With the season now halfway in the books, let's take a look at the updated fantasy football QB rankings.
1. Peyton Manning: Duhhh.
2. Drew Brees: 5 TD's in Week 8 reinforce how incredible Brees remains.
3. Aaron Rodgers
4. Matthew Stafford: Comeback over the Cowboys as good as it gets. Stafford as productive as any QB in fantasy football this season. We told you that would happen.
5. Tony Romo: Again trying to figure out why this guy is always under drafted.
6. Andy Dalton: This is not a misprint. 11 touchdowns last three weeks and no signs of letting up.
7. Cam Newton: Gets nod over Matt Ryan due to the latter's decimated WR corps.
8. Matt Ryan: 4 picks against Arizona could be ominous sign of things to come with Julio Jones and Roddy White both out.
9. Andrew Luck: Win over Denver showed how great the kid can be. Unleash the hounds.
10. Philip Rivers: Still slinging 'em all over the field and having success to boot.
11. Russell Wilson Jr.: Yardage is never there but Wilson continues to show knack for passing scores.
12. Alex Smith
13. Tom Brady: This is as far as Brady has been since he was a rookie. Something not right here as Brady has continued to struggle despite getting all his receivers back.
14. Colin Kaepernick: Scoring three TD's against San Fran nice but Kaepernick needs to do more to full get himself anywhere near his previously overinflated value.
15. Ben Roethlisberger
16. Russell Wilson III: Starting to run again which might be the only thing that could save his awful passing.
17. Eli Manning: Has not turned the ball over in last two Giants wins. Progress.
18. Joe Flacco: Always seems to be in this realm due to unimpressive passing numbers. Still you can't take away that Super Bowl.
19. Ryan Tannehill
20. Mike Glennon: Truth be told Glennon has not been half bad but still tough to trust as a rookie.
21. Terrell Pryor: Lately Pryor getting exposed for his limited passing skills.
22. Jake Locker: Could move up if he reverts back to the guy he was before the hip injury.
23. Thad Lewis: Has given the Bills a spark and moved the football.
24. Nick Foles: Has to get back into good graces off Dallas horror show.
25. Carson Palmer: Has been an INT machine all season and looks old.
26. Jason Campbell: Veteran looked good in Week 8 but need to see him do it again before we move him up.
27. Case Keenum
28. Josh McCown
29. Geno Smith: Simply awful at times this season but also showing glimpses of ability.
30. Kellen Clemens
31. Chad Henne
32. Josh Freeman
There you have it. Let us hear you thoughts on this.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL STATUS REPORT: ANDY DALTON QB CINCINNATI BENGALS
Heading into the 2013 fantasy football season, Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton was almost universally considered a low end QB 1 in 12-team leagues and in some cases was ranked lower. Despite taking the Bengals to the playoff his first two seasons, Dalton still had not entered into the realm where he was beloved and respected by the majority of the fantasy football community. For one, the Bengals had been a run-dominant team since Dalton came into the league and in paining BenJarvus Green-Ellis and rookie Giovani Bernard, it seemed the same scenario would be in play once again when Week 1 rolled around. However in looking a bit under the hood, Dalton was actually profiling himself as a QB on the rise, having increased his passing touchdowns from 20 to 27 his first two seasons and with top wideout A.J. Green joining a terrific pair of pass catching tight ends in Jermaine Gresham and rookie Tyler Eifert, Dalton was certainly being surrounded with potent talent.
Fast forward to present day and what we have no is an Andy Dalton who one could argue is the hottest quarterback in the NFL in coming off a five touchdown monster performance in a win last Sunday over the New York Jets. That tremendous outing followed back-to-back weeks where Dalton threw 3 touchdown passes in each, while also topping 300 passing yards in both. So halfway through Dalton's season, he sits here with 16 touchdowns and 2,249 yards as he has helped the Bengals transition into one of the best passing offenses in all of football. With Marvin Jones having emerged into a very good complement to Green, in addition to the two tight ends mentioned above, Dalton is set to continue his terrific breakout.
In returning to what I said earlier, Dalton has now firmly entrenched himself into an every week top ten fantasy football QB who you could argue has passed Tom Brady, Cam Newton, and maybe even Matt Ryan in the rankings. Those who brought him aboard as a backup or begrudgingly as their starter at first are being handsomely rewarded at this point. The good times should continue as Dalton surely will continue to fire away and accumulate the passing numbers he had hinted at previously.
Monday, October 28, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WRAPUP: 4:00 GAMES AND LATER
4:00 games and later are up next as we continue to wrap up fantasy football Week 8.
-Almost had it. My 4-3 Experts League team played the Peyton Manning-owned 7-0 first half team this past Sunday and I had a 15 point lead going into the 4:00 games with Eric Decker and Julius Thomas left to his Manning and Knowshon Moreno. Yeah that didn't end too well. Manning threw for his customary four touchdowns and 354 yards but he three interceptions were a bit out of character. Honestly I will go out on a limb and say Manning owners are in first place in about 70 percent of leagues.
As far as the receivers were concerned, Wes Welker got into the end zone once among his 6 catches for 81 yards and so did Demaryuis Thomas who grabbed 7 for 75. Remember last week it was Eric Decker who went off while Thomas was cold. Decker didn't help me much as he grabbed 4 balls for 42 yards and Julius Thomas could have some bad news with his injured ankle as he hurt me bad with only 3 catches for 29 yards. Joel Dreessen is the grab if Thomas is out.
-Knowshon Moreno continues with his fantastic season despite the fact he doesn't run for a ton of yards in any game. Moreno put the final nail in my coffin when he caught one of his six passes for 89 yards. Believe it or not Moreno is knocking on the door as a top five running back for a guy who was picked off the wire in some formats.
On the other side Alfred Morris rebounded with 93 rushing yards and a score and was not taken out near the goal-line like he was last week in favor of Roy Helu Jr. Morris owners can breath a tad easier.
-Jordan Reed is looking like the new Jordan Cameron and he could be better. Reed posted his second straight monster game Sunday catching 8 balls for 90 yards. Just made a trade offer to the Reed owner in my league since Thomas is now hurt.
-Robert Griffin III came out late as a precautionary reason as Dr. James Andrews took a look at his surgically repaired knee. Griffin played miserably in passing for only 132 yards and 2 INT's with one harmless touchdown. Yuck.
-Wow is Andy Dalton playing incredible football right now. After back-to-back games of three passing TD's each and more 300 yards as well in both, Dalton went ballistic Sunday in throwing for FIVE touchdowns and 325 yards. The Bengals overnight have become one of the more potent passing offenses in the league and Dalton is now firmly an every week guy based on the results. Wish I would have taken my own advice as both my QB's (Stafford, Kaepernick) are on byes this week.
-All right let's not get carries away with Marvin Jones' 4 touchdowns. The Bengals took advantage of the fact Jets rookie CB Dee Millinier was in coverage and proceeded to torch him all game. Jones is a good guy for your bench and to use for bye weeks but don't think he is going to come near this level of production every week. Still 8 catches for 122 yards is terrific production no matter you slice it.
-Again don't play any New York Jets on your roster.
-Harry Douglas is enjoying life as the number 1 receiver in the Falcons' passing attack after posting his second straight huge game Sunday by catching 12 passes for 121 yards. With no Roddy White and Julio Jones, Matt Ryan has no choice but to look at Douglas almost every time he drops back. And speaking of Ryan, he was simply awful Sunday in throwing for 301 yards with 1 TD and FOUR INT's. Again the lack of weapons in the Falcon attack is now looking like New England for most of the season. Ryan has to be downgraded a bit as a result. Also Drew Davis is the next man up for the Falcons and he was pretty good as well Sunday catching 5 balls for 77 yards and a touchdown. Pick him up as the Falcons will continue to throw all day everyday.
-The reason the Falcons have to throw so much is their awful running game is not helping. Steven Jackson did nothing in his return, rushing for a grand total of 6 yards on 11 carries. We all know Jackson is older than dirt but that is ridiculous. Can't trust Jackson until he shows any sign that he is back in the groove. It actually may not happen given his age and injuries.
-Andre Ellington is a name I have been touting all season as the big play scatback should have taken over as the starter week ago in place of the done Rashard Mendenhall. Well with Mendenhall out there was no excuse for Ellington not to be featured and the kid responded with a crazy good game in rushing for 154 yards on only 15 carries and a touchdown. Ellington is a threat to take it to the house any time he touches the football and he can now be safely graded as a RB 2.
-Terrell Pryor was more impressive as a runner than a passer, rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown while throwing for only 88 and 2 picks. Use only in two-QB formats if at all.
-Another game and another big game for WR Antonio Brown. Brown caught 9 passes for 82 yards and was actually joined by Emmanuel Sanders who grabbed 7 for 88 and a touchdown. No reason Ben Roethlisberger is not throwing for more TD's than he currently is.
-Darren McFadden has been quiet for most of the season but he did rush for two scores Sunday. His rushing average was poor with 73 on 24 carries but needless to say he did his job for the week.
-Jordy Nelson should get more credit as a number 1 fantasy football wide receiver and he reminded us why by catching 7 passes for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings. Nelson is as good as it gets in getting into the end zone.
-Eddie Lacy rushed for 94 yards on 24 carries and scored another touchdown. Lacy is now knocking on the door as a top ten back.
-Forgot to mention Jarred Boykin who grabbed 5 balls for 89 yards. Just like with Harry Douglas, Boykin moved into the starting lineup with a top QB and immediately produced.
-There you have it. Let us hear some thoughts.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 8 WRAPUP: 1:00 GAMES
Wow what a day. At least there weren't a ton of injuries. Let's get to all the latest fantasy football action worth discussing coming out of the 1:00 games.
-Of course we have to start with the Lions-Cowboys game. At least when it came to the Lions, it was like watching a Madden Experts play on the EASY level. My goodness the numbers were mind-boggling. Obviously we have to start with the ridiculous 14-catch/329 yard/1 TD smackdown Calvin Johnson laid down on Dez Bryant and the Cowboys. I mean this guy truly defies explanation due to his absurd level of dominance. This is why I suggested drafting Johnson first overall if you got the number 1 pick this past summer. There is no one even in the guy's area code as a player.....that means you to Bryant who popped off last week saying he was the better player.
Going in tandem with Johnson was yet another monster game from QB Matthew Stafford who took it upon himself to fake a spike and dive into the end zone with 15 seconds left on the clock to cap an amazing comeback win. It was all part of a 488-yard performance with 1 passing TD and 2 fluky picks that were deflected. What was a bit frustrating as a Stafford owner is that twice he either ran or threw a pass that ended up at the one which were than subsequently run in by Reggie Bush and Joique Bell. Cost us two potential scores. Be that as it may Stafford has been as hot as Drew Brees and Andy Dalton the last month. And of course he was the guy along with Tony Romo who I told you to focus on as value plays instead of using a first round pick on a QB. Good times all around.
-By the way Kris Durham looks like he could be of help now that both Nate Burleson and now Ryan Broyles are injured. Take advantage of the passing offense.
-Lost in Stafford's big game was the nice outing by Romo who tossed three touchdown passes and 206 yards. Than again it always seems like Romo gets lost in the shuffle due to the untimely turnovers. Can't blame this one on him. He only hooked up with Bryant three times though, with two going for spectacular touchdowns on each. Bryant however lost his mind on two occasions in the game, berating Romo and than getting into a verbal blowout with Jason Witten. Clearly he got too amped up and caught up in the battle against Johnson which he lost badly and in embarrassing fashion. Hence the frustration. They will ass kiss and make up.
-Speaking of Witten, there is no doubt the guy has been below his numbers the last month or so. In shootout like this, Witten should have had more than 2 catches for 15 yards. I have gotten some e-mails asking what is up here with Witten but my answer is nothing other than Romo perhaps focusing in a bit too much on Bryant (who can blame him) and finding a new toy in rookie Terrance Williams. Williams made up for a slow start to save his day with a 60-yard TD. Saved the day because he had only two receptions which was strange. Still Williams has been a real find and hopefully we don't see any more of Miles Austin.
-With DeMarco Murray coming back next week, drop Joseph Randle who didn't do much anyway with 26 yards on 14 carries. Reggie Bush meanwhile scored a rushing touchdown and ran for 92 yards on 21 carries. Was a monster in the receiving game with 8 grabs for 30 yards. I absolutely love Bush in this offense and said it right after he came over in free agency.
-Jason Campbell was actually pretty good against the top defense in the NFL with 293 yards and 2 TD's. Boy the Browns have got to be kicking themselves for giving Brandon Weeden all those starts. Don't pick up Campbell though. At least not yet. Need to see more.
-Alex Smith is always seemingly on the verge of single league use but he helped himself with 225 yards and 2 touchdowns against a tough Browns defense. The big beneficiary was Dexter McCluster who caught 7 passes for 67 yards and both touchdowns from Smith. McCluster has a ton of ability and reminds me of a poor man's Percy Havin but consistency is not part of his game. You can make a speculative add but McCluster is not the every week answer for you if you have a WR need.
-Jamaal Charles ran for only 74 yards on 18 carries as the Browns defensive front is a firm test. Did make up for it by catching 5 balls for 46 yards but he failed to score.
-Dwayne Bowe is such a mess. Only one catch for 7 yards as he was hobbled with injury. Nice he gutted it out but Bowe has not helped at all this season and should be on your bench. Shocking since he now has the capable Smith throwing to him.
-Josh Gordon has to be the happiest guy in the world that Campbell is under center. Well Gordon's fantasy football owners have to be the happiest. Their big-play guy went for 5 catches and 132 yards and 1 score. Gordon seems to be taking some of the pop out of Jordan Cameron who caught 4 balls for 81 yards.
-Boy things are getting very sketchy with Tom Brady. Threw for only 116 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT in an almost no-show performance. Brady has now thrown for only 2 TD's the last four games amid concerns he is playing hurt. What is really disturbing is the fact that Brady had his full complement of receivers as Danny Amendola came back (only 3 catches for 15 yards) to join Rob Gronkowski (only 2 catches for 27 yards). Basically if you owned any Patriots receiver not named Aaron Dobson (4 catches for 60 yards and a score), you were screwed. Speaking of Dobson, he was the one I profiled first as the main fantasy football sleeper receiver on the Patriots and not Kenbrell Thompkins. Well it took some time but Dobson now looks like he has surpassed Thompkins as the latter was shut out. Pick up Dobson if someone dropped him.
As far as Brady is concerned, this is a tough one. Again he has his full array of pass-catchers back but things just aren't going well. Remember I said this could happen back in the summer when I dropped Brady down below Cam Newton and Matt Ryan in the QB rankings. Both guys have vastly outplayed Brady this season Just saying.
