X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Football Stock Rising / Falling After Preseason Week 4

With just days remaining before the start of the regular season, position battles and injury concerns are wrapping up by the minute. Despite the fourth preseason games being essentially throwaway contests that feature backups, the week provided us with some intriguing off the field news that does impact some players. We have risers/fallers, ADP sleepers emerging, busts in sight, rookies to scout, players looking like PPR gems, and much more.

Stock Rising 

1)   Emmanuel Sanders, WR Denver Broncos

NFL-Fantasy-Football-Advice-Analysis-Emmanuel-SandersAs the news breaks on Wes Welker's four game suspension due to violating the league's substance abuse policy, Emmanuel Sanders has stepped up into the number two wide receiver role for the Denver Broncos. Sanders was regarded as a high-end WR3/Flex play in most leagues but the news of Welker’s concussion and now suspension bumps him up into WR2 territory.

Sanders didn't necessarily need Welker to miss any time to see his value increase, but the fact that Welker is out a 1/4 of the season now bodes well for Sanders' workload and value. Sanders has shown he can produce in a Peyton Manning offense as evidenced by his play throughout the preseason, so his level of talent is not a concern. The fear had been the “too many mouths to feed” philosophy, but with Welker out now, Sanders is now a legitimate option at wide receiver.

 

2)   Giovani Bernard, RB Cincinnati Bengals

With The Law Firm Benjarvus Green-Ellis being released, the Cincinnati Bengals have expressed a vote of confidence in the running game they have established this preseason. Many have proclaimed that rookie Jeremy Hill will cut into Giovani Bernard’s workload but that’s actually kind of ok. Bernard will still receive a majority of the touches and the departure of Green-Ellis means there is even less competition.

While the release of the Law Firm had been anticipated pretty much since the second Hill was selected, it was a bit worrisome to see it take as long as it did. With Green-Ellis gone, the Bengals running game should flow through Bernard and Hill in what should be a 70/30 split which is all you need to be a solid fantasy running back in today’s NFL. Bernard started the summer as a mid-level RB2 but should be elevated to the top 12 range, especially in PPR formats.

 

3) Knowshon Moreno, RB Miami Dolphins

Rotoballer-Fantasy-Football-Advice-Analysis-Knowshon-MorenoDespite a rocky off-season that included showing up to camp overweight and a surprise knee surgery, Miami running back Knowshon Moreno appears to have gotten himself back into the proper game shape that earned him a contract with the Dolphins. Moreno actually appeared in the Dolphins third preseason game in which he rushed for 64 yards with a solid 6.4 yards per carry. At the time, it was unclear who would be the lead back in Miami given that Lamar Miller had a significant head start with the team.

We have since learned, however, that Moreno is in line to be the number one back on the depth chart despite a delayed preseason. It's not like this suddenly thrusts Moreno into RB2 status but he should be targeted as a RB3/Flex option, a guy you can plug-and-play in the event of an injury or bye week. Lamar Miller was becoming a trendy sleeper due to Moreno's summer woes and was actually going ahead of Moreno in some drafts.

Between that 6.4 YPC average and the recent news that Moreno will get the first shot as the lead back, it's clear that Moreno is now the Miami back you want to own. That being said, don't be surprised if Miller gets some decent work in as well as this does have the makings of a modified running back by committee.

 

Stock Falling

1)   Wes Welker, WR Denver Broncos

The good news: Welker's concussion isn't really a worry anymore.  The bad news: Welker has been suspended four games for drug use and should be plummeting down your draft board. By the time Welker returns, he'll be cleared for contact and shouldn't miss a beat in week 5, but he's missing 25% of the season and taking him as anything more than a WR4 or bench depth is not recommended unless you have an incredibly strong group of wide receivers. Even when Welker returns, with his style of play and unfortunate history of concussions, the Broncos will surely limit his snaps as a means to prevent further damage. If you decide to take the gamble on Welker, temper your expectations in the event he's not 100% upon return, but also keep in mind that he might go off for two touchdowns while he’s sitting on your bench in week 5.

 

2)   Sammy Watkins, WR Buffalo Bills

By Mr.schultz (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsSpeaking of recurring injuries, rookie wideout Sammy Watkins reaggravated an old rib injury in the Bills preseason finale against the Detroit Lions. Compounded with the injury is the fact that the Bills offense hasn’t looked very good in the first place.

Quarterback E.J. Manuel has looked shaky at best which could be trouble for the young wide receiver’s rookie campaign. Watkins was always a risky pick given that it is his first year and that the offense he’s on isn’t very pass-friendly so the injury certainly doesn’t help.

