Week 16 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start…

QBs

Drew Brees, Saints – Passed for 446 yards and 3 TDs.

Aaron Rodgers, Packers – Threw for 342 yards and 3 TDs and ran for 11 yards and a fourth TD, with zero turnovers.

Matt Ryan, Falcons – Passed for 279 yards and 4 TDs, plus 25 rushing yards, without a turnover.

Tony Romo, Cowboys – Accumulated 416 yards and 4 TDs in a losing cause.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks – Just 171 passing and 29 rushing yards, but 4 TDs with only 1 INT.

Peyton Manning, Broncos – Passed for 339 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT.

Joe Flacco, Ravens – Passed for 309 yards and scored 3 total TDs, without a turnover.

RBs

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs – Raced for 226 yards and a TD.

Reggie Bush, Dolphins – Scored 3 TDs while running for 65 and catching 4 passes for 42 yards.

Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks – Ran for 111 yards and a TD, plus 19 yards and a TD receiving.

Ray Rice, Ravens – Ran for 107 yards and caught 6 passes for 51 yards and a TD.

Shonn Greene, Jets – Ran for 38 yards and 2 short TDs, and took 2 passes 42 yards.

Ryan Grant, Packers – Found his Fountain of Youth, rushing for 80 yards and 2 TDs, and hauled in a 34-yard pass.

WRs

Dez Bryant, Cowboys – Took 9 receptions 224 yards and waltzed into the end zone twice.

Roddy White, Falcons – Torched the Lions for 153 yards and 2 TDs on 8 receptions.

Calvin Johnson, Lions – Made history with his 11-catch, 225-yard performance.

Mike Williams, Buccaneers – His 7 catches were good for 132 yards and a TD.

Jeremy Maclin, Eagles – Notched 116 yards and a score on 8 passes.

James Jones, Packers – Racked up 100 yards and a TD on 7 receptions.

Doug Baldwin, Seahawks – Scored twice on just 4 catches for 53 yards.

Demaryius Thomas, Broncos – Hauled in 9 balls for 102 yards and a TD.

Eric Decker, Broncos – Hauled in 2 TDs of his own on 6 receptions for 65 yards.

Marques Colston, Saints – Was great for PPR leaguers, with 10 catches for 153 yards.

D/STs

Bears – Had 4 sacks, 3 turnovers, scored 2 TDs and held the Cards to just 6 offensive points.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs

Carson Palmer, Raiders – Knocked out of the game after passing for 31 yards.

Matt Stafford, Lions – Accumulated 443 yards, but no TDs and 1 INT.

Matt Schaub, Texans – Just 178 passing yards without a score.

RBs

Arian Foster, Texans – His 29-combined-yard collapse made everyone sick, including himself.  Oh yeah; he fumbled, too.

Beanie Wells, Cardinals – Ran for 3, count ‘em, 3 rushing yards.  And fumbled!
BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bengals -- Just 14 yards on 15 carries.

Frank Gore, 49ers – Stuffed for just 28 yards in primetime.

DeAngelo Williams, Panthers – Proved my contention that he can’t be trusted, even in excellent matchups, rushing for just 19 yards and taking 2 receptions for 29 yards.

Darren McFadden, Raiders – Limited to 33 rushing yards, and 3 catches for 15 more.

Michael Turner, Falcons – Rushed for 41 yards and only 16 yards on 4 receptions.

Chris Johnson, Titans – Ran for 28 and caught 2 passes for 13 yards before exiting with an injury.

Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants – Held to 39 rushing and 8 receiving yards.

Jonathan Dwyer, Steelers – Out-rushed by Mendenhall, with just 39 yards.

WRs

Hakeem Nicks, Giants – Blanked.

Jeremy Kerley, Jets – Zippo as a receiver, but ran for 2 whole yards.

Danny Amendola, Rams – Squandered an awesome matchup with just 5 yards on 2 catches, and a lost fumble.

Sidney Rice, Seahawks – 14 yards on his only catch.

Denarius Moore, Raiders – Just 12 yards on 3 receptions.

Brian Hartline, Dolphins – He did the same on 2 catches.

Mike Wallace, Steelers – Limited to a 13-yard play.

Nate Washington, Titans – His 2 catches went for 15 yards.

Victor Cruz, Giants – Only 21 yards on 3 receptions.

Golden Tate, Seahawks – Two receptions were good for 27 yards.

T.Y. Hilton, Colts – Only 34 yards on 2 receptions.

Stevie Johnson, Bills – Took 4 catches for 44 yards, and lost a fumble.

TEs

Tony Gonzalez, Falcons – Held to a 9 yarder.

