QB Kyle Orton, Chicago Bears
Although Kyle Orton has only one touchdown pass since his return from injury, he’s once again healthy and has a good matchup this weekend against the Minnesota Vikings. With the Vikings capable of shutting down the run, expect Orton to pass early and pass often.

RB Justin Fargas, Oakland Raiders
Last week, Justin Fargas got over 100 yards against the Denver Broncos. This week, Fargas will go up against the Kansas City Chiefs, the owners of the worst rush defense in the NFL. There’s a great chance that Fargas will surprise and have one of his best games of the season.

WR Michael Jenkins, Atlanta Falcons
Michael Jenkins has a very good matchup this week against the San Diego Chargers. While Roddy White will get all the attention, Jenkins will be opened up to possibly make some big plays. Although he doesn’t have a touchdown in his last three games, he has 15 catches and is still a big part of the offense.

TE Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans Saints
While he’s struggled virtually all season with injuries, he’s as healthy right now as he’s been all season. In his last two games, Shockey has 11 catches. Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers present a tough matchup, quarterback Drew Brees is playing very well and will likely target Shockey a whole lot in Week 13 of the 2008 fantasy football season.

Photo credit: Newscom

A fantasy football waiver wire can help you get the advantage in your league. By successfully stocking up of waiver wire gems, you can greatly improve your chance of winning a fantasy football championship.

Here are a list of waiver wire targets to go after. If any of these players are available, pick them up ASAP.

QB Kyle Orton, Chicago Bears
In Week 5, Kyle Orton had his fifth consecutive very good fantasy game. It’s a bit early to call him a good fantasy football starter on a weekly basis but he’s looking like he can be a quality backup.

RB Justin Fargas, Oakland Raiders
After missing a couple weeks due to injury, Justin Fargas is expected back soon. Once he gets back in the lineup, Fargas will carry a big load for the Raiders. He should be on a roster in all fantasy leagues.

WR Bobby Engram, Seattle Seahawks
Returning from injury in Week 5, Bobby Engram wasted little time proving his worth. He had eight catches and was the obvious go-to guy for the Seahawks’ air assault. Engram should be a top 25 wide receiver from this point forward.

TE Anthony Fasano, Miami Dolphins
Anthony Fasano continues to look like the real deal in Miami. The Dolphins’ passing game isn’t as anemic as many thought it would be and Fasano is a big reason for that. He has a chance to finish the year as a top ten tight end.

QB Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos
In the thrilling game against the San Diego Chargers, Jay Cutler authored arguably the best fantasy football quarterback performance of Week 2. He finished the game with four passing touchdowns and 350 yards passing.

RB Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders
Early in Oakland’s game, starting running back Just Fargas went down with what appeared to be a groin injury. Darren McFadden stepped in and showed his vast potential on his way to 164 yards and a touchdown.

WR Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals
After a quiet Week 1 game, Anquan Boldin exploded in Week 2. Kurt Warner looked for him early and often and Boldin finished with 140 yards receiving and three receiving touchdowns.

TE Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos
Tony Scheffler was the recipient of two of Cutler’s four touchdown passes. He also had six catches for 64 yards to go along with the touchdowns.

K Ryan Longwell, Minnesota Vikings
In Week 2, Ryan Longwell went 5-for-6 on field goal attempts including one from 50+ yards. For those savvy fantasy owners who started him, pat yourself on the back.

D Green Bay Packers
Against the Detroit Lions, Green Bay put on a defensive show. All told, the Packers finished with five sacks, three interceptions and two defensive touchdowns.

Is Darren McFadden ready for fantasy football stardom?

Photo: Newscom

QB Brodie Croyle, Kansas City Chiefs
After attempting only four passes, Brodie Croyle suffered what the team is calling head trauma and was unable to return to the game. Third string quarterback Tyler Thigpen was given the reins.

RB Justin Fargas, Oakland Raiders
While running a route, Justin Fargas fell to the field with what appeared to be a groin injury. Fargas was unable to return to the game and appeared to be in serious pain.

RB Laurence Maroney, New England Patriots
Early in the game, Laurence Maroney left the field with a shoulder injury. The good news for the Patriots is Maroney was able to return late in the fourth quarter.

WR Logan Payne and Seneca Wallace, Seattle Seahawks
The amazing run of bad luck for the Seahawks continues with two more injuries in the wide receiver corps. With Deion Branch, Bobby Engram, Nate Burleson and Ben Obomanu already injured, Seattle receivers Logan Payne and Seneca Wallace both got injured on Sunday.

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With the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders selected Darren McFadden. McFadden is a running back with superstar level skills and world class athleticism. While many league pundits criticized the Raiders for not taking a defensive player, it’s difficult to argue that McFadden wasn’t the most talented player in the entire draft.

With the Raiders in 2008, McFadden has a chance to be a good fantasy football player. The Raiders were successful running the football last year. If the offensive line can keep performing, McFadden should get plenty of yardage in 2008.

