Week 12 Friday Mailbag

Question 1: Asked by @NYLivinCAMind

Start 1: Bradford, Ryan or Cassel?

Answer

Even though Matt Ryan is a beast at home, I have to give the nod to Cassel here.  Ryan has a much taller-task to overcome with the Packers coming to town, than Matt Cassel faces by going to Qwest Field.  The Seahawks have the NFL’s 30th ranked pass defense and are allowing an average of just over 16 fantasy points per game to the opposing QB.  With the recent emergence of Dwayne Bowe as an elite WR for the Chiefs, Cassel finally has a reliable target on the outside to make big plays and help him convert on longer 3rd down attempts.

Question 2: Asked by Connor

Due to some inopportune injuries I really need to add some WR depth with huge upside down the road for the playoffs.  Who should I pickup: Steve Breaston, Blair White, Nate Burleson, or Davone Bess?

Answer

These are some pretty decent options for pickup.  Steve Breaston has been surprisingly consistent with the number of yards he is able to build up by the end of the game.  The Cardinals are a losing team and are typically forced to go to the air at the end of the game in effort to stay competitive.  To me, the stand out here is Blair White, however.  Austin Collie has had some serious issues with staying healthy and with Pierre Garcon not being the same go-to-guy that he was last season… there are a lot of targets to spread around in Indianapolis.

Question 2: Asked by wtb2612

Pick 2 to start (RB2 and FLEX): Keiland Williams, Mike Tolbert, Mike Goodson and Darren Sproles

Answer

You’re going to need to keep an eye on the status of Ryan Torain for the game this week.  As of now, it does not look as if he will be able to play (he is currently listed as questionable however) and Jonathan Stewart should be back to compete with Goodson for carries in that struggling Panthers offense.  Tolbert and Williams, due to injury, should be the ones to see the most carries and are on better offenses which are more likely to be in a position for them to score a TD. You can see my answer to this question and the answers of others on Fandemic.