Squish (268)
E-roc (127)
Shirley (66)
Jeff (53)
Tommy (53)
Mal (51)
Ken (44)
Amir (40)
TJ (29)
Here are our waiver wire candidates for week thirteen. As usual, you’ll find players who are either [Startable], a [Stopgap] to get you past a BYE or injury, [Worth a look] and spot on your bench, or [One-week-wonder]s who don’t warrant a roster spot, so you make your roster moves accordingly. You’ll also see the percent owned in parenthesis. With the playoffs rapidly approaching (only one week of the regular season left in my two main leagues,) many teams out there are probably in a “must win” situation this week. Hopefully some of the players below can get you a much needed victory and give you a chance at that championship trophy (or pride, cash, whatever else you get for winning a fantasy football league.) Anyways, let’s get to the waiver wire picks for this week, starting with a few wide receivers that could help your cause… (More …)
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The Wire - Week 13: The Hunt for the Playoffs
Brandon
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Hits & Misses - Week 12: Happy Thanksgiving!
Brandon
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! -
The Wire - Week 12: Bottom of the Barrel
Brandon
Here are our waiver wire candidates for week twelve. As usual, you’ll find players who are either [Startable], a [Stopgap] to get you past a BYE or injury, [Worth a look] and spot on your bench, or [One-week-wonder]s who don’t warrant a roster spot, so you make your roster moves accordingly. You’ll also see the percent owned (in Yahoo! leagues) in parenthesis. All I can say about the cast of characters on this week’s list is that hopefully you don’t have to rely on them too much…otherwise you’re in big trouble.
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The Wire - Week 10: The Return of Chris Chambers
Brandon
Here are our waiver wire candidates for week ten. As usual, you’ll find players who are either [Startable], a [Stopgap] to get you past a BYE or injury, [Worth a look] and spot on your bench, or [One-week-wonder]s who don’t warrant a roster spot, so you make your roster moves accordingly. You’ll also see the percent owned in parenthesis (and if you see an asterisk by the players name, it means they’re on a BYE this week.)
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Hits & Misses - Week 4: Cutler to the Rescue!
Brandon
Here are our “Hits” and “Misses” for week four, 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 didn’t even have to worry about skipping the most obvious choices, as most of the top ranked players have some pretty tough match-ups (Brees/Colston vs Jets, MJD vs Titans, Brady vs Ravens, Purple Jesus vs Packers, etc), so here is your unfiltered hits and misses for the week, starting with the Savior of Chicago… (More …)
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Brandon
Looks like Chiefs’ quarterback Matt Cassel is a no-go for this afternoon and Brodie Croyle will start in his place. Get him out of your lineup ASAP!
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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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Quick hits from week two of the preseason
Brandon
Just a few notes from the weekend preseason games…
- Falcons running back Michael Turner continued to look great in the preseason, rushing seven times for 65 yards and a score against the Rams. In non-PPR leagues, he’s a top three running back without a doubt.
- Bears new quarterback Jay Cutler made a good recovery from his first week struggles, throwing for 121 yards and a touchdown on 8 of 13 attempts. Cutler will be solid for the Bears and is start-able in all league formats.
- Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel looked a heck of a lot better this weekend than he did in week one of the preseason, completing nine of fourteen passes for 99 yards and a touchdown to receiver Dwayne Bowe. I wouldn’t be comfortable with Cassel as the starter on my fantasy football team until he puts up a few more good performances though and even then, he’s still more likely to be a bye-week/injury fill-in. In terms of Bowe, you can forget all that talk of him being demoted to second string due to poor conditioning, as he’s clearly established himself as the best receiver on the team and makes a decent-WR1/great-WR2 going into the season.
- Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo looked sharp, throwing for 192 yards on 18 of 24 attempts. Although he is still working on his chemistry with receiver Roy Williams, he still has Jason Witten and some other receivers to spread the ball to in the meantime.
- In just two offensive series, veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown from quarterback Matt Ryan. While there was talk that he was still trying to get the system down, this is a pretty good sign that by the time the season starts, Gonzo will be ready to pick up right where he left off last season…racking up the yards and touchdowns.
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2008 Fantasy Football Playoffs MVPs
Brandon
This season has been one of my best years ever in terms of fantasy football, as I made the championship in three seperate leagues, while playing in the third place game in two others. For that reason, I figured it made sense to create an All Fantasy Football Playoffs MVP team, highlighting the players that either caused me joy or pain over the past few weeks. Interestingly enough, only one of these players even made the Pro Bowl (Wes Welker…as a reserve). Anyways, let’s jump into the MVP awards for the 2008 playoffs…
Quarterback
Philip Rivers, SD: Rivers was the top quarterback in the league nearly the entire season, so it’s fitting that he would continue his fantasy football dominance of the position through the playoffs. This past Sunday, when some of you may have been playing in the Championship game of your league, Rivers threw for nearly 290 yards and four touchdowns, probably carrying more than one team out there to a league title. Let’s also mention that he’s thrown a combined nine touchdowns over the past three weeks, while averaging around 280 passing yards or so.
