Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 8

Each week I will be walking through the Twitterverse extracting some of the best commentary from trusted fantasy football minds and delivering to the general public.  Twitter can be overwhelming with the amount of information that streams live, but it also proves to be one of the fastest and easiest ways to communicate.  In 140 characters or less you can learn something about a player you would have never thought to analyze.  Trends, stats, analysis and simple suggestions pour out weekly after the NFL action is completed and below are some of the highlights to consider when hitting the waiver wire or seeking trades to win your fantasy championships.

Tony Gonzalez, Falcons – Gonzalez had another disappointing outing, but as Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) pointed out, “In two games without Julio & Roddy this season, Tony Gonzalez has a total of five catches for 56 yards and no TDs. Extreme focal point of D.”  Hard to expect much from Tony G at this point and he has now come out saying he is open to a trade.  Fantasy owners probably will not be open to trading for the Falcons main target at this point so you are most likely stuck with low end production.

Eddie Lacy, Packers – If you bought low or held onto Lacy after an early injury, congrats.  Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) remarked, “Eddie Lacy averaging 26 touches per game since returning from his concussion. #horse.”  Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) also noted that, “Lacy has also accounted for 18% of the Packers targets over the last two games, which is a huge number.”  Lacy is a clear RB1 the rest of the season and tied to a great offense.   If you can still acquire his services via trade, make it happen.

Marvin Jones, Bengals – Marvin Jones had scored a TD in each of the weeks leading up to his week 8 explosion and now sits as the 12^th overall WR in standard league scoring.  His low usage turned into touchdowns though is reminiscent of Eddie Royal early in the season.  PFF’s Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) tweeted, “Before you spend on Marvin Jones, know that he played 19 snaps yesterday. Still No. 3 at WR.”  Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) also remarked it is, “Hard to get excited about Marvin Jones outside of Sanu injury possibilities… not playing a ton, but does have 250 yards, 6 TDs in last 3.”  Both Mike and Josh make great points about his usage and likely regression, but John Sarmento (@RumfordJohnny) also declared, “Marvin Jones is a lottery ticket. If you don’t chase points in his case, you won’t score points. Worthy of a flex play.”  You would hope his recent success would gain more reps and targets, but also temper expectations.  I would prefer WRs such as Antonio Brown, Torrey Smith and even T.Y. Hilton if you can make a trade.

Jake Locker, Titans - Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom) offered an interesting insight yesterday, “For Brady owners: Jake Locker has produced on a par w any QB in NFL over last 3 starts + weak 2nd half sked. The "secret" FF QB1 on your WW.”  Brady has a tough matchup with the Steelers followed by the bye week, so adding Locker who is almost assuredly on your waiver wire could provide a much needed increase in points at the QB position. 

Alex Smith’s Targets, Chiefs – Being invested in the Chiefs passing game is likely not paying dividends from fantasy perspective as Dave Ricahrd (@daverichard) pointed out, “KC fun: DMcCluster 10 targets JCharles 7 targets DAvery 5 targets ASherman 3 targets AFasano 3 targets SMcGrath 2 targets .. DBowe 2 targets.”  The last 5 weeks Smith has averaged only 21 completions per game.  Charles is getting his share and with the way the remainders of looks are getting spread out, owning any Chiefs WR for fantasy purposes is not advised.  Yes you should have dropped Bowe a while ago unless you are playing in leagues requiring you to start 6 WRs each week.

Antonio Brown, Steelers – Probably the quietest WR2 performance this season in standard leagues and closer to WR1 in PPR leagues, Brown has been the model of consistency.  As JJ Zachariason (@LateRoundQB) tweeted, “I've mentioned this a lot over the last few weeks, but lost in the Steelers losing is Antonio Brown's pace to catch 128 balls this year.”  Catching an average of 8 balls a week, Brown is getting it done as a weekly start.  If he could find his way into the end zone even every other week he would be a clear WR1.

Lamar Miller, Dolphins – Miller has been a frustrating RB to own in fantasy as the coaching staff has appeared committed to not letting him cease the feature role.  John Paulsen (@4for4_John) broke down his week 8 performance stating, “Lamar Miller turned 21 touches into 112 yards (50 snaps), while Daniel Thomas had 10 touches for 52 yards and a TD catch (27 snaps).”  If he could somehow maintain a 2/3rds share the remainder of the season Miller could easily be a RB2. 

Terrance Williams, Cowboys - Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) commented on the Cowboys receiver after week 8 stating, “Terrance Williams only caught 2 balls yesterday, but was targeted a team high 10 times. He should remain heavily involved.”  Now with a touchdown in four straight games, Williams should be an every week start as long as Austin remains out, and even if he returns Terrance deserves Flex consideration.

