Showing posts with label julio jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label julio jones. Show all posts

December 14, 2011

December 14th Injury Report

Quarterbacks
- Chiefs quarterback Kyle Orton will start for the Chiefs if he is active for this weeks game. Orton has been dealing with a dislocated index finger on his throwing hand for the last two weeks. Roookie quarterback Ricky Stanzi will be the backup while Tyler Palko will be the third string.
- Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore (concussion) missed practice on Wednesday, but is still expected to play in week 15.
- Vikings rookie quarterback Christian Ponder (hip) was limited in practice.
- Titans quarterback Matthew Hasselbeck (calf) did not practice on Wednesday.
- Although Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb has passed all of the NFL's concussion tests, the Cardinals are being cautious with him, and limited him in practice on Wednesday.
- Rams quarterback Sam Bradford (ankle) did not practice.
- Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman (shoulder) was a full participant in practice on Wednesday.




Running Backs
- Titans running back Javon Ringer underwent successful hand surgery, but he is expected to miss the season.
- Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (ankle) was limited in practice on Wednesday and is expected to play in week 15.
- Raiders running backl Darren McFadden (lisfranc) did not practice on Wednesday and his status for the rest of this year is very up in the air. One thing that we do know is that McFadden will not need surgery on his lisfranc injury.
- Bengals running back Cedric Benson (foot) did not practice on Wednesday.
- Saints rookie running back Mark Ingram (turf toe) did not practice on Wednesday.
- Lions running back Kevin Smith (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday, despite early reports.
- Falcons running back Michael Turner (groin) was limited in practice.
- Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) did not practice on Wednesday.




Wide Receivers
- Raiders wide receivers update: Jacoby Ford (foot) did not practice, while Denarius Moore (foot/ankle) did return to practice in limited fashion.
- Jaguars wide receiver Cecil Shorts (hamstring) and Mike Thomas (concussion) have both been ruled out to play against Atlanta on Thursday Night Football. I ranked Jason Hill, as he will be just about the only healthy receiver for this team.
- Titans wide receiver Nate Washington (ankle) did not practice.
- Patriots wide receivers Deion Branch (groin) and Wes Welker (knee) were both limited in practice.
- Broncos wide receiver Eddie Royal (concussion) was at practice on Wednesday.
- Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday.
- Falcons rookie wide receiver Julio Jones (back) is listed as probable for Thursday night.
- Cowboys wide receivers Laurent Robinson (shoulder) was limited in practice, and Miles Austin was not on the official injury report.
- Mario Manningham was not on the Giants official injury report.




Tight Ends
- Colts tight end Dallas Clark did not practice on Wednesday with a burner.




Defense/Others
- Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis (turf toe) returned to practice today.

December 4, 2011

December 4th Injury Report

By: Christian Hardy


Quarterbacks
- The Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman (shoulder) will not play today against the Panthers. Josh Johnson, whom Josh Freeman replaced a few years ago when Johnson went down with an injury, will start in place of the injured Freeman.
- Kyle Orton is active for the Chiefs. Ricky Stanzi is not. UPDATE: Orton came in for one play in the second quarter of Sunday's game and went down with a hand injury. It was later revelaed that he has a dislocated index finger in his right (throwing) hand. If he were to miss the season, the Chiefs would still be required to pay Orton $2.5 Million, making this one of the most expensive plays in sports history.
- Sam Bradford was inactive for the Rams today with an ankle injury. The Rams were shut out against the 49ers today without Bradford (26-0).
- Kevin Kolb was active and started against the Cowboys, as expected.
- Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton left some of Sunday's game with a hip injury, and as, in the mean time, replaced by Bruce Gradkowski. Dalton eventualy returned to the game, which was already out of hand.


