FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

November 11th 2017

Saturday Evening Edition

My Week 10 Injury Takes

RB-Jeremy Hill (ankle); The Bengals placed Hill on the Injured Reserve ending his season. For fantasy owners, this changes little. Rookie running back Joe Mixon has been the lead backs for weeks, but will now also pick up short yardage and goal-line duties increasing his long term fantasy value.

WR-Will Fuller (knee); the Texans wide receiver is not listed on the team’s injury report. Fuller will be a go for Sunday, but faces a tough matchup against a stingy Rams defense allowing the 5th fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers. With Watson out and Savage in, Fuller’s shine has dimmed significantly; he’s a borderline WR3/4 this week.

TE-Delanie Walker (ankle); the Titan’s tight is listed as questionable and could be a huge risky play this week for owners. Walker played through the injury last week and even though he’ll be at less than 100 percent (if he goes), he’s still in line to see a healthy dose of snaps. Walker remains a TE1 this week.

WR-Julio Jones (ankle); the Falcons wide receiver is not listed on the team’s injury report. Jones will be all-systems-go on Sunday and a must-start against a Cowboys defense that has allowed the 8th most fantasy points to opposing receivers.

WR-Dez Bryant (ankle); the Cowboys playmaking receiver is listed as questionable for Sunday, but looks like he’ll be out there on Sunday. The Falcons have been pretty good against opposing receivers, but with the Cowboys minus Zeke, Sunday could become more of the Dez and Dak show.

WR-Chris Hogan (shoulder); the Patriots wide receiver has been ruled out for Sunday’s matchup with the Bronco’s No Fly Zone defense. With Hogan out, this should open more opportunities for both Brandin Cooks and Danny Amendola.

RB-Matt Forte (knee); the Jets running back has been ruled out for Sunday. With Forte sidelined, Bilal Powell a borderline RB1 this week should handle lead duties, but Elijah McGuire will also figure in the mix as a low-end flex and DFS flier.

WR-Michael Thomas (ankle); the Saints receiver is not listed on team’s injury report. Thomas has been steady this season, but not spectacular. The Saints are away this week at Buffalo, with Thomas being a low-end WR2 against a Bills secondary that allows the 7th fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers.

WR-TY Hilton (groin); the Colts wide receiver is listed as questionable for Sunday against the Steelers. While Hilton is expected to play, he’ll be a huge risk option with the potential for a setback; owners should proceed with caution.

WR-Stefon Diggs (tooth); the Vikings wide receiver was not listed on the team’s final injury report. Diggs will be on the field Sunday drawing lots of attention from the Redskins Josh Norman, which could open up some opportunities for Adam Thielen.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

November 5th 2017

Sunday evening Edition

My Perfect Lineup Week 9

(NFL.com)

Week 9 has begun and it’s time to roll out my Perfect Lineup for this Sunday, but first let’s see how my team looked last week. From the top to the bottom, here’s what we did; QB-Wentz (finished 8th in PPR scoring), RB-Bell (finished 17th), RB-Howard (15th), WR-Green (finished 22nd), WR-Allen (32nd), TE-Gronkowski (4th), PK-Elliott (11th), and D/ST-Bengals (8th). Overall it was not a great day.

Looking ahead, here we go with week 9;

QB-Drew Brees; you have to love Brees at home where he is always tough and the Bucs have big problems this season versus the pass.

RB-Adrian Peterson; the Cards are going to have to become a run first team and we’ve seen what Peterson can do. The Niners are not good against the run, a big day for Peterson awaits.

RB-DeMarco Murray; the Titans running back has had extra time to heal up coming off the bye and the Ravens defense has not been shut down against the run. Murray has only one 100-yard game this season, will be looking for his 2nd today.

WR-Dez Bryant; the matchup today with the Chiefs could be a high scoring affair. Even with Elliott in the lineup today, I think Dez is going to be involved in the plan to attack a secondary that has struggled mightily this season.

WR-Michael Thomas; just going to ride the coattails of Drew Brees with this one. Thomas is the team’s leading receiver and if Brees has a big game, there’s a good chance he’ll be a big part.

