You know, this past week, my computer died, my life's been a living mess... but there's always a silver lining to everything. I find that the most interesting things in life can be found via the internet. And, much like those interesting things I speak of, I hope you've found you're way here. I'm not a big fan of the big board as Jon is, but I like analyzing match-ups. That being said... scroll down below.
Washington Redskins vs Detroit Lions (PICK: REDSKINS, SPREAD: REDSKINS)
First off, I'm pissed that the Lions are being considered the favorites in this game. As a Redskins fan, I find nothing more insulting than being considered the underdog to the lowly Lions. It's true the Redskins are poor defensively in terms of yards gained, but they give up the 9th fewest points in the league at 19 points per game. The trend with the Redskins is that in victory, they have given up no more than 14 points and in losses have give up no fewer than 27 points. The Lions give up the 7th most yards per game as well as the 9th most points per game. So victory for the Redskins lies in their defense and for the Lions, in their offense. So the Redskins defense needs a lot of turnovers or the Lions offense needs a lot of points.
Like: Donovan McNabb, Matthew Stafford, Ryan Torain, Calvin Johnson, Chris Cooley
Dislike: Jahvid Best, whoever is playing TE for the Lions, any Redskins WR not named Santana Moss
Flip a coin: Santana Moss
Quirky Stat: For his career against the Lions, Donovan McNabb has averaged a 137.9 QB rating, 368.5 YPG, and 3 TD and 0 INT per game. (Think something along those lines will show up again this week?)
Miami Dolphins vs Cincinnati Bengals (PICK: DOLPHINS, SPREAD: DOLPHINS)
The Dolphins can't seem to win at home, and can't lose on the road? I blame the club in their stadium. The Bengals just can't win. Both teams seem to be looking for an identity on each side of the ball. The Dolphins can't run, and the Bengal's defense has been getting mauled in the past couple weeks. That being said, Chad Henne is going to be having a field day with Brandon Marshall against this defense unless they can figure out a way to step up in their secondary. On the other side, Carson Palmer threw for over 400 yards and 3 TDs for the first time since 2006. While it would seem that much of the same could continue, the Falcons had a horrible secondary and I believe the Dolphins secondary is much more of an improvement than the Falcons. Not only that, but the Dolphins defense has found way to win games for this team on the road.
Like: Carson Palmer, Cedric Benson, Brandon Marshall, Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens
Dislike: Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams
Flip a Coin: Chad Henne, Davone Bess, Jordan Shipley
Quirky Fact: Cincinnati has only won this season when their opponent has scored 1 touchdown
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Dallas Cowboys (PICK: COWBOYS, SPREAD: COWBOYS)
The cowboys seemed to play better against the Giants when Jon Kitna was in. Dez Bryant had an amazing game and the Cowboys early on seemed like they would beat the Giants... but their mistakes and offensive line cost them the game. Jacksonville is one of those teams that win close and lose from a far. Quite literally, the win close games, and get blown out in losses. I honestly think that the Cowboys are so pissed off after losing to the Titans, Vikings, and Giants, that they're really looking to destroy the Jags. Not only that, I doubt David Garrard has completely recovered and if he hasn't, his backups are going to get destroyed by the Cowboys defense
Like: Jon Kitna, Maurice Jones-Drew, Felix Jones, Jason Witten, Marcedes Lewis, MilesAustin, Dez Bryant
Dislike: David Garrard, and Jaguars wide receiver
Flip a coin: Marion Barber, Roy Williams
Quirky Fact: The Jaguars give up the second most points per game on defense
You know... while I'm typing this, there is some epic music blasting in the background, provided by Immediate Music. Definitely something to listen to....
Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs (PICK: CHIEFS, SPREAD: BILLS)
I would not count this Bills team out. As Ryan Fitzpatrick said earlier this week, they're going to play opponents tough. Still though, this Chiefs team look sick as a unit. Their run game is unstoppable and the Bills can't stop the run. However, the Bills passing game has looked excellent under Fitzpatrick. Speaking of passing games, Matt Cassel has finally gotten in sync with Dwayne Bowe. I really don't think that the Bills will be able to stop the Chiefs on defense and will have to rely on Ryan Fitzpatrick's arm. However, they will play them tough, so it won't be surprising if this game is 34-28. Also, the Bills were close to beating the Ravens last week, so it's gonna be close.
Like: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Cassel, Thomas Jones, Jamaal Charles, Lee Evans, Steve Jackson, Dwayne Bowe
Dislike: Fred Jackson, C.J. Spiller, any Chiefs WR not named Dwayne Bowe
Flip a coin: Tony Moeaki,
Quirky Fact: Matt Cassel has never thrown a TD against the Bills... wait... WTF?
Carolina Panthers vs St. Louis Rams (PICK: RAMS, SPREAD: PANTHERS)
I'm pick the panthers to beat a 3 pt spread? Yes, yes I am. The Panthers broke the 20 point mark last week for the first time all season and won. Jonathan Stewart should be starting and I'm pretty sure he's gonna rip the Rams defense a new one. However, this is still the Edward Jones Dome and St. Louis has played very well at home this season since their season-opening loss to Arizona. I don't particularly like either team, since they're both terrible, but I'm going with my gut on this one.Some dude named David Gettis had a monster game last week. Was it a once in a lifetime game or is he actually that good? We'll find out this week.
Like: Matt Moore, Steven Jackson, Jonathan Stewart, Danny Amendola, Steve Smith,
Dislike: DeAngelo Williams, any Rams WR not named Danny Amendola, any TEs in this game
Flip a coin: Sam Bradford, David Gettis
Quirky Fact: Carolina has not lost to the Rams since the realignment of the divisions in 2002.
Green Bay Packers vs New York Jets (PICK: JETS, SPREAD: JETS)
I really don't know who in their right mind would pick the Packers. They've had so many injuries, it's not even funny. I'm not going to go into the list, but the Packers need a bye week badly to recuperate. It will be a tough game for the Jets, but they're going to win in the end.
Like: Mark Sanchez, Aaron Rodgers, LaDainian Tomlinson, Greg Jennings, Braylon Edwards, James Jones, Dustin Keller
Dislike: Brandon Jackson
Flip a coin: Shonn Greene, Donald Driver, Santonio Holmes, Donald Lee
Quirky Fact: LaDainian Tomlinson has never scored a rushing TD against Green Bay, but ironically has 3 Receiving TDs
Denver Broncos vs San Francisco 49ers (PICK: BRONCOS, SPREAD: BRONCOS)
Wow... they're starting Troy Smith... would not want to be a san fran receiver in London this weekend. This game is going to blow for the 49ers. This game's key match-up is Kyle Orton vs the 49ers secondary. Whoever wins the match-up, wins the game. I highly doubt anything else will factor into the game. By the way San Fran, you've lost a football game, but be happy! You're baseball team is in the World Series! Clearly I'm tired right now, which is why I'm cutting this in half and only listing the early games today.
Like: Kyle Orton, Frank Gore, Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney
Dislike: Troy Smith, Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter, all 49ers WRs
Flip a coin: Vernon Davis, Demeriyus Thomas, Eddie Royal
Quirky Fact: Kyle Orton had passed for more yards than the opposing QB in every game of the season except for last week when Jason Campbell threw for 6 more yards than Orton.
Will finish this off tomorrow or early Sunday. Til then, peace homies!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Week 8 Fantasy Rankings
We are nearing the halfway mark of the NFL season, which can only mean one thing for us fantasy owners - injuries. Consider yourself very lucky if none of your key players have suffered an injury thus far (I would personally go buy lottery tickets). If you HAVE suffered a blow to your roster, you have just made millions of friends around the country, well, sympathizers at least.
Since I will be the 35,968th sports writer to comment on Tony Romo’s injury, I’ll make it short. He is out 6-8 weeks, which means he will be back on week 13 the earliest, but most likely week 15ish. He should be dropped in all leagues at this time. A couple more injuries to update. Reggie Bush of the NO Saints’ return to this week “doesn’t look good” as he didn’t practice on Wednesday. Donald Brown of the Colts also didn’t practice on Wednesday, with Joseph Addai already out for that game, look for Mike Hart's value to rise against a porous Houston defense. Vince Young and David Garrard both needs to be monitored closely, but at this point their chances of returning look good. Malcom Floyd and Pierre Thomas both will probably miss Sunday’s game, barring a miracle recovery.
Stock on the rise: Dez Bryant, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Darren McFadden, Pierre Garcon, Jason Witten.
Stock on the fall: Miles Austin, Michael Bush, Larry Fitzgerald, Brett Favre, Chris Ivory.
QB:
1. Peyton Manning vs. Houston
2. Philip Rivers vs. Tennessee
3. Drew Brees vs. Pittsburgh
4. Kyle Orton @ San Francisco
5. Aaron Rodgers @ New York Jets
6. Ben Roethlisberger @ New Orleans
7. Tom Brady vs. Minnesota
8. Ryan Fitzpatrick @ Kansas City
9. Carson Palmer vs. Miami
10. Matt Schaub @ Indianapolis
11. Matt Cassel vs. Buffalo
12. Matthew Stafford vs. Washington
13. Jon Kitna vs. Jacksonville
14. Chad Henne @ Cincinnati
15. Donovan McNabb @ Detroit
16. Sam Bradford vs. Carolina
17. Josh Freeman @ Arizona
18. Mark Sanchez vs. Green Bay
19. Vince Young @ San Diego
20. David Garrard @ Dallas
21. Matt Moore @ St. Louis
22. Brett Favre @ New England
23. Jason Campbell vs. Seattle
24. Matt Hassel beck @ Oakland
25. Max Hall vs. Tampa Bay
RB:
1. Frank Gore vs. Denver
2. Adrian Peterson @ New England
3. Chris Johnson @ San Diego
4. Arian Foster @ Indiana
5. Maurice Jones-Drew @ Dallas
6. Rashard Mendenhall @ New Orleans
7. Steven Jackson vs. Carolina
8. Darren McFadden vs. Seattle
9. Jamaal Charles vs. Buffalo
10. LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Green Bay
11. Beanie Wells vs. Tampa Bay
12. Ryan Torain @ Detroit
13. Cedric Benson vs. Miami
14. Felix Jones vs. Jacksonville
15. Knowshon Moreno @ San Francisco
16. Jahvid Best vs. Washington
17. Thomas Jones vs. Buffalo
18. Marshawn Lynch @ Oakland
19. Mike Hart vs. Houston
20. Ronnie Brown @ Cincinnati
21. Ricky Williams @ Cincinnati
22. DeAngelo Williams @ St. Louis
23. BenJarvus Green-Ellis vs. Minnesota
24. Ryan Matthews vs. Tennessee
25. Cadillac Williams vs. Arizona
26. Fred Jackson @ Kansas City
27. Michael Bush vs. Seattle
28. LeGarrette Blount @ Arizona
29. Donald Brown vs. Houston
30. Shonn Greene vs. Green Bay
31. Marion Barber vs. Jacksonville
32. Justin Forsett @ Oakland
33. Danny Woodhead vs. Minnesota
34. Tim Hightower vs. Tampa Bay
35. Brandon Jackson @ New York Jets
36. Jonathan Stewart @ St. Louis
37. Darren Sproles vs. Tennessee
38. Chris Ivory vs. Pittsburgh
39. Mike Tolbert vs. Tennessee
40. C.J. Spiller @ Kansas City
41. Keiland Williams @ Detroit
42. John Kuhn @ New York Jets
43. Derrick Ward @ Indianapolis
44. Ladell Betts vs. Pittsburgh
45. Deji Karim @ Dallas
46. Brian Westbrook vs. Denver
47. Javon Ringer @ San Diego
48. Toby Gerhart @ New England
49. Correll Buckhalter @ San Francisco
50. Kevin Smith vs. Washington
WR:
1. Reggie Wayne vs. Houston
2. Calvin Johnson vs. Washington
3. Randy Moss @ New England
4. Andre Johnson @ Indianapolis
5. Brandon Marshall @ Cincinnati
6. Dwayne Bowe @ Detroit
7. Terrell Owens vs. Miami
8. Greg Jennings @ New York Jets
9. Pierre Garcon vs. Houston
10. Hines Ward @ New Orleans
11. Mike Wallace @ New Orleans
12. Marques Colston vs. Pittsburgh
13. Brandon Lloyd @ San Francisco
14. Percy Harvin @ New England
15. Steve Johnson @ Kansas City
16. Lee Evans @ Kansas City
17. Mike Williams (Tampa Bay) @ Arizona
18. Chad Ochocinco vs. Miami
19. Kenny Britt @ San Diego
20. Dez Bryant vs. Jacksonville
21. Santana Moss @ Detroit
22. Miles Austin vs. Jacksonville
23. Larry Fitzgerald vs. Tampa Bay
24. Steve Smith (Carolina) vs. St. Louis
25. Davone Bess @ Cincinnati
26. Wes Welker vs. Minnesota
27. Deion Branch vs. Minnesota
28. Donald Driver @ New York Jets
29. Patrick Crayton vs. Tennessee
30. Braylon Edwards vs. Green Bay
31. Mike Williams (Seattle) @ Oakland
32. Robert Meachem vs. Pittsburgh
33. Santonio Holmes vs. Green Bay
34. Jabar Gaffney @ San Francisco
35. Danny Amendola vs. Carolina
36. Jacoby Jones @ Indianapolis
37. Michael Crabtree vs. Denver
38. Kevin Walter @ Indianapolis
39. Demaryius Thomas @ San Francisco
40. Nate Burleson vs. Washington
41. Lance Moore vs. Pittsburgh
42. James Jones @ New York Jets
43. Deon Butler @ Oakland
44. Mike Sims-Walker
45. Buster Davis vs. Tennessee
46. Blair White vs. Houston
47. Davis Gettis @ St. Louis
48. Anthony Gonzalez vs. Houston
49. Anthony Armstrong @ Detroit
50. Eddie Royal @ San Francisco
TE:
1. Antonio Gates vs. Tennessee
2. Vernon Davis vs. Denver
3. Jason Witten vs. Jacksonville
4. Zach Miller vs. Seattle
5. Dustin Keller vs. Green Bay
6. Kellen Winslow @ Arizona
7. Chris Cooley @ Detroit
8. Brandon Pettigrew vs. Washington
9. Aaron Hernandez vs. Minnesota
10. Jacob Tamme vs. Houston
11. Tony Moeaki vs. Buffalo
12. Visanthe Shiancoe @ New England
13. Heath Miller @ New Orleans
14. Mercedes Lewis @ Dallas
15. Jermaine Gresham vs. Miami
K:
1. Rob Bironas @ San Diego
2. Neil Rackers @ Indianapolis
3. Sebastian Janikowski vs. Seattle
4. Stephen Gostkowski vs. Minnesota
5. Adam Vinatieri vs. Houston
6. Mason Crosby @ New York Jets
7. Nick Folk vs. Green Bay
8. Ryan Succop vs. Buffalo
9. Olindo Mare @ Oakland
10. Dan Carpender @ Cincinnati
11. Garrett Hartley vs. Pittsburgh
12. Jason Hanson vs. Washington
13. Ryan Longwell @ New England
14. Jeff Reed @ New Orleans
15. Mike Nugent vs. Miami
Def/St:
1. Steelers @ New Orleans
2. Cowboys vs. Jacksonville
3. Jets vs. Green Bay
4. Chiefs vs. Buffalo
5. Packers @ New York Jets
6. Patriots vs. Minnesota
7. Titans @ San Diego
8. Rams vs. Carolina
9. Redskins @ Detroit
10. Seahawks @ Oakland
11. Vikings @ New England
12. Saints vs. Pittsburgh
13. Bengals vs. Miami
14. Broncos @ San Francisco
15. Lions vs. Washington
Since I will be the 35,968th sports writer to comment on Tony Romo’s injury, I’ll make it short. He is out 6-8 weeks, which means he will be back on week 13 the earliest, but most likely week 15ish. He should be dropped in all leagues at this time. A couple more injuries to update. Reggie Bush of the NO Saints’ return to this week “doesn’t look good” as he didn’t practice on Wednesday. Donald Brown of the Colts also didn’t practice on Wednesday, with Joseph Addai already out for that game, look for Mike Hart's value to rise against a porous Houston defense. Vince Young and David Garrard both needs to be monitored closely, but at this point their chances of returning look good. Malcom Floyd and Pierre Thomas both will probably miss Sunday’s game, barring a miracle recovery.
