On The Radar is what I believe will be the most added guys in your leagues this week, and I will give you an idea of if you need to think about adding them, just keep your eye on them, or let someone else be the dope who picks up the one week wonder. 

Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers.  Once the number one overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, Smith had to take a massive pay cut just to avoid being cut by the 49ers coming into this season.  Smith has had his share of chances to lead the 49ers offense in the past and he has done nothing to instill any confidence that he could do that effectively.  I will say in his defense that he never had the kind of weapons on the team then that he does now, so he does have a better chance to succeed now.  However, Smith has had a laundry list of injuries including major shoulder problems, and he has turned the ball over way too much.  I am still far from sold after one good half against a shaky defense, but Smith does have a chance to do well. 

Shonn Greene, RB, New York Jets.  Now this is a guy that I would try to find space for on my roster.  Greene was a third round pick of the Jets in this past draft,and he will now get his chance to prove his worth with the season ending injury to Leon Washington.  Greene isn’t a huge guy at 5′11″, but he has a nice combination of speed and power, and isn’t afraid to lay a hit on a defender trying to take him down.  Now, you can’t expect him to run for over 140 yards a game like he did against the Raiders, but he will get his fair share of carries in the Jets offense and he should be among the better backup running backs to own.  i would definitely take a look at my roster to see if Greene makes sense for you, and if you want to email me about him, I would be more than happy to evaluate your roster. 

Sam Aiken, WR, New England Patriots.   With the Patriots cutting Joey Galloway right before the trade deadline, it now leaves a competition between Aiken and Brandon Tate for the third receiver spot for New England and it was Aiken who was the more targeted receiver against the Bucs.  He did only come up with two catches, but one of them was a 54 yard touchdown from Tom Brady.  The Patriots are on a bye this week, so he isn’t someone to pick up right away, but perhaps in Week 9 he could be worth a look.  Keep your expectations well under check though, because it was Tampa Bay that New England was playing, but most receivers for the Patriots have some level fo fantasy value even if it is a low end. 

Fred Davis, TE, Washington Redskins.   The injury to Chris Cooley has not been confirmed as season ending quite yet, but the Redskins tight end will miss a month at the bare minimum and it will be Davis getting the majority of the looks while he is out.  Davis looked like an incredible athlete for a guy his size, but his hands did come into question a couple of times including a touchdown that he dropped.  However, it was obvious that the ‘Skins were trying to get the rookie from USC into the flow of the offense, so as a free agent tight end at this point of the season he certainly has value for those of you struggling at that position.  He can’t block worth a damn, but there are no fantasy points for blocking, so don’t worry about that.  If you have any need for a tight end, Davis is likely your best option at this point.

Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs.   The situation in Kansas City with Larry Johnson has hit a new low as he has called out his head coach and the media using insensitive comments with homosexual slurs.  The Chiefs have told Johnson to go home, and are looking into the language of his contract and perhaps ways to get out of paying him what they owe him.  Johnson has been suspended by the team until November 9th, and I don’t think it is out of the realm of possibility that he still could be cut.  Either way it looks like Charles will get a chance to get a good number of carries, and if he can avoid fumbling, perhaps he can have some fantasy value.  However, the Chiefs offensive line has been horrendous so he could be limited, but he is quick and has good hands as a receiver out of the backfield, two things that Johnson doesn’t bring to the table.  If Larry is suspended and you are in a deep league, Charles’ value goes way up.

Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The Buccaneers have decided that the future is now, as they have named Josh Freeman the start when they come out of their bye in Week 9.  Freeman had a great college career at Kansas State, and many predicted that he would be a success at the NFL level, perhaps more so than guys who were drafted ahead of him.  Freeman has all the physical tools to play the position.  He is a big guy at just about 6′6″ and 250 pounds, and not only does he have the arm strength to make the throws he needs, but he is also incredibly agile for a guy his size.  All that being said, the problem is he is on a bad team.  They do have a few weapons, but they are all very inconsistent.  Antonio Bryant, Cadillac Williams, Kellen Winslow could all help Freeman’s progression, but unless you are in a keeper league, I don’t think you can put too much stock in Freeman right off the bat. 

Javon Ringer, RB, Tennessee Titans.  This one seems to be for your deeper leagues, and might have lost some of its appeal when Ringer left practice this week with what appeared to be a lower back injury.  However, with LenDale White likely to miss the game against Jacksonville (not that he was doing anything anyway), Ringer may get his chance to show what he can do spelling Chris Johnson.  He did get seven carries in Week 6 and ran for 47 yards, including a 32 yard run.  He isn’t a big guy at 5′9″ and 202 pounds, but he is pretty fast and also runs surprisingly strong for guy his size.  Ringer is also a pretty good receiver out of the backfield, which may give him another way to get his way on to the field to be productive.  At this point it would only be in deep leagues or people in desperate situations that would think of grabbing Ringer, but while you are watching games this weekend, keep your eye on how he does. 

Brian Hartline, WR, Miami Dolphins.  With the transition to Chad Henne now complete, it is bringing a little more life into the Miami passing game, and with the inconsistency of Ted Ginn Jr., perhaps Hartline is now worth a look.  Apparently he has been practicing with the first team offense this week, and could possibly be in line to start this week against the Jets.  Hartline had his best game of the season last week with three catches for 91 yards.  He isn’t a huge guy at 6′1″ and 185 pounds, but he has shown the ability to get open which sounds very fundamental but it is a skill.  As of now I would view Hartline as an injury/bye week replacement as the Dolphins offense still doesn’t throw enough for him to make a huge impact.  But as a POSSIBLE WR3 or even better, as a flex guy, Hartline could find his way on to your rosters this week if you league is deep enough.

I welcome your comments and questions at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com.   I can help you with roster questions, who to start/sit, etc.  I guarantee a response within 18 hours.  Also, don’t miss the Fantasy Football Tonight podcast every Tuesday night at 10pm EST with myself and Jeff Mans.  We will cover all the latest and greatest in fantasy football, and there is always some crazy things being discussed outside the world of football as well.  Please join us, to listen go to www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-football-tonight .  If that isn’t enough of Jeff and I for you, you can also now join us on the Fantasy Sports Channel on Blog Talk Radio for the Midnight Oil show. We will give you another hour leading into the weekend starting on Friday at midnight EST.  Go to www.fsc.fm to listen.

Tags: Alex Smith, brian hartline, fred davis, jamaal charles, javon ringer, josh freeman, sam aiken, shonn greene

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