QB:
Vince Young - If someone dropped him after his injury last week, and you need a QB, get him. He'll be worth waiting for on Sunday if you're struggling.
RB:
Quinton Ganther - Ganther busted out last week with 90 total yards and 2 TDs, and he gets a reeling Giants defense this week. If you need a RB injection, try him out.
Arian Foster - Foster will probably dominate touches as the new feature Texans RB against the Rams, so you couldn't ask for a better matchup. I rank Ganther slightly above him as Foster carries some risk due to his uncertain workload, but you couldn't ask for a better situation as the Texans figure to be nursing a big lead in the 2nd half.
WR:
Hakeem Nicks - His inconsistent playing time thus far probably scared some owners off, but he's starting now and well worth using as a WR3 this week.
Devin Aromashodu - He's much riskier, but could be a fall back option should you not be able to get Nicks. He played well last week, and is an athletic big man. With Hester likely out again, he'll start once more and be Cutler's go-to guy down the field.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Week 14 Thoughts
It's playoff time, fellas. I'm going to really focus on what's important here...no fringe analysis. We know what we have, for the most part.
Arizona Cardinals - This was simply an off-game for the Cardinals. Warner, Fitzgerald, and Boldin will bounce back, and with a matchup against Detroit in week 15, odds are it will be in a big way.
Atlanta Falcons - The offense continued to be a mess with Ryan and Turner out hurt, and with Atlanta probably out of the playoff picture (2 games back with 2 to go), odds are they won't rush them back. If Redman starts again, it's going to be a rough game against the Jets. Speaking of which, White will get shutdown corner Revis in coverage. It'd take some balls to sit a stud like White, but this might be the toughest matchup you could ask for.
Baltimore Ravens - The only two valid playoff fantasy options on this team are Ray Rice, who just shredded the Detroit defense, and Derrick Mason, who continues to defy his age. Rice remains a RB1 and Mason is a solid WR3.
Buffalo Bills - Fred Jackson remains a solid RB2, but that's now two games in a row where Lynch has outproduced him on his limited touches. It shouldn't be a concern. If you're starting anyone else on this team, you've got a weakness.
Carolina Panthers - DeAngelo Williams is now down his 2 best OTs in Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah, with Otah especially being a key component to the rushing attack. With Minnesota up next, I'm very down on Williams this week, but you'd need a really good 3rd RB to risk sitting him. Still, like Roddy White above, his matchup is very bad. Steve Smith remains a solid WR3, but nothing more.
Cincinnati Bengals - Cedric Benson, despite some off-base rumor last week that he'd be splitting carries with Larry Johnson, remains the workhorse of this team. He's a RB1. Ochocinco is still a WR1/2 tweener, but with Carson Palmer's continued struggles, he's not as explosive as he previously was.
Chicago Bears - You're probably not relying on anyone here, but Forte remains a decent RB2. His matchup against Baltimore is not decent, however. I would consider other options if you have them, but Forte will get his touches. Given Chicago probably won't run successfully on Baltimore, they should pass plenty, and Baltimore's secondary is not great. Cutler is a low level QB1 this week. If you're scraping the barrel for a WR3, Devin Aromashodu qualifies with a great matchup, and the Bears figure to go pass happy.
Cleveland Browns - If you're still starting someone on this team, you're probably either 4-10 or you have a ridiculous supporting cast. And you're dumb.
Dallas Cowboys - Romo continues to look good, and with just a good enough rushing attack, it's enough to keep defenses off balance. Miles Austin is a borderline WR1 as he's been quite consistent since his mid-season drought, and Roy Williams is a solid WR3 as he's playing well alongside Austin. Jason Witten has resumed his elite TE status with a strong finish so far. Felix Jones looks explosive again and provides a great complement to the passing attack, but he's not a fantasy option with the lack of touches. Marion Barber has fallen out of grace, and he failed with numerous goal line options last week. He's a very risky RB2, but despite the drought, he's always a threat to score. They get the Saints next, so they'll have to score plenty.
Denver Broncos - Holy Brandon Marshall. He's obviously a great WR1 heading into the playoffs, and Moreno will completely dominate the backfield work should Correll Buckhalter miss week 15. He'd be a borderline RB1 in that scenario with Oakland next on the schedule.
Detroit Lions - With Kevin Smith done for the year, only Calvin Johnson is worth mentioning, and Stafford projects to return this week. Johnson must be started if Stafford plays, but you could consider other options if Culpepper starts again.
Green Bay Packers - Much like the Cardinals, the Packers simply had an off-game. Rodgers, Driver, and Jennings have a great matchup against a reeling Pittsburgh secondary. The Steelers can still stop the run, but Grant figures to get plenty of touches and is a threat to score. He's a RB2.
Houston Texans - The offense was scorching last week, and with St. Louis up next, good times should be had by all. Schaub and AJ project to have huge games, and if you're really hard up for a RB2 this week, Arian Foster is worth a look. He's a big RB with solid pass catching ability, and he's got a great matchup as the Texans should be nursing a lead down the stretch of the game. He figures to be on the field plenty and is a RB2 this week.
Indianapolis Colts - If you believe Jim Caldwell, and sometimes it's hard to, then all Colts players are safe to use this week. Their passing attack has a wonderful matchup against the Jaguars, so get Manning, Wayne, Garcon, Collie, and Clark all active for this one. Addai is a must-start as well with Donald Brown likely to sit again. If there's a game for Wayne to re-emerge, it's this one. We've suffered with crappy production for long enough!
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD is the only guy worth using here, and he's an obvious must-start, although the Colts figure to score a ton and put the Jags down early. Sims-Walker's injuries are mounting up again and he remains a high risk start if he plays in week 15.
Kansas City Chiefs - Jamaal Charles continues to amaze, and he's a solid RB2 as the lone RB in the Chiefs backfield. He has a great matchup this week against the Browns, too. Dwayne Bowe returns, and if you've stashed him, he should be safe to use as a WR3 this week in an ideal matchup.
Miami Dolphins - Ricky Williams continues to shoulder a big workload, but he's doing great so far. The Titans defense has improved greatly as the season has gone along, but they're still only middle of the pack against the run. He's a borderline RB1.
Minnesota Vikings - Peterson has been as consistent as any RB in fantasy this year, and he gets a juicy matchup against a ravaged Carolina run defense this week. He could be huge. Favre is also a must-start, although Carolina's secondary has played at a high level this year. Just ask Tom Brady.
New England Patriots - Brady had a rough one, mostly thanks to Randy Moss seemingly shutting in down in a big game for the team. There's been a lot of press covering his actions last week, but Brady, Moss, and Welker remain must-starts every week. Maroney continues to get a lot of carries, and with a great matchup against Buffalo this week, he can be used as a RB2.
New Orleans Saints - Brees, Colston, and Meachem must be started this week as Meachem has clearly emerged as the secondary target for Brees in the passing game, and he's a big play waiting to happen. Starting Henderson is always like playing the lottery, and Shockey hasn't been useful for weeks. Pierre Thomas, especially with Mike Bell out, is a solid RB2.
New York Giants - Eli rebounded in a monster way, and he has a solid matchup with the Redskins up next. He can be used as a QB1, and hopefully he's over the foot issues that have caused issues for him this season. Hakeem Nicks finally leapfrogged Mario Manningham, and while he had a couple bad drops, he also made a huge play and posted a great fantasy day. Get him active as a WR3 this week. Jacobs scored, but with his lack of efficient on his carries and the renewed Ahmad Bradshaw, he's a risky option. He can still be used as a RB2, but he's not a great bet for yardage.
New York Jets - Sanchez should return this week, but if Ryan and Turner miss the game for the Falcons, odds are that he won't be asked to throw much, meaning this whole passing attack should be avoided. Thomas Jones is a must-start RB1.
Oakland Raiders - Garbage.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb had another solid game and remains a QB1. DeSean Jackson posted yet another long TD, and Brent Celek posted a great game as well. All 3 of them are must-starts, but determining who might do something between Jason Avant and Reggie Brown isn't worth chasing. I'd take Avant if I had to choose. The rushing attack is to be avoided as it's a clear split between McCoy and Weaver, but if your RB2 is a ghost town, you could try chasing a TD from Weaver.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben looked poor versus a horrible secondary. It was just a bad game in every possible way as his protection failed him big time, and with the swirling winds, it negated the downfield ability of Holmes and Wallace. Ward was set up for a big day if he wasn't so hobbled. The tough GB secondary is up next, but the Steelers will probably pass plenty, so Big Ben, Holmes, and Ward should be started. With Woodson looming, however, it might be a rough day for Holmes.
San Diego Chargers - Welcome back, VJax. Rivers, Jackson, and Gates are must-starts, and Tomlinson is a solid RB2 thanks to his high workload and TD total. Odds are he'll disappoint with his yardage but score again.
San Francisco 49ers - There's Gore. It was probably too late for his owners, but SF returned to a run-heavy attack, and Gore came through in a big way. The Eagles are middle of the pack against RBs, so he's a must-start RB1. Vernon Davis also has a fantastic matchup as the Eagles are among the worst in the NFL at defending the TE. Crabtree is a decent WR3.
Seattle Seahawks - This whole team should be avoided.
St. Louis Rams - Steven Jackson is obviously the only player worth talking about here, but he had a very bad game, and it appears as though his back is really starting to give him trouble. Given the nature of the injury and his heavy workload so far, it's not surprising. Houston is up next, and they've been great against the run over the past 2 months. It's insanely hard to sit your top pick in the playoffs, especially how well he's played despite everything going on around him, but with the back injury combined with a team that figures to go up big in a hurry, it's not a terrible idea. This obviously depends on your options, however.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Freeman continued to struggle against the vaunted Jets secondary. Raheem Morris will scale the rookie back a bit, much like the Jets did with Sanchez earlier in the year, so while Kellen Winslow has to be started, Antonio Bryant will be very risky.
Tennessee Titans - Holy Chris Johnson. You might want to start him in the playoffs. Young left with a pulled hammy, but luckily it doesn't appear to be a serious injury. Keep a close eye on him as the Dolphins present a favorable matchup. I'm going to be starting him over Palmer if he plays.
Washington Redskins - You won't need the Skins passing attack if you're in the playoffs, but Quinton Ganther presents an interesting RB2 option for anyone really struggling at the position. He's hardly some good talent, but he runs hard, and the Giants aren't nearly as stout against the run as they once were.
Arizona Cardinals - This was simply an off-game for the Cardinals. Warner, Fitzgerald, and Boldin will bounce back, and with a matchup against Detroit in week 15, odds are it will be in a big way.
Atlanta Falcons - The offense continued to be a mess with Ryan and Turner out hurt, and with Atlanta probably out of the playoff picture (2 games back with 2 to go), odds are they won't rush them back. If Redman starts again, it's going to be a rough game against the Jets. Speaking of which, White will get shutdown corner Revis in coverage. It'd take some balls to sit a stud like White, but this might be the toughest matchup you could ask for.
Baltimore Ravens - The only two valid playoff fantasy options on this team are Ray Rice, who just shredded the Detroit defense, and Derrick Mason, who continues to defy his age. Rice remains a RB1 and Mason is a solid WR3.
Buffalo Bills - Fred Jackson remains a solid RB2, but that's now two games in a row where Lynch has outproduced him on his limited touches. It shouldn't be a concern. If you're starting anyone else on this team, you've got a weakness.
Carolina Panthers - DeAngelo Williams is now down his 2 best OTs in Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah, with Otah especially being a key component to the rushing attack. With Minnesota up next, I'm very down on Williams this week, but you'd need a really good 3rd RB to risk sitting him. Still, like Roddy White above, his matchup is very bad. Steve Smith remains a solid WR3, but nothing more.
Cincinnati Bengals - Cedric Benson, despite some off-base rumor last week that he'd be splitting carries with Larry Johnson, remains the workhorse of this team. He's a RB1. Ochocinco is still a WR1/2 tweener, but with Carson Palmer's continued struggles, he's not as explosive as he previously was.
Chicago Bears - You're probably not relying on anyone here, but Forte remains a decent RB2. His matchup against Baltimore is not decent, however. I would consider other options if you have them, but Forte will get his touches. Given Chicago probably won't run successfully on Baltimore, they should pass plenty, and Baltimore's secondary is not great. Cutler is a low level QB1 this week. If you're scraping the barrel for a WR3, Devin Aromashodu qualifies with a great matchup, and the Bears figure to go pass happy.
Cleveland Browns - If you're still starting someone on this team, you're probably either 4-10 or you have a ridiculous supporting cast. And you're dumb.
Dallas Cowboys - Romo continues to look good, and with just a good enough rushing attack, it's enough to keep defenses off balance. Miles Austin is a borderline WR1 as he's been quite consistent since his mid-season drought, and Roy Williams is a solid WR3 as he's playing well alongside Austin. Jason Witten has resumed his elite TE status with a strong finish so far. Felix Jones looks explosive again and provides a great complement to the passing attack, but he's not a fantasy option with the lack of touches. Marion Barber has fallen out of grace, and he failed with numerous goal line options last week. He's a very risky RB2, but despite the drought, he's always a threat to score. They get the Saints next, so they'll have to score plenty.
Denver Broncos - Holy Brandon Marshall. He's obviously a great WR1 heading into the playoffs, and Moreno will completely dominate the backfield work should Correll Buckhalter miss week 15. He'd be a borderline RB1 in that scenario with Oakland next on the schedule.
Detroit Lions - With Kevin Smith done for the year, only Calvin Johnson is worth mentioning, and Stafford projects to return this week. Johnson must be started if Stafford plays, but you could consider other options if Culpepper starts again.
Green Bay Packers - Much like the Cardinals, the Packers simply had an off-game. Rodgers, Driver, and Jennings have a great matchup against a reeling Pittsburgh secondary. The Steelers can still stop the run, but Grant figures to get plenty of touches and is a threat to score. He's a RB2.
Houston Texans - The offense was scorching last week, and with St. Louis up next, good times should be had by all. Schaub and AJ project to have huge games, and if you're really hard up for a RB2 this week, Arian Foster is worth a look. He's a big RB with solid pass catching ability, and he's got a great matchup as the Texans should be nursing a lead down the stretch of the game. He figures to be on the field plenty and is a RB2 this week.
Indianapolis Colts - If you believe Jim Caldwell, and sometimes it's hard to, then all Colts players are safe to use this week. Their passing attack has a wonderful matchup against the Jaguars, so get Manning, Wayne, Garcon, Collie, and Clark all active for this one. Addai is a must-start as well with Donald Brown likely to sit again. If there's a game for Wayne to re-emerge, it's this one. We've suffered with crappy production for long enough!
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD is the only guy worth using here, and he's an obvious must-start, although the Colts figure to score a ton and put the Jags down early. Sims-Walker's injuries are mounting up again and he remains a high risk start if he plays in week 15.
Kansas City Chiefs - Jamaal Charles continues to amaze, and he's a solid RB2 as the lone RB in the Chiefs backfield. He has a great matchup this week against the Browns, too. Dwayne Bowe returns, and if you've stashed him, he should be safe to use as a WR3 this week in an ideal matchup.
Miami Dolphins - Ricky Williams continues to shoulder a big workload, but he's doing great so far. The Titans defense has improved greatly as the season has gone along, but they're still only middle of the pack against the run. He's a borderline RB1.
Minnesota Vikings - Peterson has been as consistent as any RB in fantasy this year, and he gets a juicy matchup against a ravaged Carolina run defense this week. He could be huge. Favre is also a must-start, although Carolina's secondary has played at a high level this year. Just ask Tom Brady.
New England Patriots - Brady had a rough one, mostly thanks to Randy Moss seemingly shutting in down in a big game for the team. There's been a lot of press covering his actions last week, but Brady, Moss, and Welker remain must-starts every week. Maroney continues to get a lot of carries, and with a great matchup against Buffalo this week, he can be used as a RB2.
New Orleans Saints - Brees, Colston, and Meachem must be started this week as Meachem has clearly emerged as the secondary target for Brees in the passing game, and he's a big play waiting to happen. Starting Henderson is always like playing the lottery, and Shockey hasn't been useful for weeks. Pierre Thomas, especially with Mike Bell out, is a solid RB2.
New York Giants - Eli rebounded in a monster way, and he has a solid matchup with the Redskins up next. He can be used as a QB1, and hopefully he's over the foot issues that have caused issues for him this season. Hakeem Nicks finally leapfrogged Mario Manningham, and while he had a couple bad drops, he also made a huge play and posted a great fantasy day. Get him active as a WR3 this week. Jacobs scored, but with his lack of efficient on his carries and the renewed Ahmad Bradshaw, he's a risky option. He can still be used as a RB2, but he's not a great bet for yardage.
New York Jets - Sanchez should return this week, but if Ryan and Turner miss the game for the Falcons, odds are that he won't be asked to throw much, meaning this whole passing attack should be avoided. Thomas Jones is a must-start RB1.
Oakland Raiders - Garbage.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb had another solid game and remains a QB1. DeSean Jackson posted yet another long TD, and Brent Celek posted a great game as well. All 3 of them are must-starts, but determining who might do something between Jason Avant and Reggie Brown isn't worth chasing. I'd take Avant if I had to choose. The rushing attack is to be avoided as it's a clear split between McCoy and Weaver, but if your RB2 is a ghost town, you could try chasing a TD from Weaver.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben looked poor versus a horrible secondary. It was just a bad game in every possible way as his protection failed him big time, and with the swirling winds, it negated the downfield ability of Holmes and Wallace. Ward was set up for a big day if he wasn't so hobbled. The tough GB secondary is up next, but the Steelers will probably pass plenty, so Big Ben, Holmes, and Ward should be started. With Woodson looming, however, it might be a rough day for Holmes.
San Diego Chargers - Welcome back, VJax. Rivers, Jackson, and Gates are must-starts, and Tomlinson is a solid RB2 thanks to his high workload and TD total. Odds are he'll disappoint with his yardage but score again.
San Francisco 49ers - There's Gore. It was probably too late for his owners, but SF returned to a run-heavy attack, and Gore came through in a big way. The Eagles are middle of the pack against RBs, so he's a must-start RB1. Vernon Davis also has a fantastic matchup as the Eagles are among the worst in the NFL at defending the TE. Crabtree is a decent WR3.
Seattle Seahawks - This whole team should be avoided.
St. Louis Rams - Steven Jackson is obviously the only player worth talking about here, but he had a very bad game, and it appears as though his back is really starting to give him trouble. Given the nature of the injury and his heavy workload so far, it's not surprising. Houston is up next, and they've been great against the run over the past 2 months. It's insanely hard to sit your top pick in the playoffs, especially how well he's played despite everything going on around him, but with the back injury combined with a team that figures to go up big in a hurry, it's not a terrible idea. This obviously depends on your options, however.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Freeman continued to struggle against the vaunted Jets secondary. Raheem Morris will scale the rookie back a bit, much like the Jets did with Sanchez earlier in the year, so while Kellen Winslow has to be started, Antonio Bryant will be very risky.
Tennessee Titans - Holy Chris Johnson. You might want to start him in the playoffs. Young left with a pulled hammy, but luckily it doesn't appear to be a serious injury. Keep a close eye on him as the Dolphins present a favorable matchup. I'm going to be starting him over Palmer if he plays.