TE-Jack Doyle; the Colts tight end is coming off a big game, but has also emerged as a big part of the offense. This could be another big day for Doyle.

PK-Harrison Butker; the Chiefs-Cowboys today, could be a shootout. I happen to think the Chiefs may stumble a couple of times in the red-zone today, allow a few extra opportunities for Butker.

D/ST-Cardinals; the Niners appear to be in rebuild, no Pierre Garcon, questions in the backfield, and CJ Beathard has to know, he’s not the guy. Although it’s a road game for the Cards, I like to defense to have a big game today.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

October 30th 2017

Monday Evening Edition

Sunday’s Lineup Killers

(Week 8)

The Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston was having a solid 2017 campaign heading into week 8. Back in week 6 against the Cardinals he suffered a shoulder injury which forced him from the game early. After aggravating his shoulder injury last week against the Bills, Winston started the Week 8 against the Panthers. 

After struggling all day and posting less than 4 fantasy points and throwing two interceptions, you have to wonder how much the injury affected him. Nonetheless, his poor outing on Sunday was your lineup’s demise (if you started him).

Here are a few others from Week 8 that took down fantasy owners lineups;

QB-Dak Prescott; the Cowboys did not need much from Prescott relying heavily on their running game and fantasy owners didn’t get much. Prescott only threw 22 passes passing for 143 yards with zero touchdowns. Owners can relax, there will be better days ahead for Prescott, as the Cowboys will need bigger games from him down the stretch.

RB-Devonta Freeman; the Falcons stud running back was off on Sunday, not able to break loose gaining just 41 yards rushing. This was a disappointing effort against a defense ranked 28th versus the run.

WR-Dez Bryant; with Prescott only throwing 22 passes, there were only few opportunities for Bryant on Sunday. Dez finished with just 4 catches for 39 yards on 6 targets. With Elliott likely returning to suspension, Bryant’s role could grow even more over the next several weeks.

WR-Stefon Diggs; the Vikings stud receiver returned to the lineup on Sunday, but it may take him another week to get back to his old self. Diggs was targeted 6 times, but could only turn that into 4 catches for 27 yards.

WR-Hunter Henry; the Chargers tight end continues his up and down scoring cycle for the season, with another dud on Sunday. Henry caught just 2 passes for 11 yards. He’s the No.10 fantasy tight end in PPR, but his volatile production can make him awful risky at times.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

October 21st 2017

Saturday Evening Edition

Week 7 WR Rankings

With Carson Palmer under center a favorite of mine this week, I am really excited about wide receiver John Brown. The speedy Cardinals wideout is no longer on the injury report and after playing a significant number of snaps the past two weeks, I think he’s ready to breakout.

1. Julio Jones

2. Antonio Brown

3. AJ Green

4. Mike Evans

5. Michael Thomas

6. Dez Bryant

7. Chris Hogan

8. Larry Fitzgerald

9. Brandin Cooks

10. Jarvis Landry

11. Demaryius Thomas

12. Doug Baldwin

13. Adam Thielen

14. Pierre Garcon

15. Alshon Jeffery

16. Jordy Nelson

17. Keenan Allen

18. Kelvin Benjamin

19. TY Hilton

20. Terrelle Pryor

21. John Brown

22. Rishard Matthews

23. Devin Funchess

24. Davante Adams

25. DeSean Jackson

26. Nelson Agholor

27. Danny Amendola

28. Eric Decker

29. Cooper Kupp

30. Jermaine Kearse

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

October 19th 2017

Thursday Late Night Edition

My Week 7 Perfect Lineup

(NFL.com)

No need to mince words. After six weeks, we’ve seen a lot of action and we pretty much know who the studs are and who they are not. Looking ahead to Sunday, here are the studs, with the matchups I like for my Week 7 Perfect Lineup.

QB-Drew Brees

I road with Brees last week and will double-down with the Saints passer again this week. Brees and company are at home again this week and will get a Rodgers-less Packers team this Sunday. Brees is only the No.15 fantasy QB this season, so this could be a good week for him to move up the boards.

RB-LeSean McCoy

The Bills running back is coming off the bye, so he should be well rested and ready to go Sunday against the Buccaneers. McCoy hasn’t been able to break loose this season, just one 100-yard game under his belt. The Bucs were just diced up by Adrian Peterson in week 6 for 134 rushing yards, so McCoy will be hoping to bust out as well.

