Welcome in week four of the football season and week four of your fantasy season, also the first bye-week in the NFL. Like last week I will go over the top five waiver wire acquisitions as well, the top three matchups I like that could potentially help you get a win over your opponent.
The top player I see jumping off the boards this week is Cleveland Browns running back Willis McGahee. McGahee is owned in over 26 percent of leagues. While the Browns have a tough schedule coming up, running backs are a hot commodity, especially ones who are starters. I would take a chance on McGahee who might just resurrect his career, after being picked out of free agency by the Cleveland Browns, who traded Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts for a draft pick. While McGahee might not be the best option at running back, he could potentially be a great bye week back.
The second player I like this week is Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith. Smith is owned in over 39 percent of leagues. The Chiefs have a stretch of winnable games coming up, so that makes Smith look more valuable in matchup scenarios, but more so than playing him against favorable matchups. He has been solid throwing zero interceptions so far this year.
The third player I like this week is New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes. Holmes, who is owned in just over 18 percent of leagues, is benefitting from getting more reps with rookie quarterback Geno Smith. The two seem to be clicking, with Holmes going back to his former big play receiver days with a monster game last week. While I don’t see him catching five passes for 154 with a score against some tougher competition later in the season, the Jets do play the Tennessee Titans this week, the Buffalo Bills again, the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns later on down the road.
The fourth player I like this week is St. Louis Rams running back Isaiah Pead. Pead, who is owned in over 91 percent of leagues, was a legitimate contender for the starting role against Darryl Richardson in St. Louis. However, now with Richardson out or limited with an injury, Pead looks to make the most of his carries. Although the schedule for the Rams has them face off against the San Francisco 49ers this week, the schedule gets easier with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the schedule to come.
The last player I like this week is Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon. Glennon is owned in just one percent of leagues, but was announced Wednesday, Sept. 25, that he would be the starting quarterback by Head Coach Greg Chicano, after benching Josh Freeman. While Glennon doesn’t have the best matchup this week against the Arizona Cardinals, I do have my eye on him for the fact that he is paired up with a duo of receivers, Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams, who can make Glennon look very good, not to mention Doug Martin can bail him out. Glennon should succeed. I would take a chance on Glennon if you don’t need a quarterback for a bye week start this week, but could stash him until later on.
Now that I have gone over the top five waiver acquisitions for the week, I will go over the top three matchups I like that could potentially put you over the top against your opponent.
The first matchup I like is the Indianapolis Colts going up against the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts just shocked the football world taking down the San Francisco 49ers on the road with an impressive 27-7 victory. With Trent Richardson a full week into the Colts playbook, I am looking for a blow out win over the Jaguars. Good starts in this game include Andrew Luck, Ahmad Bradshaw, Trent Richardson, Colby Fleener and the Colts defense.
The second matchup I like is the Baltimore Ravens against Buffalo Bills. The Bills are off to a poor start, while the Ravens are looking to make it three in a row with a victory on Sunday. The Ravens are getting decent production out of their backfield, no matter if Ray Rice or Bernard Pierce is taking the load, but their defense has played strong over the last two weeks so I am looking for another big win by the Ravens come Sunday. Good plays in this game include Joe Flacco, Torrey Smith, and the Ravens defense.
The last matchup that intrigues me this week is the Oakland Raiders hosting the Washington Redskins. The Raiders 1-2 is hosting a familiar opponent in Mike Shanahan who is coaching the 0-3 Redskins. This matchup is intriguing because Shanahan had quite a bit of success against the Raiders while in Denver. But now with the Redskins the scenario is different, it’s not an AFC West show down, but rather a battle of two teams that need a win badly. Both teams are also juggling the idea that their starting quarterbacks Terrelle Pryor and Robert Griffin III might be injured. In this game I like Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris as good starts, while I don’t like, but don’t dislike, the play of either quarterback, whoever that may be. If Pryor and or Griffin make the start, I am fearful that an injury could occur and hurt your play this week.