-Finally a Lamar Miller sighting. The forgotten one rushed for 89 yards on 18 carries and caught 3 passes for 23. Still Daniel Thomas was in on short-yardage and goal-line work so don't go crazy.
-Charles Clay is yet another pass-catching tight end out of nowhere who is helping. Grabbed 5 more passes for 37 yards Sunday. Decent PPR play this week if you need someone.
-The Giants-Eagles game set back offense for years. It is now safe to drop Michael Vick who re-injured his hamstring. Same story, different season. The biggest storyline continues to be the underwhelming numbers being put up by LeSean McCoy. Even before the team was down to Matt Barkley Sunday, McCoy has been pretty shaky all October. Rushed for only 48 yards on 15 carries. Not good. Again it comes back to the very heavy usage McCoy undertook in September when he was the best back in football. His slight build is not meant for the amount of carries he took on and we could be seeing the fallout now. I wouldn't totally panic yet but as a McCoy owner I am very worried, especially if Barkley has to play again since opposing teams will stack the box with 8 men as they should do.
-Told those in PPR who were desperate to take a look at Peyton Hillis who actually played all right with 70 rushing yards and 3 catches for 15 yards.
-If only Hakeem Nicks could play the Eagles every week. Nicks continued his pattern of big games against the Eagles with 7 receptions for 51 yards. Victor Cruz matched him with 7 catches of his own but went for 86 yards. Cruz survived a scare in the third quarter when he was slammed to the turf and went for X-rays on his neck which came back negative.
-Those who own Colin Kaepernick no doubt have been let down every since Week 1 finished. My mantra has always remained one where I need to see a second season of the same kind of level of performance during the breakout year before I get fully committed. Didn't happen this season with Kaepernick but he did put up three scores (1 passing/2 rushing) Sunday which was great. Of course it came against the Jaguars and Kaepernick only threw for 164 yards. Truth be told it really wasn't as good an outing as the touchdowns suggested. I remain in the corner of saying Kaepernick is a matchup play and strictly that for now.
-Two more touchdowns from the ageless one Frank Gore among his 71 yards. Only 1 catch though. Damn.
-Cecil Shorts is really becoming a huge PPR guy after he broke through as a standard league asset last season. Now with Justin Blackmon stretching the field (4 catches for 41 yards), Shorts is now operating underneath with great efficiency. Caught 7 balls for 74 yards. So basically what we have no is Shorts trading touchdowns for catches. If you play in PPR you take that. As for Blackmon that is now two off games in a row after his smashing two game debut.
-For the first time this season Maurice Jones-Drew turned back the clock and possibly just in time for the trade deadline. Jones-Drew rushed for 75 yards and caught 6 balls for 47 yards. It is all ended terribly for MJD in Jacksonville and hopefully someone will bring him on for the rest of the season.
-Yeah life is swell if you own Drew Brees. Has been for years. How's about FIVE touchdown passes Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. 332 passing yards. At 35-years-old. Jealous.
-Told you a few weeks ago to pick up Kenny Stills who looked like he was making a claim for the starting receiver spot opposite Marques Colston. Still has big-play ability which he put to good use Sunday in catching 3 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Stills looks like a prime standard league play.
One thing to take note of. Marques Colston all of a sudden looks old. Caught only 3 passes for 18 yards and looks like he is having trouble getting separation. This is a guy who has been beat up over the years and could finally be slowing down. Which makes picking up Stills all the more enticing.
-What foot injury? After learning that Jimmy Graham had a torn plantar fascia in his foot, the quick assumption would be that he would see a drop in numbers playing with such a rough injury. Well this apparently is Superman we are talking about as Graham caught 3 passes for 37 yards and two scores. While he may be limited at times, start Graham like normal.
-Another rushing touchdown for Fred Jackson but he gained only 45 yards as the Bills were playing catch up.
-Stevie Johnson caught 7 balls for 72 yards and a score. Some volatility to this numbers every week but Thaddeus Lewis has given the team a spark.
There you have it. As always let us hear your questions and thoughts. Also if you haven't already reserved your copy, use the BUY NOW tab on the homepage to do so. Will ship sometime in the beginning of November.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL STATUS REPORT: TIM WRIGHT TE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
The era of the passing offense has been firmly in place around the NFL for the better part of five seasons now and even before the explosion of aerial yardage and TD's, the emergence of the pass-catching tight end many have pointed to as giving a big assist to the movement. Of course it all began with former basketball player turned undrafted tight end receiving monster Antonio Gates which than moved all the way to Julius Thomas this season. Stating the obvious, the influx of pass catching tight ends have made formulating a fantasy football roster much more easier due to the fact that you no longer have to fight each other over the 4 or 5 good options in a draft or have to play the wire game each week for someone who could catch maybe 4 passes. The pass catching tight end goes deeper than ever and 2013 has brought even more prime stocks such as Thomas, Jordan Cameron, and now maybe the latest, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tim Wright.
No doubt the name Tim Wright elicited more than a few "who" as the season got underway. But just like Gates and Thomas, Wright was a former basketball player who went undrafted out of Rutgers and than was developed by the Buc's into what he is today. A very intriguing fantasy football tight end. The rookie has taken advantage of the insertion of fellow first-year player Mike Glennon under center to put up some very nice games over the last month. We all know that rookie QB's rely on their tight ends sometimes more than their wideouts as the tend to check down due to nerves and inexperience. Thus in the last four games that the two have played together, Wright has caught 5, 7, 2, and 5 passes. The yardage has not been great as Wright has gone for over 50 in only one of those games but they did put a touchdown on the board in Thursday night's game against Carolina. The score was Wright's first but more of that could be on the way as Glennon is getting more comfortable throwing downfield and he has the arm to do it. So those who own the Green Bay Packers' Jermichael Finley who is not likely to come back this season as a result of a neck injury, a solid replacement is Wright who thinks catch passes first and block second. While NFL coordinators may not like that. fantasy football owners crave that trend in responsibility. It is now time to take Wright out for a spin.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 8 TIGHT END RANKINGS
Here are the fantasy football Week 8 tight end rankings based on opposing matchups.
1. Rob Gronkowski
2. Jimmy Graham
3. Tony Gonzalez
4. Julius Thomas
5. Vernon Davis
6. Jordan Reed
7. Jason Witten
8. Jordan Cameron
9. Heath Miller
10. Greg Olsen
11. Charles Clay
12. Brandon Pettigrew
13. Jeff Cumberland
14. Kyle Rudolph
15. Tyler Eifert
16. Jared Cook
17. Jermaine Gresham
18. Andrew Quarless
19. Rob Housler
20. Scott Chandler
21. Brandon Myers
22. Zach Miller
1. Rob Gronkowski
2. Jimmy Graham
3. Tony Gonzalez
4. Julius Thomas
5. Vernon Davis
6. Jordan Reed
7. Jason Witten
8. Jordan Cameron
9. Heath Miller
10. Greg Olsen
11. Charles Clay
12. Brandon Pettigrew
13. Jeff Cumberland
14. Kyle Rudolph
15. Tyler Eifert
16. Jared Cook
17. Jermaine Gresham
18. Andrew Quarless
19. Rob Housler
20. Scott Chandler
21. Brandon Myers
22. Zach Miller
Saturday, October 26, 2013
2013 FANTASY FOOTBALL UPDATED RUNNING BACK RANKINGS
With the season approaching the midpoint, here is a look at the updated fantasy football running back rankings.
1. Jamaal Charles: Continues to be a monster in each and every game. Just stay healthy pal.
2. Matt Forte: Has now firmly passed McCoy and is aiming for Charles. What a season.
3. LeSean McCoy: Could he be tiring a bit? Numbers noticeably down since the end of September.
4. Marshawn Lynch
5. Adrian Peterson
6. Frank Gore: Continues to churn out the numbers at advanced age.
7. Knowshon Moreno: Loading up on the touchdowns in this incredible offense. Yeah we said from Day 1 this would be the guy for your to own.
8. Arian Foster: Another hamstring injury scary but production was terrific until that stumble.
9. Eddie Lacy: Rally getting into gear now. Looks like a keeper.
10. Ray Rice: Not getting any consistency going. Can't be two good games back-to-back.
11. Reggie Bush
12. Darren Sproles: Same story, different season. Catches a ton of passes and doesn't run for a ton.
13. Fred Jackson
14. Alfred Morris: Big danger now that Roy Helu playing more than a little and getting goal-line touches.
15. Stevan Ridley: Has to deal with return of Shane Vereen which could hurt his value.
16. Steven Jackson
17. DeMarco Murray
18. Pierre Thomas
19. Doug Martin: Will continue to sink depending how long he is out.
20. Giovani Bernard: Has not eaten into the playing time of the Law Firm enough.
21. Ryan Matthews: Played well the last two games which means he is due to get hurt.
22. Darren McFadden
23. DeAngelo Williams: A bit of a comeback season.
24. Chris Johnson
25. Maurice Jones-Drew
26. Le'Veon Bell
27. Bilal Powell
28. C.J. Spiller
29. Zac Stacy
30. Andre Ellington: Get this kid more touches please.
31. Brandon Jacobs
32. Willis McGahee: Is clearly finished as a quality running back.
1. Jamaal Charles: Continues to be a monster in each and every game. Just stay healthy pal.
2. Matt Forte: Has now firmly passed McCoy and is aiming for Charles. What a season.
3. LeSean McCoy: Could he be tiring a bit? Numbers noticeably down since the end of September.
4. Marshawn Lynch
5. Adrian Peterson
6. Frank Gore: Continues to churn out the numbers at advanced age.
7. Knowshon Moreno: Loading up on the touchdowns in this incredible offense. Yeah we said from Day 1 this would be the guy for your to own.
8. Arian Foster: Another hamstring injury scary but production was terrific until that stumble.
9. Eddie Lacy: Rally getting into gear now. Looks like a keeper.
10. Ray Rice: Not getting any consistency going. Can't be two good games back-to-back.
11. Reggie Bush
12. Darren Sproles: Same story, different season. Catches a ton of passes and doesn't run for a ton.
13. Fred Jackson
14. Alfred Morris: Big danger now that Roy Helu playing more than a little and getting goal-line touches.
15. Stevan Ridley: Has to deal with return of Shane Vereen which could hurt his value.
16. Steven Jackson
17. DeMarco Murray
18. Pierre Thomas
19. Doug Martin: Will continue to sink depending how long he is out.
20. Giovani Bernard: Has not eaten into the playing time of the Law Firm enough.
21. Ryan Matthews: Played well the last two games which means he is due to get hurt.
22. Darren McFadden
23. DeAngelo Williams: A bit of a comeback season.
24. Chris Johnson
25. Maurice Jones-Drew
26. Le'Veon Bell
27. Bilal Powell
28. C.J. Spiller
29. Zac Stacy
30. Andre Ellington: Get this kid more touches please.
31. Brandon Jacobs
32. Willis McGahee: Is clearly finished as a quality running back.
Friday, October 25, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 8 FRIDAY INJURY REPORT: JIMMY GRAHAM HEADED FOR A GAME-TIME DECISION
Friday is here and as always there are a ton of key injuries to talk about when it comes to fantasy football Week 8. Let's get to it.
-New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham is headed for a game-time decision due to ongoing issues with his foot injury. Graham is officially listed as "questionable" due to the foot he hurt back in Week 6. Despite having a bye week the next week, Graham has not practiced all week due to the foot. Obviously Graham's potential absence would be as big as it gets when it comes to fantasy football purposes and right now if we'd have to guess, the thinking is that he will be out. Stay tuned.
-Kansas City Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe sat out practice Friday due to sore groin. Bowe was very limited in Thursday's practice which apparently is when he hurt the groin. With Bowe suffering the injury so late in the week, Bowe could be in serious jeopardy of missing the game. That means Donnie Avery would draw the coverage of ace CB Joe Haden.
-The Denver Broncos will not dress RB Ronnie Hillman Sunday due to ongoing fumbling issues. That means Knowshon Moreno will continue to dominate carries and rookie Montee Ball will spell him on occasion.
-Detroit Lions RB Reggie Bush sat out practice Friday with a sore knee but he has been listed a probable to play. Bush himself said he sat only for precautionary reasons. While Bush has run hot and cold, he remains a low end RB 1.
-Arizona Cardinals RB Rashard Mendenhall is unlikely to play Sunday due to a nagging toe injury. Mendenhall sat out practice Friday and that means Andre Ellington will get the majority of work Sunday. This is a potentially big moment for Ellington who has clearly outplayed Mendenhall all season but has lagged behind in the amount of carries.
-New England Patriots WR Danny Amendola has passed all of the NFL concussion protocols and is in line to play Sunday. Amendola has missed five games already this season with a groin injury and the concussion. Push down the value of Aaron Dobson a bit with Amendola's return.
-As we already reported, it is not looking like Green Bay Packers WR James Jones will play Sunday due to the leg injury he suffered in Week 6. Jarred Boykin will continue to start in his place and is a sneaky good play going forward.
-New York Giants RB Brandon Jacobs is likely to miss his second straight game with the hamstring injury he suffered Week 6. That means new signee Peyton Hillis will get the majority of snaps. Hillis can catch the football so he carries some value in PPR formats given the heavy bye week.
-Atlanta Falcons RB Steven Jackson is in line to return Sunday from the hamstring injury that has kept him out since the beginning of the season. Despite being somewhat limited in practice this past week, Jackson is ready to push Jason Snelling and Jacquizz Rodgers to the wire.
-Fellow Falcon Roddy White will sit out his second straight game with a hamstring injury. That means Harry Douglas is ready to put up a second straight big game. White meanwhile has been a colossal fantasy football bust.
-Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller is doubtful to play Sunday due to ongoing problems with his ankle injury. Spiller has been hobbled by the ankle for over a month and his season has been pathetic. Fred Jackson will continue to get the majority of work in the backfield this week.
There you have it. As always let us hear your thoughts.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 8 QB RANKINGS
Here are the fantasy football Week 8 QB rankings based on opposing matchups.
1. Drew Brees
2. Peyton Manning
3. Aaron Rodgers
4. Matthew Stafford
5. Tony Romo
6. Robert Griffin III
7. Russell Wilson
8. Michael Vick
9. Matt Ryan
10. Tom Brady
11. Colin Kaepernick
12. Eli Manning
13. Ben Roethlisberger
14. Andy Dalton
15. Carson Palmer
16. Alex Smith
17. Ryan Tannehill
18. Terrelle Pryor
19. Thaddeus Lewis
20. Chad Henne
21. Christian Ponder
22. Geno Smith
23. Kellen Clemens
24. Jason Campbell
1. Drew Brees
2. Peyton Manning
3. Aaron Rodgers
4. Matthew Stafford
5. Tony Romo
6. Robert Griffin III
7. Russell Wilson
8. Michael Vick
9. Matt Ryan
10. Tom Brady
11. Colin Kaepernick
12. Eli Manning
13. Ben Roethlisberger
14. Andy Dalton
15. Carson Palmer
16. Alex Smith
17. Ryan Tannehill
18. Terrelle Pryor
19. Thaddeus Lewis
20. Chad Henne
21. Christian Ponder
22. Geno Smith
23. Kellen Clemens
24. Jason Campbell
FANTASY FOOTBALL THURSDAY WRAPUP: PANTHERS/BUC'S
The game was awful as expected as the Panthers romped. Let's check out the fantasy football news that came out of the game.
