Updates from August, 2010

  • Ask the Geeks: Week 11

    Brandon 8:51 am on 11/15/2007 | 6 Permalink Reply

    Andrew asks: I have an opportunity to pick up 2 WR that I think might be good FA acquisitions, but like any good patient I want a second opinion. I am looking at Reggie Brown of PHI @ MIA or I could pick up Drew Bennett of STL @ SF…I play 3 WR in a 12 team league and I already have Hines Ward and T.O. Who do you think I should pick up… I have an open spot so I will not drop any players.

    Brandon’s take: This is a tough one, as they’re both playing pretty bad defenses. However, I’d definitely say that Reggie Brown has the most upside, as he’s always capable of catching a deep bomb from McNabb (in his last two games he’s caught 45 yard passes). Bennett just hasn’t proven to be a viable fantasy source this season, mostly due to quarterback issues and his own injuries, so go with Reggie Brown.

    Matt’s take: McNabb seems like he’s ready to finish the season strong, and I expect the Eagles to look to hone their offense against Miami as they prepare for big matchups with the Pats, Giants and Cowboys. Look for #5 to come out firing and for Reggie Brown to get his share.

    (More …)

     

  • Welcome back Ricky Williams!

    Brandon 4:27 pm on 11/14/2007 | 0 Permalink Reply

    Our favorite Jolly Green Giant has finally been reinstated to the NFL after serving an 18 game suspension. However, it appears (at least initially) that the Miami Dolphins may not be interested in getting him out on the field this season. Instead, they may wish to keep him off the roster and trade him in the offseason. I’m not sure this would be the best move for a team that should be doing everything in its power to avoid going 0-16, but other than to avoid embarrassment, they really have no reason to play him. The team is obviously rebuilding (having traded Chris Chambers and announcing that John Beck will be the starting quarterback), and a 30 year old burnout is generally not considered part of a rebuilding plan, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens from here. If you’re a Jesse Chatman owner, I wouldn’t be too worried though (yet!)

     

  • Rumblin’, Bumblin’, Stumblin’ - Fantasy Football Player Value Adjustments - Week 11

    Matt 3:18 pm on 11/14/2007 | 4 Permalink Reply

    Here’s a look at the guys who spent their time in week 10 doing one of three things: rumblin’ up the player value charts with big performances, bumblin’ through a rough week and making their owners nervous, or stumblin’ so badly that their fantasy value took a major hit.

    Rumblin

    Brett Favre: Why couldn’t he play ’til he’s 40?

    D.J. Hackett: I liked Hackett to have a big game in week 9, but apparently I was a week too soon for his coming-out party. Even when Branch comes back (which seems likely to be this week), I like Hackett as a #3 WR.

    Terrell Owens: Three straight 100-yard games, and four straight with at least one score. Romo’s officially made everyone forget about the botched hold, and Owens is reaping the rewards.

    (More …)

     

  • Got any Texans? Start 'em this week

    Matt 9:44 am on 11/14/2007 | 1 Permalink Reply

    This looks like a good week to start the likes of Ahman Green, Matt Schaub, and Andre Johnson, all of whom are relatively healthy coming out of the bye week. For once. Expect them to try to show what they’re capable of when healthy and beat up on a New Orleans defense that granted St. Louis its first win last week.

    Green’s a good start if he’s playing – unfortunately, his balky knee means he’ll likely be a game-time decision all season. Luckily his game’s at 1pm this week, so he can’t screw fantasy owners quite as hard as he did a few weeks ago when it was announced at 2pm that he wouldn’t be playing in the 4:30 game.

     

  • What is going on in Oakland?!

    Brandon 4:22 pm on 11/13/2007 | 0 Permalink Reply

    Can anyone explain to me why JaMarcus Russell is not the starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders right now?

