There hasn’t much movement among skill players yet and there may not be. This year’s draft is supposed to be the deepest in years and teams may be waiting to see if they can fill their needs with cheaper young players before they go overpaying for free agent vets out of desperation. But the Bears raiding the Vikings of Chester Taylor was interesting along with their signing of run-blocking TE Brandon Manumaleuna from the Chargers. It looks that despite having Cutler winging the ball and Mike Martz running the offense the front office has the sense to shore up the run game playing outdoors in the Windy City. The only other move of note was the Lions signing Nate Burleson from the Seahawks. Burleson isn’t going to radically change the Lions’ fortunes but he is a reliable possession receiver and should complement Calvin Johnson and give Matt Stafford a comfortable security blanket. And whatever helps Stafford helps the Lions and Stafford’s fantasy draft grade.

LaDainian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook are unsigned and may be for quite a while. I expect most teams to wait to sign veteran big name players that were released for age or injury issues until after the draft. But it’s not too early to speculate where they might wind-up. I think Westbrook may wind up being the back up to Adrian Peterson in Minnesota. He’s a capable pass blocker, good pass catcher and whoever is QB next year, he knows Brad Childress’ offense from his days as Philly’s offensive coordinator. As for LT, things are more wide open for him. But my ample gut tells me he might wind up in Miami. Ronnie Brown is coming off another injury, Ricky Williams is another year older and may retire anyway and any organization that has Bill Parcells running it will see value in having a veteran RB for a developing QB like Chad Henne to rely on.

At least now though the free agency scramble isn’t occupying too much time at work so I can concentrate on helping my students. The other day I had one come into my office. I thought he wanted help with the neuroscience part of my course, but he was looking for advice. He said he thought he was schizophrenic and the voices in his head were giving him the plans to build a time machine. I told him that was ridiculous. Because if you change your coordinates in time without compensating for the rotation of the Earth you could go 2 hours into the future and materialize literally in the middle of the Rocky Mountains and die instantly. And you can’t sit in a boat and go 2 hours into the past and think you’ll be sailing on the Gulf of Mexico. We’re in Austin and Austin is 500 feet above sea level. You’d materialize 500 feet above the Gulf and the fall will kill you. And you can’t travel back and forth exactly 24 hours at a time because the Earth is moving around the sun. You’d materialize in the cold vacuum of space with the Earth spinning slowly in the distance. And you can’t travel back and forth exactly 1 year at a time because the sun is rotating around the galactic core. You’d materialize in space but now the sun is a tiny star far, far away. What you’d need is a time and space machine. A time machine alone is worthless junk. And today that kid is basically cured. He still hears the voices. But now he’s convinced they know even less than his parents and he’s been blocking them out for years. The downside is that now, he has my voice in his head. But the only thing it’s telling him is “Never draft your fantasy team like a homer.” That’s just sound advice.

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What’s happened since last we met? Well, I got to the championship on eight of my 24 leagues but only won the championship in four of them. I found out that due to budget cuts I might not have a job next year, so I better update my resume. Funny thing is I haven’t heard of many administrators in the big tower getting the axe. Maybe the cost cutting on teaching faculty is to make sure they have enough in the budget to renovate the offices for the upper level administrators. I hear that Italian marble is really pricey these days since the dollar is weak against the Euro and it takes a lot of the stuff to build their new forty foot Jacuzzi. I know that may sound like an extravagance, but it’s really a necessity to relieve their stress so they can make the right decisions on how to spend their shrinking budget dollars so not a single penny is wasted. In other news, a guy flew his own private airplane into the IRS building in Austin. It was close enough that I heard the boom.

