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: marion barber RSS
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Hits & Misses - Week 12: Happy Thanksgiving!
Brandon
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Brandon
Some quick player news:
- The Seahawks are preparing this week as if quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will NOT be the starter, so if you have him on your team, you might consider picking up his backup, Seneca Wallace. Wallace usually puts up some decent numbers when given the chance and should fill in for Hasselbeck pretty well.
- Looks like there is a good chance that Marion Barber won’t be running the ball for the Cowboys the next few games, so if you have Felix Jones, he’d make a great start in the Barbarian’s absence.
- It might be smart to bench my boy, Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall, for a little while until he can prove that he’s getting the system down. As his numbers through two games prove, the chemistry just isn’t there yet with quarterback Kyle Orton and there isn’t much to make you believe it’ll change anytime soon.
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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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2009 Running Back Handcuff Index
Brandon
As everyone knows, football is a brutal game and injuries are very common. You may draft an awesome duo of running backs for your fantasy football team, only to have one of them knocked out for the season in week two and if you didn’t have their backup (or were slow on the waiver wire,) you’re screwed. As I did last year, I’ve written up the Running Back Handcuff Index, listing all the starting running backs in the league, along with their primary backup(s). Also, I’ve included how important it is to draft their backup as a handcuff (if you need to draft them at all.) I’ve listed them in groups ranging in level of importance (Very High to Very Low), so you know how important it is to draft them as an insurance policy, so here you go…
Very High
Philadelphia Eagles
Starter: Brian Westbrook
Handcuff: LeSean McCoy
Concern(s): Injury / Committee
Notes: Westbrook has never been Mr. Durable to begin with, but he’s getting up there in age and has a very talented rookie in McCoy waiting for his shot. I’d say this is a mandatory hand-cuff, but you might not be able to get McCoy without giving up one of your early picks as someone else will surely draft him with the hopes of trading him to you or of Westbrook going down.Buffalo Bills
Starter: Marshawn Lynch
Handcuff: Fred Jackson
Concern(s): Suspension / Ineffectiveness
Notes: Lynch is suspended for the first three games of the season, so naturally you would like his hand-cuff on your team so it’s easy to fill the void. However, Jackson looked good in limited playing time last season and could be picked up by another team if you’re not careful in your draft. -
Matt
The Dallas Morning News’ sports columnist says that three players on the Cowboys “stand out” because of their “freakish talent.” Included in his talented trio: Felix Jones. Not included: Marion Barber. Just one more reason to wonder whether Barber will get any more than 1/3 of the carries in this offense.
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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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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 …) -
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 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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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 …) -
Hits and Misses - Week 7: Calling all Titans running backs
Brandon
So it looks like the FFGeekBlog cover curse lives on as Matt Cassel and the Patriots receivers managed to fall flat on their face last weekend against the Chargers. I’m not sure what it is that causes every player I mention in the headline to go out of their way to play terribly, but we’re switching it up a bit in hopes that it doesn’t continue. You’ll notice that the post has been renamed Hits/Misses, instead of Studs/Duds (maybe it was the use of the word “stud” or something), so we’ll continue using this new name and hope that my luck can change.
Anyways, along with the Patriots offense hitting a brick wall last weekend, the revival of the Brownies offense didn’t help my cause. However, I was saved by some big time performances by Thomas Jones (3 TD…not too shabby), Clinton Portis, and the failure of the Panthers running game leading me to a 11-7-3 (hits-misses-pushes) record. This week the Patriots tried to trick me into putting them on the list again as they take on a terrible Broncos defense at home, but as the saying goes, “Fool me once, shame on you…fool me twice, I’m an idiot.” Even as a Patriots fan, there’s no way I can honestly put Cassel on here and expect him to put up stats I’d want anywhere near my fantasy roster. I have a really good feeling though that all my picks this week will be correct, so let’s jump right in, starting with those Tennessee Titans running backs…
Hits
- Chris Johnson (RB) / LenDale White (RB) Titans: Over the course of just five games, the Kansas City Chiefs are allowing an incredible 182 yards per game on the ground, which is even more crazy considering two of the teams they played have little to no running game (Patriots, Broncos). Worried that your running back might not find the end zone? Fear not…they’ve also allowed eight rushing touchdowns already. Chris Johnson and LenDale White are sure bets to go huge as the Titans and the NFL’s only remaining undefeated record head to Arrowhead this weekend. (More …)
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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 …) -
Week 6 Weekend Wrap-up: Expect the unexpected
Brandon
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 …)
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Carson Palmer: "All systems are go"
Matt
It’s looking safer and safer to assume that Palmer will play on Sunday. If he plays, it’ll be because he’s essentially 100% – so he’s actually a decent start in what could become a shootout with Dallas. From here:
Quarterback Carson Palmer threw during practice Friday and barring a setback Saturday morning, head coach Marvin Lewis said “all systems are go” if his right elbow continues to respond.
“He did well. We’ll see how he is in the morning,” Lewis said. “If things continue as they have, I think all systems are go.”
Lewis said he threw for all the routes, whether they were short, long or intermediate.
If he plays, upgrade Tony Romo (if you don’t see him as the #1 QB this week either way), slightly downgrade Marion Barber (since there’s likely to be less garbage time spent with Dallas protecting a big lead), and drop Felix Jones from a low-end flex play (since he’d probably get his share of the garbage-time carries) to your bench. Obviously, a Palmer start would dramatically improve the performance of the entire Cincy offense, so plug ‘n’ play accordingly.
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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 …) -
Studs and Duds - Week 1: Opening Day edition!
Brandon
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 …)
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Rising and Falling: The Barbarian unleashed!
Brandon
Week three of the preseason has recently become the week where coaches get a longer look at the players they expect to form their starting roster come opening day. With this in mind, it’s important to look at the players who are stepping it up this week, as it could be a key indicator of how they will play when the season starts. Below you’ll find a list of the players who’s fantasy status is “Rising”, “Falling”, or “Stayin’ Put” based on Saturday’s preseason action…
Rising
Marion Barber (RB-DAL): 13 rushes for 75 yards and 1 TD, plus 2 receptions for 9 yards – Marion the Barbarian seems to be answering the question of whether or not he can handle the bulk of the carries this season, after splitting them with Julius Jones last year. Rookie backup Felix Jones (see “Falling” below) did not look especially sharp in this one, and with Barber’s knack for finding the endzone, I see no reason why the team would not lean heavily on him throughout the season.
Aaron Rodgers (QB-GB): 18 of 22 for 193 yards and 1 TD – After his poor performance last week, this was a great performance from Rodgers against a Denver pass defense that is supposed to be pretty good.
DeSean Jackson (WR-PHI): 4 receptions for 67 yards, plus a punt return TD – This kid is starting to look like the real deal. Having him as your WR4, or maybe even WR3, going into the season, would not be frowned upon.
Donovan McNabb (QB-PHI): 13 of 17 for 180 yards and 1 TD – He keeps losing receivers, but keeps getting it done. Rookie DeSean Jackson (below) seems to be one of his new favorite targets though…and I’m sure they can find some other receiver to line up opposite him.
Greg Jennings (WR-GB): 4 receptions for 42 yards – The key here is that Rodgers is developing chemistry with Jennings, as he completed the four passes to him in just over one quarter of play…imagine if it was an entire game? (More …)
