Fantasy Football: Keeper Targets and Trash

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Category : Fantasy Football Strategies, Sleepers & Player Rankings

Keeper Targets and TrashKnowshon Moreno

There’s a certain science to winning a keeper pool, not only do you have to be able to recognize fresh talent early on, you also have to be able to tell when your players are over the hill and just wasting a roster spot in your line-up. The 09-10 campaign has almost come to a conclusion and by now you pretty much know the production rate of each player in the fantasy realm. Here’s a look at some young players that you might want to take a look at entering your next year’s keeper draft, and some older guys you may want to get rid of.

While most Keeper pools have an average of 2-3 players, some are reaching the 8-9’s these days. Value is always seen on the offensive teams, but age and potential need to remembered when making your decisions.

I’m going to avoid some of the obvious picks, so remember if you have the opportunity to keep any of these guys or get them in the draft be well warned: Beanie Wells, Knowsean Moreno, Shonn Greene, Michael Crabtree, Percy Harvin, Jeremy Maclin, Brian Orakpo, Clay Matthews, Jarius Byrd, Aaron Curry, Brian Cushing, Kenny Britt, Lesean McCoy, Donald Brown, Brandon Pettigrew, Matt Stafford and Mark Sanchez indefinitely.  Here I’ve built a team for you of the players that you may be interested in keeping or targeting next draft:

  • QB Chad Henne, Miami Dolphins: it will be interesting to see what he can do in a full 16 games.
  • QB Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos: alright he’s not so young but he couldn’t be held out of this.

Waiver Wire Sleepers

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Category : Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Fantasy Football Strategies, Sleepers & Player Rankings

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Last Minute Waiver Wire Sleepers

Believe it or not, whether you’re 11-0 or 5-6 at this point in the season, searching for and finding gems on the waiver wire never gets old. At least it shouldn’t, not if you’re as dedicated to fantasy football success as we are.

The names won’t blow you away, but there are at least a couple of guys at each position that can help you out in some manner, and all should be available in over 50% of fantasy leagues.

Read on to find out what darkhorses could help you in Week 13, and possibly even in your league’s playoffs:

Matt Leinart, QB, Arizona Cardinals (95%)

Leinart didn’t throw a touchdown in his 2009 starting debut, but he did play well, and ended the game against the Titants be going 13-16 in the second half. Kurt Warner is still having post-concussion issues, so there’s a decent chance Leinart could start on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings can rush the passer, but they also have issues stopping elite pass offenses, so Leinart could easily find some solid numbers. Even if Leinart doesn’t play this week, or if you don’t like him against the Vikings, hold onto him for the stretch run, as concussion symptoms tend to linger.

Chris Redman, QB, Atlanta Falcons (97%)

Redman stepped in for the injured Matt Ryan last week, and completed 23 passes for 240+ yards and two scores, including the game-winner. Redman picked up right where he had left off after a solid 2007 season, and will go into Week 13’s match-up against the Philadelphia Eagles as Atlanta’s starter, as Ryan nurses a turf toe injury.

The Eagles pass defense isn’t weak, but with no Michael Turner to help him, Redman could be in for a busy day.

Jerious Norwood, RB, Atlanta Falcons (80%)

It was Jason Snelling two weeks ago, and now that Micharl Turner is back on the shelf and Norwood is healthy again, the tiny back from Mississippi State gets a crack at extra playing time.

He was decent in his return last week, rushing for 22 yards and catching two passes for another 28 yards and a touchdown, but should see a much larger role this week against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The match-up isn’t great, but the touches should be there, making him a solid Flex play for Week 13, and until Turner returns.

Chris Brown, RB, Houston Texans (94%)

Brown has rushed the ball 11 times in the past two games, despite coming off the bench, and has even had a role in the passing game. Brown is the best blocking back on the team, doesn’t put the ball on the ground, and is solid in every facet of the game.

Steve Slaton will continue to start for the Texans and will play a role in the offense, but Brown’s role appears to be a bit more dependable. He has a solid match-up against a weak Jacksonville defense this week, so use him with confidence if you need running back help.