But what about football? Well, LaDainian Tomlinson was released but Darren Sproles wasn’t given a tender offer. Brian Westbrook was released but with his injuries, especially the concussion, it was expected. LeSean McCoy may break out big next year. Torry Holt was released. He might not have much left, but there are some teams with weak wideouts that might give him a look for a one year deal, like Chicago and Baltimore and Buffalo, now that the Bills aren’t looking to keep Terrell Owens around. It’s too soon to tell exactly what will happen next year and the year beyond. But already it seems like there will be an uncapped year unless in the next five days the league and the players union can come up with a new collective bargaining agreement. But if they do go to an uncapped year, and it looks like they will, the owners will probably win out and weaken or break the union. Here’s why: in an uncapped year teams can name both a franchise player and a transition player to hold on to their two best players. Also, the number of years a player needs to enter unrestricted free agency goes up from four to six. This means that any good young players can be held on to as restricted free agents for a lot less than their market value. As RFAs, their current team has the right to make a counter offer if another team tries to sign their player. If their player goes, they get compensated with draft picks. Even if the player was an undrafted free agent, if their team gives them the top tender offer possible, they’d get a first and third round pick if that player goes elsewhere. If the union doesn’t cave in then, the league is willing to lock the players out in 2011 because their TV contract still pays the league even if they don’t have any games to show. Which tells you two things: The NFL has excellent lawyers negotiating contracts for them and TV executives are complete idiots. Look no further than NBC’s Leno/O’Brien fiasco and their projections to lose $200 million on the Winter Olympics for clear indications of their genius. I’m sure the NFL lawyers were licking their chops when they slipped that clause into their TV contract. And laughing their butts off behind closed doors when it got through.

And speaking of the Winter Olympics, it was a tough game for the hockey gold medal wasn’t it? That’s how bad I’m missing hard-hitting violent sports on TV. I’m a Texan and I’m actually watching hockey and getting into it. We had a few inches of snow here last week and it nearly shut the place down, but I’m watching and caring about hockey, a game that’s completely alien to me. But it beats the hell out of the figure skating. I’m sorry, but that’s not a sport. Anything with tassels isn’t a sport. I know it’s athletic, it’s strenuous. I tried to lift my ex-wife over my head once and I almost died from the exertion. It’s tough, but so what. Ballet is athletic and strenuous and ballet is not a sport. Just because chicks like it doesn’t mean it should be in the Olympics. The Olympics were started thousands of years ago by oiled naked men wrestling and fighting, running and jumping. Ice-related activities had little, if anything, to do with it for obvious reasons. But more importantly, anything you choreograph to music isn’t a sport. It’s a show. You don’t set boxing matches to music. There’s no Pro Figure Skating League. How does a figure skater turn pro? Disney on Ice. That’s a show. How do you make figure skating a sport? You have to include John Madden. Let him use his telestrator. You team Madden up with that little skating commentator, Scott Hamilton. You have Scott Hamilton sit on John Madden’s shoulders like Master Blaster in Beyond Thunderdome. They lead the crowd in a chant: “Two men enter, one man leaves. Two men enter, one man leaves.” The two skaters try to do their routine while beating the snot out of each other. Couples? The guys toss the girls up. The girls catfight in midair like a kung-fu movie, slashing at each other with their skates that now look curiously like samurai swords attached to their feet (Are you listening, Tarantino? I’m visualizing a sequel to Kill Bill. The little girl is all grown up and she’s a figure skater with a grudge). The guys try to clothesline each other and catch them on the way down. Crouching Skater, Hidden Weapon. What the hell. Do away with any pretense at artistry and just make it UFC On Ice; we allow kicking with knives attached to our feet. Or you could just make the figure skaters play hockey, instead.

Oh, well. The Winter Olympics closing ceremonies are wrapping up. But the scouting combine is on NFL network. Let’s look at some offensive linemen run the 40 yard dash. I’ll keep you guys updated.

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Start ‘Em!
Alex Smith: He should have a good day playing the Rams.
Vince Young: The Seahawks may not roll over for him but they won’t have to. Chris Johnson’s quest for 2,000 probably has most of their attention.
Josh Freeman: The rookie has been playing well and he already racked up some nice fantasy points against the Falcons earlier in the year. Plus he’s at home.
Jason Campbell: The Chargers have nothing to play for. They have a first round bye locked up and the Colts have home field advantage locked up. Campbell and the Redskins players are playing for a job next year, whether it’s in Washington or elsewhere.
Jonathan Stewart: DeAngelo Williams is banged up and the Saints have not been playing sharp.
Donald Brown: Addai is going to get some rest and the Bills don’t have much of a run defense.
Jamaal Charles: He’s the Chiefs main man and he’s been contributing running and a little receiving. The Broncos are fighting for a playoff spot but they’ve been doing that for a while and you can see how that’s been going for them.
Cadillac Williams: he’s quietly put some nice games together these last few weeks. And the Falcon’s defense isn’t scaring anybody lately.
Austin Collie: Wayne will be rested. Garcon is still a little hurt. The rookie gets to show his stuff again.
Mohamed Massaquoi: Jacksonville has a shoddy pass defense and he and Derek Anderson are hoping to make a good impression on the incoming Holmgren regime..
Terrell Owens: Between a resting Colts defense and the desire to audition for a next year, I think T.O. makes an exit with a flourish in the cold.
Devin Aromashodu: Kind of a risky play, but he’s racked up some points lately, shown some chemistry with Cutler and he’s facing the Lions.
Jermichael Finley: I’m sticking with the kid. The Packers and Cardinals should be fighting it out, no holds barred.
Fred Davis: The Chargers looking forward to their bye week and Davis is Campbell’s best receiving threat.

