Category: Fantasy Football (Page 281 of 324)

QUARTERBACKS

Here is a list of players that may be available on your league’s waiver wire, in order of relative value:

Tony Romo, David Carr, David Garrard, Alex Smith, Trent Green, Phillip Rivers, Joey Harrington, Chad Pennington, Steve McNair, Matt Leinart, Aaron Brooks, Charlie Frye, Damon Huard, Seneca Wallace, Brad Johnson, Mark Brunell, J.P. Losman, Bruce Gradkowski, Vince Young

Tony Romo was sharp again, throwing for 284 yards and two scores. He has one of the best receiving corps in the league and shouldn’t be on your league’s waiver wire any longer…David Garrard threw for three TD against the Titans, and it doesn’t look like Byron Leftwich will be back anytime soon…Trent Green is inching closer to returning, but Damon Huard is playing well in his place, so the Chiefs are being very careful. Keep an eye on Green’s status this week…Seneca Wallace has played well, but it looks like Matt Hasselbeck will return in Week 11 against San Francisco…Joey Harrington continues to put up decent numbers and it doesn’t look like Daunte Culpepper is coming back anytime soon.

RUNNING BACKS

Wali Lundy, Leon Washington, Mike Bell, Anthony Thomas, Maurice Jones-Drew, Travis Henry, Cedric Benson, DeAngelo Williams, Jerious Norwood, Michael Turner, Brandon Jacobs, Maurice Morris, Najeh Davenport, Justin Fargas

Wali Lundy struggled for 43 yards on 20 carries, but the key is the second number. The team appears to be sold on him as their feature back, so expect lots of 15+ carry games down the stretch, making him a decent #3 RB…Mike Bell rushed 17 times for just 28 yards, but Tatum Bell didn’t get a carry due to a sore toe. Mike will continue to carry the load until Tatum can play, making him a good start against most teams…Anthony Thomas filled in admirably for Willis McGahee, who left the game with a broken rib. McGahee could be out two weeks or more, and if that’s the case, Thomas would become a hot waiver wire pickup…Shaun Alexander should return next week, so Maurice Morris is on borrowed time. Other than tonight’s game, he hasn’t really produced as expected, but the whole Seattle rushing game is down this season due to the loss of Steve Hutchinson.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Chris Henry, Mike Furrey, Mark Clayton, Wes Welker, Devery Henderson, Doug Gabriel, Ernest Wilford, Marty Booker, Jerry Porter, Eric Parker

Chris Henry continues to play well for the Bengals as the team’s third WR, catching two passes for 79 yards against a tough Ravens defense…Mark Clayton has become Steve McNair’s favorite target. Since Week 3, he has 31 catches for 329 yards, an average of 5-55. He also has two scores, but keep in mind both TD catches were off of deflections…Wes Welker caught fewer than four passes for the first time Sunday, but still caught a TD against the Bears. He has been a nice source of catches and has good value in PPR leagues…Devery Henderson went off against the Bucs, catching three passes for 111 yards and two scores. He started this week because Joe Horn was out, so if Horn misses any more time, Henderson could be a productive third WR…Ernest Wilford seems to play better with David Garrard under center. He caught two TD against the Titans and it looks like Garrard will start for the time being.

TIGHT ENDS

Owen Daniels, David Martin, Bo Scaife, Alex Smith, Eric Johnson, Jerramy Stevens, Courtney Anderson

David Martin has quickly become a nice target for Brett Favre and is a decent fill-in type at TE…Bo Scaife caught five passes for 70 yards against the Jags and is one of Vince Young’s favorite targets.

Most of Week 9 has come and gone, and one of the league’s undefeated teams has already fallen – will the other one survive the day? Before the Pats/Colts battle begins, let’s talk about this week’s Headliners and Flatliners.

HEADLINERS

Drew Brees (314 yards, 3 TD)
Brees continued his fine play against the Bucs. He has benefited from the development of Marques Colston and his play this season has to make Miami fans wonder, “what if?”

Honorable Mention: Jake Plummer (227 yards, 3 TD), Tony Romo (284 yards, 2 TD). Marc Bulger (354 yards, 1 TD), David Garrard (177 yards, 3 TD), Damon Huard (148 yards, 3 TD)

LaDainian Tomlinson (21 touches, 192 yards, 3 TD)
LT was unbelievable in the second half after a very quiet first half. Unfortunately for Antonio Gates owners, the Chargers didn’t need to throw the ball very much in the second half since LT was running so effectively.

