Is Hakeem Nicks the real deal and if so, should I start him over Sidney Rice or Mike Sims-Walker this week? Also, who is a better play this week, Donovan McNabb or Jay Cutler? -- J. Gibson, Washington
Michael Fabiano: Nicks certainly has made a name for himself in fantasy circles this season. The rookie has scored a touchdown in four consecutive games and has averaged a solid 13 fantasy points on NFL.com since Week 4. Despite his success, however, I still think Nicks should be reserved in favor of Rice and Sims-Walker. I have a feeling that Brett Favre will put up a great performance against his old team, the Packers, in front of the packed house at Lambeau Field. That bodes well for Rice, who is Favre's top option in the pass attack. It's also hard to bench Sims-Walker, who's facing a Titans defense that's allowing an average of 37.1 fantasy points to wide receivers. At the quarterback spot, I'd go with Cutler over McNabb. He's playing at home against the Cleveland Browns, who've fallen all the way to 24th in pass defense.
I have been offered Thomas Jones for Randy Moss. I have Andre Johnson, Santana Moss, Percy Harvin and Roy Williams at wide receiver, and my running backs are Marshawn Lynch, Knowshon Moreno, Joseph Addai and Jonathan Stewart. Should I make the trade or should I look to get more? Thanks! -- M. Dunn, England
M.F.: Honestly, I would look to get more in return in a trade for Moss. I know Jones has been solid in recent weeks, but the other owner in the deal appears to be selling high. Instead, I think you should go after someone like Maurice Jones-Drew, Cedric Benson or Ronnie Brown. Remember that Moss is one of the elite wide receivers in fantasy football, so you should get nothing short of an elite fantasy running back in return.
I'm in a must-win situation this weekend and need to start one of the following three wide receivers: DeSean Jackson, Miles Austin and Sidney Rice. Who should I choose? -- H. Bada, Canada
M.F.: I'm not suggesting that Austin is going to produce another gigantic stat line as he's done in each of his last two games, but how in the world do you bench a player when he's this hot? This is a very close call, because Rice and Jackson are also producing at a high level for their respective teams. But I'd have to go with Austin based on his recent immense success, an obvious rapport with quarterback Tony Romo, an increase in targets and a matchup against Seattle's questionable pass defense.
I have been offered Miles Austin, Sidney Rice and the Vikings defense for Larry Fitzgerald and Darren Sproles. My brain reluctantly says yes but my gut says no. What do you think? -- M. Simpkins, Shelbyville, Tenn.
M.F.: Listen to your gut. Austin and Rice are the ultimate examples of sell-high fantasy players right now, as both wideouts have been on fire in recent weeks. I assume the owner who offered you that trade is thinking the same thing -- that now is the time to deal these receivers because their value might never be higher again this season. I'm not sure what the rest of your roster looks like, but you'd have to be in pretty dire straits overall to deal someone as talented as Fitzgerald.
Should I look to trade Rashard Mendenhall and/or Pierre Thomas? With Willie Parker back for the Steelers and Mike Bell getting red-zone touches for New Orleans, I'm thinking I should trade both of them to get one elite running back. I have Cedric Benson and Ronnie Brown, so losing them wouldn't be a huge blow. What do you think, Mike? Thanks! -- O. Johnson, Indiana
M.F.: You already have two solid running backs in Benson and Brown, so I'd look to make a deal to improve a weaker part of your starting lineup rather than stock up on backs. However, I wouldn't rush to deal Mendenhall since Parker's return from an injured toe hasn't affected his value in the least. In fact, Fast Willie saw just one rushing attempt in last week's win over the Vikings, while Mendenhall led the team with 10 carries. He's a nice third runner for your team. I would be a little worried about Thomas, though, as Bell is cutting into his carries. With Reggie Bush also in the mix, fantasy owners are now looking at a three-headed backfield monster in New Orleans. I'd put both running backs on the trade block and see what offers are made, but again I'd deal Thomas before I made a move that included Mendenhall.
I have a lineup quandary for the coming week. Through waiver-wire moves and trades, I have accumulated a glut of talent at the wide receiver position. I now have Mike Sims-Walker, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Steve Smith (CAR), Miles Austin and Brandon Marshall. Who should I look to trade in the next few weeks? Thanks for the help. -- S. Campbell, Fairbanks, Alaska
M.F.: I love making trades. In fact, I made one today and have an offer on the table in another league. It's part of the fun of playing fantasy football. With that said, I would put all of those wide receivers on the trade block. The one I would look to deal above all others, though, is Smith. Based on his slow statistical start and the ineffectiveness of Jake Delhomme, I'm not sure you'll get much consistency from him the rest of the season. Smith still has some name value in fantasy leagues, so you could be able to talk someone into buying low for the veteran wide receiver.
