FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 21ST, 2011 Wednesday

David’s Daily Digest

Fantasy Notes:

Foster Does Not Practice
What most fantasy folks may have figured, the Texans running back Arian Foster was limited this week in practice and does not look good to play on Sunday. This is great news for fantasy owners that have been teetering back and forth with back up Ben Tate and Foster. It appears Tate will be the starter this week and he should be in most fantasy lineups. Tate has been solid this season racking up 219 yards on the ground and figures to carry the brunt of the load this week against the Saints.

Kenny Britt limited with Hamstring Injury
According to Britt the hamstring injury is the same as the one that hampered him during the preseason, but what I have been reading it does not sound serious or anything to be concerned about. Britt has been a beast in the passing game for the Titans and is now a fantasy must start every week. Next up for Britt the Broncos secondary that was just torched for 385 yards in week 2.

Newton sets his sights for the Jags
It’s starting to look like rather than opposing defenses having a target on the Panthers rookie quarterback each week, Cam Newton is measuring up his gridiron foes for destruction. In just two weeks Newton has passed for over 800 yards and rushed for another 71; he has also accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing). Newton looks like a dynamic playmaker and this Sunday appears to be another opportunity for him to showcase his talents; if you are not starting him, better get him in your lineup.

Matthews quietly Becoming PPR Stud
Ryan Matthews may be splitting time in the backfield with Mike Tolbert this season, but with his lack of carries (just 24 this season) he is quickly making up for it in the passing game. In the team’s first two games this season Matthews has already collected 10 balls for 135 yards. With that kind of production, Matthews could quickly become a fantasy gem in most PPR formats, especially if he can start finding the end-zone more often.

By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

February 14th, 2011 Monday

David’s Daily Digest

The Most Notable Fantasy Players of 2011

The 2010 season produced a long list of new names to the fantasy world, names that owners will be coveting greatly come fantasy draft day. These are just more the studs we’ll be talking about on fantasy draft day 2011.

RB-Peyton Hillis (Browns)
The Browns not only found a starter in running back Peyton Hillis, they found a superstar. Hillis was merely a back-up and special teamer in Denver, but did show some flash back in 2008 when given the opportunity. This past season he was handed the reins and ran with it he did. Hillis finished the 2010 season with 1,177 yards on the ground and 11 rushing touchdowns. More of a power runner he still averaged 4.4 yards per carry and caught 61 balls for another 477 yards receiving. With numbers like he produced this past season, Hillis appears to be a strong top 10 fantasy candidate in 2011.

WR-Mike Williams (Seahawks)
The Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll rediscovered a college jewel and brought him to Seattle when he signed wide receiver Mike Williams. Maybe all he needed was a little motivation, but whatever it was, Carroll found the formula and Williams was reborn. The Seahawks wide receiver bounced back from the abyss in 2010 to snag 65 balls for 735 yards and two scores. Not bad for someone who had not caught a pass in over two seasons. His numbers weren’t spectacular, but he played well enough at times for folks to take notice; he could be a top 25 fantasy receiver in 2011 (especially PPR leagues).

WR-Hakeem Nicks (Giants)
The Giants 2nd year receiver exploded in 2010 with a huge season catching 79 passes for 1,052 yards receiving, and 11 touchdowns; led the team in all three categories. Nicks was a big time play-maker last season; with great hands and great speed he can only get better. Nicks will undoubtedly and rightfully fall into the top 10 for wide receivers in this summer’s fantasy drafts.

RB-Mike Tolbert (Chargers)
The Chargers less notable, but more productive running back Mike Tolbert earned his way onto the fantasy radar last season. With rookie Ryan Matthews banged up for quite a bit of the season, Tolbert was given more opportunity to carry the rock and he did it well. Tolbert was an effective running option in San Diego tallying 182 carries for the season. He also collected 735 yards on the ground and scored 11 touchdowns. He’ll see a slight decrease in touches next season if Matthews stays healthy, but he’s still fantasy worthy in deep leagues.

TE-Aaron Hernandez (Patriots)
The Patriots tight end enjoyed a pretty good rookie campaign, but it was one that could have been much more productive had he remained healthy. Hernandez played in 14 games last season recording 45 receptions for 563 yards and six touchdowns. With a healthy campaign in 2011 and Tom Brady tossing the pill, Hernandez should be a possible top 10 option for fantasy owners.

