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Waiver Wire Wonders, Week 10: Get Your Gamble On, Boss

Posted: Nov 11th 2008 1:00AM by Will Brinson (author feed)
Filed under: NFL Waiver Wire, Fantasy Football

Waiver Wire Wonders is your weekly guide on how to use/abuse those pesky waiver claims that come with every fantasy football league.

The beauty of fantasy football is that this late in the season, there are always people of relative importance popping up. Sometimes it's because they took a while to develop, and sometimes they emerge because of early season injuries that turned them into cast offs and pariahs. Yet, here you are, still desperate after all these weeks. Go ahead, don't be shy. You can admit you're at least intrigued by Cadillac.

Cadillac Williams, RB, TB
Yes, that's right. The old car that your grandmother drives is suddenly relevant again. Why? Because he's coming off the PUP soon and Jon Gruden has shown little to absolute zero care about how he manages his roster in the name of winning. (What? Don't believe me? How about starting Brian Griese and putting Earnest Graham in at fullback?) And yeah, Caddy has talent. He's hurt, sure, but, hey, so is Ryan Torian. Sigh. Not your top priority, but certainly worth a claim.

Deion Branch, WR, SEA
Just like this guy. Branch hasn't garnered much attention this year because he hasn't done anything other than pretend he might come back. But he will be back in Week 11, presumably, and that's why you want to grab him now -- if you're hurting at WR and Matt Hasselbeck happens to make it back about the same time, suddenly you're staring at a poor man's Billy Volek - Drew Bennett combo.

Continue Reading Waiver Wire Wonders, Week 10: Get Your Gamble On, Boss

Five Ways the Chargers Can Beat Have a Chance Against the Pats

Posted: Jan 20th 2008 1:07PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Chargers, Patriots, NFL Playoffs

0 COMMENTS

I'm guessing Don Banks' editor suggested a "how the Chargers can win" column, but I give the guy credit for coming up with five semi-plausible ways it could happen.

1. LaDainian Tomlinson must be a difference-maker
2. A surprising contribution from an unsung player
3. Keep those turnovers coming
4. Harrison and Seau play more like old Patriots rather than ex-Chargers
5. History to repeat itself

Let's see: the Patriots will certainly focus on stopping LdT first and worry about Philip Rivers/Billy Volek a distant second. Which makes No. 2 even more important. And while New England hasn't been prone to turnovers this season, windy conditions might also help with No. 3.

And I'd say that both Harrison and Seau are capable of playing like they've been in the league a combined 30 years: they've done it for most of the last month or so. Harrison is a liability in coverage and good for at least two personal-foul penalties a game; Seau doesn't have the lateral mobility he once did, so if LdT, Michael Turner or Darren Sproles can turn the corner, there could be yards there. Concerning the last point, it's worth remembering that Drew Brees was still with the team.

Still, none of this is earth-shattering stuff, but it doesn't need to be -- it's going to come down to execution. A cliche, yes, but also the truth.

Billy Volek Comes Back to Tennessee; Replaces Philip Rivers

Posted: Dec 9th 2007 2:01PM by Sportz Assassin (author feed)
Filed under: Chargers, Titans, AFC South, AFC West, NFL Injuries, Nashville, San Diego

1 COMMENT

QB Philip Rivers went out with an apparant knee injury in the Chargers game at the Titans. His backup, Billy Volek, is in.

Volek wandered in as the entire stadium rained boos on him. On Billy Volek. Billy Volek? Billy Volek! Hmm. Volek, if you remember, was dealt early last season from Tennessee to San Diego right after the two faced off. Volek demanded the trade after the Titans drafted Vince Young and then signed Kerry Collins during the preseason. Fans tend not to like it when their players demand trades ... especially career backups.

You kinda have to understand Volek's pain. He had sat as Steve McNair's backup for years and felt he had an opportunity to become an NFL starter once McNair, who was constantly injured, was traded to Baltimore. However, Tennessee drafted Young to be the future in April and the addition of Collins, a journeyman, was the final straw.

Volek promptly came in, underthrew a deep ball on his first pass and had his second pass picked off. By the way, Young has also been hurt in this one ... though he's back in the game. Rivers jogged off to the locker room and his status in uncertain.

UPDATE: Rivers has returned to the game in the 2nd half. He threw an incompletion on his first attempt, completed a pass for minus-3 yards on his second pass and then was picked off on his third.

Griese's the Starter Now, but What Do the Bears Have Planned for '08?

Posted: Sep 27th 2007 11:37PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Bears, NFC North

3 COMMENTS

The headline in Friday's Chicago Tribune: "Bears Could Get New Blood at QB in '08."

Now there's an idea that makes you think: Hey, this would've been great, say, LAST YEAR. But as everyone remotely affiliated with professional sports is seemingly fond of saying these days: it is what it is. Rex Grossman is in the last year of his rookie deal, and if things continue on this southward trajectory (and why wouldn't they?), it's fair to think that the Bears won't re-sign him, and even if they offered, Grossman might decline.

Anyway, Dan Pompei lists the top candidates for Bears' job in 2008:

* Derek Anderson
* Brian Brohm
* Daunte Culpepper
* Josh McCown
* Donovan McNabb
* Chad Pennington
* Jake Plummer
* Tony Romo
* Chris Simms
* Billy Volek

Jeebus, I'd love to see the guys who didn't make the cut. A couple of thoughts: you know the current quarterback situation is dire when Anderson (will lose Browns job before the season's out) McCown (about to lose Raiders job), Plummer (retired, really into handball), Simms (recovering from spleen surgery) and Volek (red-headed backup) all make the list.

Second, Brohm, McNabb and Romo are such long shots, it makes you wonder what, exactly, Chicago's front office has planned. Or, more importantly, what they've been doing the past few drafts. Good news, though: I hear Kordell Stewart and Erik Kramer are available.