FSH NOTEBOOK: SUNDAY GAMETIME

October 2nd, 2011 Sunday

Sunday Morning Gametime

In a very short period 2011 has become not just the year of the quarterback, but the year of fantasy football. With scoring up all over the league, that can only mean one thing; more fantasy points all around. With the numbers up does it become more confusing than ever to know who to play or who to sit, perhaps, but you have to love it!

Watch-list

The Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been off to a sizzling start this season and he will take his act on the road to Cincinnati today; even though he is facing the Bengals 5th ranked pass defense don’t expect him to cool down. The Saints running back Darren Sproles has been electric thus far this season, he should keep the sparks flying today against the Jaguars. The Packers may get their fourth win of the season today, but it could be a tough day on the ground for running back James Starks.

Today’s quick notes:

Saints wide receiver Marques Colston is expected to be on the field today returning from his collarbone injury; if he’s on the field he will be good to go and will likely figure in the plan. He’s not in line for a monster game, but could still fill in as a nice flex for fantasy owners.

Tom Brady and the Patriots are on the road today to face the Oakland Raiders, don’t expect this one to be low-scoring. The Patriots will be in for a slugfest with the last man standing the winner. In week one Brady tossed up a big five bills in the air, we could see that again today facing the Raiders 28th ranked pass defense. Fantasy owners should play all of the Patriots receivers and keep your eye on Ochocinco; this could be his breakout game.

The Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (hamstring) is expected to start today and could be in line for a rebound game. After his breakout week 2 performance, Maclin hit the snooze button last week against the Giants. The Niners are ranked a decent 16th against the pass, but Jackson on the other side, they don’t have the secondary to match up. As long as Vick stays upright, Maclin could get loose today.

The Texans defense has only recorded seven sacks through the team’s first three games. Houston’s secondary is going to have to worry about wide receiver Mike Wallaces’ speed, if Big Ben is give time, he could pick apart the secondary for big numbers. Wallace is sure to draw a lot of double teams downfield opening the middle for 2nd year receiver Antonio Brown, who has seen a steady share of targets through the first three weeks; he’s a safe WR3 or flex play today.


My Picks Today

My “Four Horsemen”

Last week was brutal with Philip Rivers, Michael Turner and DeSean Jackson all pulling the disappearing act. This week will be my turnaround.

Tom Brady; It’s tough to pick against the Patriots when coming off a loss, so I won’t. Brady could be in for a huge day today against the Raiders 28th ranked defense. Black Hole or not, I am looking for Tom to put the ball in the air often.

Adrian Peterson; The Vikings need to get in the win column and they won’t mess around trying to do anything but what they do best; give the rock to “All-Day.” Peterson should see plenty of work and should find the end-zone a couple of times.

Steve Johnson; The Bills offense has been high octane through the first three weeks and today against the Bengals I wouldn’t expect it to come down. Johnson has emerged as one of the leagues best receivers (Top 15) and today he will continue to showcase why.

Jimmy Graham; Brees loves his tightend and why not; Graham has been solid this season 14 receptions, including two scores. Last week the Jaguars allowed 10 receptions and nearly 100 yards receiving to the Panthers tight end; today could be a big day for Graham.

FSH: WHAT'S THE SKINNY

December 1st, 2010, Wednesday

What’s the Fantasy Football Skinny

My Fantasy Notes:

WR DWAYNE BOWE IS ON FIRE
Right now there is not hotter wide receiver in fantasy football or the NFL than the Chiefs Dwayne Bowe. Bowe has caught at least one touchdown in each of his last seven games and has totaled 13 scores during that span. For the year Bowe leads the NFL with 14. During his streak, Bowe has been targeted 75 times (leads the league), caught 49 balls for 733 yards. He is simply hotter than the sun and the moment and is averaging 24.6 fantasy points in his last six games, including a scintillating 29 points in his last three. He’s also a fantasy gem in PPR leagues averaging over eight grabs per contest, also in his last six games.

RB PEYTON HILLIS POUNDS THE GROUND
The Bronco’s fans are undoubtedly mourning the loss of Peyton Hillis, while Cleveland fans and fantasy owners rejoice. Hillis has simply been on a tear this season, especially of late. In his last four starts Hillis is averaging over 166 yards of offense and has scored seven times. There’s no question he is having a spectacular season with 905 yards rushing, 46 receptions, 414 yards receiving, and 13 total touchdowns. For fantasy owners he’s averaging over 26 fantasy points per game (traditional scoring) in his last four.

