NFL Week 15 Running Back Sit and Start Report

The Packers will have no luck trying to slow DeMarco Murray

With star running backs banged up such as Adrian Peterson and the second round of the fantasy playoffs here, running back decisions can help continue or end your season. If you’re still around, playing for that spot in your league’s finals, check out which backs will shine or fall flat this week.

Start:

DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys: DeMarco Murray has been very hot of late, performing as fantasy’s sixth best rusher over the last four weeks. In the Cowboys last 4 games, Murray has not had less than 12 fantasy points in a game and has scored 4 touchdowns. With a matchup this week against Green Bay’s 25^th ranked rush defense, the hot streak should continue. Green Bay has been especially bad during the past month, allowing the second most fantasy points to opposing rushers over that span. Keep riding Murray this week.

Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers: Although a little banged up from last week’s win over the Atlanta Falcons, Eddie Lacy once again finds himself with a great matchup. Expected to play, Lacy faces fantasy’s most generous run defense in the Dallas Cowboys. Lacy has scored in six of his last eight games, and the Cowboys have surrendered 17 total touchdowns to opposing running backs this season. Expect Lacy to continue his great rookie season against one of the league’s worst defenses.

Sit:

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens: If you have managed to get this far with Rice on your squad, you probably have some good options at running back to play over one of fantasy’s biggest busts. Although Rice has been serviceable of late, this is the week to use those alternate options. This week, he faces one of the league’s best front sevens in the Detroit Lions. Except for last week’s bizarre blizzard game, the Lions have been absolutely dominant against the run. Before LeSean McCoy gauged them for two touchdowns last week, the Lions had not given up a touchdown in nine games. Rice is nowhere near the back that McCoy is and will not have much room to run on Monday night.

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans: Over the past three weeks, Johnson has seen his yardage totals and carries drop while fellow back, Shonn Greene, begins to cut into his workload, especially towards the goal line. Chris Johnson’s value now comes between the 20s, and with a matchup against the Cardinals fierce run defense looming, this does not look like the week to trust Johnson. The Cardinals are fantasy’s best run defense and have only surrendered more than 100 yards rushing on two occasions. Losing carries and getting vultured, Chris Johnson should remain on the bench this week.

Thursday Night Football Sit and Start Report

Luck should have a strong night against a tough Titans pass defense

Week 11 kicks off with the Indianapolis Colts taking on the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football. With fantasy leagues’ playoffs not far off, it is more important than ever to start stringing together wins.

Start:

Andrew Luck- While Andrew Luck had more than a tough outing against the St. Louis Rams in Week 10, he is still starter worthy on Thursday Night Football against the Tennessee Titans. Luck is a phenomenal young quarterback who, even after his ugly game last week, has thrown for 2,198 yards, 14 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions this season. Start Luck in Week 11 as he looks to rebound from last week’s performance.

Chris Johnson- The Indianapolis Colts have the league’s seventh worst rush defense. With a changing of the guard at quarterback being forced upon the Titans after Jake Locker’s foot injury, fantasy owners should expect Chris Johnson to get a heavier workload. Johnson has a much higher fantasy value in Points Per Reception (PPR) leagues, but is definitely a must start in all fantasy formats.

Sit:

Coby Fleener- The Andrew Luck and Coby Fleener experiment in Indianapolis has not been what fantasy owners had hoped so far this season. Fleener currently has just 29 receptions for 332 yards and three touchdowns through nine games this season. Unfortunately for Fleener owners, the Titans possess the league’s eighth best pass defense. Sit Coby Fleener against the Titans unless you do not have any other tight end options.

Nate Washington- Tennessee Titans fans must be concerned after hearing that starting quarterback Jack Locker suffered a season ending foot injury, leaving Ryan Fitzpatrick to start the rest of the season. This also spells bad news for Nate Washington owners who have seen his production slide in recent weeks. Expect Fitzpatrick to target wide receiver Kendall Wright much more against the Colts and bench Nate Washington.

Thursday Night Football Sit and Start Report

Luck should have a strong night against a tough Titans pass defense

Week 11 kicks off with the Indianapolis Colts taking on the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football. With fantasy leagues’ playoffs not far off, it is more important than ever to start stringing together wins.

Start:

Andrew Luck- While Andrew Luck had more than a tough outing against the St. Louis Rams in Week 10, he is still starter worthy on Thursday Night Football against the Tennessee Titans. Luck is a phenomenal young quarterback who, even after his ugly game last week, has thrown for 2,198 yards, 14 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions this season. Start Luck in Week 11 as he looks to rebound from last week’s performance.

Chris Johnson- The Indianapolis Colts have the league’s seventh worst rush defense. With a changing of the guard at quarterback being forced upon the Titans after Jake Locker’s foot injury, fantasy owners should expect Chris Johnson to get a heavier workload. Johnson has a much higher fantasy value in Points Per Reception (PPR) leagues, but is definitely a must start in all fantasy formats.

Sit:

Coby Fleener- The Andrew Luck and Coby Fleener experiment in Indianapolis has not been what fantasy owners had hoped so far this season. Fleener currently has just 29 receptions for 332 yards and three touchdowns through nine games this season. Unfortunately for Fleener owners, the Titans possess the league’s eighth best pass defense. Sit Coby Fleener against the Titans unless you do not have any other tight end options.

