Week 17 Running Back Sit and Start Report

Donald Brown could have a banner day against the Jags defense

Although most fantasy leagues have come to a close, some of them ride the season out to its very end. With those leagues, owners should be mindful of who they plug in at the running back position for this week. The following players should either be started or avoided based on an in depth examination of their contest.

Start:

Donald Brown, IND:

Brown has overtaken Trent Richardson for the starting job and has produced convincingly enough to keep the position. Coming off a stellar 110 total yard and 2 total touchdown performance against Kansas City, he will look to continue his momentum against a vulnerable Jags run defense.

The Jaguars have shown little resistance to the run, allowing a horrific 135.2 rushing yards per game, ranking them 30th. Expect Donald Brown to rack up a ton of yards while carving this abysmal Jacksonville rush defense to shreds this Sunday, while possibly scoring a touchdown or two in the process.

Sit:

Frank Gore, SF:

The San Francisco back had another solid year and has already found success against Arizona earlier in the season, but don’t expect that success to continue. Gore rushed for more than 100 yards at home against the Cardinals in Week 6, but that still stands as the only game where Arizona has failed to limit an opponent’s leading rusher to below that total.

The Cards are hot, riding a 3 game winning streak and their defense is strong, especially their rush defense. Arizona allows an average of 84.5 rushing yards per contest, ranking them first in the league. Expect them to contain Frank Gore at home in Sunday’s game.

 

 

NFL Week 14 Running Back Sit and Start Report

Murray should have no problems running right through the Bears defense

With Week 14 finally here, many fantasy leagues have begun playoff competition. To keep your dreams of a fantasy title alive, check out this week’s best and worst plays at the running back position. Congratulations on making it this far and good luck in Week 14!

Start:

DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys – Coming off a huge Thanksgiving game against the Raiders in which he scored three times, DeMarco Murray now gets a very favorable matchup against the Chicago Bears in Week 14. The Bears have been awful against the run all year, giving up an average of 153.6 yards per game on the ground. The Bears have also surrendered 10 rushing touchdowns in their last 7 games. Murray may not score three times again, but look for him to hit pay dirt at least once against the horrible Bears D.

Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers – While Aaron Rodgers has been out, Eddie Lacy has begun to struggle against the 8 man fronts teams have been employing in the star QB’s absence. However, Lacy may get back to his scoring ways this week against the Atlanta Falcons. Last week, CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson ran wild against this struggling unit which has surrendered a rushing touchdown in 5 of its last 6 games. Expect Lacy to do much of the same this week.

Sit:

Rashad Jennings, Oakland Raiders – Since taking over the starting running back duties from Darren McFadden, Jennings has been a solid fantasy performer, scoring in double digits for five straight weeks. However, that streak is about to come to a screeching halt on Sunday. Not even a lock to play this week as he has yet to pass all concussion tests, Jennings has a tough matchup against a Jets defense which has been dominant against the run all season long. Don’t expect much this week.

Trent Richardson/Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts – Both Colts running backs make the list this week as neither should be started. While Richardson has been one of fantasy’s biggest busts, teams are still starting him (57% in NFL.com leagues). He should be an obvious sit by now. Donald Brown, now the team’s starter, may also struggle this week against a Bengals team which has been great against the run at home. The Bengals haven’t allowed a rushing touchdown since Week 3, and Brown is not the guy to end that streak.

NFL Week 13 Wide Receiver Sleeper Report

Titans wideout Justin Hunter could have a solid outing against the Colts

For Week 13, a couple of wide receivers stand out in having big game potential. With the slew of injuries and disappointing wide receivers that fantasy owners have had to deal with, these sleepers could come in and provide a spark for teams lacking stability at the position.

1. Donnie Avery, KC:

Avery should succeed in Kansas City’s contest with the abysmal Denver Broncos pass defense. The game looks like it will shape up to be a high scoring shootout, with all receivers involved racking up big numbers. Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith should look to Avery as Denver will have to focus on standout running back Jamaal Charles, as well as wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. Avery is coming off a 4/91/1 line and should carry his momentum through to this week’s game.

