Week 6 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start…

QBs

Aaron Rodgers, Packers – Passed for 338 yards and 6 monster TDs, without a blemish.

Robert Griffin III, Redskins – Accumulated 182 yards and a TD and INT through the air, and ran for 138 yards and 2 TDs.

Peyton Manning, Broncos – Led a comeback for the ages with 309 yards and 3 TDs, plus an INT.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks – Passed for 293 and 3 TDs, and ran for 17 yards, but lost a fumble.

RBs

Shonn Greene, Jets – Rumbled for 161 yards and 3 TDs.  Where did that come from?

Ray Rice, Ravens – Ran for 63 yards and 2 TDs, plus a 43-yard catch and run.

WRs

Dez Bryant, Cowboys – Well, look who decided to perform?  Reeled in 13 passes for 95 yards and 2 TDs.

Jordy Nelson, Packers – Collected 9 passes for 121 yards and a TD trifecta.

AJ Green, Bengals – Caught 7 passes for 135 yards and 2 TDs.

Jeremy Maclin, Eagles – Pulled down 6 passes for 130 yards, including a 70-yard score.

Wes Welker, Patriots – Reeled in 10 passes for 138 yards and a TD, despite absorbing 2 monster hits.

Vincent Jackson, Bucs – 4 receptions went for 66 yards and 2 TDs.

TEs

Antonio Gates, Chargers – Finally woke up and caught 6 passes for 81 yards and a pair of TDs.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs

Matt Ryan, Falcons – Only 249 passing yards, and 3 INTs erased his lone TD pass.

Andrew Luck, Colts – Passed for 280 yards but coughed up 3 turnovers.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills – Limited to 153 passing yards, without a score.

Alex Smith, 49ers – Threw for 200 yards plus 3 INTs, without a TD.

Matt Schaub, Texans – Passed for 232 yards and no TDs, plus 2 INTs.

RBs

Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers – Caught an 11-yard pass and added 6 rushing yards before leaving with an Achilles injury.

Stevan Ridley, Patriots – Collected just 34 total yards.

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs – Only 40 yards on the ground, plus 2 receptions for 7 yards.

Michael Turner, Falcons – Just 33 rushing yards, and a 6-yard catch.

Trent Richardson, Browns – Exited injured after running for 37 yards and 2 receptions for 17 yards.

Vick Ballard, Colts – Despite the great matchup, had just 25 rushing and 17 receiving yards.

Frank Gore, 49ers – Ran for 36 yards and turned 4 catches into 20 yards.

Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks – Ran for 41 yards and caught an 11-yarder.

WRs

Brian Hartline, Dolphins – Posted a goose egg in Miami’s win.

Antonio Brown, Steelers – Managed just 20 yards on 4 receptions.

Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs – 3 balls produced 21 yards.

Michael Crabtree, 49ers – Only 26 yards on 3 catches.

Jeremy Kerley, Jets – Just 3 receptions for 24 yards.

Miles Austin, Cowboys – Caught 2 passes for 31 yards.

TEs

Jermichael Finley, Packers – On a night when his QB tossed 6 TDs, he captured just 2 passes for 12 yards.

Today’s defenses can be downright offensive

Doesn’t anybody play defense anymore? 

Miami’s top-ranked run defenders just surrendered 162 yards and a touchdown to the Rams, a team that has been struggling to run effectively all season.

The woeful Titans offense, piloted by octogenarian Matt Hasselbeck, put up 26 points on a Steelers defense that clearly doesn’t travel well.

Tom Brady and Wes Welker torched Seattle’s so-called “elite” pass defense.

Carson Palmer lit up a heretofore-stout Falcons secondary for 353 yards and a touchdown.

The Giants obviously weren’t intimidated by the mighty 49ers defense as they traveled cross-country to deliver a 26-3 whooping.  Ahmad Bradshaw even racked up 116 yards and a TD on what used to be the league’s stingiest rush defense.