That’s all for this week, check back next week when I go over the top five waiver wire pick ups and the top three matchups to watch for.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Hitting The Waiver Wire For Week Three; Matchups To Watch For
Welcome in week three of the football season and week three of your fantasy season. Like last week I will go over the top five waiver wire acquisitions this week as well the top three matchups I like that could potentially help you get a win over your opponent.
The top player I see jumping off the boards this week is wide receiver Eddie Royal of the San Diego Chargers, who is owned in just over 62 percent of leagues. While I drafted Royal in a league where kick and punt returns get you points, I wasn’t shy about dropping the aging receiver before the season started. But just two weeks into the season, he looks to be on the rebound with quarterback Phillip Rivers. While I didn’t personally pursue the addition of Royal, since I am last in the waiver wire line, I would have attempted to go after him if I had a high pick. While I don’t see Royal catching 40 touchdown passes this year, (he has five through two weeks), I could likely see Royal eclipse 15, which is a good mark even if you are talking about Calvin Johnson who was the top receiver drafted in almost every league. I wouldn’t hesitate on going for Royal and playing him immediately as the Tennessee Titans are susceptible to giving up the big play.
The second best player I see coming off the boards this week is actually a defense, the Kansas City Chiefs defense, which is owned in just 30 percent of leagues. So they will allow more than 18-points at one point this season, but I could see them allowing less than 18 in quite a few matchups this week. Their schedule sees them face off against the Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills before their week 10-bye week, which means there are at least four favorable matchups to count on before you would even think about dropping them. If you have a defense like the San Francisco 49ers or Denver Broncos that has a bad matchup one week, the Chiefs would be an ideal one to stash for those weeks. If you are one of those owners who likes to pick up and drop defenses each and every week I implore you to take a chance and ride the Chiefs defense, who had recovered four turnovers so far this year, and turned one into a score.
The third player I like this week is Green Bay Packers running back James Starks. While I don’t see Starks having another giant week like he did last week against the Washington Redskins, I could see him having a solid week against the Cincinnati Bengals this week as starting running back Eddie Lacy is still dealing with concussion issues from last week’s game. While Starks, owned in just over 52 percent of leagues may not be the main back in the Green Bay offense for long, he will be this week and could provide a solid start for teams needing a flex or a secondary back.
The fourth player I would take a look at this week on the waiver wires is San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers, who is owned in just over 42 percent of leagues. While I don’t see Rivers continuing his 7-1 touchdown to interception rate throughout the season, it isn’t impossible. Once upon a time, Rivers was ranked as a top five quarterback in the NFL, but has recently been relegated to the bottom 15 quarterbacks due to his tendency to throw interceptions. There are a few things that have helped Rivers get to his 7-1 touchdowns to interception rate. First, the resurgence of Eddie Royal receiving. Royal has five or Rivers seven touchdowns. Secondly, the poor Philadelphia Eagles defense, which allowed Rivers to throw for 419 yards with three scores and no picks. Third, tight end Antonio Gates. When Gates is healthy, he is Rivers safety blanket, which was evident last week as Rivers hit Gates for over 100-yards in the game. If you are going for Royal, or already have Gates, just need a bye week quarterback, or are in a two quarterback league, Rivers could be the man you need. If he stays in the form he has through two weeks, heck you might even want to trade your Matt Ryan or Cam Newton caliber quarterback.
The fifth player I like this week to grab off the waiver wires is Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who is owned in just over 77 percent of leagues. Hopkins has impressed me over the last two weeks with a seven catch, 13 target game against the Tennessee Titans going for 117-yards with a touchdown last week, which followed up a five reception, six target for 66-yards night against the San Diego Chargers in week one. While I don’t expect Hopkins to get 13 targets or even 10 targets a game for the remainder of the year, it was reassuring that he did what he did with the targets he got from quarterback Matt Schaub. Being in a run-heavy offense, and being opposite of Andre Johnson and tight end Owen Daniels, and getting those types of numbers doesn’t hurt his cause either. My expectations for Hopkins are more in the range of the week one numbers but could see those jump in certain matchups going forward as the Texans play the Jacksonville Jaguars twice down the stretch and the Oakland Raiders once. If you are looking for a flex receiver, or just someone to fill in for a bye week, Hopkins could be an ideal fit, especially if you have Matt Schaub.
