A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
If you’re reading this post right now, one of three things is happening:
One, you are in your league’s championship round and looking for some advice as you try to make the most important lineup decisions of the season. We congratulate you, and we’re here for you. Skip ahead and start soaking in the analysis as you go for your league’s equivalent of The Shiva.
I am skipping an introduction this week because I’m too mad at fantasy football.
In my league of 14 teams, I finished right in the middle of the pack in terms of points…but because I had the third most points scored on me, I missed the playoffs…by a lot.
I finished second to last.
Lame.
Sometimes, fantasy football goes that way. I will spare you my three heart-breaking losses of the year because, quite frankly, we all have them…and nobody else cares.
In the aftermath of Stanford’s disappointing loss to Oregon on Saturday night, you are likely to hear little birdies chirping that Andrew Luck isn’t all he’s cracked up to be.
Don’t buy it.
Did you know that every team that is on a bye this week has a winning record? I’m not sure if that has ever happened before but I’ll send John Clayton an email and see what he says. One of those teams on the bye, the Bears, has a running back that has two labels thrown at him. Is Matt Forte underrated or undervalued? He may be both. The Bears front office better figure it out soon.
Now for this week we have some interesting picks for you, but a lot of them are on the down side of the stock. I had one person ask me how I could have DeMarco Murray down this week after his big game last week; easy. Just look at Adrian Peterson’s stats after he set the NFL record for yards in a game. Stay here: he scored 5 points.
We have a special treat for you in this installment of the stock report: kickers, tricks and more.
Letdowns and surprises have been the theme over the first two weeks of the season, but that’s just because it has only been two weeks. Now is when we see who the real fantasy stars are as outlier 33-point games from Chad Henne are brought back down to earth.
The Chiefs team as a whole gets a lot of attention this week due mainly to the injury of Jamaal Charles, which opens up some opportunities for other guys on that squad.
The game itself is changing with the way teams throw the ball. Yes running backs are still important but QBs and WRs are becoming the high scorers week in and week out. Don’t be late to the party.
Well, as I explained in this week’s waiver wire sleeper picks post, I needed another Monday night miracle to make the playoffs in the P&G-sponsored Blogger Fantasy Football League*. Barring something truly miraculous over the next hour, my season will end at the hands of Team Gunaxin.
Regardless, it has been a great experience, highlighted by the trip to New York and the draft in the NFL boardroom. That was a truly memorable experience that I’ll remember forever, and I cannot thank P&G and the NFL enough for making it reality. I would have loved to be able to enjoy this year’s Super Bowl live from Jerry World as well; but alas, it was not meant to be.
Luckily I am in many more leagues than just that one and actually had three byes this week. So fear not, dear reader! Just because my season has come to a screeching halt in the P&G league, I still have leagues with friends and family that I must win for essential bragging rights and pride. Thus, I will still be working just as hard as always to analyze the players, trends, matchups, and injuries to help myself out in my other leagues and to help you out in yours.
Let’s start analyzing.
Desean Jackson has been a godsend for many fantasy owners this year. He’s a guy that you probably got in the middle rounds who has produced 2nd-3rd value at the WR position.
Unfortunately, tho owners hoping that DJax will help them make a final push towards the playoffs may be disappointed this weekend.
That latest injury update on Desean Jackson is that he does not think that he can go this weekend, leaving his status for the Eagles’ Week 13 matchup with Atlanta in doubt.
From a fantasy perspective, no team is more mind-achingly frustrating intriguing than the Philadelphia Eagles heading into Week 3. Not only do the Eagles have what looks to be a pretty sweet matchup against the hapless Kansas City Chiefs, but Philadelphia’s most recent injury report would make for half of a pretty good fantasy starting lineup:
QB: Donovan McNabb – doubtful with rib injury
RB: Brian Westbrook – questionable with ankle injury
WR: Desean Jackson – questionable with groin injury
WR: Kevin Curtis – doubtful with knee injury
Most McNabb owners are probably not counting on him playing this weekend. Certainly they should not be. McNabb is reportedly progressing well, but there is no reason for the Eagles to play him this week and risk further injury when they have a bye week coming up next week.
As for Desean Jackson, he participated fully in Friday’s practice and should be good to go on Sunday. With Kevin Curtis likely out, and rookie Jeremy Maclin lining up opposite Jackson, I expect Desean and Brent Celek to get most of the targets from probable starting QB Kevin Kolb. The reports were pretty solid about Jackson, so he should be ready to contribute normally.
With all that said, the most compelling and influential injury issue in Philadelphia for Week 3 is Brian Westbrook.
Update 9/27: ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio just reported that Brian Westbrook is OUT for Sunday’s game. Play LeSean McCoy.
Dear DeSean Jackson
Two weeks ago, after your first week in the NFL, I watched you with a grin on my face in a post game interview as you shrugged and smiled about your first NFL appearance being a 100 yard game. “I’m just living that rookie life.” Well, like Adam Sandler shakes the fat kid’s face in Billy Madison, pleading with him to maintain his innocence, I, too, write to with the same emotion. Pleading with you, don’t go the way of other “locker room problem” receivers.
Monday night you looked like an asshole. I’ll spell it out for you. You dropped a touchdown cause you turn yourself on too much. If your self-obsession is a problem, go beat off in the mirror. Don’t cost your team six points. Any one of your douche bag friends, girlfriends or “buddies” who said, “It’s no big deal, you guys scored, anyway” is wrong. They clearly don’t know the scale of football you play. That was, perhaps, the greatest Monday night game ever and you win the “Biggest Idiot of the Greatest Game” award. If you didn’t have Brian Westbrook risk his neck on the next play, Andy Reid would have eaten you. After allowing a mob, donning Chase Utley jerseys, to pelt you with batteries and put you on the flat grill at Gino’s Steaks.
