We scour the news around the NFL to bring you what matters most for you and your dynasty team: the most current news on players, both superstars and the relative unknowns, and analysis to decipher the respective situations. These are many of the major stories and not meant to be an exhaustive look at all of the recent happenings around the league.
Now that he is healthy, and the Bears out of the playoff chase, many are wondering about the future of Matt Forte. When appearing on NFL Total Access last week, Forte reluctantly admitted that he did not expect Chicago to offer him a contract extension. We can all understand why as Forte is about to turn 30 years of age and the team has talent behind him on the depth chart, in Jeremy Langford and KaDeem Carey. Both Langford and Carey looked great Sunday against San Francisco. Keep an eye out for Forte to land in Baltimore to re-unite with Marc Trestman.
For those wondering about San Francisco tailback Carlos Hyde, your hopes are dwindling … and quickly. On Monday, coach Jim Tomsula conceded that Hyde (foot) might not return from his foot injury this season. In the land of dynasty leagues, Hyde makes a great buy low this coming offseason. Hopefully, the offensive line will be improved … as well as the rest of the lackluster offense.
Also in the “buy low” category, we like Panthers receiver Kelvin Benjamin. Benjamin tore his ACL in training camp. The good news is that Benjamin has been off crutches for two months now and is progressing well. We like the Panthers' star to regain his team's top receiving role next season. Quarterback Cam Newton has been playing at a Pro Bowl level this season and could possibly be able to buoy Benjamin up to fantasy WR1 status.
We were asked about players who might be decent waiver wire pickups this time of year who could pay off this offseason. Below are a few who will be available in different leagues:
Jimmy Garoppolo – The “deflategate” proceedings did not go away, they just were pushed off one season. Also, the Patriots would have all of their weapons back for next year. In addition, Tom Brady is quickly approaching 40 years of age. There is no telling when he might retire. Having his unquestioned backup rostered offers plenty of upside.
Robert Griffin III III – We fully expect Griffin to vie for a starting gig in 2016. He will be out of Washington and the lack of viable NFL quarterbacks will give the affable Griffin a shot at viability once again. He was QB7 as a rookie and could manage a top 15 finish if in the right situation.
Colin Kaepernick – Kaepernick was able to lead the 49ers deep into the playoffs under the direction of coach Harbaugh. Another coaching staff will want to take a chance on Kaepernick. He did finish as QB11 and QB16 the past two seasons (2013 and 2014, respectively). There is upside in this waiver pickup.
Chase Daniel – In very deep leagues, Daniel is worth a stash. He could emerge in 2016 or 2017. Daniel is a player who has flashed in the preseason but does not get many regular season opportunities.
KaDeem Carey – As stated above, we do not expect Matt Forte back in Chicago. This will leave Jeremy Langford and Carey to carry the load. Carey has been inconsistent as a pro, but could excel in year three. His high points give hope that Carey could emerge as a complement to Langford in the Bears backfield.
Charles Sims – Sims has played the change-of-pace role behind Doug Martin. With Martin expected to leave in free agency, Sims could see his stock soar this offseason. He is a name to remember.
Khiry Robinson – Robinson was lost for a the season a couple of months ago. He has been a forgotten back in most leagues. Many forget Robinson's hard-running style and ability to push the pile. There is a chance that Mark Ingram leaves in free agency so Robinson could be valuable.
Rashad Greene Sr – Greene has been oft-injured his rookie season. We like his chances of becoming the sure-handed slot receiver in Jacksonville. Greene was able to catch a touchdown pass this past week against Tennessee. We expect him to quickly gain the trust of quarterback Blake Bortles.
Victor Cruz – Keep an eye out for Cruz to hit the waiver wire. There are many frustrated fantasy owners as Cruz did not set foot on the field as he recovered from a 2014 injury.
J.J. Nelson – Nelson is smaller, but electric. He is one of the fastest players in the NFL. Given the way the Cardinals utilize their wide receiver corps down the field, Nelson could emerge into a fantasy option if Michael Floyd leaves gets released due to his $7 million salary. Nelson made a great touchdown grab in the victory over the Rams Sunday. His play-making ability will be tough to keep on the sideline.
Paul Richardson Jr – Richardson is very fast and will add another dimension to the Seattle offense if he can ever get healthy. He is the type o player who could make a big impact next year if fully healthy.
Chris Conley – Conley has slowly worked his way onto the field in Kansas City. Andy Reid is not known for starting rookies early on so keep an eye on Conley as he plays sporadically the last few games. He is a great size/speed specimen who needs to learn the nuances of playing wide receiver.
Jesse James – James is a tall tight end who has begun to play more due to his blocking ability. In fact, James played a lot on Sunday night as Heath Miller missed the game, and was the focal point of the offense early in the contest. Miller is under contract for one more season so James could become the Steelers 2017 starting tight end if he continues to develop.
Blake Bell – We expect Bell to be the 49ers starting tight end for the 2016 season. He is a converted quarterback who needed a year playing in the shadows of Garrett Celek and Vance McDonald.
We would also advise trying to trade for Josh Gordon, Breshad Perriman, Tony Romo, and Kevin White, as well as all underwhelming youngsters. Always look to buy when others are down on a player.
Feel free to email me (Tefertiller@Footballguys.com) with feedback. Also, I am on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/JeffTefertiller), LinkedIn, and Google+, so you can ask me questions on one of these as well.