With Week 14 beckoning, now is a great time to take a closer look at the latest set of fantasy football QB rankings.
1. Peyton Manning: Has not slowed down one bit as he comes off a 5-TD game in Week 13. Amazing stuff.
2. Drew Brees: Dud against Seattle the only blip on another excellent season.
3. Tony Romo: Time to full appreciate the great QB Tony Romo is and has been for awhile. At least in fantasy football terms.
4. Matthew Stafford: If he could just curb the INT's a bit Stafford would challenge Brees and Romo.
5. Russell Wilson: Yeah he doesn't throw for 300 yards often but Wilson continues to throw touchdowns and use his legs to great effect.
6. Aaron Rodgers: This is a small hit due to Rodgers being injured but by next season he will return to the top three as usual.
7. Nick Foles: Still waiting for his first INT after 19 touchdown passes. One away from tying the Peyton Manning record. Eagles have their QB for the next five years at least.
8. Tom Brady: Typically got hot when Gronk and friends returned from being hurt.
9. Ben Roethlisberger: Never been a fan but I can't argue with his extreme passing numbers since Week 9.
10. Cam Newton: A bit up and down still but Newton clicking in both the passing and running game down the stretch once again.
11. Matt Ryan: Had his season sabotaged by injuries to his receivers but Roddy White's health could portend to big finish. Late dip will have his 2014 draft price very attractive. I am buying.
12. Philip Rivers: Has had a small comeback season but still not back to where he was from 2008-2010.
13. Jay Cutler: Just has to stay healthy to enjoy the benefits of the best receiving corps in football.
14. Andrew Luck: Major step back for Luck in 2013 as my prediction he could be a first round pick in 2014 looks way off. Still has massive potential however.
15. Mike Glennon: Really like this kid. Has shown no hesitation to throw it downfield and could be and is already close when talking about being an every week guy.
16. Andy Dalton: Throws for a very good clip of touchdowns but the interceptions come along for the ride too which limits his ceiling.
17. Colin Kaepernick: Told you all to give it another season before you invested heavily and that assessment looks smart. Has looked nothing like the force he was the second half of last season.
18. Eli Manning: Willing to give Manning another look as a backup next season but that's it due to massive turnover penchant.
19. Alex Smith: Once again Smith is solid but unspectacular.
20. Robert Griffin III: This might seem like a harsh ranking but other than collecting scores in garbage time, Griffin has been brutal.
21. Matt Schaub: Will find a starting spot somewhere but career is going in wrong direction.
22. Carson Palmer: Like a Dalton clone with his combination of touchdowns and turnovers. Makes for a great QB 2 however.
23. Ryan Fitzpatrick: Here is predicting Fitzpatrick is the starting in Week 1 next season for Tennessee as he has looked very solid since replacing Jake Locker. Another very good QB 2 option.
24. Ryan Tannehill: Still haven't seen nearly enough production to rely on as anything more than a QB 2.
25. Joe Flacco: Tough spot to place a former Super Bowl MVP but every season Flacco is the definition of being fantasy football mediocre.
26. E.J. Manuel: Potential is there but give it more time.
27. Matt McGloin: Has the inside track to the starting job next season based on solid work since going under center.
There you have it. As always let us know what you think.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 14 ADDS/DROPS
Week 14 starts the playoff weeks for some fantasy football leagues. With all the fantasy baseball Hot Stove news, we had to push back this feature one day but with that said let's take a look at who makes the cut this week. This late in the season as well, there is not much to discuss when it comes to drops so we will stay with just the adds.
WEEK 14 ADDS
Jay Cutler: Although he hasn't been cleared yet to return, the general feeling is that Cutler will be cleared to start Week 14. Having the best set of receivers in football in the form of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey alone makes Cutler a major add if anyone foolishly dropped him weeks ago, Sure the interception threat is big but Cutler is setup for a nice finish to the season given his weaponry.
Julian Edleman: It is likely Edelman was dropped in your league starting a few weeks ago when Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski returned. It was assumed, and we went right along with it, that Edelman would be marginalized with their return but instead he has become a huge PPR weapon over Amendola the last two weeks.
Andre Holmes: Sure the chances of Holmes being a one-week wonder are real but the way he was able to get down the field for big plays on Thanksgiving was interesting. Matt McGloin has shown no hesitancy to throw the football long so these two could put up another nice outing this weekend.
Ace Sanders: Sanders has come on of late in place of Justin Blackmon by catching 8 balls and a touchdown last weekend. The Jaguars have thrown the football a bunch this season and as bad as they are, they have provided fantasy football owners of their wideouts some nice production.
