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  • Brandon 9:33 am on 9/02/2009 | 0 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , jamarcus russell,

    The Daunte Culpepper vs Matthew Stafford competition in Detroit got me thinking, why is it that teams often try to draft a franchise quarterback following a terrible season? If your team didn’t win a single game last year, what makes you think a rookie quarterback is going to drastically improve your record? Wouldn’t it make more sense to trade for (or pick up off free agency/waivers) a decent, proven veteran quarterback, win some games (for the fans who are suffering with you), while drafting some players that can help your team win NOW? Then, once you’ve regained some form of respect as a football team, draft the quarterback of the future the following season. It seems as though teams are content with basically throwing in the towel for another couple years so they can start from scratch. The Raiders’ JaMarcus Russell and 49ers’ Alex Smith are two other guys that immediately come to mind when I think about this.

    By the way, this has no fantasy football relevance, but I think it needed to be said.

     

  • Brandon 9:20 am on 8/11/2009 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , jamarcus russell,

    Looks like the Jay Cutler and Devin Hester are already working well together and Matt Snyder from Fanhouse writes:

    “You’ll still be able to get Hester as a WR3 in the majority of fantasy leagues, and it’s looking like he’ll be an absolute steal.”

    I agree with Snyder and will definitely be targeting Hester in my draft this year, as I have a lot of faith that Cutler will get him the ball a lot. In the same article, Snyder writes about Darrius Heyward-Bey:

    “(he) is already dealing with his second training camp injury. First, it was a tweaked hamstring, and now it’s a bum toe. Even if he exits camp healthy, he’s got fantasy bust written all over him for 2009. Teammates Chaz Schilens and Johnnie Lee Higgins are being drafted later but will both have better seasons.”

    Seems he is pretty confident that Heyward-Bey will NOT be contributing to your fantasy team this year. While I’m not quite as pessimistic, it’s very hard to expect anything from Raiders receivers (besides TE Zach Miller) until we’ve seen that JaMarcus Russell has improved dramatically this preseason.

     

  • Desperation is a Stinky Cologne: Deep Sleepers for Week 12, 2008

    Matt 3:12 pm on 11/21/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , jamarcus russell, , , , ronald curry,

    Attention, all ye 4-7 and 5-6 teams: The playoffs are officially here for you. Of course, this all depends upon your league’s settings, but chances are that if you’re even a smidge below .500 at this point, your only shot is to win out and pray that the tiebreakers work out in your favor. If you’re holding off on picking up a free agent because you’d have to drop that injured player who might be ready in time for the playoffs, it’s time to wake up and do what has to be done. Better to limp into the playoffs with a snowball’s chance in hell of winning than to miss the postseason entirely. (Owners of Carnell Williams and Selvin Young – I’m looking at you.)

    Here’s a look at some players who are owned in less than 50% of Yahoo and ESPN leagues and would make a decent play this week. The % owned statistic next to each player’s name is an average of all Yahoo and ESPN leagues.

    Quarterbacks

    Kerry Collins, TEN, 36% owned - Quick, name another MVP candidate who’s owned in just 36% of fantasy leagues. The Titans have been out to prove that they can win through the air, and this looks like another matchup that will lead them to pursue the same strategy. The Jets are tough on the ground but near the bottom against the pass, so expect lots of old-fashioned Vodka Collins action in this one. (More …)

     

  • Week 11 Wrap-Up: So much for that awesome Ravens defense

    Brandon 10:30 pm on 11/17/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , jamarcus russell, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    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 …)
     

  • Ask the Geeks - Week 9

    Brandon 2:34 pm on 10/29/2008 | 5 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , jamarcus russell, , , , , , ,

    Atg ButtonHere are our responses to the first couple of questions for the week. Remember, you can always ask us questions by clicking the Ask the Geeks logo on the left sidebar (or this link).

    Scott asks: I have been offered Jay Cutler for Steve Smith. I am allowed to play 2 QB’s in my league.  One of them can fill the open offensive position. My current WR’s are Smith, A. Johnson, Holt, A. Bryant, S. Holmes. My QB’s are Rivers and Russel.  RB’s are L. White, Slaton, Fargas, J.Stewart.  Right now I’ve been alternating between Stewart and Russel in the OP position.  Do you think I should make this trade knowing that QB’s predominantly score more or am I losing too much of a stronghold on my WRs?

