Week 9: Deep League Pickups

QB Alex Smith, SF

There is a reasonable chance that an owner in your league jumped on Alex Smith following his three TD performance in Week Seven and thus he is not a free agent option. Of course, that same owner may have just needed him for a one week fill in or was dissatisfied with his 198 yards, one score, one pick outing against the Colts. Whether he is back on the free agent list or available for a ham sandwich via trade, you could do much, much worse than exploit Smith's Week Nine match-up with the Titans' 32 ranked pass defense. Michael Crabtree is off to a strong start to his NFL career, Vernon Davis continues to find the end zone and Frank Gore appears to be back on track, all of which makes Smith a worthy bye week for now and decent QB depth going forward.

RB Derrick Ward, TB

To this day I still cannot quite figure why Derrick Ward has not had a larger role in the struggling Bucs offense. Sure, Cadillac Williams has made an inspiring comeback, but considering the Bucs' struggles at quarterback, you would think they would find a way to get Ward more than just seven carries a game. Perhaps the coaches finally saw the light in the Bucs' last game when the all-around Ward picked up a season-high 13 carries (two more than Williams). Coming off a bye week and with rookie Josh Freeman expected to make his first NFL start, expect the Bucs to go with a heavy ground attack -- making Ward a likely recipient of 10-15 touches and a potential 60-70 yards (and a score if he can shake loose from outside the five-yard line) even if the game gets out of hand.

WR Malcom Floyd, SD

For reasons that are largely unclear, the Chris Chambers experiment never worked out in San Diego and the Bolts decided to cut bait this week. That move further cemented the status of Malcom Floyd as the Chargers second receiver opposite soon-to-be Pro Bowler Vincent Jackson. Floyd was already given a chance to step up in Week Eight when given the start and he came through with two grabs for 64 yards, including a 53-yard jump ball. Considering the inconsistent nature of their running game, the Chargers should continue to rely on Philip Rivers and the passing game, making Floyd a WR3 going forward and worthy of a roster spot in most leagues.

WR Brandon Tate, NE

This suggestion goes out to all of those risk taking types that have a roster spot to burn; those in keeper, dynasty or uber deep leagues; those that factor in return yardage, and any North Carolina alums that want to add former Tar Heels to their squad. The rookie speedster missed the first half of the year while on the PUP list dealing with a knee injury, but the Pats have elevated Tate to WR3 timeshare with Sam Aiken while also getting him more involved as a kick returner. He still needs to learn the NFL passing game, but simply because of his Devin Hester type potential and Tom Brady's knack at spreading the passing game wealth, Tate is an exciting (but high risk) play for those willing to wait and see if he becomes one of Brady's favorite toys.

WR Mike Thomas, JAX

A receiver named Mike led the Jags in receptions last week, but it wasn't the highly publicized Sims-Walker. Instead, rookie Mike Thomas caught four of his six targets for 55 yards against the Titans in his role as the Jags' third receiver. The fourth-rounder, who is also racking up yards as a kick returner, now has 11 receptions over the last two weeks. Considering the overall "meh" vibe surrounding the Jags' passing game, Thomas is not a screaming pickup, but the 5'8 target with 4.4 speed should be a factor against the Chiefs in Week Nine; the Jags could expand his role as their lost season moves into the second half.