BUYING
Robert Griffin III III QB WAS
Heading into Week 6, Griffin III totaled only 72 rushing yards in his first four games. He then rushed for a season-high 77 yards on nine carries, which is a terrific sign for his rest-of-season prospects. Failing to record any touchdowns has allowed his performance to slide under the radar. Going forward, Washington will likely be forced to keep pace with opposing offenses and the fantasy points should come pouring in for Griffin III.
C.J. Spiller RB BUF
The disappointing First Round selection is back on the Buying list. He’s a player to monitor for the time being and then make a move to acquire ahead of your leagues trading deadline. Even while banged up, his explosiveness was on display in Week 5 with a 54-yard touchdown run and as he fights through his ankle injury, his health should improve and touchdown regression should set in.
LeVeon Bell RB PIT
Coming off of a tough matchup versus the Jets front-seven, which is arguably the best in the NFL, Bell’s perceived value may have taken a hit. Nevertheless, he’s workhorse back whose volume will maintain RB2 usability and the sweet-spot to get him would be after the Week 7 game versus the Ravens.
Chris Johnson RB TEN
There is only one-more tough matchup left of the brutal stretch that the Titans encountered and then Johnson’s season should begin to turn around. After catching just two passes in the first three games, he has recorded seven in the past two as the team looks to get him more involved as a receiver. I would prefer to get him after this week, but buying a week early is better than buying a week late.
Torrey Smith WR BAL
One catch for 12 yards in what was an enticing matchup will surely eat at a lot of Smith’s owners. However, even with the dud game, he’s still on pace for career season: 75 receptions and 1515 receiving yards. Shoot an offer over to his owners for a price check before Smith gets back on track.
Rueben Randle WR NYG
Even with a struggling Eli Manning and being limited to the #3 WR role on the Giants, Randle has managed to do perform as the #24 wide receiver in standard scoring. With a Hakeem Nicks’ trade becoming a very real possibility, Randle would blossom into a solid WR2 that would be here to stay.
Greg Jennings WR MIN
There won't be much excitement for Jennings and his price tag should be at a low point. Having Josh Freeman under center can only help Jennings’ value and with a matchup versus the Giants on the horizon, he makes for a cheap buy with potential to bounce back into a WR3.
Jordan Cameron TE CLE
Cameron torched defenses to the tune of 7.5 catches, 90 receiving yards and 1 touchdown per game during the Browns’ first four games. He has cooled off over the past two games, averaging only four catches and 50 yards, while also failing to reach the endzone. While Brandon Weeden may be a downgrade, that didn’t stop Cameron from posting a 9-108-1 line in Week 1 and he should resume high-end TE1 production from here-on-out.
Jermichael Finley TE GB
The Packers’ once loaded receiving corps has thinned out; while there is hope that James Jones will not miss any games, Randall Cobb’s recovery timeline may be 6-8 weeks. Finley will almost assuredly see a bump in targets and should be locked in as a TE1.
SELLING
Andy Dalton QB CIN
Last Sunday’s performance, which included 337 passing yards and three touchdowns, will most likely be Dalton’s most productive game of the season. If he was your QB2 or you picked him up as spot-starter, this is your chance to see if he returns any value on the trading market.
Fred Jackson RB BUF
Still sitting inside the top-12 among running backs in standard scoring and with no definitive “return” of Spiller as an elite option, Jackson is holding on as a strong commodity. However, barring further injury to Spiller, Jackson is much closer to a Flex play than RB1 and is bound to tumble down the rankings.
Pierre Thomas RB NO
Thomas is currently tied for 17th among running backs in standard scoring, but his increased usage may soon be coming to an end and it's best to jump ship before that happens. Darren Sproles is not relinquishing any bit of his role and although it would be unmerited, Mark Ingram may still return to a small niche in the offense. On top of that, the emergence of Khiry Robinson has also sapped a few carries away from Thomas.
