FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

October 23rd 2017

Monday Evening Edition

Sunday’s Lineup Killers

(Week 7)

There is always going to be those weeks when players don't perform, when they get shut down, or when they tank big time. Those are the weeks and the games fantasy owners can only hope to safely navigate their way through, because when you don't these fantasy duds can kill a Sunday lineup. These are the week 7 Lineup Killers;

QB-Cam Newton; the Panthers quarterback looked much better in his postgame, then he did on the field Sunday (at least to most fantasy owners). Newton passed for only 211 yards with no touchdowns and two picks; not the numbers of a QB1.

QB-Eli Manning; the Giants signal caller was just awful on Sunday against the Seahawks. Manning completed just 19 of 39 passes for a mere 134 yards, throwing one touchdown. Without OBJ, Manning has quickly fallen off the QB1 big board and will likely continue to fall.

QB-Marcus Mariota; it was an off week for the Titans starter. It was just one of those games where Mariota could not get his offense out of first; he passed for 203 yards with no touchdowns. Fantasy owners are hoping Mariota can get things turned around soon; he's currently the No.21 fantasy QB.

RB-CJ Anderson; with the struggles of the Broncos offense, go the struggles of the run game and Anderson. It was another subpar week with just 11 touches for 61 total yards. As long as this offense struggles as it has, Anderson is not a great RB2/3 option.

RB-Melvin Gordon; it was another tough matchup against the Broncos defense, and in this case the Broncos won the matchup. Gordon was bottled up most of the day totaling just 44 yards on 19 touches. The good news here, 19 touches and the Chargers won't see the Broncos again this season.

RB-Jordan Howard; the Bears running back found little room to run against a tough Panthers run defense on Sunday. Howard totaled just 65 rushing yards on 21 carries. The good news here, Howard once again dominated the touches in the backfield with 21; his 5th straight game with at least 19 touches or more.

WR-AJ Green; the Bengals star receiver was held in check on Sunday with just 3 catches for 41 yards. Green only had 6 targets on the day and could never really get going in a matchup pretty much dominated by the Steelers. His 6 targets were a season-low and probably something that won't be repeated any time soon.

WR-Keenan Allen; like his teammate Melvin Gordon, Allen was just a victim of a tough matchup against the Broncos. Allen caught 3 passes for 41 yards on 7 targets. Two things here, the 7 targets by far a season low and like Gordon, he won't face the Broncos again.

TE-Martellus Bennett; with the change at quarterback, there's going to be a lot of growing pains for the Packers tight end; just  2 catches for 17 yards on 3 targets. Bennett is off the fantasy radar for now.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

October 17th 2017

Tuesday Evening Edition

Sunday Lineup Killers

FANTASY DUDS 

If you owned any of these fantasy duds, it wasn’t pretty on Sunday. These are the players that are supposed to carry your squad on Sunday, but it’s likely if you had them, they killed any chance for a win in Week 6.

The Raiders quarterback Derek Carr returned to action in Week 6 after missing a week with a back injury. After his dismal performance on Sunday, just 171 passing yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions (the No.26 fantasy QB for week 6), fantasy owners may have wished Carr sat out another week.

The Lions had to turn to a heavy pass game on Sunday to play catch up and keep up with the Saints. Unfortunately for fantasy owners running back Ameer Abdullah only carried the ball 14 times for 54 yards and only saw two targets in the passing game (resulting in zero catches). Not a good day if you were a Lions fan or Abdullah owner.

It was another long Sunday for Patriots running back Mike Gillislee and fantasy owners. Gillislee finished outside the Top-50 fantasy RB (in PPR) failing to find the end-zone for 4 consecutive game. With just 44 rushing yards and a fumble, Gillislee was a lineup killer on Sunday.

The Rams wide receiver Sammy Watkins has virtually become the invisible man the past several weeks and on Sunday he continued the trend. Against the Jaguars Watkins was targeted 4 times and caught all of one ball for 11 yards.

The Raiders have a Houdini of their own in the passing game, wide receiver Amari Cooper. Fantasy owners have not heard much from Cooper the past several weeks and on Sunday he made little noise catching 5 balls for a mere 28 yards; not exactly what fantasy owners were looking for.

