his health back. Good cop is over. You have the right and the responsibility to frickin ask us your fantasy questions. FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Running the Wire

Screwing League Mates Over By Stealing The Missing Pieces Of The Puzzle That They Need 101

According to this baseball sabermetrichemagician named Nate Silver who works for Baseball Prospectus and has become famous through his political poll predictive formulamajig blog that has been featured in big wig magazines, news services, and TV shows, Obama has a 93.4 percent chance of winning the election. McCain is all but done. Many of you I'm sure can relate. And when I say "many of you" I mean "frickin a, McCain's just like me." But as you can see, the 132-year-old hasn't given up. Neither should you. Keep scanning your wire, keep pulling trades, keep trashing the guy who drafted Tom Brady (if that's not you). You still have a 6.6 percent chance of winning your league! Gold Wire Pickups Antonio Bryant/WR Tampa Bay: Week seven seems like a surprise coming-out party for Bryant, but in reality, he had it coming. He is 10th in the league in targets, above names like Terrell Owens, Plaxico Burress, and Calvin Johnson. Jeff Garcia confirmed his role as Tampa's starting QB, mainly through dominating the Seahawks with successful connections to Antonio. All signs point to him being the number one option for the Bucs. Greg Camarillo/WR Miami: Chad Pennington continues to impress, and the main beneficiary has been Camarillo. He has had four or more catches in each of the past five weeks, and has clearly emerged as the go-to wide out in the Miami offense. His consistency makes him more than worthy for a bench spot in normal-sized leagues. Sammy Morris/RB New England: After absolutely brutalizing the Broncos on Monday Night Football during the first half (138 yards and a touchdown), Morris went down with what the Pats called a knee injury. The news on Tuesday is that Belichick calls him day-to-day and that he has been seen walking around without a limp. If he's good to go, Morris has the potential to be a solid #3 option with Maroney now on injured reserve and some guy named Benjarvus Green-Ellis being the only legitimate carry hawk. Copper Wire Pickups Javon Walker/WR Oakland: Apparently he has recovered from his Vegas beat down. Putting up 75 yards plus a touchdown on five catches, Walker showed the first flashes of better than badness from a Raider receiver all year. Expect increased production in the Oakland offense as the year progresses. Jeff Garcia/QB Tampa Bay: While Bryant looked great, Garcia looked at least decent. He dropped 310 yards and a score on the Seahawks defense, which in perspective is a lot worse than good so don't get too excited, and is a serviceable backup. Malcom Floyd/WR San Diego: He has had 60 yards and a touchdown in each of the past two weeks, mainly due to the absense of Chris Chambers. But Floyd is still a third-stringer when Chambers returns, which should be sometime in the next few weeks. He is decently ownable at the moment, possessing great red zone skills and athleticism; he has probably moved ahead of Buster Davis and Legedu Naanee on the depth chart for good, but will most likely go back to being mostly irrelevant in less than a month. Chicken Wire Pickups Maurice Morris/RB Seattle: Perusing the box scores, you will see Morris's name pop up as the most productive Seattle position player in Sunday's game against Tampa Bay. It's an illusion. His measly 68 total yards were not even a bright spot for the Seahawks' porous performance. Leave him in the free agent pool. Josh Morgan/WR San Francisco: Morgan's 86 yards and a touchdown make him a nice little... one-week wonder on a crappy team. Say no. Got burning questions that you desperately need some random people you read online to answer? FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com. We're not afraid to talk to strangers.