Running Backs
- Kevin Smith (ankle) is expected to play and start tonight against the Saints. UPDATE: Kevin Smith was active for Sunday Night's game.
- Ahmad Bradshaw is expected to make his first start since October today. UPDATE: Bradshaw will be a game-time decision for the game against the Packers. Come game-time, Bradshaw was active.
- Adrian Peterson (ankle) could miss week 14, too.
- Falcons RB Michael Turner will be active, according to reports. UPDATE: Turner is active.
- Bengals RB Cedric Benson (foot) is active for the Bengals.
- Darren McFadden is officially inactive.
- Danny Woodhead, who was deemed as a game-time decision, is active for today's game.
- Colts RB Joseph Addai is active. He was listed as questionable.
- Jets RB Ladanian Tomlinson is active.
- Bears RB Matt Forte has a grade two MCL sprain and will miss "up to six week", but the likely return table is two to four, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. It's a tough break for the Bears, who now have two of their biggest pieces of their offense, Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, more than likely done for the remainder of the regular season.
- Packers RB James Starks aggravated his ankle injury in the second quarter of Sunday's game. It is unclear the condition of Starks' injury, but he was ruled out of the game in the third quarter of what was a close game. He rushed five times for three yards before leaving the game.


Wide Receivers
- Julio Jones will be active today for the Falcons. UPDATE: Jones is active.
- Despite illness, Percy Harvin will start today against the Broncos. He is officially active.
- Both Raiders wide receivers Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford are inactive.
- As expected, Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham was inactive. Both Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, who missed some time in practice this week, were active.
- Texans WR Andre Johnson injured his hamstring today against the Falcons. The Texans went on to win hte game with rookie quarterback TJ Yates, but for Johnson and the Texans, there was a price to pay. According to sources, it is not the same hamstring that he has injured twice this year (right), but rather, it is the left hamstring that he injured in this game. According to Rotoworld, the injury is "not as serious" and we could see him back in action as soon as this week. We will know more tomorrow after an MRI, but as of now, it is not being seen as severe.
- Browns RB Peyton Hillis, who recently returned from a hamstring injury, was not in the locker room after the game with what is being called an "undisclosed injury" according to coach Pat Shurmur. Shurmur said that he does not think that Hillis aggravated his hamstring. Shurmur gave no details as to why Hillis was not in the locker room after Sunday's loss to the Ravens.


Tight Ends
- Bengals TE Donald Lee is inactive.

Defense/Others
- Broncos rookie MLB Von Miller is likely to miss today's game against the Broncos, per NFL Network's Jason La Canfora. UPDATE: Von Miller is inactive after getting surgery on his hand earlier this week.
- Giants LB Michael Boley is expected to play today.
- The Vikings cornerbacks Asher Allen and Chris Cook are both inactive today.
- As expected, the Redskins safety LaRon Landry is inactive.
- Steelers LB LaMarr Woodley, listed as probable with a hamstring, is active today. Troy Polamalu (concussion) is also inactive.
- Bengals CB Nate Clements is inactive.
- As expected, Falcons CB Kelvin Hayden is inactive. As is Brent Grimes.
- Bills kicker Rian Lindell is inactive.
- Adam Schefter said "It would not be a surprise if he is inactive", in regards to Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.
- Raiders LB Rolando McClain is active for today's game against the Dolphins.
- Devin McCourty is active for the Patriots secondary, after missing time with a separated shoulder. Julian Edelman is also active. Patrick Chung, however, is inactive.
- Giants center David Baas was inactive against the Packers today because of "headaches".
- Packers Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Woodson left the game against the Giants with a head injury and was later ruled questionable for the remainder of the game. He never returned to the game after straining his injury.
- Giants SS Kenny Phillips has a sprained MCL according to ProFootballTalk. He is expected to "miss a few weeks", but the MRI tomorrow will reveal more. More on Phillips tomorrow.

November 25, 2011

Injury Report for November 25th

By Christian Hardy


Quarterbacks
- Matthew Hasselbeck (elbow) is listed as probable. Head coach Mike Munchak and Hasselbeck himself say that he will play this week.
- Michael Vick did not practice on Friday, and he is not expected to play against the Patriots. He is listed as questionable.
- Signs point to John Skelton, not Kevin Kolb (toe), starting at quarterback for the Cardinals.


