Let the Fantasy Football playoffs begin! It has been a long season filled with unexpected injuries and more twist and turns then a Connecticut side road. We have seen Chris Johnson, the consensus number one pick, struggle this season. We have also witnessed undrafted players like Peyton Hillis and Brandon Lloyd turn into fantasy powerhouses. If you are still interested in your fantasy football team then congratulations, because it is playoff time. Whether you limped into the postseason or you’re a top seed, the chase is on for the league title. It doesn’t matter if you are playing for bragging rights or a cash prize; it’s always fun to win the title! Here are some things to keep in mind when setting your roster for the next couple of weeks.
Play the Matchups
As a rule, always play the players that you counted on all year long, regardless of who they are playing. When it comes to those positions that you are not sure who to start then you should play the match up. We all know who the good defenses are and who the good offenses are. Use this information to your advantage. Also, be sure to pay attention to the weather where the game is being played. The biggest enemy to a pass attack is high wind and if you start a QB or WR in that situation you will be in trouble. Finally, use your players to help counter an opposing QB or WR. There is nothing worse then watching an opposing owners QB throw to a WR on your bench. Like I said before, go with the guys that got you to this point, but use the ideas above to help filter through players to start in your Flex or second RB/WR positions.
Keep One Eye on the NFL and the Other on the Waiver Wires
There are so many teams still alive to make the NFL playoffs but as the games get played that picture becomes clearer and clearer. There will be a team or two that will clinch a spot in the postseason before there done playing regular season games. If this happens then the starters tend to play less to avoid injury. Don’t let this catch you off guard, make sure you have quality back ups at QB and RB just in case. The waiver wires are your only option to add players to your team, and as we are all painfully aware of, an injury can happen on any play. This is another reason to use the waivers to grab all the quality back ups you have room for.
Post Season Waiver Wire Sleepers
James Starks RB Green Bay
When Ryan Grant suffered an injury early in the season we all thought that Brandon Jackson would step in and be successful. After a couple of games we realized that Jackson was not the producer we thought he would be. The trade deadline came and passed and the Packers did not make a move for a RB and Starks was the reason they didn’t. The rookie RB started the season on the PUP list but was activated and saw his first action on Sunday. He played well; rushing for over 73 yards on a team high 17 carries. He does have a history of injury and is a rookie but this kid could be difference for the Packers and fantasy football owners. I have mentioned this kid before and after watching some film on him I am convinced that, if he can stay healthy, he will be the guy in GB for sometime. Other RB’s to add are Tashard Choice, Pierre Thomas, Javarris James, James Davis, Javarris James, and Michael Bush.
Jacoby Ford WR Oakland
Ford has really started to prove that he’s not a one game wonder. He has scored in two straight games and has totaled 13 catches for 287 yards since landing more playing time. This week he faces a Jaguars pass defense that's allowed 22 passing touchdowns on the season including 15 to wide receivers. He returns kicks so if your league rewards points to the player for returns, he is a great flex option. Other WR’s to add are Earl Bennant, Donald Driver, Danny Amendola, Hines Ward and Ben Obomanu.
Ed Dickson TE Ravens
The TE position has been a thorn in the side of all Fantasy Owners this year. Besides San Diego’s Antonio Gates, there haven’t been any reliable or consistent options. Baltimore’s long time starting TE, Todd Heap, suffered a hamstring injury last week and is out for the foreseeable future. Dickson was targeted seven times and had three catches for 21 yards once Heap went down. The Ravens like to use their TE and Dickson will see his share of passes. If you are going against Flacco this week and don’t have a reliable TE, Dickson is your guy. Other TE’s to add are, Rob Gronkowski, Joel Dresson and John Carlson.
As for QB, it will be hard to find anyone on waivers that you can trust to start. My advice is to go with your starter and add the best QB you can find on waivers just in case your starter goes down to injury. If your playing this week then congrats and good luck. Do what you can to get a win this week your season depends on it!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Show tonight
ThaSPORTSKRIB would love to thank Charlene May for this wonderful promo on our show tonight. Charlene will be helping Jersy Mike Jr host the Thru The Ropes segement of ThaSPORTSKRIB. Please follow Charlene on twitter and facebook @CharleneMay.
