The Indianapolis Colts have stated that RB Joseph Addai is expected to miss 2-4 weeks after an MRI revealed a partial tear in Addai's hamstring that caused him to exit early in week 6.
Dominic Rhodes will replace Addai as the starter and must be owned in all leagues. The Colts play Green Bay this week, and GB's run defense has not been good, ranking dead last in YPC and 27th in rushing yards per game.
Fantasy Impact: Addai owners probably should have drafted Rhodes in the last round given Addai's injury problems last year, and they definitely should have attempted to grab Rhodes on the WW this week as I stated in my WW article. Rhodes will be an excellent RB to use this week, although he does have some tough matchups over the next couple weeks, including Tennessee in week 8 and Pittsburgh in week 10. Addai is proving to be a bust with poor play and continued injury problems. He should not be "bought low", and if you own him, hopefully he heels quickly and has a strong finish to the season.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Lions WR Roy Williams Traded To The Dallas Cowboys
The Detroit Lions have traded WR Roy Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for 1st, 3rd, and 6th round draft picks.
Dallas isn't going to be able to sit for a week. A 1st, 3rd, and 6th for a WR who has proven little on the field other than a lack of focus, and whose contract is expiring at the end of the year? Now Dallas HAS to re-sign him to a big contract for the trade to be even close to worth it. Detroit cashed in huge by dealing a player who wasn't going to do anything for them over the course of the year (Unless you count dropped passes, wrong routes, and public bitching. I don't.), and who gave them zero reason to re-sign come year's end when he would have walked away for nothing. Sure, Williams upgrades the offensive talent and will probably re-focus himself in Dallas, but he'll have to do so with Brad Johnson for a month. This will cause even less targets for Owens, and given Witten is there as well, less targets for Williams as he is arguably the 3rd option in the passing game now, and arguably the 4th option in the offense. Good times.
However, if Dallas does re-sign him, Roy Williams finds his focus, and he plays to his talent level, then Dallas has found Owens' eventual replacement as Williams possesses a similar skill set as a big, physical receiver who can get open deep. They certainly overpaid, but there's at least a possibility that they'll get some value back from this trade moving forward.
Fantasy Impact: Roy Williams' fantasy stock probably stays as is with Brad Johnson under center, plus he'll have to learn the playbook, but it increases a bit once Romo returns and he's comfortable in the offense. He'll have to do more with less as he's no longer battling for the primary focus of the passing game. However, I do bet he'll focus more while playing on a winning team and back home in Texas. Crayton is the big loser here as he'll move to the slot and see much less time on the field. Romo, Owens, Witten, and Barber all stay about the same.
Dallas isn't going to be able to sit for a week. A 1st, 3rd, and 6th for a WR who has proven little on the field other than a lack of focus, and whose contract is expiring at the end of the year? Now Dallas HAS to re-sign him to a big contract for the trade to be even close to worth it. Detroit cashed in huge by dealing a player who wasn't going to do anything for them over the course of the year (Unless you count dropped passes, wrong routes, and public bitching. I don't.), and who gave them zero reason to re-sign come year's end when he would have walked away for nothing. Sure, Williams upgrades the offensive talent and will probably re-focus himself in Dallas, but he'll have to do so with Brad Johnson for a month. This will cause even less targets for Owens, and given Witten is there as well, less targets for Williams as he is arguably the 3rd option in the passing game now, and arguably the 4th option in the offense. Good times.
However, if Dallas does re-sign him, Roy Williams finds his focus, and he plays to his talent level, then Dallas has found Owens' eventual replacement as Williams possesses a similar skill set as a big, physical receiver who can get open deep. They certainly overpaid, but there's at least a possibility that they'll get some value back from this trade moving forward.
Fantasy Impact: Roy Williams' fantasy stock probably stays as is with Brad Johnson under center, plus he'll have to learn the playbook, but it increases a bit once Romo returns and he's comfortable in the offense. He'll have to do more with less as he's no longer battling for the primary focus of the passing game. However, I do bet he'll focus more while playing on a winning team and back home in Texas. Crayton is the big loser here as he'll move to the slot and see much less time on the field. Romo, Owens, Witten, and Barber all stay about the same.
NFL Week 6 Trading Deadline
The NFL 2008 trading deadline is today, FYI. There have been some fantasy-relevant players like Roy Williams and Tony Gonzalez mentioned in trade rumors, but it's just talk for now.
