Fantasy Football Week 8 Start Em, Sit Em Lineup Advice, Projections, and Roster Q&A

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I’mmm baaaaaaccccckkkkk!

Did you miss me?

Jon has himself a busy schedule this week, so he texted me this morning and asked if I’d be up for reprising my role as the author of our weekly Start/Sit column here at MSF. I have to admit, as soon as I saw his text I was pretty pumped.

Doing these posts every week, week after week, can admittedly be a bit of a grind, as I learned over the last couple of years; so I was happy to let Jon take it over this year and focus my efforts in other areas. But I’ve missed the weekly challenge of poring over matchups and stats and trends to figure out which players to recommend to you as starts and sits.

So it’s good to be back in the saddle.

Anyway, It’s not like I’ve been totally absent. I still offer commentary on Jon’s posts, answer questions in the comment sections, and monitor the @FantasyMSF Twitter account. So I haven’t really given you a chance to miss me even if you wanted to. Now though, for the first time all year, I have to go on record with start and sit picks.

I’m ready. Let’s roll.

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Drew Brees, Tracy Porter Lead Saints to ‘Old Oaken Upset’

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No rivalry has defined my life more than Indiana vs Purdue.

I am a child of Bloomington with a deep-seeded hatred for all things gold and black who ultimately, as the ironic twists of fate would have it, ended up moving to West Lafayette for 8th grade and high school. Because of this, I have lived and breathed Indiana and Purdue sports – the Old Oaken Bucket game, the Knight-Keady rivalry, etc. – for as long as I can remember.

So despite my lack of a specific rooting interest in last night’s Super Bowl, the way it turned out made it a memorable one to me as supporter, in general, of all things Big Ten.

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NFL Week 6 Injury Updates: Cotchery, Mendenhall, MegaTron, and more

Here is some pertinent injury info that you need to know about heading into Week 6:

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Pierre Thomas Injury Update: Status Questionable for Week 1 With MCL Sprain

Pierre Thomas injury update - sprained MCL - status for Week 1 against DetroitPierre Thomas has been a trendy pick during fantasy football draft season as a potential first round value that can often be had in Rounds 2-4, depending on your league. Thomas played well last year over the final six weeks of the season and benefits from playing in the most explosive offense in the NFL.

He also, of course, benefits from the fact that Reggie Bush runs between the tackles about as well as Chad Pennington throws the deep out.

Yet, despite all of these positives, the latest injury updates on Pierre Thomas indicate that you may need to sit him in Week 1.

A few days ago, Thomas listed himself as questionable for Week 1 because of an MCL sprain (via Fanhouse) that has hampered him throughout the preseason. He also recently sustained a laceration “from a fence” (via the Times-Picayune) that required him to get stitches, but should not hamper him moving forward.

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The official Week 1 injury report is not out yet, but the news about Thomas is pessimistic enough that I would begin making alternate plans for your running back slots this week. He did not practice on Monday, and I’ve seen no reports yet that indicate he we will be ready to take advantage of the porous Lions’ D on Sunday.

The fact of the matter is that if you gave Sean Payton truth serum, he would probably admit that he doesn’t think he’ll need Thomas to score on and beat Detroit. Thus, if their #1 backfield horse isn’t ready to go, there is no reason for them to rush him back. This is a huge season for Payton and the Saints, and Thomas is the guy they are counting on to provide the Deuce-like thunder opposite Reggie Bush’s lightning.

That said, I wouldn’t panic yet if you are a Thomas owner (as I am).

Hopefully you have a decent option on your bench for Week 1 and his absence won’t kill you. If you own Reggie Bush, he obviously becomes a must-start, pending the reports out of Saints practice this week. Mike Bell should also see increased carries, especially around the goalline, if Thomas is out. In fact, Bell might not be a bad guy to stash on your bench as a semi-handcuff for Thomas as a hedge in case Thomas’ injuries linger.

Just be sure to keep track of the latest injury updates on Pierre Thomas throughout the week, but I’d get him out of your lineup right now — just in case you forget to check before Sunday — and then make a last minute switch on Saturday or Sunday if the news about his knee changes.

I’ll update this post if I see that anything changes.

Update: Via this tweet from Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune, it appears as if you are safe in removing Pierre Thomas from your rosters. Thomas, according to Duncan, is not dressed for Wednesday’s practice.

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* – Pierre Thomas photo credit: Ball St Journal

Fantasy Football Week 8 | Reggie Bush Injury Update – Deuce McAllister

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(Update 11/26 – Thanks to ProFootballTalk for his one.  Reggie Bush is hopeful that he will be back on the field for the Saints’ Week 13 game.  Fantasy players everywhere…rejoice!)

Check out the Week 9 Fire and Ice Fantasy Football Forum for the latest news regarding Reggie Bush’s injury status.
If you’re a Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister, Pierre Thomas or Aaron Stecker owner, or in need of a running back in fantasy football week 8, this applies to you.

In Sunday’s loss to the Panthers, Saints running back Reggie Bush injured his meniscus in his left knee on a punt return in threggie bush injurye second quarter. As it stands right now, Reggie Bush needs arthroscopic knee surgery that could sideline him for several weeks.

Head coach Sean Payton stated that the plan is to scope the knee, evaluate it and go from there. This injury will yield more carries for Deuce McAllister, Pierre Thomas and Aaron Stecker. I anticipate Aaron Stecker to be used in the same format as Reggie Bush, as he possesses the most speed out of this group. If Deuce McAllister can be productive when given the opportunity, he stands to benefit the most from the absence of Reggie Bush.

Check back with Midwestsportsfans.com on Wednesday for more insight into fantasy football week 8.

And don’t forget to get your questions in for the mailbag portion of our upcoming Week 9 Fantasy Football Sleeper Focus. If you have a roster question and want expert help, email profootballinsight@live.com and your email will either be responded to personally, or here on Midwest Sports Fans.

[tags]fantasy football, reggie bush[/tags]