ESPN

Brendan Roberts

  (3:00 PM)

Good afternoon, everyone! Back again this week to talk a lot of football, and a little baseball (if I see any of those questions). Let's get right to it ...

Brendan Roberts (ESPN.com)

Brendan - say you're in a league that requires you to start 2 RBs, 2 WRs, and one flex. You have AP and Ray Rice at RB, but not much else (unless Julius Jones and Laurence Maroney sound appealing to you). At WR, you have Colston, Steve Smith NY, Santonio, S. Rice, and Bowe. Do you try to trade Colston for Mendenhall with an owner stacked at RB but weak at WR, or do you stick with your WRs/Jones/Maroney at your last flex spot? Don't let yourself down, Brendan.

Brendan Roberts

  (3:02 PM)

Whether I let myself down has nothing to do with my answer to this question! But anywho, I regularly talk about the difficulty in getting top or even start-worthy RBs, and unfortunately, it'd probably take Colston, a top-10 WR, to do it. Seeing as I'm a HUGE believe in Mendenhall (only recently has that come to benefit money), I'd do this deal. You are good at WR, and I think having a flex spot AND depth from the RB position is very beneficial. I say you do it.

Alejandro R (University of Arizona)

If it wasn't for Chris Johnson, this Westbrook situation would have cost me my playoff hopes. Very crucial matchup this week as I sit right on the fence of making the playoffs. Who should I go with a Q or P westbrook or good to go Braylon Edwards?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:03 PM)

Tough to answer this ... Westbrook is battling a swollen ankle, along with lingering headaches. The early indication is that he'll be back in Week 10, and were I to guess, I'd say he will be. And if he is, he MUST be in your starting lineup, in my mind. He just does too many things on the ground and through the air to sit him. Braylon is merely a Plan B, Westbrook insurance.

Pete (Marin)

BRob! I have a sort of league ETHICS question for you. In my league, I have made 8 trades, the end sum result being me owning Adrian Peterson, Chirs Johnson and DeAngelo Williams on the same team. Now my league is FURIOUS over my most recent trade, where I gave up Ronnie Brown, Brandon Jacobs, Antonio Gates, AND Kurt Warner to get Peterson. They say the reason they are upset is because I made the trade with the last place team, but really they just don?t like how good my team is. They are even going as far as starting a petition to NOT trade with me anymore because of my aggressive tactics, and the fact that I usually end up winning. So my question is, do the other owners in my league have a right to be upset? I feel like I am being blackballed here for being good at trading. Thoughts?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:06 PM)

Ah yes, we've started getting the questions about first-place/last-place trades, and I understand the bitterness involved. But the trade always must be judged independently, and you gave up a LOT to get Peterson. So the trade itself is fine, in my mind. As for trading with a last-place team, nobody wants to finish 2-10 or whatever, so I think it's almost always worthwhile to trade and try to improve your team -- until two weeks before the playoffs. At that point, I'd even have a problem with anybody trading for a team that has no playoff shot.

Dom (Minneapolis)

Better play this week (ppr) Gonzo or Shockey? I have been going with Gonzo each week but the St Louis matchup for Shockey is tempting.

Brendan Roberts

  (3:10 PM)

Yes, tough call indeed, and I bet other people are dealing with the same thing after hitting the Shockey Sweepstakes on draft day. But I'd stick with Gonzo. It seems Shockey has been productive, and he's in the right offense for it, but I believe he has had over 50 yards in something like two games this season. And he's scored a TD in only two games this season. He really offers you a much better chance at giving you a double-bogey, whereas Gonzo has been over 50 yards in all but maybe 2-3 games this season. He's just the safer option, and they have about the same amount of upside.

Nick (Norfolk, VA)

Dont feel bad Pete, I traded Willis McGahee for Vincent Jackson straight up after Week3 and have MJD, R Rice and Benson as my 3 RBS....my league hates me too.

Brendan Roberts

  (3:10 PM)

Well done, Nick. I love stories like this!

Brian (Fantasy Chat room - ESPN.com)

Is Ray Rice a top 5 pick next year? Hes a PPR stud, the new Marshall Faulk!

Brendan Roberts

  (3:12 PM)

I don't know about the next Marshall Faulk, because I'm not sure he's quite big enough to take the every-week beating Faulk did. Heck, even Faulk wore down fairly quickly after a few years of it, and I'm telling you from seeing Faulk many times in person, the guy had, well, big thighs and "hind end" that could take hits. Rice is a little smaller, quicker. Hmm, top 5 next year? Probably just outside that. I like him, but he's not headed for the top 5.