The NFL trading deadline used to be a buried story as no teams tried to deal players, but last season Chris Chambers was traded from Miami to San Diego, so there's a possibility that a bigger name player could be dealt before the deadline. I'll shoot out a new post if anything gets done.
Owners of both Williams and Gonzalez should be rooting for a trade as they would obviously see an increase in fantasy value moving to a better offense.
The NFL trading deadline used to be a buried story as no teams tried to deal players, but last season Chris Chambers was traded from Miami to San Diego, so there's a possibility that a bigger name player could be dealt before the deadline. I'll shoot out a new post if anything gets done.
Owners of both Williams and Gonzalez should be rooting for a trade as they would obviously see an increase in fantasy value moving to a better offense.
Week 7 Waiver Wire Possibilities
QB:
Matt Ryan - Ryan appears to be for real. He might have been picked up already, but his performance against a tough Bears defense was impressive. Now the Bears lost Tillman mid-game and Vasher was out, and they don't blitz, so the performance does have a caveat, but he's benefiting from the attention Turner is attracting, and Roddy White is consistently making plays for him. He's a match up play, but with the QB turnover the past couple weeks, he can help your team.
Gus Frerotte - He seems to be taking well to Minnesota's offense. He's using the 8 defenders in the box to find Berrian deep consistently. Now he's strictly a match up play only, but he could be a bye-week fill-in for the QB carnage going on these days.
Jeff Garcia - Desparate times call for desparate measures. He's a possibility if nothing else is out there and you need another QB. He actually posted semi-respectable numbers against a tough Carolina pass defense.
RB:
Dominic Rhodes - Your #1 waiver priority. With Addai going down with a hamstring injury, and the Colts refusing to talk about it, it's worth it to nab a potential starting RB for a week or three. Now it's possible Addai returns this week, but I'd personally take the chance if you need immediate RB help, and especially if you own Addai.
Sammy Morris - Maroney and Jordan were scratches, and Morris got the backfield work. He was hardly impressive with 10 carries for 26 yards, but he tossed in a TD and 49 receiving yards. He's the current alpha dog of the NE backfield and is worth owning.
Patrick Cobbs - If I need to tell you that last week was a fluke, stop playing fantasy football.
WR:
Lance Moore - Moore might get dropped with Colston coming back, but there's no reason to drop him. He's going to be entrenched opposite Colston in the starting lineup, and I apologize for being lukewarm on adding him 2 weeks ago. He's claimed the starting position, and with Shockey possibly out again, he'd be WR3 material this week even with Colston back as he'll divert attention.
Malcolm Floyd - If Chambers misses another game, Floyd will start and take his role in the offense. He's very much like Devery Henderson in that he'll only catch 2-3 passes, but he'll be targeted deep. He's the ultimate boom/bust, but you might need him.
TE:
Marcedes Lewis - We probably just saw Lewis' best game of the season on Sunday with 64 yards and a TD, but he's quietly in the top 10 of TEs for targets and makes for a worthwhile add. He isn't going to be consistent, but at this point, not many are at the TE position.
Matt Ryan - Ryan appears to be for real. He might have been picked up already, but his performance against a tough Bears defense was impressive. Now the Bears lost Tillman mid-game and Vasher was out, and they don't blitz, so the performance does have a caveat, but he's benefiting from the attention Turner is attracting, and Roddy White is consistently making plays for him. He's a match up play, but with the QB turnover the past couple weeks, he can help your team.
Gus Frerotte - He seems to be taking well to Minnesota's offense. He's using the 8 defenders in the box to find Berrian deep consistently. Now he's strictly a match up play only, but he could be a bye-week fill-in for the QB carnage going on these days.
Jeff Garcia - Desparate times call for desparate measures. He's a possibility if nothing else is out there and you need another QB. He actually posted semi-respectable numbers against a tough Carolina pass defense.
RB:
Dominic Rhodes - Your #1 waiver priority. With Addai going down with a hamstring injury, and the Colts refusing to talk about it, it's worth it to nab a potential starting RB for a week or three. Now it's possible Addai returns this week, but I'd personally take the chance if you need immediate RB help, and especially if you own Addai.
