Halfway through the fantasy football regular season, it’s a critical time when it comes to making moves.
Another NFL starting running back suffered a major injury Sunday, when Buffalo’s CJ Spiller suffered a broken collarbone. Spiller has been placed on a short-term version of injured reserve, and he will be out until at least Dec. 21. With his backup, Fred Jackson, also suffering a groin injury that could keep him out around a month, the Bills will turn to a pair of rarely used replacements.
Cue the mad scramble to pick up a running back on the waiver wire.
Running Backs
Even though there will be a new starter in Buffalo, look elsewhere to find a replacement for Spiller.
The Jacksonville Jaguars saw a breakout game from Denard Robinson against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Robinson rumbled to the tune of 127 yards and one touchdown, including more than 60 yards in the first quarter alone. Robinson got the start with Toby Gerhart nursing a minor injury and Storm Johnson struggling, and Robinson looked the best of any Jacksonville running back this year.
Even if Gerhart returns this week against Miami, Robinson should see more touches. However, the Jaguars will face the No. 7 run defense in the league Sunday against Miami, so I wouldn’t recommend starting a Jaguars running back unless you absolutely have to.
Instead, my No. 1 target on the waiver wire this week is St. Louis Rams running back Tre Mason, who I speculated about in last week’s column.
Mason is up to 125 yards and one touchdown on just 23 carries this season, and he emerged as the top back in the Rams’ committee in a win against the defending champion Seahawks on Sunday. The situation feels the same as last season, when Zac Stacy stole the starting job from Daryl Richardson, and Stacy went on to have a massive fantasy season. This year, it is Stacy being surpassed by Mason, who won’t play much on passing downs but appears safe to take over the bulk of the load on first and second down. Make Mason your top target.
Still, consider Mason and Robinson only if Ronnie Hillman has been picked up in your league. Jerick McKinnon also remains widely available in fantasy leagues and is the clear starter in Minnesota.
Some speculative advice: Handcuff DeMarco Murray now with Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle. Murray is on a record-setting pace for carries and yards, but remember his unfortunate luck with injuries. Murray bounced back from a twisted ankle to keep playing Sunday, but it will be incredibly valuable to stash his backups on your roster if he goes down. If the Cowboys lose Murray at all this season, don’t expect them to go away from the heavy running game behind a standout offensive line.
Wide Receiver
The Percy Harvin trade from Seattle to the New York Jets certainly left fantasy owners scrambling to find a Sunday replacement last week, but I like Harvin’s upside with the Jets, who could use a speedy receiver.
Harvin’s departure also made Doug Baldwin a much more valuable piece to the Seattle offense. Baldwin easily had his best game of the season Sunday with 123 yards and one touchdown on seven receptions. He used his speed to get into open space, and he appeared highly motivated thanks to Harvin’s absence. Consider Baldwin the lead man in a befuddling Seattle offense that utilizes too many tools in the run-heavy offense.
Jermaine Kearse consistently is around 50 yards receiving a game for Seattle, but he only has one touchdown this season. That makes him only valuable in very deep leagues with more than 15 or 16 roster spots.
A speculative add on the Seahawks is rookie Paul Richardson out of Colorado. He had 33 yards and caught all four passes thrown his way Sunday in his first game seeing regular snaps. It’s hard to see Richardson going off on a regular basis right now, but his value should increase the deeper he gets into the season and with the increased repetitions he should see in practice. He has the skills and speed to be a Harvin-esque threat.
Make sure you target Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans this week. Evans was dropped in several leagues going into the Buccaneers’ bye in Week 7, but he has a touchdown in each of the last two games he has played. Any lingering discomfort with his hamstring injury should be cleared up coming off the bye, and he has a good matchup this week against the Minnesota Vikings, who have allowed 12 passing touchdowns this season.
Another receiver to consider is Andrew Hawkins in Cleveland. He has had more than 70 yards in four out of six games this season, though he has yet to catch a touchdown. Hawkins’ value is far greater in leagues where points are rewarded for receptions, as he consistently catches a high volume of passes.
Survivor Pool
Another one bit the dust Sunday, as the Chicago Bears failed me against the Miami Dolphins. For some reason, I thought the Bears actually might win a home game. That loss dropped me to 4-2 this season, but we will keep the picks rolling, anyway. This week’s lock is the Dallas Cowboys at home in Jerry World on Monday Night Football against the Colt McCoy-led Washington Redskins. Take the easy money in Dallas this week.
John Livingston is a sports writer at The Durango Herald and is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. He can be reached at 375-4514, or on Twitter @jlivi2.
