Author Archives: Papa Weimer

Ask Papa Weimer: Week 15

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Darnell from his Iphone writes, “Actually there are 2 questions. 1) I have Derrick Ward starting in place of Brandon Jacobs and Larry Johnson. Good move or no? 2) Between these 4 WR’s, which ONE should get the start? Torry Holt, Laveraneus Coles, Kevin Curtis, Derrick Mason…”

Tough one. Larry Johnson plays a mediocre Chargers defense, and he has a history of torching them even when they were good. But Derrick Ward seems in line to get all the touches for the Giants, and even though the Cowboys have a solid run defense, that is a nice thing to have. I would keep your eye on Brandon Jacobs health, but if Jacobs is out then Ward is the guy I would go with as well.

As for the receivers, I’m not sure where to go here. Coles would seemingly be the best bet against a 28th ranked pass defense, but he’s been garbage and Brett has been erratic. I’d say he should be your upside pick though, at any moment he could have a couple touchdowns and nearly 100 yards.

Kevin Curtis hasn’t been a nice starting option all year, I don’t think I’d risk my fantasy playoffs on him – even though you never know.

Torry Holt – this guy only reminds me of my hatred for Marc Bulger and this pathetic offense. However, he has been more consistent lately, and they are going up against a Seahawks team that hasnt’ been good through the air. He’s had at least 60 yards and 4 catches in 3 of his last 4 games. He didn’t have the best game against Seattle last time out, but that doesn’t mean much. He’s a decent option this week.

Derrick Mason – this guy is probably your safest bet. He has good games against tough pass defenses (Giants, Colts) and in Week 4, the Pittsburgh Steelers. In that game he went for 137 yards on 8 catches, and while I wont’ expect that kind of total, I do expect him to approach 100 yards, more than I expect from any of these other guys. Picking a startin WR from a pretty average group is a tough gig, I had to do it last week and started Bernard Berrien over Housh – I lost because of it.

David wrote in, “Last week I agreed with you that that Portis would probably be my best bet, but I had Choice and Branch sitting on my bench. If I started either one I would have won. Oh well! I was going to play both but I figured Portis to play the whole game and Santana to catch a few passes. Zorn is not one of my favorites right now. Now to my question. Which defense would you play this week? Reasons and rank them if you could. Green Bay, Wash., Seattle. Also,”would you start Bess over Moss with sure 7-9 points or gamble on Santana against Cinn this week end?”

David, sorry for the bum info on Portis and Moss – I figured both would get their shots, and I’m still hating Zorn myself. Hopefully I can help you out this week. I think I’d start Washington and hope for the best.

Washington plays the Bengals, and the Redskins should beat a bad team. They have playmakers on defense as I expect a couple interceptions and some big plays from Jason Taylor and company.

Green Bay isn’t a good run defense, and they go up against a jaguars team that just hasn’t played up to par – could be a shoot out.

Seattle has St. Louis, and while I like that match-up, the Hawks just don’t make enough fantasy points happen defensively (Offensively either for that matter, but we’re talking defense here). No big plays, with Kerney out there’s less sacks. At least Washington has some secondary playmakers, and Jason Taylor – plus Randel El could always bust a punt return or something.

The Moss gamble is exactly that, a gamble – I think I’d go for Moss, but I’m a gambler in fantasy circles. I know SF is a lowly rated pass defense and a pretty solid run defense- so maybe Chad will throw even more this Sunday – that might push you toward Bess – however, Moss could always be Moss, and while I just don’t think the Redskins will be forced to pass all that much, they also have nothing to lose by airing it out a little. Tough call, but I’d start Santana.

theRUNDOWN: Week 14

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For those of you new to theRUNDOWN this is what I do. I pick my best team of the week, some nice plays with a few reasons to back up my picks. I’ll list a few sleepers and some guys I wouldn’t play unless I had nobody else – And Week 14 is upon us! 

QB: Matt Cassel vs. Seattle: I know, there are probably better options, but Seattle’s secondary hasn’t been able to slow down much lately, and I don’t think the Patriots will waste all that much time running. The Hawks have a solid run defense, but I’m pretty sure they’ve been the worst pass defense in the league lately. I’ll ride the Castle man. 

RB: Adrian Peterson vs. Detroit: I guess I’m probably not the only one starting AP this week, but how can you not? It probably won’t happen, but what if you added LenDale’s numbers to Chris Johnson’s numbers from Thanksgiving’s game between the Lions and Titans? That’s what I’m hoping AP gets. 

RB: Matt Forte vs. Jacksonville: I started a rookie against Jacksonville last week, and I’ll do the same this week. Both are dynamic, and Forte is even more a center of his offense with even more carries near the goal line. Big game here. 

FLEX: LT vs. Oakland: Here’s why, because he’s LT and he’s playing the Raiders – that’s why. Fantasy owners have been disappointed by LT this year, but if they made the playoffs with him, he should really help them with a big payoff in Week 1 of most fantasy post seasons. 

WR: Roddy White vs. New Orleans: This kid is one of the better receivers you don’t hear a whole bunch about. He’s quietly putting together an amazingly productive and consistent fantasy season – that’s huge for receivers. 

