Week 12 provided its fair share of surprises as Beanie Wells and Chris Johnson both had season-high days from scrimmage. Roy Helu showed what he can do with 20-plus carries, which should solidify his position in the Washington backfield. The Texans will rely on rookie T.J. Yates with reports surfacing that Matt Leinart's season is over due to a collarbone injury. While T.J. Yates looked better than Blaine Gabbert in relief, he's not someone to get overly excited about given the running game and limited throws he'll be asked to make. In Oakland, Darren McFadden was seen walking without a boot at practice for the Raiders on Monday, suggesting a return is in the near future.
With a lack of significant injuries or breakout performances, a good portion of this week's article will focus on speculative adds, specifically potential rookies to throw on your bench in the case an opportunity opens. Keep in mind that as the season winds down there will be opportunities for players like these to have a bigger role with their team out of the playoff picture or if a coach elects to rest his starters. The waiver wire can still be a good source of production as we head toward the fantasy playoffs.
Greg Little, WR, CLE - Little was mentioned in this column a few weeks back after it was announced he would start against Oakland. After totaling six catches for 72 yards against the Raiders, Little went on to post fantasy weeks of three, two and three points the next three weeks, forcing most owners to cut bait. However, he's strung together a nice set of fantasy games the last three weeks with eight, five and 11 points. While he had some untimely drops Sunday, the 13 targets from Colt McCoy were a team high, and Little averages 9.3 targets per game as a starter. The Browns should be playing from behind most of the time, which means he'll have plenty of opportunity for garbage time production. Think of him as a strong No. 3 wide receiver, especially in PPR formats.
Brad Smith, WR, BUF - Both Donald Jones and Naaman Roosevelt are among the injured for the Buffalo offense. As a result, Brad Smith was used more as a receiver against the Jets and didn't disappoint. He finished the day with a team-high 77 receiving yards and made an acrobatic play (though it was likely offensive pass interference) to score a highlight-reel touchdown. Smith (7) was on par with Scott Chandler (7) and David Nelson (8) as far as targets, so he could be a serviceable option with Jones on the IR if you're digging deep for wide receiver help. A college quarterback who threw for more than 2,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 in one season, don't be surprised if his arm and rushing ability are utilized in a few Chan Gailey gadget plays. Just realize Smith's value is tied to the availability of Roosevelt this week.
New England D - This defense was recommended and paid off handsomely for owners two weeks ago on Monday night football against the Chiefs. While it's easy to simply grab Indianapolis's opponent each week, let's look at how bad the Colts have actually been. Curtis Painter hasn't had more than 100 yards passing in three of his last five games, over which time he has a 1:8 TD:INT ratio with the Colts averaging 9.2 points. While New England is still missing players on defense, its 4.3 YPC is actually league-average, meaning the Colts won't be able to run at will on them.
Johnny Knox, WR, CHI - Just when it appeared Knox had little to no fantasy value, he puts up consecutive solid games, despite having Caleb Hanie under center Sunday. The quarterback switch from Jay Cutler may be a blessing in disguise as Hanie went to Knox a team-high 10 times. If Knox continues to see even 7-9 targets per week he would be a nice add for those needing wide receiver help.
Riley Cooper, WR, PHI - It doesn't sound like Jeremy Maclin is going to be 100 percent for the rest of the season, dealing with both shoulder and hamstring injuries. Enter Riley Cooper, who has shown a great rapport with Vince Young, likely from working together as backups. One of Tim Tebow's main targets in college, Cooper has an outstanding pedigree being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies out of high school and played baseball while at Florida. He's gotten a chance with Maclin out, recording eight catches for 146 yards and a touchdown in the last two games with Young. There's a good chance Maclin will take it easy with the Eagles out of the playoff race, and Cooper could see better-thrown balls downfield once Michael Vick returns.
Shane Vereen, RB, NE - As has been pointed out here before, the Patriots use of their second- and third-round picks on running backs who only play special teams is puzzling. That's changed a little for Vereen the last two games as he's totaled 15 carries when the Patriots have been in complete control of the game. A powerful runner, Vereen left California early to enter the draft and had a running back-high 31 bench presses at 225 pound at this year's Combine. New England looks like the dominant team in the AFC, and Bill Belichick could give Vereen more work if he rests his starters down the stretch.
Brandon Saine, RB, GB - Saine moved up the depth chart to the third string in late October after a knee injury ended rookie Alex Green's season. An undrafted rookie out of Ohio State, Saine saw his first action on Turkey Day with two carries for 10 yards. While those numbers don't jump out, this was the exact time last season we saw James Starks emerge for the Packers. Saine holds the state high school record in Ohio with a 100-meter dash time of 10.38. At the Combine, he was two-hundreths behind DeMarco Murray and one one-hundreth behind Roy Helu with a 4.43 40-yard time. Starks is banged up and it seems Ryan Grant has fallen out of favor, so Saine could see more work as the weeks go on if the Packers rest their starters after they clinch the division. Stash him if you've got a dead spot on your bench.
Evan Royster, RB, WAS - It appears that logic and common sense made their first appearance for the Redskins this week when Roy Helu got 30 touches, which he turned into 162 yards and a score. Someone who didn't make an appearance Sunday was Ryan Torain, who hasn't averaged more than 2.2 YPC in any of the last six games he's played. Enter rookie Evan Royster, who was the only running back besides Helu to tally a carry, albeit it only one. Royster was signed off the practice squad after Washington let Tashard Choice go. Penn State's all-time leading rusher, Royster is the type of player who doesn't possess one elite characteristic but has good speed, vision and can break tackles. Don't be surprised if he gets more work down the stretch, especially with Mike Shanahan calling the shots.
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