Waiver Wire Wonders: Can You Say Seyi Ajirotutu?

This week, the absence of Antonio Gates created two of the biggest waiver wire stars as both his direct replacement at tight end as well as a relatively unknown young receiver both scored multiple touchdowns. Elsewhere, there is plenty of wide receiver activity to consider, but it's a really slow week for running back pickups. Regardless, complacency will kill you at this point in the fantasy season, so make sure to stay on top of your roster.

Seyi Ajirotutu (WR, Chargers) -- In one of the great all-time jinxes, earlier this week in prepping our FanHouse weekly Over/Under column, I cracked a dumb joke about the obscurity of Seyi Ajirotutu. Fast forward to Sunday, and of course, my opponent in the FanHouse league snagged him off waivers, started him and squashed my team. Needless to say, we all now know exactly who Seyi Ajirotutu is: he's the undrafted receiver for the Chargers who racked up 111 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions.

Randy McMichael (TE, Chargers) -- The other replacement star for San Diego is a name we haven't heard in fantasyland for ages, but he used to be a household name back in his Miami days. McMichael picked up where Gates left off, catching two touchdown passes from Philip Rivers. Unlike Ajirotutu, McMichael only has value as long as Gates continues to miss time, so his shelf life is likely pretty short, but obviously if Gates misses more time with his plantar fasciitis, McMichael makes a great start.

Nate Burleson (WR, Lions) -- In yet another heartbreaking loss for the Lions, the Jets slowed down Calvin Johnson with Darrelle Revis, but they couldn't stop Nate Burleson. Burleson caught seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown from Matt Stafford -- who was playing amazingly since his return from injury, except he got ^%&#% injured AGAIN. Regardless of the quarterback situation, this makes the third straight game for Burleson with six or more catches, so he looks like a great pickup for receiver depth.

Bernard Berrian (WR, Vikings) -- Better late than never for Berrian. After becoming a hot fantasy commodity earlier in the season in the wake of Sidney Rice's injury, Berrian consistently posted pedestrian numbers and owners quickly lost interest. This week, Brett Favre posted a rare monster game and Berrian caught nine balls for 89 yards. It's not ideal banking on consistency from Brett Favre every week, but if his 446 yards Sunday are any indication, this passing game could be on the up and up.

Aaron Hernandez (TE, Patriots) -- Hernandez remains available in just 42 percent of leagues, but he bears mentioning for those folks in the shallower leagues. Hernandez is becoming a legitimate tight end in New England and Sunday he posted his best game yet with five catches for 48 yards and two touchdowns. If he's not still around on your waiver wire, it might be worth considering a trade for Hernandez as his production seems to improve with time and he's essentially the top receiver for Tom Brady at this point. With his size and speed, he could become one of the best in the game in the very near future.

Jacoby Ford (WR, Raiders) -- The Raiders are full of surprises this season. Who would have ever believed they would be flirting with playoff contention as we reach midseason or that Darren McFadden is actually carrying his weight in fantasy leagues? Well, this week you can add fourth-round rookie Jacoby Ford to the list of shocks as the youngster went out and caught six passes for 148 yards, including a 47-yarder. This was a pretty major performance for a kid in just his second NFL start. The Raiders have been looking for a real performer at wide receiver, so keep an eye on Ford to see if he has staying power. Oh, did I mention he also returned a kick 94 yards for a touchdown? Yeah, I'd say he had a pretty nice game.

Mike Goodson (RB, Panthers) -- It's not much of a week for running backs on the wire, but this random guy should be available for folks in a pinch. Essentially, you're picking the equivalent of a fourth-stringer on a terrible team, but with DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Tyrell Sutton all nursing injuries, he's the last man standing. For fantasy teams that are just desperate for carries, this could pan out as the passing game is in bad shape, so the Panthers will have to run the ball.

Brett Favre (QB, Vikings) -- As much as it pains me to say it, Brett Favre throwing for 446 yards and two touchdowns merits attention. He's got Sidney Rice returning in the near future, Visanthe Shiancoe healthy, and Berrian starting to step up, so Favre may have a little something left in the tank after all. Father Time also has Washington and Buffalo on the docket in the next four weeks, so the matchups look pretty solid for that stretch run right before the fantasy playoffs begin.