Laveranues Coles is no longer a member of the New York Jets. An unrestricted free agent, Coles is free to sign with any team in the NFL.

Going into the 2008 fantasy football season, Coles was the number one wide receiver on the Jets. Although he had his moments, he never seemed to click with quarterback Brett Favre. The result was a very uneven season that saw his overall production fall.

For New York, this move will likely mean that Jerricho Cotchery will likely become the team’s leading receiver. Cotchery, as a result, gets a boost in his fantasy value with this news. On the other hand, whoever takes over for Favre has one less target to work with and thus a lowered fantasy value.

As for Coles, he’ll have a lot of teams interested in his services. Although he’s getting up there in age, he’s a very good route runner with good hands who can make a fine second wide receiver. One team who may take a close look at him is the Miami Dolphins. Coles has a great relationship with quarterback Chad Pennington and would be a great veteran to pair with the Dolphins’ young wideouts.

If you are going to be playing playoff fantasy football, you obviously should be well aware of the NFL playoff picture. Here’s the NFL playoff schedule for the first week of the playoffs so you can start to figure out which fantasy players you want to get on your team in playoff fantasy football.

Saturday, January 3rd - 4:30 PM Eastern
Atlanta Falcons at the Arizona Cardinals

Saturday, January 3rd - 8:00 PM Eastern
Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers

Sunday, January 4th - 1:00 PM Eastern
Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins

Sunday, January 4th - 4:30 PM Eastern
Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings

Bye Week: Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers

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QB Matt Schaub, Houston Texans
Although he’s still out injured Matt Schaub should be returning in one of the upcoming weeks. There’s even a chance that he may be ready to go in Week 14. Once he gets back on the field, Schaub very well could be a top ten starter the rest of the way. If he’s available on your Week 14 waiver wire, go ahead and pick him up.

RB Brandon Jackson, Green Bay Packers
Ryan Grant has had a disappointing season and now he even has an injury. While the injury isn’t considered severe, Brandon Jackson has looked better than Grant for much of the season. Don’t be surprised to see Jackson get the starting job so that the Packers can see what they have in the second-year running back.

WR Davone Bess, Miami Dolphins
Go ahead and pick this guy up if he’s available. Davone Bess is going to get a lot of action the rest of the season and could even become Chad Pennington’s go-to wide receiver. He has good speed and has the potential to break one just about every week.

TE John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks
With Matt Hasselbeck back as the starter at quarterback, the receiving options are more trustworthy for the Seahawks and fantasy football owners alike. John Carlson has had a good rookie season at tight end and should have a good end to his season. With the wide receivers still struggling, Carlson may be Hasselbeck’s best option.

RB Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins
Although he’s officially listed as questionable, don’t plan on using Clinton Portis in your Week 11 fantasy football lineup. Even if he is able to play, which appears less and less likely by the hour, he’ll probably split carries with Ladell Bets and Shaun Alexander. For that reason alone, look for another running back to start in your fantasy lineup.

RB Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams
Steven Jackson’s situation is much clearer. Jackson will not being to play in Week 11. His thigh injury isn’t healing and the injury may be more severe than first diagnosed. In his place, the Rams will use Travis Minor and Antonio Pittman at running back. Since they will be splitting carries, neither one of them appears to be a good fantasy football start.

QB Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins
If you were planning to start Chad Pennington this weekend, you probably got a bit worried when you saw his name show up on the injury report recently. Since he’s listed as probably, expect him to play. But if he doesn’t, Chad Henne will be the quarterback for the Dolphins.

QB Kyle Orton, Chicago Bears
When he first got injured, Kyle Orton was said to be out for at least a month with a high ankle sprain. But a further examination showed that Orton didn’t have a high ankle sprain. After missing one week, Orton appears ready to play this weekend in Week 11. Although you might want to wait a week before starting him to make sure that ankle is alright, he should be decent enough in an emergency role for your fantasy football team.

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Want to take a gamble on a player who has a chance of becoming a big contributor at some point between now and the end of the 2008 fantasy football season? Take a look at these players:

QB Daunte Culpepper, Detroit Lions
Daunte Culpepper is destined to get a lot of starts for the Detroit Lions at quarterback. He recently signed a two-year contract and he’ll be given a chance to prove he’s worth the investment. While he’ll likely be rusty right off the bat, he was a fantasy football stud not too long ago. Take a chance on him if you have the roster room.

