Fantasy Football Week 13 Last Second Fill-Ins

With injuries continuing to plague players of all calibers many owners are in need of some fill-ins.  With the regular season winding down in many leagues, let’s take a look at some last-second fill-ins before the postseason beings.

Last second QB Fill-ins:

Kyle Orton– He has been taking snaps with the Kansas City Chiefs first-team offense this week.  No matter what Todd Haley says, actions speak louder than words.  The Chiefs week 13 opponent is the Chicago Bears.  While their defense is always good,The Bears have given up 14.5 ppg to opposing QBs this season, good enough for 16^th overall.  Orton has an array of good-to-great receivers to choose from, including Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston, and the extremely athletic Jonathan Baldwin. Orton, owned in 18 percent of leagues, is a strong last-minute pick-up.

T.J. Yates– Although he is a deeper find then Orton, Yates is still a strong pick-up.  Although the Texans acquired Jake Delhomme, Yates is still the starter option.  In fact, acquiring Delhomme is great for Yates as he gets to learn from an experienced veteran.  Yates has three main factors that could lead to a good performance in week 13.  One, he has Andre Johnson.  Two, the Falcons allow 14.7 ppg to opposing quarterbacks.  Finally, Yates has a very strong run game that can take pressure off  him.  In addition to the run-game, Adrian Foster is one of, if not the best receiving running backs out of the backfield since Brian Westbrook. Yates, owned in 0.2 percent of leagues, is available.

Last Second RB Fill-ins:

Maurice Morris– It is still unclear whether Kevin Smith will or will not start next week versus the Saints.  Even if he does, Morris played well enough against the Packers to earn some extra touches.  If Smith does not start, then Morris is the only other choice.  The Saints rank 19^th in fantasy versus opposing RB, allowing 16.0 ppg.  With the Lions high-powered offense, Morris could have a good game regardless of Smith.  Owned in 40 percent of leagues, it would be a good idea to get him now before it is too late.

Donald Brown– I am only giving him the nod because I still do not trust Roy Helu.  However, Brown played well enough after sitting out the first quarter last week to overtake Joseph Addai.  However, as abysmal as the Colts offense has been, Brown has at least been somewhat consistent.  He is facing the New England Patriots this week, who allow 15.4 ppg to opposing running backs. Yet, there is one downside:  the Colts are likely to go down early to the far superior Patriots, causing them to abandon the run-game.  However, crazier things have happened, but Brown is worth a look.  Owned in 15.4 percent of leagues, he is available.

Don’t be Fooled:

Greg Little– Yes, he is the only real receiver on the Cleveland Browns.  Yes, he had 12 targets last week in a loss to the Cincinatti Bengals.   But, yes he only caught five of the 12 passes, dropping four in the process.  To this point in the season Little has 12 drops, good enough for top-three in the league.  Although he may be the only guy, I still don’t trust him.

Roy Helu– Helu will soon take over as the definition for inconsistency.  Although it is not his entire fault, he does get some of the blame.  Though Mike  Shanahan never decides who will get the bulk of the carries, Helu has had his chance to solidify the No. 1 spot.  Yet, when the time came he failed to step up to the test.  With the exception of his 21-point outburst against the Seahawks last week, since week six Helu’s production in points has been; 1, 0,2,12, 5, 3.  It is just too tough to rely on him.

Best of luck, lock up your playoffs spots and see you next week.