Week 9 Fantasy Trade Values

Senior Fantasy Writer

Oct. 28, 2014 1:05 PM ET

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There's no sugar coating this: Marshawn Lynch has been gross. We know this because over the last three weeks he's delivered exactly six Fantasy points per game (standard scoring). By comparison, rookie Jerick McKinnon has outscored him in each game, Ronnie Hillman has pretty much doubled or tripled Lynch's numbers per game and even Darren McFadden, the poster boy of Fantasy suckitude, has actually put up better numbers than Lynch in two of the last three weeks and was just one point worse in Week 8.

A banged-up and deteriorated offensive line is part of the problem, as is a defense that hasn't quite allowed for Lynch to crush the clock with a lot of second-half work in the last three weeks. But a lack of touchdown opportunities, and a general lack of touches, is also a real concern. In the last three weeks Lynch has had zero carries inside the 5, one carry inside the 10 and three targets in the red zone. To be fair, he did have a 15-yard touchdown run called back two weeks ago and had a carry inside the 10 called back last week. But even so, it's still not what's expected from Lynch. The 42 carries he has in his last three games are the fewest since a late-season three-game spell in 2012 where he totaled 40 carries -- and delivered 328 yards and five touchdowns in the process.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says there's no issue with Lynch in Seattle despite trade murmurs and rumors about his future with the team. It looks like he'll be their lead back for the rest of the way, but for much of this season we've seen an emphasis on the offense leaning on Russell Wilson a little more and Lynch a little less. 'Beast Mode' has two 20-carry games on the year. His third should come this week against Oakland at home, a get-right game if there ever was one, but the rest-of-season outlook for Lynch is messy. Following Oakland the Seahawks get another good matchup home against the Giants, but they still have home-and-home games against the 49ers and Cardinals between Weeks 12 through 16 with other matchups against the Chiefs and Eagles on the road mixed in before a Week 17 game against the Rams. It's not pretty.

If Lynch has the big game we all expect against the Raiders then his value will rebound and owners can get a ton in trade for him if they so choose. But if Lynch is limited again in Week 9 and doesn't string together, say, 100 yards and a touchdown, then his value will tank. Trading Lynch probably wasn't a thought in your head until recently, and with the schedule being what it is the next couple of weeks, the time is right to at least consider making some sell-high offers. Don't give up Lynch for just anything, but don't put your head in the sand and blindly believe Lynch will knock out big games every week the rest of the way. It's a good time to either sell on Lynch now or pray for a big game in Week 9 and then move him out.

If you're trading him now, here's a look at what to expect in exchange for him based on actual trades made in CBSSports.com leagues.

Marshawn Lynch for Rob Gronkowski: That's pretty darn close to even, though I might not expect every single Gronk owner to be willing to part with their stud tight end for Lynch (I wouldn't do it unless I had another quality tight end on my roster).

Marshawn Lynch, Brandon Marshall and Colin Kaepernick for Frank Gore and Aaron Rodgers: The team getting Lynch here wins big. Marshall might be in the tank but he's not going to stay there all season and Colin Kaepernick has some juicy matchups coming up. I might not love having Lynch on my roster but I'd take him over Gore for the rest of the year.

Marshawn Lynch for Ben Tate and Sammy Watkins: This is the classic "overpay for studs" that teams loaded with depth are making before the Fantasy playoff run starts.

Marshawn Lynch for LeSean McCoy: Interesting deal involving two disappointing first-round draft picks. McCoy actually has the easier schedule and is still getting work compared to Lynch. Lynch had better stats earlier this season but in the last three weeks Lynch has scored fewer Fantasy points, and that's counting McCoy's Week 8 bye!

