Hot pickups - Week 12

D.J. Hackett entered the season as just a side dish in the Seahawks' receiving corps, but he's quickly becoming the main course. Since returning from a high ankle sprain, Hackett's caught a TD in three straight weeks. The past two games he's gone over 100 yards, with a career high 136 in Week 11 against the Bears. Be careful here, because Deion Branch is back too, and Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson will also snag some balls. But Seattle is all about airing it out, so Hackett should have plenty of opportunities, especially this week against the Rams. Pick him up if he's somehow out there. FIVE STARS (Out of five)

Kolby Smith, you're up. I mentioned the Louisville rookie a few weeks ago when I talked about Priest Holmes' return to the Chiefs' starting lineup. Well, it looks like that was short-lived as Priest retired after reinjuring his neck. With Larry Johnson still sidelined and staying mum about his injury status, the 5-11, 219-pound Smith will serve as K.C.'s feature tailback for the time being. Smith has some experience filling in for a starter as he did the same thing in college when Michael Bush broke his leg last year. It's hard to pinpoint what we can expect from the rook since he has only 10 NFL carries, all in the past two weeks, but he's worth grabbing if you need a spark at RB simply because he'll be getting a starter's share of touches against a poor Oakland run defense. FOUR STARS

Drew Carter is playing for a new contract in Carolina, so his five catches, 136 yards and a TD last week against Green Bay couldn't have come at a better time. It helped not having Steve Smith in the Panthers' lineup, of course, as Carter had been an otherwise minor part of the offense. Smith should be back this week, but it's possible Carter might get a few more looks in the next two weeks against the Saints and 49ers. For deep leagues only. TWO STARS

With Giants RB Brandon Jacobs dealing with a sore hamstring, it looks like Reuben Droughns and Derrick Ward will be seeing some more action this Sunday against the Vikings. Either of those guys is capable of some nice stats under normal circumstances, but two things worry me: the Minnesota run D is a brick wall (league-best 74.8 yards a game), and there's a chance Jacobs could force his way into the lineup and get some carries. There's also the possibility the Giants will just rely on the pass against the league's worst pass defense (talk about a schizophrenic team). I'll give both Droughns and Ward TWO STARS

I talked about Baltimore WR Devard Darling at length in last week's recap. Nice game against the Browns, but I see it as basically a fluke, and the upcoming schedule is brutal. ONE STAR