Now that I have gone over the waiver wire acquisitions I will go over the matchups I like this week.
I will start with the Thursday night game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The game is being played in Philadelphia so I automatically want to give a nod to the Eagles offense at home, even with the great performances the Chiefs defense have put up so far. But this game is more than just two teams playing on a Thursday night; it’s Andy Reid, Coach of the Chiefs going against his old team, the Eagles coached by Chip Kelly, who is reinventing the NFL offense one week at a time with his smorgasbord hurry up offense.
The players I like this week are LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Michael Vick, Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe. I like the Eagles offense because I believe their hurry-up style will tire out the Chiefs, which could lead to fast players like Jackson, McCoy and Vick to run wild. I like Bowe because Bowe has size that quarterback Alex Smith will target on third downs. I like Charles because he is a strong runner going against a poor defense.
The second matchup I like this week is the Detroit Lions and the Washington Redskins. This matchup features a Lions team that is hungry for early season wins, and a Redskins team that does not look the same with an injured Robert Griffin III running the show. The matchups I would try to exploit in this matchup are ones the Packers exploited last week, running game, and the deep ball.
So it’s no shocker the guys I like in this game are Matthew Stafford, Reggie Bush and Calvin Johnson. I wouldn’t be shocked though if Joique Bell steals some goal line touches, but the big play ability of Bush doesn’t worry me about his points this week.
The last matchup I like this week is the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos on Monday night. This is a classic AFC West matchup between rival teams. The Raiders are coming off a 19-9 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars and are looking for their second win, which would be huge against a team that is a front runner to play in the Super Bowl, and in their same division. The Broncos are looking to continue their steamroll of the NFL with their very high-powered offense.
The players I like in this matchup include Peyton Manning, Wes Welker, Knowshon Moreno, Terelle Pryor and Darren McFadden. The Broncos will most likely have their way with the Raiders defense, so I could see Manning having another huge week, maybe not seven touchdowns, but it’s not out of the question, so all receivers are fair play for me. Moreno looks nice because the Raiders are leading the league in sacks, so I could see quick passes out of the backfield. Pryor looks like a good matchup because the Broncos are still without some key defensive players and is quick on his feet, and could help the Raiders continue to have the best rushing attack in the NFL. Which brings me to McFadden. If the Raiders get a lead, McFadden will pound the ball on the ground all game long. If the Raiders get behind, look for McFadden to catch the ball out of the backfield. Either way McFadden is a strong start.
That’s all for this week, check back next week when I go over five more waiver wire acquisitions and three games that could help you win your fantasy matchup!
The top player I see jumping off the boards this week is wide receiver Eddie Royal of the San Diego Chargers, who is owned in just over 62 percent of leagues. While I drafted Royal in a league where kick and punt returns get you points, I wasn’t shy about dropping the aging receiver before the season started. But just two weeks into the season, he looks to be on the rebound with quarterback Phillip Rivers. While I didn’t personally pursue the addition of Royal, since I am last in the waiver wire line, I would have attempted to go after him if I had a high pick. While I don’t see Royal catching 40 touchdown passes this year, (he has five through two weeks), I could likely see Royal eclipse 15, which is a good mark even if you are talking about Calvin Johnson who was the top receiver drafted in almost every league. I wouldn’t hesitate on going for Royal and playing him immediately as the Tennessee Titans are susceptible to giving up the big play.
