Are you Tim Tebow's agent? Seriously man you're all about him! I did start him last week thanks to your advice, but now someone has offered me DeMarco Murray for Tebow straight up. I already have Cam Newton and need a running back. Should I make this trade? Do you think Tebow can keep it up the rest of the season? For that matter, can Murray? -- mariah10412 (via Twitter)
Michael Fabiano: You're right my friend, I do love me some Tebow. I can understand the criticism he receives in the world of real football because of his mechanics, but how can anyone not consider him a fantasy star? In six career starts, he has scored over 20 fantasy points five times! And I wouldn't be shocked if he did it again this week against a Chiefs defense that made Matt Moore look like Dan Marino in Week 9. With that said, I do think this trade is a good one -- as much as I like Tebow, Newton is the better fantasy quarterback and you don't need a highly-productive player like Tebow rotting away on your bench. Murray has been a beast, and unless Cowboys coach Jason Garrett starts up his own version of Shanahanigans (thanks, Adam Rank) once Felix Jones returns, the rookie will remain a stud. He's averaging a ridiculous 8.4 yards per carry over the last three weeks.
Would you consider Steve Smith for Adrian Peterson a fair trade in a PPR league? I have Andre Johnson, DeSean Jackson and Jordy Nelson. -- A. Vasquez (via Facebook)
M.F.: If you're getting Peterson in this deal, I love it. You might face some resistance from your fellow owners, however, so be prepared to state your case for why the trade shouldn't be overturned. First, Smith is in the top five in fantasy points at his position. Second, and most important, no one can see into the future -- that's the reason I almost never reject trades as the commissioner in my leagues unless it's something terrible like Arian Foster for Curtis Painter. Here's a great example. Last season, if you put up a trade offer of Foster and Brandon Lloyd for Chris Johnson and Andre Johnson before Week 1, well, it would have been laughed at across the board. But take a look at the numbers -- the team getting Foster and Lloyd would have won that deal. I also remember a deal back in 2008 that was rejected (I wasn't the commissioner) where one team wanted to trade LaDainian Tomlinson at midseason for DeAngelo Williams. It wasn't processed because Tomlinson was the king of fantasy football and Williams had just one 1,000-yard season at that point. Guess who had more points down the stretch? Here's a hint -- it wasn't L.T.
What are your thoughts on Julio Jones? Is he a "one-hit wonder" or will he be reliable the rest of the season? -- maclum (via Twitter)
M.F.: Jones isn't a one-hit wonder at all. Not even close. In fact, the rookie out of Alabama had two 100-plus yard games before shredding the hapless Colts for 131 yards and two touchdowns. And if you project the totals he's posted in six games, Jones would finish with better than 1,300 yards over a full season. While he's not going to burn every team for monster numbers like he did Indianapolis, he does have the look of a borderline No. 2 or 3 fantasy wideout the rest of the season. His next game is back at the Georgia Dome against the Saints, who have allowed the 14th-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.
What happened to Darrius Heyward-Bey last week? Should I drop him and add someone like Laurent Robinson or Steve Breaston? Also, I need a tight end this week -- Vernon Davis is killing me. Any suggestions? -- M. Zinno (via Facebook)
M.F.: This is the single most-popular question I was asked on Twitter last Sunday afternoon, and I honestly have no idea what happened. Raiders coach Hue Jackson said earlier this week that Heyward-Bey wasn't put on the bench against the Broncos. However, the Maryland product saw just 12 snaps, received one target and played behind Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore, the recently-signed T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chaz Schilens against the Broncos. To me, that's a little odd -- especially when you consider that Heyward-Bey had been the team's best wideout in recent weeks. Regardless, it's hard to trust him right now in a Raiders offense that has a plethora of wide receivers. If you do need to start a wideout, it makes sense to add one of Robinson or Breaston -- the latter faces the Broncos, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. Earl Bennett is also an option now that's he's healthy. At the tight end position, look to add Jake Ballard off the waiver wire. He's been heavily involved in the Giants offense in recent weeks, seeing a combined 14 targets in his last two games. He'll face the 49ers next on the schedule.
What is the latest on Andre Johnson? When is he coming back? -- JohnnyStickman (via Twitter)
M.F.: There have been reports floating around that Johnson suffered a setback in his return from a hamstring ailment, and the Texans are still not offering up a concrete timetable for his return. In fact, the team called him "day to day" on it's official Twitter page after describing his Monday workout as being "good." If I had to guess, I would predict that A.J. will miss this week's game against the Buccaneers and return after the team's bye. That means Johnson would be back on the field in time to face the Jaguars in Jacksonville the weekend of Thanksgiving. Regardless, it's smart to check back with NFL.com throughout the week for updates. If the talented wideout is unable to put in a full practice no later than Friday, you should plan to be without him once again.
