Baldwin safe bet for Week 9

While Week 8 did not have as many injuries to significant fantasy players as the last few, certain roles became more defined. This also marked the last week when the schedule will have six teams on bye. While this means that more players will be available on your roster, there will still be gems to find on the waiver wire for the rest of the season.

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Greg Olsen, TE, CAR - Olsen had a nice day Sunday, finishing with 73 receiving yards and a touchdown. With opposing defenses focused on shutting down the resurgent Steve Smith, Cam Newton has taken advantage of single coverage down the seams to get both Olsen and Jeremy Shockey involved in the passing game. Olsen has scored at least nine fantasy points in standard formats in three of the last five weeks. At the very least he's worth a look if your starter is on bye and would be a top-10 TE option if Shockey (three missed games last season) was to suffer an injury.

Javon Ringer, RB, TEN - I'm starting to think something is wrong with Chris Johnson. Watching him blame his offensive line is not the smartest angle for him to take, and his paltry 2.8 YPC says he's to blame on some level. Ringer's 3.5 YPC isn't a huge improvement, but that's also as a small sample size. Ringer was mainly used in the fourth quarter and his 4.3 YPC was notable considering it was the first time he had more than six carries in a game. This means that if he was given a larger volume of work, his 4.3 YPC is more likely to be indicative of future success than the 3.5 YPC mark. It's tough to say what the Titans will do given the $30 million Johnson is guaranteed but also just a half game out of first place. Stash Ringer on your bench, especially if you're a Chris Johnson owner.

Laurent Robinson, WR, DAL - Robinson is clearly the fourth-best receiving option in the Dallas after Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. However, playing alongside those three usually gives him single coverage, and he has shown the ability to get separation from opposing defensive backs. He's in his prime at 26 and has the size (6-foor-2, 200) to be a No. 2 WR on most teams. Sunday's game against Philadelphia was actually his second 100-yard performance despite playing in only five games. Keep him in mind, especially if Dez Bryant or Miles Austin goes down with another injury.

Jon Baldwin, WR, KC - Look at this list of players as an answer to a question: Titus Young, Torrey Smith, Greg Little and Eric Decker. The question is which wide receivers were drafted after Jon Baldwin. The K.C. wideout is in the 6-4 range (listed higher in some places) and weighs 230, which means he's the same size as Calvin Johnson and made plays at Pittsburgh reminiscent of former Panther Larry Fitzgerald. To compare or suggest he'll have the success of either of those is premature and reckless. However, there is a ton of upside with the rookie wide receiver who not only caught his first touchdown pass Monday night but was on the field for most of the offensive snaps. His presence also gives a boost to Matt Cassel's value; just don't think Baldwin will be getting a Christmas card from Thomas Jones.

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Ben Obomanu, WR, SEA - It was beneficial for the Seahawks receivers that Tavaris Jackson was able to play, given the lack of production from Charlie Whitehurst. Obomanu has quietly been a solid fantasy option, scoring at least nine fantasy points in three of his last four games. Don't be surprised if at some point Seattle shuts down top receiving option Sidney Rice (labrum), giving Obomanu a boost in targets and value.

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, PIT - Love for Antonio Brown has been noted in this column, and after Sunday's performance most teams will take note of him if they already have not. Enter Sanders, who in his own right is a solid upside play as evidenced by his five catches for 70 yards. His value lies primarily on two things: being in a PPR format and having Hines Ward on the sideline. If both of those pertain to your team, he's worth a look if you need a wide receiver option.

Braylon Edwards, WR, SF - Tell me how old he is, immediately. Would you believe he's only 28 and thus in the prime (minus being injury-free) of his career? This gives Alex Smith another excellent target in the passing game on a team with a dominant running attack. Edwards finished with four catches for 42 yards, which isn't a ton, but teams will first look to lock down Frank Gore, who has averaged 6.5 YPC his last four games. That makes a healthy Edwards worth consideration.

Phillip Tanner, RB, DAL - With DeMarco Murray and Felix Jones both injury risks, it's hard to ignore Tanner. He's a bulky back who has a different skill set than Murray or Jones; he's a bruiser. While at this point he's a reach in most formats, he's one injury away from relevance, which makes the time to add him now.

Curtis Brinkley, RB, SD - Can you actually say Mike Tolbert or Ryan Mathews are locks to play 16 games given the last season and a half? Brinkley was the man at Syracuse before Delone Carter (see Indy) and now has a role in the potent San Diego offense given the injury scares of the two running backs ahead of him. At least stash him and see how the next few weeks play out.

Victor Cruz, WR, NYG - While initial tests on Hakeem Nicks showed no injury, it's worth hopping on the Cruz bandwagon. Cruz could be available given the Giants bye week coupled with the re-emergence of Mario Manningham. Make no mistake, Cruz is a playmaker even though he puts the ball in compromising positions. The Giants have a brutal upcoming schedule, which means they'll likely pass a lot, so Cruz is a WR3 or Flex play, minimally, given your position.

POWER RANKINGS

With the regular season in full swing, which teams make big moves in our power rankings?

Kevin Faulk, RB, NE - Despite being on a team with more than adequate options at running back, Faulk received a team-high six carries as well as six catches. Owners in PPR formats should take note; with Brady in 2009 he was targeted almost five times a game. While he shouldn't be a target in most standard formats, he could be useful for those as a flex option in PPR formats if he continues to receive 10-plus touches a game.

Raiders, D - They've got Tim Tebow and are coming off a bye, so they're well rested. Tebow has been sacked 13 times in the last two games and now heads to the road. Richard Seymour will be ready to go against a visiting team that was ransacked last week. Yes, Tebow is producing in fantasy fronts, but outside of a few minutes, so are defenses. (Heads up: K.C. gets Tebow next).

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