Fantasy Football Info For Serious Players
| ||||
|
|
Login / Signup |
|
 |
Pre · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · P1 · P2 · P3 · P4 |
This article covers a long list of players at each position because we try to cover all the bases for those of you in leagues with 8 or 10 teams, those that use PPR scoring or even those larger leagues with 14+ teams. What we've done this week is offer a list of players who may be available in smaller leagues that we've covered at length in previous weeks of this article. If you can grab a player from one of these lists at each position, do that first, then proceed into the write-ups that follow for players that may be better targets for deeper, more competitive leagues with larger rosters. Quarterback Grab one of these quarterbacks, if they are still available. League sizes and roster limitations vary greatly, so your mileage will vary.
Add Immediately (Impact potential)
It is time to take the gloves off with Vince Young. He may not be ready as an
NFL quarterback, but he’s proving to be a decent option as a fantasy QB. Over
the last five weeks, Young ranks in the top 10 fantasy QB with 811 passing
yards, 5 TDs, 4 INTs and 215 rushing yards and 3 TDs. In the last 3 or 4 weeks,
he ranks even higher. While Young’s passing prowess catches up to his natural
athletic ability, he’s going to be a fun player to watch. He’ll have some bad
games as all young QBs do, but he’s also going to have games like this week
where he pulled the rug out from underneath Mathias Kiwanuka and the Giants
defense leading the Titans to 24 points in the 4th quarter. If he’s still out
there, grab him for the playoffs to strengthen your hand. The next two games are
against Indy and Houston, followed by a tough matchup against Jacksonville, then
at Buffalo and home against New England.
Harrington, as any Lions fan could have predicted, looked like a completely
different player on Thanksgiving than the one that wore the Honolulu blue and
silver for the last several years. Harrington threw for 213 yards and 3 TDs
against Detroit to lead the Dolphins to their fourth straight win. The week
prior, Harrington was also productive throwing for 254 yards with a TD and an
interception on 26-of-42 passing against the Minnesota Vikings. In the last four
games, Harrington has completed 58% of his passes for 805 yards with 7 TDs, 4
INTs. That ranks him around 12th in fantasy production. The Dolphins schedule
looks like this: Jacksonville and New England at home, then at Buffalo, back
home again to play the Jets, then at Indy.
Johnson had a strong game against the Cardinals this week throwing for 271 yards and 3 TDs on 27-of-41 passing with 15 yards rushing and no turnovers. Once Johnson is beyond the Bears next week, the schedule gets a lot easier: @DET, NYJ, @GB and STL. On the season, Johnson ranks anywhere between 16th and 20th, in most scoring systems. In the past month, his ranking is considerably higher due to three straight games of 250+ yards passing with 4 TDs and 2 INTs. He is a strong backup option for your playoff chase if you’re looking for depth.
The Raiders offense is slowly coming out of hibernation now that Aaron Brooks is back under center. Brooks has completed 30-of-52 passes for 366 yards with 2 TDs and 3 picks (with 63 rushing yds) in the last two games. Still, the Raiders aren’t very good, but at least they are showing some signs of life and they have some potentially decent matchups the rest of the way: vs Texans, at Bengals, vs Rams, vs Chiefs and at the Jets. He’s out there in many leagues, so grab him to secure a decent backup for the playoffs.
Add For Depth (Starter potential)
Garrard is averaging just over 171 yards/gm with 1 TD and 0.8 INTs since taking
the reigns of the Jaguars offense from Byron Leftwich in week 8. He’s also
averaging 30 yds/gm rushing - nothing outstanding, but definitely serviceable
numbers as a fantasy QB. Garrard’s best usage is as a strong backup or a
moderate starter in deeper leagues. The Jags remaining schedule looks like this:
@Mia, IND, @Ten, NE, @KC. No terrible matchups, but no patsies either.
