What's up fellow Fantasy Football Fanatics...since I will be out at Redskins Park on Monday and won't have time to post my Monday observations report, I thought I'd go with a all-day blog post. Chime in with email's (podcast@fftoolbox.com), tweets (@benstandig) or comments at the bottom of this post...
4:01 - Queried before as to why Jahvid Best has posted scant numbers. Well it turns out he has been out much of the second half with a toe injury. Doesn't sound serious, but Maurice Morris is surely going to be a name to watch this week...OK, Redskins-Rams about to start and I'm going to go focus there for now. Will be back later with updates and thoughts about this high-scoring week three...
3:53 - BenJarvus Green-Ellis was a waiver wire name mentioned on the podcast this week and right now is just at 94 yards and a TD while Fred Taylor has six carries for 16 yards. The Law Firm will be owned in all leagues after this week...a deep league fantasy RB to ponder this week; LeGarrette Blount scored a TD and at this point leads the Bucs with 27 rush yards on six carries. Haven't watched much of this game and the Bucs got rolled, but Blount has a punchers chance of getting serious run going forward. Not a fan of Cadillac so wouldn't be a shocker to me if at some point the Bucs let youth be served...
3:42 - Moments after a 40+ yard run put him over the century mark, Chris Johnson scampered in from eight yards around the left end for his second score of the game. With the game almost over, CJ has a 32-125-2 stat line (no catches). Beastly.
3:37- Any hope of a Panthers win ended when Jonathan Stewart fumbled and the Bengals quickly turned that into a Palmer-to-Benson scoring pass. "Daily Show" has a score, but eight carries for 13 yards and should be planted on fantasy benhces until further notice...
3:33 - Romo and Roy Williams hook up again, this time it goes for 63 yards when the defender fell down covering a short slant. Even though I went for the Texans this week when the line dipped under three, it seemed like the Cowboys were destined to win this game. Couldn't go 0-3, no matter how much we wanted it...
3:28 - I haven't seen Jahvid Best on the RedZone channel since the first quarter. That can't be a good sign. Nine touches, 39 yards..TD Roddy White on a great pass to the corner of the end zone by Ryan. Perfect timing between those two. White had only two fantasy points when that drive began, now up to 12...
3:26 - Flacco to Boldin, count it. This one was a perfectly thrown lob down the field over the secondary. Three scores for that combo. And I was sooo trying to trade for Boldin in one league this week. Oh well...
3:23 - Another 4pm roster update; Addai is active...now that we are into the 4th, its time to start rooting for favorites to lose for my Survivor pool. I have the Pats which is looking better, but still within one score. Lots of folks have the Ravens so go Brownies!!!
3:17 - Tony Moeaki, wow. Dude made a silly back of the end zone grab. Two scores on the season. And the Chiefs, up 24-3. What is more shocking, Chiefs 3-0 or Niners 0-3? I'll say the former; you could talk me into Alex Smith bringing the Niners down, but no way did i see the Chiefs being undefeated.
3:10 - Roster updates for 4pm games; Beanie Wells, Clinton Portis are active. Laurent Robinson is out. Also Braylon Edwards is reportedly going to get a one play punishment for his DUI. Weak Rex, weak. Another note in Redskins game, rookie LT Trent Williams is also inactive...
3:03 - Andre Johnson is back, whew. Too bad Schaub badly overthrew him and right into the arms of Cowboys corner Mike Jenkins. That turnover led to a Roy Williams score, 17-3 Dallas. Schaub right now is 11-17, 112 yards, one pick. This would be two weeks out of three with scant fantasy production. Not worried, just saying...
2:57 - in my "advanced" league, was trying to get a receiver upgrade since my core of Maclin, Bowe, Celek and Tony Gonzalez was brutal for the most part. Now Gonzo has 99 yards and a score, and Bow just hauled in a long TD off a gadget play. Was told all week no interest in these guys, especially Gonzo. Just goes to show you that you can't let what just happened dictate your look-ahead thoughts; Gonzo was a legit top-7 TE three weeks ago so why folks non-producing donkey's wouldn't be interested is beyond me. Then again, I was the one looking to make a move...Yes, this game drives me crazy.
2:54 - Interesting note in the 4pm games; Redskins punter Josh Bidwell apparently pulled up lame during warmups so rookie kicker Graham Gano is gearing up to pull double duty. Bidwell also the holder so Gano's day is looking a lot more complicated than it did yesterday when a certain someone picked him up to use against the lowly Rams.
2:51 - After the Pats score, Spiller runs the following kickoff all the way back for a score, Bills down 24-23. Owners in non-return yards leagues will get excited when they see the score and then get bitter when they see it was on teams...After Clausen throws incomplete in the end zone, Jonathan Stewart sneaks in from the one, Panthers down 10-7...
