Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers, Week Seven

 Mike Bell RB NO
 Strong Sell/Strong Flex Add This might be the hardest endorsement I’ve ever done as a Pierre Thomas enthusiast, but it looks like Mike Bell has found a nice place in one of the most formidable offenses in the league. The thing is, Mike Bell has never really been that great in his career. Mike Bell is by no means as talented as Pierre Thomas, so I don’t see why they give him the ball so much. I figure Thomas will see the majority of the carries here on out, but the fact is that Mike Bell will steal goal-line carries from him. If you have Mike Bell, I’d try and package him in a deal with someone else, while his value is sky-high. I really don’t think he’s going to be that reliable going forward.
 Ray Rice RB BAL Strong BuyI love it when guys I hype in the preseason succeed, let alone give owners a first round value. Rice was drafted often in the middle to late rounds in drafts, but he’s been such a stud so far. Even with McGahee taking carries from him, he’s been great. In PPR leagues, I can’t think of many other RB I’d rather have than Ray Rice. Right now, Rice’s value is really high but I don’t know if everyone realizes what they have yet with him. I’d trade about anything for him right now, so see what the owner in your league thinks about trading Rice and if you can get him for any type of reasonable trade, I’d do that.
 Tom Brady QB NE
 HoldAs I predicted last week , Brady had a game to remember. He threw five TDs in the second quarter. Brady is obviously one of the best QBs in the league, but Tennessee’s secondary was just vomit-inducing. I think from here on out Brady will be one of the Top-Three QBs in the league, so hold on tight to him if you have him. If you don’t have him, I can’t imagine getting him for any reasonable trade, so don’t bother too much trying to get him.
 Matt Schaub QB HOU
 Moderate BuyJust like we thought, Matt Schaub has been great this year. He has some great weapons at WR and Steve Slaton just makes things easier for him catching balls from the backfield. When Schaub is healthy, there is no question he’s a Top-10 talent in the league. To make things better, Houston’s defense is pretty bad so it causes Schaub to play catch-up most of the time. I’d buy on Schaub right now but I’d be weary about his injury-plagued past and keep a backup on the bench just in case.
 Thomas Jones RB NYJ
 Moderate SellAs a fantasy analyst, it’s important to accept that I’m going to be wrong sometimes. In the preseason, I was dead wrong about Thomas Jones. I thought he’d be one of the biggest disappointments after his renaissance year last year. He’s on the wrong side of thirty years old and he has a rookie QB in charge of the offense, so I thought he’d be carrying the load for the team and people would load the box against him. It seems that Jones hasn’t received the memo about his age, because he’s running great. Now, I just can’t imagine him keeping up this pace, especially with talented players like Washington and Green behind him in the depth chart and stealing carries. Enjoy what he has done for you so far but realize that as the season progresses, that offense is going to hit more and more road bumps.
 Zach Miller TE OAK
 Strong BuyEven though Oakland’s passing game has been scary, it can never be as scary as Al Davis . Ok, jokes aside…
Zach Miller has been the lone shining star for Oakland this year and he will continue to shine. Last week he had a great game against Philly, and I expect him to keep truckin’ along. He’s a borderline Top-10 TE for fantasy, but doesn’t have a name brand like most TEs. If you need a TE for your team, see if you can grab Zach Miller in a cheap trade or even from free agency.
 LaDainian Tomlinson RB SDG
 Strong SellI don’t know why RBs who turn 30 years old just lose their touch, but that’s the story with almost all of them. Sadly, that list includes former super-star LaDainian Tomlinson. It seems so short ago that he was burning everyone in the league on every touch, but now he looks like a shell of his former self. You won’t be able to get much value for LT these days, but you might be able to get something because of his name. I think it’s time to abandon ship with him, and cut our losses. Hey, maybe you can trade LT for someone who still has a step or two, but is just in a bad situation like Steven Jackson.
