Quarterback
MVP: Peyton Manning (Broncos)
It was fitting that Peyton Manning broke the single-season passing touchdown record with another excellent game. Manning threw for 400 yards and 4 TD's on the great Texans passing defense on Sunday afternoon. 2013 has been a dream season for Manning, who continues to perform at freakish levels at age 37. Manning definitely led a majority of his owners to victory this week and is probably responsible for fantasy football titles this year than anyone else.
Honorable Mentions: Andy Dalton (Bengals), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Matt Ryan (Falcons)
LVP: Philip Rivers (Chargers)
Philip Rivers put up a rare dud at the worst possible time for his fantasy owners. Rivers manged only 201 yards, a TD and an INT against a Raiders defense that is absolutely horrid. Rivers surprised a lot of people (myself included) with his resurgence this season but he ended up being a disappointment when he was needed the most in the world of fantasy football.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kirk Cousins (Redskins), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Jay Cutler (Bears), Tony Romo (Cowboys)
Running Back
MVP: LeSean McCoy (Eagles)
Huge shocker: LeSean McCoy gouged the last-ranked Chicago Bears rush defense on Sunday night. McCoy displayed his dual-threat ability throughout the entire game racking up 162 total yards and 2 TD's. McCoy has really flourished in Chip Kelly's offense and been lights-out all season long. In my eyes, he's all but a lock for a top 3 pick in next year's fantasy drafts.
Honorable Mentions: DeMarco Murray (Cowboys), Donald Brown (Colts), Joique Bell (Lions), Eddie Lacy (Packers)
LVP: Matt Forte (Bears)
With the Eagles beating the Bears senseless on Sunday night, Matt Forte really didn't have much of a chance to do anything. The normally consistent Forte only had 13 touches (9 carries, 4 receptions) for 54 yards. Even though it was mostly out of his hands, Forte's underwhelming performance still stings especially since the Eagles are a very beatable defense and he had been coming off three straight games with 100+ yards.
Dishonorable Mentions: Giovani Bernard (Bengals), Reggie Bush (Lions), Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars), Lamar Miller (Dolphins)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Eric Decker (Broncos)
While all 3 healthy top Broncos receivers had a good game on Sunday, Eric Decker especially delivered the goods with 10 catches for 131 yards and 2 TD's. Decker has had a huge December that more than made up for his weak November and justified his status as a weekly WR2 and confirms him a relatively-high draft choice for next season.
Honorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), Pierre Garcon (Redskins), Roddy White (Falcons), Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)
LVP: Mike Wallace (Dolphins)
The Dolphins got straight-up embarrassed by the Bills on Sunday. While the entire Dolphins offense was abysmal, Mike Wallace's 38-yard performance was the most disappointing. Wallace had looked great for 4 of the last 5 games and was facing a Bills secondary that has been getting torched by wideouts all year long. Wallace was up-and-down all season long but he has started to click with Ryan Tannehill of late and could end up having a huge year next season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Calvin Johnson (Lions), Brandon Marshall (Bears), Alshon Jeffrey (Bears), Andre Johnson (Texans)
Tight End
MVP: Julius Thomas (Broncos)
Julius Thomas was at the receiving end of Peyton Manning's record-breaking touchdown on Sunday and headlined yet another subpar week for tight ends in the NFL this year. Thomas has been the biggest surprise this year going from unknown third-stringer to top 5 tight end over the course of a single season. As long as Manning is around and excelling, Thomas should continue to put up good numbers.
Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Graham (Saints), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Jermaine Gresham (Bengals), Martellus Bennett (Bears)
LVP: Vernon Davis (49ers)
What the hell happened to Vernon Davis this week? One of the very few breakout tight ends of 2013 did not the deliver the goods this week by failing to bring in a catch this week against the weak Falcons defense. This is especially odd since Davis has been such an integral part of the 49ers offense this season and he was completely ignored by Colin Kaepernick in this game. This blemish aside, Davis has been money in 2013 and should be one of the few tight ends to go in the first 5 rounds of fantasy drafts next season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Delanie Walker (Titans), Heath Miller (Steelers), Dennis Pitta (Ravens)
Defense
MVP: New England Patriots
It's about damn time the Patriots defense woke up. After failing to deliver the goods since their triumphant performance against the Broncos last month, the Patriots defense was dominating against the Ravens on Sunday. The Patriots registered 4 sacks, 3 INT's, a fumble recovery and 2 touchdowns on the afternoon and just outright dominated the Ravens from start to finish. The Patriots defense was ultimately a middling fantasy pick this season but they certainly had moments of dominance.
Honorable Mentions: Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams
LVP: Cleveland Browns
Now on the other end of the spectrum: The Browns defense was coming off a strong performance against the Bears last week before going right back to their disappointing ways against the Jets this week. The Browns couldn't even muster a sack or takeaway against a team that is known to turn the ball over like it's going out of style. The Browns defense has ultimately improved in the real game this season, but their value in fantasy football is still very little at the moment.
Dishonorable Mentions: Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers
Showing posts with label 2013 fantasy football winners and losers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013 fantasy football winners and losers. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Week 15 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Nick Foles (Eagles)
Even in a down week for the Eagles, Nick Foles delivered the goods. Foles started off slow in the first half but went on to gouge the Vikings in the second half in route to a 428-yard, 3 TD performance. Foles also added 41 rushing yards and a 2 point-conversion to secure his spot as the number 1 fantasy quarterback of week 15. Foles continues to deliver in his breakout season and should be a high quarterback choice in next year's drafts.
Honorable Mentions: Alex Smith (Chiefs), Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), Drew Brees (Saints), Jay Cutler (Bears)
LVP: Matt Ryan (Falcons)
2013 has just not been Matt Ryan's year in both fantasy and real football. Ryan looked to be in-store for a big outing against the sinking ship otherwise known as the Redskins on Sunday but that didn't end up working out. Ryan wasn't totally awful but his fantasy owners certainly expected more than 210 yards and a TD on a defense that is as awful as the Redskins are. Owners should consider other options like Kirk Cousins, Ryan Tannehill or Ryan Fitzpatrick this week as Ryan as the misfortune of going against the great 49ers secondary in San Fransisco this Monday night.
Dishonorable Mentions: Peyton Manning (Broncos), Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Cam Newton (Panthers), Matthew Stafford (Lions)
Running Back
MVP: Jammal Charles (Chiefs)
Jammal Charles's number on Sunday didn't even seem real. Charles hung 5 TD's on the Raiders (the Raiders also allowed the Doug Martin's record performance last season and Nick Foles's 7 TD, 158.3 passer rating performance earlier this year) and managed to get 195 of his 215 total yards in the passing game. Yes that's correct a running back did most of his damage catching passes. I was skeptical about how Jammal Charles would perform this year due to his injury history and Andy Reid's heavy workload on running backs but I was proven dead wrong. Charles's 18 total TD's and almost 1,700 all-purpose yards has made him a fantasy stud all year long and he's the current top contender for the top overall pick in 2014 fantasy drafts.
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Lacy (Packers), DeAngelo Williams (Panthers), Rashad Jennings (Raiders), DeMarco Murray (Cowboys)
LVP: Alfred Morris (Redskins)
Alfred Morris just can't a break these past couple weeks. Morris seemed like he was in for a huge game with RG3 out and a friendly matchup with the Falcons. Morris did end up running for 95 yards but fumbled twice and didn't get in the endzone. Morris has been the lone bright spot for the Redskins this year but even he has been stumbling of late. Morris gets another chance to redeem himself this week against another awful defense in the Cowboys.
Dishonorable Mentions: LeSean McCoy (Eagles), Shane Vereen (Patriots), BenJarvus Green-Ellis (Bengals), Andre Brown (Giants)
Wide Receiver
MVP: DeSean Jackson (Eagles)
DeSean Jackson was the beneficiary of the Nick Foles's second-half explosion against the Vikings on Sunday. Jackson had 191 yards and a touchdown on-the-day and once again got to show off his incredible deep-threat abilities. Jackson has been one of the biggest steals of 2013 and has more than solidified himself as a weekly strong WR2/borderline WR1 play.
Honorable Mentions: Greg Jennings (Vikings), Julian Edelman (Patriots), Pierre Garcon (Redskins), Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
LVP: Andre Johnson (Texans)
Last time Andre Johnson played the Colts, he put up 229 yards and 3 TD's and had a major impact on the game. This time around Johnson was a complete nonfactor picking up just 16 yards on the afternoon. Johnson has made the best out of the quarterback insecurity the Texans have had this season but this has also led to him putting some stinkers along the way. If his quarterback can get him the ball, Johnson certainly has bounceback potential against the Broncos middling secondary this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Demaryius Thomas (Broncos), Eric Decker (Broncos), Roddy White (Falcons), Steve Smith (Panthers)
Tight End
MVP: Vernon Davis (49ers)
Vernon Davis continues to make his mark as an endzone magnet with a flair for the big play getting 52 of his 79 yards on a bomb TD pass from Colin Kaepernick in the first half. Davis has been one of the few consistent performers at tight end this season and should continue to deliver the goods as long as he's healthy.
Honorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Delanie Walker (Titans), Greg Olsen (Panthers)
LVP: Charles Clay (Dolphins)
Fresh off 2 huge games, Charles Clay had a major setback against the Patriots. Clay was held to only 1 reception for 6 yards on the day. It was a huge catch for the team and led to their game-winning drive, but if you started him this week in fantasy, you were certainly expecting a lot more especially since the Patriots had been slaughtered by Jordan Cameron the week before.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jimmy Graham (Saints), Antonio Gates (Chargers), Jordan Cameron (Browns), Coby Fleener (Colts)
Defense
MVP: Seattle Seahawks
This is the type of stifling defense you've come to expect from the Seahawks. The Seahawks got their first shutout of the season on the Giants on Sunday. They punctuated the shutout by picking off Eli Manning 5 times and sacking him 3 times. If anyone was questioning if they were the best defense in the league, this should answer your question.
Honorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, San Fransisco 49ers
LVP: New Orleans Saints
The improving Saints defense has not looked worse all year than they did against the Rams on Sunday. They picked up zero sacks or takeaways and allowed a bevy of big plays to an offense that is not really that frightening. It doesn't get any easier for the Saints as they travel to Carolina this week to face Cam Newton and the high-flying Panthers offense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals
MVP: Nick Foles (Eagles)
Even in a down week for the Eagles, Nick Foles delivered the goods. Foles started off slow in the first half but went on to gouge the Vikings in the second half in route to a 428-yard, 3 TD performance. Foles also added 41 rushing yards and a 2 point-conversion to secure his spot as the number 1 fantasy quarterback of week 15. Foles continues to deliver in his breakout season and should be a high quarterback choice in next year's drafts.
Honorable Mentions: Alex Smith (Chiefs), Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), Drew Brees (Saints), Jay Cutler (Bears)
LVP: Matt Ryan (Falcons)
2013 has just not been Matt Ryan's year in both fantasy and real football. Ryan looked to be in-store for a big outing against the sinking ship otherwise known as the Redskins on Sunday but that didn't end up working out. Ryan wasn't totally awful but his fantasy owners certainly expected more than 210 yards and a TD on a defense that is as awful as the Redskins are. Owners should consider other options like Kirk Cousins, Ryan Tannehill or Ryan Fitzpatrick this week as Ryan as the misfortune of going against the great 49ers secondary in San Fransisco this Monday night.
Dishonorable Mentions: Peyton Manning (Broncos), Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Cam Newton (Panthers), Matthew Stafford (Lions)
Running Back
MVP: Jammal Charles (Chiefs)
Jammal Charles's number on Sunday didn't even seem real. Charles hung 5 TD's on the Raiders (the Raiders also allowed the Doug Martin's record performance last season and Nick Foles's 7 TD, 158.3 passer rating performance earlier this year) and managed to get 195 of his 215 total yards in the passing game. Yes that's correct a running back did most of his damage catching passes. I was skeptical about how Jammal Charles would perform this year due to his injury history and Andy Reid's heavy workload on running backs but I was proven dead wrong. Charles's 18 total TD's and almost 1,700 all-purpose yards has made him a fantasy stud all year long and he's the current top contender for the top overall pick in 2014 fantasy drafts.
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Lacy (Packers), DeAngelo Williams (Panthers), Rashad Jennings (Raiders), DeMarco Murray (Cowboys)
LVP: Alfred Morris (Redskins)
Alfred Morris just can't a break these past couple weeks. Morris seemed like he was in for a huge game with RG3 out and a friendly matchup with the Falcons. Morris did end up running for 95 yards but fumbled twice and didn't get in the endzone. Morris has been the lone bright spot for the Redskins this year but even he has been stumbling of late. Morris gets another chance to redeem himself this week against another awful defense in the Cowboys.
Dishonorable Mentions: LeSean McCoy (Eagles), Shane Vereen (Patriots), BenJarvus Green-Ellis (Bengals), Andre Brown (Giants)
Wide Receiver
MVP: DeSean Jackson (Eagles)
DeSean Jackson was the beneficiary of the Nick Foles's second-half explosion against the Vikings on Sunday. Jackson had 191 yards and a touchdown on-the-day and once again got to show off his incredible deep-threat abilities. Jackson has been one of the biggest steals of 2013 and has more than solidified himself as a weekly strong WR2/borderline WR1 play.
Honorable Mentions: Greg Jennings (Vikings), Julian Edelman (Patriots), Pierre Garcon (Redskins), Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
LVP: Andre Johnson (Texans)
Last time Andre Johnson played the Colts, he put up 229 yards and 3 TD's and had a major impact on the game. This time around Johnson was a complete nonfactor picking up just 16 yards on the afternoon. Johnson has made the best out of the quarterback insecurity the Texans have had this season but this has also led to him putting some stinkers along the way. If his quarterback can get him the ball, Johnson certainly has bounceback potential against the Broncos middling secondary this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Demaryius Thomas (Broncos), Eric Decker (Broncos), Roddy White (Falcons), Steve Smith (Panthers)
Tight End
MVP: Vernon Davis (49ers)
Vernon Davis continues to make his mark as an endzone magnet with a flair for the big play getting 52 of his 79 yards on a bomb TD pass from Colin Kaepernick in the first half. Davis has been one of the few consistent performers at tight end this season and should continue to deliver the goods as long as he's healthy.
Honorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Delanie Walker (Titans), Greg Olsen (Panthers)
LVP: Charles Clay (Dolphins)
Fresh off 2 huge games, Charles Clay had a major setback against the Patriots. Clay was held to only 1 reception for 6 yards on the day. It was a huge catch for the team and led to their game-winning drive, but if you started him this week in fantasy, you were certainly expecting a lot more especially since the Patriots had been slaughtered by Jordan Cameron the week before.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jimmy Graham (Saints), Antonio Gates (Chargers), Jordan Cameron (Browns), Coby Fleener (Colts)
Defense
MVP: Seattle Seahawks
This is the type of stifling defense you've come to expect from the Seahawks. The Seahawks got their first shutout of the season on the Giants on Sunday. They punctuated the shutout by picking off Eli Manning 5 times and sacking him 3 times. If anyone was questioning if they were the best defense in the league, this should answer your question.
Honorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, San Fransisco 49ers
LVP: New Orleans Saints
The improving Saints defense has not looked worse all year than they did against the Rams on Sunday. They picked up zero sacks or takeaways and allowed a bevy of big plays to an offense that is not really that frightening. It doesn't get any easier for the Saints as they travel to Carolina this week to face Cam Newton and the high-flying Panthers offense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Week 14 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Josh McCown (Bears)
The show that Josh McCown put up last night against the Cowboys was just a spectacle. McCown led the team to a score on every single drive of the game and was involved in all 5 touchdowns the Bears scored (4 passing, 1 rushing.) Save for a mediocre performance against the Rams a couple weeks ago, McCown has been fantastic in relief of Jay Cutler. With Cutler back at practice and very much in the mix to start on Sunday against the Browns, this may be McCown's last fantasy hooray of the season and if it was, he certainly went out with a bang.
Honorable Mentions: Andrew Luck (Colts), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Drew Brees (Saints)
LVP: Matthew Stafford (Lions)
Yes the conditions were terrible but that still doesn't fully excuse Matthew Stafford's underwhelming performance on Sunday against the Eagles. Stafford wasn't really using his check downs and kept trying to do too much with limited visibility leading to a 148 yard-performance with no touchdowns on the day. Stafford should do a lot better in his home sweet dome at Ford Field when the Lions take on the Ravens on Monday.
Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Robert Griffin III (Redskins)
Running Back
MVP: LeSean McCoy (Eagles)
LeSean McCoy continued his monster 2013 campaign with arguably his most impressive performance of the season. McCoy picked up 217 yards and two touchdowns in a full-on blizzard against the Lions on Sunday. McCoy wasn't just running up the gut either, he was cutting and juking in eight inches of snow. McCoy continues his reign as the top fantasy running back and faces about as favorable of a schedule as you can have in the last 3 games against the porous run defenses of the Vikings, Bears and Cowboys.
