Tag Archives: Fantasy Focus

Fantasy Focus: Week 17 Fantasy Football Rankings

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If your into Week 17, you’re in the finals and your league is crazy for doing Week 17 finals – but there’s some hope! A- you likely are partaking in the winnings no matter what, and B- despite you having some guys that won’t be worth suiting up despite being awesome, I have a handful of guys ready to rock to the top spot despite low rankings. For the glory!!!

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

1. Ray Rice – The Raiders can’t handle the run and the Ravens need a win to get into the playoffs. Here, Ray, run…
2. Chris Johnson–  He’s going for 2000 yards on the season, and the all-time single season yards from scrimmage deal. And all this against the Hawks. You bet!
3. Jonathan Stewart – The Saints will end up resting guys and J-Stew will end up rocking the yardage.
4. Jay Cutler – Will the Bears let up and lose this week? I don’t think so, but either way, passing yards on they way!
5. Miles Austin– Tony has been throwing it great, and Miles has speed, great hands and his QB’s trust.

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

1. DeSean Jackson –The Cowboys’ worst nightmare, always a cut away from a long touchdown.
2. Carnell Williams– Caddy will come to play on Sunday, making it through a full season is reason to blow up!
3. Santonio Holmes – Like his teammate at WR, these two guys should do work in Miami.
4. Hines Ward – Should be good against the Dolphins leaky secondary.
5. Sydney Rice – The Giants secondary has been brutal, and Rice has been Favre’s go-to-guy.

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

1. Jerome Harrison –No reason to jump off his back, he’s been doing work for me!
2. Matt Forte – Almost a forgotten man, Forte should have a solid day against the Lions.
3. Arian Foster– Sure, he’s going up against a decent Patriots defensive front, but how long will they keep their starters in?
4. Quentin Ganther– Tough to want to start him after last week’s poo-pile, but I think he will be solid.
5. Devin Aromashadu– The kid has legit speed, and he goes to get the ball. Better yet, Jay likes to throw it to him.

Super Sleepers for Playoff Push…

1. Donald Brown – I think the rookie will get the lion’s share of the carries, good thing he’s playing Buffalo.
2. Sammy Morris – He seems to be the guy New England will use on Sunday – and he can pound away at yardage.
3. Shonn Greene –I see Greene taking over for Thomas Jones when the game is in the Jets’ hands, and that could be good.
4. Greg Camarillo – Should be good for at least 12 fantasy points this week vs. Pittsburgh.

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

1. Colts Starters– I’d be scared to start all the following starters for their teams, and I’m starting Tom Brady in one league despite my better judgment in not trusting Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
2. Patriots Starters–
3. Bengals Starters –
4. Saints Starters –
5. Packers Starters–

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***Last week of the year, you might as well go down swinging!!! Good work to get this far!***

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Fantasy Focus: NFL Fantasy Football Week 14 Projections

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Well, the fantasy playoffs are here, and never is there a time more important to get the rankings right. I’ve had a solid run with my starts and such, but I haven’t been winning too many of these in-house contests of late. I’m looking to turn that around, and I’ve used a lot of match-up advantage, high touch situations for my rankings and picks this week. Here’s the fantasy focus for Week 14’s NFL Action.

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

1. Drew Brees – Drew should have a great day against Atlanta’s suspect pass defense.
2. Ray Rice – Ray and the Ravens really struggled last week, but that’s why I love him to have a big week.
3. Sidney Rice – I think Favre goes back to the guy he’s most comfortable with after a tough week.
4. Ben Roethlisberger – Ben threw for 400+ yards last time they Steelers saw the Browns… again?
5. Chris Johnson – Until he does something other than score easy fantasy points, I’ll try to keep him here.

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

1. Terrell Owens – People might lay off him after a down week, but everyone struggles against Revis.
2. Mike Sims-Walker – 5 of his 6 home games have been double digit fantasy production.
3. Thomas Jones – I think the Jets will run 45 times this week – Thomas will get about 25 of those.
4. Ricky Williams –The Jaguars are up and down, against the Dolphins rushing attack, I think down.
5. Percy Harvin –What can I say, I think the Vikigns throw more than they pass against Cincinnati.

