FSH NOTEBOOK: SFFL WEEK 8

Saturday Edition
October 28TH, 2012  

Suicide Fantasy Football

Week 8

Before looking ahead to Sunday, here’s a quick look back at week 7. It’s been a steady year thus far, with my team averaging 116 points per week, but in week 7 we fell off the pace a bit scoring just 108 points.

The highlight of my week 7 lineup was undoubtedly the Jackson 2. Running back Fred Jackson was solid last week against the Titans totaling 26 fantasy points which was powered by his 8 receptions a touchdown and 120 yards from scrimmage. The other Jackson, Bucs receiver Vincent Jackson was even greater with 7 receptions for 216 yards and a score.

If my team is going to make any moves this week, I’ll need efforts like this from more than just two players, so let’s take a look at who I am turning to in week 8.

My Line-up

The season is long and there are still plenty of weeks to play, but after falling a couple of spots last week, it’s time to make a big jump up the board and get back into this race. Here’s a look at my lineup for week 8 and the players that will get the job done;

Quarterback:
This week under center it will be “Big Ben” Roethlisberger against the Redskins. Big Ben has faced two teams ranked 25th or higher against the pass and he’s averaged 373 yards passing with 5 touchdowns and just one pick. The Redskins rank 32 versus the pass and allow the 6th most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

Running Backs:
I am saddling up with a couple of horses that should run pretty ragged this Sunday. The first is Ryan Matthews; the Chargers ball carrier is looking at the league’s 25th ranked run defense (Browns) that allows the 13th most fantasy points to opposing backs. The Chargers are coming off a horrid collapse on Monday night in week 6; they got away from the run and it hurt them. This week lots of Matthews should lead to a road win.

My other tailback for Sunday is LeSean McCoy versus the Falcons. The Eagles running back currently ranks 16th in fantasy scoring among ball carriers. Fantasy owners are waiting for the real “Slim Shady” McCoy to arrive and this week could be the week. The Falcons defense ranks 28th against the run, allowing seven rushing touchdowns this season, and giving up the 12th most fantasy points to running backs. Look for Shady to break loose this Sunday.

Wide Receivers:
Leading the good hands people in week 8 is the Packers “Mr. Excitement” wide receiver Randall Cobb. With Jennings out, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has had to call on his other weapons to step up and over the past several weeks Cobb has been one to answer that call. Since week 5 Cobb leads the team in receptions (19-tied) and receiving yards (273). This week Cobb should enjoy more success against a Jaguars defense that ranks 24th against the pass.

Also lining up out wide this week is wide receiver Antonio Brown. It only makes sense if Big Ben is going to have a big Sunday, than his targets are in line to do the same. With Wallace always a threat to go deep on the other side, Brown has been seeing lots of opportunities averaging better than 9 targets per contest. The Redskins give up the most fantasy points to receivers; Sunday should be a very good day for Brown.

Tight End:
The Browns defense is ranked 26th against the pass this season which should spell good news for Chargers tight end Antonio Gates. The Brown may only allow the 8th fewest fantasy points to tight ends this season, but Gates is no ordinary tight end. He is coming off his best performance of the season, scoring twice in week 6 against the Broncos, and should be a focal point in the Chargers passing attack.

Place Kicker:
This week I am entrusting the foot of Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski. On the road the Raiders offense could stall in the red zone and Janikowski has the leg to hit it from anywhere. I am expecting at least three field goals on Sunday.

Team Defense:
The Chargers defense has not been much to get too excited about this season ranked 13th overall, but facing a rookie quarterback is always a nice prospect. The Chargers defense ranks 17th in fantasy scoring with 10 sacks, 7 interceptions, and 6 fumble recoveries this season. Sunday they will look to improve upon these numbers.


These are my picks for week 8.


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

Saturday Edition
October 28th, 2012

David’s Daily Digest

MY IDP REPORT

IDPs To Watch in Week 8

Luke Kuechly, LB
The Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly has been a tackling stud in his past two games with a total of 26 combined tackles. Kuechly has also added a fumble recovery and interception over the same span and looks to continue his busy trend this week against the Bears 9th ranked rushing offense. 

Chris Harris, DB
Starting in place of the injured Tracy Porter, the Broncos cornerback Chris Harris has come up big for the defense the past two games. Harris has been a busy man recording 11 combined tackles with two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. With the Saints coming to town, Harris should have lots of opportunity to continue to make plays.

