I am officially bloated on football. And for dessert we get more football! Hopefully I’ll have digested by then.
For those of you in the Weekly Contest the top QB/RB/WR so far have been Peyton Manning/Arian Foster/Hakeem Nicks. I haven’t gone through our entrants, but I know there were quite a few Chris Johnson/Peyton Mannings out there, which is pretty good, but we’ll see after tonight how it goes down. Good luck!
Here are some notes from Sundays games. You can also check out some waiver wirey guys here.
I’m still not sure about Arian Foster. 231 yards rushing and 3 TDs. I think I need to see more.
Peyton Manning: if you are a Manning owner it’s nice to see him lose because he doesn’t spend the 4th quarter on the sidelines making Manning faces. He was 40 for 57 with 433 yards and 3 TDs. That’s what I like to see out of my losing quarterbacks.
Matt Schaub: Now on the other side of the QB coin, Schaub, who had no running game last season and had to throw the ball a thousand times a game, had Mr. Foster going all OJ on the opponent (take that metaphor in any direction you please), and didn’t need to do much. His 107 yards is his lowest ever when starting a game. Foster won’t do that every week, so hopefully neither will Schaub.
Chris Johnson: It looked like there was a chance he was going to go all 2K Dud on us, but of course he ripped off a 70+ yard TD run. And then another TD run, and just about another and, well, you are glad you drafted him 1st like you were supposed to.
David Garrard: He always does a little better at home than on the road, but throwing 3 TDs against the Broncos is a pretty good feat. He will always be underrated as a fantasy QB, but he will also also always be a strong #2 QB.
Hakeem Nicks: I have been high on Hakeem, but 3 TDs is above even my expectations. You of course can’t expect that kind of production, but he will be the Giants #1 receiver. And Eli will throw enough interceptions and make enough bone head plays to keep the Giants passing.
Matt Hasselbeck: The Seahawks beating the 49ers was a pretty big upset, and Hass staying upright was also an upset. He also threw for 2 TDs and ran for 1. And this was all against a tough 49ers defense. Does this mean I’m all up in the Hass? That is a negative. Do you have Matt Moore and want to swap him, sure, no problem, but I’m being very cautious.
C.J. Spiller: That was a disappointment. I slowly got sucked into the hype. I don’t think as much as others, but I still liked him against the Dolphins who don’t really have the best rush D. He rushed 7 times for 6 yards and had 4 receptions for 8 yards. If he can’t break out against the Dolphins at home, well, that’s a bad sign. Both Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch got some work as well, but didn’t do much, so the Bills RBs are like a three-headed slug crossing a million miles of salt flat.
Jerome Harrison: As you might have seen in the waiver wire post, Peyton Hillis is pooing on Harrison’s upside (don’t try to imagine that please). I don’t know why Manweenie hates Jerome so much, but he does, and he’s only worth a flex against really bad teams, and just barely.
Matthew Stafford: He was crunched by Julius Peppers and injured his throwing shoulder. There is no official time table, but 4-6 weeks is being bandied about. Shaun Hill is pretty limp noodle-armed. It will be hard for him to really open the field up.
Jahvid Best: He got into the end zone twice, but was bottled up otherwise. It’s good news that he is getting goal line work and he’ll be better at home on the turf than grass, but we might need to lower expectations with Matthew Stafford on the sidelines.
Jay Cutler: The Bears looked like warmed over crap, but they also produced some fantasy points, and that’s all we care about. Cutler threw for 372 yards and 2 TDs, both to Matt Forte, who had a monster game. He won’t get the Lions every week, but at least he had a big game against an opponent he should have a big game against. Cutler and his receivers didn’t look in synch, so there is a possibility for improvement. Let’s hope it happens so he can stay startable against tough Ds.
Devin Hester: It looked like Aromashodu and Knox were Cutler’s main targets with 10 and 7 targets respectively, while Hester had a big fat 1. Well, that’s pretty skinny actually, so a small, skinny, decrepit 1. I still think Knox will end up as the main guy, but this is a good sign for Aroma. And poor Hester? I’m on the fence. If they put him in the slot I think he could be more valuable, but we’ll have to see. In Martz’s offense Hester still has upside.