SHOWTIME Sports is proving to be the Champion of Boxing by giving fans what they want, innovative boxing tournaments with the “best fighting the best.”
This Saturday, December 11, tune in and become addicted to tournament style boxing, as well as the bantamweight division, a division that is fast, powerful, and exciting to watch. It will be a night of entertainment that will leave you hungry for more as the tournament continues in early 2011.
The tournament consists of the fabulous four, Abner Mares, Yonnhy Perez, Joseph Agbeko and Vic Darchinyan. Four talented fast and powerful boxers fighting to be crowned the champion of the bantamweight division.
The tournament is a two- round, single-elimination tournament. Winner takes all. The first leg of the tournament kicks off Saturday in Tacoma, Washington, SHOWTIME Sports will televise the single-elimination bantamweight tournament at 9 PM, ET/PT with a match-up between Yonnhy Perez and Joseph Agbeko. The night will continue with more boxing entertainment as Vic Darchinyan and Abner Mares step in the square circle to face off in what is being dubbed the most anticipated bout of the evening.
This Thursday, December 9, 2010, I invite sports fans to join us as we go “Thru the Ropes” on Blog Talk Radio. I will co-host the show with Jersymike Jr. to kick off the explosive SHOWTIME Tournament “Fan Style” as we speak with special guests Frank Espinoza Jr., and Boxing Analyst, Corey Erdman.
Frank Espinoza Jr., of Espinoza Boxing Club, the management team for Abner Mares and Yonnhy Perez, two of the tournament’s fabulous four fighters is taking time from his busy schedule to join us remotely from Tacoma, as his team prepares for Saturday.
Espinoza is regarded as one of the top management teams in the boxing industry with a unique culture that has set the team apart from others.
You will not want to miss this special episode of “Thru the Ropes” as Espinoza shares details and the long journey of fighters, Mares and Perez, as they have arrived to face the biggest moment in their career, thus far.
Also joining us will be Special Guest, Corey Erdman, boxing analyst. Corey Erdman is the producer of the Morning Jones Show at The Score, a National television network based in Canada. He is also the co-host and producer of Pound 4-Pound Radio on SIRIUS 98. Pound 4-Pound Radio is the only weekly boxing program airing across North America on the XM Radio.
Erdman is also a freelance boxing journalist. He is often a special guest for televised boxing events. Erdman has worked with some of the biggest and best names in boxing. We are honored that he will be joining us from Canada to join in the discussion, as he speaks about the upcoming tournament, fighters, and the future of boxing. You will not want to miss this week’s “Thru the Ropes” kicking off the Bantamweight Tournament “Fan Style”
The Bantamweight Tournament is this Saturday night, December 11, 2010 on SHOWTIME Sports at
9 PM, ET/PT
Thru the Ropes begins at 10 PM, ET/7 PT. Boxing fans can call: 718-506-1506 the show will be live at www.blogtalkradio.com/wcsteelerfan
Here’s to hoping you’re picking up what I’m putting down!
http://goo.gl/fb/hyLoH
SHOWTIME Sports is proving to be the Champion of Boxing by giving fans what they want, innovative boxing tournaments with the “best fighting the best.”
This Saturday, December 11, tune in and become addicted to tournament style boxing, as well as the bantamweight division, a division that is fast, powerful, and exciting to watch. It will be a night of entertainment that will leave you hungry for more as the tournament continues in early 2011.
The tournament consists of the fabulous four, Abner Mares, Yonnhy Perez, Joseph Agbeko and Vic Darchinyan. Four talented fast and powerful boxers fighting to be crowned the champion of the bantamweight division.
The tournament is a two- round, single-elimination tournament. Winner takes all. The first leg of the tournament kicks off Saturday in Tacoma, Washington, SHOWTIME Sports will televise the single-elimination bantamweight tournament at 9 PM, ET/PT with a match-up between Yonnhy Perez and Joseph Agbeko. The night will continue with more boxing entertainment as Vic Darchinyan and Abner Mares step in the square circle to face off in what is being dubbed the most anticipated bout of the evening.
