Don’t Bother with Jets Receiver Santonio Holmes

Holmes hasn’t taken a snap since Week 4 of the regular season

Jets head coach Rex Ryan believes wide receiver Santonio Holmes is ready to return from a hamstring injury for Week 11. The 29-year-old veteran is clearly the most talented wideout on the roster, but he should not be counted on to put up big numbers.

Holmes should only be used as a WR4 going forward for deeper leagues, but should not be expected to yield much more on a consistent basis.

Holmes is returning to a team that is surprisingly sporting a 5-4 record, but also one that is very underwhelming offensively, specifically in the passing game. New York averages 331.2 total yards of offense per game, but it’s not from passing the ball. The Jets have the 26th ranked passing offense in the league averaging just 202.2 passing yards per contest.

Santonio Holmes is a capable receiver, but his quarterback is not a reliable passer. Quarterback Geno Smith has only thrown 8 touchdowns to 13 interceptions, which does not give wideouts an opportunity to find the end zone on a game-to-game basis.

Pass up on Holmes for the week if a suitable alternative is available for Week 11. Santonio should be considered a low WR4 this week.

 

 

 

Jets Mark Sanchez to Undergo Season Ending Surgery

Sanchez

By most accounts, you can say that the Mark Sanchez era is now officially over in New York.

The NFL Network is reporting that Mark Sanchez has decided to undergo season-ending surgery. Sanchez initially elected to put off surgery and try to rehab a labral tear to his right shoulder, but the injury was not responding to treatment.

Sanchez is planning on having the surgery in another week or two, the only question remaining now is why doesn’t he go ahead and get the surgery done now? It will take a minimum of 4-6 months to recover, so the sooner he has it performed, the better off he will be.

Don’t feel too badly for Sanchez, he will still collect $8.25 million this season and then will almost certainly be cut from the team. After Sanchez comes back from his surgery, he will test the free agent market and try to land a backup job somewhere.

Jets Mark Sanchez to Undergo Season Ending Surgery

Sanchez

By most accounts, you can say that the Mark Sanchez era is now officially over in New York.

The NFL Network is reporting that Mark Sanchez has decided to undergo season-ending surgery. Sanchez initially elected to put off surgery and try to rehab a labral tear to his right shoulder, but the injury was not responding to treatment.

Sanchez is planning on having the surgery in another week or two, the only question remaining now is why doesn’t he go ahead and get the surgery done now? It will take a minimum of 4-6 months to recover, so the sooner he has it performed, the better off he will be.

Don’t feel too badly for Sanchez, he will still collect $8.25 million this season and then will almost certainly be cut from the team. After Sanchez comes back from his surgery, he will test the free agent market and try to land a backup job somewhere.

Waiver Wire Gems for Week 4

After some impressive performances in their Week 3 match-ups, many players could be serious candidates for waiver wire pickups in standard fantasy formats. It’s important to assess each player carefully, in order to avoid the one hit wonders and the ones that got lucky.

There are definitely a couple promising standouts that are available in most leagues, but others are too risky and should therefore be left alone.

1. Brian Hoyer, CLE:

Brian Hoyer had an astounding performance in a 31-27 win against the Minnesota Vikings, throwing for 321 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. In his start for the injured Brandon Weeden, Hoyer could have very well earned himself the starting job. His numbers are not completely overwhelming, but the former 3rd string quarterback led the Browns to their first win of the season just days after trading Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts.

Browns coach Rob Chudzinski says he will evaluate Hoyer’s performance against the Vikings, as well as Weeden’s progress before making the decision. In deeper leagues, Hoyer may be worth a look to make up for the possible loss of Brandon Weeden, but do not expect a crazy amount of production on a consistent basis.

2. Santonio Holmes, NYJ:

Holmes went off during Week 3 hauling in the 69-yard difference making touchdown to beat the Bills 27-20. The 29-year-old wideout hauled in 5 receptions off of 10 targets for 154 yards and a touchdown. Hopefully, he and rookie quarterback Geno Smith can continue to build a good rapport as the season progresses and Holmes will get more opportunities to put a dent in opposing defenses.

He may also be able to help fantasy teams struggling with lackluster receivers. It is definitely a good decision to target Holmes as a waiver wire pickup heading into Week 4 even though the Jets face a stiff Tennessee pass defense. Holmes could wind up being the perfect guy to step in as a bye week replacement or fill the void for an injured starter.

3. LeGarrette Blount, NE:

LeGarrette Blount carried the workload at tailback for New England in their 23-3 win against his former team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He led the team in carries and rushing yards with 14 and 65 respectively, with a long run of 23 yards. With Stevan Ridley playing poorly and Shane Vereen being out for a significant period of time, this is Blount’s time to shine.

The 26-year-old rusher is a better fit for fantasy owners than Ridley right now. It would be wise to pick up Blount in hopes that he can be the feature back and possibly get involved as a receiver in Tom Brady’s pass-heavy offense.

 

Grab Josh Gordon Before His Next Suspension

Gordon is down to one last chance with his drug issues

Browns star receiver Josh Gordon told reporters that the next time he fails a drug test, the league will be suspend him for an entire year. Gordon is returning to action this Sunday against the Vikings after being suspended for the first 2 weeks of the regular season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. 

Gordon is owned in 91.1% of ESPN leagues, but should be the top wide receiver to pick up off the waiver wire this week.

