FSH NOTEBOOK: SFFL WEEK 10

Saturday Edition
November 10th, 2012  

Suicide Fantasy Football

Week 10

After a big week in fantasy last Sunday, my week 9 lineup did some big damage and moved me back inside the top 20. My team finished the week with 131 points led by a couple of fantastic fantasy performances. 

The Lions running back Mikel Leshoure posted 25 fantasy points behind a three touchdown effort last week. The Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall was also huge with three scores, adding 9 grabs for 122 yards receiving on his way to 39 fantasy points. These were the anchors of my huge week 9 run.

With my team on the move, there’s no time to let up!

My Line-up 

Quarterback:
It’s not exactly what you would call an ideal matchup for Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, but he’s had a hot hand of late and playing in dome this week he may as well be at home. Stafford has been throwing up some nice fantasy numbers over the last couple of weeks and he looks to be in a groove. Inside a dome this Sunday, I like him to have a big game.

Running Backs:
I am already down a running back this week with Rashad Jennings starting on Thursday, and he did not play very well. I liked his matchup at home against a Colts team not historically a good run defensive team, but Thursday night they kept Jennings under wraps.

My other ball carrier this week is Frank Gore. The Niners ball of thunder will face the Rams 13th ranked run defense this week. Yards are going to be tough this week, but at home I like Gore’s chances of punching a couple in this week against his divisional rival. While the Rams do a decent job of slowing the ground game, they have allowed 8 rushing touchdowns this season.

Wide Receivers:
My good hands folks for this week are the Chargers wide receiver Malcom Floyd and the Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline. 

Starting with Floyd, he’s facing the Bucs secondary that is ranked last in the league versus the pass. The Bucs allow well over 300 yards in the air this season and have surrendered 13 touchdowns. The Buccaneers are also allowing the 3rd most fantasy points to wide receivers.

On the other side, Hartline has a little more challenging matchup facing the Titans 27th ranked pass defense; just a little. Hartline has been the Dolphins best receiver this season (41 receptions, 662 yards receiving) and quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s go-to-guy. Facing the Titans this week could be Hartline’s ticket to a return trip to the end zone. Hartline has only one touchdown this season and that came back in week 4. The Titans secondary has allowed 20 touchdowns this season and give up the 11th most fantasy points to wide receivers.

Tight End:
Quite simply the Patriots surrender the 5th most fantasy points to tight ends and the Bills tight end Scott Chandler has been one of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s best scoring threats with 4 touchdowns this season. Back in week 4 against the Patriots, Chandler recorded 4 catches for 62 yards and scored twice. He’s a good be to at least cash one catch in for six this Sunday.

Place Kicker:
The Seahawks should have an easy time moving the ball down the field against the Jets, but could sputter in the red zone with a shaky passing game. Place kicker Steven Hauschka could see lots of opportunities at some short kicks this week.

Team Defense:
I am just playing the numbers here. The Titans offense gives up the 5th most fantasy points to opposing defenses and with their week-10 matchup on the road, I like the Dolphins defense. Cameron Wake and company should be all over quarterback Jake Locker this week and could get a few sacks and possibly cause a few turnovers.


These are my picks for week 10.


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: BY THE NUMBERS

Saturday Edition
November 10th, 2012  

By the Numbers

One thing you learn as a sports fan, when you follow the game as I do, numbers seldom lie. It’s not an exact science, but rather a good measuring stick when trying to predict the outcome of matchups. As I said it’s not exact, but the numbers come from somewhere like tendency, consistency, and repetitiveness, all good points a fantasy owner can use to make tough decisions.

With week 10 under way and the brunt of the schedule in less than 24 hours, here are some of my fantasy favorites for Sunday; By The Numbers…

Quarterback Matthew Stafford;
The Lions quarterback has been looking more and more like the 2011 version over the past several weeks, completing better than 65% of his passes in his last three starts. Stafford is also averaging 300 yards passing over the same span. And even though he did not toss a touchdown last week, he was highly efficient completing 67% of his throws and setting up four easy rushing touchdowns. He’s got a tough matchup this week against the Vikings, but their secondary allows better than 60% completions and has surrendered 14 touchdowns this season. Stafford playing much better now, so he should be solid on Sunday.

