Category: Fantasy Football (Page 261 of 324)

Post all of your questions here.

Ronnie Brown left today’s game with what the team is calling a “knee sprain” and will have a MRI this week. Jesse Chatman becomes a hot pickup in the event that Brown misses time, and he probably will.

Brandon Jacobs may have re-aggravated his ankle injury. Derrick Ward should be a solid RB2 over the next few weeks.

Every week, I 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 Carson Palmer or LaDainian Tomlinson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and start them. 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 Ben Roethlisberger, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

START ‘EM

QB: Jeff Garcia looks like a great start against the Lions, who have given up an average of 264 yards and 2.0 TD through the air in five games…For the desperate, Byron Leftwich has a very nice matchup against the Saints, who are 26th against the pass…Chad Pennington is on thin ice in New York, but he faces the Bengals secondary, which is a cure for any quarterback’s woes…Kyle Boller has a nice matchup against the Bills, who have yielded an average of 288 yards and 1.8 TD through the air in five games…Jason Campbell also has a pretty good matchup against the Cardinals.

RB: Earnest Graham is a terrific start against the Lions, who have allowed 115 rushing yards and 1.4 rush TD per game…In that same game, Kevin Jones is a pretty good start against a Bucs defense that is a lot better against the pass than they are against the run…Brian Leonard has a nice matchup with the Seahawks, assuming Steven Jackson doesn’t make a miraculous recovery enabling him to play this week.

WR: Roddy White has a great matchup against the Saints, who have allowed an average of 241 yards and 2.0 TD through the air in the first five games…Patrick Crayton is a nice start against the Vikings, who are terrific against the run, but last in the league in passing yards allowed…Jerricho Cotchery is a must start against the Bengals, who have yielded an average of 247 yards and 2.6 pass TD thus far…Dwayne Bowe (@ OAK), Joey Galloway (@ DET) and Lee Evans (vs. BAL) also have good matchups.

SIT ‘EM

QB: Jay Cutler has a bad matchup at Pittsburgh and is without Javon Walker, who is going to miss a few weeks after getting his knee scoped…Matt Schaub may have difficulty throwing on the Titans, who have allowed just 0.6 pass TD in five games…Daute Culpepper is facing a hot Chiefs team that has allowed the 7th fewest passing yards thus far…Even though he had a great game last week, Cleo Lemon faces the Patriots, who have allowed just 179 yards through the air.

RB: Ahman Green is struggling and this week he faces a pretty tough Titans defense that is 1st in the league against the run…Cedric Benson has a pretty tough matchup against the Eagles (91 yards, 0.4 rush TD allowed), but he will get a bunch of touches.

WR: Calvin Johnson may find the going tough against a stingy Bucs defense that is 8th in the league against the pass and has only allowed 0.8 pass TD per game all season…Don’t expect a big game out of Hines Ward, who has to face Champ Bailey and the rest of the Denver secondary. The Broncos can’t stop the run, so it’s doubly attractive for opposing offenses to stay away from the pass…Don’t expect Darrell Jackson to break out his slump. He faces the Giants, who are playing some pretty good defense right now.

THINKING DEFENSIVELY

Here are a few defenses that have nice matchups this week and are available in at least 40% of ESPN leagues (in order of strength of play):

TB, SEA, NYG, KC, ATL, and HOU

SLEEPER OF THE WEEK

Kevin Faulk, Patriots
With Sammy Morris out and Laurence Maroney likely out, Faulk is an interesting start against a Miami team that has really struggled against the run. The Dolphins have allowed 169 rush yards and 1.7 rush TD per game. He holds extra value in PPR leagues where he’s sort of a (very) poor man’s Brian Westbrook.

TOUGH SLEDDING

Ronnie Brown, Dolphins
Given his tremendous performance in the last few games, you can’t bench him, but ratchet down those expectations this week. Brown faces the Patriots, who have allowed just 78 yards and just one rushing TD thus far. Brown may be able to do some damage in the passing game, but he’s going to have a tough time finding room to run.

FOXSports.com reports that the Chargers have acquired wide receiver Chris Chambers from the Dolphins for a 2008 second round pick. Here’s a quick look at fantasy implications from the trade:

1. Ted Ginn Jr. is about to see his role increased. He only has three receptions for 82 yards, but he’s averaging over 27 yards a catch, which could signify Cam Cameron loves his deep threat potential. Don’t drop a quality starter, but if you have a bench spot open and Ginn’s available, he’d be a decent option in a PPR league as a WR3.

2. Vincent Jackson is about to see his role decreased. Other than one week, Jackson has not cashed in on his preseason “sleeper” status. His trade value has obviously dipped, but now might be the time to see what you could get for a guy who just turned into the fourth or fifth option in the Chargers offense.

3. As far as Chambers goes, I’m optimistic about his potential in San Diego. He’s been a victim of poor quarterback play over the years and now he goes from a winless Miami team to an immediate contender. Maybe the trade will rejuvenate him. He’ll also benefit from teams keying on LT and Antonio Gates, which may mean more big play opportunities. Don’t trade the wife and kids for him, but see what his owner would want in a trade.

Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I’ll use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire of at least 40% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to talk about a player or two that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters.

QUARTERBACKS

David Garrard (44.0) continues to play great ball and should be owned in all leagues. At the very least, he’s a good backup though he’s been starter-caliber lately…Jason Campbell (39.8) has thrown at least one score in each of the last four games. He throws a nice ball and has a decent set of weapons to utilize…Brian Griese (16.6) has averaged 294 yards and 2.3 TD in his first three starts of the season. He has also thrown an average of two picks, but his yardage and TD offset that liability…Damon Huard (9.3) continues to play well. Over the last three games, he’s averaging 248 yards and 1.3 TD per game…Cleo Lemon (3.4) had a great first start, throwing for 256 yards and two scores, while running for two more. He has a tough matchup against the Pats next week, but after that he has some nice matchups…Kyle Boller (1.1) should start next week against the Bills, so if you’re desperate for QB help, he’s worth a look.

RUNNING BACKS

Tatum Bell (58.2) has requested a trade, so if you have a roster spot, it might be worthwhile to pick him up and hope he gets traded to a team in need of RB help…Selvin Young (50.3) is waiting in the wings in Denver, and will be the starter once Travis Henry’s appeal runs its course. He could very well be a RB1 for the stretch run…Brian Leonard (44.5) had an awful game against the Ravens, and it looks like Steven Jackson may be back next week, but if he’s not, Leonard would get the bulk of the work against the Seahawks…DeShawn Wynn (35.8) has scored four TD in six games and appears to be RB1 in Green Bay for the moment. He showed some nice agility on a couple of runs against Washington…Kenny Watson (21.8) continues to fill in for Rudi Johnson, who is still limited with hamstring injury. Those injuries sometimes linger, so Watson is worth the pickup…The Bucs are reportedly trying to work out a trade for Michael Bennett (10.4). It’s doubtful that Bennett would usurp Earnest Graham for the starting job, however…Jason Wright (8.3) gained 98 total yards and scored in place of Jamal Lewis. If Lewis misses more time, Wright would be an adequate RB2…Kevin Faulk (4.0) played well in place of Sammy Morris, who left the Dallas game with an injury. If Morris and Laurence Maroney both miss time, Faulk will be a nice pickup, especially in PPR leagues…Leonard Weaver (0.0) got most of the work for Seattle down the stretch, gaining 93 yards on seven touches. He looked more explosive than Shaun Alexander, so there’s a possibility that the team will use him more in the weeks ahead. He’s worth a handcuff for Alexander owners.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Shaun McDonald (58.3) has played well for most of the season, but may have an off week here or there since he’s the third or fourth option in the Detroit passing game…Bobby Engram (48.5) is getting lots of looks with Deion Branch and D.J. Hackett out…Andre Davis (38.1) was a hot pickup last week, but is still available in some leagues. He played second fiddle to Kevin Walter (1.5) who had a monster day on Sunday. Both guys look like decent plays going forward…Roddy White (36.5) continues to see consistent looks in the Falcons passing game, though the team’s inability to score will limit White’s big games…Reggie Williams (28.1) has caught three TD in five games, but has caught only 11 passes all season…Amani Toomer (22.4) has caught at least four passes in three of the last four games. He did have a goose egg against the Jets, but otherwise he’s been pretty consistent…James Jones (20.7) didn’t catch a pass on Sunday, but he had a long TD catch called back on a bogus holding call. He should be a decent play, especially in PPR leagues…Nate Burleson (18.7) has caught three TD this season, and should continue to see lots of targets as long as Branch and Hackett are out…Dennis Northcutt (13.2) has caught at least four passes in four of his team’s five games. He’s a possession receiver who has good value in PPR leagues…Roydell Williams (2.2) should see more looks now that Brandon Jones is out. If Vince Young misses time, Williams may benefit from the more accurate Kerry Collins throwing to him…Lance Moore (0.6) has passed Devery Henderson as WR2 for the Saints and could see more targets going forward… The truly desperate might want to grab the Seahawks’ Ben Obomanu (0.5) who had a nice game as the team’s WR3…It’s hard to get excited about David Patten (0.3) but he did have eight catches for 113 yards against the Seahawks.

TIGHT ENDS

Greg Olsen (46.1) is emerging as one of Brian Griese’s favorite targets. He has 11 catches for 110 yards and a score over the last two weeks…Donald Lee (18.4) continues to be a consistent part of the Packer passing game. He has caught at least three passes in the team’s six games…Eric Johnson (13.6) caught a TD on Sunday night and has caught at least three passes or a TD in every game this season…Bo Scaife (9.8) caught three passes on Sunday and might get more targets with Kerry Collins at QB…David Martin (3.1) caught two TD on Sunday and seems to be one of Cleo Lemon’s favorite targets, especially around the goal line…Quinn Sypniewski (1.3) might have a decent week 7 with Todd Heap out.

Check back later this week for a few defenses and kickers to pick up this week.