Here are the fantasy football Week 13 running back rankings based on opposing matchups.
1. Marshawn Lynch
2. Adrian Peterson
3. Jamaal Charles
4. Matt Forte
5. LeSean McCoy
6. Eddie Lacy
7. Andre Brown
8. Frank Gore
9. Rashad Jennings
10. Zac Stacy
11. Reggie Bush
12. Shane Vereen
13. DeMarco Murray
14. Alfred Morris
15. Chris Johnson
16. Giovani Bernard
17. C.J. Spiller
18. Knowshon Moreno
19. Pierre Thomas
20. Maurice Jones-Drew
21. Le'Veon Bell
22. Fred Jackson
23. Danny Woodhead
24. Donald Brown
25. Ray Rice
26. Montee Ball
27. Bobby Rainey
28. Steven Jackson
29. Ben Tate
30. Andre Ellington
31. Darren Sproles
32. Lamar Miller
33. Bilal Powell
34. Chris Ogbonnaya
35. Rashard Mendenhall
36. Trent Richardson
37. Stevan Ridley
38. DeAngelo Williams
39. Dennis Johnson
40. Benny Cunningham
41. Brandon Bolden
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 13 QB RANKINGS
Here are the fantasy football Week 13 QB rankings based on opposing matchups.
1. Peyton Manning
2. Tony Romo
3. Drew Brees
4. Cam Newton
5. Matthew Stafford
6. Tom Brady
7. Russell Wilson
8. Nick Foles
9. Andy Dalton
10. Josh McCown
11. Philip Rivers
12. Carson Palmer
13. Colin Kaepernick
14. Matt Flynn
15. Eli Manning
16. Andrew Luck
17. Matt Ryan
18. Alex Smith
19. Robert Griffin III
20. Ben Roethlisberger
21. Mike Glennon
22. Joe Flacco
23. Case Keenum
24. Ryan Tannehill
25. Matt McGloin
26. E.J. Manuel
27. Brandon Weeden
1. Peyton Manning
2. Tony Romo
3. Drew Brees
4. Cam Newton
5. Matthew Stafford
6. Tom Brady
7. Russell Wilson
8. Nick Foles
9. Andy Dalton
10. Josh McCown
11. Philip Rivers
12. Carson Palmer
13. Colin Kaepernick
14. Matt Flynn
15. Eli Manning
16. Andrew Luck
17. Matt Ryan
18. Alex Smith
19. Robert Griffin III
20. Ben Roethlisberger
21. Mike Glennon
22. Joe Flacco
23. Case Keenum
24. Ryan Tannehill
25. Matt McGloin
26. E.J. Manuel
27. Brandon Weeden
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 13 RUNNING BACK HOT ZONE: ULTRA-RUNNING BACK COMMITTEE IN NEW ENGLAND
Week 13 kicks off tomorrow with three Thanksgiving Day games so let's get right to the Running Back Hot Zone where we check out all the latest news coming out the position.
LEVEL 4
Stevan Ridley-LeGarrette Blount-Brandon Bolden-Shane Vereen: What a mess this whole situation now is in New England. It had looked like things were settled going into Sunday night with Ridley as the main runner and Vereen the main receiver out of the backfield. Well a lost fumble first by Ridley (in a season filled with them) and than one by Blount threw everything into chaos. Enter Brandon Bolden who ran very well in relief of those two which included a touchdown. Bolden is also a guy who can catch the football a la Vereen. However the plan going into Week 13 is for the team to employ a super committee where Ridley, Bolden, and Blount will all get carries which in the process destroys the fantasy football value of all involved. This doesn't include Vereen who will still be deployed more as a receiver which he has excelled at since returning to the lineup. Vereen remains a very good RB 2 in PPR formats. However Ridley has clearly taken a step backwards after playing very well in October and the start of November. Leave Ridley, Blount, and Bolden all on the bench if you can.
Montee Ball-Knowshon Moreno: Thank goodness the Denver Broncos are not playing on Thanksgiving if you are a Moreno owner as they guy would surely not be able to go due to the deep bone bruise he suffered in his left leg Sunday night. Moreno claims he will be out there but moles inside the organization say it is doubtful. Enter the rookie Ball who recently has been deployed as the goal-line runner with much success and also has started catching the football which is a nice bonus. However Ball got benched Sunday night for losing a fumble which murked up the waters a bit. Ball is clearly the most talented among all the Broncos backup runners so he should get the starting nod. The former Wisconsin back has shown good power since the start of the season and at the very least will be a threat to score form in-close.
Benny Cunningham-Zac Stacy: As of this writing there has been no update on the concussion status of St. Louis Rams RB Zac Stacy. Cunningham came in and was terrific in the second half of the team's win over the Chicago Bears last week in running for over 100 yards and a score and he naturally is the handcuff to own. This one could go right down to the wire.
LEVEL 3
Ronnie Brown-Ryan Matthews: Matthews suffered a hamstring strain in Week 12 which is always worrisome for someone as injury-prone as he is. The real shame is that Matthews was actually playing very well finally before this latest health woe and so Brown needs to be looked at as the appropriate handcuff. Brown has not been much of a runner since his early days with the Miami Dolphins but he has good power and can catch the football.
Bilal Powell-Chris Ivory: More injuries for Ivory who suffered an ankle injury last week just when he was putting together a string of impressive outings. Re-enter Powell back into the equation who has run hot and cold since the start of the season. In fact Powell going cold opened the door for Ivory to make the starting job his own.
LEVEL 2
Lamar Miller-Daniel Thomas: Generally when a season-ending injury opens the door for a back to be the fulltime runner, this news would be at least in the Level 3 column. However Miller has been so bad all season that I can't get too worked up over his opportunity. The Miami Dolphins offensive line is about the worst in the NFL and that as well makes the ceiling on Miller very low to say the least.
Rashad Jennings-Darren McFadden: McFadden is expected to return on Thanksgiving from his latest hamstring injury but Jennings has played so well in his place that he will be used as the primary ballcarrier. This means McFadden should be sent to the waiver wire and is just the latest setback in a career filled with them so far.
There you have it. As always let us hear your thoughts.
LEVEL 4
Stevan Ridley-LeGarrette Blount-Brandon Bolden-Shane Vereen: What a mess this whole situation now is in New England. It had looked like things were settled going into Sunday night with Ridley as the main runner and Vereen the main receiver out of the backfield. Well a lost fumble first by Ridley (in a season filled with them) and than one by Blount threw everything into chaos. Enter Brandon Bolden who ran very well in relief of those two which included a touchdown. Bolden is also a guy who can catch the football a la Vereen. However the plan going into Week 13 is for the team to employ a super committee where Ridley, Bolden, and Blount will all get carries which in the process destroys the fantasy football value of all involved. This doesn't include Vereen who will still be deployed more as a receiver which he has excelled at since returning to the lineup. Vereen remains a very good RB 2 in PPR formats. However Ridley has clearly taken a step backwards after playing very well in October and the start of November. Leave Ridley, Blount, and Bolden all on the bench if you can.
Montee Ball-Knowshon Moreno: Thank goodness the Denver Broncos are not playing on Thanksgiving if you are a Moreno owner as they guy would surely not be able to go due to the deep bone bruise he suffered in his left leg Sunday night. Moreno claims he will be out there but moles inside the organization say it is doubtful. Enter the rookie Ball who recently has been deployed as the goal-line runner with much success and also has started catching the football which is a nice bonus. However Ball got benched Sunday night for losing a fumble which murked up the waters a bit. Ball is clearly the most talented among all the Broncos backup runners so he should get the starting nod. The former Wisconsin back has shown good power since the start of the season and at the very least will be a threat to score form in-close.
Benny Cunningham-Zac Stacy: As of this writing there has been no update on the concussion status of St. Louis Rams RB Zac Stacy. Cunningham came in and was terrific in the second half of the team's win over the Chicago Bears last week in running for over 100 yards and a score and he naturally is the handcuff to own. This one could go right down to the wire.
LEVEL 3
Ronnie Brown-Ryan Matthews: Matthews suffered a hamstring strain in Week 12 which is always worrisome for someone as injury-prone as he is. The real shame is that Matthews was actually playing very well finally before this latest health woe and so Brown needs to be looked at as the appropriate handcuff. Brown has not been much of a runner since his early days with the Miami Dolphins but he has good power and can catch the football.
Bilal Powell-Chris Ivory: More injuries for Ivory who suffered an ankle injury last week just when he was putting together a string of impressive outings. Re-enter Powell back into the equation who has run hot and cold since the start of the season. In fact Powell going cold opened the door for Ivory to make the starting job his own.
LEVEL 2
Lamar Miller-Daniel Thomas: Generally when a season-ending injury opens the door for a back to be the fulltime runner, this news would be at least in the Level 3 column. However Miller has been so bad all season that I can't get too worked up over his opportunity. The Miami Dolphins offensive line is about the worst in the NFL and that as well makes the ceiling on Miller very low to say the least.
Rashad Jennings-Darren McFadden: McFadden is expected to return on Thanksgiving from his latest hamstring injury but Jennings has played so well in his place that he will be used as the primary ballcarrier. This means McFadden should be sent to the waiver wire and is just the latest setback in a career filled with them so far.
There you have it. As always let us hear your thoughts.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 13 ADDS/DROPS
For some leagues this is the last week of regular season games before the playoff weeks start. So with that said here is the list of fantasy football Week 13 ADDS/DROPS for these crucial games.
WEEK 13 ADDS
Montee Ball: Ball is expected to get the start if Knowshon Moreno can't make it back from the deep bone bruise in leg Sunday despite losing a fumble that earned him a seat on the bench Sunday night. Ball has been the recent goal-line back for the Broncos and has done the job successfully. In addition he has started to catch the football out of the backfield as well which adds another dimension to his game.
Brandon Bolden: Stevan Ridley is likely back in the doghouse after losing yet another fumble Sunday night which opens the door for Bolden to take on more responsibility. Bolden ran the football well in Ridley's place Sunday and scored a touchdown. In addition Bolden is a more accomplished receiver than both Ridley and LeGarrette Blount who also lost a fumble Sunday night. There is no guarantee Bolden gets the starting gig this week but it is worth the add to find out.
Jacob Tamme: This is a hedge bet in case Julius Thomas can't come back this week from his knee injury. The Broncos have said publicly they expect Thomas to return but nothing is ever guaranteed of course on the injury front. Tamme went right back into hold habits as a trusted Peyton Manning outlet Sunday night in catching 5 balls which included one for a score.
Miami Defense: It is likely the Dolphins defense is lurking on your waiver wire and now would be the week to make the add since they play the New York Jets and turnover-prone QB Geno Smith tis week. Smith has thrown for a grand total of 1 TD and 10 INT's in his last four games. Yikes.
Michael Crabtree: We were admittedly a little late on this but Crabtree is set to return form his torn ACL in Week 13. Crabtree lit it up with QB Colin Kaepernick last season when the latter became the starter and there is no doubt the two will look to re-kindle that work going forward the rest of the season.
Lamar Miller: I hate to even hint at recommending this gigantic bust but Daniel Thomas is out for the season with a torn ACL so the job is all to Miller's now. That is what Miller's fantasy football owners were looking for all season but failed to get due to the refusal to not have Thomas as the goal-line back by the coaching staff. Be that as it may Miller has run the ball horribly this season so we can't get too crazy with this.
Benny Cunningham: There was no status update on St. Louis Rams RB Zac Stacy Monday after he suffered a concussion in the second half of the team's win over the Chicago Bears. That means Cunningham is a must own handcuff for Stacy owners. The kid did great in Stacy's place last Sunday by rushing for 109 yards on 13 carries and netting a touchdown.
WEEK 13 DROPS
Darren McFadden: Rashad Jennings has been better than even I had anticipated and so you can forget about Darren McFadden reclaiming the starting role. In fact word is that if McFadden returns to the lineup this week from his hamstring injury, he will serve as the change of pace back. That my friends is a fantasy football death sentence.
DeAndre Hopkins: Hopkins was a nice early story but since September ended he has been nothing but a space-eater not worth starting. The Texans have been a complete joke this season and the offense as a whole has been swallowed up with the rest of the mess that is the franchise in its current state.
As always post your thoughts below.
WEEK 13 ADDS
Montee Ball: Ball is expected to get the start if Knowshon Moreno can't make it back from the deep bone bruise in leg Sunday despite losing a fumble that earned him a seat on the bench Sunday night. Ball has been the recent goal-line back for the Broncos and has done the job successfully. In addition he has started to catch the football out of the backfield as well which adds another dimension to his game.
Brandon Bolden: Stevan Ridley is likely back in the doghouse after losing yet another fumble Sunday night which opens the door for Bolden to take on more responsibility. Bolden ran the football well in Ridley's place Sunday and scored a touchdown. In addition Bolden is a more accomplished receiver than both Ridley and LeGarrette Blount who also lost a fumble Sunday night. There is no guarantee Bolden gets the starting gig this week but it is worth the add to find out.
Jacob Tamme: This is a hedge bet in case Julius Thomas can't come back this week from his knee injury. The Broncos have said publicly they expect Thomas to return but nothing is ever guaranteed of course on the injury front. Tamme went right back into hold habits as a trusted Peyton Manning outlet Sunday night in catching 5 balls which included one for a score.
Miami Defense: It is likely the Dolphins defense is lurking on your waiver wire and now would be the week to make the add since they play the New York Jets and turnover-prone QB Geno Smith tis week. Smith has thrown for a grand total of 1 TD and 10 INT's in his last four games. Yikes.
Michael Crabtree: We were admittedly a little late on this but Crabtree is set to return form his torn ACL in Week 13. Crabtree lit it up with QB Colin Kaepernick last season when the latter became the starter and there is no doubt the two will look to re-kindle that work going forward the rest of the season.
Lamar Miller: I hate to even hint at recommending this gigantic bust but Daniel Thomas is out for the season with a torn ACL so the job is all to Miller's now. That is what Miller's fantasy football owners were looking for all season but failed to get due to the refusal to not have Thomas as the goal-line back by the coaching staff. Be that as it may Miller has run the ball horribly this season so we can't get too crazy with this.
Benny Cunningham: There was no status update on St. Louis Rams RB Zac Stacy Monday after he suffered a concussion in the second half of the team's win over the Chicago Bears. That means Cunningham is a must own handcuff for Stacy owners. The kid did great in Stacy's place last Sunday by rushing for 109 yards on 13 carries and netting a touchdown.
WEEK 13 DROPS
Darren McFadden: Rashad Jennings has been better than even I had anticipated and so you can forget about Darren McFadden reclaiming the starting role. In fact word is that if McFadden returns to the lineup this week from his hamstring injury, he will serve as the change of pace back. That my friends is a fantasy football death sentence.
DeAndre Hopkins: Hopkins was a nice early story but since September ended he has been nothing but a space-eater not worth starting. The Texans have been a complete joke this season and the offense as a whole has been swallowed up with the rest of the mess that is the franchise in its current state.
As always post your thoughts below.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 12 MONDAY WRAPUP: REDSKINS/49ERS
Colin Kaepernick is getting hot at the right time of the season while those who own any Washington Redskins might want to think about planting their fannies squarely onto the bench. Let's take a look at the fantasy football storylines coming out this game.
-Speaking of Kaepernick, he was splendid in throwing for 235 yards and three touchdowns which marks the second straight big time. To make matters even more optimistic, Kaepernick will welcome back his favorite target from last season, WR Michael Crabtree, next week. It has been a lot of rough patches to get to this point for Kaepernick fantasy football owners.....even if they even still own the guy outright....but it looks like the playoff weeks could be kind.
