Week 6

Just like the Arizona Cardinals, fantasy owners may feel like they can’t put teams away. Meltdowns and poor performances can get someone fired in the NFL, but luckily for fantasy owners they only have themselves to blame. Because it was they who did all the picking of the players, it was they who put the players in the lineup. And now they are suffering the wrath of poor performances from big name players. But don’t worry, I’ll try to give you a pick me up for this week’s games.

The Lock of the week

This week’s must start player is Anquan Boldin. Boldin is coming off of a spectacular game against the best defense in the league and is now going up against the defense of the Raiders. This means that the big play over the top will be open all night long for him and in fantasy terms that means bonuses. So your regular six points for a touchdown may now be worth nine or 12 depending on the yardage. Also, look at the Cardinals’ injury list and you will see Larry Fitzgerald’s name. That means Boldin is again the primary target for the Cardinals offense. So, if you want to rack up the points make sure that you have Boldin in the lineup this week against the Raiders. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

The best of the rookie class

Reggie Bush was the sexy pick in fantasy drafts this year out of all the rookies and Vince Young was the popular pick. But the smart pick was Matt Leinart. So far in two games as the starter in Arizona he has racked up games of 24 and 20 points and one of those was against the top rated Chicago defense. In three games this year Leinart has 45 total fantasy points while Bush has 47 points in six games. Most fantasy owners have Leinart as their backup quarterback. Here’s a word of advice to those who do; start him this week. Leinart is a must start this week unless you have one of the Manning brothers or Donovan McNabb for the simple fact that he will be battling the less-than-stellar defense of the Oakland Raiders. While he was not the sexiest pick of all the rookies you will come to see he was the smartest. He will be the one that proves to be the steal of the draft when it is all said and done and next year he will be a first round fantasy draft pick.

Where did you go?

Will the real Chad Johnson please stand up? Last year he was one of the most dominant fantasy wide outs in the league; this year he has been one of the biggest fantasy busts in the league. Johnson is currently rated the 40th best wide out from a fantasy standpoint with only 34 total points and a weekly average of a mere 6.8 points. Where did Chad go? His biggest output of the year came in week 2 against the Browns when he scored a less-than-spectacular 13 points. So far this year Johnson has had 24 catches for only 300 yards and one touchdown. I mean, even Dolphins receiver Wes Welker has more catches and yards than Johnson. So I ask again: Will the real Chad Johnson please stand up?

Week 5

Some fantasy owners may be in panic mode as it has already been a long season for most of you out there playing fantasy football. It has been a season of weird happenings from a fantasy standpoint. Shaun Alexander hasn’t played well, T.O. has been all but nonexistent and the Bears are undefeated. But with all the weird goings on there are still people performing as expected and some doing better than expected. But you have to use the players you have, so this week I will tell you who you should start, who you should sit and who is the best of the rest.

Start Him

A lot of people saw the Jets get beat up 41-0 last week by the Jaguars. And that brought up the question ‘Do I start or sit Chad Pennington?’ Well the answer is yes. Yeah last week he only got fantasy owners three points for his performance of 71 yards passing and three interceptions, but that was against a stout Jags defense. This week Pennington leads his Jets against the Miami Dolphins, who have been getting kicked around all year. The Dolphins are susceptible to the deep ball so if his arm can withstand the long throws, Laveranues Coles will be there on many occasions. This is a far worse pass rushing team than the Jags with the exception of Jason Taylor. Not to mention they are playing at home and Pennington plays much better at home than on the road. So if you have Chad Pennington give him the start this week.

Sit Him

He is one of the top wide outs in the league, but I’m going to tell you to sit him. I’m talking about Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is a must sit this week for two reasons. The first is that he is likely not going to play this week against the Chicago Bears. His hamstring was reported as feeling better on Wednesday but he is still likely to be out of action for one or two games. I mean they already have named his replacement as Bryant Johnson so if that tells you he’s not going to play I don’t know what is. But the second reason, as if you need another, is the fact that he would be going up against the No. 1 defense in the league this week. It would be hard enough for him to do major damage in the fantasy world against that defense healthy, but the fact that he’s not is even more of a reason to sit Larry Fitzgerald this week and maybe even next week.

The Best of the Rest

One sure fire way to get a lot of points in fantasy football is to get a top kicker. Now we are five weeks into the season so some of you might be thinking there are no real good kickers left out there. Well I have good news for you, you are wrong. In most leagues there is still a difference maker from a kicker standpoint out there. Take Josh Scobee for instance. He is the 7th ranked kicker in ESPN’s fantasy football. He is averaging 9.0 points per week and last week he had a season high 13. If he’s not out there you can look at players like Lawrence Tynes of the Chiefs or even Joe Nedney of the 49ers, who is the 12th ranked kicker according to ESPN. So you see you can still get a quality kicker out there if your current kicker is not living up to your expectations.

Week 4

Disappointment, frustration, agitation. These are all words that are coming to fantasy football owners after week 4 of play because a quarter of the season is gone and that team you thought was going to be so great might not be doing so well. That’s the case for a lot of fantasy owners out there right now due to injury or lineup rotation or just the fact that players are not doing as well as you expected. But for that I have some suggestions.