Stock on the rise: Dez Bryant, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Darren McFadden, Pierre Garcon, Jason Witten.
Stock on the fall: Miles Austin, Michael Bush, Larry Fitzgerald, Brett Favre, Chris Ivory.
QB:
1. Peyton Manning vs. Houston
2. Philip Rivers vs. Tennessee
3. Drew Brees vs. Pittsburgh
4. Kyle Orton @ San Francisco
5. Aaron Rodgers @ New York Jets
6. Ben Roethlisberger @ New Orleans
7. Tom Brady vs. Minnesota
8. Ryan Fitzpatrick @ Kansas City
9. Carson Palmer vs. Miami
10. Matt Schaub @ Indianapolis
11. Matt Cassel vs. Buffalo
12. Matthew Stafford vs. Washington
13. Jon Kitna vs. Jacksonville
14. Chad Henne @ Cincinnati
15. Donovan McNabb @ Detroit
16. Sam Bradford vs. Carolina
17. Josh Freeman @ Arizona
18. Mark Sanchez vs. Green Bay
19. Vince Young @ San Diego
20. David Garrard @ Dallas
21. Matt Moore @ St. Louis
22. Brett Favre @ New England
23. Jason Campbell vs. Seattle
24. Matt Hassel beck @ Oakland
25. Max Hall vs. Tampa Bay
RB:
1. Frank Gore vs. Denver
2. Adrian Peterson @ New England
3. Chris Johnson @ San Diego
4. Arian Foster @ Indiana
5. Maurice Jones-Drew @ Dallas
6. Rashard Mendenhall @ New Orleans
7. Steven Jackson vs. Carolina
8. Darren McFadden vs. Seattle
9. Jamaal Charles vs. Buffalo
10. LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Green Bay
11. Beanie Wells vs. Tampa Bay
12. Ryan Torain @ Detroit
13. Cedric Benson vs. Miami
14. Felix Jones vs. Jacksonville
15. Knowshon Moreno @ San Francisco
16. Jahvid Best vs. Washington
17. Thomas Jones vs. Buffalo
18. Marshawn Lynch @ Oakland
19. Mike Hart vs. Houston
20. Ronnie Brown @ Cincinnati
21. Ricky Williams @ Cincinnati
22. DeAngelo Williams @ St. Louis
23. BenJarvus Green-Ellis vs. Minnesota
24. Ryan Matthews vs. Tennessee
25. Cadillac Williams vs. Arizona
26. Fred Jackson @ Kansas City
27. Michael Bush vs. Seattle
28. LeGarrette Blount @ Arizona
29. Donald Brown vs. Houston
30. Shonn Greene vs. Green Bay
31. Marion Barber vs. Jacksonville
32. Justin Forsett @ Oakland
33. Danny Woodhead vs. Minnesota
34. Tim Hightower vs. Tampa Bay
35. Brandon Jackson @ New York Jets
36. Jonathan Stewart @ St. Louis
37. Darren Sproles vs. Tennessee
38. Chris Ivory vs. Pittsburgh
39. Mike Tolbert vs. Tennessee
40. C.J. Spiller @ Kansas City
41. Keiland Williams @ Detroit
42. John Kuhn @ New York Jets
43. Derrick Ward @ Indianapolis
44. Ladell Betts vs. Pittsburgh
45. Deji Karim @ Dallas
46. Brian Westbrook vs. Denver
47. Javon Ringer @ San Diego
48. Toby Gerhart @ New England
49. Correll Buckhalter @ San Francisco
50. Kevin Smith vs. Washington
WR:
1. Reggie Wayne vs. Houston
2. Calvin Johnson vs. Washington
3. Randy Moss @ New England
4. Andre Johnson @ Indianapolis
5. Brandon Marshall @ Cincinnati
6. Dwayne Bowe @ Detroit
7. Terrell Owens vs. Miami
8. Greg Jennings @ New York Jets
9. Pierre Garcon vs. Houston
10. Hines Ward @ New Orleans
11. Mike Wallace @ New Orleans
12. Marques Colston vs. Pittsburgh
13. Brandon Lloyd @ San Francisco
14. Percy Harvin @ New England
15. Steve Johnson @ Kansas City
16. Lee Evans @ Kansas City
17. Mike Williams (Tampa Bay) @ Arizona
18. Chad Ochocinco vs. Miami
19. Kenny Britt @ San Diego
20. Dez Bryant vs. Jacksonville
21. Santana Moss @ Detroit
22. Miles Austin vs. Jacksonville
23. Larry Fitzgerald vs. Tampa Bay
24. Steve Smith (Carolina) vs. St. Louis
25. Davone Bess @ Cincinnati
26. Wes Welker vs. Minnesota
27. Deion Branch vs. Minnesota
28. Donald Driver @ New York Jets
29. Patrick Crayton vs. Tennessee
30. Braylon Edwards vs. Green Bay
31. Mike Williams (Seattle) @ Oakland
32. Robert Meachem vs. Pittsburgh
33. Santonio Holmes vs. Green Bay
34. Jabar Gaffney @ San Francisco
35. Danny Amendola vs. Carolina
36. Jacoby Jones @ Indianapolis
37. Michael Crabtree vs. Denver
38. Kevin Walter @ Indianapolis
39. Demaryius Thomas @ San Francisco
40. Nate Burleson vs. Washington
41. Lance Moore vs. Pittsburgh
42. James Jones @ New York Jets
43. Deon Butler @ Oakland
44. Mike Sims-Walker
45. Buster Davis vs. Tennessee
46. Blair White vs. Houston
47. Davis Gettis @ St. Louis
48. Anthony Gonzalez vs. Houston
49. Anthony Armstrong @ Detroit
50. Eddie Royal @ San Francisco
TE:
1. Antonio Gates vs. Tennessee
2. Vernon Davis vs. Denver
3. Jason Witten vs. Jacksonville
4. Zach Miller vs. Seattle
5. Dustin Keller vs. Green Bay
6. Kellen Winslow @ Arizona
7. Chris Cooley @ Detroit
8. Brandon Pettigrew vs. Washington
9. Aaron Hernandez vs. Minnesota
10. Jacob Tamme vs. Houston
11. Tony Moeaki vs. Buffalo
12. Visanthe Shiancoe @ New England
13. Heath Miller @ New Orleans
14. Mercedes Lewis @ Dallas
15. Jermaine Gresham vs. Miami
K:
1. Rob Bironas @ San Diego
2. Neil Rackers @ Indianapolis
3. Sebastian Janikowski vs. Seattle
4. Stephen Gostkowski vs. Minnesota
5. Adam Vinatieri vs. Houston
6. Mason Crosby @ New York Jets
7. Nick Folk vs. Green Bay
8. Ryan Succop vs. Buffalo
9. Olindo Mare @ Oakland
10. Dan Carpender @ Cincinnati
11. Garrett Hartley vs. Pittsburgh
12. Jason Hanson vs. Washington
13. Ryan Longwell @ New England
14. Jeff Reed @ New Orleans
15. Mike Nugent vs. Miami
Def/St:
1. Steelers @ New Orleans
2. Cowboys vs. Jacksonville
3. Jets vs. Green Bay
4. Chiefs vs. Buffalo
5. Packers @ New York Jets
6. Patriots vs. Minnesota
7. Titans @ San Diego
8. Rams vs. Carolina
9. Redskins @ Detroit
10. Seahawks @ Oakland
11. Vikings @ New England
12. Saints vs. Pittsburgh
13. Bengals vs. Miami
14. Broncos @ San Francisco
15. Lions vs. Washington
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Really? GTFOs!
I think the first Really? GTFO belongs to my laptop, which decided to eff uup on me Friday. Really? Are you kidding me? Then ten minutes before the 7pm deadline for weekly hockey rosters, it goes kaput. Anyways, moving on the Really? GTFOs of the week.
1. Buffalo Bills Passing Game
By far the biggest Really? GTFO! Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for almost 375 yards and 4 TDs! He had two receivers go beserk on this Ravens secondary that just welcomed back Ed Reed. Lee Evans went 105 yards with 3 TDs and Steve Johnson went 158 yards with 1 TD. Against the Ravens? Really? GTFO!
2. Carson Palmer and his wide receivers
Congratulations, you finally had a breakout game with over 400 yards and 3 TDs. Last time he did that was in 2006 when they lost to the Chargers. Jordan Shipley, Chad Ochocinco, and Terrell Owens all had nice games for fantasy owners. Right now, if you're going against the Falcons, start the #1, 2, and 3 receivers. In the three games that QBs have gone for over 300 yards, The Falcons secondary is garbage, they've been torn up so much by solid QBs, this is the third game this season a QB has gone for 300 yards and 3 TDs. The guys who didn't are Alex Smith, Seneca Wallace, Derek Anderson, and Charlie Batch.
3. The only Falcon flying high... RODDY WHITE!
200 yards, 2 TDs, and single-handedly won the game for the ATL against the Bengals! He trashed the Bengals secondary before this game and backed up his talk with his performance. First 200 yard game of the year and first since week 5 last season!
4. Redskins Defense
The Redskins defense has been getting trashed a lot this season, however, against the Bears, they did what the Giants couldn't do, force 5 Jay Cutler turnovers. I predicted at the beginning of the year, that Cutler would have an awesome September and you should trade him in October for max value... looks like I was right... once again... Also, DeAngelo backed up his talk about being matched up on the team's top WR. He took four picks today including one back to the house to shove it down the throats of the Bears. He single-handedly won the game for the Redskins.
5. KENNY BRITT!
Dude shredded the Dallas D, and now it's the Philly D. He should get arrested every week and sit out the first quarter so he can go berserk every week! Kenny Britt has been phenomenal as of late, scoring a TD in each of the past five games. Move over Nate Washington, Kenny Britt is the #1 receiver in the Music City!
6. Dwayne Bowe
I've never been high on Bowe, mainly because he's got a terrible QB, but it seems like Bowe and Cassel have finally got their connection going. Last week, I would've said it was a fluke, this week, I'm gonna say it's a hot streak. If it goes on next week with another 2 TDs, it's legit.
7. Marques Colston
Because he's been driving fantasy owners crazy since they drafted him. He finally got his first TD, 100 yard receiving game, and double digit receptions, all in the same game! If I told u that back in August, would you have drafted him as high as you did? NO! Expect Colston to start lighting it up down the stretch. Although it was against a Cleveland secondary that, quite frankly, has exceed expectations.
8. The Matt Moore to David Gettis connection?
Really? GTFO! No way Matt Moore gets his first 300 yard game against the 49ers. On top of that David Gettis? WTF? David Gettis? 125 yards? 2 TDs? GTFO! Against the 49ers who haven't give up 300 yards passing to a QB all season? Really? I blame it on the fact nobody knew who David Gettis was. He'll be a trendy pickup, but beware that teams will be covering him from here on out. Try to get Steve Smith (CAR) from other owners, because he's going to be a lot more open from here on out.
9. Todd Heap?
Thought this dude would retire at some point... nope! 2 TDs and 59 yards against a weak Bills secondary. Could be an anomaly, but he's got TDs in back to back games.
10. Forgot to mention Jay Cutler, thank you for being Jay Cutler, once again.
11. RUN DMC IS BACK? GTFO!
Yes, Darren McFadden is back, as I painfully witnessed my opponent murder me with him. 4 touchdowns, 196 combined yards. Yes, RUN DMC is back, and there's going to be hell to pay for players from here on out... unless he's on your fantasy team... then you're going to be a very happy owner.
12. Kyle Orton was held to under 200 yards passing for the first time this season... I wonder how that trade for Cutler worked out? Looks really good right now.
13. San Diego (just the team in general)
You hold your opponent to under 200 total yards, Phillip Rivers goes over 300 yards passing, you dominate every facet of the game except for two things! THE TURNOVER RATIO AND THE SCOREBOARD! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! In case you're wondering how to lose games, the Chargers have the perfect recipes. While we're at it, Rivers is gonna have monster games every week, because his offense keeps turning the ball over and they're always coming from behind!
14. Dez Bryant, because he's that sick
3 TDs, including 1 on a punt-return. This guy was the best receiver in the draft and I'm shocked he fell down to the Cowboys. He's gonna be a great receiver for years to come. The next DeSean Jackson! Maybe...
15. Eli Manning
I hate this guy, but I'll give him props, 4 TDs including at least one to Nicks, Smith, and Manningham as well as over 300 yards. He gets props, even though he threw 3 picks, don't expect this to keep going every week.
Next week's Really? GTFOs will be back on Tuesday
1. Buffalo Bills Passing Game
By far the biggest Really? GTFO! Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for almost 375 yards and 4 TDs! He had two receivers go beserk on this Ravens secondary that just welcomed back Ed Reed. Lee Evans went 105 yards with 3 TDs and Steve Johnson went 158 yards with 1 TD. Against the Ravens? Really? GTFO!
2. Carson Palmer and his wide receivers
Congratulations, you finally had a breakout game with over 400 yards and 3 TDs. Last time he did that was in 2006 when they lost to the Chargers. Jordan Shipley, Chad Ochocinco, and Terrell Owens all had nice games for fantasy owners. Right now, if you're going against the Falcons, start the #1, 2, and 3 receivers. In the three games that QBs have gone for over 300 yards, The Falcons secondary is garbage, they've been torn up so much by solid QBs, this is the third game this season a QB has gone for 300 yards and 3 TDs. The guys who didn't are Alex Smith, Seneca Wallace, Derek Anderson, and Charlie Batch.
3. The only Falcon flying high... RODDY WHITE!
200 yards, 2 TDs, and single-handedly won the game for the ATL against the Bengals! He trashed the Bengals secondary before this game and backed up his talk with his performance. First 200 yard game of the year and first since week 5 last season!
