FSH NOTEBOOK: QUICK TAKES

Monday Edition

November 19th, 2012 

David’s Daily Digest

MNF Quick Notes

Sunday Night’s matchup between the Ravens and Steelers was just an appetizer to what fantasy owners should expect tonight when the San Francisco 49ers host the Chicago Bears. While both teams are not short on the fantasy list of offensive skill players, this contest has the makings to be all about the defense.

With that said, there will still be plenty of notable fantasy players to watch on both sidelines when these two teams take to the field in just a few short hours. None of what I have to say here is to say or suggest no other players will rise tonight, but if you are just looking for those safe plays, these gridiron warriors may be as far as you want to look.

The Players…

The Bears will provide some of the more attractive options, although tonight they may not offer some of their more productive outings. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall has been a fantasy savior this season, in particular of late. Marshall is currently riding a six game streak with at least 6 catches and 80 yards receiving. In that span his numbers are 51 receptions for 690 yards with six touchdowns; even with Jason Campbell under center Marshall should be targeted heavily and be able to produce his minimum numbers, 6/80.

The Niners defense is stingy to say the least, but fortunately for Matt Forte owners, the Bears ball carrier is multi-faceted. The versatile back will likely contribute as much in the short passing as he does in the run and while yards may be tough to find on the ground with 22 receptions this season he should still be a safe PPR play this evening.

On the other sideline, running back Frank Gore is a hard nose grinder built for matchups just like tonight. He should see more than enough carries to gauge and carve his way through the Bears defense for good numbers. I would not expect (though I wouldn’t be surprised) a 100-yard effort, but Gore may come very close and could sneak a carry into the end zoen f the Niners can keep this one close and not get impatient. Their best tonight will be with Gore and the Niners ground game, especially after watching the Texans grind out 129 yards last Sunday night.

Sleeper…

With this one being a close affair and both sides taking a more conservative approach, don’t be surprised to see Bears Michael Bush getting some carries and maybe an opportunity or two in the red zone. He may not offer much to most, but in deeper formats he could be a nice sleeper play in a flex spot.

Team Defenses…

While the Niners defense does get a lot of notoriety, the Bears defense may be the better play tonight. The Bears have been making as much if not more noise than any other team in the league on the defensive side of the ball in 2012; a good reason why any fantasy players versus the Bears tonight could face a disappointing outcome. The Bears are by no means dominant and they are not going to shut folks down, but they are opportunistic and big play. Sacks, picks, and touchdowns seem to be the trademark of the Bears and facing a back-up quarterback tonight would seem to spell much success.

  

By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

Friday Edition
November 16th, 2012  

David’s Daily Digest

No Brown on Sunday Could Means More Wallace
The Steelers will operate Sunday night without wide receiver Antonio Brown and going against a weakened Ravens defense could mean more opportunities for the speedster Mike Wallace. Wallace is the team’s homerun hitter, but has been relatively quiet this season; just one 100-yard receiving game this season. The Ravens are ranked 26th against the pass allowing more than 250 yards in the air; even without Big Ben (Roethlisberger) under center expect the Steelers to take their shots downfield. Wallace will be a hit and miss, but hard to sit him when he’s always a threat to take one to the house and still averaging better than 7 targets per game in his last three contests.

Moore Could Be the Hot Pick this Week in Oak-town
With wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (hamstring) likely to be shelved this Sunday against the Saints, wideout Denarius Moore figures to pick up the slack in a big way. Moore leads the team with five scores this season and could add to that total going up against one of the leagues worst pass defense. The Saints have allowed 19 passing touchdowns this season and are giving up the most fantasy points to receivers. Moore is a must start Sunday.

Megatron Could Be Ready for Another Big Sunday
Wide receiver Calvin Johnson may only have a few trips to the end zone on his 2012 resume, but he’s still having a Mega-season; on pace for 115 receptions, 1,731 yards receiving, and 3.5 touchdowns. This Sunday Calvin will face the Packers 19th ranked pass defense, a defense that he owned in their last matchup in 2011; a scoring line of 11/244/1. The Packers also allow the 9th most fantasy points to receivers which should bode well for Megatron owners.