Alfred Morris, Redskins – Per Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL), “Alfred Morris' carries by week (starting with Wk 1): 12 - 13 - 15 - 16 - 16 - 19 - 17  #Trending.”  Eric Hardter (@EDH_27) responded to Mike’s tweet remarking, “Having an even better year than last year, but all anyone can look at is the early season volume.”  Now while Morris is actually averaging an average of 2 less fantasy points per week in 2013 compared to 2012, he is averaging 5.2 yards per carry this season versus 4.8 the year prior.  The fact is he remains an RB1 in standard , 12 team leagues and if you can find an owner upset with his usage and situation, make offers now.

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 7

Each week I will be walking through the Twitterverse extracting some of the best commentary from trusted fantasy football minds and delivering to the general public.  Twitter can be overwhelming with the amount of information that streams live, but it also proves to be one of the fastest and easiest ways to communicate.  In 140 characters or less you can learn something about a player you would have never thought to analyze.  Trends, stats, analysis and simple suggestions pour out weekly after the NFL action is completed and below are some of the highlights to consider when hitting the waiver wire or seeking trades to win your fantasy championships.

C.J. Spiller, Bills – Per Rotoworld’s Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan), “Over last 2 weeks, Spiller (ankle) has played 23.1% of the snaps & gotten a total of 21 touches.”  John Sarmento (@RumfordJohnny) also noted, “Spiller may still be dinged up, but he’s dancing at the LOS, not decisive.  Reminiscent of Chris Johnson.  Maybe Spiller is looking for a home run, or trying to avoid contact, but it’s a bad look. Full committee with FJax & Choice at this point.”  The Bills are likely best sitting Spiller to get him healthy, but even if they don’t you should be.

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs – Fantasy’s #1 RB is producing at both an impressive and consistent clip as Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) pointed out, “Jamaal Charles has both cleared 100 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown in every game this season.”  To pile on Spiller a little more, Jonathan Vandersluis (@Jonathan_TTF) tweeted, “C.J. Spiller has yet to have a single game as good as Jamaal Charles' worst game.”  These two were commonly close in drafts but could not be further apart during the season.

Trent Richardson, Colts – A heralded move by the Colts signing Richardson has become yet another weekly black mark for fantasy owners.  Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) tweeted, “That's 10 straight games now for Trent Richardson w/out surpassing 60 rushing yards. Averaging 14.4 carries, 45.6 rush yards over that span.”  John D. Beckler II (@JDBeckler) also commented on Richardson’s usage stating, “Why trade for Trent if you don't plan on giving him 20+ carries a game? He needs volume to be effective.”  Davis Mattek (@DavisMattek) also provided the most simple and probably most common sentiment in regards to Trent, “I am really starting to believe that T-Rich just is not very good.”  Whether it is usage, skill, scheme, etc., Trent Richardson will likely not help your cause for a fantasy championship this season.

LeVeon Bell, Steelers – Two tough matchups against the Jets and the Ravens have produced 35 carries for 127 yards and a 3.6 yards per carry mark.  Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) remarked on the RBs week 7 performance stating, “Le'Veon Bell's 93 rushing yards are the most by a Steelers RB since Week 8 of last season ... and more than any PIT RB totaled first 5 games.”  Evan Silva (@evansilva) also commented, “Guessing LeVeon Bell's perceived FF value hasn’t yet caught up to his actual value because no TDs since Wk 4. Guy to target. Borderline RB1.”   

Vincent Jackson, Buccaneers – Averaging under 7 points per game in standard leagues without scoring a TD in his first four weeks it appears Vincent just needed a change at QB.  As Denny Carter (@CDCarter13) tweeted, “Vincent Jackson has been targeted 34 times since Mike Glennon took over. Thirty. Four. Times.”  With Doug Martin now sidelined, Jackson may see even more looks in the coming weeks.  Glennon will likely continue to look to his #1 WR and the fantasy points should follow.

Eddie Lacy, Packers – “Eddie Lacy is the #8 RB in fantasy over the past three weeks, averaging 25 touches for 110 total yards and .33 TD,” as John Paulsen (@4for4_John) reported.  The injuries to Cobb and Finley will continue to secure Lacy’s fantasy value down the stretch.  He is a clear RB1 and trading for him as such is advised.

Redskins RBs – Morris was a surprise bell-cow for the Redskins last season.  Shanahan has reverted to his old tricks though as Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) tweeted, “Alfred Morris has now played 226 snaps on the season. Roy Helu has played 213.”  Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) also shared the following regards the Redskins backfield, “Over last three weeks, Roy Helu is averaging 12.3 touches for 69.0 total yards per game. Again, he's earned it. More chances at DEN Week 8.”  Helu won’t have 3 touchdown games, but is definitely sapping the fantasy value of Morris and should also be owned in most leagues.