2. Justin Hunter, TEN:

Hunter had a lackluster rookie season thus far minus a few bright spots, including last week’s strong performance against the Oakland Raiders. Hunter is the riskiest of these 3 sleepers. but has earned himself a spot on this list after bringing in six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown while only playing 41 of 81 offensive snaps.

Titans coach Mike Munchak stated that Hunter has earned himself more playing time, which should help him to produce heavily more often. The 22-year-old wideout will look to keep the ball rolling against a struggling Indianapolis defense.

3. Anquan Boldin, SF:

Boldin may seem like a sleeper to most due to his inconsistent play this season, but he should be a no-brainer for fantasy owners. The 49ers are facing off against the St. Louis Rams, which gives a solid advantage to Anquan Boldin and the rest of their receiving corps.

The Rams rank 21th in allowing 247 passing yards per game. Boldin should take advantage of that accordingly. He should be seeing a lot of targets and hopefully will be able to extend his two game touchdown streak.

Week 13 Running Back Sit and Start Report

Donald Brown should run all over the Titans run defense

Week 13 is here and that means the last week of the fantasy regular season for most owners. If you’re one win away from that last playoff spot, every roster decision is extremely important. Check out this week’s sit/start report for the running back position.

Start:

Andre Brown, New York Giants – Since coming back from injury in Week 10, Andre Brown has absolutely dominated the touches out of the New York Giants backfield. He’s racked up at least 93 total yards during each of his three games since coming back and has rushed for 100 or more yards in two of the three. With the Giants facing the Washington Redskins this week, Brown may have his best matchup yet. The Redskins have surrendered the most rushing touchdowns in the league and give up the third most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Start the Giants workhorse back with confidence this week.

Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts – With Trent Richardson competing with Ray Rice as fantasy’s biggest bust, Donald Brown has become a decent fantasy play when the matchup is right. That is the case this week as the Colts take on the Tennessee Titans. When the two teams faced off back in Week 11, Brown turned in his most productive fantasy performance of the season, posting 94 total yards and two touchdowns. Look for Brown to come close to these totals once again against a team that ranks in the bottom half of the league against the run.

Sit:

Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins – While Miller may finally get his chance due to Daniel Thomas’s recent injury, this is not the week to take a chance with Miller. Facing the NFL’s number one ranked rush defense, Miller is going to have a tough time finding any success against the New York Jets this week. Add that to the fact that the Jets play much better at home, and you have a recipe for disaster for Miami’s rushing attack on Sunday.

Bobby Rainey, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The clock struck midnight for Bobby Rainey’s Cinderella story last week and the matchup gets even tougher this week against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers give up a measly 81 yards a game on the ground and have given up only 1 rushing touchdown in the past seven weeks. Don’t expect much from Rainey against one of the NFL’s best front sevens.

Texans QB Case Keenum Roughs up Colts

Keenum lit up the Colts for 350 passing yards and 3 scores

The ineptitude of the Houston defense did nothing to take away from another stellar performance from Texans quarterback Case Keenum. The rookie came out firing and hit Andre Johnson with 3 spectacular touchdown passes.

After making a deep impression on the Chiefs pass defense during Week 8, Keenum was on point again against what was thought to be a solid Colts defense.

One of the reasons Keenum is so effective is his elusiveness. Even when defenders are swarming around him, he never seems to be under duress. For two weeks in a row now, he has been displaying a very high quarterback IQ for a rookie. When the pocket breaks down, he solves the problem with a quick scramble. Once he’s on the run, he squares his shoulders downfield and fires away at this target.

Keenum finished his night completing 20 of 34 passes for 350 yards and three scores. He has a tough matchup against Arizona during Week 10, but should be able to put another solid, if not spectacular, fantasy performance.

