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Week 9 is in the books and there wasn’t as much turmoil as there usually is in a given week.  Six teams - the Falcons, Bills, Bears, Lions, Packers and Titans will return refreshed after taking their week of rest.  This will be another hard week that sees many owners wishing they built their lineup around having one specific week off, but don’t worry, that’s what I’m here for.  Hopefully plenty of owners are still in the hunt.  I wrote an article last week to help identify players who have favorable schedules, please feel free to check it out.

Teams on their bye this week are the Texans, Colts, Vikings, Patriots, Chargers and Redskins.  There is plenty of talent there to build a lineup so there may be some owners stuck with rolling out the skeleton crew.  Ownership percentages are for ESPN and Yahoo leagues respectively.

Quarterbacks

“Hot Hands”

Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins (40.4%/57%): Tannehill has turned into an absolute stud since his bye week.  His most recent performance totalled 288 yards on 24 completions, three touchdowns and no picks.  Over the last four games, he’s thrown for less than 200 yards once and has a 8:3 touchdown to interception ratio.  He’s also rushing more and more effectively.  He has totals of 49, 48, 48, and 47 yards over his past four games respectively.  He is quietly entering into the QB1 conversation and is owned in less than half of ESPN leagues.

Mark Sanchez, Eagles (0.4%/5%): Nick Foles is out at least six weeks with a broken collarbone.  That puts him out of your lineup until about Week 15 or Week 16.  Sanchez threw for 202 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in relief of Foles Sunday.  Despite his shortcomings as the Jets’ starter for years, he could be a decent quarterback replacing Foles for the rest of the season.  The Chip Kelly system is the main reason for that speculation and defenses will always have to stay honest against LeSean McCoy.  Sanchez could be a rollercoaster but I think he’ll have more good games than bad.

Mike Glennon, Buccaneers (3.6%/7%): There has been speculation that he may be benched in favor of a healthy Josh McCown.  But at this point, for the one-win Bucs, they should stick with the young gun.  With the playoffs out of reach, why turn to a 35 year-old quarterback instead of giving 24 year-old Glennon as much experience as possible in hopes of developing him?  He sees a relatively easy road the next few games in the Falcons and Redskins who should buoy his numbers and keep him in the QB2 conversation for anybody in 2-QB leagues.

Alex Smith, Chiefs (35.9%/46%): Although he gets the Bills defense who have 18 interceptions this week, he is known as a game manager and that is just what he is.  He’s only thrown four interceptions all year, albeit three came in Week 1 so we can’t say he hasn’t thrown multiple picks in a game.  I don’t think he throws more than one this week if he throws any and he’ll be a solid option for those with quarterbacks on bye.

“Dynasty”

Zach Mettenberger, Titans (1.2%/2%): He threw for almost 300 yards, two touchdowns and one pick in his debut start two weeks ago.  The Titans didn’t play this weekend as its their bye week and that can only mean good things for the chemistry of this offense.  If he’s given the keys to the team the rest of the season, he could put in some good games but not without some growing pains.  Right now, he’s a rookie to watch but not depended on with a tough schedule upcoming.

Bye Week Fliers: Brian Hoyer, Browns.  Kyle Orton, Bills.

Running Backs

“Hot Hands”

Adrian Peterson, Vikings: Even with so much up in the air regarding his suspension, Peterson did accept a deal on his court case and pleaded no contest (which is slightly different than just "guilty" or "not guilty").That being said, the NFL will have to make a decision to reinstate him after serving the 8 game suspension. He may be eligible to play as early as Week 11 (Vikings on a bye in Week 10). We say "MAY be able to play" because the NFL has yet to determine if they are going to continue his suspension. It's worth taking a chance on and picking him up this week.

Tre Mason, Rams (49%/37%): Who to own in the Rams backfield - Mason or Cunningham?  The answer is definitely not Zac Stacy anymore.  Mason is the first running back to own after getting another start and racking up 19 carries, especially if you are not in a PPR league.  Cunningham will continue to take snaps away from Mason because Mason doesn’t play a role in the passing game.  It is rare to find a player who will have workhorse-like carries this late in the year so he should be owned just based on the opportunity.

Benny Cunningham, Rams (8.3%/17%): Cunningham is still the Rams’ primary receiving back as he caught three balls on three targets for 38 yards.  Those 38 yards were good enough for him to be the leading receiver for the Rams this week as well.  That is not good, but it shows that Cunningham is a part in the game plan.  Since Cunningham is clearly behind Mason in carries, you would have to be in a PPR league for Cunningham to be relevant.  He’s worth being stashed for matchups where his receiving abilities will be highlighted.

Matt Asiata, Vikings (26.8%/31%): He’s on a bye this week but he has to be mentioned based on his 3-touchdown performance on Sunday afternoon.  He’s still the goal-line back for the Vikings and if you’re desperate he’s worth possible flex starts against the porous Bears and Packers in the couple weeks after his bye week.  Those matchups give Asiata a good chance of scoring.

Theo Riddick, Lions (2.1%/5%): Regardless of Reggie Bush’s injury status, the Lions have said they will keep Riddick involved.  That is not good news for Bush owners so don’t forget about Riddick after his bye in Week 9.  He’s someone to wait and see how many touches he gets and what he does with them.  If for some reason Bush can’t play or is limited against the Dolphins, Riddick gets a bump to a low-level flex play.

“Dynasty”

Terrance West, Browns (31%/23%): He out-touched Ben Tate, 16-14 on Sunday and even though Tate was trusted to run out the clock, West was the better running back.  This backfield has changed hands frequently this season so it’s a situation to monitor.  I picked West as the inevitable starter coming into the season because he had the most upside.  Tate isn’t banged up at the moment so he will continue to at least split carries with West limiting both players fantasy value but I still think West is the one to own in the future if you can stash him.

Jonas Gray, Patriots (17.6%/18%): He wasn’t exactly the Patriots runner between the tackles against the Broncos Sunday that everyone thought coming off a 17 carry game two weeks ago.  Still, he is the Patriots “big back” and his stats will depend on the game plan.  Rookie James White has been a healthy scratch and both Brandon Bolden’s and Shane Vereen’s contracts are up at the end of the year so the rest of the way could be a bit of an audition for Gray.  He’s worth stashing in dynasty or keeper leagues because of his potential for next year and could even have some good games peppered over the rest of the year.

Bye Week Fliers: Toby Gerhart, Jaguars.  Charles Sims, Buccaneers.  Jonathan Stewart, Panthers.

Wide Receivers

“Hot Hands”

Mike Evans, Buccaneers (31.8%/61%): He is most likely already owned in your Yahoo league, but if you’re in ESPN leagues, he may not be.  He doesn’t have a very consistent or accurate quarterback which will hold him back but he has the physical ability to compensate more than some other receivers.  He has easy matchups against the Falcons and Redskins to help push you towards the playoffs.  He should also be a great pick for keeper or dynasty leagues to see if the Bucs can right the ship at quarterback.

Martavis Bryant, Steelers (22.1%/43%): He now has five touchdowns since his debut just three weeks ago.  He is for real and is clearly an important player in balancing out defenses who choose to shift coverage to Antonio Brown.  He is a WR3/flex option as Ben Roethlisberger isn’t going to throw six touchdowns per game consistently.  He is usually looked to after Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell to score so he holds the upper hand over Markus Wheaton.

Harry Douglas, Falcons (1.9%/3%): This week, the Falcons have a matchup against the defense allowing the most fantasy points to wide receivers this season - the Bucs.  The Falcons had a much needed bye week last week and should come out firing on all cylinders against a team they decimated in Week 3.  Douglas had caught 2-of-2 for 14 yards and a touchdown before he left that game with an injury.  He has a high chance of scoring again against the Bucs defense so I see him as a WR3/flex this week.

Kenny Britt, Rams (8.6%/9%): While Benny Cunningham was the Rams leading “receiver”, Britt was not far behind.  He caught the lone touchdown pass of the day from Austin Davis but totaled only 32 yards on two catches.  It was a forgetful performance buoyed by the touchdown but besides Jared Cook, Britt seems to be the next go-to man for Davis.  He is not going to be very relevant unless he gets into the endzone but is mentioned because the Rams don’t have much to throw to after Brian Quick was lost for the season.  He’s only worth consideration in deeper leagues or if you are desperately thin at receiver.

“Dynasty”

Jarvis Landry, Dolphins (7.8%/8%): He continues to catch almost everything that is thrown his way and is now clearly ahead of Brian Hartline in the pecking order.  Ryan Tannehill is turning into a star before our eyes and Landry is going for the ride.  He’ll continue to be the second passing option behind Mike Wallace.  With matchups that will require Tannehill to throw against because of their run defenses, Landry should continue to see five to seven targets per game as he grows with Tannehill.  He’s worth stashing now while he is budding.

