FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

October 11th 2017

Wednesday Night Edition

Pick of the Week

(Week 6)

Pick-Up of the Week

After his scintillating performance on Monday night the Vikings running back Jerrick McKinnon (22 touches, 146 total yards, 6 receptions, and a touchdown) is my Pick-up for the week. It's apparent that the Vikings offensive line has improved this season with the stable of weapons in the passing game, there may be a few more running lanes for McKinnon and company each week. McKinnon (14 receptions in 2017), an exceptional pass catcher offers great versatility in the Vikings offense and greater value in PPR. With Green Bay on the slate next, McKinnon will have a nice matchup against a defense that allows more than 4 yards per carry and the 8th most rushing yards to opposing running backs. Fantasy owners shouldn't expect the Vikes to feature McKinnon every week, but he could be in line for a substantial role in the offense going forward.

Don't Sit on Him

The recent trade (this week) of running back Adrian Peterson to Arizona is just what fantasy owners needed. If you've been clinging on to All-Day hoping he'd get a chance, well your wishes have been answered. With the trade Peterson will step into the starting role right out of the gate; we'll finally see what he's got left. Now the Cardinals don't have one of the better O-lines, but with the passing game that's there, Peterson could give them the balance they lack and open up some opportunities for this offense. If he's available on the waiver wire or free agent pool, don't sit on him, this is a risk worth taking.

Drop of the Week

With the recent news in Arizona, more news coming out of the Cardinal's camp was the release of running back Chris Johnson. This is not surprising, with the addition of Peterson, Johnson became expendable and for fantasy owners droppable. Johnson was cut earlier in the preseason by the Cardinals and only brought back following the loss of running back David Johnson. The move then, now looks like a desperate reach that didn't pay off. And with Peterson basically wilting away on the Saints bench, this move just makes a lot of sense. In Dynasty leagues Peterson seems to fill the immediate need for the Cardinals running game so he's worth the grab. Likely not the long term solution especially with David Johnson expected to return this season. AP is worth adding now, but proceed with caution.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

December 21st, 2016 Wednesday Late Evening Edition The Fantasy Football Family Tree It’s championship week and if you don’t have all your ducks in a row and your lineup set for Sunday, then like many of us you are looking for every opportunity and advantage. There’s no room for error when everything in the fantasy world is at stake. This week is no different than any other, but fantasy owners need to pay attention to the family lineage that exists on each. And what I mean is the fantasy family tree grows short from player to player. The Packers are in the middle of a division fight and everyone knows that quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be up to the task, as will his fantasy family. Last week tight end Jared Cook (ranked No. 40 fantasy TE) saw 8 targets and turned them into 6 receptions for 85 yards and with the Vikings up next, he could see plenty more this week. Over the past two weeks, the Vikings defense have allowed the 7th most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. I like Cook as a low-end TE1 this week. In the same matchup the Vikings are trying to hang onto their playoff life and their fantasy family tree branches out from quarterback Sam Bradford. Without much of a running game, Bradford and the Vikings relied heavily on the short passing game; enter running back Jerrick McKinnon (ranked No. 42 fantasy RB). Last week McKinnon had only 3 carries, but caught 9 passes on 9 targets. With the prospect of no Adrian Peterson, McKinnon gets up bump in PPR leagues this week and should be considered a strong flex or mid RB3. The Steelers are battling for another division title and their hopes will rely heavily on the shoulders of their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Part of his extended fantasy family is tight end Ladarius Green. Over the past three weeks Green has become more involved in the passing game turning 25 targets into 13 receptions for 207 yards receiving and a touchdown. With the Ravens on the slate, Green will get a shot at a defense that has allowed the 6th most fantasy points to opposing tight ends over the past four weeks. Green should be considered a high-end TE2 borderline TE1 this week. That’s My Take ~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID"S DAILY DIGEST

December 3rd, 2016

Saturday Morning Edition

Fantasy Playoffs, Playoffs, Playoffs

We are not quite there, but we have reached the nitty-gritty! With one week left before the Fantasy Playoffs start in many re-draft leagues. I play in several myself and this week is pivotal for my post-season hopes.

A couple of early lineup moves in my PPR leagues I made this week leading up to Sunday; in the Thursday night game I inserted Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs and Vikings running back Jerrick McKinnon. These were not necessarily simple plays, especially McKinnon, but being in PPR leagues both plays worked out.

With options likes Davante Adams, Chris Hogan, and Kelvin Benjamin, I chose Diggs for his target probability; he saw 8.0 targets on Thursday night and caught all eight. Diggs did not accumulate much yardage, but his eight grabs posted double-digit fantasy points and saved me.

Like Diggs, McKinnon was a tougher choice with options like Ryan Matthews (OUT) and Rob Kelley (only 8 targets all season) available, and his five catches on six targets and touchdown reception came up big. I may still roll out Kelley, but I am sitting in a much better position with McKinnons 16.50 fantasy points.

Looking at more lineup help for this week, with Jordan Reed OUT this Sunday I will be inserted tight end Vernon Davis. Even with Reed in the lineup, Davis has managed to make some noise and become fantasy relevant even as the number two tight end. Since week 6, Davis has averaged 3.5 receptions and 59 yards (this includes a week 11 donut). With Reed in the lineup he’s a low end TE2, but this Sunday Davis should be considered a TE1.

With the lack of consistency for tight ends like the Packers Jared Cook (2 targets last week) and the Rams Lance Kendricks (4 times this season with two or fewer receptions), I am rolling with the Niners Vance McDonald. He’s not a huge upgrade over the other two this week, but his five previous starts with no fewer than six targets leading and recent four game run of 3.5 receptions and 60 yards per game average with two touchdowns make him a much safer play this week. He’ll get the Bears this week who have done a pretty good job versus opposing tight ends, but they have surrendered 5 touchdowns (tied for 5th most) making McDonald a nice red-zone threat this week.

That’s My Take

~David G. Ortega