Garcia produced about the type of numbers we expected. Granted, the Eagles were absolutely pounded by the Colts on Sunday night (re: Joseph Addai), but Garcia was efficient completing 17-of-23 for 140 yards with 2 TDs and one turnover. Not great, but not horrible either. Garcia has 189 yards and a TD last week against the Titans on 26-of-48 passing. The Eagles remaining schedule is mixed. Next week they are at home vs. Carolina then three straight road games in Washington, NY Giants and Dallas. Use him if you must, but hopefully there are other options at your disposal.
The Browns were simply abysmal on Sunday losing 38-0 to the Bengals. Charlie
Frye didn’t have any time to throw the football and his stats bore that out, but
he still threw some balls up for grabs that had no business being thrown. Frye
finished 18-of-29 for 186 yards with no TDs and 4 INTs. The Browns have some
better than average matchups looking ahead: home against the Chiefs at
Pittsburgh, at Baltimore, home vs Tampa and then at Houston. Frye could be
useful in some of those games, but keep in mind he’s a young, inexperienced QB
so your results will vary.
Campbell’s second start was a little less productive than his first, but the Redskins got a “W” and that’s the most important stat as an NFL quarterback. As a fantasy QB, Campbell isn’t a player you want to go lean too heavily on. He is what he is at this stage of his development. The Redskins remaining schedule includes ATL, PHI, @NO, @STL, NYG. Overall, the matchups are better than average. Campbell has 314 passing yards with 4 TDs and 1 INT in his two starts.
Green is the starter again for the Chiefs, but his production just isn’t there yet. The Chiefs are relying on their running game as much as possible with Tony Gonzalez less than 100% and Green still shaking off the rust that follows from nearly a 10-game rest. The Chiefs upcoming games are at Browns, vs Ravens, at Chargers and at Raiders. That schedule isn’t very QB-friendly, so pickup Green if you must, but don’t count on much fantasy production here.
The Bills upset the Jags 27-24 this week, but Losman’s numbers weren’t nearly as good as they were the previous week. That was to be expected since the Jags defense is certainly one of the tougher matchups in the league. Losman is, at best, around the 20th to 25th best fantasy QB in the league. In deeper leagues, he may be useful as a backup or a spot starter if you choose your spots wisely. The Bills remaining schedule looks like this: SD, @NYJ, MIA, TEN, @BAL. There are no outstanding matchups amongst those games, but he could surprise against the Jets, Dolphins or Tennessee.
Add for Insurance (Backup Plan for playoffs)
Grossman had a horrible game against the Patriots. He completed just 15-of-34 for 176 yards, lost a fumble and completed three passes to Asante Samuel of the Patriots. The fans were calling for Brian Griese in the preseason, but Grossman put that fervor to rest with an excellent start to the season. Unfortunately, he’s been playing bad of late and the calls are building up to a fever pitch once again. HC Lovie Smith continues to state the Rex Grossman is their starting quarterback, but if you own Grossman you might want to put the smart money on Griese before it’s all said and done. Grossman is too inconsistent to use at this stage, unless the matchup is a slam-dunk. The Bears upcoming schedule looks like this: MIN, @STL, TB, @DET and GB. Conventional wisdom says that Grossman and the Bears should be productive in the air against Minnesota next week (see Leinart this week, Brady previously). The Rams, Bucs, Lions and Packers are all solid matchups for QBs, so maybe Grossman rebounds and finishes strong. Either way, Griese might be a solid insurance policy for you if you are running with Grossman.
There’s an old saying that past performance the best indicator for future performance. By that logic, if you own Marc Bulger, then you either have a strong backup or you’ve already rostered Gus Frerotte just in case another late season injury sidelines Marc Bulger. With LT Orlando Pace out for the year, Bulger is more likely to take some pops each game than he would ordinarily. Bulger was knocked out of this week’s game temporarily, but returned to lead the Rams to a 20-17 win. Bulger led the Rams on an 80-yard drive capped by a 5-yard TD to Kevin Curtis. If you’re riding Bulger, make sure you get Frerotte if you don’t have a strong backup option.
