If your playoff team is in need due to injuries or poor performance, here are a few fantasy sleepers for week 15. Good luck!
Rex Grossman WAS QB
Grossman did his part to try and pull off the upset, notching over 250 passing yards and a pair of scores against the Patriots. Those numbers came without TE Fred Davis and with only minimal participation from Roy Helu in the passing game (2 catches for 6 yards compared to 4/42 and 7/54 in the previous two games). He’ll be throwing all day long again this week on the road against the Giants. Over the last 3 weeks, no team has allowed more fantasy points to QBs than the Giants.
Carson Palmer OAK QB
The Giants may have been the worst pass defense over the last 3 weeks, but the Lions were right behind them. Most recently they allowed 36 fantasy points to the combination of Minnesota’s Christian Ponder and Joe Webb. The Packers taught him a lesson last week after picking him off four times. He’ll learn from that and make better decisions against Detroit. One thing is for certain, he’s going to be throwing a lot of passes – 250 and a pair of scores is what I’m expecting at minimum.
Felix Jones DAL RB
Obviously not the deepest sleeper of the week, but for many owners, he is a brand new acquisition after DeMarco Murray went down with a broken ankle. There’s a really strong case to make a spot for him in your lineup this week. That case is known as the Buccaneers. They’ve taken over the mantle of the worst run defense in fantasy football. Most recently they were dominated by MJD who put up obscene numbers on them to build a 37 point performance. Jones is in for a big day in his first start since week 6.
Demaryius Thomas DEN WR
Over the last 3 weeks, Thomas leads Broncos receivers in all of the major receiving stats. He’s had 11 grabs for 222 yards and 3 TDs – did I mention, he actually put up those stats in only 2 games? More importantly, the Broncos face the Patriots this week. They have consistently been one of the most QB friendly defenses to face and they rank dead last as of the end of week 14. Tebow is actually starting to look like an NFL passer and he’ll be able to do it again versus this defense, making his primary target a viable option.
Jabar Gaffney WAS WR
He panned out last week against New England, leading the Redskins in receiving yards with 92 and a score. That was just enough to edge out teammate Santana Moss. He has the right matchup to repeat again this week. The Giants are second to last (behind only New England) against the pass. Week after week they have been picked apart by opposing receivers. It also helps that he’s been really consistent with at least 70+ yards in 3 of the last 4 games. The lone dud came against the Jets where he had to deal with Revis.
Nate Washington TEN WR
He had his two biggest point totals of the season in the same two games that QB Jake Locker saw significant action. It’s a strong possibility that Matt Hasselbeck’s calf injury could keep him out again this week. The Titans are headed to Indy and the Colts have struggled against, well, everything. They rank 28th against the pass and Washington could easily have another big day.
Jermichael Finley GB TE
Finley was held without a reception against the Raiders and only had 1 target on the day. This week, I expect him to bounce back strong against the Chiefs. He’ll be called upon to help fill the void that has been created with Jennings missing time (knee sprain). The Chiefs rank 27th against fantasy tight ends, giving up 50 yards and .62 TDs per week.
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So, the first week of the fantasy football playoffs are done. Let’s examine the aftermath.
Week Fourteen Fantasy MVP
If one is an accident and two is a trend, what is sixteen worth? Rob Gronkowski continued his personal assault on the record books with touchdowns number 15 and 16 this week. Watching this guy play this season has been a real treat.
Week Fourteen Fantasy LVP
Many owners anticipated a strong performance from Ahmad Bradshaw in his second game back from a foot injury, but instead were rewarded with 19 total yards after being benched for the first half of the game against Dallas.
Lineup Fun
The virtually unbeatable lineup of the week…
QB Tony Romo DAL = 320 passing yards, four touchdowns
RB Maurice Jones-Drew JAX = 136 total yards, four touchdowns
RB Shonn Greene NYJ = 187 total yards, touchdown
WR/RB Brandon Jacobs NYG = 101 rushing yards, two touchdowns
WR Marques Colston NO = 7 catches, 105 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Julio Jones ATL = 3 catches, 104 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Antonio Brown PIT = 5 catches, 151 receiving yards, one touchdown
TE Rob Gronkowski NE = 6 catches, 160 receiving yards, two touchdowns
The dominant underdog lineup of the week…
QB Jake Locker TEN = 282 passing yards, 36 rushing yards, two total touchdowns
RB Ryan Grant GB = 98 total yards, two touchdowns
RB Toby Gerhart =109 total yards, one touchdown
WR/RB Jacquizz Rodgers ATL = 43 total yards, one touchdown
WR Doug Baldwin SEA = 7 catches, 93 yards, one touchdown
WR Titus Young DET = 4 catches, 87 receiving yards, one touchdown
WR Kevin Walter HOU = 6 catches, 76 receiving yards, one touchdown
You probably lost if your lineup looked like this…
QB Matt Hasselbeck TEN = 44 passing yards, one calf injury
RB Chris Wells ARI = 30 total yards
RB Willis McGahee DEN = 36 total yards
RB DeMarco Murray DAL = 31 total yards, one broken foot
WR Jeremy Maclin PHI = 1 catch, 13 receiving yards
WR Greg Jennings GB = 2 catches, 28 receiving yards, one knee injury
TE Vernon Davis SF = 1 catch, 32 receiving yards
Gut Checks
I’d be worried if…
I felt I could plug Chad Ochocinco into my lineup due to injury and expect decent h2h fantasy production.
