Fantasy Football Mastermindz

Updated 3/25/13

By Brian Anisansel

1. Kansas City Chiefs– Sharrif Floyd, DT Florida : Andy Reid loves to build his team from the inside out, so he will go with the Floyd who has been described as the best player in the draft.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars – Dee Milliner, CB Alabama : The Jaguars are in serious need for a CB. Milliner ran a 4.37 at the combine, and has the makeup to be a shutdown corner.

3. Oakland Raiders – Luke Joeckel, OT Texas A&M : The Raiders love Floyd, but if he is not available, they have no choice but to fix their offensive line.

4. Philadelphia Eagles – Eric Fisher, OT Central Michigan : Fisher is having a great offseason and his stock is through the roof. It would be foolish for the Eagles to pass on Fisher.

5. Detroit Lions – Dion Jordan, DE/OLB Oregon : The Lions lost DE Cliff Avril to the Seahawks, and will need someone to replace him. Jordan is a freak, who still has a ton of room for improvement.

6. Cleveland Browns – Ezekiel Ansah, DE/OLB BYU : Ansah is raw, but he will be a playmaker from day one, and the Browns need him desperately.

7. Arizona Cardinals – Tavon Austin, WR WVU : This is a reach, but he will take pressure off of Larry Fitzgerald, and Cardinals are believed not to be in the running for a QB in round 1.

8. Buffalo Bills – Geno Smith, QB WVU : Smith had a solid pro day, and the Bills currently do not have a starting caliber QB on their roster.

9. New York Jets – Star Lotulelei, DL Utah :  Lotulelei had a great pro day, and Rex knows how important it is to have a good front 7.

10. Tennessee Titans – Chance Warmack, OG Alabama : The Titans have been focused on improving their offensive line during the offseason. The addition of Warmack will be the finishing touch.

11. San Diego Chargers – Lane Johnson, OT Oklahoma : Rivers struggled last season because of the offensive line. Lane Johnson will be a star in the league, and protect Rivers’ blindside for years.

12. Miami Dolphins – Cordarrelle Patterson, WR Tennessee. : Miami spent the offseason bolstering their defense, so what better way to compliment the speedy WR Mike Wallace than another fast WR.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Xavier Rhodes, CB Florida St. : Even if the Bucs trade for CB Darrelle Revis, they still need to find a quality CB to start opposite of him.

14. Carolina Panthers – Sheldon Richardson, DT Missouri:  The Panthers need to stop the bleeding on defense, and Richardson is the second best DT left on the board.

15. New Orleans Saints – Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB : The Saints have tried to land a OLB in FA, but failed to do so. Enter the raw Mingo, who will make a huge impact.

16. St. Louis Rams – Jonathan Cooper, OG North Carolina : Cooper is a steal this late in the round, and he can also play center if need be.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers – Jarvis Jones OLB Georgia: A poor pro day, medical concerns, and the reputation of not being a work out warrior, could cause Jones to drop all the way into the Steelers lap.

18. Dallas Cowboys – Kenny Vaccaro, S Texas : The Cowboys like Vaccaro a lot because of his ability to cover WRs in the slot, and his playmaking ability.

19. New York Giants – Bjoern Werner, OLB Florida State : Werner did not have a great combine, and had an average pro day. Gmen love to have a ton of defensive linemen, and would look forward to grooming Werner in hopes that he becomes the next  Justin Tuck.

20. Chicago Bears – D.J Fluker, OT Alabama : The Bears need to keep Cutler upright, and the only way to do that, is to draft some hefty beefcakes upfront.

21. Cincinnati Bengals – Damontre Moore, DE/OLB Texas A&M – Moore could be a bust, but he will be an upgrade over Manny Lawson on the outside.

22. St. Louis Rams – Keenan Allen, WR California : The Rams need playmakers in order for Sam Bradford to be successful. Keenan Allen is tall (6’ 2”), talented, and will be the playmaker for Bradford on the outside, that he so desperately needs.

23. Minnesota Vikings – Desmond Trufant, CB Washington : With Aaron Rodgers in your division, you better have some good DBs on your team.

24. Indianapolis Colts – Margus Hunt, DE Southern Methodist University : Hunt had a great combine, and has the makings of the next J.J Watt.

25. Minnesota Vikings – D. J Hayden, CB Houston :  Hayden is rising up draft boards because of a blazing 40 yard dash time of 4.33, and being in the pass happy NFC North; a team can never have enough good DB’s.

26. Green Bay Packers – Arthur Brown, LB Kansas State : According to some scouts, Brown is one of the best LB’s in this years’ draft . The Packers want to pressure QBs more, and Brown will be able to do that.

27. Houston Texans – Alec Ogletree, ILB Georgia : The Texans would like to get a compliment WR opposite of Andre Johnson, but with the top 3 off the board, the Texans will just have to be satisfied with picking the talented, but troubled Ogletree.

28. Denver Broncos – Tank Carradine, DE Florida State : Carradine has enough talent to warrant a top 10 selection, but a blown knee makes him a question mark. The loss of Elvis Dumervil will hurt the Broncos, but Carradine will make them forget about Elvis easily.

29. New England Patriots – Johnthan Banks, CB Mississippi State: Banks stock is dropping because of a poor 40 time. He is a football player none-the-less, and the Patriots need to upgrade their secondary dramatically.

