Squish (268)
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Shirley (66)
Jeff (53)
Tommy (53)
Mal (51)
Ken (44)
Amir (40)
TJ (29)
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…
Latest Updates: kurt warner RSS
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Hits & Misses - Week 11: Playoffs approaching
Brandon
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Not looking good for Big Ben...
Matt
The first half is in the books and Roethlisberger hasn’t scored yet, so it looks like it’ll be one of the four people who picked Kurt Warner in our contest who gets the $50 NFL.com gift card. Commenter Adam requested a breakdown of the picks people made in the contest, and since I’m not doing much else during halftime, I’ll post that now – check it out after the jump. (More …)
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Matt
We’d be able to announce the winner of the $50 NFL.com gift card contest today if it weren’t for the two folks who picked Ben Roethlisberger (nobody picked Orton, which is shocking, simply shocking). Thanks a lot guys!
Buy hey, maybe you’re right and Big Ben will be too much for the usually-stifling Denver D. If Ben doesn’t have a huge game, the winner will be randomly selected from the four contestants who picked Kurt Warner, who went from five INTs last week to five touchdowns (and zero picks) this week. Pretty embarrassing for the Chicago D, but a very nice pick by the four of you who were willing to give him a shot at redemption.
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Hits & Misses - Week 3: Bring out your Steve Smiths!
Brandon
Here are our “Hits” and “Misses” for week three, listing players who you want to make sure are in your lineup, as well as those who you might consider shelving for the week (or at least lowering your expectations!) As usual, I tried to keep the most obvious players off the list, such as Drew Brees against a Bills defense that is allowing over 330 yards per game through the air (make sure to have him in your lineup this week though.) Anyways, let’s get to the good stuff, starting with a pair of receivers who share a name… (More …)
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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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Last minute hits and misses heading into your draft
Brandon
If your league hasn’t had it’s draft yet (such as the two Matt and I are in), I felt it necessary to share my last minute thoughts on some key players at each position. I’ve created two teams, The Hits and The Misses, that include players you should target or avoid in your league’s draft. Keep in mind that I’ve intentionally left out some of the most obvious guys and focused on the players that you might not have thought about as much.
The Hits
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Packers – Rodgers quietly had one of the best years of any fantasy quarterback last season, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 28 touchdowns. The offense returns intact (and a bit healthier overall) and should allow Aaron to put up even better numbers this year. In many leagues, he’s being drafted after Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers and Kurt Warner, but when all is said and done, he could have better numbers than all three of them. (More …)
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Brandon
Tonight is the real beginning of the preseason, so while we might have to wait a few more weeks to get a clearer picture, it’ll still be good to start answering the following questions:
A) Is Tom Brady back to his normal, Pro Bowl self?
B) Will the Raiders have any passing game at all?
C) Which running back will the Ravens use primarily?
D) With another year under his belt, does Kurt Warner still have what it takes to be a top notch quarterback?Also…Go Patriots!
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Quarterback rankings for 2009
Brandon
Here are our quarterback rankings for this season. Don’t forget to check out the rest of our cheat sheets here.
- Tom Brady, NE – He looked great this past weekend and seems to have no lingering issues from the shoulder injury. Draft him with confidence and watch attempt to break the records again.
- Drew Brees, NO – Brees tops a lot of other site’s quarterback rankings, but maybe it’s a little Patriots-bias that puts him in the #2 spot on my list.
- Peyton Manning, IND – He’s still Peyton Manning and he’s still got Reggie Wayne (and others.)
- Philip Rivers, SD – Decent receivers, pass-catching tailbacks and Antonio Gates make for a lot of targets.
- Kurt Warner, ARI – As long as he remains healthy, he’s throwing to a pair of Pro-Bowlers (unless Anquan Boldin gets shipped out of town) and will continue to put up solid stats.
- Aaron Rodgers, GB – He’s got a great target to throw to in Greg Jennings.
- Donovan McNabb, PHI – Wide receivers still somewhat suspect, but McNabb will make the most with what he has.
- Matt Schaub, HOU – He gets the joy of throwing to Andre Johnson…one of the best receivers in the NFL.
- Tony Romo, DAL – DOWNGRADE! Roy Williams has been a disappointment so far and the rest of the receiving corps worries me.
- Matt Ryan, ATL – He’s primed for another solid year throwing to Roddy White and crew.
- Jay Cutler, CHI – His main target is a reformed kick returner, but I have enough faith in Cutler’s abilities to believe he can get it done with anyone running routes.
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Guest Post: Week 16 QB Fantasy Football Rankings
Josh
Editors’ note: The following post was written by a guest blogger, Josh from Pro Football 101.