I have Steven Jackson for the fantasy playoffs going forward. How about CIN, @PIT and SF to finish up?
I have to depend on any Raiders wideout for the fantasy playoffs.
I need Shonn Greene to keep this up. It’s just hard to dismiss 13 weeks of mediocrity all of a sudden – even with the strong week 14 performance.
I have Mike Wallace or Calvin Johnson as my lead receiver right now. Teams seem to be content taking them away and living with the consequences.
I have Beanie Wells for the stretch run. He’s hurt and it’s obvious.
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So much for Mike Brown sticking to his word about not trading Carson Palmer. The Raiders have once again stepped up to the plate and offered an opposing team a King’s ransom for a disgruntled superstar.
The Raiders have acquired embattled signal caller, Carson Palmer, for a 2012 first round selection and a conditional second round selection in 2013. Should the Raiders win at least one playoff game in 2011, the 2013 pick is upgraded to a first rounder. Acquiring what could be two first rounders in each of the next two drafts was too much to pass up for the enigmatic owner. And who would blame him this time?
The Raiders, who undoubtedly are making a push to go deep into the playoffs in the same year Al Davis passed away, must now hope that Palmer is beyond the shoulder issues that have seen him go from a top-flight fantasy quarterback to fantasy dud over the past couple seasons.
Former Bengals teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh has opined that Palmer’s arm strength has, indeed, returned and he has that zip on the ball once again. If Houshmandzadeh’s evaluation is accurate, the Raiders have their quarterback of the present and the future.
The acquisition of Palmer signals the end of the Jason Campbell era. Campbell performed admirably in 2011 and was making a playoff push of his own before breaking his collar-bone in week six. Campbell will undoubtedly find a new home for 2012 after raising his stock in 2011. Miami, Seattle and even Denver could be landing spots.
For the new look Raiders, what does it mean?
Carson Palmer
Palmer inherits a team on the rise with a new found rushing attack spearheaded by the resurgent Darren McFadden. Palmer’s new receiving corps is young and inconsistent but quite talented. Rumor has it that Palmer could start as soon as this week, but with a bye week looming in week 8, my guess is he makes his debut in week 9.
Jason Campbell, QB
Campbell has played his last snap for the Raiders and I half expected him to be moved on the 18th prior to the trade deadline following the Palmer acquisition. Either way, with no less than a six week recovery period staring Campbell in the face and being not much better than an adequate game manager in 2011, Campbell likely won’t see the field again this season. He’s played well enough to garner interest on the open market in 2012 as a free agent.
Darren McFadden/Michael Bush, RBs
No significant changes here unless Palmer is able to significantly improve the Raider’s 24th ranked passing offense, which would force the safeties back from the box. Palmer projects as a stronger performer than Campbell which will pay dividends in the long term. Near term, however, expect the Raider’s rushing attack to remain potent.
Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR
Quarterbacks need to have chemistry with their receivers and the rush will be on for the entire receiving corps to get on the same page with Palmer. As Heyward-Bey leads all Raider receivers with 345 yards on 22 receptions, he will be first in line for a fantasy upgrade. But expect the chemistry process to take the remainder of the season. If Palmer does regain his pro-bowl form in Oakland, look for Heyward-Bey to be a solid fantasy wr in the very near future.
Denarius Moore, WR
I believe Moore has the most to gain with Palmer under center. Much like Heyward-Bey, Moore is a young receiver but possesses more of a big-play dynamic. As a rookie on the rise, Moore’s willingness to do whatever is asked of him and his obvious ability to put it into play on the field should immediately gain the notice of the veteran Palmer.
Kevin Boss, TE
Boss may get an uptick in value over time but with seven receptions for 149 yards thus far into 2011, that would take much to accomplish. No significant value increase here expected.
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It came as a surprise to almost no one when NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that the league was cancelling the first two weeks of the 2011- 2012 season. This could just be the tip of the iceberg though since there is a “gulf” between players and owners when it comes to a new collective bargaining agreement, according to Stern.