Celek Could Have a Big Game on Sunday
The Eagles tight end Brent Celek could easily end up being rookie quarterback Nick Foles best friend this Sunday. With Foles making his first start, Celek could very well wind up being a hot target and safety net for the rookie. Celek has been quiet the past five games, but Sunday facing the Redskins 30th ranked pass defense could change all that. The Redskins defense allows the 2nd most fantasy points to tight ends, including 7 touchdowns. If you have been sitting Celek as of late, this could be the week to put him in.

Campbell Set to Start Monday Night
The Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has been ruled out for Monday night and back up Jason Campbell will get the start. Like was saw last Sunday night when Campbell relieved the injured Cutler, wide receiver Brandon Marshall can expect to be a busy pass catcher. Marshall was Campbell’s go-to much of the second half and this should play out Monday night. The Niners have been stingy against opposing receivers allowing the 4th fewest fantasy points, but Marshall has been dominant much of the season and remains a solid top WR1 every week (even with Campbell under center).


By David Ortega

FSH: FRIDAY FANTASY WATCH

December 17th, 2010, Friday

Friday Fantasy Watch

Jon Kitna: Ready For Another Solid Outing

The Cowboys will play host to what can only be described as a completely dysfunctional Washington Redskin team. The Redskins come to town on the heels of a major announcement; McNabb will be benched in Sunday’ matchup in favor of quarterback Rex Grossman. That can only be good news for the Cowboy’s offense, as the defense could be in for a big fantasy scoring day as well.

The Redskins have been struggling mightily on offense in the recent weeks (averaging less than 14 points per game in their last four), but this change at quarterback would hardly seem to bode well (looking in from the outside). Grossman has only thrown 7 passes all season and does have one turnover in very limited action. If the Redskins do continue to struggle on offense, quarterback Jon Kitna and the entire Cowboy’s offense should see plenty of opportunity and good field position most of the day.

Facing the 29th ranked pass defense and a pass rush that has mustered up just 23 sacks (ranked tied for 26th) all season, the prospects of a good day for Kitna look very good. One big key to Kitna’s success could be wide receiver Miles Austin, who torched the Redskins back in week one for 146 yards on 10 catches; look for the two to find similar success.

Sunday’s projections against the Redskins
(20 of 34 passes, 280 yards passing, three touchdowns, one interception)

Owen Daniels: Finally Healthy and Ready To Go

On Monday night fantasy owners were given a nice preview of what tight end Owen Daniels is capable of when healthy. Against the Baltimore Ravens Daniels caught five passes for 91 yards and easily could have done much more damage. Daniels had a few drops in the game, clearly showing some rust from all the action he has missed.

Daniels is back and looked good running routes against the Ravens, as he continues to shake the rust his hands will get better; as will his numbers. This Sunday Daniels will square off against a Titan’s secondary (ranked 26th against the pass) that has had their share of trouble covering the tight end spot. Daniels missed the first matchup in week 12 due to injury, but he’s healthy now and should be a factor.

Last season in his only matchup with Tennessee Daniels caught six passes for 72 yards and a score; we could see very similar results on Sunday.

Sunday’s projections against the Titans.
(6 catches, 90 yards receiving, one touchdown)

Jacoby Ford: Could Be A Quiet Surprise On Sunday

The Raiders will be welcoming to the Black Hole on Sunday a Bronco’s team that looks to be in disarray. The last time these two teams met, the Raiders put a serious hurt on the Orange men 59-14, enough to turn them black and silver.

This Sunday with the Bronco’s facing the prospect of having to go into Raider Nation without their starting quarterback Kyle Orton, it can only mean good things for bad boys of football. The Raider’s quarterback Jason Campbell hasn’t become a household name yet, but over the past couple of weeks he has been solid and could be a cause for concern if you are the Denver secondary. In recent weeks Campbell has been having a lot of success throwing to wide receiver Louis Murphy. With the Broncos expected to shadow (with Champ Bailey) or at least pay close attention to Murphy, rookie receiver Jacoby Ford could see some favorable coverage on Sunday.

Ford has been quiet the past several weeks, but against one of the league’s worst defenses (ranked 19th against the pass) that has allowed 24 passing touchdowns he could be ready to make a lot of noise.

Sunday’s projections against the Broncos
(4 catches, 75 yards receiving, one touchdown)

Just my take.

By David Ortega

FSH: MONDAY MORNING HUDDLE

April 19th, 2010 9:57pm PST

[The Evening Edition]
Monday Morning Huddle

Movement, Movement, Movement

Again with the recent headlines (last week) circulating from the world of football there has been more changes that will have a big impact on the coming fantasy season. This past week the wide receiver position has been the pick of the litter and with that, there could be more to come.

