FFGator

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 12

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

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.

Follow Luke Wetta on Twitter @FFGator

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

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

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 9

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^thor 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

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 8

Jonathan Stewart, Panthers – Stewart was one of most talked about players on Monday. Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) stated, “Although Jonathan Stewart rushed for just 42 yards, @PFF tells us 29 came after contact and he forced 3 missed tackles. I'm still buying.” On the other side of the coin Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) commented, “The schedule is mediocre for Stewart w/4 worse than average matchups ahead. I'd personally sell on the buzz. Situation just not good for JStew & I'm not buying the RB1 upside despite increased "featured" workload. Also, no stranger to injury report.” With DeAngelo, Tolbert and Cam still in the mix and the team struggling I tend to lean more towards Josh’s side. If you own him I would hold, but I also would not overpay for him in a trade.

Calvin Johnson, Lions – Calvin has been a fantasy “disappointment” this season, but Dave Richard (@daverichard) points out “Calvin Johnson has as many catches thru 7 gms this season (41) as he had last yr. Also has just 41 fewer yds. Don't look at the TDs though.” 16 TDs were unlikely this year, but only 1 in 7 games is too low. Buy now before the touchdowns pick back up.

Jonathan Dwyer, Steelers – Dwyer has done well with injuries to Mendenhall and Redman. Chris Wesseling (@ChrisWesseling) details just how well when stating, “Jonathan Dwyer has accomplished something in 2 starts that Mendenhall hasn't done in 5 years with #Steelers: back-to-back 100-yard games.” Dwyer likely deserves to remain the starter, but this could become a backfield to avoid in the coming weeks.

Jermichael Finley, Packers – “It's also quite obvious Rodgers has no faith in Finley at this point. If he can't get targeted when Jennings/Nelson both out, it's hopeless.” Tom Kessenich (@TomKessenich) summed up the tight end pretty well and there is no reason to be starting Finley in fantasy football.

Shonn Greene, Jets – Allie Fontana (@AllieFontana) provided this interesting note on the Jet’s rusher, “Amid the #Jets embarrassing 30-9 loss to the #Dolphins, Shonn Greene posted 106 combo yds, incl. 77 rushing on 15 carries (5.13 YPC).” Greene has a Bye and the Seattle the next two weeks, but the remaining schedule plays out pretty nice. Buying low today could provide solid RB2 or Flex down the stretch.

Josh Gordon, Browns – Gordon may finally be taking on the #1 WR role in Cleveland as Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) points out, “Josh Gordon played more snaps and ran more routes than Greg Little yesterday.”

Denarius Moore, Raiders – Evan Silva (@evansilva) reminded us that “Not enough ppl talk about Denarius Moore. Has at least 70 yds and/or TD in 5 straight gms. #Raiders best player right now & every-week WR2.” Could be an easy trade target, particularly in multiple player deals.

Dez Bryant, Cowboys – Another WR observation from Rotoworld’s Evan Silva (@evansilva), “Recommended early-season buy-low Dez Bryant has 95+ yds in 3 of last 4 gms. On pace for 94 catches; would be most by #Cowboys WR since 1995.”

Reggie Bush, Dolphins – Bush may prove to no longer be a weekly start as Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) breaks down the Dolphins RB situation, “Reggie Bush has rushed for over 70 yards exactly once this season, in W2. Daniel Thomas out-touched him 16-15 Sunday.”

Kenny Britt, Titans – Mike Bradue (@BraudeM) may be raining on the Britt parade a little with this tweet, “Wouldn't advise starting Britt till he breaks out. Played just 39 of 62 Titans offensive snaps and now concerns about knee are arrising.” Heed his advice and stash Britt for the short term.

Alex Green, Packers – Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) notes why Green should no longer be closer to your starting lineups with this statistical breakdown, “Alex Green rushed 64 times in last 3 weeks. He's generated 154 yards, a 2.40 YPC avg. How is he still the feature back?” It sounds as though Starks should get more looks, but the Green Bay RBs should be avoided all together.

Stevan Ridley, Patriots – Ridley is fantasy’s #4 RB and Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) highlights how his schedule might be worth one or two more starts and then a trade before the fantasy playoffs. “Stevan Ridley has had at least 15 carries every week except W3. Two money matchups after the BYE (BUF IND) but HOU & SF W14-15.”

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions – Week 7

The fantasy football season is already seven weeks old and hopefully your championship aspirations are still alive. Thousands of words of fantasy analysis are published daily for the avid fans’ enjoyment. You can find many of the best in one spot on the Analysis tab at FFGator.com. But for many like myself who like to digest short bursts of information and analysis in 140 characters or less, Twitter is the perfect medium.

