Monthly Archives: September 2012

When the 49ers have the ball: BENCH QB Alex Smith. Smith has been a marginal fantasy starter each of the first 3 weeks, with the caveat that even under the best of circumstances you shouldn’t expect more than roughly 225 & 2. He delivered on that low-upside forecast in Weeks 1 & 2, then looked brutal in last week’s loss to the Vikings. He’s back on the fantasy pine this week despite the Jets’ crushing loss of CB Darrelle Revis to a season-ending ACL injury. Even sans Revis, the Jets pass defense is still better than the Lions and Vikings, … Continue reading →

When the Titans have the ball: BENCH QB Jake Locker. Should we believe in Locker’s 378-yard, 2-TD outburst in a crazy game against Detroit last week? While it’s a great indication of what Locker is capable of, he’s not a fantasy option against a very stingy Texans defense this week. Peyton Manning managed 330 yards and 2 TDs vs. HOU last week, but before that only 4 of the previous 18 QBs to face the Texans managed to throw for more than 1 TD. Menacing Texans DE J.J. Watt (5.5 sacks in 3 games) will terrorize an undermanned Titans line … Continue reading →

When the Bengals have the ball: START QB Andy Dalton. Based on a full season of mediocrity last year, I’ve been slow to accept Dalton’s improved 2012 play. But after his second straight 300-yard, 3-TD performance last week, I’m sold. Something has clicked for Dalton, and the emergence of a cadre of decent wideouts behind A.J. Green has turned him into a fantasy QB2 worth starting in certain matchups. The Jaguars aren’t nearly as awful as the Redskins, nor the Joe Haden-less Browns secondary (the 2 teams Dalton beat up on the last 2 weeks), but if Christian Ponder can … Continue reading →

When the Saints have the ball: START QB Drew Brees. Brees has been uncharacteristically erratic in the early going. His fantasy numbers don’t look bad, but he’s completed just 55% of his passes (he’s at 66% for his career) and, of course, the Saints have yet to win. While a win over the angry Packers in Green Bay may not be in the offing, all signs point to an offensive shootout. Expect huge numbers from Brees, who torched the Packers for 419 yards and 3 TDs in Week 1 of last year. START WRs Marques Colston & Lance Moore. It … Continue reading →

When the Redskins have the ball: START QB Robert Griffin III. I don’t think RG3 can stand up to this level of abuse all season long. He’s currently on pace for 171 rushes, which would rank him in the top-5 all-time single-season rushing attempts for QBs, and blow Michael Vick’s career-high and Cam Newton’s 2011 totals out of the water. Last week alone, he was sacked 6 times and hit on 7 passing plays in addition to his 12 rushing attempts. According to the Washington Post, at one point he had to be checked for a concussion. Point being; the … Continue reading →

When the Seahawks have the ball: BENCH QB Russell Wilson. If not for the controversial “Fail Mary” Monday nighter, we might be discussing whether Wilson should yield the starting job to Matt Flynn. Wilson has been brutally ineffective in his first 3 NFL starts, failing to top 153 yards, completing just 57% of his passes, and averaging a putrid 5.8 yards per attempt. It doesn’t much matter how good the Rams pass defense is, but for the record they’ve allowed just 2 passing TDs in 3 weeks despite facing legit NFL QBs like Matthew Stafford, Robert Griffin III, and Jay … Continue reading →

When the Raiders have the ball: START QB Carson Palmer. There’s a case to be made for Palmer as a starter this week. Here it is: After throwing for 373 yards against the Dolphins in Week 2 and 3 TDs against the Steelers last week, he’s a tempting option against a Broncos pass defense that’s already surrendered 8 passing TDs this season. Toss in the fact that Palmer threw for 332 yards and 3 TDs last time he faced the Broncos and you’ve got the recipe for a solid bye week fill-in this week. If that sounds familiar (and if … Continue reading →