Fantasy News Ticker
Fantasy Savant's Week 3 Starters
Need help tweeking your fantasy football rosters for the that perfect combination of scoring potential? Look no further. This season I will lend my expertise in helping you through your lineup quandries.
I'm not going to rehash what your common sense already tells you. If you have Drew Brees on your fantasy team play the guy! This column is intended to bring to your attention some players that may or may not be on your fantasy radar.
WHAT I SAID LAST WEEK....
| RB | Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG | If we learned anything in Week 1, it was the Giants naming Bradshaw their starting running back. We also learned that the Colts CAN be ran on. Get the hint? --WEEK 2 STATS: 17/89yds rushing, Brandon Jacobs BENCHED! |
| WR | Louis Murphy, OAK | vs STL | There’s no reason why Murphy can’t have his best performance of the season in this game. --WEEK 2 STATS: 6/91yds, 1 touchdown |
| DEF | Cincinnati Bengals | vs BAL | Call me gutsy but I believe that the Bengals defense is far better than what we saw in Week 1. Consider this, the Bengals held Randy Moss (59 yards), Wes Welker (64 yards) and Fred Taylor (71 yards) to less than 100-yards each respectively. How many defenses playing the Patriots this season will be able to say that? This week, the Bengals will see a Ravens offense that looked lost in Week 1 and whose quarterback, Joe Flacco looked downright awful. Granted, they were playing the Jets but I digress. |
WHAT I SAY THIS WEEK...
| Who to Start--WEEK 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Matchup | COMMENTS |
| QB | Carson Palmer, CIN | @ CAR | The Panthers defense has allowed at least 178 passing yards and two touchdowns in their last two games. With a stout run defense, Palmer will need to air it out for the win. |
| QB | Michael Vick, PHI | @ JAX | You're dumb if you don't start the Vick! |
| QB | Ryan Fitzpatrick, BUF | @ NE | It's do or die time for Fitzpatrick and the Bills. The Patriots pass defense is not as imposing as it once was. However, we are still talking about the Bills whose offensive problems may be caused as much by the coaching staff as it is by the talent on the field. The Patriots have allowed at least 220 passing yards and two touchdowns in each of their last two games. |
| QB | Vince Young, TEN | @ NYG | If Young can stay upright the entire game he has the potential to post good stats against a Giants defense giving up over 200 yards per game. |
| QB | Josh Freeman, TB | vs PIT | I like Freeman to pass for 200 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers this week. Yards on the ground will be hard to come by. |
| QB | Matt Ryan, ATL | @ NO | Ryan is a safe bet to be in an offensive shoot-out this week with the Saints. |
| QB | Brad Gradkowski, OAK | @ AZ | Can this career backup do enough to steal the starting job from Jason Campbell? Against a weak Cardinals defense the answer is a resounding YES! |
| QB | David Garrard, JAX | vs PHI | I know this looks like a bad matchup on paper but consider the positives. The Jaguars will likely be behind the entire game forcing Garrard to pass. The Packers are 21st against the pass...very beatable through the air. AND the Packers have given up at least 188-yards passing and two touchdowns (with the Detroit Lions' Shaun Hill torching the Packers for 332-yards passing in Week 2.) The downside? Expect at least two interceptions. |
| RB | Correll Buckhalter/Laurence Maroney, DEN | vs IND | Knowshon Moreno's injury opens the door for both of these backs. I think Buckhalter will be the better play this Sunday but both backs will play. |
| RB | Keiland Williams, WAS | @ STL | Williams may not have great stats in this one but I have a feeling that something good will happen for him. |
| RB | James Davis, CLE | @ PIT | I've gotta feeling about Davis. He was a preseason darling a year ago and if James Harrison is out he'll have something to prove. |
| WR | Hines Ward, PIT | @ TB | Despite quarterback Charlie Batch slated to start Ward will have a much better day than last week. Expect at least 50-yards receiving. |
| WR | Lee Evans, BUF | @ NE | The Patriots defense is weak against the pass and even though we're talking about the Bills I think Evans will have one of his best games of the season. |
| WR | Percy Harvin, MIN | vs DET | If there ever was a week to feel comfortable starting Harvin this would be it. |
| WR | Kevin Walter, HOU | vs DAL | Regardless of whether Andre Johnson plays or not, garbage time does wonders for your fantasy stats! |
| TE | Bo Scaife, TEN | @ NYG | The Titans will lean on running back Chris Johnson on the ground and rely on Scaife through the air. |
| TE | Tony Gonzalez, ATL | @ NO | Gonzalez has been a fantasy wreck the last two games but this week he gets a juicy matchup with a defense that is allowing 77-yards per game to tight ends. |
| TE | Jermaine Gresham, CIN | @ CAR | The Panthers have made opposing No. 2 and No. 3 receivers into stars. In Week 1, Hakeem Nicks tallied 75-yards and three touchdowns and Mario Manningham gained 85 receiving yards against this defense. In Week 2, they gave up 83-yards to Kellen Winslow. I suspect that Chad Ochocinco will struggle this week with Terrell Owens and Gresham enjoying productive games. |
| TE | Aaron Hernandez, NE | vs BUF | The Buffalo defense is vulnerable against the dump off pass. Little utilized Miami tight end Anthony Fasano had three catches for 46 yards (He didn't catch a pass in Week 2) against them in Week 1 and JerMichael Finley had four catches for 103 yards against them in Week 2. The Bills defense is tough against their opponents top receivers. In their last two games they have held Brandon Marshall, MIA and Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, GB to 53-yards, 38 and 36-yards respectively. |
| TE | Tony Moeaki, KC | vs SF | The Chiefs only receiving threat should have a banner game. |
| DEF | Cincinnati Bengals @ CAR | @ CAR | After their dismal Week One showing the Bengals defense was dropped in most leagues like a hot potato. With a respectable showing in Week 2 vs the Ravens (4 interceptions and a 10 points allowed) the Bengals defense has become a popular waiver wire pickup as they prepare to play rookie Jimmy Clausen and the Panthers. |
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It's week 10, it's time to get ready for the playoffs, and the last of the bye weeks is going to finally be out of the way.
Hopefully most of you are looking at a post season appearance in your IDP league and if you're not, we'll just have to try a little harder for next year then won't we.
My best advice is to drink it in now because this truly is the nexus of the sporting world. Baseball is finally over, the NHL is underway, the NBA has also started their season, College Basketball is ready to fire up, College football is about to reach its peak, there's a whole half of the NFL Season left, and fantasy football is now at the highest of the highs. It simply doesn't get any better than this folks.
I've got a lot to get to this week w/ some big changes happening here at headquarters, so I'm making this the quick hitter version of THREE & OUT.
OK, let's get the IDP News Pick-6 out of the way.
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