-Once again it took Cam Newton a month to get into the swing of things but the results now are sweet. Newton was locked in Thursday night in throwing for two touchdowns and 221 yards. Perhaps even more nice to see was Newton scoring a rushing touchdown on 50 yards on the ground. Surely the Buc's are among the more accommodating teams defensively in fantasy football but the results have been good awhile now. Newton's owners are now benefitting from their patience but they might be digging out of an early win-loss hole.
-I tell you what I really like what I have seen out of Mike Glennon so far. Clearly he is a work in progress but his arm is big-time and his touch was not terrible. Sure he missed some open guys but Glennon threw for 275 yards with 1 TD and no INT's despite having to throw on almost every down in the second half. Next season he could be useful.
-Fellow rookie, running back Mike James looked good himself in rushing for 39 yards on 10 carries but his workload was limited due to the fact the Buc's fell behind so early. He did catch 4 passes for 25 yards so he passes the PPR smell test. Still I wouldn't start him unless your desperate.
On the other side DeAngelo Williams rushed for a touchdown and 43 yards on only 8 carries. He showed nice burst on the touchdown and on another sidelines dash. Meanwhile Mike Tolbert caught four passes out of the backfield for 29 yards and a touchdown. I have always like Tolbert but signing as a free agent with Carolina and their multi-headed backfield stunted his growth. Jonathan Stewart is expected back soon as well so no one here is worth starting.
-In the receiving game, Vincent Jackson was lucky to collect a few garbage time receptions as he grabbed 5 balls for 79 yards. It wasn't looking good early on as Jackson was quiet and had a few drops but he rallied. Meanwhile Tim Wright is asking to be picked up as he grabbed 5 passes for 48 yards and a touchdown. There is sneaky value to be had here and Wright is the rare fantasy football option who qualifies at both tight end and receiver. Wright has his best value obviously at the much more shallow tight end spot which is where you should play him. Those who own Jermichael Finley should check this out if they missed out on Jordan Reed.
How about Ted Ginn Jr. catching 5 passes for 80 yards? Guy still has his speed but this was likely a one-game deal. Steve Smith was locked up with Darrell Revis which gave other guys chances. Smith was lucky to catch 4 passes for 42 yards.
There you have it. As always let us know your thoughts.
-Once again it took Cam Newton a month to get into the swing of things but the results now are sweet. Newton was locked in Thursday night in throwing for two touchdowns and 221 yards. Perhaps even more nice to see was Newton scoring a rushing touchdown on 50 yards on the ground. Surely the Buc's are among the more accommodating teams defensively in fantasy football but the results have been good awhile now. Newton's owners are now benefitting from their patience but they might be digging out of an early win-loss hole.
-I tell you what I really like what I have seen out of Mike Glennon so far. Clearly he is a work in progress but his arm is big-time and his touch was not terrible. Sure he missed some open guys but Glennon threw for 275 yards with 1 TD and no INT's despite having to throw on almost every down in the second half. Next season he could be useful.
-Fellow rookie, running back Mike James looked good himself in rushing for 39 yards on 10 carries but his workload was limited due to the fact the Buc's fell behind so early. He did catch 4 passes for 25 yards so he passes the PPR smell test. Still I wouldn't start him unless your desperate.
On the other side DeAngelo Williams rushed for a touchdown and 43 yards on only 8 carries. He showed nice burst on the touchdown and on another sidelines dash. Meanwhile Mike Tolbert caught four passes out of the backfield for 29 yards and a touchdown. I have always like Tolbert but signing as a free agent with Carolina and their multi-headed backfield stunted his growth. Jonathan Stewart is expected back soon as well so no one here is worth starting.
-In the receiving game, Vincent Jackson was lucky to collect a few garbage time receptions as he grabbed 5 balls for 79 yards. It wasn't looking good early on as Jackson was quiet and had a few drops but he rallied. Meanwhile Tim Wright is asking to be picked up as he grabbed 5 passes for 48 yards and a touchdown. There is sneaky value to be had here and Wright is the rare fantasy football option who qualifies at both tight end and receiver. Wright has his best value obviously at the much more shallow tight end spot which is where you should play him. Those who own Jermichael Finley should check this out if they missed out on Jordan Reed.
How about Ted Ginn Jr. catching 5 passes for 80 yards? Guy still has his speed but this was likely a one-game deal. Steve Smith was locked up with Darrell Revis which gave other guys chances. Smith was lucky to catch 4 passes for 42 yards.
There you have it. As always let us know your thoughts.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL STATUS REPORT: KENDALL WRIGHT WR TENNESSEE TITANS
As far as wide receiver breakouts that have taken place this season, Chicago Bears WR Alshon Jeffery's name has dominated the conversation and one can understand why. The second-year man from South Carolina has shown big-play ability all season while racking up some impressive receiving totals as well to the tune of 33 catches for 561 yards and 2 touchdowns. In fact at times it was looking like Jeffery was becoming Jay Cutler's number 1 target down by the red zone as opposed to veteran Brandon Marshall. However through all of Jeffery's development, a similar breakout is happening on a much quieter but just as impressive scale in Tennessee. Of course we are referring to fellow second-year wideout Kendall Wright who goes into the team's by week in Week 8 with 40 catches for 433 yards and a touchdown. Wright is coming off his best game of the season after catching 9 balls for 98 yards against the San Francisco 49ers in QB Jake Locker's first game back from injury. With the much stronger-armed Locker back under center in place of the sketchy Ryan Fitzpatrick, Wright is set to continue building on a very nice start to his career. Himself a former first round pick out of Baylor in the same class as Jeffery, Wright actually had the better rookie season with 64 catches for 626 yards and 4 touchdowns. Blessed with terrific hands, speed, and size, Wright has it all to be an upper-echelon receiver in short order. Locker has to cooperate however as, despite how strong his arm his, his accuracy has been a problem in the past. However in fairness Locker has played well this season when out on the field and Wright is benefitting. With a heavy bye week on tap for Week 9 as well, picking up Wright now is a prudent thing to do. He could be a quietly good WR 3 the rest of the season with maybe the possibility of more. Upside play here which could pay off handsomely as we get closer to the playoff weeks which will be here before you know it.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 8 RUNNING BACK HOT ZONE: C.J. SPILLER REALLY STINKS
Week 8 in fantasy football is approaching fast so with waivers out of the way, let's take a look at the latest news coming out of the world of the running back.
LEVEL 4
Mike James-Doug Martin: Depending on who you talk to, Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Doug Martin is either out for the season or out for six weeks with a torn labrum in his shoulder. Either way he is kaput when it comes to 2013 fantasy football. This from the consensus number 2 overall pick in drafts this past summer. Ugh. Even before the injury truth be told Martin wasn't very good to begin with. From Week 1 all the way though the injury, Martin looked nothing like the rookie monster he was in 2012 when he combined his excellent running with a PPR delight receiving game. Well once 2013 got underway, Martin looked indecisive and hesitant and did his best Frank Gore impression in the passing game as far as being a guy who was a great receiver one year and than vanished in that part of the game the next. Overall Martin scored a grand total of one touchdown and averaged only 3.6 yards per carry. All for the price of a number 2 pick. Terrible. So with Martin on ice up steps rookie Mike James and no not the NBA player. James looked as mediocre as a rookie would be last week in replacing Martin and he faces a brutal slate of strong defensive teams in the next three weeks which puts a firm cap on his potential. Yes there are two huge bye weeks coming up where you might need to use James but don't expect much.
LEVEL 3
Steven Jackson-Jacquizz Rodgers-Jason Snelling: It is starting to look like Steven Jackson will finally be able to return to the Atlanta Falcons this week after missing five games with more leg injuries. In his place Jacquizz Rodgers seized the starting running back job and didn't do much with it other than picking up some in-close touchdowns. Jackson's return would be huge for his fantasy football owner, especially the next two weeks with the all the teams that are out of action. He no doubt will be rusty but for those who play in PPR, Jackson should be a big help since Matt Ryan is looking for any kind of receiver help he can get with Roddy White and Julio Jones hurt.
Alfred Morris-Roy Helu Jr.: Wow Alfred Morris owners are looking pretty screwed right now. Despite one of the best rookie rushing seasons we have seen in awhile where Morris showed a propensity for scoring touchdowns, it appears the new plan is for Roy Helu Jr. to handle the goal-line work based on what we witnessed last Sunday. Helu Jr. was put in the goal-line package not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES and scored a rushing touchdown on all three carries there. Meanwhile Morris ran well himself but was taken out close to paydirt. This is a major problem for Morris owners, especially in PPR formats as all his value comes from yards and especially rushing touchdowns. If Helu Jr. is syphoning off scores than Morris has next to no value. This bears very close watching. I would start Morris in a standard format for one more week to see how this plays out again but bench him in PPR until further notice.
LEVEL 2
Fred Jackson-C.J. Spiller: Boy C.J. Spiller is pure garbage right now. In reality he has been garbage all season. The newest low point was Spiller rushing for a grand total of 11 yards on only six carries against the Miami Dolphins. Fred Jackson meanwhile scored yet another touchdown as he survived a knee scare. Spiller admitted afterwards he was still dealing with soreness in his previously sprained ankle which further cements his status as the number 1 fantasy football bust of the season to this point. Doug Martin surely is in play there as well but at least he contributed SOME each week even if it didn't exactly blow you away. The bottom line is what we are seeing now is what I talked about in the summer when I told you not to draft him in Round 1 which was his ADP. I noted concerns about whether Spiller could hold up physically to the grind of being the number 1 guy every week, especially with his long history of injuries. I also talked about how the veteran Jackson was still hanging around and is still a very solid player as we have seen. All of those worries came true and this is what we have. Leave Spiller chained to the bench right now until any sign of a turnaround or an injury to Jackson. What a disgrace.
Chris Ivory-Bilal Powell: Another week and another New York Jets runner steps to the forefront of the committee. This time it was the rampaging Ivory who ran for over 100 yards Sunday in the win over the New England Patriots as Bilal Powll watched from the sidelines. Powell did get dinged up a bit but Ivory was running so well that Rex Ryan went with the hot hand there. This has been a fluid situation for most of the season as Mike Goodson came and went as well. Both guys are RB 3' who are best used as fill-in options. Play Powell in PPR formats if you are hurting for help and Ivory in standard.
LEVEL 1
Knowshon Moreno-Montee Ball-Ronnie Hillman: Now we all know Knowshon Moreno is the clear number 1 back for the Denver Broncos now as he racked up touchdowns at a tremendous clip. This is just a shout out to those who castigated me in the summer when I reported that Moreno and not the other two would emerge as the lead back in the offense.
There you have it, As always let us hear your views.
LEVEL 4
Mike James-Doug Martin: Depending on who you talk to, Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Doug Martin is either out for the season or out for six weeks with a torn labrum in his shoulder. Either way he is kaput when it comes to 2013 fantasy football. This from the consensus number 2 overall pick in drafts this past summer. Ugh. Even before the injury truth be told Martin wasn't very good to begin with. From Week 1 all the way though the injury, Martin looked nothing like the rookie monster he was in 2012 when he combined his excellent running with a PPR delight receiving game. Well once 2013 got underway, Martin looked indecisive and hesitant and did his best Frank Gore impression in the passing game as far as being a guy who was a great receiver one year and than vanished in that part of the game the next. Overall Martin scored a grand total of one touchdown and averaged only 3.6 yards per carry. All for the price of a number 2 pick. Terrible. So with Martin on ice up steps rookie Mike James and no not the NBA player. James looked as mediocre as a rookie would be last week in replacing Martin and he faces a brutal slate of strong defensive teams in the next three weeks which puts a firm cap on his potential. Yes there are two huge bye weeks coming up where you might need to use James but don't expect much.
LEVEL 3
Steven Jackson-Jacquizz Rodgers-Jason Snelling: It is starting to look like Steven Jackson will finally be able to return to the Atlanta Falcons this week after missing five games with more leg injuries. In his place Jacquizz Rodgers seized the starting running back job and didn't do much with it other than picking up some in-close touchdowns. Jackson's return would be huge for his fantasy football owner, especially the next two weeks with the all the teams that are out of action. He no doubt will be rusty but for those who play in PPR, Jackson should be a big help since Matt Ryan is looking for any kind of receiver help he can get with Roddy White and Julio Jones hurt.
Alfred Morris-Roy Helu Jr.: Wow Alfred Morris owners are looking pretty screwed right now. Despite one of the best rookie rushing seasons we have seen in awhile where Morris showed a propensity for scoring touchdowns, it appears the new plan is for Roy Helu Jr. to handle the goal-line work based on what we witnessed last Sunday. Helu Jr. was put in the goal-line package not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES and scored a rushing touchdown on all three carries there. Meanwhile Morris ran well himself but was taken out close to paydirt. This is a major problem for Morris owners, especially in PPR formats as all his value comes from yards and especially rushing touchdowns. If Helu Jr. is syphoning off scores than Morris has next to no value. This bears very close watching. I would start Morris in a standard format for one more week to see how this plays out again but bench him in PPR until further notice.
LEVEL 2
Fred Jackson-C.J. Spiller: Boy C.J. Spiller is pure garbage right now. In reality he has been garbage all season. The newest low point was Spiller rushing for a grand total of 11 yards on only six carries against the Miami Dolphins. Fred Jackson meanwhile scored yet another touchdown as he survived a knee scare. Spiller admitted afterwards he was still dealing with soreness in his previously sprained ankle which further cements his status as the number 1 fantasy football bust of the season to this point. Doug Martin surely is in play there as well but at least he contributed SOME each week even if it didn't exactly blow you away. The bottom line is what we are seeing now is what I talked about in the summer when I told you not to draft him in Round 1 which was his ADP. I noted concerns about whether Spiller could hold up physically to the grind of being the number 1 guy every week, especially with his long history of injuries. I also talked about how the veteran Jackson was still hanging around and is still a very solid player as we have seen. All of those worries came true and this is what we have. Leave Spiller chained to the bench right now until any sign of a turnaround or an injury to Jackson. What a disgrace.