Recent Moves...
The last couple of weeks there have been some big moves made in the NFL, some surprising and others not so much, but either way these moves are going to have a big impact on fantasy going forward.

In Pittsburgh, the Steelers needing some damage control unloaded their former Super Bowl MVP wide receiver Santonio Holmes to the New York Jets. Holmes was dealt for only a 5th round pick, undoubtedly it was a business decision to move forward without the risky proposition (Holmes) who will face a four game suspension at the start of the 2010 season. A new home, a new quarterback, and a suspension will no doubt hurt Holmes fantasy value greatly at fantasy drafts, but owners mustn’t forget his 79 catches and 1,200 yards in 2009. Lining up with Edwards and Cotchery, Santonio could be a huge second half play this coming season.

In Denver the Broncos finally say good-bye to their two time Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall (three straight seasons with at least 100 receptions). While the move could be heavily criticized, it appeared to be the best for all concerned; Marshall wanted out and the Broncos wanted to move on. Denver dealt the outspoken receiver to the Dolphins for a pair of second round picks (one this season, one in 2011) and could be looking to make a run at one of the top WR draft prospects in this year's draft. With Marshall moving south to the sunshine state (Florida) his stock may take a slight hit, but quarterback Chad Henne could see a rise in his value. Henne comes off a season where he threw 12 touchdowns. Last season Marshall had 10 alone. It would be safe to expect to see Henne improve his numbers this coming season.

Players to watch...

With the draft now just days away, don't expect activity in the NFL to slow down. Just Monday the Broncos continued to stay busy trading tight end Tony Scheffler away to the Lions as part of a three team deal that included the Eagles. The Broncos received a 5th round pick (from the Eagles), while the Lions sent Ernie Sims to Philly in exchange for the acquisition of Scheffler.

This was just some early movement for draft week, but a couple of names to keep on your radar with the draft coming up quickly would include; Jets running Leon Washington (signed tender), Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell (rumored to be on trade block), Bear's tight end Greg Olsen (not happy in windy city), and surprise, surprise (according to ESPN's Adam Schefter) the Dolphin's running back Ronnie Brown. This of course is all speculation, but as the draft approaches, we could see conversations heat up and rumors fly. Stay tuned for the NFL draft 2010.

by David Ortega

Check back with "Your Fantasy Sports Home" for more.....

FSH: MONDAY MORNING HUDDLE

April 12th, 2010 9:57pm PST

[The Evening Edition]
Monday Morning Huddle

Quarterbacks on the Rise....

With the recent headlines circulating from the world of football there has been a lot of changes that could have a big impact on the coming fantasy season. The most notable changes made thus far this offseason could have a great impact on several signal callers.

On the Rise...

With the acquisition of wide receiver Anquan Boldin, Donte Stallworth, and the re-signing of veteran wideout Derrick Mason, the Joe Flacco stock appears to be soaring. In a predominant run-system Flacco (21 touchdown passes in 2009) was a decent number two fantasy quarterback last season. With the team has adding some new weapons this offseason to give the passing game a boost and the emergence of running back Ray Rice (78 receptions) 2010 could be a breakout season for Flacco.

The most recent move to make headlines has been the Jets acquisition of wide receiver Santonio Holmes. Added to a talented corp of receivers that include Jerricho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards, quarterback Mark Sanchez could quickly become a popular pick come fantasy draft time. The former Trojan quarterback had his ups and downs in 2009 (12 touchdown passes, 20 interceptions), but with a solid running game (ranked number one last season) and more talent on the outside Sanchez could be a late sleeper in his sophomore campaign.

Now finally out of the shadow of Donovan McNabb, fourth year quarterback Kevin Kolb inherits a fine cast of receivers that include DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, and Brent Celek; this will surely bolster his stock value. With just two career starts under his belt Kolb is going to suffer through some growing pains in 2010, but with a great supporting cast he could be another late sleeper.

Falling down the Charts...

Not all these moves of the current offseason appear to be paying off for everyone. In Washington Jason Campbell is now a fantasy stock in serious trouble of crashing. With McNabb in place as the starter, unless Campbell can find work as a starter somewhere else he'll have virtually no fantasy value around draft time.