There have been a total of 100 games cancelled between Nov. 1 and 14. The choice became unavoidable after both sides met for more than seven hours and still could not make any headway. It’s the first time the NBA has cancelled games due to a work stoppage since the infamous 50-game season of 1998-99.
The gap still remains enormous between the players and owners when it comes to economics and the way the salary cap is to be structured. Obviously, both sides feel they’re right and nobody’s budging on the issues.
Derek Fisher, the players’ union boss, wanted to stress to the public that it was the owners’ choice to cancel part of the season since they are the party that is actually locking the doors. He also wanted to point out that the players are not on strike but are being prohibited from performing their jobs by the owners.
The season was scheduled to tip off on Nov. 1 and since the games have been scrapped, many arenas are now scrambling to book other events during this time period. The NBA’s average attendance last season was about 17,300 a game. With 100 games being cancelled it means that about $83 million in ticket sales will be lost.
In addition, millions more will be lost in concessions, parking and merchandise. Season ticket holders, who pay in advance, will be refunded for the lost games.
This fight will ultimately boil down to a test of wills between owners and players. The union has been advising players for the last couple of years to put some money away since a lockout was a distinct possibility. Only time will tell if the majority of players will start missing their paychecks while trying to continue living their lavish lifestyles. Some players have already jumped ship and signed with basketball clubs overseas in order to keep to cash coming in.
The NBA’s revenues and television ratings rose considerably last season, meaning the lockout comes at a bad time as the league was enjoying an uptick in popularity. Both sides are going to lose hundreds of millions and it is money that will likely never be recouped.
With the league more popular than ever, it may be suicide if an entire season falls by the wayside. It’s hard to say if the fans would welcome them back with open arms or just find something else to do with their time and money. The National Hockey League is still feeling the effects seven years later after losing a full season to a lockout.
The biggest bone of contention between the league and its players seems to be over the division of revenue and luxury taxes. The owners want the players to take 47 per cent while the union wants 53 percent. Owners have said they would accept a 50/50 split of revenue but the players remain insistent on a 53% share.
The league also wants all clubs to have equal footing and be competitive, so are looking at a stricter luxury tax for teams that exceed the salary cap. It has been the player’s contention all along that they would never accept a “hard cap.” The league’s proposal is technically not a “hard cap” since the threshold can be circumvented, but the new harsher luxury tax proposals are every bit the same as a “hard cap” in the player’s eyes.
Of course, the real victims in this NBA lockout will be the millions of fans and thousands of “behind the scenes” players like secretaries, trainers, security, ushers and concession personnel who are the foundation upon which the NBA is built.
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We’re now a quarter of the way through the NFL season and what a wild ride it’s been so far! Here’s my take on the coming madness in week 5 (remember it’s the start of the bye-season).
Calvin Johnson is officially the fantasy beast everyone expected coming out of Georgia Tech. Early in his career, he suffered from recurring injuries but still managed to show flashes of his incredible ability. In 2011, he’s finally the dominant fantasy receiver that simply cannot be contained.
Chris Johnson looks to be getting back in step. He would normally be facing a daunting matchup in the Steelers D but they have been anything but daunting so far in 2011. The black and gold have plenty of pride so expect them to stack the box, looking to restore their once proud run defense.
Carolina’s run game has started taking hold but it’s still anyone’s guess as to who will be the primary ball carrier week to week and a 50/50 timeshare can be expected going forward. What has been surprising is that Williams hasn’t been used in the passing game to any degree yet.
Matt Forte should continue to impress even against a solid Lions defense that finally welcomes 2011 1st rounder Nick Fairley to the party. Forte came into the 2011 fantasy football season with a lot of promise but he has definitely exceeded all expectations. What Chicago is trying to accomplish by not getting his deal done is beyond me. Pay him!
What’s this? Buffalo came back to earth in week four but Fred Jackson continues to still pay dividends. He’s a solid RB2 right now in most formats. David Nelson was a popular week 4 sleeper but failed to deliver the goods.
In Big D, Tony Romo continues his annoying habit of not valuing the football. He has all the physical ability in the world, but right now you have to wonder if he’ll ever possess the qualities between the ears to be an elite NFL quarterback.
Matt Sanchez continues to underwhelm, but could be a decent play in week 5 against a weak New England secondary that continues to get shredded. If your QB has a bye this week and you’re unsure of your backup, Sanchez is probably worth a roll of the dice this week if available.
Marques Colston is back now from his collar bone injury but he may not be anything more than a WR3, in the immediate future at least.
Mark Ingram continues to be an enigma. I fully expected him to be the guy in New Orleans by now but he’s in a time-share with not one but two backs in Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles. Long term, he is still the answer in the Big Easy, but as of now remains too much of a risk to warrant even a flex start.
