Fantasy Football Mailbag: 10/12/2012

Sep 30, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (7) along the sidelines during the first quarter against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field.The Eagles defeated The Giants 19-17. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Need help with preparing for your fantasy football league? The Fantasy Guru is here once again to give you a few tips on how to play the crazy game of fantasy football.

Through all the twists and turns in the NFL and fantasy, sometimes, you get a mean curveball. Most recently we had the stat change that gave Ben Roethlisberger an extra TD which changed the results in a bunch of leagues as Ben scored at least 4 extra points. When stuff like this happens, it puts in stark contrast how difficult it is to predict what will happen. Still, that’s what we’re here to do and as always there are a bunch of questions from you guys so here’s the five I’ve picked out for this week.

Q: You ranked RG3 low this week – is that just because of the concussion? – Joe from Indianapolis, Indiana

A: That is pretty much it. Quarterback is incredibly difficult to rank on any given week because there are so many QBs who can score well in fantasy depending on matchup, ability, style etc. As an example I ranked Andrew Luck 15th and wasn’t very happy with it but looking at the guys ranked ahead of him it’s not hard to see why. When it came to ranking RG3, the question marks surrounding his concussion are enough that I’ve bumped those I have full confidence in ahead of him. If he weren’t injured, I’d probably rank him 4th or 5th.

Q: I have been trying to trade Michael Vick in my 12 team league but no takers. Who do you think is fair value for him? – Louis Granger from Bridgeport, Connecticut

A: I put Michael Vick in the same basket as Chris Johnson – he is probably worth more on your team than he is in trade. The exception of course is if you have managed to get two good backups who have turned into decent starters – Alex Smith, Christian Ponder, Joe Flacco etc. If I was to put an estimate on it, I’d be looking for someone around the value of say Benjarvus Green-Ellis, Pierre Garcon, DeMarco Murray – the sorts of names where their owners may have become disgruntled at production issues and who may like the idea of taking a shot at a high upside guy like Vick.

Q: Percy Harvin has been awesome so far. I think he’ll score big this weekend against the Redskins. After this week, do you think I should try and sell high or will Harvin keep this up? – Justin Gold from Beaumont, Texas

A: You’re right on at least the first two counts – I surprised myself by naming Percy Harvin as the #2 WR in this week’s rankings. As for him being a sell high, I’m not so sure about that. With the amount of touches he gets rushing, receiving and returning, there’s a whole bunch of fantasy potential in what this guy can bring. I am still a firm believer that Adrian Peterson can’t survive this season and with Toby Gerhart looking less than impressive and the rest of the Vikings receiving corps being unstable and unreliable, Harvin is going to continue to get his looks.

I would also point out that his schedule is fairly favorable too – while he still has to face the Bears twice he also has the Lions, Rams and Buccaneers to look forward to as well as two matchups against the awful Packers secondary. One word of caution however – I would still be a little wary of Harvins previous injury history with soft tissue damage and his migraines. If you trade him, take no less than a top 15 player in return at worst. He’s that good.

Pats 7, 2012; Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) makes an adjustment at the line of scrimmage during the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

Q: I’m in a deep dynasty league where just about everyone is owned but we have standard starters. I have been offered Andrew Luck and Jacquizz Rodgers for Tom Brady. Am I crazy for considering this? – Walt from Chattanooga, Tennessee

A: Short answer – no. Look, Andrew Luck is a transcendent talent in the NFL and considering he’s already performing at a high level fantasy wise he’s a terrific future investment. Tom Brady is as good as they come on the field but he is getting older and you just never know when he might break down. You add a young and highly talented running back like Jacquizz Rodgers to the mix who I believe is one of the highest upside non-starters in fantasy and you have a combination there that could really give your team a big boost fairly soon. Would I personally do this trade? Only in a dynasty but it’s very interesting. Should you do it? If you feel comfortable parting with Brady, I say go for it.

Q: When is the time I should start considering my keeper options for 2013? I’m in a three division 18 team league and I’m 0-5 – Kim London from Albany, New York

A: It’s never too early to consider keepers for the future in the context that when trades are offered to you then you must take into account whether a player involved is a potential keeper or not. However, I would not start making moves to set up your roster for next year this early – not even in the situation you find yourself in.

The main reason for this is pretty simple – you just never know what could happen. For one thing you might suddenly find some of your calls paying off and you get on a winning streak – had that happen to me in leagues and won a championship that way. The other thing is that when you take the attitude of playing for next year you will tend to make trades based on where you think a player will be valued next year. This is faulty strategy in my opinion because player situations change all the time due to injuries, trades, cuts and free agency. Let’s say you trade a bunch of guys for Trent Richardson right now and then on Sunday he tears his ACL which puts next year in jeopardy. You’d be in big trouble. In my opinion, the time to start thinking about next year is 10 days before your league’s trade deadline – that way you have as much information as possible.

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That’s it for another week. Be sure to check out my week 6 rankings to get help with your lineups. Also, you can follow me on Twitter @chrissmithsz as I’m always happy to hear from readers. Finally, be sure to send in more detailed questions for the Fantasy Mailbag to SZSuperLeague@live.com and next week you could end up being featured and your question answered.

Until next time, this is the Fantasy Guru signing off.