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      Fantasy Football Q&A: Week 5

      October 5, 2010 /

      Wondering who to add/drop or whether or not a trade is fair?

      I’m here to help.

      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 Friday when I’ll release my official Week 5 rankings.

      And if you’re a regular visitor, please take a moment to rate my advice at Fantasy Pros (under Member Rating). Special thanks to “DaKid” for commenting on FantasyPros last week.

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, NFL

      The Panthers should rid themselves of Dwayne Jarrett

      October 5, 2010 /
      CHARLOTTE, NC - JANUARY 03: Dwayne Jarrett #80 of the Carolina Panthers celebrates a first-half touchdown during the game against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium on January 3, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

      If Dwayne Jarrett was still at USC and he was arrested for driving while impaired, the tone of this article would be entirely different.

      But Jarrett isn’t a kid anymore and it’s high time he stops acting like one. Since coming into the league as a second round pick in 2007, he’s posted numbers similar to that of a seventh rounder that is primarily used on special teams.

      In three years and four games, he’s racked up 35 receptions for 428 yards and a whopping one touchdown. Many pundits projected him as a first round talent in ‘07, yet apparently the real surprise is not that he fell into the second round, but how he was drafted at all.

      If you remember correctly, this isn’t the first time Jarrett has been arrested for drunken driving. He was also hauled in for a DWI in March of 2008, so a suspension is likely forthcoming from the league.

      But the Panthers shouldn’t wait – just cut him and move on. If he were still at USC, I would implore Pete Carroll (or Lane Kiffin, or whomever) not to give up on him – to keep the structure of football in his life. But this is clearly someone who doesn’t have the focus, determination or decision-making to be a full-time player in the NFL. Only 35 receptions on the field and two DWIs off it prove that.

      Carolina is trying to rebuild on both sides of the ball and they don’t need distractions like this when they’re already 0-4. Not from a Pro Bowler, and certainly not from a player that hasn’t earned the right to be on a NFL roster.

      Maybe a wake up call is what he needs. Maybe Carroll could get through to him in Seattle. Either way, the Panthers should ensure he’s not their problem anymore and just move on.

      External Sports, NFL

      UFC 121 finalized, will feature 11 bouts

      October 5, 2010 /
      UFC Heavyweight champion RANDY COUTURE, right, battles challenger BROCK LESNAR in their title fight Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008 in Las Vegas, NV. Lesnar won the title and the fight in 3:07 of the second round after the referee stopped the fight Photo via Newscom

      Jeremy Botter of HeavyMMA.com is reporting that UFC 121 has been finalized and the fight card will feature 11 fights.

      UFC officials confirmed the complete lineup this morning. The event, headlined by a heavyweight title clash between Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez, takes place Oct. 23 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Ca.The co-headlining feature will see Jake Shields make his UFC debut against Martin Kampmann.

      In addition to the already-announced main card bouts, UFC officials finalized six preliminary card bouts, including two that will be televised on Spike TV.

      In the headlining Spike TV bout, TUF 11 winner Court McGee will make his return to the Octagon to take on Ryan Jensen. McGee defeated Kris McCray in June to capture the TUF 11 championship. Jensen is coming off a 1-minute submission victory over Jesse Forbes at UFC 114.

      Two more TUF veterans will meet when Patrick Cote and Tom Lawlor face off in the first Spike-televised bout. Both fighters will attempt to break two-fight losing streaks, and the loser of this fight is likely to be released from his UFC contract.

      Four non-televised bouts were also announced for the preliminary card: Mike Guymon vs. Daniel Roberts, Sam Stout vs. Paul Taylor, Chris Camozzi vs. Dongi Yang and Jon Madsen vs. Gilbert Yvel.

      Get more MMA news here.

      External Sports, Mixed Martial Arts, UFC

      Waiver Wire Watch, Week 5: Skeletor chooses Torain!

      October 5, 2010 /
      Washington Redskins running back Ryan Torain (46) scores a touchdown in front of teammate Chris Cooley and Philadelphia Eagles defender Ellis Hobbs (31) during the first quarter of their NFL football game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 3, 2010. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      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 50% 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, PPR 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.

      Bruce Gradkowski (5.1)
      He doesn’t have the greatest matchup this week (SD), but Week 6 (@SF) and Week 7 (@ DEN) get easier. He has thrown for 533 yards, 3 TDs and 3 INTs in the last two weeks.

      Sam Bradford (23.1)
      He’s not setting the world on fire, but with a per-game average of 236 yards and 1.5 TDs, he’s playing very well for a rookie. He has the Lions this week as well, which makes him an interesting pickup for Mike Vick owners.

