Matt Hasselbeck, QB, TEN – Active

Matt Moore, QB, MIA – Active

Sam Bradford, QB, STL – Inactive

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – Active

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE – Active

James Starks, RB, GB – Active

Nate Washington, WR, TEN – Active

Devin Hester, WR, CHI – Active

Willis McGahee, RB, DEN – Active

Roy Helu, RB,  WAS – Inactive

Andre Johnson, WR, HOU – Inactive

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD – Active

No Comments »

No Comments »

No Comments »

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 »

Bengals at Ravens

I am fast becoming a huge Bengals fan.  I thought they were foolish for cutting Palmer from the team and holding out on trading him.  I thought they were forfeiting the season in favor of the future and didn’t quite understand why. Well, all their “questionable” decisions turned out to be the right one as they got a first round pick for Palmer by the end and maybe a second.  They are still a wild-card contender with Dalton and I’m not 100% that Palmer would have done as well as Dalton. I was very impressed with how well the Bengals D held up against the Steelers,  they gave the offense a chance to win and considering they were facing one of the top teams in the AFC, we have to take notice.  I am expecting Cinci to get an upset this week and bottle up Ray Rice for the most part.  If this game comes down to Flacco’s arm, I don’t think Baltimore will be able to score enough points to out-do Dalton, Green and Benson.  I look for more than each team’s fair share of turnovers and simply think that Cinci will do a better job of capitalizing on these possession changes and that makes all the difference in this one.  Expect a close, hard fought game. I am lowering my expectations of all offensive players in this game due to the quality of defense that we will see but Ray Rice and Anquan Boldin still should be started in their usual roles.  I expect AJ Green to play in this game and I believe that he is match-up proof and still should be good for a decent yardage total and a score as well. This will be a must-watch game for true football fans and people who like stout defenses.

Titans at Falcons

Christmas came early for the Titans when Matt Schaub was lost for the regular season.  Tennessee has a serious chance to make a push for the division title but has a very tough game this week on the road against the Falcons.  This season Atlanta has not been such a powerhouse on their home-turf but there is no denying that they still do play considerably better at home.  I was very impressed with how well the Falcons shut down the running game of the Saints and I expect them to do the same this week.  This game will be decided on the arm of Matt Hasselbeck.  He needs to be efficient pushing the ball down field despite how ineffective I expect Chris Johnson and Javon Ringer to be.  Damian Williams should be featured more as the #1 receiver and I think this will open up things for Nate Washington quite a bit and will really help him regain some of the fantasy-value he had when Kenny Britt was on the field.  Atlanta will be shoving Michael Turner down the Titans’ collective throat and limiting Hasselbeck’s chances to connect on that big-play.  Because I only see one of these teams being effective on the ground, I have to pick Atlanta to win this game.  I don’t think it is a blow-out, but I do believe that Atlanta will have control over the game from start to finish and it will be a fairly convincing victory for them.  Matt Ryan, Roddy White and Michael Turner are all very solid starts this week and assuming Julio Jones does not play, Harry Douglas just may be a very sneaky flex-play this week as well.  I am using Nate Washington as a WR2 of flex play and only see CJ as a potential flex-play as well.  I would stay away from Damian Williams until we see how he does when opposing defenses are able to plan for him a bit more.

No Comments »

Love

DeMarco Murray, RB, DAL – The Redskins are just awful recently and I see no reason for this to change.  Shanahan seems to change his mind about who he is starting at RB by the minute and because of that, this team is in disarray. Even if Murray doesn’t get a big play, he will be used heavily to close out the win after Romo gets it done with his arm.  Murray is inside my top 10 this week and I don’t see him disappointing.

Brandon Lloyd, WR, STL – The Rams still haven’t been playing great outside the game against New Orleans, but they have been in need of a WR with elite skills that can beat man coverage and Lloyd has given them that.  Bradford finally has a guy that he can trust enough to throw the ball up to in a jump-ball scenario and this duo will only get better as they become more and more comfortable with each other.

Tony Romo, QB, DAL – Romo just carved up the Bills secondary to shreds last week and when he is on his game, he is more than capable of huge fantasy point totals.  The Dallas offense has been functioning much more smoothly since the emergence of DeMarco Murray.  He brings a balance to the offense that opposing defenses can NOT ignore and it has meant that his receivers are able to get open deep much more often.

James Starks, RB, GB – With teams on bye and a fair few guys injured, I think Starks could make a VERY nice flex play this week as a fill-in.  Admittedly this offense runs on the arm of Aaron Rodgers but, Carolina is allowing an average of 24.2 fantasy points per game (worst in the NFL) and Starks should be used a bit more than he normally is.  Even if that is done by way of the passing game.

Deion Branch, WR, NE – The Patriots don’t have an elite receiver but they do not need one against KC because the Chiefs don’t have any elite cover-corners.  Since reuniting with Brady, Branch’s career has been rejuvenated and there is no one that has more chemistry with Brady apart from Welker. Branch makes a very interesting flex play this week in what is sure to be a blow out… in prime-time… poor Tyler Palko.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA – I have been very cautions with Lynch as a fantasy player throughout his career.  He has always lacked consistency and the past two weeks are the first back-to-back 100 yard performances of his career.  With a soft match-up and Lynch playing as well as he ever has, the risk is as low as it has been in a while. Go ahead and start him with confidence as an RB2 for this Sunday.

Hate

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – I am not going to forget about the first half of this season just because Johnson has had two respectable fantasy performances.  As I said in yesterday’s Studs n Duds post, most of Johnson’s production was in garbage time against an exhausted defense.  I also said that I was going to stand up and take notice at how effective Atlanta was at shutting down the Saints’ RBs. Johnson is back outside my top 20 this week but should be ok for a flex-start.

