NFC South Fantasy Football Stock Market
This series of articles focuses on how the new breed of talent from the NFL draft plans to affect overall fantasy football player value. Continuing with our stock market report, Gridiron Experts takes a look at the NFC South.
Previous Articles: NFC EAST | AFC EAST
*NFC South: The Superbowl Champion Saints are the only real team that focused on depth- as the should, having one of the most lethal offenses in the league. The Buc’s and Panthers added some interesting fantasy options into the mix while the Falcons are rebounding from an injury plagued year.
Carolina Panthers
Jimmy Clausen QB 6″2 | 225 lb’s
The Panthers found their future quarterback fall to them in the 2nd round. Now, the only question is how far into the future are we talking about?
Matt Moore has been awarded the starting job, but everyone knows it’s his to lose. The Panthers were terrible at the quarterback position last year, and fantasy owners now have a huge question mark with WR Steve Smith. Personally I would expect an open competition coming training camp, as Clausen has joined a team that tends to mirror Mark Sanchez and the Jets.
Steve Smith is a quick slant-go or WR-screen type player. He does he best after the catch, and aside from the odd deep ball, most of the time his routes are finding holes in the defensive coverage. The running game is the bread and butter …Continue reading NFC South Fantasy Football Stock Market
Gridiron Experts Start’em Sit’em Week 15
Most sites recycle imaginary fantasy numbers with yards and touchdowns and quick blurbs on how great Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson is going to do, but you already know that. We here at Gridiron Experts are not about to insult your fantasy football intelligence by posting the obvious numbers, instead we go out on a limb and try spotting great fantasy match-ups that many people might be overlooking. Star players will always perform, but key players can thrive in one week situations through either an offensive game plan or an excellent match-up. Our goal is to zone in on these perfect match-ups and offer advice that might make your life a little easier. It always comes down to you making the last minute call with your line-up, but hopefully we can help.
Start’em
- Jason Campbell vs. The Giants- The Redskins are not playing as poorly as their record says they are. Campbell has been an excellent sleeper option for fantasy football in the last couple weeks and we feel things shouldn’t change. The Redskins don’t have a big threat weapon like DeSean Jackson, but there is speed amongst the receiving core. Jason Campbell needs to prove to the fans, media, and more importantly the owners that this team just had an off year, and doesn’t need to be blown up in the off-season. Campbell should be able to stretch the field at home on Monday night against the Giants.
- Matt Hasselbeck vs. The Buccaneers- Seattle was awful on the road last week, and need to bounce back at home. The Seahawks faithful aren’t happy about the way their team has been playing this season and want a little revenge. The Buccaneers are in re-build mode and have a cross country trip this week. Seattle is wet, rainy, and loud; the Bucs will not be ready for this match-up and should turn the ball over at least twice, giving Hasselbeck many opportunities for red zone chances.
- Cedric Benson vs. The Chargers- The Bengals were flat on offense last week against the Vikings and will want to start with a much faster pace this week. The Cowboys most impressive drive against the Chargers was one in which they pounded the ball up the gut with their trio of backs for big chunks of yards. Benson hasn’t found the endzone in quite a while, and we think he is overdue. Start’em!
- Jamaal Charles vs. The Browns- Charles is very underrated; he had a breakout week against the Bills in week 13. We like Charles’ …Continue reading Gridiron Experts Start’em Sit’em Week 15
Week 14 Start’em Sit’em: Playoff Version
Every Fantasy Football league is different, but we have to assume that 50% of all leagues skip week 17 and begin their fantasy playoffs now. Going with our version of digging deep and avoiding the obvious starters, Gridiron Experts playoff forecast gives a shotgun version of each game for who to look out for and who could be a potential sleeper. Keep in mind we are not about to insult your fantasy football intelligence by posting obvious situations as our goal is to zone in on these perfect match-ups and offer advice that might make your life a little easier.
**Fantasy Tip** Whether you are a gambling man or not, the Vegas lines do offer insight into how the betting world thinks a game will go down. Sometimes it can help you in fantasy football make that deciding factor. I’m talking about the over/under, nobody is more accurate at nailing the exact score of game than Vegas. So if the over/under is high…they think it’ll be a high scoring game hence lots of Fantasy points, like wise for a low Over/Under. Just something to think about, remember nobody puts more time into predicting games using things like; weather,match-ups, injuries and team history than Sportsbook makers.
