Things have been trending in a negative direction for Lacy for sometime now. But this week was the final straw for plenty of fantasy managers when Packers head coach Mike McCarthy announced that James Starks would take over the starting job. Lacy isn't quite droppable in most leagues, but a backup rusher averaging just 50 scrimmage yards per game can't have a regular spot among your starters.

It might have been easy to forget about the rookie quarterback after a midseason slump. If that was the case, Mariota offered a pretty solid reminder of his ability with a four-touchdown performance in a win over the New Orleans Saints. The Titans offense (and Mariota himself) still has some work to do in order to become a fantasy darling, but in the right situation, there is some production to be found in the Music City.

Sadly, it seems that every week we have at least one player on this list because of an injury to a teammate. With Dion Lewis now finished for the season with a knee injury, Blount figures to see an uptick in touches. It's also worth noting, however, that Blount isn't going to be the only Patriots running back to see work in Lewis' absence. Some combination of James White and Brandon Bolden will also take some snaps in the backfield. But until we see how that usage will break down, it's hard to strongly recommend one over the other.

Few would have believed that Thomas would be outside of the top 25 fantasy receivers this late into the season, yet here we are. The Broncos star wideout has just one touchdown reception all season and just three 100-yard games. In some respects, he's been a victim of Peyton Manning's decline. But Thomas hasn't helped his cause much with six drops -- tied for fifth-most among NFL receivers. You can't completely give up on him, but he has certainly frustrated plenty of fantasy enthusiasts.

As bad as it's been for Demaryius Thomas, things have been even worse for his former Broncos teammate. Julius Thomas missed the start of the season with an injury and has yet to find his stride on the field. Despite Jacksonville's passing game being among the league's most prolific from a fantasy standpoint, Thomas hasn't been able to get in on the fun. The tight end has posted more than 20 receiving yards just once and has scored only one touchdown. The idea that Thomas' fantasy value was hitched closely to Peyton Manning is starting to look more valid.

We praised Marcus Mariota earlier in this column, but fellow rookie Winston also deserves some love. After a rough start to the season, the No. 1 overall pick looks like he's figuring things out. Winston has scored 18 or more fantasy points in three straight weeks and hasn't thrown an interception since Week 4. He could be tested against the Dallas defense this week, but his arrow is definitely pointing in the right direction.

Benjamin has been a hard player to figure out this season. Early in the year, he was considered a player who thrived on big plays. Later, he started to see more targets and looked to be a consistent option in the Browns passing game. In recent weeks, he's nearly disappeared altogether with a combined 48 receiving yards in his last two games. Hopefully things get better if Josh McCown starts, but for now Benjamin is a tough start.

Amari Cooper has definitely been the flashier of the Raiders receivers, but Michael Crabtree has been a steadying influence for both the Oakland offense and fantasy teams. The veteran receiver has scored four touchdowns in the past three games and has posted 273 combined receiving yards in the last two contests. As long as Cooper is on the field to attract attention, Crabtree will continue to prosper in the Raiders rejuvenated passing game.

The Titans took a chance on Green-Beckham in the draft based on his immense physical talents, and we've begun to see what the rookie can do in the past couple of weeks. With a frame that reminds people of Julio Jones, DGB looks like he's ready to take over as the top receiving option in Tennessee. He won't be a weekly starting option, but could be a solid matchup-based play.

That 24-point explosion in Week 2 seems like it was a lifetime ago. Since then, the Washington running game has been a complete mess, and Jones hasn't seen much individual success. Since that big game, the rookie has only topped 50 scrimmage yards once. Even assurances from head coach Jay Gruden that Jones would see more touches haven't done anything to help the situation. Stay away from this running back committee at all costs.