Love

Knowshon Moreno, RB, DEN – Moreno is averaging 20 fantasy points per game over the past two weeks against pretty good match-ups.  Speaking of good match-ups… The Broncos play against the Browns and the Chiefs to close out the season.  Cleveland this week and considering Joe Haden can actually cause some problems for opponents, I look for Denver to give the Browns a heavy helping of the run game.  He has a pretty good chance for 100 yards and a score here but he is only listed as an RB2 in my rankings because we haven’t seen enough tape for me to be too confident yet.

Wes Welker, WR, NE - The Patriots aren’t playing for a whole lot this week but come on… Brady vs the Jags? That’s a pretty great match-up for your Super Bowl week!  Welker is going to be free to roam around the line of scrimmage all game and Brady is going to use him to pick the defense apart.  I like Lloyd a lot too as a really good flex option but Welker is a must-start in almost any imaginable circumstance.

Tony Romo, QB, DAL – I hate to say it but for fantasy purposes, Romo has actually been decent.  If you were able to get two serviceable Quarterbacks and did a good job of deciding which to play, you could easily be in the Super Bowl right now.  If Romo is one of those guys, he is your choice this weekend against a soft Saints defense.  Hopefully Dez Bryant isn’t affected as severely by his finger injury but he was still a quality play for fantasy owners even with visible signs of pain.  The Cowboys are also benefiting from the work of DeMarco Murray once again and Romo is most effective in the play-action passing situations.

Alfred Morris, RB, WAS – Morris is a beast.  Last week, with Kirk Cousins at QB and the defense knowing that he was going to be a huge factor, he still got it done with 20 fantasy points.  RG3 is going to play this week and Philly, who is already weak to the run, will not even be able to bring an 8th man into the box very often.  Bottom line is that, in the Playoffs, you NEED consistency at every position and Morris is as close to a sure-thing as it gets for 100 yards rushing for players not named Arian Foster or Adrian Peterson.

Randall Cobb, WR, GB – James Jones may lead the NFL in receiving touchdowns but he isn’t even close to the lead in targets or receptions on his own team.  Scores are fluky and not easy to do with consistency.  Cobb is a FAR safer option this week and Jones is more of a flex-option.

Hate

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – There can’t be many of you left in the Super Bowl if you own this guy but maybe you capitalized on Alfred Morris and didn’t use CJ much until late in the season.  Either way, if you’ve got him, you may have to start him but try not to.  His value is almost entirely in the one big play he has been getting more often than not.  If he doesn’t get that play, he won’t have more than 5 points and you can’t take that chance.  Not with as bad as his o-line is, especially.

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NYG – It’s a shame that the team is in disarray right now because this should be a really nice match-up.  Now it’s a complete crap-shoot because given how poor the entire team played last week, Coughlin could potentially do anything with his running backs this week.

Josh Freeman, QB, TB – Steer clear of Freeman this week against the Rams.  They are no slouch on defense and after the entire team imploded last week, if your still alive, you wan’t to stay away from them.

Hakeem Nicks, WR, NYG – I have no choice but to play him in a Super Bowl match-up this week and I am really nervous about it.  Like I just said, this team is a mess and while they have a really good chance of rebounding VERY strong and blowing up the scoreboard, it’s a gamble and as I’ve said a thousand times so far this post-season… this is not the time for a gamble.

Anotonio Brown, WR, PIT – I loved seeing him rebound last week too but you CAN NOT forget how bad he was for the entire rest of the season, before his injury.  WAY too risky.

No Comments »

Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards rushing in a single season was set in 1984.

This record was believed by many to be unbreakable in the modern era of pass-first offense.

Adrian Peterson is just 294 yards away from that record with two games left to play.

The Vikings are still in the Playoff hunt.

They face Houston and Green Bay in these next two games and must win both.

Peterson is averaging over 160 rushing yards per game since week 7.