Robert Meachem, WR, New Orleans Saints (54%)

Fantasy Football Coin Flip

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Category : Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Fantasy Coin Flip, Fantasy Football Strategies, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Sleepers & Player Rankings

Fantasy Football Coin Flip

Last weeks “Coin Flip” article was destroyed before it even started. We pitted Matt Ryan against Donovan McNabb, vouching for Ryan against a hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense, only to see the second-year star hit the sidelines with a turf toe injury before he could do any damage. It didn’t stop there. We also had a match-up between two injured running backs (Cedric Benson and Michael Turner) who had the possibility of returning last week, and you didn’t stand a chance going with either of them. Benson didn’t even suit up, while Turner’s triumphant return ended with 12 carries and under 40 yards, as well as a return to the sidelines after he re-injured his ankle.

We’re sticking with guys who aren’t riding gimpy legs into Week 13, and encourage you to rely on our advice this week:


Ray RiceRay Rice, RB, BAL (@GB) VS. Thomas Jones, RB, NYJ (@ BUF)

This is an interesting match-up because both of these backs have been fantasy stalwarts for most of 2009, and really, in any given week, have the role and ability to save your team. Rice is in a brutal division that does a great job against the run (save for Cleveland), yet he’s still put up elite numbers on a consistent basis. The week-to-week match-up is the complete opposite for Jones, however, yet the backs’ numbers are very comparable.

Rice is going up against a very solid Green Bay Packers defense on Monday night this week, one that has done a great job containing running backs in the past three weeks, yet still has a bit of trouble on screens (as most teams do). In a match-up of two beastly running backs, their respective match-ups have to be the deciding factor.

Verdict: Rice is very hard to leave on your bench, but if you have the choice between the two, you can’t pass up Jones’ beautiful match-up with a very leaky Bills run defense. Jones broke-out for 200+ yards on them last time, and that was with Mark Sanchez throwing five picks. How do you like his chances this week? Needless to say, TJ is our guy.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, PHI (@ATL) VS. Terrell Owens, WR, BUF (vs. NYJ)

Maclin has been a solid model for consistency since taking over Kevin Curtis’ job as the Eagle starter opposite of DeSean Jackson, while T.O. has finally developed some chemistry with a quarterback not named Romo, McNabb, or Garcia. Trent Edwards wasn’t giving him any love, but who

NFL Rumors and Injuries

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Category : Around the League, Fantasy Football Strategies, Sleepers & Player Rankings

NFL Rumors and Injuriescowgirls

  • Michael Crabtree – WR, San Francisco 49ers The 49ers have dropped their tampering charge against the Jets for alleged early-season negotiations with former holdout
  • Marc Bulger – QB, St. Louis Rams A Monday MRI revealed that Marc Bulger has a fracture in the upper part of his kneecap. He’ll miss the next 3-6 weeks.
  • Ben Roethlisberger – QB, Pittsburgh Steelers NFL.com’s Jason La Canfora confirms that the Steelers expect Ben Roethlisberger (head) to play in Week 12.
  • Matthew Stafford - QB, Detroit Lions Updating a previous item, Lions coach Jim Schwartz acknowledged Monday that Matthew Stafford (left shoulder) is “unlikely” to play on Thanksgiving Day against the Packers.
  • Brandon Jacobs – RB, New York Giants Despite leaving Sunday’s game with an apparent knee problem, Brandon Jacobs was not among the players on Giants coach Tom Coughlin’s injured list announced at his Monday press conference.
  • Michael Turner – RB, Atlanta Falcons Falcons coach Mike Smith shed little light on the statuses of Michael Turner (ankle) and Jerious Norwood (hip) at his Monday presser.
  • Tony Romo – QB, Dallas Cowboys Tony Romo is fully expected to start on Thanksgiving against Oakland despite suffering a back injury in Week 11.
  • Bill Cowher- Buffalo Bills Bills owner Ralph Wilson is hunting big game in the coaching field. He’s expected to meet with Mike Shanahan this week, and the NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reports that the team also contacted Bill Cowher last week.

