The #2012NFLDraftRedux

Hindsight is 20/20. (Not sure why it is not 20/10, but we will answer that another day)

What would the 2012 NFL Draft look like today after seeing players actual performance on Sundays?  The 2012 NFL Draft Redux is here to answer that very question.  Esteemed colleagues have joined in to re-draft the first round and provide quick commentary as to their selections.  Follow along and join in the conversation with #2012NFLDraftRedux.  Also follow all of our below participants on Twitter.


1. Colts (@JoeGoodberry) Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford. (Previous pick: Luck, Stanford)
2. Redskins (@ECStoner) Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor. (Previous pick: RG3, QB, Baylor)
3. Browns (@ErikFrenz) Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin. (previous pick: Trent Richardson, RB, Bama)

@ErikFrenz: Most potential of what we've seen this year, best building block for a bad team.

@CorcoranNYC: I'd take him 2nd. with all due respect to RG3, I think Wilson's career will be longer. 

4. Vikings (@SigmundBloom) Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M. (previous pick: Matt Kalil, OT, USC)

@RumfordJohnny: Proving QB is still king, Luck, RG3, Russ Wilson & Tannehill off the board in   succession. Baller.

@SigmundBloom: won't say Kalil wrong pick, but imo, take top QB when you can RT @r_mack Kalil has looked like a pro bowler. Franchise LT's hard to find too

5. Jaguars (@eastcoastdog) Mo Claiborne, CB, LSU. (previous pick: Justin Blackmon, WR, OK State)

@eastcoastdog: Thought about Weeden at 5 but couldn't pass up the best player available

6. Cowboys (@RumfordJohnny) Matt Kalil, OT, USC. (previous pick: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU)

@RumfordJohnny: With the 6th pick in the #2012NFLDraftRedux, the Cowboys select Matt Kalil…and kick Doug Free’s scrub ass inside where he belongs.

7. Buccaneers (@FtblSickness): Casey Hayward, CB, Vandy (previous pick: Mark Barron, S, Bama)

@FtblSickness: Man. There is a LOT on the board at 7 in #2012NFLDraftRedux after QB's went 1-4.

 @FtblSickness: (Gave heavy thought to Richardson and Barron, as well.)

8. Dolphins (@RyInCBus)  Josh Gordon, WR, Baylor. (Original pick: Ryan Tannehill, QB.)                 

          @RyInCBus Tough choice. Phins need QB but here would be a reach. Defense is a team strength. Desperately lack a #1 WR

          @eastcoastdog "I don't need no stinking Supplemental Draft" - Josh Gordon

9. Panthers (@JoeGoodberry) Fletcher Cox, DT, Miss State (previous pick: Luke Keuchly, BC)

           @JoeGoodberry  My #2012NFLDraftRedux picks are based off of pre draft evaluations, rookie seasons and current needs. Makes for interesting results.

10. Bills (@ECStoner) Luke Kuechly, LB, BC (previous pick: Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina)
11. Chiefs (@ErikFrenz) Michael Brockers, DT, LSU (previous pick: Dontarie Poe, DT, Memphis)
12. Eagles (@SigmundBloom) Mark Barron, S, Bama (previous pick: Fletcher Cox, DT, Miss State)
13. Cardinals (@eastcoastdog) Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State (previous pick: Michael Floyd, WR, ND)

@eastcoastdog: Having a tough time in the Arizona War Room right now. Would love to trade down #2012NFLDraftRedux

           @eastcoastdog: Seeing as how I can't stand sending Kolb or Skelton out on the field anymore...

14. Rams (@RumfordJohnny) Mitchell Schwartz, OT, Cal (previous pick: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU)

@RumfordJohnny With the 14th pick in the #2012NFLDraftRedux, the Rams address a glaring ANNUAL need & select Mitchell Schwartz.

15. Seahawks (@FtblSickness) Bruce Irvin, DE, WV (previous pick: same)

16. Jets (@RyInCBus) Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama (previous pick: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina)

              @BrendanLeister: The #Jets seem to have every need imaginable so I'll go BPA.

17. Bengals (@JoeGoodberry) Stephon Gilmore, CB, S.Carolina (Previous Pick: Kirkpatrick)

             @JoeGoodberry: I went with Gilmore over Zeitler & Martin. I had to take the premium position over RB or OG. Both top OGs available.         

