Texans at Saints

There aren’t too many better places for the Texans to make a statement to the NFL than the Super Dome. Houston is 2-0 and quickly became the favorites to win the division when David Garrard was released from Jacksonville and Peyton Manning went under the knife before Week 1.  Houston is dying for a playoff birth and a big road win against Drew Brees and the Saints would really speak volumes about their chances in the post season.  Houston still needs to show me that their secondary can play far better than their embarrassing performance last season and keeping Drew Brees at bay is just the task that I want to see them face in order to convince me.  They have certainly showed signs of improvement this season and currently sit at #1 in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game, but I do think that Brees and the Saints will prove to be too tall of a task for Wade Phillips’ defense and I actually thing both Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem are quality plays this week with Colston still injured.  Ingram remains a bit of a stretch to start as he is still carving out his niche in this offense and Sproles has earned a fair share of playing time with his ability to make plays over the first two weeks. I do not think that Arian Foster is a sure-fire #1 back if he plays because after he had to come out in week 2, I expect the Texans to bring him back slowly. Schaub should do fine facing a very good defense with a very disruptive pass rush now that Owen Daniels seems to be rebounding to the reliable target that he was two years ago and despite Andre Johnson finally not being my top ranked receiver, but obviously he remains a must start and only fell to 3rd.

Packers at Bears

A rematch of last season’s NFC Championship game headlines the 4 o’clock  games this weekend and it has a lot of meaning for both teams.  The Bears are the defending division champs and the Packers are the defending Super Bowl champions.  The Bears are trying to establish themselves as a Super Bowl contender and beating Green Bay has been an issue for them recently and means a whole lot to Bears fans. I think that a Mike Martz offense has a serious chance to exploit this Green Bay secondary that has allowed back to back 400 yard passing games, one of which was by Cam Newton in his 2nd start ever.  The Bears defense has been playing well so far and should be able to contain the Packers offense enough to give the offense a chance.  I actually like the home team to win in an upset here.  Matt Forte produces more in the passing game than on the ground and as long as he keeps up this level on consistency, I don’t care how he does it.  Forte is fast becoming a top 10 fantasy running back because of his receiving ability like we haven’t seen since Brian Westbrook and is a must-start regardless of match-up until further notice. Johnny Knox remains the top receiving threat for fantasy owners on the Bears because of his speed and big-play ability, but he is a flex play at best.  Cutler is a good option this week in my opinion as there is a lot of tape of how to put up big numbers against the Packers in the air from the past two weeks and I really liked what I saw in the home opener against the defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons.  There is no way the Packers go down without a fight and while I heavily downgraded the running backs for this week, you are starting Rodgers, Finley and Jennings no matter what happens and I can’t really argue with Jordy Nelson in the flex either if your in a deep format or short on receivers.

Patriots at Bills

I wasn’t going to take advantage of the opportunity to talk about my home town team, but the game really does just jump out at more than the rest of the games.  If you had to guess who the top scoring offense in the NFL was who would yo say? Patriots right? They aren’t even the top scoring offense in their division with Buffalo having 79, Detroit having 75 and the Pats sit in 3rd with 73.  It seems pretty obvious to me that the bubble is going to burst this week as the Patriots are a machine and the Bills are just not equipped to put up the number of points that are likely to be necessary to continue to out score Tom Brady. Buffalo fans are DYING to finally get a win over the Patriots (believe me) since the last time it happened was EIGHT YEARS AGO when they won 31-0 and came out to a blazing 5-1 start only to miss the playoffs.  I still have trouble seeing Buffalo doing much more than 7-9 and scaring some wild card teams late in the season.  One thing is apparent however, they may have found themselves a QB after all.  People were scratching their heads when Buffalo left the draft and then free agency without a new QB prospect and GM Buddy Nix and Head Coach Chan Gailey continued to reaffirm their confidence in the Amish Rifle (that’s Ryan Fitzpatrick if you didn’t guess by looking at his beard).  I am a lifelong Bills fan and I can’t honestly say that I ever considered Fitz to be a potential QB of the future, but this blazing fast start has me excited to see what he can do.  The Bills’ best hope for a huge upset is Fred Jackson.  He has led Buffalo top ranked rushing attack to an average of 193 yards over the first two games of the season.  If they can control the clock, keep Brady off the field and force a pair of timely turnovers, they just might do the unthinkable.  The probable scenario is that they find themselves playing from behind early, need to abandon the running game and they can’t win a blow for blow shootout with Tom Brady.  I am starting all the usual suspects with reasonably high expectations for a high scoring game.  The loss of Aaron Hernandez will mean an increase in targets for Gronkowski and Welker and I don’t have too high of expectations for the Law Firm or Woodhead because the Bills’ defensive front seven is vastly improved over what it was a season ago.

