Week 13 ended up being a great slate of games as seven were decided by a touchdown or less. It shouldn't be shocking that Tim Tebow won again and the Giants played a game with Green Bay that was reminiscent of their Week 17 game in 2007 with the Patriots. A blunder by Jason Garrett may have potentially cost the Cowboys the division in the NFC East, and Dexter McCluster had a Hail Mary touchdown that reminded fans of the one Mike Thomas scored last year. Marshawn Lynch continues to run like a man possessed, scoring for the eighth straight game, though the loss of left tackle Russell Okung will hurt. Reggie Bush is silencing his critics who said he couldn't be an every down back while Miami has won four of five and with its last three losses coming by a total of seven points. Dan Orlovsky looks like he should have been the starter since Week 1, while T.J. Yates looked passable in his first start, the Texans sixth win in a row.
With another week in the books, fantasy owners will turn their attention to the playoffs, which begin in most leagues this week. Keep in mind there are still gems to be had on the waiver wire; think of the run Jerome Harrison had in 2008 for the Browns or Jabar Gaffney's 14-catch game with the Broncos in Week 17 of the 2009 season.
Devin Aromashodu, WR, MIN - Overshadowed by Percy Harvin's big game and Tebow-mania was Aromashodu's nice game Sunday in which he finished with six catches for 90 yards. While he didn't find the end zone, his 15 targets were a game-high, showing that Christian Ponder is more than willing to go his way. This shouldn't come as a complete surprise given that Michael Jenkins is out for the season with a knee injury and Bernard Berrian was released in October. This basically leaves Aromashodu as the main wide-receiver option besides Harvin. While expecting 15 targets a week is obviously not realistic, there isn't any reason to think he won't get 8-10 per week given Minnesota's defensive woes. While St. Louis wins the award for the most defensive backs on IR, Minnesota has five players there or out, including Chris Cook and Antoine Winfield. This means teams will put up points on Minnesota's defense, ensuring Ponder will be throwing a lot playing catch-up. As a result of the injuries too, keep an eye on Visanthe Shiancoe (seven targets), Kyle Rudolph (a crazy 19-yard TD grab). If you're looking for wide-receiver help, Aromashodu should be atop your list for waiver acquisitions this week.
Marion Barber, RB, CHI - Barber likely will handle the lion's share of carries after Matt Forte left Sunday's contest with a Grade 2 MCL strain. Forte should miss at least two weeks but is not believed to be done for the season. Enter Barber, who has worked as the Bear short-yardage, goal-line back most of the season. Barber received a team-high 14 carries in relief of Forte, a number that would have been higher had the Bears not trailed most of the game. However, the Bears also could rely on Khalil Bell in their backfield, making him an interesting add in deeper leagues. Bell tore off a nifty 26-yard scamper, and considering the mileage on each player it wouldn't be surprising to see Bell emerge as the more attractive option, especially in PPR leagues. Keep an eye on the Chicago backfield and realize teams likely will stack the box until Caleb Hanie shows some competence under center.
Denver, D - Speaking of Hanie, the youngster next travels to Denver, which is riding a five-game winning streak. While all the talk has been about Tim Tebow, the Denver defense has stepped up and done more than its share to help the team win. Sunday, the defense recorded two interceptions (one a pick-six), three sacks and a fumble recovery. Prior to Sunday, the Denver defense didn't allow more than 13 points in each of the previous three games. Now the Denver defense gets Hanie, who has three interceptions in each of his last two games and has been sacked 11 times between the two contests. With Matt Forte out, the Bears will be without their best offensive weapon, which likely equates to a long day for Chicago fans. Seattle is another interesting defense to target as the Seahawks get the St. Louis Rams on Monday night, a team who could be starting Tom Brandstater and has scored more than 13 points only once in the last four games.
Brandon Saine, RB, GB - Remember last week when three rookies, including Saine, were recommended in case of injury? As luck (or, rather, unluckiness for James Starks) would have it, an injury has brought Saine out of obscurity and into the fantasy limelight. Saine finished Sunday's game with 10 touches for 45 yards. Ryan Grant might seem to some the obvious must-add, but keep in mind he only averages 3.4 YPC and has still not found the end zone this season. Saine caught four passes Sunday, so he'll have even more value in PPR formats. Make sure to check the status of James Starks, who hasn't been ruled out of anything yet, but gamble on Saine over Grant in most formats.
Rex Grossman, QB, WAS - This likely will be the only week you see Grossman's name in this column as he has the ideal Week 14 matchup with the Patriots at home. The Patriots have given up a league-high 310 passing yards per game, a result of a poor secondary mixed with garbage-time production. Grossman might be without Fred Davis, but look for Santana Moss and Jabar Gaffney to step up and have big games.
Damian Williams, WR, TEN - Williams is a repeat offender in this column and has a few things working for him for Week 14. Nate Washington is battling an ankle injury and even if he suits up, he won't be 100 percent, making Williams the prime target in the passing game. After a slow start, Chris Johnson recently has looked like the CJ2K everyone expected, which means that Greg Williams likely will base his defensive game plan around stopping him. New Orleans typically plays high-scoring affairs and likely will build a decent-sized lead, making Matt Hasselbeck throw more often than usual. Add Williams, who has touchdowns in three of his last five games, and you've got a nice No. 3 wide receiver for this week.
Andre Roberts, WR, ARI - Roberts is something of a reach unless if you're really desperate for a wide receiver, considering he's only had one game with more than 55 receiving yards. The good news is with teams doubling and even triple-teaming Larry Fitzgerald, Roberts is almost a sure thing to see single and softer coverage from opposing defenses. Before last week, he had three consecutive games with at least 50 yards receiving and has averaged 6.8 targets per game over his last five contests. Give him a look in deeper formats.
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