RB-Devonta Freeman

This has to be one of my favorite picks for the week. The Falcons get a rematch with the Patriots and one thing we’ve seen from New England, they have all kinds of issue on defense. Freeman is a versatile back and will contribute on the ground and in the air. I think he has a big night Sunday night.

WR-Julio Jones

Playing off the Patriots defensive woes, I will double-dip with wide receiver Julio Jones in this week 7 matchup. The Pats allow the 4th most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers and it’s time for Julio to break out!

WR-Dez Bryant

The Cowboys travel out West this Sunday to face the Niners. For Dez and company, they get a shot at one of the league’s worst pass defenses and a secondary that has allowed the 7th most receptions to opposing wide receivers. Dez has been heavily targeted this season, averaging more than 9 per game. He’ll be involved on Sunday and could be in line for a big day.

TE-Jimmy Graham

Graham is healthy and has a great matchup this week. With the Giants next on the slate, Graham will take his shots at a defense that allows the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, including the most receiving yards (432) and most touchdowns (7).

PK-Ryan Succop

The Titans are on the road to face the Browns this week and while I like their matchup very much on Sunday, I expect several trips into the red-zone, but maybe settling for a few more kicks than they would like. Succop has been solid, among the leaders having made 16 of 17 field goals this season.

D/ST-Panthers

I am playing the odds here with this pick, going with the defense facing a rookie quarterback (Mitch Trubisky). The Panthers are on the road this week, but with Cam playing as well as he has been, if they can get up on the Bears that will put a lot of pressure on Trubisky.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 25th 2017

Monday Afternoon Edition

Monday Night Takes

It’s time for some Monday night football and tonight’s matchup between the Cowboys and Cardinals will have plenty of fantasy implications with players like Dez Bryant, Larry Fitzgerald, Ezekiel Elliott, and Jason Witten.

We’ve seen a lot of improved play this weekend on the offensive side of the ball and tonight I’d expect to see the trend continue. Players like JJ Nelson, Carson Palmer, and Chris Johnson may arrive tonight on the big stage.

Quarterback Dak Prescott; it was tough sledding for the young quarterback last, but tonight he’ll get back to his usual form taking care of the ball and making good decisions. He’s a mid-QB2 this week and is in line to tally his normal 16-20 fantasy points against a Card’s defense that allows the 9th most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

Running Back Ezekiel Elliott; the Cards defense has been pretty solid through two weeks against the run, but they have yet to face any running backs of Elliott’s caliber. Elliott should see his normal workload tonight as this matchup should remain close throughout. He won’t run wild tonight, but his production should be worthy of starting as your RB1.

Wide Receiver Dez Bryant; some speculate a tough matchup for the Cowboys receiver this week. Bryant is a big physical receiver that has the trust of his quarterback; 25 targets through 2 games. Tonight Bryant will matchup with a secondary that was torched back in week one by the Lions; Cards surrendered 18 receptions for 245 yards and three scores. Bryant has only secured 9 passes this season for 102 yards and a touchdown; he’ll make a run at those numbers tonight.

Tight End Jason Witten; the Cowboys veteran tight end has been his quarterback’s security blanket (17 of 22 receptions to targets) through the first two weeks of the season (keeping Witten very relevant in fantasy). He’ll continue to be his go to tonight against the Cardinals and is easily a TE1.

Quarterback Carson Palmer; the Cardinals quarterback has had his struggles in this early season, perhaps is just rust from lack of playing time and practice during training camp and preseason. Some will argue his age has caught up to him, but I think we could see the same weekend trend. I don’t think you are starting Palmer this week, but I think he has a decent outing (good for his receivers) against a secondary that Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian shredded pretty good last week.

Running Back Chris Johnson; the Cardinal’s newest Johnson had few carries last week, but didn’t look bad. He’s sure to get a more sustained look tonight (provided Palmer doesn’t throw this one to the other side early). Johnson will be interesting to watch tonight; not looking for a huge game from him, but rather his usage. If he runs well and still has a little of that great speed, he could become a viable flex option in the short future.

