BUYING
Tony Romo QB DAL
Sunday did not go as planned for Romo and the Dallas passing game, which as a whole was a member of the Projected Buys from the preseason. Romo had three interceptions to his one touchdown while completing 23 of 37 pass attempts for 281 yards. The team is in the midst of the toughest SOS for quarterbacks through the season's first seven weeks though, so any early season struggles should not lead you to throw in the towel. Thanks to a poor defense, the Cowboys will prone to shootouts and Romo has the weapons to put up big numbers week in, week out.
Ben Tate RB CLE
While the fantasy world focuses on the rest of Cleveland's running back stable, an opportunity to roll the dice on Tate has presented itself. It has been reported that he'll be out two-to-four weeks, so this window will remain open for at least a few weeks with the potential that Tate's owners fall further out of contention and grow more weary. When he does return, he should slide right back in atop the depth chart and as a talented player in a run-first offense, he'll boast high-end RB2 potential. For the time being, monitor his status and look to get him as an RB4 a couple of weeks from now permitting there are no set backs.
Doug Martin RB TB
An early injury to his left knee limited Martin to only 29 of 57 snaps and when on the field, he only managed nine yards on nine carries versus a tough Carolina run defense. Last season has left the public with little faith in him and it won't take much floundering before his owners panic and try to get out from under what they percieve as a failed investment. It has been reported that the injury was minor and a full recovery can be expected. When healthy, Martin would return to being a three-down back and his price may bottom out after next week as he and Logan Mankins look to put their injuries in the past.
Eddie Lacy RB GB
With the Seahawks, Jets, and Lions all lined up as the Packers' opponents to begin the season, Lacy was an easy pick for the Projected Buys. As expected, he struggled versus Seattle, totaling just 45 total yards on 15 touches. He also suffered a concussion and has yet to be cleared for Week 2. There are no doubts that Lacy is worthy of a mid-first round pick, but with the injury hovering overhead and two more tough matchups on deck, his price tag should be buyer friendly heading into Week 4.
Dez Bryant WR DAL
Limited by a poor outing from Romo and dehyration, Bryant only caught four passes for 55 yards. OC Scott Linehan will be ensuring that the ball gets into his best playmaker's hands though. Bryant, who has run only 6.6% of his routes from the slot over the past two seasons, saw that rise to 20% this past weekend. Look for the wide receiver to begin returning value on his first round ADP as soon as next week versus Tennessee.
Percy Harvin WR SEA
Normally, a player who recorded 100 total yards on 10 touches wouldn't be considered a buy. Harvin also reeled in all seven of his targets, which is something that can be construed into a sell since many fantasy owners don't look at the target category and that reception total may be one of Harvin's highest of the year. However, it's Harvin's usage as a runner (four carries for 41 yards) that generated optimism going forward. As little as four receptions and two carries per game would still be enough touches to merit top-20 wide receiver ranking each week.
Torrey Smith WR BAL
Primarily a deep threat during his first three seasons, Smith improved his yardage totals and has finished among the top-24 wide receivers in fantasy points each year, peaking with 1128 yards on 65 catches last season. Dennis Pitta and Steve Smith overshadowed him in Week 1, but don't be discouraged by only three catches for 50 yards in Week 1. Sometimes an offense may simply flow in another direction and Joe Flacco has already hinted this week at more underneath targets for his No. 1 receiver. Playing split-end for Gary Kubiak, the role that Andre Johnson held in Houston and that Pierre Garcon also relished in while playing in a similar system, new heights for Smith should still be expected - he remains a high-upside WR2.
Victor Cruz WR NYG
After watching Eli Manning struggle throughout the preseason, completing less than half his passes, and perform badly in the openor by completing only 18 of 33 passes for 163 yards, Cruz nearly found himself under the selling category due to lack of confidence in his quarterback. He caught only two of six targets for 24 yards on Monday. However, cooler heads prevailed and the 73-998-4 line that Cruz posted in only 14 games played when Manning played historically bad in 2013 began to provide some optimism. That line would project to 83-1141-5 over a full 16-game season, which would be worthy of a mid-WR2, and is production that Cruz can reach even without improvement from Manning. Cruz has already let it be known that he'd like more targets and those should come his way soon.
