Tag Archives: Free Fantasy Picks

Ask Papa Weimer: Week 11 Fantasy Football Questions

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Remember, hit me up with football questions at papaweimer50@hotmail.com…

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Alright folks, I don’t have any crazy into this week, just some fantasy questions and answers. Well I do have one thing, injuries suck and they can derail fantasy seasons. And in the NFL it can certainly be tough, but nothing is more ridiculous than NBA Fantasy Basketball and the injuries that go down in that crap. I finally told Lucky I’d play fantasy hoops with him, and I swear I have more “day-to-day” “questionable” “probable” “out” “out indefinitely” stupid reports about my players than I even have roster spots. What a joke. If football players didn’t play with things like sprained thumbs and strained calves, NFL games would stop after Week 4. Here’s my Q and A for Week 11!

Miguel writes, “Thank you so much for your detailed response last time; it really was good help! This week, I am in a spot trying to determine who to start at RB.  This is a PPR league that counts return yards. I can pick two between – Brandon Jacobs, Justin Forsett and LeSean McCoy. Thanks for the help!”

Miguel,  Glad I could help, and hope you enjoy the site.  I would go with Brandon Jacobs and McCoy – both McCoy and Forsett have their downsides in their match-up. 1 – the Hawks play the Vikings 2 – the Eagles love to pass the ball, hate running it. But without Westy in there, I think McCoy gets some targets in the passing game. 5-8 catches wouldn’t surprise me at all. I LOVE Justin Forsett’s ability, I’ve been begging Jim Mora to play that guy since about Week 3, and he finally got touches and put up big numbers against a dominate run defense in Arizona last week. But I still think Jim Mora is too stupid to give Forsett 20 touches this week against the Vikings. There’s very little room to run in Minnesota, and I think Hasselbeck will be looking for his receivers out wide against a Vikes secondary playing without Antoine Winfield. I think your best bets are McCoy and Jacobs.

Stanleigh in Cali says, ” I am getting hammered the last two weeks and have slipped to 4th place with two consecutive losses. Need a “W” this week and always appreciate your words of wisdom. Would you start Thomas Jones and Betts this week over Matt Forte or Justin Forsett? How about Marshall, Hester and Jennings over Hakeem Nicks?”

I might start Forte over Betts, Betts has a so/so to tough match-up, but I think Forte could catch a lot of balls against the Eagles – and Philly doesn’t have the greatest rush defense either. The Bears suck, but you might as well go down with your top pick and if he’s every going to do anything, this week in a huge Sunday Night game against Philadelphia is the right time. Other than that, yeah, I like your chances this week. Marshall could blow up against the Chargers, despite their solid pass D rating, Jennings has pretty easy match-ups going forward, it sure would help me out if he started catching touch down passes – and as for Hester, I don’t know, he’s probably your best bet for looks, because Jay loves to throw the ball, but Hakeem Nicks against the Falcons might be a nice chance for big points – Nicks is a stud, and while he shares starter minutes with Manningham, Nicks has proven to have the better hands – and while he’s more of a risk than Hester, he could capitalize on that solid match-up. Tough call, I think I’d stick with Hester based on his higher number of targets and the Eagles give up some big plays just about every week. Fantasy can get you down, no doubt, I’ve had a tough couple weeks in 2 of my leagues, keep losing by a couple every week. Tough deal.

And here’s one from last week that went well for Tami, she wrote, “SO I think I need some advice this week. So far, I’m 9-0 in a point per yard league. This week though, I’m torn with my RB and QB. Do I start Aaron Rodgers or Joe Flacco?? Flacco had a great game against Cle in week 3 but Rodgers has done great things for me this year.”

Tami,  Joe Flacco or Aaron Rodgers huh, I think I would go with Rodgers. Flacco’s match-up is solid, no doubt, and he did throw for 300 million yards last time he faced the Browns, but Rodgers has 6 consecutive multiple touchdown games. The Packers throw way too often, which isn’t good for winning actual football games, but come fantasy football, that’s exactly what you want. He’s thrown for 260+ yards 6 times in 8 games. That’s pretty impressive, plus, against a pass rush even better than the Cowboys’ and a very similar secondary (maybe Bid D’s is a little better than Minnesota’s, but it’s close) Rodgers threw for 380+ yards and 2 touchdowns, then 286 yards and 3 touchdowns – so he’s had success against the big aggressive defenses. Flacco’s a solid option, I just think they run the ball more this time out.

And here’s the other piece of advice I gave Tami that didn’t go so well, “Also, do I start Brown or Mendenhall? Brown has been in a small slump and Mendenhall got my win last week. My other backs are Adrian Peterson and Ricky Williams. Any advice is appreciated!”

So you need to start three, and you’re already starting Ricky Williams and Adrian Peterson? I think I would add Ronnie Brown to that mix if I had the choice between him and Mendenhall – however, Mendenhall and Ricky Williams would be the two guys I’m debating. On one hand you have Mendenhall, a big tough runner that has had some big games so far this year, including putting up 155 yards against a very tough Denver run defense, (I think he had 120 in the 2nd half alone, and it’s not like he had any long touchdown runs to pad his per carry stats). On the other hand, you have Ricky, a guy that’s played awesome this year, and has become a huge part of that rushing attack, and he’s playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense of all defenses – his stock is shooting up. It’s hard to start two running backs from the same team, but if there’s any situation where that would be a solid option, it would be Miami at home against Tampa Bay.

However, after considering everything, I think I’d pick AP, Ronnie Brown, and Mendenhall. I just want to buy into the Steelers committing to the run. Since he became the starter in Week 4, Rashard has not rushed for less than 62 yards, (165, 77, 62, 69, 155) and has rushed for fewer than 5.1 yards per carry just once. He’s had good numbers per carry against good defenses, (6.9 against Minnesota, 7.0 against Denver) so you wouldn’t think he’d be eliminated by the Bengals D. It’s a tough choice, definitely, but his consistency, and the fact that Ricky has rushed for fewer than 60 yards on 4 different occasions, plus just 27 and 33 yards the last two weeks, I’d have to go with Rashard. If you’re picking two guys, I would probably stick with AP and Ronnie Brown.

How’s a guy supposed to know that Ronnie Brown is getting hurt and Ricky will carry more than he’s carried all season. I hope you got the win anyway, Tami! Sorry!

Fantasy Focus Review: NFL Week 10 Fantasy Football

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Oh, it was too good of a start for me – this week was an all time low for Ol’ Lucky Lester – it was also an all-time “Team Lucky Lester” low in the fantasy rankings as I swept the 4th spot in every single category. Tough week indeed! Josh took 1st place, Red Red Ryan (despite his inability to communicate with anyone during his new Modern Warfare game’s release month) managed to wrap up 2nd place, while Papa Weimer and then Me, definitely in that order, came in 3rd and 4th. I’ll try to get back on track next week, but for now, this is how Week 10 went down – and I do mean DOWN!