Ladarius Green: Green played 91 percent of the snaps with the San Diego Chargers last week and he now clearly is being pushed onto the field as the team has now gone to a two-tight end set like we had seen in the past from New England before Aaron Hernandez lost his mind. Green caught only two balls last week but one went for a score and his athletic ability reminds me of a young Antonio Gates.
Zach Ertz: Ertz was a highly touted tight end in last season's draft but he struggled to find consistency until the middle of the year. Catching two touchdown passes in Week 13 showed how far Ertz has come however and so those in need of tight end help should look here after checking out Green.
Oakland Raiders Defense: The Raiders draw the New York Jets and rookie QB Geno Smith so that is fantasy football gold right there. I recommended the Miami Dolphins defense in this spot last week and they responded with a monster effort.
WEEK 14 ADDS
Jay Cutler: Although he hasn't been cleared yet to return, the general feeling is that Cutler will be cleared to start Week 14. Having the best set of receivers in football in the form of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey alone makes Cutler a major add if anyone foolishly dropped him weeks ago, Sure the interception threat is big but Cutler is setup for a nice finish to the season given his weaponry.
Julian Edleman: It is likely Edelman was dropped in your league starting a few weeks ago when Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski returned. It was assumed, and we went right along with it, that Edelman would be marginalized with their return but instead he has become a huge PPR weapon over Amendola the last two weeks.
Andre Holmes: Sure the chances of Holmes being a one-week wonder are real but the way he was able to get down the field for big plays on Thanksgiving was interesting. Matt McGloin has shown no hesitancy to throw the football long so these two could put up another nice outing this weekend.
Ace Sanders: Sanders has come on of late in place of Justin Blackmon by catching 8 balls and a touchdown last weekend. The Jaguars have thrown the football a bunch this season and as bad as they are, they have provided fantasy football owners of their wideouts some nice production.
Ladarius Green: Green played 91 percent of the snaps with the San Diego Chargers last week and he now clearly is being pushed onto the field as the team has now gone to a two-tight end set like we had seen in the past from New England before Aaron Hernandez lost his mind. Green caught only two balls last week but one went for a score and his athletic ability reminds me of a young Antonio Gates.
Zach Ertz: Ertz was a highly touted tight end in last season's draft but he struggled to find consistency until the middle of the year. Catching two touchdown passes in Week 13 showed how far Ertz has come however and so those in need of tight end help should look here after checking out Green.
Oakland Raiders Defense: The Raiders draw the New York Jets and rookie QB Geno Smith so that is fantasy football gold right there. I recommended the Miami Dolphins defense in this spot last week and they responded with a monster effort.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WRAPUP: MONDAY SAINTS/SEAHAWKS
The Seattle Seahawks certainly showed the NFL that they will be almost impossible to beat at home once the playoffs arrive. Russell Wilson showed us all that he is one of the very best quarterbacks' in the NFL no questions asked. With that said let's take a look at the news and notes from the notes from the angle of fantasy football.
-Speaking of Wilson, he was completely in charge Monday night by throwing for 310 yards and 3 touchdowns while also rushing 47 on the ground. Wilson now has 22 touchdowns and only 6 INT's this season and is now one to clearly be feared in the fantasy football playoffs if you happen to draw him as an opponent.
Meanwhile Drew Brees had no answers for the rough Seattle defense as he threw for a season-low 147 yards with 1 TD and 1 lost fumble returned for a score. Let this be a warning for anyone fantasy football QB who will be going against the locked in Seattle defense the next three weeks. It is not likely to be pretty.
-If you started any Saints running back than shame on you. You should have known better. Mark Ingram led the way with all of 22 yards on 8 carries while Pierre Thomas went bust with ZERO yards on 4 carries. Darren Sproles returned and did his usual PPR bit (7 catches for 32 yards) but there was pretty much nothing to talk about here.
On the other side it was a struggle for Marshawn Lynch who gained only 45 yards on 16 carries while failing to score. New Orleans has played good run defense this season so this is not a total shock but again the timing is not good for those who were looking to clinch a playoff spot.
-With regards to the passing games, Jimmy Graham was the only bright spot for New Orleans as he scored once on his three receptions for 42 yards. Graham is like Rob Gronkowski in that he always seems to find the end zone at least once a week. I survived a Graham encounter by winning my playoff-clinching game against his owner this past weekend and now have a rematch on tap in the wild card round. Nervous.
