Studs

Victor Cruz, WR, NYG – He only had three catches but when one of them is a 99 yard TD grab, it’s a good day regardless. Cruz had 167 yards and a score on those three catches in a BIG win for the Giants.  He will need another big win next week against the Cowboys to make the playoffs and Cruz will remain a must-start and one of the biggest free agency acquisitions of the 2011 season.

Bills, D/ST, BUF – The Buffalo defense started the season as an incredibly opportunistic unit that forced an absurd amount of interceptions and turnovers.  Going into this game, Tim Tebow had just 5 interceptions on his entire career and yet he had 4 in this game.  The only thing I take from this game is the same thing I took from the Bills-Patriots game earlier in the season; The Bills defense has some great pieces in place for the future and they faced a QB having an off day.

Jordy Nelson, WR, GB – The Packers bounced back quick against the Bears this week and did so on the arm of Aaron Rodgers as normal.  They were still without Greg Jennings but Nelson stepped up in a big way. Nelson was over 100 yards with 2 scores and really rewarded his fantasy-owners that stuck by him the past couple weeks.

C.J. Spiller, RB, BUF – Spiller just keeps getting better with each passing game.  People were eager to call him a bust but there was just no reason to do so as he wasn’t given a chance to succeed behind Fred Jackson.  Since Jackson went on IR and Spiller took over, he has gotten better with each passing game. Expect that to continue next week against a poor Patriots secondary.

Joe Webb, QB, MIN – The Vikings were playing mediocre football when Christian Ponder left the game this week with a concussion and Joe Webb stepped in. Webb attempted just 5 passes but still got to 20 fantasy points with 4 completions for 84 yards and 2 passing TDs.  He also had 5 carries for 34 yards and another TD.  Webb is a playmaker and will be a bit “feast or famine” when he plays.  But if your in a 2 QB league or able to play a QB in your flex spot, Webb might be a solid play in your week 17 super bowl.

Duds

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN – The Bengals had a soft match up against the Cardinals this week and they won to keep their playoff hopes alive. Benson on the other hand only had 50 yards on the ground and yet with two lost fumbles, his fantasy owners got just one fantasy point. Huge disappointment.

A.J. Green, WR, CIN – Clearly the Bengals relied on some unusual suspects this week in their win, with the 2nd offensive star showing up on my Duds list.  Green had been a huge offensive star for the Bengals and had beaten almost every match up that he had faced this season.  He did not get the better of Patrick Peterson however and had just 25 yards receiving. He also had 25 yards rushing to add a couple extra points in there but four points is disappointing.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, TB – After fumbling the opening snap of the game, Blount didn’t see the field much Sunday.  Head coach Maurice Morris said ”To not get that play executed on the first play of the football game is unacceptable” and he is right.  He also said that he won’t give up on Blount but his fantasy owners should next week.

Steve Smith, WR, CAR – The Panthers won big and Smith was a big part of their turn-around season.  He was not a big part of this win though. Just two fantasy points.  He was never the most consistent receiver but you should still be starting him next week if your still alive.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE – You don’t need me to tell you that starting the Law Firm is really risky these days but just one fantasy point is a huge disappointment.  I know he is in a committee system but he used to see the lion’s share of the work. He doesn’t always get that anymore.

No Comments »

Studs

Drew Brees, QB, NO – The Saints are still clicking on all cylinders and Drew Brees really put any concerns to rest that may have come from their narrow victory in Tennessee. Brees completed 32 of 40 passes for 412 yards and 5 scores in a dismantling of the Minnesota Vikings.  Brees has finished the year incredibly well and especially considering that he saved his best football for the playoffs. He has catapulted thousands of mediocre teams to the championship game with his past two performances.

LeSean McCoy, RB, PHI – McCoy is most likely going to be #2 in my MVP race for the 2011 Fantasy Football season.  Aaron Rodgers is almost a lock and Drew Brees is simply out playing Rodgers in the playoffs as of right now but no one has had the consistency of McCoy outside of the QB position. Another 100 yard game and 3 TDs. Welcome to your Super Bowl.

Calvin Johnson, WR, DET – It is very possible that Calvin Johnson owners survived last week in the playoffs and were still in the hunt for a championship title but plenty, myself included, are not. Regardless, Oakland was not able to answer the duo of Megatron and Matthew Stafford who were in 2nd and 3rd place for total fantasy points in week 15. This duo will be a nightmare should the Lions right the ship and finish strong enough to make the post-season.