18. Chargers (@ECStoner) Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia. (previous pick: Melvin Ingram)
19. Bears (@ErikFrenz) Kevin Zeitler, G Wisconsin (previous pick: Shea McClellin)

                 @ErikFrenz: The #Bears primary goal is to protect Jay Cutler, and basically, Kevin Zeitler > bubble wrap

20. Titans (@SigmundBloom) Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama (previous pick: Kendall Wright).
21. Patriots (@eastcoastdog) Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse (previous pick: Chandler Jones)

                    @eastcoastdog: No need to reinvent the wheel here. In Bill we trust.

22. Browns (@RumfordJohnny) Doug Martin, RB, Boise State (previous pick: Brandon Weeden, QB)

                     @RumfordJohnny: the Cleveland Browns select The Muscle Hamster, Doug Martin. Scary pairing w/ R.Wilson.

23. Lions (@FtblSickness) T.Y. Hilton, WR/KR, Florida International (Previous pick Reilly Reiff)

                  @FtblSickness: Have fun, defenses.

24. Steeers (@RyInCBus) David DeCastro, G, Stanford (Previous pick same)
25. Patriots (@JoeGoodberry) Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama (Previous pick same)

                     @JoeGoodberry: Don't think there's a need to change.

26. Texans (@ECStoner) Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis (previous pick: Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois)
27. Bengals (@ErikFrenz) Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor (previous pick: Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisc)
28. Packers (@SigmundBloom) Harrison Smith, S, ND (previous pick: Nick Perry, LB, USC)
29. Vikings (@eastcoastdog) Bobby Wagner, LB, Utah St. (previous pick: Harrison Smith, S, ND)
30. 49ers (@RumfordJohnny) Zach Brown, LB, NC (previous pick: AJ Jenkins, WR, Illinois)
31. Buccaneers (@FtblSickness) Alfred Morris, RB, FLA ATL (previous pick: D. Martin, Boise State)
32. Giants (@RyInCBus) David Wilson, RB, VT (previous pick: same)


Here's a list of 1st rounders that were not redux'd:
#5 Justin Blackmon, WR, Jaguars
#13 Michael Floyd, WR, Cardinals
#16 Quinton Coples, DE, Jets
#17 Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Bengals
#18 Melvin Ingram, LB, Chargers
#19 Shea McClellin, DE, Bears
#22 Brandon Weeden, QB, Browns
#23 Riley Reiff, OT, Lions
#28 Nick Perry, LB, Packers
#30 AJ Jenkins, WR, 49ers

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 15

Each week I have been 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 this season.

Calvin Johnson, Lions – Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) highlights Megatron’s current record breaking pace tweeting, “Calvin Johnson 106-1667-5 on season & needs to avg 91 yds over (last two) to break Rice’s record. Last (time) under 100 in W8. Avging 147 since.”  Adam Levitan @adamlevitan) also mentioned that “Megatron is first player ever with back-to-back 1600-yard receiving seasons. Jerry Rice had 1600 once in entire career.”  Detroit has nothing more to play for other than helping Calvin get this record, and while they play a tough passing defense in the Falcons this week, don’t overthink anything for a second and bench him.  Always play your studs.

James Jones, Packers – Jones has had a roller coaster of a season from scoring 2 TDs in three straight games to posting a zero catch game just four weeks ago.  Week 15 he rode the coaster back up scoring 3 times and now leads the NFL in touchdown receptions.  JJ Zachariason (@LateRoundQB) had an interesting observation and possible start dilemma fantasy owners may face in week 16.  “Greg Jennings had the same number of targets and one less reception than James Jones.  Difference is that Rodgers trusts Jones in red zone.”  If you have both Jennings and Jones and can only start one, Jones may actually be your guy with the title on the line.

Adrian Peterson, Vikings – AP has been nothing short of amazing all season.  Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) added to the amazement stating, “Over past eight games, Adrian Peterson has rushed for 1,313 yards, the most over any eight-game span in a single season in NFL history.”  At this point AP is likely your consensus #1 selection in fantasy drafts next season.

Christian Ponder, Vikings – Ponder’s struggles have been well noted, but did not realize he was this awful as Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) tweeted, “Christian Ponder has finished with fewer passing yards than Peterson rushing yards in three straight games.”  Without Harvin’s incredible YAC, Ponder is not even worth mentioning as a backup QB in 24 team leagues.  This also makes AP’s season all the more unbelievable. 