-Zach Miller (5 catches for 86 yards) and Doug Baldwin (4 catches for 77 yards) each hauled in a scoring pass from Wilson. Also Golden Tate grabbed 4 balls for 45 yards but he remains an enigma.
There you have it. As always let us hear your thoughts.
Monday, December 2, 2013
2013 FANTASY FOOTBALL UPDATED WIDE RECEIVER RANKINGS
Some new names are near the top of the 2014 fantasy football wide receiver rankings as it has been too long since we updated this group.
1. Calvin Johnson: Still the best and it is not even close.
2. A.J. Green: Has been a bit up and down at times but still the closest pursuer to Calvin Johnson.
3. Dez Bryant: Monster performer more than living up to his 2012 breakout.
4. Demaryuis Thomas: Big time yardage and TD guy who loses just a bit in the receptions category due to presence of so many other Denver weapons.
5. Julio Jones: Could have finished as high as number 2 here if he didn't get hurt. Unfortunately career filled with injuries continued.
6. Josh Gordon: Amazing season for the second year man who just got done setting record for back-to-back 200-yards games.
7. Wes Welker: Likely will go down as the best slot receiver ever.
8. Brandon Marshall: Even tough is seems like teammate Alshon Jeffrey is having the better season, Marshall has eight more catches and four more touchdowns as of this typing.
9. Andre Johnson: Will never threaten the TD lead but only three catches from NFL lead through 13 weeks.
10. Antonio Brown: Terrific PPR guy who has led the NFL in receptions almost all season.
11. Alshon Jeffrey: What an athletically gifted receiver this guy is. Has two 200-plus yard games this season.
12. Jordy Nelson: Another guy whose best values comes in standard TD-heavy formats. Has still yet to catch 80 passes in a season, although he was on pace to do so just barely.
13. Vincent Jackson: Has some incredibly dominant games but also two many busted ones. Wildly inconsistent.
14. Torrey Smith: Another yardage and TD guy who doesn't light it up in the catches department.
15. Larry Fitzgerald: Back to catching touchdowns with Carson Palmer in town but starting to age a bit.
16. Pierre Garcon: Catching a ton of balls but not many of them for scores.
17. Kendall Wright: Here is betting this guy continues to rise up the rankings.
18. Victor Cruz: Truth be told Cruz has taken a step back this season as numbers down across the board.
19. Eric Decker: Third fiddle in the Denver passing hierarchy but four-TD game in Week 13 shows how good he can be.
20. Keenan Allen: Instant rapport with Philip Rivers and has been best rookie receiver by a mile.
21. DeSean Jackson: Never a fan of his in fantasy football as he doesn't catch enough passes and is too dependent on touchdowns.
22. Michael Floyd: Sky is the limit. Will be ranked much higher before too long. Looks like future WR 1.
23. Steve Smith: Numbers have been slipping little by little as he approaches mid-30's.
24. Harry Douglas: Liked what saw in a full-time role. Could spell the end of Roddy White in Atlanta.
25. Marques Colston: Starting to show signs of erosion and has had a long history of injury. No longer a WR 1.
26. Cecil Shorts: Catches a bunch of balls in a bad offense. Can only get better from here if Jags improve under center.
27. T.Y. Hilton: Is a big play waiting to happen. With Reggie Wayne likely done in Indy, stage is his.
28. Anquan Boldin: Has been up and down this season but is as tough as anyone in the league.
29. Roddy White: Truly horrific season for White who is a shell of his former PPR stud self. Could rebound but age is saying not likely.
30. Reggie Wayne: Like with White, clearly on the way down which is boosted by injuries.
31. Danny Amendola: When on the field he is a PPR gem but only can manage to make half of his starts.
32. Emmanuel Sanders: Has done well as the second receiver with Pittsburgh but not much more than WR 3 right now.
33. Hakeem Nicks: Has taken nosedive from 2011. No clue where this headed.
34. Julian Edelman: Has played the Danny Amendola role better than Amendola himself this season. Has earned a nice deal somewhere.
35. Michael Crabtree: On talent alone will be higher on this list for sure if he can stay healthy.
36. Brian Hartline: Once again is a decent PPR guy but Ryan Tannehill needs to take step up to make him more valuable.
37. James Jones: Great standard format guy since he always finds the end zone but drastic reduction in value in PPR setup.