Sit ‘Em!
Phillip Rivers: The Chargers have already said that though he’ll start, Billy Volek will take over at some point.
Joe Flacco: The Raiders have played the AFC North tough all year, especially their passers. Look fro Rice, McGahee and McClain to shoulder the load.
Carson Palmer: He hasn’t been playing that well down the stretch and now, he’ll probably also get pulled at some point and rested.
Matt Hasselbeck: It’s not a meaningless game for the Titans when all they’re playing for is pride.
Brian Westbrook: His touches are limited, he’s a little rusty and the Cowboys actually have a pretty decent rush defense. Plus, they have a bit of a grudge over what happened in the season-ender last year.
Joseph Addai: Rest time.
Ricky Williams: He’s already got a banged up shoulder going against the Steelers who are fighting for their playoff life.
Marion Barber: He just hasn’t been finishing those short yardage runs lately. I think Felix Jones and Tashard Choice will be getting some carries.
Reggie Wayne: Yep, all Colts are gonna get rested again.
Chad Ochocinco: Two words: Darrelle Revis.
Derrick Mason: The Raidershave a couple of pretty good CBs.
Marques Colston: Drew Brees is sitting down and Brunell is at the helm.
Dallas Clark: Colts getting rested.
Tony Gonzalez: He’s hurt and it makes no sense for the Falcons to risk him in a meaningless game.

Photo by Steam Pirate

]]> http://thefastertimes.com/fantasyfootball/2010/01/02/fantasy-football-week-seventeen-all-or-nothing-end-of-it-all-start-%e2%80%98em-or-sit-%e2%80%99em/feed/ http://thefastertimes.com/fantasyfootball/2009/12/31/week-seventeen-rummaging-the-waiver-wire-junk-drawer-for-your-fantasy-football-team/ http://thefastertimes.com/fantasyfootball/2009/12/31/week-seventeen-rummaging-the-waiver-wire-junk-drawer-for-your-fantasy-football-team/#comments Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:13:22 +0000 Dr. Juan http://thefastertimes.com/fantasyfootball/?p=910 Most leagues have finished their seasons. I’m finished in 15 of my 24 leagues. I didn’t do as well as last year. But I still made the playoffs in 13 of them and got to the championship game in 6 but only won 2 championships. I have 9 ESPN league teams with their two-game series format. I made the championship tier in 5 and I’m in the championship game in all of them. So, my fellow ESPN league peeps, Here’s some waiver wire tips if you need to tweak that roster one last time.

QB:
Alex Smith: Available in 57% of ESPN leagues. He closes out the season with the Rams
Vince Young: Available in 70% of ESPN leagues. He should recover from the Chargers debacle against the Seahawks.
Josh Freeman: Available in 97% of ESPN leagues. He plays the Falcons at home and he put up 250 yards and scored 2 TDs against them the last time they met.

Matt Moore: Available in 99% of ESPN leagues. Playing at home against the Saints who have home field wrapped up.

RB:
Maurice Morris: Available in 84% of ESPN leagues. The Bears rush defense ain’t what it used to be and they may have a let down against an inferior opponent after their emotional win over the Vikings.
Shonn Greene: Available in 82% of ESPN leagues. Last week the Bengals may not have rested their starters the way the Colts did, but they probably will rest them some this week. and the Jets will probably feed the ball to both Jones and Green to try and sneak into the playoffs and keep the burden off of Sanchez.

Lex Hilliard: Available in 99% of ESPN leagues. A risky play, but the Dolphins are out of the playoff hunt, facing the Steelers and Ricky Williams is banged up. Hilliard is the main back-up and will get to carry the ball.
Lynell Hamilton: Available in 99.9% of ESPN leagues. He’s another risky play, but the Saints have nothing to gain by playing Bell or Bush with home field assured. Hamilton will get a lot of garbage time work as New Orleans tries to get by the Panthers.

