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Fantasy Football Emergency Starters: Week 17

admin — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:40:45 +0000

If your league is still playing but your team has been crippled with injuries, here’s a few players that you might use as emergency starters.

QB Jim Sorgi, Indianapolis Colts
With Peyton Manning likely taking most of the game off, look for Sorgi to get a lot of action. While he’s going against a tough defense in the Tennessee Titans, he’ll have some good weapons on offense. While the Colts don’t need to win this game, that doesn’t mean that Sorgi and the offense are going to lay down.

RB Darren Sproles, San Diego Chargers
Look for the Chargers to dispose of the Oakland Raiders quickly and for Sproles to get plenty of carries. Sproles has shown to be an explosive runner who is very capable of breaking off a big run. If he has ten carries against the porous Raiders run defense, look for him to produce very nicely.

WR Kevin Walter, Houston Texans
Walter has touchdowns in two out of his last three games and should get plenty of playing time this week. Even though the Texans have no shot at the playoffs, they still want to end their season on a high note. With a good outing in Week 17, Walter could lock up a starting spot on the Texans last season.

TE Bryan Fletcher, Indianapolis Colts
Fletcher is one of the many backups that should see time for the Colts. Fletcher has always been a good pass catching tight end. With the amount of playing time he’ll see in this game, there’s a good chance that he’ll end up with a touchdown.

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Fantasy Football Week 17: Waiver Wire Pickups

admin — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 06:50:01 +0000

While many fantasy football leagues are finished, some people are in leagues that play all the way through Week 17. If that’s the case for your league, look into acquiring these Week 17 waiver wire pickups.

QB Shaun Hill, San Francisco 49ers
Hill has played well as the starter for the 49ers and this week San Francisco faces off against the Cleveland Browns. The Browns, who can at times struggle against the pass, are a good matchup for Hill this week. If you start him, you can expect one or two touchdowns out of him this week.

RB Najeh Davenport and TJ Duckett
Davenport is the big prize this week. He’s replacing the injured Willie Parker and should be able to be quite productive. He’s actually more of a touchdown threat than Parker was this season. Duckett is another great pickup this week as he’s expected to fill in the for injured Kevin Jones. If you need a running back this week, either Davenport or Duckett would be a quality start this week.

WR David Patten, New Orleans Saints
Patten has solidified his spot as the second wide receiver in New Orleans. With Marques Colston getting hurt in Week 16, he suddenly jumps to the top of the pack. Drew Brees has played very well the second half of the season and should look Patten’s way a whole bunch in the last game of the season. Sign him up if you have the chance.

TE Randy McMichael, St. Louis Rams
McMichael is coming off of a game in which he had a season-high six receptions. In Week 17, McMichael faces the Arizona Cardinals – a team that has struggled defensively as of late. McMichael has always shown a lot of talent and is always a threat in the red zone.

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Fantasy Football: Championship Day Ponderings

admin — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 10:47:51 +0000

In many fantasy leagues, this is championship week. With the Sunday games around the corner, you are probably getting your lineup in order to try to take home the championship. Obviously, championship week is the most important week in terms of making the right calls.

What is the best strategy for championship week? The most important thing is to not over think it. A lot of fantasy owners panic and start someone who they haven’t started all season due to a good matchup or a regular having a bad matchup. While bad matchups should usually be avoided, you shouldn’t bench a fantasy football stud at this point of the season. As they say, dance with the one who brought you.

The most important thing you can do is to just keep an eye on the injury front. Make sure everyone you are starting is actually healthy. Also, don’t wait until the last second to set your lineup. Plan ahead, use sound judgment and go with the guys who have a track record for producing. This isn’t the time to reach if you have safer starts you can make.

And remember – have fun. Even if you have money on the line, fantasy football is still just a game. All you can do as an owner is to put in the research and put your team in a position to win. If the breaks don’t go your way, the breaks don’t go your way. There’s always next year.

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Week 16: Emergency Kickers and Defenses

admin — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 08:12:17 +0000

K Josh Scobee, Jacksonville Jaguars
With the Jaguars up against the Oakland Raiders, Scobee is a really nice start this week. If you are in a championship game, you can rely on Scobee to be effective this week. The Jaguars have a sound offense and Scobee has been fine since missing most of the beginning of the season with an injury.

K David Akers, Philadelphia Eagles
Akers is a solid veteran kicker who has been good for a number of years. This year he hasn’t been as explosive as usual but he should see some action in Week 16. Against the defense of the New Orleans Saints, the Eagles shouldn’t have too much trouble getting into field goal range. Akers has been a little shaky recently but he should be good for some points this week.

D Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have lost three out of their final four games. While they played really well to begin the season, the Cardinals have struggled as of late. That said, they should be fine this weekend against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have been horrible as of late and the Cardinals should be able to take advantage.