WR-Mike Williams (Buccaneers)
The other Mike Williams over in Tampa was not too bad himself last season. In fact the rookie was sensational catching 65 balls for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns. These numbers were not quite the level of the elite, but they were more than good enough to have owners looking at him much earlier in fantasy drafts this summer. With an up and coming quarterback (Josh Freeman), Williams looks like he can be a very good fantasy player in 2011.


Check back for more of my digest and more notes on fantasy players in 2011.

By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: MY WEEKLY SURVIVAL

December 22nd, 2010, Wednesday

My Weekly Survivors

Last week was kind of a funny week for my fantasy squad; just about everyone scored which is always good, but most of my team didn’t do much else. With the exception of the Buccaneer’s wide receiver Mike Williams (15 points) and the Cowboys quarterback Jon Kitna (21 points) there was not a lot to cheer about. Williams dialed in on my numbers with 6 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown, while Kitna was a little better passing for over 300 yards with two touchdown tosses.

My duds included Brian Westbrook (8 points) who managed to salvage his performance with a late touchdown, but his 30 total yards hurt. Ronnie Brown (9 points) was not much different scoring once and total just 42 yards. My Achilles heel this season has been and was once again the tight end spot; Owen Daniels (4 points) caught just four passes for 45 yards.

This week it’s time to get serious, with just two weeks left I must concede any shot at the top two spots (trail by more than 100 points) unless there is a colossal meltdown. My fantasy team is locked in at number six and I still have a shot at third place (just 50 points back), but I need a two big weeks. I have very few big guns left, but this week I will be shooting from the hip and swinging for the fences.

Here are my picks for week 16….

QB-Matt Schaub, Houston Texans
The Bronco’s secondary is amongst the worst in the league and have allowed 25 touchdowns this season; 7th worst in the league. One reason for the Broncos woes in coverage, they lack any kind of pass rush; just 18 sacks this season. If given time Schaub can be as good as any quarterback in the league. With a weapon like Andre Johnson to throw to, Schaub is in line for a big passing day on Sunday.
(Projected: 25 fantasy points/ 325 yards passing, three touchdowns)

RB- Tashard Choice, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys’ running back Tashard Choice has been seeing a steady diet of work over the past couple of weeks and has totaled 169 yards in his last three games. With Barber returning to action this Sunday and Jones looking “iffy”, Choices looks like the safe bet in the lineup this week. Choice has also scored a rushing touchdown in three of his last four games.
(Projected: 14 fantasy points/ 65 yards rushing, 3 catches, 20 yards receiving, one touchdown)

RB-Mike Tolbert, San Diego Chargers
The Charger’s running back has a good matchup on the road this week in Cincinnati against the league’s 22nd ranked run defense; the Bengals are allowing 4.6 yards per carry and have yielded 13 rushing touchdowns this season. Tolbert continues to be the favorite out of the Chargers’ backfield; he’ll see plenty of touches and should be able to find pay-dirt on the road. Tolbert has 11 rushing touchdowns this season and has scored in four of his last five games.
(Projected: 15 fantasy points/ 85 yards rushing, 1 catches, 10 yards receiving, one touchdown)

WR-Santana Moss, Washington Redskins
The Redskins will travel to Jacksonville in week 16 and should be licking their chops against the leagues’ 27th ranked pass defense. Even with the change at quarterback last week, it didn’t seem to bother the offense; 286 net yards passing, four touchdowns. Wide receiver Santana Moss also remained a hot commodity in the Redskins passing game (23 targets last two weeks) with 8 receptions for 72 yards and two scores last weekend against the Cowboys. Moss could be looking at similar results this weekend against a defense that has allowed 26 passing touchdowns this season.
(Projected: 17 fantasy points/ 7 catches, 110 yards, one touchdown)

WR-Marques Coltson, New Orleans Saints
The Saints travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons on Monday night and if you’re thinking this one is going to be a barn-burner; you’ll probably be right. The Saints wide receiver Marques Colston (7 touchdowns in 2010) leads the team with 126 targets this season and in his last two games quarterback Drew Brees has been calling his number quite often (24 targets). With such a huge matchup coming up this Monday, there’s little doubt Brees will be looking for his best receiver. Even if Colston only see’s eight to ten targets, you have to love his chances of collecting 70-90 yards and finding the end-zone.
(Projected: 15 fantasy points/ 6 catches, 95 yards, one touchdown)