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

1. Justin Forsett –He’s still the best back in Seattle, and despite getting 1/3 the touches, he produced last week.
2. Michael Crabtree – Could be a big week for Crabtree, he’s been getting the targets, he’ll cash in soon.
3. Vince Young– He’s rated as the 25th QB in ESPN this week, I think he cuts that in half. At least.
4. Jamal Charles– He draws Buffalo this week, and he’s been solid, good combo start there.
5. Daunte Culpepper– The Ravens secondary isn’t awesome, and I’ll take a chance that Duante can still wing it with the best of them – go deep Calvin!

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

1. Matt Forte– Bad match-up against the Pack, in Week 1, the Pack weren’t quite figured out yet, and they still held Forte to 55 yards on 25 carries.
2. Steve Smith– Matt Moore isn’t better than Jake Delhomme, I can’t believe it. Sit him against the Pats.
3. Frank Gore – It’s going to kill me, but Mike Singletary’s offense has no identity – Gore gets no looks.
4. Eli Manning –I think Eli will struggle against the Eagles, every since Plax went bang, he’s struggled.
5. T.J. Houshmanzadeh– The Hawks need to throw this guy the ball, but they don’t do things right…

***You’re taking a chance on DeSean Jackson, Michael Turner, and DeAngelo Williams, but from what I hear, the first and the last are very likely, and Turner might practice Thursday. ***

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Fantasy Focus: Week 13 Fantasy Football Preview & Projections

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Alright, all four guys are back in action and ready to go for Thursday Night’s game – no late picks, no last second hurrah, no tricky back-up running back picks either. This week is full go like Al Davis’s battery, like Big Ben’s big bucket on his head, like Tom Brady’s redemption song – it should be a great week, lucky number 13 as far as I’m concerned. I’m going to celebrate with this week’s fantasy title just like a few years ago when I picked EVERY SINGLE GAME CORRECTLY in my free picks column, going 16-0 like it was nothing. Here’s what I’ve got for NFL Week 13’s Fantasy Rankings & Projections!

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

1. Chris Johnson– How can you not put this guy atop this list, especially against a hurting Colts D.
2. Reggie Wayne – Reggie gets the Titans this week, and you know Peyton’s throwing for 350+.
3. Peyton Manning – Lots of guys to like this week, I think Peyton throws about 50 times.
4. Ray Rice – I think Ray does his fair share of tormenting in Week 13, this week the Packers draw Ray.
5. Tom Brady– The Fins aren’t terrible in the secondary, but Tom after a bad game, watch out for him.

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

1. Rashard Mendenhall – The Raiders might get a healthy helping of Rashard this week.
2. Ricky Williams – I know the Pats are tough, but I bet Ricky gets 25 carries this week. That’s good.
3. Miles Austin – Really good player going against a banged up defense, and his QB’s favorite WR.
4. Knowshon Moreno –He’s getting better and better and his match-up is peachy.
5. Percy Harvin – Coverages are starting to role towards Sydney Rice, that’s good news for Harvin’s #s.

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

1. Jeremy Maclin –I have J-Mac down as a Top 5 starter this week, but I’m crazy. He should be good.
2. Michael Crabtree – I think Crab’s a good start this week against the Hawks. He’s physical, they aren’t.
3. Jason Avant – The Eagles are likely without DeSean Jackson – that’s good news for those that got Avant.
4. LeSean McCoy– Against Atlanta, he’s a pretty good bet for 120+ yards total offense and catches too.
5. Chris Chambers–Chambers has a tough match-up this week, but I still think he’s a good option.

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

1. Julius Jones– he’s back! but so what? he plays a tough run D and he’s not the best runner in Seattle.
2. Matthew Stafford– no way, no how, I’d rather pick up and start Josh Freeman or even, gulp, Brady Quinn.
3. Ben Roethlisberger – I think the Raiders bring blitzes often, and I also think Ben hands the ball off a lot.
4. Santonio Holmes– I don’t like Holmes’ chances for another solid outing.
5. Terrell Owens– I know he’s finally been good, but I can’t start him against Revis.

