- R.C. Fischer - Fantasy Football Metrics
NFL Fantasy Sleepers and Fantasy Football Keepers -
Seattle wide receiver Chris Matthews didn't record a single catch during the regular season, but delivered an EPIC performance in the Super Bowl recording 4 receptions for 109 yards and touchdown.
Now Dynasty Diehards in search of those fantasy sleeper picks are clamoring for information wanting to know, “Where the heck did Chris Matthews fall out of the sky from?”
And - “Should I care about him for Dynasty leagues?”
Let’s examine those questions…
*First, note that he was projected and discussed in our 2014 Fantasy Football Draft Guide. In my write up/analysis of his 2014, I began it with: “…more interesting as a deep-deep-deep sleeper for FF with the retirement of Sidney Rice.” So, it’s like I knew this was coming! Kidding. Can you believe it’s almost time to start work on the 2015 Fantasy Football Draft Guide? You’ll be reading it in less than six-months…
**Second, the odds that every radio, TV or print personality who mentions Chris Matthews’ name tomorrow, will make a joke about the talk show host on MSNBC with the same name: it’s 1-to-9. It is the same odds that I will go legally insane about the 3rd-4th time I hear it Monday.
Matthews’s bio notes…
— Matthews is a legit 6’4”+, and was a high school TE/WR and Defensive End.
— Matthews became a JUCO star WR…and going the JUCO route due to being academically in eligible for D1 schools.
— As a Junior, Matthews qualified to join the University of Kentucky, and was a solid SEC WR—playing two years with Randall Cobb (who was then a WR-RB-QB). Matthews was useful as a Junior, but shined a little as a Senior (2010), with 61 catches (4th in the SEC) for 925 yards (6th in the SEC) and 9 receiving TDs (led the SEC).
His big game came against South Carolina as a Senior: 12 catches for 177 yards and 1 TD.
He would be classified as pretty good, but not dominant in his time in the SEC.
— He was not an NFL Combine invite. At his Pro Day, he ran a 4.6+ 40-time with decent agility, and a below average vertical. He was solid, but not spectacular athletically…thus the following path to the NFL:
— He went undrafted in 2011 NFL Draft, and had a tryout with the Cleveland Browns, and ultimately was cut before the season began.
— In 2012, he played in the Arena League with Iowa, and then flipped over to the CFL. In 2012, Matthews was the CFL ‘Most Outstanding Rookie Award’. He posted 81 catches for 1,192 yards and 7 TDs for Winnipeg that season.
— In 2013, he had a bout with turf toe, and was released by Winnipeg…and thus wound up working at the infamous Foot Locker. If they aren’t on the phone with him right now for an ad deal…
— He was signed to a future’s contract with Seattle in 2014. He was cut before the season, and then placed on the practice squad. He would later recover the critical onside kick against Green Bay, and then make his first NFL catches in the Super Bowl—winding up with 100+ yards and a TD. He would have been the MVP had Seattle not blown it/lost in the final moments.
**See the 2015 NFL Draft and 2015 Dynasty Rookie Draft, like never before with our Moneyball-style scouting reports and rankings. Go to www.collegefootballmetrics.com **
Fantasy Football 2015 Outlook:
If this entire Seattle WR group is back as-is, then I would get interested in Matthews. He showed an ability to ‘play with the big boys’ on a big stage. He didn’t have a lucky debut. He was physical with DBs, and made some outstanding ‘up for grabs’ catches. He’s a worthy NFL WR…arguably their best red-zone target in 2015—as it stands today.
However, I maintain that Seattle is going to re-do their entire offensive skill position depth chart—all new WRs via draft and free agency, and a possible end of the Marshawn Lynch era. Matthews may maintain a role in that new mix…but likely will not be a featured player. If you don’t believe that Seattle changes things up much at WR in 2015, then Matthews is definitely worth a stash.
…of course, everyone is chasing him now—so good luck.
I wouldn’t go crazy in FF-pursuit. I would claim him (if possible), if I could do so for little-to-nothing, and then deal him away quickly—that would be my main plan. I don’t think there is a mega star here, but in the right situation (a.k.a. a good-great QB and an opening as a 3rd-WR), he is a decent WR and nice red-zone threat. If he gets a chance, he’ll produce solidly.