      Matt Hasselbeck (29.2)
      Hass has been solid, but he didn’t do much in a good matchup with the Rams. The Seahawks are on bye this week and have the Bears in Week 6, so if you need a QB in the next two weeks, look elsewhere.

      Josh Freeman (13.4)
      Coming off his bye, Freeman has a bad matchup with the Bengals this week, but things get back to normal with the Saints, Rams and Cardinals after that.

      Ryan Fitzpatrick (1.1)
      Need a fill in for Week 5? Fitzy has a nice matchup at home against the Jaguars, who are coming off an emotional win over the Colts. He has tossed four TDs over the last two weeks and even ran for 74 yards against the Jets in Week 4.

      Kevin Kolb (57.8)
      Kolb breaks my under-50%-owned rule, but I thought I’d include him given the magnitude of Michael Vick’s injury in the world of fantasy football. Kolb threw for 201 yards and a TD in a good matchup against the Redskins, and has a pretty good matchup with the 49ers in Week 5. I’m not terribly optimistic about his chances for fantasy success over the next three weeks.

      David Garrard (24.2)
      Garrard looked like his old self against the Colts, but he has a tendency to play worse on the road. Still, the Bills are a good matchup.

      Alex Smith (11.7)
      Spotty is the word that I’d use to describe Smith this season. Who knows how he’ll play against the Eagles in Week 5.

      Matt Cassel (10.2)
      Cassel was pretty dreadful in the first two weeks, but tossed three TDs against the 49ers in Week 3. Coming off his bye, he has the Colts, Texans, Jaguars and Bills, so he could be a decent spot starter for fantasy owners in need.

      Shaun Hill (2.8)

      Jimmy Clausen (1.3)

      Max Hall (0.4)

      Seneca Wallace (0.9)

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, News, NFL

      Tom Brady notches 100th win as Dolphins take the night off

      October 4, 2010 /
      New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (L) takes aim as Miami Dolphins linebacker Koa Misi (R) pursues in the first quarter during their NFL football game in Miami, Florida October 4, 2010. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      It’s rather amazing to think about how Tom Brady has evolved. He went from a nobody to an American underdog to, “Man I really hate that Tom Brady. Cut your hair, hippie.”

      But whether you love him or hate him, as a football fan you have to respect what the man has accomplished over the course of his career.

      Thanks to the Patriots’ 41-14 lambasting of the Dolphins on Monday night, Brady notched his 100th win to become the 11th NFL quarterback to reach the milestone. He also needed less starts to accomplish the feat than any other signal caller who has 100 wins in his career.

      Dan Marino and Jim Kelly needed 157 starts to reach 100 wins. Peyton Manning needed 154, Brett Favre needed 153 and Terry Bradshaw needed 147. The only QB to come close to Brady’s mark of 130 was Joe Montana, who needed just 139 starts to reach 100 career victories.

      Perhaps the best part for Brady tonight is that he didn’t even have to break a sweat to earn his 100th. With his team trailing 7-6 at halftime, Brandon Tate took the second half kickoff 103 yards to give the Pats a 13-7 lead. Then, after New England blocked a punt on Miami’s first possession of the second half, BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for a 12-yard touchdown to put the Pats up 20-7.

      Adding insult to insult, the Pats then blocked a Dan Carpenter field goal attempt at the start of the fourth quarter. Kyle Arrington scooped up the loose ball and went 35 yards for the touchdown to essentially put the game away. A Patrick Chung 51-yard interception return for a touchdown capped the scoring at 41-14 and ended an embarrassing night for the Dolphins, who could do nothing right the entire night.

      Despite throwing for 302 yards and two touchdowns, Chad Henne was picked off three times, including twice in New England territory. And the two touchdown passes were more a testament to Davone Bess and Ricky Williams work after the catch than Henne’s throws. (The screen to Williams was an outstanding play call and well executed on all fronts.)

      It’s easy to kick a team while it’s down, but how good does Miami’s two wins look now? They barely beat a horrendous Bills team 15-10 in the opener and then dropped a lifeless Vikings squad 14-10 in Week 2. The past two weeks, they struggled against divisional opponents and tonight they showed little fight after Williams’ touchdown early in the third quarter. There they were down three touchdowns and with over nine minutes left on the clock and they displayed zero sense of urgency.

      Enjoy the bye next week, Miami. Because after that you play at Green Bay, home against Pittsburgh, at Cincinnati, at Baltimore and home against the Titans. We’ll certainly find out what this Dolphins team is made of over the course of the next five weeks.

      External Sports, NFL

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