Pickups

Kahlil Bell, RB, CHI – The Bears have lost any playoff hopes with an expected loss to the Packers this week.  Their offense did as well as you could have hoped for if you owned anyone in fantasy football this week and it all started with Bell. He ran for 121 yards and threw in 38 yards receiving as well. He should have scored a TD too but he fumbled into the end zone and an offensive lineman scooped it up for the score.

Joe Webb, QB, MIN – The Vikings offense struggled this week until Christian Ponder got knocked out of the game with a concussion.  Webb came in and immediately walked down the field on three consecutive possessions for a TD.  With Webb being effective and the Vikings’ season already over, I don’t think the Vikings are going to risk rushing Ponder back too soon with a head injury.

James Jones, WR, GB – Of all the people on this list that have a serious chance of making an impact on your Super Bowl, James Jones has highest upside.  Green Bay’s offense was back and firing on all cylinders and I expect Aaron Rodgers to play for at least the first quarter with 1st place completely locked up.  After that, Matt Flynn is a more than capable backup.  He almost beat Tom Brady in prime time last year when Rodgers was out with a concussion and the Lions defense is certainly beatable.  It is also worth noting that Detroit has locked up a wild-card spot  and is not playing for anything this week either.

Jared Cook, TE, TEN – Cook has blown up over the past two weeks.  He topped a hundred yards last week and out-did himself this week with 169 yards and a score.  A lot of successful teams play tight-end roulette and if Cook hasn’t been snatched up yet, he is as safe of a bet as you can find on free agency.

Evan Royster, RB, WAS – Anyone getting that many carries is worth a spot on someone’s fantasy team, even if he is on Mike Shanahan’s team. Helu might come back but even if he does, who knows what Shanahan will do.  At bare minimum, if your opponent is light at RB, you don’t want him to have access to this guy so scoop him up or he will.

Dump List

There is no player too good to drop, assuming your opponents don’t need him.  You are in the Super Bowl and your opponent has 3 top 10 WRs then you can cut ANY receiver that you want to make room for someone you might need, or more importantly that your opponent might need.  Good luck to you all!

No Comments »

Pickups

Kahlil Bell, RB, CHI – The Bears did not look to Marion Barber again after his collapse late in the Denver game and instead Kahlil Bell saw the majority of the work and was the more productive runner.  These lists get short in the playoffs but Bell is a guy you do NOT want an opponent to start against you, so use a roster move and snatch him up.  It WILL help you win if your opponent is at all weak at RB.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN – The Broncos had a soft match up this week against the Pats and they really didn’t take advantage of it like I thought they would. Thomas on the other hand did great.  He didn’t find the endzone but had a big day in yardage and re-affirmed himself as the top receiver that Tebow has at his disposal.  Thomas is a very solid flex play against a porous Bills defense that will likely be too focused on the run to worry much about double teaming a receiver.

Jamie Harper, RB, TEN – Chris Johnson is banged up and Javon Ringer is done for the season.  For what it is worth, I think CJ makes it out there this week but if you own Johnson, you DEFINITELY need a handcuff so go get Harper just in case.

Jabar Gaffney, WR, WAS – He has been really quietly a stud this season for people in deep leagues. Gaffney is on pace for about 1,000 yards on the season and gets a boost in PPR formats too.  He is available in a little under half of leagues.

Lance Ball, RB, DEN – McGahee got dinged up last week and Ball filled in great.  No one seems overly concerned with Willis’ status but Ball should see some extra touches this week against a Bills defense that just allowed over 200 yards to Reggie Bush.

Dump List

It is the playoffs folks. There is no player too good to drop, assuming your opponents don’t need him.  If you are in the Super Bowl and your opponent has 3 top 10 WRs, then you can cut ANY receiver that you want to make room for someone you might need.  Pickings are slim and the teams left alive are that much better.  Good luck to you all!

No Comments »

Pickups

Titus Young, WR, DET – In the past few games opponents have left Calvin Johnson in double teams all game long and have forced Stafford to look elsewhere in order to move the ball down the field. Since the double teams have been locked on Megatron, the biggest beneficiary has been Titus Young.  He averaged over 20 yards per catch on 4 grabs and had a TD too.  Very flex-worthy and will be climbing my rankings quickly this post-season.

