Waiver Wire Wonders: Ryan Torain Takes Us for One Surprising Ride

For the lucky few who have been relaxing with a bye week or for those who made it through the first round of their playoffs, cheers. Now, put the champagne down and get focused. To assume that you can waltz through the next two weeks of fantasy playoffs with the guys who got you there is a risky proposition. Just ask owners of Aaron Rodgers, Dwayne Bowe or Kyle Orton how confident they feel after Sunday's games? Well, that's where we come in. Make smart moves down the stretch and do not be afraid to make a clever start when the matchups dictate -- or when they don't (e.g., when your star receiver suddenly has Brodie Croyle throwing to him).

Ryan Torain (RB, Redskins) - Ryan Torain made quick work of the backfield debate in Washington, as folks wondered coming into this game how the distribution would play out with Keiland Williams upon Torain's return from injury. Well, Torain's 24 carries and 172 yards rushing look pretty decent compared to Keiland Williams' four carries for 16 yards. I think it's safe to say Torain makes one heck of a pickup this week. As of now, he is owned in 44 percent of leagues, so given the field has thinned out on account of teams who missed the playoffs losing interest, this should be a reasonably doable move.

David Garrard (QB, Jaguars) - For folks looking for an Aaron Rodgers or Matt Cassel replacement, or perhaps to provide depth for Kyle Orton, I like David Garrard as an option. Garrard is playing for a team in first place, and going toe-to-toe with his naysayers every week, and winning. In Week 14, Garrard threw for three touchdown passes, and next week, he faces a media circus as the Jaguars go head-to-head against the hot-on-their-trail, second-place Colts, which will inevitably put Garrard in the center of the big top. I think Garrard gets it done and locks in their division title against Peyton and company next week. In terms of availability, prior to Sunday's big numbers, Garrard struggled mightily in his previous two games, so he got dropped by a lot of owners. He's currently owned in 44 percent of leagues.

Alex Smith (QB, 49ers) - Here's another quality quarterback option for owners nursing some QB woes this week. Stepping in for a struggling Troy Smith and after missing time due to a shoulder injury, Alex Smith absolutely lit it up against Seattle with three touchdown passes and a whopping 130.9 passer rating. This performance was masterful. We know Smith and the 49ers struggle with week-to-week consistency, but Smith played really well. The one negative here is that the 49ers face the Chargers next week, yet the following week's matchup against St. Louis could be a nice start.

Jerricho Cotchery (WR, Jets) - It's hard to find many bright spots around the Jets' camp after the past two embarrassing losses, but one thing became evident Sunday, which is the fact that Jerricho Cotchery still has a place in the offense. After missing two weeks with a slight groin tear, quarterback Mark Sanchez targeted Cotchery 13 times. While he only managed to catch a mere five of those, Cotchery still gained 69 yards, making him a decent source of receiver depth for the home stretch.

Javarris James (RB, Colts) - Here's a guy who has been on the receiving end of some waiver wire flirtation over the past couple weeks, as he's found the end zone three times in the past two games. Nobody seems to give the guy credit or claim he's "for real," but he keeps scoring touchdowns. He also got the call as the featured back in the latter part of Sunday's game over Donald Brown, who keeps doing a whole lot of nothing. The Colts have Joseph Addai and Mike Hart nearing returns from their respective injuries, but folks in a pinch should still consider James as an option with the caveat that his value depends on the availability of Addai and Hart.

Arrelious Benn (WR, Buccaneers) - Tampa Bay rookie Arrelious Benn posted his first real breakout game of the season, giving the coaching staff reasons to start getting the ball in his hands. Benn showed some serious combustibility with a 64-yard reception and run after the catch, as well as a nice diving 43-yard grab. Overall, Benn tallied 122 yards receiving on four catches. He's a bit of a long shot as an actual fantasy starter, but like we said before, the fantasy playoffs are for the gutsy. Benn could be a sneaky play with the Lions and Seahawks on tap the next two weeks.

Marshawn Lynch (RB, Seahawks) - This is the second week in a row Marshawn Lynch made our waiver wire picks, which is significant, because that means he's strung together two consecutive quality games. He certainly didn't match last week's three-touchdown effort, but in Week 14 Marshawn caught seven passes out of the backfield for 37 yards and gained another 29 on the ground. In a pass-heavy outing for Seattle, Lynch showed he still has a big place in the offense.

Anthony Dixon (RB, 49ers) - We've speculated about this one at various times since the 49ers lost Frank Gore for the season. Brian Westbrook came in and got all the waiver wire hype, but we've wondered if this would result in more of a committee approach as things settle into place. Sure enough, Westbrook did what he does best: catch passes out of the backfield (6 catches, 87 yards, one TD), while Dixon got the majority of touches on the ground (14 carries, 60 yards). Going forward, look for Dixon to do more of the heavy lifting, while Westbrook becomes more of the backfield receiving threat.