FanDuel: How to stay invested when your yearlong team stinks

Two years ago, Dixon and Heath agreed on a trade that the league vetoed. Dixon lost his cool (understandably, I thought, as vetoes are jerky as all hell). He really wanted to make a trade, so I took advantage of his need and made a trade that netted me Cam Newton, Doug Martin and Tony Gonzalez. Somehow, this one didn't get vetoed.

I kept Martin into last season, letting Newton and Julio Jones go as a result. Last year, of course, was a disaster for Martin, and my team started 1-5 before struggling along to an out-of-the-playoffs 5-8.

• In Week 6, Philip Rivers ($8,500) put up 25 fantasy points on the Oakland Raiders, with 313 yards and three touchdowns. He's been on a slide since, bottoming out in his last game. But that last game was two weeks ago. With the bye week to regroup, I think Rivers makes sense as a strong bounce-back candidate.
• The New York Giants are in the bottom half of defenses against fantasy quarterbacks this season. The only times they've been good are when they hosted Drew Stanton in a game he didn't know he was starting until a couple hours before game time, and Kirk Cousins in full Kirk Cousins mode. Basically, when the Giants face a real NFL quarterback, they're abysmal. Colin Kaepernick ($7,400) has been disappointing, but he's still a real NFL quarterback.
• Doubling down on Mark Sanchez ($6,900). Last week was no fluke.

• The Cincinnati Bengals have looked rough overall of late, but they've actually been more than adequate against quarterbacks -- Joe Flacco put up only four fantasy points against them, Matt Ryan nine, even Andrew Luck only had 19. Drew Brees ($9,300) is in a home game, sure, but that opponent -- and his overall disappointing numbers -- make him tough to invest in at that price.
• He's still a big name, but Matt Ryan ($7,900) hasn't put up more than 15 fantasy points in a game since Week 4. He's nowhere near roster-anchor status.

• The Bengals have a bad habit of occasionally bottoming out, and there appears to be no rhyme or reason to such things. But they do bounce back, and after we saw Jeremy Hill ($6,500) put up impressive numbers two weeks ago and fall on his face last week, I expect it somewhat back to the good Sunday.
• Jerick McKinnon ($5,500) is nine games into his rookie year, and six games into his use as a semi-regular. And he hasn't scored a touchdown yet. Teams don't like doing that to theoretical studs. I bet this is the week he breaks through, especially against a Chicago Bears defense that appears to have no current interest in stopping people.
• Truth be told, I don't actually expect that great a game from Tre Mason ($5,300). But a starting running back at that price point allows you to spend extra elsewhere, and Mason certainly could have a decent game, with the St. Louis Rams going back to Shaun Hill.

• The Kansas City Chiefs haven't given up more than 17 fantasy points in a game to an entire team's group of running backs all season. And obviously Marshawn Lynch will not be repeating his Week 10. Expect a big dropoff for the Seattle Seahawks.
• I don't trust Rashad Jennings ($6,600) this week, but in general this entry is a "beware of recently injured guys." Ryan Mathews, Montee Ball, etc. Weekly fantasy leagues are no time to invest in that type of wild card.

• Even when the Philadelphia Eagles dominated on defense a week ago against Carolina, the Panthers' receivers put up points. Randall Cobb ($8,700) gets to take on that defense this week. He and Jordy Nelson have gone back and forth as Green Bay's most productive receiver all season. It's Cobb's turn.
• Only once since Week 2 have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers held opposing receivers to fewer than 20 fantasy points, including two 50-point games in that time. DeSean Jackson ($8,100) managed production when Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy were throwing him the ball; with Robert Griffin III at the helm, against that defense, he should be strong.
• Speaking of that Carolina receiving production last week, Kelvin Benjamin ($6,600) didn't put up his numbers until garbage time, but that still counts. Far more often than not, he gets his numbers, one way or another.

• Maybe I'm just a spoilsport, but there is absolutely zero way this whole Martavis Bryant ($7,000) thing continues. I do think he'll be a good NFL player in the long term, but I'll bet all sorts of dollars this is the week he doesn't score a touchdown.
• The New England Patriots are better against fantasy wide receivers than you'd guess -- they've allowed only six touchdowns to opposing receivers all year. T.Y. Hilton will get his one way or another, but Reggie Wayne ($6,900) might struggle.

• I tend to assume the hottest players will tail off. It's just how things work. But I'll be damned if I'm going to bet against Rob Gronkowski ($8,100) in this or any week.
• I'm planting my biggest flag of the week in Travis Kelce ($5,900). The Seahawks struggle against tight ends more than against any other position, and with Anthony Fasano either out or limited Sunday, Kelce could see his biggest chunk of playing time of the season. He's going to be on as many rosters as I can fit him.

• The annual tail-off of Martellus Bennett ($6,500) has started -- he averaged 13 fantasy points a game through Week 4, but only 6.4 since. And now he's at less than full strength, but he's still expensive. Steer well clear.

• With the Jacksonville Jaguars off, I have to find new reasons to recommend defenses. And lo, a couple of teams have gone to new quarterbacks this week. The Denver Broncos ($5,200) get to face a St. Louis team that already gives up a lot of points to defenses and now is starting Shaun Hill, who was deemed somehow worse than Austin Davis.
• And the Cleveland Browns ($5,200) get Ryan Mallett and the Houston Texans. Because the history of Tom Brady backups becoming starters is in any way inspiring or motivating.

• There's still something Pavlovian about seeing a defense facing Cleveland and assuming good things will ensue, just as there is something Pavlovian about seeing the Houston ($5,100) defense. But Houston hasn't been anything special this season, while Cleveland has been ridiculously stingy against opposing defenses this season. As in, 2.9 fantasy points a game, including six of nine games at one point or worse.