Honorable Mention: Steven Jackson (32 touches, 219 yards, 1 TD), Kevin Jones (30 touches, 140 yards, 2 TD), Larry Johnson (27 touches, 172 yards, 1 TD), Tiki Barber (20 touches, 155 yards, 1 TD), Ronnie Brown (31 touches, 190 yards)

Javon Walker (6 rec, 134 yards, 2 rec TD, 1 rush, 72 yards, 1 TD)
Walker was a dual threat today, catching six passes while also scoring on a long rush TD against a normally stout Steelers defense.

Honorable Mention: Roy Williams (6 rec, 138 yards, 1 TD), Devery Henderson (3 rec, 111 yards, 2 TD), Joey Galloway (4 rec, 97 yards, 2 TD), Marques Colston (11 rec, 123 yards, 1 TD), Ernest Wilford (3 rec, 44 yards, 2 TD), Donald Driver (9 rec, 96 yards, 1 TD), Terrell Owens (7 rec, 76 yards, 1 TD)

Tony Gonzalez (5 rec, 63 yards, 2 TD)
Gonzo is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the season and would command big dollars in a short contract. He has played well with Damon Huard, and it’s not a sure thing that he’ll be able to keep it up with Trent Green back under center.

Honorable Mention: Jeremy Shockey (8 rec, 66 yards, 1 TD), Chris Cooley (3 rec, 66 yards, 1 TD), Alge Crumpler (4 rec, 47 yards, 1 TD)

FLATLINERS

Alex Smith (105 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT)
Smith squandered a very nice matchup against a Vikings defense that is pretty bad against the pass, costing this writer at least one win this week. Bastard.

Dishonorable Mention: Brad Johnson (136 yards, 1 INT), Carson Palmer (195 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT), Vince Young (163 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT), Eli Manning (179 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT)

Willis McGahee (4 touches, 15 yards)
McGahee left the game with a rib injury and left his fantasy owners in a pinch. Anthony Thomas came in and played well against the Packers.

Dishonorable Mention: Reggie Bush (15 touches, 17 yards), Carnell Williams (13 touches, 44 yards), Wali Lundy (23 touches, 59 yards), Travis Henry (19 touches, 67 yards), Frank Gore (24 touches, 77 yards), Fred Taylor (13 touches, 79 yards)

Chad Johnson (4 rec, 32 yards)
While Antonio Bryant certainly blew a good matchup this week, Chad Johnson simply isn’t meeting the expectations of those who drafted him in the second round this season.

Dishonorable Mention: Antonio Bryant (2 rec, 24 yards), Troy Williamson (1 rec, 4 yards), Amani Toomer (2 rec, 16 yards), Eddie Kennison (2 rec, 19 yards), Derrick Mason (2 rec, 20 yards), Torry Holt (3 rec, 50 yards)

Antonio Gates (2 rec, 22 yards)
LT ran the ball with ease in the second half and the Chargers didn’t need to use Gates very much.

Dishonorable Mention: Alex Smith (2 rec, 8 yards), Owen Daniels (3 rec, 34 yards)

The Denver Post has reported that Mike Bell will receive a majority of the workload against the Steelers on Sunday…Greg Jennings still has some soreness in his ankle and may not play this week…LaMont Jordan practiced fully on Friday and should play against the Seahawks Monday night…Reggie Bush also practiced on Friday and should be a go against the Bucs…Speaking of the Bucs, they put Chris Simms on IR, ending his season…Darrell Jackson returned to practice on Friday and declared himself ready to play on Monday night…Santana Moss is listed as doubtful and it doesn’t look like he is going to play with his bad hammy…Plaxico Burress was downgraded to questionable after missing practice all week with a bad back. This would make Amani Toomer a better play against the Texans. Burress has apparently been dealing with a sore back since Week 2, so this is something to keep an eye on Sunday morning and for the rest of the season…Chester Taylor is losing third down work to Mewelde Moore, who has been explosive in that role…Laurence Maroney is expected to play against the Colts Sunday night despite being listed as questionable with a thigh injury…Joe Horn has missed practice all week, but the local papers seem to think he’s going to play on Sunday. Be sure to check the inactives before finalizing your roster…After an ankle scare two weeks ago, Clinton Portis is good to go for Sunday’s matchup with the Cowboys…Todd Heap was upgraded to probable even though he missed practice on Friday.

Each week in the Pregame, I’ll provide a few players to start and a few to bench. These recommendations are based on that player’s strength of schedule (SOS) for that particular week or that player’s specific situation.

I’m a strong advocate of always starting your studs, so I won’t be telling you about LaDainian Tomlinson’s tough matchup or how Peyton Manning and company will light it up against a bad defense. Anyone can make those calls. I’ll be discussing marginal fantasy starters – guys that can start for you, but only under certain circumstances.