WR: Brandon Marshall vs. Kansas City: Brandon Marshall has disappointed me too many times to do it again this week, hasn’t he? I’m telling you – there aren’t many more talented than this kid, now if he’d just stop dropping passes. 

TE: Tony Gonzalez vs. Denver: How good is this old man? I should be starting him just about every week. 

K: Ryan Longwell vs. Detroit: Versus Detroit is the key to this one. They give up so many yards, and then commit so many stupid mistakes – Longwell is bound to get a few kicking shots. Indoors, he’ll hit them all. 

D: Tennessee Titans vs. Cleveland: Better yet, this is Tennessee versus Ken Dorsey. Awesome. 

PAPA’S Week 14 SLEEPERS

Tyler Thigpen: Against Denver? You bet. 

Daunte Culpepper: I actually think Daunte throws for more than 250 yards with 2 touchdowns or more. Is that crazy thinking? Am I old? Yes to all those things, but I’ll be right – that’s even scarier. 

JaMarcus Russell: If you are in this big of a bind, you have done well to get into Week 14 with something to win. Still, JaMarcus might light up a San Deigo defense that will be putting as many as they can in the box, and they aren’t great in the secondary anyway. It’s a short notice game, so this could be a nice night for the former #1 pick. Plus, you have to feel for him getting drafted by Oakland and all. 

Pierre Thomas: You bet. Atlanta’s defense is alright, but Pierre has been doing work. I’ll say it again, it’s popular on this site, Pierre is the best running back in New Orleans. 

Cedric Benson: Don’t look now but Benson has run with heart, and I think he keeps the starting gig for a while. That being said, he does play for the Bengals, but hey, I’ll try anyone once against the Colts. 

Domenick Hixon: I don’t care who they are playing, this guy is good for 70 yards, I hoped you trusted me and picked him up last week, because I’m sure he was tough to grab this time out. 

Devin Hester: I liked Hester last week, and I like him even a little bit more this week. Jaguars secondary is defunct and they just lost the best player in it. Does that mean good? That means Yhatzee! 

Zach Miller: He’s basically a sure thing start every week. This week he plays a poor defense on short notice – that’s more of a good for Zach. Some real sleepers I also like here are Shiancoe, Kevin Boss, and Ben Watson. 

Arizona Cardinals: Yeah, I’m trying a mediocre D against the Rams, so what, I’m right about this one this time. AZ should play inspired after diking around last week. 

Papa’S Week 14 Splinter-Butts (bench him, son)

Marc Bulger: The match-up might say “YES!” but somebody needs to slap your match-up hunter right in the face on this one. If Bulger is still in by the end of the game, I will be stunned, and here it is, I will take a D grade for this sit pick even if he scores single digit points. I don’t see a long stay for Marc on the field this week. 

DeAngelo Williams: How great has this guy been? Exactly. But not this week, not in this game. The Panthers will lose at home because they won’t run well. 

MeWelde Moore/Willie Parker: The Steelers are smart, and therefore they won’t waste much time running the ball against the Cowboys D. Dallas has a nice run D, and while Pitt will have some good plays on the ground, it’s because they will be taking advantage of that Dallas secondary – more points through the air than on the ground this week. 

Kevin Walter: Not against those Corners in Green Bay. 

Ask Papa Weimer: Week 14

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Well here we go. By now you know the gig. These are the questions and answers from some good readers earlier in the week. If you are interested in getting your questions (and my answers to them) published, make sure they come out before Thursday – I try to get this out late Wednesday Night at the latest. Here goes something!

Ollie from Pittsburgh writes, “I know the Steelers are playing the Cowboys this week, and the Steelers haven’t given up much offense to anybody, but I have Marion Barber and Tony Romo – would you sit either of those guys to start Tyler Thigpen or LenDale White?”

Tough call Ollie, but I think I’d stick with your big guns. I know Barber went down in the Boys’ last game, but all reports are that he is a healthy go, and while the Steelers have basically mashed running games all season long, Barber is a threat through the air as well, and he’s a beast – I would probably start him just about every week. Check his status on Sunday Morning though, just to make sure the Cowboys aren’t pulling a Willis McGahee situation. As for Tony of Tyler, that’s a tough one, because Tyler plays the Broncos – and even though they are getting Champ back, they are still brutal in the secondary. But, they are the Chiefs, and I think they’ll just run a load against the Broncos. I think Romo has too many threats to have too bad of a game, and he might be the first to put up big numbers against the Steelers vaunted D. I’d stick with your two top guys, but definitely a tougher decision than I thought it would be.

Porky from San Antonio asks, “Who will be the better pro quarterback? Graham Harrell, Colt McCoy, or Sam Bradford? Same question for receiver, Dez Bryant, Jeremy Maclin, or Michael Crabtree?”

