Squish (268)
E-roc (127)
Shirley (66)
Jeff (53)
Tommy (53)
Mal (51)
Ken (44)
Amir (40)
TJ (29)
Here are our “Hits” and “Misses” for this week. It’s championship week for most league’s out there, so hopefully these tips can help you bring home the bacon! As usual, please feel free to leave a comment on any of our posts with additional hit/miss questions and we’ll try our hardest to get back to you in a timely fashion. Good luck!
Latest Updates: frank gore RSS
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Hits & Misses - Week 16: CHAMPIONSHIP TIME!
Brandon
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Hits & Misses - Week 11: Playoffs approaching
Brandon
Here are our “Hits” and “Misses” for week eleven, listing players you want to make sure are in your lineup, as well as those you might consider shelving for the week (or at least lowering your expectations!) This week I returned to my previous ways of leaving the most obvious players off the list (Drew Brees @ TB, Maurice Jones-Drew vs BUF,) so we’re left with players you may actually have to think about starting or benching this week. In most leagues the playoffs are rapidly approaching, so this could be a huge week for your team and hopefully some of our advice can help you clinch a spot! Anyways, here we go with the hits and misses…
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Brandon's 2009 teams
Brandon
This past weekend Matt and I had both of the drafts for our main fantasy football leagues, the League of Champions (12 team, re-draft, non-PPR) and our keeper league (12 team, 0.5 PPR.) I wanted to share the two teams I ended up with along with some commentary on where I felt good about my picks and where I may have slipped up a bit, so here you go. (More …)
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Hits and Misses - Week 14: A-Pete ready to hand out early Christmas gifts
Brandon
After taking a break for the holidays (although I still put up a brief hit/miss post for Turkey Day), let’s get back into the action for what is most likely week one of the playoffs in many fantasy football leagues out there. This week we kick it off with a regular on the “Hit” list, Mr. Adrian Peterson, who has a great match-up against the Lions. Last time Purple Jesus played Detroit he rushed for 111 yards and fumbled twice…but this time I think it’ll be a little better…
Hits
- Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings (@ DET): If the Vikings can beat the Lions this weekend they are a near lock to make the playoffs. Because of this, and the fact that it’s the Lions, I have a feeling that Peterson is in for a big game. The Lions are allowing 177 rushing yards per contest, which is the worst in the NFL. They’re also allowing over five yards per carry on the ground and have given up about two touchdowns a game to opposing tailbacks. As I have Peterson in my most important league, I’m hoping that he can rush for those averages without the help of partner-in-crime, Chester Taylor, stealing his thunder. (More …)
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Top 25 scoring fantasy football players through 13 weeks
Brandon
It’s been 13 weeks since the season started and four since my last posting of the top 25 fantasy football players in the game. As I mentioned last time, this is a list of the top fantasy football scorers so far this season, based on a non-PPR league that Matt and I are in, which follows near-standard scoring rules…
Note: The number in parenthesis is the ranking of the player after week 9.
1 (4). Drew Brees, QB, Saints: Brees has been a yardage and touchdown machine this year, even with his top receiver from last season (Marques Colston) out for a bit. I’m sure he helped many a team into the playoffs this season.
2 (3). Kurt Warner, QB, Cardinals: Warner’s stats were pretty close to Brees’ and while he did throw less interceptions, he fumbled the ball a lot more. However, I’m sure he’s on a lot of playoff bound team’s rosters.
3 (5). Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers: Packers fans can’t complain about the production they got out of the quarterback after Favre’s departure and they should be happy that they won’t have to worry about the position for another decade or so.
4 (6). Jay Cutler, QB, Broncos: While I was expecting a bit more out of his “favorite” receiver Brandon Marshall, Cutler has been all that fantasy owners could have wished for.
5 (1). Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers: He’s dropped off a bit over the past few weeks, but you can’t really complain considering the receivers he’s passing to. (More …) -
Week 11 Wrap-Up: So much for that awesome Ravens defense
Brandon
Going into this weekend, the Baltimore Ravens were holding opposing team’s running games to a ridiculous 2.9 yards per carry. One week and a brutal beating by the defending Superbowl champs later, that number is up to 3.4 as they were manhandled in the trenches by Brandon Jacobs and crew. Let’s look at more from that contest and the rest of the action from week 11…
- New York Giants 30, Baltimore 10: The G-Men continue to show that they’re the team to beat in the NFC as they hand out a pretty serious beatdown to one of the better teams in the AFC. The Ravens were the team that didn’t let up 100 yard rushers…and I guess they can take pride in the fact that none of the Giants running backs hit the century mark. However, if you combine the stats of the three-headed-monster that they employ in their backfield (Jacobs – 73 yards, 2 TD; Bradshaw – 96 yards; Ward – 41 yards), it’s pretty apparent that as a whole (210 yards!), New York was way too much for the Baltimore defense to handle. (More …)
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Hits and Misses - Week 10: "Purple Jesus" ready to roll at home
Brandon
It’s pretty amazing the luck (of the bad variety) that I’ve had so far this season with my feature “hit” picks, the latest victim being my own personal favorite, the man who shares my name and plays receiver for the Denver Broncos, Mr. Brandon Marshall (two catches for 27 yards?!!) However, I did end up the week with a decent 13-7-5* record on the big days of quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Kurt Warner, plus the misfortunes of Bills running back Marshawn Lynch and a few others (even if Marshall, Clinton Portis’ big day receiving, and Kyle Orton’s injury all tried to screw me!)
