The title of this piece was intentionally lengthy to help represent the vast amount on information that you're about to receive! OK. Ya got me. That's a bunch of B.S., but I can assure you there is probably more useful stuff in today's article than you may find for the rest of the week.
We usually do the ROS action every month, but with the fantasy playoffs approaching quickly, we're going to give it a try again today. These are rankings that would basically serve as a cheat sheet if you were drafting today for the rest of the season. So they're not ROS ranking per se, because I'm taking into account guys that will serve as band-aids (or adhesive bandages, if you're anti Johnson & Johnson) such as Laurent Robinson. There are also a large number of handcuffs mixed in and might be higher than you expected. Some of these backs may be completely useless, while there's a chance that they're the next DeMarco Murray. It's worthy noting the reason why I'm so high on grabbing handcuffs is because the depth charts are already figured out and I feel a fantasy bench should be loaded with upside. The rankings including quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends. You will also find quite a bit underneath the rankings as I explains why some of the new crop of waiver-wire adds have some value.
You can follow me on Twitter @MikeSGallagher for tons of updates throughout the week and plenty of instant analysis on Sunday. You can also ask me things like, "Mike, should I cut Greg Little for Laurent Robinson in my PPR league?"
Rk | Offensive Player | Comment |
1 | Arian Foster | 3 monsters in a row puts him at the top spot |
2 | Aaron Rodgers | A 129.1 QB rating is completely ridiculous; he's the NFL version of MJ (without the lockout drama) |
3 | Adrian Peterson | Nice to see Minnesota's O-line coming together a bit |
4 | LeSean McCoy | Shady has some serious burst |
5 | Calvin Johnson | Megatron will be a 1st-round pick for the next 5 years |
6 | Ray Rice | Rice would have handed in an enormous game if not for a bogus holding call |
7 | Matt Forte | Pay that man! |
8 | Maurice Jones-Drew | 1 carry behind AD for total carries lead; Gabbert should improve to help his scoring numbers |
9 | Mike Wallace | 60 Minutes' TD was intended for Antonio Brown on SNF |
10 | Fred Jackson | No time for fakin' F-Jax, stop fakin' F-Jax, cause brothers that fake F-Jax get laid on they backs.. Hopefully some old-school hip-hop fan gets that reference |
11 | Drew Brees | Brees on pace to go for the yardage record |
12 | Tom Brady | Brady said he had a "crappy" feeling after Sunday's loss |
13 | Cam Newton | Get used to this guy being a top-20 pick in fantasy for a while |
14 | Michael Turner | Quiz getting a few more snaps, but elite backs getting thin these days |
15 | Hakeem Nicks | Expect his hamstring to be good to go |
16 | Darren McFadden | It was only a matter of time for McFadden to miss a game or two |
17 | Steve Smith | Not a coincidence that the biggest QB and WR steals are on the same team |
18 | Vincent Jackson | Sunday's explosion could be a sign of things to come |
19 | Frank Gore | The Niners were terrible in '10, had arguably the most quiet offseason, so they're 7-1.. |
20 | Steven Jackson | He looks pretty healthy, STL depleted at WR and they have a fairly soft schedule |
21 | Andre Johnson | Don't expect him back until Week 12, but should be a beast down the stretch |
22 | Rashard Mendenhall | Mendy doesn't get a true featured load anymore, but at least he's there at the goal line |
23 | Shonn Greene | Greene has been a much better north-south runner and is hitting the holes hard |
24 | Wes Welker | Hernandez putting a slight dent in the insane Welker production |
25 | Greg Jennings | There are just too many guys in Green Bay; Rodgers hits 7 receivers every game |
26 | Ryan Mathews | It's always scary when young players miss games |
27 | Dez Bryant | He has to go off with Miles out of the picture |
