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      Fantasy Football Q&A: Week 14

      December 7, 2010 /

      It’s playoff time!

      After checking out our Waiver Wire Watch, you can post your questions here, and unless you say differently, I’m assuming your league has a standard (non-PPR) scoring system.

      If you are wondering who to start in a standard scoring league, please wait until later this week (Wednesday) when I’ll release my official Week 14 rankings.

      And if you’re a regular visitor, please take a moment to rate my advice at Fantasy Pros (under Member Rating). I’d appreciate it.

      Also, follow me on Twitter @fantasytips.

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, NFL

      I thought the Jets and Patriots were supposed to be equals?

      December 7, 2010 /
      FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 06: Tom Brady of the New England Patriots reacts after BenJarvus Green-Ellis scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

      I guess I didn’t realize how much Jim Leonhard meant to the Jets.

      Apparently he’s worth about 45 points.

      If the Patriots were trying to make a statement on Monday night in their 45-3 lambasting of the Jets, then statement effectively made. There wasn’t much doubt about who the better team was and I won’t insult the Patriots by saying something like, “the Jets just weren’t prepared.”

      They probably were prepared. And they promptly got their asses handed to them by a team that nobody in the AFC wants to face in Foxboro come postseason time.

      What had to be most concerning to Rex Ryan was that his defense didn’t have the faintest idea of how to stop Tom Brady and New England’s offense. The Jets probably expect Mark Sanchez to look completely useless from time to time (even though he’s been good for most of the season), but I’m willing to bet that one of his defenses never looked like that before. It was like watching Brady and Co. work against the scout team on Wednesday – not a Monday night showdown between two of the best teams in the AFC. I know New York had some injuries on that side of the ball and that Leonhard is a key piece to their defense, but he’s not the difference between the Jets holding opponents to 17.0 points per game and 45 PPG.

      The Patriots still have a lot of issues defensively and the MNF broadcast team pointed out several times during the game that New England struggles on third down offensively. But if last night was any indication, Belichick is starting to iron those issues out. And if the Pats are peaking at the right time, then look out.

      External Sports, NFL

      Waiver Wire Watch, Week 14: Where Tashard Choice says, “Finally.”

      December 7, 2010 /
      ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 31: Tashard Choice of the Dallas Cowboys looks on against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Cowboys Stadium on October 31, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

      Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only guys eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in 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 mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance scoring system.

      Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

      Ryan Fitzpatrick (34.0)
      He had a brutal first half in a so-so matchup, but the Vikings’ defense plays pretty tough at home. Over the next three weeks he has CLE, @MIA and NE. That W16 matchup against the Patriots is tasty.

      Jon Kitna (14.1)
      It wasn’t a great matchup against Indy, but Kitna fared pretty well. He has PHI, WAS and @ARI over the next three weeks, so even without Dez Bryant, he should still be able to post solid numbers down the stretch. Romo’s pending return could be a headache, but I don’t think the Cowboys are going to rush him back.

      David Garrard (42.1)
      The Jags are running the ball more and more and it’s eating into Garrard’s numbers, though he has rushed for a TD in each of the last two weeks. He’s startable in W14 (OAK) and W16 (WAS).

      Sam Bradford (36.3)
      Do I see a chink in the rookie’s armor? After a string of five consecutive games with at least 251 yards passing or two TDs, Bradford had his first bad game since Week 5…against the Cardinals no less. I’m not terribly optimistic about his chances against a relatively tough Saints pass defense.

      Matt Hasselbeck (14.3)
      His matchups down the stretch (@SF, ATL, @TB) are pretty favorable, but with Mike Williams 1.0 out, Hasselbeck is running out of options, and fast. Hopefully, Ben Obomanu can shake off that lacerated hand and make it back by Sunday.

      Troy Smith (4.4)
      After hooking up with Vernon Davis for a long TD, Smith finished with decent numbers on the day. He has a nice matchup this week against the Seahawks, but should be avoided after that (@SD, @STL).

      Jason Campbell (6.2)
      It’s not always pretty, but Campbell is capable of putting up good fantasy numbers when the stars align. He has two good matchups coming up (@JAX, DEN) before a date with the Colts in W16.

      Chad Henne (47.7)
      He had three picks against the Browns. What is the Jets’ defense going to do to him?

      Drew Stanton (0.3)
      He was decent in a tough matchup with the Bears. I wouldn’t want to use him against the Packers this week, but his W15 matchup with an Aqib Talib-less Bucs secondary isn’t a bad matchup.

      Kerry Collins (1.2)
      Maybe dreadful is too strong of a word to describe Collins’ performance against a sketchy Jags’ pass defense. 169 yards and two TDs…no it’s not too strong. He has the Colts this week (so-so) and the Texans in W15 (great matchup) before traveling to KC.

      Jake Delhomme (1.1)
      Congratulations to Jake Delhomme, who threw a TD without throwing an interception for the first time this season. Assuming Colt McCoy can’t make it back, he has a decent matchup with the Bills this week.