Pittsburgh at Cleveland (Over/Under 33)
- Our Thoughts: The Steelers are in one of the worst losing skids in quite some time. Pittsburgh is going to want to bounce back fast, but with Hines Ward banged up the running game could take over most of the workload. Cleveland ranks near the bottom of the league in rushing yards, giving up on average 154 yards a game. The Browns also have allowed 14 rushing TD’s and Mendenhall is hitting 5.0 yards per carry. Although, Ben Roethlisberger did pass for 417 yards and two touchdowns in Week 6 in a 27-14 win. Either way, the Steelers should win big on the road, most if not all Steelers have value on Thursday night.
- Must Starters: Rashard Mendenhall
- Weigh Your Options Before Starting: Pittsburgh Defense
- Do Not Start: Any Cleveland Browns
Green Bay at Chicago (O/U 41.5)
- Our Thoughts: This game should be closer than many will be expecting. They are calling for light snow Monday but if it rolls in early Rodgers numbers might take a small hit. Nothing to worry about for most of the regular starters but the 3rd stringers and backups should remain on your bench.
- Solid Match-Up: Greg Jennings, Matt Forte,
- Sleeper: Ryan Grant, Jermichael Finley
- Weigh Your Options Before Starting: Jay Cutler
Denver at Indianapolis (O/U 44)
- Our Thoughts: Peyton Manning hasn’t really faced any tough opponents lately, so it’ll be hard to predict this one. The Broncos have two versions of themselves and guessing who’s going to show up each week is difficult for fantasy owners. Denver has combined for 70 points in their last two games but only had 34 points in the previous three games; Are the Broncos tuning are corner? or are they just streaky from week to week. We see a defensive battle early on, with each team feeling each other out with safe throws and relying heavily on the run game. Players like B.Marshal and R.Wayne have-to be in you line-up, but could easily see double coverage this week and cause for low numbers.
- Solid Match-Up:Pierre Garcon, Knowshon Moreno, Both Defense’s
- Sleeper: Correll Buckhalter,
- Deep Sleeper: Austin Collie,
Buffalo at Kansas City (O/U 37.5)
- Our Thoughts: This is the game of zero fantasy value. There is nobody that great on either side of the ball worth risking. That includes Terrell Owens, T.O has burned us more than saved us in sleeper picks and we recommend avoiding him if you cab. All fantasy players in this game get average marks.
NY Jets at Tampa Bay (O/U 37)
- Our Thoughts: This is a game where our advice at the top about the over/under can give you a hint to how Vegas see’s this one shaping up. Unlike the high Falcons & Saints O/U, this match-up between the Jets and Buc’s has what looks to be a 17-10 type game. Both teams offense’s have been struggling and aside from Thomas Jones I can’t see too many other must starters. Start Jones and leave the rest on the bench.
St. Louis at Tennessee (O/U 41.5) …Continue reading Start’em Sit’em Week 14: Playoffs
Justin Forsett strained his quadriceps Friday and couldn’t complete practice. the Seahawks RB is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against San Francisco. Gridiron Experts had Forsett under our Start’em scetion for week 13….well, scratch that.
Gridiron Experts Start’em Sit’em Week 13
Most sites recycle imaginary fantasy numbers with yards and touchdowns and quick blurbs on how great Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson is going to do, but you already know that. We here at Gridiron Experts are not about to insult your fantasy football intelligence by posting the obvious numbers, instead we go out on a limb and try spotting great fantasy match-ups that many people might be overlooking. Star players will always perform, but key players can thrive in one week situations through either an offensive game plan or an excellent match-up. Our goal is to zone in on these perfect match-ups and offer advice that might make your life a little easier. It always comes down to you making the last minute call with your line-up, but hopefully we can help.
Start’em
- Matt Schaub- The Texans have gone from a team to watch out for to the new Cincinnati “Bungals”. While stuck in a downward spiral with a 3 game losing streak, Schaub’s numbers have still been strong and you should not overlook him. The Jaguars defense is good but not great, and with the Texans defense unable to play 4 quarters, and kicker Kris Brown needing to get a prescription for glasses, Schaub will have to rack up the points if they ever want to win again.
- Carson Palmer- The passing game hasn’t been able to put up more than 225 yards in each of the last 4 games, but a match-up against the Lions should fix that. Palmer has been a leader on the field but only an average fantasy quarterback; Gridiron Experts expects big numbers from Carson and number 85 this week.
- Sleeper QB Chris Redman- You’d have to be in a serious bind to have to start this guy this late into the season…but hey, maybe you have bad match-ups or Matt Ryan is on your team. The Eagles are squeaking by lately and have problems against tight ends, Tony Gonzalez is one of the best and should be a safe target for Redman. Expect a couple INT’s, but 225 yards and 2 touchdowns is very doable.