I’ve been completely avoiding Watkins in all of my drafts due to how high of a pick I would have had to spend on him. If you have a late draft coming up, I would pass on Watkins barring a plunge down into the later rounds. Most rookie wide receivers are a huge risk for fantasy and rarely ever live up to their inflated draft ranking. For Sammy Watkins, an aggravated injury in conjunction with questionable quarterback play is a bad omen to start the year.

 

3)   San Francisco 49ers Defense

This might seem like an unusual “player” to list but it’s actually kind of important. Here at RotoBaller we conducted our own league’s draft in which I grabbed the San Francisco 49ers Defense super late. At the time I selected them it felt like a steal but the Labor Day Weekend provided us with news that defensive tackle Ray McDonald was arrested for domestic violence as well as a nine game suspension for linebacker Aldon Smith. The 49ers have had a plethora of off-season woes and losses in terms of their defense and the list seemingly continues to mount.

It’s beginning to look like the 49ers are no longer the powerhouse San Francisco defense we have come to know since Jim Harbaugh took the head-coaching job. It’s easy to just hear the name “San Francisco 49ers Defense” and think “oh, they’ve been consistent the last few years” but we may be looking at a huge drop-off this year. As someone who advocates streaming defenses on a weekly basis anyway, I’m probably avoiding the 49ers D altogether until they prove they’re still legit, and I might be dropping them in the only league where I own them.

 

So there you have it folks, the preseason has wrapped up and we’re just about ready to start the regular season. Hopefully you have all drafted well up until this point and have your waiver wire finger on the trigger. Good luck to all as we enter the 2014 NFL regular season and have fun with it.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Roman Josi13 mins ago

Suffers A Lower-Body Injury
Andrew Wiggins25 mins ago

On Track To Return On Wednesday
Fred VanVleet34 mins ago

Expected To Return On Wednesday
Alperen Sengün42 mins ago

Alperen Sengun Questionable For Wednesday
De'Andre Hunter48 mins ago

Likely To Feature Against Knicks
Bogdan Bogdanovic54 mins ago

In Danger Of Missing Another Game
Jalen Johnson59 mins ago

Carries A Questionable Tag
Josh Hart1 hour ago

Iffy For Wednesday's Cup Game
Jake Burger9 hours ago

Rangers Acquire Jake Burger From Marlins
Karl-Anthony Towns13 hours ago

Expected To Face Atlanta
Trae Young13 hours ago

Probable Again For Wednesday
P.J. Washington13 hours ago

Won't Suit Up Versus OKC
Naji Marshall13 hours ago

Returning On Tuesday Night
Isaac Guerendo14 hours ago

Misses Tuesday's Practice
Washington Nationals14 hours ago

Nationals Win MLB Draft Lottery
Nathan Eovaldi14 hours ago

Reunites With Rangers On Three-Year Deal
Andrés Giménez14 hours ago

Blue Jays Acquire Andres Gimenez From Guardians
Max Fried15 hours ago

Yankees Agree On Eight-Year, $218 Million Contract
Joey Daccord16 hours ago

Faces Panthers On Tuesday
Cole Sillinger17 hours ago

Available On Tuesday
Erik Cernak17 hours ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Anthony Cirelli17 hours ago

Doubtful For Tuesday's Matchup
Jake Allen17 hours ago

Unavailable On Tuesday
David Pastrnak17 hours ago

Good To Go Tuesday
Max Domi17 hours ago

Ready To Rejoin Action Tuesday
Grayson Rodriguez19 hours ago

Will Be A "Full-Go" For Spring Training
Thairo Estrada19 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Colorado
Max Fried20 hours ago

Nearing His Free-Agent Decision
Paul Goldschmidt20 hours ago

Tigers Showing Interest In Paul Goldschmidt
Carlos Correa20 hours ago

Twins Receiving Calls On Carlos Correa
Christian Walker20 hours ago

Yankees Making A Push For Christian Walker
Kyle Tucker20 hours ago

Cubs, Yankees Showing Interest In Kyle Tucker
George Pickens22 hours ago

Has Outside Chance Of Playing In Week 15
Dallas Cowboys22 hours ago

DeMarvion Overshown Expected To Need Knee Surgery
CeeDee Lamb1 day ago

Finds End Zone For First Time Since Week 8
Lonzo Ball1 day ago

Has Minutes Restriction Increased
Rico Dowdle1 day ago

Records Back-To-Back 100 Yard Rushing Games
Jaden Hardy1 day ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Naji Marshall1 day ago

Considered Questionable For Tuesday's Cup Action
Jaylin Williams1 day ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Karl-Anthony Towns1 day ago