Russell Wilson, Seahawks – Wilson was likely a very late round selection or waiver wire addition for most teams this season.  Next year may be a different story as JJ Zachariason (@LateRoundQB) observed, “Since Week 8, Russell Wilson has averaged more fantasy points per week than Rodgers and Brees. And he's averaged the same as Peyton.”  As his Twitter handle suggests, JJ is a firm believer in waiting to draft your QB.  You can read more about his strategy here.

With less than 10% of fantasy owners still actually playing football in the 16^th week of the fantasy season, most are looking ahead to 2013.  Below are comments and observations to remember come next August.

 

Alfred Morris, Redskins – For a coach that is despised by the fantasy community for his fickle usage of running backs, Shanahan has sure stuck with Morris as Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) points out, “Alfred Morris has tallied 93% of the Redskins' rushes by a running back this season. (As a comp, Adrian Peterson 88% of #Vikings carries).”  Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom) goes on to elaborate on Morris’ season stating, “Morris showing no signs of rookie wall, even though he absorbs as much punishment as any back in the league, very strong in 4^th quarter.”  Morris’s consistency alone is reason to grab him as a top 10 RB in 2013.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bengals – Another solid RB that currently sits within the top 15 for RBs, the Lawfirm has been improving as the 2012 season progressed.  Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) tweeted, “BJGE has 106 carries for 543 yards last 5 games (5.1YPC), 158-537 first 9 (3.4). Getting more work AND getting more effective.”  Never a “sexy” pick on draft day but could easily anchor your RB2 slot.

Michael Crabtree, 49ers – Frank Dupont (@FantasyDouche) notes, “Michael Crabtree has averaged over 10 standard points/game since Kaepernick became the starter. Interesting name for next year.”  He currently sits within the top 20 of fantasy points in standard leagues so may not be a sleeper in 2013, but a full off-season with Kaepernick could increase his fantasy production even more.

Colin Kaepernick, 49ers – Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) highlighted, “Colin Kaepernick’s 4 passing TDs Sunday surpassed his total of 3 in 4 previous starts.”  While Kaepernick might have been struggling to score fantasy points in the conventional way for QBs, he actually has averaged 18 points per week in standard leagues over the last 6 weeks.  You would expect him to improve all around heading into next season and could easily be a weekly fantasy starter that could be had in later rounds. 

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals – Andy Behrens (@andybehrens) displayed the depths to which Fitzgerald has fallen this season tweeting, “Last 5 weeks, Larry Fitzgerald has seen 42 targets, among the league leaders. He's caught 10 balls for 89 yards. Let's chip in, buy him a QB.”  Fitzgerald actually averaged 10 points per game in standard scoring leagues with Kolb as his starter this season.  That pace would have made him a top 12 WR this season.  It will be interesting to see what the Cardinals do in regards to their QB next season, but Kolb returning as the starter could still make Fitzgerald a potential top 10 WR that might be drafted outside the top 20 at the position.

 

All of the above information and tweets came across the News page of my website, Fantasy Football Aggregator. Twitter can be overwhelming for most, but the FFGator News feeds take out much of the noise and provides the ability to search on specific players as well. News from top sources and fantasy football analysts are aggregated in one place, so if you enjoyed the above breakdowns, check out the site for even more. If you are on Twitter I also suggest following all of the above for great fantasy football analysis and commentary.

Follow Luke Wetta on Twitter @FFGator

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 14

Each week I have been 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 this season.

 

Danario Alexander, Chargers – Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) highlighted Alexander’s week 14 performance stating, “Alexander excelled in a tough matchup. 7-88-2 on 11 targets. He’s a WR1 as long as he’s healthy. 30-494-5 last 5 games.”  Averaging 15 fantasy points per week over the last 5 in standard leagues, Alexander has proven himself a valuable fantasy asset and weekly start.

Jeremy Maclin, Eagles – Despite his 9 catches, 104 yards and a TD in week 14, Maclin would not be in my starting lineups for the fantasy playoffs.  A short week and the Bengals will most surely drop Maclin down to an unreliable fantasy start.  As C.D. Carter (@CDCarter13) wrote, “More than anything, Jeremy Maclin's Week 14 resurgence shows that every WR deserves consideration against that awful Bucs secondary.”  I would be looking Lance Moore’s way this week.

Joique Bell, Lions – Brad Evans (@YahooNoise) offered a little week 15 roster advice to consider tweeting, “Great to see Linehan get Joique Bell more touches. RB averaging re-donk 6.9 yards per touch on season. Flexy sexy option at ARI in WK15.”