38. Mike Wallace: Grossly overpaid and offense not allowing him to be better than he could be.
39. Dwayne Bowe: Another guy who has dropped down quickly in the rankings the last two seasons with listless play.
40. Greg Jennings: Wished he could go back to Green Bay.
41. Golden Tate: Has had his nice games but Tate has to do put more of them together.
42. Brandon LaFell: Ehhh. Just all right.
43. DeAndre Hopkins: Potential here as Hopkins reminds me of Alshon Jeffrey some.
44. Stevie Johnson: Has managed to have some nice season with terrible QB's since 2010.
45. Nate Washington: Getting pushed to second tier with Kendall Wright's development.
46. Denarius Moore: Lost in the mess that is Oakland. Has big-play ability.
47. Riley Cooper: Another James Jones clone due to TD-heavy ability.
48. Aaron Dobson: Could be a huge weapon in the New England offense next season. Showing signs of being major player.
49. Jarrett Boykin: Surprised us with how instantly impactful he was. Will get longer look from the start next season.
50. Cordarelle Patterson: Ability not in question but just his mind.
51. Reuben Randle: Likely to replace Nicks in Giants potent passing attack.
52. Marlon Brown: Tough for us to recommend any Baltimore Ravens receiver but Brown might be able to hold a spot as a WR 3 for your squad..
53. Justin Blackmon: Has to get himself right off-the-field for him to unleash his great ability.
54. Cole Beasley: Looks like another decent PPR weapon who still is developing.
There you have it. Let us know what you think.
1. Calvin Johnson: Still the best and it is not even close.
2. A.J. Green: Has been a bit up and down at times but still the closest pursuer to Calvin Johnson.
3. Dez Bryant: Monster performer more than living up to his 2012 breakout.
4. Demaryuis Thomas: Big time yardage and TD guy who loses just a bit in the receptions category due to presence of so many other Denver weapons.
5. Julio Jones: Could have finished as high as number 2 here if he didn't get hurt. Unfortunately career filled with injuries continued.
6. Josh Gordon: Amazing season for the second year man who just got done setting record for back-to-back 200-yards games.
7. Wes Welker: Likely will go down as the best slot receiver ever.
8. Brandon Marshall: Even tough is seems like teammate Alshon Jeffrey is having the better season, Marshall has eight more catches and four more touchdowns as of this typing.
9. Andre Johnson: Will never threaten the TD lead but only three catches from NFL lead through 13 weeks.
10. Antonio Brown: Terrific PPR guy who has led the NFL in receptions almost all season.
11. Alshon Jeffrey: What an athletically gifted receiver this guy is. Has two 200-plus yard games this season.
12. Jordy Nelson: Another guy whose best values comes in standard TD-heavy formats. Has still yet to catch 80 passes in a season, although he was on pace to do so just barely.
13. Vincent Jackson: Has some incredibly dominant games but also two many busted ones. Wildly inconsistent.
14. Torrey Smith: Another yardage and TD guy who doesn't light it up in the catches department.
15. Larry Fitzgerald: Back to catching touchdowns with Carson Palmer in town but starting to age a bit.
16. Pierre Garcon: Catching a ton of balls but not many of them for scores.
17. Kendall Wright: Here is betting this guy continues to rise up the rankings.
18. Victor Cruz: Truth be told Cruz has taken a step back this season as numbers down across the board.
19. Eric Decker: Third fiddle in the Denver passing hierarchy but four-TD game in Week 13 shows how good he can be.
20. Keenan Allen: Instant rapport with Philip Rivers and has been best rookie receiver by a mile.
21. DeSean Jackson: Never a fan of his in fantasy football as he doesn't catch enough passes and is too dependent on touchdowns.
22. Michael Floyd: Sky is the limit. Will be ranked much higher before too long. Looks like future WR 1.
23. Steve Smith: Numbers have been slipping little by little as he approaches mid-30's.
24. Harry Douglas: Liked what saw in a full-time role. Could spell the end of Roddy White in Atlanta.
25. Marques Colston: Starting to show signs of erosion and has had a long history of injury. No longer a WR 1.
26. Cecil Shorts: Catches a bunch of balls in a bad offense. Can only get better from here if Jags improve under center.
27. T.Y. Hilton: Is a big play waiting to happen. With Reggie Wayne likely done in Indy, stage is his.
28. Anquan Boldin: Has been up and down this season but is as tough as anyone in the league.
29. Roddy White: Truly horrific season for White who is a shell of his former PPR stud self. Could rebound but age is saying not likely.
30. Reggie Wayne: Like with White, clearly on the way down which is boosted by injuries.
31. Danny Amendola: When on the field he is a PPR gem but only can manage to make half of his starts.
32. Emmanuel Sanders: Has done well as the second receiver with Pittsburgh but not much more than WR 3 right now.
33. Hakeem Nicks: Has taken nosedive from 2011. No clue where this headed.
34. Julian Edelman: Has played the Danny Amendola role better than Amendola himself this season. Has earned a nice deal somewhere.