Nate Washington- Tennessee Titans fans must be concerned after hearing that starting quarterback Jack Locker suffered a season ending foot injury, leaving Ryan Fitzpatrick to start the rest of the season. This also spells bad news for Nate Washington owners who have seen his production slide in recent weeks. Expect Fitzpatrick to target wide receiver Kendall Wright much more against the Colts and bench Nate Washington.

Fantasy Football Week 10 Sit and Start Report

Tight end Martellus Bennet should enjoy a big day against the Lions

Week 10 is here and it is time to put those final touches on your fantasy lineups. There are plenty of good fantasy matchups this week, so be sure to take advantage of them.

Start:

Martellus Bennett- The Chicago Bears will host the Detroit Lions in Week 10. Luckily for Bears receivers, quarterback Jay Cutler is back in the starting lineup after missing time due to a groin injury. The Lions pass defense is ranked 26th in the league, allowing an average of 272.5 yards per game. Expect Bears tight end Martellus Bennett with 36 receptions, 392 yards and 4 touchdowns on the season to be a hot commodity in the passing game as Cutler looks to get his feet back under himself.

Chris Johnson- Every week fantasy owners should look to see who is playing the Jacksonville Jaguars. This week it is the Tennessee Titans and Chris Johnson owners should be locking him into a starting position. Johnson is coming off his first game of a 100 rushing yards or more and should be expected to produce similar numbers in Week 10.

Sit:

Ryan Matthews- The Denver Broncos rush defense got a huge boost two weeks ago when Von Miller returned from his six game suspension. While this is great news for Broncos fans, Ryan Matthews owners should seriously think before throwing him into a starting role in Week 10. The Broncos rush defense has ranked at the top of the league for most of the season and it only gets better with Miller’s return. Keep Matthews on the bench in Week 10.

Larry Fitzgerald- While Arizona Cardinals standout receiver Larry Fitzgerald is quietly putting together a decent fantasy season, his Week 10 matchup is less than favorable. L-Fitz and the Cardinals will be taking on the NFL’s top ranked pass defense in the Houston Texans. If you have other receivers available this week, let Fitzgerald ride the bench against the Texans.

Fantasy Football Week 10 Sit and Start Report

Tight end Martellus Bennet should enjoy a big day against the Lions

Week 10 is here and it is time to put those final touches on your fantasy lineups. There are plenty of good fantasy matchups this week, so be sure to take advantage of them.

Start:

Martellus Bennett- The Chicago Bears will host the Detroit Lions in Week 10. Luckily for Bears receivers, quarterback Jay Cutler is back in the starting lineup after missing time due to a groin injury. The Lions pass defense is ranked 26th in the league, allowing an average of 272.5 yards per game. Expect Bears tight end Martellus Bennett with 36 receptions, 392 yards and 4 touchdowns on the season to be a hot commodity in the passing game as Cutler looks to get his feet back under himself.

Chris Johnson- Every week fantasy owners should look to see who is playing the Jacksonville Jaguars. This week it is the Tennessee Titans and Chris Johnson owners should be locking him into a starting position. Johnson is coming off his first game of a 100 rushing yards or more and should be expected to produce similar numbers in Week 10.

Sit:

Ryan Matthews- The Denver Broncos rush defense got a huge boost two weeks ago when Von Miller returned from his six game suspension. While this is great news for Broncos fans, Ryan Matthews owners should seriously think before throwing him into a starting role in Week 10. The Broncos rush defense has ranked at the top of the league for most of the season and it only gets better with Miller’s return. Keep Matthews on the bench in Week 10.

Larry Fitzgerald- While Arizona Cardinals standout receiver Larry Fitzgerald is quietly putting together a decent fantasy season, his Week 10 matchup is less than favorable. L-Fitz and the Cardinals will be taking on the NFL’s top ranked pass defense in the Houston Texans. If you have other receivers available this week, let Fitzgerald ride the bench against the Texans.

Tennessee Titans Running Game is Going Greene

Shonn Greene could see up to 15 carries against the Rams

Titans head coach Mike Munchak told the media that 5th year running back, Shonn Greene, will see an increased role starting during Week 9. Now that’s he’s healthy again, Munchak says Greene could see up to 15 carries per game.

At first glance, Greene’s increased role in the Titans offense seems to have come out of the blue. The 28-year-old out of Iowa has hardly played at all during the 2013 season, having just returned from a knee injury in Week 7.

In his first game back, Greene only saw one carry before entering another week off with Tennessee’s bye. When all is said an done, Greene has run the ball only 5 times for 20 yards in 2013.

However, a fresh and healthy Greene could be a big help to the Titans struggling run game. Chris Johnson, the frontman in the Titans backfield, has only 110 yards on 46 attempts, coming to a pitiful average of 2.4 yards per carry during his last four games. For the season, Johnson has 366 yards on 115 attempts, averaging 3.2 yards per carry.

