Pickups of the Week: C.J. Prosise joins the party

Each week throughout the NFL season, we identify six players to target on fantasy waiver wires, plus a lightly owned D/ST. All are available in a majority of Yahoo leagues. Add as needed.

C.J. Prosise, RB, Seattle Seahawks, 34% owned

Prosise has spent most of his rookie season with Seattle’s training staff, dealing with various injuries — first a hamstring issue in camp, then shoulder and wrist trouble. Entering Week 10, he’d received only 17 touches as a pro. He was little more than a rumor in the Seahawks offense. If you drafted Prosise as a lottery ticket back in July or August, you’d long since moved on.

Today, however, it’s time to reinvest. Prosise was featured early and often in Seattle’s win at New England, leading his team in both rushing and receiving. He carried the ball 17 times for 66 yards on Sunday night, adding seven catches on as many targets, gaining another 87 yards. Prosise was stone-walled at the goal-line by the Pats, but he was otherwise terrific. Head coach Pete Carroll was, per his usual, full of praise:

It took a few weeks, but Prosise’s production finally matched the post-draft hype. Christine Michael delivered a string of unspectacular performances before reportedly being cut on Tuesday. Thomas Rawls is expected to return for the Philly game in Week 11, and he’s obviously a much greater threat to claim a share of the backfield work. Let’s just keep in mind the fact that Rawls has only rarely played or practiced over the past 11 months, due to significant injuries (ankle, fibula). It seems reasonable to expect a job-share arrangement in this team’s backfield, with Prosise emerging as the preferred PPR option. Both he and Rawls need to be owned.

FAAB bid: $16

James Starks, RB, Green Bay Packers, 26%

Starks finally returned from his knee injury in Week 10, and he immediately dominated the snaps (55) and touches (10) in Green Bay’s backfield. Game-flow prevented him from seeing a substantial workload, but he was clearly the Pack’s primary rushing option. Ty Montgomery finished with just three carries for nine yards and two catches for 11. Starks is basically the opposite of a high-upside waiver flier, of course; he’s 30 years old and averaging less than 3.0 yards per carry this season. Volume shouldn’t be a problem in the weeks ahead, however. With Eddie Lacy on IR (ankle), Starks is the unrivaled lead back in Green Bay. He gets neutral-to-favorable matchups with Washington and Philadelphia over his next two games. Flex him and hope for a score, but don’t throw all your remaining FAAB his way.

FAAB bid: $6

Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs, 19% owned

We knew Hill would see additional opportunities in Week 10, as Jeremy Maclin is dealing with a groin injury that could cost him multiple games. Still, it was a small surprise that Hill drew 13 targets on the afternoon, ultimately finishing with 10 receptions for 89 yards. He added one carry for a dozen yards. The rookie has rare speed, sub-4.3, and he’s currently leading the Chiefs in receiving touchdowns (4). Next Sunday, Hill faces a Tampa Bay defense that’s allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers. Hill should rank as a top-25 fantasy option at his position, assuming Maclin remains unavailable.

FAAB bid: $7

Eli Rogers, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1%

One week after delivering a six-catch, 103-yard performance at Baltimore, Rogers caught four balls for 42 yards and one score in Sunday’s narrow loss to Dallas. Injuries have been an issue for Pittsburgh’s second-year slot receiver, but he’s healthy now and Big Ben is feeding him. The Steelers have a get-well game coming up at Cleveland, so don’t be surprised if Rogers tops 10 fantasy points for a third straight week. The Browns have allowed a league-worst 25 passing TDs so far this season.

FAAB bid: $7

Cameron Meredith, WR, Chicago Bears, 31%

We learned on Monday that Alshon Jeffery is facing a four-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy, a stunning piece of news that somehow fits perfectly within this Bears season. Jeffery wasn’t exactly carrying fantasy owners to wins on a weekly basis, but he remained the top option in Chicago’s receiving corps. Meredith gets a huge bump in value while Alshon is out, and we’ve already seen that the second-year receiver is capable of big things. He offers excellent size (6-foot-3) and athleticism (4.4 speed, 39-inch vertical), and he has a pair of 100-yard games to his credit. He and Zach Miller are the names to target if you feel compelled to grab a share of the Jay Cutler experience.

FAAB bid: $12

Robert Woods, WR, Buffalo Bills, 15%

Buffalo is one of just three NFL teams currently averaging less than 200 passing yards per week (188.7), so we won’t give you a hard sell on any Bills receiver. It’s worth noting, however, that Woods saw 13 targets in his last game, hauling in 10 balls for 162 yards in the Monday night loss at Seattle. Woods lacks the flash and big-play potential of the injured Sammy Watkins, but he’s clearly this team’s most trusted receiving option while No. 14 is sidelined. (Don’t be distracted by Percy Harvin, gamers.) On Sunday, Buffalo will face Cincinnati’s unimpressive pass defense (7.8 Y/A allowed) with the Bengals coming off a short week. Woods has a great shot at finding the end-zone while gaining 60-plus yards.

FAAB bid: $4

Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco, 12%

It’s not a quarterbacking clinic at all times with Kaepernick, and his receiving corps is scandalously ordinary. But Kaepernick has also averaged 57 rushing yards per game in his four starts this season, tossing five touchdown passes and adding another score on the ground. He’s finished as a top-eight fantasy QB in back-to-back weeks, and he has a matchup ahead with New England, a defense that ranks only mid-pack in yards allowed. If you need a one-week placeholder quarterback, Kaep deserves a long look. His dual-threat ability gives him a higher fantasy floor than the standard-issue waiver wire QB.

FAAB bid: $5

Miami Dolphins, 17%

Miami has delivered six sacks and six takeaways over the past two weeks since returning from bye, and the team has upcoming dates with Los Angeles, San Francisco and Baltimore. Don’t be surprised if this group produces double-digit fantasy totals in at least two of those three matchups. Next week, the Dolphins should feast on Case Keenum and friends.

FAAB bid: $3

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