Sammy Morris - Maroney and Jordan were scratches, and Morris got the backfield work. He was hardly impressive with 10 carries for 26 yards, but he tossed in a TD and 49 receiving yards. He's the current alpha dog of the NE backfield and is worth owning.
Patrick Cobbs - If I need to tell you that last week was a fluke, stop playing fantasy football.
WR:
Lance Moore - Moore might get dropped with Colston coming back, but there's no reason to drop him. He's going to be entrenched opposite Colston in the starting lineup, and I apologize for being lukewarm on adding him 2 weeks ago. He's claimed the starting position, and with Shockey possibly out again, he'd be WR3 material this week even with Colston back as he'll divert attention.
Malcolm Floyd - If Chambers misses another game, Floyd will start and take his role in the offense. He's very much like Devery Henderson in that he'll only catch 2-3 passes, but he'll be targeted deep. He's the ultimate boom/bust, but you might need him.
TE:
Marcedes Lewis - We probably just saw Lewis' best game of the season on Sunday with 64 yards and a TD, but he's quietly in the top 10 of TEs for targets and makes for a worthwhile add. He isn't going to be consistent, but at this point, not many are at the TE position.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Week 7 Walking Wounded
Sorry to everyone for missing my usual Friday injury updates for week 6. Let's get back to it with the week 7 injuries. I will not cover injured players on bye in week 7 as they'll be on your bench anyways.
QB:
Tony Romo - Fantasy owners are no doubt freaking with the news that Romo fractured his pinkie finger and will miss 4-5 weeks. Which means 3-4 games. Brad Johnson will take his place, and while he is an interesting (albeit conservative) week 7 option against STL, he's not recommended beyond that. Downgrade all Cowboys, especially T.O. *edit* Tony Romo will not start in week 7.
Carson Palmer - Palmer has already been ruled out for week 7, and again looks like a dicey bet for the rest of the season. He's going to see the New York Mets pitching doctor, so hopefully some definitive news beyond this week will be known soon. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been a disaster in his place, and will continue to be such. *edit* Carson Palmer is again facing the threat of season-ending surgery. I'd still hold onto him until news is official.
Matt Hasselbeck - Hasselbeck is out in week 7, but with a bulging disc in his back as opposed to his knee. It's very possible he'll miss multiple weeks beyond this.
Trent Edwards - Edwards practiced on Monday and will be starting again in week 7 after missing week 5 with a concussion. Losman will head back to the bench. *edit* Edwards is starting in week 7.
Jon Kitna - Kitna's week 7 status is in doubt, and so is his starting job for the rest of the season. If he's your QB2 you need to drop him and find someone better on the waiver wire. *edit* Kitna is out in week 7, and was placed on IR. Drop him immediately if you didn't after I suggested doing it the first 8 times.
Ben Roethlisberger / Aaron Rodgers - 2 fantasy starters who have been dealing with injuries, but have looked fine on gameday. Big Ben has hopefully mostly healed over the bye week, and Rodgers continues to look fine on gameday. *edit* Both are starting in week 7 and have excellent matchups.
RB:
Joseph Addai - Addai suffered a potentially serious hamstring injury, and the Colts haven't been forthcoming with any sort of information about it. Dominic Rhodes will start should Addai miss time, and he needs to be added in every league. *edit* Addai is out 2-4 weeks. The Colts are denying it, but I'm not buying it.
Willie Parker - Parker practiced on Monday and is ready to start in week 7. *edit* Parker re-injured his knee in practice and is out for week 7. Mewelde Moore will start in his place.
Willis McGahee - McGahee also suffered some sort of injury that knocked him from the game in week 6, and little is known about it. Last week was the one week McGahee could have totally redeemed himself, but unlike Lloyd Christmas, he failed to do so. Keep him rostered, but don't let him anywhere near your lineup. *edit* McGahee will start in week 7, and I guess you could do worse for an emergency if you didn't get Rhodes/Moore/Morris.
Selvin Young - Young missed week 6 with a groin injury, and his status for week 7 is uncertain. Given the way Michael Pittman played, Young has probably lost his starting job. It was clear Shanahan didn't trust him as a featured RB this season. *edit* Young is out again in week 7. With Pittman running well and Torain close to returning, you can drop Young if you like someone better out there.
