The Browns made a fairly significant move at three of the four fantasy relevant positions this offseason, as they look to improve on a strong finish to the 2010 season. Brady Quinn was traded to Denver for Peyton Hills, who adds depth to a runningback unit that also added Montario Hardesty in the rookie draft. To replace Quinn and Derek Anderson, the team signed Jake Delhomme, traded for Seneca Wallace, and drafted Colt McCoy. The wide receiver unit will return its top 4, while Ben Watson was added to take over at tight end.

Montario Hardesty is expected to make an immediate impact as a rookie, sharing the run heavy Browns' carries with Jerome Harrison.

QB: Jake Delhomme : 254-of-437, 2918 yards, 15 TD, 15 INT, 29 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD – Delhomme had a terrible 2009 season, but is a better quarterback than what we saw 1 season ago and has found a new home in Cleveland where he will play a similar role to the one he played in Carolina. The Browns should be extremely run heavy once again in 2010 and he will have to deal with a poor group of receivers, so don’t expect much in terms of fantasy value.

RB: Jerome Harrison : 210 carries, 943 yards, 5 TD, 53 targets, 37 receptions, 278 yards, 1 TD – Harrison is fresh off a huge second half of 2009, but is still expected to be in a timeshare this season. Hardesty was drafted and should take on a decent amount of the workload. Still, the team will rely heavily on the run, which means Harrison has RB2 potential.

RB: Montario Hardesty : 129 carries, 489 yards, 3 TD, 29 targets, 22 receptions, 178 yards, 1 TD – The rookie will be asked to make an impact immediately as the second option in the runningback rotation. The Browns, as mentioned, will run the ball plenty, which bodes well for Hardesty’s playing time. As long as he is on the short end of the platoon, however, he should not be starting in your 12 team fantasy league.

WR: Mohamed Massaquoi : 117 targets, 57 receptions, 885 yards, 5 TD – Entering his sophomore campaign, Massaquoi will be the top receiving threat on a poor passing team. He is a borderline WR3 in most formats, but that is only because he will be the most targeted player on the team.

WR: Chansi Stuckey : 68 targets, 35 receptions, 371 yards, 1 TD
WR: Brian Robiskie : 58 targets, 34 receptions, 475 yards, 2 TD – The Browns will lean on Stuckey and Robiskie to handle WR2 duties. Stuckey is nothing spectacular, but Robiskie was an early round 2009 draft pick. The team will hope he develops into a contributor in 2010. Considering the offense, avoid both of these players in redraft leagues.

WR: Josh Cribbs : 38 carries, 248 yards, 1 TD, 39 targets, 22 receptions, 175 yards, 1 TD – Cribbs will be used in the wildcat and as a wide receiver again in 2010. He doesn’t have much value in fantasy leagues that don’t include return yards.

TE: Ben Watson : 53 targets, 33 receptions, 409 yards, 3 TD – Watson had a tiny bit of fantasy value last season because Tom Brady liked to throw to him when he was standing in the endzone. Although he will again be a receiving threat in the redzone, the Browns offense isn’t as good as New England’s. He’s a mediocre TE2 option.

Running Backs –

Maurice Morris – I’m fairly certain that I was the only one talking this cat up all week and it paid off with a huge effort on Sunday. I speculated that Morris could touch the ball close to 20 times and he responded with 17 carries for 126 yards and a rushing touchdown along with 6 looks, 5 receptions, and 35 receiving yards. That’s a solid 20+ point effort in most formats.

Advice: I see no reason why anything would change in weeks 16 and 17. Morris should continue to approach 20 touches each week unless the team decides to give Aaron Brown a chance to show what he do. I can’t guarantee Morris will go over the century mark again, but he’s a solid RB2 play in 12 team leagues.

Jerome Harrison – Not many people had Harrison in their lineup this week and rightfully so. There was no telling if Harrison would see most of the looks, or if it would be Chris Jennings, who saw 20 carries in week 14, compared to just 7 for Harrison. Still, even has the backup, Harrison should’ve been considered a very deep sleeper up against the porous Chiefs. He showed up big time with 34 carries, 286 yards, and 3 touchdowns in what is the biggest fantasy performance by a running back this season. This is not Harrison’s first big game of the season. Back in week 4 he went for 152 yards on 34 touches, but the next week he touched the ball just 8 times with Jamal Lewis back in the fold. Lewis is gone now, but Jennings is still in the mix in Cleveland.

