Week 14 Bank/Tank

By: Christian Hardy


What do you know, gang. It looks like it's playoffs, which means it's probably the first time that my advice will help you win (or lose) your fantasy matchups. It's what you have played the first 13 weeks of the season for. Of course, if you are in the playoffs, I'm sure you never were actually taking my advice. That would be quite foolish. Furthermore, you need a win this week. Rather than picking bold picks for both my Bank and Tank, I am going to give you my locks (bank) and my guys that I wouldn't put in my lineup (tank).

What it comes down to in these last couple of weeks is the players that you can depend on to score at least eight points, and not screw the pooch. Essentially, it come down to what you and I look for in the draft: consistency. Consistency is what wins fantasy matchups. If your consistent team stays healthy and produces throughout the season, then you are in. Simple, right? Well, not so much.

My point is, consistency is the key to fantasy football. Don't be that guy who sticks DeSean Jackson or Vincent Jackson in your lineup because of his upside when he has not produced for weeks on end. Don't be that guy that says, "He'll do it this week," because if you are saying bogus such as that, then that guy isn't consistent. Consistency is king, especially in playoffs.

My last thing is, go with your gut. I mean, it's always great to get a second opinon on something. That's not uncommon. What I am saying is, don't let someone make the decision for you. You need to have the last say about who you put in your lineup. If you feel confident about a certain player in your lineup, then don't second guess yourself, even if you have second guessed yourself before.

I guess what I am saying here is: Be smart. It's the playoffs, and that means that there are jellybeans on the line for some (most) of us. Put your money on the guys that you can trust, not the guy that has his ups and downs. Enough of moral talk, let's move on to the real action: Bank and Tank for week 14. This entire week I have been saying to myself just how weird that "week 14" sounds. I cannot believe we have just four more weeks of regular season football left. Sad, but exciting at the same time.


Bank
Matthew Stafford vs Minnesota - It doesn't get much better than this. Stafford, who has double digit points in all but one week this year, takes on the worst fantasy pass defense. The Vikings allow 18.8 points per game to opposing quarterback, including 22.5 points allowed per game since the week 9 bye. Get Stafford in your lineup for this week.

Rex Grossman vs New England - The Patriots allow the third most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks by allowing 17.8 points per game. Grossman was shut down by the Jets last week (four points), but in the two games before that, Grossman had 40 points combined. If you are scrambling, Grossman is a decent start against the weak pass defense of the Patriots'.

QB Lock - Tony Romo is a lock this week. Traditionally very good against the Giants, and the Cowboys tend to be pass happy against the Giants. If you own Romo, you are starting him.

Shonn Greene vs Kansas City- I expect the Jets to get up early in this game, ad I think that they are going to put the ball on the ground very often. The Chiefs allow 18.1 points to opposing running backs, but they have only allowed three rushing touchdowns in their last seven games. I think Greene touches the ball a lot and he is guaranteed to get a serviceable amount of points, but the Chiefs haven't been all that vulnerable on the ground. I would expect eight to 15 points from Greene against in the Meadowlands this weekend, solely based on the amount of times he is going to touch the ball.

Reggie Bush vs Philadelphia - I think we all know this by now: The Eagles are real bad, and the Dolphins are on fire. Bush has double digit fantasy points in four of his last five games, and the eagles allow almost twenty points per game to opposing running backs. Not only are they letting up fantasy points, but they have given up four rushing touchdowns in the last two games. Get Bush in your lineup this week. Consistency is key, and Bush has been as consistent as can get.

Roy Helu vs New England - Shanahan had made up his mind (for once) -- Helu is a feature back, and it's going to stay that way (yeah, right). The Patriots have allowed a rushing touchdown in each of their last two games, and if anyone is going to get that touchdown, it's Helu. Helu now has 57 (!!!) touches in his last two games combined, while Ryan Torain and Evan Royster have just one touch combined. I can't believe I am saying this, but Helu (under Mike Shanahan) is a top ten running back this week because of the sheer amount of carries that he has gotten in each of his last two games.

Percy Harvin @ Detroit - With Chris Houston doubtful to play this week with a knee injury, the Lions are going to be as vulnerable as ever through the air. They have given up 27 points (vs Carolina), 33 points (vs Green Bay), and 30 points (vs New Orleans) in their last three games. The pass defense has been lacking, and oh, did I mention that Harvin has been a top receiver down the stretch? Harvin has four receiving touchdowns as well as 59 points in his last three games. If Ponder is active, remember he has that hip injury, then Harvin is a great play this week.