Marshawn Lynch and A.J. Green for Golden Tate, Julius Thomas and Doug Martin: A lot of moving parts here. Lynch might be a player I want to move for good players now but Green is one I want to get. Thomas is another player owners should trade for and Tate is one players should try to get as much value as possible for since he's hitting the bye week and Calvin's return will take targets away. Martin could even have some decent value depending on what happens at the trade deadline. Overall the Lynch/Green side is slightly more valuable but a team loaded at running back and needy at tight end could make this trade work.

Our Trade Value Chart is designed to help you in making fair trades in your standard-scoring or PPR league. The values assigned to the players below are a long-term measurement of their Fantasy value. By adding two players' values you could determine what one player you might be able to get in return. This list should also work as a "Rest of Season" Rankings.

Player	Stnd	PPR	Player	Stnd	PPR	Player	Stnd	PPR
Peyton Manning, QB, DEN	38	38	Golden Tate, WR, DET	17	21	Delanie Walker, TE, TEN	10	12
Matt Forte, RB, CHI	37	43	Brandon Marshall, WR, CHI	17	20	Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB, BAL	10	11
DeMarco Murray, RB, DAL	37	41	Justin Forsett, RB, BAL	17	19	Jeremy Hill, RB, CIN	10	11
Jamaal Charles, RB, KC	37	41	DeSean Jackson, WR, WAS	17	19	Odell Beckham, WR, NYG	10	11
Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN	37	41	Mark Ingram, RB, NO	17	17	Tre Mason, RB, STL	10	10
Antonio Brown, WR, PIT	37	41	Shane Vereen, RB, NE	16	19	Joseph Randle, RB, DAL	10	10
Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB	36	36	Dwayne Allen, TE, IND	16	18	Vernon Davis, TE, SF	9	12
Andrew Luck, QB, IND	36	36	Colin Kaepernick, QB, SF	16	16	Josh Gordon, WR, CLE	9	12
Arian Foster, RB, HOU	35	38	Eli Manning, QB, NYG	16	16	Travis Kelce, TE, KC	9	11
Jordy Nelson, WR, GB	34	38	Alfred Morris, RB, WAS	16	16	Reggie Wayne, WR, IND	9	11
Dez Bryant, WR, DAL	34	38	Chris Ivory, RB, NYJ	16	16	Percy Harvin, WR, NYJ	9	11
Randall Cobb, WR, GB	30	34	Frank Gore, RB, SF	16	16	Knile Davis, RB, KC	9	10
Le'Veon Bell, RB, PIT	30	33	Terrance Williams, WR, DAL	15	17	Ryan Mathews, RB, SD	9	10
Rob Gronkowski, TE, NE	29	34	Jerick McKinnon, RB, MIN	15	16	Bobby Rainey, RB, TB	9	10
A.J. Green, WR, CIN	29	33	Joique Bell, RB, DET	15	16	Carlos Hyde, RB, SF	9	10
