Harmon’s Waiver Wire Week 4: Ponder Ponder

Quarterbacks

1. Christian Ponder, MIN: Ponder dominated the 49ers in Sunday’s shocking win. Yes, I like the look of the Minnesota offense running forward. A healthy AP in the backfield opens up play-action, and defenses looking to stack the box get hit by Harvin, Rudolph and reinstated wideout Jerome Simpson.

2. Andy Dalton, CIN: Dalton lit up the injury-ravaged Washington defense, as expected. He has one of the most electrifying receivers in the game in A.J. Green, a budding PPR option in Andrew Hawkins and solid tight end in Jermaine Gresham. It’s not a slam dunk this week against Jacksonville, but he’s worthy of a look-see for fantasy owners looking to replace Roethlisberger on a Bye.

3. Ryan Fitzpatrick, BUF: Hail the Neckbeard. Fitzpatrick has completed 58% of his pass attempts with eight touchdowns. Stevie Johnson and Scott Chandler have made for a strong duo early. He’s a sneaky option against the New England secondary.

4. Shaun Hill, DET: Hill passed for 172 yards with two touchdowns in the frantic comeback against the Titans in Week 3, including the improbable “Hail Mary” completion to Titus Young, Sr. He’s in line for a possible start this week against the Vikings with Matthew Stafford ailing with a hip injury. The Lions are staring down a Week 5 Bye, so it’s possible that Stafford’s given the extra week to heal. With that said, it’d be a little easier to speculate on that possibility had the Lions won in Week 3. He’s a decent spot start against the Vikings with Calvin Johnson to toss it up to deep.

5. Kevin Kolb, ARI: Kolb finally got Larry Fitzgerald involved in Week 3 in a huge home win against the Eagles. He’s completed 64.4% of his pass attempts for the unbeaten Cardinals, generating five touchdowns (one rushing) and just a single turnover (fumble). Kolb and the Cardinals take on the Dolphins in Week 4.

Running Backs

1. Mikel Leshoure, DET: We told you to grab him before Sunday’s games kicked off. Leshoure rumbled over 100 yards with a touchdown in his NFL. Remember, he missed the 2011 season because of injury and was suspended for the first two games of 2012.

2. Ryan Williams, ARI: Beanie Wells got put on IR because of turf toe, putting Williams in pole position for the upstart Cardinals. He logged nearly 100 total yards in the Week 3 win over the Eagles.

3. Tashard Choice, BUF: Choice ran for 91 yards in place of the injured C.J. Spiller against the Browns. He’s in line for a workload split in Week 4 against New England, as Fred Jackson returned to practice on Wednesday. Spiller’s going to miss 1-2 weeks because of his shoulder injury.

3/4. Daniel Thomas/Lamar Miller, MIA: Reggie Bush didn’t sustain the huge injury originally feared, but he may be out for a week or two. Thomas rumbled for 69 yards with a touchdown in Week 3, while Miller averaged over five yards per carry as well.

5. Bilal Powell, NYJ: Shonn Greene has been ineffective through three games (he did nearly reach the lofty 100-yard mark in Week 1), thereby opening the door for Powell to pilfer some share of the backfield work. Powell logged 69 total yards on 12 touches against the Dolphins. He’s a non-starter against the 49ers, but he warrants a bench slot.

Wide Receivers

1. Jerome Simpson, MIN: Simpson was a highly-targeted option for the Bengals last season. He finally make his 2012 debut following a three-week suspension. The Vikings

2. Nate Washington, TEN: Washington caught all three passes for 112 yards with a touchdown in the shootout win over the Lions in Week 3. He’s caught 7-of-13 targets overall for 185 yards.

3. Ramses Barden, NYG: Barden got the start in Week 3 against the Panthers and tortured the Carolina secondary in place of the injured Hakeem Nicks (nine receptions for 138 yards). Nicks has still been unavailable at practice, but is expected to return for Sunday’s tilt against the Eagles. The match-up (assuming Nicks is in) puts Barden into the deep-WR3 or early-WR4 territory, but he should be rostered right now.

4. Denarius Moore, OAK: Moore caught five of his 11 targets for 45 yards against the Steelers. His role in the offense increases with Darrius Heyward-Bey sidelined following the frightening collision in the end zone.

5. Nate Burleson, DET: Burleson posted 11 targets (10 receptions) in that wild matchup against the Titans. He’s been targeted 23 times, producing 17 receptions.

6. Andrew Hawkins, CIN: Hawkins remains on the waiver wire in many leagues despite his huge production through three weeks. He’s caught 12-of-16 targets for 208 yards with two touchdowns.

Tight Ends

1. Martellus Bennett, NYG: He’s a monster, or so some may have forgotten since he played one week ago. Bennett’s been a beast in the red zone. Through three weeks, Bennett logged 15 receptions for 185 yards and scored in each of the Giants’ first three games.

2. Kyle Rudolph, MIN: The Week 3 Ninja caught two touchdown passes in the Vikings’ upset win over the 49ers. Rudolph has registered 13 receptions on 18 targets for 138 yards with three touchdowns.

3. Dennis Pitta, BAL: Pitta ranks among the most-targeted options in all of football. He’s caught 18-of-31 targets for 188 yards with two touchdowns in the wide-open Baltimore attack. He’s a prime plug-and-play option for Week 4 against the Browns.

4. Heath Miller, PIT: He’s on a Bye this week, but he’s been a red zone monster through three weeks. Miller’s caught four touchdowns, converting 15-of-20 targets for 129 receiving yards.

5. Brandon Myers, OAK: Myers has caught all 15 of his targets in 2012 for 206 yards. He hasn’t scored, but he’s a steady option for Carson Palmer.