Monday, October 7, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL WRAPUP: 4:00 GAMES AND LATER
Let's finish off he Sunday action by taking a look at the news and notes from the late games.
-Once again we are discussing Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton in not so glowing terms after another slow start to a season just like in 2012. Newton was one big mess Sunday against Arizona in throwing three interceptions with no touchdowns while being sacked all game long. He stand this morning with only 6 passing touchdowns and 5 interceptions while also collecting only 123 rushing yards and one score. I said on the podcast yesterday that NFL defensive coordinators are getting a handle on this read option as evidenced by the slow starts of Colin Kaepernick and RG3 as well and Newton falls right in line with this. Not a terrific pocket passer by any means, if Newton is not contributing on the ground than we got trouble. I will look into this more in-depth in a STATUS REPORT in the next few days so be sure to check it out. It won't be kind.
-Something to continue to watch: Andre Ellington outrushed Rashard Mendenhall 52 yards to 43 while getting 10 less carries. Ellington will be dominating the touches by Week 8. Write it down.
-Larry Fitzgerald catching 3 passes for 43 yards simply doesn't cut it. I guess the arrival of Carson Palmer was not such a big deal for him after all.
-Sorry I won't be among the crazies to harp only on the game-sealing interception Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo threw to lose a heartbreaker to the Denver Broncos. Instead I will focus in on the single-best passing performance outside of a Peyton Manning start this season as Romo threw for an absolutely insane 506 yards with 5 TD's!!!!!!!!!!! and than one pick. Romo is a guy I have loved for a long time as you all know and this is why. However the publicity that the interception will get will help keep his annual draft price down below where it should be which means more profit can be made. Simple as that. From a production standpoint Romo is not far below Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and company. In fact he is outplaying Rodgers and Brady. Love him for what he is and that is one of the best numbers passers in fantasy football which is what this is all about.
-Peyton Manning remains a god to be worshipped by fantasy football players everywhere. He did finally throw his first interception but than Manning simply added a rare rushing touchdown to go with 4 more through the air. The Manning owner in the Experts League is still undefeated. Bet the Manning owner in your league is to.
-Julius Thomas is some story. The new Antonio Gates in his prime had a monster performance Sunday in catching 9 passes for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. Thomas actually leads all Denver receivers in touchdowns and is now inching ahead of Jordan Cameron as the number 2 tight end in fantasy football behind Mr. Graham.
-Eric Decker atoned for an early lost fumble by catching 5 passes for 87 yards and another score. Meanwhile Wes Welker picked up another touchdown of his own among his 5 catches for 49 yards. Finally it wasn't the turn for Demaryuis Thomas to score but he did add 5 receptions for 57 yards. I bet you there is a team out there whose three starting receivers are Welker, Decker, and Thomas. Sounds good to me.
-Terrance Williams should have been picked up last week. Filling in for the injured Miles Austin, Williams had his second straight big game in catching 4 passes for 151 yards and a score. Austin is no lock to play next week. Make the move. Meanwhile Dez Bryant had his obligatory huge game with 6 grabs for 141 yards and 2 scores. Can't say enough good things about the guy. Even Jason Witten scored which is a rare sight as he caught 7 passes for 121 yards. Numbers all the way around in this awesome shootout.
-Houston we have big problems with QB Matt Schaub. For the third game in a row Schaub threw an interception returned for a touchdown which was one of his 3 total picks in the game. This is a classic case of a QB who has lost his confidence and Schaub should be planted firmly on the bench. The effects of his slump are hurting Andre Johnson who still has yet to score. Not good. T.J. Yates is the mediocre backup so don't look for Schaub to get benched next week in real life football. In fantasy football bench him or cut him. You pick.
-Adding more fuel to the fire that the read option is being defeated is the continued shaky performances of Colin Kaepernick. He didn't have to do much since the 49ers defense was so great and Matt Schaub was handing them the game but only 113 passing yards and one TD is not making his owners feel good by any means. I said in the summer that I need to see a breakout guy do it again before I buy totally in. This is why.
-Philip Rivers continues to throw it all day for better or for worse. He threw three ugly interceptions but luckily salvaged his day with two fourth quarter TD's. 411 passing yards was also nice. With the Chargers unable to run the football, Rivers will continue to throw it all day long which will help his TD's and yards. It also will load up his INT total. Buckle up. This could be a roller coaster ride.
