I know how to man up.
Unlike a Cowboys defense or your favorite PeopleOfWalmart.com star’s
pants, I know how to make adjustments.
When Miles Austin’s hamstring fell off against the Seahawks, I knew it
would only be a matter of time before my prediction of Laurent Robinson being a
bust from last week’s article was disproved.
It’s my proverbial half-time, and my advice to you is to snag this guy
as quickly as you can. A hamstring is a
tricky, lingering injury and Austin has now had trouble with both legs this
year so there’s no telling what the future holds. Robinson looks pretty swell as the Cowboys
number two for a few weeks.
This brings me to something very important that I’d like to
discuss.
No matter what you’ve
previously done, don’t be afraid to make adjustments. I’ve seen many owners make a bad move, or
trade away someone only to have them go off for the rest of the season while
the guy they received falls off the map.
Too often, these mistakes lead us to a place where we get down on
ourselves and begin making more, even worse decisions. Rarely is a team beyond repair, and if you
play the wire carefully and stay in close communication with other owners and
their wants/needs, then you will find that you can right the ship much easier than you ever
thought possible.
Even if you are out of
it for this season, set a goal for yourself and focus on achieving it. Practice is always good (unless you’re Allen
Iverson) and you never know when a situation will happen again, only maybe next
time it will be when you’re 7-4 and fighting for a playoff spot.
The Pick Ups
Laurent
Robinson: See above.
Antonio Brown: This guy has been here for a few weeks
but I’m including him because if he’s on your wire you need to stop reading
this and go submit your claim now! The
Steelers passing attack has turned into one of the NFL’s premier units and
Brown’s emergence has been a major reason why.
Roy Helu: It looks like Shanahan finally sees what us fantasy football owners have known all along. A
whopping fourteen receptions on seventeen targets shows the game plan was
definitely tailor made to Helu, and he delivered in a big way. He becomes an instant low end RB2 and a solid
flex play until we get Shanahaniganed.
Matt Moore: Moore had been flirting with not being as
bad as we thought he was (don’t worry, she’s not into him) for the past couple
weeks, and Sunday was sort of a mini breakout session for the embattled
veteran. I wouldn’t expect that sort of production
every week, but ten to fifteen points is reasonable from a suddenly awakened
Dolphins offense that only stands to improve once Daniel Thomas returns to full
health.
Jake Ballard: Anyone who watched this guy play has to
be scratching their heads at the production he’s
exhibited thus far this
season. With more lumbering than
running, Ballard has been quietly solidifying himself as a solid tight end play
with significant upside in a fast paced Giants offense. At this point in the season, he’s probably
the best bet to salvage the likes of Dallas Clark or Vernon Davis owners.
Joshua Cribbs: With Mohamed Massaquoi feeling woozy,
Cribbs provided his second strong effort in a row. He won’t give you consistency, but he has
home run potential written all over him that can post fifteen points any time
he sees enough snaps. If your league has
return yardage he becomes a very appealing option.
Steve Breaston: Breaston was featured here a few weeks
ago, so I won’t beat a dead horse (you would call PETA anyways). It’s tough to predict Kansas City’s offense
from week to week, but the numbers show that Cassel is looking his way. If nothing else, his contract assures that
he’ll continue to be a featured part of the offense and the Chiefs remaining
schedule is a cakewalk of secondaries.
Torrey Smith: The young man has all the talent in the
world, and if he ever drops the pass dropping (see what I did there) he’s got
future WR1 written all over him.
Sunday’s game winning touchdown was a big step for Smith and the second
week in a row he’s come through in the clutch.
As his teammates continue to rally around him, I believe he’s poised for
a huge second half.
Denarius Moore/Jacoby
Ford: As Carson Palmer experiences a
renaissance, the playmakers for the Raiders should begin to shine as well. Moore was targeted a ridiculous twelve times
and Ford made the most of his looks with a touchdown and a twenty one yard per
catch average. Both are of course
gambles, but Palmer should only get better and Oakland seems dedicated to
involving the young duo on offense. (Note: Darrius Heyward-Bey was benched in
this game, so that will be a situation you might want to keep an eye on.)
Chris Ogbonnaya: Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty have
already been ruled out of next week’s contest with the Rams, which makes
Ogbonnaya the default workhouse against a sloppy St. Louis run defense. I would temper expectations here, but if
you’re banged up and need a spot start, then you might be able to scratch out
enough points to make it worthwhile.
Earl Bennett: Fully healthy (obviously), Bennett looked
extremely impressive in Monday night’s win. Showing exceptional rapport with Cutler, it’s
obvious that he’s in no danger of losing his job to Sanzenbacher yet (though he
would definitely lose the coolest name contest.) Proceed with caution as it’s only a one game
sample size, but if you’re lacking wide receiver depth you could do much worse than taking
a flier on Bennett.
With many of you fighting tooth and nail for those last few
playoff spots, it’s easy to kick yourself for making mistakes and for things
that happen outside your control, just remember to stay calm and not allow the
situation to compound itself. If you focus
on the negative you’ll be too wrapped up to notice the opportunities to turn it
all around. Thanks for reading and stay
positive!
Have a question? Ask Gabe on Twitter (@CrazyGabey).