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Week four is going to be remembered most for an epic performance from Aaron Rodgers as the signal callers in the NFL continue their assault on the record books. We take a look at his performance, as well as a few clunkers as we spin around the league in our week four aftermath.
Week One Fantasy MVP
Aaron Rodgers was out of this world, posting a career-high 408 passing yards with four touchdowns. When you add another 36 rushing yards and two more rushing touchdowns, you have yourself a player who won a few leagues on his own this week. To put it into perspective, Rodgers’ performance is one of the ten best all time in most h2h fantasy leagues.
Week One Fantasy LVP
As good as Rodgers was, Mark Sanchez was equally bad with his putrid performance on Sunday night. The 119 passing yards was obviously a huge disappointment, but when you add an interception and three lost fumbles, you had a quarterback who posted negative points in many formats.
Ouch.
Lineup Fun
You had a great week 4 if your lineup looked like this…
QB Aaron Rodgers GB = 408 passing yards, 36 rushing yards, one INT, six total touchdowns
RB Chris Wells ARI = 138 rushing yards, three touchdowns
RB Matt Forte CHI = 205 rushing yards, 23 receiving yards, one touchdown
RB Arian Foster HOU = 155 rushing yards, 11 receiving yards, one touchdown
WR Hakeem Nicks NYG = 10 catches, 162 yards, one touchdown
WR Wes Welker NE = Nine catches, 158 yards, one touchdown
WR Calvin Johnson DET = Eight catches, 96 yards, two touchdowns
TE Jimmy Graham NO = Ten catches, 132 yards, one touchdown
You probably were sick if your lineup looked like this…
QB Mark Sanchez NYJ = 119 passing yards, one INT, three lost fumbles
RB Shonn Greene NYJ = 23 rushing yards
RB Knowshon Moreno DEN = Four rushing yards, seven receiving yards
RB Tim Hightower WAS = 24 rushing yards, four receiving yards
WR Andre Johnson HOU = Four catches, 36 receiving yards, one hamstring injury
WR Anquan Boldin BAL = One catch, 28 receiving yards
WR Mario Manningham NYG = One catch, 10 receiving yards
TE Rob Gronkowski NE = One catch, 15 receiving yards
Gut Checks
I’d be worried if…
I own Tim Hightower. We’ve been saying it for months, but NOW do you believe us? NO Redskin running back can be trusted in the long term as long as Mike Shanahan is at the helm. It now seems as if Ryan Torain has been welcomed back into full workhouse mode.
I’m relying on Jonathan Stewart or DeAngelo Williams for consistent production. Remember when you could start either of them and feel pretty good about it? With Cam Newton airing it out, you can’t really start either with much confidence.
I’m hoping for production from any receiver from Chicago or Cleveland. It’s just not happening there, either.
I’m playing against a team with Calvin Johnson. He’s on pace for 32 touchdowns this year. It’s easy to say he won’t get there. He won’t get there, right? Right!?!
I own Felix Jones. We keep waiting and waiting for this enormous breakout and after a month, we’re still waiting.
I’m holding out hope that Ben Tate makes the Texans a running back by committee team. After Arian Foster gashed the Steelers and Tate got hurt, it’s hard to see that happening soon.
I own Rashard Mendenhall. His injury isn’t a huge concern at the moment, but his yards per carry is. The Steelers offensive line is a total mess and the entire Steelers offense is paying the price.
I have Donovan McNabb as my QB2. Remember when his trade to Washington was controversial? It turns out the Eagles really did know something. Go ahead and stick a fork in him, he is done!
I own Sam Bradford in a dynasty league. While it’s no time to get really concerned, I’d say the panic meter is set to around 3. He’s beginning to rush his throws and is looking generally uncomfortable in the pocket as the Rams continue to have trouble protecting him.
I own Mario Manningham. A favorite among many sites to be the breakout performer of 2011, he’s struggling to stay healthy and now has to battle Victor Cruz for meaningful touches.
I’m hoping for an offensive explosion from the Atlanta Falcons. Of all the disappointing teams in the league, Atlanta is at the top of the list. Their high powered offense is looking a little choppy and the defense is absolutely sieve-like. The Packers are licking their chops with a trip to the ATL this week.
I own Knowshon Moreno or Kyle Orton. Moreno has officially lost his starting job to Willis McGahee and Kyle Orton’s leash is getting shorter as the Broncos sit at 1-3.
I own BenJarvus Green-Ellis or Shane Vereen in a dynasty league. I’ve been “all in” on Stevan Ridley for some time now and nothing I’ve seen is making me back off. This team is always going to employ a committee approach, but Ridley has looked like the most capable back the Pats have, including Danny Woodhead.
