Bonus Wide Receiver Sleeper Report

Look for Crabtree to score against the Cardinals

The final week of the 2013 NFL season is upon us and so is the final week of fantasy football. While many fantasy championships were won or lost last week, there are still some leagues playing for fantasy glory this week. If you happen to play in one of these leagues, make sure to check out the season’s final sleeper report for the wide receiver position.

Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers

Still available in almost half of NFL.com leagues, Michael Crabtree is a solid sleeper candidate for Week 17. Catching fire since returning from injury, Crabtree posted his first 100 yard receiving game of the season last week against the Atlanta Falcons and has now scored double digit fantasy points in two straight weeks. It looks like his chemistry with quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, is as good as ever and his recent success should continue this week against the Arizona Cardinals.

 Cordarralle Patterson, Minnesota Vikings

Patterson has been doing it all lately for the Minnesota Vikings as the rookie wideout has now scored a touchdown in four straight games. Not only dominating through the air, two of his last four touchdowns have come on the ground as the Vikings are finding more and more ways to get the ball to one of their most explosive players. This week, the Vikings take on the Detroit Lions who give up the 3^rd most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season at 26.7 PPG. If the Vikings can find ways to get Patterson the ball on Sunday, the wide receiver could be a sneaky play to secure a championship for his owners.

Andre Holmes, Oakland Raiders

Holmes did not register a single catch for the Raiders until Week 11, but has become one of the team’s top receiving options. Developing a solid connection with quarterback, Matt McGloin, Holmes has averaged 82 yards a game over the last four weeks and has one touchdown in that span. He saw eight targets last week and led the Raiders with five catches for 71 yards. This week, Holmes and the Raiders take on the Denver Broncos in what may be a high scoring affair. If the Raiders do get into a shootout with Peyton Manning and the Broncos, Andre Holmes may produce a solid game in the season’s final week.

Darren McFadden Back at Raiders Practice

McFadden will the play the backup role behind Rashad Jennings

Darren McFadden is actually on track to play Week 16 against the Chargers on the road. This is a bit of a surprise after he was being considered for the season-ending IR, which could have effectively ended his career with the Raiders. Between his hamstring and his ankle injuries, McFadden only ran the ball 103 times for 365 yards in 8 games.

Since the fortunate emergence of running back Rashad Jennings, the Raiders don’t need to put all their eggs in the McFadden basket. If McFadden plays during Week 16, it will only be to back up Jennings.

So who will invest in McFadden if the Raiders give up on him? Certainly a few teams need a steady running back, but McFadden is anything but that. In his 6 year career, he averages only 10.8 games played a season. With younger, faster and more durable running backs always at the NFL’s disposal, there might not be a team willing to take a chance on McFadden.

Unfortunately for the Oakland Raiders, the odds were never quite in their favor during the 2013 season. They’re stuck in the dominant AFC West with the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and the resurgent San Diego Chargers. There was never much stability in the quarterback position between Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin. And running back Darren McFadden lived up to his notorious injury-prone reputation.

The Raiders are in a massive drought. They haven’t made the playoffs in 10 seasons. Occasionally, we see a Raiders team that we think can do it. But they usually find a way to self-destruct before anything comes to fruition. This season showed some promise before it began and McFadden would be the one to lead them. In keeping with Raider tradition however, that hope was quickly derailed.

 

 

Jamaal Charles Turns Fantasy Football Playoffs Upside Down

Jamaal Charles either made your day or ruined your fantasy season

In a game which saw the Kansas City Chiefs lock up a playoff berth by dismantling the Oakland Raiders by a score of 56-31, many fantasy owners locked up a spot in their own league championships due to an absolutely dominant performance by Chiefs running back, Jamaal Charles. Unstoppable in all facets of the game, Charles torched the Raiders defense for 5 total touchdowns, recording the third-highest fantasy total for a single game since 2000.

