It's a goofy week. With three NFL games taking place Thursday, many of your fantasy football decisions had to be made Thursday morning.
So, this column won't help too much. But I did receive several questions this week. Let's rip through those quickly, and hopefully it gives you at least a little help as you make your playoff push.
Questions
Matt S.: If you had your choice between Rashad Jennings and Donald Brown, who would you take? ...That's a tough question, and I like both guys down the stretch. But I'm going with Jennings. Even when Darren McFadden returns, Jennings is going to carry the load for the Raiders. He's earned that right. Jennings runs hard, gains loads of yards after contact and appears capable of carrying the ball 20-plus times week after week. The Raiders do have some tough matchups the rest of the way. Jennings was in one of those Thursday games, so you can obviously forget about him for this week. But he gets the Jets in Week 14, the Chiefs in Week 15 and the Chargers in the final week of the fantasy season. That said, I still think he's a great flex play each week and could sneak in as a RB2 if you're hurting.
Samual M.: Would you rather have Donald Brown or Ben Tate? ...That's another tough call. Right away, I'd say Tate. He looked like a guy capable of being a feature back when he was given carries last season and early this season. But Tate does not look like the same runner now. I think he's still injured but forced to play full-time with Arian Foster out for the season. Brown will still lose carries to Trent Richardson, though it's painfully obvious he's the better back in Indianapolis. Brown gets the Titans this week, then the Bengals, Texans and Chiefs. Meanwhile, Tate faces the Patriots this week, then the Jaguars, Colts and Broncos. So, while I think Brown is the better, more healthy running back, Tate has the better matchups. It's a very close call, but I'd go with Tate down the stretch.
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Mark S.: Would you trade Peyton Manning straight up for Adrian Peterson? How about for Megatron? ...Now you're talking, Mark. Those are the kind of blockbuster deals you should have thought about weeks ago. Many leagues already have passed their trade deadline, but I guess a few leagues are still open since I received several trade questions this week. In both cases, it depends on your backup QB. If you've got a solid backup, let's say a guy like Nick Foles, on your bench, those types of trades can be considered. And in both cases, if you've got a guy as good or better than Foles, then go ahead and pull the trigger. Megatron is so far ahead of the curve for receivers, it's no longer a question. If you can get him on your team, you do it. AP is on an awful team, but he's still producing. Even in that case, I'd probably say yes, though it's tough to truly give you an answer without seeing your current roster.
Andrew B.: Can guys like Wes Welker and Eric Decker be benched now? ...Absolutely, but only if you've really got better options. Don't go benching stud players just because you're frustrated by a week or two of low production. Fantasy football is a fickle game, and receivers can be the worst. One week, they look like Megatron. The next, they don't exist. QBs right the hot hand. Now, don't stick with a guy too long. But remember early in the season, some owners gave up on Decker prematurely. Don't do that again.
