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Shuffle Up: Quarterback and wideout prices, rest of season

Traveling Matt (Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports)
Traveling Matt (Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports)

The Shuffle Up series is all about value to come. What's happened to this point is merely an audition. How would you rank the players if you were starting from fresh today? (These are not Week 9 ranks; if you need those, please click here.)

The dollar values are merely comparison tools; they're not assembled in any scientific way. Players at the same position are considered even. We're aiming to illustrate tiers, show where the pockets of value are.

[Join FanDuel.com's $3M Week 9 fantasy league: $25 to enter; top 26,405 teams paid]

You'll disagree with some things (perhaps many things) because that's why we have a game in the first place. Share your respectful disagreement in the comments. (Running backs and tight ends are shuffled in the even weeks.)

$31 Peyton Manning
$30 Andrew Luck
$29 Aaron Rodgers
$27 Drew Brees
$24 Tom Brady
$23 Russell Wilson
$22 Philip Rivers
$21 Cam Newton
$21 Matthew Stafford
$21 Jay Cutler
$21 Colin Kaepernick
$20 Nick Foles

Stafford is expected to get the Megatron bump after the buy, but are we sure Johnson will return to full throttle? And how much scoring will Detroit routinely need now that it's sitting on an elite defense? I don't own Stafford anywhere, and I'm not looking to get on board now. Inconsistent mechanics, no rushing bump . . . Wilson's had his share of inconsistency: four showings 15th or lower, offset by a 1, 2 and 7. But two of the mediocre showings came in the first two weeks, and he's getting more leash on the offense of late. It's his offense now, not Marshawn Lynch's, and the passing game is better with Doug Baldwin in the slot and Percy Harvin out of town.

I recognize Newton has become a trendy buy-low, what with the friendly schedule to come, but he's someone I find very difficult to trust. Here's my friend Rich Hribar with an interesting way of framing it:

When Newton is on his game, I don't think poor matchups really faze him. But when he's airmailing throws or seeing a fuzzy picture (did you catch his lollipop throw to Jerricho Cotchery last night? should have been a touchdown), a cushy draw won't boost him. He's a knuckleballer, and a frustrating commodity to own. Scam Newton, indeed.

$18 Carson Palmer
$18 Matt Ryan
$17 Ben Roethlisberger
$14 Ryan Tannehill
$14 Tony Romo
$13 Andy Dalton
$12 Joe Flacco
$12 Robert Griffin III
$12 Eli Manning
$10 Alex Smith
$9 Kyle Orton

Tip of the cap to Washington head coach Jay Gruden: somehow the Redskins have the best team YPA in the league, an amazing stat given that three quarterbacks have played. Sure, DeSean Jackson is a huge part of that, but it also speaks to how well Gruden is scripting big plays. That said, I wonder why they're rushing Griffin back for Week 9 - why not give him another week, plus the bye, then attack things in Week 11? It's not like they're going anywhere this season anyway.

$7 Blake Bortles
$7 Mike Glennon
$6 Ryan Fitzpatrick
$6 Austin Davis
$6 Teddy Bridgewater
$5 Derek Carr
$4 Michael Vick
$4 Zach Mettenberger
$3 Brian Hoyer
$2 Johnny Manziel
$1 Jake Locker
$1 Josh McCown
$1 Geno Smith
$1 Jimmy Clausen
$1 Mark Sanchez

Just how messy is the Week 9 bye week? Consider these nuggets collected by our friends at Automated Insights.

-- Of the seven QBs to have averaged at least 16 pts/gm before their Bye, five are off in Week 9

-- Of the six WRs to have averaged at least 11 pts/gm before their Bye, four are off in Week 9

-- Of the three TEs to have averaged at least 8 pts/gm before their Bye, two are off in Week 9

And of course it's no picnic at running back, with Forte and Lacy on the sidelines (and Gio Bernard in limbo).

And here are your wideouts:

$32 Demaryius Thomas
$32 Antonio Brown
$30 Jordy Nelson
$28 Randall Cobb
$28 Dez Bryant
$27 Calvin Johnson
$27 T.Y. Hilton
$25 Emmanuel Sanders
$25 Julio Jones
$24 Jeremy Maclin
$23 Kelvin Benjamin
$23 DeSean Jackson
$22 Golden Tate
$22 Sammy Watkins
$22 A.J. Green
$22 Alshon Jeffery
$22 Brandon Marshall

Smaller receivers get bashed in a lot of arenas, but if they're used as goal-line and red-zone weapons, successfully at that, what do we care? Just take the points. Brown is third in red-zone targets among wideouts, while Cobb is fifth and Smith is ninth. If you want to push things inside the 10, Brown is first, Cobb tied for third, Smith tied for 12th.