***I think Big Ben and Kurt are A-Okay, but Turner is off my list, and DeAngelo Williams is a guy I would worry about and check twice before starting. ***

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Week 12 Fantasy Rankings

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Fantasy Focus Review: Week 12 Fantasy Football

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It happened again… I came in last. Not back to back or anything, I mean last week I pulled out another win – but this week Ryan got his first taste of 1st place, but fresh in the spirit of Thanksgiving, both Josh and Ryan shared top honors. The fat old man finished just ahead of me, winning the family battle for one of the few times this year. It was close, and we all had some pretty poor picks, but Ryan had some great QB selections to go with his solid RBs while Josh consistently stayed in the middle and got a nice TE win to push him over the top. With Thanksgiving over and done with, I’m getting back down to business in Week 13 – here’s Week 12’s review!

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

1. Adrian Peterson– Peterson was okay, 15th RB this week, 15 fantasy points – Vikes aren’t over-using him. In fact, Chester Taylor outscored AP by 5 fantasy points this week. B-
2. Ricky Williams – Ricky was in AP’s boat, and while that’s not too bad at all, it’s not great this week. B
3. Larry Fitzgerald – Leinart didn’t look Larry’s way all that often, and no big chances – Larry had a bad week. F
4. Randy Moss – Tom missed Randy a few times, and a lot of yards and fantasy points were left on the table. F
5. Aaron Rodgers– #3 QB this week, a great thanksgiving for Mr. Rodgers neighborhood… A

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

1. Wes Welker – Wes had a down day, 6 catches, sure, but just 32 yards, finished 32nd amongst WRs. D+
2. Joe Flacco – 16th QB this week with 15 fantasy points, not bad, but not a great solid start really. B-
3. Kellen Winslow – Winslow finished 6th, he’s still one of the most talented TEs in the league. A-
4. Donald Driver –Tied with Miles Austin as the top receiver in Week 12. A+
5. Sidney Rice –Tied with a bunch at #18 WR this week, not a bad day for the consistent standout. B

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

1. Justin Forsett –#3 running back this week as Julius stayed out another week. Can’t wait for Mora to sit him. A
2. Michael Crabtree – 45th ranked receiver this week, not good enough, not terrible though. C-
3. Donnie Avery – 18th WR this week, a pretty good day for Mr. Avery tallying 14 fantasy points. B+
4. LeSean McCoy– Right there with AP and Ricky Williams and MJD – a pretty solid week for the rookie. A-
5. Chris Chambers– 6th WR this week, where did this guy disappear to over the last few years? A+

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

1. Matt Forte– 34th running back this week with 9 fantasy points, his 4 receptions were almost half his points. A
2. Steve Smith– 1 catch for 5 yards, I ended up starting him in a league, my options were bad. Not this bad. A+
3. Rashard Mendenhall – Mendenhall actually ran really tough, he was the 24th ranked RB, not too bad. B-
4. Roy Williams – 45th rated receiver, not a # I would have wanted in my starting line-up. B+
5. Chad Henne– Only 4 starting QBs were worse than Henne, but hey, one was Tom Brady. A

***Hope you didn’t start Turner or Big Ben, but I know I took one on the chin starting Kurt Warner – they tricked me!***

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Week 12 Fantasy Rankings

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Who did we miss this week? Quite a few guys… Here are the guys we missed from the Top 5 in each positional breakdown….

QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tony Romo both tied with Philip Rivers for 4th place amongst quarterbacks. Phil got picked, Fitzy and Romo didn’t.

RB: Fred Jackson finished 1st amongst RBs, Jamal Charles 4th, and Laurence Maroney tied Steven Jackson for 5th. Red Red Ryan made one hell of a pick taking Forsett.

WR: Donald Driver (by Kauffman again) was the only guy in the Top 5 that saw a spot in any of our Top 5s. Miles Austin (1), Percy Harvin (3), Kenny Britt (4), and Marques Colston (5) filled out the Top 5.

TE: Together, we didn’t miss a single TE in the Top 5. The next highest guys we didn’t select was Fred Davis (8th overall).

DST: Here’s a list of the Top 5 defenses: Jets, Packers, Chargers, 49ers, Broncos. I can’t remember right off hand who got picked, and who didn’t, but I imagine nobody picked the 49ers and Broncos, and I think the Jets were left off everyone’s list as well.

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.