35. Michael Crabtree: On talent alone will be higher on this list for sure if he can stay healthy.
36. Brian Hartline: Once again is a decent PPR guy but Ryan Tannehill needs to take step up to make him more valuable.
37. James Jones: Great standard format guy since he always finds the end zone but drastic reduction in value in PPR setup.
38. Mike Wallace: Grossly overpaid and offense not allowing him to be better than he could be.
39. Dwayne Bowe: Another guy who has dropped down quickly in the rankings the last two seasons with listless play.
40. Greg Jennings: Wished he could go back to Green Bay.
41. Golden Tate: Has had his nice games but Tate has to do put more of them together.
42. Brandon LaFell: Ehhh. Just all right.
43. DeAndre Hopkins: Potential here as Hopkins reminds me of Alshon Jeffrey some.
44. Stevie Johnson: Has managed to have some nice season with terrible QB's since 2010.
45. Nate Washington: Getting pushed to second tier with Kendall Wright's development.
46. Denarius Moore: Lost in the mess that is Oakland. Has big-play ability.
47. Riley Cooper: Another James Jones clone due to TD-heavy ability.
48. Aaron Dobson: Could be a huge weapon in the New England offense next season. Showing signs of being major player.
49. Jarrett Boykin: Surprised us with how instantly impactful he was. Will get longer look from the start next season.
50. Cordarelle Patterson: Ability not in question but just his mind.
51. Reuben Randle: Likely to replace Nicks in Giants potent passing attack.
52. Marlon Brown: Tough for us to recommend any Baltimore Ravens receiver but Brown might be able to hold a spot as a WR 3 for your squad..
53. Justin Blackmon: Has to get himself right off-the-field for him to unleash his great ability.
54. Cole Beasley: Looks like another decent PPR weapon who still is developing.
There you have it. Let us know what you think.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 13 INJURY REPORT: ONCE AGAIN CONCUSSIONS DOMINATE
Week 13 has almost completely come and gone and as always there are more than a few injury questions to take a look at. Let's get right to it.
-New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski came off the field in the second half of the team's victory over the Houston Texans with a noticeable limp. Gronkowski soon returned to the field however and seemed no worse for wear.
-Cleveland Browns QB Brandon Weeden suffered a concussion Sunday in one of his better all-around games of the season in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. As always Weeden will have to pass the NFL concussion protocol which is always tricky. I actually am wondering why I am even typing words about Weeden since really no one cares. Moving on.
-Minnesota Vikings QB Christian Ponder suffered his own concussion Sunday which led to Matt Cassel leading the team to an OT victory. Neither Ponder or Cassel is fantasy football-worthy to say the least.
-Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller injured his ankle again in the first half of his monster game against the Atlanta Falcons. This is an ongoing problem for Spiller as he has dealt with such issues all season. Spiller finished the game strong though so there doesn't seem to be any long-term deals with this.
-New England Patriots wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins injured a hip and only played one more snap Sunday. Thompkins was a nice story early on in the season but he is barely involved in the offense.
-There was fears that Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon suffered a concussion Sunday but he passed the sideline testing and finished up his record-breaking day with no more problems.
-Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed screwed his owners big time by being a late scratch with a pre-game headache. Apparently Reed has not fully recovered from the concussion he suffered two weeks ago so his owners who are still playing need to find a backup. Check out Ladarius Webb.
-Another game missed by Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas with the knee after it looked like earlier in the week he would be a go. Ride Jacob Tamme until a change is made.
-Aaron Rodgers may not return this season due to the team not being in playoff contention and the fears of exposing him to unnecessary hits with nothing to play for. Tough blow for all Rodgers owners who likely were done when he first broke the bone in his shoulder. Rodgers should remain a top two fantasy football QB for next season tough.
There you have it. As always let us hear your thoughts.
-New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski came off the field in the second half of the team's victory over the Houston Texans with a noticeable limp. Gronkowski soon returned to the field however and seemed no worse for wear.
-Cleveland Browns QB Brandon Weeden suffered a concussion Sunday in one of his better all-around games of the season in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. As always Weeden will have to pass the NFL concussion protocol which is always tricky. I actually am wondering why I am even typing words about Weeden since really no one cares. Moving on.
