A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
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.
Jon will have the overall Week 12 start/sit post ready to go for tomorrow morning, but with three games on Thanksgiving Thursday I thought it might be helpful to do a special start/sit column for those games.
So in this post I’ll do just that, providing analysis and recommendations for the key players you need to decide on before Turkey Day.
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The NFL season is approaching its fourth week, and it is starting to become clear which players are for real and which ones might under-perform all year. It is a crucial time for fantasy owners to begin pruning their rosters to form the teams they want for the rest of the season.
Knowing who to add and drop, and who to put on the bench and who to start each week, is the difference between winning and losing. Here is some help for both in the Fantasy Football Week 4 Last Minute Tips.
Everyone loves to draft a guy that he thinks is a sleeper. Why? Because it’s our way of proving to everyone else that, “Yes, I know more than you.” Beyond that, it’s simply quite fun to draft a guy that surprises everybody else.
Like I said before, it’s not that fun to draft Ichiro. You know exactly what you’re getting. (Or at least you used to know, before this season.) On the flip side, thinking about Jason Heyward’s upside gives us all visions of glory.
But when it comes to drafting running backs for your fantasy football team this year, save the “sleepers” for other positions.
I enjoyed Week 10.
Not only did I hit more than I missed with my start/sit picks and comment advice in Week 10, but my team in the P&G-sponsored Blogger Fantasy Football League also exploded for an easy and much-needed victory over the sublimely named Sweaty Ditkas.
What I loved best about my win in BFL2010 is that the two guys who carried me were unheralded players that I recommended to a lot of you in Week 10: Fred Jackson and Mike Thomas. There is nothing I love more than when I follow my own advice and it works out…because that means it’s working out for many of you too.
Just like these Week 11 start em, sit em picks will. (At least, that’s the gameplan…)
As anyone who has followed my fantasy football predictions knows, I have been high on Cowboys’ RB Felix Jones ever since the offseason.
And proving that I don’t just talk the talk, but also walk the walk, Jones is the only player that I have in each of the six leagues I am in this year.
While Felix’s production has been hampered by the fact that he is part of an amazing three-man backfield in Dallas — where there simply aren’t enough touches to go around — he has still be explosive enough in limited touches to provide solid flex value through three games.
However, one of the main knocks on Felix Jones coming into the season, that he’s injury prone, appears to have reared its ugly head and could hinder Jones’ value moving forward.
According to Ed Werder of ESPN Dallas, Jones was injured last night during the Cowboys’ victory over the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football. The latest injury update on Felix Jones is that he has a knee strain, but that it could turn into something serious.
Editor’s Note: AJ Kaufman’s weekly MNF coverage on MSF is sponsored by Sadler’s Smokehouse, a producer of premium pit smoked meats that are best described by Sadler’s slogan: Legendary since 1948.
Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.
With a variety of delicious choices (beef, pork, ribs, turkey, brisket, and more) and availability at grocery stores throughout the U.S., Sadler’s meats are the tasty, convenient choice when you want to watch the big game and eat well while you’re doing it.
Panthers-Cowboys MNF Preview Podcast presented by Sadler’s
(FYI…audio player may take a second or two to load)
MNF Preview Podcast: Cowboys-Panthers
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Though it may seem silly and emotional, in Dallas, hope turned to despair from week one to two.
However, after a closer look, it is a very good sign for your offense when you are playing one of the top rated defenses in the conference, your quarterback plays one of the worst games of his career, and you still manage 31 points.
These results convey two important points: (1) that your offense is balanced, and (2) that your offensive line is getting the job done.
It should come as no surprise that given the production of said offensive line, the Cowboys running game is firing on all cylinders as Marion Barber and Felix Jones represent arguably the best 1-2 running back punch in the NFC, if not the NFL. Barber is averaging more than six yards per carry in 2009. Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, Barber is still questionable for Monday with a quad injury.
Fortunately for ‘Boys fans though, his backup, Tashard Choice, is no slouch, and should pick up the slack nicely if pressed into a more prominent role in the offense. Last year, Choice put together a string of three excellent games against Pittsburgh, New York, and Baltimore. Therefore, he should serve solidly in a time-share with Jones.