-Vincent Brown finally showed he is playing in the league by catching 8 passes for 117 yards. Eddie Royal meanwhile has turned back into a pumpkin with 3 catches for 26 yards. Also take a long lok at Keenan Allen. The rookie receiver has looked solid the last two weeks and caught 6 passes for 115 yards and a score Sunday. I like him.
-Speaking of the awful Chargers running game. Ryan Matthews ran for only 8 yards on 3 carries. Among the biggest busts we have seen in a long time. We all went way overboard on the guy as a rookie but after that mess I told you all to avoid him every season since. Yup.
-Terrell Pryor has exceeded my expectations. He threw for 221 yards and 2 scores Sunday with no picks. We can trust him in two-QB formats going forward.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
-Once again we are discussing Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton in not so glowing terms after another slow start to a season just like in 2012. Newton was one big mess Sunday against Arizona in throwing three interceptions with no touchdowns while being sacked all game long. He stand this morning with only 6 passing touchdowns and 5 interceptions while also collecting only 123 rushing yards and one score. I said on the podcast yesterday that NFL defensive coordinators are getting a handle on this read option as evidenced by the slow starts of Colin Kaepernick and RG3 as well and Newton falls right in line with this. Not a terrific pocket passer by any means, if Newton is not contributing on the ground than we got trouble. I will look into this more in-depth in a STATUS REPORT in the next few days so be sure to check it out. It won't be kind.
-Something to continue to watch: Andre Ellington outrushed Rashard Mendenhall 52 yards to 43 while getting 10 less carries. Ellington will be dominating the touches by Week 8. Write it down.
-Larry Fitzgerald catching 3 passes for 43 yards simply doesn't cut it. I guess the arrival of Carson Palmer was not such a big deal for him after all.
-Sorry I won't be among the crazies to harp only on the game-sealing interception Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo threw to lose a heartbreaker to the Denver Broncos. Instead I will focus in on the single-best passing performance outside of a Peyton Manning start this season as Romo threw for an absolutely insane 506 yards with 5 TD's!!!!!!!!!!! and than one pick. Romo is a guy I have loved for a long time as you all know and this is why. However the publicity that the interception will get will help keep his annual draft price down below where it should be which means more profit can be made. Simple as that. From a production standpoint Romo is not far below Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and company. In fact he is outplaying Rodgers and Brady. Love him for what he is and that is one of the best numbers passers in fantasy football which is what this is all about.
-Peyton Manning remains a god to be worshipped by fantasy football players everywhere. He did finally throw his first interception but than Manning simply added a rare rushing touchdown to go with 4 more through the air. The Manning owner in the Experts League is still undefeated. Bet the Manning owner in your league is to.
-Julius Thomas is some story. The new Antonio Gates in his prime had a monster performance Sunday in catching 9 passes for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. Thomas actually leads all Denver receivers in touchdowns and is now inching ahead of Jordan Cameron as the number 2 tight end in fantasy football behind Mr. Graham.
-Eric Decker atoned for an early lost fumble by catching 5 passes for 87 yards and another score. Meanwhile Wes Welker picked up another touchdown of his own among his 5 catches for 49 yards. Finally it wasn't the turn for Demaryuis Thomas to score but he did add 5 receptions for 57 yards. I bet you there is a team out there whose three starting receivers are Welker, Decker, and Thomas. Sounds good to me.
-Terrance Williams should have been picked up last week. Filling in for the injured Miles Austin, Williams had his second straight big game in catching 4 passes for 151 yards and a score. Austin is no lock to play next week. Make the move. Meanwhile Dez Bryant had his obligatory huge game with 6 grabs for 141 yards and 2 scores. Can't say enough good things about the guy. Even Jason Witten scored which is a rare sight as he caught 7 passes for 121 yards. Numbers all the way around in this awesome shootout.
-Houston we have big problems with QB Matt Schaub. For the third game in a row Schaub threw an interception returned for a touchdown which was one of his 3 total picks in the game. This is a classic case of a QB who has lost his confidence and Schaub should be planted firmly on the bench. The effects of his slump are hurting Andre Johnson who still has yet to score. Not good. T.J. Yates is the mediocre backup so don't look for Schaub to get benched next week in real life football. In fantasy football bench him or cut him. You pick.
-Adding more fuel to the fire that the read option is being defeated is the continued shaky performances of Colin Kaepernick. He didn't have to do much since the 49ers defense was so great and Matt Schaub was handing them the game but only 113 passing yards and one TD is not making his owners feel good by any means. I said in the summer that I need to see a breakout guy do it again before I buy totally in. This is why.