I think I’ve answered this before, but what the hay. I like Bradford from that group. That kid never gets worried and he’s got the arm and legs to do work. He’s smart, cool, and if he puts on a little bit more bulk he’s one hell of a great quarterback. He makes some great throws. I like all three though. I hope Harrell gets in the right situation to succeed. McCoy’s accuracy takes a little hit in my mind because Vince Young was the most accurate college quarterback in the nation when he was at Texas, too. All three have great quarterback personalities and qualities that should get them jobs at the next level, that’s for sure. As for receiver, I just think Crabtree is a beast. He can do everything well and he’ll never shy from contact. But again, all three are 1st Round talents – what a great draft class this could be, huh?

Joint sends a message via his blackberry, “Ryan Grant for next season, goodness, I don’t know? I need to keep 2 from this group. (Steve Slaton, Ryan Grant, Tony Romo, Larry Fitzgerald). Which two do you keep? I usually like to go RB, RB – it’s a QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, K, D league, and running backs are tough to come by usually, they almost always get kept. But it’s not PPR but Fitz is basically a guarantee for about 100 yards every week, and we get bonuses after 100. Not as much of a TD guy as Boldin, but he’s still solid. What do you think?”

I’m in a league with those exact dimensions, bonuses for 100 for RBs and WRs and 300 for QBs (50 for TEs though, and Witten was a beast early). But the three receivers and just two RBs, I think that makes receiver value very high. Choosing last season between Frank Gore, Ronnie Brown, Reggie Bush, Larry Fitz, and Steve Smith – I felt like I had to keep Larry and Frank. I like Reggie alright, but he’s not a bonus type guy. For you, I think I’d stick with Steve Slaton. He’s small, yeah, but the guy rarely gets hit hard. Some RBs do (See Ryan Grant, and many more) and some RBs don’t (LT, Marshal Faulk, etc) – I think Slaton is small, sure, but he doesn’t get hit hard and should stay healthy. Plus, I really like that team going forward. I think Schaub will get better and better, AJ is a BEAST, Owen Daniels is good, and that offensive line is young and improving every game. Plus, Slaton has been nice. I would keep Slaton and Larry. I’ve never been high on keeping QBs, especially when you just need one of those. 3 good WRs are tough to come by in 12+ owner leagues with 3 starting spots. Especially weekly guarantees like Larry. Hope for Kurt’s return and bank on Fitzy!

theRUNDOWN Review: Week 13

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How’d it go? Well I ended up with….. 184 – not too shabby at all. Three Top 5 running backs – that’s how I roll. 

QB: Tony Romo vs. Seattle: 30 points for Tony, not a bad day. He ended up 3rd amongst quarterbacks behind Donovan McNabb and Aaron Rodgers. That’s the day I was looking for. 

RB: Chris Johnson vs. Detroit: Chris Johnson’s 126 yards and two scores was good enough for 8th overall, 4th amongst running backs, he tallied 26 fantasy points on Sunday. 

RB: Steve Slaton vs. Jacksonville: It took him a while to find the end-zone, but once he did, he managed to do it twice. Steve ran well all night, and the Texans pounded a lost Jaguar group on Monday Night Football. Steve busted out 21 carries for 130 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, he also grabbed two balls for 52 yards through the air. Yhatzee. That’s 32 fantasy points for my main man Steven. 

FLEX: Thomas Jones vs. Denver: Jones had 100+ yards and 2 scores in the first quarter and a half against the Broncos, but New York stopped running the ball after that. Why? Well because they wanted to lose obviously. And if failing, they succeeded. Yhatzee. Still, Jones finished behind just Westbrook and DeAngelo amongst running backs, finishing with 29 fantasy points. 

WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Cleveland: Reggie had just 4 catches for 46 yards as Peyton was off-target. That duo killed me in more than a couple leagues this weekend. 8 points for Reggie. 

WR: Brandon Marshall vs. New York Jets: Marshall didn’t do much better than Reggie, grabbing 5 balls for 55 yards. Brandon dropped a couple passes, one of which would have been good for a touchdown. Nice. 10 points. 

TE: Antonio Gates vs. Atlanta: 3 catches for 27 yards – weak sauce. I wasn’t impressed with the Chargers as their season was on the line and they chocked on a fishy cracker. 5 points. 

K: Rod Bironas vs. Detroit: What do you know? I called it. The guy kicked 4 field goals, all 40-49 yarders and he busted in 5 extra points to boot. That is good for 21 fantasy points and my biggest kicker day ever, not to mention the #1 kicker overall in Week 13. My kicker curse has been kicked! 

D: Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati: 23 fantasy points in my league, quite the day from the Ravens. 