No Comments »

Pickups

Cam Newton, QB, CAR – The though of drafting Newton was absurd to me a week ago, but after a rookie debut record 422 yards and two TDs, he MUST be owned.  I won’t pretend like I thought there was a chance that Newton would blow up at any point this season, but regardless of who your starting QB is, your backup spot is about upside. Newton has the potential to be a HUGE surprise as a top10 QB on the season and with bye weeks a bit away, feel free to drop your backup on the off-chance you get to trade Newton away for a starting WR or RB.

Randall Cobb, WR, GB – This rookie receiver for the Packers tied an NFL record for longest play with is 108 yard kick return for a TD in the kickoff game on Thursday night. I didn’t think of him as much of a sleeper before he demonstrated how dynamic of a playmaker he is due to the resigning of James Jones and the lack of a retirement announcement from Donald Driver.  We can be sure that the Packers will be looking for ways to get the ball in Cobb’s hands now and he is worth a spot on your bench to see how he develops over the next few weeks.

Scott Chandler, TE, BUF – I’ve gotten a few questions about Chandler already as a Buffalonian.  People have expected me to have inside info about this guy but honestly, I don’t have much.  He had, I believe, just one career reception before this 5 catch 63 yard performance in which he also caught two TD passes. The TE position is pretty wide open and since there are only 4 or 5 of them who I am comfortable starting on a week-to-week basis, I think Chandler is a risky pickup and start this week.  The reason im willing to do it after just one good game is because of the match-up against Oakland being decent.

Jacoby Jones, WR, HOU – Kevin Walter hurt his collar bone in week 1 and I believe he will miss some extended time early in this season.  With Jones at number two on the Texan’s depth chart, I think he is going to see enough targets that he will be worth a shot in deeper leagues and as an injury/bye week fill-in.

Cadillac Williams, RB, STL – If your draft didn’t pan out at the RB position, Williams may make a good fill-in next week as Steven Jackson appears to be unlikely to play in week 2 against Carolina. He has no value when Jackson is active though in my opinion, so don’t think of it as an long-term solution.

Robert Meachem, WR, NO – I don’t like Saints receivers for fantasy purposes. A lot of people think the Colston injury is going to open up room for either Meachem or Henderson, but the absence of Lance Moore is the most intriguing absence to me. Colston was best utilized as a goal line target and none of these receivers can fill that void in my opinion, so that work will go to Jimmy Graham. Meachem will benefit from increased targets in the short to intermediate passing game where both Colston and Moore were used.   I think when Moore is back, Meachem and Henderson are very probably not going to be at all reliable enough to start again.  Until then, don’t leave them on free agency for an opponent to use.

Fred Davis, TE, WAS – Rex Grossman impressed a lot of people this weekend.  He looked like an effective leader of the offense and led his team to a win against their division rival New York Giants. I don’t think Davis is as good a pick up as Chandler, but if you had Cooley and there isn’t much talent on waivers, I would probably grab Davis.

Dump List

Peyton Manning, QB, IND – This one is fairly obvious but I don’t believe in over reacting to a poor week 1 and dropping someone because of one bad or mediocre performance so I have to have SOMETHING for this list. If you don’t have an IR spot and aren’t in a keeper league, there is no reason to hold Manning any longer. He will not likely see the field this season unless the Colts are somehow still in the playoff hunt late.

Thomas Jones, RB, KC – Dexter McCluster seemed to be the secondary back in week 1 for the Chiefs as Jones only saw two carries throughout the game.  His age made him a late round pick in drafts and I’m convinced that it is now the Jamaal Charles show in KC.

