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This week we discuss the following:
- Cardinals with Stanton
- RB situations: Broncos, Buccaneers, Bills
- Ravens wide receivers
- Kyle Rudolph
- Rueben Randle
- Sankey vs. Mason
- Crabtree vs. Colston
- Ryan Mathews
Cardinals with Stanton
Carson Palmer is out for the season with a torn ACL, which means that Drew Stanton takes over as the starting quarterback. In broad terms, who will that affect the Cardinals' offense?
Phil Alexander: Drew Stanton, completing just 49.5% of his passes, is the least accurate quarterback in the NFL. Despite attempting a pass of more than 20 yards down field on a league-leading 24.7% of his throws, he’s posted only 6.6 yards per pass attempt, the sixth worst average in the league. There is a reason Stanton had not started a game since 2010 coming into this season—we need to downgrade the entire Cardinals passing game.
Alex Miglio: Quite simply, I think Drew Stanton's return is going to be an albatross on the whole offense. That's not to say it won't put up any points, but any semblance of consistency or upside is shot. Stanton threw a total of two touchdowns in his three starts this season, both of which went to John Brown against the San Francisco 49ers.
Will Grant: Phil nailed it. Drew Stanton may be the starter in Arizona, but that's not really a good thing. For anyone.
Larry Fitzgerald was finally getting hot the last few weeks with Carson Palmer at quarterback. Does Palmer's injury portend a significant drop in Fitzgerald's fantasy value?
Phil Alexander: Fitzgerald has been Arizona’s most targeted receiver in Stanton’s three starts, but he was only able to turn eight targets per game into averages of four receptions, 47.3 receiving yards, and zero touchdowns in Weeks 2, 3, and 5. I wouldn't get used to Fitzgerald’s recent 100+ yard receiving performances. He’s a WR3 with limited upside for me from here on out.
Kyle Wachtel: No matter how hard you look for a silver lining, it's tough to find any positives resulting from Stanton taking over the starting job. The team will simply complete less passes and have trouble sustaining drives. The biggest blow will be delivered to Fitzgerald, who has the most to lose. In the three games that Stanton has started this season, Fitzgerald averaged just 4.0 receptions for 47 yards, recording no touchdowns. He's no more than a WR3 barring an unforeseen breakthrough for Stanton.
Ari Ingel: I think there won't be much effect on Fitzgerald's value: in fact, Stanton seemed to favor throwing to him. While Palmer is clearly the better quarterback, I wouldn't be too worried just yet.
Alex Miglio: Everyone was down on Larry Fitzgerald earlier this season, and Stanton was a big reason why. I'm not confident in any of Arizona's players from a fantasy standpoint on a week-to-week basis, and certainly not against that number one Detroit Lions defense this week.
Ryan Hester: Quarterback-receiver rapport is very important, and it's undeniable that the Palmer-Fitzgerald connection was clicking. I'd be nervous if I owned Fitzgerald. Personally, however, I do not own him because I drafted Michael Floyd in multiple leagues, so my worries about an Arizona receiver began weeks ago.
Matt Harmon: It’s hard to say. Drew Stanton’s favor varied wildly when he was playing for Palmer early in the season. One week, he looked to Fitzgerald, and others he threw to the younger guys more. It feels like Fitzgerald will still get his, but it's impossible to know for sure.
Will Grant: I have Fitzgerald in a couple dynasty leagues and I can tell you that week to week, he's been one of the most frustrating receivers on my roster. He's far too talented to bench, but there are plenty of weeks where he's dragging your team down with his underperformance. Fitzgerald is going to draw the stronger coverage, and it takes an accurate quarterback that can read the defense well and take advantage of his skills when he gets open. Is a guy with only 280 pass attempts going to be able to do that?
What are Stanton's prospects for putting up decent fantasy numbers from here on out?
Phil Alexander: I suppose Stanton is capable of posting passable fantasy lines when he’s able to connect on a few deep balls (see Week 3 against SF), but the upcoming schedule is tough. He faces Detroit’s top-rated defense in Week 11, followed by the Seahawks (in Seattle) in Week 12. He does have favorable matchups against Atlanta in Week 13 and St. Louis in Week 15, but those are on the road, where Stanton has played poorly. If you’re starting Drew Stanton in fantasy football, chances are you’re doing it wrong.