In 2012, Gordon recorded 50 receptions, 805 yards, and 5 touchdowns. These numbers were not amazing, but impressive for a rookie and seemed to be a sign of good things to come. Gordon put up those numbers while appearing in only 79% of the team’s offensive snaps. For Gordon to make a difference this season, the Browns will have increase his snap count.

Gordon’s 50 receptions came off a team-leading 96 targets, which makes it obvious that he’s Brandon Weeden’s top option in the passing game. His average of 6 targets per game last season should increase dramatically as Weeden searches for him more. Gordon’s raw talent gives him the ability to make “highlight reel” plays, giving his owners a high point total in any given week.

Last year, Gordon was just about the only thing defenses had to worry about when facing the Browns, but this season he has a better chance of getting open. Tight end Jordan Cameron has emerged as a dangerous receiving threat and will help draw defensive backs away from Gordon, to increase his chances of making massive plays.

Gordon may have some down weeks when he doesn’t make any huge plays, but he’s still going to be a decent FLEX option for the rest of the season. He’s an absolute must add if he’s still available in your league, and he’s also worth buying low on in a trade.

Grab Josh Gordon Before His Next Suspension

Gordon is down to one last chance with his drug issues

Browns star receiver Josh Gordon told reporters that the next time he fails a drug test, the league will be suspend him for an entire year. Gordon is returning to action this Sunday against the Vikings after being suspended for the first 2 weeks of the regular season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. 

Gordon is owned in 91.1% of ESPN leagues, but should be the top wide receiver to pick up off the waiver wire this week.

In 2012, Gordon recorded 50 receptions, 805 yards, and 5 touchdowns. These numbers were not amazing, but impressive for a rookie and seemed to be a sign of good things to come. Gordon put up those numbers while appearing in only 79% of the team’s offensive snaps. For Gordon to make a difference this season, the Browns will have increase his snap count.

Gordon’s 50 receptions came off a team-leading 96 targets, which makes it obvious that he’s Brandon Weeden’s top option in the passing game. His average of 6 targets per game last season should increase dramatically as Weeden searches for him more. Gordon’s raw talent gives him the ability to make “highlight reel” plays, giving his owners a high point total in any given week.

Last year, Gordon was just about the only thing defenses had to worry about when facing the Browns, but this season he has a better chance of getting open. Tight end Jordan Cameron has emerged as a dangerous receiving threat and will help draw defensive backs away from Gordon, to increase his chances of making massive plays.

Gordon may have some down weeks when he doesn’t make any huge plays, but he’s still going to be a decent FLEX option for the rest of the season. He’s an absolute must add if he’s still available in your league, and he’s also worth buying low on in a trade.

Jets Mark Sanchez Probably Done for the Season

Sanchez suffered the injury during a meaningless game

ESPN is reporting that beleaguered Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez will need shoulder surgery and is very likely done for the season. Sanchez visited Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday who determined that Sanchez needed surgery after suffering a labral tear to his right shoulder during a meaningless preseason game.

The bumbling Rex Ryan might have been his biggest supporter, but ultimately threw away Sanchez like garbage by thrusting him into a meaningless preseason game against the Giants where he suffered the injury. It would almost be funny, if it wasn’t so tragic for the 26-year-old Sanchez who will likely never play for Jets again.

After Sanchez initially suffered the injury, the Jets quickly moved on without a second thought looking towards the future with Geno Smith and Matt Simms. Both of these young quarterbacks will now try help the hapless Ryan right the ship in New York before the Jets wise up and put him out to pasture.

Bills Rookie E.J Manuel Named Week 1 Starter

E.J. Manuel will see his first live action agains the Patriots

Order was restored in Buffalo this morning when E. J. Manuel was named the starting quarterback for the team’s Week 1 home matchup against the Patriots. Just two weeks removed from minor knee surgery, Manuel has come back strong and is ready to manage the team’s run-heavy offense.

Head coach Doug Marrone made the announcement early Wednesday morning after putting Manuel through a gauntlet of tests on Monday and Tuesday to make sure that the rookie was really up to speed. The primary concern was to make sure that Manuel was mobile enough to escape the pocket to avoid any further injury.

Manuel said he pushed himself to get ready in time for Week 1. “I try to work hard at everything. I can control whatever I can control, and I can control trying to get my knee better, and that’s what I’ve done,” said Manuel. The former Florida State quarterback said he won’t give his injury a second thought when playing agains the Patriots on Sunday.

Even in two quarterback leagues, fantasy owners should steer clear of the rookie until he gets a real feel for his first live NFL action.

 

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.

Quarterback Matt Simms Draws Start for Beleagured Jets

Next up for the Jets, Matt Simms!

Not Phil, not Chris, but little brother Matt Simms dazzled in his preseason quarterback opportunity against the New York Giants last Saturday. In a game where former starter Mark Sanchez left with a shoulder injury and Geno Smith tossed 3 interceptions, Simms was able to shine through as the most efficient Jets quarterback.

Saturday’s game was the perfect opportunity for Simms to step in and prove his worth. He put on an impressive performance throwing for 120 yards and 1 touchdown on 6 completions.

The former Tennessee quarterback doesn’t boast an impressive resume. In just two seasons at Tennessee, he threw 8 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, but Thursday night he gets his shot at home against the Eagles.

In a quarterback controversy that has turned the Jets into a sideshow, Matt Simms may be the solution. Coach Rex Ryan named Simms the starter for their game against the Eagles with Geno Smith as the backup.

The New York Jets are desperate for any quarterback to come in and take over the starting job and adding Simms to the mix will only make the situation more difficult.