On Sunday the Green Bay Packers lost their starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers (broken collarbone) and it seems that tight end Martellus Bennett was also lost. Bennett has not been a focal point in the Packers pass game this season and on Sunday with just 2 receptions for 22 yards, it seems that role has not changed.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

October 7th 2017

Saturday Afternoon Edition

Week 5 TE Rankings

(does not include Thursday’s game)

Last week the Packers tight end Martellus Bennett, currently the No.16 fantasy tight end in PPR, saw a slight bump in activity with 7 targets going for 6 receptions and 39 yards. His yardage total was his typical disappointing production, but his catches and targets were a nice sign of more involvement in the pass game. With the potential of no Ty Montgomery (ribs) and possibly receiver Davante Adams (concussion) out this week, Bennett could be in line for larger role and even more targets making him my No.6 fantasy TE this week; I like the odds.

There’s a good chance this week fantasy owners will finally see the Chargers tight end Hunter Henry from 2016. This week the Bolts fly across the country to take on the Giants and their defense that allow the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. The Giants allow the 2nd most receptions (29), 3rd most receiving yards (309), and the most touchdowns at five. Henry has been quiet so far this season with a couple of goose eggs and just one score in four games. This could be the week he makes a bang and breaks out. He’s my No.10 fantasy TE, definitely a worthy start.

Creeping in at No.12 is the Bengals Tyler Kroft. The 3rd year tight end is a big target at 6’5” and with starter Tyler Eifert out for week 5, Kroft will again get some play. The Bengals will square off with Buffalo this Sunday and the Bills do a good job against opposing tight ends, but I am playing the odds. Kroft at his size is a red-zone threat and the Bills have yet to allow a touchdown to opposing tight ends. I have Kroft in as my No.12 fantasy tight end; I say he scores Sunday.

Here are my TE rankings for Week 5;

1.Travis Kelce

2. Zach Ertz

3. Delanie Walker

4. Charles Clay

5. Jimmy Graham

6. Martellus Bennett

7. Kyle Rudolph

8. Jason Witten

9. Evan Engram

10. Hunter Henry

11. Jared Cook

12. Tyler Kroft

13. Austin Seferian-Jenkins

14. Jesse James

15. Zach Miller

16. Eric Ebron

17. Benjamin Watson

18. Julius Thomas

19. Ryan Griffin

20. Antonio Gates

That’s My Take for Week 5.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 25th 2017

Monday Evening Edition

Week 3 Sunday Lineup Killers

If you were counting on your big guns to deliver on Sunday, boy were you disappointed in a big way. Fantasy championships are lost this way. Well that may be over-dramatizing things a bit, but if your guys played like this it definitely didn’t help your cause;

The biggest egg laid yesterday in fantasy had to come in the days finale; the Sunday night game between the Raiders and the Redskins. The Raiders did have to travel across the country for this meeting and it looked like quarterback Derek Carr never left the plane; he only passed for 118 yards and threw two interceptions killing most DFS lineups. Fantasy owners can count on Carr bouncing back and he’ll have to quick; up next is the Denver defense.

Like Carr, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (what I considered a borderline QB1/QB2 in Week 3) killed any DFS lineup you played him in. Rivers was the mad bomber on Sunday, but the only problem was several of his long darts went to the other side. Rivers was turnover happy last season, so fantasy owners may want to slow their roll with him for the time being.

Derek Carr: 19 of 31, 118 pa yds, 1 Td, 2 Int

Philip Rivers: 20 of 40, 237 pa yds, 3 Int

Well, we thought he would be the featured back in New England and with 12 carries (most on the team) on Sunday he may be; he’s just part of an offense that features the pass. Without a rushing touchdown on Sunday Gillislee was a big flop finishing with just 31 rushing yards. In this offense, with Gillislee there are going to be Sundays like this. He’s a boom or bust better suited for standard leagues.

And just like Gillislee, Broncos running back CJ Anderson is better suited for the ground game. Anderson has never been a heavy volume pass catcher, just 4 catches leading into the contest, so when he’s held in check on the ground (as he was on Sunday) his numbers will disappoint. Fortunately for owners, the Broncos line has improved, so we should see this turn of event too often.