Chargers RBs – Before the season most would have been surprised to find one relevant fantasy RB on the Chargers.  As John Paulsen (@4for4_John) points out, there have actually been two.  “Ryan Mathews has 212 yards and a TD in the last two weeks. Schedule after bye (WAS, DEN, MIA) is tasty.  Danny Woodhead with another nice fantasy line: 76 total yards and a TD on 13 touches. RB13 in standard, RB8 in PPR.”

Dolphins RBs – Lamar Miller looked like he was finally going to take over a larger share of the backfield heading in the bye week.  But as Evan Silva (@evansilva) shared in response to the Dolphins RB snap counts of 33 to 29 in week 7, “Can’t expect this to change anymore.”  If you own Miller or Thomas they are both low end Flex options in deeper leagues.

Hindsight, Fantasy Football – Yes you should have known that Romo, Foles and Brady were not startable in 18 team leagues.   Pretty sure we all knew that Helu, Mathews, Jacquizz and recently acquired Peyton Hillis were all RB1s in 12 team leagues.  Also could have told you that Colts RB Stanley Havili was going to score more points than Ray Rice, McCoy, AP and Spiller.  Yes I was certain that Dolphins Brandon Gibson would outscore Josh Gordon, Larry Fitzgerald, DeSean Jackson, Victor Cruz and Antonio Brown…Combined!  At this point you should be selling your first round RB pick (minus Charles) for whatever guy was sitting on his couch last week and you should be taking fliers on #3 wide receivers.   Good luck.

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 6

Each week I will be walking through the Twitterverse extracting some of the best commentary from trusted fantasy football minds and delivering to the general public.  Twitter can be overwhelming with the amount of information that streams live, but it also proves to be one of the fastest and easiest ways to communicate.  In 140 characters or less you can learn something about a player you would have never thought to analyze.  Trends, stats, analysis and simple suggestions pour out weekly after the NFL action is completed and below are some of the highlights to consider when hitting the waiver wire or seeking trades to win your fantasy championships.

Trent Richardson, Colts – Richardson has averaged under 50 yards and scored 0.5 TDs per week since joining the Colts.  Most owners are likely pretty nervous and Rotoworld’s Evan Silva (@evansilva) is urging you to embrace the slow start stating, “Colts run game couldn’t get volume last night due to loss of TOP but looks on verge of breakthrough. TRich had some excellent 2nd-half runs.  If we re-draft today, Trent Richardson is inarguably 1st-round fantasy pick. Obvious guy to target in trades.”  Trent’s value is pretty low so feeling out his owners for a trade is advisable.

Antonio Brown, Steelers - Mike Braude (@BraudeM) offered the following on the receiver, “Antonio Brown is having an amazing year. Currently the top WR according to PFF, he's caught 41 of 50 targets with just 1 drop.”  Josh Moore’s (@4for4_Josh) also commented that “Antonio Brown Averaging 10 catches, 12 targets per game since going all squeaky wheel after W2. On pace for 131-1594-6.”  Brown is not always a TD machine, but showed even this year he can have the big games while remaining very consistent week to week. 

Aaron Rodgers, Packers – Averaging 275 and a single TD might be ok for some guys, but it is not expected from Rodgers.  Another player owners are likely concerned, but as Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom) tweeted, “Was worried about GB off becoming conservative, hurting ARodgers value until I saw MIN-CHI-PHI-NYG-MIN run coming up on schedule.”  The Packers QB should increase his fantasy stats in the coming weeks, but the loss of Cobb does dampen his outlook slightly as the Packers continue to run more.

Marques Colston, Saints – Jimmy Graham gets game-planned for and taken out of the game and Colston still can’t get anything going.  Outside of the top 30 WRs his value continues to sink.  As Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) tweeted, “WR Marques Colston has a 78/1,023/7 line over his last 16 games. His line from the 16 games prior: 98/1,469/10.”  5 straight games without a TD and Colston is proving to be a major disappointment for anyone relying on him for weekly production.

Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs – Another failing  fantasy WR, Bowe should only be considered a bye week, potentially desperate, fill-in at this point as Josh Moore’s (@4for4_Josh) discussed, “I don't think we can even consider Dwayne Bowe a low-end WR3 any more. Averaging 3-38-0.3 through 6 games. Tough matchups w/HOU & CLE next.”  Your best bet may be throwing him into a trade to relieve yourself of the thought of starting him.