I’m expecting anything from Reggie Bush. With Daniel Thomas being sidelined, this was his big chance to shine and make his mark on the backfield. He failed to impress again. In the end, the major problem I have with Bush is that he’s terrible.
I have Shonn Greene. Speaking of terrible…
I own Denarius Moore in a re-draft league. He still looks like the most talented receiver on the roster, but the Raiders still seem committed to DHB and others taking priority in the short term.
I’m expecting consistent production from Donald Jones or David Nelson in Buffalo. Fred Jackson, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Stevie Johnson are all premier players, but that’s as far as it goes with the Bills.
I have Brandon Marshall. He has FOUR touchdowns in 18 games as a Dolphin.
A Look Ahead to Hot Names on the Week Five Waiver Wire
Remember, we focus on the lesser names here who we haven’t mentioned much this season.
1. Joe McKnight, RB NYJ
Shonn Greene and LT aren’t getting it done. It’s about time the Jets see what they have in McKnight and Bilal Powell.
2. Doug Baldwin, WR SEA
He’s quietly putting together a decent season, despite playing in Seattle.
3. Brady Quinn, QB DEN
Everyone assumes Tim Tebow is next in line if Denver continues to struggle. He may not be. Quinn never really has had a legitimate long term chance.
4. Earnest Graham, RB TB
I’m surprised at how many leagues have him still on the wire. If Blount was to get hurt, Graham would immediately become quite valuable.
5. James Casey, TE HOU
Andre Johnson may be out for a bit, so the Texans will need to do a good job of spreading the ball around. Jacoby Jones and Kevin Walter are likely owned in your league, but Casey is a player to monitor.
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After the league’s marquee player Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins missed the second half of last season due to a concussion he received from a hit to the head, the NHL started to crack down on illegal hits.
And by the looks of things, the NHL will be getting even tougher this season with Brendan Shanahan, the leagues’ Senior Vice President of Player Safety and Hockey Operations, dishing out five suspensions so far in the pre-season for a total of 17 games with two of the suspensions being classified as indefinite.
Jody Shelley of the Philadelphia Flyers was handed a 10-game suspension for hitting Darryl Boyce of the Toronto Maple Leafs from behind. Boyce’s face was slammed into the glass behind the net and he broke his nose. Shelley is a repeat offender as he was suspended twice last year, therefore the lengthy suspension as he apparently hasn’t learned his lesson.
Shanahan has adopted a brand new approach when ordering suspensions by releasing videos of the illegal hits to the press and then commenting on them on camera, explaining exactly what rules the player broke in the incidents.
The players don’t really have anybody to blame but themselves if they find themselves suspended without pay since Shanahan and Mathieu Schneider, an NHLPA special advisor, released a video to all of the clubs before the preseason got underway which visually explained the changes to the rules where boarding and head shots are concerned.
The 10-minute video was filmed and produced by the NHL and shows examples of the types of hits that are illegal. The league felt explicit examples should be shown to the 30 teams since there were changes to the rules over the summer months.
The league altered rule 48 which now states, any hit that targets the head intentionally or recklessly will result in a minor penalty and a review by the league. It’s up to the referee to decide if the recipient of the hit put himself into a vulnerable position just before being hit.
The rule used to allow referees to rule a five-minute major penalty if a player was hit from the side or behind. The referee can now hand out a penalty if a player receives a head-on shot to the face or head. The video that was sent out featured four examples of illegal checks and four examples of legal hits, explaining the difference between them. Basically, any body check that has the primary contact with an opponent’s head will result in a penalty and a disciplinary review.
When it comes to rule 41, which deals with boarding offenses, there have been a few amendments. The new rule will penalize players for pushing or checking defenseless players into the boards, resulting in dangerous or violent impacts with the boards. The old version of the rule didn’t penalize players for pushing opponents into the boards.
This means the player who is delivering the body check must make sure the recipient isn’t in a defenseless position. If the player is in a defenseless position, then the attacker must avoid the collision or minimize his contact. It’ll be up to the refs to decide if the contact was unavoidable.
It doesn’t matter how hard the contact between the two players is, what matters is how hard the defenseless player hits the boards. In the past, many players were simply getting pushed into the boards headfirst from behind and getting seriously injured.
With concussions becoming more and more prevalent in sports like hockey and football, any steps taken to reduce the number of serious head injuries is a welcome sight. The players may resist change in the beginning, but these changes will ultimately save them from searching the Internet for a reputable Canadian pharmacy online while also benefiting their long-term health.
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Week three brought us some supreme performances and some clunkers as well. It also brought us one more season ending injury as Kenny Britt was taken out with a torn ACL. We spin it in a DLF staple series of articles – the weekly aftermath.