As I mentioned earlier, Austin is also a perfect sell-high candidate. He's looked like Jerry Rice in the last two weeks, scoring an unreal 66 fantasy points on NFL.com since becoming a starter in the Cowboys offense. By comparison, Terrell Owens has scored 29 fantasy points all season! There's no way he'll keep up this rampant pace, so Austin is someone to move.
I'm in a 10-team standard league, and I need to know which tight end I should start the rest of the season: Greg Olsen or Vernon Davis. I got killed this past week by starting Olsen over Davis, but I'm thinking about trading Davis for a decent running back while he's hot. Let me know what you think. Thanks! -- J. Rupnick, Milwaukee, Wis.
M.F.: I don't know how you can't take Davis ahead of Olsen now and for the remainder of the season. Olsen has been a disappointment from a fantasy perspective, while Davis is finally meeting the expectations he's had since he came out of Maryland. However, if you can deal Davis now and upgrade at the running back position, I think that's a viable move. Like Austin in Dallas, Davis is a tremendous sell-high candidate right now. He leads all receivers in touchdown catches with six after finding the end zone three times in last week's loss to the Houston Texans. Should you be able to deal him to improve a weaker part of your roster, I'd make the move and continue to start Olsen.
Which quarterback do I start in Week 8: Tony Romo or Brett Favre? -- A. Cohen, Philadelphia, Pa.
M.F.: You could flip a coin between these two quarterbacks this week, but I'd side with Romo. He's been on absolute fire lately, averaging close to 30 fantasy points in his last two games. He's also at home and has a good matchup against the Seahawks, who've allowed an average of 266 passing yards with eight touchdown passes in their last four games. Favre might not have a great matchup on paper, but he always seems to perform well in situations like the one he'll be in this week. The old gunslinger returns to Lambeau Field for the first time since he left the Packers, so he'll no doubt be fired up. Favre also torched Green Bay for 271 yards and three touchdowns earlier in the season. While I do like Romo a bit more in fantasy leagues in Week 8, I wouldn't be timid at all about using Favre as a starter either.
I have Matt Forte, Joseph Addai, Jonathan Stewart and Cadillac Williams at the running back position. It's a mess! What do you see for these running backs over the long haul? What should I do to improve? -- C. Comeaux, Lake Charles, La.
M.F.: Unfortunately, I think you're stuck with these running backs heading into Week 8. You're not going to get much value in a deal for Forte, who's been one of the bigger busts in fantasy football this season. However, you might be able to shop him after this week's game against Cleveland. The Browns rank 31st in the league against the run, allowing an average of over 26 fantasy points per game to running backs. If Forte doesn't perform this week, he never will. It's the best matchup he's had since Week 4, when he rushed for 121 yards and scored one touchdown against the Lions. Addai's stock is actually rising, as Colts president Bill Polian said on the NFL Network that rookie Donald Brown could be out two to three weeks with an injured shoulder. That means more work for Addai, who has already been a good fantasy starter.
Stewart's role in Carolina makes him an inconsistent option, as he'll remain behind DeAngelo Williams on the depth chart. When the matchup is right, he's a viable flex starter. The same rings true for Williams, who has emerged as the starter in Tampa Bay but is too inconsistent to lean on. If you can't make a deal, I'd just stick with Forte and Addai and hope for the best.
Your advice has helped me a lot, so I was hoping for some more! I have a solid group of wide receivers with Roddy White, Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Wes Welker and DeSean Jackson, but my running backs aren't as deep with Steven Jackson, Ray Rice, Shonn Greene and Beanie Wells. Should I make a move? -- I. Martin, Maryland
M.F.: Wow, how did you put together those wide receivers? I don't think you're in bad shape in your backfield. Jackson hasn't scored a touchdown, but he is putting up strong yardage totals. He also has a real shot to find the end zone this week against the Lions and remains an attractive fantasy starter. Rice has been a beast for the Ravens -- he's on pace for 88 receptions, over 2,000 scrimmage yards and 11 total touchdowns based on his current numbers. If you want to make a move to improve your team, here's what I would do. Offer Steven Jackson and Anquan Boldin to the owners who have Adrian Peterson and Maurice Jones-Drew, and look to get a lesser wideout (someone like T.J. Houshmandzadeh) included in the deal. That would give you a great upgrade at running back, and you'd still have White, Welker and Johnson to start at wide receiver.
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**!
