Fantasy Football 2014: Early Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups, Add/Drop

Remember Kenny Britt? The former Tennessee Titans stud wide out who was plagued by injuries and some personal problems and was eventually released? He followed head coach Jeff Fisher to the St. Louis Rams and was a borderline sleeper pick for fantasy owners this season.

Well, all season he was a fringe WR3 for owners, if that, but he exploded for four receptions for 128 yards and his third touchdown of the season against a very talented Denver Broncos secondary in Week 11.

So we beg the question: did we see the last glimpse of Britt’s talent or can he sustain this for the rest of the season? At this point in the season, fantasy owners are liable to do some crazy things if it means getting into the playoffs, so it’s understandable if you want to burn a waiver-wire pickup on Britt.

Before Sunday’s game, Britt was third on the team in targets, fourth in catches and third in total yards. But against the Broncos, new starting quarterback Shaun Hill targeted Britt seven times, three more than any other Rams receiver. St. Louis also needs a receiver to step up and take some pressure off running back Tre Mason and tight end Jared Cook.

One drawback is St. Louis's schedule. Britt will face some tough secondaries in the next few weeks, including at San Diego next week, at Washington in Week 14 and then Arizona in Week 15.

At best, Britt should only be added in very deep leagues, but he does have some serious upside.

Along with Britt, let’s take a look at some other players to target for Week 12’s waiver wire following the early batch of games. Remember, always drop and add at your own discretion

Cody Latimer, WR, Denver Broncos

With Emmanuel Sanders’ status unknown after leaving the Rams game due to a violent hit, and Julius Thomas down with an ankle injury, Latimer is next up on the Broncos depth chart. For now, take a wait-and-see approach with Latimer (he has one catch for nine yards so far), but monitor him as well as veteran Andre "Bubba" Caldwell.

Alfred Blue, RB, Houston Texans

Most smart Arian Foster owners already picked up Blue for insurance purposes, but in leagues where he’s available, Blue could be a marquee pick up before Week 12. He’s owned in only 54 percent of ESPN and 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. The Texans will be careful with Foster, so Blue could get some extra burn next week following his 150-plus yard performance.

Ryan Mallett, QB, Houston Texans

All that time behind Tom Brady had to pay some dividends. Mallett was terrific in his first career start, lighting up a VERY talented Cleveland pass defense for more than 200 passing yards and two touchdowns. He’s likely going to be the starter for the rest of the season and has some great matchups against a dwindling Bengals D, and two games against lowly Jacksonville. Mallett serves as protection for any owner looking for some QB insurance late in the year.

Others to watch: Roy Helu, RB, Redskins; Rams DST; Luke Willson, TE, Seahawks; Doug Baldwin, WR, Seahawks; Rueben Randle, WR, Giants;