Ryan Mathews, Chargers – Mathews has been one of the most disappointing fantasy players this season.  The extents of his failures were underscored best by Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) sarcastically stating, “Ryan Mathews 25 touches, 6.5 fantasy football points.  All he needed was the touches!”  Josh went on to explain, “Jackie Battle (62) & Ronnie Brown (82) combined for 144 touches & 105 fantasy football points.  Mathews has 95 (fantasy football) points on 216 touches.  Now this is just amazing.  Both Ronnie Brown (4.7/7.8) & Jackie Battle (4.1/7.5) have higher YPC & YPR than Ryan Mathews (3.8/6.8) in 2012.”  I present Josh’s thoughts and stats more as something to remember before next season’s drafts.  Mathews was thought of as a top 5 overall pick before his preseason injury and might actually get hyped again after Norv has departed, but Ryan is one player I will likely be avoiding.

Aaron Rodgers, Packers – The struggles of the elite QBs has been mentioned before in this weekly article, and Jim Day (@Fantasytaz) emphasized this trend even more when he tweeted, “There were 12 QBs who scored 20+ fantasy points in Wk 14 & didn't include Brees, RG3, Peyton, Rodgers, Dalton, Freeman & Luck.”  Jim went on to focus particularly on Rodgers stating, “Over the last month Aaron Rodgers is the 15th best scoring QB & didn't top 120 fantasy points. #FantasyPlayoffKiller.”  If you made it to the playoffs with Rodgers congratulations, the rest of your team must have been really good.

Brandon Marshall, Bears – Marshall sits atop the fantasy WRs through fourteen weeks.  Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) highlighted an amazing stat that should possibly gain Marshall some real-life MVP attention of his own, “Only 8 WRs have 1,075+ yards this season.  Brandon Marshall has 1,086 more receiving yards than the next closest Bears player.”  When you get it done despite being the only threat you deserve some recognition.

Kenny Britt, Titans – Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) tweeted, “Titans made a point of getting Kenny Britt involved. Season high 8 receptions & 143 yards on 9 targets. Jets, Packers, Jaguars next.”  With the recent news regarding Cook being out the remainder of the season, Britt could see even more targets come his way.  Britt is a fantasy playoff flex worth considering.

Cam Newton, Panthers – Newton was struggling earlier this season and most likely getting benched in fantasy leagues.  Evan Silva (@evansilva) shows why for fantasy you just need to be hot at the right time stating, “Cam Newton is on a fantasy football team-carrying tear. Last 6 games: 15 TDs, 2 turnovers. 308.2-yard avg. NFL's hottest QB west of Foxboro.”  Hopefully you either still own Cam or are not playing against him.

Aaron Hernandez, Patriots – Hernandez is another player who is coming on strong just in time for the fantasy playoffs after a mid-season injury.  Rumford Johnny (@RumfordJohnny) presented this takeaway from Monday night, “Hernandez was expected to be the main target, and he didn’t disappoint- 8/58/2TDs.”   Despite playing the 2^nd toughest defense against the tight ends in the 49ers this week, Hernandez should be starting for you if you own him.

Jets RBs – Watching the Jets play is not advised, but flexing their running backs might still be a viable option as Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) notes, “Your wild-card contending Jets have a pair of top-20 fantasy RBs over the past 5 weeks, Powell (15) + Greene (18).”

 

The below players are simply names and thoughts looking forward to 2013 fantasy drafts.

 

Josh Gordon, Browns – From Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh), “Season high 12 tgts & 8 recs for Josh Gordon. Volume + big play. Big-time sleeper in 2013. Fringe WR1 upside.” 

 

Jacquizz Rodgers, Falcons – From Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL), “Rodgers played more snaps than Michael Turner for the fourth week in a row - could Turner be offseason cap casualty? (Due $5.5 mill)”  Rodgers may never be a workhorse RB, but a starter in the Falcons offense could net solid fantasy points on a weekly basis.

 

Pierre Garcon, Redskins – From Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen), “Pierre Garcon's been targeted 26 times in his last 3 games. It's unbelievable how different WSH's offense is w/ him on the field.”  Garcon may be a guy who slips in drafts because he did not play most of the season.  Don’t let him slip too far as he has top 10 fantasy WR potential.

Vernon Davis, 49ers – From Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh), “Vernon Davis with 3 catches for 19 yards, no TDs on 6 targets... over his last 3 games. 13-169-4 his first 3 games of season.”  With Kaepernick as the QB Davis has not been involved. 