C.J. Spiller, RB, BUF – The Dolphins have had some considerable success stopping the run and that has been a big part of their recent turn-around. C.J. Spiller had a break out performance this week despite only 12 carries.  Spiller had 91 yards and a score on the ground and complimented this performance with another 9 catches, 76 yards and a score.

Roddy White, WR, ATL – White has been somewhat of a disappointment this season despite finishing strong with this week being his 5th straight game with double digit points and best game of the season this week.  10 catches for 135 yards and 2 TDs. Obviously you can’t expect too many games like this but I didn’t think it would take until week 15 for his first one!  Nice to see if his fantasy owners are still alive and White has been playing well for a few weeks and just may have given you a late push into the post season.

Donald Brown, RB, IND – Brown averaged just over 10 yards per rush in the Colts’ first win of the season.  He totaled 161 yards and had an 80 yard TD run at the end to close out the game.  You weren’t starting him but anyone that can get the Colts a win is worth mentioning.

Duds

Percy Harvin, WR, MIN – Just 3 catches for 8 yards is a HUGE disappointment for a guy that went on a hot streak as soon as the best offensive weapon of the Vikings went down with injury.  Peterson came back and Harvin did absolutely nothing.  He was even targeted 7 times in the passing game and there is no excuse for his inability to get one fantasy point.  If you made it into the Super Bowl with Harvin on your team you need to seriously consider sending Harvin to the bench.

Eli Manning, QB, NYG – Your season is over Eli owners. Eli outscored just one QB that started this week so far and that was Blaine Gabbert.  Two different Titan QBs were either tied or better than Eli and you were better off playing T.J. Yates, Dan Orlovsky, Tavaris Jackson, Seneca Wallace or even Caleb Hanie.

Wes Welker, WR, NE – People don’t give Champ Bailey any credit but I will when I rank Stevie Johnson next week.  Bailey held Welker to 4 fantasy points and while you can survive a bad game from a WR or RB, the playoffs isn’t where you want these games from your studs.

Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN – He averaged 6 yards per carry but only had 10 touches. You need more than 6 points from your number one overall draft pick in the playoffs and more importantly to me, the Viking offense lost a spark when they got their best player back.  Toby Gerhart and Percy Harvin were both getting carries the past few weeks and Gerhart was getting better numbers than Peterson did this week and Harvin completely disappeared.

Jordy Nelson, WR, GB – All of the Packer receivers were targeted just 4 times in this game but Nelson was the guy that needed to step up and fill-in for Greg Jennings and he was not able to get it done against Brandon Flowers and the Chiefs.  Jermichael Finley stepped up big-time with 10 targets and the best yardage total but Donald Driver got the score.  At the end of the day, Rodgers had over 20 fantasy points and that isn’t really that bad, despite what his average on the season is.

No Comments »

Studs

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, JAC – There is certainly no better place to start than the guy who ended my season and the season of many others.  MJD went absolutely crazy this week against the Buccaneers and totalled FOUR TDs on 136 all-purpose yards.  He was the highest scoring player from week 14 and if he can carry the Jaguars’ offense, he can carry your fantasy team too.

Tony Romo, QB, DAL – Yes, Dallas lost the game.  Tony Romo still had a big statistical performance for fantasy owners after starting RB DeMarco Murray went down early in the game.  Felix Jones filled in well against a soft rush defense but it was Romo’s 321 yards and 4 TDs that really kept Dallas in this game and it took some late heroics from Eli to take this game from Dallas.

Shonn Greene, RB, NYJ – Assuming you didn’t reach for him as your RB1 at draft time, you may have gotten by and into the playoffs with Green as your RB2. Good for you if you did because now that he is on fire late in the year, he is fast becoming one of the best second RBs that you could ask for. And you have to love a player that is at his best when it matters most for you.

Julio Jones, WR, ATL – These big-play guys can be frustrating but you have to start them when they have a soft match up.  And if you did this week with Jones, it paid off in a big way.  He only managed 3 catches but they totaled 104 yards and two scores.

Rob Gronkowski, TE, NE – The only thing crazier than how unbelievably good Gronkowski has been this season is how early he will be taken in fantasy drafts next year.  He has already set the single-season TD record which was previously 13 for tight ends.  His current tally is 15 and counting with 3 games remaining. I heard an interesting fact on ESPN’s Fantasy Focus Podcast this week; If you took away all the TDs from Gronkowski and let all the other players keep theirs, he would still be the 4th highest scoring TE in the NFL for fantasy.

Marques Colston, WR, NO – The Saints offense did not look like it has in recent weeks.  They don’t play near as well outside and the Titans secondary did a great job of bottling up the receivers of New Orleans until the 4th quarter.  When it mattered most, to win the game, Brees found Colston twice on scoring plays and managed to squeak out a win.

