FSH NOTEBOOK: QUICK TAKES

Saturday Edition
December 22nd, 2012  

David’s Daily Digest
MNF (on Saturday) Quick Takes

The Lions have little or no running game to speak of heading into this week 16 matchup with the Falcons expect to see a lot of Matthew Stafford (which has become the norm). Stafford is averaging 50 pass attempts in each of his last four starts and is very likely to exceed that plateau tonight. Despite the Falcons stingy ways versus the pass (just 13 touchdowns allowed this season), it will be tough to keep Stafford and Megatron out of the end zone. Stafford is a reach this week, but is still a better option than Flacco, Dalton, or Freeman.

Megatron remains the one constant in the Lions lineup week in and week out. Last week Johnson pulled down 10 passes for more than 120 yards, but was kept out of the end zone. The Falcons secondary ranks 17th against the pass; expect better numbers today from Megatron and at least one trip to pay dirt.

The Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan leads a group that even at 12-2, they are still fighting for respect from the rest of the league. Ryan is coming off an impressive win and performance against the Giants last week passing for 270 yards and tossing three touchdowns and will likely need a similar performance and win tonight to fight off the critics again. The Lions are no walk in the park, but Ryan has too many weapons to exploit the Lions 11th ranked secondary. Ryan has been on and off at times this season, but under the light and in the dome(s) he’s golden for fantasy owners; start him.

The Falcons running back Michael Turner is coming off a strong 52 yards rushing performance against the Giants last week. The Lions rank 18th against the run and though they allow the 15th fewest fantasy points to running backs, the defense has surrendered 11 rushing touchdowns this season. The Falcons should move the ball well in the air and could set up some easy scores for Turner. He’s not a top-10 start this week, but he’s a worthy fantasy start for championship weekend.

The Falcons and Lions will meet in primetime on this Saturday night and wide receiver Roddy White is a go. White is Mr. Monday night, the last time the Falcons played during the Monday night broadcast was back in week 2, he tallied 8 catches for 102 yards and a score. White has always been big in the Falcons passing attack and tonight should be more of the same. Facing an uninspired and underachieving Lions team and secondary tonight, expect White to play big with much more on the line. He’s a solid start for fantasy owners.

more Starts & Sits…

Jaquizz Rodgers is a risky start, he’s been on and off, but has yet to produce the type of game worthy of starting except in custom and PPR leagues.

Tony Shceffler should be a very good start, but too many drops and inconsistent play make him a shaky start. Nonetheless he does offer a higher ceiling, with limited options he may be worth a flier.

Julio Jones has too much potential and playmaking ability to sit. He’s the very definition of hit and miss, but owners can’t afford to see this freakish talent.

The Lions basically offer a committee rotation at running back with none of the options standing out from the others, avoid this backfield if possible.


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: (SATURDAY'S) FRIDAY FOOTBALL FIXX

Saturday Edition
December 8th, 2012

  

(Saturday’s) Friday Football Fixx

Fantasy Player News

Taking a look around the National Football League at fantasy football players for Sunday with the latest news and takes;

Nicks Questionable for Sunday
The Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks is listed as questionable for Sunday against the Saints, but the explosive wide out did practice on Friday. Nicks has been battling injuries all season and has yet to get back to 100%, but despite being limited this week he is still expected to play on Sunday. Nicks play has been improving over the past couple of weeks since his return from injury, but this little setback could be cause of concern for fantasy owners. His status is still up in the air, but if he is active against the Saints shaky secondary, he needs to be in fantasy lineups.

Nelson Ruled OUT for Sunday
Wide receiver Jordy Nelson has been ruled out for Sunday night against the Lions and will not play. With Nelson on the sidelines, fantasy owners for wide receivers Greg Jennings, Randall Cobb, and James Jones can expect a bump in fantasy value this week. Jennings will be playing only in his second game since returning from injury, but he is expected to fill the role of Nelson and should do just fine. With the Lions up next, Jennings should be in your lineups this week.

Sunday is Wayne’s World
The Colts veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne has been having a prolific 2012 campaign and his current 88 catches and 1,156 yards receiving have him on pace to set career highs in both categories. Wayne is without question rookie quarterback Andrew Luck’s security blanket and has been targeted a league high 153 times this season. On Sunday the Colts have a very favorable matchup against the Titans 25th ranked pass defense, so fantasy owners can expect Luck to look Wayne’s way quite often.