Eli Manning was drafted as a QB that was just outside the elite tier of guys at his position.

Many believed that he was going to take a step forward this season and join that elite class.

Eli is the 19th best QB in the NFL as far as fantasy points scored on the season.

In 4 of the last 7 games, Eli has 5 of fewer fantasy points.

Eli has only had THREE 300+ yard passing games on the season.

If you are still alive in the playoffs and Eli is your QB, you are incredibly lucky.

Eli is UNSTARTABLE the rest of the season.

Demaryius Thomas now has 5 straight games under 100 yards receiving.

He has not scored a TD in 2 straight games.

The Broncos offense has been just fine in these games.

Thomas will remain a top 10 fantasy WR on my rankings.

I hate Tony Romo.  He is an AWFUL NFL QB.

He makes incredibly stupid decisions at seemingly random times and I would not trust him to run my offense if I was an NFL head coach.

Tony Romo is a top 10 fantasy QB.

I surprised myself saying that, as I have been very critical of Romo all season long.

Tony has had double digit fantasy points every week since week 4.

Romo plays two BAD secondaries in his final two games. (New Orleans and Washington)

I would start Romo in the Super Bowl over Roethlisberger, Dalton, Stafford, Eli Manning, Freeman, Flacco and Schaub.

The NFL leader in touchdown receptions is James Jones.

Jones has just half the catches of Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall and Wes Welker.

Jones has a measly 622 receiving yards.

James Jones will not be my top ranked Packers wide receiver.

I wish you all the best of luck in your super bowl match-ups this weekend.

No Comments »

Pickups

Ahhh, Why no list?!  I told you these lists would be getting shorter and shorter with each passing week and boy was I not kidding.  If you would like a list of the players worth picking up, you can get one here.  Confused? It’s pretty simple.  Every single player on that list is a viable pick up as you head into your super bowl match up.  You need to use strategy now more than ever.  Does your opponent have Ryan Mathews? Did he start him last week? Well that means he needs a running back.  This means that YOU need as many running backs as you can get.  I wont waste my time telling people that I think Curtis Brinkley is the best step-in for Mathews (which I do), my rankings will do that.  My point here is that if your opponent needs a RB to play, then you need to go pick up Brinkley AND Jackie Battle.  If you won’t start them and your opponent won’t either… they are safe to be dropped, no matter how “valuable” they are.  (**Disclaimer** Keeper and dynasty league owners, this advice is NOT for you)

No Comments »

Love

Alfred Morris, RB, WAS – To be clear, I couldn’t care less if RGIII plays or not.  Even if he plays, Morris’ workload WILL increase as a precaution to try and keep Griffen from running too much.  Morris was already an irreplaceable factor for this offense and given his youth, they won’t be afraid to lean on him.

Vincent Jackson, WR, TB – The Buccaneers are headed on the road to New Orleans this week and that means there are two bad defenses on the field and the potential for a lot of points to be scored.  Jackson has been an amazing addition for Tampa and they have been able to keep him VERY productive.  They are going to have to throw deep to keep up with Brees and that should mean plenty of opportunity for VJax.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, CIN – The Law Firm has been on a tear lately and with a game against the Eagles (among the worst defenses in the NFL since firing Juan Castillo) this week, there is no reason to expect a change.  Law Firm is typically a mid-to-low end RB2 but in this matchu-up, he falls just outside the top 10.

Danario Alexander, WR, SD – Alexander continues to be a force for the Chargers offense that took down Pittsburgh this past week.  Danario is a large man that uses that size to box-out defenders and give Philip Rivers somewhere to throw.  So far he is the only guy getting open with any consistency and that isn’t likely to change against a shaky Panthers secondary.

Cam Newton, QB, CAR – There is no hotter QB in the NFL at the moment and especially so for fantasy owners.  Newton has had 37, 28 and 36 fantasy points in the past 3 weeks. Atlanta is the only defense that was really any good in this stretch but San Diego is far from a great defense too and I think, if your still alive in the playoffs, you’ve GOTTA keep Newton in there.

