/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47627433/usa-today-8912712.0.jpg)
Thanks to Alex Sonty for filling in for me last week. I hope Week 9 went well, and that Week 10 will be even better. Let's take a look at the waiver wire.
James Starks, Packers
I don't know exactly what's up with Eddie Lacy, but I get the feeling Green Bay is getting impatient. With the way James Starks has played, the Packers might be better to go with him until they can get Lacy going. Starks would be a top-10 option if given 20 touches a game.
Karlos Williams, Bills
Karlos Williams has scored in each of his first five NFL games. I don't trust LeSean McCoy to stay healthy, and Williams is one of the top, if not the top, running back handcuff this season. Williams should be owned in all leagues with bench spots.
James White/Brandon Bolden, Patriots
Good luck figuring out which one replaces Dion Lewis. I've been burned by James White in the past, so I might be biased, but I'd guess Brandon Bolden will have the first chance to claim the role. Still, I don't expect one to take all of Lewis' volume, as some or most of that will be redistributed to receivers or LeGarrette Blount.
Brandon LaFell, Patriots
He should already be owned in most leagues, but for some reason he isn't. With Dion Lewis out, Brandon LaFell should be the third option behind Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. This is the Patriots offense we're talking about, so the third option will still get his.
Dorial Green-Beckham, Titans
This pretty much explains itself. Dorial Green-Beckham has the talent necessary to be fantasy-relevant, and it now looks like he is getting the opportunity to prove himself. While I'm not thrilled about this week's with Carolina, he gets Jacksonville twice and Oakland in the three weeks after.
Kirk Cousins, Redskins
While Kirk Cousins has had only two big fantasy games, against Philadelphia in Week 4 and Tampa Bay in Week 7, he is in a prime spot against a New Orleans defense which has allowed Drew Brees and Marcus Mariota to throw for 10 passing touchdowns combined in the past two weeks. I can see a lot of garbage time potential for Cousins in the case of the game not turning into a shootout similar to those of the past few weeks.
Matthew Stafford, Lions
Apparently I'm going down with the Matthew Stafford ship. He has only one huge game on the season, the overtime thriller versus Chicago in Week 6. I'm going out on a limb saying that with the bye week to prepare for a Green Bay defense that has allowed monster games to Philip Rivers and Cam Newton this season. If he plays well this week, you can keep him for next week's matchup against the weak Oakland secondary.
Matt Jones, Redskins
Recently New Orleans has been getting burned through the air, but the Saints had allowed opposing running backs to surpass 100 rushing yards in five of the first six weeks. Washington has a rough schedule for running backs over the rest of the season, so I'm not sure how much multi-week potential is here.