 

Bench These Wide Receivers During Week 9

Heyward-Bey should be warming fantasy benches this week

As middling fantasy teams make their playoff push, every roster decision is a crucial one. With Sunday fast approaching, fantasy owners should avoid starting these three wide receivers who have a tough Week 9 ahead.

Benching of the Week – Golden Tate, Seattle Seahawks

With another six teams on bye in Week 9, fantasy owners have surely been scrounging around the waiver wire for a wide receiver to start this week. After an explosive Week 8, Golden Tate has been a hot commodity and is being pushed into many starting lineups. However, owners using the second year wideout are in for a disappointing week. Seattle faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week, meaning Tate is taking a Sunday trip to Revis Island. As Revis begins to play more and more man in Tampa Bay’s defense, opposing teams’ wideouts are having an even tougher time against the Bucs. A boom or bust type player, Tate will struggle to find room against the All-Pro corner.

Danny Amendola, New England Patriots

With each passing week, Danny Amendola is proving that he is no Wes Welker. Performing well in Week 1, when he had 104 receiving yards, many people felt Amendola would be able to fill the void left by Welker. Since then, Amendola has been injured twice and and is ineffective when he’s been healthy. Returning from a concussion last week, Amendola only caught three passes for 15 yards. As Tom Brady continues to struggle and tight end, Rob Gronkowski, receives most of the targets, Amendola is becoming a liability to fantasy owners. With a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers and their second ranked pass defense upcoming, Amendola belongs on your bench this week.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Indianapolis Colts

Thrust into an increased role with Reggie Wayne lost for the season with a torn ACL, Darrius Heyward-Bey would now seem like a worthy starter for most fantasy teams. However, this is not the week to place him in your starting lineups. After tweaking his hamstring earlier this week in practice, it seems as if Heyward-Bey will be playing at less than 100% on Sunday night. To make matters worse, the Colts face off against the Houston Texans who boast the league’s top defensive unit. The Texans give up the least fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers so let Heyward-Bey ride the pine for at least one more week.

Bench These Wide Receivers During Week 9

Heyward-Bey should be warming fantasy benches this week

As middling fantasy teams make their playoff push, every roster decision is a crucial one. With Sunday fast approaching, fantasy owners should avoid starting these three wide receivers who have a tough Week 9 ahead.

Benching of the Week – Golden Tate, Seattle Seahawks

With another six teams on bye in Week 9, fantasy owners have surely been scrounging around the waiver wire for a wide receiver to start this week. After an explosive Week 8, Golden Tate has been a hot commodity and is being pushed into many starting lineups. However, owners using the second year wideout are in for a disappointing week. Seattle faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week, meaning Tate is taking a Sunday trip to Revis Island. As Revis begins to play more and more man in Tampa Bay’s defense, opposing teams’ wideouts are having an even tougher time against the Bucs. A boom or bust type player, Tate will struggle to find room against the All-Pro corner.

Danny Amendola, New England Patriots

With each passing week, Danny Amendola is proving that he is no Wes Welker. Performing well in Week 1, when he had 104 receiving yards, many people felt Amendola would be able to fill the void left by Welker. Since then, Amendola has been injured twice and and is ineffective when he’s been healthy. Returning from a concussion last week, Amendola only caught three passes for 15 yards. As Tom Brady continues to struggle and tight end, Rob Gronkowski, receives most of the targets, Amendola is becoming a liability to fantasy owners. With a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers and their second ranked pass defense upcoming, Amendola belongs on your bench this week.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Indianapolis Colts

Thrust into an increased role with Reggie Wayne lost for the season with a torn ACL, Darrius Heyward-Bey would now seem like a worthy starter for most fantasy teams. However, this is not the week to place him in your starting lineups. After tweaking his hamstring earlier this week in practice, it seems as if Heyward-Bey will be playing at less than 100% on Sunday night. To make matters worse, the Colts face off against the Houston Texans who boast the league’s top defensive unit. The Texans give up the least fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers so let Heyward-Bey ride the pine for at least one more week.