WR ANQUAN BOLDIN REMAINS GROUNDED
The Raven’s wide receiver leads the club with 51 catches this season, but he is hardly soaring as many had expected he might when he arrived in Baltimore. Boldin has remained relatively quiet in his last four games catching a total of just 13 passes for 134 yards and one score; not quite the numbers fantasy owners were looking for.

RB FRED JACKSON JUST POWERS ON
The Bills have been receiving a little bit of fan-fair lately courtesy of the impressive play of their 3rd year receiver Stevie Johnson, but another Bill fans and fantasy owners should be taking notice of is running back Fred Jackson. The Bills starting ball carrier has only averaged 154 yards of offense in his last three games. He has also caught 14 passes and scored five times. The versatile back is proving to be solid in the feature back role, while paying big dividends for fantasy owners. This Jackson is all action averaging just over 24 fantasy points per game (traditional scoring) in his last three games.

QB TOM BRADY IS STARTING TO ROLL
The Patriots quarterback is having another one of those seasons and for opposing defense, that’s Mr. Brady to you. Brady has not thrown a pick since week six and 190 passes later, he has passed for 1,500 yards (250-yards per game) and thrown 14 touchdowns; not bad for a former NFL MVP. And most importantly for Patriot fans, the team is 5-1 in that stretch. For the fantasy owners, Brady is averaging 23.5 points (traditional scoring) in his last six games, but a whopping 31.3 points in his last three.

QB SAM BRADFORD CONTINUES STEADY PLAY
The Rams rookie quarterback is not setting any record books on fire, but he is certainly turning heads with his steady play in the pocket. In his last six starts Bradford has just tossed one interception in 210 pass attempts. The rookie signal caller has been solid with 11 touchdowns during that span, including averaging 264 yards passing in his last three games. Bradford is also averaging 19 fantasy points per game (traditional scoring) in his last six starts; not bad for a rookie or veteran quarterback for that matter.

FSH: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

November 26th, 2010 Friday

David’s Daily Digest

My Fantasy Notes: Matchups to Watch

STEVE JOHNSON MATCHES UP WELL WITH STEELERS
The Bills receiver has been playing exceptionally well as of late and has really emerged onto the seen as a bonafide fantasy stud (at least he has over the past several weeks). Johnson a relative unknown coming into the season has made many take notice. Since week seven Johnson ranks third among wide receivers with 53 targets and has caught 35 passes, including five touchdowns. Sunday he’ll draw the league’s 21st rated pass defense that is allowing 65.2% passes completed this season. Recently the Steeler’s secondary has also surrendered an average of 8 receptions, 102 yards to the leading receiver of its’ three last opponents with pass-first mentality (Saints, Bengals, Patriots). On that note the Bills like to throw the ball as well; quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is averaging 40 passes per contest in his last five starts. Johnson will see many of those throws.

JACOB TAMME COULD BE A BUSY COLT
The Sunday night matchup between the Chargers and Colts promising to be nothing short of must-see TV, and one play of note to watch will be tight end Jacob Tamme. Since replacing the injured Dallas Clark, Tamme is averaging nearly 12 targets per game and has made the most catching 31 passes for 305 yards with two scores. The Chargers defense is ranked first against the pass, but if there is a weakness in the secondary it could be over the middle. Against their last three opponents (Texans, Titans, Patriots) that unitlize the tight end spot the Chargers have allowed 19 receptions, for 244 yards, and two scores. Tamme should be busy this Sunday.

JOEL DRIESSEN LOOKS LIKE A NICE SLEEPER
With Owen Daniels still nursing his injuries and the healing process coming along slowly, tight end Joel Driessen continues to roll along. Back in week nine Driessen saw a number of balls (8 targets) thrown his direction, but since has seen his chances dip with just seven in his last two starts. Last week (week 11) Driessen rebounded from a poor performance the previous Sunday going 4 (catches) for 4 (targets) for 106 yards and a score. With the Titans in town and Daniels ruled out for Sunday, this could be just what the fantasy doctor ordered. The Titans have been snake-bit by the tight end spot over the past three weeks; (week11) Cooley had 7 grabs for 91 yards, (week 10) Anthony Fasano caught 5 balls for 107 yards and a score, (week 9) and Antonio Gates grabbed 5 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown.

