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Here are the award-winning Fantasy Revelations from the Sunday portion of Week 4, with Peyton Manning, Arian Foster and Victor Cruz grabbing a healthy portion of the spotlight:
1. There is no trade price 'too high' for Peyton Manning right now. If you're seriously thinking about dealing Manning (327 yards passing, four TDs vs. Philly), for various reasons, that's cool.
Just be vigilant in your demands for three certifiable stars in return — in the form of one elite-level running back, one top-five receiver and a top-six quarterback to cushion the blow of losing someone who's on pace for 5,880 yards passing and 64 touchdowns (both NFL records, if realized).
And just for kicks, make Owner B swap defenses, kickers or tight ends — as part of a 4-for-2 or 5-for-3 blockbuster — if his/her squad enjoys a definitive advantage in one or two areas.
And for the love of former NBC TV analyst Pete Axthelm ... please advertise Manning's availability to every GM in the league before executing any trade.
Peyton's greatness represents a rare and glorious opportunity to dominate the competition in a market-driven, highest-bidder-wins setting.
2. With Reggie Bush (173 total yards, one TD vs. Chicago) wreaking havoc as a dual threat, maybe the Lions don't need a classically trained No. 2 receiver.
This is in response to Detroit reportedly chasing Hakeem Nicks, Kenny Britt or any other disgruntled wideout, via trade, who could replace the injured Nate Burleson (broken arm) and help Ryan Broyles (zero catches on Sunday) develop without the weekly pressure of distracting defenders from Calvin Johnson (four catches, 44 yards, one TD).
3. Not that you were seeking such approval ... but fantasy owners now have permission to start Steelers rookie Le'Veon Bell in all scoring leagues, regardless of league size.
In his NFL debut, Bell (84 total yards, two TDs vs. Minnesota) flashed the requisite speed, quickness and explosion of a RB2 or entrenched flex option.
For good measure, he even collected four catches, five targets and 27 receiving yards for a Steelers offense that has shown signs of life in recent weeks, albeit in defeat.
Of equal importance, the other Pittsburgh options at running back (Felix Jones, Jonathan Dwyer, Isaac Redman) are duds. So, Bell has that going for him ... which is nice.
4. Browns tight end Jordan Cameron (10 catches, 91 yards, one TD) is living proof that you don't need the support of a quality running game or top-flight passer to be superb in the fantasy realm.
Three outings of double-digit targets? Four games of crossing the PPR-elite threshold of six catches, 95 yards and/or one TD? A league-best five touchdowns (among tight ends)? Wow.
5. Fantasy owners should move heaven and earth to acquire Eagles QB Michael Vick over the next four days.
Embrace this window of Vick's stock taking a temporary hit from Sunday's no-touchdown effort.
For the next seven weeks, Vick (289 total yards vs. Denver) has an unimpeded and glorious slate of opponents — the Giants (twice), Bucs, Cowboys, Raiders, Packers and Redskins.
1. We've spent a lot of time in recent weeks (unnecessarily) defending the fantasy honor of Arian Foster (171 total yards, one TD vs. Seattle). But there will be no gloating here today. Just a simple fact-based reminder for the masses:
Of Foster's last 10 games of 18 or more touches, including the playoffs, he's averaging 122 total yards and one touchdown.
2. Dez Bryant (six catches, 81 yards, two TDs vs. San Diego) hasn't lost any mojo from the latter half of last season, when he pulled down 50 catches, 873 yards and 10 touchdowns from Weeks 9-17.
However, it's worth noting that QB Tony Romo (244 yards passing, two TDs) has now endured five straight starts without eclipsing 300 yards passing — his longest stretch since 2011.
3. There is no defense for Bucs tailback Doug Martin, my No. 2-ranked tailback during the preseason, needing 30 touches (27 carries) to produce just 61 yards.
Yes, the Cardinals have a better-than-average defense, but Martin just doesn't have the spark or speed of a prized fantasy commodity.
At least that's the perception from TV, which can sometimes be skewed.
That aside, with rookie QB Mike Glennon (193 yards passing, one TD vs. Arizona) killing time as a work-in-progress starter ... Martin's buy-low value on the trade market might never be lower.
The kid could be had in a simple 1-for-1 swap ... so make it work.
4. Let's wait until Justin Blackmon gets settled in (off a four-game suspension), before comparing the 2013 Jaguars (31 total points in four games) to the 1992 Seahawks or 1976 Buccaneers.
On the flip side, we don't need more time to consign Maurice Jones-Drew (28 total yards vs. Indy) to that uncomfortable purgatory of Too bad to start in 12-team leagues ... and too good to drop altogether.
5. It doesn't reflect well on Russell Wilson, the burgeoning fantasy star, when Marshawn Lynch (143 total yards, one TD vs. Houston) leads the Seahawks in catches (three) and receiving yards (45).
Of his last 10 games, including last year's playoffs, Wilson (200 total yards vs. Houston) accounted for less than 200 yards passing or zero or one touchdown six times.
1. It may be time to execute a sell-high trade with Giants wideout Victor Cruz — in standard-scoring leagues.
Yes, Cruz (10 catches, 164 yards, one TD) posted his third 100-yard outing against the Chiefs (and fourth overall touchdown), but the Giants offense is simply too schizophrenic to trust for the foreseeable future.
In other words, the numbers might be there at the end of the season; but Cruz likely has two or three clunkers of three catches/38 yards on the docket.
As for PPR leagues, what's the rush in surrendering a guy with 43 total targets? (Oh, the hypocrisy!)
2. Torrey Smith (five catches, 166 yards, one TD vs. Buffalo) has finally earned 'default-setting' status as a weekly top 20 receiver.
These are the perks reserved for a clear-cut WR1 (on his own team) with four straight weeks of eight-plus outings and 85 or more receiving yards.
It also helps that QB Joe Flacco (347 yards passing, two TDs) has averaged 56 passes on the road this season.
3. Kansas City's Dwayne Bowe (four catches, 58 yards, one TD on Sunday) cannot sustain as a top-20 receiver with Alex Smith (325 total yards, three TDs) at quarterback.
Bowe's targets and receptions tallies are on the decline ... and it's been a full season since he notched 100 yards.
4. I really wanted Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton (five catches, 48 yards vs. Jacksonville) to enjoy a monster outing ... just so I wouldn't have to answer more "walking boot" questions from the Twitter masses.
But let's address the subject anyway: For 99.9999999 percent of the cases, NFL players with foot or ankle maladies don walking boots — from Monday to Saturday — as purely precautionary measures.
It's not like regular people roaming the streets in a specially designed boot, as a means of transitioning from crutches or canes to standard weight-bearing mobility.
In other words, there are no residual worries with Hilton (30 seasonal targets). He's the third-best option for a progressive offense that's averaging 26 points per game, without really firing on all cylinders yet.
5. From a fantasy perspective, Jets quarterback Geno Smith (296 total yards, one TD vs. Tennessee) is slowly gaining trust as a QB2 option in 12-team leagues.
From a real-world standpoint, rookie or not, I would have trouble supporting a passer who doesn't value the ball when protecting his own end zone.
Heck, even Dan Orlovsky knows that surrendering two points to the opposing team 'tis better than six!
