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Fantasy Waiver Wire Pickups -
1. RB Dan Herron, IND:
Boom Herron showed off his ability to make an impact despite receiving minimal touches in Indy's win over Washington. The 3rd-year back took 8 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown (11 yards per carry), and added 2 catches for 8 yards, but also coughed up a fumble. Despite losing a fumble in each of his last two games, Herron is receiving praise from Colts Head Coach Chuck Pagano, and should continue to see more touches than Trent Richardson. Richardson also received 8 carries, and was only able to gain 12 yards from those carries. He has proven to be an ineffective runner for the Colts, and Herron's 88 rushing yard performance was higher than any total Richardson's produced in almost two seasons in Indianapolis. Boom Herron is now the feature back in Indy, and is one of the better fantasy pickups as an RB2 with upside as a solid contrast to Andrew Luck's pass-heavy offense.
2. TE Jordan Reed, WAS:
Reed looked like a lost cause in a weak Redskins offense, but came alive as he secured 9 of 11 targets for 123 yards. The injury-ridden tight end has had a tough time producing too much when healthy enough to play, but has shown flashes of fantasy excellence with Colt McCoy at quarterback. McCoy has shown his liking of Reed, targeting him 18 times in the 2 games they have played together. With McCoy most likely retaining the starting job in Washington for the rest of the season, Reed may be a hidden gem for fantasy playoffs. Reed is a big athletic target at the tight end position, similar to Julius Thomas. He is a tough guard for defenses, and with McCoy at the helm, Reed is worth an add as a TE1 with major upside as a redzone threat.
3. QB Johnny Manziel, CLE:
Browns Head Coach Mike Pettine has yet to name his starting QB for next week, but it has to be Manziel. Brian Hoyer has faded as of late, throwing 0 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in his last two starts. Hoyer was benched for Manziel in the fourth quarter of last week's loss to the Bills, and Manziel led the Browns to their only touchdown drive as the rookie ran it into the end zone from 10 yards out. The Browns are one of many teams fighting to make the playoffs, and they may just have to turn to Manziel to try and get them there. The former Heisman winner from Texas A&M is a dual threat at the position, who makes big plays both through the air and on the ground. He has established himself as a true winner, and hopefully that will translate well into the NFL. Manziel has one of the best wideouts in the league in Josh Gordon at his disposal, and this should aid in his ability to succeed. Consider Johnny Manziel a QB2 with upside as a mobile quarterback.
- RC Fischer - Fantasy Football Metrics
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As all the Fantasy tight ends dry up…note that Heath Miller has five or more catches in a game in three of his last five games. He was targeted 14-times this week and has been very high on the list of fantasy sleeper picks. The following are some trends in the NFL fantasy world.
— Kelvin Benjamin has five or fewer catches in a game in five of his last six games. Outside of garbage time work…he’s starting to struggle with the attention being placed on him by defenses. Although he started off strong, he will not be one of the best fantasy football keepers.
— I knew the Rams-DST were heating up, but wow…I’ll take a shutout, D TD, and six sacks. All those who jumped on this with me a couple of weeks ago…rejoice! Enjoy! McCoy-Stanton-Eli ahead!!
— Stedman Bailey had a nice five catch for 100 yards game in Week 13. It’s a nice FF-effort to be sure, but keep in mind…that was all accomplished by midway through the 2nd-quarter, and then they throttled back as they were destroying Oakland. For NFL fantasy sleepers, take Stedman serious as a PPR Flex option and in deeper leagues.
— IDP Telvin Smith followed up his impressive tackle count last week with 10 tackles against the Giants. He has to be considered a serious LB start for some next week.
— Mohammed Sanu is FF-dead, now that A.J. Green is back. His last four weeks of catches: 2-3-5-2. I’m always reluctant to give credit to Jay Gruden, but the Bengals offense has gone from solid with him to a disaster without him this year…a huge step-back under Hue Jackson. It reminds me of when Cam Cameron messed up Joe Flacco.
— Keenan Allen is back as the Philip Rivers’ ‘Antonio Brown’. 7.3 catches per game over his last six games.
— On a Dynasty team that is toast, and stashing assets…I’d consider taking a flyer on Jonathan Manziel Esquire, if he is floating around out there–just to see if he has a hysterical debut where he runs for a TD, throws a long TD off a broken play, etc., and gets everyone whipped up–just to trade him the following week in the chaos. The media will help you by singing his praises and running stories all day on him. It’s coming. Same theory I had when Terrelle Pryor ‘won’ the Raiders job last year.