Fantasy Focus: Week 10 Fantasy Football Rankings

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Okay, so I’m a little butt-hurt after losing the crown to a non-family member last week, but then I started thinking, friends, good ones, they’re like family anyway – and as much as I believe that, and know that it’s true, it didn’t make me feel one ounce of better. Josh won last week, inching me here, sneaking past me there, and just finishing ahead of me in numerous areas. I don’t like the feeling and I don’t like losing to friends, it’s almost worst than losing to people I don’t know – shoot, it’s 10x worse than losing to people I don’t know.

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Anyway, this week should see the title return to the rightful owner of pure fantasy genius. It’s an all RB Elite starts this week, I couldn’t pass it up with so many great match-ups. Consequently, there are 5 RBs there and not one of them is Adrian Peterson against Detroit. I justify that by saying that Detroit allows a lot more passing TDs than rushing scores, that the Vikings like to rest Peterson when up big against bad teams, and AP has just 2 100+ yard rushing games this year. But why do I feel like that’s going to come back to haunt me? Oh well. Here’s this week’s fantasy focus.

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

1. Ray Rice– I never thought I’d put Ray Rice as my number guy, but he’s been great.
2. Chris Johnson – I think this game will be closer than people predict, but CJ will kill.
3. Michael Turner – Atlanta’s back to doing what they do best, and Turner is solid.
4. DeAngelo Williams – The Falcons can’t stop him, but John Fox will try.
5. Thomas Jones– “@ Jacksonville” – that’s all I needed to see.

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

1. Carson Palmer – I think he has a big week in Pittsburgh, despite struggling last time.
2. Percy Harvin – I love they dynamic rookie going up against the TD giving Lions.
3. Pierre Thomas – Somebody has to carry 20+ times against the Rams, I pick PT.
4. Devin Hester – I don’t see the Bears running very successfully in San Fran.
5. Sidney Rice –He basically went undrafted, but he’s been too good to be a sleeper.

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

1. Reggie Bush – Face it, he’s down to sleeper status, but I think he’s worth a start.
2. Beanie Wells – Call it a feeling, but Beanie might have his best game as a pro.
3. Steve Breaston –Ta-tas likes to hurt the Hawks, even with Boldin in he’s worthy.
4. Mark Sanchez– He’ll be solid, and his running ability will accrue some points.
5. Ricky Williams – Ricky has been good this year, maybe he shouldn’t be considered a sleeper, but either way, he’s worth a flex spot against the Bucs defense.

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

1. Joseph Addai– I might start him, but I won’t like it. I don’t see Addai running much.
2. Wes Welker– The Colts often do a good job on Wes ~ 7 catches for 40 yards I expect.
3. Matt Forte – You never know, but I think, and that’s good enough for me to sit him.
4. Mike Sims-Walker– I think D. Revis continues his work on big receivers.
5. Julius Jones– A nice game last week, but nothing for him in Arizona.

***One very small Bye for Week 10: don’t play Giants or Texans, they’re throwing a two team party in Vegas! Mind this little Gap!!!

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Week 9 Fantasy Rankings

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Fantasy Focus Review: Week 8 Fantasy Football

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This was a terrible fantasy week for me. Not only did I lose two huge divisional fantasy games by a total of 3 fantasy points, but my good picks performed pretty poorly while my bad picks did alright. It was a struggle. And then you have me finishing last in the fantasy picks amongst writers – I just want to turn in Week 8 and forget all about it. Kind of like the Redskins offense does every week. At least the fantasy crown stayed in la familia, despite a great QB and WR prediction day from Arsenault. But now I have Papa dogging my fantasy knowledge. Ugh. Here’s the review.

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

1. Peyton Manning – Despite throwing for 347 yards in Week 8, Joseph Addai was the only Colt with a TD pass. Manning finished 9th amongst QBs, but just 13 fantasy points. C-
2. Adrian Peterson – The Packers shut down AP last time out, I DOUBT that happens again. Not this time.
3. Drew Brees – Brees was 7th amongst QBs with 20 fantasy points, a nice day out of him. B
4. Steve Slaton– Ryan Moats numbers, you see them? That’s what Slaton would have had if not for fumble-itas. Slaton got benched after 1 carry and 1 catch. F
5. Chris Johnson– Best running back option in Week 8, best overall. This guy is a stud. A+

