Thursday, November 7, 2013

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.



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?

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.


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

FANTASY FOOTBALL MONDAY WRAPUP: PACKERS/BEARS

       

Monday night marked the conclusion of fantasy football Week 9 as the Green Bay Packers took on the Chicago Bears.  Some potentially big news coming out of this one so let's get right to the news.

-Getting right to the biggest news item of the night, all fantasy football owners of Aaron Rodgers are holding their breaths this morning after seeing their star QB go down with a shoulder injury in the first quarter of Monday's game.  Rodgers didn't return which likely cost the majority of his owners the victory.  Nothing new was released by the team after the game as far as the severity of the injury but Rodgers surely will be headed for tests.  Hold your breath time to say the least. 

Seneca Wallace didn't play well in Rodgers' place as expected, going only 11/19 for 114 yards and 1 INT.  As potent as the Packers' collection of offensive players are, Wallace is not up to par as being able to lead this attack.

-On the other side, Josh McCown was fantastic in throwing for 272 yards and 2 TD's with no turnovers.  That's about the best you could have expected from McCown who will likely head back to the bench for the returning Jay Cutler in Week 10 based on reports.  As much talk as we have heard this season about the lack of quarterback depth, we have seen more than a few occasions of guys coming off the bench and putting up fantasy football-worthy numbers like Brian Hoyer, Jason Campbell, Nick Foles, and now McCown.

-Owners of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey were more than a little worried when Cutler got hurt in fearing that McCown wouldn't be able to consistently hit the two star Bear wideouts down the field.  Well that worry was allayed as Marshall caught 7 passes for 107 yards and 1 TD.  Jeffrey meanwhile grabbed 5 balls for 60 yards and his own TD.  Marshall has been an absolute beast the last month and it seems like years ago when we talked about how Jeffrey was more productive.  Marshall remains a rock solid WR 1 and Jeffrey a WR 2.

-It is official in this peanut gallery's book.  Matt Forte is now the number 1 fantasy football running back in the game.  Forte continued to prove why by rushing for 125 yards and a touchdown while also catching 5 balls for 54 yards.  There is nothing Forte can't do on the football field and the fact he still is getting all the goal-line work as head coach Marc Trestman vowed he would do speaks volumes about how potent he has been and will continue to be. 

-With all that said about Forte, coming up quick behind him is Eddie Lacy who had yet another huge game Monday (I am starting to sound like a broken record) when he rushed for 150 yards on only 22 carries while scoring a touchdown.  When strictly talking about running the football, you can argue that Lacy has been the most productive runner in all of fantasy football the last month.  Lacy doesn't catch many footballs though so he is not in the overall class of Jamaal Charles or Forte but he is getting close.  Those who took Lacy as their low end RB 2 or RB 3 in their draft have gotten major value for that selection.

-Having Wallae as QB for the majority of the game was a bit rough on those own any of the Green Bay receivers as Jordy Nelson caught only 4 balls for 67 yards, the returning James Jones only 1 for 17 yards, and Jarrett Boykin only 1 for 15 yards.  No one scored and it was one big wipeout when it comes to fantasy football numbers this week for that group. 

There you have it.  As always post your thoughts and Rodgers owners check back later for news on his shoulder.


Monday, November 4, 2013

FANTASY FOOTBALL STATUS REPORT: NICK FOLES FOR PRESIDENT

In putting together the wrapups for fantasy football Week 9, it was decided that Philadelphia Eagles QB Nick Foles was so incredibly awesome in throwing for an insane SEVEN!!!! touchdowns Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, he warranted his own posting.  Sure the Raiders are garbage and have been for years but throwing for seven touchdowns in a Pop Warner league is a feat in and of itself.   Foles' performance defied description as it comes two weeks after he did nothing in a horrid performance against the Dallas Cowboys when he also suffered a concussion that put him on the bench in Week 8.  That game is no doubt already forgotten as Foles now has 13 touchdowns and ZERO interceptions in three starts and one relief outing this season.  Michael Vick it was nice knowing you.  In projecting this situation going forward, there is almost no way we ever see Vick on a football field in an Eagles uniform if Foles is healthy.  Overall though you wonder just how many fantasy football players actually started Foles yesterday as he was one of the most dropped names off that Dallas game.  However it was the perfect storm for Foles in Week 9 as the Raiders secondary is annually a mess and the heavy bye week put the Eagles QB back into the consideration class.  Clearly there is going to be a mad dash to claim Foles on waivers for the second time this season in the span of a month.  For those leagues where players don't go on waivers automatically once the week's games start, Foles was likely already claimed by the second quarter.  For those who have the waiver rules (all leagues should have this as this is the only fair way to disperse players each week), than you better hope you have the number 1 claim.  Foles absolutely can be a top ten fantasy football starter the rest of the season and the numbers could continue to be beyond significant given the potency of the offense.  Go get him.

Friday, November 1, 2013

FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 9 INJURY REPORT: RODDY WHITE HEADED FOR GAME-TIME DECISION

It is Friday already which means it is time to check in on the weekly Injury Report as we gear up for all of Sunday's games.