Would I draft him in the 2015 Dynasty Rookie Draft? Not as highly as someone else is willing to, I’m sure. Is he on my list? Yes. Is he someone I would take in the first couple of rounds–not likely.
– R.C. Fischer is an NFL Draft analyst for College Football Metrics.com, and a football projections analyst and writer for Fantasy Football Metrics.com. He is also a lead writer for ‘Play The Draft.com’. His group also provides player projections for Advanced Sports Logic’s football software “The Machine.” See “The Machine” here: The Machine via FFM
- Austin Becker - Fantasy Focus
QB Fantasy Football News -
When it was all said and done, Tom Brady, perennial fantasy QB stud and no stranger to QB news, took home his third Super Bowl MVP award and the Patriots won their fourth championship title in their last six tries. Talk about getting the monkey off of your back and in this case there were a few pestering monkeys on Brady’s back. During the past two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, Brady has had his integrity, respect for the game and honesty called into questions by a rabid media circus.
Brady responded to all of these accusations with an outstanding performance on the field to trump the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks. The amount of pressure that was bestowed on Tom Brady was probably the most ever put on a quarterback before a Super Bowl.
As the entire world now knows, Brady and the Patriots had been accused of deflating footballs. The media has rarely been guilty of beating a dead horse more than this one as they droned on and on and on pretty much forgetting all about that tiny little game called the Super Bowl.
Brady also had to be tormented by the scars of losing his last two Super Bowls to the New York Giants in thrilling last minute fashions.
After all of this controversy and haunting past events, Brady and the Patriots found a way to defeat that vaunted Seattle defense. Brady absolutely deserved that sweet victory and the MVP award – no doubt what so ever. Think about it – He stood strong and took on the doubts and judgments from the world watching the Super Bowl and then beat the best defense in football.
Brady now owns his 3rd Super Bowl MVP award and has hoisted his fourth Lombardi Trophy in six tries. This game clearly cemented Brady’s legacy as one of the best quarterbacks of all time, sharing the same number of Super Bowls wins with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.
For the latest in QB fantasy news, stay tuned to Fantasy Focus!
QB Fantasy Football News -
It was almost 13 years ago to the day, February 3, 2002, when Tom Brady first lifted up the Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans. There’s no question that Brady, perennial fantasy QB stud, and the New England Patriots have their work cut for them against the current defending Super Bowl champs. Seattle’s defense is a well-oiled machine that often takes no prisoners on the field.
However, the Legion on Boom exposed some cracks in the armor two weeks ago against a hobbled Aaron Rodgers when they got clobbered in the first half and pulled out a very unlikely overtime win against Green Bay.
The Seattle versus New England game should be a very close and entertaining matchup. A fact that has almost been lost in the shuffle with all of the foolish ramblings about “IdiotGate” and Marshawn Lynch’s disdain for the media. Any QB news?
There are many story lines to focus on, but one of the most important is the mountain-sized CHIP on Tom Brady’s shoulder. He’s more motivated for this game than any other during his storied career for several reasons.
- FOUR SUPER BOWL RINGS – There is no greater motivator for any quarterback in the game than getting on the short list with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.
- More than any defender in the game, Brady can actually feel father time closing in on him. He’s 37-years-old and his time is definitely running out.
- You Mad, Bro? Damn right he’s mad. Brady never goes a full day without remembering being called out by the cheery defender named Richey Sherman. I have always wondered if Sherman’s taunt would come back to haunt him, today we will find out.
- Deflate Gate – Just another motivator for a quarterback who has already played in five Super Bowls and is hell-bent on adding his 4th ring.
For the most up-to-date QB fantasy news, stay tuned to Fantasy Focus.
RB Fantasy Football News -
In RB news, fantasy RB Marshawn Lynch spent the few minutes he attended Tuesday’s Super Bowl media day repeating the same phrase over and over again (29 times to be exact), “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.” He followed up is Tuesday performance by answering every question "You know why I'm here."
With Beast Mode being one of the most popular players playing in the Super Bowl, his behavior raises some good questions. Should Lynch get fined for not sufficiently answering any questions? Should the players even be required to speak to the media?
According to league officials, Lynch will not be fined due to the length of time he spent on the podium or the answers he provided. However, Lynch was wearing a hat with his “Beast Mode” logo on it which could subject him to a fine after the Super Bowl is completed. Lynch wore the the hat on both Tuesday and Wednesday so it could be two separate fines.