This Thursday, December 9, 2010, I invite sports fans to join us as we go “Thru the Ropes” on Blog Talk Radio. I will co-host the show with Jersymike Jr. to kick off the explosive SHOWTIME Tournament “Fan Style” as we speak with special guests Frank Espinoza Jr., and Boxing Analyst, Corey Erdman.
Frank Espinoza Jr., of Espinoza Boxing Club, the management team for Abner Mares and Yonnhy Perez, two of the tournament’s fabulous four fighters is taking time from his busy schedule to join us remotely from Tacoma, as his team prepares for Saturday.
Espinoza is regarded as one of the top management teams in the boxing industry with a unique culture that has set the team apart from others.
You will not want to miss this special episode of “Thru the Ropes” as Espinoza shares details and the long journey of fighters, Mares and Perez, as they have arrived to face the biggest moment in their career, thus far.
Also joining us will be Special Guest, Corey Erdman, boxing analyst. Corey Erdman is the producer of the Morning Jones Show at The Score, a National television network based in Canada. He is also the co-host and producer of Pound 4-Pound Radio on SIRIUS 98. Pound 4-Pound Radio is the only weekly boxing program airing across North America on the XM Radio.
Erdman is also a freelance boxing journalist. He is often a special guest for televised boxing events. Erdman has worked with some of the biggest and best names in boxing. We are honored that he will be joining us from Canada to join in the discussion, as he speaks about the upcoming tournament, fighters, and the future of boxing. You will not want to miss this week’s “Thru the Ropes” kicking off the Bantamweight Tournament “Fan Style”
The Bantamweight Tournament is this Saturday night, December 11, 2010 on SHOWTIME Sports at
9 PM, ET/PT
Thru the Ropes begins at 10 PM, ET/7 PT. Boxing fans can call: 718-506-1506 the show will be live at www.blogtalkradio.com/wcsteelerfan
Here’s to hoping you’re picking up what I’m putting down!
http://goo.gl/fb/hyLoH
Thursday, November 4, 2010
B.T.S
What a show we have tonight! Chad Potier does his final In The Dugout segment for the year as the San Francisco Giants have won the World Series. You can keep up with Mr. Potier here http://HereWeGeaux.blogspot.com.
Following the In The Dugout segment, we will be joined by James Reid from http://startingfantasylineup.com the Fantasy Football player's guide to dominating your league. Big Jim will take all questions, breakdown Week 9 match ups and tell you who to drop and who to pick up. Don't forget to check out Jody Smith's site as well for further guidance (http://gridironexperts.com).
Lisa Horne and Kevin Paul from FoxSports will join us to break down the BCS and all things college football. We will also feature a surprise guest who will be making a case for a certain non-BCS school. You don't want to miss this as things could get a little ugly, controversial and out of hand. We wouldn't have any less at ThaSPORTSKRIB.
Finally we go Thru The Ropes with Charlene May, returning from an illness that sidelined her last week. We will break down the Judah-Matthysse, Lopez-Marquez and Pacquiao-Margarito fights. We will also interview Holly "Lil Bear" Lawson on the heels of her pro debut. There's plenty of controversy to go around here as well.
We also have a couple of special guests including Chicago Louie who breaks down all things sports related to the Windy City. Model and official Krib HOT HONEY Victoria Hampton (@VeeTheModel on twitter) joins us to give listeners a different outlook on the entertainment industry.
Yo definitely don't want to miss this. Tomorrow I will reinstall my Smack of the Week so be on the look out for that. ThaSPORTSKRIB would like to thank all our faithful listeners, callers and contributors. We wold also like to shoutout Shane our new Fantasy sports blogger.
Following the In The Dugout segment, we will be joined by James Reid from http://startingfantasylineup.com the Fantasy Football player's guide to dominating your league. Big Jim will take all questions, breakdown Week 9 match ups and tell you who to drop and who to pick up. Don't forget to check out Jody Smith's site as well for further guidance (http://gridironexperts.com).