On the other side things are going from bad to worse for Robert Griffin III. Amid questions he has been calling out players in public and is feuding with Mike Shanahan, Griffin was a dog Monday night in throwing for only 127 yards and 1 INT. Granted the 49ers defense is rough but Griffin has been garbage all season unless it is garbage time. Don't even think of starting him in any game of meaning the rest of the season.
-Frank Gore has been very quiet since October and one has to wonder if age is showing up a bit as the season wears on. Gore rushed for only 31 yards on 13 carries and caught only 1 pass for 2 yards. Not good. Gore is another one I am worried about rolling with into the fantasy football playoff weeks.
Meanwhile Alfred Morris made the best of a very tough situation in rushing for 52 yards on 14 carries. The ongoing problem with Morris is that he doesn't catch the football which means he is a non-factor when the Redskins start getting blown out and they have to pass on every down.
-Anquan Boldin likely gave his fantasy football owners the win Monday night by catching 5 balls for 94 yards and 2 scores. Things could get murky with Crabtree back though. Same could be said for Vernon Davis who caught 4 passes for 70 yards and his own TD, although I think the latter will still be very solid with Crabtree back in the fold.
-Pierre Garcon did his PPR owners a nice job by catching 8 balls for 48 yards. The yardage was not good at all but the raw reception total helped. That is about all the good I can say about Washington.
There you have it. As always let us hear your thoughts.
Friday, November 22, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 12 WRAPUP: THURSDAY SAINTS/FALCONS
Wow fantasy football Week 12 is already here as the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons kicked off Thursday night. Let's get to all of the noteworthy performances that came out of this game.
-It is actually boring to talk about Drew Brees due to the fact he is so consistently great each week. Standard operating procedure for Brees Thursday night as he threw for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns. What I guess could be slightly disappointing for Brees owners is the fact that those two scores came in the first quarter which started visions of a monsters 4 or 5 TD game. However Brees was shut down from that point on which was a minor bummer.
On the other side, Matt Ryan once again came up with a shoddy bottom line game with ZERO touchdown passes despite throwing for 292 yards. Ryan could not get the football down the field and instead was left to play the dump off game. Again I will reiterate the fact that there is a clear line of demarcation of Ryan the stud from the first six weeks and than Ryan the zero since that point which of course coincides with the loss of Julio Jones for the season. Roddy White has been horrendous despite finally getting back on the field after his myriad of injuries. White caught only 2 balls for 24 yards as he can't seem to even get off the line at times. Ryan owners need to seriously look for a better alternative if they already haven't done so.
-It wasn't all bad for the Falcons as Harry Douglas continued his PPR gem ways with 9 catches for 79 yards. The fact Douglas could only net 79 yards on all of those catches was a letdown for sure when it comes to owners in standard formats. Douglas however got little help from anyone as we already talked about White to go with Tony Gonzalez catching only 4 balls for 43 yards. Gonzalez is playing with a toe injury and like with Ryan, has been very shoddy with the numbers since Jones went out. Opposing defenses are ganging up on Gonzalez since he is the best remaining target for Ryan and when combined with injury, we could be looking at a very rough finish to the season.
-On the Saints' side, Jimmy Graham was a monster with 5 catches for 100 yards and a score. I tell you what the one guy I would dread seeing more on the other side in a fantasy football matchup right now other than Calvin Johnson is this guy. Outside of Graham, Marques Colston was hot early but than cooled as he caught only 4 balls for 40 yards. Kenny Stills meanwhile grabbed only 2 balls for 22 yards. With only three catches the last two games, Stills should be sent to the bench.
-Steven Jackson showed a bit of life as he rushed for 63 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown. However he looks completely shot and the Falcons already have to be regretting that contract they gave him. Meanwhile Pierre Thomas had his one big game a month as he rushed for 73 yards on 10 carries while also catching 5 balls for 57 yards. Thomas was featured with Darren Sproles out injured.
That's all for now. Let us know your thoughts on the game.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 12 RUNNING BACK HOT ZONE: DONALD BROWN PUSHING TRENT RICHARDSON ASIDE
Once again Wednesday means its fantasy football Running Back Hot Zone day when we look into all of the latest changes and happening in this all-important position.
LEVEL 4
Donald Brown-Trent Richardson: We have been over too many times the fact that Trent Richardson is having as bad a season as anyone in football. It has now gotten to the point in Indianapolis where old bust Donald Brown has found new life in his place. Brown is coming off a two-TD game last Thursday and since the midpoint of the season, has run with burst and decisiveness we haven't seen since he came into the league out of UCONN. This smells like a clear changing of the guard as the playoff stretch begins for the Colts. In addition to the running, Brown can catch some passes as well so those who are stuck with LeSean McCoy or Marshawn Lynch on a bye should look here for an underrated option.
Chris Ogbonnaya-Willis McGahee: Officially stick a fork in the old as dirt McGahee as Ogbonnayya is now squarely the Cleveland Browns' starting running back based on last week's usage. Ogbonnaya has been like Donald Brown in that he has stepped up when given the chance in the middle of season and run with burst that his counterpart has not. No reason for the Browns to keep going back to McGahee as he looks completely spent so Ogbonnaya deserves a decent look.
LEVEL 2
Montee Ball-Knowshon Moreno: We are not here to discuss Montee Ball taking the starting running back job from Knowshon Moreno. Moreno got almost all of the carries Sunday night so he remains the one to own as far as the workload is concerned. However we must take note of the fact Ball was used around the goal-line which resulted in two rushing touchdowns during the K.C. game. Moreno has done more than his share of touchdown converting in close since the season began but we always have to go on the latest trends which could boost Ball a bit. We saw a few weeks ago in Washington how Roy Helu Jr's three TD game was just a one-week mirage and this could very well be the case here as well. Something to watch for another week however.
There you have it. Let us know your thoughts on this.
LEVEL 4
Donald Brown-Trent Richardson: We have been over too many times the fact that Trent Richardson is having as bad a season as anyone in football. It has now gotten to the point in Indianapolis where old bust Donald Brown has found new life in his place. Brown is coming off a two-TD game last Thursday and since the midpoint of the season, has run with burst and decisiveness we haven't seen since he came into the league out of UCONN. This smells like a clear changing of the guard as the playoff stretch begins for the Colts. In addition to the running, Brown can catch some passes as well so those who are stuck with LeSean McCoy or Marshawn Lynch on a bye should look here for an underrated option.
Chris Ogbonnaya-Willis McGahee: Officially stick a fork in the old as dirt McGahee as Ogbonnayya is now squarely the Cleveland Browns' starting running back based on last week's usage. Ogbonnaya has been like Donald Brown in that he has stepped up when given the chance in the middle of season and run with burst that his counterpart has not. No reason for the Browns to keep going back to McGahee as he looks completely spent so Ogbonnaya deserves a decent look.
LEVEL 2
Montee Ball-Knowshon Moreno: We are not here to discuss Montee Ball taking the starting running back job from Knowshon Moreno. Moreno got almost all of the carries Sunday night so he remains the one to own as far as the workload is concerned. However we must take note of the fact Ball was used around the goal-line which resulted in two rushing touchdowns during the K.C. game. Moreno has done more than his share of touchdown converting in close since the season began but we always have to go on the latest trends which could boost Ball a bit. We saw a few weeks ago in Washington how Roy Helu Jr's three TD game was just a one-week mirage and this could very well be the case here as well. Something to watch for another week however.
There you have it. Let us know your thoughts on this.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 12 ADDS/DROPS
Waiver wire day is Wednesday for most leagues so let's check out who made the cut this week in fantasy football Adds/Drops.
WEEK 12 ADDS
Josh McCown: All Aaron Rodgers owners should be checking this out as McCown has looked terrific in Jay Cutler's place from the start. With Cutler possibly out until the playoffs, McCown remains the starter who has the best one-two punch at receiver to toss the football to in Alshon Jeffrey and Brandon Marshall.
Bobby Rainey: Duh. Rainey will be the most sought after name off the wire this week after he scored three touchdowns and ran all over the place last Sunday. While Rainey will likely not come close to that realm of numbers the rest of the season, the kid obviously has some ability and is the clear cut top runner on the Buc's.
Donald Brown: Brown has played very well the last four weeks while Trent Richardson continues to struggle at a ridiculous level. It has now gotten to the point where Brown is becoming the featured back in the high-powered Colts offense as his two touchdowns in Week 11 could attest.
Rishard Matthews: We will sign off on a Matthews signing as the kid has caught 15 balls the last two weeks. While Cecil Shorts remains the clear top dog in the passing attack for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Matthews is nudging his way into the offense.
Miles Austin: Austin is back in action this week after basically being out since the start of October with a bum hamstring. The Cowboys are expected to be involve in a shootout Sunday against the New York Giants so all hands on deck in this one.
Nate Burleson: Burleson returns for Week 12 after missing over a month after injuries he sustained in a car accident. The Lions' number 2 wideout was playing very well before the accident and he goes right into one of the more busy passing attacks in the game.
Delanie Walker: Walker was a monster last Thursday against the Colts after catching 10 passes and a touchdown. Always underrated in talent while playing behind Vernon Davis in San Francisco, Walker is getting his shot to be the main guy in Tennessee and responding well. Ryan Fitzpatrick enjoys throwing to the tight end so Walker should continue to shine.
Joel Dreesseen: This is insurance in case Julius Thomas has to miss the game with a knee injury. Dreesseen is not a great receiver but anyone who plays in the Denver offense is worth a long look.
WEEK 12 DROPS
Tim Wright: One catch in each of the last two games spells doom for Wright. Mike Glennon looks more comfortable throwing the football down the field so that lessens the appeal of Wright.
Roddy White: Yes he is back but he is still doing absolutely nothing. Has turned old overnight.
WEEK 12 ADDS
Josh McCown: All Aaron Rodgers owners should be checking this out as McCown has looked terrific in Jay Cutler's place from the start. With Cutler possibly out until the playoffs, McCown remains the starter who has the best one-two punch at receiver to toss the football to in Alshon Jeffrey and Brandon Marshall.
Bobby Rainey: Duh. Rainey will be the most sought after name off the wire this week after he scored three touchdowns and ran all over the place last Sunday. While Rainey will likely not come close to that realm of numbers the rest of the season, the kid obviously has some ability and is the clear cut top runner on the Buc's.
Donald Brown: Brown has played very well the last four weeks while Trent Richardson continues to struggle at a ridiculous level. It has now gotten to the point where Brown is becoming the featured back in the high-powered Colts offense as his two touchdowns in Week 11 could attest.
Rishard Matthews: We will sign off on a Matthews signing as the kid has caught 15 balls the last two weeks. While Cecil Shorts remains the clear top dog in the passing attack for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Matthews is nudging his way into the offense.
Miles Austin: Austin is back in action this week after basically being out since the start of October with a bum hamstring. The Cowboys are expected to be involve in a shootout Sunday against the New York Giants so all hands on deck in this one.
Nate Burleson: Burleson returns for Week 12 after missing over a month after injuries he sustained in a car accident. The Lions' number 2 wideout was playing very well before the accident and he goes right into one of the more busy passing attacks in the game.
Delanie Walker: Walker was a monster last Thursday against the Colts after catching 10 passes and a touchdown. Always underrated in talent while playing behind Vernon Davis in San Francisco, Walker is getting his shot to be the main guy in Tennessee and responding well. Ryan Fitzpatrick enjoys throwing to the tight end so Walker should continue to shine.
Joel Dreesseen: This is insurance in case Julius Thomas has to miss the game with a knee injury. Dreesseen is not a great receiver but anyone who plays in the Denver offense is worth a long look.
WEEK 12 DROPS
Tim Wright: One catch in each of the last two games spells doom for Wright. Mike Glennon looks more comfortable throwing the football down the field so that lessens the appeal of Wright.
Roddy White: Yes he is back but he is still doing absolutely nothing. Has turned old overnight.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WRAPUP: MONDAY PATS/PANTHERS
We finish off fantasy football Week 11 by looking at the storylines coming out of the Patriots-Panthers game.
-You have to hand it to Cam Newton. The guy has clearly elevated his game against the bets opponents on the schedule. Newton was terrific Monday night in throwing for 209 yards and 3 touchdowns while also rushing for 62 yards on only 7 carries. When Newton combines passing scores with rushing yards, he is a gem of a fantasy football QB. Sure his penchant for getting off to slow starts is maddening but Newton is looking pretty locked in at the moment.
On the other side Tom Brady threw for 296 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT as he continued his season-long pattern of underwhelming play. He has a full allotment of receivers now but in this one had to deal with the top-ranked Panthers defense. In actuality as well, Brady was robbed of a chance to win it due to the bogus non-call of pass interference after Rob Gronkowski got mugged in the end zone on the final play of the game.
-Shane Vereen returned to action but he got only one carry for 7 yards. Meanwhile Bill Belichick was at it again in toying with Stevan Ridley in a negative way as he gave LeGarrette Blount 10 carries. Blount rushed for 49 yards on those ten carries while Ridley yielded 48 on 13. Luckily Ridley got the goal-line carries which resulted in a fantasy football game-saving score.
Now as far as Vereen is concerned, he shined in the passing game by leading the Pats with 8 catches for 65 yards. This is the role Vereen will be featured in so he has little to no value in standard formats. However in PPR leagues Vereen has absolute RB 2 status.
-Getting back to Gronkowski, he had his customary touchdown reception to go with five overall grabs for 59 yards. Danny Amendola chipped in 6 catches for 45 yards and Aaron Dobson added 4 for 38.
-It was fun duel between Steve Smith and Aquib Talib but the former wound up getting hurt because of the rough stuff. Still Smith returned to the game but was not effective afterwards. He would catch only 4 passes for 62 yards overall. Greg Olsen picked up the receiving slack along with Brandon LaFell. Olsen caught a touchdown pass among his 5 grabs for 52 yards and LaFell hit paydirt as well among his 7 catches for 59 yards. LaFell now has four touchdowns on the season and he has done enough to be a guy you could use as a WR 3 in standard setups.
That's all for now. As always feel free to post your thoughts.
Monday, November 18, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEL 11 INJURY REPORT: CONCUSSIONS TAKE DOWN WES WELKER AND JORDAN REED
Another week and another batch of big fantasy football names bit the injury dust. Let's take a look at the main storylines.
-Denver Broncos WR Wes Welker went down in the second half Sunday night in the team's game versus the Kansas City Chiefs with a concussion to which he will have to pass the NFL mandated protocol to play against the New England Patriots in Week 12. Welker immediately went to the sidelines after the hit and was officially declared to have suffered a concussion early Monday. We all know concussions are fickle things and put Welker's availability at 50/50 for next week. Eric Decker and Demaryuis Thomas would see a sharp increase in targets in his place.
On a related note, Broncos tight end Julius Thomas is considered day-to-day with a knee sprain. The sprain was minor enough for Thomas to return to the field Sunday night but he did undergo tests Monday as a precaution which turned up nothing serious. Thomas is earning a reputation for getting dinged up but he has fought through it thus far this season.
-Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed has been a terrific find this season but a concussion knocked him out early Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Like with Welker, Reed has to pass the concussion protocols which is never a slam dunk. Again like Welker, Reed is 50/50 to play next week.
-San Diego Chargers WR Keenan Allen suffered a hyperextended right knee Sunday which cost him half the game. The team has gone to great lengths saying Allen is fine however and the impressive youngster is likely ready to go for Week 12.