Dez Bryant had his best game of the season, and Tony Romo rebounded from a poor three-game stretch, against a Ravens defense that was on the decline well before Ray Lewis was lost to a season-ending triceps injury. Meanwhile, Dallas’ beleaguered rushers ran roughshod over the home team for a season-high 227 yards.  Going forward, there may be few defenses more vulnerable than Baltimore’s depleted unit. 

And to top it all off, Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson and James Jones embarrassed Houston’s championship-caliber defense with six aerial scores in a Sunday night shellacking of epic proportions.

What does all of this tell us? 

For starters, next week’s Ravens-Texans contest should be a high-scoring affair.

Second, we are reminded of the age-old fantasy maxim: Never bench your studs, regardless of the matchup. 

And last, we’ve learned that even second-tier players no longer must be automatically relegated to the sidelines, even in bad matchups.  Because, frankly, no defense is impenetrable these days, thanks primarily to rules that overwhelmingly favor the offense.

Perhaps the Bears, who enjoyed their bye this weekend, will be the exception.  I certainly wouldn’t rush to start Matt Stafford against Chicago’s ball-hawking secondary next Monday night; but that’s more a reflection on the disappointing quarterback than the defense’s dominance.

FREE AGENT PICKS AND PANS

To win a fantasy championship, it helps to start with a great draft. But filling in your roster throughout the season with the right free agents is also important. Here's a look at players worth considering, and others who would look better in someone else's lineup.

Catch ‘em while you can

Montario Hardesty, RB, Browns.  Hardesty has never had a legitimate chance to fulfill his lofty potential because he’s perpetually injured.  In fact, he finally scored his first career touchdown in Sunday’s relief duty.  If Trent Richardson’s sore ribs cost him playing time, the backup will be called upon again.  Hardesty is worth adding as insurance.

Felix Jones, RB, Cowboys.  Jones piled up 92 yards and a TD and looked better than he has in ages, albeit against a sorry Baltimore run defense.  DeMarco Murray’s owners should latch onto Jones in the event that the starter’s sprained foot proves to be serious.  Just don’t be shocked if Jones disappoints – his days appeared to be numbered after he arrived at training camp out of shape – and keep in mind that third-stringer Philip Tanner could be given a chance as well.

Don’t be fooled

Baron Batch, RB, Steelers.  When Rashard Mendenhall was knocked out of Thursday’s contest, Batch got the majority of the carries.  Fortunately, Mendenhall’s Achilles injury is not expected to keep him out long, with a Week 7 return entirely possible.  Besides, Pittsburgh has proven it can’t run effectively without him.  Don’t drop Isaac Redman just yet, but let someone else waste their waiver priority on Batch.

Jahvid Best, RB, Lions.  He is now eligible to come off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list; but haven't we seen this movie before? The poor kid just can't stay healthy, and a series of concussions is nothing to be trifled with. I'm not adding him to my bench as a "preemptive move," as many have advised.  I can’t foresee being desperate enough to trust him in my starting lineup.

Sunday morning updates -- Week 6

Good morning, Fools.  It's a glorious Sunday.  My son Preston was baptized today, so our family is celebrating.

And I'm blogging...at least for a few minutes.  Here's what you need to know to get ready for the day:

No big surprises with the early game inactives.  We knew, or assumed, that Donald Brown, Daniel Thomas, Kevin Smith, Matt Cassel, Peyton Hillis, Andre Brown and Danny Amendola would be out.

We also know Greg Jennings,  Julian Edelman and Nate Kaeding were ruled out previously.

Hakeem Nicks traveled with the Giants to SF.  He'll be a game-time call, but if he starts, he's risky.  I'll probably start him anyway, just because of the upside; but I won't be surprised if he disappoints against the stout 49ers secondary.

Aaron Hernandez also will be a game-time call.  If he plays, he's a near must-start.  [Update: For what it's worth, the Boston Globe expects Hernandez to play but be limited.]

Things are looking up for a couple guys with nagging injuries playing Monday night.  Demaryius Thomas (hip) is probable and Malcom Floyd (groin) is questionable, but expected to suit up.