Maybe picking the most obvious guy each week that is “supposed” to have a huge game is the wrong approach. If I pick LaDainian Tomlinson to have a big day against the high school players the Chiefs call a defense, is he going to get shut out? This week I’m going to change my approach a bit and go with my gut as to which player will have a big day and not base my pick solely on the numbers. While I’m not going out on a huge limb here, my big play of the week is for Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, aka Purple Jesus, to run wild on the Green Bay Packers…
Hits
- Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings: While quarterback Gus Frerotte tries his best against the vaunted Packers pass defense (see the “Others” section of my misses list below), this will be a game where the Vikings try to run the ball down Green Bay’s throat with Peterson and Chester Taylor. The Pack is allowing nearly five yards per carry to opposing tailbacks and almost 150 yards a game, but you can expect Minnesota to land on the plus side of that average. The first time these two teams met this season (at Green Bay), Peterson, who is averaging around 120 yards per game at home this season, broke the century mark and also scored a touchdown as the team rushed for over 180 yards…and I’m predicting at least those results this time. (More …)
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Top 25 fantasy football players after nine weeks
Brandon
It’s been nine weeks since the season started, and three since my last posting of the top 25 fantasy football players in the game. As I mentioned last time, this list is based on a non-PPR league that Matt and I are in, which follows pretty standard scoring rules. At this point, most teams have had their bye, so the stats paint a pretty accurate picture of the players effectiveness this season.
Note: The number in parenthesis is the ranking of the player after week 6.
1 (1). Philip Rivers, QB, SD: It’s pretty amazing, but at the three, six and now the nine week mark, Rivers is STILL the top fantasy football player in the league.
2 (7). Clinton Portis, RB, WAS: Portis has been solid all season long and now that all the aberations are starting to fall off the list, the greats are shining through.
3 (6). Kurt Warner, QB, ARI: Warner keeps getting it done and now that receiver Anquan Boldin is back and in action, Warner shouldn’t stray too far from the top of this list.
4 (2). Drew Brees, QB, NO: The bye week dropped him down a few spots, but he’ll stay at the top of the list for the duration.
5 (3). Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB: Rodgers continues to prove that Green Bay made the right decision in letting Favre go. (More …) -
Top 25 fantasy football players after six weeks
Brandon
Well, it’s been six weeks since the season started, and three since my last posting of the top 25 fantasy football players in the game. As I mentioned last time, this list is based on a non-PPR league that Matt and I are in, which follows pretty standard scoring rules. You’ll want to keep in mind that only about half the teams have had their bye week so far, so some of the numbers might be slightly askew, but it still gives a pretty decent representation of the production levels of the players mentioned.
Note: The number in parenthesis is the ranking of the player after week 3. An asterisk means the player has already had their bye week.
1 (1). Philip Rivers, QB, SD: Rivers is still the number one fantasy player in the league and you have to give him props considering the receiving corps he’s throwing to.
2 (9). Drew Brees, QB, NO: Drew takes a pretty good leap forward since week three and he should only get better once he gets Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey back.
3 (5). Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB: Brett who? Rodgers has been all that Green Bay could ask for in a Favre replacement…but it’d be nice to see the stats translate into something better than a 3-3 record.
4 (2). Jay Cutler, QB, DEN: He’s fallen off a bit in the past few weeks, but a big showing against a weak New England defense could work wonders for him.
5 (18). Tony Romo, QB, DAL: Romo tore the list up the past few weeks, moving 13 spots in the rankings. However, a broken finger that sidelines him for upwards of a month could be enough to take him off the list completely…but maybe he’ll play through the pain. (More …) -
Top 5 QB, RB, WR and TE for Week 5 2008
Matt
Why not K and DST? Because screw K and DST, that’s why.
Quarterback
- Peyton Manning (@ HOU) – The Houston franchise belongs to Bob McNair on paper, but here in the real world, Peyton Manning owns the Texans (last four games: 297.2 yards on average, 10 total TDs, 0 total INTs). This has bounce-back game written all over it.
- Tony Romo (vs CIN) – He’ll be getting T.O. the damn ball as much as he needs to against the atrocious Cincy defense. If Carson Palmer is able to start, move him to #1. Without Palmer, Cincy won’t be able to score much, which means the Dallas offense will mostly go through Marion Barber.