Bye Week Fliers: Jerricho Cotchery, Panthers.  Cecil Shorts III, Jaguars.  Markus Wheaton, Steelers.  Jordan Matthews, Eagles

Tight Ends

“Hot Hands”

Mychal Rivera, Raiders (2.2%/2%): For the second week in a row, Rivera put up big numbers.  He followed his seven catch, 83 yard performance with an eight catch, 38 yard and a touchdown encore.  Next week, the Raiders play the Broncos and while that doesn’t bode well for Derek Carr, his receivers don’t get negative points for the interceptions he’ll throw.  The Raiders will be playing from behind in this one so Rivera could at least get some garbage time points.

Charles Clay, Dolphins (20.2%/44%): This weekend, we had another Charles Clay sighting.  He’s been underwhelming and a dud most of the year.  He can’t be dubbed consistent yet but he has shown flashes of his 2013 self over the past few games.  He has caught 13 balls for 158 yards and two touchdowns in four games since the Dolphins bye in Week 5.   If he can continue his upward swing, he could finish the year strong and be a great late year addition for many fantasy owners.

Owen Daniels, Ravens (28.3%/30%): After a minor knee surgery a few weeks ago, Daniels appears to have not missed a beat.  He caught six balls for 53 yards while fellow tight end, Crockett Gillmore was the one who scored a touchdown.  Daniels was targeted a team-high nine times Sunday night as he was clearly part of the plan.  He’s a low-end TE1 in PPR leagues and much of his value is dependent on touchdowns.  He’s not a bad fill-in though for anyone who has a tight end on bye this week.

Coby Fleener, Colts (18.7%/30%): He’s heading into his bye week but he put on quite the performance Monday night.  He finished with four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets.  Fellow tight end Dwayne Allen also caught four balls and a touchdown so this is clearly a job split in two.  Although Fleener doesn’t score all that often compared to Allen, he still has the same potential upside.  It just depends on who is featured that game.  There are worse options if you are streaming tight ends after this week.

“Dynasty”

Tim Wright, Patriots (11%/23%): He put up a complete donut on Sunday against the Broncos.  He wasn’t even targeted in the game but that is what comes with being in the Patriots offense.  You never know who is going to be involved the most behind Gronk each week but Tim Wright certainly has the tools.  He hasn’t had any major yards in any game, topping out at 85 in Week 5, but he’s caught three touchdowns which has helped his fantasy numbers.  Hopefully with the Patriots on a bye this week, they can figure out a way to get Wright more involved consistently.  Until then, he’s a boom/bust tight end.

Bye Week Fliers: Heath Miller, Steelers.  Scott Chandler, Bills.  Clay Harbor, Jaguars.

Defenses/ST

Detroit D/ST: Since they were on a bye last week, someone may have dropped them.  Make sure to pick them up as they are a top-5 defense.

Steelers D/ST: They are playing the turnover happy Jets who are still unsure of their starting quarterback this week so there’s much to like in this matchup.

Packers D/ST: The Bears are imploding but this one may come back to bite me as they return from their bye.

Ravens D/ST: This unit has created a turnover in every game but two this year.  They see the Titans this week who give up the 23rd most fantasy points to opposing defenses.

Kickers

Mason Crosby, Packers: 11/12 FG, 25/25 XP

Graham Gano, Panthers: 17/19 FG, 16/16 XP

Chandler Catanzaro, Cardinals: 16/16 FG, 18/18 XP

Shaun Suisham, Steelers: 14/15 FG, 25/25 XP

Shayne Graham, Saints: 13/14 FG, 24/25 XP

Week 9 is in the books and there wasn’t as much turmoil as there usually is in a given week.  Six teams - the Falcons, Bills, Bears, Lions, Packers and Titans will return refreshed after taking their week of rest.  This will be another hard week that sees many owners wishing they built their lineup around having one specific week off, but don’t worry, that’s what I’m here for.  Hopefully plenty of owners are still in the hunt.  I wrote an article last week to help identify players who have favorable schedules, please feel free to check it out.

Teams on their bye this week are the Texans, Colts, Vikings, Patriots, Chargers and Redskins.  There is plenty of talent there to build a lineup so there may be some owners stuck with rolling out the skeleton crew.  Ownership percentages are for ESPN and Yahoo leagues respectively.

Quarterbacks

“Hot Hands”

Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins (40.4%/57%): Tannehill has turned into an absolute stud since his bye week.  His most recent performance totalled 288 yards on 24 completions, three touchdowns and no picks.  Over the last four games, he’s thrown for less than 200 yards once and has a 8:3 touchdown to interception ratio.  He’s also rushing more and more effectively.  He has totals of 49, 48, 48, and 47 yards over his past four games respectively.  He is quietly entering into the QB1 conversation and is owned in less than half of ESPN leagues.

Mark Sanchez, Eagles (0.4%/5%): Nick Foles is out at least six weeks with a broken collarbone.  That puts him out of your lineup until about Week 15 or Week 16.  Sanchez threw for 202 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in relief of Foles Sunday.  Despite his shortcomings as the Jets’ starter for years, he could be a decent quarterback replacing Foles for the rest of the season.  The Chip Kelly system is the main reason for that speculation and defenses will always have to stay honest against LeSean McCoy.  Sanchez could be a rollercoaster but I think he’ll have more good games than bad.

Mike Glennon, Buccaneers (3.6%/7%): There has been speculation that he may be benched in favor of a healthy Josh McCown.  But at this point, for the one-win Bucs, they should stick with the young gun.  With the playoffs out of reach, why turn to a 35 year-old quarterback instead of giving 24 year-old Glennon as much experience as possible in hopes of developing him?  He sees a relatively easy road the next few games in the Falcons and Redskins who should buoy his numbers and keep him in the QB2 conversation for anybody in 2-QB leagues.

Alex Smith, Chiefs (35.9%/46%): Although he gets the Bills defense who have 18 interceptions this week, he is known as a game manager and that is just what he is.  He’s only thrown four interceptions all year, albeit three came in Week 1 so we can’t say he hasn’t thrown multiple picks in a game.  I don’t think he throws more than one this week if he throws any and he’ll be a solid option for those with quarterbacks on bye.

“Dynasty”

Zach Mettenberger, Titans (1.2%/2%): He threw for almost 300 yards, two touchdowns and one pick in his debut start two weeks ago.  The Titans didn’t play this weekend as its their bye week and that can only mean good things for the chemistry of this offense.  If he’s given the keys to the team the rest of the season, he could put in some good games but not without some growing pains.  Right now, he’s a rookie to watch but not depended on with a tough schedule upcoming.

Bye Week Fliers: Brian Hoyer, Browns.  Kyle Orton, Bills.

Running Backs

“Hot Hands”

Adrian Peterson, Vikings: Even with so much up in the air regarding his suspension, Peterson did accept a deal on his court case and pleaded no contest (which is slightly different than just "guilty" or "not guilty").That being said, the NFL will have to make a decision to reinstate him after serving the 8 game suspension. He may be eligible to play as early as Week 11 (Vikings on a bye in Week 10). We say "MAY be able to play" because the NFL has yet to determine if they are going to continue his suspension. It's worth taking a chance on and picking him up this week.

Tre Mason, Rams (49%/37%): Who to own in the Rams backfield - Mason or Cunningham?  The answer is definitely not Zac Stacy anymore.  Mason is the first running back to own after getting another start and racking up 19 carries, especially if you are not in a PPR league.  Cunningham will continue to take snaps away from Mason because Mason doesn’t play a role in the passing game.  It is rare to find a player who will have workhorse-like carries this late in the year so he should be owned just based on the opportunity.

Benny Cunningham, Rams (8.3%/17%): Cunningham is still the Rams’ primary receiving back as he caught three balls on three targets for 38 yards.  Those 38 yards were good enough for him to be the leading receiver for the Rams this week as well.  That is not good, but it shows that Cunningham is a part in the game plan.  Since Cunningham is clearly behind Mason in carries, you would have to be in a PPR league for Cunningham to be relevant.  He’s worth being stashed for matchups where his receiving abilities will be highlighted.

Matt Asiata, Vikings (26.8%/31%): He’s on a bye this week but he has to be mentioned based on his 3-touchdown performance on Sunday afternoon.  He’s still the goal-line back for the Vikings and if you’re desperate he’s worth possible flex starts against the porous Bears and Packers in the couple weeks after his bye week.  Those matchups give Asiata a good chance of scoring.

Theo Riddick, Lions (2.1%/5%): Regardless of Reggie Bush’s injury status, the Lions have said they will keep Riddick involved.  That is not good news for Bush owners so don’t forget about Riddick after his bye in Week 9.  He’s someone to wait and see how many touches he gets and what he does with them.  If for some reason Bush can’t play or is limited against the Dolphins, Riddick gets a bump to a low-level flex play.

“Dynasty”

Terrance West, Browns (31%/23%): He out-touched Ben Tate, 16-14 on Sunday and even though Tate was trusted to run out the clock, West was the better running back.  This backfield has changed hands frequently this season so it’s a situation to monitor.  I picked West as the inevitable starter coming into the season because he had the most upside.  Tate isn’t banged up at the moment so he will continue to at least split carries with West limiting both players fantasy value but I still think West is the one to own in the future if you can stash him.

