Tricks of the trade

The NFL, in its infinite wisdom, has scheduled byes for six teams in each of the next two weeks. That means 37.5% of the league will not play during either Week 8 or Week 9. Fantasy owners won’t have a better opportunity to make an advantageous trade than they will during the next two weeks.

1. LeGarrette Blount, New England Patriots: We always seem to look for reasons to bench Blount each week. New England is a passing team. James White is the pass-catching RB out of the backfield. Blount doesn’t catch the ball well. All true, but he does run it well. Tom Brady isn’t going to throw every pass into the end zone. There will be plenty of goal-line touches to keep Blount owners happy, and he’s gobbling up big chunks of yardage on the ground as well.

2. Tyrell Williams, San Diego Chargers: It was assumed that when Keenan Allen went down for the season, Travis Benjamin would become Philip Rivers’ favorite target. Yeah, not so much. Williams looks like the receiver you want to own in San Diego. Aside from the game against Denver in Week 6 (and what WR does well against them?), he’s had at least six targets in every game, including 10 on Sunday against Atlanta.

3. Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers: The Packers are a mess at RB. Eddie Lacy is out with an ankle injury. James Starks is out with a knee injury. This leaves the team with Don Jackson from the practice squad and the recently acquired Knile Davis. Enter Montgomery. He gives the team a dual threat out of the backfield and gives defenses something to think about. He’s becoming a must-play in PPR leagues.

4. Jamison Crowder, Washington: This is all about the absence of Jordan Reed (concussion). In the two games that Reed has missed, Crowder has 10 receptions for 160 yards and a score.

5. Spencer Ware, Kansas City Chiefs: Those owners who dropped Ware when Charles came back a couple of weeks ago are regretting that decision now. Ware has looked like a starting RB this season. He’s on pace for over 1,300 yards rushing and 760 yards receiving.

1. Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars: You can blame Blake Bortles all you want for Robinson’s struggles, but he hasn’t caught more than 72 yards worth of passes in a single game this season. He caught two passes against a porous Oakland pass defense on Sunday, which is just inexcusable.

2. Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles: We all loved Carson Wentz at the beginning of the season, but as happens with most rookie quarterbacks, he has hit a wall. This hurts Matthews. He only has 12 receptions for 169 yards over the past four games.

3. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks: The offensive line has been a turnstile so far this season. This has led to Wilson suffering ankle and knee injuries. Wilson needs his mobility to be successful. The injuries aren’t bad enough to keep him from playing, but they are serious enough to make him a pure pocket passer, something that doesn’t separate him from the pack.

4. Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers: If not for the five touchdowns that Nelson has, fantasy owners would be in an uproar. He only has one game with more than 73 yards receiving, and over his last three games he has only 115 total yards. He just can’t get separation from defensive backs. Whether due to the rehab from his ACL surgery, the preseason knee injury, or both; he just isn’t the same player right now.

5. Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Normally, I wouldn’t put an injured player on this list. However, I thought it was worth mentioning that Martin won’t necessarily get the starting job back upon his return. Given the way Jacquizz Rodgers has played (255 rushing yards in two games), he’s not going to be forgotten. The team also won’t feel the need to rush Martin back, so he may miss another game or two.