About this time last year, Luther Head was playing college ball for Illinois. Now he’s starting at point guard for the Houston Rockets. Over the past five games, he’s averaging 15.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 4.0 apg, along with 1.4 steals and 3.4 treys. More importantly, he’s still getting major minutes now that T-Mac is back. While his FG% (.391) isn’t great, his FT% (.739) isn’t bad and it’s nice to get help in all of those categories from a PG.
Go get him.
Every week, I submit six names our fantasy football owners – three marginal players to start and three to bench. Let’s see how I did last week:
START
Trent Green – 323 pass yards, 1 TD (HIT)
Green carved up a piecemeal Patriots pass defense.
Chris Brown – 135 total yards, 1 TD (HIT)
Brown did most of his damage through the air against San Francisco.
Eddie Kennison – 3 catches, 65 yards (MISS)
Kennison had a decent day, but Samie Parker cannibalized some of his looks.
BENCH
Chris Simms – 202 pass yards, 0 TD (HIT)
As expected, Simms had a tough time against a good Bears defense.
Tony Fisher / Samkon Gado – 42 total yards (HIT) / 122 total yards, 1 TD (MISS)
Surprisingly, Gado got 26 carries after being benched the previous week.
Reggie Brown – 0 catches (HIT)
Nary a catch for Brown against the Packers.
On to this week’s picks:
START
QB – Kurt Warner, ARI
Warner faces a San Francisco defense that is last in the league in passing yards allowed per game.
RB – Carnell Williams, TB
Williams faces a Saints D that allows an average of 137 rushing yards on the ground.
WR – Derrick Mason, BAL
The Ravens face the Texans, who have given up 20 pass TDs along with 224 yards per game through the air.
BENCH
QB – Brett Favre, GB
Bench Favre if you have another viable option, as he faces a good Bears defense this week.
RB – Julius Jones, DAL
Dallas faces a Giants D that is playing very well and Marion Barber III is still in the mix for the Cowboys at RB.
WR – Mushin Muhammad, CHI
Surprisingly, the Packers have played very good pass defense this year. Bench Muhammad if you have a decent alternative.
Having played for Bo Ryan during his tenure at UW-Platteville, I knew the man could coach. Over his final 12 seasons at Platteville, he compiled a 314-37 (.895) record, averaging 26.2 wins a season. He led the Pioneers to four national championships, including the 1995 team that I started for. We went 31-0 and beat an undefeated Steve Alford-led Manchester team for the title.
Ryan recruited me just after winning his first title (1991) and he was always mentioned when Division I jobs opened up in the area. When I asked him whether or not he was going to leave while I was there, he said, “John, the only job I want other than this one is the University of Wisconsin job.” That job opened up a couple times over the next several years and Ryan was passed over both times. Despite all the success at the D3 level, he realized he needed to get some D1 experience before he’d get a chance with the Badgers, so he took the head position with UW-Milwaukee. After turning that program around in two seasons, he finally got his chance to lead the Badgers.
Like I said, I knew he could coach, but his performance over the last four years leading Wisconsin proved that he could coach. I wasn’t sure how Ryan’s disciplined nature was going to go over with the thinner-skinned D1 scholarship players, but from what I’ve heard, he’s adjusted his coaching style a bit and has led the Badgers to an average of 23.3 wins in his first four seasons. During that span, Wisconsin has won two Big Ten championships, and Ryan has won two Big Ten Coach of the Year awards in the process. Wisconsin has earned four straight NCAA tournament births, and last year they advanced to the Elite Eight after two straight Sweet Sixteen appearances.
His talents were on display again tonight as the Badgers visited the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the ACC / Big Ten Challenge – the Deacons prevailed, 91-88. The Badgers weren’t themselves defensively, allowing Eric Williams to dominate inside and Justin Gray to score a career high 37 points. Somehow Wisconsin stayed in the game, riding Alando Tucker’s 23 second half points. Tucker is Wisconsin’s best player, with Brian Butch and Kammron Taylor chipping in – it will be interesting to see how this relatively young team progresses as the year goes on.
One thing’s for sure: Bo will “coach ‘em up.”
To understand Ryan’s philosophy, check out the great article he wrote for collegeinsider.com.
We’re in the middle of the stretch run – for a lot of fantasy owners, it’s do or die time. Post all of your roster questions here.
QUARTERBACKS
David Garrard, JAX – Byron Leftwich is out for a while and Garrard will start in his place. He was pretty good against Arizona, throwing for 115 yards while rushing for 61 yards and a score.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, STL – Backup QB Jamie Martin left the game with a concussion and if he can’t go next week, Fitzpatrick would get the start. He finished the game strong against a questionable Texans defense throwing for 310 yards and three scores, including a TD pass to Kevin Curtis for the win in overtime.
RUNNING BACKS
Samkon Gado, GB – The way that the Packers didn’t use Gado in the second half of the Monday night game against the Vikings led many (including myself) to believe that he was out of the mix at RB. But Sunday he ran for 111 yards and a score, so he is very much in the mix.
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