Andre Ellington, Cardinals – Andre received more time on the field in Week 6 as Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) tweeted, “31:23 snap ratio in favor of Ellington over Mendenhall yesterday. Mendy in on only 12 pass plays.”  Ellington will likely not emerge as the lead back in the Cardinals backfield this season, but John Paulsen (@4for4_John) made this point in regards to the RB, “Pretty sure Andre Ellington (92 yards, TD) is a better start than Mendenhall (42 yards) going forward. Ellington is a poor man's Sproles.” 

Jared Cook, Rams – Averaging only 3 points a week in standard scoring since his week 1 breakout, Jared Cook is once again not living up to the fantasy hype.  As Frank Dupont (@FantasyDouche) tweeted, “The Rams are paying $19mm guaranteed to a TE that can't block and played about half the snaps yesterday.  Jared Cook blocking is like the "my bad" guy in pickup hoops.”  If you are starting Cook at TE each week then you have already lost. 

Chris Johnson, Titans – The fantasy value may all but be gone at this point for Johnson, but Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) still sees the silver lining in his schedule stating, “Chris Johnson owners can cling to his late-season sked. STL, JAX, IND, OAK in Weeks 9-12. ARZ, JAX in Weeks 15-16.”  Of course fellow Rotoworldian Evan Silva (@evansilva) tweeted, “With Shonn Greene on way back have to wonder if hes better fit for Titans O. At least generally gets blocked yds. CJ2ypcK hurting his team.”  A matchup with San Francisco and then the bye week might give way to more of a shift at RB for the Titans.  If you own Johnson you can’t drop or even likely trading him, but acquiring the services of Greene is well advised.

Zac Stacy, Rams – If you grabbed Stacy off of the waiver wire your investment appears to have been worthwhile as John Paulsen (@4for4_John) highlighted, “Zac Stacy is clearly the RB1 in STL --> 90 yards on 20 touches. Led D-Rich in snaps 34 to 5.”  The Rams RB might not have all the scoring opportunities in the world, but if he can deliver 80 – 100 yards per week you could be doing a lot worse with how the RB position has shaped up in fantasy this season.

Back in Black(mon)

from Chris Smith (@FantasyGuru_CS9)

Week 5 is a crucial week for fantasy owners. Team identities are starting to form, sending some owners into panic mode. Hitting on waiver picks are starting to become even more important. On top of that, game-changing waiver wire additions are becoming harder to find. This week, I’m going to focus on a potentially forgotten high-upside wide receiver that could still be available on the waiver wire in your league.

This week, Justin Blackmon returns from his 4 game substance abuse suspension he received in the offseason. Blackmon, the 5th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, is a name worth grabbing in all formats this week. As of Monday, Blackmon is only owned in 13% of ESPN leagues, 42% of Yahoo leagues, 45% of NFL.com leagues and 74% of CBS leagues. You might already be too late; but if not, grant him a spot of your bench.

In 2012, Blackmon hauled in 64 receptions for 865 yards and 5 touchdowns. However, the stat that really stands out is the amount of targets (133) he received. In weeks 14-17, Blackmon really started to become a favorite of quarterback Chad Henne. In those games, he received 48 targets, accumulated 25 catches, for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns. The chemistry was developing right in front of our eyes.

If you can remember back, Blackmon is the receiver who torched the Texans for 14 catches, 236 yards and a touchdown in week 11. Anyone who has the ability to put up those kind of numbers in a single game deserves fantasy attention.

Blackmon’s 4 game suspension was a bit of a letdown for fantasy owners who were drinking his Kool-Aid in the offseason. But, with every setback comes opportunity. Owners were either able to snatch him up late in drafts or acquire him via free agency in the recent weeks.

The next four weeks, Blackmon and the Jaguars are set to take on the Rams, Broncos, Chargers, and 49ers. Statistically, those teams give up the 24th, 18th, 28th, and 8th amount of points to the WR position so far in 2013.

So what’s the downside to Justin Blackmon’s fantasy value in 2013? Two words: Blaine Gabbert. Gus Bradley told the media this week that he was more impressed with Gabbert after watching film than he was after the game on Sunday versus the Colts. He is going to stand behind his young quarterback and hope that he can turn it around. In 27 games as an NFL quarterback, Gabbert has put up a measly 21 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.

In theory, the emergence of Blackmon should help the development of Blaine Gabbert. But, as fantasy owners, we’re all about production. We want to know if Blackmon will produce fantasy relevant numbers upon his arrival back to the Jacksonville starting lineup. If Chad Henne was the quarterback heading into week 5, Blackmon would be a good fantasy flex play this week against the Rams. However, with Gabbert, owners need to take a wait-and-see approach.