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Elite Starters: Guys picked early that I love this week…

1. Ray Rice– 16th RB in Week 10, 18 fantasy points, the Browns shut him out of the passing attack. C
2. Chris Johnson – #1 overall fantasy player. A+
3. Michael Turner – Hurt in the 2nd quarter, had 111 yards on 9 carries. B
4. DeAngelo Williams – DeAngelo was rested a bit, as Jon Stewart carried more of the load. Will had 120 yards from scrimmage, but no touchdowns and was just the 21st RB in Week 10. C-
5. Thomas Jones– Thomas Jones didn’t carve up the Jags like I thought he would, 77 yards and a TD. C-

Solid Starters: Guys picked in middle rounds that should outplay their ranking/draft position this week…

1. Carson Palmer – No offensive TDs in this game, Palmer was 23rd QB in Week 10. F
2. Percy Harvin – 40th WR overall in Week 10, 9 fantasy point, obviously Rice was getting Brett’s passes. C
3. Pierre Thomas – Reggie Bush was the productive runner of choice in Week 10, he was 8th, PT out of Top 30. F
4. Devin Hester – 29th WR in Week 10, not great, not too shabby. Maybe if Cutler didn’t throw 5 to the Niners…  B-
5. Sidney Rice –4th WR this week, one of the greatest receiving days in Viking history with 201 yards. No TDs… A

Sleeper Starters: Guys ranked low, drafted low or not at all, but I still like them this week…

1. Reggie Bush – Bush suprised everyone (besides me) and busted 6 rushes for 86 yards and two total TDs. A+
2. Beanie Wells – “Call it a feeling, Beanie might have his best game as a pro.” Got it right! #3 RB in Week 10. A+
3. Steve Breaston –Ta-tas gets 16th WR spot in Week 10, awesome for a #3 receiver. A
4. Mark Sanchez– Sanchez was 21st amongst QBs in Week 10, 10 fantasy points – he hurt the Jets… D+
5. Ricky Williams – Ricky had 100 yards rushing, getting 20 carries when Brown went down. 24th RB. B-

Sit ‘Em Son: I don’t care where they were drafted, I don’t like these guys starting this week…

1. Joseph Addai– Addai was 13th RB in Week 10. Through 3 quarters he had done nothing. But in the 4th Addai totaled 2 touchdowns. He had just 68 total yards in Week 10. Still, his 2 TDs made his day nice. F
2. Wes Welker– I was close on the catch prediction, but wrong on the yards, Wes had 9 for 94- a good week. F
3. Matt Forte – Forte had 20 carries for 41 yards. A. Oh wait, 8 grabs for 120 yards too? Shoot. F
4. Mike Sims-Walker– 3 catches for 49 yards and a score. Not great, but pretty decent against Revis. C-
5. Julius Jones– He got hurt, but I’ll take my A+ – I need it this week! A+

***The Giants and Texans finished off the byes, now only injuries keep players out of your line-ups, you needent mind the gap any longer!!!

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Week 9 Fantasy Rankings

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Who did we miss in Week 10, from QB to DST, here’s a short list and their respective rankings.

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QB – Marc Bulger (5), Philip Rivers (6), Jake Delhomme (7) – weird, nobody had the balls to pick Marc and Jake.

RB – Steven Jackson (2), Justin Forsett (3), Chris Wells (3), Jamal Charles (5), Matt Forte (6), Reggie Bush (8) – I mentioned Wells’ having a big day, but I didn’t pick him. I’ve been writing Jim Mora all season sending him hate mail about continuing to ignore Justin Forsett, his hand was forced on Sunday with Jones out, and look what happened. Jamal Charles had a nice week after barely getting any looks a week ago. Matt Forte was terrible running but had 8 grabs for 120 yards despite Jay Cutler throwing 5 picks. Reggie made the most of his 6 carries and 2 catches, scoring twice and accruing 100+ yards.

WR – T.J. Houshmandzadeh (5), Jason Avant (6), Donnie Avery (7), Wes Welker, (8) Lee Evans (9), Maclin (10) – It’s no wonder that we all left Avant and Avery off the list, but both played big time on Sunday. Housh was open all day, again, but only this time Matt Hasselbeck actually threw him the ball. Wes Welker had 9 grabs for 90+ yards, Lee Evans managed to find two touchdown passes from Trent Edwards, that’s magic in and of itself. Maclin kept his strong rookie season going with 6 grabs, 76 yards, and a touchdown.

TE – Brent Celek (2), Will Heller (5), Dustin Keller (6), John Carlson (7) – It was probably a mass oversight that we left Carlson out, maybe we all thought he’d be blocking all day, at least I did. Celek continues to have awesome days, he was a great value TE pick this year. Heller, come on, how do we predict that? Dustin Keller has been solid, and was a big part of the Jets passing attack on Sunday.

Def/ST – Packers (2), 49ers (3), Bengals (5) – Apparently last time the Bengals all but shut down the Steelers, none of us believed. I have a feeling you’ll see “Bengals” in most Top 5s from here on out. The Packers absolutely dominated the Cowboys, and that was great, Dallas didn’t even score until the 4th quarter near end-game. The 49ers caught balls from Jay Cutler all night, 5 to be precise, that’s how they finished 3 for the week.

Ask Papa Weimer: Fantasy Football Advice Week 10

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I’ve been doing my thing. I hope all you readers are digging my advice, I’m getting more emails than ever before, and having a pretty good time interacting with the LL.com supporters out there – keep ’em coming, papaweimer50@hotmail.com – I can always dig some reader interaction. That being said, I can’t get everything right, all I can do is tell you what I think, give you the reasoning behind my opinion (as unpopular or crazy as it may seem, or turn out, for that matter), and take the good and the bad as it comes.

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Before I answer any questions, I’d like to let everyone know, never again will I draft a player that had their offensive coordinator fired just before the season… Never again will I eat a Taco Bell Black Jack Taco… Never will I ever even think about drafting a receiver getting balls thrown to him by any one of the following QB impostors, Jake Delhomme, Trent Edwards, Brady or Derek, JaMarcus, a rookie with a “big arm” (that one’s for you Mr. Stafford), or Kerry Collins… Never again will I expect great things out of a receiver in a new place (unless you’re Randy Moss-like and headed to Tom Brady’s neighborhood), or a receiver with a new coach, or a receiver with a new coach in a new place in a bad system, or Roy Williams… And last but not least, never again will I go watch football with my nephew, that Lucky little bastard switches around from game to game faster than my wife flicks through the damn channels when nothing’s on – that’s the only time in my life I wish I didn’t have every damn channel on TV. She goes so fast I can’t even see the naked breasts on skinamax…. NEVER AGAIN! Okay, vent complete, here’s the Q&A section!

Dave in Dakota says, “Papa, I hope the fantasy Gods have been smiling on you. I am hanging in there with my teams. Real quick, Which of these RBs should I try to pickup? (Betts,Bernard Scott,Forsett,Reggie Bush, or Kolby Smith?) These guys won’t start unless a good match up. Maybe a possible keeper in that bunch?”

The fantasy Gods have backed off the humility lesson the last few weeks, and I’m doing better. I would pick up Reggie Bush – he has been very explosive of late, and his surgery looks to be effecting him less and less –  then probably Kolby Smith (his upside is starter in KC where I don’t think anybody else has starter upside in that bunch. Next would be Justin Forsett (though that guy can’t buy touches, he’s always way more efficient than any other Hawk ball carrier but Mora hates his couch). And last Scott. I like Scott’s ability, he’s just a no-touch guy behind Benson (who has become a beast). Hope that helps!

Coach D in Minnesota asks, “Which WR Chambers or James Jones? What do you think of Bengals Def. vs the Packers Def?”