-Pierre Garcon was complaining after the Redskins' game that his ankle was bothering him. Garcon has a long history of foot injury so this bears watching but the fact he was able to play the majority of the game and finish it means he should be available.
-They are calling it a minor hamstring injury that sent Eagles RB LeSean McCoy to the locker room Sunday but those from the inside say it was just a cramp. McCoy was able to return and finish the game strong. Nothing to see here.
-Joquie Bell suffered a foot injury that cost him the end of the Detroit Lions' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers but head coach Jim Schwartz said he could have gone back in but that the team was being overly cautious. Theo Riddick gets a boost if Bell can't go as Reggie Bush is in the doghouse for fumbling.
-Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson admitted after his team's loss to the Seattle Seahawks that his groin was more than a minor issue. Peterson will gut it out but his numbers could be taking a hit because of it.
-Emmanuel Sanders suffered a knee injury for the Steelers Sunday and was replaced by Markus Wheaton. Sanders has done a very nice job opposite Antonio Brown but his status needs to be watched. Jerricho Cotchery takes on appeal if he can't go.
There you have it. Be sure to continually check the site all week for constant status updates on these players and the others around the league.
-Denver Broncos WR Wes Welker went down in the second half Sunday night in the team's game versus the Kansas City Chiefs with a concussion to which he will have to pass the NFL mandated protocol to play against the New England Patriots in Week 12. Welker immediately went to the sidelines after the hit and was officially declared to have suffered a concussion early Monday. We all know concussions are fickle things and put Welker's availability at 50/50 for next week. Eric Decker and Demaryuis Thomas would see a sharp increase in targets in his place.
On a related note, Broncos tight end Julius Thomas is considered day-to-day with a knee sprain. The sprain was minor enough for Thomas to return to the field Sunday night but he did undergo tests Monday as a precaution which turned up nothing serious. Thomas is earning a reputation for getting dinged up but he has fought through it thus far this season.
-Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed has been a terrific find this season but a concussion knocked him out early Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Like with Welker, Reed has to pass the concussion protocols which is never a slam dunk. Again like Welker, Reed is 50/50 to play next week.
-San Diego Chargers WR Keenan Allen suffered a hyperextended right knee Sunday which cost him half the game. The team has gone to great lengths saying Allen is fine however and the impressive youngster is likely ready to go for Week 12.
-Pierre Garcon was complaining after the Redskins' game that his ankle was bothering him. Garcon has a long history of foot injury so this bears watching but the fact he was able to play the majority of the game and finish it means he should be available.
-They are calling it a minor hamstring injury that sent Eagles RB LeSean McCoy to the locker room Sunday but those from the inside say it was just a cramp. McCoy was able to return and finish the game strong. Nothing to see here.
-Joquie Bell suffered a foot injury that cost him the end of the Detroit Lions' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers but head coach Jim Schwartz said he could have gone back in but that the team was being overly cautious. Theo Riddick gets a boost if Bell can't go as Reggie Bush is in the doghouse for fumbling.
-Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson admitted after his team's loss to the Seattle Seahawks that his groin was more than a minor issue. Peterson will gut it out but his numbers could be taking a hit because of it.
-Emmanuel Sanders suffered a knee injury for the Steelers Sunday and was replaced by Markus Wheaton. Sanders has done a very nice job opposite Antonio Brown but his status needs to be watched. Jerricho Cotchery takes on appeal if he can't go.
There you have it. Be sure to continually check the site all week for constant status updates on these players and the others around the league.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 11 WRAPUP: 4:00 GAMES AND LATER
Moving right along with the wrapups for fantasy football Week 11, we now delve into the 4:00 games and later to bring it all to a conclusion.
-Peyton Manning owners are in a perpetual state of holding their breath every time he gets hit due to the double ankle sprains that have taken some of the zip off his passes and make him an injury risk going forward. However Manning made it through just fine against the hard-hitting Kansas City Chiefs defense but wound up throwing for a season-low one TD. Still Manning threw for 323 yards and the TD total was fluky since the Broncos got in close on some throws that made running the right call. Just to show you the trends however with Manning, the owner of the Broncos QB in the Experts League suffered his first loss of the season which just so happened to coincide with his subpar TD total.
-There is no question Knowshon Moreno is the bellcow back in the Broncos offense which was reinforced by the 27 carries for 79 yards he achieved Sunday night. However in close Montee Ball got the call and the rookie successfully converted on both of his chances. This was a curveball no doubt for Moreno owners as the Georgia back has done just fine picking up the in-close scores himself all season which made Jack Del Rio's usage here puzzling. Be that as it may, coaches always fall back on things that work so Ball could be the goal-line specialist now which is a hit to Moreno's fantasy football value.
-Have to watch the concussion suffered by Wes Welker closely. Welker took his turn being the man in the Broncos passing attack Sunday by catching 8 balls for 72 yards. However Demaryuis Thomas was no slouch in picking up 123 receiving yards on five catchers. Eric Decker mopped it up with 5 grabs for 70. Decker figures to move up in value if Welker misses next week.
Speaking of injuries, Broncos tight end Julius Thomas is headed for testing on his injured knee after scoring yet another touchdown on his 3 catches for 43 yards. Thomas has been a dream find for fantasy football owners but this is the second time in three weeks we are talking about injuries here. Joel Dreesseen in the backup to own if Thomas is out.
-Dwayne Bowe put his DUI issue behind him for the game by catching 4 passes for 57 yards and a score. That was about all she wrote for the Chiefs offense as even Jamaal Charles didn't do too much in catching 2 passes and rushing for only 78 yards on 16 carries.
-Both Philip Rivers and Ryan Tannehill threw for a TD and an INT. Rivers has drastically slowed down since his big September. Meanwhile Ryan Matthews has picked up the slack in rushing for 127 yards on 19 carries and catching 2 balls. Truth be told Matthews has been really good since mid-October but we all know he can never be totally trusted.
-Speaking of slowing down, Keenan Allen is possibly hitting the rookie wall as injuries are piling up for him as well. Allen came in with only 3 catches for 45 yards before hitting the sidelines for good with a knee issue. Antonio Gates was left to himself to make plays in the passing attack but other than his one score, was mostly a non-factor. The entire Chargers passing offense is struggling, with the shoddy offensive line bearing a lot of the responsibility.
-No one is paying attention to the nice season put forth by Dolphins tight end Charles Clay who scored a TD while catching 6 passes for 90 yards Sunday. With Tannehill under constant duress, his most effective play has been to look for his tight end.
-The 49ers defense did a great job against Drew Brees. holding him to only 1 TD pass on 305 yards. Brees owners are spoiled rotten so no shedding tears for them. Colin Kaepernick meanwhile actually threw for two touchdowns but only 127 yards as Rob Ryan's defense has him on the run all day. Once again Kaepernick is grossly overrated which is what I warned about in the summer.
-The Kenny Stills show crashed and burned Sunday as he caught only 1 pass for 11 yards. Stills is not to be touched in PPR formats as he is a clear boom or bust guy whose value is solely determined on getting into the end zone each week. When he doesn't do so, there is not much to discuss.
-Finally some signs of life by Anquan Boldin who caught 6 passes for 56 yards and a TD. The Kaepernick struggles have had a huge effect on Boldin's value which is nothing more than a WR 3 now.
-Eddie Lacy had his first poor game since coming back from his concussion in October so we can't get on him too much for rushing for only 27 yards on 14 carries. He did score which helped save the day somewhat but Lacy had a tough go with the Giants stacking the box with Scott Tolzien at QB.
-Victor Cruz has been in the midst of his least effective season since coming into the league but he was a big time force Sunday by catching 8 passes for 110 yards. Still we want to see more scores. Hakeem Nicks too who has yet to hit paydirt this season.
-Jordy Nelson's fantasy football value seemed in peril with Aaron Rodgers out but he is getting by with Tolzien just fine after grabbing 8 passes for 117 yards. Even Jarrett Boykin is shockingly holding his value even with the return of James Jones as he caught 6 passes for 91 yards. Boykin is a big play waiting to happen and should be held onto.
-Was interesting to see Brandon Jacobs called on to convert on a goal-line carry and not Andre Brown who is more than capable there. Brown came back to earth some by rushing for 66 yards on 18 carries but he is the clear top runner which spells out RB 2 value.
-Three touchdowns by Marshawn Lynch Sunday as the guy just always finds a way to get into the end zone. Despite rushing for only 54 yards on 17 carries, Lynch scored twice running the football and once on a shovel pass from Russell Wilson. Wilson himself threw for two more scores and is actually moving close to top 7 or so territory this season.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
-Peyton Manning owners are in a perpetual state of holding their breath every time he gets hit due to the double ankle sprains that have taken some of the zip off his passes and make him an injury risk going forward. However Manning made it through just fine against the hard-hitting Kansas City Chiefs defense but wound up throwing for a season-low one TD. Still Manning threw for 323 yards and the TD total was fluky since the Broncos got in close on some throws that made running the right call. Just to show you the trends however with Manning, the owner of the Broncos QB in the Experts League suffered his first loss of the season which just so happened to coincide with his subpar TD total.
-There is no question Knowshon Moreno is the bellcow back in the Broncos offense which was reinforced by the 27 carries for 79 yards he achieved Sunday night. However in close Montee Ball got the call and the rookie successfully converted on both of his chances. This was a curveball no doubt for Moreno owners as the Georgia back has done just fine picking up the in-close scores himself all season which made Jack Del Rio's usage here puzzling. Be that as it may, coaches always fall back on things that work so Ball could be the goal-line specialist now which is a hit to Moreno's fantasy football value.
-Have to watch the concussion suffered by Wes Welker closely. Welker took his turn being the man in the Broncos passing attack Sunday by catching 8 balls for 72 yards. However Demaryuis Thomas was no slouch in picking up 123 receiving yards on five catchers. Eric Decker mopped it up with 5 grabs for 70. Decker figures to move up in value if Welker misses next week.
Speaking of injuries, Broncos tight end Julius Thomas is headed for testing on his injured knee after scoring yet another touchdown on his 3 catches for 43 yards. Thomas has been a dream find for fantasy football owners but this is the second time in three weeks we are talking about injuries here. Joel Dreesseen in the backup to own if Thomas is out.
-Dwayne Bowe put his DUI issue behind him for the game by catching 4 passes for 57 yards and a score. That was about all she wrote for the Chiefs offense as even Jamaal Charles didn't do too much in catching 2 passes and rushing for only 78 yards on 16 carries.
-Both Philip Rivers and Ryan Tannehill threw for a TD and an INT. Rivers has drastically slowed down since his big September. Meanwhile Ryan Matthews has picked up the slack in rushing for 127 yards on 19 carries and catching 2 balls. Truth be told Matthews has been really good since mid-October but we all know he can never be totally trusted.
-Speaking of slowing down, Keenan Allen is possibly hitting the rookie wall as injuries are piling up for him as well. Allen came in with only 3 catches for 45 yards before hitting the sidelines for good with a knee issue. Antonio Gates was left to himself to make plays in the passing attack but other than his one score, was mostly a non-factor. The entire Chargers passing offense is struggling, with the shoddy offensive line bearing a lot of the responsibility.
-No one is paying attention to the nice season put forth by Dolphins tight end Charles Clay who scored a TD while catching 6 passes for 90 yards Sunday. With Tannehill under constant duress, his most effective play has been to look for his tight end.
-The 49ers defense did a great job against Drew Brees. holding him to only 1 TD pass on 305 yards. Brees owners are spoiled rotten so no shedding tears for them. Colin Kaepernick meanwhile actually threw for two touchdowns but only 127 yards as Rob Ryan's defense has him on the run all day. Once again Kaepernick is grossly overrated which is what I warned about in the summer.
-The Kenny Stills show crashed and burned Sunday as he caught only 1 pass for 11 yards. Stills is not to be touched in PPR formats as he is a clear boom or bust guy whose value is solely determined on getting into the end zone each week. When he doesn't do so, there is not much to discuss.
-Finally some signs of life by Anquan Boldin who caught 6 passes for 56 yards and a TD. The Kaepernick struggles have had a huge effect on Boldin's value which is nothing more than a WR 3 now.
-Eddie Lacy had his first poor game since coming back from his concussion in October so we can't get on him too much for rushing for only 27 yards on 14 carries. He did score which helped save the day somewhat but Lacy had a tough go with the Giants stacking the box with Scott Tolzien at QB.
-Victor Cruz has been in the midst of his least effective season since coming into the league but he was a big time force Sunday by catching 8 passes for 110 yards. Still we want to see more scores. Hakeem Nicks too who has yet to hit paydirt this season.
-Jordy Nelson's fantasy football value seemed in peril with Aaron Rodgers out but he is getting by with Tolzien just fine after grabbing 8 passes for 117 yards. Even Jarrett Boykin is shockingly holding his value even with the return of James Jones as he caught 6 passes for 91 yards. Boykin is a big play waiting to happen and should be held onto.
-Was interesting to see Brandon Jacobs called on to convert on a goal-line carry and not Andre Brown who is more than capable there. Brown came back to earth some by rushing for 66 yards on 18 carries but he is the clear top runner which spells out RB 2 value.
-Three touchdowns by Marshawn Lynch Sunday as the guy just always finds a way to get into the end zone. Despite rushing for only 54 yards on 17 carries, Lynch scored twice running the football and once on a shovel pass from Russell Wilson. Wilson himself threw for two more scores and is actually moving close to top 7 or so territory this season.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 11 WRAPUP: 1:00 GAMES
Not as exciting a day as we have seen in the past in fantasy football parlance but there were some out of the blue performances to certainly take note of.
-E.J. Manuel was a guy from the start I told you all to take a flier on as your backup with upside but injuries curtailed the storyline for awhile. However now that he is back, Manuel is picking up where he left off in September with some solid but unspectacular starts. Manuel toyed with the New York Jets Sunday by throwing for 245 yards and 2 touchdowns. He remains a clear low end QB 2 in those type of formats at best but I stand my earlier assertion that 2014 is when Manuel will be worth looking into in a more prominent role.
-I love killing C.J. Spiller every week but I have to admit now I am getting bored with saying the same things. He rushed for only 6 yards on 13 carries which is an utter disgrace and continues a season-long struggle when he is the clear cut number 1 fantasy football bust. He absolutely can't be started right now but truth be told Fred Jackson was not much better with 32 yards on 12 carries.
-Marquise Goodwin came out of the shadows to catch 6 balls for 81 yards and a score. Goodwin was the featured Bills receiver as both Steve Johnson and Robert Woods were injured. It is likely Goodwin will go back to irrelevance. This is especially true when you consider the bad weather as already arrived in Buffalo and that means we are past the cutoff date where those who take part in the passing game on this team are not useful.
-Nice game for Chris Ivory in the middle of the disaster that were the Jets Sunday as he rushed for 98 yards and a score on only 15 carries. Same deal as before with Ivory as a RB 2 in standard formats.
-There you go Ray Rice!!!! Needless to say it has been a very trying year for fantasy football owners of Ray Rice who has dealt with a hip injury and drastically reduced numbers across the board. It had gotten so bad that Rice was being benched in more than a few leagues which is something I couldn't find fault with to a degree. However Rice gave us a reminder of how great he can be Sunday by rushing for 131 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown to go along with 3 catches for 17 yards. The fact Rice got so much work in a week leading up to the game where John Harbaugh said he would go with Bernard Pierce at times is telling. Obviously things are looking up finally.
-Alshon Jeffrey was the receiving star for the Bears in the wind and rain by catching 7 balls for 83 yards while Brandon Marshall came in with only 4 for 42. Jeffrey was open all game long while Marshall was dealing with Ravens CB Jimmy Graham.
