Waiver Wired | Week 3: Martz Fest 2008

My weekly "Waiver Wired" column is up at Rotoworld for Week 3. Summary is below, but click here for the full article. Keep in mind this article is through Rotoworld and is intended for more shallow redraft leagues as opposed to a deeper roster Dynasty league.

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Admit it: there was once a time when you as a fantasy owner would have followed Mike Martz into hell. The Greatest Show on Turf Rams of the 1999-2001 seasons were a gift from the fantasy gods that have left many a mantle littered with trophies.

It's a long drop, however, when a star falls from great heights. As a wise man once said, the star is not only dead when it hits but digs its own grave with the force of its fall. Mike Martz, once an offensive genius and guru of the gridiron, was left for dead by fantasy owners after his dismal stint in Detroit. Owners who had once gazed upon his luminosity with wonder, stumbled away muttering about an abandoned running game and failed quarterback protections.

But doubts about Frank Gore's value and bewilderment at a team with quintessential journeyman J.T. O'Sullivan under center have given way to a waiver wire rush for 49ers skill position players. O'Sullivan remains an ideal roll of the dice QB2 while Bryant Johnson and Martz acolyte Isaac Bruce top the wide receiver waiver picks. This team won't remind anyone of the Super Bowl Rams, but the offense has graduated from incompetent to frisky. There is plenty of fantasy value to be found in San Francisco with a rebirth of Martz trust, so let's begin mining for gold.

On to the waiver wire, which has seen early week sensations like DeSean Jackson, Eddie Royal, and Kurt Warner lead savvy owners to a sterling 2-0 start. Here's how I rank the likely targets at each position this week. Full writeups of each player are below.

QUARTERBACKS
1. J.T. O'Sullivan
2. Trent Edwards
3. Kerry Collins
4. Brian Griese
5. Gus Frerotte
6. Brady Quinn

RUNNING BACKS
1. Pierre Thomas
2. Darren Sproles
3. Michael Bush
4. Fred Jackson
5. Ahmad Bradshaw
6. Kenny Watson
7. LaMont Jordan
8. Brandon Jackson

WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Bryant Johnson
2. Isaac Bruce
3. Matt Jones
4. Justin Gage
5. Antonio Bryant
6. James Jones
7. Kevin Curtis / Deion Branch / Bobby Engram
8. Donnie Avery
9. Koren Robinson

TIGHT ENDS
1. Tony Sheffler
2. John Carlson
3. Ben Patrick