Chris Ivory-Bilal Powell: Another week and another New York Jets runner steps to the forefront of the committee. This time it was the rampaging Ivory who ran for over 100 yards Sunday in the win over the New England Patriots as Bilal Powll watched from the sidelines. Powell did get dinged up a bit but Ivory was running so well that Rex Ryan went with the hot hand there. This has been a fluid situation for most of the season as Mike Goodson came and went as well. Both guys are RB 3' who are best used as fill-in options. Play Powell in PPR formats if you are hurting for help and Ivory in standard.
LEVEL 1
Knowshon Moreno-Montee Ball-Ronnie Hillman: Now we all know Knowshon Moreno is the clear number 1 back for the Denver Broncos now as he racked up touchdowns at a tremendous clip. This is just a shout out to those who castigated me in the summer when I reported that Moreno and not the other two would emerge as the lead back in the offense.
There you have it, As always let us hear your views.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WRAPUP: MONDAY GIANTS/VIKINGS
Fantasy Football Week 7 is now in the books as the Giants finally got their first win over the Minnesota Vikings Monday night. Let's get in on the latest action coming out of that one.
-Listen we all know Eli Manning is not nearly as bad as he has been this season in already throwing 15 interceptions. Still he has been pretty brutal to the point where you can't start him in almost all formats. What is strange is that he has one of the best collection of receivers in football with Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Reuben Randle. Manning threw for 200 yards and a touchdown Monday night with no turnovers which was the key. Keep an eye on him in two-QB formats as the offense support is top notch if Manning can stop giving the football away.
On the other side Josh Freeman continued to show he can be trusted in any format as he threw for only 190 yards with no touchdowns and one INT. No sense talking about him anymore.
-Wow Adrian Peterson fantasy football owners didn't get that late boost in points they expected, especially going against the awful Giants defense. Peterson ran for only 28 yards on 13 carries in a complete bust of a performance. Nothing to say here as Peterson will be just fine but he is going to have to deal with a whole bunch of 8-man fronts the rest of the way.
Meanwhile Peyton Hillis actually scored a touchdown among his 36 rushing yards on 18 carries. He was clearly rusty and anyone who started him should be thinking about fantasy baseball right about now. Meanwhile Brandon Jacobs should be back for Week 8 off his hamstring issue.
-Finally it was once again Reuben Randle who hit paydirt, the fourth touchdown for him in the last three games. I told you to pick up Randle weeks ago and this is why. Guy reminds me of James Jones the way he always gets into the end zone. Overall Randle caught 3 passes for 40 yards nad the touchdown. Victor Cruz led the way for the Giants receivers with 5 catches for 50 yards as he continues to produce throughout this Giant mess. Hakeem Nicks though grabbed only 2 passes for 28 yards as it looks like he has mentally checked out. He has got to know by now the Giants have no interest in re-signing him and have even listened to trade offers. It may not end pretty.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
-Listen we all know Eli Manning is not nearly as bad as he has been this season in already throwing 15 interceptions. Still he has been pretty brutal to the point where you can't start him in almost all formats. What is strange is that he has one of the best collection of receivers in football with Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Reuben Randle. Manning threw for 200 yards and a touchdown Monday night with no turnovers which was the key. Keep an eye on him in two-QB formats as the offense support is top notch if Manning can stop giving the football away.
On the other side Josh Freeman continued to show he can be trusted in any format as he threw for only 190 yards with no touchdowns and one INT. No sense talking about him anymore.
-Wow Adrian Peterson fantasy football owners didn't get that late boost in points they expected, especially going against the awful Giants defense. Peterson ran for only 28 yards on 13 carries in a complete bust of a performance. Nothing to say here as Peterson will be just fine but he is going to have to deal with a whole bunch of 8-man fronts the rest of the way.
Meanwhile Peyton Hillis actually scored a touchdown among his 36 rushing yards on 18 carries. He was clearly rusty and anyone who started him should be thinking about fantasy baseball right about now. Meanwhile Brandon Jacobs should be back for Week 8 off his hamstring issue.
-Finally it was once again Reuben Randle who hit paydirt, the fourth touchdown for him in the last three games. I told you to pick up Randle weeks ago and this is why. Guy reminds me of James Jones the way he always gets into the end zone. Overall Randle caught 3 passes for 40 yards nad the touchdown. Victor Cruz led the way for the Giants receivers with 5 catches for 50 yards as he continues to produce throughout this Giant mess. Hakeem Nicks though grabbed only 2 passes for 28 yards as it looks like he has mentally checked out. He has got to know by now the Giants have no interest in re-signing him and have even listened to trade offers. It may not end pretty.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
Monday, October 21, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 7 INJURY REPORT: ALL HECK BREAKING LOOSE
Big time week of injuries in fantasy football Week 7 as some big names bit the dust. Let's get right to the carnage.
-By now you know that Tampa Bay Buc's RB Doug Martin is out for the season with a torn labrum in his shoulder. Martin hurt the shoulder diving for a catch in the second half of Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Mike James will start in his place but the Buc's have a hellacious schedule of big time defensive teams coming up so he is not recommended as anything but a depth play. As far as Martin is concerned, the consensus number two overall pick in drafts goes down with a complete bust of a season as he averaged only 3.6 yards a carry, was not much of a factor in the passing game which his owners depended on, and scored all of one touchdown. Just a gut punch to his fantasy football owners who have their work cut out for them as far as looking for a replacement. More on that later in a Injury Fallout post.
-It looks like Indianapolis Colts WR Reggie Wayne is out for the season with a torn ACL suffered Sunday night against the Denver Broncos. Wayne went down in the second half, limped off, and never returned. Testing reportedly showed the tear which means T.Y. Hilton and Darius Heyward-Bey will take on more prominence. Heyward-Bey could still be available on waivers in some leagues so check him out and make the add where available. Meanwhile Wayne likely played his last game in Indy which finishes a stellar career. His loss is sizable in PPR formats.
-Sam Bradford can also be added to the "out for 2013" list after tearing his own ACL. Bradford was carted off after tearing his left ACL in the second half in the team's loss to the Carolina Panthers which means Kellen Clemens takes over under center. Seriously. Word is that the Rams could pick up Tim Tebow but we really don't need to go into that again. Do we? Bradford meanwhile only carried value in two-QB formats and it is starting to look like he will never live up to the hype of being a number 1 overall pick. He surely is being paid like one.
-Philadelphia Eagles QB Nick Foles was quite possibly the hottest pickup leading into Week 7 after his 4-TD effort the game prior. He went belly-up Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, unbelievably failing to notch a single score against one of the worst defenses in the game before he left with a concussion. Matt Barkley was horrendous in his place, showing off a noodle arm that ended up throwing three picks. Michael Vick is saying he can return in Week 8 despite still feeling issues with hamstring. Foles can be dropped in all formats and Vick owners might want to think twice about starting him at less than full strength in Week 8 if he goes.
-Very scary day for Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley who had to be carted off with a neck/head injury. Finley spent the night in the hospital and is still there as of this writing. This comes only three weeks after a concussion sent him to sidelines. Finley's family is reportedly asking him to quit football over this and while reports are saying he ultimately will be fine, don't for a second think that Finley won't consider that option. Finley owners should immediately look at Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed for help.
-Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler is headed for an MRI on what reports say is a serious groin injury. Cutler is likely to miss multiple weeks based on the report which means journeyman Josh McCown will start. A slight downgrade to Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey who won't be able to go deep as much with McCown under center.
-Fred Jackson scared his owners by leaving early Sunday with a knee injury, only to return later and score a touchdown. Looks like disaster was averted there. Meanwhile C.J. Spiller gained 11 yards on 6 carries. What a disgrace.
-Arian Foster frustrated his fantasy football owners by leaving in the first quarter with a hamstring injury. Foster has a long history of hamstring injuries but he said afterward it is not a major deal. The Texans have a bye in Week 8 so he should be all right.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
-By now you know that Tampa Bay Buc's RB Doug Martin is out for the season with a torn labrum in his shoulder. Martin hurt the shoulder diving for a catch in the second half of Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Mike James will start in his place but the Buc's have a hellacious schedule of big time defensive teams coming up so he is not recommended as anything but a depth play. As far as Martin is concerned, the consensus number two overall pick in drafts goes down with a complete bust of a season as he averaged only 3.6 yards a carry, was not much of a factor in the passing game which his owners depended on, and scored all of one touchdown. Just a gut punch to his fantasy football owners who have their work cut out for them as far as looking for a replacement. More on that later in a Injury Fallout post.
-It looks like Indianapolis Colts WR Reggie Wayne is out for the season with a torn ACL suffered Sunday night against the Denver Broncos. Wayne went down in the second half, limped off, and never returned. Testing reportedly showed the tear which means T.Y. Hilton and Darius Heyward-Bey will take on more prominence. Heyward-Bey could still be available on waivers in some leagues so check him out and make the add where available. Meanwhile Wayne likely played his last game in Indy which finishes a stellar career. His loss is sizable in PPR formats.
-Sam Bradford can also be added to the "out for 2013" list after tearing his own ACL. Bradford was carted off after tearing his left ACL in the second half in the team's loss to the Carolina Panthers which means Kellen Clemens takes over under center. Seriously. Word is that the Rams could pick up Tim Tebow but we really don't need to go into that again. Do we? Bradford meanwhile only carried value in two-QB formats and it is starting to look like he will never live up to the hype of being a number 1 overall pick. He surely is being paid like one.
-Philadelphia Eagles QB Nick Foles was quite possibly the hottest pickup leading into Week 7 after his 4-TD effort the game prior. He went belly-up Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, unbelievably failing to notch a single score against one of the worst defenses in the game before he left with a concussion. Matt Barkley was horrendous in his place, showing off a noodle arm that ended up throwing three picks. Michael Vick is saying he can return in Week 8 despite still feeling issues with hamstring. Foles can be dropped in all formats and Vick owners might want to think twice about starting him at less than full strength in Week 8 if he goes.
-Very scary day for Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley who had to be carted off with a neck/head injury. Finley spent the night in the hospital and is still there as of this writing. This comes only three weeks after a concussion sent him to sidelines. Finley's family is reportedly asking him to quit football over this and while reports are saying he ultimately will be fine, don't for a second think that Finley won't consider that option. Finley owners should immediately look at Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed for help.
-Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler is headed for an MRI on what reports say is a serious groin injury. Cutler is likely to miss multiple weeks based on the report which means journeyman Josh McCown will start. A slight downgrade to Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey who won't be able to go deep as much with McCown under center.
-Fred Jackson scared his owners by leaving early Sunday with a knee injury, only to return later and score a touchdown. Looks like disaster was averted there. Meanwhile C.J. Spiller gained 11 yards on 6 carries. What a disgrace.
-Arian Foster frustrated his fantasy football owners by leaving in the first quarter with a hamstring injury. Foster has a long history of hamstring injuries but he said afterward it is not a major deal. The Texans have a bye in Week 8 so he should be all right.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WRAPUP: 4:00 GAMES AND LATER
Let's finish up the fantasy football Week 7 Sunday action with a look at the 4:00 games and later.
-Truth be told, fantasy football owners of Aaron Rodgers were getting a bit annoyed at his recent run of 1-TD games. This from a guy who we at the very LEAST expect 2 scores and 300 yards. Well despite missing both James Jones and Randall Cobb, all Rodgers needed was the Cleveland Browns to pay a visit as he threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns. Rodgers quickly got in tune with second-year receiver Jarred Boykin who caught 8 balls for 103 yards and a score. With Cobb out at least the next five weeks, this Boykin story should continue for a bit. He should have been added before this past week. Jordy Nelson also grabbed 5 passes for 42 yards and his requisite score. Nelson was double-teamed a lot in this one which is why Boykin caught more passes.
On a more ominous note, we might not see Jermichael Finley for awhile as he suffered a scary neck/head injury that required him to be carted off. Finley had just come back from a concussion two weeks ago and if he suffered another one, the team no doubt will sit him for awhile. Big loss here for Finley owners who should run out and grab Jordan Reed.
-Eddie Lacy has been as good as any running back in fantasy football the last month. He ran for 82 yards and a score on 22 carries. Lacy is a throwback runner in that the Packers feed him the football all game with no handcuff to speak of.
-Jordan Cameron caught 7 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown but a lot of that came in garbage time. I am worried about his viability with Brandon Weeden at QB and not Brian Hoyer.
-Colin Kaepernick remains underwhelming after throwing for only 199 yards and no touchdowns. He did rush for a score but if you were to throw out his great Week 1 performance, Kaepernick has been nothing short of ordinary. Not good all the way around but I warned you about this. Always give upstart QB's a second year to prove themselves before you dive in.
-Frank Gore has had quietly a fantastic career. Despite clearing the age of 30 he shows no signs of slowing down in rushing for two touchdowns Sunday. He only grabbed one pass which is a joke and has been for awhile but the 49ers continue to rely on him heavily. As long as he stays healthy Gore remains as good a RB 2 as you can have.
-Another game and another bad outing by Chris Johnson who should have been benched weeks ago. Only ran for 39 yards but did score on a long pass reception which was fluky. I admit I was wrong on Johnson who I have made excuses for the last few seasons. Yuck.
-Kendall Wright took his turn to lead the Titans in receiving by catching 9 for 98 yards. Wright did some nice things as a rookie last season but relying on Jake Locker is shaky.
-The KC defense made life miserable for rookie QB Case Keenum in his first NFL start but the kid did all right in passing for 271 yards and a score. He did hold onto the ball too long at times but all rookies do that. Not sure Keenum did enough to keep the job when Matt Schaub returns but with the Texans out of the playoff hunt already, the team could give him a long look.
-Arian Foster went BUST for his owners after checking out with a hamstring injury he says is not a big deal. If it was not such a big deal than why didn't you gut it out??? Ben Tate came on and rushed for 50 yards before he too got banged up. Nothing good to say here.
-Jamaal Charles did his usual bit. He rushed for less than 100 yards (86) but scored a rushing touchdown. He also threw in a lost fumble which is the one negative we can point at. Caught 3 passes for 37 yards. Remains the number 1 back in fantasy football.
-Still no touchdowns for Andre Johnson as we approach mid-season. Caught 4 balls for 89 yards.
-Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger both threw for a score in a lackluster passing day for both. You shouldn't be using either in anything but two-QB formats.
-Antonio Brown has been a terrific value play this season as many drafted him as a WR 3 but he has performed like a 1. Caught 5 passes for 50 yards. 5 passes is the least of what we can expect from him every week.
-Ray Rice is going the route of Chris Johnson it seems with is paltry rushing totals. Only gained 45 yards on 15 carries. He did catch 4 passes out of the backfield but other than a game or two, Rice has been pretty awful. Is it all the early pounding on his slight frame? The offensive line? Combination of the two? What do you think? Write your thoughts below.
