Quarterback

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers

By all accounts, the Pittsburgh Steelers picked up a miraculous Week 6 win against the Arizona Cardinals. When Ben Roethlisberger went down with an MCL strain, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the fantasy prospects of many players. While Le’Veon Bell’s role has been relatively normal, Antonio Brown and Heath Miller have seen huge dips in production.

The time is drawing near for Roethlisberger’s return under center. Big Ben threw for 4,952 yards with 32 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season and is currently in the prime of his career. He is absolutely an elite player in the NFL and has more top-notch weapons at his disposal than any other quarterback in the league.

Another attribute that isn’t measured on stat sheets is Roethlisberger’s overall toughness. While an MCL sprain knocked him out of action for over a month, he is always laboring through minor injuries that rarely affect his numbers. Because of this, he is an elite option as soon as he steps on the field and he will make a big difference for your fantasy team as we get deeper into the season. He’s unlikely to start Week 7 against Kansas City, but should suit up at home against Cincinnati the following week.

Verdict: BUY. Roethlisberger is everything you want in a quarterback and will be a valuable addition to your team. This is the cheapest his price will be for the remainder of the year.

Sam Bradford, Eagles

It is time to stop pretending that Sam Bradford is going to blossom into an upper-tier quarterback. We know all about his potential, but two blown knees and constant underperforming have negated what should have been a strong career. Bradford was ugly once again on Monday night in a win over the Giants, throwing three interceptions. It’s worth noting that he did throw for 280 yards, but that’s been the trend all season: plenty of yardage and a lot of interceptions.

See, there are still fantasy owners out there that believe a Bradford resurrection is coming and to put it bluntly – they are wrong. The former No. 1 overall pick doesn’t look comfortable running the Eagles’ offense and it would be foolish to think that he’ll miraculously turn the corner. It’s time to bail on Bradford, so move on and get what you can.

Verdict: SELL. The often-injured quarterback is tied for second in the league with nine interceptions. That is completely unacceptable and he has no business being on your fantasy team.

Running Back

Eddie Lacy, Packers

From first round pick to … a timeshare? Reports out of Green Bay are saying that Eddie Lacy could be part of a dreaded RBBC (Running Back By Committee) going forward with James Starks. During Green Bay’s Week 6 win over the Chargers, Starks was on the field for 28 snaps while Lacy saw just 20 snaps.

Over his first five games, Lacy has rushed for 260 yards and has one measly touchdown. He has yet to eclipse 100 yards in a game and has been virtually nonexistent in Green Bay’s passing attack. To say he is the currently the biggest bust in all of football would be an understatement.

There is no question that Lacy isn’t completely healthy. He suffered an ankle sprain during Week 2 against the Seahawks and the injury has held him back ever since. He’s averaging just 3.88 yards per carry compared to Starks’ 4.54. The good news is the Packers have a bye week and Lacy will have seven extra days to get healthy. Things should start looking up for Lacy soon as he has the skillset to be one of the best running backs in the league.

Verdict: BUY. I just can’t buy that James Starks will be the feature back in Green Bay. Use this bye week to work out a deal for Eddie Lacy as he should be back to full strength coming out of the bye week.

Jonathan Stewart, Panthers

Often times in fantasy sports, all you need is a big game to sell off your dead wood. This is where we are at with perennial underachiever Jonathan Stewart. The veteran halfback is averaging just 3.8 YPC and has two touchdowns on the season; both of which came last week against the Seahawks. Aside from the touchdowns, this was more of the same from Stewart. To have real value, he needs to score touchdowns and aside from his first two seasons where he scored 10 each, he hasn’t found the end zone much at all. Kick Stewart to the curb and take what you can get.

Verdict: SELL. Use Stewart’s two-touchdown game to convince another owner that he’s turned the corner. Of course, you’d be lying because he hasn’t, but you aren’t making trades to tell the truth. You’re making them to win!

Wide Receiver

Jarvis Landry, Dolphins

We all have players that we have a strong affection for and Jarvis Landry is near the top of the list in my book. A target monster, Landry has just seven catches over his past two games. You know what that means – time to buy! Landry should see an immediate bump in receptions, yardage, and touchdowns and if you play in a league where return yardage counts, you are just getting icing on the cake. He’s the ultimate buy-low at wide receiver in PPR leagues because he isn’t a flashy name, but the production is real.

Verdict: BUY. Landry is going to give you a ton of receptions going forward and that means he’s a cash cow in PPR formats.

Tight End

Delanie Walker, Titans

Tight end can be such a fickle position that unless you choose to draft Rob Gronkowski in the first round, you are forced to settle on a lottery ticket. This is why it is normally recommended to wait on the position. Throughout the season, though, there are always a few players that take a step to the next level.

Though he missed a game due to injury, Delanie Walker has been a focal point of the Titans’ offense. He has increased his snap count from 36 in Week 1 to 50 and 51, respectively, the last two weeks. With no real threats at wide receiver in Tennessee’s passing game, rookie Marcus Mariota is giving Walker plenty of targets each week.

If Walker is getting good looks each week, great things will happen for your fantasy team. He is a mid-tier name with top-tier upside in the right matchup and should be relatively cheap to acquire.

Verdict: BUY. Walker went for almost 100 yards Week 6 against the Dolphins and was targeted 10 times. He could very well lead the Titans in that category at the end of the season.