Expect Mr. Jones to maintain his role as the change of pace and 3rd down back with Choice claiming the “workhorse” duties. The duo should come up big against a Panthers defense that has an injury riddled front-line and has given up over 150 rushing yards in each of their first two games.
As for Romo, odds are he’ll be fine. The bigger issue is the uncertainty over a reliable third option for the Cowboys’ receiving game (after Jason Witten and Roy Williams). Patrick Crayton seems destined to be nothing more that a slot receiver, leaving Miles Austin in the driver’s seat to run away with second wideout duties. His talent and big play ability has left Jerry Jones watering at the mouth, but Austin has yet to consistently manifest that talent into reality.
It is a very bad sign for your secondary when Eli Manning, Mario Manningham, and Steve Smith look like the second coming of the Three Amigos. That said, I think the Cowboys will be fine defensively, so long as they abandon the experiment to rotate Orlando Scandrick (who was repeatedly burned by Manningham) and Mike Jenkins at the corner, and it seems like Wade Phillips has already started to move in that direction.
Panthers fans can take some solace in the fact that Jake Delhomme, coming off two straight awful performances that led to major criticism, wasn’t nearly as bad last week against Atlanta; but that being said, his 308 passing yards shed far too positive a light on his actual performance. This simply isn’t the Delhomme of five years ago, and the Panthers have to be second guessing the heck out of themselves for his exorbitant contract extension this past off-season.
Though he indicated he “felt good out there,” Jake was nearly an early disaster. Though he began the game 4-4 for 54 yards, he could have thrown an early interception when he inexplicably tossed a weak underhand pass, which was dropped by a Falcons defender. If Delhomme would have thrown a pick there, things probably would have snowballed on him again, as they would have been in another big early hole.
So, though it’s not outrageous to muse that the 34 year-old is on the downward arc of his career, the Panthers do indeed have a dangerous rushing attack with DeAngelo Williams and 22 year-old Jonathan Stewart that will make things significantly easier for Mr. Delhomme at times.
All that being said, I just don’t see how the Panthers stop the Cowboys’ rushing attack, especially with the season ending ankle injury to defensive tackle Louis Leonard, one of the team’s primary run stuffers. This is yet another hindrance to a defensive line already crippled by injuries.
Ultimately, I just don’t see the Panthers as being able to stop the Cowboys’ ground game without bringing a safety in the box, and in doing so, they will open up the passing attack for Tony Romo, who should have a good bounce back game. Dallas needs this win, and it’s highly likely they’ll get it, perhaps easily.
Cowboys-Panthers Prediction and Spread Pick: Cowboys do cover the large spread.
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* – Felix Jones photo credit: Dallas Observer Sportatorium
* – Jake Delhomme photo credit: Snort Report
If the New York Giants are going to spoil the regular season christening of Dallas’ new billion-dollar stadium, then Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw must bring their A-game.
Both teams won last week’s season opener, but the Cowboys were gashed by Tampa Bay on the ground for 174 yards in the 34-21 victory. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams picked up 97 yards on only 13 carries while Derrick Ward gained another 62 yards on 12 attempts. Each back found the end zone once.
If New York gets that kind of productivity, and the defense plays as it did against Washington, we could see an upset in Big D.
The G-Men have history against them, however. Dallas has won four of the last five meetings, and three of the last four in Dallas.
Here is all of the viewing information for this weekend’s game:
New York Giants (1-0) at Dallas Cowboys (1-0)
In last December’s game at Texas Stadium, Giants quarterback Eli Manning was sacked eight times, picked off twice, and did not throw a touchdown pass in the 20-8 Dallas victory. This is another reason why New York running game is so vital. Jacobs ran for 117 yards in last season’s Giants victory in New York, but the big bruiser missed the blowout loss in Dallas.
If the Giants are unable to get anything going on the ground, DeMarcus Ware and Co. will be able to pin their ears back and head right for Manning. Surprisingly, Dallas was unable to register a sack last week in Tampa after Ware led the NFL with 20 sacks a season ago. Tampa quarterback Byron Leftwich completed 61 percent of his passes and threw for 276 yards as the Buccaneers totaled 450 yards of offense.