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

1. Kyle Orton – The Ravens shut down the Broncos, definitely, Orton was the 21st ranked QB. F
2. Steve Smith – 13th wide receiver, he played well early. B+
3. Marshawn Lynch – 35th RB. Despite being up into the 4th, Lynch had just 9 carries. Buffalo is dumb. F
4. Steve Smith– 15th receiver this week, pretty solid output despite Giants’ struggles. B+
5. Brandon Jacobs – 21st RB, Jacobs had 87 rushing yards despite being way behind. He’s running well. C+

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

1. Nate Burleson – 6 grabs for 89 yards, Nate has had a very nice year, way better than Housh so far. B+
2. Eddie Royal – Eddie is open, ala T.J. Housh in Seattle – too bad nobody throws these guys the ball. F
3. Mike Bell – Just 2 fantasy points for Bell, there goes me reading Sean’s mind. F
4. Donnie Avery – 1 catch for 15 yards, I hate Marc Bulger. F
5. Beanie Wells – 41st RB. Good average, stupid play calling will screw a good day from a RB anytime. F

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

1. Julius Jones – 56 rushing yards and 2 grabs for 32 receiving. Not terrible, not good. I expected less. C-
2. Thomas Jones – Thomas had a nice day for the Jets, 102 rushing yards and a 28 yard catch. 18th RB. D
3. Roy Williams – Roy had just 2 catches for 19 yards, but he took one into the end zone. Still, that gives him 3 catches for 35 yards over his last 2 starts. Gross. B
4. Matt Hasselbeck – Well I was wrong in a sense, Matt finished 6th amongst QBs, but that fantasy output didn’t represent the game, as Matt and the Hawks got kicked around. Still, this is fantasy, I was wrong. F
5. LeSean McCoy – McCoy’s 1 65 yard TD run was enough to bury this as a good sit-pick. It looked good for most of the game, but the kid is explosive, and that long run definitely counts. F

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Who did we miss? Percy Harvin and Greg Jennings were both Top 5 performers and not one of us picked the rookie or Jennings despite a couple of us picking Favre and Rodgers. Interesting… As for running back absentees, how about Ryan Moats finishing 2nd in Week 8, you just can’t predict that business. Matt Forte finally made a Top 5 list, finishing 4th with 26 fantasy points against that burly Browns defense. Mark Sanchez, Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo, and Matt Hasselbeck finished 3, 4, 5, and 6 – and not a single one of us predicted one of those signal callers in a Top 5. Dustin Keller finished atop the TE rankings, while Kevin Boss, Brent Celek, and Spencer Havner (again) finish out the Top 5 at that position. Defensively, we all picked the Cardinals (final ranking 25th of 26 teams) but left out the Panthers (tied for 2nd with the Ravens). We also left out the Dolphins who rode two kick off return touchdowns to a huge defensive/special teams day in a win over the Jets. Kickers kicked, that’s all I remember there. Until next week!

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 5 NFL 2009

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Week 5 saw some huge games from some relatively unknown stars, a couple big games from guys that everyone expected to be great all season long, but they hadn’t gone big prior to Week 5, and a quarterback that completed 2 of 17 passes to lead his team to victory, or I guess they won in spite of him. Here’s the review!

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

1. Peyton Manning – #4 quarterback in Week 5, it was free money, 300+ 3 TDs, Reggie Wayne’s drop could have gotten him to #1, but 28 fantasy points from your QB is nice. A
2. Adrian Peterson –  #7 for AP, the Vikings didn’t feel like wasting their best player, he didn’t carry the ball all that much. B
3. Maurice Jones-Drew – The Jaguars were sleeping in this one, MJD had little room. F
4. Matt Schaub – 371 yards, 2 TDs, tied Matty for 6th amongst QBs this week. A
5. Reggie Wayne – 14th overall for Reggie, not a bad game, but not quite Miles, Roddy, or Maclin either. B-

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

1. Julius Jones– 45th overall? Yikes, the Seahawks threw early and often, and didn’t do much on the ground. F
2. Santana Moss – 40th WR, not a great game, not a bad output, I expected a little more. C
3. Tim Hightower– 14th RB, Tim caught passes, has few rushes, and scored a TD, sounds about right. B+
4. Carson Palmer – 271 yards and a TD, the Bengals relied on Benson more than I expected, Palmer was OK. B-
5. Hines Ward –11th receiver, you bet. Hines is one of the most consistent receivers ever. A

