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

http://www.NFLWeather.com

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Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 12

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.

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.

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.

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.” 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

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. 

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 11

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.

 

Talented Backup RBs – John Paulsen (@4for4_John) offers some simple advice that can prevent your playoff team from falling apart during the final weeks of the season.  “With bye weeks over, it's a good time to stash talented RB2s who are an injury away from starting. There are obvious pickups this week like Bryce Brown, Hillman and maybe Dunbar, but B Pierce, Turbin, J Bell, Gerhart would all hold starter value with an injury to the RB1.” If you will never start that 5^th WR on your bench, grab the backup RB to your starter.

Broncos RBs – With the loss of McGahee for the fantasy season, there has been a lot of speculation around who will benefit most in Denver.  Evan Silva (@evansilva) offers his opinion stating, “McGahee loss likely to benefit Manning, Decker, Demaryius in fantasy. Broncos doubtful to have sustaining run game now. More passing.  Ronnie Hillman still obvious must-add. Role has grown steadily. Quick feet & good burst. Lots of value on 15-18 touch/game RB in high-scoring O.”  Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) followed up noting “Hillman isn't the sustainer that McGahee is. Has struggled a bit between the tackles. Would be surprised if he was used as the goal line.”  Hillman still appears to be the most obvious add this week, but Hillman most likely will not be the bell-cow and we don’t know who will get goal line looks.  Ball is worth an add if you miss out on Hillman.

Ray Rice, Ravens – Rice has been disappointing averaging just over 10 points per game in standard scoring leagues over the last month.  Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) offered a quick reaction to Sunday’s performance tweeting, “Ray Rice’s 40 yards on 20 carries his lowest ever in a game with at least 20 carries. Prev low was 41 on 20 vs Jets, 2010 W1.”  Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) highlighted Rice’s season struggles when he tweeted, “Ray Rice since Week 4: 61.3 rushing yards per game, 3.6 yards per carry.”  Finally, Chad Parsons (@PFF_ChadParsons) offered a player comparison that could make Rice owners even more worried.  “MJD had 1080 touches between 2009-11 and he is on the shelf in 2012.  Ray Rice had 1070 touches between 2009-11. He is living off a very high RZ conversion rate in '12. For the record, he's on watchlist as well.”  Hopefully he will hold up through the year but the high touches definitely appear to be slowing the RB down.

LeSean McCoy, Eagles – McCoy’s value continues to slide with the problems the Eagles offensive line has had as Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) tweeted, “LeSean McCoy was forced into pass blocking on 17 of 37 pass plays yesterday.”  His status for week 12 is questionable with the concussion he sustained as well.  Bryce Brown is the next man up if McCoy can’t go, but fantasy production expectations should be tempered with this team.

DeSean Jackson & Jeremy Maclin, Eagles – Along the same line as the worries around McCoy and Brown, Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) shared this observation for the Eagels WRs, “DeSean (5) and Maclin (0) combined for 5 receiving yards.  I just went back to 1980 & that is fewest combined yards by Eagles' starting WRs.” Really not sure I would feel good about starting anyone on the Eagles at this point.

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs – It has been a tough year for Charles owners, but Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) offers some hope stating, “Jamaal Charles received 21 of KCs 28 RB touches in W11. Schedule is fantastic after DEN this week: CAR, CLE, OAK, IND.”  Start him if you got him.

Calvin Johnson, Lions – Chad Parsons (@PFF_ChadParsons) tweeted this quick note, “Calvin Johnson has 7+ targets in every game this year and 11+ in 7-of-10. He is on pace for 1787 rec.yds, most since '95 Jerry Rice.”  Hope you did not lose faith when the TDs were sparse early in the year.  Congrats if you traded for him when he was “down”.

Mikel Leshoure, Lions – Just a quick observation from Chet Gresham (@Chet_G) if you are deciding between Mikel or another close option this week.  “The Texans still haven't given up a rushing touchdown to a RB this season.” 

Doug Martin, Buccaneers – Doug Martin has been on an absolute tear of late and C.D.Carter (@CDCarter13) highlights this even more with this tweet, “Doug Martin has 592 rushing yards (6.2 YPC) in his past four games. Arian Foster has 388 (3.8 YPC) yards over that span.”

Josh Gordon, Browns – Gordon could have found himself back on the waiver wire after posting a total of 12 fantasy points over the last 3 games.  Might be worth picking up as Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) noted “Josh Gordon ran all but 1 route yesterday. He's clearly Cleveland's No. 1 WR these days.”  Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) also offers a reason to keep Gordon around explaining, “Gordon w/season high 5 receptions (prev high 3). No big play, but look out if he starts getting volume. OAK, KC, WAS W13-15.”