PAPA’S Week 12 SLEEPERS

Tyler Thigpen: Just 162 yards and no touchdown for Tyler, but his 48 rushing yards added to his point total and he got 9 against the Raiders – still not enough for me. D+

Kyle Orton: 153 yards and 2 touchdowns, but -6 points from 3 interceptions didn’t help his cause. Still, 12 points for Kyle. C-

Warrick Dunn: Just 74 rushing yards for Warrick, not a great day by any means. No TDs and no catches. C-

Ronnie Brown: 48 rushing yards and a touchdown – that has been about what Ronnie does, I expected more from him against the Rams. C-

Kevin Walter: 2 grabs for 38 yards, yeah, sorry about that, I didn’t think the Jaguars defense would roll over for the rushing game quite like that. D-

Domenick Hixon: 5 catches for 71 yards, and if you picked him up and started him then you get a nice starting option from here on out because Plaxico shot himself. Nice. B+

Devin Hester: 3 grabs for 67 yards and a touchdown. Just like I hoped, Devin found the end zone. A-

Zach Miller: 5 grabs for 79 yards, that’s a nice day from a waiver wire tight end. A-

Miami Dolphins: 10 points from Miami, they didn’t play as well as I thought they would against one of the league’s worst. Weird. 

Papa’S Week 13 Splinter-Butts (bench him, son)

Kerry Collins: 4 fantasy points from Kerry – so much for that dreamy Detroit Lions secondary match-up eh? You’re welcome. 

Timothy Hightower: 7 rushing yards, his 3 grabs for 34 yards gave him 6 points in a PPR league, still, you’re welcome if you’ve listened to me about this guy and the Cards rushing attack. 

Clinton Portis: 11 carries, 22 yards, 1 catch for 15 yards – your welcome to those who listened. 

Lee Evans: 7 catches for 80 yards is a nice day from Lee, not great, but good enough to make me wrong about his benching in Week 13. 

Ask Papa Weimer: Week 13

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Alright, you guys know the gig, e-mail me your questions and I’ll answer them. If I think any are worth sharing in that special kind of sharing way, I’ll post them up on the site in this question and answer section. For this week, I hope you enjoy the show…

Billy Hoyle from NoCal asks, “I know I could have probably looked it up, but that’s not as much fun. I’ve asked you lots of questions, and your answers have always been useful and entertaining – so, without further ado, can you please explain to me what the hell a Turdunkan is? “

WITHOUT looking it up, I will do my best to give you my version of a freakish Thanksgiving extravaganza that can only really be correctly described by someone crazy enough to be as successful and obviously inept as one John Madden. Here goes nothing Billy Hoyle. A Turdunkan is a mixture of three birds, but more of a lego creation than an actual mix. See, a Turdunkan consists of a Turkey, a Duck, and a Chicken – but not just pieces, all three birds mooshed together. Better yet, mooshed inside one another. You have the turkey on the outside, the chicken inside the turkey, and the duck inside the chicken – unless of course you get organic chicken, in which case you probably have to breast the duck to fit it in the chicken. There is stuffing in the Turkey and likely the chicken as well, and I’m sure the bird sauce combines to make one hell of a gravy starter – but all in all, this is a de-feathered fluster of bird that is bound to make you feel like you’re delivering a baby while preparing the damn thing. I’d eat one, but creating seems unlikely. I say do it all big guy, but deep fry them in a giant vat of oil. Not frozen thought, that creates bombs.

Jessi Harrison yells, “I HATE THE LIONS!!! Isn’t it time to throw this “tradition” under the freaking bus? Tell me one good reason the good public should be forced to watch these kittens play!”

Jessi, if you so insist – here’s 4 good reasons to watch that terrible team. Everyone should watch the Lions play on Sunday to further their respect for their own team. That’s right – if you think your team is struggling Seahawk fan, Rams fan, 49er, Texans fan, and even Raider fan (just barely), set your eyes on the Lions against the Titans and laugh it up, point and cackle, because after a good Lion game, you’ll feel like Matt Schaub and company are on the verge of Super Bowl stardom. How about History? That’s reason two. This team isn’t going to win a game. I don’t care what anybody says. It’s not likely to happen, why? They are the worst team in the NFL, by far. I know history suggests a win is on the way, but can history take into account the fact that almost every team is pretty solid, except the freaking Lions? No it can’t. History forgets that fact. The ghost of Barry Sanders. I don’t think anybody would admit to this, but until Barry takes over this team, or Barry releases his ghostly powers over the Lions organization, they are damned to failure. So follow him, and hate them as best you can. If those reasons aren’t enough, how about Calvin Johnson. Talk about a guy that has it all. Every team in the league knows who is getting the ball – but Calvin still gets it. Sure, he got screwed when the Lions took him #2, but he’s rich now, and gets to catch footballs for a nice living – don’t feel too bad for him.

theRUNDOWN: Week 13

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For those of you new to theRUNDOWN this is what I do. I pick my best team of the week, some nice plays with a few reasons to back up my picks. I’ll list a few sleepers and some guys I wouldn’t play for hopes of a better options – This is my lucky Week 13 extravaganza! Enjoy!

QB: Tony Romo vs. Seattle: I think the Hawks secondary is pretty soft, and I’m willing to bet that Tony throws the ball a lot. The Defensive front in Seattle is solid against the run, (well they were before Clinton Portis gashed them) so Dallas will be attacking through the air. Even dump downs to Marion Barber should be good for Tony. I like this pick a lot.

RB: Chris Johnson vs. Detroit: I know this rookie burner has fizzled out a little bit lately, but after LenDale White’s comments after last Sunday’s game, I don’t expect Chris to get anything less than almost every single carry again. Chris should be back on top of the running back lists this week against Detroit.

