Forgot Log-in or  Password? |  Help  Not a member, Register Now!
      
2011 Draft Prep Guide
Fantasy Football Today
Downloadable Draft Kit
Mock Drafts
Draft Analyzer
Player News
Stats
Players
Depth Charts
Roster Trends
Columns
Injury Report
Projections
Rankings
Red Zone Stats
Teams
Schedules
Scores
Standings
Message Boards
Fantasy Games
Commissioner
Free
Premium
Office Pool Manager
Playoff Challenge
2011 Draft Prep Guide
Downloadable Draft Kit
Mock Drafts
Player News
Stats
Players
Depth Charts
Roster Trends
Columns
Injury Report
Rankings
Projections
Teams
Schedules
Weekly Planner
Probable Pitchers
Scores
Standings
Message Boards
Fantasy Games
Commissioner
Free
Premium
Downloadable Draft Kit
Player News
Stats
Players
Columns
Injuries
Projections
Rankings
Teams
Schedules
Message Boards
Fantasy Games
Commissioner
Free
Downloadable Draft Kit
Player News
Stats
Players
Columns
Injury Report
Projections
Rankings
Teams
Schedules
Mock Drafts
Scores
Standings
Message Boards
Fantasy Games
Commissioner
Free
Premium
Downloadable Draft Kit
Player News
Stats
Players
Columns
Injury Report
Projections
Rankings
Teams
Schedules
Mock Drafts
Scores
Standings
Message Boards
Fantasy Games
Commissioner
Free
Premium
No Fantasy Teams Found
 
 

Jamey Eisenberg

Week 5 Fantasy Stockwatch

By | Senior Fantasy Writer


Each week, we'll survey the Fantasy Football landscape and provide you with a list of players whose Fantasy value has increased or decreased over the course of the past week. The arrows indicate which way a player's stock is heading, but you'll have to read what we have to say to know whether you should hold on to a player or make a move to trade him -- or trade for him.

