Squish (268)
E-roc (127)
Shirley (66)
Jeff (53)
Tommy (53)
Mal (51)
Ken (44)
Amir (40)
TJ (29)
It seems that after his latest neck injury, Kansas City Priest Holmes may finally be calling it quits. He is expected to announce his retirement this afternoon. With Larry Johnson still out with a foot injury, rookie Kolby Smith becomes an immediate waiver-wire/free agent pickup.
Updates from August, 2010
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Priest calling it quits?
Brandon
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Welcome back Ricky Williams!
Brandon
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!)
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Sunday Wrap-up: GO GO Detroit running game!
Brandon
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 yardsTotal: 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…
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Kenny Watson to start
Brandon
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.
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Sammy Morris put on IR
Brandon
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.
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Harrison's knee pain might not ever subside
Matt
Looks like the writing may be on the wall for Marvin Harrison’s status as a top fantasy wide receiver. Teammate Reggie Wayne has taken his place as the deadliest weapon in Peyton Manning’s arsenal, and now ESPN is reporting that doctors have told Harrison "his knee pain is likely to persist through the remainder of the season and perhaps for the rest of his career."
Tough news for Harrison owners who were hoping he’d be back to 100% by the fantasy playoffs. On the bright side, Marvin’s begging his coaches to let him play, so maybe he’ll be at least serviceable the rest of the way.
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Packers will need to win without Wynn
Brandon
It looks like the injury that rookie running back DeShaun Wynn suffered in Sunday’s game was a little worse than initially though. Wynn will miss the remainder of the season after injuring a nerve in his neck and being placed on the Injured Reserve list. This opens the door for the man who replaced him, Ryan Grant, to prove that he can handle the starting role. He did well against the Broncos, rushing for 104 yards, even though Denver has the worst rush defense in the NFL. If you’re low on running back depth, Grant should be picked up immediately.
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Injury Alert: Ronnie Brown done for year
Brandon
This afternoon, Ronnie Brown’s agent announced that the Dolphins star running back will miss the remainder of the season due to the knee injury he sustained against the Patriots this weekend. This is a severe blow to Brown owners, as he was the top fantasy running back at this point in the season. If you own Ronnie Brown in any leagues, you should immediately target backup Jesse Chatman, who will become the starter in Miami. Don’t expect Chatman to equal Brown’s stats though.
Imagine if the Patriots go 16-0 this year…and the Dolphins go 0-16. What will the ’72 Dolphins drink then?
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Did you win/lose because of Tom Brady?
Brandon
Stat line of the week…
Tom Brady (QB-NE): 21 of 25 for 354 yards and 6 TDs
In most fantasy scoring formats, Brady’s stats probably equaled around 45-50 points…and probably 45-50% of a teams fantasy points. If can’t imagine a scenario in which an owner had Brady and still managed to lose. If you were playing against Brady (made even worse if that owner also had Randy Moss and/or Wes Welker), I pity you. In all four of my leagues I somehow managed to avoid playing any of those players…so thankfully this week I was able to cheer for 100% of team to dominate the lowly Miami Dolphins.
Other than the out-of-this-world stats posted by Tom Brady, this week was a rather pedestrian week in the world of fantasy football. However, here’s a recap of a few players who went above and beyond in Week 7:
Rob Bironas (K-TEN): 8 field goals, plus 2 extra points.
Set the NFL record for field goals in a game. In standard kicker scoring formats, he had 29 points…a number you’ll most likely never see a kicker get again. -
Maroney to start!
Brandon
That’s right, you heard it here first. Laurence Maroney will get the start for the New England Patriots today against the Miami Dolphins and makes a great play against a terrible run defense. If you were thinking about starting a Brian Leonard or Najeh Davenport instead of Maroney, time to make the swap. With no true backup, as Sammy Morris is out for a few games, Maroney should get the bulk of the carries.
In other news, it appears that Cincinnati running back Rudi Johnson will not play this week. He is considered "doubtful" and will be a game time decision, but Kenny Watson will most likely get the bulk of the carries this week. If you have Rudi on your team, get him out of your lineup this week.
Also, Vince Young will not start for the Titans this week and the team will put veteran Kerry Collins under center to begin the game. Young will be dressed and could make an appearance in the game though, depending on circumstances. However, neither of them should be in your fantasy lineup this week.
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Javon Walker: More bad news
Brandon
Sorry to all those Javon Walker owners out there (and the Jay Cutler…and maybe Brandon Marshall owners as well), but it looks like you won’t have him back for a bit longer. Coach Shanahan reported today that Walker will need surgery on his knee and will be out "for a few weeks".
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Alert: Michael Bennett traded to Tampa Bay
Brandon
The Kansas City Chiefs traded backup running back Michael Bennett to Tampa Bay today. For all Earnest Graham owners, this immediately decreases the value of your running back (if he had any at this point) and makes Bennett a viable fantasy player (even if this guy disagrees) for the first time in a few years. If you’re hurting for running back depth, you might want to pick up Bennett or put in a waiver claim, as he should be starting for the Buc’s within a week or so.
