FanHouse Pierre Garcon

Weeding through those unwieldy waiver wires requires a keen eye and a quick trigger. Thus, Waiver Wire Wonders provides a weekly snapshot of players worthy of consideration who should be available on a good portion of league waiver wires.

Just because those trade deadlines passed doesn't mean it is time to rest on your laurels and ride out the rest of the season with the team you currently hold. On the contrary, the unavailability of the trade option makes the waiver wire all that much more important. And while we likely will not see another week with the potential fantasy impact of last week yet again this season, there is still plenty to do before playoff time.

This week, the biggest waiver wire benefactors came as a result of some huge passing efforts. Among others, we witnessed two scoops for scores from a tight end, a two-catch, two-touchdown effort by a repeat waiver wire wonder, and a rookie play-maker with a solid performance.

---

---

Sunday Evening Wrap checks out players who increased or decreased their value during the Sunday afternoon games.

Riser of the Week: Terrell Owens came into Sunday with just 26 catches for 366 yards and a single touchdown -- in nine games. Considering the Bills were switching back to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who did no favors for T.O. when at the helm earlier this season, there was very little reason to start Owens in many fantasy leagues. Instead, T.O. reminded us how cruel a mistress fantasy football can be. He's still alive and kicking, as he ushered forth a vintage stat line. Nine catches for 197 yards and a touchdown. Is this 2007? I'm not buying any sort of extended rejuvenation moving forward, but it probably felt good for T.O. -- if only for one Sunday in 2009.

---

---

Had you told the Baltimore Ravens they would win the turnover battle against Peyton Manning and the Colts on Sunday, I'm pretty sure they would have assumed the result would be a victory. Of course, getting into the end zone against Indy generally is a necessity in order to win the football game. The Ravens didn't do that and lost, 17-15.

Despite allowing 354 yards of total offense -- 135 to burgeoning star Ray Rice -- the Colts defense buckled down when in their own territory, forcing the Ravens to attempt six field goals and punt twice in their first eight possessions. The Ravens still had a chance to win the football game late, but Joe Flacco was intercepted by Gary Brackett with just over two minutes left at the Indianapolis 13.

---

---

This weekend's AFC South showdown appeared, at the beginning of the week, to be one of those strength vs. strength matchups. The Colts have the NFL's seventh-ranked pass defense and they have only allowed three passing touchdowns all season (making them the stingiest in the NFL). The Houston Texans are the NFL's third-best passing team and have thrown 16 touchdown passes in eight games.

Things this week, have, uh, changed a bit.

It's another session of "Sink or Swim," Fantasy Football FanHouse's weekly look at the underachievers still lurking on many fantasy rosters. You've got the tough choices to make and we help you decide which direction to take. Do you cut the bait or give 'em one more chance to swim?

I'll start off first by stating the obvious, that the fantasy hot seat warning got the message through to Ryan Grant, Beanie Wells and Steve Smith last week. Thanks for answering the call, fellas. However, let's not get too excited -- I'm hardly expecting the suspect candidates this week to make instant amends for their most recent performances. We're gonna do things a little different this week and not pick on the stars, but rather the wannabe stars.

The Montana-Young 49ers, the '70s Steelers, the '70s Dolphins, the '90s Cowboys, the Belichick-and-Brady Patriots: what do they all have in common? They are all-time great NFL teams that racked up many wins in a handful of seasons. You know what else they have in common? None of them have ever put together as impressive a regular season resume as the current Peyton Manning-era Colts.

That's right, after beginning this season 5-0, the Manning-era Colts are now 80-21 since the beginning of 2003. The '70s Steelers went 87-27-1 from 1972-1979. From 1981-1998, the 49ers were always pretty stout, but they never put together a six-plus season run where they played close to .800 ball like the current Colts (they came closest from 1987-1992 when they went 75-20). The '90s Cowboys went 70-20 in their best stretch. From 2001-2007, the Patriots went 86-26. Shula's '70s Dolphins, at 67-16-1, check in as the best competition.

So, these Colts should go down as one of the best teams of all-time, right? Uh, no. Not yet, at least.

Here's how it works. We throw some intriguing matchups at the FanHouse staff and ask whether each player will be over or under a certain point total. The result? Fantasy Football Over/Under. Makes sense, right?

The fantasy football landscape is starting to shake out a bit, and it's time to change the way you look at some players. With that in mind, we've listed two of the hottest receivers in football as No. 1 WRs this week.

No need to say much else -- you know how the game works by now. Just remember to stop by Fantasy FanHouse before game time on Sunday, as we'll be answering your fantasy questions from 10:30 AM ET until the first kickoff.

Everyone loves fantasy football sleepers, but they change depending on league size and availability. We're here each and every week to give you a look at good plays for all types of leagues.

Mike Sims-Walker has quickly become a fantasy god, going from "Who's that?" to having his own three-letter acronym (a la teammate MJD) in the mere span of three weeks. Against Tennessee, I was convinced he'd have another great game, which he did, catching seven balls for 91 yards and two TDs. Averaging a touchdown and over six catches and 90 yards a game, he's clearly the number one option in Jacksonville. Since it would be silly to feature him every week, I'll just say again that he must be owned in your league and started every week.

Here's how it works. We throw some intriguing matchups at the FanHouse staff and ask whether each player will be over or under a certain point total. The result? Fantasy Football Over/Under. Makes sense, right?

So, you've got arguably the biggest game of your season upcoming. And you're losing sleep at night debating who to start and who to sit. Your buddy tells you one thing and some guy in your office tells you another. Can't decide if you should roll with Tom Brady or keep playing the hot hand in Joe Flacco? Ah, the frustration. Cheer up buckaroo, we're here to help you with these last-minute dilemmas that we all face. Let us be your compass as we debate.

Last week we called Santana Moss a must-start fantasy option, both in the rankings column and during our weekly Sunday Tailgate chat (which we have every Sunday morning starting at 10:30 AM ET). The Redskins receiver sure did his part to make us look good.

Moss finished the Lions game with 178 yards and a touchdown on 10 catches, which was easily the best WR performance of the week. The major question, as it always is with Moss, is whether this will be the start of something good, or just another peak on the chart before disappearing again for a few more weeks. Fortunately for Moss, this week's matchup against the Buccaneers isn't any tougher. Feel confident rolling with him for another week, as he's a must-start option again.

---

---