Washington Redskins - You won't need the Skins passing attack if you're in the playoffs, but Quinton Ganther presents an interesting RB2 option for anyone really struggling at the position. He's hardly some good talent, but he runs hard, and the Giants aren't nearly as stout against the run as they once were.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Week 14 Waiver Wire
QB:
Jason Campbell - He's had 2 nice games in a row, and Washington has gone to a pass-first attack with the loss of both Portis and Betts. Using Campbell at this stage of the fantasy season is playing with fire, but if your QB is struggling, maybe pick him up and give him a shot.
RB:
Jerome Harrison - With Jamal Lewis done for the season, Harrison is out of the doghouse and producing again on the football field. Using him this week against Pittsburgh would be risky, but picking him up for depth is a smart move.
WR:
Antonio Bryant - Bryant is healthy and needs to be picked up as an immediate WR3 option. Freeman shows a strong willingness to stretch the field, and Bryant is great at doing it.
Kenny Britt - If for some reason he's still out there, grab him. He has Vince Young's trust.
TE:
Jermichael Finley - Finley was a monster on Monday Night, so grab him if you need TE help, or to prevent a competitor from doing it.
Jason Campbell - He's had 2 nice games in a row, and Washington has gone to a pass-first attack with the loss of both Portis and Betts. Using Campbell at this stage of the fantasy season is playing with fire, but if your QB is struggling, maybe pick him up and give him a shot.
RB:
Jerome Harrison - With Jamal Lewis done for the season, Harrison is out of the doghouse and producing again on the football field. Using him this week against Pittsburgh would be risky, but picking him up for depth is a smart move.
WR:
Antonio Bryant - Bryant is healthy and needs to be picked up as an immediate WR3 option. Freeman shows a strong willingness to stretch the field, and Bryant is great at doing it.
Kenny Britt - If for some reason he's still out there, grab him. He has Vince Young's trust.
TE:
Jermichael Finley - Finley was a monster on Monday Night, so grab him if you need TE help, or to prevent a competitor from doing it.
Week 13 Thoughts
OK, so now that I'm working again, I need to write my injury entries on Thursday night again. I can't do them during the day at work, and I'm usually not around on Friday nights. I'll post a full injury report this Thursday.
Arizona Cardinals - Kurt Warner returned, and so did the explosive Cardinals offense. Warner looked great, using Fitzgerald and Boldin all over the field in the big upset over the Vikings. The rushing attack predictably took a back seat against the Williams Wall, and while Wells was given twice as many carries, he did about half as much with them. Neither guy is a RB2, although Wells can be considered one against weak opponents. This week against SF does not qualify.
Atlanta Falcons - The offense was an absolute mess against the Eagles, but luckily Redman allowed both White and Gonzalez to dominate targets. Expect the Falcons offense to continue struggling should Ryan and Turner miss another week, but White and Gonzalez are still worth starting as usual.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco was smothered by GB's excellent secondary as his receivers simply could not get open consistently, and he was under constant pressure. Ray Rice was also contained quite well as the offense struggled in all aspects. The Ravens' passing game has been struggling for a while, and the Packers were able to solely focus on Rice while their secondary did the rest of the work. Rice is really the only guy I'd feel comfortable starting each week, but Mason is a reasonable WR3.
Buffalo Bills - Thud. Shitzpatrick returned, although it was against a top notch Jets secondary. Evans oddly wasn't targeted very much after an early 38 yard bomb, and Fitzpatrick forced the ball to Owens, which was a horrible game plan as Darrell Revis dominated the aging Owens for the majority of the evening. Jackson was the primary ball carrier, but a motivated Lynch looked great on a TD drive that he anchored. Expect Jackson to continue leading the carries, and don't be afraid to use him versus KC.
Carolina Panthers - Delhomme and Williams both missed this game, and while the passing attack remained very ugly behind Matt Moore, Jonathan Stewart looked awesome in his first chance as the primary ball carrier. It almost goes without saying, but if Williams were to miss week 14, Stewart would be an excellent RB2. Steve Smith is nothing more than a WR3 moving forward thanks to the passing situation.
Cincinnati Bengals - Palmer is just simply not what I thought he'd be fantasy-wise as he's been killed by his supporting cast. Heading into a dream trio of match-ups against Oakland, Cleveland, and Detroit, Palmer averaged less than 200 yards passing with 2 TDs against 3 INTs. 2 lucky rushing TDs saved his match-up against Oakland. As odd as it is to say, but Cincy misses Chris Henry. Ochocinco is the only reliable receiver Palmer has, and his stats have suffered accordingly. Benson, on the other hand, looked great in his return and will resume RB1 status moving forward.
Chicago Bears - Continued stench part 2. Cutler's protection is poor, his receiving talent is below average, and he just isn't performing well. Matt Forte had his best game of the season, and thanks to his workload, he's still an every week RB2. Olsen can be used as a TE1, but he carries obvious risk.
Cleveland Browns - Brady Quinn, *gasp*, looks good. He's doing quite well considering his lack of receiving talent, and Jerome Harrison looked good after getting out of the doghouse again. Unfortunately, with Pittsburgh up next, all bets are off in regards to expected production.
Dallas Cowboys - Romo continues to throw the ball all over the field thanks to the emergence of Miles Austin, and Roy Williams again made use of all the defensive coverage that Austin receives. Witten has also re-emerged as a stud. The rushing attack is essentially dead. I have stubbornly supported Marion Barber, but he's simply killing his fantasy owners. Despite his scoring potential, he's not cashing in.
Denver Broncos - Denver projected as being pass-heavy again this year despite the switch from Cutler to Orton, but the emergence of Knowshon Moreno and the impressive play of Correll Buckhalter has actually transitioned the Broncos into a run-first team. Orton is nothing more than a QB2 as a player who doesn't take shots, but he makes plenty good use of Marshall. Moreno has also been a great RB2.
Detroit Lions - Stafford predictably struggled against a tough Bengals D, tossing 2 more INTs, but he also made a beautiful throw on a TD bomb to Calvin Johnson, which pretty much sums up how he looks most week. He makes a good number of mistakes, but he's also made some great plays. CJ continues to be a good play with Stafford behind center, but if he can't continue playing through his shoulder injury, CJ will be a weaker play with Culpepper behind center. Kevin Smith looked quite good and remains a solid RB2.
Green Bay Packers - Rodgers continues to battle Brees for the best fantasy QB in 2009. Driver scored again, and Jermichael Finley made a couple big plays. Rodgers has no problem spreading the ball around, but if you have a struggling TE like Olsen or Shockey, Finley makes for a fine play moving forward. Grant struggled against the vicious Baltimore run defense, but he makes a solid RB2 most weeks.
Houston Texans - Hopefully Schaub doesn't miss any time because Grossman would really hurt AJ's value if he were forced into significant action. Given Schaub returned, he should be fine for next week. Walter continues to post low end WR3 numbers, but unfortunately he hasn't returned to the form he showed last season. The rushing attack is worthless for fantasy purposes.
Indianapolis Colts - The Colts offense is still cruising, although it appears as though the defensive attention that Reggie Wayne receives is affecting his production recently. He's been quiet since the New England game while Pierre Garcon has racked up the yardage. Joseph Addai continues to post great numbers when Donald Brown doesn't play, so hopefully he takes another game or 3 off for his owners.
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD was stuffed twice at the 1 yard line, which limited his fantasy production and took some wind out of the Jags' offense sails for a bit. Houston has been rather stingy against RBs, so his sub-par game isn't too far out of line. Sims-Walker has not done too well with the added defensive attention, but remains a solid WR3 moving forward.
Kansas City Chiefs - The only guy worth talking about here is Jamaal Charles, who continues to impress. With Kolby Smith out of the picture, he is the favorite for all RB duties and a great RB2 against Buffalo this week.
Miami Dolphins - Henne posted the best game of his young career, and Davone Bess turned into a great game as a result. Don't get too excited here, but Jacksonville presents another great match-up for both. Ricky Williams was against productive with his touches, but he couldn't fine the end zone in this one as New England did all it could to limit him.
Minnesota Vikings - Favre finally had one of his patented games where seemingly half of his passes generated a dry heave from his fans. Peterson was also completely shut down as Minnesota seemingly went with the wrong game plan here. They need to re-establish AP as the focal point next week.
New England Patriots - Brady posted more monster numbers, but again couldn't lead his team to victory. Moss and Welker followed suit, both posting great games again. Maroney struggled against the stout NE defense, and he'll have competition for carries moving forward. Considering he doesn't normally rack up yardage, he's a risky RB2 down the stretch.
New Orleans Saints - Brees, with the help of a horrible shanked FG from now unemployed Shaun Suisham, kept the Saints undefeated with a ridiculous comeback. All the usual suspects played a role, and one way or another, Pierre Thomas continues to produce like a RB2.
New York Giants - Eli didn't look that great, but he helped lead the Giants to a big win. I probably sound like a broken record, but Nicks continues to outperform Manningham on game days, but they still split time. As such, both are very risky WR3s. Steve Smith posted his best yardage game in a while, and he also left some yards out on the field with a couple drops as well. Jacobs posted his best fantasy day of the season, but he continues to post sub-par games on the ground. Still, he's a RB2. Bradshaw cut back into his carries again, and he looked explosive once more. He's not a fantasy option, but he's worth stashing again should something happen to Jacobs.
New York Jets - Sanchez had ups and downs per usual. He missed a wide-open Cotchery in the end zone, then he had a beautifully thrown bomb bounce off of Edwards' face. Yes, his face. Cotchery is a reliable WR3 each week, but Edwards has become a lost cause again. Thomas Jones continues to dominate carries, and he has a great schedule to end the season. He's a RB1.
Oakland Raiders - Where the hell did this come from? Gradkowski has this team believing it can win games, and Louis Murphy posted a monster performance. This isn't a recipe for fantasy success moving forward, especially since the only reason Murphy started was because DHB got hurt. You can ignore this team for your playoff run.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb had a couple TDs vultured by Vick goal line package plays, one on a run and one on a pass. This is a ridiculous way to treat a star QB, but this is nothing new in Philly, especially since Reid's decisions were vindicated by successful TDs. McCoy had an awful game. With Westbrook still out, he's a reasonable RB2 despite this performance, but Weaver is cutting into his touches with his continued solid play. He carries risk moving forward.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben returned...and lost to the Raiders. Big Ben looked sharp and Mendenhall posted a great game as well, but their secondary failed them in a big way. Cleveland's horrendous defense is up next.
San Diego Chargers - Business as usual, but Vincent Jackson's disappearance is puzzling and hurting all of his fantasy owners. Gates has been dominating targets, and Rivers has been missing Jackson when he's getting open deep. Hopefully he'll return to dominance this week. Tomlinson continues to not rack up much yardage, but score. His owners will take it.
San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith posted another great game, once again utilizing the freakishly good Vernon Davis as his primary target. Crabtree remains a solid WR3 thanks to their new pass-first philosophy. Frank Gore owners, on the other hand, can't like this accommodation to a QB who can't use proper footwork while their 1st round pick (and best offensive player on his team) is forced to compensate. Expect Gore to bounce back.
Seattle Seahawks - Hasselbeck continues to disappoint, and unfortunately Forsett's injury allowed Julius Jones to return to his unproductive role as the lead back. Burleson remains the only safe play on this team.
St. Louis Rams - Steven Jackson again cranked out another big yardage game, but didn't find paydirt this time. Not much else to say here.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Freeman hit a wall with a sweet 0 TD, 5 INT performance against Carolina, although keep in mind that despite Carolina's ravaged run defense, their secondary remains strong. The best news is that Bryant has re-emerged as a WR3 as he finally looks healthy, and Winslow is still obviously worth using as a TE1.
Tennessee Titans - Well, the Titans got beat by one of the best teams in football, but Young posted another good fantasy performance. He's a QB1 down the stretch, crazily enough, with a great schedule. Chris Johnson posts 100 yard games like it's his job, but unfortunately White replaced him again at the goal line (and didn't convert). Much like Ray Rice, who knows what will happen on their next goal line opportunity.
Washington Redskins - It's time to take notice of Jason Campbell's recent mini hot streak. With Portis and Betts both out, the Redskins have put the offense in Jason Campbell's hands, and he's mostly come through the last two weeks. He pretty much led the Skins to an upset victory until Suisham missed a 23 yard FG to clinch the game. He's got Oakland next, so if you have someone like Palmer, it wouldn't be crazy to give Campbell a shot. Moss is a WR3 for now, and Devin Thomas post a breakout game. The problem with all these guys is obvious...with such a small sample size, there's a ton of risk involved in using Campbell or Thomas when it matters most, and odds are if you're still in it, you wouldn't need them.
Arizona Cardinals - Kurt Warner returned, and so did the explosive Cardinals offense. Warner looked great, using Fitzgerald and Boldin all over the field in the big upset over the Vikings. The rushing attack predictably took a back seat against the Williams Wall, and while Wells was given twice as many carries, he did about half as much with them. Neither guy is a RB2, although Wells can be considered one against weak opponents. This week against SF does not qualify.
Atlanta Falcons - The offense was an absolute mess against the Eagles, but luckily Redman allowed both White and Gonzalez to dominate targets. Expect the Falcons offense to continue struggling should Ryan and Turner miss another week, but White and Gonzalez are still worth starting as usual.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco was smothered by GB's excellent secondary as his receivers simply could not get open consistently, and he was under constant pressure. Ray Rice was also contained quite well as the offense struggled in all aspects. The Ravens' passing game has been struggling for a while, and the Packers were able to solely focus on Rice while their secondary did the rest of the work. Rice is really the only guy I'd feel comfortable starting each week, but Mason is a reasonable WR3.
Buffalo Bills - Thud. Shitzpatrick returned, although it was against a top notch Jets secondary. Evans oddly wasn't targeted very much after an early 38 yard bomb, and Fitzpatrick forced the ball to Owens, which was a horrible game plan as Darrell Revis dominated the aging Owens for the majority of the evening. Jackson was the primary ball carrier, but a motivated Lynch looked great on a TD drive that he anchored. Expect Jackson to continue leading the carries, and don't be afraid to use him versus KC.
Carolina Panthers - Delhomme and Williams both missed this game, and while the passing attack remained very ugly behind Matt Moore, Jonathan Stewart looked awesome in his first chance as the primary ball carrier. It almost goes without saying, but if Williams were to miss week 14, Stewart would be an excellent RB2. Steve Smith is nothing more than a WR3 moving forward thanks to the passing situation.
Cincinnati Bengals - Palmer is just simply not what I thought he'd be fantasy-wise as he's been killed by his supporting cast. Heading into a dream trio of match-ups against Oakland, Cleveland, and Detroit, Palmer averaged less than 200 yards passing with 2 TDs against 3 INTs. 2 lucky rushing TDs saved his match-up against Oakland. As odd as it is to say, but Cincy misses Chris Henry. Ochocinco is the only reliable receiver Palmer has, and his stats have suffered accordingly. Benson, on the other hand, looked great in his return and will resume RB1 status moving forward.
Chicago Bears - Continued stench part 2. Cutler's protection is poor, his receiving talent is below average, and he just isn't performing well. Matt Forte had his best game of the season, and thanks to his workload, he's still an every week RB2. Olsen can be used as a TE1, but he carries obvious risk.
Cleveland Browns - Brady Quinn, *gasp*, looks good. He's doing quite well considering his lack of receiving talent, and Jerome Harrison looked good after getting out of the doghouse again. Unfortunately, with Pittsburgh up next, all bets are off in regards to expected production.
Dallas Cowboys - Romo continues to throw the ball all over the field thanks to the emergence of Miles Austin, and Roy Williams again made use of all the defensive coverage that Austin receives. Witten has also re-emerged as a stud. The rushing attack is essentially dead. I have stubbornly supported Marion Barber, but he's simply killing his fantasy owners. Despite his scoring potential, he's not cashing in.
Denver Broncos - Denver projected as being pass-heavy again this year despite the switch from Cutler to Orton, but the emergence of Knowshon Moreno and the impressive play of Correll Buckhalter has actually transitioned the Broncos into a run-first team. Orton is nothing more than a QB2 as a player who doesn't take shots, but he makes plenty good use of Marshall. Moreno has also been a great RB2.
Detroit Lions - Stafford predictably struggled against a tough Bengals D, tossing 2 more INTs, but he also made a beautiful throw on a TD bomb to Calvin Johnson, which pretty much sums up how he looks most week. He makes a good number of mistakes, but he's also made some great plays. CJ continues to be a good play with Stafford behind center, but if he can't continue playing through his shoulder injury, CJ will be a weaker play with Culpepper behind center. Kevin Smith looked quite good and remains a solid RB2.
Green Bay Packers - Rodgers continues to battle Brees for the best fantasy QB in 2009. Driver scored again, and Jermichael Finley made a couple big plays. Rodgers has no problem spreading the ball around, but if you have a struggling TE like Olsen or Shockey, Finley makes for a fine play moving forward. Grant struggled against the vicious Baltimore run defense, but he makes a solid RB2 most weeks.
Houston Texans - Hopefully Schaub doesn't miss any time because Grossman would really hurt AJ's value if he were forced into significant action. Given Schaub returned, he should be fine for next week. Walter continues to post low end WR3 numbers, but unfortunately he hasn't returned to the form he showed last season. The rushing attack is worthless for fantasy purposes.
Indianapolis Colts - The Colts offense is still cruising, although it appears as though the defensive attention that Reggie Wayne receives is affecting his production recently. He's been quiet since the New England game while Pierre Garcon has racked up the yardage. Joseph Addai continues to post great numbers when Donald Brown doesn't play, so hopefully he takes another game or 3 off for his owners.
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD was stuffed twice at the 1 yard line, which limited his fantasy production and took some wind out of the Jags' offense sails for a bit. Houston has been rather stingy against RBs, so his sub-par game isn't too far out of line. Sims-Walker has not done too well with the added defensive attention, but remains a solid WR3 moving forward.
Kansas City Chiefs - The only guy worth talking about here is Jamaal Charles, who continues to impress. With Kolby Smith out of the picture, he is the favorite for all RB duties and a great RB2 against Buffalo this week.
Miami Dolphins - Henne posted the best game of his young career, and Davone Bess turned into a great game as a result. Don't get too excited here, but Jacksonville presents another great match-up for both. Ricky Williams was against productive with his touches, but he couldn't fine the end zone in this one as New England did all it could to limit him.
Minnesota Vikings - Favre finally had one of his patented games where seemingly half of his passes generated a dry heave from his fans. Peterson was also completely shut down as Minnesota seemingly went with the wrong game plan here. They need to re-establish AP as the focal point next week.
New England Patriots - Brady posted more monster numbers, but again couldn't lead his team to victory. Moss and Welker followed suit, both posting great games again. Maroney struggled against the stout NE defense, and he'll have competition for carries moving forward. Considering he doesn't normally rack up yardage, he's a risky RB2 down the stretch.
New Orleans Saints - Brees, with the help of a horrible shanked FG from now unemployed Shaun Suisham, kept the Saints undefeated with a ridiculous comeback. All the usual suspects played a role, and one way or another, Pierre Thomas continues to produce like a RB2.
New York Giants - Eli didn't look that great, but he helped lead the Giants to a big win. I probably sound like a broken record, but Nicks continues to outperform Manningham on game days, but they still split time. As such, both are very risky WR3s. Steve Smith posted his best yardage game in a while, and he also left some yards out on the field with a couple drops as well. Jacobs posted his best fantasy day of the season, but he continues to post sub-par games on the ground. Still, he's a RB2. Bradshaw cut back into his carries again, and he looked explosive once more. He's not a fantasy option, but he's worth stashing again should something happen to Jacobs.
