Well, it’s the end of the year and I have to ask…you’re still here? It’s over, go home. Week 16 is when championships are decided, not week 17. Have you no shame? Ok, so some of you play through to week 17. Dear, sweet baby Jeebus I don’t know why you do but since you do, we’re gonna do what we came to do, ain’t that right boo? Ahem, this is where the lady Razzballers say ‘True‘…hello? Alright, fine, you’re not Notorious B.I.G.
Please, blog, may I have some more?2012 Fantasy Football Weekly Rankings
Let me be the first one to tell you that as much as I try and keep up, I’m not usually a trendy person. If you took a look at my CD collection, you wouldn’t notice many new artists. In fact, me saying I have a CD collection already proves just how untrendy I am. Get with the digital world, Sky! Well, there are certain trends I do pay attention to and it’s how players are doing in the fantasy world and an alarming one has happened over the last 4 weeks for Peyton Manning owners. Sure, on the season he’s still the 7th best QB to own according to yahoo and he no doubt is a huge reason you’re still reading about fantasy football because his numbers have been so great for such a cheap draft price. But over the last few weeks, Peyton is getting outpaced by Sam Bradford and I had to rethink how we should view him in a week that could have Denver up big early. With Trent Richardson trending downward as the season wears on – only 28 yards last week – and Brandon Weeden throwing into a tough Bronco secondary, real football might trump your fantasy football world and turn Manning into what he has been the last two weeks: a hand the ball off quarterback. Am I saying you should sit him? Nah, he’s still my 12th best guy on the board. I’m simply saying I’m not expecting the world outta him and I don’t know if you should either. In other ideas that are against the grain, Steve Smith has been on a roll with Cam Newton and I like that trend to continue to the tune of WR1 status for the week while I think Dez Bryant and his finger don’t warrant WR1 status despite the sweet Saints matchup. Oh and fumbles make Belichick mad so I couldn’t put Stevan Ridley anywhere near RB1/RB2 circle of trust this week. If you wanna be mad at me for it go ahead, but I suggest you do something more constructive like send Stevan some Elmer’s for his hands. And with that, let’s get to the rankings for what is – for many – championship week…psyche! I wanted to let you know since there’s no Thursday Night Football tonight, I won’t be the first post you see Friday morning. Instead it will be our on-staff doctor as Andrew Nordmeier provides some insight to the bumps and bruises heading into the weekend. If ya need me, I’ll still field questions on this post so fear not! Just come on by and I’ll be here to answer. And with that let’s really get on with this weekly rankings for 2012 fantasy football…
Fantasy Football Rankings powered by FantasyPros
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Alright, Razzball Nation, help me follow the bouncing logic ball. Knowshon Moreno goes from virtually ignored before his first start of the season week 12, to casual low RB2 call in week 13 and 14. Then when given a plum matchup vs the Raiders, he finally delivers to the tune of a top 5 fantasy finish for RBs. So what kind of love does Moreno get this week against a Ravens defense gave up 186 rushing yards to the Redskins last week? Kick him up to a 14th consensus rank at RB but I say that’s not enough. Sometimes a great Knowshon happens and this week I think it strikes again. Over the three games Moreno has started his worst yards from scrimmage output was 83 against a tough rushing defense in Tampa Bay and for PPR enthusiasts he has caught exactly 4 passes in each of his starts. So in a game against a Ravens defense in the bottom 10 in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, let’s just say the floor has been set high enough that we should be looking at his ceiling instead. Outside of Knowshon, I’m with JB this week on the podcast in a love of Josh Gordon as I set him up as a low-end WR1 in standard and a high end WR2 in PPR leagues. If you’re wondering why, go ask Anquan Boldin owners how much they liked him playing against the Redskins last week. In other controversial plays, I actually ranked Joique Bell ahead of Mikel LeShoure. Blame it on the touches in week 14 – 17 for Bell vs 12 for LeShoure – or blame it on the fact that Robert Turbin had over 100 yards rushing after the Seahawks sent the Cards into therapy by the 3rd quarter of the game last week. Lions aren’t as good of a team as Seattle but you don’t have to be to run it up against John Skelton. I also gave you all an added bonus of ranking 20 TE rather than 15 this week because there are truly some great sleeper plays on the week and I’d feel bad if you didn’t see them all with your very eyes. Obviously, this was merely a ploy to get Tony Moeaki on there.