WR
Austin Collie: Available in 62% of ESPN leagues. Garcon is still hurt and you can count that Wayne will get rested. Collie will be the beneficiary.
Kenny Britt: Available in 68% of ESPN leagues. Facing the Seahawks he should bounce back as a receiving threat.
Muhsin Muhammed: Available in 83% of ESPN leagues. With Steve Smith out and the Panthers taking on the Saints at home, the big old guy is the prime WR on the roster. he may not stretch the field but with his size he makes a good red zone target and a good move-the-chains possession receiver.
Mohamed Massaquoi: Available in 88% of ESPN leagues. Hey, the Cleveland offense has been performing competently lately as players try to catch Holmgren’s eye and he’s playing a bad Jag’s pass defense.
Devin Aromashodu: Available in 99% of ESPN leagues. He’s a bit of a sleeper, but the other Devin in the Bears WR corps has played well and lit up the stats line in two of the last three games and closes out the season against the Lions.
Laveranues Coles: Available on 46% of ESPN leagues. If he’s there, pick him up. Revis will be shutting down Chad Ochocinco and Coles will benefit and take his chances to try and burn his old team.

TEs
Jermichael Finley: Available in 73% of ESPN leagues. he’s put up no less than 70 yards each of the last four weeks and scored 3 TDs.
Fred Davis: Available in 74% of ESPN leagues. he had a little bit of a drop off against the Cowboys but he should be able to bounce back against a Chargers team that has little to play for after securing a first round bye
Todd Heap: Available in 61% of ESPN leagues. The brittle old man has been a scoring machine the last two weeks and the Ravens need him again as they fight the Raiders for a playoff berth.
Dante Rosario: Available in 99% of ESPN leagues. This is a really risky sleeper play. But against the Giants with Smith out and Muhammed the top WR, the Panthers played a lot of two TE formations. He’s their more pass-catching TE with the third most targets on the team.

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]]> http://thefastertimes.com/fantasyfootball/2009/12/31/week-seventeen-rummaging-the-waiver-wire-junk-drawer-for-your-fantasy-football-team/feed/ http://thefastertimes.com/fantasyfootball/2009/12/30/a-look-back-at-week-sixteen-swami-or-bonehead/ http://thefastertimes.com/fantasyfootball/2009/12/30/a-look-back-at-week-sixteen-swami-or-bonehead/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:54:52 +0000 Dr. Juan http://thefastertimes.com/fantasyfootball/?p=905

So, for everybody that’s not in an ESPN league, the playoffs are over. Championships have been won or lost. Last weeks picks were Ok, but not stellar; a 16-12 Hit-to-Miss ratio. Hope I didn’t steer you wrong.

Start ‘Em!
Alex Smith: 230 yards and a TD. I was expecting more against Detroit, but it’s not bad. Swami-ish.
Vince Young: A bad night for Tennessee all around. Bonehead!
Ben Roethlisberger: 259 yards and a TD. Swami-ish.
Joe Flacco: Just 166 yards but 2 TDs. Swami-ish.
Jamaal Charles: 102 yards rushing and 22 receiving. Swami-ish.
Ryan Grant: 97 yards rushing and 2 TDs. Swami!
Laurence Maroney: Sammy Morris took over instead. Curses! Bonehead!
Jerome Harrison: It wasn’t another record, but 148 yards rushing and a TD works for me. Swami!
Greg Jennings: 111 yards receiving. Swami-ish.
Vincent Jackson: 70 yards receiving but no TDs. Bonehead-ish.
Steve (Carolina) Smith: 60 yards and a TD. I’ll take it. Swami-ish.
Chaz Schilens: Not horrible for a Raider, 64 yards, but no TD. Bonehead-ish.
Jermichael Finley: 80 yards. Not bad for a TE most of the time. Swami-ish.
Fred Davis: Wow. Maybe the Cowboys defense is for real? Bonehead!