New York Jets - Sanchez had ups and downs per usual. He missed a wide-open Cotchery in the end zone, then he had a beautifully thrown bomb bounce off of Edwards' face. Yes, his face. Cotchery is a reliable WR3 each week, but Edwards has become a lost cause again. Thomas Jones continues to dominate carries, and he has a great schedule to end the season. He's a RB1.
Oakland Raiders - Where the hell did this come from? Gradkowski has this team believing it can win games, and Louis Murphy posted a monster performance. This isn't a recipe for fantasy success moving forward, especially since the only reason Murphy started was because DHB got hurt. You can ignore this team for your playoff run.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb had a couple TDs vultured by Vick goal line package plays, one on a run and one on a pass. This is a ridiculous way to treat a star QB, but this is nothing new in Philly, especially since Reid's decisions were vindicated by successful TDs. McCoy had an awful game. With Westbrook still out, he's a reasonable RB2 despite this performance, but Weaver is cutting into his touches with his continued solid play. He carries risk moving forward.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben returned...and lost to the Raiders. Big Ben looked sharp and Mendenhall posted a great game as well, but their secondary failed them in a big way. Cleveland's horrendous defense is up next.
San Diego Chargers - Business as usual, but Vincent Jackson's disappearance is puzzling and hurting all of his fantasy owners. Gates has been dominating targets, and Rivers has been missing Jackson when he's getting open deep. Hopefully he'll return to dominance this week. Tomlinson continues to not rack up much yardage, but score. His owners will take it.
San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith posted another great game, once again utilizing the freakishly good Vernon Davis as his primary target. Crabtree remains a solid WR3 thanks to their new pass-first philosophy. Frank Gore owners, on the other hand, can't like this accommodation to a QB who can't use proper footwork while their 1st round pick (and best offensive player on his team) is forced to compensate. Expect Gore to bounce back.
Seattle Seahawks - Hasselbeck continues to disappoint, and unfortunately Forsett's injury allowed Julius Jones to return to his unproductive role as the lead back. Burleson remains the only safe play on this team.
St. Louis Rams - Steven Jackson again cranked out another big yardage game, but didn't find paydirt this time. Not much else to say here.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Freeman hit a wall with a sweet 0 TD, 5 INT performance against Carolina, although keep in mind that despite Carolina's ravaged run defense, their secondary remains strong. The best news is that Bryant has re-emerged as a WR3 as he finally looks healthy, and Winslow is still obviously worth using as a TE1.
Tennessee Titans - Well, the Titans got beat by one of the best teams in football, but Young posted another good fantasy performance. He's a QB1 down the stretch, crazily enough, with a great schedule. Chris Johnson posts 100 yard games like it's his job, but unfortunately White replaced him again at the goal line (and didn't convert). Much like Ray Rice, who knows what will happen on their next goal line opportunity.
Washington Redskins - It's time to take notice of Jason Campbell's recent mini hot streak. With Portis and Betts both out, the Redskins have put the offense in Jason Campbell's hands, and he's mostly come through the last two weeks. He pretty much led the Skins to an upset victory until Suisham missed a 23 yard FG to clinch the game. He's got Oakland next, so if you have someone like Palmer, it wouldn't be crazy to give Campbell a shot. Moss is a WR3 for now, and Devin Thomas post a breakout game. The problem with all these guys is obvious...with such a small sample size, there's a ton of risk involved in using Campbell or Thomas when it matters most, and odds are if you're still in it, you wouldn't need them.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Week 13 Waiver Wire
QB:
Vince Young - If he's still out there, pick him up immediately. He's playing at the highest level of his career right now, utilizing all his weapons while Chris Johnson dominates the defensive focus. He has great match-ups down the stretch.
RB:
Fred Jackson - He should have been hung onto, but if he wasn't, add him immediately. He's got a tough match-up this week, but he's probably going to start over Lynch and get more than half of the touches. Buffalo is simply a better offense with him in the game.
Jerious Norwood - He's worth grabbing while Turner is out, but it's anyone's guess as to what type of split that Snelling and Norwood will have moving forward. Snelling will almost certainly get goal line carries.
Lex Hilliard - If you're a Ricky Williams owner, you need to grab him. He's looked good when given the ball, and Williams is 32 coming off of some heavy workloads.
Rashad Jennings - He's looked impressive in short bursts, and he would have value if MJD goes down. Don't wait for an injury to go after him...MJD owners should grab him immediately.
WR:
Kenny Britt - He'll probably be inconsistent, but Vince Young will hopefully start looking to his WRs more moving forward after last week's big game. He's the best WR out there and should be grabbed...he's a WR3 option moving forward.
Antonio Bryant - He's re-emerging, and Freeman looks good...so far. Keep in mind the possibility that Freeman hits a wall with teams starting to get film on him, but ride him until that happens. He's another WR3 option moving forward.
Reggie Brown - He's going to start with Jackson likely out this week, so he's worth taking a stab with. Odds are that Maclin, Avant, and Celek will dominate targets, but with as much as Philly throws and the likelihood they'll spread it around, there's enough to go around.
Vince Young - If he's still out there, pick him up immediately. He's playing at the highest level of his career right now, utilizing all his weapons while Chris Johnson dominates the defensive focus. He has great match-ups down the stretch.
RB:
Fred Jackson - He should have been hung onto, but if he wasn't, add him immediately. He's got a tough match-up this week, but he's probably going to start over Lynch and get more than half of the touches. Buffalo is simply a better offense with him in the game.
Jerious Norwood - He's worth grabbing while Turner is out, but it's anyone's guess as to what type of split that Snelling and Norwood will have moving forward. Snelling will almost certainly get goal line carries.
Lex Hilliard - If you're a Ricky Williams owner, you need to grab him. He's looked good when given the ball, and Williams is 32 coming off of some heavy workloads.
Rashad Jennings - He's looked impressive in short bursts, and he would have value if MJD goes down. Don't wait for an injury to go after him...MJD owners should grab him immediately.
WR:
Kenny Britt - He'll probably be inconsistent, but Vince Young will hopefully start looking to his WRs more moving forward after last week's big game. He's the best WR out there and should be grabbed...he's a WR3 option moving forward.
Antonio Bryant - He's re-emerging, and Freeman looks good...so far. Keep in mind the possibility that Freeman hits a wall with teams starting to get film on him, but ride him until that happens. He's another WR3 option moving forward.
Reggie Brown - He's going to start with Jackson likely out this week, so he's worth taking a stab with. Odds are that Maclin, Avant, and Celek will dominate targets, but with as much as Philly throws and the likelihood they'll spread it around, there's enough to go around.
Week 12 Thoughts
I'm sorry for the week off there. Between enjoying my last week of freedom before I start my new job and the Thanksgiving weekend, I wasn't able to get anything written. Back to the grind!
Arizona Cardinals - Despite all the offseason talk about Matt Leinart finally getting it and his monster preseason performance, he looked like the same old Leinart, struggling to move the Cardinals offense. If Warner has to sit out again, hopefully Leinart can finally show some promise, but you'll have to temper expectations for Fitz and Boldin, while Breaston isn't worth starting. The rushing attack is still a straight split of carries, neither of which are using as a RB2.
Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan hurt his toe and Michael Turner re-aggravated his ankle sprain, proving once again that teams can't rush players back that are coming off of high ankle sprains. This offense figures to struggle moving forward without it's too most important components, so White and Gonzalez owners will also have to temper expectations.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco bounced back in a mild fashion against a tough Pittsburgh defense, but we need to see more after such a long slump. Mason is the only part of the passing attack worth using each week, but Clayton had another big game, and Baltimore desperately needs someone other than Mason to make plays. Keep an eye on him. Despite the one week flirt that Ray Rice had with the goal line, Baltimore is stubbornly using McGahee at the goal line again. At least Rice is dominating touches and racking up the yardage both rushing and receiving.
Buffalo Bills - Ryan Fitzpatrick continues to prove interim coach Perry Fewell correct by helping the Bills move the ball far more effectively, and most importantly to fantasy owners, it's clear that Fred Jackson does as well. It's clear that Jackson has earned a big role in this backfield. Lynch simply has not done well for the Bills after being given the starting role back after his suspension, so expect Jackson to at least split carries again, if not dominate them. Owens has been re-born the last two weeks, so try to ride out the hot streak, but it would not surprise if he falls on his face again. Evans has again disappeared, making him a very risky start.
Carolina Panthers - Back to this again? Delhomme fell apart yet again and might have started the last game of his career. Thanks to a broken finger, the Panthers have a great excuse to bench him, if his performance wasn't enough. It's hard to get excited about Matt Moore, but it couldn't possibly get any worse. I think the value of all Panthers stays the same with the QB switch.
Cincinnati Bengals - Palmer continues to disappoint, posting back-to-back horrible passing performances in good match-ups versus Oakland and Cleveland. Despite not putting many points on the board, the coaching staff remains stubbornly against passing down the field. The Bengals are now clearly a run-first team, and they haven't missed a beat with Cedric Benson out thanks to Bernard Scott and Larry Johnson.
Chicago Bears - Continued stench. The offense has completely fallen apart, although Forte, Hester, and Olsen remain solid fantasy starters.
Cleveland Browns - Garbage.
Dallas Cowboys - After a couple off-weeks, Miles Austin has re-emerged, and so has the offense. Romo looked great again, and Jason Witten even put together his best game of the season. Despite a bad season so far, hopefully Witten can build off of this game and turn it on for his owners moving forward. The rushing attack is still a complete mess, although Barber continues to get most of the carries. I'm stubborn, so I'd stick with Barber.
Denver Broncos - Business as usual, although the offense has rebounded after a couple off-weeks. The most important thing to note is that Moreno continues to be more effective with his touches, and that Buckhalter isn't nearly as effective as he was early-on in the season. Moreno should continue to dominate the backfield work as their skills are best utilized with Moreno as the workhorse and Buckhalter as the change-of-pace. Marshall remains the only pass catcher worth starting as McDaniels seems to have to no idea how to use Royal and Scheffler properly. Despite the praise heaped on him this year, he obviously hasn't been able to adapt his offense to two of his best talents.
Detroit Lions - Stafford continues to start through his knee and shoulder problems, which is good news for Calvin Johnson as Culpepper just isn't very effective anymore. Johnson also is playing through his troublesome knee, so hopefully this long break will allow him to get close to 100%. Kevin Smith continues to crank out total yardage, but his YPC simply isn't there. I think this is more of the fact that Smith doesn't make enough happen on his own to make up for the poor offensive line.
Green Bay Packers - Rodgers continues to post monster games, and Greg Jennings continues to disappoint. Nothing much to note here.
Houston Texans - Schaub has certainly lived up to his billing so far this year, as has AJ. Walter is definitely getting more looks with Daniels out, and he's a solid WR3 moving foward. Slaton and Brown are in a full time-share with Slaton catching passes and Brown getting more carries, including the goal-line work.
Indianapolis Colts - The Colts offense keeps humming along, with Garcon stepping up again after hitting somewhat of a wall in the middle of the season. Addai is picking up more carries, and he looks as good as he has since 2007. He's not getting enough touches to be a RB1, but thanks to his scoring potential, he has re-emerged as a solid RB2.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Collapse. MJD did what he could, but Jacksonville just couldn't get anything going on offense. Hopefully better things are in store against Houston, but given their defense is likely to get torn apart, it should be interesting.
Kansas City Chiefs - Cassel is lost without Bowe, although Chris Chambers has been more than admirable since stepping in and has been surprisingly productive. Jamaal Charles continues to turn heads with his performances, and his 4 yard TD shows that KC is willing to use him around the goal line. He's a RB2 until he proves otherwise.
Miami Dolphins - The only thing worth talking about here is Ricky Williams, who has capitalized on back-to-back juicy match-ups. He would have even had a better game had Miami not called a horrible pass play out of the Wildcat at the goal line. Unfortunately the sledding gets tougher moving forward.
Minnesota Vikings - Favre continues to tear it up, and Peterson seems to be along for the ride crazily enough. Now let's not get confused here as the reason why Favre is experiencing such success is because Peterson is still what defenses game-plan for, but the Vikings are willing to take what is given to them.
New England Patriots - Brady simply bombed in one of the biggest games of the year. His teammates didn't help, but he didn't look sharp either. It's like the Patriots were, well, over-matched. Maroney put up another very good game despite fumbling again. He really needs to hang onto the ball with Sammy Morris healthy again, but it's clear that the Patriots are going to let Maroney play his way out of the primary ball carrier position, and he's a RB2 until that happens.
New Orleans Saints - Brees and Manning are the two best QBs in football, period. His first pass of the day was an amazing strike down the field, and he pretty much played as perfect as you can play. Colston dominated again while Meachem and Henderson play their roles perfectly. Mike Bell continues to close and be mostly used at the goal line, but Pierre Thomas looks better with the football. They provide 2 different skill sets and Payton utilizes them well. Bush continues to live up to his last name and miss games with another knee injury.
New York Giants - Eli went right back to struggling again, and it's pretty apparent that his foot injury is to blame. This team is a mess right now. Eli is off, Jacobs simply isn't putting it together, and Bradshaw isn't going to be productive the rest of the season. Manningham and Nicks continue to split snaps, so there isn't a whole lot to get excited about. Jacobs can still be used as a RB2, and Smith is a solid WR3, but that's about it.
New York Jets - Sanchez continues to go through the rookie pains, and Thomas Jones has become the center of the offense, much like Ricky Williams in Miami. He's a borderline RB1 as he'll get plenty of carries as the centerpiece with Leon Washington done and Shonn Greene more of a backup than a complement. Cotchery and Edwards will struggle moving forward with the scaled-down passing attack.
Oakland Raiders - Blah. Miller, and that's it.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb posted an average game against a tough Redskins secondary, and it was actually the normally reliable Brent Celek whose drops hurt several drives. Given he was playing with torn hand ligaments, I think we can look past that. DeSean Jackson suffered a concussion, so that'll obviously hurt the offense moving forward if he misses time. McCoy, while not a workhorse, continues to do well when he gets the ball. Keep him going as a RB2, although his TD potential is limited as some weirdo I've never heard of took the goal line carry last week.
Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers passing game obviously wasn't nearly as effective with Dennis Dixon starting, but that was to be expected. Holmes had a big first half when Dixon was throwing well, surprising most everyone with his production with a little-used QB. The passing game fell apart in the 2nd half, and the offense ran through Mendenhall for most of the game, who didn't disappoint despite facing a tough Baltimore run D.
San Diego Chargers - Rivers keeps rolling along, and Gates posted his biggest game of the season while dominated the middle of the field. I'm sure Vincent Jackson owners are getting annoyed after 3 straight blah games, but Rivers has been missing long TDs with Jackson via bad throws. Expect them to reconnect soon. Tomlinson continues scoring to keep his value alive.
San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith simply can't get it done unless he's in the shotgun, and the 49ers are trying their best to accommodate him. This obviously isn't a recipe for long-term success, but it'll probably stay effective for the most part over the rest of the year. Gore has run effectively out of the shotgun and adds value in the passing game, so his value will remain unchanged. Davis continues to dominate, and Crabtree has emerged as a weekly option.
Seattle Seahawks - Hasselbeck fell on his face despite a great match-up, but Justin Forsett continues to tear it up. Unfortunately, the stubborn Seattle coaching staff has already stated that Julius Jones will return as the starter despite the fact he's given no reason for them to do it, and Forsett has exceeded expectations. Burleson and Housh remain WR3 options moving forward.
St. Louis Rams - Kyle Boller surprised again with another good outing, but as we've seen plenty of times before, it won't last. Steven Jackson continues to amaze, now playing with an injury, but still racking up 100 total yard games, and yet another score. With Boller at the helm, only Jackson should be used.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Freeman continues to surprise, posting yet another good game and utilizing his top targets in Bryant, who looks healthy again, and Winslow. The rushing attack continues to look bad and is not worth using.
Tennessee Titans - Wow. Vince Young is killing it right now, posting the best passing game of his career. Kenny Britt has emerged in the absence of Justin Gage, and for once Young really utilized his WRs. Hopefully it's something he continues to do moving forward. Chris Johnson has been ridiculous and is the fantasy player to own heading into the playoffs. He's dominating all carries, including the goal line.
Washington Redskins - Fantasy football's newest wasteland.
Arizona Cardinals - Despite all the offseason talk about Matt Leinart finally getting it and his monster preseason performance, he looked like the same old Leinart, struggling to move the Cardinals offense. If Warner has to sit out again, hopefully Leinart can finally show some promise, but you'll have to temper expectations for Fitz and Boldin, while Breaston isn't worth starting. The rushing attack is still a straight split of carries, neither of which are using as a RB2.
Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan hurt his toe and Michael Turner re-aggravated his ankle sprain, proving once again that teams can't rush players back that are coming off of high ankle sprains. This offense figures to struggle moving forward without it's too most important components, so White and Gonzalez owners will also have to temper expectations.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco bounced back in a mild fashion against a tough Pittsburgh defense, but we need to see more after such a long slump. Mason is the only part of the passing attack worth using each week, but Clayton had another big game, and Baltimore desperately needs someone other than Mason to make plays. Keep an eye on him. Despite the one week flirt that Ray Rice had with the goal line, Baltimore is stubbornly using McGahee at the goal line again. At least Rice is dominating touches and racking up the yardage both rushing and receiving.
Buffalo Bills - Ryan Fitzpatrick continues to prove interim coach Perry Fewell correct by helping the Bills move the ball far more effectively, and most importantly to fantasy owners, it's clear that Fred Jackson does as well. It's clear that Jackson has earned a big role in this backfield. Lynch simply has not done well for the Bills after being given the starting role back after his suspension, so expect Jackson to at least split carries again, if not dominate them. Owens has been re-born the last two weeks, so try to ride out the hot streak, but it would not surprise if he falls on his face again. Evans has again disappeared, making him a very risky start.
Carolina Panthers - Back to this again? Delhomme fell apart yet again and might have started the last game of his career. Thanks to a broken finger, the Panthers have a great excuse to bench him, if his performance wasn't enough. It's hard to get excited about Matt Moore, but it couldn't possibly get any worse. I think the value of all Panthers stays the same with the QB switch.
Cincinnati Bengals - Palmer continues to disappoint, posting back-to-back horrible passing performances in good match-ups versus Oakland and Cleveland. Despite not putting many points on the board, the coaching staff remains stubbornly against passing down the field. The Bengals are now clearly a run-first team, and they haven't missed a beat with Cedric Benson out thanks to Bernard Scott and Larry Johnson.
Chicago Bears - Continued stench. The offense has completely fallen apart, although Forte, Hester, and Olsen remain solid fantasy starters.
Cleveland Browns - Garbage.
Dallas Cowboys - After a couple off-weeks, Miles Austin has re-emerged, and so has the offense. Romo looked great again, and Jason Witten even put together his best game of the season. Despite a bad season so far, hopefully Witten can build off of this game and turn it on for his owners moving forward. The rushing attack is still a complete mess, although Barber continues to get most of the carries. I'm stubborn, so I'd stick with Barber.
Denver Broncos - Business as usual, although the offense has rebounded after a couple off-weeks. The most important thing to note is that Moreno continues to be more effective with his touches, and that Buckhalter isn't nearly as effective as he was early-on in the season. Moreno should continue to dominate the backfield work as their skills are best utilized with Moreno as the workhorse and Buckhalter as the change-of-pace. Marshall remains the only pass catcher worth starting as McDaniels seems to have to no idea how to use Royal and Scheffler properly. Despite the praise heaped on him this year, he obviously hasn't been able to adapt his offense to two of his best talents.