Running Back In most leagues, the waiver options for RBs are slim this deep into the season. Most of the players available at this point are backups on their NFL teams or part-time players. The players who garner the most attention, especially RBs, are those who benefit from injury and their role increases (like Sammy Morris) or those who gradually work into a larger role in their team's offense (like Cedric Houston). The backs listed here are gone in most competitive leagues, but not all of them. We’ve covered others in previous weeks, but we continue to list them in the event they are available. Check this list and then start with the “Add Immediately” section and work your way down the list to find players that best fit your league’s criteria.
Add Immediately (Impact potential)
Ronnie Brown broke a bone in his hand on Thanksgiving and he’s considered week-to-week going forward after having surgery over the extended weekend. Sammy Morris took his place and enjoyed a solid game rushing for 91 yards on 12 carries, though he did lose a fumble. On the other hand, Morris reeled off one run for 55 yards. It’s tough to expect Brown back in the lineup next week vs Jacksonville, so grab Morris is you must. Keep in mind, the Jags are not a very good matchup, nor are the Patriots (week 14 opponent). If Brown is limited or can’t play in any of the last three games, grab Morris for sure. Those last three games have strong matchups vs. weak run defenses (@BUF, NYJ and @IND).
LaMont Jordan is done for the year, so Fargas figures to be the team’s lead RB
the rest of the season, or until he gets hurt, too. Fargas has struggled to stay
out of the infirmary during his career, but he’s been healthy all year, so
perhaps he can put together a solid 5-game stretch. Against a good San Diego run
defense, Fargas ran 14 times for 32 yards while catching one pass or 16 yards.
Zack Crockett and ReShard Lee are also in the mix, so Fargas won’t be the
exclusive runner for the team. Lee had one carry this week, which was a 1-yard
TD. Crockett ran seven times for 22 yards. The Raiders schedule going forward
looks like this: vs Texans, at Bengals, vs Rams, vs Chiefs and at the Jets. All
of those games appear to be good matchups aside during the fantasy playoffs
(excluding week 17).
If DeAngelo is still available in your league, grab him. He started for DeShaun Foster this week against the Redskins, who was a game-time decision following a hyper-extended elbow he suffered the previous week. Williams ran for 114 yards and added 24 yards receiving last week against the Rams, but wasn’t quite as productive this time around. This week, Williams ran 17 times for 63 yards and caught three passes for 23 yards. Foster could return next week, but Williams is such a talent that if you can grab him off waivers this late in the season, it may be smart to do so.
Last week, Houston re-emerged from the shadows of the Jets RBBC to run for 50
yards on 11 carries in the Jets 10-0 loss to the Bears. By comparison, Kevan
Barlow had 4 carries for two and Leon Washington ran 13 times for 22 yards. This
week, the RBBC ensued, but Houston clearly had the most touches, running 11
times for 13 yards with a 1-yard TD. Houston also caught a 5-yard pass. Barlow
carries eight times for 5 yards and Washington five times for 17 yards. The Jets
appear to be giving Houston a chance to show them what he can do down the
stretch. Washington has been productive, but he may not be feature back material
due to his size limitations. Barlow is a free agent at the end of the season, so
he may not be back, but he’s filled his role well and he’s also been a good
soldier for the most part. That leaves Houston with a shot to prove he can be a
player for them next year. Let’s see what he can do the rest of the way. The
next two weeks will be interesting (@GB, BUF) but after that the schedule gets a
lot more difficult (@MIN, @MIA and OAK).
Benson scored a TD this week and he ran for 46 yards on 10 carries. Benson has 10 carries in each of the last two games. He’s somehow available in some leagues, mostly those with tight rosters or 10 or less teams. If you own Thomas Jones and don’t have Benson, get him if you can. Benson’s a good handcuff, but as long as Jones is healthy, Benson’s role will be limited to what he’s done the past couple of games (as a high side).