TE-Ben Watson, Cleveland Browns
Ben Watson has been one of the more consistent options in the passing game for the Brown’s this season. Last week he and rookie quarterback Colt McCoy enjoyed one of their best games together; Watson caught seven passes for 92 yards. This week the two will face a Raven’s defense that has had its’ struggles against opposing tight ends.
(Projected: 14 fantasy points/ 6 catches, 80 yards, one touchdown)

PK-Neil Rackers, Houston Texans
The Texan’s offense has averaged over 23 points per game over their past seven games and this season Rackers has made 22 of 25 field goal attempts this season. This weekend they travel to Denver to face the Broncos who give up more points (29.6 pts per game) than any other team in the league; Rackers will be busy on Sunday.
(Projected: 9 fantasy points/ two field goals, three 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)

Week 7 (Total Points-93 points)
QB Philip Rivers (SD)
RB Adrian Peterson (MIN)
RB Michael Turner (ATL)
WR Larry Fitzgerald (ARI)
WR Dwayne Bowe (KC)
TE Tony Gonzales (ATL)
K Matt Prater (DEN)

Week 8 (Total Points-82 points)
QB Kyle Orton (DEN)
RB Felix Jones (DAL)
RB Jamaal Charles (KC)
WR Brandon Lloyd (DEN)
WR Deion Branch (NE)
TE Tony Moeki (KC)
K Stephen Gostkowski (NE)

Week 9 (Total Points-79 points)
QB Aaron Rodgers (GB)
RB LeSean McCoy (PHI)
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis (NE)
WR Steve Smith (NYG)
WR Patrick Crayton (SD)
TE Jacob Tamme (IND)
PK Mason Crosby

Week 10 (Total Points-78 points)
QB Joe Flacco (BAL)
RB LeGarrette Blount (TB)
RB Cedric Benson (CIN)
WR Roddy White (ATL)
WR Steve Johnson (BUF)
TE Brandon Pettigrew (DET)
PK Rob Bironas (TEN)

Week 11 (Total Points-73 points)
QB Matt Ryan (ATL)
RB Fred Jackson (BUF)
RB Peyton Hillis (CLE)
WR DeSean Jackson (PHI)
WR Percy Harvin (MIN)
TE Jermaine Gresham (CIN)
PK Dan Carpenter (MIA)

Week 12 (Total Points-55 points)
QB Matt Cassel (KC)
RB Chris Johnson (TEN)
RB Danny Woodhead (NE)
WR Santonio Holmes (NYJ)
WR Sidney Rice (MIN)
TE Heath Miller (PIT)
PK Matt Bryant (ATL)

Week 13 (Total Points-82 points)
QB Sam Bradford (STL)
RB Jonathan Stewart (CAR)
RB Arian Foster (HOU)
WR Terrell Owens (CIN)
WR Anquan Boldin (BAL)
TE Visanthe Shiancoe (MIN)
PK David Akers (PHI)

Week 14 (Total Points-91 points)
QB Jay Cutler (CHI)
RB Knowshon Moreno (DEN)
RB Tim Hightower (ARI)
WR Reggie Wayne (IND)
WR Mike Wallace (PIT)
TE Jason Witten (DAL)
PK Billy Cundiff (BAL)

Week 15 (Total Points-73 points)
QB Jon Kitna (DAL)
RB Brian Westbrook (SF)
RB Ronnie Brown (MIA)
WR Miles Austin (DAL)
WR Mike Williams (TB)
TE Owen Daniels (HOU)
PK Josh Brown (STL)

FSH: MY WEEKLY FANTASY

September 26th, 2010, Sunday

My Weekly Fantasy

Sunday’s Fantasy Lineup

My Quarterbacks:

In most leagues I didn’t mess around with guessing who could be big this season or where the sleepers might come from, I shot straight for the top and grabbed one of today’s best gunslingers in the pocket. Almost across the board, my top quarterback pick this season is the Packer’s Aaron Rodgers. He has had a couple of solid campaigns and I am looking for bigger numbers in 2010. He doesn’t play until Monday night, but I have no concerns with Rodgers and the Packer’s offense matching up against the number one run defense. With the weapons Rodgers has he will undoubtedly take advantage of the leagues 25th ranked pass defense (Bears). In one of my other leagues I also have Drew Brees under center. It’s not been his most productive start this season, but today without a healthy Reggie Bush to help anchor the run game I expect the Saints to air it out.