-Boy was Andrew Luck locked in Sunday night. Threw for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also contributing a rushing score. The Colts have stupidly kept the locks on Luck at times this season in order to lessen the pounding he took in 2012 behind their porous line but this game shows you what he is capable of. Hopefully for Luck owners this game will cause a change in that crazy line of thinking.
-Meanwhile Peyton Manning had his usual awesome game with 386 yards and 3 touchdowns but he did toss a costly pick. This was as close to a playoff-like game as you will get in the regular season and Manning lost which will once again cause some to question his you know what when the stakes are high.
-Reggie Wayne likely tore an ACL. Rough ending to his Colts career as he is a free agent at season's end. T.Y. Hilton and Darrius Heyward-Bey take on more prominence. Heyward-Bey might have been dropped in your league. Add him immediately.
-Man Trent Richardson sucks. Lost a fumble and gained only 37 yards on 14 carries. The Browns front office is laughing all the way to the Draft Bank. I told you all not to draft him but that was more because of his penchant for injuries and the awful Browns line. It is now looking like the player more than any line.
-Eric Decker took the mantle for best Broncos receiver with 8 catches for 150 yards and 8th touchdown. Wes Welker hauled in 7 for 96 while Demaryuis Thomas only got 4 for 82 but he got into the end zone.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
-Truth be told, fantasy football owners of Aaron Rodgers were getting a bit annoyed at his recent run of 1-TD games. This from a guy who we at the very LEAST expect 2 scores and 300 yards. Well despite missing both James Jones and Randall Cobb, all Rodgers needed was the Cleveland Browns to pay a visit as he threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns. Rodgers quickly got in tune with second-year receiver Jarred Boykin who caught 8 balls for 103 yards and a score. With Cobb out at least the next five weeks, this Boykin story should continue for a bit. He should have been added before this past week. Jordy Nelson also grabbed 5 passes for 42 yards and his requisite score. Nelson was double-teamed a lot in this one which is why Boykin caught more passes.
On a more ominous note, we might not see Jermichael Finley for awhile as he suffered a scary neck/head injury that required him to be carted off. Finley had just come back from a concussion two weeks ago and if he suffered another one, the team no doubt will sit him for awhile. Big loss here for Finley owners who should run out and grab Jordan Reed.
-Eddie Lacy has been as good as any running back in fantasy football the last month. He ran for 82 yards and a score on 22 carries. Lacy is a throwback runner in that the Packers feed him the football all game with no handcuff to speak of.
-Jordan Cameron caught 7 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown but a lot of that came in garbage time. I am worried about his viability with Brandon Weeden at QB and not Brian Hoyer.
-Colin Kaepernick remains underwhelming after throwing for only 199 yards and no touchdowns. He did rush for a score but if you were to throw out his great Week 1 performance, Kaepernick has been nothing short of ordinary. Not good all the way around but I warned you about this. Always give upstart QB's a second year to prove themselves before you dive in.
-Frank Gore has had quietly a fantastic career. Despite clearing the age of 30 he shows no signs of slowing down in rushing for two touchdowns Sunday. He only grabbed one pass which is a joke and has been for awhile but the 49ers continue to rely on him heavily. As long as he stays healthy Gore remains as good a RB 2 as you can have.
-Another game and another bad outing by Chris Johnson who should have been benched weeks ago. Only ran for 39 yards but did score on a long pass reception which was fluky. I admit I was wrong on Johnson who I have made excuses for the last few seasons. Yuck.
-Kendall Wright took his turn to lead the Titans in receiving by catching 9 for 98 yards. Wright did some nice things as a rookie last season but relying on Jake Locker is shaky.
-The KC defense made life miserable for rookie QB Case Keenum in his first NFL start but the kid did all right in passing for 271 yards and a score. He did hold onto the ball too long at times but all rookies do that. Not sure Keenum did enough to keep the job when Matt Schaub returns but with the Texans out of the playoff hunt already, the team could give him a long look.
-Arian Foster went BUST for his owners after checking out with a hamstring injury he says is not a big deal. If it was not such a big deal than why didn't you gut it out??? Ben Tate came on and rushed for 50 yards before he too got banged up. Nothing good to say here.
-Jamaal Charles did his usual bit. He rushed for less than 100 yards (86) but scored a rushing touchdown. He also threw in a lost fumble which is the one negative we can point at. Caught 3 passes for 37 yards. Remains the number 1 back in fantasy football.
-Still no touchdowns for Andre Johnson as we approach mid-season. Caught 4 balls for 89 yards.
-Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger both threw for a score in a lackluster passing day for both. You shouldn't be using either in anything but two-QB formats.
-Antonio Brown has been a terrific value play this season as many drafted him as a WR 3 but he has performed like a 1. Caught 5 passes for 50 yards. 5 passes is the least of what we can expect from him every week.
-Ray Rice is going the route of Chris Johnson it seems with is paltry rushing totals. Only gained 45 yards on 15 carries. He did catch 4 passes out of the backfield but other than a game or two, Rice has been pretty awful. Is it all the early pounding on his slight frame? The offensive line? Combination of the two? What do you think? Write your thoughts below.
-Boy was Andrew Luck locked in Sunday night. Threw for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also contributing a rushing score. The Colts have stupidly kept the locks on Luck at times this season in order to lessen the pounding he took in 2012 behind their porous line but this game shows you what he is capable of. Hopefully for Luck owners this game will cause a change in that crazy line of thinking.
-Meanwhile Peyton Manning had his usual awesome game with 386 yards and 3 touchdowns but he did toss a costly pick. This was as close to a playoff-like game as you will get in the regular season and Manning lost which will once again cause some to question his you know what when the stakes are high.
-Reggie Wayne likely tore an ACL. Rough ending to his Colts career as he is a free agent at season's end. T.Y. Hilton and Darrius Heyward-Bey take on more prominence. Heyward-Bey might have been dropped in your league. Add him immediately.
-Man Trent Richardson sucks. Lost a fumble and gained only 37 yards on 14 carries. The Browns front office is laughing all the way to the Draft Bank. I told you all not to draft him but that was more because of his penchant for injuries and the awful Browns line. It is now looking like the player more than any line.
-Eric Decker took the mantle for best Broncos receiver with 8 catches for 150 yards and 8th touchdown. Wes Welker hauled in 7 for 96 while Demaryuis Thomas only got 4 for 82 but he got into the end zone.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WRAPUP: 1:00 GAMES AND LATER
Wow what a day in fantasy football. So much to get to so let's get started with all the action out of the 1:00 games.
-Geez did Nick Foles go bust. What a joke that was. After accounting for four touchdowns last week, Foles couldn't muster one against a Dallas Cowboys defense that the Broncos scored over 50 on two weeks ago. Foles only threw for 80 yards in completing a horrific 11 of 29 throws. Well that story is over quick. With Foles suffering a concussion and Michael Vick stating after the game he could return in Week 8, no reason to hold onto him any longer. I gather a ton of Foles owners will get pleasure in sending him to the wire tonight.
-Joseph Randle did all right with 65 rushing yards on 19 carries. He also included three catches as he revealed a bit of a PPR game. DeMarco Murray is a historically slow healer so hold Randle for now.
-Not much else to speak of in the Dallas/Philly game. Tony Romo only threw for one score and got picked twice. That is two mediocre games in a row after the Denver blockbuster. Dez Bryant was very good though with 8 catches for 110 yards. Terrance Williams also kept his name relevant with six catches and a score. And Cole Beasley is a name to keep in mind in PPR leagues the next two weeks with so many teams on a bye. He too caught 6 passes.
-LeSean McCoy was quiet once again with 55 yards on 18 carries to go along with 6 catches for 26 yards, Remember McCoy has already had a heavy workload so maybe he is a bit winded.
-Ho-hum game from Philip Rivers as he threw for only one score against Jacksonville when his owners expected more. Ryan Matthews however finally did something right with 110 rushing yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. Keenan Allen left injured however and as of this writing no update has been announced. That could be a big one.
-When Justin Blackmon got back into the lineup in Week 5 and proceeded to reel off two monster games in a row, we thought this would have a detrimental effect on Cecil Shorts. The latter proved that was not going to be the case Sunday by catching 8 passes for 80 yards while Blackmon grabbed 6 for 58. If only the Jaguars had someone who could get them into the end zone.
-Wow has Matthew Stafford been locked in the last two weeks. A game after throwing four touchdown passes in Week 6, Stafford threw for three more Sunday among his 357 yards. I said in the preseason that Stafford was a prime value play this year after his so-so 2012 campaign and so far that prediction has been right on.
-Calvin Johnson is back to his old dominating self as he grabbed 9 balls for a crazy 155 yards and 2 touchdowns. Well it is not so crazy coming from Johnson. We can now safely put the knee injury behind us.
-A.J. Green is now heating up as he put forth his second straight 100-yard-plus game by catching 6 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Green's resurgence has typically coincided with the hot play of Andy Dalton the last two weeks. The redheaded one threw for 372 yards in the game with 2 scores. Two big time games in a row for Dalton who is always on the border of single-league every-week consideration.
-Fred Jackson survived a scare to his knee to rush for a touchdown but overall he gained only 36 yards on 11 carries. C.J. Spiller meanwhile only rushed 6 times for 11 yards as he clearly wants the mantle of being the biggest fantasy football bust of the season. It is not even close right now for second. But again this is what I suggested could happen in the summer as I told you all not to draft him, especially during the first round which was crazy.
-Doug Martin is now hurt as he came down with a shoulder injury and was spotted after Sunday's game in a sling. This after gaining only 47 yards on 11 carries. I will amend my earlier statement about Spiller that Martin is second in the bust category for the season. While I will give Martin somewhat of a pass due to the poor play of the line and having a rookie QB in Mike Glennon, that only goes so far. Martin has been bad no matter how you look at it.
-Great sign by Matt Ryan Sunday in throwing for three touchdowns and 273 yards without Julio Jones and Roddy White. The prime beneficiary was of course Harry Douglas who grabbed 7 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. Douglas was an easy pickup in that he almost was guaranteed a monster game in this offense with Jones and White out. If he foolishly was not picked up yet, you know what to do.
-Only two catches by Tony Gonzalez for 39 yards was shocking considering the lack of weapons for Ryan.
-Vincent Jackson puts up some of the prettiest stat lines during the course of the season. He did so again Sunday by catching 10 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Glennon targeted Jackson a crazy 20 times during the game which is lessening the concern about the wideout's value with a rookie QB. As long as Glennon is obsessed with throwing Jackson the football the way he appears to be, than all will be swell.
-That makes it two games out of the last three with no touchdowns for Tom Brady. And almost the last three if he didn't throw that last-second score to beat the Saints last week. The Jets defense was up in his grill all game and the results were bad. Rob Gronkowski coming back was big though as he caught 8 for 114. Brady should be just fine but by now we can't ignore the fact he has only 8 touchdown passes after 7 games. Remember it was me who wrote that summer post dropping Brady down the QB rankings due to the receiver issues? Yup.
-Jay Cutler is hurt and it could be bad. Headed for an MRI on his groin injury. We are hearing bad things all the way around. Don't pick up Josh McCown.
-Alfred Morris owners have to be pulling the hair out of their heads right now after seeing Roy Helu Jr. utilized near the goal-line on almost every possession that got into that territory and ultimately scoring three rushing touchowns. It obviously worked wonders here so there is no reason for Mike Shanahan to change things up. The funny thing is that Morris ran well with 95 yards on 19 carries. This is a potential death-blow to Morris' fantasy football value as he doesn't catch passes to begin with and without scores he has nothing to fall back on. Wow this is getting ugly.
-Matt Forte is an absolute monster right now and has passed LeSean McCoy and challenging Jamaal Charles for running back top honors. Marc Trestman has kept his word about using Forte at the goal-line after his owners saw Michael Bush steal for more than a few scores prior. No reason to go back to the old way as Forte scored THREE touchdowns among his 91 rushing yards.
-Alshon Jeffrey got back to having his breakout season with 4 grabs for 105 yards while Brandon Marshall caught 6 for 75.
-Jordan Reed I gather will be one of the most fought after waiver adds after the rookie caught 9 passes for 134 yards and a score. With Fred Davis a healthy scratch, the job is now Reed's who has tremendous hands and could instantly do a Jordan Cameron impression. Go get him. Especially you Jermichael Finley owners.
-We are hearing a possible torn ACL for Sam Bradford which means he is done. Grab Kellen Clemens. I am kidding.
-Zac Stacy is getting better by the week. Rushed for 53 yards and caught four passes which included a touchdown. Remains strictly a RB 2 but at least you know he gets the lion's share of touches.
That is all for now. As always check back later for the 4:00 and later WRAPUP plus the injury report. Also if you haven't done so already, reserve your copy of the 2014 Fantasy Sports Boss Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide: Pre-Free Agency Edition due out in November.
-Geez did Nick Foles go bust. What a joke that was. After accounting for four touchdowns last week, Foles couldn't muster one against a Dallas Cowboys defense that the Broncos scored over 50 on two weeks ago. Foles only threw for 80 yards in completing a horrific 11 of 29 throws. Well that story is over quick. With Foles suffering a concussion and Michael Vick stating after the game he could return in Week 8, no reason to hold onto him any longer. I gather a ton of Foles owners will get pleasure in sending him to the wire tonight.
-Joseph Randle did all right with 65 rushing yards on 19 carries. He also included three catches as he revealed a bit of a PPR game. DeMarco Murray is a historically slow healer so hold Randle for now.
-Not much else to speak of in the Dallas/Philly game. Tony Romo only threw for one score and got picked twice. That is two mediocre games in a row after the Denver blockbuster. Dez Bryant was very good though with 8 catches for 110 yards. Terrance Williams also kept his name relevant with six catches and a score. And Cole Beasley is a name to keep in mind in PPR leagues the next two weeks with so many teams on a bye. He too caught 6 passes.
-LeSean McCoy was quiet once again with 55 yards on 18 carries to go along with 6 catches for 26 yards, Remember McCoy has already had a heavy workload so maybe he is a bit winded.
-Ho-hum game from Philip Rivers as he threw for only one score against Jacksonville when his owners expected more. Ryan Matthews however finally did something right with 110 rushing yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. Keenan Allen left injured however and as of this writing no update has been announced. That could be a big one.
-When Justin Blackmon got back into the lineup in Week 5 and proceeded to reel off two monster games in a row, we thought this would have a detrimental effect on Cecil Shorts. The latter proved that was not going to be the case Sunday by catching 8 passes for 80 yards while Blackmon grabbed 6 for 58. If only the Jaguars had someone who could get them into the end zone.
-Wow has Matthew Stafford been locked in the last two weeks. A game after throwing four touchdown passes in Week 6, Stafford threw for three more Sunday among his 357 yards. I said in the preseason that Stafford was a prime value play this year after his so-so 2012 campaign and so far that prediction has been right on.
