The Rocket

Issue date: 10/19/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: MCT Campus Miami Dolphins quarterback Cleo Lemon, who is starting in place of injured QB Trent Green, put up big numbers a week ago against Cleveland. Many coaches around the league fear Lemon's mobility and arm strength, which he will have to use if the Dolphins are going to have success in the second half of the season. [Click to enlarge]

It's time for a change. Your fantasy football team is 0-6, 1-5, or 2-4 and you're looking up at the leaders of your league wondering went wrong.

Maybe you're 2-4, and drafted LaDainian Tomlinson first overall only to watch in horror as he was, well, not LT during the first four weeks of the season.

Or maybe the dream team you assembled on draft day has been less than impressive. (Marc Bulger, Travis Henry, Lee Evans and Vernon Davis: I'm looking in your direction.) Now is not the time to panic, but if you do have a losing record at this point in the season, it's time to take a good, hard look why, because it's not too late to get your fantasy team into the playoffs.

Half of everything is luck. If you're in the top three or four in scoring (assuming you're in a 12-team league) and find yourself with a losing record, you're probably just unlucky enough to have opponents that have had their highest scoring game of the season.

If that's the case, the best advice I can give is to ride it out.

On the other hand, if your team is in the bottom half of points scored in the league, you've been plagued by injuries, or you're looking for mid-season depth that could pay off big down the line, this is the article for you. Your goal is to find players that have underperformed to this point and are due for a rebound, have missed time due to injury, or may see a big increase in playing time over the second half of the season. Such players may not set the world on fire, but they are likely available on your league's waiver wire or can be had cheaply in trades.

The biggest key to identifying a strong second-half performer is to determine if they will see an increase in playing time or targets, and all of these players fit that bill. It's important to remember not to dump your proven performers, but if you're desperate and you have a player you can easily cut, it might serve you well to replace him with one of these guys at your position of need. Another key is to pay attention to match-ups. At this point in the season, some players may be doing worse than they should due to a rough early-season schedule.

QB Cleo Lemon, Miami - Miami will be playing from behind all year, and Lemon put up big numbers against the Browns. But the trade of wideout Chris Chambers does hurt his stock and Josh Beck, not Lemon, could well be the Miami quarterback of the future.

RB Michael Bennett, Tampa Bay - By the time you read this, it may already be too late, but if it isn't, scoop up Bennett if you have a spot. His career is on the decline, but the Bucs are starved for running backs right now and it's possible to see Bennett running well against the same soft second-half schedule that many Cadillac Williams owners dreamed of when they drafted him this season.

RBs Selvin Young/Andre Hall, Denver - Denver running back Travis Henry is appealing a potential one-year suspension for his third substance-abuse violation, but the NFL seldom honors a drug-related appeal. Now is the time to grab Young and Hall, as they could be the latest productive backs in Mike Shanahan's system.

WR Reggie Brown, Philadelphia - He may have slipped under the radar after a terrible first five weeks of the season, but his strong week six performance may be a sign of things to come. He's likely not on your league's waiver wire, but may be had cheaply in trades.

WR David Patten, New Orleans - The Saints No. 2 receiver position has been a revolving door, but with a strong Week 6 performance, Patten may have a reasonable shot at landing the job as the only veteran among a young group of wideouts. With the Saints seeming to get their offense on track again, he and receiver Lance Moore may be worth a look if you're really hurting at receiver.

WR Roydell Williams, Tennessee - Starting wideout Brandon Jones will miss several weeks with knee surgery and in his second year Williams has flashed potential.

WR Ted Ginn Jr., Miami - His time to shine is probably a season or two away, but with the Chambers trade and Derek Hagan suffering from hamstring issues, Ginn Jr. may be starting opposite Marty Booker and has the speed to matter.

WR D.J. Hackett, Seattle - Remember him? Hackett was a prime sleeper as the Seahawks No. 2 receiver this season before injuring his ankle in Week 1. He's a wild card with the Seahawks fill-ins Nate Burleson and Bobby Engram performing very well, but should be returning from injury soon.

TE David Martin, Miami - The man Dolphins Head Coach Cam Cameron dubbed as their Antonio Gates has had poor production so far, but Cameron continues to profess that he needs to get Martin the ball. With Chambers gone, his targets have to go somewhere.

TE Donald Lee, Green Bay - Lee has been a favorite target of Brett Favre this season, and with Bubba Franks likely to miss time, Lee should see even more touches going forward.

Don't rely simply on these players though, as at this point in the season if a guy is on the waiver wire, he doesn't have a huge chance to succeed. Look for other teams that may be willing to make a change. If you have quality depth at a position and your team has a losing record, it serves you well to trade it for help at a position you need.

Rocco Cremonese is an English graduate student.

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