As we inch closer to playoff time in many fantasy leagues, it is the next four weeks that will decide if your team is a championship contender or pretender. Therefore, it's crucial that you maximize the production from your starting lineup, or it's "wait until next year". To that end, many leagues have their trading deadline this week or within the next two weeks. Therefore, I'll try to discuss some trading possibilities in this issue, along with interesting situations around the league that may be helping or hindering certain fantasy players. Of course, there will always be possible free agents to discuss each week. Let's get right to it...

Remember that hot start by Philadelphia Eagles rookie QB Carson Wentz? You don't? That's not at all surprising. After posting three of four weeks with 20+ fantasy points to begin his NFL career, Wentz has reverted to "just being a rookie QB," posting under 17 fantasy points in his last four games. What happened? Well, the running game has gone south and the schedule turned tougher. This past Sunday, he completed only 27 of 47 passes for 364 yards, but ZERO scores and two picks! With the running game struggling, Went has been making some risky downfield throws lately, and it's come back to burn him and the Eagles. With HC Doug Pederson choosing to stick with RB Darren Sproles as the primary back, the burden will continue to fall on the shoulders of Went to pick up the team, and with an inconsistent schedule ahead (vs. Atl, @Sea, vs. GB, @Cin, vs. WAS, & @BAL) things could get uglier before they get better, if they ever do. Remember, Wentz is a rookie, and the Eagles receiving corps is far from a good one. Bottom Line: I'd look elsewhere for a better prospect as you play down the fantasy stretch drive!

New York Giants QB Eli Manning broke out of his slump, as he threw for 257 yards, four scores, and two picks this past Sunday, while completing 22 of 36 passing attempts. With the running game struggling against the Eagles, Manning and his receivers focused on finding the end zone through the air Sunday and were successful four times. That said, the poor running game must improve, of the Giants will become a one-dimensional offense, and against he better defenses, will struggle most weeks. Moving forward, the Giants play vs. CIN, vs. CHI, @CLE, @PIT, vs. DAL, vs. DET, and @PHI in week #16. Needless to say, that is an up and down schedule, so fantasy owners will have to pick and choose when to start Manning to get he most out of him. Of course, the running game could get a boost with rookie RB Paul Perkins playing a major role, but that ma just be wishful thinking. We shall see!

New York Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is struggling once again. Against a very beatable Dolphins secondary, he threw two picks and only one score. And now he's hurt. Fitzpatrick suffered a sprained MCL during Sunday's loss to the Dolphins, but he was able to return to the game following a brief exit. While it's unclear how involved he'll be in practice this week, HC Todd Bowles says Fitzpatrick remains his starting quarterback if he's healthy enough to play. If Fitzpatrick can't play, QB Bryce Petty would get the start this week. On Sunday, Fitzpatrick completed 17 of 28 passes for only 193 yards and a score with those two picks, including one in the end zone late in the fourth quarter. Bottom Line: A gimpy Fitzpatrick can't be trusted to get you enough fantasy points to help your team win. The Jets play at home against a slumping Los Angeles Rams team this week, but nothing is certain in terms of the Jets passing game. In other words, I'd look elsewhere for BYE week help at QB than to Fitzpatrick. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens if Petty gets the start and produces a win for the Jets. If that happens, we may have seen the last of Fitzpatrick in a Jets uniform as the team's starting QB.

Believe it or not, San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick is actually producing solid numbers as a fantasy player... 20, 19, and 29 points in his three starts. And on Sunday at home against the Saints, he completed 24 of 39 passes for a whopping 398 yards and two scores with one pick. He did manage to get his two scores on two short passes where the receiver took advantage of a crappy Saints secondary to take it the distance. Jut keep that in mind if you decide to pick him up and start him. Most weeks he starts, Kaepernick is more likely to get you 20 points than 30. That said, his schedule is tough in the immediate future... @ARZ and vs. NE, but lightens down the road with games @MIA, @CHI, vs. NYJ, @ATL, and @LA. Assuming he lasts as the starter beyond the next two weeks, Kaepernick could provide some fantasy help in weeks #12-16. Hey! Don't laugh. Kaepernick may he worth a look for owners in larger fantasy leagues struggling at QB!

Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson is getting healthy. He showed that fact on Monday night when he completed 20 of 26 passes for 282 yards and two scores without a pick. More importantly, Wilson used his feet to run for a score, totaling a 3-10-1 stat line on the ground. It may not seem like much, but it was a big difference in the box score. The team got the win, and Wilson produced his best fantasy numbers of the season, a sweet 29 fantasy points! The Seahawks schedule turns tougher immediately with games @NE, vs. PHI, @TB, and vs. CAR before softening with games @GB, vs. LA, vs. ARZ, and @SF. On the season, Wilson still is not even averaging 18 fantasy points per game, but that should change moving forward. If he can stay healthy and productive over the next four weeks, Wilson could enter the stretch drive as a real fantasy force, much like he was in the second half of 2015. Fantasy owners must simply use their heads when trying to decide to start him in November (Week #12 @TB is a great week to start him). In other words, don't write him off just yet!

Buffalo Bills QB Tyrod Taylor produced his best game of the season from a fantasy perspective at Seattle on Monday night. Taylor completed 27 of 38 passes for 289 yards, one score and one pick (just his second this season). He added 43 yards on 8 rushing, including a rushing touchdown. Taylor completed a season high 71.1% of his passes, while his 38 attempts were tied for his second most in any game in 2016. In addition, Taytlor displayed great footwork and elusiveness against Seattle's relentless pass rush, effectively extending plays and keeping his team in the game. Looking ahead beyond their BYE this week, the Bills play @CIN, vs. JAX, @OAK, vs. PIT, vs. CLE, vs. MIA, and @NYJ to end the season. Fantasy owners in need should pick him up if available and start him against select teams like JAX, OAK, CLE, MIA, and the NYJ. If you already own him, you should feel much better about that fact, along with the possibility that WR Sammy Watkins (foot - IR) could return at some point down the road. Things are looking up in Buffalo, and Taylor is a big reason why despite the tough loss in Seattle.

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable QB performances from last week... Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco threw for on score last Sunday against the Steelers. Cleveland Browns QB Cody Kessler threw for one score against the Cowboys on Sunday. Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Bradford threw for a score against the Lions last weekend. Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill threw for one score against the Jets on Sunday. Los Angeles Rams QB Case Keenum threw for a score against the Panthers on Sunday. Denver Broncos QB Trevor Siemian threw for two scores on Sunday night against the Raiders.

Another week, another injury to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers tailback. This time it was to RB Antone Smith (knee), and he's lost for the season. As a result, rookie RB Peyton Barber, whom got the start last Thursday night, is set to start once again this week against the Chicago Bears in a home game, unless veteran RB Doug Martin (hamstring) returns to action. HC Dirk Koetter says Martin has a shot to play this week, but he didn't practice on Monday when the rest of the team reconvened coming off the Thursday night game. Looking down the road, Koetter said... "At some point, we’re getting RB Doug Martin (hamstring) back. We’re getting RB Charles Sims (knee - IR) back. We’re getting RB Jacquizz Rodgers (foot) back." Bottom Line: Until Martin returns, it will be Barber starting with RB Mike James seeing action here and there, and likely some third downs. Barber should definitely be rostered, so if available, grab him now and play the waiting game. The best guess here is that Martin sits another week, giving Barber another week of decent fantasy production for owners in need. Rodgers is unlikely to play for another two weeks at least, while Sims can't return from IR for another three weeks.

Don't look now, but New York Giants rookie RB Paul Perkins has become fantasy relevent, since he's moved ahead of both RB Orleans Darkwa and RB Bobby Rainey in the pecking order for the team. In fact, he shared the workload with starting RB Rashad Jennings on Sunday, playing 34% of the snaps and totaling 14 touches with 47 yards of offense. With Jennings and the Giants running game sputtering, the team could take it a step further and install Perkins as a new temp starter to see what he can do. At the very least, it seems he's on track to see more early down work for the team moving forward. That said, he's not a certainty that he will be trusted quite all the way due to lack of trust by the coaches in pass-protection. Still, it's clear that he's on the right track to becoming a significant part of the Giants running/passing game out of the backfield. He's fast and is certainly exciting to watch!

The Minnesota Vikings have struggled running the football, and with RB Jerick McKinnon (ankle) nursing an ankle injury, they need all the help they can get. Enter RB Ronnie Hillman. With McKinnon obviously limited this past Sunday, Hillman played nearly a full quarter of the offensive snaps, seeing eight touches. He rushed for 30 yards on 7 carries and caught a pass for another 32 yards, playing opposite the bull-rushing RB Matt Asiata. If McKinnon remains limited in practice this week, Hillman is likely to see more significant action this week at Washington. It's a waiting game, but if things break right, Hillman could have solid fantasy value (BYE week flex option) this week for desperate fantasy owners in need at tailback in larger leagues.

