FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

Sunday Morning Edition
October 13th, 2019

Sunday Morning Gametime

Start
QB-Case Keenum, WAS; Even though it’s a road test, Keenum will have one of his better matchups of the season, facing a Dolphins defense that allows the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. If you need help at the QB spot, he’s a safe stream option today.

Sit
RB-Jordan Howard, PHI; The Eagles ball carrier faces a stiff matchup today against the Vikings 9th ranked run defense. The Vikings are only allowing 3.6 yards per carry and less than 90 yards total this season. Avoid Howard and look for safer options today.

Start
RB-Dalvin Cook, MIN; Despite the tough ground test today against the Eagles number one ranked run defense, Cook (No.3 fantasy running back) is getting utilized plenty in the pass game; 21 receptions and 200 receiving yards. The Eagles run defense has allowed 34 receptions (6th most) and 257 receiving yards (8th most) to opposing running backs. Cooks volume (averaging 22.6 touches per game) will make him a safe play today. 

Sit
WR-AJ Brown, TEN; The Titans receiver is coming off a quiet two catch effort in Week 5, but fantasy owners shouldn’t expect Brown to bounce back this week facing the league’s number 5 ranked pass defense. Avoid Brown today.

Start
WR-Terry McLaurin, WAS; With Case Keenum under center and the Dolphins secondary on the slate, a healthy McLaurin could be looking at big Sunday. Dolphins allow the 9th most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers and McLaurin has been one of Keenum’s best weapons when on the field. McLaurin could be a boom play today.

Sit
TE-Jason Witten, DAL; Even with few viable options at the TE position, Witten is likely one to avoid this week. Witten has become more of a touchdown dependent option and faces a Jets defense this week that allows the 6th fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends.

That's My Take
~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

Saturday Evening Edition
September 14th, 2019

Week 2 Four Horsemen

Falcons, QB-Matt Ryan: Week one is history and in the books. After a slow start in the first half against the Vikings, Ryan managed to salvage his fantasy opener throwing for 304 yards with two scores and two picks. This week he’s home and will get to take his shots at an Eagles secondary that allowed 370 yards (ranked 28th in the League) to Case Keenum and the Redskins. With his plethora of aerial weapons, Ryan should enjoy similar success in the Sunday night showdown. While the Falcons would like to get their running game out of first gear in this matchup, I would still look for Matty-Ice to put the rock up in the air 35-plus times in this one. My prediction; 26 of 35 passing, 310 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Chiefs, RB-LeSean McCoy: I am buying into the narrative that Shady’s back, back again. McCoy reunites with his old coach Andy Reid who is the commander and chief of one of the most explosive offenses in the league today. While his week one return was hardly memorable for fantasy owners, it’s definitely worth noting his effectiveness and production. McCoy finished week one with 11 touches and 93 total yards of offense; that’s a ridiculous 8.5 yards per touch average. That kind of efficiency may be a little inflated, but as his usage increases, so will his production. As good as McCoy looked in week one, it’s hard to imagine not seeing his role grow with each week. The Raiders did a fair job in week one slowing down the Broncos run game (only 95 yards allowed, ranks 13th in the League), but this offense is a juggernaut and should create plenty of running lanes for Shady. My Prediction; 14 carries, 88 yards rushing, 3 receptions, 26 yards receiving, one score (rushing).

Texans, WR-DeAndre Hopkins: On any given Sunday, the Texans wideout is a stud, but this happens to be a match up that garners a little more attention. This week Hopkins, coming off a solid week one performance will be matched up against one of the leagues’ best corners, the Jaguars Jalen Ramsey. Normally a Ramsey matchup is bad news for the opposing receiver, but in the case of Hopkins such may not be true. In the past six meetings, since Ramsey has become a starter in Jacksonville, Hopkins worst performance came in their first meeting; 5 catches for 48 yards. Since that meeting, Hopkins has seen no fewer than 8 targets and averaged 6.5 receptions, 14 targets, and 83.4 yards, with touchdowns in 3 of their last 4 contests. Hopkins has generally been successful, but his skills and connections have just gotten better with each season playing with quarterback DeShaun Watson. My prediction; 8 catches, 94 yards, one touchdown, on 11 targets.