Sheldon Brown, DB
The Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown has been doing some bigtime ball-hawking the past three weeks with two fumble recoveries and one interception to lead the Browns defense. Brown is coming off a huge week 7 performance with 10 combined tackles, including a sack and with the Chargers in town he’ll definitely get a large dose of Ryan Matthews; could be another big game.

Madieu Williams, S
The Redskins safety Madieu Williams has been an IDP stud the past two weeks totaling 19 combined tackles with an interception in his last two games. With the Steelers on the slate next, Williams will be key in run support and in coverage trying to contain the speedy Steelers receiver Mike Wallace. His big numbers should continue.

Cliff Avril, DE
The Lions defensive end Cliff Avril has been a menace to opposing quarterbacks all season, but the last two weeks he’s been really wrecking havoc with three sacks. Avril has also added 8 combined tackles the past two games, including 4.5 tackles for a loss. He will be a big key in trying to slow down the Seahawks ground attack and looks to extend his sack streak of two games; the Seahawks offensive line allows a sack every 12.5 passing attempts.

By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: FRIDAY'S FOOTBALL FIXX

Friday Edition

October 26th, 2012 

Friday’s Football Fixx

Fantasy Watch

With injuries playing a big part of the fantasy football season, it’s always important to stay on top of things; to know who is hurting, feeling better, practicing, returning to action, not expected to play and most importantly the impact;

Player news

Graham a game-time decision

The Saints tight end Jimmy Graham has been dealing with an ankle issue that won’t go away and will be a game-time decision for Sunday. Graham is not having a great 2012 campaign as compared to last season; he missed week 7 and caught just one pass back in week 5, just before the Saints bye. Even if he plays his effectiveness is going to be questionable.

Nelson questionable for Sunday

The Packers could be without wide receiver Jordy Nelson this Sunday when the team plays host to Jacksonville. Nelson has had the hot hand with four touchdowns in his last two starts, but he is dealing with a hamstring injury that could limit him and keep him on the sideline. With Jennings already ruled out, if Nelson sits wide receivers Randall Cobb and James Jones will be the hot play for fantasy owners.

Richardson could play Sunday

The Browns rookie running back Trent Richardson has been battling nagging injuries much of the season and his sore ribs could keep him off the gridiron this Sunday. Richardson has managed to make it through three days of practice this week, but he is still a big question mark for Sunday. If Richardson sits, back Montario Hardesty is ready to fill the void against the Chargers stout run defense.

Johnson probable for Sunday

The Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson was limited in practice this week, but he is listed as probable on the injury reports and appears to be in no danger of missing time. He has a tough matchup this week facing the Seahawks corners, but he is Megatron and needs to be started every week.

Pettigrew expected to start

The Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew is listed as probable on the injury report, but figures to start this Sunday against the Seahawks. The Seahawks do a great job against opposing wide receivers, but allow the 16^th most fantasy points to tight ends, so the Lions will definitely need Pettigrew on the field.

Nicks looks ready for Sunday

The Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks was able to practice in full on Friday with no issues. He is listed as probable on the injury reports and figures to start against the Cowboys this Sunday. The Giants will need a healthy Nicks to match up with the Cowboys stingy secondary that allows the 4^th fewest fantasy points to wide receivers.

Lynch puts in full practice

The Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch turned in a full week of practice and looks set for a Beast-mode Sunday against the Lions. Lynch ranks in the top 10 for fantasy running backs, but will have his work cut out this Sunday facing a Lions defense that has allows the 5^th fewest fantasy points per game to running backs.

By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: FANTASY FIVE

Friday Edition
October 26th, 2012  

FSH Fantasy Five

Week 8 Fantasy Picks (all positions)

Week 8 is another week of battling the byes for fantasy owners, with the Ravens, Texans, Bengals, and Bills on the sidelines this Sunday. With 14 games on the schedule (includes the Thursday night game) there are plenty of options to turn to, even if you don’t have Adrian Peterson or Doug Martin on your roster. Week 8 is the mid-point of the NFL season and the start of the back stretch for most fantasy leagues; time to start pulling the pieces together and make your run for the post season. 


This week I have some picks that are not only a good fill this week, but may offer more help going forward;

Andrew Luck, QB
It’s hard to not be a fan of Andrew Luck. He entered the league with great expectations and has not disappointed. Although he will be away from home this weekend, you have to like his matchup going against the Titans on Sunday. Luck has shown had his struggles on the road, but the Titans rank 27th versus the pass and have allowed the 3rd most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. This looks like one of the matchups where the Colts will be able to keep it close and as long as they do, the offense will turn to Luck to make the needed plays. Luck is still a rookie and has not been all consistent this season, but before Thursday he did rank 11th in fantasy scoring among quarterbacks so he’s a great back up fantasy QB heading toward the fantasy post season.