Ivory Unlikely to Play Sunday
The Saints are likely to be without the services of running back Christopher Ivory (doubtful) on Sunday against the Giants. The Giants defense is ranked 21st against the run and even without Ivory, the Saints backfield remains crowded and convoluted. With the Saints being primarily a passing team, running back Darren Sproles remains the only reliable running back with any real fantasy value (in PPR leagues only).

With Harvin OUT All-Day Must Carry the Load
The Vikings have been riding the legs of running back Adrian Peterson (1,446 yard rushing in 2012) most of this season and with the loss of wide receiver Percy Harvin, it looks like he will have to carry the offensive load the rest of the way. Peterson is averaging just over 20 carries in his last six games and has rushed for more than 100 yards in each (he’s also scored in 5 of his last 6), including 210 yards last week. Fantasy owners can expect to see a heavy dose of All-Day the rest of the way and similar success on the ground, despite who Peterson faces

Turner to Play Sunday against Panthers
The Falcons will have running back Michael Turner in the lineup on Sunday against the Panthers, which is good news for fantasy owners. Turner has yet to really break out this season recording just two 100-yard rushing efforts, both at home with the last coming in week 9. This Sunday on the road against the Panthers could be his third facing the league’s 25th ranked run defense. The Panthers are allowing nearly 130 yards on the ground, 4.4 yards a pop, and have surrendered 10 rushing touchdowns. If you a looking for a big game from Turner this week, this matchup could not come at a better time; he’s a safe play this Sunday.


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

Saturday Edition

November 17th, 2012 

David’s Daily Digest

Turner Limited, Rodgers Could See More Action

The Falcons starting running back Michael Turner has been limited all week in practice and is listed as questionable for Sunday. Turner, who has remained relatively ineffective most of the 2012 campaign, could lose some touches this week should he even play. Back up Jacquizz Rodgers has slowly become more a part of the weekly game plan averaging 9 touches a contest over the team’s last three games. Rodgers has shown great productivity in his limited role averaging 65 yards of offense in the same span. Rodgers season high for carries is 10, something we could very well see him match against the Cardinals 23^rd ranked run defense with Turner ailing. Rodgers is a risky play in normal 10-team leagues, but in deeper formats he could be a sneaky sleeper.

Murray Doubtful for Sunday, Time for More Felix the Back

The Cowboys will likely not have the services of running back DeMarco Murray on Sunday, opening the door for back up Felix Jones. The Cowboys back up runner says he is feeling good and will have a great opportunity to show just how much agains the Browns 26^th ranked run defense. Jones is averaging less than four yards per carry this season and has scored just two rushing touchdowns in four starts this season. The Browns are allowing 4.3 yards per carry and have allowed only 7 rushing touchdowns this season, but they are giving up the 11^th most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Jones has a good matchup this week and looks to be a good flex option in deeper formats.

Tom Terrific Set to Shine on Sunday Once Again

With the emergence of a couple of youngsters and the return of an old foe, quarterback Tom Brady has seemingly become lost in the shuffle by normal standards. Despite the less press he’s been receiving in fantasy circles and the regular media, Brady has been terrific in 2012; 18 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 293 yards passing per game. With the Colts up next, Brady looks set to shine once again. The Colts rank 15^th against the pass and allow the 13^th most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, numbers that figure to rise after Sunday’s tilt. Brady has also been on fire as of late averaging 24 completions, 265 yards-plus passing per game over his last three starts; he’s also tossed 8 touchdowns without an interception. He’s a must start and facing a strong Colts passing game, Brady could post some big numbers this week to set the pace.

By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: SUNDAY GAMETIME

September 25th, 2011 Sunday

Sunday Morning Gametime

Fantasy owners have had two exciting weekends of football action and plenty to cheer about with record setting passing numbers being set in consecutive weeks. With such prospects week three is promising to be every bit as exciting as its predecessors. Cam Newton at home today against Jacksonville, a showdown between Tom Brady (Patriots) and Ryan Fitzpatrick (Bills), and Matt Schaub (Texans) squaring off with Drew Brees (Saints) highlight today’s ledger of games.

Perhaps the biggest game on the schedule today is not the rematch of the Eagles and the Giants, with the G-men looking for revenge after last season’s collapse in week 15 (although this will be a good one), but the divisional matchup between the Bears and Packers. Last season these two met in the NFC championship with the Packers moving on to the Big Dance and again this season these two meet with two teams heading in apparent opposite directions. The Packers are off to a 2-0 start and looking strong to defend their Super Bowl title, while the Bears are still reeling from their debacle last week at the hands of the Saints.