Last week I said the following right here... "The new OC for Jacksonville, Nathaniel Hackett, is much more of a run-first guy. That should be good news for the running game, especially RB Chris Ivory. Ivory had solid success as a Jet last year, but a porous OL and a pass-first mentality has made him pretty much useless for fantasy in 2016. ... The Jaguars will run more, and you can expect to see Ivory get the rock at he goal... In other words, Ivory is a player to HOLD and not cut during these critical BYE weeks." One week later, Ivory is coming off a solid 18-107, 1-0 stat line, including a sweet 42-yard run against the Chiefs. He also nearly scored, but fumbled right at the goal. No matter. Ivory is much more talented than RB T.J. Yeldon in terms of running the football. He will continue to start and makes a solid flex play BYE week option this week against the soft Texans run defense. I hope you listened to me last week and held him!

Courtesy of the Sacramento Bee... "When RB Carlos Hyde (shoulder) missed the 49ers' Oct. 23 game against the Buccaneers, the running backs snaps were mostly evenly distributed among backups RB DuJuan Harris, RB Shaun Draughn and RB Mike Davis. Not on Sunday. Harris took the lion's share of the snaps -- both running and passing plays -- in the game. He played 53 of the team's 60 offensive snaps. Davis played eight snaps and fumbled on one of his two carries. Draughn was limited to special teams. Harris also had a late-game fumble. But he excelled with the ball in his hand, averaging 5.9 yards a carry and more than 16 yards a reception. That is, he appears to have played his way into a larger role, even when Hyde fully recovers from his shoulder sprain." I picked up Harris and started him last week in two fantasy leagues. The advice here is simple. If you own him, HOLD him to see if Hyde returns or not this week. If he's on the waiver wire, pick him up and do the same. Harris got me 25 fantasy points in my PPR leagues last week. You can bet that kind of production is worth the wait!

Last week, I talked about Denver Broncos rookie RB Devontae Booker seemingly hitting the rookie wall. Well, it appears the wall may strike back, and his name is RB Kapri Bibbs. After totaling just 25 yards of offense on 11 touches, Booker appeared pretty much exhausted Sunday night against the Raiders. As a result, Bibbs saw some playing time in that game. And what do you know? Bibbs caught a short pass and raced 69 yards for a score. The coaches took notice. They plan to increase the playing time of Bibbs, and some media say he may even start. I might not go that far, but one thing is certain. Booker has lost his tight grip on that starting job, and one more poor performance and he could indeed lose it. Booker owners at the very least need to pick up Bibbs and play the waiting game just in case the Broncos do decided to bench Booker and start Bibbs. In the meantime, you should cross your fingers that Booker's play improves and that he doesn't make any more mistakes like the fumble he had a few weeks ago.

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable RB performances from last week... Atlanta Falcons RB Terron Ward saw 8 touches against the Buccaneers last Thursday night. Baltimore Ravens rookie RB Kenneth Dixon saw 11 touches last Sunday against the Steelers. Dallas Cowboys RB Alfred Morris rushed for 56 yards on 17 carries against the Browns last Sunday. Detroit Lions RB Dwayne Washington saw 10 touches last Sunday against the Vikings on the road. Kansas City Chiefs RB Knile Davis saw 4 touches last weekend against the Jaguars. New York Jets RB Bilal Powell saw 10 touches Sunday against the Dolphins. Miami Dolphins RB Damien Williams saw 7 touches on Sunday against the Jets. Los Angeles Rams RB Benny Cunningham saw 8 touches with 5 catches against the Panthers on Sunday. Indianapolis Colts RB Robert Turbin saw 4 touches on Sunday against the Packers.

After scoring in week #8, Atlanta Falcons WR Taylor Gabriel got the attention of his coaches. They love his speed, so Gabriel said OC Kyle Shanahan installed running plays for him, but didn't call any until last Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The end result was a TD end run against Tampa Bay. In fact, Gabriel had a much better game than anticipated on Thursday night, as he finished with five catches on five targets for 52 yards and two rushing attempts for 24 yards and that TD. Gabriel more than likely got worked into the run game because of RB Tevin Coleman (hamstring) being out, but his production is a promising sign. He could have even more value if the Falcons work him in more. Gabriel has quickly emerged as the team's #3 receiving option behind WR Julio Jones and WR Mohamed Sanu. Desperate fantasy owners should give Gabriel a look as a flyer pick during these critical BYE weeks.

