Waiver Wire Wonders: Meet Jerome Simpson

Yeah, I probably could have come up with a better Simpsons reference for a lede this week, but let's be serious: the only people making pickups this week are fantasy low-lives. In my not-so-humble opinion, anyone who plays championship week during Week 17 should be considered amateur hour. You noobs have never been burned by your studs playing a quarter and a half before grabbing the headset and baseball cap. When teams have their playoff spots locked down, too often a Week 17 game looks about as competitive as that of a preseason game. That said, we're still here to help you knuckleheads who have one more week with our waiver wire advice. Just don't let it happen again.

Jerome Simpson (WR, Bengals) -- With the Bengals down both Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, Jerome Simpson came up with choice numbers on Sunday, catching six passes for 124 yards and a pair of teeders. The Bengals face a tough host at Baltimore next week, but the passing game looked great against an equally tough Chargers defense, so Simpson looks like a nice pickup for final week of the season. One item of consideration, in assessing the viability of Simpson keep in mind that Andre Caldwell also had a big game, so either one actually makes a decent add.

Correll Buckhalter (RB, Broncos) -- When Knowshon Moreno left Sunday's game early after aggravating his rib injury, journeyman running back Correll Buckhalter came in and stole the show. Buckhalter not only gained 92 total yards, but he also scored a pair of touchdowns on the day. It doesn't look good for Moreno next week and the Broncos aren't likely to rush him back with nothing on the line, so look for more of the same from Buckhalter.

Jared Cook (TE, Titans) -- If one thing will really stick out in my mind about 2010 from a fantasy perspective, it's how challenging it's been at the tight end position. Think about it: Dallas Clark, Jermichael Finley, Antonio Gates, Zach Miller, Chris Cooley and Owen Daniels all suffered significant injuries in 2010 -- and that's just to name a few. Well, the next guy to put on your radar to help patch together a lineup in absence of your big name is Jared Cook. Cook came up with five catches for 96 yards and a score and looks poised to get a lot of looks in the final game of the season against Indy.

Dominic Rhodes (RB, Colts) -- It almost wouldn't be a fantasy season if we didn't have at least one Dominic Rhodes sighting on waiver wire wonders. In Week 16, Rhodes came out of nowhere to put up 98 yards rushing. The situation for next week is not exactly clear-cut, as both Joseph Addai and Donald Brown also shared in the carries, but Rhodes was quite productive, so be sure to keep an eye on things over the course of the week. Should the Colts name Rhodes the starter, he could be a nifty play for teams lacking RB depth.

Jacoby Jones (WR, Texans) -- Andre Johnson missed his Week 16 game, and in his absence, Jacoby Jones picked up the slack. Jones caught five passes and cracked the century mark with 115 yards. Andre Johnson looks pretty iffy for next week as well. So, Jacoby Jones should be added as a valuable play in Week 17 with the caveat that Andre Johnson's progress needs to be monitored. If Johnson plays, you probably should sit Jones out.

Tim Tebow (QB, Broncos) -- This week, I just wanted to reiterate Tebow as a valid pickup, even though we featured him in last week's edition. Tebow showed consistency with another strong fantasy outing on Sunday, as he threw for 308 yards and a touchdown, while adding 27 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Broncos face the Chargers next week -- which will scare most people away -- but after two good games, I think it's worth rolling the dice again.

John Kuhn (RB, Packers) -- In the dismal Packers backfield, the latest player to show up as a waiver wire prospect is John Kuhn. While the 250-pound fullback doesn't get a ton of looks, he does get the ones that count: the goal-line carries. Kuhn now has four touchdowns in the past two weeks, so folks looking for some RB depth could do worse. There's a chance that Kuhn reeks of a goose egg, but it's also hard to argue with the clear-cut favoritism the Packers have shown in getting him the ball close to the end zone.