The season is already 25% over! How fast did that go? Here are this week’s five Waiver Wire Pickups. At the time this article was going to publication on Tuesday evening, all five were owned in 22% of leagues or less. Some of these players could and should be used in deeper formats so this week’s pickups have will have someone for almost everyone. Good luck!
1. Nate Washington-WR-Titans- 12% owned This week the Titans will face the toughest opponent that they have met this season but our guess is that they will be playing catch up a good portion of the time and quarterback replacement Ryan Fitzpatrick will need to air it out. If he gets any kind of decent protection, Washington could be the recipient of several targets as he was vs the Jets last week. Locker had targeted Washington 18 times for 236 yards and two scores over the past two weeks and we’re thinking it should continue with Fitzpatrick under center. A 12+ team league pickup
#85 Nate Washington eludes a Jets defender and could make a nice catch for some fantasy owners this week. Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images North America
2. Andre Ellington-RB-Cardinals- 12% owned Another candidate for deeper formats, Ellington presents those in PPR leagues with an interesting choice this week. As the season has progressed he has seen his targets double from 5 in week’s 1 and 2 to 13 in week’s 3 and 4. Ellington won’t bring you much in the way of rushing yardage so anything there is just a bonus.
3. Robert Woods-WR-Bills-14% owned Woods is another receiver getting a serious uptick in targets from rookie quarterback E. J. Manuel who seems to be getting more and more comfortable with the wideout. Targeted just 8 times in the first two weeks that number has grown to 18 in the past two. Woods has a modest two touchdowns on the season and admittedly won’t have an easy time this week against a Browns team that doesn’t give up a ton to WRs. (see A.J. Green last week) The more mobile Manuel might make himself elusive long enough for Woods to find some openings. Hi risk, low reward scenario.
#10 WR Robert Woods celebrates his touchdown in Orchard Park last week vs the Ravens Photo: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
4.Terrelle Pryor-QB-Raiders-22% owned All reports are that Pryor will be “good to go” on Sunday and will actually have several more hours to rest as the game has been pushed to a 11:35 P.M. start due to the Oakland A’s Post-Season game. Pryor put up some respectable numbers vs Denver in his his last game throwing for 281 yards and a touchdown while finishing the game with a Quarterback rating of 112.4. He also ran for 36 yards in that contest. The Chargers have given up a lot of points on defense this season; through four games an average of 25.5 PPG. Anyone with their QB on a bye this week could do a lot worse than Pryor.
5. Nick Novak-K-Chargers- 13% owned We added a kicker this week for two reasons; first because yours might be on a bye and second because Novak is tied for fourth in fantasy points on the season. He has the leg to continue being a decent play as he has already knocked five field goals through the upright from the 40-49 yard range.