28 | Stevie Johnson | 84 yards on Revis Island is than any vacation Chevy Chase ever had |
29 | LaGarrette Blount | The Bucs abandoned the run in the second half on Sunday |
30 | Matthew Stafford | A lot of indoor games is a nice luxury for your fantasy quarterback (@ Oakland and Chicago only outdoor games until Week 17.. Not bad) |
31 | Larry Fitzgerald | Patrick Peterson stole the show on Sunday. Amazing |
32 | A.J. Green | Green and Dalton are going to be a great connection for a while |
33 | Roddy White | Don't go crazy over the Julio line; Roddy had 9 targets to Julio's 4 |
34 | Chris Johnson | CJ2.8 at 3.0 now, so he's CJ1K for now |
35 | Jimmy Graham | He's the top target on a passing team at a record-setting pace |
36 | Cedric Benson | A rookie QB's best friend is a good running game: Benson 7th in carries |
37 | Beanie Wells | Weenie Bells living up to the moniker lately; should be playing though |
38 | DeMarco Murray | Felix who? |
39 | Tony Romo | Romo is 5th in ESPN's lame Total QBR.. He's not a top-5 QB |
40 | Darren Sproles | At this point owners shouldn't really be concerned with Ingram |
41 | Jeremy Maclin | For what it's worth: I've had him ranked ahead of D-Jax the whole season |
42 | Willis McGahee | He made the Raiders look like the Raiders on Sunday |
43 | Dwayne Bowe | KC's defensive woes help the value of Bowe |
44 | Brandon Marshall | I don't want to overreact to the 11-target, 8-catch gem, but he and Moore had a good thing working |
45 | Ben Roethlisberger | Remember when Pittsburgh was a running team? |
46 | Julio Jones | He's pretty close to what Mike Wallace was two years ago |
47 | Jackie Battle | He's clearly the #1 back in Kansas City |
48 | Roy Helu | Yup. I'm buying |
49 | Michael Vick | I'm pretty sure every passionate Vick owner felt like buying one of these |
50 | Phillip Rivers | Maybe that shotputting motion has finally caught up to him? Ball has no zip |
51 | Marshawn Lynch | He record his first 100-yard game as a Seahawk on Sunday |
52 | Miles Austin | I'll guess he misses 3 weeks |
53 | Tim Tebow | TIM TEBOW TIM TEBOW TIM TEBOW TIM TEBOW TIM TEBOW TIM TEBOW |
54 | James Starks | Starks owners should hope the cold weather promotes the running game |
55 | Jason Witten | Should get a few more targets sans Miles |
56 | Mike Tolbert | It's all based on the health of Mathews |
57 | Jermichael Finley | Pretty sure I could take him in a fight |
58 | DeSean Jackson | 8 catches in his last 3 games |
59 | Brandon Lloyd | We'll see how well he can handle the double teams |
60 | Mario Manningham | He's clearly more talented than Cruz and has shown the ability to get open |
61 | Antonio Gates | Looked a bit more spry out there on running routes |
62 | Santonio Holmes | On pace for about the same amount of targets last year despite 4 less games |
63 | Eli Manning | Tough schedule and the winds at the Meadowlands can be treacherous |
64 | Matt Ryan | Usually more talent around him means less mistakes. Not the case |
65 | Percy Harvin | Signs of life with Ponder at the helm |
66 | Jonathan Stewart | John Fox leaving and Cam Newton's arrival has been a perfect storm of crap for the Daily Show |
67 | Anquan Boldin | If Boldin and Flacco can build off Sunday, Boldin could be in the top 50 soon enough; 11th in targets |
68 | Brandon Jacobs | Tough to project with Bradshaw's future being so cloudy |
69 | Marques Colston | He doesn't play enough snaps to be a strong WR2 |
70 | DeAngelo Williams |
He'll probably need Daily Show's Achilles to act up to have value |
71 | Michael Bush | His owners might get two more starts out of him |
72 | Vernon Davis | LaRon Landry did a number on him on Sunday, but still 4 rec for 41 |
73 | BenJarvus Green-Ellis | That 5-carry, 9-yard game in Week 8 should be enough to try to trade him |
74 | Mike Williams | Targets are there, numbers are not (37 recs and 1 TD) |
75 | Ahmad Bradshaw | It's a small fracture and my guess is that he plays in 2 weeks vs. Philly. Key word: Guess |