Steve Johnson vs San Diego - I know it is hard to trust the Bills, who have had their ups and downs this year, especially when it comes down to the fantasy playoffs. But Steve Johnson, a guy that I have always liked a lot, has a touchdown in each of his last two games, as well as 13 receptions in those two games combined. The Chargers pass defense, in weeks 7 through 11 (before they took on the Broncos and Jaguars in weeks 12 and 13), was awful. They allowed 28 points per game to opposing wide receiver in that span of games (weeks 7-11) and couldn't stop a nose bleed. Johnson is a nice play here, as I expect him to find his way into the end zone.

Kellen Winslow @ Jacksonville - Winslow consistently puts up serviceable fantasy numbers, and is always a fairly big part of the Bucs' offense. The Jaguars allow the third most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. If you didn't draft one of those stud tight ends, then Winslow might just be your best option this week, although he has not found the end zone since week nine.

Tank
Andy Dalton vs Houston - If you have made it this far, chances are, you aren't starting Dalton. But if you are: Here's your sign. The Texans have not allowed two touchdowns to an opposing quarterback since week 5. Is that enough to keep him on your bench? Should be. More of the Texans pass defense comes up later one.

Mark Sanchez vs Kansas City - Since allowing eight touchdowns in their first two games through the air, their defense has been much improved. The Chiefs' defense kept Ben Roethlisberger in check on national television just two weeks ago, and to a lesser extent, help Caleb Hanie to negative fantasy points. Keep Sanchez on your bench.

Cedric Benson vs Houston - It's real tough for Benson owners right now. First Steelers, and now the Texans -- two of the top rush defenses in in the league. The Texans have not allowed a rushing touchdown to a running back since week 8. You heard me right. Keep Benson on the bench, as I figure you have better options heading into your league's playoffs.

Steven Jackson @ Seattle - Ok, don't go out and literally put Jackson on your bench just because I don't like him this week (read the intro again, if you really were going to do that). Seattle's defense has faltered in the last couple of weeks against the aforementioned Roy Helu and Leseasn McCoy. However, they have still only allowed six rushing touchdowns (to running backs) this year, and only two since week four. With both Bradford and Feeley injured, the focus of the Seahawk's defense is going to be Jackson. With Tom Bradstate under center, and CenturyLink Field is going to be roaring on primetime national television, I don't see Jackson breaking eight points this week. Look elsewhere.

Panthers running backs vs Atlanta - Teams tend not to run that often against Atlanta. From weeks 4-12, no team rushed the ball over 20 times with their running backs against the Falcons. In week four against the Falcons, both running backs did squat, but Stewart managed to save the day with a touchdown. Atlanta has really stepped their run defense up since then, and I don't think either of these two (Williams or Stewart) sniff double digits.

AJ Green @ Houston - This is another guy that you aren't going to literally sit, but I don't expect too much out of him. Jonathan Joseph will be on him, and you might know how much confidence I have in Joseph. In the last seven games, the Texans have allowed just four touchdowns to opposing wide receivers. Green is still a wide receiver number two for this week, but not a number one, like he has been.

Marques Colston vs Tennessee - No, it's not Tennessee's amazing defense, it's Colston. Since week 7 in  which Colston went off for two touchdowns, Coltston has zero touchdowns and only one game in double digits. That's the story of Saints receivers. Stay away from Colston's inconsistency in the fantasy playoffs.

Jermaine Gresham vs Houston - Houston has the third best fantasy defense againt opposing tight ends, and have not allowed a touchdown to a tight end since week seven. While Gresham has put up nice fantasy numbers the past couple of weeks, he should be on your bench this week.

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Thanks for reading everyone. Don't be scared to drop by my Twitter and ask me any questions that you might have. You can also email me for longer questions. Don't forget to check out our other writer on Twitter (sidebar) as well. My twitter has updates on players' injuries, fantasy advice, and much more.

I'll be back next week with Let Them Preach (hopefully), but until then, check out Friday's injury report and the fantasy rankings for all of your fantasy needs. See you soon!

Week 8 Bank/Tank

Well, week eight is among us; the halfway point in the NFL season...wait, what? That's right. We are almost half the way through this NFL season, and it is shocking to me too. I guess it's just like the old saying goes: time flies when you are having fun, and that's what the NFL season has been; fun. While it's sad that we have just moths until football season is dead and gone, we have plenty of time to see teams flip their season around, or flop on the spot. 