J.B. (Dunmore, PA)

Brendan: Sitting on our WW are Mario Manningham and Roy E. Williams. I am looking to replace Austin Collie. Who has the better upside for the remainder of the season?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:13 PM)

Both are inconsistent, meaning you have to go with the guy who is likely to get the most targets on a weekly basis. That would be Williams, in my mind. Sure, he can frustrating to own, but if the matchup is right, and he's actually healthy, he can be a productive WR3 or even WR2.

Ray (Cleveland, OH)

Do you see much value out of Felix Jones going forward? Due to having some players on bye, I need a flex this week and thinking about dropping Felix for Shonn Greene. Good move?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:16 PM)

Well, let's compare them since they're both backups. But one back (Greene) plays in a run-based offense in a cold-weather city (which sometimes resorts offenses to the ground game), and I think he'll get more and more carries going forward. Jones has nice upside, but still has two other backs in Dallas to contend with, and Barber looks about as healthy as Jones. I'd say go for it.

Tim (Pittsburgh)

DEFENSE QUESTION!! Oak or KC a sneaky D/ST start this week? (They play each other, Oak at home off bye. Lowest Over/Under on the board). My other option is AZ (vs. Sea). or Ten (vs Buf) Thx!

Brendan Roberts

  (3:18 PM)

I suppose that's tempting, and I did look at the KC defense (for obvious reasons) myself. But I decided to stay away. First of all, the Chiefs do have some upside on offense, especially with Chris Chambers boosting that passing game now (albeit slightly). And the Raiders, with D-Mac back, could run the ball 40 times, which isn't good for fantasy defenses to rack up points. I'd stay away and go with Arizona.

Jeff (NC)

Do you think Stafford and Megatron rebound a little bit this week? I still foresee some picks in there, but if their timing ever gets to where it could be, the outcome could be fireworks in the making...

Brendan Roberts

  (3:20 PM)

Obviously, he threw five picks, but Stafford did impress me at times as I watched that game. I gotta say this for the kid: He's not afraid to make risky passes. He's a gunslinger, and has the arm strength to throw it downfield. It's a mere fluke that more of those passes in recent weeks haven't gone to Megatron. He bounces back against the Vikes.

Mike (Chicago)

Why do the fantasy gods hate me? I was up by 2 against Big Ben and they decide to THROW it on 3rd and goal with a minute left and Denver having no Timeouts!?!? Anyway, Benson's only real bad game was against Pitt last time. Do I dare sit him this week for Hightower, Moreno, or Stewart?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:23 PM)

I lost a game last night that very same way. I came into Monday with a decent lead, and I had Brandon Marshall and he had Big Ben. Of course, the Broncos suddenly begin twiddling their thumbs in the secondary, and Big Ben throws three TD passes. Even Champ Bailey was getting beat! Oh well, such is life. You obviously have some depth, which is good, but I think you're overthinking this a bit. Benson is the 7th highest-scoring RB in fantasy football, and I think that wins out. Good lookin' out, but I wouldn't bench him.

Zach (NYC)

Is Marion the Barbarian rounding into form? I know his stat lines have still been low, but he seems to be shaking off the injuries. What are youre thoughts on him for the rest of the year? I'm trying to trade for him now that Slaton is riding the pine.

Brendan Roberts

  (3:25 PM)

Yeah, I saw some good things from him this week. He still looks like he doesn't have the same lateral movement, that he's trying to run over everyone, but his legs and power were there in the second half, which is his mantra. Considering he has some very favorable matchups in the next 5-6 weeks, he's a great guy to have on board now.

Bob (Philly)

Does Shiancoe have the potential to be a top-5 TE by season's end? Brett Favre loves his TEs, right?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:27 PM)

Favre does love his tight ends; he's made one better nearly every season. But he's also building a nice rapport with Sidney Rice, and has Bernard Berrian, and backs that can catch the ball, and a run-based offense ... Shiancoe is a nice red-zone option, but look at the numbers: He hasn't had one game with more than 50 yards receiving. He just looks better than he really is.

Dave (Rochester)

Hey B-Rob! This past week I traded L. Maroney for H Miller in hopes of improving my TE strength (other TE = Greg Olsen). That didn't worok out so well. Who should I roll this week? Need to decide by Thursday. Thanks.