- Brandon Jacobs- What has happened to this guy lately? Yards are way down, so are touchdowns and even carries per game. Has the toll of being a larger running back finally caught up with Jacobs? Well, this week’s match-up will surely be the ultimate test; Jacobs is at home facing the division leading Cowboys and has no one behind him to steal carries. Star players make big plays in big games. Start him.
- **Friday Injury to Justin Forsett has us pulling the plug on our recommendation of starting the Seattle Running back. Instead take a look at Matt Fotre or Jamaal Charles, neither player is a fantasy gem, but the match-ups this week are worth giving these bench warmers a decent shot at respectable numbers.
- Sleeper RB Rock Cartwright- Cartwright made his fourth career start in Week 12 against Philly as he continues to be the man with Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts out. The Saints are off a huge win and may be caught sleeping in a nothing game.
- Terrell Owens- Rookie Darrelle Revis showed up T.O. in the first match-up and will try once more on Canadian soil. Terrell Owens is very competitive and loves the spotlight, expect a big night with his new quarterback and a coach who has nothing to lose.
- Brandon Marshall- Marshall caught six passes in last weeks game for a total of 86 yards, he is overdue for a touchdown and has a great match-up. Rank’em high…very high.
- Sleeper T.J. Houshmandzadeh- How much do you think T.J. is regretting his off-season signing with the Seahawks, especially since the Bengals are kicking ass? Housh had a terrible week against the Rams and is way too passionate for the game to just collect easy paychecks. A bounce back game is in store. Start him.
- Tony Gonzalez- The Eagles always have trouble against receiving tight ends, and Gonzo is one of (if not) the best TE’s there is. He will find the end zone.
- Sleeper TE Dustin Keller- Sanchez has hit his go-to tight end at least 4 times in each of the Jets last four games. Keller has had a spike in fantasy value lately, and Gridiron Experts likes him on Thursday Night.
Sit’em
- Jay Cutler- Flogging a dead horse. Cutler is garbage in fantasy football this season, swallow your pride and start someone else.
- Beanie Wells- The Vikings are an excellent defensive headache, and rookie Wells will be lucky if he cracks 60 yards. Of course there is always a chance he gets red zone touches, but more likely the Cardinals will use Hightower this weekend, as a quick audible at the line could involve blocks, quick outs, and no-rookie mistakes.
- Donald Driver- A weekly starter here in our start’em sit’em article, but Driver is about to have a tough week. The Ravens are going to double this veteran wide receiver and force Rodgers to look at other options all the while avoiding the pass rush. Rest him for your fantasy playoffs.
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Gridiron Experts Start’em Sit’em Week 12
Most sites recycle imaginary fantasy numbers with yards and touchdowns and quick blurbs on how great Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson is going to do, but you already know that. We here at Gridiron Experts are not about to insult your fantasy football intelligence by posting the obvious numbers, instead we go out on a limb and try spotting great fantasy match-ups that many people might be overlooking. Star players will always perform, but key players can thrive in one week situations through either an offensive game plan or an excellent match-up. Our goal is to zone in on these perfect match-ups and offer advice that might make your life a little easier. It always comes down to you making the last minute call with your line-up, but hopefully we can help.
Start’em
Alex Smith vs the Jaguars- The Jags are on a hot streak right now, but we see the 49er’s surprising a few people this week. Cross country road trips have been terrible for east coast teams, and this week should be no different. Jacksonville ranks 25th in defensive passing yards per game and are facing a team that is in a must win situation. The 49er’s can’t afford to lose too many more games from here on out and will be “throwing” everything they have at this hot AFC South opponent. Could be a 3 touchdown day.- Sleeper QB Mark Sanchez- The Jets have gone from Mom’s home cooking to a frozen microwave dinner. New York has lost their last three games and are almost a team playing with nothing to lose. Sanchez has had a typical up and down rookie season but faces off against a team that has probably lost all hope. The Panthers were beat at home last Thursday by the Dolphins and now have a near impossible mission, facing off against a tough final schedule. If Sanchez and the Jets can strike fast, the Panthers season could implode on the field this week. Many Carolina players are unhappy with the way the season has gone, and if they fall behind early, the team will no doubt throw in the towel.