The second best player I see coming off the boards this week is actually a defense, the Kansas City Chiefs defense, which is owned in just 30 percent of leagues. So they will allow more than 18-points at one point this season, but I could see them allowing less than 18 in quite a few matchups this week. Their schedule sees them face off against the Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills before their week 10-bye week, which means there are at least four favorable matchups to count on before you would even think about dropping them. If you have a defense like the San Francisco 49ers or Denver Broncos that has a bad matchup one week, the Chiefs would be an ideal one to stash for those weeks. If you are one of those owners who likes to pick up and drop defenses each and every week I implore you to take a chance and ride the Chiefs defense, who had recovered four turnovers so far this year, and turned one into a score.
The third player I like this week is Green Bay Packers running back James Starks. While I don’t see Starks having another giant week like he did last week against the Washington Redskins, I could see him having a solid week against the Cincinnati Bengals this week as starting running back Eddie Lacy is still dealing with concussion issues from last week’s game. While Starks, owned in just over 52 percent of leagues may not be the main back in the Green Bay offense for long, he will be this week and could provide a solid start for teams needing a flex or a secondary back.
The fourth player I would take a look at this week on the waiver wires is San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers, who is owned in just over 42 percent of leagues. While I don’t see Rivers continuing his 7-1 touchdown to interception rate throughout the season, it isn’t impossible. Once upon a time, Rivers was ranked as a top five quarterback in the NFL, but has recently been relegated to the bottom 15 quarterbacks due to his tendency to throw interceptions. There are a few things that have helped Rivers get to his 7-1 touchdowns to interception rate. First, the resurgence of Eddie Royal receiving. Royal has five or Rivers seven touchdowns. Secondly, the poor Philadelphia Eagles defense, which allowed Rivers to throw for 419 yards with three scores and no picks. Third, tight end Antonio Gates. When Gates is healthy, he is Rivers safety blanket, which was evident last week as Rivers hit Gates for over 100-yards in the game. If you are going for Royal, or already have Gates, just need a bye week quarterback, or are in a two quarterback league, Rivers could be the man you need. If he stays in the form he has through two weeks, heck you might even want to trade your Matt Ryan or Cam Newton caliber quarterback.
The fifth player I like this week to grab off the waiver wires is Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who is owned in just over 77 percent of leagues. Hopkins has impressed me over the last two weeks with a seven catch, 13 target game against the Tennessee Titans going for 117-yards with a touchdown last week, which followed up a five reception, six target for 66-yards night against the San Diego Chargers in week one. While I don’t expect Hopkins to get 13 targets or even 10 targets a game for the remainder of the year, it was reassuring that he did what he did with the targets he got from quarterback Matt Schaub. Being in a run-heavy offense, and being opposite of Andre Johnson and tight end Owen Daniels, and getting those types of numbers doesn’t hurt his cause either. My expectations for Hopkins are more in the range of the week one numbers but could see those jump in certain matchups going forward as the Texans play the Jacksonville Jaguars twice down the stretch and the Oakland Raiders once. If you are looking for a flex receiver, or just someone to fill in for a bye week, Hopkins could be an ideal fit, especially if you have Matt Schaub.
Now that I have gone over the waiver wire acquisitions I will go over the matchups I like this week.
I will start with the Thursday night game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The game is being played in Philadelphia so I automatically want to give a nod to the Eagles offense at home, even with the great performances the Chiefs defense have put up so far. But this game is more than just two teams playing on a Thursday night; it’s Andy Reid, Coach of the Chiefs going against his old team, the Eagles coached by Chip Kelly, who is reinventing the NFL offense one week at a time with his smorgasbord hurry up offense.
The players I like this week are LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Michael Vick, Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe. I like the Eagles offense because I believe their hurry-up style will tire out the Chiefs, which could lead to fast players like Jackson, McCoy and Vick to run wild. I like Bowe because Bowe has size that quarterback Alex Smith will target on third downs. I like Charles because he is a strong runner going against a poor defense.