Jamaal Charles, RB, KC – This may seem like an obvious one here but Charles owners should have high hopes this week.  The Raiders are just 26th against the run and they are struggling as of late.  Charles is the entirety of the Kansas City offense and is almost certain to see the 100 yard mark this week.

Hate

Michael Turner, RB, ATL – The fact that Turner keeled over in exhaustion at the end of the game and by coincidence fell over the goal line does not give me any confidence.  Watch the tape people, this isn’t the same guy you had on your team three years ago.  He’s too slow to get through a hole and into the second and third levels like he used to, leave him on your bench because ALL of his value is at the goal line.  It’s like starting Michael Bush.

Denarius Moore, WR, OAK – I won’t be surprised if he gets a big game here but it’s about risk in the playoffs and that is one thing that Moore has in spades.  The whole Raiders team is floundering a little bit and while Moore was good for you in the middle of the season, don’t look for it here.  I know the match up is appealing but you need safe and consistent, not a hail-mary.

Jay Cutler, QB, CHI – The Packers do not have a crippling defense by any means but the Bears DO have a pretty bad offensive line.  Clay Matthews is set to return and with all that rest, he’s going to be coming back with a vengeance. If he gets in Cutler’s face early on, it will frustrate the Bears signal caller and we’ve all seen him play when he is frustrated.

Torrey Smith, WR, BAL – Mr. Smith, have you met Champ Bailey?  You are about to.  Old man Bailey has been playing like he’s 25 again this season and he’s doing that all with the added experience that comes from actually being 34 years old.  Jim Caldwell will utilize Ray Rice much more now that he has the offensive coordinator position and that makes Smith nothing more than a poor flex option this week. 27th among WRs in my rankings.

Bryce Brown, RB, PHI – I can’t believe analysts can still put Brown as an RB 2 this week.  I had him at 20 last week, after consecutive great games and now that he just put up zero points last week, they have him higher… it doesn’t add up to me.  You won the lottery if you started this guy and won last week, don’t try and win it twice.

No Comments »

Adrian Peterson has had 100 yards in 7 straight games.

He has 8 touchdowns in that same stretch of games.

He has only one game without a score in that 7 games.

Adrian Peterson is the unquestionable number 1 overall RB for fantasy owners, sorry Arian Foster.

Aaron Rodgers had a pretty bad statistical performance this past week.

There was significant snowfall in this game and a 10 mile per hour wind.

The weather was not a factor.

Aaron Rodgers is not someone you can even consider benching in the fantasy playoffs.

You a very possibly out of the playoffs if you own Aaron Rodgers.

When you drafted Ray Rice, you thought he was going to be a sure-fire 100 yard rusher.

He only has 3 100 yard rushing performances.

Rice has just 3 games over 100 yards rushing.

He is every bit as talented as he ever was.

The Ravens and the recently fired offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron, were just not game planning to Rice’s strengths.

This is why Cam Cameron is now unemployed.

Jim Caldwell would probably like to keep his new job.

Jim Caldwell is going to plan for a run-first offense.

Ray Rice is as valuable as he has been all season long.

AJ Green scored a TD in every game from week 2 through week 11.

He now has 3 straight games without a score.

Before this drought, Green had been incredibly successful for the entirety of his young career.

You can, under NO circumstance, even CONSIDER benching Green.

No Comments »

Colin Kaepernick had a bad game in Week 13 against the Rams.

He had a solid completion percentage of roughly 60%.

He only threw for 200 yards and an interception.

Kaepernick had 14 fantasy points in week 13.

The safety that comes from his running ability makes Colin Kaepernick a top 10 fantasy QB.

Since the turn of the millennium, just one running back has followed up a season-ending ACL tear with a 1,000 yard season.

