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 week twelve, 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!) With Turkey Day right around the corner and a record three games being played tomorrow, we needed to post the hits and misses ASAP this week. As usual, I left off a few obvious picks from the list, including Ricky Williams running over the Bills, Larry Fitzgerald smoking the Titans secondary and Greg Jennings beating up on the Lions, but there is still plenty of picks to go around. Hopefully everyone has a great holiday weekend, filled with lots of fantasy football points!
Latest Updates: joe flacco RSS
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Hits & Misses - Week 12: Happy Thanksgiving!
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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Fantasy storylines to watch this weekend
Matt
Plenty of fantasy intrigue around the league in week 10. Here are a few situations I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on.
Joe Flacco @ Cleveland: Wacko Flacco (sorry) has been shaky lately, so it’ll be interesting to see him take on a team that he played well against earlier in the season (342 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 111.8 passer rating in week 3). If Flacco can repeat or improve upon that performance, he’ll reestablish himself as a startable fantasy QB when the matchup’s right.
LeSean McCoy/Brian Westbrook vs. San Diego: How shaky is Westbrook’s ankle? Will McCoy continue to make a convincing case for more touches? Andy Reid just watched the division lead get ripped away from him by the surging Cowboys, so it’ll be interesting to see which running back he favors when push comes to shove.
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Matt
A few quick thoughts on yesterday’s games from a fantasy perspective…
- Maybe the real QB controversy in Philly is Kolb-McNabb… but yeah, not really. Reid’s going to start McNabb as soon as he’s healthy, and the good news for his fantasy owners is the emergence of DeSean Jackson as a truly elite receiver. McNabb hasn’t had a target of this caliber since T.O. left town.
- I’m not usually one to say “I told you so,” but I’m feeling pretty good about my MJD pick.
- Joe Flacco looked good again, but I’ll wait to declare him an every-week fantasy starter until I see how he does in New England this Sunday.
- Matt Schaub and Co. are rounding into shape pretty nicely, wouldn’t you say? Slaton didn’t exactly have a breakout game fantasy-wise, but his owners should be relieved to see him look effective when he touched the ball (and to see his vulture Chris Brown fumble in the red zone). If you own him, hold onto him; if you don’t, see if his owner might be willing to trade him.
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Hits & Misses - Week 2: Vikings ready to pillage
Brandon
Now that week one is in the record books, we’re starting to get a better idea of how the teams will look this season. It’s obvious that Adrian Peterson is the best running back in the league and he’s being rewarded for his spectacular play in week one with a Detroit Lions defense that was complete owned by the Saints last week. While you would think that that would earn him a spot on the Hit list this week, I had to leave him off for reasons mentioned in my week one post. However, that does not prevent me from including his quarterback, who starts off this edition of the Hits & Misses… (More …)
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Ask the Geeks: Looking to go 2-0?
Brandon
Hopefully some of the advice we offered last week helped your team to a 1-0 record to start the season, but if not, even more reason for you to heed our advice! Anyways, here are a few questions to get us started for week two. Remember to send us any more questions you might have here or you can leave questions via comments and we’ll try to respond to those too…
Cynthia asks…
I’m wondering who to start this week…Larry Johnson against Raiders although he did not produce at all last week or Cedric Benson @ Packers.
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Hits & Misses - Week 1: Let the games begin!
Brandon
With tomorrow already being opening day of the 2009-10 NFL season, it’s time for the first Hits & Misses post of the year. I’m trying a new table-based formatting this year, which should make it a little easier to distinguish between players at each position, so let me know what you think. With the Hit list, I usually try to pick players that aren’t the most obvious, so you’ll rarely see a player with the name Adrian Peterson, Randy Moss, or Tom Brady (although I did include Drew Brees this week!) For the Misses list I try to include only players that are fantasy relevant, so while it’s probably a given that a fourth string receiver on the Raiders will have a bad day, you won’t see his name on the list. Anyways, let’s get to the good stuff… (More …)
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Hits and Misses - Week 16: Take a ride in the PT Cruiser!
Brandon
Of all the cars out there to get a nickname from (see: Cadillac Williams), I’m not sure I would want people calling me the name of one of the worst new vehicles to come out this century, but whatever works I guess! It apparently IS working for Saints running back Pierre Thomas, who has put up some great fantasy numbers over the past few weeks in an offense that is traditionally pass-first (and made a lot of fantasy team managers very happy in the process.) This weekend you should have the PT Cruiser parked right in the RB1 or RB2 slot on your roster when the Saints head to Detroit, helping your team cruise to a fantasy football championship!
Hits
- Pierre Thomas, RB, Saints: Although I recommend a few of our readers sit the PT Cruiser last week, this week my tune has changed a bit. The Saints head to Detroit on Sunday to play a Lions team that has been absolutely dreadful against the run this year, allowing 169 yards per game (4.9 ypc) to opposing tailbacks, while allowing them to rack up 26 touchdowns. With Reggie Bush out of the picture, expect a big day for Thomas.