The second matchup I like this week is the Detroit Lions and the Washington Redskins. This matchup features a Lions team that is hungry for early season wins, and a Redskins team that does not look the same with an injured Robert Griffin III running the show. The matchups I would try to exploit in this matchup are ones the Packers exploited last week, running game, and the deep ball.
So it’s no shocker the guys I like in this game are Matthew Stafford, Reggie Bush and Calvin Johnson. I wouldn’t be shocked though if Joique Bell steals some goal line touches, but the big play ability of Bush doesn’t worry me about his points this week.
The last matchup I like this week is the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos on Monday night. This is a classic AFC West matchup between rival teams. The Raiders are coming off a 19-9 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars and are looking for their second win, which would be huge against a team that is a front runner to play in the Super Bowl, and in their same division. The Broncos are looking to continue their steamroll of the NFL with their very high-powered offense.
The players I like in this matchup include Peyton Manning, Wes Welker, Knowshon Moreno, Terelle Pryor and Darren McFadden. The Broncos will most likely have their way with the Raiders defense, so I could see Manning having another huge week, maybe not seven touchdowns, but it’s not out of the question, so all receivers are fair play for me. Moreno looks nice because the Raiders are leading the league in sacks, so I could see quick passes out of the backfield. Pryor looks like a good matchup because the Broncos are still without some key defensive players and is quick on his feet, and could help the Raiders continue to have the best rushing attack in the NFL. Which brings me to McFadden. If the Raiders get a lead, McFadden will pound the ball on the ground all game long. If the Raiders get behind, look for McFadden to catch the ball out of the backfield. Either way McFadden is a strong start.
That’s all for this week, check back next week when I go over five more waiver wire acquisitions and three games that could help you win your fantasy matchup!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Hitting The Waiver Wire For Week Two; Matchups To Watch For
Last week I went over some free agents that could help you
in week one. Now that the season is underway and one full week of games under
your belt I will go over the top five waiver wire pickups for week two, and the
top three matchups that could be beneficial to helping your team succeed this
week.
First I will go over some waiver wire acquisitions.
The top player I see coming off the board this week and onto
fantasy teams is Joique Bell of the Detroit Lions. While Bell is not the
starter, he did get two goal line touches that Reggie Bush owners are
blistering over. While Bush had a great game, Bell outscored him in many
leagues because of his touchdowns. Bell is owned in almost 90 percent of
leagues already, so if you are lucky enough to grab him, what’s the wait? The
Lions face off against the Cardinals this week, in what should be a high
scoring affair. I could see Bell grabbing another goal line score.
The second best acquisition this week is Terelle Pryor of
the Oakland Raiders. While you might think going after a quarterback in the
waiver wires is a poor idea, just look at the matchup. Last week Pryor looked
good, if not great against a solid Indianapolis Colts team, this week he faces
the god-awful Jacksonville Jaguars. If Pryor was to add on to his NFL leading
rush total, this would be the week. Pryor is available in over 80 percent of
leagues. My question to you is, are you willing to take a chance on a repeat
performance? If the answer is yes, Pryor is the man for you.
The third best acquisition this week is Kenbrell Thompkins
of the New England Patriots. While he has actually been dropped in over 30
percent of leagues after his so-so performance in week one, he will be the main
target for Tom Brady this week against the New York Jets with Danny Amendola
going down. I wouldn’t wait around for Thompkins to have a good performance
because if you do, he will be snatched up before you can say touchdown
Patriots. Thompkins value should decline when Rob Gronkowski comes back, but
until then ride him, and ride him hard!
The fourth best acquisition this week is the Dallas Cowboys
defense. So the Cowboys were hyped up this preseason as usual, and like they
have in the past, they had a great game against the New York Giants to open the
season. While I wouldn’t expect as many turnovers in week two against the
Kansas City Chiefs, they are going against a much more bland offense headed by
Alex Smith. The Cowboys are available in over 40 percent of leagues right now,
this will likely change going forward, but for now they are a good start in
week two if you choose to grab them.