James Jones, WR, GB – Jones was, I thought, no lower than 4th on the depth chart at receiver for the Packers.  This made him an ownable player to sit on your bench but with the emergence of Randall Cobb in week 1, I see no reason to hold Jones any longer.

No Comments »

Pickups

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF - It kills me to say this as a Bills fan, but Fitzpatrick is the read deal.  I only mean this for fantasy purposes, but finally all the weapons that the Bills offense are able to be used.  Even with the rough match ups on the horizon I am not concerned about Fitz’s value.  If he was able to move the ball that effectively against the Ravens, he should be good for double digit points in just about any game they have.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, TB - If you keep reading Cadillac Williams is on the Dump List because if the number of carries each got.  Blount got 11 carries and averaged over 6 yards per carry to total 72 yards.  Williams on the other hand had just 4 carries for 12 yards.  A few weeks ago Blount made this list because it looked as if he was going to receive the goal line carries and since he now looks to be the lead guy, then he has a chance to be a top 20 back for the 2nd half of the season.

Mike Williams, WR, SEA - The other Mike Williams has been great for the past two weeks with the departure of Deion Branch from the Seattle offense.  In these two games Williams has had double digit receptions and at least 15 targets in each game.  He is shaping up to be a solid flex play or bye-week fill-in.

Lee Evans, WR, BUF - I had some questions come in about Evans this week and my response was always “he will have some good games and he will score some TDs, but it will be random and their schedule is terrible from here on out.”  All season long, there has not been a team to move the ball down the field at will against the Ravens like the Bills did on Sunday.  Ryan Fitzpatrick is demonstrating the ability to captain this offense and put points on the board regardless of the quality of opposing defense.  Evans may or may not have been dropped before their Bye week, but he sure needs to be owned now as he is by far the most talented receiver on the Bills.

Steve Johnson, WR, BUF – Even though he is not that physically gifted, or exceptionally talented, he is getting open and catching the ball… We just can’t ignore this guy as a fluke anymore!  I would still rather start Lee Evans, but with opposing defenses paying so much more attention to him this could change if Evans is unable to demonstrate consistency in the next couple of weeks.

David Gettis, WR, CAR - So, to be honest… I am not going to look to add Gettis to my team after only one good week, but if your team is pretty well off and you have some expendable roster spots, the Panthers have been DYING for a solid WR2 and if he can provide and consistency opposite Smith then he will maintain value for the rest of the season.  It is worth noting that Brandon LaFell also had a good game, but it sure looked like Moore had better chemistry with Gettis. Before this week, I thought that the Panthers would rebound and their offensive players would regain some of the value we thought they would have in the preseason.  So after a win, you should keep an eye on them.

Dump List

Robert Meachem, WR, NO – Given the unpredictable nature of the Saints receivers last year, I really don’t want any part in these guys while they are struggling.

Lance Moore, WR, NO – See Robert Meachem.

Brandon Tate, WR, NE - Welker is struggling, Branch saw a decent number of targets last week. there is too much risk in the unknown here and if you can get and of the guys listed above, then don’t feel bad about dumping Tate.

Jason Avant, WR, PHI - Well, after the bye week DeSean Jackson will make his return and Avant will be back to his usual slot role.  The Eagles also look to Riley Cooper in some passing situations, but with no consistent production from either guy when Vick was starting before… there is no reason to expect it when he takes his starting job back in 2 weeks.

Carnell Williams, RB, TB – He looks to be taking over the role of run blocker and 3rd down back, so unless you are in a PPR format… it appears as if Cadillac is dead to fantasy owners.

Mike Thomas, WR, JAC - I don’t trust any WR for the Jaguars. Run as far as possible from Thomas and Sims-Walker.

No Comments »

The super bowl champion Saints are my favorite to win it all again this season.  There is a myth that it is really difficult to win back to back super bowls, which is just a lie.  I know, it sounds crazy… but hear me out.  Since the start of the super bowl era of the NFL SEVEN different teams have won back to back super bowl championships and the Steelers did it twice.  The factors that go into winning a super bowl do not get more difficult the next year.  This team has retained almost all of their free agents going into the uncapped year. With more experience and the talent already assembled and proven realistically they only need to stay healthy in order to get deep into the playoffs.  To me Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush is a great RB duo and I think Thomas will be a steal for fantasy owners as a solid RB2. Meachem is also a viable option in the later rounds as a backup WR.