Sit ‘Em!
Matt Ryan: Wow! 3 TDs. I missed the boat on this one. Bonehead!
Brett Favre: 321 yards and 2 TDs. Missed that one, too. Bonehead!
David Garrard: But I nailed this one. Swami!
Eli Manning: He actually put up some decent stats in the humiliating loss. Bonehead-ish.
Brian Westbrook: They won, but he was definitely rusty. Swami!
Joseph Addai: 40 yards and a TD. Bonehead-ish.
DeAngelo Williams: Yep, didn’t even play. Swami!
LaDainian Tomlinson: Just 59 yards but 2 TDs. Bonehead!
Reggie Wayne: He got plenty of rest, for sure. Swami!
T.J. Houshmandzadeh: 51 yards, total. Swami!
Mike Sims-Walker: Just 19 yards. Swami!
Calvin Johnson: 96 yards. Bonehead-ish.
Kevin Boss: 49 yards. Swami-ish.
Jason Witten: 117 yards. I got that wrong, huh. Bonehead!

Photo by Rex Roof

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Ok, it’s the championships, baby. It’s time to grind it out. Every point counts. So, who’s liable underperform and overperform to get you that edge? Here’s what I’m thinking:

Start ‘Em!
Alex Smith: He’s playing the Lions. Need I say more?
Vince Young: The Chargers should be keying on Chris Johnson which should provide him the chance to use his mobility to find a receiver or take off running. Plus the Titans are fighting for their playoff lives while the Chargers are in and just trying to secure a first round bye.
Ben Roethlisberger: It looks like the new school air attack is back and the weak part of the Ravens defense is the secondary.
Joe Flacco: Yep, I’m calling for a shootout in Steel City, what with Polamalu likely out again and my boy, Joe’s touchdown explosion last week. Both teams are desperate for a playoff spot and their offenses have been playing better than their defenses.
Jamaal Charles: I’m staying on this kid’s bandwagon. He’s their biggest weapon and he gets touches running and receiving. The man is on a mission to be the second Texas Longhorn to be the Chiefs franchise back.
Ryan Grant: Playing the Seahawks at home. The Packers don’t shy away from throwing in the cold, but it’s still easier to run it and the Seahawks sure can be run on.
Laurence Maroney: It’s winter in New England. The running game becomes more important as they try and close out against the struggling Jaguars.
Jerome Harrison: He’s not going to run for 286 yards and 3 TDs again, but you can bet that he’s going to play like a man possessed to impress Mike Holmgren.
Greg Jennings: Playing the Seahawks at home. ‘Nuff said.
Vincent Jackson: He’s tall and fast. No matter how good the Titans are playing now, he’s going to do his damage.
Steve (Carolina) Smith: It looks like he can rely on Matt Moore to get him the ball and the Giants secondary is still vulnerable.
Chaz Schilens: OK, it’s a bit of a reach. In preseason he was the Raiders best receiver but then he got hurt. When he came back he was rusty and the raiders were in disarray. But he’s cored a TD in two out of the last three games and now he faces the Browns. If you’re desperate, he’s a decent gamble.
Jermichael Finley: I’m sold on the kid. He scores a lot for a TE and puts up decent yardage numbers
Fred Davis: He’s developed into the Redskins best receiving scoring threat since Cooley went down.

Sit ‘Em!
Matt Ryan: He just ain’t right yet, even if he is playing the Bills.
Brett Favre: He maybe playing the Bears, but it’s in cold windy Soldier Field. Pops doesn’t do as well as he used to in the cold and he hasn’t looked as sharp as he has looked earlier in the season. With the weather and the stuffing Adrian Peterson got last week, I think the Vikes try and get their franchise back on track and in rhythm for the playoffs.
David Garrard: He’s played well lately, all things considered, but I don’t trust a warm weather team to pass effectively in Foxboro in the cold.
Eli Manning: He’s also been playing well and fighting for a playoff spot, but the Panthers are playing for their jobs next year and doing so in inspired fashion. You saw the way they shut down the high powered Vikings offense last week. Julius Peppers stands to be in Eli’s lap all afternoon.
Brian Westbrook: He’s back, but he’s got to be rusty and Denver’s defense is also fighting for their playoff life.
Joseph Addai: The Jets have a decent run defense and look for him to get rested in the second half once the Colts get a lead.
DeAngelo Williams: He’s banged up. Even if he plays, Jonathan Stewart will take a lot of his carries
LaDainian Tomlinson: It’s a short week and the Titans defense is desperate and playing well in their playoff hunt.
Reggie Wayne: Between Darrelle Revis and likely getting rested in the second half, take a step back if you have a better option.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh: Two words: Chares Woodson.
Mike Sims-Walker: Playing in Foxboro in December, I’d stay away, especially since he’s not a 100% back from his leg injury.
Calvin Johnson: It’s doubtful that Drew Stanton or Daunte Culpepper can get the ball to him consistently against the Niners.
Kevin Boss: You saw Peppers last week. He’ll be doing a lot of blocking.
Jason Witten: The Redskins played him tough in Dallas a few weeks ago, and now they’re at home playing for pride.