 

All of the above information and tweets came across the News page of my website, Fantasy Football Aggregator. Twitter can be overwhelming for most, but the FFGator News feeds take out much of the noise and provides the ability to search on specific players as well. News from top sources and fantasy football analysts are aggregated in one place, so if you enjoyed the above breakdowns, check out the site for even more. If you are on Twitter I also suggest following all of the above for great fantasy football analysis and commentary.

Follow Luke Wetta on Twitter @FFGator

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 13

Each week I have been 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 this season.

Calvin Johnson, Lions – Remember after week 9 when Megatron had only 1 touchdown and was outside of the top 10 at WR?  Even with a bad knee he was on pace for 1,700 yards and was mentioned by myself and countless other fantasy experts to make a move for him.  Four weeks later and Calvin is in the record books as Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) noted, “Calvin is the 1st player with 140+ receiving yards in 4 consecutive games in a season.”  Hope you own him or do not have to play him over the next couple weeks because Calvin is still looking to make history.

Dez Bryant, Cowboys – A similar story to Calvin, Bryant was not helping anyone with only one game with a TD, in which he actually scored two, through nine weeks.  Four weeks later and Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) highlights, “Dez Bryant now on pace for 95/1,304/11 stat line. Behind only Megatron, Green, Marshall, Demaryius in fantasy points.”  It finally appears that Dez is focused , healthy and living up to expectations he has been carrying since being drafted.

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals – To say Fitzgerald has struggled is a drastic understatement.  Calving and Dez have scored more fantasy points with a single catch than Fitz has managed in total over the last three weeks combined.  Austin Lee (@AustinNFL) provided the following tweet that should scare every owner into leaving Fitz on the bench the remainder of the season.  “Larry Fitzgerald's 1 catch for 23 yards Sunday was the 1st time he's led Arizona in receiving yards in a game since Kevin Kolb's injury in week 6.”  If you happen to be in the playoffs with Larry on your squad well done, just leave him on the bench.

Shonn Greene, Jets – Amazingly Greene remains within the top 20 of standard scoring fantasy RBs this season thanks to one massive effort against the Colts.  Week 13 was solid effort and as Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) points out, Greene could be a consistent option for you down the stretch.  “Shonn Greene over 100 yards on 24 carries and could have had a TD (took a knee). Upcoming schedule is green: JAX, TEN, SD, BUF.”

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs – Charles has proven to be a reliable fantasy asset recently as C.D. Carter (@CDCarter13) tweeted, “Jamaal Charles with 105 YPG over past four. Gets Cleveland, Oakland, Indy in the fantasy playoffs. You might remember why you loved him.”  In addition to the yards, Charles has averaged 22 carries a week the last month so the coaching staff seems to have finally realized to keep the ball in his hands. 

Arian Foster, Texans – “Arian Foster with a season low 14 carries, but his 15th TD pacified fantasy football owners. Forsett 14, Tate 3 carries” per Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh). Foster’s high touch count early in the season appears to have the Texans looking to take more and more of the weight off his back.  Throw in the fact that the Texans might be looking ahead more to the actual playoffs and fantasy owners are left having to start him, but likely not able to count on monster performances when it matters most.

James Jones, Packers – Jones was highlighted in this article last week after his zero target day.  In week 13 Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) noted, “James Jones played 83 of 84 snaps.  Next closest WR was Randall Cobb's 62.”  Jones still only saw 2 targets despite his extensive time on the field Sunday and if it weren’t for Jordy’s recent injury I would not be recommending him in the fantasy playoffs.  Monitor Nelson’s progress this week and if he does not go, Jones becomes a Flex worthy play again.

Denarius Moore, Raiders – Between weeks 6 through 10, Moore was a reliable fantasy start averaging double digit points per game.  It has been slow going recently though and Evan Silva (@evansilva) points out why you might not want him in your playoff lineups.  “Denarius Moore has 4 catches & 60 yards in his last 12 quarters. Was benched for performance Sunday. Hard to trust vs Champ on Thurs night.”

Large WRs – Frank DuPont (@FantasyDouche) highlighted an interesting note in regards to the top fantasy wide receivers this season, “In standard scoring, the top 10 WRs are made up mostly of guys who go 210+. PPR scoring has a few smaller guys sprinkled in (like Welker).”  This could be something to think about when drafting WRs in the future, and for a more in-depth recap and analysis on large WRs dominating fantasy, check out Frank’s site.