For Dallas, the recipe for success is eerily similar.
The Cowboys have their own 1-2 punch in the backfield. Establishing Marion Barber and Felix Jones on the ground will open things up for Tony Romo. Dallas rushed for 118 yards against the Bucs, led by Barber, who had 79 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
Romo enjoyed a superb opener, throwing for 353 yards and three touchdowns, including seven passes to Patrick Crayton and Roy Williams for a combined 221 yards. It’s clear that the Cowboys don’t miss Terrell Owens. Romo’s efforts this past Sunday made up for the lackluster defensive performance in the Sunshine State.
While Dallas’ defense was underwhelming in victory, New York’s unit overwhelmed Jason Campbell and the Redskins. They held the Redskins to 272 yards – 85 rushing – and forced two turnovers with three sacks, including 1 1/2 by NFC defensive player of the week Justin Tuck. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora, back after missing last year with a knee injury added a sack and a forced fumble of Campbell. He then returned the fumble 37 yards for a score in the 23-17 win.
Manning was not spectacular against Washington, but was efficient, going 20 of 29 for 256 yards with one touchdown and one interception, completing passes to seven receivers.
That kind of efficiency begins with pass protection and a solid running game. Both teams have basically the same strengths. It’s just a matter of which squad can establish the ground game early, pressure the quarterback, and create a turnover – something Dallas has struggled to do the last few years.
The clubs have already begun the war of words, with Jacobs and Ware both saying they “hate” the other team. It would seem the passion on the field in this storied NFC East rivalry has finally caught up to the passion in the stands.
The passionate ones in the seats could be the difference in this game, if Dallas can feed off its crowd in the home opener. The Giants will do all they can to silence the expected sell-out crowd. That could be easier to do with their 260-pound tailback on the field.
With Jacobs in the lineup, this is a completely different Giants team, and New York just might be leaving Big D with a big W.
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* – Eli Manning – Dallas photo credit: New York Daily News
After spending a relaxing week of vacation in the Keys, then spending most of yesterday twirling in the inbox maelstrom that awaited me upon my return, I am officially back. And there is no better way to jump right back into sports and blogging than participating in a fantasy football draft.
Last night was my first draft of many over the next couple of weeks. This morning I am going to regale you with what I hope are educational and enlightening nuggets of knowledge and insight that drove my picks as the draft motored along.Â
Let’s get right to it.
First, the league particulars so you have a frame of reference:
And here is my roster, with the draft position (I had the 8th and 15th picks to start) in parentheses:
And yes, I know I need another kicker, but for some reason the Yahoo! system wasn’t letting us draft a second kicker. Oh well. Kickers are a crapshoot anyway.
Before I analyze a few of the players individually, here a few picks after which I smiled with that smug feeling we all get when we think we’ve really made a good value pick: Felix Jones, LeSean McCoy, Chris Henry, Vernon Davis.
And, just for good measure, here a few picks from other people that really pissed me off because it removed someone from the board a pick or two before I was targeting them: Drew Brees (I picked Brady), Randy Moss (I picked Gore), Ronnie Brown (I picked McNabb), Percy Harvin and Ted Ginn Jr (I picked Steve Smith, the Giants one), Ahmad Bradshaw (I picked V Davis).
Now that we have all of that out of the way, here are a few of the important lessons that I am taking away from my first fantasy football draft of the 2009 season:
I am bullish on Tom Brady
I know that Tom Brady is coming off a pretty nasty knee injury, and as fantasy football owners we have all been (rightfully) conditioned to be wary of using high draft picks on guys coming off of injury, but…
It’s Tom F’ing Brady.Â
In a 2-QB league, I knew I wanted to get either Brees or Brady with the 8th pick since the elite RBs would be gone. Brees obviously comes with less risk and is stellar every season, but Brady is the one guy that I think has a legitimate shot to surpass Brees’ production this year. All you have to do is look at Brady’s last full season in the league to see what he’s capable of producing. That is why I also targeted Randy Moss in the second round, although my dad got to him first.