Week Three Fantasy MVP
Well, it looks like Wes Welker‘s knee seems to be healed. He torched the Bills for 16 catches, 217 yards and two touchdowns to win the MVP award for the week. Welker is locked in as the number one target in an offense that passes the ball all over the yard. Dynasty owners who were patient through his long recovery are being rewarded handsomely at this point.
The runner-up award has to go to Baltimore’s Torrey Smith who posted five catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns, while being started in around 0.2% of all leagues. Go figure.
Week One Fantasy LVP
James Starks was supposed to be taking over the role of lead dog in the Packers backfield, but turned in an awful performance with just five rushing yards on 11 carries, 9 receiving yards on three catches and a lost fumble. In many leagues, he actually posted negative points. Meanwhile, Ryan Grant posted 92 yards on 17 carries. All in all, this was a disaster for Starks.
Stay patient, though.
Lineup Fun
You probably won if your lineup looked like this…
QB Joe Flacco BAL = 389 passing yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions
RB Darren McFadden OAK = 171 rushing yards, seven receiving yards, two touchdowns
RB Ryan Mathews SD = 98 rushing yards, 51 receiving yards, two touchdowns
RB Fred Jackson BUF = 74 rushing yards, 87 receiving yards, one touchdown
WR Wes Welker NE = 16 catches, 217 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Torrey Smith BAL = 5 catches, 152 yards, three touchdowns
WR Victor Cruz NYG = 3 catches, 110 yards, two touchdowns
TE Jermichael Finley = 7 catches, 85 yards, three touchdowns
You probably lost if your lineup looked like this…
QB Philip Rivers SD = 266 passing yards, n0 touchdowns, two INTs
RB Steven Jackson STL = 23 rushing yards
RB Reggie Bush MIA = 24 rushing yards, 12 receiving yards, lost fumble
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis = 16 rushing yards
WR Kenny Britt TEN = 3 catches, 18 receiving yards, one torn ACL
WR Santonio Holmes NYJ = 1 catch, 19 receiving yards
WR Steve Smith CAR = 2 catches, 15 receiving yards
TE Jared Cook TEN = 2 catches, 12 receiving yards
Gut Checks
I’d be worried if…
I own Kenny Britt in a dynasty league. The injury is bad, but the free time might be worse.
I have BenJarvus Green-Ellis in my dynasty league. The Law Firm had just 18 yards on ten carries, while rookie Stevan Ridley had 42 yards on just six. There’s growing confidence in Ridley’s ability and BGE needs a good showing this week if he wants to keep holding off the rookie.
I own CJ Spiller in a dynasty league. It’s getting pretty ridiculous now. Two touches for Spiller for a total of -4 yards, while Fred Jackson had 17 touches for 161 yards and one touchdown. This is far from a timeshare.
I’m still holding out hope for Chad Ochocinco. He played 60 or the 72 snaps for New England this week and came up with just two catches for 28 yards. I always thought the league would be less entertaining when he was gone and his antics were done. Turns out it’s less entertaining with him still here.
I’m expecting RB1 numbers from a Panthers running back. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart just don’t get enough touches each week to merit much more than flex consideration at the moment.
I’m hoping for big numbers from Maurice Jones-Drew each week. While he looks fairly healthy, every team knows he’s the only thing Jacksonville has going for them on offense and he’s going to see a whole bunch of eight man fronts this year.
I own Frank Gore in a dynasty league. He signed his big contract, but he’s being outplayed by Kendall Hunter at the moment.
I’m hoping Chris Johnson is going to carry my fantasy team. Not only is he not running well, it looks like he’s not running hard. You can blame the holdout all you want, but he’s been in camp for nearly a month.
I expect anything but inconsistent performances from DeSean Jackson. He’s going to average around 20 yards a catch this season…and they’re all going to come in bunches.
I expect Michael Vick, Jay Cutler or Matt Ryan to survive the season. If the way these three have been thrown around thus far is any indication, it’s going to take a miracle for them not to get hurt with something worse than a bruised hand.
I’m relying on anything from the Denver running game. There’s no easy way to put this – Knowshon Moreno looks fragile and Willis McGahee looks old.
I expect Shonn Greene to emerge as anything more than a RB3. Greene has looked tentative and uninspired thus far this season and was outplayed by LaDainian Tomlinson this week. That pretty much says it all.
I have Mike Tolbert in my dynasty league. Little by little, Ryan Mathews is taking over the backfield.
I was hoping Thomas Jones would re-emerge one more time for Kansas City with Jamaal Charles out. He posted just 31 yards on 14 carries this week and was severely outplayed by Dexter McCluster.
I expect another performance like that from Torrey Smith. The rookie was unbelievable this week, but temper your expectations. That being said, Lee Evans‘ value is tanking.