76 | Antonio Brown | He is having a Welker-like impact in that offense |
77 | Jacoby Ford | My clone would have him at 95, but I have a man crush on Ford |
78 | Aaron Hernandez | He's the deep threat in the Patriot O |
79 | Reggie Bush | Bush is worth more than 1 pizza now |
80 | Greg Little | Give it time, give it time. He's getting targets, Massaquoi is hurt and CLE can't run |
81 | Ben Tate | Proven to have value even in a backup role. Imagine if Arian's hammy acts up |
82 | Jahvid Best | The Kevin Smith signing is not good news for Best |
83 | Jay Cutler | His poise in the pocket has been a revelation this year |
84 | Daniel Thomas | He was lining up at fullback on a couple plays |
85 | Delone Carter | The best back on the worst team |
86 | Matt Schaub | Would you pass much with a running game like that? |
87 | Chris Ogbonnaya | He's not very talented |
88 | Kendall Hunter | Gore's a fragile dude |
89 | Maurice Morris | He's still the main for the foreseeable future |
90 | Pierre Garcon | Hard to believe he's 6th in targets |
91 | Reggie Wayne | Hard to believe he's 5th in targets |
92 | Michael Crabtree | Starting to understand zone coverages better |
93 | Owen Daniels | Big disappoint with Andre out of the lineup |
94 | Jordy Nelson | One of the best deep threats in the league |
95 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | Buffalo's D is really catching up to them; Fitz will have to pass |
96 | C.J. Spiller | So much for using him in the slot; still an elite handcuff |
97 | Rob Gronkowski | Gronk'd is quite the red-zone target |
98 | Sidney Rice | He and T-Jax weren't quite on the same page; should improve |
99 | Josh Freeman | So much for that third-year leap |
100 | Felix Jones | Ummm.. Sure? |
101 | Laurent Robinson | He has some nice upside at the X or Y while Austin is out |
102 | Denarius Moore | 12 targets is pretty nice |
103 | Malcom Floyd | More about having a team name of "Malcom Tents" than numbers.. Kidding |
104 | Mark Ingram | It's rarely a good idea to have a rookie as one of your starters on draft day |
105 | David Nelson | He's a zone buster, busta |
106 | Peyton Hillis | The better put a dead person on the cover of Madden next year. Not a picture of a zombie, a picture of a dead guy in his prime |
107 | Ryan Grant | It's looking like handcuff central, but could McCarthy could be keeping him fresh |
108 | Javon Ringer | He'll need a CJ2Cramp or something to have some value as a fantasy starter |
109 | Knowshon Moreno | How funny was this at Georgia on Saturday? |
110 | Eric Decker | He could be higher, but there will be a lot of ups and downs |
111 | Victor Cruz | He has done a great job in the slot this year |
112 | LaDainian Tomlinson | The Jets are getting back to the ground and pound |
113 | Pierre Thomas | He and Ivory have a dirty situation on their hands |
114 | Lance Moore | Running a lot of deep routes, just not consistent |
115 | Mark Sanchez | Drayton Florence can actually cover someone |
116 | Carson Palmer | All 3 of his picks weren't entirely his fault (click here for details) |
117 | Sam Bradford | Just like that the Rams are running out of receivers again |
118 | Earl Bennett | 5 targets, 5 catches, 95 yards, 1 score and a lot of waiver claims |
119 | Deion Branch | Not much fun owning this guy |
120 | Montario Hardesty | He might have some value if he's able to beat Hillis to the field |
121 | Brandon Pettigrew | He'd be a lot higher if not for some Transformer |
122 | Santana Moss | Washington needs him back in the worst way |
123 | Jake Ballard | I loved when all the people on TV thought they were so creative with the Ballard-Tyree 85 connection |
124 | Plaxico Burress | He claims he is no not healthy, didn't show it with 5 catches and 78 yards |
125 | Brent Celek | 9 targets on MNF |
126 | DeMaryius Thomas | He's the best red-zone target on paper |
127 | Fred Davis | He's 3rd in yards among TE; could be in store for a nice boost |