Make sure you're following me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ladd_biro) for all the inactives and other late-breaking news. 

Have a wonderful day, Fools!

Injury updates and more

Here are a few injury updates and other out-takes from my 4th & Long column in Sporting News:

Things that make you say "hmm": If Matt Cassel was as good as Robert Griffin III, would the Chiefs have ruled him out so quickly? And if RGIII was as mediocre as Cassel, would the Redskins be rushing him back so quickly? Both passers suffered concussions last week, and it's fairly shocking that the Redskins would even consider putting their franchise quarterback at risk this weekend. If he starts, I'd have a hard time keeping him out of my fantasy lineup. But I sure would be making contingency plans for the rest of the season.


Jahvid Best is hopeful of returning to the Lions' lineup soon, but haven't we seen this movie before? The poor kid just can't stay healthy, and a series of concussions is nothing to be trifled with. I'm not adding him to my bench as a "preemptive move," as some have advised.

A sore ankle is bothering Adrian Peterson, but it's unlikely to keep him out of the lineup on Sunday. You know what to do.

Daniel Thomas (concussion) almost certainly won't play Sunday, which gives Reggie Bush a slight up-tick against the Rams. Lamar Miller will be his backup. Add Andre Brown to the list of concussed players, and David Wilson to the list of viable handcuffs. The rookie flashed his potential last week with a 40-yard rushing score, and he should be the next man up if/when Ahmad Bradshaw gets dinged.
 
Until Pierre Garcon declares his foot completely healed, or he shows that he can produce despite the lingering injury, he belongs on your bench.

Hopefully you grabbed James Jones a couple of weeks ago because there's no telling when Greg Jennings (groin, already ruled out Week 6) will be back from his rolling shutdown. Jermichael Finley (shoulder) looks like a no-go this week, too.

There's a decent chance Aaron Hernandez (ankle) returns this week. While he may not receive a full complement of snaps, he's still better than most other options you may have.

Week 6 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Ray Rice and Roddy White, or to bench Brady Quinn and Chaz Schilens? The network bozos specialize in that kind of advice. If you’re looking for help with your real starting lineup conundrums, read on.

Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 6 of the 2012 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Christian Ponder, QB, Vikings at Redskins.  The second-year passer has posted three strong fantasy performances, mixed in with two zero-TD, low-yardage outings.  This week, he’ll face the NFL’s 31^st-ranked pass defense, which has surrendered a league-high 13 passing scores.  If you need bye-week help, you could do much worse than Ponder.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, Bengals at Browns.  Just as Cleveland gets back its best pass defender (Joe Haden), its top run stopper (DQwell Jackson) could be sidelined due to concussion symptoms.  Ahmad Bradshaw ran roughshod over the Browns last week, pointing the way for the Law Firm to excel on Sunday.  The season-ending injury to understudy Bernard Scott is more grounds for optimism.

DeMarco Murray, RB, Cowboys at Ravens.  You might be tempted to bench the disappointing tailback against a team with the Ravens’ tough reputation.  But a closer look reveals a Baltimore defense that’s highly vulnerable to the run.  If Dallas did anything over their bye, you have to think it was scheming to get Murray more touches in the offense, to take the pressure off the struggling Tony Romo.

Andre Roberts, WR, Cardinals vs. Bills.  I have a hard time trusting Kevin Kolb after last week’s debacle in St. Louis; but with all the trouble surrounding Arizona’s running game, his wideouts will be very busy.  Roberts has been surprisingly effective as Larry Fitzgerald’s wing man, and he should have plenty of success against Buffalo’s putrid pass defense.

Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers vs. Giants.  He and Alex Smith are finally developing the chemistry that has eluded them since the heralded wideout was drafted.  Crabtree had his best game of the season in the 49ers’ romp over the Bills, and the duo should continue to soar against the shaky Giants secondary. 