Mike Sims-Walker: He was shut down by the Champ. It happens. Don’t give up on him yet. Maybe even try to sneak him away from someone in a trade. You should be able to buy very low. Like slug limbo low. (Should I go for 3 slug references?)
Darren McFadden: McFad finally stepped up with 150 total yards and a TD against the Titans. This muddles things a bit for the return of Michael Bush. McFadden should still be useful in PPR leagues, but his value drops significantly with Bush in the picture, but McFadden’s good game also hurts Bush. This story is still in development.
Tim Hightower: He fumbled twice against the Rams, and one of those was when the Cardinals were trying to run out the clock. Also LaRod Stephens-Howling(‘s moving castle) took away a lot of his touches. This gives Beanie Wells a chance at really taking over the starting gig as long as he can come back from his injury strong.
LeSean McCoy: He looked like a replacement for Westbrook. He only had 82 total yards, but also a TD and 5 receptions. No matter who is QBing he should be a strong PPR play week in and week out.
Dez Bryant: He was targeted 12 times and had 8 receptions for 56 yards. He has already surpassed Roy Williams.
Knowshon Moreno: It was nice to see him get into the end zone from the goal line which he had trouble doing last season. I’m hoping for more receptions and less Buckhalter (twas good that he fumbled) as the season progresses. If he can stay healthy he should be a valuable fantasy back.
Roddy White: He was targeted a crazy 23 times and caught 13 for 111 yards. He will continue to get targeted more often than not since the other receivers aren’t likely to step up any time soon.
Matt Ryan: The Falcons couldn’t run against the Steelers and Ryan didn’t have much success throwing against them. He also didn’t look too good in trying. His upside isn’t very up right now.
Larry Fitzgerald: He was targeted 15 times and only had 3 receptions. Thankfully for his fake owners he got in the end zone. Fitz said he was only at 75 percent and he didn’t really look on top of his game, but with Anderson throwing the ball every which way but Fitz, it was hard to tell.
Would you say that the Texans newfound running game will take away from the value of Andre Johnson (and the rest of the Texans passing game) now that they probably won’t be passing on 70% of their plays? Suddenly AJ doesn’t seem to be the #1 receiver anymore and merely just a top 5.. Is this just an overreaction or would it be smart to try to trade him maybe for a combo of (Jennings, Nicks)?
Arian Foster will get the pleasure of running behind a great o-line and against mainly only 7 in the box. If he plays 16 games, top 10 looks likely. thoughts? also to the guy above me, no way andre loses value. they just paid him 70 million dollars. he’s the best reciever in football (arguably) in a great offense. maybe he only gets 95 catches. and 1400 yards. prob gets 10 tds this year tho.
@Gambler: Arian Foster’s probably not going to be a fluke, but with that being said, he’s also probably not going to overtake Chris Johnson as the league’s top workhorse either. Considering trading Andre Johnson after a “dream game” type performance by Foster, in week one nonetheless, is a definite overreaction.
If you’re looking for some reassurance, consider that the last time the Texans had a decent running game was in 2008, when Steve Slaton rushed for nearly 1300 yards. In that same season, Andre Johnson still tallied 1575 yards receiving and scored 8 TDs. Temper your new-found lofty expectations for Forster, and don’t allow yourself to do anything drastic that you may end up regretting later.
Drop Scheffler and pickup Scaife or Evan Moore? Thanks.
Can I just point something out? You say Eli will make enough bonehead picks and decisions to keep the passing game going, but I really hope you’re not just looking at a box score from yesterday’s game and seeing two picks and saying “oh I’m not surprised Eli did that”. The second pick hit the receiver in the chest and it deflected for a pick and the first one was a perfectly catchable ball that hit off Nick’s hands. Eli actually looked great yesterday, and while I’d still never use him as a starter, he was making throws that I’ve never seen him make before. Bottom line is that his receivers didn’t have something like 7 drops he might have had like 300and 4 tds instead of the 2 picks and 260
Hillis or Taylor in a 12 team .5ppr.
Other RB’s are MJD, Beanie, Tomlinson.
3 Questions:
1) Alex Smith is my Cutler backup, would you move him for Garrard, Freeman, Anderson for a backup, or is it too early to tell?