If you already own Manziel–be ready to trade him on any blip because he is a total disaster waiting to happen.
Do you think any football analysts will apologize for shouting from the rooftops the last 5-6-7 weeks that Brian Hoyer “needs to be paid!” Nope. Now, they’ll just passionately tell you it is past time for Johnny Manziel. It’s a better story. No media/analyst mea culpa forthcoming, I assume (knock me over with a feather).
— Branden Bolden is the Pats RB leader for Fantasy scoring this week. Please do not ask me which Pats RB will take the most touches next week, or the week after, or in 2015. I’m with you—I have no idea from one week to the next either.
— If Ray Rice is going anywhere this week…it has to be Arizona. I have no idea how fast he gets up to speed, or what shape he is in, etc. I’m really not that interested.
— Jordan Reed with Colt McCoy (2 games): 8.0 rec. for 81.5 yards on 9.0 targets per game.
– R.C. Fischer is an NFL Draft analyst for College Football Metrics.com, and a football projections analyst for Fantasy Football Metrics.com. His group also provides player projections for Advanced Sports Logic’s football software “The Machine.” See “The Machine” here: The Machine via FFM
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TE Fantasy Football News -
A late season trend continues as top-tier fantasy TEs have been missing in action for the past couple of games and Week 13 is not likely to make things any better. Julius Thomas and Charles Clay are great big questions marks this week, while Jordan Cameron has already been ruled out as a fantasy football TE option.
Julius Thomas – Broncos tight end Julius Thomas is a full-blown game time decision. His gimpy ankle is not bouncing back as quickly as initially anticipated and Thomas was “limited” in practice on Thursday and Friday. The Broncos star tight end missed Week 12 and fantasy owners are on pins and needles to see if he will suit up for Sunday’s road matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Charles Clay – Fantasy owners should NOT expect to see Dolphins tight end Charles Clay on the field for Miami’s Monday night’s road game against the Jets. Clay is dealing with knee and hamstring issues and is officially listed as “doubtful.” The team held him out of practice on Thursday and Friday and fantasy owners should be prepared for him to miss his second straight game in a row.
Jordan Cameron – Browns tight end Jordan Cameron has already been ruled out for the team’s Week 13 road matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Cameron has been struggling to make his way through the NFL’s concussion protocol, but with 3 concussions since 2012, progress has been slow. Sadly for fantasy owners, he is no lock to be back on the field for Week 14 and could possibly miss the remainder of the season.
- John Georgopoulos – Fantasy Sharks
Ryan Tannehill should have a "banner" day against the listless Jets
Not necessarily the players in line for the biggest games this week, but rather some players that caught my interest and upon whom I shall cast my gaze. They could be good NFL fantasy starts this week.
Ryan Tannehill, QB – Miami (at New York Jets): Let’s face it, the Jets are a horrible team. Their offense is putrid—it scares no one. Which is why I have a feeling that Tannehill will use this contest to try and push his game to the next level… he has nothing to worry about should he make a mistake. But let’s not sell Tannehill short: in his last two games, he’s tossed five TD passes vs. just one INT (he’s also rushed for a TD). Against the Jets, who allow the third-most points to opposing QBs, count on Tannehill to put up three scores.
Andre Ellington, RB – Arizona (at Atlanta): Do you know how NFL running backs regain their mojo? They play the Falcons. Ellington has been a disappointment to fantasy football owners this season, falling short of all the pre-season hype, but going against the Falcons’ 23rd-ranked rush defense, Ellington should be able to put up 80 yards on the ground. Ellington also averages 4.5 receptions a game, which he should be able to top this week against the NFL’s worst pass defense. This is one of those games that if Ellington doesn’t walk away with at least 16 PPR points, he’ll never amount to anything in this league.
Jeremy Hill, RB – Cincinnati (at Tampa Bay): The Bucs allow the fifth-most points to opposing RBs… this should be good news for the Bengals, who love to run the ball. While Giovani Bernard should have a solid game, it’s clear that Jeremy Hill has been the guy who’s been gaining all the momentum in the Bengals’ backfield—Hill’s had two 150+ yard rushing efforts in his last four games and has been all over NFL player news. If the Bengals pull ahead of the Bucs early (why wouldn’t they?), they’ll use Hill to batter the defense and run out the clock. I see a 100+ yard game for Hill with a score this weekend.