Fantasy Relevant Players

Drew Brees – Even though I have him ranked as my number two QB he is a first round talent and could easily be the top fantasy QB at the end of the year.  The only reason he is not my number one is that Rodgers runs the ball with consistency and typically gets in the end zone by running more than any other QB.

Pierre Thomas – I can’t figure out why there is so much hate for Thomas.  Everyone liked him last year but it turned out that Bell was taking too many red zone carries from him and he did not return the value people expected to get when they drafted him.  Bell is gone! Reggie Bush of all people will not be used for short yardage and all reports from training camp so far say that he looks really good.

Marques Colston – I rank him  as my number 10 WR so he is a WR1 for sure.  You really shouldn’t let him fall farther than tenth at his position.  The only evidence you need is that he is the best receiver that Drew Brees has at his disposal.

1 Comment »

Nick

Ok, here is the deal. I’m having a lot of mixed emotions on who I should start this week. I don’t think I can go wrong with my options, but it is the playoffs and I need all I can get. In our league, our roster looks like this. QB WR WR RB RB TE W/T W/R. I’m set at QB with Schaub and my #1 and #2 RB are AP and MJD. My starting TE is Dallas Clark. As of now I have Greg Jennings and Robert Meachem in my WR spots. This is where I don’t know who to play. I have 2 spots to fill (W/T and W/R). I have Antonio Bryant, who I really like this week. Dwayne Bowe who has a good match-up against the Browns. Heath Miller who may see some action with Woodson on Holmes and Ward being banged up. I also have Beanie Wells and Arian Foster who have great match-ups. Which 2 players should I play in my last 2 spots? And I forgot to mention it is a PPR league. PLEASE HELP!

I would put Bryant in as the WR2 and probably play Bowe and Wells this week.  Wells isn’t a PPR threat but he has a great match-up and they seemed to cut out Hightower really early after that fumble last week.

John

gore maroney moreno charles or jacobs which 3 do i start

Gore Moreno Charles for sure Maroney is going to share too much to have a big game

Kolby R

Baltimore vs Chicago or Arizona vs Detroit
I am currently planning on starting Baltimore. They will crush the pocket and force turnovers. What do you think?

Ravens are my number 1 defense this week, good luck bud!

Matthew

hi jim. i decided to bench sims-walker last night (ugh!), and now i’ve got to go with bowe or manningham this week. what do you think?

Manningham shouldn’t be on your roster anymore so its definitely Bowe!

Quiet Time

Defense: GREEN BAY vs Steelers or ARIZONA vs Lions this week?

WR PPR league: Calvin Johnson??? or Derrick Mason?

Manningham shouldn’t be on your roster anymore so its def Bowe.  And Cardinals Defense is my 3rd, so play them.

Weez

Do I have a better chance starting Boldin/Breaston against the Lions with a banged up Fitzgerald? Or should I start Meachem over Breaston? No way I’m sitting Boldin though. Even after he cost me a win last week….*grumbles*

I like the Boldin Breaston play, and it has nothing to do with Fitz =D

No Comments »

Sunman

Cinci defense ok to start against Minnesota? My other choice is to get buffalo def off waivers.

I think they are ok, something has Peterson not at 100%, what that is we don’t know.  What we do know is that he was absolutley a non-factor in last weeks game and Childress won’t let that happen again… With that said the Bengals are very stout vs the run, however haven’t faced more than one ELITE back this season.  It will be a really interesting game, but I do not think you can trust the Bills defense in the playoffs.  Also to take into consideration Harvin has had issues with migraines since he was a boy, and they have flared back up this week, he has now missed two practices.

MR.MVP

WR help who Rober Meachem (NO) @ Atl, Terrell Owens (Buf) @ KC, Michael Crabtree (SF) vs Ari, or Mario Manningham (NYG) vs Phi

I’m planning on starting RB’s Ricky Williams (Mia) @ Jac and Cedric Benson (Cin) @ Min, other option would be Laurence Maroney(NE) vs Car.. what do you think??