Jonas Gray, Patriots (17.6%/18%): He wasn’t exactly the Patriots runner between the tackles against the Broncos Sunday that everyone thought coming off a 17 carry game two weeks ago.  Still, he is the Patriots “big back” and his stats will depend on the game plan.  Rookie James White has been a healthy scratch and both Brandon Bolden’s and Shane Vereen’s contracts are up at the end of the year so the rest of the way could be a bit of an audition for Gray.  He’s worth stashing in dynasty or keeper leagues because of his potential for next year and could even have some good games peppered over the rest of the year.

Bye Week Fliers: Toby Gerhart, Jaguars.  Charles Sims, Buccaneers.  Jonathan Stewart, Panthers.

Wide Receivers

“Hot Hands”

Mike Evans, Buccaneers (31.8%/61%): He is most likely already owned in your Yahoo league, but if you’re in ESPN leagues, he may not be.  He doesn’t have a very consistent or accurate quarterback which will hold him back but he has the physical ability to compensate more than some other receivers.  He has easy matchups against the Falcons and Redskins to help push you towards the playoffs.  He should also be a great pick for keeper or dynasty leagues to see if the Bucs can right the ship at quarterback.

Martavis Bryant, Steelers (22.1%/43%): He now has five touchdowns since his debut just three weeks ago.  He is for real and is clearly an important player in balancing out defenses who choose to shift coverage to Antonio Brown.  He is a WR3/flex option as Ben Roethlisberger isn’t going to throw six touchdowns per game consistently.  He is usually looked to after Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell to score so he holds the upper hand over Markus Wheaton.

Harry Douglas, Falcons (1.9%/3%): This week, the Falcons have a matchup against the defense allowing the most fantasy points to wide receivers this season - the Bucs.  The Falcons had a much needed bye week last week and should come out firing on all cylinders against a team they decimated in Week 3.  Douglas had caught 2-of-2 for 14 yards and a touchdown before he left that game with an injury.  He has a high chance of scoring again against the Bucs defense so I see him as a WR3/flex this week.

Kenny Britt, Rams (8.6%/9%): While Benny Cunningham was the Rams leading “receiver”, Britt was not far behind.  He caught the lone touchdown pass of the day from Austin Davis but totaled only 32 yards on two catches.  It was a forgetful performance buoyed by the touchdown but besides Jared Cook, Britt seems to be the next go-to man for Davis.  He is not going to be very relevant unless he gets into the endzone but is mentioned because the Rams don’t have much to throw to after Brian Quick was lost for the season.  He’s only worth consideration in deeper leagues or if you are desperately thin at receiver.

“Dynasty”

Jarvis Landry, Dolphins (7.8%/8%): He continues to catch almost everything that is thrown his way and is now clearly ahead of Brian Hartline in the pecking order.  Ryan Tannehill is turning into a star before our eyes and Landry is going for the ride.  He’ll continue to be the second passing option behind Mike Wallace.  With matchups that will require Tannehill to throw against because of their run defenses, Landry should continue to see five to seven targets per game as he grows with Tannehill.  He’s worth stashing now while he is budding.

Bye Week Fliers: Jerricho Cotchery, Panthers.  Cecil Shorts III, Jaguars.  Markus Wheaton, Steelers.  Jordan Matthews, Eagles

Tight Ends

“Hot Hands”

Mychal Rivera, Raiders (2.2%/2%): For the second week in a row, Rivera put up big numbers.  He followed his seven catch, 83 yard performance with an eight catch, 38 yard and a touchdown encore.  Next week, the Raiders play the Broncos and while that doesn’t bode well for Derek Carr, his receivers don’t get negative points for the interceptions he’ll throw.  The Raiders will be playing from behind in this one so Rivera could at least get some garbage time points.

Charles Clay, Dolphins (20.2%/44%): This weekend, we had another Charles Clay sighting.  He’s been underwhelming and a dud most of the year.  He can’t be dubbed consistent yet but he has shown flashes of his 2013 self over the past few games.  He has caught 13 balls for 158 yards and two touchdowns in four games since the Dolphins bye in Week 5.   If he can continue his upward swing, he could finish the year strong and be a great late year addition for many fantasy owners.

Owen Daniels, Ravens (28.3%/30%): After a minor knee surgery a few weeks ago, Daniels appears to have not missed a beat.  He caught six balls for 53 yards while fellow tight end, Crockett Gillmore was the one who scored a touchdown.  Daniels was targeted a team-high nine times Sunday night as he was clearly part of the plan.  He’s a low-end TE1 in PPR leagues and much of his value is dependent on touchdowns.  He’s not a bad fill-in though for anyone who has a tight end on bye this week.

Coby Fleener, Colts (18.7%/30%): He’s heading into his bye week but he put on quite the performance Monday night.  He finished with four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets.  Fellow tight end Dwayne Allen also caught four balls and a touchdown so this is clearly a job split in two.  Although Fleener doesn’t score all that often compared to Allen, he still has the same potential upside.  It just depends on who is featured that game.  There are worse options if you are streaming tight ends after this week.

“Dynasty”

Tim Wright, Patriots (11%/23%): He put up a complete donut on Sunday against the Broncos.  He wasn’t even targeted in the game but that is what comes with being in the Patriots offense.  You never know who is going to be involved the most behind Gronk each week but Tim Wright certainly has the tools.  He hasn’t had any major yards in any game, topping out at 85 in Week 5, but he’s caught three touchdowns which has helped his fantasy numbers.  Hopefully with the Patriots on a bye this week, they can figure out a way to get Wright more involved consistently.  Until then, he’s a boom/bust tight end.

Bye Week Fliers: Heath Miller, Steelers.  Scott Chandler, Bills.  Clay Harbor, Jaguars.

Defenses/ST

Detroit D/ST: Since they were on a bye last week, someone may have dropped them.  Make sure to pick them up as they are a top-5 defense.

Steelers D/ST: They are playing the turnover happy Jets who are still unsure of their starting quarterback this week so there’s much to like in this matchup.

Packers D/ST: The Bears are imploding but this one may come back to bite me as they return from their bye.

Ravens D/ST: This unit has created a turnover in every game but two this year.  They see the Titans this week who give up the 23rd most fantasy points to opposing defenses.

Kickers

Mason Crosby, Packers: 11/12 FG, 25/25 XP

Graham Gano, Panthers: 17/19 FG, 16/16 XP

Chandler Catanzaro, Cardinals: 16/16 FG, 18/18 XP

Shaun Suisham, Steelers: 14/15 FG, 25/25 XP

Shayne Graham, Saints: 13/14 FG, 24/25 XP

Week 9 is in the books and there wasn’t as much turmoil as there usually is in a given week.  Six teams - the Falcons, Bills, Bears, Lions, Packers and Titans will return refreshed after taking their week of rest.  This will be another hard week that sees many owners wishing they built their lineup around having one specific week off, but don’t worry, that’s what I’m here for.  Hopefully plenty of owners are still in the hunt.  I wrote an article last week to help identify players who have favorable schedules, please feel free to check it out.

Teams on their bye this week are the Texans, Colts, Vikings, Patriots, Chargers and Redskins.  There is plenty of talent there to build a lineup so there may be some owners stuck with rolling out the skeleton crew.  Ownership percentages are for ESPN and Yahoo leagues respectively.

Quarterbacks

“Hot Hands”

Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins (40.4%/57%): Tannehill has turned into an absolute stud since his bye week.  His most recent performance totalled 288 yards on 24 completions, three touchdowns and no picks.  Over the last four games, he’s thrown for less than 200 yards once and has a 8:3 touchdown to interception ratio.  He’s also rushing more and more effectively.  He has totals of 49, 48, 48, and 47 yards over his past four games respectively.  He is quietly entering into the QB1 conversation and is owned in less than half of ESPN leagues.

Mark Sanchez, Eagles (0.4%/5%): Nick Foles is out at least six weeks with a broken collarbone.  That puts him out of your lineup until about Week 15 or Week 16.  Sanchez threw for 202 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in relief of Foles Sunday.  Despite his shortcomings as the Jets’ starter for years, he could be a decent quarterback replacing Foles for the rest of the season.  The Chip Kelly system is the main reason for that speculation and defenses will always have to stay honest against LeSean McCoy.  Sanchez could be a rollercoaster but I think he’ll have more good games than bad.

Mike Glennon, Buccaneers (3.6%/7%): There has been speculation that he may be benched in favor of a healthy Josh McCown.  But at this point, for the one-win Bucs, they should stick with the young gun.  With the playoffs out of reach, why turn to a 35 year-old quarterback instead of giving 24 year-old Glennon as much experience as possible in hopes of developing him?  He sees a relatively easy road the next few games in the Falcons and Redskins who should buoy his numbers and keep him in the QB2 conversation for anybody in 2-QB leagues.

