After week 3 we have some player stocks rising and falling. Check out who should be on your radar going into week 4!
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Risers
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Willis McGahee RB BAL
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Strong Sell Willis McGahee was an afterthought after Ray Rice got hyped up this preseason like a kid on Mountain Dew. Who would have thought that old man McGahee would have 6 total touchdowns in 3 games? Not me, I'll tell you that. I thought that Ray Rice would be the man while McClain would get goal-line looks. McGahee has been one of the top running backs in the league so far, but guys who are intended for special use have limited value in fantasy. Look at LenDale (Landwhale lol) White for instance. McGahee is only going to go as far as his touchdowns take him, which are hard to predict in the NFL. Trade him while his value reflects RB1 numbers.
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Jerome Harrison RB CLE |
Strong Flex Play Add ( All Leagues ) As I mentioned previously, Jamal Lewis is hurt and Harrison looks to fill that gap while he's out. James Davis might be the biggest talent out of the bunch, but Harrison is a veteran and will get more carries as of now. If you need a fill in for recent injury victims like Frank Gore, Harrison should be a fine stopgap choice. |
Tyler Thigpen QB MIA |
14 Team League Advisable Pickup Yes, last year Kansas City was one of the laughing stocks of the NFL. Hiding behind that two win season for Kansas City was a blooming fantasy nugget in Tyler Thigpen. "Trial by Fire" is a nice way to put how Kansas City threw Thigpen into the starting role last year. After Huard and Croyle both floundered, Thigpen jumped into the starting role and excelled. Week 7-11 Thigpen did not throw a single pick (against defenses like NYJ, SDG and TEN) and threw 18 TDs. He threw 12 interceptions on the year but that was to be expected since the only thing KC did right last year was passing to Dwayne Bowe. I expect Thigpen to start for the Dolphins very soon now that Pennington is done for the season, and I expect him to excell yet again. Watch him for a game or so and grab him if he starts to play like last season. Also look to grab Ted Ginn or Davone Bess now that Thigpen is throwing it. |
| Glen Coffee RB SF |
Strong RB2 Pickup ( All Leagues )
If you drafted Frank Gore, you had to be ready for this. It seems like we've read this script before anyways...Gore shows us his potential then gets hurt and prepares to sit out a few games. Guys like this should be handcuffed in all leagues. Glen Coffee looks to be a great play in the next few weeks while Gore heals up. Since San Fran runs the ball a lot, look for Coffee to get around 20 carries per game.
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| Vernon Davis TE SF | 12+ Team Leagues Advisable Add
As of Week 3, Vernon Davis leads the team in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and receptions. He is the major target for Shaun Hill and since Gore has gone down, look for Hill to target Davis a lot more. I wouldn't be surprised for Davis to average 8 receptions a game while Gore is out. |
Fred Taylor RB NE |
Advisable RB2/Flex Add ( All Leagues )
Fred Taylor busted through the Atlanta defense last week for 105 yards and a touchdown. The most important stat for fantasy owners to check out is that he got 21 carries. The Patriots have been notorious the past couple years of being a major timeshare type of team when it comes to running the ball, so to see someone get the bulk of the carries shows that Belichick has a lot of faith in that player. I've heard rumors that the team is asking Taylor if he can handle a full-time load, so check out how they use him in the next game. Pick him up if he's a free agent in your league and let him sit on the bench this next week, but start playing him if he gets around 20 carries again. |
| Pierre Thomas RB NO | Strong Buy
My theory about Pierre Thomas holds true still. If you give Thomas 13 carries in a game, he will provide you with fantasy gold. In the preseason there was discussion of Thomas sharing carries with Mike Bell, Reggie Bush and Joe the Plumber. Give me a break! Pierre Thomas showed the world that he is a great RB in this league and now I fully expect the Saints to give him 15 carries a game now as long as he keeps producing. If you have a chance to trade for Thomas, go get him now. |
| Mike Sims-Walker WR JAX | Strong WR2 Add ( All Leagues )
Everyone loves a guy with a hyphen in his last name, especially David Garrard apparently. Everyone thought Torry Holt would be the guy in Jacksonville, but Holt and Sims-Walker Texas Ranger have the same amount of receptions and Sims-Walker has more yards. It looks like Sims-Walker is legit, so grab him and reap the rewards if he is still a free agent. |
Lames
| Clinton Portis RB WAS | Hold
Clinton Portis was one of the most effective fantasy running backs last season for the first half of games, but recently he looks very sluggish. Unfortunately you won't get any equal trade value for Portis, so fantasy owners with him should hold on and hope for the best. I'd be hesitant to buy on him unless an owner is ready to abandon ship, since Portis isn't even in during passing downs. The Washington offense revolves around Portis but he just hasn't been getting it done lately. I don't think he's in danger of losing his job but he sure looks bad out there. |
| Tom Brady QB NE | Hold
Tom Brady just hasn't been a fantasy stud yet, but he's had a lot of things working against him. Of course, everyone in the world was interested to see how The Golden Boy would rebound from his serious injury last year. Sadly, Welker has been hurt the last two games and it shows. Welker is one of Brady's favorite targets. In addition, the team is having trouble finding its running game. In week 3 they ran it with authority but we need to see more of that from the Patriots. Expect Brady to get progressively better as the season goes on, so don't dump him off yet. |
| Fred Jackson RB BUF |
Sell
Fred Jackson was a nice run while it lasted, but now Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch is coming back to play for the Bills and should steal away a lot of playing time from Jackson. I'd expect to see a 50/50 timeshare but I have a feeling it'll be more like 75/25 in Lynch's favor. Despite Lynch being a bone-head, he's a very talented football player and the team just can't ignore that. Expect Jackson to get around 10 carries per game while Lynch gets about 14-16, while seeing Jackson in on some passing downs. If you can get anything of value for Jackson, I'd trade him but don't give him away for peanuts because if Lynch went down again you know exactly what kind of player you'd have in his place. |