With Pete Carroll shaking things up in Seattle with the acquisition of quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, the Matt Hasselbeck stock is starting to look even shakier. There's no question given Hasselbeck's recent injury history his stock is risky at best, but add a new coach, a new system, and some competition and his stock value takes a hit. Expect the better Whitehurst looks this summer the more Hasselbeck's value will fall.

With a lot of recent trade rumors at the quarterback position including the Bills, the stock value of Trent Edwards will continue to tumble this offseason. McNabb was rumored before eventually landing in DC, names like Jason Campbell continue to circulate. Last year Edwards threw just six touchdowns in seven starts, probably not enough to guarantee him a job in 2010. With an open competition this training camp his stock will remain very shaky and a high risk with no reason to believe there's a big pay-off in the future.

Just my current take on some of 2010's fantasy quarterbacks.

By David Ortega

Check back with "Your Fantasy Sports Home" for more.....

FSH: THE ATL REPORT

April 12th, 2010 8:07pm PST

Around The League

Holmes traded to the Jets....
Over the weekend the Steelers shook the fantasy world by trading wide receiver Santonio Holmes to the Jets. The Jets gave up a fifth round pick in this year's draft for the troubled receiver who will face a four-game suspension to start the season. The suspension appears to be a big motivating factor in making the sudden move.

Dolphins looking to re-sign Taylor...
The six-time Pro Bowl selection defensive end Jason Taylor has been mulling over signing with the Jets, but it appears the Dolphins could make a move to resign the future hall of fame pass rusher. Taylor has 127.5 career sacks and despite injuries the past couple of seasons should have enough left in the tank to be an effective situational pass rusher. The Jets can't offer a whole lot, so there's a good chance Taylor will stay in Miami.

Campbell signs tender with Redskins....
The Redskins 2009 starter at quarterback Jason Campbell signed his tender for $3.1 million, but it doesn't sound like he intends to stay in Washington. With McNabb in town, Campbell was given permission to seek a trade and even with his signing the possibility still exists. With the draft closing, expect movement soon.

Westbrook heading to the Big-Cheese...
There's nothing definitive being reported other than Packer's GM Ted Thompson could have some interest in free agent running back Brian Westbrook. With Ryan Grant embedded as the starter, Westbrook could be a nice versatile third down addition. This is something worth monitoring because the move makes great sense for the Packer's explosive passing offense.

Noteworthy:

Even though according to SI's Peter King, the Jet's running back Leon Washington is not part of the Santonio Holmes trade with the Steelers it sounds very possible he still could be traded. Washington did not show up for voluntary workouts and has yet to sign his tender. It is safe to speculate he is unhappy with his current situation and very likely the Jets could entertain some offers.

Check back with "Your Fantasy Sports Home" for more Football to digest....

FSH: MONDAY MORNING HUDDLE

April 5th, 2010 9:37pm PST

[The Evening Edition]
Monday Morning Huddle

A shake up in the East

Head Coach Mike Shanahan is wasting little time making his presence felt known in the NFL. The former head coach of the Denver Broncos returned to the league this offseason as the new head coach of the Washington Redskins and in a very short time he is doing his best to shake things up in the NFC East.

On Easter Sunday ESPN's very own Adam Schefter broke the story that the Eagles had traded their Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb to division rival Washington. The Eagles will receive draft picks in exchange for their former signal caller. With the arrival of McNabb Shanahan is quickly building a fantasy roster that includes recently acquired RB Willie Parker, RB Clinton Portis, RB Larry Johnson, WR Santana Moss, and TE Chris Cooley.

With Shanahan's pedigree to build an offense, it's easy to imagine many of the players elevating their fantasy value this summer and in the 2010 season. The biggest difference will undoubtedly be the acquisition of McNabb under center. The presence of the six-time Pro Bowler gives the Redskins a bona fide and proven commodity at quarterback, something their offense has lacked the past several seasons.

McNabb brings with him the experience of a winner and solid numbers to back it; since 2005 he has thrown 82 touchdowns to 34 interceptions while passing for 13,442 yards. Since 2006 the Redskins starter last season Jason Campbell has thrown 55 touchdowns to 38 interceptions while passing for 10, 860 yards. The move is a huge upgrade for the Redskins offense, but you would have to question the Eagle's motive for making the deal.

With the season vet arriving to town, if you are in the Jason Campbell corner you might be thinking new team colors this season. It's hard to imagine Campbell taking too fondly to the role of back-up entering his sixth season, but with McNabb entering his 12th season how long would he really have to wait. Campbell's conundrum has been the continual changing of the offensive guard in town; four systems in four seasons and now the Shanahan Era has begun (the one with the most promise).