Calvin Johnson, WR, DET	29	33	Roddy White, WR, ATL	14	17	Torrey Smith, WR, BAL	9	10
Jimmy Graham, TE, NO	28	33	Michael Crabtree, WR, SF	14	17	Jordan Cameron, TE, CLE	8	10
Julius Thomas, TE, DEN	28	33	Michael Floyd, WR, ARI	14	16	Wes Welker, WR, DEN	8	10
Tom Brady, QB, NE	28	28	Carson Palmer, QB, ARI	14	14	Malcom Floyd, WR, SD	8	10
Jeremy Maclin, WR, PHI	26	30	Rashad Jennings, RB, NYG	14	14	Doug Baldwin, WR, SEA	8	10
Emmanuel Sanders, WR, DEN	26	30	Steve Smith, WR, BAL	13	16	Allen Robinson, WR, JAC	8	10
LeSean McCoy, RB, PHI	25	27	Pierre Garcon, WR, WAS	13	15	Darren McFadden, RB, OAK	8	9
Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA	25	27	Vincent Jackson, WR, TB	13	15	Fred Jackson, RB, BUF	8	9
T.Y. Hilton, WR, IND	24	28	Keenan Allen, WR, SD	13	15	Anquan Boldin, WR, SF	7	10
Andre Ellington, RB, ARI	22	25	Ben Tate, RB, CLE	13	14	Reggie Bush, RB, DET	7	9
Lamar Miller, RB, MIA	22	24	Denard Robinson, RB, JAC	13	13	Larry Donnell, TE, NYG	7	9
Eddie Lacy, RB, GB	22	23	Jordan Reed, TE, WAS	12	15	Martavis Bryant, WR, PIT	7	9
Julio Jones, WR, ATL	21	25	Eric Decker, WR, NYJ	12	15	Andre Holmes, WR, OAK	7	9
Drew Brees, QB, NO	21	21	DeAndre Hopkins, WR, HOU	12	14	Zach Ertz, TE, PHI	7	8
Philip Rivers, QB, SD	21	21	Mohamed Sanu, WR, CIN	12	14	Montee Ball, RB, DEN	7	7
Antonio Gates, TE, SD	20	24	Rueben Randle, WR, NYG	12	14	Doug Martin, RB, TB	7	7
Sammy Watkins, WR, BUF	20	24	Marques Colston, WR, NO	12	14	Trent Richardson, RB, IND	7	7
Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, IND	20	23	Branden Oliver, RB, SD	12	13	Andrew Hawkins, WR, CLE	6	10
Alshon Jeffery, WR, CHI	20	23	Ben Roethlisberger, QB, PIT	14	14	Benny Cunningham, RB, STL	6	8
Ronnie Hillman, RB, DEN	20	22	Martellus Bennett, TE, CHI	11	14	Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, MIN	6	7
Russell Wilson, QB, SEA	20	20	Julian Edelman, WR, NE	11	14	Jonas Gray, RB, NE	6	6
Greg Olsen, TE, CAR	19	24	Andre Johnson, WR, HOU	11	14	Bishop Sankey, RB, TEN	6	6
Giovani Bernard, RB, CIN	19	22	Brandin Cooks, WR, NO	11	14	Juwan Thompson, RB, DEN	6	6
Kelvin Benjamin, WR, CAR	19	22	Brandon LaFell, WR, NE	11	13	Pierre Thomas, RB, NO	5	7
Tony Romo, QB, DAL	19	19	Larry Fitzgerald, WR, ARI	11	13	Travaris Cadet, RB, NO	5	6
Mike Wallace, WR, MIA	18	21	Matt Ryan, QB, ATL	11	11	Darren Sproles, RB, PHI	5	6
Jay Cutler, QB, CHI	18	18	Cam Newton, QB, CAR	11	11	Bryce Brown, RB, BUF	5	6
Matthew Stafford, QB, DET	18	18	Nick Foles, QB, PHI	11	11	Andre Williams, RB, NYG	5	5