For those of us that expected a heavy workload for Titans running back Derrick Henry, not only did that not come to fruition (just 13 carries), but it you say DeMarco Murray too you were equally disappointed.

Mike Gillislee: 31 ru yds

CJ Anderson: 36 ru yds, 2 rec, 7 rec yds

Derrick Henry: 54 ru yds, 10 rec yds

There were a couple of big disappointments at the receiver spot in week 3 and amongst the notables were a couple of Raiders Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. The pair combined for just 2 catches and 13 receiving yards; not exactly what the fantasy doctor ordered. These two should get things turned around, but fantasy owners may have to be patient with a week 4 meeting against the Broncos coming up.

Jamison Crowder: 6 rec, 52 rec yds, 1 Fum

Alshon Jeffery: 4 rec, 56 rec yds

Amari Cooper: 1 catch, 6 rec yds

Michael Crabtree: 1 catch, 7 rec yds

Sunday week 3 was not a good day for tight ends, several starters came up short in disappointing fashion including the Packers Martellus Bennett; just 3 catches for 12 yards. Bennett has been targeted 21 times in three games, but the majority of his routes are short patterns and safety valves not producing much for owners. He may have been considered a bottom half TE1, but until the Packers move him downfield more,he’s just a TE2 with a low ceiling.

Martellus Bennett: 3 catches, 12 rec yds

Kyle Rudolph: 1 catch, 4 rec yds

Jack Doyle: 2 rec, 16 rec yds, 1 Fum

Coby Fleener: 1 catch, 21 rec yds

Hunter Henry: 0 catches, 0 targets

That’s My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 2nd 2017

Saturday Afternoon Edition

Fantasy Draft Watch

Overvalued Players

And so begins all of the hate. Well, not really. This piece is not meant to be filled with any kind of fantasy hate, but rather least liked we’ll call it. With a couple of drafts still to go this weekend I am constantly checking the current ADPs and looking over my (makeshift homemade) player rankings.

There are plenty of studs to love in this year’s fantasy drafts, but I would have to say there a couple of players getting lots of love right now that I am not feeling.

Let’s start with the biggest mover on the boards of recent, the Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan. Before the Patriots starting receiver Julian Edelman went down with a season ending knee injury, Hogan had value coming significantly late of the draft boards (in the flier position). Since the injury to Edelman, Hogan’s stock is skyrocketing. While I do believe his stock is on the rise (currently being drafted as the No. 35 fantasy receiver) remember last season with tight end Rob Gronkowski out for much of the campaign, Hogan did not even crack the top 50 fantasy receivers (in PPR). Hogan tallied just 38 receptions for 680 yards and four scores on 58 targets. He’s a popular fantasy flavor right now, but this season not only do you have Gronk back, but the team has added Brandin Cooks. I think his ceiling may be around 80 targets with his stats project out he’s looking at 52 catches, 930 yards receiving, 6 touchdowns (good enough for the No. 38 fantasy receiver last season). I think with the loss, Hogan definitely has a shot at finishing around the top 40 (but that is at the top of his ceiling), but his current 7th round draft position price may be a little too high.

I look at the Broncos backfield and yes, last season before going down running back CJ Anderson was having a very nice run ranked as the No. 12 fantasy runner after 7 weeks. Entering his fifth year in Denver, Anderson has yet to play a full season in his four year career and is coming off a knee injury just like newly acquired (in the off-season) running back Jamaal Charles (so health should be a concern for both). Both backs appear now healthy and at the moment the job looks like it’s Anderson's. I don’t have any questions about Anderson’s toughness or productivity, but in the little that I have seen of both backs this season, there’s little separation from the two. When you stack up Anderson versus Charles, the latter just has so much more upside. Believing that Charles is healthy now (and he looked very good in the small sample size I watched, especially pass protection), I won’t be surprised if the Broncos head coach Vance Joseph names him the starter sooner rather than later. It’s because of this I am leery of Anderson’s current ADP of 5.03 (according FFC), the No. 23 fantasy running back going off the board. I think Anderson will stay fantasy relevant, but with a healthy Charles, a top 30 fantasy running back finish could be long stretch.