There are two running backs that are over 1,000 yards rushing on the season that finished last year with an ACL tear, Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles.

Jamaal Charles suffered his injury in week 2 and was expected to make a strong return because of that.

Adrian Peterson suffered his injury and the fact that he was playing at such a high level, immediately, is nothing short of a medical marvel.

Peterson is the NFL’s leading rusher by a margin of 308 yards and is the NFL’s top scoring fantasy RB.

Bryce Brown is averaging 173.5 yards per game and two TDs.

LeSean McCoy has not had more than 150 yards rushing at all this season.

McCoy has just two rushing TDs on the season.

Bryce Brown is a gifted athlete with a very bright future in this league.

If LeSean McCoy returns from injury and is 100% this week, I expect Brown to get roughly half the carries.

Everyone knows how well Doug Martin has run the ball this season, with 1100 yards and 9 rushing TDs.

Not many people have noticed his pass catching ability.

Martin has been targeted 47 times and has amassed 374 receiving yards plus one receiving TD.

Doug Martin is a complete, three down back that will be a very highly ranked RB going into next season, especially in PPR leagues.

Randall Cobb is a top 15 WR in most fantasy analysts’ rankings.

Jordy Nelson has re-injured himself so even though Greg Jennings has returned, Cobb will see the field plenty.

James Jones will start along with Jennings for the Packers in 2 WR sets.

Randall Cobb has fewer receiving yards than any other top 20 WR on the season with 675.

Cobb also has the lowest number of targets (84) among top 20 WRs on the season.

Randall Cobb is not to be considered a top 20 wide receiver during the fantasy playoffs.

No Comments »

So these lists are small and only going to get smaller as the weeks progress through the playoffs.  In fact, this week’s list is more of a catch-all list of guys that simply shouldn’t be available.  This isn’t laziness on my part, I assure you.  It’s MORE important to make moves during this time, if you are still alive that is. The reason that the number of guys worthy of a pick-up shrinks is that there isn’t much time left! Many waiver wire additions require time for you to develop enough trust to start them and this is a ten times more relevant point in the playoffs.  You lose and you are done, are you going to trust someone that you know nothing about other than a single game’s stat line? Not very likely.

Pickups

Danario Alexander, WR, SD – I’m not regaining any confidence in Rivers or the Chargers as a whole but in 5 games, this guy has 467 receiving yards and 3 TD’s.  This is better than ANYONE has done on this offense all year and since they have stayed a bad team throughout this production, I don’t see it dropping off any time soon.  He’s a solid flex-play the rest of the way and he just might be sitting out there for you to pick-up.

Bryce Brown, RB, PHI – The LeSean McCoy injury situation is murky still and even if it was clear, Brown has been statistically more productive than McCoy was all season.  The season is a lost one for the Eagles and given that they will want to evaluate talent for next season, I can’t imagine that Brown takes a back seat when McCoy does return.  Next week is a bad match-up though so if McCoy plays, neither will be worthy of a start for fantasy owners.

Brandon Meyers, TE, OAK – The Raiders are not a great team and they aren’t going to be.  Myers isn’t an elite tight end and he isn’t going to be.  What he is however, is safe.  Myers has had just ONE game below 5 receptions since week 6 and that is an impressive feat for a tight-end this season.  He has just as good of a chance to find the end zone as any other non-elite tight end and is too important to the Raider passing attack to suddenly disappear from the stat sheet. I wish I wasn’t so skeptical about this guy for as long as I was because he is gone in all of my leagues and if he isn’t in yours, your incredibly lucky.

Josh Gordon, WR, CLE – In my one-liners column, I talked about how this guy was a possible flex-starter this past week and I mentioned how sweet his match ups are going forward too.  A big game from him this week should mean he’ll get scooped back up in a lot of leagues but make sure you at least put in a waiver claim if he is out there.  This should happen even if you don’t want to start him (and I’d really rather not in the playoffs) but given his high upside, I don’t want an opponent hitting the lottery when I could have blocked him from picking up his ticket in the first place.

