Month: September 2016

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Fantasy Mailbag 2016: Week 4

Bears safety Chris Prosinski was just minding his own business, serving as a backup on defense and contributing on special teams. Next thing you know, he’s forced into the game because of injuries and is immortalized on posters for years to come…because Ezekiel Elliott did this to him.

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Aside from the shame that Prosinski has to harbor, in film sessions and highlight shows for years to come, the Cowboys have something special on their hands. Elliott had his coming out party against Chicago on Sunday Night Football last week, rushing for 140 yards and adding 20 more receiving. He was a workhorse down the stretch. Gashing a beat up Bears defense, but running harder on every down. He is currently the league’s 3rd leading rusher, with 2 touchdowns, and should only impress more behind the NFL’s best offensive line.

The Cowboys are also led by another rookie at quarterback, who is making a lot of us wonder how he fell to the 4th round in this year’s draft. Dak Prescott doesn’t have gaudy numbers, yet, but he appears to be looking better by the week. He threw his first career touchdown pass in Week 3, averages 33 attempts per game, and goes up against the 28th ranked pass defense on Sunday (San Francisco). He won’t necessarily carry your team, but a spot start by Prescott doesn’t appear shabby in Week 4 if you need one.

Quick Hits

  • Terrelle Pryor became the first player in NFL history to record over 140 receiving yards, 20 rushing yards, and 30 passing yards all in the same game. He is the Browns’ best source for offense and even played safety, at one point, against the Dolphins in Week 3. You can also tell that Cleveland coach Hue Jackson is scheming specifically to put the ball in Pryor’s hands AND in open space…because why wouldn’t you, when the guy is 6’6, 240 pounds and can run a 4.4 40-second drill.

 

  • Christine Michael looked like he was in a video game in the first quarter against San Francisco in week 3. 9 carries, 71 yards and 2 touchdowns (the first on his first touch for 41 yards). He came back to Earth though, only rushing for 35 on 3.1 yards per carry after that. Michael is the guy many people have waited on, with all the physical tools to be a star in the league. The injuries Thomas Rawls has dealt with have given Michael his 3rd or 4th chance to prove it, as it seems. He has a tough matchup this week against the Jets, a Top-3 rush defense.

 

  • In tonight’s Thursday Night Football matchup, your first thought for best fantasy option may be AJ Green, but I lean toward Jarvis Landry. He is commanding 30% of his team’s targets, is lethal in the return game, and is LITERALLY putting up Antonio Brown numbers (even though he went 4 rounds later in your draft). Landry is tied with Brown for the league lead in receptions (24) and has recorded more yards in 3 games (314). He’s even stealing Brown’s touchdown celebrations…

 

Mail Time!

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If Dez Bryant plays, he’ll be doing so with a fractured knee…So, I’ll let you decide on that one.

 

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For PPR’s sake, you’ll for sure want to start Mark Ingram. The Chargers are allowing NINE CATCHES PER GAME to running backs, so far this season. Being without Manti Teo (who is still without his imaginary girlfriend. Sorry too easy), makes the Chargers way more susceptible to the run.

Carlos Hyde may have gone off on the Seahawks, but they didn’t allow Arian Foster or Todd Gurley to go over 51 yards the weeks prior. Travis Benjamin will continue to get is targets and shoot EAT against the Saints secondary.

 

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The Giants have done some impressive things rushing the passer and against the run, but they are THE WORST against the pass through 3 weeks this season. Stefon Diggs should be in for a solid day of receiving yards on Sunday.

Despite facing his toughest matchup of the season, I have to recommend Mike Evans over Emmanuel Sanders because he is 2nd in targets this season to Antonio Brown. Jameis Winston may not play particularly well, but you can count on him at least throwing it Evans’ way.

 

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This one will be quick:

League leader in receiving yards Marvin Jones against the depleted Bears secondary. Then Brandin Cooks, for the real potential of a shootout with San Diego.

 

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You have to play Julio Jones if you have him. Last week was a bit of an enigma with him. Look for Julio to take advantage of a young Panthers secondary that has only faced Trevor Siemian, Blaine Gabbert, and Sam Bradford so far this season and Matt Ryan has all of a sudden shown up as a top quarterback again. I get the temptation for Marvin Jones, but Julio is far more proven and that deal needs to be sweetened much more for me to trade him.

 

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Hey man, I just give advice. I don’t lock your lineup for you.

Have more Fantasy lineup questions? Don’t hesitate to ask on Facebook or Twitter. 

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Fantasy Mailbag 2016: Week 3

After all the running back injuries last weekend, it seems the best course would be to tread lightly…when claiming a fill-in.