With Lynch's behavior and the storm of attention it brings, it begs the questions as to whether players should have to speak to the media or at a minimum, should they care if he continues to do what he does?
Many Seahawks players have stated how unfair it is for the NFL to fine them for wearing products that are not approved by the NFL and how they shouldn't be required to speak to the media as part of their NFL contract. It is their right to have that opinion and it seems reasonable for them to protest this, but given the fact that the NFL has done an impeccable job marketing and promoting their league, players who are being paid millions of dollars a year can be subject to speak to the media and give the fans what they want.
Lynch has a right to feel the way he does and the media has a right to do what they do. Lynch should want to provide some juicy soundbites to create excitement for the game because he will only be building his brand and creating excitement for the game.
Lynch won't change his opinion about the media and the media won't ignore Lynch because he refuses to talk to them. I just hope it doesn't affect his ability to perform on Sunday because he will need a few "Beast Mode" plays in order to host the Lombardi trophy on Sunday night. Lynch plays big in big games and this is not the first time he's treated the media this way. This is not a big story but it needs to be talked about because the people who really lose in this situation are the fans and the people who support Lynch and want to know what he thinks about the upcoming game.
Keep reading ASL's RB fantasy news for the best fantasy info!
RB Fantasy Football News
The media world has long been guilty of showing disrespect and a lack of humanity to the individuals they place in their crosshairs. Mindless and uniformed reporters can dish it out, but they rarely have to take any abuse themselves.
This has produced a journalistic culture of bullies hell-bent on snagging its next set of victims. The fact that one athlete, Marshawn Lynch, has decided to stand up to them, has understandably set off a media firestorm. How dare someone ignore the ignorant and inflammatory questions because they have had enough?
This the same media that droned on about “Deflategate” so often that sports fans had to shut off their televisions and radios for a full week until they could actually hear about the actual Super Bowl again.
Yes, Lynch makes millions of dollars and is expected to deal with the simple-minded questions. However, the fact that he doesn’t answer the bullies the way they want actually threatens them.
Lynch is a phenomenal fantasy RB, but is he really that interesting? Even when he did speak this week, it was largely ignored.
“So y'all can go make up whatever y'all want to make up because I don't say enough for y'all to go and put anything out on me.”
In RB news, the fact that Lynch has become the focal point of the Super Bowl because he won’t play ball with the media circus is sheer comedy. Reporters have no idea how to react when someone won't be coerced into a verbal sparring match with them. I’m not Seattle fan by any stretch, but wouldn’t it be great theater if Lynch actually snagged the Super Bowl MVP honor?
You don’t have to like Lynch at all, but it’s refreshing to see someone remind the revered 4th estate that it has crumbled into nothing more than a whining nightmare version of the National Enquirer.
Stay up to date on RB fantasy news with ASL!
- R.C. Fischer - Fantasy Football Metrics
*I’m getting a lot of questions the last 24-48 hours on Latavius Murray, and I know why, so let me address it for once and all…
Remember…”I’m never wrong. I’m just temporarily not right.”
Do you know how much it warms my heart to see Latavius Murray being discussed by his new offensive coordinator (Bill Musgrave) in such glowing terms? Musgrave’s exact quote: “I’m looking forward to getting on the field and finding out what he’s (Murray) all about and what his strengths are so we can tailor our run game so it’s right up his alley.”
Say what?
He said that in an NFL that uses running backs like disposable diapers these days…
In an era where Demarco Murray (option for the fantasy football keepers list) can lead the league in rushing and be an MVP candidate—and get offered a long-term deal like that of a really good Kicker…
In an era where no one knows who the Patriots RB will be from one week to the next…
In this day and age, an Offensive Coordinator actually singled out a young RB who was barely noticed by his previous two NFL head coaches (FYI, both fired/not retained for their brilliance), and said he would tailor the running game to him. Are you kidding me? H&R Block getting my billions back is not this exciting.
You know why it warms my heart, right?
In 2013, the NFL said Latavius Murray was a 6th-round RB talent. Miami took RB Mike Gillislee17 picks before Murray. 50 picks prior the 49ers wasted a draft pick on RB Marcus Lattimore—a healthy Lattimore was not as good as a healthy Murray. A several-times injured Lattimore was ridiculous pick…and the same people who decided upon that also just traded Jim Harbaugh for Jim Tomsula.