Kahlil Bell, RB, CHI – For some reason I don’t think Chicago is going to trust Marion Barber so much after a TERRIBLE performance against Tebow.  Barber stepped out of bounds when they were trying to run clock and limit Tebow’s clock late in the game and then fumbled the ball away in overtime just as the Bears entered into field goal range. Bell had a decent game on a limited number of touches and should see more work as the Bears try and limp into the playoffs.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN – Thomas hasn’t looked that great to me on film but after two weeks of being Tebow’s guy, he has to have fantasy value.  Thomas has to be above Decker in my rankings this week but that could change a few times over the rest of the season.  Ideally you don’t need to start Thomas but pick him up to avoid an opponent getting a big game from him against you.

Ryan Grant, RB, GB – You just may have had the bye this past week in the playoffs and now you are stuck trying to fill Forte’s spot.  You also may have to fill DeMarco Murray’s spot for next week.  Ryan Grant came back to life this week with a huge game and with Kansas City on the schedule for next week, I expect Grant to get a shot first.  I have a strong feeling that there will be a lot of carries to go around late in this one.

Matt Moore, QB, MIA – The Dolphins have been a much improved ball team as of late and they play the Bills in week 15.  Buffalo, even when they were on fire, gave up big numbers on defense.  Now they aren’t even getting the turnovers anymore and injuries have decimated the team.  Moore would make a very solid fill-in next week or a viable QB2.

Dump List

Reggie Wayne, WR, IND – Garcon really is just targeted more than Wayne and has been much more productive with these targets.  Neither have been good but you can just drop Wayne now because the match ups are not getting any better.

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, CLE – I have come across a lot of people that still have this guy on their bench and there is no need for that. The backfield is too crowded and there are not enough carries to go around.

Deion Branch, WR, NE – He is too inconsistent to start and if your opponents are well-off at the WR position, drop Branch to take Grant of Bell away from them.  It isn’t grimy, it’s smart!

Ricky Williams, RB, BAL – I would rather have a guy with more upside than hold Williams.  Unless your a rice owner… then he is just a very smart handcuff.

Matt Hasselbeck, QB, TEN – There are a lot of reasons to dump Hasselbeck.  His numbers are down, he’s hurt and even if he is healthy the Titans might leave Locker in there.

No Comments »

The fantasy playoffs are about to begin and with some fairly big injuries occurring this week, there is a significant chance to add some good depth to your roster as well as pick up some key handcuffs that could set you ahead of your opponents and give you an edge when the whole season is on the line.

Pickups

Marion Barber, RB, CHI – With Forte potentially out for 2-4 weeks, Barber is bound to be this week’s hottest pick up.  The schedule is really rough for the Bears over the next couple of weeks.  With Denver and Seattle in the next couple weeks, each having a solid rush defense, I think that Barber will be mediocre at best without a quality QB to stretch the field vertically. I wouldn’t bend over backwards to get him unless your now missing Forte going into the playoffs.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN – Thomas had a big game this week but I am not sure you should trust him as a starter yet.  Decker is still the guy I like the most to catch one of the few deep balls from Tebow and lets face it… there aren’t many of those to go around.  I  would scoop up Thomas anyways though.  You don’t want an opponent beating you off a goofy, freak performance.

Brad Smith, WR, BUF – Buffalo’s offense isn’t what it was over the first 6 weeks of the season and it isn’t going to turn back into that team either.  They have had a lot of injuries on both sides of the ball and no Fred Jackson obviously hurts the most.  With that said, they are finally playing competitive football and I think you can expect some decent production.  Buffalo goes against San Diego next week, who teams have definitely been able to move the ball against and Smith stepped up at WR with 7 grabs on 10 targets for 72 yards.  He could make a decent flex-play if you’re desperate but either way he is a quality player to have on your bench.

Kevin Smith, RB, DET – Detroit is going to have to turn the ship around quickly to make a playoff push this season.  Jahvid Best’s absence has made a big difference and Smith was able to bring back that dimension of the offense when he is on the field.  Injured or not, if he is active next week they will use him for as long as they can.  Smith was by far the Lions’ best offensive weapon in the first half and they simply can’t afford not to use him if he puts on his helmet next week.

