Fantasy Football: Practicing the art of stashing stars

Axl Rose said it best when he sang, “All we need is just a little patience.” While I seriously doubt he was referring to fantasy football, his advice can still be helpful.

Thanks to suspensions, injuries and complex free agency rules that have resulted in long holdouts, the art of stashing in fantasy football has reached new heights in 2010.

If you’re not familiar with stashing, it is a strategy in which patient owners dedicate a roster spot to a player they know will have little to no short-term value but who could pay off big later.

Here are some stash-worthy players.

Vincent Jackson, WR, San Diego
Jackson’s three-game suspension is over, but he’s still locked in a bitter contract dispute with the Chargers. It’s unclear whether Jackson will play at all this season — and if he does, it likely won’t be in San Diego. But Jackson is a borderline elite wideout coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. He’s available in 55 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh
Big Ben will return in Week 6 from his suspension for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy. Last season, Roethlisberger passed for a career-high 4,328 yards and ranked eighth in fantasy scoring among quarterbacks. He’s available in 22 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Sidney Rice, WR, Minnesota
After undergoing hip surgery, Rice is expected to be out until at least Week 9. In 2009, Rice had 83 receptions for 1,312 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s available in 68 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Owen Daniels, TE, Houston
Daniels’ slow start — six receptions for 60 yards through three games — is not surprising considering he missed most of training camp after tearing his ACL in November. He’s available in 30 percent of Yahoo! leagues, a number that is sure to rise as owners grow increasingly frustrated with him. But Daniels, the top-scoring fantasy tight end at the time of his injury last season, could return to elite status during the season’s second half.

Handcuffs
“Handcuffing” is another form of stashing. If you own a star running back, you might consider picking up his backup to protect yourself in the event of an injury. Handcuff candidates include Tennessee’s Javon Ringer (backing up Chris Johnson), Minnesota’s Toby Gerhart (Adrian Peterson) and Atlanta’s Jason Snelling (Michael Turner).

Ryan Chatelain (rchatelain@am-ny.com) is amNewYork’s fantasy football columnist.