Share

Tweet

Share

Share

Email

Normally I wouldn’t even think of doing a waiver wire recommendations blog in Week 15. If you are in the playoffs, you need to stick with the team that brought you to the dance. Unfortunately Aaron Rodgers owners have no choice but to look at the waiver wire this week unless they were lucky enough to stash a decent QB2 on their bench.

This week’s fantasy football waiver wire Week 15 pickup blog is going to be dedicated to Aaron Rodgers owners. Aaron Rodgers currently sits as the number one player in most leagues at all positions. Chances are if you owned Rodgers, you are in the fantasy playoffs. Chances are also good that with Rodgers availability unknown due to injury you are in a world of panic!

Fortunately not all is lost for you Aaron Rodgers fantasy owners. While there isn’t anyone out there that will give you the 20+ you expect from Rodgers, there are quite a few suitable replacements with great matchups this week who are practically guaranteed to give you double digits.

Kerry Collins, Tennessee Titans – If I owned Aaron Rodgers and needed a quarterback this week for my fantasy playoffs the first place I’d look is the quarterback opposing the Houston Texans defense. Enter Kerry Collins, yes that Kerry Collins. The Houston Texans give up more points to opposing fantasy quarterbacks than any other team in the NFL. The Texans have given up 15 touchdowns in 7 weeks, giving up at least in every week but two all year. Collins had as many fantasy points last week as Michael Vick. The Texans did shut out the Titans when they played a few weeks ago but that was with Rusty Smith starting for the Titans. Kenny Britt is back, Bo Scaife is hot, and Kerry Collins could be your savior this week.

Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Surprisingly, Freeman is still available in a lot of leagues which is surprising for a guy that has had double digit weeks all but one this season. He wasn’t very good against the Redskins but it was a rainy day and he had some real bad drops from his receivers. I wouldn’t take too much away from that game. Freeman and the Bucs host the Detroit Lions this weekend who are 21st overall against fantasy quarterbacks. The Lions have gotten better in recent weeks but have you watched Drew Stanton? He turns the ball over quite a bit and I’d almost bet on two turnovers for the Bucs. If those turnovers are in the right place you could see Freeman put up some easy points on Sunday. Mike Williams lack of production lately scares me a bit, but you can count on Freeman to find someone in the end zone and give his guys plenty of opportunities.

Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks – Look past the abysmal Seahawks performance last week and you will see that Hasselbeck had two touchdowns and close to 20 points. Hasselbeck is hosting the Atlanta Falcons this week. Yes Atlanta is looking like the number one seed going into the postseason but keep a few things in mind. One, if there was ever a look-ahead game for the Falcons it is this one a week before a division showdown at home against the New Orleans Saints. Two, the Falcons are not strong on the road while the Seahawks play much better at home. Three, Mike Williams and Ben Obomanu are expected to be back in the Seahawks lineup. With the Packers going to Foxboro this week, you may actually wind up with more points from Hasselbeck than you would have gotten from Rodgers.

David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars – Why did I put Garrard near the bottom of this list? Well the reason for that is he isn’t as available as these other guys. I recommended David Garrard five weeks ago and picked up myself due to his enticing fantasy schedule in these critical weeks. Unfortunately I didn’t take my own advice and sat him last week as he put up 21 points in my league. His next three games are against three of the worst passing defenses in the NFL. He plays the Indianapolis Colts this week in a rivalry game, a team that has given up 8 touchdowns in the last 5 weeks to quarterbacks. Garrard put up 24 against them earlier in the season. He probably isn’t available but if he is, grab him and you may only notice a difference of 2-4 points per week from what you lost with Aaron Rodgers.

Jon Kitna, Dallas Cowboys – I am not crazy about this matchup but once again, you could do a lot worse. Kitna has had almost identical numbers to Tony Romo since taking over as starter and let’s face it, if you owned Tony Romo you’d play him this week. The Redskins defense have really stepped up since giving up four touchdowns to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. But, Jason Witten is hot and the Redskins have given up some touchdowns to tight ends this season. Witten got two against the Eagles last Sunday night and I could easily see him doing the same thing Sunday against his rival.

Article first published as 5 Fantasy Football Options for Aaron Rodgers Owners on Technorati.

Get your NFL jerseys discounted now on Amazon.com

EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp for the Wii

The New Orleans Saints Story: The 43-Year Road to the Super Bowl XLIV Championship

Join ESPN Insider today for the best sports analysis online, plus ESPN The Magazine!

Madden NFL 11: Prima Official Game Guide