T.Y. Hilton, WR, IND – I know, Avery had the better game… I don’t care.  Hilton has been providing fantasy value for a good long while now.  His targets might not knock you out of your chair but he’s been getting it done and on an offense that passes a LOT.  Teams can’t focus on him with Wayne out there having one of his best seasons either.

Dump List

I know you might think this is a cop-out but you can drop ANYONE that you wouldn’t play AND that your opponent wouldn’t start against you.  Listen, if your holding Donnie Avery and you need a receiver. Drop him for Josh Gordon.  I would personally love it if an opponent picked up my garbage and started it against me in the playoffs.  Also, maybe you own RGIII and Andy Dalton… the three other teams in the playoffs have Brady, Rodgers and Brees.  You can just drop Dalton now because the other teams are not going to waste a roster spot on him.

No Comments »

Love

Cam Newton, QB, CAR – Newton showed us all, last week, that he can still put up some BIG numbers against bad teams.  The team lost Jonathan Stewart and while fantasy owners wouldn’t believe it, it will have a negative impact on the team.  DeAngelo Williams has been the worse of the two and with him getting the lion’s share of the work, I believe the running game will suffer significantly because of it.  Expect them to ask Cam to pick up the slack around the goal line and expect him to have a nice day throwing as well.  He falls just outside my top 10 but only because Kaepernick has a little more upside to me.

Jamaal Charles, RB, KC – The Chiefs are pretty bad and unfortunately that can mean abandoning the run and looking to the air but Carolina is ranked 25th at defending the run and Charles is better than your average running back.  I think Crennel would like to keep his job and if that means winning more games, he just might give Charles another 30 carry game.  Don’t rely on that but if Charles starts strong, I wouldn’t be remotely surprised to see it.

Reggie Wayne, WR, IND – The way to beat the Lions is by passing.  They will be throwing a ton themselves (the leagues top passing offense), so you will have to keep up and their secondary is pretty porous.  Andrew Luck has been solid and Wayne has been great as he is on pace to beat his personal record for single season receiving yards.

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NYG – I don’t think he can hold up all the way through a playoff run, physically, and history backs me up on that.  However, the Giants need to MAKE the playoffs first and a key to that will be keeping Robert Griffen III off the field by running the ball with Bradshaw.  I don’t expect Coughlin to suddenly throw David Wilson out there more than he has to.  The Redskins defense is really bad too so i’m looking for a great performance from Bradshaw as well as the passing game.

Justin Blackmon, WR, JAC - I ranked Cecil Shorts considerably higher but Blackmon was the more surprising to me, considering that he was the second guy to make it into the top 25.  Buffalo’s defense has been pretty stout in recent weeks but that doesn’t mean that there isnt fantasy production to go around.  The weak spot, still, is the secondary and if Henne and the Jags wanna win some games, they will pass a TON this week.  Even if MJD makes it out there, you have to think it’s a limited touches scenario and the passing game will remain the feature of the offense.

Danario Alexander, WR, SD – He’s started three games and even with one of them being as a tight-end, he has been the most effective receiver in every single one.  This is a really good flex-option and he is fast approaching WR 2 territory with another strong game this week.

Hate

Trent Richardson, RB, CLE – I didn’t know I hated Richardson till I finished my rankings and looked at what the other websites had up… TOP THREE?! Not for me.  He’s been great and I think he is one of the best RB2′s you can ask for but he’s a Cleveland Brown and that limits your upside significantly.  I would not start him over any of the elite guys just because of his nice match-up.  So, if you own Peterson, Doug Martin and CJ Spiller, which is incredibly possible, you just keep Richardson on your bench and don’t let anyone make you feel bad about it.

Danny Amendola, WR, STL – I wouldn’t blame PPR owners for playing him but even there he is a flex play at best against the incredibly stout 49er defense.