Add For Depth (Starter potential)
Norwood returned to the field this week rushing for 54 yards on 13 carries. He also caught two passes for 7 yards. Norwood missed one game two weeks ago, but he was held back last week running just three times for 2 yards. It looks like he’s a solid option as a change-of-pace to Warrick Dunn going forward again. If he was cut loose in your league, pounce on him if you can. He is averaging 6 ypc on the season and he could play a bigger role down the stretch for the Falcons.
With LaMont Jordan out for the year, Crockett is now the team’s primary backup and change-of-pace RB to Justin Fargas. Surprisingly, he’s not the goal line back – a role he filled so well over the years. That role, at least for now, appears to be ReShard Lee’s. Lee scored a 1-yard TD on his only carry this week, while Crockett gained 22 yards on seven carries. The Raiders schedule going forward looks like this: vs Texans, at Bengals, vs Rams, vs Chiefs and at the Jets. All of those games appear to be good matchups aside during the fantasy playoffs (excluding week 17).
Duckett is now the Redskins No. 2 back with Clinton Portis out for the year. He gained 26 yards on five carries while substituting for Ladell Betts a week ago. This week, he gained 24 yards on seven carries. Keep an eye on Duckett. He could come in handy at some point before the year is over. He’s playing for a contract, since he’ll be a free agent at the end of the season. If you can spare a roster spot, Duckett might be worth a flyer in the event that Betts gets hurt. The Redskins remaining games are: ATL, PHI, @NO, @STL and NYG. There are no bad matchups here and there’s always the added allure of Duckett facing the Falcons, who traded him just before the beginning of the season, next week.
Add for Insurance (Injury or bye week replacement)
Bennett is becoming a better handcuff to Larry Johnson every week. After missing three games after pulling a hamstring while racing a teammate in practice, Bennett returned to the fold and he’s been increasingly productive since that time. In the past two weeks, he broke fairly long runs while giving Larry Johnson a breather. He has 170 yards on 25 carries this year with 99 of those coming in the last two games on only 5 carries. If LJ gets hurt, Bennett could be a solid replacement. He’s not nearly as physical, but he’s a burner with big play ability if the Chiefs line can create some room for him.
Goings is primarily of interest as long as DeShaun Foster is sidelined. He carries the ball two times this week for 11 yards and he caught 2 passes for 17 yards. Eric Shelton even got some action running twice for 16 yards. If Foster returns to the lineup, neither Goings or Shelton will have any fantasy value, but monitor Foster’s status and act accordingly if you’re in a deeper league.
Lee hammered in a 1-yard TD this week on his only touch. He could continue to get goal-line carries while serving as a backup to Justin Fargas and Zack Crockett. If that’s of interest to you in a TD-only league, then grab him. Otherwise, he’s not likely to have any sustainable value barring further injuries in the Raiders backfield.
Nash had a few nice moments a couple of weeks ago running for 52 yards on 10
carries and adding 36 yards on three catches against the Chargers in week 10.
Tatum Bell was inactive. Mike Bell started and the Broncos activated Nash for
depth. He filled the same role on Thanksgiving against the Chiefs, but the
results were not as good. Nash ran four times for no yards and he caught a
5-yard pass. Tatum Bell has been held out in three of the last five games, but
he’s expected to be ready to go this coming week vs. the Seahawks. If not, Nash
will reprise his role as the backup to Mike Bell, unless Shanny switches gears
against and rolls with Cedric Cobbs or even backup FB Cecil Sapp.
Kevin Jones missed the Thanksgiving game against Miami with a sprained ankle. He could miss more additional time, but it’s hard to expect much from Harris after gaining just 15 yards on eight carries against Miami. He did catch two balls for 22 yards and the Dolphins are tough on RBs, so perhaps he could get something going, but the next two games are just as tough - @ NE and home vs. Minnesota.
Add for Insurance (Backup Plan for playoffs)
Chris Perry will miss the rest of the season after breaking his leg on Sunday against the Browns. That makes Watson the primary backup to Rudi Johnson. He’ll get some occasional third down duties, too. If you’re looking to grab Rudi’s handcuff, Watson is now the man again.