A Look Ahead to Hot Names on the Week Four Waiver Wire
Remember, we focus on the lesser names here who we haven’t mentioned much this season.
1. Lavelle Hawkins, WR TEN
With Kenny Britt out, the Titans need someone to step up. Damian Williams and Nate Washington are likely owned in your league, but Hawkins has a chance to emerge as well.
2. Curtis Painter, QB IND
It’s not like he’s not going to have players to throw to if he takes over and he does know the offense better than Kerry Collins.
3. Alfonso Smith, RB ARI
Chris Wells should be back this week, but Smith looked markedly better than Chester Taylor this week. If Wells was to miss any more time, Smith is worth a look.
4. Armond Smith, RB CLE
Montario Hardesty did a decent job taking over for Peyton Hillis this week, but Smith is still intriguing. With Hillis wearing down and Hardesty’s history of injury, Smith is worthy of a stash in a deep dynasty league.
For more great articles, check out Dynasty League Football.
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For my second edition of the 2011 Fantasy Football Rankings, I turn my attention to the signal-callers.
1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: A concussion ended his streak of 4000 yard seasons at two, but 3922 ain’t bad. Add 28 passing touchdowns, a career high 356 rushing yards, and four rushing scores and you’re looking at the number one fantasy quarterback option once again.
2. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles: Coming off a career year, the question on everyone’s mind is can he do it again? Consistency has never been a quality Mike Vick had in abundance, but then again that was the old Michael Vick who spent all his free time building “the world’s best dog fighting kennel.”
3. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints: Brees is probably a better pure passer than the two guys ranked ahead of him but doesn’t have quite the impact with his feet.
4. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers: Rivers was probably on his way to supplanting Peyton Manning anyway, but the fact that he’s healthy and Peyton currently is not cemented it for me..
5. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts: The persistent neck problem has to be a concern, but it wouldn’t shock anyone to see Manning rattle off another 4000 yards and 30 tds in 16 starts this season.
6. Tom Brady, New England Patriots: With the addition of Ochocinco, Brady adds another steady, sure-handed professional to go along with Wes Welker.
7. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys: He has the weapons and the ability. It’s a matter of staying healthy and mentally tough enough to deliver the numbers. If he’s your fantasy qb, having a quality backup is a must..
8. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans: In my opinion, you should feel pretty good if you’ve drafted one of the first seven guys on this list – from here on I think it’s a bit of a crapshoot. I rank Schaub here because of the weapons he has around him.
9. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: Early results have Julio Jones being a breakout receiver sooner rather than later. Look for the Falcons to ditch the conservative, ball-control offense of the past 3 seasons. Guess who could be joining the fantasy quarterback elite?
10. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers: Numbers aren’t eye-popping but Big Ben seems to get the job done year in and year out.
11. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens: Adding Lee Evans and Anquan Boldin in the past year will definitely payoff in 2011.
12. Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Freeman has all the tools to be a fantasy qb stud – just needs the experience.
13. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams: Bradford set the rookie completion record and should only get better thanks to experience and some solid offseason additions.
14. Eli Manning, New York Giants: It’s easy to get on Eli for his 25 picks, but he reached 4000 yards for the second straight year and set a career high with 31 TD passes.
15. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears: Cutler, Mike Martz and new addition Roy Williams all have something to prove in 2011, so at least they will be motivated.
16. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: This guy looks like a future star in the making, but must stay healthy to fulfill all that promise.
17. Kevin Kolb, Arizona Cardinals: He is now the unquestioned “guy” in Arizona. Having perhaps the game’s best receiver doesn’t hurt, but he still has a lot to prove..
18. Donovan McNabb, Minnesota Vikings: Most seem to have lost complete faith in McNabb, but I think he’ll respond with a solid season in Minny.
19. Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos: It’s obvious the new regime in the Mile High city prefers Orton over Tebow. Expect another solid, yet unspectacular fantasy season from Orton.
20. Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs: See Kyle Orton analysis above – minus the first sentence.
21. Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns: McCoy got some seasoning as a rookie and is well-suited for the West Coast Offense.
22. Mark Sanchez, New York Jets: I don’t love Mark Sanchez as a fantasy quarterback, but really we’re just splitting hairs at this point – in standard 10-player h2h fantasy leagues we don’t even make it this far down the qb depth chart.
23. Jason Campbell, Oakland Raiders: Losing his best receiver in tight end Zach Miller certainly doesn’t help, but he’s better than the other options.
24. Rex Grossman, Washington Redskins: Don’t be surprised if Rexy actually puts up some decent numbers in Shanahan’s offense.
25. David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars: Garrard has actually come in handy for me on several occasions as an emergency waiver pickup so I had to give him the nod over the other candidates for the final spot.