Brendan Roberts

  (3:28 PM)

Yeah, maybe not your best move, but what're ya gonna do, ya know? Tough call on that one, but Olsen seems to me the much better choice. Cutler was looking for him all game Sunday.

jake (omaha)

How do the stat guys get off projecting Mendenhall for 3 pts next week, after watching him wear down the Donkeys last night? They are called the Donkey's right?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:31 PM)

Well, remember these are just preliminary, formula-based numbers earlier in the week. Sometimes they go up or down as the week wears on. That said, I need to investigate that one myself. You're not the first one to point that out to me today, and maybe the groundswell will force us to raise his projection -- to 5 points or something. Ha, ha.

Fat Kid (Recess)

PICK ME!! PICK ME!! Philosophy question: Do you favor depth or slightly-better starters for the stretch run? If you're a pro "trade away your depth for stronger studs" guy, is this the time to roll the dice? More specifically, if I have two different owners willing to trade me Reggie Wayne for Ray Rice (leaving me DeAngelo and MJD) and Randy Moss for D. Jax/Welker (leaving me Andre Johnson, Megatron, plus my newly acquired Wayne and Moss) do I do that? Or am I one injury away from being toast?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:33 PM)

Good philosophy question! Personally, I'm for having the best starting lineup possible in the post-bye weeks; forget the bench. You want the best possible lineup going forward, because we're ALWAYS one injury away from being toast anyway. The objective is to win, not hang in there close, if you go with the guys who give you the best chance to win. And making those moves would do that.

Todd (San Francisco)

Jennings or Hester week 10?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:36 PM)

Yeah, a lot closer than you'd think, right? I think it's really about a toss-up. And the matchup? About a toss-up, too. That leaves me with trying to scrape for variables, the only thing I can find is the better chance for poor weather in Green Bay than in San Fran. But even that is scratching here in Week 10. I'd feel a lot better starting Jennings, but I wouldn't dismiss a Hester start. Sorry I can't provide more clarity than that.

Brendan Roberts

  (3:36 PM)

Yeah, a lot closer than you'd think, right? I think it's really about a toss-up. And the matchup? About a toss-up, too. That leaves me with trying to scrape for variables, the only thing I can find is the better chance for poor weather in Green Bay than in San Fran. But even that is scratching here in Week 10. I'd feel a lot better starting Jennings, but I wouldn't dismiss a Hester start. Sorry I can't provide more clarity than that.

Phil (NJ)

What do you think of Slaton as a buy-low? Moats didn't blow anyone away last weekend, and he - GULP! - fumbled too. Would you trade Bradshaw for him, straight up?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:38 PM)

I like Slaton as a buy-low. I watched a lot of that game, and was not remotely impressed with Moats. Remember, it's the same guy who didn't do much even when given opportunities in Philly. He seems like a decent third-down back, but I think Slaton gets back in there sooner than later. Funny, I saw him double-wrap the ball a few times when he got work late in the game, too, so he's obviously working on it. Would I trade Bradshaw for him? Hmm, probably not, but it's close, and a throw-in might be all it takes to shift that answer to "yes."

Jay (DC)

Will I ever get to ask my question. Do you think Cutler will have another great game this week against the Niners terrible Pass D?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:41 PM)

I wouldn't say it's terrible, but that Niners pass D is hardly good. And it's worse than their run D, for sure. And just watching the Bears the past few weeks, they're supposed to be a run team, but looking at the formations (shotguns, split-wide receivers or tight ends, etc.), they run what looks to me like a passing offense. I see Forte struggling to find running room, but he's trying to do it out of basically passing formations, in many cases. Not expecting that to change, yeah, I like Cutler this week and even from here on out.

Jason (WI)

Tell Mike from Chicago to calm down. I'm 2-7 this season despite being 2nd in points scored, and that pass almost won me the week, but I ended up losing by .5 points. Anyway, is Rodgers a sell-high due to injury risk or do you just need a reliable backup?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:42 PM)

Why, I'll let you tell Mike yourself! I think Rodgers is money. He no longer should be considered an injury risk, and he's tough as nails even if he does get nicked. You just need a reliable backup, if that. If your league is deep on the waiver wire at QB, just cut your backup and try to hit the lottery with a backup RB.

James (PA)

Would you play Favre this week, who's been only average vs bad teams, or McNabb who has been so inconsistent?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:44 PM)

Yeah, McNabb has been pretty inconsistent, huh? But what I've seen out of McNabb, not just this year but really his whole career, is he tends to respond with big games when the critics hit him hard, which they're doing now. While the Chargers, on paper, have a good pass D, McNabb has the weapons to beat it. I'd go with him. You're right; Favre might pass 15 times Sunday.