-Philip Rivers continues to throw it all day for better or for worse. He threw three ugly interceptions but luckily salvaged his day with two fourth quarter TD's. 411 passing yards was also nice. With the Chargers unable to run the football, Rivers will continue to throw it all day long which will help his TD's and yards. It also will load up his INT total. Buckle up. This could be a roller coaster ride.
-Vincent Brown finally showed he is playing in the league by catching 8 passes for 117 yards. Eddie Royal meanwhile has turned back into a pumpkin with 3 catches for 26 yards. Also take a long lok at Keenan Allen. The rookie receiver has looked solid the last two weeks and caught 6 passes for 115 yards and a score Sunday. I like him.
-Speaking of the awful Chargers running game. Ryan Matthews ran for only 8 yards on 3 carries. Among the biggest busts we have seen in a long time. We all went way overboard on the guy as a rookie but after that mess I told you all to avoid him every season since. Yup.
-Terrell Pryor has exceeded my expectations. He threw for 221 yards and 2 scores Sunday with no picks. We can trust him in two-QB formats going forward.
There you have it. Let us hear your thoughts.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WRAPUP: SUNDAY 1:00 GAMES
Lots and lots of fantasy football news and notes from Sunday. Let's get right to the 1:00 games.
-Nice day for Sam Bradford who rebounded from last Thursday's mess against San Francisco with a three-TD game against Jacksonville. He has a good thing going with WR Austin Pettis who caught two touchdowns among his 4 receptions. Pettis has graduated to a solid WR 3 as Bradford clearly trusts him the most right now. Jared Cook meanwhile went back to his up one week, down the next week mode with only 3 catches for 26 yards.
The biggest story in this game was the tremendous outing by forgotten WR Justin Blackmon of Jacksonville who caught 5 passes for 136 big yards and 1 TD. Remember that Blackmon was once a top draft pick who was expected to be the next Dez Bryant. Off the field stuff and horrid QB play have gotten in the way but with the more capable Chad Henne expected back in next week for the injured Blaine Gabbert, Blackmon joins Cecil Shorts (5 catches/74 yard and his own TD) as every week guys. Crazy saying that both starting Jaguars wide receivers are starting options.
-Zac Stacy did all right in his starting debut with 78 rushing yards on 14 carries. He did exit in the second half but he claimed afterward he just got the wind knocked out of him. Stacy is the starter going forward but this is strictly a standard league play since he is not a good receiver at all.
-Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed the only TD among him and Alex Smith in the Titans/Chiefs game. The bigger story were the running games as Jamaal Charles made it five for five in big time fantasy football performances this year by having his first game going over 100 yards this season with 108 and a TD. He did lose a fumble but made up for it by catching 5 passes for 37 yards. The numbers could be silly by the end of the season.
On the other side Chris Johnson did his damage in the receiving game with 4 grabs for 63 yard and a TD. However he continued his very shaky running with only 17 rushing yards on 10 carries. When you are outrushed by your QB, than we have problems. With Jackie Battle getting goal-line work for Tennessee, we could be getting dangerously close to the point where Johnson might be better off served on your bench until he gets it going again which you know he will eventually. We have been down this road before with Johnson including last season when he rushed for over 1,200 yards.
-Nick Foles could be worth a look in two-QB formats after taking over for an injured Michael Vick and throwing for 197 yards and 2 scores. Obviously anyone piloting the Chip Kelly juggernaut needs to be looked at closely. Vick meanwhile is going back down the injured road once again. He failed to throw or rush for a TD before he exited which he means he put a hurting on his fantasy football owners in addition to his own body.
DeSean Jackson was a bit quiet the last few weeks, at least his body of work and not his mouth. That is until he saw the New York Giants uniform staring back at him. Jackson has gone wild against the Giants in the past and he kept the trend going by catching 7 passes for 132 yard and a TD. The speedster has actually turned into a PPR guy for the first time in his career due to the Kelly offense.
-LeSean McCoy kept pace with Jamaal Charles in the battle for the top running back in fantasy football this season by rushing for 46 yards on 20 carries and a score while also ratcheting up the receiving numbers by catching 6 passes for 46 yards.