The Raiders just didn’t seem to have an answer for the Chiefs most dangerous offensive weapon, seemingly forgetting that Charles is just as dangerous when catching the ball as he is running it. While somewhat contained on the ground (20 yards and a touchdown), the Raiders had no answer for Charles in the passing game. Quarterback, Alex Smith, connected with Charles to the tune of 195 receiving yards and a ridiculous 4 touchdowns, including a 71 yard touchdown in the third quarter.

“I don’t know how anybody can be more valuable to a team and the success that we’ve had than he has,” Reid said about Charles after the game. Charles is putting together a season worthy of an MVP award, and fantasy owners couldn’t be happier. Held to single digits only twice this year, Charles is the seventh highest scoring player in fantasy football (Charles only trails QBs) and, arguably, this season’s fantasy MVP.

Fantasy owners are surely hoping to ride Charles to a fantasy title next week as Week 16 marks the final week of the fantasy season for most leagues. Taking on the Indianapolis Colts, it will be entertaining to see how Charles follows up his finest performance of the 2013 season thus far.

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.

Cowboys versus Raiders: Thanksgiving Day Sit and Start Report

Jennings should put up solid numbers against the Cowboys

Thanksgiving — a time for family to reconvene from all over this great country and stuff their faces in gluttonous unison. But in truer tradition, as your fantasy football competitors feel comfortable and food-comatose, you’ll be prepared to steal this week’s win right out from under them. Yes, it’s your Thanksgiving Sit/Start Report for the Week 13 matchup between the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.

Start:

Rashad Jennings:

It will take a top notch effort from Raiders running back Rashad Jennings if Oakland has any chance of beating the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. During Week 12, the Giants punished the Cowboys 30th ranked run defense for more than 200 yards on the ground.

Even with the return of Darren McFadden, Jennings should be in line for a big game after compiling more than a 100 yards of total offense in each of his last four games. At 6’1 and 231 pounds, Jennings loves to run between the tackles where the Cowboys are weakest and has the speed to breakaway for long runs. He also has great hands and racks up the yards through the air. Jennings is a must-start this week.

Start: DeMarco Murray

Although the Raiders held Titans running back Chris Johnson to only 73 yards, traveling to Dallas will not yield similar results. Oakland gives up an average of 122.6 rushing yards while on the road, and Murray is finally showing signs of being healthy again. He’s rushed for 175 yards and a touchdown in his past 2 games against decent rush defenses, so you can expect a big game from him.

Start: Rod Streater

Ever since quarterback Matt McGloin has taken over in Oakland, Streater has quickly become his favorite target. 2 weeks ago against the Texans, he had 6 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. Last week he had 5 receptions for 93 yards. He’s particularly dangerous as a deep threat which should pose detrimental to the Cowboys 31st ranked pass defense. Couple that with Cowboy cornerback Morris Claiborne’s probable absence and Streater is poised for points.

Sit: Darren McFadden

The emergence of Rashad Jennings has made temperamental Oakland fans forget all about McFadden’s fragility. He’s back at practice according to head coach Dennis Allen, but he’ll hardly see the field. Jennings is the hot-hand, and is a much better pass blocker. He’ll be on the field as much as possible as McFadden will have to take a back seat.

Wide Receiver Bench Warmer Report for Week 11

The Falcons have been pummeled by injuries this season

Many receivers can be very inconsistent and may perform much better when the matchup is right. But some receivers have matchups where the odd are heavily stacked against them. It would be wise to bench these players out for Week 11 fantasy competition.

Benching of the Week – Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons

Just as the Falcons got wide receiver Roddy White back for a complete game, they may have have lost tight end Tony Gonzalez for Week 11. White played 55 of the Falcons 58 offensive snaps during Week 11, but the absence of Gonzo is bad news for White owners.

With Gonzalez out, the Tampa Bay secondary can focus primarily on receiving threats, Harry Douglas and Roddy White. Meanwhile, White is surely to matchup against Tampa Bay cornerback, Darelle Revis, who is once again looking like the best corner in the league. Roddy White and the Falcons can’t seem to catch a break this season and the struggles should continue this week.

Denarius Moore, Oakland Raiders

As Terrelle Pryor’s status for Sunday’s game remains up in the air, Moore’s potential to produce this week continues to look bleak. Pryor is certainly not himself and Moore’s production is nose-diving because of that.

