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 18th 2017

Wednesday Evening Edition

Week 7 Diamonds in the Rough

I’m pretty sure if Titan’s wide receiver Eric Decker was available this week on Waiver wires, he was a popular choice of the consensus. Afterall, Decker is coming off a nice Monday night performance; he was targeted 9 times and caught 7 passes for 88 yards. These were very nice numbers in PPR for Week 6.

For a couple of names that may have been overlooked this week, I give you my Week 7 Diamonds in the rough;

Over the past three weeks, Vikings running back Latavius Murray has yet to take advantage of the opportunity that has been presented. He’s carried the ball 34 times for only 80 rushing yards and zero touchdowns. Right now he’s being outplayed by running back Jerick McKinnon and it’s not close. This week Murray will get his second opportunity facing a Ravens defense that allows better than 4 yards per carry and nearly 125 yards on the ground per game. In two of their last three games the Ravens have allowed a 100-yard rusher (Le’Veon Bell 144 yards in week 4 and Jordan Howard 167 yards this past Sunday). This could be the matchup Murray needs to get going.

Digging a little deeper on the Waiver Wire, the Jaguars wide receiver Marquise Lee has an interesting matchup this week. Last Sunday many figured facing a tough Rams defense, in a run-heavy offense Lee would have little value. With the loss of Allen Robinson back in week one, Lee has emerged as the team’s best receiver. In 6 games Lee leads the team in targets (40), yards receiving (291), and is 2nd in receptions (20). Last Sunday Lee dominated the action in the pass game with 10 targets (good enough for 5 catches and 83 yards), nearest to him was only 3. It’s not a great matchup this week for Lee, but it’s not bad. The Jags will face the Colts in week 7 and over the past 4 weeks, the Colts secondary has surrendered the 5th most receiving yards to opposing wide receivers. If you’re digging, you’ll probably find Lee out there this week.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAIVD'S DAILY DIGEST

October 17th 2017

Tuesday Late-Night Edition

The Weekly Waiver Wire

Week 7

As fantasy leagues push deeper into the fantasy season, owners will continue to go to the waiver wire well each week to drink. Fortunately as we enter week 7 of the NFL season and fantasy season, the well has not gone dry; well at least in redraft leagues it hasn’t.

If you are streaming your quarterback position through the bye week, the Jets quarterback Josh McCown has been steady this season. He’s averaging over 13 fantasy points per week and checks in as the No.19 fantasy QB this season. McCown is coming off a strong Week 6 performance with 20.26 fantasy points and has thrown 2 touchdowns in each of his last 2 starts. Back in week 3 McCown totaled 14.66 fantasy points against the Dolphins (the Jets week 7 opponent) and he looks poised to do as much this week.

In the backfield, it looks like the Giants have found a running game behind the efforts of running back Orleans Darkwa. In his last two games Darkwa has gained 186 yards on 29 carries with a rushing touchdown. He’s a nice week 7 grab with the potential of a feature back workload, based on his Sunday night performance against the Broncos (21 carries). His next opponent is the Eagles who have been good against the run, but so were the Broncos.

At the wideout spot, the Titans wide receiver Eric Decker looks to be falling in rhythms with his quarterback and is coming off a solid Monday night game. Based on his numbers entering Week 6, Decker is sure to be lingering on the waiver wire. This is a good time to grab Decker with a week 7 matchup against a Browns defense that just surrendered 3 touchdowns to wide receivers this past Sunday.

One of the reasons for McCown’s steady play is the emergence of his tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. After serving his two-game suspension to start the season, Seferian-Jenkins has been steadily coming on. In his past two games the Jets tight end has totaled 19 targets, turning in 14 receptions for 75 yards and two scores. He’s a red-zone gem and has now become one of the featured targets in the passing game. He’s a must grab this week off the waiver wires.