Advice: You almost have to consider Harrison in your flex spot for week 16, but you shouldn’t feel comfortable about it and you won’t hear me recommending it. The Browns run offense has been anything but effective for a majority of the season and the split in carries has been off the charts inconsistent. He has upside, but don’t be shocked if he ends up with 28 total yards on 9 touches.

Michael Bush – An injury to Justin Fargas allowed Michael Bush to rush for 133 yards and a score on 18 carries against Denver on Sunday. Prior to that game, Bush had carried the ball only 8 times since week 11. Fargas’ injury seems to be minor and if he is back in the fold next week, Bush cannot be relied on for double-digit looks once again. Although you’d expect him to see more looks after such a strong effort, it’s still a three-headed monster in Oakland.

Advice: Unless Fargas is out or Coach Cable says otherwise, Bush is third in line for carries and should not be considered in any format. If Fargas is out or Bush is named the RB2, those of you in very deep leagues who are desperate for help at your flex spot can consider his services.

Jason Snelling – Michael Turner made his return in week 15, which led to the masses dropping Snelling. Turner lasted only 1 carry before sitting out the rest of the game and it’s unknown whether he will suit up for the rest of the season, especially considering that Atlanta has been eliminated from the playoffs. Snelling ended up with only 64 yards, but did have an intriguing 21 looks, which was 10 more than seen by Jerious Norwood.

Advice: Snelling has done an okay job filling in for Turner when he’s missed time and that, coupled with the fact that he could start the team’s final 2 games, means he’s worth consideration as a flex play going forward. That said, if Turner plays, Snelling should not be in your lineup.

Derrick Ward – Whenever I’ve had an empty roster spot this season, Ward has been a player I’ve consistently turned to. Cadillac Williams has stayed relatively healthy so it hasn’t quite paid off as I’d hoped, but consider that in week 15, Ward carried the ball 19 times compared to 12 for Williams. Williams did, however, rack up 88 total yards on 13 touches, which was more efficient than the 73 yards on 20 touches for Ward. Neither has been overly impressive this season, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the timeshare.

Advice: You can’t rely on 20 touches for Ward unless news breaks that he is the new starter. If you have a roster spot to fill, he’s a good speculative pick for your bench, but nothing more right now.

Wide Receivers –

Lance Moore – Moore was back in the fold in week 15 and took advantage by scoring a touchdown despite only 2 looks. Despite the score, two looks should concern you if you’re considering using him in week 16 for several reasons. (a) It’s two looks. That’s not a lot (b) The Saints threw the ball 45 times, which is almost a dozen more pass attempts than they average a game this season and (c) The percentage of passes going to his teammates was about the same as in recent weeks. I’d mention that Jeremy Shockey was out as another reason to be skeptical of Moore, but David Thomas filled in with a whopping 10 targets, which is more than even Shockey is accustomed to.

Advice: Moore will always have decent potential because of the outstanding offense he is a part of, but he’s going to have trouble finding playing time with all the stars around him. At this point, he’s only worth a desperate play in a deep league.

Malcom Floyd – Floyd didn’t exactly light it up after Chris Chambers was cut loose, but he’s now been targeted a total of 16 times over the last 2 games. That is a healthy number for a player not being used in most leagues, but part of the reason for that is the fact that he’s caught only 7 of those 16 balls.

Advice: Any player seeing 8 targets a game in an above average offense is worth keeping an eye on. Floyd isn’t the safest play, but he has a ton of upside and is worth consideration in WR-deep leagues.

Josh Morgan has now been targeted at least 8 times in 3 of the 49ers last 4 games.

Josh Morgan – One of the most popular sleepers heading into this season, Morgan has been a disappointment for fantasy owners who reached on him in their draft. He’s quietly been picking it up over the last few weeks, as he’s now been targeted 8 times in 3 of the 49ers last 4 games. His numbers from the last four games (which includes a 3-catch, 14-yard week 14 effort) total to 29 targets, 22 receptions, 174 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Morgan is the third option in San Francisco with Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis keeping Alex Smith busy, but he’s a talented receiver yet to break out who is now seeing almost double-digits in looks every game.