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Ben Roethlisberger deserves to start
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer

(10/29/2014) It goes without saying that Ben Roethlisberger's six-touchdown, 522-yard performance Week 8 against Indianapolis was a once-in-a-blue-moon thing, and I stand by my earlier assessment that he's too inconsistent to start in standard 12-team leagues. But that's more for those weeks when every quarterback is available. With six teams on bye, that's certainly not the case in Week 9.

For those owners accustomed to starting Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan or Jay Cutler, Roethlisberger may be the best choice. His matchup against Baltimore isn't great. The Ravens rank a suspect 22nd against the pass, giving up 256.0 yards per game, but having allowed just seven touchdowns through the air, they've surrendered the second-fewest Fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Regardless of the matchup, though, Roethlisberger has a better chance than most of the quarterbacks who might be available of putting up the numbers you're accustomed to.

I'd prefer Carson Palmer, Nick Foles and Cam Newton to him, to name just a few fringy types, but Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Ricahrd both have Roethlisberger in their top 10 for this week.

Brandon LaFell not the only Patriots WR to consider
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer

(10/29/2014) It's time to give Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell a shot in Fantasy -- as in not just owning him, but starting him. If his 11 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown Week 8 against the Bears weren't enough to convince you, his matchup Week 9 against Denver should be.

It's not that the Broncos are so bad against the pass. They rank in the middle of the pack, allowing 242.9 yards per game. It's just that the Patriots' only hope against them is to beat Peyton Manning at his own game. Their passing attack -- at least the version they've shown in the last four weeks -- is good enough to beat anybody when they're motivated to use it.

LaFell appears to have leapfrogged Julian Edelman in the pecking order, but frankly, Edelman might not be such a bad play either. Tom Brady is going to need every weapon at his disposal to outscore Manning and company. Edelman is more of a desperation play than LaFell, I think, advisable only if you're short on startable wide receivers, but Dave Richard likes him enough with this matchup to rank him 24th at the position.

Shane Vereen a better choice than Jonas Gray
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer

(10/29/2014) By giving the previously unknown Jonas Gray 17 carries for 86 yards Week 8 against Chicago, the Patriots revealed that they'll stick with a two-man backfield even with preferred rusher Stevan Ridley out for the year with a torn ACL and MCL.

But Week 9 against Denver might be a better matchup for preferred receiver Shane Vereen, who also thrived in Week 7 against the Jets. The Broncos, like the Jets, have done a good job stopping the run this season. They rank No. 1, in fact, allowing 72.4 yards per game.

Plus, the Patriots will most likely have to throw more than usual just to keep up with the league's highest-scoring team. These days, a team's only real choice against Peyton Manning is to beat him at his own game.

So most likely, Gray will spend much of Week 9 on the sidelines while Vereen spends much of it in the backfield. Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard both rank Vereen among their top 20 running backs for this week.

Vincent Jackson not such a great play
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer

(10/29/2014) On a day when the Buccaneers couldn't get anything going offensively Week 8 against Minnesota, wide receiver Vincent Jackson was barely involved, catching one pass for 13 yards. He was targeted five times, but for a player who misses a lot of the balls thrown his way, both because of his role in the passing game and his issues with drops, that's a pretty low number. He averaged 10.0 targets in his first six games.

Even worse for Jackson, quarterback Mike Glennon has developed a nice rapport with both Mike Evans and Louis Murphy, and the Buccaneers passing attack isn't prolific enough to sustain three wide receivers. Is it more likely to sustain him than those other two? Yeah, probably. But it'll likely cut into his production regardless.

And it could cut into his production in a big way Week 9 at Cleveland. The Browns don't rank especially high against the pass, but they don't give up many touchdowns through the air, allowing the fourth-lowest quarterback rating of any team this season. Cornerback Joe Haden, who has played better in recent weeks after a slow start, is a big reason for that, and he'll likely go up against Jackson on Sunday.

Neither Jamey Eisenberg nor Dave Richard rank Jackson among their top 30 wide receivers -- and that's in a week with six teams on bye.

Time to the roll the dice on Denard Robinson?
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer

(10/29/2014) Sitting Denard Robinson the week after his breakout 127-yard effort against the Browns was understandable. It was an outlier performance achieved with an especially favorable matchup, and there was some big talk about Toby Gerhart still playing a big role. But now, after back-to-back 100-yard games, taking a conservative approach with Robinson just seems kind of silly.

Especially since his matchup Week 9 at Cincinnati is, at least on paper, a favorable one. The Bengals rank 29th against the run, allowing 140.7 yards per game, and have given up the eighth-most Fantasy points per game to running backs. And as tough as the Jaguars defense has played in recent weeks, you don't have to worry so much about the Bengals running away with the game, compelling the Jaguars to throw every down.

Calling Robinson a must-start is taking it a bit far. Some people have enviable depth at the position. But in Week 9, Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard both rank Robinson among their top 24 running backs, with Dave slotting him as high as 15th.