FSH: THE FANTASY SPORTS ZONE (TARGET PRACTICE)

November 24th, 2010, Wednesday

Fantasy Football

Target Practice

In These Hands We Trust

After 11 weeks of play, there are several players getting a lot of action this season, but topping the boards with 116 targets this season are the Falcons wide receiver Roddy White and the Bengals wide receiver Terrell Owens. Both are having great seasons thus far, but there is a significant difference between the two. While they share the same number of chances, White has nearly 20 more catches with 79 receptions with over 1,000 yards this season; that’s 68 percent success. Owens’ 62 receptions (with 897 yards) leave him at 53 percent success.

There’s no question both receivers are scoring well for fantasy owner’s this season, but it makes a huge difference to have a receiver that is actually making the most of the opportunities thrown his way. In Owens’ case, owners are fortunate he gets as much attention as he does.

Another wide out that has been very efficient this season is the Colts Reggie Wayne (71 receptions, 865 yards, 4 touchdowns). With 110 targets this season his 71 snags are an effective 65 percent success.

Here are more notables with their success level;

Steve Johnson (52 catches, 728-yds, 9-Tds) 71 targets/73.2% success
Marques Colston (62 catches, 705-yds, 4-Tds) 89 targets/69.6% success
White (79 catches, 1,017-yds, 7-Tds) 116 targets/68.1% success
Wayne (71 catches, 865-yds, 4-Tds) 110 targets/64.5% success
Greg Jennings (46 catches, 703-yds, 9-Tds) 76 targets/60.5% success
Terrell Owens (62 catches, 897 yards, 8-Tds) 116 targets/53.4% success
Brandon Lloyd (54 catches, 1,046-yds, 7-Tds) 98 targets/55.0% success

More Fantasy Notes:

Not to be ever overlooked, fantasy owners have to keep a close eye on those ball carriers sneaking out of the backfield. This season perhaps the most effective weapon in the Eagles passing game (for fantasy owners in PPR leagues) may not be DeSean Jackson, but could be running back LeSean McCoy. The Eagles tailback not only ranks 6th in the NFC with 726 yards rushing, but he has also snagged 51 balls this season out of 59 targets. His 86.4 percent success rate in the passing game means whatever is thrown his way he usually grabs. With 10 catches for 80 yards in his last two games not only is he a great play in traditional scoring leagues, but he is better than a solid start in PPR leagues every week. The kid is really starting to crank it up at the right time with fantasy playoffs right around the corner.

Radar Watch

In My sites

With names like Roddy White, Dwayne Bowe, and Steve Johnson stealing a lot of the headlines, some folks may have missed the memo on wide receiver Mike Wallace. Not so quietly he has emerged into an elite deep passing threat. In his last three games he has been targeted 24 times (8.0 targets/game) which ranks 18th anong receivers during this stretch. During this span Wallace has managed to do a lot of damage to opposing defenses with three consecutive games with over 100-yards receiving. His 16 receptions rank him 18th again amongst receivers, but his 362 yards (ranks 1st) and four touchdowns (ranks tied for 2nd) are among the best.

For the season, Wallace has 33 grabs on 57 targets; only 57.8% success. With a 23.0 yards per catch average (leads NFL) and 9 touchdowns, Wallace doesn’t need many catches to get the job done

Looking ahead to the coming weeks, Wallace is a top-flight receiver and even matched up against a 9th ranked Bill’s defense he’ll have no trouble making plays for the Steelers. In Weeks 13-15 his matchups will be more favorable, including a week 14 rematch against the Bengals. Back in week nine Wallace collected five balls (on 7 targets) for 110 yards and a score.

FSH: MY WEEKLY FANTASY

November 21st, 2010 Sunday

My Weekly Fantasy

Sunday’s Fantasy Lineup

Some quick notes about today’s lineup…..

My Quarterback:

Playing in several fantasy leagues leaves me many options at the quarterback position (choices include Ben Roethlisberger, Kyle Orton, Joe Flacco), but just one stands head and shoulders above all today. Despite being on the road I like Aaron Rodgers under center for my fantasy team. In his last three starts against the Vikings Rodgers is averaging 322 yards passing with 7 total touchdowns. Without Ryan Grant in the backfield and pretty formidable run defense (Vikings are ranked 9th in the league) I expect to see the Packers put the ball in the air early and often.

