What’s Going on With Marshawn Lynch?

Fantasy owners are hoping Lynch returns to practice this week

Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch played a very limited role in the Seahawks nail biter victory over the Rams on Monday night. He rushed just 8 times for 23 yards when there was seemingly no reason not to feed Lynch the ball in a game where the passing game was struggling.

After sitting out practice on Wednesday, Coach Pete Carroll neglected to address the injured tailback, making the severity of his injured knee difficult to determine.

Lynch had lived up to his ‘Beast Mode’ nickname up until the Rams game, rushing for 368 yards and 4 touchdowns in the 4 games before that contest. However, Seattle obviously steered away from their thriving running back during the Rams game.

Lynch is Seattle’s biggest offensive threat and playing without him would be very detrimental to their success moving forward. The fact that Carroll refuses to mention the injury could panic fantasy owners into believing that Lynch may have a serious knee injury.

If Lynch is injured, Christine Michael would be the backup to own in Seattle. Owners should monitor this situation closely and see if the Beast is able to return to practice this week.

What’s Going on With Marshawn Lynch?

Fantasy owners are hoping Lynch returns to practice this week

Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch played a very limited role in the Seahawks nail biter victory over the Rams on Monday night. He rushed just 8 times for 23 yards when there was seemingly no reason not to feed Lynch the ball in a game where the passing game was struggling.

After sitting out practice on Wednesday, Coach Pete Carroll neglected to address the injured tailback, making the severity of his injured knee difficult to determine.

Lynch had lived up to his ‘Beast Mode’ nickname up until the Rams game, rushing for 368 yards and 4 touchdowns in the 4 games before that contest. However, Seattle obviously steered away from their thriving running back during the Rams game.

Lynch is Seattle’s biggest offensive threat and playing without him would be very detrimental to their success moving forward. The fact that Carroll refuses to mention the injury could panic fantasy owners into believing that Lynch may have a serious knee injury.

If Lynch is injured, Christine Michael would be the backup to own in Seattle. Owners should monitor this situation closely and see if the Beast is able to return to practice this week.

Terrelle Pryor Cleared for Takeoff against Eagles Defense

Pryor looking for a big day at home against the patchwork Eagles defense

Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor is proving his fantasy worthiness through the first half of the 2013 NFL season.

Raiders head coach Dennis Allen has given Pryor the keys to the franchise and hasn’t looked back. Allen allows the former Buckeye to use his athletic ability to frustrate defenses and keep them on their heels. Under Pryor, the team is 3-0 at home.

Pryor leads all quarterbacks with 391 rushing yards and is averaging 7.4 yards per carry when he takes off. His willingness and ability to rush the football has kept him locked in as a solid bye week replacement, but owners might want to consider him for a more prominent role.

Pryor struggled passing the ball last week against a well-coached, tough Pittsburgh Steelers defense, but was still able to put up good fantasy numbers. After opening the game with a 93 yard touchdown run, Pryor was easily able to run for over 100 yards for the second time this season.

Next week Pryor will face off against a very giving Eagles defense that ranks close to the bottom of the NFL in nearly all defensive categories. This could be a great week to get Pryor in your lineups especially with 6 teams on bye weeks.

 

 

Zac Stacy Limping Through Rams Practice

Short week could be a problem for Zac Stacy owners

St. Louis Rams running back Zac Stacy was forced out of Monday nights contest against the Seahawks due to an ankle injury.

Rams head coach Jeff Fisher stated Stacy would not practice this Wednesday, but Stacy was spotted doing some very limited work. This is extremely encouraging news to fantasy owners who need Stacy as a flex option or even 2nd running back.

Stacy has shown signs of promise to fantasy owners these past few weeks. The 5th round draft pick out of Vanderbilt university is averaging 4.6 yards per carry on the season. He also became the first St. Louis Rams player to rush for 100 yards on the year.