Detroit Lions - Stafford continues to start through his knee and shoulder problems, which is good news for Calvin Johnson as Culpepper just isn't very effective anymore. Johnson also is playing through his troublesome knee, so hopefully this long break will allow him to get close to 100%. Kevin Smith continues to crank out total yardage, but his YPC simply isn't there. I think this is more of the fact that Smith doesn't make enough happen on his own to make up for the poor offensive line.
Green Bay Packers - Rodgers continues to post monster games, and Greg Jennings continues to disappoint. Nothing much to note here.
Houston Texans - Schaub has certainly lived up to his billing so far this year, as has AJ. Walter is definitely getting more looks with Daniels out, and he's a solid WR3 moving foward. Slaton and Brown are in a full time-share with Slaton catching passes and Brown getting more carries, including the goal-line work.
Indianapolis Colts - The Colts offense keeps humming along, with Garcon stepping up again after hitting somewhat of a wall in the middle of the season. Addai is picking up more carries, and he looks as good as he has since 2007. He's not getting enough touches to be a RB1, but thanks to his scoring potential, he has re-emerged as a solid RB2.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Collapse. MJD did what he could, but Jacksonville just couldn't get anything going on offense. Hopefully better things are in store against Houston, but given their defense is likely to get torn apart, it should be interesting.
Kansas City Chiefs - Cassel is lost without Bowe, although Chris Chambers has been more than admirable since stepping in and has been surprisingly productive. Jamaal Charles continues to turn heads with his performances, and his 4 yard TD shows that KC is willing to use him around the goal line. He's a RB2 until he proves otherwise.
Miami Dolphins - The only thing worth talking about here is Ricky Williams, who has capitalized on back-to-back juicy match-ups. He would have even had a better game had Miami not called a horrible pass play out of the Wildcat at the goal line. Unfortunately the sledding gets tougher moving forward.
Minnesota Vikings - Favre continues to tear it up, and Peterson seems to be along for the ride crazily enough. Now let's not get confused here as the reason why Favre is experiencing such success is because Peterson is still what defenses game-plan for, but the Vikings are willing to take what is given to them.
New England Patriots - Brady simply bombed in one of the biggest games of the year. His teammates didn't help, but he didn't look sharp either. It's like the Patriots were, well, over-matched. Maroney put up another very good game despite fumbling again. He really needs to hang onto the ball with Sammy Morris healthy again, but it's clear that the Patriots are going to let Maroney play his way out of the primary ball carrier position, and he's a RB2 until that happens.
New Orleans Saints - Brees and Manning are the two best QBs in football, period. His first pass of the day was an amazing strike down the field, and he pretty much played as perfect as you can play. Colston dominated again while Meachem and Henderson play their roles perfectly. Mike Bell continues to close and be mostly used at the goal line, but Pierre Thomas looks better with the football. They provide 2 different skill sets and Payton utilizes them well. Bush continues to live up to his last name and miss games with another knee injury.
New York Giants - Eli went right back to struggling again, and it's pretty apparent that his foot injury is to blame. This team is a mess right now. Eli is off, Jacobs simply isn't putting it together, and Bradshaw isn't going to be productive the rest of the season. Manningham and Nicks continue to split snaps, so there isn't a whole lot to get excited about. Jacobs can still be used as a RB2, and Smith is a solid WR3, but that's about it.
New York Jets - Sanchez continues to go through the rookie pains, and Thomas Jones has become the center of the offense, much like Ricky Williams in Miami. He's a borderline RB1 as he'll get plenty of carries as the centerpiece with Leon Washington done and Shonn Greene more of a backup than a complement. Cotchery and Edwards will struggle moving forward with the scaled-down passing attack.
Oakland Raiders - Blah. Miller, and that's it.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb posted an average game against a tough Redskins secondary, and it was actually the normally reliable Brent Celek whose drops hurt several drives. Given he was playing with torn hand ligaments, I think we can look past that. DeSean Jackson suffered a concussion, so that'll obviously hurt the offense moving forward if he misses time. McCoy, while not a workhorse, continues to do well when he gets the ball. Keep him going as a RB2, although his TD potential is limited as some weirdo I've never heard of took the goal line carry last week.
Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers passing game obviously wasn't nearly as effective with Dennis Dixon starting, but that was to be expected. Holmes had a big first half when Dixon was throwing well, surprising most everyone with his production with a little-used QB. The passing game fell apart in the 2nd half, and the offense ran through Mendenhall for most of the game, who didn't disappoint despite facing a tough Baltimore run D.
San Diego Chargers - Rivers keeps rolling along, and Gates posted his biggest game of the season while dominated the middle of the field. I'm sure Vincent Jackson owners are getting annoyed after 3 straight blah games, but Rivers has been missing long TDs with Jackson via bad throws. Expect them to reconnect soon. Tomlinson continues scoring to keep his value alive.
San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith simply can't get it done unless he's in the shotgun, and the 49ers are trying their best to accommodate him. This obviously isn't a recipe for long-term success, but it'll probably stay effective for the most part over the rest of the year. Gore has run effectively out of the shotgun and adds value in the passing game, so his value will remain unchanged. Davis continues to dominate, and Crabtree has emerged as a weekly option.
Seattle Seahawks - Hasselbeck fell on his face despite a great match-up, but Justin Forsett continues to tear it up. Unfortunately, the stubborn Seattle coaching staff has already stated that Julius Jones will return as the starter despite the fact he's given no reason for them to do it, and Forsett has exceeded expectations. Burleson and Housh remain WR3 options moving forward.
St. Louis Rams - Kyle Boller surprised again with another good outing, but as we've seen plenty of times before, it won't last. Steven Jackson continues to amaze, now playing with an injury, but still racking up 100 total yard games, and yet another score. With Boller at the helm, only Jackson should be used.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Freeman continues to surprise, posting yet another good game and utilizing his top targets in Bryant, who looks healthy again, and Winslow. The rushing attack continues to look bad and is not worth using.
Tennessee Titans - Wow. Vince Young is killing it right now, posting the best passing game of his career. Kenny Britt has emerged in the absence of Justin Gage, and for once Young really utilized his WRs. Hopefully it's something he continues to do moving forward. Chris Johnson has been ridiculous and is the fantasy player to own heading into the playoffs. He's dominating all carries, including the goal line.
Washington Redskins - Fantasy football's newest wasteland.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Week 11 Injury/Depth Chart Report
Arizona Cardinals - None.
Atlanta Falcons - Michael Turner will miss week 11, and Jason Snelling will start in his place. Snelling makes for a solid RB2 this week as he'll handle the majority of the carries, plus the goal line work. Norwood might return, but he'll have a minimal role.
Baltimore Ravens - None.
Buffalo Bills - Ryan Fitzpatrick will return as the starting quarterback this week, so who knows what that will mean. Evans remains a decent WR3, while Owens is a risky one. The backfield continues to be a mess, and Buffalo simply doesn't run or score enough for either of them to be exciting RB2 options.
Carolina Panthers - None.
Cincinnati Bengals - Cedric Benson will likely sit out in week 11, and Bernard Scott will start in his place. He's likely to get most of the carries, but Brian Leonard will likely see most 3rd down work. As far as the goal line is considered, it's hard to tell since Leonard is a much bigger back. Scott is a bit risky, but his match up against Oakland is excellent.
Chicago Bears - None.
Cleveland Browns - Fantasy wasteland.
Dallas Cowboys - There's been news all week about Dallas wanting to get Felix Jones more involved until his next injury. I expect the Cowboys to run the ball more this week after their pass-heavy attack last week was a disaster, so Marion Barber should benefit the most, but Jones will get some work in. Barber is worth starting, but Jones is high risk thanks to an uncertain workload.
Denver Broncos - Kyle Orton will be a game time decision, but he's not worth starting anyways. Marshall should be in all lineups thanks to his potential, but if Chris Simms starts, it obviously hurts his upside given how horrible Simms looked last week. It's not to say that a more prepared Simms won't be more effective this week, but just keep in mind how he looked last week.
Detroit Lions - Stafford continues to be hobbled by his injury a bit, but you're probably not starting him anyways if you're trying to win.
Green Bay Packers - It wouldn't surprise me if Greg Jennings has been battling some sort of injury for the majority of the year. He has been dreadful for the most part, especially considering how good Rodgers has been despite the poor protection. The protection problems can partly explain why Jennings isn't hitting big plays, but he just hasn't looked right.
Houston Texans - The backfield is anyone's guess, but Slaton is a reasonable/risky RB2 while Moats is not worth starting. James Casey will take the majority of TE snaps with Owen Daniels gone for the year, so he's someone to keep in mind. He's a talented TE.
Indianapolis Colts - Anthony Gonzalez remains out indefinitely.
Jacksonville Jaguars - None.
Kansas City Chiefs - Dwayne Bowe is suspended for 4 games, so Chris Chambers becomes a decent WR3 in his place as the Chiefs have to throw to someone. Also keep an eye on Lance Long. Jamaal Charles will start again, but Kolby Smith will be mixed in somehow, so Charles is risky considering the Chiefs probably won't run much.
Miami Dolphins - Ronnie Brown is out for the season, so Ricky Williams takes over and is a borderline RB1 moving forward as the focal point of Miami's offense.
Minnesota Vikings - None.
New England Patriots - Sammy Morris is expected to return this week, so it makes Maroney's fantasy value a big question mark. I would roll with safer RB2 options until you see how it plays out, if you can.
New Orleans Saints - Bush had his best game in years last week, but as a result of the whopping 8 touches, his knee is swelling up on him again. Don't even think about using him despite last week's performance. Pierre Thomas is still a RB2 moving forward.
New York Giants - Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham continue to share snaps as the WR opposite Steve Smith, limiting their fantasy value. I'm still calling for Nicks to overtake him as he's the more complete receiver as to where Manningham is better suited as a situational deep threat, but it hasn't happened yet.
New York Jets - None.
Oakland Raiders - Fantasy wasteland.
Philadelphia Eagles - Brian Westbrook is out indefinitely with post-concussion symptoms, so LeSean McCoy will start indefinitely. Given his smaller frame and the success Leonard Weaver has enjoyed in his situational running, it wouldn't surprise me if Weaver came in at the goal line, but that's speculation rather than a fact. McCoy is a decent RB2 moving forward, and he'd be stronger if he received goal line chances.
Pittsburgh Steelers - None.
San Diego Chargers - None.
San Francisco 49ers - Josh Morgan has officially replaced Isaac Bruce opposite Michael Crabtree, but that's more because of his solid blocking than his play making skills. Morgan has the talent, but SF has two receiving targets that have more, which is unfortunate.
Seattle Seahawks - With Julius Jones out indefinitely with a chest/rib injury, Justin Forsett will start and see a good amount of time on the field. His match up against MIN this week is poor, however, so he's a risky RB2 play.
St. Louis Rams - Brandon Gibson has overtaken the starting role opposite Donnie Avery, which injects the Rams' offense with more talent. He's not a fantasy option yet, but he's worth watching.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward continue to split time in the backfield.
Tennessee Titans - Justin Gage is out, meaning Kenny Britt will start again. As always, with Vince Young under center, both Nate Washington and Britt are very risky WR3s who are unlikely to pile up much yardage.
Washington Redskins - Clinton Portis is out, so Ladell Betts will start again in his place. Betts looked great despite supposedly being limited with a foot sprain, so he's a safe RB2. He's always looked good when he's started, but this is the worst Redskins offense he's played on in his career.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Week 11 Waiver Wire
I again apologize for the untimeliness of the waiver wire column this week. I am currently unemployed, and I had an explosion of interviews recently that all require preparation, and one of them was yesterday. That combined with feeling ill last night prevented me from getting an article out, but here we go:
QB:
There aren't any QBs out there that have emerged. Ryan Fitzpatrick will start, but I think we all know your team is done if you're resigned to picking him up.
RB:
Ladell Betts - I've mentioned him several times, but with the possibility that Clinton Portis won't return this season, he's the best pickup of the week if you still haven't snagged him yet. He has always looked good when starting for an injured Portis, and while the surrounding offense is far from ideal, he's a RB2. He can do everything well.
Jason Snelling - Turner will miss at least one game, so Snelling will start in his place. If Norwood is finally active he'll get the ball some, but Snelling will receive the majority of the carries, most importantly the goal line carries. Turner owners need him, and anyone else who needs a start or two should grab him.
Justin Forsett - FINALLY. They give him the ball, and he responds. He's explosive, but has a smaller frame, so he's not a 20-25 carry guy. Regardless, he'll be the lead dog in the backfield for as long as Julius Jones is out, and needs to be picked up.
Jamaal Charles - I've already listed him, but he exploded last week as well and deserves to be picked up. It's hard to get too excited given it was against Oakland and his production was mostly reliant on one big run, but he should be added to see what type of role he'll have moving forward.
Bernard Scott - It's no lock that Benson won't play, but given LJ was signed, there's a good chance he'll miss this week. Scott will be the lead back while Brian Leonard and, to a lesser extent, LJ, help out. The match up against Oakland is ideal, so Scott is a sly RB2 play this week if Benson sits out.
WR:
Donnie Avery - Avery was probably dropped in many leagues, but he re-emerged with a big game while Bulger looked the best he has in years. He's a dicey WR3 given his inconsistency so far, but he's definitely worth owning.
Brandon Gibson - Gibson came out of nowhere to produce, and at worst case he'll start to take attention away from Avery. He's a lesser known name off of Philly's practice squad, but he's a good talent. It's highly unlikely that the Rams will produce two fantasy assets at WR down the stretch, but he's worth a stash to find out.
Chris Chambers - Chambers becomes the #1 WR in KC following Dwayne Bowe's 4 game suspension. He's been pretty productive so far with a flukey 2 TD game followed by a 60 yard performance last week, but he'll be relied upon plenty as KC has little else to throw to.
QB:
There aren't any QBs out there that have emerged. Ryan Fitzpatrick will start, but I think we all know your team is done if you're resigned to picking him up.
RB:
Ladell Betts - I've mentioned him several times, but with the possibility that Clinton Portis won't return this season, he's the best pickup of the week if you still haven't snagged him yet. He has always looked good when starting for an injured Portis, and while the surrounding offense is far from ideal, he's a RB2. He can do everything well.
Jason Snelling - Turner will miss at least one game, so Snelling will start in his place. If Norwood is finally active he'll get the ball some, but Snelling will receive the majority of the carries, most importantly the goal line carries. Turner owners need him, and anyone else who needs a start or two should grab him.
Justin Forsett - FINALLY. They give him the ball, and he responds. He's explosive, but has a smaller frame, so he's not a 20-25 carry guy. Regardless, he'll be the lead dog in the backfield for as long as Julius Jones is out, and needs to be picked up.
Jamaal Charles - I've already listed him, but he exploded last week as well and deserves to be picked up. It's hard to get too excited given it was against Oakland and his production was mostly reliant on one big run, but he should be added to see what type of role he'll have moving forward.
Bernard Scott - It's no lock that Benson won't play, but given LJ was signed, there's a good chance he'll miss this week. Scott will be the lead back while Brian Leonard and, to a lesser extent, LJ, help out. The match up against Oakland is ideal, so Scott is a sly RB2 play this week if Benson sits out.
WR:
Donnie Avery - Avery was probably dropped in many leagues, but he re-emerged with a big game while Bulger looked the best he has in years. He's a dicey WR3 given his inconsistency so far, but he's definitely worth owning.
Brandon Gibson - Gibson came out of nowhere to produce, and at worst case he'll start to take attention away from Avery. He's a lesser known name off of Philly's practice squad, but he's a good talent. It's highly unlikely that the Rams will produce two fantasy assets at WR down the stretch, but he's worth a stash to find out.
Chris Chambers - Chambers becomes the #1 WR in KC following Dwayne Bowe's 4 game suspension. He's been pretty productive so far with a flukey 2 TD game followed by a 60 yard performance last week, but he'll be relied upon plenty as KC has little else to throw to.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Week 10 (Week of the Injury) Thoughts
Arizona Cardinals - The Arizona passing attack looks back to normal, mostly thanks to Kurt Warner's improved downfield passing. Boldin is healthy again as well, so expect continued success moving forward. Wells continues to get more and more carries, but he's still in a timeshare. It's inevitable that Wells will take the starting job at some point, but it's taking longer than expected. He's a great RB3 to have for your stretch run as he'll likely be an every week RB2 before the season is up.
Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan is officially struggling. He hasn't looked good for several weeks, so at least consider other options moving forward. Luckily it's not affecting Roddy White too much, but Tony Gonzalez has slowed down since his hot start. Ryan will likely get back on track. Michael Turner was in the midst of another monster game until a high ankle sprain ended his day. Jason Snelling will start in his place and needs to be added in every league.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco, much like Ryan, is mired in a slump right now. I think teams have started to catch on to the fact he prefers to run a hurry-up, no-huddle offense as he lacks the full decision making (to this point) to run a normal offense. He also lacks great weapons around him, only boasting the ageless Derrick Mason for a reliable target. Ray Rice continues to run great and anchor himself into a RB1 for the rest of the season. His TD did come on a busted play where Cleveland only had 10 men on the field, and they weren't set either.
Buffalo Bills - There is nobody on this team worth starting except for Lee Evans right now as he's clearly passed Terrell Owens as the #1 target on this team, if Owens was ever actually considered the #1 target. Owens had a promising week 10, but given his body of work this season, it's hard to recommend throwing him back in your lineup next week. Lynch and Jackson are stuck in the middle of one of the worst RB committees, at least production-wise, in the NFL.
Carolina Panthers - Business as usual as the Panthers have found their groove. Delhomme manages the game, Steve Smith posted his best fantasy game of the season despite the injury, and the rushing attack was excellent again as both Williams and Stewart posted good fantasy days. Stewart again received the majority of the goal line work, and while he's not the official goal line back, he appears to be the preferred option.
Cincinnati Bengals - The Bengals posted another big win, but it was mostly on their defense as their offense stalled near/in the red zone on multiple occasions, Palmer failed to throw a TD again, and Benson injured his hip and missed most of the game. Benson isn't expected to miss week 11, but he could be hampered a bit, which could mean more attempts for Palmer. On the plus side, Laveraneus Coles seems to have solved his problems and has become a productive member of the passing game. Bernard Scott would start for Benson should he miss week 11.
Chicago Bears - Horrible. Cutler is making retarded decisions, especially in the red zone, and the offensive line continues to hold back Matt Forte. Devin Hester and Greg Olsen remain productive thanks to volume passing, and Forte is saving his owners will his increased role in the passing game as well.
Cleveland Browns - These guys fucking suck.
Dallas Cowboys - Dallas just looked lost versus Green Bay, not scoring until 38 seconds left in the game. Green Bay shut down Miles Austin again, and on the positive side, Roy Williams did step up and posted some solid numbers. It wasn't all good as he dropped more passes and lost a key fumble, but he at least made some plays and capitalized on the defensive attention Miles Austin is receiving. The rushing attack is a lost cause right now with a 3 man rotation. Barber is still their best RB, but he fractured his thumb and it affected his pass blocking, knocking him from most of the game. It shouldn't be a concern for next week, but he's starting to get nicked up in an annoying fashion.