Johnson’s struggles have continued (and worsened) in the last month, opening the door for Shonn Greene to contribute on the ground. Greene, who has hardly played in his first season, is coming off back-to-back 1000 yard seasons with the Jets. Last year he averaged 3.9 yards on 276 carries for a total of 1,063 yards.

He also added 8 touchdowns and only lost 1 fumble. Greene may not be the answer to the Titans, or fantasy owners’ prayers, but he can surely add some sneaky points to rosters with this increased load. Johnson’s struggles have given Greene a great opportunity to step up. If he is able to rise to the occasion, we could be seeing a lot more of him in the coming weeks.

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.

Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickup Report

Andy Dalton has fired 11 touchdowns during his past 3 games

Week 9 is upon us and six teams (Arizona, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, New York Giants and San Francisco) are on their bye weeks.  Owners that didn’t plan ahead are in need of a quarterback to replace the likes of Peyton Manning, Matt Stafford and Colin Kaepernick.

It may also be time to give up on some of the “elite” fantasy football quarterbacks such as Tom Brady and Michael Vick that are simply not getting it done this year.  Luckily, there are a few quarterbacks out there that are widely available that can be a nice bye week fill-in and maybe even a solid play for the rest of the year.  Andy Dalton and Jake Locker lead the crop of Week 9 quarterback waiver wire pick-ups.

Andy Dalton (QB – CIN)

Andy Dalton is fresh off his five touchdown performance on Sunday against the Jets. He now has 11 touchdowns and at least 325 passing yards in his last three contests.

It appears that the Bengals are opening up the playbook and Dalton is finally taking advantage of all the weapons at his disposal. Dalton has been great on big plays down the field and has been spot on in the red zone.  Dalton is definitely worth a waiver pick-up and may end up being a top 10 fantasy quarterback for the rest of the season.

Jake Locker (QB – TN)

Jake Locker would likely be in the top 12 in fantasy points for quarterbacks if it weren’t for his injury and a bye week that he has already completed. Locker doesn’t throw for many yards or touchdowns, but he does rack up quite a lot of yards on the ground which are easy points for fantasy owners.

In the last three games that Locker has played in, he’s racked up 27, 18 and 21 fantasy points in standard ESPN leagues. Locker has a great match-up this week against the Rams and has a really favorable schedule for the rest of the year.

Owners in need of a bye-week fill in can definitely expect to get 20 points from Locker this week and may actually end up being a better option than some of the big name quarterbacks from here on out.

Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickup Report

Andy Dalton has fired 11 touchdowns during his past 3 games

Week 9 is upon us and six teams (Arizona, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, New York Giants and San Francisco) are on their bye weeks.  Owners that didn’t plan ahead are in need of a quarterback to replace the likes of Peyton Manning, Matt Stafford and Colin Kaepernick.

It may also be time to give up on some of the “elite” fantasy football quarterbacks such as Tom Brady and Michael Vick that are simply not getting it done this year.  Luckily, there are a few quarterbacks out there that are widely available that can be a nice bye week fill-in and maybe even a solid play for the rest of the year.  Andy Dalton and Jake Locker lead the crop of Week 9 quarterback waiver wire pick-ups.

Andy Dalton (QB – CIN)

Andy Dalton is fresh off his five touchdown performance on Sunday against the Jets. He now has 11 touchdowns and at least 325 passing yards in his last three contests.

It appears that the Bengals are opening up the playbook and Dalton is finally taking advantage of all the weapons at his disposal. Dalton has been great on big plays down the field and has been spot on in the red zone.  Dalton is definitely worth a waiver pick-up and may end up being a top 10 fantasy quarterback for the rest of the season.

Jake Locker (QB – TN)

Jake Locker would likely be in the top 12 in fantasy points for quarterbacks if it weren’t for his injury and a bye week that he has already completed. Locker doesn’t throw for many yards or touchdowns, but he does rack up quite a lot of yards on the ground which are easy points for fantasy owners.

In the last three games that Locker has played in, he’s racked up 27, 18 and 21 fantasy points in standard ESPN leagues. Locker has a great match-up this week against the Rams and has a really favorable schedule for the rest of the year.

Owners in need of a bye-week fill in can definitely expect to get 20 points from Locker this week and may actually end up being a better option than some of the big name quarterbacks from here on out.

Jake Locker Back in Action for Week 7

Titans quarterback Jake Locker is back in action this week against the San Francisco 49ers. Locker has been out since Week 4 with a hip injury and baring any setbacks,  he should be able to play. Locker was actually having a good season until he got injured. Now during his first week back, he has to go up against a tough 49ers pass defense.

The 49ers defense is ranked 6th best against quarterbacks and that’s not going to bode well for Locker. They are also very good at stopping the run and with Chris Johnson playing terribly, he will not be able to help. To make matters worse the 49ers defense is ranked 10th against opposing wide receivers and the Titans do not exactly have outstanding wide outs.

This matchup is not a good one for Locker and the Titans offense. The only hope Locker has at having a productive fantasy day is by picking up some garbage points if they are down in the game. The running game has been terrible with Chris Johnson and Locker is coming off of an injury. Fantasy owners should look elsewhere because you can do better than Jake Locker against the 49ers during Week 7.