It’s just one loss (to the Saints) for the defending NFC North champs, but with quarterback Jay Cutler having already hit the turf 11 times this season (most sacks in the league) he could be facing a very long day against the Packers defense (7 sacks this season). After their impressive win over the Falcons in week one, back to back losses now would soon put a halt to their momentum and really have the Bears scrambling to right what would become a slowly sinking ship. If the Bears are going to get back on track in a hurry, they will need to protect Cutler and may have to call on Matt Forte to grind out some yardage on the ground to do so.

Last season against the Packers in their first meeting, Forte only ran for 29 yards (at home) and was limited to just 13 touches. He was much more effective in the second much rushing for 91 yards on 15 carries and catching 8 balls for another 60 yards. Expect to see the Bears try and get Forte involved early and often on the ground and in the short passing game; he could be very productive today, but will have to earn his keep.


Watch-list

With the likelihood of running back Arian Foster sitting, it looks like Ben Tate will not only get the start, but see a hefty work load today against the Saints. Tate has run well in two weeks this season and should see his success continue on the ground today against a Saints run defense that is allowing over four yards per carry. The key will be for the Texans to keep this one close, so they can be patient on the ground and feed Tate.

Keep your eye on the Jaguars ground attack led by running back Maurice Jones-Drew. The Jags travel to Carolina today and will face a run defense that is getting chewed up at nearly five yards per clip. Jones-Drew has yet to hit the century mark in a game this season, but today could be his first against the Panthers.


The Steelers will get the Colts in the Sunday night capper and expect the men of steel to get back to basics and back to the ground and pound. The Colts are really struggling on offense, so Big Ben and company will get plenty of opportunities and possessions to move the ball with running back Rashard Mendenhall. I would expect Mendenhall to tote the rock at least 20 times today and facing the Colts 29th ranked run defense he should easily improve his 3.6 yards per carry average.

After last week’s flub at the hands of the Titans, expect the Ravens to return to their old bully selves and get back to some smash mouth today against the Rams. Running back Ray Rice only carried the ball 13 times last week in the loss, but could see nearly double today against the league’s worst run defense (Rams). The Rams have allowed 355 yards on the ground in two games and could be in for a long day trying to slow down Rice and company.

Today’s Fantasy notes:

Today’s 20 Fantasy Running Backs (Week 3)

1. Ray Rice (Ravens)
2. Michael Turner (Falcons)
3. Rashard Mendenhall (Steelers)
4. Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars)
5. Adrian Peterson (Vikings)
6. Chris Johnson (Titans)
7. LeSean McCoy (Eagles)
8. Fred Jackson (Bills)
9. Matt Forte (Bears)
10. Peyton Hillis (Browns)
11. Ben Tate (Texans)
12. Jahvid Best (Lions)
13. Shonn Greene (Jets)
14. Frank Gore (49ers)
15. Darren McFadden (Raiders)
16. Daniel Thomas (Dolphins)
17. LeGarrette Blount (Buccaneers)
18. Ryan Matthews (Chargers)
19. Ahmad Bradshaw (Giants)
20. Thomas Jones (Chiefs)



My Picks Today

My “Four Horsemen”

Philip Rivers; The Chiefs are down and it could be time for Rivers to put them out. Rivers is facing a defense that has allowed 89 points in two games, including 8 passing touchdowns; expect a big game from this Charger today.

Michael Turner; The Falcons running back averaged 24 carries in both games last season and scored three times in the two meetings. I look for similar numbers today.

DeSean Jackson; Last week it was the Maclin show, this week it will be Jackson’s turn to torch the opposing secondary. Today’s foe, the Giants secondary has been burned for 11 pass plays of 20 yards or more. I am expecting Jackson to add to that total.

Dustin Keller; He is the team’s leading receiver with 11 catches and should be targeted plenty today against the Raiders (ranked 21st against the pass). Keller also has two touchdowns this season and should add number three today.