Drop of the Week

In PPR formats, Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart has fallen outside the Top-40 (39 in standard). In his last two games Stewart has totaled just 17 rushing yards on 26 carries. He’s coming off not only his worst performance of the season, but of his career. It’s time to let him go, there are plenty of better options available at this point.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 16th 2017

Saturday Evening Edition

My Week 2 Injury Takes

WR-Golden Tate; the Lions wide receiver has been removed from the team’s injury report this week. Tate is all systems go and should be started with confidence.

QB-Sam Bradford; the Vikings quarterback is trending towards starting Sunday and is expected to play. With Bradford under center, owners can start the Vikings receivers as expected. It’s a tough matchup, so temper your expectations.

WR-Odell Beckham Jr; recent reports suggest OBJ is expected to play. Don’t set your expectations high, but if OBJ is playing owners can’t afford to have him on the bench. It’s a tough call, but the Giants won’t roll him out unless he can be effective.

WR-Jarvis Landry; the Dolphins receiver is also trending toward playing, but owners will have to wait until the afternoon inactives to confirm. Landry is a middle of the road play this week, in my opinion. If safer options are available, that may be the better road traveled. If he’s healthy and a go, he’s likely a better play in PPR formats.

WR-John Brown; the Cardinals speedy receiver has been ruled out for Week 2. Brown is still dealing with quad issues, but his absence will only open more opportunities for Fitzgerald, wide receiver JJ Nelson, and wide receiver Jauron Brown (0 targets in week 1). Nelson (6 targets in week 1) is the play for me this week.

RB-Devontae Booker; the Broncos running back is expected to miss his second week with the wrist injury that’s kept him sidelined. Even healthy he’s likely buried on the depth chart behind Anderson and Charles. The only impact here is, this may give Charles more window to carve out a larger role in the Broncos running game.

WR-Andrew Luck; the Colts are still without their signal caller and there’s no definitive timetable for a return. As long as Luck is sidelined, you have to downgrade the receivers. Only Hilton holds any fantasy relevance, and even his is risky at best (for now).

WR-Danny Amendola; the Patriots will be without Amendola who suffered a concussion in week 1. Brady owners won’t have to worry, he’s still got plenty of weapons. With Amendola sidelined Cooks and Gronkowski will see their normal share, but wide receiver Chris Hogan could see an uptick of involvement on Sunday.

WR-Eric Decker; the Titans wide receiver is off the injury report which is good new for fantasy owners, but he’s probably still a wait and see. Decker saw 8 targets in week one, but only snagged 3; owners should probably wait until we see more production before rolling him out. He’s a very low-end flex option at best this week.

WR-Jamison Crowder; the Redskins receiver is practicing full and expected to play on Sunday. Crowder had a poor showing in week one, but may have been slowed by injury. He’s healthy and should be ready to go, but the offense looks out of sync. I might look elsewhere if you have options, but he should be worth starting in PPR formats.

RB-Thomas Rawls; the Seahawks will have Rawls for Sunday who has been removed from the team’s injury report. With Rawls available, the Seahawks backfield is a cluster-bunch and hard read. It will be a tough call for fantasy owners to navigate and might be best avoided until head coach Pete Carroll gets his backfield sorted out.

That’s My Take for Week 2.

~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: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

Tuesday Edition
October 30th, 2012  

David's Daily Digest

The Week in Review

Breaking Down my Week 8 Picks

As I do each and every week, it’s time to take a look back and see how I did. Each week you have to look back at the past so you can learn from your triumphs and mistakes.

My Week8 Duds

Week 8 produce quite a few names to make this list and for many fantasy owners, this was not good. Tight end Antonio Gates pulled a disappearing act on Sunday against the Browns turning in a two catch effort. Fantasy owners were hit hard with disappointment, but Gates has no apparent injury that would suggest this type of slump will continue.

Like Gates, the Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was another disappointment on Sunday. The Steelers wideout snagged four passes for just 38 yards; far below his expected output. Fantasy owners can relax, Brown was still targeted six times and will continue to see plenty of activity his direction. The six targets were a season low, likely because the Steelers were up big and riding the ground game.