Aaron Hernandez, Patriots – He had a 13 yarder.

Scott Chandler, Bills – It was a 25 yarder for him.

Owen Daniels, Texans – His 3 receptions went for 27 yards.

Vernon Davis, 49ers – Just a 27 yarder before exiting with a concussion.

Sunday morning updates -- Week 16

Good morning, Fools.  Congratulations if you're still reading this!  It's championship Sunday (in most leagues), and many of you are off to a splendid start after last night's Falcons-Lions tilt.

As for myself, I'm in two fantasy Super Bowls.  In the first, I came into the weekend feeling pretty invincible.  That is, until my opponent unleashed Ryan, Julio and Megatron on me.  Holy PPR, Batman!  I'm down 85 points on Sunday morning!  Fortunately, I have Brady, AJ Green and Amendola set to go, and the bad guy doesn't have a lot of firepower left; so I'm not running up the white flag just yet.

In my Sporting News Experts League, I'm playing against a very strong No. 1 seed.  But he got off to a terrible start with Gonzo and Matt Bryant.  My Jason Hanson took care of them.  Perhaps the fantasy gods will look favorably upon me there.

Anyway, enough about me.  You care about you, right?  Here's what you need to know to help set your championship lineup:

RG3 is fully expected to play.  Start him if you've got him.

Ahmad Bradshaw joined the Giants on their short trip to Baltimore.  They play in the later game, so you'll need to have a backup plan if you're planning to start Bradshaw.  I don't like David Wilson if Bradshaw suits up; and after last week, I'd avoid him if possible even if the rookie is the starter.

Shady McCoy is expected to be "monitored" in his return from a concussion.  Since this isn't a knee or ankle injury, the monitoring they'll do is to make certain he's not taking any more shots to the head or feeling woozy.  If I was still alive in my league where I took Shady first, I'd be starting him.  Bryce Brown can be electric, but he's terribly fumble-prone.  Andy Reid wants to win his last home game.  Who would you give the ball to at the goal line?  I'm convinced that as long as Shady is mentally alert, he'll get the ball.

Jordy Nelson has already been ruled out. That's good news for Randall Cobb and James Jones owners.  Wish I thought it would boost Greg Jennings' chances; but after two weeks of mediocre returns, I'm not counting on it.

Sidney Rice will be a game-time call on Sunday night.  Taking on a tough 49ers secondary, you'd be better off with a safer option anyway.

Rob Gronkowski didn't make the trip to Jacksonville (though it sounds like Tebow will be soon; but I digress).

Remember, Dan Carpenter was just placed on IR.  Nate Kaeding will kick for the Dolphins today.

That's it for now.  Good luck today to all Fools!  I'll be tweeting the inactives and other late-breaking news today.

And also, Merry Christmas to all!

Snippets from 4th & Long

Here are some snippets from Friday's 4th & Long column for Sporting News.

All signs point to Robert Griffin III (knee) suiting up this weekend; and with the Eagles on tap, he will be a must-start. In Week 11, he torched them for 200 passing and 84 rushing yards, plus four TDs and no turnovers.

A concussion will most likely keep Alex Green out of the Packers' backfield on Sunday, but surely you weren't counting on him anyway, right? Green's absence would leave the modest rushing workload to Ryan Grant and DuJuan Harris. Thanks, but I'll pass.

An illness is keeping Steven Jackson out of practice this week, but there's little worry it will force him from Sunday's game. The Bucs' run defense was a shell of its stingy self last weekend against the Saints, so the Rams' workhorse makes a solid, though not terrific, starting option.  [Update: S-Jax was back at practice Friday.]

It's too soon to say whether Ahmad Bradshaw will be back Sunday, but it's certainly hard to trust David Wilson given his mediocre output last weekend. I like Bradshaw's chances against the Ravens. Wilson, not so much. [Update: Bradshaw practiced Friday and is looking more and more likely to play, though nothing will be certain until the inactive list comes out.]

Don't expect Jordy Nelson (hamstring) to be available this weekend. Now, if only Greg Jennings could be trusted.  [Update: Jordy is now listed as out for Week 16.]

Though Rob Gronkowski is back at practice on a limited basis, the tea leaves seem to suggest that the Patriots will hold him out until Week 17, at the earliest. Of course, if he plays, you start him. But I wouldn't bet on it. [Update: Both the Boston Globe and the NFL Network are reporting that Gronk will not play Sunday, though nothing official has been announced yet.  Love me some Hernandez!]

The Dolphins just placed Dan Carpenter on injured reserve due to a groin injury. The well-traveled Nate Kaeding has been signed to replace him.