I’d been going back and forth in my mind about whether or not I consider Brady a first round pick. In a standard 1-QB league, probably not. But he would still be the 2nd QB I’d want. In a 2-QB league I definitely think he is a first round pick and my lack of hesitation in clicking the “Draft” button proved to me that I’m confident in Brady’s ability for a strong rebound season. And you should be too.
Felix Jones has the potential to be a mid-round pick that produces top-round value
Maybe it’s listening to Dallas radio every day and hearing the perpetually negative Dallas talking heads always gushing about Felix Jones. Or perhaps it’s the memory of his scintillating but sparse performances as a rookie in which he seemed to create a big play TD every game until he got hurt. Or quite possibly it’s the memory of how Steve Slaton and Chris Johnson turned into great late-round picks for me last year at RB.
Either way, for those reasons and many more, I am extremely high on Felix Jones this season.
For goodness sakes, Felix Jones averaged 8.9 yards per carry last year as a rookie. Â Granted, he only got 30 carries in six games…but 8.9 yards per carry. He also scored 3 TDs in the midst of those 30 carries. I know that it’s a small sample size, but the Cowboys had already started to increase Jones’ role in the offense before he got hurt in Week 6. This season, they are committed to increasing his role even more.
There is already talk that Felix Jones may add punt returning to his list of duties, and from everything I have seen and read the Cowboys want to get him 12-15 touches per game. For a lot of players that might not be enough to secure an every week starting position on fantasy rosters, but for a guy with the breakaway ability of Jones it’s plenty.
Sure, he’ll have a few weeks where he might not generate huge numbers, but that is not unlike a lot of players. This is a guy who does not need goalline carries to get touchdowns — which is good, because Marion Barber will get those — and a guy who plays for a team that is seeking playmakers to replace the lost production of Terrell Owens.
It sounds like the Cowboys are going to be committed to running the ball more this year and to lightening the load on Marion Barber somewhat, especially in early in games, so he is fresh to close them out in the 4th quarter. That opens the door for Felix Jones to get his touches, and I have a feeling Jones will get more and more as the season progresses and he proves himself to be the most dynamic playmaker on a Cowboys’ offense that may struggle to get big plays out of its passing game.
I don’t think Felix Jones will produce 1st or 2nd round value — although he could if Marion Barber were to get hurt — but I do think he can be a solid #2 running back that produces like a 3rd or 4th round pick. I might have taken him a bit early in the 7th round, but only because I knew my brother wanted him too. My advice would be to start targeting Jones around the late 7th to early 8th round, and then reap the rewards of his big play TDs all season long.
Those two picks — Brady in the 1st and Felix Jones in the 7th — were the two I felt the strongest about coming out of last night’s draft. Â Here a few other quick-hit thoughts regarding my players:
I think Donovan McNabb could be primed for one of his best seasons, assuming he stays healthy. The Eagles have a solid backup to the oft-dinged and now old Brian Westbrook in rookie LeSean McCoy (more on him later), plus they added another playmaking speedster in Jeremy Maclin to go along with DeSean Jackson. Not to mention, Michael Vick may get out there in some wildcat formations which could lead to some unconventional yardage or TDs for McNabb.
Something about McNabb just seems more at ease, more confident this offseason. And with the Eagles playing for the memory of Jim Johnson, and with the bitter taste of last year’s NFC Championship Game loss, I think they will have a solid season…with McNabb leading them every step of the way.
Shaun Hill is sneaky good, by the way, and makes a solid late-round pick as a backup QB. Â Did you know that in 12 career starts Hill has a 90.5 passer rating? He should get the nod in San Francisco and be able to get you through a bye week or short-term injury to your starter.
I mentioned LeSean McCoy earlier. Â I really like his potential this year as a possible Steve Slaton type back. Remember last season when Slaton started out as Ahman Green’s backup and was considered too small to be an everydown back? Green spent the whole season injured and ineffective and now Slaton is being picked in the first 10-15 selections. That could be McCoy next season.