Devin Aromashodu, WR, MIN – He didn’t overwhelm us with numbers this week (6 catches for 90 yards) but I was impressed with his performance none-the-less.  Aromashodu saw 15 targets this week and it feels as though there is a decent connection between him and Ponder.  Percy Harvin is going to draw a lot more attention after another monster game and with the Lions for opponents next week, you can do worse in a deep league.  Detroit had a lot of trouble getting to Brees last night and if Ponder has time, Aromashodu just might have a big game.

Dump List

Jackie Battle, RB, KC – Battle’s touches and production have been down over the past few weeks and since Thomas “old man river” Jones saw more carries and Dexter McCluster was more productive, you can let Battle go for a crack at Barber if you need to.  I would still hold him as the best Chiefs running back but with the playoffs starting next week, hopefully you aren’t desperate enough to need him!

Early Doucet, WR, ARI – Looking at the stat line, you might think that Doucet didn’t touch the ball on Sunday against the Cowboys.  That is simply not true.  He caught two passes for zero yards.  Doucet has has some OK games this season but he hasn’t had double-digit fantasy points since week 1 and there are likely some guys out there with more upside. Go get Brad Smith or even Golden Tate.

Pierre Thomas, RB, NO - The Saints are as healthy as ever and the backfield is very crowded.  Thomas is essentially an after-thought for Sean Peyton and should be for fantasy owners too.  Little reason to have him on your team unless there are no better options or Ingram goes down to injury.

Hines Ward, WR, PIT – He is still owned in a third of leagues, believe it or not.  I don’t think I need to justify his spot on this list.

DJ Ware, RB, NYG – Bradshaw was back and saw some use on Sunday so I expect Ware is done seeing significant work.  If it wasn’t for converting on a 2 point conversion, he would have posted a goose-egg for fantasy owners. He is simply just a handcuff at best and even then, he will be sharing carries.

No Comments »

Pick Ups

Roy Helu, RB, WAS – The inherent mess of the Shanahan running backs may have let Helu remain on free agency this long. He isn’t even owned in half of leagues and he is the one guy on the list at RB that has big-game potential.  Torain did not even touch the ball on Sunday and Helu had a pretty nice game in a win over Seattle. Shanahan might just decide to spit in the face of fantasy owners again and start Torain next week but if you are taking a chance on one of these guys, it should be Helu every single time.

Greg Little, WR, CLE – The Browns desperately need a play maker at receiver and with Little starting to emerge, at least a little, I expect them to let Colt McCoy sling the ball around some so that they can properly evaluate him for their future needs.  I believe in McCoy and expect Little to continue to perform better than a Browns receiver has since Braylon Edwards did with Derek Anderson at QB in 2007.  Little should be owned in all leagues and could make a decent flex play if the match up is right the rest of the way.

Donald Brown, RB, IND – If you are making a serious playoff push right now, Brown would probably not be any better than a bench-warmer for you. I would probably rather seek out a handcuff to your best running back instead unless your fighting tooth and nail to get into the playoffs at all.  If that is the case Brown might have another decent game next week against New England but considering how badly they are going to lose, his upside is limited as well. He is worthy of a roster spot in most leagues but as you can tell, he does not excite me.

Johnny Knox, WR, CHI – Despite how poorly Caleb Hanie played in this game, his ability to find Knox was undeniable. I’m not even ready to call Knox a solid flex-play yet but if Hanie keeps finding this speedy deep threat next week, then I will have to concede that Knox is worth starting again. I will already say that I would rather have Knox on my team than Bennett.

Peyton Hillis, RB, CLE – Hillis is available in around 20% of leagues at the moment and this is probably a mistake.  He is a borderline top 25 back and now that he is healthy, he must be owned.  He hasn’t played like he did last season but I never expected him to either. Bottom line is he is going to see between 12 and 15 carries and should be the primary goal line back.  This guy is too good to just be sitting on free agency.

Dump List

Bernard Scott, RB, CIN – Anyone who thinks that Scott has more in him than being a mediocre handcuff just hasn’t been watching the Bengals play.  Benson is the more dynamic threat out of the back field and Scott is only used as a change of pace.

Steve Breaston, WR, KC – I could see holding him until Orton starts and you see how he manages this offense but I wouldn’t wait.  I don’t trust Breaston at the moment and with this offense being so one-dimensional, I don’t see that changing.

LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, NYJ – LT is still owned in over 40% of leagues and I don’t get it.  McKnight has run better than he has and neither has really seen the field very much.  Cut your loses with LT now and let him be someone else’s problem as you head into the playoffs!

Lance Ball, RB, DEN – With McGahee having gotten banged up a few times, Ball isn’t value-less. But he didn’t break-out at all when he had the chance and was merely a viable replacement. McGahee has bounce back quickly from his injuries this season and I would probably let Ball go if I had my eye on someone on waivers this week.

No Comments »

Pickups

Vincent Brown, WR, SD – I believe that Brown will be at #2 on the depth chart the rest of the season after quite an impressive performance in a game where Vincent Jackson just didn’t even seem to be trying.  That might be a bit of an exaggeration but did you see that INT at the end of the game? Whether you lose track of the ball in the lights or not, you HAVE to jump up with the defenders and try to knock it down.  Brown has quite a bit of upside here in my eyes and I think he should be picked up in all leagues.

Laurent Robinson, WR, DAL – When Miles Austin is not active for the Cowboys, Robinson has played like a low-end WR2 or flex play.  This week he only saw 3 catches but since he scored on two of them, it was a pretty great game for fantasy owners.  His value is tied to the health of Austin but for as long as he is out, Robinson is a #2 receiver.

Lance Ball, RB, DEN – With Moreno on IR now, Ball is the clear #2 guy in Denver.  Furthermore, Willis McGahee has a hamstring issue.  With a Thursday game coming up I think it is very likely that Ball receives the lion’s share of carries or starts.  If he does, he should make for a decent flex play against a Jets defense that has been weak against the run.

Earl Bennett, WR, CHI – Bennett was the only Chicago Bear with more than one reception in their win against the Lions. He IS Cutler’s go-to-guy and should be owned in 10 team or larger leagues.  Who gets the TDs is definitely random in this offense but Bennett has considerable value, especially in a PPR format.

Damian Williams, WR, TEN – Tennessee is going to be pretty competitive in the wild card race and Nate Washington has not gotten it done on the top of the depth chart.  Williams was expected to play the role of possession receiver but has been pretty effective deep down the field lately.  There isn’t as much upside as Brown has here but owners in deep leagues should look to stash Williams on their bench for a week or two to see how this pans out.  There is a decent shot that Williams takes over as the #2 and this would help both his and Washington’s value quite a bit.

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, CLE – Don’t worry much about this guy unless your hurting for someone NOW.  He will disappear when either Hardesty or Hillis comes back and he won’t be great regardless.  Don’t bend over backwards to get him by any stretch and don’t expect him to be a long-term option.

Dump List

Jabar Gaffney, WR, WAS – Rex can’t get him a decent stat line and Beck can’t either.  Santana Moss’ talent is what makes him productive, NOT the system. Dump Gaffney now for one of the many high-upside receivers on the list above!

Pierre Thomas, RB, NO – None of the Saints RBs were productive vs the Falcons rush defense, which has been really good all season.  Ingram will see the bulk of the traditional carries and Sproles will still be a focus of the offense. There just isn’t much room left for Thomas to get anything done.

Reggie Wayne, WR, IND – I would even drop Wayne if it got you Vincent Brown.  This offense is terrible and since they remain winless, there is just no way that you can trust a Colts QB to get Wayne OR Garcon the ball.  Drop them both if there is an even remotely better option.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR – Still no considerable production from Williams.  I know the entire Panthers offense finally struggled in this game but Williams used to be the guy that turned them around.  Now they look to Jonathan Stewart to do the most of the running and especially on the goal line.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, OAK – I still can’t quite figure out why, but Hey-Bey appears to be 5th on the depth chart for the Raiders now.  Even Houshmandzadeh sees more playing time.  Cut your losses and move on.

Delone Carter, RB, IND – Now it looks like Donald Brown is going to be the guy when Addai can’t go… What a mess Indy’s offense is.  You can’t start any Colts running backs, so why own one?

No Comments »

Pickups

Torrey Smith, WR, BAL – Smith might have lost the trust of Flacco when he dropped the almost game-winning TD pass late in the game last night. The problem is, there was no one else for Flacco to look to a few plays later.  So Smith managed to make amends and hauled in a TD grab with less than 20 seconds left in the game.  Smith is a big-play threat and has at least three receptions in 5 of the last 6 games.  He will continue to improve and he has to be owned in all leagues.

Roy Helu, RB, WAS – Helu is available in over 80% of leagues as the Redskins offense has been terrible in recent weeks. Tashard Choice joined the Skins to further cloud the workload division for Shanahan but as the season slips away from them, I think it is safe to assume that Washington will look to the young guy and see what he can do.

Jacoby Ford, WR, OAK – I have been pretty steadfast in my evaluation that Ford is the top fantasy receiver in Oakland.  Carson Palmer created some doubt in my mind as each QB will have different levels of chemistry with each receiver but I am convinced again.  Ford is the top fantasy receiver in Oakland and the only one that I would even consider starting. And he is available in over 60% of leagues.

Jake Ballard, TE, NYG – There has only been two games this season where Ballard has been under 5 fantasy points.  Those games were in weeks 2 and 3.  Ballard gets his fair share of targets and makes the most of them. I am going to be considering him a top 10 TE and a weekly starter, regardless of match up.

Antonio Brown, WR, PIT – He has pretty clearly established his role in the Steelers offense. He is available in just over 30% of leagues and you need to go get him if he is out there in yours. No one has been targeted more on the Steelers and I think his value is only going to continue to rise.

Ben Tate, RB, HOU – Tate is only owned in roughly 60% of leagues and should be owned in all of them.  Both Tate and Foster were over 100 yards and while Foster will remain the lead back in the Texans’ offense, Tate is going to maintain value and would be a top 15 guy in the event that Foster missed any time. In the mean time, Tate is a potential flex play in the weeks where both guys are active.

Dump List

Jonathan Baldwin, WR, KC – Just when I thought the Chiefs might turn out to be a competitor despite all their injuries, they lose to the Dolphins and can’t even manage much in the way of offensive production.  Baldwin looked like he might take off and develop into a decent fantasy-receiver. My confidence has been shaken quite a bit and Baldwin was a long-shot to begin with, so cut your losses and get rid of him now.

Ryan Grant, RB, GB – I still expect the Packers to ride the hot hand but we wont be able to see it coming when Grant is going to see the work.  He only saw 4 carries last week and Starks was who they looked to late in the game when they were trying to run the clock and seal the win.

Mike Williams, WR, TB – Williams hasn’t been in double digit fantasy points since week 1 and while he hasn’t really blanked in a game for a few weeks, in shallow leagues you can drop him for an appealing prospect like say… Torrey Smith?

Pierre Garcon, WR, IND – Garcon just isn’t someone that I can trust to start.  He has issues with drops and is on the league’s last winless team. I don’t see him becoming a consistently performing fantasy-option.

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, CLE – We hoped that he might be able to be decently productive as he was bound to see the lion’s share of the carries.  He didn’t get anything accomplished and if you don’t need a fill-in for next week’s nice match up against the Rams, then feel free to cut him.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, OAK – The Raiders offense is a bit of a mystery with Palmer at QB. As I said above though, Ford is the Raiders receiver that I want to start and Heyward-Bey has too big of a track record of inconsistency for me to trust him easily.

Knowshon Moreno, RB, DEN – Moreno was essentially invisible in this game. McGahee came back early from his hand injury and ran wild in this game. Moreno’s value has officially hit rock bottom and there is no reason left to keep him on your roster that I can see.

No Comments »

Pickups

Javon Ringer, RB, TEN – Chris Johnson is clearly the bust of the 2011 season and the Titans seem to have caught on as well.  Ringer split carries evenly with CJ.5k as each back had 14.  Ringer was almost twice as productive on the ground and also out performed Johnson in the receiving game as well.  At this point I might rather own Ringer, but I truly believe that if you drafted Johnson you need to keep him and go down with the ship.

Eric Decker, WR, DEN – I may have called the Decker vs. Thomas decision a little early. I am not going to make a sweeping declaration yet about who is the better play and the rankings of them in the future will be based off match up and how I think opposing defenses will treat each receiver. For now though, you should hope to use a different option even in your flex as Tebow really has not played very well over the two games he has started.