Denver Broncos - Kyle Orton started on fire...and then in week 10 fashion, suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out of the game. He finally took some shots down field and hooked up with Marshall for 2 big TDs before going out. Simms was worthless after taking over, and Royal was absent again. Buckhalter lost another fumble, putting him in the dog house while Moreno had a great afternoon.
Detroit Lions - Stafford had another rough day, but against the relentless Vikings front 7, this was not a surprise. Calvin Johnson bounced back with a productive day, but the constant double teams are limiting his big plays. Kevin Smith lost a couple carries to his backups, but he produced pretty well per touch outside of a fumble.
Green Bay Packers - Rodgers spent another day on the run, and despite the closed door meeting with the entire offense, Rodgers posted one of his worst games of the season, not even managing 200 yards, which limited both Driver and Jennings. Grant had another solid day on the ground. Given the state of the passing blocking, and despite all the talent at the skill positions in the passing game, Green Bay should use it's running game more moving forward. Just an opinion.
Houston Texans - Bye week.
Indianapolis Colts - What a game! Manning threw some awful passes, but he came through when it mattered most, and Wayne had a monster game in the win. The Patriots harassed Clark most of the game and somewhat limited him, but he still managed to post a nice game with 65 yards. Addai scored off of a nice screen pass, got hurt, then Brown and Simpson both got hurt, forcing Addai back into the game, who then capped off the first of Indy's final 2 drives with a TD. I apologize for suggesting moving Addai back to the bench...he wasn't overly involved between the game plan and his injuries, but ultimately put up a great day. This is why I don't post a start/sit column...there's so many random things that can happen in the game.
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD was obviously the story of this game. He could have posted a monster performance, but he lost a fumble at the 1 in the 2nd half, and then took a knee on the 1 to set up the game winning field goal attempt. I know there's mixed reactions on this, and I really appreciate what Jones-Drew did in terms of being selfless, but you HAVE to take the points when you have the chance. There's a number of things that could have gone wrong like fumbled snaps when downing the ball, a bad snap on the FG attempt, an improbable shank, etc. A TD would have put them up 5, and they likely would have gone for 2. That would have forced the Jets to go all the way down the field and score a TD. Luckily it didn't cost them, but I didn't think it was the right decision.
Kansas City Chiefs - Cassel posted another bad game, but thanks to the opponent, the Chiefs worked out a victory. Their red zone offense is horrible. Jamaal Charles posted a great game, mostly thanks to a 44 yard TD off of a 3rd down draw play. He got 18 carries, but given this game came against Oakland, and KC won't normally be nursing a lead, it's hard to take much away from that performance other than the fact he should have taken the lead in the committee.
Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins got it down, but not without losing Ronnie Brown for at least a week with a dual ankle/foot injury. Brown was on his way to a monster game, posting 80 yards a TD in the first half before coming up lame in the 3rd quarter. Ricky finished it out with a nice day, although he didn't score. The passing attack is not worth talking about.
Minnesota Vikings - Favre had a big day thanks to Sidney Rice repeatedly torching the Lions secondary deep down the field, and Peterson tore them up as expected. This played out exactly as was expected.
New England Patriots - Disappointment city. Brady looked great once again, and Moss turned in a monster game while Welker consistently made plays over the middle of the field. Maroney was mostly ineffective, and he lost a huge fumble at the goal line. The Patriots rode the hot hand with Faulk getting 1 less carry than Maroney while posting more than twice as many yards. If you can get something for Maroney, do it. Sammy Morris will return soon.
New Orleans Saints - A dream match up gone wrong as Brees posted a mediocre day against a normally poor St. Louis defense. Reggie Bush, of all people, was the story as he scored in a 3 yard rush (up the middle of all plays) and also caught a drag route where he out-raced the defense to the end zone for his 2nd TD. Everyone else had off days, but nothing to worry about.
New York Giants - Bye week.
New York Jets - Sanchez had another blah game, but Cotchery returned with a good game, and Edwards posted solid yardage. Thomas Jones also put up another good outing including a TD.
Oakland Raiders - Fantasy wasteland. Miller had another down game...he could be one of the best fantasy TEs in football on any other team.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb, forced to chuck it all game, posted huge numbers and spread the ball around to his talented receivers as they all had good games. Westbrook suffered a 2nd concussion on another big hit, and there's a good chance you won't seem him play again for quite some time. LeSean McCoy will take over indefinitely, and Leonard Weaver will continue to be sprinkled in.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben and the rest of the offense was simply shut down by a highly motivated and aggressive Cincy D. Just a bad game and nothing to worry about...they will bounce back.
San Diego Chargers - Rivers did his job, posting another good game despite Vincent Jackson being almost completely shut out. LT had the best game of the season and shocked everyone by showcasing some of his old moves and some explosion. Hopefully he can close strong, but he hasn't been consistent at all.
San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith posted an off game against a motivated Bears front 7, possibly thanks to Vernon Davis running his fat mouth. Frank Gore had a great game and has looked awesome all season long.
Seattle Seahawks - Hasselbeck posted another 300 yard game, and TJ Housh came out of nowhere and posted a monster game, but please don't take that as a sign of things to come as it was certainly an anomaly. Jones, like countless RBs listed above, suffered a game-ending injury with some sort of rib ailment. It was initially reported as a broken rib as he suffered bleeding of the lung, but then that was refuted. Justin Forsett looked great in his first extensive action of the season and has hopefully earned a bigger role moving forward as I've seemingly been calling for it all season. :P
St. Louis Rams - Bulger posted his best game in seemingly forever, and that could be a factor of Donnie Avery being healthy and the emergence of youngster Brandon Gibson, who looks like a real player and could help offset the early season loss of Laurent Robinson. Steven Jackson posted another monster game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Freeman did a decent job again, showing more accuracy and posting a solid 7 YPA. Kellen Winslow posted another great game with over 100 yards. Williams and Ward split carries again, with Williams being more productive per touch and tossing in a TD.
Tennessee Titans - About what was expected. Vince Young did what was asked, managing the game, and Chris Johnson went absolutely wild. He also proved he's the goal line back by scoring again from 1 yard out.
Washington Redskins - Betts, despite a foot sprain, ran wild on the Broncos with 114 yards and a TD. Considering it's obvious he's healthy now, he'll be a RB2 for as long as Portis is out. Not much else to say about the offense.
Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan is officially struggling. He hasn't looked good for several weeks, so at least consider other options moving forward. Luckily it's not affecting Roddy White too much, but Tony Gonzalez has slowed down since his hot start. Ryan will likely get back on track. Michael Turner was in the midst of another monster game until a high ankle sprain ended his day. Jason Snelling will start in his place and needs to be added in every league.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco, much like Ryan, is mired in a slump right now. I think teams have started to catch on to the fact he prefers to run a hurry-up, no-huddle offense as he lacks the full decision making (to this point) to run a normal offense. He also lacks great weapons around him, only boasting the ageless Derrick Mason for a reliable target. Ray Rice continues to run great and anchor himself into a RB1 for the rest of the season. His TD did come on a busted play where Cleveland only had 10 men on the field, and they weren't set either.
Buffalo Bills - There is nobody on this team worth starting except for Lee Evans right now as he's clearly passed Terrell Owens as the #1 target on this team, if Owens was ever actually considered the #1 target. Owens had a promising week 10, but given his body of work this season, it's hard to recommend throwing him back in your lineup next week. Lynch and Jackson are stuck in the middle of one of the worst RB committees, at least production-wise, in the NFL.
Carolina Panthers - Business as usual as the Panthers have found their groove. Delhomme manages the game, Steve Smith posted his best fantasy game of the season despite the injury, and the rushing attack was excellent again as both Williams and Stewart posted good fantasy days. Stewart again received the majority of the goal line work, and while he's not the official goal line back, he appears to be the preferred option.
Cincinnati Bengals - The Bengals posted another big win, but it was mostly on their defense as their offense stalled near/in the red zone on multiple occasions, Palmer failed to throw a TD again, and Benson injured his hip and missed most of the game. Benson isn't expected to miss week 11, but he could be hampered a bit, which could mean more attempts for Palmer. On the plus side, Laveraneus Coles seems to have solved his problems and has become a productive member of the passing game. Bernard Scott would start for Benson should he miss week 11.
Chicago Bears - Horrible. Cutler is making retarded decisions, especially in the red zone, and the offensive line continues to hold back Matt Forte. Devin Hester and Greg Olsen remain productive thanks to volume passing, and Forte is saving his owners will his increased role in the passing game as well.
Cleveland Browns - These guys fucking suck.
Dallas Cowboys - Dallas just looked lost versus Green Bay, not scoring until 38 seconds left in the game. Green Bay shut down Miles Austin again, and on the positive side, Roy Williams did step up and posted some solid numbers. It wasn't all good as he dropped more passes and lost a key fumble, but he at least made some plays and capitalized on the defensive attention Miles Austin is receiving. The rushing attack is a lost cause right now with a 3 man rotation. Barber is still their best RB, but he fractured his thumb and it affected his pass blocking, knocking him from most of the game. It shouldn't be a concern for next week, but he's starting to get nicked up in an annoying fashion.
Denver Broncos - Kyle Orton started on fire...and then in week 10 fashion, suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out of the game. He finally took some shots down field and hooked up with Marshall for 2 big TDs before going out. Simms was worthless after taking over, and Royal was absent again. Buckhalter lost another fumble, putting him in the dog house while Moreno had a great afternoon.
Detroit Lions - Stafford had another rough day, but against the relentless Vikings front 7, this was not a surprise. Calvin Johnson bounced back with a productive day, but the constant double teams are limiting his big plays. Kevin Smith lost a couple carries to his backups, but he produced pretty well per touch outside of a fumble.
Green Bay Packers - Rodgers spent another day on the run, and despite the closed door meeting with the entire offense, Rodgers posted one of his worst games of the season, not even managing 200 yards, which limited both Driver and Jennings. Grant had another solid day on the ground. Given the state of the passing blocking, and despite all the talent at the skill positions in the passing game, Green Bay should use it's running game more moving forward. Just an opinion.
Houston Texans - Bye week.
Indianapolis Colts - What a game! Manning threw some awful passes, but he came through when it mattered most, and Wayne had a monster game in the win. The Patriots harassed Clark most of the game and somewhat limited him, but he still managed to post a nice game with 65 yards. Addai scored off of a nice screen pass, got hurt, then Brown and Simpson both got hurt, forcing Addai back into the game, who then capped off the first of Indy's final 2 drives with a TD. I apologize for suggesting moving Addai back to the bench...he wasn't overly involved between the game plan and his injuries, but ultimately put up a great day. This is why I don't post a start/sit column...there's so many random things that can happen in the game.
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD was obviously the story of this game. He could have posted a monster performance, but he lost a fumble at the 1 in the 2nd half, and then took a knee on the 1 to set up the game winning field goal attempt. I know there's mixed reactions on this, and I really appreciate what Jones-Drew did in terms of being selfless, but you HAVE to take the points when you have the chance. There's a number of things that could have gone wrong like fumbled snaps when downing the ball, a bad snap on the FG attempt, an improbable shank, etc. A TD would have put them up 5, and they likely would have gone for 2. That would have forced the Jets to go all the way down the field and score a TD. Luckily it didn't cost them, but I didn't think it was the right decision.
Kansas City Chiefs - Cassel posted another bad game, but thanks to the opponent, the Chiefs worked out a victory. Their red zone offense is horrible. Jamaal Charles posted a great game, mostly thanks to a 44 yard TD off of a 3rd down draw play. He got 18 carries, but given this game came against Oakland, and KC won't normally be nursing a lead, it's hard to take much away from that performance other than the fact he should have taken the lead in the committee.
Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins got it down, but not without losing Ronnie Brown for at least a week with a dual ankle/foot injury. Brown was on his way to a monster game, posting 80 yards a TD in the first half before coming up lame in the 3rd quarter. Ricky finished it out with a nice day, although he didn't score. The passing attack is not worth talking about.
Minnesota Vikings - Favre had a big day thanks to Sidney Rice repeatedly torching the Lions secondary deep down the field, and Peterson tore them up as expected. This played out exactly as was expected.
New England Patriots - Disappointment city. Brady looked great once again, and Moss turned in a monster game while Welker consistently made plays over the middle of the field. Maroney was mostly ineffective, and he lost a huge fumble at the goal line. The Patriots rode the hot hand with Faulk getting 1 less carry than Maroney while posting more than twice as many yards. If you can get something for Maroney, do it. Sammy Morris will return soon.
New Orleans Saints - A dream match up gone wrong as Brees posted a mediocre day against a normally poor St. Louis defense. Reggie Bush, of all people, was the story as he scored in a 3 yard rush (up the middle of all plays) and also caught a drag route where he out-raced the defense to the end zone for his 2nd TD. Everyone else had off days, but nothing to worry about.
New York Giants - Bye week.
New York Jets - Sanchez had another blah game, but Cotchery returned with a good game, and Edwards posted solid yardage. Thomas Jones also put up another good outing including a TD.
Oakland Raiders - Fantasy wasteland. Miller had another down game...he could be one of the best fantasy TEs in football on any other team.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb, forced to chuck it all game, posted huge numbers and spread the ball around to his talented receivers as they all had good games. Westbrook suffered a 2nd concussion on another big hit, and there's a good chance you won't seem him play again for quite some time. LeSean McCoy will take over indefinitely, and Leonard Weaver will continue to be sprinkled in.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben and the rest of the offense was simply shut down by a highly motivated and aggressive Cincy D. Just a bad game and nothing to worry about...they will bounce back.
San Diego Chargers - Rivers did his job, posting another good game despite Vincent Jackson being almost completely shut out. LT had the best game of the season and shocked everyone by showcasing some of his old moves and some explosion. Hopefully he can close strong, but he hasn't been consistent at all.
San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith posted an off game against a motivated Bears front 7, possibly thanks to Vernon Davis running his fat mouth. Frank Gore had a great game and has looked awesome all season long.
Seattle Seahawks - Hasselbeck posted another 300 yard game, and TJ Housh came out of nowhere and posted a monster game, but please don't take that as a sign of things to come as it was certainly an anomaly. Jones, like countless RBs listed above, suffered a game-ending injury with some sort of rib ailment. It was initially reported as a broken rib as he suffered bleeding of the lung, but then that was refuted. Justin Forsett looked great in his first extensive action of the season and has hopefully earned a bigger role moving forward as I've seemingly been calling for it all season. :P
St. Louis Rams - Bulger posted his best game in seemingly forever, and that could be a factor of Donnie Avery being healthy and the emergence of youngster Brandon Gibson, who looks like a real player and could help offset the early season loss of Laurent Robinson. Steven Jackson posted another monster game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Freeman did a decent job again, showing more accuracy and posting a solid 7 YPA. Kellen Winslow posted another great game with over 100 yards. Williams and Ward split carries again, with Williams being more productive per touch and tossing in a TD.
Tennessee Titans - About what was expected. Vince Young did what was asked, managing the game, and Chris Johnson went absolutely wild. He also proved he's the goal line back by scoring again from 1 yard out.
Washington Redskins - Betts, despite a foot sprain, ran wild on the Broncos with 114 yards and a TD. Considering it's obvious he's healthy now, he'll be a RB2 for as long as Portis is out. Not much else to say about the offense.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Week 10 Injury/Depth Chart Report
Arizona Cardinals - Anquan Boldin should be close to full health, so he's as safe to use this week as he's been all season. Hightower and Wells continue to split carries in a backfield that's unusable in fantasy leagues for now.
Atlanta Falcons - Roddy White continues to be limited some in practice during the week, but he's certain to play in week 10.
Baltimore Ravens - None.
Buffalo Bills - Trent Edwards will return as the starting quarterback this week, thrilling fantasy owners all around the nation. Terrell Owens has been hobbled by a hip injury all week, and while he's been extremely limited, he has a history of never missing games except for serious injuries. Regardless, he's a poor play when healthy, much less when he's hobbled. I wouldn't bother with him.
Carolina Panthers - DeAngelo Williams has been battling a knee injury, missing 2 practices this week. He's probably a full-blown game time decision, and both Williams' and Stewart's owners should check the game day inactive list. Stewart is a borderline RB2 play most weeks, but he would vault into a must-start should Williams sit out.
Cincinnati Bengals - None.
Chicago Bears - None.
Cleveland Browns - Fantasy wasteland.
Dallas Cowboys - Marion Barber is still playing like he's hobbled by his leg injury, but you should continue starting him as a RB2 thanks to his scoring potential.
Denver Broncos - Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter are back to splitting time, making both very risky RB2 plays. Moreno is the better play as he gets the goal line looks. Royal put up a solid game last week, but he never seems to string them together. Take a wait-and-see approach with him before using him again.
Detroit Lions - Stafford and Calvin Johnson appeared limited by their injuries last week, but both will play again this week. Stafford is obviously best left on benches, but Calvin Johnson should be in all lineups.
Green Bay Packers - No injuries to mention here, but it's worth noting that the offense had a closed door meeting this week to discuss their problems. Rodgers has been a top tiered fantasy QB despite the mess, but they have obviously been hampered by poor protection so far. Hopefully that will get fixed in the 2nd half of the season.
Houston Texans - Bye week.
Indianapolis Colts - Donald Brown practiced all week, and while he's not startable, Addai owners will need to reserve him again as they will move back to a committee. Addai is the better bet to score, but hopefully you have a more reliable yardage option. Anthony Gonzalez is still out.
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD missed a little practice time this week, but he's going to start in week 10.
Kansas City Chiefs - This backfield is a mess again. Despite talking all week about how this was Jamaal Charles' chance, he still split carries with Kolby Smith. Given the Chiefs will likely stay in pass-first mode the rest of the year, Jamaal Charles will see the field more, but Kolby Smith will likely take inside and goal line carries. Nobody on this team other than Dwayne Bowe is worth using. I know Chris Chambers opened some eyes last week, but I highly doubt he'll come close to doing that again. Make him prove himself before using him.
Miami Dolphins - None.
Minnesota Vikings - None.
New England Patriots - Sammy Morris is expected to miss another week, and Laurence Maroney has mostly looked good recently. He's a RB2 again this week.
New Orleans Saints - Another ever-changing backfield. Pierre Thomas looks to have risen back to the lead back, and he's a safe start as an RB2. Despite all the madness in this backfield so far this year, Thomas is still the most talented runner on this team, and I think Sean Payton knows it. Bell and Bush won't go away, but Thomas will lead the team in touches, and he looks to have reclaimed the goal line role, although you can't rule out the other two getting a play called for them either.
New York Giants - Bye week.
New York Jets - The bye week figures to have served Jerricho Cotchery well, so the Jets should be a full strength on offense for the stretch run.
Oakland Raiders - Fantasy wasteland, although Zach Miller continues to be a viable low tier TE1 despite the mess.
Philadelphia Eagles - Brian Westbrook, after being a surprise inactive last week, practiced both Thursday and Friday and will resume starting this week. He's a RB2 despite the headache he has provided his owners this year as he will see the most touches in the backfield when he's healthy.
Pittsburgh Steelers - None.
San Diego Chargers - LT has a hip injury that has been bothering him, but he's going to play this week. Starting him at this stage in his career is simply hoping for a TD, so he's only a RB2 play.
San Francisco 49ers - None.
Seattle Seahawks - Is Julius Jones back as the workhorse? Last week showed he is. None of these guys are worth using, however, although I guess Jones can be used as a desperate RB2 play.
St. Louis Rams - None.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Freeman showed some potential last week in an inspired effort, so Kellen Winslow can be used as a TE1 moving forward.