-Calvin Johnson is back to his old dominating self as he grabbed 9 balls for a crazy 155 yards and 2 touchdowns. Well it is not so crazy coming from Johnson. We can now safely put the knee injury behind us.
-A.J. Green is now heating up as he put forth his second straight 100-yard-plus game by catching 6 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Green's resurgence has typically coincided with the hot play of Andy Dalton the last two weeks. The redheaded one threw for 372 yards in the game with 2 scores. Two big time games in a row for Dalton who is always on the border of single-league every-week consideration.
-Fred Jackson survived a scare to his knee to rush for a touchdown but overall he gained only 36 yards on 11 carries. C.J. Spiller meanwhile only rushed 6 times for 11 yards as he clearly wants the mantle of being the biggest fantasy football bust of the season. It is not even close right now for second. But again this is what I suggested could happen in the summer as I told you all not to draft him, especially during the first round which was crazy.
-Doug Martin is now hurt as he came down with a shoulder injury and was spotted after Sunday's game in a sling. This after gaining only 47 yards on 11 carries. I will amend my earlier statement about Spiller that Martin is second in the bust category for the season. While I will give Martin somewhat of a pass due to the poor play of the line and having a rookie QB in Mike Glennon, that only goes so far. Martin has been bad no matter how you look at it.
-Great sign by Matt Ryan Sunday in throwing for three touchdowns and 273 yards without Julio Jones and Roddy White. The prime beneficiary was of course Harry Douglas who grabbed 7 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. Douglas was an easy pickup in that he almost was guaranteed a monster game in this offense with Jones and White out. If he foolishly was not picked up yet, you know what to do.
-Only two catches by Tony Gonzalez for 39 yards was shocking considering the lack of weapons for Ryan.
-Vincent Jackson puts up some of the prettiest stat lines during the course of the season. He did so again Sunday by catching 10 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Glennon targeted Jackson a crazy 20 times during the game which is lessening the concern about the wideout's value with a rookie QB. As long as Glennon is obsessed with throwing Jackson the football the way he appears to be, than all will be swell.
-That makes it two games out of the last three with no touchdowns for Tom Brady. And almost the last three if he didn't throw that last-second score to beat the Saints last week. The Jets defense was up in his grill all game and the results were bad. Rob Gronkowski coming back was big though as he caught 8 for 114. Brady should be just fine but by now we can't ignore the fact he has only 8 touchdown passes after 7 games. Remember it was me who wrote that summer post dropping Brady down the QB rankings due to the receiver issues? Yup.
-Jay Cutler is hurt and it could be bad. Headed for an MRI on his groin injury. We are hearing bad things all the way around. Don't pick up Josh McCown.
-Alfred Morris owners have to be pulling the hair out of their heads right now after seeing Roy Helu Jr. utilized near the goal-line on almost every possession that got into that territory and ultimately scoring three rushing touchowns. It obviously worked wonders here so there is no reason for Mike Shanahan to change things up. The funny thing is that Morris ran well with 95 yards on 19 carries. This is a potential death-blow to Morris' fantasy football value as he doesn't catch passes to begin with and without scores he has nothing to fall back on. Wow this is getting ugly.
-Matt Forte is an absolute monster right now and has passed LeSean McCoy and challenging Jamaal Charles for running back top honors. Marc Trestman has kept his word about using Forte at the goal-line after his owners saw Michael Bush steal for more than a few scores prior. No reason to go back to the old way as Forte scored THREE touchdowns among his 91 rushing yards.
-Alshon Jeffrey got back to having his breakout season with 4 grabs for 105 yards while Brandon Marshall caught 6 for 75.
-Jordan Reed I gather will be one of the most fought after waiver adds after the rookie caught 9 passes for 134 yards and a score. With Fred Davis a healthy scratch, the job is now Reed's who has tremendous hands and could instantly do a Jordan Cameron impression. Go get him. Especially you Jermichael Finley owners.
-We are hearing a possible torn ACL for Sam Bradford which means he is done. Grab Kellen Clemens. I am kidding.
-Zac Stacy is getting better by the week. Rushed for 53 yards and caught four passes which included a touchdown. Remains strictly a RB 2 but at least you know he gets the lion's share of touches.
That is all for now. As always check back later for the 4:00 and later WRAPUP plus the injury report. Also if you haven't done so already, reserve your copy of the 2014 Fantasy Sports Boss Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide: Pre-Free Agency Edition due out in November.
Friday, October 18, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 7 FRIDAY INJURY REPORT: RODDY WHITE RULED OUT SUNDAY
As always lots of injury news to get to as we gear up for this weekend in fantasy football Week 7.
-It is going to be a rough day for Matt Ryan Sunday as both RB Steven Jackson and WR Roddy White have been ruled out for Week 7. White will sit with his high ankle/hamstring injury, while Jackson is having a slow go of it in returning from his own hamstring issue. They join Julio Jones who already is out for the season. While we loved Matt Ryan coming into the season in fantasy football terms, the fact he has literally no one else to throw to outside of Tony Gonzalez is a problem.
-Dallas Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray is doubtful for Week 7 due to the knee injury he suffered last Sunday. Joseph Randle is slated to start and get the majority of carries as primary backup Lance Dunbar is out with a hamstring injury.
-By now it is old news that New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been cleared to play in Week 7. Surely he will have some rust to work off but overall Gronkowski is a must start and greatly boosts the overall value of Tom Brady.
-Jacksonville Jaguars WR Cecil Shorts went on record Friday saying he would play Sunday despite dealing with a painful clavicle injury in his shoulder. Shorts admitted to having trouble sleeping due to the injury but he vows to give it a go. While it is not up to Shorts ultimately whether he plays, it is looking like he will be out there. He is a shaky start though as any kind of hit could send him right back to the sidelines and Justin Blackmon now looks like the top dog in the Jaguars offense.
-Green Bay Packers WR James Jones missed practice again on Friday and is not likely to play Sunday due to the leg injury he suffered last week. Jones is not on par with teammate Randall Cobb as far as injury severity considering his teammate is out for six weeks with a busted leg.
-Forget about New England Patriots WR Danny Amendola playing Sunday due to the concussion he suffered last Sunday. While we don't know if Amendola passed the NFL concussion protocol, I find it impossible to believe he will be out there so soon after being knocked out. I hate to think what this guy will look like when retired.
There you have it. Be sure to post thoughts below. Also if you haven't done so already, be sure to pre-order your copy of the 2014 Fantasy Sports Boss Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide: Pre-Free Agency Edition by using the BUY NOW on the homepage. Ships in November.
-It is going to be a rough day for Matt Ryan Sunday as both RB Steven Jackson and WR Roddy White have been ruled out for Week 7. White will sit with his high ankle/hamstring injury, while Jackson is having a slow go of it in returning from his own hamstring issue. They join Julio Jones who already is out for the season. While we loved Matt Ryan coming into the season in fantasy football terms, the fact he has literally no one else to throw to outside of Tony Gonzalez is a problem.
-Dallas Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray is doubtful for Week 7 due to the knee injury he suffered last Sunday. Joseph Randle is slated to start and get the majority of carries as primary backup Lance Dunbar is out with a hamstring injury.
-By now it is old news that New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been cleared to play in Week 7. Surely he will have some rust to work off but overall Gronkowski is a must start and greatly boosts the overall value of Tom Brady.
-Jacksonville Jaguars WR Cecil Shorts went on record Friday saying he would play Sunday despite dealing with a painful clavicle injury in his shoulder. Shorts admitted to having trouble sleeping due to the injury but he vows to give it a go. While it is not up to Shorts ultimately whether he plays, it is looking like he will be out there. He is a shaky start though as any kind of hit could send him right back to the sidelines and Justin Blackmon now looks like the top dog in the Jaguars offense.
-Green Bay Packers WR James Jones missed practice again on Friday and is not likely to play Sunday due to the leg injury he suffered last week. Jones is not on par with teammate Randall Cobb as far as injury severity considering his teammate is out for six weeks with a busted leg.
-Forget about New England Patriots WR Danny Amendola playing Sunday due to the concussion he suffered last Sunday. While we don't know if Amendola passed the NFL concussion protocol, I find it impossible to believe he will be out there so soon after being knocked out. I hate to think what this guy will look like when retired.
There you have it. Be sure to post thoughts below. Also if you haven't done so already, be sure to pre-order your copy of the 2014 Fantasy Sports Boss Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide: Pre-Free Agency Edition by using the BUY NOW on the homepage. Ships in November.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL STATUS REPORT: ANTONIO BROWN WR PITTSBURGH STEELERS
When it comes to annual exercise of fantasy football drafts, one of the more tried and true methods for success in picking players is to focus on guys who are looking at a boost in workload. Whether it is because an offseason free agent defection, trade, or injury, when one prime offensive player departs a given team's lineup, the Next Man Up instantly becomes a person of interest. Such was the case in Pittsburgh this past summer when the team's number 1 receiver Mike Wallace left to sign a massive deal with the Miami Dolphins. With Wallace now no longer part of the team's offensive plans, the depth chart was going to be tested. Playing the number 2 receiver role to Wallace's number 1 the season prior was Antonio Brown who was now going to be counted on to be the team's new top guy in the passing game. While there was some question whether Brown could handle such a responsibility, he had caught 66 and 69 passes the two seasons prior which showed that he was capable of stepping up. Still Brown was not given much love in fantasy football circles when it came to the draft this past summer as his average draft position was that of a WR 3.
Despite the concerns about stepping up to such a prominent place in the offense, Brown quickly put those worries to rest by catching 5 passes in the opener and than reeling off a string of monster games over the last month that placed him squarely among the most productive receivers in the game this season. In fact Brown has been ridiculous over the last three games, catching 9, 12, and 9 passes. The classic was the September 22nd destruction of the Chicago Bears when Brown caught 9 passes for a crazy 196 yards and two touchdowns. Clearly Ben Roethlisberger and Brown are on the same page and the Pittsburgh QB looks for him first on almost every drop back he takes. Those who own Brown in PPR formats are ding cartwheels over their good fortune while those in standard leagues want him to score a bit more. Be that as it may, Brown has graduated to near WR 1 status given the numbers we have seen him put up this season. Yet another example of a step up in production leading to fantasy football success.
Despite the concerns about stepping up to such a prominent place in the offense, Brown quickly put those worries to rest by catching 5 passes in the opener and than reeling off a string of monster games over the last month that placed him squarely among the most productive receivers in the game this season. In fact Brown has been ridiculous over the last three games, catching 9, 12, and 9 passes. The classic was the September 22nd destruction of the Chicago Bears when Brown caught 9 passes for a crazy 196 yards and two touchdowns. Clearly Ben Roethlisberger and Brown are on the same page and the Pittsburgh QB looks for him first on almost every drop back he takes. Those who own Brown in PPR formats are ding cartwheels over their good fortune while those in standard leagues want him to score a bit more. Be that as it may, Brown has graduated to near WR 1 status given the numbers we have seen him put up this season. Yet another example of a step up in production leading to fantasy football success.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL STATUS REPORT: TRENT RICHARDSON RB INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
It was the trade of the season up to this point in the NFL and of course I am referring to the shocking deal that centered on the Cleveland Browns sending their 2012 number 1 draft pick, running back Trent Richardson, to the Indianapolis Colts for a first round draft pick. With the Browns being one of the worst offensive teams in the game and one of the worst teams for years, it was beyond surprising that they decided to move a guy who scored 11 touchdowns for them as a rookie and who many thought was headed for stardom. However the company line was that Richardson's running style didn't fit the Browns' offensive philosophy and maybe they were unhappy with his rookie average of only 3.6 yards per carry. Be that as it may Richardson was still drafted as a late first round or early second round draft pick in fantasy football leagues prior to the season with the anticipation that he would improve on his very solid rookie year. Also the average couldn't be held against Richardson given how he got no support by the team's passing game and the offensive line was awful. So once the deal was consummated, there was more than a little excitement from these same Richardson owners as he was headed to one of the best offenses in the game filled with playmakers such as WR's Reggie Wayne, T.Y. HIlton, tight end Coby Fleener, and QB Andrew Luck. With Luck under center, Richardson surely would have tons of room to run and thus put up major numbers the rest of the season.
Fast forward to present day and maybe the Browns knew something the rest of us didn't. The fact of the matter is that Richardson has not done much of anything since arriving in Indy and since the deal was made. In fact Richardson's average per rush has DROPPED to a very ugly 3.1 and in four games he has a grand total of only 2 receptions. This from a guy who caught 51 passes as a rookie with Brandon Weeden as his passer. Want some more scary numbers? Richardson has not rushed for more than 60 yards in any of his four games with the Colts. It has gotten to the point now where Richardson has slipped to running back 3 status and thus no longer has every week automatic status. How the hell did this happen? How is possible Richardson could be even worse with the Colts?
As far as answering the previous questions, we have some theories. It is in fact starting to look like Richardson is not the explosive runner we thought he would be. He has been very light on the big runs since coming into the league and now that he has struggled there with two different teams with vastly differing levels of offensive support, it lends credence to this thought. In addition, the Colts are a passing outfit who do most of their damage in the air. Thus Richardson is not featured by any means in the offense like he was in Cleveland out of necessity. Richardson has not carried the ball more than 20 games in any game with Indy and that has come with Ahmad Bradshaw out for the season. And overall the Colts don't throw the ball to the running back much as Luck is always looking to chuck it downfield. Put it all together and you have a very shaky fantasy football running back. We didn't that coming that's for sure.
Overall if you are a Richardson owner you have no choice but to stay the course. Play the matchup game for now until we see better results. Right now it is not looking good at all and it might not get better. No one in your league wants him now so you pretty much are stuck with the guy. You should have listened to me when I told you in the summer that Richardson was vastly overrated as a first round pick.
Fast forward to present day and maybe the Browns knew something the rest of us didn't. The fact of the matter is that Richardson has not done much of anything since arriving in Indy and since the deal was made. In fact Richardson's average per rush has DROPPED to a very ugly 3.1 and in four games he has a grand total of only 2 receptions. This from a guy who caught 51 passes as a rookie with Brandon Weeden as his passer. Want some more scary numbers? Richardson has not rushed for more than 60 yards in any of his four games with the Colts. It has gotten to the point now where Richardson has slipped to running back 3 status and thus no longer has every week automatic status. How the hell did this happen? How is possible Richardson could be even worse with the Colts?