By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: MONDAY MORNING HUDDLE

January 10th, 2011, Monday

Monday Morning Huddle
(Late Evening Edition)

If you happen to be as big a fan of football as I am then you had to enjoy this past weekend’s slate of games. I did not have a side in the Saints-Seahawks matchup, but I never expected to see the defending champs do down so soon. Even the night cap on Saturday caught me off guard, it was not much of an upset if any, but it was a surprise seeing the Jets roll into Indy and shut down Manning and the Colts. After one day of action last year’s two Super Bowl participants were gone.

Sunday brought about some eyebrow-raising as well, with both the Ravens and Packers handling their business in decisive fashion. Sure the Eagles playing at home made it close, but it was a game quarterback Michael Vick and company were pretty much scrambling all afternoon. The Aaron Rodgers led Packers came into Lincoln Field, grab control and took the lead never to look back. In Kansas City the Ravens defense needed a few plays, but once they awoke it was lights out for the Chiefs.

With the Seahawks winners over the Saints and the Packers coming out of Philly with the win, check your brackets folks, cause there will be some changes.

Top Stories

The Saturday Night Special At The Georgia Dome

For those of us still entertained with fantasy fever, this Saturday’s divisional round matchup between the Packers and Falcons promises to deliver plenty to cheer about. Remember these two teams squared off about a month and a half ago and gave fans plenty of fireworks to get excited about. This time around looks to be a lot of the same, but with the Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (28 touchdowns, 3,922 yards passing in 2010) playing so well, it’s hard to imagine the Falcons being able to limit the Green Bay offense to just 17 points. Back in week 12 against the Falcons Rodgers passed for 344 yards, but only threw one touchdown pass. In his last three starts, Rodgers is averaging 270 yards passing and has eight touchdown passes. Rodgers will still have plenty of weapons on the field, even with a dinged up Donald Driver (knee) and could be in for another big outing against the Falcons 22nd ranked pass defense.

While Rodgers figures to provide plenty of fanfare on Saturday, across the field on the other side the Falcons will be leaning heavily on their ground attack and running back Michael Turner (1,371 yards rushing in 2010). The more Turner carries the ball, the clock he eats, the less the Falcons’ secondary has to deal with Rodgers. In their first matchup the Falcons and Turner had a lot of success with 110 yards on the ground. Turner toted the rock 23 times and helped the Falcons not only win the time-of-possession battle, but the game. Turner (12 rushing touchdowns in 2010) also added a scoring run in the game and will be a strong bet to find pay-dirt once again.

Notables

There were several performances over the weekend worth noting for fantasy owners. In Baltimore wide receiver Anquan Boldin did not have a breakout game, but his five receptions were the most among the Raven’s wide receivers and one of his grabs came in the red-zone for a score. Boldin has had his up and downs this season, but could re-emerge as Flacco’s go-to receiver, especially in the red-zone.

The Packers rediscovered a ground game led by rookie running back James Starks, who set a Packer’s rookie post season record with 123 yards on the ground. Starks led all running backs over the weekend with 23 carries and looks in line to be the Packer’s featured ground gainer when the team travels to Atlanta. The Falcons (ranked 10th against the run) did a pretty good job against the run this season, but they will have their hands full with this kid on Saturday. Starks did not play in their first matchup this season.

Joe “Cool” (Flacco) was steady Freddy on Sunday once his offensive line made the necessary adjustments and allowed him time to throw. On the afternoon Flacco was dumped four times, but when he was not being hurried or hit he was completing passes (25 of 34) and throwing touchdowns (two on Sunday). Flacco passed for 265 yards on the day, often connecting with his tight end and when he didn’t have much downfield he was able to use his legs scrambling for another 26 yards on the ground. Flacco face his old nemesis the Pittsburgh Steelers in the matinee matchup on Saturday. The two teams split their two meetings this season and Flacco is 2-4 in his career against the Steelers; including 1-2 at Heinz Field

Just my thoughts.

Fantasy Spotlight

Although the Ravens offense struggled to put points on the board early they had little trouble moving the ball well against the Chiefs on Sunday. One of the biggest reasons the offense had so much success was quarterback Joe Flacco’s rediscovering his tight end Todd Heap.

The Raven’s tight end led all receivers over the weekend with 10 receptions for 108 yards receiving; both were season highs for Heap. Flacco targeted Heap early and found him often. On the day Heap was targeted 13 times and his 10 catches set a Raven’s post season record.

Heap enjoyed a very good Wild-Card weekend, but faces a stiff test next against the Steelers. In two games Heap only totaled three catches for 35 yards, including a donut in week 13 when he suffered a hamstring injury and left early. Now that he’s healthy, Heap figures to play a much bigger role in the passing game.