Blackmon was a top 5 pick in the NFL draft for a reason. He has shown the ability to be a game changer for the Jacksonville Jaguars. His physical ability alone makes him worth an add in all leagues, even despite the horrific woes of the Jaguars offense so far in 2013. Owners who choose to wait may find themselves on the wrong end of a waiver claim in Blackmon blows up in his first couple of weeks.

Overall, Blackmon is a very gifted NFL wide receiver. He has the tools to be a top 10 wideout for years to come. Those in dynasty leagues should look to acquire Blackmon earlier than later. If the Jaguars continue to lose games, the idea of Teddy Bridgewater may not be so far fetched. That addition alone could bring Justin Blackmon among the elite WR in fantasy football. Look what happened to Demaryius Thomas (22nd overall pick in 2010) once the Broncos brought in Peyton Manning. Everybody knew he had the ability, he just needed someone to consistently get him the ball.

The ceiling for Justin Blackmon in the last 12 games of 2013 is a top 25 WR, or WR3. This is why I would recommend that he be owned in all league formats. If Jacksonville can square away their quarterback situation, the upside is immense. Justin Blackmon and Cecil Shorts both have very bright futures, and could make each other even better over time.

12 Game Projection: 60 Catches (100 Targets), 700 Yards, 5 Touchdowns

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 4

Each week I will be walking through the Twitterverse extracting some of the best commentary from trusted fantasy football minds and delivering to the general public.  Twitter can be overwhelming with the amount of information that streams live, but it also proves to be one of the fastest and easiest ways to communicate.  In 140 characters or less you can learn something about a player you would have never thought to analyze.  Trends, stats, analysis and simple suggestions pour out weekly after the NFL action is completed and below are some of the highlights to consider when hitting the waiver wire or seeking trades to win your fantasy championships.

Torrey Smith, Ravens – Chad Parsons (@ChadParsonsNFL) tweeted out, “Torrey Smith with 8+ targets in each game, got the expected TD in W4, on pace for 160+ targets on the season, which spells 1400+ yds IMO.” Torrey has produced no less than 85 yards during the first quarter of the season and the targets will always be there.  The Ravens struggles to run the ball should continue to fuel his status as a weekly start in all formats.

Jimmy Graham, Saints – Nick Mensio (@NickMensio) extrapolated some stats for Graham saying, “Jimmy Graham is on pace to catch 108 passes for 1,832 yards and 24 touchdowns. #Monster.”  While 24 TDs is not likely, I would not want to bet against him either.  Not sure I would accept any offers to trade Graham.

Dolphins RBs – Rotoworld’s Evan Silva (@evansilva) stated what most everyone else is seeing in Miami, “Daniel Thomas 2013 YPC: 2.80. Lamar Miller YPC: 4.56. Lamar Miller YPC last 3 gms: 5.85 & 2 TDs. Hope yall get this figured out.”  The Dolphins use of their RBs is frustrating, but Miller is showing himself the better option and hopefully this leads to more carries and fantasy production.

Broncos RBs – Consistency and Frustration.  Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) tweeted out the following stats, “Knowshon Moreno has no fewer than 9 carries and no more than 13 in a single game this season.  Montee Ball has no fewer than 8 and no more than 12 carries in a single game this year.”  Moreno is still the most valuable Bronco running back to own, but there is a definite ceiling on his production.  I would rather have a RB like the Bengals Giovani Bernard who continues to separate himself in the Bengals backfield.

Peyton Manning, Broncos – This guy is kinda good.  A completely ridiculous stat from Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) proves why when he stated, “Peyton Manning's last 4 TD drives Sunday didn't require a single third down conversion.”  Seriously?!  I am assuming that there will be an unusually high number of fantasy football champions from the Denver area this season.  Being a homer is good for Broncos fans.

Michael Vick, Eagles – Chad Scott (@Chad_Scott13) tweeted an interesting stat, “Mike Vick's points per drop back this season:

W1: 0.89, W2: 0.86, W3: 0.54, W4: 0.38 Don't count on him to be your every week QB ROS.”  If Vick is on your roster you likely either have no choice to start him or drafted him as a backup.  Moving forward he may be more of a match up play, though his floor is higher than most QBs due to his legs.

Victor Cruz, Giants – With the Giants likely to continue to trail in games, Cruz will be a WR1 in fantasy.  As Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) points out as well, “Per @PFF, Eli has a passer rating of 120.5 throwing to Victor Cruz vs. 47.1 throwing to Hakeem Nicks.” 

