It's another session of "Sink or Swim," Fantasy Football FanHouse's weekly look at the underachievers still lurking on many fantasy rosters. You've got the tough choices to make and we help you decide which direction to take. Do you cut the bait or give 'em one more chance to swim? I'll start off first by stating the obvious, that the fantasy hot seat warning got the message through to Ryan Grant, Beanie Wells and Steve Smith last week. Thanks for answering the call, fellas. However, let's not get too excited -- I'm hardly expecting the suspect candidates this week to make instant amends for their most recent performances. We're gonna do things a little different this week and not pick on the stars, but rather the wannabe stars.
That's right, it's the "waiver wire wonder" edition. And oh how we fall so victim to temptation when we nab these supposed "difference-makers" off the wire. It's important to keep our waiver pickups in perspective. Yet, every now and then it's only human nature to get visions of grandeur. Well, time to snap out of it and welcome Mr. Laurence Maroney, Pierre Garcon and Jamaal Charles to the fantasy hot seat.
Laurence Maroney, RB Patriots: I'll start this off fairly simple, Maroney stinks. He's a fantasy con artist. He gets your hopes up every single time he touches the ball and does something remotely ordinary. We praise him for his potential, but repeatedly are left scratching our heads if he's in the doghouse, drinking Kool-Aid on the sidelines, or just going through the meaningless motions in a game he'd rather be over already.
Yes, Maroney was the hot waiver wire sensation after he seemed motivated and trusted by his coach against the Titans a few weeks back. The fact remains though that there was nobody else to turn to and the Titans would have forfeited if they could have. Somebody had to run the ball with ease that week for the Patriots. After a rush to grab Maroney, he needed a garbage-time TD to make his total number look respectable against a brutal Bucs defense in London. He's not a safe option next week, the week after that or any week for my money. Just sink the guy and leave him alone.
Pierre Garcon, WR Colts: You probably talked yourself into this one with delusional thoughts like "hmm, he's kind of the poor man's Reggie Wayne." Why not, right? He took a couple long (broken-coverage) scampers to the house in back-to-back weeks filling in as the default No. 2 WR for the Colts. Wait a minute though; are you starting to realize several things about Garcon?
He's not nearly good enough to even be considered a poor man's Reggie Wayne. He might actually be the fourth option in the Colts' passing game right now and will no doubt find the bench when Anthony Gonzalez returns. Lately he's had trouble catching the ball and that's not good for a guy who is essentially boom or bust, having failed to grab more than three passes in any game this season. I hate to be so blunt, but the truth stings sometime. Waiver wire wonders come in and out of our lives like waiters in a restaurant ... or French waiters named Pierre Garcon. Sorry, but you gotta sink him.Jamaal Charles, RB Chiefs: Hold on, let me clear the stampede marks off my back from everyone rushing to the waiver wire to grab Charles. Say what? You hear Larry Johnson may be on his way out of town and you get giddy over his backup? I know the stat line of Charles averaging 5.0 yards per carry. You do realize that's on a mere 23 carries, right? And you do realize the Chiefs are simply atrocious, right? As in their offensive line stinks and they are a complete mess right now.
You must not think Charles is the cure for what ails your team. Is he worth a look and consideration? Perhaps he is, but again let me stress the "not getting carried away" theme here. He could be a nice addition if everything breaks right for him and he in fact will most likely be the starter. But the clock is already ticking on his fantasy worthiness if you ask me. He's all the hype this week and we really know very little about him.
This is predicting the future sink, which just wouldn't be fair. If you nabbed him, hold him, but temper those expectations. Please.