D Detroit Lions
The Lions were talking playoffs not too long ago. Now, after six consecutive losses, those previous talks look humorous. The Lions in the playoffs? Who were they kidding? However, this week, the Kansas City Chiefs come to town. With Brodie Croyle at quarterback for the Chiefs, the Lions should be able to make some plays defensively.

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Week 16: Fantasy Football Emergency Starters

admin — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:49:11 +0000

QB Todd Collins, Washington Redskins
Collins stats from last week look horrible. He was only 8 for 25 passing the ball and finished without a touchdown pass. However, it must be noted that the heavy wins made it extremely hard to pass the ball. And since Collins has a weak arm, the winded really affected him. This week, Collins will be playing against the Minnesota Vikings in a dome. Don’t expect a lot of passing yard but he should be able to throw for a touchdown or two.

RB Kenny Watson, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals backfield has been hard to figure out the last couple months. With Watson, Rudi Johnson and Dede Dorsey all getting carries, it’s tough to figure out who will be carrying the load that week. This week, with the Bengals against the Browns, Watson is a decent start if you are desperate. He should get about ten carries and has a decent shot at a touchdown.

WR Donte Stallworth, New England Patriots
Stallworth has been really quiet as of late. In the last two weeks, he has one catch. It seems as if he’s fallen out of favor with the Patriots. That said, the Patriots have a good matchup this week against the Miami Dolphins and Stallworth already has a touchdown this year against the Dolphins. If he’s on the waiver wire and you need a starter, consider picking him up.

TE Kevin Boss, New York Giants
With Jeremy Shockey out for the season with a broken fibula, Boss is now in charge of the tight end position for the Giants. He’s a pretty good athlete, has nice hands and decent enough speed. Don’t expect a lot of catches out of him but he could be a end zone target for Eli Manning.

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Week 15: Emergency Kickers and Defense

admin — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 09:36:54 +0000

K Ryan Longwell, Minnesota Vikings – While it’s tough to bank on offensive production out of the Vikings, this week should be a good week for Longwell. With Tavaris Jackson playing well and Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson healthy, the Vikings’ offense is better than it’s been all year. Going up against the Chicago Bears with Kyle Orton at the helm, this promises to be a field goal battle. Expect at least two field goals from Longwell this week.

K Martin Gramatica, New Orleans Saints – With Olindo Mare out for the season with a dislocated hip, the Saints signed Gramatica to handle their kicking duties for the rest of the season. And honestly, this move is a big improvement for the Saints. Mare was only 10-for-17 on field goals this year and was virtually unstartable in the fantasy world. Gramatica, on the other hand, can’t be any worse and could flourish in an offense that is moving the ball rather well right now.

D New Orleans Saints – The Saints D has been playing better as of late. They still aren’t great at stopping other teams, but they are capable of making a big play at any moment. Against the Arizona Cardinals this weekend, they’ll have a couple shots to get a big play. While the Cardinals are decent offensively, they’re banged up and not firing on all cylinders. The Saints may be able to take advantage.

D Miami Dolphins - If you want a high risk, high reward defense this week, look at the Dolphins. Sure, they are winless. Sure, they are horrible. However, this week they are taking on the Ravens. No team has ever gone 0-16 and this looks to be the Dolphins best shot to win a game. Cleo Lemon is back at quarterback, which will help the offense. The defense is going up against a very average offense that due for a major letdown.

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Week 14: Emergency Starters

admin — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 08:56:51 +0000

QB Chris Redman, Atlanta Falcons – Redman is an intriguing option this week. He’s likely to get his first start this week after playing rather well last game coming from off the bench. Against the St. Louis Rams, Redman had two touchdowns and had a quarterback rating of nearly 100. This week he plays the struggling Atlanta Falcons defense, which is very poor against the pass. Redman is the definition of a boom or bust start this week.

RB Chris Brown, Tennessee Titans – Brown shouldn’t be considered unless you are in a true emergency. But if there aren’t any starters on the waiver wire for you to pickup, Brown is a good start for a backup. LenDale White is banged up and Brown has run well this year, averaging nearly five yards per carry. If White’s carries are limited, Brown should produce quite nicely.

WR Joe Jurevicius, Cleveland Browns – Jurevicius is a solid start this week against the Jets. He has always been a good red zone threat and this week the Browns should see the red zone quite a bit. Another plus is that Braylon Edwards is a bit banged up, which should allow a few more passes to come to Jurevicius. If you are looking for a nice option at your third wide receiver slot, think about picking up this guy.