Bryce Brown, Eagles – Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) offered a quick stat comparison between McCoy and Brown stating, “LeSean McCoy's most rushing yards in back-to-back games is 311. Bryce Brown has 347 in his first 2 NFL starts.”  Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) followed up with McCoy’s current status tweeting, “LeSean McCoy (concussion) progressing, but only in Phase 3. If/when he gets back, Bryce Brown will still have a role.”  If you grabbed Brown it sounds like you will have at least one more week of him as the starter, but even if McCoy returns he has earned playing time. 

Brandon Myers, Raiders – Myers has become one of fantasy’s top tight ends and week 13 was incredible as Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) observed, “Brandon Myers with an incredible 14 catch day on 15 targets. 5 or more catches last 5 games.”  Next up for Myers are the Broncos and their 31^st fantasy rank against the TE position.  Myers is a must start moving forward.

Pierre Garcon, Redskins – Garcon appears to still be returning from his injury as Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) tweeted, “Only 31 snaps for Pierre Garcon yesterday (behind Hank, Morgan), but he led WRs with 18 of possible 23 pass routes. 15 S Moss snaps.”  While he might not be on the field the most, when he is RG3 is looking for him.  Garcon is a weekly start moving forward.

 

All of the above information and tweets came across the News page of my website, Fantasy Football Aggregator. Twitter can be overwhelming for most, but the FFGator News feeds take out much of the noise and provides the ability to search on specific players as well. News from top sources and fantasy football analysts are aggregated in one place, so if you enjoyed the above breakdowns, check out the site for even more. If you are on Twitter I also suggest following all of the above for great fantasy football analysis and commentary.

Follow Luke Wetta on Twitter @FFGator

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions - Week 12 (Recap)

Each week I have been 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 this season.

 

Broncos RBs – I started off last week’s article with opinions and thoughts on who the beneficiary of McGahee’s injury would be.  No one was predicting Moreno as the man, but as Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan)  showed us, Moreno was the only RB worth owning. “Final touch count from yesterday in Denver's backfield: Knowshon Moreno 24, Ronnie Hillman 3, Lance Ball 0.”  Moving forward Moreno is the BR to own, Hillman still worth a spot if you can hold him and Ball should be on waivers.

Recap: Moreno once again dominated the touches getting 24 to Hillman’s 5.  Hillman did produce 5.8 yards per carry compared to Moreno’s 3.5, but doubt the Broncos are looking to change it up while they continue to win.

 

Pierre Garcon, Redskins – Garcon was a pre-season favorite of mine and many others but his injury derailed his season.  Moving forward though he might just win your season as Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) tweeted, “Still not 100%, Pierre Garcon played WR3 snaps, but led team in targets (7) and production, 5-93-1.”  Unless the injury keeps him from playing, Garcon should be considered an every week start worthy of at least your flex.

Recap: We will learn more tonight, but expecting him to emerge again as the #1 target and WR for the Redskins and someone to trust as a WR2 throughout the fantasy playoffs.

 

Colin Kaepernick, 49ers – Kaepernick has stepped in and delivered 3 solid fantasy performances for the 49ers.  As Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) reported, “Colin Kaepernick is Jim Harbaugh pick as QB of future and after beating Bears and Saints in 6 days, how can he be taken out now?”  While Harbaugh keeps dancing around who the starter each week will be I think it is safe to assume Colin is the man and Alex Smith is droppable.  But with all the hype I think Frank Dupont (@FantasyDouche) makes a great point stating, “…about Kaepernick, the peak attempts for 49ers QBs is 35. They average about 24. Creates sort of a ceiling.”  The 49ers defense is still great and when they get a lead the team looks to burn the clock rather than the scoreboard.  Kaepernick will be solid, but likely never a top producing fantasy QB.

Recap: Kaepernick only threw for 208 yards on 32 attempts with no TDs or INTs.  He we the leading rusher for the 49ers with 9 carries for 84 yards including a 50 yard scramble.  The bigger problem was the 49ers lost, but I doubt Harbaugh is looking to change his starter this week.  Another lackluster performance and a loss could change things.

 

David Wilson, Giants – Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) offers simple advice after Andre Brown broke his leg in week 12, “Now the clear No. 2 back, David Wilson a must-own in all formats. Guy is a fragile Bradshaw injury away from being, at least, a strong RB2.” 