 Brandon Jacobs RB NYG
 Moderate SellWhat’s up with Brandon Jacobs? I’ll tell you what is up, he’s about to miss three weeks from a random injury. He was injured in the second quarter last game, but returned in the third quarter. He might say he’s ready to go for next weekend, but I’m doubtful he’s going to be playing close to 100 percent. I actually feel like he’s about to miss some significant time, so I’d deal him wherever possible. Hey I could be wrong, but it’s common knowledge that Jacobs has trouble finishing a full season…
 Pierre Thomas RB NO
 Strong Buy Pierre Thomas had some trouble last weekend against New York. The box score shows otherwise (4.8 ypc), but two things jumped up and bit me in the arse. Firstly, Mike Bell was stealing carries from him at an alarming rate. Secondly, Thomas was stopped at the goal-line like a chump. Mike Bell had a lowly 2.3 ypc, even in this great offense, so it shows you that Thomas is definitely the top talent at RB for the Saints. Some owners may be panicking and ready to dump him, so see if you can take advantage. If you don’t trust me, take a look at what Thomas did down the stretch last year.
 
Matt Forte RB CHI
 HoldDid someone say sophomore slump? Well if someone didn’t I’ll say it. Matt Forte has only had one game that a first-round pick should have, and the rest have been very ho-hum. With his latest disaster, I’m starting to think Forte is a major bust. I know, there are like nine weeks left in the season and anything can happen…but I don’t think anything will. Chicago has become a passing offense, and Forte hasn’t got the memo. Don’t try and trade him at this point…you won’t get much value for him. I wouldn’t buy on him though, either even though his value is low. I just haven’t seen much out of him that gives me confidence he will bounce back.
 Willis McGahee RB BAL Strong Buy 
 Willis McGahee came flying out of the gate this season, scoring touchdowns like it was his job, or something. Lately though, McGahee has been very quiet and he’s been disappointing fantasy owners. I don’t feel like his renaissance is quite over though yet, so it may be wise to invest in him. When healthy, he’s a talented rusher, and even with the success of Ray Rice, I think McGahee can score touchdowns a lot more. Think of him as this year’s LenDale White.
Mike Bell RB NO	Strong Sell/Strong Flex Add This might be the hardest endorsement I’ve ever done as a Pierre Thomas enthusiast, but it looks like Mike Bell has found a nice place in one of the most formidable offenses in the league. The thing is, Mike Bell has never really been that great in his career. Mike Bell is by no means as talented as Pierre Thomas, so I don’t see why they give him the ball so much. I figure Thomas will see the majority of the carries here on out, but the fact is that Mike Bell will steal goal-line carries from him. If you have Mike Bell, I’d try and package him in a deal with someone else, while his value is sky-high. I really don’t think he’s going to be that reliable going forward.
Ray Rice RB BAL	Strong Buy I love it when guys I hype in the preseason succeed, let alone give owners a first round value. Rice was drafted often in the middle to late rounds in drafts, but he’s been such a stud so far. Even with McGahee taking carries from him, he’s been great. In PPR leagues, I can’t think of many other RB I’d rather have than Ray Rice. Right now, Rice’s value is really high but I don’t know if everyone realizes what they have yet with him. I’d trade about anything for him right now, so see what the owner in your league thinks about trading Rice and if you can get him for any type of reasonable trade, I’d do that.
Tom Brady QB NE	Hold As I predicted last week , Brady had a game to remember. He threw five TDs in the second quarter. Brady is obviously one of the best QBs in the league, but Tennessee’s secondary was just vomit-inducing. I think from here on out Brady will be one of the Top-Three QBs in the league, so hold on tight to him if you have him. If you don’t have him, I can’t imagine getting him for any reasonable trade, so don’t bother too much trying to get him.
Matt Schaub QB HOU	Moderate Buy Just like we thought, Matt Schaub has been great this year. He has some great weapons at WR and Steve Slaton just makes things easier for him catching balls from the backfield. When Schaub is healthy, there is no question he’s a Top-10 talent in the league. To make things better, Houston’s defense is pretty bad so it causes Schaub to play catch-up most of the time. I’d buy on Schaub right now but I’d be weary about his injury-plagued past and keep a backup on the bench just in case.
