FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

November 23rd 2017

Thursday Morning Edition

Thursday’s Twitter Takes

There's nothing like pumpkin pie, turkey, and NFL football on Thanksgiving. That's what I am thankful for and hopefully everyone is enjoying this great day with family, friends, and fellow fantasy football fans. Today's slate brings us three games and plenty of football to chew on along with lots of side dish treats. Happy Thanksgiving to all and let's get this day started!

Is it Heat check time for the Vikings quarterback Case Keenum? by @FantsySprtsHome

The Vikings quarterback Case Keenum is the No.20 fantasy QB and on the rise. In his last three starts Keenum is averaging over 290 yards passing, completing better than 68 percent of his passes with 7 touchdowns. He’s playing well, but faces a tough road challenge against a Lions defense that allows the 13th fewest yards to opposing quarterbacks.

Don’t trust the Lions running game, All-in with quarterback Matt Stafford today! by @FantsySprtsHome

The Lions running game is ranked 28th in the league averaging just under 81 yards per game and less than 3.5 yards per carry and the Vikings are the number two defense against the run. There’s little chance these teams buck this trend, so expect a lot of quarterback Matthew Stafford today to the tune of 40 plus passes.

The Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen is just stealin in 2017! by @FantsySprtsHome

Quite simply, the Vikings have another big time threat in the passing game besides wide receiver Stefon Diggs, his Wonder Twin Adam Thielen. Thielen is the No.3 fantasy WR in PPR, he’s posted the 62 receptions (tied for 5th) with 916 yards receiving (2nd in the league). Thielen has arrived in 2017 and he’s a legit WR1.

Latavius Murray looking for a big Thanksgiving dinner to follow a big Turkey day with a 100-yard rushing game! #Boldprediction by @FantsySprtsHome

The Lions defense is ranked 18th against the run and allow 4.4 yards per carry. In a road matchup where ball control and down and distance matter, Murray could see one of his busier days in the neighborhood of 20 carries. I like Murray to hit the century mark against a defense that’s allowed 313 rushing yards the past two weeks.

It’s may be The House That Jerry built, but today will be the Melvin & Keenan Show! by @FantsySprtsHome

In the last two weeks the Cowboys defense has surrendered 311 rushing yards to opposing running backs, along with 3 touchdowns to opposing wide receivers. The Chargers Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen could find great success against a reeling Cowboys team today.

Captain Kirk (Cousins) is ready to steady his ship and direct the Washington Enterprise toward a post-season berth. by @FantsySprtsHome

Through 11 weeks, Cousins is now the No.5 fantasy QB; he is seriously balling right now. In his last two starts he’s thrown for 649 yards, with 6 total touchdowns, just one pick, and a completion percentage of 62. Cousins is doing all he can to carry his team and make an argument that he is a Franchise QB. He’ll make another great case tonight against the G-men.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

November 22nd 2017

Wednesday Night Edition

On the Cover This Week

Pittsburgh is Steel Rolling 

with Big Ben

The Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting atop of their division at 8-2 and tied with the Patriots for the best record in the AFC. They have done all of this with something noticeably missing until just recently.

Heading into their Week 10 matchup with the Indy Colts, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense had yet to really fully display their talents and expectations as a unit. In what should have been a great matchup the Steelers offense was not all it could have been. But it was enough for the win and from that game a much-needed big play spark.

Fast forward to Week 11 and suddenly the Steelers offense led by Big Ben and his Killer Juju-Bees found gold again and struck big on Thursday night. With another toy in his arsenal and an old favorite, Big Ben turned in easily his best performance of the season last Thursday passing for 299 yards and throwing 4 touchdowns against the Titans defense. He finished as the league’s No.2 fantasy QB for Week 11.

It was a statement to the rest of the league to take heed, Big Ben and Company are back and Steelers offense is just heating up. With Antonio Brown playing lights out, the emergence of JuJu Smith-Schuster, the deep threat of Martavis Bryant, and the smooth Le’Veon Bell, Big Ben is well equipped to do some serious damage to opposing defenses.

Big Ben is only the No.16 fantasy QB through 11 weeks, but his stock is on the rise and he is trending in the right direction. With matchups against defenses like the Packers, Patriots, Texans, and the Ravens at home, Big Ben and the Steelers passing game could be ready to make a run and get a on sweet roll.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

November 19th 2017

Sunday Morning Edition

Sunday Morning Gametime

Good morning and hello week 11. There are a number of Marquee games on the slate and all with fantasy implications with most season long re-draft leagues entering the backstretch to the playoffs. Good luck today and here are some last minute Quick takes;

Injury Notes

With Allen Hurns out today, Jaguars wide receiver Marqise Lee should be in for a busy day. Lee enters the day as the league’s No.30 fantasy WR ready to move up the board.

With quarterback Philip Rivers clearing the concussion protocol, the biggest impact will not be with just his receivers today, but running back Melvin Gordon. With Rivers under center, the Bills 22nd ranked run defense won’t be able to stack the line against Gordon.

The Redskins tight end Jordan Reed is out today and with him sidelined, tight end Vernon Davis will handle duties. This matchup could end up having quite a few fireworks today, not only will Davis benefit with Reed’s absence, but wide receiver Jamison Crowder will be busy in the slot.

Today’s Favorites off the Radar

With the Chiefs coming to town, the Giants should be gearing up for a potential shootout (if their offense can keep up). One player not getting a lot of run this week, but could be an early factor is Giants running back Orleans Darkwa. The Giants back should be in line for some heavy work early and could do some damage on the ground. The big question will be can the G-men keep this close long enough for Darkwa to make noise.

