What should I do with Chris Johnson? Is he back? - @CamboSlice25 (via Twitter)
Michael Fabiano: I would trade him. Now. Before he steps onto the football field again. I might seem like a jilted lover at the end of a bad relationship, but I don't trust CJ2K has far as I can throw him. And at 5-foot-8 and 163 pounds, I couldn't throw him far, if at all. While it was nice to see him post a nice stat line, keep in mind that the Houston Texans had just six defenders in the box for a lot of the second half. Their defense dared the Titans to throw the football, which left more room for Johnson to roam. Consider this a chance to rid yourself of the headache and frustration that having Johnson on your fantasy team has caused over the last year-plus.
I have Alfred Morris in a PPR league and can trade him in a package deal for Cedric Benson or Mikel Leshoure. I don't like Washington's schedule, and Morris isn't much of a pass catcher. What should I do? - W. Alfrey (via Facebook)
M.F.: You're right that Morris isn't much of a pass catcher, as he's recorded just one reception all season. With that said, I'd still rather have him ahead of both Benson and Leshoure. While the spector of Shanahanigans still looms, it does seem like Redskins coach Mike Shanahan likes Morris a lot. And what's not to like? He's averaging 4.6 yards per carry and is on pace for over 1,500 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. Those are bananas fantasy totals! If you do decide to deal Morris, you should be able to do much better in a potential deal. Keep in mind that even in a PPR league, he currently has more fantasy points than LeSean McCoy and Darren McFadden.
I have Tony Romo and Carson Palmer on byes this week. Which quarterback(s) should I target off the waiver wire in a 10-team league? - N. Alexander (via Google+)
M.F.: The first player I would target is Andy Dalton. He isn't a free agent in a ton of leagues on NFL.com, but even 38.8 percent is too much. One of the top-scoring players in fantasy football this season, the talented gunslinger posted 244 yards and 22.26 fantasy points against the Jacksonville Jaguars and has now averaged a tremendous 23.36 points in his last three games. This week he faces the Miami Dolphins, who surrendered 20.96 fantasy points to Kevin Kolb last week. If Dalton is unavailable, other options include Christian Ponder (vs. Tennessee Titans), Alex Smith (vs. Buffalo Bills) and Matt Hasselbeck (at Minnesota Vikings).
Which quarterback should I start in Week 5: Peyton Manning or Ben Roethlisberger? - @ms_bayless (via Twitter)
M.F.: I'm going with Manning based on the matchups. He faces a New England Patriots defense that has allowed an average of close to 20 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. That includes 25.58 points to Joe Flacco in Week 3 and 23.40 points to Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 4. On the flip side, Roethlisberger has a tougher opponent in the Philadelphia Eagles. Their defense has given up the fifth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. Another reason to like Manning is the fact that he'll be motivated to go up against his old nemesis, Tom Brady.
Is it time to bench Julio Jones? - D. Maestas (via Facebook)
M.F.: No. In fact, I would call him a must-start wideout in Week 5. I realize he's scored three or fewer fantasy points in two of his last three games, but have you seen his matchup this week? It's a road game against the Washington Redskins, who have allowed seven touchdowns and the most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.
I know you said on NFL Fantasy LIVE that the San Diego Chargers were just rolling with the hot hand last week, but does it still make sense to add Jackie Battle in case Ryan Mathews continues to have fumbling issues? - B. Blume (via Google+)
M.F.: Sure, it makes sense if you have the roster room or you want to handcuff Mathews. Just keep in mind that almost all the reports out of San Diego have suggested that coach Norv Turner and the Chargers still have "great trust" in Mathews. In fact, Battle told us on NFL Fantasy LIVE that he wasn't even aware that he was going to get the start until the end of the week. Furthermore, I expect Mathews to start and produce a solid stat line in Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints. No team has allowed more fantasy points to running backs in 2012.
Are you worried about all of the hits Robert Griffin III has taken? Will he be OK the rest of the season? - @JTudino (via Twitter)
M.F.: The fact that Griffin III runs out of the pocket and takes more hits than the standard pocket passer is a cause for some concern, but that's no reason to trade him unless you have another elite quarterback on your roster like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees or Tom Brady. Will he be OK for the rest of the season? I wish I could predict injuries, but all I can say that the talented rookie has developed into a must-start signal-caller. If you do decide to trade RG3, you should get nothing less than an elite player or a package of solid players in return.
What do I do with Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller? I have both of them. Who should I start? - R. Durden (via Facebook)
M.F.: At this point you might want to flip a coin! Jackson saw more touches (16) than Spiller (10) against the Patriots, but that doesn't mean Bills coach Chan Gailey won't go with the hot hand on a week-to-week basis. As a result, it's going to be a guessing game in what could become a frustrating backfield committee. Both runners are talented, but neither is more than a low-end No. 2 runner or flex starter when they're active at the same time. That's unfortunate, because Jackson and Spiller have No. 1 back potential as their featured back. I will tell you this - neither of these players is going to be an attractive option in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers. No team has allowed fewer fantasy points to running backs this season.
Would you continue to stash Kenny Britt or drop him to add someone else? - B. Blume (via Google+)
M.F.: Honestly, it depends on the free agent. Would I drop him to add Andy Dalton, for example? Yes. If I needed a running back and Rashard Mendenhall were still a free agent, I would also give Britt his walking papers. But if your waiver wire is barren, I would hold onto the talented wide receiver. He did seem to be getting back into the swing of things in his last full game, catching six passes in a loss to the Detroit Lions. Of course, that was before he suffered an ankle ailment that cost him last week's game against the Houston Texans. If this latest injury (Britt had multiple knee surgeries in the offseason) causes Britt to miss multiple games, I'd definitely be more willing to look in another direction.
Which of these wide receivers should I trade: Dwayne Bowe, A.J. Green, Andre Johnson or Vincent Jackson? - @jmlmorelli (via Twitter)
M.F.: I wouldn't trade Green, who is quickly becoming one of the three best wide receivers in fantasy football. I also like Bowe, who continues to see a ton of targets from Matt Cassel in Kansas City. What's more, I think Jackson will produce the fewest fantasy points of these four wideouts, and the fact that he's coming off a solid game makes him a perfect sell-high candidate. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not going to be a pass-first team under coach Greg Schiano, so Jackson is going to continue to produce up-and-down stat lines throughout the season. You could argue the same situation applies to Johnson, but he has more "skins on the wall" and is a player I still consider to be more value than Jackson.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