4. Redskins Defense
The Redskins defense has been getting trashed a lot this season, however, against the Bears, they did what the Giants couldn't do, force 5 Jay Cutler turnovers. I predicted at the beginning of the year, that Cutler would have an awesome September and you should trade him in October for max value... looks like I was right... once again... Also, DeAngelo backed up his talk about being matched up on the team's top WR. He took four picks today including one back to the house to shove it down the throats of the Bears. He single-handedly won the game for the Redskins.
5. KENNY BRITT!
Dude shredded the Dallas D, and now it's the Philly D. He should get arrested every week and sit out the first quarter so he can go berserk every week! Kenny Britt has been phenomenal as of late, scoring a TD in each of the past five games. Move over Nate Washington, Kenny Britt is the #1 receiver in the Music City!
6. Dwayne Bowe
I've never been high on Bowe, mainly because he's got a terrible QB, but it seems like Bowe and Cassel have finally got their connection going. Last week, I would've said it was a fluke, this week, I'm gonna say it's a hot streak. If it goes on next week with another 2 TDs, it's legit.
7. Marques Colston
Because he's been driving fantasy owners crazy since they drafted him. He finally got his first TD, 100 yard receiving game, and double digit receptions, all in the same game! If I told u that back in August, would you have drafted him as high as you did? NO! Expect Colston to start lighting it up down the stretch. Although it was against a Cleveland secondary that, quite frankly, has exceed expectations.
8. The Matt Moore to David Gettis connection?
Really? GTFO! No way Matt Moore gets his first 300 yard game against the 49ers. On top of that David Gettis? WTF? David Gettis? 125 yards? 2 TDs? GTFO! Against the 49ers who haven't give up 300 yards passing to a QB all season? Really? I blame it on the fact nobody knew who David Gettis was. He'll be a trendy pickup, but beware that teams will be covering him from here on out. Try to get Steve Smith (CAR) from other owners, because he's going to be a lot more open from here on out.
9. Todd Heap?
Thought this dude would retire at some point... nope! 2 TDs and 59 yards against a weak Bills secondary. Could be an anomaly, but he's got TDs in back to back games.
10. Forgot to mention Jay Cutler, thank you for being Jay Cutler, once again.
11. RUN DMC IS BACK? GTFO!
Yes, Darren McFadden is back, as I painfully witnessed my opponent murder me with him. 4 touchdowns, 196 combined yards. Yes, RUN DMC is back, and there's going to be hell to pay for players from here on out... unless he's on your fantasy team... then you're going to be a very happy owner.
12. Kyle Orton was held to under 200 yards passing for the first time this season... I wonder how that trade for Cutler worked out? Looks really good right now.
13. San Diego (just the team in general)
You hold your opponent to under 200 total yards, Phillip Rivers goes over 300 yards passing, you dominate every facet of the game except for two things! THE TURNOVER RATIO AND THE SCOREBOARD! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! In case you're wondering how to lose games, the Chargers have the perfect recipes. While we're at it, Rivers is gonna have monster games every week, because his offense keeps turning the ball over and they're always coming from behind!
14. Dez Bryant, because he's that sick
3 TDs, including 1 on a punt-return. This guy was the best receiver in the draft and I'm shocked he fell down to the Cowboys. He's gonna be a great receiver for years to come. The next DeSean Jackson! Maybe...
15. Eli Manning
I hate this guy, but I'll give him props, 4 TDs including at least one to Nicks, Smith, and Manningham as well as over 300 yards. He gets props, even though he threw 3 picks, don't expect this to keep going every week.
Next week's Really? GTFOs will be back on Tuesday
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Buy Low Sell High
My weekly ritual involves doing laundry on Sunday morning. Not the most exotic of rituals, but at least it gets the chore out of the way before I head out to catch the games. So, being on a Sunday morning, the Laundromat was almost empty except for me and the elderly storeowner. The Laundromat was not close to my house so I had no choice but to wait there for my stuff to dry. So I began chatting with the storeowner – a Korean man in at least his 70s. I asked him how business was going, and he told me (word for word) “washing business no good, my wife business better, much better.” I asked him what his wife does, and he told me that his wife sold “moneymaking cat”. I was, of course, absolutely befuddled. He then showed me a giant cat made of bronze waving its paw back and forth. Dumbstruck, I asked how she could possibly make money selling these, and he told me “buy low, sell high. Big money!”
On my way home I thought about what he said. Buy low/sell high has become a cliché over time, especially in fantasy. But to hear it from the mouth of a 70-year-old Korean immigrant small business owner was still rather fresh. I couldn’t help but ponder how many people actually obey by this law. After all, for someone to buy low, someone must sell low, right? Who would do that? Who???
I recently completed a trade that sent Brandon Lloyd and Kyle Orton to a friend for Greg Jennings. Of course, I received an earful from my expert friends about how dumb that trade was, with Lloyd on fire and Jennings playing terribly. I just smiled at their concern. Here is my assessment: Brandon Lloyd, 1 of 4 good Denver receivers playing without Knowshon Moreno. With Maroney and Buckhalter unable to run past stick figures on defense, Kyle Orton had to be pass-happy. Out of the 4 receivers, I rate Gaffney as the most reliable, Lloyd as the best deep threat, Thomas the most talented, and Royal decent at all aspects. I knew that with Lloyd’s value at what it is now, and all the factors surrounding his success, now is the time to trade him. Greg Jennings, on the other hand, had 1 problem – he doesn’t get enough targets. That is it. Jennings has talent, we all know that, but after 5 weeks I think most owners were impatient – I would be too. However, with Jermichael Finley’s injury and Jennings’ outburst demand for more involvement, I knew that now is the best time to swing for him. And lo and behold, he breaks out on week 6 with a 6 catches, 133 yards, 1 touchdown performance.
So, how do you find your own buy-lows and sell-highs? First, look at your roster. Do you have a player that is overachieving? A guy you drafted as a sleeper that just came out hitting homers left and right? Another words, do you have your own Brandon Lloyd? A few candidates for sell highs at this point, IMO, are:
Javhit Best: The best time to sell him might already be over. People are beginning to catch on that the rookie is not the beast that we envisioned him to be by week 2. Both of his toes also get injured way more frequently than we are comfortable seeing. However, his name alone and his impression might still be able to swing for a solid WR2 or RB2.
Austin Collie: While I hate to trade away a target that Peyton likes, Peyton just likes too many guys. Wayne, Clark, Garcon, and Collie should be the correct pecking order, so trade away Collie before others come to this realization too. Collie had a nice game today so it shouldn’t be too hard.
LT: Yes he is hot. Boy is LT hot, but don’t let that fool you. He is old for a RB, and he doesn’t have the worst backup in the world either in Shonn Greene. I would sell him now for at least a RB2 if not a low-tier RB1 (Mendenhall, Bradshaw)
Now that you found that one guy or two that you want to trade, you want to aim for someone else’s player that is currently underperforming. It would be nice if your player fits your opponent’s needs, but it doesn’t have to. As long as the deal looks tasty, someone will bite.
Buy Low Candidates:
Peyton Hillis – Yup, he was banged up, had a mediocre game against the Steelers, with Colt McCoy as his QB…blah blah blah…TRADE FOR HIM!!! He will be solid the rest of the way.
Michael Turner – Turner had a subpar game today, and his lack of touchdowns this season is disappointing, but that is why you should jump on the opportunity to acquire him! His owner must be frustrated with Turner somewhat, and although he is injury prone, if you can get him cheap, do not think twice.
Santonio Holmes – He hasn’t had a great game yet, which is great news for you. Santonio was brought to the Jets to be their number 1 receiver, and although he is being currently outplayed by Braylon Edwards…well, it’s Braylon Edwards.
Louis Murphy – Murphy hasn’t had a good game in a while. Perfect, find an owner who is frustrated with him and trade for him. Once Bruce Almighty returns, Murphy is a solid WR3/low tier WR2 as Oakland’s number 1 option in the air.
Mike Williams (TB) – He played hurt today, catching 4 passes for 45 yards. Get him before he puts up the numbers he is fully capable of.
On my way home I thought about what he said. Buy low/sell high has become a cliché over time, especially in fantasy. But to hear it from the mouth of a 70-year-old Korean immigrant small business owner was still rather fresh. I couldn’t help but ponder how many people actually obey by this law. After all, for someone to buy low, someone must sell low, right? Who would do that? Who???
I recently completed a trade that sent Brandon Lloyd and Kyle Orton to a friend for Greg Jennings. Of course, I received an earful from my expert friends about how dumb that trade was, with Lloyd on fire and Jennings playing terribly. I just smiled at their concern. Here is my assessment: Brandon Lloyd, 1 of 4 good Denver receivers playing without Knowshon Moreno. With Maroney and Buckhalter unable to run past stick figures on defense, Kyle Orton had to be pass-happy. Out of the 4 receivers, I rate Gaffney as the most reliable, Lloyd as the best deep threat, Thomas the most talented, and Royal decent at all aspects. I knew that with Lloyd’s value at what it is now, and all the factors surrounding his success, now is the time to trade him. Greg Jennings, on the other hand, had 1 problem – he doesn’t get enough targets. That is it. Jennings has talent, we all know that, but after 5 weeks I think most owners were impatient – I would be too. However, with Jermichael Finley’s injury and Jennings’ outburst demand for more involvement, I knew that now is the best time to swing for him. And lo and behold, he breaks out on week 6 with a 6 catches, 133 yards, 1 touchdown performance.
So, how do you find your own buy-lows and sell-highs? First, look at your roster. Do you have a player that is overachieving? A guy you drafted as a sleeper that just came out hitting homers left and right? Another words, do you have your own Brandon Lloyd? A few candidates for sell highs at this point, IMO, are:
Javhit Best: The best time to sell him might already be over. People are beginning to catch on that the rookie is not the beast that we envisioned him to be by week 2. Both of his toes also get injured way more frequently than we are comfortable seeing. However, his name alone and his impression might still be able to swing for a solid WR2 or RB2.
Austin Collie: While I hate to trade away a target that Peyton likes, Peyton just likes too many guys. Wayne, Clark, Garcon, and Collie should be the correct pecking order, so trade away Collie before others come to this realization too. Collie had a nice game today so it shouldn’t be too hard.
LT: Yes he is hot. Boy is LT hot, but don’t let that fool you. He is old for a RB, and he doesn’t have the worst backup in the world either in Shonn Greene. I would sell him now for at least a RB2 if not a low-tier RB1 (Mendenhall, Bradshaw)
Now that you found that one guy or two that you want to trade, you want to aim for someone else’s player that is currently underperforming. It would be nice if your player fits your opponent’s needs, but it doesn’t have to. As long as the deal looks tasty, someone will bite.
Buy Low Candidates:
Peyton Hillis – Yup, he was banged up, had a mediocre game against the Steelers, with Colt McCoy as his QB…blah blah blah…TRADE FOR HIM!!! He will be solid the rest of the way.
Michael Turner – Turner had a subpar game today, and his lack of touchdowns this season is disappointing, but that is why you should jump on the opportunity to acquire him! His owner must be frustrated with Turner somewhat, and although he is injury prone, if you can get him cheap, do not think twice.
Santonio Holmes – He hasn’t had a great game yet, which is great news for you. Santonio was brought to the Jets to be their number 1 receiver, and although he is being currently outplayed by Braylon Edwards…well, it’s Braylon Edwards.
Louis Murphy – Murphy hasn’t had a good game in a while. Perfect, find an owner who is frustrated with him and trade for him. Once Bruce Almighty returns, Murphy is a solid WR3/low tier WR2 as Oakland’s number 1 option in the air.
Mike Williams (TB) – He played hurt today, catching 4 passes for 45 yards. Get him before he puts up the numbers he is fully capable of.
How to Deal with Bad Beats
Started your season 2-4, 1-5, or even 0-6 despite a solid draft? Wondering how long you can keep telling yourself that you are simply getting the wrong side of the coin flip? Curious how the idiot with the 2 bye players won this week while you lost? Well, I’m here to tell you that we’ve all been there. It hurt, I won’t lie, staring down a losing record on week 7 after such a rush of anticipation just less than 2 months ago – especially if you dedicated yourself to one league. Well, what can you do to deal with this start? Here are a few things that I found through experience.
First, keep managing your team. Unless you auto-drafted your team, you MUST be attached to your team on 1 level or another. The feeling I had when I looked at my team on the draft board was comparable to a father looking at his baby for the first time. Sure, I might not win the whole thing, but that won’t stop me from checking Pierre Thomas’s ankle injury (which Sean Peyton conveniently neglected to tell us from the beginning will take 4-6 weeks to recover), picking up Deion Branch from waivers this week (yes, that’s a hint, you should do that), and finally give up and drop Marion Barber. I love it. Being 0-6 won’t stop me from “playing spoiler” to other playoff contenders in my league.
Second, start another league. Yeah, you heard me, and no, it doesn’t mean that you are betraying your friends. Join a few public leagues, and vent your frustration there. Draft well, manage lightly, and take a break from staring at sub-500 records.
Lastly…gear for next year! In my opinion it’s never too early to prepare for next year’s drafts. Everybody can look at a draft board from NFL.com, but what separates a great player from the rest is his/her ability to find sleepers. Not the same sleepers that 15 “experts” name in their blogs, no, YOUR sleepers.
Well, I hope that this article helped those of you that have been frustrated with your records. Fantasy football is a competition, just like any sport. Expect to win, but don’t feel down when you don’t. Just get them next time!
(This article is dedicated to my colleague Sam Arenberg, who started the season 1-5. Never lose hope!)
First, keep managing your team. Unless you auto-drafted your team, you MUST be attached to your team on 1 level or another. The feeling I had when I looked at my team on the draft board was comparable to a father looking at his baby for the first time. Sure, I might not win the whole thing, but that won’t stop me from checking Pierre Thomas’s ankle injury (which Sean Peyton conveniently neglected to tell us from the beginning will take 4-6 weeks to recover), picking up Deion Branch from waivers this week (yes, that’s a hint, you should do that), and finally give up and drop Marion Barber. I love it. Being 0-6 won’t stop me from “playing spoiler” to other playoff contenders in my league.
Second, start another league. Yeah, you heard me, and no, it doesn’t mean that you are betraying your friends. Join a few public leagues, and vent your frustration there. Draft well, manage lightly, and take a break from staring at sub-500 records.
Lastly…gear for next year! In my opinion it’s never too early to prepare for next year’s drafts. Everybody can look at a draft board from NFL.com, but what separates a great player from the rest is his/her ability to find sleepers. Not the same sleepers that 15 “experts” name in their blogs, no, YOUR sleepers.
Well, I hope that this article helped those of you that have been frustrated with your records. Fantasy football is a competition, just like any sport. Expect to win, but don’t feel down when you don’t. Just get them next time!
(This article is dedicated to my colleague Sam Arenberg, who started the season 1-5. Never lose hope!)