    The Raiders are 2-7, with their final games @ MIN, @ KC, DEN, @ GB, IND, @ JAX, SDG. The chance of the team winning any of those games except the Minnesota one (since Adrian Peterson will not be playing) is about 0%. Daunte Culpepper has proven that he is not the answer. Josh McCown…DITTO (at least I think he has proven this…apparently coach Lane Kiffin doesn’t agree). You can see their stats for the season below:

    Josh McCown: 59.5 QB rating, 5 TD, 9 INT, 8 fumbles (2 lost), completing 58.2% of his passes and throwing for 152 yards/game
    Daunte Culpepper: 73.3 QB rating, 4 TD (plus 3 rush TD), 4 INT, 6 fumbles (2 lost), completing 56% of his passes and throwing for 163.4 yards/game

    (More …)

     

  • Waiver-Wire Pickups, Keeper Sleepers and Spot Starts: Week 11

    Brandon 9:14 am on 11/13/2007 | 0 Permalink Reply

    Well, it’s Week 11, so the bye weeks are over and in one of my leagues a few teams have already clinched the playoffs. There is a chance that your team could be out of the running by now, or that it has secured a playoff spot and you are looking to re-enforce your roster for the last few weeks. The tough part though, is that by this point in the season, most players have pretty much established themselves in terms of fantasy value. I can’t promise you anything from the players below, but there’s a possibility that they could help your team overcome an injury or a bad match-up, so here are your waiver-wire suggestions for this week…

    Quarterbacks

    Kurt Warner (ARI): Showing complete disregard for his injured non-throwing elbow, Warner put up some quality stats last week. He is no longer playing in goal line situations due to the elbow, but anywhere else on the field he is a threat, as his receiving corps is always threatening. He’s got some great match-ups coming up, starting with this week in Cincinnati, so Warner might be worth giving a look if you’re in quarterback trouble.

    (More …)

     

  • Sunday Wrap-up: GO GO Detroit running game!

    Brandon 9:40 am on 11/12/2007 | 2 Permalink Reply

    Adrian Peterson hurt. St. Louis Rams finally win a game. These are a few of the headlines that caught my eye when I returned yesterday from a weekend trip to Culebra, a small island off the coast of Puerto Rico (with one of the best beaches in the world!) The Vikings got shut out by the Packers (which was awesome because I started Ryan Longwell in a few of my leagues) and I wondered why the team would only rush Adrian Peterson 11 times? I then realized that he got hurt!!! If the injury turns out to be serious and he is sidelined for a few games, the Vikings could be in some serious trouble. You could also say adios to any chance of Peterson breaking the single season rushing record. The Rams were finally able to pull one out against a Saints team that seemed to be on the rebound, but who knows where they’ll go from here. The one stat that I found the most amusing of the afternoon though, was the rushing section of the Detriot box score, which read like this:

    A. Cason: 1 rush, 1 yard (rushing leader on the team!)
    T. J. Duckett: 1 rush, 0 yards
    J. Kitna: 1 rush, 0 yards
    K. Jones: 4 rush, -4 yards, 1 TD
    S. McDonald: 1 rush, -15 yards

    Total: 8 rushes, -18 yards, 1 TD

    Of course, they set an NFL record for the least rushing yards in a game in the process, so they have something to be proud about.

    With the Patriots on a bye this week, it left the window open for other players to prove that they are pretty good as well, so here’s how the top players at each position ended up in Week 10…

    (More …)

     

  • Ask the Geeks: Week 10 (Part 2)

    Brandon 2:39 pm on 11/10/2007 | 1 Permalink Reply

    Rhett asks: I need to start 2 running backs from this group – L.T., Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Jones; and 3 receivers from this group – Chad Johnson, Roddy White, Amoni Toomer, Bobby Engram. Which ones should I start?

    Brandon’s take: Although on paper, Kevin Jones has a better matchup, I actually think Jacobs will have a solid game this week. Also, consider that in the past four games, Jacobs is averaging about 25 yards/game better than Jones. Obviously you’re never going to bench LT, so go with LT and Jacobs. In terms of receivers though, you have more of a dilemma, unless Chad Johnson doesn’t play this week. IF he plays (he’s questionable now), then you have to start him and I’d recommend benching Roddy White (who was mediocre last week against a mediocre defense). I think Chad Johnson might not play though, making your decision a lot easier.