But enough of this nonsense. Let's move on to what you really came here for: my week eight Bank/Tank. Last week was, actually, a good week considering how odd the games themselves were. I went 12-8-2, and I could of done a lot better, but this was the best I have ever done on my "Tanks". I finished 8-3 in terms of Tanks when I usually finish around .500. Tanks are the hardest part about this. It's hard to go against superstars, but sometimes you just have to. Hopefully I can improve this week (I'm sure I will), so let's get the bus rollin'.

Quarterbacks

Bank

Eli Manning vs Miami (4th, 7th) - We have seen some good things from Manning this year. No, not Peyton, Eli! He's taken care of the ball much better in his first six games this year (seven turnovers in six games), and the matchup against Miami's 31st ranked defense (against opposing quarterbacks) can't get much better. He is starting to get Ballard involved, and all three of his main wide receivers (Nicks, Manningham, Cruz) are huge threats to the defense. If you aren't starting Manning this week, well, you should be.

Source

Christian Ponder @ Carolina (15th, 22nd) - One thing we all know about the Bills is that they have one terrible defense. Although the Bills' offense has had success this year, their defense has not. Ponder looked like a legitimate NFL quarterback in his rookie debut, and I think we all expect more of that from him moving forward. The way he played last week, and the way this Bills' defense has played (17.2 points to opposing quarterbacks). If you are looking for a quarterback that is probably going to be on free agents, then this is going to be your guy.

Extra: Matt Hasselbeck vs Indianapolis(12th, 13th)

Tank

Tom Brady @ Pittsburgh (6th, 3rd) - The Steelers have been really good against opposing quarterbacks by only allowing 11.0 points per game in 2011. In four of their seven games, they have held opponents ' quarterbacks under 10 points (two of which came on their three games at Heinz Field). Now, I'm not saying Brady is going to score under 10 points, but I doubt he gets over 20. In fact, I would play "Big" Ben Roethlisberger over Brady this week, although it is unlikely that you have the two of them.

Ryan Fitzpatrick vs Washington (14th, 14th) - Remember when this guy was a top ten quarterback? Yes? Well, that's dead and gone now. Fitzpatrick is now struggling to put up any type of numbers, and with two straight losses, he is just trying to find a way to put up wins. After putting nine touchdowns in his first three games, he has just a third of that number in his last three, and if you can't do that math, that is only three touchdowns in the last three games. In regards to points, his first three games saw 64 points among them. He has less than half of that (29) in his last three. Not only that, but the Redskins defense had been very good against opposing quarterbacks with only 14.2 points allowed per game. If you are starting Fitzpatrick then you could be in for another single digit fantasy day.

Running Backs

Bank

Jackie Battle vs San Diego (13th, 18th) - Last week, the whole "feature back" thing didn't quite work out, but he was still productive with the carries that he got (16 carries for 76 yards). I thought he would do a lot more, but with the type of carries that he is getting it's hard not to like him. San Diego has a decent fantasy run defense, but they have been terrible as of late; they are allowing 14 fantasy points to opposing running backs on the season, but in their last three games they have let up 19 fantasy points (on average) to Miami, Denver, and the New York Jets. Jackie Battle should be a great fantasy option for this week with the 15-20 carries he should get.

Source

Steven Jackson vs New Orleans (6th, 14th) - You think this guy has been bad this year? Not the least. Excluding the one game that he sat out, he has scored double digits in five of six weeks. Not bad. He is ranked 25th among running backs, and that is with two weeks of zero points (his bye, and a week of injury). New Orleans defense is very bad: over 120 yards to opposing running backs in all of the last three games, including two rushing touchdowns in those games. If Feeley is the started again, I think you are going to see the Rams use Jackson early and often.


Extra: DeMarco Murray @ Philadelphia (10th, 12th)

Tank

Rashard Mendenhall vs New England (16th, 11th) - It's the Steelers against the Patriots! Are the Steelers are going to run the ball? Is that the way they are going to win this game? Even if they do run the ball, Mendenhall is averaging 3.7 yards per carry on the year. I think it's safe to say this guy isn't going to reach double digits this week.

Bernard Scott @ Seattle (26th, 24th) - If you aren't already on the bandwagon then you shouldn't be jumping on it now. Seattle has been, believe it or not, stout against the run this year, and Scott has been sub-par, for that matter. Seahawks allow only 3.1 yards per rush this season, which is an NFL best. Coach Lewis has even come out and said that the three running backs--Scott, Leonard, and Peerman--are all going to get touches this week, and I wouldn't be surprised in Scott gets less than half of them. Keep Scott on the bench this week, if he is on your bench.