Charles Johnson, WR - Minnesota (vs. Carolina): Who? Johnson isn’t on most people’s radar, including most Vikings’ fans; but he’s on the radar of at least one person— Teddy Bridgewater. Johnson has been targeted by Bridgewater 18 times over the last two games, which is 13 more targets than Cordarrelle Patterson. I’m not saying that Johnson will be outperforming Calvin Johnson or Dez Bryant, but he’s someone you can pick up if you’re desperate for a WR or Flex option. Given the Panthers allow the fifth-most points to opposing WRs, a 5/75/1 line is entirely possible for Johnson.
Justin Hunter, WR – Tennessee (at Houston): Look, this is one of those cases where I first start by looking at the defenses of the worst teams in the NFL against the pass (the Texans are #31) and then figuring out who the beneficiary of that lousy play will be. I had the chance to watch Titans rookie QB Zach Mettenberger against the Steelers last week, and I must say I like the cut of his jib. Mettenberger is afraid to toss the ball around, and it seemed to me that his favorite WR target was not Kendall Wright, but rather Justin Hunter. Now, I’m not vouching for Mettenberger’s intelligence, just his tendencies… I think Hunter might get 10-12 targets in this contest, which conservatively speaking should produce a 6/90/1 line for him.
Greg Olsen, TE – Carolina (at Minnesota): Coming off a bye week, Olsen and Co. should be well-rested and raring to go. Why wouldn’t they? At 3-7-1 the Panthers are, amazingly, still in the running to win the NFC South. While the Vikings are actually pretty good at defending opposing TEs, signs point to Olsen having a big game. Olsen is the leading receiver on the Panthers in terms of receptions (56), but for some reason there’s been stretches where Cam Newton doesn’t target him as often as he should. In Week 11, Olsen was targeted 11 times—hopefully a trend that will continue this week; and with no running game to speak of, it looks as if passes in the flat to Olsen will have to serve as a running game.
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QB Fantasy Football News-
The New York Jets and Washington Redskins both hoped they had franchise quarterbacks coming into the 2014 season, but that doesn't appear to be the case for either team.
The Redskins announced that they will start Colt McCoy this week against the Colts in place of RGIII, ex-stud fantasy QB. This will be the second year in a row that RGIII has been benched for poor play. RG3 has been a shell of himself since his rookie campaign and it appears that he won't be back with the Redskins next season.
The Jets announced that Geno Smith will regain his starting job this week in place of Michael Vick who had a horrible outing during Week 12 and was benched in the 3rd quarter. Sources claim that Rex Ryan and the Jets Offensive Coordinator (Marty Mornhinweg) are in favor of starting Vick, but the Jets front office wants to go back to Smith.
What is the significance of these QB changes in D.C. and New York? For starters, RGIII and the 2012 NFL draft set the Redskins and their already dysfunctional franchise back several years. The Redskins gave up three first-round picks and a second round pick to draft RGIII as the second overall pick. Now, it looks like the battered quarterback will be headed to a new team next season.
In New York QB news, the Jets will likely continue to lose and Rex Ryan will probably be a heavily sought after Defensive Coordinator for next season. Vick is nothing more than a backup at this point, so the Jets are actually making the right decision to ride Geno for the rest of the season and see what he has left in the tank.
The QB carousel in D.C. and New York are in completely different stages. The Redskins are trying to end the season on a positive note with first-year Head Coach Jay Gruden while the Jets are trying to prepare for some inevitable coaching changes.
Follow Fantasy Focus for more QB fantasy news.
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Sit
1. Cam Newton, CAR:
Cam Newton has a tough matchup ahead of him, as the Panthers head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. After playing back to back weak defenses in the Eagles and Falcons, Newton is in for a rude awakening. The Vikings defense ranks 7th in the league in allowing just 223.5 passing yards per contest, despite being in a division that features Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler and Matthew Stafford. Newton has had a wildly inefficient season, comprised of 14 total touchdowns and 15 turnovers, and he should continue to struggle. Consider Cam Newton nothing more than a QB2 for Week 13.
2. Tony Romo, DAL:
Romo is coming off a spectacular 4 touchdown performance against the Giants, and has an easy opponent ahead of him. However, he's a still a very risky start solely due to fatigue. Romo has been dealing with back issues for the entirety of this season, and the very short period of recovery between weeks can't be good for his health. After playing Sunday night, he and the Cowboys were only given about 3 and a half days to prepare for their Thanksgiving day game with the Eagles. Expect fatigue to play a major part in limiting Romo from having a solid game. Consider Tony Romo a QB2 at best for Thursday.
