Happster's Market Report: Week 14

Buying:

Marion Barber, RB – Chicago Bears

Tulane: Now accepting applications for Head Coach

Marion the Barbarian is back! Be prepared for frightfully middling performances and disappointment all around! The Bears have been all Forte this year, which has been fantastic for my Tulane pride, but now that Forte is down for the rest of the fantasy season someone is going to have to step up and play, and, the only option in Chicago is Barber. Now, will he be great? Probably not, because frankly, he’s not nearly as skilled as Forte is and will not give them the dynamic options that the former Green Waver could bring. However, he will be the primary back and he has shown some life this season, so definitely grab him if he’s still available. He could be just what you need to get to your league’s Championship game.

Brandon Saine, RB – Green Bay Packers

I’m not huge on Saine simply because the Packers are an atrocious run team and no Green Bay running back can be claimed to have “won” you a game this season. However, with Starks down and Ryan Grant being a perpetual disappointment, Saine could be the man to have as the Pack look to lock down a perfect season. What makes Saine even more interesting is that Rodgers stated that he had the “best hands on the team”. Those are some big words from a quarterback who has a ton of good targets.

Selling:

Chris “Beanie” Wells, RB – Arizona Cardinals

This is only for this week, so don’t cut him, but find someone else to run the ball. The Niners have been absolutely ferocious in stopping opposing rushers and despite some decent performances by Wells in the last couple of weeks, this one could look something like: 45 yards, 1 TD. Not exactly exciting.

Penny Stocks:

Rashied Davis, WR – Detroit Lions

The Lions are wounded after losing three out of four games since their bye. They need this win in a big way and the Vikings are just the team to give it to them. The Vikings secondary has been one of the worst in the NFL this season, mostly due to injury, but nonetheless, their pain is your gain. Assuming that both Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson are both taken in your league, than Rashied Davis is your guy. He is most definitely going to be the slot receiver this week with Titus Young being disciplined for last week’s errors. Definitely worth a flyer if you need a WR3.

Washington Redskins Receivers

Sorry, he's not an option...

I normally don’t do this; but, because of the size and makeup of the various leagues out there, I felt it would be best to remind fantasy players: that yes, there is a professional football team in the greater Washington, DC area; and yes, they do have wide receivers. This week, they are playing the Patriots, who have the league’s worst passing defense. Therefore, your targets, in order are: 1) Santana Moss, 2) Jabar Gaffney, 3) Anthony Armstrong, and 4) Terrance Austin. Now I wouldn’t normally recommend Austin, but Fred Davis is out for the rest of the fantasy season and Grossman will be forced to ineffectively utilize all of his available targets. But honestly, for anyone south of a 16-team league, Austin is probably too expensive at any price.