Fantasy Football “MUST ADDS” for Week 15

December 14, 2011 by 1 Comment

This will be you on Sunday

Who doesn’t want an added edge for the playoff run? I will help give you that edge with players that are under the radar so far and can help you BIG TIME in crunch time.

I am going to give you my top 3 players at each position that are available and that can make an impact for you in your championship run.

Well Start at Quarterback:

 

1.)    Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans – With Hasselbeck out, Locker will step in, and step into a great situation. The Titans will play the winless and pathetic Colts this Sunday. With Chris Johnson behind him, the Colts will obviously try to put 8 in the box to stop the run. Mathis and Freeney do concern me, but not enough to not make me not pickup Locker. The Colts have given up the 6th most fantasy points to Quarterbacks this season, in addition, he is avaible in 97% of  Yahoo Leagues, so he should be an easy pickup. If you are worried about Hasselback, I would not; early indications consider it a stretch to see him play this week. Also, Kerry Collins had a similar injury last season for Tennessee and missed two games.

2.)    T.J Yates, Houston Texans – Yates has a solid two-headed monster behind him in Foster and Tate, so that is a good start. Carolina also is one of the WORST defenses in the league, letting up 11th most fantasy points to Quarterbacks and will put all their attention on stopping the run this weekend. I REALLY like Yates this week; he threw for 300 yards and 2 TD’s against one of the more stout defenses in league in Cincinnati. I also see Houston’s Defense having a good day and giving Yates good field position all game. Yates is avaiable in 94% of Yahoo leagues. He is a good fit this weekend and is without question the starting quarterback, Yates is a solid pickup this week.

3.)    Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos – Tebow Mania gets a crack at the WORST DEFENSE in the league. Tebow, is tougher to get (available in only 31% of yahoo leagues) but if it happens to be your league he is available in, GET HIM. Tebow has been steadily getting better in the passing game, and his running ability cannot be ignored. He is a dual threat and a goal line BEAST. Don’t expect 300 yards passing, but I definitely think a 180 yard passing day along with 50 rush yards and 2 TD’s is a possibility.

Honorable Mention: Rex Grossman @ NYG, sounds crazy I know, but he did put 22 Fantasy Points against them in the season opener; this is if you are DESPERATE.

Running Backs:

1.) Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys – With Demarco Murray out of the picture, Felix Jones is the unquestioned starting running back, therefore he is fantasy gold. Felix is in a dynamic offense with playmakers on the outside, he will get all the opportunities to carry the ball, and going against the worst run defense in the league in Tampa Bay does not hurt. Felix is also a reliable receiver out of the backfield, this to me is a no brainer, if he is available you get him immediately.

2.)    Roy Helu Jr. Washington Redskins – He is my favorite pick this week, the Giants are awful against the run. If the Redskins have any chance in winning this game, Helu will need to have a huge day, which is very possible. Also being on the road helps, teams tend to try to control the pace of a game when they are on the road, hence running the ball becomes much more of a necessity. Also Helu is a GREAT receiver out of the backfield; he did have 10+ Receptions in ONE GAME earlier in the year. He is available in 31% of yahoo leagues, so he may be tougher to find, but if he is available, do not hesitate, pick him up.

3.)    Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers – With Starks still not 100%, Grant seems to be getting most of the work load. Last week Grant showed he can still be effective when used; Grant rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns proving he is still a viable fantasy option. Rodgers does spread it around, but with Jennings out I could see Green Bay maybe try to establish a run game for the playoff run. Kansas City got run all over on by Shonn Greene and the Jets. With the Chiefs trying to stop the Packers pass, I could see big running lanes for Grant and a big day. My prediction; 90 yards and 2 Touchdowns.

Honorable Mention: Sammy Morris, Dallas Cowboys @ Tampa Bay.

Wide Receivers

1.)    Donald Driver/James Jones, Green Bay Packers – I could not decide between the two, both guys can and should have productive games for the Packers.  Although Kansas City has given up only the 24th most Fantasy points to Wide Receivers, do not let the numbers fool you. Green Bay shows no signs of slowing down and with Jennings out, look for these two guys to have productive days this Sunday. As long as Aaron Rodgers is throwing the ball, expect good things. Jones is available in 47% of yahoo leagues and Driver is available in 84% of yahoo leagues, if you need wide outs, Green Bay should help you this week.

