Fantasy Fallout, Week 3: TEs
Posted by John Paulsen (09/28/2009 @ 11:00 am)
- Vernon Davis (7-96-2) had a huge game, but I doubt there were too many fantasy owners that had the balls to start him.
- Tony Gonzalez (1-16) was a non-factor on Sunday.
- Brent Celek (8-104-1) is looking like an every week starter at TE. He has good hands and the Eagles need a good second receiving option after DeSean Jackson.
- Greg Olsen (5-44-1) rewarded those owners that stuck with him after a couple of shaky outings.
- I like Zach Miller (2-17), but JaMarcus Russell is so inconsistent at QB that it’s tough to start Miller in any given week.
- With the way that Indy feeds the ball to Dallas Clark (7-62-1), it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he finishes the season as fantasy’s TE1, assuming he can stay healthy.
See below for links to the QB, RB and WR positions.
Fantasy Fallout, Week 3: WRs
Posted by John Paulsen (09/28/2009 @ 10:00 am)
- Santana Moss finally had a big game (9-172-1) and rewarded those owners with the balls (or the desperation) to stick with him after two bad outings.
- Laurent Robinson (2-26) and Donnie Avery (3-12) were very quiet against the Packers even though the Rams trailed most of the game. Robinson may be seriously hurt, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. If he has an MCL injury, he could be out for a while.
- There doesn’t seem to be a clear WR1 in Minnesota as Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin each had four catches.
- With Wes Welker out, I was expecting a big PPR game for Julian Edelman (3-20), but he didn’t deliver.
- The Pats did a nice job of taking away Roddy White (4-24), which is something they’ve been doing well all season.
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Fantasy Fallout, Week 3: RBs
Posted by John Paulsen (09/28/2009 @ 8:00 am)
- Kevin Smith (19 touches, 119 yards) had a nice game, but left early with a shoulder injury.
- Clinton Portis was dinged up heading into Sunday’s game, but was still surprisingly quiet (13 touches, 48 yards) against the Lions.
- Ryan Grant (26 carries, 99 yards) struggled early, but got it going a bit in the second half to finish with a decent ypc (3.8).
- Frank Gore left the game after only one carry, and Glen Coffee (25 carries, 54 yards) didn’t have much success against the Williams Wall. It looks like Gore will be out at least two weeks with a high ankle sprain.
- Michael Turner (15 carries, 56 yards, TD) never could get it going, but he did score.
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Fantasy Fallout, Week 3: QBs
Posted by John Paulsen (09/28/2009 @ 7:00 am)
- Aaron Rodgers got off to a shaky start, but finished with great numbers (269 pass yards, 2 pass TD, rush TD).
- Jason Campbell (327 yards, 2 TD, INT) had a predictably nice game against the Lions.
- Marc Bulger was knocked out of the game, but Kyle Boller (164 yards, 2 TD, INT) came in and played pretty well.
- Eli Manning (161 yards, 2 TD) continues to be coolly efficient in the Giants’ passing game.
- Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson combined for 115 yards passing, zero TD and four INT. Ouch.
- Drew Brees (172 yards) was surprisingly quiet against the Bills.
- Chad Pennington (54 passing yards) was knocked out of the game, and Chad Henne (92 yards, INT) didn’t do very well in his place.
Be sure to check back later for the RB, WR and TE positions.
Fantasy Football Actives/Inactives: Week 3
Posted by John Paulsen (09/27/2009 @ 11:23 am)
OUT
Brian Westbrook (McCoy is a great start)
Wes Welker (Edelman is a solid start)
Jamal Lewis (J. Davis is a desperation start)
Dwayne Bowe (Bobby Wade is a solid start in PPR leagues)
Donovan McNabb (Kolb is a decent start)
IN
Clinton Portis (great start)
Kevin Walter (decent start)
Carnell Williams (bad start)
Percy Harvin (decent start)
Randy Moss (great start)
DeSean Jackson (hammy wrapped, be careful…decent start)
Antonio Bryant (desperation start)
Fantasy Quick-Hitters: Westy, DeSean, Bowe, Bell, MBIII and more
Posted by John Paulsen (09/25/2009 @ 12:00 pm)