Start
1. RB Andre Ellington, ARI:
Ellington has been struggling to get things going on the ground as of late (averaging 1.89 yards per carry in Arizona's last 3 games), but has a more than favorable matchup in the weak Falcons rush defense to help him turn things around. Atlanta ranks 24th in the NFL in giving up 125.8 rushing yards per contest, which should bode well for Ellington's big-game potential this week. He should be a lock for 20 touches once again, and have no trouble finding running lanes. Ellington can be utilized as a top 10 RB1 in fantasy leagues across the board, a must fantasy football start.
2. WR Reggie Wayne, IND:
Reggie Wayne is coming off a very bad game as he and Andrew Luck failed to get things going in the Colts' 23-3 win over the Jaguars, but he has a chance to redeem himself this Sunday. The Colts are set to square off against the Redskins, and Washington's questionable offense (with newly appointed starting QB Colt McCoy) will spend a lot of time on the sidelines, leaving Wayne and the rest of the Indy offense with plenty of chances to rack up some points. Reggie Wayne should be counted on to draw at least 8 targets, as he has in each of his last 7 games, and to produce at a high level for this Sunday. Consider Reggie Wayne a high-end WR2 in what should be an easy win for Week 13.
Stay tuned to ASL for the most complete fantasy sit start info!
![Telvin Smith is becoming a top-notch linebacker for the Jaguars](/images/blog/2015/telvin.jpg)
- RC Fischer - Fantasy Football Metrics
Fantasy Waiver Wire Pickups -
LB Telvin Smith, Jacksonville - We mentioned Telvin as a deep sleeper several weeks ago, but a new wrinkle has developed. We scouted him as an excelled cover OLB, but had not seen as much from him as a heavy tackle-count type for a linebacker. For much of this game, Smith was one of two ILBs for the game. He played like a poor man’s Mychal Kendricks—speed, aggression, leading to lots of action/output…and his numbers followed suit. During Week 12 against Indy, Smith posted 13 tackles—an NFL career high, and it’s the most tackles he’s had in a game looking back on his years at Florida State as well. Because of the Jags’ excessive linebacker injuries and under-performance—Smith is getting more and more playing time. When you play defense for Jacksonville, you will see a lot of time on the field every week. If he starts playing more ILB, then he's going to be a 10+ tackle a game guy.
Smith is a sensational athlete for a linebacker, a high 4.4s/low 4.5s runner who was fantastic as a coverage OLB in college. He really could be a terrific Safety as well as OLB. Smith is going to see the snaps, and it is starting to rack up Fantasy-IDP output: 8.0 tackles per game over his last three games. You like the tackle counts, but might also get PDs and picks with this talented cover guy. The only think we see that could derail this is if rookie IDP Jeremiah George comes back from his minor injury, and jumps back in as a main ILB. I’m not sure if that will happen now (George is a deep, deep IDP sleeper as well).
CB Desmond Trufant, Atlanta - We rated Desmond Trufant as the best CB prospect in the 2013 NFL Draft, and he has played decently in his two seasons for a young CB, but he might be really coming into his own of late. During his last two games, Trufant has picked off a pass in each contest and posted two PDs in each game as well. He’s had at least one PD in seven-straight games, and at least one PD in all but one game this season. Trufant is a shutdown CB talent. He’s one of the best, if not the best cover corner I’ve scouted coming out of college in the past couple of drafts. The IDP fear is teams start moving away from taking chances at him, but we don’t think he’s there yet. During Week 13, Trufant draws Drew Stanton, and an offense that will take a ton of shots down field—I love the odds that Trufant comes down with a third-straight game with an interception this week.
CB Darryl Morris, Houston - Morris saw more time in Week 12 due to the injury to Kareem Jackson, and he responded with 10 tackles and 3 PDs. He was pitted against A.J. Green a lot…and Green had a great game, but Morris made some nice plays as well…not bad for a UDFA, backup CB taking on an NFL elite wide receiver. They picked on him, and he was not bad. Morris was working his way into more playing time earlier this season, but he got nicked up and missed a few weeks. In the last two games where Morris has seen heavier playing time, he has 14 tackles (7.0 per game) 6 PDs (3.0 per game) and an interception. He gets FF-numbers because he will get picked on due to his inexperience/status. Morris is a tremendous athlete—he’s a 4.3+ runner with terrific agility. He went undrafted out of Texas State in 2013, but caught on with San Francisco, and was making noise in training camp…eventually working his way up off the practice squad to the active roster as a rookie. He was released in a number’s game, and scooped up by Houston—and is now working his way from unknown player to key DB. The longer Kareem Jackson is out, the more snaps Darryl Morris is apt to see…and FF-numbers he can give you in the short-term.