Quarterback Josh Freeman;
The Buccaneers play caller has been on a roll for the past four weeks throwing 11 touchdowns and just one interception. Freeman is playing exceptionally well and has a great tandem in Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams to target on the outside. Only recently has he been looking more over the middle for his tight end Dallas Clark. Completing just 57% of his throws in his last four starts Freeman is stretching the field averaging well over 16 yards a completion. His 1,257 yards passing in his last four starts is an average of 314 yards passing per game. The Chargers don’t do a great job getting to the quarterback (just 13 sacks) and allow better than 63% passes completed. Freeman should give the Chargers secondary plenty of fits this Sunday.

Wide Receiver Brian Hartline;
Hartline leads the club with 41 receptions and 662 yards receiving this season. His 71 targets ranks among the leaders in the league. Hartline is far and away quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s go to receiver, but the crafty possession receiver has yet to find the end zone in his last four starts. Hartline is coming off a nice 100-yard receiving effort last week (his third of the season) and his 12 targets last Sunday tied for his second most this season. He’s matchup against the leagues number 26th ranked pass defense (Titans) this week that has also allowed 20 touchdowns; expect a lot more targets once again and a visit to pay dirt.


For help in deeper leagues; possible sleepers.…

Running back Bernard Pierce;
The Ravens play host the Raiders this Sunday, who last week were torched by the Buccaneers Doug Martin for over 250 yards on the ground. With a premiere back like Ray Rice, the Ravens can be expected to pound the Raiders mercilessly. It can be expected and is likely that the Ravens will also use back up runner Bernard Pierce to pound the Raiders into submission. The Raiders allow better than 4.5 per carry and could have a tough time keeping this one close. The Bucs ran it nearly 30 times last Sunday against the Raiders and we could very well see the Ravens do the same. Pierce is likely to see some extended duty late in the game this week, when it’s time to put this one to bed. The Raiders have also allowed 10 rushing touchdowns this season, so it would not surprise to see Pierce get a cheap one late.


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: FANTASY FIVE

Friday Editions
November 9th, 2012  

FSH Fantasy Five

Week 10 Fantasy Picks (all positions)

This week’s picks digs a little deeper for some fantasy players that can offer help to those owners affected by the Byes this Sunday. There are certainly no-brainers and must plays up and down the boards this week, but if your lineup is lacking a few of those options these are some players worth consideration in week 10.

Week 10 fantasy help;

Jonathan Dwyer, RB
The Steelers running back Jonathan Dwyer returned to a full practice on Friday and looks set to return to action on Monday night. Dwyer would seem to be the favorite to start coming off his two 100-yard game performances, but even if he ends up just splitting expect him to be very effective against the Chiefs 23rd ranked run defense. The Chiefs also allow the 6th most fantasy points to running backs.

Kenny Britt, WR
The Titans big receiver Kenny Britt has been getting healthier each week and after completing a couple of days of full participation in practice he looks ready for Sunday. Britt has been mostly quiet this season and a non-factor, but facing the Dolphins 30th ranked pass defense this Sunday could be his coming out party. The Dolphins surrender the 4th most fantasy points to receivers this season and it looks like Britt will have quarterback Jake Locker under center this week; could the stars be aligning?

Jacquizz Rodgers, RB
It seems anytime you face the Saints defense, your skill players have an opportunity to play big. When the Falcons meet the Saints on Sunday running back Jacquizz Rodgers will have a chance to test that theory. The Saints defense ranks dead last in the league and allow the most fantasy points to running backs. Rodgers has gradually become more a part of the offense this season and could see plenty of extra work on Sunday; the more work, the bigger the points.

Greg Olsen, TE
The Broncos defense simply struggles with opposing tight ends. Last week the Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham post season highs in catches (6) and yards receiving (108) against the Broncos defense. This week the Panthers tight end Greg Olsen will get his shot at the Denver defense. Olsen is second on the team with 53 targets this season, but has yet to post a 100-yard receiving game. The Broncos defense allows the 4th most points to tight ends, so Olsen chances of a big game look good.

Danario Alexander, WR
The Chargers newest addition to their passing attack is wide receiver Danario Alexander. The former Ram receiver made his debut last week and wasted little time getting involved recording three catches for 61 yards. Alexander is already on a few radars this week with the team planning on getting him more involved. And with the Bucs next up on the schedule Alexander looks poised to make some noise. The big 6’5” receiver will face the Bucs secondary that has allowed the 3rd most fantasy points to wide receiver and he should have lots of success.


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: THURSDAY'S TAKES

Thursday Edition
November 8th, 2012  

Thursdays Take

Notes

Tonight’s quick takes include quite a few names for a matchup lacking marquee appeal. Starting with the obvious wide receiver Reggie Wayne leads the league in targets this season with 101. You can bet he’s going to be on the radar throughout the evening and should be very productive against the Jaguars 24th ranked pass defense.