Honorable Mention: Matt Cassel, NE (More …)
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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 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 …) -
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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Week 13 Wrap-up: Do we have to watch the Lions?
Brandon
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! If you were wishing that the football games would give you reason to ignore your family members and sit on the couch all afternoon, you were probably a bit disappointed with what transpired this past Thursday. In my opinion, this had to be one of the worst weekends of football in a long time, as eight of the fifteen games were near-blowouts, seven were missing a 30 point effort from either of the contestants, and three games featured teams whose leading rusher was either their quarterback or Jacob Hester (who needed one attempt to best LT!) Anyways, it was one of the most important weeks of football from a fantasy perspective, so let’s hope that the right guys had big days for your team, starting with the action from Turkey Day…
- Tennessee 47, Detroit 10 (Thursday): Is it time to remove Detroit from the Thanksgiving Day football schedule? After another pathetic performance from a team trying its hardest to go 0-16, do they really deserve a national audience every Turkey Day? Either way, the Titans got back to what got them to 10-0 a few weeks ago…the running game, as both Chris Johnson (125 yards, 2 TD) and LenDale White (106 yards, 2 TD) had a field day against the Lions. (More …)
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The Wire: Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 13, 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, but 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.
J.J. Arrington, RB, Cardinals (11.6% owned, Grab ‘n’ Stash) – Tim Hightower still has a hold on the “starter” designation, as well as the goal-line carries, but with the team passing the ball so much and Hightower running so ineffectively, it’s Arrington who could have the most value heading into the playoffs. If you’re a Hightower owner, you want Arrington on your roster for sure insurance if anything.
Maurice Morris, RB, Seahawks (15.7% owned, Desperation Pickup) – He had a big game on Sunday, but with a short week ahead it could be Julius Jones that gets the bulk of the carries. You should not be relying on a player like Morris to get you into the playoffs, but maybe you are… (More …)
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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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The Wire: Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 12, 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, but 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.
J.J. Arrington, RB, Cardinals (1.8% owned, Grab ‘n’ Stash) – Rookie Tim Hightower just hasn’t gotten it done the past two weeks and we’re starting to wonder if he’s really starter-material. With Kurt Warner opening the field up dramatically with the passing game, Hightower should have all the room in the world to run the ball, but the numbers just aren’t there. On Sunday, J.J. Arrington was able to weasel some carries from Hightower (including a touchdown) and did fairly well with them. If Hightower continues to struggle, look for Arrington’s carries to increase steadily.
Deion Branch, WR, Seahawks (9.2% owned, Grab ‘n’ Stash) – Branch finally played another game this season…and survived! He ended up the game with over 50 yards and as he gets more playing time, he should get more comfortable in the offense and put up decent numbers down the home stretch. He’s probably not worth starting right away, but you might pick him up and hide him on your roster to see what he can do. (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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Week 9 Weekend Wrap-Up: Halloween hang-over
Brandon
While I wish I could write about something super-exciting that happened this past weekend in the NFL, there just wasn’t a whole lot going on worthy of it. The most interesting thing to happen was probably the Chiefs near-victory over the heavily favored Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so we’ll start there…
- Tampa Bay 30, Kansas City 27: While the final outcome of this game was pretty predictable (TB beats KC), the score was no where near what we all expected. I’m not sure which stats are more interesting: 1) a non-quarterback for both teams (RB Earnest Graham for the Bucs, WR Mark Bradley for the Chiefs) threw a touchdown pass (with the Chiefs quarterback Tyler Thigpen catching the touchdown from Bradley) or one of the top run defenses in the league let up over 100 yards to a rookie (Jamaal Charles) who plays for the Chiefs. Anyways, in the end it doesn’t matter what the score was, as the Chiefs couldn’t find a way to stop the Jeff Garcia to Antonio Bryant (8 catches for 115 yards and a TD) connection all day long.
- New York Jets 26, Buffalo 17: I’m surprised that the Jets even won this game, considering the play of Brett Favre (201 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT.) Either way though, as a Patriots fan I can’t complain about how bad either of these teams look these days. Honestly, even though they’re the only team in the division without a winning record, the Dolphins are the team that scares me the most to challenge New England for the division crown. (More …)