30. Atlanta Falcons –Datone Jones, DE UCLA : The release of DE John Abraham has created a huge void on the defensive line for Atlanta. Jones is a playmaker with great hand movement, and will give the Falcons a legitimate pass rusher off the edge.

31. San Francisco 49ers – Eric Reid, S LSU : Reid will be able to take over the vacant spot at Free Safety, with Dashon Goldson leaving via free agency. Reid has good range, is solid in run support, and will be a great pick for the 9ers at this spot.

32. Baltimore Ravens – Jonathan Cyprien, S Florida International : Safety Ed Reed will be missed, but drafting Cyprien will help ease that pain.

Updated 3/8/2013

By Brian Anisansel

1. Kansas City Chiefs– Sharrif Floyd, DT Florida : Andy Reid loves to build his team from the inside out, so he will go with the Floyd who has been described as the best player in the draft.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars – Dee Milliner, CB Alabama : The Jaguars are in serious need for a CB. Milliner ran a 4.37 at the combine, and has the makeup to be a shutdown corner.

3. Oakland Raiders – Luke Joeckel, OT Texas A&M : The Raiders will likely trade this pick, but if they don’t they will take Joeckel.

4. Philadelphia Eagles – Eric Fisher, OT Central Michigan : Fisher is tied with Joeckel as the best OT in the draft. Fisher has been shutting out defensemen since the Senior Bowl, and will continue to do so in the Pros.

5. Detroit Lions – Dion Jordan, DE/OLB Oregon : The Lions are in desperate need of a CB, but with Milliner off the board, they will go with a pass rusher.

6. Cleveland Browns – Ezekiel Ansah, DE/OLB BYU : The Browns are switching to a 3-4 defense, and they need a OLB to fit the bill. Ansah is raw, but he will be a playmaker from day one.

7. Arizona Cardinals – Geno Smith, QB WVU : Larry Fitzgerald finally gets a good QB. There is no way that the Cardinals go into next season with one of those QBs as their starter.

8. Buffalo Bills – Cordarrelle Patterson, WR Tennessee : The Bills would love to get a QB, but will opt to wait until the second round, or trade back in the first round to get one. Patterson is raw, but at 216 lbs. he was able to run a 4.42 forty. He will give the Bills a nice complimentary WR opposite of WR Stevie Johnson.

9. New York Jets – Jarvis Jones, OLB Georgia : The spinal stenosis discovery, has teams running away from this stud. Not the Jets, as Rex loves to draft defensive players and will not blink twice to select Jones.

10. Tennessee Titans – Chance Warmack, OG Alabama : The Titans offensive line was influx for much of last season. They will get a huge boost from this bulldozer, especially in the run game.

11. San Diego Chargers – Lane Johnson, OT Oklahoma : Rivers struggled last season because of the offensive line. Lane Johnson is not that far off from Fisher or Joeckel, and will be a great pick for the OT needy Chargers.

12. Miami Dolphins – Bjoern Werner, DE Florida St. : Werner had a terrible Combine, but his 23 sacks during his three years at college, cannot be ignored.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Xavier Rhodes, CB Florida St. : Rhodes stands at 6’ 1” and possesses blazing speed (4.43);  just what the doctor ordered for the Bucs to improve on defense.

14. Carolina Panthers – Star Lotulelei, DT Utah : Lotulelei now has some medical concerns because of his heart complication that occurred during the Combine. Nonetheless, Star is a stud at DT and Panthers will be getting a steal if he checks out medically.

15. New Orleans Saints – Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB : Mingo is still raw at the LB position and a little light, but you can’t coach 4.58 speed on a 241 lbs. frame.

16. St. Louis Rams – Jonathan Cooper, OG North Carolina : Cooper is terrific at pulling and is very athletic. He will help solidify the Rams offensive line.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers – Kenny Vaccaro, S Texas : Vaccaro is the best safety in the draft, and was able to contain WVU’s Tavon Austin when Texas played WVU.  The Steelers will groom him to become the eventual successor to Ryan Clark, if Clark leaves via free agency in 2014.

18. Dallas Cowboys – Alec Ogletree, LB Georgia : The Cowboys are in desperate need of OL and LBs. Ogletree has a lot of baggage, but his talent is too good to pass up this late in the draft.

19. New York Giants – Damontre Moore, DE/OLB Texas A&M – Moore had a very disappointing 40 yard dash time, but the GMen will overlook that aspect and focus on his talent.

20. Chicago Bears – D.J Fluker, OT Alabama : The Bears need to keep Cutler upright, and the only way to do that, is to draft some hefty beefcakes upfront.

21. Cincinnatti Bengals – Manti Te’o, ILB ND : Te’ o’s measurements at the combine should get overlooked, but his tape vs. Alabama is very worrisome. Pairing Te’o with Burfict in the middle, will give the Bengals a nice front 7.

22. St. Louis Rams – Keenan Allen, WR California : The Rams need playmakers in order for Sam Bradford to be successful. Keenan Allen is tall (6’ 2”), talented, and will be the playmaker for Bradford on the outside, that he so desperately needs.

23. Minnesota Vikings – Desmond Trufant, CB Washington : The Vikings could go with a WR here to help Christian Ponder more, but with Aaron Rodgers in your division, you better have some good DBs on your team.