Weekly Pickups
MUST PICK UPS – Pick these guys up no matter what. It is nothing short of a miracle that they are still available, and is primed to help your team.
Deion Branch NE WR - Use any waiver claim you have and pray that he falls into your hands. Tom Brady has faith in this guy, no other reasons needed.
Mr. Right Now - immediate but mediocre pickups – these are the guys that will see some production next week due to injury/match-up. However, their ability or their team’s ability is limited so don’t expect astronomical numbers.
Christopher Ivory NO RB - After a big game, this guy will be hot off the waivers. I would still claim Branch before Ivory, and his value will be determined by how Pierre Thomas’s ankle situation pan out.
James Jones GB WR - Jones gets targets. With Jennings often doubled Rodgers likes to look Jones’ way, which is a good thing for fantasy owners. He doesn’t find the end zone that often though, but is still worthy of a pickup in PPR leagues.
Devon Bess MIA WR - Bess found the end zone for a 2nd straight week. While Brian Hartline is still the #2 receiver in the Miami depth chart, Devon Bess has shown to be the safety blanket for Chad Henne. His sure hands make him a nice bye-week replacement in PPR leagues.
Patrick Crayton SD WR - Malcom Floyd and Antonio Gates both suffered injuries, and Gates’ injury does not look good. Patrick Crayton came up big in Rivers’ comeback attempt and should continue to be with these injuries. He is a solid #3/low tier #2 WR if Gates is out next week.
Anthony Armstrong WAS WR - Armstrong came into the picture with that long touchdown heave by McNabb last week. He followed it up with a decent performance this week. Armstrong runs his route well, has nice hands, and isn’t afraid to fight for the ball. McNabb clearly likes what he sees in this guy, and so should you if you have a WR on bye.
Mr. Investment - long term but worth the risk pickups – these guys won’t pay off just yet, but is worth stashing if you have a roster spot. Along the line, they could become invaluable.
Justin Forsett SEA RB - The most popular drop in the wake of the Marshawn Lynch trade might be worth a re-pickup. The Seattle back outperformed Lynch in every single way imaginable with fewer touches and is making a case for himself to be the team‘s featured back.
Danario Alexander STL WR - A young, athletic 6’5 wide receiver with a QB that is really molding into form who is searching for a new favorite target after the injury to Mark Clayton? Sign me up.
Danny Woodhead NE RB/WR - He looked good on Sunday, really good. Of course, he is still limited in carries, but as a dual WR and RB, he is all over the field. Like Brady said “that guy just plays the game of football well”. In New England, if Tom Brady says it, it must be true.
Deion Branch NE WR - Use any waiver claim you have and pray that he falls into your hands. Tom Brady has faith in this guy, no other reasons needed.
Mr. Right Now - immediate but mediocre pickups – these are the guys that will see some production next week due to injury/match-up. However, their ability or their team’s ability is limited so don’t expect astronomical numbers.
Christopher Ivory NO RB - After a big game, this guy will be hot off the waivers. I would still claim Branch before Ivory, and his value will be determined by how Pierre Thomas’s ankle situation pan out.
James Jones GB WR - Jones gets targets. With Jennings often doubled Rodgers likes to look Jones’ way, which is a good thing for fantasy owners. He doesn’t find the end zone that often though, but is still worthy of a pickup in PPR leagues.
Devon Bess MIA WR - Bess found the end zone for a 2nd straight week. While Brian Hartline is still the #2 receiver in the Miami depth chart, Devon Bess has shown to be the safety blanket for Chad Henne. His sure hands make him a nice bye-week replacement in PPR leagues.
Patrick Crayton SD WR - Malcom Floyd and Antonio Gates both suffered injuries, and Gates’ injury does not look good. Patrick Crayton came up big in Rivers’ comeback attempt and should continue to be with these injuries. He is a solid #3/low tier #2 WR if Gates is out next week.
Anthony Armstrong WAS WR - Armstrong came into the picture with that long touchdown heave by McNabb last week. He followed it up with a decent performance this week. Armstrong runs his route well, has nice hands, and isn’t afraid to fight for the ball. McNabb clearly likes what he sees in this guy, and so should you if you have a WR on bye.
Mr. Investment - long term but worth the risk pickups – these guys won’t pay off just yet, but is worth stashing if you have a roster spot. Along the line, they could become invaluable.
Justin Forsett SEA RB - The most popular drop in the wake of the Marshawn Lynch trade might be worth a re-pickup. The Seattle back outperformed Lynch in every single way imaginable with fewer touches and is making a case for himself to be the team‘s featured back.
Danario Alexander STL WR - A young, athletic 6’5 wide receiver with a QB that is really molding into form who is searching for a new favorite target after the injury to Mark Clayton? Sign me up.
Danny Woodhead NE RB/WR - He looked good on Sunday, really good. Of course, he is still limited in carries, but as a dual WR and RB, he is all over the field. Like Brady said “that guy just plays the game of football well”. In New England, if Tom Brady says it, it must be true.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
How To Draft A Winner (Fantasy Basketball)
For most fantasy owners, the draft is the most fun part of the whole thing. While I am not one of those believers that thinks the draft will make or break a season, drafting well can be very exciting. So, what can we do to ensure that we have a successful draft? Well, let’s first look at the factors of the draft.
Let's identify factors that we can influence, and those that we can’t. Most leagues offer a random-ordered snake draft. It is the most fair type of draft in my opinion, where nobody really loses out, even if you are blessed with the last pick. What we can’t influence is our draft position. Most leagues offer a computerized random-number generator that determines the order, and we can do nothing but pray. Another factor that we can’t influence is other players’ decisions. While we can try to talk them out of drafting a certain player, use reverse psychology, and other methods, chances are the people you play with are around the same intelligence level as yourself, and are not easily fooled. I prefer to keep quiet during the draft and let others make their own mistakes, but, if you feel you are persuasive enough, go ahead and talk.
Now let’s look at your draft position. Did you get the first/second/third pick? Congratulations, you have just landed Durant/Paul/James. These guys will be the heart and soul of your team, and they are a step above the rest. Did you get the last pick of the draft? While others might be laughing at your misery, you might want to keep to yourself before rubbing their faces with your two consecutive picks of Deron Williams and Pau Gasol (very achievable in a standard 10 player league). Did you get a middle position that doesn’t really stand out? It’s actually my favorite position. See, if you get the first pick or the last pick, every other round you must wait 18 picks in between your picks. I hate that. I am a heavy sleeper drafter, and crossing my finger 18 times that my sleeper isn’t taken is just too much torture. Having a middle position (5,6) means that while I always get plenty of time to decide between picks, I still don’t have to wait long (8-10 picks at the most).
Everyone can draft well for the first 5 rounds. Just google “2010 NBA fantasy draft board” and everyone can find a pretty even consensus of the top 50 fantasy players in the league. Past round 5, however, you need to start taking into consideration which position you need to have filled, what category you need help in, what role these players play on their respective teams, and how injury prone they are. It’s not easy. You don’t find these kind of information just lying around. You need to research for it. Furthermore, rounds 6-8 is still too early to draft sleepers in my opinion. I like to have a solid team that I know will perform before I begin taking risks.
Well, I hope this article will help you on your big day. Remember, do plenty of research, take your time, and may lady luck smile on you! Check back once the season starts for more fantasy advice.
Let's identify factors that we can influence, and those that we can’t. Most leagues offer a random-ordered snake draft. It is the most fair type of draft in my opinion, where nobody really loses out, even if you are blessed with the last pick. What we can’t influence is our draft position. Most leagues offer a computerized random-number generator that determines the order, and we can do nothing but pray. Another factor that we can’t influence is other players’ decisions. While we can try to talk them out of drafting a certain player, use reverse psychology, and other methods, chances are the people you play with are around the same intelligence level as yourself, and are not easily fooled. I prefer to keep quiet during the draft and let others make their own mistakes, but, if you feel you are persuasive enough, go ahead and talk.
Now let’s look at your draft position. Did you get the first/second/third pick? Congratulations, you have just landed Durant/Paul/James. These guys will be the heart and soul of your team, and they are a step above the rest. Did you get the last pick of the draft? While others might be laughing at your misery, you might want to keep to yourself before rubbing their faces with your two consecutive picks of Deron Williams and Pau Gasol (very achievable in a standard 10 player league). Did you get a middle position that doesn’t really stand out? It’s actually my favorite position. See, if you get the first pick or the last pick, every other round you must wait 18 picks in between your picks. I hate that. I am a heavy sleeper drafter, and crossing my finger 18 times that my sleeper isn’t taken is just too much torture. Having a middle position (5,6) means that while I always get plenty of time to decide between picks, I still don’t have to wait long (8-10 picks at the most).
Everyone can draft well for the first 5 rounds. Just google “2010 NBA fantasy draft board” and everyone can find a pretty even consensus of the top 50 fantasy players in the league. Past round 5, however, you need to start taking into consideration which position you need to have filled, what category you need help in, what role these players play on their respective teams, and how injury prone they are. It’s not easy. You don’t find these kind of information just lying around. You need to research for it. Furthermore, rounds 6-8 is still too early to draft sleepers in my opinion. I like to have a solid team that I know will perform before I begin taking risks.
Well, I hope this article will help you on your big day. Remember, do plenty of research, take your time, and may lady luck smile on you! Check back once the season starts for more fantasy advice.
Game Notes:
Giants 28 – Lions 20 
Brandon Jacobs sure looked good…maybe the Lions defense helped. But still, his value is definitely on the rise, especially given that he is the go-to guy inside the 10. Bradshaw tore up the defenses again, rushing for yet another 100+ yard game. He is now officially a must start, solid RB1 as long as he is healthy. Eli continues to show his faith in Steve Smith, who is invaluable as of now in PPR leagues. Manningham had a good game, but I would need him to move up a bit in the pecking order to start him as my WR3. Nicks had a down game, catching 3 passes for 8 yards, but one bad performance would not stop me or should stop anyone from starting him again next week.
NEVER bench Calvin Johnson thinking doing so will make you look smart. It won’t. It just WON’T. It will, however, be a cause of joy and celebration for your opponent. Javhit Best has a dangerous chance of losing some serious fantasy value, coming up with yet another sub-par performance. Shaun Hill left the game in the 2nd quarter. At this point, with the Lions’ bye coming up in week 7, Hill should be dropped in all leagues in favor of the returning Matthew Stafford.
Rams 20 – Chargers 17
Sam Bradford rebounded nicely from his horrendous performance last week, passing for almost 200 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions. Stephen Jackson had another typical SJax game, putting up 109 yards and a touchdown. Danny Amendola, the hot pickup this week, saw some looks, but only managed to grab 3 catches for 19 yards. Danario Alexander, a nice-looking young talent, had 4 receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. He may not be worthy of a waiver claim yet, but pay attention to his progress.
Is it now the time to hit the panic button in San Diego? After beginning the season 2-3 for yet another year, the Chargers played the entire game behind the St. Louis RAMS, en route to a 2-4 record. Rivers had a sub-par game, throwing for 249 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Mathews was not 100%, but looked decent in limited attempted for 64 yards. He added 3 catches for 12 yards and had another touchdown vultured by the ever-annoying Mike Tolbert. Seriously, can we really start the guy who’s getting less than 5 carries a game? Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd both were largely nonexistent in this game. They had 2 catches each for 12 and 15 yards respectively before leaving the game with injuries – ankle for Gates and hamstring for Floyd. Patrick Crayton, who is Legadu Naanee’s replacement, stepped up and had 6 receptions for 117 yards, and should be a solid pick up if Gates and Floyd’s injury appears limiting.
Dolphins 23 – Packers 20
Overtime thriller in Lambau ended in a Miami routing of the banged-up Packers. Chad Henne threw for 231 yards, 127 of which went to Brandon Marshall on 10 catches. Devon Bess was the beneficiary of Marshall’s presence and reeled in a touchdown, along with 4 other grabs for a total of 37 yards. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams split the carries 19 – 13 for 73 and 64 yards respectively. This timeshare situation in Miami really limits the value of both players and neither is recommended for anything other than flex options until one clearly emerges over the other as the dominant rusher.
The Packers played without NFL sack leader Clay Matthews, and it showed. Aaron Rodgers played after suffering from a concussion last week against the Redskins, and tossed for 313 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 pick. He also rushed for a touchdown to tie the game at 20 in the waning moments of the 4th quarter. Greg Jennings owners everywhere breathed a sigh of relief as he reeled in 6 catches for 133 yards with a touchdown, coming off an 86 yards hookup late in the first quarter with Rodgers. Donald Driver, who was a late addition to the injury report with a strained quad, was limited to 3 catches and 31 yards. Brandon Jackson had 12 carries for 53 yards, and added 3 catches for 29 yards. John Kuhn had 5 carries for 9 yards, and after being stopped 3 consecutive times at the Miami 1 yard line, should be dropped in all leagues.
Steelers 28 – Browns 10
The return of Big Ben had many nervous fantasy owners fearing. Well, fear no more. As assuring as we were that Big Ben would come back strong, it wasn’t as assuring as his 257 yard, 3 touchdown performance. He split the wealth evenly, passing 1 touchdown each to Mike Wallace, Hines Ward, and Heath Miller (all 3’s value should rise dramatically with Big Ben’s return) while only throwing 1 interception. Rashard Mendenhall had his usual strong game, seeing 27 carries for 84 yards, a touchdown, and 3 receptions for 15 yards.
Colt McCoy did better than I thought he would, but is far from fantasy-valuable yet. Give him time (like a year of time). The youngster passed for 281 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Peyton Hillis, one of the biggest ifs this week, put up a nice game. He rushed for 41 yards on 12 attempts while adding 49 yards on 6 receptions. TE Benjamin Watson had 6 receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown, but chances are you didn’t start him this week.
Texans 35 – Chiefs 31
Boy did we have an exciting one here, especially if we were proud owners of Schaub, Foster, Andre Johnson, Matt Cassel, Thomas Jones, Jamaal Charles, and Dwayne Bowe. Wow that’s a lot of names. Yes, they all had great games. Basically everyone who was fantasy-worthy in this game stepped up. Matt Schaub finally put doubts to rest, putting up 305 yards and 2 touchdowns. Arian Foster had yet another multi-touchdown game, rushing for 71 yards on 18 attempts along with his pair of touchdowns, and adding 6 catches for 26 yards in the air. Andre Johnson certainly looked 100%, grabbing 8 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.
Where do I start on the Chiefs? First, fantasy experts finally were able to look smart after recommending Matt Cassel as a popular bye replacement at QB. Cassel worked efficiently with the run-heavy offense in Kansas City, passing for 201 yards with 3 touchdowns, 2 of which went to Dwayne Bowe. Bowe, who has always been a recipient of great expectations, finally lived up to it. He caught 6 passes for 108 yards along with the 2 touchdowns. Thomas Jones, coming off a sub-par game last week, got 19 carries for exactly 100 yards and a touchdown. Jamaal Charles had a nice game of his own, making the most of his 16 carries for 93 yards. It is difficult to figure out the RB tandem in Kansas City, but at this point Charles still looks like the safer start. Although the timeshare situation keeps both out of RB1 status, Charles is still a solid RB2, and Thomas Jones hovering around the flex area. Tony Moeaki, who was also projected for a good game, had 2 catches for 21 yards.