2) 0.5 PPR: should I hang on to Kareem Huggins or move him for Mike Thomas, Mike Willaims (TB), Hillis or Bess for a Flex play option? (if I moved him for a WR, I would still have Bradshaw, Moreno, Beanie and Sproles at RB/Flex options)
3) 8 Team, 0.5 PPR: move Harrison (who is a Flex play option) for any of the following: Breaston, Clayton, Mike Thomas, Mike Williams (TB), Hillis, Hightower, Manningham, Gaffney, Caddy, Brandon Jackson? (my other Flex options are Boldin, McFadden, Moreno, Wallace and Holmes once he returns)
Thanks yet again, Doc…
Which WR should I keep on my team?
Mike Thomas or Mike Williams(SEA)
Thanks
would fitz’s value go up if either of the rookies played instead of anderson? surely ken is watching anderson out there with a giant WTF caption above his head the whole game. he’s just godawful
So who do you recommend to grab to replace Kolb? Vick? Derek Anderson, Garrard, Cassel, Campbell and the other crap that you’d expect to be out there in a 10 teamer are available too. thanks
Doc : Would you lose Hightower for Brandon Jackson or Peyton Hillis ?
With Kolb out, and Rapelesberger has my backup, I’ve got a problem this week.
Only available QBs are:
campbell
freeman
delhomme
moore
edwards
anderson
do I pick up Vick or do I go with one of those guys? If so, who would you recommend?
HELP!
Please rank these WR’s in a .5PPR
Clayton, Crayton, Camarilo, Thomas, Cotchery.
My current WR’s are Austin, Jennings, Knox, & Bowe. Thx.
doc,crazy week for sure,felix,spiller let me down,mccoy wasnt as much as i hoped for,and i really need more from shaub and percy,oh and forsett was a ticker tease
if vick is crowned the starter,with his ground game to boot,where do you rank him?
@Gambler: AJ will be fine. Teams will have to respect the run more. Great news for AJ.
@Mike: Yeah, if he stays healthy top 10 is very likely.
@Daniel: Good point.
@Dean: Yeah, I saw them and I agree. But Eli is just not consistent. He can look amazing one week and bluh the next. I think he is a fine QB, but his lack of consistency makes it tough to see them dominating too many games.
@timSTi: I’d go with Hillis.
@Wilsonian: 1. Still a little early. 2. I could see moving him for Hillis or Williams. Williams if you are thinking receiver. 3. I’d give Brandon Jackson a shot.
@Black Beard: I’d keep Scheffler
@Randy: Williams, but it’s close.
@matt: I could see Hall helping him, but I think they’ll get on track as Fitz heals up.
@Ian: I’d go with Vick as long as you can keep Kolb.
@Mr2Bits: I’d keep Hightower around.
@Ryan: I’d go with Vick.
@timSTi: Clayton, Cotchery, Camarillo, Thomas, Crayton
@AL KOHOLIC: Yeah, Schaub and Spiller hurt me too. We can for sure expect more from Schaub. I liked what I saw out of McCoy. I think Vick is a borderline #1 QB against the right teams. His legs make up for a lot.
@Doc: thank ya Doc. Held. Went for Williams. Went for B-Jax and hoping for the best (it’s a small league, not like the WW is empty).
@Doc: How close do you have Cotchery & Clayton? I currently have Cotchery on my bench and am putting in my waiver claims for the weak. Should I make that move or hang on to Cotchery? Thanks as always.
Ryan Grant has been ruled out for next week. Brandon Jackson at home against the Bills is a great flex play.
@timSTi: Its close. I wouldn’t swap Cotchery for Clayton. They are too similar.
10 team 0.5ppr league trade advice:
i get: hines ward + addai
i give up: calvin johnson
Hightower too much to give up for Sims-Walker? I have Fred Jackson and McFadden on my bench as well.
@Doc: sounds good doc. Thanks.
Thinking about attempting to sell high on Nicks. What tier of QB should I look for in return?
Going forward, Vick or Hasselback or Young?
League starts 2QB. Stafford just died so he’s gone. I have Young on my bench and Vick/Hasselbeck are on the waiver wire. Thoughts? Thanks!
@batman the horse: I’d stick with CJ.
@Derrick: It’s close, and dependent on need, but I’m saying no.
@Black Beard: Tough. I would look to make a multi player deal and go for Schaub.