Is starting Andy Dalton a good idea?
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer

(10/29/2014) Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard both rank the Bengals' Andy Dalton among their top 12 quarterbacks for Week 9, presumably because he's facing the Jaguars. But how did that work out for Ryan Tannehill in Week 8, Brian Hoyer in Week 7 or, yep, even Ben Roethlisberger in Week 5?

I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of the whole "start Player X against the Jaguars because they're bad" argument. Because they're not. At least not anymore -- not on defense, anyway. The Jaguars have allowed an average of 16.5 points in their last four games, and if not for the Dolphins' two defensive touchdowns in Week 8, it'd be 13.0

True, star wide receiver A.J. Green is looking likely to return from a three-game absence for a toe injury, which would certainly improve Dalton's chances. But again, quality quarterbacks -- namely, Tannehill and Roethlisberger -- have had their full arsenals when they faced the Jaguars, and they still underwhelmed against them. I'm not sure this is Dalton's week.

Now, with so many high-profile quarterbacks (such as Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan and Jay Cutler) on bye this week, you may want it to be Dalton's week, but I'd give Carson Palmer, Nick Foles, Cam Newton or Tannehill a shot before I turned to him.

Greg Olsen deserves your trust
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer

(10/29/2014) Panthers coach Ron Rivera mentioned Monday that the reason tight end Greg Olsen had only one catch for 16 yards in Week 8 is because the Seahawks rotated their coverage toward him, particularly in the red zone. You can understand why they'd do that after Olsen averaged 70.4 yards with four touchdowns in his first four games.

Unfortunately, since the Seahawks limited the Panthers to just nine points in that game, they've invited other teams to emulate them, and while the Saints, Olsen's Week 9 opponent, certainly aren't the Seahawks defensively, they've done good job of containing tight ends this season, giving up the second-fewest Fantasy points per game to them. And that's even though they rank 31st against the pass.

But just because you can make a reasonable case to sit one this year's most productive and reliable tight ends doesn't mean you should follow through with it. Week 8 was just the second time in eight games that Olsen's production didn't justify a starting spot -- a terrific ratio for any player, regardless of position -- and the Saints haven't really faced a team with a top-flight tight end until now.

If quarterback Cam Newton has big numbers in this game -- and the data suggest he should -- Olsen will, too. Keep him active.

Who knows with the Saints wide receivers?
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer

(10/29/2014) On the road against the Panthers in Week 9, chances are one of the Saints top two wide receivers, be it Marques Colston or Brandin Cooks, will have a big game. The Panthers are tied for the fourth-most passing touchdowns allowed and have given up the fifth-most Fantasy points per game to wide receivers.

So which one? Particularly with Kenny Stills getting involved the last couple weeks, it's become a real crapshoot. Cooks tends to be more of a volume receiver in his good games, but Colston showed with six catches for 111 yards in Week 7 that he can still make an impact as well.

Of course, star tight end Jimmy Graham was basically just a decoy in that game. When his shoulder had recovered enough for him to catch a few passes himself in Week 8, Colston's numbers shrank again. Cooks, meanwhile, had six catches for 94 yards and a touchdown and has generally had an easier time coexisting with Graham.

I'd feel OK about starting Cooks in this one, particularly in points-per-reception leagues. Yeah, he's basically a 50-50 proposition, but that's more than I can say for Colston, particularly with Graham back in the mix. Colston still matters in Fantasy, but mostly in leagues with 14 teams or more.

Kelvin Benjamin could come up big
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer

(10/29/2014) With the Panthers expected to pass a lot in Week 9 against a Saints team that ranks second in total offense and fifth in scoring offense, wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin figures to be one of the prime beneficiaries. After all, he's emerged as quarterback Cam Newton's preferred downfield target as a rookie and, at 6-feet-5, is a big target in the red zone as well.

After a strong start to the season, his yardage has been hit or miss lately, but generally speaking, when Newton is on, so is Benjamin. And all signs point to a big game for Newton. Not only is that the only way he keeps the Panthers in the game, but the Saints rank 31st against the pass, giving up 289.3 yards per game. They've also allowed the second-most Fantasy points per game to wide receivers.