The fifth best acquisition for this week is Brandon Jacobs
of the New York Giants. Formerly a free agent, Jacobs, was scooped up by his
former team after their loss to the Cowboys on Monday night. Jacobs will not
get the majority of snaps right away, but with the reliability of starting back
David Wilson in question, Jacobs might jump the depth chart and turn into a
quality start soon. Right now Jacobs is available in over 90 percent of
leagues, but if he had a quality outing against the Denver Broncos this week
watch that number drop. I would jump on Jacobs if you have Wilson.
The matchups I really like this week to play are the New
England Patriots against the New York Jets. While the Patriots are limited on quality
options for Brady to find, I still believe in Brady’s ability to beat
divisional opponents and have a big game. I would start Brady, Ridley and
Thompkins in this matchup.
The second matchup that catches my eye is the Oakland
Raiders against the Jacksonville Jaguars. As I mentioned earlier, Pryor had a
nice week against a playoff team in the Indianapolis Colts. Now he gets to come
home in front of the home fans and torch a poor team in the Jaguars. I would
start Pryor, Darren McFadden, Denarius Moore, Jacoby Ford and any other option
the Raiders might throw at the Jaguars.
The third matchup this week that I feel very comfortable
with choosing players in is the Baltimore Ravens at home against the Cleveland
Browns. While the Ravens lost Jacoby Jones for a few weeks in their loss to the
Denver Broncos, week two offers a much easier matchup against the Browns. I
would suspect that Joe Flacco and Ray Rice will have monster weeks against a poor
Browns defense. As well I expect a bounce back week from the Ravens defense
that allowed 49 points last week.
That’s all for this week, check back next week as I go over
the top five acquisitions for week three and a few matchups that caught my eye.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Getting Help From Free Agents In Fantasy Football
The first football game of the year is tomorrow, with the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Denver Broncos in a rematch of last years AFC title game. While there may not be many waiver wire pickups or free agents available from this game, there are a few players whose matchups this weekend and Monday could help benefit your matchup should you be looking for help.
I will go over each matchup and which player, if any, from each that I think would be a good waiver pickup.
Denver against Baltimore: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 20 percent of leagues would be running back Knowshon Moreno. While he is third on the depth chart this will likely be a running back by committee, so Moreno should get his fair share of snaps.
New England against Buffalo: In this matchup the best player to pick up who is a free agent in over 20 percent of leagues is tight end Kenbrell Thompkins. The options have been limited for quarterback Tom Brady with Wes Welker departing, Aaron Hernandez being kicked off the team and for the mean time without the injured Rob Gronkowski. Thompkins is likely to catch a few balls in this matchup.
Tennessee against Pittsburgh: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 70 percent of leagues is tight end Heath Miller. While Miller is not on the physically unable to play (PUP) list he is coming back from an injury. With that being said, that is why he is available. In past years he has been a top-10 tight end.
Atlanta against New Orleans: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 90 percent of leagues is tight end Benjamin Watson. While he is not a good play this week he is a must have for any Jimmy Graham owner. Should the Saints number one tight end go down, Watson will be a solid target for Drew Brees.
Tampa Bay against New York Jets: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 70 percent of leagues is running back Bilal Powell. While Powell will be splitting reps with Chris Ivory, who is coming off an injury, he is still a decent third running back option.
Kansas City against Jacksonville: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 80 percent of leagues is quarterback Alex Smith. Smith did all he could to help the 49ers last year, and when he got injured they turned his back on him. Now in a new offense with Andy Reid Smith is an x-factor in what could be a pretty efficient offense with Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe. Look for Smith to have a good game, and a solid season. But don’t go after Smith if you are looking for eye popping stats, he is a game manager, not a game changer.