The Once Reliable Fantasy WR

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Category : Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Fantasy Football Strategies, Sleepers & Player Rankings

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The Once Reliable Fantasy WR

Amongst many other things, one of my favorite keys to success in fantasy football is an intentional selection of reliable receivers. Knowing that your WR’s will be able to pick up the slack when your RB’s or QB’s have less than favorable match-ups is a luxury and always quick to put my mind at ease. Yet this year, if you adopted that strategy and invested heavily in the WR position at the draft, you may now find yourself scrambling as some of the pre-draft big name guys just aren’t as reliable as you thought they’d be. Here are just a few examples:

Calvin “Megatron” Johnson was arguably one of the hottest names at WR pre-draft. He had an incredible sophomore season (78 receptions, 1331 yards, 12 TDs) and most of these yards came with Daunte Culpepper at the helm. With the addition of 1st overall QB selection Matthew Stafford, Johnson’s value skyrocketed and so did his potential for the season. Alas, this season Johnson has only recorded 32 receptions for 436 yards with 1 touchdown.calvin-johnson

Standard Scoring Leagues: 49 Points.

Fantasy Football Toolbox Average Draft Position: 4th WR, 16th Player Overall.

Greg Jennings is an extremely talented WR with an extremely talented QB throwing to him in Aaron Rodgers. Jennings and Rodgers established wonderful chemistry together last season. Jennings recorded 80 receptions for 1292 yards with 9 touchdowns, so naturally most of us couldn’t wait for this season. Unfortunately, the majority of the Packers pass offense this season is running through Donald Driver. Of Rodgers 17 TD’s so far Jennings only has 2, on 38 receptions with 543 yards. Not terrible numbers, but he is definitely not as reliable as he has been over the past two seasons.

Standard Scoring Leagues: 66 Points.

Fantasy Football Toolbox Average Draft Position: 6th WR, 22nd Player Overall.

Anquan Boldin has been stellar for the past few seasons, a player you could truly rely on to help your squad to fantasy victory. This season however Boldin can’t seem to find the end-zone. He’s recorded 43 catches for 509 yards, with one measly touchdown. Come on Quan, get into the game already.

Standard Scoring Leagues: 56 Points.

Fantasy Football Toolbox Average Draft Position: 9th WR, 26th Player Overall.

It’s almost unfair to put this guy in the mix, but we have to. Terrell Owens has been virtually unbearable to watch this season.

Fantasy Sleepers For Week 11

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Category : Fantasy Football Strategies, Sleepers & Player Rankings

Fantasy Sleepers For Week 11Seattle+Seahawks

Justin Forsett, RB Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks are a huge underdog in the sportsbook this week, and not many of their offensive parts will have much value against a suffocating Vikings defense. Even so, one player that is worth adding to the roster is running back Justin Forsett. After Julius Jones was injured last week against the Cardinals, Forsett rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown on just 17 carries.

Jones has been a free agent bust in Seattle and there is pretty much no reason for him to be holding onto the job anymore. Forsett is a young player who is getting better while Jones is a free agent to be at the end of the season. With that in mind, pick up Forsett and use him in the coming weeks.

The Seahawks did not turn out to be the team that everyone thought they could be but their offense is still good enough to score points regularly. The passing game is functional with Matt Hasselbeck and T.J. Houshmanzadeh, which means Forsett will rarely be the focus of the defensive attention.

Ronnie Brown Is Done!

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Category : Around the League, Miami Dolphins, Sleepers & Player Rankings

Ronnie Brown Is For The YearRonnie Brown

The Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown will be placed on injured reserve after being injured in Sunday’s victory over the Buccaneers. Ronnie Brown, the center piece of the wildcat will be done for the year with an injured right foot that turned out to be way more serious than people had thought. Brown will see a specialist Thursday morning to further evaluate the specifics of his foot problem. -Dolphin fans are no doubt hanging there heads today.

Fantasy Football Coin Flip

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Category : Fantasy Coin Flip, Sleepers & Player Rankings

Fantasy Football Coin FlipFantasy Football Coin Flip

In last week’s Coin Flip piece, I went the wrong way between Tony Romo and Brett Favre, but made the right call with picks in favor of Ray Rice and Calvin Johnson. With the thought that “two out of three ain’t bad”, let’s move forward to our goal of getting 3/3 in our match-up calls this week.