-Despite the Giants dropping to a horrendous 0-5, the passing game was in full gear Sunday which included the re-emergence of Hakeem Nicks. Nicks, who had been playing horrible prior to the game, caught 9 passes for 142 yards. The only thing missing was a score but this outing makes his outlook brighter to say the least. In addition, the emerging Reuben Randle caught 6 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns. With the Giants now clearly out of it, Randle could be getting more of a look going forward to see if he can replace the free agent Nicks.
-I bought low on Ray Rice prior to the week amid questions he had lost a step due to his ugly early performances and hip injury. Rice made me look smart by rushing for two touchdowns among his 74 yards on 27 carries. He also chipped in 6 catches for 28 yards. John Harbaugh made it a point that he wanted to emphasize Rice in the offense again and he obviously meant it.
-Cut Lamar Miller. Cut Lamar Miller. Cut Lamar Miller. Only 15 rushing yards on 7 carries. Do it.
-Both Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck threw two touchdowns Sunday in their terrific duel. Luck has been the better fantasy football performer than the two but overall owners of both would admit to being a tad disappointed in the overall numbers.
-T.Y. Hilton is a big play waiting to happen as he showed in catching 5 passes for 140 yards and 2 scores. The Colts coaching staff has to get over their weird obsession with the inferior Darius Heyward-Bey and feed Hilton the ball as much as possible. A star in the making.
-So far Trent Richardson has not done much with his new team. Only rushed for 56 yards on 18 carries. Average per carry still not good. Maybe the Browns weren't so dumb after all.
-Aaron Rodgers owners sent me a few e-mails about being annoyed at another so-so performance. Yes he only threw one touchdown and the overall stats are down but stop being ridiculous.
-James Jones scored again. Sound like a broken record. Caught 4 balls for 127 yards overall. Every Packers receiver had a big day with Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Jermichael Finley all catching at least 5 passes.
-The earthquake you felt around 12 noon ET today was the news that Detroit Lions all-pro wide receiver Calvin Johnson was out with a knee injury. The ripple effects impacted QB Matthew Stafford who was bench-worthy just for Megatron's absence. Stafford would throw for only a garbage time score and 262 empty yards. Get back soon Calvin.
-No touchdowns for Tom Brady for the first time in 52 games. No the world is not coming to an end. Brady will be fine, especially with Danny Amendola back who caught 4 balls for 55 yards. The effect of Amendola returning though is that Julian Edelman will not figure as prominently. He caught only 3 passes for 35 bit did drop a potential TD pass late.
-A.J. Green continues to underachieve. Only 5 catches for 61 yards and again no scores. Let's do pal.
-Told you all to pay attention to Pierre Thomas again after Mark Ingram mercifully was demoted a few weeks ago. It took a few games but Thomas showed that he is still a very capable fantasy football back, especially in PPR formats. He rushed for only 36 yards on 19 carries but he scored two touchdowns by catching 9 huge passes for 55 yards. Pick him up. Especially with bye weeks in full force.
-Jimmy Graham is an absolute monster and is one guy you just don't want to see staring back at your from your opponent's roster. He added 10 more catches Sunday for 135 yards. I guess the biggest surprise was Graham not scoring.
-Alshon Jeffery. Wow. That's all I have to say after watching the second-year breakout man catch 10 passes for 218 yards and 1 touchdown. This after Jeffrey caught 7 and 5 passes during the two games prior to this past Sunday. Once again Jay Cutler looked first in the direction of Jeffrey near the goal-line which makes Brandon Marshall owners nervous. Marshall did catch his own touchdown but only 4 passes for 30 yards. Something that bears watching. Good luck getting Jeffrey on waivers this week if you didn't address this last week.
-Nice day for Sam Bradford who rebounded from last Thursday's mess against San Francisco with a three-TD game against Jacksonville. He has a good thing going with WR Austin Pettis who caught two touchdowns among his 4 receptions. Pettis has graduated to a solid WR 3 as Bradford clearly trusts him the most right now. Jared Cook meanwhile went back to his up one week, down the next week mode with only 3 catches for 26 yards.
The biggest story in this game was the tremendous outing by forgotten WR Justin Blackmon of Jacksonville who caught 5 passes for 136 big yards and 1 TD. Remember that Blackmon was once a top draft pick who was expected to be the next Dez Bryant. Off the field stuff and horrid QB play have gotten in the way but with the more capable Chad Henne expected back in next week for the injured Blaine Gabbert, Blackmon joins Cecil Shorts (5 catches/74 yard and his own TD) as every week guys. Crazy saying that both starting Jaguars wide receivers are starting options.