Other Saturday updates:

Jonathan Stewart (ankle) will be a game-time call on Sunday.  His return would sour me even further on DeAngelo.

No surprise here: MJD has been ruled out for Week 16.

Torrey Smith (concussion) is now expected to play Sunday; but he's been pretty mediocre lately.  I'm sitting him.

Brandon Pettigrew is officially doubtful for tonight's game.  He ain't playing.

Week 16 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Adrian Peterson and Andre Johnson, or to bench Christian Ponder and Kevin Ogletree?  The network bozos specialize in that kind of advice. If you’re looking for help with your real starting lineup conundrums, read on.

It’s championship time!  Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 16 of the 2012 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys vs. Saints.  Don’t be scared off by the Saints’ shutout of the Bucs last week.  That was an aberration.  Romo has been putting up consistently solid, if not stellar, numbers during the Cowboys’ late-season roll.  Dez Bryant’s finger is holding up just fine, and New Orleans’ pass defense remains one of the most vulnerable in the land.

Vick Ballard, RB, Colts at Chiefs. Though he has accumulated only two touchdowns all season, Ballard has firmly established himself as the workhorse of the Indy backfield.  Following a solid 105-yard outing against the Texans, the rookie is an excellent flex play against a Chiefs defense that coughed up more yardage to both Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson than either has accumulated in a game all season.

LeSean McCoy, RB, Eagles vs. Redskins.  McCoy is expected to return to his starting role now that he is fully recovered from his concussion.  Though Bryce Brown will notch some carries, the rookie has a well-documented case of fumblitis that should limit his workload.  McCoy carries risk, but the upside is too great to leave on your bench.

Danny Amendola, WR, Rams at Buccaneers.  Though still fighting through a nagging foot injury, Amendola is a must-start Sunday after his impressive rebound performance in Week 15.  No secondary is more generous to opposing receivers than Tampa Bay’s.

Brandon Lloyd, WR, Patriots at Jaguars.  The veteran virtually disappeared for most of November, but his two best performances of the season have come this month; against some pretty stingy defenses, at that.  Lloyd is a good bet to maintain his momentum when he faces off with one of the NFL’s most hospitable secondaries.

More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Robert Griffin III, Matt Schaub, Sam Bradford, Andrew Luck; RBs DeMarco Murray, C.J. Spiller, Knowshon Moreno, Michael Turner, Stevan Ridley, Darren McFadden, Matt Forte, Reggie Bush, Alfred Morris; WRs Dez Bryant, Pierre Garcon, Miles Austin, Cecil Shorts, Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas, Jeremy Maclin, Anquan Boldin, Randall Cobb, Wes Welker, Antonio Brown, Reggie Wayne, Lance Moore, Steve Smith.

Roll ‘em back

Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks vs. 49ers.  Few quarterbacks are hotter than Wilson right now, but his primetime tilt with the formidable 49ers defense should give you pause.  Wilson’s worst game of the season (122 passing yards, no TDs) came in Week 7 in San Francisco.  While he should top those figures, he’s unlikely to produce a fantasy bounty.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, Bengals at Steelers.  The Law Firm probably played a key role in getting you this far; but just as your stakes get higher, Green-Ellis’ road gets bumpier.  He only managed 69 yards in his first matchup with the Steelers, and you can bet they’ll make the Bengals’ workhorse fight for every yard again.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers vs. Raiders.  Just when he sucks you into believing you can trust him, Williams inevitably puts up a stinker to remind you why you’ve benched (or even released) him more often than not.  Despite riding a solid two-game surge, Williams should be reserved against an Oakland defense that just held Jamaal Charles to 28 combined yards last Sunday.

Danario Alexander, WR, Chargers at Jets.  I wouldn’t put it past Alexander to have a solid rebound after his no-catch meltdown in Week 15.  That said, I also wouldn’t be surprised if the Jets’ Antonio Cromartie puts the clamps down on him again.  While there’s upside here, the risks are just as real.

Sidney Rice, WR, Seahawks vs. 49ers.  Unlike his quarterback, Rice has been decidedly mediocre over the past two weeks, against favorable competition.  The 49ers pose a much stiffer challenge this weekend.  Don’t expect much better than the two receptions for 32 yards he posted against them in Week 7.

More thumbs down: QBs Colin Kaepernick, Philip Rivers, Jay Cutler, Andy Dalton, Ryan Fitzpatrick; RBs Bryce Brown, Mark Ingram, Montel Owens, Beanie Wells, Jonathan Dwyer, Alex Green, Ronnie Brown; WRs Larry Fitzgerald, Torrey Smith, Josh Gordon, Mike Williams, Jeremy Kerley, Kenny Britt, Golden Tate, Denarius Moore.