Take a look at the six players facing off, and who should be in your starting line-up:

Jay Cutler, QB, (vs. PHI) VS. Matt Ryan, QB, (@NYG)

Both quarterbacks have been in dramatic slides in recent weeks, as Cutler has tossed 10 interceptions in his last four games, while Ryan has thrown eight. Cutler did have a solid 300+ yard and three touchdown effort two weeks ago in a crushing loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but has otherwise been a turnover machine with no reliable weapons outide of Devin Hester, and no rushing offense to speak of. His match-ups haven’t been desirable, but for the money he’s making and the hype he gets, Cutler should be giving more back to you for the draft pick you invested in him.

Ryan, on the other hand, has dipped considerably since leading an early-season charge for the Falcons, and has been playing very medicore football during a relatively tough schedule. The interesting thing about the match-up between these two passers is the defense they’re facing, and the last quarterback that torched both defenses: Phillip Rivers. Rivers had solid outings against both the Eagles and Giants, two teams that originally appeared to be among the elite, but have since struggled stopping offenses through the air.

Matt RyanWith Michael Turner expected to miss Week 11’s action, Ryan is now likely in the same boat as Cutler, with no reliable running game, and with just one “elite” receiver to rely on, as well as a tight end as his weapon.

Verdict: You’d love to vote for Cutler and to see him bounce-back, but in the name of Rex Grossman, you simply cannot trust him. He threw five interceptions in his last game (and no touchdowns), which gave him two 4+ pick games, and 17 turnovers through the air on the season. Ryan hasn’t been leaps and bounds better, but he offers a little more stability and restraint. And we’d take Roddy White over Devin Hester, anyday. Go with Matty Ice.

Marion Barber, RB, (vs. WAS) VS. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, (@DEN)

In year’s past, LT was the easy pick here, but even with his recent success in two of his last three games, a difficult match-up and a leveled playing field could make this a difficult choice for some owners.

Contenders, Pretenders & Fender Benders

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Category : Around the League, Fantasy Football Strategies, Sleepers & Player Rankings

Contenders, Pretenders and Fender Benders: A quick look at who’s hot at the top, who’s over ratted and who is under performing

Contenders

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Minnesota Vikings: Favre looks young again, and the team has been smart about keeping less carries in their superstar running back’s hands in anticipation of the playoffs. The Vikings are strong on all sides of the ball and could easily be representing the NFC in the big game in February.

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Cincinnati Bengals: Week after week this team gets zero respect as years of being the “Bungals” have fans and sports bookies in disbelief. Take back the Bengals opening weekend loss to the Broncos and Cincinnati is more likely to be mentioned in the same sentence as the Colts and Saints. The Bengals were 6.5 point underdogs on the road last week, and even Gridiron Experts bought into the Steelers hype. Playoffs? Playoffs? Hell yes, they’re going.

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San Diego Chargers: 4-1 in their last 5 games is a quicker start for a team that tends to wait too long into the season before gathering speed. The Chargers are finishing games and getting LT’s legs back in the red zone, and now have their eyes set on the Broncos at the top of the division. The high powered offense is leaving teams battered and bruised, almost as if they were starring in MMA videos

Pretenders:

New York Giants: 5-0 to 5-4? While many of their stats aren’t completely awful, the Giants seem to have pulled a fast one over everyone’s eyes. With an impressive 3 game road trip starting in week 2 of the season, people were amazed with this teams chemistry and were praising Eli Manning and the team defense. Now after a half season of football to see who’s who in the league, beating up on the Bucs, Chiefs and Raiders doesn’t sound as impressive. Although, unlike their division rivals the Eagles…they did beat the Raiders. While the win in Dallas was one to hang their hat on, a 4 game losing streak is way too long to figure out what they’re doing wrong. The Giants remaining schedule is brutal, and they will be lucky to go 8-8

Atlanta Falcons: A talented team with many offensive weapons, yet there’s a problem outside of their own backyard. The Falcons are 1-4 on the road, with the one win coming off a bye week against the 49ers. Their reliable workhorse is banged up and the team looks lost at times throughout the game. Last years light schedule might have inflated the Falcons ego this year; things can be turned around but it’ll have to start on the road.