Lisa Horne and Kevin Paul from FoxSports will join us to break down the BCS and all things college football. We will also feature a surprise guest who will be making a case for a certain non-BCS school. You don't want to miss this as things could get a little ugly, controversial and out of hand. We wouldn't have any less at ThaSPORTSKRIB.
Finally we go Thru The Ropes with Charlene May, returning from an illness that sidelined her last week. We will break down the Judah-Matthysse, Lopez-Marquez and Pacquiao-Margarito fights. We will also interview Holly "Lil Bear" Lawson on the heels of her pro debut. There's plenty of controversy to go around here as well.
We also have a couple of special guests including Chicago Louie who breaks down all things sports related to the Windy City. Model and official Krib HOT HONEY Victoria Hampton (@VeeTheModel on twitter) joins us to give listeners a different outlook on the entertainment industry.
Yo definitely don't want to miss this. Tomorrow I will reinstall my Smack of the Week so be on the look out for that. ThaSPORTSKRIB would like to thank all our faithful listeners, callers and contributors. We wold also like to shoutout Shane our new Fantasy sports blogger.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Lost Romo?
Week 8
Before the season started the Cowboys were a strong possibility to be the first team to play in the Super Bowl they are hosting. Any notion of a Cowboy Super Bowl home game faded on Monday night, when QB Tony Romo broke his collar bone. He will be sidelined for 6-8 weeks, and since the Cowboy’s record is 1-5, it’s difficult to see him playing again in 2010. This leaves Fantasy Football owners dealing with another disastrous injury to deal with!
Chances are you drafted Romo fairly early this summer and now you are scrambling to save your season. It’s obvious that the Romo owner has two options; make a trade or the waiver wire. If your plan is to find someone to trade you a QB, consider the market and your situation. I am sure as soon as Romo went down people were lining up at the door trying to sell you a QB, I know I would. If you are going to trade do not make the mistake of paying a high price for an elite QB. I know it’s difficult to see a top 10 player go down. I can understand your first reaction is to find a player with comparable production to replace him, but the truth of the matter is that to do so you will have to pay a high price. You do not want to take a player like Chris Johnson or Adrian Peterson and trade them for an elite QB. If you do this you will be in the same position you are now, except RB will be your weakness instead of QB. Instead, find the owner who has some extra QB’s on his bench and make him a reasonable offer that would strengthen a weakness on his team.
I would encourage all Romo owners to explore the waiver wires to find a starter, or add depth at the QB position. When you explore your options look at recent performances and strength of the players upcoming schedule. A QB that is likely on waivers, that have a favorable schedule and has recently played well is Matt Cassel of the Chiefs. If the thought of Cassel starting as your QB for the rest of the year scares you, there are two other options I would recommend. One is Matt Stafford of the Lions. He is back after a week one shoulder injury and he has Calvin Johnson to throw to.
The other is a stud QB that has gone relatively unnoticed for the numbers he has been posting. That QB is Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Buffalo Bills. I know what you are thinking but do not let the team he plays for influence your decision to start him. Fitzpatrick has been on fire since taking over for the ineffective Trent Edwards, and he is not the reason the Bills are 0-6. My reasoning behind recommending him as a viable replacement is that if the Bills want to win a game or two this year then they have no choice but to throw the ball. If you think about it even if they are losing they have to throw the ball. As long as he can stay away from the interception it’s a win, win situation.
A couple weeks ago I wrotethat now was the time to sell high on Broncos QB Kyle Orton, I got a ton of negative feedback for that call. I think his days of posting 20+ point games are over, I thought that two weeks ago and if I owned Orton then I would contact who ever owns Romo. Are we ready to give up on Chargers RB Ryan Mathews? Sounds like San Diego is losing patience with the rookie and Tolbert owners are inline for an increase in production if Mathews can not get the job done. Anyone else afraid of the emergence of Ravens RB Willis McGahee? If you own Ray Rice then the answer is YES, and you should be concerned. Rice does not look like the same back we fell in love with in 2009. He looks like he is not hitting the hole as hard or fast as last year, and McGahee is taking advantage of Rice’s tepidness.