-Matt Forte was quiet the last few weeks but he came back strong against the Ravens by rushing for 83 yards on 18 carries while also catching 5 balls for 42 yards and a score. No fears of wearing down yet despite the overall increase in work Forte is getting.
-Boy Andy Dalton is trying patience again. For the second week in a row Dalton was careless with the football as he tossed two picks early in the first half. However Dalton saves his day by throwing three touchdown passes which compensated for the turnovers and the horrid total of 93 yards passing. Dalton's terrific mid-October stretch was eye opening but is quickly being forgotten. Ultimately I still like Dalton a lot given his vast array of weapons but his turnovers are killing his bottom line.
-Ugh Jason Campbell showed why he has been a backup for so long. Three interceptions quickly changed the narrative on the guy after he played very well the last two weeks off the bench in place of Brandon Weeden.
-Basically if your star fantasy football receiver is going against Browns CB Joe Haden, you have trouble. Just check out the grand total of 2 catches for 7 yards compiled by A.J. Green Sunday. Haden picked off two passed headed toward Green early on in the game and completely shut him down. Green will obviously be fine but Haden is a true shutdown corner in ever sense of the word.
-Josh Gordon is so underrated it is scary. If he played on any other team with a good QB, the numbers could be staggering. He reminds me a lot of Dez Bryant the way he is so athletic and can come up with almost every pass tossed his way. Gordon caught 5 balls for 125 yards and 1 TD and is every bit a low end WR 1.
-Boy did LeSean McCoy fantasy football owners like yours truly go through the gamut of emotions Sunday. After seemingly sleepwalking through a terrible October, McCoy is back to being the best fantasy football back in the game as he rushed for 77 yards on 20 carries with 2 scores to go along with 4 catches for 73 more yards. In between McCoy gave us all heart attacks as he left the game with what was feared a hamstring injury. The walk to the locker room was sobering but soon McCoy was back out for the second half and all was right in the fantasy football world. The fact that Nick Foles has played so great the last month clearly has done nothing but open up running lanes for McCoy. In fact things went to the extreme the other way as Foles failed to throw for a touchdown but still has also yet to throw a pick.
-I wrote a small piece about how RG3 puts up more garbage time fantasy football points than anyone and that was true once again Sunday as he tossed two second half scores and the majority of his 264 yards. Hey however you want to get there is fine with us as long as the numbers add up.
-Alfred Morris was totally overshadowed by McCoy but he made it five straight games of good to great production by rushing for 93 yards on 22 carries.
-It was a tale of two halves for Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson as both men were on pace for record-breaking yardage totals respectively. Both men were shut down almost completely in the second half however which ultimately put a damper on what we thought would be monumental numbers. Stafford finished with 362 yards with 2 TD's and 1 INT while Johnson came in with 6 catches for 179 yards and 2 scores. Could have been more though.
-Reggie Bush took a seat due to fumbling issues. Truth be told September Bush has been pretty ordinary and is being lost in the shuffle with all the passing Detroit is doing. Bush finished with only 31 rushing yards on 12 carries while Joquie Bell came on in relief to score a TD and pick up 49 yards on 9 attempts. Bush is getting dangerously close to RB 3 status, especially in standard formats.
-Ben Roethlisberger has been locked in the last three weeks and had his best game of the season Sunday in tossing four touchdown passes with a total of 367 yards. While Big Ben has been very inconsistent form game to game during his entire career, start him while he is hot.
-Antonio Brown kept up the show Sunday in scoring two touchdowns on his 7 catches for 147 yards. The NFL's leading receptions wideout has been even better than anyone could have imagined.
-Heath Miller is likely sitting there on your wire waiting to get picked up. Miller is now at the point in his career where he is a boring fantasy football veteran but Roethlisberger loves him. He grabbed 8 passes for 67 yards on Sunday.
-Bobby Rainey anyone? The Browns castoff quickly seized control of the Buccaneer's starting running back job as rumbled for an insane 163 yards on 30 carries and 2 touchdowns while also catching 2 balls for 4 yards and a third score. I had Rainey in the ADD section in last week's ADD/DROP column and said if you had only one spot to use on your roster, use it on him and not Brian Leonard due to his bigger play ability. Obviously Rainey knows what he is doing running the football but the story is not longer a secret and the battle will be fierce to claim him off waivers this week.
-Tim Wright caught only one pass for the second week in a row so no need to stick with him. One bad game for an unproven guy is all right but two in a row means time to move on.
-Vincent Jackson seriously had no in between when it comes to his games. He either catches 2 balls for 15 yards or has a game like he did Sunday when he grabbed 10 balls for 165 yards and a score.
-Harry Douglas is a true breakout guy this season as he had another huge game Sunday in catching 6 balls for 134 yards and a score. Douglas has performed like a WR 1 since Julio Jones went out and he likely will cause Roddy White to get cut in the offseason.
-Carson Palmer has the Cardinals at 6-4 so he has been well worth the investment. Sunday was a big day for Palmer as he tossed for 419 yards and 2 scores with no turnovers. He has getting back to being useful in two-QB formats but play the matchups as when Palmer is bad, he is really bad.
-No reason to talk about the running games for both as Andre Ellington, Rashard Mendenhall, and Maurice Jones-Drew were all horrendous.
-Michael Floyd has hinted at big time ability in the past but not until Sunday did we really see it in spades. Floyd caught 6 passes for an extreme 193 yards and a touchdown Sunday and he should be included in your lineups for next week to see if he can build on that tremendous outing.
-Cecil Shorts popped off after the game after he grabbed only 2 balls for 22 yards. This was the second straight miserable outing for Shorts who complained about his place in the offense. I don't blame him as your best player should not be featured so poorly. Usually when situations like this arise, the player is huge the next week so give Shorts another game.
-All Case Keenum owners were banging their heads against the wall Sunday as Gary Kubiak inexplicably benched him for Matt Schaub despite the rookie playing just fine. Keenum has been very good since becoming the starter to the point where some fantasy football owners were using him as their number 1 guy. Kubiak claims he wanted better tempo which is why he went back to Schaub. This is now clearly one big mess and both guys should be ignored until it is ironed out. If Kubiak goes back to Schaub, run way.
-Andre Johnson owners had to be especially annoyed about Keenum hitting the bench since all five of his touchdowns had come with the kid under center. Johnson still was very good Sunday in catching 10 balls for 116 yards but if Schaub returns, than the TD outlook dims. Overall though as a big Johnson lover, the guy has been a stud all season and has fought through some injuries to stay out there every week.
-Matt McGloin was just the latest QB to come out of nowhere to perform well in his first start as he threw for three scores and 197 yards. Rod Streater was the beneficiary as he grabbed 6 balls for 84 yards and a score. Don't go running picking up McGloin as we have to see a whole lot more to even think of doing such a move.
-Garrett Graham has been solid in replacing Owen Daniels and Sunday was a big day as he caught 7 balls for 136 yards and a score. Graham is a solid tight end 1 to use for now and this is especially true if Schaub returns under center this week.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
-E.J. Manuel was a guy from the start I told you all to take a flier on as your backup with upside but injuries curtailed the storyline for awhile. However now that he is back, Manuel is picking up where he left off in September with some solid but unspectacular starts. Manuel toyed with the New York Jets Sunday by throwing for 245 yards and 2 touchdowns. He remains a clear low end QB 2 in those type of formats at best but I stand my earlier assertion that 2014 is when Manuel will be worth looking into in a more prominent role.
-I love killing C.J. Spiller every week but I have to admit now I am getting bored with saying the same things. He rushed for only 6 yards on 13 carries which is an utter disgrace and continues a season-long struggle when he is the clear cut number 1 fantasy football bust. He absolutely can't be started right now but truth be told Fred Jackson was not much better with 32 yards on 12 carries.
-Marquise Goodwin came out of the shadows to catch 6 balls for 81 yards and a score. Goodwin was the featured Bills receiver as both Steve Johnson and Robert Woods were injured. It is likely Goodwin will go back to irrelevance. This is especially true when you consider the bad weather as already arrived in Buffalo and that means we are past the cutoff date where those who take part in the passing game on this team are not useful.
-Nice game for Chris Ivory in the middle of the disaster that were the Jets Sunday as he rushed for 98 yards and a score on only 15 carries. Same deal as before with Ivory as a RB 2 in standard formats.
-There you go Ray Rice!!!! Needless to say it has been a very trying year for fantasy football owners of Ray Rice who has dealt with a hip injury and drastically reduced numbers across the board. It had gotten so bad that Rice was being benched in more than a few leagues which is something I couldn't find fault with to a degree. However Rice gave us a reminder of how great he can be Sunday by rushing for 131 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown to go along with 3 catches for 17 yards. The fact Rice got so much work in a week leading up to the game where John Harbaugh said he would go with Bernard Pierce at times is telling. Obviously things are looking up finally.
-Alshon Jeffrey was the receiving star for the Bears in the wind and rain by catching 7 balls for 83 yards while Brandon Marshall came in with only 4 for 42. Jeffrey was open all game long while Marshall was dealing with Ravens CB Jimmy Graham.
-Matt Forte was quiet the last few weeks but he came back strong against the Ravens by rushing for 83 yards on 18 carries while also catching 5 balls for 42 yards and a score. No fears of wearing down yet despite the overall increase in work Forte is getting.
-Boy Andy Dalton is trying patience again. For the second week in a row Dalton was careless with the football as he tossed two picks early in the first half. However Dalton saves his day by throwing three touchdown passes which compensated for the turnovers and the horrid total of 93 yards passing. Dalton's terrific mid-October stretch was eye opening but is quickly being forgotten. Ultimately I still like Dalton a lot given his vast array of weapons but his turnovers are killing his bottom line.
-Ugh Jason Campbell showed why he has been a backup for so long. Three interceptions quickly changed the narrative on the guy after he played very well the last two weeks off the bench in place of Brandon Weeden.
-Basically if your star fantasy football receiver is going against Browns CB Joe Haden, you have trouble. Just check out the grand total of 2 catches for 7 yards compiled by A.J. Green Sunday. Haden picked off two passed headed toward Green early on in the game and completely shut him down. Green will obviously be fine but Haden is a true shutdown corner in ever sense of the word.
-Josh Gordon is so underrated it is scary. If he played on any other team with a good QB, the numbers could be staggering. He reminds me a lot of Dez Bryant the way he is so athletic and can come up with almost every pass tossed his way. Gordon caught 5 balls for 125 yards and 1 TD and is every bit a low end WR 1.
-Boy did LeSean McCoy fantasy football owners like yours truly go through the gamut of emotions Sunday. After seemingly sleepwalking through a terrible October, McCoy is back to being the best fantasy football back in the game as he rushed for 77 yards on 20 carries with 2 scores to go along with 4 catches for 73 more yards. In between McCoy gave us all heart attacks as he left the game with what was feared a hamstring injury. The walk to the locker room was sobering but soon McCoy was back out for the second half and all was right in the fantasy football world. The fact that Nick Foles has played so great the last month clearly has done nothing but open up running lanes for McCoy. In fact things went to the extreme the other way as Foles failed to throw for a touchdown but still has also yet to throw a pick.
-I wrote a small piece about how RG3 puts up more garbage time fantasy football points than anyone and that was true once again Sunday as he tossed two second half scores and the majority of his 264 yards. Hey however you want to get there is fine with us as long as the numbers add up.
-Alfred Morris was totally overshadowed by McCoy but he made it five straight games of good to great production by rushing for 93 yards on 22 carries.
-It was a tale of two halves for Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson as both men were on pace for record-breaking yardage totals respectively. Both men were shut down almost completely in the second half however which ultimately put a damper on what we thought would be monumental numbers. Stafford finished with 362 yards with 2 TD's and 1 INT while Johnson came in with 6 catches for 179 yards and 2 scores. Could have been more though.
-Reggie Bush took a seat due to fumbling issues. Truth be told September Bush has been pretty ordinary and is being lost in the shuffle with all the passing Detroit is doing. Bush finished with only 31 rushing yards on 12 carries while Joquie Bell came on in relief to score a TD and pick up 49 yards on 9 attempts. Bush is getting dangerously close to RB 3 status, especially in standard formats.
-Ben Roethlisberger has been locked in the last three weeks and had his best game of the season Sunday in tossing four touchdown passes with a total of 367 yards. While Big Ben has been very inconsistent form game to game during his entire career, start him while he is hot.
-Antonio Brown kept up the show Sunday in scoring two touchdowns on his 7 catches for 147 yards. The NFL's leading receptions wideout has been even better than anyone could have imagined.
-Heath Miller is likely sitting there on your wire waiting to get picked up. Miller is now at the point in his career where he is a boring fantasy football veteran but Roethlisberger loves him. He grabbed 8 passes for 67 yards on Sunday.
-Bobby Rainey anyone? The Browns castoff quickly seized control of the Buccaneer's starting running back job as rumbled for an insane 163 yards on 30 carries and 2 touchdowns while also catching 2 balls for 4 yards and a third score. I had Rainey in the ADD section in last week's ADD/DROP column and said if you had only one spot to use on your roster, use it on him and not Brian Leonard due to his bigger play ability. Obviously Rainey knows what he is doing running the football but the story is not longer a secret and the battle will be fierce to claim him off waivers this week.
-Tim Wright caught only one pass for the second week in a row so no need to stick with him. One bad game for an unproven guy is all right but two in a row means time to move on.
-Vincent Jackson seriously had no in between when it comes to his games. He either catches 2 balls for 15 yards or has a game like he did Sunday when he grabbed 10 balls for 165 yards and a score.
-Harry Douglas is a true breakout guy this season as he had another huge game Sunday in catching 6 balls for 134 yards and a score. Douglas has performed like a WR 1 since Julio Jones went out and he likely will cause Roddy White to get cut in the offseason.
-Carson Palmer has the Cardinals at 6-4 so he has been well worth the investment. Sunday was a big day for Palmer as he tossed for 419 yards and 2 scores with no turnovers. He has getting back to being useful in two-QB formats but play the matchups as when Palmer is bad, he is really bad.
-No reason to talk about the running games for both as Andre Ellington, Rashard Mendenhall, and Maurice Jones-Drew were all horrendous.
-Michael Floyd has hinted at big time ability in the past but not until Sunday did we really see it in spades. Floyd caught 6 passes for an extreme 193 yards and a touchdown Sunday and he should be included in your lineups for next week to see if he can build on that tremendous outing.
-Cecil Shorts popped off after the game after he grabbed only 2 balls for 22 yards. This was the second straight miserable outing for Shorts who complained about his place in the offense. I don't blame him as your best player should not be featured so poorly. Usually when situations like this arise, the player is huge the next week so give Shorts another game.
-All Case Keenum owners were banging their heads against the wall Sunday as Gary Kubiak inexplicably benched him for Matt Schaub despite the rookie playing just fine. Keenum has been very good since becoming the starter to the point where some fantasy football owners were using him as their number 1 guy. Kubiak claims he wanted better tempo which is why he went back to Schaub. This is now clearly one big mess and both guys should be ignored until it is ironed out. If Kubiak goes back to Schaub, run way.
-Andre Johnson owners had to be especially annoyed about Keenum hitting the bench since all five of his touchdowns had come with the kid under center. Johnson still was very good Sunday in catching 10 balls for 116 yards but if Schaub returns, than the TD outlook dims. Overall though as a big Johnson lover, the guy has been a stud all season and has fought through some injuries to stay out there every week.