I see that you suggest adding Roy Helu, but I just don't trust Mike Shanahan. Not anymore. -- P. Garza (via Facebook)
M.F.: I know, I know, it's impossible to predict what Shanahan will do with his backfield. Sometimes I think he just does it to mess with fantasy owners. But I digress. Yes, it wouldn't be a shock to see Helu fall down the depth chart in favor of Ryan Torain or Tashard Choice at some point. But right now he's the back to own in Washington. In fact, Shanahan said after Sunday's loss to the 49ers that Torain will only see the field when Helu is "tired." Take it with a grain of salt, but that sounds like a decent endorsement. And when you consider that Torain has averaged fewer than two yards per carry since Week 4, well, he's not doing himself any favors in this competition. Regardless, this is Helu's job right now and his solid stat line last week is enough to make him a popular name on the waiver wire across the fantasy landscape. He's a free agent in most NFL.com leagues.
Are there any other hot running backs out there to pick up besides Helu? -- bonniec99 (via Twitter)
M.F.: There isn't a lot to like on the waiver wire at the position behind Helu, but here are a few other options. Chris Ogbonnaya will start and see most of the backfield touches in Week 10, as Browns coach Pat Shurmur has already ruled Peyton Hillis (hamstring) and Montario Hardesty (calf) out. While Ogbonnaya is the epitome of the desperation flex starter, he does face a Rams defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Donald Brown is looking more and more like the runner to own in Indianapolis, and he's still a free agent in a ton of leagues. Marion Barber is also an option -- he's scored nine-plus points in three straight weeks. You might also want to take a flier on Javon Ringer. Sure, he is still behind Chris Johnson on the Titans depth chart, but Ringer faces a Panthers defense that has allowed the most fantasy points to running backs. So even with a few touches, he could give you some points if you're desperate.
What would you do with Ahmad Bradshaw? Is he going to be out for the rest of the season? I lost out on Brandon Jacobs and was wondering if I should just cut Bradshaw altogether. -- N. Russo (via Facebook)
M.F.: I'd tell you to drop Bradshaw if we were in a league together, at which point I would quickly grab him off the waiver wire. Seriously though, you can't cut someone like Bradshaw. There have actually been recent reports that he could be back as soon as this week, despite his injured foot. If Bradshaw is able to suit up against the 49ers, however, he'll be a real risk from a fantasy perspective. The Niners have surrendered the fewest fantasy points (10.28 PPG) to running backs and are the lone NFL team to not allow a rushing touchdown to runners. What's more, the G-Men could look to spell a nicked up Bradshaw more often with their bruising runner, Brandon Jacobs. So while I wouldn't drop Bradshaw back into the free-agent pool, I would be prepared to utilizes a different alternative at the running back position for Week 10.
What happened to Beanie Wells last week? Did he just struggle or was he pulled out of the game? -- JoshJohnsonGHG1 (via Twitter)
M.F.: Wells did miss a few plays in the third quarter against the Rams due what was described as a stinger, but he wasn't pulled out of the contest. There is clearly cause for concern, though, as the Ohio State product is dealing with a sore knee that made him look slow and less effective. With that said, coach Ken Whisenhunt has hinted that Wells is going to continue to play as long as he's able. I just wonder if he'll be able to get through the rest of the season based on his overall lack of durability in recent seasons. If you can still get value for Wells, I would look to deal him to another team right now. If you can't find a suitor, play the matchups and hope for the best. Wells faces an Eagles defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to runners in Week 10.
Your Matt Cassel prediction wasn't very good last week. Want to try again? I need a quarterback this week, because there's no chance I'm starting Matt Schaub. He's been terrible without Andre Johnson. Oh, and would you start Willis McGahee over LeGarrette Blount this week? -- T. Gugliotti (via Facebook)
M.F.: When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong. And Cassel's 13.92-point performance against the Dolphins wasn't what I expected. But would you believe that I'd stick with him this week against the Broncos? Let's look at the numbers. First, Denver's defense has allowed more fantasy points to quarterbacks than any other team in the league. Second, the last four quarterback to face them have averaged over 17 fantasy points. In the previous game, this unit gave up over 45 fantasy points to Aaron Rodgers. Third, Cassel made glue of the Broncos last season, throwing for a combined 665 yards and five scores. So unless you can go out and grab someone like Tebow off the waiver wire, I'd give Cassel a second chance to produce a nice stat line. At running back, I would start McGahee over Blount based on what is a nice matchup against Cassel's defensive teammates.
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**!