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Fozzy Whittaker, Panthers

After Jonathan Stewart went down with a hamstring injury, Whittaker took over with 100 yards rushing on 16 carries (6.25 yards per carry). Stewart isn’t expected to be out very long, but you can’t expect the Panthers to increase the potential for Cam Newton to get hurt on more quarterback draw plays. Whittaker has the talent to be effective with a lead back’s workload. Cameron Artis-Payne and Mike Tolbert will be in the rotation for touches, but the majority should go to Whittaker…who recorded nearly a quarter of his 3-year career rush total just last week.

Jerick McKinnon, Vikings

There are 3 running backs, not named Adrian Peterson, who are looking to shine on the Vikings roster. Matt Asiata is a goal line vulture, with short-yardage power. Ronnie Hillman landed from Denver, not too long ago, and has the ability to be a flash-in-the-pan every once in a while. Then there’s Jerick McKinnon, who may be the most talented of the 3 and should be counted on for his pass-catching and breakaway speed. Your best bet is McKinnon for those exact reasons, and because the Vikings could be playing from behind against Newton and the now high-flying Panthers offense.

Kenneth Dixon, Ravens & Kenyan Drake, Dolphins

These two rookie running backs should be on your radar. Dixon is on his way back from injury, but worth stashing once he returns. Neither Justin Forsett or Terrance West have done enough to claim the #1 RB role in Baltimore, and Dixon is one of the most talented players to come out of the draft…Going down the coast, we find Drake getting an opportunity to earn #1 type work over Jay Ajayi while Arian Foster deals with the thing that’s plagued him since 2013…injuries. Drake ran in a touchdown last week, and Ajayi has been a healthy scratch for Dolphins once already this season.

Mail Time!

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RB2 – You’ve got really good problem on your hands. Both players have great matchups, but I like Gordon’s situation more. The Chargers signed Dexter McCluster to fill in for the Woodhead role, but realistically he still needs to learn the offense. The Colts are also incredibly banged up on defense. The 2015 version of myself wouldn’t believe I’m saying this, but go with Melvin Gordon.

Flex – I understand the concern not wanting to stack a RB & WR from the same team, but Ken Whisenhunt has brought some serious fire power back to the Chargers’ offensive play-calling. On top of Woodhead and Allen being hurt, the Chargers may also be without Antonio Gates this weekend. Travis Benjamin should be a target monster.

 

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I would respond by asking, who is available? The Chiefs had a solid bounce back last week with 2 sacks and 2 picks, while also holding one of the more potent offenses in football to under 20 points. The Jets looked pretty dangerous a week ago against a pretty messed up Bills squad, but they could be just as prone for turnovers…as FitzMagic proved at the end of last season. Tweet me your other Defensive options at @Mike_PiFF03.

 

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Not Golden Tate. As a Golden Tate enthusiast before the season, I’ve got pretty hard feelings toward his production in the first two weeks.

Atlanta’s secondary has been LIT UP 2 weeks in a row, and Brandin Cooks is just the spark for another deep bomb of a TD (or 2). Jordan Matthews has recorded 100 yards or a touchdown in 6 of his last 8 games. You can trust him more than Demaryius Targaryen, which is very tough for me to say.

 

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FLEX – Gordon for the reasons above.

WR – T.Y. Hilton becomes more valuable with Moncrief being injured. I love Will Fuller but it’s hard to trust players to play at their best on Thursday night.

 

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I don’t love going against Carson Palmer, but I do love most quarterbacks facing the Saints secondary. They will likely be without P.J. Williams and Delvin Breaux and it’s obscene that Eli Manning didn’t score more points on them. Go with Matt Ryan.

 

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I know Sproles is tempting, but you must resist. Ryan Matthews is proving that his nose for then end zone is too strong to deny.

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Fantasy Mailbag 2016: Week 2

Week 1 is in the books and man…did football get off the bus running or what?

A few new names made quite an impression on Fantasy Football enthusiasts, like Jalen Richard above. Or Eli Rogers and his ricochet touchdown catches.

However, the Week 2 edition of Thursday Night Football featured much of the opposite. The key offensive players on the Jets are all 30 and over: Ryan Fitzpatrick (33), Brandon Marshall (32) and Matt Forte (30). Forte ran the ball 30 times to rush for 100 yards and 3 touchdowns. FitzMagic threw for 374 yards and 1 touchdown in a 37-31 Jets victory.