-Matt McGloin was just the latest QB to come out of nowhere to perform well in his first start as he threw for three scores and 197 yards. Rod Streater was the beneficiary as he grabbed 6 balls for 84 yards and a score. Don't go running picking up McGloin as we have to see a whole lot more to even think of doing such a move.
-Garrett Graham has been solid in replacing Owen Daniels and Sunday was a big day as he caught 7 balls for 136 yards and a score. Graham is a solid tight end 1 to use for now and this is especially true if Schaub returns under center this week.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 11 TIGHT END RANKINGS
Here are the fantasy football Week 11 tight end rankings based on opposing matchups.
1. Jimmy Graham
2. Rob Gronkowski
3. Julius Thomas
4. Jordan Reed
5. Antonio Gates
6. Jordan Cameron
7. Tony Gonzalez
8. Vernon Davis
9. Greg Olsen
10. Martellus Bennett
11. Tim Wright
12. Heath Miller
13. John Carlson
14. Charles Clay
15. Tyler Eifert
16. Scott Chandler
17. Garrett Graham
18. Zach Miller
19. Brandon Pettigrew
20. Robert Housler
21. Marcedes Lewis
22. Brent Celek
1. Jimmy Graham
2. Rob Gronkowski
3. Julius Thomas
4. Jordan Reed
5. Antonio Gates
6. Jordan Cameron
7. Tony Gonzalez
8. Vernon Davis
9. Greg Olsen
10. Martellus Bennett
11. Tim Wright
12. Heath Miller
13. John Carlson
14. Charles Clay
15. Tyler Eifert
16. Scott Chandler
17. Garrett Graham
18. Zach Miller
19. Brandon Pettigrew
20. Robert Housler
21. Marcedes Lewis
22. Brent Celek
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 11 WIDE RECEIVER RANKINGS
Here are the fantasy football Week 11 wide receiver rankings based on opposing matchups.
1. Calvin Johnson
2. Brandon Marshall
3. Demaryuis Thomas
4. Andre Johnson
5. A.J. Green
6. Wes Welker
7. Pierre Garcon
8. DeSean Jackson
9. Antonio Brown
10. Vincent Jackson
11. Victor Cruz
12. Keenan Allen
13. Eric Decker
14. Riley Cooper
15. Larry Fitzgerald
16. Golden Tate
17. Torrey Smith
18. Josh Gordon
19. Jordy Nelson
20. Alshon Jeffrey
21. Danny Amendola
22. Cecil Shorts
23. Steve Smith
24. Aaron Dobson
25. Marques Colston
26. Harry Douglas
27. DeAndre Hopkins
28. Mike Wallace
29. Dwayne Bowe
30. Reuben Randle
31. Roddy White
32. Hakeem Nicks
33. Anquan Boldin
34. Jarrett Boykin
35. Doug Baldwin
36. Emmanuel Sanders
37. Marvin Jones
38. Kenny Stills
39. Rishard Matthews
40. Lance Moore
1. Calvin Johnson
2. Brandon Marshall
3. Demaryuis Thomas
4. Andre Johnson
5. A.J. Green
6. Wes Welker
7. Pierre Garcon
8. DeSean Jackson
9. Antonio Brown
10. Vincent Jackson
11. Victor Cruz
12. Keenan Allen
13. Eric Decker
14. Riley Cooper
15. Larry Fitzgerald
16. Golden Tate
17. Torrey Smith
18. Josh Gordon
19. Jordy Nelson
20. Alshon Jeffrey
21. Danny Amendola
22. Cecil Shorts
23. Steve Smith
24. Aaron Dobson
25. Marques Colston
26. Harry Douglas
27. DeAndre Hopkins
28. Mike Wallace
29. Dwayne Bowe
30. Reuben Randle
31. Roddy White
32. Hakeem Nicks
33. Anquan Boldin
34. Jarrett Boykin
35. Doug Baldwin
36. Emmanuel Sanders
37. Marvin Jones
38. Kenny Stills
39. Rishard Matthews
40. Lance Moore
Saturday, November 16, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 11 RUNNING BACK RANKINGS
Here are the fantasy football Week 11 running back rankings based on opposing matchups.
1. Jamaal Charles
2. Marshawn Lynch
3. LeSean McCoy
4. Adrian Peterson
5. Knowshon Moreno
6. Reggie Bush
7. Matt Forte
8. Alfred Morris
9. Frank Gore
10. Andre Brown
11. Giovani Bernard
12. Eddie Lacy
13. Andre Ellington
14. Le'Veon Bell
15. Rashad Jennings
16. Ray Rice
17. Ryan Matthews
18. Stevan Ridley
19. Ben Tate
20. Chris Ivory
21. Danny Woodhead
22. Darren Sproles
23. Fred Jackson
24. Shane Vereen
25. Maurice Jones-Drew
26. C.J. Spiller
27. Steven Jackson
28. Lamar Miller
29. Brian Leonard
29. Pierre Thomas
30. Trent Richardson
31. DeAngelo Williams
32. Bobby Rainey
33. Rashard Mendenhall
34. Bernard Pierce
35. Joquie Bell
36. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
37. Montee Ball
38. James Starks
39. Daniel Thomas
40. Kendall Hunter
41. Jacquizz Rodgers
1. Jamaal Charles
2. Marshawn Lynch
3. LeSean McCoy
4. Adrian Peterson
5. Knowshon Moreno
6. Reggie Bush
7. Matt Forte
8. Alfred Morris
9. Frank Gore
10. Andre Brown
11. Giovani Bernard
12. Eddie Lacy
13. Andre Ellington
14. Le'Veon Bell
15. Rashad Jennings
16. Ray Rice
17. Ryan Matthews
18. Stevan Ridley
19. Ben Tate
20. Chris Ivory
21. Danny Woodhead
22. Darren Sproles
23. Fred Jackson
24. Shane Vereen
25. Maurice Jones-Drew
26. C.J. Spiller
27. Steven Jackson
28. Lamar Miller
29. Brian Leonard
29. Pierre Thomas
30. Trent Richardson
31. DeAngelo Williams
32. Bobby Rainey
33. Rashard Mendenhall
34. Bernard Pierce
35. Joquie Bell
36. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
37. Montee Ball
38. James Starks
39. Daniel Thomas
40. Kendall Hunter
41. Jacquizz Rodgers
Friday, November 15, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 11 QB RANKINGS
Here are the fantasy football Week 1 QB rankings based on opposing matchups.
1. Peyton Manning
2. Drew Brees
3. Nick Foles
4. Matthew Stafford
5. Russell Wilson
6. Robert Griffin III
7. Cam Newton
8. Philip Rivers
9. Case Keenum
10. Tom Brady
11. Ben Roethlisberger
12. Andy Dalton
13. Josh McCown
14. Matt Ryan
15. Colin Kaepernick
16. Carson Palmer
17. Mike Glennon
19. Alex Smith
20. Eli Manning
21. Joe Flacco
22. Ryan Tannehill
23. Jason Campbell
24. Geno Smith
25. Terrell Pryor
26. E.J. Manuel
27. Scott Tolzien
1. Peyton Manning
2. Drew Brees
3. Nick Foles
4. Matthew Stafford
5. Russell Wilson
6. Robert Griffin III
7. Cam Newton
8. Philip Rivers
9. Case Keenum
10. Tom Brady
11. Ben Roethlisberger
12. Andy Dalton
13. Josh McCown
14. Matt Ryan
15. Colin Kaepernick
16. Carson Palmer
17. Mike Glennon
19. Alex Smith
20. Eli Manning
21. Joe Flacco
22. Ryan Tannehill
23. Jason Campbell
24. Geno Smith
25. Terrell Pryor
26. E.J. Manuel
27. Scott Tolzien
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 11 THURSDAY WRAPUP: COLTS/TITANS
It was the battle of the tight ends last night as fantasy football Week 11 kicked off with a game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans. Let's take a look at the newsworthy items coming out of the game.
-Boy was it ever the battle of the tight ends last night and one that centered on two guys who are not universally owned or respected in fantasy football terms. Thursday night's game might be changing some of those negative opinions however based on the numbers put up both by Coby Fleener and Delanie Walker. Both guys saw ownership rates that were mediocre at best but both have hinted on more than a few occasions of big time potential if they could ever find some consistency with their quarterbacks. It all came together last night however as Fleener grabbed 8 passes for 107 yards while Walker checked in with 10 grabs for 91 yards and a score. Fleener of course is the former second round pick and fellow Stanford alum like his QB Andrew Luck whose rookie season and early 2013 numbers left a lot to be desired. However the injury to fellow tight end Dwayne Allen opened the door for Fleener to make the starting job his own which he has more than done the last few weeks. Fleener can now be fully trusted as an every week fantasy football tight end, specially since Luck has to continually look his way due to the horrid Colts offensive line not giving him chances or the time to throw downfield.
As far as Walker is concerned, the guy has always had skills. Unfortunately he was overshadowed playing behind Pro Bowler Vernon Davis in San Francisco but got a fresh chance to shine with the Titans. What is interesting here is the fact that when Jake Locker was under center, Walker was not as effective. Locker liked to throw downfield as opposed to Ryan Fitzpatrick who has a long history of checking to safer throws like to his tight end. The result is what you saw last night as Fitzpatrick had Walker zeroed in from the start. Walker too can now be trusted as an every week fantasy football tight end with Fitzpatrick now the starter the rest of the season.
-As far as both QB's are concerned, Luck failed to hit the board in the touchdown department which continues a season-long pattern of fluctuating numbers. Luck is just too talented to not be on a 25-30 TD pace but the ongoing issues with the line and some head-scratching play calling are combining to stunt his growth. Needless to say all Luck fantasy football owners can agree that they haven't gotten nearly what they expected out of him this season.
Fitzpatrick meanwhile threw a late TD to Walker and passed for 222 yards total. There is also some sneaky speed here as well in an Aaron Rodgers sense. He won't rack up the rushing yards but Fitzpatrick will be a help there. Those in two-QB formats should absolutely give the veteran a long look as Fitzpatrick has had some nice moments in his career.
-The elevator pointed up this week for Chris Johnson who was a beast early in scoring two first half touchdowns. Overall Johnson rushed for 86 yards on 17 carries while also catching one pass. Not the best line we have ever seen but the two touchdowns more than made his day profitable.
Meanwhile it is looking more and more like old veteran Donald Brown has supplanted the awful Trent Richardson as the Colts' starting running back. Brown rushed for 80 yards on only 14 carries while scoring TWO touchdowns. This as opposed to Richardson who rushed for only 22 yards on 8 carries. I suggested to Richardson owners to cut the guy last week. Last night's game should have reinforced that notion even more. Brown on the other hand should be picked up as he is playing better than he ever has and scoring touchdowns.
-Kendall Wright has quietly been a very productive fantasy football receiver since coming into the NFL out of Baylor last season. He caught 9 balls for 80 yards last night and now has a total of 59 receptions. Solid WR 3. On the other side all we got out of the wide receiving corps was T.Y. Hilton grabbing 5 passes for 44 yards.
There you have it. As always let us hear your thoughts.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL RUNNING BACK HOT ZONE: RAY RICE TO SHARE WORK WITH BERNARD PIERCE
As always Wednesday means its time for Fantasy Football Running Back Hot Zone where we look at all the latest news coming out of the position.
LEVEL 4
Ray Rice-Bernard Pierce: It has been a beyond dreadful season for Baltimore Ravens RB Ray Rice who at one time was a top 2 pick in fantasy football terms. An early hip injury and possibly the effects of a heavy workload on a smallish frame that conspired to sent Rice's numbers plummeting to an average of only 2.5 per carry and 289 rushing yards total. The 33 receptions are nice but Rice has scored only 3 total touchdowns. No brings words from head coach John Harbaugh that he will go with the "hot hand" between Rice and Bernard Pierce going forward. That is a huge statement for Harbaugh to make considering how bright Rice's star has shined in the recent past. Those who own Rice are likely benching him right now anyway and this news is not going to change things much going forward. Just a mess all the way around with this.
Brian Leonard-Bobby Rainey: Both Leonard and Rainey will split carries in replacing both Doug Martin and than Mike James. Leonard is a boring veteran who has never done much of anything in his career, while Rainey offers some upside. The team will likely give more work to Rainey if he can get off to a quick start.
LEVEL 2
Pierre Thomas-Mark Ingram: Many took notice over the out of leftfield big game by previously shunned Mark Ingram Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys. Ingram ran the football like never before and it could have earned him a longer look going forward at the expense of Pierre Thomas. Thomas has not been great despite his ability to convert red zone carries so this could be a fluid situation once again the rest of the season.
Stevan Ridley-Shane Vereen: A few weeks ago we would have strongly recommended Vereen as a big time replacement for the struggling Ridley. Putting his fumble issues aside, Ridley has been very good the last month and thus has likely pushed Vereen back into his part-time role where he factors more on third down in the passing game.
There you have it. As always let us hear what you think.
LEVEL 4
Ray Rice-Bernard Pierce: It has been a beyond dreadful season for Baltimore Ravens RB Ray Rice who at one time was a top 2 pick in fantasy football terms. An early hip injury and possibly the effects of a heavy workload on a smallish frame that conspired to sent Rice's numbers plummeting to an average of only 2.5 per carry and 289 rushing yards total. The 33 receptions are nice but Rice has scored only 3 total touchdowns. No brings words from head coach John Harbaugh that he will go with the "hot hand" between Rice and Bernard Pierce going forward. That is a huge statement for Harbaugh to make considering how bright Rice's star has shined in the recent past. Those who own Rice are likely benching him right now anyway and this news is not going to change things much going forward. Just a mess all the way around with this.
Brian Leonard-Bobby Rainey: Both Leonard and Rainey will split carries in replacing both Doug Martin and than Mike James. Leonard is a boring veteran who has never done much of anything in his career, while Rainey offers some upside. The team will likely give more work to Rainey if he can get off to a quick start.
LEVEL 2
Pierre Thomas-Mark Ingram: Many took notice over the out of leftfield big game by previously shunned Mark Ingram Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys. Ingram ran the football like never before and it could have earned him a longer look going forward at the expense of Pierre Thomas. Thomas has not been great despite his ability to convert red zone carries so this could be a fluid situation once again the rest of the season.
Stevan Ridley-Shane Vereen: A few weeks ago we would have strongly recommended Vereen as a big time replacement for the struggling Ridley. Putting his fumble issues aside, Ridley has been very good the last month and thus has likely pushed Vereen back into his part-time role where he factors more on third down in the passing game.
There you have it. As always let us hear what you think.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL MONDAY WRAPUP: BUC'S/DOLPHINS
It was the battle of Florida or simply the battle of two bad teams. However you chose to look at the conclusion of fantasy football Week 10. Let's take a look at the storylines coming out of the game.
-Nothing much happening with the QB's as expected. Ryan Tannehill did throw for two touchdowns and 229 yards but he has not been a viable fantasy football option all season, especially given the horrid line he plays behind. Than there is Mike Glennon who didn't have one of his best games in throwing for only 139 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Truth be told I have liked what I have seen out of Glennon so far and will recommend him as a QB-2 sleeper for next season.
-It was a great start for rookie RB Mike James who gained 41 yards on only 5 carries during the team's opening drive. However James fractured his right ankle and is likely finished for the season as he should join Doug Martin on IR. That left the heavy running to Brian Leonard who did the best he could in gaining 57 yards on 20 carries. Bobby Rainey is the one to watch going forward however as he ran 8 times for 45 yards and a score. With Leonard nothing but a journeyman with no upside, Rainey should get the chance to be the prime runner going forward.