An interesting dilemma if you are the Redskin's front office having two starters, but where to go from here remains to be seen. McNabb will hardly lose any fantasy value making the transition from Philly to DC, but if Campbell remains’ in town as Donovan's successor he'll have very little value to the fantasy world (except as insurance for D-Mac).

Fantasy Notes

The Impact:
With Donovan McNabb calling the signals in a Mike Shanahan system, tight end Chris Cooley figures to make the greatest leap. Two seasons ago Cooley finished with 83 catches and if you remember former Bronco's tight end Shannon Sharpe enjoyed great success during the Shanahan days in Denver.

Santana Moss has a chance to be a solid number two fantasy receiver, but he will need a lot of help on the other side. Currently the Redskins have Malcolm Kelly or Devin Thomas slated opposite Moss. A move in the draft or the acquisition of a seasoned wideout would make sense (Hello Mr. Owens).

Check back with "Your Fantasy Sports Home" for more.....

FSH: WHAT'S THE LATEST

March 29th, 2010 11:07pm PST

What's the Latest

Bradford's the talk of the town

After reading this week's edition of the Monday Morning Quarterback at SI.com, it sounds like Peter King is casting his vote for Sam Bradford as the top pick in this year's draft.

Bradford had his Pro day on Monday and by all counts he was impressive. It's no secret that the Rams (the team with the top pick) are in need at the quarterback position and after Bradford showed off his accurate arm making all the throws he needed, he's starting to look like a lock. If you read King's article you will catch all of his details and notes and the improvement and readiness of Bradford.

Whether he goes top or not, he won't last long on anyone's board that appears to be a certainty. For those of interested in this kid for fantasy reasons, going to a team like the Rams you can't expect results any better than Stafford in Detroit.

If Bradford does not go number one and makes it to the Redskins who are sitting at four, it sounds like D.C. could be a huge possibility. With Shanahan's tutelage it's hard to imagine Bradford not enjoying success, even early success. He won't race up any fantasy boards, but he'll be a keeper in most leagues (if taken by the Redskins).

The consensus at the moment, Bradford's pro day scored major points and moves him to the top of this year's quarterback class. The question is what will the teams at the top do? Maybe a trade between the Rams and Redskins involving quarterback Jason Campbell and this pick?

Just a thought.

Check back with "Your Fantasy Sports Home" for more Football to digest....

FSH: ON THE TICKER

April 20th, 2009 9:47pm PST

13 DAYS TO THE NFL DRAFT

NFL Draft Preview:
On The Ticker

On the Board: Washington Redskins....
By the time you get this deep into any pre draft scenario, it really becomes anyone’s guess. A few weeks ago it may have been easier to sit back and draw analysis from what the team lacked in 2009, but now just days away from the actual draft and the stories are starting to surface everywhere. Just weeks ago, I recall hearing and reading many reports indicating that the Redskins were just fine with Jason Campbell. Now we hear they may make a move up in the draft to target Sanchez.

While Mark Sanchez could be a nice fit for the future, where does that leave Campbell (who is only 27)? If the team targets Sanchez or if the former Trojan should fall to number 13, does Daniel Snyder make this pick?

The team spent a lot of money in the offseason to shore up an already pretty good defense (ranked 4th overall). Does that mean the draft will be all about the offense? Sanchez is not expected to make it to number 13, so if the Skins are interested they'll have to make a push to move up the board. While offense may be on their minds, another position of interest could be the receiver position, one that gets very thin, once you look past Santana Moss.

By this juncture in the draft a couple of names that could be available, Heyward-Bey and Hakeem Nicks. Both receivers are not the proto-typical size "Big receivers", but with each standing over six feet they offer good size and blazing speed to compliment the speedy Moss.

(Photo by Gerry Broome/Ap Photo)

Head Coach Jim Zorn runs a traditional style west coast system that relies on the short passing game to compliment the run. Last season the Redskins were 23rd in passing with only Moss producing at least 55 receptions at the receiver position. Expect Snyder and company to try and upgrade through the draft. And although there seems to be a plethora of talent available in this year's pool, they are likely to find their best pickins at 13.

Don't expect Zorn to wait too long.


Check back every day for more "On the Ticker!"