TAKING A FLIER

Brandon Gibson, WR, Rams at Buccaneers.  Even with Amendola back in the lineup, Gibson has seen plenty of targets from Sam Bradford.  In this ultra-favorable aerial matchup, there’s room for both wideouts to soar.  Rookie Chris Givens remains a legitimate long-ball threat, but Gibson is a steadier option with a nose for the end zone.

DON’T BE THE BONEHEAD WHO…overlooks the Saturday night matchup.  There’s no Thursday nighter, but the Falcons are squaring off with the Lions a day earlier than normal.  This is no time to lose focus!

Week 15 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start…

QBs

Russell Wilson, Seahawks – Hogged most of the glory for himself, with 205 passing yards, 92 rushing yards and 4 combined TDs.

Drew Brees, Saints – Shellacked the Bucs with 307 yards and 4 TDs.

Colin Kaepernick, 49ers – Passed for 216 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT, and ran for 28 yards.

Aaron Rodgers, Packers – Threw for 291 yards and 3 TDs with zero turnovers.

Matt Ryan, Falcons – Passed for 270 yards and a TD trifecta, without a turnover.

Sam Bradford, Rams – Tossed 3 TD passes along with 377 yards and an INT.

RBs

Adrian Peterson, Vikings – Rumbled for an extraordinary 212 yards and 1 TD.

Beanie Wells, Cardinals – Notched 3 TDs while running for 67 yards.

Alfred Morris, Redskins – Ran for 87 yards and a pair of TDs.

Danny Woodhead, Patriots – Rushed for 61 yards and 2 TDs, and added 5 catches for 23 yards.

DeAngelo Williams, Panthers – Ran for 93 yards and caught 2 passes for 51 yards and a score.

WRs

James Jones, Packers – Took 5 passes to generate 60 yards and 3 TDs.

Michael Crabtree, 49ers – Snared 7 passes for 107 yards and a pair of TDs.

Julio Jones, Falcons – Hauled in 6 passes for 74 yards and 2 TDs.

Andre Johnson, Texans – Collected 11 passes for 151 yards and a TD.

Eric Decker, Broncos – Caught 8 balls for 133 yards and a score.

Brandon Lloyd, Patriots – A PPR league hero with 10 catches for 190 yards.

Calvin Johnson, Lions – Also made PPR leaguers happy with 10 receptions for 121 yards.

TEs

Dennis Pitta, Ravens – Tallied 125 yards and 2 TDs on 7 receptions.

Aaron Hernandez, Patriots – Hauled in 10 passes for 92 yards and a TD.

Heath Miller, Steelers – Turned 7 passes into 92 yards and a score.

D/STs

Cardinals – Accumulated 2 sacks, 4 turnovers, 2 defensive TDs and held Detroit to 10 points.

Ks

Sebastian Janikowski, Raiders – Connected on field goals of 20, 30, 41, 50 and 57 yards.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers – Passed for 279 yards, but turned it over 5 times, with no TDs to offset the fiasco.

Matt Stafford, Lions – Couldn’t get it going despite 50 pass attempts, with 246 yards and 3 INTs.

Eli Manning, Giants – Tossed 2 picks and just 161 yards, without a TD.

Carson Palmer, Raiders – Didn’t turn it over, but didn’t score either, and passed for only 182 yards.

RBs

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs – Just 10 yards on 9 carries, plus 3 catches for 18 yards.

Stevan Ridley, Patriots – Not a part of the game plan, with just 23 yards on the night, and a fumble.

Ryan Mathews, Chargers – Limited to 30 total yards before breaking his clavicle (again).

Ray Rice, Ravens – Held to a season-low 41 combined yards.

Doug Martin, Buccaneers – Only 35 combined yards.

Bryce Brown, Eagles – Just 45 total yards.

Alex Green, Packers – Ran for 35 yards and held to 6 yards on 2 catches.

WRs

Danario Alexander, Chargers – Blanked by the Panthers.

Andrew Hawkins, Bengals – Shut out by the Eagles.

Anquan Boldin, Ravens – Skunked.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders – Yup.  Him too.

Brandon LaFell, Panthers – Played, but held catchless.

Kenny Britt, Titans – Just a 7 yarder in primetime.

Jeremy Kerley, Jets – Caught an 11 yarder.

Demaryius Thomas, Broncos – Only 13 yards on 4 passes.

Torrey Smith, Ravens – Caught a 14-yard pass before exiting with a concussion.

Reggie Wayne, Colts – Took him 3 balls to accumulate 14 yards.

Roddy White, Falcons – Limited to 16 yards on 2 balls.

Victor Cruz, Giants – Just 15 yards on 3 receptions.