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

1. Tashard Choice – 14th RB overall with just 8 rushes, this kid is a stud. A
2. Jerome Harrison – They said he’d run a lot, he didn’t Jamal Lewis carried the rock 31 times, JH not much. F
3. Mohamed Massaquoi –He had the most targets, most yards, and most catches for the Browns.  2 fantasy points. That’s how bad it is in Cleveland right now. F
4. Steve Breaston– 34th receiver, 10 fantasy points, a TD would have made this a great pick. C+
5. Eddie Royal – 12th overall, 15 targets, 10 catches, 90 yards, Eddie is back baby!!! A

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

1. Ray Rice – Rice was huge this week! This was a tough week for me in Sit’em section. F
2. Steven Jackson – 23rd RB overall, just 10 fantasy points, outscored by lots of guys ranked below him. B
3. Matt Ryan – Ryan ate up the 49ers, tossing TDs to Roddy White like it was his job. It is his job. F
4. Roddy White –Best day he’s ever had, used Nate Clements and company like his own highlight film. F
5. Larry Johnson – 45th RB this week, he averaged something like 1.7 yards per carry. A

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

Week 5 Fantasy Final Rankings

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Lawrence Tynes, Rob Bironas, Olindo Mare, and Jay Feely all had solid outings on Sunday…
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Red Red Ryan brought up the rear this week, probably because he can’t get out from under the boss’s finger and write his damn article any single day during the week. Josh finished 3rd, I finished second by a single spot as Papa Weimer took the title for the 2nd week in a row. What can I say? At least it’s staying in the family. Papa pulled off 3 wins this week, taking QBs, WRs, and TEs, and a second place finish in WRs despite Sims-Walker being a late scratch, quite the impressive week from the old man. He killed the QB rankings! Who did we miss this week? From bottom to top, we all missed the Seahawks, finishing Week 5 as the top ranked D. Cleveland was 4th with a huge day leading their offense to victory. Nobody saw room for Kellen Winslow in their Top 5 rankings, but he decided to go ballistic on us, putting up nearly twice as many points as the 2nd rated TE. Heath Miller, Visanthe Shiancoe, and Anthony Fasano finished 4, 5, 6… Five out of the top six receivers didn’t see a Top 5 selection. Andre Johnson was 4th, but 1, 2, and 3 went to Austin Miles, Roddy White, and Jeremy Maclin. 5 and 6 went to Austin Collie and Nate Burelson. Nobody picked a RB in the Top 6, 1-6 went as follows; Ahmad Bradshaw, Micheal Turner, Ray Rice, Joseph Addai, Ronnie Brown, and Cedric Benson. Maybe we’re picking the wrong Giant??? We all had a pretty solid day in the quarterback race, but none of us selected #1 signal caller Matt Hasselbeck nor did any of us pick #3 QB Matt Ryan. Other than that we had the Too 10 pretty well represented.

Stay tuned for Week 6’s Fantasy Focus!

Fantasy Focus: NFL Week 3

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Week 3 fantasy football is upon us, and here we are, dancing around some tough plays this coming weekend. The match-ups are in, the staff has been polled, and we have all the predicted rankings heading into Week 3. I’ve taken the top spot (Lucky Lester) each of the first two weeks, but it’s close, and I know I have some guys out to take my crown. Once again, I’ve listed my 4 levels of plays, elites, solids, sleepers, and no-nos, I hope they help. Josh, Papa, Red Red Ryan, and I have our rankings further down the page. I hope you enjoy it all!

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

1. Maurice Jones Drew – I don’t think the Texans can stop MJD, ala Chris Johnson last week.
2. Andre Johnson – That being said, I’m not so sure the Jaguars can stop the Texans either, I’ll take AJ.
3. Drew Brees – He has to come back to earth one of these days, dude can’t throw 72 touchdowns. Not this week.
4. Matt Schaub – Two weeks in a row at the top? You bet.
5. Brandon Jacobs – It’s been a slow start for the beast, enter the Buccaneers as unlucky opponent in Week 3.