My Running backs:

Even though the Falcons defense has looked pretty good on paper this season with their 7th ranked run stoppers, those numbers could be a bit skewed. The Falcons play an uptempo style and often force their opponents to play catch up. This Sunday they are on the road facing running back Steven Jackson and the Rams. This season St. Louis is 4-1 at home and can be expected to stay committed to the ground game a little longer facing a defense that allows 4.2 yards per carry. What I like most about “Action” Jackson today, last week the Rams turned him into an effective receiver throwing his way nine times; he totaled 148 yards last Sunday. Jackson will get plenty of carries between the tackles, but we’ll also see more of his versatility as the Rams work to put the ball in his hands often.

My Wide Receivers:

With just nine sacks this season the Bengals pass defense is going to be leaning hard on their secondary to cover the Bill’s receivers. In the past month Steve Johnson has emerged as a star in Buffalo and should be able to take advantage today. Targeted often, Johnson (averaging over 10 targets last four games) should have plenty of opportunities against a team that has allowed its’ share of big plays; Bengals defense has allowed 26 pass plays of 20 yards or more this season. A big key to the Bills success in the air will be their effectiveness against the Bengals 22nd ranked run defense. Johnson has 44 receptions and six touchdowns this season; expect to see those numbers to improve.

My Tight End:

It’s no coincidence that I would look at the Bengals-Bills matchup for my tight end solution. Thus far this season, the Bills pass defense has been one of the kindest to tight ends. After his nine catch performance for 85 yards last week, you have to like Bengal’s tight end Jermaine Gresham’s prospects for today. He has not been utilized a great deal this season, but last week quarterback Carson Palmer targeted his tight end 10 times and connected with Gresham for a score. This season the Bill’s defense has allowed eight touchdowns to tight ends; that number could change today.

FSH: SUNDAY MORNING GAMETIME

November 14th, 2010 Sunday

Sunday Morning Gametime

Quick Injury notes:

With week 10 set to kickoff in just a few hours a couple of notable injury updates to keep in mind today; wide receiver Sidney Rice was not activated off the PUP list yesterday by the 3pm deadline he will not be activated today for the Vikings-Bears game. On the other hand after missing some practice time this week due to migraine headaches, Adam Schefter of ESPN is already reporting Harvin will be active for today’s game.

Quarterback Vince Young took some snaps during Friday’s practice, but his availability is still questionable for today’s game. Head coach Jeff Fischer has been noted as saying Young will be a game-time decision, but some early reports are indicating it will likely be Kerry Collins starting. Even if Young feels good during warm-ups and gets the nod to start, fantasy owners should be concerned about his health getting through the game.

According to some reports the Redskins will likely have running back Ryan Torain in the backfield on Monday night against the Eagles. Torain looks on track to start according to Schefter, while Clinton Portis appears to be doubtful for the contest.

Player Watch

With fantasy leagues entering the stretch run before their playoffs season, one player of note that I like today and should be on most radars is tight end Marcedes Lewis. The Jaguars tight end has really emerged as a viable scoring threat this season with 7 touchdowns through the team’s first eight games. Today against the Texans he should have a great matchup against the leagues 32nd ranked pass defense. Tight ends have scored three times against the Texan’s defense in the last two games; look for Lewis to add to those numbers.

Sunday Games

Acouple of games today that I like to draw a lot of fantasy interest are the Bill-Lions matchup and the Colts-Bengals tilt. Both games should be filled with lots of fireworks and fantasy scoring.

The Lions have the leagues 22nd ranked pass defense and the Bills passing game led by quarterback Ryna Fitzpatrick has been finding new life over the past several weeks. Wide receiver’s Steve Johnson and Roscoe Parrish should be on most owner’s watch list with a heavy dose of targets the last few weeks, while Lee Evans always remains a threat to take one deep. Matching up against the Lions 27th ranked run defense running back Fred Jackson should be in line for some steady work as well.

The Lions have a few weapons of their own and even with quarterback Shaun Hill inserted in place of the injured Matt Stafford, wide receiver Calvin Johnson should remain a strong play. The Bills are the league’s worst run defense, so today should be a great day to start rookie running Jahvid Best.

If you own any Colts players, today should offer plenty of good matchups especially for Manning the passing game. Wide receiver Blair White could be a great sleeper pick here with Gonzales and Collie absent. Let’s not forget tight end Jacob Tamme, who has done a credible job replacing the injured Dallas Clark. Wide receiver Reggie Wayne will find his, but one receiver that should not be over looked is Pierre Garcon. Indy has plenty of options to go around.

