Sneaky Starts: Week 2

Sep 13, 2013

All but the luckiest fantasy owners at some point need to find the proverbial diamond in the rough -- a waiver wire or bench player who is capable of putting up some points in a pinch. This weekly feature is dedicated to that part of fantasy football. It's not pretty, but it's part of the game.

In Week 1, our Sneaky Starts included Matt Schaub (QB6), Terrelle Pryor (QB13), Shane Vereen (RB6), DeAngelo Williams (RB19), Daryl Richardson (RB20), Bilal Powell (RB31), Mike Williams (WR23), Jordan Cameron (TE6), Brandon Myers (TE8) and Brent Celek (TE9).

At 4for4, we use Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed (aFPA) by position heavily in our rankings and analyses. For more detail, click here.

Note: These recommendations do not override our weekly rankings, which are updated throughout the week and weekend.

Raiders QB Terrelle Pryor (vs. JAX)
Pryor ran even more (112 yards) than expected and actually led the league in rushing yards after Sunday's games. This week he has what projects to be a great matchup (at home) against the Jaguars.

Cardinals QB Carson Palmer (vs. DET)
Palmer offered up a solid 327 yards and two TDs against the Rams and has an even better matchup this week against a shaky Lions secondary. Provided the O-line can give him time, Palmer should produce.

Texans QB Matt Schaub (vs. TEN)
Schaub was a Sneaky Start last week and came through with #6 QB numbers (346 yards, 3 TDs, INT). The Texans were playing from behind for most of the game, but Schaub is still capable of putting up good passing numbers against the Titans even with a lead. Tennessee's defense shut down the Pittsburgh run game last week, so Schaub may be forced to throw more than the Texans would like.