NFL Waiver Wire: One Last Shot

While most leagues have already been decided, some count total points or use Week 17 as their championship. If your season is over, I strongly urge you to check out fantasy playoff leagues. You can either draft a team snake style and get the total points throughout the playoffs from that player or do a league where you can only use a player once and then their done. Either way helps make watching the playoffs more exciting, especially if your team didn't make it.

QUARTERBACK

Secondary Targets

Terrelle Pryor, OAK - The Raiders are giving Pryor another shot this week so they can evaluate him and determine what to do with him for next season. Pryor makes this list because he should have a decent floor considering he's averaged 63 rushing yards per game. In most leagues that's like adding 150 passing yards (if 25 yards passing for a point) to his totals. He should have fresh legs after watching Matt McGloin these last few weeks, and he'll have Andre Holmes in the mix at wide receiver. FAAB: $3-6

Hail Mary

Kyle Orton, DAL - It looks as though Tony Romo will miss this week's pivotal tilt against the Eagles due to a herniated disc. Enter Orton, who is probably one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league. He has a solid receiving corps and gets the benefit of playing at home. I'm still not overly impressed with the Eagles defense, so the matchup isn't bad either. FAAB: $1 or FCFS

RUNNING BACK

Primary Targets

James Starks, GB - While you have to love the way Eddie Lacy runs, I don't think it's a coincidence he gets hurt and has miss time on multiple occasions during games this season. Starks has had his own injury issues during his career but appears to be healthier than Lacy. Lacy's ankle injury could sideline him this week, moving Starks into the lead running-back role. The matchup doesn't get any better than a banged up Bears defense that just got rolled by LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown. Watch the injury and practice reports this week to see if Starks gets the starting nod.FAAB: $25-30

Knile Davis, KC - Andy Reid noted in his Monday press conference that he's entertaining the notion of resting his starters so they're fresh for the playoffs. Kansas City is locked into the five seed, and this would put Davis, who should get 15-plus touches, into play. The Andy Reid system is friendly to running backs, and Davis has looked competent in limited work this season. Quietly, Davis has two rushing touchdowns in his last three games and wouldn't lose work at the goal line. FAAB: $20-25

Jonathan Grimes, HOU - I was a little disappointed Sunday in Dennis Johnson, who totaled only 30 yards from scrimmage off 14 touches. It was revealed Monday that he had a hip injury, and Grimes has already been named the starter for the season finale against Tennessee. The pride of William and Mary, Grimes led the nation in all-purpose yards his senior season in college. This is his second go-around with the Texans, which means he should be familiar with the playbook. With Deji Kareem out and Dennis Johnson likely out for Sunday's game, Grimes could be in for a heavy workload. FAAB: $20-25

Secondary Targets

Michael Cox, NYG - While not official, Andre Brown likely suffered a concussion against the Lions and could miss this week's game. Brown claimed after the game that he was fine, but he still has to go through the concussion protocol. Cox averages less than two yards per carry, so there's not a lot to get overly excited about. Still, a large volume of touches is possible, and the Redskins are an excellent matchup for a running back. FAAB: $4-8

WIDE RECEIVERS

Secondary Targets

Andre Holmes, OAK - Since his breakout game on Thanksgiving, Holmes has maintained consistent production with 62, 58 and 71 receiving yards over his last three games. He has shown the knack to make a big play and averages nearly 18 yards per catch. He's definitely worth a look in keeper or dynasty leagues as he could emerge as the Raiders No. 1 wide receiver as soon as next season.FAAB: $3-6

Brandon LaFell, CAR - LaFell is something of an odd call considering he had only one catch for 13 yards against the Saints. However, it looks like Steve Smith will miss this week's game with a knee injury, which could lead to more targets for LaFell. He has five touchdowns this season and should see at least 6-8 targets this week against a weak Atlanta defense. FAAB: $3-6

Hail Mary

Stedman Bailey, STL - I've been waiting for the Rams to give Bailey a shot, considering they don't have any future Hall of Famers playing wide receiver. Bailey got a long look Sunday with his former collegiate teammate Tavon Austin out with an ankle injury. He finished with 82 yards from scrimmage, including a 27-yard reverse in which he had a large convoy of blockers helping him into the end zone. He saw the second-most snaps among the St. Louis wide receivers and should play a similar role this week. The problem is the matchup doesn't look good as the Rams head up to Seattle. FAAB: $1 or FCFS

TIGHT End

Secondary Targets

Ryan Griffin, HOU - Griffin has flown under the radar the last two weeks, posting games of 66 and 62 receiving yards for the Texans. He's benefitted from Owen Daniels and Garrett Graham being out with injuries, and while they could return this week, Houston has nothing to play for. Griffin is still developing as a blocker, but fortunately for fantasy purposes that has little impact on his value. He's worth a look in leagues that start two tight ends and has a decent matchup against the Titans. FAAB: $4-8

That's going to do it for this column. Hope you've enjoyed reading it and that some waiver pickups along the way helped you to a championship. You can look for my column, Payne's Perspective to pick up in a couple of months with my commentary and thoughts on the NFL for next season.