FSH: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 23rd, 2010, Thursday



David’s Daily Digest

My Fantasy Notes:

THOMAS HAS BIG GAME AGAINST HAWKS
Last weekend the Bronco’s rookie receiver and top 2010 draft selection Demaryius Thomas had a breakout game on Sunday with eight catches for 97 yards, including a touchdown. It was his first game in the lineup this season and his eight grabs came off of nine targets.
My Fantasy Read:
It may be a little too soon to be christening Thomas the next heir apparent, but with his 6’3” frame and Kyle Orton’s accuracy in the passing game he looks like a good bet to succeed quickly. He’s definitely a weekly consideration in deeper fantasy leagues.

LION’S BEST IS A BEAST ON SUNDAY
The Lion’s rookie runner had a huge game last Sunday with multiple big plays and multiple visits to the end-zone. Jahvid Best scored three times against the Eagles, while totaling over 200 yards of offense. He averaged nearly nine yards each time he touched the ball.
My Fantasy Read:
It’s pretty easy to see that Best is a bonafide playmaker and with no competition in the backfield, there is no worry of any kind of committee in Detroit. Best should be a weekly safe play going forward.

D-MAC BREAKS OUT AGAINST RAMS
The Raiders have not had a lot to get excited about over recent times and McFadden has been something and someone fans have been waiting on most. Last week D-Mac showed the Raider nation just what they have been waiting for rushing for a buck forty-five on 30 carries. This season he is averaging a stout five yards a pop, is healthy, and appears ready to carry the mantle as the Raider’s primary ball-carrier.
My Fantasy Read:
The news wires are reporting that running back Michael Bush is likely to make his return this week, but his presence shouldn’t detract too much from D-Mac’s production. McFadden has been solid in two outings this season and should continue to see his fair-share of touches in the offense.

ORTON CONTINUES STEADY PLAY
Last Sunday Orton passed for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns to lead his team to a week two win over the Seahawks. In two games this season the Bronco’s signal caller has been solid and efficient averaging over 300 yards passing per game and completing over 67% of his throws.
My Fantasy Read:
It looks pretty apparent in Denver that there is no quarterback controversy going on and Orton is the man. Orton has shown great command of McDaniel’s system and is again playing at a high level. With a nice compliment of receivers this season the Bronco’s field general should remain a reliable play this season.

FSH: MY WEEKLY SURVIVAL

September 23rd, 2010, Thursday

My Weekly Survivors

After two weeks of survival play my fantasy football team is currently sitting 12th in a 35-team celebrity/expert league, which is not too bad if you ask me; but we can do better. If you are not familiar with the survivor concept, allow me to enlighten you. Every week you draft a line-up of football players for your fantasy team, using your knowledge and fantasy skill. The catch in this unique challenge is, once you have exercised the services of any particular player that player is no longer available for the duration of the fantasy football season. It’s fantasy football with a demented twist adding real spice and flavor to an already tasty dish.

As I mentioned my team is currently in 12th and it is now time to make my weekly selections for the week three match-ups;

QB Tony Romo: The Cowboys quarterback ranked second in passing yards this season would be getting more print if the Boys had at least one win. Win or lose on Sunday Romo will be out of the shotgun squaring up with the NFL's number one ranked offense the Houston Texans. Fortunately for Romo and the Cowboys, the Texans pass defense is ranked last in the NFL. I expect a big day from the Cowboy's gunslinger on Sunday.

RB-Knowshon Moreno: The Broncos are going to have little chance keep pace with Manning and company on Sunday, but if they do have a shot it will rely heavily on their short passing game and more importantly their ground game. The key will be running back Knowshon Moreno (averaging nearly 20 carries per game) matching up against a Colts run defense that is allowing nearly 190 yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry. I am looking for the century mark from the kid with at least one score.

RB-Darren McFadden: It is very likely that D-Mac could have a few more big games down the road this season, but this is a match-up that is ripe for the taking. McFadden has broken out this season with a 5.0 yard per carry average on 48 carries and he may not quite top 20 carries on Sunday with Michael Bush returning, but he may not need that many to take advantage of the Cardinals 31st ranked run defense that is allowing over 150 yards per game on the ground and 4.4 yards per carry; look for D-Mac to hit triple digits and bust a long one for pay-dirt.

WR-Austin Collie: I would actually like to insert Reggie Wayne here, but something tells me he will have his day later in the year. On Sunday against the Broncos who will likely be missing their starting corners, expect Manning and the Colts passing game to take full advantage. It will really be about picking your poison and I would expect the Bronco's defense to key on double covering Wayne as often as they can leaving Collie (with Garcon on the shelf) on an island of single coverage most of the day. Collie has been the hot hand and I would expect that to continue. He may not pull down the big numbers of yardage, but I would expect him to snag a few passes and find himself dancing in the end-zone at some point on Sunday.