-Zac Stacy did all right in his starting debut with 78 rushing yards on 14 carries. He did exit in the second half but he claimed afterward he just got the wind knocked out of him. Stacy is the starter going forward but this is strictly a standard league play since he is not a good receiver at all.
-Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed the only TD among him and Alex Smith in the Titans/Chiefs game. The bigger story were the running games as Jamaal Charles made it five for five in big time fantasy football performances this year by having his first game going over 100 yards this season with 108 and a TD. He did lose a fumble but made up for it by catching 5 passes for 37 yards. The numbers could be silly by the end of the season.
On the other side Chris Johnson did his damage in the receiving game with 4 grabs for 63 yard and a TD. However he continued his very shaky running with only 17 rushing yards on 10 carries. When you are outrushed by your QB, than we have problems. With Jackie Battle getting goal-line work for Tennessee, we could be getting dangerously close to the point where Johnson might be better off served on your bench until he gets it going again which you know he will eventually. We have been down this road before with Johnson including last season when he rushed for over 1,200 yards.
-Nick Foles could be worth a look in two-QB formats after taking over for an injured Michael Vick and throwing for 197 yards and 2 scores. Obviously anyone piloting the Chip Kelly juggernaut needs to be looked at closely. Vick meanwhile is going back down the injured road once again. He failed to throw or rush for a TD before he exited which he means he put a hurting on his fantasy football owners in addition to his own body.
DeSean Jackson was a bit quiet the last few weeks, at least his body of work and not his mouth. That is until he saw the New York Giants uniform staring back at him. Jackson has gone wild against the Giants in the past and he kept the trend going by catching 7 passes for 132 yard and a TD. The speedster has actually turned into a PPR guy for the first time in his career due to the Kelly offense.
-LeSean McCoy kept pace with Jamaal Charles in the battle for the top running back in fantasy football this season by rushing for 46 yards on 20 carries and a score while also ratcheting up the receiving numbers by catching 6 passes for 46 yards.
-Despite the Giants dropping to a horrendous 0-5, the passing game was in full gear Sunday which included the re-emergence of Hakeem Nicks. Nicks, who had been playing horrible prior to the game, caught 9 passes for 142 yards. The only thing missing was a score but this outing makes his outlook brighter to say the least. In addition, the emerging Reuben Randle caught 6 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns. With the Giants now clearly out of it, Randle could be getting more of a look going forward to see if he can replace the free agent Nicks.
-I bought low on Ray Rice prior to the week amid questions he had lost a step due to his ugly early performances and hip injury. Rice made me look smart by rushing for two touchdowns among his 74 yards on 27 carries. He also chipped in 6 catches for 28 yards. John Harbaugh made it a point that he wanted to emphasize Rice in the offense again and he obviously meant it.
-Cut Lamar Miller. Cut Lamar Miller. Cut Lamar Miller. Only 15 rushing yards on 7 carries. Do it.
-Both Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck threw two touchdowns Sunday in their terrific duel. Luck has been the better fantasy football performer than the two but overall owners of both would admit to being a tad disappointed in the overall numbers.
-T.Y. Hilton is a big play waiting to happen as he showed in catching 5 passes for 140 yards and 2 scores. The Colts coaching staff has to get over their weird obsession with the inferior Darius Heyward-Bey and feed Hilton the ball as much as possible. A star in the making.
-So far Trent Richardson has not done much with his new team. Only rushed for 56 yards on 18 carries. Average per carry still not good. Maybe the Browns weren't so dumb after all.
-Aaron Rodgers owners sent me a few e-mails about being annoyed at another so-so performance. Yes he only threw one touchdown and the overall stats are down but stop being ridiculous.
-James Jones scored again. Sound like a broken record. Caught 4 balls for 127 yards overall. Every Packers receiver had a big day with Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Jermichael Finley all catching at least 5 passes.
-The earthquake you felt around 12 noon ET today was the news that Detroit Lions all-pro wide receiver Calvin Johnson was out with a knee injury. The ripple effects impacted QB Matthew Stafford who was bench-worthy just for Megatron's absence. Stafford would throw for only a garbage time score and 262 empty yards. Get back soon Calvin.
-No touchdowns for Tom Brady for the first time in 52 games. No the world is not coming to an end. Brady will be fine, especially with Danny Amendola back who caught 4 balls for 55 yards. The effect of Amendola returning though is that Julian Edelman will not figure as prominently. He caught only 3 passes for 35 bit did drop a potential TD pass late.
