ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly from training camp through the Super Bowl with answers to a new question being posted Thursday morning. How the guest experts responded when we asked them: What lightly regarded player should fantasy teams target in last-minute trades?
SAM HENDRICKS
I will give you a few: James Starks and Cameron Meredith. Arguments can be made on whether they are modestly regarded at the moment. But both have great potential. Meredith should benefit from Alshon Jeffery's four game suspension; last week's fluky stat line was just that. Starks is healthy and the only running back left in GB. Throw in Davante Adams but I doubt he is modestly regarded. One more would be Eli Rodgers, who stands to gain from the Steelers wide receiver injuries.
Hendricks is the author of Fantasy Football Guidebook, Fantasy Football Tips and Fantasy Football Basics, all available at ExtraPointPress.com, at all major bookstores, and at Amazon and BN.com. He is a 25 year fantasy football veteran who participates in the National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) and finished 7th and 16th overall in the 2008 and 2009 Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC). He is drafting live in the FFPC in Vegas this year. He won the Fantasy Index Open in 2013. Follow him at his web site, www.ffguidebook.com.
ALAN SATTERLEE
I would make a play for the Atlanta running backs, adding either Devonta Freeman or Tevin Coleman. For starters, you really can't have too much at running back. Both of their prices are lower than they have been -- Coleman having been out the past three weeks and Freeman hasn't gone bonkers with Coleman out. I like their playoff matchups to help with a fantasy title -- at home in Week 15 against the 49ers, and then at Carolina is plenty manageable in Week 16 (especially for the Falcons who look likely needing those weeks in a competitive NFC playoff landscape that should come down to the wire).
Satterlee is a co-owner and senior writer for Dynasty Football Warehouse. DFW is comprehensive site covering dynasty, redraft, IDP and Daily formats. DFW has a large writing crew with many people from the DFW community contributing to the insights and discussion. He is also the Fantasy Football Insider for the Charlotte Observer and is syndicated in a few other newspapers in the southeast.
IAN ALLAN
I’m interested in running backs playing against the 49ers and Browns. Those are the two worst run defenses by far, and running back is the position where matchups matter the most. In their next six games, the 49ers should face the following tailbacks: LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi, Jordan Howard, Matt Forte, Devonta Freeman (and Tevin Coleman) and Todd Gurley. The Browns in Weeks 11-16 face LeVeon Bell, Rashad Jennings, bye, Jeremy Hill, LeSean McCoy and Melvin Gordon. McCoy has the best closing schedule of all, seeing the Browns and Dolphins in Weeks 15-16, both at home (the Dolphins rank 30th in run defense).
Allan is the senior writer for Fantasy Football Index. He's been in that role since 1987, generating most of the player rankings and analysis for that publication. His work can be seen in Fantasy Football Index magazine, and also at www.fantasyindex.com.
ANDY RICHARDSON
If the C.J. Prosise owner is worried about the return of Thomas Rawls, I would try to relieve that owner of any concerns by acquiring Prosise. I don't care what Pete Carroll says, he can't be oblivious to how good Prosise looked at New England, and I don't see Rawls doing much behind Seattle's line even if he is able to stay healthy. Larry Fitzgerald hasn't done much lately (and might not do much at Minnesota, either), but I love his stretch run, which includes the Falcons in Week 12, Saints in Week 15 and a couple of other decent matchups (Miami and Washington).
Richardson has been a contributing writer and editor to the Fantasy Football Index magazine and www.fantasyindex.com since 2002. His responsibilities include team defense and IDP projections and various site features, and he has run the magazine's annual experts draft and auction leagues since their inception. He previews all the NFL games on Saturdays and writes a wrap-up column on Mondays during the NFL season.