In 2013, NFL Draft analysts either didn’t know who Latavius Murray was, or gave the obligatory ‘best NFL fantasy sleepers' label…but would not have the guts to include him in their top-5 or top-10 RBs in the class.
In 2013, our computer scouting models said Latavius Murray was a #1 or #2 ranked RB talent in the 2013 draft class. For which, we were deemed insane or gutsy…either way, alone on an island—which is my favorite kind of scouting island.
In 2013, many of you placed your Dynasty Rookie Draft trust in our scouting call here (and it was pretty cheap to do so). Some of you had to ‘tap out’ on him by 2013 end. Some tapped in early 2014. I can’t blame you. I had to chuck him in some leagues too. It was not Murray’s fault—it was the fact that the Raiders are friggin’ idiots. That’s a crass statement, but absolutely spot on analysis. I say it like that because I feel for Raiders fans—your own coaches and GM are authoring their demise with impunity. They could have been playing Murray all along in 2014. They didn’t, until the very end.
You can never get enough Darren McFadden or Maurice Jones-Drew, while you lose every single game you play, can you?
The Raiders have won like three games in the last decade (actually 3 of their last 19, and 4 of their last 22). What do those three wins have in common? Latavius Murray had 60 or more yards rushing in the game. All of the 16 losses in the last 19 games…Murray had less than 60 yards rushing, and usually no touches in those defeats.
Now here we all are in 2014. Some of you kept the faith all the way—and for that, the Lord (a.k.a. The Computer) hath blessed you. Some kept tabs on Murray, and scooped him off waivers when we started giving the alert 2014 mid-season. You too have been blessed.
Why are you blessed?
You probably think it is because Murray showed his skills, finally, and might be in for a very nice opportunity in 2015…you hope.
No, no, no, no, no, no…
Ladies and gentlemen…
You realize Latavius Murray is on a rocket ship ride to becoming a 2015 redraft top-10 RB, right? A possible late 1st-round pick in some 2015 redrafts? A possible late 1st-round pick in Dynasty startup, perhaps?
You don’t realize any of that because it’s not true…not yet, but it’s coming.
- Austin Becker - Fantasy Focus
WR Fantasy Football News -
The carousel that is Josh Gordon’s football career continues to go round and round. Even the NFL has its limit on the behavior of its players and the elite talent of Josh Gordon may not be enough stop him from trashing his own career. The Cleveland Browns fantasy WR Josh Gordon failed yet another drug test (alcohol) and now will be subject to another one-year suspension, according to league sources. This is coming after Gordon just served out a 10 game suspension for the 2014 season. He was actually in the process of serving a year-long suspension, when a new set of drug testing and punishment policies reduced his penalty to only ten games.
It's clear that Gordon needs some type of help because this pattern of behavior dates back well into his high school playing days. During Gordon’s college years at Baylor, he chose to enter the NFL after he was dismissed for a failed marijuana test. So this begs the question, does he still have any shot to play in the NFL? Not if he can't stay out of WR news.
Gordon’s future is extremely fuzzy at the moment. In the 5 games that Gordon did participate in, he was nothing but mediocre compared to the unbelievable 2013 season he had. After serving a two-game drug suspension, Gordon led the league with 1,646 yards in only 14 games. It doesn't look good when you compare those numbers to the 2014 season where he caught just 24 passes for 303 yards in five games. There is still much to be said about Gordon and fellow “bad-boy” teammate Johnny Manziel, and whether or not they can ever produce together.
The difficult part for Gordon is that he will have to stay sober for an entire year in order for Roger Goodell to reinstate him. Goodell is mired in a public relations nightmare with the league and he may show no mercy to a repeat offenders like Gordon. The bottom line is that it's ultimately up to Gordon if he ever wants to get himself straight enough to play in the NFL again.
Stay tuned to ASL for the best WR fantasy news!