Well MVP, I see no reason to hold a roster spot for Manningham if you can get a britt, or a crabtree, or avant, or lots of people really so your good to go ahead and drop him.  TO is your starter this week, the Chiefs are not a very good team by any stretch, and apart from his turn on Revis island (I think he had a photo shoot there for his modeling gig) TO has been very productive recently.  Trust him against a week secondary as the Bills are likely to slide in draft position this week after a win.

Benson is a workhorse, 30+ carries last week, you got it right and here is why: Sammy Morris looked explosive last week as well as Fred Taylor is possibly making his return this week.  Maroney looked good, but there are two guys around now that will take goal line work (Taylor) and 3rd down as well as some regular work (Morris).  Not much is left as far as being relevant in fantasy football.

T Hop

Hi Big Jim,
I can start 2 RBs, which 2 do I start. Addai, D. Williams, or J. Charles. I’m completely stuck here so thanks for your help!

This actually goes a little contrary to my rankings, but I’m going to put a stipulation on it.  I would start Charles and Addai, however, If Williams looks like he will be 100% based off late week practices then go with him over Charles.  This is the playoffs so we can’t take a risk and bench a guy like Williams if he is healthy.

Willie M.

hey Jim two questions:
1. Whats the deal with Mike Sims-Walker; yahoo says he has a calf injury. Is he worth a start?
2. Whats the deal with Kenny Britt and Justin Gage? yahoo says Gage is back in the starting lineup but im still starting Britt at this point. Good idea?

Well Willie, MSW does indeed have a calf injury, but he will be a game time decision for Sunday so we’ll have to wait until then to decide.  His role might be minimized but i cannot speak to whether he is still worth a start without your other receivers.  Also Gage will be coming back at some point, but he has been out a while and will take some time to get used to the speed of the game again.  He won’t likely start eating at Britt’s productivity for a couple weeks.

Josh

which 2 wrs???
ocho, sims walker, V.Jax, smith NYG, D.Mason
thanks

VJax and Ocho – Jackson wont stay in this slump, I still trust him as a WR one without a doubt. The Vikes have proven they can be thrown on so Ocho should be just fine as well assuming they Bengals O-Line can contain Jared Allen.  I think they do a good enough job where Ocho gets in the end zone (this is what play action is for, and why Benson gets 30 carries a game).

No Comments »

Love

Santonio Holmes and Mike Wallace (PIT) – With a bad Browns team having a short week to prepare, and with receiver Hines Ward unlikely to play, Thursday night should be a big game for the two would-be starting receivers.

Drew Brees, Marques Colston and Robert Meachem (NO) – The Falcons have a pretty bad passing defense ranked 29th in the league and go against the best Offense in football lead by Drew Brees.  Brees’ favorite targets include receivers Colston and Meachem who will be creating mismatches in the secondary all day long.  Colston is a WR1 this week and Meachem is a great WR3 or flex play!

Andre Johnson (HOU) – Seahawks rank 25th against the pass and should be in over their heads on Sunday vs Johnson and the Texans.  Also a heavier emphasis will be placed on the passing game with Steve Slaton placed on IR.

Jamaal Charles (KC) – The Bills are dead last against the run and Charles has a 4.8 yards per carry average!  He is a must start at RB this week!

Terrell Owens (BUF) – Owens has been a part of the Bills offense since Perry Fewell took over as interim head coach.  The Chiefs are 28th in the league against the pass and wont be likely to contain TO and Evans.

Jets (D/ST) – The Buccaneers are pretty bad this year as you know.  Last week Freeman threw 5 interceptions against the Panthers.  The Jets will dominate this game on defense and play ball control on offense.

Vince Young, Chris Johnson and Kenny Britt (TEN) – The Rams are a great match-up for anyone, and the Titans are still red hot even though they lost last week (it was the Colts, you didn’t expect it anyways).  Rebound week for Vince Young!

Phillip Rivers (SD) – Rivers has been very productive and mistake-free the past few weeks even with the statistical absence of Vincent Jackson.  You cannot expect this lack of production to continue for Jackson and that only stands to improve Rivers’ production even more.

Larry Fitzgerald (ARI) – Best receiver in the league versus the 27th ranked passing defense.