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Running the Wire

Screwing League Mates Over By Stealing The Missing Pieces Of The Puzzle That They Need 101 What a past couple of days it has been. Injuries and the trade deadline have kept fantasy footballers' eyes glued to the television and amazingly well-written blogs. With so much news, your league's waiver wire is sure to be buzzing this week. Gold Wire Pickups: Brad Johnson/QB Dallas: Sure, he doesn't have the strongest arm in the world and he isn't the most mobile in the world. In fact, these two could avoid a pass rush better than Johnson could. But if you get points based on age, look no further. Seriously, all bad jokes aside, Johnson should be one of your top pickups. Because of his experience, you don't have to worry about any sort of learning curve like a rookie or inexperienced player may face. He's got the weapons, too. Owens, Witten, Barber, and the newly acquired Roy Williams are all at his disposal. St. Louis' defense is one of the worst in the league, too, making Johnson even more appealing. Vincent Jackson/WR San Diego: He was easily Philip Rivers favorite target Sunday night in the Chargers romp over the Patriots. Jackson was targeted on many deep routes and given his size, he's also a red zone threat. Jackson is a great play this week, especially if Chambers is still out of the lineup. He's on waivers in about 30% of leagues. Copper Wire Pickups: Kevin Walter/WR Houston: With Matt Schaub back in the lineup, Walter becomes relevant to fantasy play. He nearly had 100 yards last week and should have an excellent chance of matching those numbers this week against a Lions defense that allowed Bernard Berrian and Bobby Wade to rack up big numbers last week. He's owned in over 55% of leagues. Chicken Wire Pickups: Shaun McDonald/WR Detroit: With Roy Williams heading for Dallas, the #2 WR spot is open. Granted, the Lions offense isn't as strong as it was last year, but chances are the Lions will be playing from behind. A lot. Fantasy owners are always looking for players with opportunities and McDonald has it. Shaun Alexander/RB Washington: Now I'm not one to jump on the bandwagon, and you know how highly I think of Clinton Portis, but if you have a free spot and looking for a flier, you could do a lot worse. Ladell Betts could be out a few weeks, giving Alexander all the carries Portis doesn't snatch up. He's going to get an opportunity to some extent - the Redskins are going to see what he has left; otherwise, they wouldn't have signed him. Matchups against the Browns and Lions don't hurt either.
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Running the Wire

Screwing League Mates Over By Stealing The Missing Pieces Of The Puzzle That They Need 101

A little bit of irrelevancy never hurt. The school I attend started to crack down on the dress code today. Naturally, because a lot of people are gullible beyond belief, a craze of outrage and mass hysteria followed. Without boring you too much, I'll get straight to my point. Injuries and bye weeks can cause the same hysteria. I'm sure some of you, including myself, can't help but somewhat frantically cringe when you see that your star WR is on a bye or that your #1 RB is questionable for this week. Never fear though; I'm here to help.

Gold Wire Pickups:

Steve Slaton/RB: Houston: I wasn't a big fan of Slaton coming into the year and to be quite honest, I'm still not. He's small in stature and if he hits the rookie wall, his production could really drop. Not to mention that if and when another Houston back gets healthy, Slaton will lose carries. But for this week, I'm a fan. Slaton is versatile, as shown by his reception numbers last week (eight receptions for 83 yards and a score), and has a grand matchup against a Colts defense that has been giving up just under 200 yards on the ground per game this year, good for 31st in the league. Slaton is owned in about 20% of leagues and could be considered a #2 back for teams this week.

Steve Smith and Amani Toomer/WR Giants: I talked about Smith briefly in last week's addition, and now I've added Toomer to the mix. In case you forgot, Plaxico Burress is out this week from a one game suspension given to him by the Giants. With Eli Manning improving and the opportunity of a starting role, both guys should have a good shot to produce. One other crunchy nugget to chew on: Seattle ranks 25th in pass defense, giving up 226 yards per game. Smith is only taken in 10.5% of leagues while Toomer is owned in 45% of leagues.

Copper Wire Pickups

Anthony Fasano/TE Miami: He's been a little hit or miss so far into the season, but I'd bank on him being a "hit" this week. Surprisingly, the Chargers pass defense has really struggled this year. They've allowed a league-worst 276.3 yards per game through the air. Tight ends from previous weeks have also had success against them (See: Dante Rosario and Zach Miller [Ed's Note: And Tony Scheffler.]). With no real weapons at WR, Fasano should get a lot of looks. He's on 44% of waivers.

Lance Moore/WR New Orleans: Moore was one of Drew Brees' favorite targets last week, recording seven catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. That should continue this week against the Vikings. Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey are still out, and even though the Vikings pass defense isn't terrible, the Saints have one of the most potent offenses in the league. Moore isn't even owned in two-percent of ESPN leagues; expect that number to rise after waiver claims are processed.

Chicken Wire Pickups:

Mewelde Moore/RB Pittsburgh: Following the Moore trend. There aren't too many RBs to choose from each week so when a guy with a starting job shows up on the radar, he'll usually be a hot commodity. That's exactly the situation Moore is in. He has a tough matchup against a physical Jags team and Najeh Davenport should steal some carries, but Moore knows the offense, is fairly versatile, and as mentioned, should start. That counts for something, doesn't it? Moore isn't owned in many leagues.