He’s our Fantasy Spotlight Player of the Week!

Diamonds in the Rough

WR-James Jones

Jones has explosive speed on the outside, but had an issue with focus and drops. The Falcons figure to roll their attention toward wide receiver Greg Jennings and with wide receiver Donald Driver ailing a bit and Jones could play a much bigger role Saturday night. This past weekend against the Eagles, Jones caught just one pass for nine yards, but it was good enough for a score. He also just missed on a big pass play for a long score when he dropped a sure pass that fell through his hands. Jones has too much talent and big play potential to overlook and he could be primed for a breakout game on Saturday against Atlanta.

WR-John Carlson

Did anyone remember who John Carlson was before Saturday’s breakout game against the Saints? Carlson didn’t post big yardage on Saturday in the Seahawks Wild-card round matchup with the Saints, but he pretty much made every catch count. Carlson nabbed just three passes for 17 yards, but two of those grabs were for touchdowns. The Seahawks tightend has become somewhat of a forgotten name in the fantasy world this season. He has only managed more than three catches in a game twice this season, but coming off an effort like this it could all change. Carlson was not heavily targeted, but his two scores were more than he had all season. On Sunday he’ll face a Bears defense that has struggled this season with opposing tightends; Carlson could be in for another surprising performance this weekend.

FSH NOTEBOOK: THE SATURDAY FANTASY REPORT

January 1st, 2010 Saturday

The Saturday Fantasy Report

Week 17 Matchups to watch…

Carolina @ Atlanta
….the Falcons will be staking their claim on their first division title since 2004 and there’s no question they will be riding the legs of Michael Turner (1,304 yards, 11 touchdowns). The Panthers rank 23rd against the run and have allowed 19 rushing touchdowns (2nd most in the league) this season. They will have their hands full trying to slow down the Falcons ground game (ranked 11th). In their first meeting this season Turner toted the rock 28 times for 112 yards and crossed the goal line three times.

Pittsburgh @ Cleveland
…..running back Peyton Hillis has been a fantasy sleeper that has been awoken in 2010. He emerged as the Brown’s featured starter in week 3 and has not looked back. Hillis has rushed for over 1,100 yards this season and ranks second on the team with 60 receptions. There’s no doubt he has brought a fantasy championship to many owners with his stellar play this season, but in week 17 he could be running into a brick wall. On Sunday he’ll face the NFL’s number one rush defense (Steelers), the same club that limited him to just 41 yards on 12 carries back in week 6. The Steelers defense has not allowed a single 100-yard rusher all season and tomorrow doesn’t look like they’ll start.

Oakland @ Kansas City
….the Chiefs ranked number one in the league in rushing and on Sunday against Raiders they figure to do more of what they do so well. With the one-two punch of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones, the Chiefs will attack the Raiders 29th ranked run defense. Charles has been tremendous this season with nearly 1,400 yards on the ground and over 450 yards receiving. He figures to get a full work load on Sunday against a Raider defense that he victimized for 100 total yards in week 9. The Raiders did a good job of slowing down Charles in their first meeting (53 yards rushing), but the Chiefs explosive back has been running very well recently averaging over 8 yards per carry in his last two games.

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans
…..the Saints are still looking for a division title and it never hurts to send a message. Last Monday they showed the Falcons they are still the defending champions and on Sunday they figure to show the Buccaneers as well. Drew Brees and company will roll their 2nd ranked passing offense into the Superdome on Sunday to face the Bucs 6th ranked pass defense. Brees has been solid once again in 2010 with 32 touchdowns, 7-300 yard games, and over 4,400 yards passing. In his first matchup with the Bucs, Brees torched his advisory for 263 yards and three scores; make no mistake Brees won’t leave Sunday to chance.

Buffalo @ New York Jets
….the Jets figure to rest some players on Sunday, but running back Shonn Greene doesn’t look to be one of them. With the league’s 31st ranked run defense in town, Rex Ryan is expected to rest Tomlinson and give his back-up some tune up work for the playoffs. In their first meeting this season against the Bills, both Jets running backs turned in 100-yard efforts. Greene may not hit the dual century mark, but he figures to rack up a lot on the ground.