- LeSean McCoy- The Eagles are facing the the top passing defense in the NFL this week and will want to call more running plays. While many fantasy and Eagles fans know that the birds love to throw the ball, last week was the first time in years the play calling was very evenly balanced. The Eagles were almost 50/50 pass to run in their big win on the road in Chicago last Sunday night. Expect more carries and a good day for McCoy.
- Marion Barber- Barber is not having the fantasy season owners were hoping for, but this weeks match-up is too good to ignore. Start Barber against the Raiders as he should be in for a good day.
- Rashard Mendenhall- Mendenhall is being snubbed in the redzone, and fantasy owners are tired of yelling at the TV for more running plays. Roethlisberger is banged up and Mendenhall will get more carries, it’s not as bad of a match-up as it seems. Start him!
Sleeper RB Correll Buckhalter- Knowshon’s fumbles in the redzone aren’t going to keep him in the starting role for too long. Buckhalter and Dawkins will have bigger roles on Thanksgiving, and Buck should be a great RB sleeper.- Donald Driver- Fantasy owners are bragging about this late round fantasy starter on a weekly basis. Driver has been a go-to in line-ups and should have another big performance against the Lions. The game is in a dome and close to home.
- Michael Crabtree- Going with our Alex Smith prediction and the 49er’s passing game at home this week, Crabtree should have a decent performance. The rookie is slowly finding his place in the offense, and with the Jaguars defense freshly torched from Terrell Owens’ big day, the coaching staff will have a blueprint to find the kid the ball.
- Sleeper WR Robert Meachem- 4 touchdowns in the last 3 games plus becoming a go-to target for Brees should make you re-think your average fantasy receiving core.
Sit’em
Eli Manning- A bad foot injury should keep Manning stuck standing still, limiting his ability to buy time in the pocket. Normally we wouldn’t care over such a minor injury, but on a short week and on the road Manning’s numbers should be average at best. The Broncos have an excellent pass defense and need to respond from a poor performance against the Chargers last week. Denver will send a little more heat Mannings’ way, so you might want to look at other options.- Both Falcon Running Backs- Michael Turner is back but not 100%, and Jason Snelling will play but how much is anybody’s guess. Splitting hairs with RB’s is never a good idea this late in the fantasy season, a better option is to start somebody who you know will get their carries this week. If you’re going to guess…make sure you get it right, because this one might cost you.
- Hines Ward- Both Ward and Roethlisberger are banged up this week and could be in for vanilla type numbers. The Steelers have yet to face the Ravens this season (strange?) but the hungry birds are tired of losing . Expect a low scoring game with 3rd and 4th receivers making the plays in a chess match between coaches.
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Gridiron Experts Start’em Sit’em Week 11
Most sites recycle imaginary fantasy numbers with yards and touchdowns and quick blurbs on how great Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson is going to do, but you already know that. We here at Gridiron Experts are not about to insult your fantasy football intelligence by posting the obvious numbers, instead we go out on a limb and try spotting great fantasy match-ups that many people might be overlooking. Star players will always perform, but key players can thrive in one week situations through either an offensive game plan or an excellent match-up. Our goal is to zone in on these perfect match-ups and offer advice that might make your life a little easier. It always comes down to you making the last minute call with your line-up, but hopefully we can help.
Start’em
- Ben Roethlisberger- Easiest way to forget about multiple failed redzone attempts is taking a road trip to Kansas City. The Chiefs will be without star receiver D.Bowe and have cut Larry Johnson leaving a long list of nobodies to square off against the Steelers Def. There should be a lot of 3 and outs and turnovers giving big Ben many opportunities. (250+ yards 2-3 TD)
- Kurt Warner- Do you think after this long Warner looks at a match up against the Rams as just another game…hell no. It would be like showing off your hot new arm-candy girlfriend to the nagging ex. Warner will throw all day and burn the Rams with every chance he gets. Last year, Warner passed for 343 yards and 2TD in St.Louis…and the Rams maybe worse this year= Start him (300 yards 3 TD)
- Matt Schaub- The bye week off should have patched up any wounds from the close loss to the Colts. Matt Schaub will want to get back on track quickly with his Texan squad, and with the coaches a little more prepared without Owen Daniels in the line-up we expect to see the potent offense kill the playoff miracle hopes for Titans. (300+ yards 2 TD)
- Sleeper Chad Henne- The Wildcat will need to be re tooled giving Henne a great shot at being…well, a quarterback. Up until now Henne has be a Quarterback/ Blocker but without Ronnie Brown the Cat should curl up and take a nap. (230+ yrds 1-2TD)
- Ray Rice- The guy is becoming Mr. everything, more carries and more receptions have increased each week in the offense. With this game such an important turning point for the Ravens season we expect the to use him a ton. (120+ total yards 1-2TD)
- Ricky Williams- Ricky won’t have huge numbers, but more carries could mean you have found a nice sleeper this week. The Panthers are turning it around as of late, but their run defense has been getting slashed. The Panthers currently rank near the bottom for rushing yards per game on defense and have allowed 9 rushing TD’s. Start’em if your other match-ups are ugly (75-100 yards, 1 TD)
- Steve Slaton- Head coach Gary Kubiak doesn’t want to see his young star running back fail, but fumbles have been a problem. Expect the coach to give Slaton a chance to reignite the fire in the backfield. start him MNF (120+ total yards 1 td)
- Ladell Betts- We’ll admit we were wrong last week, the Redskins moved the ball well on the ground against a tough Broncos team. The Cowboys have had problems stopping the run in the last couple weeks and playing in a dome might pay off for Betts. (75-100 yards 1TD)
- Sleeper Jason Snelling- Odd’s are the Falcons will rest Turner this week even if he can go, giving Jason Snelling a chance to see what he can do. The game expects to be high scoring, and if your lucky a couple TD’s might fall into the 225 lb RB’s lap.