Extra: Lesean McCoy vs Dallas (9th, 5th)

Wide Receivers

Bank

Source

AJ Green @ Seattle (10th, 15th) - Without Cam Newton, Green might be the rookie of the year thus far. Him and Dalton have been great in that rookie to rookie connection; together, they have gone for over 450 yards and three touchdowns. Green also has double digits in five of his six games, and the one that he did not reach double digits, he still had four receptions. Seattle has given up 21.2 points to opposing wide receivers (the four points performance in week seven against the Browns really padded their stats). I expect the Bengals to resort to their passing game after they can't find a way to run the ball.

Demaryius Thomas vs Detroit (23rd, 30th) - Last week, Tim Tebow sure didn't look good, and he definitely wasn't "Tebowing" until the fourth quarter. But you know what he was doing? Looking for Demaryius Thomas, the most athletic wide receiver on this football team. It's a huge risk to put Thomas in your lineup, but he is a guy that you can probably find on your waiver wire and just plug in there. Detroit does have a fair pass defense, but Houston (their top corner) is hobbled. Thomas is either going to drop you a big fat nothing here, or he is going to put up a very productive fantasy day. Let's just hope it's the second choice.

Extra: Desean Jackson vs Dallas (9th, 14th), Michael Jenkins @ Carolina (21st, 36th), Jabar Gaffney @ Buffalo (18th, 26th)

Tank

Larry Fitzgerald @ Baltimore (16th, 10th) - Ten, six, seven. Those are the numbers that Fitzgerald has put up the last three weeks, and two of the tree were against mediocre defenses. Baltimore has a ridiculous defense at home, and the Cardinals are just not playing good football right now. To go right along with that, Beanie Wells is injured, and it isn't going to take much for the Ravens to stop the likes of Alfonso Smith and LaRod Stephens-Howling.. Furthermore, we are going to see the Ravens drop more into coverage, and you know who they are going to be covering. Two thumbs pointed at this guy.

Eric Decker vs Detroit (27th, 28th) - See Thomas, Demaryius. Decker is going to see less opportunities with Thomas seeing more opportunities.

Extra: Malcom Floyd @ Kansas City

Tight Ends

Bank

Source

Owen Daniels vs Jacksonville (4th, 6th) - Andre Johnson is out again, and that means another dose of Daniels for Houston this week. I know that Daniels has been tough to hang with (16 points in the least three weeks), but stay with him for one more week. The Jaguars are giving up nine points per game to opposing tight ends (fifth in the league). I'm sure you are probably starting Daniels anyways, but I think he finds double digits quite easily this week.

Tank

Brandon Pettigrew @ Denver (10th, 9th) - After a tough matchup and bad performance against the Falcons last week, Pettigrew finds himself in another "stay away" matchup this week.  The Broncos allow just under five points per game to opposing tight ends this year, which is fifth in terms of defenses. I think that Stafford exposes the Broncos' weaknesses at the corner back position, so stay away from Pettigrew this week.

Extra: Daniel Fells vs Detroit

Thanks for reading. If I see more players that I like before Sunday then I will mention it on Twitter and put it in the "Extras". Speaking of Twitter, you can follow me there and ask me any question regarding football or maybe even some nonsense. You can also email me your longer questions. Be sure to check out the Injury Report before you push that "submit" button on Sunday, also check out my rankings that will be updated periodically. Good luck, and I will see you next week.

Crazy Gabey's Week 7 Pickups

 By: Gabriel Harber

This was the kind of week the waiver wire was made for.  It’s likely at least a few of the teams in your league suffered some crippling blows, and if you’re one of them, now is the time to take control and assure you come out no worse for the wear.  Conversely, stealing someone else’s preferred fill-in can sometimes strike the final nail in their coffin, eliminating potential competition while strengthening your own roster.

In my mind at least, week 7 will be referred to as the St. Running back’s Day Massacre.  Hightower, McFadden, Lynch, Graham, Mathews, and a few others all went the way of the buffalo.  In addition, we saw guys like Santana Moss, Matt Ryan, and Matthew Stafford all come away hobbling and in danger of missing time.  If you’re fighting for a playoff berth and suffered a crucial setback this week, stay calm, we’ve got your back(up).

Here’s the rundown.