    Matt’s take: I’m with Brandon on the receivers. As for Jacobs vs. Jones, it’s close, and either of them could be in for a big day. But I’m going to beg to differ with Brandon on this one and suggest that you start Jones. Dallas has allowed an average of only 84 rushing yards per game, and has given up only four rushing touchdowns; compare that to 115 and seven for Arizona. In addition, think about how those two games are likely to play out. Detroit’s defense has been solid, and they’re the favorite to beat the Cards – which means they’re likely to be holding a lead for most of the game. That also means they’re likely to run the ball a lot. Compare that to the Giants-Cowboys matchup, which seems more likely to be a shootout, so Jacobs might not see a whole ton of carries. Dallas is much more vulnerable through the air than on the ground, so I expect to see a lot of Eli Manning, and not so much of Brandon Jacobs. With all that said, Jacobs is a beast, so I can’t blame you if you start him, but I’d go with Jones.
    (More …)

     

  • Five Potential Shockers for Week 10

    Matt 3:13 pm on 11/09/2007 | 0 Permalink Reply

    Obligatory explanatory introduction for the uninitiated: If you haven’t seen my previous “shocker” posts, my definition of a fantasy shocker is a player who comes out of relatively nowhere, has a gigantic, multi-touchdown game, becomes the hottest waiver commodity the following week, and then soon sinks back into the relative obscurity from whence he came.

    With that out of the way, let’s see if I had any success with last week’s picks…

    (More …)

     

  • Ask the Geeks: Week 10

    Brandon 8:42 am on 11/09/2007 | 1 Permalink Reply

    Mitch asks: DUDES! Need some waiver wire help. In our league we have 12 people and only do pickups after weeks 3,6,9,12. I was thinking of dropping Michael Turner and picking up either Ryan Grant or Selvin Young. Which one do you think is better pickup? Also I could Drop Matt Jones to pick up a WR, Mcdonald and Furrey are available. I could also drop Dolphins DEF to pick up the Titans who are available…. I am on the clock now so please help!

    Brandon’s take: In terms of your running backs, if you can afford to wait a few weeks, then Selvin Young has the better long term value. With Travis Henry’s injury and suspension troubles, it’s only a matter of time before Selvin Young takes over the majority of the carries in Denver. While Grant will start, he still won’t put up the numbers that Selvin Young could put up once he’s playing more. In terms of wide receivers, Shaun McDonald seems to be one of Kitna’s favorite targets, so go with him. Finally, definitely drop the Miami defense and pick up the Titans… that’s a no-brainer!

    Matt’s take: I’m just baffled that you still have the Miami defense on your team, especially with the Titans D available. Tennessee’s a top-3 fantasy defense right now, while Miami is absolutely dead last, no question. McDonald’s an OK pickup, but Calvin Johnson’s finally healthy and the rookie will involved in more plays during the second half, meaning McDonald’s Happy Meals will be fewer and further between (OK, that was a bit of a stretch).

    (More …)

     

  • Studs and Duds: Week 10

    Brandon 9:47 am on 11/08/2007 | 3 Permalink Reply

    Another decent week for the FFGeekBlog "Studs and Duds" column, as I was able to prognosticate my way to a 16-8-6 record on the week. Marshawn Lynch, Clinton Portis, Lee Evans and the Seattle passing game all lived up to their billing, while Steve McNair was absolutely horrendous (as predicted), all helping my cause. On the other side though, Shaun Alexander (who will not find his way onto the "Stud" list for the remainder of the season, no matter the matchup) and the San Diego passing game, did their best to minimize my psychic powers. Of course there was also the insane suggestion that Adrian Peterson might be held in check this past weekend…we all know how that turned out! Anyways, as my recommendations are still proving to be useful (most of the time), here are some for Week 10…

    Studs

    Marshawn Lynch (BUF): Lynch was a beast last week, racking up over 150 yards rushing and a TD against the Bengals. This week? He gets to go against an even worse rush defense in the Miami Dolphins, who are the second worst in rushing yards allowed per game (160) and touchdowns allowed (11) in the NFL to this point. Expect big things.