Watkins in the EJ Manuel starts 17 catches on 32 targets, 197 yards, 11.6 YPC, 3.8, two touchdowns. Watkins in the Kyle Orton starts: 21 catches on 35 targets, 393 yards, 18.7 YPC, 7.5 YAC, three touchdowns. He was the No. 5 fantasy wideout in October.

$18 Steve Smith
$18 Mike Wallace
$15 Brandon LaFell
$15 Keenan Allen
$15 Andre Johnson
$14 Michael Floyd
$14 Larry Fitzgerald
$14 DeAndre Hopkins
$14 Roddy White
$14 Pierre Garcon
$13 Terrance Williams
$12 Mike Evans
$12 Vincent Jackson
$12 Doug Baldwin
$11 Andre Holmes
$11 Odell Beckham Jr.
$11 Eric Decker
$10 Rueben Randle
$10 Mohamed Sanu
$10 Josh Gordon$10 Michael Crabtree
$10 Cordarrelle Patterson

Gordon's value is whatever you want it to be. Obviously he won't be playing until Week 12, and who's to say how valuable he'll be right out of the box. Timing matters. Do you like how the Browns utilized Jordan Cameron over the first two months? If I were starting from scratch right now - that's what this exercise is supposed to be - I'd take the Play For Today approach and want someone who could help me win in every week (or every week minus one, for a bye). I see the pro-Gordon angles, like most of us do, but generally I think it's a mistake to get that occupied with a slow-developing stock. I'm not going to assume miracles right away.

Johnson owners have to deal with a mediocre QB and a lack of touchdowns, but they can't argue about the opportunity. The Texans don't use a third receiver or tight end much, and with that, Johnson has a 33.5 target percentage, tops at the position. Some other interesting market-share cases: Andrew Hawkins, 28.6 percent (he's sixth among wideouts); Vincent Jackson, 27.8 percent (seventh); Doug Baldwin, 24.9 percent (T-15, and likely going up).

$9 Brandin Cooks
$9 Allen Robinson
$9 Julian Edelman
$8 James Jones
$8 Percy Harvin
$7 Anquan Boldin
$7 John Brown
$7 Davante Adams
$7 Marques Colston
$6 Malcom Floyd
$6 Andrew Hawkins
$6 Torrey Smith
$6 Dwayne Bowe
$6 Justin Hunter
$5 Martavis Bryant
$5 Jordan Matthews
$5 Jermaine Kearse
$4 Reggie Wayne
$4 Robert Woods
$4 Wes Welker
$4 Kendall Wright
$4 Cecil Shorts
$4 Kenny Britt
$4 Donte Moncrief

If I knew Matthews would out-snap Cooper the rest of the way, I'd chase him into double digits. Same case with Moncrief and Nicks . . . Welker and Wayne are waiver-wire fodder in a lot of medium and shallow leagues, chain-moving guys who rarely do anything downfield or around the goal . . . Adams is a viable flex option many weeks because the Packers basically run three-wide as their offensive staple. And, of course, the presence of Rodgers is a major boost . . . I've been guilty of making excuses for Hunter, but maybe the QB switch will amount to something exciting after the bye. That said, Ken Whisenhunt has done a horrendous job of judging and utilizing his talent thus far in 2014.

$3 Kenny Stills
$3 Jerricho Cotchery
$3 Greg Jennings
$3 Jarius Wright
$3 Brandon Lloyd
$3 Stedman Bailey
$2 Eddie Royal
$2 Jarvis Landry
$2 Riley Cooper
$2 Tavon Austin
$2 Stevie Johnson
$2 Miles Austin
$2 Louis Murphy
$1 Brian Hartline
$1 Harry Douglas
$1 Chris Hogan
$1 Preston Parker
$1 Allen Hurns
$1 Paul Richardson
$1 Nate Washington
$0 Andre Roberts
$0 Donnie Avery

Yes, I know Denard Robinson has dual eligibility, but I'm going to rank him as a running back, for two reasons. One, he has more value there in most leagues, and two, I don't want to give a reactive "new week, new rank" price him - I want two weeks to marniate over his new price, like everyone else gets. So if you want a Robinson price, you'll have to wait until next week. If you want to know his Week 9 value at either position, that we have for you in our standard ranking area.