Fantasy football waiver wire: The return of Danny Woodhead
With just three weeks remaining in the fantasy football regular season, owners tend to approach the waiver wire a bit differently.
Rather than look at the hottest players available for the upcoming week, it's likely time to take a bit more of a longer-term approach. That means securing backups and solidifying rosters for the upcoming playoffs.
The best pickup recommendations last week were wide receivers Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin. See if they're still available before checking out the rest of this week's list.
Since free agent acquisition budgets are nearly depleted by this point, we won't recommend specific dollar amounts to bid going forward. If you have the resources, spend what it takes to land the players you need.
BEST BETS
RB Danny Woodhead, Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens offense has been nothing special this season (30th overall), but perhaps it's because they've been without Woodhead since he injured his hamstring the first quarter of Week 1. The pass-catching dynamo is eligible to come off injured reserve this week -- and could be a focal point over the final few weeks.
RB Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers. Here's one player who could be valuable in both the short- and long-term. The rookie had a season-high 10 carries in Week 10 -- in addition to his five receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns. For Melvin Gordon owners, he's an essential handcuff for the stretch run.
RB Jamaal Williams, Green Bay Packers. The Pack lost starter Aaron Jones and backup Ty Montgomery to injury in Week 10, leaving Williams as the only healthy option. With Jones out several weeks and Montgomery still ailing, Williams will have volume on his side, even if he only averages 3.3 yards per carry.
WR Dontrelle Inman, Chicago Bears. In his first game since the Bears acquired him from the Chargers, Inman shared the team lead in targets with eight. He caught six for 88 yards and, although Josh Bellamy had the only TD, Inman already looks like the best receiver on the roster.
WR Corey Coleman, Cleveland Browns. After breaking his hand in Week 2, Coleman is ready to return to action -- and step right back into his role as the Browns' No. 1 wideout. Don't expect too much this week against Jacksonville, but more attractive matchups are in store as Coleman gets back into game shape.
REPLACEMENTS
RB Samaje Perine, Washington Redskins. The rookie has had several chances to take over the early-down work, but hasn't produced. With Rob Kelley out multiple weeks, he'll get another shot. Chris Thompson is still the back to own in this offense, but some short-yardage touchdowns are possible.
WR Brandon LaFell, CIncinnati Bengals. The oft-overlooked veteran had his best game of the season on Sunday, catching six passes for 95 yards and a score. His upcoming schedule isn't great, but he does offer a decent alternative if defenses focus too heavily on A.J. Green.
WR Chester Rogers, Indianapolis Colts. Although the Colts are on bye this week, Rogers could be a sneaky stash for owners in deep leagues. He caught six passes for a career-high 104 yards and a 61-yard TD against Pittsburgh in Week 10.
SPECULATIVE PICKUPS
TE Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers. The Panthers also have a bye week upcoming, which will give Olsen plenty of practice time before he's activated off injured reserve. It's difficult to say how his foot fracture will affect him going forward, but the Panthers offense will certainly welcome back one of the game's top tight ends.
QB Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings. Case Keenum is still the starter, coming off his four-touchdown performance vs. Washington, but Bridgewater could be part of the future. He hasn't played since 2015, but the former first-rounder is ready if needed.
QB Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers. A bye week may be the perfect time to turn the offense over to the Niners' quarterback of the future.
And if you reallllly want to look ahead ...