Advice: Definitely worth considering in deeper leagues and someone you should definitely snag for your bench if you’re in any type of dynasty league. The Gore-Crabtree-Morgan-V Davis offense has tons of potential.

Tight Ends –

Bo Scaife – Although Scaife is anything but a gamebreaker, he’s been extremely consistent over the last 6 games and is worth a mention. In those six games, he’s been targeted 42 times, has 25 receptions, 261 yards, and 1 score. He was targeted 10 times on one occasion and has caught 5 balls three times. His high for yardage is 68. What does that all mean? It means he’s a safe play for close to 8 points in PPR formats and considering all the targets, it’s only a matter of time before he gets into the endzone again.

Advice: Again, he doesn’t have a ton of breakout potential, but he’s safe for 4 catches, 50 yards. If you’re desperate for tight end help and looking around on the Waiver Wire, he’s worth a look.

Quick Hits and Follow Ups –

Arian Foster / Ryan Moats / Chris Brown – I’ve been preaching this and preaching this. Stay away from Houston running backs. Everyone was excited about Foster this week and I just didn’t understand it. All it takes is one fumble and the “starter” gets sent to the bench for the rest of the game. Anyone who owned Steve Slaton or Ryan Moats knows all about this. If you played Foster in week 15, now you do, too.

Felix Jones – His touches continue to increase over the last month or two and it’s something worth keeping an eye on. Since week 11, he’s seen no fewer than 9 looks in any given week. His latest effort was 15 looks (14 touches) against the Saints. He racked up 68 yards on those touches and is still averaging just under 6 yards per carry.

Greg Camarillo – Mentioned him last week after he was targeted 17 times in 2 games. Make it 27 times in 3 games after 10 more looks this week. He only caught 5 of them for 46 yards, but bump him up a few notches on your watch list.

Devin Aromashodu – Devin Hester was out again so another guy I mentioned last week saw significant action. Aromashodu saw 10 more targets, but disappointed in the execution part of the deal with only 2 receptions for 10 yards. Hard to recommend him going forward, but if Hester is out again in week 16, those double-digit targets in back-to-back weeks make him worth consideration in deeper leagues.

Bernard Berrian – 7 targets, 5 catches, 36 yards. 6 targets , 4 catches , 43 yards . 5 targets, 3 catches , 25 yards. Those are Berrian’s stat lines from his last three games. Add to the equation that Brett Favre and the running game are struggling and that 6-4-35 average line feels even worse.

Kevin Curtis – Back in the fold in week 15, but was targeted only twice. Jeremy Maclin should still be out in week 16, but there is no reason to believe Curtis will see more than 4-5 looks a game going forward with Jackson, Celek, Avant, and Brown ahead of him for looks. He has potential because this offense is so stellar, but he’s not worth the gamble this week.

Runningbacks:

Sammy Morris – I talked about Morris’ return to the lineup last week and it’s worth expanding on with another game in the books. In week 13, Morris was looked at 11 times, which was only 3 fewer than what Maroney saw. This past Sunday, Maroney carried the ball 22 times and targeted an additional 3 times. Morris, meanwhile, carried it only 6 times and was looked at a total of 9 times. Kevin Faulk was also in the mix in week 14, racking up 13 of the team’s 47 RB looks. Although Maroney still appears to be unquestioned starter, don’t get too comfortable, especially considering Fred Taylor could be back any day now.

Advice: Morris should only be the lineups of desperate owners in very deep leagues. He’s worth holding as a handcuff to Maroney in standard leagues, but nothing more.

Shonn Greene – Greene was a hot add when Leon Washington went down for the season earlier this year, but the looks just aren’t coming for the rookie. Over the last five games, he’s been looked at 7, 4, 11, 11, and 6 times, respectively. Those aren’t big numbers, but they aren’t bad for a backup. Consider that the Jets are the league’s run heaviest team (at 59% run, they run it 7% more than the next closest team) and Greene is an injury to 31-year-old Thomas Jones away from seeing a majority of the 36 carries the team averages a game. Think about how valuable Ricky Williams is now that Ronnie Brown is out of his way in Miami. Same concept.