-Minnesota Vikings QB Christian Ponder suffered his own concussion Sunday which led to Matt Cassel leading the team to an OT victory. Neither Ponder or Cassel is fantasy football-worthy to say the least.
-Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller injured his ankle again in the first half of his monster game against the Atlanta Falcons. This is an ongoing problem for Spiller as he has dealt with such issues all season. Spiller finished the game strong though so there doesn't seem to be any long-term deals with this.
-New England Patriots wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins injured a hip and only played one more snap Sunday. Thompkins was a nice story early on in the season but he is barely involved in the offense.
-There was fears that Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon suffered a concussion Sunday but he passed the sideline testing and finished up his record-breaking day with no more problems.
-Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed screwed his owners big time by being a late scratch with a pre-game headache. Apparently Reed has not fully recovered from the concussion he suffered two weeks ago so his owners who are still playing need to find a backup. Check out Ladarius Webb.
-Another game missed by Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas with the knee after it looked like earlier in the week he would be a go. Ride Jacob Tamme until a change is made.
-Aaron Rodgers may not return this season due to the team not being in playoff contention and the fears of exposing him to unnecessary hits with nothing to play for. Tough blow for all Rodgers owners who likely were done when he first broke the bone in his shoulder. Rodgers should remain a top two fantasy football QB for next season tough.
There you have it. As always let us hear your thoughts.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 13 WRAPUP: 4:00 GAMES AND LATER
Eric Decker anyone? Yup I own him and needless to say it was a very nice day in fantasy football for yours truly. Decker was the clear highlight of the 4:00 games and later so let's take a look at all the latest news and notes coming out of those contests.
-Really there is no other place to start than what Decker was able to accomplish with the help of Peyton Manning Sunday in torching the Kansas City secondary. The Chiefs had no answers against Decker going deep and Manning made sure to exploit this all game. Overall Decker caught 8 balls for 174 yards and an insane 4 touchdowns. If there is a Decker owner out there who lost Sunday please explain how that is possible. As far as Decker is concerned, you know I have rightfully complained about his lack of production lately. Demaryuis Thomas and Wes Welker were clearly above Decker along with even Julius Thomas when he was healthy with regards to Manning's hierarchy of throwing options. Decker has proven himself to be a big time TD guy going back to last season though and here is hoping this is not a one-game deal. It could be though.
-Believe me we are not forgetting about Manning who threw for five touchdowns and 403 yards. What ankle injury? I swear this guy is a robot. The Manning owner in the Experts League finished the regular season with a 12-1 mark and the number 1 seed. It is likely that Manning will be on the majority of winning fantasy football teams this season which is something I said right after Week 1.
-Knowshon Moreno didn't have it Sunday as he rushed for only 18 yards on 15 carries (although he chipped in a receiving touchdown). Moreno was surely hampered by the bone bruise in his leg but gutted through it. Montee Ball saved the day for the Denver running game by going off for 117 yards on 13 carries. Ball has big time ability but Moreno will be back next season again which means another time-share at best.
-Colin Kaepernick threw for only 1 TD among his 275 yards but he now has old friend Michael Crabtree back which will thrust him back into a QB 1. Crabtree caught 2 balls for 68 yards as he played about half the snaps but he once again showed his big play ability. Get him back in there. Meanwhile Anquan Boldin, perhaps sensing the arrival of Crabtree could impact his looks from Kaepernick, caught 9 balls for 98 yards.
-Zac Stacy did as good as one could expect against the surging 49ers defense as he rushed for 72 yards on 19 carries while catching 1 ball for -1 yards. The concussion is a thing of the past. Start him with confidence.
-Matt Ryan re-discovered his love for Roddy White as the two hooked up 10 times for 143 yards. Thataboy Roddy. Where he hell was that all season when your owners were actually in contention? Ryan threw for only one score which went to Tony Gonzalez (4 catches for 42 yards). Also White's big game didn't come at the expense of Harry Douglas who grabbed 6 balls for 73 yards.
-Speaking of late surges, Steven Jackson has found his groove the last two games, with Sunday showing him run for 84 yards on 23 carries and 2 touchdowns. Jackson will be threat to score but is rushing numbers are likely going to continue to take a hit as he ages. There is a whole lot of mileage on these tires and so Jackson can't be trusted as anything more than a low end RB 2.
-C.J. Spiller rushed for 149 yards on 15 carries while scoring a touchdown. Yeah the classic to little too late. What Spiller is doing now is putting up big games in garbage time so that fantasy football owners will be seduced next season into thinking THIS will be the monster year. Fat chance. Guy has horrible work habits according to reports, is always hurt, and still has a very capable Fred Jackson around.