-Atlanta Falcons WR Roddy White has returned to the practice field in a limited capacity this week after missing the last two games with a hamstring/high-ankle injury but he is listed as a game-time decision for Week 9.  Harry Douglas owners are hoping White misses the game again since the former has absolutely gone nuts since he ascended to the top receiver spot.  As far as White is concerned, there is nothing new to say here as he has been an incredible bust given all of his injuries.  I wouldn't even play White if he does get cleared to suit up as he has a ton of rust to knock off.

-Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller will likely return to action in Week 9 as he is being listed as probable with his ongoing ankle issues.  Bench Spiller outright for now as Fred Jackson remains the better play and the goal-line back.

-Jonathan Stewart will come off the PUP list for Sunday's game which puts a hurting on the value of DeAngelo Williams.  Stewart is expected to play about half the snaps Sunday which puts both he and Williams back into RB 3 status.

-New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham is looking to play more than the 16 snaps he had last week due to his torn plantar fascia in his foot.  Graham still caught two touchdown passes last week and seems like he should be fine going forward barring any setbacks.

-New Orleans Saints WR Marques Colston is listed as questionable with a knee injury after missing practice this week.  Coltson has not played well the last month as his yards and catches are both down noticeably.  Kenny Stills is looking like a top play this week.

-Indianapolis Colts WR Darrius Heyward-Bey is expected to start this week despite being listed as questionable with a hamstring injury.  Both Heyward-Bey and T.Y. Hilton are going to be big from this point on with Reggie Wayne finished for the season with a bum hamstring.

-Green Bay Packers WR James Jones returned to practice this past week after missing two games with a leg injury but he is going to be a game-time decision.  The fantasy football value of Jarred Boykin depends on Jones not playing and the other factor here is the game is on Monday night.  Keep Jones on the bench if you are an owner as the Monday variable makes it risky to wait on this unless you own Boykin also.

-Christian Ponder will start for the Minnesota Vikings Sunday over Josh Freeman.  Big deal.

-Houston Texans RB Ben Tate will start Sunday despite broken ribs and starter Arian Foster will be a game-time decision with a hamstring issue.  Foster should play as that has been hinted but still watch this closely.

There you have it.  As always let us hear what you think.

FANTASY FOOTBALL WRAPUP: THURSDAY BENGALS/DOLPHINS

Fantasy football Week 9 kicked off Thursday night with the Cincinnati Bengals dropping an OT battle versus the desperate Miami Dolphins.  Let's check out the latest fantasy football news coming out of the game.

-Andy Dalton was as hot as any passer in fantasy football the last three weeks, having thrown 11 touchdown passes in that span and over 300 yards in all three contests.  Well Dalton kept the 300-plus yard streak going by throwing for 338 Thursday night but they were accompanied by a big doughnut in touchdown passes and 3 interceptions.  Only one of the interceptions can be blamed on Dalton but it was a pick-six big one to Brent Grimes.  Stating the obvious, it was a bust night for Dalton and his fantasy football owners.  Just when we all started to get fully on board with him as an every week guy.  I consider this just a bad game however.  The Bengals continue to throw the football with reckless abandon and Dalton has quite possibly the best array of weapons in the game.

-Giovani Bernard scored two rushing touchdowns on his 9 carries for 79 yards.  With BenJarvus Green-Ellis failing to convert on two separate third-and-1 situation, perhaps now finally Bernard will get a heavier workload as he deserves.  We all know Bernard is the much more talented overall player than the Law Firm and plays well in PPR (4 catches for 25 yards) so now we could be seeing him eat into more of Green-Ellis' work going forward given the way the latter struggled.  Something to keep a watch on and also pick up Bernard in any league where the owner got impatient.

-A.J. Green was back to his customary role as leading receiver on the Bengals after ceding the spotlight to Marvin Jones for one week.  Green caught 11 passes for 128 yards.  Speaking of Jones, he caught only 4 balls for 66 yards and failed to score as did every other Bengals receiver.  Remember I said last week that Jones' big day against the New York Jets when he caught four touchdown passes was fluky due to the fact the team took prime advantage of him having rookie Dee Millinier covering him.  In fact Mohamed Sanu with 6 catches for 66 yards was the more productive receiver of the two.  Sanu was a former top draft pick worth watching as well.  The way things are going lately, there could very well be room for three Bengals receivers to be of use in fantasy football.

-It took 9 weeks but Lamar Miller finally ran for over 100 yards with 105 on 16 carries but that included a lost fumble.  He did catch 4 passes for 24 yards as Miller continues to show he is very capable of being a RB 2 in PPR formats but Daniel Thomas was once again in on red zone chances.  Baby steps.

-Mike Wallace was the only Dolphins receiver worth discussing as he caught 6 balls for 82 yards.  Still way too inconsistent to depend on as an every week guy.

That's all for now.  As always let us hear your thoughts.