Fantasy Value Free Falling for Bills C.J. Spiller

Those who took Bills running back C.J. Spiller as their first round pick this year are likely unhappy with what they’ve gotten out of him so far. Many are wondering if they should trade Spiller while they could still get decent value out of him.

Through 3 games, Spiller has totaled just 182 yards from scrimmage (60.6 yards per game) and is yet to score a touchdown. Though he had a nice 103-yard week in week 2 against Carolina, he had a dismal performance this past Sunday at the Jets, totaling just 10 yards from scrimmage and fumbling twice.

The Jets have been the 3^rd hardest defense for running backs to score against in fantasy this season, proving it again as they limited Spiller. Unfortunately, the Bills have a tough stretch of rush defenses coming up including the Ravens, Browns and Bengals during Weeks 4 through 6 respectively.

Spiller left Sunday’s game with an upper thigh injury after just 10 rushing attempts. He expects to play this Sunday against the Ravens, but is evidently banged up and likely won’t be at full strength. Backup running back Fred Jackson already has 45 touches this season and the team will not be afraid to continue using him. Expect the Bills to split time between the two backs, perhaps giving Jackson a better portion of the work.

If Spiller can get healthy, there are decent match-ups for him beyond Week 6. Fred Jackosn is injury prone having missed 12 games from 2010 to 2011, so Spiller will become a better play as the season wears on. Spiller may continue to see some lousy weeks, but he’s talented enough to bounce back and have a great second half of the season.

You don’t want to miss out on his services come fantasy playoff time, as Buffalo faces underwhelming rush defenses against the Buccaneers, Jaguars and Dolphins in weeks 14 through 16.

If you can still get top-dollar value for Spiller, it’s not a bad idea to trade him. He’s not going to be consistent for the remainder of the first half of the season. However, if you can make do with other running backs  for the time being, then hold onto him. There’s a good chance he bounces back down the stretch.

NFL Week 3 Buzzer Beater from the Man Cave

The Sporting Guy dishes out last minute performance and injury advice heading into Week 3 across the National Football League. There are several injury concerns surrounding several key players including Vernon Davis, Ray Rice and Reggie Bush.

NFL Week 3 Buzzer Beater from the Man Cave

The Sporting Guy dishes out last minute performance and injury advice heading into Week 3 across the National Football League. There are several injury concerns surrounding several key players including Vernon Davis, Ray Rice and Reggie Bush.

NFL Week 2 Buzzer Beater from the Man Cave

NFL information pulsing out of the Fantasy Buzzer Man Cave

The Sporting Guy dishes out last minute performance and injury fantasy concerns heading into Week 2 across the National Football League. There are injury questions surrounding several key players including Roddy White and Larry Fitzgerald.

3 Quarterbacks You Need for a Rainy Day

A healthy Michael Vick will thrive under Chip Kelly

The football season is finally here.  Teams have been drafted and everyone has a good idea about who the top 10-12 quarterbacks are.

But even fantasy teams with Rodgers, Brees, Brady and Manning need to think about a second quarterback for their bye week. A few top 12 quarterbacks also could turn into busts, so it’s always good to have an insurance policy for a bye week, injury or a bad match-up.

Quarterbacks:

 Michael Vick

Michael Vick probably has the most upside of any quarterback not in the top 12. Chip Kelly’s fast paced offense could prove to minimize the punishment Vick receives on the field and keep him healthy for an entire season. With Vick’s rushing ability, he’s always a threat to get some easy points on the ground and his team has a fairly favorable schedule as well.

 Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler is a household name, but is not respected in the fantasy football community.  Cutler has been putting up pedestrian numbers for the last few seasons, but he’s been held down by one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL.

The Bears signed former Saints Left Tackle, Jermon Bushrod to protect Cutler’s blind side, which should increase Cutlers productivity quite a bit and keep him off of his back. Combine an upgraded left tackle along with the new offensive-minded head coach, Marc Trestman and Cutler could put up top 10 fantasy numbers this year.  If you aren’t 100% sold on your starting quarterback, Cutler could prove to be a nice security blanket.

Carson Palmer

Carson Palmer played for arguably the worst team in the last decade (Oakland Raiders) with no receivers worth mentioning and still managed to throw for more than 4,000 yards and 22 touchdowns.  This year he will be throwing the ball to Larry Fitzgerald and will be working under new head coach, Bruce Arians.

Arians is a very well respected offensive mind around the NFL and Palmer is intent on extending his playing career. Palmer should not be a starter for any fantasy team early in the season, but if your quarterback is on a bye or has an unfavorable match-up, Palmer could be a nice filler.

3 Quarterbacks You Need for a Rainy Day

A healthy Michael Vick will thrive under Chip Kelly

The football season is finally here.  Teams have been drafted and everyone has a good idea about who the top 10-12 quarterbacks are.

But even fantasy teams with Rodgers, Brees, Brady and Manning need to think about a second quarterback for their bye week. A few top 12 quarterbacks also could turn into busts, so it’s always good to have an insurance policy for a bye week, injury or a bad match-up.