Wide Receiver JJ Nelson; the Cardinals number three receiver in the absence of John Brown (and disappearance of Fitz) has emerged as their best receiver and big play threat. But we saw some of this last season, so we should not be surprised. What has raised eye-brows is his sudden rise in fantasy land. Nelson is the current No.27 fantasy receiver in PPR (No.12 standard) entering tonight’s contest. With a current stat line of 10/163/2, if he’s healthy to go, expect his ranking to rise inside the Top-20 and Top-10 respectively.

Wide Receiver Larry Fitzgerald; the 14 year veteran leads the Cards receivers with 19 targets through two games this season, it just hasn’t translated into any kind of production fantasy owners can trust. He’s typically regarded as a borderline WR/WR3, but given his current state coming off a 3-catch 21-yard performance, owners may want to tap the brakes a bit when it comes to Fitz. He may be down in PPR leagues this week, but he should still hold some value as a flex in standard leagues as a viable red-zone threat

That’s My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 14th 2017

Thursday Edition

My Week 2 WR Rankings (PPR)

1.Mike Evans

2. Jordy Nelson

3. Antonio Brown

4. Julio Jones

5. Brandin Cooks

6. Amari Cooper

7. Michael Thomas

8. Odell Beckham Jr

9. AJ Green

10. Larry Fitzgerald

11. Doug Baldwin

12. Keenan Allen

13. Golden Tate

14. Demaryius Thomas

15. Michael Crabtree

16. Stefon Diggs

17.Tyreek Hill

18. DeAndre Hopkins

19. Alshon Jeffery

20. Davante Adams

21. Dez Bryant

22. Terrelle Pryor

23. Adam Thielen

24. Sammy Watkins

25. Kelvin Benjamin

26. Randall Cobb

27. Martavis Bryant

28. Emmanuel Sanders

29. Jeremy Maclin

30. Jarvis Landry/Devante Parker

Even with zero sample size leading into this one, I’ve already bought into “Hard Knocks”, the Buccaneers, and wide receiver Mike Evans. The Bucs fourth year receiver is on the verge of being elite and this could be the season he rises. I like the setup, opening at home, he’s going to come out of the gate huge.

I have Brandin Cooks high on my list this week at No.5. On the road, returning to New Orleans and the Superdome, Patriots fans are going to see what this kid can really do when he gets going downfield. This matchup has the making of a shootout and Cooks should be a huge part.

I’m not down on OBJ this week, just concerned with the injury. I have him Top-10 and he could easily slide into the Top-5 if he’s close to 100 percent. Odell Beckham Jr when healthy is always a big play in the making, at less than 100 percent he can still be productive.

The Cardinals offense and quarterback Carson Palmer struggled terribly week 1, with David Johnson out for 2-3 months Larry Fitzgerald is going to be leaned on heavily. I think Fitz gets peppered all over the field and especially in the red-zone, he’s my No.10 fantasy receiver this week.

I’m not as high on Dez Bryant this week with his pending matchup on the road against the Broncos. There’s no question quarterback Dak Prescott is going to try to work the ball to Dez (9 targets in week 1), but I don’t see a lot of YAC or big plays. Dez ceiling could be limited in this one.

I’ve moved the Vikings Adam Thielen way up considering where he was likely drafted and this is not all based on week 1. Thielen showed a lot of this in the second half of the season last year and it’s quite obvious quarterback Sam Bradford has lots of confidence in his sure handed wide out. Thielen could also benefit from the Steelers having to focus on trying to slow the Vikes other receiver Stefon Diggs.

I have both Jarvis Landry and Devante Parker coming in at No.30 this week. I actually like Landry as the PPR favorite, but I think Parker is going to produce more yards and possibly a score. The pairing with quarterback Jay Cutler just makes too much sense with Parker, but I won’t discount Landry’s involvement, especially as a frequently used safety-valve.

That’s My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

October 16th, 2016
Sunday Morning edition

Sunday Morning Gametime

We have less than 90 minutes until gametime and looking at some of the injury forecasts for today, I have a couple of tid-bits I will throw into the pot. These are just some of my favorite starts and sits for Sunday week 6.