DeSean Jackson, Brian Westbrook miss practice. Westy has a long history of not practicing during the week and then killing defenses on Sunday, so plan to use him in Week 3. The Eagles play in the early game, so you’ll have an opportunity to make an adjustment if he’s inactive. While tweaked ankles can clear up fast, I’m a little worried about Jackson’s groin injury. Muscle injuries don’t typically just go away, but he may be able to fight through it. One wonders if the Eagles will risk it against a Kansas City defense that hasn’t shown much in 2009.
Dwayne Bowe fighting a hamstring injury. He was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice, but the fact that he was out there is a good sign for Sunday. Again, the PHI/KC game is at 1 PM ET, so you should have time to make a move if he is a surprise scratch. He was practicing again on Friday, so that’s a good sign.
Giants lose SS Phillips for the season. This is a serious blow to a Giants DT that has looked strong thus far this season. The loss of Phillips will hurt both in the passing game and in run support, and given the team’s other injury problems on defense, don’t be afraid to start players facing the Giants this week (mainly Cadillac Williams, if healthy, and Derrick Ward).
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Posted in: Fantasy Football, News
Tags: 2009 fantasy football, 2009 fantasy football week 3, Antonio Bryant fantasy, Antonio Bryant injury, Brian Westbrook, Brian Westbrook fantasy, Brian Westbrook injury, DeSean Jackson fantasy, DeSean Jackson injury, Dwayne Bowe fantasy, Dwayne Bowe injury, fantasy football strategy, Jamal Lewis fantasy, Jamal Lewis injury, James Davis fantasy, Marion Barber fantasy, Marion Barber injury, Mike Bell fantasy, Mike Bell injury, Wes Welker fantasy, Wes Welker injury

Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em: Week 3
Posted by John Paulsen (09/24/2009 @ 2:08 pm)

Every week, I will highlight a few players to start and a few players to sit at each position. I’m a firm believer in starting your studs, so I won’t tell you about how Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and keep them in your lineup. Instead, I’ll focus on the borderline guys – players you’ll only start under the right circumstances. It’s important to note that depending on your roster and situation, you may not be able to follow these recommendations. For example, if I suggest you bench a solid starter like Tony Romo, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.
The “love ‘em” players are listed in the order that I’d start them this week.


Philip Rivers has a nice matchup with the Dolphins, who have struggled to stop the pass in each of the first two games. I worry a little bit about the Chargers’ inability to stop the run and how the Dolphins could eat up the clock, but Rivers is still a must-start in most formats this week…Through two weeks, Eli Manning is QB11, and has looked pretty sharp. Steve Smith and Mario Manningham are coming on, so he has some weapons to throw to. This week, he faces a Bucs defense that is 27th against the pass, allowing 282 passing yards and 2.5 pass TD per game…Trent Edwards should have a nice game against the Saints, who are likely to put up a lot of points and aren’t terribly good against the pass…Jake Delhomme actually looks like a pretty good start this week as he faces a Cowboys defense that has given up 303 yards and 1.5 pass TD per game this season. He’s still a shaky start, but if you’re in dire straits or play in a two-QB league, he’s worth a shot…Mark Sanchez has been solid thus far and with a matchup against the 32nd-ranked Tennessee pass defense, he should have a nice day…Jason Campbell didn’t throw a TD last week against the Rams, which is worrisome, but he has another great matchup this week. The Lions have given up eight pass TD through two games.
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Posted in: Fantasy Football
Tags: 2009 fantasy football, 2009 fantasy football week 3, Fantasy Football, fantasy football advice, fantasy football picks, fantasy football start sit, fantasy football start sit week 3, fantasy football strategy, fantasy football week 3 busts, fantasy football week 3 sleepers, start em sit em fantasy football

Fantasy Quick-Hitters: Welker, Mendenhall, Forsett and more
Posted by John Paulsen (09/23/2009 @ 1:45 pm)