Advice: Unless you’re in a very shallow league, Greene should be on someone’s bench. Sure there are only 2-3 weeks left in the regular season, but if Jones goes down this week, Greene is a must-start the rest of the way.

Arian Foster – I talked about Foster a bit on Twitter ( @FDC_MikeClay ) last week as a player who could be called upon should Gary Kubiak turn his attention away from Chris Brown or Ryan Moats. Kubiak followed cue, providing Foster with a team-high 17 looks in the Texans’ week 14 game. Moats touched the ball 11 times and scored the team’s only rushing touchdown, while Brown carried the ball only 3 times. Foster managed only 34 yards on 14 carries, but did open some eyes with 54 receiving yards on 4 targets (4 catches).

Advice: If you’ve been shuffling your bench spots between Moats and Brown, Foster is someone to add to the mix. He’s worth a bench spot for now, but I wouldn’t feel overly confident with him in my lineup until we see what his role is going forward. Pay attention to what Gary Kubiak has to say this week. If he officially moves Foster ahead of Brown on the depth chart, he’s definitely worth a roster spot in most leagues and not the worst flex play in deeper formats.

Kenneth who? Rams backup RB Kenneth Darby would have significant fantasy value if Steven Jackson were to miss any time with an injury.

Kenneth Darby – At this point in the fantasy season, your bench should be mostly filled with handcuffs who would make a huge impact should the player in front of them go down with an injury. Enter Kenneth Darby, who is currently the backup RB to Steven Jackson. Darby is nothing spectacular on his own, but consider that Jackson leads the NFL in looks and touches and is responsible for 84% of the Rams’ rushing attempts this season. If he were to miss a week (he’s been on the injury report for weeks now), wouldn’t you want Darby on your side?

Advice: In all but the shallowest of leagues, Darby is a must own for Steven Jackson owners. In standard-to-deep leagues, he’s a player worth stashing on the bench if you have a spot.

Runningback Committees:

Chris Jennings/Jerome Harrison – I touched on this committee last week, but that was after a game that saw Harrison out-‘look’ Jennings 21-7 in week 13. It was a different story against the Steelers in week 14. Jennings carried the ball 20 times and scored once to account for all his looks. Harrison meanwhile carried it only 7 times for 9 yards and was targeted three times.

Advice: The Browns running game has been awful this season and this unlikely to change regardless of who is carrying the ball. Jennings and, to a lesser extent, Harrison are worth consideration in deep leagues, but you don’t want to be starting either one of them.

Maurice Morris / Aaron Brown – Kevin Smith is out for the season, which means Maurice Morris and rookie Aaron Brown (likely in that order) take over. Smith is currently ninth in the entire NFL in looks, which means there are plenty to go around. Morris has carried it 42 times this season, which is the 2nd most on the team, and has been targeted 19 times. Comparatively, Brown has 21 carries and 11 targets to his name.

Advice: Morris has been battling injuries and it’s worth considering that the team could give the rookie Brown a shot to handle the majority of the looks, but until we hear or see otherwise, Morris is the player you want to claim on the waiver wire in all formats. Brown is worth a pickup for your bench in deeper leagues.

Brandon Jacobs / Ahmad Bradshaw – It should be surprising to see Jacobs name here considering that he is owned in all leagues, but this is more about Bradshaw, who needs to be considered in more. Very quietly, he has taken on a bigger load and has basically split the workload 50/50 with Jacobs over the last month. In the last four games that both players were active, Jacobs has 51 carries for 205 yards and 3 TDs. He’s caught 5 of his 7 targets for 97 yards and a score. Meanwhile, Bradshaw carried it 47 times for 175 yards and 1 score. He was targeted 10 times and caught 7 for 73 yards. Clearly, Jacobs has been more of a fantasy asset thanks to the 3 additional TDs, but he’s done it on only 1 more look than Bradshaw.

Advice: Jacobs is still a must-start in all 12-team formats, but his value isn’t quite where it was a year ago. Bradshaw isn’t the worst flex option in 12-team leagues, but you shouldn’t feel too comfortable with him in there. He’s definitely worth considering in deeper leagues.