I would probably go with James Jones. I’ve always thought the guy was a starting WR in the league, and he’s making the most of his touches, I think he has 4 touchdowns in the last 4 games or so. Plus, with Nelson out, he’s become the sure #3 WR there, and they have many 3WR sets. But Chambers is a little intriguing. He just did nothing in the last couple years, so it’s hard for me to fully buy in to that performance.

I like the Bengals defense a lot, very opportunistic and stout up front. The Packers are okay, but not great by any means. You can’t trust them to play well any week.

Stan in San Fran writes, “All right, Papabear… here is the scenario: I have been offered Ronnie Brown and Buchalter in exchange for Forte and Westbrook. My other backs are Thomas Jones, Felix Jones and Ladell Betts. Brown and Jones would provide me with a solid RB foundation and their schedules are favorable; plus, both offenses are run oriented. I am, “on paper”, giving up a lot, but, that is only if Forte and Westbrook were performing at projected levels. Your thoughts?”

Papabear? Haha – I don’t even know how to respond to that. I guess I’ll just answer the question and eat all the honey later. I think your offer could be good for you, but Ronnie Brown isn’t always used as he should be, in fact, rarely does he get 20+ carries – then again, neither Forte or Westbrook look like awesome choices going forward either, and I would definitely rather have Brown than either of those two guys. Yeah, I’d go with the Ronnie Brown side of that trade – at the very least you know he’s going to get his carries and they do have a relatively easy schedule moving forward while Forte’s is tough.

Stan also writes, “In addition, and if the trade doesn’t go through, do I start Jones and Forte this week or do I insert Betts with a more favorable matchup than Forte (plus the short week and travel).”

I think I would start Forte and Jones or Betts – Jones just isn’t consistent enough for me, and at the very least I think Forte could catch 5 o 6 balls this week. Betts goes up against a tough Denver defense, but Clinton’s back-up will be getting starter carries, and he’s good at catching the ball out of the back-field as well. It’s a toss up to me, between Jones and Betts, but I think I might go with Betts.

Super Man Canada asks, “I need a look in your crystal ball. What do you see for Ronnie Brown? Ronnie Brown’s numbers have been down lately, do you think defenses are getting the best of the Wildcat, starting to figure it out a bit? My man is slipping.”

I don’t think it’s that, I think it’s that they’ve played the Saints, Jets, and Patriots in 3 straight weeks and Brown hasn’t approached 20 carries in any of those games. Prior to that he had 18 or more carries in 4 straight games, and that’s when he rushed for nearly 400 yards and 6 touchdowns. Who knows, the crystal ball has no guarantees, but Brown looks like one of the better bets moving forward – you know the Dolphins are going to run it, they’re at their best with the ball in Ronnie’s hands, and they play a pretty easy run schedule going forward. Plus, lots of smart people thought Ronnie would have a great year, can’t go against my gut when I’m half way through being right!

The Planless Man asks, “I have been offered Romo, Evans and Maroney for Boldin, Schaub, and Greene. What do you think? I know what I am thinking, but I want to see if you are thinking along the same lines as me. Thanks!”

Not for me. Schaub is better than Romo (though i like both), Boldin is way better than Evans, and while you gain a little with Maroney, I doubt he’ll be a player that is a difference maker for you. So you lose. Unless you’re starting Maroney as one of your Top running backs, you have to steer clear of this deal, a small upgrade at your #3 RB isn’t worth losses at your starting WR and QB spots. Plus, the DECLINE button is awesome to click!

Ask Papa Weimer Part II: Week 9 2009 Fantasy Advice

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Here’s more stuff from the last couple days, hope these questions and answers give you that last little point you need to win your match-ups this week!

Stan from San Fran writes, “Papa, I think I want to start Forte and Westbrook at RB this weekend, Devin Hester, Greg Jennings, and Mr. Marshall at WR, but I have some other options, would you go with those guys or trade them for someone on my bench: Mendenhall, Felix Jones, Hakeem Nicks, Kevin Walter, or Pierre Garcon – I have to start 2 RBs and 3 WRs – thanks! I think Walter is intriguing this week, what do you think?”

I think Forte could find it really tough sledding against the Cardinals this week, but Mendenhall also goes up against a very tough run defense, and Felix Jones is still just a 6-10 carry guy, so yeah, Forte and Westbrook look like your best options – tough match-ups though.

I like your receiver options, definitely with you – but check and make sure that Hester is actually playing this sunday before you make that pick – he hasn’t practiced this week and I want to say he’s looking more questionable than originally thought – if he’s out, I’d roll with Nicks and the other two guys.

As for Walter, that’s something to think about, definitely, and maybe not as much his good match-up but the fact that Owen Daniels and his 10 or so targets are game isn’t there for the rest of the year. BUt the Colts defense isn’t just the starters, it’s a scheme and an idea, and they’ve had lots of players go through there and succeed in that scheme. Still, you’re right, Walter is intriguing for sure.

And Receivers are tough, but I probably wouldn’t play him this week against the Colts. You have Marshall who has a good match-up, nicks who has a good match-up, Hester who has a good match-up, and Jennings who is a stud against a pretty bad Bucs defense. Walter is going against a Colts team minus 3 starters, sure, but without two of those guys for the first few weeks, they were still a great pass defense. I’d stick with your originals – but you’re right, Walter has some upside.

Jason 85 writes his first novel, “Papa, So this is my first time coming to you for advice, but I went 0-3 last week and looking for other advice than my regulars because I NEED TO BOUNCE BACK!! I apologize if this is overwhelming and I’m gonna warn you, I may send you some more emails…

First, I need 2 running backs: Brandon Jacobs vs SD, Ronnie Brown vs NE, Barber vs PHI, Hightower vs CHI — I like: Jacobs and Hightower

B. I need 2 RB/2 WR/1 FLEX: Crabtree/Boldin/Manningham/Malcom Floyd/Kevin Walter ——  Sproles/Tomlinson/Maroney — I like: Crabtree/Tomlinson/Maroney, thinking of Floyd/Walter/or Sproles for the rest, I dont think boldin nor manningham will perform as needed this week.

C. I need 2 running backs: Chris Johnson vs. SF, Bradshaw vs SD, Westbrook vs DAL, McCoy vs DAL, Stewart vs. NO — I like: Johnson and Bradshaw

Hope I’m not overdoing it lol. I really need that bounce back. THANKS A MIL!”

Jason, haha, by all means, send more questions if you got ’em. Hopefully I can get you some advice that helps you get some wins this weekend.

A- I would start Brandon Jacobs and Ronnie Brown. Brown hasn’t had a big game in the last couple weeks, and I think he’s a great running back. The Dolphins should rely on him in that game. If you’re strongly against Brown, I think it’s tough to go with Hightower over Barber- Marion hasn’t rushed for over 3.6 yards per carry in his last 4 games, has been all but removed from the passing game where he’s normally a good receiver, and I’m just not sure what you’ll get from him – but at least he’s a touchdown threat and the Eagles don’t have a great run-defense. At least Hightower will be involved in the passing game, but Beanie Wells is teh better answer, and honestly I don’t see the Cardinals carrying the ball more than 20 times. Maybe Tim gets 6-10 carries. That’s not enough for me to start him.