Reggie Bush, RB, MIA – This is very likely as good as it gets for Reggie this season but if you can put up over a hundred yards on fewer than 20 carries, you have my attention.  Bush is an underrated as an interior rusher but the issue is that Daniel Thomas is still better at it.  Bush needs to be owned after this performance and should make a decent flex play in the weeks that Thomas can not start.

Ben Obomanu, WR, SEA – Seattle has had their troubles and they certainly did continue in this game. One thing that can be said is that they were able to stretch the field vertically in the passing game. Obomanu and Rice were over 100 yards and Baldwin was over 70 as well.  The Seahawks are going to keep falling behind and the will have to pass. If Obamanu can keep getting open deep he will put up some decent numbers, even if it is in junk-time.

Christian Ponder, QB, MIN – Ponder did more than win this game, he played very well.  When you have a back like Adrian Peterson all you really need to do is manage the game and minimize mistakes. A missed field goal that would tie the game in the closing seconds does help but if your in a deep league or a 2 QB league, I think Ponder should be good for double digit fantasy points on a weekly basis.

Dump List

DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR – When Carolina gets to the goal line, they use Cam Newton or Jonathan Stewart. Williams got a big contract extension and really hasn’t been proving that he was worth it. He will need to start breaking off some big TD runs to be of much value to fantasy owners.

Chad Ochocinco, WR, NE – Still owned in over 50% of leagues. Really people?

Ryan Torain, RB, WAS – Torain and the Redskins have had three pretty good match ups in a row and in these three weeks, Torain has totaled three fantasy points.  I will be ranking Helu highest of the three, but have no confidence in ANY Redskin apart from Fred Davis.

CJ Spiller, RB, BUF – He is still owned in about 25% of leagues and this is too much. With Fred Jackson playing out of his mind, there is no reason to expect Spiller to get on the field and be much of a factor.

No Comments »

Pickups

DeMarco Murray, RB, DAL – In most leagues he was picked up last week, but you need to check and make sure that he was picked up after a 253 yard outing against the Rams yesterday.  Murray set the Cowboys single game record for rushing yards and if he can remain a productive back for another week or two, he will be a serious threat to Felix Jones’ workload the rest of the season.

Michael Jenkins, WR, MIN – Christian Ponder impressed me against the Packers yesterday. With a back like Adrian Peterson for defenses to worry about, they are not able to devote much time to puzzling the rookie QB. Jenkins only caught three passes on eight targets but had 111 yards and a TD. It is not clear whether or not Jenkins is going to be able to continue this production, but Ponder gives him enough upside that I think you should go pick him up and leave him on your bench till we see if Jenkins and Ponder can put together a repeat performance.

Roy Helu, RB, WAS – With Hightower out for the rest of the season, Helu is due to see a big increase in work. I believe things will start with Torain as the main guy and Helu as the 3rd down/change of pace, but Torain is injury prone and Helu could be a feature back before long.

Fred Davis, TE, WAS – Cooley has been out a lot with injury and at his age, I think Davis is the better player.  The value of either guy is pretty dependent on the QB play in Washington, but Beck had a pretty solid second half and Davis was able to rack up 80 yards and a score on 6 catches. Almost all of which was in the 2nd half.  Santana Moss is also going to miss a month or two and Davis should see some significant production in his absence.

Michael Bush, RB, OAK – Darren McFadden has a sprained foot, which is good for his owners because it is NOT a high-ankle sprain.  The Bye week comes up next week for the Raiders and they will have time to get Carson Palmer acclimated to the offense and DMC healthy again.  But it is far from a lock that DMC is back in week 9 and Bush ran very well this week in his absence with simply TERRIBLE quarterback play. Look ahead to week 9 and if you need an RB, pick up Bush.

Antonio Brown, WR, PIT – Brown is battling it out with Emmanuel Sanders for fantasy relevance right now. Brown currently has the edge in my eyes though because he was targeted more against the Cardinals on Sunday, but I am not sold that either guy is someone worth a start.  This was a good match up for the Steelers against a soft secondary and lack luster pass rush, so Ben was able to take the time and find the open receiver deep.  The main issue I have with starting either guy is that Ben typically doesn’t have time to hit a receiver deep down the field with his offensive line playing as poorly as they have this season.  Stash Brown on your bench for now, but you shouldn’t leave him on the waiver wire either!