Seattle against Carolina: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 55 percent of leagues is running back Christine Michael. While Marshawn lynch is the go-to back in this offense, Michael is playing him time into the backup role along side of Robert Turbin. While Michael is not going to get you a 100-yard game he should be had if you are an owner of Lynch.
Cincinnati against Chicago: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 80 percent of leagues is tight end Tyler Eiffert. Clearly the best tight end in this years draft the Bengals are hoping he will take over or at least contribute along side of Jermaine Gresham. I see Eiffert becoming a top choice of quarterback Andy Dalton soon.
Miami against Cleveland: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 70 percent of leagues is wide receiver Brian Hartline. In his only trip to Cleveland Hartline had four catches for 87 yards. Do I expect this again? No, but it certainly could happen as the Browns defense is one of the worst in the league. Hartline is a solid choice for a third receiver this week because of the matchup.
Minnesota against Detroit: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 40 percent of leagues is running back Joique Bell. The clear cut backup for Reggie Bush, Bell should 10-15 snaps a game. While not a fantastic play against Minnesota this week, he should be owned by Bush owners, or anyone who has a twinkling that Bush might get injured if the Lions play him too much. Jahvid Best anyone?
Oakland against Indianapolis: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 70 percent of leagues is Darrius Heyward-Bey. Going up against his former team this week makes the play that much more interesting. The speed burner wide out will have a good opportunity to burn the poor secondary of the Raiders and with an adept quarterback like Andrew Luck tossing around the pigskin I could see Heyward-Bey being a flex play this week.
Green Bay against San Francisco: There aren’t many free agent options to speak of in this matchup as both teams are on the fast track to the NFC title game, if you really want someone Kendall Hunter is the best option, available in over 80 percent of leagues, would be suitable for Frank Gore owners as a backup incase he gets hurt.
Arizona against St. Louis: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 60 percent of leagues is Carson Palmer. While he tossed for over 4,000-yards last season with the Raiders those stats are skewed, as he was on the losing end of the battle most weeks. Despite that, fantasy numbers don’t relate to wins or losses, Palmer will once again be on a losing team looking to sling the ball late in games, which could be the case in week one against St. Louis. Palmer is a decent second quarterback option.
New York Giants against Dallas: Another matchup with not many free agent pickups to speak of. If you are looking for a kicker Dan Bailey for the Cowboys, who is available in over 55 percent of leagues, might be a good pickup as I see this game turning into a shootout.
Philadelphia against Washington: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 75 percent of leagues is wide receiver Santana Moss. While not the speed burner he once was, Moss is still returning kicks and playing a decent receiver for Mike Shanahan’s offense. I would give a look at Moss if you earn points for return yards.
Finally the last matchup of the week is Houston against San Diego: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 30 percent of leagues is wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. While Hopkins suffered a concussion during week two of the preseason he is currently on schedule to play week one against the Chargers. With the Chargers prone to giving up big passing weeks I would take a chance on Hopkins, but no higher than a flex.
That’s all for this week. Check back next week as I go over the waiver wire pickups and matchups that stand out to me for week two.
I will go over each matchup and which player, if any, from each that I think would be a good waiver pickup.
Denver against Baltimore: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 20 percent of leagues would be running back Knowshon Moreno. While he is third on the depth chart this will likely be a running back by committee, so Moreno should get his fair share of snaps.
New England against Buffalo: In this matchup the best player to pick up who is a free agent in over 20 percent of leagues is tight end Kenbrell Thompkins. The options have been limited for quarterback Tom Brady with Wes Welker departing, Aaron Hernandez being kicked off the team and for the mean time without the injured Rob Gronkowski. Thompkins is likely to catch a few balls in this matchup.
Tennessee against Pittsburgh: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 70 percent of leagues is tight end Heath Miller. While Miller is not on the physically unable to play (PUP) list he is coming back from an injury. With that being said, that is why he is available. In past years he has been a top-10 tight end.