Photo by Peter Kaminski

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We’re into the championships. Whether it’s a one game event or the first week of a two game series as in ESPN free leagues, crunch time is here. For those looking for roster help, here’s some ideas. Remember, some teams are playing for pride at this point. And with a new GM in Washington and a new team president in Cleveland some players are looking to open some eyes and are auditioning for a job next year.

QB:
Alex Smith: Available in 60% of ESPN leagues. Sure he had a tough matchup last week in Philly, but this week he gets Detroit and next week, the Rams. Go for it!
Vince Young: Available in 71% of ESPN leagues. He threw for a season high 3 TDs against a Miami team fighting to stay in the playoff hunt. VY has tough match-up this week against the Chargers but a soft match-up against the Seahawks next week. But even with the tough match up, he always peppers his stat line with additional rushing yards. And let’s face it, most teams, even the Chargers are going to worry about stopping Chris Johnson first before they worry about shutting down Young’s passing.
Josh Freeman: Available in 97% of ESPN leagues. The Bucs travel to the Superdome, but the way they’ve played recently against the Cowboys, Redskins and Rams, the mobile Freeman could put up some points and then in week 17 he plays the Falcons at home and he put up 250 yards and scored 2 TDs against them the last time they met..

RB:
Maurice Morris: Available in 91% of ESPN leagues. Like I said last week, even at his age he hasn’t had a lot of carries so he’s still fresh. He scored 21 fantasy points last week against a tough Arizona run defense. He’s got the Niners and then the Bears and their run defenses aren’t better than Arizona’s. Plus he’s not really under any competition for the workload.
Michael Bush: Available in 82% of ESPN leagues. Bush had a huge week last week against the Broncos. He may not repeat that level, but the Browns aren’t the best rush defense by a loooooong shot. Even if he shares carries, he’ll have the chance to do some damage.

Quinton Ganther: Available in 53% of ESPN leagues. Basically a flex option. Ganther’s not going to get a ton of yards, but he can contribute both running and receiving and he’s found the end zone in the last two games.
Jason Snelling: Available in 40% of ESPN leagues. He’s not likely to be available, and even if he is, it’s a crowded backfield situation. But the Falcons are facing the Bills and the Bucs in successive weeks and those match-ups make him very tempting to pick up if you do finds him on the waiver wire.

WR
Austin Collie: Available in 68% of ESPN leagues. Garcon is hurt and will probably get rested. Collie has scored in the last three games. That trend should continue as Revis covers Wayne.
Josh Morgan: Only available in 60% of ESPN leagues. Crabtree and Vernon Davis get a lot of attention, But Morgan has scored 2 TDs in the last three games and now the Niners face the Lions and then the Rams. There out to be enough offense to go around so that he’ll get a portion.
Jeremy Maclin: Available in 64% of ESPN leagues. With DeSean Jackson getting most of the attention .from Champ Bailey, Maclin should get a chance to rack up some points against the broncos and the Cowboys
Malcom Kelly: Available in 98% of ESPN leagues. he’s a bit of a sleeper, but Santana Moss hasn’t been doing much this year and Devin Thomas is nursing a sprained ankle. He’s a big receiver that matches up well physically against the Cowboys and Chargers.

TEs
Jermichael Finley: Available in 77% of ESPN leagues. He’s put up 70 yards each of the last three weeks while scoring three TDs..
Fred Davis: Available in 78% of ESPN leagues. He’s scored 5 TDs in the last 4 games , averaging over 50 yards per week. C’mon, man!

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]]> http://thefastertimes.com/fantasyfootball/2009/12/25/week-sixteen-searching-the-discount-bin-waiver-wire-for-your-fantasy-football-team/feed/ http://thefastertimes.com/fantasyfootball/2009/12/23/a-look-back-at-week-fifteen-swami-or-bonehead/ http://thefastertimes.com/fantasyfootball/2009/12/23/a-look-back-at-week-fifteen-swami-or-bonehead/#comments Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:08:31 +0000 Dr. Juan http://thefastertimes.com/fantasyfootball/?p=888 Well, not as good as last week; not by a long shot. Barely over .500 with a 12-11 Swami-to-Bonehead ratio. If it wasn’t for the insane outcome of the Saints-Cowboys game I would have done a little better.