Chiefs, TE-Travis Kelce; I’m rolling with another favorite in Week two and not hard to figure out why. The Chiefs offense is clearly from another planet and even with the loss of wide receiver Tyreek Hill, it’s hard to imagine this scoring machine slowing down. With the absence of Hill, this should open up a few more targets for Kelce who saw eight in week one. Kelce was far from efficient in the opener, only snagging three of his opportunities, but he did turn those into 88 yards receiving. I’d expect the Chiefs tight end to once again see anywhere from 8-10 targets against the Raiders with a far better outcome of completions and production. My prediction; 7 receptions, 79 yards, one touchdown, on 10 targets

That’s My Take
~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

November 23rd 2017

Thursday Morning Edition

Thursday’s Twitter Takes

There's nothing like pumpkin pie, turkey, and NFL football on Thanksgiving. That's what I am thankful for and hopefully everyone is enjoying this great day with family, friends, and fellow fantasy football fans. Today's slate brings us three games and plenty of football to chew on along with lots of side dish treats. Happy Thanksgiving to all and let's get this day started!

Is it Heat check time for the Vikings quarterback Case Keenum? by @FantsySprtsHome

The Vikings quarterback Case Keenum is the No.20 fantasy QB and on the rise. In his last three starts Keenum is averaging over 290 yards passing, completing better than 68 percent of his passes with 7 touchdowns. He’s playing well, but faces a tough road challenge against a Lions defense that allows the 13th fewest yards to opposing quarterbacks.

Don’t trust the Lions running game, All-in with quarterback Matt Stafford today! by @FantsySprtsHome

The Lions running game is ranked 28th in the league averaging just under 81 yards per game and less than 3.5 yards per carry and the Vikings are the number two defense against the run. There’s little chance these teams buck this trend, so expect a lot of quarterback Matthew Stafford today to the tune of 40 plus passes.

The Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen is just stealin in 2017! by @FantsySprtsHome

Quite simply, the Vikings have another big time threat in the passing game besides wide receiver Stefon Diggs, his Wonder Twin Adam Thielen. Thielen is the No.3 fantasy WR in PPR, he’s posted the 62 receptions (tied for 5th) with 916 yards receiving (2nd in the league). Thielen has arrived in 2017 and he’s a legit WR1.

Latavius Murray looking for a big Thanksgiving dinner to follow a big Turkey day with a 100-yard rushing game! #Boldprediction by @FantsySprtsHome

The Lions defense is ranked 18th against the run and allow 4.4 yards per carry. In a road matchup where ball control and down and distance matter, Murray could see one of his busier days in the neighborhood of 20 carries. I like Murray to hit the century mark against a defense that’s allowed 313 rushing yards the past two weeks.

It’s may be The House That Jerry built, but today will be the Melvin & Keenan Show! by @FantsySprtsHome

In the last two weeks the Cowboys defense has surrendered 311 rushing yards to opposing running backs, along with 3 touchdowns to opposing wide receivers. The Chargers Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen could find great success against a reeling Cowboys team today.

Captain Kirk (Cousins) is ready to steady his ship and direct the Washington Enterprise toward a post-season berth. by @FantsySprtsHome

Through 11 weeks, Cousins is now the No.5 fantasy QB; he is seriously balling right now. In his last two starts he’s thrown for 649 yards, with 6 total touchdowns, just one pick, and a completion percentage of 62. Cousins is doing all he can to carry his team and make an argument that he is a Franchise QB. He’ll make another great case tonight against the G-men.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

November 13th 2017

Monday Evening Edition

Sunday Heroes (Week 10)

Another Sunday filled with big hits, big plays, and lots of surprises makes for good day in fantasy. Whether it’s your studs or back-ups playing big, it’s all good, but when it’s not The-Usual-Suspects, sometimes you just need luck, hope, a prayer, or one of these guys;

QB-CJ Beathard; The Niners quarterback played very well on Sunday throwing for 288 yards on 19 of 25 passing with 2 passing touchdowns and one rushing score. It was a great game for Beathard, but not one that will change the inevitable of Jimmy Garoppolo eventually becoming the starter.

QB-Case Keenum; The Vikings starter played a perfect first half on Sunday, and aside from a couple of poor passes and ugly picks, Keenum still finished with a solid line of 21 of 29 for 304 yards passing and 4 touchdowns. Despite the strong play, Keenum is not guaranteed to be the starter for too much longer.

QB-Deshone Kizer; It wasn’t a prolific performance from the rookie passer, but it was nice game on Sunday as Kizer had his best game of the season (fantasy scoring-wise). Kizer passed for 232 yards and added a passing and rushing score. He also posted a season high 57 rushing yards. It was a great sign of growth, but it’s still too soon to consider him a fantasy option in redraft leagues.

RB-Austin Ekeler; The Chargers running back got extra run on Sunday and took advantage. Ekeler rushed for 42 yards and added 5 receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns. It was a nice game for the rookie, but not one fantasy owners can count on too often with Ekeler playing behind Melvin Gordon.