Hate

Bruce Gradkowski (OAK) -You may have picked him up for a deep format but the Skins can only defend the pass, so this is not the week to try to use him.

Antonio Bryant (TB) -If Bryant was on a winning team with a real QB he would be a household name and he would really be something special to watch.  He’s not, he gets his passes thrown to him by a rookie and he plays the top passing defense in the league.  Sit him!

Jerome Harrison (CLE) -Like Gradkowski, you picked him up for other weeks, not this match-up sit him down this week.

Kevin Smith (DET) -Hard to imagine the Lions getting much done on offense against the Ravens.  I wouldn’t trust Smith enough for a playoff start this week.

Devin Hester and Matt Forte (CHI) – You got a decent week from Forte so don’t think it’s the start of something.  You need to have multiple productive weeks to get trust in fantasy football, not one versus a squishy match-up.  The Packers have been playing pretty well as of late and should roll right over the Bears.  Oh, and Hester was on my dump-list a couple weeks ago…. please do yourself a favor and ditch him!

Matt Cassel and Chris Chambers (KC) – The Bills passing defense has been about the only bright spot throughout the season.  If the Chiefs are going to win it will be on the back of Jamaal Charles and not the arm of Matt Cassel.

Frank Gore (SF) – The 9ers offense has gone the way of the pass as Alex Smith matures in that offense.  The Cardinals looked like Super Bowl contenders last week and the 49ers are struggling.  I don’t like any 49ers this week.

Brandon Jacobs (NYG) – Jacobs has been terrible, the only game he was any good for you was when he had a 74 yard screen pass.  It’s time to find his replacment (it was time a month ago actually).

No Comments »

Studs

Tony Romo (DAL) – Even though it was December and the Cowboys lost, Romo out preformed all other QBs in Fantasy Football last week!  The Cowboys still need to find answers going down the stretch, but primarily on the defensive side of the ball.  Romo has some pretty average defenses coming up, and with the teams being the Chargers and Saints we can be sure that the Boys’ll be throwing plenty.  The Redskins are the opponent in Week 16 for most super bowl games in Fantasy which is not a great match-up, I’m sure most of you are still having nightmares about the last Cowboys Redskins game!

Kurt Warner (ARI) – If you risked starting Warner last week good for you!  The Cards got a big win over one of the NFC’s top teams, and really made a statement about their chances going into the playoffs.  They did not look like a Super Bowl contender in the early half of the season but all that matters is how you finish.  The next three match ups are against the NFLs 27th, 16th, and 32nd ranked passing defenses in that order.  These teams are (again, in order) the 49ers, the Rams, and the Lions.  The Rams are still a soft match-up for any passing game despite their surprisingly high rank, can’t ask for any better match-ups from your best QB!

Brandon Jacobs (NYG) – If you started Jacobs in week 14 then you are a braver man (or woman) than I.  Even in this big statistical game where he ended up the top Fantasy RB in the league he looked terrible with the ball.  Jacobs’ rushing stats were not enough to break double digits even with his rushing TD, but on one beautifully set-up screen play Jacobs found a whole to go 74 yards for a score (13 fantasy points of his 22 point total).  Jacobs is not the answer to your fantasy team or the New York Giants and should not be counted on as a starter in the playoffs.

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) – Moreno put up the highest fantasy point total of his rookie season this past week against the Chiefs (20 points).  He may not yet be an auto start, but consider that he plays the Chiefs again in Week 17 if that is when your Super Bowl is, as well as the Raiders in Week 15.  Moreno should definitely crack your starting lineup in those games, and probably even in his other match-ups next week vs the Colts and in Week 16 when he faces the Eagles.  Also if you were wondering Buckhalter still made an impact with 113 yards Sunday, but I still can’t see him threatening Moreno’s value as he gets most the carries and the goal line duties.

Robert Meachem (NO) – My apologies to any of you who asked about Meachem over the past week.  It has been easy to excuse his big games as a result of Colston being shut down, but after five of them it just cannot be ignored any more.  It is very difficult to talk about why the 5th weapon in any offense is a reliable fantasy play (Colston, Henderson, Thomas, Bush being who I feel are more valuable players), but numbers do not lie.  Meachem has 7 catches, four TDs and 43 more yards than number one receiver Marques Colston over the last five games.  I talk a lot about the short memory fantasy owners need to have, and Meachem owners should start to get excited.  This can’t mean that Meachem is the new top fantasy receiver in New Orleans, but it sure makes him the number 2 option over Henderson.

Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald (ARI) – In Fantasy Football terms Boldin actually out preformed Fitz on Sunday, but this duo was 1 point apart and both inside the top 5 at WR this week.  Fitz continues to be Warner’s favorite target as he was thrown to 12 times (catching 8 of them) against the Vikings for 143 yards and a score.  Boldin caught one fewer pass on three fewer targets but got two TDs to go along with his 98 yards.  I mentioned the very good match-ups Warner has already so I won’t repeat them, I’ll just say you don’t want to play against either receiver down the stretch!

Pierre Garcon (IND) – A career day for this young Colts receiver on Sunday.  This guy has quite the future ahead of him as long as he is on the field with Manning, but this season he will be near impossible to rely on as a WR1 or WR2 at any point.  For those of you in deeper formats or with flex positions feel free to use Garcon as a WR3 or flex play in the playoffs as his 136 yard performance vastly over shadowed star Reggie Wayne’s 48 yard day!

Jermichael Finley (GB) – Since his injury earlier this season Finley has been a beast.  I have seen numerous games where the Packers motion him around to create the ideal match-up and expose the defense and when executed properly Finley is a monster.  I think Finley will follow a pretty similar career path as Marques Colston down the line (do you remember being able to play Colston as either a WR or a TE? I do!) as long as he stays healthy.  Monday night Finley caught seven passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns proving that he deserves a shot on any Fantasy Football roster in the playoffs.

Duds

Adrian Peterson (MIN) – 5 pts – The whole team struggled, and to get out of this funk, you should see a heavy dose of AP to force teams to focus more on him and leave the passing game open.  Still no worries for AP down the stretch.

Maurice Jones-Drew (JAC) – 7 pts – What can ya say other than a win is a win.  The Jags pulled a close win from the Texans on Sunday and did so with a pretty disappointing performance from both their offensive stars.  MJD is still a top 3 RB.

Frank Gore (SF) – 3 pts – Gore owners have to be worried as they watch Smith develop and the offense migrate towards a pass first philosophy.  If you have another option think about it long and hard because Gore’s production is slipping fast.

LeSean McCoy (PHI) – 2 pts – I have no clue what to make of the RB situation in Philly other than to say that McCoy is the best healthy back there.  You’re not dropping him, and you will likely still be playing him this week, but lets hope he gets the ball next week!

Greg Olsen (CHI) – 0 pts – Two bad teams met Sunday and the Bears won, kind of.  17-9 was the score of this game, and if I was a Bears fan I would be looking for a rock to climb under right about now.  Forte was the only bright spot this week as Olsen was blanked.

Felix Jones and Marion Barber (DAL) – 1 pt each – How bout them Cowboys in December?! We all thought Romo’s name would be on this side of my list this week lets admit it, but both RB’s in Dallas got just one fantasy point this week.  Neither can be trusted through the playoffs, but I would play Jones in a flex spot if the match-up was right.  The Cowboys win when he gets the ball, end of story.

Mike Sims-Walker (JAC) – 1 pt – MSW is still a WR3 or flex play down the stretch but the whole offense is inconsistent, even in a win.

Ray Rice (BAL) – 4 pts – You don’t likely have a better option and I’m not worried about Rice down the stretch either.  Neither team wanted to win much last night judging by the penalties, and with so many long distances to go for a first down Rice just wasn’t able to be a factor in THIS game.

Reggie Wayne (IND) – 4 pts – What can I say, Sunday was the Garcon show… Wayne is still Manning’s go-to-guy so he can be yours as well, still an auto-start.

No Comments »

First off, WELCOME TO THE PLAYOFFS! You made it!