Lineup decisions can mean the difference between a win and loss. Take last week for example; if you own Darren McFadden, did you start him? If you did a round of applause is in order, because you are one of a selected few who did. McFadden himself stated that if he did play he was only going to be around 70% effective. In the world of fantasy sports 70% effective equals a week on the bench. He proceeded to explode for a 40 point fantasy day!
The Chiefs scored some points this weekend, granted it was against Jacksonville but it is nice to see Cassel, Bowe and company take care of business. Sleeper alert: the Chiefs seem to be opening up the playbook running some plays for RB/WR Dexter McCluster, something to keep an eye on.
Before the season started the Cowboys were a strong possibility to be the first team to play in the Super Bowl they are hosting. Any notion of a Cowboy Super Bowl home game faded on Monday night, when QB Tony Romo broke his collar bone. He will be sidelined for 6-8 weeks, and since the Cowboy’s record is 1-5, it’s difficult to see him playing again in 2010. This leaves Fantasy Football owners dealing with another disastrous injury to deal with!
Chances are you drafted Romo fairly early this summer and now you are scrambling to save your season. It’s obvious that the Romo owner has two options; make a trade or the waiver wire. If your plan is to find someone to trade you a QB, consider the market and your situation. I am sure as soon as Romo went down people were lining up at the door trying to sell you a QB, I know I would. If you are going to trade do not make the mistake of paying a high price for an elite QB. I know it’s difficult to see a top 10 player go down. I can understand your first reaction is to find a player with comparable production to replace him, but the truth of the matter is that to do so you will have to pay a high price. You do not want to take a player like Chris Johnson or Adrian Peterson and trade them for an elite QB. If you do this you will be in the same position you are now, except RB will be your weakness instead of QB. Instead, find the owner who has some extra QB’s on his bench and make him a reasonable offer that would strengthen a weakness on his team.
I would encourage all Romo owners to explore the waiver wires to find a starter, or add depth at the QB position. When you explore your options look at recent performances and strength of the players upcoming schedule. A QB that is likely on waivers, that have a favorable schedule and has recently played well is Matt Cassel of the Chiefs. If the thought of Cassel starting as your QB for the rest of the year scares you, there are two other options I would recommend. One is Matt Stafford of the Lions. He is back after a week one shoulder injury and he has Calvin Johnson to throw to.
The other is a stud QB that has gone relatively unnoticed for the numbers he has been posting. That QB is Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Buffalo Bills. I know what you are thinking but do not let the team he plays for influence your decision to start him. Fitzpatrick has been on fire since taking over for the ineffective Trent Edwards, and he is not the reason the Bills are 0-6. My reasoning behind recommending him as a viable replacement is that if the Bills want to win a game or two this year then they have no choice but to throw the ball. If you think about it even if they are losing they have to throw the ball. As long as he can stay away from the interception it’s a win, win situation.
A couple weeks ago I wrotethat now was the time to sell high on Broncos QB Kyle Orton, I got a ton of negative feedback for that call. I think his days of posting 20+ point games are over, I thought that two weeks ago and if I owned Orton then I would contact who ever owns Romo. Are we ready to give up on Chargers RB Ryan Mathews? Sounds like San Diego is losing patience with the rookie and Tolbert owners are inline for an increase in production if Mathews can not get the job done. Anyone else afraid of the emergence of Ravens RB Willis McGahee? If you own Ray Rice then the answer is YES, and you should be concerned. Rice does not look like the same back we fell in love with in 2009. He looks like he is not hitting the hole as hard or fast as last year, and McGahee is taking advantage of Rice’s tepidness.
Lineup decisions can mean the difference between a win and loss. Take last week for example; if you own Darren McFadden, did you start him? If you did a round of applause is in order, because you are one of a selected few who did. McFadden himself stated that if he did play he was only going to be around 70% effective. In the world of fantasy sports 70% effective equals a week on the bench. He proceeded to explode for a 40 point fantasy day!