Brian Westbrook owners should do the smart thing and grab Buckhalter for insurance if you have not done so already. Last week, Buckhalter caught six balls this week for 41 yards and he ran three times for 16 yards. Against the Colts this week, Buckhalter combined for 44 yards – rushing four times for 18 yards and catching two passes for 26 yards. If Westbrook goes down, Buckhalter would likely become the primary runner with Ryan Moats getting some work, too.
It looks like Frank Gore will be fine, but he left the game momentarily on Sunday after it looked like he landed hard on his knee. He returned and finished the game, but had X-rays taken on his ankle following the game. HC Mike Nolan said that it’s just a bruise, but monitor Gore’s status this week just to play it safe. Hicks ran for 32 yards on 7 carries while spelling Gore and Michael Robinson had two carries for 6 yards. If Gore happens to miss any time, Hicks and Robinson would likely split carries and have some value.
Chester Taylor has been productive this year, but he’s also been playing through some minor nicks and bruises as he tries to make it through the rugged 16-game NFL schedule as a featured back for the first time in his career. Around mid-season, Mewelde Moore took over the third down duties from Taylor in an effort to keep him healthy and productive. If Taylor gets hurt, Moore would become the primary back for the Vikings. Artose Pinner would also get some touches while Ciatrick Fason seems eternally lost in the shuffle. This week, only had two touches for 10 yards while Ciatrick Fason made a surprising appearance.
Wide Receiver Here's a list of players we've covered in previous weeks in this column. Most of these players are gone in the majority of competitive 10 and 12 team leagues. That said, some of these players might be available on your league's waiver wire. If so, consider grabbing them first, but check them against the players in this week's column in the "Add Immediately" section for the players we feel will be the most sought after in this week's waivers.
Add Immediately (Impact potential)
Booker has been one of those receivers that have been available at various
points of the season in many leagues. He was likely drafted, then cut, picked
up, then cut again and now picked up again. He seems to be Joey Harrington’s
favorite target and he came up huge with 7 catches for 115 yards and 2 TDs on
Thanksgiving in Detroit. He has 13 catches for 199 yards and 2 TDs in the last
two games on 16 targets. Chris Chambers has 24 targets in those two games, but
he doesn’t have the meaningful stats to show for it. Booker may continue to be
inconsistent, but he’s been red hot the past couple of weeks, so grab him and
hope he can sustain it.
Henderson caught a 76-yard TD on the Saints first possession this week beating the Falcons secondary deep down the middle of the field. He finished with 158 yards and four catches. In his last four games he has 3-100 yard games (he didn’t play in the other!). He’s been targeted 22 times for 16 receptions, 438 yards and 3 TDs in that span. Simply put, if Marques Colston is unable to play next week, Henderson should be in your lineup. The Saints passing game keeps marching right along without Colston, so if Henderson is still out there, grab him immediately. Granted, Colston could return next week diminishing your return on Henderson, but that’s a chance worth taking at this point in the season if you can spare a roster spot.
Caldwell caught three balls for 57 yards this week against the Bears on five targets. He’s produced 217 yards on 15 catches with 2 TDs in the last three games. He’s now ranked 46th in PPR scoring on the season, but he’s 21st in the last five games. As much as Tom Brady has a “go to guy”, Caldwell and Ben Watson are like 1a and 1b. Get him if you still can. Caldwell could be a nice start in the next three weeks against Detroit, Miami and Houston.
If Holmes is still out there, grab him if you can. Last week, he had five catches for 75 yards and a TD this week. This week, Holmes had three catches for 31 yards. With Hines Ward less than 100%, Holmes may be counted on for more production in the weeks ahead against Tampa (strong matchup).