-We all knew Lamar Miller was a gigantic bust but how about this line? 2 rushing yards on 7 carries. Come again? An already horrid Dolphins offensive line is even worse now that Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin are out and so if you haven't already dumped Miller, get to it already.
-Talk about coming out of nowhere. Second-year man Rishard Mathews caught 11 balls for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns out of the clear blue sky Monday night. With Mike Wallace on Revis Island (4 catches for 15 yards in a continuing horrendous season), Matthews shone out of the slot. Brian Hartline was solid himself with 5 catches for 57 yards. I wouldn't overreact to the Matthews game. The Dolphins are not exactly the Saints when it comes to throwing the football. Matthews also remains third on the depth chart behind Hartline and Wallace.
-Second spotty game in a row for Vincent Jackson owners to digest as he caught only 3 balls for 28 yards. Clearly Jackson owners would not agree with me about how I like how Glennon is playing. Meanwhile Tim Wright was a gigantic bust himself with only 1 catch for 19 yards. It really was not the night for the Buc's passing game no matter how you slice it.
There you have it. Let us hear some of your thoughts.
Monday, November 11, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 10 INJURY REPORT: JAKE LOCKER DONE FOR 2013
As always there are plenty of injury notes worth discussing as fantasy football Week 10 is pretty much in the books.
-The biggest news Sunday came before kickoff as it was revealed Houston Texans star RB Arian Foster would be going on IR after needing back surgery. The move finishes off Foster for the remainder of the 2013 fantasy football season and left his owners in a bad spot with the playoff weeks approaching. Ben Tate steps in as the starter but he is far from a proven commodity in a full-time role despite some nice work in the past spelling Foster. I called it in the preseason when it came to the risks of drafting Foster whose average per carry sank in 2012 which is usually an indicator of trouble ahead. Throw in all the carries Foster has had the last five seasons and the risk grew even more. Foster's days as a top pick are finished.
-Jake Locker likely played his last game in a Tennessee Titans uniform as he is done for 2013 after injuring his foot which will need surgery. Locker suffered the dreaded Lisfranc sprain and so Ryan Fitzpatrick is the starter the rest of the way. Fitzpatrick played well in relieving Locker Sunday by throwing for two touchdowns and running for another but he is only for two-QB formats. This was supposed to be a make-or-break year for Locker in Tennessee and given what we have seen, he will likely be forced to move on.
-Jay Cutler didn't even make it through four quarters in his return from a groin injury. This time an ankle injury finished his day earlier as backup Josh McCown came on in relief. Cutler suffered the dreaded high ankle sprain which will sideline him for "a few weeks" according to a source. McCown has done well in Cutler's place but depending on him as your fantasy football starter is iffy.
-Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning is walking around with two sprained ankles but he is set to start in Week 11. Manning stayed down for a few seconds after a late fourth quarter hit but finished the game. The risk is growing about Manning but for now he is all right in the short-term.
-Vernon Davis suffered a concussion early Sunday which finished his day after only one reception. Vance McDonald is the backup and he could be worth a look due to his ability to catch the football. Concussion are always at least a 50/50 deal with regards to coming back the next week so Davis owners should start preparing for a backup.
-Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez suffered a toe injury Sunday on his left foot that had him limping in the locker room. Gonzalez is headed for tests and was noncommittal about his status for next week. The All Pro has clearly suffered with the absence of Julio Jones as far as drawing defenders away from him.
-Buffalo Bills WR Steve Johnson suffered a groin injury Sunday and he says he is "unsure" about playing next week. Johnson has been up and down this season due to the chaotic QB play for the Bills.
-Oakland Raiders QB Terrell Pryor sprained an MCL and his status for next week is not good. Pryor did finish the loss to the New York Giants but admitted he was hurting.
-Arizona Cardinals WR Michael Floyd suffered a sprain shoulder that finished him early Sunday but head coach Bruce Arians thinks he will be good to go for next week.
There you have it. Let's hear your injury stories.
-The biggest news Sunday came before kickoff as it was revealed Houston Texans star RB Arian Foster would be going on IR after needing back surgery. The move finishes off Foster for the remainder of the 2013 fantasy football season and left his owners in a bad spot with the playoff weeks approaching. Ben Tate steps in as the starter but he is far from a proven commodity in a full-time role despite some nice work in the past spelling Foster. I called it in the preseason when it came to the risks of drafting Foster whose average per carry sank in 2012 which is usually an indicator of trouble ahead. Throw in all the carries Foster has had the last five seasons and the risk grew even more. Foster's days as a top pick are finished.
-Jake Locker likely played his last game in a Tennessee Titans uniform as he is done for 2013 after injuring his foot which will need surgery. Locker suffered the dreaded Lisfranc sprain and so Ryan Fitzpatrick is the starter the rest of the way. Fitzpatrick played well in relieving Locker Sunday by throwing for two touchdowns and running for another but he is only for two-QB formats. This was supposed to be a make-or-break year for Locker in Tennessee and given what we have seen, he will likely be forced to move on.
-Jay Cutler didn't even make it through four quarters in his return from a groin injury. This time an ankle injury finished his day earlier as backup Josh McCown came on in relief. Cutler suffered the dreaded high ankle sprain which will sideline him for "a few weeks" according to a source. McCown has done well in Cutler's place but depending on him as your fantasy football starter is iffy.
-Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning is walking around with two sprained ankles but he is set to start in Week 11. Manning stayed down for a few seconds after a late fourth quarter hit but finished the game. The risk is growing about Manning but for now he is all right in the short-term.
-Vernon Davis suffered a concussion early Sunday which finished his day after only one reception. Vance McDonald is the backup and he could be worth a look due to his ability to catch the football. Concussion are always at least a 50/50 deal with regards to coming back the next week so Davis owners should start preparing for a backup.
-Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez suffered a toe injury Sunday on his left foot that had him limping in the locker room. Gonzalez is headed for tests and was noncommittal about his status for next week. The All Pro has clearly suffered with the absence of Julio Jones as far as drawing defenders away from him.
-Buffalo Bills WR Steve Johnson suffered a groin injury Sunday and he says he is "unsure" about playing next week. Johnson has been up and down this season due to the chaotic QB play for the Bills.
-Oakland Raiders QB Terrell Pryor sprained an MCL and his status for next week is not good. Pryor did finish the loss to the New York Giants but admitted he was hurting.
-Arizona Cardinals WR Michael Floyd suffered a sprain shoulder that finished him early Sunday but head coach Bruce Arians thinks he will be good to go for next week.
There you have it. Let's hear your injury stories.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 10 WRAPUP: 4:00 GAMES AND LATER
Let's finish off fantasy football Week 10 Sunday by taking a closer look at all of the news coming out of the 4:00 games and later.
-If we were all given truth serum, we could admit that besides Peyton Manning, the one player you fear playing against the most in a fantasy football matchup is Saints QB Drew Brees. The guy has put up staggering numbers the last five seasons-plus now and only seems to be getting better as he ages. Brees was at it again Sunday night in toying with the Dallas Cowboys to the tune of four touchdown passes and 392 flawless yards. While we are always amazed at these type of games by Brees, we also are used to them which is crazy to say.
On the other side Tony Romo let his owners down royally in a game where at least two touchdowns was predicted given the likelihood of a shootout. Well the Saints defense has improved by leaps and bounds as Romo threw for only 128 yards and 1 touchdown. The Saints came up and put points on the board so quickly that Romo was forced to throw on almost every down which is never easy for any QB. The Dallas offensive line was beyond rough in this one as well since Romo was under siege almost from the start.
-As soon as the Cowboys fell behind so quickly late in the first quarter, it was lights out for DeMarco Murray who was not allowed to build on a big start. Almost all of Murray's 89 yards on 16 carries resulted on his scoring drive in the first quarter. After that pretty much nothing. Another tease by Murray who has always been a potent runner but those propensity for injuries and the Dallas heavy passing attack conspiring to retard his potential.
-How about Mark Ingram's 145 rushing yards and 1 score. As they say every dog has his day. No one had Ingram in their lineup as he was pretty much collecting dust on the bench but since the Saints wanted to run out the clock, got pressed into action. In Ingram's defense he did make the opportunity work for him as he ran probably as good as ever. Still Pierre Thomas averaged more than 5.0 yards a carry as well while scoring so he will continue to be the main runner. In addition Darren Sproles remains one of the best weapons out of the backfield with 7 catches for 107 yards and a TD. Sproles also contributed a rare rushing touchdown on his five carries. Great stuff all the way around for a unit that often gets overlooked.
-Kenny Stills never wows you with his raw receptions numbers but he certainly makes them count in a James Jones kind of way. Stills grabbed 3 balls for 75 yards and a score. Meanwhile Marques Colston returned to action by catching 7 passes for 107 yards and a score of his own in his best game of the season. Good signs here for Coltson and his fantasy football owners as he was pretty horrendous even before missing a game with a knee injury. Maybe he is feeling good finally as the numbers indicated.
-Only 1 catch for 44 yards by Dez Bryant. Surprised he didn't start attacking everyone on the Dallas sidelines. It was one big horror show for the Dallas receivers as Jason Witten disturbingly went back into his shell with only 2 catches for 27 yards, while Terrance Williams made the most of his only catch by scoring. Williams has really slumped the last three games and as an owner, I have moved on by planting him on the bench. As far as Witten goes, he is in the midst of his worst season since he was a rookie. He is aging and has been beat up a lot but clearly the numbers should be better.
-Typical defensive battle between Carolina and San Francisco so it was no shock to see both Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick struggle. Neither guy threw a touchdown pass and each tossed a pick. Kaepernick is now squarely one of the most overrated players in fantasy football. This is why you got to give it two seasons before totally buying into a breakout.
-Really not much else to speak of between Carolina and San Francisco. Steve Smith caught 6 passes for 63 yards. Anquan Boldin has slumped right along with Kaepernick as he has been a non-factor since the first month of the season. Boldin caught only 3 balls for 23 yards. Finally Mario Manningham returned by catching 3 balls for 30 yards. Manningham has the ability to make some big plays but no one on the 49ers scares me outside of Frank Gore. Keep an eye by the way on Vernon Davis who suffered a head injury after catching only 1 pass for 2 yards. It is games such as Davis' that can ruin a fantasy football week.
-You got to love Houston's Case Keenum. I know Andre Johnson does. After not catching a single touchdown pass in the previous 8 weeks before Keenum took over under center, Johnson has now scored five touchdowns during the last two games as he added two Sunday on 5 grabs for 37 yards. Keenum is a pure gunslinger who hasn't met a throw he felt he couldn't make. What is really amazing is that the rookie is not turning it over as he threw for three more touchdowns Sunday among his 201 yards. Ride Keenum for the time being until he cools off. If he cools off.
-Ben Tate was not up to challenge replacing the IR'd Arian Foster as he rushed for only 56 yards on 15 carries. Tate is the main guy the rest of the way so give him another week on that aspect alone but so far we are not wowed.
-How annoying that Rashard Mendenhall got two more carries than Andre Ellington. It almost cost Bruce Arians as Mendenhall lost a late fumble. What happened to Ellington being guaranteed 20 touches? Ridiculous. If this farce continues, Ellington goes back to RB 3 status.
-I am starting to think Larry Fitzgerald has lost a step. Yet another poor game Sunday as he caught only 3 passes for 23 yards and no scores. Love the guy but this is now three years in a row of subpar work.
-Same old, same old for Peyton Manning who tossed four touchdowns against the awful Chargers defense. All Manning owners were holding their breaths late in the game though when Manning grabbed his ankle after a sack. Manning has two sprained ankles which is a red flag to worry about as one big hit there could be serious trouble. Making this more concerning is that Manning is reportedly going for an MRI to check them out. While it is not hold your breath time yet, there is legitimate concern that the ankles could get worse.
-Demaryuis Thomas owned the day for the Broncos receiving crops as he caught 7 balls for 108 yards and 3 huge touchdowns. It is a different guy every week but overall Thomas has the best numbers, especially after Wes Welker caught only 3 for 21 in the game. Eric Decker is third in this pecking order or maybe even fourth to Julius Thomas. Decker caught 3 for 52 while Thomas made a nice return from an ankle injury by catching 3 for 96 yards and a score. Thomas never goes nuts in raw receptions but he is now up to 9 scores in a huge season for the tight end.
-Both Keenan Allen and Antonio Gates caught four passes to lead San Diego but neither scored.
-I bet you didn't know Danny Woodhead has 53 catches on the season. Woodhead has been PPR gold with few paying attention. Reminds me of Larry Centers.
There you have it. Let's hear some thoughts on these games.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 10 WRAPUP: 1:00 GAMES
What a day in fantasy football Week 10. Some crazy performances to take a look at once again so let's focus right in on the 1:00 games.
-Of course Russell Wilson did not throw for 300 yards. He never does and you know that. However 2 more passing touchdowns as Wilson ups his season total to 15 with only 6 INT's. And that doesn't take into account the very underrated contributions he makes in the running game. I am a full convert.
-On one carry Sunday Marshawn Lynch almost carried the entire Falcons defense on his back. Thus the 145 rushing yards on 24 carries and one TD should not be a surprise. It really is amazing how great Lynch has become after it looked like his career was headed for a premature death during his stay with Buffalo. Right there with Matt Forte and Jamaal Charles as the most consistently productive fantasy football runner in the game this season.
-Boy am I glad I got out from under Matt Ryan when I did. As soon as the word came down that Julio Jones was done for the season, I got right to work in finding a taker for Ryan whose numbers were great to that point but were headed for a sharp downfall as a result of his receiver corps being decimated. While Ryan didn't add to the 7 picks he threw combined the previous two weeks, he did only manage one late garbage time score and 172 yards. Yes Roddy White came back but he caught all of one ball which showed you how rusty he is. Not good at all here.
-Golden Tate was another guy who took some time to find his footing at the NFL level. Clearly though Tate has taken advantage of the need for a number 1 wideout in the Seattle passing offense as he once again had a big game Sunday with 6 catches for 106 yards and a crazy good score (check it out on YouTube). Percy Harvin looms in Week 11 which is the only worry at this point.
-Tony Gonzalez doesn't stand a chance right now with all the double-teams all game long. Caught only 3 balls Sunday for 29 yards and he pretty much has been a non-factor since Jones went out. This could be a rough ending to one of the best player in NFL history.
-Matthew Stafford continued his huge season by throwing for three more touchdowns Sunday among his 219 yards. There is a not a throw the guy can't make and my prediction of Stafford being the QB value play of the season has more than come through.
-Jay Cutler couldn't finish up his first game back from the groin injury, exiting late in the fourth with a leg issue. Threw for only one score and 250 yards before he came out. Josh McCown jumped right off the bench and threw a late TD to Brandon Marshall. Speaking of Marshall, he and Alshon Jeffrey were unstoppable Sunday. Jeffrey grabbed 9 passes for 114 yards while Marshall caught 7 balls for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns. Clearly the Bears have the best pair of wideouts in fantasy football. While we would love to continue seeing Cutler throwing deep to Marshall and Jeffrey, McCown has done nothing but good things when he has played.
-Reggie Bush needed only 14 carries to rush for 105 yards but overall Bush has not been much of a help since October began.
-Rare off game for Matt Forte who rushed for 33 yards on 17 carries but as usual he did some things in the passing game for those in PPR by catching 4 passes for 16 yards.
-The Nick Foles Show continued Sunday as he threw for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns. That's now 16 TD's and ZERO INT's for Foles as the Eagles clearly have their QB for now and the future. Hope you were lucky enough to nab him on waivers.