Must Starts
1. Peyton Manning vs. Jacksonville Jaguars. As long as the AFC East teams keep winning, the Colts must do so, too. At least for one more week. And there’s nothing that Peyton and his teammates want more than to bury their rival in the process. Look for a big effort on Thursday night and at least 250 yards and 2TDs. Great fantasy start.
2. Drew Brees vs. Detroit Lions. The Lions are just two games away from immortality, and one thing we know about them is that if they are going to pull off a win during the season, it won’t be because of their defense. Look for Brees to go gangbusters in this one and locate Colston, Moore, and Shockey throughout the game. (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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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 …) -
Guest Post: Week 14 QB Fantasy Football Rankings
Josh
Editors’ note: The following post was written by a guest blogger, Josh from Pro Football 101.
Must Starts
1. Kurt Warner vs. St. Louis Rams. Warner and his offense have had a tough go of it these past two weeks, as they were beaten by better football teams from the NFC East, but this is the week that we begin to hear the Warner MVP chants again.
Heading back to Arizona, the hapless Rams come to town and bring with it its suspect defense. Look for Warner to locate his talented trio on the outside and eclipse the 300-yard mark with at least three TDs.
2. Peyton Manning vs. Cincinnati Bengals. I’m not sure what happened on Sunday, but Manning certainly disappointed many fantasy owners with his 125 yard, two INT performance vs. the Browns. And since his defense couldn’t get off the field, he had very little time in which to work with.
This week, back at home, we like Manning and his offense to bounce back against the Bengals and for the QB to throw for at least 250 with a couple of scores. (More …)
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Hits and Misses: Turkey Day Edition
Brandon
Happy Thanksgiving! For the Thanksgiving holiday, I figured I’d do an early Hits and Misses article around the games that will be taking place as you stuff your face (and wonder why Detroit is on TV every friggin’ Turkey Day!) Anyways, over the past few weeks, it appears to me that the perfect storm has been brewing…and that storm is what the Titans running backs are going to do to the Lions defense tomorrow. Last weekend Tennessee finally got a dose of reality against the Jets when they realized that they can’t rely solely on the arm of Kerry Collins to carry them to victory and that they’re going to need their running game performing at a high level if they want to go anywhere in the playoffs. Lucky for them, they play the worst run defense in the NFL, the Detroit Lions, so this could be a perfect time to get back to the basics. So let’s get into more from that game and the rest of the action that will be taking place while you try your hardest to ignore your family members… (More …) -
Week 12 Wrap-Up: King of the Cassel
Brandon
Tom who? It’s amazing the job that Matt Cassel (415 passing yards, 4 TD – one rushing, INT) has done this year to keep the depression in New England over Tom Brady’s injury to a minimum. To his credit, the games are a bit more exciting now and as long as they still make the playoffs, you have to give him props for playing his ass off and earning the big contract that is sure to come his way in the off-season. Anyways, let’s dive into the action that took place this weekend, starting with the big Patriots victory over the Dolphins…
- New England 48, Miami 28: The second straight 400 passing yard performance from Cassel also paid dividends to the dynamic receiver duo, Randy Moss (8 catches for 125 yards, 3 TD) and Wes Welker (8 catches for 120 yards.) Over-shadowed by his team’s loss and the play of the opposing quarterback though, you can’t forget to mention the great effort from Chad Pennington (341 passing yards, 4 TD – one rushing, INT), who’s numbers were nearly as good. (More …)
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Guest Post: Week 12 QB Fantasy Football Rankings
Josh
Editors’ note: The following post was written by a guest blogger, Josh from Pro Football 101.
Must Starts
1. Drew Brees vs. Green Bay
Once again, Drew Brees heads the list. This week the Green Bay Packers come to town in what should be a high-scoring affair. Brees has been a fantasy star the whole season and is on pace to break Dan Marino’s all-time passing record from 1984.
And in this one, he gets his favorite short weapon back in the fold: RB Reggie Bush. This should open up the underneath passing game which in turn will open up the deep ball to Colston and Moore. Look for another stellar performance out of Brees and the offense. (More …)
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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 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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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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Guest Post: Week 10 QB Fantasy Rankings
Josh
Editors’ note: The following post was written by our new guest blogger, Josh from Pro Football 101. We’re happy to welcome Josh as a guest blogger – he definitely knows his fantasy football. -Matt and Brandon
Must Starts:
1. Kurt Warner vs. San Francisco. Most people around the NFL know how good Warner and this offense is, but this Monday, when the 49ers come to town, the entire country will find out on a national stage. Warner has been lighting it up through the air of late and we see that trend continuing this week back in the desert. While the Niners are pretty strong against the run, they have trouble vs. the pass, and with Boldin and Fitzgerald lining up on the outside against Clements and Harris, look for Arizona to exploit these mismatches all night long. Warner will eclipse the 300-yard mark for the third consecutive game and throw for at least two TDs. (More …)