Robinson had a good afternoon against the Cardinals this week. He caught a 17-yard TD pass from Brad Johnson with 31 seconds in the first half to give the Vikings a 14-13 lead. Robinson finished with 7 catches and 82 yards. He seems to be Brad Johnson’s primary target for big plays and in the red zone again. He, Travis Taylor and Jermaine Wiggins have enjoyed Johnson’s increased production over the last few games. Going forward, Robinson might be a good gamble. He’s been historically inconsistent and he’s been mostly a home run play – TD or nothing. That being said, he’s being targeted frequently enough right now that he warrants a waiver move if you need a WR. Add For Depth (Starter potential)
Battle caught three balls for 36 yards against the Rams this week. Last week, he was solid catching a TD, having another TD called back on an instant replay reversal and finishing with five catches for 47 yards. He’s 49th amongst WRs on the season (PPR scoring) and about the same over the last five weeks. He’s a good option off the bench, but he’s probably not going to rise up and become a WR1 or WR2 anytime soon.
Bernard Berrian is back in the lineup after a couple of down weeks, but Bradley is still of interest – even as a short term sleeper for Week 13. It we put on our prognostication hat, it makes sense to expect the Bears will be throwing a lot against the Vikings in Week 13 - if they follow the blueprint laid before them by other teams like New England and Arizona. Bradley caught one pass for 15 yards this week against the Patriots.
Jenkins only caught two balls for 6 yards this week, but he caught a TD in four of the five games before this week. He has either 2 or 3 catches in every game this season. That’s probably why he’s available in some leagues. He’s consistent, but just not productive enough to warrant using him as a starter in fantasy leagues, save for TD-only leagues. He has 5 TDs on the season, which is quite solid, but his 28 catches for 322 yards leave a lot to be desired.
Bobby Wade caught six balls for 83 yards this week, but Brandon Jones made the catch with the most impact – a 14-yard TD from Vince Young that tied the game at 21-21 with 44 seconds left. Jones will start for the Titans for the rest of the season since David Givens went down two weeks ago with a torn ACL. Jones caught two balls for 22 yards last week. Don’t expect big numbers from either player, but Wade could be a serviceable player in PPR leagues and Jones is a sleeper to watch. He could be productive down the stretch if Young continues to improve and finishes the season strongly.
Going into week 12, Moulds had between three and six catches every week this year and he hasn’t scored a TD since week one. Andre Johnson is the man in Houston. Moulds was a huge addition to the Texans because he stabilized the WR corps giving Johnson a legitimate No. 2 opposite him for the first time. Unfortunately, David Carr has his sights locked on Johnson – and rookie TE Owen Daniels in the red zone. Moulds has some value in PPR leagues with 14 or 16 teams, but beyond that he’s a fishing trip as a potential starter. This last week seems to be the exception. Moulds broke his 2006 mold by catching 10 passes for 79 yards. The Texans have a few decent matchups the rest of the way, so keep an eye on him and the Texans offense. Moulds is a solid NFL receiver, but his fantasy production doesn’t always match his ability.
With Trent Green back at QB, there’s a chance that Parker could become more involved in the offense. Parker was good in the second half of 2005, but he was inconsistent and sporadically involved in the offense this year with Damon Huard at the helm. Parker’s a long shot as a fantasy weapon the rest of the way, but he could be a decent option for your bench if you need to add a body for the playoffs. Parker produced 71 yards on three catches against Denver on Thanksgiving. He has 6 catches for 115 yards in the last two games.
Taylor is reasonably consistent as a possession WR, but that’s more an indictment against the lack of production the Vikings are getting from their other WRs as much as it’s an endorsement for Taylor. He’s a decent bench option in deeper leagues with PPR scoring. He’s not a great threat in the red zone (1 TD this year), but he has 37 catches going into week 12.
Bobby Wade caught six balls for 83 yards this week, but Brandon Jones made the catch with the most impact – a 14-yard TD from Vince Young that tied the game at 21-21 with 44 seconds left. Jones will start for the Titans for the rest of the season since David Givens went down two weeks ago with a torn ACL. Jones caught two balls for 22 yards last week. Don’t expect big numbers from either player, but Wade could be a serviceable player in PPR leagues and Jones is a sleeper to watch. He could be productive down the stretch if Young continues to improve and finishes the season strongly.