Kyle Wachtel: Phil did a fine job covering the bases on Stanton. While this may be his seventh season he's far from a seasoned veteran, attempting only 280 passes in his career. He's willing to take shots downfield, but has never completed a high percentage of passes in his career and there's no reason to expect that to improve much now with Bruce Arians' love for the vertical passing game. There's enough receiving talent on the team, and the run game can be expected to struggle such that in the right matchups, Stanton will have enough passing volume to be a low-end QB2, but not much more.
Ari Ingel: He has a lot of weapons at his disposal and Arians likes to air it out. Ellington catching dump-offs and taking them to the house also helps. That said, he would be more of a QB2 for me unless we really see him perform well.
Ryan Hester: Stanton is an ideal streamer. He's not good enough to overcome difficult matchups, but he has the big arm and the boldness necessary to throw deep effectively. That will lead to nice numbers in favorable matchups.
Matt Harmon: Like all QB2s, he will have his usable weeks. Outside of that, he has no shot of being an every-week play.
Will Grant: As others have said, Stanton is an emergency quarterback at best. He'll get more than a zero, but I'd be hard pressed to think of a quarterback that I'd start him over. Maybe if I had to choose between Stanton and Zach Mettenberger, I'd pick Stanton.
It's pretty obvious that John Brown has surpassed Michael Floyd in value, but is he also in the process of passing Fitzgerald? Is John Brown the receiver to own in Arizona down the stretch?
Phil Alexander: All three of Stanton’s TD passes have gone to John Brown this season, but I would hesitate to say he’s the Cardinals wide receiver to own. In weeks where he fails to get behind the defense for a deep catch, you’re likely to end up with a donut in your lineup. Based on the target distribution in Stanton’s three starts this season, Larry Fitzgerald (25% target share) is the best bet to remain the most productive Cardinals receiver, though as I mentioned earlier, my expectations are low.
Kyle Wachtel: Just like Fitzgerald, Brown's splits in Stanton's starts are inferior to his time with Palmer. With Stanton, he's averaged 3.0 receptions and 28 yards. With Palmer, he's averaged 3.3 receptions and 53 yards. Even his Palmer splits have been inflated by just two big games though and his nine-touchdown pace was sure to regress no matter. He's also been held to two or fewer catches in four of nine games. He remains just a shot in the dark WR4, but has lost a little luster after the Palmer injury.
Ari Ingel: I still think Fitz is the guy to own still. I see Brown more like a Martavis Bryant type, where he will get a number of deep shots a game, so there is always a chance. But I'm still not using him as anything more than a WR3 at best, and probably a WR4 most weeks.
Ryan Hester: I'm not sure there is a "the" receiver to own in Arizona going forward. Much like Stanton, these guys will be matchup plays. When an opponent struggles defending the deep ball, Floyd could be a nice roll of the dice. If they struggle against slot receivers, perhaps it's Brown. If possible, I'm staying away from every-week status with Arizona pass-catchers.
Matt Harmon: No, I still think Brown will have his up and down weeks. He might be a slight bit safer than Michael Floyd, but their outlooks are largely the same. That assessment is praise for Brown, and a damning view on Floyd, given where he was projected to be.
Will Grant: Fantasy owners are vulnerable to the highlight reel, especially if they don't have an opportunity to see the game first-hand. Brown came through and helped the Cardinals overcome the loss of Palmer last week, but the week before he had just two receptions for 10 yards. Against the Raiders two weeks prior to that, Brown had just two receptions for 41 yards. He's had some nice games, but I'd hold off on calling him the guy to have from the Cardinals down the stretch.
We saw DeMarco Murray struggle a bit (for him) with Tony Romo out in Week 9. Will Andre Ellington lose value with Palmer out?