Eric Decker, WR, DEN – Even though Decker is the guy that Tebow looks for the most, I don’t think you can afford to start him this week.  With just two completions for Denver last week and facing the Revis/Cromartie duo, I don’t know if a Bronco wide receiver will have a catch in this entire game.  If one does, good luck guessing who it will be and don’t count on it being a scoring play.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF – Saying that Fitz would barely be a top 20 guy against the Dolphins two weeks ago would have been absurd.  But now the Bills have been terrible and Miami is playing some pretty good football. I think Miami is going to lose but lean on the running game to limit Buffalo’s time of possession and fantasy-production.

Damian Williams, WR, TEN – I want to see how Williams does with teams preparing for him before I trust him so quickly on my fantasy-roster. I think Williams being on top of the depth chart will be a good thing for teammate Nate Washington and actually rank Washington higher this week.  Keep Williams stashed on your bench for now.

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, CLE – 90 yards was a decent game for Ogbonnaya last week but he had a soft match up against the Rams.  While Jacksonville hasn’t been amazing this year, their run defense is their strong point and this guy had just one point two weeks ago in the starting role. He is barely a viable flex play in my eyes.

No Comments »

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 »

Love

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, JAC – Most of us doubted whether MJD could stay healthy this entire season and he has shown no signs of old age or wear and tear over the first half the year.  The Colts are an abysmal rush defense and are currently allowing over 21 points per game to opposing RB’s.  MJD is the feature back and workhorse for the entire Jags offense.  He is normally a must-start but I am looking for a huge game from him this week.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, PHI – DeSean Jackson may be a disappointment for fantasy owners this year due in large part to opponents scheming to keep his explosive plays from taking over games.  Maclin is now the top fantasy-receiver on the Eagles offense but this will not signal a shift in who defensive coordinators scheme to stop. Maclin should have a GREAT game this week and DJax should draw the attention of Patrick Peterson the vast majority of the time as well as safety help to stop the deep ball from going to Jackson’s side of the field.

Tim Tebow, QB, DEN – Tebow finally played well last week in a win that likely secured his job as the starter for the rest of the season.  Funny thing is, he has produced fantasy points no matter how bad he has played.  With a match-up against the hapless Chiefs I see no reason why he can’t pass the twenty point mark again this week.  I don’t expect another 100 yards rushing but the Chiefs secondary is vulnerable since they lost Pro Bowler Eric Berry.

Steve Johnson, WR, BUF – I sure hope this isn’t wishful thinking on my part as a Bills fan but I think that Stevie matches up very well against the Cowboys secondary.  They don’t have an elite cover corner to take him out of the game (and even Revis allowed him to gain 80+ yards in a game where the Bills couldn’t get much done at all on offense).  Dallas’ run defense has even been slipping as of late and I think Buffalo’s attack is too well balance for the Cowboys to keep them in check.  If Romo tosses a few INT’s it could get out of hand for Dallas, if he doesn’t throw ANY then they have a serious opportunity to win this game though.  Either way, you have to put Johnson in your lineup.

DeMarco Murray, RB, DAL – You might be worried because Felix Jones is possibly returning for this game against a soft buffalo rush defense that just had to put Pro Bowl Nose Tackle Kyle Williams on IR. This is a serious blow for the Bills and really impacts their chances at making the playoffs.  Jones has been very inconsistent during his time in Dallas and I think that Murray will continue to be the feature back with Jones handling 3rd down work and serving as a change of pace. You shouldn’t need any convincing to start Murray if you have seen him play in the past 3 weeks.

Laurent Robinson, WR, DAL – The Bills secondary might turn the ball over a LOT, but they also allow a lot of yardage to be gained and INT’s don’t negatively impact a receiver’s fantasy point totals.  With this match up being very decent and Robinson having an undeniable chemistry with Romo, you are able to grab Robinson off of waivers and immediately throw him into your flex spot.

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – While it was encouraging to see CJ over 100 all-purpose yards again last week, that is not why he is on this list.  He has an unbelievably soft match-up against the Panthers, who have been decimated by injuries on defense.  Jon Beason was the glue that held that linebacking corp together and since he went to IR, opponents have been been running all over Carolina.  I just don’t think 8 Panthers defenders in the box is enough to slow Johnson in this game.

Hate

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NYG – I don’t care how much practice he gets in this week, if any.  I also don’t care if Jacobs gets the start this week either, whoever the Giants play at RB is going to have a horrible fantasy performance against the 49ers, unless they do it in the receiving game. San Fran has only allowed 411 yards rushing and ZERO rushing TD’s this season.  To put that in perspective, there are five teams that have allowed over 1000 yards rushing already. Jacobs is not start-able this week and if Bradshaw plays, he is just a flex play.

Sidney Rice, WR, SEA – The Ravens defense has been lights out and especially against the pass.  I don’t know if anyone has told you this before, but Tavaris Jackson is not that good.  I would be floored if he was able to put up 200 yards in this game and that doesn’t bode well for his receivers.

Ryan Mathews, RB, SD – Oakland has a relatively stout rush defense and with Mathews coming off the injury, I expect him to be eased back in.  The goal line work is definite Tolbert’s and with limited carries, I don’t think Mathews is a must-start.

Julio Jones, WR, ATL – I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see 100 yards and a score from Jones.  I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see 2 catches for 15 yards either.  This guy is feast or famine and you shouldn’t over react to one game.  If you have a really good group of receivers, then you should feel free to leave the inconsistent guy on your bench of trade him before the deadline.

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, CLE – He just looked awful last week and while he has a nice match-up, there aren’t any teams on a bye this week and you probably have a better option unless you’ve been bitten by the injury bug.

No Comments »

No Comments »