Eagles 31 – Falcons 17
Oh what to do in Philadelphia! After back-to-back games of absolutely stellar performance for Kevin Kolb, what is Reid to do when Vick returns from injury? Wildcat every play? Of course, we wouldn’t trust Andy Reid with a bag of candy, let along quarterback decisions, but we should cross that road when we actually get to it. As of now, Vick is just getting comfortable combing his hair, and Kolb is playing out of his mind, so keep both and pay close attention to how they develop.
Moving on to the actual game – it was a game of mixed feeling for DeSean Jackson owners. We all knew DeSean got game when we drafted him in the second round, and he finally showed it. His 31 yard touchdown rush in the opening minutes of the 1st quarter gave the Eagles their first lead of the game, and they would never look back, because, well, minutes later he added a 34 yard touchdown reception. DJax had to leave the game with a severe concussion however, and would not return. Fantasy owners have their fingers crossed in hopes that their star player returning in week 7 and continuing to perform at the same level. Jeremy Maclin called DJax’s performance, and raised him up with a 7 receptions, 159 yards, 2 touchdowns performance of his own. Maclin has great chemistry with Kolb, and should be nothing less than a WR2 moving forward no matter who is under center. LeSean McCoy had a decent game, going for 64 yards on 21 carries and adding 21 yards on 4 catches.
Matt Ryan had a decent game of his own, throwing for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. However, he did complete just 23 of 42 passes. Roddy White had his usual game, minus the touchdowns, but still catching 6 passes for 83 yards. Michael Jenkins, 1 of the popular sleeper picks this week, put up 5 catches for 99 yards. Tony Gonzalez killed my fantasy team this week, catching 3 passes for a meager 19 yards but 2 touchdowns. Michael Turner had a below-average game, massing 45 yards on 15 carries and catching 1 pass for 4 yards.
Patriots 23 – Ravens 20
Brady likes Branch. Brady likes Branch. Brady likes Branch. Who does Brady like? If you said Deion Branch, you are correct. Pick him up on waivers on all leagues following his 9 catches, 98 yards, 1 touchdown game. This is not a fluke. There is no hiding Brady’s love for Branch, especially during crunch time. Aside from Branch though, Brady had an overall not-so-great game. He did throw for 292 yards, but with only 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Aaron Hernandez caught 4 passes for 61 yards, Welker 7 for 53 yards. Danny Woodhead surprised everyone with 11 carries for 63 yards. I would probably not waste a top 3 waiver position for him (that should be used for Branch anyway), but if I had a 5 or lower waiver position I would definitely pick him up. Benjarvis Green-Ellis took a backseat to Woodhead and had 10 carries for 20 yards, and a touchdown. Brandon Tate had only 1 play in this game, and was a rush for 22 yards. Hernandez also had a rush of his own for 18 yards.
Joe Flacco had a great game, tossing for 285 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no picks. Derrick Mason caught 8 passes for 100 yards. Anquan Boldin caught 4 for 63 yards and a touchdown. Todd Heap added 3 catches, 49 yards, and a touchdown of his own. Ray Rice certainly looks healthy, rushing for 28 times for 88 yards, also catching 8 passes for 38 yards. That’s 36 total touches…stop drooling Rice owners.
Seahawks 23 – Bears 20
Buckle up guys, the Seahawks are for real! Well, at least given their division, they are a playoff contender. Hasselbeck threw for 242 yards and a touchdown, but all eyes were on the Seahawks backfield, coming out of the bye with their new acquisition Marshawn Lynch. Lynch performed below expectations though. He rushed for only 44 yards on 17 attempts while reeling in 3 catches for 9 yards. He did, however, rush for a touchdown. He was outperformed by his running mate Justin Forsett, who rushed for 67 yards on 10 carries, caught a pass for 9 yards, and also scored a touchdown. Mike Williams (SEA) was the recipient of most of Hasselbeck’s passes, catching 10 for 123 yards. His value should continue to rise and should be picked up if there is room to spare. The 1 catch that mattered most for us fantasy owners, however, was a touchdown pass to Deion Butler. Butler had himself a nice game of 4 catches and 47 yards. His fantasy value rises with the departure of Deion Branch, but still should not be started unless desperate.
The Bears just didn’t look good the entire game. Take away the 1 touchdown by Forte, he had a terrible game, rushing for a meager 11 yards on 8 carries, but catching 3 passes for 40 yards. Johnny Knox continues to show how dangerous he is with the big plays, massing 120 yards on just 5 catches. Cutler did throw for 290 yards, but had no touchdowns. His completion percentage can also be better, completing just 17 of 39 passes. Devin Hester returned another punt for touchdown, but his mediocre production outside of special team just doesn’t warrant a starting spot at this point.
Saints 31 - Buccaneers 6
Drew Brees fans rejoice! Superbowl MVP regained his form today, throwing 3 touchdowns with 263 yards and just 1 interception. What a great day for underperforming elite quarterbacks all across the board. Lance Moore, who continues to be a wildcard, caught 1 of Brees’ touchdowns, along with 1 other pass for 57 total yards. Robert Meachem caught 4 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. Marques Colston had another mediocre performance, reeling in 5 catches for 53 yards, no touchdown. Chris Ivory had a career game, carrying the ball for only 15 times, yet gaining 158 yards. Yes, that is 10 yards per carry. He also caught a pass for 17 yards. The lone Saints rushing touchdown was vultured, however, by Ladell Betts, who had 5 other carries for 20 yards.
Josh Freeman continues to have decent games. But that’s all they are, decent. He threw for 219 yards and 1 touchdown. He is a quality bye-week replacement, but I still would suggest finding better alternatives if he is your regular starter. The Bucs backfield continues to struggle on the ground. Cadillac rushed for just 18 yards on 10 attempts while Kareem Huggins had 7 yards on 3. Cadillac did catch 7 passes for 63 yards, which is more than both Mike Williams (4 catches, 45 yards) and Kellen Winslow (7 catches, 43 yards), both of whom I expected bigger games out of.
Jets 24 – Broncos 20
The New York Jets are 5-1, despite a mediocre game from Mark Sanchez. Sanchez threw for 198 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 picks. LT continues to turn back the clock, rushing for 2 touchdowns, totaling 55 yards on 16 carries. Shonne Green continues to put up average games, making the most of his 9 carries for 43 yards. Braylon Edwards caught a TD pass early, altogether putting up 4 catches and 46 yards. Santonio Holmes caught 4 passes for 47 yards, and also had 1 rush for 14 yards. Dustin Keller caught just 3 passes, but managed to gain 75 yards total.
Revis Island was in the game today, but it’s getting a little flooded. He did not look 100% while covering Jabar Gaffney, who had another big game of 6 catches, 81 yards. Brandon Lloyd cooled off a little, but still managed to present his deep threat value by grabbing 4 passes for 74 yards. The lone passing touchdown for the Broncos went to Demaryius Thomas, which was also his lone catch of the day for 17 yards. Kyle Orton finally threw for less than 300 yards today, totaling 209 yards and 1 passing touchdown. Tim Tebow had some fun today, rushing 6 times for 23 yards, including a touchdown. But that means absolutely nothing as far as fantasy value goes. Knowshon Moreno returned to action today, getting 12 carries for 48 yards, a promising sign for his owners. His presence will defer some passing plays to rushing plays for the Broncos, but it will also free up some of the receivers. Therefore, I think the fantasy value of Orton and Broncos receivers will remain mostly the same.
49ers 17 – Raiders 9
I won’t lie. This was an ugly one to watch. Frank Gore started up really cold, but had a 64 yard run to bring his rushing total to a whopping 25 carries for 149 yards. Alex Smith certainly looked like a whole different person after being booed by 50,000 fans in his home field last week, as he threw for almost 200 yards with 2 touchdowns. One of these touchdowns was to Michael Crabtree, his 2nd straight game with a touchdown reception. He reeled in 4 catches total for 57 yards. Vernon Davis also caught 4 passes for 35 yards, 1 of which was a desperation screen pass from Smith that turned into a 17 yards touchdown.
The Raiders were just awful. Nobody had even a decent game to speak of. Jason Campbell threw for 83 yards and 2 interceptions. Michael Bush rushed 20 times for 47 yards. Louis Murphy caught 1 pass for 4 yards (although he had 1 rush for 43 yards). Zach Miller, who had been on fire, caught just 2 passes for 48 yards. Their best fantasy player was Sebastian Janikowski, who hit 3 field goals, including 1 from 40 yard away.
Vikings 24 – Cowboys 21
Game of the week, and it didn’t disappoint. Unfortunately it wasn’t a huge game for fantasy owners, as all players put up very average stats. Adrian Peterson was very limited, massing 73 yards on 24 rushing attempts and catching a pass for a loss of 2. He did have a 1 yard touchdown run to rebound his numbers a little. Brett Favre threw for only 118 yard, and 1 touchdown, to Greg Camarillo, whom nobody started. Randy Moss had 5 catches for 55 yards, and Percy Harvin caught 3for 21 Yards, ran twice for 18 yards, and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Tony Romo had another Romo-isk game. He threw for a respectable 220 yards, a whopping 3 touchdowns, but also 2 costly picks. Felix Jones was everywhere today, but unfortunately he couldn’t make any big plays, rushing for 32 yards on 14 attempts but catching 10 passes for 61 yards. It looks like Marion Barber is going to be used only in short yardage situations now, so drop him if you still haven’t. Roy Williams just continue to shut critics up, as he caught 2 more touchdown passes from Romo. His total yardage isn’t impressive, only 3 catches for 28 yards, but his fantasy points sure are. Dez Bryant finally caught his first touchdown of his career, an impressive 31 yard heave for his lone catch of the day. Jason Witten and Miles Austin both had down games. Witten catching 3 passes for 52 yards, Austin 2 passes for 12.
Colts 27 - Redskins 24
It seemed like the Colts just didn’t want to win this one, coughing up the ball 3 times. Peyton Manning managed to pull out of the nail biter though, throwing for yet another 300 yards performance with a pair of touchdowns and 1 of those fumbles. Pierre Garcon had a monster first half, catching 4 passes for 103 yards, including a 57 yard grab for a touchdown, but disappeared the rest of the game. Austin Collie found the end zone again, totaling 7 catches for 57 yards. Reggie Wayne didn’t score, but hauled in 6 receptions for 71 yards. Dallas Clark had another below average game for him, catching 6 for 52 yards. Joseph Addai carried the ball 17 times for 128 yards and a score before leaving the game yet again following a helmet to helmet hit (fumbling in the process). Mike Hart picked up 11 carries for 43 yards in his absence.
Donovan McNabb managed to put up 246 yards, but only 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He spread the ball around. Santana Moss caught 8 passes for 77 yards, Anthony Armstrong had a decent performance, catching 5 passes for 46 yards. So far he has been shown to be the top deep threat for McNabb, and might be worth a pickup for a bye week replacement. Chris Cooley had an average game, grabbing 5 passes for 37 yards. Ryan Torain had a breakout game, reaching the century mark for the first time on 20 carries, and, oh yea, 2 touchdowns.
Titans 30 - Jaguars 3
The ugliest Monday Night Football game in recent memory, the Titans Jags game was hard to watch, especially since it was played in Jacksonville in front of 50,000 disappointed fans. Both quarterbacks hit the deck early. Vince Young left in the 1st quarter with a sprained knee, and David Garrard followed him in the 2nd quarter with a concussion. Before he left, Vince Young completed 3 of 5 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown to Kenny Britt. Garrard completed 7 of 12 passes for 49 yards and a pick. Kerry Collins, Young’s replacement, threw for 110 yards and a touchdown to tight end Bo Scaife. Trent Edwards didn’t have such a good performance. He threw for 140 yards, looked sharp for a couple of drives, but finished the day with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Chris Johnson was largely ineffective on Monday. He gained a lot of his yards in garbage time of the 4th quarter and rushed for a 35 yard breakaway touchdown in the waning minutes of the game to bring his total yards to 131. Javon Ringer looked better than CJ in his limited carries, rushing for 42 yards in 10 attempts. The Tennessee receive corps put up largely average stats, as they pretty much just ran out the clock after halftime. Scaife had 4 catches total for 53 yards along with that touchdown. Kenny Britt had 2 catches total for 33 yards along with his touchdown.
Maurice Jones-Drew had a day to forget. With the Titans stuffing the box with every play, MJD rushed for only 57 yards. Neither Garrard or Edwards could take advantage of the Titans 1 on 1 coverage on defense, and aside from Mike Thomas’ 8 catches for 88 yards, no one else had decent stats. Tight End Mercedes Lewis had 4 grabs for 39 yards, and Mikes Sims-Walker continued to disappoint with 2 catches for 16 yards.
* Images curtesy of NFL.com
Brandon Jacobs sure looked good…maybe the Lions defense helped. But still, his value is definitely on the rise, especially given that he is the go-to guy inside the 10. Bradshaw tore up the defenses again, rushing for yet another 100+ yard game. He is now officially a must start, solid RB1 as long as he is healthy. Eli continues to show his faith in Steve Smith, who is invaluable as of now in PPR leagues. Manningham had a good game, but I would need him to move up a bit in the pecking order to start him as my WR3. Nicks had a down game, catching 3 passes for 8 yards, but one bad performance would not stop me or should stop anyone from starting him again next week.
NEVER bench Calvin Johnson thinking doing so will make you look smart. It won’t. It just WON’T. It will, however, be a cause of joy and celebration for your opponent. Javhit Best has a dangerous chance of losing some serious fantasy value, coming up with yet another sub-par performance. Shaun Hill left the game in the 2nd quarter. At this point, with the Lions’ bye coming up in week 7, Hill should be dropped in all leagues in favor of the returning Matthew Stafford.
Rams 20 – Chargers 17
Sam Bradford rebounded nicely from his horrendous performance last week, passing for almost 200 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions. Stephen Jackson had another typical SJax game, putting up 109 yards and a touchdown. Danny Amendola, the hot pickup this week, saw some looks, but only managed to grab 3 catches for 19 yards. Danario Alexander, a nice-looking young talent, had 4 receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. He may not be worthy of a waiver claim yet, but pay attention to his progress.
Is it now the time to hit the panic button in San Diego? After beginning the season 2-3 for yet another year, the Chargers played the entire game behind the St. Louis RAMS, en route to a 2-4 record. Rivers had a sub-par game, throwing for 249 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Mathews was not 100%, but looked decent in limited attempted for 64 yards. He added 3 catches for 12 yards and had another touchdown vultured by the ever-annoying Mike Tolbert. Seriously, can we really start the guy who’s getting less than 5 carries a game? Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd both were largely nonexistent in this game. They had 2 catches each for 12 and 15 yards respectively before leaving the game with injuries – ankle for Gates and hamstring for Floyd. Patrick Crayton, who is Legadu Naanee’s replacement, stepped up and had 6 receptions for 117 yards, and should be a solid pick up if Gates and Floyd’s injury appears limiting.