Eric Decker, WR
The Broncos offense appears to have an ideal matchup for fantasy owners this Sunday night when they play host the New Orleans Saints. The Saints secondary ranks 30th against the pass and have allowed the 2nd most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. This is good news for Eric Decker owners. Decker has been solid the past several weeks scoring a touchdown in each of his last three games. Decker is also averaging 9 targets per game over the same stretch, so it’s safe to expect much of the same Sunday night.

Darren McFadden, RB
Just like the Raiders, all fantasy owners are still waiting for running back Darren McFadden to have that big game to jump start his season. Despite his recent struggles toting the rock; just one game this season with over 100-yards rushing and averaging only 3.1 yards per carry, McFadden (20th) still ranks in the top 20 in fantasy points for running backs. This week’s opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs rank 22nd against the run and allow the 6th most fantasy points to opposing running backs. This could just be the matchup McFadden needs to get it going this season and once he does he still has the Ravens (27th against the run), Saints (31st), Bengals (21st), Browns (24th), Broncos (18th) and the Chiefs (22nd) again on the schedule.

Brandon Pettigrew, TE
The Lions passing game faces a tough matchup this Sunday with the Seahawks coming to town, but the good news is Pettigrew looks like he will be available. The Lions tight end has fallen quite a ways down the fantasy radar this season ranking 17th in fantasy scoring amongst tight ends. With the Seahawks corners and safeties looking to take Calvin Johnson out of the equation, the middle of the field could be left open for Pettigrew to operate. The Seahawks defense also ranks among the middle tier in fantasy scoring against tight ends, but don’t expect a mammoth performance. Pettigrew will see his fair share (of targets) on Sunday, averaging 8 targets a game and with Calvin on the field drawing extra attention, he could see even more.

Josh Gordon, WR
With wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi out of action the past several weeks, quietly Browns rookie receiver Josh Gordon has been working his way up the fantasy charts. The big receiver from Baylor has become a scoring machine recording four touchdowns in his last three games. Brown has been heavily targeted (22 times) the past three weeks and though he has only 7 receptions he is making the most of his opportunities when he does catch the ball. Gordon has 240 yards receiving in his last three contests averaging over 34 yards per grab. He is a playmaker and will see the leagues 25th ranked pass defense (Chargers) that also allow the 6th most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Gordon has a good matchup and is slowing working his way to becoming the Browns number one receiver (if he hasn’t yet).


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

Thursday Edition
October 25th, 2012

David’s Daily Digest

Week 8 Fantasy Notes:

With the Packers losing wide receiver Greg Jennings (sports hernia surgery) for an extended period, wideout Randall Cobb gets a big boost to his fantasy value. The exciting playmaking receiver has blossomed over the past several weeks in Jennings absence. Cobb has averaged 6 receptions and 90 yards receiving in his last three games and he has added three touchdowns in the same stretch. Going forward fantasy owners can play him with confidence.

With Rashard Mendenhall not practicing and Issac Redmen limited on Thursday, it looks like the Steelers will once again be turning to running back Jonathan Dwyer. Coming off a strong 122-yard performance a week ago Dwyer looks fixed to carry the brunt of the load on Sunday against the Redskins. Facing the leagues 7th ranked run defense that allows the 11th fewest fantasy points to running backs this season, Dwyer appears to be nothing more than a week 8 flex option at best.

Quarterback Philip Rivers struggled in the second half of the Chargers Monday night matchup against the Broncos back in Week 6, but with the Browns next on the slate the road to recovery looks well on its’ way. The Browns defense is ranked 26th against the pass and they have surrendered the 3rd most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. After his four interception performance in week 6, this matchup may be just what Rivers needs.

Two weeks ago on Monday night the Broncos wide receiver Demaryrius Thomas was relatively quiet against the Chargers defense finishing the night with just two catches. He did manage a score, but his output was far less than what owners were looking for. This Sunday the Broncos will host the Saints and Thomas could be looking at a much more productivity. The Saints are ranked 30th versus the pass and allow the 3rd most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.

The Browns rookie running back Trent Richardson has looked better this week in practice according to head coach Pat Shurmur, but given his recent history of inconsistency and prone to injury he remains a high risk this week for fantasy owners. The Browns will host the Chargers this Sunday and should Richardson make it on the field he’ll face the leagues’ 3rd ranked run defense that only allows 3.5 yards per carry and has surrendered just two rushing touchdowns this season; not a good matchup.

By David Ortega