Tennessee Titans - Justin Gage will miss several weeks with some fractures in his lower back after his highlight reel catch, which means Kenny Britt will start in his plate. As I said last week, the Titans' WRs are very risky WR3 plays as Vince Young simply doesn't throw down the field very often.
Washington Redskins - Clinton Portis is out, so Ladell Betts will start in his place. I was going to suggest Betts as a solid RB2 play, but he's not 100% either, battling a foot sprain. It's bad enough that coach Jim Zorn suggested a committee is possible, and considering the strong Broncos' run defense, it's best to avoid the situation.
Atlanta Falcons - Roddy White continues to be limited some in practice during the week, but he's certain to play in week 10.
Baltimore Ravens - None.
Buffalo Bills - Trent Edwards will return as the starting quarterback this week, thrilling fantasy owners all around the nation. Terrell Owens has been hobbled by a hip injury all week, and while he's been extremely limited, he has a history of never missing games except for serious injuries. Regardless, he's a poor play when healthy, much less when he's hobbled. I wouldn't bother with him.
Carolina Panthers - DeAngelo Williams has been battling a knee injury, missing 2 practices this week. He's probably a full-blown game time decision, and both Williams' and Stewart's owners should check the game day inactive list. Stewart is a borderline RB2 play most weeks, but he would vault into a must-start should Williams sit out.
Cincinnati Bengals - None.
Chicago Bears - None.
Cleveland Browns - Fantasy wasteland.
Dallas Cowboys - Marion Barber is still playing like he's hobbled by his leg injury, but you should continue starting him as a RB2 thanks to his scoring potential.
Denver Broncos - Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter are back to splitting time, making both very risky RB2 plays. Moreno is the better play as he gets the goal line looks. Royal put up a solid game last week, but he never seems to string them together. Take a wait-and-see approach with him before using him again.
Detroit Lions - Stafford and Calvin Johnson appeared limited by their injuries last week, but both will play again this week. Stafford is obviously best left on benches, but Calvin Johnson should be in all lineups.
Green Bay Packers - No injuries to mention here, but it's worth noting that the offense had a closed door meeting this week to discuss their problems. Rodgers has been a top tiered fantasy QB despite the mess, but they have obviously been hampered by poor protection so far. Hopefully that will get fixed in the 2nd half of the season.
Houston Texans - Bye week.
Indianapolis Colts - Donald Brown practiced all week, and while he's not startable, Addai owners will need to reserve him again as they will move back to a committee. Addai is the better bet to score, but hopefully you have a more reliable yardage option. Anthony Gonzalez is still out.
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD missed a little practice time this week, but he's going to start in week 10.
Kansas City Chiefs - This backfield is a mess again. Despite talking all week about how this was Jamaal Charles' chance, he still split carries with Kolby Smith. Given the Chiefs will likely stay in pass-first mode the rest of the year, Jamaal Charles will see the field more, but Kolby Smith will likely take inside and goal line carries. Nobody on this team other than Dwayne Bowe is worth using. I know Chris Chambers opened some eyes last week, but I highly doubt he'll come close to doing that again. Make him prove himself before using him.
Miami Dolphins - None.
Minnesota Vikings - None.
New England Patriots - Sammy Morris is expected to miss another week, and Laurence Maroney has mostly looked good recently. He's a RB2 again this week.
New Orleans Saints - Another ever-changing backfield. Pierre Thomas looks to have risen back to the lead back, and he's a safe start as an RB2. Despite all the madness in this backfield so far this year, Thomas is still the most talented runner on this team, and I think Sean Payton knows it. Bell and Bush won't go away, but Thomas will lead the team in touches, and he looks to have reclaimed the goal line role, although you can't rule out the other two getting a play called for them either.
New York Giants - Bye week.
New York Jets - The bye week figures to have served Jerricho Cotchery well, so the Jets should be a full strength on offense for the stretch run.
Oakland Raiders - Fantasy wasteland, although Zach Miller continues to be a viable low tier TE1 despite the mess.
Philadelphia Eagles - Brian Westbrook, after being a surprise inactive last week, practiced both Thursday and Friday and will resume starting this week. He's a RB2 despite the headache he has provided his owners this year as he will see the most touches in the backfield when he's healthy.
Pittsburgh Steelers - None.
San Diego Chargers - LT has a hip injury that has been bothering him, but he's going to play this week. Starting him at this stage in his career is simply hoping for a TD, so he's only a RB2 play.
San Francisco 49ers - None.
Seattle Seahawks - Is Julius Jones back as the workhorse? Last week showed he is. None of these guys are worth using, however, although I guess Jones can be used as a desperate RB2 play.
St. Louis Rams - None.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Freeman showed some potential last week in an inspired effort, so Kellen Winslow can be used as a TE1 moving forward.
Tennessee Titans - Justin Gage will miss several weeks with some fractures in his lower back after his highlight reel catch, which means Kenny Britt will start in his plate. As I said last week, the Titans' WRs are very risky WR3 plays as Vince Young simply doesn't throw down the field very often.
Washington Redskins - Clinton Portis is out, so Ladell Betts will start in his place. I was going to suggest Betts as a solid RB2 play, but he's not 100% either, battling a foot sprain. It's bad enough that coach Jim Zorn suggested a committee is possible, and considering the strong Broncos' run defense, it's best to avoid the situation.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Week 10 Waiver Wire
Thanks to other obligations I did not have a chance to write this article yesterday, but the only player worth picking up was Ladell Betts, whom I've noted several times was necessary for Portis owners and a speculative pick for non-owners. We'll re-examine the WW pool next week.
Week 9 Thoughts
Arizona Cardinals - Warner posted his best game of the season, smoking the over-matched Bears defense. Wells again looked great, but is being limited by his playing time, and more specifically, his carries. Fitzgerald exploded, predictably, with Boldin missing. He's continuing to make progress in the passing game, and with his talent running the ball, expect more work down the stretch. Hold on tightly as great RB insurance.
Atlanta Falcons - Atlanta's passing attack fell flat again as Ryan has had some ups and downs in his 2nd year, but it's been mostly positive. White had an off-game, but Gonzalez posted a solid week. Michael Turner has turned the corner. 2 weeks ago Atlanta adjusted their running plays, and he's looked like the stud from last year the last two weeks. He's shown a lot more quickness and explosion...a key part of his game that was missing prior to that. Expect a strong finish if he can stay healthy.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco had another rough game, but Cincy's surprising D was motivated and played at maximum level all game long. He's still a QB1 in most match-ups. Ray Rice once again dominated the backfield, and most importantly, executed a 2 yard goal line carry. Rice is officially the every down back for Baltimore, and while the pass-first offense limits his carries a bit, he's a top 10 RB.
Buffalo Bills - Bye week.
Carolina Panthers - Delhomme continues to be a game manager as the team clearly does not trust him, so you have to wonder why he's still starting. Steve Smith's fantasy value continues to be wrecked by Delhomme's play. DeAngelo Williams has actually been an RB1 this season, and amazingly enough, he's on a similar pace as last year. There's still concern that Stewart will eventually take goal line duties, but Williams did score from 6 yards out last week. It's a situation worth monitoring.
Cincinnati Bengals - Carson Palmer came out firing, but slowed greatly in the 2nd half as the defenses dominated. Chad Johnson played great again, but lost a fumble to harm his pedestrian stat line. Chris Henry is done for the season with a broken forearm, so they'll need Laveraneus Coles to step up like he did this week. Cedric Benson is on an alarming pace of carries, but thanks to the heavy workload, he's a great RB1. He's the new Rudi Johnson.
Chicago Bears - Cutler posted an outstanding fantasy day, but that masks the fact this offense looked terrible again. With the running game not working, and Matt Forte owners cursing out the offensive line, this team is built to pass, which bodes well for Cutler's value in the 2nd half. Greg Olsen finally had a big day, including making plays down the field, so those expecting a big leap from him this season hopes this jump starts him in the 2nd half.
Cleveland Browns - Bye week.
Dallas Cowboys - Tony Romo continues firing on all cylinders, but Miles Austin is starting to attract heavy defensive attention as he was doubled most of the game. While Austin created another big play, he was limited to one catch. This warrants monitoring to see how the Cowboys and Austin adjusted. Roy Williams was the beneficiary posting one of his best receiving days on the season, but provided nothing in the way of big plays. Jason Witten is still not doing much of anything. He's still obviously a TE1, but he's not giving his owners what they paid for. Of concern is the lack of work Marion Barber is getting. I'm not sure if his legs are still bothering him, but his lack of carries and big plays are worth worrying about moving forward. Keep him going as a RB2, but he's nothing more at this point.
Denver Broncos - Kyle Orton threw his first 3 real interceptions of the season, and while you can use him in the right match-ups, he's not evolving into the QB1 I expected. His lack of arm strength is great for the short-intermediate passing game, but Denver isn't even trying to throw the ball deep. Eddie Royal turned in his 2nd most productive receiving game of the season, but as usual, it's impossible to rely on him until he gives you more than 1/4 productive games.
Detroit Lions- Mathew Stafford was not at all helped by the return of Calvin Johnson as Stafford was clearly off in this one, not only throwing 5 interceptions, but also throwing erratic passes constantly after his strong start in the first quarter. Calvin Johnson was clearly upset with Stafford's performance, at one point refusing to talk to his quarterback. He'll bounce back. Kevin Smith returned as the primary ball carrier, and while the team around him fell apart, it's great news for his value down the stretch.
Green Bay Packers - So much for that offensive line improvement. They gave up pressure and sacks all day to a poor Tampa Bay defensive line, and while Rodgers posted another monster fantasy day, it's continuing to kill Greg Jennings. Until the protection improves, Jennings is nowhere near a WR1. Ryan Grant looked great again.
Houston Texans - Schaub posted another great performance, spreading the ball around and utilizing Kevin Walter more with Daniels out of the lineup. The backfield is a complete mess as Moats posted a very below average game, and he lost a fumble at the one yard line. It's simply a mess right now, but luckily for Slaton owners, he converted a 1 yard TD run later in the game. I'm not going to attempt figuring out who will play what role next week.
Indianapolis Colts - Manning and company keep humming right along, and Addai posted another great fantasy day with Brown sidelined. He'll continue to be a solid RB2 for as long as Brown is out.
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD's high workload allowed for a great fantasy day, but I'm sure his fantasy owners expected a much better per-touch efficiency. Mike Sims-Walker exploded once again, and he's an excellent fantasy option moving forward.
Kansas City Chiefs - Cassel posted one of his best games against the season, although keep in mind this was against one of the worst secondaries in the NFL. KC barely bothered running the ball, but when they did, it was a split between Charles and Kolby Smith. Smith will likely handle most of the between-the-tackles work while Charles gets mixed in and is the preferred passing game option. This is a situation to stay away from in terms of starting either of these guys.
Miami Dolphins - Miami had its rushing attack mostly stuffed, but Brown tossed a TD from the wildcat, and Williams took a pitch from Pat White and ran 15 yards for his own TD. Brown is a RB1 thanks to his greater workload and goal line presence while Williams continues to be a RB2/Flex option even as the lesser option.
Minnesota Vikings - Bye week.
New England Patriots - Brady torched Miami's corners, but unfortunately for his fantasy owners, they just couldn't get it into the end zone consistently. Maroney had another solid performance, racking up 20 carries and being productive with them including a touchdown.
New Orleans Saints - Just another day at the office for Brees and company. Of note here is that Pierre Thomas is slowly moving back to his feature RB role as he dominated touches and scored from 10 yards out.
New York Giants - Eli Manning looked very close to 100% this week, which is great news for his owners moving forward. I would feel confident putting him back out there as he looked the best he has since coming down with his heel injury. Manningham and Nicks continue to split snaps at WR, making both risky WR3 plays, and Steve Smith owners will be happy with Manning's recovery. Jacobs suffered a slight knee injury which cost him some carries, but he was effective again and he's set up for a rewarding good 2nd half.
New York Jets - Bye week.
Oakland Raiders - Bye week.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb continued his Jeckyl/Hyde approach to playing quarterback as he threw up another poor performance against the Cowboys. Brent Celek continues his emergence as one of the great young TEs in football with another strong performance. Westbrook continues to be a massive headache for his owners between the concussion and his continued ankle problems, so hopefully those who invested highly in him this season have protected themselves with LeSean McCoy.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Business as usual for the Steelers as Big Ben as the passing game hum along while Mendenhall churns out the yardage on the ground.
San Diego Chargers - Much like the Steelers, Rivers and the Chargers passing game keeps moving along as well, and Vincent Jackson continues to be a beast. LT again had problems near the goal line (and on pretty much every other carry), but at least he's getting plenty of chances. Not much positive to say about him otherwise, unfortunately.
San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith has certainly changed the identity of the offense as they are clearly more comfortable passing the ball, and he's effectively moved the team during his time on the field. He's made Vernon Davis an even better fantasy TE as he has elevated himself to the #1 TE in FF with Daniels' injury. This only helps Frank Gore who has a great match-up against a reeling Bears D Thursday night.
Seattle Seahawks - Hasselbeck and the Seahawks, despite preseason rumblings about being a run-first time, continue to sling the ball around the field. They have a poor offensive line and no RB that can make things happen by himself, so it makes sense. Julius Jones actually had a productive all-around day, but we've been through this with him before, and he's only a desperate RB2.
St. Louis Rams - Bye week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Fantasy wasteland.
Tennessee Titans - The passing game isn't much to speak of with Vince Young behind center, but their offense as a whole looks better crazily enough. Chris Johnson scored a 2 yard TD, proving that he is officially the every down RB for the Titans. LenDale White is a non-factor and only a pure backup at this point. Considering his value has hit rock bottom, Johnson owners should consider making a small deal for White before the trading deadline to secure his handcuff.
Washington Redskins - Portis was knocked unconscious, so Ladell Betts took over and posted a solid game in his place. Portis looks like to miss at least one more week.
Atlanta Falcons - Atlanta's passing attack fell flat again as Ryan has had some ups and downs in his 2nd year, but it's been mostly positive. White had an off-game, but Gonzalez posted a solid week. Michael Turner has turned the corner. 2 weeks ago Atlanta adjusted their running plays, and he's looked like the stud from last year the last two weeks. He's shown a lot more quickness and explosion...a key part of his game that was missing prior to that. Expect a strong finish if he can stay healthy.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco had another rough game, but Cincy's surprising D was motivated and played at maximum level all game long. He's still a QB1 in most match-ups. Ray Rice once again dominated the backfield, and most importantly, executed a 2 yard goal line carry. Rice is officially the every down back for Baltimore, and while the pass-first offense limits his carries a bit, he's a top 10 RB.
Buffalo Bills - Bye week.
Carolina Panthers - Delhomme continues to be a game manager as the team clearly does not trust him, so you have to wonder why he's still starting. Steve Smith's fantasy value continues to be wrecked by Delhomme's play. DeAngelo Williams has actually been an RB1 this season, and amazingly enough, he's on a similar pace as last year. There's still concern that Stewart will eventually take goal line duties, but Williams did score from 6 yards out last week. It's a situation worth monitoring.
Cincinnati Bengals - Carson Palmer came out firing, but slowed greatly in the 2nd half as the defenses dominated. Chad Johnson played great again, but lost a fumble to harm his pedestrian stat line. Chris Henry is done for the season with a broken forearm, so they'll need Laveraneus Coles to step up like he did this week. Cedric Benson is on an alarming pace of carries, but thanks to the heavy workload, he's a great RB1. He's the new Rudi Johnson.
Chicago Bears - Cutler posted an outstanding fantasy day, but that masks the fact this offense looked terrible again. With the running game not working, and Matt Forte owners cursing out the offensive line, this team is built to pass, which bodes well for Cutler's value in the 2nd half. Greg Olsen finally had a big day, including making plays down the field, so those expecting a big leap from him this season hopes this jump starts him in the 2nd half.
Cleveland Browns - Bye week.
Dallas Cowboys - Tony Romo continues firing on all cylinders, but Miles Austin is starting to attract heavy defensive attention as he was doubled most of the game. While Austin created another big play, he was limited to one catch. This warrants monitoring to see how the Cowboys and Austin adjusted. Roy Williams was the beneficiary posting one of his best receiving days on the season, but provided nothing in the way of big plays. Jason Witten is still not doing much of anything. He's still obviously a TE1, but he's not giving his owners what they paid for. Of concern is the lack of work Marion Barber is getting. I'm not sure if his legs are still bothering him, but his lack of carries and big plays are worth worrying about moving forward. Keep him going as a RB2, but he's nothing more at this point.
Denver Broncos - Kyle Orton threw his first 3 real interceptions of the season, and while you can use him in the right match-ups, he's not evolving into the QB1 I expected. His lack of arm strength is great for the short-intermediate passing game, but Denver isn't even trying to throw the ball deep. Eddie Royal turned in his 2nd most productive receiving game of the season, but as usual, it's impossible to rely on him until he gives you more than 1/4 productive games.
Detroit Lions- Mathew Stafford was not at all helped by the return of Calvin Johnson as Stafford was clearly off in this one, not only throwing 5 interceptions, but also throwing erratic passes constantly after his strong start in the first quarter. Calvin Johnson was clearly upset with Stafford's performance, at one point refusing to talk to his quarterback. He'll bounce back. Kevin Smith returned as the primary ball carrier, and while the team around him fell apart, it's great news for his value down the stretch.
Green Bay Packers - So much for that offensive line improvement. They gave up pressure and sacks all day to a poor Tampa Bay defensive line, and while Rodgers posted another monster fantasy day, it's continuing to kill Greg Jennings. Until the protection improves, Jennings is nowhere near a WR1. Ryan Grant looked great again.
Houston Texans - Schaub posted another great performance, spreading the ball around and utilizing Kevin Walter more with Daniels out of the lineup. The backfield is a complete mess as Moats posted a very below average game, and he lost a fumble at the one yard line. It's simply a mess right now, but luckily for Slaton owners, he converted a 1 yard TD run later in the game. I'm not going to attempt figuring out who will play what role next week.
Indianapolis Colts - Manning and company keep humming right along, and Addai posted another great fantasy day with Brown sidelined. He'll continue to be a solid RB2 for as long as Brown is out.
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD's high workload allowed for a great fantasy day, but I'm sure his fantasy owners expected a much better per-touch efficiency. Mike Sims-Walker exploded once again, and he's an excellent fantasy option moving forward.
Kansas City Chiefs - Cassel posted one of his best games against the season, although keep in mind this was against one of the worst secondaries in the NFL. KC barely bothered running the ball, but when they did, it was a split between Charles and Kolby Smith. Smith will likely handle most of the between-the-tackles work while Charles gets mixed in and is the preferred passing game option. This is a situation to stay away from in terms of starting either of these guys.
Miami Dolphins - Miami had its rushing attack mostly stuffed, but Brown tossed a TD from the wildcat, and Williams took a pitch from Pat White and ran 15 yards for his own TD. Brown is a RB1 thanks to his greater workload and goal line presence while Williams continues to be a RB2/Flex option even as the lesser option.
Minnesota Vikings - Bye week.
New England Patriots - Brady torched Miami's corners, but unfortunately for his fantasy owners, they just couldn't get it into the end zone consistently. Maroney had another solid performance, racking up 20 carries and being productive with them including a touchdown.
New Orleans Saints - Just another day at the office for Brees and company. Of note here is that Pierre Thomas is slowly moving back to his feature RB role as he dominated touches and scored from 10 yards out.