-A.J. Green continues to underachieve. Only 5 catches for 61 yards and again no scores. Let's do pal.
-Told you all to pay attention to Pierre Thomas again after Mark Ingram mercifully was demoted a few weeks ago. It took a few games but Thomas showed that he is still a very capable fantasy football back, especially in PPR formats. He rushed for only 36 yards on 19 carries but he scored two touchdowns by catching 9 huge passes for 55 yards. Pick him up. Especially with bye weeks in full force.
-Jimmy Graham is an absolute monster and is one guy you just don't want to see staring back at your from your opponent's roster. He added 10 more catches Sunday for 135 yards. I guess the biggest surprise was Graham not scoring.
-Alshon Jeffery. Wow. That's all I have to say after watching the second-year breakout man catch 10 passes for 218 yards and 1 touchdown. This after Jeffrey caught 7 and 5 passes during the two games prior to this past Sunday. Once again Jay Cutler looked first in the direction of Jeffrey near the goal-line which makes Brandon Marshall owners nervous. Marshall did catch his own touchdown but only 4 passes for 30 yards. Something that bears watching. Good luck getting Jeffrey on waivers this week if you didn't address this last week.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL STATUS REPORT: AUSTIN COLLIE WR NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
It was considered a minor transaction that got very little play this past week. The New England Patriots signed free agent WR Austin Collie Tuesday in order to add some more depth to the team's wide receiver spot which has been beset with injuries and inexperience all season. The last we saw of Collie was when he suffered his latest in a long line of concussions that threaten to end his NFL career for good. The former slot dynamo and Peyton Manning favorite during his time with the Indianapolis Colts, the still young Collie (28-years-old) was looking for one last shot to make it in the NFL. Well the Patriots have given Collie that opportunity, with possibly having him in the active lineup for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. While many will look at this move as a desperate ploy by the Patriots, those in fantasy football circles are seeing a possible value play. With Danny Amendola never staying healthy and rookies Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins wildly inconsistent, the opportunity is there for Collie to start making some contributions real soon. While this is not an actionable move yet, Collie at the very least should be watched closely the next two weeks to see if he can be of use in PPR leagues.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
FANTASY FOOTBALL STATUS REPORT: ANTONIO GATES TIGHT END SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
When Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas went wild in Week 1, scoring two touchdowns when seemingly coming out of nowhere, the fantasy football world went into an immediate frenzy in fighting over one another to claim the athletic receiver off waivers. Thomas was just the latest in a recent phenomena of tight end where his background was on the hardwood or basketball with little experience in the game of football itself. However given the skills that are needed in basketball such as jumping ability and soft hands to receive passes from point guards, the thinking has always been that guys such as Thomas could adapt to the tight end position and turn into big time freaks. The godfather of this trend could surely help Thomas along the way as he continues his transition to the NFL game and I am referring of course to San Diego Chargers longtime tight end and future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates. Gates is widely considered the man who broke the mold over this recent trend of using former basketball stars and turning them into tight ends. Clearly just an experiment at the outset, Gates quickly proceeded into a perennial Pro Bowl monster who going into this Sunday's game has 667 career receptions and 85 scores. Heading into this his 11th NFL season, the general consensus was that as great as Gates has been throughout his career, age and injuries had combined to make him a very low end starting option and maybe even a backup given the new blood infused at the position. However taking advantage of having perfect health for the first time in years and still having gunslinging QB Philip Rivers under center, Gates has turned back the clock in 2013 as he stands as of this writing with 25 catches for 364 yards and two touchdowns. After catching four balls in a nondescript opener, Gates has reeled off three straight big time weeks where he has grabbed 10, 7, and 10 balls with a touchdown each of the last two games. That type of performance is vintage Gates and once again has him as one of the best fantasy football tight ends. With Rivers throwing all day long due to the lack of a running game, Gates has once again become a number 1 receiver for the Chargers given the lack of top flight wideout options. As long as Gates' feet and knees cooperate like they have early on, the receptions and scores should continue to flourish. Thus those who grabbed Gates in the late middle portions of their draft this past summer no doubt are making a sizable profit on his name right now. This very well could his version of a last hurrah but no matter, Gates' numbers once again as any tight end in football. Clearly there is some life left in the old guy this season.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)