Julius Jones / Justin Forsett – After Jones saw 17 more looks than Forsett in week 13 (25-to-8), it seemed that the veteran had earned his job back as the feature back. That was not the case in week 14 as Jones was looked at only 12 times, while Forsett touched the ball 13 times. Jones had one more carry and was more effective in the ground game than Forsett, but Forsett racked up 47 receiving yards on 4 targets (4 receptions), while Jones managed only 1 reception on 2 targets for 4 yards.

Advice: There is no telling who will see more of the looks in week 15 and beyond, but the most likely scenario is that they will split the workload down the middle. Neither should be treated as anything more than a flex play in 12-team leagues, but both should be considered in 16 team leagues.

Wide Receivers:

Greg Camarillo – Camarillo’s production has been extremely inconsistent all season long and the constant rotation between him, Ginn, Bess, and Hartline does not make things any easier to predict. That said, Henne has looked his way 17 times over the last 2 weeks, which grabbed my attention and it should have yours as well if you’re scraping for WR help in deeper leagues. 10 of those looks did come in week 13 when the team threw the ball an unorthodox 52 times (37 was their previous high on the season), but he was then targeted on 7 of the team’s 29 pass attempts in week 14, which was a team high. He caught all 7 passes for 110 yards, which is a solid 18 point PPR effort.

Advice: Not the most reliable option, but Henne is throwing his way and this wouldn’t be the first time he made an impact in PPR leagues. The odds of him scoring are slim, but if you’re looking to fill that last WR slot in 12-team PPR leagues, Camarillo is likely one of the best options on your waiver wire.

Julian Edelman – Unlikely to make a significant impact as long as Wes Welker and Randy Moss are racking up the looks, but Sam Aiken was out with a shoulder injury in week 14 and the rookie Edelman returned from his own injury. He was targeted only once in the game, but it’s always worth keeping the Patriots WR3 on your radar.

Advice: Really only worth a bench spot in deeper leagues at this point, but should also be considered as a handcuff for Welker owners.

Pierre Garcon / Austin Collie – Did you know that Pierre Garcon has been targeted 90 times this season? That’s more than Marques Colston, Devin Hester, Davone Bess, and Roy Williams. In fact, over the last 6 games, Garcon has actually been targeted more than any other Colt, with 3 more than Reggie Wayne and 5 more than Dallas Clark. In that span, he saw 54 targets and caught 27 for 456 yards and 2 scores. Clark and Wayne have more receptions and touchdowns, but Garcon has significantly more yardage. 9 targets a game is hard to find and it’s especially impressive considering he is the team’s third option in the pass game. To a lesser extent, Collie is worth mentioning. He has a touchdown in each of the last 2 games and is up to 6 on the season. He’s averaging nearly 7 looks a game, which is a healthy dose, especially considering who is throwing the ball to him. I’ve seen him dropped in a few leagues and that shouldn’t be happening.

Advice: Both are must owns in 12-team leagues. Garcon should be starting for someone and Collie is at least worth a bench spot.

Jason Avant / Reggie Brown – Jeremy Maclin is out a week or two, which cements these two into larger roles for the next, well, week or two. Maclin was seeing between 6-9 targets each week and those need to be spread around. Maclin was out in week 12 and the two combined for only 6 looks. Avant by himself was averaging nearly that over the last 4 games. Most were disappointed with that effort and many people will be down on both of them going into week 15. You shouldn’t be, especially Avant. The Eagles ran only 52 offensive plays against the Giants, which is their 3rd lowest output of the season and ran the ball 5% more than they normally do.

Advice: The Eagles will pass the ball and they like to spread it around. DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek will get plenty of work, but there are still plenty of looks to go around. Expect 6-8 looks for Avant in week 15 and 3-5 for Brown.

Devin Aromashodu – Bless you! With 12 targets, 8 receptions, 76 yards, and a score in week 14, Aromashodu is sure to be a hot commodity on your league’s waiver wire for people desperately looking for WR help. Should you get into the mix? I say yes. Despite the fact that Devin Hester was inactive for the game, Cutler has campaigned for Aromashodu to see more work and the Bears are the 3rd pass heaviest team in the league. His stock will take a hit if Hester is active in week 15, but don’t be surprised if he is Cutler’s second, if not first, option.

