With Week 7 in the books a few teams in particular - Washington, Cleveland and Oakland - will look to adjust after losing multiple players to injury. Like every week, fantasy owners need to not only identify the players thrust into more prominent roles but must access whether they'll have significant fantasy value.
Michael Bush, RB, OAK - Bush will be a highly sought after running back this week after Darren McFadden sprained his right foot in Sunday's tilt against the Chiefs. Bush did a stellar job in relief, finishing with 99 yards on only 17 carries (5.8 YPC). McFadden was seen on crutches Monday and won't be re-evaluated until next week after the Raiders have their Week 8 bye. Should McFadden miss time, Bush would make for a nice low-end No. 1 RB or high No. 2. Keep in mind McFadden has missed at least three games in all three seasons he's been in the league.
Carson Palmer, QB, OAK - The 5.5 YPA and three interceptions without a touchdown is a very ugly stat line from Sunday's game, there's no arguing that. However, there's a ton of upside for the newest member of the Silver and Black. Palmer steps into a situation with a nice set of young wide receivers with a lot of upside. After Sunday's game, Palmer admitted knowing very little of the playbook and with less than a week of practice it was tough to have a lot of chemistry with his receivers. With the bye week coming at a perfect time to address those issues, look for Palmer to have top-12 upside the rest of the way. Keep in mind that he's only 31, which isn't old for a quarterback, and despite sub-par receiving last season he missed throwing for 4,000 yards by 30 yards.
Evan Moore, TE, CLE - Moore's value is directly linked to the health of Ben Watson, who might miss this week's game after sustaining a concussion Sunday. Should Watson be ruled out for Week 8, Moore would make for a sneaky play in most formats. Between Watson and Moore, second-year pro Colt McCoy has targeted his tight ends a whopping 62 times (over 10 per game) this season, including nine times in the red zone. With Mohammed Massoquoi also suffering a concussion, both Moore and rookie Greg Little could see a lot of action against the 49ers.
Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, CLE - Peyton Hillis sidelined with a hamstring injury, Ogbonnaya got eight touches (three carries, five catches) totaling 58 yards. He isn't a player to consider outside of deep PPR leagues but would get a bigger workload should anything happen to Montario Hardesty. Keep an eye on the former Longhorn to see if Sunday's performance has increased his role in the Brown's backfield.
Jabar Gaffney, WR, WAS - With teammate Santana Moss set to miss 5-to-7 weeks with a broken hand, Gaffney will step into the role of the Redskins No. 1 wide receiver. Quarterback John Beck looking a lot more competent than Rex Grossman, Gaffney makes for a good flex or No. 3 wide receiver play while Moss is out. Beck hasn't hesitated to go to Gaffney either as the wide receiver. Gaffney has 18 targets the last two weeks.
Roy Helu Jr., RB, WAS - Mike Shanahan hates fantasy football. There is no other explanation as to why he switched gears, giving Tim Hightower (zero carries the previous week) the full workload and essentially benching Ryan Torain. As fate would have it, a torn ACL has now ended Hightower's season leaving just Torain and Roy Helu to vie for touches at running back. While Torain has received more of the workload over the past three games, Helu looks to be the running back with the higher ceiling. Remember that Torain has a checkered injury history, which isn't surprising given his punishing running style, and that could be a factor at some point. Grab Helu for your bench; just don't be surprised how Shanahan handles the backfield until there is definitive evidence as to which running back will get the bulk of carries.
Antonio Brown, WR, PIT - Brown has had 48 targets this season, good for 26th among wide receivers. He received nine of those targets Sunday, leading to seven catches for 102 yards, the first 100-yard game of his career. While the Cardinals defense has given up 8.2 YPA this season (29th in the league), Brown made some outstanding catches in Sunday's game, including a nifty one-handed grab. The Steelers likely will keep to the air with Rashard Mendenhall only averaging 3.7 YPC. Brown's value would increase even more if Hines Ward (ankle) misses time.
Alfonso Smith, RB, ARI - Beanie Wells a big question mark to play this week, Arizona could turn to Smith to handle the majority of ball-carrying duties. Smith finished with five carries for 17 yards but, more importantly, got the goal-line carry from the one. With Larry Fitzgerald lining up at wide receiver it is unlikely teams will stack the box, which has helped starter Beanie Wells to a 4.6 YPC average this season. While that shouldn't be expected out of Smith, he can be a useful option, especially if you have a running back or two on bye this week.
Kregg Lumpkin, RB, TB - The Buccaneers backfield has been decimated by injuries. LaGarrette Blount missed time due to a knee injury and now Ernest Graham is out for the season after tearing his Achilles'. By default, Lumpkin will have an increased role after Tampa Bay comes off its Week 8 bye. It's still up in the air as to what that role could be; it could be the feature back if Blount is not deemed healthy or Lumpkin, better equipped to handle pass-blocking duties, could be the third-down back. Consider him a reach but someone to at least keep tabs on after the bye week.
Knowshon Moreno, DEN - This isn't a coincidence that Moreno is mentioned right after Lumpkin since the two were teammates at Georgia during college. Moreno has never been too impressive. In 254 rushing attempts as a pro, Moreno only has five carries of more than 20 yards, suggesting a lack of explosiveness. New coach John Fox, who has no ties to Moreno since he didn't draft him, was willing to roll with Willis McGahee as the primary running back, killing any fantasy value for Moreno until this point. This point would be a broken hand for McGahee, who could miss multiple weeks depending on the course of action that's recommended for Willis. As a result, Moreno will be in line for a bigger role in an offense focused on running the ball. Keep track of Lance Ball, too, who would also see an increase in touches.
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