Throwing passes all night to Wayne will be rookie quarterback Andrew Luck. He’s a gamer and it will be tough to pass on starting him tonight unless you are carrying one of the top 10 fantasy quarterbacks. The Jaguars defense allows the 17th most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, but last week the Lions Matthew Stafford torched them for over 300 yards without a touchdown pass (although there were many chances). Luck should see many opportunities, but expect him to capitalize.

On the other side, the Jaguars offense will be facing a Colts defense that has struggled to shut down folks. Running back Rashad Jennings is going to see a heavy load and facing a Colts defense that allows the 6th most fantasy points to opposing running backs, he’s going to play well. Jennings is only a flex option in most leagues, but could be considered a low end RB2 in much deeper leagues.

The one to watch this evening is going to be the Colts number two receiver Donnie Avery. The speedy wide out has shown flashes this season and last week was starting to come on with a big effort before injury shut him down. Avery finishes last week with 5 grabs for 108 yards. Tonight against the Jaguars, who will also have to worry about Wayne and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, Avery could be poised for a big evening. Expect Luck to take a few shots and Avery to cash at least one in. I am really high on this guy and believe a big game is coming; could it be tonight?


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: WATERCOOLER CHAT

Wednesday Edition
November 7th, 2012

  

Watercooler Chat

“Just Talking Fantasy”

Week 10 Waiver Wire Wonders

We are 9 weeks in and for the most part fantasy owners have seen about all there is to see from all teams and all fantasy players. For those owners still looking for aid and relief, if you keep looking hard, you can still find a few late bloomers and hidden gems.

With week 10 set to begin on Thursday, here are few last minute waiver wire warriors that can offer some help this Sunday…

The Steelers boast a couple of speedy and talented receivers in Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown, but with Brown down for the moment, fantasy owners can turn to Emmanuel Sanders. The Steelers number three wide out is very capable of stepping into the starting lineup and producing right away. Sanders is athletic, quick and has great hands; snatch him up fast.

Another relief player that can be pulled off many waiver wires this week is the Falcons running back Jacquizz Rodgers. The Falcons backup has not had much of an expanded role, but gradually over the past couple of weeks he has seen his role and touches increase. Rodgers does not offer a lot of value, but with the Saints up next even with few touches he has a chance of making some big plays. Fantasy owners hurting at the running back position may be able to find some help from the Dirty Bird.

A third glimmer of hope for owners this week needing help could come in the form of Chargers wide receiver Danario Alexander. The newly acquired receiver was an immediate contributor last week in the team’s week 9 win over the Chiefs. Alexander hauled in three passes for 61 yards, not a lot to get excited about, but an indicator that he can contribute right away. This week he has a great matchup against the Buccaneers (ranked last in the league against the pass) and should see plenty of opportunities to pay off in your lineup on Sunday.


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: SUNDAY'S HEROES

Tuesday Edition
November 6th, 2012

  

Sunday’s Heroes

The Unsung

On Sunday quarterback Andrew Luck made a strong case why he should be in your weekly fantasy lineup. The rookie passer posted a monstrous 433-yard effort with two touchdown passes against the Dolphins on his way to leading the Colts to their 5th win this season. Luck has looked solid this season and with the Jaguars up next on the schedule, he could be a must play this week against the leagues 25th ranked pass defense.

The Buccaneers running back Doug Martin proved his week 8 breakout was no fluke, breaking loose again this past Sunday for 251 yards on the ground. Martin was grooving against the Raiders defense, slicing and dicing his way to four scores. Martins’ final numbers for the game, 25 carries, 251 yards rushing, 4 catches, 21 yards receiving, and four rushing touchdowns.

The Steelers found another gem in their backfield with running back Issac Redman. It seems whoever is healthy the Steelers line will carry. Redman ran well and torched the Giants run defense on Sunday for a career high 147 yards rushing on 26 carries. The Steelers backfield will become very crowded once everyone gets healthy; a real tough fantasy dilemma.

With the Raiders ground game coming to a screeching halt with the injuries to running backs Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson, the team found some relief with full back Marcel Reece. The Raiders big boy hauled in 8 passes for 95 yards receiving and a score. With McFadden and Goodson likely sidelined, Reece should see an increased role and plenty of action against the Ravens this week.