128 | Early Doucet | He's getting quite a few targets (35 on the season after a no-show start) |
129 | Ryan Torain | Shanahan'd is worse than Punk'd |
130 | Isaac Redman | Not sure what that J. Dwyer stuff was about |
131 | Dustin Keller | What a bone-headed play by trying to hurdle over 2 grown standing men |
132 | Torrey Smith | He's a poor man's Julio Jones |
133 | Joe Flacco | Can't figure out if this guy is good or not |
134 | Christian Ponder | He has some decent mobility |
135 | Jared Cook | 8 targets and 4 catches on Sunday |
136 | Jonathan Baldwin | What an ugly game against some of the worst cover corners in the league |
137 | Stevan Ridley | There's still a chance he can take over for BJGE (5 carries on Sunday) |
138 | Damian Williams | Williams figures to slide into the WR1 spot in Tennessee |
139 | Kellen Winslow | He's 3rd among TE in targets |
140 | Darrius Heyward-Bey | He was riding some serious pine based on "personnel" |
141 | Alfonso Smith | Beanie Wells is one bad step away from missing time |
142 | Deji Karim | MJD shows no signs of slowing down, still a nice handcuff |
143 | Nate Washington | Hip pointers can be very tricky injuries |
144 | Jerome Simpson | He and Caldwell are in the mix fairly evenly |
145 | Tony Gonzalez | Scored again on Sunday |
146 | Hines Ward | I don't see him being much of a factor with Brown |
147 | Jacquizz Rodgers | It looks like he probably passed Snelling on the depth chart |
148 | Brandon LaFell | Call it a hunch, but I think LaFell picks it up after the bye (hey it worked for Ford) |
149 | Joe McKnight | He's one heck of a returner, Schotty needs to pry him from Westhoff |
150 | Andy Dalton | The Bengals. That is all |
151 | Ricky Williams | Showed he's a great handcuff when Rice went to the bench |
152 | Austin Pettis | Those new guys are fun, right? |
153 | Marion Barber | Forte is very durable |
154 | Danario Alexander | Hamstrings have been killers this year |
155 | Jame Jones | That ball to him on Sunday was a thing of beauty |
156 | Lavelle Hawkins | I want to call him LaTroy Hawkins so badly |
157 | Leonard Hankerson | He got the start and maybe the Skins can get the ball outside of the numbers |
158 | Jabar Gaffney | Hey, he got a TD! |
159 | Joseph Addai | Shelf life of a running back is probably shorter than ketchup |
160 | Mike Thomas | He doesn't play on every down right now |
161 | Vincent Brown | Got 8 targets in the shootout and could have value without Floyd in the mix |
162 | Bernard Scott | Proved he wouldn't be much of a handcuff |
163 | Matt Moore | QB ratings in the 140-to-158.3 range should excite you too |
164 | Leon Washington | Luck Leon is 2nd on the depth chart |
165 | Toby Gerhart | Handcuff mode |
166 | Thomas Clayton | Lottery ticket |
167 | Nate Burleson | He's not sexy, but he's in a good offense |
168 | Jason Hill | The deep threat on the worst offense |
169 | Emmanuel Sanders | There's not a lot |
170 | Donald Brown | There's not a whole lot to like about Indy's backfield |
171 | Jacoby Jones | He could get one more week against the |
172 | Roy Williams | Roy has a catch radius of about 1 sq foot |
173 | Brandon Gibson | He might be the safer option between him and Pettis |
174 | Jeremy Kerley | He's turning into a nice little weapon on 3rd down |
175 | Kregg Lumpkin | Not sure what TB would do without Blount, but doubt Lumps gets featured |
176 | Heath Miller | Ben and Heath starting to develop that rapport again |
177 | Tarvaris Jackson | Usually mobile quarterbacks have a nice floor. Not T-Jax |
178 | Arrelious Benn | He looked promising for a bit, but needs to get a more multifaceted game |
179 | Steve Breaston | He was born for the slot |
180 | Braylon Edwards | Too bad he doesn't get points for making blocks in the open field; one of the best |
181 | T.J. Houshmanzadeh | The Raiders lined him up at the X, Y and Z on Sunday. Broncos had Champ on him at one point too |
182 | Alex Smith | He's 6th in QB rating right now with a 97.3 rating. |