Dolphins 23 – Packers 20
Overtime thriller in Lambau ended in a Miami routing of the banged-up Packers. Chad Henne threw for 231 yards, 127 of which went to Brandon Marshall on 10 catches. Devon Bess was the beneficiary of Marshall’s presence and reeled in a touchdown, along with 4 other grabs for a total of 37 yards. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams split the carries 19 – 13 for 73 and 64 yards respectively. This timeshare situation in Miami really limits the value of both players and neither is recommended for anything other than flex options until one clearly emerges over the other as the dominant rusher.
The Packers played without NFL sack leader Clay Matthews, and it showed. Aaron Rodgers played after suffering from a concussion last week against the Redskins, and tossed for 313 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 pick. He also rushed for a touchdown to tie the game at 20 in the waning moments of the 4th quarter. Greg Jennings owners everywhere breathed a sigh of relief as he reeled in 6 catches for 133 yards with a touchdown, coming off an 86 yards hookup late in the first quarter with Rodgers. Donald Driver, who was a late addition to the injury report with a strained quad, was limited to 3 catches and 31 yards. Brandon Jackson had 12 carries for 53 yards, and added 3 catches for 29 yards. John Kuhn had 5 carries for 9 yards, and after being stopped 3 consecutive times at the Miami 1 yard line, should be dropped in all leagues.
Steelers 28 – Browns 10
The return of Big Ben had many nervous fantasy owners fearing. Well, fear no more. As assuring as we were that Big Ben would come back strong, it wasn’t as assuring as his 257 yard, 3 touchdown performance. He split the wealth evenly, passing 1 touchdown each to Mike Wallace, Hines Ward, and Heath Miller (all 3’s value should rise dramatically with Big Ben’s return) while only throwing 1 interception. Rashard Mendenhall had his usual strong game, seeing 27 carries for 84 yards, a touchdown, and 3 receptions for 15 yards.
Colt McCoy did better than I thought he would, but is far from fantasy-valuable yet. Give him time (like a year of time). The youngster passed for 281 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Peyton Hillis, one of the biggest ifs this week, put up a nice game. He rushed for 41 yards on 12 attempts while adding 49 yards on 6 receptions. TE Benjamin Watson had 6 receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown, but chances are you didn’t start him this week.
Texans 35 – Chiefs 31
Boy did we have an exciting one here, especially if we were proud owners of Schaub, Foster, Andre Johnson, Matt Cassel, Thomas Jones, Jamaal Charles, and Dwayne Bowe. Wow that’s a lot of names. Yes, they all had great games. Basically everyone who was fantasy-worthy in this game stepped up. Matt Schaub finally put doubts to rest, putting up 305 yards and 2 touchdowns. Arian Foster had yet another multi-touchdown game, rushing for 71 yards on 18 attempts along with his pair of touchdowns, and adding 6 catches for 26 yards in the air. Andre Johnson certainly looked 100%, grabbing 8 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.
Where do I start on the Chiefs? First, fantasy experts finally were able to look smart after recommending Matt Cassel as a popular bye replacement at QB. Cassel worked efficiently with the run-heavy offense in Kansas City, passing for 201 yards with 3 touchdowns, 2 of which went to Dwayne Bowe. Bowe, who has always been a recipient of great expectations, finally lived up to it. He caught 6 passes for 108 yards along with the 2 touchdowns. Thomas Jones, coming off a sub-par game last week, got 19 carries for exactly 100 yards and a touchdown. Jamaal Charles had a nice game of his own, making the most of his 16 carries for 93 yards. It is difficult to figure out the RB tandem in Kansas City, but at this point Charles still looks like the safer start. Although the timeshare situation keeps both out of RB1 status, Charles is still a solid RB2, and Thomas Jones hovering around the flex area. Tony Moeaki, who was also projected for a good game, had 2 catches for 21 yards.
Eagles 31 – Falcons 17
Oh what to do in Philadelphia! After back-to-back games of absolutely stellar performance for Kevin Kolb, what is Reid to do when Vick returns from injury? Wildcat every play? Of course, we wouldn’t trust Andy Reid with a bag of candy, let along quarterback decisions, but we should cross that road when we actually get to it. As of now, Vick is just getting comfortable combing his hair, and Kolb is playing out of his mind, so keep both and pay close attention to how they develop.
Moving on to the actual game – it was a game of mixed feeling for DeSean Jackson owners. We all knew DeSean got game when we drafted him in the second round, and he finally showed it. His 31 yard touchdown rush in the opening minutes of the 1st quarter gave the Eagles their first lead of the game, and they would never look back, because, well, minutes later he added a 34 yard touchdown reception. DJax had to leave the game with a severe concussion however, and would not return. Fantasy owners have their fingers crossed in hopes that their star player returning in week 7 and continuing to perform at the same level. Jeremy Maclin called DJax’s performance, and raised him up with a 7 receptions, 159 yards, 2 touchdowns performance of his own. Maclin has great chemistry with Kolb, and should be nothing less than a WR2 moving forward no matter who is under center. LeSean McCoy had a decent game, going for 64 yards on 21 carries and adding 21 yards on 4 catches.
Matt Ryan had a decent game of his own, throwing for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. However, he did complete just 23 of 42 passes. Roddy White had his usual game, minus the touchdowns, but still catching 6 passes for 83 yards. Michael Jenkins, 1 of the popular sleeper picks this week, put up 5 catches for 99 yards. Tony Gonzalez killed my fantasy team this week, catching 3 passes for a meager 19 yards but 2 touchdowns. Michael Turner had a below-average game, massing 45 yards on 15 carries and catching 1 pass for 4 yards.
Patriots 23 – Ravens 20
Brady likes Branch. Brady likes Branch. Brady likes Branch. Who does Brady like? If you said Deion Branch, you are correct. Pick him up on waivers on all leagues following his 9 catches, 98 yards, 1 touchdown game. This is not a fluke. There is no hiding Brady’s love for Branch, especially during crunch time. Aside from Branch though, Brady had an overall not-so-great game. He did throw for 292 yards, but with only 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Aaron Hernandez caught 4 passes for 61 yards, Welker 7 for 53 yards. Danny Woodhead surprised everyone with 11 carries for 63 yards. I would probably not waste a top 3 waiver position for him (that should be used for Branch anyway), but if I had a 5 or lower waiver position I would definitely pick him up. Benjarvis Green-Ellis took a backseat to Woodhead and had 10 carries for 20 yards, and a touchdown. Brandon Tate had only 1 play in this game, and was a rush for 22 yards. Hernandez also had a rush of his own for 18 yards.
Joe Flacco had a great game, tossing for 285 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no picks. Derrick Mason caught 8 passes for 100 yards. Anquan Boldin caught 4 for 63 yards and a touchdown. Todd Heap added 3 catches, 49 yards, and a touchdown of his own. Ray Rice certainly looks healthy, rushing for 28 times for 88 yards, also catching 8 passes for 38 yards. That’s 36 total touches…stop drooling Rice owners.
Seahawks 23 – Bears 20
Buckle up guys, the Seahawks are for real! Well, at least given their division, they are a playoff contender. Hasselbeck threw for 242 yards and a touchdown, but all eyes were on the Seahawks backfield, coming out of the bye with their new acquisition Marshawn Lynch. Lynch performed below expectations though. He rushed for only 44 yards on 17 attempts while reeling in 3 catches for 9 yards. He did, however, rush for a touchdown. He was outperformed by his running mate Justin Forsett, who rushed for 67 yards on 10 carries, caught a pass for 9 yards, and also scored a touchdown. Mike Williams (SEA) was the recipient of most of Hasselbeck’s passes, catching 10 for 123 yards. His value should continue to rise and should be picked up if there is room to spare. The 1 catch that mattered most for us fantasy owners, however, was a touchdown pass to Deion Butler. Butler had himself a nice game of 4 catches and 47 yards. His fantasy value rises with the departure of Deion Branch, but still should not be started unless desperate.
The Bears just didn’t look good the entire game. Take away the 1 touchdown by Forte, he had a terrible game, rushing for a meager 11 yards on 8 carries, but catching 3 passes for 40 yards. Johnny Knox continues to show how dangerous he is with the big plays, massing 120 yards on just 5 catches. Cutler did throw for 290 yards, but had no touchdowns. His completion percentage can also be better, completing just 17 of 39 passes. Devin Hester returned another punt for touchdown, but his mediocre production outside of special team just doesn’t warrant a starting spot at this point.
Saints 31 - Buccaneers 6
Drew Brees fans rejoice! Superbowl MVP regained his form today, throwing 3 touchdowns with 263 yards and just 1 interception. What a great day for underperforming elite quarterbacks all across the board. Lance Moore, who continues to be a wildcard, caught 1 of Brees’ touchdowns, along with 1 other pass for 57 total yards. Robert Meachem caught 4 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. Marques Colston had another mediocre performance, reeling in 5 catches for 53 yards, no touchdown. Chris Ivory had a career game, carrying the ball for only 15 times, yet gaining 158 yards. Yes, that is 10 yards per carry. He also caught a pass for 17 yards. The lone Saints rushing touchdown was vultured, however, by Ladell Betts, who had 5 other carries for 20 yards.
Josh Freeman continues to have decent games. But that’s all they are, decent. He threw for 219 yards and 1 touchdown. He is a quality bye-week replacement, but I still would suggest finding better alternatives if he is your regular starter. The Bucs backfield continues to struggle on the ground. Cadillac rushed for just 18 yards on 10 attempts while Kareem Huggins had 7 yards on 3. Cadillac did catch 7 passes for 63 yards, which is more than both Mike Williams (4 catches, 45 yards) and Kellen Winslow (7 catches, 43 yards), both of whom I expected bigger games out of.
Jets 24 – Broncos 20
The New York Jets are 5-1, despite a mediocre game from Mark Sanchez. Sanchez threw for 198 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 picks. LT continues to turn back the clock, rushing for 2 touchdowns, totaling 55 yards on 16 carries. Shonne Green continues to put up average games, making the most of his 9 carries for 43 yards. Braylon Edwards caught a TD pass early, altogether putting up 4 catches and 46 yards. Santonio Holmes caught 4 passes for 47 yards, and also had 1 rush for 14 yards. Dustin Keller caught just 3 passes, but managed to gain 75 yards total.
Revis Island was in the game today, but it’s getting a little flooded. He did not look 100% while covering Jabar Gaffney, who had another big game of 6 catches, 81 yards. Brandon Lloyd cooled off a little, but still managed to present his deep threat value by grabbing 4 passes for 74 yards. The lone passing touchdown for the Broncos went to Demaryius Thomas, which was also his lone catch of the day for 17 yards. Kyle Orton finally threw for less than 300 yards today, totaling 209 yards and 1 passing touchdown. Tim Tebow had some fun today, rushing 6 times for 23 yards, including a touchdown. But that means absolutely nothing as far as fantasy value goes. Knowshon Moreno returned to action today, getting 12 carries for 48 yards, a promising sign for his owners. His presence will defer some passing plays to rushing plays for the Broncos, but it will also free up some of the receivers. Therefore, I think the fantasy value of Orton and Broncos receivers will remain mostly the same.
49ers 17 – Raiders 9
I won’t lie. This was an ugly one to watch. Frank Gore started up really cold, but had a 64 yard run to bring his rushing total to a whopping 25 carries for 149 yards. Alex Smith certainly looked like a whole different person after being booed by 50,000 fans in his home field last week, as he threw for almost 200 yards with 2 touchdowns. One of these touchdowns was to Michael Crabtree, his 2nd straight game with a touchdown reception. He reeled in 4 catches total for 57 yards. Vernon Davis also caught 4 passes for 35 yards, 1 of which was a desperation screen pass from Smith that turned into a 17 yards touchdown.
The Raiders were just awful. Nobody had even a decent game to speak of. Jason Campbell threw for 83 yards and 2 interceptions. Michael Bush rushed 20 times for 47 yards. Louis Murphy caught 1 pass for 4 yards (although he had 1 rush for 43 yards). Zach Miller, who had been on fire, caught just 2 passes for 48 yards. Their best fantasy player was Sebastian Janikowski, who hit 3 field goals, including 1 from 40 yard away.
Vikings 24 – Cowboys 21
Game of the week, and it didn’t disappoint. Unfortunately it wasn’t a huge game for fantasy owners, as all players put up very average stats. Adrian Peterson was very limited, massing 73 yards on 24 rushing attempts and catching a pass for a loss of 2. He did have a 1 yard touchdown run to rebound his numbers a little. Brett Favre threw for only 118 yard, and 1 touchdown, to Greg Camarillo, whom nobody started. Randy Moss had 5 catches for 55 yards, and Percy Harvin caught 3for 21 Yards, ran twice for 18 yards, and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Tony Romo had another Romo-isk game. He threw for a respectable 220 yards, a whopping 3 touchdowns, but also 2 costly picks. Felix Jones was everywhere today, but unfortunately he couldn’t make any big plays, rushing for 32 yards on 14 attempts but catching 10 passes for 61 yards. It looks like Marion Barber is going to be used only in short yardage situations now, so drop him if you still haven’t. Roy Williams just continue to shut critics up, as he caught 2 more touchdown passes from Romo. His total yardage isn’t impressive, only 3 catches for 28 yards, but his fantasy points sure are. Dez Bryant finally caught his first touchdown of his career, an impressive 31 yard heave for his lone catch of the day. Jason Witten and Miles Austin both had down games. Witten catching 3 passes for 52 yards, Austin 2 passes for 12.
Colts 27 - Redskins 24
It seemed like the Colts just didn’t want to win this one, coughing up the ball 3 times. Peyton Manning managed to pull out of the nail biter though, throwing for yet another 300 yards performance with a pair of touchdowns and 1 of those fumbles. Pierre Garcon had a monster first half, catching 4 passes for 103 yards, including a 57 yard grab for a touchdown, but disappeared the rest of the game. Austin Collie found the end zone again, totaling 7 catches for 57 yards. Reggie Wayne didn’t score, but hauled in 6 receptions for 71 yards. Dallas Clark had another below average game for him, catching 6 for 52 yards. Joseph Addai carried the ball 17 times for 128 yards and a score before leaving the game yet again following a helmet to helmet hit (fumbling in the process). Mike Hart picked up 11 carries for 43 yards in his absence.
Donovan McNabb managed to put up 246 yards, but only 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He spread the ball around. Santana Moss caught 8 passes for 77 yards, Anthony Armstrong had a decent performance, catching 5 passes for 46 yards. So far he has been shown to be the top deep threat for McNabb, and might be worth a pickup for a bye week replacement. Chris Cooley had an average game, grabbing 5 passes for 37 yards. Ryan Torain had a breakout game, reaching the century mark for the first time on 20 carries, and, oh yea, 2 touchdowns.
