Wondering who to start? Or who to pick up?
You have questions…we have answers. We can’t guarantee that they’ll be the right answers, but they are answers.
Post all of your Week 1 fantasy questions here.
(Be sure to give a brief overview of your league’s scoring system — starting requirements, flex, PPR, etc.)
HC McDaniels says that Brandon Marshall’s attitude has been “great” since returning from suspension. He went on to say that Marshall could “absolutely” contribute in Week 1. Marshall’s stock is still a little shaky, but this is exactly what his owners were looking for coming out of last week’s suspension. He’s a solid start against a traditionally bad Cincy defense.
Pierre Thomas misses Wednesday practice, likely out for Week 1. I wrote about this yesterday and suggested that owners pick up Mike Bell to start against the Lions on Sunday. It’s a great matchup and Bell proved in Denver that he is more than capable of posting good numbers.
Every week, I will 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 Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and keep them in your lineup. Instead, 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 Tony Romo, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.
The “love ‘em” players are listed in the order that I’d start them this week.
The Broncos were 26th against the pass last season, so Carson Palmer has a favorable matchup assuming his ankle holds up…Joe Flacco plays at home against a Chiefs defense that gave up 238 passing yards and 1.3 pass TD last season. The second-year QB should also have a bit more freedom when it comes to throwing the ball now that he has a year of experience under his belt…Brett Favre faces the Browns, who gave up 204 passing yards and 1.2 pass TD last season…Matt Hasselbeck has a tasty matchup with the Rams, who allowed 217 passing yards and 1.3 pass TD last season…If you’re in a real bind, Matthew Stafford (@ NO), Chad Pennington (@ ATL) and Kyle Orton (@ CIN) also have nice matchups this week.
In a column I wrote on the last day of 2008, I pledged to use DTBWW as much as possible in 2009.
8. I will always play Defensive Team By Waiver Wire.
Unless I’m in a league where I have to pay for each transaction, I am going to go with DTBWW. In my weekly, Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em, I gave at least two recommendations each week for defenses that were widely available on the waiver wire, and on the whole, those recommendations did rather well. My top pick averaged 9.8 points, while my second pick averaged 6.1 points. Combined, they averaged 7.9 points, which would yield 126 points on the season – the same total as the #6 DT (NYG) scored this year. My top picks scored at a rate that would have racked up 157 points, one point behind the #2 DT (TEN). I typically go with a defense that is playing at home and is facing a sack-happy offensive line. And usually it works out.
The idea is that each week, you pick up a defense, usually one playing at home against a bad offense. And each week, you get pretty good numbers out of your DT position. (All teams are available in at least 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues.)
Pick #1: Saints (vs. DET)
It’s hard not to like the Saints this week against the Lions, who went 0-16 last season and have a rookie QB starting his first NFL game. Detroit gave up 52 sacks last season and did little to shore up the offensive line in the offseason.
Pick #2: Seahawks (vs. STL)
Seattle is healthy and added LB Aaron Curry to an already solid defense. The Rams allowed 45 sacks in 2008, partly because Marc Bulger is not the most mobile of QBs.
Bonus Pick: Cardinals (vs. SF)
The 49ers led the lead in sacks allowed (55) so while Shaun Hill and Co. might be able to put some points on the board, he’s probably going to spend much of the afternoon picking himself up off the turf.
In next week’s DTBWW post, I’ll recap how these three picks performed.
It’s all right there in the title. If you’re a Pierre Thomas owner, or even if you’re not, you should head to your league’s waiver wire and pick up Mike Bell.
When it was revealed on Aug. 24 that Thomas had a sprained MCL, it wasn’t considered to be a big deal. At that point, he had three weeks to recover, which is generally enough time for an injury like the one he suffered. But as Week 1 has grown closer, the news about Thomas hasn’t been good. (NOLA.com)
The bigger concern is still the right knee sprain Thomas suffered two weeks ago at Houston. Thomas’ knee was wrapped as he escaped the locker room and he appeared to still be limping. We’ll find out if he’s ready to go when the Saints hit the practice field Wednesday, but chances are looking slim at this point.
I’m not a doctor, but if Thomas is hoping to play on Sunday, the fact that he is limping on Monday is not a good sign. Knee injuries are fickle and they can take a while to fully heal. Moreover, Thomas declared himself “questionable” for Sunday’s game. (NOLA.com)
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