Fantasy Football Waiver Wire, Week 13: Brian Westbrook Is Back In Business!
With Adrian Peterson suffering from a sprained ankle that was “unbearable,” rookie battering ram Toby Gerhart could be in for a huge day when the Vikings host Buffalo, owners of the league’s worst run defense (167 yards per game).
Even if Peterson is able to go on Sunday, Gerhart should see a number of carries to limit Peterson’s touches as he returns from the injury. More information will crop up as the week develops, but as of today Gerhart is a must-add for Peterson owners and a strong pickup for anyone looking to capitalize on a great matchup.
Brian Westbrook, RB – SF (24 percent owned)
Another top tier running back went down last night in the form of Frank Gore’s broken hip.
The underutilized veteran Westbrook showed signs of life in Gore’s place – albeit against a terrible Arizona defense.
Rookie Anthony Dixon will poach some carries, but expect Westbrook to get the lion’s share of touches for the rest of the season as his pass protection and catching skills greatly exceed those of Dixon.
He is an immediate starter in all leagues as a RB2 or flex.
Legedu Naanee, WR – SD (5 percent owned)
Naanee appears to be back in the starting lineup after Vincent Jackson suffered multiple calf injuries that will sideline him this weekend according to early reports.
The past two weeks we’ve used the waiver wire to pick on the Oakland secondary, and this week will be no different. A less than 100 percent Nnamdi Asomugha will likely shadow Malcom Floyd leaving rookie Walter McFadden on Naanee.
After watching Chad Henne throw for over 300 yards this weekend, Philip Rivers should easily surpass that number with a significant portion of that going to Naanee. He is a great WR3 or flex play in most leagues.
Joel Dreessen, TE – HOU (11 percent owned)
Playing in place of injured Owen Daniels, Dreessen is doing just enough to make owners happy. He isn’t catching a ton of balls, but he is making them count.
He has now scored in back to back weeks and goes up against an Eagles defense this Sunday that has been especially generous to opposing tight ends.
Dreessen is a great pickup for anyone streaming tight ends on a weekly basis, or who was counting on Zach Miller down the stretch.
All ownership percentages are from Yahoo!
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Written by Chris Sheehan exclusively for the www.thefantasyfix.com. Chris is an avid football fan and has been playing fantasy football for over ten years. Check back for more great articles from him weekly.