Running Backs
- Lots of news on Vikings RB Adrian Peterson today. We first found out that he "expected" to play this week, which proved to be false. We later found that he got the boot off and did some very light drills before practice, and then went into the locker room for treatment and never practiced with the team. Leslie Frazier said that Peterson is "very, very doubtful" for week 12. He is listed out doubtful on the NFL official injury report, and he is not expected to play at this point.
- Colts running back Joseph Addai is iffy for this Sunday, if you ask me. He was in full practice today, but the hamstring injury seems to be very tedious. He is listed as "questionable" and he will not be in my rankings. You definitely do not want him in your lineup, nor do you want Donald Brown or Delone Carter in your lineup. (Unless, of course, Addai is ruled out on Sunday. It is a very freindly matchup against the Panthers this week.
- Browns RB Peyton Hillis has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury, including aggravating the hamstring in practice about three weeks ago. Earlier in the week, the Browns ruled Hillis out for week 12, but, after two "rigorous" workouts on both Thursday and Friday, he has now been ruled a "game-time" decision. If I were you, I would stay away from all Browns running backs if Hillis is active. If he is inactive, then Montario Hardesty would become a nice flex play, but Pat Shurmur said that none of the Browns' running backs are going to get a full workload.
- After being deemed out for 2-5 weeks, Lions running back Kevin Smith was found to have a very mild ankle sprain and could be back in week 13. This is good news for the Lions, as Smith has looked better than ever in these past couple of games.
- Another reason Kevin Smith returning is good news for the Lions? Jahvid Best, who has missed the majority of the season with a concussion, was/will be placed on injured reserve, according to multiple sources, including head coach Jim Schwartz. Hopefully, Best can return concussion-free next year.
- After missing both Wednesday and Thursday with swelling in the knee, Chargers running back Ryan Mathews practiced on Friday, and is expected to play this week.
Ahmad Bradshaw missed practice on Friday, but Tom Coughlin said that "there's hope" for Bradshaw to play on Monday Night. We will see, but in the meantime, make sure to keep Brandon Jacobs and Bradshaw out of your lineup.
- Raiders RB Darren McFadden has been ruled out with a foot injury. According to Jason La Canfora, he could miss two more games. 


Wide Receivers
- Julio Jones (hamstring) practiced on Friday and is expected to play on Sunday. He is listed as probable.
- Andre Johnson practiced, as he did all week long, and is expected to make a return to the playing field this week. He is listed as probable.
- The Raiders ruled out Jacoby Ford (foot) on Friday. Both Darrius Heyward-Bey (neck) and Denarius Moore (foot) are listed as questionable for Sunday.
- For the second consecutive day, DeSean Jackson practiced. On the other side of the field, Jeremy Maclin (hamstring, shoulder) did not practice for his second consecutive day, and is listed as doubtful for this week.
- Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones (reliable as he is, not) said that Miles Austin is questionable for week 13. Austin has missed the past three weeks with a hamstring injury, but Laurent Robinson has done just fine filling in for him, and the Cowboys are 3-0 without him on the field.
-To go along with the other probable wide receivers, AJ Green, who missed week 11, is listed as probable with a knee injury. He has practiced in full all week long, and is expected to play.
- Mario Manningham did not practice for the third consecutive day with a knee injury, but he seemed optimistic about playing when reporters talked to him, according to sources.
- The Chargers ruled out Malcom Floyd (hip) after he did not practice all week.
- Percy Harvin is listed as questionable after a limited practice on Friday with a rib injury.
- Seahawks wide receivers Sidney Rice and Doug Baldwin are listed as probable for week 12.


Tight Ends
- For the third straight week, Kellen Winslow did not practice on Friday for non-injury related reasons according to the NFL Injury Report. Just something I wanted to point out, I guess.
- Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe practiced on Friday and is tenatively expected to play on Sunday. He is listed as questionable on the official injury report.
- Colts TE Dallas Clark was ruled out on Friday with a leg injury (fibula). This will be his second game that he has missed, consecutively with his injury.


Defense/Others
- Bills kicker Rian Lindell (shoulder) is out again for the Bills. Dave Rayner will continue to kick.
- Steelers LB Lamarr Woodley is expected to miss a third straight game with a hamstring injury. Not only is Woodley expected to be out, but James Harrison was limited in practice with a back injury. However, Harrison is expected to play.
- Eagles CB Nnamdi Asomugha missed practice with a hyperextended knee on Friday, and he will most likely be a game-time decision. On the bright side, CB Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie (ankle) returned to a limited practice on Friday and is going to be a game time decision. Then against OT King Dunlap was ruled out by head coach Andy Reid on Friday.
- Buccaneers rookie defensive end Da'Quan Bowers is expected to make his first NFL start on Sunday. Bucs DE Michael Bennett has a nagging hamstring injury that will likely keep him out this week, which means that Bowers, who free-falled all the way to the Bucs at 51st pick overall (second round) in this year's draft, will most likely make his first start on Sunday. Definitely something that I will be watching, and you should too.

