Week 8 - Waiver Wire Pickups and Lineup Tips Nov 1, 2009 | More

Good morning all. Hopefully you remembered to set your clocks back before you went to bed. If not, go get another hour of sleep and I’ll meet you back here in an hour. Here is an e-mail that I received this week from C. James...

“Dude, other than don’t start Michael Crabtree, which was not earth-shattering news, you virtually missed all the calls.”

Pierre Thomas - 44 total yards
James Jones - 1 catch = 6.5 points
Jonathan Stewart - 45 total yards
Johnny Knox - 42 yards
BenJarvus Green-Ellis - 6 yards
Larry Johnson - no TD
Steven Jackson - no TD

The one guy’s chop you bust, Cedric Benson, he goes out and has a monster game.
No, I think he’s a thug too, but I started him in both the leagues which he is on my roster, and he helped me win top points in each one. Dude, take a bye week for yourself and come back refreshed.

Good luck to you.”

Ouch! Talk about kicking a guy when he’s down. Well, The Corner of Knowledge doesn’t run when times get bad. So, I’m back with my Week 8 version of lineup tips, complete with potential free agent pickups.

Let’s start out this week with a couple of no-brainer pickups just to get my confidence up. This is the equivalent of the University of Florida football team playing Charleston Southern and Troy. But hey, a win is a win.

Shonn Greene, RB, NYJ

With Leon Washington out for the season with a broken leg, Greene should step in and pick up most of Washington’s carries. After grounding the Raiders for 144 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, Greene is a must add in all formats.

Chris “Beanie” Wells, RB, ARI

After gaining 67 yards and scoring a touchdown on 14 carries versus the Giants, it appears that Wells is ready to move past Tim Hightower as the Cards’ main ball carrier. Don’t let Cardinals’ coach Ken Whisenhunt’s refusal to anoint Wells the starter scare you off. Pick up Wells now and enjoy a great playoff schedule that includes Detroit and St. Louis in Weeks 15 and 16, respectively.

Whew, does that feel good! I may not have told you anything that you didn’t already know, but it still feels good.

Brandon Tate, WR, NE

Why should we care about a rookie wide receiver that was just activated prior to Week 7 and has yet to catch a pass in the NFL? Because Tom Brady says we should.  Here’s what Brady had to say about Tate: “Every week he’s going to get better. We need depth at that position and he’s going to be called upon as a contributor even though he’s a rookie. So he’s got to keep making improvements.’’

Tate was looking like a top talent going into his senior year, but injuries and a failed drug test cost him a boatload of money. 

Rivals.com had this to say about Tate back in April: “In the span of a few months, Tate went from a surefire first-rounder to a questionable selection in any round …”

Enter the New England Patriots, who drafted Tate with the 19th pick in the third round of this year’s draft. With Julian Edelman out with a broken arm and Joey Galloway having been cut, the Patriots are going to need someone to step up and it’s between Tate and Sam Aiken, who is 28 years old and has been nothing more than a special teams player throughout his career.

I’m not saying run out and grab Tate today, but he should definitely be on your radar.

Danny Ware, RB, NYG

After being out since the season opener with a dislocated elbow, Ware is healthy and back practicing with the Giants.

Last season, Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw all averaged over five yards per carry. This season Bradshaw is doing his part by averaging 5.7 yards per carry while Jacobs’ struggles with a 3.7 yards per rush.  Given Jacobs’ struggles and the fact that Bradshaw continues to play with a crack in his fifth metatarsal, there’s an opportunity for Ware to play a significant role in the second half of the season.

Justin Forsett, RB, SEA

Julius Jones has averaged 2.3, 2.8 and one yards per carry in his last three games, and he is averaging 3.9 yards per carry on the season. It has become quite clear that the Seahawks invested in the wrong Jones brother.

The addition of running back Louis Rankin to the active roster appears to free up Forsett for more work on offense. Forsett presents a great speculative play that could pay huge dividends come the second half of the season.

Now for some Week 8 lineup tips …

Despite the fact that the Broncos are the eighth-stingiest defense versus running backs, Ray Rice is a must start every week.

I’m going to go back to the well one more time and insist that you start Steven Jackson against the Lions. If he can’t get a touchdown against the Lions he may never score.

Tony Scheffler is a tight end that I’ve picked up in a few leagues. He looked great last time out.

Make sure David Garrard is in your lineup versus Tennessee. He’s a Top 5 QB this week.

Don’t forget Garrard’s buddy, Mike Sims-Walker.

Miami is a tough matchup against the run, but look for Shonn Greene to hit paydirt this week.

Devin Hester gets back on track against a bad Browns secondary with 80+ yards and a score.

That’s all I have for this week.  Good luck.

Feel free to send all comments and questions to thecornerofknowledge@yahoo.com.