Bill Belichick: Wes Welker “was inactive because he wasn’t able to play.” Thanks for the information, Bill. Welker owners should absolutely have Julian Edelman on their roster, especially in PPR leagues. He’s also worth a look for non-Welker owners who have a spot open on their bench. If Welker’s injury lingers, Edelman is startable on a weekly basis. On Sunday, he ran all the same routes that Welker usually does and racked up 98 yards on eight receptions. He was targeted 16 times by Tom Brady. The Pats play in the first round of games on Sunday, so you’ll know early on whether or not to put Edelman in your lineup.
Mendenhall’s role to grow? HC Mike Tomlin insinuated that it will. Mendenhall had a 39-yard run in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Bears, and showed a burst that neither Willie Parker nor Mewelde Moore seem to offer right now. The original plan was some sort of committee, so don’t expect Mendenhall to take over and become a featured back. Even if Parker were to go down, Moore would be in on all third downs at a minimum.
The Seahawks planning to be without Hasselbeck in Week 3. Hasselbeck has a fractured rib and may not be able to play. Seneca Wallace isn’t a bad backup and has been a productive fantasy player in the past. He wouldn’t be a bad start for fantasy owners in two-QB leagues or for those owners that are in dire straits in standard leagues.
Cutler: Olsen “might have a 10-catch game coming up.” Don’t panic and cut ties with Olsen. He is still one of the most gifted pass-catching TEs in the league and his numbers will recover. He could have had a big game against the Steelers if not for a great hit along the sideline on a 20-yard catch (that jarred the ball loose) and a slip in the endzone on a sure-TD.
Justin Forsett coming on. I added him to my list of waiver wire acquisitions. Julius Jones is all right, but Forsett is gaining, and clearly outplayed him on Sunday. The Seahawks aren’t married to Jones, as evidenced by the Edgerrin James signing. Since he has big upside, Forsett is a good guy to roster and is worthy of flex/bye week starts in PPR formats.
Posted in: Fantasy Football
Tags: 2009 fantasy football, 2009 fantasy football strategy, 2009 fantasy football week 3, Greg Olsen, Greg Olsen fantasy, Julian Edelman fantasy, Justin Forsett, Justin Forsett fantasy, Matt Hasselbeck, Matt Hasselbeck fantasy, matt hasselbeck injury, Rashard Mendenhall fantasy, Wes Welker fantasy, Wes Welker injury, Willie Parker fantasy

Defensive Team By Waiver Wire (DTBWW): Week 3
Posted by John Paulsen (09/23/2009 @ 10:55 am)
The strategy behind DTBWW is that each week, you pick up a defense, usually one playing at home against a bad offense. And each week, you get pretty good numbers out of your DT position. To see how this approach performed last season, click here.
Last week, I recommended three DTBWW picks. Let’s take a look at how they performed:
#1 Falcons: 1 SK + 1 FR + 1 INT = 3 fantasy points
#2 Redskins: 7 PA (6) + 1 SK + 1 FR = 8 fp
#3 Broncos: 6 PA (8) + 4 SK + 1 INT + 2 FR = 15 fp
So far, my #1 pick is averaging 3.5 fantasy points (not good), my #2 pick is averaging 11.0 points (very good) and my bonus pick is averaging 10.0 points (very good). The overall average is 8.2 fantasy points.
Here are this week’s recommendations. All teams are available in at least 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues. If the Packers are available in your league, I’d start them (against the Rams) before any of these teams this week.
Pick #1: Broncos (@ OAK)
Through the first two weeks, the Broncos own the #2 fantasy defense. Is this going to last? Probably not. But after two great matchups with the Bengals and Browns, the Broncos get another potentially good matchup with the Oakland Raiders.
Pick #2: Redskins (@ DET)
Washington’s defense is solid, yet unspectacular. In the last three seasons, the Redskins have finished no higher than 19th in fantasy defense. But last week they held the Rams to just seven points, and this week they get a tasty matchup with the Detroit Lions.
Bonus Pick: Cowboys (vs. CAR)
Believe it or not, the Cowboys have failed to register a sack or create a turnover through two games. But with Jake Delhomme coming to town, that should change. I’d expect the Cowboys defense will be fired up and ready to play after a tough loss against the Giants last week. Wade Phillips is a good defensive coach, so he should be able to turn things around.
Fantasy Football Q&A: Week 3
Posted by John Paulsen (09/22/2009 @ 12:11 pm)
Get caught up on the Fantasy Fallout from Week 2, then check out our Waiver Wire Watch for Week 3.
Still have questions? Feel free to post them here. (Be sure to give me a general idea of your starting lineup requirements and scoring system — standard, TD-heavy, PPR, etc.)
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