Honorable Mentions: Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Shane Vereen (Patriots), Ryan Matthews (Chargers), Matt Forte (Bears)
LVP: Alfred Morris (Redskins)
With the Redskins getting absolutely smoked right out of the gate against the Chiefs, there really wasn't much of a call for Alfred Morris to run the ball. Morris only picked up 31 yards on a measly 12 carries. Morris will get a chance to redeem himself against an awful Falcons defense on Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ben Tate (Texans), Andre Brown (Giants), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Le'veon Bell (Steelers)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Josh Gordon (Browns)/Marques Colston (Saints)
After having no ties all season, there's now been two straight weeks with a tie at a given fantasy position. Josh Gordon, who has been lights out for the past month, put on another show against the Patriots on Sunday punctuated by an 80-yard touchdown. On the exact opposite side of the spectrum, Marques Colston snapped a giant cold streak with his 125-yard, 2 touchdown performance against the Panthers. This was easily Colston's best performance of the year and will hopefully lead to a turnaround after being relatively quiet for much of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Antonio Brown (Steelers), Cordarrelle Patterson (Vikings), Keenan Allen (Chargers)
LVP: Torrey Smith (Ravens)
The most consistent piece in the Ravens offense did not deliver the goods this week. Smith was held in-check by a weak Vikings secondary managing only a single catch for 11 yards and a 2 point conversion score on the day. Smith has another beatable matchup on Monday against the Lions and is still a great WR2 or WR3 play for any team that is fortunate enough to be alive in the playoffs.
Dishonorable Mentions: Calvin Johnson (Lions), Victor Cruz (Giants), Harry Douglas (Falcons), Kendall Wright (Titans)
Tight End
MVP: Charles Clay (Dolphins)
Charles Clay has made a strong resurgence the past few weeks after being quiet for quite a while after his hot start in September. Clay scooped up 97 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers on Sunday. There's a real nice chemistry between Clay and Ryan Tannehill right now and that's more enough of a reason to keep playing him. Clay faces a Patriots defense on Sunday that is very-banged up and just got torched by Browns TE Jordan Cameron this past week.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Browns), Jimmy Graham (Saints), Garrett Graham (Texans), Jermaine Gresham (Bengals)
LVP: Antonio Gates (Chargers)
Antonio Gates had a quiet day amidst the Chargers manhandling of the Giants on Sunday managing 50 yards on 4 catches. Gates has been really quiet of late scoring just 1 touchdown and eclipsing 60 yards once over the past five games. Gates does have a solid matchup against the Broncos on Thursday but he's by no means a must-start at this point in time.
Dishonorable Mentions: Greg Olsen (Panthers), Coby Fleener (Colts), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Ladarius Green (Chargers)
Defense
MVP: Kansas City Chiefs
Well safe to say The Chiefs defense woke up after struggling for the past 3 games. The Chiefs managed 6 sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and two kick return touchdowns in their absolutely pounding of the Redskins on Sunday. The Chiefs have a good shot at an encore performance against the struggling Raiders offense this week.
Honorable Mentions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, New York Jets
LVP: New England Patriots
The Patriots did not bring their A-game on defense at all on Sunday. They managed only 1 sack and picked up no takeaways on the lacklusterBrowns offense. This marks two weeks in a row that the Patriots defense has failed to perform with really easy matchups. They have another creampuff matchup this week against the Dolphins, which certainly has potential for big points but based on their play the last couple weeks is far from a lock.
Dishonorable Mentions: St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals
MVP: Josh McCown (Bears)
The show that Josh McCown put up last night against the Cowboys was just a spectacle. McCown led the team to a score on every single drive of the game and was involved in all 5 touchdowns the Bears scored (4 passing, 1 rushing.) Save for a mediocre performance against the Rams a couple weeks ago, McCown has been fantastic in relief of Jay Cutler. With Cutler back at practice and very much in the mix to start on Sunday against the Browns, this may be McCown's last fantasy hooray of the season and if it was, he certainly went out with a bang.
Honorable Mentions: Andrew Luck (Colts), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Drew Brees (Saints)
LVP: Matthew Stafford (Lions)
Yes the conditions were terrible but that still doesn't fully excuse Matthew Stafford's underwhelming performance on Sunday against the Eagles. Stafford wasn't really using his check downs and kept trying to do too much with limited visibility leading to a 148 yard-performance with no touchdowns on the day. Stafford should do a lot better in his home sweet dome at Ford Field when the Lions take on the Ravens on Monday.
Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Robert Griffin III (Redskins)
Running Back
MVP: LeSean McCoy (Eagles)
LeSean McCoy continued his monster 2013 campaign with arguably his most impressive performance of the season. McCoy picked up 217 yards and two touchdowns in a full-on blizzard against the Lions on Sunday. McCoy wasn't just running up the gut either, he was cutting and juking in eight inches of snow. McCoy continues his reign as the top fantasy running back and faces about as favorable of a schedule as you can have in the last 3 games against the porous run defenses of the Vikings, Bears and Cowboys.
Honorable Mentions: Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Shane Vereen (Patriots), Ryan Matthews (Chargers), Matt Forte (Bears)
LVP: Alfred Morris (Redskins)
With the Redskins getting absolutely smoked right out of the gate against the Chiefs, there really wasn't much of a call for Alfred Morris to run the ball. Morris only picked up 31 yards on a measly 12 carries. Morris will get a chance to redeem himself against an awful Falcons defense on Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ben Tate (Texans), Andre Brown (Giants), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Le'veon Bell (Steelers)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Josh Gordon (Browns)/Marques Colston (Saints)
After having no ties all season, there's now been two straight weeks with a tie at a given fantasy position. Josh Gordon, who has been lights out for the past month, put on another show against the Patriots on Sunday punctuated by an 80-yard touchdown. On the exact opposite side of the spectrum, Marques Colston snapped a giant cold streak with his 125-yard, 2 touchdown performance against the Panthers. This was easily Colston's best performance of the year and will hopefully lead to a turnaround after being relatively quiet for much of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Antonio Brown (Steelers), Cordarrelle Patterson (Vikings), Keenan Allen (Chargers)
LVP: Torrey Smith (Ravens)
The most consistent piece in the Ravens offense did not deliver the goods this week. Smith was held in-check by a weak Vikings secondary managing only a single catch for 11 yards and a 2 point conversion score on the day. Smith has another beatable matchup on Monday against the Lions and is still a great WR2 or WR3 play for any team that is fortunate enough to be alive in the playoffs.
Dishonorable Mentions: Calvin Johnson (Lions), Victor Cruz (Giants), Harry Douglas (Falcons), Kendall Wright (Titans)
Tight End
MVP: Charles Clay (Dolphins)
Charles Clay has made a strong resurgence the past few weeks after being quiet for quite a while after his hot start in September. Clay scooped up 97 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers on Sunday. There's a real nice chemistry between Clay and Ryan Tannehill right now and that's more enough of a reason to keep playing him. Clay faces a Patriots defense on Sunday that is very-banged up and just got torched by Browns TE Jordan Cameron this past week.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Browns), Jimmy Graham (Saints), Garrett Graham (Texans), Jermaine Gresham (Bengals)
LVP: Antonio Gates (Chargers)
Antonio Gates had a quiet day amidst the Chargers manhandling of the Giants on Sunday managing 50 yards on 4 catches. Gates has been really quiet of late scoring just 1 touchdown and eclipsing 60 yards once over the past five games. Gates does have a solid matchup against the Broncos on Thursday but he's by no means a must-start at this point in time.
Dishonorable Mentions: Greg Olsen (Panthers), Coby Fleener (Colts), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Ladarius Green (Chargers)
Defense
MVP: Kansas City Chiefs
Well safe to say The Chiefs defense woke up after struggling for the past 3 games. The Chiefs managed 6 sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and two kick return touchdowns in their absolutely pounding of the Redskins on Sunday. The Chiefs have a good shot at an encore performance against the struggling Raiders offense this week.
Honorable Mentions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, New York Jets
LVP: New England Patriots
The Patriots did not bring their A-game on defense at all on Sunday. They managed only 1 sack and picked up no takeaways on the lacklusterBrowns offense. This marks two weeks in a row that the Patriots defense has failed to perform with really easy matchups. They have another creampuff matchup this week against the Dolphins, which certainly has potential for big points but based on their play the last couple weeks is far from a lock.
Dishonorable Mentions: St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Week 13 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Peyton Manning (Broncos)
Peyton Manning recovered from 2 early picks to have his most impressive outing since his 7 TD performance on opening day against the Ravens. Manning carved up the suddenly-vulenrable Chiefs secondary for 403 yards and 5 TD's. Manning's numbers this year have been completlely absurd and owners should be giddy with how easy his schedule is during the fantasy playoffs (except if your league's playoffs start this week, Manning is going against the stingy Titans secondary who have allowed the 3rd least amount of fantasy points to quarterback this year.)
Honorable Mentions: Cam Newton (Panthers), Nick Foles (Eagles), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
LVP: Tony Romo (Cowboys)
Tony Romo owners certainly wern't thankful for his performance on Thanskgiving against the Raiders. Romo managed to only put up 1 TD on an awful Raiders secondary while DeMarco Murray ran in for 3 scores to give the Cowboys the win. Romo has played far better this year than the past couple, but he is still going to put up some stinkers in good matchups and this week was one of them.
Dishonorable Mentions: Andy Dalton (Bengals), Eli Manning (Giants), Drew Brees (Saints), Andrew Luck (Colts)
Running Back
MVP: Ben Tate (Texans)/DeMarco Murray (Cowboys)
For the first time this year, there was a tie for top fantasy player at a given position. Ben Tate and DeMarco Murry both ripped off 102 total yards and 3 redzone TD's, paying considerable dividends as RB2 plays this week.
Honorable Mentions: Reggie Bush (Lions), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), C.J. Spiller (Bills)
LVP: Eddie Lacy (Packers)
This week was odd as just about every running back that had a good matchup this week at least put up respecatable numbers. This left Eddie Lacy, who had a brutal matchup against the Lions, as the weakest running back play of the week. Lacy got all but completely shut down with 39 total yards in a game where the Packers did next to nothing right.
Dishonorable Mentions: Frank Gore (49ers), Chris Ivory (Jets), Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Ray Rice (Ravens)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Eric Decker (Broncos)
Eric Decker was the beneficary of Peyton Manning's huge game against the Chiefs reeling in 8 receptions for 174 yards and 4 TD's on the day. This was great news for anyone who owns Decker since he's been really quiet since his last big game against the Colts over a month ago. With the Broncos seemingly endless rotation in the passing game, Decker is not an elite option moving forward. That being said, he still has enough upside and a favorable schedule to warrant playing as an WR3/FLEX.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Gordon (Browns), Alshon Jeffrey (Bears), Brian Hartline (Dolphins), Calvin Johnson (Lions)
LVP: Brandon Marshall (Bears)
With Alshon Jeffrey's insane game against the Vikings on Sunday, Brandon Marshall was kept relatively in check picking up just 4 catches for 45 yards. This statline is just a small blemish on what has been another great year for Marshall. He has a huge chance at a bounceback game against the Cowboys bottom-ranked secondary on Monday night.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordy Nelson (Packers), Antonio Brown (Steelers), Stevie Johnson (Bills), Steve Smith (Panthers)
Tight End
MVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
With Jimmy Graham stealing all the spotlight this year, it was fitting that Rob Gronkowski made some noise this week. The Texans did a good job containing Gronkowski for much of the game, but they allowed him to make big plays, including a 50-yard reception in the third quarter and a 23-yard touchdown in the first quarter that led to Gronkowski putting up a great statline.
Honorable Mentions: Vernon Davis (49ers), Brandon Myers (Giants), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Jimmy Graham (Saints)
LVP: Martellus Bennett (Bears)
The Black Unicorn was also a casuality of Alshon Jeffrey's monster game, picking up just 2 catches for 14 yards. Bennett has been slumping for the most part of late. I don't know if its Josh McCown stepping in at quarterback for the injured Jay Cutler or just the play of Marshall or Jeffrey, but Bennett is nowhere near as good of a play as he was earlier in the season. He's still a low-end TE1 moving forward, but can definitely be benched if you find a better option
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Browns), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Garrett Graham (Texans), Antonio Gates (Chargers)
Defense
MVP: Detroit Lions
Saying the Lions defense did well against the Packers this week would be the gross understatement of the century. The Lions picked up 7 sacks (including a safety,) 2 fumble recoveries and an INT in the Thanksgiving beatdown.
Honorable Mentions: Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers
LVP: Cleveland Browns
The Browns are just aggravating. Their defense all of a sudden isn't getting the job done and they have had cakewalk matchups the past few weeks. The Browns picked up 2 sacks and an interception on what was supposed to be a defensive massacre against the Jaguars on Sunday. This marks three straight weeks the Browns defense has blown it and until they show signs of life, they aren't worth rostering.
Dishonorable Mentions: Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals
MVP: Peyton Manning (Broncos)
Peyton Manning recovered from 2 early picks to have his most impressive outing since his 7 TD performance on opening day against the Ravens. Manning carved up the suddenly-vulenrable Chiefs secondary for 403 yards and 5 TD's. Manning's numbers this year have been completlely absurd and owners should be giddy with how easy his schedule is during the fantasy playoffs (except if your league's playoffs start this week, Manning is going against the stingy Titans secondary who have allowed the 3rd least amount of fantasy points to quarterback this year.)
Honorable Mentions: Cam Newton (Panthers), Nick Foles (Eagles), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
LVP: Tony Romo (Cowboys)
Tony Romo owners certainly wern't thankful for his performance on Thanskgiving against the Raiders. Romo managed to only put up 1 TD on an awful Raiders secondary while DeMarco Murray ran in for 3 scores to give the Cowboys the win. Romo has played far better this year than the past couple, but he is still going to put up some stinkers in good matchups and this week was one of them.
Dishonorable Mentions: Andy Dalton (Bengals), Eli Manning (Giants), Drew Brees (Saints), Andrew Luck (Colts)
Running Back
MVP: Ben Tate (Texans)/DeMarco Murray (Cowboys)
For the first time this year, there was a tie for top fantasy player at a given position. Ben Tate and DeMarco Murry both ripped off 102 total yards and 3 redzone TD's, paying considerable dividends as RB2 plays this week.
Honorable Mentions: Reggie Bush (Lions), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), C.J. Spiller (Bills)
LVP: Eddie Lacy (Packers)
This week was odd as just about every running back that had a good matchup this week at least put up respecatable numbers. This left Eddie Lacy, who had a brutal matchup against the Lions, as the weakest running back play of the week. Lacy got all but completely shut down with 39 total yards in a game where the Packers did next to nothing right.
Dishonorable Mentions: Frank Gore (49ers), Chris Ivory (Jets), Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Ray Rice (Ravens)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Eric Decker (Broncos)
Eric Decker was the beneficary of Peyton Manning's huge game against the Chiefs reeling in 8 receptions for 174 yards and 4 TD's on the day. This was great news for anyone who owns Decker since he's been really quiet since his last big game against the Colts over a month ago. With the Broncos seemingly endless rotation in the passing game, Decker is not an elite option moving forward. That being said, he still has enough upside and a favorable schedule to warrant playing as an WR3/FLEX.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Gordon (Browns), Alshon Jeffrey (Bears), Brian Hartline (Dolphins), Calvin Johnson (Lions)
LVP: Brandon Marshall (Bears)
With Alshon Jeffrey's insane game against the Vikings on Sunday, Brandon Marshall was kept relatively in check picking up just 4 catches for 45 yards. This statline is just a small blemish on what has been another great year for Marshall. He has a huge chance at a bounceback game against the Cowboys bottom-ranked secondary on Monday night.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordy Nelson (Packers), Antonio Brown (Steelers), Stevie Johnson (Bills), Steve Smith (Panthers)
Tight End
MVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
With Jimmy Graham stealing all the spotlight this year, it was fitting that Rob Gronkowski made some noise this week. The Texans did a good job containing Gronkowski for much of the game, but they allowed him to make big plays, including a 50-yard reception in the third quarter and a 23-yard touchdown in the first quarter that led to Gronkowski putting up a great statline.
Honorable Mentions: Vernon Davis (49ers), Brandon Myers (Giants), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Jimmy Graham (Saints)
LVP: Martellus Bennett (Bears)
The Black Unicorn was also a casuality of Alshon Jeffrey's monster game, picking up just 2 catches for 14 yards. Bennett has been slumping for the most part of late. I don't know if its Josh McCown stepping in at quarterback for the injured Jay Cutler or just the play of Marshall or Jeffrey, but Bennett is nowhere near as good of a play as he was earlier in the season. He's still a low-end TE1 moving forward, but can definitely be benched if you find a better option
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Browns), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Garrett Graham (Texans), Antonio Gates (Chargers)
Defense
MVP: Detroit Lions
Saying the Lions defense did well against the Packers this week would be the gross understatement of the century. The Lions picked up 7 sacks (including a safety,) 2 fumble recoveries and an INT in the Thanksgiving beatdown.