WR-Chester Rogers; The Colts 2nd year receiver had a breakout Sunday with 6 catches for 104 yards receiving and a touchdown. It was his first big game of the season and far too soon to bank on him going forward; he’s a wait and see option for now.

WR-Brandon LaFell; The Bengals wide receiver turned in his best game of the year catching 6 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. In Cincy AJ Green is the clear-cut number one, so owners may have to wait a while for a repeat play from LaFell.

TE-Garrett Celek; Normally the Niners number 2 tight end, Garrett Celek got more run on Sunday with George Kittle inactive and he took advantage. Celek caught 4 passes for 67 yards and a score on six targets. With Kittle likely to return soon, Celek’s luster could fade.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

October 12th 2017

Thursday Evening Edition

What I Learned from Week 5

(Quick Takes)

There’s a Change Coming in Minnesota.

After watching the Vikings game on Monday night and in particular Quarterback Sam Bradford, a change has to be coming. Bradford just didn’t look right from the get go and was eventually replaced by backup Case Keenum. It may have been a temporary change for their week 5 matchup with Chicago, but I believe the more may end up being more permanent. Bradford is obviously not healthy and while the team has not come out with any official announcement, its obvious Monday’s attempt suffered a setback and one that could have Bradford sideline for an extended period (I believe).

The Packers may have found a running game.

While injuries are never good for any team, the injury to Packers running back Ty Montgomery may have come with a silver lining. Since Montgomery went down, the team has had a chance to look at their rookies, in particular running back Aaron Jones. Since he was inserted he’s rushed for over 170 yards and averaged almost 5.5 yards per carry. The Packers have to like what they see and what they’ve found.

Gordon could just be getting started.

The Chargers running back Melvin Gordon broke out with a huge 163 total yards and 2 touchdowns week 5 performance against the Giants. Gordon also averaged 5 yards per carry and added 6 receptions. With a week 6 matchup against the Raiders 25th ranked run defense, Gordon nmght just be getting started.

Ram’s offense struggled, but better days ahead

The Rams offense ran out of gas on Sunday scoring just 10 points after averaging 35.5 points per game through the first four weeks. We'll just chalk this one up to divisional rivalry; both of these teams know each other all too well. Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, and company could be in for a tough matchup this week against Jacksonville, but they'll bounce back with a week 7 matchup against Arizona

Deshaun Watson: "that kid is real good"

We've seen this star shine for several weeks now, so Sunday night should not have come as a surprise. Through five weeks Watson is the No.2 fantasy QB with 12 passing touchdowns (2nd most) and he leads all quarterbacks with 179 yards rushing; that kid is good.

Martin already looks good.

After having to sit out three games due to suspension, in his return to action in Week 5 the Buccaneers running back Doug Martin already looks good. Martin rushed for 74 yards and a score without missing a beat and looks ready to return to his featured back role; time to drop Jacquizz Rodgers.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 25th 2017

Monday Evening Edition

Week 3 Sunday Heroes

Not the Usual Suspects

Week 3 was filled with a lot offense, but not for the usual suspects. On Sunday was saw a lot of new faces in the headlines and that’s just fine with fantasy owners (as long as they keep it up);

The newest Suspect in the huddle for week 3 was the Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett. After getting his first start of the season last week, Brissett turns into a playmaker this week accounting for three scores and leading the Colts to a Week 3 win over the Browns. The impact was the re-emergence of TY Hilton, which is great news for fantasy owners.

Perhaps an even bigger surprise than the Colts week 3 win, was the play of Vikings quarterback Case Keenum. The surprise was not his playing well, but rather how well. Keenum completed near 76 percent of his passes on his way to 369 yards and three touchdowns with no picks. Fantasy owners of the Vikings receivers can breathe a sigh of relief going forward; the passing game appears to be in capable hands.

QB-Case Keenum: 25 of 33, 369 pa yds, 3 Tds

QB-Jacoby Brissett: 17 of 24, 259 pa yds, 1 Td, 2 ru Tds

QB-Blake Bortles: 20 of 31, 244 pa yds, 4 Tds

The Redskins have found themselves one heck of a gem in running back Chris Thompson; 188 total yards on Sunday night. The Redskins 3rd down scat back not only has good hands for the passing game (13 receptions), but a nose for the big play (4 touchdowns in 2017). He’s a PPR darling and touchdown machine at the moment and should be in lineups every week.

The Browns Duke Johnson has alse emerged as a viable weekly PPR play with 11 receptions for 160 yards for the season. In week 3 the former Miami Hurricane (where’s he from?) showed off his skills totaling 104 yards of offense with a touchdown. He’s steady flex in PPR formats.