Duds

Calvin Johnson, WR, DET – The Lions passing game was working pretty well with a soft match up this week and yet Calvin Johnson only had 29 receiving yards and 11 rushing.  Three fantasy points is not enough from the top receiver in the NFL for fantasy football and it hurt a lot of people in a bad way. You have to keep starting him but I don’t expect teams to stop double covering him anytime soon.

Jermichael Finley, TE, GB – Zilch. Zippo. Nadda.  This is exactly how many points and catches Finley had this week.  Just one target too, that is what legitimately scares me. I expected more from Finley this year but his targets have been low and aren’t getting any better.  He is not a top 5 option like he was drafted as.

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NYG – Hey, Bradshaw… how about you show up to team meetings…  He was benched for the first half of the game and wasn’t that productive in the 2nd half. Brandon Jacobs ran well in his place but there wasn’t much warning about this and it destroyed a lot of match ups this week.

Greg Jennings, WR, GB – This isn’t the first time Jennings’ numbers have been low but it is the first time that the entire Packers passing game had a mediocre day.  That’s what happens when the running game gets the job done for a change. Don’t be too worried about it if you made it through but you could easily have been eliminated by Jennings’ poor performance.

No Comments »

Studs

Cam Newton, QB, CAR – This week’s highest scoring player is also the NFL record holder for rushing touch downs by a quarterback. Pretty impressive with 4 games left to play from a rookie that frankly many people, myself included, expected to be a bust. I expected this big game to come last week against the Colts but a Josh Freeman-less Buccaneers team is not a whole lot better.  Newton racked up 204 yards passing, 54 yards rushing and he caught a 27 yard pass too, because he needed to do more to justify his super man end zone celebration.

Shonn Greene, RB, NYJ – Greene had only two TDs on the season before Sunday. He had three in this week’s game on the road at Washington.  He rushed 22 times for 88 yards and threw in 2 more fantasy points worth of receiving yards. He was most effective when it mattered, late in the game with the lead and should have earned enough trust to reliably see 20 touches the rest of the way.  Especially considering LT is having a trouble staying healthy.

Percy Harvin, WR, MIN – With Adrian Peterson on the sidelines in street clothes, the Vikings have really looked to Harvin in order to provide a spark.  That spark immediately caught fire as Harvin’s stats and fantasy value have never been better.  He averaged just under 4 yards per rush and had 8 grabs for 159 yards and 2 scores.  My gut says that Peterson misses one more game and Harvin would be considered a top 10 option if this is true.  Coach Frazier was encouraging about Peterson’s progress on Monday and said that he is “very close” to returning.  I for one see no reason for them to rush their franchise back into action too soon with the season already out of control and an offense that is still quite productive.

Ray Rice, RB, BAL – Rice absolutely tore the Cleveland Browns to shreds this week.  It was almost hard to watch unless you happen to own Rice, then it was like Christmas came early. 29 carries for 204 yards and a score in the best game of his young career. Indianapolis, San Diego and Cleveland again are on the horizon for the fantasy playoffs and Rice is sure to be a big part of his owners’ playoff run.

Pierre Garcon, WR, IND – Since Curtis Painter was pretty terrible, the Colts looked to Dan Orlovsky and Pierre Garcon remained the favorite target.  He was targeted twice as much as Reggie Wayne was and hauled in 9 catches for 150 yards and two TDs.  Don’t take this for more that it was, one good game from an inconsistent receiver against the worst secondary in the NFL. With Baltimore next week I will rank Garcon above Wayne, but neither of them are likely to crack the top 40.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA – Lynch has been on fire lately and incredibly consistent.  Before week 9 Lynch had yet to have a 100 yard game on the season or back-to-back 100 yard games in his entire career.  In four of the last five weeks he crossed the century mark and has done it back-to-back twice. I am confident he will do well next week against the Rams, who are ranked 32nd on the NFL, but after that he plays against Chicago (8th in the league vs. the run) and then San Francisco (1st).  The bubble will burst soon but not next week.

Duds

DeMarco Murray, RB, DAL – Dallas made an effort to get Felix Jones more involved this week against Arizona and it back fired big time.  They lost in overtime to what should have been an easy opponent for them and were forced to turn back to Murray down the stretch.  The momentum was never in Dallas’ favor and Murray only had 12 rushes.  As a Murray owner, I hope Dallas learned their lesson and continues to use him as a feature back. He provided a consistent presence in the running game that this offense has not had in a long time and it was working.  I think you have to start him this week in the playoffs against the Giants.  This is going to be a crucial game for Dallas and New York has been vulnerable to the run, allowing 127 yards per game on the season.