RB: Steve Slaton vs. Jacksonville: Steve should dominate the Jaguars pathetic run defense – now get this guy the ball in the air attack you play calling Texan donkeys!

FLEX: Thomas Jones vs. Denver: If he gets the ball 25 times, I’m willing to suggest 150 yards and at least 2 touchdowns. The Broncos are bad. The Raiders think the Broncos suck.

WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Cleveland: Reggie hasn’t been too impressive this season, therefor I’ll be attaching my fantasy hopes to his back this week. He’s too good to not blow up – ala TO last week.

WR: Brandon Marshall vs. New York Jets: I know this seems like a tough match-up, especially when Marshall hasn’t been in the end zone in what seems like forever – but the Broncos are nothing if not surprising, and thus I’ll go with Brandon this week.

TE: Antonio Gates vs. Atlanta: Antonio is bound for a good week in a game where the Chargers will have to score lots of points if they want to win.

K: Rod Bironas vs. Detroit: If the Titans kick 4 field goals then they basically auto-win this game. I think Rod will have 3-4 chances, and he’s basically a guarantee.

D: Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati: The Ravens look to make lots of big plays against the Bengals – I look to benefit.

PAPA’S Week 12 SLEEPERS

Tyler Thigpen: I like this kid. And he’ll be here until otherwise posted.

Kyle Orton: He’ll need to do some good things for the Bears against the Vikings – they’ll need to throw the rock against that defense – Kyle is good, so I think he’ll have a nice day doing so.

Warrick Dunn: I know the Saints have had a better run defense this season, but Dunn is still a nice start for the last week of the regular fantasy season.

Ronnie Brown: He’s been anything but a good starter for most of the season, but I’m willing to put my name on the line saying he’ll be better this week.

Kevin Walter: I know Sage likes to throw to his buddy Kevin, and I know Jacksonville’s secondary is sieved like. Add those things together and Kevin is a nice start this week.

Domenick Hixon: What can I say? I like this kid and think he has a shot to do some good things against the Redskins secondary.

Devin Hester: He didn’t have a great game against the Vikings last time out, but I think Devin will do good things against the Vikings this time around.

Zach Miller: He’s still a Raider, but JaMarcus Russell completed just one pass to a WR last week, and that shows you where his comfort zone is. It starts in the middle with this big sure-handed cat.

Miami Dolphins: They play the Rams. The Rams are a turnover machine. The Rams really stink. I’ll take the Dolphins to dominate defensively.

Papa’S Week 13 Splinter-Butts (bench him, son)

Kerry Collins: He may look like a good spot start this week against the Lions – I just don’t buy it. The Titans will be running the ball, and Kerry will go back to the beginning of the season numbers where he had 3 TDs and 3 picks in the first 7 or 8 games. If he doesn’t have to throw, the Titans won’t make him do it.

Timothy Hightower: If you haven’t learned to keep this guy out of your starting lineup – then you never will.

Clinton Portis: I’m going out on a limb here, but I don’t think the Giants will allow Clinton to do anything on the ground – they are too smart to allow that.

Lee Evans: I have a feeling that Nate Clements plays pissed off after getting big brothered by TO all day Sunday – that is bad news for Lee Evans owners.

Ask Papa Weimer: Week 12

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Here’s a couple people that gave thanks on Monday morning….

Red-Red Ryan wrote, “The picture of me as Bo Jackson is hilarious by the way, but it didn’t help me from getting beat by 40 points in one of my leagues, but I was money in the other two and I needed them bad. So Thanks big guy, thanks a lot. Red knows Red!”

Nice.

Alice writes, “Well I would have started Addai and Slaton (kind of worried about Dallas’s offense) without you, so your change to Slaton and Barber actually lost me 4 fantasy points – though all three had very good days. I also would have started Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, and Brandon Marshall – so your trade of Jericho for Calvin actually lost me a single point. However, I did win anyway as all my guys had big days (except Andre Johnson). I don’t owe you a date or any hot scandalous pictures or anything – but you’re still alright with me. I’ll have more for you later in the week.”

Good deal. In a non-PPR league I think I would have helped you out. I’m glad you won anyway. I still love you.

Johnny 6 thanks me, “Thank you, I won by 5, DeAngelo has a much better day than AP, and the unprecidented move of AP to the bench made me a happy camper.”

You bet. Me too.

And now for the questions for Week 12…

Julian not Peterson writes, “I’m a Hawks fan, and a huskies fan for that matter, so you can see that my season is basically in shambles – but a 26-20 loss to the Cards has me hoping for us to play great football and lose the rest of the way. I am in the playoffs in my fantasy league and have a chance to pick up either Deion Branch, Bobby Engram, or Donnie Avery – the Hawks should be throwing a lot, which way would you go? Also, if the Hawks continue to lose out, and get a top 5 pick, who are the best 5 guys us Seattle hopeful can be looking to draft?”