Wes Welker WR DEN
Ranking only behind DeSean Jackson among wide receivers in standard scoring, Welker has totaled eight touchdowns, including at least one in every game. That total would put him on pace for a ludicrous 21 touchdowns over a 16-game season. His 63 receiving yards per game, which ranks 33rd among receivers, is an indication that he should be viewed as no more than a WR2 and there’s no time like the present to ship him off at his peak.
Julius Thomas TE DEN
A touchdown reception resulted in another solid game for Thomas, who currently ranked # 2 among fantasy tight ends. It’s still hard to believe that Peyton Manning will keep all of his weapons this fed throughout season and Thomas’ pace (83-1016-19) is unsustainable. He should still perform as a strong TE1 the rest of the way, but you can likely get more than that in return for him now.
WAIVER PICKUPS
Nick Foles QB PHI
The sophomore quarterback could not have been much more impressive in the Eagles win versus a stout Buccaneers defense. He completed 22 of his 31 pass attempts for 296 yards and three touchdowns, while adding a rushing touchdown. To the chagrin of myself, and many fantasy owners, Michael Vick is in serious danger of losing his job. Foles should be rostered in all leagues and has back-end QB1 potential himself in Chip Kelly’s fast-paced offense.
Andre Ellington RB AZ
Ellington did appear as a waiver pickup in an earlier report, but he is still owned in only 37% of Yahoo! leagues and less than 10% of ESPN leagues. His role has continue to expand and per Rotoworld, he has averaged 27.0 snaps, 9.0 touches and 70.2 total yards over the last four games, while Rashard Mendenhall has played 30.0 per game during that same span.
Joseph Randle RB DAL
With Lance Dunbar still recovering from a hamstring injury, Randle steps into the lead role in the Cowboys backfield while DeMarco Murray rehabs from a knee injury that may sideline him for multiple weeks. With a welcoming schedule ahead, Randle should be rostered in all leagues and can be started as an RB2 versus the Eagles in Week 7. Footballguys’ own, Sigmund Bloom described Randle as “a less creative but as explosive Felix Jones” in his 2013 Rookie Review.
Brandon Jacobs RB NYG
Recent reports from ESPN New York indicate that David Wilson will miss at least 3-4 weeks with his neck injury. Andre Brown won’t be eligible to return until Week 10, which leaves plenty of opportunity in the meantime. Jacobs ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries this past Sunday and should be viewed as a strong Flex play during his run as the starter. If you don’t have a need for him during that time, he would also be a good target to pick up and then flip.
Joseph Fauria TE DET
Fauria’s inclusion in this week’s report is a warning and not a recommendation. His week-to-week targets were noted by Mike Clay on Twitter: 3 - 0 - 3 - 0 - 0 - 3. The three touchdowns will assuredly result in him being a hot ticket on the waiver wire, but that performance is as fluky as it gets.
GRONK WATCH
Rob Gronkowski TE NE
This has become one of the most frustrating injury situations in recent memory. Dating as far back to the preseason there were optimistic reports from credible sources that pegged Gronkowski for a Week 3 or 4 return. In each passing week, the tight end continued to practice with the team and reportedly looked very well in doing so. Yet after six weeks of misinformation and lineup scratches, the truth seems to have finally seeped out although even that still does not provide a definitive return date. Not only has frustration among his fantasy owners grown, but ESPN's Ed Werder reported that Gronkowski's continued absence has created "tension among teammates," who have begun questioning why he isn't playing. The newest rumors are that he will miss only one more game, but until he steps onto the football field for a game, nothing is certain. Trading for him now could pay off huge dividends, but it’s hard to recommend such a risky move after all of these events.
KICKER PLAY OF THE WEEK (OWNED IN LESS THAN 50% OF ESPN LEAGUES)
Alex Henery K PHI
After beginning the season on a rough note, making only seven of his first ten attempts, Henery has now connected on six consecutive field goals. Foles and LeSean McCoy should keep the ball moving versus the Cowboys, whose last three opponents have totaled ten extra points and ten field goal attempts, including nine made fields goals. The game will also be at home in Philadelphia, where Henery has connected on 90% of his career attempts compared to 82.4% on the road.
You can find me on Twitter, @KyleWachtel, where I’d be happy to answer any of your questions.