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Now that we appear to be on the verge of ending the NFL lockout, it’s time to get down to the business of the 2011 Fantasy Rankings. First up is the heart and soul of any fantasy roster – the running backs, where a 2010 sleeper now occupies the top spot.
The 2011 H2H Fantasy Running Back Rankings:
1. Arian Foster, Houston Texans: Talk about taking the league by storm – as if leading the NFL in rushing (1616 yards) wasn’t enough, he added 66 catches for 604 yards. Oh, and he had 18 total touchdowns (16 rushing, 2 receiving) – all this from a guy who was thought to be just another piece in a RB by committee this time last year.
2. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings: With the quarterback situation in complete disarray expect a return to the AD (All Day) form we saw before Brett Favre’s brief Minny layover. Peterson has run for at least 1298 yards and double-digit touchdowns in each of his four season.
3. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans: Johnson’s stock seems to be decidedly down in 2011, but I’m still buying high on CJ. The consensus number one from last season will probably never reach the 2500 yards he predicted in 2010, but 1600 combined yardage and double digit touchdowns ain’t all that bad.
4. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs: Charles is expected to get a heavier workload this year, which is scary considering he ran for 1467 yards on 230 carries (6.4 ypc). If he can stay healthy and find the end zone with a little more frequency, Charles could be very well top this list..
5. Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers: Ill-advised tweets and criticism from teammate James Harrison aside, Mendenhall should only improve upon a spectacular 2010 which saw him gain 1273 yards and 11 touchdowns.
6. Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders: Fans of the Silver and Black finally got a serious glimpse of the awesome talent this guy possesses. Run DMC exploded for 1664 total yards (1157 rushing) and ten touchdowns (seven rushing) last season. With health and no Michael Bush, McFadden could easily find himself in the top 3 this year.
7. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens: Like Johnson, Rice seems to come into 2011 with reduced expectations. I credit Rice’s slight drop in production to the Ravens figuring out how to incorporate all those new wide receivers from last year.
8. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles: McCoy did most of his damage as a receiver last year, catching 78 passes for 592 yards and two touchdowns. My guess is the Eagles will be looking to improve upon the 1080 rushing yards in 2011, but questions about durability and goal line effectiveness keep him out of the elite.
9. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars: I know it seems like a recurring theme, but here is yet another once elite fantasy running back who now finds his stock falling in 2011. Despite an injury plagued season, MJD still remained quite effective and I’m betting he will be healthier and better in 2011.
10. Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons seem destined to put the ball up more in 2011, but Turner is still the glue that holds this offense together.
11. Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams: Jackson averaged less than 4 yards per carry last season and had just 6 touchdowns, but he is unchallenged in St. Louis for carries and the offense should be better in Bradford’s 2nd season as the starting QB.
12. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers: When he’s healthy there are only a few backs that can match his production. Unfortunately he’s averaging just 13 games the past two seasons, but he, like Jackson, has no competition for carries.
13. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears: Forte bounced back with 1616 total yards (1069 rushing) and nine touchdowns (six rushing). He’s particularly valuable in PPR leagues.
14. Peyton Hillis, Denver Broncos: Not sure if Hillis can match last season’s breakout performance. I still have to put him in my top 15 though.
15. Shonn Greene, New York Jets: LT was running on fumes by the end of last season, so Greene should find himself with more opportunities in 2011.
16. LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Blount ran for 1000 yards in just 200 carries. I really love this guys ability and found it tough not to rate him higher.
17. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers: Stewart had a disappointing season, but the ability is still there. D-Will is likely gone meaning J-Stew could be a steal.
18. Ahmad Bradshaw, New York Giants: At times Bradshaw looked like an elite fantasy rb, but nagging foot injuries and a resurgent Brandon Jacobs limited his production. Can he stay healthy and fend off Jacobs?
19. Jahvid Best, Detroit Lions: Is as explosive as they come when healthy.
20. Ryan Mathews, San Diego Padres: Just like his fellow rookie from last season ranked in the above spot, nagging injuries prevented him from being at his best.
21. DeAngelo Williams, Free Agent: A lot, obviously, depends on where he ultimately ends up playing in 2011.
22. Cedric Benson, Free Agent: His most recent run in with the law certainly doesn’t help his stock, but he probably looks even more attractive to the Bengals now..
23. Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints: First round Rookie running backs have not had a lot of success in recent years (Spiller, Mathews, Best, Moreno, Donald Brown, Beanie), but that doesn’t mean Ingram can’t produce. Pierre Thomas will steal some carries and handle third down duties, but durability is an issue for PT.
24. Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos: The ability and opportunities are there, but can he stay healthy enough to take advantage?
25. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks: Lynch doesn’t have much competition for carries – even if Reggie Bush reunites with Pete Carroll..
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