Jake Delhomme, QB, Carolina
Delhomme is starting to get rolling with 530 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception in his past two games, and he's clicking with Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad. If you drafted Delhomme as your No. 2 Fantasy quarterback, and your starter has already gone through his bye week ( Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Eli Manning, for example), this is the time to trade Delhomme. Unless you plan on starting him, there should be an owner in your league looking for help at quarterback, and Delhomme could bring you a valuable player at running back or wide receiver in return.
Jon Kitna, QB, Detroit
The Kitna Era appears over for the Lions, which is something we anticipated prior to the season when we suggested not even drafting him. He left Sunday's game against Chicago with back problems, but it's more likely a subtle way to bench him. Look for Drew Stanton to start getting a look as the Lions plan for the future. Kitna has three touchdowns and four interceptions in his past three games and has struggled to get the ball to Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson, which you would think is easy to do. He also has too many turnovers, which is why it's safe to release him in all Fantasy leagues.
LeRon McClain, RB, Baltimore
Through four games, McClain has been the best running back for the Ravens and one of the best running backs in the NFL. But unless you have McClain as a handcuff option to Willis McGahee, it might be a good idea to trade McClain now. It appears like McGahee is getting healthy after 22 carries for 64 yards in Week 5 against Tennessee. McClain only had 11 carries for 54 yards, but he scored his fourth touchdown against the Titans. The touchdowns could continue for McClain, but if McGahee starts getting all the carries, McClain could become useless, which is why you should try to unload him now while his value is high.
LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego
I don't think Tomlinson is washed up. He just had a bad game against Miami when all of his teammates struggled. But maybe my colleague Dave Richard was right that you should have traded him after he scored four touchdowns in two weeks against the Jets and Oakland. If his toe problem continues to linger, he could be hampered all season. He has some tough matchups the next two weeks against New England and Buffalo, but then his schedule looks great with games against New Orleans, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Oakland and Kansas City again. He should produce then, but right now you might have to ride out some bad games.
Randy Moss, WR, New England
If you have Moss, trade him now. Shop him around to every owner in your league looking for a wide receiver and try to secure a package of two good players for him. Prey on the owner who thinks Moss will do what he did in Week 5 every week because there's a safe chance he won't. In his two previous games with Matt Cassel, Moss had six catches for 47 yards. Then he has five catches for 111 yards and the touchdown against the 49ers, which was a great matchup for him. Moss might have another game or two like this again, but you can probably get two players who will be more consistent in a trade. I just don't expect Moss to get enough opportunities on a weekly basis with Cassel as his quarterback.
Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina
If you want Stewart, try to trade for him now. There has to be a Stewart owner who just watched DeAngelo Williams run for 123 yards and score three touchdowns against Kansas City and is thinking this is the end for Stewart. Well, it's not. He's still going to be the goal-line back, and he will still score plenty of touchdowns for the Panthers. Stewart lost a fumble in the red zone against the Chiefs, which hurt his chance of scoring a touchdown in four-straight games. It's doubtful Williams will play like that again, but Stewart still has plenty of upside and could be had for the right price if an owner is ready to trade him.
Lee Evans, WR, Buffalo
It's amazing how Evans has improved from last year to become a must-start Fantasy option in all leagues. He hasn't had less than 65 yards receiving in a game and has back-to-back touchdowns against St. Louis and Arizona. Even if Trent Edwards (head) misses any time following the bye in Week 6, Evans will be fine with J.P. Losman. Evans best year was 2006 when Losman was the starter. In leagues where you start only two wide receivers and no flex option, Evans might be available in a trade. The only reason for concern with Evans is he's no longer in a contract year after signing a four-year extension. But he's showing no signs of a lack of motivation since he signed the deal.
Chris Perry, RB, Cincinnati
Perry might return to his more suited role of third-down back for the Bengals with Cedric Benson getting more carries and possibly starting. Perry has been terrible as the starter, averaging 47 rushing yards per game with five fumbles in five games, which is why Benson was signed. You're not going to release Perry, but don't plan on starting him in your Fantasy league any time soon, even with a favorable matchup. He's been a disappointment along with the rest of the Bengals, and you can't trust him to produce right now, especially now that Benson is on the team.
Isaac Bruce, WR, San Francisco
Bruce obviously missed playing for Mike Martz the past two years because the reunion with the former Rams coach has reignited Bruce's career. Bruce has 14 catches for 275 yards and four touchdowns in his and Martz's first season in San Francisco. Bruce had four touchdowns total in 2007 and only three in 2006 in St. Louis. He has become a solid No. 2 Fantasy wide receiver and has developed a great rapport with J.T. O'Sullivan. Look for Bruce, at 35, to continue playing at a high level, and you can consider him a solid starter the rest of the season for your Fantasy team.
Terrell Owens, WR, Dallas
The production in Week 5 against Cincinnati was obviously solid with 67 receiving yards and a touchdown. But the targets could be a cause for concern since he was only thrown at three times with two catches. In Week 4, Owens had 17 targets and complained about not being involved in the offense. Hopefully this was just good coverage by the Bengals and not Tony Romo or Jason Garrett going away from Owens to prove a point. He's not going to lose any value, and you're still going to start him every week. But he needs to be a focal point of the offense to lead your Fantasy team, which means he needs to stop mouthing off -- a tough thing for Owens to do.

Do you have a player you're interested in finding out about or feel that we're missing someone from our Stockwatch? You can e-mail us at DMFantasyFootball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Stockwatch in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware we do not guarantee personal responses to all questions.

 
 
 
Player News
Mikel Leshoure
Leshoure's recovery going well
Mikel Leshoure, RB, DET
12:40 PM
News: The Detroit Free-Press reports that Lions RB Mikel Leshoure, who tore his left Achilles tendon in the second week of training camp last year, is close to making a full recovery. At the Lions’ request, Leshoure just moved the final stages of his rehab back to Detroit from Arizona. He’s doing resistance work and light running and is expected to join OTA workouts at some point this offseason. Leshoure looked like he was going to be a key part of the Lions offense when injury struck last August, and the team is anxious to get a read on him this spring. RB Jahvid Best’s status remains uncertain because of concussion problems, and even if Best returns it’s clear he’s not an every-down back.
Analysis: Leshoure should be considered a great sleeper heading into 2012, and he is worth drafting as a No. 3 Fantasy RB as long as he's healthy. He has tremendous upside, and he could be a great weapon for the Lions, especially with Best struggling as an every-down back. Continue to monitor what happens with Leshoure, but he is worth drafting as early as Round 6 in 2012.