2:46 - Back to New Orleans where the Saints go for it on 4th-and-one at the Falcons 32 and Chris Ivory is stuffed...Wait, Chris Ivory is stuffed? And he has four carries to Pierre Thomas' five? Seriously, Sean Payton is the most maddening coach when it comes to fantasy backs. You never know what Bill Belicheck will do, but the Pats coach doesn't have a stud like Thomas either...A Kenny Britt sighting! The former Rutgers star gets a score at the Meadowlands. Dude has crazy talent, but the 'tude has been the issue. Well, that and the Titans don't throw a ton, but this will put him back on the waiver wire reports this week...
2:43 - Had to cut that stat update short with the vision of Andre Johnson lying on the ground in pain. Covered the Texans locker room last week and he was walking gingerly afterwards, but toughed it out. As a Schaub owner, breathlessly awaiting this update...Randy Moss strikes again, this time with a rare catch in traffic. Looks like the Pats offense has it clicking now...
2:35 - Since most of the games are at halftime, good time to do a quick fantasy look-around...
NYG-Ten; Eli Manning is 17-20 for 188 yards, but two of his misses have gone to the Titans. Chris Johnson has a TD, but a pedestrian 54 yards on 17 carries. Bradshaw 57 total yards and a TD...
Cin-Car; Carson Palmer is a brutal 10-24, 116, 2int, but the Bengals are up 10-0 because Jimmy Clausen is 1-5, 14 and one pick in his NFL debut. Steve Smith owners are linging for the good old days of Jake Delhomme right about now...
Pit-TB; Mike Wallace is getting the bulk of Batch's production, 3-100-2. Mendenhall is 9-40-1.One ray of sunshine for Bucs is rookie receiver Mike Williams, who has 4-53. Steeleers up 28-6 at half.
Buf-NE; Pats get last second field goal for a 17-16 lead in a surprisingly tight first half. Moss and backup RB Danny Woodhead have the Pats scores. Woodhead is clearly another candidate to pick up Kevin Faulk snaps, though his fantasy value remains limited for now. Aaron Hernandez 3-52.
Cle-Bal; already into third quater where Boldin just had another big gain and is already at 6-102-2. Hillis is over 100 total yards and has scored while Ray Rice has 56 yards on nine carries, 12 yards on three grabs.
2:20 - I would have been laughing so hard if any of my opponents had gone with Batch this week that peeing in the pants would have been on the potential menu for the day so I can't even imagine how bitter I'd be now that the Steelers fourth-string QB has thrown for three TDP and 177 yards in the first half. Last time he threw that many scores in a game? Opening week of the 2006 season.
2:17 - Turner pounds it home, 14-all. On the positive side, Turner is dominating Jason Snelling with touches (19-3) and has a score. On the other hand, he is averaging just over two yards a carry and 47 total yards...
2:10 - Adrian Peterson scores a shorty for Vikes, Hillis the same for the Browns (first TD allowed by the Ravens this season). Michael Turner is trying to join the fun, but got stopped at the one then gets horse collared. The refs call it, 1st and goal at the one. And...into the pile for nothing. Brian Billick called for a play-action pass on first down and I bet he gets it here.
2:05 - Only parts of Cle-Bal game I've seen has been the Boldin scores so I am downright giddy to see that Peyton Hillis is running all over the Ravens vaunted run defense to the tune of 10-71. Oh wait, he is leading the Browns w/ five receptions totaling 27 yards, the last grap getting the added battering ram finish. Love watching this guy. Also a James Davis sighting with Jerome Harrison inactive. At this point I think it will take a lot for Jerome to back into the mix, at least in terms of fantasy viability while Hillis is knocking on the RB@ door step...
1:58 - My Survivor pick is struggling early as the Pats are about to fall behind the Bills - THE BILLS...and there it is, a swing pass to C.J. Spiller for his first NFL score. Not sure I understand what is going on with the Pats. Maybe the killer instinct is gone, but no way should they be close with this team, let alone trailing minutes before halftime. Someone find a padded room for Bill Simmons, just in case...Mike Wallace does it again, this time catching a deflected pass in the end zone for another loooong score and the Steelers are cruising 21-6 against the Bucs...Marion Barber introduces himself to the end zone for the first time this season. Cowboys 7-3.
1:55 - Anquan Boldin gets another score. I don't think anyone will be fretting about the Ravens passing game after this week...
1:51 - What is with these QB's fliiping the ball like a shortstop tossing it to the second baseman for the putout. First Eli, now Brees with an incredibly poor decision that also gets picked off. Rarely see Brees make that kind of gaffe...Dez Bryant makes a silly leaping catch on a deep ball at the end zone, but the pass forced him to drift out of bounds. Then he comes back with a physical grab over the middle. Scary talent. Also scary that the Cowboys-Texans game is 3-0 late in 2Q. Where are all the points we were promised!!!...1:47 - Moments after Chris Johnson powered his way in for a short score, Rashard Mendenhall slams his way into the end zone. Obviously everyone likes CJ, but I liked Mendenhaall a lot this year and its impressive he's been able to do anything with little help from his QBs and injuries along the oline...Dexter McCluster, the Percy Harvin of this rookie class - was scary explosive taking a pass in the flat 3 yards for a score. It will take a little time for him to be fantasy viable, but defenses MUST account for him when he is on the field. Huge mismatch against linebackers.
