I am a certifiable techie. Literally.

I do carry an A+ certification for those familiar with the IT world. I love gadgets – Apple products specifically. Every time they release a new device, Apple-ites drool in expectation. The future is bright and sunny. The days ahead are filled with unicorns and rainbows. Though sooner or later the luster wears off and the product is either a success and part of our everyday lives, or it is cast aside along with our boom boxes, walkmans, and 56k modems.

Much is the same in the world of fantasy. While most notably in preseason leading up to draft day, this holds true throughout the season working the waiver wire as well. We get excited about new things. On an almost weekly basis we see new shiny toys on the wire and think they are the next big thing. But it doesn’t always work out.

With the injury to Maurice Jones-Drew, Rashad Jennings is that shiny new toy on the market. He has a renewed value. In the span of only a few weeks he almost seems like a retro comeback that is cool again. Will he become a part of every day life .. again? Or will he be cast aside… again?

“Buy Low” Candidates

Running Back Darren McFadden

Here we go again. Yes, I’m still buying him. No, I’m not going to give up on him. He has too much talent and is being held in too low of a regard in fantasy right now. There is even talks of “bust” swirling around him. I’m not believing it. His schedule ahead is just too good for him to stay down. He plays against the Chiefs, Bucs, Ravens, and Saints over the next four weeks. Even if the Raiders get down big they’ll still throw it a lot to DMC, which makes him all the more valuable in PPR. If his owner seems disappointed in him, then take DMC off his hands. If he does not improve then feel free to blast me on Twitter.

Quarterback Tony Romo

With the running back situation in Big D being so cloudy, Romo is simply going to be asked to pass, pass and pass some more in order to win games. He is still getting ripped for his 5 interception game against Chicago but realize – it was against Chicago. They are arguably the best defense in the league right now, terrorizing everyone they go up against. Their defense has scored five touchdowns in the last four weeks. They also have at least one interception in every game this season. They are the highest scoring defense in standard scoring in fantasy.

But enough about the Bears defense. In the two games he’s played since Chicago, he only has a single interception. Best of all, he’s going up against the same Giants secondary that he carved up in Week 1 to a tune of 307 yards and 3 touchdowns. The way I’m seeing people talk about him, he can almost be a semi throw-in depending on the Romo owner’s QB situation. If you need QB help then I suggest putting an offer out there and see what you can get. This isn’t too say that he will be elite the rest of the season, but that I firmly believe he can still be a quality part of your lineup the rest of the season.

Running Back LeSean McCoy

If Andy Reid would just get over his complex of him “overusing” Shady last year and realize that McCoy isone of the most talented running backs in the league then he’ll be just fine. No fancy numbers, no stats, no schedule references. This is simply me believing McCoy is way too talented to be used so little. If Reid wants to keep his job he will give it to the most talented guy on his team.

Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson

Though I have given up on “Fat Face” Stafford, I have not given up on Megatron. Lions need something to happen. They have got to get that offense going. The way they do that? Feed the monster receiver the ball… a lot. His owner just may be disgruntled with his subpar play (in relation to the other-worldly expectations we had of him) Calvin Johnson is the only Lions player I would start right now, though I may stash Young/ Broyles and see if one steps up. I’m just not going to go out of my way to do so.

“Sell High” Candidates

Running Back Rashad Jennings

One common theme in my articles is that I have a tendency to have a “sell” mentality on most big name waiver wire pick ups. This is because when a player is a hot commodity on the wire, they are either coming off a big game or expected to have a big boost because they are stepping in for an injured star. Rashad Jennings is a very talented player, sure. And if you have a running back starved team then by all means keep him and use him. I mention him here for those who have a little bit more room to play with at running back. If you already had two startable backs then I am suggesting you look for an owner in your league who is desperate for a running back – possibly some of your league’s first round quarterbackers. I suggest parlaying him into a more well-known veteran, maybe even towards one of my “buy low” guys mentioned above. Many of the big time waiver wire pick ups don’t pan out so well … Brian Hartline anyone? Though some are gold. I.E. Victor Cruz circa 2011.

Wide Receiver Vincent Jackson

Jackson has three consecutive weeks with touchdown grabs. That is an unusual consistency from a guy with a “Dr. Jekyl, Mr Hyde” historical performance on a week-to-week basis. His 200-plus yard receiving against the Saints’ defense was leakier than a grounded SR-71 Blackbird. While he does have some more nice matchups coming up, including one more round against New Orleans, you should sell on him and upgrade elsewhere.

Quarterback Josh Freeman

Another Buc and another sell high candidate. Three straight weeks of 300 yards passing or more, (well, he threw for 299 yards against Washington, so we can just round that up… right?) and in those contests, he’s thrown a combined 7 touchdown passes. I’m a Tampa Bay fan. I love this guy. I picked him up in every league where I had Matt Ryan or Michael Vick sitting. I see him as a “sell high” player because this is a little too out of the norm for the big athletic passer. He may not even be one of the main pieces in a deal, but could certainly be used to up the ante in a given trade and bring in upgrades to other parts of your roster.

One common theme throughout my writing is between “the known” and “the consistency” – a solid veteran where you have an idea of what to expect as opposed to a rookie or new pick up with a lot of “potential” I will default to the consistency much more often than the “potential.” This is why almost every week I will suggest to “sell” the big name from the wire. As Newton says about every action having an equal and opposite reaction, so too does all that potential and upside. With as much of a ceiling that potential can bring … so too can it bring a much lower floor.

Minimize your risk. Maximize your return. That’s the name of the game folks.

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