Considering he's scored a touchdown in five of eight games this season, you're probably starting Benjamin regardless of any matchup data. But you can do so with confidence this week. Both Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard rank him among their top 10 wide receivers.

Good chance Cam Newton bounces back
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer

(10/29/2014) Granted, Cam Newton hasn't been the most predictable quarterback from week to week, and because his production is largely a function of how often and how effectively he runs the ball, that doesn't figure to change. But after a disappointing showing against the Seahawks in Week 8, he should be in for an easier time Week 9 against the Saints.

After all, the Saints' explosive offense combined with their suspect defense predisposes them to shootouts. Of course, the last time I predicted a shootout for the Panthers Week 7 at Green Bay, it didn't go so well for Newton either, but that matchup wasn't as favorable as this one. The Saints rank 31st against the pass, allowing 289.3 yards per game, and have given up the eighth-most Fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

In a week when high-profile quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan and Jay Cutler are all on bye, I would think someone in a 12-team league would want to start Newton, even if that someone isn't you.

More Updates

1	Andrew Luck, IND, QB
2	Peyton Manning, DEN, QB
3	Tom Brady, NE, QB
4	Russell Wilson, SEA, QB
5	Colin Kaepernick, SF, QB
6	Drew Brees, NO, QB
7	Carson Palmer, ARI, QB
8	Philip Rivers, SD, QB
9	Ben Roethlisberger, PIT, QB
10	Eli Manning, NYG, QB
All Rankings

1	Jamaal Charles, KC, RB
2	DeMarco Murray, DAL, RB
3	Arian Foster, HOU, RB
4	Andre Ellington, ARI, RB
5	Marshawn Lynch, SEA, RB
6	Mark Ingram, NO, RB
7	Lamar Miller, MIA, RB
8	Ahmad Bradshaw, IND, RB
9	Ronnie Hillman, DEN, RB
10	Le'Veon Bell, PIT, RB
All Rankings

1	Antonio Brown, PIT, WR
2	Demaryius Thomas, DEN, WR
3	A.J. Green, CIN, WR
4	T.Y. Hilton, IND, WR
5	Jeremy Maclin, PHI, WR
6	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN, WR
7	Dez Bryant, DAL, WR
8	Mike Wallace, MIA, WR
9	DeSean Jackson, WAS, WR
10	Anquan Boldin, SF, WR
All Rankings

1	Rob Gronkowski, NE, TE
2	Julius Thomas, DEN, TE
3	Jimmy Graham, NO, TE
4	Antonio Gates, SD, TE
5	Dwayne Allen, IND, TE
6	Travis Kelce, KC, TE
7	Larry Donnell, NYG, TE
8	Vernon Davis, SF, TE
9	Greg Olsen, CAR, TE
10	Timothy Wright, NE, TE
All Rankings

1	Stephen Gostkowski, NE, K
2	Chandler Catanzaro, ARI, K
3	Cairo Santos, KC, K
4	Mike Nugent, CIN, K
5	Justin Tucker, BAL, K
6	Steven Hauschka, SEA, K
7	Cody Parkey, PHI, K
8	Adam Vinatieri, IND, K
9	Blair Walsh, MIN, K
10	Brandon McManus, DEN, K
All Rankings

1	49ers, DST
2	Seahawks, DST
3	Chiefs, DST
4	Bengals, DST
5	Saints, DST
6	Colts, DST
7	Vikings, DST
8	Texans, DST
9	Browns, DST
10	Eagles, DST
All Rankings

Most traded players | Week 9 Rankings | Week 9 Projections

Get player news notifications, manage your team and check scores- all updated in real time. Download the CBS Fantasy App.

Get player news notifications, manage your team and check scores
- all updated in real time. Download the CBS Fantasy App.