Danario Alexander, Chargers – If you missed Alexander’s last two games, Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) will catch you up and why he should be owned and started, “Danario Alexander is (Chargers’) WR1. Leads in rec (12), yds (230), TDs (3) & tgts (18) over last 2. Borderline WR2 while healthy.”

Jalen Parmele, Jaguars – Dave Richard (@daverichard) has quick and easy waiver advice for you, “Get the name Jalen Parmele on your radar. Jags going w/ him at RB this week vs. TEN. Had over 80 total yards vs. HOU yesterday.”  Jennings is not the answer and MJD is already ruled out for week 12 and listed as week to week.

Colin Kapernick, 49ers – Kapernick performed outstanding against a tough Chicago defense on Monday night.  Everyone, including Chris Mortensen (@mortreport), was reporting Harbaugh’s comments after the game in regards to his starting QB and using the “hot hand” approach.  Kapernick is worth an add in deeper or 2QB leagues. 

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 10

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.

Adrian Peterson, Vikings – I am still waiting for more evidence to prove that AP is actually human. Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) pointed out that “Adrian Peterson is averaging 157 rush yards over last 4. If that pace continues for final 6 games, he would finish season with 2071 rush yards.” He did go on to add, “Standing in the way of Adrian Peterson’s race to 2000 rushing yards, however, is the #Bears twice and the #Texans once.” Evan Silva (@evansilva) had the best comment on AP though when stating, “Often hyperbole when we call players “unstoppable.” It is real for Adrian Peterson. Destroying defenses designed specifically to stop him.” If you can somehow convince his owner that his remaining schedule is brutal and trade the likes of anyone not named Foster to get him, go for it.

Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants – Bradshaw is piling up the nicks and bruises and his fantasy production is giving way to Andre Brown. In standard leagues, Bradshaw has had 5, 4 and 4 fantasy points the last three weeks. Brown has had 8, 8 and 14. Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) broke down Sunday’s snaps for the Giants RBs and offered one parting shot stating, “Ahmad Bradshaw played 23 snaps yesterday. Andre Brown played 44. Brown is also the goal-line back. Hope you sold high.”

C.J. Spiller, Bills – Spiller has been reined in by the Bills’ coaching staff and Fred Jackson this year. Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) emphasizes why the Bills are likely making a mistake when he tweeted, “C.J. Spiller is averaging just 12.7 touches per game, but has 929 yards from scrimmage. Averaging 8.1 yards per touch. Otherworldly numbers.” Jackson has already been ruled out for the Week 11 Thursday night game making Spiller a must start and here’s hoping the Bills fully utilize their best offensive weapon the rest of the season.

Danario Alexander, Chargers – Alexander grabbed a starting spot in San Diego and as Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) points out, “Danario Alexander’s 59 snaps led the Chargers WRs. He ran 5 more routes than Malcom Floyd. Robert Meachem = 8 snaps.” Evan Silva (@evansilva) also interjects why Alexander might be a good play in Week 11 and beyond stating, “Danario Alexander can be multi-week fantasy asset; not 1-game wonder. Entrenched starter. Floyd should draw Champ in Wk 11.” If he is on your waiver wire, and I bet he likely is, time to make a move.

LeSean McCoy, Eagles – McCoy is just outside the top 10 fantasy RBs and putting up simply consistent but not monster numbers. Frank DuPont (@FantasyDouche) shared an interesting fact in regards to McCoy’s receiving game stating, “Eagles RBs were hitting 700+ receiving yards on a regular basis. McCoy just 315 rec. yards last year and on pace for similar this year.”  Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) responded to Frank, “McCoy pass blocking a lot more than last year. Product of the beat up line.” He also projected that the “Vick injury boosts McCoy a bit in rushing game, too – fewer designed QB runs, more Shady.” McCoy may likely see an uptick in fantasy production with Vick out, but Foles is still a rookie and mistakes and turnovers could continue to limit his weekly upside.

Daniel Thomas, Dolphins – Brad Evans (@YahooNoise) tweeted some sound advice in regards to the Dolphin’s rusher, “If there was one budget RB I would trade for NOW, it would be Daniel Thomas. Coming out party happens WK11 vs. BUF. WK 15/16 sched awesome.” When questioned about the presence of Reggie Brad also remarked that Thomas has “out-snapped Bush in three straight. Staff’s trust in Thomas growing.” Heed his advice and buy extremely low on Daniel.