Steve Smith, WR, CAR – Just three points is really hard to swallow considering how well the Panthers offense played and how big a game Cam Newton had.  Because the offense is doing just fine I am not concerned about Smtih going into the playoffs.

Michael Turner, RB, ATL – We need to take notice of how ineffective the run was against the Texans.  They played well and earned a tough win against Atlanta this week with TJ Yates at QB.  Houston is also looking to add Jeff Garcia to the roster and he might just wind up the starter, which I think would be an upgrade once he learns the offensive playbook.  This is two rough games for Turner in a row but going against Carolina this week should get things moving in the right direction.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, TB – The Buccaneers missed Josh Freeman this week but they missed a quality running game more.  Blount had just 1.7 yards per carry on only 11 carries and was a huge disappointment for his fantasy owners in what should have been an easy match up. Jacksonville is next week and they have a very quality rush defense so I would consider Blount a flex play at best.

No Comments »

Studs

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – He didn’t find the endzone in this game but we can forgive him because he racked up 190 yards!  About time CJ. I’ll be treating him as a low end RB1 until im sure he really has it turned around. Hopefully he does and hopefully its not too late for you.

Drew Brees, QB, NO – The Saints have been a very good football team all year long. Brees and the offense played as close to perfect as I have seen them play all season last night and Brees ended up the top-scoring fantasy player in the NFL for week 12. If you own Brees and are headed into the playoffs, you should be ecstatic. This offense is scary to say the least and with Graham and Sproles really entrenched into this offense now, they are firing on all cylinders.

Roy Helu, RB, WAS – The Skins finally had a solid running game this week with Helu carrying the load and Torain riding the pine. We have little reason to expect Shanahan to keep riding Helu but he will remain a solid flex play for as long as he keeps being the most productive back on that offense.

Victor Cruz, WR, NYG – I am almost tempted to start rankings Cruz above Nicks but I just won’t be able to do it.  Cruz is a must-start and really ought to be above Manningham on the depth chart when both guys are healthy. Cruz’s hands and speed are a scary combination that have really proved to be a difference maker for the Giants.  Nicks is still the go-to-guy and a better red-zone target so he will remain above Cruz on my rankings but the gap is getting very narrow.

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – Beanie is incredibly frustrating from a fantasy standpoint. He is #9 in the NFL among RBs for fantasy points scored yet he has had 4 pretty terrible games and very possibly cost you wins in each of those weeks. Bottom line with Wells is that when he is healthy, you have to start him.  The Cardinals offense relies heavily on the running game to provide balance and he WILL see a large number of carries in every start that he gets.

Johnny Knox, WR, CHI – Caleb Hanie played pretty poorly in this game but the Bears were competitive in the game and Hanie was able to exploit the Raiders’ secondary at times and find his top receiver on a fair few big plays. Knox had a great game all around and helped with kick returns too but I would be careful trusting him too much next week.  I want to see him do it next week before I bother to try and start him with my season on the line.

Duds

Jordy Nelson, WR, GB – This was a bit of an off-week for Rodgers and the Packers.  They won fairly convincingly but Jennings, Nelson AND Jones didn’t all catch TD passes.  Off weeks are tough… Keep starting Nelson as he scores far more often than not and there are a lot of mouths to feed in that passing game.

Frank Gore, RB, SF – Don’t beat yourself up for starting him, you had to. But, only one straw was going to break in that game on Thanksgiving night and it wasn’t the Ravens’. With the Rams and Cardinals as opponents over the next two weeks, Gore is sure to get things turned around.

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD – I still can’t decide what the bigger story was out of that GREAT game on Sunday between the Chargers and the Broncos; the Chargers’ continued collapse or the Broncos continued surge.  One thing is sure, talent isn’t enough.  Jackson and Rivers should easily both be top 10 fantasy producers at their positions but Norv Turner does not seem to have this team playing for anything at the moment.  VJax is just a mediocre WR2 the rest of the way and ideally you can use him in your flex.

Mike Wallace, WR, PIT – I loved Wallace this week and couldn’t have been more wrong.  I would love him again next week if they played against the Chiefs again however.  I didn’t see a lot of this game but it was disheartening that the Steelers were not able to rout the hapless Chiefs. A win is a win however so we will have to just keep playing our Steelers and not panic much over a mediocre game.