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

1. Ray Rice– I think Ray will be the top scoring back on the Ravens team this week against Cleveland.
2. Ryan Grant – The Packers haven’t been dedicated to the run this year, I think that changes this week.
3. Larry Johnson– Questions surrounding Larry, I think he has a nice game this week.
4. Dwayne Bowe – Big nasty receiver going against the Eagles, and I think KC will be down – I like this pick.
5. Braylon Edwards – Drop a couple, catch a couple, he’ll have plenty of opportunities down early.

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

1. Mario Manningham – Yeah, I like what I saw, me and every other guy.
2. David Garrard – I’d take him a lot of weeks, should be real good against Houston.
3. Trent Edwards –Both teams should have lots of snaps and score lots of points. Even in a loss I like Trent.
4.Fred Jackson– If he’s a beast one more week, does he keep the starting job when Lynch comes back?
5. Jabar Gaffney – The Raiders will take away the top guys, but Gaffney should find room. Good sleeper pick.

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

1. Joseph Addai – The Cardinals are very tough against the run, shutting down two studs in Gore and MJD.
2. Cedric Benson – His style versus the Steelers is not a good match-up for his fantasy owners.
3. Willie Parker – I don’t know if Willie will have too many more big games, the Bengals are tough on the run.
4. Bernard Berrien – Is he even the #1 receiver anymore, either way, Nate Clements should shut him down.
5. Chris Johnson – Can you sit this guy? Probably not, but if you have other options I’d suggest it.

PS – Don’t start injured or suspended players, it makes you look dumb.

Week 2 Fantasy Rankings

Josh Arsenault	        Ryan Kauffman		Papa Weimer		Lucky Lester

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

1.Drew Brees    	1.Drew Brees		1.Peyton Manning	1.Drew Brees
2.Tom Brady     	2.Aaron Rodgers 	2.Tom Brady     	2.Matt Schaub
3.Phillip Rivers 	3.Matt Schaub     	3.Drew Brees     	3.Peyton Manning
4.Aaron Rodgers   	4.Peyton Manning	4.David Garrard 	4.Tony Romo
5.Carson Palmer  	5.Trent Edwards 	5.Aaron Rodgers		5.Tom Brady
RBs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Michael Turner	1.Maurice Jones-Drew	1.Adrian Peterson	1.Maurice Jones-Drew
2.Maurice Jones-Drew	2.Brandon Jacobs	2.Steve Slaton  	2.Brandon Jacobs
3.Adrian Peterson	3.Ronnie Brown  	3.Maurice Jones-Drew	3.Adrian Peterson
4.Matt Forte		4.Matt Forte    	4.Fred Jackson  	4.Matt Forte
5.Clinton Portis	5.Steven Jackson	5.Clinton Portis  	5.Ryan Grant

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

1.Randy Moss		1.Andre Johnson   	1.Larry Fitzgerald	1.Andre Johnson
2.Larry Fitzgerald	2.Reggie Wayne  	2.Reggie Wayne		2.Randy Moss
3.Reggie Wayne   	3.Randy Moss		3.Steve Smith (NYG)    	3.Reggie Wayne
4.Andre Johnson 	4.Greg Jennings		4.Andre Johnson 	4.Steve Smith (CAR)
5.Steve Smith (CAR)  	5.Santonio Holmes	5.Calvin Johnson	5.Jericho Cotchery

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

1.Chris Cooley  	1.Jeremy Shockey	1.Dallas Clark  	1.Antonio Gates
2.Tony Gonzalez		2.Tony Gonzalez		2.John Carlson  	2.Dallas Clark
3.John Carlson		3.Dustin Keller		3.Tony Gonzalez 	3.Jason Witten
4.Antonio Gates 	4.Dallas Clark  	4.Owen Daniels		4.Chris Cooley
5.Jason Witten   	5.Owen Daniels   	5.Jason Witten		5.Tony Gonzalez

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

1.Ravens		1.Ravens		1.Bears 		1.Ravens
2.Redskins		2.Broncos       	2.Steelers		2.Packers
3.Packers		3.Giants		3.Eagles		3.Broncos
4.Broncos		4.Bears  		4.Packers		4.Redskins
5.Vikings		5.Redskins		5.Redskins		5.Eagles

Kickers-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The three other guys would rather kick Lucky than rank kickers, so no dice on the K rankings!