Alex Smith, Chiefs (35.9%/46%): Although he gets the Bills defense who have 18 interceptions this week, he is known as a game manager and that is just what he is.  He’s only thrown four interceptions all year, albeit three came in Week 1 so we can’t say he hasn’t thrown multiple picks in a game.  I don’t think he throws more than one this week if he throws any and he’ll be a solid option for those with quarterbacks on bye.

“Dynasty”

Zach Mettenberger, Titans (1.2%/2%): He threw for almost 300 yards, two touchdowns and one pick in his debut start two weeks ago.  The Titans didn’t play this weekend as its their bye week and that can only mean good things for the chemistry of this offense.  If he’s given the keys to the team the rest of the season, he could put in some good games but not without some growing pains.  Right now, he’s a rookie to watch but not depended on with a tough schedule upcoming.

Bye Week Fliers: Brian Hoyer, Browns.  Kyle Orton, Bills.

Running Backs

“Hot Hands”

Adrian Peterson, Vikings: Even with so much up in the air regarding his suspension, Peterson did accept a deal on his court case and pleaded no contest (which is slightly different than just "guilty" or "not guilty").That being said, the NFL will have to make a decision to reinstate him after serving the 8 game suspension. He may be eligible to play as early as Week 11 (Vikings on a bye in Week 10). We say "MAY be able to play" because the NFL has yet to determine if they are going to continue his suspension. It's worth taking a chance on and picking him up this week.

Tre Mason, Rams (49%/37%): Who to own in the Rams backfield - Mason or Cunningham?  The answer is definitely not Zac Stacy anymore.  Mason is the first running back to own after getting another start and racking up 19 carries, especially if you are not in a PPR league.  Cunningham will continue to take snaps away from Mason because Mason doesn’t play a role in the passing game.  It is rare to find a player who will have workhorse-like carries this late in the year so he should be owned just based on the opportunity.

Benny Cunningham, Rams (8.3%/17%): Cunningham is still the Rams’ primary receiving back as he caught three balls on three targets for 38 yards.  Those 38 yards were good enough for him to be the leading receiver for the Rams this week as well.  That is not good, but it shows that Cunningham is a part in the game plan.  Since Cunningham is clearly behind Mason in carries, you would have to be in a PPR league for Cunningham to be relevant.  He’s worth being stashed for matchups where his receiving abilities will be highlighted.

Matt Asiata, Vikings (26.8%/31%): He’s on a bye this week but he has to be mentioned based on his 3-touchdown performance on Sunday afternoon.  He’s still the goal-line back for the Vikings and if you’re desperate he’s worth possible flex starts against the porous Bears and Packers in the couple weeks after his bye week.  Those matchups give Asiata a good chance of scoring.

Theo Riddick, Lions (2.1%/5%): Regardless of Reggie Bush’s injury status, the Lions have said they will keep Riddick involved.  That is not good news for Bush owners so don’t forget about Riddick after his bye in Week 9.  He’s someone to wait and see how many touches he gets and what he does with them.  If for some reason Bush can’t play or is limited against the Dolphins, Riddick gets a bump to a low-level flex play.

“Dynasty”

Terrance West, Browns (31%/23%): He out-touched Ben Tate, 16-14 on Sunday and even though Tate was trusted to run out the clock, West was the better running back.  This backfield has changed hands frequently this season so it’s a situation to monitor.  I picked West as the inevitable starter coming into the season because he had the most upside.  Tate isn’t banged up at the moment so he will continue to at least split carries with West limiting both players fantasy value but I still think West is the one to own in the future if you can stash him.

Jonas Gray, Patriots (17.6%/18%): He wasn’t exactly the Patriots runner between the tackles against the Broncos Sunday that everyone thought coming off a 17 carry game two weeks ago.  Still, he is the Patriots “big back” and his stats will depend on the game plan.  Rookie James White has been a healthy scratch and both Brandon Bolden’s and Shane Vereen’s contracts are up at the end of the year so the rest of the way could be a bit of an audition for Gray.  He’s worth stashing in dynasty or keeper leagues because of his potential for next year and could even have some good games peppered over the rest of the year.

Bye Week Fliers: Toby Gerhart, Jaguars.  Charles Sims, Buccaneers.  Jonathan Stewart, Panthers.

Wide Receivers

“Hot Hands”

Mike Evans, Buccaneers (31.8%/61%): He is most likely already owned in your Yahoo league, but if you’re in ESPN leagues, he may not be.  He doesn’t have a very consistent or accurate quarterback which will hold him back but he has the physical ability to compensate more than some other receivers.  He has easy matchups against the Falcons and Redskins to help push you towards the playoffs.  He should also be a great pick for keeper or dynasty leagues to see if the Bucs can right the ship at quarterback.

Martavis Bryant, Steelers (22.1%/43%): He now has five touchdowns since his debut just three weeks ago.  He is for real and is clearly an important player in balancing out defenses who choose to shift coverage to Antonio Brown.  He is a WR3/flex option as Ben Roethlisberger isn’t going to throw six touchdowns per game consistently.  He is usually looked to after Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell to score so he holds the upper hand over Markus Wheaton.

Harry Douglas, Falcons (1.9%/3%): This week, the Falcons have a matchup against the defense allowing the most fantasy points to wide receivers this season - the Bucs.  The Falcons had a much needed bye week last week and should come out firing on all cylinders against a team they decimated in Week 3.  Douglas had caught 2-of-2 for 14 yards and a touchdown before he left that game with an injury.  He has a high chance of scoring again against the Bucs defense so I see him as a WR3/flex this week.

Kenny Britt, Rams (8.6%/9%): While Benny Cunningham was the Rams leading “receiver”, Britt was not far behind.  He caught the lone touchdown pass of the day from Austin Davis but totaled only 32 yards on two catches.  It was a forgetful performance buoyed by the touchdown but besides Jared Cook, Britt seems to be the next go-to man for Davis.  He is not going to be very relevant unless he gets into the endzone but is mentioned because the Rams don’t have much to throw to after Brian Quick was lost for the season.  He’s only worth consideration in deeper leagues or if you are desperately thin at receiver.

“Dynasty”

Jarvis Landry, Dolphins (7.8%/8%): He continues to catch almost everything that is thrown his way and is now clearly ahead of Brian Hartline in the pecking order.  Ryan Tannehill is turning into a star before our eyes and Landry is going for the ride.  He’ll continue to be the second passing option behind Mike Wallace.  With matchups that will require Tannehill to throw against because of their run defenses, Landry should continue to see five to seven targets per game as he grows with Tannehill.  He’s worth stashing now while he is budding.

Bye Week Fliers: Jerricho Cotchery, Panthers.  Cecil Shorts III, Jaguars.  Markus Wheaton, Steelers.  Jordan Matthews, Eagles

Tight Ends

“Hot Hands”

Mychal Rivera, Raiders (2.2%/2%): For the second week in a row, Rivera put up big numbers.  He followed his seven catch, 83 yard performance with an eight catch, 38 yard and a touchdown encore.  Next week, the Raiders play the Broncos and while that doesn’t bode well for Derek Carr, his receivers don’t get negative points for the interceptions he’ll throw.  The Raiders will be playing from behind in this one so Rivera could at least get some garbage time points.

Charles Clay, Dolphins (20.2%/44%): This weekend, we had another Charles Clay sighting.  He’s been underwhelming and a dud most of the year.  He can’t be dubbed consistent yet but he has shown flashes of his 2013 self over the past few games.  He has caught 13 balls for 158 yards and two touchdowns in four games since the Dolphins bye in Week 5.   If he can continue his upward swing, he could finish the year strong and be a great late year addition for many fantasy owners.

Owen Daniels, Ravens (28.3%/30%): After a minor knee surgery a few weeks ago, Daniels appears to have not missed a beat.  He caught six balls for 53 yards while fellow tight end, Crockett Gillmore was the one who scored a touchdown.  Daniels was targeted a team-high nine times Sunday night as he was clearly part of the plan.  He’s a low-end TE1 in PPR leagues and much of his value is dependent on touchdowns.  He’s not a bad fill-in though for anyone who has a tight end on bye this week.

Coby Fleener, Colts (18.7%/30%): He’s heading into his bye week but he put on quite the performance Monday night.  He finished with four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets.  Fellow tight end Dwayne Allen also caught four balls and a touchdown so this is clearly a job split in two.  Although Fleener doesn’t score all that often compared to Allen, he still has the same potential upside.  It just depends on who is featured that game.  There are worse options if you are streaming tight ends after this week.

“Dynasty”

Tim Wright, Patriots (11%/23%): He put up a complete donut on Sunday against the Broncos.  He wasn’t even targeted in the game but that is what comes with being in the Patriots offense.  You never know who is going to be involved the most behind Gronk each week but Tim Wright certainly has the tools.  He hasn’t had any major yards in any game, topping out at 85 in Week 5, but he’s caught three touchdowns which has helped his fantasy numbers.  Hopefully with the Patriots on a bye this week, they can figure out a way to get Wright more involved consistently.  Until then, he’s a boom/bust tight end.

Bye Week Fliers: Heath Miller, Steelers.  Scott Chandler, Bills.  Clay Harbor, Jaguars.