As far as answering the previous questions, we have some theories. It is in fact starting to look like Richardson is not the explosive runner we thought he would be. He has been very light on the big runs since coming into the league and now that he has struggled there with two different teams with vastly differing levels of offensive support, it lends credence to this thought. In addition, the Colts are a passing outfit who do most of their damage in the air. Thus Richardson is not featured by any means in the offense like he was in Cleveland out of necessity. Richardson has not carried the ball more than 20 games in any game with Indy and that has come with Ahmad Bradshaw out for the season. And overall the Colts don't throw the ball to the running back much as Luck is always looking to chuck it downfield. Put it all together and you have a very shaky fantasy football running back. We didn't that coming that's for sure.
Overall if you are a Richardson owner you have no choice but to stay the course. Play the matchup game for now until we see better results. Right now it is not looking good at all and it might not get better. No one in your league wants him now so you pretty much are stuck with the guy. You should have listened to me when I told you in the summer that Richardson was vastly overrated as a first round pick.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 7 RUNNING BACK HOT ZONE: GET TO KNOW JOSEPH RANDLE
Week 7 in fantasy football beckons Thursday night with the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals. As always there is a lot to discuss when it comes to the running back position. Let's get to the most pressing news items.
LEVEL 4
DeMarco Murray (injured)-Joseph Randle-Lance Dunbar (injured): DeMaro Murray could only make it Week 6 before the inevitable injury hit and this time it is his knee and not his foot. Murray is slated to be out at least two weeks and maybe more with a sprain. Primary backup Lance Dunbar is also expected to miss his third straight game this week with a hamstring. That leaves rookie 5th round pick Joseph Randle to handle the load against the Philadelphia Eagles. Drafted out of Oklahoma State, Randle didn't do much of note in the summer and he only made his season debut last Sunday night against the Washington Redskins when he failed to impress in rushing for only 17 yards on 11 carries. Not good. However Randle did run for a score and he clearly had some rust to work off. He has some receiving ability which gives him some intrigue in PPR formats. When you consider how horrible the Eagles defense has been this season, Randle could find a spot as a very low end PPR back. In standard leagues we wouldn't touch him.
LEVEL 3
Brandon Jacobs-David Wilson (injured): This is now the Brandon Jacobs Show as Wilson has been ruled out for the next 3-4 games after he was ruled not to need surgery on his injured neck. Jacobs ran great in posting his first 100-plus yard rushing game in years last Thursday and he will get almost all the carries going forward until Wilson gets back. Ride it out.
Steven Jackson (injured)-Jacquizz Rodgers-Jason Snelling: Steven Jackson is still not practicing yet which means Week 7 is looking like his fourth straight missed game. Rodgers has seemed to pass Snelling on the depth chart despite not great running on his part either. If you have to own anyone here than Rodgers is the guy but until Jackson gets back this is one situation you may want to avoid.
LEVEL 2
Stevan Rdiley-LeGarrette Blount-Shane Vereen (injured): Another week and another primary back for the New England Patriots. Ridley re-claimed the job he lost amid a bunch of fumbles in Week 6 by running with authority and picking up two rushing scores. Ridley no doubt has earned back his starting role which means those holding onto Blount can feel free to let him go to the wire. However we continue to reiterate picking up Vereen who is due to come back in a few weeks.
Bilal Powell-Chris Ivory-Mike Goodson (injured): You can scratch Goodson off of the three-headed New York Jets rushing attack after he tore up his knee last Sunday. That means the intriguing Powell and to a lesser extent Ivory will handle the majority of work in the Jets' backfield. One less person to share carries with means a slight boost for both. Powell is the only one who should be owned and he is really just a RB 2. A weak one at that.
LEVEL 1
Ryan Mathews-Danny Woodhead: Matthews finally had a decent game Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts which in turn likely ended Woodhead's appeal for the time being. Or until the next Matthews injury which should be in the next 1.5 games. Still we don't feel comfortable relying on Matthews as anything more than a bench guy.
There you have it. Let's hear your thoughts.
LEVEL 4
DeMarco Murray (injured)-Joseph Randle-Lance Dunbar (injured): DeMaro Murray could only make it Week 6 before the inevitable injury hit and this time it is his knee and not his foot. Murray is slated to be out at least two weeks and maybe more with a sprain. Primary backup Lance Dunbar is also expected to miss his third straight game this week with a hamstring. That leaves rookie 5th round pick Joseph Randle to handle the load against the Philadelphia Eagles. Drafted out of Oklahoma State, Randle didn't do much of note in the summer and he only made his season debut last Sunday night against the Washington Redskins when he failed to impress in rushing for only 17 yards on 11 carries. Not good. However Randle did run for a score and he clearly had some rust to work off. He has some receiving ability which gives him some intrigue in PPR formats. When you consider how horrible the Eagles defense has been this season, Randle could find a spot as a very low end PPR back. In standard leagues we wouldn't touch him.
LEVEL 3
Brandon Jacobs-David Wilson (injured): This is now the Brandon Jacobs Show as Wilson has been ruled out for the next 3-4 games after he was ruled not to need surgery on his injured neck. Jacobs ran great in posting his first 100-plus yard rushing game in years last Thursday and he will get almost all the carries going forward until Wilson gets back. Ride it out.
Steven Jackson (injured)-Jacquizz Rodgers-Jason Snelling: Steven Jackson is still not practicing yet which means Week 7 is looking like his fourth straight missed game. Rodgers has seemed to pass Snelling on the depth chart despite not great running on his part either. If you have to own anyone here than Rodgers is the guy but until Jackson gets back this is one situation you may want to avoid.
LEVEL 2
Stevan Rdiley-LeGarrette Blount-Shane Vereen (injured): Another week and another primary back for the New England Patriots. Ridley re-claimed the job he lost amid a bunch of fumbles in Week 6 by running with authority and picking up two rushing scores. Ridley no doubt has earned back his starting role which means those holding onto Blount can feel free to let him go to the wire. However we continue to reiterate picking up Vereen who is due to come back in a few weeks.
Bilal Powell-Chris Ivory-Mike Goodson (injured): You can scratch Goodson off of the three-headed New York Jets rushing attack after he tore up his knee last Sunday. That means the intriguing Powell and to a lesser extent Ivory will handle the majority of work in the Jets' backfield. One less person to share carries with means a slight boost for both. Powell is the only one who should be owned and he is really just a RB 2. A weak one at that.
LEVEL 1
Ryan Mathews-Danny Woodhead: Matthews finally had a decent game Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts which in turn likely ended Woodhead's appeal for the time being. Or until the next Matthews injury which should be in the next 1.5 games. Still we don't feel comfortable relying on Matthews as anything more than a bench guy.
There you have it. Let's hear your thoughts.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
FANATSY FOOTBALL UPDATED TIGHT END RANKINGS
Tight ends are up next as we update the fantasy football rankings at each spot.
1. Jimmy Graham: Will put up better numbers than most receivers.
2. Julius Thomas: Has made the same jump Antonio Gates made from a no-name to star overnight.
3. Tony Gonzalez: Quiet first few weeks followed by two monster ones. Again never doubt the guy.
4. Jordan Cameron: Worried about Brandon Weeden back at QB.
5. Jason Witten: Amazed he already has 3 touchdown catches among his usual stellar catch total.
6. Antonio Gates: Looks like his old self in the explosive Chargers aerial attack.
7. Martellus Bennett: Has fit in seamlessly with QB Jay Cutler as we thought.
8. Greg Olsen: Being dragged down by the poor play of Cam Newton
9. Jermichael Finley: On a per game basis, having best season.
10. Vernon Davis: Another one whose poor QB play hurting his bottom line.
11. Rob Gronkowski: Falling fast as the missed games pile up.
12. Jared Cook: Still too up and down for my liking.
13. Jermaine Gresham: If you won him you wish Tyler Eifert was elsewhere.
14. Owen Daniels: Obviously slipping due to 4-6 weeks absence.
15. Kyle Rudolph: Having horrendous season. Told you to avoid due to volatility of relying on touchdowns.
16. Brandon Pettigrew: Should be doing more in the Lions offense.
17. Brandon Myers: Getting cut loose after no-shows as he struggles lately.
18. Heath Miller: Should start moving up now that he is healthy.
19. Rob Housler: Will get more play with Daniels out.
20. Charles Clay: Doing nice things with the Dolphins but raw catch totals need work.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
1. Jimmy Graham: Will put up better numbers than most receivers.
2. Julius Thomas: Has made the same jump Antonio Gates made from a no-name to star overnight.
3. Tony Gonzalez: Quiet first few weeks followed by two monster ones. Again never doubt the guy.
4. Jordan Cameron: Worried about Brandon Weeden back at QB.
5. Jason Witten: Amazed he already has 3 touchdown catches among his usual stellar catch total.
6. Antonio Gates: Looks like his old self in the explosive Chargers aerial attack.
7. Martellus Bennett: Has fit in seamlessly with QB Jay Cutler as we thought.
8. Greg Olsen: Being dragged down by the poor play of Cam Newton
9. Jermichael Finley: On a per game basis, having best season.
10. Vernon Davis: Another one whose poor QB play hurting his bottom line.
11. Rob Gronkowski: Falling fast as the missed games pile up.
12. Jared Cook: Still too up and down for my liking.
13. Jermaine Gresham: If you won him you wish Tyler Eifert was elsewhere.
14. Owen Daniels: Obviously slipping due to 4-6 weeks absence.
15. Kyle Rudolph: Having horrendous season. Told you to avoid due to volatility of relying on touchdowns.
16. Brandon Pettigrew: Should be doing more in the Lions offense.
17. Brandon Myers: Getting cut loose after no-shows as he struggles lately.
18. Heath Miller: Should start moving up now that he is healthy.
19. Rob Housler: Will get more play with Daniels out.
20. Charles Clay: Doing nice things with the Dolphins but raw catch totals need work.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
Friday, October 11, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 6 FRIDAY INJURY REPORT
Fantasy football Week 6 is already underway but the majority of actions comes Sunday. Here are the latest news with regards to injuries affecting some prime players.
-The biggest news is the Calvin Johnson injury watch as he is now listed as a game-time decision for Week 6 due to ongoing knee issues. Johnson has been very limited in practice Thursday and Friday but there is some question whether he will be ready to go. We never thought Johnson would miss last week's game so it is almost impossible to predict which way this will go.
-San Diego Chargers RB Ryan Matthews returned to practice Friday as he was medically cleared to return to the field from last week's concussion. Still no official word if Matthews will play in Week 6 and the Monday start makes your best bet to sit him outright. Matthews has played so poorly even when on the field that he shouldn't be started even when healthy.
-Here we go again with Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is having a poor season that has been affected by a hamstring injury that has flared up again. He landed on the injury report Friday and is being listed as questionable to play Sunday. While we think Fitzgerald will play as he usually does, his diminished play reminds us that he is not 100 percent healthy.
-The news just keeps getting worse for New York Giants RB David Wilson who reportedly could be suffering from spinal stenosis. Word is now circulating that Wilson could be out the rest of the season as a result of this possible diagnosis. Wilson injured the neck in last Sunday's loss to the New York Giants, with some even trying to connect the two backflips he did after scoring his first touchdown as being the cause. Either way Wilson has been about as badly performing athlete as you can have this season.
-As expected Michael Vick is 99 percent OUT for Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers if it is played due to the pulled hamstring he suffered last week. Nick Foles will start in his place and he is not the world fantasy football QB option in the world if you need help there this week as he played well against the Giants last week. As far as the game is concerned, a third Buc's player has come down with MRSA and the NFL is so concerned that they might cancel the game. Seriously.
-Matt Cassel will start against the Carolina Panthers off his impressive showing last week. Christian Ponder is healthy but will serve as the backup along with newly signed Josh Freeman.
-Dallas Cowboys WR Miles Austin is slated to be ACTIVE for the team this week after missing three games with a hamstring injury.
-Finally Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson publicly claims he will play Sunday despite missing most of practice this week with a hamstring injury. Watch this one closely as we never take the player's word for it.
That is all she wrote. Let's hear some thoughts.
FANTASY FOOTBAL LWRAPUP: THURSDAY GIANTS/BEARS
Fantasy football Week 6 got underway Thursday with the New York Giants visiting the Chicago Bears. Let's check out the fantasy football-worthy news that came out of the game.
-Good rebound by Bears QB Jay Cutler who rebounded from last week's turnover slopfest by throwing for two touchdowns and 262 yards. The biggest key was no turnovers. Cutler is certainly getting the job done with his touchdown tosses as he now has 12 on the season. You can keep running him out there if need be but Cutler will still be reckless with the football at times.
-Eli Manning. What else can you say? Three more interceptions including one returned for a touchdown. At this point you would start Geno Smith or Carson Palmer over him. Even Matt Schaub. Yeah that bad.
-I told you all during the week that Brandon Jacobs actually looked decent running the football last Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles if you can get the lost fumble out of your mind. Given his first starts of the season with David Wilson out perhaps for weeks with a neck injury, Jacobs ran for 106 yards on 22 carries with TWO touchdowns. We all knew Jacobs is a big time goal-line back even at his worst but the fact he averaged 4.8 per carry after really missing a year sitting on the San Francisco 49er bench is surprising. Jacobs will continue to get the majority of carries going forward with Wilson out and we sign off on a pickup as a lower end RB 2 in standard leagues.
-Matt Forte had his customary excellent PPR game. He doesn't usually run for over 100 yards due to the Bears' pass-happy ways but his average is always good. Forte wound up rushing for 67 yards on 19 carries while catching 6 passes for another 44. The receiving game is where Forte always stands out among the running back crowd and he leads the NFL in receptions by a running back. PPR gold at its finest.
-There we go Brandon. After both Brandon Marshall and myself pouted about his lack of receptions last week, Cutler made it a point to find his number 1 guy early and often. Marshall was a monster against a depleted Giants secondary in catching 9 passes for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those who own Marshall like myself head into Sunday with a sizable lead in their fantasy football matchup no doubt.
Of course Marshall's big game came at the expense of Alshon Jeffrey on the other side who caught only 1 ball for 27 yards. Ouch. Cutler doesn't seem to ever want to spread the wealth around. Big time negative for Jeffrey owners who have been spoiled the last three weeks. Hold the fort though as Jeffrey is worth using as an every week guy.
-In this past week's ADDS/DROPS I told you to pick up Reuben Randle who is showing more and more signs that he has big time potential. In fact Randle reminds me of Jeffrey in his ability to make big plays down the field. Randle scored for the third time in two games in catching 3 passes for 75 yards. Get him in there.
Relatively quiet games by Hakeem Nicks off last week's monster outing (4 catches for 70 yards) and same goes for Victor Cruz (4 catches for 68 yards). By the way if you haven't already dropped tight end Brandon Myers than you have already given up on the season. Myers has quickly shown that what he did in collecting all those garbage time catches with the Oakland Raiders last season was a fluke as he was shut out of the passing game and was responsible for the game-deciding interception to go off his hands into Bears CB Tim Jennings' hands.
