A quarter of the way through the fantasy football season and hopefully your team has at least one win to its name. But, regardless of what your record is, it’s never a bad time to look to make a trade. After Week Four’s action, here are some names to keep your eyes on, or far away from.
Notable Performances:
Jamaal Charles: Despite a poor start to 2014 Charles appears ready to regain his 2013 form, scoring three touchdowns against a Patriots defense that ranks in the bottom five vs. the run. The question is, can he keep it rolling next week when he plays a 49ers team that over the past few weeks has held LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte, and Andre Ellington to a combined 12.8 total fantasy points.
Calvin Johnson: After a dazzling Week One performance Johnson has just 177 yards and no touchdowns since (59 yards per game) despite playing against some receiver-friendly defenses. However, his easy schedule continues through October, with no games against red-rated defenses for the next month. Look for Johnson to get back on track against a Bills secondary that’s been recent victim to Brandon Marshall, Mike Wallace, and DeAndre Hopkins already this season.
Larry Donnell: Through four games this season Larry Donnell has 25 catches for 236 yards and four touchdowns, Julius Thomas’s stat-line through the first four games of 2013: 18 catches for 237 yards and four touchdowns. If Donnell is still a free-agent in your league, sign him immediately.
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Look to Get Rid Of:
Donald Brown: As one of the few healthy running backs on the Chargers roster it may not be time to release Donald Brown, but don’t expect the waiver wire pickup to start producing big numbers anytime soon. With 41 carries in the past two weeks Donald Brown has managed just 81 rushing yards, a less than 2.0 yards per carry average. His Week Four performance, 19 rushing yards against a bad Jaguars defense, proves Brown is no more than a bye week flex option at best.
Tom Brady: Through four games this season the former MVP is on pace to throw for 3,164 yards and 16 touchdowns, way short of his preseason projections. Getting outscored by his backup in Week Four, rookie Jimmy Garoppolo, may signal the end of Tom Brady’s impressive fantasy football run.
Niles Paul: After suffering a head injury on Thursday Night Football, Paul has not been practicing this week and remains in the concussion protocol until he’s cleared. With Jordan Reed’s return imminent Paul will likely see his targets dip (20 combined targets in weeks Two and Three) when he finally gets back on the field.
Time to Trade For:
Rob Gronkowski: With three touchdowns so far this season, only three tight ends have found the end zone more than Gronk (Julius Thomas, Larry Donnell, and Martellus), yet with nine tight ends currently above him on the scoring list the Patriots touchdown machine could be a very nice buy-low option. As he continues to regain his health look for Gronkowski to see an increase in his usage on a per game basis, eventually leading to some monster fantasy football games.
Michael Crabtree: As Vernon Davis deals with a bad back look for Crabtree to continue to be the 49ers’ best option in the red zone. With two touchdowns on five targets so far this season Crabtree is proving to be Kaepernick’s favorite end zone target. Look for his touchdown numbers to continue to rise with Davis out and Kaepernick struggling.
Bishop Sankey: Second round pick Bishop Sankey continues to get more involved in the Titans offense as the team accepts that Shonn Greene is not a viable number one option. Over the past two games Sankey is receiving 10 carries a game, after just four through Week Two, while Greene’s carry total continues to dip (10 in Week Three, three in Week Four). Trade for Sankey before he separates himself from the rest of the rookie running backs.