START

TONY ROMO, BRAD JOHNSON, DREW BREES and DAVID CARR are all marginal starters that have nice matchups this week against subpar pass defenses…If he plays, LAMONT JORDAN should be a nice start against the Seahawks, who have had trouble stopping the run in recent weeks…JAMAL LEWIS and WILLIS MCGAHEE also have good matchups, but don’t bench a stud that’s playing well for any of these guys…MIKE FURREY, EDDIE KENNISON, ANTONIO BRYANT and LEE EVANS are good options this week. They all face subpar pass defenses.

BENCH

PHILLIP RIVERS has a tough matchup against a Browns defense that is pretty good against the pass. Likewise, SENECA WALLACE, MARK BRUNELL and BEN ROETHLISBERGER should probably ride the pine this week…RUDI JOHNSON, RONNIE BROWN, THOMAS JONES and FRANK GORE all have tough matchups this week, but only bench these guys if you have another good option. In fact, I’d probably still start Rudi over the disappointing Jamal Lewis at this point…The NEW ENGLAND RECEIVERS might find the going tough against a Colts team that is pretty good against the pass. The Pats should be able to run at will, so Tom Brady and company may not have to throw it much…SANTANA MOSS also has a bad matchup, but he can explode at any time, so it’s wise only to bench him if you have another good option.

Be sure to check back Saturday for a full injury update. In the meantime, feel free to post your questions on our Fantasy Q & A.

The Fantasy Football Awards: 1st Half [and 2nd Quarter]

We’re halfway through the fantasy season, which makes it a good time to hand out awards for the first half. I handed out awards for the first quarter, so I’m going to include awards for the second quarter in brackets. These awards are based on performance scoring, such as this one from Antsports.com. For those players that missed games due to injury, I included those games in their per game averages.

QUARTERBACKS

MVP: Donovan McNabb (26.6 ppg) [2Q: Mike Vick (27.4)]
Despite a poor outing in windy conditions this Sunday against the Jaguars, McNabb holds onto the top spot for now. Vick, Peyton Manning and Marc Bulger all outscored McNabb in the second quarter, so Donovan may have trouble holding on to this honor.

Honorable Mention: Peyton Manning (24.3), Mike Vick (22.5), Marc Bulger (20.9) [2Q: Peyton Manning (26.5), Marc Bulger (24.5), Donovan McNabb (23.7)]

Biggest Surprise: Jon Kitna (19.4) [2Q: Phillip Rivers (20.4)]
The most interesting thing about these two players is that neither guy was mentioned in the first quarter awards. Kitna played well in the first four games, but was outplayed by Rex Grossman, Charlie Frye and David Carr. It appears that Kitna is really benefiting from Mike Martz’ offensive system. On the other hand, Rivers really has turned it on in the second quarter, upping his average from 16.9 in Weeks 1-4 to 20.4 in Weeks 5-8. He looks like the real deal and should be a solid QB for years to come.

Honorable Mention: Rex Grossman (18.4), Phillip Rivers (16.9), Alex Smith (15.9) [2Q: Jon Kitna (20.4), Damon Huard (17.4), Alex Smith (16.9)]

Biggest Disappointment: Daunte Culpepper (7.4) [2Q: Culpepper (0.0)]
Culpepper was drafted on average as QB8 in the end of the sixth round, and has spent the last four games on the sidelines nursing his sore knee. There were lots of questions surrounding his health this summer, but the Dolphins made the fatal mistake of passing on Drew Brees in favor of Culpepper. Apparently, they felt more comfortable with his knee injury than Brees’ shoulder injury. Needless to say, the move backfired.

Dishonorable Mention: Aaron Brooks (0.8), Ben Roethlisberger (11.5), Jake Plummer (12.2) [2Q: Byron Leftwich (7.2), Chad Pennington (9.0), Matt Hasselbeck (12.7)]

RUNNING BACKS

MVP: LaDainian Tomlinson (28.7) [2Q: Tomlinson (33.6)]
LT caught fire in the second quarter, gaining a total of 583 yards from scrimmage and scoring eight TD in those four games. He is currently holding off Larry Johnson for the #1 RB slot and has a better schedule down the stretch, so if he can stay healthy, he should finish at the top of the RB rankings.

Honorable Mention: Larry Johnson (26.3), Brian Westbrook (21.3), Kevin Jones (20.1) [2Q: LJ (28.2), KJ (21.2), Brian Westbrook (20.8), Steven Jackson (20.1)]

Biggest Surprise: Frank Gore (18.3) [2Q: Maurice Jones-Drew (16.8)]
Although he hasn’t been able to keep up his 20 ppg pace, Gore has been a solid option for fantasy owners that gambled on him in the 3rd-6th rounds. Jones-Drew has exploded as the backup to Fred Taylor. Just imagine what he can do once Taylor finally retires.