The Chiefs scored some points this weekend, granted it was against Jacksonville but it is nice to see Cassel, Bowe and company take care of business. Sleeper alert: the Chiefs seem to be opening up the playbook running some plays for RB/WR Dexter McCluster, something to keep an eye on.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
JersyMikeJr's Blurbs
It's funny that our new Fantasy sports blogger Shane pointed something out about Run DMC. he had the highest score in a fantasy game this year and there he sat on my bench. If the NY Gmen didn't knock Romo out of the game I might have lost my match up. We will do a short Fantasy Football segment so make sure you follow Shane @Fsportsguy on twitter.
Last week on the show we didn't really get to touch on the NFL's crackdown on "devastating" hits. It's probably a good thing. While I still think the fine on Atlanta's Robinson for his helmet to helmet collision with DeSean Jackson was a little excessive, it seems that if you lead with the shoulder you won't be punished in all likelihood. The jury is still out upon further discussion. What I was concerned about was the league cracking down on hits like Ray Lewis on Dustin Keller, but that doesn't seem like it's going to be the case. However, the days of Jack Tatum and Ronnie Lott becoming a thing of the past saddens me.
More to come
Last week on the show we didn't really get to touch on the NFL's crackdown on "devastating" hits. It's probably a good thing. While I still think the fine on Atlanta's Robinson for his helmet to helmet collision with DeSean Jackson was a little excessive, it seems that if you lead with the shoulder you won't be punished in all likelihood. The jury is still out upon further discussion. What I was concerned about was the league cracking down on hits like Ray Lewis on Dustin Keller, but that doesn't seem like it's going to be the case. However, the days of Jack Tatum and Ronnie Lott becoming a thing of the past saddens me.
More to come
Monday, October 25, 2010
Week 7 Observations
Run DMC baby!! Did you start him? Probably not, only 16% of people in CBSsports.com leagues did. McFadden himself said that he was about 70%; so why would you start him? It was a wild, wild, unpredictable weekend in the NFL, let alone in Fantasy Football. Pending tonight’s game, it looks like Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the high score for QB for week 7 and Kenny Britt owns that honor at the WR position. I wonder who started that lineup. If you did, message me on Twitter because you should be writing this column!
News and Notes from Week 7
How bad is the Bears offense, specifically Jay Cutler? I heard on Twitter that after the game Cutler was at the bar, saw a pretty girl, made a pass at her, and that pass was promptly intercepted by DeAngelo Hall. I think from this point forward I am going to start a Defense that is playing the Bears, their offense is that bad.
I thought Brock Lesner got his head handed to him quickly on Saturday night, and the Broncos did their best Lesner impersonation on Sunday. A couple weeks ago I wrote in my weekly column that now was the time to sell high on Broncos QB Kyle Orton, I got a ton of negative feedback for that call. I think his days of posting 20+ point games are over, I thought that two weeks ago. Take it for what it is worth. Are we ready to give up on Chargers RB Ryan Mathews? Sounds like San Diego did, and Tolbert owners are inline for an increase in production. Besides Brett Favre broken ankle, the injury bug did not bite anyone of fantasy value. Anyone else afraid of the emergence of Ravens RB Willis McGahee? If you own Ray Rice then the answer is YES, and you should be concerned. Rice does not look like the same back we fell in love with in 2009. He looks like he is not hitting the hole as hard or fast as last year, and McGahee is taking advantage of Rice’s tepidness.
Above mentioned QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is on fire and unlike Orton I think this will continue for the rest of the season. My reasoning behind this is that if the Bills want to win a game or two this year then they have no choice but to throw the ball. If you think about it even if they are down they have to throw the ball so it is a win, win situation. The Chiefs scored some points this weekend, granted it was against Jacksonville but it is nice to see Cassel, Bowe and company take care of business. Sleeper alert: the Chiefs seem to be opening up the playbook running some plays for RB/WR Dexter McCluster, something to keep an eye on.
Any questions or comments, feel free to leave them or follow me on Twitter @fsportsguy
News and Notes from Week 7
How bad is the Bears offense, specifically Jay Cutler? I heard on Twitter that after the game Cutler was at the bar, saw a pretty girl, made a pass at her, and that pass was promptly intercepted by DeAngelo Hall. I think from this point forward I am going to start a Defense that is playing the Bears, their offense is that bad.