Moving to Vegas, oh wait, the Oakland Raiders will be moving to Vegas eventually, just not there yet. And one player they will be bringing along with them possibly (if he can last) is “Beast Mode” running back Marshawn Lynch. His nickname has to be one of the coolest, unfortunately however cool it is, it won’t help you score points in fantasy football. Lynch is returning to football after taking a year off and while some may say and believe the year off could be good for him and his body, I have my reservations about a player stepping away for a full season and then deciding to return. Lynch is one of the baddest and no question toughest runners the game has seen, but he sat out a full year (operative word being sat and not trained for a year). I think Lynch can return to his old form and in Oakland they have a pretty good O-line, so there should be some nice productivity. My concerns with Lynch, I just don’t see him coming back and rushing for 1,200 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns just like that, which his current 2.12 ADP in standard format (according to FFC) would suggest. Remember, he’s a hard nosed, tough runner between the tackles and now 31 years of age entering his 10th season; how much does he have left in the tank? The Raiders have depth and plenty of weapons surrounding their franchise quarterback Derek Carr, so I can’t see them overworking Lynch early in the season. Lynch collected 1,181 carries from 2011-2015, which is a lot of punishment. I expect to see Lynch used as a primary early down and short-yardage back this season, maybe getting a little more run late in the year. I’m just not expecting the volume needed to finish as a top 20 fantasy runner. I would be happy with 200 carries, 800 yards rushing, 160 yards receiving, 9 total touchdowns (that would be the No. 22 fantasy running back last season, standard format).

Now I might have a little more love for this player in Green Bay, tight end Martellus Bennett. He’s in a new system with a great quarterback and there’s no competition in front him to steal opportunities; Bennett is the clear cut starting tight end. Hold on, is this for 2016? After the Patriots lost Gronkowski, Bennett was set up to have big year as the No. 1 tight end. So how did he do? Bennett finished as the No. 10 fantasy tight end last season with 55 receptions, 701 yards receiving and a career high 7 touchdowns. His ADP is 8.05, the 10th tight end off the board. My take here is you have players like Hunter Henry, Eric Ebron, and Jack Doyle going several rounds later and I am not so sure the difference is going to be that great. Remember like New England, Green Bay has a loaded offense with a lot of weapons, not really certain where Bennett will fit in the pecking order. I think you can wait on him and get players of equal or similar productivity.

That’s My Take. ~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

December 9th, 2016
Friday Night Edition

Friday's Fantasy Fixx

The Fantasy Playoffs are underway and unless you had the Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in your lineup last night, with players like Rob Gronkowski (Injured Reserve), Julius Thomas (OUT), and Gary Barnidge (no quarterback) your options may be limited on Sunday. Playing in a multitude of leagues as I do each year, this seems to be one of the dilemmas I am not able to escape this week.

Gary Barnidge has been fantasy irrelevant since the season started and with the return of quarterback Robert Griffin III, there's no guarantee this will change and the risk this week is too great. With Gronk sidelined, fantasy owners can only hope that tight end Martellus Bennett will rise to the TE1 we believed him to be. So far in Bennett's past three games this has not happened; just 6 receptions for 40 yards receiving. Even with quarterback Tom Brady under center, Bennett may be too risky to sit on until Monday night.

Some options that some may be looking at for Sunday are the Redskins number two tight end Vernon Davis. Even with starter Jordan Reed in the lineup Davis has been productive at times, but faced with a tough matchup agains the Eagles (ranked 4th for the fewest fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends). With so much at stake this week, owners may be better served avoiding Davis.

A less than (but still) risky play this week could be the Rams tight end Lance Kendricks. By far Kendricks has been one of the teams leading pass receiving options, third on the Rams with 73 targets this season. And this week Kendricks faces the Falcons defense that has allowed the 5th most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. But like so many other options, Kendricks carries a lot of risk; just 2 catches for 13 yards last week. You have to like his matchup, but always the question "can you trust him?"