There you have it. Any thoughts on the game? Let's hear it below.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL UPDATED QUARTERBACK RANKINGS
With five weeks in the books, time to once again update the fantasy football QB rankings.
1. Peyton Manning: Not even a debate right now for the number 1 spot. 50 TD's very much in play.
2. Drew Brees: Standard excellence for Brees who himself shows no sign of slowing.
3. Aaron Rodgers: Numbers down a bit but that just means Rodgers will go nuts the rest of the way to make up for it.
4. Tony Romo: Forget the fact Romo continues to choke in the clutch. The numbers are off the charts through five weeks.
5. Matt Ryan: Very good to this point but you might want to sell high due to loss of Julio Jones and injuries to Roddy White. Offensive line in shambles also.
6. Philip Rivers: Rivers back to his QB 1 ways as the Chargers are throwing it all game, every game.
7. Tom Brady: Injuries and inexperience with his receivers hurting the numbers but Rob Gronkowski's imminent return means the arrow will point up. Trade Ryan for Brady.
8. Andrew Luck: Has not lit the world on fire yet but believe me its coming soon.
9. Matthew Stafford: Got a glimpse what Stafford would be like without Calvin Johnson. It wasn't pretty.
10. Michael Vick: Yes he is hurt again but Vick was putting up big numbers in Chip Kell's offense before his hamstring blew out.
11. Russell Wilson: He is not a big numbers guy but the overall stats add him to solid play.
12. Robert Griffin III: Lack of running takes chunk out of value. Shaking off he rust.
13. Jay Cutler: Lots of turnovers as always but also lots of yards and TD's.
14. Sam Bradford: Has made some strides now that he has some talent to throw to this season.
15. Colin Kaepernick: Told you all to give Kaepernick another year before buying in. This is why.
16. Ben Roethlisberger: Throwing for a lot of yards but not too many scores as Steelers fall behind quickly in almost all their games.
17. Cam Newton: Boy he has ben brutal for the second season in a row the first two months. Another read option guy who is not playing well.
18. Terrell Pryor: Has been better than we thought he would be. Want to see more.
19. Alex Smith: Limiting turnovers as usual but numbers are never his strength.
20. Andy Dalton: Has regressed.
21. Jake Locker: Was doing some nice things before getting hurt.
22. Matt Schaub: Unbelievably could be benched real soon. Looks like he is playing scared.
23. Geno Smith: Great game in spotlight of Monday Night Football versus the Atlanta Falcons. Tools are there.
24. Ryan Tannehill: Offensive line is letting him down badly.
25. Joe Flacco: Ugly all around for Super Bowl MVP. Was never an every week guy anyway.
26. Carson Palmer: Looks like he is ready for retirement.
There you have it. Let us know your opinions.
1. Peyton Manning: Not even a debate right now for the number 1 spot. 50 TD's very much in play.
2. Drew Brees: Standard excellence for Brees who himself shows no sign of slowing.
3. Aaron Rodgers: Numbers down a bit but that just means Rodgers will go nuts the rest of the way to make up for it.
4. Tony Romo: Forget the fact Romo continues to choke in the clutch. The numbers are off the charts through five weeks.
5. Matt Ryan: Very good to this point but you might want to sell high due to loss of Julio Jones and injuries to Roddy White. Offensive line in shambles also.
6. Philip Rivers: Rivers back to his QB 1 ways as the Chargers are throwing it all game, every game.
7. Tom Brady: Injuries and inexperience with his receivers hurting the numbers but Rob Gronkowski's imminent return means the arrow will point up. Trade Ryan for Brady.
8. Andrew Luck: Has not lit the world on fire yet but believe me its coming soon.
9. Matthew Stafford: Got a glimpse what Stafford would be like without Calvin Johnson. It wasn't pretty.
10. Michael Vick: Yes he is hurt again but Vick was putting up big numbers in Chip Kell's offense before his hamstring blew out.
11. Russell Wilson: He is not a big numbers guy but the overall stats add him to solid play.
12. Robert Griffin III: Lack of running takes chunk out of value. Shaking off he rust.
13. Jay Cutler: Lots of turnovers as always but also lots of yards and TD's.
14. Sam Bradford: Has made some strides now that he has some talent to throw to this season.
15. Colin Kaepernick: Told you all to give Kaepernick another year before buying in. This is why.
16. Ben Roethlisberger: Throwing for a lot of yards but not too many scores as Steelers fall behind quickly in almost all their games.
17. Cam Newton: Boy he has ben brutal for the second season in a row the first two months. Another read option guy who is not playing well.
18. Terrell Pryor: Has been better than we thought he would be. Want to see more.
19. Alex Smith: Limiting turnovers as usual but numbers are never his strength.
20. Andy Dalton: Has regressed.
21. Jake Locker: Was doing some nice things before getting hurt.
22. Matt Schaub: Unbelievably could be benched real soon. Looks like he is playing scared.
23. Geno Smith: Great game in spotlight of Monday Night Football versus the Atlanta Falcons. Tools are there.
24. Ryan Tannehill: Offensive line is letting him down badly.
25. Joe Flacco: Ugly all around for Super Bowl MVP. Was never an every week guy anyway.
26. Carson Palmer: Looks like he is ready for retirement.
There you have it. Let us know your opinions.
FANTASY FOOTBALL STATUS REPORT: CAM NEWTON QB CAROLINA PANTHERS
Talk about deja vu. For the season year in a row, fantasy football owners of Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton are sitting here in the month of October thinking back to the drafts and saying to themselves "what have I done?" The reason for the self-flogging once again has to do with the more than shaky play of Newton through the first four games of the season, lowlighted by the 3 interception/zero TD mess in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5. That brought Newton's totals through four games to only 6 passing touchdowns with 5 INT's and 885 yards. In addition, Newton has only 1 rushing touchdown and 123 yards altogether on the ground from the same guy who rushed for 21 and 19 scores his first two years in the league. Stating the obvious, Newton once again heads into the cold weather grossly underachieving and leaving his fantasy football owners in a bind as they get poor performance from the most important position in the make believe game. And this is the same deal we dealt with last season at this time as the Panthers and Newton got off to horrible starts, only to rally in the second half of the season to save face. In fact Newton was one of the very best fantasy football QB's over the last five games of 2012, winning back all of his admirers as he piled up the running and passing yards, with scores thrown in on both sides of the game.
So what really is going on here? Is Newton a guy who can only put up the numbers when his team is out of playoff contention and the games don't count? While it seems that way lately given what we saw in 2012 and the slow start to 2013, remember that Newton exploded out of the gates as a rookie in lighting up the league with 400-yard passing games and running all over the field. However he also clearly caught opposing defensive coordinators off guard as no one saw that kind of performance coming right away from a rookie. Thus the slow start to 2012 was those same coordinators possibly coming up with a scheme to hem Newton in. But again he was tremendous to finish the season which helped earned back the credibility he had let slip away.
Now onto 2013. The Panthers are a miserable team, their coach is a lame duck who will be fired at the end of the season, and Newton is helping the negative cause by playing horribly. There is a widespread notion around the league that defensive coordinators have won the battle against the read option offense as Colin Kaepernick and RG3 are also struggling mightily like Newton is. That is a very real possibility given what we have seen from this group. And again we can't discount Newton not being able to perform when the games count as this is now the second season in a row he has been poor early on. What we have here ultimately is a mess for Newton's fantasy football owners who have reached the point where another option is a better way to go for the next couple of weeks. While Newton is way too talented to continue struggling like this and he very well could reprise his second half renaissance when the games don't count anymore, as an owner you still need to have your own games that count in a few weeks and for now Newton is not helping you get there.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WRAPUP: FALCONS/JETS
Fantasy football Week 5 is in the books with last night's Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets game finishing things up. With that said let's take a look at what came out of their Monday night game.
-Despite a shoddy offensive line, Matt Ryan continues to put big time numbers each and every week. Last night saw Ryan complete 36-of-45 passes for 319 yards and 2 touchdowns. A Dirk Kotter offense always preaches the pass which means Ryan is in line to remain a top five starter the rest of the way as long as he doesn't get ripped apart by the opposing pass rush.
On the other side, New York Jets rookie QB Geno Smith had by far his best NFL start by throwing three touchdowns among his 199 passing yards. The biggest thing was the fact Smith did not throw any interceptions. Great game no doubt but Smith remains a bench option even in two-QB formats.
-Those who own Jets running back Bilal Powell can't be happy to see Mike Goodson run well in his limited work Monday night. Goodson has breakaway speed which Powell does not. Look for Goodson to get more work as the weeks go on. While Powell has low end PPR value, his overall value is being eaten into by Goodson.
-Jacquizz Rodgers doesn't run the football well due to his small size but he did manage to score twice among his 14 carries. With Steven Jackson back this as soon as next week, both Rodgers and Jason Snelling are on thin fantasy football ice.
-Just when Roddy White began to look somewhat like his old self in catching four passes for 45 yards in the first half, a hamstring injury sidelined him for the rest of the game. White has made positive strides with his high ankle sprain that has made him a fantasy football liability up until this week but now the hamstring could further hamper his comeback. Fortunately the Falcons have a bye this week which gives White some extra time to heal. In addition to White, fellow wideout Julio Jones was spotted exiting an X-ray machine after the game. Jones was hobbled all week leading up to the game with a knee injury but he gutted it out Monday and had another big time catching 8 passes for 99 yards. Again with the bye next week, Jones will have some extra time to get himself healthy.
-Tony Gonzalez is back to his monster ways. A week after catching 14 passes and two touchdowns, Gonzalez caught 10 more passes for 97 yards. The man is an athletic marvel who is still at the top of his game as he nears 40.
There you have it. As always let us hear your thoughts.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 6 ADDS/DROPS
With the waiver process going into effect tonight for most leagues' pickups, let's see who we recommend to make the adds and drops list.
WEEK 6 ADDS
Keenan Allen: The rookie out of Cal has quickly developed a bond with QB Philip Rivers as he comes off a huge Sunday night game against the Oakland Raiders. The Chargers throw the football on almost every play now since they can't run it so Allen should continue to get a ton of looks.
Brandon Jacobs: David Wilson is looking iffy for this Thursday's game against the awful Chicago Bears defense which means Brandon Jacobs will get the majority of work. Jacobs actually ran pretty well in Week 5 minus the lost fumble. Opportunity is everything.
Nick Foles: Michael Vick could be out the next two weeks with a pulled hamstring which means Chip Kelly's offense is now in the hands of the capable Nick Foles. Foles threw two touchdowns in the second half of the team's comeback win over the New York Giants Sunday which passed the smell test for the second year passer.
Pierre Thomas: Thomas shook off the mothballs to catch 9 passes out of the backfield last week which included two touchdowns. While Darren Sproles is still the number 1 receiving back on this team, Thomas' combined contributions in the running and receiving game in one of the most explosive offenses in the league make him a must grab.
Austin Collie: It might take a couple of weeks but former slot dynamo Collie could be a PPR option due entering the Tom Brady offense. With Kenbrell Thompkins still struggling with consistency and Danny Amendola no lock to make it through any game, Collis is an interesting add.
Reuben Randle: The Giants are going to take a long look at Randle after he caught two touchdown passes on Sunday. Long on potential, Randle is the perfect replacement for the free agent-to-be Hakeem Nicks. Randle is brimming with potential waiting to burst.
WEEK 6 DROPS
Lamar Miller: Enough with this already. Miller has been an absolute joke as he has not gotten anything going on the ground in any game this season. The Dolphins coaching staff deserves some of the blame due to their infatuation with Daniel Thomas but we have now waited five weeks for a breakout that has not arrived. It is time to stop waiting.
Ryan Matthews: This guy is such as joke it is not even funny. A concussion is the latest in a long list of maladies in addition to the fact he is not a good runner. Close the book on this for good.
Brian Hoyer: This is too bad as Hoyer was doing some nice things before tearing his ACL.
E.J. Manuel: The kid showed signs of being a decent starter someday but not he is on ice for 6-8 weeks with a knee injury. Has not done nearly enough to warrant holding onto.
Matt Schaub: Schaub has that deer-in-the-headlights look after throwing three more INT's in Sunday night's beatdown at the hands of the San Francsico 49ers. It is easy to see that Schaub has lost his confidence which is not what you want out of your fantasy football QB.
WEEK 6 ADDS
Keenan Allen: The rookie out of Cal has quickly developed a bond with QB Philip Rivers as he comes off a huge Sunday night game against the Oakland Raiders. The Chargers throw the football on almost every play now since they can't run it so Allen should continue to get a ton of looks.
Brandon Jacobs: David Wilson is looking iffy for this Thursday's game against the awful Chicago Bears defense which means Brandon Jacobs will get the majority of work. Jacobs actually ran pretty well in Week 5 minus the lost fumble. Opportunity is everything.
Nick Foles: Michael Vick could be out the next two weeks with a pulled hamstring which means Chip Kelly's offense is now in the hands of the capable Nick Foles. Foles threw two touchdowns in the second half of the team's comeback win over the New York Giants Sunday which passed the smell test for the second year passer.
Pierre Thomas: Thomas shook off the mothballs to catch 9 passes out of the backfield last week which included two touchdowns. While Darren Sproles is still the number 1 receiving back on this team, Thomas' combined contributions in the running and receiving game in one of the most explosive offenses in the league make him a must grab.
Austin Collie: It might take a couple of weeks but former slot dynamo Collie could be a PPR option due entering the Tom Brady offense. With Kenbrell Thompkins still struggling with consistency and Danny Amendola no lock to make it through any game, Collis is an interesting add.
Reuben Randle: The Giants are going to take a long look at Randle after he caught two touchdown passes on Sunday. Long on potential, Randle is the perfect replacement for the free agent-to-be Hakeem Nicks. Randle is brimming with potential waiting to burst.
WEEK 6 DROPS
Lamar Miller: Enough with this already. Miller has been an absolute joke as he has not gotten anything going on the ground in any game this season. The Dolphins coaching staff deserves some of the blame due to their infatuation with Daniel Thomas but we have now waited five weeks for a breakout that has not arrived. It is time to stop waiting.
Ryan Matthews: This guy is such as joke it is not even funny. A concussion is the latest in a long list of maladies in addition to the fact he is not a good runner. Close the book on this for good.
Brian Hoyer: This is too bad as Hoyer was doing some nice things before tearing his ACL.
E.J. Manuel: The kid showed signs of being a decent starter someday but not he is on ice for 6-8 weeks with a knee injury. Has not done nearly enough to warrant holding onto.
Matt Schaub: Schaub has that deer-in-the-headlights look after throwing three more INT's in Sunday night's beatdown at the hands of the San Francsico 49ers. It is easy to see that Schaub has lost his confidence which is not what you want out of your fantasy football QB.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)