The Broncos have a couple of terrific wide outs receiving passes from quarterback Peyton Manning and perhaps the lesser known or heralded is receiver Eric Decker (the quiet one). Decker has quietly emerged as a real red-zone gem for the Broncos passing game this season tallying 7 touchdowns in 8 games. On Sunday Decker snagged 8 passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Demaryrius Thomas may be considered the big-play receiver, but Decker is making plenty of plays of his own.

The Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham has been relatively quiet this season, but on Sunday against the Broncos he finally made real noise. Gresham pulled in 6 passes for 108 yards receiving, both season highs. Gresham was held out of the end zone and only has two scores this season; even with his tremendous size in the red zone he continues to take a back seat to AJ Green. He’s a low end TE option until proven otherwise.



By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: SUNDAY NIGHT FANTASY NOTES

Tuesday Edition
November 6th, 2012  

SUNDAY NIGHT NOTES

Week 9 Fantasy notes 

“On the Injury Front”

Running back Darren McFadden has been a ball of fits and frustration thus far this season for fantasy owners, but the latest setback may not be as bad as first thought. McFadden suffered what appeared to be a high-ankle sprain on Sunday, but was initially expected to miss an extended period of time. The good news, according to head coach Dennis Allen McFadden has not been ruled out for this Sunday (week 10) against the Ravens.

The Colts wide receiver Donnie Avery exited early on Sunday against the Dolphins. Avery was well on his way to a big day with five grabs for 108 yards, before leaving with a hip injury. Avery did not practice on Monday, but did return today and looks on track to play Thursday night. Avery is the solid number two receiver behind Reggie Wayne, if he’s good to go he should be in lineups as a week 10 flex.

The Packers lost wide receiver Jordy Nelson early on Sunday against the Cardinals. Nelson was a game-time decision, so he was already banged up and didn’t last long. With the bye this week, he is expected to get healthy and be ready for week 11. Fantasy owners should not be concerned with his return having any kind of negative impact on the emerging Randall Cobb; both will be solid weekly plays going forward.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown went down on Sunday against the Giants with an ankle injury that is expected to keep him sidelined in week 10. Brown leads the team with 42 receptions this season and has become one of quarterback Ben Roethlisbergers’ main go-to receivers. With Brown out, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders will be one of the hot grabs off the waiver wire this week. Mike Wallace is sure to draw a lot of attention leaving Sanders with lots of opportunities to take advantage of favorable matchups.

The Giants running back Andre Brown came out of Sunday’s game against the Steelers feeling a lot more black and blue after suffering a shoulder injury. Brown was an early exit from Sunday’s contest (left game during 4th quarter), but says his shoulder is fine. If Brown (6 rushing touchdowns this season) is available for week 10 against the Bengals, the touchdown vulture remains nothing more than a flex option in deeper leagues.

Against the Seahawks, Vikings’ wide receiver Percy Harvin suffered a serious ankle injury. Harvin sprained his ankle in three places and has been sporting crutches according to local reports. Considering the degree of severity and the upcoming bye for the Vikings in week 11, it is highly unlikely the team would push for him to play in week 10 against the Lions. Fantasy owners will need to look elsewhere.


These were some of the notable injuries from week 9 and their fantasy impact.

By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: MONDAY'S FANTASY HEADLINES

Monday Edition

November 5th, 2012 

David's Daily Digest

Monday’s Fantasy Headlines

Dougie Keeps Getting Down

The Buccaneers running back Doug Martin was at it again, breaking tackles and busting off long runs for scores. On Sunday against the Raiders Martin broke loose for 251 yards rushing and four touchdowns; just an awesome performance. Martin is quickly turning into a fantasy owner’s dream come true with big Sundays becoming a regular occurrence. Martin is a must play every week from here on.

The Steelers Ground Game Keeps Rolling

It looks as those it doesn’t matter who the Steelers line up in their backfield, their line offensive line just gets the job done. With the backfield ailing the Steelers turned to running back Issac Redman against the Giant and the offensive line registered their third consecutive game with a 100-yard rusher. Fantasy owners are going to have to pay attention to who starts and who is healthy when choosing one of the three-headed monster (Redman, Dwyer, & Mendenhall).

Luck Keeps Playing Chuck Strong

The Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck is having an amazing run this season and on Sunday he continued his magic with a 433 yard passing effort and a win. The Colts are playing inspired ball this season and Luck is leading the way with his great play; 2,404 yards passing and a team record of 5-3. If Luck continues at this rate, fantasy owners in deeper leagues will find it difficult to keep him on their bench. With favorable matchups he definitely warrants consideration from week-to-week.

