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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.