Updates from January, 2010

  • More Ask the Geeks - Week 2

    Matt 9:44 am on 9/13/2008 | 2 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , , , , tomlinson

    We received a couple more good questions, so without further ado…

    Hayes asks: Eddie Royal or Santonio Holmes for week 2 in my 12 man PPR league? Braylon Edwards is my WR1.

    Matt’s take: Can’t say I expected to ever be asked this question. While Royal did have a monster game last week and I’m sure you have visions of a repeat performance dancing in your head, don’t expect him to put up too many 100-yard games this season. Cutler obviously loves throwing to Royal and I wouldn’t be surprised if he continues to put up WR3 or even WR2-type numbers for the rest of the season, but Brandon Marshall returns this week and will probably be Cutler’s favorite target for the rest of the season. Santonio Holmes is a top-end WR2 or low-end WR1, especially this week against Cleveland, and is undoubtedly the better start.

    Tony asks: Trade proposal in a non ppr league: Tomlinson & Calvin Johnson for Bush and Randy Moss.  The rest of the team looks like this: Bush, MJD, Chris Johnson, McGahee, Moss, Galloway, Welker, S. Rice. What do you think given the injuries on the two principles and the QB situation in NE?

    Matt’s take: Do. Not. Pull. The. Trigger. Are you kidding, man? Reggie Bush is two or three tiers lower than Tomlinson in value, and won’t give you anywhere close to the consistency that LT will. And while I like Moss more than Calvin Johnson even without Brady, the difference isn’t huge any more, and Johnson has enormous upside. No friggin’ way would I make this trade.

    Update: Tony e-mailed me and the trade is actually in the other direction. Luckily for Tony!

     

  • Ask the Geeks - Week 2

    Brandon 10:00 pm on 9/11/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , donald lee

    Atg ButtonWith week one of the NFL season in the books, it’s time to take a look at some of the dilemma’s that fantasy team managers are facing this week. Remember, you can use the Ask the Geeks button located on our left sidebar to send your own questions to us throughout the entire season, with questions regarding who to start, who to pick up, or anything else you can think of regarding fantasy football. Anyways, here we go…

    Alex asks: I need advice on who to start for week 2. Anthony Gonzalez or Donald Lee? Please reply ASAP!

    Brandon’s take: Alex, before checking the stats on this one, my immediate reaction was to recommend Anthony Gonzalez. If you have a WR/TE slot in your league, it should almost always be filled with a wide receiver unless you have two top tier tight ends for some reason. After checking the stats, it further supports my initial thoughts. Donald Lee had three catches last week for a meager 10 yards, while Anthony Gonzalez showed that he’s becoming an important part of the Colts passing game with five catches for 48 yards. Both players go up against less than stellar pass defenses this week, but the fact that Gonzalez is A) a receiver and B) is more involved with his team’s passing game makes him the logical choice here.

    P.S. In case you meant Donald Driver though, I’d still go with Gonzalez.

    Matt’s take: I’d also go with Gonzalez. Aaron Rodgers didn’t have too many problems passing the ball against the Vikings last week, so I’d anticipate that Peyton will have a nice game. Gonzalez is clearly part of the Colts’ game plan, so he’ll get his share as long as Peyton does his part.

     

  • Podcast roundup - week 2

    Matt 5:00 pm on 9/11/2008 | 0 Permalink Reply

    Fantasy football podcasts are great if you’re looking for something fun and informative to listen to in the car or at the gym. I’ve got a few that I check out regularly, and I’ll post ‘em here on a weekly basis.

     

  • Rumblin', Stumblin', Crumblin' - Week 2, 2008

    Matt 3:44 pm on 9/11/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply

    This weekly feature keeps an eye on the potential trade values of the various players you may have on your roster, or might look to trade for. Players who are Rumblin’ saw their value increase in the past week. Stumblin’ means the player’s value decreased, and Crumblin’ means they’re dropping off the map entirely.

    Remember the mantra – sell high, buy low. Hopefully these columns will help spark some trade ideas for you.

    Rumblin’

    Chris Johnson – The preseason buzz was just that – buzz – until he proved something in a real game. Well, that didn’t take long. His 127 total yards and one touchdown certainly caught the eye of fantasy managers, and no doubt his coaches took notice as well. Johnson’s a great start against Cinci this week, and is likely to put up similar (or better) numbers. If you’re thinking about selling high on him, you’ll want to do it now or after next week. The Titans take on Baltimore in week 3 and Minnesota in week 4, which means there’s a pretty good chance that he’ll put up two straight “meh” performances in a row and the bloom will come off the rose somewhat.