Start ‘Em!
Matt Schaub: Just one TD, but over 350 yards. Swami!
Donovan McNabb: over 300 yards, 1 TD, but 2 INTs. Swami-ish.
Jason Campbell: Well, it looks like the bingo-calling caught up with the Redskins. Bonehead!
Jamaal Charles: 154 yards rushing, 16 receiving and a TD. Swami!
Ryan Grant: 37 yards and TD. Bonehead-ish.

Laurence Maroney: 81 yards and a TD. Swami!
Greg Jennings: 118 yards and a TD. Swami!
Devin Thomas: What Happened!?!? Bonehead!
Marques Colston: 8 fantasy points from a starter? Bonehead!
Dwayne Bowe: 56 lousy yards. Bonehead!
Fred Davis: The scoring streak continues. Swami!

Sit ‘Em!
Eli Manning: The Redskins just dropped the spoiler role. Bonehead!
Tony Romo: As a Cowboys fan, I’m happy. But as a fantasy prognosticator, Doh! Bonehead!
Alex Smith: Nailed this one. Swami!
Matt Cassell: 331 yards and 2 TDs. Yikes! Bonehead!
Brandon Jacobs: Bradshaw stole his thunder. Swami!
LaDainian Tomlinson: 59 yards rushing, 58 receiving, no TDs, 10 fantasy points. Bonehead-ish.
DeAngelo Williams: Injured early in the game. Swami by default.
Chad Ochocinco: 49 of his 79 yards came on one pass but he did score a TD. Points is points. Bonehead!
Roddy White: Darrelle Revis. Swami!
Mike Sims-Walker: 12 fantasy points. Bonehead-ish.
Steve (Carolina) Smith: What the hell got into Matt Moore? Swami!
Kevin Boss: 57 yards, no TDs, 5 fantasy points. Swami-ish.

Photo by Jo Jakeman

Ok, we’re into the meat of the playoffs! Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead! Now, who might be the player that will get you over the hump and which one will get you humped? Here are a few suggestions for this week.

Start ‘Em!
Matt Schaub: He’s playing the Rams. ‘Nuff said.
Donovan McNabb: The Niners did a good job against the Cards, but it seemed more like the Cards underperformed offensively than the Niners dominating them defensively.  But the Eagles usually play well when it’s crunch time in December. Just ask the Cowboys.
Jason Campbell: He’s been playing well and he gets the weak Giants secondary at home, coming off a demoralizing loss to the Eagles at their house. I’m not saying he’s going to play like Peyton Manning, but I expect the Giants to revert to playing like they have no burning desire to play.
Jamaal Charles: Cleveland should put up more of a fight than Buffalo, especially after punching the Steelers in the mouth, but they’re still Cleveland and the Chiefs are still at home.
Ryan Grant: Ordinarily, you’d want to bench him against the Steelers. But the Steelers couldn’t completely shut down a weak Cleveland rush offense that doesn’t have a big time QB. Without Polamalu, they need to respect Rodgers and can’t sell out to stop the run. At the very least, Grant will find some room with draw plays.

Laurence Maroney: It’s Buffalo and you saw what Jamaal Charles did to them last week.
Greg Jennings: Again, without Polamalu to help out deep, Jennings will do some damage against the Steelers.
Devin Thomas: The big kid is starting to catch on and the Giants secondary is not what it used to be.
Marques Colston: The Cowboys. He’s playing the Cowboys. Remember, it’s December. They couldn’t shut down San Diego’s big and fast receivers. Guess who’s big and fast, too. Colston!
Dwayne Bowe: OK, it’s a bit of a risk. He may be rusty coming off the suspension. But he’s playing at home against the Browns. And when he steps on the field, he’ll be the most talented receiver on it. He may not put up a ton of yards, but I expect at least one TD.
Fred Davis: The Giants couldn’t keep Celek from scoring and he had a bad thumb. The kid has been on a scoring streak. I say he keeps it up. It’s not like the Giants LBs are playing well enough to stop him and he’s too big for the DBs.