WR-Dez Bryant: There's no question that the Cowboys-Texans matchup this Sunday has all the billings of a regular Texas-style shootout. One of the key players that the Texans defense will be watching closely will be Romo's favorite target Miles Austin (targeted 26 times this season). While the defense is busy with Miles, look for the rookie (Bryant) to re-emerge big in the Boys passing attack. Two weeks ago Bryant caught eight passes, on Sunday he could be in for another busy day!

TE-Brent Celek: Last week against the Chargers, the Jaguars secondary had all kinds of problems covering the tightend position in the red-zone. The result was two scores for Antonio Gates. I am not expecting as many frequent trips to paydirt for Celek, but with Mike Vick under center and his ability to get the ball downfiled, Celek is golden to break out on Sunday.

PK-Lawrence Tynes: The Titan's run defense has not been dominant this season, so the Giants could have some success moving the ball. The Titan's however have been pretty stingy when it comes to allowing touchdowns and have forced opponents to kick six field goals. I like the Giants to get into the red-zone, but I don't see their luck being much different. They may get in for a score, but I am looking for at least three field goals from Tynes.

FSH: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 21st, 2010, Tuesday


David’s Daily Digest

My Fantasy Notes:

FAVRE AND COMPANY GROUNDED AGAIN
Through the first two weeks of the season quarterback Brett Favre and the Vikings passing game have barely left the ground. The Vikings passing game ranks 24th overall and Favre has already committed five turnovers. The absence of wide receiver Sidney Rice, injuries to wideout Percy Harvin, and the lack of any sort of playmaker at the wideout spot has left the passing game something to be greatly desired. On Sunday the Dolphins did a number on Minnesota at home limiting the Vikings to just 10 points and just 73 receiving yards to their receivers.
My Fantasy Read:
Until the Vikings make some big changes and adjustments, or add a big time receiver, or get healthy in a hurry, this offense and Brett Favre could struggle greatly in the coming weeks. It was about this time last year that Favre started to play like a three-time NFL MVP, but he just doesn’t have the horses this time around to recapture quite the same magic.

BUSH SUFFERS LEG INJURY MONDAY NIGHT
The Saints pulled off a nail-biter Monday night with a late game-winning field goal, but the victory came at a great expense. The Saint’s running back Reggie Bush who double-duties as the team’s primary punt returner, suffered a leg injury that will have him sidelined for a significant amount of time. The injury is a fracture of his upper fibula and could have the Saints tailback on the sidelines for as long as six weeks.
My Fantasy Read:
With Reggie on the shelf for a while expect to see more Pierre Thomas who hasn’t exactly shone, but has been dependable averaging nearly 60 yards on the ground and about five catches per game. He’ll become more of a featured back in the Saints attack, especially in the red-zone.

KOLB WAS EXPECTED TO START SUNDAY
So hold that thought, because it has already been announced earlier today Mike Vick will get the start this Sunday. Against the Lions Vick was vintage passing for 284 yards, rushing for another 37 yards on the ground, and tossing two scores.
My Fantasy Read:
Vick look very sharp, throwing some very tight spirals and long balls leading to scores. He seems to have his quickness and throwing arm back and a more mature Vick seems poised to succeed. He’s not quite elite, but in deep leagues right now he appears to be a viable option especially in Andy Reid’s west coast offense. Kolb is downgraded to a nice hand-cuff for Vick.

JACOBS ASKS TO BE TRADED?
There’s not a lot more you can say about what took place Sunday night on the Giant’s sideline other than ridiculous. In a heated tantrum, Giant’s running back Brandon Jacobs flung his helmet in frustration. That’s nothing too shocking or surprising as some player will from time to time display such emotion, the difference here is Jacob’s helmet ended up 10 rows into the stands filled with hostile Indy fans. Nevertheless the incident was quite the spectacle and as a result it now appears Jacobs could find himself heading out of town or at least in head coach Tom Coughlin’s doghouse for the time being.
My Fantasy Read:
It certainly doesn’t look good for Jacobs in New York if he is looking for a trade (which he denies). With his recent antics, he won’t be earning any more consideration for playing time and will remain the back up behind Ahmad Bradshaw. Until the Jacob’s ship gets righted, Bradshaw looks like a dependable RB2 option averaging 4.5 yards per carry and over 90 yards of offense per game.

FSH: SUNDAY SPORTS SECTION

September 19th, 2010, Sunday

The Sunday Sports Section

What’s the Latest

The Viking’s wide receiver Percy Harvin is expected to start on Sunday and should be a focal point in the team’s passing game. Harvin had been struggling with migraines, but the latest issue has been his hip.

The Cardinal’s struggling ground game is not likely to receive a boost from running back Chris Wells who is not expected to play. Wells is dealing with a knee injury that will likely keep him sidelined today.