Advice: If you’re looking for someone to take a chance on at WR in 12-team or deeper leagues, Aromashodu is your man. There is a lot of risk here, but the reward could be another game with double-digit looks.

Runningbacks:

Leonard Weaver – Weaver, a fullback, went for 100 total yards and a score against the Falcons on Sunday, but note that he touched the ball only 7 times. In fact, in the 6 games Brian Westbrook was inactive this season, he’s averaged just under 7 looks a game. 7 yards per touch is nice, but you can’t expect much on fewer than 10 touches.

Advice: Should not be starting anywhere and should only be owned in the deepest of leagues.

Sammy Morris – Morris is healthy and back in the lineup, which doesn’t bode well for the stock of Laurence Maroney. Morris carried it 9 times on Sunday and was targeted twice, racking up 65 total yards.

Advice: He’s not someone you want to be starting right now, but should be on someone’s bench in 12+ team leagues.

Larry Johnson – Some people still seem to be unclear about his role, so I’m going to clarify it for you: He’s a backup running back who is not, and I repeat, not a threat to Cedric Benson (as can be seen in the week 13 boxscore). Johnson is worth a bench spot in case Benson re-injures himself. In that case, Johnson could see 15-20 looks in an offense that loves to run. That said, even if Benson goes down, Bernard Scott will still steal some of the looks.

Advice: As mentioned, he’s worth a bench spot in all formats, but shouldn’t be starting in any league as long as Benson is active.

Runningback Committees:

Jerome Harrison/Chris Jennings – With Jamal Lewis’ season—and possibly career—over, Harrison and Jennings take over the running back duties for the remainder of the season. Most felt that Jennings would handle much of the workload with Harrison apparently in Eric Mangini’s doghouse, but it was Harrison who had 21 looks in week 13 compared to just 7 for Jennings. Harrison was ineffective in the run game (3.5 YPC), but racked up 62 yards on 7 receptions and scored twice. Jennings, meanwhile, averaged over 5 yards per carry on 5 attempts.

Advice: Harrison is worth a look as a flex player in most formats, especially in PPR. Don’t expect to see 10+ targets every week, but he should see his share with the team usually playing from behind. Jennings is only worth a bench spot in deep leagues.

Rock Cartwright / Quinton Ganther / Marcus Mason – Because Clinton Portis is now officially done for the season, the Redskins running back mess is worth looking into if you’re in need of some help at the position. Cartwright is clearly the top dog so far with 35 looks over the last 2 games, including 28 of the team’s 47 carries by runningbacks. That being said, Ganther was more effective on 5 fewer carries against the Saints on Sunday and could see an extended look during the team’s final few games. The same can be said for Marcus Mason, who despite only 6 carries (8 looks) over the last 2 games, could be in line for a few extra “audition” carries.

Advice: Cartwright has racked up 18 and 17 looks, respectively, over the last 2 games and so he is worth consideration at the flex spot in most formats if you need a body. Ganther is not a bad speculative add in deeper leagues and Mason should only be owned in extremely deep leagues.

Justin Fargas / Darren McFadden / Michael Bush – 27 total carries over the last 2 games for Fargas is more than McFadden (15) and Bush (4) combined. Considering that he’s been effective on those carries (128 yards total), one would have to imagine that they’d continue along with him as their RB1 as long as they are competitive.

Advice: Fargas is worth flex consideration in 12 team standard leagues. McFadden should be owned in dynasty leagues, but is worth no more than bench spot in deeper leagues at this point. Bush has no value unless one of the top 2 are injured.

Wide Receivers:

Kenny Britt – 20 total targets over the last 2 games and a receiving touchdown in three straight for the rookie. The Titans won’t continue to pass the ball 43 times a game like they did the last two weeks, but Britt should still see 7-8 targets most weeks.

Advice: Worth consideration in 16 team leagues, but you shouldn’t feel too comfortable quite yet, especially considering that this team will be running the ball more than they have been and the inconsistency of Britt’s looks this season.

Devin Thomas – I touched on Thomas last week in my ‘Things you should know’ feature, as a player who was seeing more looks, but was unlikely to make a huge fantasy impact this season. He sure made me look silly with 7 receptions on 7 targets for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. I’d call that fantasy relevant. Thomas has be targeted 20 times total over the last 3 games and is seemingly earning the trust of Jason Campbell.

