Upgrades/Downgrades for Situational Starters, Roster Depth, and Flex Positions

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Upgrades

Kembrell Thompkins
Thompkins has slowly become a viable weekly fantasy starter over the last four games. Since the New York Jets game he has been a go to target for Tom Brady. With Danny Amendola leaving Sunday’s game with an apparent concussion, Thompkins may continue to be Brady’s top target until Gronk is back.
Eddie Lacy
Who would of thought the Packers would be able to run the football with a platoon of running backs? They’ve been getting it done with Starks, Franklin, and Lacy all season long. With injuries to the Packers receivers they’ll likely turn to it even more. If Lacy stays healthy you have to consider him a top twelve fantasy back now.

Larry Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald fantasy owners were patient with him while he played through a hamstring injury. His explosiveness returned Sunday as he ran for a 70-plus yard touchdown and was involved in the passing game at a higher level. Hopefully his hamstring won’t be a reoccurring issue. When close to 100 percent Fitzgerald is a top fifteen fantasy wide receiver.

Justin Blackmon
How a guy misses four games, plays two, and is right in the thick of things for top wide receiver stats is beyond me. And Blackmon has done this with Chad Henne and Blaine Gabbert as his quarterbacks. It’s looking like Blackmon’s last season at Oklahoma State with how he is performing on a weekly basis on the field.

DeMarco Murray
Murray’s shown to be a Darren McFadden type even when he returns from an injury. His level of play declines after an injury during the season. He has to be dropped from an RB1 to an RB2 and maybe lower if his performance suffers.

Others: Knowshown Moreno, Keenan Allen, Trent Richardson, Nick Foles, Terrance Williams, and Andre Ellington

Downgrades

Le’Veon Bell
Bell had a quality first game as a Steeler with two touchdowns against the Vikings. But his yards per carry is not where you would like it to be. Unless the Steelers are inside the five yard line there is little fantasy value for Bell right now. Going into week seven of the fantasy season you can’t have high question marks like Bell that you’re unsure of. Until that breakout game comes yardage wise he has to be downgraded.

Chris Johnson
Have we seen any long runs from CJ2K yet? No. It’s a sad fate for top prominent backs a few years after their top campaigns. Shaun Alexander, Larry Johnson, Priest Holmes, LT, etc. the list goes on. Yet fantasy owners will keep drafting Johnson as an RB2 thinking he can get that magic back. It’s over. His flex spot has to be considered up in the air even unless you’re in a deep fantasy league.

Colin Kapernick
The apparent lack of receivers to get open is starting to create a weekly imprint to Kapernick’ overall performance. He isn’t having the same rhythm on series to series that he did a year ago. I don’t believe it’s because of a sophomore slump either. He just doesn’t have the capable weapons on the outside for him to throw a comfortable football. Vernon Davis had well over 60 percent of Kapernick’s passing yards Sunday. Michael Crabtree can’t get back on the field soon enough.

Others: Doug Martin, Greg Jennings, Ben Tate, and Anquan Boldin