@keith: Interesting. I’d say VY. Vick is a pretty good speculative pick up, but he’s not as safe with Kolb there.
@Doc: Might it be a better move to use my waiver claim on Vick and drop Slaton? I’ll see what the Schaub owner says. Thanks.
@Black Beard:Is Kolb your QB? If so you have to grab him.
@Doc: Nah, got Garrard, Ryan, and B. Ben.
drop D. Brown for B. Jackson?
already starting MJD and JC with DMac on the bench so this would be a back up/insurance for the long term
@Fresh: Yeah, I’d do that.
Hi Doc,
Which side of the trade do you prefer? Calvin Johnson and Matt Forte or Roddy White?
@WR: CJ/Forte
I would target Calvin Johnson on potential trades right now because people will overreact to his lack of production. He didn’t have a good week, his QB is out, the Lions don’t look much improved, but…if he doesn’t let go of the ball he picks up 8.5 points (maybe 10.5 if they go for 2 and Johnson hauls that in) and no one is questioning his value.
I know this because I had to do that rationalization this morning when i was cursing Calvin Johnson’s name for screwing me out of contention in the Pay the Fan competition.
With the news on Stafford (out 4-8 weeks with a grade 2 separated shoulder) and the news on Ryan Grant, would you put BJax ahead of Best for next week?
@Wilsonian: Yeah, They’ll be around the same spot. I could see the QB situation pushing Jackson ahead of him.
So I lose Kolb and Stafford the same week in my money league. Go with Vick for a couple of weeks (Detroit week 2) or the usual bunch of schmohawks like Hasselbeck, Garrard, Freeman, Anderson, Edwards, Delhome, Campbell, Dixon, blah, blah, blah?
@tourinct: I would go with Vick if you can get him. Then go from there.
Wallace (@Ten) or Knox (@Dal)?
I think Wallace has a decent chance at scorching Tennessee’s mediocre pass D once or twice deep, but I feel like Knox will see more targets. If I already have Forte starting, should I go Wallace and diversify my particular portfolio or do you think Knox is in for a better week?
12team NonPPR
WR AJ
WR Colston (Colston over Foster in the 4th I hate fantasy)
RB SJ
Rb JC
Flex
I have Knox Cadillac D. Brown Williams TB Gaffney on bench. I might want to keep Williams TB,
but would you drop either Brown/Gaffney or Williams for BJack. Or maybe Hillis if I miss out on Jackson.
Forgot to add I have waiver 4 so should I maybe hold.
My starting RB’s – SJax, charles
My Bench RB’s – Stewart, Ricky, Portis, Hightower
Do I drop any of these guys for Brandon Jackson? He looks like a great play for week 2 and possibly 3 and 4 depending on how serious Grant’s injury is.
Gaffney and D. Brown for S-Walker?
@Doc: I’m in a league with a waiver budget of $100 and I’m going to drop Cribbs and put in a claim for Brandon Jackson…how much do you think I should bid? $5? $10?
Can we see some JC on this third drive maybe?
There we go. EZ game.
and back to Thomas Jones twice. brilliant.
@Shippity: Yeah, Haley’s a genius.
@Calogero: I like both, but I’d lean Wallace because of the D.
@MJD Took A Knee: I would drop Brown for BJack, but I wouldn’t drop any for Hillis.
@Black Beard: Too much.
@JackInTheBox: Kind of depends on how badly you need him. 10 if you are thin at RB.
@Doc: Thanks. I’m so-so at RB. I have SJax, Knowshon, FJax and McFadden. But with SJax having some knee swelling, I don’t want to take a chance of him not starting.
One series through the third in KC.
Charles – 7 carries, 79 yards and a TD.
T. Jones – 7 carries, 23 yards, no TD.
This is not that difficult, Haley.
@Doc: Do you do a Buy/Sell? FFB trades don’t make a lick of sense to me.
Doc,
Nice call to start Nicks this week.
@JackInTheBox: Go for it.
@Dakota: You wouldn’t think so.
@Black Beard: That’s a good idea. I’ll see if I can squeeze it in.
@Isles Guru: Thanks.
i have two spots to fill…….
RB-Thomas Jones or Tim Hightower
FLEX-Percy Harvin….Legedu Naanee……Wilis McGahee……….Dez Bryant………T. Jones….T. Hightower.