We’ve all seen it happen before.  A star running back goes down with an injury, the masses flock to the wire to pick up the player who’s supposed be next in line, and the third stringer—who the majority of owners ignored—winds up having the most value.  It doesn’t always work out this way, but it happens more often than we’d like (or just enough, for the savvy fantasy GMs out there). 

Keeping this in mind, I’ve decided to look past Justin Forsett, Jason Snelling, and Bernard Scott this week (I like them in that order).  That’s not to say you shouldn’t at least attempt to pick them up; they’re all must-grabs.  But let’s be honest; unless you’ve got a boatload of FAAB resources or Top Five waiver priority, your chances of acquiring them are slim. 

With three weeks left until the fantasy playoffs, let’s dig a little deeper to see who else might have some value in the coming weeks.   

QUARTERBACKS

You really don’t need QB help at this point, do you? If so, send me an e-mail and we’ll figure things out. 

RUNNING BACKS

Rankin is just coming off the practice squad in Seattle, but he did play in Greg Knapp's offense while in Oakland. Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Louis Rankin, SEA – 0 percent owned in Yahoo! PLUS Leagues
When Rankin was summoned from the practice squad to replace Edgerrin James a couple weeks ago, it didn’t exactly make fantasy waves.  After all, Julius Jones was still the guy in Seattle, Justin Forsett was next in the pecking order, and Rankin was, well, considered a nobody.  Even now, with Jones expected to miss time with a rib/lung injury, Forsett is all the rage.  And deservedly so.  Forsett proved he could handle the workload with 22 touches, 149 total yards, and a score against the Cardinals in Week 10 and I have little doubt he’ll lay the majority of the groundwork while Jones is out.  Here’s the thing, though: Rankin is going to play.  And I have to believe that he’ll play more than he did this past Sunday (six touches, 48 total yards).  Call it an educated guess based on a number of things:

1)  Rankin is familiar with offensive coordinator Greg Knapp’s zone blocking scheme from his time in Oakland last season. 
2)  He’s got the goods: he’s 6-foot-1, he ran the 40 in the rain in 4.4 seconds, he’s an excellent pass-catcher, he’s strong, and he’s elusive.
3)  With Forsett and Rankin the only healthy halfbacks on the roster, it would be in the Seahawks’ best interests not to wear Forsett down.
4)  More running = Healthy Hasselbeck.  Matty Hass won’t have to chuck 50 times a week and an effective running game can help offset an offensive line that can’t pass block particularly well.   

I’m thinking a 65/35 split with Rankin getting about 8-12 touches per contest.  That’s enough to make him a flex play consideration depending on the matchup (STL, HOU, and TB are still on tap).  Just keep in mind, Seattle is now downplaying Jones’ injury as if he’ll be back shortly.  Stay tuned…

Jerious Norwood, ATL – 11 percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Norwood has missed four straight contests with a hip flexor injury (Cedric Benson sustained the same injury on Sunday if you want to speculate on timetables), but it’s possible he’ll be back before Michael Turner returns from a high ankle sprain.  As we recently saw with Anquan Boldin, high ankle sprains take time to heal.  For a guy like Turner who runs even more, it could take longer for him to get back to 100 percent.  Snelling is obviously the guy you want in Turner’s absence, but remember that he recently missed two weeks with an injury of his own (hamstring).  Norwood, if healthy this week, could pick up 10-12 touches in Turner’s absence.  If he suits up and makes it through the week unscathed, his performance could earn him a more significant role down the stretch. 

Brian Leonard, CIN – 0 percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
While everybody is racing to the wire to grab Bernard Scott and Larry Johnson, do yourself a favor and sneak in the back door to grab Leonard.  Of course, this suggestion is based on the assumption that Marvin Lewis was being truthful about LJ.  I’m also assuming you can’t get your hands on Scott.  The Bengals rookie would probably pick up most of the workload in Benson’s absence, but if you watched any of the Bengals/Steelers game—Leonard had five touches in the fourth quarter, including three catches for 24 yards on the game-winning drive—it’s obvious Leonard’s role also would increase.  He’s a downhill runner with little shake or speed, but we all know the Bengals love to run it, and there will be plenty of carries to go around if Benson is sidelined for any amount of time.  His abilities as a receiver (20 catches, 153 yards this season) make him a PPR consideration, and his combination of size/strength could make him the team’s top choice near the goal line.  This will all be a moot point if Benson suits up in Week 11 and plays well, but it’s better to be ahead of the game than a step behind.  