Quick Hits

  • Some of you were smart and drafted DeAngelo Williams in the 8th round or later (hopefully handcuffing him to Le’Veon Bell). Some of you were smart about picking up Spencer Ware on waivers right after, or drafting him late. Williams owners were treated to an AFC Offensive Player of the Week performance of 171 yards from scrimmage with 6 catches and 2 touchdowns. Ware owners were rewarded with 199 yards from scrimmage, 7 catches a touchdown. They may be placeholders for Bell and Jamaal Charles for now but Williams and Ware are playing at level that’s worth riding for as long as you can, considering they were both Top 4 in total yardage.

  • Carson Wentz impressed a lot of people across the league in his NFL debut. Completing 22 of his 37 passes for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns earned Wentz the 7th highest quarterback rating by a rookie on opening day. Although it doesn’t count for Fantasy points, there were more Wentz jerseys sold than any in the league over the 2 days following the opener. Wentz will have an opportunity to build on his success and become the 5th NFL quarterback since 1960 to start his career 2-0 against a shaky Bears secondary on Monday Night Football.

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  • On the flip-side of the Week 2 Monday Night matchup, Alshon Jeffery could be in for a big night. The Eagles will be without starting CB Leodis McKelvin and will depend on a 7th round pick Jalen Mills in his place. Also being counted on to cover Jeffery is Nolan Carroll, who was lit up by the BROWNS (all caps necessary) in Week 1. Jeffery became the first Bears player since Forte (in 2010) to record 100+ receiving yards in the first half, against Houston, and should do even more damage when Chicago hosts Philly.

 

Mail Time!

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I love the repertoire Willie Snead and Drew Brees have. Snead had the best game of his young career in Week 1 (9 catches, 172 yards, 1 TD) in a shootout with Oakland. A game with the Giants has potential for similar results, but I still lean toward Spencer Ware while you can still use him. The Saints have a heck of a wide receiver group and anyone can be in-store for a big day. Ware is guaranteed to get touches against a Texans defense that allowed 57 rush yards and a touchdown to Jeremy Langford a week ago. Alex Smith is also bound to continue dumping the ball off to Ware over the pass rush.

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Going back to the potential shootout between the Giants and Saints, I would go with Snead in this case…mostly because I think Eli Manning will be targeting Odell Beckham Jr. more than Victor Cruz after just 4 catches a week ago. OBJ is 9 catches away from becoming the youngest receiver to 200.

Remember the 52-49 game a year ago? Round 2 has a lot of hype to live up to.

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Flex: Safest play would be Golden Tate, who will be a target machine in his hometown of Nashville. Boom would be Demaryius Targaryen against a weak Indy secondary, but he’s dealing with a bad hip. Melvin Gordon may be taking a step back, as his team should be playing a lot of catchup against the high-powered (that’s right) Jaguars offense.

QB: I’m not particularly high on a less-mobile Russell Wilson against one of the best pass rushing front-7’s in football. Wilson has proved me wrong in the past, but I see the Seahawks attacking St. Louis better by handing off to the Rawls-Michael tandem. Trust the Jim Bob Cooter offense and Matthew Stafford this weekend.

 

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Einhorn. Sean Young, FTW.

 

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I do like Houston better, you’re right…but way more because of Whitney Mercilus than JJ Watt. The pass rush that they hoped to get from Jadeveon Clowney has arrived in the form of a man with a great football name, from the University of Illinois. While Cincy-Pittsburgh always lives up to its “rock’em, sock’em” reputation, but the Steelers offense is too good (even without Martavis Bryant and Le’Veon Bell) to bet against.

 

screen-shot-2016-09-16-at-9-53-55-am I hope you didn’t go with McCoy…

A tandem of DJ2K (David Johnson) and Williams is a tough one to beat. They are also two of the most reliable backs you can find, with schemes that will always put the ball in their hands. Have fun.

 

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I like Stefon Diggs the most, as a receiver, but I don’t like the quarterback situation throwing him the ball. It will either be an under-prepared Sam Bradford or Shaun Hill against the Packers 3-4 pass rush. Does that inspire confidence in you? I didn’t think so…

Emmanuel Sanders may be the best option for the sole reason that he is the healthier than Thomas and he’s going against one of the worst secondaries in football.

 

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Jay Cutler and I think you should go with Will Fuller.

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Have more Fantasy lineup questions? Don’t hesitate to ask on Facebook or Twitter. 

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Fantasy Football Mailbag 2016 – Week 1

It’s Thursday, there’s football tonight, and you have a lineup (or 3) that you need to set.

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Thank goodness, Fantasy Football is back.

Look at the NFL, starting the new season where they left off last year. NBC’s Thursday Night Football will premiere with a Super Bowl 50 rematch between the Panthers and defending champion Broncos. Both teams return with stout defenses. One will have Cam Newton under center. The other will have…

Trevor Siemian.