With Pryor nursing a sore knee last week against the New York Giants, Moore only managed to pull in 3 of his 9 targets for 45 yards. Not only is Pryor questionable for Sunday’s game, but a matchup with the Houston Texans, who boast the league’s top pass defense, does not bode well for Moore.

Greg Jennings, Minnesota Vikings

With Christian Ponder under center the last few weeks, Greg Jennings’ already disappointing season has become a disaster. During the last three games, Jennings has only seen 16 targets, which he has turned into 10 catches for a measly 83 yards. That averages out to around 27 yards per game.

Jennings could be in for an even rougher time during Week 11 when the Vikings face off against the Seattle Seahawks and their vaunted secondary. If Jennings is somehow still in your lineup, put him on the bench immediately.

 

Second Half Outlook for Raiders Darren McFadden

Darren McFadden found the end zone twice against the Steelers

Fully recovered from a hamstring injury suffered during Week 4, Darren McFadden seems to be back to his productive ways which he had displayed at the beginning of the season. Healthy enough to again dominate the touches out of the backfield, McFadden scored twice against the Pittsburgh Steelers, finishing with 73 yards on 24 carries.

Although McFadden posted his first game with multiple rush touchdowns since 2011, McFadden did not look as explosive as head coach, Dennis Allen, had pegged him to be earlier in the week. Aside from a 19-yard run in the first quarter, McFadden was quite pedestrian, averaging only 2.3 YPC on his other 23 rushes. However, McFadden came out of the game healthy, suffering no setbacks to his hamstring.

Fantasy owners who were not patient with McFadden earlier in the year will be kicking themselves if they dropped or traded the oft-injured back. While McFadden doesn’t seem like he will ever be the same runner that he was when he was a star for Arkansas, he has been getting a huge workload all season long, keeping him productive. With his 2 score performance on Sunday, McFadden has now scored in 3 of the 5 games which he has been healthy enough to fully play in.

As long as he remains healthy, McFadden should remain a top-tier No. 2 fantasy running back. He has averaged close to 18 carries a game, excluding the two games in which he was injured, and will continue to produce due to the sheer workload he is given. He does have tough matchups in the fantasy playoffs, facing the Jets and Chiefs in Weeks 14 and 15, but you should have no problems getting there with McFadden in your lineup from here on out.

3 Players to Steer Clear of on Draft Day

Expectations are too high for Mike Wallace in Miami

Anyone who has played fantasy football before has been burned by a draft day “bust.”

There are always players who seem to fall off the face of the earth and make owners cringe when look back on draft day.

Here are three players to avoid if you don’t want any major “busts” on your roster this year.

Greg Jennings, Minnesota (ADP – 95)

Newly acquired Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings has been slowly sliding down fantasy draft boards during the past few weeks. Jennings has been so busy bad mouthing Aaron Rodgers that he forgot to bring his “A-game” to Minnesota’s training camp.

Jennings is about the only viable fantasy receiver on the team, but we still have know idea how compatible he will be with the shaky Christian Ponder at quarterback.

While being drafted as a starter, Jennings should not be relied on as a starting fantasy wide receiver this year. Minnesota will run, run, and then run some more and Jennings just isn’t the player he once was two or three years ago.

Mike Wallace, Miami (ADP – 75)

Fantasy owners drafting Mike Wallace as a wide receiver #2 this season may be in for a rough year. A feast or famine player who relies solely on the deep ball, Wallace has been very inconsistent during the past two seasons.

In his past 24 games, Wallace has only two 100 yard games and that was with Big Ben throwing him the ball. While Dolphins’ second year quarterback Ryan Tannenhill should improve, there are likely to be growing pains between the young QB and his new star receiver.

Buyer beware when reaching for this former fantasy stud.

Darren McFadden, Oakland (ADP – 39)

Seemingly everyone knows about the injury problems surrounding Raiders running back, Darren McFadden. But each year, McFadden is highly sought after in hopes that this will be the year he breaks out.