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals – Ruined by rotten QB play again, with just 22 yards on 4 catches.

Hakeem Nicks, Giants – He managed 40 yards on his 3 receptions.

Josh Gordon, Browns – Only 27 yards on 3 catches against one of the league’s softest pass defenses.

Malcom Floyd, Chargers – Had 39 yards on 2 receptions.

TEs

Jacob Tamme, Broncos – Shut out.

Vernon Davis, 49ers – Collected a 10 yarder.

Martellus Bennett, Giants – Caught a 15-yard pass.

Weekend of extremes defies explanation

I always hesitate to chalk up any weekend’s fantasy outcomes to luck – especially when I emerge on the winning side – but Week 15 seemed disproportionately off-kilter.

For every Adrian Peterson who raced to one of the most prolific games of his storied career, there was a Ray Rice posting his season low.  While Alfred Morris continued his quest for Fantasy Surprise of 2012, Jamaal Charles and Stevan Ridley no-showed.  Bryce Brown’s bubble popped a week ago, but there’s no logical explanation for the flop by Doug Martin.

Drew Brees, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick notched four touchdowns apiece, while Josh Freeman, Matt Stafford, Eli Manning and Carson Palmer couldn’t manage one between them.

Eric Decker was the bomb, but teammate Demaryius Thomas fired a dud.  Julio Jones and Andre Johnson delivered when it counted, while Roddy White, Victor Cruz and Reggie Wayne picked a lousy time to have their worst games of the season.  James Jones and Michael Crabtree soared, but Anquan Boldin and late-season hero Danario Alexander were skunked.

It was a feast or famine kind of weekend for title-contending teams.  In most cases, even 20/20 hindsight offers little comfort.  New Orleans hadn’t posted a shutout in 17 years, rendering Freeman’s and Martin’s implosions nearly unfathomable.  The Chiefs are truly awful, but so is the Raiders defense.  The Giants haven’t been shut out in the regular season since 1996.

All that is little consolation for those left hanging today.  But we survivors would be wise to tone down our chest-beating a tad.  It’s not every day our opponents’ studs roll out such epic stinkers.

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 one player worth considering for your championship run, and one who would look better in your opponent’s lineup.

Catch ‘em while you can

Dennis Pitta, TE, Ravens.  The third-year receiver posted a career-best 125-yard, two-touchdown outing in an otherwise dismal game for the Ravens.  That makes five TDs over the last seven games for Pitta.  With fellow tight end Ed Dickson (knee) sidelined, Torrey Smith leaving Sunday’s game with a concussion, and the Giants on deck, Pitta could be a valuable addition for those owners vying for a title in Week 16.

Don’t be fooled

Curtis Brinkley, RB, Chargers.  Yet another broken clavicle has sidelined Ryan Mathews for the duration, leaving the Chargers backfield in the hands of Brinkley, Jackie Battle and Ronnie Brown, who sat out Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury.  Mathews would have been a mediocre starting option were he healthy.  His backups don’t belong on any playoff roster.

Sunday morning updates -- Week 15

Good morning, Fools.  Got a late start as church ran a little long, so I did my tweeting before blogging.

Here's a quick run-down on what you need to know for this all-important weekend of playoff football:

RG3 is inactive, so Kirk Cousins takes the helm for the Redskins.  While he looked good in limited action last week, I would be very wary of counting on Pierre Garcon with Cousins under center and Browns shutdown CB Joe Haden shadowing the wideout.

In fact, I swapped out Garcon with Dez Bryant, now that he is definitely playing.  With Steelers CB Ike Taylor out, I like his chances today against a reeling pass defense.  Dez isn't postponing finger surgery to be a decoy.  I'm trusting him in my playoff lineup.

Darren McFadden is fully expected to play later this afternoon, and I'm counting on him to excel against the lowly Chiefs.

Ahmad Bradshaw is out, leaving the backfield in the hands of last week's shining star, David Wilson.  I like his chances against the Falcons' vulnerable run defense.

Also, Hakeem Nicks is active and should be in your starting lineup, unless your other options are truly elite.

Ditto the above re: Roddy White.

Danny Amendola will play for the Rams, and he has a nice matchup with the Vikings.  But he's no sure thing (he caught one 38-yard pass in Week 12 last time he tried to come back), so I would only risk him in your lineup if you're playing in a PPR league.

Jordy is inactive again.  Hopefully this is the week Greg Jennings returns to form.

Sidney Rice should play in Toronto against the Bills, but I'd be very wary.
 
You know Dwayne Bowe has been placed on IR, so that settles that issue.

That's it for today.  Good luck to all Fools!