Honorable Mentions: Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers
LVP: Cleveland Browns
The Browns are just aggravating. Their defense all of a sudden isn't getting the job done and they have had cakewalk matchups the past few weeks. The Browns picked up 2 sacks and an interception on what was supposed to be a defensive massacre against the Jaguars on Sunday. This marks three straight weeks the Browns defense has blown it and until they show signs of life, they aren't worth rostering.
Dishonorable Mentions: Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Week 12 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Philip Rivers (Chargers)
The resurgence of Philip Rivers continues. Rivers had arguably his strongest game of the season with an eye-popping 392 yards and 3 TD's on a stout Chiefs defense (it is worth nothing that their top pass-rushers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston left the game with an injury.) Rivers owners will hope he continues to come up big against tough defenses when the Chargers face the Bengals on Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Cam Newton (Panthers)
LVP: Case Keenum (Texans)
Just when you thought the Texans had a legit starter in Case Keenum, he puts up another stinker against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. Keenum couldn't find the end zone for the second straight week and was out-of-sync with his receivers the whole game. With Keenum's inconsistency and opponents that include the Patriots, Titans and Broncos over the last month of the season, there is no use for keeping him on your fantasy roster.
Dishonorable Mentions: Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Joe Flacco (Ravens)
Running Back
MVP: Knowshon Moreno (Broncos)
With Peyton Manning having a subpar game by his standards, the Broncos needed someone to step up and Knowshon Moreno answered the call. Moreno got the ball an astronomical 37 times for 224 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots on Sunday night. Moreno continues to get a ton of touches and a has nose for the endzone making him about as valuable of an RB2 as you can have right now.
Honorable Mentions: Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Eddie Lacy (Packers), Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars), Danny Woodhead (Chargers)
LVP: Frank Gore (49ers)
This caught me completely my surprise. A workhorse like Frank Gore has had strong outings against elite run defenses like the Cardinals and Panthers gets all but completely shut down by a below average at best unit in the Redskins. This isn't all Gore's fault, he only had 13 touches in the game but his 2.4 yards per carry is a bit disconcerting. Hopefully the 49ers get him more involved in the coming weeks, especially with the Rams coming up this week, who Gore absolutely smashed in their first meeting this season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ben Tate (Texans), Matt Forte (Bears), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), Alfred Morris (Redskins)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Josh Gordon (Browns)
Bold claim alert: Josh Gordon is the most underrated wide receiver in the NFL. Gordon had another explosive outing this week against the Steelers with 237 yards and a TD. Just about every week Gordon is putting up crazy numbers, which is beyond impressive considering that he has a bunch of weak quarterbacks throwing him the ball. With Jordan Cameron slumping and a nonexistent running game, Gordon is the lone playmaker on the Browns offense and should continue to put big numbers as long as he is getting the ball.
Honorable Mentions: Julian Edelman (Patriots), Anquan Boldin (49ers), Mike Wallace (Dolphins), Brandon Marshall (Bears)
LVP: Victor Cruz (Giants)
What the hell happened to Victor Cruz? After starting the year on a hot streak, Cruz has done next to nothing in the past month or so. This week against the Cowboys is easily the most disappointing performance of the season for Cruz so far. With Hakeem Nicks inactive and a matchup against the abysmal Cowboys secondary, Cruz should've went off. Instead, Cruz mustered a whopping 27 yards and a fumble on the afternoon. Cruz has a big redemption chance against the Redskins this week, but given the fact that he has only 1 breakout game over the past month and a half, it's far from a guarantee.
Dishonorable Mentions: Andre Johnson (Texans), Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers), Jordy Nelson (Packers), Eric Decker (Broncos)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Jimmy Graham went off again last Thursday night against the Falcons and broke the goal post when he was celebrating a touchdown. In other words, Jimmy Graham is pretty much the most terrifying player in the league.
Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Martellus Bennett (Bears), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Jared Cook (Rams)
LVP: Heath Miller (Steelers)
It was a feast for the Steelers offense in a blowout win over the Browns, but Heath Miller was left starving again with just 41 yards on the day. Miller simply just has not been himself this season since returning from the torn ACL he suffered late last year and is a respectable TE2 at best with his current production level.
Dishonorable Mentions: Delanie Walker (Titans), Garrett Graham (Texans), Charles Clay (Dolphins), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons)
Defense
MVP: Pittsburgh Steelers
Hold the phone, the Steelers defense is capable of getting sacks and takeaways? The Steelers managed to get 5 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and a pick six against the rapidly-declining Browns on Sunday. This rare explosion is almost a certainly a fluke from a defense that is normally useless for fantasy purposes.
Honorable Mentions: Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals
LVP: Cleveland Browns
The Browns pass rush is basically nonexistent the past couple weeks and it hit a new low with no sacks on a Steelers offensive line that is absolutely horrid. The Browns weren't even able to salvage the afternoon with a takeaway. Their last 5 games have too many favorable matchups to get rid of them, but they are going to need show more consistency to warrant starting week-by-week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans
MVP: Philip Rivers (Chargers)
The resurgence of Philip Rivers continues. Rivers had arguably his strongest game of the season with an eye-popping 392 yards and 3 TD's on a stout Chiefs defense (it is worth nothing that their top pass-rushers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston left the game with an injury.) Rivers owners will hope he continues to come up big against tough defenses when the Chargers face the Bengals on Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Cam Newton (Panthers)
LVP: Case Keenum (Texans)
Just when you thought the Texans had a legit starter in Case Keenum, he puts up another stinker against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. Keenum couldn't find the end zone for the second straight week and was out-of-sync with his receivers the whole game. With Keenum's inconsistency and opponents that include the Patriots, Titans and Broncos over the last month of the season, there is no use for keeping him on your fantasy roster.
Dishonorable Mentions: Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Joe Flacco (Ravens)
Running Back
MVP: Knowshon Moreno (Broncos)
With Peyton Manning having a subpar game by his standards, the Broncos needed someone to step up and Knowshon Moreno answered the call. Moreno got the ball an astronomical 37 times for 224 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots on Sunday night. Moreno continues to get a ton of touches and a has nose for the endzone making him about as valuable of an RB2 as you can have right now.
Honorable Mentions: Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Eddie Lacy (Packers), Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars), Danny Woodhead (Chargers)
LVP: Frank Gore (49ers)
This caught me completely my surprise. A workhorse like Frank Gore has had strong outings against elite run defenses like the Cardinals and Panthers gets all but completely shut down by a below average at best unit in the Redskins. This isn't all Gore's fault, he only had 13 touches in the game but his 2.4 yards per carry is a bit disconcerting. Hopefully the 49ers get him more involved in the coming weeks, especially with the Rams coming up this week, who Gore absolutely smashed in their first meeting this season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ben Tate (Texans), Matt Forte (Bears), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), Alfred Morris (Redskins)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Josh Gordon (Browns)
Bold claim alert: Josh Gordon is the most underrated wide receiver in the NFL. Gordon had another explosive outing this week against the Steelers with 237 yards and a TD. Just about every week Gordon is putting up crazy numbers, which is beyond impressive considering that he has a bunch of weak quarterbacks throwing him the ball. With Jordan Cameron slumping and a nonexistent running game, Gordon is the lone playmaker on the Browns offense and should continue to put big numbers as long as he is getting the ball.
Honorable Mentions: Julian Edelman (Patriots), Anquan Boldin (49ers), Mike Wallace (Dolphins), Brandon Marshall (Bears)
LVP: Victor Cruz (Giants)
What the hell happened to Victor Cruz? After starting the year on a hot streak, Cruz has done next to nothing in the past month or so. This week against the Cowboys is easily the most disappointing performance of the season for Cruz so far. With Hakeem Nicks inactive and a matchup against the abysmal Cowboys secondary, Cruz should've went off. Instead, Cruz mustered a whopping 27 yards and a fumble on the afternoon. Cruz has a big redemption chance against the Redskins this week, but given the fact that he has only 1 breakout game over the past month and a half, it's far from a guarantee.
Dishonorable Mentions: Andre Johnson (Texans), Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers), Jordy Nelson (Packers), Eric Decker (Broncos)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Jimmy Graham went off again last Thursday night against the Falcons and broke the goal post when he was celebrating a touchdown. In other words, Jimmy Graham is pretty much the most terrifying player in the league.
Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Martellus Bennett (Bears), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Jared Cook (Rams)
LVP: Heath Miller (Steelers)
It was a feast for the Steelers offense in a blowout win over the Browns, but Heath Miller was left starving again with just 41 yards on the day. Miller simply just has not been himself this season since returning from the torn ACL he suffered late last year and is a respectable TE2 at best with his current production level.
Dishonorable Mentions: Delanie Walker (Titans), Garrett Graham (Texans), Charles Clay (Dolphins), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons)
Defense
MVP: Pittsburgh Steelers
Hold the phone, the Steelers defense is capable of getting sacks and takeaways? The Steelers managed to get 5 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and a pick six against the rapidly-declining Browns on Sunday. This rare explosion is almost a certainly a fluke from a defense that is normally useless for fantasy purposes.
Honorable Mentions: Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals
LVP: Cleveland Browns
The Browns pass rush is basically nonexistent the past couple weeks and it hit a new low with no sacks on a Steelers offensive line that is absolutely horrid. The Browns weren't even able to salvage the afternoon with a takeaway. Their last 5 games have too many favorable matchups to get rid of them, but they are going to need show more consistency to warrant starting week-by-week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Week 11 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
Trade rumors about Ben Roethlisberger should surface every week if they yield these type of results from Big Ben. Roethlisberger was in vintage form with a 367 yard, 4 TD performance leading a huge second half comeback for the Steelers over the Lions on Sunday. The last few weeks have seen a serious resurgence for Roethlisberger and if this keeps up, he'll be a solid QB1 play for owners trying to make a playoff push.
Honorable Mentions: Carson Palmer (Cardinals), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Matthew Stafford (Lions), Cam Newton (Panthers)
LVP: Case Keenum (Texans)
The hot streak for Case Keenum has ended. After being dominant in his first 3 career starts, Keenum stumbled against a Raiders defense that is only 2 weeks removed from the Nick Foles 7 TD explosion. Gary Kubiak perplexingly yanked Keenum at the end of the 3rd quarter, ruining any chance for him to salvage his afternoon. Keenum has some money matchups down the stretch, so as long as he remains the starter, he should be a viable option if you need him.
Dishonorable Mentions: Geno Smith (Jets), Drew Brees (Saints), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Matt Ryan (Falcons)
Running Back
MVP: LeSean McCoy (Eagles)
Once again, the most dominant running back performance was from a guy (Bobby Rainey) that no one had on their roster. This week's most valuable fantasy play, LeSean McCoy, has been no stranger to dominance this season. The league's leading rusher has looked better this year, but putting up 150 total yards and 2 TD's is still not too shabby. McCoy is the focal point of the rush-heavy Eagles offense and could very well end being the most valuable fantasy running back of 2013.
Honorable Mentions: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Rashad Jennings (Raiders), Ray Rice (Ravens), Chris Johnson (Titans)
LVP: Reggie Bush (Lions)
Jim Schwartz done lost his mind on Sunday. For whatever reason, he benched Reggie Bush for an extended period of time after a second-quarter fumble. Even when he was in the game, Schwartz wasn't giving him the ball. The upstart Lions success this year can be largely attributed to Bush, so it doesn't make a whole of lot sense to only give him 12 touches in the game especially when Matthew Stafford was struggling in the second half.
Dishonorable Mentions: Frank Gore (49ers), Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Andre Ellington (Cardinals), Danny Woodhead (Chargers)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Calvin Johnson (Lions)
Only Megatron can be held without a catch in the second half and still dominate a game. Johnson's insane first half with 179 yards and 2 TD's were more enough to put him at the top of the heap again for fantasy receivers.
Honorable Mentions: Antonio Brown (Steelers), Michael Floyd (Cardinals), Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers), Harry Douglas (Falcons)
LVP: A.J. Green (Bengals)
This is just wild. The Bengals managed to crush the Browns on Sunday with star receiver A.J. Green getting held to only 7 yards. What makes this even more surprising is that Green was coming off a streak of 5 straight games where he put up over 100 yards. This weak performance really is nothing to panic about though, Green is the big playmaker in the Bengals receiving corps and is going to get a vast amount of targets every week.
Dishonorable Mentions: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans), Mike Wallace (Dolphins), Brandon Marshall (Bears), Riley Cooper (Eagles)
Tight End
MVP: Garrett Graham (Texans)
The Texans might not have done much good on Sunday against the Raiders, but Garrett Graham impressed mightily with 136 yards and a touchdown on the afternoon. With DeAndre Hopkins slumping hardcore right now, Graham looks to be locked in as the number 2 option in the passing game for the Texans, which is great news for anyone who owns Graham.
Honorable Mentions: Charles Clay (Dolphins), Delanie Walker (Titans), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Greg Olsen (Panthers)
LVP: Scott Chandler (Bills)
A lot of big name tight ends disappointed this week, but they were all in very tough matchups. Scott Chandler is an average tight end that couldn't take advantage of a great matchup against the Jets. Making this even more disappointing was the fact that Chandler was the most reliable receiving option the Bills had on the field with wideouts Stevie Johnson and Robert Woods both out with injury.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Reed (Redskins), Jimmy Graham (Saints), Jordan Cameron (Browns), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons)
Defense
MVP: Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals blowout victory can be attested to the play of their defense and special teams. The Bengals defense put on a clinic getting 4 sacks, 3 INT's, a fumble recovery, a blocked punt and 2 defensive TD's (off of the blocked punt and the fumble.)
Honorable Mentions: Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears
LVP: New York Jets
The Jets schizophrenic 2013 campaign continued on Sunday with a blowout loss against the Bills. The poor play of the defense can partly be blamed on how bad the offense was at turning the ball over and being unable to sustain a drive, but the defense also played pretty poorly and allowed some huge plays to a Bills offense that doesn't really make big plays. The fact that the Jets defense got no takeways and only 1 sack on the Bills offense is just plain sad. If the season-long trend continues, just don't play the Jets the week after they win because they're going to get killed.
Dishonorable Mentions: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts
MVP: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
Trade rumors about Ben Roethlisberger should surface every week if they yield these type of results from Big Ben. Roethlisberger was in vintage form with a 367 yard, 4 TD performance leading a huge second half comeback for the Steelers over the Lions on Sunday. The last few weeks have seen a serious resurgence for Roethlisberger and if this keeps up, he'll be a solid QB1 play for owners trying to make a playoff push.
Honorable Mentions: Carson Palmer (Cardinals), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Matthew Stafford (Lions), Cam Newton (Panthers)
LVP: Case Keenum (Texans)
The hot streak for Case Keenum has ended. After being dominant in his first 3 career starts, Keenum stumbled against a Raiders defense that is only 2 weeks removed from the Nick Foles 7 TD explosion. Gary Kubiak perplexingly yanked Keenum at the end of the 3rd quarter, ruining any chance for him to salvage his afternoon. Keenum has some money matchups down the stretch, so as long as he remains the starter, he should be a viable option if you need him.
Dishonorable Mentions: Geno Smith (Jets), Drew Brees (Saints), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Matt Ryan (Falcons)
Running Back
MVP: LeSean McCoy (Eagles)
Once again, the most dominant running back performance was from a guy (Bobby Rainey) that no one had on their roster. This week's most valuable fantasy play, LeSean McCoy, has been no stranger to dominance this season. The league's leading rusher has looked better this year, but putting up 150 total yards and 2 TD's is still not too shabby. McCoy is the focal point of the rush-heavy Eagles offense and could very well end being the most valuable fantasy running back of 2013.
Honorable Mentions: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Rashad Jennings (Raiders), Ray Rice (Ravens), Chris Johnson (Titans)
LVP: Reggie Bush (Lions)
Jim Schwartz done lost his mind on Sunday. For whatever reason, he benched Reggie Bush for an extended period of time after a second-quarter fumble. Even when he was in the game, Schwartz wasn't giving him the ball. The upstart Lions success this year can be largely attributed to Bush, so it doesn't make a whole of lot sense to only give him 12 touches in the game especially when Matthew Stafford was struggling in the second half.
Dishonorable Mentions: Frank Gore (49ers), Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Andre Ellington (Cardinals), Danny Woodhead (Chargers)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Calvin Johnson (Lions)
Only Megatron can be held without a catch in the second half and still dominate a game. Johnson's insane first half with 179 yards and 2 TD's were more enough to put him at the top of the heap again for fantasy receivers.