"Who's In, Who's Out"

The Dolphins will roll out running back Arian Foster today against the Steelers. Foster has been out for several weeks with injury and has always been a health risk for fantasy owners. If you lack better options, he's a week 6 PPR start for me this week; he's in.

The Bengals will be tested today, but an upstart Patriots defense riding the high of the return of their team leader Tom Brady. The Pats offense will put a lot of pressure on the Bengals "O' today to match scores. AJ Green is the likely popular play in Cincy, but I like wide receiver Brando Lafell to contribute to day. He's more of a mid-to-low WR3, but I am playing him where I can; he's in.

A new offensive coordinator in Baltimore and maybe the team will committ more to the run this week. Last Sunday running back Terrance West was having a solid day, but just finished with 11 carries for 95 yards. This week I expect to see the Ravens to stay with the run a little longer equating to more than 11 carries for West. He's a mid-to-high RB3 this week against the Giants, but I like his chances to score; he's in.

With Jonathan Stewart returning to the lineup this week, running back Fozzy Whittaker will be returning to my bench. He's could see some work in the pass game, but in week one playing behind Stewart, Whittaker saw just 4 touches. He's out for me today.

I have Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant in a couple of leagues myself and with the 4pm EST kick-off, the risk seems too high. The Cowboys have a bye next week and it makes more sense to get their star receiver back to 100% health, rather than rushing him out there on to the field. Dez is out for me today.

That's My Take.

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 20th, 2016
Tuesday morning Edition

My Sunday Notes:

Pitt-Cin

Jesse James seeing targets
Big Ben slinging the rock
Antonio and AJ quest day

Det-Ten

Walker solid on Sunday
Marvin Jones the number one 8/118
Ebron makes noise; 4/53
Riddick 15 touches (Abdullah Q)
Det no run game, what's new

NE-Mia

Dolphins pass defense absent
The Three Amigos! (Edelman, Amendola, Hogan)
Jarvis Landry is a stud; big game.
Foster not reliable; going to miss time?


Bal-Clev

Pitta back? 6 first half grabs FA pu
Barnidge non-factor, offense sputtered
Forsett sees work; 17 touches
Duke still under used; 7 touches 56 yards
Corey Coleman interesting with big day; low WR3
Crowell has big day, but can he be consistent?

SF-Car

Newton-Olsen-Benjamin solid
Niners offense cold-hot late
whittaker has big day FA pu
Hyde disappears against solid D
Funchess with score, few grabs

Dal-Was

Prescott impressing
Dez solid with 100 yards
Cousin not solid, still a ?

NO-NYG

Giants D playing well
Saints D better today
Brees dink and dunk
Another Cruz sighting. 1-2 watch

HOU-KC

Texans defense no joke.
DeAndre is a Stud
Fuller a star, too early. But a deep league WR2
Osweiler looks capable; low QB2

Den-Ind

Bronco Defense solid
Siemian safe, reliable
CJ another score
Booker a legit handcuff?
DT nice game, but keep eye on injury
Sanders inconsistent.
Luck getting banged around, needs line help

Oak-Atl

Walford interesting; FA pu
Carr-Murray-Cooper Big three?
tough early matchups, but Raider defense shaky
Tamme is a TE1 going forward

Ari-TB

Palmer with plenty of gas in his arm
Fitz still the man
Cards defense dominant at home
Too early to crown Winston.
Jaron Brown impresses, deep league FA pu

SD-Jax

Jags still horrible.
Rivers big on Sunday, 4 Tds
Gordon's value on the rise
Benjamin looks good

LA-Sea

no offense here
Britt still has value, needs better QB play

(Thurs)

NYJ-Buf

Fitzpatrick worth grabbing FA pu
Jets receiving loaded, even Decker low WR1 in deep leagues?
Forte a workhorse; RB1
McCoy held in check.
Jets run defense solid

(Sun Night)

GB-Min

Rodgers slinging, but no deep threat yet
GB Packers are invisible
Nelson looking better
Digging Diggs; this kid is good
Vikings D for real
Starks better than Lacy?
Rudolph with a couple of grabs; low TE2
McKinnon next up, WW pu

These are my notes from Sunday Week 2

~David G. Ortega