FSH: SUNDAY SPORTS SECTION

October 3rd, 2010, Sunday

The Sunday Sports Section

What’s the Latest

The Rams will start Steven Jackson today although the word is his play could be limited, but if there were any doubt about his effectiveness he would probably sit.

The Saints will be without running back Pierre Thomas who will be inactive. With Thomas out veteran running back Ladell Betts is expect to get the start today for the Saints.

The Broncos are not going to have the services of running back Knowshon Moreno who will continue to nurse a hamstring injury. With Moreno on the sidelines it looks like Laurence Maroney could get the start, but he will likely be splitting the load with Correll Buckhalter.

These are just a few notes leading up to week for of the NFL…

Today’s In & Out

Actives/inactives and notes from Twitter for today’s games ….

@Adam_Schefter Texans WR Andre Johnson told people in his organization Saturday that he planned to play today against Oakland despite his ankle injury.

@SI_PeterKing RT @jeffduncantp: Quick updates from the Dome: As expected, John Carney will be the kicker for the #Saints today ... Goodbye, Mr. Hartley.

@FantasyDaddy Pierre (huh huh) Thomas is out today. Betts starting #Saints

@mortreport Active/Inactives overview: Inactive-LB Sean Weatherspoon (Ankle), Michael Jenkins (Shoulder), Calvin Pace (Foot), Pierre Thomas (Ankle), Roman Harper (Hamstring)Robiskie (Hamstring), & Delhomme is #3...Actives-Ray Rice (Knee), Steven Jackson (Groin), Jahvid Best (Toe) and Nick Mangold (Shoulder)

@Adam_Schefter Broncos RB Knownshon Moreno officially inactive, as is CB Andre Goodman.

@espn_nfcwest Julius Jones inactive for Seattle as team keeps Brandon Stokley up for this game. Marcus Trufant active.

@Adam_Schefter A note for @tunasweasel: Jets RB Joe McKnight active for the first time.

@Jay_Glazer Steve jackson coach spags told me he's going to be cautious w him but he starts, as does j best and ray rice. Pierre thomas out.

@Rachel__Nichols Ravens starting DE Cory Redding out with a concussion

@SigmundBloom John Carney is kicking for the Saints today. Craig Dahl starting at safety for the Rams for IDP leaguers. Sean Weatherspoon out.

@mortreport Seneca Wallace starting...Delhomme #3...Robiskie inactive

FSH: MY WEEKLY FANTASY

October 3rd, 2010, Sunday

My Weekly Fantasy

Sunday’s Fantasy Lineup

My Quarterbacks:

This week is a no-brainer with Aaron Rodgers facing the Detroit Lions. Rodgers is coming off his first 300-yard game of the season and looks primed to repeat his Monday night performance today. The Packers signal caller will face a division rival he’s very familiar with and one that he has had great success against. Last year in two meetings Rodgers averaged 353 yards passing per game and threw five touchdowns to only one interception. This season the Lions are ranked 26th against the pass and have already given up three pass plays of 40 yards or more; it looks like a good day for Rodgers and the Pack…….I will also be sticking with Drew Brees in another league. Despite the reports of a knee brace, Brees is a savvy quarterback with a quick release and knows his limitations. I don’t expect to see any Mike Vick imitations today, he should be just fine against the Panthers.

My Runningbacks:

One of my concerns today is running back Steven Jackson. The Rams ball carrier was barely a participant this week in practice nursing his groin injury. The word is he will be a gametime decision, so when that happens unless I hear reports that he feels great I may have to look at alternatives. If Jackson is your best option and active you might have to suck it up, but if you can look elsewhere that may be the better play…..…With the Bears traveling to the New York, I like Matt Forte’s matchup. He’ll face the leagues 26th ranked run defense and with 14 receptions and three pass receiving touchdowns this season he’s a solid option out of the backfield……I also have running back Justin Forsett in a number of leagues and recent rumors indicate the Seahawks could be leaning more on the kid as their featured back. He has a very good matchup against the Rams 25th ranked run defense that allows over 5-yards a pop and has surrendered a league high six runs of 20 yards or more…….Another option I am leaning on today is running back Peyton Hillis. After last week’s impressive performance against the Ravens I don’t see the Bengals having much better success. Cincy is ranked 7th against the run, but they are allowing 4.5-yards per carry and I would expect the Browns to lean heavily on the ground game today.