SELLING
Chris Ivory RB NYJ
Although Ivory may be the most talented runner in the Jets backfield, Chris Johnson has been widely considered the lead back and touches from the openor indicate just that, as Ivory saw only 10 compared to Johnson's 18. Ivory did make the most of his 10 carries though, thanks in part to a 71-yard touchdown run, and finished with 102 yards on the ground. The Jets can be expected to play from behind quite often this year and have the murderer's row of quarterbacks on deck. Therefore, Ivory's lack of use in passing situations combined with his injury history and place on the depth chart, make now a good time to sell.
Knowshon Moreno RB MIA
After watching the Miami offensive line struggle the entire preseason, it's tough to have much confidence in them continuing to open up holes for Moreno. Bill Lazor has done wonders with implenting his vision and this offense as a whole is on the upswing, but Lamar Miller isn't going away and even as the lead back, Moreno is no more than an RB3. His strong 2013 season combined with a fast start present a moment of capitalization.
Mark Ingram RB NO
A member of the Projected Sells, Ingram is right on schedule. As a reminder, no team has a more friendly SOS for running backs in Weeks 1 through 4 and the best time to sell remains after Week 4 game versus Dallas. In Week 1, he played only 20 of 76 snaps as New Orleans battled with Atlanta, but managed 60 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, while adding a one-yard reception. Survey the landscape, but keep in mind that his value may peak in a few weeks and don't feel obligated to sell now.
Terrance West RB CLE
It did not take long for Tate to suffer an injury and West, who struggled in the preseason, filled in admirably, rushing for 100 yards on 16 carries. Cleveland is likely to employ a committee using Crowell as a compliment, which does cap each of their ceilings to the RB3/Flex range. Owned in the majority of leagues, West was already perceived as a top handcuff and his value has risen even higher, providing an opportunity to get an early return on your investment before you even need to put him into your lineups.
Zac Stacy RB STL
Another member of the Projected Sells, Stacy is not a running back that you should want on your roster past week three. The hopes were that he started off with the lion's share of touches and stayed fed through the Week 3 game versus Dallas before his owners would be able to unload him. Unfortunately, St. Louis fell behind early this past week and the limited game of Stacy led to him seeing the field on just 31 of 70 snaps; during that playing time, he managed 43 yards on 11 carries with one eight-yard reception and a dropped pass that won't help him see more passing downs. If you're able to get pre-season value for Stacy, jump at the opportunity now. Otherwise, keep Week 3 circled on your calendar and then do everything you can to sell before the toughest SOS for running backs through the season’s end.
Steve Smith WR BAL
Baltimore was viewed as the veteran wide receiver's Swan song, where he would settle in beside Smith and quietly fade away. That wasn't the case in the openor though as he turned a whopping 15 targets into seven catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. In Carolina last season, Smith did not record more than six catches or 70 yards in any of his 15 games. With that being said, he will remain the No. 2 receiver on the team and notably compared himself to Kevin Walter in the offseason. He's no more than a WR4 that has likely peaked for the year.
Vernon Davis TE SF
This is the epitome of a sell-high situation. San Francisco opened up with what was likely their best matchup of the season, Michael Crabtree was limited, and Davis made the most of his six targets, catching four of them for 44 yards and two touchdowns. In terms of volume, this should be considered a very good outing for the tight end, who eclipsing 50 catches would still be quite an achievement for. Public perception of him should be high as his performance builds on his ADP, which placed him in the late fourth round as the fourth tight end off of the board.
Zach Ertz TE PHI
Nick Foles attempted 43 passes, more than 10 over his average attempts in starts last season, and only five targets went to Ertz. Thankfully, the second-year tight end motored for 77 yards and one touchdown on just three receptions. While he may be talented, there's simply too many weapons in this offense for him to merit a larger market share and without a larger market share, his owners are in for a roller coaster ride.
WAIVER PICKUPS
Benny Cunningham RB STL
Cunningham is the player that is cutting into the aforementioned Stacy's value. On Sunday, he played a team-high 33 snaps at running back, with 21 yards on five carries and 30 yards on four receptions. With an offense that struggles to put points on the board, if this defense does not improve, it would become a real possibility that it is Cunningham, and not Stacy, that leads the team in snaps over the course of the entire season. It is unlikely that he would ever break free out of a committee, but in PPR leagues especially, Cunningham may flirt with Flex value as an RB4.