Titans 30 - Jaguars 3
The ugliest Monday Night Football game in recent memory, the Titans Jags game was hard to watch, especially since it was played in Jacksonville in front of 50,000 disappointed fans. Both quarterbacks hit the deck early. Vince Young left in the 1st quarter with a sprained knee, and David Garrard followed him in the 2nd quarter with a concussion. Before he left, Vince Young completed 3 of 5 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown to Kenny Britt. Garrard completed 7 of 12 passes for 49 yards and a pick. Kerry Collins, Young’s replacement, threw for 110 yards and a touchdown to tight end Bo Scaife. Trent Edwards didn’t have such a good performance. He threw for 140 yards, looked sharp for a couple of drives, but finished the day with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Chris Johnson was largely ineffective on Monday. He gained a lot of his yards in garbage time of the 4th quarter and rushed for a 35 yard breakaway touchdown in the waning minutes of the game to bring his total yards to 131. Javon Ringer looked better than CJ in his limited carries, rushing for 42 yards in 10 attempts. The Tennessee receive corps put up largely average stats, as they pretty much just ran out the clock after halftime. Scaife had 4 catches total for 53 yards along with that touchdown. Kenny Britt had 2 catches total for 33 yards along with his touchdown.
Maurice Jones-Drew had a day to forget. With the Titans stuffing the box with every play, MJD rushed for only 57 yards. Neither Garrard or Edwards could take advantage of the Titans 1 on 1 coverage on defense, and aside from Mike Thomas’ 8 catches for 88 yards, no one else had decent stats. Tight End Mercedes Lewis had 4 grabs for 39 yards, and Mikes Sims-Walker continued to disappoint with 2 catches for 16 yards.
* Images curtesy of NFL.com
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Really? GTFOS!
So here is where I'm generally gonna highlight the really outstanding performances and why it happened. I'm not going to pick the fantasy studs that everyone should be starting, but rather the guys that are flying under the radar and generally not starting in most leagues, even if you do have them stashed on your bench.
QB Kevin Kolb - 326 Yards Passing, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 1 rushing yard.
So why was Kolb the best QB this week in fantasy football? The Falcons have no pass defense. Kevin Kolb picked them apart with both DeSean Jackson (while he was in the game) and Jeremy Maclin. If you have receivers that are fast and quick, the secondary of Atlanta is not going to keep up. They are going to get picked apart. Drew Brees had 365 Yards, 3 TDs and 2 INTs. The QBs that they've managed to shut down: Charlie Batch, Derek Anderson, Alex Smith, and Seneca Wallace. Those QBs are either not starting, or don't have many receiving options.Atlanta's secondary was very over-rated coming into the game and if you have a decent quarterback with a decent receiving corps, you're going to light up the Falcons.
WR Jeremy Maclin - 7 receptions, 159 yards receiving, and 2TDs.
Like I said earlier, the Falcons have a poor secondary, and when DeSean Jackson went outta the game, Maclin helped take up some of the slack. Maclin also had an 83 yard TD when the safety went up for the pick and missed and Maclin had a wide open field.
WR Dwayne Bowe - 6 receptions, 108 yards receiving and 2 TDs.
Everyone's lit up the Texan's secondary this season. The astonishing fact is that it took Dwayne Bowe this long to have a monster game. Matt Cassel hasn't been that good as a QB, but he was bound to break out in a game. If the Chiefs had a solid QB, Bowe would be scoring a lot more TDs.
WR Deion Branch - 9 receptions, 98 receiving yards, 1 TD
Deion Branch is back with Brady! Expect for him to his best season since he left the Pats. The Ravens have a solid secondary, but that connection is back between Brady and Branch, it's like he's never left.
WR Mike Williams (Seattle) - 10 receptions, 123 yards receiving
Deion Branch left and Mike Williams has become the primary receiver. Expect for him to have a lot more games like this.
WR Roy Williams - 3 receptions, 28 yards, 2 TDs
Roy Williams is becoming Tony Romo's #3 target behind Witten and Austin whom teams stack up on down in the Red Zone. Roy Williams is matched up one-on-one against the Vikings secondary and took advantage of it. Dez Bryant also had a TD this game, so don't read into the numbers too much, but Roy Williams is becoming a favorite inside the 20.
RB Chris Ivory - 158 rushing yards, 1 reception for 17 yards.
Who's Chris Ivory? The guy that's stepped up for the injured Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush. Granted, it was against Tampa Bay, but he had an average of over 10 yards a carry this game! 15 rushing attempt for 158 yards! The Tampa Defense isn't this bad, but the fact is that when you have somebody averaging over 10 yards a carry, that tells you he came to play. Next week is against Cleveland so expect more of the same.
RB Joseph Addai - 128 yards rushing, 1 TD
Joseph Addai tore up the Redskins defense before he got injured. It's been two years since Addai had his last 100 yard game and he really came out on Sunday. The Redskins were playing on their heels after Manning burned the defense for two early touchdowns and that gave Addai a great opportunity to run down the defense.
RB Ryan Torain - 100 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 1 reception, 9 yards
Looks like the Redskins run game finally showed up. The interesting fact you should take from this is that Torain had 85 yards after initial contact. So even after players were getting up on him at the line, he was shedding tackles and moving the pile. He is the ideal back in a Mike Shanahan rushing attack.
RB Thomas Jones - 100 yards rushing, 1 TD, 1 catch for 10 yards
Isn't Jamaal Charles the main RB on this team? Jones had three more carries and an 11 yard touchdown run. Charles still had 16 carries, but this team put up over 400 yards on Houston and there was enough yards to distribute amongst both RBs. Thomas Jones may yet have another 1000 yard season.
RB Brandon Jacobs - 35 yards rushing, 2 TDs
Bradshaw may be the main back, but Jacobs owns the goal line. Both his TDs were from inside the 10 yard line. He's a viable option for goal line steals. Think Willis McGahee last year and LenDale White the year before that.
RB Danny Woodhead - 63 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 52 receiving yards
Since Fred Taylor and Kevin Faulk went down, the running backs in New England have been BenJarvus Ellis-Green and Danny Woodhead. Green did get the touchdown, but Woodhead got the touches. Not only that, but Brady feels comfortable throwing to Woodhead outta the backfield and he has the ability to block. Look for him to supplant Green, if he hasn't already.
RB Felix Jones - 32 yards rushing, 10 receptions, 61 yards receiving
For those of you not in PPR leagues, these numbers look like nothing spectacular, for those of you in PPR leagues, these numbers look ridiculous. Felix Jones is slowly becoming the primary back in Dallas's crazy backfield. As a guy that can catch passes outta the backfield, Felix Jones has become a viable option as a #2 running back on your roster in PPR leagues.
Didn't have as much time as I'd like this week, but I thought these were some interesting highlights. More to come later!
QB Kevin Kolb - 326 Yards Passing, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 1 rushing yard.
So why was Kolb the best QB this week in fantasy football? The Falcons have no pass defense. Kevin Kolb picked them apart with both DeSean Jackson (while he was in the game) and Jeremy Maclin. If you have receivers that are fast and quick, the secondary of Atlanta is not going to keep up. They are going to get picked apart. Drew Brees had 365 Yards, 3 TDs and 2 INTs. The QBs that they've managed to shut down: Charlie Batch, Derek Anderson, Alex Smith, and Seneca Wallace. Those QBs are either not starting, or don't have many receiving options.Atlanta's secondary was very over-rated coming into the game and if you have a decent quarterback with a decent receiving corps, you're going to light up the Falcons.
WR Jeremy Maclin - 7 receptions, 159 yards receiving, and 2TDs.
Like I said earlier, the Falcons have a poor secondary, and when DeSean Jackson went outta the game, Maclin helped take up some of the slack. Maclin also had an 83 yard TD when the safety went up for the pick and missed and Maclin had a wide open field.
WR Dwayne Bowe - 6 receptions, 108 yards receiving and 2 TDs.
Everyone's lit up the Texan's secondary this season. The astonishing fact is that it took Dwayne Bowe this long to have a monster game. Matt Cassel hasn't been that good as a QB, but he was bound to break out in a game. If the Chiefs had a solid QB, Bowe would be scoring a lot more TDs.
WR Deion Branch - 9 receptions, 98 receiving yards, 1 TD
Deion Branch is back with Brady! Expect for him to his best season since he left the Pats. The Ravens have a solid secondary, but that connection is back between Brady and Branch, it's like he's never left.
WR Mike Williams (Seattle) - 10 receptions, 123 yards receiving
Deion Branch left and Mike Williams has become the primary receiver. Expect for him to have a lot more games like this.
WR Roy Williams - 3 receptions, 28 yards, 2 TDs
Roy Williams is becoming Tony Romo's #3 target behind Witten and Austin whom teams stack up on down in the Red Zone. Roy Williams is matched up one-on-one against the Vikings secondary and took advantage of it. Dez Bryant also had a TD this game, so don't read into the numbers too much, but Roy Williams is becoming a favorite inside the 20.
RB Chris Ivory - 158 rushing yards, 1 reception for 17 yards.
Who's Chris Ivory? The guy that's stepped up for the injured Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush. Granted, it was against Tampa Bay, but he had an average of over 10 yards a carry this game! 15 rushing attempt for 158 yards! The Tampa Defense isn't this bad, but the fact is that when you have somebody averaging over 10 yards a carry, that tells you he came to play. Next week is against Cleveland so expect more of the same.
RB Joseph Addai - 128 yards rushing, 1 TD
Joseph Addai tore up the Redskins defense before he got injured. It's been two years since Addai had his last 100 yard game and he really came out on Sunday. The Redskins were playing on their heels after Manning burned the defense for two early touchdowns and that gave Addai a great opportunity to run down the defense.
RB Ryan Torain - 100 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 1 reception, 9 yards
Looks like the Redskins run game finally showed up. The interesting fact you should take from this is that Torain had 85 yards after initial contact. So even after players were getting up on him at the line, he was shedding tackles and moving the pile. He is the ideal back in a Mike Shanahan rushing attack.
RB Thomas Jones - 100 yards rushing, 1 TD, 1 catch for 10 yards
Isn't Jamaal Charles the main RB on this team? Jones had three more carries and an 11 yard touchdown run. Charles still had 16 carries, but this team put up over 400 yards on Houston and there was enough yards to distribute amongst both RBs. Thomas Jones may yet have another 1000 yard season.
RB Brandon Jacobs - 35 yards rushing, 2 TDs
Bradshaw may be the main back, but Jacobs owns the goal line. Both his TDs were from inside the 10 yard line. He's a viable option for goal line steals. Think Willis McGahee last year and LenDale White the year before that.
RB Danny Woodhead - 63 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 52 receiving yards
Since Fred Taylor and Kevin Faulk went down, the running backs in New England have been BenJarvus Ellis-Green and Danny Woodhead. Green did get the touchdown, but Woodhead got the touches. Not only that, but Brady feels comfortable throwing to Woodhead outta the backfield and he has the ability to block. Look for him to supplant Green, if he hasn't already.
RB Felix Jones - 32 yards rushing, 10 receptions, 61 yards receiving
For those of you not in PPR leagues, these numbers look like nothing spectacular, for those of you in PPR leagues, these numbers look ridiculous. Felix Jones is slowly becoming the primary back in Dallas's crazy backfield. As a guy that can catch passes outta the backfield, Felix Jones has become a viable option as a #2 running back on your roster in PPR leagues.
Didn't have as much time as I'd like this week, but I thought these were some interesting highlights. More to come later!
Hello and Welcome to GTFOS!
Are you tired of reading another article that tells you who to start and sit? I know I am. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that I get to find out that Joe Flacco has a great matchup this week and that Brandon Marshall is going up against the number 1 defense in the league. However, most of the time, this information just doesn’t apply to me. I mean, tossing out 3 guys at each position just doesn’t quite cut it if you are a fantasy fanatic. No, not quite like one of those guys on The League. But, chances are, if you are reading this article, you are dedicated enough to do the research. Pat yourself on the back!
Unlike other bloggers, I won’t guarantee that this is the one site that will turn you into a fantasy football king, mainly because I don’t believe any one site can do that. The best fantasy football players, in my opinion, are the ones that are open to suggestions, take into consideration advice from all different angles, and transform it into a decision of their own. My blogs are just another one of the many advices out there. Although I try to be as innovative as I can, it is by no means a concrete law set in stone. With that said though, you will still be getting top-notch information, the latest injury report, and objective rankings in order to help YOU make YOUR decision. That’s right, your decision, not the decision of Mike and Mike in the Morning.
Without further delay, the following is a list of my rankings of fantasy performers for week 7 as how they look on Tuesday, how their stocks have risen/fallen, latest injury update, etc. Also, a little something I like to do, is to tag a player as either “Trade him NOW” (the player is hot, but most likely will fall in value soon, so trade him when his value is high) or “Trade for him NOW” (the player is cold, but most likely will pick it up, so trade for him while you still can).
QB
1. Drew Brees vs. Cleveland
2. Phillip Rivers vs. New England
3. Aaron Rodgers vs. Minnesota
4. Tom Brady @ San Diego
5. Tony Romo vs. New York Giants
6. Joe Flacco vs. Buffalo
7. Jay Cutler vs. Washington
8. Eli Manning @ Dallas
9. Ben Roethlisberger @ Miami
10. Kyle Orton vs. Oakland
11. Kevin Kolb @ Tennessee
12. Sam Bradford @ Tampa Bay
13. Carson Palmer @ Atlanta
14. Matt Ryan vs. Cincinnati
15. Matt Cassel vs. Jacksonville
16. Josh Freeman vs. St. Louis
17. Brett Favre @ Green Bay
18. Donovan McNabb @ Chicago
19. Vince Young vs. Philadelphia
20. Alex Smith @ Carolina
21. Matt Hasselbeck vs. Arizona
22. Chad Henne vs. Pittsburgh
23. Bruce Gradkowski @ Denver
24. David Garrard @ Kansas City
25. Ryan Fitzpatrick @ Baltimore
Let the NO PEYTON MANNING??!! rave begin!!