Phil Alexander: DeMarco Murray’s struggles without Romo may have had more to do with the Week 9 matchup against the Cardinals, who have been this year’s toughest defense on opposing running backs. Of all the Cardinals’ skill players, I expect Ellington to be least affected by Palmer’s injury. Ellington averaged 16 fantasy points per game in Stanton’s three starts against 15.84 in the five games Palmer appeared in (though that sample is a bit skewed by a fluky 81 yard receiving TD in Week 5 that was thrown by Logan Thomas). With Stanton at the helm, Ellington has seen about two fewer receptions and targets per game, which is a bit problematic for a fantasy running back who relies so heavily on the passing game for his value. Still, Ellington has seen 48.2% of the Cardinals total touches in his starts this season, which ranks him behind only DeMarco Murray (53.5%) for the best share in the league. He is skilled enough, and should continue to see enough volume to return low end RB1 numbers the rest of the way.
Kyle Wachtel: Andre Ellington's 2014 season has been the inverse of his 2013 campaign. He's gone from an ultra-efficient back, averaging 5.5 yards-per-carry in 2013, to a volume-dependent back, averaging just 3.5 yards-per-carry in 2014. Since Week 2, he's actually only had one game above 4.0 yards per carry. With the passing game now being less of a threat, it's tough to see Ellington turn around that trend either, leaving him to remain a volume dependent RB2.
Ari Ingel: I think Ellington will do fine and see not much of a drop-off. In fact, I can see him being the safety blanket in this office. He is really the guy to own.
Ryan Hester: Most good-to-great fantasy running backs are actually members of good passing offenses. Units that move the ball effectively multi-dimensionally afford their running backs more chances inside the five yard where the proverbial money is made. Considering that, losing Palmer will hurt Ellington marginally. However, the guaranteed volume Ellington has received—regardless of quarterback—is very positive for his value and will continue to bring him fantasy success.
Matt Harmon: Ellington was already losing value before Palmer’s injury. Starting off the year hurt upped the degree of difficulty for Ellington this year. His output totally relies on volume, and scoring touchdowns, unless he suddenly looks much fresher in the near future.
Will Grant: Ellington is averaging almost five receptions a game over the last five games. For a guy who catches the ball that well, you would expect that he's a backup quarterback's best friend. If all else fails, check down or swing it to the running back for a few positive yards. I'd expect Ellington to see a reasonable amount of action coming his way, and he should continue to post a 4-5 receptions a game with Stanton under center.
RB situations: Broncos, Buccaneers, Bills
The Broncos backfield is hard to get a handle on. Ronnie Hillman's performance has declined recently, and now he's out for a few weeks with that bum ankle. Montee Ball is back and reportedly slimmer and quicker. C.J. Anderson looked fantastic in Week 10. Where do things go from here?
Alex Miglio: There has been so much chatter about C.J. Anderson in Denver, and rightfully so after that magnificent, one-handed 51-yard catch-and run for a touchdown last week. With Ronnie Hillman out for a couple of weeks, Anderson has been a hot commodity on waiver wires. But I'm not sold that he has earned the majority of touches while Hillman is out, and there is one big reason why—Montee Ball.
More specifically, Ball entered the season with the starting job in his pocket, and I believe that is worth something when prognosticating how much playing time he'll get back on his return from that groin injury. Yes, he is averaging 3.1 yards per carry this season, but it's worth noting he faced two of the top-five run defenses and a third in the top 10 before he was injured. He has also shed some weight in a bid to regain some agility. Combined with his recent comments about Hillman deserving the starting job, it seems that Ball is motivated to win that job back.
Ari Ingel: If Ball is healthy, he is the guy to own. I have always liked C.J. Anderson, but I don't think he becomes a bell cow. At best, it is a fantasy RBBC with Ball. If Ball isn't healthy, then Anderson will be great. This whole running back situation could get really messy down the stretch for fantasy. In real life, they have great options.
Ryan Hester: Trying to predict what John Fox will do with his team is largely a fruitless effort. However, one of the two healthy running backs at the front of Denver's rotation has shown great flashes of talent while the other—despite being the starter to open the year—is averaging 3.1 yards per carry this season. Anderson should be the player to get the 60-70% role in a committee, and Ball should have to earn more touches with the minority amount given to him. Referring back to my opening sentence, though, I'm not gambling heavily on this situation either way.