2.)    Nate Washington, Tennessee Titans – Washington had six catches for 130 yards and a touchdown this past game, and I do not see him slowing down against a bad Colt secondary that has given up the 7th most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.  Also with 8 men in the box, Washington will have a lot of one on one opportunities that I think he will win. Nate is available in 28% of Yahoo leagues, so he could be a tough find, but if he is there, pick up him before your opponent does.

3.)    Kevin Walter, Houston Texans – With Andre Johnson out, Carolina stacking the box to stop the run, Walter should have a productive game. Do not be fooled by Carolina allowing the 19th most Fantasy points to Wide Receivers, again the stats can be misleading. Walter is the #1 Wide Receiver in the passing game, and with a lot of one on one matchups, this can also be a big score for your fantasy team. Walter is available in 89% of yahoo fantasy leagues, if you are desperate for Wide outs and the names listed above are not available, Walter is your guy.

Honorable Mention:  Titus Young, Detroit Lions, Mario Manningham, New York Giants, and Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos.

Tight Ends:

1.)    Owen Daniels/Joel Dreessen, Houston Texans – What is a rookie quarterback’s best friend? TIGHT ENDS. Houston has two of them at their disposal. Daniels is coming of his best game and leads the team in catches with 51, and has 644 yards with 3 TD’s.  Dreeseen on the other hand, has been coming on as of late. Dreessen has had a touchdown grab in each of his last 3 games. In addition, out of Dreessen’s 19 catches, six of them were for touchdowns.  Also it helps that Carolina (like I said earlier) has one of the WORST defenses in the NFL. Both these guys are good options; Dreessen is available in 97% of Yahoo leagues, while Daniels is only available in 16% of Yahoo leagues.

2.)    Jake Ballard, New York Giants – Ballard is a bit of a gamble with his wrist injury (does not seem serious), but he is the starting Tight end on an offense that is clicking on all cylinders at the moment. Ballard is available in 54% of yahoo leagues and faces a Redskin defense that cannot cover the tight end (2nd most fantasy points allowed against TE). With Eli Manning in full command of the offense and using all of his weapons, look for Ballard to have a productive game (50 yards, touchdown).

3.)    Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles – This is a deep sleeper pick. The Jets have been bad against the tight end in the Rex Ryan Era, couple that with the loss of Jim Leonard, this could be a good matchup for Celek. The Jets do not have the speed at Linebacker to matchup with Celek, and even with Leonard in the lineup the Jets were still vulnerable across the middle, now might as well put a huge X in the middle of the field. Also I see the Jets playing a lot of combo coverage’s (man on the outside, zone in the middle) this really favors Celek when you add the fact that Vick can run.

Honorable Mention – Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings VS. New Orleans Saints.

Defense:

1.)    Tennessee Titans – Curtis Painter is the Quarterback; the Colts offense has been a train wreck all year. Titans’ defense had 18 fantasy points against the colts earlier in the year, and that was in Indy. With the Titans playing at home, I just don’t see how you don’t start the Titans Defense. Titans Defense is available in 69% of yahoo leagues; this is your best bet on defense, if you see them, GET THEM.

2.)    Cincinnati Bengals – Steven Jackson does scare me, but the Bengals have shut down the run all year long, and with Bradford struggling mightily this is another great matchup for fantasy owners. The Rams have given up the most points to defenses all year;  the Bengals defense is available in 42% of yahoo leagues, another no brainer here.

3.)    Seattle Seahawks – The Bears have looked awful since Cutler has been out, their offense is a disaster, and also stud running back Matt Forte is out. This is a very underrated pick in my opinion, Seattle’s Defense has not been bad this year, Although they have not been the same defense on the road, the Bears offense is just that bad. Seattle’s defense is available in 57% of Yahoo Leagues.

Honorable Mention: Atlanta (Home against Jacksonville)

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Eli Manning: The MVP That We’ll Never See

December 13, 2011 by 5 Comments

Being a New York Giant fan can be brutal.

To be honest, I had minimum expectations for the boys in the blue this year. Currently, our defense is 29th in opposing passing yards (263.7) and 22nd in opposing rushing yards (127.9) per game.

Yet somehow we are winning the NFC East. From watching the games each week, I have noticed that there are only two players who you know will show up each week; Jason Pierre- Paul and Eli Manning. Both of them are studs. JPP is the Manning of our defense; each week you can count on him to make a play when one needs to be made. For example, 2 sacks, a FF, and a blocked FG to prevent the G-Men from entering overtime against Dallas.