B- I would go with Crabtree/Manningham Tomlinson/Maroney and it’s almost a coin toss, but Sproles big play ability gets the nod as the flex. I would go with Mannignham because I’m pretty sure he’s healthy, he claimed he could have played last week, and the Chargers don’t do a good job stopping the pass, I think the Giants throw the ball well this week. Sproles nor Tomlinson have a good match-up, but I still think they are your better options. The Giants aren’t likely to give up a ton of yardage to Malcom Floyd, but I can see going with him if Manningham’s status changes to doubtful or if you find out he’s not playing.

C- I like Johnson and Bradshaw as well. You can’t sit Johnson, he’s too good, and Bradshaw has a great match-up and is probably going to be used a lot against a Chargers team that should struggle to stop the speedy option in New York. Good luck this weekend, my man, hopefully you can gets a few wins!

Brian Henderson asks, “Is it to early to give up on Slaton?? I have been offered Rashard Mendenhall for Slaton. Should I do this? Thanks in advance for your time.”

Okay, so looking into this situation has been interesting. Here’s what I got on each guy.

Steve Slaton – Obviously one of the more explosive backs in the league, his burst is such that he scores touchdowns – most of his fantasy points have come from touchdowns and in the passing game – sound likes Reggie Bush – but Slaton is the better actual running back, and probably not as fast as Reggie – but both will continue to score touchdowns when given chances. That being said, Slaton hasn’t rushed for 100 yards yet this year (his highest three games are 76, 67, and 65 yards and the next best game is a 43 yard rushing day). But he also has 29 catches on 39 targets, 300+ yards receiving, and 3 receiving touchdowns). With Owen Daniels gone, it’s hard to think that Houston would just get rid of a huge chunk of their big plays and receiving prowess because he fumbled a few times to start the season, but Gary Kubiak did coach under Mike Shanahan – (you know that guy as the former running back killer, can use anyone and will extraordinaire) so you never know. Still, Daniels was a 10 target a game guy – those have to go somewhere, right? And I’m not so sure Ryan Moats is the 120+ yard 3 touchdown running back he was last week – they were playing the Bills, and the Texans did run the ball more than they had all season – I have a feeling Slaton would have gone for 150+ in that situation – but there’s obviously questions there. But Slaton has a pretty favorable rushing schedule going forward, not the best run D’s on the Texans’ schedule.

Rashard Mendenhall – On the upside, he is explosive, fast, powerful, has blocked very well and while he hasn’t been used often, he’s proven that he has very good hands (8 catches in 9 targets). He proven to be by far the more effective running back in PIttsburgh, and his upside is great. He’s also scored 4 touchdowns in the last 4 games. But look at his schedule, Broncos, Ravens twice, Bengals, Packers – and in Week 17 (if your league goes that far) he plays Miami – that’s 6 games against Top 10 run defenses (the Packers and Ravens during the playoffs – however, I’m not completely sold on Green Bay being some great run defense, they are very up and down). The Steelers haven’t run the ball very much, but you’d think they’d commit more to the run when the weather starts to rear it’s rainy, cold, head. I think Mendenhall could get 100+ yards with the benefit of 20 carries against any team in the league, but trading for him obviously means you are expecting the Steelers to run more, because besides his 1 big start against San Diego (165 yards) he’s really averaged just around 70 yards per game, but not for lack of yards per carry, he just hasn’t gotten the touches.

After everything, I think I’d stick with Steve – I just think it’s too early to give up on him. And this is coming from a guy that loves Rashard Mendenhall’s game – I’ve always thought he’d be the best running back from his class (Chris Johnson is making a case though, ha). I just think the Steelers aren’t going to stop throwing the ball too much, it’s their weakness right now – funny, their weakness is their own doing – but this is often the case – crazy life lesson… ha. Slaton is a big time risk right now, but depending on your roster, probably one worth taking – he proved to be a great second half runner last season, has easy run defenses in his future, and just lost a big time player in the offense that should give him more touches.

That’s my take. Good luck Brian.
PW

Ask Papa Weimer: Week 9 Fantasy Football Advice

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It’s been a long week already, and this damn thing is only Thursday -when will Sunday get here? A smart ass might tell me that it will be here right after Thursday and Friday get done with their business, but the nice thing about being old is you can swing and or throw things at people who are being smart asses and you basically get the “he’s old, he can get away with being a rowdy-rabble-rouser” free pass. So that three times fast. It’s a nice card to have, the “I’m old” card, it works for some many instances and really means so many things. Flirting with any good looking girl in any situation, no problem, I’m old. Yeah, it’s not all bad. But it’s true, I mean, I’ve made it this far, give a guy some credit. Plus, my memory isn’t what it once was, I can’t beat people at as many things, and not everything works all the time. But that still does. Keep it up, see if I don’t use my old person card on a left jab freebie. Okay, so you know the deal, already I’ve spent too much time polluting your eyes and minds with oldness extreme. Write in your questions to… papaweimer50@hotmail.com. I’ll answer them as promptly as possible, and if it’s useful to the masses I’ll put them up here in my weekly column. Dream big, penguins!

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David from the Midwest asks, “Should I try to get M Floyd or James Jones as a WR? What about this Moats thing? I have Slaton. Should I try to get Moats? I can’t believe they will bench Slaton especially after they lost Daniels. Is he trying to send a message? What have you been hearing?”

Boy tough deal, I’m also a Slaton owner and it’s hard to say. You’d think they wouldn’t completely give up on their second most explosive playmaker – especially after all he meant to this team going down the stretch last season – and I think he was definitely sending a message, obviously he doesn’t think Slaton is a poor player, but then again, Ryan Moats made the most of his opportunity, and it’s not like Slaton has been a stud running the ball this year. I think you and I are looking at a semi-running back by committee unless Moats’ success was due mainly to playing one of the worst defenses in the league. Obviously Slaton is a talented cat, and I agree, I couldn’t imagine he doesn’t get more than an equal share. But coaches have done crazier poop, and this Kubiak cat is from the Shanahan tree, we all know how easily that guy killed fantasy running backs. That being said, if you have an extra roster spot, Moats might be a safe play for you. I know my team is too good to get him off waivers, lots of people are ahead of me and I think he’ll be gone. As for Floyd or Jones, I actually like Jones as a player a lot more, but Floyd should be the surefire #2 in San Diego, and he has produced when given the chances. I think he’s the better option moving forward, though there’s a better player with a better skill-set that possesses all the things Floyd has (size, hands, etc) starting opposite him, in Vincent Jackson. I don’t think the Packers will use James Jones to his talents, so I’d go with Floyd and hope his increased playing time makes him a startable option.

Mike in Los Angeles types, “I have Ronnie Brown and DeAngelo Williams starting, but in my flex spot, should I start Clinton Portis, Kevin Smith, or Beanie Wells? The second flex spot is occupied by Alex Smith (with Favre on bye) – good idea to bench A. Smith and start two of the three RBs (I think not, with A. Smith vs. league’s worst pass D)?”