Matt Harmon: This is all in the hands of John Fox, and that should scare us. If Denver just wants to prove a point, and get the guy they want to have the job going, Montee Ball will be a big factor. If they feel inclined to actually go with the player clearly better suited for the job, C.J. Anderson could save season. Unfortunately, there is little to no clarity here. For now, I want Anderson on my roster, and I’m fine leaving Ball on waiver wires.
Will Grant: Anderson looked great, but let's be honest—it was against the Raiders. Ball is the proven back here and if he's healthy, you would expect that he's going to get the bulk of the carries. That being said, Ball has two things working against him. One is that he may not be 100% and that could limit the number of touches he gets. The other is that the Broncos have shown that they will go with the 'hot hand' at running back, and right now that's Anderson. Ball is practicing at full speed, so if I were given the choice, I'd go with Ball this week. However, if you have Anderson and/or Ball on your team and can go with a different starter for another week, I'd do that just to see how the situation shakes out.
Kyle Wachtel: The Hillman injury was a shame after such a promising start to his time as the lead back. If he were to remain healthy, he would have maintained the starting job and could have been penciled in as a high-end RB2. John Fox has mentioned the "hot hand" approach and also that "health" is the number-one factor in who is lead back will be—that would allude to C.J. Anderson as the next man up and he should be owned in all leagues. For Week 11, Anderson can be viewed as a high-upside RB3/Flex play and if he performs well enough, he could develop into an every week RB2. While losing weight would normally lead to improved agility for running backs, that weight loss is normally part of an offseason program and so I'm skeptical that Ball's weight loss will be as effective as past instances. For now, Ball remains a risky Flex play, but he also needs to be rostered because it's entirely possible that Anderson struggles and he then regains the starting job that made him a second round fantasy pick.
In Tampa Bay, Bobby Rainey has been inconsistent, and he struggled last week. Doug Martin was unimpressive when healthy, and his most recent ankle injury has been slow to heal. The Buccaneers are high on Charles Sims, but he's a rookie who is also just returning from injury. The offensive line is terrible at run-blocking. Should we just ignore this mess, at least in redraft leagues, or can value be found here?
Ari Ingel: I like Sims, but who knows? He is a complete flyer at this point, not somebody you must get and certainly not a must start. In dynasty he is a very intriguing prospect, especially in PPR leagues and especially if they can fix their offensive line and quarterback issues. Two big ifs.
Ryan Hester: Inconsistency of the players, inability of the offensive line, and game scripts unfriendly to running backs are all reasons to steer clear of this situation if possible. If you must own one player going forward, Sims seems to be the logical choice. Despite what they've done at the quarterback position, it seems like Tampa Bay will look toward the future as the season comes to a close to see what they have in Sims. He has three-down talent and a reasonably friendly schedule down the stretch (at CHI, vs. CIN, at DET, at CAR, vs. GB). Only Detroit is a truly daunting matchup.
Matt Harmon: Just ignore. Maybe add Simms as a speculative upside look, but that’s about it. I like him as a player, but by the time he’s ready to get going, it will be too late to help fantasy owners. The rest of these guys have shown who they are, and are not worth your time.
Will Grant: Ignore. Seriously. Resist the temptation and just move on. I wanted Doug Martin to be a stud this season. I really did. It's not going to happen in Tampa this season. None of the other backs are worth getting excited about. Maybe Simms, but I doubt he's going to get the touches that you need from a running back, even in deep leagues where you can start him as an RB3 or flex position. There are better ways to give yourself nightmares than putting your fantasy team in the hands of the Tamp Bay running game.
Kyle Wachtel: I fall right in line with the consensus here. At the moment, there is absolutely no value in any of Tampa Bay's running backs. It's a three-headed timeshare playing behind an egregious offensive line and the aggregate rushing totals of all three wouldn't even be all that impressive if you could choose to start each one instead of another running back. Charles Sims is the only back worth rostering in the event that the team hands the keys over to him, however he'd be a heavily volume-dependent fantasy player and would need 15+ touches to get on the RB3/Flex radar.
In Buffalo, Fred Jackson returned to action last week, but Bryce Brown looked like the more impressive RB. Along with Anthony Dixon, is this group destined to be mired in a three-way RBBC, or will someone pull away from the pack and help win some fantasy playoff games?