Probably my best option that I will lean on heavily this Sunday is the Niners tight end Vance McDonald. Now McDonald is coming off a week where the entire offense was completely ineffective and he only caught 2 balls for 9 yards. Prior to that McDonald had four straight games with at least 3 receptions and 46 yards receiving with two touchdowns. With the Jets coming to town and a defense that has allowed the 6th most fantasy points to opposing tight ends over the past four weeks, including three touchdowns McDonald is undoubtedly a strong play on Sunday.

That’s My Take

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

August 17th, 2016
Wednesday

Early Fantasy Sleepers to Consider Late

Well the new fantasy is well under way and if you are like me, you've already had your share of multiple mock drafts as we get closer to to the actual. There's no time of the year quite like this, when fantasy frenzy takes over and consumes all of us fantasy gamers.

The training camps are in full swing and the fantasy rumor mill is churning on high. If you've been paying attention there is a lot of information out there , so just make sure you don't get lost in the clouds and take plenty of notes.

Week 2 of the preseason kicks off tomorrow and before you know it the 2016 season will be kicking off, so let's not waste any time and start talking some fantasy football.

I haven't done too much digging to this point, but looking at some of the changes in the offseason and the new lineups, these are some of my early sleeper picks I will be looking to steal in the mid-to-later rounds of my upcoming drafts....

With the departure of DeMarco Murray to Tennessee, running back Ryan Mathews appears to be pegged as the lead back in Philly now. Durability may be a concern, but if Mathews can stay on the field he's has shown the ability to produce (5.1 yards per carry avg) and could very well improve on his 7 total touchdowns from a year ago. Mathews is should be available from the middle of the third round or later, and that's where I would take him.

There's no question in Pittsburgh there's only one name opposing DB's will need to be concerned with and that's Antonio Brown. But fantasy owners should be keeping an eye on Darrius Heyward-Bey. With Martavis Bryant gone for the season, DHB could be a flyer fantasy owners could target late in their drafts. DHB has the potential for the big play and his 15 yards per catch average last season were his best numbers since his 64-catch, 975-yards, and 15.2 yards average in 2012.

One more quick note for the night, a couple of tightends I like that should go later in drafts (6th-to-7th rounds or later) are Dwayne Allen (Indy) and Martellus Bennett (NE). With Fleener now in New Orleans, Allen inherits the lead role as the primary pass-catching tightend and with Andrew Luck throwing to him, his numbers will improve vastly this season. 

Over in New England, Bennett's arrival returns to quarterback Tom Brady his bookend tightends. Gronk is Gronk and will put up his Gronk like numbers, but expect Bennett to improve his 2015 numbers (53 rec/439 yards/3 touchdowns) with Brady throwing to him. He's a mid-round TE2 pick with a lot of upside potential.

That's my take

~David G. Ortega

SUNDAY STARTERS: WEEK 1

September 13th, 2015
Sunday









Sunday Starters: Week 1

If you drafted well this past preseason and managed to avoid the injury bug, your lineup should be well set; play your studs. But for those of us already dealing with adversity and looking for Sunday Value, there are a handfull of plays I like that are worth noting.

This being the first weekend of NFL action, value will be key for many of us trying to come out on top in our weekly matchups. And for those of you (like me) who play the weekly games, Sunday value can be paramount.

Looking across the board, there are couple of low-value (in drafts and DFS pricing) wide receivers worth slotting in today; in Green Bay Davante Adams. Even with the return of James Jones, Adams value should remain in tact as the teams best deep threat. And if you recall, last season wide receiver Jordy Nelson averaged 15.5 yards per catch and had 19 receptions of 20 yards or more (inlcuding 8 for 40 yards or more); Adams will be filling Nelson's spot on Sunday.

Another wide receiver I like is the Falcons Leonard Hankerson. Listening to some sports talk, sounds like Roddy White is good to go for Monday, but none-the-less the Falcons run a lot of 3-receiver sets and Hankerson should see plenty of field; enough to find the end-zone.

A quiet running back this week (at least a player not getting a lot of hype or much love) is the Jets Chris Ivory. With no real other threat in the backfield to steal carries, Ivory should get plenty of run against a defense that faced the third most carries last season and allowed the second most rushing yards.