I thought Brock Lesner got his head handed to him quickly on Saturday night, and the Broncos did their best Lesner impersonation on Sunday. A couple weeks ago I wrote in my weekly column that now was the time to sell high on Broncos QB Kyle Orton, I got a ton of negative feedback for that call. I think his days of posting 20+ point games are over, I thought that two weeks ago. Take it for what it is worth. Are we ready to give up on Chargers RB Ryan Mathews? Sounds like San Diego did, and Tolbert owners are inline for an increase in production. Besides Brett Favre broken ankle, the injury bug did not bite anyone of fantasy value. Anyone else afraid of the emergence of Ravens RB Willis McGahee? If you own Ray Rice then the answer is YES, and you should be concerned. Rice does not look like the same back we fell in love with in 2009. He looks like he is not hitting the hole as hard or fast as last year, and McGahee is taking advantage of Rice’s tepidness.
Above mentioned QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is on fire and unlike Orton I think this will continue for the rest of the season. My reasoning behind this is that if the Bills want to win a game or two this year then they have no choice but to throw the ball. If you think about it even if they are down they have to throw the ball so it is a win, win situation. The Chiefs scored some points this weekend, granted it was against Jacksonville but it is nice to see Cassel, Bowe and company take care of business. Sleeper alert: the Chiefs seem to be opening up the playbook running some plays for RB/WR Dexter McCluster, something to keep an eye on.
Any questions or comments, feel free to leave them or follow me on Twitter @fsportsguy
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Backups for your Backups?
I feel like I am watching an episode of the Twilight Zone! Every Monday, for the last 6 weeks, I find myself wondering through the aftermath of injuries from another day in the NFL. It doesn’t matter how you feel about the violence of the sport, or if you agree with the new rules the Commissioner put in place to help protect the players. The truth of the matter is that at any given time there is a good chance you could lose a productive player for an extended period of time. How do you replace someone like DeSean Jackson, Jermichael Finley, Dallas Clark, Austin Collie or Antonio Gates? Obviously you can not, but you can be prepared in the event if one of your starters goes down for an extended period of time. As a Fantasy Owner, you need to be proactive and plan for an injury to happen. How do you plan for an injury? The short answer is you need to add depth, at all positions, to your roster. The downside to this is that you will be forced to make some tough decisions on whom to drop/trade to add that depth. You will also have to take a chance on players that may or may not make an impact from this point forward. Anyone can give you their opinion on what players to add, but what players to get rid of? Only you can make that decision.
What I mean by being proactive is you need to take a chance on a player before anyone else in your league realizes their potential. I would rather claim a player, and stash him on my bench; then wait for him to have a good game and get into a bidding war to sign him. If he does not progress into the player you thought he would, just cut him loose for another sleeper. To do this you need roster space, and this is where you have to make some decisions. The first order of business is to cut any extra D/ST and Kickers off your roster. If you are saving them to fill in for a starter on a bye week, cut them loose anyways. You can always mix and match these positions when the time comes.
You drafted what you thought was a great team this summer but things have changed! First round selections such as MJD and Michael Turner are not even in the top fifty of the list of top scorers so far this season. Who would have thought that Ryan Torrain would have roughly the same amount of points as those guys?! Is now the time to trade away your first or second round pick? If you can add some depth to your roster in exchange for an underachiever then you should do so.
What can we expect from the helmet to helmet rule change that was instituted this week? Some think that nothing will change; I on the other hand see defenses playing less aggressively. If defenses become less physical then that would be a good thing for Fantasy Football. More catches will be made for more yards and more points will be scored. The NFL is thinking about adding two games to the regular season. At the rate players are getting injured, if they do extend the regular season then I need to get in shape. There might be an open tryout for the Patriots next year!
With injuries so frequent and severe this season, I developed a list of some deep sleepers that have a possibility of having a good second half of the season. These guys will not have an immediate impact for you team but give them time. They can pay huge dividends for the stretch run
V. Jackson-
I know I sound like a broken record about Jackson, but he is that good. Recent reports have Jackson signing his tender and reporting to the Chargers by Oct. 29th. This would make him eligible to play by wk 12. He is one of the best WR's in the game and he should be added for the stretch run if you have the space.