The Broncos make Siemian the first Northwestern quarterback to start the regular season since Otto Graham. Siemian beat out Mark Sanchez and 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch. He also inherits an offense from sure-fire Hall of Famer Peyton Manning that includes Pro Bowlers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders on the outside, and CJ Anderson at tailback.

It’s hard to tell how the wide receivers will fair with the 7th rounder at quarterback. He won the job by not turning the ball over and managing the preseason games fairly well. Key term: Managed. Anderson and rookie backup running back Devontae Booker will likely get plenty of touches, but you can’t expect Siemian to beat the Panthers defense with his arm. Carolina can still fly to the ball, even without Josh Norman.

Quick Hits

  • It wasn’t far-fetched to draft Jamaal Charles in the 2nd round, especially when his ceiling is that of a Top 5 back. If you were smart though (owning JC or not), you picked up Spencer Ware when Andy Reid mentioned his #1 RB wasn’t going to be ready for the start of the season. When handed the ball 10 times or more, Ware averaged 95.3 yards and 1.3 touchdowns rushing in 2015. He also faces a Chargers defense that gave up nearly as many rushing yards and touchdowns in the league.

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  • The people who told you that Alfred Morris would be a viable Fantasy pickup were sorely mistaken. Ezekiel Elliott was drafted 4th overall for a reason, and that’s to be the Cowboys’ bell cow. Even as a rookie, Elliott was expected to get a ton of touches with Tony Romo at the helm. With another rookie taking snaps, expect him to be depended on even more…especially in 3rd down situations.

  • Antonio Brown was the consensus #1 pick in just about every league. He may not be the #1 WR to start the season though. Julio Jones was near historic in 2015, recording 136 catches and 1,871. Sunday, Jones will face the team he has terrorized the most in his 5-year career. He has averaged 116 yards and 7 catches per game against Tampa Bay, scoring 6 touchdowns over the 9 games he’s played them.

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Mail Time!

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You know Jared Goff is inactive this week, right? He ended the preseason 3rd on the Rams’ depth chart. I hope you didn’t draft him. So Dak Prescott…Yeah. Dak.

 

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It seems like a lot of people forget that Carson Palmer is coming off the best season of his career, throwing 4,671 yards, 35 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. The 4 interceptions and 2 fumbles in the NFC title game against the Panthers may have something to do with that, but he isn’t playing against Carolina this weekend. I understand the temptation to go with Matt Stafford but his set of weapons aren’t nearly as proven as Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, Michael Floyd and David Johnson combined. Go with Palmer against New England. Arizona will hope to capitalize on the mistakes of young Jimmy Garoppolo.

 

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This is a fun one, and I’m surprised you were so trusting of so many rookies. Michael Thomas is realistically the 3rd option in New Orleans against a pretty decent Raiders defense. I like Sterling Shepard a lot and the opportunities he can get while Odell Beckham Jr. is double covered, but I don’t see him being the star against Dallas. Then that leaves us with Will Fuller, who is facing an already banged up Bears secondary. The Houston Texans have opportunity to feast on an ariel assault this Sunday, with Kyle Fuller likely out and Tracey Porter returning from injury in the preseason. Go with the the Notre Dame burner, Fuller, who can take the top off most NFL defenses.

 

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Matt Ryan has too much he needs to show before I start him over Palmer. I already went into depth, regarding Palmer’s weapons so plan on starting him. Julio Jones will get his numbers, but I still need to see more from his new complimentary receivers. Vernon Hargreaves could also pose a threat, as the rookie had allowed a QB Rating of ZERO in the preseason.

 

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I know, people LOVE Marvin Jones paired with Matt Stafford. I just don’t understand why. Jones never topped 100 yards in 2015 and scored just 4 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Golden Tate has proven to be a target machine (sans Calvin Johnson as well) and Michael Crabtree actually had a statistically better year than Amari Cooper last season. There is shootout potential between the Saints and Raiders, and you’ll benefit greatly from starting Crabtree in that scenario.

 

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This may sound crazy…

I have trouble picking Cam Newton against the Denver defense. I know he has a chip on his shoulder after last year’s Super Bowl, but Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is going to throw the kitchen sink at him. Newton will still score some, either by air or ground. You should feel more comfortable with Ben Roethlisberger against a Washington defense that ranked in the bottom 3rd against passing yards and touchdowns a year ago.

And now for #DancingWade…

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Have more Fantasy lineup questions? Don’t hesitate to ask on Facebook or Twitter.Â