Waiver Wire Wonders: James Starks Makes His Case

I don't know about you guys, but Week 13 in my main league was perhaps the most exciting week in our fantasy league's history. We had five teams at 6-6 and one at 5-7 all battling it out for the last four playoff spots. Given the odd nature of this season, which has been plagued by a higher than normal level of key injuries, disappointing superstars and eye-opening breakouts, it really comes as no surprise that many leagues have a lot of teams hovering around .500 with few real dominant squads. With that in mind, we hope you came out on top, made your playoffs and are still around to take advantage of this week's waiver wire moves, because there are a bunch of nice pickups this week.

James Starks (RB, Packers) -- Early in the season, Brandon Jackson looked poised to become one of the biggest waiver wire adds of the year when Ryan Grant went down with a season-ending injury. Instead, Jackson managed to surpass 100 yards rushing just once this season and found the end zone only four times. Finally fed up with the lack of production, this week the Packers gave sixth-round draft pick James Starks the heavier workload, and he carried 18 times -- tied for the most by any Packer this season -- for 73 yards. The Packers are a passing team at this point, but still, Starks makes for a five-star pickup this late in the season as he looks poised for plenty of touches.

Marshawn Lynch (RB, Seahawks) -- Did we just see the return of Beast Mode, or was that just a fluke performance at the hands of the lowly Panthers? In all likelihood it's the latter, as the Seahawks' ground game has been terribly unreliable all season, but still it's hard not to take a chance on 21 carries for 83 yards and three touchdowns. At this point in the season, you've likely got a dead body or two sitting on your bench, so what's the harm in taking a long-shot on a guy about whom you can't help wondering if he's still got it.

Ben Watson (TE, Browns) -- As part of an up-and-down season, Ben Watson made a another strong case for his emergence from waiver wire purgatory. In Week 13 he posted 10 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown, and this came off two weeks with nine combined catches. So, he seems to be finally putting together some consistency. With the tight end pool likely thinning even further with Heath Miller's concussion on Sunday, the time for Watson has arrived.

Derek Hagan (WR, Giants) -- It was definitely a rushing day for the Giants, which is exactly how they'd like to keep it, as both Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw shined in the easy blowout against the Redskins. In terms of the passing game, Derek Hagan showed he can potentially be the Giants' go-to receiver with injuries sidelining Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks. Hagan caught seven passes for 65 yards, leading all Giants receivers. Smith is targeting a Week 14 return, so it's worth monitoring his progress this week in practice, but if you are looking for depth at wide receiver, Hagan looks like a decent addition.

Tashard Choice (RB, Cowboys) -- After putting up 100 yards rushing and a touchdown -- and perhaps more importantly, a win -- the Cowboys front office made a statement that Tashard Choice has earned a larger role going forward. While the Cowboys have been notorious for meddling with their backfield all season, and struggling to get any of the backs -- be it Choice, Marion Barber or Felix Jones -- doing much of anything productive, Choice definitely looks to have some promise down the stretch from a fantasy perspective.

Earl Bennett (WR, Bears) -- I won't lie. I don't think I would ever start a Bears wide receiver in the fantasy playoffs. It just doesn't feel right. Still, if you're more optimistic than me and stick with the numbers -- or perhaps you're a Bears homer -- Earl Bennett merits consideration. He caught seven passes for 104 yards in Week 13 against the Lions and caught four passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns last week. Maybe there's consistency here worth trusting?

Anthony Armstrong (WR, Redskins) -- For very deep leagues, Anthony Armstrong opened some eyes with six catches, 97 yards and a touchdown against the Giants. Armstrong does have over 600 yards receiving on the season, so he's no flash in the pan, but he also has just two touchdowns. Hence, there's no sense jumping on him unless it's to fill a hole or add depth. He plays Dallas in Week 15, so in the event he shows he can post playoff-worthy numbers next week, perhaps then maybe take a closer look for the home stretch.

Javarris James (RB, Colts) -- The Colts running game flat-out sucks these days, so this is by no means a stamp of approval on the unit as a whole, but Javarris James is simply a good red-zone vehicle for touchdowns. James picked up two scores in the loss to the Cowboys, and seems to be a clear-cut target for short yardage and goal-line work. In terms of yardage production, he rushed for just 18 yards and added 17 yards receiving, so you're not going to get huge output, but James should be good for some points for deeper formats.