Steve Breaston/WR Arizona: Anquan Boldin is said to be "50-50" at best, and I'd lean towards him not playing after suffering a head injury late last week against the Jets. The Bills' top cornerback Terrence McGee is out for a few weeks, and the Bills will start the underachieving Ashton Youboty and rookie Leodis McKelvin. In a pretty explosive Cardinals offense, expect Breaston to have the chance for some big plays. Breaston is owned in just over three-percent of leagues.

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Running the Wire

Screwing League Mates Over By Stealing The Missing Pieces Of The Puzzle That They Need 101

If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that after last week's edition of Running the Wire, you were probably sifting through the wire on Friday and Saturday, hoping your league overlooked some highly-sought-after player. And if I had to venture another guess, you probably didn't find that player. Instead, you were leftover with scraps. And for that, I apologize. The injury report didn't exactly take too kindly to my recommendations last week. Koren Robinson and LaMont Jordan caught the injury bug last Sunday. In reality, I should've guessed that Robinson was going to get hurt; he plays for Seattle and he's a wide receiver—how could I have missed it? So I decided to bump back the publishing of this article a day to allow for some extra time on things like the injury report. Anyway, I hope that the guesses I venture this week will be much more accurate than last weeks. If you're in a pinch, here are some guys to whom to turn to.

Gold Wire pickups

(Author's note: Not too may strong "Gold" options out there. A few injuries this week, but there's hardly anyone too noteworthy out there this week. An ominous start to this article.)

- Rashard Mendenhall/RB Pittsburgh: After a very quiet first three weeks—just 10 carries for 28 yards and a couple of kickoff returns—the rookie gets to show what he's made of. Granted, he has a pretty tough matchup against the Ravens, but keep in mind they are without DT Kelly Gregg, and there are a couple of things going for him. Steelers' coach Mike Tomlin stated in his press conference that Mendenhall would be the main back while Parker is out. I'm sure after last week's debacle in the running game, the Steelers would like to get back to their roots and pound the ball. If you want Mendenhall, you better put in your waiver claim ASAP. He's only available in a little over 25-percent of leagues.

- Tampa Bay's #2 WR: Provided that Joey Galloway plays, that guy would be Antonio Bryant. If Galloway is still hobbled by his injury, it'd be Ike Hilliard as the #2 wide receiver for the Bucs. While Green Bay has had a pretty good secondary thus far, Al Harris is out indefinitely. That leaves a big gaping hole at the number-two cornerback spot for the Packers. Bryant came up big last week in Galloway's absence, hauling in 10 receptions and leading the team in targets. Ike Hillard is a consistent and dependable target. Bryant is only owned in 10-percent of leagues while Hilliard has only been picked up in a little over 12-percent of ESPN leagues.

Copper Wire pickups

- Josh Reed/WR Buffalo: Roscoe Parrish is out 4-6 weeks with a thumb injury, and James Hardy hasn't exactly been lighting it up this year. That leaves an opportunity for a guy like Reed to step up. Don't expect him to be spectacular, but with a rising Trent Edwards and a cupcake matchup against the Rams this week, Reed should produce.

- Kerry Collins/QB Tennessee: Justin Gage is back. Good news. The Titans are going against the Vikings pass defense. Even better news. If you're a guy that has no one to replace a Marc Bulger-type, Collins is worth a look. He's only owned in a bit over 17% of leagues.

Chicken Wire pickups

- Trent Green/QB St. Louis: (*Insert concussion joke here*) For whatever reason, the Rams figured that benching Marc Bulger for Trent Green will solve all of the Rams' problems. Note to St. Louis: You have way bigger problems than QB. If you're as desperate as Scott Linehan, show Green a little love.

- Steve Smith/WR New York Giants: Before all the hate mail (actually, I'm fine with hate mail—our inbox here has been bone-dry) and the "You're an idiot!" jabs begin, this isn't a pickup for this week. The Giants are on a bye this week. However, before the crazy rush for Smith pickups next week, try to stash him on your roster if you have the space. Eli has been looking good, and in case you haven't heard, Plaxico Burress has been suspended for Week Five's game for missing a Monday practice.

