Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

With so many options to choose from, sometimes fielding a fantasy lineup can be quite the headache. Obvious are the starts akin to Antonio Brown, Brandon Marshall, Matthew Stafford and the games other bigger names. However, it’s the tough choices – namely the less obvious starts – that will end up winning your league.

Here are a few names you might want to consider:

Ryan Tannehill QB Miami –Tannehill was on the hot seat as recently as a couple weeks ago but then cemented his spot, at least for now, with a strong performance against Oakland when the two teams hooked up in London. Throwing for 278 yards with two touchdowns in the contest, Moore may have gotten his self-confidence back but also comes into this Week 6 matchup well rested after a much needed bye. Tannehill will be at home against Green Bay, and though the Pack has not been too bad against the pass, Miami will most likely be forced to pass as they will probably find themselves trying to play keep up. Confidence, rest and a game that most likely will call for much passing all adds up to Tannehill being on your QB2 radar this week.  

Shane Vereen RB New England – Shane Vereen has been getting increased carries over the past three games and there is no reason to think the trend won’t continue this week when New England goes to Buffalo. He’s always been a pass catching machine and though not as much as expected so far this year, he does have two games with five grabs. The Bills haven’t allowed more than 86 rushing yards to a team so far this season so don’t expect a huge ground game from Vereen. He should still top 60 rushing yards but his big damage could come in New England’s short passing attack. Vereen is a solid RB2 this week.

Emmanuel Sanders WR Denver –The Jets are ranked 25^th against opposing wide receivers - like that even matters with Peyton Manning coming to town. Sanders has 18 catches on 24 targets in his last two games for a whopping 250 receiving yards. 149 of those yards were on the road against a very tough Seattle defense, making Sanders a receiver you’ll want to ride until he cools down – if he ever does. Sanders is a must start in all leagues and will be a WR1 so long as he has Manning throwing him the ball like he has been so far this season.

Brian Quick WR St. Louis – A star in the making, Quick is starting to make some noise in the NFL snagging three touchdowns in his last two games. This week St. Louis gets San Francisco at home and the 49ers defense has not been very scary since losing some key elements in the offseason and suffering a handful of big injuries.There’s always the Austin Davis factor to consider but it seems the two have been on the same page as of late. Quick makes a decent bye week replacement or serviceable WR3 with potential to do more.

Eric Ebron TE Detroit – Many drafted Ebron as a sleeper with high hopes of sneaky value from the tight end position. However, Ebron has not lived up to expectations as of yet. This week Detroit goes up against Minnesota who is currently ranked against opposing tightends. Detroit wants to see Ebron more involved in the offense and this could be the week in a heated division rivalry game. There are plenty of tight ends who I would rather start in a single tight end league, but that doesn’t mean Ebron won’t put up nice numbers. In leagues that start two tight ends, Ebron should be a decent TE2.

It's the end of another exciting week of football which means it's time to put your claims in for available free agents in your fantasy league to strengthen your team. I'll be going over who I think are the top five picks for you to target this week so don't miss out on them. Good luck!

Note: %owned is based on Yahoo! leagues at the time of publication.

5) Nick Foles (PHI) - 26% owned - Philidelphia's passing attack didn't appear to take too much of a hit with Carson Wentz as Nick Foles threw for 237 yards and 4 TDs against the Giants last week. Foles has streamer appeal in week 16 against a mediocre Oakland pass defense.

4) Eric Ebron (DET) - 43% owned -  Ebron has been getting more opportunities the past couple weeks catching 15 of 18 targets for 127 yards a touchdown over that span. There probably isn't a better option available on the wire if you are in need of a tight end streamer.

3) Washington Redskins (WAS) - 35% owned - The Redskins draw the Broncos this week who have no surpassed Cleveland as the team giving up the most fantasy points to opposing defenses. Look for Osweiler to spew a few turnovers in this game.

2) Kerwynn Williams (ARZ) - 35% owned - Williams should continue to see enough touches to put him in the RB2/Flex conversation. He draws a favorable matchup against the Giants this week as they are giving up the 4th most points to opposing running backs.

1) Mike Wallace (BAL) - 40% owned - Another week, another solid performance from Wallace after catching 6 of 10 targets for 89 yards. He now has 27 catches on 45 targets for 400 yards and 2 TDs over his last 6 games and draws a favorable matchup against the Colts this week.

Players I expect to perform at a higher level this week than other experts include: Chris Carson, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Golden Tate, and Eric Ebron. Pay attention to these rankings throughout the week, as they will continue to evolve based on the latest injury updates, news, and player/matchup analysis. Good luck in Week 10 and remember, you can tweet us @drinkfive with any of your lineup questions!