My Wide Receivers:

Today I have some interesting plays to make. In one league I will be inserting the Saints wide receiver Lance Moore. Isn’t the rule, once they have a big game don’t jump on the band wagon because they will probably tank? That may be the case, but I don’t believe it was an accident Moore came up big last week with Reggie Bush out. In 2008 Moore was the team’s leading receiver and I think Brees will continue to look his way often…….I like the Giant’s wide receiver Steve Smith tonight against the Bears 28th ranked pass defense. Manning likes to go to Smith often (29 targets) and the Bears giving up chunks of yards……I rode the Brandon Lloyd train a week ago, but I will likely steer clear today. Lloyd may get a couple of catches today, but the Titans have a strong secondary and Orton has a lot of other weapons to turn to……Against the Colts today I will not be sitting wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker. Based on numbers thus far this season I should, but against the Colts secondary, they could make him a star again. The Colts defense is ranked 20th in the league and allow 12.6 yards per catch (ranked 25th); we like those numbers.

My Tight Ends:

With the Packer’s Jermichael Finley on my roster, I don’t need any other tight ends. He has consecutive games with 100-yards receiving and is second on the team with 17 receptions. With a favorable matchup today against the Lions he could have another big day……..I will also be starting the Redskins’ tight end Chris Cooley today and hoping for the best. The Eagles pass defense has not been terrible this season (ranked 12th), but they have struggled a little with tight ends allowing 15 receptions for 175 yards…….I also have Owen Daniels on my roster, but with his numbers down and listed on this week’s injury report as questionable I will wait for better days.

FSH: SUNDAY MORNING GAMETIME

October 3rd, 2010, Sunday

Sunday Morning Gametime

It was another fun-filled Sunday of NFL excitement last weekend and Monday night was no disappointment either. Some fantasy newsmakers included a few old names like WR-Lance Moore (2-touchdowns), WR-Brandon Lloyd (166 yards receiving), WR-Roy Williams (2-touchdowns) and a few new ones owners will need to get to know soon; Chad Henne (363-yards passing), Kyle Orton (476-yards passing), Peyton Hillis (144 yards rushing), and Jabar Gaffney (12 receptions). With this week being the start of the bye weeks, with only 14 games on the slate fantasy owners will now put their drafting skills to the test. Did you cover your byes with reliable bench support, were you able to find sufficient talent through waivers?

With the kick off to week four just a few short hours from now, these are the players I will be keeping my eye on today (the question is will you be starting any of these?)….

Sunday Games:

The Bills are always a tough matchup for their divisional rivals, but with a struggling offense the Jets should be able to loosen the play-calling belt some today. I will be keeping my eye on several of the gang-green; quarterback Mark Sanchez (Can he make it three straight solid performances), Braylon Edwards (Can he show some humility and just make plays), and Shonn Greene (Against a suspect run defense today, can Green finally show some of last year’s post season magic?).

Speaking of the Bills, even with all this trade talk I will be watching running back Marshawn Lynch. I would expect the team to try and showcase their talent up for trade, but I am not expecting to see a whole lot against a very stingy Jets runs defense ranked 4th in the league.

Tonight when the G-men play host to Da’Bears, I will be keeping a close watch on quarterback Eli Manning. In three weeks he has passed for a truckload of yards (810-yards, 270-yds/game), but also has six interceptions. Against the Bears secondary, he should have some success if his line can do a good job of protecting him.