Ari Ingel: As long as Fred Jackson stays healthy, he is the best bet for fantasy production. But I think the juice that Bryce Brown brings to the position will help him get a decent number of touches every week. He just can't fumble the ball; that will get him benched. But they need juice on offense as it gives them some of that CJ Spiller element to their offense.
Ryan Hester: Jackson will be the most reliable fantasy producer in the Buffalo backfield as long as he's healthy—particularly in PPR formats. In fact, Jackson could be a borderline top-10 player at the position after he gets past this week at Miami and gets extended rest heading into the home stretch. Brown is the second-best bet for fantasy production. When both Jackson and C.J. Spiller went down to injury in the same game, many pointed to Brown as the player who would take over the Spiller role while Dixon would take on Jackson's role. There's much more left on the table for Brown with Jackson back than there is for Dixon.
Matt Harmon: Oh, Fred Jackson will definitely be the guy here when he is healthy. He was a top-10 PPR back before his unfortunate injury. Jackson might not get back to that status, but none of these options are going to stick in Buffalo. Dixon is ineffective, while Brown seems unlikely to ever become reliable.
Will Grant: RBBC. But Buffalo has done that for a while now, so it shouldn't really surprise anyone. Last season, Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller had very similar stats, and even when Spiller had 1200 yards rushing in 2012, he only had 200 touches for the season. For the rest of the season, look for Jackson and Dixon to share the load with Brown having limited fantasy relevance, but will steal just enough touches to limit Jackson and Dixon even more.
Kyle Wachtel: Fred Jackson is the running back to own in Buffalo. Hopefully the team holds him out of this Week 11 game versus Miami so that he can get back to full strength for the stretch run. He'll be heavily involved in the passing game and should also see goal-line carries, making him a strong RB2. Not to mention, there's three sparkling matchups on deck in Weeks 13, 15, and 16 when Buffalo plays Cleveland, Green Bay, and Oakland respectively.
Ravens wide receivers
Who will score more fantasy points the rest of this season: Steve Smith or Torrey Smith?
Ari Ingel: About equal. Torrey has been coming on, but I think both are WR3s right now and will stay that way. If I had to own one ... I say take Torrey in standard leagues and Steve in PPR.
Ryan Hester: Before the season, I would've said Torrey Smith in a landslide. That was mainly due to age, speed, measureables, and a solid rapport with Joe Flacco. For all of those reasons, Torrey is still my answer now.
Matt Harmon: I think it’s going to be Torrey Smith. It seems the Ravens wide receiving corps is returning to the way it was widely projected to shake out before the season. Torrey Smith is not exactly an every-week fantasy starter, but he is the top option in the passing game. High weekly upside keeps the younger Smith on my roster. I’m not sure what’s keeping Steve Smith there anymore.
Will Grant: Steve Smith has completely cooled off over the last four games, posting just 14 receptions for 155 yards. Maybe the week of rest will give him a chance to recover and return to his early season numbers, but my bet is that Torrey Smith the guy that you want from the Ravens going forward.
Kyle Wachtel: Chalk another vote up for Torrey Smith. He ranked among the top-24 wide receivers in each of his first three seasons and with Gary Kubiak incoming, he was widely expected to run a more diverse route tree and see increased targets. All signs pointed to him posting a career year with the potential for high-end WR2 production. Steve Smith's early season renaissance put a damper on those hopes. However, Smith has begun to gain some more consistency, although the big plays and 100-yard games have still eluded him, and has found the end zone more regularly lately. He can once again be viewed as a high-upside WR3 and is trending up, while the elder Smith is trending down.
Kyle Rudolph
Where do you rank Kyle Rudolph among fantasy tight ends the rest of the way? Top ten?
Ari Ingel: If he's healthy, easily a top 10 guy, maybe even top five behind Gronkowski, Graham and Thomas far out ahead. Bridgewater will love throwing to him and their offensive coordinator will look to get him the ball.
Ryan Hester: I may not even have him in the top 15. The elite (Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski, Julius Thomas), the "stalwarts" (Antonio Gates, Martellus Bennett, Greg Olsen), the up-and-comers (Dwayne Allen, Travis Kelce, Larry Donnell, Mychal Rivera), and a couple other uncategorized guys like Jason Witten, Charles Clay, and Jordan Reed are all clearly ahead of Rudolph for me. He'll be a quality streamer in the right matchups but not season-changing.
