Quarterbacks:
Carson Palmer, QB Arizona Cardinals, 13.4 percent owned (ESPN): Carson Palmer played extremely well in Week 8 against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that has been one of the best in the NFL up to this point in the season.
Palmer completed 20 of his 42 passes, while also throwing for 329 yards and two touchdowns. The former Bengals quarterback showed that his injured shoulder was no longer ailing him when he threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to rookie John Brown. He’ll be facing a solid Cowboys defense next week, but look for Palmer to keep the Cardinals in the game against a Dallas team that lost to Colt McCoy and the Redskins on Monday Night Football.
Other options: Robert Griffin III (WAS), Kyle Orton (BUF)
Running Backs:
Jonathan Stewart, RB Carolina Panthers, 24.2 percent owned (ESPN): Stewart ran for 79 yards on 16 touches against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, good for almost a five yard average. Stewart is the number one running back, despite DeAngelo Williams’ return this week.
Look for Stewart to continue to command the Carolina backfield, and receive the largest amount of carries. Stewart and the Panthers play Thursday night against a New Orleans defense that hasn’t been great against the run all year. Look for Stewart to prove why he was once one of the most highly touted running backs in fantasy football. Stewart is worth an add in virtually every league.
Jonas Gray, RB New England Patriots, 0.1 percent owned (ESPN): Jonas Gray looked great against a solid Chicago Bears defense, running the ball 17 times for 86 yards. The 5-foot-10, 230-pound back ripped through the Bears defense all day and took the majority of backfield touches, overshadowing Shane Vereen and James White. Watch for Gray to continue to solidify himself as the team’s power runner.
The Denver Broncos are next up on the Patriots schedule, and while the Broncos have played the run very well, look for Gray to get some short-yardage looks on the goaline.
Other options: Bobby Rainey (TB), Charles Sims (TB), Theo Riddick (DET)
Wide Receivers:
Donte Moncrief, WR Indianapolis Colts, 0.2 percent owned (ESPN): Moncrief exploded onto the scene last Sunday against the Steelers, catching seven passes on 12 targets for 113 yards and a touchdown. The rookie looked extremely talented, getting the most targets from quarterback Andrew Luck. With his breakout game against Pittsburgh, look for Moncrief to continue this production going forward.
With a weak Giants defense next on the schedule, the former Ole Miss Rebel should put up solid numbers, and might be a great plug-and-play for any team with struggling wide receivers.
Andrew Hawkins, WR Cleveland Browns, 9.9 percent owned (ESPN): Hawkins caught his first touchdown pass last Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. The former Bengals wide out also hauled in seven catches for 88 yards. Oakland’s pass defense was middle of the pack at best, and Hawkins’ recent outing might push him to number one wide receiver status for the Browns until Josh Gordon returns from his suspension in Week 12.
This week, the Browns have a matchup with a dismal Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass defense that ranks 30th in the NFL. Hawkins should expose them, and put up big numbers this week.
Other options: Martavis Bryant (PIT), Allen Robinson (JAC), Kenny Stills (NO)
Tight Ends:
Mychal Rivera, TE Oakland Raiders, 0.6 percent owned (ESPN): Rivera caught seven passes on nine targets for 83 yards last Sunday against the Browns. Rivera has looked better as the season has gone on, and has proven to be a trusted target for rookie quarterback Derek Carr, as his targets seem to go up every week.
The Browns’ pass defense isn’t great by any means, and Rivera exposed them over the middle several times. Rivera now goes up against a Seattle Seahawks defense that hasn’t fared too well against opposing tight ends. Rivera is worth a look this week as he should continue his production with Derek Carr and him being on the same page as of late.
Other options: Austin Sefarian-Jenkins (TB), Tim Wright (NE)
You can follow Jordan Mayton on Twitter @macmayton
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