Honorable Mentions: Antonio Brown (Steelers), Michael Floyd (Cardinals), Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers), Harry Douglas (Falcons)
LVP: A.J. Green (Bengals)
This is just wild. The Bengals managed to crush the Browns on Sunday with star receiver A.J. Green getting held to only 7 yards. What makes this even more surprising is that Green was coming off a streak of 5 straight games where he put up over 100 yards. This weak performance really is nothing to panic about though, Green is the big playmaker in the Bengals receiving corps and is going to get a vast amount of targets every week.
Dishonorable Mentions: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans), Mike Wallace (Dolphins), Brandon Marshall (Bears), Riley Cooper (Eagles)
Tight End
MVP: Garrett Graham (Texans)
The Texans might not have done much good on Sunday against the Raiders, but Garrett Graham impressed mightily with 136 yards and a touchdown on the afternoon. With DeAndre Hopkins slumping hardcore right now, Graham looks to be locked in as the number 2 option in the passing game for the Texans, which is great news for anyone who owns Graham.
Honorable Mentions: Charles Clay (Dolphins), Delanie Walker (Titans), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Greg Olsen (Panthers)
LVP: Scott Chandler (Bills)
A lot of big name tight ends disappointed this week, but they were all in very tough matchups. Scott Chandler is an average tight end that couldn't take advantage of a great matchup against the Jets. Making this even more disappointing was the fact that Chandler was the most reliable receiving option the Bills had on the field with wideouts Stevie Johnson and Robert Woods both out with injury.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Reed (Redskins), Jimmy Graham (Saints), Jordan Cameron (Browns), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons)
Defense
MVP: Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals blowout victory can be attested to the play of their defense and special teams. The Bengals defense put on a clinic getting 4 sacks, 3 INT's, a fumble recovery, a blocked punt and 2 defensive TD's (off of the blocked punt and the fumble.)
Honorable Mentions: Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears
LVP: New York Jets
The Jets schizophrenic 2013 campaign continued on Sunday with a blowout loss against the Bills. The poor play of the defense can partly be blamed on how bad the offense was at turning the ball over and being unable to sustain a drive, but the defense also played pretty poorly and allowed some huge plays to a Bills offense that doesn't really make big plays. The fact that the Jets defense got no takeways and only 1 sack on the Bills offense is just plain sad. If the season-long trend continues, just don't play the Jets the week after they win because they're going to get killed.
Dishonorable Mentions: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Week 10 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Drew Brees's performance on Sunday was even insane by his standards. Brees looked like a man possessed completing 83% of his passes for 392 yards and 4 TD's in the Saints 49-17 beatdown of the Cowboys on Sunday night. Brees has been the most consistent QB1 this season not named Peyton Manning and I'm sure he'll continue to make his owners happy for the rest of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Nick Foles (Eagles), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
LVP: Philip Rivers (Chargers)
Philip Rivers didn't play too bad against the Broncos on Sunday putting up 216 yards and a touchdown. That being said, everyone expected more with Rivers on a hot streak and a Broncos secondary that has allowed a ton of fantasy points to quarterbacks all season long.
Dishonorable Mentions: Andrew Luck (Colts), Eli Manning (Giants), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Cam Newton (Panthers)
Running Back
MVP: Pierre Thomas (Saints)
No you are not imagining things, a Saints running back was the most valuable fantasy running back this week. The Saints managed to run all over the Cowboys all game long with Pierre Thomas putting up the most impressive numbers with 111 total yards and 2 TD's (1 rushing, 1 receiving) I wouldn't get too excited for the Saints rushing game to make a resurgence though. They play some really tough run defenses (49ers, Seahawks, Panthers twice) down the stretch and it can not be stressed enough how bad this team is at running at the ball most weeks.
Honorable Mentions: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Darren Sproles (Saints), Andre Brown (Giants)
LVP: Chris Johnson (Titans)
A week after C2J returned to vintage form against the Rams, he reverted right back to the new, lackluster C2J. He somehow managed to only gain 30 yards (2.5 yards per carry) on the league-worst rushing defense of the Jaguars. Johnson continues to disappoint and despite a few strong moments, can't develop any momentum this season. Johnson is a low-end RB2 moving forward and continues to show he can not trusted to perform consistently.
Dishonorable Mentions: C.J. Spiller (Bills), Matt Forte (Bears), Eddie Lacy (Packers), Fred Jackson (Bills)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)
Good ol' Demaryius "Bay Bay" Thomas was Peyton Manning's weapon of choice this week. 3 of his 7 receptions were touchdowns and pretty much carried the team to victory over the Chargers on a slow day for most of the Broncos receiving corps.
Honorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), Tavon Austin (Rams), Brandon Marshall (Bears), Riley Cooper (Eagles)
LVP: Wes Welker (Broncos)
The normally effective Wes Welker was held to a measly 21 yards against the Chargers weak secondary on Sunday. Demaryius and Julius Thomas got all the attention from Manning, leaving Welker and Eric Decker to put up poor numbers. This performance shouldn't be much to fret for Welker owners though. This offense is absolutely loaded with talent and Welker will get more than his fair share of opportunities to shine the rest of this season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Victor Cruz (Giants), Keenan Allen (Chargers), Eric Decker (Broncos), Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
Tight End
MVP: Julius Thomas (Broncos)
Julius Thomas did most of his damage on a 74-yard touchdown catch in the 1st quarter, but in a week where most tight ends disappointed, it was more than enough to make him the best fantasy play of the week.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Reed (Redskins), Delanie Walker (Titans), Brandon Pettigrew (Lions), Antonio Gates (Chargers)
LVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
For a normal tight end, 59 yards in a game would be a perfectly fine game. For Jimmy Graham, it's an off-game. Graham's numbers are especially disappointing considering that the Saints had a field day with the Cowboys defense on Sunday night. In Graham's defense, he is playing hurt, but for such a dominant player like Graham to not put up double-digit fantasy points is a big letdown.
Dishonorable Mentions: Greg Olsen (Panthers), Martellus Bennett (Bears), Garrett Graham (Texans), Vernon Davis (49ers)
Defense
MVP: St. Louis Rams
The up-and-down Rams defense put up one of their most dominant performances of the season in their surprising blowout victory over the Colts. The defense gave Andrew Luck and co. hell with 5 takeaways, 3 sacks and a defensive touchdown on the afternoon.
Honorable Mentions: New York Giants, Oakland Raiders, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals
LVP: Tennessee Titans
Sunday was not kind to the Titans, who gave the Jaguars their first victory of the season. The defense was a big part of that managing only 3 sacks and 2 takeaways against a team that has been very generous to fantasy defenses all season long.
Dishonorable Mentions: Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Drew Brees's performance on Sunday was even insane by his standards. Brees looked like a man possessed completing 83% of his passes for 392 yards and 4 TD's in the Saints 49-17 beatdown of the Cowboys on Sunday night. Brees has been the most consistent QB1 this season not named Peyton Manning and I'm sure he'll continue to make his owners happy for the rest of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Nick Foles (Eagles), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
LVP: Philip Rivers (Chargers)
Philip Rivers didn't play too bad against the Broncos on Sunday putting up 216 yards and a touchdown. That being said, everyone expected more with Rivers on a hot streak and a Broncos secondary that has allowed a ton of fantasy points to quarterbacks all season long.
Dishonorable Mentions: Andrew Luck (Colts), Eli Manning (Giants), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Cam Newton (Panthers)
Running Back
MVP: Pierre Thomas (Saints)
No you are not imagining things, a Saints running back was the most valuable fantasy running back this week. The Saints managed to run all over the Cowboys all game long with Pierre Thomas putting up the most impressive numbers with 111 total yards and 2 TD's (1 rushing, 1 receiving) I wouldn't get too excited for the Saints rushing game to make a resurgence though. They play some really tough run defenses (49ers, Seahawks, Panthers twice) down the stretch and it can not be stressed enough how bad this team is at running at the ball most weeks.
Honorable Mentions: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Darren Sproles (Saints), Andre Brown (Giants)
LVP: Chris Johnson (Titans)
A week after C2J returned to vintage form against the Rams, he reverted right back to the new, lackluster C2J. He somehow managed to only gain 30 yards (2.5 yards per carry) on the league-worst rushing defense of the Jaguars. Johnson continues to disappoint and despite a few strong moments, can't develop any momentum this season. Johnson is a low-end RB2 moving forward and continues to show he can not trusted to perform consistently.
Dishonorable Mentions: C.J. Spiller (Bills), Matt Forte (Bears), Eddie Lacy (Packers), Fred Jackson (Bills)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)
Good ol' Demaryius "Bay Bay" Thomas was Peyton Manning's weapon of choice this week. 3 of his 7 receptions were touchdowns and pretty much carried the team to victory over the Chargers on a slow day for most of the Broncos receiving corps.
Honorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), Tavon Austin (Rams), Brandon Marshall (Bears), Riley Cooper (Eagles)
LVP: Wes Welker (Broncos)
The normally effective Wes Welker was held to a measly 21 yards against the Chargers weak secondary on Sunday. Demaryius and Julius Thomas got all the attention from Manning, leaving Welker and Eric Decker to put up poor numbers. This performance shouldn't be much to fret for Welker owners though. This offense is absolutely loaded with talent and Welker will get more than his fair share of opportunities to shine the rest of this season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Victor Cruz (Giants), Keenan Allen (Chargers), Eric Decker (Broncos), Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
Tight End
MVP: Julius Thomas (Broncos)
Julius Thomas did most of his damage on a 74-yard touchdown catch in the 1st quarter, but in a week where most tight ends disappointed, it was more than enough to make him the best fantasy play of the week.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Reed (Redskins), Delanie Walker (Titans), Brandon Pettigrew (Lions), Antonio Gates (Chargers)
LVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
For a normal tight end, 59 yards in a game would be a perfectly fine game. For Jimmy Graham, it's an off-game. Graham's numbers are especially disappointing considering that the Saints had a field day with the Cowboys defense on Sunday night. In Graham's defense, he is playing hurt, but for such a dominant player like Graham to not put up double-digit fantasy points is a big letdown.
Dishonorable Mentions: Greg Olsen (Panthers), Martellus Bennett (Bears), Garrett Graham (Texans), Vernon Davis (49ers)
Defense
MVP: St. Louis Rams
The up-and-down Rams defense put up one of their most dominant performances of the season in their surprising blowout victory over the Colts. The defense gave Andrew Luck and co. hell with 5 takeaways, 3 sacks and a defensive touchdown on the afternoon.
Honorable Mentions: New York Giants, Oakland Raiders, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals
LVP: Tennessee Titans
Sunday was not kind to the Titans, who gave the Jaguars their first victory of the season. The defense was a big part of that managing only 3 sacks and 2 takeaways against a team that has been very generous to fantasy defenses all season long.
Dishonorable Mentions: Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Week 9 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Tom Brady (Patriots)
Nick Foles clearly put up the most impressive performance of the week with his record-tying 7 TD performance against the Raiders, but the odds that anyone played him this week are slim to none. With Foles out of the picture, that leaves the one and only Tom Brady as the most valuable fantasy quarterback of Week 9. Brady ended an almost season-long slump and looked like the Brady of old with a 432-yard, 4 TD performance in the Patriots bashing of the Steelers on Sunday. Brady, who looked out of sync with his wideouts for much of the year, finally looked like he was on the same page as his receivers leading to the type of huge output that people have come to expect of Brady over the years. Brady owners hope the momentum of this performance will continue after their bye week in Week 10.
Honorable Mentions: Nick Foles (Eagles), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Andrew Luck (Colts), Case Keenum (Texans)
LVP: Robert Griffin III (Redskins)
RG3 had a good game with 279 passing yards and a 71% completion percentage in the Redskins victory over the Chargers on the Sunday. The problem is that he failed to get into the endzone, making it a bad game for RG3 from a fantasy standpoint despite his solid play in the real game.
Dishonorable Mentions: Alex Smith (Chiefs), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Terrelle Pryor (Raiders)
Running Back
MVP: Zac Stacy (Rams)
The Rams have finally found their running back. After a mightily impressive performance against the Seahawks last week, Stacy proved it wasn't a fluke by carving up the Titans defense for 177 total yards and two touchdowns. With Kellen Clemens starting at quarterback, Stacy is going to continue to get a heavy volume and should be a solid RB2/borderline RB1 for the rest of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Chris Johnson (Titans), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), Giovani Bernard (Bengals)
LVP: Ryan Matthews (Chargers)
After somehow putting up back-to-back 100 yard games, Ryan Matthews reverted back to his disappointing ways. Matthews put up 34 yards on only 7 carries on a Redskins defense that can't stop anything. This performance wasn't so much Matthews fault as it was the lack of running the Chargers did on Sunday, but it's disappointing nonetheless for anyone who started him this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ray Rice (Ravens), DeMarco Murray (Cowboys), DeAngelo Williams (Panthers), Jammal Charles (Chiefs)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Andre Johnson (Texans)
Well hello dominant Andre Johnson haven't seen you in a while. Johnson came out of his Matt Schaub-induced coma with 229 yards and 3 TD's (his first of the season) on Sunday night against the Colts. Those numbers probably would've been even better if Texans head coach Gary Kubiak didn't collapse at halftime, which emotionally took the team of the game in the second half. New starting quarterback Case Keenum has a strong rapport with Johnson and appears to have strongly revitalized the Texans passing attack. With the emergence of Keenum and a pretty easy schedule down the stretch, Johnson could be in-line for a huge finish to the season.
Honorable Mentions: T.Y. Hilton (Colts), Aaron Dobson (Patriots), Riley Cooper (Eagles), DeSean Jackson (Eagles)
LVP: Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
Can anyone figure out Dez Bryant? For the second time in a month, Bryant has put up underwhelming numbers against a poor secondary. Bryant is still a WR1 lock every week, it's just that he puts up more stinkers than guys like Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green and Brandon Marshall. If you're a Bryant owner and could somehow swindle a trade for Green or Marshall before the trade deadline, I'd absolutely do so.
Dishonorable Mentions: Terrance Williams (Cowboys), Steve Smith (Panthers), Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers), Josh Gordon (Browns)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Jimmy Graham massacred another team's defense for over 100 yards and 2 TD's. Typical day at the office for Graham, who has shown time and time again that he just can not be stopped.
Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Greg Olsen (Panthers)
LVP: Jordan Cameron (Browns)
I don't know how the Browns managed to win a game in which both Josh Gordon and especially Jordan Cameron got shut down, but it somehow happened so kudos to them. Gordon at least had a few grabs, Cameron was all but completely shut down registering only a single catch for just 4 yards on the day. This is definitely a fluke for Cameron, who is the most dangerous weapon the offense has aside from Josh Gordon. After the team returns from bye in Week 11, Cameron will continue to be a must-start TE1.
Dishonorable Mentions: Antonio Gates (Chargers), Heath Miller (Steelers), Jordan Reed (Redskins), Martellus Bennett (Bears)
Defense:
MVP: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs were amazingly held without a sack, but thank to Bills quarterback Jeff Tuel the defense still had a glorious afternoon on Sunday. The Chiefs managed 3 takeaways and a pair of defensive scores to narrowly remain undefeated going into their bye week.
Honorable Mentions: Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers
LVP: Seattle Seahawks
The stingy Seahawks defense did not look all that stingy on Sunday against the Buccaneers. The team remarkably got zero takeaways and only 3 sacks on a lowly Buccaneers team that has struggled to take care of the ball all season long. At least they managed to avoid the upset with their late comeback which led to an overtime victory. The Seahawks D have a chance to redeem themselves this week against a suddenly turnover-happy Falcons team.
Dishonorable Mentions: New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals
MVP: Tom Brady (Patriots)
Nick Foles clearly put up the most impressive performance of the week with his record-tying 7 TD performance against the Raiders, but the odds that anyone played him this week are slim to none. With Foles out of the picture, that leaves the one and only Tom Brady as the most valuable fantasy quarterback of Week 9. Brady ended an almost season-long slump and looked like the Brady of old with a 432-yard, 4 TD performance in the Patriots bashing of the Steelers on Sunday. Brady, who looked out of sync with his wideouts for much of the year, finally looked like he was on the same page as his receivers leading to the type of huge output that people have come to expect of Brady over the years. Brady owners hope the momentum of this performance will continue after their bye week in Week 10.
Honorable Mentions: Nick Foles (Eagles), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Andrew Luck (Colts), Case Keenum (Texans)
LVP: Robert Griffin III (Redskins)
RG3 had a good game with 279 passing yards and a 71% completion percentage in the Redskins victory over the Chargers on the Sunday. The problem is that he failed to get into the endzone, making it a bad game for RG3 from a fantasy standpoint despite his solid play in the real game.