-As an owner of an inactive Julius Thomas and a gimpy Antonio Gates, I rolled the dice and went with Ladarius Webb. Well Webb caught only two balls for 45 yards but one went for a touchdown. Don't you love those days when all the moves you make go right for a change? Webb reminds me so much of Thomas but as long as Gates is healthy than he can't achieve optimum value.
-Both Andy Dalton and Philip Rivers threw for a score and a TD. Both guys make you want to rip your hair out with their inconsistency.
-I tell you what. One guy I am going hard after next season is Giovani Bernard. Hopefully the continued presence of BenJarvus Green-Ellis has kept Bernard's 2014 draft price down enough as the former North Carolina Tar Heel has immense ceiling. I really think Bernard can be the next LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte, Jamaal Charles kind of do-everything monster runner. Bernard rushed for 57 yards on 14 carries Sunday while also catching 1 ball for 9 yards Sunday which doesn't scream out STAR but believe me the kid is special.
-A.J. Green has annoyed me at times with his up and down numbers and I wasn't blown away by his 5-catch day for 83 yards. However he did score which helps make the mood brighter.
-Keenan Allen has simply been amazing as the best rookie receiver in football. Allen caught 8 more balls Sunday for 106 yards. Rivers looks in his direction before anyone else almost every time he goes back to pass and the results have been terrific.
-Andre Brown made the most of his 35 yards by scoring twice. His running has been a bit up and down but Tom Coughlin has used Brown as his clear top runner and the results have been RB 2-ish in fantasy football terms.
-Victor Cruz finally figured out the season wasn't over as he caught 6 balls for 80 yards. Cruz has been maddening lately with his up and down numbers and he surely hasn't been helped by the truly awful year being put up by Hakeem Nicks.
There you have it. As always let us hear your thoughts.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 13 WRAPUP: 1:00 GAMES
Huge day in fantasy football on a number of fronts, especially among the receivers. Let's get right to the latest news coming out of the 1:00 games.
-There are just no words now to describe how ridiculous Cleveland Browns WR Josh Gordon has been the last two weeks and the season as a whole. Gordon made history in Week 13 by becoming the first receiver to go over 200 yards two straight weeks. Following up last week's 14-catch/237 yards/1 TD abomination of the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, Gordon actually IMPROVED on those numbers by catching 10 passes for 261 yards and 2 more scores Sunday. Again I reiterate that Gordon accomplished this with quite possibly the worst starting QB in the NFL in Brandon Weeden primarily under center. There was a ton of interest in Gordon leading up to the trade deadline but many teams (such as Seattle and Baltimore) didn't want to give up a first round pick. These teams are likely regretting that decision. Gordon's fantasy football owners are surely not regretting drafting him....and cheaply I might add. In fact you can easily say Gordon has been the number 1 value in all of fantasy football this season.
-Ace Sanders has come on to be a late season WR 3 and he established that further against the Browns by catching 8 balls for 67 yards. Meanwhile Cecil Shorts caught 6 balls for 64 yards and a touchdown as he has put his Week 10-11 struggles behind him.
-Lost in the domination by Josh Gordon is the quieting of Jordan Cameron who caught only 4 balls for 43 yards. Truth be told Cameron has not been much of a factor since around Week 8.
-Ouch for those who got aboard the Ryan Fitzpatrick train as a QB 2 this week. Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions with only one TD as he reminded folks why the Bills ran him out of town. I still like Fitzpatrick as a lower end QB 2 but the road figures to continue to be rocky.
-Donald Brown got the start for the Indianapolis Colts and did abyll right in rushing for 54 yards on 14 carries. Brown did score however which made his day an overall positive. The Colts can't run the football no matter who is in there but this reinforces what a joke Trent Richardson is as he got only 5 carries for 19 yards.
-Another listless performance by Andrew Luck as he failed to throw a touchdown among his 200 yards. He did throw a pick however. I am as shocked as anyone that Luck has not taken off this season and honestly he has taken a firm step back. You can only blame offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton so much. The blame has to fall on Luck as well who has not looked anywhere near what he did last season since losing Reggie Wayne. Time to adjust kid.
-Even though Fitzpatrick turned the ball over a ton, he did make a nice day for Nate Washington (5 catches for 81 yards) and Kendall Wright (6 catches for 77 yards) in PPR formats. Overall now I think Wright is starting to look like a poor man's Antonio Brown. Remember this for next season.