Below is a compilation of some of the best stats, analysis and fantasy suggestions from the day after the games. Don’t simply let the box scores influence your fantasy maneuvers on a weekly basis and look to gain an edge on your competition from top fantasy football minds.

Darren McFadden, Raiders – McFadden continues to be a disappointment this season as Steve Corkran (@CorkOnTheNFL) illustrates, “Jaguars allowed 4.7 yards rushing per carry first five games. Darren McFadden went for 2.8 Sunday.” Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) showed an interesting player comparison when he tweeted, “Chris Johnson YTD stats: 110-496-2 (4.51 YPC) + 17-110-0. McFadden YTD stats: 103-324-2 (3.15 YPC) + 25-167-0.” Would you trade McFadden for Chris Johnson today?

Dustin Keller, Jets – Keller missed the beginning of the season due to injuries but looks to be healthy enough for fantasy relevance on a weekly basis. Chad Parson (@PFF_ChadParsons) commented, “Dustin Keller, intriguing add. Finally healthy, could be no.1, or no.2 at worst target on #Jets. 6 gms vs. 20th+ ranked pass defense ROS.” Week 7’s output of 93 yards and a TD is more likely a ceiling, but could do worse during your bye weeks.

Josh Gordon, Browns – Gordon has been on fire the last 3 weeks and Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) noted, “Josh Gordon led Browns’ wide receivers in snaps yesterday and ran all 43 possible routes.”

Cam Newton, Panthers – Cam is currently the 13^th QB in standard scoring leagues and was taking a little heat after his teams’ most recent loss. John Paulsen (@4for4_John) tweeted, “There’s a reason why “sophomore slump” is a thing” and Rumford Johnny (@RumfordJohnny) also joked (maybe not) that “Cam Newton needs to go see the hypnotist from “Office Space.” #ComeBackToUsBruh.” Cam has already had his bye and plays the Bears this week. If you can get him for cents on the dollar I would make the move because the potential is still there for huge weeks.

LaRod Stephens-Howling, Cardinals – LSH looked to be the clear lead back in Arizona as Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) pointed out, “Only 10 snaps for William Powell to 55 for LSH. Touches 5 to 25. Clearly LSH the RB1 when fully healthy, which he appears to be.” Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom) also commented, “Stephens-Howling didn’t run small vs MIN like he did vs BUF – leg drive, breaking tackles. ARI run blocking also vastly improved.” If you can’t grab Jennings off of the waiver wire this week, Stephens-Howling is likely your next best option.

Rams RBs – Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) broke down the Rams’ running back situation tweeting, “In the last four games, Steven Jackson is averaging 16.0 touches. Daryl Richardson is averaging 10.2 touches,” a two-thirds vs. one-third split. On Sunday that was a little more close to even as Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) noted, “35:24 snap edge for Steven Jackson over Daryl Richardson yesterday.” This backfield is here to stay and counting on Steven Jackson as a weekly start is no longer an option.

Steven Ridley, Patriots – Ridley has been a top 10 back this season but Evan Silva (@evansilva) might have some useful knowledge to consider moving forward, “Stevan Ridley had 2 slow weeks in a row. Current owners already sweat his usage. Good buy-low target. Has STL, BUF, IND, NYJ lined up next.”

James Jones, Packers – Jones could not keep up his pace of multiple touchdowns per week, but Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) highlighted he was still actively involved during week 7. “James Jones led the #Packers in targets (6-53-0 on 10 targets), but failed to find the end zone after recording 6 TDs in his last 3 games.” The Packers spread the ball around, but Jones can still be a flex-worthy option even once Jennings returns.

Chicago Bears Defense – Brad Evans (@YahooNoise) delivered this tweet about fantasy’s MVP, “Fun Fact about CHI D/ST: Currently average 13.0 fpts/game. Previous high of any team since 2000, BAL’06 (8.8). True Monsters of the Midway.” Drafted as the 7^th defense overall and currently 9^th in total fantasy scoring, the Bears are likely delivering weekly W’s for fantasy teams across the nation.

Alex Green, Packers – The following breakdown on Green came from Chet Gresham’s (@Chet_G) weekly column, The Morning After, “Rushing 20 times for 35 yards is an amazing stat for its complete ineptitude. You can’t say he wasn’t given enough chances or that the Rams have impenetrable run defense. One game doesn’t make a career of course, but we could see more James Starks in the future.”

Titus Young, Lions – A fantasy disappointment year to date, Titus Young will be a waiver wire target this week as Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) noted, “With Nate Burleson (leg) done for the season, Titus Young will be an every-down wideout and see an uptick in targets.”

