Fabiano, it’s like we’re in sync bro…
What an awesome week going in to our ballot of games Sunday. Trades, injuries, stars are falling and being born all at the same time, and I love it. Some winless teams have a chance to get a “w” and top teams may fall. But more importantly, how will your team do. Last week I had a pretty good run but the only reason I won was because Adrian Peterson was on a bye week (sorry Anthony).
Who’s In:
Quarterbacks:
- Eli Manning: Manning was Fabiano’s “Start of the Week” this week, but I’m not going that far. He will have as good a week as he allows himself to have. The Giants have a great matchup against the last ranked pass defense of the Texans. Manning throws multiple touchdowns in a loss.
- Sam Bradford: He’s been playing great in his rookie year and his chances of producing only get easier against the lackluster defense of the Detroit Lions. Bradford is very in tune with his wideouts and has a decent running game to open things up for him. Start Bradford if your regular starter is on a bye.
- Matt Cassel: Before the season, if you had told me Kansas City would be #1 in their division and would have a real chance of beating the Colts I would say you’re nuts. Low and behold, I’m the jackass yet again. Matt Cassel had a good week his last game getting forgotten fantasy misfits like Dwayne Bowe involved. He’s had two weeks to prepare for this game and already has the best running game in the NFL through 4 weeks. Cassel plays smart, controls the clock, and gets the win.
- Sleeper Pick: David Garrard: Garrard had a decent game last week and is going up against the worst defense statistically in the league. MJD has another good game and opens up the offense. Garrard throws 200 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Running Back;
- Jahvid Best: After a tough game against the Packers in which he was playing hurt Best was still able to get respectable yardage totals. The Lions chances of winning their first game at home is riding on Best’s shoulders. He gets the game going on the ground and works great as a passing option for Shaun Hill out of the backfield. Look for another multi-touchdown game for him.
- Fred Jackson: Nobody benefits more from Marshawn Lynch being traded than this guy. Jackson was a great fantasy option last year and finally will get the chance to do so again. This will also bring relief to CJ Spiller who will have less pressure in his rookie year to perform better than two proven backs. Fred Jackson has a coming out party. 125 yards and a touchdown.
- Jamal Charles: The Colts continue to struggle against the run and that isn’t going to change win they take on the undefeated Chiefs. Charles is more explosive than his backfield cohort Thomas Jones and he will break off a couple of big runs to give him decent numbers for the day. Expect Charles to get around the 100 yard mark.
- Sleeper Pick- Ryan Torain: Two things happened today: 1. I was pissed when I didn’t get Torain off waivers and 2. I was surprised he lasted 3 rounds on the waiver. How the first two guys didn’t pick him up blows me away. Torain will be the focal point of the Redskins offense in an effort to keep pressure of McNabb and open things up for him to take advantage of the secondary. Torain will have a tough time getting started but don’t freak out. Put him in your line up and wait until the second half.
Wide Receiver:
-Hakeem Nicks: Again, the Giants are up against the worst pass defense in the league. If Manning does well Nicks does well. Nicks will have another game with more than one touchdown, all-be-it a loosing effort.
-Mark Clayton: He is Sam Bradford’s favorite option and will continue to put up decent yardage total. Given his matchup I would also expect a touchdown out of my comeback player of the year.
-Marques Colston: I’m getting a little tired of over-estimating on this guy but I’ll give him one more week to redeem himself. Colston, along with Lance Moore, should have good games as Drew Brees and the Saints get back on track against the woeful Arizona Cardinals. One more week, Marques…
-Sleeper Pick: Santonio Holmes: Who knows how Holmes will do after a month layoff. All I know is he assimilated himself into the Jets offense very easily and is beyond ready to get back on the field again. One good hit after a catch should get him right back on track. Holmes may be another slow starter but some fourth quarter heroics are his specialty. Good luck Mr. Holmes.
Tight End:
-Jermichael Finley: I have the Packers tight end on my fantasy team and I have half a mind to play him on his bye week. He could still probably get me more points that Kevin Boss would (no offense Brian). I love this guy’s make up; with his ability to run after the catch, his size, and his great hands he is a legitimate threat to take over a game. I can tell you one thing- the Packers would struggle a lot more without him.
-Visathe Shiancoe: ShiancoeShiancoe in play action situations. Look for Shiancoe’s yardage totals to increase this week.
-Dustin Keller: I’m not sure where this guy came from but if I didn’t love Finley so much I’de be a little upset I didn’t draft him. As Mark Sanchez’s favorite target Keller is having a great year. His luck will continue as he has a great game against the Vikings on Monday night.
-Sleeper: Daniel Fells: When Sam Bradford gets down into the red zone and teams clamp down on Mark Clayton and load the box against Steven Jackson, he has no problem going to his tight end. Fells has been playing very well lately. Not to mention his quarterback trusts him to make the catch in the end zone which does wonders for a guys confidence. Bradford and company should have plenty of opportunities to score against the Lions so watch for Fells to be very effective.
Kicker:
-My kicker start of the week is Atlanta’s Matt Bryant. The guy deserves it after kicking two straight winning field goals the last two weeks. He reminds me of John Kasay the year the Panthers made it to the Super Bowl, he was the biggest reason they made it that far.
Defense: Chicago Bears: Stop the run and you stop the Panthers. Chicago can stop the run and get to Jimmy Clausen enough to force some bad decisions.