Find a difference maker

Whether via trade or digging deep into what’s left of the waiver wire, to get back on track you have to find a difference maker on the field to anchor your team. Start with a top-tier running back like Rudi Johnson. Johnson is the second rated fantasy football running back on ESPN, but he is obtainable if you offer a good trade. I know because I did it. I traded Edgerrin James and Braylon Edwards to obtain Johnson and it has worked out great. Rudi has racked up 61 fantasy points (good for an average of 15.3 points per week). If you can’t get Rudi then look for an unknown wide receiver. Someone like Chicago Bears wide out Bernard Berrian, for example. Berrian is the no. 3 rated wide out collecting 52 fantasy points thus far (13.0 average). If he’s not on a team now pick him up fast because he won’t stay on waivers for too long.

Dynamic Duo

Another way to maximize your fantasy points is to get a quarterback/wide receiver combination. One good one to look at is the duo in Carolina, that being Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith. Its obvious how important Smith is to the Panthers, they are 2-0 with him in the lineup and 0-2 without him. But he also has a positive effect on Delhomme’s fantasy numbers. In the first two weeks (which Smith missed) Delhomme managed point totals of 6 and 7, but over the last two weeks with Smith in the lineup he has put up 15 and 18. While still not stellar numbers, you maximize your points because you are getting points on the back end with Smith. In his two games Steve Smith has had 11 and 14 points. Total those up with Delhomme’s and it’s a nice little chunk of points.

Wild Card

Another way to improve your fantasy team is by finding a wild card each week. Look at the waiver wire before Sunday’s game and try to find someone who is going up against a poor defense and think to yourself ‘Is he someone that can out up a big number for me this week?’ If he is then pick him up for the week, but only that week. For example, look at the waiver wire for someone like Chiefs quarterback Damon Huard. Not a huge name, but he is going up against the Arizona Cardinals this week and they are susceptible to the pass. Look what he did to the 49ers last Sunday. He may be in store for a big day. Is it worth finding out? If so, pick him up and look at the same thing next week.

Week 3

Week 3 was a separation week in fantasy football. Some teams were trying to go to 3-0 while some were on their way to 0-3, and still others were getting to 2-1. Week 3 was a pretty big fantasy week. We saw who were fantasy busts and who were fantasy studs. We also saw the last of the good (not great) players get picked up off waivers. So what do you need to look at for week 4 on Sunday?

“D”-termined

This off-season the Baltimore Ravens went out and got themselves a quarterback to help lead the 2000 Super Bowl champs back to the Promised Land, while the jury is still out on how good the offense will be there are no questions around the dominating defense led by super star Ray Lewis. As expected, the Ravens defense is ranked no. 1 in the NFL and in fantasy. In three games this year the Ravens D has only given up 20 points and they have looked as dominant as the 2000 defense that carried the Ravens into the Super Bowl. As a defense they have scored 77 fantasy points at an average of 25.7 per game, which is more than 17 more points then the second ranked Chicago Bears. So, a note to fantasy owners, if your quarterback, running backs, or receivers are going up against the Ravens this week you might want to look at starting someone else.

Pick him up if he’s out there

My pick up of the week for week 4 in fantasy land has to be Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards. This may be a surprise to most, but hear me out. The Browns are going up against the worst defense in the league this week in the Oakland Raiders. Oakland’s secondary has been burned for big play after big play this year so far and Edwards is a big receiver going up against small defensive backs. Not to mention he scored 22 fantasy points last week on the Ravens no. 1 rated defense. Over the past two weeks Edwards has pulled in nine catches for 226 yards and one touchdown, not to mention 33 fantasy points. Overall he is the ninth-ranked receiver in fantasy football and in case you didn’t catch the info above, he will be going up against the Raiders. They make every player look like a superstar. So if he is still out there for the taking I definitely recommend you pick him up for this week.

Cut your ties

I hate to say this because I have always like Trent Green, but if you picked him to be a solid backup for your team, now is the time to cut him loose if you haven’t already. Green was the recipient of a huge hit in the third quarter of week 1 and we haven’t seen him since. Oh yeah, and by the way, he had only five points for you fantasy owners at the time of the injury anyway. Green will not play this week against the 49ers and who knows how he will play when (or if) he does return this season. We have seen in the past how big hits can affect superstar quarterbacks. Look at Steve Young and Drew Bledsoe. Both were never the same after being hit violently during their careers. So, instead of keeping Green on your bench, look at the waiver wire and see if Charlie Frye, J.P. Losman, or even Philip Rivers is available. These guys will serve as much better backups for the rest of the season.

Week 2

Well, fantasy football is now in full swing. Week 2 has come and gone and there are definitely a few surprises in the fantasy world. Some players who were thought to be busts are becoming fantasy studs and some who were thought to be can’t miss fantasy players are doing just that, missing. So let’s look at week 2 in the world of fantasy football.

Missing in Action (M.I.A.)