    Ben Roethlisberger / Receivers (PIT): The Cleveland Browns rank dead last in passing yards and touchdowns allowed this season, and Big Ben is coming off a five touchdown performance against the Ravens. On paper, that would set Roethlisberger up for something like an eight touchdown performance this weekend, but we don’t want to get too carried away. He should have a solid game here though, and all his receivers should benefit (Ward, Holmes, Miller).

    (More …)

     

  • Year of the running back?

    Brandon 8:51 pm on 11/07/2007 | 0 Permalink Reply

    If you were/are the owner of Ronnie Brown, Deuce McAllister, Travis Henry or Rudi Johnson (to name a few), you know that this season’s running back field has been hit hard by injuries and suspensions. Because I have fantasy squads with a few of those players, and because it’s around the half-way point in the NFL season, I decided it might be interesting to compare the top running backs around draft time this year with the actual rankings going into Week 10. This is what I discovered…

    Rank Draft Average Current
    1 LaDainian Tomlinson Adrian Peterson
    2 Steven Jackson Joseph Addai
    3 Larry Johnson LaDainian Tomlinson
    4 Shaun Alexander Brian Westbrook
    5 Joseph Addai Ronnie Brown
    6 Frank Gore Marshawn Lynch
    7 Rudi Johnson Marion Barber III
    8 Brian Westbrook Clinton Portis
    9 Willie Parker Willis McGahee
    10 Laurence Maroney Reggie Bush

    Note: Yahoo! rankings used for this comparison.

    (More …)

     

  • Rumblin’, Bumblin’, Stumblin’ - Fantasy Football Player Value Adjustments - Week 10

    Matt 11:00 am on 11/07/2007 | 3 Permalink Reply

    Here’s a look at the guys who spent their time in week 9 doing one of three things: rumblin’ up the player value charts with big performances, bumblin’ through a rough week and making their owners nervous, or stumblin’ so badly that their fantasy value took a major hit.

    Rumblin

    Drew Brees: The fourth great game in a row from Brees should finally sway any doubters – Brees is back in a big way.

    Reggie Bush: Bush is back to doing what he does best – some rushes, some catches, some touchdowns, and strong value in PPR leagues.

    Lee Evans: Losman’s got his job back, and there’s no better news possible for his apparent soul mate Evans.

    (More …)

     

  • Player (concussion) questionable for this week's game.

    Brandon 10:22 am on 11/07/2007 | 0 Permalink Reply

    Ring any bells? (pun intended)

    Is it just me or does there seem to be a lot more concussions in the NFL this year than in the past? Looking at ESPN’s injury report at this moment (just one week!), the following players are all suffering from the affects of a concussion:

    David Carr (CAR)
    Kenny Watson (CIN)
    Matt Schaub (HOU)
    Tarvaris Jackson (MIN)
    Laveranues Coles (NYJ)
    Dan Kreider (PIT)
    Travis LaBoy (TEN)
    John DiGiorgio (BUF)

    (More …)

     

  • Waiver-Wire Pickups, Keeper Sleepers and Spot Starts: Week 10

    Brandon 10:00 am on 11/06/2007 | 1 Permalink Reply

    We’re coming down the home stretch for the regular season here, with only four games left in many league formats. At this point, your team may already be out of contention, but for those still in the hunt, trying to survive the last week of teams on a bye, here are some players that might help your cause…

    BYE: Houston, New England, NY Jets, Tampa Bay

    Running Backs

    Priest Holmes (KC): It appears that Larry Johnson will be out for at least a week with a foot sprain, so backup Priest Holmes will start in the meantime. While there are concerns about the Priest’s durability, he should provide some decent fantasy stats as he’s a better pass catching back than LJ was.

    Justin Fargas (OAK): Out of the dust that is the Oakland backfield arises Justin Fargas, who has proven that he is the most reliable of the Raiders running backs at this point. In his past two games, Fargas is rushing for almost 5 yards a carry and has 216 yards combined (rushing/receiving) and a TD. This week they are playing a Chicago defense that Adrian Peterson made look like a bunch of high schoolers during week 6, and while Fargas is no Peterson, he should still get some decent stats.