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Running the Wire

Screwing League Mates Over By Stealing The Missing Pieces Of The Puzzle That They Need 101

Another week of frantic panic for fantasy owners. Lose another Seattle WR? Who hasn't? They've been dropping like rumors of Lane Kiffin being fired. Your high draft pick still unable to put up the numbers in back-to-back week (*coughCarsonPalmerandJosephAddaicough*)? Here are a few guys that you can turn to in a pinch.

Gold Wire Pick Ups:

Isaac Bruce/WR 49ers: After a poor showing in Week 1, he came out of nowhere last week and posted some more than solid numbers. This week he gets the joy of going up against the Lions' defense. And if you haven't heard, the Lions' are terrible against the pass. The Packers lit it up against them last week with Aaron Rodgers throwing for three touchdowns. Josh Morgan hasn't really been a factor either. He doesn't seem to be a threat to cut into Bruce's playing time. He's currently available in over 40% of leagues.

Justin Gage/WR Titans: Vince Young out (for the time being), Kerry Collins in. When that happens, the Titans win. My rhyming skills are comparable to that of Dr. Seuss. Seriously though, Gage had a much more productive week with Collins under center. Granted, it was against the Bengals' defense, but Houston's isn't that much stronger. Gage is currently available in over 70% of leagues.

Michael Bush/RB Raiders: I'll repeat what I said in a previous article: Who needs to pass in Oakland? No one, that's who. Over 300 yards of running played a big role in getting Oakland the win last week against the Chiefs. Justin Fargas got hurt, giving Bush a chance to show what he can do. 90 yards and a touchdown later, I'm writing about him. It's currently unclear if and how much time Fargas will miss, but if he is out for any period of time, Bush is a guy to scoop up. He's only owned in a mere 6% of ESPN leagues.

Copper Wire Pick Ups:

Amani Toomer/WR Giants: Similar to Bruce, Toomer had a quiet week 1. He bounced back from that nicely in Week 2, putting up nearly 70 yards and a score against a pitiful Rams' defense. He gets to have a chance of a repeat performance this week as he matches up against a weak Bengals pass defense. This defense is even weaker with the losses of Dexter Jackson and possibly Jonathan Joseph for Week 3. Plaxico Burress is likely to be getting a lot of attention this week, and while I do expect him to have a good week, Toomer should have just as many opportunities. He's available in about 70% of leagues.

Koren Robinson/WR Seahawks: Hot off the press, Robinson was just signed by Seattle to help add depth after the Seahawks lost Logan Payne for the year and Seneca Wallace for possibly a month. You know things are bad when your QB/WR may no longer be an option. Robinson knows the offense a little bit, as he's an ex-Seahawk. That'll give him an advantage over Keary Colbert, for whom Seattle just traded. With Courtney Taylor's struggles so far this year, Robinson could get moved into the starting lineup. At the very least, he should be the #2. After a rough first two weeks, Seattle should be able to take its anger out on the Rams defense. Honestly, who couldn't beat up that defense? Robinson is only owned in .1% of leagues. I'd like to know who in the world stashed him on their bench before this week? Jerious Norwood/RB Falcons: Atlanta isn't too shabby against scrub teams (See: Week 1, Detriot) and they get another this week, as they play Kansas City—the same Chiefs defense that gave up over 300 yards last week to the Raiders. Funny, Atlanta rushed for over that mark against the Lions. Seeing how Atlanta could have a field day, Norwood could again see more playing time. He may wind up as the Michael Bush of this week. Chicken Wire Pick Ups

Brian Griese/QB Tampa Bay: Not too many other QB options out there, and Griese has again gotten the starting nod at QB this week. He gets a chance at revenge against his former team, the Bears. Not the greatest of pickups, but if you're desperate, you're desperate. Right now, he's owned in under 3% of leagues. LaMont Jordan/RB Patriots: Jordan ran well last week against the Jets. He was showing off that bruising style he had a few years ago before the Oakland debacle. Now with the Patriots, he's slowly starting to reinvent himself. Miami is the Pats next victim...er, I mean opponent. (Come on—Brady or not, the Pats are still a force to be reckoned with. And the Dolphins are still acting very "Miami-like".) I like Jordan over Morris mainly because Sammy is little more than a TD vulture, which can be unpredictable. Jordan has the opportunity for carries and yards. LaMont also has a good track record against Miami: In 2004, Jordan rushed for 115 yards and a score against the Dolphins, and in 2005, he rushed for nearly 100 yards and two scores. Jordan is owned in under 20% of leagues.

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