24. Indianapolis Colts – Sam Montegomery, DE LSU : Montgomery admitted to taking some plays off in college, but he won’t do that in the NFL. The Colts need a pass rusher, and Montgomery will provide them with one.

25. Seattle Seahawks – Sheldon Richardson, DT Missouri : The Hawks need to beef up their defensive line, and what better way to accomplish that, than to draft the quick Richardson.

26. Green Bay Packers – Tavon Austin, WR WVU : The Packers could either go with a DB, RB or WR. I opted for WR because RBs can be found late, and Austin will be a headache for defenses in this offense.

27. Houston Texans – Matt Elam, S Florida : Elam is a thumper that the 49ers would love to have. If Gholdson leaves via free agency; Elam will start, and the 9ers won’t miss a beat.

28. Denver Broncos – Johnthan Banks, CB Mississippi St. : Banks did not run well at the Combine, but he still remains a very good football player. CB Champ Bailey is not getting any younger, and Banks will provide the Broncos with a legit CB on the opposite side of Champ.

29. New England Patriots – Margus Hunt, DE SMU : Patriots need to focus their picks towards the defense. They were terrible all across the board last season. Hunt is freak, and his Combine numbers are off the charts. He will give the Patriots a nice 1-2 punch alongside Chandler Jones.

30. Atlanta Falcons – Tyler Eifert, TE ND : If TE Tony Gonzalez does leave, than Eifert is an obvious pick. QB Matt Ryan loved to throw to Gonzo, and will need another superb TE in order to have the same output and success as he did while Gonzo was his go to guy.

31. San Francisco 49ers – Eric Reid, S LSU : Reid will be able to take over the vacant spot at Free Safety, if Dashon Goldson leaves via free agency. Reid has good range, is solid in run support, and will be a great pick for the 9ers at this spot.

32. Baltimore Ravens – Jonathan Cyprien, S Florida International : Safety Ed Reed will be missed, but drafting Cyprien will help ease that pain.

By Sean McGill

Week 9 is gut check time for your fantasy QBs.  We are long past the halfway point of the fantasy season, and just starting the long sprint to playoffs.  This makes if even more important to have stability at the QB position.  Some of us are in our glory as theirs easy them to a playoff spot, others suffering through the woes of a rookie season, and others are just miserable scrounging to find a free agent.  But the truth cannot be disputed: we know now who are the pro’s, and which give fantasy owners woes.

Pro’s:

These guys are the best at the position, and need to be starting if you have them. Period.

Peyton Manning (QB – DEN):  I’ve been saying it since the start of the season, Peyton Manning is FINE.  He has been absolutely flawless for Denver this season, leading the NFL with a QB Rating of 109.  He has 17 TDs on the season (t –3^rd with Matt Ryan) and only 4 INTs in his 7 games with Denver, who can take a 1 game lead in the AFC West if they win this week.  Denver’s remaining schedule is one of the easiest in the league, and Manning should help guide them to the playoffs.  Be wary though, if they have cemented their playoff spot early Manning may not be playing during your super bowl (as he did so often in Indy, lest we forget).

Matt Ryan (QB – ATL):  Ryan has been unstoppable this season.  He has a TD in every game this year (and each of them were wins), and has possibly the best collective weapons around in Roddy White, Julio Jones, Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez.  Atlanta’s schedule doesn’t get any easier from here on out, playing the Giants, the never down and out Saints, and a number of teams that could finish strong or completely bottom out (like Arizona and Tampa).  Ryan will make a few more mistakes than he has been making, but not many.

Aaron Rodgers (QB – GB):  Rodgers is leading the NFL in TDs with 21, and will continue to play like this.  The Packers’ have no running game, and rely on Rodgers to find his receivers to win games (only Tom Brady has attempted more passes than Rodgers, and nobody has taken more sacks).  Each of his receivers is equally capable, so opposing defenses will continue to struggle against him.  He only has 4 INTs on the season, but look for the number to bump up down the stretch.  Of their remaining 8 games, 5 are within the division.

Up’s & Down’s:

Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB – BUF):  The Bills’ shot caller has been up and down all season.  He is 6^th overall in TDs, but has an abysmal 9 INTs in 7 games already this season.  Stevie Johnson has mediocre this season, and most of Fitzpatrick’s TDs have been on check downs to his TE Scott Chandler or RB CJ Spiller.  The Bills’ defense is not doing their offense any favors, and when Fitz is in a tight situation, he has the tendency to force bad plays.  If the Bills get into more close games, he will throw INTs.

Andy Dalton (QB – CIN):  Cincinnati has lost their last three games, and fans are starting to get a little irritated.  Andy Dalton has one of the best young receivers in the league in AJ Green, and that has helped hide Dalton’s up and down play.  Dalton has a QB Rating of 118.7 in the Bengals’ 3 wins, and a QB Rating of 69.8 in their losses.  He has thrown 7 INTs in their losses, which in and of itself is no good, but equally as reproachable is the fact that he is averaging on per game in his wins.  Green has had sever 50+ yard catches this season, and those long plays have taking the edge off of Dalton’s otherwise lackluster numbers.