- Antonio Bryant, WR, Buccaneers: For all of you who snagged Antonio Bryant off the waiver wire in the middle of the season, you have to be loving your decision at this point. In most leagues, Bryant has now racked you up around 300 yards and a couple touchdowns through the first two rounds of the playoffs, and I’m predicting that he’ll continue that trend against a bad San Diego Chargers defense. You know those commercials that ESPN had for the Fantasy Football Hall of Fame? If Bryant comes through this weekend, I think you need to add him for next year’s ads. (More …)
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Hits and Misses - Week 15: Time for an encore
Brandon
In most of my leagues, week 15 means we’re two games away from a 2008 fantasy football championship, so the hits and misses this week are magnified dramatically. In some twist of fate, neither of my best fantasy teams were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs this year, meaning I’m right there with you in using my own advice to get to the next round.
In terms of the action this weekend, it’s not usually my style to piggy back on a player (or players) who had a great game last week, but this weekend when Carolina hosts the Broncos, it’s too good to pass up. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart had a game for the ages in week 14 and while I don’t expect an exact repeat performance, something close would be nice! Anyways, let’s jump into the hits and misses for the week, starting with the Panthers two-headed monster…
Hits
- DeAngelo Williams / Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers (vs DEN): The new heirs to the Smash & Dash nickname played out of this world last week, with both Williams and Stewart breaking the century mark and scoring two touchdowns each against a Tampa Bay defense that had only allowed one rushing touchdown all season! While I don’t expect a repeat of those touchdown numbers this weekend, even against a worse defense, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them run for 100 yards and a score each against a Broncos team that is giving up nearly five yards per carry and almost 140 rushing yards per game (and that includes some teams that are MUCH worse at running the ball than the Panthers.) I also need to mention that I recommended to a couple people that they start Jonathan Stewart over Pierre Thomas this week…so let’s hope steps it up and makes me look smart! (More …)
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Desperation is a Stinky Cologne: Deep Sleepers for Week 14
Matt
Sneak into the playoffs and praying for an first-round upset? Dominant all season but now scrambling to fill in for an injured player so you don’t get humiliated by some bottom-seeded punk? These players are available in over 50% of ESPN and Yahoo leagues (on average) and might just be able to keep you in the hunt for one more week.
Quarterbacks
Shaun Hill, SF – Shaun Hill rolls into this nice matchup with the Jets’ 29th-ranked pass defense with a bit of a head of steam – a 94.6 passer rating and an 8-3 TD-INT ratio. I don’t blame you if you’re reluctant to trust such an inexperienced QB in a late-season fantasy matchup, but if you’re reading this post, odds are you don’t have a better option. There’s plenty of upside here to go with a heaping helping of risk. I think he’s worth the gamble, but hey, feel free to start someone else, you big wuss. (More …)
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Hits and Misses - Week 11: Turner the Burner ready to blaze!
Brandon
Last week I came through with my second great feature pick of the season (I know, only two through ten weeks is a little embarassing!), as Vikings running back Adrian Peterson absolutely torched the Packers defense to the tune of 225 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. I ended up the week with a respectable 15-5-3* record, helped out by stellar, three-score games from Thomas Jones and Maurice Jones-Drew, along with a solid performance from Tony Gonzalez and a predictable, lackluster showing by Steve Slaton (could he be hitting the rookie wall?) Although the Jets passing game proved to be non-existant in their demolition of the Rams and Peyton Manning had a huge game against one of the better defenses in the league (ironically, his two best games this season against the Steelers and Ravens…go figure!), I still finished with some fairly good predictions and I hope to do the same this week. For week 11, my sure bet is for Michael Turner “The Burner” to have a big game against a less than average Broncos defense in Atlanta this weekend, so get him in your lineup!
* Hits-Misses-Pushes
Hits
- Michael Turner, RB, Falcons: I admit, I tried to come up with some clever saying here that some how involved the Broncos, Turner the Burner, and the game being a potential barn burner, but I couldn’t come up with some all that witty, so I ended up with the title you currently see on the post. Anyways though, continuing the trend (big games against bad defenses…poor games against good ones) that he has followed all season, you can expect big things from Turner this weekend as he takes on an Denver defense that is allowing 5.6 yards per carry. This should turn into a barn burner if all goes according to plan…and expect Turner to be right in the middle of the action. (More …)
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The Wire: Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 11, 2008
Brandon
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.
Mark Bradley, WR, Chiefs (2.4% owned, Desperation Pickup) – Over the past three games Bradley has really developed some good chemistry with quarterback Tyler Thigpen (see below) to the tune of 18 receptions for nearly 190 yards and two scores. While you probably don’t want him starting for your team come playoffs time, he makes a decent injury fill-in until that point.