The 5-8, 224 pound rookie is on a bit of a short week coming off a Monday night game. Owners may want to find another option in case Stacy does not recover in time to play on Sunday. It seems Stacy owners have dodged a bullet for the time being with the ankle injury.

Monitor his progress through the week and if he is healthy enough to play get him in your lineup.

 

 

Seahawks Shorthanded at Receiver Position

Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice tore his ACL in the second quarter of Seattle’s 14-9 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Monday night. As all of the players in the locker room will mourn the loss of Rice and his athletic ability, the Seahawks still have some offensive weapons in tact.

Russell Wilson’s playmaking ability and of course the Seahawks phenomenal run game pending the injury status of Marshawn Lynch.

Rice was the third leading receiver on the Seahawks with 231 yards, but was tied for 1st on the team with 3 receiving touchdowns. As much of a touchdown threat as Rice was, this opens up opportunities for younger receivers like Jermaine Kearse.

The timetable for the return of Percy Harvin is still undetermined, but the Seahawks have a soft schedule up until Week 14 when they travel to San Francisco.

Wilson thrives in the league as one of the best game managers spotting out defensive breakdowns, making correct play calls and scrambling for large chunks of yardage when the opportunity presents itself.

During the next three weeks, the Seattle Seahawks face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Atlanta Falcons and the Minnesota Vikings that combine for a total of 3 wins on the season.

Shane Vereen Sets Comeback for Week 11

Vereen’s return will take a bite out of Stevan Ridley’s production

Patriots running back Shane Vereen is planning to return to action during week 11 after New England’s bye week. Vereen got knocked out during Week 1 against the Bills after posting 14 carries for 101 yards.

Since then, Stevan Ridley, LeGarrette Blount and Brandon Bolden haven been used as a platoon running back system.

Coach Bill Belichick has Stevan Ridley owners guessing week in and week out. Ridley has put up great numbers in the last three games by scoring a touchdown and rushing for at least 50 yards in each. What is concerning is that Ridley did not receive a carry in last week’s victory over Miami until the second quarter.

Ridley is clearly a better back than Blount and Bolden, but Vereen poses serious a threat towards Ridley’s production. The Patriots love to use Vereen in passing situations and during their hurry up offense. This leaves fantasy owners in a real bind when Vereen comes back.

All we know is that when Vereen is healthy, the Pats are going to utilize his array of skills in both the passing and rushing game. This is going to hurt Ridley’s value and you may want to sell high on him while he is still putting up decent fantasy numbers.

Week 9 Thursday Night Football Sit and Start Report

Expect Bernard to have a big bounce back game against the Dolphins

Week 9 is upon us and it’s time to set those Thursday Night Football lineups. This week’s matchup has the 6-2 Cincinnati Bengals facing the 3-4 Miami Dolphins.

Start:

Andy Dalton- Andy Dalton went off during Week 8, throwing for 325 yards, 5 touchdowns and one interception. He now has 2,249 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and 7 interceptions on the season. Dalton is currently boasting an 11-2 TD-INT ratio through his past three games. Start the red-hot Dalton.

Giovani Bernard- Bengals rookie running back Giovani Bernard had a tough week against a very talented and physical New York Jets rush defense in Week 8. His matchup in Week 9 looks much more promising against the Miami Dolphins, who have the 13th best pass defense and the 19th best rush defense. Expect Bernard to play a significant role around the goal line and in the passing game.

Sit:

Ryan Tannehill- Dolphins second year quarterback Ryan Tannehill will have a tough outing against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football. On the season, Tannehill has 11 touchdowns passes and 9 interceptions. The Bengals have the league’s 11th best pass defense and are tied for 11th in team sacks as well. Expect Tannehill to be under pressure much of the night.

Marvin Jones- The second year Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones lit up the NFL in Week 8 catching 8 passes for 122 yards and 4 touchdowns. Do not expect this to be a common trend for Jones who had 16 receptions for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season before his breakout game last week. Unless you are desperate, sit Marvin Jones.