Defenses/ST

Detroit D/ST: Since they were on a bye last week, someone may have dropped them.  Make sure to pick them up as they are a top-5 defense.

Steelers D/ST: They are playing the turnover happy Jets who are still unsure of their starting quarterback this week so there’s much to like in this matchup.

Packers D/ST: The Bears are imploding but this one may come back to bite me as they return from their bye.

Ravens D/ST: This unit has created a turnover in every game but two this year.  They see the Titans this week who give up the 23rd most fantasy points to opposing defenses.

Kickers

Mason Crosby, Packers: 11/12 FG, 25/25 XP

Graham Gano, Panthers: 17/19 FG, 16/16 XP

Chandler Catanzaro, Cardinals: 16/16 FG, 18/18 XP

Shaun Suisham, Steelers: 14/15 FG, 25/25 XP

Shayne Graham, Saints: 13/14 FG, 24/25 XP

Week 9 is in the books and there wasn’t as much turmoil as there usually is in a given week.  Six teams - the Falcons, Bills, Bears, Lions, Packers and Titans will return refreshed after taking their week of rest.  This will be another hard week that sees many owners wishing they built their lineup around having one specific week off, but don’t worry, that’s what I’m here for.  Hopefully plenty of owners are still in the hunt.  I wrote an article last week to help identify players who have favorable schedules, please feel free to check it out.

Teams on their bye this week are the Texans, Colts, Vikings, Patriots, Chargers and Redskins.  There is plenty of talent there to build a lineup so there may be some owners stuck with rolling out the skeleton crew.  Ownership percentages are for ESPN and Yahoo leagues respectively.

Quarterbacks

“Hot Hands”

Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins (40.4%/57%): Tannehill has turned into an absolute stud since his bye week.  His most recent performance totalled 288 yards on 24 completions, three touchdowns and no picks.  Over the last four games, he’s thrown for less than 200 yards once and has a 8:3 touchdown to interception ratio.  He’s also rushing more and more effectively.  He has totals of 49, 48, 48, and 47 yards over his past four games respectively.  He is quietly entering into the QB1 conversation and is owned in less than half of ESPN leagues.

Mark Sanchez, Eagles (0.4%/5%): Nick Foles is out at least six weeks with a broken collarbone.  That puts him out of your lineup until about Week 15 or Week 16.  Sanchez threw for 202 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in relief of Foles Sunday.  Despite his shortcomings as the Jets’ starter for years, he could be a decent quarterback replacing Foles for the rest of the season.  The Chip Kelly system is the main reason for that speculation and defenses will always have to stay honest against LeSean McCoy.  Sanchez could be a rollercoaster but I think he’ll have more good games than bad.

Mike Glennon, Buccaneers (3.6%/7%): There has been speculation that he may be benched in favor of a healthy Josh McCown.  But at this point, for the one-win Bucs, they should stick with the young gun.  With the playoffs out of reach, why turn to a 35 year-old quarterback instead of giving 24 year-old Glennon as much experience as possible in hopes of developing him?  He sees a relatively easy road the next few games in the Falcons and Redskins who should buoy his numbers and keep him in the QB2 conversation for anybody in 2-QB leagues.

Alex Smith, Chiefs (35.9%/46%): Although he gets the Bills defense who have 18 interceptions this week, he is known as a game manager and that is just what he is.  He’s only thrown four interceptions all year, albeit three came in Week 1 so we can’t say he hasn’t thrown multiple picks in a game.  I don’t think he throws more than one this week if he throws any and he’ll be a solid option for those with quarterbacks on bye.

“Dynasty”

Zach Mettenberger, Titans (1.2%/2%): He threw for almost 300 yards, two touchdowns and one pick in his debut start two weeks ago.  The Titans didn’t play this weekend as its their bye week and that can only mean good things for the chemistry of this offense.  If he’s given the keys to the team the rest of the season, he could put in some good games but not without some growing pains.  Right now, he’s a rookie to watch but not depended on with a tough schedule upcoming.

Bye Week Fliers: Brian Hoyer, Browns.  Kyle Orton, Bills.

Running Backs

“Hot Hands”

Adrian Peterson, Vikings: Even with so much up in the air regarding his suspension, Peterson did accept a deal on his court case and pleaded no contest (which is slightly different than just "guilty" or "not guilty").That being said, the NFL will have to make a decision to reinstate him after serving the 8 game suspension. He may be eligible to play as early as Week 11 (Vikings on a bye in Week 10). We say "MAY be able to play" because the NFL has yet to determine if they are going to continue his suspension. It's worth taking a chance on and picking him up this week.

Tre Mason, Rams (49%/37%): Who to own in the Rams backfield - Mason or Cunningham?  The answer is definitely not Zac Stacy anymore.  Mason is the first running back to own after getting another start and racking up 19 carries, especially if you are not in a PPR league.  Cunningham will continue to take snaps away from Mason because Mason doesn’t play a role in the passing game.  It is rare to find a player who will have workhorse-like carries this late in the year so he should be owned just based on the opportunity.

Benny Cunningham, Rams (8.3%/17%): Cunningham is still the Rams’ primary receiving back as he caught three balls on three targets for 38 yards.  Those 38 yards were good enough for him to be the leading receiver for the Rams this week as well.  That is not good, but it shows that Cunningham is a part in the game plan.  Since Cunningham is clearly behind Mason in carries, you would have to be in a PPR league for Cunningham to be relevant.  He’s worth being stashed for matchups where his receiving abilities will be highlighted.

Matt Asiata, Vikings (26.8%/31%): He’s on a bye this week but he has to be mentioned based on his 3-touchdown performance on Sunday afternoon.  He’s still the goal-line back for the Vikings and if you’re desperate he’s worth possible flex starts against the porous Bears and Packers in the couple weeks after his bye week.  Those matchups give Asiata a good chance of scoring.

Theo Riddick, Lions (2.1%/5%): Regardless of Reggie Bush’s injury status, the Lions have said they will keep Riddick involved.  That is not good news for Bush owners so don’t forget about Riddick after his bye in Week 9.  He’s someone to wait and see how many touches he gets and what he does with them.  If for some reason Bush can’t play or is limited against the Dolphins, Riddick gets a bump to a low-level flex play.

“Dynasty”

Terrance West, Browns (31%/23%): He out-touched Ben Tate, 16-14 on Sunday and even though Tate was trusted to run out the clock, West was the better running back.  This backfield has changed hands frequently this season so it’s a situation to monitor.  I picked West as the inevitable starter coming into the season because he had the most upside.  Tate isn’t banged up at the moment so he will continue to at least split carries with West limiting both players fantasy value but I still think West is the one to own in the future if you can stash him.

Jonas Gray, Patriots (17.6%/18%): He wasn’t exactly the Patriots runner between the tackles against the Broncos Sunday that everyone thought coming off a 17 carry game two weeks ago.  Still, he is the Patriots “big back” and his stats will depend on the game plan.  Rookie James White has been a healthy scratch and both Brandon Bolden’s and Shane Vereen’s contracts are up at the end of the year so the rest of the way could be a bit of an audition for Gray.  He’s worth stashing in dynasty or keeper leagues because of his potential for next year and could even have some good games peppered over the rest of the year.

Bye Week Fliers: Toby Gerhart, Jaguars.  Charles Sims, Buccaneers.  Jonathan Stewart, Panthers.

Wide Receivers

“Hot Hands”

Mike Evans, Buccaneers (31.8%/61%): He is most likely already owned in your Yahoo league, but if you’re in ESPN leagues, he may not be.  He doesn’t have a very consistent or accurate quarterback which will hold him back but he has the physical ability to compensate more than some other receivers.  He has easy matchups against the Falcons and Redskins to help push you towards the playoffs.  He should also be a great pick for keeper or dynasty leagues to see if the Bucs can right the ship at quarterback.

Martavis Bryant, Steelers (22.1%/43%): He now has five touchdowns since his debut just three weeks ago.  He is for real and is clearly an important player in balancing out defenses who choose to shift coverage to Antonio Brown.  He is a WR3/flex option as Ben Roethlisberger isn’t going to throw six touchdowns per game consistently.  He is usually looked to after Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell to score so he holds the upper hand over Markus Wheaton.

Harry Douglas, Falcons (1.9%/3%): This week, the Falcons have a matchup against the defense allowing the most fantasy points to wide receivers this season - the Bucs.  The Falcons had a much needed bye week last week and should come out firing on all cylinders against a team they decimated in Week 3.  Douglas had caught 2-of-2 for 14 yards and a touchdown before he left that game with an injury.  He has a high chance of scoring again against the Bucs defense so I see him as a WR3/flex this week.

Kenny Britt, Rams (8.6%/9%): While Benny Cunningham was the Rams leading “receiver”, Britt was not far behind.  He caught the lone touchdown pass of the day from Austin Davis but totaled only 32 yards on two catches.  It was a forgetful performance buoyed by the touchdown but besides Jared Cook, Britt seems to be the next go-to man for Davis.  He is not going to be very relevant unless he gets into the endzone but is mentioned because the Rams don’t have much to throw to after Brian Quick was lost for the season.  He’s only worth consideration in deeper leagues or if you are desperately thin at receiver.