183 | Taiwan Jones | Might be used more against the Chargers |
184 | Kevin Smith | Silent Bob |
185 | Tashard Choice | Could he be the next wrench to screw up Washington's backfield? |
186 | Robert Meachem | He needs Colston to get hurt again |
187 | Andre Caldwell | At least 4 catches in last 3 games |
188 | Donald Jones | Fitz took a couple shots at Jones on some 9 routes |
189 | Dexter McCluster | If KC plays D like they D on Sunday, they might use him more in the passing game |
190 | Dallas Clark | Obviously move him out once word becomes official that he's out for the year |
191 | Cadillac Williams | It's tough to handcuff a guy that's more likely to get hurt than the starter |
192 | Jacob Tamme | Tamme Time |
193 | Matt Cassel | Well that didn't last long |
194 | Julius Thomas | He got 2 targets on Sunday |
195 | Keiland Williams | Smith being brought in means he's not getting it done |
196 | Justin Forsett | Not too shabby in the passing game |
197 | Ronnie Brown | Had a Brown sighting on Monday, but still think he and Dion would split sans Shady |
198 | Doug Baldwin | You know what sucks about being a Baldwin? |
199 | Devin Aromashodu | That Michael Jenkins speculation was fun for a week |
200 | Jermaine Gresham | He should be healthy after missing Week 9 |
Waiver Wire Scoops
Quarterback
Carson Palmer- The Raiders are quickly coming back to Earth after their ugly loss to the Broncos on their home turf. Oakland allowed two 100-yard rushers in Tim Tebow and Tim Tebow Willis McGahee. This is nothing new for the Raiders since they were 29th agains the run in 2010 and now after Sunday's dud, they're back in the 29th spot on this season. I mention this deficiency because it's going to be tough for the Raiders to stay in games and maintain a run-first mentality when they're trailing in the second half. Therefore, Carson Palmer might have a lot on his plate and could be leaned on more than originally thought. As far as performance goes, yesterday is really the best true barometer for what kind of value Carson might have in that offense. The most impressive stat is that he had a very high YPA of 9.5. The three picks were the big boo-boo on his stat line which kept his QB rating at a pedestrian 79.7. This was his second game in a row with three intereceptions, but one would think he would cut those down in the near future. Just for fun, if Carson didn't throw those picks his QB rating would have been a Rodgers-like 115.4. In summation, Carson should have some very nice upside thanks largely due to the deep threats and favorable schedule.
Bottom Line: Carson should be owned in most 10-team leagues as a solid backup with upside.
Christian Ponder- Ponder is back from his bye and in case you forgot, he had some success in his first two starts against the Packers and Panthers. Ponder was proficient predominately by passing for an average 17.5 fantasy points in ESPN standard leagues.The FSU product gets Green Bay next, then he gets a ton of games indoors with a some favorable matchups. The athleticism could help his value in the rushing department as well.
Bottom Line: Rookies are fun, but remember that Ponder has 28 in his backfield. He's a decent backup to have in 14-team leagues.
Matt Moore- You might be surprised to know that Matt Moore had the highest quarterback rating of any player yesterday with his stellar 147.5. Yes, that's even higher than Rodgers' unbelievable 145.8. Moore was in a groove the entire game and was executing his passes down the field for the "shot plays" as well as completing the ball on the shorter routes for 12 first downs (compared to three rushing first downs for the team). The Fresno State product is equipped with one of the best red-zone targets in the league in 6-foot-5 Brandon Marshall. Moore and Marshall hooked up eight times (on 11 targets) for 106 yards. The Dolphins have some tough games coming up, but they do get to take on the suddenly soft Buffalo Bills at home in Week 11.
