One of the highlights of each week of the NFL fantasy football season is the waiver wire rush on the latest big performer. The best example of this in 2010 is Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis. Few regular fantasy football leagues saw Hillis drafted, but he became a quick pick up first thanks to his goal line prowess, and in week three when he blew up for 180 combined yards. I'm in two paid fantasy football leagues and I was fortunate enough to grab Hillis in both.
The Bay Area may have its own fantasy explosion thanks to the amazing performance of Oakland Raiders rookie wide receiver Jacoby Ford. The biggest story to come out of the Raiders huge home win over the Chiefs has to be the emergence of Ford. The young receiver and kick returner ran back a kick for a touchdown and hauled in six receptions for 148 yards. Not too bad for a guy with 43 receiving yards prior to the game.
Most leagues clear out waivers on Wednesday, which means Ford will likely join numerous rosters tomorrow morning or early afternoon. Of course, one intriguing factor is that the Raiders have a bye this week. This is the last week of byes and includes the Raiders, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, and San Diego Chargers. I'd imagine that unless a team is loaded with players from these specific teams it's probably a safe bet people will do what they can to grab Ford.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether Jacoby Ford will build on this strong performance. He's a very talented receiver with amazing speed (thus Al Davis drafting him, right?) and this is certainly a strong first step. Following this weekend's bye, the Raiders travel to face the Pittsburgh Steelers who have a very stout defense. It will be a strong test for the rookie receiver, as well as the Oakland Raiders as a whole. This has quickly become one of the Week 11 matchups to watch for numerous reasons.