Atlanta against New Orleans: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 90 percent of leagues is tight end Benjamin Watson. While he is not a good play this week he is a must have for any Jimmy Graham owner. Should the Saints number one tight end go down, Watson will be a solid target for Drew Brees.
Tampa Bay against New York Jets: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 70 percent of leagues is running back Bilal Powell. While Powell will be splitting reps with Chris Ivory, who is coming off an injury, he is still a decent third running back option.
Kansas City against Jacksonville: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 80 percent of leagues is quarterback Alex Smith. Smith did all he could to help the 49ers last year, and when he got injured they turned his back on him. Now in a new offense with Andy Reid Smith is an x-factor in what could be a pretty efficient offense with Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe. Look for Smith to have a good game, and a solid season. But don’t go after Smith if you are looking for eye popping stats, he is a game manager, not a game changer.
Seattle against Carolina: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 55 percent of leagues is running back Christine Michael. While Marshawn lynch is the go-to back in this offense, Michael is playing him time into the backup role along side of Robert Turbin. While Michael is not going to get you a 100-yard game he should be had if you are an owner of Lynch.
Cincinnati against Chicago: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 80 percent of leagues is tight end Tyler Eiffert. Clearly the best tight end in this years draft the Bengals are hoping he will take over or at least contribute along side of Jermaine Gresham. I see Eiffert becoming a top choice of quarterback Andy Dalton soon.
Miami against Cleveland: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 70 percent of leagues is wide receiver Brian Hartline. In his only trip to Cleveland Hartline had four catches for 87 yards. Do I expect this again? No, but it certainly could happen as the Browns defense is one of the worst in the league. Hartline is a solid choice for a third receiver this week because of the matchup.
Minnesota against Detroit: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 40 percent of leagues is running back Joique Bell. The clear cut backup for Reggie Bush, Bell should 10-15 snaps a game. While not a fantastic play against Minnesota this week, he should be owned by Bush owners, or anyone who has a twinkling that Bush might get injured if the Lions play him too much. Jahvid Best anyone?
Oakland against Indianapolis: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 70 percent of leagues is Darrius Heyward-Bey. Going up against his former team this week makes the play that much more interesting. The speed burner wide out will have a good opportunity to burn the poor secondary of the Raiders and with an adept quarterback like Andrew Luck tossing around the pigskin I could see Heyward-Bey being a flex play this week.
Green Bay against San Francisco: There aren’t many free agent options to speak of in this matchup as both teams are on the fast track to the NFC title game, if you really want someone Kendall Hunter is the best option, available in over 80 percent of leagues, would be suitable for Frank Gore owners as a backup incase he gets hurt.
Arizona against St. Louis: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 60 percent of leagues is Carson Palmer. While he tossed for over 4,000-yards last season with the Raiders those stats are skewed, as he was on the losing end of the battle most weeks. Despite that, fantasy numbers don’t relate to wins or losses, Palmer will once again be on a losing team looking to sling the ball late in games, which could be the case in week one against St. Louis. Palmer is a decent second quarterback option.
New York Giants against Dallas: Another matchup with not many free agent pickups to speak of. If you are looking for a kicker Dan Bailey for the Cowboys, who is available in over 55 percent of leagues, might be a good pickup as I see this game turning into a shootout.
Philadelphia against Washington: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 75 percent of leagues is wide receiver Santana Moss. While not the speed burner he once was, Moss is still returning kicks and playing a decent receiver for Mike Shanahan’s offense. I would give a look at Moss if you earn points for return yards.
Finally the last matchup of the week is Houston against San Diego: In this matchup the best player to pickup who is a free agent in over 30 percent of leagues is wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. While Hopkins suffered a concussion during week two of the preseason he is currently on schedule to play week one against the Chargers. With the Chargers prone to giving up big passing weeks I would take a chance on Hopkins, but no higher than a flex.
That’s all for this week. Check back next week as I go over the waiver wire pickups and matchups that stand out to me for week two.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)