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The great game that is fantasy football is rarely dull. By that I mean, it’s hard as snit to predict what you’re gonna get from week to week, even when you have the studliest of studs in your lineup. Just ask any person who drafted Aaron Rodgers how the first few weeks of the season felt or a Drew Brees owner if they missed the playoffs when he dropped a 5 INT, 0 TD pass for the first time in 54 games last week. No matter how much you want to say ‘I’ve got this in the bag, look at this team’, every week is a re-evaluation of what you have and what your guys are gonna do based on the natural ebb and flow of the game. For that reason, I have annointed Alfred Morris in my top 5 for the week. Brazen, you say? Possibly, but ever since Pierre Garcon has come back healthy, Washington has been able to run the ball – and run it effectively – in the 4th quarter.
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It’s Thanksgiving today. It’s a time of year where we get together with family members, pretend we like their company for as long as we can stand them and then run away as fast as possible to the television once dinner is done to catch some NFL action, hopefully with a beer in hand…oh, that’s just me? It’s also a time of year to be thankful for what you have and I can’t think of anyone who’ll be more thankful this week than Andy Dalton. The Raiders are giving up the third most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year and Dalton has taken advantage of bad secondaries plenty this year when given the opportunity. I’m no Nostradamus, but if the Red Rocket finishes with 3 touchdowns and 300 yards passing on Sunday, color me not surprised. Outside of Andy, I like Fred Jackson a lot more than others do this week…probably because everyone hates him because they love C.J.
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As owners of this dynamic duo already know, both Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams have played well above their draft price nearly all year. Vincent was the 24th WR off the board in yahoo leagues and Mike Williams was nothing more than an afterthought as the WR39. It has been a perfect storm for fantasy relevance for these two. One, Josh Freeman has bounced back from an abysmal year to become a top 12 QB again and secondly, Doug Martin has almost single-handedly won some of his owners weeks 8 and 9 for his fantasy owners and changed the dynamics of that offense immensely. The third and most important part of all of this in my mind, however, has been the schedule. The last few weeks has been like taking a mallet to a cream puff in terms of defensive resistance and to the Buccs credit, they have done a great job taking advantage of it as a team. But I’m looking back and seeing the last few times Freeman was truly challenged by a secondary of any merit – namely week 1 and week 3 – and it makes me pause. You see, week 1 they played the Panthers and although the team won, V-Jax only had 4 receptions for 47 yards while Williams caught only 2 passes for 12 yards but was saved by one of those receptions being a touchdown. Turn around week 3 vs the Cowboys and the pair combined for 3 receptions and only 62 yards. I guess what I’m trying to say is you either believe or don’t believe Buccs receivers are match up proof and I lean towards the nay side of things and it just so happens they get a rematch with the Panthers in week 11. Don’t let the record fool you, the Panthers have been no slouch against WRs and QBs this season, giving up the 8th and 10th least fantasy points to those respective positions on a weekly basis for the season. So pardon me while I go Willy Wonka on these guys and say you get nothing! You lose! Good day sir!
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Before we get this shindig going, I want to let the readers know this week we may or may not get a Hard Targets article. Our good man Tehol Beddict has some personal things going on – no jokes please – so please think good thoughts for him and fingers crossed we get to see his bright and shining articles later this afternoon and if not, well we’re all good with that too. Now that we’ve covered that base, lets get down to basics: the Patriots give up a lot of points. In particular, they give up a lot of fantasy points to opposing Tight Ends. They just happen to be facing off against Scott Chandler, a man who has already lit them up this year to the tune of 62 yards on 4 receptions to go with 2 touchdowns. I know, I know, it’s only one game. So let’s go back to 2011 when he had 5 receptions for 39 yards and a TD. Yeah, you like it now I can see. The best part about it? He’s under 50% owned in both ESPN and yahoo leagues currently so he might just be out there on waivers. Struggling with Kyle Rudolph? On the fence about Martellus Bennett? Well here’s your chance to enjoy the end line from your TE, if only for a week. Outside of Chandler, I even have another TE worthy of spot starting if you’re struggling in Anthony Fasano. Ok, I know, enough TE talk, let’s get to some other variances. Well I can say I love the match-up but hate how Miami is using Reggie Bush so he slipped this week for me. Meanwhile, I’m respecting the Texans defense a little more than others with Brandon Marshall becoming a low end WR1 this week while I’m giving Joe Flacco a chance to shine as a QB1 against a bad Raiders defense. Heck, I even have a Blaine Gabbert sighting in my top 20 QBs. Yeah, I’m probably gonna regret that one. But neverthewho, without further ado I give to you the weekly rankings for week 5 times 2…or 10 as it were. Sorry, got carried away with the rhyme there.