Sit ‘Em!
Eli Manning: Washington’s defense is still tough and he’s taking them on in FedEx. My money says he regresses again on the road.
Tony Romo: The Saints defense is good and opportunistic and they’re playing at home. He’s done a good job minimizing his mistakes, but I think this will be a track meet for the Saints offense and he’ll be tempted to take some risks to keep up. And then Darren Sharper will take maybe a half-dozen INTs to the house.
Alex Smith: It’s the Eagles and they’re still playing to win the division. The Niners will be their obstacle. And I don’t think they’ll be able to keep Smith upright long enough to do his job.
Matt Cassell: He may do some damage, butt not a lot. The Browns are riding the wave of last week’s victory over the Steelers and now they guys are playing for their jobs for next year, especially with the word on the streets that Holmgren may be taking over.
Brandon Jacobs: He scored once last week, otherwise he’d have been a bust. I don’t think he’ll see the end zone this week.
LaDainian Tomlinson: Cincinnati’s defense is carrying them right now. I don’t think LT has enough left to run wild on them. It’s going to be up to Rivers to carry the day.
DeAngelo Williams: He gets to play the “Williams wall.” I don’t think he’s going to have a big day.
Chad Ochocinco: This is more of a judgment of Palmer’s apparent slump. Combine that with facing good CBs like Cromartie and Jammer, and I don’t think he’ll get the chance to get untracked.
Roddy White: Two words: Darrelle Revis.
Mike Sims-Walker: he’s supposed to be over his injury, but I just don’t see the Jags having a lot of success against the Colts. Supposedly, Indy is only resting their injured players so far.
Steve (Carolina) Smith: He’s got Matt Moore throwing to him and Antoine Winfield covering him. Show’s over; move along.
Kevin Boss: OK, now this week, he’ll get shut down against the ‘Skins.

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Playoffs, baby! We’re in the thick of it. And whether you need some depth or somebody to replace a slumping or injured starter, here are some names for you to chew on.

QB:
Alex Smith: Available in 63% of ESPN leagues. OK, this week he’s got a tough match-up against the Eagles, but next week, during the league championships, he has Detroit.
Jason Campbell: Available in 76% of ESPN leagues. He really hasn’t been playing badly since the playcalling went to Sherman Lewis. This week he has herky-jerky Giants at home and then next week he welcomes the December woeful Cowboys to FedEx. I’m not saing … I’m just saying.
Chris Redman: Available in 99% of ESPN leagues. he hasn’t been playing poorly from a statistical standpoint and in fantasy statistics rule the day. This week, he gets the Jets. Maybe not a great match-up, but the Falcons will probably fall behind early and that would mean a lot of throwing to play catch-up. And then next week they get the Bills at home.

RB:
Maurice Morris: Available in 98% of ESPN leagues. He’s getting old but he’s only had 42 carries all year, so he should be fresh enough to take over for Kevin Smith now that he’s been placed on IR. And don’t forget is a good receiver out of the backfield.
Arian Foster: Available in 98% of ESPN leagues. it looks like the rookie will be splitting carries with Ryan Moats and may even get most of the carries if Moats fumbles again..

Quinton Ganther: Available in 67% of ESPN leagues. He’s basically a flex option, but he did well in taking over the starting role. Just don’t count on him getting 2 TDs each game.
Chris Jennings: Available in 98% of ESPN leagues. He did put up over 70 yards and a TD on the Steelers. This week he gets the Chiefs.

WR
Early Doucet: Available in 100% of ESPN leagues. With Fitzgerald’s knee injury maybe requiring some rest for the playoffs, this kid is the one who’ll move up in the rotation.
Dwayne Bowe: Only available in 20% of ESPN leagues. But he’s back from suspension and still the most talented receiver on their roster and they will be playing from behind so he should get some garbage points.
Jason Avant: Available in 82% of ESPN leagues. With Maclin banged up, he’s the number 2 receiver in Philly.
Kenny Britt: How is it that he’s still available in 72% of ESPN? C’mon, man!

TEs
Jermichael Finley: Available in 80% of ESPN leagues. He’s put up 70 yards each of the last two weeks and this week he faces the reeling Steelers and in championship week, he gets the Seahawks.
Fred Davis: Available in 93% of ESPN leagues. He’s scored 4 TDs in the last 3 games. C’mon, man!

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