Isaiah Crowell RB CLE
After being dismissed for Georgia, the blue chip recruit placed himself behind the eight ball in his pursuit to become an NFL player and as a UDFA, he also faced hills to climb before making a the Cleveland roster. Ultimately, his talent shined and with a stellar Week 4 in the preseason, he latched onto the No. 3 role. Not in the game plan for last week, he was forced into action and notched 32 yards and two touchdowns on five carries. Clearly the more explosive and elusive runner, he should push West for playing time during Tate's absence and it should not surprise anyone if he overtakes his fellow rookie.
Justin Forsett RB BAL
An early fumble sent Bernard Pierce, who was ineffective to begin with, to the bench, opening up the door for Forsett to handle the lead role for the most of the game. The seventh-year back took advantage of the opportunity, racking up 84 total yards and a touchdown on 16 touches. He played under Gary Kubiak for one year with the Houston Texans, totaling 375 yards on just 63 carries, and boasts a career 4.88 yards-per-carry on 347 carries. The quick trigger to pull Pierce, combined with Kubiak's familiarity lead us to believe that with Ray Rice out of the picture, the No. 1 job is Forsett's job to lose. An adept receiver, he has three-down ability that would place him as an RB3/Flex.
Aaron Dobson WR NE
Even with Julian Edelman continuing to soak up targets and a healthy Rob Gronkowski terrorizing defenses, there's plenty of potential available for the receiver who locks down split-end for New England. Foot surgery kept Dobson sidelined for much of the preseason and likely attributed to him being scratched in Week 1, but his ceiling trumps that of the Patriots other wide receivers and once he's able to return to full health, there's WR3 potential.
Allen Hurns WR JAC
Jacksonville's OC Jedd Fisch coached Hurns at Miami and with Cecil Shorts sidelined, the UDFA found himself inserted into the starting lineup. He played 69 of 76 offensive snaps en route to four catches, 110 yards, and two touchdowns on eight targets. There's simply not enough firepower in the Jaguars offense to support three, fantasy relevant wide receivers and it's likely that this past Sunday will be the best game of the season for Hurns, who is expected to drop out of two-wide receiver sets when Shorts returns - that could be as early as next week barring any setbacks. In deep leagues, there is WR4 potential and he can be stored in the event of another Shorts injury, but he makes for a better scoop-and-sell.
Brian Quick WR STL
A former second round pick in 2012, Quick has toiled in a below average passing offense for two years, hardly an environment conducive to development and success. At 6'3" 220 lbs with a 4.55 40-yard dash, he profiles as a prototypical No. 1 and there were a few promising reports from training camp, although they were outshined by praise for fellow wideout Kenny Britt. It was Quick that shined when the action unfolded though; he was on the field for 48 snaps, catching seven of nine targets for 99 yards. In comparison, Britt was on the field for 44 snaps, seeing only two targets and caught neither of them. If Quick manages to lock down the No. 1 job, the volume he receives would be enough to vault him into the WR4 range, but there's just too many mouths in a struggling pass game, making him another scoop-and-sell.
Josh Gordon WR CLE
The one true season changer that may be available in your league, just the speculation of a reduced suspension is enough for him to elevate near the top of the waiver wire rankings. We all saw what he was capable of in just 14 games last season, so there's no reason to go into depth on why his presence would help your fantasy team.
Travis Kelce TE KC
The Kansas City offense was atrocious in Week 1, netting just 245 yards and 10 points. It's been stated before, but Kelce posesses measurables worthy of comparison to Rob Gronkowski and playing on only 19 of the offenses' 57 snaps, Kelce caught three of his five targets for 49 yards. It is painfully obvious that the Chiefs must get him more involved if this offense is to succeed and the Andy Reid admitted as much. If the light bulb shines for Reid, it would not be a surprise to see Kelce finish the year only behind the elite three tight ends.
*All snap counts and targets in this article are courtesy of ProFootballFocus.com
