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Tom Kessenich

NFFC Waiver Wire Targets

November 25, 2009 10:45am CST

One of the most challenging aspects owners are confronted with in the National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) is deciding how to best utilize their free-agent budget throughout the season.

Each owner has $1,000 in free-agent money they can spend. The trick is deciding how best to spend it.

Do you bid aggressively early in the season if a player or two emerges who you think could make a big impact? Or do you approach things more conservatively early in the year and save your money until the stretch run, hoping to pounce on an emerging player or two who could be a huge factor in the playoffs?

The owners who bid aggressively on Mike Sims-Walker early in the season have been rewarded with a stud No. 1 fantasy wide receiver. Conversely, the owners who spent a healthy amount of their free-agent budget on Miles Austin received a couple of gigantic games but misery of late.

So deciding which strategy to take is often one of the keys in determining an owner's success or failure in our two national events.

Last week, the NFFC owners who saved their money decided to step up to the plate and bid aggressively. They knew that with the regular season about to end after Week 13, there was little time left to find a player or two who could make an impact this season. That aggressive approach was evident in both the 14-team NFFC Classic event and the 12-team NFFC Primetime.

Here is a look at the top bids in both events for Week 11:

NFFC CLASSIC
Jason Avant (picked up in 15 leagues/high bid of $240)
James Casey (8/$77)
Julian Edelman (7/$128)
Brandon Gibson (21/$321)
Lex Hilliard (20/$151)
Chris Jennings (12/$211)
Bernard Scott (5/$400)
Jason Snelling (11/$880)
Leonard Weaver (6/$125)

NFFC PRIMETIME
Jason Avant (12/$87)
James Casey (7/$50
Brandon Gibson (21/$200)
Lex Hilliard (13/$150)
Muhsin Muhammad (7/$283)
Bernard Scott (6/$287)
Jason Snelling (10/$750)
Leonard Weaver (8/$88)

Jason Avant's huge Week 10 game made him a darling of the NFFC and the owners who started him in Week 11 enjoyed another productive game as Avant caught four passes, including a touchdown, in the Eagles' win at Chicago.

Another wide receiver - St. Louis' Brandon Gibson - was one of the hottest free-agent pickups last week. Gibson was targeted in nearly every Classic and Primetime league, carrying a high bid of $321 in one of the Classic leagues. The owners who started him saw 17 passes thrown Gibson's way and five receptions in the Rams' loss to Arizona.

The most aggressive dollar amount, however, was spent on the position that continues to define fantasy football - running back. With Michael Turner on the shelf with a high ankle sprain, Jason Snelling stepped into the starting lineup for Atlanta and our NFFC owners went after him with a fury.

Of the 11 teams that acquired Snelling in the NFFC Classic, six spent at least $375 with a high bid of $880. The lowest successful bid was $189.

Meanwhile, of the 10 teams that acquired Snelling in the NFFC Primetime, four bid at least $350. The lowest successful bid for Snelling last week was $166.

It was clear that the owners who had money to spend in the NFFC were willing to invest heavily in Snelling. Their faith was rewarded in Week 11 as Snelling finished with 89 total yards and two touchdowns in Atlanta's overtime loss to the Giants.

Bernard Scott was another player the NFFC owners targeted aggressively. Although his tenure in the starting lineup for Cincinnati could be brief - starter Cedric Benson is expected back for Week 12 - Scott's starting potential still made him a popular free-agent target last week.

This is crunch time in the NFFC and now's the time when owners who have free-agent money left are going to make their move. Snelling and Avant were examples of players picked up with aggressive bids who paid immediate dividends. Gibson could potentially be an impact player in the remaining weeks of the season.

Saving free-agent money in the NFFC is no longer an option. It's put up or shut up time and the bids reflected that last week.

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