The Niner’s have not been a favorite this season at 0-3 and looking every bit the part of a winless team, but against the Falcons Alex Smith and company could find some hope. The Falcons defense is ranked 22nd against the pass and with Frank Gore pounding the middle, wide receiver Michael Crabtree could be an interesting play today. Crabtree has been dormant all season, but at some point he’s got to awake.

In Seattle there has been a lot of recent talk about running back Justin Forsett separating himself as the team’s number one back. Today he’ll have a chance to prove the rumors true against a weak Rams 25th ranked run defense. I will definitely be watching closely today.

Another interesting development I will be watching with great interest is the running back situation in Washington. I heard the rumors and made the move this week to pick up running back Ryan Torain, but I won’t be starting him today. I will be keeping an eye on this development to see if he will actually carry more of the running load for the Redskins on the early downs (which is what I am hearing).

FSH: THE FANTASY SPORTS ZONE (TARGET PRACTICE)

September 30th, 2010, Thursday

Fantasy Football

Target Practice

In these hands we trust

Through the first three weeks of football we have seen some familiar names making plays in the passing game, but what fantasy owners need to be watching besides the headlines are those players quietly and steadily getting ready to break out. Aside from the normal names we see, this past weekend there were a couple of players to suddenly steal some fantasy love; last Sunday against the Falcons it was the re-emergence of Saints receiver Lance Moore with a seven targets and a big day receiving (149 yards receiving and two scores), the Bronco’s receiver Jabar Gaffney suddenly became a very relevant consideration with a big day in Denver (12 receptions with 140 yards receiving) and 14 targets, and the Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams becoming a household name in Big D again with a very productive afternoon (117 yards receiving with two touchdowns) with his steady dose of six targets.

The Usual Suspects…

The usual faces thus far this season topping the list include Roddy White (41 targets) Brandon Marshall (37 targets), and Larry Fitzgerald (34 targets), but one surprise in this mix to watch, both T.O. (33 targets) and Ochocinco (34 targets) seemed to be getting their fair share of touches, so at some point the numbers will have to follow, right?

Some early season starlets…

Through the first three weeks of the 2010 season, 2nd year Colts’ receiver Austin Collie (31 targets) has emerged as Peyton Manning’s go-to receiver. Even when the injured Pierre Garcon returns, it’s hard to imagine number 18 not continuing to look his way. The Niner’s running back Frank Gore has been showcasing his versatility this season and leads all running back with 29 targets and 22 receptions.

Your Target watch….

We can easily see who has done what this season and why, but a few names that might be flying under the radar at the moment that you should keep your eye include; TE-Jermaine Gresham, WR-Michael Crabtree, and TE-Todd Heap.

Jermaine Gresham only has one touchdown and 99 yards receiving through the first three weeks, but quarterback Carson Palmer is looking his way too often for his numbers to stay dormant. With 21 targets, he’s going to see plenty of opportunity going forward to start making more of a difference.

The Niner’s offense is in flux at the moment, but Singletary will soon grab hold of the reigns and get this ship righted. Through the team’s first three games wide receiver Michael Crabtree has only six catches, but 19 targets. If this passing game is going to get off the ground, Crabtree will be a big part going forward.

With all the focus and attention centered on wide receiver Anquan Boldin, quietly tight end Todd Heap is one of his best pass receiving seasons of his career. He is currently on pace to put up close to career numbers in receptions and yards. With 22 targets already in this young season, he looks like a great bet to do just that.

Season Target Leaders...
(Unofficial numbers)

Top 20

1. Roddy White, ATL (41 targets)
2. Brandon Marshall, MIA (37 targets)
3. Larry Fitzgerald, ARI (34 targets)
4. Chad Ochocinco, CIN (34 targets)
5. Terrell Owens, CIN (33 targets)
6. Austin Collie, IND (31 targets)
7. Santana Moss, WAS (30 targets)
8. Miles Austin, DAL (29 targets)
9. Anquan Boldin, BAL (29 targets)
10. Frank Gore, SFO (29 targets)
11. Andre Johnson, HOU (29 targets)
12. Steve Smith, NYG (29 targets)
13. Calvin Johnson, DET (28 targets)
14. Dallas Clark, IND (27 targets)
15. Mark Clayton, STL (27 targets)
16. Malcom Floyd, SDC (26 targets)
17. Jabar Gaffney, DEN (26 targets)
18. Antonio Gates, SDC (26 targets)
19. Darrius Heyward-Bey, OAK (26 targets)
20. Reggie Wayne, IND (26targets)
    