Montee Ball Edging Towards Fantasy Relevance

Ball is reaping the benefits, while Hillman is in the doghouse

The Denver Broncos rotation of 3 running backs has finally yielded a weakest link, resulting in the deactivation of Ronnie Hillman. Now officially 2nd to Knowshon Moreno, rookie Montee Ball now has the opportunity to play up to the potential of his draft position.

Don’t be mistaken, Moreno is undoubtedly the most valuable Bronco running back, but the Broncos are determined to make sure he isn’t overused. It’s unlikely that Ball will come close to matching Moreno’s numbers, but he is unquestionably the change-of-pace back for the time being.

As head coach John Fox plans to rest Moreno more moving forward, Ball gains the fortunate chance to insert himself into an already insuppressible offense.

Ball had 11 carries for 37 yards and a touchdown during the Broncos Week 8 win over the Washington Redskins. This was only 3 fewer attempts than Moreno to go along with a slightly better average yardage per carry. Most notably, Ball was given the bulk of the red zone rushes.

Ball’s increased role in the offense has surely boosted his fantasy stock. In their effort to preserve Moreno, the Broncos may unleash a considerable talent in Ball.

Kendall Wright Doing all the “Wright” Things in Tennessee

Kendall Wright is a great grab in all PPR fantasy formats

Coming off of his Week 8 bye, fantasy owners may have forgotten about Tennessee Titans wide receiver, Kendall Wright. Huge games by Golden Tate and Marvin Jones this past week have owners clamoring for their services off the waiver wire, but Wright should not be ignored.

Still un-owned in a majority of fantasy leagues, Wright has easily become the top target for Jake Locker and is becoming a solid fantasy contributor.

While Wright’s season got off to a slow start with an 11 yard performance during Week 1, the second year wideout out of Baylor is starting to find his grove. Over the past four weeks, only Antonio Gates, Antonio Brown, and Brandon Marshall have more receptions than Wright’s 25 over that span. Meanwhile, Wright has not recorded less than 69 receiving yards in his last three games.

With Jake Locker returning from a hip injury, Wright’s consistent numbers should improve even more. Wright has seen more than 8 targets per game with Locker under center, including 12 targets in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers.

While Wright does only have one touchdown on the year so far, this number is bound to go up too as long as he continues to see his fair share of targets.

If Kendall Wright is still available in your leagues, find space on your roster for him as he has established himself as one of the most consistent wideouts in the league. While he may not post any gaudy numbers in a mediocre Titans offense, his consistent production is a valuable commodity in the world of fantasy football. Now, do the “Wright” thing and pick up the young Titans receiver.

Andre Brown Could Return by Week 10

Andre Brown could be front and center for Big Blue by Week 10

Nothing is official yet, but the New York Giants coaching staff is suggesting that running back Andre Brown could return to the lineup as soon as Week 10. Brown has been out all season with a fractured left leg, but appears to be closing in on a full recovery.

The Giants also have a bye for Week 9, giving Brown an extra week for rehab and conditioning work. Head coach Tom Coughlin says they will be taking a “wait and see” approach on the 26 year old’s recovery. He also says he’s been impressed with him the last few weeks and is expecting continued progress leading up to the Week 10 matchup against the Raiders.

Brown joined the Giants in 2009 as a 4th round draft pick (129th overall) out of North Carolina State. He played in 10 games in 2012 and rushed for 385 yards on 73 touches, for an average of 5.1 yards per carry. He also added 8 touchdowns without a single fumble.

The Giants are in need of some new firepower for the 2013 season, as they find themselves last in their division entering their bye week. They are only 2 games out of first place and there will be plenty of opportunity if Brown is able to perform.

When asked about his potential return, Brown said he will be ready when the Giants “unleash” him. The young back is clearly anxious to get back on the field, and could provide some emphatic burst for the G-men in Week 10 when the Raiders come to the Meadowlands.