Kevin Faulk, NE – 20 percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Did you see Bill Belichick’s face after Laurence Maroney fumbled near the goal line on Sunday night? I didn’t. I was too busy grabbing Kevin Faulk off the wire the minute I saw the ball come loose.  I can only imagine that the New England coach wasn’t too happy with Maroney’s miscue or his overall output (15 carries, 46 yards, one TD).  Faulk, on the other hand, was much more effective, totaling 86 yards on 14 touches, including a season-high 12 carries – the first time all season that Faulk had more than five carries in a game.  You think that had something to do with Belichick’s disdain for the dreaded one?  I understand Sammy Morris “practiced” last week and it was huge news when a reporter spotted him walking without a “noticeable limp,” but if I were a betting man, my money’s on Faulk as the most valuable Patriots RB the rest of the way.  To put things in perspective, he’s got roughly the same amount of points in PPR formats as Mike Bell, Ryan Moats, Marshawn Lynch, and Beanie Wells.  In standard leagues, he’s got more points than Chester Taylor, Donald Brown, Derrick Ward, Larry Johnson, Jamal Lewis, Felix Jones, Shonn Greene, and Willie Parker.  Strangely, he’s owned in fewer leagues than all of them.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t own Randy Moss, Tom Brady, or Wes Welker on any of my teams.  As a deep league participant, this is my chance to invest in the Patriots offense.  

WIDE RECEIVERS

Brandon Gibson, STL – 0 percent owned in Y! PLUS League
Gibson, the Eagles’ sixth-round pick who came over to St. Louis in the Will Witherspoon deal a few weeks ago, didn’t take long to make an impact.  Playing in just his second game of the season, the first-year wideout caught seven balls for 93 yards on a team-high nine targets this past Sunday.  His performance, coupled with a season-ending injury to WR Keenan Burton (patella), has earned him a starter’s role and it couldn’t have come at a better time.  He’ll face Arizona in Week 11, a defense that has allowed the seventh-most points to WRs in standard formats.  Now, if “sixth-round pick” and “St. Louis” have you saying “no thanks”, you should know that Gibson was a potential first-day draft selection after leading the Pac-10 in receiving his junior year.  A number of issues beyond his control contributed to a forgettable senior season and his stock plummeted as a result.  A few other things to stash in your memory bank: Gibson is an exceptional route runner with good hands, good size, and above-average speed, Rams GM Billy Devaney is fully vested in him as a starter (audio), and gosh darn it, Marc Bulger likes him.  Expectations should be tempered any time a member of the St. Louis Rams is involved, but Gibson has a real opportunity here to be relevant in point-per-reception leagues.   

Kenny Britt, TEN - 13 percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Here’s what I wrote about Kenny Britt in my first column of the season:

“The Bayonne, NJ (the Artist’s hometown, by the way) product has been knocked for his sub-par work in hands drills and an underwhelming 40 time (4.56), but you don’t catch 149 balls for 2,603 yards in your final two years of college with bad hands and poor speed – I don’t care where you played.  Britt’s big (6-foot-3, 218 pounds), he’s physical, and he’s been praised for his route-running skills.  Tennessee may not throw the ball a lot, but you can bet his T.O.-sized frame will make him a primary target over the middle of the field and in the end zone, and a handful for opposing corners.  If he can make an impression at Pittsburgh on Thursday, you can bet there will be a rush to acquire his services.”

He did make an impression that Thursday evening, catching four balls for 85 yards in front of a national television audience.  He also had 17 catches for 271 yards through his first four games.  A healthy Nate Washington and an inept Kerry Collins kept him from improving on his solid start, but now that Justin Gage is out with a broken back and Vince Young is in at QB, Britt has a chance to re-enter the fantasy discussion.  He caught only two balls for 55 yards against a tough Buffalo pass defense last week, but he’s got Houston, Arizona, Indy, St. Louis, and Miami over the next five. 

Maurice Stovall, TB – 0 percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Stovall has filled in decently for the injured Antonio Bryant (knee), hauling in seven catches for 93 yards and a TD the past two weeks.  If Bryant is inactive again in Week 11, the fourth-year receiver could match those two-week totals against the Saints.  Rookie QB Josh Freeman will have to throw it plenty to keep pace with New Orleans’ high octane offense, and Stovall is the wide receiver he’ll look to when attempting to make plays down the field.  For what it’s worth, Stovall says he’ll be motivated to perform this week after dropping a key ball in the fourth quarter of last week’s loss to Miami:

"You want to capitalize on every opportunity that you get. I'll use that as motivation to get better and make myself into a better playmaker."

Deep leaguers, you’ve been put on notice. 

TIGHT END

Kevin Boss, NYG – 35 percent owned in Y! PLUS Leagues
Boss has scored touchdowns in each of his last two games, Eli Manning has been looking his way in recent weeks (20 targets through his first six games; 12 targets over his last two), and he’ll be facing an Atlanta defense that has given up 5.4 catches, 71.8 receiving yards, and 0.4 TDs per game to tight ends this season. 

Follow the Artist on Twitter.
  
Have start/sit or lineup questions? Join the PUA for live pre-game chats every Sunday from 10am-1pm on RotoExperts.com or send him an email at bourdepa@rotoexperts.com.  Also, check out Paul’s sleeper of the week every Wednesday in the Sports Money section on Forbes.com.  

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