Who to Grab for the Second Half

This week strikes me as a time of particularly obvious waiver-wire adds. The names jumping out or being thrown around are either guys who have probably been picked up in at least half of the serious leagues or players whose Week 9 numbers scream “Own me!”

Because of that, I go through the list of players below not to recommend adding each guy listed, but to give my expectation for what he will actually provide going forward. Each probably has some circumstance in which he makes sense to pick up, but not everyone will be particularly useful in the season’s second half.

Jacob Tamme, TE, Indianapolis
Tamme was worth a shot before his first start and looked like an obvious pickup after that game resulted in six catches, 64 yards and a touchdown. His performance at Philadelphia on Sunday made him an absolute no-brainer for any league of any size in which he’s still available.

Seyi Ajirotutu, WR, San Diego
This was one of those semi-predictable breakouts. The Chargers had Houston and its horrible secondary with no healthy receivers and Antonio Gates out. On top of that, Ajirotutu spends most of his time on the side of the field away from Glover Quin, the better of the Texans starters at corner. The result was a huge game, and he should obviously be claimed in pretty much any 12-team league. Unfortunately for those claiming, Ajirotutu figures to head back toward irrelevance pretty soon after the Week 10 bye. Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee will heal at some point, and Vincent Jackson is due back for Week 12. Claim Ajirotutu just in case something goes wrong with one of those guys, but don’t expect to have a fantasy starter for the stretch run.

James Jones, WR, Green Bay
There hasn’t been much doubt about Jones’ ability, and he had to be one of last week’s most popular pickups in leagues in which he wasn’t already owned. Jones headed into 2010 with plenty of fantasy folks expecting him to surpass Donald Driver, but he had yet to deliver. That changed Sunday night. Frankly, it’s not a shock that Jones had such a game in him, and it’s even less shocking to see it come against a Cowboys defense that just finished allowing David Garrard four touchdown passes. The Week 10 bye likely means that Driver will be back when next the Packers take the field. Jones will still be the No. 3 receiver and see plenty of work, but I’m sure we just saw his best game of the year. Jones figures to be in the discussion as a starter at No. 3 fantasy spots or in the flex but isn’t yet a must-start.

Jacoby Ford, WR, Oakland
Ford looked really good in Sunday’s victory over Kansas City, but he’s not the first Raiders wideout to enjoy a big game this season. Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward-Bey have each put up 100-yard lines and let down fantasy owners who picked them up as a result. Murphy reportedly says he’ll be back in Week 11 (after the bye), so Ford might not even be in the starting lineup when next we see the Raiders. Based on that, the fact that he’s a rookie and that we’ve yet to see him play with Bruce Gradkowski – who is also expected to return to the huddle soon – this game seems more like one to tuck away for next year’s projections than a sign of what’s to come for the rest of 2010.

Bernard Berrian, WR, Minnesota
Welcome back, Mr. Berrian. We’ve had a table waiting for you since draft time. Actually, that’s not true. We had all sat another patron there by at least Week 4 after you came out invisible. In fact, Berrian caught no more than two passes in any game before Week 9, which means he has to do it at least one more time before it would be wise to trust him. Unfortunately for Berrian, Sidney Rice looks about ready to return – perhaps for Week 10 – which will leave only so many balls for anyone other than him and Percy Harvin. I’m not chasing Berrian this week.

Sidney Rice, WR, Minnesota
Rice, on the other hand, I’ve been hanging on to all year anywhere that I drafted him. NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi Tweeted before the Arizona game that Rice looked healthier in warm-ups than Percy Harvin did. Of course, all Harvin managed in the game was nine catches, 126 yards and five kick returns. The connection Rice had developed with Brett Favre by the end of last year makes plausible the possibility of starting Rice in his first game back – depending, of course, on one’s other options.

Vincent Jackson, WR, San Diego
Jackson’s in the same boat as Rice for me. I only drafted him in one league, but I’ve kept him on that team this long. Jackson will return to not only find the best quarterback of 2010 (inarguably), but also injuries to pretty much every other wideout on the roster. Jackson is a dynamic talent who should be good to go as long as he’s in shape. The time he will have had between returning to the team and returning to the field should make that easy.

Shaun Hill, QB, Detroit
We don’t yet know the results of Matthew Stafford’s Monday MRI as I write this, but he has already said that he at least doubts his availability for Week 10. Enter the guy who tossed eight touchdown passes in his four full games in relief of Stafford earlier this year. (Hill entered in Week 1 after Stafford’s injury and left early, himself, in Week 6.) Hill returns – assuming he’s healthy enough -- to face a Bills team tied for third most touchdown passes allowed this year. If he gets another start after that, it’ll come at Dallas. No word yet on whether the Cowboys will be in attendance for that one.