The Bengals passing game has been up and down all season, but one constant I like is wide receiver Terrell Owens. He’s one of the league’s most targeted receivers and he’s having a solid season with solid numbers. In today’s matchup with the Colt’s 29th ranked run defense, Cedric Benson looks like a solid start; just hope the Bengals can stay with the run long enough to take advantage.

Either way, these are two mathcups by my estimation that should provide plenty of fantasy scoring and highlights.

FSH: THE FANTASY SPORTS ZONE (TARGET PRACTICE)

November 12th, 2010, Friday

Fantasy Football

Target Practice

In These Hands We Trust

So far there no question that not only has wide receiver Terrell Owens been one of the pleasant surprises this season for fantasy owners, but since his arrival in Cincinnati he seems to be reinventing himself as media darling. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but one thing we are seeing from Owens this season, more walk and less talk.

In the team’s first 8 games this season Owens has become the league’s most targeted receiver (prior to the start of week 10) with 99 targets. Over the past several weeks, T.O. and his quarterback Carson Palmer have found a nice groove resulting in seven touchdowns over the past five games. Owens has scored twice in each of his last two starts and with 55 receptions and 770 yards receiving he has become a weekly must-start. With the Colts (ranked 7th against the pass) up next in week 10, Owens is looking at another productive Sunday.

Along with Owens, another receiver that has emerged as a solid weekly start is wide receiver Steve Johnson. While any offensive player on the Buffalo Bills tends to be a risky play, this has been one risk that has been paying handsomely over the past several weeks.

In his last six starts Johnson has scored six times with 35 catches for 483 yards receiving. Quietly over his last three start he has become one of the most targeted wide outs with 34 (second only to Owens over the same span). More impressively Johnson had scored in five straight games. The streak was snapped last Sunday, but in that game he still caught 11 passes for 145 yards. He has quickly become quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s go-to receiver and should be in your line up this Sunday when the Bills face the Lions (ranked 22nd against the pass)

Radar Watch

In My sites

My Fantasy Notes:

Through the first eight weeks of the season, wide receiver Bernard Berrian has been relatively non-existent, but last Sunday he showed up with nine catches for 89 yards on 11 targets. The Vikings are expected to have all of their weapons (Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin) on the field Sunday. There’s no question the opposing defense will be looking to take away Rice and Harvin, so this is the perfect time for Berrian to start gelling with his quarterback. It may be a little too soon to jump on board, but Berrian is certainly worth keeping tabs on for now.

With camp marsh-mellow in complete disarray, there has been one silver lining worth noting an that has been rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant. When healthy he is a special player with tremendous talent and upside. Thus far this season he has had his ups and downs, but in his last three games he is averaging nearly nine targets per outing. Last week against the Packers he turned in a solid performance. Bryant had nine receptions for 86 yards and a score (4 touchdown receptions in 2010) on 10 targets. He’s looking more and more like Kitna’s favorite and is quickly becoming a steady play week in and week out. With his playmaking skill he’s worth noting and even starting in some of the deeper leagues.

Last week the fantasy world was introduced to a new name and one they will likely be hearing more of in the coming weeks. The Raiders wide receiver Jacoby Ford displayed last Sunday against the Chiefs, exactly how speed kills. Ford came up with some very timely and clutch receptions and in overtime he and quarterback Jason Campbell connected on a 47 yard strike that set up a game winning field goal. The reason no one had heard of Ford, before last Sunday he had only been targeted 8 times. Against the Chiefs, Campbell threw his way nine times and the two connected six for 148 yards. The word out of Oakland, the kid is going to see more action. Ford already looks like a player and it’s just a matter of time before we see more evidence; keep watching.

Weekly Target Leaders...
(Unofficial numbers)

Last week’s Top 10

1. Jacob Tamme, IND (17 targets)
2. Reggie Wayne, IND (16 targets)
3. Steve Johnson, BUF (14 targets)
4. Terrell Owens, CIN (14 targets)
5. Hakeem Nicks, NYG (13 targets)
6. Dwayne Bowe, KC (12targets)
7. Percy Harvin, MIN (12 targets)
8. Bernard Berrian, MIN (11 targets)
9. Tony Gonzales, ATL (11 targets)
10. Roscoe Parrish, BUF (11 targets)
    
    
    
    

FSH: MY WEEKLY FANTASY

October 31st, 2010, Sunday

My Weekly Fantasy

Sunday’s Fantasy Lineup

Some quick notes for today’s lineups….