No Comments »

Studs

Kevin Smith, RB, DET – Of all the people I expected to carry the Lions to victory on Sunday, Smith was not one of them.  20 touches racked up 201 yards on the game for Smith and we have to be careful not to over react to this performance.  Smith needs to be owned in every league and just might be an RB2.  He is certainly going to rank as a flex play immediately but we have to look seriously at the match up before we trust him with the season on the line.

Jordy Nelson, WR, GB – I am not sure how much of Nelson’s success is because of Aaron Rodgers and I am not sure how much I care either. At least once a game, every game, Nelson blows the top off of the coverage on his side of the field and no one is playing QB better than Aaron Rodgers.  There is no reason to expect Nelson to stop having at least one big reception in each game.  He has even been more consistent than Jennings, he just doesn’t have more upside.

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, CLE – None of the Browns RBs have played as well as Ogbonnaya did this week.  I am still very wary of exactly how effective he will be the rest of the way but he has to be owned and could be worth a flex start depending on the match up.

Nate Washington, WR, TEN – The emergence of Damian Williams did what I expected it to… open up the field for Nate Washington to be more effective.  The depth chart still shows Washington at #1 but I think defenses are more concerned with Williams getting deep and coverage showed this on Sunday.  Washington had a lot of room to run his routes and get open and if Williams can find a way to keep the focus of opposing defenses, Washington could settle in as a solid WR2 for the playoffs.

Michael Bush, RB, OAK – Who would have thought that the Raiders wouldn’t even miss Darren McFadden? Not me. Bush has been unbelievable since run DMC went down and the Raiders have said that McFadden WILL NOT come back until he is 100% and while his fantasy owners might not want to hear that, Bush’s do.  Bush has been a workhorse and was again this week with 30 carries, over 100 yards and a score. That’s top-end RB2 material there.

Torrey Smith, WR, BAL – He might not be consistent but as we get into the playoffs, people need to throw a “hail mary” and put in a guy like Smith on the chance he has a big game.  Most leagues have “that team” that tops the entire league in scoring almost every week and it takes big-play threats like Smith to take down “that team”.  Smith is very ownable and very start-able as a flex play. If you are “that team” stick to your consistent producers that have gotten you there.

Duds

Greg Jennings, WR, GB – He got banged up in this game and missed some time but he did come back into this game.  He only caught two passes for 6 yards.  That is zero points for Rodgers’ top receiver.  I don’t think that will happen again this year.  I am not concerned but this game was a huge disappointment.

Ryan Mathews, RB, SD – I don’t care how bad the match up is, Mathews is supposed to be at least an RB2.  If you started him, you will agree that 2 points is NOT enough. Losing the fumble doesn’t help but if he loses the trust of Norv Turner and the Chargers’ coaching staff, his opportunities will continue to drop.  He has to turn it around fast to salvage his value.

Steve Johnson, WR, BUF – Wonder why I jumped off the Bills’ bandwagon so fast? This team was never a playoff-caliber team, they were just playing as a team and above their talent level. Injuries are not why they have lost the past three games but they just might be why they lose the next 6. Except for Miami and Denver in weeks 15 and 16, the Bills’ schedule is intimidating and those two games aren’t cake walks.  We saw what Miami can do against this team and Tebow just keeps winning. Johnson is down to a flex play and will fall quickly if he can’t be productive despite the teams’ short-comings.

Willis McGahee, RB, DEN – He clearly was not himself on Thursday night but the extra rest should serve him well going into their week 12 match up. I would still count him as an RB2 as so much of that offense has to be run on the ground.

Brandon Marshall, WR, MIA – This zero point outing was baffling for me.  The one saving-quality of Matt Moore is that he trusts his top receiver and gets him the ball.  He looked like Tom Brady against Buffalo this past week and yet his top receiver did almost nothing.  I don’t think you should worry about Marshall going forward, he is a low-end WR1 or great WR2 the rest of the season.

1 Comment »

Studs

Bears, D/ST, CHI – I don’t think very many people expected a one-sided game between the Lions and Bears. Three defensive and/or special teams TDs for the Bears was unexpected and how this game got out of hand.  Chicago has one of them defenses that you should probably just start regardless of match-up and that strategy paid off this week.

Michael Bush, RB, OAK – Bush was just an absurd play-maker on Thursday night as he torched the Chargers defense for 157 rushing yards on 30 carries as well as 85 yards receiving. Bush only found the end zone once but still scored 29 points and was the 2nd highest scoring back for fantasy owners in week 10.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, ARI – Usually I don’t put the elite guys at each position in my Studs list when they perform like elite guys at their position… The difference this time is that John Skelton was at QB and Fitz still was able to haul in 7 catches for 146 yards and 2 scores.  No matter who is at QB for Arizona, you have to start Fitz.