Mike Wallace
Steelers want to lock up Wallace
Mike Wallace, WR, PIT
12:17 PM
News: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said Monday the team wants to keep WR Mike Wallace "here for the long run." Wallace, their leading receiver last season, will become a restricted free agent March 13.
Analysis: Wallace played well in 2011 with 72 catches for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns on 114 targets. He will remain in Pittsburgh in 2012, and hopefully he can sign a long-term deal. We consider Wallace a Top 10 Fantasy WR on Draft Day, and he should be selected in all leagues in Round 3.

Hines Ward
GM says no decision on Ward yet
Hines Ward, WR, PIT
12:13 PM
News: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said Monday that no decision has been made on whether WR Hines Ward will be back with the Steelers in 2012. "To this current point, no final decisions have been made," Colbert said. "We've had several discussions internally. We're right in the midst of our free agent evaluations of other teams' free agents. We'll meet on those [on the Steelers roster] starting Thursday and carry through Monday." A recent report on NFL Network said that Ward won't be back with the Steelers in 2012 but a source close to Ward refuted the report.
Analysis: Keep an eye on what happens with Ward and where he ends up in 2012. No matter where Ward plays, however, he would have minimal Fantasy value, and he is not worth drafting in the majority of leagues.

Brandon Lloyd
Pats could go after Lloyd
Brandon Lloyd, WR, STL
12:08 PM
News: The Boston Herald reports that the Patriots will be in the market for a WR this year, and one obvious possibility is Brandon Lloyd, who is an impending free agent, because of his ties to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The fact that Lloyd said “I’m tied to McDaniels” makes him a likely free agent target. Lloyd had 51 catches for 683 yards and five TDs last year in 11 games in St. Louis when McDaniels was the offensive coordinator makes him look pretty good after he amassed 77 catches for 1,448 yards and 11 scores with Denver when McDaniels was the coach.
Analysis: One holdup for Lloyd and the Patriots could be Lloyd's agent, Tom Condon, who has a rocky relationship with the Patriots. We'll see what plays out this offseason, but if Lloyd signs in New England he would be considered a low-end No. 2 Fantasy WR. He could still return to the Rams, where he would be a strong No. 3 option. Or he could shop himself around the league. Stay tuned, but either way Lloyd is worth a mid-round pick in all leagues.

Bills
Fitzpatrick finished season hurt
Bills, TQB BUF,
11:53 AM
News: The Sports Xchange reports that Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick's second-half swoon in 2011 was mystifying to fans and media who concluded the front office badly miscalculated in handing the career journeyman a 10-year, $60 million contract extension. But now it appears Fitzpatrick played the final nine games last season with cracked ribs. "A lot of people don't know, but Fitz, during the Washington game, actually cracked a couple of ribs," WR David Nelson said. "So after that he was playing hurt." It showed. In Fitzpatrick's first seven games of the year, he threw for 1,739 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. After the injury, he had 2,093 yards, 10 touchdowns and 16 picks. He finished the year with a league-high 23 interceptions. "It's hard to find the silver lining but as we evaluate the season and what went right and what went wrong I'm sure we'll find a lot of positives and a lot of things that we can carry into next year hopefully and continue to get better at it," Fitzpatrick said.
Analysis: Fitzpatrick obviously has 4,000-yard, 25-touchdown potential, but issues involving the personnel around him along with his own issues (accuracy, for one) make him risky for weekly use in Fantasy. Figure that he's worth a late-round pick as a good No. 2 Fantasy QB with potential to be a low-end starter. It should only help him if the Bills not only re-sign Steve Johnson this offseason, but also add talent at wide receiver.

Josh Scobee
Jags want Scobee back
Josh Scobee, K, JAC
11:47 AM
News: The Sports Xchange reports that Jacksonville has most of its top offensive players locked into contracts for the coming season with one notable exception - kicker Josh Scobee, who is an eight-year veteran. Scobee has been one of the league's most accurate kickers in his eight seasons with the Jaguars, converting better than 75 percent of his field-goal attempts in all but one season. Scobee led the team in scoring last year with 92 points, including 23 of 25 (92 percent) field-goal attempts, the second time in his career he's finished over 90 percent with his kicks. It isn't likely the Jaguars would use the franchise tag on him and probably won't have to. They'll make every attempt to sign him. For a team that was among the league's lowest scoring clubs, the Jaguars can ill afford to lose a player with Scobee's talents.
Analysis: Keep an eye on what happens with Scobee. He is not worth drafting in the majority of leagues, but he could be used as a bye-week replacement as long as he remains with the Jaguars.