More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Peyton Manning, Matt Schaub, Andy Dalton, Alex Smith; RBs Darren McFadden, Michael Turner, Trent Richardson, Ryan Mathews, Frank Gore; WRs Percy Harvin, Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Dwayne Bowe, Reggie Wayne, James Jones.

Roll ‘em back

Matt Stafford, QB, Lions at Eagles.  Frustrated Stafford owners are unlikely to celebrate their man’s reemergence this week against a talented Philly secondary that held Ben Roethlisberger to his worst outing of the season.  Stafford has been a fantasy liability to date; so until he rediscovers his mojo, or faces a weak opponent, he belongs on your bench.

Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers vs. Chiefs.  The rookie underachieved through the early games even before LeGarrette Blount re-entered the backfield rotation.  Now that Martin is facing competition for carries, in addition to the solid run defense that just held Ray Rice and the Ravens out of the end zone, he is best held in reserve.

Alex Green, RB, Packers at Texans.  Green has the potential to be a valuable pickup in light of Cedric Benson’s injury; but not this week.  The rookie is facing one of the stingiest defenses in the league – the only team yet to have surrendered a rushing TD – and we haven’t seen how the carries will shake out between Green and his fellow backups.

Denarius Moore, WR, Raiders at Falcons.  To the delight of Darren McFadden’s owners, Oakland’s best chance for success against Atlanta will be on the ground.  The Falcons are playing stout pass defense, so don’t expect big things from Moore, who has struggled to generate consistent production.

Domenik Hixon, WR, Giants at 49ers.  Any Giants receiver not named Cruz is a risky bet this week against the fired-up 49ers defenders.  Hixon failed to live up to expectations last week against the soft Browns secondary, and even Hakeem Nicks (foot, knee) is a dicey proposition should he return. 

More thumbs down: QBs Eli Manning, Sam Bradford, Carson Palmer, Tony Romo, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andrew Luck; RBs Stevan Ridley, Ahmad Bradshaw, CJ Spiller, Shonn Greene, Ben Tate; WRs Brandon Lloyd, Dez Bryant, Robert Meachem, Pierre Garcon, Josh Gordon, Brian Hartline, Jeremy Kerley.

TAKING A FLIER

Vick Ballard, RB, Colts at Jets.  There is no tastier matchup for an NFL tailback than the reeling Jets.  So even a rookie getting his first start for a mediocre running team has a chance to strike it rich.  Ballard is not likely to carry you to fantasy riches, but he could be a useful bye-week fill-in while Donald Brown recuperates from knee surgery for the next two to three weeks.

DON’T BE THE BONEHEAD WHO…keeps deadweight on your roster.  As of this writing, Ryan Williams is still owned in roughly 65 percent of leagues, according to one of the leading sites.  Those aren’t all keeper leagues, I’m sure.  Nearly 80 percent are holding onto Cedric Benson, even though he’s not eligible to return until Week 12, at the earliest.  More than half are inexplicably clinging to Santonio Holmes, who is out for the season. 

Scouting the Dallas defense

Had the pleasure of meeting Cowboys CB Mo Claiborne today at Valley Ranch.  He was cutting some radio spots for an upcoming appearance at Raising Cane's, one of my clients.  (He's the one on the right.)

During a break, I let Mo know that I'm counting on big things from Torrey Smith this weekend, so I'd appreciate if he'd give him a little room on Sunday.  He very politely told me to fuggetaboutit.

Hey, it was worth a shot.

Week 5 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start…

QBs

Drew Brees, Saints – Broke Unitas’ record in style with a 370-yard, 4-TD performance, with 1 pick.

Aaron Rodgers, Packers – Tossed 3 TDs along with 243 yards and an INT, and added 57 rushing yards.

Andrew Luck, Colts – The rookie out-dueled Rodgers, with 362 passing yards and 2 TDs, plus 24 rushing yards and another score.

Peyton Manning, Broncos – Passed for 345 yards and 3 TDs.

Alex Smith, 49ers – Threw 3 TDs and 303 yards, and ran for 49 yards.

RBs

Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants – Had a monster day, rushing for 200 yards and a TD, and adding 4 catches for 29 yards.  We’ll forgive the fumble.

