This article will take a weekly look at players who could provide value in a given week. The basis for this value will be the difference between the Top 200 forward, a look at the top 200 players with the whole season in mind, and the weekly rankings. Both of these are from the Footballguys.com Insider content. An emphasis will be on the players with the largest differences between the season outlook and this week only. Also, a preference will be given to differences for the higher ranked players. Some of these differences will be due to injury, matchup of the week, or short-term situation. Now, let's take a look at this week's value players.
Quarterback
- Top 200 ranking: 6
- Weekly ranking: 2
- Difference: +4
Newton has made lemonade out of the first two games of the season … even without any viable wide receivers. The Carolina quarterback has his team at 2-0 hosting New Orleans this week. The Saints yielded fantasy points to rookie Jameis Winston last week and will represent a great opportunity. Newton has a chance for a big outing against a division rival. With all of the injuries to the position, the Panthers passer is a great start.
- Top 200 ranking: 26
- Weekly ranking: 8
- Difference: +18
Foles and the Rams play much better at home as opposed to the road. Last week, St. Louis struggled on the road against Washington. The game was quite the surprise after the home victory against Seattle in Week 1. With Pittsburgh coming to town, we should expect a high scoring affair. The Steelers high octane offense could pull Foles into a big fantasy game as he throws to catch up with Roethlisberger and company.
Running Back
- Top 200 ranking: 11
- Weekly ranking: 3
- Difference: +8
Lewis has been a pleasant surprise, dominating Patriots backfield touches. The New England coaching staff put him back on the field even after fumbling in each of the first two weeks. This should illustrate how Lewis is viewed. He are hoping for continued involvement in the passing game, even with LeGarrette Blount back from suspension, just like last Sunday.
- Top 200 ranking: 51
- Weekly ranking: 12
- Difference: +39
Starks looks to be starting against the Chiefs this week. The Packers have been bitten by the injury bug this season and the loss of Eddie Lacy is a big one. While he is not in Lacy's realm of talent, Starks is a viable fantasy starter. The Green Bay home crown will give a boost in a tough contest. Kansas City shut down the Denver running game last Thursday night so there is a limit on the optimism. Also, Starks has to curtail the fumbling, which reared its head again last week. Overall, he makes a decent starter off the waiver wire for most owners.
- Top 200 ranking: 5
- Weekly ranking: 1
- Difference: +4
Lynch is our top running back this week as his Seahawks host the struggling Bears. Chicago will likely be playing without the services of quarterback Jay Cutler and possibly top receiver Alshon Jeffery. We expect Seattle to be hungry for win number one and rely on the running game to do so. This is an ideal set up to get the powerful tailback enough carries to dominate the contest. Teams have been able to easily collect yards on the ground against the once-vaunted defense.
Wide Receiver
- Top 200 ranking: 32
- Weekly ranking: 20
- Difference: +12
Williams steps into the lead receiver role with Dez Bryant sidelined with the foot injury. The Tony Romo injury only complicates matters but Williams should see an ample number of pass targets. The game against the Atlanta Falcons looks to be high scoring. The Falcons defense in the first two games, against the Giants and Eagles, allowed opposing wide receivers to have quality fantasy outings. This trend should continue.
Allen Robinson
- Top 200 ranking: 18
- Weekly ranking: 9
- Difference: +9
Robinson was stellar last week against the Miami Dolphins. The talented second-year receiver could see as many as ten pass targets this week as the Jaguars travel to New England to face the Patriots. Robinson is sitting on a golden opportunity as his team should be playing from behind in the first half, throwing often just to keep pace. We like the Jacksonville passing game to put up solid garbage-time statistics.
- Top 200 ranking: 14
- Weekly ranking: 7
- Difference: +7
Marshall is coming off the impressive showing on Monday Night Football. The Jets host the Eagles in a huge game for both squads. Marshall becomes a “must start” with Eric Decker sidelined by a knee injury. The Eagles could force a high scoring game, which would benefit Marshall even more. The Eagles secondary has struggled to contain even the average receivers (e.g., Terrance Williams last week).
Tight End
- Top 200 ranking: 26
- Weekly ranking: 7
- Difference: +19
Green's owners are needing a big game with Antonio Gates still out of action from his suspension. Gates comes back in Week 5, so Green only has two more weeks to prove he deserves the starting nod over the veteran. The Chargers travel to Minnesota to meet the Vikings. This is an average matchup for the athletic tight end. Keep an eye on Green's availability due to a concussion. His status is iffy to play versus Minnesota. If he does suit up, we like Green's chances of being a quality fantasy starter.
- Top 200 ranking: 9
- Weekly ranking: 3
- Difference: +6
Reed is coming off a solid outing against the Rams last week. This Thursday night, Washington travels to New York to face the soft Giants defense. As long as Kirk Cousins is quarterback, we like Reed's chances of having a great fantasy outing. The absence of DeSean Jackson from the lineup should only help Reed, and his fantasy owners.
Feel free to email me (Tefertiller@Footballguys.com) with feedback. Also, I am on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/JeffTefertiller), LinkedIn, and Google+, so you can ask me questions on one of these as well.