Thanks for the email. Thought the Titans secondary played pretty well last week in shutting down what had been a pretty efficient passing attack in Jacksonville, I’m just going to write that off as Jack Del Rio having too much input in the Jaguars offense, and continue to expect Tennessee to have trouble stopping the pass. I think Alex Smith is a good play there, especially considering the fact that quarterbacks are more of a sure thing than any other position. As for your other flex spot, I think Kevin Smith has the best match-up because the Hawks seem to struggle against physical runners, and Smith is physical. The Hawks have struggled a lot, especially with injuries, so beating them up on the ground seems like the best move. But you have to make sure Kevin Smith is playing. He got dinged up a bit last week, so check back later in the week to make sure he’s good to go. If he’s healthy, he’s the play. If not, I think I’d go with Clinton Portis and just hope and hope that the Redskins got it together during the bye week and will come out and feed their best player the ball. I don’t think Bennie Wells is a bad play, he could be solid, I just think he’s risky because with the Cardinals he could rush for 7 yards a carry but only get 5 carries – you know – because they run a circus offense. At the very least you know Washington wants to run the ball, and Atlanta’s rush defense is ranked in the bottom of the league. Hope that helps, good luck this weekend!

Bill Stanley (CUP) from Canada says, “I know I’m in Canada rocking a maple leaf and all, but I still have love for good old NFL Football – nothing quite like it. Anyway, I haven’t gotten into fantasy football yet, but I do rock a couple survivor pools. Now I’ve already gotten rid of Baltimore, Washington (crazy, eh), Green Bay, Indianapolis, Eagles, Steelers, Patriots, and Chargers – what do you think about taking Seattle at home against Detroit? Thanks in advance!”

Oh the maple leaf. You know, I can dig Canada. The universal health care, good people, hockey fools crushing skulls, even that mayonaise thing on random foods doesn’t gross me out too much – but nothing is worse than your world travelers. If there was ever a more annoying group of proud maple leaf Canadian flag representing guys, I haven’t found them. Now, you are good people, no doubt, but goodness, I’ve seen more maple leafs on 10 Canadian traveler’s bags than I’ve seen other flags on the hundreds of back-packs I’ve seen from all other countries. I got it, you guys are proud to be Canadian, you’re not from America, okay – but goodness, they’re running out of maple leaf patches! Okay, rant over, sorry, once again, appreciate hockey, good people, nice movie theaters, pretty hot girls, free health care – I can deal with the flag thing I guess. As for your answer, I think the Hawks are a ballsy pick, but they should win. I would probably go with Atlanta at home against Washington. I know the Falcons can play up and down, but they need this win bad, and they played really well against the Saints on Monday Night. This is a short week’s rest for Atlanta, but Washington is too icky to figure it out coming off a bye. Another option would be Jaguars – but again, that’s just as ballsy as Seattle, and I actually think the Chiefs could wheel an upset here if the stars align right. You can stick with Seattle, a decent choice and probably a team you won’t feel comfortable taking too often as the season moves forward – but I think Hot-Lanta is the safer pick in Week 9.

Fantasy Focus: Week 9 NFL Fantasy Football Rankings

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The Fantasy Title stayed in house last week, Papa took the top spot but I finished way down at the bottom, and we all know there’s no room for that moving forward. There are some pretty stark differences in our rankings this week, so check them out and see if you can’t find something good to grab at. First thing’s first, you won’t find Jake Delhomme in anybody’s Top 5 – as for the rest, check it out below!

Elite Starters: Guys picked early that I love this week…

1. Maurice Jones Drew – He obviously needs to touch the ball more, KC wishes he wouldn’t.
2. Tom Brady – The Dolphins have a solid front 7, but Tom will be picking on that back four…
3. Larry Fitzgerald – WRs are often tough to predict, but hard not to see Fitz having a big day against the Bears.
4. Reggie Wayne– His awesome routes and great hands, Peyton’s elite accuracy, Reg is basically unstoppable.
5. Pierre Thomas– PT wasn’t a high draft pick, but the guy is a flat out stud and should have a big day against Carolina.

Solid Starters: Guys picked in middle rounds that should outplay their ranking/draft position this week…

1. Matt Hasselbeck – Had surprisingly good numbers last week for how bad the Hawks played. Enter Detroit….
2. Steve Smith (NYG) – Has lost some of that early season luster, but I bet he’s back in action against San Diego.
3. Ryan Grant – Grant should have a big time day against the Bucs, but you’re relying on the Packers actually running the ball.
4. Mike Sims-Walker – After a disappointing Week 8 against a shady pass defense, I think Mike steps back up in Week 9.
5. Ahmad Bradshaw –I like Bradshaw’s chances for big plays against San Diego’s porous defense.

Sleeper Starters: Guys ranked low, drafted low or not at all, but I still like them this week…

1. Nate Burleson – It’s killing me in a couple leagues, but Nate is a better play than T.J. Housh…
2. Julius Jones – He’s not consistent, but he’s the best option the Hawks have, and they will run on Detroit.
3. Steve Breaston – Boobs should be a great play against the Bears, I think Boldin might sit this one out.
4. Alex Smith – Risky? Maybe, but Alex should have some room to throw against the Titans secondary.
5. Jamal Charles – Here come the Jaguars and their run defense, Charles finally gets his shot with LJ out.

Sit ‘Em Son: I don’t care where they were drafted, I don’t like these guys starting this week…

1. LaDainian Tomlinson– I think Sproles will get a little more play in this one, the Giants should be tough on LT.
2. Antonio Bryant– Rookie quarterback, tough corners that play physical, bad day for Bryant.
3. Roy Williams – Still the number one receiver? Not on my fantasy team, that’s for sure.
4. Steve Smith (CAR)– Saints are smart enough to role all coverage to Steve, he should struggle for fantasy points in NO.
5. Matt Forte– Oh Matt, how do you like Jay Cutler now? Arizona’s run D is tough sledding.

***Another Big Bye in Week 9: don’t play Bills, Browns, Raiders (not that you would), Rams, Vikings, or Jets! Mind the mighty Gap!!!

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Week 9 Fantasy Rankings

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Fantasy Focus: Week 7 Fantasy Football Analysis

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And just like that I’m back on top. Four out of the first 6 weeks, I’ve been the fantasy winner in the weekly rank’em section – soon I’ll be answering fantasy questions for readers, and Papa Weimer (2-1 ATS last week with three underdog picks) will be the guy picking games. Until that switch is made, I’ll just keep dominating this section of fun and games. We always say, anything worth playing is worth beating your friends at. Another week of fantasy football in the books, and don’t look now, but the regular season is just about half over – it will be after this week. So if you’re down an out, you might want to try some blind lawn darts while selecting your starters this week, or you could just listen to me – lawn darts are fun, especially the pointy ones that can cause serious injury. What’s the fun in dull lawn darts anyway? Here’s this week’s fantasy blitz!

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Elite Starters: Guys picked early that I love this week…

1. Peyton Manning – Two weeks to prepare… For the Rams? Hahahaha…
2. Drew Brees – Miami does their best to slow down the game and stop the run, Drew wants to ruin it for them.
3. DeAngelo Williams – The Bills upset the Jets last week, but it wasn’t because they stopped the run.
4. Ben Roethlisberger – There’s holes in that secondary, you know it won’t be for lack of attempts if he fails…
5. Roddy White – Dallas can’t stop #1 receivers, I think Roddy has a big day for the home team.

Solid Starters: Guys picked in middle rounds that should outplay their ranking/draft position this week…

1. Eli Manning – Arizona made it tough on Matt Hasselbeck last week, doubt that happens two times in a row.
2. Steve Smith – Steve hasn’t been awesome the last couple weeks, but he’ll be great the rest of the year!
3. Marshawn Lynch – Trent Edwards out, Lynch becomes a 25-30 touch guy.
4. Joseph Addai– Been catching a lot of balls, healthy, plays St. Louis this week – yes please!
5. Ryan Grant – The Packers seem to hate running the ball, but one of these days Grant will break out, Cleveland?