Alright, lets break it down like this. Julian Peterson, by the way, is my favorite Seahawk. Definitely a tough year to root for Washington in any form, but being a Husky fan at least you can be happy to see the Cougars getting kicked around. Not all is lost. As for the receiver pick up, I’d go with Branch. He’s the best receiver of the bunch, and he was at least decently productive against the Cardinals. Their schedule isn’t too tough against the pass, but neither is the Rams schedule. Still, I would be more comfortable going with Branch against the Cowboys, Patriots, and Rams in the fantasy playoffs – neither is great in the secondary.

As for your next question, I would say these are the Top 5 guys in the draft, and Seattle should have a chance at one of them…  Michael Oher (OT-TEX), Andre Smith (OT-Alabama), Michael Crabtree (WR-TTech), Eugene Monroe (OT-Virginia), and Michael Johnson (DE-GTech) – those are the goods in my opinion, and they could use any of them – especially a stud on the O-line.

The Guy says, “I hear lots of good things about next years’ skill draft; Knowshon Moreno, Crabtree, Maclin, Beanie Wells, Percy Harvin, C.J. Spiller, Darrius Heyward-Bey, and the QB’s (Bradford, Stafford, Harrell) – and I’ll be looking for those guys during my league’s dynasty rookie draft, but who is your favorite guy rolling under the radar? I know you liked Chris Johnson and Matt Forte a lot – and both look very good, so I trust your opinion. Your top 5 I didn’t list???”

You bet bub, but I must warn you, I also thought Rashard Mendenhall was the best of the bunch. But you’re right, I tend to do alright with my draft pick knowledge – and Mendenhall might be good, we just won’t know for a while. This is how I’d list my Top 5 that you didn’t.

1. LeSean McCoy – Denver, please draft this kid and make me a visionary!

2.  Chase Coffman – I think he’ll have a more immediate impact than Dustin Keller – he’s got great mitts.

3. Kenny Britt – I’m not sure what his speed is, and that should be something you look at, but he’s a big physical kid that can dominate the top corners he plays in college. He’s on a bad offensive team this year, so he might be next season’s Eddie Royal – a steal in the 2nd or 3rd round.

4. Derrick Williams – If you’ve seen the Nittany Lions lately, there’s no doubt who they think their best player is – Williams may seem small but his size isn’t bad and he has great athleticism and timing.

5. Javon Ringer and Brandon Gibson (WR from WSU): You know the first guy, and he won’t be given much love but I see him a lot like I saw Ray Rice – a complete runner that does everything well enough to play at the next level. He’ll be a later selection but could play right away. Brandon Gibson won’t be well known but he has all the ability. He’s at a terrible school that can’t do anything offensively – and that’s no place for a great receiver. Look for him to impress at the next level.

theRUNDOWN: Week 12

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For those of you new to theRUNDOWN this is what I do. I pick my best team of the week, some nice plays with a few reasons to back up my picks. I’ll list a few sleepers and some guys I wouldn’t play for hopes of a better options – here goes Week 12’s action… Two big weeks in a row has me aiming for 200 – as impossible as that seems.

QB: Peyton Manning vs. San Diego: There’s a chance that Manning just hands the ball off to Joseph Addai a lot, and doesn’t get the full fantasy point production I’m hoping for. However, he is going up against a great secondary to throw on (hell, Big Ben and the Steelers went over 300 in snow last week), and knowing Peyton, he’ll take full advantage of the air attack.

RB: Adrian Peterson vs. Jacksonville: This years’ Jaguars don’t strike me as a team with a chance to stop AP. I think the Vikings jump on Peterson’s back and hope to God that doesn’t injure his knees. I’ll strap my hopes to AP as well.

RB: Matt Forte vs. St.Louis: Not only is Matt a nice play against just about every defense the league has to offer, but the Rams are one of the worst run defenses in the last 10 years. He should continue his run for rookie of the year.

FLEX: LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Indianapolis: This hasn’t been a good year for LT, but he looked pretty darn good against the Steelers on Sunday, and that can only mean good things for his chances for a big day against the Colts.

WR: Reggie Wayne vs. San Diego: And I continue to put my eggs in the Colts passing basket this week. Lets hope I don’t have to catch it out of the fan like Cutler and Marshall, Rodgers and Jennings – you get me?

WR: Andre Johnson vs. Cleveland: Andre hasn’t beasted anybody lately, that can only mean it’s coming. Unfortunately for the Browns, they draw AJ in Week 12.

TE: Kellen Winslow vs. Houston: This guy is the best receiver in Cleveland – that’s right Braylon Edwards, KWII is the best receiver on your team. He’ll have a good day against the Texans.

K: Robbie Gould vs. St. Louis: Seems like a no-brainer. The Bears don’t have a dominant touchdown scoring team but any team with half an attack can get in field goal range in St. Louis. The game is indoors so there’s no weather problems. Go for the gold Gould… Ha, Gold-Gould – awesome.

D: Chicago Bears vs. St. Louis: No need to explain this one, just go for it and celebrate!

PAPA’S Week 12 SLEEPERS

Tyler Thigpen: At home against Buffalo? You bet! Until you guys start picking up my man Tyler – he’s going to be a sleeper and he’s going to be a starter for me.