Eli Manning (QB – NYG):  Eli has pretty much been great every other week.  He has problems getting scores when he can’t get the ball to Victor Cruz, and even though the Giants have a decent running game, it  doesn’t mean Eli won’t be put in the position to win (or lose) the game.  The G-Men have taken a couple of close wins the past few weeks, and in the last two games (against division teams) he has 1TD, 3 INTs, and a QB Rating of 68.7.  The Giants have significant lead in the division, but there’s no telling how long it will last.  Their schedule is tough, and Eli will definitely have some off weeks.

Woes:

Cam Newton (QB – Car):  Here’s a barometer reading for Carolina’s offense: Cam Newton is their leading rusher…with 310 yds.  Sure, he has 3 TDs on the ground as well, but as a passer he has just been bad.  Owners drafted him expecting a repeat of last year’s outstanding rookie season, but instead have gotten the worst possible sophomore slump.  He has only one total TD in the past 3 games, 3 INTs, and a QB rating of 62.4.  The Panthers’ schedule doesn’t get it easier, and Newtown’s woes won’t be ending anytime soon.  Fact is, he can’t do it all himself, and Carolina has nothing around him.

Mark Sanchez (QB – NYJ):  Mark Sanchez has just been below average all season.  He is a QB that has high expectations since coming into the league, and is more like USC wash out Matt Leinart than was originally anticipated.  Sanchez has had games with over 300 yds. passing, and others with less than 100.  He has only had two games with a QB rating over 100, and will have games where he and his offense completely disappear.  Tim Tebow is more or less an empty threat by Rex Ryan, but if Sanchez keeps playing the way he has this season, he may need to find a new home.

Tony Romo (QB – DAL):  Romo has only 9 passing TDs to go along with his 13 TDs so far this season.  The Cowboys sit below .500, again, and despite being 7^th in passing yds., Romo has had two games with 4 INTs or more.  When things go bad for Romo, they go really bad, and owners are wondering if is he trustworthy to start down the stretch.  The answer is just plain no.  The loss of DeMarco Murray has put pressure on Romo to succeed, and he just doesn’t have it in him to bring this team back for a chance at a wild card spot.

Michael Vick (QB – PHI):  Vick is a trainwreck, and is at a crossroads.  Though he played it safe last week, and had 0 turnovers, the fact is one week without a turnover shouldn’t be a big deal.  He will continue to be the starter (despite whining from Philadelphia fans & media), but that doesn’t mean the troubles will stop instantly.  The Eagles can make a run for a wildcard spot, but Vick will have to get out of his own head and play football.  He has some easy games coming, but if he starts turning the ball over again, bench him.  It will get worse before it gets better if he goes down that road.

By Sean McGill

The NFC is looking as shaken up, if not more, at the halfway point as the AFC is.  Usually, as the game evolves year after year, one fantasy position will rise to the top and be the primary way owners (especially winning owners) get their points.  For example, in the early to middle 00’s running back’s like Jamal Lewis, Marshall Faulk, Shaun Alexander, and Priest Holmes were in their heyday; setting and breaking records all over the place.  But as linebackers and defensive tackles have gotten stronger and faster and running back by committee has become the norm, the game circles much more around the passing game.  There have been several “quarterback years”, some “running back’s who catch the ball years”, and it almost seems as though there have been a few TE years sprinkled in (like in 2009 when Dallas Clark, Antonio Gates, and Jason Witten each had 1,000 yards, and Gates and Clark had 18 combined TD’s), but this year isn’t as decisively one way or the other.  Not having the referees has definitely affected the litmus test this can be examined by, so owners will have to wait past their trade deadlines to find out what position(s) will be most important down the stretch…WTF?!

NFC East:  The Giants have been pretty impressive this year, especially from a fantasy standpoint.  They have been consistently putting up lots of points, and anybody on their offense should probably be starting (sans those few guys that are at the bottom of the depth chart).  Eli Manning is probably the best fantasy QB out there, and he makes everybody on the G-men’s offense look like a star.  Even though Philadelphia has been pretty awful at times, they beat the Giants and are still in contention for a playoff spot.  McCoy is obviously a must start in all instances (even though he only has 3 total TD to go along with his 3 fumbles), but Vick has most everybody stumped on what to do.  He has such an upside, but has been a turnover monster this season (he has 8 INTs and 9 fumbles in 6 games this season).  He will continue to vex you, and it may be time for faithful Vick owners to sit him should something better come along.  The young Redskins are still looking good, and bolster the NFL’s #1 rushing attack.  Alfred Morris and RG3 have combined for 1,100 yds. (Morris with 658 of those), and the duo has rushed for half of the Redskins’ total TDs.  Keep both of them starting, and look for Santana Moss to keep pushing his numbers now that Pierre Garcon and Fred Davis are out.  And finally we move on to Dallas, who is at .500 right now, and has their “star” quarterback and overhyped receivers to thank.  Despite how high he gets drafted every year, Tony Romo is resting #17 in passing yards right now.  Andrew Luck is having a better fantasy year then him…WTF!?