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – People, hear me now and remember how right I was later… THIS IS NOT A TOP 10 RUNNING BACK.  He’s put up far too many awful performances, he plays behind an awful offensive line  and plays against the Texans this week.

Brandon Lloyd, WR, NE – I really thought he was going to be a flex play again for one more week but I just couldn’t do it. Not with your playoff chances on the line. Sit him down and live to fight another week.

Dustin Keller, TE, NYJ – I really like Keller but he hasn’t been consistent and all I can think about is the fact that the Cardinals picked off Matt Ryan 5 times a couple weeks ago and now they play Sanchez.

No Comments »

Pick ups

Mohammed Sanu, WR, CIN – Hawkins could easily steal playing time from Sanu down the stretch but even when both guys were healthy, the Bengals appear to look to Sanu for big plays and Hawkins is much more the after-thought.  Sanu is scary close to being a viable flex option and if it was week 5, I would be going out on a limb and saying that you should play him. Not with the playoffs on the line though.  This is a great pickup for someone who has already locked in a playoff spot.

Knowshon Moreno, RB, DEN – Oops. Hillman was apparently not the valuable pick up that we thought he was going to be.  It was a game-time decision to go with Moreno as the starter and he did a decent job, despite the offense as a whole being a little sluggish this week. I expect Moreno to keep the job and when Peyton is the QB, the hurry up is being used. Moreno won’t leave the field too much if he is indeed starting.

Cecil Shorts, WR, JAC – Chad Henne strikes again with another fantasy-relevant performance and he is spreading his own value to both receivers.  Shorts is the guy I would rather own, simply because he’s been making big plays since before Henne took over and he is just more likely to score on a weekly basis.

Justin Blackmon, WR, JAC – I wasn’t kidding when I said that Henne was spreading fantasy value all across the Jaguars offense.  Blackmon is the receiver to own for PPR owners and is a flex option in standard leagues.  You should steer clear if the playoffs are on the line but he is absolutely worth a roster spot after a second solid outing with Henne at the helm.

Michael Bush, RB, CHI – Matt Forte’s injury is the same leg that he had his previous injury, this season.  I do not think it is an exacerbation of that injury but it is a cause for concern. He might take an extra game or two to return and Bush would be a poor RB2 option in his absence.

Colin Kaepernick, QB, SF – I’m pretty pleased to have been right on this guy.  He is a playmaker and very talented QB. His rushing ability gives him the safety that you got from Tebow at the end of last year and it was on display against the Saints.  This is not a fluke, he’s a top 10 fantasy receiver.

Marcedes Lewis, TE, JAC – With guys like Antonio Gates being dead to his fantasy owners and Gronkowski owners being suddenly desperate, Lewis’s relevance cannot be ignored.  He won’t be more than a match-up play but Henne is a legitimate threat in the passing game and the focus of defenses is sure to be Shorts and Blackmon.  Keep him on your radar, but there is no need to scoop him up until he has a good match-up.

Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, ATL – I’ve been waiting for this week all season.  Rodgers is probably my most added and most dropped player on the year as he always had a spot when I didn’t have bye-week issues but after this game and now that bye-weeks are over, he should not be available in any leagues.  You aren’t using him yet but I believe that he is going to get between 50 and 60% of the snaps for the Falcons the rest of the way.  Leave him on the bench for now though, until we see another game or two of increased touches.

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – The Cardinal offense is really bad still but Wells is going to get the goal line work and at least half the touches. He’ll be a poor flex-start unless something gets the rest of his offense in gear.

Pierre Garcon, WR, WAS – He’s out there and there isn’t a ton of receiver talent on this Redskins roster. He has the highest upside and is a viable flex play after a really nice day of fantasy production this past week.