Kevin Smith - Smith left with a shoulder injury in week 6, did not return, and his status for week 7 is uncertain. Rudi would dominate the backfield should Smith miss week 7, but given the disastrous state of the Lions offense, it'd be hard to recommend him, although Houston's defense is allowing 4.5 YPC on the season. *edit* Smith returned to practice on Friday and will resume his timeshare role.
Chris Perry - No injury, he just sucks. After a couple promising outings against tough defenses in weeks 2 and 3, he's been absolute crap. I plan on dropping him from both of my teams if I can land Rhodes. Kenny Watson and Cedric Benson will likely battle to start in week 7 as there's strong rumors of him being benched. *edit* Cedric Benson is the new starter. Drop Perry.
Laurence Maroney - In the lineup, out of the lineup. Who knows what's really wrong with him, and if you see someone like Michael Pittman or Dominic Rhodes on your waiver wire, cut bait with Maroney. He still has untapped talent, but it's starting to become clear that he again won't put it on display this season. *edit* Maroney is doubtful, and Sammy Morris will dominate the carries in his place.
WR:
Marques Colston - Oh so close to playing in week 6, but it would be a shock if he didn't play in week 7. He should be all systems go, and back to being a borderline WR1. *edit* Colston is starting in week 7. Get him in your lineup.
Chris Chambers - Chambers missed week 6 with an ankle injury, and nothing is known about his week 7 status as the Chargers haven't identified what exactly the injury is. That being said, I would guess it's a multi-week injury. *edit* Chambers is out in week 7. Malcolm Floyd will start in his place.
Eddie Royal - Royal missed week 6 with an ankle sprain, but there's some optimism about returning in week 7. We'll know more later this week. *edit* Royal will resume starting in week 7, so start him if you were on the fence.
Brandon Stokley - Stokley was a solid one week fill-in for Royal owners with a couple catches and a TD, but was concussed in the first half and didn't return. His status for week 7 is in question. *edit* Stokley is unlikely to play in week 7. Do not use him.
Deion Branch - Branch missed week 6 with a heel injury, and even though he might return in week 7, he's not worth using with Hasselbeck out unless Frye shows improvement in his next game. *edit* Branch is out in week 7.
TE:
Kellen Winslow - Winslow probably won't play this evening with some gross swollen testicle issue, but odds are he'll be ready for week 7 as he seemed somewhat close to play this week. *edit* Winslow will start in week 7, so you should start him too.
Jeremy Shockey - Shockey seemingly came close to playing in week 6, but he's still uncertain for week 7 as he only put in limited practices last week. I'll update him further later this week. *edit* Shockey will start in week 7, so you should start him too.
Tony Scheffler - Scheffler missed week 6 with a groin injury, and his status for week 7 is in question as of now. *edit* Scheffler looks unlikely to play, and his bye week is next week, so there's no reason for Denver to force him back out there. Don't use him.
QB:
Tony Romo - Fantasy owners are no doubt freaking with the news that Romo fractured his pinkie finger and will miss 4-5 weeks. Which means 3-4 games. Brad Johnson will take his place, and while he is an interesting (albeit conservative) week 7 option against STL, he's not recommended beyond that. Downgrade all Cowboys, especially T.O. *edit* Tony Romo will not start in week 7.
Carson Palmer - Palmer has already been ruled out for week 7, and again looks like a dicey bet for the rest of the season. He's going to see the New York Mets pitching doctor, so hopefully some definitive news beyond this week will be known soon. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been a disaster in his place, and will continue to be such. *edit* Carson Palmer is again facing the threat of season-ending surgery. I'd still hold onto him until news is official.
Matt Hasselbeck - Hasselbeck is out in week 7, but with a bulging disc in his back as opposed to his knee. It's very possible he'll miss multiple weeks beyond this.
Trent Edwards - Edwards practiced on Monday and will be starting again in week 7 after missing week 5 with a concussion. Losman will head back to the bench. *edit* Edwards is starting in week 7.
Jon Kitna - Kitna's week 7 status is in doubt, and so is his starting job for the rest of the season. If he's your QB2 you need to drop him and find someone better on the waiver wire. *edit* Kitna is out in week 7, and was placed on IR. Drop him immediately if you didn't after I suggested doing it the first 8 times.