Dump List

Jacoby Jones, WR, HOU – The passing game production has been down since the emergence of Arian Foster last year.  This was a blow to Schaub’s value and it looks as though without Andre Johnson in the lineup, no one will be a consistent producer at receiver.  It looks as though AJ will be back for week 8 and even if he misses time, I would try to look somewhere other than Jones.

Santana Moss, WR, WAS – I don’t see it worth the roster spot to hold Moss for 5-7 weeks unless you team looks stacked and your worst bye weeks are behind you.

Tashard Choice, RB, DAL – It’s clearly Murray who will see the lion’s share of the work load while Felix Jones is out.  Jerry Jones was shopping Choice for a possible deal before trade deadline passed.  Clearly he isn’t a big part of their plans unless Murray and Jones are both out in any given week or maybe if they really want to fumble.

Greg Little, WR, CLE – I know there isn’t a clear #1 receiver on this team talent-wise and Little IS the guy that I would want to own… but if you can’t get more than 6 points against the Seahawks, I am not at all confident in your ability to turn things around too much.  Watson is still the most valuable receiver that Colt McCoy has at his disposal.

Dallas Clark, TE, IND – Talent isn’t enough on this apparently awful Colts team.  Clark will have a decent game or two this season but I am treating him as another of the many potential weekly pick-ups that you should be choosing from based off match up.

1 Comment »

Pickups

Earnest Graham, RB, TB – Graham did a great job filling in for Blount this week and solidified his spot in this article today by gaining 131 yards Sunday. I expect Blount back, but even as a backup Graham has value in PPR formats. Graham is 4th in the NFL in receptions among RB’s, which puts him above Chris Johnson, Fred Jackson and Ray Rice. Take note PPR players.

Jacoby Jones, WR, HOU – Houston is not the same team without Andre Johnson but as I thought, Jacoby Jones is the guy you want to take a chance on in Johnson’s absence. This week Jones was able to haul in 4 catches on 7 targets for 73 yards and a score. This is more than acceptable for a flex play.

Dallas Clark, TE, IND – Clark was targeted 7 times in this game and managed 53 yards and a score. Losing a fumble kept him out of double digit points, but I think he still needs to be owned. Without Manning he is no better than a top 10 guy, but last I checked that makes him a weekly starter and a lot of people dropped him too soon.

Danario Alexander, WR, STL – I’ve made my choice for which Rams receiver I would want to start should I need to. It’s nothing more than apparent trust with Bradford either. While three different receivers were targeted exactly 10 times, Alexander hauled in 6 of them for a team-high 91 yards receiving.

Arrelious Benn, WR, TB – The Buccs made a statement when they beat the Saints in Tampa on Sunday afternoon. After being dismantled by the 49ers last week, many people (myself included) were questioning whether they would have what it takes to be a playoff contender late into the season. The answer is in: maybe. Tampa is a young and dangerous team, they beat an NFC powerhouse with a total team effort. Back up RB Earnest Graham proved he has fantasy value, especially in PPR leagues by doing a great job filling in for LeGarrette Blount. The defense intercepted Brees 3 times and Tampa put themselves on top of the NFC South. Benn has made some explosive plays and is worth a roster spot to me in some deep formats.

Dump List

Denarius Moore, WR, OAK – I do a lot of warning about Raiders receivers lately. I am OK with picking one up after a big game if you have an open roster spot, but don’t not pick up someone on my pickups list to save room for any Raider receiver not named Jacoby Ford.

Pierre Thomas, RB, NO – Sproles has been the surprise stud of the Saints’ running backs and with Ingram handling most of the traditional carries, Thomas just doesn’t have enough work left over to be much of a factor. Unless someone gets hurt, you can’t risk starting Thomas.

Chad Ochocinco, WR, NE – He’s still owned in almost half of leagues. Really? When will you guys finally give up!? It’s definitely time to drop this once great receiver.

Thomas Jones, RB, KC – Still owned in a quarter of all leagues. Jackie Battle is the guy and Jones is done. McCluster has the 3rd down back duties and I wouldn’t even start Jones if Battle went down for the season next week.

Johnny Knox, WR, CHI – Cutler actually had time to throw this week and Knox STILL couldn’t get it done. I’m more than OK with dropping Knox at this point… I recommend it.

No Comments »