1) "Wild Dog" Richard Sherman may go Rick Grimes and bite a female reporter rather than scream at her during post game interview
2) LeGarrette Blount primed to sucker punch another player in front of a Super Bowl audience
3) Jeremy Lane may require skin grafts after getting torched by NFL fantasy stud Rob Gronkowski
4) Aaron Hernandez will be watching the Super Bowl with the “Sisters Gang” from Shawshank
5) NFL player news: Richard Sherman will sip another sweet and juicy Adderall cocktail during pre-game warmups
6) Bill Belichick will finally show off his Gisele Bundchen tattoo
7) Belichick may implicate Brady regarding the circumstances around his Gisele tattoo
8) The Patriots could have played with deflated ping pong balls and beaten the Colts by 30
9) Ravens coach John Harbaugh will sing "Tears on my Pillow" during halftime with Katy Perry
10) LeGarrette Blunt – Smoking blunts, getting fantasy football stud Le’Veon Bell busted and busting out for the Patriots
Say what you want about Deflate-Gate or Seattle needing the stars to align for their overtime victory against Green Bay, because the two best teams in the NFL are playing in the Superbowl and it should be one hell of a game. It really is a match-up between the Unstoppable Force meets the Immovable Object. New England has been on a role since their sluggish 2-2 start and Seattle hasn't lost a game since Week 10.
There are tons of juicy match-ups, playoff fantasy football impact, and story lines to talk about so let's take a deeper look into what will decide this game and who might come out on top.
New England has been the most dominant team in the NFL since the turn of the century and Tom Brady will be looking for his fourth ring in six appearances. He will have to knock off the defending champs and the new kid on the block, Russell Wilson. Wilson is 10-0 against Superbowl winning quarterbacks and is starting to become the "New Tom Brady". Brady will be facing one of the best defenses in recent history and Wilson will have to create success against a Belichick defense that will do everything in their power to eliminate the ground game from both Wilson and Marshawn Lynch.
The X Factor in this game is Rob Gronkowski. Both teams have Superbowl-Winning quarterbacks, excellent defenses, power running games and reliable kickers, but there is only one Gronk. Seattle has had a history of shutting down premier tight ends, but Antonio Gates burned them for three touchdowns earlier this season and Gates is no Gronk. Gronk is a nightmare for opposing defenses and will get some one-on-one opportunities if New England can find some success on the ground.
Seattle's formula all year has been to pound the rock with Beast Mode and let Wilson make some plays with his feet on play action. New England's game plan will be to eliminate Beast Mode, prevent Wilson from making big plays on the ground and force Wilson to beat New England with his arm from the pocket. New England has the talent to make this happen but Beast Mode has made a living of making big plays and Wilson only needs one big play to light up the scoreboard.
In NFL player news, the main advantages I see are Gronk and Belichick for New England and Seattle's All-World safeties of Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas for Seattle. I see a really low scoring game for roughly three quarters (bad for playoff NFL fantasy players) and then a few late touchdowns for both teams (good for playoff NFL fantasy players). I see New England winning this one on a late field goal.
It should be a great game, February 1st can't come soon enough.
- Austin Becker - Fantasy Focus
There's plenty of conjecture as to why the Seahawks were able to come back from a 16-point deficit, but the answer really is NOT so terribly complicated. The Packers 16-point lead should have been much been at least a 20-point lead and Pete Carroll had halftime to correct what was going so terribly wrong.
All Seattle had to do was score one touchdown (which they did) and they were right back in the game.
Green Bay squandered two goal line changes at the beginning of the game and settled for field goals. The bottom line is, Green Bay didn't play to win, they played NOT to lose and it cost them a trip to the Super Bowl.
This game should not be a down fall for the proud Green Bay franchise what so ever. As long as the great Aaron Rodgers is healthy and they can keep most of their weapons – the Packers should have no problem being Super Bowl contenders yet again next season.
Aaron Rodgers would like to play for 10 more years, but that’s not as simple as it seems – just ask Brett Favre. None-the-less, Rodgers has at least 5 to 7 more years in his prime, seeing that he is only 31 years old. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are Rodger’s favorite weapons in his repertoire. Nelson is a non-issue this off-season as he signed a 4-year contract extension during the early days of last training camp. The main priority for the Pack will be to sign Nelson’s running mate Randall Cobb.
It will be interesting to see how much cash the Packers will divvy up to Randall Cobb, because you can bet Cobb and his agent will use Nelson’s contract as a measuring stick. Like Aaron Rogers once said, “R-E-L-A-X.” Just because the Packers lost the NFC championship game brutally to the Seattle Seahawks, doesn’t mean that the franchise will take a nose dive into the ground.
The Packers will always be in playoff contention as long as Rodgers is at the wheel. We can also note that Green Bay shouldn't need any motivation for next season after their NFC Championship Game breakdown.