- Drew Brees (vs MIN) – The solid Vikings defense remains better at stopping ground attacks than aerial assaults, which suits the pass-happy Saints just fine. Receiver Robert Meachem is an emerging star who has taken advantage of Colston’s absence by gaining Brees’ trust.
- Jay Cutler (vs TB) – The Bucs’ secondary has been subpar all season, and they’re likely in for a humbling afternoon in the mile-high city. Drew Brees tore them apart in week 1 to the tune of 343 yards and 3 TDs, and I’d expect something similar out of Cutler.
- Philip Rivers (@ MIA) – Sunny skies, an opposing defense that gives up the 7th-most passing yards per game, and the #2 overall fantasy QB through four weeks… what’s not to like?
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Top 25 fantasy football players after three weeks
Brandon
Now that the first three weeks of the NFL season are in the books and starting the official bye weeks, I figured it might be interesting to take a look at the top 25 players (based on the scoring system for one of the leagues that Matt and I are in – non-PPR) and see if there were any surprises in the mix…of which there were a few. Keep in mind that it’s only been three weeks, but it’s interesting to note that potential first round picks LaDainian Tomlinson, Steven Jackson, Randy Moss, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady (a little different situation for Brady than for the others though) are no where to be found…
1. Philip Rivers, QB, SD – First of two young quarterbacks leading the league so far…
2. Jay Cutler, QB, DEN – …and the second. And to think, Cutler is here after missing his top receiving option for the first game. Expect to see these two quarterbacks on this list for a while.
3. Michael Turner, RB, ATL – Turner has been all that you could ever have hoped for through the first three games. While he probably won’t finish this high, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the top 15 at the end of the season.
4. Marion Barber, RB, DAL – The Barbarion is living up to his first round draft pick status.
5. Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB – Bet you didn’t expect to see Rodgers this high on the list, huh? (More …) -
Weekend Wrap-Up: How the mighty have fallen
Brandon
As a Patriots fan, I’m still trying to figure out what transpired this past Sunday. How did a guy rumored to possibly be cut from the team a month earlier single-handedly dominate the defending AFC champions? How did a team that WON one game last season destroy a team that LOST one game? Who knows the answers to these questions…maybe it’ll be fun to root for a team that no longer will judge their season on whether they win the Superbowl or not. Even winning the division or wild card would qualify as a success in my eyes at this point. Anyways, enough complaining…let’s get to the rest of the action over the weekend and what relevance it has to fantasy football…
- Miami 38, New England 13: I don’t really want to get into the details (you can read the recap for yourself), but I have to give props to the Dolphins running game, who basically beat the Patriots all by themselves: Ronnie Brown (17 rushes for 113 yards, 4 rushing TD, 1 of 1 passing for 19 yards and a TD) and Ricky Williams (16 rushes for 98 yards.) While I agree with Matt that you shouldn’t go out of your way to trade for Ronnie Brown, I do think he’ll have some more productive games this season and can be a valuable asset to your team (remember what he did last season before his injury?) (More …)
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Chad Johnson hurt and other updates from the weekend
Brandon
Tonight’s game between the Browns and Giants will wrap up week two of the preseason, but before we jump into week 3, here are some reactions to the games that took place over the weekend…
- Detroit 27, Cincinnati 10: While the Bengals might be a tiny bit upset that they lost a preseason game, the most painful outcome of this game was that their star wide receiver, Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson, sprained his shoulder while trying to make a catch early in the game. Right now coach Marvin Lewis is saying that he believes Johnson should be ready for the start of the season, but we’ll keep an eye on the situation. Right now I’m probably dropping him down a few spots on my rankings until I know more about the injury.
As for the rest of the game, the poor play of the Bengals added insult to injury, with quarterback Carson Palmer playing badly (6 of 13 for 50 yards and an INT) and no one of fantasy relevance doing anything great for Cinci. There was one guy on the team though that took advantage of the Johnson injury, plus a hamstring injury to T.J. Houshmandzadeh that kept him out of this game. The Bengals second round pick in this years draft, receiver Jerome Simpson, finished the game with five receptions for 114 yards. As with many preseason one-hit-wonders though, make this guy become a repeat performer before even considering him on draft day.
As much as this game sucked for the Bengals, it was a great game for the Lions, especially their passing game, which seems to have hit the ground running since the beginning of this preseason. Jon Kitna completed all three of his pass attempts for 76 yards, including a 27 yard touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson (who finished with three catches for 76 yards). The Lions running game is still a bit mysterious, but rookie Kevin Smith looked good in limited action (four carries for 19 yards) and should still be considered the front runner to win the starting job come opening day. (More …)
- Detroit 27, Cincinnati 10: While the Bengals might be a tiny bit upset that they lost a preseason game, the most painful outcome of this game was that their star wide receiver, Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson, sprained his shoulder while trying to make a catch early in the game. Right now coach Marvin Lewis is saying that he believes Johnson should be ready for the start of the season, but we’ll keep an eye on the situation. Right now I’m probably dropping him down a few spots on my rankings until I know more about the injury.