“Dynasty”

Jarvis Landry, Dolphins (7.8%/8%): He continues to catch almost everything that is thrown his way and is now clearly ahead of Brian Hartline in the pecking order.  Ryan Tannehill is turning into a star before our eyes and Landry is going for the ride.  He’ll continue to be the second passing option behind Mike Wallace.  With matchups that will require Tannehill to throw against because of their run defenses, Landry should continue to see five to seven targets per game as he grows with Tannehill.  He’s worth stashing now while he is budding.

Bye Week Fliers: Jerricho Cotchery, Panthers.  Cecil Shorts III, Jaguars.  Markus Wheaton, Steelers.  Jordan Matthews, Eagles

Tight Ends

“Hot Hands”

Mychal Rivera, Raiders (2.2%/2%): For the second week in a row, Rivera put up big numbers.  He followed his seven catch, 83 yard performance with an eight catch, 38 yard and a touchdown encore.  Next week, the Raiders play the Broncos and while that doesn’t bode well for Derek Carr, his receivers don’t get negative points for the interceptions he’ll throw.  The Raiders will be playing from behind in this one so Rivera could at least get some garbage time points.

Charles Clay, Dolphins (20.2%/44%): This weekend, we had another Charles Clay sighting.  He’s been underwhelming and a dud most of the year.  He can’t be dubbed consistent yet but he has shown flashes of his 2013 self over the past few games.  He has caught 13 balls for 158 yards and two touchdowns in four games since the Dolphins bye in Week 5.   If he can continue his upward swing, he could finish the year strong and be a great late year addition for many fantasy owners.

Owen Daniels, Ravens (28.3%/30%): After a minor knee surgery a few weeks ago, Daniels appears to have not missed a beat.  He caught six balls for 53 yards while fellow tight end, Crockett Gillmore was the one who scored a touchdown.  Daniels was targeted a team-high nine times Sunday night as he was clearly part of the plan.  He’s a low-end TE1 in PPR leagues and much of his value is dependent on touchdowns.  He’s not a bad fill-in though for anyone who has a tight end on bye this week.

Coby Fleener, Colts (18.7%/30%): He’s heading into his bye week but he put on quite the performance Monday night.  He finished with four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets.  Fellow tight end Dwayne Allen also caught four balls and a touchdown so this is clearly a job split in two.  Although Fleener doesn’t score all that often compared to Allen, he still has the same potential upside.  It just depends on who is featured that game.  There are worse options if you are streaming tight ends after this week.

“Dynasty”

Tim Wright, Patriots (11%/23%): He put up a complete donut on Sunday against the Broncos.  He wasn’t even targeted in the game but that is what comes with being in the Patriots offense.  You never know who is going to be involved the most behind Gronk each week but Tim Wright certainly has the tools.  He hasn’t had any major yards in any game, topping out at 85 in Week 5, but he’s caught three touchdowns which has helped his fantasy numbers.  Hopefully with the Patriots on a bye this week, they can figure out a way to get Wright more involved consistently.  Until then, he’s a boom/bust tight end.

Bye Week Fliers: Heath Miller, Steelers.  Scott Chandler, Bills.  Clay Harbor, Jaguars.

Defenses/ST

Detroit D/ST: Since they were on a bye last week, someone may have dropped them.  Make sure to pick them up as they are a top-5 defense.

Steelers D/ST: They are playing the turnover happy Jets who are still unsure of their starting quarterback this week so there’s much to like in this matchup.

Packers D/ST: The Bears are imploding but this one may come back to bite me as they return from their bye.

Ravens D/ST: This unit has created a turnover in every game but two this year.  They see the Titans this week who give up the 23rd most fantasy points to opposing defenses.

Kickers

Mason Crosby, Packers: 11/12 FG, 25/25 XP

Graham Gano, Panthers: 17/19 FG, 16/16 XP

Chandler Catanzaro, Cardinals: 16/16 FG, 18/18 XP

Shaun Suisham, Steelers: 14/15 FG, 25/25 XP

Shayne Graham, Saints: 13/14 FG, 24/25 XP

I’m going to switch the script on this piece this week as we’re now halfway through the season.  In most leagues, there are four or five weeks left before the fantasy playoffs start.  This part of the season is crucial to keep active on the waiver wire.  I wrote an article that identified players for those who are making a playoff push and championship run.  Please check it out if you are one of those people looking for a push or planning for the championship.  I’ve changed the headings here slightly so you can still know the “hot hands” but I’ve also added a “dynasty builders” section for those who are unfortunately already planning for next year.  If you’re looking for bye week fliers, I have some of them too.

This week in particular is a rough one for bye weeks.  The Falcons, Bills, Bears, Lions, Packers and Titans are all on bye this week.  There are so many studs on those teams that you could actually fill a championship-caliber starting roster of them and take the week off.  That reminds me of an article written before the season….sorry but I couldn’t help the shameless plug.  We’ve got a lot to get to so let’s get down to it.  As always, owned percentages are for ESPN and Yahoo leagues respectively.

Quarterbacks

“Hot Hands”

Carson Palmer, Cardinals (13.4%/50%): He’s thrown multiple touchdowns in every game he’s played and hasn’t thrown for less than 250 yards in one either.  He took long shots at Michael Floyd and John Brown so his arm isn’t hindered by the nerve damage that kept him sidelined for three weeks.  He’s also only turned the ball over twice and is making a strong case to be a QB1 the rest of the way.

Alex Smith, Chiefs (19.7%/42%): He has a pretty easy schedule coming up against the Jets and the Bills.  He uses his legs liberally which helps his value some but otherwise only has appeal in 2-QB leagues.  The Chiefs just don’t pass enough for him to enter the starting lineup of a standard league unless you’re desperate.

Michael Vick, Jets (2.6%/2%): He got the nod with four and a half minutes left in the first quarter of Sunday’s game and finished 18-of-36 for 153 yards, one interception and two fumbles lost.  Ouch.  He’s only being mentioned here because he is Michael Vick and he actually ran eight times for 69 yards, which wasn’t too bad.  Try your best to steer clear as this Sunday was the second time Vick has relieved Geno Smith and underwhelmed.

“Dynasty”

Zach Mettenberger, Titans (0.3%/2%): He doesn’t play in Week 9 but had a decent debut Sunday so he’s worth watching.  He threw for 299 yards, completing 27-of-41 and one touchdown.  He also threw an interception and lost a fumble.  Temper your short term expectations because his consistency is still an unknown.  He’s only worth picking up in a deeper 2QB league right now.  Otherwise, he’s just someone to watch.

Teddy Bridgewater, Vikings (9.5%/10%): Bridgewater bounced back somewhat from a rough couple weeks against the tough Lions’ and Bills’ defenses.  He completed 24-of-42 for 241 yards and one touchdown in a turnover-free outing.  He faces the Redskins next week, who have given up the second most points to opposing quarterbacks in standard scoring this year.

Bye Week Fliers: Brian Hoyer, Browns.  Ryan Fitzpatrick, Texans.  Mike Glennon, Buccaneers.

Running Backs

“Hot Hands”

Jonathan Stewart, Panthers (24.2%/36%): The Daily Show looked great on Sunday against a tough Seahawks defense.  He ran for 79 yards on 16 carries and contributed 15 yards on three catches.  His only shortcoming was failing to score.  DeAngelo Williams remains hurt so if Stewart can keep running tough and stays healthy, he has a very easy schedule and could be a great asset to any team.

Bobby Rainey, Buccaneers (9.2%/24%): He dropped off the map while backing up Doug Martin but Martin is dinged up again.  Rainey has been rather effective this year and the Buccaneers would be wise to run him if they want to turn the season around to end on a good note.  News out of Tampa Bay is that Charles Sims is close to returning so the Bucs may want to give him a try-out of sorts with the chance of a winning record almost all but finished.  This will be a situation to watch but right now Rainey is the safest back to own.

Theo Riddick, Lions (0.2%/2%): Reggie Bush was ruled out on Sunday so the Lions backfield consisted of Joique Bell and Theo Riddick.  Riddick was a surprise.  He ended his day with only three carries for five yards but caught eight balls for 74 yards.  The Lions go on their bye this week and Reggie Bush could be healthy by Week 10 so Riddick may not see much playing time going forward.  He is most likely only going to be fantasy relevant if Bush doesn’t play but is worth being on the radar if you own Reggie Bush.

“Dynasty”

Denard Robinson, Jaguars (16.4%/57%): Robinson is way too underowned in ESPN leagues.  He now has two 100-yard games to his credit after going for 108 yards on 18 carries against the Dolphins Sunday.  He gets a matchup with the Bengals next week who rank 20th against the run.