    (More …)

     

  • Big man's got wheels!

    Brandon 10:16 am on 11/05/2007 | 0 Permalink Reply

    Besides the Adrian Peterson Show and Superbowl 41.5, the defensive/special teams touchdown run-back also took center stage this weekend. San Diego’s Antonio Cromartie set the record for the longest play in NFL history when he returned a missed field goal for an 109 yard touchdown.

    (More …)

     

  • LaDainian Who?

    Brandon 9:37 am on 11/05/2007 | 0 Permalink Reply

    For a weekend that was supposed to be completely dedicated to the Patriots vs Colts showdown, a certain running back did his best to steal the spotlight. As many websites are stating, Adrian Peterson was on a "Viking Quest" to break the single game rushing record…and he succeeded.

    Adrian Peterson (RB-MIN): 296 rushing yards, 3 TD

    Peterson broke the previous record of 295 yards, which was held by Jamal Lewis. Let’s also note that Adrian Peterson becomes the first rookie to rush for over 200 yards twice, as well as the first player to rush for over 1000 yards in his first 8 games. Peterson completely stole the show, making the opposing team’s running back, MVP LaDainian Tomlinson, nothing more than a footnote in the game summary. Apparently, Lewis took offense to this accomplishment and was determined to put up some head scratching stats of his own:

    Jamal Lewis (RB-CLE): 20 attempts, 37 rushing yards, 4 TD, 4 receptions, 67 receiving yards

    While averaging less than 2.0 yards a carry, Lewis managed to score a touchdown once every five times he carried the ball.

    These weren’t the running backs to put up some amazing fantasy stats this weekend however…

    (More …)

     

  • Kenny Watson to start

    Brandon 1:40 pm on 11/04/2007 | 2 Permalink Reply

    While both Kenny Watson and Rudi Johnson are healthy, the Bengals will start Watson at running back today. Whether or not this factors into the percentage of carries each back receives is yet to be determined, but if you have a better option than Rudi Johnson available, you might consider going that route.

     

  • Ask the Geeks: Week 9 (Part 4)

    Brandon 9:42 am on 11/04/2007 | 2 Permalink Reply

    And some final, last minute answers for you…

    Pat asks: Two tough calls this week and I can’t decide who to start: Derek Anderson against Seattle or Drew Brees against Jacksonville. For running backs, which two: Willie Parker, Laurence Maroney or LenDale White. I can’t decide. What do you think?

    Brandon’s take: At this point you can’t afford to sit Derek Anderson. The guy has been a monster all year long, throwing for 10 touchdowns over his past four games. Get him in your lineup. As for running backs, put in Parker and White. Maroney is too inconsistent at this point and the other two should have solid games.

    Matt’s take: There’s no reason to sit the #2 QB in fantasy football (!!!) against the ‘Hawks. And sit Maroney.

    (More …)

     

  • Sammy Morris put on IR

    Brandon 12:08 am on 11/04/2007 | 0 Permalink Reply

    In case you were hanging on to Sammy Morris with hopes that he would return from his chest injury soon, it’s time to cut ties with him. The New England Patriots placed Morris on the Injured Reserved list and he will miss the rest of the season. This will increase the workload of backup running back Heath Evans and third down back Kevin Faulk. With starter Laurence Maroney back to health though, their fantasy impact will still be limited.

    In other news, Chris Henry, the backup running back for the Titans, was found to have used a banned substance and could be suspended for four games. It appears that he should be able to play this week, as long as he appeals the suspension, but after that he could be on the bench. While he was originally on my waiver-wire pickup list, unless you plan to use him this weekend, you should most likely start looking for a better option at running back.

     

← Newer Posts | Older Posts →

c
compose new post
j
next post/next comment
k
previous post/previous comment
r
reply
e
edit
o
show/hide comments
t
go to top
esc
cancel