My Quarterbacks:

With sloppy (rain) conditions expected in London today, I am not expecting this to have much effect on Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton who will be in a few of my lineups today. Lacking a big arm most of his throws will be short routes and underneath shots…..the Packers travel to New York to take on the 22nd ranked pass defense. I will have Aaron Rodgers going in all leagues today as he takes on a Jets secondary that is allowing more than 250 yards passing per game at home with five touchdowns……I don’t have Matt Cassel today, but he is one quarterback I would be inserting with his favorable matchup against the Bills at home. Cassel will be throwing against a secondary that doesn’t allow a lot of yards, but has surrendered 14 touchdowns this season.

My Runningbacks:

With Steven Jackson available, I will definitely be riding “Action-Jackson” today against the Panthers’ 24th ranked run defense. Jackson has rushed for over 600 yards this season, including three straight 100 yards games. Today he faces a defense that is allowing nearly 130 yards rushing per game…..with the Bills coming to town, I will be inserting running back Thomas Jones today. In his last two games Jones is averaging 20 touches and over 100 yards rushing. Today he’ll get the leagues 32nd ranked run defense…..another play today that I like very much is running back Ryan Torain. Today the Redskins are in Detroit and Torain will be seeing the leagues 27th ranked run defense that is allowing nearly 5.0 yards per carry.

My Wide Receivers:

Last week the Bills offense erupted for big yards, big plays, and over 30 points against the Ravens. Today they don’t have the Ravens, but what wide receiver Steve Johnson will see is the league’s 25th ranked passing offense that has allowed 20 pass plays of 20 yards or more. Johnson has been consistently getting better each week and today’s matchup should allow his progress to continue……another wide out that has a favorable matchup today is the Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. In his last two games Bowe has scored twice in each and with a Bills secondary that is handing out scores like hotcakes (14 allowed), he looks like a sure bet to find paydirt……a couple of regulars that I will be inserting today include Brandon Lloyd against the Niners. I like Lloyd to snag a few downfield against a secondary that has allowed 22 pass plays of 20 yards or more.

My Tight Ends:

With the Redskins in town, I am rolling with tight end Brandon Pettigrew in one of my lineups. The Lions second year tight end has been targeted often over the last several weeks and faces a defense that has 15 receptions to the tight end position over the past three weeks…..I also have the Bengals rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham in one of my lineups today. He doesn’t figure to catch a lot of throws deep downfield, but with all the weapons the Bengals have Gresham could emerge as a red-zone favorite today….lastly I will be starting the Jets tight end Dustin Keller. Keller leads the team with 24 receptions and five touchdown this season and faces a Packer’s secondary that could have some matchup problems today and has surrendered 21 pass plays of 20 yards or more.

FSH: THE FANTASY SPORTS ZONE (TARGET PRACTICE)

October 27th, 2010, Wednesday

Fantasy Football

Target Practice

In these hands we trust

Week seven marked a week of the big names with familiar faces like Ochocinco, Colston, and Boldin topping the list of most targets on Sunday. Of the top targeted receivers in week seven, nine of the top eleven scored a touchdown with two finding the end-zone twice. Four of the most targeted pass catchers finished the day with double figure receptions and three others caught nine balls apiece. So who were these usual suspects on Sunday…

The Usual Suspects…

On Monday night against the Giants, the Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (13 targets) quickly re-emerged as a fantasy favorite. It was no surprise with Romo injured and out, Witten quickly became Jon Kitna’s safe check down. Witten now has 50 targets for the year.

The Bengal’s Carson Palmer put the ball in the air 50 times on Sunday and wide receiver Terrell Owens (13 targets) was one of his benefactors. Owens finished his day with nine receptions for 88 yards and a score. Owens now has 73 targets (2nd in the NFL) for the season.

Making his case for being the best receiver in the game today, the Falcon’s are doing all they can to support wide receiver Roddy White’s cause. Last week the Falcon’s flyer was targeted 13 times, finishing the game with 11 receptions for 201 yards receiving and two touchdowns. White leads all receivers with 82 targets this season.

Your Target watch….

When you look over the list of the most popular pass catchers (targeted the most) another intangible statistic that should not be over-looked is target efficiency. There’s no question, opportunity lends itself to greater production, but sometimes some players don’t need much to make a splash…

Against the Eagles secondary, Titan’s wide receiver Kenny Britt was targeted 10 times and made the most of every chance he got hauling in seven of those passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns.

