Waiver Wire Wonders: Week 3

Weeding through those unwieldy waiver wires requires a keen eye and a quick trigger. Thus, Waiver Wire Wonders provides a weekly snapshot of players worthy of consideration who should be available on a good portion of league waiver wires.

It never ceases to amaze me that every week there is so much material for our Waiver Wire Wonders column. It just goes to show how fast things change in the NFL. A star player gets injured after one carry; a longtime underachiever finally earns his stripes; and the worst franchise in NFL history wins a game on a solid performance by the No. 2 wide receiver. Nothing stays put in the NFL for long, so there's no time for slacking off. Week 3 offers up a whole new round of hot pickups.

Fred Taylor (RB, Patriots) - The muddled mess of quality running backs in New England finally gave way and provided a breakout game. Fred Taylor, the experienced veteran and only legitimate star player amongst Faulk, Green-Ellis, Maroney and Morris, looks to have finally solidified the No. 1 spot. Taylor got an eye-opening 21 carries, which translated to 105 yards and a touchdown. Currently, Taylor remains available in 52 percent of Fleaflicker leagues. Hence, he looks like the must-add waiver wire player this week.

Glen Coffee (RB, 49ers) - The Cinderella story of the preseason and widespread sleeper favorite, Glen Coffee, got a major value uptick as 49er juggernaut Frank Gore left the game with an ankle injury after just one carry. Coming off one of the biggest games of his career last week, it looked like Gore totally sealed the carries in San Francisco, but Coffee caught a break. The severity of Gore's ankle sprain appears to be of the high variety, and in Gore's absence Coffee carried the ball 25 times. He tallied a modest 54 yards on the ground, but if Gore remains out for any additional games, Coffee makes a terrific add.

Vernon Davis (TE, 49ers) - After quietly sneaking his way onto rosters in roughly a third of fantasy leagues through the first couple weeks, Vernon Davis just became the hottest tight end in the league. Against the Vikings and in Gore's absence, Davis became the tertiary beneficiary and caught seven passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns in one of the biggest games in the league.

Jerome Harrison (RB, Browns) - We all knew that sooner or later Jamal Lewis would fall out from the starting running back spot, but it happened sooner than expected when Lewis was declared inactive for Week 3 with a hamstring injury. While many fantasy prognosticators anointed James Davis as the heir apparent in the preseason, Harrison carried the heavy load with 16 carries and 52 yards to Davis' five carries for 10 yards. Much like Glen Coffee above, Harrison did not post gleaming numbers, but he's a smart pickup for the future should Jamal Lewis continue to struggle with the injury. Frankly, the Browns must be about ready to cut the lifeline on Lewis and his perpetual mediocrity, so Harrison should see increasing touches no matter what happens with Lewis and the hamstring injury.

Bryant Johnson (WR, Lions) - Hey, we had to get somebody from the Lions on the list today. They won a game! Bryant Johnson finally provided a decent No. 2 option for Matt Stafford, which could be a key development for the Lions' offense. With Kevin Smith playing well and Calvin Johnson battling constant double-coverage, Bryant Johnson could quietly post more big games to the tune of Sunday's 73 yards and a touchdown effort. Obviously, Johnson will not provide lock-down consistency on a weekly basis, but when injuries and bye weeks start jabbing thorns in your side, he may be the waiver-wire plug you need to fill a leak.

LeSean McCoy (RB, Eagles) - Is this the year the injuries finally get the best of Brian Westbrook? After approximately 876 consecutive games listed as Questionable on the injury report, Westbrook did not play today due to an ankle injury. Meanwhile, backup LeSean McCoy filled in like an old veteran running the ball twenty times for 80 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass for an extra nine yards. With Westbrook's age and injuries become increasingly worrisome, McCoy looks like a smart pickup.

Mike Sims-Walker (WR, Jaguars) - We discussed Mike Sims-Walker's value boost in depth last week as a result of the Jags losing Troy Williamson for the remainder of the season. Well, Sims-Walker again proved himself as a worthy top target for the offense as he led Jacksonville with six catches and 81 yards. If Sims-Walker still remains on the waiver wire, he makes a solid No. 3 WR or Flex play for the rest of the season, particularly in weeks with good matchups (i.e., where the Jags will be playing from way behind).

Ricky Williams (RB, Dolphins) - Ronnie Brown remains the key engine in the Miami machine, but the backfield is definitely a tandem effort with the other half being Ricky Williams. He continues to make plays and show he earned his contract extension -- particularly while working in the explosive wildcat sets. Williams demonstrated versatility as he ran for 55 yards and a touchdown (averaging 6.9 yards per carry), while catching four passes for another 29 yards. Ricky Williams does not quite merit an immediate add, save for deep leagues, but keep a close eye on him, as his output is on an upward trend.

Mike Wallace (WR, Pittsburgh) - One of the bigger stunners in Sunday's NFL action came from rookie wide receiver Mike Wallace. Pittsburgh surprised many by selecting Wallace with a third-round pick as experts generally ranked him around the 30th best receiver in the draft. Apparently, the Steelers saw something special in Wallace. He caught seven passes for 102 yards against the Bengals, including a big one for 51 yards, so maybe they were right. Let's wait and see if Wallace has any staying power before making a roster move, but seven catches from a relatively unknown rookie sounds reminiscent of Marques Colston from his rookie season a few years back.

Kevin Kolb (QB, Eagles) - Like Mike Sims-Walker above, Kolb also made the Waiver Wire Wonders list last week. We simply wanted to highlight him again to illustrate the combined two weeks: 327 yards and three touchdowns this week and 391 yards and two touchdowns last week. We're not saying it's time to sell the farm, but maybe a few pumpkins. With a bye week coming, wait to see how McNabb progresses over the next week and a half, but if it looks like he'll miss more time, Kolb can clearly put up numbers.