Randall Cobb’s schedule and role make him a target to go after for a playoff run

Next week is the deadline for trades in default Yahoo! leagues and those expecting a playoff run should be trying to bolster their rosters now. There is nothing worse than having a great season and heading into the playoffs with an entire roster of players who will match up against top tier defenses in Weeks 14-16.

Savvy managers will try and take advantage of teams that are out of the running and poach their best players. If you’re in the playoff running though, you need to consider more than just top performing regular season guys. Running with that angle, we have asked our experts to name playoff studs and duds (Weeks 14-16) that should either be targeted in a trade or used as trade bait. Have a read below and start making moves before it’s too late.

Q1. Give us 1 player destined to be a playoff stud (weeks 14-16) that you would target soon in a trade?

RANDALL COBB (WR, GB)
“I really like how the stretch run could shape out for Cobb. Trying to trade for Jordy Nelson might be a tad ambitious, but I think trying to swing a deal to land Cobb for the final few weeks is something worth putting some effort into. Not only is Cobb already a weekly top 10 threat, but his schedule to end the year is extremely favorable. From weeks 14-16 he gets the Falcons, Bills and Buccaneers. Atlanta and Tampa Bay can’t stop anyone in any regard, while the Bills are better known for their run defense. Ultimately, all three are bottom-10 units against the pass on the year and specifically give up 23+ fantasy points to wide receivers per game.”
– Kevin Roberts (Breaking Football)

RASHAD JENNINGS (RB, NYG)
“Still out due to injury, Rashad Jennings is well under the radar. Go get him. Andre Williams has disappointed, which will allow Jennings to return to a workhorse role. During Weeks 14-16, Jennings will face off with the Rams, Titans and Redskins. He will have no trouble racking up 300 total yards and at least two scores.”
– Mike Clay (Pro Football Focus)

TONY ROMO (QB, DAL)
Some of the advantageous schedules I found included Chris Ivory’s, Doug Baldwin’s, and Allen Robinson’s, but I’m not sure I trust any of those guys enough to give up anything of value for them, so I’ll go with our old friend, Mr. Tony Romo. I worry about his papier-mâché back, but assuming it holds up, Romo has two cushy matchups against the Bears and Eagles to start his fantasy playoffs. The Eagles sieve-like pass defense has allowed at least two touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks in eight of nine games and the Bears have allowed 14 passing touchdowns over their last five games to opposing quarterbacks. He comes with a bit of a risk attached to him, but if you can get Romo on the cheap (which you should be able to), you could be staring at fantasy gold come playoff time.
– Nick Raducanu (ProjectRoto)

JULIO JONES (WR, ATL)
“He is ‘sruggling’ for sure, given he has fantasy WR1-3 overall upside and talent. However, he is still on pace for 106 receptions for 1,468 and 6TDs. That’s kind of crazy considering how ‘down’ of a year he is having. Buy-low, because I think we’re about to see him explode down the stretch. And, if he doesn’t, that risk is built into his current trade value. It’s no-risk/high-reward.”
– Smitty (Fantasy Football Starters)

ALLEN ROBINSON (WR, JAC)
“I fail to understand why Allen Robinson isn’t more widely owned. Even after a quiet week and not truly being utilized in Week 1, ARob is still the 38th-best receiver on the year, and he leads the Jaguars in targets, receptions and yards. On top of that, the three week slate for the Jags and Robinson is pretty, pretty, preeetttty good: Texans (3rd most FPPG allowed for WRs), Ravens (2nd), Titans (18th).”
– Jake Ciely (RotoExperts)

Q2. On the flip side, name a player you would consider trading since he could be a playoff disappointment? (weeks 14-16)

JEREMY MACLIN (WR, PHI)
“The easy answer here is Darren McFadden since he has three horrible playoff matchups, but since no one will give you any value for Darren McFadden, I’ll go with Jeremy Maclin. I’ll preface this sentence by saying that I like Maclin quite a bit, but he starts his fantasy playoffs with a matchup against Richard Sherman and then follows that up with a matchup against the Cowboys (who are bottom 5 in the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers and have only allowed five touchdowns to opposing wide receivers all year). With Maclin playing like a top 5 receiver (and the mercurial Mark Sanchez taking over at QB for the Eagles), I’d see if you can flip Maclin into a stud at another position. There’s nothing worse than starting your fantasy playoffs with two horrible matchups.”
– Nick Raducanu (ProjectRoto)

“Ok, this is not to suggest that he will bust, however, I think if the price is right, now is the time to cash-in on his top 5 receiver value. He is playing out of his mind, and sure, he could continue his elite play. Given his injury risk and the fact that he lost his QB, it’s just smart fantasy management to explore trade offers. Do not sell-low. Sell-high or don’t sell at all! Something tells me most could sell-high, super-high… Try!”
– Smitty (Fantasy Football Starters)

MARSHAWN LYNCH (RB, SEA)
“I don’t need to get rid of him at all costs, but one player headed for a tough stretch run could be Marshawn Lynch. It’s hard to see it now after a 130+ yard and two-touchdown effort out of him in Week 9 (against the Raiders, mind you), but it’s certainly worth noting those were his first scores since Week 5 and the first time he saw 20+ carries since Week 3. Even if Seattle recommits to Beast Mode like they did last week, his schedule in Weeks 14-16 against the Eagles, 49ers and Cardinals could be brutal. Arizona is the top run defense on the year and the Niners are top 5 overall and typically tough to run on (they’ll be healthier by then too). Philly sounds like a cakewalk, but they’re actually improving, as they’re middle of the pack on the ground overall, but are actually #6 against the run in terms of fantasy points allowed to running backs over their last four games. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with riding into the darkness with Lynch, but if the right deal comes around, you should at least listen.”
– Kevin Roberts (Breaking Football)

CARSON PALMER (QB, ARI)
“Palmer is doing a nice job avoiding turnovers and winning games this season, but he’s going to have his hands full during the fantasy playoffs. The Seahawks, Rams and Chiefs are on tap. If you’re in playoff position and Palmer is your top quarterback option, look elsewhere.”
– Mike Clay (Pro Football Focus)

SHANE VEREEN (RB, NE)
“Send Vereen packing as soon as possible. Heck, do the same with Jonas Gray. How many times does Bill Belichick need to burn fantasy owners for them to stop trusting that backfield? Take the hint people… he’s just not that into you! If the frustration of not knowing which running back will have more value wasn’t enough (heck, it could be James White next week), the Pats’ Week 14-16 run presents no favorable matchups. The Chargers, Dolphins and Jets all rank 14th or tougher for running back FPPG with an average rank of 19.7.”
– Jake Ciely (RotoExperts)

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Thanks to all of our experts for naming playoff studs & duds. For more great information from them, you can follow them on Twitter.