TE Leonard Pope, Arizona Cardinals – With Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald both battling injuries, Pope could very well become Kurt Warner’s best option in the red zone. Pope has shown the ability to get open in the endzone this year. While he’s not a threat to catch a lot of passes, he is a threat to catch a touchdown – especially with the star wide receivers for the Cardinals ailing.

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Fantasy Football Week 13: Injury Update

admin — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 12:37:06 +0000

QB Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Garcia is questionable heading into Week 13 against the New Orleans Saints. If he plays, he’s actually a good start against the Saints’ porous defense. In addition, Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard become startable. If Garcia doesn’t play, that means either Bruce Gradkowski or Luke McCown gets the nod. If either of those quarterbacks get on the field, it’s probably best to bench everyone on offense for the Bucs.

RB Travis Henry, Denver Broncos – The Broncos are playing the Oakland Raiders this week. If you haven’t been paying attention, the Raiders are an atrocious defensive squad against the run. Whoever starts for the Broncos is a good start. Right now it looks like it could be Henry but if he misses the game due to injury, Selvin Young is next in line.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals – Fitzgerald is questionable for Week 13 with a groin injury. If he isn’t able to suit up versus the Cleveland Browns, all of a sudden Bryant Johnson becomes a good start in his place. Anquan Boldin would also be upgraded against the weak Browns defense. Obviously, Kurt Warner’s value will be higher if Fitzgerald plays, but either way he’s a good start.

TE Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens – Heap has been plagued for most of the year with a hamstring injury. He’s questionable this week against the New England Patriots on Monday night, so he’s a highly risky play. Even if he were probable, it’d be best to stay away. Heap shouldn’t be started in fantasy football again until he proves he’s capable of playing an entire game.

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Week 13: Emergency Starters

admin — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 07:48:02 +0000

QB Kellen Clemens, New York Jets – Clemens hasn’t looked too good so far in his short NFL career as a starting quarterback, but this week he has hope. Enter the winless Miami Dolphins. Although the Dolphins have actually played decent defense as of late, Clemens should have plenty of chances to come up with big plays. He has a very strong arm and the Jets should be able to move the ball. If you are need of a quarterback to start, look for Clemens as a pickup and play option.

RB Samkon Gado, Miami Dolphins – With Ronnie Brown out for the season, Ricky Williams out for the season and Jesse Chatman banged up, there’s a decent shot that Gado gets a good amount of carries this week. A couple years ago, Gado stepped in with the Green Bay Packers in a similar situation and played well. He’s not a very explosive back but he’s solid. Against the porous Jets defense, he’s a decent enough start.

WR Santana Moss, Washington Redskins – The Redskins are going to no doubt bring the emotion this week. Over the last couple games, Moss has been quietly effective for the Redskins. He has 14 catches over the last two games and seems to be returning to health after he battled injuries for much of the season. There’s a good chance that he could come up with a big play on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

TE Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers – The Niners offense finally looked good last week and that’s excellent news for Davis. When the Niners can move the ball, Davis becomes a nice threat near the endzone. He has great size and speed, especially for a tight end. If the Niners can again move the ball this week, Davis should be a big part of the offense. Over the last two weeks, he has ten receptions, including a touchdown in last week’s game.

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Emergency Starters – Week 7

admin — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 06:47:10 +0000

Did you wait until the last second to turn in your lineup? Were you hit with an unexpected injury? If so, here are some players you should be able to pickup and start in an emergency for Week 7.

Jerious Norwood, Atlanta Falcons
Will this be the week that Norwood finally gets a chance to take over the running back job in Atlanta? Everything he’s shown to this point in his career shows that he deserves more carries. He’s averaged more than six yards per carry over his first 20 games in the league. Last week, he had only six carries but finished the game with 87 yards and a touchdown. This week against the Saints, Norwood could finally get the carries to become a quality back in fantasy football.

Damon Huard, Kansas City Chiefs
Huard has a favorable matchup against the Raiders and some hot receivers. Dwayne Bowe has been a huge story early this season as he’s already transitioned into a starting quality wide receiver. However, even more importantly, Tony Gonzalez is back in the mix and is playing very well. Huard and Gonzalez had hooked up repeatedly last week against the Bengals. That should be no different this week against Oakland.

Demetrius Williams, Baltimore Ravens
Against the Jets, the Ravens should be able to move the ball on offense. If they do and get into the red zone, Williams is a likely target for a touchdown. He’s big and has good leaping ability. With Todd Heap sidelined, he could very well be the go-to receiver when it comes to getting the ball into the end zone.

Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears
If Olsen is still available in your league, pick him up. All indications are that he becoming a big part of Chicago’s offense. While the matchup isn’t great this week against the Eagles, Olsen should see plenty of passes thrown his way. As the season moves along, Olsen is quickly becoming a tight end worthy of a starting spot on a consistent basis.

Photo credit: NFL.com

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