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – If you had told me in the preseason that I would be surprised that CJ put up 23 fantasy points against the Panthers , I would think you were crazy. I don’t think that we should be overly impressed here or expect some big turn around.  The Panthers defense is riddled with injuries and most of CJ’s stats came at the end of the game, when the Panthers were exhausted and had for all intensive purposes given up. CJ is still just an RB2 or flex play.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA – He’s made me look foolish in the past but I am going to be pretty high on Lynch for a few weeks to come.  These past two games are the first back-to-back 100 yard rushing performances of Lynch’s entire career and with zero scary match ups until Chicago in week 15, Lynch may be in for a VERY big second half.  For now I would only be using him as a low-end RB2 to protect yourself from his inconsistency.

Duds

Steve Johnson, WR, BUF – What the hell Buffalo… With a soft secondary, you can’t get anything done through the air? Your number one receiver has zero fantasy points?  Buffalo played like complete crap and its time to reel back in all the love for this offense.  Steve is a flex play and Fitz is barely a QB2 anymore.  The only person you can start reliably and without pause is Fred Jackson.

Darren Sproles, RB, NO – Sproles had been phenomenal for the Saints this season and even though they got the win in OT against the Falcons, Atlanta COMPLETELY shut down the run.  Sproles, Thomas and Ingram ALL were just awful in this game.  I don’t think this means anything about the Saints’ backs but remember this when you have one of your other backs going up against the Falcons.

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD – Speaking of duds… VJax got out-shined in a big way by rookie Vincent Brown and specifically Jackson gave up on a long pass into the end zone and did not even challenge the two receivers for the jump-ball.  Even if you lost it in the sun, you jump when they do and try to swat it away. Jackson had a terrible game and I am worried about how consistent he can be this season on this offense.  I am thinking of him as a WR2 unless its a favorable match-up from now on.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE – The Pats tore the Jets to shreds and I am surprised that the Law Firm wasn’t even involved late to close out the game.  He is just a flex play at best due to the committee system and his inconsistency even when he gets the touches. Look to find someone to replace him asap if you are relying on him.

1 Comment »

Studs

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD – It is nice to see both Jackson and Rivers back with some elite fantasy numbers. Jackson went crazy in this game as the Chargers were throwing a lot to try and keep pace with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.  I never really punished Jackson in my rankings for the poor play of Rivers early on and I do expect the Chargers to turn things around.  Bottom line is the Packers are the best team in the NFL and the Chargers were in that game till the end and that is saying something.

Willis McGahee, RB, DEN – Willis came back very quickly from his hand injury and I was concerned that it might have been too soon. It turns out that it was not too soon at all.  McGahee had a phenomenal game and provided a great balance to the Broncos offense.  This balance forced the Raiders to slow their pass rush on Tebow, which really allowed him to excel in this game too.

Julio Jones, WR, ATL – It finally happened and I can’t really say that I am surprised. Jones’ talent was self-evident and it was only a matter of time before his big play ability led to a huge fantasy performance. Jones is going to be a bit of a hit or miss guy but I think he is a very good flex play. You don’t want him to have these type of games on your bench.

Matt Moore, QB, MIA – What the hell Kansas City? Coming off a three game winning streak, you can’t beat the Dolphins at home? They LOVE to lose and have been finding a way to forfeit games all season.  I was mildly considering the Chiefs as a potential wild card contender despite their injuries but that is dead now. Moore is not a serious option down the stretch as KC’s secondary is not very good without Eric Berry.

Reggie Bush, RB, MIA – We might need to consider Bush for more than a potential flex play.  Daniel Thomas was active in this game and Bush stole the show again.  He was just shy of 100 yards rushing and had a TD.  Once you add the 50 yards receiving, you’ve got a 20 point fantasy outing.  I think Bush has won over the coaching staff, who would probably like to stay employed and I think we can expect 15-20 touches for Bush as long as he stays healthy.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA – This was an impressive outing for Lynch who has been unbelievably inconsistent since he had that 1000 yard rushing season as a Buffalo Bill a while back.  This isn’t a situation like Julio Jones, where you want to start the guy on a weekly basis to avoid missing these performances.  Lynch doesn’t often have even a decent game and I don’t see how he can be trusted unless he gets another solid performance or two over the next couple of weeks.

DeMarco Murray, RB, DAL – I don’t think there will be much of a competition for touches with Felix Jones anymore.  Murray has been great, even when the offense has struggled. I think Murray has earned a feature-back role in this offense and might be one of the best keepers going into next season.