New York Giants - Eli Manning looked very close to 100% this week, which is great news for his owners moving forward. I would feel confident putting him back out there as he looked the best he has since coming down with his heel injury. Manningham and Nicks continue to split snaps at WR, making both risky WR3 plays, and Steve Smith owners will be happy with Manning's recovery. Jacobs suffered a slight knee injury which cost him some carries, but he was effective again and he's set up for a rewarding good 2nd half.
New York Jets - Bye week.
Oakland Raiders - Bye week.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb continued his Jeckyl/Hyde approach to playing quarterback as he threw up another poor performance against the Cowboys. Brent Celek continues his emergence as one of the great young TEs in football with another strong performance. Westbrook continues to be a massive headache for his owners between the concussion and his continued ankle problems, so hopefully those who invested highly in him this season have protected themselves with LeSean McCoy.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Business as usual for the Steelers as Big Ben as the passing game hum along while Mendenhall churns out the yardage on the ground.
San Diego Chargers - Much like the Steelers, Rivers and the Chargers passing game keeps moving along as well, and Vincent Jackson continues to be a beast. LT again had problems near the goal line (and on pretty much every other carry), but at least he's getting plenty of chances. Not much positive to say about him otherwise, unfortunately.
San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith has certainly changed the identity of the offense as they are clearly more comfortable passing the ball, and he's effectively moved the team during his time on the field. He's made Vernon Davis an even better fantasy TE as he has elevated himself to the #1 TE in FF with Daniels' injury. This only helps Frank Gore who has a great match-up against a reeling Bears D Thursday night.
Seattle Seahawks - Hasselbeck and the Seahawks, despite preseason rumblings about being a run-first time, continue to sling the ball around the field. They have a poor offensive line and no RB that can make things happen by himself, so it makes sense. Julius Jones actually had a productive all-around day, but we've been through this with him before, and he's only a desperate RB2.
St. Louis Rams - Bye week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Fantasy wasteland.
Tennessee Titans - The passing game isn't much to speak of with Vince Young behind center, but their offense as a whole looks better crazily enough. Chris Johnson scored a 2 yard TD, proving that he is officially the every down RB for the Titans. LenDale White is a non-factor and only a pure backup at this point. Considering his value has hit rock bottom, Johnson owners should consider making a small deal for White before the trading deadline to secure his handcuff.
Washington Redskins - Portis was knocked unconscious, so Ladell Betts took over and posted a solid game in his place. Portis looks like to miss at least one more week.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Week 9 Injury/Depth Chart Report
I have decided to start writing this article on Fridays. There have been some weeks that I have forgotten to update it on Friday, so this will solve that problem.
Arizona Cardinals - Anquan Boldin re-injured his ankle in week 8, but is again trying to work his way into the lineup. He'll likely be on snap count, and he'll again be a very risky fantasy start. Steve Breaston is a stronger play with Boldin's limiting injury.
Atlanta Falcons - Roddy White has been very limited in practice all week, but he is expected to start in week 9. Check the game day inactives to make sure.
Baltimore Ravens - None.
Buffalo Bills - Bye week.
Carolina Panthers - Jonathan Stewart owners should know the drill by now. He misses some practice time, gets listed as questionable, and then plays on Sundays. He's in no danger of missing week 9.
Cincinnati Bengals - Chris Henry says he feels much better coming out of the bye, but he's only a situational player in a WR rotation across from Chad Ochocinco. He's always a decent bet to score being the great red zone target that he is, but he's very risky thanks to a lack of yardage.
Chicago Bears - Devin Hester is battling a sprained ankle, but all indications are that he will be ready in week 9. Check the game day inactives just to be sure.
Cleveland Browns - Bye week.
Dallas Cowboys - Roy Williams continues to run his mouth by stating that he's still the Cowboys #1 receiver. The dude is just straight stupid.
Denver Broncos - Much like with Cincy and Ochocinco, the use a WR rotation opposite Brandon Marshall, making all other WRs worthless.
Detroit Lions - Mathew Stafford, Kevin Smith, and Calvin Johnson all practiced this week and the beat reporters expect all of them to play. There's been a lot of talk about Kevin Smith losing some of his playing time, but he's still a strong RB2 thanks to his receiving value and goal line RB status. Don't lose faith until you actually see him losing carries when he's healthy.
Green Bay Packers - Their offensive line is finally getting healthy with Chad Clifton expected to return, and Mark Tauscher as well. Hopefully this will open up the deep ball moving forward. Donald Driver has been missing practice time with a stinger, but all indications are that he will start in week 9. Check the game day inactives to make sure.
Houston Texans - Joel Dreesen will replace Owen Daniels at TE, but he's not a fantasy option at this time. You could try stashing him to see what happens if you are desperate at TE. The main beneficiary here is Kevin Walter...make sure he is owned in all leagues, and he's a sneaky WR3 this week. He has taken a back seat to Daniels so far this season, but I expect him to come on down the stretch this year as the new #2 option opposite Andre Johnson. Expect more of what he did last season.
Indianapolis Colts - Anthony Gonzalez is rumored to not be done for the season quite yet, but to be unproductive for the rest of the season whenever he does return. I've had him stashed for a while in one league, but I have finally cut bait. He can safely be dropped for better options like the aforementioned Kevin Walter, or Malcolm Floyd if he slipped through waivers.
Jacksonville Jaguars - None.
Kansas City Chiefs - Jamaal Charles will start for Larry Johnson this week, and his performance in this game will go a long way to determining what role he'll have over the rest of the season.
Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins are employing a full WR rotation right now, and given their ineffective passing attack, it's pretty obvious that nobody is even worth owning, much less starting.
Minnesota Vikings - Bye week.
New England Patriots - Sammy Morris is still out, so Maroney will once again start. He's again a risky RB2 with upside. If he's ineffective, expect Benjarvis Green-Ellis to take over carries.
New Orleans Saints - There is a full RB rotation in effect here as Reggie Bush received a goal line carry on a toss play last week, and Pierre Thomas was in near the goal line to take a sweep-style screen pass into the end zone as well. Pierre Thomas is currently the best start here among the 3 for yardage purposes, but Bell will get his including the normal goal line runs, and Bush will make appearances as well.
New York Giants - Eli Manning is still not 100% and needs to remain on benches. Odds are this strategy will force you to miss he rebound game, assuming he has one, but there's been no indication since his injury that he's ready to be your QB1 again. Jacobs has taken the majority role in the backfield thanks to his more effective running over the past 3 weeks, but Bradshaw will continue to take some carries. Bradshaw is no longer an RB2 candidate with the current carry split. Hakeem Nicks started last week thanks to Manningham's injury, but Manningham is expected to play this week. Whether or not he resumes starting probably won't be known until game time, but Nicks is a WR3 possibility as he continues to excel on the field.
New York Jets - Bye week.
Oakland Raiders - Bye week.
Philadelphia Eagles - Brian Westbrook will return this week and resume his committee role, although expect him to see more touches than LeSean McCoy. Maclin will start the rest of the season opposite DeSean Jackson.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Parker claims he's feeling 100%, but this is Mendenhall's job to lose. Mendenhall looked great in his breakout game, but he hasn't received more than 17 carries in a game since then, although he's been averaging almost 5 yards a carry with those totes. This can be attributed to the new no-huddle, pass-first offense the Steelers have been employing recently. If they can get a lead to nurse, expect Mendenhall to be huge in the 4th quarter.
San Diego Chargers - Malcolm Floyd has replaced Chris Chambers as the starting WR, and he's a good WR3 moving forward.
San Francisco 49ers - None.
Seattle Seahawks - Expect Justin Forsett to finally see some more touches this week at the expense of Julius Jones. Neither are worth using, however.
St. Louis Rams - Bye week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Fantasy wasteland.
Tennessee Titans - Young will look to build off of his success of last week, but until he establishes a comfort zone with his WRs, they are poor fantasy bets thanks to their likely lack of yardage.
Washington Redskins - I hope you've dealt Clinton Portis already, and you should also consider dealing Santana Moss as well. This offense is hurting in a bad way, and there's no reason to think it will get better this season. As is, Portis is an OK RB2, and Moss is only a match up WR3.
Arizona Cardinals - Anquan Boldin re-injured his ankle in week 8, but is again trying to work his way into the lineup. He'll likely be on snap count, and he'll again be a very risky fantasy start. Steve Breaston is a stronger play with Boldin's limiting injury.
Atlanta Falcons - Roddy White has been very limited in practice all week, but he is expected to start in week 9. Check the game day inactives to make sure.
Baltimore Ravens - None.
Buffalo Bills - Bye week.
Carolina Panthers - Jonathan Stewart owners should know the drill by now. He misses some practice time, gets listed as questionable, and then plays on Sundays. He's in no danger of missing week 9.
Cincinnati Bengals - Chris Henry says he feels much better coming out of the bye, but he's only a situational player in a WR rotation across from Chad Ochocinco. He's always a decent bet to score being the great red zone target that he is, but he's very risky thanks to a lack of yardage.
Chicago Bears - Devin Hester is battling a sprained ankle, but all indications are that he will be ready in week 9. Check the game day inactives just to be sure.
Cleveland Browns - Bye week.
Dallas Cowboys - Roy Williams continues to run his mouth by stating that he's still the Cowboys #1 receiver. The dude is just straight stupid.
Denver Broncos - Much like with Cincy and Ochocinco, the use a WR rotation opposite Brandon Marshall, making all other WRs worthless.
Detroit Lions - Mathew Stafford, Kevin Smith, and Calvin Johnson all practiced this week and the beat reporters expect all of them to play. There's been a lot of talk about Kevin Smith losing some of his playing time, but he's still a strong RB2 thanks to his receiving value and goal line RB status. Don't lose faith until you actually see him losing carries when he's healthy.
Green Bay Packers - Their offensive line is finally getting healthy with Chad Clifton expected to return, and Mark Tauscher as well. Hopefully this will open up the deep ball moving forward. Donald Driver has been missing practice time with a stinger, but all indications are that he will start in week 9. Check the game day inactives to make sure.
Houston Texans - Joel Dreesen will replace Owen Daniels at TE, but he's not a fantasy option at this time. You could try stashing him to see what happens if you are desperate at TE. The main beneficiary here is Kevin Walter...make sure he is owned in all leagues, and he's a sneaky WR3 this week. He has taken a back seat to Daniels so far this season, but I expect him to come on down the stretch this year as the new #2 option opposite Andre Johnson. Expect more of what he did last season.
Indianapolis Colts - Anthony Gonzalez is rumored to not be done for the season quite yet, but to be unproductive for the rest of the season whenever he does return. I've had him stashed for a while in one league, but I have finally cut bait. He can safely be dropped for better options like the aforementioned Kevin Walter, or Malcolm Floyd if he slipped through waivers.
Jacksonville Jaguars - None.
Kansas City Chiefs - Jamaal Charles will start for Larry Johnson this week, and his performance in this game will go a long way to determining what role he'll have over the rest of the season.
Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins are employing a full WR rotation right now, and given their ineffective passing attack, it's pretty obvious that nobody is even worth owning, much less starting.
Minnesota Vikings - Bye week.
New England Patriots - Sammy Morris is still out, so Maroney will once again start. He's again a risky RB2 with upside. If he's ineffective, expect Benjarvis Green-Ellis to take over carries.
New Orleans Saints - There is a full RB rotation in effect here as Reggie Bush received a goal line carry on a toss play last week, and Pierre Thomas was in near the goal line to take a sweep-style screen pass into the end zone as well. Pierre Thomas is currently the best start here among the 3 for yardage purposes, but Bell will get his including the normal goal line runs, and Bush will make appearances as well.
New York Giants - Eli Manning is still not 100% and needs to remain on benches. Odds are this strategy will force you to miss he rebound game, assuming he has one, but there's been no indication since his injury that he's ready to be your QB1 again. Jacobs has taken the majority role in the backfield thanks to his more effective running over the past 3 weeks, but Bradshaw will continue to take some carries. Bradshaw is no longer an RB2 candidate with the current carry split. Hakeem Nicks started last week thanks to Manningham's injury, but Manningham is expected to play this week. Whether or not he resumes starting probably won't be known until game time, but Nicks is a WR3 possibility as he continues to excel on the field.
New York Jets - Bye week.
Oakland Raiders - Bye week.
Philadelphia Eagles - Brian Westbrook will return this week and resume his committee role, although expect him to see more touches than LeSean McCoy. Maclin will start the rest of the season opposite DeSean Jackson.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Parker claims he's feeling 100%, but this is Mendenhall's job to lose. Mendenhall looked great in his breakout game, but he hasn't received more than 17 carries in a game since then, although he's been averaging almost 5 yards a carry with those totes. This can be attributed to the new no-huddle, pass-first offense the Steelers have been employing recently. If they can get a lead to nurse, expect Mendenhall to be huge in the 4th quarter.
San Diego Chargers - Malcolm Floyd has replaced Chris Chambers as the starting WR, and he's a good WR3 moving forward.
San Francisco 49ers - None.
Seattle Seahawks - Expect Justin Forsett to finally see some more touches this week at the expense of Julius Jones. Neither are worth using, however.
St. Louis Rams - Bye week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Fantasy wasteland.
Tennessee Titans - Young will look to build off of his success of last week, but until he establishes a comfort zone with his WRs, they are poor fantasy bets thanks to their likely lack of yardage.
Washington Redskins - I hope you've dealt Clinton Portis already, and you should also consider dealing Santana Moss as well. This offense is hurting in a bad way, and there's no reason to think it will get better this season. As is, Portis is an OK RB2, and Moss is only a match up WR3.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Week 9 Waiver Wire
We're getting into the part of the season where there's very few people worth picking up. I'll note down the best of what's left here this week.
QB:
Vince Young - He's probably not going to be asked to do much, but he looked solid in a good match up. He was a QB1 down the stretch in his rookie year, and his talent hasn't gone away. His head is another story, but he could emerge as a good QB2.
Alex Smith - Just another reminder that he should be owned as he's a reasonable QB2.
RB:
Ryan Moats - Let's not get too excited because Steve Slaton isn't going anywhere, but Moats certainly earned playing time after carving up Buffalo last week. He has a solid all-around game, and Slaton's fumbles are a real problem. Slaton remains way too talented in the receiving game, however, so the exact carry split is unknown at this point. He's definitely worth owning, though.
Jamaal Charles - Another reminder. He's going to start in week 9 and needs to be owned to see what comes of it.
Justin Forsett - I've mentioned him once before, but with the release of Edgerrin James, he's the clear number two with only Julius Jones ahead of him. Jones has had a few moments this year, but he's been mostly unimpressive. Expect them to get Forsett more involved as they need to be a pass-first offense moving forward despite their offensive line issues.
WR:
Malcolm Floyd - Hope you stashed him like I suggested last week. He's worth using the #1 waiver priority on this week. Floyd started last week, and while he caught only 2 passes, he showed his usual big play potential. Chris Chambers has since been released, which is a good vote of confidence for Floyd. He'll be #3 in the passing game picking order behind VJax and Gates, but SD passes plenty to make him a WR3.
TE:
Dustin Keller - In case someone dropped him during his slump, you should grab him again after a great week 8. He'll be inconsistent on a run-first offense with Edwards and Cotchery demanding targets, but he's by far the best of what's out there, especially for Owen Daniels owners.
Chris Cooley - Cooley went from being out for the year to being out for only a month. The Skins passing attack sucks, but Cooley had been productive and should be owned for when he comes back in a few weeks.
QB:
Vince Young - He's probably not going to be asked to do much, but he looked solid in a good match up. He was a QB1 down the stretch in his rookie year, and his talent hasn't gone away. His head is another story, but he could emerge as a good QB2.
Alex Smith - Just another reminder that he should be owned as he's a reasonable QB2.
RB:
Ryan Moats - Let's not get too excited because Steve Slaton isn't going anywhere, but Moats certainly earned playing time after carving up Buffalo last week. He has a solid all-around game, and Slaton's fumbles are a real problem. Slaton remains way too talented in the receiving game, however, so the exact carry split is unknown at this point. He's definitely worth owning, though.
Jamaal Charles - Another reminder. He's going to start in week 9 and needs to be owned to see what comes of it.
Justin Forsett - I've mentioned him once before, but with the release of Edgerrin James, he's the clear number two with only Julius Jones ahead of him. Jones has had a few moments this year, but he's been mostly unimpressive. Expect them to get Forsett more involved as they need to be a pass-first offense moving forward despite their offensive line issues.
WR:
Malcolm Floyd - Hope you stashed him like I suggested last week. He's worth using the #1 waiver priority on this week. Floyd started last week, and while he caught only 2 passes, he showed his usual big play potential. Chris Chambers has since been released, which is a good vote of confidence for Floyd. He'll be #3 in the passing game picking order behind VJax and Gates, but SD passes plenty to make him a WR3.
TE:
Dustin Keller - In case someone dropped him during his slump, you should grab him again after a great week 8. He'll be inconsistent on a run-first offense with Edwards and Cotchery demanding targets, but he's by far the best of what's out there, especially for Owen Daniels owners.
Chris Cooley - Cooley went from being out for the year to being out for only a month. The Skins passing attack sucks, but Cooley had been productive and should be owned for when he comes back in a few weeks.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Week 8 Thoughts
Arizona Cardinals - Warner threw up a disaster, key phrase here being threw up. While he managed 2 TD passes, he almost offset those (and did in 4 point passing TD leagues) with 5 INTs. It's worth repeating that Warner continues to not look right, and his inability to throw the ball down the field along with the Cardinals inability to run the ball is a poor match. The Cardinals need to get Chris Wells more involved, but thanks to their need to get into pass-heavy situations, it's not possible. Boldin got banged up yet again, and there's already rumors that he'll miss the next week.
Atlanta Falcons - Monday night game.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco did the best he could in a defensive slugfest, and Ray Rice did the heavy lifting on the ground. Gone are the times that Rice lost lots of carries to McGahee, but since there wasn't a goal line carry in this game, we don't know if Rice will get those carries as well moving forward.
Buffalo Bills - Back to earth for Ryan Fitzpatrick, and unfortunately Evans went down with him. Owens showed plenty of burst and a second gear on his end-around for a TD, and in my mind, it proved that he hasn't lost it yet. Evans and Owens are arguably one of the best WR duos in the NFL, but their values have been annihilated by the horrid QB play. Lynch and Jackson split carries evenly in this one, but Lynch looked better with his.
Carolina Panthers - Carolina did exactly what they need to do going forward, lean on their great running game and reduce Jake Delhomme to a pure game manager. Steve Smith owners don't want to hear this, but given Delhomme's horrid play this year, this has to happen. Arizona had the #1 run D in football this year, but Carolina shredded them all game long. DeAngelo Williams owners, despite another good yardage game, need to be aware that Stewart has been far more effective at the goal line this year. There's a chance Stewart could take over that role full time. Stewart could work himself into an RB2 if that happens, and Williams will lose even more value, although he'll likely still continue to receive more of the carries.
Cincinnati Bengals - Bye week.
Chicago Bears - This bi-polar offense continued it's recent downward trend. Don't let the 30-6 score fool you as Cleveland's turnovers and offensive ineptitude were the reason Chicago scored that many points. Jay Cutler again looks out of sync with his WRs, who simply aren't that good outside of Devin Hester. Bennett and Knox have both shown potential, but they clearly are not consistent. Matt Forte finally put some TDs on the board, but he turned in yet another poor YPC day against a bad defense. The root of the problem, as I have mentioned before, is the offensive line. Despite the upgrades made in the off-season, this unit looks out of sync in both forms of blocking.