It looks like the Browns will be making a quarterback change today with Jake Delhomme likely sidelined be sidelined with an ankle injury. The latest news indicates back up Seneca Wallace is expected to make the start today against the Chiefs.

The Rams running back Steven Jackson and wide receiver Laurent Robinson both practiced Friday and are expected to start today against the Raiders.


Today’s In & Out

Some early actives and inactives for today’s games…

In…

• Raven’s tight end Todd Heap and linebacker Ray Lewis are both active today.
• The Buccaneer’s tight end Kellen Winslow (knee) has been cleared and is expected to play today against the Panthers.
• The Vikings declared Percy Harvin as active today matchup against the Dolphins.
• The Bear’s wide receiver Earl Bennett will be active today against the Cowboys.
• Quarterback Michael Vick will get the start today against the Lions.
• The Panthers will have cornerback Chris Gamble who has been declared active today.

Out today;

• Bengal’s Running back Brian Leonard is inactive for today’s game against the Ravens.
• Viking’s cornerback Cedric Griffin will not play today against the Dolphins.
• Dolphin’s linebacker Channing Crowder has been declared inactive for today’s game.
• Bils’s linebacker Paul Posluzny (knee) will not play today against the Packers.
• Eagle’s quarterback Kevin Kolb and linebacker Stewart Bradley are listed as inactive today.
• Lions’ middle linebacker DeAndre Levy is inactive today against the Eagles.
• Falcon’s safety Erik Coleman has been declared inactive today against the Cardinals.

FSH: SUNDAY MORNING GAMETIME

September 19th, 2010, Sunday

Sunday Morning Gametime

Last weekend’s NFL games were nothing less than fantastic with great plays, big upsets, and fantastic finishes. Leading the highlight reel from a week ago were some fantasy favorites like quarterback Peyton Manning (433 passing yards), running back Chris Johnson (142 rushing yards) with a couple of newcomers joining the party; rookie Arian Foster (231 yards rushing) and receiver Hakeem Nicks (3 touchdowns). Week two of the NFL promises to be everything and more that fantasy owners enjoyed last weekend. With some key matchups today that favor some big performances, fantasy owners will have plenty to salivate over.

Kickoff is just hours away, so taking a look ahead at the games, here’s what I will be watching…

Sunday Games:

The Rams will roll into the black hole this afternoon and face a hostile Raider Nation and soft Raider’s run defense. Last week the Raiders had trouble stopping the Titan’s running game (allowed and could struggle this week again. With Ram’s running back Steven Jackson gauging the defense for 4-5 yards at a time, I will be keeping my eye on Ram’s wide receiver Danny Amendola who was targeted 9 times last week.

The Vikings offense struggled in week one against the defending champions and looked very rusty in doing so, but with the extended time to work Favre and company should click today at home. The talk has been wide receiver Greg Camarillo stepping up as his go to, but I will be keeping my eye on wideout Bernard Berrian; it’s time for him to step up.

The Bengals swept the AFC North division a year ago (not an easy feat) and today will host the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens looked stout last week against the Jets, but only 10 points in week one my eyes will be on the Bengal’s offense. With Owens and Ochocinco, Palmer and company should have no problem scoring more than 10 points.

The Manning bowl will provide me with some interest, as poorly as the Colts run defense played last week I am not expecting a whole lot of improvement. I will be keeping my eyes on the Giants backfield (Bradshaw and Jacobs), whom should do well against a defense that was shredded for over 200 yards on the ground.

My Survivor Picks

This year we will be testing our fantasy skill in the Next Generation in Fantasy Football. Suicide Fantasy Football, it’s the newest craze in the game. It’s survival of the fittest and exactly that, a survivor league. In a 35-team league, we currently stand in 11th place. Here were our picks from a week ago and a look at our picks for this Sunday:

Last Week:
Donovan McNabb (7pts)
Matt Forte (32pts)
Carnell Williams (9pts)
Jeremy Maclin (10pts)
Jabar Gaffney (9pts)
Zach Miller (4pts)
Joe Nedney (6pts)

QB-Michael Vick: He is ready to make his first start since 2006. His legs look back and he still has the arm and weapons to go downfield.

RB-Ahamd Bradshaw: The Colts run defense looked bad and without safety Bob Sanders they will struggle against Giant’s run game.

RB-Rashard Mendenhall: The Titans run defense allowing over 5.0 yards per carry. Good matchup for Steeler run game.

WR-Greg Jennings: The Packers offense started slow last week, this week without Grant, Rodgers-to-Jennings should be big.

WR-Nate Washington: Nate has good chemistry with his quarterback and with defense focused on stopping the run, will have lots of single coverage today.

TE-Chris Cooley: Chris showed good chemistry with McNabb last week, expect to see him heavily targeted (9 targets last week) again this week.

PK-Nick Folk: The Jets offense is still a work in progress and is likely to struggle in the red-zone against Belichick; expect more kicks than thrills (TDs).