Bottom Line: Matt Schaub and Drew Brees owners might consider grabbing Moore for Week 11. He should be owned in some 14-team leagues.
Running Backs
Roy Helu- I've been saying Helucopter is a must-own back ever since Tim Hightower, so I really hope you took my advice and he's on your roster. His 14-catch game was a franchise record by breaking the record of Art Monk, former Tecmo Bowl stud.
Bottom Line: What the Helu you doin'? He's going to likely be the best player to have value that isn't 100-percent owned and owners should use all of their FA dollars or top priority to get him.
Chris Ogbonnaya- Pat Shurmur announced that both Montario Hardesty and Peyton Hillis have been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Rams. The Rams have the 32nd-ranked run D at a robust 153.6 YPG. Chances are if you're an Ogbonnaya owner, he's not exactly in your good graces following Sunday's stinker. OGB had just 28 yard on 13 carries with one catch (on one target) for 13 yards. The former Longhorn also lost a fumble on his first carry. The Browns really don't have much else to go with at tailback and Ogbonnaya will be a decent flex in my Running Back Rankings on Wednesday. Although he had some happy feet and lacked vision in the loss as well.
Bottom Line: Ogbonnaya should be owned in all leagues.
Kendall Hunter- Frank Gore had an X-ray on his gimpy ankle and it came back negative. However, this does serve as a reminder that Gore is one of the most fragile backs in the league and he could go down at any moment. Hunter already gets a nice portion of snaps, but he's usually in on passing downs and isn't utilized as much as an offensive weapon at this point.
Bottom Line: Hunter is one of several handcuffs that should be owned for his upside. He would have tremendous value should the oft-injured Gore go down again.
Joe McKnight- The Jets went to McKnight in the red zone a couple times on Sunday even before the game in Buffalo got out of hand. McKnight dominating with his performance in special teams (leading the league in yards per return) and the Brian Schottenheimer has worked him into the offensive scheme. McKnight hasn't done much to this point with only a 2.8 YPC and he didn't do much better even against Buffalo's soft front with 27 yards on nine carries. McKnight will share time with Greene and Tomlinson, so if either one goes down, he could have some value.
Bottom Line: Greene owners in deep leagues might want to grab McKnight.
Thomas Clayton- Clayton was mentioned by me a couple times on Twitter over the weekend and in my Running Back Rankings as a desperation play in very deep leagues and it's setting up nicely for him on Sunday against St. Louis. As discussed above, Chris Ogbonnaya didn't do much in his starting role and he made it abundantly clear that the Texans cut him for a reason. Clayton was no Jim Brown either with just five carries for 10 yards in the loss. I wouldn't be completely shocked if Clayton gets more carries than OGB. OGB got much better blocking and Clayton had really no chance on any of his five totes.
Bottom Line: It'll take some guts and a deep league to consider putting Clayton on your team, but the matchup and opportunity are there for him. 14-team league owners could do worse.
Wide Receiver
Jacoby Ford- Let me just get this out there: I have been very fond of Jacoby Ford since the end of last year and he was one of the guys I had to have. On Sunday he showed those glimpses with his five catches for 105 and a score. Ford was targeted six times and it looked like five of those six targets were Carson Palmer's first read. Furthermore, Ford had Champ Bailey on him for the majority of the game, so he should be able to get open and grab Carson's attention more often than the six targets might indicate. Hue Jackson also said earlier in the year that he could envision Ford catching 80 balls as the top receiving option on the team, so he clearly has the coach in his corner as well. Ford's big play ability make him a very intriguing player to acquire for any owner unsure about any WR on his/her roster.
Bottom Line: Ford's upside make him a player that should be owned in all leagues.
