Who To Add For 2010?
December 3, 2009 at 4:36 pm | Article by Paul Hickey |
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Among the millions of owners getting ready for the 2009 fantasy playoffs, live several that are thriving on a completely different type of excitement this time of year. That’s right – it’s now time for dynasty and keeper owners to take a long hard look at the waiver wire and project out who may blossom in 2010. At this time last year, guys like Sidney Rice, Robert Meachem, Laurence Maroney, Cadillac Williams, Nate Burleson and Mario Manningham were likely available on the waiver wire – either due to injury problems, or lack of playing time on their respective teams. Even IDPs like Aaron Schobel and Osi Umenyiora had been dropped in most deep IDP leagues due to injury issues. Owners astute enough to snatch up any or all of these guys definitely made great investments in their squads as it relates to this season. Believe it or not, similar situations will occur in 2010, meaning diamonds are available in the rough as we speak. So, whether you’ve clinched a playoff spot, or are fighting to stay out of the cellar, you may want to take a good hard look at the rest of this article. If you can find roster space for any of the following guys, they could be phenomenal long-term investments.
Who to target on waivers now that could blossom later…
Chris Jennings, Browns RB – It may seem hard to believe, but eventually the Browns will have a solid offensive attack. Eric Mangini does know how to put together a good offensive line, and with young first round picks Joe Thomas and Alex Mack leading the way, a star rusher will be born possibly as early as 2010 in Cleveland. The question is, will that star rusher be someone who is currently on their roster? Knowing that Mangini is likely to continue building his offensive and defensive lines through the draft, I’m willing to bet so. With Jamal Lewis shut down for the season, the current starter is 23 year old undrafted rookie Chris Jennings, who the coaching staff likes. Even though he only has 67 yards on 20 carries this season, he’s proven to be a powerful runner at 5’11”, 218 lbs., and caught five balls for 38 yards in Week 11 at Detroit. It will be interesting to see how the carries are divvied up between he and Jerome Harrison this weekend. If Jennings can finish 2009 with some strong performances, he could have some upside heading into a potential position battle with 2009 sixth round pick James Davis, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Davis wowed fantasy owners in the preseason, but was derailed due to a pre-Week 1 car accident.
Jacoby Jones, Texans WR – It takes a special intuition to try and predict who has what it takes to jump from fantasy waiver wire fodder to superstar. The formula has many components, such as talent, size, speed, situation and ability to stay healthy. Of course, sometimes all of these are overshadowed by one thing – experience. It took guys like Atlanta’s Roddy White, Minnesota’s Sidney Rice and even Houston’s Andre Johnson until their third or fourth seasons to become fantasy studs, and the third rounder from Lane College has what it takes. Jones was considered a raw receiver and a Marques Colston-esque prospect two years ago, and has excelled as a return man in his first three seasons. However, it’s hard not to notice him becoming a more integral part of the Texans offense. Jones only has 16 catches on the year, but four of them have gone for TDs. His next four opponents all have passing defenses ranked in the bottom 12 in the league, which could help him pad his stats towards the end of this season. He’s more talented than Kevin Walter, and belongs opposite Andre Johnson in a full-time capacity one day. What makes me the most confident in him is his big-play ability combined with the fact that the Texans have the third best passing offense in the NFL at this juncture and are likely to continue that into 2010. Chances are, owners in your dynasty league rated him high as a rookie in 2007 – remember – they did that for a reason. His potential will be realized at some point.
Brandon Gibson, Rams WR – St. Louis invested their starting weak side linebacker Will Witherspoon for this sixth rounder from Washington State who many believe had first round written all over him had it not been for injury issues his senior season. Gibson has 15 catches for 172 yards in his last three outings, and is the front-runner to start opposite Donnie Avery in 2010. Many owners may think Laurent Robinson deserves to be on this list, but coming back from a torn ACL isn’t easy, and Gibson is a flat out better player. He’s big, aggressive and runs crisp routes, and perhaps most importantly, he’s been hand-picked by the Rams’ new regime. Don’t be surprised if he blossoms into a legit fantasy option as the QB play in St. Louis improves.
D’Qwell Jackson, Browns LB – Think about it. In 2008, and for the first six weeks of 2009, Jackson was a tackling machine and a sure fire top five IDP regardless of format. He goes down with a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 6, and owners drop him virtually across the board. However, word on the street is that Jackson will be 100 percent healthy by February, meaning that there’s no way he shouldn’t return to his 2008 ways in 2010. Assuming he’s free in your league, be smart and go grab him now and stash him away for a title run next year.
Kevin Kolb, Eagles QB – This is honestly more of a hunch than anything else, because for all intents and purposes, Donovan McNabb will be the Eagles QB next year. However, McNabb does have a history of injuries, and Kolb absolutely lit up the stat column in Weeks 2 and 3 this year filling in for him. Remember, he threw for 391 yards and two scores in Week 2 against the Saints, and 327 yards and two scores in Week 3 against the Chiefs. I’m telling you, when this guy gets his opportunity to be the full time starter in Philly, he’s going to be something special. Sitting at age 25, he’s likely to get his shot sometime in the next two years, making him worthy of a dynasty roster spot heading into 2010.
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