McCoy’s value obviously goes down if Brian Westbrook stays healthy all year, but with Westbrook already digned up and getting up there in age, it’s not the most outlandish of bets that Westbrook misses some time this year. When he does, McCoy will be there to put up similar numbers as a dual threat back. Plus, McCoy has value even when Westbrook is healthy. The Eagles are going to reduce Westbrook’s workload this year in an effort to try and keep him fresh and healthy. McCoy can produce as a 3rd RB or flex player with 10-15 touches per game.
If you can get McCoy in the 9th to 11th rounds I think you could have yourself a potential Slaton/Chris Johnson type late round steal.
Wide receiver appears to be the weakness of my team, but after the consistent production of Hines Ward I think I have three guys that could significantly trump their production from a year ago.
Anthony Gonzalez enters his third season (the typical breakout year for WRs) and is now firmly entrenched as the #2 WR behind Reggie Wayne. I think Gonzalez is primed for at least 75-80 catches (solid in a PPR league) and should grab 5-7 TDs.Â
Torry Holt is getting older and had a terrible year last season in St. Louis, but I see him having a resurgence in Jacksonville. Â He is their clear #1 WR and all of the training camp reports say that he has quickly developed a rapport with David Garrard. Plus, Jacksonville has no one else at WR. Holt won’t be the Holt of old, but could put up solid #2 WR numbers. I like him for 80-90 catches and the wily vet could find his way into the endzone 7-8 times as well.
Steve Smith of the Giants is another third year receiver who could have a breakout year. He quietly grabbed 57 balls last year, but only for a 10.1 yard average and 1 TD. He is not a big play guy, nor will he probably score a lot of TDs. But with Plaxico Burress gone and the Giants lacking proven receiving threats on the outside, Eli Manning will probably go to Smith a lot. He has more value in a PPR league and could grab 75-85 balls and get in the endzone a few times. Not bad for a bye week fill-in, #4 WR.
And watch out for Chris Henry in Cincinnati. I know the guy is a knucklehead, but he’s also extremely talented, has Carson Palmer back at QB, and there is a 90-100 catch void with TJ Houshmandzadeh’s departure. Plus, Henry is apparently a “changed man” this year. Â We’ll see about that, but guys with proven 50-60 catch, 6-8 TD ability are worthy of late-round fliers, which is why I took one on Henry.
Obviously I love getting Jason Witten, even in the 4th round, because he will be Tony Romo’s #1 target this season. And Witten has more value in a PPR league than a non-PPR. But I also think I may have plucked a top-5 tight end in the 13th round by picking Vernon Davis.
Yes, Davis has proven himself to be a bit of a diva and has failed to fulfill the vast potential that made him a #1 pick. But he still grabbed 52 balls and scored 4 times last year. He is also another guy with a checkered past that appears to be taking his profession more seriously this year. As with Chris Henry, we’ll see. But on a team that lacks great WRs, the tight end will see lots of opportunities in SF.
And for the record, look at Tony Gonzalez’s career stats. It wasn’t really until his third year that he broke out (76 catches, 11 TDs after only 4 TDs in his first two years). Targeting talented pass catchers in their third seasons is a proven strategy for finding sleeper success, and Vernon Davis is a guy you can get cheap that could far outperform his draft position.
Finally, I hate the New York Jets but I love the potential of their defense this year. Not only should they have a healthy Kris Jenkins and be buoyed by the presence of Lito Sheppard opposite Derrelle Revis, but they have former Ravens DC Rex Ryan calling the shots this year. Even if the Jets give up points, they will be aggressive. That means lots of sacks and lots of forced turnovers. Those are the types of defenses that can offer value even when they give up higher scores. I think the Jets could easily finish the year as a top-5, maybe even a top-3, fantasy defense.
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Remember, to get any and all fantasy questions answered in a quick and timely fashion, jump on over to the MSF Fantasy Football Discussion Forum, where we are waiting to help you out with your draft preparation. And I know that owe you the other half of my Bust/Sleeper column, so look for that later this week.
* – Tom Brady photo credit: Noon Time Sports
* – Felix Jones photo credit: Dallas Observer Sportatorium
* – Donovan McNabb and LeSean McCoy photo credit: Sean Simmers, The Patriot News via PennLive