Laurent Robinson-There's not a lot of analysis needed here. Miles Austin is going to miss the next 2-to-4 weeks with a strained hamstring. Robinson and Dez Bryant will be the starting flanker and split end in two-wide sets whiles Miles heals. Robinson has five catches and a score in back-to-back games, so he has clearly seperated himself as the full-time replacement of Austin. The Illinois State alum should have some nice matchups with Drayton Florence (Buffalo), Josh Wilson (Washington) and Sean Smith (Miami) over the next three weeks.
Bottom Line: Most fantasy owners should have an affinity to a WR2 on a passing offense and Robinson fits the bill. Dez Bryant's inconsistencies also make Robinson worth owning in all 12-team leagues.
Denarius Moore- While Jacoby Ford gets the nod here for being the top grab, the former Volunteer should also garner your attention with his 12 targets against the Broncos. In Week 7, Moore only had five targets compared to Heyward-Bey's 11. Coach Hue Jackson denied that DHB was "benched" because of personnel reasons, but with a new quarterback and Al David no longer around to encourage the team to give the former seventh pick in the draft a long look, it could be a changing of the guard once again.
Bottom Line: Moore should be owned in 12-team leagues.
Earl Bennett- Roy Williams and Devin Hester couldn't catch a cold and on Monday Night Football Bennett pretty much proved he has the best hands of any receiver on the team. He and Cutler were teammates at Vanderbilt and were on the same page all night. In fact, Cutler gave him a shoutout on his Twitter account. There's a whole like to like here and you can make a case for Bennett to be the top claim this week.
Bottom Line: Nobody has been able to seize the WR1 spot on Chicago and maybe its Bennett's turn. He's a flyer in most 12-team leagues.
Austin Pettis- Just when it looked like Greg Salas was putting together a solid rookie season, he breaks his fibula. On top of that, the Rams might be without their usual starting flanker, Danario Alexander, for a game or two with a hamstring issue after a setback last week. Both Pettis and Brandon Gibson saw more snaps, but Pettis gets the nod here for being a bit of an unknown and possibly being a deep threat to complement Brandon Lloyd. They get the Browns and I'd expect Cleveland to keep Joe Haden on Lloyd for the whole game, which could create some advantageous spots for Pettis
Bottom Line: The Rams are running out of receivers and Pettis is the next in line; feel free to give him a shot in 12-team PPR leagues.
Leonard Hankerson- Hankerson drew the start in what turned out to be one of the most pathetic passing performances we've seen all year. The Redskins did not throw the ball more than 16 yard through the air the entire game.
Bottom Line: He might be something, he might be nothing. So goes the life of rostering rookies.
Vincent Brown-Brownie looked pretty good on Sunday with six targets, four catches and 79 yards. He could be on the upswing with Malcom Floyd not healthy and showing some good speed and route-running ability.
Bottom Line: He gets the Thursday Night Football game against the Raiders, so at least we'll know the status of Malcom Floyd right away. He's worth a flyer in 16-team leagues.
Tight End
Jake Ballard-He's another guy that I have written about multiple times and should have been started by savvy owners vs. the Patriots.
Bottom Line: He's a low-end TE1 in 10-team leagues with some upside.
Jared Cook- The targets are coming for Cook as he got eight on Sunday. Nate Washington going down also helps his value.
Bottom Line: Cook was a must-grab player for me and it's shaping up quite well for him now that Tennessee is running out of receivers. He's a decent guy to grab by all owners in need of a tight end.
Jacob Tamme- It's Tamme Time! Dallas Clark might miss the rest of the season with a leg injury. Tamme takes over at tight end, but this time he doesn't have Eli's brother throwing him the ball.
Bottom Line: Cook and Ballard have higher upside and Tamme should be left for the desperate folks.
Defense
St. Louis- You might be surprised to know that one of the best fantasy defenses has been the St. Louis Rams. Coach Spags has turned them around a bit with a big win over the Saints and having a good showing before Patrick Peterson had one of the highlights of the year. They get to take on the hapless Browns and Colt McCoy is going to get a ton of pressure put on him. If you're desperate, give it a shot. There are about 12 other defenses I'd play over the Rams, by the way.
Don forget you can always ask me whatever you want on Twitter and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. You can also post your comments and questions below.