BUYING
Cam Newton QB CAR
This past Thursday night didn't go as planned for Newton as he struggled mightily passing, completing just 10 of his 28 attempts for 151 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. He did salvage the day with 43 yards and a touchdown on seven carries though. That rushing ability lends to a high-floor and Newton should fill up the stat sheet in all categories this weekend versus Philadelphia, ranking as top-six option. He currently ranks 19th among quarterbacks in FPPG, but look for him to carry momentum from the Eagles game forward and produce as a mid-QB1 through the duration of the season.
Tony Romo QB DAL
There isn't a long standing history on the cost to trade for a quarterback with a fractured spine, but it's safe to say that price won't be too exhorbitant. Prior to suffering the injury versus Washington, Romo was on a nice run, ranking seventh among quarterbacks in FPPG over the previous five weeks. The first half schedule for Dallas was among the NFL's toughest, while the remaining schedule is among the friendliest, headlined by the home-and-home versus Philadelphia in Weeks 13 and 15. For those streaming quarterbacks or looking for great playoff match ups, then Romo should be on your short list of targets.
Fred Jackson RB BUF
Before suffering a groin injury in Week 7 that has sidelined Jackson since then and potentially for a couple more weeks, the ageless one was averaging 4.27 yards-per-carry and on pace for 1,259 total yards and 5.3 touchdowns on 219 touches. With C.J. Spiller likely done for the regular season, when Jackson returns, he should be handed an even larger workload than before. There's also three plus match ups in Weeks 13, 15, and 16 when Buffalo plays Cleveland, Green Bay, and Oakland respectively. If in need of an RB2 for the stretch run, look to acquire Jackson to lock down that spot.
LeSean McCoy RB PHI
For just the second time this season, McCoy eclipsed the 100-yards rushing mark, totaling 117 yards on 23 carries. Over the past four games, which coincides with RT Lane Johnson's return, he's averaged 107.5 rushing yards on 22.5 carries. C Jason Kelce returned this past weekend as well and LG Evan Mathis is nearing his return. Limiting McCoy's fantasy production so far is the fact that he's only scored one touchdown on the season and none since Week 2. Look for him to begin finding the end zone more regularly, beginning this week versus a poor Carolina run defense. He should perform as an elite RB1 from here on out, quickly rising from his current rankings of 19th in STD and 17th in PPR scoring among running backs.
Allen Robinson WR JAC
Since getting full-time snaps in Week 3, Robinson has quietly been one of the more consistent WR3s in fantasy football, recording at least four receptions in all eight games. His stats over that timeframe would project to 84 receptions, 976 yards, and four touchdowns over a sixteen-game season. Although Blake Bortles may continue to struggle, enough passing volume should be generated by playing from behind to support sustained production for Robinson. He's a low-end WR3 that can likely be had for cheap or even plucked off the waiver wire in some cases.
Kelvin Benjamin WR CAR
It was another disappointing outing for Benjamin versus New Orleans this past week. He was held to just two receptions for 18 yards on 10 targets. He's now only caught 40 of 75 targets on the season - an alarmingly low catch rate. In his defense for this past weekend, Saints' CB Keenan Lewis has developed into one of the leagues premier coverage corners. We'd expect Benjamin's catch rate to normalize and a matchup versus Philadelphia is a terrific place to start. Look for him to produce as a volatile low-end WR2 through the season's end.
Pierre Garcon WR WAS
Big-time regression from last season's 113 receptions was expected. However, the absence of Robert Griffin III III, who developed strong chemistry with Garcon, has accelerated that regression to the point where the receiver may now undervalued. Although it's a small sample size, Griffin III has targeted Garcon on 17 of his 68 passing attempts this season - a 25% market share - compared Garcon meriting only a 17.5% market share of targets while Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy were under center. Garcon remains a WR2 in PPR leagues and a high-end WR3 in STD scoring.
Holdovers from last week's Forensics Report: Matt Ryan QB ATL, Brandon Marshall WR CHI, Calvin Johnson WR DET
SELLING
Ryan Tannehill QB MIA
After nearly losing his starting job due to three consecutive underwhelming weeks to begin the season, Tannehill has reassumed his position as one of the NFL's more promising young quarterbacks. Over the past five weeks, he's completed nearly 69% of his pass attempts, averaging 257 passing yards, 2.0 passing touchdowns, and just 0.8 interceptions per game en route to ranking as the sixth best quarterback in FPPG over that time. He's also recorded at least 35 rushing yards in those past five games with at least 47 rushing yards in the past four games - a true dual-threat. Miami's schedule is about to get exponentially tougher though, beginning with Detroit in Week 10. It's a great time to sell-high and then look to jump back aboard the bandwagon for 2015.
Lamar Miller RB MIA
It's been a good year for the Miami offense all around and Miller is enjoying a career season himself. He's currently on pace for 1,036 yards and 10 touchdowns on 212 carries with another 288 yards and two touchdowns on 42 receptions. Although the shoulder injury suffered this past weekend has caused a scare, he's back at practice and with Knowshon Moreno out, he's the unquestioned lead back. Unfortunately for him, the next five games are versus five of the NFL's best run defenses. That stretch of games would buckle the knees of any running back and it'd be a wise move to unload Miller on unsuspecting owners.