The Pick-Ups

Roy Helu:  For those of you not judicious enough to sell high on Hightower at halftime (I kid), you may be left in tight spot.  You waited out the Torain drama and mysterious shoulder ailments, only to have your hopes built up with an above average first half performance Sunday, and then promptly crushed.  Torain is likely already taken, but Helu offers some significant upside as the more natural talent and the guy the Redskins are most likely to give a shot, sensing their season slipping away.

DeMarco Murray:  If your one of those lucky enough to be in a league where Murray wasn’t snagged last week, and you have the number one priority, this is your pick.  Congratulations.  Just temper your expectations knowing that he’s already had his best game of the year, and be content with the 70 yards and a TD he can give you each game, if that.

Michael Jenkins:  It’s always tough to recommend a guy who’s played in well over 100 games coming off a “career” day, but that’s what I’ll do here.  Christian Ponder displayed good poise and rhythm with Jenkins, and it seems he’s most comfortable with him out of all the receivers.

Michael Bush:  Bush is a waiver wire pick-up article stalwart, appearing at least once each season it seems.  Why should this year be any different?  Run DMC has proven to be anything but durable over his young career, and Bush stepped up (like he always does) and proved he’s more than capable of handling the workload in McFadden’s absence.  An increased emphasis on the running game should boost his value too.

John Beck:  Losing Santana Moss and Tim Hightower hurts, but as long as he continues leaning on Fred Davis I think he could be a serviceable bye week fill-in.  If you’re looking for a long term replacement though, you may need to look elsewhere.

Tim Tebow:  TEBOW TIMEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!  Seriously though, after this Sunday if you loved him, you love him more, if you hated him, you hate him even more, and if you started him, you cursed under your breath all game until the final 4 minutes.  I’m not sure exactly what the future holds, but if he’s available he should be on your roster, if for nothing more than a trade piece to a desperate owner.

Delone Carter:  The lone bright spot in Sunday night’s shellacking, Carter has officially supplanted Addai (as if that’s noteworthy.)  If the Colts can establish any sort of passing game going forward, Carter could be in line for a few more weeks like this.

Visanthe Shiancoe:  I had a hunch last week that Ponder would lean on his talented TE much like Favre did during his tenure with the Vikings.  Ponder did indeed latch on to him, and with McNabb having done nothing of the sort, Shiancoe is laying around most wires.  I think the stat line this weekend could be indicative of normal production.

Early Doucet:  As teams continue focusing on Fitzgerald, Doucet keeps posting respectable numbers.  After a slight lull for a few weeks, leaving him on many wires, he’s posted back to back noteworthy performances and solidified himself as a WR3 in most formats.

Christian Ponder:  We’ve already talked about his two favorite targets, so there’s not a whole lot left to be said.  In a single week he resurrected a Vikings passing game that simply did not exist.  Unlike Beck, I actually see him as a long term solution if you need help at QB.

Antonio Brown:  Is there something wrong with my eyes, or was Aaron Rodgers traded to the Steelers?  The last 3 weeks Big Ben has done his best his best elite QB impression, and Antonio Brown was this week’s beneficiary.  I believe that of all the receiving options (outside of Mike Wallace), Brown has the most potential.  A stalled out running game and the need for quick passes due to effective pass rushing make Brown an interesting option.

Jabar Gaffney:  With the injuries to Moss and Hightower, Gaffney suddenly became relevant to the Redskins' offense.  He went for 4 catches and 68 yards Sunday, and figures to be in for an increased workload until Moss returns.  He’s still not the number one option, as that role now passes on to Fred Davis, but he should get enough targets per game to be worth an add.

Demaryius Thomas:  Even with Tebow’s lackluster showing in the first 55 minutes, Thomas was clearly the favorite target, eventually getting into the end zone at the end of the game.  Moving forward he can be treated as low end WR3 with huge upside if Denver gets their offense figured out.

Anyone but Kregg Lumpkin:  Whatever the question is in Tampa, Lumpkin is not the answer.  Pay close attention to what the Bucs do this week as depending on who they add, he might be worth a pick-up.

Marion Barber:  In touchdown heavy leagues, with back to back scoring weeks, Barber has officially landed himself on the radar.  If anything were to happen to Forte, he would immediately vault into RB2 territory.

And there you have it.  Heading into week 8 we have a disproportionately large number of running back adds, which should work well for some of you.  Just remember to add wisely, and as always, don’t panic.

Questions?  Follow me on Twitter.