Detroit Lions WR Titus Young was the hot name on the waiver wire after he had two touchdowns against the Seahawks, but now the question for fantasy enthusiasts is if you can play the guy this week.
Yes. Yes, you do.
Young is going up against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to receivers. So not only is the matchup good, you can bet most teams are going to be committed to shutting down Calvin Johnson and will likely take their chances with Young. Seriously, if you were a defensive coordinator, who is the one guy you would want to take away?
Now, it's not like they are going to let Young run around the secondary uncovered, but do you think the safety is going to roll towards Megatron or Johnson? So Young is your top sleeper for the week.
Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks: If you're one of those guys who has a superstar quarterback like Tom Brady and don't back him up with anybody, you're probably not going to end up with a lot of good options. Josh Freeman was likely picked up. I don't really care for Carson Palmer's matchup this week. So a guy I would take a chance on is Wilson, who had a pretty good day against Lions. The Seahawks are going against the Minnesota Vikings, who give up a lot of points to quarterbacks, so he's your emergency sleeper quarterback. Brandon Weeden again is an option, but I like Wilson at home.
Justin Forsett, RB, Houston Texans: If you're desperate for a running back, Forsett is a guy to consider. He always teased fantasy enthusiasts with his potential with the Seahawks, but he could have a nice little day for the Texans this week. The Texans have one of the best offensive lines and even the most mid-card of the mid-card jobbers could be effective. The Buffalo Bills give up a truckload of fantasy points to all positions. So if you're looking for a back (perhaps you have Stevan Ridley or Frank Gore), Forsett is a deep sleeper option as the Bills have allowed the most points to fantasy running backs this season.
Brandon LaFell, WR, Carolina Panthers: The Panthers are going to have a big matchup this week against the Washington Redskins. I expect Cam Newton to deflect any questions about having to face Robert Griffin III, but human nature says this is a big game for him. Steve Smith will be a great play, but this is also a chance to Lafell to get some sleeper points as well.
Kevin Walter, WR, Houston Texans: The Bills allow a lot of fantasy points, so Walter is a guy who has a chance to put up some big fantasy points. But be careful, while the Bills have allowed the most points to fantasy running backs, they've only allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to receivers. Oh wait, you guys never get my sarcasm. So yes, this is a great matchup for the Texans this week and Walter is a nice sleeper player.
Sidney Rice, WR, Seattle Seahawks: Rice has had his moments in 2012, but I really like his matchup this week against the Vikings. You can throw against the Vikings, and if you saw what the Tampe Bay Buccaneers did to them last week, this makes Rice an attractive option. Plus, you have the old "playing against your former team" stuff. Look what happened with Brandon Lloyd last week against St. Louis.
Cecil Shorts, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: This is your last chance to see Shorts as a sleeper. But he was still available in my league of record (so I added him), so I'm going to count him as a sleeper for one more week. He's put together a nice run of games recently and he is having the season the team probably expected out of Justin Blackmon. The Jaguars will be at home against the Lions, who don't play pass defense very well, and will be outdoors. If you don't go in on Shorts this week, you probably won't get a chance again.
Kellen Davis, TE, Chicago Bears: We've all been burned by tight ends this season. And now our one constant, Rob Gronkowski, is on a bye. If you're like me, you don't have a lot of room on your team for an extra tight end. And by this time, the waiver wire is picked pretty clean. Take a chance on Davis, who is going against the Tennessee Titans. The Titans have allowed the most fantasy points to tight end this year.
Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina Panthers: Olsen has had some nice games for the Panthers this year, and I like this matchup. The Redskins have allowed the second-most fantasy points to tight ends this season. Olsen has just 10 targets in his last two games, but look for the number to increase this week.
San Diego Chargers Defense: You need a defense because you've been playing the San Francisco 49ers' this year? No worries, grab the Chargers defense. Yes, the Chargers have struggled as a team, but they are going up against the Chiefs. And the good news is Romeo Crennel wants to start Brady Quinn, and he forgot Jamaal Charles is on his team. This means there could be a ton of turnovers.
Cleveland Browns Defense: Here's a sneaky defensive play. The Ravens have struggled on the road, especially quarterback Joe Flacco. The Browns defense has played well in recent weeks, so you will be able to squeeze some points out here.