For the most comprehensive analysis on fantasy pickups, stay tuned to ASL all season long!
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Fantasy Waiver Wire Pickups -
1. RB Latavius Murray, OAK:
Murray took his opportunity and ran with it last Thursday, as he turned 4 carries into 112 yards and 2 touchdowns during his first start. The Raiders beat the Chiefs to end their 16 game losing streak and the team's rookie tailback put on quite a show in the first half.. He was forced from the game in the second quarter after sustaining a concussion when he took a big hit on his fourth carry of the game. He has until Friday to gain clearance for Oakland's road contest with St. Louis, and will more likely than not retain the job as their feature back. The Rams' rush defense ranks 19th in allowing 115.8 rushing yards per game, and Murray should be able to exploit them significantly. Murray can be added and started as a decent RB2 if he is able to suit up.
2. RB Isaiah Crowell, CLE:
Crowell has solidified himself as the starting halfback, after putting up a line of 12-88-2 in Cleveland's win against Atlanta on Sunday. He has proved to be more effective than fellow RB Terrance West, and following the releasing of Ben Tate, Crowell has nothing to worry about in terms of playing time. Crowell has rushed for an average of 5.73 yards per carry in his last two games, and as the Browns fight to get atop the tough AFC North division, the team will look toward him to make big plays down the stretch. With little uncertainty left in the backfield, Crowell can be added as a solid RB2 with upside and as a low RB1 going forward.
3. WR Stedman Bailey, STL:
Bailey had a strong performance in the Rams' loss to the Chargers, turning 7 catches into 89 yards and a touchdown. Bailey received a team-high nine targets (tied with TE Jared Cook) from QB Shaun Hill, and could be developing into the quarterback's new favorite target. This was Hill's second start at quarterback since taking over for Austin Davis, and he and Bailey's improving rapport could prove to be beneficial for both sides, especially for fantasy owners. Ever since stud WR Brian Quick went down, the Rams have been searching for others to replace his stellar production, and Bailey could be their guy. The 24-year-old slot receiver can be added as a WR3 for now.
4. RB LeGarrette Blount, NE:
After signing him just 3 days earlier, LeGarrette Blount rushed 12 times for 78 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Patriots destroyed the Lions, 34-9. Blount capitalized on the benching of Jonas Gray for arriving late to practice, and may have solidified a role within New England's running game. Fellow halfback Shane Vereen took 8 carries for a mere 12 yards, which gave Blount more chances to re-define himself as a valuable member of the Pats offense. With Gray possible still in Coach Belichick's doghouse, Blount should continue to get carries as the power back for the Patriots. Blount can be one of the more intriguing fantasy pickups as an RB2 with upside as a goal-line threat.
- Austin Becker - Fantasy Focus
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RB Fantasy Football News
So the carousel that is the Broncos backfield continues to go round and round. The latest running back to grab the starting spot is C.J. Anderson and he may very well be the cream of the crop.
The young fantasy RB had 27 carries for 167 yards while averaging 6.2 yards per carry against a stout Miami Dolphins that gave the Broncos all they could handle. He was also efficient in the passing game, hauling in all four targets that came his way for 28 yards. Another stat popping off the sheet is that over the course of the last three weeks, Anderson leads the NFL with 473 all-purpose yards in front of the Chief’s Jamaal Charles and the Buccaneers Mike Evans.
The pre-season hype for Monte Ball is long gone now and there’s no reason to waste a roster spot on him. Another running back that had the starting position was Ronnie Hillman who has been struggling with injuries of his own. This left Anderson in the driver’s seat and his fantasy value is skyrocketing through the roof.
The Broncos have been looking for a back that’s going to stay healthy and who is primed to give them steady production ever since the departure of Knowshon Moreno. Anderson seems to be the best candidate to help the Broncos running game get back on track. Look for him to stay in the RB news.
Anderson was likely an unknown name to fans outside of Denver before the season, but now he is someone who you really need on your team. The 23-year-old was an undrafted free agent that the Broncos signed in 2013 and he is making someone in Denver’s front office look like a genius.
Even if Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball return for Week 13, Anderson should be considered a low end RB1 with nothing but upside. The amount of carries Anderson received during Week 12 were the most for any Broncos running back since Moreno had 37 carries against the New England Patriots during Week 12 of the 2013 season.