My Running Backs:

What is likely the norm in many fantasy leagues I have a slight overage and a few choices to make in the backfield. In one of my PPR league the Bear’s running Matt Forte (12 receptions in 2010) has been anchoring my backfield and this week he looks solid play against the Packer’s 24th ranked run defense. Another pick for week three is the Bill’s running back Marshawn Lynch. The Bills square off with the Patriots (ranked 26th against the run) today and with a change at quarterback, I would expect to see the run game become today’s focus. In a couple of leagues out of necessity I will be starting the Charger’s Mike Tolbert (not recommended). He’s been a nice surprise for the Chargers with two rushing touchdowns this season, but could struggle some today against the Seahawks run defense that allows only 2 yards per carry. The Raiders have a good matchup this week against the Cardinals (ranked 31st against the run), so I will be starting Darren McFadden who is on a tear averaging 150 yards of offense per game.

My Wide Receivers

This is one position where I was lucky enough to have some great choices and this week it will be like a child standing at the counter in a candy store. With Mike Vick in and out of the pocket all day I like my chances with wideout Jeremy Maclin (two straight games with a score). Mike Sim-Walker started slow this season with no catches in week one and a quiet first half last week. Last Sunday against the Chargers Sims-Walker finished strong with more than 100 yards receiving and a score. The Eagles have a few soft spots in the secondary, so this Jaguar could run free. Without both of their starting corners healthy, the Bronco’s secondary is going to have a lot of trouble containing Peyton Manning and company today. One recipient who should benefit greatly will be wide receiver Austin Collie. I like his chances for another big day and at least a score. I have too much depth to get him in the lineup today, but a receiver of note that I like is the Cowboy’s Dez Bryant. The Texans secondary has been torched this season and this kid looked very good a week ago.

FSH: ON THE COVER

November 23rd, 2009 9:00pm PST

This Week on the Cover….

(AP Photo/By Jack Dempsey)

The Bolts are Super-Charged!



For many folks on the west coast, this was the game of the week; Chargers against the Broncos. It was hyped to be a showdown, but quickly turned into a meltdown and then a proverbial "stay down."

This one started out competitive, but the Chargers stayed the course throughout the first half, chipping away at the Broncos defense to find many different faces on offense to make plays; Legadu Naanee, Mike Tolbert, and Jacob Hester. In the end it was the old reliables" quarterback Philip Rivers (145 yards passing, 1-Td) and LaDanian Tomlinson (73 yards rushing, 1-Td) who took care of business on Sunday.

Rivers started with the hot hand completing 13 of 14 passes in the first half, then it was a barrage of running backs (Tomlinson, Tolbert, Hester, and Sproles) that carved the Broncos defense for 203 yards on the ground, including 155 yards in the second half.

The Broncos really struggled on offense to keep this one close with an ailing and ineffective Kyle Orton. Quarterback Chris Simms started the contest, but could not muster much on offense forcing Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels to roll the dice and insert a less than 100 percent Orton. Even after a quick start with a couple of completions, the implosion on Sunday for Denver was complete with a Knowshon Moreno fumble at the Chargers one yard line late in the first half.

The Broncos took the fight into the second half, but with half of a quarterback and desparation in the air the Chargers seized control and put this one away following a huge gamble and critical error by McDaniels. Trailing 13-3, a botched onside kick set the table for the Chargers and the feeding frenzy began with a one yard dive for six by Tomlinson. Down big the Broncos could never recover and were seemingly put down for good with a series of early 4th quarter field-goals by Nate Kaeding.

The Chargers are now bolting fast into the playoff picture and super bowl talk, while the Bronco's surprise season is quickly slipping away. The Chargers will prepare for a very win-able week 12 matchup with Kansas City, while the Broncos will try to stop the bleeding and play host to the Giants on Thursday.

A true tale of two teams going in opposite directions and this week doesn't look like much will change?

Check back everyday for more football!