Jonas Gray, Patriots (0.1%/6%): Jonas Gray was promoted from the practice squad before Week 7 but didn’t touch the ball much in his debut.  Week 8 was a different story when he carried the ball 17 times for 86 yards against the Bears.  Shane Vereen is still the back to own in New England but Gray has asserted himself as the replacement to Stevan Ridley.  The Pats need a player who can bang between the tackles like Ridley did to complement Shane Vereen as he is the primary receiving back.

Charles Sims, Buccaneers (0.2%/7%): He’s an attractive target this week and you’ll see him in a lot of other waiver wire articles.  The Buccaneers are 1-6 so there’s not much hope for the playoffs.  They could turn to the rookie coming off the IR in hopes of seeing what they have or they could run with third-year back Bobby Rainey.  This is a situation to monitor but many are saying that Charles Sims has all the tools to win the backfield.  He finished with 1,549 all-purpose yards last year, which ranked second in the Big 12.

Bye Week Fliers: Roy Helu Jr., Redskins.  DeAngelo Williams, Panthers.  Carlos Hyde, 49ers.

Wide Receivers

“Hot Hands”

Brandon LaFell, Patriots (8.8%/36%): LaFell continues to build chemistry with Tom Brady and become a featured part of the Patriots offense.  He caught all 11 balls thrown to him and racked up 124 yards.  With 461 yards on 30 catches, he is quietly averaging 15.4 yards per catch.  If he continues on this upward trajectory, I wouldn’t be surprised if he blows away everyone’s expectation and has over 1,000 yards this season.

Allen Robinson, Jaguars (3.8%/23%): He was mentioned here last week and needs to be owned much more than he is currently, especially in PPR leagues.  Yahoo league owners are starting to pick up on him but ESPN is still lagging behind.  He took a few weeks to score but has since scored in back-to-back weeks.  After Blake Bortles took the reigns, Robinson has seen an average of nine targets per game and never less than seven.

Martavis Bryant, Steelers (0.5%/8%): He finally had his breakout game.  Some might say Week 7 was his breakout game but he only caught two balls on five targets.  One happened to be a touchdown.  He was much more heavily involved in Sunday’s game against the Colts ending his day 5-of-7 for 83 yards and two scores.  Temper expectations because almost everyone on the Steelers was heavily involved, however, he looked red hot and is definitely worth a spot to see if he latches on as the Steelers No. 2.

Harry Douglas, Falcons (1.8%/3%): Returning from injury, Douglas caught three balls for 42 yards.  He was targeted five times and likely won’t get much more than seven or eight given Julio Jones and Roddy White drawing most of Matt Ryan’s attention.  Those two have not been the healthiest of receivers and have been liberal with taking practice off to rest various ailments.  The team has lost four lineman though and may be looking to get the ball out of Matt Ryan’s hands quickly.  All receivers will benefit from this.  He has a bye this week but he’s someone to keep on your radar.

“Dynasty”

Donte Moncrief, Colts (0.2%/3%): Moncrief was the main beneficiary of Reggie Wayne’s absence.  With the Colts playing from behind the entire game, he was targeted a team-high 12 times.  Wayne is apparently ahead of schedule and day-to-day currently.  Even with Wayne returning, Moncrief could be the WR3 Hakeem Nicks was brought in to be.  He’s worth the pickup to see what happens.  If you have a keeper or dynasty league, he should be grabbed for his potential when Reggie Wayne inevitably retires.

John Brown, Cardinals (2.5%/10%): He’s been here before but he had his longest play of the season on Sunday so he must be mentioned again.  Carson Palmer throws the long ball more than a few times per game so the “flukey” long bomb play isn’t so flukey in the Cardinals scheme.  He should continue to be a boom/bust player based on touchdowns.

Bye Week Fliers: Paul Richardson, Seahawks.  Stedman Bailey, Rams.  Jerricho Cotchery, Panthers.  Kenny Stills, Saints.  Markus Wheaton, Steelers.

Tight Ends

“Hot Hands”

Clay Harbor, Jaguars (0.3%/7%): The weeks that you can use Clay Harbor are waning as Marcedes Lewis hopes to return from injury in Week 12.  The Bengals have given up the most points to opposing tight ends so far this year.  For those streaming tight ends, Harbor is probably available.  He has a soft schedule until the Jags bye in Week 11 so feel free to pick him up and reap the benefits for two weeks.  For the Jaguars, it’s all about the matchups.

Tim Wright, Patriots (3.3%/14%): Tim Wright has been very unpredictable but he did catch a season-high seven balls for 61 yards and a touchdown.  He’s worth considering in deeper leagues and if you’re looking for a spark at the tight end position, buying low on one that has Tom Brady at quarterback isn’t bad.  He won’t surpass Rob Gronkowski but when they’re on the field together, it will be hard for defenses to cover both.  He has caught a touchdown in three out of the last four games as well.

Jim Dray, Browns (0.1%/0%): Jordan Cameron suffered another concussion Sunday and Jim Dray was first up in terms of playing time.  Cameron could miss extended time since this isn’t his first concussion, it is his third.  Dray isn’t nearly the receiving threat that Cameron is but he does provide a large frame for Brian Hoyer to throw to.

“Dynasty”

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Buccaneers (0.5%/2%): He hasn’t had the greatest impact in terms of fantasy points but his size and ability is undeniable.  With swirling Vincent Jackson trade rumors, Seferian-Jenkins could step into a bigger role.  He is a project that will take time but he has the physical tools to take over any game if he becomes the focal point of the offense.  Unfortunately that won’t happen with Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans around.

Bye Week Fliers: Coby Fleener, Colts.  Jared Cook, Rams.  Heath Miller, Steelers.

Defenses/ST

Browns D/ST: Their easy schedule continues when they play the Buccaneers Sunday.  The Bucs have given up the third most fantasy points to opposing defenses.

Redskins D/ST: This unit is surprisingly good against the run and not completely inept against the pass.  They draw rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater this week and this game has the potential to be a low-scorer which is good for fantasy points.

Chargers D/ST: They may have been dropped last week because they were playing Peyton Manning and the Broncos.  If so, you could pick them up for a matchup against the Dolphins who have given up the 11th most fantasy points to opposing defenses.

Vikings D/ST: This group is one of eight teams that haven’t scored negative fantasy points in standard leagues.  They play the Redskins this week in what could be a low scoring game in terms of real points which means good things for fantasy points.

Kickers

Cairo Santos, Chiefs: 10/12 FG, 20/20 XP

Chandler Catanzaro, Cardinals: 16/16 FG, 14/14 XP

Shayne Graham, Saints: 13/14 FG, 20/21 XP

Billy Cundiff, Browns: 12/14 FG, 17/17 XP

Kai Forbath, Redskins: 13/14 FG, 18/19 XP

I’m going to switch the script on this piece this week as we’re now halfway through the season.  In most leagues, there are four or five weeks left before the fantasy playoffs start.  This part of the season is crucial to keep active on the waiver wire.  I wrote an article that identified players for those who are making a playoff push and championship run.  Please check it out if you are one of those people looking for a push or planning for the championship.  I’ve changed the headings here slightly so you can still know the “hot hands” but I’ve also added a “dynasty builders” section for those who are unfortunately already planning for next year.  If you’re looking for bye week fliers, I have some of them too.

This week in particular is a rough one for bye weeks.  The Falcons, Bills, Bears, Lions, Packers and Titans are all on bye this week.  There are so many studs on those teams that you could actually fill a championship-caliber starting roster of them and take the week off.  That reminds me of an article written before the season….sorry but I couldn’t help the shameless plug.  We’ve got a lot to get to so let’s get down to it.  As always, owned percentages are for ESPN and Yahoo leagues respectively.

Quarterbacks

“Hot Hands”

Carson Palmer, Cardinals (13.4%/50%): He’s thrown multiple touchdowns in every game he’s played and hasn’t thrown for less than 250 yards in one either.  He took long shots at Michael Floyd and John Brown so his arm isn’t hindered by the nerve damage that kept him sidelined for three weeks.  He’s also only turned the ball over twice and is making a strong case to be a QB1 the rest of the way.

Alex Smith, Chiefs (19.7%/42%): He has a pretty easy schedule coming up against the Jets and the Bills.  He uses his legs liberally which helps his value some but otherwise only has appeal in 2-QB leagues.  The Chiefs just don’t pass enough for him to enter the starting lineup of a standard league unless you’re desperate.

Michael Vick, Jets (2.6%/2%): He got the nod with four and a half minutes left in the first quarter of Sunday’s game and finished 18-of-36 for 153 yards, one interception and two fumbles lost.  Ouch.  He’s only being mentioned here because he is Michael Vick and he actually ran eight times for 69 yards, which wasn’t too bad.  Try your best to steer clear as this Sunday was the second time Vick has relieved Geno Smith and underwhelmed.

“Dynasty”

Zach Mettenberger, Titans (0.3%/2%): He doesn’t play in Week 9 but had a decent debut Sunday so he’s worth watching.  He threw for 299 yards, completing 27-of-41 and one touchdown.  He also threw an interception and lost a fumble.  Temper your short term expectations because his consistency is still an unknown.  He’s only worth picking up in a deeper 2QB league right now.  Otherwise, he’s just someone to watch.

