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Fantasy football veterans know the turnover nature of the National Football League and how quickly the fortunes of teams can change. Depth charts become littered with injuries, or in other cases, a single injury can upset the dynamic of an entire unit.
With that in mind, here is a look at a handful of fantasy players with upcoming schedules to exploit and avoid.
Quarterbacks
Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs (▲)
Fresh off a bye, the schedule sets up beautifully for Smith over the next six weeks with each opponent checking out as a favorable matchup. Oakland, Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Carolina all rank among the top-10 teams in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks, and New Orleans and Tampa Bay aren't worrisome opponents, either.
Smith also has a sneaky cast of playmakers around him with a healthy Jamaal Charles joining Jeremy Maclin, Travis Kelce and Spencer Ware. Additionally, Smith's rushing ability is a nice bonus that's often overlooked.
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles (▼)
It isn't a doomsday slate, but the freshman has three division foes along with the Vikings, Seahawks, Packers and Bengals in seven of his next eight outings. None are inside the top 10 in points allowed to quarterbacks.
The only bright spot is a date with Atlanta in Week 10, as the Falcons are the friendliest fantasy defense to signal callers. However, as teams gather more film on Wentz, expect coaches to develop better schemes to exploit his vulnerabilities. Don't be shocked if the rookie crashes over the coming weeks.
Running Backs
Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (▲)
With a Week 6 bye, Martin will be over a month removed for the hamstring injury he sustained during Week 2. He returns to a dreamy run of games with high-end matchups in six of his next 10 games and just two tough tests (Seattle and Dallas).
The 49ers, Raiders, Chiefs, Chargers and Saints (Martin draws them twice) are all ranked among the top-10 teams in fantasy points allowed to running backs, and Atlanta and Chicago are middle-of-the-pack tests. Additionally, Charles Sims is out with a knee injury, so Martin should return and grab a significant share of backfield snaps immediately.
Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns (▼)
Accepting Crowell's Week 5 showing (22 rushing yards on 13 attempts) as a sign of things to come is advised. Cleveland doesn't face a defense inside the top 10 in fantasy points allowed to running backs until Week 16 against the Chargers. Crowell faces the Titans (28th-best matchup), Bengals (16th), Jets (22nd), Cowboys (29th) and Ravens (31st) over the next five weeks.
However, the disastrous quarterback situation and likelihood of a weekly negative game script for the running game are also part of the equation for Crowell. Plus, Duke Johnson Jr. is also going to see plenty of snaps. Taking 75 cents on the dollar is advised.
Wide Receivers
Robert Woods, Buffalo Bills (▲)
Woods has two strings of juicy matchups sandwiching a tough stretch from Week 8 through 11 (Patriots, Seahawks, bye week, Bengals). Dates with San Francisco and Miami precede the rough patch, and through the fantasy stretch drive, Woods has plus matchups against Jacksonville, Oakland, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Miami.
Woods has received a healthy portion of the target share over the past three weeks with 24 looks. He hasn't taken advantage of his recent boost in opportunity (15 receptions for 166 yards the past three games) or found the end zone. Still, consistent volume is an underrated component to fantasy success, and Woods offers a respectable floor with a dash of upside.
Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers (▼)
Five touchdowns have hidden some of the ineffectiveness of Nelson's game to start the season, as the veteran receiver has hauled in just 21 of 40 targets (52.5 percent) with his lowest yards per catch (11.6) since his rookie season in 2008. He's also coming off an outing where he caught just four of 13 targets.
The schedule toughens up, too. The Packers have only one game against a team in the top 10 of fantasy points allowed to wide receivers left, whereas the Cowboys, Titans, Eagles, Texans, Seahawks and Vikings rank among the toughest matchups for receivers. With negative regression in the TD column looming and a difficult schedule ahead, Nelson is a prime sell candidate.