The only question regarding McFadden is regarding the number of carries he will get in his rookie season. The Raiders are actually quite deep at running back, with returning veterans at the position such as Justin Fargas and LaMont Jordan. If McFadden struggles at all, he could lose out on his starting role.

With that in mind, McFadden is going to likely be a high-risk, high-reward pick – much like Adrian Peterson in 2007. While McFadden doesn’t have as high of a ceiling, he’s certainly capable of putting up big numbers. If he outright wins the starting running back job, he could easily finish as a top ten running back in fantasy football.

The Darren McFadden projections I have for him in 2008 are 1,000 yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers could change once it’s known whether or not he’ll be the starting running back. At this point in time, McFadden would be good value in the third or fourth round of a fantasy football draft.

Photo: Newscom

Are you looking on the waiver wire for an emergency starter for Week 9? Here are some names you should consider.

QB JP Losman, Buffalo Bills - Losman is up against the Cincinnati Bengals this week in what looks to be a great matchup. While Losman isn’t a very good quarterback usually, he could put in extra effort to try to win back his job from Trent Edwards. Two touchdowns and 250 yards passing isn’t too unrealistic given this matchup.

RB Justin Fargas, Oakland Raiders - With LaMont Jordan struggling and Dominic Rhodes seemingly out of the picture, Fargas could be the running back who is featured most on Sunday against the Texans. Fargas is averaging 5.7 yards per rush attempt and could conceivably become the full-time back sometime soon.

WR DJ Hackett, Seattle Seahawks - Remember Hackett? He returns this week after recovering from a high ankle sprain. Against the Browns, expect Hackett to see a number of balls go his way. He’s expected to start and with the offense struggling as it has over the last couple weeks, he could become a big part of the offense quickly.

TE Owen Daniels, Houston Texans - Earlier in the week, it appeared that Daniels could miss a significant amount of time with what was reported to be a high ankle sprain. However, Daniels is back at practice and is probable to start the game on Sunday against the Raiders. If he starts, he’s a good option for a fantasy team in need of a tight end.

Photo credit: NFL.com

RB Adimchinobi Echemandu, Houston Texans - With Ahman Green hobbled and Ron Dayne also banged up, Echemandu is a solid pickup. He could conceivably get the starting spot for the Texans in the near future. And if he does, he’s a good fantasy player going forward. He runs hard and should be able to rack up yardage as a starter.

RB Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers - In the merry-go-round that is the Packers running back corps, Grant appears to be the current leader. He played well on Monday Night Football and heads into Week 9 as the likely starter. With Brett Favre playing as well as he’s playing, Grant could have plenty of chances to score the ball.

RB Maurice Hicks, San Francisco 49ers - A lot of fantasy owners are sprinting to pickup Michael Robinson. However, if you look at what happened in the past, Hicks is likely to be the player who gets the bulk of the carries if Frank Gore is unable to play. Robinson, on the other hand, will probably remain the team’s third down back.

RB Justin Fargas, Oakland Raiders - With LaMont Jordan looking worse and worse by the week after injuring his back earlier in the year, Fargas appears to be the next in line. He’s played very well this year and could surpass Jordan as the starter soon. If he does, the Raiders have proven they have the ability to run the ball this year.

RB Leonard Weaver, Seattle Seahawks - With Shaun Alexander struggling, Weaver is a possibility to start getting more carries. While Maurice Morris is the backup running back, Morris wasn’t very good last year when he was thrust into the starting lineup. Weaver is more of an unknown he perhaps could be an answer to some of the Seahawks’ problems.

Do you have bye week or injury troubles? Here are some players you can pickup and start right away in your fantasy football leagues.

Quarterback: Cleo Lemon, Miami Dolphins
Lemon is subbing for an injured Trent Green. Playing against the Browns this week, Lemon is a quality start. The Dolphins have good wide receivers and a running back in Ronnie Brown that will keep defenses honest. Lemon doesn’t have great long-term value, however for at least one week he should have some fantasy worth.

Running back: Justin Fargas or Dominic Rhodes, Oakland Raiders
All indications point to LaMont Jordan not playing. If that’s the case, Fargas and Rhodes will probably rotate at the running back position. The Raiders have been running the ball very well this year and these two running backs should be able to continue that. Fargas is a little bit of a better start because he’s played well this season. Rhodes will be suiting up for his first game of the season after serving a drug suspension.

Wide Receivers: Donte’ Stallworth, New England
Stallworth isn’t getting that much press next to Randy Moss and Wes Welker, however he has a huge upside going forward. As teams start to send more double teams at Moss, Stallworth’s value will rise. Like Moss, he’s a deep ball threat who can have a big game against anyone. This week against the Cowboys, don’t be surprised if Stallworth is the receiver who leads the Patriots in yardage.