Sleeper Starters: Guys ranked low, drafted low or not at all, but I still like them this week…

1. Laurence Maroney – Picking a Patriots runner is suicidal, but Maroney is the only healthy guy against Tampa.
2. Cadillac Williams – The Pats score so fast, Caddy should get lots of series to break a few big runs.
3. Chris Henry – The Bengals speedster is finally getting healthy, could really hurt a Bears team hurt by speed.
4. Jeremy Maclin – The Eagles are going to throw, McNabb likes the Missouri speedster.
5. Sydney Rice – Becoming one of Brett’s favorites, and Percy might be less than 100%. Pitt allows big plays, too.

Sit ‘Em Son: I don’t care where they were drafted, I don’t like these guys starting this week…

1. Matt Forte – Didn’t think I’d put him here against Cinci, but until he shows me something, he’s here.
2. Antonio Bryant – AB hasn’t been a favorite of Josh Johnson, and he draws a tough secondary to throw on.
3. Donnie Avery – Has a couple TDs in back to back weeks, but Indy is very tough on young receivers.
4. Mark Sanchez – The Raiders D is solid, and you know dumbing down the offense has never really helped anyone.
5. Chad Henne – Lots of excitement for Chad’s last outing, I’d like to see him do well, but unlikely against Saints.

***Big Bye Week in Week’s 7 and 8: this week don’t play Ravens, Broncos, Lions, Jaguars, Seahawks, or Titans! Mind the Gap!!!

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Week 7 Fantasy Pre-Rankings

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Hard flat toed cleats, equally hard toe kicks – oh the good old days!

Fantasy Focus Review: Week 6 Fantasy Football Analysis

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So, I got it right this week with my elite starts, that’s for sure. The only guy I missed on was Brandon Marshall, but the other guys ripped it up – if only I would have put Ray Rice and Drew Brees in there, I might be calling me Genius Lester. I also got back into the winning swing of things by pulling off this week’s writer’s title for best fantasy rankings of the week. Ryan came in 2nd, but lets still call him last. Papa finished 3rd after two straight weeks atop the charts, and Arsenault finished last. One of these days, this title will leave the family, until then… Here’s the review of this week’s Fantasy Focus Fantasy Analysis.

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Elite Starters: Guys picked early that I love this week…

1. DeAngelo Williams – 3rd ranked RB, 31 fantasy points – you bet! A+
2. Randy Moss – #1 ranked WR, #3 overall with 38 fantasy points. Uh huh! A+
3. Maurice Jones-Drew – 2nd ranked RB, 38 fantasy points – even better! A+
4. Tom Brady – #1 QB and #1 overall with his 5 TD 2nd quarter against the Titans, 51 for Terrific Tom. A+
5. Brandon Marshall – Marshall had just 9 fantasy points, 43rd amongst WRs, those two Royal returns hurt his chances. D

Solid Starters: Guys picked in middle rounds that should outplay their ranking/draft position this week…

1. Matt Hasselbeck – Gross, that’s the only way to explain the Hawks this week. Oh, and this… F
2. T.J. Housmandzadeh – T.J. was almost as bad as Matt – not quite, 7 fantasy points, but almost. D-
3. Cedric Benson – #19 RB of the week, not a bad day, 12 fantsy point not great either, especially against Houston’s run D. C+
4. Brett Favre – #4 QB in Week 6, another great pick for this week. Brett put up 29 fantasy points. A+
5. Wes Welker –I must say, Wes almost made my Top guys for Week 6, but I couldn’t put two WRs from the same team there. On cue, Wes was #2 behind Randy’s #1… A+

Sleeper Starters: Guys ranked low, drafted low or not at all, but I still like them this week…

1. Nate Burleson – Like most of the Hawks, nothing this week. F
2. Donnie Avery – Avery looked good early, grabbing a 17 yard pass for a TD, but that would be it as he got hurt. C
3. Rashard Mendenhall – 15th RB in Week 6, and now he has the starting job on lock down. If they’d only commit to run. B
4. Kyle Orton – # 8 QB for Week 6, 22 big ones, you bet! A
5. Eddie Royal – His kick off and punt return TDs got him 12 fantasy points in most leagues, but if you had him in a league that gets 0 points for his huge day. I don’t know, I’ll take a C.

Sit ‘Em Son: I don’t care where they were drafted, I don’t like these guys starting this week…

1. Fred Jackson –31st overall, 8 fantasy points- a no start for sure. B+
2. Vincent Jackson – 27th WR in Week 6, not a bad day, caught a nice TD pass – he’s a good one. Decent day. C-
3. Julius Jones – JJ sucked it up big time.  A+
4. Santonio Holmes – 21st WR, a nice day for Holmes, still don’t know why they passed so much, maybe to keep it close? D
5. Steve Slaton – Slaton killed it, ran okay, caught lots of passes for over 100 yards. Missed big here. F

PS – Seahawks killed a lot of fantasy owners on way to killing themselves. Eagles too…

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Week 6 Fantasy Final Rankings

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Kickers: Ryan Longwell, Mason Crosby, Nate Kaeding, Ryan Succop were ranked 1-4…

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Who did we miss this week? Well we were pretty accurate, but from top to bottom, here are a few we left out. The quarterbacks we missed? Try Drew Brees and Matt Schaub, numbers 2 and 3 amongst QBs respectively. I know Drew is having a hell of a year, but next time you have a minute, take a look at Matt’s production over the first few games – dirty. For running backs, Ray Rice, Thomas Jones, and Steve Slaton all finished in the Top 5. Ray was #1 overall with a huge week, single handily pulling the Ravens on top of the Vikings before Brett won it again… For receivers, Hines Ward and Sydney Rice finished 5th and 6th, nobody gives Hines any credit. In the TE rankings, we missed out on #’s 2 and 3, Zach Miller and Tony Scheffler both had huge games in big wins for their teams. And defensively we left out 3, 4, and 5 – Buffalo, Arizona, and Kansas City. Pretty good week for the good guys, stay tuned for Week 7’s fantasy predictions!

Fantasy Focus: Fantasy Football Analysis Week 5

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Week 4 was historic, it was the first week that I didn’t finish first in overall fantasy rankings, a little competition we have here at LuckyLester.com. For those of you that don’t know, the staff gets together their fantasy rankings for the week, and in the Fantasy Focus review everybody gets graded based on their picks. I won the first 3 weeks before getting ousted by my chubby and generally crazy uncle. I haven’t heard the end of it since he knew he took home the gold. But hey, I still finished tied for “next” with Red Red Ryan, yet another guy that keeps telling me he’s just as good as me. It’s a tough crowd, you fall a step back one week and now you’re not the best. We’ll see… This week we have four more teams on bye, Bears, Packers, Saints, Chargers – so don’t get caught with any of those circus-squads in your starting lineup. Dream big in Week 5, almost 1/3 of the way through the fantasy season. Craziness…

Elite Starters: Guys picked early that I love this week…

1. Peyton Manning – Come on, free money, against the Titans D, he should be even better than normal.
2. Adrian Peterson – I liked him last week against the Packers, and while he didn’t do well, I won’t hesitate against STL.
3. Maurice Jones-Drew – This cat is physical, ask Frank Gore what physical runners do to Seattle…
4. Matt Schaub – The Cardinals are really good against the run, good enough to score a lot, thus Matt will have a day.
5. Reggie Wayne – I can’t get enough of Reggie, he’s such a sure thing, and I expect him to do bad things to Tennessee.