Paging the reigning league MVP, paging Mr. Alexander. Has anyone seen Shaun Alexander? That’s the question fantasy owners are asking after another lackluster performance from the Seahawks stud. After a poor outing in week 1, Shaun Alexander was able to manage an adequate week 2. I guess fantasy owners should be ecstatic since his week 1 showing was a pathetic. So in two weeks of fantasy football, last year’s number one back is this year’s 23rd ranked back. He has managed a whole 18 points in two weeks. Now, before you do anything crazy, give the MVP another week before you assign him to the bench because the fact is he still is Shaun Alexander, one of the league’s top backs.

Pleasant Surprise

It may be a little early to declare him the next fantasy stud, but San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore has been a pleasant surprise so far. After week 2 he is the No. 1 rated running back by fantasy numbers. After another double digit week in points, he has put his fantasy point total to 46 points, which is good for a 23.0 points per week average, tops in fantasy football. A lot of his success has to go to the fact that Alex Smith is playing like an NFL quarterback so far this season. So this means opposing defenses can’t put eight men in the box and focus only on Gore and the 49ers’ running game.

The fact remains that Gore is the top dog in Fantasy right now. And how did he do that you may ask? By carrying the ball 45 times this season for 214 yards and three touchdowns. But the real test will come Sunday when the 49ers have to battle it out against the Philadelphia Eagles and that swarming run defense. So good luck on Sunday, Frank. All us fantasy owners will be rooting for you.

Welcome Back

It’s not as much a ‘surprise’ that Donovan McNabb is the No. 1 rated quarterback in fantasy football, as it is a ‘welcome back.’ We all know what kind of quarterback McNabb can be when he’s healthy and T.O. free, so that’s why we must say welcome back to Donovan McNabb as a fantasy god. I’ll give him a mulligan for last season due to the fact that he was hurt since week 1 and he had to deal with T.O., but this year is the return of Donovan. After two weeks he is the No. 1 QB, not Peyton Manning or his little brother Eli. He has put up a total of 61 fantasy points, that’s good for an average of 30.5 points per week. He had a great week 2 by going 27-45 passing for 350 yards and 2 touchdowns. With a lucky bounce of the ball the Eagles might have won that game. But wins and losses don’t mean anything in fantasy football. The only thing that matters is stats, and McNabb is putting them up.

Week 1

Week one came and went in the NFL and many people (myself included, I can’t lie) are jumping the fantasy gun and making changes to their teams. I have this one thing to say…slow down, it’s only week one. But at the same time it never hurts to have a few players on the waiver radar you want to pick up.

In the fantasy world stats equal wins, so let’s look at a few:

Running Back By Committee (RBBC) No More

In the off-season the Baltimore Ravens went out and picked themselves up an insurance policy. Insurance in case Jamal Lewis wouldn’t return to form this season. He was coming off one of his worst seasons from a numbers standpoint, and in the fantasy world that’s all that counts.

And who was that insurance policy? None other than Mike Anderson. But after week one the Ravens running situation is cleared up. Jamal Lewis carried the ball 18 times for 78 yards and a touchdown, while Anderson only saw 7 carries for 25 yards. With Steve Air McNair behind center, things are going to open up Lewis and the running game. And with the Ravens playing the Raiders next week, Lewis is a must add because his punishing style will destroy the Raiders. But then again who doesn’t do that?

So this week’s ‘RBBC No More’ is the Baltimore Ravens. If by some chance Jamal Lewis is out there for the taking, take him. He’s as close to a lock as it gets Sunday against that Raiders defense

Biggest Breakout

Being a 49ers fan (yea I know) I’m going to go with Frank Gore, but I can’t. This week’s biggest fantasy breakout has to be Chad Pennington. Many of you who play fantasy football might have thought I would say Charlie Batch, but the fact is that once Big Ben is back Batch goes right to the bench. But Pennington is the man for the Jets. There were many questions about how his shoulder would hold up. Well, the questions have been answered. His shoulder held up for 24-33 passing for 319 yards and 2 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

So do you pick him up? Not so fast. Next up for Chad is that pesky Patriots defense. So I would hold off this week and see what he does, but keep an eye out for Mr. Pennington in weeks to come.

Biggest Bust

Let me make it perfectly clear that this is the biggest bust of week one and only week one. It is Shaun Alexander. He was probably the second pick in every draft this year (behind Larry Johnson, who also was a week one bust) and he stunk up the fantasy world last week against the Lions for crying out loud.

Someone forgot to tell Shaun that the Lions are like a high school varsity football team, and not even a good one at that. The reigning NFL MVP managed a stellar 51 yards on 19 carries, (good for an average of 2.7 yards per carry) and zero TDs.

Come on, Shaun, you were playing the Lions. At last check they had one of the worse defenses in the entire NFL. But don’t go crazy, fantasy freaks. Don’t get rid of the MVP, he will bounce back as will Shaun Alexander. Alexander’s week two opponent is the Arizona Cardinals, and they had a hard time containing one Frank Gore of the 49ers. So this Sunday you can probably expect 51 yards by the end of the first quarter.