NFC North:  Chicago has owned this division so far, especially in the realm of fantasy.  Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall are looking like they did when they were teammates in Denver; they have synced up for 577 yds. and 4 TDs already this season.  Matt Forte is healthy now, so he should help increase passing numbers as well.  Forte will be stealing a lot of the carries that had been pleasing Michael Bush owners thus far this season.  Minnesota now sits 2 games back (after their Thursday night beat down, courtesy of Tampa Bay) and Chi-town will most likely continue boosting their division lead this week against Carolina (Cam Newton has caught teams off guard before).  Minnesota started off well enough, but has lost to some bad teams.  Percy Harvin has been absolutely bailing out Christian Ponder, and looked like a potential MVP while doing it.  Harvin has 667 yds. on the season, and 445 of those yards have been YAC.  Speaking of potential MVPs, Adrian Peterson has been reignited, and is (relatively) healthy.  He’s currently leading the NFL with 775 yds. on the ground (after his 8^th game mind you) and is on pace for an 1,800 total yard season.  Meanwhile, things aren’t looking so good in Green Bay.  They have Aaron Rodgers, but not too much else.  Their receivers have been stepping up, but their lack of a running game and their spotty defense won’t do them any favors in this division.  And as far as the Lions go, Detroit’s season thus far can be summed up into one thought: Calvin Johnson only has 1 TD so far this season…WTF (ok so maybe two thoughts)?!

NFC South:  Atlanta remains undefeated thanks to their practically unstoppable offense.  Tony Gonzalez, Julio Jones, and Roddy White each have 4 TDs, and are averaging 10 yards a catch or more.  Matt Ryan is arguably a top five fantasy QB right now (given bonus points because of the talent around him), averaging almost 300 yards a game, throwing at least 1 TD in every game, and throwing for 3 TDs in half the games he has played thus far.  Atlanta’s offense is too talented to stop, and he will continue to roll.  Surprisingly, Tampa Bay has had a few good fantasy wins, and their win Thursday bumped them up to sitting second in the division (albeit still below .500).  Josh Freeman is getting better week after week, Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson are averaging over 17 yards a catch, and they finally have a running game in Ernest Graham (sorry LeGarrette Blount owners).  Tampa’s schedule won’t do them any favors (they’ve got Atlanta twice, San Diego, Denver and Philadelphia yet to come), so don’t look for them to play too much better.  New Orleans is sitting at 2-4, but Drew Brees is throwing 350 yds. a game.  He and Eli Manning have been the best in the league by far this year, and just because they aren’t winning doesn’t mean their offense isn’t doing its thing.  Start Saints if you got ‘em, they will start winning in this division.  And by the way, Josh Freeman is having a better fantasy season than Cam Newton…WTF?!

NFC West:  The NFC west has been one of the worst to watch for quite some time it seems.  This year the west boasts some of the NFC’s best teams ( a refreshing change of pace), but even though Arizona is 2^nd in the division, don’t look for it to stay that way much longer.  Arizona just lost Kevin Kolb (no real surprises there) and has to rely on John Skelton to run the offense.  This does not bode well for Larry Fitzgerald owners (and Andre Robert’s owners as well) who are no doubt sick of seeing him rot in the Arizona sun.  San Francisco is in first (as expected), but they are winning in a similar fashion as Houston, by not putting pressure on their QB.  San Fran knows that Alex Smith isn’t Aaron Rodgers; Jim Harbaugh knows Smith will play better when establishes the run, and he is given the right options.  The 49ers have depth at receiver and Vernon Davis, so there is no reason you should see Alex Smith have a day with a lot of turnovers.  He won’t get the opportunity to.  Seattle has had some big wins, and Pete Carroll has Marshawn Lynch (and to some extent the Buffalo Bills) to thank for it.  Lynch has been a workhorse for Seattle, taking much needed pressure off rookie QB Russell Wilson.  But Seattle’s young and talented defense is what has been winning them games.  Those of you in IDP leagues would do well to look to fill gaps on their roster.  Sam Bradford owners are anxiously watching as he takes baby steps to being an adequate #2 QB, all while some other guy in your league is probably cursing up and down because he decided to keep Steven Jackson…WTF?!

By Sean McGill

Well week 7 is finished, and most fantasy leagues are at or around halfway through the regular season.  It’s time to dip a toe into the pool of fantasy football statistics and check the temperature.  There are some really interesting things happening all over the league; some that are truly panning out great for fantasy owners, and others that make you think to yourself…WTF?!

AFC East:  The AFC East is the blandest division in the NFL.  Up until this past weekend there was a four-way tie for first place, and every team in the division has looked both great and terrible.  The Patriots beat the Jets in an extended overtime game that proved once and for all that the Pats are the least mediocre of the 4 teams.  Brady has been Brady, for the most part.  In the last 5 games, he is running a QB rating of 100, has 9 TDs, and is playing St. Louis under the lights this week in England.  The Pats’ offense will dominate Jeff Fischer’s young (but still up and coming) defense, and will probably roll to yet another division crown.  Look for the young backfield and wideouts start to come on later in the season.  The Jets’ are getting desperate, and it would have been wise to sell all stock in the Jets unless your player’s name happens to be Tim Tebow (who will eventually throwing the ball to himself a la Nelson Muntz).  The Dolphins plat the Jets in New Jersey this week, and though it may be as close as the as the Pats game, it probably won’t be as high scoring.  The ‘Phins have it relatively easy the next few weeks, but down the stretch the have Seattle, San Fran, and Belichick twice.  Start the Dolphins you have now, bench ‘em later.  And of course there’s Buffalo who has gotten into the habit of paying star defensemen millions to get surgery….WTF?!