While the Jets ground game could get loose against the very questionable Bill’s defense, the Jets defense could also have their hands full with shutdown corner Darelle Revis expected to sit. It not official, but with Revis out the Bills passing game, including wide receiver Stevie Johnson could receive a huge upgrade. Johnson did score in the first matchup, but was relatively quiet for the game with just three catches. Since their first meeting Johnson has emerged as the team’s number one receiver and is enjoying a breakout season (77 receptions, 1,001 yards, 10 touchdowns). He will likely be featured on Sunday.

These are just my takes on how I see it on Sunday…

By David Ortega

FSH: MY WEEKLY SURVIVAL

October 21st, 2010, Thursday

My Weekly Survivors

With some last minute changes across the line-up, week six turned out to be a bounce back week. Ryan Torain and LaDanian Tomlinson both anchored the backfield last week with two rushing touchdowns each. Torain even added 100 yards on the ground, while Hakeem Nicks was a major disappointment last week finishing with just three catches for eight yards.

A quick note, despite his production Nicks is a must play every week. His numbers were down, but even though he only had three catches he was still targeted seven times. He will get his more times than not.

Not every week is going to be a major success as we have seen, but sometimes with the right matchups our big guns fire load. This is what we hope to see this weekend with our lineup for Week 7.....

QB-Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
The Chargers are back “home, sweet home.” In two games at home Rivers has passed for 575 yards and tossed five touchdowns. Even with a few of his best weapons dinged, he’ll let it fly downfield against the league’s 29th ranked pass defense. (Projected: 29 points/ 285 yards passing, three touchdowns)

RB-Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
In the NFL there is no bigger stud in any backfield than running back Adrian Peterson. Sunday night he’ll take his talents to Lambeau and show the Packers defense a “what for.” Peterson is averaging better than 20 carries a game and almost five yards per carry. He’ll see plenty of work against Green Bay’s 21st ranked run defense that is allowing well over four yards a tote. (Projected: 25 points / 110 yards rushing, 25 yards receiving, two touchdowns)

RB-Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
This week Mike Turner “the speed burner” is going to have his way. Turner is only averaging 18 carries a game, but he should see plenty more on Sunday against the Bengals in a game that likely won’t yield a lot of points. Expect to see the Falcons feature the ground game and Turner to get lots of work against the Bengals 18th ranked run defense. (Projected: 16 points/ 105 yards rushing, one touchdown)

WR-Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
It’s been somewhat of a quiet start this season for Larry Fitz, but the two weeks off should have done him some good. The Cards don’t have a difficult matchup this week against the 30th ranked pass defense, if they can protect their quarterback. If given time, Larry Fitz and his signal caller could have a big day. (Projected: 15 points/ 90 yards receiving, one touchdown)

WR-Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs passing game finally found it’s wings last week against one of the league’s worst pass defenses. This week Bowe and company will face another poor secondary, when the meet the Jaguars (ranked 28th against the pass). Bowe broke out with a huge game last week and could follow up with a nice encore this Sunday. (Projected: 16 points/ 105 yards receiving, one touchdown)

TE-Tony Gonzales, Atlanta Falcons
There’s not been a lot of chatter about Tony G in recent weeks, but here’s some love for him. It won’t be a big day with a lot of yards and catches, but Tony G. will make the most of his opportunity and find paydirt against the Bengals on Sunday. Gonzales has three touchdown receptions this season and in their last two games the Bengals secondary have been beat by tight end for 12 catches and 135 yards. (Projected: 11 points/ 55 yards receiving, one touchdown)

K –Matt Prater, Denver Broncos
The Bronco’s offense continues to struggle in the redzone, fortunately Prater has been solid this season connecting on 11 of 12 kicks this season. Sunday he’ll have a few more opportunities against the Raiders. (Projected: 11 points/ three field goals, two extra points)

My Previous starts

Week 1 (Total points-77)
QB Donovan McNabb (WAS)
RB Matt Forte (CHI)
RB Carnell Williams (TB)
WR Jeremy Maclin (PHI)
WR Jabar Gaffney (DEN)
TE Zach Miller (OAK)
K Joe Nedney (SF)

Week 2 (Total points-68)
QB Michael Vick (PHI)
RB Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG)
RB Rashard Mendenhall (PIT)
WR Nate Washington (TEN)
WR Greg Jennings (GB)
TE Chris Cooley (WAS)
K Nick Folk (NYJ)