Returns With Winning Performance
Scottie Barnes1 day ago

X-Rays On Scottie Barnes' Ankle Negative
Taylor Hall1 day ago

Enjoys Multi-Point Outing Versus Rangers
Jason Zucker1 day ago

Amasses Three Points Against Red Wings
Andrew Copp1 day ago

Scores Twice In Monday's Win
Troy Terry1 day ago

Nets Two Goals In Losing Effort
Lane Hutson1 day ago

Sets New Franchise Record With Another Productive Outing
Jace Jung1 day ago

Undergoes Wrist Surgery, Expected To Be Ready For Spring Training
Patrik Laine1 day ago

Collects Two Points Versus Ducks
Joe Burrow1 day ago

Highly Productive In Week 14 Win
Chase Brown1 day ago

Remains Highly Productive As Receiver On MNF
Ja'Marr Chase1 day ago

Explodes For Monster Two-Touchdown Game
Jung Hoo Lee1 day ago

Won't Have Restrictions In Spring Training
Christian Yelich1 day ago

Should Be Ready For Spring Training
Brandon Woodruff1 day ago

Might Not Be Ready For Opening Day
Yordan Alvarez1 day ago

Astros Want To "Cut Back" On Yordan Alvarez's Time In The Outfield
Aaron Judge1 day ago

Likely Moving Back To Right Field In 2025
Jasson Domínguez1 day ago

Jasson Dominguez A Leading Candidate To Play Center Field In 2025
Dallas Cowboys1 day ago

DeMarvion Overshown Ruled Out On Monday Night With Knee Injury
Will Dissly1 day ago

Expected To Miss A Few Weeks
Rafael Devers1 day ago

Red Sox Haven't Discussed Moving Rafael Devers Off Third Base
Garrett Crochet1 day ago

Yankees, Mets Vying For Garrett Crochet
Kenneth Walker III2 days ago

Seahawks Unsure On Kenneth Walker III's Status
Immanuel Quickley2 days ago

To Get Additional Testing
Jameis Winston2 days ago

To Remain Browns Starter
Maxi Kleber2 days ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
P.J. Washington2 days ago

Could Miss Tuesday's Game
Khris Middleton2 days ago

Expected To Play On Tuesday
Drew Lock2 days ago

To Start In Week 15 If He's Healthy
Justin Herbert2 days ago

Expects To Be Fine
Tom Wilson2 days ago

Misses Monday's Practice
David Pastrnak2 days ago

Battling An Upper-Body Injury
Alexandre Carrier2 days ago

Out Week-To-Week
Rasmus Dahlin2 days ago

On Track To Return At The End Of The Week
Jordan Greenway2 days ago

Set To Return To Sabres Lineup
Mackenzie Blackwood2 days ago

Lands In Colorado
Alexandar Georgiev2 days ago

Traded To Sharks
Detroit Lions2 days ago

Aidan Hutchinson Could Be Ready For NFC Championship
Aaron Rodgers2 days ago

Has Played With Hamstring, Knee, Ankle Injuries This Year
Alexandre Pantoja2 days ago

Gets Second-Round Win At UFC 310
George Pickens2 days ago

Likely To Miss Week 15
Kai Asakura2 days ago

Submitted At UFC 310
Isaac Guerendo2 days ago

Day-To-Day With Foot Sprain
Alexander Volkov2 days ago

Takes Split-Decision Loss
Aidan O'Connell2 days ago

Has Bone Bruise, Not Ruled Out For Week 15
Ciryl Gane2 days ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC 310
Desmond Ridder2 days ago

In Line To Start If Aidan O'Connell Can't Play
MMA2 days ago

Doo Ho Choi Scores TKO Win At UFC 310
Derek Carr2 days ago

Suffers Major Fracture In Non-Throwing Hand, Likely Done For The Season
Nate Landwehr3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC 310
Kron Gracie3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 310
Bryce Mitchell3 days ago

Scores Knockout Win At UFC 310
Ian Machado Garry3 days ago

Suffers First Defeat At UFC 310
Shavkat Rakhmonov3 days ago

Remains Undefeated After UFC 310
Kai Asakura5 days ago

Competes For UFC Flyweight Title
Alexandre Pantoja5 days ago

Set For Third Title Defense At UFC 310
Ciryl Gane5 days ago

Set For Heavyweight Clash
Alexander Volkov5 days ago

Looks For His Fifth Win In A Row
MMA5 days ago

Doo Ho Choi An Underdog At UFC 310
Kron Gracie6 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC 310
Bryce Mitchell6 days ago

A Massive Favorite At UFC 310
Nate Landwehr6 days ago

Opens Up UFC 310 Main Card
Ian Machado Garry6 days ago

In A No. 1 Contender Fight At UFC 310
Shavkat Rakhmonov6 days ago

A Big Favorite At UFC 310

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

Video: Week 15 Must-Start Defense (D/ST) Streamers - 2024 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Analysis