Matt Harmon: He probably sneaks into the top ten because the tight end situation is so messy. Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski and Julius Thomas are the studs. Travis Kelce has the tantalizing upside that I cannot say no to, while Greg Olsen is reliable. Dwayne Allen looks like he's a consistent option, and Antonio Gates keeps on going. Outside of that, there is nothing to see at the tight end position. For that reason, Rudolph should be an intriguing late season alternative. We know what Norv Turner does for tight ends.
Will Grant: The potential is definitely there. Rudolph is a great option for a young quarterback that is looking to play mistake-free football. Chase Ford has had two really solid games (12 receptions for 127 yards and a TD) over the last two weeks and if Rudolph returns to full strength, he should be able to beat those numbers. The key is really going to be if he can stay healthy.
Kyle Wachtel: Top 10 is a lot to expect from a player that has been sidelined since Week 3. However, he still boasts the physical tools that made him a second round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and Chase Ford's recent success further highlights the tight end friendliness of Norv Turner's offense. He should be rostered in all leagues and for the moment he's a low-end TE1, but has the potential for a Jordan Cameron like run from last season.
Rueben Randle
Is Rueben Randle a buy-low candidate, or is he on his way to becoming droppable?
Ari Ingel: I wouldn't drop him, but he's not a guy I'm rushing to get in my lineup. He drops too many passes and with Jennings coming back, I think Donnell, Jennings and Odell Beckham Jrtake the lead in this offense. In Standard leagues, he's a WR3.
Ryan Hester: Randle isn't someone I'd rush out to go get, but he's not droppable either. Any player with the measureables he has and the target load he's getting could put it together and produce. Randle, though, is being outplayed by a rookie across from him and also contending with Larry Donnell and the returning Rashad Jennings for touches. He hasn't done enough with the sizeable opportunity he has received to have earned "buy-low" status.
Matt Harmon: I can’t imagine giving up anything to acquire Rueben Randle, and honestly, I think he is already droppable. It feels like Randle is playing with a force field around him. No matter how many passes the Giants try to fit in, nothing gets through.
Will Grant: The Giants wide receiver corps has been crushed by injuries this season, giving Randle an opportunity to be on the field a lot more. Over the last five games, he's averaged just over 50 yards per game and hasn't reached the end zone in his last four appearances. He's seeing a lot of targets though, so in a PPR league, he's more of a WR3/Flex type of position. Once the bye weeks are over, he'll be a good candidate to drop though. The only wide receiver worth having from the Giants now is Odell Beckham Jr
Kyle Wachtel: Odell Beckham Jris clearly the best receiver on the team and should rightfully pass Randle on the depth chart. With that being said, there are more than enough targets to go around and Randle needs to be rostered in all leagues. In fact, he's had at least eight targets in each of the past seven games with at least four catches in each of the past eight games. He may not have done much with those targets, but at the very least, he's a WR3.
Sankey vs. Mason
Who is the better buy-low candidate in redraft leagues: Bishop Sankey or Tre Mason?
Ari Ingel: I would take Mason. I think they want Mason to carry the load.
Ryan Hester: Assuming that "neither" is an unacceptable answer, I'd go with Mason here. His offensive line is better, and he's the more talented player. Neither player will ever be a three-down guy (not this season at least), so both have caps on their upsides. They're also both parts of poor teams whose game scripts don't correlate with fantasy success for players who don't play on passing downs. Don't break the bank.
Matt Harmon: Tre Mason. I was never high on Bishop Sankey as a college prospect, and he hasn’t shown for one single second in the NFL why I should have been. I don’t know what people are waiting on with Sankey, but it's just not happening this year. Mason, on the other hand, has had good games, and flashed on a few nice runs. I’d rather wait to see if Jeff Fisher ever settles on Mason, than mess around with Sankey.
Will Grant: Ugh. Hard to get excited about either of them. Mason probably has the better opportunity, but the Rams face some tough run defenses in the second half of the season. Sankey will probably get more opportunities, but his 3.5 YPC over the last four games is nothing to get excited about. Neither team is going to do much the rest of the way, but I'd probably go with Sankey over Mason if given that choice.