1:45 - If its possible, Palmer's second pick was waaaaaaaay worse than the first one Seriosuly folks, why are using him. Move away from the the Bengals #9 jersey...Favre to Harvin! Have Harvin in "injustry" and at the Favre "sleeper" pick stays alive...
1:39 - Drew Brees is insanley accurate. So much so that I'd rather him pick games instead of some random monkey or octopus no matter how cutre people think that is...oh, Brees and Lance Moore connected for an 80-yard TD, which was about a 25-yard slant and a 55-yard run. Saints 14-7.
1:35 - Brett Favre throws his fifth pick of the season. Didn't see what happened, but a defensive lineman caught it. My sleeper pick of the week, not off to a good start (by the way, here are the other "sleeper" picks; Evan Silva from Rotoworld took Redskins RB Keiland Williams. Brian Murphy took Lee Evans and George Bissell took Fred Jackson. Some off-the-wall calls for sure, but hey, that's what sleepers are all about. The first two weeks (Peyton Hillis, Kyle Orton) worked so let's see if Favre can rally and keep my streak going...
1:26 - Lots of early scoring as now Anquan Boldin (from Flacco) gets on the board. Sweet over the top pass from Flacco...Cedric Benson just benefitted from a PI in the end zone and bounced to the outside for TD. I still am waiting to cash my Bernard Scott lottery ticket so this won't help.
1:22 - All the owners that sad Mike Wallace are bitter after him seeing catch that long bomb for a TD from Charlie Batch. Didn't know CB could still throw that far...nobody sat Randy Moss, who just scored. Its a "name your final number" kind of game for the Pats, so expect more, much more from Tom Brady and friends (speaking of the Pats, heard Tim Hasselbeck this morning talking about Julian Edelman as a possible Kevin Faulk replacement down the line. Interesting...)
1:19 - Tony Gonzalez lives! Wasn't quite sure after that horrid start, but he just hauled in a 34-yard pass and then a 13-yard TD catch! He had five points on the season; got 10 on that drive alone...Eli, what was that. Even Brett Favre and Tony Romo can't believe you were so carless with that sideways flip into traffice in the end zone. Ouch.
1:11 - and the first TD of the goes to Jeremy Shockey on a short pass from Drew Brees. Considering Shockey is always overvalued, I would talk him up all day to my friends that need a TE and then ship him off this week. Love the early scores that will get shown over and over and over again for this reason!
1:09 - and Jimmy Clausen fumbles the third snap of his career to give the Bengals the ball right back. Obviously you can't count on the former Golden Domer this week or likely this season, but I was higher on Clausen then apparently the NFL minds were. And trust me, I do not root for Notre Dame. I like his moxie and you want your QB to have attitude (after dealing with Jason Campbell's lukewarm vibe, trust me, you want some spunk)
1:06 - three early picks, the worst coming from Carson Palmer who missed his target by five yards. Not sure why folks are still buying Palmer has fantasy starter; he can win games, but only as a Trent Dilfer type effort (i.e. no mistakes, but no aggression)
12:33 - Thank god for the RedZone Channel since the only 1pm game here is Cle-Bal. That one will be Darryl Talley ugly. 4pm, Skins-Rams and Colts-Broncos, then the SNF game NYJ-Mia. Other than Graham Gano and NYJ defense, I don;t have anyone going in any of those games. Again, thank you RedZone channel.
Otherwise, did the egg/pancake thing this morning with some out-of-town relatives so belly is full. Alas I have no midday snack option other than popcorn (that kind of error is equivalent of Andy Reid's poor end of game clock management. No excuses).
Obviously every game and most viable fantasy options have interest, but in general here are the guys I am most focused on, at least at 1pm:
***oh, first let me say that like you out there, I have multiple leagues and while I try not to talk about my teams on the podcast, some of that talk will leak out today. Basically I have four leagues; the venerable (started in 1993, defending champ, the former office (defending champ) the advanced (smart setup, but I'm 0-2) and the industry (league with other fantasy writers). Let me know which players we are bonding over and where we are on the other sides of fence...
QB: Brett Favre; he was my Podcast "sleeper" pick this week abd its now or never. If he doesn't light up the Lions, its likely pull the rip cord time...For - Rodgers, Schaub, Vick(2); Against Vick, Ryan (2), Flacco,
RB: Michael Turner (advanced); anytime your guy leaves in-game it is always a blow, especially when the backup comes in and puts up insane stats like Jason Snelling did last week. Barring a blowout loss, I will be very disappointed if Turner doesn't get 20+ touches...For - Best/McFadden, C. Johnson/P.Thomas, Turner/Hightower, Thomas/Mendenhall/Bradshaw...Against - Turner, McCoy, Rice (2), MJD, Forte, D. Williams
WR/TE: For - White/Nicks/Finley, Jennings/S.Smith (Car)/Finley, Maclin/Bowe/Celek/Gonzalez); Against - Jennings (2), Austin, Colston, Fitzgerald, Bryant
OK, let's do this!!!