Welker remains a free agent in many leagues because he’s simply not starting for his own NFL team and his ceiling is limited. Marty Booker blew up on Thanksgiving and Chris Chambers is like a dormant volcano just waiting to go off. On the flip side, Welker has just 1 TD this year, but he has 53 catches for 554 yards in 11 games. Do the math. He’s averaging about 5 catches for 50 yards a game. Amazingly, the only game he’s strayed far from those numbers is when he caught a TD, so he’s been good for 6 to 8 points in normal FBG scoring in all but two games (5, 11). He’s a good player to throw in as your WR3 if you need somebody to get you a few safe points.
Wilford wasn’t 100% this week and he only caught one ball for 12 yards, but if you’ve been following David Garrard and the Jags, then you know that when Garrard throws a TD to a WR it’s always Garrard – not Reggie Williams or Matt Jones. This week, Jones caught a TD and it was the first one Garrard tossed to a WR other than Wilford in all of Garrard’s starts. Grab Wilford is he’s out there. Garrard will remain the starter, barring injury, for the rest of the season and that bears well for Wilford’s value. Add for Later (Sleeper potential)
Moss could be all set to return next week following a long recover from a torn/pulled groin muscle that has kept him sidelined since the pre-season. Moss has great quickness and short area burst and he could be a nice addition to the ailing Giants offense if he is truly ready to return. HC Tom Coughlin thought he’d be ready to go for this week, but they held him back just to be safe. Coughlin indicated that he thinks Moss will be able to open it up next week. He could be worth a roster spot just in case he does prove to be a good late season player. Add for Insurance (Injury or bye week replacement)
If it weren’t for a Hail Mary pass before halftime Copper’s stats wouldn’t amount to much this week. He caught one pass for 48 yards for the big TD. If/when Marques Colston returns, Copper goes back to being the #3/#4 WR for the Saints. His primary value is when Joe Horn and/or Marques Colston are banged up. So, you probably don’t want to go fishing for Copper unless he’s going to be playing.
Jackson filled in for the injured Keenan McCardell this week. He, of course, was
the subject of SportsCenter last night when he made a bad decision to “flip” the
ball following an apparent first down catch. Unfortunately, he wasn’t down and
it was a live ball. Besides that boneheaded play, Jackson caught 3 balls for 32
yards and had a couple nice grabs. He is still a player with more stock in
dynasty leagues than re-drafters, but he could have some short-term value, too.
Tight End Here's a list of the top players that are likely to be available for those of you in smaller leagues. If any of these players remain on waivers, then grab them first. If not, keep digging and look at our players below for more options.
Add Immediately (Impact potential)
Dallas Clark suffered what looked like a serious knee injury in Sunday night’s game. X-rays were negative, but Clark was to have an MRI on Monday. Utecht is the primary backup, and realistically, more of a co-starter since the Colts employ two-tight end formations most of the time. If Clark misses any length of time, grab Utecht and don’t look back. Utecht caught two balls for 18 yards this week. Over the last four games, Utecht has been more productive than Clark anyway. Utecht has 15 catches for 151 yards and a TD while Clark has 7 catches for 78 yards in that span.