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Eli Rogers made a big splash in week #1, catching 6 of 7 targets for 59 yards and a score. Then he got hurt. He also was benched for unknown reasons several weeks later, as HC Mike Tomlin refused to discuss it. But now he's healthy, and he returned in a big way this past Sunday, as he caught 6 of 10 targets for 103 yards against the hated Ravens. It sound encouraging, right? Well, the primary reason why he got all those targets was the fact that QB Ben Roethlisberger (knee) was so rusty, he had trouble connecting downfield with his big receivers. As a result, Rogers got a lot of short, underneath pattern looks, accounting for his success. That said, don't be surprised if Big Ben looks more to Rogers moving forward with WR Markus Wheaton demoted and WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (foot ) injured. In other words, Rogers is back on the fantasy landscape, but don't expect this type of game from him each week moving forward. Remember, thee is only one STUD WR in Pittsburgh, and his name is WR Antonio Brown.

It's really rather simple if you analyze it. What has happened to Detroit Lions WR Marvin Jones? Simply put, Jones has been in a steady downward trajectory since the first few weeks of the season due to drawing the opposition's top cover cornerback. This past Sunday, Jones drew Vikings top CB Xavier Rhodes, whom blanketed him. Jones finished the game with only one 5-yard catch on 5 targets. He's now finished with fewer than 40 yards in four of his last five games. Meanwhile, WR Golden Tate has become a target-hound the last four weeks, leading all WRs with 42 targets, ranking him #5 among fantasy WRs with 20.6 FPG since Week #6. It’s no coincidence that Jones has only 23 targets and averaged 7.6 fantasy points during that time, which ranks him 79th. The question here is when will Jones break out? As I mentioned in the "Acquiring & Trading Targets" feature, the schedule is set up for a rebound by Jones after his BYE this week. Beyond a rematch with Minny in two weeks, he plays @NO, vs. CHI, @NYG, @DAL, and vs. GB (he had his big game against them) to finish the season. That's quite a nice stretch run for him!

Up and Down. Up and Down. That has been the mantra for Los Angeles Rams WR Tavon Austin in the past month of 2016. After starting the season with two of three good weeks of production, Austin has been up and down, up and down over the past month. He scored 15.5 and 22.7 points in week #5 and #7, but only 3.4, 5.6, and 2.8 in week #4, #6, and #9. It appeared he may be a decent #2 WR or good #3 WR, but now is only a "what the heck" flex during the BYE weeks. What has happened? Bottom Line: The inefficiency of QB Case Keenum has tanked the value of the Rams receivers, including Austin who has had only two 20+ fantasy point games this season. What's a frustrated Austin owner to do? If he has a good game this week, SELL HIGH and get out! As for starting him, you could hope that his pattern holds, which means he's a good play this week. Overall, with Keenum struggling to produce much of anything, Austin is at best a desperation flex play.

San Francisco 49ers WR Quinton Patton caught six passes for 106 yards on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. His previous career high was 70 yards last season against the Atlanta Falcons. He caught 6-of-9 targets in this game. Patton finished strong with multiple catches in the 4th quarter against light zone coverage. Remember, this production came at home against the Saints in a game where the 49ers trailed by a wide margin most of the game. It has a "one wek wonder" feel to it, and it's not like Patton scored in the game. Patton should have a much tougher time this week against the Cardinals. He has yet to score a touchdown this season. Bottom Line: Pick him up and start him if you like, but you have to go back to week #1 to see another game where Patton scored more than 9 points. For me, Patton still has not been consistent enough to take a risk on him.

Buffalo Bills WR Robert Woods caught 10 passes for 162 yards Monday night (both career highs) in the team's loss at Seattle. He was targeted 13 times, putting any concern about his injured foot behind him. It was just Woods' third-career 100-yard game after being a 2013 second-round draft pick. Woods has come a long way this season, being forced to take on the #1 WR role with WR Sammy Watkins (foot) on injured reserve. He doesn't win with speed, but more precise route running, good hands, and some excellent footwork on the sideline. His 13 targets in the game were eight more than any other Bills receiver. He could have had an even bigger night had QB Tyrod Taylor not over-thrown him on what should have been an easy, wide-open 31-yard touchdown in the first quarter. If you own Woods, stash him for later use after the team's BYE if you need him, BUT if you have good depth, now is the time to SELL HIGH coming off this big game. It's unlikely for him to repeat those numbers in terms of catches and yards in 2016.