The Buccaneers defense is ranked 14th against the run, but through 10 weeks they’ve allowed the 8th most receiving yards and 10th most receptions to opposing running backs. The Dolphins Kenyon Drake has played well in a time-share with Damien Williams and over his last two games he’s rushed for 151 yards, caught 8 passes, and added 45 yards receiving. He could make some noise today.

My Perfect Lineup

This week I am all-in with the Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and his wide receiver Michael Crabtree. They’ll have what should be a favorable matchup against a secondary that’s allowed nearly 290 yards passing per game.

My other receiver is the Buccaneers Mike Evans. The Bucs are on the road and will need all of their playmakers today, including Evans.

The Giants will have their hands full playing the Chiefs today and they could end up playing catch up in the second half. Tight end Evan Engram has become a primary weapon in the Giants pass game and could be in line for a big day.

My running backs today are Kareem Hunt, coming off the bye, head coach Andy Reid will turn his dynamic running back loose, and Adrian Peterson. The Texans have a lot of injuries on the defensive side and Peterson should see a heavy workload today.

Finally running with the favorites today on defense today; the Jaguars matched up with Cleveland. My kicker is Justin Tucker. I can see the Ravens moving the ball, but all season the offense has struggled and Tucker will be called upon.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

November 18th 2017

Saturday Morning Edition

Week 11 Fantasy Notes

Double-Down in DFS

If you playing any DFS, you are probably familiar with stacking or what I like to call double-down, slotting a QB with one of his receivers. This week I like matchup and the cost of Derek Carr with Michael Crabtree ($15,500 total) over such combinations like Brady & Gronk ($16,800). Another double-down I fancy is Alex Smith with Travis Kelce ($15,400), also consider stacking these two with running back Kareem Hunt this week. The savings with these combos is huge and will allow you more room to maneuver when filling out the rest of your lineup.

Diamonds in the Rough

These Diamonds for week 11 are sitting in what I would call short rough. For those of you on the fence with these plays, Jay Cutler (vs TB), Marshawn Lynch (vs NE), Doug Martin (vs Mia), and Marqise Lee (vs Cle), let me offer these quick takes. The Bucs have been awful all season versus the pass and Cutler has more ability and better weapons that Josh McCown. The Patriots allowed over 100 yards rushing to Denver’s backfield, after getting diced for 135 yards by Melvin Gordon. The Dolphins defense is coming off a 200 yards and 6.9 yards per carry allowed performance. Finally Lee is going to be the clear-cut number one on Sunday and should see plenty of volume.

Time to Trade Away or Let Go

While in Packer-land the news is good that quarterback Aaron Rodgers could be back in Week 15, that does fantasy owners no good if they have already been bounced from their respective playoffs. If you are in the hunt to make post-season or chasing a spot, it’s time to trade away of let wide receiver Jordy Nelson go. The preference is to trade, but on limited rosters you aren’t playing Nelson (8 catches, 68 yards last three games). He’ll still have value to someone as a stash for the playoffs, meanwhile you can pick up some talent that you can use now to make the dance.

Also, it’s time to drop tight end Jordan Reed. He’s out again this week and it’s likely he won’t be healthy the rest of the season. He’s a great talent, but injuries have completely upended his season. Through 10 weeks, Reed currently the No.23 fantasy TE (in PPR) has missed 3 games and his best effort came in week 7 when he scored twice and totaled 26.40 fantasy points. In his other five games, he’s only reached double-digit fantasy points in one; time to drop him.

That's My Take.

~David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

November 17th 2017

Friday Evening Edition

My Week 11 Fantasy Favorites

Believe me when I say, there’s no deep research here. I’m not using any algorithms or scientific formulas, but at the same time I am not flipping coins or selecting the more dominant state flowers. I just go by what my eyes see and what the numbers tell me. After 10 weeks of action, these are my favorite plays for Sunday Week 11;

Derek Carr (Oak); I like the Raiders quarterback at home this week against the Patriots. And while some believe the Pats defense is playing much better, let’s not confuse Brock Osweiler with Derek Carr. The talent level and abilities are not comparable. I expect a huge day for Carr.

Latavius Murray (Min); The Rams have not been great against the run this season and their secondary is going to have all they can handle with the Wonder Twins (Diggs & Thielen) on Sunday. Murray should see a healthy number of carries (14-18) this week, enough to do some damage. He could break off a few big runs if he can get to that second level. The Rams safeties won’t be able to cheat up and will likely be making most of their tackles 5-6 yards beyond the line-of-scrimmage.

Melvin Gordon (LAC); Last week was Austin Ekeler outplaying Melvin, but this week look for Gordon to bounce back in a big way against the Bills. Gordon will line up against a defense that has allowed the 6th most rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns (most in the league) this season. Gordon should get plenty of play on Sunday and turn in a great effort.

Michael Crabtree (Oak); With Carr expected to have a big day on Sunday according to me, Crabtree should be one of the big recipients. The Patriots defense has allowed the 3rd most fantasy points, 3rd most receptions, and the 2nd most receiving yards to opposing wide receivers this season. Crabtree is the No.23 fantasy WR (in PPR) this season and will look to climb the board on Sunday.

Nelson Agholor (Phi); The Eagles wide receiver has been a quiet surprise this season, scoring in five of his first seven games. He’s been off the past two games, but he’s got a tasty matchup on Sunday against the Cowboys. The Cowboys defense has allowed the 5th most receptions and 3rd most touchdowns to opposing receivers. I am expecting Agholor to make at least one trip to pay dirt.

Travis Kelce (KC); Quite simply the Giants defense has played the worst against opposing tight ends this season. Kelce will matchup against a defense that has allowed the 3rd most receiving yards (632 yards) and the most touchdowns (10) to opposing tight ends; sounds like a big day coming for Travis.

That's My Take.
~David Ortega