October 12, 2011

Week 6 Injury Report

By:  Zach Jacobson

Bad puns aside, Blount was really the largest fantasy injury this week (I am sorry for Texans fans, but I don't do IDP).  Man I really hate these introductions, so we might as well roll up our pant legs and wade right in.

The Injuries

LeGarrette Blount:  As you might've guessed from the awful, awful title, Blount damaged his knee.  He's expected to miss week 6, and with players on byes this could really kill your fantasy teams chances this weekend.  I might add Earnest Graham in a deep league, but apparently Kregg Lumpkin (WHO!) could get most of the carries.  It's really a terrible situation and there has to be better options on waivers.

Julio Jones:  Seems like he'll miss next week as well.  I really don't think it helps Gonzalez or Roddy White (though White's a monster and more targets could mean more production for him...regardless of coverage), but the real winner here is Harry Douglas.  His moments have been few and far between so far this season, but with defenses tightening up on White and Gonzo holes could open up for Douglas.  

Joseph Addai:  Can you go just one year without getting hurt Joseph Addai!  Your allowed to miss a few games if your name is Steven Jackson, but when your only a pretty good back who's goal was to simply open up Manning's passing game you can't be missing games every single season in your career.  His injury really opens up possibilities for a guy I've already had stashed on all my benches...Delone Carter.  Carter's bad performance in week 5 was saved by a touchdown, but with Addai hurt you could see Carter getting 10+ carries a game, including the goal line ones.  Donald Brown has all but worn out his welcome in Indianapolis, and Carter has a great chance to gain the majority of the carries.

The Replacements

Good To Go:  Delone Carter
Stay AWAY:  Earnest Graham, Kregg Lumpkin, Donald Jones
Caught in the Middle:  Harry Douglas

Look for this article on Mondays or Wednesdays, or if you want to see my other work check me out at ReclinerQB.com's Fantasy Corner.  Christian is featured there every Tuesday.

Want to get instant updates on my fantasy football thoughts?  Follow me on THE Twitter @Zatchj62
Or feel free to email me at msuhoopz62@att.net
Editors Note: Christian says "Good To Go" includes Donald Brown who averaged 4.8 yards per carry to Delone Carter's 1.8. I also think Kregg Lumpkin is a deep start since Earnest GRaham will spend a lot of time at fullback,but these are Zach's thoughts, not mine.

October 7, 2011

Week 5 Bank/Tank

Hallelujah! The bye weeks are among us! Actually, it’s not all giddy for everyone. I mean, some owners are scrambling for a guy to replace all three of their running backs, because they don’t know how to draft. Or someone might be looking for that quarterback who is going to have a great game and is a free agent in their league. I know you are thinking Tavaris Jackson, Andy Dalton, or Matt Cassel; all of which are wrong. But, I wouldn’t want to just give it away so let’s get started.

Quarterbacks
Bank
Cam Newton vs New Orleans – Look, there is almost no way you can sit this guy right now. He is playing out this world, and even more so for a rookie. This guy is going be around for awhile, and whether you like it or not, he is going to be, or at least looks like he is going to be, an elite quarterback. Against a weak New Orleans defense (19th in the league), I think you can expect a big game for Cam Newton again.

Alex Smith vs Tampa Bay – Yes. The quarterback for the 49ers. The same Alex Smith that I have ranked 32nd this year in my quarterback rankings. If your quarterback is on bye (Tony Romo, Joe Flacco) and you are scrambling to pick up someone, then this is your guy. Tampa Bay is ranked 21st in the pass and have allowed seven touchdowns in the first four games this year. That doesn’t mix well with a dose of Alex Smith (I chuckled as I typed this…). Last week Smith had 291 yards and two touchdowns against a “stout” Eagles’ pass defense, so why not against the Bucs? Look out for Alex Smith this week.