Calvin Johnson, Lions – The past couple weeks I have been highlighting that Megatron has been a stud WR all year getting the yards and falling just short of TDs on a weekly basis. I hope you were able to trade for him as Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) tweeted, “Calvin Johnson is on pace for 107 caches and 1731 yards. Nevermind the TDs.” Johnson was the 11^th overall WR in standard leagues last week, 6^th this week and only 8 points out of 3^rd. Would you like to bet that he doesn’t finish the season as the #1 fantasy WR?

Marcel Reece, Raiders – The question with McFadden and Goodson out was which Raiders RB would benefit the most. Reece became that man on Sunday and Evan Silva (@evansilva) commented that, “Marcel Reece will continue to pay major fantasy dividends. Everydown back utilized heavily in passing game.” Nathan Zegura (@NathanZegura) also commented, “With New Orleans coming to town in Week 11, look for Reece to be a GREAT PPR and even standard league start for your teams.” Reece can be a stop-gap for McFadden owners for the short term. Taiwan Jones should be back on the waiver wire as the coaching staff does not trust him.

Cecil Shorts, Jaguars – There must a lot of fantasy owners who are unfamiliar with Cecil as C.D. Carter (@CDCarter13) points out, “Cecil Shorts is owned in 15% of ESPN leagues. Jeremy Maclin, who is eight fantasy point behind Shorts, is owned in 97 percent of leagues.” He goes on to highlight further that “Cecil Shorts is tied with Brandon Lloyd with 58 fantasy points. I’d probably lean Shorts for the rest of the way.” There is still plenty of room on the Cecil bandwagon.

Danny Woodhead, Patriots – John Paulsen (@4for4_John) highlighted a quick fact on the Patriots backup RB, “Danny Woodhead has scored 8+ points in PPR formats in seven straight games.” PPR owners should take note of the dependable production.

Michael Turner, Falcons – Coming off a solid day against the Cowboys, Turner was supposed to eat up the Saints miserable defense on Sunday. 13 carries for 15 yards later and his owners were left wondering what do to with the “slow cooker” moving forward. TDs were supposed to be Turner’s bread and butter, though Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) shared that, “Michael Turner has had 17 goal-to-go carries this season. He’s scored on just 3 of them.”
Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) also highlighted that Turner’s running mate, “Jacquizz Rodgers carried the ball 3 times to Turner’s 13 and rushed for nearly twice as many yards (29 to 15) vs. NO no less.” If you have Turner you likely are needing to start him, but at this point it is hard to believe the Falcons coaching staff will rely on Turner as much the rest of the season.

Brandon Lloyd, Patriots – It might be time to stop thinking about Lloyd as even a weekly Flex option. Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) revealed that, “Deion Branch has blown past Julian Edelman on the depth chart and actually ran more routes than Brandon Lloyd yesterday.” I don’t recommend Branch in any format either, but with Hernandez almost back and Branch taking from Lloyd there is still not enough passes to go around to hope for anything more than 3 or 4 points per week from Brandon. Move on.

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 9

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.

 

Jonathan Stewart, Panthers – Stewart was widely debated last week and it appears the hype might have been too high.  Josh More (@4for4_Josh) delivered this tweet about the Carolina backfield, “JStew came up small (10-51-0) in gravy matchup. Hope you sold on the hype. DAW still in mix. Snaps increasing L3 (5, 14, 18).”  Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) also offered this point you may not have realized, “Zero rushing touchdowns for Jonathan Stewart this season.”  Stewart seems destined to be entangled within the backfield mess that is the Panthers.  At this time he barely is flex worthy. 

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars – I worried before the season that if MJD had any type of injury he might not be so quick to get back into the lineup.  Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) shares those same concerns when he tweeted, “Maurice Jones-Drew (foot) is still using a cart to get around. Jags are 1-7. He feels he's underpaid. Not a good spot.”  Jennings likely will be starting a few more weeks at least and then it might not even matter anymore for the Jags to bring MJD back.

Saints RBs – With Sproles out everyone wondered who would benefit most from his absence.  Not sure anyone predicted Ivory to have the biggest fantasy increase and as Brad Evans (@YahooNoise) displayed, there might not be much value to depend on from any RB. “Snap count among NO RBs in last night's game: PT 21, Ingram 17, Ivory 15, Cadet 6. Please Joe Vitt, let the PT Bruiser go.” 

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals – Fitzgerald was the consensus #2 WR drafted this season, most likely in the 2^nd round.  Unfortunately Fitz is turning out to be a wasted draft pick as Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) commented, “Perhaps nothing more surprising after 9 weeks than seeing Andre Roberts with more fantasy points than Fitzgerald."  At this point nothing more you can do but start him and hope Kurt Warner suits up next week.