Advice: You shouldn’t feel comfortable with him as your WR3 in standard leagues quite yet, but he’s certainly worth a bench spot. He should certainly be owned in dynasty leagues considering his age and potential.

Sam Aiken – Aiken should be getting some attention after putting up 80+ receiving yards each of the last two games. Although he was looked at a healthy 10 times versus the Saints two weeks ago, you won’t see anything close to that most weeks considering that Wes Welker and Randy Moss see double-digit targets almost every game. On the year, Aiken is averaging only 3 looks a game, which is exactly what he saw in week 13. Fortunately for his owners (there’s not too many of you), his only reception of the three looks was an 81 yard touchdown.

Advice: Worth a speculative bench spot in deeper leagues and is a desperation start candidate in those same leagues just because of the Patriots’ offensive potential.

Brian Robiskie – Finally getting into the action, the rookie and pre-season sleeper favorite caught 4 of his 5 targets for 69 yards on Sunday and is back on the waiver wire map. It would be surprising not to see plenty of balls thrown his way as the season winds down, but he’s still competing with and likely behind Harrison, Jennings, Cribbs, Massaquoi, and Stuckey for looks.

Advice: Only worth a spot in dynasty leagues. If you’re in a very deep redraft league and looking for a deep sleeper for your bench, he should be a candidate.

Tight Ends:

Jermichael Finley is sure to be a hot Waiver Wire add this week, but make sure you put in a claim if you need help at tight end.

Jermichael Finley – Finley is going to be a hot commodity this week after a huge 2 touchdown game on national television Monday night. I’ve been on the Finley bandwagon for quite a while, so you know I think you should put in a claim if you are shaky at tight end. He’s quickly becoming one of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite weapons with 24 targets total over the last 3 games. He’s caught an impressive 17 of those passes for 158 yards and 3 scores. He missed some time with a leg injury earlier this year, but don’t let that scare you away from one of the game’s top young fantasy tight ends.

Advice: Finley will be a borderline top 10 tight end the rest of the way and should be treated accordingly.

Fred Davis – Sticking with the Redskins theme, next on my list is Fred Davis. I’ve talked about him previously, but only now is he officially a starter for the rest of the season after Chris Cooley was finally placed on IR. Davis has been targeted 9 times each of the last 2 games, which is a lot for a tight end. He has 9 catches for 96 yards over those 2 games and scored a touchdown in both. That’s 10.3 and 11.3 fantasy points, respectively, in standard scoring leagues.

Advice: If he’s unowned and you are struggling at tight end, he is a pretty solid option considering the looks coming in. Don’t start him over a top tight end, but if you are bouncing around between John Carlson and Dustin Keller, Davis should be in your lineup going forward.

Evan Moore – Moore burst onto the scene with 11 targets, 6 catches, and 80 yards in his NFL debut Sunday. Robert Royal, Michael Gaines, and Greg Estandia are also tight ends on the roster, but Royal and Gaines are struggling with injuries and Estandia was a healthy inactive in week 13.

Advice: Not worth a look in any but the deepest of leagues. You’d have to imagine he will see more looks after a great debut, but his contributions will be limited in this, a poor, but improving offense.

Kickers:

Garrett Hartley – This one is pretty straightforward. Hartley has replaced John Carney as the kicker of the NFL’s most potent offense.

Advice: A top 5 kicker in all formats as long he remains the starter.

Recommended by ‘The Fifth Down’ blog on the website of the New York Times.

Some player notes from around the NFL:

Quinton Ganther/Marcus Mason – Ganther and Mason appear to be rotating as the spell back in Washington while Rock Cartwright is the feature back. Neither has much value, especially considering Portis should return over the next few weeks.

Devin Thomas – Another Redskin who is seeing an increase in playing time, Thomas has been targeted 17 times over the last 3 games and is quietly taking over as the 2nd most productive WR in Washington. Keep an eye on him, but he is unlikely to be fantasy relevant this season.