    Brandon’s take: Scott, I was curious how many wide receivers you start in your league (not counting the OP position)? If you only start two, then I would definitely go for this trade. Jay Cutler is a HUGE improvement over JaMarcus Russel and he’s a guy you could leave in the OP position for the rest of the season. In that case, Andre Johnson and one of your other receivers should suffice to hold down the WR position. Even if you start three wide receivers, due to the fact that you get more points from quarterbacks than other positions, I’m still leaning towards you making the deal. Cutler should return from the bye week with his finger back in working condition and he should resume his regular destruction of opposing defenses. Steve Smith will continue to get tons of looks from Jake Delhomme, but in math terms:

    (Jay Cutler – JaMarcus Russell) > (Steve Smith – Torry Holt)

    Matt’s take: *shakes fist at Brandon for making him do math* I’d make the trade. I count no fewer than five weak secondaries on the Broncos’ upcoming schedule, which means the fearsome Cutler-to-Marshall machine will have lots of opportunities to do some serious damage. Especially in a two-QB league, a guy like Cutler is a game-changer who can singlehandedly win your matchup for you any given week. Can you say the same thing about Steve Smith?
    (More …)

     

  • Hits and Misses - Week 8: T-Jones up next to abuse the Chiefs

    Brandon 11:50 am on 10/24/2008 | 0 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , , , , , , , , jamarcus russell, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    After weeks of mediocre results, last week I hit the jackpot with my picks (must have been the renaming of the post!) I finished up 17-7-6 (hits-misses-pushes) for the week, carried there by the stellar play of the Titans running game versus the joke that is the Kansas City Chiefs defense. I also got some help from a few other running backs including Ryan Grant, who finally found the endzone, and Dominic Rhodes, who filled in quite nicely for the injured Joseph Addai and rewarded fantasy managers with two touchdowns. While the Jets passing game failed pretty miserably against what I thought was supposed to be a weak Raiders pass defense, it wasn’t enough to keep me from my best week of the season.

    This week I’m going to continue my trend of hating on the Chiefs defense by recommending all the Thomas Jones owners out there get him in your lineup this week. While I’m usually not too keen on picking against a team twice in a row (you figure they’ll try to make SOME adjustments), it’s just too good to pass up at this point. Anyways, here’s the rest of your hits and misses for week 8:

    Hits

    • Thomas Jones, RB, Jets: T.Jones has come alive the past two weeks (much to the enjoyment of his owners…like me!) with possibly the two best games of his career in terms of touchdowns (week 6) and yards (week 7.) As a reward for his hard work, this week he gets to take on a Chiefs defense that was absolutely annihilated by the Titans running game last week. If starting a running back at home against a defense that is allowing 5.6 yards per carry, 207 yards per game and has allowed 12 rushing touchdowns already this season is something you’re interested in (it better be), get Jones in your lineup ASAP! (More …)
     

  • Week 6 Weekend Wrap-up: Expect the unexpected

    Brandon 3:13 pm on 10/13/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , , , , , , , , jamarcus russell, , josh brown, , , , , patrick cobbs, , , , , , , , ,

    Not that weeks one through five this season were predictable, but week six seemed to continue and possibly enhance the old motto “on any given Sunday, anything can happen.” Who would have expected a Colts team that is struggling to put up big numbers this year to rack up 30+ points on the league’s top defense? How about the Cardinals to beat the Cowboys (especially considering Arizona tried to hand Dallas the game on a silver platter?) Or Miami to beat up on the Patriots and Chargers in consecutive weeks, then lose to the 0-4 Texans? What about the win-less Rams to beat a Redskins squad that was on a four game winning streak (including wins against the Saints, Cowboys, Cardinals and Eagles!) If I’ve learned anything from this season, it’s that sports betting is not a lifestyle for the faint of heart. Anyways, let’s get to the action from this weekend…

    • Indianapolis 31, Baltimore 3: Just when we thought that the Colts were starting to get old and the Ravens were back to their defensively-dominant selves, we get smacked with a dose of reality. Peyton Manning (271 yards, 3 TD) and his boys Marvin Harrison (three catches for 83 yards, 2 TD) and Reggie Wayne (eight catches for 118 yards, TD) were back to their old ways in this lopsided contest. Not much worth mentioning on the Ravens side of the ball, except maybe the fact that their three-headed backfield monster (Willis McGahee, Ray Rice, Le’Ron McClain) is probably making more than one fantasy team manager a little uneasy/angry. On a side note, my emergency play of the Colts defense this week in one of my leagues proved to be a pretty genius move I guess! (More …)
     

  • Desperation is a Stinky Cologne: Extreme Sleepers for Week 6 2008

    Matt 11:27 am on 10/10/2008 | 1 Permalink Reply
    Tags: darrell jackson, , , jamarcus russell, ,

    In a bind? This column is for those of you who, due to injury or other circumstances, find yourselves with a gaping hole at QB, RB or WR. It’s crunch time – let’s head to the free agent pool and see what we can dig up! There’s gotta be a few diamonds in the rough who might be able to help us out this week.