Joe Haden, Browns – Take note of these stats from Evan Silva (@evansilva) before starting your receivers versus the Browns. “No. 1 WR stats vs #Browns: A.J. Green 7-51; Mike Wallace 1-15; Torrey Smith 7-85; Greg Jennings 3-43. No TDs. #HadenIsland.”  Next up are the Bills and if Stevie Johnson can’t go, Robert Woods is a definite sit in week 5.

David Wilson, Giants – Last week I tried to gauge the trade market for Wilson and most feedback showed his owners valuing him based more on draft position than fantasy production.  Another dud in week 4 might have been enough to push his owners over the edge.  As Dave Richard (@daverichard) tweeted out, “Over last 3 wks PHI has allowed 179.0 total yds per game to RBs. This is David Wilson's best chance to break out.”  While Wilson may be nothing more than a flex option the rest of the way, I would suggest still trying to trade for the RB if you don’t have to sell the farm. 

Vincent Jackson, Buccaneers – Not sure you can feel good about starting any Buccaneers at this point highlighted by Josh Moore’s (@4for4_Josh) tweet, “Vincent Jackson's 2-27-0 day was fueled by 11 Mike Glennon targets.”  Josh continued by stating, “Got to love Doug Martin's 30 touches. Can't love the 2 yards per touch. Cardinals have been a poor matchup for RBs, however.”  You still have to start Martin because you drafted him as your No. 1, but all other Bucs might be better left on the bench in favor of better options.

Giovani Bernard, Bengals – The Bengals have continued their shift towards Bernard as the primary ball carrier as Joe Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) tweeted, “Gio Bernard 73.5% of the RB snaps compared to BJGE's 26.5%. It might be too late to try and acquire his services, but after a quite week 4 there still might be time.  Bernard is looking like he could produce RB2 numbers the rest of the season.

Le’Veon Bell, Steelers – If you sat on him, well done.  As Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) pointed out, “Le'Veon Bell played 60 snaps, while Jones/Dwyer combined for 14. No quesiton he's healthy/the workhorse. RB2 worth targeting.”

Patriots RBs – Evan Silva (@evansilva) provided a little hope for Ridley owners stating, “Last night was best Ive seen Stevan Ridley run. Attacked gaps with velocity, incredibly light feet for power RB. Even made plays in pass gm.”  Of course he followed it up tweeting out, “Unfortunately, this LeGarrette Blount stuff is killing Ridley's FF value. Blount has stolen 34 carries. Bolden not the problem, it's Blount.”  Without an injury not sure you can trust any RB in this offense and the return of Gronkowski will continue to limit opportunities for yards and touchdowns.  

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 3

Each week I will be walking through the Twitterverse extracting some of the best commentary from trusted fantasy football minds and delivering to the general public.  Twitter can be overwhelming with the amount of information that streams live, but it also proves to be one of the fastest and easiest ways to communicate.  In 140 characters or less you can learn something about a player you would have never thought to analyze.  Trends, stats, analysis and simple suggestions pour out weekly after the NFL action is completed and below are some of the highlights to consider when hitting the waiver wire or seeking trades to win your fantasy championships.

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs – Everyone expected an uptick for Charles in the passing game with Reid, but Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) shows how valuable he could be tweeting, “Charles is on pace to catch 96 passes for 805 yards this season.”  Jamaal is averaging 23 touches a game so far and is PPR gold.  The conservative offense is working wonders for his fantasy value.

Week 3 Madness – I am pretty sure no one guessed right in fantasy this week as Rich Hribar (@LordReebs) offers, “Think WR’s are volatile? Santonio, Sidney, S Hill, Ginn, Avant, Avery, LaFell & Thompkins were all top 12 yesterday.”  One crazy week should not change your fantasy course.  Start your studs and hope your opponents don’t hit the lottery with players no one could have predicted to break out.

Underperforming RBs – Send this nugget from Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) out to your league and watch the trade offers fly.  “David Wilson, C.J. Spiller and Stevan Ridley's combined Sunday? 32 carries for 83 yards.”  2.6 yards per carry is not good in case math was not your strong subject in school.  You might be able to trade Nate Burleson for these guys (Disclaimer: I know he broke his arm).

Colts Receivers – The Trent Richardson trade and overall philosophy of the Colt’s coaches may not be good for fantasy owners as Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom) points out, “Unfortunately for us FF types, football gods smiled on #colts going smashmouth yesterday. FF stock of whole passing game trending down.”