More than likely, this just isn’t going to happen. Heading into his sixth year as a pro, McFadden still hasn’t come close to playing a full 16 game schedule. And even when he did play last year, McFadden looked sluggish and a shell of his former Razorback self.

McFadden can no longer should be counted on as a top-20 fantasy running back and anyone who drafts him as such is sure to have a season long headache. Go for cheaper options with more upside at the position with players like Eddie Lacy, Lamar Miller and David Wilson.

3 Players to Steer Clear of on Draft Day

Expectations are too high for Mike Wallace in Miami

Anyone who has played fantasy football before has been burned by a draft day “bust.”

There are always players who seem to fall off the face of the earth and make owners cringe when look back on draft day.

Here are three players to avoid if you don’t want any major “busts” on your roster this year.

Greg Jennings, Minnesota (ADP – 95)

Newly acquired Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings has been slowly sliding down fantasy draft boards during the past few weeks. Jennings has been so busy bad mouthing Aaron Rodgers that he forgot to bring his “A-game” to Minnesota’s training camp.

Jennings is about the only viable fantasy receiver on the team, but we still have know idea how compatible he will be with the shaky Christian Ponder at quarterback.

While being drafted as a starter, Jennings should not be relied on as a starting fantasy wide receiver this year. Minnesota will run, run, and then run some more and Jennings just isn’t the player he once was two or three years ago.

Mike Wallace, Miami (ADP – 75)

Fantasy owners drafting Mike Wallace as a wide receiver #2 this season may be in for a rough year. A feast or famine player who relies solely on the deep ball, Wallace has been very inconsistent during the past two seasons.

In his past 24 games, Wallace has only two 100 yard games and that was with Big Ben throwing him the ball. While Dolphins’ second year quarterback Ryan Tannenhill should improve, there are likely to be growing pains between the young QB and his new star receiver.

Buyer beware when reaching for this former fantasy stud.

Darren McFadden, Oakland (ADP – 39)

Seemingly everyone knows about the injury problems surrounding Raiders running back, Darren McFadden. But each year, McFadden is highly sought after in hopes that this will be the year he breaks out.

More than likely, this just isn’t going to happen. Heading into his sixth year as a pro, McFadden still hasn’t come close to playing a full 16 game schedule. And even when he did play last year, McFadden looked sluggish and a shell of his former Razorback self.

McFadden can no longer should be counted on as a top-20 fantasy running back and anyone who drafts him as such is sure to have a season long headache. Go for cheaper options with more upside at the position with players like Eddie Lacy, Lamar Miller and David Wilson.

Draft Zone: 9th Ranked Quarterback – Colts Andrew Luck

Indianapolis Colts Andrew Luck is the 9th ranked quarterback in this year’s 2013 fantasy draft standings. With an Average Draft Position (ADP) of 62, he’s likely to be taken sometime in the fifth or sixth round of most fantasy drafts.

Luck had an unbelievable rookie season in 2012 throwing for a record-breaking 4,374 yards and 23 touchdowns. With changes to last year’s offensive scheme, it’s a major question of whether or not Luck can repeat his incredible fantasy numbers.

Last season, the young QB relied heavily on deep throws down the field. Former coach Bruce Arians’ offense attempted more passes of 20 yards or more than any other offense in the NFL. This allowed Luck to rack up sky-high yardage numbers. In turn, this also forced him to throw a miserable 18 interceptions, and record a completion percentage of just 54.1%.

As new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton implements his offense in Indianapolis, the team will likely rely on a more efficient, short passing attack to march down the field. As a result of this, Luck’s numbers may change for both the better and the worse.

For one thing, it’s possible that there could be a considerable drop off in yards, due to many less attempts down the field. The team will still focus a great deal on passing, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Luck record around 4,000 yards again. However, his amazing 4,300 yards from last year may be just out of reach.

Luck’s fantasy value may not improve much from last season, but it also may not decrease either. All things considered, he’s definitely a startable quarterback option. If you draft him, just try and find a solid backup to take in the later rounds as a safety net, like Josh Freeman or Carson Palmer.