With all the injuries in Washington, as the dust settled the lone survivor at tight end was Jordan Reed. The Redskins tight end has plenty of talent and upside and if he can remain healthy, he'll be a nice weekly play for fantasy owners. Although his matchup is not considered favorable (Dolphins defend tight ends well), Reed in the slot has very good athletiscm and will benefit from wide recievers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon on the outside. This could be a reach, but I like Reed to snag a few balls and reach the end-zone today.

Lastly, a tight end that should be in most lineups today is the Bears Martellus Bennett. As pointed out by ESPN's Mark Schlereth, the Bears new offense (under new head coach John Fox) is a carry-over of the Broncos from last season (tight ends were targeted 96 times in 2014). Bennett is also coming off a career high 90 reception season; so he's got great rapport with his quarterback Jay Cutler. In the new offense look for Cutler to lean on his trusty tight end today.

This is just my take for Week 1.

~David G

FSH NOTEBOOK: SFFL WEEK 13

Saturday Edition
December 1st, 2012  

Suicide Fantasy Football

Week 13

What a mess it was in my backfield last week with running backs Jonathan Dwyer and Ronnie Hillman. Dwyer becomes part of the fumbling parade and Hillman hardly makes it off the sideline, just three carries for 9 yards. 

Despite the disparity at the running back position my week 12 lineup survived with some solid play at the wide receiver position (Dez Bryant-35.10 points, Justin Blackman-18.40 points) as well as a few other spots. Tight end Jacob Tamme chipped in with 14.80 points (4 receptions, 48 yards, 1 touchdown) and the Rams defense was solid with 18 points (2 sacks, 4 interceptions).

All in all my picks last week move my team up the charts and we are back in the top twenty this week at 19. With the season now running out of weeks (just four left) it’s time to make a big push up the charts.

Here’s my week 13 picks;

My Line-up 

Quarterback:
The Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been terrific in 2012, but funny his name has hardly made too many waves in some fantasy circles. Brady has thrown for 3,299 yards (5th in the NFL) this season and tossed 24 touchdowns (4th) to just three interceptions. Brady once again ranks at the top with the best passers in the league and with a matchup this Sunday against the Dolphins 26th ranked pass defense he looks to only improve his incredible numbers. The Dolphins defense allows the 12th most fantasy points to quarterbacks, something that will surely rise after Sunday.

Running Backs:
No repeat of week 12 here with Eagles running back Bryce Brown. With LeSean McCoy still laid up, Brown will get the start on Sunday against the Cowboys 13th ranked run defense. Last Monday night Brown tore through the Panthers run defense for 178 yards, something that will be difficult to repeat, but with Mike Vick still on the sidelines the Eagles will once again lean on the ground game. Brown is a safe start this week for my lineup and a nice flex option or low value RB2 against the Cowboys who allow the 16th most fantasy points to running backs.

My other ball carrier this week is the Giants Ahmad Bradshaw and this start could not come at a better time. Bradshaw appears to be the healthiest he’s been all season and with Andre Brown on IR Bradshaw is likely to see extra duties in the red zone. This week Bradshaw faces the Redskins 3rd ranked run defense, a tough matchup, but Bradshaw will contribute on the ground and in the air (61 receiving yards last week); a dual threat Bradshaw is favorable flex.

Wide Receivers:
It’s time to ride the hot hands of Jaguars wide receiver Cecil Shorts and why not, this week he’s facing the Bills 18th ranked pass defense that allows the 11th most fantasy points to wide receivers. Shorts is riding a three game scoring streak and will have an excellent shot at extending to four against the secondary that has 14 touchdowns to wide receivers this season. 

My other wide out this week is Lions wide receiver Ryan Broyles. He had a hot hand last week playing in the shadow of Megatron; Broyles finished last Thursday’s game with six catches for 126 yards. The rookie receiver posted nice numbers that may be difficult to duplicate, but with Megatron on the other side drawing much attention, Broyles figures to see plenty of action (12 targets last week). The Lions face the Colts this week meaning Broyles will have a shot at the Indy’s 19th ranked pass defense that allows the 5th most fantasy points to receivers. Megatron figures to take advantage on Sunday, but look for Broyles to grab his share as a low value WR3 or flex this week. 