The following wideouts caught at least two passes or scored this past weekend and deserve fantasy consideration: Atlanta Falcons WR Mohamed Sanu (5-74), Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Adam Humphries (5-46-1), Philadelphia Eagles WR Nelson Agholor (4-41), Dallas Cowboys WR Cole Beasley (6-56-1), Detroit Lions WR Anquan Boldin (2-10-1), Minnesota Vikings WR Adam Thielen (4-68), Minnesota Vikings WR Cordarelle Patterson (6-45), Jacksonville Jaguars WR Marqise Lee (4-84), Kansas City Chiefs WR Albert Wilson (3-42-1), New York Jets WR Jalin Marshall (3-59-1), New York Jets WR Robby Anderson (4-49), Carolina Panthers TE Ted Ginn (5-40), Los Angeles Rams WR Kenny Britt (4-49-1), Los Angeles Rams WR Brian Quick (4-48), Tennessee Titans WR Tajae Sharpe (4-58), Tennessee Titans WR Kendall Wright (2-64), San Diego Chargers WR Dontrelle Inman (6-65), Denver Broncos WR Jordan Norwood (2-56-1), and Buffalo Bills WR Marquise Goodwin (4-43).

Fantasy owners of Indianapolis Colts TE Jack Doyle may want to consider selling high on him right now. Why? Well, unless you absolutely have to start him, consider the following: Doyle doesn't start ahead of TE Dwayne Allen. Allen didn't do much in his first game back from an ankle injury because he wasn't 100%. That will change, since he came out of the game none the worse for wear. I'm not saying Doyle won't have any more quality games, but he will most certainly be more hit/miss moving forward with the WR corps and Allen both getting healthier. Bottom Line: If Doyle is your backup and you have a significant need at QB, RB, or WR, then use Doyle to create a trade where you send him off and get a solid starter back in return to fill your need. This is week #10, and many leagues have their trading deadline this week. Just keep that in mind if you are a Doyle owner...

Philadelphia Eagles TE Zach Ertz finally made an impact this past Sunday. He caught 8-of-8 targets for 97 yards on Sunday against New York Giants. Coming into the game, Ertz only had 15 catches, and was barely getting 3-4 targets per week. As a result, so he’s been dropped by many frustrated fantasy owners. Then came Sunday, where Ertz had his best statistical outing since Week #1. He was finally on the same page with rookie QB Carson Wentz for the first time since returning from his rib injury early in October and was the focal point of Philadelphia's passing attack. That said, there is no indication that this wasn't a fluke game. However, beggars can't be choosers, and with the Eagles WR corps really struggling to make plays, Ertz could remain a big part of the team's passing game moving forward. It's a bit of a leap of faith to trust him and start him, but it won't cost you anything to grab and stash him if you have an open spot on your roster. I think you get my drift here...

Just a quick fantasy reminder: Pittsburgh Steelers TE Ladarius Green (ankle - PUP) began practicing during the week #8 BYE, and could return to action in Week #10, but the team's plans for him at this time aren’t really known. Late last week, Green admitted that he's still not yet full speed, but there's no doubt that the team would love to have him out there, since he'd be a big boost to the TE corps, since he's athletically gifted. In addition, the Steelers paid him handsomely this past off-season, so there is an air of urgency to get him onto the playing field to get a return on their investment. Bottom Line: A final decision is coming soon for Green (no later than next week), so if you have room on your roster, picking him up and stashing him is a nice idea. The word to keep in mind here is POTENTIAL. That is what a healthy Green brings to the table. The problem is just how healthy he is and can he play and make a difference? We just may soon find that out!

The following tight ends caught at least two passes this past weekend or scored and deserve fantasy consideration: Atlanta Falcons TE Austin Hooper (3-46-1), Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate (5-43-1), New York Giants TE Will Tye (4-33), Miami Dolphins TE Dominique Jones (3-42-1), Los Angeles Rams TE Lance Kendricks (7-90), San Francisco 49ers TE Vance McDonald (3-841-1), Green Bay Packers TE Richard Rodgers (6-64), Denver Broncos TE Virgil Green (2-37),

The following is the 9th in-season free agent player rankings list for the 2016 NFL season. If you're looking for a free agent off your leagues' waiver wire to fill a need (maybe depth), these are the players to consider...

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