A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
It’s Power Rankings time!
Doing weekly Power Rankings makes me almost as happy as Pete Carroll!
New England should be happy as they moved up ten spots from my preseason rankings. Houston moved up seven spots. They are the top two movers. The Jets, Falcons and 49ers all fell five spots, the most out of any other teams.
It dawned on me a couple of days ago while going through the Week 6 schedule that we have a very underrated reunion story taking place this week. Unfortunately, it is during one of the least compelling and meaningful games on the schedule from a “real” standpoint.
I am speaking, of course, about Torry Holt, one of the greatest players in Rams history, who will be hosting his former team this weekend as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Even though it is not a game getting much attention, that doesn’t mean the game won’t be very meaningful from a fantasy standpoint.
In fact, quite the contrary. When the Jaguars and Rams meet up this weekend, with their two combined victories and zero percent chances to make the playoffs, I propose that the events could dictate the outcome of many a fantasy matchup this week. Why?
23rd and 30th.
Those are the overall defensive ranks of the Rams and Jags, respectively.
Which brings me to Torry Holt as a sleeper selection for your Week 6 lineups.
As many of you know, especially those of you who have been keeping tabs on the comment section of this week’s start em, sit em post, I have not been happy with Mike Sims-Walker since Sunday.
Last week, I touted him as a great play to everyone who would listen, started him in multiple leagues, and then watched him figuratively kick us all in the groin by being a late scratch Sunday and contributing nothing to any of our Week 5 causes.
So, needless to say, I’ve been pissed along with everyone else who started MS-W.
However, now that we know the reason for his Week 5 absence, the question must be asked: does guy code dictate that we no longer harbor ill will towards him?
The Week 17 start em, sit em lineup advice post is up.
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Watching the Packers-Vikings game as I type this, so I will try not to be too distracted. Week 5 is a big week and we’ve all got to be on top of our games this week.
If you’re 0-4, this is your last chance to stay alive and have a prayer’s chance at the playoffs. If you’re 1-3 or 2-2, a win in Week 5 can potentially get you into first place or a game back, depending on your league. And if you’re 3-1 or 4-0, you’re looking to put some distance between you and your foes.
Either way, Week 5 is a huge swing week that will put you in the position of either being the chased or the chaser over the next few weeks.
Let’s hop to it, starting out with a quick look back at Week 4 and then a glance forward to Week 5 with your usual rundown of start ems and sit ems.
We have now had three weeks of the 2009 fantasy football season and everyone should have a decent idea of what kind of team they have.
I’m in six leagues and am at least 2-1 in five of them, so I’m feeling pretty good.
But the equations change a little bit this week as the bye week rotations begin.
This week, Arizona, Carolina, Philadelphia, and Atlanta are all on byes. This means that teams with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, DeAngelo Williams, Desean Jackson, and Tony Gonzalez, among many others, have to find productive fill-ins to keep them competitive in Week 4.
And that’s what we’re going to look at this morning.
So far, my start em, sit em picks have worked out a lot better than my sleeper picks on a weekly basis (Byron Leftwich last week, ’nuff said). In reality, though, Weeks 1-3 are really like the preseason when it comes to waiver wire trolling in the 50% -or-less category.
Most teams, if they drafted at least semi-competently, should not have been digging too far down the wire to plug any holes yet.
It’s a different ballgame now, with each team needing to find bye week replacements. This morning, I will attempt to identify players at each primary fantasy position (no kickers…not now, not ever) who have favorable matchups in Week 4 and could do some damage.
Here we go:
