November 14, 2011

Week 10 Pickups

By: Gabriel Harber


Sunday’s action saw a large number of blowouts and upsets, which is always a good for putting previously un-showcased talent on full display, unlike war which is good for nothing (or so I've been told).  We’ve got a few fresh faces this week mixed in with a healthy reheating of early season leftovers to discuss, so rather than continue my introductory paragraph I’ll move straight to last night’s dinner.

The Pick Ups
John Skelton:  The Cardinals are now undefeated (2-0) under Skelton now, while getting only one win in seven attempts under Kolb.  The more telling fact lies in the statistical disparity with Larry Fitzgerald.  In six career starts with Skelton, Fitz has went 6.3/89.5 with four touchdowns, and in seven starts with Kolb 4.9/86.1 for only two scores.  I see someone hitting the bread line for at least the near future and his name rhymes with job(less).

Tyler Palko:  I may be getting ahead of myself on this one, but that’s okay because I’m still really far out in front of you.  Mat Cassel’s hand required surgery and is out in definitely, so for now, Palko is the starter. Believe it or not, this guy was once playing ahead of Joe Flacco in college. The Chiefs have a pretty solid wide receiving corps too. The Chiefs play the Patriots on Monday Night Football next week, so I’m sure you could do worse than Palko in a two quarterback league.

Carson Palmer:  I won’t waste my time explaining this one. If you’re in a league where no one went for it after last weekend, then he needs to be rostered now.

Kendall Hunter:  Gore has begun slowly wearing down with ankle and knee injuries in consecutive contests, and every time the 49ers have called Hunter’s number this season he’s performed admirably.  This Sunday was no deviation, and if Gore misses any time Hunter immediately catapults into the realm of running back two territory.

Lance Ball:  Did you see the game?  Someone has to run the ball because they’re sure as hell not passing it.  My vote would be Skip Bayless, but since we can’t make that happen I’ll recommend Ball.

Chris Ogbonnaya:  Ploddingly unimpressive, Ogbannaya impressively plodded his way to 10.9 standard points for those of you needing a fill-in.  Unfortunately this seems to be the ceiling in a pathetic Browns offense, but as long as he has no competition for touches it should be attainable each week. (Note: Peyton Hillis has already been ruled out for week 11. Montario Hadesty is unlikely to play.)

Daniel Thomas:  Reggie Bush can’t keep this up forever and the Dolphins know that.  When healthy, Thomas has more than proven to be the more talented pure running back, and now that he’s nearing full health (and right as the Dolphins are hitting their stride I might add) you might just be lucky to find him the on wire, the result of an impatient owner.

Vincent Brown:  The highly touted rookie duplicated the previous week’s effort, adding an exclamation point in the form of a touchdown grab.  With Vincent Jackson clearly having issues with Rivers, Brown’s ceiling is sky-high, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him develop into Rivers favorite target by year’s end.

 Laurent Robinson:  See: Palmer, Carson.

Steve Smith:  It sure must have been nice playing football again.  Keep an eye on Jeremy Maclin’s health (and Desean Jackson’s maturity) because with this season being a lost cause, the Eagles are certainly going to want to know what they have for the future. Smith had 40 snaps to Riley Cooper’s 26 in Sunday’s game. If Maclin misses this week with shoulder/hamstring problems, then Smith is the guy that the Eagles are going to use the most.

Titus Young:  A product of injury and necessity, Young found himself an efficient day with the Lions trailing big and throwing on every down.  While I don’t see that situation repeating itself consistently, it is worth noting that Megatron was shaken up.  Should it turn out to be anything serious, there would suddenly be a lot of targets to go around.

Damian Williams:  He’s been on the radar for the past month now, and it’s officially time for him to be added in most leagues.  He’s scored in three of the last five contests, and with CJ1.5k beginning to hit his stride, the passing game should only open up for Hasselbeck.

Denarius Moore:  The largest beneficiary of Carson Palmer is right here.  Moore has all the talent in the world, as we spoke of earlier in the year, but lacked the consistency to make himself a reliable fantasy option.  Now, he’s found a real connection with Palmer and I’m excited to see what the future holds for this talented young man (and for my waiver claim on him).

Earl Bennett:  I’m not sure what to make of the situation with Bennett.  On one hand, Cutler had a very sub-par night and the Bears passing game looked anemic.  On the other hand, Bennett was able to produce despite all of that, being the only receiving who really carried his weight.  He’s definitely worth a look, just know that donuts are a very real possibility.

Ed Dickson:  A large portion of Dickson’s production was a result of Seattle taking away the deep ball from Flacco, but still, whenever a player posts that sort of night it’s reason to take notice.  I wouldn’t expect him to have another game of that magnitude, but I could see the Ravens making a concerted effort to get him more involved, especially given the sorry state of their offense.

I’ll see you back here next week! Until then, be sure to check me out on Twitter, and feel free to shoot any questions you might have.

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