Dishonorable Mentions: Alex Smith (Chiefs), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Terrelle Pryor (Raiders)
Running Back
MVP: Zac Stacy (Rams)
The Rams have finally found their running back. After a mightily impressive performance against the Seahawks last week, Stacy proved it wasn't a fluke by carving up the Titans defense for 177 total yards and two touchdowns. With Kellen Clemens starting at quarterback, Stacy is going to continue to get a heavy volume and should be a solid RB2/borderline RB1 for the rest of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Chris Johnson (Titans), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), Giovani Bernard (Bengals)
LVP: Ryan Matthews (Chargers)
After somehow putting up back-to-back 100 yard games, Ryan Matthews reverted back to his disappointing ways. Matthews put up 34 yards on only 7 carries on a Redskins defense that can't stop anything. This performance wasn't so much Matthews fault as it was the lack of running the Chargers did on Sunday, but it's disappointing nonetheless for anyone who started him this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ray Rice (Ravens), DeMarco Murray (Cowboys), DeAngelo Williams (Panthers), Jammal Charles (Chiefs)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Andre Johnson (Texans)
Well hello dominant Andre Johnson haven't seen you in a while. Johnson came out of his Matt Schaub-induced coma with 229 yards and 3 TD's (his first of the season) on Sunday night against the Colts. Those numbers probably would've been even better if Texans head coach Gary Kubiak didn't collapse at halftime, which emotionally took the team of the game in the second half. New starting quarterback Case Keenum has a strong rapport with Johnson and appears to have strongly revitalized the Texans passing attack. With the emergence of Keenum and a pretty easy schedule down the stretch, Johnson could be in-line for a huge finish to the season.
Honorable Mentions: T.Y. Hilton (Colts), Aaron Dobson (Patriots), Riley Cooper (Eagles), DeSean Jackson (Eagles)
LVP: Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
Can anyone figure out Dez Bryant? For the second time in a month, Bryant has put up underwhelming numbers against a poor secondary. Bryant is still a WR1 lock every week, it's just that he puts up more stinkers than guys like Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green and Brandon Marshall. If you're a Bryant owner and could somehow swindle a trade for Green or Marshall before the trade deadline, I'd absolutely do so.
Dishonorable Mentions: Terrance Williams (Cowboys), Steve Smith (Panthers), Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers), Josh Gordon (Browns)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Jimmy Graham massacred another team's defense for over 100 yards and 2 TD's. Typical day at the office for Graham, who has shown time and time again that he just can not be stopped.
Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Greg Olsen (Panthers)
LVP: Jordan Cameron (Browns)
I don't know how the Browns managed to win a game in which both Josh Gordon and especially Jordan Cameron got shut down, but it somehow happened so kudos to them. Gordon at least had a few grabs, Cameron was all but completely shut down registering only a single catch for just 4 yards on the day. This is definitely a fluke for Cameron, who is the most dangerous weapon the offense has aside from Josh Gordon. After the team returns from bye in Week 11, Cameron will continue to be a must-start TE1.
Dishonorable Mentions: Antonio Gates (Chargers), Heath Miller (Steelers), Jordan Reed (Redskins), Martellus Bennett (Bears)
Defense:
MVP: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs were amazingly held without a sack, but thank to Bills quarterback Jeff Tuel the defense still had a glorious afternoon on Sunday. The Chiefs managed 3 takeaways and a pair of defensive scores to narrowly remain undefeated going into their bye week.
Honorable Mentions: Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers
LVP: Seattle Seahawks
The stingy Seahawks defense did not look all that stingy on Sunday against the Buccaneers. The team remarkably got zero takeaways and only 3 sacks on a lowly Buccaneers team that has struggled to take care of the ball all season long. At least they managed to avoid the upset with their late comeback which led to an overtime victory. The Seahawks D have a chance to redeem themselves this week against a suddenly turnover-happy Falcons team.
Dishonorable Mentions: New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Week 8 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Even with relatively quiet days from Jimmy Graham (yards-wise, he still scored twice) and Marques Colston, Drew Brees massacred the Bills secondary for 332 yards and 5 TD's. Brees remains one of the highest quality options at quarterback from a fantasy standpoint because of the Saints inability to run and a number of very favorable matchups coming up for the rest of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Andy Dalton (Bengals), Matthew Stafford (Lions), Cam Newton (Panthers), Colin Kaepernick (49ers)
LVP: Robert Griffin III (Redskins)
Just when he was on the verge of a breakthrough, Robert Griffin III put up a very poor performance against the Broncos on Sunday. Griffin couldn't get much going through the air (132 yards, a touchdown and 2 INT's) and got buried when he tried to run (5 carries for a measly 7 yards.) Making matters worse for RG3 owners, he took a late-game shot from Broncos defensive tackle Terrence Knighton that resulted in him leaving for the rest of the game with a knee injury. Both the Redskins and Griffin himself insist he's fine, but it's still not a good thing watching someone coming off a major injury like him get knocked out of a game. RG3 has been looking better of late so as long as he's healthy, I expect him to put up good numbers most weeks for the rest of the year.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Eli Manning (Giants), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
Running Back
MVP: Andre Ellington (Cardinals)
Andre Ellington made an extremely strong case for being the starting running back for the Cardinals on Sunday against the Falcons. With Rashard Mendenhaal out, Ellington split carries with Stepfan Taylor (who struggled mightily with 38 yards on 14 carries) and showed his extreme potential as a runner. Ellington burned the Falcons for 154 yards on 15 carries including an 80-yard touchdown. The rookie has looked far stronger than the rest of the Cardinals backfield and even when Mendenhaal returns, Ellington should get his fair share of carries and may even earn the starting job if he keeps up his high level of play.
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Lacy (Packers), Frank Gore (49ers), Darren McFadden (Raiders), Knowshown Moreno (Broncos)
LVP: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks)
Monday Night Football has not been kind to superstar running backs the last couple weeks. A week removed from Adrian Peterson's underwhelming performance in primetime against a week run defense in the Giants, Marshawn Lynch did the exact same thing against a horrible Rams run D. Lynch somehow only got 8 touches for 23 yards on the night. This especially makes no sense since Russell Wilson was getting drilled all night and got sacked 7 times. Lynch has been one of the few brightspots at RB1 this year, so I expect him to return to form against a battered Buccaneers team on Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: LeSean McCoy (Eagles), Steven Jackson (Falcons), Darren Sproles (Saints), Joesph Randle (Cowboys)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Calvin Johnson (Lions)
Ladies and gentleman, Calvin Johnson. In yet another inhuman fate, Johnson gouged the Cowboys all game long for a near-record 329 yards on 11 receptions and a touchdown. What's even harder to comprehend is that he could've done even more if he didn't run out of gas on a 87-yard reception in the 1st quarter and get tackled twice at the 1-yard line. Johnson honestly isn't a human being and his fantasy owners will sorely miss his contributions this week while he's on bye.
Honorable Mentions: Marvin Jones (Bengals), Jordy Nelson (Packers), Josh Gordon (Browns), Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
LVP: Pierre Garcon (Redskins)
Pierre Garcon was a victim of RG3's poor showing, only managing 46 yards on a Broncos secondary that has been getting passed on all season. Garcon's big play ability has been silenced over the past few weeks, but he's bound to get back on-track with the amount of targets he gets. He's still an explosive receiver with WR2 ability, he's just currently slumping for no apparent reason. The Redskins face an inconsistent Chargers secondary this week, which makes this game a prime comeback contender for Garcon.
Dishonorable Mentions: Eric Decker (Broncos), Hakeem Nicks (Giants), Marques Colston (Saints), Anquan Boldin (49ers)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Even on the weeks were Jimmy Graham is contained, he finds a way to establish fantasy value. Graham only had 37 yards on the afternoon, but pulled in a pair of touchdown grabs in the redzone in the Saints victory over the Bills. Graham is playing hurt at the moment with a foot injury he suffered against the Patriots a couple weeks back. He might not put up the insane numbers he did at the beginning of the year while's he playing through this injury, but is still a big scoring threat every single week.
Honorable Mentions: Vernon Davis (49ers), Tim Wright (Buccaneers), Jordan Reed (Redskins), Jordan Cameron (Browns)
LVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
A week after his glorious return, Rob Gronkowski faltered against the Dolphins on Sunday. He did have a touchdown revoked due to a penalty, but even with that the Dolphins did a good job slowing him down all game long. Gronkowski is the centerpiece of this otherwise wildly erratic Patriots receiving corps, so as long as Gronkowski is out there, he's going to get a ton of targets.
Dishonorable Mentions: Julius Thomas (Broncos), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Jeff Cumberland (Jets)
Defense
MVP: Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals caught the Jets on a bad Geno Smith week and made them pay all game long. The Bengals managed 4 sacks and a pair of pick 6's on the day and provided one of the few bright spots on a pretty mediocre week for fantasy defenses.
Honorable Mentions: Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots
LVP: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have been the top dogs amongst fantasy defenses all year long, but that didn't come out this week. They somehow managed to put up a rare stinker against a Browns offense that has gives the ball away non-stop managing only 1 sack and a fumble recovery on the afternoon. The Chiefs have a big chance to return to domination this week against the Bills, that just allowed 4 sacks and 3 turnovers to a inferior Saints defense on Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Even with relatively quiet days from Jimmy Graham (yards-wise, he still scored twice) and Marques Colston, Drew Brees massacred the Bills secondary for 332 yards and 5 TD's. Brees remains one of the highest quality options at quarterback from a fantasy standpoint because of the Saints inability to run and a number of very favorable matchups coming up for the rest of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Andy Dalton (Bengals), Matthew Stafford (Lions), Cam Newton (Panthers), Colin Kaepernick (49ers)
LVP: Robert Griffin III (Redskins)
Just when he was on the verge of a breakthrough, Robert Griffin III put up a very poor performance against the Broncos on Sunday. Griffin couldn't get much going through the air (132 yards, a touchdown and 2 INT's) and got buried when he tried to run (5 carries for a measly 7 yards.) Making matters worse for RG3 owners, he took a late-game shot from Broncos defensive tackle Terrence Knighton that resulted in him leaving for the rest of the game with a knee injury. Both the Redskins and Griffin himself insist he's fine, but it's still not a good thing watching someone coming off a major injury like him get knocked out of a game. RG3 has been looking better of late so as long as he's healthy, I expect him to put up good numbers most weeks for the rest of the year.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Eli Manning (Giants), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
Running Back
MVP: Andre Ellington (Cardinals)
Andre Ellington made an extremely strong case for being the starting running back for the Cardinals on Sunday against the Falcons. With Rashard Mendenhaal out, Ellington split carries with Stepfan Taylor (who struggled mightily with 38 yards on 14 carries) and showed his extreme potential as a runner. Ellington burned the Falcons for 154 yards on 15 carries including an 80-yard touchdown. The rookie has looked far stronger than the rest of the Cardinals backfield and even when Mendenhaal returns, Ellington should get his fair share of carries and may even earn the starting job if he keeps up his high level of play.
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Lacy (Packers), Frank Gore (49ers), Darren McFadden (Raiders), Knowshown Moreno (Broncos)
LVP: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks)
Monday Night Football has not been kind to superstar running backs the last couple weeks. A week removed from Adrian Peterson's underwhelming performance in primetime against a week run defense in the Giants, Marshawn Lynch did the exact same thing against a horrible Rams run D. Lynch somehow only got 8 touches for 23 yards on the night. This especially makes no sense since Russell Wilson was getting drilled all night and got sacked 7 times. Lynch has been one of the few brightspots at RB1 this year, so I expect him to return to form against a battered Buccaneers team on Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: LeSean McCoy (Eagles), Steven Jackson (Falcons), Darren Sproles (Saints), Joesph Randle (Cowboys)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Calvin Johnson (Lions)
Ladies and gentleman, Calvin Johnson. In yet another inhuman fate, Johnson gouged the Cowboys all game long for a near-record 329 yards on 11 receptions and a touchdown. What's even harder to comprehend is that he could've done even more if he didn't run out of gas on a 87-yard reception in the 1st quarter and get tackled twice at the 1-yard line. Johnson honestly isn't a human being and his fantasy owners will sorely miss his contributions this week while he's on bye.
Honorable Mentions: Marvin Jones (Bengals), Jordy Nelson (Packers), Josh Gordon (Browns), Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
LVP: Pierre Garcon (Redskins)
Pierre Garcon was a victim of RG3's poor showing, only managing 46 yards on a Broncos secondary that has been getting passed on all season. Garcon's big play ability has been silenced over the past few weeks, but he's bound to get back on-track with the amount of targets he gets. He's still an explosive receiver with WR2 ability, he's just currently slumping for no apparent reason. The Redskins face an inconsistent Chargers secondary this week, which makes this game a prime comeback contender for Garcon.
Dishonorable Mentions: Eric Decker (Broncos), Hakeem Nicks (Giants), Marques Colston (Saints), Anquan Boldin (49ers)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Even on the weeks were Jimmy Graham is contained, he finds a way to establish fantasy value. Graham only had 37 yards on the afternoon, but pulled in a pair of touchdown grabs in the redzone in the Saints victory over the Bills. Graham is playing hurt at the moment with a foot injury he suffered against the Patriots a couple weeks back. He might not put up the insane numbers he did at the beginning of the year while's he playing through this injury, but is still a big scoring threat every single week.
Honorable Mentions: Vernon Davis (49ers), Tim Wright (Buccaneers), Jordan Reed (Redskins), Jordan Cameron (Browns)
LVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
A week after his glorious return, Rob Gronkowski faltered against the Dolphins on Sunday. He did have a touchdown revoked due to a penalty, but even with that the Dolphins did a good job slowing him down all game long. Gronkowski is the centerpiece of this otherwise wildly erratic Patriots receiving corps, so as long as Gronkowski is out there, he's going to get a ton of targets.
Dishonorable Mentions: Julius Thomas (Broncos), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Jeff Cumberland (Jets)
Defense
MVP: Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals caught the Jets on a bad Geno Smith week and made them pay all game long. The Bengals managed 4 sacks and a pair of pick 6's on the day and provided one of the few bright spots on a pretty mediocre week for fantasy defenses.
Honorable Mentions: Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots
LVP: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have been the top dogs amongst fantasy defenses all year long, but that didn't come out this week. They somehow managed to put up a rare stinker against a Browns offense that has gives the ball away non-stop managing only 1 sack and a fumble recovery on the afternoon. The Chiefs have a big chance to return to domination this week against the Bills, that just allowed 4 sacks and 3 turnovers to a inferior Saints defense on Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Week 6 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Cam Newton (Panthers)
Just a week ago after losing to the Cardinals, a number of people were calling for the benching of Cam Newton. Well Newton must've heard this unjust criticism because he was absolutely electric against the Vikings on Sunday. Newton looked like every bit of the superstar he's been pegged to be over the past few years with 242 passing yards, 30 rushing yards and 4 total TD's (3 passing, 1 rushing) on the afternoon. Newton may put up a couple of stinkers here and there, but performances like this confirm why he's a borderline top 5 fantasy quarterback.
Honorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Lions), Nick Foles (Eagles), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Jay Cutler (Bears)
LVP: Andrew Luck (Colts)
Andrew Luck has looked great all year till last night against the Chargers. What makes this especially disappointing is the Chargers have been allowing a ton of fantasy points to quarterbacks this season and Luck, who was coming off an excellent showing against a much tougher Seahawks defense last week looked poised to continue this trend, but no dice. I fully expect him to perform better on Sunday night when Peyton Manning and the Broncos roll into town.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tony Romo (Cowboys), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Russell Wilson (Seahawks),
Running Back
MVP: Knowshon Moreno (Broncos)
Like with Fred Jackson last week, the top performing running back of the week earned the distinction of being a touchdown vulture. Knowshon Moreno had a mere 42 yards rushing and averaged only 2.8 yards per carry, but his 3 TD performance didn't just completely salvage his game, it made him a force in fantasy this week. Moreno is the epitome of a wavier wire steal this season and has been arguably the most consistent RB2 in the league right now.
Honorable Mentions: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), Brandon Jacobs (Giants)
LVP: Ray Rice (Ravens)
A week removed from his first standout performance of the season, Ray Rice was right back to his disappointing ways with a 34-yard performance against the Packers. Granted this is a tough defense to run on, but Rice's lackluster numbers on the whole this season are growing increasingly frustrating for anyone took him in the 1st round this year. If this keeps up for the rest of the season, Rice's days as a fantasy RB1 are over.
Dishonorable Mentions: Doug Martin (Buccaneers), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Bilal Powell (Jets), Le'von Bell (Steelers)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers)
Look who decided to shake his slump this week! Vincent Jackson absolutely crucified the Eagles defense for 114 yards and a pair of TD's (his first of the year) on 9 catches. The Buccaneers offense has struggled immensely all year long. If they want to turn things around Jackson is going to be heavily involved, which makes him about one of the select few members of the Buccaneers that hold any sort of fantasy value.