AFC North:  Trent Richardson is stealing all of the attention in the North.  He has over 500 combined yards (197 of those are thanks to his 24 catches), and has 5 TD’s in his first season in the league.  This guy is beasting the carries, and he age and his size give him tremendous upside.  He can’t give Cleveland any hope for the playoffs, but he just might send you there.  Cincinnati has been a poor man’s gold mine. Andy Dalton and A.J. have put up great numbers given where you probably drafted them, and even the Law Firm (B.G. Ellis) has started to get a little running room thanks to the Bengals’ aerial attack.  Baltimore got decimated by Houston this week, but the guys they have playing the skill positions are still playing well.  Look for any offensive player on the Ravens (especially young wideout Torrey Smith) to continue putting up numbers.  Pittsburgh has no running game, and Big Ben’s go to guy is still Heath Miller…WTF?!

AFC South:  Houston had a big time slip up against Green Bay, but bounced back tough against a solid Ravens team.  Foster has 168 carries already this season (that’s 24 a game), and is just gashing opposing defenses.  He has 9 TDs and over 700 yds. rushing to go with it, and is best in class.  Schaub will remain a solid start, but more of a safe (or maybe #2) QB.  Houston doesn’t ask him for much.  When you look around this division, however, you don’t see much else going on.  Jake Locker is gone, and even though Chris Johnson finally had a decent week, it is doubtful that Tennessee will muster up many more big fantasy days.  Jacksonville and Indy are much worse off.  Indianapolis at least still has their star player Andrew Luck; MJD has barely mustering up modest performances, but will putting up goose eggs now that he is hurt.  Meanwhile Justin Blackmon owner are thinking to themselves…WTF?!

AFC West:  Denver has been looking good with a healthy Peyton Manning at the helm, but they are still neck and neck.  Both teams have looked good even in their losses (except for San Diego against the Falcons) and will no doubt be duking it out for the remainder of the regular season.  Rivers and Manning will be heavily relied on (and so will all of their receivers) since both teams have “meh” rushing attacks.  Jamaal Charles has been tallied up yards since he hit is groove, but won’t be consistent in the meager KC offense.  Darren McFadden has been quiet this year, especially given fantasy owners’ expectations.  The Raiders’ are now 2-4, and if they don’t star getting some W’s with the easy schedule they have, Carson Palmer will be wondering why he bothered to get off the couch…WTF?!

To help you set your lineups this weekend, here are my week 8 fantasy football players to start and sit:

Guys to Start:

QB Tony Romo, DAL (vs. NYG) – Most fantasy owners have already written off Romo this season, but there is still plenty of football left.  He faces a New York secondary that has been torched all year long, and this may be the game that Romo fantasy owners have been waiting for.

RB Willis McGahee, DEN (vs. NO) – The Saints’ defense can’t stop anyone right now, as they are ranked 31st against the run.  New Orleans will also be concentrated solely on Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, so expect MaGahee to get loose for a couple big runs.

WR Antonio Brown, PIT (vs. WSH) – The Redskin secondary is continually getting burned for big play after big player, so expect Brown to grab at least one long touchdown.

TE Coby Fleener, IND (@ TEN) – Fleener is maturing wonderfully in his rookie season and expect him to have a career game against one of the worst pass-defenses in the game.

Guys to Sit:

QB Matthew Stafford, DET (vs. SEA) – As if last Monday night’s performance was not bad enough, Stafford faces an impossible Seahawks’ secondary this weekend.

RB William Powell, ARI (vs. SF) – Powell may be the favorite to get all the carries in Arizona, but do not expect him to get much room to work against the stout 49ers’ defense.

WR Jordy Nelson, GB (vs. JAC) – Nelson’s number have been too good the past two weeks, so expect him to come down earth this weekend.

TE Jacob Tamme, DEN (vs. NO) – Tamme has been nonexistent since his week one touchdown, as he has yet to have over 50 receiving yards in a single game.

By Adam McGill

To help you with your matchup this week, here are my week 7 fantasy football players to start and sit:

Guys to Start:

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, BUF (vs. TEN) – The Amish Missle faces a Titans’ defense that is allowing an embarrassing 292 yards a game through the air.

RB Doug Martin, TB (vs. NO) – Martin has a great matchup this weekend against the Saints, so expect him to pile up the all-purpose yards.

WR Kenny Britt, TEN (@ BUF) – Britt plays a very immature Buffalo secondary that has given up 13 touchdown passes already this season.

TE Kyle Rudolph, MIN (vs. ARI) – Rudolph has amazingly caught 5 touchdowns in his last five games.

Guys to Sit:

QB Joe Flacco, BAL (@ HOU) – The Texans were embarrassed last Sunday night by the Green Bay Packers and will looking to take out some aggression this weekend.  Expect Flacco to have a subpar outing weekend.

RB Marshawn Lynch, SEA (@ SF) – Lynch only rushed for 41 yards last week against the Patriots, so expect another rough performance against a stout 49ers’ defense.

WR Michael Crabtree, SF (vs. SEA) – Crabtree has an extremely tough matchup this weekend against the Boom Squad, and the veteran receiver has not exactly been putting up stellar numbers to start with it.