-Finally the September LeSean McCoy re-appeared. McCoy rushed for 155 yards on 25 carries. Great sign and after Foles went nuts last week, I correctly surmised McCoy would get more room to run since opposing defenses would have to respect the pass more.
-Riley Cooper is really becoming a major player with Foles under center as he made it two games in a row where he caught at least two touchdowns. Cooper hit paydirt twice Sunday among his 3 catches for 102 yards. Not enough raw catches for Cooper to be a PPR guy but those in standard formats are liking how this is turning out.
-With James Jones back I told you all to cut loose Jarrett Boykin, especially with Aaron Rodgers out. Well Boykin made a fool out of me by catching 8 balls for 112 yards. The QB situation is still nutty but maybe I jumped the gun on pushing Boykin aside.
-Ryan Fitzpatrick is the classic backup QB who always seems to come in with energy and put up some numbers but over the course of a season starting, he gets exposed. Well Fitzpatrick played well in replacing Jake Locker who is likely done for the season and possibly his Titans career with a foot injury. The Harvard grad threw for 2 TD's and 264 yards while also adding a third score on the ground. Those who play in two-QB leagues might want to look here if need be as Fitzpatrick has some decent enough weapons.
-Back to mediocrity for Chris Johnson who rushed for only 30 yards on 12 carries. Against Jacksonville. Ugh. Back to the fantasy football bench we go.
-Washout game for Cecil Shorts owners as he got only 2 catches for yards. No reason to get nervous that the absence of Justin Blackmon hurt Shorts as the latter put up numbers even when the former was serving his first suspension.
-Wow Andrew Luck owners got screwed Sunday. How Luck managed to throw three INT's against the Rams with only 1 TD is a mystery unto itself. Truth be told Luck has not had that awesome breakout we all anticipated. There has been a lot of talk about the offensive plan not allowing Luck to throw it downfield much which is true to a point but the offense has looked out of sync. Blame the ineffective running game no matter who is back there. Trent Richardson? Rushed for a grand total of 2 yards on 5 carries. He is absolute garbage and should be cut loose. I am not even joking. Forget the name value. The guy plain stinks. The Colts got completely fleeced by the Richardson deal.
-I discussed Tavon Austin in its own piece so I won't go into it too much again and repeat myself. Great game no doubt but Austin scored both of his receiving touchdowns on the only two balls he caught. Don't overreact to this as Kellen Clemens is still at QB and Austin was not used on the majority of snaps.
-Zac Stacy added yet another rushing score. Only picked up 62 yards on 26 carries which is obviously not a great average but the rushing TD keeps him as one of the best values of the season.
-Wish I could have gotten my hands on T.Y. Hilton. As quiet as he was earlier in the season as the coaching staff stupidly had him behind Darrius Heyward-Bey, Hilton is more than making up for it now by exploding everytime he touches the football. Hilton caught 7 balls Sunday for 130 yards as he remains a threat to take it to the house any time he touches the football.
-More of the same garbage from Terrell Pryor Sunday as he threw his obligatory INT and only 122 passing yards. He should be rotting on your league's waiver wire.
-Told you all TWO Weeks ago to pick up Andre Brown is a pre-strike move before he busted out. Well he took only one game to literally hit the ground running in rumbling for 115 yards and a TD on 30 carries. He won't catch many passes but Brown showed last season in rushing for 11 scores how quietly potent he could be on the ground. Peyton Hillis we hardly knew you.
-Quiet day for Giants receivers as Victor Cruz caught only 3 balls for 37 yards and Hakeem Nicks 4 for 49.
-Ben Roethlisberger is an idiot. Just wanted to get that out of the way. With the team struggling for the first time in years he reportedly popped off about asking for a trade at the end of the season. Threw for 204 yards with a score and an INT Sunday. Only for two-QB formats.
-Antonio Brown has been even better than I thought he would and I was on record saying he was a prime fantasy football sleeper coming into the season. Brown leads the NFL in receptions as he added 6 more for 104 yards Sunday. Once again though Jerricho Cotchery was the red zone target as he caught his third touchdown in two weeks.
-C.J. Spiller still sucks. As great as the numbers looked last week, I noted that Spiller's great athleticism almost guarantees a game or two like that at some point but that overall he would continue to struggle. Enter the 23 yards on 8 carries Sunday. Never easy with this guy.
-It was the Good and Bad Andy Dalton show Sunday as he threw for two touchdowns and 274 yards but also was picked off three times. The Hail Mary made good to A.J. Green saved the day but this is the second week in a row Dalton has struggled after being arguably the best QB in the NFL for a three-week stretch in October. I wouldn't worry too much as Dalton has way too many weapons to continue on the rough path.
As far as Green was concerned, he had a grand total of 1 catch for 7 yards in the first half but helped by the Hail Mary, finished with 8 catches for 151 yards and the score.
-Giovani Bernard is going to be a first round pick next season. Write it down. The LeSean McCoy clone rushed for 58 yards on 14 carries while also catching 8 passes for 37 yards and a score. The kid has terrific athletic ability and is looking like the next big star which I talked about last summer.
-Ray Rice? Only 30 yards on 18 carries. As a Rice owner, I will tell you that he is glued to my bench right now. Can't play a guy who is producing such terrible stats.
There you have it. As always I welcome your thoughts.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 10 TIGHT END RANKINGS
Here are the fantasy football Week 10 tight end rankings based on opposing matchups.
1. Jimmy Graham
2. Antonio Gates
3. Vernon Davis
4. Julius Thomas
5. Jason Witten
6. Tony Gonzalez
7. Martellus Bennett
8. Tim Wright
9. Garrett Graham
10. Greg Olsen
11. Coby Fleener
12. Heath Miller
13. Charles Clay
14. Tyler Eifert
15. Brandon Pettigrew
16. Scott Chandler
17. Delanie Walker
18. Zach Miller
19. Jared Cook
20. Zach Ertz
21. Brandon Myers
22. Brent Celek
23. Jermaine Gresham
24. Andrew Quarless
1. Jimmy Graham
2. Antonio Gates
3. Vernon Davis
4. Julius Thomas
5. Jason Witten
6. Tony Gonzalez
7. Martellus Bennett
8. Tim Wright
9. Garrett Graham
10. Greg Olsen
11. Coby Fleener
12. Heath Miller
13. Charles Clay
14. Tyler Eifert
15. Brandon Pettigrew
16. Scott Chandler
17. Delanie Walker
18. Zach Miller
19. Jared Cook
20. Zach Ertz
21. Brandon Myers
22. Brent Celek
23. Jermaine Gresham
24. Andrew Quarless
Saturday, November 9, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 10 WIDE RECEIVER RANKINGS
Here are the Week 10 fantasy football wide receiver rankings based on opposing matchups.
1. Calvin Johnson
2. A.J. Green
3. Dez Bryant
4. Brandon Marshall
5. Demaryuis Thomas
6. Wes Welker
7. Keenan Allen
8. Antonio Brown
9. Andre Johnson
10. DeSean Jackson
11. Vincent Jackson
12. Victor Cruz
13. Eric Decker
14. Cecil Shorts
15. Larry Fitzgerald
16. Jordy Nelson
17. Torrey Smith
18. Riley Cooper
19. Alshon Jeffrey
20. Hakeem Nicks
21. Golden Tate
22. Terrance Williams
23. Steve Smith
24. Harry Douglas
25. Denarius Moore
26. Kendall Wright
27. Marvin Jones
28. Lance Moore
29. Reuben Randle
30. Mike Wallace
31. Steve Johnson
32. Kenny Stills
33. Emmanuel Sanders
34. Doug Baldwin
35. Marques Colston
36. Anquan Boldin
37. DeAndre Hopkins
38. James Jones
39. Michael Floyd
40. Roddy White
1. Calvin Johnson
2. A.J. Green
3. Dez Bryant
4. Brandon Marshall
5. Demaryuis Thomas
6. Wes Welker
7. Keenan Allen
8. Antonio Brown
9. Andre Johnson
10. DeSean Jackson
11. Vincent Jackson
12. Victor Cruz
13. Eric Decker
14. Cecil Shorts
15. Larry Fitzgerald
16. Jordy Nelson
17. Torrey Smith
18. Riley Cooper
19. Alshon Jeffrey
20. Hakeem Nicks
21. Golden Tate
22. Terrance Williams
23. Steve Smith
24. Harry Douglas
25. Denarius Moore
26. Kendall Wright
27. Marvin Jones
28. Lance Moore
29. Reuben Randle
30. Mike Wallace
31. Steve Johnson
32. Kenny Stills
33. Emmanuel Sanders
34. Doug Baldwin
35. Marques Colston
36. Anquan Boldin
37. DeAndre Hopkins
38. James Jones
39. Michael Floyd
40. Roddy White
Friday, November 8, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 10 FRIDAY INJURY REPORT: ARIAN FOSTER OWNERS IN TROUBLE
It is Friday which means its time to check in one last time around the world of fantasy football and those key players who have cloudy injury issues.
-The biggest news of the week came down Friday when it was revealed Houston Texans RB Arian Foster could be done for 2013 as he contemplates back surgery. Foster has already been ruled out for Week 10 and has missed the majority of the two games prior with the back and a balky hamstring. At the start of the season I made it a point to say you should avoid Foster due to the insane amount of work he has had on his body the last four seasons and due to the fact his yards per carry slid to red flag levels last season. With the Texans now 2-6 and done as playoff contenders, there is no need for the team to risk further injury to Foster. Foster owners look pretty much screwed right now.
-Finally it is official that Tampa Bay Buc's RB Doug Martin is done for the 2013 season with his torn labrum. Head coach Greg Schiano had stubbornly said that Martin could possibly return at some point which was a joke. I said from the beginning Martin was done and now this is finally put to rest. Mike James has looked good in Martin's place and he will continue to get the majority of carries in his place. For Martin, this wraps a complete bust of a fantasy football season which no one called.
-Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant continues to be impacted by a bad back that the team says is muscular in its origin. However Bryant is in no danger of missing any time and will continue to be a top three fantasy football wideout.
-Rashard Mendenhall will return to the Arizona Cardinals this week from his hamstring injury but head coach Bruce Arians reported that he wants to get big-play guy Andre Ellington around 20 touches. No reason why Arians shouldn't get Ellington at LEAST 20 as the kid has been explosive to say the least. Keep starting Ellington as a RB 2.
-Indianapolis Colts RB Trent Richardson is listed as questionable to return from a hamstring injury but he did put in a full practice on Friday. That means Richardson is likely to play so no need to go out and get Donald Brown. Richardson has been a complete joke this season as I said he would be back in August. Go back and check.
-Cincinnati Bengals big-play rookie RB Giovani Bernard is expected to play Sunday despite being called questionable. Bernard comes off a top notch game in Week 9 when he had probably the most awesome looking run of the season. By next season Bernard will be a clear RB 1 in the mold of LeSean McCoy.
-Jay Cutler will return under center for the Chicago Bears on Sunday as he is now recovered from his groin injury. Cutler remains a wildly up and down fantasy football QB but with his awesome stable of weapons, overall her deserves another look this season.
There you have it. As always let us hear your thoughts.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WRAPUP: THURSDAY VIKINGS/REDSKINS
Fantasy football Week 10 is underway as the Minnesota Vikings had a comeback victory over the Washington Redskins Thursday night. Needless to say all Adrian Peterson owner are off to a nice start this week. Let's see what other storylines came out of the game.
-Very tough break for Vikings QB Christian Ponder Thursday as he wasn't able to finish arguably his best game of the season due to suffering a second half dislocated shoulder. Before that, Ponder had thrown for 174 yards and two touchdowns and nearly added a rushing score which is when he got injured. Ponder claims he will be ready to go for Week 11 but that is obviously a long shot. Matt Cassel and not Josh Freeman came on in relief of Ponder so he figures to be the next man up. Obviously don't add either guy in fantasy football terms.
-On the other side, owners of Robert Griffin III had to be ecstatic over his monstrous 281 yards passing/3 TD outing. Griffin also added 44 yards on the ground as he firmly gave us a flashback to his awesome rookie performance. We very well could be seeing Griffin finally knock off the rust from missing all of camp in recovering from his knee surgery. If you held onto Griffin through all of his early struggles, the rest of the way could be very good. He is back into the circle of trust for at least next week.
-Alfred Morris and Adrian Peterson were both two of the highest rated fantasy football running backs this week given the opposing defenses and so the numbers were predictably huge. Peterson was the better of the two in rushing for 75 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns. Remember last week I noted that Peterson could be primed for his second monster second half in a row and that surely is looking like the case right now. As far as Morris is concerned, he was an animal in rushing for 139 yards on 26 carries. Roy Helu got only two carries and Darrell Young only one so Morris fantasy football owners don't have to worry about their guy getting work taken away as it was looking like at times earlier. Morris has been locked in over the last month and is right there with Peterson and Eddie Lacy as the best backs in the game during that time period.
-I will admit that Pierre Garcon was a guy I dumped on the last couple of seasons but clearly I missed the boat there. Garcon has built on a very good 2012 season by once again performing like a near WR-1 as he caught 7 balls for 119 yards and a score Thursday. His big-play ability is undenied.
-The tight ends both shined in this one as Jordan Reed continued with his terrific production the last month-plus as he caught 6 passes for 62 yards and a score. While Jordan Cameron got all the pop early one, this Jordan is now looking like the best tight end value of the season. Meanwhile John Carlson took the spot of fellow Notre Dame grad Kyle Rudolph and proceeded to shock everyone by catching 7 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. Those who owned Rudolph or Jermichael Finley should make an add here as Carlson was a terrific receiver in college and was solid at times with Seattle. Unfortunately injuries stunted his growth but Carlson clearly can get it done in the receiving game.
There you have it. As always let us know your thoughts.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 10 RUNNING BACK RANKINGS
Here are the fantasy football Week 10 running back rankings based on opposing matchups.
1. Matt Forte
2. Marshawn Lynch
3. LeSean McCoy
4. Eddie Lacy
5. Reggie Bush
6. Knowshon Moreno
7. Zac Stacy
8. Chris Johnson
9. Le'Veon Bell
10. C.J. Spiller
11. Frank Gore
12. DeMarco Murray
13. Mike James
14. Maurice Jones-Drew
15. Fred Jackson
16. Pierre Thomas
17. Giovani Bernard
18. Ray Rice
19. Rashad Jennings
20. Andre Ellington
21. Steven Jackson
22. Lamar Miller
23. Ryan Matthews
24. Ben Tate
25. Shonn Greene
26. Danny Woodhead
27. Darren Sproles
28. Trent Richardson
29. Andre Brown
30. Arian Foster
31. Donald Brown
32. DeAngelo Williams
33. Jonathan Stewart
34. Peyton Hillis
35. Jacquizz Rodgers
1. Matt Forte
2. Marshawn Lynch
3. LeSean McCoy
4. Eddie Lacy
5. Reggie Bush
6. Knowshon Moreno
7. Zac Stacy
8. Chris Johnson
9. Le'Veon Bell
10. C.J. Spiller
11. Frank Gore
12. DeMarco Murray
13. Mike James
14. Maurice Jones-Drew
15. Fred Jackson
16. Pierre Thomas
17. Giovani Bernard
18. Ray Rice
19. Rashad Jennings
20. Andre Ellington
21. Steven Jackson
22. Lamar Miller
23. Ryan Matthews
24. Ben Tate
25. Shonn Greene
26. Danny Woodhead
27. Darren Sproles
28. Trent Richardson
29. Andre Brown
30. Arian Foster
31. Donald Brown
32. DeAngelo Williams
33. Jonathan Stewart
34. Peyton Hillis
35. Jacquizz Rodgers
Thursday, November 7, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 10 QB RANKINGS
Here are the fantasy football Week 10 QB rankings based on opposing matchups.