RB
1. Rashard Mendenhall @ Miami
2. Frank Gore @ Carolina
3. Chris Johnson vs. Philadelphia
4. Adrian Peterson @ Green Bay
5. Ray Rice vs. Buffalo
6. Steven Jackson @ Tampa Bay
7. Maurice Jones-Drew @ Kansas City
8. Ahmad Bradshaw @ Dallas
9. LeSean McCoy @ Tennessee
10. Michael Turner vs. Cincinnati (Trade for him NOW)
11. Jamaal Charles vs. Jacksonville
12. Ryan Matthews vs. New England
13. Ryan Torain @ Chicago
14. Felix Jones vs. New York Giants (Trade for him NOW)
15. DeAngelo Williams vs. San Francisco
16. Matt Forte vs. Washington
17. Peyton Hillis @ New Orleans (Trade for him NOW)
18. Knowshon Moreno vs. Oakland (Trade for him NOW)
19. Thomas Jones vs. Jacksonville
20. Tim Hightower @ Seattle
21. Ronnie Brown vs. Pittsburgh
22. Ricky Williams vs. Pittsburgh
23. Michael Bush @ Denver (Trade him NOW)
24. Justin Forsett vs. Arizona
25. Brandon Jacobs @ Dallas
26. Marshawn Lynch vs. Arizona
27. Cadillac Williams vs. St. Louis
28. Jonathan Stewart vs. San Francisco
29. Christopher Ivory vs. Cleveland (Trade him NOW)
30. Fred Jackson @ Baltimore
31. Beanie Wells @ Seattle
32. Brandon Jackson vs. Minnesota (Trade him NOW)
33. Benjarvis Green-Ellis @ San Diego
34. Pierre Thomas vs. Cleveland (Trade for him NOW)
35. Marion Barber vs. New York Giants
36. Jason Snelling vs. Cincinnati
37. Mike Tolbert vs. New England
38. C.J. Spiller @ Baltimore
39. Danny Woodhead @ San Diego
40. Darren McFadden @ Denver (Trade for him NOW)
41. Jerome Harrison @ Tennessee
42. Darren Sproles vs. New England
43. Chester Taylor vs. Washington
44. LeGarrette Blount vs. St. Louis
45. John Kuhn vs. Minnesota
46. Willis McGahee vs. Buffalo
47. Ladell Betts vs. Cleveland
48. Javon Ringer vs. Philadelphia
49. Laurence Maroney vs. Oakland
50. Correll Buckhalter vs. Oakland
WR
1. Hakeem Nicks @ Dallas
2. Miles Austin vs. New York Giants
3. Anquan Boldin vs. Buffalo
4. Larry Fitzgerald @ Seattle (Trade for him NOW)
5. Roddy White vs. Cincinnati
6. Greg Jennings vs. Minnesota
7. Randy Moss @ Green Bay
8. Brandon Marshall vs. Pittsburgh
9. Wes Welker @ San Diego
10. Jeremy Maclin @ Tennessee
11. Deion Branch @ San Diego
12. Percy Harvin @ Green Bay (Trade for him NOW)
13. Terrell Owens @ Atlanta
14. Donald Driver vs. Minnesota
15. Steve Smith (NYG) @ Dallas
16. Dwayne Bowe vs. Jacksonville (Trade him NOW)
17. Marques Colston vs. Cleveland (Trade for him NOW)
18. Brandon Lloyd vs. Oakland (Trade him NOW)
19. Roy Williams vs. New York Giants (Trade him NOW)
20. Hines Ward @ Miami
21. Mike Wallace @ Miami
22. Johnny Knox vs. Washington
23. Chad Ochocinco @ Atlanta
24. Santana Moss @ Chicago
25. Mike Williams (TB) vs. St. Louis
26. Jabar Gaffney vs. Oakland
27. Mike Thomas @ Kansas City
28. Michael Crabtree @ Carolina
29. Louis Murphy @ Denver
30. Patrick Crayton vs. New England (Trade for him NOW)
31. Derrick Mason vs. Buffalo
32. Steve Smith (Car) vs. San Francisco
33. Malcom Floyd vs. New England (Trade for him NOW)
34. Kenny Britt vs. Philadelphia
35. Mike Williams (Sea) vs. Arizona
36. Mike Sims-Walker @ Kansas City
37. Nate Washington vs. Philadelphia
38. Davone Bess vs. Pittsburgh
39. Michael Jenkins vs. Cincinnati
40. Lee Evans @ Baltimore
41. Steve Johnson @ Baltimore
42. Mario Manningham @ Dallas
43. Robert Meachem vs. Cleveland
44. Brian Hartline vs. Pittsburgh
45. Devin Hester vs. Washington
46. Steve Breaston @ Seattle
47. Dexter McCluster vs. Jacksonville
48. Dez Bryan vs. New York Giants
49. James Jones vs. Minnesota
50. Demaryius Thomas vs. Oakland
TE
1. Vernon Davis @ Carolina
2. Jason Witten vs. New York Giants
3. Zach Miller @ Denver
4. Mercedes Lewis @ Kansas City
5. Tony Gonzalez vs. Cincinnati
6. Heath Miller @ Miami (Trade for him NOW)
7. Aaron Hernandez @ San Diego
8. Tony Moeaki vs. Jacksonville (Trade for him NOW)
9. Brent Celek @ Tennessee (Trade him NOW)
10. Jeremy Shockey vs. Cleveland
11. Jermaine Gresham @ Atlanta
12. Visanthe Shiancoe @ Green Bay
13. Kellen Winslow vs. St. Louis
14. John Carlson vs. Arizona
15. Greg Olsen vs. Washington
K
1. Rob Bironas vs. Philadelphia
2. Sebastian Janikowski @ Denver
3. Josh Scobee @ Kansas City
4. Mason Crosby vs. Minnesota
5. Matt Bryant vs. Cincinnati
6. Matt Prater vs. Oakland
7. Jeff Reed @ Miami
8. Graham Gano @ Chicago
9. Robbie Gould vs. Washington
10. Stephen Gostkowski @ San Diego
11. Mike Nugent @ Atlanta
12. David Akers @ Tennessee
13. Dan Carpenter vs. Pittsburgh
14. Ryan Succop vs. Jacksonville
15. Ryan Longwell @ Green Bay
DEF/ST
1. Steelers @ Miami
2. Titans vs. Philadelphia
3. Bears vs. Washington
4. Ravens vs. Buffalo
5. Packers vs. Minnesota
6. Giants @ Dallas
7. Patriots @ San Diego
8. Eagles @ Tennessee
9. Charger vs. New England
10. Cardinals @ Seattle
11. 49ers @ Carolina
12. Vikings @ Green Bay
13. Cowboys vs. New York Giants
14. Bengals vs. Cleveland
15. Seahawks vs. Arizona
*Images curtesy of mlive.com, sportsillustrated.cnn.com, pollsb.com, mkrob.com
Unlike other bloggers, I won’t guarantee that this is the one site that will turn you into a fantasy football king, mainly because I don’t believe any one site can do that. The best fantasy football players, in my opinion, are the ones that are open to suggestions, take into consideration advice from all different angles, and transform it into a decision of their own. My blogs are just another one of the many advices out there. Although I try to be as innovative as I can, it is by no means a concrete law set in stone. With that said though, you will still be getting top-notch information, the latest injury report, and objective rankings in order to help YOU make YOUR decision. That’s right, your decision, not the decision of Mike and Mike in the Morning.
Without further delay, the following is a list of my rankings of fantasy performers for week 7 as how they look on Tuesday, how their stocks have risen/fallen, latest injury update, etc. Also, a little something I like to do, is to tag a player as either “Trade him NOW” (the player is hot, but most likely will fall in value soon, so trade him when his value is high) or “Trade for him NOW” (the player is cold, but most likely will pick it up, so trade for him while you still can).
QB
1. Drew Brees vs. Cleveland
2. Phillip Rivers vs. New England
3. Aaron Rodgers vs. Minnesota
4. Tom Brady @ San Diego
5. Tony Romo vs. New York Giants
6. Joe Flacco vs. Buffalo
7. Jay Cutler vs. Washington
8. Eli Manning @ Dallas
9. Ben Roethlisberger @ Miami
10. Kyle Orton vs. Oakland
11. Kevin Kolb @ Tennessee
12. Sam Bradford @ Tampa Bay
13. Carson Palmer @ Atlanta
14. Matt Ryan vs. Cincinnati
15. Matt Cassel vs. Jacksonville
16. Josh Freeman vs. St. Louis
17. Brett Favre @ Green Bay
18. Donovan McNabb @ Chicago
19. Vince Young vs. Philadelphia
20. Alex Smith @ Carolina
21. Matt Hasselbeck vs. Arizona
22. Chad Henne vs. Pittsburgh
23. Bruce Gradkowski @ Denver
24. David Garrard @ Kansas City
25. Ryan Fitzpatrick @ Baltimore
Let the NO PEYTON MANNING??!! rave begin!!
RB
1. Rashard Mendenhall @ Miami
2. Frank Gore @ Carolina
3. Chris Johnson vs. Philadelphia
4. Adrian Peterson @ Green Bay
5. Ray Rice vs. Buffalo
6. Steven Jackson @ Tampa Bay
7. Maurice Jones-Drew @ Kansas City
8. Ahmad Bradshaw @ Dallas
9. LeSean McCoy @ Tennessee
10. Michael Turner vs. Cincinnati (Trade for him NOW)
11. Jamaal Charles vs. Jacksonville
12. Ryan Matthews vs. New England
13. Ryan Torain @ Chicago
14. Felix Jones vs. New York Giants (Trade for him NOW)
15. DeAngelo Williams vs. San Francisco
16. Matt Forte vs. Washington
17. Peyton Hillis @ New Orleans (Trade for him NOW)
18. Knowshon Moreno vs. Oakland (Trade for him NOW)
19. Thomas Jones vs. Jacksonville
20. Tim Hightower @ Seattle
21. Ronnie Brown vs. Pittsburgh
22. Ricky Williams vs. Pittsburgh
23. Michael Bush @ Denver (Trade him NOW)
24. Justin Forsett vs. Arizona
25. Brandon Jacobs @ Dallas
26. Marshawn Lynch vs. Arizona
27. Cadillac Williams vs. St. Louis
28. Jonathan Stewart vs. San Francisco
29. Christopher Ivory vs. Cleveland (Trade him NOW)
30. Fred Jackson @ Baltimore
31. Beanie Wells @ Seattle
32. Brandon Jackson vs. Minnesota (Trade him NOW)
33. Benjarvis Green-Ellis @ San Diego
34. Pierre Thomas vs. Cleveland (Trade for him NOW)
35. Marion Barber vs. New York Giants
36. Jason Snelling vs. Cincinnati
37. Mike Tolbert vs. New England
38. C.J. Spiller @ Baltimore
39. Danny Woodhead @ San Diego
40. Darren McFadden @ Denver (Trade for him NOW)
41. Jerome Harrison @ Tennessee
42. Darren Sproles vs. New England
43. Chester Taylor vs. Washington
44. LeGarrette Blount vs. St. Louis
45. John Kuhn vs. Minnesota
46. Willis McGahee vs. Buffalo
47. Ladell Betts vs. Cleveland
48. Javon Ringer vs. Philadelphia
49. Laurence Maroney vs. Oakland
50. Correll Buckhalter vs. Oakland
WR
1. Hakeem Nicks @ Dallas
2. Miles Austin vs. New York Giants
3. Anquan Boldin vs. Buffalo
4. Larry Fitzgerald @ Seattle (Trade for him NOW)
5. Roddy White vs. Cincinnati
6. Greg Jennings vs. Minnesota
7. Randy Moss @ Green Bay
8. Brandon Marshall vs. Pittsburgh
9. Wes Welker @ San Diego
10. Jeremy Maclin @ Tennessee
11. Deion Branch @ San Diego
12. Percy Harvin @ Green Bay (Trade for him NOW)
13. Terrell Owens @ Atlanta
14. Donald Driver vs. Minnesota
15. Steve Smith (NYG) @ Dallas
16. Dwayne Bowe vs. Jacksonville (Trade him NOW)
17. Marques Colston vs. Cleveland (Trade for him NOW)
18. Brandon Lloyd vs. Oakland (Trade him NOW)
19. Roy Williams vs. New York Giants (Trade him NOW)
20. Hines Ward @ Miami
21. Mike Wallace @ Miami
22. Johnny Knox vs. Washington
23. Chad Ochocinco @ Atlanta
24. Santana Moss @ Chicago
25. Mike Williams (TB) vs. St. Louis
26. Jabar Gaffney vs. Oakland
27. Mike Thomas @ Kansas City
28. Michael Crabtree @ Carolina
29. Louis Murphy @ Denver
30. Patrick Crayton vs. New England (Trade for him NOW)
31. Derrick Mason vs. Buffalo
32. Steve Smith (Car) vs. San Francisco
33. Malcom Floyd vs. New England (Trade for him NOW)
34. Kenny Britt vs. Philadelphia
35. Mike Williams (Sea) vs. Arizona
36. Mike Sims-Walker @ Kansas City
37. Nate Washington vs. Philadelphia
38. Davone Bess vs. Pittsburgh
39. Michael Jenkins vs. Cincinnati
40. Lee Evans @ Baltimore
41. Steve Johnson @ Baltimore
42. Mario Manningham @ Dallas
43. Robert Meachem vs. Cleveland
44. Brian Hartline vs. Pittsburgh
45. Devin Hester vs. Washington
46. Steve Breaston @ Seattle
47. Dexter McCluster vs. Jacksonville
48. Dez Bryan vs. New York Giants
49. James Jones vs. Minnesota
50. Demaryius Thomas vs. Oakland
TE
1. Vernon Davis @ Carolina
2. Jason Witten vs. New York Giants
3. Zach Miller @ Denver
4. Mercedes Lewis @ Kansas City
5. Tony Gonzalez vs. Cincinnati
6. Heath Miller @ Miami (Trade for him NOW)
7. Aaron Hernandez @ San Diego
8. Tony Moeaki vs. Jacksonville (Trade for him NOW)
9. Brent Celek @ Tennessee (Trade him NOW)
10. Jeremy Shockey vs. Cleveland
11. Jermaine Gresham @ Atlanta
12. Visanthe Shiancoe @ Green Bay
13. Kellen Winslow vs. St. Louis
14. John Carlson vs. Arizona
15. Greg Olsen vs. Washington
K
1. Rob Bironas vs. Philadelphia
2. Sebastian Janikowski @ Denver
3. Josh Scobee @ Kansas City
4. Mason Crosby vs. Minnesota
5. Matt Bryant vs. Cincinnati
6. Matt Prater vs. Oakland
7. Jeff Reed @ Miami
8. Graham Gano @ Chicago
9. Robbie Gould vs. Washington
10. Stephen Gostkowski @ San Diego
11. Mike Nugent @ Atlanta
12. David Akers @ Tennessee
13. Dan Carpenter vs. Pittsburgh
14. Ryan Succop vs. Jacksonville
15. Ryan Longwell @ Green Bay
DEF/ST
1. Steelers @ Miami
2. Titans vs. Philadelphia
3. Bears vs. Washington
4. Ravens vs. Buffalo
5. Packers vs. Minnesota
6. Giants @ Dallas
7. Patriots @ San Diego
8. Eagles @ Tennessee
9. Charger vs. New England
10. Cardinals @ Seattle
11. 49ers @ Carolina
12. Vikings @ Green Bay
13. Cowboys vs. New York Giants
14. Bengals vs. Cleveland
15. Seahawks vs. Arizona
*Images curtesy of mlive.com, sportsillustrated.cnn.com, pollsb.com, mkrob.com
New Fantasy Sports Blog
Hey everyone, this is going to be a new joint blog amongst myself and a few of my colleagues. I would like to introduce Jon and Sam who will also be contributing to both hockey and football since I myself can not handle the full load. We're still working out all the contributions, but they will start tomorrow. Once we've got everything sorted out, you guys will have a daily update on fantasy hockey and fantasy football. We will also continue onto Baseball for sure, maybe some basketball, although not all of us are big basketball fans. With that I welcome you to GTFOS!
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