Honorable Mention: Maurice Jones-Drew (13.2), Ahman Green (12.9) [2Q: Frank Gore (16.1), Leon Washington (12.4), Marion Barber (12.4), Wali Lundy (10.2)]

Biggest Disappointment: Shaun Alexander (4.2) [2Q: Alexander (0.0)]
I suppose it’s worse that LaMont Jordan keeps teasing owners with the possibility that he’ll play, but no owners are reeling more than those that took Alexander third overall and backed him up with the underperforming Maurice Morris. He’s not going to play next week, but head coach Mike Holmgren said that he should be ready to go in Week 10. He’s got a favorable schedule down the stretch, so he still may lead a few fantasy owners to the playoffs before it’s all said and done.

Dishonorable Mention: LaMont Jordan (7.2), Jamal Lewis (8.2), Carnell Williams (11.2) [2Q: LaMont Jordan (5.7), Jamal Lewis (8.1), Corey Dillon (6.4)]

WIDE RECEIVERS

MVP: Andre Johnson (21.0) [2Q: Reggie Wayne (26.8)]
AJ got off to a fast start and is showing no signs of slowing down. The only question mark is David Carr’s benching on Sunday against the Titans. But Johnson was pretty quiet in that game until Sage Rosenfels took over, so it appears he will succeed with either QB. Wayne’s monster day against the Broncos put him over the top in the second quarter, though we’d probably be talking about Marvin Harrison had Denver decided to put Champ Bailey on Wayne instead.

Honorable Mention: Torry Holt (20.2), Reggie Wayne (19.2), Darrell Jackson (18.7) [2Q: Steve Smith (21.6), Torry Holt (21.4), Andre Johnson (21.3), Hines Ward (21.3)]

Biggest Surprise: Marques Colston (18.1) [2Q: Colston (18.1)]
I guess the Saints could do without Donte Stallworth this year. Colston, a seventh-round draft pick out of Hofstra, continues to play at a blistering pace. Although Joe Horn has played better the last few weeks, he probably has Colston to thank. Defenses need to account for him, so that frees things up for Horn.

Honorable Mention: Bernard Berrian (14.1), Mike Furrey (14.0), Jerricho Cotchery (12.6) [2Q: Reggie Brown (17.4), Mike Furrey (13.3), Wes Welker (12.7)]

Biggest Disappointment: Randy Moss (11.6) [2Q: Larry Fitzgerald (2.4)]
Fitzgerald’s injury makes his numbers worse, but Moss’ performance hurts more because he demands to be started each and every week. Fantasy owners just never know when he’s going to go off on one of his three-TD days. For a third round pick, Chris Chambers has really underperformed, but the team is planning to move him to the slot. Is that the cure?

Dishonorable Mention: Larry Fitzgerald (8.7), Chris Chambers (11.9), Chad Johnson (13.5) [2Q: Chris Chambers (10.6), Braylon Edwards (4.1), Santana Moss (9.1)]

TIGHT ENDS

MVP: Kellen Winslow (13.9) [2Q: Alge Crumpler (21.5)]
Winslow continues to be the team’s best option on offense and has proven that he’s an every week starter. Crumpler and Antonio Gates have increased their production, so Winslow will have to be more productive to hold them off for the rest of the season.

Honorable Mention: Antonio Gates (13.5), Alge Crumpler (13.5), Todd Heap (12.6) [2Q: Antonio Gates (16.6), Owen Daniels (14.9), Randy McMichael (14.8)]

Biggest Surprise: Desmond Clark (11.9) [2Q: Owen Daniels (14.9)]
Clark is Rex Grossman’s favorite target in the red zone and provides a big target in the middle of the field. I doubt he’ll be able to keep up this kind of production once winter truly arrives in Chicago, but he’s still a good option just about every week. Daniels took the second quarter award behind a huge day against the Titans. Most of that production came with Rosenfels under center, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to keep it up with Carr at the helm.

Honorable Mention: Ben Watson (10.1), Owen Daniels (9.5) [2Q: Ben Watson (13.6), Desmond Clark (13.0)]

Biggest Disappointment: Jason Witten (8.0) [2Q: L.J. Smith (8.3)]
After the arrival of Terrell Owens, Witten has been an afterthought in the Dallas offense, but that has changed some with Tony Romo under center. Look for Witten’s numbers to improve as the season wears on.

Dishonorable Mention: Chris Cooley (8.2), Randy McMichael (9.4), Heath Miller (6.5) [2Q: Heath Miller (4.6)]