The week of the wide receiver has come and gone. Hopefully you had at least Roddy White in your starting lineup.

Several of the wide receivers who exploded in week 5 were not rostered in a majority of fantasy leagues. But they will be the most popular additions this week when waivers are processed tomorrow.

And it all starts with the man who filled in for Roy Williams in Dallas …

Miles Austin, WR, Cowboys: Austin figures to be the most popular free agent acquisition in fantasy football this week after a monster 10-catch, 250-yard, two-touchdown effort against the Chiefs in week 5.

Now that the Cowboys plan to get Austin more involved in the passing game, Roy Williams’ fantasy owners may start to panic. And rightfully so after watching Austin catch-and-run through the entire Kansas City secondary at will.

Sammy Morris, RB, Patriots: Morris’ yardage output against the Broncos does not jump off the page. 68 yards rushing, 39 yards receiving. Average numbers from a fantasy perspective.

What should jump off the page for fantasy owners are the number of touches he received: 19 total (17 carries, two receptions). With Fred Taylor out for a significant amount of time, Morris is in line to get a good deal of work in a productive offense.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Eagles: In Donovan McNabb’s first game since injuring his rib back in week 1, Maclin turned in a spectacular effort during the week of the wide receiver.

Overshadowed by the performances of Austin and Roddy White, Maclin’s could be more impressive in that it appears he has established himself, a rookie, as a starter on the Eagles offense. If so, he would be the second Eagles’ rookie to do so in consecutive seasons (DeSean Jackson).

Eddie Royal, WR, Broncos: Frustrated Royal owners could have cut the cord last week after just eight catches through the Broncos’ first four games. He burst back onto the fantasy scene with a 10-catch, 90 yard outing against the Patriots on Sunday.

Was Royal’s outburst a sign of things to come of just an(other) anomaly during the week of the wide receiver? Those in need of wide receiver depth could do much worse than Royal.

Kyle Orton, QB, Broncos: Royal’s battery mate continues to play well enough to garner some consideration as a QB2 in fantasy leagues. He even makes for a great bye week plug-and-play for those in need of a quarterback.

How surprising is Orton’s play with Denver? Consider that the Broncos were completely written off this season by almost every expert, pundit and analyst. Orton was just the guy who replaced the crybaby Jay Cutler. And now he is making fans in Denver forget Cutler ever existed.

Mike Wallace, WR, Steelers: For those in dynasty leagues, Wallace deserves some consideration. You may have missed the boat on him after his performance a few weeks ago, but he may still be floating around the waiver wire in some leagues.

He appears to have earned the trust of the coaching staff — something Limas Sweed never did — and Ben Roethlisberger looks his way. With the aging Hines Ward and inconsistent Santonio Holmes, Wallace will continue to get plenty of looks as a rookie in what has become a power passing offense.

Be Sociable, Share!

•