With most leagues headed into the fantasy football playoffs, we're bringing the heat for Week 15! Check out our top 2024 fantasy football must-start Defenses (D/ST) and be prepared to dominate your playoff matchups! LaQuan Jones discusses his top "Must Start" Defense (D/ST) streamers that have the potential to be game-changers in Week 15, as […]


Von Miller Buffalo Bills Defense - Fantasy Football DST, Defense Streamers, Waiver Wire IDP

Top DST Starts for Fantasy Football Playoffs: Rest-Of-Season Team Defense Picks (2024)

The fantasy football playoffs are right around the corner, and now is the perfect time to line up your fantasy defenses for the rest of the year. Getting ahead of your league mates and picking up defenses that have a great upcoming schedule could be the difference between a championship or a first-round exit. This […]


Jauan Jennings - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets - Buy/Sell For Week 15 Including Davante Adams, T.J. Hockenson, Jauan Jennings, Isiah Pacheco

Well, RotoBallers, we made it. The fantasy playoffs are officially here. Because we're talking dynasty, you of course don't need to have made the playoffs to take something away from this column, but congratulations if you did! Even if you have a bye in Week 15, there are plenty of reasons to stay active and […]


Tua Tagovailoa - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 15 Include Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Kyren Williams, Terry McLaurin, more

The fantasy playoffs are finally here for leagues that use single elimination. The fun is just beginning as we finally get to see all our hard work through. As such, we need to focus on the best matchups this week. Any edge matters in the fantasy playoffs because any team can get hot at the […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Fantasy Football WR Injury Reports: Week 15 Updates For George Pickens, Chris Olave, Rashod Bateman, Cedric Tillman

Welcome to the fantasy football playoffs! A healthy roster is the best roster, so let's hope your wide receivers are ready to play. To keep close tabs on all of the news across the NFL, make sure to favorite or bookmark the fantasy football player news page. Also, download the free RotoBaller fantasy football mobile […]


Adam Thielen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Fantasy Football WR Sleepers: Smash Spots for Week 15 Include Calvin Ridley, Adam Thielen, Khalil Shakir, Jakobi Meyers

Week 15, here we come. Whether this is the opening week of your fantasy playoffs, your last week of the regular season, or a bye week, we’ve made it to the end of the fantasy season.  Last week, we nailed our WR calls, smashing Jauan Jennings (seven receptions, 92 yards, two TDs) and Darnell Mooney […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Matchups to Target, Avoid (Week 15) - Offensive Line Champs and Chumps

The fantasy playoffs are finally here. Making the fantasy playoffs is a huge achievement that requires good drafting, diligent waiver wire moves, and strong matchup analysis. If your team is in the playoffs, the hard part is just getting started. Winning a fantasy championship requires shooting for upside each week and exploiting every available matchup […]


Jordan Addison - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 15

As Adam says, Week 14 of the 2024 season is in the books. That means another week of cold, hard data to analyze. We’ll try not to overreact but instead, use logic and reasoning as the foundation for our decision-making in the weeks ahead. I'm Joe Nicely and I'll be pinch-hitting for the great Adam […]


Chase Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Rest-of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings: Week 15 Updates for Top 200 (2024)

Many of you are planning for the fantasy football playoffs and so we must deliver an updated rest-of-season rankings sheet! While many of you are only concerned with the current week, one should also consider all remaining games. That's what we're here to provide with our Week 15 fantasy football half-PPR rankings for the rest […]


Puka Nacua - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Rams vs. 49ers TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford, Isaac Guerendo, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings

The 2024 fantasy football playoffs are officially upon us and they kick off with the Los Angeles Rams visiting the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football. Both teams are coming off dominant offensive performances (Rams scored 44 points in Week 14, 49ers scored 38), and this matchup could not be more important for NFL […]


Zach Charbonnet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS and Betting Picks

Fact or Fiction: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Zach Charbonnet, Isaac Guerendo, Jalen McMillan, Tim Patrick, Juwan Johnson

Josh Allen scored 51.9 fantasy points in Week 14. It was a huge game for Allen and was a surprising result because of just how many points were scored, but it's not like we didn't know Allen was an elite player. What was more surprising? The top two fantasy running backs this week were Zach […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL RBs: Week 15 Updates for Kenneth Walker III, Isaac Guerendo, Bucky Irving, Jonathon Brooks

Below is our fantasy football injuries report for running backs in Week 15, as of December 11. The injury statuses for various NFL running backs are up in the air for Week 15, including Kenneth Walker III, Isaac Guerendo, Bucky Irving, and Jonathon Brooks. As the fantasy football season continues, every decision, transaction, and lineup […]


Week 15 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

As the fantasy playoffs start in full, now is a time to educate those too young to remember a scoring system called “rotisserie." It's a system still used in fantasy baseball and basketball, but some may not know it was once applied to fantasy football. Today, it appears to be a relic largely used in […]