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 or at Fantasy Football Aggregator

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Fantasy Football Twitter Reactions - Week 6

Each week I enjoy the overflow of stats, analysis and information that Twitter provides from top fantasy football analysts. Now that we are six games through the season, trends, targets and touches begin to really take shape on what a player’s worth is this season. Sometimes opportunity and talent does not lead to certain fantasy gold, while one fluke play can make a player the hottest waiver wire addition. Unfortunately I do not have time to watch and re-watch every game to break down and analyze the play on the field, so I look to get my information from those who do.

Below is a compilation of some of the best stats, analysis and fantasy suggestions from the day after the games. Don’t simply let the box scores influence your fantasy maneuvers on a weekly basis and look to gain an edge on your competition from top fantasy football minds.

Frank Gore, 49ers – Gore is currently in the top 10 of fantasy RBs. Josh More (@4for4_Josh) offered this insight into Gore, “Frank Gore with a season low 8 carries. Previous low was 12. Two tough matchups (Seattle, Cardinals) before the BYE.” I was not a fan of Gore before the season and he has performed well to date, but owners might want to look to trade this week.

Alfred Morris, Redskins – Brad Evans (@YahooNoise) had two tweets yesterday to highlight the season Morris is having for the Skins. “Safe to assume Al Morris has entered matchup proof territory. Ranks #5 in per game among RBs. The Butler’s worst effort 16-89-0 WK2 at StL.” “Crazy fact about Morris: He’s on pace for 1,434 rush yards and 13 TDs, almost identical to what Earl Campbell tallied in his rookie year.”

Cowboys RBs – Murray is out for week 7 leaving Felix as the likely starter and best waiver add this week. Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom) commented the following on the RB situation in Dallas, “Murray ran hot in 1st half and the #ravens were very timid tackling him. Tanner looked faster/stronger than Jones, don’t forget about him.” If you can’t grab Felix, Phillip Tanner is a name to remember as Felix has shown he cannot hold down a starting gig.

AJ Green, Bengals – Mike Braude (@BraudeM) sent out this trend for Green, “AJ Green is on pace for 114.7 catches for 1675.2 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.” Calvin who? Seriously Green is on fire and I have witnessed trade proposals of Dez and Mathews for Green.

Colts RBs – The situation in Indy was unclear after week 6 as Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) pointed out. “Vick Ballard and Mewelde Moore each handled 29 snaps yesterday. Only six for Delone Carter.” The Colts got down early and Ballard might have been used more in a closer game, but not sure you can trust any RB until this shakes out more clearly.

Percy Harvin, Vikings – I pulled this trend from Chet Gresham’s (@Chet_G) “The Morning After” column on Rotoworld (which should be a weekly read for everyone). “Harvin is on pace for 130 receptions, 1,440 yards and 2.6 touchdowns!” Harvin is elite and the touchdowns should come through receiving, rushing or returning.

Kyle Rudolph, Vikings – Another line from Chet Gresham’s (@Chet_G) “The Morning After” column on Rudolph, “11 targets, his most of the season, for six receptions, 56 yards and a touchdown. That was his fifth touchdown on the year, which puts him atop all tight ends.” Rudolph was a pre-season favorite and living up to the hype this season.

Denarius Moore, Raiders – Moore is barely in the top 40 at the WR position through 6 weeks, but he missed week 1 and already had his bye. Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) stated “DHB played most snaps of any WR (50) but no receptions. Denarius Moore benefited with a coming out party – 5-104-1 on 9 targets. I really like Denarius Moore moving forward as Raiders offense continues to improve & create space, Moore healthy, Torrey Smith-ish upside.” Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom) followed up saying, “Denarius Moore will be a #1 receiver in the NFL if he holds up physically. Deep ball tracking is flawless and showed good open field running.” Moore could be an easy trade target in your leagues that could continue to offer solid performances like we saw in week 6.

Greg Olsen, Panthers – John Paulsen (@4for4_John) tweeted the following, “G. Olsen comes out of bye with 3 straight matchups against teams that have struggled vs TEs.” Olsen could be a solid addition as other top tight ends enter bye weeks.

Jordy Nelson, Packers – Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) tweeted this and got a laugh from me, “Mike Ditka: “I don’t know how good Jordy Nelson is.” #UnacceptableQuotes.” Jordy was on the bench in two of my leagues this week. If you can somehow convince his owner this was a fluke week and trade for him, do so immediately.

Rams RBs – More great commentary from Josh Moore (@4for4_Josh) and why you need to cut bait from Steven Jackson and possibly all Rams moving forward, “Steven Jackson and Daryl Richardson split #Rams rushing work. SITUATION TO AVOID! 5 top 6 Ds vs RBs in next 8 weeks.”

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 or at Fantasy Football Aggregator