    
    
    

    
    
    

FSH: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 30th, 2010, Thursday

David’s Daily Digest

My Fantasy Notes:

JOE FLACCO HAS A BIG PASSING DAY IN WIN OVER THE BROWNS
Joe Flacco finally had a breakout game last weekend against the Cleveland Browns completing 22 of 31 passes for 262 yards. Flacco also connected with his newest and best weapon, wide receiver Anquan Boldin for three scores.
My Fantasy Read:
With a tough matchup this week against Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain defense Flacco might be a questionable start, but against lesser defenses going forward he and Boldin are only going to get better.

ADRIAN PETERSON LEADS THE WAY FOR VIKINGS IN WEEK THREE
The Vikings monster ground gainer broke loose for big yardage last Sunday against the Lions. Peterson carried the rock 23 times and powered his way to 160 yards on the ground. The former Oklahoma Sooner had scoring runs of 6 yards and 80 yards (his career long). Peterson now has 392 yards rushing this season, good enough for 2nd in the NFL.
My Fantasy Read:
With the passing game in peril at the moment, the broad shoulders of Peterson will have to continue to carry the load on offense. Fortunately for fantasy owners, this kid is strong as an ox and runs like a gazelle. With over 470 yards of offense and three touchdowns this season, All-day shouldn’t have any problem shouldering the load.

THE SANCHISE CONTINUES HIS HOT HAND AGAINST THE PHINS
Last Sunday against Miami Mark Sanchez completed 15 of 28 passes (53.6%) for 256 yards with three touchdowns. The Sanchise finished with a 120.5 passer rating; it was his second in as many games. Sanchez looked decisive and put most of his throws (especially those that counted most) on the money. Sanchez has six touchdown passes and no interceptions in his last two starts.
My Fantasy Read:
The Sanchise is still a work in progress, but there is no question in his last two starts he looks like he is making great strides. If the Jets do not get too comfortable and can manage to avoid becoming too complacent in their week four matchup with Buffalo (ranked 18th against the pass), Sanchez and the passing game should be fine going forward. The Sanchise is playing well and making good decisions, but it’s still too soon to jump on his fantasy band-wagon.

MICHAEL VICK LEADS THE EAGLES IN SPECTACULAR FASHION
In his second start this season, Mike Vick was everything most thought he might be and certainly more than the Jaguars hoped he would be. Vick was sharp in the pocket throwing for 291 yards in the air on 17 of 31 passing. Vick also connected for three more passing scores. On the year he has six passing touchdowns and no picks.
My Fantasy Read:
Vick has shown that he has grown and matured quite a bit as a passer in this game. It’s still early in the campaign and that’s not to say Vick can’t continue his high level of success, but he’s likely to hit a bump in the road here and there along the way. At this point though, he still looks like a solid fantasy play week in and week out with his rocket arm, soft touch, and shifty legs (another 30 yards rushing on Sunday).

WHERE IS LARRY FITZGERALD?
Last Sunday against the Raiders, the Cardinal’s explosive playmaking receiver Larry Fitzgerald was held to just two catches for 26 yards, albeit one was for a score. For the year Fitz has 12 catches for a paltry 152 yards. He is trying to give his fantasy owners some love with two scores, but no question his numbers on a bit down.
My Fantasy Read:
Nothing to fear here for fantasy owners, even last year Fitz was a bit slow out of the gate with 181 yards receiving and two scores in his first three games. Last season he still finished with nearly 100 catches, over 1,000 yards receiving, and 13 touchdowns; he’s sure to post similar numbers again this season. Keep playing him.