Quarterbacks:

 Michael Vick

Michael Vick probably has the most upside of any quarterback not in the top 12. Chip Kelly’s fast paced offense could prove to minimize the punishment Vick receives on the field and keep him healthy for an entire season. With Vick’s rushing ability, he’s always a threat to get some easy points on the ground and his team has a fairly favorable schedule as well.

 Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler is a household name, but is not respected in the fantasy football community.  Cutler has been putting up pedestrian numbers for the last few seasons, but he’s been held down by one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL.

The Bears signed former Saints Left Tackle, Jermon Bushrod to protect Cutler’s blind side, which should increase Cutlers productivity quite a bit and keep him off of his back. Combine an upgraded left tackle along with the new offensive-minded head coach, Marc Trestman and Cutler could put up top 10 fantasy numbers this year.  If you aren’t 100% sold on your starting quarterback, Cutler could prove to be a nice security blanket.

Carson Palmer

Carson Palmer played for arguably the worst team in the last decade (Oakland Raiders) with no receivers worth mentioning and still managed to throw for more than 4,000 yards and 22 touchdowns.  This year he will be throwing the ball to Larry Fitzgerald and will be working under new head coach, Bruce Arians.

Arians is a very well respected offensive mind around the NFL and Palmer is intent on extending his playing career. Palmer should not be a starter for any fantasy team early in the season, but if your quarterback is on a bye or has an unfavorable match-up, Palmer could be a nice filler.

Final Fantasy Verdict on Santonio Holmes

While playing for the Jets, Holmes has little upside

Jets wide out Santonio Holmes has a good chance of playing in the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday. Holmes participated in some light drills at the beginning of practice on Monday, showing that he’s regained his ability to run and cut.

Holmes was out for most of the 2012 season after suffering a Lisfranc foot injury in week 4. He’s been rehabbing from surgery since then and did not gear up for any of the Jets preseason games. It seems likely that he will be on the field for week 1, which brings up the question of whether he’s worth adding in fantasy football.

Before his injury last season, Holmes was having a solid start to the season. During Weeks 1 through 3, Holmes had already racked up 243 yards (81 yards on average) and a touchdown. During a 2011 season with very few experienced receiving options, it seemed like Holmes could be at least a low-end FLEX option in fantasy. Yet there’s little to indicate that he can post those kinds of number in 2013.

For one thing, there’s no guarantee of who will be throwing the ball to Holmes. The quarterback situation in New York is a fantasy disaster with Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith and Matt Simms. Smith will likely get the start for Week 1, but that could change from week to week.

Regardless, Holmes will still be competing for targets against former 2^nd round pick Stephen Hill, and the team’s emerging possession receiver, Jeremy Kerley. No Jets quarterback is likely to create 3 fantasy relevant receivers, and there’s no a guarantee that there will even be one.

Holmes is currently owned in only 5.4% of ESPN fantasy leagues, but there’s no reason to rush out and get him. With wide receiver being such a deep position, you’re better off taking a chance on the upside of someone like Quinton Patton, Cordarrelle Patterson or Kenbrell Thompkins. Unless Holmes proves otherwise at the start of the season, he’s no more than a low-end FLEX option.

Simple Draft Strategy and Top 20 Cheat Sheet

She looks ready to me

There are many ways to work cheat sheets during a fantasy draft.

However, the easiest way is to sit down with a list of players beforehand and rank the players according to what players you really want in this year’s draft. This does not ensure that you will get the player you want, but it can help you stay on track when the draft gets a little wild.

A couple thoughts about the 2013 Draft:

The quarterback position is VERY deep this season, so unless you really want Brees or Rodgers, your quarterback can wait.

Load up on high quality running backs. If you are in a PPR league, make sure they can catch the ball.

Wide receivers are the deepest position and tight ends are the most shallow.

If you don’t get one of the top five tight ends, don’t worry about drafting one until after the 10th round.

For a breakdown of the players listed, use the links below.

• Quarterback Essentials Link
• Running Back Essentials Link
• Wide Receivers Essentials Link

MUST OWN:  

Quarterbacks:

1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Drew Brees

Running Backs:

1. Adrian Peterson
2. Arian Foster
3. Marshawn Lynch
4. Doug Martin

Wide Receivers:

1. Calvin Johnson
2. Dez Bryant
3. A.J. Green
4. Brandon Marshall
5. Demaryius Thomas
6. Juilo Jones

Tight Ends:

1. Jimmy Graham
2. Rob Gronkowski
3. Jason Witten
4. Vernon Davis
5. Tony Gonzalez

 TOP NOTCH: 

Quarterbacks:

1. Peyton Manning
2. Tom Brady
3. Matt Ryan
4. Colin Kaepernick

Running Backs:

1. Jamaal Charles
2. LeSean McCoy
3. Ray Rice
4. C.J. Spiller
5. Alfred Morris
6. Steven Jackson

Wide Receivers:

1. Roddy White
2. Andre Johnson
3. Randall Cobb
4. Victor Cruz

Tight Ends:

1. Antonio Gates
2. Jared Cook
3. Jordan Cameron

 SOLID STARTERS:

Quarterbacks:

1. Robert Griffin III
2. Matthew Stafford
3. Cam Newton
4. Russell Wilson
5. Andrew Luck
6. Tony Romo
7. Eli Manning

 Running Backs:

1. Trent Richardson
2. Stevan Ridley
3. Matt Forte

Wide Receivers:

1. Larry Fitzgerald
2. Dwayne Bowe
3. Wes Welker
4. Reggie Wayne
5. Vincent Jackson

Tight Ends:

1. Jermichael Finley
2. Brandon Myers
3. Martellus Bennett

 Best of the Rest:

Quarterbacks:

1. Andy Dalton
2. Ben Roethlisberger
3. Joe Flacco
4. Jay Cutler

Running Backs:

1. Maurice Jones-Drew
2. Frank Gore
3. David Wilson
4. Chris Johnson

Wide Receivers:

1. Marques Colston
2. Danny Amendola
3. Eric Decker

Tight Ends:

1. Greg Olsen
2. Fred Davis

4 Wide Receivers that Should Make Your Fantasy Radar PING

Josh Gordon will be back for Week 3 at Minnesota

Building depth at wide receiver during your fantasy draft is a critical component in getting off to a fast start. Here’s a list of four players with true breakout potential, who you could potentially score very late in your fantasy draft.

T.Y. Hilton, IND, (ADP: 73): As last year’s 21^st ranked wide receiver, Hilton recorded 861 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. He showcased his 4.34 speed and great catching ability as he made huge plays throughout the season.

With 5 plays for over 40 yards, Hilton is a “highlight-reel” player who can rack up points for your team very quickly. Though the Colts are looking to run a more “West Coast” style offense and throw the deep ball a little less, Hilton should still be able to get it done. He will be “feast or famine” kind of player from week-to-week, but is still worth the 7^th round pick for his talent and upside.

Josh Gordon, CLE, (ADP: 98): In Gordon’s rookie season in 2012, he racked 50 catches for 805 yards and 5 touchdowns. At 6’4”, 225 pounds, with good hands and speed, Gordon is made to be a deep threat.

As Brandon Weeden’s clear-cut number one option in Cleveland, he should be able to score some serious points. Though he has a 2 game suspension to serve to start the season, it shouldn’t hurt his value too much. You’ll likely plan to have your number one and two receivers in your lineup at the beginning of the season anyway, so having him on your bench for two games shouldn’t be a huge issue.

Chris Givens, STL, (ADP: 105): Givens saw limited action for the Rams during his rookie season in 2012, but was still able to show off many of his talents. Although he wasn’t a starter for about a quarter of the team’s games, he made his presence known by racking up 5 receptions for more than 40 yards.

Givens showed that he has big play ability, and as a starter, he should get more opportunities like this. With last year’s starter Brandon Gibson out of the picture, a better O-line for Sam Bradford and slot receiver Tavon Austin joining the team, there should be enough team improvements to help Gibson shine. He’s a sneaky-but-good option as your third or fourth receiver.

Michael Floyd, ARI, (ADP: 110): Though the 6’3” speedster did not put up incredible numbers during his rookie season with the Cardinals (562 yards and 2 touchdowns) it’s important to realize that this year’s offense should look a lot different. A change at quarterback will bring in Carson Palmer, who was on pace for around 4,200 yards last season.

With Bruce Arians running the offense, there will plenty of yards to go around in 2013 and Floyd will be one of the beneficiaries. It will also help that he will be lining up across from Larry Fitzgerald who always draws a crowd.

Draft Zone: 5th Ranked Running Back – Bills C.J. Spiller

The Buffalo Bills’ C.J. Spiller is the fifth-ranked running back in this year’s fantasy draft standings. With an average draft position (ADP) of six, that makes Spiller a sure-fire first-round pick in nearly every fantasy draft.

Spiller enjoyed a breakout season in 2012 after replacing the injured Fred Jackson. Spiller racked up 1,244 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He added 43 catches for 459 yards and two TDs in the passing game, too.

The former Clemson star showed he has the potential to be one of the best dual-threat running backs in the league, as he has great hands to match his speed and strength.

It seems the new Bills coaching staff took notice, too. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett told reporters last week that Spiller would get the ball “until he throws up.” The visualization of that is a bit unseemly, but it’s great for people who have Spiller on their fantasy team.

Despite the team’s struggles in the passing game in 2012, Spiller pushed the Bills to have the sixth-best rushing offense in the league last season with 138.6 yards per game.

It seems like Spiller is going to get plenty of touches, and if he can refrain from vomiting in the process, he looks to be a top-10 RB — especially in PPR leagues. Owners should feel comfortable taking Spiller immediately after the elite, big-name backs are off the board in the first round.