Stevan Ridley, Patriots – Ran for 151 yards and a TD, but lost a fumble.

Arian Foster, Texans – Continued his dominance with 152 yards and a TD, plus a 16-yard reception.

WRs

Marques Colston, Saints – Pulled down 9 catches for 131 yards and 3 TDs.

Reggie Wayne, Colts – Reeled in 13 receptions for 212 yards and a TD.

Victor Cruz, Giants – His 5 receptions were good for 50 yards and a TD trifecta.

Percy Harvin, Vikings – Ran for 8 yards and a TD, and caught 8 passes for 108 yards and another TD.

Brandon Marshall, Bears – Caught a dozen passes for 144 yards and a score.

James Jones, Packers – Only had 4 catches for 46 yards, but 2 went for TDs.

Demaryius Thomas, Broncos – Had 9 receptions for 188 yards, but lost a fumble.

Devery Henderson, Saints – Collected 8 catches for 123 yards and 1 TD.

Wes Welker, Patriots – His 13 receptions went for 104 yards and a TD.

Robert Meachem, Chargers – Had 3 catches for 67 yards and 2 TDs.

TEs

Tony Gonzalez, Falcons – Amassed 13 catches for 123 yards and a TD.

D/STs

Bears – Collected 3 sacks, 3 turnovers, returned 2 INTs for TDs and held the Jags to a field goal.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs

Robert Griffin III, Redskins – Knocked out of the game after just 91 passing and 7 rushing yards.

Kevin Kolb, Cardinals – Just 289 passing yards, plus a fumble.

Joe Flacco, Ravens – Only 187 yards and an INT for the day.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills – Passed for 126 yards and an INT.

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers – Held without a score, and just 207 passing yards.

Cam Newton, Panthers – Couldn’t get anything going with 141 passing and 42 rushing yards.

RBs

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bengals – Limited to 16 combined yards.

Chris Johnson, Titans – Another pathetic performance, with just 24 rushing and 5 receiving yards, and a fumble.

Ryan Williams, Cardinals – Held to 38 total yards before a season-ending shoulder injury.

Cedric Benson, Packers – Was on a roll, with 20 rushing and 21 receiving yards, before exiting injured.

Fred Jackson, Bills – Ran for 29 yards and caught a 5-yard pass.

CJ Spiller, Bills – He ran for just 24 yards against the mighty 49ers.

Darren Sproles, Saints – Just 9 rushing and 28 receiving yards on 5 catches.

Shonn Greene, Jets – Ran for 26 yards and caught a 19-yarder.

Jonathon Stewart, Panthers – Limited to 31 combined yards.

DeAngelo Williams, Panthers – Managed to lose a fumble while rushing for 6 yards.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars – Only 56 yards on the ground, and a 3-yard catch.

WRs

Jerome Simpson, Vikings – Posted a goose egg.

Andre Johnson, Texans – Left out of the action with just a 15-yard catch on the night.

Danny Amendola, Rams – Caught a 44-yard pass before leaving with an injury.

Jordy Nelson, Packers – Just 2 receptions for 29 yards.

Mike Wallace, Steelers – Only 17 yards on his 2 catches.

Nate Washington, Titans – Another 3 catch game, with 29 yards to show for it.

Brandon Lloyd, Patriots – 3 receptions totaled 34 yards.

Torrey Smith, Ravens – His 3 catches netted 38 yards.

Stevie Johnson, Bills – Caught 6 passes for 39 yards.

Pierre Garcon, Redskins – Still struggling with only 24 yards and 3 balls.

Steve Smith, Panthers – Just 4 for 40.

TEs

Antonio Gates, Chargers – His 3 catches amounted to 19 yards.

Jimmy Graham, Saints – A 4-yard pass is all he got before an injury turned him into a decoy.

We didn’t see this coming…

Josh Gordon, WR, Browns – Combined with fellow rookie Weeden to score TDs on his only 2 catches, for 82 yards.