Will the Eagles join the other defensive units who shined in week 7? Can Alex Smith turn Vernon Davis into a top-five fantasy TE for the rest of the season? Read MoreI’m not sure the Patriots and Bucs did much to increase the appeal of American football in England. The script played out as expected with the Patriots handedly defeated the Bucs. Perhaps next time if Wembley Stadium is booked the NFL would consider moving their act to the “Wooden O?” Nonetheless, there was nothing strange to note here. We are another step closer to seeing Josh Freeman starting and Tom Brady took a few more shots down the field yesterday but failed to connect more often than not.
The 49ers’ Vernon Davis notched three scores yesterday. This game wasn’t merely a spectacular outing for his owners, but it also gave Davis touchdowns and double-digit targets in three of the past four games. In other words, Davis is getting more opportunity and he is cashing in, two very positive signs for fantasy owners. He is a must-start on the road and I’m moving him ahead of Greg Olsen and alongside Brent Celek for the rest of the season. Juicy match ups in week 16 (vs. DET) and 17 (at STL) don’t hurt either.
This week I couldn’t help but notice how many fantasy defenses posted big games. Of course not every league counts defenses and special teams the same, but we got it all yesterday. Blocked punts, kickoffs and interceptions were returned for scores. Plenty of sacks and fumbles, heck Carolina’s safety accounted for over 20% of their team’s final score!
It’s safe to say Chicago can’t stop the pass and needs to start calling more running plays. It is also time to start giving Carson Palmer a little more value. Palmer has the nice 2:1 TD:INT ratio you want in a QB1 and gets Baltimore, Cleveland, Oakland and Detroit in four of the next five games.
Leon Washington’s injury elevates the value of Thomas Jones for the rest of the season. Already the popular choice near the goal, Jones is in line to get close to 20 touches per game. Shonn Greene is flex add with some upside but I wouldn’t go overboard with your free agent budget to get him.
Speaking of running backs, several backfields are seeing their fantasy production dwindle. In Dallas, Felix Jones’ return almost makes every Cowboy running back a flex-only play. Tampa Bay went back to more of a 50/50 split just when it looked like Cadillac Williams was going to see 15 carries a game. Beanie Wells regained some of his lost thunder while encroaching on Tim Hightower’s recent success. Additionally, Mike Bell’s “hot hand” kept Pierre Thomas’ carries down. What does this mean for fantasy owners? As the number of legit RB2’s decreases it makes guys like Ryan Grant, Kevin Smith, Thomas Jones and Ricky Williams more valuable than ever.
If you haven’t bought into the decline of Ladanian Tomlinson take a look at his numbers yesterday. If you can’t produce 75 yards on 25 touches in the NFL you are not a great tailback. Well, Tomlinson failed to reach that benchmark against the Chiefs. The Chargers are now Phillip Rivers team so adjust accordingly.
Bears Corner
I’m far too disgusted with the performance of the Bear’s to waste time writing about them so I will just rant on the NFL.
Every passing week makes it clearer and clearer. The NFL has more than a few BAD teams. Six teams failed to score 10 points. When you consider Detroit and Tennessee were on a bye it makes it even more astonishing to me. Can you imagine what would happen to real businesses that made such poor personnel choices? I am not old enough to have lived through the NFL’s earlier days, but to think that the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders are considered to be “bad jobs” is a travesty. When guys like Jon Gruden and Mike Shannahan get fired while Dick Jauron and Eric Mangini are offered contracts one has to wonder what the heck NFL owners are sipping on these days? If it’s not aged at least 15 years it’s gotta be some mighty fine Kool-Aid.
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