    Remember, this differs from this week’s waiver wire post in that I’m not advising you to pick these players up if you’re seeking long-term production. Thanks to matchups, injuries, or other favorable conditions, these usually useless players are legitimately startable this week if you really need them, but in most cases aren’t worth a long-term roster spot. I’d make some joke about how they’re like the fat chick at the bar – they’re obviously available and they’ll do in a pinch – but that would make me a horrible person so I’ll exercise some restraint. (More …)

     

  • Desperation is a Stinky Cologne: Extreme Sleepers for Week 4 2008

    Matt 7:04 pm on 9/26/2008 | 0 Permalink Reply
    Tags: damon huard, , , jamarcus russell, , , , ,

    In a bind? This column is for those of you who, due to injury or just plain poor team management, find yourselves with a gaping hole at QB, RB or WR. It’s crunch time – let’s head to the free agent pool and see what we can dig up! There’s gotta be a few diamonds in the rough who might be able to help us out this week.

    Remember, this differs from a standard “waiver wire” post in that I’m not advising you to pick these players up if you’re seeking long-term production. Thanks to matchups, injuries, or other favorable conditions, these normally ignorable guys might just be useful this week if you really need them, but in most cases aren’t worth a long-term roster spot.

    Last week, I predicted that you might be able to get useful production out of the following players. Let’s see how we did: (More …)

     

  • The Wire: Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 3, 2008

    Brandon 9:36 pm on 9/15/2008 | 6 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , , jamarcus russell, , , , , , , , , ,

    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.

    Chansi Stuckey, WR, Jets (0.7% owned, Desperation Pickup) – He’s not the primary target in this offense…or even the second (third?), but he does have a touchdown in each of the first two games for the Jets on a combined six catches for 80 yards. He’s not going to blow your opponent away, but if you’re absolutely stuck for a WR3 play in week three, you might consider Stuckey.

    Michael Bush, RB, Raiders (6.1% owned, Grab ‘n’ Stash) – “Starter” Justin Fargas left Sunday’s game with a groin injury and the severity is yet to be determined. While Darren McFadden is still the main man in this running game, Bush will get a healthy dose of carries in the next week or so if Fargas happens to miss extended time. (More …)

     

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

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

    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 …)

     

  • Other thoughts on the NFL draft from a fantasy perspective

    Matt 2:28 pm on 4/28/2008 | 0 Permalink Reply
    Tags: , , jamarcus russell, , , , , , ,

    • The Bucs must be feeling better about Carnell Williams’ surgically-repaired knee – the only RB they took in the draft was Cory Boyd in the 7th round. Cadillac, for his part, says it’s “definitely a possibility” that he’ll play in week one.
    • If going to Atlanta wasn’t the worst-case scenario for Matt Ryan, I don’t know what was.
    • Say what you want about Oakland, they stay true to form year after year. They take the most talented player available, regardless of how horrible a fit he is for their organization. That’s the McFadden pick in a nutshell – they’re more than set at RB already. Still… it might be fun to watch McFadden and JaMarcus Russell working together. Four guys you don’t want to run into at a night club this week: LaMont Jordan, Justin Fargas, Dominic Rhodes, and Michael Bush. You might also want to avoid any burly keeper-league owners who had high hopes for Bush in 2008.
    • The Jets did what we said they’d do.
    • Cedric Benson had to be happy when the Bears made the “no duh” move of taking an OL with their first pick. Then they wiped that smile right off his face with their 2nd-round pick, RB Matt Forte, who will undoubtedly steal at least a few carries and could challenge Benson outright for the starting job. Bears GM Jerry Angelo isn’t mincing words about it, either: “Maybe (Benson’s) not the featured back we thought he’d be.” Ouch.

    Lots more to talk about here but I’m out of time.

    Pixie
     

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