Thomas Jones RB NYJ	Moderate Sell As a fantasy analyst, it’s important to accept that I’m going to be wrong sometimes. In the preseason, I was dead wrong about Thomas Jones. I thought he’d be one of the biggest disappointments after his renaissance year last year. He’s on the wrong side of thirty years old and he has a rookie QB in charge of the offense, so I thought he’d be carrying the load for the team and people would load the box against him. It seems that Jones hasn’t received the memo about his age, because he’s running great. Now, I just can’t imagine him keeping up this pace, especially with talented players like Washington and Green behind him in the depth chart and stealing carries. Enjoy what he has done for you so far but realize that as the season progresses, that offense is going to hit more and more road bumps.
Zach Miller TE OAK	Strong Buy Even though Oakland’s passing game has been scary, it can never be as scary as Al Davis . Ok, jokes aside… Zach Miller has been the lone shining star for Oakland this year and he will continue to shine. Last week he had a great game against Philly, and I expect him to keep truckin’ along. He’s a borderline Top-10 TE for fantasy, but doesn’t have a name brand like most TEs. If you need a TE for your team, see if you can grab Zach Miller in a cheap trade or even from free agency.
LaDainian Tomlinson RB SDG	Strong Sell I don’t know why RBs who turn 30 years old just lose their touch, but that’s the story with almost all of them. Sadly, that list includes former super-star LaDainian Tomlinson. It seems so short ago that he was burning everyone in the league on every touch, but now he looks like a shell of his former self. You won’t be able to get much value for LT these days, but you might be able to get something because of his name. I think it’s time to abandon ship with him, and cut our losses. Hey, maybe you can trade LT for someone who still has a step or two, but is just in a bad situation like Steven Jackson.
Brandon Jacobs RB NYG	Moderate Sell What’s up with Brandon Jacobs? I’ll tell you what is up, he’s about to miss three weeks from a random injury. He was injured in the second quarter last game, but returned in the third quarter. He might say he’s ready to go for next weekend, but I’m doubtful he’s going to be playing close to 100 percent. I actually feel like he’s about to miss some significant time, so I’d deal him wherever possible. Hey I could be wrong, but it’s common knowledge that Jacobs has trouble finishing a full season…
Pierre Thomas RB NO	Strong Buy Pierre Thomas had some trouble last weekend against New York. The box score shows otherwise (4.8 ypc), but two things jumped up and bit me in the arse. Firstly, Mike Bell was stealing carries from him at an alarming rate. Secondly, Thomas was stopped at the goal-line like a chump. Mike Bell had a lowly 2.3 ypc, even in this great offense, so it shows you that Thomas is definitely the top talent at RB for the Saints. Some owners may be panicking and ready to dump him, so see if you can take advantage. If you don’t trust me, take a look at what Thomas did down the stretch last year.
Matt Forte RB CHI	Hold Did someone say sophomore slump? Well if someone didn’t I’ll say it. Matt Forte has only had one game that a first-round pick should have, and the rest have been very ho-hum. With his latest disaster, I’m starting to think Forte is a major bust. I know, there are like nine weeks left in the season and anything can happen…but I don’t think anything will. Chicago has become a passing offense, and Forte hasn’t got the memo. Don’t try and trade him at this point…you won’t get much value for him. I wouldn’t buy on him though, either even though his value is low. I just haven’t seen much out of him that gives me confidence he will bounce back.
Willis McGahee RB BAL	Strong Buy Willis McGahee came flying out of the gate this season, scoring touchdowns like it was his job, or something. Lately though, McGahee has been very quiet and he’s been disappointing fantasy owners. I don’t feel like his renaissance is quite over though yet, so it may be wise to invest in him. When healthy, he’s a talented rusher, and even with the success of Ray Rice, I think McGahee can score touchdowns a lot more. Think of him as this year’s LenDale White.