Week 13 was a frustrating one for fantasy owners as it had its fair few upsets and narrow scrapes.  Superbowl champs fell to Bruce Gradkowski, the Patriots lost consecutive games, the struggling Giants got a win versus a good Cowboy team that is thirsty to prove itself, and the lowly Redskins had to literally drop the ball in order for the undefeated Saints to scrape by in an overtime win.  This week was filled with huge disappointments for fantasy owners and both cost people playoff births, as well as allowed some people to scrape in.  My Studs and Duds tomorrow should be a pretty lengthy one… but this is Player Adds and the Dump List, so lets get down to it!  Not really any injuries that elevate a back-up workload to that of a feature back so not an exciting list here, mostly for deeper formats.  With that said if you are in the playoffs then you’re starting cast is probably pretty well locked down.  Most all of these players are for insurance in case of an injury that you obviously can’t foresee, planning for injury is the key to success in the playoffs!

Player Adds for Week 14

Robert Meachem (NO) – I hate relying on a teams fifth offensive weapon, but Meachem is earning trust after a surprisingly consistent November, followed by

Garrett Hartley (NO) – I KNOW, WHO?!  Garrett Hartley is possibly the best player at his position for fantasy football and is owned in your league almost guaranteed.  John Carney is out in New Orleans and Hartley has taken over.  Gostkowski was ranked the number one kicker pre-draft this season and mostly because he was on an great offense.  The Saints are the top offense in the league and Hartley is their kicker… end of story.

Jason Campbell (WAS) – If you think this name is surprising wait for the next one!  Here are some numbers for you to consider: 24, 19, 12, 13.  These are his fantasy points (ESPN standard scoring) in four of his last five games, excluding an 8 point week 11 where he lost 6-3 versus Dallas.  If you start two QBs or are in a 14 team league you could do much worse for a back-up.

Bruce Gradkowski (OAK) – Ok, so this is definitely a bigger stretch than Campbell but I have been asked a few times about what to do in a 12 team 2 QB league where the fad is to hold 4 QBs in order to completely screw over the people who are in need.  This to me is a terribly fun format to play in and I want to help those of you out who are in this situation.

Louis Murphy (OAK) – This isn’t the first time he’s showed big play potential.  Trust him as far as Gradkowski can throw him.

Jerome Harrison (CLE) – OK, so I wouldn’t want to start any Cleveland Brown in the playoffs, but he finished Sunday as the second best fantasy back in the league with 21 points.  Harrison was only second to Brandon Jacobs who looked mediocre at best running the ball, however he had a huge screen pass go to the house and make the day look more impressive than it really was.  If Quinn can keep the offense on the field then Harrison could become relevant.

Devone Bess (MIA) – 12 team three WR league? Bess is a nice backup to have as he is an explosive player that can score from anywhere on the field.

Kenny Britt (TEN) – Not believe me last week!? Go get him!

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) – 100% dependant on Quinn’s performance, however he gets open plenty so look for him to make some plays while Brady develops.

Bo Scaife (TEN) – This guy is a favorite target for Vince Young, was before he got benched and has been since his return.

Fred Davis (WAS) – Great production recently, as far as TEs are concerned, great fill in if you lost someone to an injury.

Dump List

Matt Ryan (ATL) – The Falcons lost their swagger down the stretch this season.  Key injuries to Ryan and Turner have left the team struggling to stay mathematically in the playoff hunt.  Any chance they have at this point is minimal and I do not think you see a rush back on Turner or Ryan, and without both of these weapons at 100% the offense is very one dimensional, and mediocre.  Ryan has been a fantasy disappointment this season and it is time to drop him for a more capable replacement.

Mario Manningham (NYG) – Even when the Giants recovered and played good football Manningham was not part of the equation… I do not see the dynamic of the Giants receivers changing in the minimal time you have left.  I see questions about teams with Crabtree, Maclin, Avant, or Britt on free agents… all much better options down the stretch.

Rock Cartwright (WAS) – The Redskins did everything no one thought they could… keep the strength of their game (running) relevant throughout the entirety of the game!  And even with this being the case Cartwright was still a huge disappointment and can not be counted on for fantasy production in my book.  No Redskins back can be counted on till they get Portis back.

Larry Johnson (CIN) – If you took a gamble and gobbled up Johnson after his 100 yard performance you can drop him.  Benson had 36 carries coming back, he is the workhorse and there is little to no room for anyone else to produce stats.  LJ is only a handcuff at best, and I’d rather have Bernard Scott.

No Comments »