RB-Chris Thompson: 38 ru yds, 6 rec, 150 rec yds, 1 Td

RB-Duke Johnson: 23 ru yds, 6 rec, 81 rec yds, 1 Td

RB-Chris Carson: 34 ru yds, 2 rec, 18 rec yds, 1 Td

RB-Jamaal Charles: 56 ru yds, 1 Td

It was worth mentioning the re-emergence of TY Hilton, especially since fantasy owners will once again be without quarterback Andrew Luck (ruled Out) through week 4. Hilton showcased his big play skills with an exceptional 61 yard touchdown reception and showed everyone he’s still very relevant (fantasy and reality) even without Luck.

The name to watch on this list is the Chargers Travis Benjamin. He’s a homerun hitter that Philip Rivers likes to go to deep. On Sunday the two showcased this a bit. There’s just so much talent at the WR skill position (not enough targets to go around), consistency will be the only issue with Benjamin.

Ty Hilton: 7 rec, 153 rec yds, 1 Td

Sterling Shepard: 7 rec, 133 rec yds, 1 Td

Rishard Matthews: 6 rec, 87 rec yds, 1 Td

Taylor Gabriel: 5 rec, 79 rec yds, 1 Td

Geronimo Allison: 6 rec, 122 rec yds, 0 Tds

Travis Benjamin: 5 rec, 105 rec yds

Perhaps the shocker on Sunday came the earliest with the Week 3 arrival of Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis (a forgotten man in fantasy). The Jags tight end had yet to catch a pass to start the 2017 season and the last time he did catch a pass, dated back to week 11 of the 2016 season (only caught 2 balls that day). That all change on Sunday, Lewis was targeted five times, catching four balls, three for touchdowns; that’s one way to announce yourself to the fantasy world. The Jags offense is very sporadic, so this week 3 performance is not something fantasy owners can hope for to repeat itself anytime soon.

Marcedes Lewis: 4 rec, 62 rec yds, 3 Tds

Ryan Griffin: 5 rec, 61 rec yds, 1 Td

Vernon Davis: 5 rec, 58 rec yds, 1 Td

That’s My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

October 18th, 2016
Tuesday Evening edition

Sunday Fantasy Heroes

Every week fantasy owners are seeing big performances from big names and last Sunday (Week 6) was no different. In the Big Easy, it was all home-cooking for Saints quarterback Drew Brees passing for 465 yards with 4 touchdowns, while over in Foxboro Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was serving notice to the league with another big day; 376 yards passing with three touchdowns.

Up in the Northeast, Bills running back Shady (LeSean) McCoy was getting jiggy rushing for 140 yards and three scores and in the Big Apple, Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr was playing big with 8 receptions, 222 yards receiving, and two touchdowns. These were just some of the big names fantasy owners know and had in their lineups, but let's take a look at some notables that may have been overlooked in week 6 and should be considered in Week 7.

Week 7 Waiver Watch

The Browns rookie quarterback Cody Kessler played well on Sunday completing 26 of 41 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns. Kessler may not be quite ready for prime-time this Sunday on the road against the Bengals, but he's keeping an eye on as a possible bye week fill-in if the matchup is right.

The Rams starting quarterback Case Keenum had a big day throwing for 321 yards with three touchdowns on the road agains the Lions. Keenum was good up until his last throw, a game ending pick. It was a bounce back performance for Keenum after a disastrous week 5, but this quarterback is going to need to stay on the watch list for while until fantasy owners see more consistency.

Up in Oakland in the Black hole may be where some go to disappear, but the Chiefs running back Spencer Ware showed up on Sunday. Ware rushed for 131 yards and two scores on 24 carries, even with the return of Jamaal Charles. He's definitely a solid weekly play, keep him in your lineups.

After a week of just 11 carries, Ravens running back Terrance West toted the rock 23 times on Sunday to the tune of 87 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 4 receptions for another 36 yards. West has definitely worked his way onto the flex radar and could be moving his way up the RB3 charts as well.

The Rams passing game has not been much to cheer about, but quietly wide receiver Kenny Britt has been creeping up the fantasy radar. This week he may have reached fantasy relevance with a big day on Sunday grabbing 7 balls for 136 yards and two scores. Britt has managed to work his way into the top 20 and should now be owned.

The Bears 2nd year wide receiver Cameron Meredith has managed to put two solid performances back-to-back with his 11 catch 113 yard receiving performance on Sunday. In the past two weeks Meredith has been a near top 15 fantasy WR option and now warrants ownership and weekly consideration as a WR3 or flex play.

These are just a handful of weekly notables that fantasy owners should continue to watch.

That's my take.

~David G. Ortega