Solid Starters: Guys picked in middle rounds that should outplay their ranking/draft position this week…

1. Julius Jones– Julius and the Hawks were brutal last week, but against Jax’s defense, I like his upside.
2. Santana Moss – If Carolina knows what’s good for them, they’ll stack the line. That should open a few up for Moss.
3. Tim Hightower– I’d say Tim was picked in the low rounds, but he’s not full sleeper. Against Houston he could score twice.
4. Carson Palmer – I like Carson again, even against a good Ravens D – there’s room to pass in that secondary.
5. Hines Ward –Hines, like Carson, finds himself on this list for the 2nd straight week. He didn’t let me down last time.

Sleeper Starters: Guys ranked low, drafted low or not at all, but I still like them this week…

1. Tashard Choice – He might be a back-up again, but if Dallas is up early, why waste Marion? They won’t, Choice gets 20 totes.
2. Jerome Harrison – I’ve always loved his vision; thought he’d do big things with lots of carries; he’ll get them again this week.
3. Mohamed Massaquoi –He’s the #1 in Cleveland now, and Derek Anderson likes him. A good play this week.
4. Steve Breaston– You can probably pick up breast in most leagues; he could be huge against Houston.
5. Eddie Royal – I have to go to this well one more week, he’s as talented as little guys come, could be huge!

Sit ‘Em Son: I don’t care where they were drafted, I don’t like these guys starting this week…

1. Ray Rice – I would sit Rice this week, I think Cincinnati really shuts him down in Week 5.
2. Steven Jackson – Minnesota, ick. I’d rather start Mendenhall, Hightower, or Julius Jones.
3. Matt Ryan – I’d look for a better option than San Francisco’s solid defense coming off two weeks of prep.
4. Roddy White –If I don’t like Matty Ice, I really don’t like Roddy going against Nate Clements all day long.
5. Larry Johnson – Get ready for less than 3 yards per rush against Dallas.

PS – Bye weeks are back, and here for some time, recognize! Mind the gap!

Week 5 Fantasy Pre-Rankings

Ryan Kauffman	        Josh Arsenault		Papa Weimer		Lucky Lester

QBs----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Peyton Manning   	1.Peyton Manning	1.Matt Schaub   	1.Peyton Manning
2.Kurt Warner   	2.Tom Brady     	2.Kurt Warner     	2.Matt Schaub
3.Ben Roethlisberger 	3.Donovan McNabb     	3.Tony Romo     	3.Donovan McNabb
4.Joe Flacco     	4.Matt Schaub     	4.Peyton Manning 	4.Carson Palmer
5.Tom Brady     	5.David Garrard    	5.Donovan McNabb	5.Kurt Warner
RBs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Adrian Peterson	1.Maurice Jones-Drew	1.Adrian Peterson	1.Adrian Peterson
2.Chris Johnson 	2.Brandon Jacobs  	2.Rashard Mendenhall  	2.Maurice Jones-Drew
3.Maurice Jones-Drew	3.DeAngelo Williams  	3.Chris Johnson 	3.Brandon Jacobs
4.DeAngelo Williams	4.Clinton Portis    	4.Brian Westbrook 	4.Rashard Mendenhall
5.Brandon Jacobs 	5.Rashard Mendenhall   	5.Glen Coffee   	5.Tim Hightower

WRs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Reggie Wayne	        1.Reggie Wayne          1.T.J. Housmandzadeh 	1.Reggie Wayne
2.Andre Johnson 	2.Andre Johnson   	2.Reggie Wayne		2.DeSean Jackson
3.Larry Fitzgerald  	3.Anquan Boldin 	3.Larry Fitzgerald   	3.Anquan Boldin
4.Derrick Mason    	4.Brandon Marshall 	4.Andre Johnson 	4.Chad Ochocinco
5.Hines Ward    	5.Calvin Johnson	5.Mike Sims-Walker	5.Andre Johnson

TEs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Dallas Clark  	1.Dallas Clark  	1.Dallas Clark  	1.Dallas Clark
2.Jason Witten		2.Jason Witten		2.Tony Gonzalez 	2.Chris Cooley
3.Chris Cooley		3.Tony Gonzalez		3.Vernon Davis  	3.Owen Daniels
4.John Carlson   	4.Brent Celek   	4.Chris Cooley		4.Tony Gonzalez
5.Vernon Davis  	5.Vernon Davis   	5.Dustin Keller 	5.Jason Witten

DSTs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Vikings		1.Vikings		1.Giants		1.Giants
2.Steelers		2.Giants        	2.Vikings		2.Vikings
3.Giants 		3.Eagles 		3.Eagles		3.Jets
4.Jets   		4.Cowboys  		4.Ravens		4.Eagles
5.Patriots		5.Jets  		5.Steelers		5.Steelers

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Laces out, just like our kickers, out of the rankings! When the toe kick returns, we're back in!

Fantasy Focus Review: Week 4 2009

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Finally someone took my crown. I finished tied for second (or third, however you might want to look at it), losing to my bloody uncle, Papa Weimer, in this week’s fantasy predictions. Ryan and I tied, finishing a ranking point behind Papa. It was a tough week for me, all around, no doubt. Whether it was the flu, my other job, or the fantasy realm, it was a weak of taking shots right on the chin. But I’ll wear it, get up, and be better because of it. This is the week that was, Week 4 in the NFL.

Elite Starters: Guys picked early that I love this week…

1. Phillip Rivers – It didn’t start well for Phil, but he ended as the #3 overall QB – A
2. Adrian Peterson –  The Packers shut down AP, that’s about all there is to be said. But he still scored. D
3. Brandon Jacobs – The Giants run game isn’t dominating this season, just 92 yards, no score from BJ. D
4. Tom Brady – #9 QB for the week, not good enough for an A, but his 21 points were solid. B
5. Reggie Wayne – #11 overall WR, not too shabby, the Seahawks didn’t keep it close enough. B

Solid Starters: Guys picked in middle rounds that should outplay their ranking/draft position this week…

1. Julius Jones– JJ let me down in a huge way. F
2. Devin Hester – Hester got hurt in this one, didn’t need to throw too much either. F
3. Darren McFadden– Gross. McFadden got hurt, but he had plenty of time to do something. F
4. Carson Palmer – Pretty solid, 21 points, tied for #9 overall. B+
5. Hines Ward –#6 overall in Week 4, his best week of the season. A+

Sleeper Starters: Guys ranked low, drafted low or not at all, but I still like them this week…

1. Tashard Choice – In a PPR, choice was 19th overall, not bad for a waiver pick up. B
2. Mike Sims-Walker – #2 overall, turning into a great option at WR week in and week out. A+
3. Mario Manningham –Just one 43 yard catch, not good enough to be happy about my pick. D
4. Rashard Mendenhall– #1 overall running back with 165 yards and two scores. You bet. A+
5. Eddie Royal – Ugh, Eddie still can’t get Orton to throw him the ball. Dude is open, I promise. F

Sit ‘Em Son: I don’t care where they were drafted, I don’t like these guys starting this week…

1. Matt Cassel – A couple late touchdowns got him to 15th overall, better than I expected, better than he actually played in this game, but numbers are numbers. C-
2. Steven Jackson – 10 fantasy points, 23 carries for 79 yards, 3 catches for 6 yards. Right. A
3. Nate Burleson – Didn’t do anything. 4 grabs for 31 yards. A
4. Bernard Berrien or Percy Harvin – Give me and F and a B for this one. Berrien produced nicely, his best game of the season, so I sucked there, Percy had just 2 catches for 39 yards, got that one pretty well.
5. Reggie Bush –4 fantasy points for Reggie, but he actually ran well against the Jets. Still, 4 pts. A

PS – Bye weeks are back, and here for some time, recognize! Mind the gap!