The Browns rookie receiver Josh Gordon was a big dud on Sunday after coming off a three-game scoring streak. Gordon was held in check with just three catches for 46 yards. Gordon is second among receivers on the team with 41 targets this season and has been seeing more looks his direction. Unfortunately there is too much inconsistency with the Browns offense at this time to consider Gordon reliable.

My Week 8 Studs

Unfortunately the list here is not long, but it is notable. The Eagles running back LeSean McCoy was his shady self on Sunday finding the end zone twice. McCoy has not had many big games yet this season, but he is the focal point of the Eagles ground attack and has the versatility to be involved in the passing game. Sunday’s performance was just a small taste of more to come.

The Lions quarterback Matt Stafford erupted for a four touchdown performance on Sunday (3 passing, 1 rushing) against a formidable foe in the Seahawks defense. Stafford had not looked very sharp through the first seven weeks, but his monster game on Sunday could be a great indication of what fantasy owners can expect in the second half of the season.

While the Broncos freakish receiver Demaryrius Thomas is grabbing headlines on one side, the Broncos other receiver Eric Decker is quietly holding his own. Against the Saints Decker pulled down just four passes on six targets, but two went for scores. With DT presenting matchup problems for opposing defenses Decker stands to see more games such as this one; he’s a low WR2 going forward.


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: FANTASY FIVE

Friday Edition
October 26th, 2012  

FSH Fantasy Five

Week 8 Fantasy Picks (all positions)

Week 8 is another week of battling the byes for fantasy owners, with the Ravens, Texans, Bengals, and Bills on the sidelines this Sunday. With 14 games on the schedule (includes the Thursday night game) there are plenty of options to turn to, even if you don’t have Adrian Peterson or Doug Martin on your roster. Week 8 is the mid-point of the NFL season and the start of the back stretch for most fantasy leagues; time to start pulling the pieces together and make your run for the post season. 


This week I have some picks that are not only a good fill this week, but may offer more help going forward;

Andrew Luck, QB
It’s hard to not be a fan of Andrew Luck. He entered the league with great expectations and has not disappointed. Although he will be away from home this weekend, you have to like his matchup going against the Titans on Sunday. Luck has shown had his struggles on the road, but the Titans rank 27th versus the pass and have allowed the 3rd most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. This looks like one of the matchups where the Colts will be able to keep it close and as long as they do, the offense will turn to Luck to make the needed plays. Luck is still a rookie and has not been all consistent this season, but before Thursday he did rank 11th in fantasy scoring among quarterbacks so he’s a great back up fantasy QB heading toward the fantasy post season.

Eric Decker, WR
The Broncos offense appears to have an ideal matchup for fantasy owners this Sunday night when they play host the New Orleans Saints. The Saints secondary ranks 30th against the pass and have allowed the 2nd most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. This is good news for Eric Decker owners. Decker has been solid the past several weeks scoring a touchdown in each of his last three games. Decker is also averaging 9 targets per game over the same stretch, so it’s safe to expect much of the same Sunday night.

Darren McFadden, RB
Just like the Raiders, all fantasy owners are still waiting for running back Darren McFadden to have that big game to jump start his season. Despite his recent struggles toting the rock; just one game this season with over 100-yards rushing and averaging only 3.1 yards per carry, McFadden (20th) still ranks in the top 20 in fantasy points for running backs. This week’s opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs rank 22nd against the run and allow the 6th most fantasy points to opposing running backs. This could just be the matchup McFadden needs to get it going this season and once he does he still has the Ravens (27th against the run), Saints (31st), Bengals (21st), Browns (24th), Broncos (18th) and the Chiefs (22nd) again on the schedule.

Brandon Pettigrew, TE
The Lions passing game faces a tough matchup this Sunday with the Seahawks coming to town, but the good news is Pettigrew looks like he will be available. The Lions tight end has fallen quite a ways down the fantasy radar this season ranking 17th in fantasy scoring amongst tight ends. With the Seahawks corners and safeties looking to take Calvin Johnson out of the equation, the middle of the field could be left open for Pettigrew to operate. The Seahawks defense also ranks among the middle tier in fantasy scoring against tight ends, but don’t expect a mammoth performance. Pettigrew will see his fair share (of targets) on Sunday, averaging 8 targets a game and with Calvin on the field drawing extra attention, he could see even more.