For insight into this and other RB fantasy news, stay tuned to ASL!
- RC Fischer - Fantasy Football Metrics
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If you watched the Houston vs. Cincinnati game, I hope you were tipping your figurative (literal is fine too) cap to me. I’m not wrong about QBs…and ta-da: Ryan Mallett has now been revealed as a fraud. He was never ‘the answer’ for Houston and was never close to being on the list of best fantasy football keepers. If you haven’t already, start getting your Tom Savage Dynasty stashes together…as I advised two weeks ago (and back to June 2014). Here is a list of some trends in the NFL fantasy world.
— Isaiah Crowell had the TDs, but Terrance West won the carry-count tally 14-12. Both are decent, but maddening, non-PPR RB options week-to-week.
— Time to start taking rookie IDP Telvin Smith a little more seriously. One of our ‘deep NFL fantasy sleepers’ a couple of weeks ago, he posted 13 tackles/10 solos. I look forward to re-watching this game to see if he was playing ILB a bunch…and thus may stick at that position rest of 2014 given the Jags ILB issues (he is an OLB by trade).
— Andrew Hawkins is very much in play for a PPR Flex option week-to-week, and is one of the better sleeper picks for this week. The Josh Gordon factor helps him a ton; it does not hurt him for output. When Hawkins is not drawing heavy coverage he is free to roam, and allows Brian Hoyer just hit him with simple passes he can ‘catch & run’ with.
— I’ve been making excuses for Reggie Wayne in my mind for weeks. I tend to have a bias against veteran players, but Wayne is still a very good NFL WR…and works with a top QB—all things good for Fantasy. I tried to be sure not to have a bias. However, he looked slow and clunky in this game…and has looked that way a lot recently. I’m about ready to jump ship of being favorable to him.
— Dan Herron was more favored than Trent Richardson in their Week 12 game —just like Ahmad Bradshaw was. It looks like Herron is the Colts RB to have now…just assume he is ‘Bradshaw-lite’ going forward. He’ll hold that until (if) Zurlon Tipton gets his shot.
— If Blake Bortles is not the worst QB in the NFL, I’m not sure who is.
— I love the way Jerick McKinnon is working on the field, but the stink of Norv Turner’s offense clings to him for FF-purposes. He’s never going to get TDs in this terrible 2014 offense.
— I knew Matthew Stafford was fading, but 13 TD/10 INT thrown in 11 games this season…wow.
— I buy LeGarrette Blount as the power RB for the Pats for the rest of 2014, a RB who is more talented than Stevan Ridley or Jonas Gray.
– Kenny Britt’s stat line will look like crap, but he had a 50+ yard TD catch stolen from him on a pathetic penalty on the O-Line, having nothing to do with anything. He lost his TD catch, and thus lost the Rams’ momentum that was about to knock the Chargers out early.
— Another week, another Russell Wilson 70+ yard rushing effort. He’s done so in five of his last 8 games, and three-straight. Just as I have been harping on: He’s usually giving you 7 to 17 Fantasy points per game with his feet before you start looking at the passer totals.
— Another week, another low output in the 2.0s for yards per carry for Andre Ellington. When Arizona fades to end the season, they’ll blame Drew Stanton, but they should look at the RB management…and the total collapse of Michael Floyd.
— Considering how badly Odell Beckham Jr. humiliated the Cowboys pass defense. What do we think Jordan Matthews might accomplish against them on Thanksgiving Day? Or when they play again two weeks after that? Mark Sanchez suddenly has a little more value watching Eli Manning not-struggle with Dallas.
— Last week, RG3 died to me along with all mobile-QBs, and then I was surprised that the same sentiment hit a few in the national media as well last week. This week, I’m totally over Jay Cutler. I was never a huge fan, but I bought into Trestman + awesome WRs = Cutler FF-good. Umm, no. It’s cliché, but true…Cutler is the most ‘sad sack’ QB in the NFL. No more benefit of the doubt in 2014 from me. No more ‘he might’ thoughts in a great matchup. I’ll just assume he’ll disappoint and then raise half an eyebrow if he tosses 3 TDs. Two Detroit matchups the next four weeks…no thanks.
– R.C. Fischer is an NFL Draft analyst for College Football Metrics.com, and a football projections analyst for Fantasy Football Metrics.com. His group also provides player projections for Advanced Sports Logic’s football software “The Machine.” See “The Machine” here: The Machine via FFM