Extra: Donovan McNabb vs Arizona

Tank
Ben Roethlisberger vs Tennessee – The foot isn’t a huge concern to me, but the way Ben has been playing is. Roethlisberger. He hasn’t scored over 15 fantasy points this year (against Seattle he scored 15) and the way Tennessee is playing, I wouldn’t want to play my quarterback against him. Tennessee has allowed just four touchdowns (one per game) this year, and Big Ben has only thrown just three touchdowns. On top of all of that, he has a foot injury. Is that enough to convince you to sit Ben Roethlisberger?

Matt Schaub vs Oakland – When Andre Johnson was not in the game last year, Mat Schaub was everything but fantastic. He threw for 755 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception in the three games without Andre Johnson. I’m not saying he is going to completely suck this week, but he isn’t going to be the Matt Schaub you are wanting. Hopefully you have a better option this week.

Running Backs
Bank
Joseph Addai vs Kansas City – Remember those talks of Delone Carter taking over the role in Indianapolis? I think that’s over now.  The last two weeks Addai has been taking the heavy workload for the Colts. Addai has had 28 carries to Delone Carter’s 11, and I’m not just trying to sugar coat this: in three games Addai has 42 carries to Carter’s 22. While Carter still has five carries in the redzone to Addai’s four, all of Addai’s carries in the redzone have come in the last two weeks and in that time frame, Carter has zero. With the matchup, I really love Addai this week.

Cedric Benson @ Jacksonville – Maybe Benson still has one more game left in him before he is suspended by the NFL, but nevertheless, this guy is getting a huge workload. In the last two weeks, Benson is tied for the most rushes in the redzone (9). That is one-fourth of his carries in that time frame. But his performing outside of the redzone too with a 4.5 yards per rush average this season. With Jacksonville dead center (16th) in rushing defense, I think Benson could have a real nice game. To top it all off, I expect the Bengals to get up early in this game and pound the ball (but don’t count AJ Green out).

Extra: Ahmad Bradshaw vs Seattle, Thomas Jones @ Indianapolis

Tank
Ryan Grant and James Starks @ Atlanta – Neither one of these guys is going to get the main workload, and even if one of them does wind up getting the bulk of the carries, you can’t guess who it is going to be! With a tough matchup at the Georgia Dome (10th rushing defense),  I ‘m not going to be playing either of these. And it’s not just that; I think this game will be a shootout, and when Aaron Rodgers gets into a shootout, he isn’t going to be handing the ball off.

Michael Turner vs Green Bay – Make it a sweep! I’m sitting them all in Atlanta! There have only been 77 rushes attempted against Green Bay through three weeks, and it clearly isn’t working. They are the number two rush defense in the league and are allowing just 3.7 yards per rush. Like I said, I think this game will be a shootout, I would try to sit Michael Turner this week at all costs.

Extra: Johnathan Stewart vs New Orleans, DeAngelo Williams vs New Orleans

Wide Receivers
Bank
Julio Jones vs Green Bay – The Packers already have a bad pass defense, but they are even worse against “supporting casts”. In week one it was Devery Henderson, then it was Johnathan Stewart, next it was Sanzenbacher, and finally it was Eric Decker. So my point is; can the Packers defend a physical and extremely talented guy like Julio Jones who has had an increasing role in the offense? I doubt it.

Santonio Holmes @ New England – You all know I have an extreme bromance with Santonio, and we also know that Mark Sanchez is no Tom Brady. Every time these two teams play it is a shootout, and the two quarterbacks throw…a lot. The Patriots are dead last in the league in passing defense. They can’t stop anything, not even “The Sanchise” and Santonio Holmes.

Extra: Percy Harvin vs Arizona

Tank
Denarius Moore @ Houston – Look, I’m scared of Johnathan Joseph shutting this guy down, that is why I have Darrius Heyward-Bey against an injured Kareem Jackson ranked higher. Heyward-Bey plays on the right side more often, and Joseph in on the left more often so I think we are going to see Moore go up against Joseph more than we see him against Jackson.

Mario Manningham vs Seattle – I have preached Victor Cruz, and I have preached on and on. From preseason sensation, to that player who was given that opportunity to finally see the playing field. Cruz is extremely talented, and once he was given this chance I knew he would take advantage of it. I know the offensive coordinator said that Manningham still has that spot, but that is just going to give Cruz the room he needs in the slot to run free! I still think Manningham has a ton of talent, I just think that Victor Cruz has more of it.