Recap: It will be interesting to see how many touches Wilson receives tonight.  It will also be imperative that when given opportunities Wilson holds onto the football. 

 

James Jones, Packers – Jones’ fantasy season may be over for his owners as Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) clearly indicates, “Would say Greg Jennings return would come at expense of James Jones.  But Jones played like Jennings was already back last night, 0 catches.  Man, James Jones didn't even get a TARGET last night.”  Jones is pretty much droppable at this point as there is no way you can start him with any confidence.

Recap: Jones had 2 catches for 40 yards, but one of those was a 32 yard TD.  Rodgers only threw 1 TD on the day and Jones was lucky to be the beneficiary.  Still don’t like Jones as a weekly start unless Jordy’s injury this weekend proves to sideline him. 

 

Matthew Stafford, Lions – Stafford is fantasy’s 8^th overall QB and maybe not living up to expectations as a 2^nd round pick in drafts, but as Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) tweeted, “Stafford leading the NFL in yards per game, has fewer turnovers than Brees, Matt Ryan. Only real difference from his '11 is fluky TD total.”  He has had multiple TD games in 2 of the last 3 and will always be throwing.  I would only be starting four QBs over him on a weekly basis the rest of the way.

Recap: 300 yards and 2 TDs this week when many of the other big names struggled.  Moving forward not sure there are many other guys I would want starting for my team in the fantasy playoffs.

 

Darren Sproles, Saints – Last year Sproles was practically the main attraction in the Saints offense.  After the week 12 game, Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) summed up why it would be tough to start him moving forward.  “Sproles not getting carries with Ivory active, and he and Ingram effective.”  Starting any Saints RB is tough these days and Ivory, Ingram and Sproles all limit each other’s fantasy potential.  Thomas can be dropped at this point.

Recap: Sproles did not register a carry on Thursday and caught 5 passes for 47 yards.  The Saints appear dedicated to their running game flowing through Thomas, Ingram and Ivory so Sproles will continue to have limited fantasy upside having to rely on receptions to produce. 

 

Andy Dalton, Bengals – Interesting point from JJ Zachariason (@LateRoundQB) when he tweeted, “Andy Dalton and Aaron Rodgers have the same amount of 3+ TD pass performances this season.”  Dalton is averaging less than 3 points per game than Rodgers this season but was drafted 8 to 10 rounds later.  If you have never checked out JJ’s work, you should as his mantra of drafting QBs late has proven very credible this season.

Recap: Dalton struggled posting 211 yards with 1 TD and 2 INTs.  He also scored as many points as Rodgers. 

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs – Charles has been up and down in 2012, but now is not the time to second guess him as Josh More (@4for4_Josh) points out, “Another 20 touch day for Jamaal Charles (23). On 20 touch days Charles avging 18.8 #fantasyfootball PPG. < 20 touches, avging 4.6.”  With the 26^th, 18^th, 30^th and 22^nd ranked fantasy run defenses the rest of the way, expect Charles to get over 20 touches and deliver top fantasy production.

Recap: 27 carries and 127 yards.  Hillis did get the short TD but you can’t complain about the production.  The coaching has given Charles an average of 22.5 carries a game for the last 4 weeks so continue to ride Charles into the fantasy playoffs, particularly against Oakland and Indy weeks 15 and 16.

 

Alex Smith, 49ers – This thought from Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom) might be more valuable for dynasty owners of Alex Smith, but one to consider before dropping him to the heap after his recent demotion.  “The shortage of franchise QB level prospects in the draft next year will surely set off a bidding war for Alex Smith in free agency.”

Recap: See Kaepernick above. 

 

Brandon Lloyd, Patriots – Rumford Johnny (@RumfordJohnny) delivered this quick note on Lloyd saying, “Lloyd’s YAC is virtually non-existent. Yet another Pats FA/WR acquisition that failed miserably. Droppable.”  I have included this mini-rant just for the fact that I see Lloyd being started in fantasy leagues every week still.  Don’t let the name and team get you to believe he can still help you.  Only in 14 team, 4 WR leagues would I start to consider him an every week play.

Recap: 1 target, 1 catch, 10 yards.  Might need to be a 16 team 4 WR league before considering a start.

 

C.J. Spiller, Bills – Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) points out what everyone else may not be understanding in regards to the Bills RBs, “Fred Jackson played more snaps than CJ Spiller yesterday (32-to-29). Jackson the more trusted blocker.”  While Jackson may be more trusted in pass protection, Spiller is still the start every week as Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) highlighted, “CJ Spiller out-touched Fred Jackson 15 to 7 and out-gained him 103 to 24.”