-If you didn't think we are squarely in the era of the passing attack than I present to you Chicago Bears WR Alshon Jeffrey. Along with Josh Gordon as the newest star receivers in football, Jeffrey broke the team's receiving yardage record in a game for the SECOND time this season by catching 12 passes for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns. One of the scoring grabs was an absolute gem that brought back memories of Randy Moss and his acrobatic touchdown catches. Jeffrey's big game continues the trend since Josh McCown took over under center of alternative monster outings by the already mentioned and Brandon Marshall. Marshall went bust with 4 catches for 45 yards. Note to McCown: you can spread it around a bit.
-Matt Forte is showing he is not worn down from all the extra work he has received this season as he rushed for 120 yards on 23 carries while catching 2 balls for 31 more yards.
-Adrian Peterson has reprised his ridiculous second half of last season as he rushed for 211 yards on 35 carries against the Bears. This just a week after Peterson ran for 146 yards on 32 carries. The workload is extreme but Peterson is long past the point of proving himself as being able to handle such a load.
-Greg Jennings has been a borderline WR 3 this season but he turned back the clock to his Green Bay days Sunday by catching 7 balls for 78 yards and 1 TD. While Jennings was made better than he really was with Aaron Rodgers as his passer, he is also better than what his numbers indicate with Minnesota due to the horrid play of Christian Ponder and company this season.
-Ryan Tannehill looked like Dan Marino against the New York Jets by throwing for 331 yards and 2 TD's with 1 INT Sunday. Great game no doubt but it comes against a horrid Jets pass defense and Tannehill has not come close to reaching the point of being acceptable as an every week guy.
-Brian Hartline came out of the blue to catch 9 balls for 127 yards and a TD and Mike Wallace is making a late run to salvage his disappointing season by grabbing 7 balls for 82 yards and his own score. Wallace in particular has been hot and it appears that he and Tannehill have finally figured out their connection. Feel free to trust him now as a WR 3.
-Still waiting on that first Nick Foles interception. It didn't come in his terrific outing against the Arizona Cardinals as Foles was locked in all game by throwing for 237 yards and 3 touchdowns. Foles now has thrown 19 scores and no picks since becoming the starter. Absolutely incredible. The Eagles clearly have their QB of the present and future as do prospective fantasy football owners next season.
-Carson Palmer is a tremendous thrower of the football and has been very good the last month. However his penchant for turnovers bit him again Sunday as he tossed two INT's and lost a fumble which somewhat overshadowed 302 yards and 3 passing scores. There is a bit of a Matthew Stafford-mode here as Palmer is a pure gunslinger like his Detroit counterpart who is also prone to turnovers. I still would ride with Palmer is my QB 2 heading into the playoff weeks. Too many weapons to not taken advantage of.
-Michael Floyd has really been something the last three weeks. He posted his third straight monster game Sunday by catching 5 balls for 99 yards and a touchdown. Floyd is moving very close to low end WR 1 territory and his rise this season has been a classic case of receiver development. His growth has overshadowed Larry Fitzgerald but also helped the former. Fitzgerald scored for the second week in a row in catching 5 passes for 72 yards. The attention Floyd is getting is now finally giving Fitzgerald room to operate.
-Step back for Mike Glennon Sunday but one can understand since he went against the dominant Carolina Panthers defense. We haven't talked enough about hos great this Panthers D has been all season as the Chiefs took all the early pub but they have been the most consistently good unit all year. Glennon had no chance in getting shut out in the touchdown department while also throwing an INT in a rough 180 yard day. Meanwhile Cam Newton was a bit mistake-prone himself with two interceptions but he offset that with two passing scores to go with a third rushing tally.
-Tom Brady kept his late-season roll going by throwing for 371 yards with 2 TD's and 1 INT Sunday against the Houston Texans. I sound like a broken record but having Rob Gronkowski back (6 catches for 127 yards and 1 TD) make all the difference in his fantasy football outlook. It is utterly amazing how Gronkowski gets into the end zone in every single game.
-I pity those who benched Ben Tate and there surely were many after his lackluster recent outings. Tate went nuts Sunday by rushing for 102 yards on 22 carries and scoring three touchdowns. The decision to plant Tate on the bench likely doomed his owners for the season.
-We all thought Danny Amendola would dominate the receptions battle among New England wideouts but Julian Edelman has had other ideas. Edleman has been insane the last two weeks as he caught 9 balls for 101 yards Sunday. Just to show you how Edelman was being widely disgarded after Amedola came back, he is on waivers in the Experts League.
There you have it. As always let us hear your thoughts.
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