Tight Ends
Bank
Owen Daniels vs Oakland – With no Andre Johnson, Daniels and his receivers are going to have to step up. With the way Daniels has be playing, and with Schaub not finding Jacoby Jones or Kevin Walter very much this year, Owen Daniels is going to have to step up his game, and his stat line will show it.

Extra: Jared Cook @ Pittsburgh

Tank
Dustin Keller @ New England – He has flopped once again. In his last two games he hasn’t done much for your fantasy team, and even though New England can’t stop the pass, they sure can stop the tight end. In week two they shut down Antonio Gates, and in other weeks tight ends haven’t found many holes in their defense. Sit Keller this week, I’m confident that you can find better options.

Thanks for checking out the week five Bank and Tank. I will be back tomorrow (Saturday) with my game picks along with all of that other good stuff that I do on Saturdays, so be sure to check that out. If you have any fantasy football questions (even a simple,”Who do I start?”) then feel free to check me out on Twitter for shorter questions, or hit me up on the email for longer questions that are quite a big larger than that of a tweet. If you don’t come back tomorrow, make sure to comeback on Sunday morning for all of the latest on who you need to get out of your lineups and who you need to stick in there on the Injury Report page. And one last thing: check out ReclinerQB.com for some great and hysterical writing from Matt Prendergast. Thanks, and I will see you tomorrow.




October 4, 2011

Let Them Preach: Week Four


What did you think? Week Four of the NFL season was pretty great. I mean, in the noon games it was comeback galore, in the afternoon games it was your fantasy team lighting up your opponent…or your opponent lighting up the scoreboard. Either way, it was a great week of football, just like the first three were. But this isn't about your fantasy team, it’s all about what I learned from every game in week four. So what do you say? Let’s get this show on the road.

Detroit Lions @ Dallas Cowboys
1. They should make a movie with the title “Calvin Johnson: The Unstoppable”.
2. Romo isn’t as bad as others are making him, and I am going to write an article on this later in the week.
3. Cowboys’ found their number three wide receiver, you’ve heard his name before: Laurent Robinson.

Carolina Panthers @ Chicago Bears
1. Cam Newton is going to find holes in your defense and expose them all day long.
2. Matt Forte is a top five running back in the NFL is he gets the carries he deserves.
3. Mike Martz picks one thing to do and he does it over and over. He can’t run a balanced offense.

Tennessee Titans @ Cleveland Browns
1. Chris Johnson is alive!
2. Still don’t know who will benefit the most from Kenny Britt injury with Hasselback going only 10 for 20.
3. One of these days, Greg Little is going to break through. He has been getting more and more work every week.

Washington Redskins @ St.Louis Rams
1. Well, we have another Shanahan backfield. Now we know he was serious about sitting Tim Hightower.
2. Sam Bradford is not the same as last year, and I don’t understand why to be honest.
3. Maybe not something I learned, but I think Helu is going to be one of the best change of pace backs in the NFL…if that means anything to you.

Minnesota Vikings @ Kansas City Chiefs
1. Like I said last week, and I’m going to repeat it; Dwayne Bowe is still going to produce, no matter how bad this team looks.
2. Harvin is going to be a flex play on most weeks, and he is the ideal flex play. Going to get you points, but he can easily light it up and get you a ton of points.
3. I don’t see why people are pondering about Ponder. If I was Leslie Frazier, despite being winless, there is no way I am handing the ball over to that kid. Atleast McNabb is putting points on the board. It could be worse. You could be the Dolphins!

Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals
1. What?! A defense can actually stop the Bills? They can stop the man from Harvard!? How!
2. AJ Green was better than Julio Jones…until the afternoon games…
3. Bengals defense isn’t all that bad, but to be completely honest, I couldn’t name five starters on that defense.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Houston Texans
1. Matthew Berry was right: the Steelers can’t stop the run up the middle right now.
2. The Steelers don’t look like a playoff team right now. They are not playing good football.
3. You know that ‘anti-awesomeness’ stuff that Arian Foster had…yeah, it’s gone. Foster is awesome.

New Orleans Saints @ Jacksonville Jaguars
1. Jimmy Graham:  the elite tight end. I’m not sure if Brees is making this kid, or Jimmy Graham is just a beast. It’s a little of both I think.
2. Mike Thomas is going to be there, and whether you like it or not, Blaine Gabbert loves the kid.
3. Mark Ingram is going to dictate the carries for the Saints. This is the second game in a row now.