Kyle Orton: He struggled last week, and the Bears are bound to run more than pass – but I think Kyle does enough good this week to get him into the Top 10 – he’s available in leagues, kind of weird.

Warrick Dunn: WD40 will get the most carries against a terrible Lions defensive front. That’s worth a start.

Pierre Thomas: Against Green Bay? Sure, the Packers were better against the run last week, but they’ll have to show me one more time or I’ll keep starting sleepers against that d-front. Thomas is still the best pure running back in New Orleans – lets hope their head coach realizes that.

Antonio Bryant: PPR guy against the Lions – the Bucs shouldn’t have to throw that much, but Bryant isn’t a bad option in a pinch.

Mark Bradley: I still like this kid despite a mediocre week against the Saints – he’s fast and can get up and get it. Thigpen is legit and likes to throw Mark’s way.

James Jones: An absolute stab in the dark, i know, but I like the match-up and I’ve always liked Jones – his best game of the season coming right up.

Zach Miller: A Raider? I must be sick. But I don’t think there’s a better pass catcher in Oakland against Denver’s safeties. He’s a nice sleeper.

Denver Broncos: One of the worst defenses in all of football – so they are the ultimate sleeper. If you’re a “pick a new D every week” guy – this option is right up your alley.

Papa’S Week 12 Splinter-Butts (bench him, son)

Trent Edwards: He may be going up against the Chiefs, but I don’t like him this week – the Chiefs are better than advertised and Edwards regardless of him Monday Night tilt, I don’t want to start him in Week 12.

Timothy Hightower: If you didn’t at first, you are now starting to understand why I was so hesitant to anoint Tim as the next great rookie back after his solid game against the Rams. He hasn’t done much the last couple weeks, and this week against the Giants will be no different.

Maurice Jones Drew: There is no doubt, this kid is a stud and a touchdown machine – but the Jaguars hate giving him the ball, and against the Vikings I don’t think his 12 touches will be enough to make him fantasy worthy.

Santonio Holmes: I didn’t think he’d blow up this season, and I haven’t been that impressed – the Steelers will run 2-1 on Thursday, and that won’t leave many opportunities for Santonio.

theRUNDOWN Review: Week 11

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For those of you new to theRUNDOWN this is what I do. I pick my best team of the week, some nice plays with a few reasons to back up my picks. After that I list a couple sleepers, either decent guys that I expect to have good weeks, or relatively unused guys I like to do well. Then, at the end I list a few usually solid guys that I would leave on the bench. Last week I had one of my best rundown’s of the season – how’d this weekend go? It was a tough week to be one of my sleepers, but my starting lineup basically did work. Here’s the final tally… 152… Check it out!

QB: Jay Cutler vs. Atlanta: Well I was wrong about Jay and it definitely helped me out. A late touchdown gave me just enough fantasy points for Jay’s selection not to be a complete waste, but not enough for Jay to beat me in the leagues I played him in this week. 14 for Cutler.

RB: Matt Forte vs. Green Bay: The Packers played inspired defense against the run, and dominated the Bears on Sunday – still, Forte got 16 fantasy points, a PPR league dream, 60 yards on the ground, but 6 catches for 40 yards through the air.

RB: Frank Gore vs. St. Louis: Gore finished 6th amongst running backs, and hardly played in the second half – getting rest after gashing the Rams early. 106 rushing, 2 TDs, 2 grabs for just 8 yards, and a fumble. Frank finished with 22 fantasy points.

FLEX: DeAngelo Williams vs. Detroit: DeAngelo was outgained by his backfield buddy, Jon Stewart, but Williams got 2 touchdowns to Stewart’s 1 and Williams still rushed for 120 yards on Sunday. He was #3 amongst running backs with 24 fantasy points.

WR: Anquan Boldin vs. Seattle: Boldin did work in Seattle. He didn’t catch a touchdown, but there’s something special about 13 catches for 186 yards – 31 fantasy points made him the #2 receiver in Week 11.

WR: Roddy White vs. Denver: Roddy had 5 grabs for 102 yards, but it was his 50 yard touchdown drop on 3rd and long with the game winding down that I remember most – tough day to be a Falcon. 15 for White.

TE: Tony Gonzalez vs. New Orleans: 8 for Tony, he grabbed 5 balls on way to 39 yards – the old man is as solid as they get.

K: Jason Elam vs. Denver: 2 field goals and 2 extra points – one was 49 yards – so I got 9 from Elam, not so shabby. Maybe I’m kicking this kicker problem I’ve been having for a couple years.

D: Carolina Panthers vs. Detroit: 13 points for the Panthers – they gave up more than I hoped for, but 2 interceptions, 3 sacks, and 2 fumbles made for a solid day fantasy wise.