Week 3 (Total points-87)
QB Tony Romo (DAL)
RB Darren McFadden
RB Ray Rice (BAL)
WR Austin Collie (IND)
WR Dez Bryant (DAL)
TE Brent Celek (PHI)
K Lawrence Tynes (NYG)

Week 4 (Total points-58)
QB Eli Manning (NYG)
RB Maurice Jones-Drew (JAX)
RB Frank Gore (SF)
WR Mark Clayton (STL)
WR Brandon Marshall (MIA)
TE John Carlson (SEA)
K Jeff Reed (PIT)

Week 5 (Total Points-72 points)
QB Drew Brees (NO)
RB Steven Jackson (STL)
RB Thomas Jones (KC)
WR Donald Driver (GB)
WR Calvin Johnson (DET)
TE Marcedes Lewis (JAX)
K Mike Nugent (CIN)

Week 6 (Total Points-83 points)
QB Peyton Manning (IND)
RB Ryan Torain (WASH)
RB LaDanian Tomlinson (NYJ)
WR Hakeem Nicks (NYG)
WR Kenny Britt (TEN)
TE Dallas Clark, (IND)
K Sebastian Janikowski (OAK)

FSH: MY WEEKLY SURVIVAL

October 17th, 2010, Sunday

My Weekly Survivors

Week five was not a week to remember. There were several disappointments with Thomas Jones disappearing against the Colts, Donald Driver and the Packers passing game taking a bit of a siesta against the Redskins. Even the Saints Drew Brees was relatively quiet comparatively speaking. Needless to say, it was not a good week last Sunday although our tight end scored big and got a nice effort from Steven Jackson.

This week again, I am looking at the best matchups with some big guns. We did not drop overall in the standings, but we did lose some points so this week it’s time to make up some ground. Week six is set to kick off in just a few hours, so let’s see what we have this Sunday to get this ship turned around in the right direction.....

QB-Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos
We’ve actually go Kyle going in several leagues today. Rex Ryan usually puts out a formadible defense each week, but with a weak link at the corner spot his passing defense has been leaking. Orton and the Broncos throw the ball, so I’ll expect more of the same. (Project points-25 points/330 yards passing, 2-touchdowns)

RB-Ryan Torain, Washington Redskins
The Colts continue to struggle against the run, so we’ll keep looking for big games from the opposing backs. Torain is moving more towards a featured role with Portis out, so he should see a lot of work today. (Projected points-18points/105-yards rushing, 20 yards receiving, one touchdown)

RB-Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
The Eagles ground defense struggles with the running game (125/yds allowed per game), so we’re expecting a heavy dose of Turner today. (Project points-21 points/90-yards rushing, two touchdowns)

WR-Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts
The Redskins are ranked near the bottom against the pass and they won’t catch any breaks today against Manning and company; look for Wayne a lot. (Project points-15 points/90-yards receiving, one touchdown)

WR-Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
The Texan’s passing game is clearly getting healthy with Owen Daniels improving and Johnson’s ankle healing. This is not good news for the leagues 25th ranked pass defense. Expect a big day from “Big Andre.” (Projected points-16 points/100 yards receiving, one touchdown)

TE-Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears
The Bears will have Cutler back today and the Seahawks struggle with the pass, what this means is lots of opportunities for Olsen. He won’t have huge numbers, but he will find the end-zone. (Project points-11 points/55 yards receiving, one touchdown)

K –Nick Folk, New York Jets
The Jets offense should be able to move the ball well today against the Broncos, but they could stall a few times in the red-zone, look for another big day from Folk. (Projected points-11 points/3-FGs, 2-XPs)

My Previous starts

Week 1 (Total points-77)
QB Donovan McNabb (WAS)
RB Matt Forte (CHI)
RB Carnell Williams (TB)
WR Jeremy Maclin (PHI)
WR Jabar Gaffney (DEN)
TE Zach Miller (OAK)
K Joe Nedney (SF)

Week 2 (Total points-68)
QB Michael Vick (PHI)
RB Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG)
RB Rashard Mendenhall (PIT)
WR Nate Washington (TEN)
WR Greg Jennings (GB)
TE Chris Cooley (WAS)
K Nick Folk (NYJ)

Week 3 (Total points-87)
QB Tony Romo (DAL)
RB Darren McFadden
RB Ray Rice (BAL)
WR Austin Collie (IND)
WR Dez Bryant (DAL)
TE Brent Celek (PHI)
K Lawrence Tynes (NYG)