David Wilson, RB, NYG – This isn’t for everyone but Ahmad Bradshaw owners need to go get Wilson right now.  Bradshaw should see just about ALL the touches the rest of the way for as long as he holds up, physically. Bradshaw is not know for durability and you should be proactive about guaranteeing that you have a productive guy for that roster spot at all time

Dump List

Antonio Gates, TE, SD – The tight end position doesn’t often cost you wins, but Gates has been awful this season.  It isn’t a health issue either and with the playoffs on our doorstep, you can just cut this guy to make room for someone that you can have a little more confidence in.

LaRod Stephens-Howling, RB, ARI – He’s immediately back to being an after-thought on this offense. That makes him an after-thought for fantasy owners too.

Brian Hartline, WR, MIA – The Dolphins offense has been declining over the past month and I was hoping that Hartline would get it together again in time to be worth a roster spot, in case of injuries.  The pickups list is pretty long this week and Hartline has not been a viable receiver to start in quite a while.  You’ve gotta cut him loose.

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, PIT – This goes for Redman and Dwyer too.  None of these guys will be able to do enough that I am convinced they are a safe start the rest of the season.  If you know you aren’t going to play someone, why keep them?

Greg Little, WR, CLE – Really? 25% owned… you shouldn’t need any numbers from me to demonstrate why this is insane. Cut him 3 weeks ago.

No Comments »

With only one spot up for grabs in the NFC playoff picture and 2 spots open in the AFC, there are a lot of teams with little to play for and this week is a bit of a mess.  This is exactly why leagues should all be finishing on week 16.  You should talk to the commissioner about next season if it is not.

Love

Cam Newton, QB, CAR – They have been out of the playoff race for a long time so it’s not like the motivation is gone for Newton, who wants to continue to expand on the records he has already eclipsed in this incredible rookie season. New Orleans’ defense thrives on generating pressure, which is hard to do when the QB can just take off running.  Newton will be able to score points against this defense and maybe even a win if Brees and the rest of the Saints’ starters take some of the game off.

Hakeem Nicks, WR, NYG – When the game is on the line, Eli is going to look towards Nicks.  Victor Cruz might be the new talent but this game is no joke; win the game and win the division. Dallas’ secondary is not going to contain these two and it will be up to Romo to outscore Eli. Both Giants receivers are good starts this week.

C.J. Spiller, RB, BUF – People were quick to call Spiller a bust as he sat behind Fred Jackson but ever since he has taken over for Freddie, he has improved on a weekly basis. Statistically and fundamentally, Spiller has made progress with each passing game.  He is learning to hit the pocket quickly and get up field and his ability to be an impact in the passing game makes him a very versatile threat.  Buffalo has a tough choice going into next season about who to start but fantasy owners do not, Spiller has to be out there.

Steve Johnson, WR, BUF – Johnson faces the league’s worst pass defense and is playing what is potentially his last game as a Buffalo Bill.  He would like to impress as he heads into an off season where he is a free agent to help drive up the size of his next contract, with whichever team that may be.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA – After being dead wrong about how Lynch would perform against by far the best rush defense in the league last week, there is zero chance that I would make the same mistake twice.  Consistency has always been the downside with Lynch.  He has however been consistently phenomenal the 2nd half of the year and is very likely to go as a top 10 RB in next season’s draft.

Hate

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, PIT – Ben is likely to take it easy this week, should he play. He faces a Browns defense that is stout against the pass and weak to the run.  Expect a heavy dose of the ground game and less of an emphasis on the aerial assault.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, TB – I think the Buccaneers will still look to Blount first but they showed last week that he is on a short leash and you should expect them to yank him out of the game if he has any more fumbling problems.  He is just too risky for a start this week in my opinion.

Andre Johnson, WR, HOU – Even if he comes back, he isn’t an auto-start.  The Texans aren’t likely to push him back and I expect him to see limited snaps.  He is a flex play at best on talent alone.  There still aren’t many red zone targets in the league and I would think that is where they would hope to use him the most.

No Comments »