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles
1. On almost every drive I saw, the Philadelphia Eagles looked they had one of the worst defense in the NFL. And even though I am a Cowboys fan, I mean it.
2. Frank Gore! He can run the ball!
3. Nnamdi looks really bad, in fact, the Eagles secondary looked bad. And they weren’t playing Tom Brady. They were facing Alex Smith.

Atlanta Falcons @ Seattle Seahawks
1. Julio Jones > AJ Green. Both are going to be phenomenal in this league though.
2. Michael Turner is still catching passes.
3. The Seahawks will never try a 61 yard field goal again, that’s for sure.

New York Giants @ Arizona Cardinals
1. You should disregard your stud player missing practice. I mean, just look at Hakeem Nicks.
2. I guessed it last week, but now it might be a reality: Victor Cruz could take Mario Manningham’s spot.
3. Well, I was wrong on Beanie Wells. Really, really wrong.

Miami Dolphins @ San Diego Chargers
1. Matt Moore is still Matt Moore.
2. The Dolphins don’t trust Reggie Bush. That’s for sure.
3. I was asking myself,”Who the heck is going to get the goal line carries for this team?” Still no answer.

New England Patriots @ Oakland Raiders
1. This Wes Welker guy, yeah, the white one, he is pretty good.
2. Belichick loves his new rookie Stevan Ridley. Well, I mean if you are getting scouted by Bill Belichick then you know you are a good football player.
3. Darius Heyward-Bey is relevant. Oops! Did I just let that roll right off of my toungue? Oh well…

Denver Broncos @ Green Bay Packers
1. The people who chant, “TEBOW! TEBOW! TEBOW!” are really frustrating, and 90% of them don’t know what they are talking about.
2. The Packers are really good, oh wait, I already knew that…
3.  McGahee, no doubt, is going to be the main guy for the Broncos.

New York Jets @ Baltimore Ravens
1. This was one of the oddest football games I have ever seen; special teams and defense galore.
2. Ray Rice is a stud. I just wanted to verify.
3. I was right about the QBS, Boldin, and Holmes in this game.

Indianapolis Colts @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1. Mike Williams being out of bounds on the 60 yard touchdown was such a heartbreak.
2. Pierre Garcon and Curtis Painter have some sort of secret love story. Eight targets? Two touchdowns on two catches? What a stud.
3. Week one was a fluke for LeGarrette Blount.

Well, that's all for me, at least for now. That Romo piece that I mentioned earlier will be on ReclinerQB.com   on Wednesday. As for the blog; Gabe's pickup article is coming soon and Zach's injury piece is going to be posted on Wednesday. Hope you guys all got a win this week. Remember, if you have any questions about your fantasy football team or just want to have a chat then you can check me out on twitter or you can email me. Until Thursday, I'm out!

August 25, 2011

Thursday, August 25th, 2011 NFL Fantasy Football Wrap-Up

Welcome back fantasy owners,

Week three of preseason football has kicked off and I'm prepared to tell you, readers, two players that caught my eye on Thursday night in the first batch of week three preseason games. I will most likely run through a couple of players in each game that caught my eye that may affect your draft, but only after we check out some of the news from the NFL.

There wasn't any major news from the National Football League today, but there was some notable news, and to kick it all off let's shift to Julio Jones. Jones has made a huge impact on me in all of camp, and he is making impressions on his coaches and front office too. Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff was very positive about his performance and Dimitroff emphasized that Jones is "very focused" and "very competitive". Seeing that his team likes him makes me think more passes will be flying his way. I will continue to move him up my rankings until the start of the season.

Now for my news that has little to no fantasy value, and that is rookie QB Terrelle Pryor signed with the Raiders on Thursday evening, three days after being drafted by the Raiders in the third round of the supplemental draft. "Pryor receives a $586,000 signing bonus, and a base salary of $375,000 (pre-suspension).  In 2012, he’ll earn $485,000, and he’s eligible to earn a $20,300 incentive based on playing time.  In 2013, the salary is $595,000 with a $40,700 play-time incentive.  In 2014, the salary moves to $645,000, with a $61,100 play-time incentive," According to ProFootballTalk.com. Although it is unlikely, I could see Pryor seeing some time on the field this year considering that Campbell was benched for Gradkowski in multiple games last year.