The Bills third year wide receiver Steve Johnson was targeted a season high 10 times on Sunday and found great success with his increased opportunity. Johnson caught eight of those throws for 158 yards and scored once.

The Bengal’s passing attack has been coming to life quite a bit in recent weeks and one recipient that has emerged on most fantasy radars is rookie receiver Jordan Shipley. Shipely is returning from a concussion that had him sidelined for a while and last week the former Longhorn bounced back in great fashion. He was targeted a mere six times, but made the most of every throw hauling in all six for 131 yards and scoring once. It was by far his most productive day as a pro.

Season Target Leaders...
(Unofficial numbers)

Last week’s Top 12

1. Chad Ochocinco, CIN (16 targets)
2. Mike Williams, SEA (16 targets)
3. Marques Colston, NO (15 targets)
4. Jeremy Maclin, PHI (14 targets)
5. Hakeem Nicks, NYG (14 targets)
6. Anquan Boldin, BAL (13targets)
7. Terrell Owens, CIN (13 targets)
8. Roddy White, ATL (13 targets)
9. Jason Witten, DAL (13 targets)
10. Patrick Crayton, DAL (12 targets)
11. Johnny Knox, CHI (12 targets)
12. Roscoe Parrish, BUF (12 targets)

FSH: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

October 27th, 2010, Wednesday

David’s Daily Digest

My Fantasy Notes:

DARREN MCFADDEN: THE REAL RUN DMC ON SUNDAY
The Raider’s 3rd year running back was Mr. Fantasy on Sunday, having his way with the Denver defense and scoring four times. McFadden touched the ball18 times on the day and averaged well over 10 yards from scrimmage each time he did. The Raiders number one ball carrier finished the day with 165 yards on the ground and added another 31 yards receiving.
My Fantasy Read:
Michael Bush who? If you weren’t a true believer before Sunday, you better believe Run-DMC is the number one running back in Oakland and looks to be a solid fantasy start every week. Keep him in your line-up

THOMAS JONES SHOWING HIS LEGS STILL HAVE LIFE
In the last four season, both the Jets and the Bears have traded away running back Thomas Jones believing his best days running are behind him. Since he left Chicago he’s had three straight 1,000 yard rushing season and in his first post-Jet season he is well on his way (on pace to eclipse 1,200 yards). This week Jones topped 100 yards rushing for the second straight week and added his third rushing touchdown for the season.
My Fantasy Read:
This was the second straight week that Jones has topped 20 touches for the game and the fourth time this season. The Chiefs have a committee backfield, but like the Jets a year ago, there seems to be enough to go around for Jones to be a safe weekly play in deeper leagues.

HAKEEM NICKS TOYS WITH THE BOYS MONDAY NIGHT
The Giants wide receiver was simple electric Monday night helping to lead the G-men to an impressive and at one point dominant comeback on offense. Nicks hauled in nine passes for over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns (he has 8 this season, tied for the NFL lead).
My Fantasy Read:
It has not taken long for this second year receiver to blossom into something special. Nicks is on pace for 15 plus touchdowns, 90 plus catches, and 1,200 yards receiving; he’s a number one receiver in any league.

ELI MANNING CAPTAIN’S JET BLUE IN BIG D
The Giant’s signal caller has had his ups and downs this season, but on Monday night he had the passing game flying amongst the clouds. Manning completed better than 70% of his passes, passed for over 300 yards and threw four touchdowns to do-in the Cowboys.
My Fantasy Read:
Manning is not going to post big numbers week in and week out, but he’s got sure handed receivers and a solid ground game to support him. The Giants are on a roll (winners of five straight) and Manning has been solid. In deeper leagues he’s a safe start.

RYAN FITZPATRICK LOOKS SOLID ON SUNDAY
Some football analyst speculated early in the season that the Ravens secondary was the weak spot on the defense. Through the first several weeks of the season that had not looked like the case, but on Sunday the Bill’s quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had many reconsidering. The Bill’s quarterback torched the Raven’s secondary for 382 yards passing and four touchdowns.
My Fantasy Read:
It may be a little too early to start drinking this cool-aid. The Bills have some talented receivers with Evans, Johnson, and Parrish, but heading into Sunday’s contest they had one of the leagues least effective passing games. Fitzpatrick’s game on Sunday is a nice preview of what may come, but better wait until it gets here before you start betting the farm.