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs – It appears the neck injury is not serious and Charles will play in week 10, the question is how much.  Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) tweeted the “#Chiefs RB snaps were Charles (30), Hillis (28) and Draugn only 6. CAR, @CLE, @OAK, IND to finish out #fantasyfootball season.”  So while it appears Charles is at his complete worst, Josh went on to offer this, “Trading for Charles at this point takes some serious cahones... but should come at a steep discount w/high reward potential."  If you are on the outside looking in at the playoffs I suggest making the bold move, trade for Jamaal and hope for Charles to be unleashed. 

AJ Green, Bengals – Green is making a case for the number one fantasy WR this season.  Evan Silva (@evansilva) offered an amazing stat that shows that AJ may be a dynasty favorite and yearly stud when he tweeted, “AJ Green's TD Sunday was the first Champ Bailey has allowed since Wk 13 of 2011. Including playoffs, a 14-game stretch.”   

Andre Johnson, Texans – Johnson sits just within the top 30 at WR in terms of fantasy points after 9 weeks.  Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) offered an interesting breakdown on why Johnson could be a good trade target and a solid WR option moving forward, “Andre Johnson's 4-game stretch from Weeks 2-5 averaged 2.25 catches and 41 yards. His other 4 games have averaged 8.25 catches, 99.5 yards.” 

Daniel Thomas & Reggie Bush, Dolphins – Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) highlights the Dolphins’ RB situation on Sunday stating, “36:28 snap edge for Daniel Thomas over Reggie Bush yesterday. Thomas in on 27 pass plays to Bush's 14.”  SetMyRoster (@SetMyRoster) also noted, “Daniel Thomas continued his ascend up as a RB. He's been outplaying Bush for weeks now. Coaches are getting more comfortable w/him.”  If you still own Bush this is likely the last week to trade for any value since he still scored versus the Colts.  Thomas should also be owned as he continues to take a larger role in the offense. 

Calvin Johnson, Lions – Calvin did not practice last week but as Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) pointed out, “Calvin Johnson on his bad knee played 60 of 72 plays, 83 percent.”  Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) also tweeted this fantasy forecast for Megatron, “Calvin Johnson on-pace #s: 96-1532-2 on 166 targets.”  1,500 yards is fantastic and should be nothing to complain about, but where are the TDs?  Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) provides some insight on the lack of touchdowns for Calvin stating, “Why doesn't Calvin Johnson have more TD's?  He's been tackled at or inside the 2-yard line 5 times, including four at the 1-yard line.”  4 at the 1 yard line?!  If Calvin had gotten those 4 TDs he would be tied for 4^th overall at the WR position.  Sell your house to get him and hope the knee holds up. 

Chicago Bears Defense – The Bears defense remains the MVP for the season in my mind.  Here are some ridiculous stats and observations from some favorite fantasy analysts.  Brad Evans (@YahooNoise) tweeted, “The Bears D/ST's 125 total points in standard Y! leagues is higher than all WRs (Green 123.2), 4th among RBs and 15th among QBs. RE-DONK.”  Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) noted, “Another interesting stat via @MoveTheSticks: The #Bears pass defense has scored as many TDs as they've allowed.”  Finally Chet Gresham (@Chet_G) provides even more detail with, “Opposing quarterbacks have thrown more touchdown passes to the Bears defense than they have to their own receivers.”  Drafted as the 6^th or 7^th overall defense in 2012 drafts and likely will be selected before the 5^th round in 2013 drafts I have now decided to completely remove defenses from my fantasy rosters.  If you own the Bears you are most likely guaranteed a spot in the playoffs under most formats.  

Kickers – After this tweet from Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) “Lawrence Tynes was terrible last year. Leads all kickers by 20 points with 102 scored through 9 weeks. #fantasyfootball” I have also decided to remove kickers as well from fantasy rosters next season.  I own Tynes in a couple leagues but that does not make me any better about predicting the position.   

Eli Manning, Giants / Complete Hilarity & Amusement – Hopefully you have seen the crazy look on Eli’s face while lying on the ground after being pounded by the Steelers.  Yesterday ScreamPukingUnicorn (@BestFantasyName) and RumfordJohnny (@RumfordJohnny) took photoshop work to new heights by placing the image of Eli in multiple hysterical positions and scenes.  I cried laughing most of the day and they even had their worked compiled here on Juan Elway http://www.juanelway.com/the-ultimate-eli-manning-photoshops/

Check out the link or scroll through the timeline of  @BestFantasyName if you missed any of these.  My favorites are the Indiana Jones remake and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man!


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