PAPA’S Week 11 SLEEPERS

Tyler Thigpen: Tyler Thigpen was tied for 3rd in QB rankings this week. Yes folks, he’s still good. A+

Matt Ryan: Matt had 9 fantasy points this week, not a good week for him or the Falcons. I take this one on the chin. D

Ricky Williams: Ricky had 49 yards on the ground, and two grabs for 6 yards – he shoots and he misses. D

Jerious Norwood: I started Norwood over Ryan Grant, now I’m praying for a win tonight. Great. D

Brandon Jones: He was on your free agent list, if you picked him up you got a little bit of yardage but a nice touchdown to make him worth your while. B

Mark Bradley: 3 catches for 57 yards – a huge dropped pass that sent KC home with a 10 point loss. Great. D

Deion Branch: 4 catches for 54 yards, but I’m willing to bet that his addition gets better and better, and you might have found a nice playoff player for nothing. C

Billy Miller: Not much for Shockey on Sunday, but even less for Billy, try no catches in the Saints win. F

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs had a very nice day, they held AP in check pretty much and ended giving up just 10 points in a big win for the Bucs. B

Papa’S Week 11 Splinter-Butts (bench him, son)

David Garrard: I helped you guys here for sure – DG was 28th amongst QBs – not many leagues where that is worth a start.

Willis McGahee: 9 rushes for 18 yards – and you are welcome.

Brandon Jacobs: Jacobs continues to do work. The battering ram did 73 yards of damage against the Ravens in Week 11, and that was on just 11 carries – he also took two of those totes for TDs – I hope you ignored me here, Jacobs was a Top 15 guy in PPR leagues, and ranked even higher in non-ppr formats.

TJ Houshmanzadeh: TJ went gonzo this week, so I apologize. 12 catches, 149 yards, huge game for a very good player. My bad. He also finished the #1 PPR receiver in Week 11. Ouch. Slap in the face.

Ask Papa Weimer: Week 11

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Believe it or not, I’m back – back to share the questions that be asked upon me. Don’t forget, you can send your questions to papaweimer50@hotmail.com – I answer them relatively promptly for an old sour man, and every once in a while you get a little humor that should brighten your otherwise gloomy day. Bingo!

Red Red Ryan writes, “Thank you for all your wisdom – I did all the fantasy bowing you suggested, even making a little shrine of Splinter Shannahan – this all turned around last week when I went into overtime once again, and needed less than 20 points from Steve Breaston to win the game. I thought I was in trouble when Breaston basically had that covered going into the half, but it was the Anquan Boldin show after the break and I ended up winning by a point. Is there anyone else I should pay homage to this week?”

Anytime I can help, I’m happy to do so – unless of course you are in a league with me, in that case you should worship the wrong fantasy figures like Brian Billick, Andy Reid, John Fox, and Freddie Mitchell. Red, you have been a valued reader, and hilarious question asker over the years, and I just wanted to offer you a blog/post spot on team LuckyLester.com. I talked to the young buck and he likes your style, besides the redness, but thinks you’d be a nice addition. Let me know if you’d be interested, and you’ll have free reign to write whatever you want (that’s not abusive and terrible). As for things you should do this week, I’d reccomend putting on some old football pads, grabbing a baseball bat, and do your best rendition of the famous Bo Jackson poster. Take that, put it on your wall in a frame, and watch your fantasy stats soar into the playoffs. Nothing better than the Red meets Bo poster. Good luck!

Johnny 6 asks, “Would you start DeAngelo Williams over Adrian Peterson this week? The Panthers play the Lions and AP goes up against a tough Tampa D – your call big guy.”

Johnny one better than Five, that’s a tough one, but yes I would start DeAngelo. He’s been great lately, and the team is really feeding him the rock. AP does have a very tough match-up against the Bucs, a team that has allowed one single rushing touchdown all year long. I expect that game to be heave Bucs early, but it’s hard as hell not to start that beast in Minnesota. Yes, I’d start DeAngelo, and I’m hoping for you that I’m right about that one.

Alice in Dublin writes, “I’m a chick, I’m hot, I’m in 25, and I’m living in Dublin while playing fantasy football – how many of those have you gotten questions from? Here’s the deal, I’m playing my stupid boyfriend this week and I just want to make sure I beat his ass. I have to start 2 running backs between Steve Slaton, Marion Barber, and Joseph Addai – and I have to start 3 receivers from Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Jericho Cotchery, and Brandon Marshall – which 5 do you start? Thanks in advance, I’ll love you forever if you give me good advice.”

I think I’m in love. Alice, the answer to your first question is none. For your football related stuff, I’d go with Marion Barber for sure, and a slight lean toward Steve Slaton over Addai. Seems crazy, with Addai healthy and all, but the place to attack the Texans is through the air, and with that being said I’m almost willing to believe that Dominic Rhodes does just as well as Addai. I know Slaton was bad last week, and Bob Sanders the running game missile is back for the Colts, but I like Slaton to have a solid game this week, just a little better than Addai’s. At receiver I’d leave Calvin Johnson on the bench, as crazy as that sounds, and I’d start Brandon Marshall, Jericho Cotchery, and Andre Johnson. It’s a tough call between Calvin and Andre, both have very tough match-ups, but despite the top pass defense in Indy, Sage takes plenty of chances and Andre is an absolute beast. I couldn’t sit him down. I love your style, feel free to write in any time.