    Thomas Jones – One of last year’s most vexing fantasy RBs did in his first game what he was unable to do just about every week last season: find the end zone. That alone restores a lot of faith in him. The vibe on Jones is pretty good right now, and I imagine he’d probably fetch a little more trade value than he’s really worth at this point. That was a nice game, but it was against the Dolphins, and this still gives him a grand total of two touchdowns since 2006. (More …)

     

  • Studs and Duds - Week 2: Ryan Grant ready to roll!

    Brandon 11:10 pm on 9/10/2008 | 5 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    After all the dust has settled and the injury count has been tallied (bye bye Brady, Burleson, Alex Smith and for a little while, Colston), it’s time to recount my predictions for the previous weekend and give you a few more for week two of the season. According to my slightly-biased count, I finished last week 13-7-6, which isn’t all that bad I guess. Some of my better picks included Thomas Jones, who re-assumed his spot in fantasy football relevance with a strong showing against the Dolphins and Chris Perry, who did very little with his first chance to shine as the Bengals new starting running back, as expected. On the flip-side, I did miss a few picks, including Ricky Williams, who returned to his role as a deadbeat (in fantasy production that is) against the Jets, while Brandon “The Bruiser” Jacobs taught me (and LaRon Landry) never to doubt him again. Anyways, it’s time for your week two studs and duds, so hopefully I can provide a little insight that can help your team this upcoming weekend…

    Studs

    Ryan Grant, RB, Packers: Unless Michael Turner is one of the greatest running backs of all time, I see no reason why Grant shouldn’t be able to exploit the same gaping weakness in the Lions defense that the Falcons did when they obliterated (for some reason the word seems like an understatement) them for 318 rushing yards in week one!

    LenDale White, RB / Chris Johnson, RB, Titans: If the Ravens, minus an injured Willis McGahee, could pound it out for 229 yards last weekend against the Cincinnati Bungholes, I have to believe a more talented duo can at least do the same. You should expect LenDale White (thunder) and Chris Johnson (lightning) to run the ball non-stop while the quarterback position for the Titans is currently going through somewhat of a a rough patch. (More …)

     

  • The Wire: Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 2, 2008

    Matt 4:51 pm on 9/09/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , pickups,

    Here’s a look at the players to target on your league’s waiver wire this week. This list is ordered by the percentage of ESPN leagues in which the player is available; even if you’re not a ESPN user, it’s a decent indication of how likely you are to find the player on waivers in your league. We also note here how strongly we feel about this pickup with three categories: Instant Starter, Grab ‘n’ Stash, or Desperation Pickup.

    Greg Lewis, WR, Eagles (0.0% owned, Desperation Pickup) – If you’re looking for a WR3 option for week two and you miss out on the Eddie Royal sweepstakes, take a look at Greg Lewis. Behind DeSean Jackson, Lewis was the most consistent option for McNabb in the passing game, reeling in five receptions for 104 yards. Until Reggie Brown comes back and maybe even when he does, Lewis could see plenty of targets in an offense that seems to be pass first…no matter who’s running the routes.

    Matt Cassel, QB, NE (0.2% owned, Grab ‘n’ Stash) – He still hasn’t shown anything to write home about in his time as the quarterback for the Patriots throughout the preseason and now in week one, but he just has too many weapons to put up bad numbers all season long. Pick him up if you’re hurting for a backup quarterback and hope that he can properly utilize Randy Moss (he did already with Moss this past weekend) and Wes Welker at some point in the season.

    Dante Rosario, TE, CAR (0.2% owned, Grab ‘n’ Stash) – Seven receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown are numbers you would appreciate coming from any WR/TE on your team. That’s what you’ll find available on your leagues waiver wire with the Panther’s tight end Dante Rosario. He appeared to be a favorite target of Jake Delhomme (at least while Steve Smith was out…and he’s out again this weekend), and although he suffered a foot sprain, it doesn’t appear to be serious and he could be someone that can put up decent numbers from the position all season long.

    Anthony Fasano, TE, Dolphins (4.1% owned, Grab ‘n’ Stash) – Fasano, meet Sparano. Miami’s offense with Pennington at the helm involves the tight end position in a big way, and Fasano’s got the size, talent and obvious connection with his QB to take full advantage. He’s an OK start right now, but if you’ve got another decent option at TE, I’d hold off on starting him for another week to see if he continues to see so many looks. (More …)

     

  • Didn't draft a decent defense? No worries...

    Matt 7:20 am on 9/09/2008 | 2 Permalink Reply

    …just pick up Buffalo for week 2, Indy for week 3, and Houston for week 4. What do those three teams all have in common? They’re Jacksonville’s next three opponents.

    The Jaguars’ offensive line can only be described using a favorite word of Jon Stewart’s which starts with cluster and rhymes with duck (this is a family show, OK?). They lost one starting guard for the season and another for a couple of months (and possibly also for the season) on Sunday. They’re already without their starting center for the next few weeks. One backup tackle got shot last week; the other’s been out for two years with a broken leg and just signed last week.