RB Peyton Hillis, Denver Broncos
Usually, players who play fullback in the NFL aren’t worth much as running backs in fantasy football. That said, Peyton Hillis very well might be worth a look. He plays fullback but he’s more of a receiving fullback than a blocking fullback. On top of that, he could get a number of carries due to all the injuries suffered by the other Broncos RBs. And don’t forget, Reuben Droughns went from Broncos fullback to stud fantasy running back seemingly overnight.

WR Devery Henderson, New Orleans Saints
Devery Henderson leads the NFL in yards per catch. The problem is that he hasn’t caught too many passes so far in 2008. Henderson is a speedy and big target but his hands are very questionable. But if he can find his groove and regain the form he had a few years ago, he could quickly become a big play fantasy football threat who could become a weapon down the stretch.

TE David Martin, Miami Dolphins
In Miami, most of the tight end talk focuses on Anthony Fasano. While Fasano deserves that credit, David Martin should be recognized as well. He’s a very talented pass catcher who could blossom if his role expands or Fasano suffers an injury. The Dolphins passing game continues to get better so don’t be surprised if you see Martin become fantasy relevant at some point in 2008.

QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are going against an Oakland Raiders defense that simply isn’t that good. Last week, fellow rookie quarterback Joe Flacco had a good fantasy day against this same defense. Expect Ryan to have an even better game in Week 9. Right now, he’s a definite fantasy football sleeper for the week.

RB Michael Pittman, Denver Broncos
Michael Pittman is banged up and is currently listed as questionable for the Week 9 game. But he was able to practice late in the week and should start the game and have a heavy workload. Against the Miami Dolphins, Pittman should be able to produce a nice fantasy football line.

WR Joey Galloway, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chance are Joey Galloway is going to have a breakout game at some point this season. This week against the Kansas City Chiefs is a good bet to be that week. Galloway is as healthy as he’s been since his injury and should be able to get a long touchdown in this week’s game.

TE Donald Lee, Green Bay Packers
The Packers are facing a very tough defense this week when they take on the Tennessee Titans in Week 9. However, if the Packers are going to have any success against the Titans, it will likely be with Lee finding room in the middle of their secondary. That is the one weak spot in the Tennessee defense, as illustrated last week when tight end Dallas Clark had a pair of touchdowns.

QB Shaun Hill, San Francisco 49ers
Shaun Hill is now the starting quarterback in San Francisco and makes for a very fine Week 9 Waiver Wire pickup. With Mike Martz still with the 49ers, you can expect the team to throw the ball a lot. Hill was somewhat effective last season and has a chance to become a decent backup for the rest of the fantasy football season.

RB Kevin Faulk, New England Patriots
With injuries to Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan, the door is open for Kevin Faulk to be the main running back option. The good thing about Faulk is that not only is he good running the ball, he’s also a good receiver. If you need an emergency starter off the waiver wire, you could do much worse than Faulk.

WR Ted Ginn, Jr., Miami Dolphins
After a very slow start to his season, Ted Ginn, Jr. showed why he’s regarded as a big time talent. It’s unknown whether he will ever live up to his potential but with the Miami offense looking solid and quarterback Chad Pennington playing well, Ginn is a wide receiver to keep an eye on.

TE Martellus Bennett, Dallas Cowboys
If Jason Witten is going to miss any action, consider picking up Martellus Bennett. Bennett is the backup tight end in Dallas and he has impressed coaching with his receiving abilities. While he’s an obvious fall off from Witten, Bennett could serve as a sufficient starter for the time being.

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 Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals
Even though Kurt Warner is playing well and putting up big stats, how much longer can he stay injury free? Additionally, there have been some rumblings about Warner retiring. All told, it’d be unwise to forget about Leinart possibly stepping in at some point and producing.

RB Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals recently signed Cedric Benson and then followed that up by waiving Kenny Watson. With Chris Perry only playing decently, Benson could very well get a shot at a starting gig before too much longer.

WR Ted Ginn Jr., Miami Dolphins
Many fantasy football owners have given up on Ted Ginn, Jr. With Ginn off to a slow start in 2008, it’s easy to let him sit on the waiver wire. But it should be realized that Ginn is still young and is still figuring out the NFL. Once he catches on, his vast natural ability could make him a star.

TE Nate Jackson, Denver Broncos
Tony Scheffler got injured in Week 5 and could miss some time. That could end up being the break Nate Jackson needs to become a fantasy viable tight end. He hasn’t done much in his career but Jay Cutler likes to look at his tight ends near the end zone.

Does Cedric Benson see a brighter future with the Cincinnati Bengals?

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