Waiver Wire Wonders - Week 4 Sep 26, 2012 | More
More articles from Doug Coutts

Injuries to starting running backs in Arizona, Buffalo and Miami are sure to cause a bit of a frenzy on the waiver wire this week, though none appear to be serious. A couple of wideouts make the highest list this week, including the much-anticipated return from suspension of a player for the Minnesota Vikings. We even list a kicker in this week’s hot list, a justified selection as he’s gone from passed over on fantasy draft day to Top 3 at his position.

On to this week’s waiver wire wonders ...

Smokin’ Hot

WR Jerome Simpson, Minnesota

The suspension is over, so this will be the last waiver wire period to pick Simpson up before he steps onto the field this week. We mentioned Simpson in our post-draft review, and we’re putting him at the top of this week’s list as we see him stepping directly onto the field and having the impact of a top fantasy wideout. Michael Jenkins and Devin Aromashodu will be pushed to the bench as Simpson assumes the No. 1 role for the Vikings. Grab him now before the stats start piling up.

WR Leonard Hankerson, Washington

All fantasy owners should be wary of reading between the lines when coach Mike Shanahan speaks, so when he tells us that Hankerson will be the full-time starter, we should take a close look at the stats (or tea leaves!) for confirmation. With Pierre Garcon out, Hankerson had a positive impact on this week’s game, grabbing four passes for 56 yards. He is outplaying both Josh Morgan and Santana Moss, so we see him getting consistent playing time even when Garcon returns.

RB Ryan Williams, Arizona

Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells left last week’s game with turf toe, an injury that can linger on for several weeks. Williams filled in admirably, picking up 95 yards in total offense though most of it was in garbage time as the Cardinals salted away the game. Full-time running backs are extremely rare on the waiver wire, which is why Williams lands in the top echelon of this week’s story. He carries some injury risk - Arizona has made an effort to limit his touches to take care of his sore knee. For the time being, Wells’ injury pushes Williams into the role of lead back for the Cardinals.

K Justin Tucker, Baltimore

Despite only connecting on one field goal in Week 3, Tucker finds himself as one of the most sought-after players on the waiver wire (top 3 according to our friends at fleaflicker.com). He hasn’t missed yet this season, booting three field goals in each of the first two weeks, two of which were more than 50 yards long. The Ravens are the kind of team that will create plenty of scoring opportunities for Tucker, and they haven’t been afraid to use him in his first year on the job in Baltimore. Now is the perfect time to upgrade your kicker to the one that, so far this season, has proven to be one of the top fantasy scorers.

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