Jordan Cameron, Browns – So Hoyer might not be fantasy death for the Browns as Denny Carter (@CDCarter13) stated, “Hoyer attempted 54 passes yesterday. I don't think that'll prove to be an anomaly.”  Being behind and needing to throw may be common, but they also won’t be playing the Vikings secondary every week.  Either way as Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) points out, “Jordan Cameron is on pace to catch 106 passes for 1434 yards and score 21 touchdowns.”  This is unlikely to happen, but a top 5 TE the rest of way is. 

Chris Johnson, Titans – Some fantasy advice from Rotoworld’s Evan Silva (@evansilva), “One RB I'd be trying to bail on = Chris Johnson. No GL carries or pass game work and murderer's row upcoming Run D sked: NYJ, KC, SEA, SF.”  Carries are there, but TDs are not.

Giovani Bernard, Bengals – Bernard will likely be a weekly fixture in this piece as his fantasy value continues to rise with each passing week.  John Paulsen (@4for4_John) showed why your window to buy might be already shut tweeting, “14 touches, 99 yards, TD for Gio Bernard; 10 touches, 29 yards, TD for BJGE. Gio led in snap % 54% to 41%.”  Gio’s percentage of plays as increased weekly and while BGE won’t ever go completely away, he likely won’t stop Gio from being a reliable weekly start either.

Bilal Powell, Jets – Might be a better time to try and sell on the Jets RB rather than expect more of the same as Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) relays, “Before you get excited about Bilal Powell, 5 things: (1) He's on Jets (2) Mike Goodson back in 2 weeks (3) Ivory is better (4 and 5) Jets.” 

Ryan Mathews, Chargers – Mathews’ fantasy value is likely capped in this offense with Woodhead and Brown.  Also as Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) concludes, “Ryan Mathews purely a situational runner on obvious rushing downs. Not much value on 12-16 rushes per game with limited red zone work.”  Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) noticed the same tweeting, “Ryan Mathews is getting the Mark Ingram treatment. Chargers ran the ball on 17 of his 19 snaps.”  No one wants to be compared to Mark Ingram.  Expect more 5 – 8 point games from Mathews with an occasional TD splashed in.

Cecil Shorts, Jaguars – You would not expect the return of a QB from injury to be a negative, but the boys from Rotoworld did not miss a beat on what Gabbert’s return could mean for Shorts’ fantasy value.  Evan Silva (@evansilva) tweeted, “Nice knowing ya, Cecil Shorts,” while Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) made me spit out my water stating, “Your move, Cleveland.”  Shorts has been more garbage time maven the last two weeks with Henne, but Gabbert is simply garbage.  Back to the bench.

DeAngelo Williams, Panthers – More great fantasy advice from Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom), “Sell DeAngelo Williams high to an RB needy team. Stewart on track to come back soon & goal line carries just aren't going to come for him.”  He is on bye this week so might be hard to move, but 8 points a week will be the norm and possibly the ceiling if Stewart gets back in the mix.

Josh Gordon, Browns – Gordon came out of the gate like a rocket and as Davis Mattek (@DavisMattek) pointed out, “Despite the 19 targets, Gordon only received 1 RZ target while Cameron had 5. I expect Gordon's % to rise, while Camerons decreases slightly.”  If he can average 10+ targets per game he has the makings of a surefire WR2 with WR1 upside on a weekly basis.

Fantasy Defenses – So what round did the 49ers go in your draft?  Anything higher than the 2^nd to last round is too high for the 27^th best defense through 3 weeks.  Don’t bring up the Seahawks either because the Chiefs are looking like a great weekly add and I know they weren’t drafted until the last round.  Just remember this for next year, please.  

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 2

Each week I will be walking through the Twitterverse extracting some of the best commentary from trusted fantasy football minds and delivering to the general public.  Twitter can be overwhelming with the amount of information that streams live, but it also proves to be one of the fastest and easiest ways to communicate.  In 140 characters or less you can learn something about a player you would have never thought to analyze.  Trends, stats, analysis and simple suggestions pour out weekly after the NFL action is completed and below are some of the highlights to consider when hitting the waiver wire or seeking trades to win your fantasy championships.

Pierre Garcon, Redskins – As John Paulsen (@4for4_John) pointed out, “Garcon has 15-207-1 through two weeks and is showing no ill-effects from injury. Will continue to thrive, especially with way D is playing.”  Getting 12 targets a game and defense that will force the passing game late, Garcon makes a great trade target as a high-end No. 2 WR.

Alfred Morris, Redskins – John (@4for4_John) followed up his tweet on Garcon stating, “Speaking of the WAS D, it's limiting Alfred Morris's upside. He averaged 20.9 carries last season and now has 25 total through two weeks.”  Morris is not the Redskins 3^rd down back and when the team gets behind his upside gets limited quickly. 