    Worst of all for the Jags, their offense is as dependent upon the o-line as any in the league. The Jags are the type of team that wants to pound the ball down your throat on every play. When they can’t do that, you get what happened on Sunday: Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew combined for 31 rushing yards. David Garrard was sacked seven times. The Jags scored just 10 points and lost a game they would have easily won before all the injuries.

    For the next few weeks, expect the Jags’ offense to continue to flounder, and that can only mean good things for the fantasy defenses that get to play them.

     

  • Fantasy football thoughts from Puerto Rico

    Brandon 10:53 pm on 9/08/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    So these past few days have been a bit of an adventure for me, as I was traveling down to Puerto Rico for work and due to some hurricane-induced delays, mixed with the reliability of the Puerto Rican internet, I have not been able to write some much needed analysis of what is shaping up to be a crazy opening weekend in the NFL. Let me just start by saying that while Matt felt it unnecessary to mention Tom Brady’s season ending injury (and it wasn’t even to that stupid foot we kept hearing about!), I have to admit that I am shedding a few tears internally as my favorite team’s Superbowl hopes are now resting squarely on the shoulders of a guy I thought the team was going to cut before the season started…Mr. Matt Cassel. Luckily for my alternate, fantasy football reality, I only had Brady in one league this year and it was my lame EA Sports league that I really don’t care much about, but let’s get to the rest of the action that transpired this weekend…

    • A tale of two teams (who are both missing almost every receiver on the depth chart): When the Seahawks lose all their receivers (Nate Burleson is now out for the season with an ACL injury), the team goes into a tailspin and gets killed by the Bills. Donovan McNabb on the other hand makes the most out of his situation and throws for over 300 yards and 3 TD’s (with a rookie leading the team in receptions and receiving yards) as the Eagles completely dominate the St. Louis Rams. By the way, the Rams offense was bad in the preseason and now that the first team offense was out there the whole game…they may have looked worse? (More …)
     

  • What a way to start the season

    Matt 10:16 am on 9/08/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply

    Man, what a Sunday. So much drama, so much turmoil in fantasy player values. We’ll be covering all of this in more detail this week, but just a few thoughts and links:

     

  • Goodbye fantasy baseball, and good riddance

    Matt 4:58 pm on 9/06/2008 | 6 Permalink Reply
    Tags: baseball

    I’m so glad it’s finally time to turn our attention to the real fantasy sport, in part because what’s happening to my fantasy baseball team right now could never happen in fantasy football. I’m in a tight playoff battle this week (with the league rookie, no less), and today FOUR of my batters aren’t playing because bad weather postponed their games. There are only five offensive categories in our league – AVG, R, HR, RBI, and SB – four of which are cumulative rather than average-based, so I take a big goose egg in all of them when my guys don’t play. My opponent has only one postponed player to deal with.

    It’s crap like this that makes me look forward all the more to fantasy football, and the knowledge that while my players might get hurt or suspended, they’ll never put up a goose egg because of a little rain.

     

  • Chad Ocho Cinco...it's official

    Brandon 8:31 am on 9/05/2008 | 0 Permalink Reply
    Tags: ,

    Although I only drafted the man formerly known as Chad Johnson in one of my leagues, I find it hilarious that he officially changed his last name to Ocho Cinco, and now that is the name you’ll be seeing while reviewing your rosters for this weekend. Looks like most of the major fantasy sites are up to date…Yahoo, ESPN, and even FleaFlicker (although for some reason the search function wasn’t returning his name), but not CBS Sportsline as of this post (even though they have a news update that is so kind as to explain the meaning of the name, “Ocho Cinco means ‘eight five’ in Spanish”.) I can’t wait to see the name on the back of his jersey this weekend…and also hear an opposing coach refer to him as Chad Ocho Cinco in a press conference after the game (or his own head coach for that matter!)

     

  • Who's startable tonight?

    Matt 5:45 pm on 9/04/2008 | 0 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , redskins

    Giants vs. Redskins is a classic rivalry, one of the oldest and most cherished in the NFL, and undeniably a great way to kick off the NFL season. Last year’s surprise champs taking on their oldest divisional nemesis – what’s not to love? Like most football fans, I’ve been eagerly looking forward to it all week.

    Too bad it’s not too exciting from a fantasy football standpoint. I count four players who should be starters in most formats. Chances are, neither you nor your opponent has any of them. For most of us, it’s almost like the fantasy football season doesn’t really start tonight after all. If you’re chomping at the bit for fantasy action and thinking to yourself, What the heck, let’s see what this Devin Thomas kid can do, snap out of it! Go grab a beer, sit back, and just enjoy some football.

    Player ratings for tonight’s matchup after the jump. (More …)

     

  • Studs and Duds - Week 1: Opening Day edition!

