Week 14: Pickups of the Week

QB Vince Young, ---

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There was a brief scare near the end of last game when Young, resting on the bench after throwing his first interception since week 10, suddenly slumped to the ground in pain and grabbed his knee. The good news is that he didn't (as you may have suspected) get hit by sniper fire. He did, however, take plenty of hard shots from the Colts during the game and briefly put the fear of a Kerry Collins return into the hearts of Titans fans. Young's playing style will always leave him vulnerable, but that's something you worry about in preseason when you're drafting. For now, you take things one game at a time -- and this next game could be Young's biggest yet. Tennessee faces a soft Rams defense that will, in all likelihood, be without their best player )O.J. Atogwe). At home against one of the league's worst defenses, Young just might be in line for a career day.

RB Jerome Harrison, DET

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Jerome Harrison carried the load (such as it was) in week 13 for the Jamal Lewis-less Browns. It had been suggested that after Lewis went on IR, Chris Jennings )who had been getting more work than Harrison over the last few weeks) would move into the feature role. Well, that didn't happen. Instead, Harrison was on the field for most offensive plays, carrying 10 times and being targeted on 11 passes -- seven of which he caught, and two of which he took to the house for TDs. He has a hellish match-up against Pittsburgh next week, but may manage to squeeze out some production thanks to frequency of use. The real reason you should consider picking him up, though, is for his week 15 game at Kansas City (143.8 rushing yards per game) and his week 16 game against Oakland (158.7 rushing yards per game). Fantasy playoff success is all about planning ahead and maximizing the match-ups, and they don't get much more accommodating than this.

WR Davone Bess, ---

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Chad Henne threw the ball his way 14 times during Sunday's win over the Patriots; in PPR leagues, that's probably reason enough to pick him up. Bess has been a sure-handed and reliable option for the Dolphins all season long and is quietly in the league's top 20 in receptions. The knock against him has been his inability to turn catches into big plays, and big plays into touchdowns. Last week's touchdown was his first of the season and only the second of his career. He averages fewer than 10 yards per catch and (his work as a returner notwithstanding) doesn't have a single play of over 25 yards this season. Nevertheless, Chad Henne loves him and he'll continue to be the Dolphins' top receiver going forward. Miami faces some weak secondaries in the coming weeks and Bess will have an especially good chance to improve on his season high in catches when he goes up against the Titans in week 15; Tennessee has allowed the most receptions of any team in the league.

WR Robert Meachem, ---

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Oh, hey, have you heard of this guy Robert Meachem? (Could it be we've discussed him in this segment at some point?) He certainly sounds familiar... My, my, my! I notice this fellow already has eight receiving touchdowns on the season (not to mention one of the coolest fumble recovery touchdowns you'll ever see). You'd think a game breaker like this would be owned in much more than the 54 percent of MyFantasy League.com leagues. And, what do you know! It seems he's been a "Pickup of the Week" twice before...
Forgive me my sarcasm, but this is absurd. Seven touchdowns in five weeks; coming off an 8-catch, 142-yard virtuoso performance in a thrilling comeback against the Redskins.
What does it take to convince people that Meachem's a fantasy commodity worth investing in?

WR Devin Thomas, DET

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Where has this guy been hiding? Thomas was a non-factor in his rookie campaign, but there was some buzz around Washington in the off-season that suggested he might step things up in year two. He waited until after the bye week, but has been coming on lately after supplanting Malcolm Kelly as the starting flanker and taking over the team's kick return duties. In week 13, he put it all together and exploded all over the Saints for 259 total yards. It is no coincidence that Thomas is emerging just as Jason Campbell finds his stride. These two should build on their momentum in week 14 against the Raiders.