Who’s Out:
Quarterback:
-Kyle Orton: He may be leading the top pass attack in the NFL, but he goes up against the toughest pass defense in the NFL. I was taught that defense wins championships. Sit him for this week as he will throw multiple picks.
-Kevin Kolb: I like Kevin, I really do. He just isn’t in the right system to be a productive quarterback, at least not from the fantasy perspective. He might manage games well in the future but with an injured running back and a wideout that can outrun his long ball any day he may be in for a tough day.
-Jimmy Clausen: I don’t think anyone owns him other that the guy in my fantasy league. But Braydon is a true Panther’s fan and I commend him for that. But Clausen is a rookie playing without a proven wide receiver in the line up against one of the top five defenses in the league so far. The Bears will come at him from all angles and he isn’t comfortable enough in the pocket yet. Sit him Braydon, seriously.
Watch Out: Mark Sanchez: I know he has been playing well and I know he has another option in Holmes but he is taking on a hungry Vikings D that will hit him hard and often. Chances are you have another signal caller on your roster and if you’re trying to decide if you should give Sam Bradford a chance, do it.
Running Back:
-Deangelo Williams: Same reason as Clausen in that he’s going up against the Bears. But also, Williams is officially the Panthers only respectable option on offense which means he is about to take on that defense by himself. I hope I’m wrong because I love the Panthers, but something tells me it will be at least another week before we get that big win we want.
-Beanie Wells: The Arizona Cardinals are starting rookie Max Hall, and unless there is a series of cosmic events that means Wells is in store for a long day. The Saints have a very good run defense and Wells is yet to produce as expected. Keep him benched until he shows you the numbers.
-Laurence Maroney: The Ravens are the best defense in the NFL. Enough said. Bench him.
-Michael Bush: The word is Bush will start for the Raiders this week but you should fight the urge to start him. He’s going up against the Chargers solid run defense and will only produce mediocre numbers.
Wide Receiver:
- Santana Moss: Moss is in store for a tough day against the Packers defense that knows how to keep him out of the game. He did not record a catch against the Eagles last week and is in danger of doing so again. Watch for the Redskins to rely heavily on Ryan Torain to open up the offense. Being the only proven offensive threat has its pros and cons. You get all the attention…but you get all the attention. Charles Woodson wasn’t Defensive Player of the Year for nothing.
- Braylon Edwards: I’m not saying he’ll have a bad day, I just don’t expect Sanchez to give him the same attention when he has former Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes on the field. I expect the Jets to force feed a hefty serving of Santonio to the Vikings to get him right back into game flow. Braylon will be more of a second, or even third option behind Dustin Keller. What a difference a suspension makes.
- Nate Washington: Washington seems to have been picked up in a lot of leagues, and rightfully so. He’s playing good football and has real breakout ability. But this week he and his quarterback take on a hungry, and well-rested Cowboys team that still has a very formidable defense. The Boys will lock Washington down and so should you.
- Watch Out: Mike Williams: One of the best rookie receivers through 4 weeks, Williams has shown great ability against opposing defenses. While I may be way off on this one I expect the Bengals to pay less attention to the Bucs weak run game and try to lock down two guy: Williams, and quarterback Josh Freeman, who could have very easily made this list for quarterbacks. These two are the key to the offensive flow for Tampa Bay and the Bengals will shut Williams down for a week.
Tight End:
- Jason Witten: I had Witten on my fantasy team last year and by the time I finally traded him it was to late. He had already hurt me enough that I just couldn’t bounce back. I fear he will do the same thing to owners this week. Jason Witten is a great football player who commands attention and does nothing but help his team win. But as tight ends go, he isn’t fantasy relevant to me on a week to week basis anymore. Too many options for Romo and the Cowboys want the big play every time. If you have another option use him.
- Owen Daniels: Injuries, issues, and again too many better options. Daniels has had his moments but most of them were last year.
- Greg Olsen: Olsen is going up against a good defense in the Panthers. But moreover, he’s doing it with a new quarterback. He had one good game against the Packers, but outside of that he just hasn’t had enough targets. Todd Collins will not succeed against Jon Beason and my beloved Panthers’ defense. Go Panthers!
- Watch Out: Dallas Clark: I know this is a long shot and I never thought I would have one of the best tight ends in the game on this list. Yet here I go again, surprising even myself. The Chiefs are playing great and while they are on the road I believe limiting Dallas Clark will be a big part of the game plan. It will be the toughest part of the game for them but I think Clark gets extra attention and opens things up more for Collie and Wayne.
Defense:
-New York Jets: In case you can’t tell I’m making a concerted effort to be bold here at the end of my list. Here’s the thing: The Jets have a very cocky demeanor that I think will cause them to loose a couple of key games. On the other side you have the Minnesota Vikings who will be energized to get back to work. Adrian Peterson has had two weeks to prepare, Brett Favre is going up against the one team he didn’t succeed with and apparently Childress and the Vikes’ aquired this receiver that’s suppose to be pretty good. I think his name is Randy…and I’ve heard he might have a chip the size of Jerry Jones new stadium on his shoulder. The Jets will always make plays, but this week I think they give up a bunch of points, too.
Kicker:
-John Kasay: It hurts me greatly to do this to an original Panther but it has to be done. The Panthers are not setting Kasay up for success this year and that continues on Sunday. Not only will it be hard to get Kasay on the field but I believe out of the 3 times he does see action the Bears block one of the field goals. Sit him, for me.
Good luck to all of you and I hope I help sometimes. If you have any comments or insight for me let me know before Friday and if we agree I’ll add you in. Thanks again.
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