S. Rice-
If his recovery from hip surgery continues to go well, Minnesota's WR is scheduled be activated of the PUP list by wk 10. He had a great year last year and with the addition if Moss he should be able to find space for Favre to throw him the ball.
J. Starks-
The RB from Buffalo was considered a first round pick before an injury sidelined him for his senior season at the University of Buffalo. This year he pulled his hamstring in the preseason and was placed on the PUP list. He has been activated and should be in uniform on Sunday. There has to be a reason why the Packers did not trade for an RB. Most people, myself included, believe that Starks was the reason they did not. If he can stay healthy he could be a difference maker for fantasy owners.
A.Gonzalez(WR), B. White(WR), J. Tamme(TE) , M. Hart(RB) and Javarris James(RB)
The Colts are dealing with a rash of injuries to all of their receivers and both their starting RB’s. Collie had wrist surgery on Thursday and there are reports that Dallas Clark suffered a season ending wrist injury this past Sunday. Addai has nerve damage in his shoulder and his backup, Donald Brown, has been injured since his career began two years ago. The above mentioned players are backups but all have the potential to succeed when Peyton Manning throwing the ball.
What I mean by being proactive is you need to take a chance on a player before anyone else in your league realizes their potential. I would rather claim a player, and stash him on my bench; then wait for him to have a good game and get into a bidding war to sign him. If he does not progress into the player you thought he would, just cut him loose for another sleeper. To do this you need roster space, and this is where you have to make some decisions. The first order of business is to cut any extra D/ST and Kickers off your roster. If you are saving them to fill in for a starter on a bye week, cut them loose anyways. You can always mix and match these positions when the time comes.
You drafted what you thought was a great team this summer but things have changed! First round selections such as MJD and Michael Turner are not even in the top fifty of the list of top scorers so far this season. Who would have thought that Ryan Torrain would have roughly the same amount of points as those guys?! Is now the time to trade away your first or second round pick? If you can add some depth to your roster in exchange for an underachiever then you should do so.
What can we expect from the helmet to helmet rule change that was instituted this week? Some think that nothing will change; I on the other hand see defenses playing less aggressively. If defenses become less physical then that would be a good thing for Fantasy Football. More catches will be made for more yards and more points will be scored. The NFL is thinking about adding two games to the regular season. At the rate players are getting injured, if they do extend the regular season then I need to get in shape. There might be an open tryout for the Patriots next year!
With injuries so frequent and severe this season, I developed a list of some deep sleepers that have a possibility of having a good second half of the season. These guys will not have an immediate impact for you team but give them time. They can pay huge dividends for the stretch run
V. Jackson-
I know I sound like a broken record about Jackson, but he is that good. Recent reports have Jackson signing his tender and reporting to the Chargers by Oct. 29th. This would make him eligible to play by wk 12. He is one of the best WR's in the game and he should be added for the stretch run if you have the space.
S. Rice-
If his recovery from hip surgery continues to go well, Minnesota's WR is scheduled be activated of the PUP list by wk 10. He had a great year last year and with the addition if Moss he should be able to find space for Favre to throw him the ball.
J. Starks-
The RB from Buffalo was considered a first round pick before an injury sidelined him for his senior season at the University of Buffalo. This year he pulled his hamstring in the preseason and was placed on the PUP list. He has been activated and should be in uniform on Sunday. There has to be a reason why the Packers did not trade for an RB. Most people, myself included, believe that Starks was the reason they did not. If he can stay healthy he could be a difference maker for fantasy owners.
A.Gonzalez(WR), B. White(WR), J. Tamme(TE) , M. Hart(RB) and Javarris James(RB)
The Colts are dealing with a rash of injuries to all of their receivers and both their starting RB’s. Collie had wrist surgery on Thursday and there are reports that Dallas Clark suffered a season ending wrist injury this past Sunday. Addai has nerve damage in his shoulder and his backup, Donald Brown, has been injured since his career began two years ago. The above mentioned players are backups but all have the potential to succeed when Peyton Manning throwing the ball.
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