TE Jermichael Finley, GB (@ STL) – Finley has only hauled in 5 catches for 23 yards in his last two games and is severely struggling to get on the field.

By Sean McGill

Tonight the downtrodden 2-3 Green Bay Packers head down the Mississippi and due west to visit the undefeatedHouston Texans for their 3^rd primetime game of the season.  The last minute controversial loss to Seattle seemed to buy the Packers credibility when they were 2-2 after week 4, but last week’s loss to Andrew luck and Indianapolis has Green Bay fans and fantasy owners muttering under their breath.  Meanwhile, Houston has been on a roll, but will be playing their first game since losing defensive standout Brian Cushing for the season.  Cushing is a big time LB in IDP leagues, and losing him will definitely change the face of the Texan defense on the whole.  Here’s a few things to note if you’ve some players going into tonight.

QB’s:  Rodgers has continued to be a safe fantasy start, and he has had a respectable season despite the Packers’ losing season thus far; but this week he is playing against the league’s #3 passing defense.  Playing a Brian Cushing-less Houston defense may open some underneath routes from tight ends or out of the backfield, and it may even the kind of night he rushes for a TD.  Nonetheless, the Pack will rely heavily on Rodgers tonight, and he will be hard pressed not to throw an interception or two.  For Houston, Matt Schaub has been relatively mistake free for Houston this season.  The Texans’ have a tremendous run game to take the pressure off Schaub, and he will probably have his way over a mediocre Green Bay defense that just got carved up by Andrew Luck.

RB’s:  Arian Foster had his best week of the year against the Jets, and is averaging 6 yards per carry this season.  Playing at home on primetime will no doubt only increase the chances that he has a tremendous night.  It might even be the kind of night that will allow Ben Tate owners to grab a few deep bench points.  Benson has been all the Packers have been able to muster for their run game, and he only has 248 rushing yards on the season.  The problems the Packers have had running the ball will not end tonight.

WR’s & TE’s:  Rodgers has been spreading the ball out amongst his young receivers, but James Jones has caught half of Rodgers TD passes on the season.  He has stepped up, and has the highest value in the merry go ‘round that is the Green Bay receiving corps.  Jermichael Finley may get some better looks, but don’t think he will have a break out game.  The Texans don’t pass too often; not because they can’t, but because they don’t have to.  Tight end Owen Daniels has become Schaub’s favorite target this season, as Andre Johnson continues to draw the heart of most opposing coverage.  Houston is, and will continue to be, a run first team.

Defense:  Houston will definitely be missing their leading tackler LB Brian Cushing for the duration (torn ACL), but look for Bradie James to step up in his absence.  The have a top 3 secondary, and the Packers can only muster offense if they can pass.  Green Bay’s defense will be on the field for most of the night, so look for guys like AJ Hawk, safety Morgan Burnett, and Charles Woodson to rack up some tackles, but not much more than that (and it isn’t a good sign that two of their tackle leaders are in their defensive backfield).  Though, from IDP standpoint, it might be nice to see your players rack up a lot of tackles, odds are that both team defenses will not fare well tonight.

By Adam McGill

To help you set your lineup this weekend, here are my week 6 fantasy football players to start and sit:

Guys to Start:

QB Andy Dalton, CIN (@ CLE) – In week 2 Dalton torched the Bengals for 318 yards and 3 touchdowns, so expect more of the same from the sophomore.

RB Vick Ballard, IND (@ NYJ) – Ballard is now the feature back in Indy following the injury to starter Donald Brown, so expect him to have a great first game against the Jets’ defense that is allowing 172 rushing yards per game.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, ARI (@ BUF) – Buffalo has given up 643 yards and 6 touchdowns through the air in the last two games alone, making any of they Cardinal’ receivers a must start.

TE Owen Daniels, HOU (vs. GB) – Daniels has amazingly caught a touchdown in 3 straight games.

Guys to Sit:

QB Matthew Stafford, DET (vs. PHI) – The Eagles’ secondary has only given up 3 touchdowns through the air in the last 10 quarters, so expect Stafford to have another rough outing.

RB Brandon Bolden, NE (@ SEA) – After rushing for 137 yards on 16 carries against the Buffalo Bills two weeks ago, Bolden only  earned 54 yards on 14 carries last weekend.  He is already losing carries to Shane Vareen, so it appears we have already seen the best of Bolden.

WR Brandon Lloyd, NE (@ SEA) – Lloyd has seen his role greatly reduced over the several weeks, not to mention that he faces the “Legion of Boom” this weekend.

TE Martellus Bennett, NYG (@ SF) – Bennett has been limited all week with a knee injury and faces a tough San Fran defense; two things which do bode well for his week 6 numbers.

By Sean McGill

Well week 5 has come and gone, and fantasy owners are drawing ever closer to the incredibly important trade deadline.  The trade deadline is a make or break point of the season (for legit fantasy players anyway; it is entirely possible you are in one of those leagues that owners make trades nigh impossible), and can turn a mediocre fantasy team floating around .500 into a Super Bowl champion (I know from experience).  Around this time of the year, you start getting an idea of how things are going to play out for your guys, and many have to swallow their pride and admit to themselves (DO NOT admit to anyone else in your league) that those early picks may have been busts.  Bearing that in mind, here are a few guys that are great trade bait, “must go’s”, “wait & see’s”, and “try to get’s”.