McFadden is a McBust

Fantasy owners must be gnawing at the bit filled with frustration with the inconsistent play of Raiders running back Darren McFadden. Run-DMC has hardly been the fantasy factor owners were counting on this season with just one 100-yard rushing game in his last five starts. His injury and early exit this past Sunday just adds to the frustration for owners. McFadden has not been ruled out for week 10, but given his recent poor play he hardly looks like an attractive option for Sunday.

All Day is All World

Even coming off a major injury, the Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is still All-World. Peterson broke free for 182 yards rushing on 17 carries; an impressive 10.7 yards per carry. Peterson just gashed the Seahawks defense for big run after big run. He’s certainly shown fantasy owners there’s no reason for concern regarding his injury from last season. Peterson is a monster and must start regardless of who he faces.

Cobb Stays Hot, Scores Twice

The Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb continued his hot hand with a pair of scores on Sunday against the Cardinals. Cobb now leads the team with 45 receptions and 6 touchdowns. He’s an every week start (as a solid flex or low end WR2 in deeper leagues) when the Packers return from their bye in week 11.

By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: QUICK TAKES

Monday Edition
November 5th, 2012  

David’s Daily Digest

MNF Quick Notes

Tonight’s matchup between the Eagles and Saints will offer plenty of lineup options. If you get’em, start’em…

These are my takes for tonight’s Monday Night Matchup.

The Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson should be licking his chops as he prepares the meet the Saints defense on Monday night. Jackson is the team’s leading receiver this season, but he has yet to get it going; just one 100-yard game this season. Tonight’s contest is a prime matchup for Jackson to get it going. The Saints are ranked 30th versus the pass and allow the most fantasy points to wide receivers; Jackson should have a big night.

Running back LeSean McCoy is a no-brain start tonight. The Saints defense will have plenty of trouble tracking down Shady McCoy this evening. McCoy has just tow 100-yard games and two rushing touchdowns this season; expect both to improve tonight versus the Saints (ranked 31st against the run).

Like Jackson, quarterback Michael Vick has to be excited about his matchup tonight. The Saints pass defense has allowed 15 passing touchdowns this season and they are giving up well over 300 yards in the air per game. Vick has not had an easy road thus far turning the ball over at an alarming rate, but the Saints defense appears to be even more generous. Vick looks set to breakout this evening.

On the other side, the Saints are still the Saints and quarterback Drew Brees is not going to go down without a fight. The Eagles 14th ranked pass defense will have all it can handle with Brees in the pocket. This matchup has all the makings of a regular fireworks show in the Dome, Brees will be big tonight with all the weapons he possesses and he’ll need to put points on the board in this one.

While the Eagles defense is well aware of Brees’ most lethal weapon, wide receiver Marques Colston (a nice WR2 fantasy starter) look for one of his other targets, Lance Moore to play a big role. Moore is crafty and is second on the team with 53 targets this season. Even with all the weapons the Saints have on offense, Moore will see plenty of passes his direction; he’ll be a nice flex insert tonight.

Tight end Jimmy Graham finally appears healthy and will give the Eagles plenty of fits tonight. He’s one of Brees favorite targets in the red zone, and you can be sure the Saints are going to be frequenting that part of the field tonight. Graham is a must start and should pay-off nicely.

The Eagles have themselves a pretty good tight end (Brent Celek) that they can boast, but with so many holes in the secondary downfield, Celek may take a back seat. If there is anything the Saints secondary can do well, they have managed to play tight ends with some degree of success. The Saints defense allows the 7th fewest fantasy points to tight ends. Play Celek with caution. 


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: SUNDAY MORNING GAMETIME

Sunday Edition
November 4th, 2012  

Sunday Morning Gametime

Inactives/Actives

The Packers will have Jordy Nelson (active) today, if you have Randall Cobb on your roster and have the room in your flex spot start him. With Nelson available, the Cardinals cover man Patrick Peterson will be busy locking him down and opening up opportunities for Cobb.

Megatron will be active today, but how effective will he be. There’s been indications he would be limited today. If you have him, you are almost forced to start him unless you have better options.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill will start. If he’s playing you have to figure he will be fine moving around the pocket and getting rid of the ball. Tannehill faces the leagues number 7 pass defense, but the Colts struggle with the run; expect a lot of play-action and Brian Hartline.

In the same game running back Donald Brown will play today versus the Dolphins; with running back Vick Ballard figuring in the equation today and Brown dealing with knee issues, he probably a better options to avoid today.