1. Peyton Manning
2. Drew Brees
3. Matthew Stafford
4. Philip Rivers
5. Russell Wilson
6. Tony Romo
7. Nick Foles
8. Robert Griffin III
9. Andrew Luck
10. Cam Newton
11. Eli Manning
12. Ben Roethlisberger
13. Colin Kaepernick
14. Case Keenum
15. Jake Locker
16. Andy Dalton
17. Matt Ryan
18. Jay Cutler
19. Christian Ponder
20. Terrell Pryor
21. Mike Glennon
22. Joe Flacco
23. Ryan Tannehill
24. Cason Palmer
25. Seneca Wallace
26. E.J. Manuel
27. Kellen Clemens
1. Peyton Manning
2. Drew Brees
3. Matthew Stafford
4. Philip Rivers
5. Russell Wilson
6. Tony Romo
7. Nick Foles
8. Robert Griffin III
9. Andrew Luck
10. Cam Newton
11. Eli Manning
12. Ben Roethlisberger
13. Colin Kaepernick
14. Case Keenum
15. Jake Locker
16. Andy Dalton
17. Matt Ryan
18. Jay Cutler
19. Christian Ponder
20. Terrell Pryor
21. Mike Glennon
22. Joe Flacco
23. Ryan Tannehill
24. Cason Palmer
25. Seneca Wallace
26. E.J. Manuel
27. Kellen Clemens
FANTASY FOOTBALL UPDATED RUNNING BACK RANKINGS: ZAC STACY MOVING UP QUICK
Once again it is time to update the 2013 fantasy football running back rankings,. With that said let's take a look at where everyone currently resides.
1. Matt Forte: No one has been better on both sides of the football than Forte.
2. Jamaal Charles: Fallen behind Forte with a few quiet games the last two weeks.
3. Marshawn Lynch: Beast Mode continues with his uncanny power running/touchdown-heavy ways.
4. Adrian Peterson: Huge game against Dallas could be sign of another huge second half outburst.
5. Knowshon Moreno: So this is what Moreno looks like when he is finally healthy. Very nice indeed.
6. Eddie Lacy: Lacy's rapid rise up the rankings continues as he has been the best pure runner over the last month.
7. Frank Gore: Still going strong after turning 30.
8. Zac Stacy: Wow has this kid taken off. Running has been Lynch-like and Stacy also showing surprising pass-receiving game.
9. LeSean McCoy: Dropping due to utter lack of any kind of numbers the last month or so.
10. Alfred Morris: Touchdowns down as Mike Shanahan playing around with backups in the red zone but Morris has been real good running the ball since the middle of October.
11. Arian Foster: Started to head south due to more leg injuries. All those carries the last few seasons could be showing itself.
12. Stevan Ridley: Has really picked up his game since the beginning of October and just in time for the return of Shane Vereen.
13. Reggie Bush: A bit too up and down at times but that has been Bush in his career.
14. Giovani Bernard: It took a bit longer than expected but Bernard is now unleashing his big play game.
15. Chris Johnson: The fact the sketchy Johnson is ranked this high shows you how badly the running game has been this season.
16. Ryan Matthews: Same story here as Matthews throws in the odd good game among more than a few ugly ones.
17. Ray Rice: Rice has been absolutely disgraceful this season amid questions he has lost a step. The evidence is alarming.
18. Darren Sproles: Once again a huge PPR dynamo but concussion clouds things.
19. Fred Jackson: Collecting touchdowns at a nice clip but C.J. Spiller coming on now.
20. DeMarco Murray: Just is impossible to depend on despite talent.
21. Darren McFadden: Same deal here as above.
22. Chris Ivory: Now has claimed the starting job over the fading Bilal Powell.
23. Maurice Jones-Drew: Like with Ray Rice, looks washed up.
24. Steven Jackson: Throw Jackson into the above grouping as well.
25. C.J. Spiller: It took half the season for Spiller to have the kind of game we thought he would supply from Week 1.
26. Trent Richardson: Been simply awful since coming to the Colts. Nothing else to say.
27. Mike James: Nice game against Seattle. Let's see more of this.
28. Pierre Thomas: Just doesn't do enough of one thing to depend on every week.
29. Le'Veon Bell: Not impressed yet.
30. Andre Ellington: Need to see the big-play scatback get more work before we move him up.
31. DeAngelo Williams: Return of Jonathan Stewart bad news.
32. Andre Brown: Returns from leg injury and has chance to be nice TD guy rest of way.
33. Lamar Miller: Yuck.
34. Willis McGahee" Should of stay retired.
35. Peyton Hillis: Can still catch footballs at least.
There you have it. Let's hear your opinions on these rankings. Post below.
1. Matt Forte: No one has been better on both sides of the football than Forte.
2. Jamaal Charles: Fallen behind Forte with a few quiet games the last two weeks.
3. Marshawn Lynch: Beast Mode continues with his uncanny power running/touchdown-heavy ways.
4. Adrian Peterson: Huge game against Dallas could be sign of another huge second half outburst.
5. Knowshon Moreno: So this is what Moreno looks like when he is finally healthy. Very nice indeed.
6. Eddie Lacy: Lacy's rapid rise up the rankings continues as he has been the best pure runner over the last month.
7. Frank Gore: Still going strong after turning 30.
8. Zac Stacy: Wow has this kid taken off. Running has been Lynch-like and Stacy also showing surprising pass-receiving game.
9. LeSean McCoy: Dropping due to utter lack of any kind of numbers the last month or so.
10. Alfred Morris: Touchdowns down as Mike Shanahan playing around with backups in the red zone but Morris has been real good running the ball since the middle of October.
11. Arian Foster: Started to head south due to more leg injuries. All those carries the last few seasons could be showing itself.
12. Stevan Ridley: Has really picked up his game since the beginning of October and just in time for the return of Shane Vereen.
13. Reggie Bush: A bit too up and down at times but that has been Bush in his career.
14. Giovani Bernard: It took a bit longer than expected but Bernard is now unleashing his big play game.
15. Chris Johnson: The fact the sketchy Johnson is ranked this high shows you how badly the running game has been this season.
16. Ryan Matthews: Same story here as Matthews throws in the odd good game among more than a few ugly ones.
17. Ray Rice: Rice has been absolutely disgraceful this season amid questions he has lost a step. The evidence is alarming.
18. Darren Sproles: Once again a huge PPR dynamo but concussion clouds things.
19. Fred Jackson: Collecting touchdowns at a nice clip but C.J. Spiller coming on now.
20. DeMarco Murray: Just is impossible to depend on despite talent.
21. Darren McFadden: Same deal here as above.
22. Chris Ivory: Now has claimed the starting job over the fading Bilal Powell.
23. Maurice Jones-Drew: Like with Ray Rice, looks washed up.
24. Steven Jackson: Throw Jackson into the above grouping as well.
25. C.J. Spiller: It took half the season for Spiller to have the kind of game we thought he would supply from Week 1.
26. Trent Richardson: Been simply awful since coming to the Colts. Nothing else to say.
27. Mike James: Nice game against Seattle. Let's see more of this.
28. Pierre Thomas: Just doesn't do enough of one thing to depend on every week.
29. Le'Veon Bell: Not impressed yet.
30. Andre Ellington: Need to see the big-play scatback get more work before we move him up.
31. DeAngelo Williams: Return of Jonathan Stewart bad news.
32. Andre Brown: Returns from leg injury and has chance to be nice TD guy rest of way.
33. Lamar Miller: Yuck.
34. Willis McGahee" Should of stay retired.
35. Peyton Hillis: Can still catch footballs at least.
There you have it. Let's hear your opinions on these rankings. Post below.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 10 RUNNING BACK HOT ZONE: RASHAD JENNINGS IS BACK AGAIN
As always Wednesday is fantasy football Hot Zone day which is where we check in on all the latest news coming out of the all-important running back spot.
LEVEL 4
Rashad Jennings-Darren McFadden (hamstring): Here we go again. Darren McFadden is hurt (insert joke here) for the second time this season as his hamstring flared up which has him unlikely to play against the New York Giants Sunday. Enter PPR asset Rashad Jennings who actually ran the ball effectively as well last week in relief of McFadden. Altogether Jennings rushed for 102 yards on only 15 carries while also catching 7 balls for another 74 yards. Jennings has caught 24 passes in a part-time role so right off the bat he carries some decent enough PPR value. The big knock on Jennings in the past however was his inability to run the ball well but he showed signs there last week as he also rushed for a score. The Giants defense is playing better after an awful start but those in need in PPR should give Jennings another chance.
Chris Ivory-Bilal Powell: The Chris Ivory Era is now front and center for the New York Jets as the long-haired runner has now put two big games together in his last three. The latest was a domination of the New Orleans Saints last Sunday when Ivory rushed for over 130 yards and was impossible to stop. Bilal Powell is now the clear second back in the offense after it looked like he himself would run away with the job earlier in the season. Powell had stagnated in his numbers however in his numbers lately which opened the door for Ivory to re-claim the job. This is a standard league move all the way as Ivory doesn't catch the football.
Ben Tate-Arian Foster (hamstring): Once again we are talking about an injury to Arian Foster who for the second week in a row couldn't make it out of the first quarter before hitting the sidelines for good with leg woes. Foster is very questionable for this week which means Tate moves into the starting role. While no picture of health himself with broken ribs, Tate is one of the better backup running backs in football and could be primed for a big game in Foster's place.
LEVEL 3
Andre Brown-Peyton Hillis: Week 10 marks the return of power runner Andre Brown who has missed the first nine weeks with a broken leg. Brown was a revelation last season in scoring 8 rushing touchdowns for the Giants while averaging better than 5 yards a carry. Hillis will still be involved as the third down back given his ability to catch the football but Brown is a very good add in standard leagues since he will be given all the goal-line work. Given what we have seen out of him in the past, Brown figures to be a very good asset the rest of the season.
LEVEL 1
Alfred Morris-Darrell Young-Roy Helu Jr.: Many took notice when fullback Darrell Young rushed for three touchdowns last week over Alfred Morris who was in the midst of one of his best games of the season. No need to add Young however as this was just another Mike Shanahan gimmick where the coach hammers at something that works like when Roy Helu Jr. scored three touchdowns of his own a few weeks ago. Morris is actually running very well and should continue to be started in all standard leagues.
There you have it. What situation looks the most promising for this week? Which one are you involved in?
LEVEL 4
Rashad Jennings-Darren McFadden (hamstring): Here we go again. Darren McFadden is hurt (insert joke here) for the second time this season as his hamstring flared up which has him unlikely to play against the New York Giants Sunday. Enter PPR asset Rashad Jennings who actually ran the ball effectively as well last week in relief of McFadden. Altogether Jennings rushed for 102 yards on only 15 carries while also catching 7 balls for another 74 yards. Jennings has caught 24 passes in a part-time role so right off the bat he carries some decent enough PPR value. The big knock on Jennings in the past however was his inability to run the ball well but he showed signs there last week as he also rushed for a score. The Giants defense is playing better after an awful start but those in need in PPR should give Jennings another chance.
Chris Ivory-Bilal Powell: The Chris Ivory Era is now front and center for the New York Jets as the long-haired runner has now put two big games together in his last three. The latest was a domination of the New Orleans Saints last Sunday when Ivory rushed for over 130 yards and was impossible to stop. Bilal Powell is now the clear second back in the offense after it looked like he himself would run away with the job earlier in the season. Powell had stagnated in his numbers however in his numbers lately which opened the door for Ivory to re-claim the job. This is a standard league move all the way as Ivory doesn't catch the football.
Ben Tate-Arian Foster (hamstring): Once again we are talking about an injury to Arian Foster who for the second week in a row couldn't make it out of the first quarter before hitting the sidelines for good with leg woes. Foster is very questionable for this week which means Tate moves into the starting role. While no picture of health himself with broken ribs, Tate is one of the better backup running backs in football and could be primed for a big game in Foster's place.
LEVEL 3
Andre Brown-Peyton Hillis: Week 10 marks the return of power runner Andre Brown who has missed the first nine weeks with a broken leg. Brown was a revelation last season in scoring 8 rushing touchdowns for the Giants while averaging better than 5 yards a carry. Hillis will still be involved as the third down back given his ability to catch the football but Brown is a very good add in standard leagues since he will be given all the goal-line work. Given what we have seen out of him in the past, Brown figures to be a very good asset the rest of the season.
LEVEL 1
Alfred Morris-Darrell Young-Roy Helu Jr.: Many took notice when fullback Darrell Young rushed for three touchdowns last week over Alfred Morris who was in the midst of one of his best games of the season. No need to add Young however as this was just another Mike Shanahan gimmick where the coach hammers at something that works like when Roy Helu Jr. scored three touchdowns of his own a few weeks ago. Morris is actually running very well and should continue to be started in all standard leagues.
There you have it. What situation looks the most promising for this week? Which one are you involved in?
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 10 ADDS/DROPS
A day later but here are the fantasy football Week 10 Adds and Drops, with one very obvious pick included.
WEEK 10 ADDS
Nick Foles: Of course we have to lead with Foles who for the second time this season is one of the more sought after waiver adds. Just two weeks after Foles was widely sent to the waiver wire off a complete dud of a game against the Dallas Cowboys, all the guy does is go out and throw for SEVEN touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders in putting up a perfect statistical game. Needless to say Foles is the starter the rest of the way and with 13 TD's and 0 INT's, the numbers are going to continue to flow freely the rest of the way.
Jason Campbell: I fully sign off on adding the veteran Campbell as he too has been very good since becoming the starter for Cleveland. Campbell has thrown for five touchdowns in his two starts, while also contributing some rushing yards. The Browns have a decent array of offensive weapons so Campbell could continue on the Brian Hoyer path in putting up solid starts off the bench.
Eli Manning: Manning is playing better off of his horrific start to the season and he happens to be playing one Oakland Raiders squad who just gave up 7 passing scores. The Giants still have a very good collection of receivers in Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Reuben Randle.
Ben Tate: Arian Foster once again couldn't make it through a quarter before more injury issues which means the talented Tate graduates to the clear number 1 role. He himself has some broken ribs to deal with but overall Tate has been a very good runner when given the chance in the past.
David Nelson: With Jeremy Kerley suffering a gruesome elbow injury, Nelson steps up into a starting role. Just two weeks ago Nelson caught 8 passes against the Cincinnati Bengals so he is capable of being a help.
Riley Cooper: He may not say the smartest things but three receiving touchdowns in one game get our attention. Nick Foles seems to have a thing for Copper as evidenced by last week's annihilation of the Raiders.
WEEK 10 DROPS
Jarrett Boykin: There is a double-whammy here as Boykin loses Aaron Rodgers as his QB and the return of James Jones pushed the youngsters down the depth chart.
Roy Helu Jr.: It clearly now was a one-game anomaly when looking back at that three-touchdown game by Helu Jr. Since that time Alfred Morris has run wild, basically making Helu Jr. into a cheerleader.
Kenbrell Thompkins/Austin Collie: All you need to know here was that Thompkins was a healthy scratch and Collie was released in the last week. With the Pats now 100 percent healthy on offense, these two took the hit for the depth.
Kyle Rudolph: Rudolph is going to be pretty out the rest of the season with a broken foot so no need to hold onto a guy who has been mediocre before he got hurt.
There you have it. Let us know who else you picked up this week.
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