Duds

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, CLE – He clearly isn’t ready or capable of being a lead back in the NFL.  He might have still be seeing the bulk of the carries on this offense next week against the Rams but if you don’t need him for next week, get rid of him. Hardesty is the guy I expect to take over the starting job when he returns from injury and I think he has a decent shot at being a solid flex play once he does indeed return.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, OAK – This is not a surprise to me. Hey-Bey has speed and can be tough to cover at times.  It is not yet clear if there is a reason why he didn’t get on the field very much after 4 straight games of 8 or more fantasy points but I’ve been steadfast in saying that Jacoby Ford is the best receiver on that team and the guy I want to own.  I’m not excited about starting any of them quite yet but as Palmer improves and gets acclimated to this offense, the value of Ford might rise significantly.

Michael Vick, QB, PHI – This was a very winnable match up for the Eagles who went from being a team I thought would make it into the playoffs as a wild card team, to probably being too far behind to be a factor.  I am not concerned too much about any Eagle’s fantasy value the rest of the way as the schedule looks very favorable and this team is about big plays, which are near impossible to rely on.

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – It is crazy to me that Wells was shut down by the Rams defense when he has had some good performances against some solid rush defenses this season.  I am going to treat this as an anomaly but I am certainly a little nervous about how bad he was in this game.

DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI – I think you need to keep starting this guy but he has NOT been a very good player for fantasy owners.  I am done ranking him above Maclin after 0 points this week. But at least as a flex play, you HAVE to keep him in the game.

No Comments »

Studs

LeSean McCoy, RB, PHI – It isn’t often that Andy Reid lets a back see 30 carries, but I am not sure he has ever had one as good as McCoy. I thought that he was mostly just an edge rusher and receiving threat and that is what Reid likes from a RB.  He has proved me wrong this season and continues to impress after 185 yards and 2 TDs on the ground this week.

Steve Smith, WR, CAR – Smith now has five 100 yard receiving performances this season.  He is a top 10 receiver with Cam Newton at QB and has just been a draft day steal for all of his fantasy owners.

Steven Jackson, RB, STL – Jackson is too good to have been on your bench this week, even though we all expected a rout by New Orleans and limited carries because of a need to pass the ball.  Well that didn’t happen as the Rams upset the Saints in a big way on Sunday and Jackson was the key to this win.

Bills, D/ST, BUF – The one knock on this opportunistic defensive unit has been pressure on the QB.  Going into this week, they had the lowest sack total in the NFL with 4.  They had NINE sacks this week against Washington and forced 2 interceptions as they shut out the Redskins. Beck had a rough day and this was the first time in history that a Mike Shanahan team has been shut out. Impressive game by the Bills after coming off the bye week, which has spelled disaster for most teams this season.

Frank Gore, RB, SF – After posting 134 yards on 31 carries and scoring a TD this week, Gore has 4 straight games of over 125 yards AND a TD. Impressive after such a lack-luster start. The 49ers offense is forcing the ball down the throat of opposing defenses and I don’t see their strategy changing over the rest of this season. You HAVE to keep Gore in your lineup.

Nate Washington, WR, TEN – Nate had two scores in this game and it was by far his best game since Kenny Britt was hurt and he reached the top of the depth chart at wide receiver. I credit this to Javon Ringer bringing a balance to the Titan offense as he split carries evenly with Chris Johnson.

Duds

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE – Terrible call by me on Law Firm this week. In my defense, NO ONE saw Kevin Faulk’s return as a threat to Law Firm’s workload. Neither Ridley or Woodhead even saw a touch in this game and Faulk had over twice the touches that Green-Ellis did. Fantasy owners hate you too Coach Belichick.

Philip Rivers, QB, SD – The only reason that Rivers hasn’t been the biggest bust of the 2011 season is because Chris Johnson was a first round pick.  They have both been equally as bad.  Rivers has been out scored by Colt McCoy, Josh Freeman, Matt Hasselbeck and Mark Sanchez. Ouch.  No excuse this week as all his receiving weapons are finally healthy.

Miles Austin, WR, DAL – Admittedly the entire Cowboys offense was bad this week, but we have come to expect Austin to be a top 10 receiver and in the past two weeks he has been far from.  I was surprised to see Austin in the slot so much this week, with Robinson playing on the outside in three receiver sets. This was probably an effort to get a more favorable matchup for Austin and I expect Dallas to make a point to get Austin back involved in a big way against Seattle this week.

Ryan Torain, RB, WAS – The Skins are just falling apart and with Torain being injury prone, I expect Helu to take over the lion’s share of the carries VERY soon.