Time to move on to the preseason games now, and the first of three games on Thursday night was in Carolina where we had the Bengals defeating the Panthers by a final of 24-13. As expected, or at least as I expected, Cam Newton couldn't throw the ball. He went a measly 6-19 with a mere 75 yards, but there was a good part of his performance: his athletic ability on the ground. He scrambled for 49 yards as well as the Panthers only TD of the game. But the away team was much more impressive. Cedric Benson was fed the ball 16 times and he seemed to do well with it as he rushed for 68 yards and a TD. Bernard Scott got involved too, going six for 63 and a TD. Then in the air, Dalton had a much better game, including a 40 yard pass that went to rookie AJ Green for a TD. Obviously I liked to see Andy Dalton bounce back from his bad performance last week; it shows that Simpson, Benson, and Green can prevail with Dalton under center. I also saw my sleeper tight end Gresham getting five targets, as well as four receptions and 49 yards. Carolina looked pure ugly if you ask me. Newton is not going to lead this team to anything special if he can't figure out away to be more of a pocket passer. Not looking like a bright future for the Panthers.

Speaking of bright futures, you have the "Dream Team" Philadelphia Eagles. They have looked absolutely awful this far into the preseason, and Thursday night was no better. Vick is not getting the time to throw the ball and he is getting knocked down way too much. It is just a matter of time before a hard hit injures him and sidelines him for the entire season. Eagles are going to have to solve this offensive line problem if they want to get anywhere and it looks really bad right now. But let's move on to fantasy value of players. McCoy had himself a nice game in the passing game (Vick had to dump it off all night because he was getting flushed out of the pocket so much) but he had a terrible game on the ground. He went 6 for 12 on the ground while his teammate Ronnie Brown went 6 for 41 with a very nice 13 yard touchdown.  McCoy had nine targets in the air, three times more than anyone else in the Eagles receiving corps if you would like to take note of that for a PPR league. But on the Browns side of the ball, Colt McCoy had his first ugly game of the preseason. He went 9/18 with one interception and a 41.2 quarterback rating. Included in there was my very deep sleeper who grabbed three catches on four targets for 23 yards, Brian Robiskie. In my opinion that is a big step for Robiskie, and it says that McCoy wants to throw the ball to this guy and I have a lot of faith in him this year, even more than Josh Cribbs (as seen in my rankings).


The final game of the night was on ESPN and it was the Ravens taking on the Redskins. The one thing that really stuck to me in this game was Ray Rice getting some carries at the goaline. In the second quarter after getting stuffed at the one yard line, he ran one in from two yards out. Obviously this was something that a lot of fantasy owners are worried about, but I think it becomes less of a concern with this game under his belt. Granted, one good game can not convince most fantasy owners, and I realize that, but for me I feel like I can trust him more after this game. Enough of Ray Rice, I can't forget about my bromance with Anquan Boldin, who also had a good game. Boldin went 5 for 73 with a TD catch in the third quarter; that really impresses me. Lee Evans also had himself a nice game, 3 for 60 with a TD. I think Evans only helps Boldin, as I have pointed out before in my precious posts. Evans will take a safety off the top and leave breathing room for Boldin unlike last year where you had Mason playing opposite Boldin, and two receivers with the same skill set cannot play opposite of each other. I also really liked what I saw from Tyrod Taylor, the Ravens rookie backup quarterback. He seemed to play just like a younger Michael Vick. He knew when to throw and stay in the pocket but also knew when to tuck and run. I think we will see him be successful one day in the NFL. But on the other side of the field, Redskins had some really nice looking possessions too. John Beck still looks like the better QB for the Redskins, and pretty obviously to me. Of course, I am not seeing the practices, but in games in just seems like Beck is going to lead this team better. Hightower, a guy that is also climbing up my rankings, went 9 for 56, and his second game with a run over 30 yards.

That finishes up the recap for this Thursday. Look for my rankings on Saturday. But until then you can follow me on Twitter @TheFFAddict or feel free to email me, cshardy@att.net. Thanks for reading!

Just a little side note here: Next week I will do over-valued and under-valued players all week at every position as well as the news, so look for that.