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First off, I’ll admit I don’t think my ranking is ground-breaking with Trent Richardson. He was already a consensus top 10 pick but while others have placed him as a low level associate, I’m moving him up the ladder and promoting him to CFO (Chief Fantasy Officer) for my company, Weekly Rankings Inc as the #3 RB for the week. Lets face facts: Dolphins sleep with one eye open. Now lets face facts more relevant to the topic at hand: the Ravens are not the defense they used to be and that was true even before the Webb and Lewis loss. Now? Baltimore is giving up the 5th most points to opposing running backs. Even when Terrell Suggs came back, the Houston Texans managed 37 carries, 181 yards and 2 touchdowns on them. Of course, Arian Foster accounted for more than half of that and the two TDs but you get the point. T-Rich has a himself a golden ticket and he’s headed to the chocolate factory…I think that’s a good thing. And with that, just a few more differences. I like Denarius Moore *pinky to mouth* MORE than others along with my recent WR3 crush, Darrius Heyward-Bey. And then there’s Jacob Tamme facing off against a team that gives up the 6th fantasy points to tight ends. Can’t see how he’s ranked outside the top 15, let alone the top 10 but here I am pointing it out like it’s news. So on with the rankings. May your team be mighty this week and your Halloween costume from last night not have been this and if it was…well I hope you drank enough not to care.
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Well here we are, week 8 of fantasy football. It seems like only two months ago this whole shin-dig started…I guess that isn’t much different than saying week 8. But more to the point, many of us already know if we’re gonna be a near shoe-in for the playoffs, if we have a long road to climb but still in it or ground road kill. Mom, why does my hamburger taste like Andre Johnson and Matthew Stafford? Because your father didn’t want you and left! Wow, shizz just got real there for a bit. All this to say, 8 weeks in and we kinda know what a team is good at and – conversely – turrible at. You don’t have to be Charles Barkley to call the Saints defense turrible though it helps. The least amount of points NO has given up in a game so far is 24 to the Chargers who have been having issues of their own on the offensive side of the ball this year. All this to say, Eric Decker won’t trip on the 45 yard line this week and should be good for a top 10 fantasy finish at WR. And for those who think that would be bad for Demaryius Thomas owners, let me just remind you Josh Freeman dropped 420 yards on these same Saints just last weekend. Trust me, Peyton Manning will find a way to give both wide receivers a good day. Other than that, Christian Ponder has a nice matchup vs the Buccs and found a way into my top 12 while I have much less faith in Shonn Greene than the other experts and more faith than I should in Michael Bush. And with that, we’re off to the races. May your week 8 leave you in the playoff hunt or at least bring you satisfaction as you improve to 2-6 and ruin someone else’s life, pronto.
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Not that I’m breaking new ground here but I have Josh Freeman a lot higher than most this week which is a little odd. He just lit up the Chiefs defense – who are for all intents and purposes terrible this year – to the tune of 328 yards and 3 touchdown passes. The Chiefs are, at best, a middling passing defense and now Freeman gets to face a team 7th to last in terms of passing yards per game given up in the New Orleans Saints. Even better news? Tampa Bay’s defense is second worst. This game could end 48-41 and I wouldn’t be surprised. Each team is going to have to move the ball through the air to win the day so opportunities will be plenty. Do I love Josh? No. Do I love his matchup? Yes. Do I love lamp? Yes. Do I really love the lamp or am I just saying it because I just saw it? I love lamp…I love lamp. All jokes aside, I have him in my top 5 on the week which does feel a little nutty but then you consider it’s a major bye week with guys like Michael Vick and Peyton Manning not available and you begin to understand. Other than Freeman, I’m throwing a few more rose petals at the feet of Doug Martin and Darren Sproles than others are. Passing catching backs in a high scoring affair? Yes please! Marques Colston as my #2 receiver on the week also feels right due to the matchup. Outside of that, I don’t think I have anything crazy to share. Ok, I have this crazy thing to share. It’s like kegels for your face! And with that, enjoy the game tonight and I’ll see ya tomorrow.
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