    Brandon 2:33 pm on 9/04/2008 | 7 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    After months and months of waiting, prognosticating, and drafting many a fantasy football team, the day has finally come to get this show on the road! Tonight the defending Superbowl champion New York Giants will host division rivals, the Washington Redskins. Even though they’re the champs, I have a feeling it won’t mean much for New York in this one. It seems that every game in this division is a battle to the end and the G-Men will have to go into this one without their two leading pass rushers from last season in Michael Strahan (retirement) and Osi Umenyiora (injury), while also looking to a young tight end (Kevin Boss) to replace the disgruntled and traded Jeremy Schockey. As a Patriots fan, all I can say is GO REDSKINS! Anyways, enough of the ranting about a game I really don’t care all that much about, and on to some important stuff…like who you should feel confident starting (studs) and who you should think about benching (duds) for this coming week in fantasy football. ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL???

    Studs

    Marion Barber (RB-DAL): This is Barber’s first chance to prove that he has what it takes to be a feature back, now that Julius Jones has left town, and it couldn’t have come against a better opponent. Last season the Browns gave up nearly 130 yards per game on the ground and that is the kind of production you can expect from Barber in this one (with maybe a touchdown or two). If all goes according to plan, Barber should be one of the top running back plays of the week. (More …)

     

  • Ask the Geeks - Week 1: Cutler or Rodgers?

    Brandon 10:39 pm on 9/02/2008 | 0 Permalink Reply
    Tags: ,

    Atg ButtonWith week one of the regular season right around the corner, it’s time to reply to our first Ask the Geeks questions of the month. Feel free to use the Ask the Geeks button located on our left sidebar to send your own questions to us throughout the entire season, with questions regarding who to start, who to pick up, or anything else you can think of regarding fantasy football. So here goes…

    Wendy asks: I already have a dilemma the first week. My league starts two QB’s. I’m starting Brees. Scoring: 1PPR; 1 pt. per 10 yds. passing & rushing; 6 pts. TD.  Who is my best #2?

    Cutler @ Oakland (no Marshall, will that hurt him too much?) OR Rodgers vs. Minnesota (Packers got lots of passing yds. against them last year, but that was Favre; will Rodgers be eaten for lunch on MNF?) Thanks!

    Brandon’s take: Although I’m a Patriots fan, for some reason (maybe it’s because I share the name of their star receiver!) the Broncos are my favorite fantasy football team. This year I expect huge things from Jay Cutler, as he’s figured out his diabetes and seems to be ready to rock ‘n roll (30/43 for 352 yards and 3 TD this preseason.) Even without Brandon Marshall, newly acquired receivers Darrell Jackson and rookie Eddie Royal, plus Brandon Stokley, Glenn Martinez and tight end Tony Scheffler should provide all the targets Cutler needs to put up solid fantasy stats. Rodgers on the other hand is an unknown quantity at this point, with this being his first official start, the game being on Monday Night Football, and it being against the top rated defense in the NFL (even if they were horrendous at stopping the pass last year.) The Vikings made it a point to drastically improve their pass defense in the offseason, with the acquisition of pass rusher extrordinaire Jarred Allen, and also using three draft picks to boost the squad. Go with Cutler until you have some clue what you’re getting with Rodgers.

    Matt’s take: I’m with Brandon on this one. Rodgers could very easily put up a goose-egg for all we know about him at this point, whereas Cutler has a ton of upside, Marshall or no Marshall. (More …)

     

  • Post-draft waiver wire notes

    Brandon 4:49 pm on 9/02/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , , rudi johnson

    Did you have the draft for your fantasy league yet? If so, how long ago? If it was over a week ago and you haven’t taken another look at your team, you might want to log-in and check the status of the following players, whose value has increased/decreased dramatically since you picked your squad…

    • Kurt Warner (QB-ARI): When ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that the Cardinals were going to name Warner the starter over Matt Leinart, head coach Ken Whisenhunt was quick to squash the rumor, questioning why Mortensen was making decisions for the team when it wasn’t his job. Then Whisenhunt waited a few days…and named Kurt Warner the starter on opening day. Although Whisenhunt wasn’t fooling anyone but himself, he might have raised enough questions to keep both Warner’s and Leinart’s names off your league’s draft results list. Now that we know Warner will be starting the season at quarterback though, it’s time to assess the position for your team. With the weapons Warner has at receiver, he always has a chance to put up solid fantasy numbers. You’ll want to look at his schedule if you plan to start him early in the year though, as the team has some pretty tough match-ups to start the season, going to San Francisco and at home versus the Dolphins (I know they sound easy, but they were actually tied for the third best pass defenses in terms of yards per game allowed last season!) Weeks three and four get much easier though, against Redskins and Jets, who were 30th and 26th respectively in passing yards per game allowed. (More …)
     

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