I have a good team thus far, but Steve Smith (CAR) has been terrible and he's on the "can't cut" list. I want to trade him because his stock just keeps declining. Any advice on who to get? I was offered Santonio Holmes. Is it worth it? Thanks!! -- D. Chin, Baltimore, Md.
Michael Fabiano: Smith's value is certainly falling, and the ineffectiveness of Jake Delhomme isn't helping matters. After five games, Smith has just 21 receptions. Delhomme has almost half that many completions ... to the opposition! The schedule down the stretch isn't great either, as Smith faces the Patriots, Vikings and Giants in the fantasy postseason. If you can still get any value for him, I would definitely look to cut ties. However, I do think you can do better than Holmes in a potential deal. The Steelers wideout is on pace for over 1,100 yards, but he's found the end zone just once all season. Smith might not be producing, but he still has quite a bit of "name" value. If you want to acquire another wide receiver to replace Smith on your fantasy roster, I would go after someone like Chad Ochocinco, Dwayne Bowe or Hines Ward.
Which two running backs should I play this week from DeAngelo Williams, Thomas Jones, Donald Brown and Brian Westbrook? Also, which two wideouts should I bench from Reggie Wayne, Devin Hester, Steve Smith (NYG), Steve Breaston and Kevin Walter? -- T. Hoang, San Jose, Calif.
M.F.: Williams is a must-start runner against the Bills, who rank last in the league against the run. I'd also start Jones, who's coming off a monster stat line in a loss to Buffalo and now heads west to face Oakland. The Raiders rank 28th in run defense and are allowing an average of 145.3 rushing yards per game on the season. At the wide receiver spot, I would start Wayne (no-brainer), Smith and Hester. However, I would start Breaston over Hester if Anquan Boldin's ankle ailment keeps him out of action.
I'm in a 10-team standard scoring league and I'm being offered Pierre Thomas and Joe Flacco for Peyton Manning. My other quarterback is Matt Hasselbeck, and my other running backs are Michael Turner, Jonathan Stewart, Donald Brown, Leon Washington and Michael Bush. Please let me know! Thanks! -- J. Rupnick, Milwaukee, Wis.
M.F.: I have never been a fan of trading an elite player and not getting another elite player in return. While adding Thomas would improve your backfield situation, he's lost a bit of his luster after last week. The Saints showed off a committee look in Week 6 with Thomas and Mike Bell, and the latter saw more of the goal-line work. Furthermore, who knows if Flacco can continue to perform at such a high level. He's a perfect sell-high player, which is what the other owner in the deal is using to his/her advantage. I would stand pat with Manning. If you need to upgrade at running back, you might want to see if Hasselbeck has any value on the trade market after Seattle's bye week. There are six teams off in each of the next two weeks, so owners could be hard pressed for a quarterback and make a quick trade in exchange for a No. 2 fantasy runner.
Following your advice, I'm 6-0 in my fantasy league! I've got Maurice Jones-Drew and Ronnie Brown at running back, and I'm thinking of trading one of them for Randy Moss. My other running backs are Ahmad Bradshaw, Willie Parker and Tim Hightower, and I have Andre Johnson, Chad Ochocinco, Mike Sims-Walker and Jeremy Maclin at wide receiver. Thanks! -- M. Fournier, Switzerland
M.F.: What's the old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it?" If you're undefeated with the team you have, I wouldn't trade one of the main foundations of that success. Honestly, you wouldn't be able to do much with that backfield if you lost one of your two stars. Bradshaw has been good, but he's not on the same level. Jones-Drew and Brown combine to make a potent backfield, and your wide receivers don't need an upgrade with Johnson, Ochocinco and Sims-Walker as the top three options. I'd stand pat.
I need a serious upgrade at wide receiver and can deal with Donovan McNabb or Jay Cutler. Which quarterback should I cut ties with and what kind of wideout can I expect in return? -- M. Mauro, Oak Bluffs, Mass.
M.F.: Both of these field generals have similar value, so I would put each of them on the trade block and take the best offer. McNabb isn't as durable as Cutler, however, so if I had to choose one to trade it would be him. Since quarterbacks score more fantasy points than the other offensive skill players due to the nature of the position, I'd aim high in terms of compensation. That means going after wide receivers like Marques Colston, Vincent Jackson or Wes Welker. If you can't get one of these wideouts, getting someone like Dwayne Bowe or Brandon Marshall works as well.