Josh Gordon, WR
With wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi out of action the past several weeks, quietly Browns rookie receiver Josh Gordon has been working his way up the fantasy charts. The big receiver from Baylor has become a scoring machine recording four touchdowns in his last three games. Brown has been heavily targeted (22 times) the past three weeks and though he has only 7 receptions he is making the most of his opportunities when he does catch the ball. Gordon has 240 yards receiving in his last three contests averaging over 34 yards per grab. He is a playmaker and will see the leagues 25th ranked pass defense (Chargers) that also allow the 6th most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Gordon has a good matchup and is slowing working his way to becoming the Browns number one receiver (if he hasn’t yet).


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

Tuesday Edition

October 16th, 2012 

David's Daily Digest

The Week in Review

Breaking Down my Week 6 Picks

Well, whoever said making fantasy player picks was easy must also have some beach front property in Wyoming to sell. It’s definitely not down to a science, because if it is I need to sign up for the class. Taking a look back at my picks from week 6, ouch!

There were definitely a few misses, but I think I might have saved a little face with some good calls. Every week I am going to start taking a look back at the just completed week and break down my picks and see how I did. So before I start handing out cigars or patting myself on the back, lets start with;

 My Week 6 Duds

It looks like the Giants tight end Martellus Bennett is still in need of a little mending. Not able to cash in on a generous 49ers secondary (4 touchdowns allowed to tight ends this season) Bennett finished Sunday with just one catch for 9 yards.

In the desert quarterback Kevin Kolb was just frustrating to watch, often holding the ball too long and taking way too many hits and sacks. Kolb made the Bills defense look perennial exiting the game early with just 128 yards passing, one touchdown and one pick, He was also sacked five times and as a result of all the punishment he took, he will now be sidelined at least six weeks.

Running back Trent Richardson was a big disappointment on Sunday facing the Bengals. An injury forced him out early with just 37 yards on the ground and it was his back-up Montario Hardesty who enjoyed success rushing for 56 yards with a score.

The 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree pulled a disappearing act on Sunday against the Giants for fantasy owners. The team’s leading receiver finished the game with just three catches for 26 yards.

Hardly a dud, but if not for his touchdown grab on Monday night Demaryrius Thomas fantasy owners would be very upset with his week 6 output. Clearly the Chargers were intent on not letting Thomas break loose, but he did manage to find the end zone. Expect better days and more often.

Others I missed on, the Texans were completely blitzed by Aaron Rodgers and the Packers passing game. After falling so far behind, Matt Schaub and the offense really struggled against the Packers pass rush, tight end Owen Daniels was a miserable 3 catches for 46 yards. Running back Reggie Bush finished his day with just 17 yards rushing, but he did have 5 grabs for 44 yards.

While we can’t always be right, it is nice to hit the nail on the head with some of my picks each week;

My Week 6 Studs

On Monday night the new king of comeback, quarterback Peyton Manning did not disappoint with three second half touchdowns and finishing the game with over 300 yards passing. Manning started slowly, although he was completing a high percentage of passes in the first half, but clearly he rose to another level in the 2^nd half.

Quarterback Andy Dalton is the type of fantasy success you have to take with a grain of salt, take this past Sunday for instance. He’s goping to give you big numbers from time to time, 381 yards passing and three touchdowns, but they often come at a cost (three interceptions). For the season Dalton has 12 touchdown passes, but he also has 9 picks; you take the bad with the good.

Manning was the only star on Monday night and it could have been much bigger if not for some thick yard-line paint around the 35 yard line. The Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker finished the night with 6 grabs for 98 yards and a score, but just imagine how much bigger his game could have been had he not been tackled by the 35 yard line (yes that is by, not at). As long as Thomas lines up on the other side, Decker is going to see more games like this.

The Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford appears to going through some growing pains this season as he struggles to recapture some of last years’ lightning in a bottle. He wasn’t all bad on Sunday, but he did start painfully slow. Stafford struggled early, but finished mightily passing for 311 yards, tossing one score and running for another. If he can just get out of the gate, he’s got a chance to put together some big games.

The Raiders running back Darren McFadden was a workhorse on Sunday toting the rock 27 times and grabbing three more passes. Run-DMC finished Sunday with 98 total yards and a score, although he did have a fumble. If the Raiders stick to this plan, he’s going to have some big games down the road.

Fantasy owners will be hoping for much better games than this, but running back LeSean McCoy managed to save a bad day with a touchdown grab to go with this 48 total yards (22 rushing, 26 receiving) of offense. And for those in PPR his seven receptions were a nice touch.

It was not a big Monday night for the Chargers running back Ryan Matthews, although maybe if it had been the games; outcome would have been different. Matthews finished the night with 74 yards rushing (on 22 carries) and 19 receiving. Like McCoy and Bush, Matthews four catches may make him a very attractive option in PPR leagues.

By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: MNF QUICK TAKES

Monday Edition
October 15th, 2012  

David’s Daily Digest
MNF Quick Notes

Monday Night Football Fantasy Takes

Tonight the Broncos will showcase on Monday Night Football their biggest prize from the offseason, quarterback Peyton Manning. Through five games this season Manning has not let his new team down, playing at a high level and leading one of the league’s best offenses; 6th rank passing and 8th in the league in scoring. Manning’s number speak for themselves; 66% passes completed, 1,499 yards passing, and 11 touchdowns; tonight could be a lot more of Manning against the leagues 22nd ranked pass defense.

With Manning spreading the ball all-around the field tonight, the focus will undoubtedly be on his big target DeMaryrius Thomas; enter wide receiver Eric Decker. Decker is second on the team with 44 targets, just two less than Thomas. He can be expected to be just as involved and productive in the pass game. With Thomas pre-occupying the defense the team’s second leading receiver Eric Decker (28 catches, 343 yards, 2 touchdowns) should see plenty of opportunity tonight to post solid fantasy numbers for owners.

Running back Ryan Matthews saw plenty of work last week in the Chargers Sunday night loss to the Saints. Now that Matthews is healthy (18 touches last week), he’ll quickly become a staple in the Chargers run game and tonight could be a very good start against a questionable run defense. The Broncos run defense was sliced and diced a week ago by the Patriots for over 200 yards on the ground, tonight Matthews will try and do the same. Matthews rushed for 80 yards on 12 carries last week and facing the Broncos r21st ranked run defense he looks to improve on those numbers.

IDP Special

On the other side of the ball, another Bronco that should make plenty of noise is linebacker Von Miller. The speed rushing linebacker leads the team with five sacks in five games. Miller has also become one of the league’s most menacing and disruptive pass rushers in the game today and is equally effective in the run game with 23 total tackles this season. He’s an IDP favorite for tonight.


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: QUICK TAKES

Friday Edition

September 14th, 2012 

David’s Daily Digest

QUICK TAKES

Manning Looks Strong in Week 2

After a solid performance in week one against the vaunted Steeler defense, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning looks set to continue his success in week two. Manning has the weapons (Thomas, Decker, Tamme) and a strong ground game to succeed and appears to be plenty rust free. His fastball may have lost a little zip, but his football IQ is as high as ever. While opposing defenses play the guessing game trying to figure out what Manning can still do, he'll continue to take advantage of doing what he knows he can.

The Broncos will face a tough Falcon defense and a loud Atlanta crowd, but there's nothing the savvy veteran Manning hasn't seen. He's a lock for another solid outing in week two, maybe not monster numbers against a secondary that allowed 240 yards in the air a week ago, but solid. Manning should be good for somewhere in the neighborhood of 240 yards Monday night with a couple of scores; he's definitely worthy of top 10 fantasy consideration this week.

My take: Needless to say, I like Manning a lot this week.

By David Ortega