Kyle Wachtel: Over the past four weeks, Sankey has played on 55.7% of the team's snaps while averaging 17.0 touches and 65 yards per game. He's already the clear-cut lead back in Tennessee and after a costly goal line fumble by Shonn Greene, even more opportunity may open up for the rookie who could potentially be an every down player as soon as this upcoming week. There's not the same certainly of usage with Tre Mason and St. Louis also has a tougher schedule ahead, which is why Sankey gets the nod.
Crabtree vs. Colston
Whom would you drop first to make room for a waiver-wire addition: Michael Crabtree or Marques Colston?
Ari Ingel: Drop Colston, no way you can rely on him ... That said, ... he sucked last year until about Week 12 and then played great the rest of the year. But with a gun to my head, I'm dropping him.
Ryan Hester: I would drop Colston before Crabtree. While Drew Brees is clearly more capable of creating fantasy success around him than Colin Kaepernick is, Colston is a fast-aging player whose role in the offense is shrinking by the week. At least Crabtree showed us last week that he can still get behind the defense. And had his near-catch at the end of the team's unfortunate loss to St. Louis been ruled a touchdown (as it should have been), we're probably not having this conversation.
Matt Harmon: I probably do not want either on my rosters, but I’d drop Crabtree first. He’s in the less bountiful passing offense. Crabtree might have some upside next year on a new team—and I think he’s the better NFL player currently—but Colston has more potential to fall backwards into a good week.
Will Grant: I'd probably cut Colston because it seems like the Saints are all but done with him. Brandin Cooks and Jimmy Graham are really the stars of the passing game now in New Orleans, and it seems like Colston is starting to see fewer targets. He's had a few really bad drops this season as well, which will limit the number of targets that come his way until he corrects that.
Kyle Wachtel: Colston has had a terrific career, but all good things must come to an end. Brandin Cooks has passed the veteran in the wide receiver hierarchy and for as long as Jimmy Graham is healthy, Colston holds little weight in fantasy football. Crabtree is still a tremendous talent and has a long career ahead. It wasn't too long ago that he was producing Calvin Johnson-like numbers alongside Colin Kaepernick and his upside trumps that of Colston.
Ryan Mathews
Where do you rank Ryan Mathews among fantasy running backs going forward?
Alex Miglio: Ryan Mathews seems like a slam dunk top-20 guy the rest of the way. He is coming back to a backfield that has stagnated with undrafted rookie Branden Oliver cooling off over the past several weeks, and Mathews no longer has Danny Woodhead to contend with. While Oliver and Donald Brown have probably carved out roles, Mathews could become the horse if he can stay healthy. Of course, we should temper expectations in his first week back, though he has a nice matchup against the Oakland Raiders.
Ari Ingel: Top 20 guy ... if ... he ... can ... stay ... healthy. Hopefully he goes off this week and then trade him for someone else great.
Ryan Hester: Mathews is a solid RB2 in standard leagues and a borderline one in PPR leagues. His role is well-defined, which is something many running backs can't say. The 15-20 carries he'll get weekly establish a solid floor, but the fact that it's going to be carries (and not touches) caps his upside. He won't catch many passes and isn't likely to play all three offensive downs.
Matt Harmon: I think he’ll be right back to RB2 level when he gets going again. The Chargers backfield might be split two ways, but there will be more than enough for Ryan Mathews to get his. Branden Oliver failed to take over the starting job, and will just serve as an excellent complement.
Will Grant: I'd have to think that Mathews would have limited upside going forward unless something happens to Brandon Oliver. Mathews may be the more talented back, but fumbles and injury concerns will probably seem him firmly entrenched as RBBC for the rest of the season. If you have him, start him at RB2 or Flex position as others have suggested. At least until he proves he can stay on the field and hold on to the ball.
Kyle Wachtel: With reports that Mathews is expected to start and see around 15 touches, San Diego doesn't seem to have an designs on easing him back into the offense. That volume is enough for him to be started as a low-end RB2 or Flex play immediately and he should work his way into form as a mid-RB2 in a strong Chargers' offense.
That will do it for this edition of the Footballguys Roundtable. Please join us again next week.