Week 4 Fantasy Rankings

Ryan Kauffman	        Josh Arsenault		Papa Weimer		Lucky Lester

QBs----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Peyton Manning 6  	1.Peyton Manning 6	1.Peyton Manning 6	1.Phillip Rivers 3
2.Ben Roethlisberger 4	2.Carson Palmer 9	2.Tom Brady 9     	2.Matt Schaub 19
3.Jason Campbell 19 	3.Jay Cutler 8    	3.Jay Cutler 8    	3.Tom Brady 9
4.Jay Cutler 8    	4.Tom Brady 9     	4.David Garrard 1 	4.Peyton Manning 6
5.Eli Manning 4  	5.Aaron Rodgers 6   	5.Aaron Rodgers	6  	5.Drew Brees 23

RBs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Adrian Peterson 23	1.Cedric Benson 28	1.Adrian Peterson 23	1.Adrian Peterson 23
2.Chris Johnson 19	2.Adrian Peterson 23 	2.Steve Slaton 7 	2.Brandon Jacobs 23
3.Brandon Jacobs 23	3.Chris Johnson 19 	3.Maurice Jones-Drew 19	3.Chris Johnson 19
4.Maurice Jones-Drew 19	4.Brandon Jacobs 23   	4.Fred Jackson 28  	4.Matt Forte 5
5.Cedric Benson 28	5.Glen Coffee 13   	5.Clinton Portis 28 	5.Julius Jones 39

WRs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Reggie Wayne 11       1.Reggie Wayne 11       1.Steve Smith (NY) 1	1.Reggie Wayne 11
2.Santonio Holmes 31	2.Calvin Johnson 3   	2.Reggie Wayne 11	2.Randy Moss 19
3.Terrell Owens 31  	3.Jericho Cotchery 22	3.Randy Moss 19    	3.Chad Ochocinco 15
4.Johnny Knox 19    	4.Nate Burleson 42	4.Andre Johnson 38 	4.Vincent Jackson 31
5.Mike Sims-Walker 2 	5.Braylon Edwards 100	5.Devin Hester 89  	5.Terrell Owens 31

TEs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Jason Witten 17 	1.Jason Witten 17 	1.Dallas Clark 6 	1.Antonio Gates 1
2.Owen Daniels	23	2.Chris Cooley 4	2.Dustin Keller 23	2.Chris Cooley 4
3.Dallas Clark 6	3.Owen Daniels 23	3.Vernon Davis 10 	3.Jason Witten 17
4.Chris Cooley 4   	4.Dustin Keller 23  	4.Chris Cooley 4	4.Dallas Clark 6
5.John Carlson 14  	5.Dallas Clark 6  	5.Jason Witten 17	5.Greg Olsen 17

DSTs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.49ers 1 		1.Giants 13		1.Bears 9 		1.Giants 13
2.Redskins 6		2.Vikings 10      	2.Steelers 23		2.Bengals 6
3.Bears 9		3.Cowboys 17		3.Titans 24		3.Bears 9
4.Giants 13		4.Titans 24 		4.Texans 3		4.49ers 1
5.Bengals 6		5.49ers 1		5.Giants 13		5.Redskins 6

Kickers-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Josh Scobee, Robbie Gould, Lawrence Tynes, and Adam Vinitieri all scored more than the other
kickers. In that order too, the points went like this... 15, 14, 10 and 10.... Yay!
Keeping score for week 3! This is the positional breakdown based on Week 3's rankings:

Josh Arsenault		Ryan Kauffman		Papa Weimer		Lucky Lester

1.QBs 2         	1.QBs 3		        1.QBs 1  		1.QBs 4
2.RBs 2		        2.RBs 4	   	        2.RBs 1                 2.RBs 3
3.WRs 4 	        3.WRs 1		        3.WRs 3         	3.WRs 2
4.TEs 4  		4.TEs 3          	4.TEs 2         	4.TEs 1
5.DST 3         	5.DST 1         	5.DST 4         	5.DST 2


Papa took the crown by winning the big boys, taking home the top spot in quarterbacks and running backs in Week 4. My Drew Brees pick, teaming up with my Matt Schaub pick, got me a fat 4th place, something I’m just not accustomed to. Papa started his work naming David Garrard a top 5 option, and looking back, that really worked out for him. Papa was the only guy to believe in Steve Smith (NY), and that worked out well for him as well, as Steve was number one overall. Ryan took Mike Sims-Walker, he was the only guy who picked the #2 overall receiver. Josh had his own top pick, as the only guy to select Calvin Johnson. But lets get to who we missed, because it’s always good to look back on what could have been. Mohamed Massaquoi, one of my favorite rookie receivers, just happened to break out this week, putting up 22 fantasy points. Derrick Mason, Bernard Berrian, Brandon Marshall, Hines Ward, and Nate Washington also got into the Top 10. Austin Collie finished just outside. In the RB realm, nobody picked #1 back Rashard Mendenhall, he finished 9 fantasy points higher than any other back as he produced just under 200 yards of total offense with two touchdowns. In fact, me taking Matt Forte (5th overall) and Papa taking Steve Slaton (7th overall), were the only two instances in which any of us got a hold of a Top 10 running back. It went like this, Mendenhall, Ronnie Brown, Joseph Addai, Pierre Thomas, Matt Forte, Kevin Smith, Steve Slaton, Ray Rice, Jerome Harrison, and Mewelde Moore. If you predicted Harrison and Moore would be Top 10 guys in Week 4, shoot me an email, I’ll see if I can’t get you a job. We all had plenty of Top 10 QBs, but like I said, only Papa grabbed number one guy, David Garrard. Brett Favre was #2 in his return performance against his old squad. Besides that, Kyle Orton was the only guy not one of us predicted to be a top guy, and he finished 10th. That’s impressive. I was the only guy to take Antonio Gates, and while he didn’t do much for most of the game, his last quarter and a half gave me the #1 spot easily. Guys we missed, Heath Miller, Jermichael Finley, they were 2nd and 3rd respectively. Marcedes Lewis was tied for 4th with Chris Cooley. Sean Ryan (of KC) was 7th. Steve Heiden and Will Heller grabbed 8 and 9. Defensively we did alright, three of us listed top ranked San Francisco and all four of us had at least 2 top 10 defenses in our picks. Papa took the Texans and looked good doing it, as they were 3rd. The Saints did work, finishing second, but nobody picked them to dominate the Jets. The Dolphins were 4th with a huge week. The Bucs had a nice performance against the Redskins, but still couldn’t get the win.