November 5th, 2010 Friday
Friday’s Fantasy Watch
As I am taking a look at the week nine matchups it occurs to me what a strange season this has been so far. No Sydney Rice or Vincent Jackson (yet), Larry Fitzgerald has pulled a disappearing act, Reggie Bush has missed the past six weeks, Brett Favre has lost his magic, and Aaron Rodgers has yet to live up to his NFL MVP hype.
It’s become a season filled with predominantly running backs by committees and few super star fantasy studs. Sure there are Roddy White, Adrian Peterson, and Andre Johnson players living up to the hype, but who are these Brandon Lloyd, Peyton Hillis, and Kyle Orton fellas? And where did they come from.
Each week with some of the best fantasy studs taking a back seat for an afternoon and some new name running to the forefront, it’s been tough from time to time this season to figure out who should be in your lineup. Believe me, I feel your pain.
And so as we enter week nine I will offer a couple of thoughts as we inch closer to kick-off (just over 24 hours away). Here are a couple of players on my watch for Sunday….
On My Watch
RB LeSean McCoy against the Colts defense…
Last week against the Indy defense running back Arian Foster (112 yards rushing) was very productive not only in the running game, but out of the backfield as well. With the Colts traveling to Philly this Sunday, Eagles running back LeSean McCoy will be on my radar.
The Colts were burned nine times for 65 yards out of the backfield by Foster and even back-up running back Derrick Ward snagged a couple of passes on the evening. As a matter of fact the Colts defense has allowed 18 receptions to running backs in its’ last two games.
McCoy has great versatility and there’s no doubt the Eagles offense will be utilizing all his skills and taking advantage of any mismatches coming out of the backfield. In week seven against a tough Titan run defense McCoy was limited to 48 yards rushing, but was able to contribute in the pass game with six receptions for 54 yards.
On Sunday against the Colts 28th ranked run defense that allows 4.9 yards per carry, McCoy should be able to find a few running lanes. He’ll also be an effective weapon out of the backfield as an eligible receiver. With the Colts defense allowing 11 catches to the Texan’s running backs a week ago, I’m sure Eagles head coach Andy Reid and company will find many ways to get the ball into McCoy’s hands.
I will be watching McCoy in your starting lineup on Sunday.
WR Dwayne Bowe against the Raiders defense….
For the past several weeks there hasn’t been any receiver as hot as the Chiefs Dwayne Bowe (21 receptions, 357 yards, 6 touchdowns in 2010). In his last three games Bowe has five touchdown receptions to go with over 200 yards receiving. He has become a man possessed and unstoppable in the red-zone.
Normally with a tough matchup like the Raiders 5th ranked pass defense I might steer clear, but with shutdown corner Nnamdi Asomugha listed as doubtful and not expected to play I like Bowe’s matchup on Sunday. The Raiders are going to have their hands full trying to cover Bowe with back-up corner Chris Johnson.
I wouldn’t expect the league’s number rushing attack to suddenly turn pass happy this Sunday, so I don’t look for big yardage from the Chief’s go-to receiver. I would however bank on Bowe making it four straight games with a score and I would not be surprised to see him make multiple trips against the Raiders.
Not only will I be watching Bowe, but he’s a must start in my lineup this week….
August 16th, 2009 10:57pm PST
Sunday Night Football Notes
Ahmad Bradshaw: No Wind Means More Fire
A nice compliment to Jacobs….
With fantasy drafts well under way, a name that could get lost and forgotten in the shuffle this preseason could the New York Giants new, but not so new back-up running back Ahmad Bradshaw.
For the past two seasons it has been the “Earth, Wind, and Fire” show in the Meadowlands, but the show has often lacked quite the same pyrotechnics that we may be accustomed to seeing in 2009. With a backfield that included Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Bradshaw, the Giants running game was at the top of the league in 2008 chewing up over 2,500-yards on the ground.
Often over-shadowed by his counter-parts (Jacobs & Ward), Bradshaw was easily the more unheralded contributor of the group. He did not grab all the spotlihg
The hidden gem in Bradshaw, who was limited to just 67 of the teams 502 carries, was his big-play ability. Last season Bradshaw broke off a long run for 77-yards and had over four carries of 20-yards or longer. His 1-out-of-every-16.75 ratio of long runs ranked higher than Adrian Peterson’s 1-out-of-every-18.15, DeAngelo William’s 1-out of every 18.2 carries, and Chris Johnson’s 1-out-of-every-27 carries.
With Derrick Ward signing with the Buccaneers in the offseason, the sometimes fragile Brandon Jacobs (8 games missed the last two seasons) is not likely to be expected to carry the load on his own. The vacancy of the number two spot is most likely going to be filled by Ahmad Bradshaw. Bradshaw is a homerun hitter and would appear to be a great complimentary change-of-pace back-up option in the Giant’s backfield.
What to Expect….
As Jacob’s primary backup the last two seasons, Ward had collected 182 carries in 2008 and 125 attempts in a crowded 2007 backfield. With the health of the big-horse (Jacobs) always a concern, I wouldn’t expect to see the Giants increase his touches in 2009. Bradshaw has playmaking skills and gives the offense that big play threat defenses will need to be concerned about.
The Giants shifty back has shown in the past he can be a reliable ground gainer. In Week 16 of 2007 against the Bills, Bradshaw finished the game with 17 carries for 151-yards and a score. He was also very pivotal in the postseason during the team’s championship run and win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
The Fantasy prognosis for Bradshaw in 2009 looks very good. In a system that supports a heavy run game (502 attempts in 2008), not only will Jacobs reach his quota, but Bradshaw playing the role as the primary back-up should see his fair share of work.
Bradshaw’s explosiveness and great burst of speed make him a threat to break it every time he touches the ball. In two seasons the Giant’s number two runner has ran the ball 90 times for 545-yards for a career average of over 6-yards per carry. If Bradshaw sees the same type of work as the previous number two he’s got a shot to be another 1,000-yard runner for the G-men.
Jacobs is going to command a lot of attention on draft day for most fantasy leagues, for those owners looking to add quality depth, take note and put it on the board. Ahmad Bradshaw is likely to be undervalued in many leagues and has the upside to be a great RB3. He’s not going to sneak up on anybody as a true sleeper, but he’s a good bet to out perform many expectations and could help win many fantasy leagues this season.
That’s my take and I’m sticking to it.
By David Ortega
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