Matt Moore – Moore is the new starting QB in Carolina with Delhomme gone to the bench. Considering Moore’s inexperience and the fact that Carolina is the 3rd run-heaviest team in the NFL, you shouldn’t expect him to be relied on much, which means he isn’t even worth a bench spot in most leagues.

Dante Rosario – 7 targets each of the last 2 weeks for the tight end, but he’s still sharing the tight end load with Jeff King and Gary Barnidge. Also consider that the team throws the ball very little and they are making a change at quarterback. He’s not worth your time.

Jermichael Finley – Fellow TE Donald Lee scored the only touchdown by a Packers’TE in week 12, but Finley was targeted more (6-to-4) and is averaging around 7 looks a game when healthy. The Packers offense is on a roll and Finley will be a big part of it down the stretch. Unless you have a top tight end, he’s someone to consider starting.

Kahlil Bell – Bell burst onto the scene when he put up 81 yards on 4 carries 2 weeks ago, but he carried it just once in week 12. His only value right now is as a handcuff to Matt Forte.

Justin Forsett – Forsett is now owned in most leagues, but consider that Julius Jones will be back at some point. It’s hard to say whether or not the team will give Jones his starting job back, but you have to imagine Forsett has earned a bigger share of the workload. Keep an eye on each player’s looks once Jones returns.

Sam Aiken – Aiken was actually the team’s leading receiver in week 12 with 10 targets, 7 catches, and 80 yards, but note that Julian Edelman was inactive and that Wes Welker and Randy Moss are both still on the roster. Aiken is unlikely to approach those numbers again this season, but will continue to have at least some value as the slot receiver in this pass heavy offense.

Lex Hilliard – 13 total looks over the last 2 games isn’t much, but consider that the only thing between him and the starting RB job on the league’s 2nd-run heaviest team is an injury to 32-year-old Ricky Williams.

Considering his situation, Lex Hilliard should be considered for a spot on your bench in most leagues.

Mike Thomas – Will continue to be overshadowed by Mike Sims-Walker and Torry Holt, but consider that he’s caught 83% of passes thrown his way (best in the NFL for WRs with 30+ targets) and is only a rookie. He’s seeing 5-6 looks most weeks and should be considered a sleeper to explode if he sees more action late this season.

Larry Johnson/Bernard Scott – Johnson put up 100 rushing yards in week 12 and Scott has over 200 rushing yards the last 2 weeks, but don’t kid yourself. When Cedric Benson is healthy and returns to action, he will a majority of the carries. At that point, you should expect only 3-6 carries a game for each, which means very little fantasy value.

Chris Jennings – Jerome Harrison was active in 12 after spending a few weeks as a health scratch so that Jennings could have a shot at the RB2 role. This bumped Jennings back to the RB3 role and it’s anyone’s guess what Mangini will do going forward. Regardless, Jennings is not a player you should be rostering.

UPDATE: (Wednesday Dec 2) – It appears that Jamal Lewis will be heading to IR, which means Jennings could now be the starter in Cleveland. Snatch him up before someone else does if you’re in a deep league or desperate for RB help.

Chris Chambers – Chambers is probably owned in your league, but it’s worth noting that he has caught 74% of the 23 balls thrown his direction since joining the Chiefs and has scored on almost 18% of those catches. Although the fact that he was targeted a total of only 9 times over his first 2 games in KC was a concern, Cassel has now thrown his way 14 times total over the last 2 games.

Malcom Floyd – The man who replaced Chambers as a starter in San Diego is not seeing the same success that Chambers is enjoying in Kansas City. Floyd is being targeted only 3-5 times a game and although he did put up 85 yards in week 12, it was on only 3 catches (4 targets). Floyd has potential in this potent offense, but right now he’s not seeing enough looks.

Darren McFadden/Justin Fargas/Michael Bush – The Raiders running back situation might be the hardest unit to dissect in the league. Fargas wasn’t even active early in the year when McFadden and Bush were carrying most of the workload, but now Fargas seems to be the top runner of the group (sounds a lot like 2008-09) having carried it a team-high 20 total times over the last 2 games. McFadden has been the better bet in PPR leagues, however, over the last 2 weeks, racking up 9 looks and 7 catches despite only 12 carries. Bush, meanwhile, has only 7 looks (all carries) over the last 2 weeks.