Tatum Bell, RB, Broncos (7.0% owned, Desperation Pickup) – With the team running out of options at tailback, the Broncos have signed Bell and with the injury to Selvin Young, he could see touches immediately. I still don’t like the Broncos running game though and wouldn’t recommend you use anyone wearing orange/blue/white in your RB1 or RB2 position at this point, but if you’re REALLY desperate… (More …)
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Week 10 Wrap-up: Keepin' up with the Jones'
Brandon
What a week 10, huh? The Jets and Ravens break the 40 point mark, Brady Quinn makes his big debut…and the Bills drop from first to last in the AFC East! The biggest achievements of the week though by far came from some of the league’s running backs, primarily Thomas Jones of the Jets, and Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jaguars, who both had three touchdown games. In addition to the Jones’, I think an honorable mention is also deserving of Adrian “All Day” Peterson, who broke the 200 yards from scrimmage mark in the Vikings exciting, last minute victory over the Packers. (By the way, all three running backs were on the Hit list this week!) Anyways, let’s jump into the action that took place in week 10…
- New York Jets 47, St. Louis 3: While I predicted a solid game from Thomas Jones, I was not prepared for what transpired Sunday afternoon when he dominated the Rams defense to the tune of 149 rushing yards and three touchdowns. What’s nearly as amazing as T-Jones’ performance was the fact that Brett Favre, Laveranues Coles nor Jericho Cotchery really contributed much of anything to this slaughter. Rookie tight end Dustin Keller had the biggest game of his short career with 107 yards receiving and a score, but the player who paid off the most for fantasy managers (besides Jones) was kicker Jay Feely, who had five extra points and four field goals, which equated to 21+ fantasy points in most leagues.
- Jacksonville 38, Detroit 14: My question is how many people started Maurice Jones-Drew this week? MJD has been extremely frustrating to own in fantasy football this season and has really only been worth playing three out of nine weeks the Jaguars have had a game so far (week 3, 6, 10…every third game actually…do I sense a big game in week 13 against the Texans?) So when he goes for 91 combined yards and three touchdowns, how many of you were screaming in joy? And how many in regret? In other news, Lions rookie running back Kevin Smith had a solid game with over 90 rushing yards and a score and is becoming a guy you can feel semi-confident starting as a RB2 or flex play against mediocre or worse defenses. Also, what is going on with Detroit’s quarterback situation? Nevermind…I just remembered that I don’t care. (More …)
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Week 8 Weekend Wrap-Up: I guess Westbrook wasn't hurt, huh?
Brandon
In a weekend where the Saints and Chargers put on a jolly good show for those fortunate enough to witness the game in London, the real star this past Sunday was a guy who was questionable to even play. Philadelphia running back (although calling him just a running back is quite an understatement) Brian Westbrook left his team’s week six match with the 49er’s with what would be confirmed as fractured ribs and coming into this weekend, it was up in the air if he would even play. However, I guess a bye week was just what the doctor ordered to heal those ribs, because Westbrook went off in a big way! For those managers brave enough to plug him into their line-up, you were rewarded heavily after he rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns, while catching six balls for an additional 42 yards (for a whopping total of 209 yards and two scores!) It’s likely that Westbrook single-handedly beat a few fantasy teams out there. Anyways, enough drooling over Westbrook…let’s get to the rest of the action from the weekend…
- Philadelphia 27, Atlanta 14: Unfortunately for the Falcons, when they acquired Michael “The Burner” Turner in the offseason, they didn’t realize they were only getting half a player. Turner (58 yards) continued his trend of having difficulty against decent defenses in this one and while the passing game was running on all cylinders (Matt Ryan – 277 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; Roddy White – 8 catches for 113 yards, 2 TD), the lack of a balanced attack might have cost them this one. (More …)
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Studs and Duds - Week 6: Cassel ready to break out?
Brandon
After taking a sabbatical during week four, I got back on track last week and didn’t fare too badly with my predictions. Although again my title pick didn’t pan out all that great (the Detroit Lions passing game did NOT rebound after the bye week!), and my pick of Clinton Portis to have a rough go of it against the Eagles did not quite work out, big games from Matt Forte and Michael Turner, along with a weak performance (again!) by the Jacksonville running game led me to a pretty decent record for the week. As usual, I’ll be looking to improve again this week, and who better to lead me there but my boy Matt Cassel of the Patriots. So without further ado, here are your studs and duds for week 6…
Studs
- Matt Cassel, QB, Patriots: After a few weeks of the main “stud” not living up to their billing (Ryan Grant, Lions), I’m hoping Matt Cassel of the New England Patriots is the one to change my fortunes. Cassel gave Patriots fans reason to start believing in his abilities with a 66 yard touchdown bomb to Randy Moss last week against a middle-of-the-road 49er’s pass defense. This week his task should be a bit easier as the Patriots play the worst pass defense in the NFL in the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers are allowing 266 yards per game through the air over the first five games of the season and have allowed an average of two touchdowns per game as well. If Cassel can simply get the average, it would be a fairly successful fantasy day. (More …)