Wide receiver Kenny Britt is active today and will start today against the Bears. The Titans passing offense has been mostly ineffective this season and facing the Bears secondary that allows the 13th fewest fantasy points to wide receiver, Britt is one play that is likely better to avoid today.

The Texans will have tight end Owen Daniels (active) in the lineup today. There was no real worry here, but it should be noted that the Bills are poor against the pass (ranked 22nd), but allow the 14th fewest fantasy points to tight ends. While that may worry some, Daniels has regained his old form and is a focal point in the passing offense; start him with confidence.

By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

Sunday Edition
November 4th, 2012

  

David’s Daily Digest

Fantasy Notes, Predictions, and Matchups we like

As well as the Broncos defense has played this season, they have had trouble covering opposing tight ends. With Champ Bailey sure to shadow the Bengals wide receiver AJ Green, tight end Jermaine Gresham looks to keep this stat in tack. The Bronco’s allow the 4th most fantasy points to tight ends and have surrendered 6 touchdowns. Gresham should be in line for a nice game; look for a couple of grabs for some nice yards, and a score.

The Texans have been able to run the ball well all season, but it appears their passing game has had some struggles. Quarterback Matt Schaub has yet to pass for more than 300 yards this season and has four games in which he has tossed one or fewer touchdowns. Much of this could change today when he faces the Bills defense that has allowed the 2nd most fantasy points to quarterbacks, including 14 touchdowns this season. The Texans passing game still has all the necessary weapons for a big day, so expect Schaub to make many owners happy today.

The Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has put up few big games this season, just one 300 yard game this season, but today he will face Tennessee. The Titans defense is ranked 29th against the pass this season and have only 11 sacks this season. If the Bears “O” line can protect Cutler today, he’s going to have his second 300-yard game this season. The Titans secondary allows the 3rd most fantasy points to quarterbacks and has surrendered 17 touchdowns (tied for 2nd most in the league). Cutler is a safe start today.

Even with a limited Calvin Johnson the Lions offense will go through quarterback Matt Stafford, but he could get some real help today from his ground game. Facing the Jaguars, the Lions running back Mikel Leshoure has a good chance at posting some solid numbers. The Jags allows the 4th most fantasy points to running backs and have allowed 8 touchdowns (6 rush, 2 rec). Leshoure will see the lions share of carries and should be highly productive. Leshoure may not break out into to beast mode, but he’s worth starting today as a flex or bye week fill


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: THE FOUR HORSEMEN

Sunday Edition
November 4th, 2012  

The Four Horsemen

We are going to ride again and for this week I am saddling up some big boys that should have some very big performances in week 9.

My week 9 fantasy picks…

Quarterback (Peyton Manning, DEN)

It appears the Bronco’s have found their missing piece or so it would seem with the way quarterback Peyton Manning has played of late. Last week against the Saints, Manning was able to get the offense out of the gate early and often. Manning has looked effective and is putting up phenomenal numbers this season. With the Bengals (ranked 17th versus the pass) next on the slate, Manning looks set to keep the Broncos rolling. Manning has five straight games of 300 yards passing or more and four straight with three touchdowns. The Bengals defense allows the 11th most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

Running Back (Arian Foster, Hou)

This pick is a no-brainer. The Bills defense has done a porous job this season against the run, ranked 31st and with Ben Tate already ruled out this sets up running back Arian Foster for a huge day. Foster is not only a threat on the ground, but he can be exceptional out of the backfield in open space. I look for the Texans to not only hand him the rock today, but Foster should be good for 4-6 receptions; he’s going to blow up today. The Bills allow the most fantasy points to running backs.

Wide Receiver (DeSean Jackson, PHI)

The Eagles speedy and big play receiver DeSean Jackson has done very little of that (big plays) this season. Jackson leads the team with 34 receptions and 524 yards receiving this season, but through 7 games he has just one touchdown and just one reception of 40 yards or more (5 in 2011, 8 in 2010). On Monday night Jackson will line up against a Saints defense that is ranked 30th versus the pass, has surrendered 15 touchdowns (just three picks), and allow the most fantasy points to wide receivers. This has the making of a breakout game for Jackson and company.

Tight End (Jason Witten, DAL)

The Cowboys tight end Jason Witten and quarterback Tony Romo have really been in sync the past several games. Witten has been heavily targeted and has posted four straight games with no fewer than 6 receptions and 7 targets. Witten is coming off a monster game last Sunday and with the Falcons up next (Sunday night) he should continue the hot hand. The Cowboys are plagued with injuries at the receiver position; Witten is going to be Romo’s safety blanket all evening. 


By David Ortega