FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

October 7th 2017

Saturday Afternoon Edition

Week 5 WR Rankings

(does not include Thursday’s game)

Look who’s at the top for Week 5, OBJ. It’s probably not a surprise, but maybe it should be. Through the first 4 weeks, Odell Beckham Jr has been one of the season’s early disappointments entering this week as the No.19 fantasy WR, three spots behind his teammate Sterling Shepard. At 19, OBJ has been playable every week, but this could be the week that elevates Beckham Jr back to the top. The Giants are home this week playing host to the Los Angeles Chargers who allow the 12th most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. Most important the Chargers have allowed 6 touchdowns to WRs, playing right into the hands of the Giants dynamic and playmaking receiver. OBJ has two touchdowns through 4 weeks, fantasy owners can expect that number to change.

With the potential (and likely) return of Sam Bradford this Monday night, Vikings receiver Adam Thielen peaks in at No.17. Thielen has 24 receptions for 358 yards receiving (4th in the league) with zero touchdowns, good enough for the No.13 fantasy WR (in PPR). Back in week 1, Thielen teamed up with Bradford for a stat line of 9/157/0. Against the Bears on Monday night Thielen should have some success against a secondary that allows the 9th most fantasy points to opposing receivers.

Checking in at No.22 is the Cardinals receiver Jaron Brown. Through the first four weeks of the season Brown has been pretty reliable and productive; 14 receptions (2nd on team), 205 yards receiving (2nd on team), and 29 targets (2nd on team). Last week with the return of wide receiver John Brown and a healthier JJ Nelson, Jaron led the way with 12 targets, 8 receptions, and 105 receiving yards. It’s looking like the other Brown and Nelson will once again be available. This week is a prime matchup for the Cardinals receivers facing an Eagles defense that has struggled mightily against opposing receivers, allowing the 3rd highest fantasy points, 3rd most receptions, and 3rd most receiving yards. It’s easy to see why I have Larry Fitzgerald at No.8 this week and Jaron at 22.

Here are my Week 5 WR rankings;

1.Odell Beckham Jr

2. Jordy Nelson

3. Antonio Brown

4. AJ Green

5. DeAndre Hopkins

6. Dez Bryant

7. Stefon Diggs

8. Larry Fitzgerald

9. Keenan Allen

10. TY Hilton

11. Devante Parker

12. Doug Baldwin

13. Tyreek Hill

14. Pierre Garcon

15. Golden Tate

16. Randall Cobb

17. Adam Thielen

18. Sammy Watkins

19. Alshon Jeffery

20. Amari Cooper

21. Jarvis Landry

22. Jaron Brown

23. Kelvin Benjamin

24. Tyrell Williams

25. Rishard Matthews

26. Martavis Bryant

27. Devin Funchess

28. Sterling Shepard

29. Michael Crabtree

30. Jeremy Maclin

These are my WR rankings for Week 5.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 18th 2017

Monday Afternoon Edition

Monday Night Takes

Tonight’s not exactly what you might call a Primetime matchup, but there’s still plenty of fantasy relevance with names like Stafford, Manning, and Beckham on the slate.

So let’s talk about tonight’s matchup and some of the plays that could have huge impact and implication on your weekly season long league matchups and your weekly DFS lineups.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford, could be in some DFS lineups tonight as well as a likely starter in season long leagues. Stafford is coming off a big week one performance with four touchdowns, but tonight could find slimmer pickings against a tough Giants secondary. Owners needing big numbers could be in for disappointment, but Stafford should come through with standard numbers in the 16-19 fantasy point range.

Wide receivers Golden Tate & Kenny Golladay, should once again be heavily involved in the passing game tonight. The Lions running game is certainly lacking after one week, and Stafford definitively favors his receivers; 25 targets of 41 passes to the wideouts. Tate is the heavy favorite in PPR, but Golladay could the better option in standard with the likelihood of a score tonight. Wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr (2 targets last week) could be the odd man out tonight and may be better off on your bench.

Running backs Theo Riddick & Ameer Abdullah are both in play tonight, but I wouldn’t expect big numbers from either. Riddick is the PPR fave out of the backfield with 7 targets in week one, but Abdullah (4 targets last week) could see enough work in the ground game (15 carries in week 1) against a Giants defense that allowed 129 yards in week one to be lineup worthy.

Tight End Eric Ebron is currently off the radar. He’s a risky start coming off a quiet week one with just 2 catches for 9 yards. Stafford three the ball 41 times in week one and only went Ebron’s way three times. With that ratio, he’s sitting until we see changes in the passing game progression.

Quarterback Eli Manning is probably not in too many lineups tonight and probably a good thing, tough to always predict his outcomes. Last week was not good with just 6.70 fantasy points against the Cowboys, but tonight could fare a little better for Eli at home. He’s still not a lineup favorite, but could put up reasonable numbers in the 14-17 fantasy point range

Running backs Paul Perkins & Shane Vereen should both be plenty active tonight against the Lions. There was no question in week one, the Giants abandon the run with just 11 total carries. We could see a more patient offense tonight, especially if star receiver OBJ is not available. Even with additional touches tonight for Perkins, Vereen (9 receptions in week 1) is the only viable Giant’s running back I am starting, and that’s only in PPR leagues.

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr is the biggest factor and will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the Giants offense. Amid current rumors it sounds like OBJ could play tonight, but it doesn’t sound like he’s anywhere close to 100 percent. If he plays, he’ll be a huge risky start for fantasy owners. I am avoiding him in DFS, but may roll the dice with him in season long leagues.

Wide receivers Brandon Marshall & Sterling Shepard could see a bump in value is OBJ plays. Beckham Jr’s presence will certainly draw some attention and may allow Marshall and Shepard to operate underneath. Shepard (7 receptions & 88 yards receiving in week 1) is the favorite here, while Marshall may warrant some (but not much) consideration in PPR formats and TD heavy leagues.

Tight end Evan Engram had a decent showing in week 1 for an overall poor performance the Giants offense. The rookie tight end was targeted 5 times, snagging 4 for 44 yards. He’s more than likely in line to see similar numbers and may be worth starting in deeper PPR leagues. At 6’3” and with his athletic talent, he’s also worth a look TD-heavy formats as he’ll likely be featured in red-zone packages.

That’s My Take.

~David Ortega