Wes Welker, WR, NE – The Steelers provided a very nice road map for how to shut down Brady and the Pats offense.  Play man-to-man and load up 8 or 9 people around the line of scrimmage.  The Pats don’t have an elite receiver that can go out there and beat man-coverage on a regular basis.  I am not worried about any Patriots down the road though.  Not many teams have the personnel on defense to execute this strategy like Pittsburgh does.

No Comments »

Studs

Arian Foster, RB, HOU – What more can you say other than “WOW”. 25 carries for 115 yards and 2 TDs was not enough for Foster, he had to throw in 119 yards and a score in the receiving game.  Fantasy owners appreciated it and there isn’t too much to say here. Foster is an elite fantasy RB. When Andre Johnson is back, defenses will not be able to stack eight in the box to stop him.

Chiefs, D/ST, KC – The Raiders were a comedy of errors this week and only some of it was their fault.  They recognized that Palmer was not going to be effective on such short notice and tried not to use him.  But Boller was just awful and when Darren McFadden left the game, there was just no chance for success. I do not trust the Chiefs defense without a sweet match up at all the rest of the way, but this has me relatively confident in their ability to be serviceable against a bad offense.

DeMarco Murray, RB, DAL – This just feels like how Adrian Peterson burst onto the scene doesn’t it? Odds are that is not the case and he will just settle in as a decent RB2 but when talking about upside, this is the potential that exists with Murray. I am very confident that you have a new RB2 if you picked this guy up however. The Cowboys have been itching for an effective running game for some time and Felix Jones has not been getting it done.  If Murray can produce this weekend with a great match up against Philly, I think he will be the feature back even when Jones comes back.  To put this in historical perspective, there have been 9 players in NFL history to gain 250 yards rushing in a game and 8 of them have then had multiple 1,000 yard seasons in their career. Jerome Harrison is the odd man out.  Great pick up last week if you got him!

Marques Colston, WR, NO – Colston has been great since coming back off injury.  This game was a joke and the Saints were just scoring at will so I do not think that this can continue, but you have to start this guy every week.  Colston had 7 targets and 7 catches this week for 98 yards and two scores. I LOVE when a guy catches 100% of the passes that come his way and I have a feeling Drew Brees does too.

Tim Tebow, QB, DEN – My advice to pick up and start Tebow this week had nothing to do with a belief that he is a savior sent from the University of Florida to destroy the NFL and bring championships to the Broncos. Those people are insane.  It had to do with his style of play translating well to fantasy points.  There is a lot to be said about a QB that will have 50 yards rushing and essentially serves as the goal line back for his team (Cam Newton owners can also explain this to you).  Tebow played terribly for around 55 minutes in this game and still managed to be the 5th highest scoring QB of the week.

Plaxico Burress, WR, NYJ – I’m not going to justify this performance with any more than saying it was a fluke.  He only caught 4 passes for 25 yards. You can’t rely on even ONE TD from such few receptions and yardage, let alone THREE!

Duds

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD – San Diego tried to get the ball to Jackson while he spent the day on Revis Island but they were unsuccessful. VJax saw eight targets and was only able to haul in one catch for 15 yards.  I have no concerns down the stretch, but I would have liked to see him be more productive considering that Matt Moore and Brandon Marshall were able to get it done last week against Revis.

Ray Rice, RB, BAL – I am so shocked that Baltimore laid an egg on Monday night that I want to list every last start-able Raven here, but I wont. Teams coming off the Bye this year have done pretty badly thus far and I blame the new rules. Teams are barely allowed to practice and players can only show up to the facilities a couple of days on the week off.  I am not sure when this stopped being “professional” football players, but I won’t be expecting a good game from too many players coming off the bye week anymore.

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – I can’t believe it, but CJ has just been awful and is about to fall completely out of the top 20.  There is no bigger bust for 2011 and you should look to find a replacement.  Don’t drop him yet though unless there are NO other options and Murray is available.

Miles Austin, WR, DAL – With Austin and Bryant competing for targets and DeMarco Murray running like a mad man, I am not surprised that Austin had a bad game.  I still like him more than Bryant, but one more week of such anemic stats and that will change.

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, PIT – I am at a loss about Mendenhall’s spotty performance this season.  I do not think we can consider him a top 10 guy but Arizona is a decent rush defense and bad secondary, so I don’t think we can expect such a pass-heavy offense down the stretch. Especially with that poor offensive line.

Eric Decker, WR, DEN – I thought Decker would be the top receiver for Denver, at least while Demaryius Thomas got back into the rhythm of things.  It apparently did not take long for that to happen.  Thomas will be my top ranked Broncos receiver for week 8.

No Comments »