Tight End:
The Giants meet the Redskins on Monday and tight end Martellus Bennett is hoping to have a repeat performance to his week 7 showing (against the Redskins). Bennett has been up and down this season, but could figure prominently against the Redskins 31st ranked pass defense that allows the 2nd most fantasy points to tight ends. Bennett is low end TE1 in deeper formats this week.

Place Kicker:
This is always a position that is a tough read most of the time, but this week I will play the odds and roll with the Cowboys place kicker Dan Bailey. Playing at home this week, the Cowboys have not necessarily enjoyed the sweet taste of home cooking, so struggles in the red zone could arise. The Cowboys will face a struggling Eagles team that could give up plenty of yards, but make finding the end zone troublesome; I like Bailey to chip in a handful on Sunday.

Team Defense:
With the offense having to settle for kicks, the Cowboys defense is going to have to come up big on Sunday. This should be something easier done than usual with the Eagles coming to town less quarterback Michael Vick, running back LeSean McCoy, and wide receiver DeSean Jackson. I am looking for the Cowboys D to pin it’s ear back and make plenty of plays on Sunday against an Eagles offense that allows the 2nd most fantasy points to opposing defenses.

These are my picks for week 13.


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: THE FOUR HORSEMEN

Saturday Edition
October 13th, 2012  

The Four Horsemen

With five weeks in the books you would think this would be easy, but deciding on who to start or who you like every week becomes an ever increasing daunting task for most fantasy owners. I am here to agree it’s a tough guessing game, but I will at least offer you some insight to support your decision.

My week 6 fantasy picks…

Quarterback (Matthew Stafford, DET)

No one is perfect and certainly quarterback Matt Stafford has been far from it this season, especially when you compare his 2011 breakout season, but could this be the week he gets on track. The Lions are on the road this week and despite their 1-3 record their offense has not been all bad this season. Through six weeks Stafford’s 295 yards passing per game ranks 7th in the league and he is completing nearly 66% of his passes. Stafford has only three touchdown tosses this season, but could have extra time this Sunday to throw facing an Eagles defense that has only registered 7 sacks. Given time in the pocket Stafford has the weapons to do considerable damage and with one of the leagues’ elite pass catchers in Calvin Johnson, it could be a long day for the Eagles secondary.

Running Back (Trent Richardson, CLE)

The season is young and we really haven’t seen all this kid in Cleveland, Trent Richardson can do. He has only 303 yards rushing this season through five games, but he is coming off a solid performance against the Giants in week 5 and has scored at least one touchdown in each of his last four games. This Sunday he’ll take on the Bengals 19th ranked run defense that is allowing better than four yards per tote and has surrendered seven rushing touchdowns this season (3rd most in the league). With the home crowd on the sideline, Richardson is expected to carry what sounds to be the lions-share of the load on Sunday and fantasy owners could reap great rewards.

Wide Receiver (Michael Crabtree, SF)

The Niners offense has suddenly sprung into action in the 2012 season and one of the big reasons is the emergence of Michael Crabtree. The former first rounder in the 2009 NFL draft (10th overall pick) has blossomed into a very effective receiving weapon for quarterback Alex Smith and the Niners offense. Crabtree so far in the 2012 season has 27 receptions for 311 yards with a touchdown and is quickly becoming a regular fantasy starter for most owners. His numbers are nice, but owners would definitely love to see a little more consistency before promoting him to the next level. Matchup with a very suspect and banged up 22nd ranked secondary, Crabtree looks ready to leap to the next tier.

Tight End (Martellus Bennett, NYG)

The Niners defense does appear formidable on paper as well as on the field, but despite what all the signals are telling us, their does appear to be a few chinks in the armor. In five games this season, the defense has been beat by opposing tight ends for four scores this season. Now a Giant the former Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett is quickly becoming a Red-Zone favorite for quarterback Eli Manning and the Giants offense. Bennett has scored three times this season and with 30 targets already (second on the team) he figures to get his share of chances on Sunday.

By David Ortega