NFL fantasy wire tap

For a while it seemed as though Brady Quinn's time would never arrive in Cleveland. But this past week the door opened and Quinn made a somewhat grand entrance.

In a see-saw battle against Denver, Quinn completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns (no interceptions). Though he failed to get Cleveland the victory, Quinn validated Romeo Crennel's decision to bench Derek Anderson. Now fantasy owners are pondering whether Quinn can serve as a replacement for the any one of the many lost franchise quarterbacks of this season.

The answer is undoubtedly 'yes'. With Kellen Winslow (who caught two scores against the Broncos) and Braylon Edwards in tow, and a respectable running game to support him, Quinn should perform well in the season's final months.

Here are a few other waiver wire candidates who offer value to fantasy owners:

Savage gained 44 yards rushing and caught two pjasasses in the Chiefs loss to San Diego on Sunday. Savage is not an ideal fantasy pickup, but considering Jamaal Charles' poor health and Larry Johnson's track of self-destruction, it's possible fantasy owners haven't seen the last of the first-year back out of Oklahoma State.

Here we go again ... another week, another 49ers receiver to consider. Hill led the club with seven catches and 84 yards in their Monday night loss to Arizona. Now designated as the team's No. 3 receiver thanks to respectable totals in Week 8, Hill could see more action in San Francisco's offense. Fantasy owners should beware, however -- the team has a number of players capable of stepping forward; Hill just happens to be the man of the moment.

With Heath Miller hobbled the Steelers turned to Spaeth, who responded with six catches for 53 yards in the loss to Indianapolis. Much like former University of Minnesota teammate Ben Utecht, Spaeth is a utility tight end capable of contributing a handful of catches on occasion. He might be worth a look from fantasy owners if Miller is unable to play in the coming weeks.

Here is a look at this week's buy and sell candidates:

Ronnie Brown, RB, Dolphins

We urged fantasy owners to sell several weeks ago after brown's big month of September. As expected, his stock plummeted. Now, though, we see reason for fantasy owners to buy him back. Brown's asking price will be low thanks to five straight games with 60 or fewer yards, but the road ahead figures to be prosperous for him. The Dolphins will face the Raiders' 29th ranked run defense in Week 11, and St. Louis' 30th ranked unit in Week 13. In Week 16, for those fantasy owners still alive in the playoffs, Brown will feast on the Chiefs' -- the worst run defense in football.

Malcom Floyd, WR, Chargers

Not long ago Floyd was available on the waiver wire ... now he's an attractive buy option. In three of the past four games Floyd has contributed 65 or more yards, and he's scored three times during that short span (his touchdown on Sunday helped swing the momentum back into San Diego's favor). He continues to develop chemistry with quarterback Phillip Rivers and could flourish for fantasy owners in the season's remaining weeks.

Kevin Smith, RB, Lions

Smith's stock rose on Sunday thanks to his 123 yards of offense in the Lions' loss to Jacksonville. The rookie rumbled for 32 yards on one run, then capped the game with a one-yard score (his fifth touchdown this season). Detroit is terrible and will only be able to hand Smith the ball 20 or more times in a few of the remaining games on this year's schedule. This might be his peak, so it's advisable to make him available for offers.

Hank Baskett, WR, Eagles

Not only did Baskett get engaged to one of Hef's girls this past week, but he caught a touchdown in the Eagles' tight loss to New York. A number of fantasy owners nabbed Baskett after he produced a pair of big games in the season's first month, only to watch him sink in the month of October. Now it's time to dump him and recoup as much as can be salvaged.

Mike Beacom is the publisher of SportsBuff.com