Texans RBs – Rotoworld’s Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) offered this stat on the Texans running game after 2 weeks, “Arian Foster is averaging 3.67 YPC on his 37 carries this season. Ben Tate is averaging 8.33 YPC on his 18 carries.”  While Foster still got the majority of touches after Kubiak stated he wanted closer to 50/50 split, Tate should begin to get more if he keeps this spread in production up.

Eddie Royal, Chargers – Looking for the biggest regression candidate in fantasy?  As Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) tweeted, “Eddie Royal offensive TDs 2009-2012: 5. Eddie Royal offensive TDs 2013 Weeks 1 & 2: 5.”  Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) also offered this insight, “Only one of Eddie Royal's 5 scores came on an endzone target. Caught the others at the 3, 6, 9, and 18 yard lines.”  I would be trying to sell Royal for top dollar if you own him as the TDs will not continue to pour in for this guy. 

Lamar Miller, Dolphins – A horrendous week 1 left a sour taste in fantasy owner’s mouths.  Evan Silva (@evansilva) tweeted the following after Sunday, “Dolphins committed 16 touches to Lamar Miller & found a run game in Wk 2. Imagine that. LM ran downhill with zip. Expect more work ahead.”  Miller may just turn into the RB everyone expected and Thomas should fall back towards more of a backup role.  You also may still be able to acquire Miller relatively cheap so test the waters.

Adrian Peterson, Vikings – After a week 1 performance bolstered by 3 TDs, AP quickly looked to be earning his #1 overall draft selection.  Ryan Boser (@Ryan_Boser) offered the following stats and analysis that should provide pause to Peterson owners, “AP has rushed for 115 yards on 43 carries (under 2.7 YPC) since his season-opening 78-yd TD. Why = Ponder + OL + Felton suspension.”  AP overcame stacked boxes and Ponder last season, but 2,500 yards does not appear to be in the cards for the Viking RB in 2013.

Marlon Brown, Ravens – Brown is likely on your waiver wire and someone people still might not know at this point.  As Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) points out though, “Marlon Brown is the first player in Ravens history with a TD in each of his first two games.”  Torrey Smith will continue to draw the most coverage and Brown will get his looks. 

Eric Decker, Broncos – A poor week 1 might have sent Decker to the bench, but as Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) stated, “A week after being the odd man out, Eric Decker led Broncos in targets (13), receptions (9) & rec yards (87). Manning will find open man.”  Not sure you can bench any of the receiving options in Denver unless you are really deep.  This may cause some down weeks, but Manning does a great job of spreading the ball around and getting his guys involved. 

David Wilson, Giants – Some recent tweets on the Giants RB: From Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh), “David Wilson still has negative fantasy points on the season, making him something like RB190.”  From RyFo18 (@RyFo18), “As long as the #Giants are getting blown out, the longer David Wilson is gonna suck. Won't sniff the field if playing catch up.”  From Juan Elway (@JuanElway), “Coughlin is kidding himself if he thinks the running game will get going w/o Wilson getting touches.  Eli needs a running game-7 INT already.”  Wilson is struggling and his is not even clearly defined in this offense, but Jacobs and Scott are not the answers.  You can likely buy Wilson for waiver priority or some FAB dollars at this point so why not buy as low as possible and hope he becomes the stud many were expecting.

2013 Fantasy QBs – Practically everyone is a fantasy starting QB these days as Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom) tweeted, “16 QBs averaging over 20 pts a game in 4 pt pass TD/pt per 20 pass yd format.  And that doesn't include Romo/Brady/Wilson/Newton.”  Denny Carter (@CDCarter13) also shared, “QB stats that jump off the page: Bradford has thrown 96 passes. Eli has 812 pass yards. Tannehill has completed 70% of his 73 passes.”  We are only 2 weeks into the season and the cream may rise to the top, but drafting your QBs early may be a losing strategy while streaming them may be the way to go.  Look for 2 QB leagues to become more commonplace moving forward as the league continues it aerial assault.

Kendall Wright, Titans – Not that you want to necessarily own any of the Titans passing game, but as Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) offered, “32% of Jake Locker's throws have been directed at Kendall Wright so far. You didn't notice because of all the running.”  Britt was bench for a part of week 2 for mistakes and being lazy leaving Wright as the most consistent WR on this team.  The Titans pound the ball a lot so anything more than a WR3 should not be expected. 

Mark Ingram, Saints - JJ Zachariason (@LateRoundQB) offered this simple stat on Ingram, “Mark Ingram through two games: 17 carries, 31 yards.”  If you are holding onto him, don’t.  Also realize though that Sproles remains your only bet for RB production in this offense.