Texans QB Case Keenum Earns Week 9 Start

Keenum didn’t beat the Chiefs, but earned a Week 9 start

The Houston Texans named Case Keenum their starting quarterback for Week 9 over the previously injured veteran Matt Schaub. Schaub is reportedly healthy enough to play, but for now, the Texans are sticking with the hometown rookie at home against the visiting Colts.

Keenum got his chance to shine during Week 7 and delivered with his 15-25, 271 yard, 1 touchdown performance against a rugged Kansas City Chiefs pass defense. Houston lost the game, but Keenum earned a shot at the starting job heading into the team’s Week 8 bye.

Coach Gary Kubiak reiterated that former starter Matt Schaub is healthy, and that Keenum’s taking over is because of his performance. Keenum will have to continue to play at a high level against a tough Indianapolis defense to remain the starter in Houston.

The Colts come in with the 11th ranked defense in yards allowed and are fresh off of a Week 7 upset over the previously unbeaten Denver Broncos. Coming off of the bye week, the Colts should be able to shut down the Texans offense and limit Keenum’s ability to make big plays.

In a better match-up, Keenum could be a decent QB2 due to the tools he has at his disposal. Wide receivers Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins are exceptional targets, as is running back Arian Foster.

Keenum should be pegged as a last resort bye week replacement for Week 9, but expect his numbers to improve against lesser opponents throughout the season.

Season Crashes Down on Ironman Reggie Wayne

Fantasy owners have always been able to lean on Reggie Wayne

Colts veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne tore his ACL last night and is done for the season. This is a devastating blow to fantasy owners and to the Colts organization.

There’s no question that Wayne has been quarterback Andrew Luck’s go-to-guy since he arrived in Indianapolis. Since the 2012 season, Wayne has led the team in both targets and receiving yards.

The loss of Wayne will reverberate through the organization for the rest of the season. Look for the Colts to try and make another blockbuster deal with Cleveland to try and snag breakout wide receiver, Josh Gordon.

 

4 Biggest Running Back Busts Through 6 Games

Ray Rice is missing the mark in Baltimore this year

As the NFL has reached Week 7, there are many running backs who are not living up to their high expectations. Whether it’s because of injury or poor play, these tailbacks stick out as being the biggest fantasy busts for the first half of the season.

1. Steven Jackson, ATL:

Steven Jackson had so much hype following him after his move to Atlanta this season, but he’s been injured for almost the entire season and hasn’t really played since Week 1. Unless he has a remarkable turn around, Jackson will not break 1,000 yards after doing so for 8 seasons straight in St. Louis. Jackson is not expected to play Week 7, and has still yet to even take the practice field. He’s a fantasy nightmare that actually came true.

2. Trent Richardson, IND:

Trent Richardson has failed to make much of an impact through the first 6 weeks of the 2013 season. Richardson’s main defense was that the Browns offensive line was unable to protect him. However, even after the trade to the Colts, Richardson has yet to play well, averaging a mere 3.4 yards per carry with his new team. The Colts have not provided much protection for Richardson to break free and don’t expect things to drastically change for the better anytime soon.

3. David Wilson, NYG:

For Giants running back David Wilson, things have just gone from bad to worse. Wilson started off the season unable to live up to the high expectations set for him and is now currently dealing with a neck injury. Things do not seem to be bright for the young Giants tailback and his chance to establish himself is diminishing at the season progresses. Wilson is due back in 3-4 weeks, but his return will go hand in hand with the return of Andre Brown.

4. Ray Rice, BAL:

Ray Rice has yet to put up the astounding numbers that football fans are accustomed to seeing. Through 5 games, Rice has been unable to average a decent amount of yards per carry, leaving his season total at roughly 2.8 yards per carry. Rice has averaged at least 4 yards per carry during each of the last 4 seasons. The Ravens have no passing game, which has allowed opposing defense to stack the box and shut down Rice.