      Jimmy Clausen (1.0)
      Very good matchup, but he hasn’t thrown a TD pass since W4, so why are you reading this?

      Tarvaris Jackson (0.7)
      He threw two TDs and three picks against the Bills. The Vikings would be better off giving him some reps to see where he’s at heading into next season, but they appear to want Favre back under center if he’s healthy. We’ll see.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, NFL

      Broncos fire Josh McDaniels – too soon or not soon enough?

      December 6, 2010 /
      ENGLEWOOD, CO - SEPTEMBER 21: Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniel addresses the media during a press conference to discuss the death of Bronco wide receiver Kenny McKinley at the Denver Broncos Headquarters at Dove Valley on September 21, 2010 in Englewood, Colorado. McKinley, 23, was found dead in his home on September 20, 2010 in Arapahoe County, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

      That was quick.

      It hasn’t even been two full years since the Denver Broncos hired Josh McDaniels and now he’s unemployed and they’re searching for a new head coach. Following the team’s 3-9 start, the Broncos fired McDaniels on Monday after he led them to losses in 17 of their last 22 games.

      Looking at his brief track record, it’s hard to argue with the decision. Immediately upon arriving to Denver, McDaniels started a feud with then-starter Jay Cutler, who was eventually traded to Chicago for a first round pick and parts (uh, Kyle Orton). Then McDaniels led the Broncos to a 6-0 start in 2009, only to collapse down the stretch to finish 2-8. In the offseason, he was part of the contingent that sent No. 1 receiver Brandon Marshall to Miami.

      He also had a hand in dealing Peyton Hillis to the Browns in exchange for Brady Quinn, who is now third on the Broncos’ depth chart behind Orton and rookie Tim Tebow. Hillis, meanwhile, hasn’t stopped bowling over defenders since he arrived in Cleveland and has established himself as a feature back.

      McDaniels also had a hand in trading away multiple draft picks in order to select Tebow in the first round of April’s draft despite the warning signs that he was a massive project as a passer. Not lost on anybody was his inability to retain Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator following the ’09 season or how he was recently fined because a member of his video department was caught taping one of the 49ers’ walk-through practices in London earlier this year. Spygate 2, anyone?

      But even considering all of that, was it enough to fire McDaniels right now? You can’t even properly grade his first draft class yet and nobody has the faintest idea what will become of Tebow. The Broncos didn’t have to commit to him through 2011 but what about through the rest of 2010? And who are you going to replace him with right now? “Wink” Martindale?

      McDaniels’ short tenure in Denver was obviously filled with way more misses than hits, but it’s not like the Broncos improved their situation by firing him now. If anything it was a lateral move but then again, sometimes what’s best is to cut your losses and start anew.

      External Sports, NFL

      Aqib Talib out for the season – are the Bucs finished?

      December 6, 2010 /
      TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 12: Cornerback Aqib Talib #25 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers watches play against the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium on October 12, 2008 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

      It’s a stretch to say that a team is finished when they lose their top cornerback for the season. But when it comes to Aqib Talib and the Bucs, it may be reality.

      Talib tore a tendon off his hipbone (tore a tendon off his hipbone? I literally shuddered while writing that) in the Bucs’ 28-24 loss to the Falcons on Sunday and will miss the rest of the season. He’ll avoid surgery, but he won’t recover in time for the playoffs if Tampa earns its way into the postseason.

      Which is going to be awfully difficult without Talib.

      At 7-5, the Bucs are very much in the hunt in the NFC. But the Falcons swept the season series with Tampa and now have a two-game lead in the NFC South. The Saints are right behind the Falcons at 9-3, while the Eagles/Giants and Packers are vying for that sixth and final spot at 8-4.

      A lot can happen over the last four weeks of the season, but the Bucs have an uphill climb ahead of them. From a production standpoint, Talib was the best corner in the league not named Darrelle Revis or Asante Samuel. Two weeks ago, he held Anquan Boldin to three catches for 27 yards and no touchdowns. Three weeks ago, he held Michael Crabtree to just one catch for 15 yards and five weeks ago he limited Roddy White (one of the best receivers in the NFL this season) to four catches and 49 yards.

      Granted, the Bucs don’t exclusively play man-to-man under Raheem Morris but when they do, Talib locks onto the opposition’s No. 1 reciever. He leads the Bucs in interceptions (six), pass breakups (11) and has easily been the team’s best defender.

      Fortunately for Tampa, it plays the Redskins, Lions, Seahawks and Saints over these next four weeks. But the Bucs could have used Talib for the likes of Santana Moss, Mike Williams (if he’s healthy) and especially Detroit’s Calvin Johnson. Ronde Barber is still a quality corner (even for his age), but the drop off from Talib to E.J. Biggers is enormous.

      The Bucs are in trouble.

      External Sports, NFL

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