Rams
Coaches excited about Bradford
Rams, TQB STL,
11:44 AM
News: The Sports Xchange reports that new Rams coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer are excited to be working with QB Sam Bradford. Fisher has said on several occasions that Bradford's presence was a major factor that made the Rams' job attractive. "Sam was a big part of the decision," Fisher said. "We think he has a chance to be great. A lot of people around the league believe that. We are going to everything possible to make that happen." As Schottenheimer began watching tape of Bradford, he liked what he saw. "Obviously, he's extremely gifted, extremely talented," Schottenheimer said. "As I'm watching the film, getting the sense of how accurate he is with the football and how well he actually moves around and has made plays. That was one of the things that jumped off the film at me. It will be a fun process going through and looking at all the games and just getting a sense of where he's at. Obviously, I've been around a lot of young quarterbacks, but I think this guy's got a chance to be real special."
Analysis: We have high expectations for Bradford heading into 2012, but he still remains just a No. 2 Fantasy QB in the majority of leagues. The Rams need to give Bradford some weapons, but he is someone to draft with a late-round pick with the hope he can develop into a potential starting option in all formats.

Shaun Hill
Hill wants return to Lions
Shaun Hill, QB, DET
11:19 AM
News: The Detroit Free-Press reports that Lions backup QB Shaun Hill would like to return to Detroit in 2012. The Lions have told Hill, his representatives and others that they want him back as the primary backup to Matthew Stafford. Hill also wants to return to Detroit -- and might even take a slight discount to do so. The 32-year-old appeared in two games last year and attempted just three passes, but he made 10 starts in 2010, when Stafford missed 13 games with two separated throwing shoulders.
Analysis: Keep an eye on what happens with Hill, but unless he signs with a team and earns a starting job he would not be worth drafting in the majority of leagues.

Jerricho Cotchery
Cotchery wants return to Steelers
Jerricho Cotchery, WR, PIT
11:15 AM
News: The Newark Star-Ledger reports that Steelers WR Jerricho Cotchery, who is an impending free agent, would like to return to Pittsburgh in 2012. “In exit meetings (with the Steelers), it was pretty much stated that they were very pleased with me, who I was on the field and off the field,” Cotchery said. “I’m everything that they thought I would be, so from their standpoint, they definitely would want me back. And I expressed the same desire, so we’ll see what happens.”
Analysis: Cotchery was coming off offseason back surgery last season and then missed the first three games with a hamstring injury. He finished with 16 catches for 237 yards, and he caught a 31-yard touchdown pass to force overtime against the Broncos in the wild-card playoff game. Keep an eye on what happens with Cotchery, but he has minimal Fantasy value heading into the year. He should not be drafted in most formats.

Cardinals
Kolb plans to be Cardinals starter
Cardinals, TQB ARI,
11:06 AM
News: The Arizona Republic reports that Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb is not worried about losing his job heading into 2012 with the speculation the team could sign Peyton Manning if he becomes a free agent. "I know how the NFL works," Kolb said, "anything is possible. I just try to keep my mind clear and do what I can on my end. I plan on having a great year and being a Cardinal for a long time." Kolb is due a $7 million bonus if he's on the roster March 17, and said "every indication on my end shows me that I'll be there." Kolb's first season with the Cardinals was hampered by a foot injury and concussion. He missed four games because of the foot and the last three games of the season with the concussion. "I feel good," Kolb said. "I'd say it took three to four weeks after the season was over to not have any symptoms. Once my mind cleared, I got back to working out."
Analysis: Kolb struggled in his first year with the Cardinals in 2011, and he was outplayed by John Skelton for most of the year. Kolb passed for 1,955 passing yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions, but he will likely be the starter in 2012 if the team doesn't bring in Manning. Keep an eye on what happens, but Kolb is only worth drafting as a No. 2 Fantasy QB in deeper leagues if he remains the starter with the Cardinals.

 
 
 
Top Videos
Rankings