Ben Roethlisberger / Aaron Rodgers - 2 fantasy starters who have been dealing with injuries, but have looked fine on gameday. Big Ben has hopefully mostly healed over the bye week, and Rodgers continues to look fine on gameday. *edit* Both are starting in week 7 and have excellent matchups.
RB:
Joseph Addai - Addai suffered a potentially serious hamstring injury, and the Colts haven't been forthcoming with any sort of information about it. Dominic Rhodes will start should Addai miss time, and he needs to be added in every league. *edit* Addai is out 2-4 weeks. The Colts are denying it, but I'm not buying it.
Willie Parker - Parker practiced on Monday and is ready to start in week 7. *edit* Parker re-injured his knee in practice and is out for week 7. Mewelde Moore will start in his place.
Willis McGahee - McGahee also suffered some sort of injury that knocked him from the game in week 6, and little is known about it. Last week was the one week McGahee could have totally redeemed himself, but unlike Lloyd Christmas, he failed to do so. Keep him rostered, but don't let him anywhere near your lineup. *edit* McGahee will start in week 7, and I guess you could do worse for an emergency if you didn't get Rhodes/Moore/Morris.
Selvin Young - Young missed week 6 with a groin injury, and his status for week 7 is uncertain. Given the way Michael Pittman played, Young has probably lost his starting job. It was clear Shanahan didn't trust him as a featured RB this season. *edit* Young is out again in week 7. With Pittman running well and Torain close to returning, you can drop Young if you like someone better out there.
Kevin Smith - Smith left with a shoulder injury in week 6, did not return, and his status for week 7 is uncertain. Rudi would dominate the backfield should Smith miss week 7, but given the disastrous state of the Lions offense, it'd be hard to recommend him, although Houston's defense is allowing 4.5 YPC on the season. *edit* Smith returned to practice on Friday and will resume his timeshare role.
Chris Perry - No injury, he just sucks. After a couple promising outings against tough defenses in weeks 2 and 3, he's been absolute crap. I plan on dropping him from both of my teams if I can land Rhodes. Kenny Watson and Cedric Benson will likely battle to start in week 7 as there's strong rumors of him being benched. *edit* Cedric Benson is the new starter. Drop Perry.
Laurence Maroney - In the lineup, out of the lineup. Who knows what's really wrong with him, and if you see someone like Michael Pittman or Dominic Rhodes on your waiver wire, cut bait with Maroney. He still has untapped talent, but it's starting to become clear that he again won't put it on display this season. *edit* Maroney is doubtful, and Sammy Morris will dominate the carries in his place.
WR:
Marques Colston - Oh so close to playing in week 6, but it would be a shock if he didn't play in week 7. He should be all systems go, and back to being a borderline WR1. *edit* Colston is starting in week 7. Get him in your lineup.
Chris Chambers - Chambers missed week 6 with an ankle injury, and nothing is known about his week 7 status as the Chargers haven't identified what exactly the injury is. That being said, I would guess it's a multi-week injury. *edit* Chambers is out in week 7. Malcolm Floyd will start in his place.
Eddie Royal - Royal missed week 6 with an ankle sprain, but there's some optimism about returning in week 7. We'll know more later this week. *edit* Royal will resume starting in week 7, so start him if you were on the fence.
Brandon Stokley - Stokley was a solid one week fill-in for Royal owners with a couple catches and a TD, but was concussed in the first half and didn't return. His status for week 7 is in question. *edit* Stokley is unlikely to play in week 7. Do not use him.
Deion Branch - Branch missed week 6 with a heel injury, and even though he might return in week 7, he's not worth using with Hasselbeck out unless Frye shows improvement in his next game. *edit* Branch is out in week 7.
TE:
Kellen Winslow - Winslow probably won't play this evening with some gross swollen testicle issue, but odds are he'll be ready for week 7 as he seemed somewhat close to play this week. *edit* Winslow will start in week 7, so you should start him too.
Jeremy Shockey - Shockey seemingly came close to playing in week 6, but he's still uncertain for week 7 as he only put in limited practices last week. I'll update him further later this week. *edit* Shockey will start in week 7, so you should start him too.
Tony Scheffler - Scheffler missed week 6 with a groin injury, and his status for week 7 is in question as of now. *edit* Scheffler looks unlikely to play, and his bye week is next week, so there's no reason for Denver to force him back out there. Don't use him.
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