However, this article is not aimed at JPP. The real hero here is Eli Manning. If it were not for Eli, I don’t think I could manage to get myself out of bed on Sundays to watch the Giants. He gives us hope, but even better, he has consistently put the Giants in situations to win. Credit is given only when it is due and you better believe that it is definitely due for Eli.

Ironically, people laughed at Manning earlier this year when he put himself in the same category as players like Tom Brady. People cited his 25 interceptions last year (which any fan knows take away ten of those because the NYG receivers had a serious case of dick fingers) and the fact that the Giants have only made the playoffs once since they defeated New England.

Regardless, any football fan knows it takes the combination of a solid offense and defense to get in the playoffs and make a legitimate run. Now I don’t want to jump to conclusions but the NYG may be the exception to that rule, especially if you look at Eli’s play over the course of this year. Currently, Eli has 25 TD’s to 12 INT’s, 4,105 yards, and a 95.5 overall QB rating. With solid numbers such as those its no question why the NYG’s are rated 4th in passing behind New Orleans, New England, and Green Bay. With that said, you must also take into account that the Giant’s are ranked dead last (32) in rushing at 3.3 yards per carry. Is it a coincidence Eli is having his best statistical season when the G-Men have absolutely no running game to rely on?

However, lets not forget Eli Manning’s unbelievable fourth quarter play. This year alone, he has led the Giants to five 4th quarter comebacks and is tied with Johnny Unitas and his older brother with 14 fourth quarter touchdowns in a season; yet Eli still has three games left. Interestingly, Eli Manning is ranked fourth in fourth quarter or OT game winning drives since 2004 with 20; behind Peyton Manning (26), Ben Roethlisberger (25) and Drew Brees (23).Oh wait, did I mention he is in front of Tom Brady (18) ?

This year, Eli Manning  has a 117 QB Rating in the fourth quarter which is ahead of Aaron Rodgers (112.6). It  just goes to show you how well Eli Manning is playing, especially when the game is on the line . He is what Tyson Chandler was to the Mavericks, the X- Factor.

Not convinced of Eli’s legitimacy as an elite quarterback in this league? Let’s take a look and see how our good old friends Kevin Boss and Steve Smith are doing. Last season, Kevin Boss had 531 receiving yards and 5 TD. This year, he has an epic 288 receiving yards and 2 TD’s.

Steve Smith, when he was healthy, broke the record for most receptions by a Giant (107) and pulled in 1,220 yards and 7 TD in 2009. In  2010, although he was hurt, played in 9 games and had 529 yards and 3 TD’s. This season, although he was put on IR for a bruise on his knee that he mad microsurgery on, he also played in 9 games but only had 124 yards and 1 TD (which came against the Giants; makes me cringe ever time I think about it).

Now lets compare them with how Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Jake Ballard are doing. Currently, Cruz (1,150 yards and 7 TD) &  Nicks (1,023 yards and 6 TD) are both top ten in the league in receiving yards; 3 and 9 respectively. Meanwhile, Jake Ballard has 589 yards and 4 TD’s.

Did I mention that Victor Cruz and Jake Ballard were both un-drafted free agents as well? There is no question, Eli Manning makes his players better.

Eli Manning is critical for the NYG’s success. Our defense is atrocious, yet we sit at 7-6 ahead of the Dallas Cowboys following a nightmare schedule (if you didn’t notice the Giants just recently faced SF, NO, & GB).

Yet the reason we are at 7-6 and not 2-11, is Eli Manning. It is shocking that he still does not get the respect or coverage that he deserves. Yet that’s in part due to the incredible QB play by Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers who are on the verge of breaking Dan Marino’s single season passing yard record (5,084).

Oh wait, isn’t Eli also on track following his 400 yard game against the Dallas Cowboy‘s last Sunday?

There are no definite things in life except death and taxes. Yet on the  New York Football Giants you can definitely expect Chris Canty to be blocked 100 yards up the field and you can definitely expect Aaron Ross to suck, however, you can definitely count on Eli Manning to make a play when it is needed and to put the Giant’s in a position to win the game.

Yet for some reason he has not been able to shake the “baby face” criticism nor will he be noticed in a sea of other unbelievable Quarterbacks. Therefore, Eli Manning will always be the MVP we’ll never see.

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