Cleveland Browns - Fantasy wasteland.
Dallas Cowboys - Tony Romo loves him some Miles Austin. While Austin didn't have a 3rd monster week in a row, he has completely made over this passing game with his ability to make big plays. He allows all the other receivers to settle into doing what they do well, and it's made a huge different for Tony Romo. Roy Williams continues to look like a turd despite the TD this week. He's catching an abysmal percentage of his targets. Barber looked healthier, and with the passing game clicking again, he's going to see more potential TDs moving forward.
Denver Broncos - Kyle Orton remained accurate against a swarming Baltimore defense, but he did not challenge them down the field, and he wound up with a horrific YPA. Denver has to get him to throw the ball down the field more to open things up. Moreno put up a workman-like effort against a tough D, and also tossed in a TD. Thanks to their inability to sustain drives and necessity to play catch-up in the 2nd half, he didn't get many carries.
Detroit Lions - This offense welcomed Stafford back this week, but without Calvin Johnson, their passing game has no hope. Bryant Johnson continues to not make plays and drop passes, and there's nobody else on this team that can do anything with the ball after catching it. Kevin Smith has resumed struggling, and there's a chance he's going to start losing carries moving forward. He's simply not making things happen right now, although his receiving contributions are saving his fantasy value.
Green Bay Packers - Aaron Rodgers spent most of the game on his back, but thanks to a monster 2nd half, he posted yet another great fantasy day. The offensive line continues to be a real drain on this passing game as they aren't giving Rodgers the protection he needs to get the ball down field. As such, Greg Jennings has been reduced to a possession receiver, although he did manage to finally score this week. Ryan Grant was predictably eaten up by the MIN run defense.
Houston Texans - In a very unpredictable event, Matt Schaub took a back seat to the running game in this one, posting his worst game since week 1. Furthermore, it wasn't Steve Slaton who dominated the rushing attack as he fumbled yet again on his first carry and was shown the bench. Ryan Moats was the fantasy star in this one, leaving Slaton owners fuming while he carved up Buffalo's soft run defense. This is a serious concern moving forward for Slaton. I don't know what got into him last year, but he was a fumble machine in college, and that problem has re-surfaced. It's hard to get too excited about Moats given the opponent, but he's earn carries moving forward until he proves otherwise. Slaton still remains way too valuable in the passing game to be benched, and with the unfortunate season-ending injury to Owen Daniels, Houston needs someone to step up alongside Andre Johnson.
Indianapolis Colts - Manning was ravaged by SF's defense in the first half, but he settled in and put together another great performance despite not throwing for a TD. His owners had to be irate after hearing Reggie Wayne had caught a TD...from Joseph Addai. Wayne continues to dominate, and Collie has clearly passed Garcon to be the 3rd option in the passing game. Addai got a big workload with Donald Brown out, but showed off his usual mediocre running. The Colts should seriously consider a switch at RB when Brown gets healthy, at least in terms of their committee. Brown needs to touch the ball more as the far more explosive runner.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Garrard sucks. This was a weird day for MJD. Let me show you Jacksonville's first 3 drive recaps: 1) 5 yard pass, incomplete pass, incomplete pass, punt. 2) 4 yard pass, sack/recovered own fumble, incomplete pass, punt. 3) Incomplete pass, WR end-around, interception. Seriously. On MJD's first carry on the fourth drive...80 yard TD run. Jacksonville went back to normal on their last drive of the first half, and then MJD opened up the 2nd half with a 79 yard TD run. After that, TEN dominated the game and Jacksonville fell way behind, necessitating a pass-heavy offense for most of the 2nd half. Dirk Koetter's job should be on the line with MJD's inconsistent usage this year...he should be following what the Rams are doing with Steven Jackson. Luckily MJD produced an outrageous day on only 8 carries, but feed him the damn ball.
Kansas City Chiefs - Bye week.
Miami Dolphins - There's not too much to say about Miami's offense this week as their defense and special teams accounted for 3 TDs, keeping New York's offense on the field quite a bit. They were mostly ineffective when they were on the field as New York swarmed their rushing attack and kept both RBs in check. Ricky Williams seemingly makes a play in the passing game every week, and it's an annoying drain on Ronnie Brown's value as he was previously one of the best 3rd down RBs in football.
Minnesota Vikings - I'm sick of hearing the name. The QB that plays for the Vikings had a great outing, although he spread the ball around and Sidney Rice wasn't as dominant as he had been. Percy Harvin continues to make plays and could eventually push Bernard Berrian to the bench, although Minnesota probably won't fix what isn't broken. Adrian Peterson cranked out yet another great performance and continues to chug along as the best fantasy RB.
New England Patriots - Bye week.
New Orleans Saints - Monday night game.
New York Giants - Eli Manning is still struggling. Given how great he looked up until the heel injury, we'll chalk up his continued problems to his nagging injury. Even Tom Coughlin stated that he's not pushing off his foot on every pass like he should be. The Giants are in a free-fall and need Eli to get healthy, as do Steve Smith owners. Manningham sat out with a shoulder injury, so Nicks played the majority of the game and did as much as he could with his targets. Jacobs dominated the ground work with Bradshaw taking more of a true backup roll in this one, and that could be a trend that continues moving forward given the uncertain nature of Bradshaw's foot injury.
New York Jets - Mark Sanchez had his best game in a long time, and there's two reasons for this. First of all, Jericho Cotchery returned, and he deflected attention away from Braylon Edwards, which will benefit both of them going forward. Edwards is still the more attractive fantasy property because he's great around the goal line. Secondly, Miami started both of their rookie CBs, and having them go against 2 talented, veteran WRs was a mismatch. I'd like to see Sanchez do more in a tougher match-up, but Cotchery's return is great news for the entire offense. Thomas Jones also benefited greatly from Leon Washington's absence, racking up a huge day on 27 carries. Shonn Greene is less of a threat for carries as he's more of a backup than a complement to Jones.
Oakland Raiders - I was going to say fantasy wasteland, but Justin Fargas has emerged as a reasonable RB2/3 while Darren McFadden is out. With the current state of this team, McFadden probably won't return until he's 100%, and Michael Bush isn't challenging him for carries. Zach Miller also continues to be a lower TE1 despite the miserable passing attack.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb rebounded from a very poor effort against the Redskins last week and shows why you need to stick with him through his bad games. He torched the Giants before Philly started killing the clock. DeSean Jackson is a walking big play, and Jeremy Maclin got on the board for the first time since his breakout game a couple weeks ago. Brent Celek continues to impress, and he's very much a top 5 TE with Gates, Gonzalez, Clark...and Vernon Davis. Maclin hasn't been putting up numbers, but he's looked pretty good on the field. McCoy made up for a fairly lousy day with a huge 66 yard TD run in the 2nd half, making his fantasy owners happy they started him.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Bye week.
San Diego Chargers - Rivers looked solid again, although LT's resurgence around the goal line in this one took a few TDs away. Vincent Jackson continues his breakthrough as his size and speed combination is just scary. Speaking of LT, he looked more spry in this one despite the weak YPC. He's no longer going to break big plays, but he has enough life left in his legs and a great surrounding offense to close strong. He's not going to be great in yardage, but he should score a good amount as SD clearly still wants to use him in the red zone.
San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith did an admirable job in such a tough match-up. He only had one turn over and didn't force too many throws despite some heavy pressure. Plus, much to the liking of Vernon Davis owners, he found him again for a score. Michael Crabtree also posted his best yardage of the season and will have the ability to come on down the stretch as a WR3. Thankfully Gore busted off another huge TD run as he did very little on his carries outside of that impressive effort. Still, the new life of the passing game with Smith, Crabtree, and Davis is great news for Gore moving forward.
Seattle Seahawks - Hasselbeck posted a good fantasy day despite heavy pressure, but he's an injury waiting to happen at this point thanks to the state of his offensive line. I would attempt to deal him to a QB-desperate owner after this if you can find someone willing to take him. Outside of Burleson's solid yardage day (he lost a fumble to negate some of that), nobody did much of anything.
St. Louis Rams - The Rams rode the Steven Jackson train to their first win in 17 games, and he was about as excited as anyone after scoring his first TD of the season, a game winning 25 yard run with less than 2 minutes to go in the game. There's nothing much else to say about this team other than how scary it is that Jackson is posting the numbers he is on such an awful team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Bye week.
Tennessee Titans - Vince Young looked like an NFL QB again, although he was mostly a game manager thanks to the Chris Johnson show. Young was accurate, although he didn't use his WRs much, and he made a few plays with his legs as well. It's hard to draw anything from this given the good match-up he had, but it's a start. Chris Johnson posted his 2nd insane game of the season, rushing for 220 yards and 2 TDs, both coming from 52 and 89 yards out. Johnson has actually posted 90+ yards in 5/7 games, but all 5 of his TDs have come in the 2 insane games.
Washington Redskins - Bye week.
Atlanta Falcons - Monday night game.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco did the best he could in a defensive slugfest, and Ray Rice did the heavy lifting on the ground. Gone are the times that Rice lost lots of carries to McGahee, but since there wasn't a goal line carry in this game, we don't know if Rice will get those carries as well moving forward.
Buffalo Bills - Back to earth for Ryan Fitzpatrick, and unfortunately Evans went down with him. Owens showed plenty of burst and a second gear on his end-around for a TD, and in my mind, it proved that he hasn't lost it yet. Evans and Owens are arguably one of the best WR duos in the NFL, but their values have been annihilated by the horrid QB play. Lynch and Jackson split carries evenly in this one, but Lynch looked better with his.
Carolina Panthers - Carolina did exactly what they need to do going forward, lean on their great running game and reduce Jake Delhomme to a pure game manager. Steve Smith owners don't want to hear this, but given Delhomme's horrid play this year, this has to happen. Arizona had the #1 run D in football this year, but Carolina shredded them all game long. DeAngelo Williams owners, despite another good yardage game, need to be aware that Stewart has been far more effective at the goal line this year. There's a chance Stewart could take over that role full time. Stewart could work himself into an RB2 if that happens, and Williams will lose even more value, although he'll likely still continue to receive more of the carries.
Cincinnati Bengals - Bye week.
Chicago Bears - This bi-polar offense continued it's recent downward trend. Don't let the 30-6 score fool you as Cleveland's turnovers and offensive ineptitude were the reason Chicago scored that many points. Jay Cutler again looks out of sync with his WRs, who simply aren't that good outside of Devin Hester. Bennett and Knox have both shown potential, but they clearly are not consistent. Matt Forte finally put some TDs on the board, but he turned in yet another poor YPC day against a bad defense. The root of the problem, as I have mentioned before, is the offensive line. Despite the upgrades made in the off-season, this unit looks out of sync in both forms of blocking.
Cleveland Browns - Fantasy wasteland.
Dallas Cowboys - Tony Romo loves him some Miles Austin. While Austin didn't have a 3rd monster week in a row, he has completely made over this passing game with his ability to make big plays. He allows all the other receivers to settle into doing what they do well, and it's made a huge different for Tony Romo. Roy Williams continues to look like a turd despite the TD this week. He's catching an abysmal percentage of his targets. Barber looked healthier, and with the passing game clicking again, he's going to see more potential TDs moving forward.
Denver Broncos - Kyle Orton remained accurate against a swarming Baltimore defense, but he did not challenge them down the field, and he wound up with a horrific YPA. Denver has to get him to throw the ball down the field more to open things up. Moreno put up a workman-like effort against a tough D, and also tossed in a TD. Thanks to their inability to sustain drives and necessity to play catch-up in the 2nd half, he didn't get many carries.
Detroit Lions - This offense welcomed Stafford back this week, but without Calvin Johnson, their passing game has no hope. Bryant Johnson continues to not make plays and drop passes, and there's nobody else on this team that can do anything with the ball after catching it. Kevin Smith has resumed struggling, and there's a chance he's going to start losing carries moving forward. He's simply not making things happen right now, although his receiving contributions are saving his fantasy value.
Green Bay Packers - Aaron Rodgers spent most of the game on his back, but thanks to a monster 2nd half, he posted yet another great fantasy day. The offensive line continues to be a real drain on this passing game as they aren't giving Rodgers the protection he needs to get the ball down field. As such, Greg Jennings has been reduced to a possession receiver, although he did manage to finally score this week. Ryan Grant was predictably eaten up by the MIN run defense.
Houston Texans - In a very unpredictable event, Matt Schaub took a back seat to the running game in this one, posting his worst game since week 1. Furthermore, it wasn't Steve Slaton who dominated the rushing attack as he fumbled yet again on his first carry and was shown the bench. Ryan Moats was the fantasy star in this one, leaving Slaton owners fuming while he carved up Buffalo's soft run defense. This is a serious concern moving forward for Slaton. I don't know what got into him last year, but he was a fumble machine in college, and that problem has re-surfaced. It's hard to get too excited about Moats given the opponent, but he's earn carries moving forward until he proves otherwise. Slaton still remains way too valuable in the passing game to be benched, and with the unfortunate season-ending injury to Owen Daniels, Houston needs someone to step up alongside Andre Johnson.
Indianapolis Colts - Manning was ravaged by SF's defense in the first half, but he settled in and put together another great performance despite not throwing for a TD. His owners had to be irate after hearing Reggie Wayne had caught a TD...from Joseph Addai. Wayne continues to dominate, and Collie has clearly passed Garcon to be the 3rd option in the passing game. Addai got a big workload with Donald Brown out, but showed off his usual mediocre running. The Colts should seriously consider a switch at RB when Brown gets healthy, at least in terms of their committee. Brown needs to touch the ball more as the far more explosive runner.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Garrard sucks. This was a weird day for MJD. Let me show you Jacksonville's first 3 drive recaps: 1) 5 yard pass, incomplete pass, incomplete pass, punt. 2) 4 yard pass, sack/recovered own fumble, incomplete pass, punt. 3) Incomplete pass, WR end-around, interception. Seriously. On MJD's first carry on the fourth drive...80 yard TD run. Jacksonville went back to normal on their last drive of the first half, and then MJD opened up the 2nd half with a 79 yard TD run. After that, TEN dominated the game and Jacksonville fell way behind, necessitating a pass-heavy offense for most of the 2nd half. Dirk Koetter's job should be on the line with MJD's inconsistent usage this year...he should be following what the Rams are doing with Steven Jackson. Luckily MJD produced an outrageous day on only 8 carries, but feed him the damn ball.
Kansas City Chiefs - Bye week.
Miami Dolphins - There's not too much to say about Miami's offense this week as their defense and special teams accounted for 3 TDs, keeping New York's offense on the field quite a bit. They were mostly ineffective when they were on the field as New York swarmed their rushing attack and kept both RBs in check. Ricky Williams seemingly makes a play in the passing game every week, and it's an annoying drain on Ronnie Brown's value as he was previously one of the best 3rd down RBs in football.
Minnesota Vikings - I'm sick of hearing the name. The QB that plays for the Vikings had a great outing, although he spread the ball around and Sidney Rice wasn't as dominant as he had been. Percy Harvin continues to make plays and could eventually push Bernard Berrian to the bench, although Minnesota probably won't fix what isn't broken. Adrian Peterson cranked out yet another great performance and continues to chug along as the best fantasy RB.
New England Patriots - Bye week.
New Orleans Saints - Monday night game.
New York Giants - Eli Manning is still struggling. Given how great he looked up until the heel injury, we'll chalk up his continued problems to his nagging injury. Even Tom Coughlin stated that he's not pushing off his foot on every pass like he should be. The Giants are in a free-fall and need Eli to get healthy, as do Steve Smith owners. Manningham sat out with a shoulder injury, so Nicks played the majority of the game and did as much as he could with his targets. Jacobs dominated the ground work with Bradshaw taking more of a true backup roll in this one, and that could be a trend that continues moving forward given the uncertain nature of Bradshaw's foot injury.
New York Jets - Mark Sanchez had his best game in a long time, and there's two reasons for this. First of all, Jericho Cotchery returned, and he deflected attention away from Braylon Edwards, which will benefit both of them going forward. Edwards is still the more attractive fantasy property because he's great around the goal line. Secondly, Miami started both of their rookie CBs, and having them go against 2 talented, veteran WRs was a mismatch. I'd like to see Sanchez do more in a tougher match-up, but Cotchery's return is great news for the entire offense. Thomas Jones also benefited greatly from Leon Washington's absence, racking up a huge day on 27 carries. Shonn Greene is less of a threat for carries as he's more of a backup than a complement to Jones.
Oakland Raiders - I was going to say fantasy wasteland, but Justin Fargas has emerged as a reasonable RB2/3 while Darren McFadden is out. With the current state of this team, McFadden probably won't return until he's 100%, and Michael Bush isn't challenging him for carries. Zach Miller also continues to be a lower TE1 despite the miserable passing attack.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb rebounded from a very poor effort against the Redskins last week and shows why you need to stick with him through his bad games. He torched the Giants before Philly started killing the clock. DeSean Jackson is a walking big play, and Jeremy Maclin got on the board for the first time since his breakout game a couple weeks ago. Brent Celek continues to impress, and he's very much a top 5 TE with Gates, Gonzalez, Clark...and Vernon Davis. Maclin hasn't been putting up numbers, but he's looked pretty good on the field. McCoy made up for a fairly lousy day with a huge 66 yard TD run in the 2nd half, making his fantasy owners happy they started him.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Bye week.
San Diego Chargers - Rivers looked solid again, although LT's resurgence around the goal line in this one took a few TDs away. Vincent Jackson continues his breakthrough as his size and speed combination is just scary. Speaking of LT, he looked more spry in this one despite the weak YPC. He's no longer going to break big plays, but he has enough life left in his legs and a great surrounding offense to close strong. He's not going to be great in yardage, but he should score a good amount as SD clearly still wants to use him in the red zone.
San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith did an admirable job in such a tough match-up. He only had one turn over and didn't force too many throws despite some heavy pressure. Plus, much to the liking of Vernon Davis owners, he found him again for a score. Michael Crabtree also posted his best yardage of the season and will have the ability to come on down the stretch as a WR3. Thankfully Gore busted off another huge TD run as he did very little on his carries outside of that impressive effort. Still, the new life of the passing game with Smith, Crabtree, and Davis is great news for Gore moving forward.
Seattle Seahawks - Hasselbeck posted a good fantasy day despite heavy pressure, but he's an injury waiting to happen at this point thanks to the state of his offensive line. I would attempt to deal him to a QB-desperate owner after this if you can find someone willing to take him. Outside of Burleson's solid yardage day (he lost a fumble to negate some of that), nobody did much of anything.
St. Louis Rams - The Rams rode the Steven Jackson train to their first win in 17 games, and he was about as excited as anyone after scoring his first TD of the season, a game winning 25 yard run with less than 2 minutes to go in the game. There's nothing much else to say about this team other than how scary it is that Jackson is posting the numbers he is on such an awful team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Bye week.
Tennessee Titans - Vince Young looked like an NFL QB again, although he was mostly a game manager thanks to the Chris Johnson show. Young was accurate, although he didn't use his WRs much, and he made a few plays with his legs as well. It's hard to draw anything from this given the good match-up he had, but it's a start. Chris Johnson posted his 2nd insane game of the season, rushing for 220 yards and 2 TDs, both coming from 52 and 89 yards out. Johnson has actually posted 90+ yards in 5/7 games, but all 5 of his TDs have come in the 2 insane games.
Washington Redskins - Bye week.
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