Week 4 (Total points-58)
QB Eli Manning (NYG)
RB Maurice Jones-Drew (JAX)
RB Frank Gore (SF)
WR Mark Clayton (STL)
WR Brandon Marshall (MIA)
TE John Carlson (SEA)
K Jeff Reed (PIT)

Week 5 (Total Points-
QB Drew Brees (NO)
RB Steven Jackson (STL)
RB Thomas Jones (KC)
WR Donald Driver (GB)
WR Calvin Johnson (DET)
TE Marcedes Lewis (JAX)
K Mike Nugent (CIN)

FSH: MY 2010 FANTASY RB'S

September 8th, 2010, Wednesday

Running with the wind

Top Fantasy Running Backs:

2009 was a record setting season for the Titan’s running back Chris Johnson, the class of the NFL runners. The speedster from East Carolina University shredded opposing defenses last season to the tune of 2,006 yards becoming just the sixth player in NFL history to do so. He was no secret a year ago, but fantasy owners can bet opposing defenses this season will be game planning to stop his attempt at a repeat.

Joining Johnson perched atop the fantasy list of running backs this season is the Vikings man among boys, running back Adrian Peterson. With another impressive NFL campaign (over 1,300 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns in 2009) under his belt, is there any reason to doubt that “All-Day” will be better in 2010? The word on the “fantasy street” Peterson could be utilized more in the passing game this season.

Rising to the top….

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens…

In his second season the Raven’s running back Ray Rice started 15 games and catapulted his way to top of fantasy galore. Rice toted the rock 254 times in 2009 for over 1,300 yards and added another 702 yards receiving on 78 receptions. His eight touchdowns were nothing to scream about, but his overall production ranked him second in total yards only to Chris Johnson. With all the weapons added this offseason to the Raven’s offensive lineup, Rice should be set for an encore performance in 2010.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars…

The Jaguars small ball of thunder, running back Maurice Jones-Drew started all 16 games a year ago turned in his biggest season in the NFL with over 1,760 yards of offense and 16 touchdowns. Mojo is a dynamic and versatile scat back with big play potential. Over the past two seasons he has recorded more than 50 receptions in each and has shown great toughness and durability missing just one game since arriving to the NFL four seasons ago.

Ready to breakaway…

The Jets running back Shonn Greene has stepped into the starting gig behind one of the league’s best offensive lines. In 2009 the Jets ran the ball over 500 times, so even with the arrival of a potential Hall-of-Famer (LaDanian Tomlinson) Greene should see plenty of action to be a highly productive fantasy option. The Jet’s starting running back won’t turn many heads in PPR leagues, but he should still be a solid number one running back option in most fantasy leagues running behind a line that produced 21 scores on the ground in 2009 .

2010 Sleepers…

It’s not taking long for this year’s rookie class to make some noise in NFL backfields, already in Buffalo running back C.J. Spiller showed enough to get the starting nod in week one. He’ll be one to watch not only this weekend, but this season. Another running back drawing attention and worth keeping an eye on will be the Lion’s Jahvid Best. Like Spiller, Best won the starting gig this season with his strong play during the preseason. Neither offenses (Bills, Lions) are built quite like best in the league, but both backs should be featured quite a bit and could earn their way onto several fantasy rosters by midseason.

A third running back with Sleeper potential this season is the Bronco’s running back Knowshon Moreno. The 2^nd year back will start this season and if he can stay healthy he shouldn’t have any real competition in the backfield to steal any production. Moreno was a slight disappointment a year ago, but this season he should be featured quite a bit more and could have a big sophomore campaign.

These are just a few of the noteworthy backs for 2010. Here’s how my top 20 round out for the upcoming season.

My 2010 top 10 Running Backs

1. Chris Johnson, TEN

2. Adrian Peterson, MIN

3. Ray Rice, BAL

4. Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX

5. Frank Gore, SF

6. Shonn Greene, NYJ

7. Steven Jackson, STL

8. Michael Turner, ATL

9. Ryan Grant, GB

10. Rashard Mendenhall, PIT

11. DeAngelo Williams, CAR

12. Joseph Addai, IND

13. Pierre Thomas, NO

14. Knowshon Moreno, DEN

15. Clinton Portis, WAS

16. Cedric Benson, CIN

17. LeSean McCoy, PHI

18. Ryan Matthews, SD

19. Justin Forsett, SEA

20. Matt Forte, CHI