Honorable Mentions: Brandon Marshall (Bears), Justin Blackmon (Jaguars), DeSean Jackson (Eagles), Keenan Allen (Chargers)
LVP: Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
I'm legitimately shocked by this. One of the best receivers in the league only puts up 36 yards on one of the most porous secondaries in the league. Bryant's poor performance can be attributed to the fact that Tony Romo struggled all game long and the outstanding play of the Cowboys special teams, which made the passing game inessential to gaining a victory. Bryant has another juicy matchup against a weak Eagles secondary this week, so his fantasy owners (myself included) can be hopeful for a nice bounceback game.
Dishonorable Mentions: Torrey Smith (Ravens), Danny Amendola (Patriots), Pierre Garcon (Redskins), Robert Woods (Bills)
Tight End
MVP: Vernon Davis (49ers)
Aside from Jimmy Graham, Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski, I can't remember the last time a tight end was as dominant in a game as Vernon Davis was on Sunday against the Cardinals. He went off for 180 yards and 2 TD's and accounted for a vast majority of the 49er's passing offense on the day. Vernon Davis so far in 2013 has arguably been the best tight end not named Jimmy Graham for the fantasy game.
Honorable Mentions: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Joesph Fauria (Lions), Scott Chandler (Bills), Dallas Clark (Ravens)
LVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
The Patriots put an end to Jimmy Graham's reign of complete and utter domination on Sunday. Graham was held without a catch, which is shocking because the Patriots had been getting burned by tight ends all season long and because of how much of an unstoppable force Graham has been. Kudos goes out to the Patriots for keeping this beast caged-up for this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Greg Olsen (Panthers), Garrett Graham (Texans), Brandon Myers (Giants)
Defense
MVP: St. Louis Rams
The Rams defense found a way to apologize for their underwhelming numbers so far this season: crush the Houston Texans into oblivion. The Rams were relentless all game long picking up 5 sacks, 2 INT's, 2 fumble recoveries, and most importantly, 2 defensive TD's. This is the Rams defense we expected to see this season and their fantasy owners have had their frowns (at least temporarily) turned upside down.
Honorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears
LVP: Denver Broncos
The Broncos somehow managed only 2 sacks and 2 INT's on the trainwreck otherwise known as the Jacksonville Jaguars. Considering this seemed like a lock for highest scoring defense of week, their middling numbers are incredibly disappointing.
Dishonorable Mentions: Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans, New York Jets
MVP: Cam Newton (Panthers)
Just a week ago after losing to the Cardinals, a number of people were calling for the benching of Cam Newton. Well Newton must've heard this unjust criticism because he was absolutely electric against the Vikings on Sunday. Newton looked like every bit of the superstar he's been pegged to be over the past few years with 242 passing yards, 30 rushing yards and 4 total TD's (3 passing, 1 rushing) on the afternoon. Newton may put up a couple of stinkers here and there, but performances like this confirm why he's a borderline top 5 fantasy quarterback.
Honorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Lions), Nick Foles (Eagles), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Jay Cutler (Bears)
LVP: Andrew Luck (Colts)
Andrew Luck has looked great all year till last night against the Chargers. What makes this especially disappointing is the Chargers have been allowing a ton of fantasy points to quarterbacks this season and Luck, who was coming off an excellent showing against a much tougher Seahawks defense last week looked poised to continue this trend, but no dice. I fully expect him to perform better on Sunday night when Peyton Manning and the Broncos roll into town.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tony Romo (Cowboys), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Russell Wilson (Seahawks),
Running Back
MVP: Knowshon Moreno (Broncos)
Like with Fred Jackson last week, the top performing running back of the week earned the distinction of being a touchdown vulture. Knowshon Moreno had a mere 42 yards rushing and averaged only 2.8 yards per carry, but his 3 TD performance didn't just completely salvage his game, it made him a force in fantasy this week. Moreno is the epitome of a wavier wire steal this season and has been arguably the most consistent RB2 in the league right now.
Honorable Mentions: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), Brandon Jacobs (Giants)
LVP: Ray Rice (Ravens)
A week removed from his first standout performance of the season, Ray Rice was right back to his disappointing ways with a 34-yard performance against the Packers. Granted this is a tough defense to run on, but Rice's lackluster numbers on the whole this season are growing increasingly frustrating for anyone took him in the 1st round this year. If this keeps up for the rest of the season, Rice's days as a fantasy RB1 are over.
Dishonorable Mentions: Doug Martin (Buccaneers), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Bilal Powell (Jets), Le'von Bell (Steelers)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers)
Look who decided to shake his slump this week! Vincent Jackson absolutely crucified the Eagles defense for 114 yards and a pair of TD's (his first of the year) on 9 catches. The Buccaneers offense has struggled immensely all year long. If they want to turn things around Jackson is going to be heavily involved, which makes him about one of the select few members of the Buccaneers that hold any sort of fantasy value.
Honorable Mentions: Brandon Marshall (Bears), Justin Blackmon (Jaguars), DeSean Jackson (Eagles), Keenan Allen (Chargers)
LVP: Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
I'm legitimately shocked by this. One of the best receivers in the league only puts up 36 yards on one of the most porous secondaries in the league. Bryant's poor performance can be attributed to the fact that Tony Romo struggled all game long and the outstanding play of the Cowboys special teams, which made the passing game inessential to gaining a victory. Bryant has another juicy matchup against a weak Eagles secondary this week, so his fantasy owners (myself included) can be hopeful for a nice bounceback game.
Dishonorable Mentions: Torrey Smith (Ravens), Danny Amendola (Patriots), Pierre Garcon (Redskins), Robert Woods (Bills)
Tight End
MVP: Vernon Davis (49ers)
Aside from Jimmy Graham, Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski, I can't remember the last time a tight end was as dominant in a game as Vernon Davis was on Sunday against the Cardinals. He went off for 180 yards and 2 TD's and accounted for a vast majority of the 49er's passing offense on the day. Vernon Davis so far in 2013 has arguably been the best tight end not named Jimmy Graham for the fantasy game.
Honorable Mentions: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Joesph Fauria (Lions), Scott Chandler (Bills), Dallas Clark (Ravens)
LVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
The Patriots put an end to Jimmy Graham's reign of complete and utter domination on Sunday. Graham was held without a catch, which is shocking because the Patriots had been getting burned by tight ends all season long and because of how much of an unstoppable force Graham has been. Kudos goes out to the Patriots for keeping this beast caged-up for this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Greg Olsen (Panthers), Garrett Graham (Texans), Brandon Myers (Giants)
Defense
MVP: St. Louis Rams
The Rams defense found a way to apologize for their underwhelming numbers so far this season: crush the Houston Texans into oblivion. The Rams were relentless all game long picking up 5 sacks, 2 INT's, 2 fumble recoveries, and most importantly, 2 defensive TD's. This is the Rams defense we expected to see this season and their fantasy owners have had their frowns (at least temporarily) turned upside down.
Honorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears
LVP: Denver Broncos
The Broncos somehow managed only 2 sacks and 2 INT's on the trainwreck otherwise known as the Jacksonville Jaguars. Considering this seemed like a lock for highest scoring defense of week, their middling numbers are incredibly disappointing.
Dishonorable Mentions: Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans, New York Jets
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Fantasy Football Week 5 Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Tony Romo (Cowboys)
Color me shocked on this one. Tony Romo had one of the finest career games of his career (506 yards, 5 TD's) against a Broncos team that is playing out of their minds right now. Save for his late INT that cost them the game, Romo was dominant and his fantasy owners (or anyone who had Dez Bryant or Jason Witten) have to be giddy with this surprising performance.
Honorable Mentions: Peyton Manning (Broncos), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Jay Cutler (Bears), Sam Bradford (Rams)
LVP: Tom Brady (Patriots)
Now on the other surprise of the spectrum, Tom Brady broke his streak of 52 straight games with a touchdown pass. Brady was under pressure all day and the inclement weather made this already bad matchup even worse. Brady is facing another difficult matchup this week against the Saints, but at least owners of Brady can take solace in the fact that Jay Cutler just had a great game against the Saints and there is a chance that Rob Gronkowski finally returns this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Cam Newton (Panthers), Michael Vick (Eagles), Matt Schaub (Texans)
Running Back
MVP: Fred Jackson (Bills)
In a really down week for running backs (I guess that's what you get when AP and Doug Martin are on bye and most of the active elite backs had rough matchups,) veteran Fred Jackson put up the best numbers of the week getting the start for the Bills over banged-up feature back C.J. Spiller. Jackson only put up 93 total yards, but his pair of touchdown runs made him very valuable amidst this week lack of standout production.
Honorable Mentions: Knoshown Moreno (Broncos), Ray Rice (Ravens), Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Pierre Thomas (Saints)
LVP: Reggie Bush (Lions)
Showing his first signs of adversity this year, Reggie Bush struggled against an average Packers defense. Bush has been great all season, so I wouldn't put too much stock in this poor performance and continue to play him as an RB2/borderline RB1 with confidence.
Dishonorable Mentions: Trent Richardson (Colts), Lamar Miller (Dolphins), LeGarette Blount (Patriots), Darren Sproles (Saints)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Alshon Jeffrey (Bears)
Proving his week 4 performance was no fluke, Alshon Jeffrey decimated the Saints secondary for 218 yards and a touchdown. Jeffrey's rapport with Jay Cutler continues to improve and Jeffrey is starting to prove himself as a legitimate threat alongside Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett in the Bears offense. If Jeffrey is somehow still available in one of your leagues, pick him up right away.
Honorable Mentions: T.Y. Hilton (Colts), Dez Bryant (Cowboys), Justin Blackmon (Jaguars), DeSean Jackson (Eagles)
LVP: Victor Cruz (Giants)
Victor Cruz was the oddman out for the Giants receivers on Sunday afternoon. For the first time this season Cruz was not the productive one amongst the wide receivers, as most of the teams receiving yards came from Hakeem Nicks and Rueben Randle. Cruz was bound to have an off-week at some point, it's just unfortunate for his fantasy owners that it happened against such a bad pass defense like the Eagles.
Dishonorable Mentions: Marques Colston (Saints), Andre Johnson (Texans), Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)
Tight End
MVP: Julius Thomas (Broncos)
If you haven't figured it out yet, Julius Thomas is the real deal. He has a touchdown in all but one game this season (this marked his second multi-TD game of the year) and has proven to be one of the handful of tight ends this year that has been consistently productive. If you didn't have him as a weekly starter before, this performance should sway you to do so.
Honorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Vernon Davis (49ers), Jimmy Graham (Saints), Charles Clay (Dolphins)
LVP: Jared Cook (Rams)
Jared Cook has to be the most frustrating tight end in the league from a fantasy standpoint. After his first week domination against the Cardinals, it appeared Cook turned over a new leaf with the Rams and had become a truly special tight end. Since then though, Cook has been right back to the middling tight end he was during his stint with the Titans. I mean seriously he only had 3 catches for 26 yards against the Jaguars, who allow so many points that pretty much everyone does well so the fact the Cook did so poorly against them is pretty alarming. For now, it looks like all the hype on Cook after Week 1 was all for not. I wouldn't recommend starting him unless he starts to turn things around.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Browns), Martellus Bennett (Bears), Owen Daniels (Texans), Jermichael Finley (Packers)
Defense
MVP: Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals finally lived up to their preseason projections as a top-level fantasy absolutely suffocating the Panthers. They made life very difficult for Cam Newton sacking him 7 times (one of them being a safety), picking him off 3 times and forcing a key fumble. I don't know if it was the return of inside linebacker Daryl Washington from suspension or what, but this unit looked absolutely dominant and rejuvenated on Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: San Fransisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders
LVP: Houston Texans
The Texans did defense did nothing against the struggling 49ers offense forcing zero takeaways and only getting 1 sack.
Dishonorable Mentions: Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons
MVP: Tony Romo (Cowboys)
Color me shocked on this one. Tony Romo had one of the finest career games of his career (506 yards, 5 TD's) against a Broncos team that is playing out of their minds right now. Save for his late INT that cost them the game, Romo was dominant and his fantasy owners (or anyone who had Dez Bryant or Jason Witten) have to be giddy with this surprising performance.
Honorable Mentions: Peyton Manning (Broncos), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Jay Cutler (Bears), Sam Bradford (Rams)
LVP: Tom Brady (Patriots)
Now on the other surprise of the spectrum, Tom Brady broke his streak of 52 straight games with a touchdown pass. Brady was under pressure all day and the inclement weather made this already bad matchup even worse. Brady is facing another difficult matchup this week against the Saints, but at least owners of Brady can take solace in the fact that Jay Cutler just had a great game against the Saints and there is a chance that Rob Gronkowski finally returns this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Cam Newton (Panthers), Michael Vick (Eagles), Matt Schaub (Texans)
Running Back
MVP: Fred Jackson (Bills)
In a really down week for running backs (I guess that's what you get when AP and Doug Martin are on bye and most of the active elite backs had rough matchups,) veteran Fred Jackson put up the best numbers of the week getting the start for the Bills over banged-up feature back C.J. Spiller. Jackson only put up 93 total yards, but his pair of touchdown runs made him very valuable amidst this week lack of standout production.
Honorable Mentions: Knoshown Moreno (Broncos), Ray Rice (Ravens), Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Pierre Thomas (Saints)
LVP: Reggie Bush (Lions)
Showing his first signs of adversity this year, Reggie Bush struggled against an average Packers defense. Bush has been great all season, so I wouldn't put too much stock in this poor performance and continue to play him as an RB2/borderline RB1 with confidence.
Dishonorable Mentions: Trent Richardson (Colts), Lamar Miller (Dolphins), LeGarette Blount (Patriots), Darren Sproles (Saints)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Alshon Jeffrey (Bears)
Proving his week 4 performance was no fluke, Alshon Jeffrey decimated the Saints secondary for 218 yards and a touchdown. Jeffrey's rapport with Jay Cutler continues to improve and Jeffrey is starting to prove himself as a legitimate threat alongside Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett in the Bears offense. If Jeffrey is somehow still available in one of your leagues, pick him up right away.
Honorable Mentions: T.Y. Hilton (Colts), Dez Bryant (Cowboys), Justin Blackmon (Jaguars), DeSean Jackson (Eagles)
LVP: Victor Cruz (Giants)
Victor Cruz was the oddman out for the Giants receivers on Sunday afternoon. For the first time this season Cruz was not the productive one amongst the wide receivers, as most of the teams receiving yards came from Hakeem Nicks and Rueben Randle. Cruz was bound to have an off-week at some point, it's just unfortunate for his fantasy owners that it happened against such a bad pass defense like the Eagles.
Dishonorable Mentions: Marques Colston (Saints), Andre Johnson (Texans), Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)
Tight End
MVP: Julius Thomas (Broncos)
If you haven't figured it out yet, Julius Thomas is the real deal. He has a touchdown in all but one game this season (this marked his second multi-TD game of the year) and has proven to be one of the handful of tight ends this year that has been consistently productive. If you didn't have him as a weekly starter before, this performance should sway you to do so.
Honorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Vernon Davis (49ers), Jimmy Graham (Saints), Charles Clay (Dolphins)
LVP: Jared Cook (Rams)
Jared Cook has to be the most frustrating tight end in the league from a fantasy standpoint. After his first week domination against the Cardinals, it appeared Cook turned over a new leaf with the Rams and had become a truly special tight end. Since then though, Cook has been right back to the middling tight end he was during his stint with the Titans. I mean seriously he only had 3 catches for 26 yards against the Jaguars, who allow so many points that pretty much everyone does well so the fact the Cook did so poorly against them is pretty alarming. For now, it looks like all the hype on Cook after Week 1 was all for not. I wouldn't recommend starting him unless he starts to turn things around.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Browns), Martellus Bennett (Bears), Owen Daniels (Texans), Jermichael Finley (Packers)
Defense
MVP: Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals finally lived up to their preseason projections as a top-level fantasy absolutely suffocating the Panthers. They made life very difficult for Cam Newton sacking him 7 times (one of them being a safety), picking him off 3 times and forcing a key fumble. I don't know if it was the return of inside linebacker Daryl Washington from suspension or what, but this unit looked absolutely dominant and rejuvenated on Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: San Fransisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders
LVP: Houston Texans
The Texans did defense did nothing against the struggling 49ers offense forcing zero takeaways and only getting 1 sack.
Dishonorable Mentions: Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Fantasy Football Week 4 Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Breesus was lord once again making a mockery of the previously undefeated Dolphins on Monday night. The Saints inability to run the ball and almost exclusively pass, makes Brees about as valuable as a quarterback as you can ask for in fantasy football.
Honorable Mentions: Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Matt Ryan (Falcons)
LVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
The Seahawks may be undefeated, but Russell Wilson has not been kind to his fantasy owners so far this season. Save for his 4 TD eruption against the Jaguars, Wilson has a whopping 2 TD's on the year up to this point rendering him almost useless for fantasy purposes. Hopefully Wilson can begin to match his real-life success with fantasy production.