I'm in a 12-team league and I need to start three wide receivers from DeSean Jackson, Marques Colston, Donald Driver, Austin Collie, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks. Who should I choose? -- T. O'Hanlon, Philadelphia, Pa.
M.F.: Manningham, Nicks and Collie have all played well in recent weeks, but I think that's the trio of players to bench. Colston is coming off a big game against the Giants and now heads to Miami to face the Dolphins and their 18th-ranked pass defense. I also like Jackson against the Redskins, who seem to be a team in utter disarray. Driver, who faces a Browns defense that gave up 100-plus yards and two touchdowns to Steelers wideouts Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes last week, is the third player to start.
Which two running backs do I start this week from Thomas Jones, LaDainian Tomlinson and Pierre Thomas? At wide receiver, I need to start three of the following: Andre Johnson, Steve Breaston, Terrell Owens and Michael Crabtree. I have also been offered Bernard Berrian for Owens, should I do it? -- C. Murphy, Canada
M.F.: As I mentioned earlier, Jones is a virtual must-start this week against the Raiders. That means the final decision is between Tomlinson and Thomas. Based on the matchups, and the fact that Thomas is now in a committee with Mike Bell, I would roll the dice and start Tomlinson. He looked a little like the old L.T. against the Broncos at times on Monday night, though his numbers still weren't super impressive. This week he'll face a Chiefs defense that ranks 25th against the run. If Tomlinson can't put up good numbers against a team he's owned for much of his career at the NFL level, well, he won't be putting up good totals against anyone the rest of the season.
What sort of value will Chris Johnson have the rest of the season, considering how badly the Titans are playing right now? He hasn't been worth a first-round pick! -- D. Martellino, Canada
M.F.: The fall of the Titans, who went 13-3 last season, has been nothing short of shocking. It's not like we thought they would win another 13 games, but to have no wins right now is almost unbelievable. Despite his team's shortcomings, Johnson still ranks fifth in fantasy points (84) among running backs on NFL.com. I do realize that most of those points came in Week 2, when he posted 45 in a loss to the Texans, but it's not like Johnson has lost a step or is having a sophomore slump. He's simply not seeing enough touches in an offense that's been forced to throw more often in attempt to come back from defecits. The good news is that when (notice I said when and not if) Vince Young takes over, he's almost certain to check down often and give Johnson more chances as a receiver out of the backfield. He'll also have some positive matchups on the schedule against the Jaguars, Bills, Texans, Colts, Rams and Chargers. Barring a total offensive collapse, I think Johnson's fortunes should turn sooner than later.
What are your thoughts on Ray Rice? Can he keep up this incredible pace? I have DeAngelo Williams and Ronnie Brown at running back (I took Rice in the sixth round), but I need an upgrade at wide receiver. I've been offered Andre Johnson for Rice. Would you pull the trigger? -- M. Daniels, Saint Pail, Minn.
M.F.: I think this is the perfect time to trade Rice, and I would definitely accept this offer. At his current rate, Rice is on pace to finish the season with 88 catches and over 2,000 scrimmage yards. Those are amazing numbers from a running back, and I'm not sure he can continue to perform at such an amazing level. While he was a preseason sleeper on NFL.com, no one expected Rice to turn into Marshall Faulk and to finish with that many receptions and scrimmage yards would be a shock. Because you have Williams and Brown in the backfield, I would make this deal and acquire one of fantasy's premier wideouts in Johnson.
Which two wide receivers should I start from Wes Welker, Hines Ward, Sidney Rice and Miles Austin? -- J. Candollzi, Queens, N.Y.
M.F.: Rice and Austin have both been hot in recent starts, but I would still sit this duo in favor of their veteran counterparts. It's hard to bench Welker, who's coming off a huge game against the Titans and now faces a Buccaneers defense (in the NFL's London game) that's allowed 13 touchdown catches this season. I would also start Ward against the Vikings, who rank just 24th in pass defense. The Steelers wideout has been one of the best draft values in fantasy football after six weeks, ranking fifth in points among receivers on NFL.com.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com. Have a burning question for Michael on anything fantasy football related? Leave it in our comments section or send it to **AskFabiano@nfl.com**!