Kyle Orton (CO)

Me or Alex Smith in a bye week?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:46 PM)

Neither! Kidding, of course. Ya know, I'd probably say Smith, believe it or not. Did y'all know the Redskins actually have the top-ranked pass D in the land? Sure, they've faced some bad QBs, and teams haven't needed to pass on 'em, but they do get a good interior pass rush, and that's something Orton seems to struggle with. I think, in this case, since you're already playing with fire, you pick the guy who has the most upside, and I think that's definitely Smith this week.

Joseph Addai (Indy)

Why are people so down on me still? Im a PPR league, I'm still a Rb2, are I not?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:49 PM)

I think so. This kinda goes back to the same thing I said about the Bears. A lot of Addai's runs are coming either out of major pass formations, or in Addai's case, when the team is leading, and everybody knows the Colts are going to run. The offense has always been pass-based, but now it's to the point they don't even use 2-TE sets anymore or do much of anything to help Addai run the ball. But because he can catch the ball -- five catches last week, 10 (I believe) a few weeks ago) -- he does deserve to stay in starting lineups, and not just in PPR leagues.

Jay (DC)

I thought the Niners were tied for 4th worst pass D in the league. Which 2 WR's would you play: Colston (kept dropping passes last game), Vincent Jackson and Sims-Walker?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:50 PM)

Hmm, I think the Niners are 24th in pass D, if memory serves, but I could be wrong. That's bad, but not super-awful. And they do have some good CBs (or guys who are supposed to be). I'd say Colston and Jackson.

A Healthy Cortland Fennigan (TN )

With my return, do the Titans have some sleeper appeal vs the Bills this week? Or would the Falcons vs Carolina be a safer bet?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:51 PM)

Ya know, the Titans D is drawing some interest again, and I'm on board now. They are playing with fire, and yeah, with Finnegan back, they do have plenty of talent on D, certainly enough to shut down the Bills. Yeah, I'd pick that sleeper over the Falcons, who should see 40 runs against them from the Panthers.

Eric (Minnesota)

Who would you rather have the rest of the season, Breaston or Berrian?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:53 PM)

Hmm, I still think Breaston's value is so Anquan Boldin-based. With Boldin there, he's really the 4th option they have, with Fitzy No. 1, Boldin No. 2, and Hightower their No. 3. Berrian is, at worst, the No. 2, albeit in a run-based offense. But that's enough for me. I stick Berrian.

Jason (queens)

What's your opinion on weekly rolling waiver priority? Do you think it should be based on standings or total points scored? Reason I ask: the last-place team could be scoring 120 pts/wk and unluckily lose the first couple of weeks, and could then fortify into a powerhouse with those intial hot waiver pickups...

Brendan Roberts

  (3:55 PM)

Yes, I've seen leagues that "reset" the waivers based on records each week, and others that have "ongoing" waivers based on past moves. I DEFINITELY prefer the latter, because I don't think a team should get its pick of players just because it has a bad record. For instance, what if you have that rare owner each year who is 0-3 despite being second in the league in scoring. Just safer and smarter to have it be ongoing.

Nick (Florida)

who should i start, Falcons Deffense, or Dolphins defense?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:57 PM)

As many mistakes at Jake Delhomme makes, that CAR-ATL game will be a plodding, run-based game with maybe a total of 100 offensive plays in it. The Bucs-Dolphins game? I think the Bucs will have to pass, and the Dolphins should be able to get to Josh Freeman, meaning the greater likelihood of mistakes from him. I pick MIA.

Jay (DC)

Would you drop Giants D for Falcons D here on out?

Brendan Roberts

  (3:58 PM)

I'd stick with the Giants D. They're just in a bit of a funk right now and have been beaten by a few good offenses. The horses are still there, and they're still getting a good upfront push. .... Two more questions.

J Stewart (Carolina)

Am I a solid play this week?

Brendan Roberts

  (4:00 PM)

Yes, I've seen a few other people bring him up as a potential starter, and ya know what? If you have a flex spot, go for it. He's getting 14-16 touches per game, regardless of his success, and faces the league's 24th-ranked run D this week at home. You don't start him every week, but I say you can this week.

Scott (Dallas)

Can I safely drop Cooley now, or should I just hang onto him? (I traded for Olsen this week, before he went off on Sunday).

Brendan Roberts

  (4:01 PM)

Drop him like he's hot. In most leagues, there's really no reason to keep two TEs around.

Brendan Roberts

  (4:02 PM)

And that ought to do it, folks. Thanks again for joining me on a Tuesday afternoon, and I'll catch ya again next week -- same Web site, same time. Good luck in Week 10!