Dishonorable Mentions: Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Michael Vick (Eagles), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Matt Flynn (Raiders)
Running Back
MVP: Adrian Peterson (Vikings)
For the first time this season, Adrian Peterson put up numbers that were worthy of his status as the undisputed 1st overall pick for this year's fantasy game. Peterson shredded the Steelers for 140 yards and a pair of TD's. AP has shown flashes of the freakishly high-level he played at last year, but he will have to be more consistently brilliant after the Vikings bye week this week to prove worthy of his status as the top fantasy pick for 2013.
Honorable Mentions: Darren Sproles (Saints), Reggie Bush (Lions), Arian Foster (Texans), Danny Woodhead (Chargers)
LVP: Ray Rice (Ravens)
Ray Rice limped back from his hip injury against a horrid a Bills run defense this week. Granted, Rice only got 5 touches in the game, but his 18-yard performance is nevertheless disappointing on a fantasy level. Even before his injury, Rice looked sluggish and has fallen way short of expectations in 2013 thus far.
Dishonorable Mentions: Darren McFadden (Raiders), Chris Johnson (Titans), Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars), Trent Richardson (Colts)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Torrey Smith (Ravens)
Joe Flacco may have struggled mightily against the Bills throwing 5 INT's, but the beneficiary of the few plays he did make was Torrey Smith. The deep threat went off with 166 yards and a TD on only 5 receptions. Smith is the only proven, reliable wideout the Ravens have and should continue to be a solid WR2/3 play throughout the year.
Honorable Mentions: Victor Cruz (Giants), Alshon Jeffrey (Bears), Nate Washington (Titans), Greg Jennings (Vikings)
LVP: Stevie Johnson (Bills)
Stevie Johnson cooled off majorly this week after a great start to the year. Johnson had 1 catch for -1 yard on a botched screen pass. Performances like this are a rarity for Johnson, who is easily one of the most consistent wideouts in the league.
Dishonorable Mentions: DeSean Jackson (Eagles), Hakeem Nicks (Giants), A.J. Green (Bengals), Ryan Broyles (Lions)
Tight End
MVP: Tony Gonzalez (Falcons)
Tony Gonzalez's surprisingly quiet start to the year came to a screeching halt this week with his utter domination of the Patriots defense on Sunday night. The attention the Patriots put on Julio Jones allowed Gonzalez to get open early and often on his way to 12 receptions, 149 yards and 2 TD performance. Gonzalez was back to form in this one and his fantasy owners hope he stays that way for the rest of the year.
Honorable Mentions:Jimmy Graham (Saints), Jordan Cameron (Browns), Antonio Gates (Chargers), Coby Fleener (Colts)
LVP: Brandon Myers (Giants)
It's hard to believe that Brandon Myers did better last season with the Raiders than he has with a seemingly much more-talented Giants team. It's really a shame because going into the year Myers looked like one of the top sleeper picks at tight end and so far, he hasn't delivered the goods. It isn't really Myers fault he is struggling, much of the Giants team is playing absolutely awful right now and can't even give him any looks. Save for Victor Cruz, it's a rough time to have a New York Giant on your fantasy team.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Julius Thomas (Broncos), Jared Cook (Rams)
Defense
MVP: Indianapolis Colts
What a surprise, an opposing defense slaughtered the Jacksonville Jaguars offense.
Honorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins
LVP: Cincinnati Bengals
Fresh off an outstanding performance against the Packers, the Bengals defense struggled against a much-worse Browns unit managing only 3 sacks and no takeaways on the afternoon.
Dishonorable Mentions: St. Louis Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Breesus was lord once again making a mockery of the previously undefeated Dolphins on Monday night. The Saints inability to run the ball and almost exclusively pass, makes Brees about as valuable as a quarterback as you can ask for in fantasy football.
Honorable Mentions: Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Matt Ryan (Falcons)
LVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
The Seahawks may be undefeated, but Russell Wilson has not been kind to his fantasy owners so far this season. Save for his 4 TD eruption against the Jaguars, Wilson has a whopping 2 TD's on the year up to this point rendering him almost useless for fantasy purposes. Hopefully Wilson can begin to match his real-life success with fantasy production.
Dishonorable Mentions: Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Michael Vick (Eagles), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Matt Flynn (Raiders)
Running Back
MVP: Adrian Peterson (Vikings)
For the first time this season, Adrian Peterson put up numbers that were worthy of his status as the undisputed 1st overall pick for this year's fantasy game. Peterson shredded the Steelers for 140 yards and a pair of TD's. AP has shown flashes of the freakishly high-level he played at last year, but he will have to be more consistently brilliant after the Vikings bye week this week to prove worthy of his status as the top fantasy pick for 2013.
Honorable Mentions: Darren Sproles (Saints), Reggie Bush (Lions), Arian Foster (Texans), Danny Woodhead (Chargers)
LVP: Ray Rice (Ravens)
Ray Rice limped back from his hip injury against a horrid a Bills run defense this week. Granted, Rice only got 5 touches in the game, but his 18-yard performance is nevertheless disappointing on a fantasy level. Even before his injury, Rice looked sluggish and has fallen way short of expectations in 2013 thus far.
Dishonorable Mentions: Darren McFadden (Raiders), Chris Johnson (Titans), Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars), Trent Richardson (Colts)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Torrey Smith (Ravens)
Joe Flacco may have struggled mightily against the Bills throwing 5 INT's, but the beneficiary of the few plays he did make was Torrey Smith. The deep threat went off with 166 yards and a TD on only 5 receptions. Smith is the only proven, reliable wideout the Ravens have and should continue to be a solid WR2/3 play throughout the year.
Honorable Mentions: Victor Cruz (Giants), Alshon Jeffrey (Bears), Nate Washington (Titans), Greg Jennings (Vikings)
LVP: Stevie Johnson (Bills)
Stevie Johnson cooled off majorly this week after a great start to the year. Johnson had 1 catch for -1 yard on a botched screen pass. Performances like this are a rarity for Johnson, who is easily one of the most consistent wideouts in the league.
Dishonorable Mentions: DeSean Jackson (Eagles), Hakeem Nicks (Giants), A.J. Green (Bengals), Ryan Broyles (Lions)
Tight End
MVP: Tony Gonzalez (Falcons)
Tony Gonzalez's surprisingly quiet start to the year came to a screeching halt this week with his utter domination of the Patriots defense on Sunday night. The attention the Patriots put on Julio Jones allowed Gonzalez to get open early and often on his way to 12 receptions, 149 yards and 2 TD performance. Gonzalez was back to form in this one and his fantasy owners hope he stays that way for the rest of the year.
Honorable Mentions:Jimmy Graham (Saints), Jordan Cameron (Browns), Antonio Gates (Chargers), Coby Fleener (Colts)
LVP: Brandon Myers (Giants)
It's hard to believe that Brandon Myers did better last season with the Raiders than he has with a seemingly much more-talented Giants team. It's really a shame because going into the year Myers looked like one of the top sleeper picks at tight end and so far, he hasn't delivered the goods. It isn't really Myers fault he is struggling, much of the Giants team is playing absolutely awful right now and can't even give him any looks. Save for Victor Cruz, it's a rough time to have a New York Giant on your fantasy team.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Julius Thomas (Broncos), Jared Cook (Rams)
Defense
MVP: Indianapolis Colts
What a surprise, an opposing defense slaughtered the Jacksonville Jaguars offense.
Honorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins
LVP: Cincinnati Bengals
Fresh off an outstanding performance against the Packers, the Bengals defense struggled against a much-worse Browns unit managing only 3 sacks and no takeaways on the afternoon.
Dishonorable Mentions: St. Louis Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Fantasy Football Week 3 Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Drew Brees had his first breakout game of the season this week torching a normally pretty good Cardinals secondary for 342 yards and 3 TD's. Brees even contributed a rare rushing touchdown in this blowout victory for the Saints, which no doubt brought joy and a bit of shock to his fantasy owners.
Honorable Mentions: Cam Newton (Panthers), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Tony Romo (Cowboys), Jake Locker (Titans)
LVP: Colin Kaepernick (49ers)
Colin Kaepernick was in the perfect position to rebound from a poor performance in Seattle last week at home against a middling Colts defense. Instead, Kaepernick got bottled up yet again and could not get anything going with his arm or his feet. This dry spell is definitely alarming for Kaepernick, who has become known for his consistency, poise and dual-threat abilities in his brief time in the league. Another performance like this against the Rams on Thursday night could send some of his fantasy owners over the edge and put him on the trading block.
Dishonorable Mentions: Eli Manning (Giants), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Aaron Rodgers (Packers) Joe Flacco (Ravens)
Running Back
MVP: DeMarco Murray (Cowboys)
Continuing the unpredictable bedlam that has been running backs in the 2013 NFL Season thus far, the most impressive performance of this week came from the oft-injured and inconsistent Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray. Murray ripped through the Rams defense on his way to one of the best games of his career with 175 yards on the ground (averaging an astronomical 6.7 yards per carry) and a touchdown. Murray's reputation as a borderline RB2/high-end RB3 going into the year will be advanced into a solid RB2/borderline RB1 if he continues to run this hard week in and week out.
Honorable Mentions: LeSean McCoy (Eagles), Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Joique Bell (Lions), Matt Forte (Bears)
LVP: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks)
I can't even believe this one. Marshawn Lynch only put up 69 yards on the JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS. It's clear the Seahawks domination of the Jaguars in just about every aspect of the game were responsible for Lynch's numbers, but it's still monumentally disappointing that a top-flight RB1 puts up such a low yard-total on a horrible defense.
Dishonorable Mentions: C.J. Spiller (Bills), Arian Foster (Texans), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), Rashard Mendenhall (Cardinals)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Antonio Brown (Steelers)
Antonio Brown came out of his coma this week and played out of his skull in route to a 196-yard, 2 TD performance against the Bears on Sunday night. This performance not only woke up the Steelers offense, it proved that Brown is finally a worthy weekly starter in most leagues.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Gordon (Browns), Santonio Holmes (Jets), Eric Decker (Broncos), Sidney Rice (Seahawks)
LVP: Hakeem Nicks (Giants)
It was not a good day for any Giants receiver (or any Giants player for that matter,) but no one suffered more than Hakeem Nicks. Nicks was held without a catch against a banged-up and inexperienced Panthers secondary.
Dishonorable Mentions: Dwayne Bowe (Chiefs), Andre Johnson (Texans), Victor Cruz (Giants), Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Jimmy Graham is just not a human being. Every week he comes out and causes a barrage of problems for the opposing defenses. His latest victim was the Cardinals, who allowed 134 yards and a pair of TD's to the star tight end. I thought it was crazy when people were taking him in the 2nd round of my drafts, now I realize that I was the crazy one for not feeling he was worthy of such a high pick.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Browns), Zach Miller (Seahawks), Antonio Gates (Chargers), Scott Chandler (Bills)
LVP: Martellus Bennett (Bears)
After dominating in his first 2 weeks as a member of the Chicago Bears, The Black Unicorn struggled with just 2 receptions for 10 yards against the Steelers on Sunday night. It was a tough matchup so these numbers aren't cause for concern, but they are still disappointing due to how strong Bennett played in the first 2 games.
Dishonorable Mentions: Owen Daniels (Texans), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Brandon Myers (Giants), Jared Cook (Rams)
Defense
MVP: Chicago Bears
The Bears defense was in vintage form forcing 5 takeaways and tacking on 2 defensive TD's against the Steelers in primetime on Sunday night. Their defense might not be as feared as it was in the past, but the Bears can still take the ball away and score points from turnovers with the best of them.
Honorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens
LVP: Denver Broncos
The Broncos may have picked up a hefty victory against the Raiders, but for fantasy purposes their defense came up way short with only 3 sacks and 0 takeaways against one of the weakest offenses in the NFL.
Dishonorable Mentions: San Fransisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, San Diego Chargers
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Drew Brees had his first breakout game of the season this week torching a normally pretty good Cardinals secondary for 342 yards and 3 TD's. Brees even contributed a rare rushing touchdown in this blowout victory for the Saints, which no doubt brought joy and a bit of shock to his fantasy owners.
Honorable Mentions: Cam Newton (Panthers), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Tony Romo (Cowboys), Jake Locker (Titans)
LVP: Colin Kaepernick (49ers)
Colin Kaepernick was in the perfect position to rebound from a poor performance in Seattle last week at home against a middling Colts defense. Instead, Kaepernick got bottled up yet again and could not get anything going with his arm or his feet. This dry spell is definitely alarming for Kaepernick, who has become known for his consistency, poise and dual-threat abilities in his brief time in the league. Another performance like this against the Rams on Thursday night could send some of his fantasy owners over the edge and put him on the trading block.
Dishonorable Mentions: Eli Manning (Giants), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Aaron Rodgers (Packers) Joe Flacco (Ravens)
Running Back
MVP: DeMarco Murray (Cowboys)
Continuing the unpredictable bedlam that has been running backs in the 2013 NFL Season thus far, the most impressive performance of this week came from the oft-injured and inconsistent Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray. Murray ripped through the Rams defense on his way to one of the best games of his career with 175 yards on the ground (averaging an astronomical 6.7 yards per carry) and a touchdown. Murray's reputation as a borderline RB2/high-end RB3 going into the year will be advanced into a solid RB2/borderline RB1 if he continues to run this hard week in and week out.
Honorable Mentions: LeSean McCoy (Eagles), Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Joique Bell (Lions), Matt Forte (Bears)
LVP: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks)
I can't even believe this one. Marshawn Lynch only put up 69 yards on the JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS. It's clear the Seahawks domination of the Jaguars in just about every aspect of the game were responsible for Lynch's numbers, but it's still monumentally disappointing that a top-flight RB1 puts up such a low yard-total on a horrible defense.
Dishonorable Mentions: C.J. Spiller (Bills), Arian Foster (Texans), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), Rashard Mendenhall (Cardinals)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Antonio Brown (Steelers)
Antonio Brown came out of his coma this week and played out of his skull in route to a 196-yard, 2 TD performance against the Bears on Sunday night. This performance not only woke up the Steelers offense, it proved that Brown is finally a worthy weekly starter in most leagues.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Gordon (Browns), Santonio Holmes (Jets), Eric Decker (Broncos), Sidney Rice (Seahawks)
LVP: Hakeem Nicks (Giants)
It was not a good day for any Giants receiver (or any Giants player for that matter,) but no one suffered more than Hakeem Nicks. Nicks was held without a catch against a banged-up and inexperienced Panthers secondary.
Dishonorable Mentions: Dwayne Bowe (Chiefs), Andre Johnson (Texans), Victor Cruz (Giants), Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Jimmy Graham is just not a human being. Every week he comes out and causes a barrage of problems for the opposing defenses. His latest victim was the Cardinals, who allowed 134 yards and a pair of TD's to the star tight end. I thought it was crazy when people were taking him in the 2nd round of my drafts, now I realize that I was the crazy one for not feeling he was worthy of such a high pick.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Browns), Zach Miller (Seahawks), Antonio Gates (Chargers), Scott Chandler (Bills)
LVP: Martellus Bennett (Bears)
After dominating in his first 2 weeks as a member of the Chicago Bears, The Black Unicorn struggled with just 2 receptions for 10 yards against the Steelers on Sunday night. It was a tough matchup so these numbers aren't cause for concern, but they are still disappointing due to how strong Bennett played in the first 2 games.
Dishonorable Mentions: Owen Daniels (Texans), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Brandon Myers (Giants), Jared Cook (Rams)
Defense
MVP: Chicago Bears
The Bears defense was in vintage form forcing 5 takeaways and tacking on 2 defensive TD's against the Steelers in primetime on Sunday night. Their defense might not be as feared as it was in the past, but the Bears can still take the ball away and score points from turnovers with the best of them.
Honorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens
LVP: Denver Broncos
The Broncos may have picked up a hefty victory against the Raiders, but for fantasy purposes their defense came up way short with only 3 sacks and 0 takeaways against one of the weakest offenses in the NFL.
Dishonorable Mentions: San Fransisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, San Diego Chargers
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Fantasy Football Week 2 Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Aaron Rodgers repaid his owners after a slightly disappointing outing last week with a monstrous 480-yard, 4 TD performance against the Redskins on Sunday. These superhuman numbers are pretty much par for the course for Rodgers, which is why he a perennial top-tier fantasy quarterback.
Honorable Mentions: Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Michael Vick (Eagles), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Sam Bradford (Rams)
LVP: Colin Kaepernick (49ers)
Seattle has not been kind to Colin Kaepernick thus far in his career. The normally electric Kaepernick The Seahawks defense may be one of the league's undisputed best, but it doesn't excuse his absolutely horrible numbers both times he's faced them. He was clearly rattled and it showed with his forced passes that lead to 3 INT's and limited opportunities to get out of the pocket and run. Kap's uncharacteristically sloppy performance made him the weakest play at quarterback by far this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Drew Brees (Saints), Tom Brady (Patriots), Eli Manning (Giants)
Running Back
MVP: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks)
Marshawn definitely had his Skittles this week. After a very underwhelming performance against the Panthers last week, Lynch bounced back in a big way as a threat in both the rushing and passing game on his way to 135 total yards and 3 TD's on one of the stoutest defenses in the league. Lynch owners can breathe a huge sigh of relief moving forward because (barring injury) Beast Mode appears to be back in full swing after a brief hiatus.