Great Trade Bait:

Dwayne Bowe (WR – KC):  Bowe is coming off the two best statistical years of his career, but Kansas City has looked absolutely terrible this season.  Bowe has 31 catches for about 400 yards. this season and 3 TD’s, which in of itself is a decent start to the year, but things are about to get tumultuous for Bowe.  Matt Cassel injured his shoulder against the Ravens on Sunday, and is listed as questionable next week against Tampa Bay, and with Brady Quinn throwing him the ball he is significantly less attractive as a starter.  Additionally, KC still has 5 of their 6 division games still to be played (including 2 against Denver and 1 against 1^st place San Diego), and he has no one else to draw the attention of opposing secondaries.  Teams can easily double him and still shut down Jamaal Charles.  The first 5 games haven’t been good to KC, but the remaining 11 will be worse.

Jamaal Charles (RB – KC):  For many of the same reasons, Charles is great trade bait.  This week his trade value is about as high as it will get (coming off his only really big game, but still no TD’s), so make a point to cash in when you can.

Maurice Jones-Drew (RB – JAC):  MJD still has a name.  That’s all he’s really got, but he still draws attention from opposing owners.  He’s had some mediocre weeks (averaging less than 100 yards. a game and only has 1 TD), but his performance this season definitely doesn’t warrant the pick (or the keep) that you thought he did going into the season.  Being the only running back for an atrocious offense doesn’t make him worth keeping around, but, if parlayed right, he could land you something big time.

Must Go’s:

Anquan Boldin (WR – BAL):  Boldin is at the mercy of the wildly inconsistent Joe Flacco, and this year doesn’t even seem to be the number 1 target.  He had 1 – 100 yd. game this season, has only 1 TD, and the Ravens are getting some incredibly weak wins.  Boldin is 32, hasn’t had a 1,000 yd. season since he came to Baltimore, and plays in an offense that circles around Ray Rice.  It’s time to dump him on someone else.

Mike Wallace (WR – PIT):  Wallace has been nothing but a headache.  He has 3 TD’s so far, but a modest 250 yds. on the season, and seems to be getting targeted less and less by Big Ben.  Antonio Brown is getting the lion’s share of looks in the passing game, and Pittsburgh mainstay Heath Miller will continue to get looks, as he always does (especially when the Steelers’ offense struggles).  Wallace still has a name, get rid of him before he really starts laying goose eggs.

Chris Johnson (RB – TEN):  CJ has just looked awful this year.  Aside from the game against Houston, he is averaging dismal 17.25 a game on the ground, has absolutely no TD’s, and lost a fumble this week.  Losing Jake Locker will not help his cause, and any hope CJ had of returning to the big time are dwindling.  Try and salvage your 1^st or 2^nd round pick with a trade now.

Wait & See’s:

Michael Vick (QB – PHI):  Love him or hate him, Vick has kept the Eagles in every game they have played this season (except the Arizona game).  They have 3 wins by 2 or less points, and Vick is averaging more per carry than LeSean McCoy (though not by much).  The Eagles are still looking to stake their claim in the NFC East, and as the season wears on, Vick will get better at protecting the ball.  Be patient, and reap the rewards.

Peyton Manning (QB – DEN):  The Broncos may be sitting below .500, but it is not Manning’s fault.  He had a rough week against Atlanta, but has been on a roll since the week 2 loss.  He has 8 TD’s, 0 INT’s, and is averaging over 335 yds. / game since.  Though his 6 TD’s in a game days may be behind him, that doesn’t mean he can’t throw 5.  He is still statistically a great fantasy QB, and Denver’s lack of a running game will force General Manning to air it out a lot.  If you still aren’t sold on him (for whatever reason), wait it out.

Fred Jackson & CJ Spiller (RB – BUF):  Buffalo has had an up and down season, and both of their starting running backs have gotten themselves dinged up.  Along with a few bruises and injuries on the O-line, things haven’t been going the Bills’ way thus far.  But there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Aside from next week at Arizona, their rematch with New England, and Nov. 4^th against Houston, the Bills have a very winnable remaining schedule.  Should the Bills line get healthy, these two could bounce back with big time numbers…and besides, nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.

Must Get’s:

Christian Ponder (QB – MIN):  Ponder has led the Vikings like a pro this year.  He’s only got 2 INT’s on the season, and with AP returning to form, he is making the Vikings look like the team that Brett Favre won 11 games with back in 2009 (Favre’s first game was week 2).  They are limiting the amount of downfield passing he has to do, and letting all of their offensive weapons make him a fantasy stud.

Andrew Luck (QB – IND):  Indy hasn’t been looking great on the whole, but despite turnovers, Luck has still shown significant signs of growing as a professional.  He led Indy to a last minute win against the big time Packers, and did so in Manning-esque fashion.  He will continue to have some growing pains, not necessarily because he doesn’t have skill, but because he will force plays in the lackluster Colts’ offense.  This guy is a must get for keeper leagues, and may even close out the season great.

Robert Griffin III (QB – WSH):  Look, odds are you aren’t going to get him, but it’s at least worth a shot, right!?  And yes, he has assured the press that he will play next week.