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Testaverde ALERT!
Brandon
That’s right folks. The nearly 44 year old Vinny Testaverde is back in the NFL, this time signing with the Carolina Panthers. With original starter Jake Delhomme out for the season to get elbow surgery, and current starter David Carr with back problems, Testaverde could be under center this weekend when the Panthers go to Arizona to play the Cardinals.
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Out with the new, in with the old
Brandon
Today the Arizona Cardinals announced that they will place starting QB Matt Leinart on the Injured Reserve list, after suffering a broken collarbone this past weekend. This means that you should immediately jump on the chance to pick up Kurt Warner in your fantasy leagues. In limited playing time, Warner has produced well, throwing for at least one touch down in each game he’s played in, as well as rushing for a touchdown. Once he gets the second half of his star receiving duo back (Boldin could return this weekend), expect pretty solid numbers from the 36 year old veteran.
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Week 5: Last minute injury update
Brandon
To all those wondering whether to start Laurence Maroney or not, you can put him on the bench. Maroney has been declared inactive for the game this afternoon, so get Sammy Morris or another backup running back into your lineup.
Other players to keep out of your lineup this week include Ahman Green, Anquan Boldin and Santana Moss, each of whom are inactive for their games today.
Players that WILL be playing this week though, include Calvin Johnson and Travis Henry.
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Travis Henry to be suspended?
Brandon
It appears that Ricky Williams is not the only NFL running back to enjoy his Mary Jane. Denver Bronco’s running back Travis Henry, the current NFL leader in rushing yards, is in danger of being suspended for a year for violating the league’s substance abuse program.
This story is pretty interesting, because while the league is trying to suspend Henry, he is suing the league to prevent it from using his urine sample, saying the league violated its own substance abuse policy. Henry claims that the league was in violation because it did not allow his "experts" to be present to test the sample.
I’m not sure if Henry is trying to say that the NFL’s "experts" do not know how to perform a drug test or that they’re trying to set him up with false results in some big conspiracy. Either way though, if found guilty of this violation, Henry is in danger of being suspended for the remainder of the season, as he already sat out four games two years ago for violating the policy a first time while in Tennessee. I’m crossing my fingers that he finds some loophole in this situation, as he’s one of my running backs in my Keeper league, but we’ll just have to wait and see what the verdict is on this situation.
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The Frerotte era in St. Louis?
Brandon
Although it is obviously not the "Gus Frerotte Era" in St. Louis, it will be Frerotte’s team for the next couple weeks while Bulger rides the pine, trying to heal some of his wounds (broken ribs, sore knee, hurt shoulder, etc). Bulger has been a sitting duck the past few weeks with the offensive line in disarray, something you don’t want to say about a quarterback your team just gave a huge contract extension to. Frerotte has been a journeyman throughout his career and has proven to be a decent backup in his time with Washington, Detroit, Denver, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Miami, and now St. Louis, but he’s probably most famous for his self-caused concussion while playing for the Redskins.
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The return of Ricky Williams?
Brandon
Now that week 4 is officially in the books, it’s time to start looking at players who are eligible to return from suspension, and what bigger name did you need than weed-man extraordinaire, Ricky Williams. Williams has apparently applied for reinstatement to the league after spending some time a) being suspended from the league (for the 4th time!) for his habitual marijuana use, b) vacationing in India and Australia, where he was practicing yoga or something, and c) playing football in the Canadian Football League.
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2007: The Year Injuries Reigned Supreme
Matt
It’s been a weird fantasy football year in general, what with four of the top running backs having shockingly poor seasons so far and the out-of-left-field return of Kurt Warner, but the injuries have been an uncomfortably prominent part of the storyline all season.
Carnell Williams, not all that surprisingly, took the worst of it this weekend, with a "potentially career-threatening torn patellar tendon," according to Yahoo! Sports. A bunch of big names got banged up this week: Joseph Addai (bruised shoulder), Alex Smith (something with his shoulder), Marvin Harrison (bruised thigh), Lamont Jordan (back injury, currently on crutches), Isaac Bruce (hammy), Marc Bulger (not hurt so he doesn’t really belong in this sentence but I just wanted to mention that he sucks), and the best player on the Steelers, safety Troy Polamalu (abdomen).
That would make for a pretty bad week in any season, but with everything that’s gone on so far in 2007, most notably the Kevin Everett situation, it really is starting to feel like it’s getting out of control.
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Last-minute injury updates
Matt
Jake Delhomme: The Charlotte Observer sounds pretty sure that he won’t start.
Calvin Johnson:
Conflicting reports make him a very risky start. The Daily Tribune says he’s "expected to miss the game with a lower back bruise," while this guy says he "should be ready for the Bears, and you need to start him."Never mind. He’s out.Plaxico Burress: Will probably start, but is far from 100% so his production might be limited. This feels like a trap for the Eagles, though – I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he has a big game anyway.
Eddie Kennison is out.