Honorable Mentions: Giovanni Bernard (Bengals), Knowshon Moreno (Broncos), LeSean McCoy (Eagles), James Starks (Packers)
LVP: Frank Gore (49ers)
Just like last week, there were a lot of contenders for this award (Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew, Reggie Bush) but all of those guys got hurt before the end of the game leaving Frank Gore with the dubious honor of getting the title. Gore continued his woes against the Seahawks with a whopping 30 total yards on the night. Gore's reputation as a consistent, top-tier RB2 is beginning to dwindle after a lackluster start to the season in which he has gotten absolutely stuffed. He's going to need a redemption game against the Colts to provide his owners with some kind of piece of mind as the season progresses.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ray Rice (Ravens), Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), Trent Richardson (Browns)
Wide Receiver
MVP: DeSean Jackson (Eagles)
Eddie Royal had the best numbers of the week, but let's get real here, 99.9% of fantasy owners didn't own him let alone start him this week. With this in mind, the most valuable wide receiver that was actually a factor this week was DeSean Jackson. Jackson has seen a serious resurgence under Chip Kelly's offense with two huge games to start the year off. If the trend continues, Jackson will be one of the top fantasy steals of 2013.
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Royal (Chargers), Calvin Johnson (Lions), Julio Jones (Falcons), Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
LVP: Anquan Boldin (49ers)
If you haven't picked up it yet, it was an awful week to have a 49ers offensive player. Just a week removed from a 13 reception/208 yard performance in his 49ers debut, Boldin got absolutely suffocated by Richard Sherman and was held to only 1 garbage time reception for 8 yards.
Dishonorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), Demariyus Thomas (Broncos), Mike Williams (Buccaneers), Lance Moore (Saints)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Jimmy Graham showed why he was the uncontested top tight end pick in this year's drafts by massacring the Buccaneers secondary the whole game accounting for 179 yards on an otherwise off-day for the Saints high-powered passing game.
Honorable Mentions: Martellus Bennett (Bears), Jermichael Finley (Packers), Greg Olsen (Panthers), Coby Fleener (Colts)
LVP: Jason Witten (Cowboys)
The normally consistent Jason Witten dropped a rare dud against the Chiefs this week being held to just 12 yards on 3 catches. Despite being targeted 8 times, Witten was just not on the same page with Tony Romo and given little room to get open by the Chiefs talented defense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jared Cook (Rams), Vernon Davis (49ers), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Fred Davis (Redskins)
Defense
MVP: Seattle Seahawks
As you can tell from the rest of the piece, the Seahawks defense absolutely dominated the 49ers this week. The Seahawks prevented the 49ers from getting into any sort of grove and managed 5 takeaways on this great offense. After this performance, the Seahawks proved their place alone at the top of the fantasy defense heap.
Honorable Mentions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings
LVP: Green Bay Packers
The Packers didn't even come to close to their potential managing only 1 sack and 1 takeaway against the suddenly shaky, hesitant offense of the Redskins. What makes these numbers even worse for the Packers is the inferior Eagles defense put up 3 sacks and 3 takeaways on them in Week 1. After 2 weeks, the Packers have not been the sack/takeaway machine they have been over the past few seasons.
Dishonorable Mentions: Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, St. Louis Rams
MVP: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Aaron Rodgers repaid his owners after a slightly disappointing outing last week with a monstrous 480-yard, 4 TD performance against the Redskins on Sunday. These superhuman numbers are pretty much par for the course for Rodgers, which is why he a perennial top-tier fantasy quarterback.
Honorable Mentions: Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Michael Vick (Eagles), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Sam Bradford (Rams)
LVP: Colin Kaepernick (49ers)
Seattle has not been kind to Colin Kaepernick thus far in his career. The normally electric Kaepernick The Seahawks defense may be one of the league's undisputed best, but it doesn't excuse his absolutely horrible numbers both times he's faced them. He was clearly rattled and it showed with his forced passes that lead to 3 INT's and limited opportunities to get out of the pocket and run. Kap's uncharacteristically sloppy performance made him the weakest play at quarterback by far this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Drew Brees (Saints), Tom Brady (Patriots), Eli Manning (Giants)
Running Back
MVP: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks)
Marshawn definitely had his Skittles this week. After a very underwhelming performance against the Panthers last week, Lynch bounced back in a big way as a threat in both the rushing and passing game on his way to 135 total yards and 3 TD's on one of the stoutest defenses in the league. Lynch owners can breathe a huge sigh of relief moving forward because (barring injury) Beast Mode appears to be back in full swing after a brief hiatus.
Honorable Mentions: Giovanni Bernard (Bengals), Knowshon Moreno (Broncos), LeSean McCoy (Eagles), James Starks (Packers)
LVP: Frank Gore (49ers)
Just like last week, there were a lot of contenders for this award (Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew, Reggie Bush) but all of those guys got hurt before the end of the game leaving Frank Gore with the dubious honor of getting the title. Gore continued his woes against the Seahawks with a whopping 30 total yards on the night. Gore's reputation as a consistent, top-tier RB2 is beginning to dwindle after a lackluster start to the season in which he has gotten absolutely stuffed. He's going to need a redemption game against the Colts to provide his owners with some kind of piece of mind as the season progresses.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ray Rice (Ravens), Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), Trent Richardson (Browns)
Wide Receiver
MVP: DeSean Jackson (Eagles)
Eddie Royal had the best numbers of the week, but let's get real here, 99.9% of fantasy owners didn't own him let alone start him this week. With this in mind, the most valuable wide receiver that was actually a factor this week was DeSean Jackson. Jackson has seen a serious resurgence under Chip Kelly's offense with two huge games to start the year off. If the trend continues, Jackson will be one of the top fantasy steals of 2013.
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Royal (Chargers), Calvin Johnson (Lions), Julio Jones (Falcons), Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
LVP: Anquan Boldin (49ers)
If you haven't picked up it yet, it was an awful week to have a 49ers offensive player. Just a week removed from a 13 reception/208 yard performance in his 49ers debut, Boldin got absolutely suffocated by Richard Sherman and was held to only 1 garbage time reception for 8 yards.
Dishonorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), Demariyus Thomas (Broncos), Mike Williams (Buccaneers), Lance Moore (Saints)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Jimmy Graham showed why he was the uncontested top tight end pick in this year's drafts by massacring the Buccaneers secondary the whole game accounting for 179 yards on an otherwise off-day for the Saints high-powered passing game.
Honorable Mentions: Martellus Bennett (Bears), Jermichael Finley (Packers), Greg Olsen (Panthers), Coby Fleener (Colts)
LVP: Jason Witten (Cowboys)
The normally consistent Jason Witten dropped a rare dud against the Chiefs this week being held to just 12 yards on 3 catches. Despite being targeted 8 times, Witten was just not on the same page with Tony Romo and given little room to get open by the Chiefs talented defense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jared Cook (Rams), Vernon Davis (49ers), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Fred Davis (Redskins)
Defense
MVP: Seattle Seahawks
As you can tell from the rest of the piece, the Seahawks defense absolutely dominated the 49ers this week. The Seahawks prevented the 49ers from getting into any sort of grove and managed 5 takeaways on this great offense. After this performance, the Seahawks proved their place alone at the top of the fantasy defense heap.
Honorable Mentions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings
LVP: Green Bay Packers
The Packers didn't even come to close to their potential managing only 1 sack and 1 takeaway against the suddenly shaky, hesitant offense of the Redskins. What makes these numbers even worse for the Packers is the inferior Eagles defense put up 3 sacks and 3 takeaways on them in Week 1. After 2 weeks, the Packers have not been the sack/takeaway machine they have been over the past few seasons.
Dishonorable Mentions: Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, St. Louis Rams
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Fantasy Football Week 1 Winners and Losers
Week 1 is in the books and I'm sure the week brought plenty of triumphs and headaches depending on how your team did (for me, it was even split between my 4 teams.) In the first of a weekly series, I'm going to run through my picks for the most valuable and least valuable player (a.k.a most disappointing player) from a Fantasy Football standpoint for each week of the season. Hope you enjoy and spread the word.
Quarterback:
MVP: Peyton Manning (Broncos)
Could not me a more obvious pick for this week. Manning's NFL record-tying 7 TD performance all but assured his fantasy owners victory this week
Honorable Mentions: Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Andrew Luck (Colts), Michael Vick (Eagles), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
LVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
Russell Wilson had the first 300-yard game of his career against the Panthers on Sunday, but his 1 TD-outing against an unproven secondary was very disappointing from a fantasy standpoint. I'm sure he will recover in upcoming weeks, but definitely not the start to his fantasy season that many had hoped for.
Dishonorable Mentions: Cam Newton (Panthers), Tom Brady (Patriots), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Josh Freeman (Buccaneers)
Running Back:
MVP: LeSean McCoy (Eagles)
Chip Kelly may just be the genius he was advertised to be. LeSean McCoy had one of his most impressive performances of his career ripping off 184 yards on a heavy-workload of 31 carries against the Redskins in his 1st game with the highly-touted offensive guru at the helm. It's only 1 game, but this is a great indicator for McCoy's success this season in Kelly's uptempo offense.
Honorable Mentions: Reggie Bush (Lions), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Shane Vereen (Patriots)
LVP: C.J. Spiller (Bills)
You could make a case that Lamar Miller's embarrassing 10 carry, 8-yard performance against the Browns or David Wilson's fumble frenzy against the Cowboys was the weakest of the week, but Miller and Wilson didn't have the expectations or experience that C.J. Spiller has. Spiller's first game as the uncontested starter was one to forget as the Patriots held him to a paltry 41 yards on 17 carries and an early fumble in his own end that lead to an easy Patriots touchdown. Spiller is going to continue the bulk of the touches in Bills offense, but based on this performance Spiller owners are probably wishing they spent their 1st round pick elsewhere (and by elsewhere, I mean LeSean McCoy.)
Dishonorable Mentions: Lamar Miller (Dolphins), Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), David Wilson (Giants)
Wide Receiver:
MVP: Victor Cruz (Giants)
The Giants passing offense was dominant all game amidst all their turnovers and were a blessing for fantasy this week, but nobody shined brighter than Cruz, who looked hungry and well worth his contract extension with a 3 TD outing.
Honorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), Demaryius Thomas (Broncos), Anquan Boldin (49ers), Jordy Nelson (Packers)
LVP: James Jones (Packers)
The Packers touchdown vulture from last year opened the 2013 campaign by getting zero catches while the rest of his fellow receivers thrived. Jones looked sluggish and not even remotely worth his WR2 price tag.
Dishonorable mentions: Dez Bryant (Cowboys), Calvin Johnson (Lions), Mike Wallace (Dolphins), Roddy White (Falcons)
Tight End:
MVP: Jared Cook (Rams)
The start of the Jared Cook era in St.Louis was rather eventful with. Cook had an instant chemistry with quarterback Sam Bradford and torched the Cardinals defense throughout the game on his way to outperforming proven fantasy studs like Jason Witten, Vernon Davis and Tony Gonzalez. If Cook keeps it up, he will easily be a top-5 tight end at the end of the year.
Honorable Mentions: Vernon Davis (49ers), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Owen Daniels (Texans), Julius Thomas (Broncos)
LVP: Zach Sudfeld (Patriots)
Undrafted rookie Zach Sudfeld was supposed to be a huge sleeper pick for Fantasy and be the perfect short-term fill-in for Rob Gronkowski. After Sudfeld's performance on Sunday against the Bills, the Patriots (and everyone who has Tom Brady on their fantasy team) are going to pray Gronkowski comes back immediately. Sudfeld was a complete non-factor getting no catches and really did nothing of note besides giving the Bills a gift-wrapped interception after deflecting the one pass targeted to him. Sudfeld did not look like he could handle the speed of the NFL and unless a miracle happens, holds no fantasy value going forward.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Fred Davis (Redskins), Greg Olsen (Panthers), Antonio Gates (Chargers)
Defense
MVP: Dallas Cowboys
They allowed a ton of points, but 6 takeaways, 3 sacks and 2 defensive TD's made them a brilliant play for the few people that started them
Honorable Mentions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans
LVP: Cincinnati Bengals
The immensely talented Bengals D blew it big time with 1 takeaway and no sacks against a Bears offense that is normally a turnover/sack gold mine.
Dishonorable Mentions: Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback:
MVP: Peyton Manning (Broncos)
Could not me a more obvious pick for this week. Manning's NFL record-tying 7 TD performance all but assured his fantasy owners victory this week
Honorable Mentions: Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Andrew Luck (Colts), Michael Vick (Eagles), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
LVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
Russell Wilson had the first 300-yard game of his career against the Panthers on Sunday, but his 1 TD-outing against an unproven secondary was very disappointing from a fantasy standpoint. I'm sure he will recover in upcoming weeks, but definitely not the start to his fantasy season that many had hoped for.
Dishonorable Mentions: Cam Newton (Panthers), Tom Brady (Patriots), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Josh Freeman (Buccaneers)
Running Back:
MVP: LeSean McCoy (Eagles)
Chip Kelly may just be the genius he was advertised to be. LeSean McCoy had one of his most impressive performances of his career ripping off 184 yards on a heavy-workload of 31 carries against the Redskins in his 1st game with the highly-touted offensive guru at the helm. It's only 1 game, but this is a great indicator for McCoy's success this season in Kelly's uptempo offense.
Honorable Mentions: Reggie Bush (Lions), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Shane Vereen (Patriots)
LVP: C.J. Spiller (Bills)
You could make a case that Lamar Miller's embarrassing 10 carry, 8-yard performance against the Browns or David Wilson's fumble frenzy against the Cowboys was the weakest of the week, but Miller and Wilson didn't have the expectations or experience that C.J. Spiller has. Spiller's first game as the uncontested starter was one to forget as the Patriots held him to a paltry 41 yards on 17 carries and an early fumble in his own end that lead to an easy Patriots touchdown. Spiller is going to continue the bulk of the touches in Bills offense, but based on this performance Spiller owners are probably wishing they spent their 1st round pick elsewhere (and by elsewhere, I mean LeSean McCoy.)
Dishonorable Mentions: Lamar Miller (Dolphins), Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), David Wilson (Giants)
Wide Receiver:
MVP: Victor Cruz (Giants)
The Giants passing offense was dominant all game amidst all their turnovers and were a blessing for fantasy this week, but nobody shined brighter than Cruz, who looked hungry and well worth his contract extension with a 3 TD outing.
Honorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), Demaryius Thomas (Broncos), Anquan Boldin (49ers), Jordy Nelson (Packers)
LVP: James Jones (Packers)
The Packers touchdown vulture from last year opened the 2013 campaign by getting zero catches while the rest of his fellow receivers thrived. Jones looked sluggish and not even remotely worth his WR2 price tag.
Dishonorable mentions: Dez Bryant (Cowboys), Calvin Johnson (Lions), Mike Wallace (Dolphins), Roddy White (Falcons)
Tight End:
MVP: Jared Cook (Rams)
The start of the Jared Cook era in St.Louis was rather eventful with. Cook had an instant chemistry with quarterback Sam Bradford and torched the Cardinals defense throughout the game on his way to outperforming proven fantasy studs like Jason Witten, Vernon Davis and Tony Gonzalez. If Cook keeps it up, he will easily be a top-5 tight end at the end of the year.
Honorable Mentions: Vernon Davis (49ers), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Owen Daniels (Texans), Julius Thomas (Broncos)
LVP: Zach Sudfeld (Patriots)
Undrafted rookie Zach Sudfeld was supposed to be a huge sleeper pick for Fantasy and be the perfect short-term fill-in for Rob Gronkowski. After Sudfeld's performance on Sunday against the Bills, the Patriots (and everyone who has Tom Brady on their fantasy team) are going to pray Gronkowski comes back immediately. Sudfeld was a complete non-factor getting no catches and really did nothing of note besides giving the Bills a gift-wrapped interception after deflecting the one pass targeted to him. Sudfeld did not look like he could handle the speed of the NFL and unless a miracle happens, holds no fantasy value going forward.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Fred Davis (Redskins), Greg Olsen (Panthers), Antonio Gates (Chargers)
Defense
MVP: Dallas Cowboys
They allowed a ton of points, but 6 takeaways, 3 sacks and 2 defensive TD's made them a brilliant play for the few people that started them
Honorable Mentions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans
LVP: Cincinnati Bengals
The immensely talented Bengals D blew it big time with 1 takeaway and no sacks against a Bears offense that is normally a turnover/sack gold mine.
Dishonorable Mentions: Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens
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