Teddy Bridgewater, Vikings (9.5%/10%): Bridgewater bounced back somewhat from a rough couple weeks against the tough Lions’ and Bills’ defenses.  He completed 24-of-42 for 241 yards and one touchdown in a turnover-free outing.  He faces the Redskins next week, who have given up the second most points to opposing quarterbacks in standard scoring this year.

Bye Week Fliers: Brian Hoyer, Browns.  Ryan Fitzpatrick, Texans.  Mike Glennon, Buccaneers.

Running Backs

“Hot Hands”

Jonathan Stewart, Panthers (24.2%/36%): The Daily Show looked great on Sunday against a tough Seahawks defense.  He ran for 79 yards on 16 carries and contributed 15 yards on three catches.  His only shortcoming was failing to score.  DeAngelo Williams remains hurt so if Stewart can keep running tough and stays healthy, he has a very easy schedule and could be a great asset to any team.

Bobby Rainey, Buccaneers (9.2%/24%): He dropped off the map while backing up Doug Martin but Martin is dinged up again.  Rainey has been rather effective this year and the Buccaneers would be wise to run him if they want to turn the season around to end on a good note.  News out of Tampa Bay is that Charles Sims is close to returning so the Bucs may want to give him a try-out of sorts with the chance of a winning record almost all but finished.  This will be a situation to watch but right now Rainey is the safest back to own.

Theo Riddick, Lions (0.2%/2%): Reggie Bush was ruled out on Sunday so the Lions backfield consisted of Joique Bell and Theo Riddick.  Riddick was a surprise.  He ended his day with only three carries for five yards but caught eight balls for 74 yards.  The Lions go on their bye this week and Reggie Bush could be healthy by Week 10 so Riddick may not see much playing time going forward.  He is most likely only going to be fantasy relevant if Bush doesn’t play but is worth being on the radar if you own Reggie Bush.

“Dynasty”

Denard Robinson, Jaguars (16.4%/57%): Robinson is way too underowned in ESPN leagues.  He now has two 100-yard games to his credit after going for 108 yards on 18 carries against the Dolphins Sunday.  He gets a matchup with the Bengals next week who rank 20th against the run.

Jonas Gray, Patriots (0.1%/6%): Jonas Gray was promoted from the practice squad before Week 7 but didn’t touch the ball much in his debut.  Week 8 was a different story when he carried the ball 17 times for 86 yards against the Bears.  Shane Vereen is still the back to own in New England but Gray has asserted himself as the replacement to Stevan Ridley.  The Pats need a player who can bang between the tackles like Ridley did to complement Shane Vereen as he is the primary receiving back.

Charles Sims, Buccaneers (0.2%/7%): He’s an attractive target this week and you’ll see him in a lot of other waiver wire articles.  The Buccaneers are 1-6 so there’s not much hope for the playoffs.  They could turn to the rookie coming off the IR in hopes of seeing what they have or they could run with third-year back Bobby Rainey.  This is a situation to monitor but many are saying that Charles Sims has all the tools to win the backfield.  He finished with 1,549 all-purpose yards last year, which ranked second in the Big 12.

Bye Week Fliers: Roy Helu Jr., Redskins.  DeAngelo Williams, Panthers.  Carlos Hyde, 49ers.

Wide Receivers

“Hot Hands”

Brandon LaFell, Patriots (8.8%/36%): LaFell continues to build chemistry with Tom Brady and become a featured part of the Patriots offense.  He caught all 11 balls thrown to him and racked up 124 yards.  With 461 yards on 30 catches, he is quietly averaging 15.4 yards per catch.  If he continues on this upward trajectory, I wouldn’t be surprised if he blows away everyone’s expectation and has over 1,000 yards this season.

Allen Robinson, Jaguars (3.8%/23%): He was mentioned here last week and needs to be owned much more than he is currently, especially in PPR leagues.  Yahoo league owners are starting to pick up on him but ESPN is still lagging behind.  He took a few weeks to score but has since scored in back-to-back weeks.  After Blake Bortles took the reigns, Robinson has seen an average of nine targets per game and never less than seven.

Martavis Bryant, Steelers (0.5%/8%): He finally had his breakout game.  Some might say Week 7 was his breakout game but he only caught two balls on five targets.  One happened to be a touchdown.  He was much more heavily involved in Sunday’s game against the Colts ending his day 5-of-7 for 83 yards and two scores.  Temper expectations because almost everyone on the Steelers was heavily involved, however, he looked red hot and is definitely worth a spot to see if he latches on as the Steelers No. 2.

Harry Douglas, Falcons (1.8%/3%): Returning from injury, Douglas caught three balls for 42 yards.  He was targeted five times and likely won’t get much more than seven or eight given Julio Jones and Roddy White drawing most of Matt Ryan’s attention.  Those two have not been the healthiest of receivers and have been liberal with taking practice off to rest various ailments.  The team has lost four lineman though and may be looking to get the ball out of Matt Ryan’s hands quickly.  All receivers will benefit from this.  He has a bye this week but he’s someone to keep on your radar.

“Dynasty”

Donte Moncrief, Colts (0.2%/3%): Moncrief was the main beneficiary of Reggie Wayne’s absence.  With the Colts playing from behind the entire game, he was targeted a team-high 12 times.  Wayne is apparently ahead of schedule and day-to-day currently.  Even with Wayne returning, Moncrief could be the WR3 Hakeem Nicks was brought in to be.  He’s worth the pickup to see what happens.  If you have a keeper or dynasty league, he should be grabbed for his potential when Reggie Wayne inevitably retires.

John Brown, Cardinals (2.5%/10%): He’s been here before but he had his longest play of the season on Sunday so he must be mentioned again.  Carson Palmer throws the long ball more than a few times per game so the “flukey” long bomb play isn’t so flukey in the Cardinals scheme.  He should continue to be a boom/bust player based on touchdowns.

Bye Week Fliers: Paul Richardson, Seahawks.  Stedman Bailey, Rams.  Jerricho Cotchery, Panthers.  Kenny Stills, Saints.  Markus Wheaton, Steelers.

Tight Ends

“Hot Hands”

Clay Harbor, Jaguars (0.3%/7%): The weeks that you can use Clay Harbor are waning as Marcedes Lewis hopes to return from injury in Week 12.  The Bengals have given up the most points to opposing tight ends so far this year.  For those streaming tight ends, Harbor is probably available.  He has a soft schedule until the Jags bye in Week 11 so feel free to pick him up and reap the benefits for two weeks.  For the Jaguars, it’s all about the matchups.

Tim Wright, Patriots (3.3%/14%): Tim Wright has been very unpredictable but he did catch a season-high seven balls for 61 yards and a touchdown.  He’s worth considering in deeper leagues and if you’re looking for a spark at the tight end position, buying low on one that has Tom Brady at quarterback isn’t bad.  He won’t surpass Rob Gronkowski but when they’re on the field together, it will be hard for defenses to cover both.  He has caught a touchdown in three out of the last four games as well.

Jim Dray, Browns (0.1%/0%): Jordan Cameron suffered another concussion Sunday and Jim Dray was first up in terms of playing time.  Cameron could miss extended time since this isn’t his first concussion, it is his third.  Dray isn’t nearly the receiving threat that Cameron is but he does provide a large frame for Brian Hoyer to throw to.

“Dynasty”

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Buccaneers (0.5%/2%): He hasn’t had the greatest impact in terms of fantasy points but his size and ability is undeniable.  With swirling Vincent Jackson trade rumors, Seferian-Jenkins could step into a bigger role.  He is a project that will take time but he has the physical tools to take over any game if he becomes the focal point of the offense.  Unfortunately that won’t happen with Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans around.

Bye Week Fliers: Coby Fleener, Colts.  Jared Cook, Rams.  Heath Miller, Steelers.

Defenses/ST

Browns D/ST: Their easy schedule continues when they play the Buccaneers Sunday.  The Bucs have given up the third most fantasy points to opposing defenses.

Redskins D/ST: This unit is surprisingly good against the run and not completely inept against the pass.  They draw rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater this week and this game has the potential to be a low-scorer which is good for fantasy points.

Chargers D/ST: They may have been dropped last week because they were playing Peyton Manning and the Broncos.  If so, you could pick them up for a matchup against the Dolphins who have given up the 11th most fantasy points to opposing defenses.

Vikings D/ST: This group is one of eight teams that haven’t scored negative fantasy points in standard leagues.  They play the Redskins this week in what could be a low scoring game in terms of real points which means good things for fantasy points.

Kickers

Cairo Santos, Chiefs: 10/12 FG, 20/20 XP

Chandler Catanzaro, Cardinals: 16/16 FG, 14/14 XP

Shayne Graham, Saints: 13/14 FG, 20/21 XP

Billy Cundiff, Browns: 12/14 FG, 17/17 XP

Kai Forbath, Redskins: 13/14 FG, 18/19 XP