Williams has 12 catches for 131 yards in the last three games. He caught four balls for 29 yards this week and he caught three balls for 41 yards last week. He supplanted Courtney Anderson as the starting tight end a week ago. He and John Madsen look like intriguing options over the rest of the season. Madsen made a huge catch that nearly went for a 57-yard TD this week only to be marked out at the 2-yard line. Not to worry, Madsen caught a TD on the next play from Aaron Brooks. With Brooks back under center, the Raiders passing game is looking a little more productive and the TEs are being leveraged enough that both of these guys could sustain some decent production levels going forward. Add For Depth (Starter potential)
The 49ers are glad to have Vernon Davis back into the starting lineup. They are easing him back into his role slowly. With Davis back, they are once again using more double TE sets and looking to get their best 11 players on the field. It’s hard to say if Davis will become productive from a fantasy perspective anytime soon. Johnson is probably the better option for the short-term, but down the stretch look for them to get Davis involved more and more. He’s a tremendous talent and it’s only a matter of time before the stats catch up to his potential. Meanwhile, Johnson had 3 catches for 17 yards this week with a TD. Davis had 1 catch for 11 yards.
We expected Wrighster’s role to decline in the second half of the season with
the talented rookie Marcedes Lewis returning from a high-ankle sprain and
getting more comfortable in the offense. It hasn’t happed yet though. Wrighster
remains an integral part of the Jaguars offense though Lewis is getting some
targets as well. Wrighster caught 4 balls for 54 yards against the Giants in
week 11 and a TD against the Titans in week 9. He’s not a great option, but he
could be a decent reach/gamble in deeper leagues.
Campbell isn’t a great option, but the Lions pass a lot and Campbell seems to be the last player defenses are accounting for in the red zone. He caught his second TD in the last three games on Thanksgiving. He has 2 catches in each of the last four games averaging 21 yds/gm in that span.
Add for Later (Sleeper potential)
Graham is back in the lineup after missing several games due to injuries. He’s a free agent at the end of the season, so he has both natural incentive working for him and potentially a new team with a bigger role next year for those of you looking to roll the dice on him for next year. He had on catch this week for 25 yards. He’s one of the best blocking TEs in the league, which partially explains why his stats pale in comparison to Ben Watson’s. The Patriots use him more in a blocking capacity and use Watson more as a receiver.
Conwell returned to the lineup this week after missing more than month, but Mark Campbell got the start. The way Drew Brees is throwing the football, Conwell is a player of interest, once he regains the starting job and he’s 100%. Mark Campbell caught three balls for 13 yards this week against the Falcons, while Conwell didn’t catch a ball.
With Dallas Clark’s knee ailing, Fletcher could move into a larger role in the
Colts offense. He’s the team’s third TE behind Clark and Ben Utecht. If Clark is
unable to play next week, then Fletcher becomes the co-starter along with
Utecht. Or if the Colts move back to using more 3-WR formations (they are
reportedly close to signing veteran Ricky Proehl) then Fletcher would continue
to be a situational player. He caught one ball for 18 yards this week.
Lewis caught a 1-yard TD pass late in the second quarter of this week’s game against the Bills. The talented rookie (and first round selection) hasn’t made the impact we all expected him to make after he was derailed in the preseason by a high ankle sprain. He is gradually working his way into the mix as the season wears on, but he’s not productive enough yet to warrant any serious consideration outside of dynasty leagues.
With Ben Troupe out for the season, Ben Hartsock is the team’s No. 2 TE behind Bo Scaife. The Titans love to use their tight ends, so Hartsock could get some action going forward. Keep an eye on him, but there’s no reason to move on him at this stage.
Kicker Here's a list of the top players that are likely to be available for those of you in smaller leagues. If any of these players remain on waivers, then grab them for your bye week needs or as a new starter if your current kicker is not producing as much as you need.
Defense At this point in the season the best defenses are almost always gone. Some defenses are cut during the season because owners don’t like to carry more than one defense so they can use roster spots for an extra RB, QB or WR. Some owners prefer to go with a Defense-by-committee approach and play the matchups to the best of their ability each week. That strategy often requires a weekly look at the waiver wire defenses so they can grab one with a good home matchup for that week. There may be a few good defenses remaining in your league that have good schedules during the fantasy playoffs. Here’s the list of defenses to target down the stretch to use either as a starting defense or to platoon with another defense and play the matchups.
|
|
|
Site Map | Contact
Us | Login
/ Signup
©Copyright Footballguys.com 2003, All rights reserved. |