Sidney Rice- Rice had seven catches for 201 yards Sunday against the Lions. Rice has now gone five games without scoring a touchdown, but he has three of his past four games with at least 135 receiving yards.- Terrel Owens- One of the major reasons why Dick Jauron was fired was the lack of effort put into getting T.O the ball. This week should be a chance to shake up the play calling and let the QB fire down field. Start-him (80 yards 1-2TD)
- Double Sleeper: Jason Avant & Roy E Williams- Each player is on a team in which a defense will completely forget about them, due to the fact that the number one receiver is a big-game threat and can add 6 points on any play (D-Jack & M. Austin) not a bad start in a bind.
Sit’em
- Matt Hasselbeck- The Seahawks are not having the best season and facing a Vikings defense on the road should kill any hope the starbucks city has at catching the Cardinals for the division. The pass rush will get to the injured QB often. bench him
- Matt Forte- The Chargers torched the Eagles on the ground last week but with a few regular starters returning to the Eagles line-up and the fact the coach called out his defense during the week, Forte may struggle. He is a OK option if you have nothing else but we’d suggest looking at elsewhere. (60-90 yrds)
- Braylon Edwards- While Edwards has looked alright in New York, his match-up is terrible. The Patriots are going to take their frustrations out on Sanchez making most of the Jets receiving core a tough play.
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Gridiron Experts Start’em Sit’em Week 10
Most sites recycle imaginary fantasy numbers with yards and touchdowns and quick blurbs on how great Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson is going to do, but you already know that. We here at Gridiron Experts are not about to insult your fantasy football intelligence by posting the obvious numbers, instead we go out on a limb and try spotting great fantasy match-ups that many people might be overlooking. Star players will always perform, but key players can thrive in one week situations through either an offensive game plan or an excellent match-up. Our goal is to zone in on these perfect match-ups and offer advice that might make your life a little easier. It always comes down to you making the last minute call with your line-up, but hopefully we can help.
**With the Bye Weeks almost done, we are making a few changes to our Start’em Sit’em weekly article. We will now focus on more specific numbers of players you might be torn on starting.
Start’em
Philip Rivers vs. the Eagles: The Eagles will blitz and Rivers will throw the jump ball to his towering receivers. Expect the pressure to create at least one turnover, but Rivers could rack up the points this week (300 yards, 3 TD’s, 1 INT)
- Trent Edwards vs. the Titans: Edwards is back and facing a bad Titans defense, despite the 2 game winning streak. Should produce solid numbers on a couple deep passes for scores (275 yards and 2 TD’s, 1 INT)
- Donovan McNabb vs. the Chargers: This game will be about who scores last, McNabb will have to keep firing to keep up with the Chargers offense (250+yards, 2TD’s, & 15-30 rushing yards)
- Brett Favre vs. the Lions: Great match-up, especially since the Vikings are off a bye week (250 yards 2 TD’s)
- Sleeper- Matt Cassel vs. the Raiders: The Chiefs have kicked Larry Johnson to the curb and can now play football without the cancer in their locker room. (225+ yards 2 TD’s 1 INT)
- Pierre Thomas vs. the Rams: extra carries in a came that will get ugly (120+ yards 1-2 TD’s)
Carolina Panthers