Recap: Well that was an absolutely maddening game for Spiller owners seeing Jackson get 25 carries to Spiller’s 14.  Jackson also saw 3 targets compared to just 1 for C.J.  If it weren’t for a 44 yard TD run in the 4^th quarter Spiller owners might have stormed the stadium and coaches would not have made it out alive.  If you own Spiller you have to start him.  Same thing probably goes for Jackson.  Just don’t watch and rely on Spiller being Spiller.

Mohamad Sanu, Bengals – Sanu should already have been on your radar averaging double digits fantasy points the last three weeks.  Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) highlighted his week 12 performance tweeting, “Sanu locked in as WR2. 9 targets tied AJ Green for team lead. 5 catches a team high. Only 29 yards but 2 TDs.”  With defenses obviously paying attention to the Bengals’ #1 WR, Sanu should continue to pay dividends with Dalton and the offense trusting him. 

Recap: Sanu was injured and did not play this game.  Unfortunate for the kid who was coming on strong.   

All of the above information and tweets came across the News page of my website, Fantasy Football Aggregator. Twitter can be overwhelming for most, but the FFGator News feeds take out much of the noise and provides the ability to search on specific players as well. News from top sources and fantasy football analysts are aggregated in one place, so if you enjoyed the above breakdowns, check out the site for even more. If you are on Twitter I also suggest following all of the above for great fantasy football analysis and commentary.

Follow Luke Wetta on Twitter @FFGator

Andy Dalton & Cincy to Soak Out San Diego’s Season

If it wasn’t going to be a guaranteed blackout game prior to Sunday, the rain should just about seal it. The resurgent Cincinnati Bengals trek west to San Diego Chargers where the June gloom remains over San Diego. And it just may end up being the home side that struggles with the weather.

NFLWeather.com forecasts a 30% chance of scattered showers with the possibility of partly sunny skies. In a city with over 200 days of 70 degree temperatures, the high on Sunday will be topping out around 67. The Qualcomm Stadium conditions certainly favor and reassemble that of the Midwest.

Not surprisingly, the Bolts do not play well in the rain. Already 0-1 in rain games according to the NFLWeather Historical Analytics, the Chargers offense was completely inept in their 7-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns. In that game, running back Ronnie Brown was the team’s leading receiver with 85 yards.

The previous game prior to the Brownies loss was a colossal collapse at home to the division rival Denver Broncos. Last week they blew a fourth quarter lead and let the Baltimore Ravens complete a 4^th and 29 en route to an overtime heartbreaker at home, 16-13. Once a regular perennial powerhouse, now nothing more than mediocre; the Chargers (4-7) are destined for major change.

But it’s a different story in Cincy. Following a string of three consecutive wins, the Bengals (6-5) are indeed a legitimate playoff contender. Even though Cincinnati has lost their last two road rain games, they won their most recent outing with Andy Dalton leading the comeback and stealing a win in overtime against Cleveland. The Bengals are getting better at finding ways to win in gritty fashion.

While most defensive coordinators focus on Andy Dalton and AJ Green, it’s the ground game that’s been ground breaking. In the last two games the team has racked up 410 yards and BenJarvus Green-Ellis earned his career best last week against the Oakland Raiders with 129 yards. During those two games including the 34-10 west coast win over Oakland, Green-Ellis has averaged 5.2 yards a carry. In a heavy downpour against a defense that does well at taking the ball away, the Bengals should spend most of the afternoon grinding it out.

Defensively, Cincinnati will dominate the battle in the trenches. The Chargers will be without multiple linemen including tackle Jeromey Clary which means bad news for Philip Rivers and an underperforming Ryan Matthews. A depleted o-line will crumble in front of Rivers who has been sacked 32 times this season and tossed 14 picks. With those numbers likely to climb against Cincy, Matthews desperately needs to take some pressure off his quarterback.

But perhaps the most desperate man on Sunday will be Norv Turner in an attempt to save his job. If San Diego wins out there’s an off-chance they’ll slip into the playoffs and Turner will be a savior. That remarkable finish seems extremely unlikely. Cincy has some spunk while San Diego is simply stagnant. If any team is going to make a valiant run to sneak into the playoffs, it’s the Bengals.

 

Will Strome

Columnist

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