Matt Asiata RB MIN
In late-career Michael Turner fashion, Asiata refuses to fade away, plodding for another 26 yards on 10 carries, but finding the end zone three times. He's averaging just 3.30 yards-per-carry on the season and is a nearly worthless fantasy commodity save for the fluke touchdowns. Not only is Jerick McKinnon the lead back in Minnesota, there are rumblings of Adrian Peterson's return. If you're able to land any value for Asiata in a trade, don't think twice.
Mohamed Sanu WR CIN
Despite the return of A.J. Green, Sanu stayed hot with another four receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. The bad news is that he did drop another pass, giving him eight drops on the season, and that Green was limited to only 40 of 69 snaps. It can be expected that Green's snap count will continue to rise, as will his targets, and Sanu will descend from his current position as a WR2 closer to the WR4 territory.
Travis Kelce TE KC
In what was arguably the best matchup of the season for Kansas City, Kelce managed four receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown. He's now on pace for a 64-838-8 line, ranking ninth among tight ends in both STD and PPR scoring. What is troubling is that he played on just 51% of the snaps again, which is right in line with his season average. Meanwhile, Anthony Fasano played on 97% of the snaps this past weekend and is at 90% on the year. Andy Reid is stubbornly refusing to provide more playing time to his best receiver and this conundrum unfortunately seems likely to last for the rest of the season, limiting Kelce to a low-end TE1 rather than the high-end option he should be.
Holdovers from last week's Forensics Report: Golden Tate WR DET, Martellus Bennett TE CHI
WAIVER PICKUPS
Mark Sanchez QB PHI
Selecting Sanchez with the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft was not as aggregious as it seems today after the tumultuous ending to his career in New York. He did display promise early on, but was ultimately placed in a situation unconducive to success. From an athletic standpoint, he boasts superior potential to Nick Foles and may very well be a better fit for Chip Kelly's offense. While Foles has produced as a QB1, he's left much to be desired and has also left plenty of fantasy points on the board due to accuracy issues. The Philadelphia offensive line is returning to full strength and there will be plenty of offensive weapons at Sanchez' disposal. He should step in and offer similar production as a passer, while being a greater threat as a runner. Ultimately, he can be expected to perform as a low-end QB1 and his success with shine a bright light on the importance of coaching and a player's surroundings.
Adrian Peterson RB MIN
Chris Mortenson reported that it's "very possible" Peterson returns to play for Minnesota this season. On Mortenson's word alone, that makes the first round draft pick worth rostering in all fantasy leagues. On Tuesday, Peterson pleaded no contest to the charges and that now leaves Roger Goodell and the Vikings organization as the last hurdles to clear before he's able to return. It's safe to say that Peterson has kept himself in good physical condition and he'd instantly reclaim RB1 status.
Alfred Blue RB HOU
Arian Foster exited this past weekend's game with a groin injury in the third quarter. A soft tissue injury is extremely delicate and can lead to a multi-week absence depending on the grade or if it's not handled appropriately. A Week 9 bye came at the perfect moment for Foster owners, allowing for the possibility that he does not miss any time. However, Blue needs to be rosted in every fantasy league on the chances that Foster does miss time with this injury or another injury over the second half of the season. As the lead back for Houston in Week 3, Blue rushed for 78 yards on 13 carries, adding one catch for 10 yards. He would instantly become a high-end RB2 with another opportunity to start.
Terrance West RB CLE
It has been quite a downfall for the Cleveland running game following the loss of C Alex Mack. While he won't be returning this season, Josh Gordon will and he'll instantly become the focal point for opposing defenses. The possibility of Johnny Manziel becoming the starter also remains, which would avert even more eyes away from the team's running backs. The backfield is a fluid situation, but West currently sits on top of the depth chart, leading the group in snaps (37) and touches (16) last week. At the very least, he'll merit RB3/Flex consideration while holding onto the lead role and has the potential to become a low-end RB2 once some pressure is lifted off of the running game.
Kenny Britt WR STL
In St. Louis' first game since Brian Quick suffered the season-ending injury, the offense faced a tough task, lining up against the San Francisco defense. Austin Davis struggled to the tune of 105 yards on 13 of 24 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions. Despite the poor play, Britt made his claim to be the team's No. 1 receiver, playing on 93% of the offensive snaps and securing two of his four targets for 32 yards and a touchdown. He should continue to play a heavy number of snaps and merit enough targets to produce as a low-end WR3 or high-end WR4.
Owen Daniels TE BAL
To this point, Daniels has started six games for Baltimore. The per game averages in those six games would translate to 74.7 receptions, 762.7 receiving yards, and 8.0 touchdowns. He's right at home alongside Gary Kubiak and up to his old tricks as an underappreciated, low-end TE1 in all formats.
*All snap counts and targets in this article are courtesy of ProFootballFocus.com