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| Thanks a lot, AJ Green! |
This is going to sound like complaining...again. That's probably because it is complaining. I lost in my money league again last week, and I'm stuck in 7th place. I lost to the guy who was ahead of me (6th place), and I helped contribute to the fewest points scored against him on the season. I had only failed to put up at least 92 fantasy points once all season (until this week when I did it again). On the other hand, my opponent had only managed to score at least 92 fantasy points TWICE all year! What the heck is going on for me in that league?!? Sooooo frustrating. Almost as frustrating as losing by 1 point in my ESPN league as AJ Green fumbled late in the Monday night game.
Anyway, now I sit atop the
bottom half of my money league with a weak 4-6 record, but I still have the 4th most points scored (and the 2nd most points against...ugh!). But those total fantasy points could come into play as a tiebreaker if I can win 2 out of my next 3 games. As crazy as it sounds, 6 wins just might get someone into the playoffs in that league, and getting into the playoffs is all I need to do to have a chance to win it all!
That's right, I'm thinking positive. Maybe it's because the Redskins were the only NFC East team to win last week. Looking at that division now, Washington is a win away from being at the top with the Giants. Speaking of the G-Men, they're on a bye this week but then the Redskins will play them the Sunday after Thanksgiving. My wife got me (really good) tickets to go see that game for my birthday, and it's actually shaping up to be a VERY meaningful game. But I don't want to get a week ahead of myself. The matchup I have this week is very meaningful in my fantasy league. I'm playing the #3 team in the league who is currently on a 5-game winning streak...and I need a W!
It's the last week of the byes, and I'm sure everyone is happy about that. The last bye is hitting some people pretty hard, but not me. I'll be back at full strength with guys like Julio Jones and Frank Gore back in my lineup, and I'm going to need all the help I can get!
Let's see who else is back in the rankings this week, shall we?
BYES: Browns, Giants, Saints, Steelers
3.Carson Palmer
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15.Tyrod Taylor
Two weeks ago I was down on Peyton Manning (and I was right). But last week I was actually high on him versus the experts (ESPN #14, ME #10)...and I was incredibly wrong. He threw 4 interceptions and was pulled from the game in which he set the record for most career passing yards. Yikes! If you started Peyton last week, you were very disappointed. Probably my worst call of the year.
On the other hand, I was down on Tyrod in the Thursday night game against the Jets (ESPN #11, ME NOT RANKED), and I was spot on there! He had only thrown 1 TD in each of his previous 3 games, and he continued that trend. He finished outside of the top-20 QBs and will be a very borderline top-15 play for me the rest of the way.
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| Mariota has been great on the road... |
I'm high on: Marcus Mariota (ESPN #18, ME #12)
A road start against a weak defense? This is the spot where Mariota likes to throw 4 TDs, so why not again tomorrow night? At this point in the season, you probably have one of the other guys in the top-10 (or you're not in the playoff hunt). But if you happen to have someone like Brees/BigBen/Eli on a bye, you could do worse than the rookie against the Jags. Jacksonville gives up top-5 fantasy numbers to opposing QBs this season, and Mariota averages over 3 passing TDs in his road starts this season.
I'm down on: Andy Dalton (ESPN #8, ME #13)
I feel like all year I've been talking about how high I am on Dalton and Fitzpatrick versus the ESPN experts, but this week I'm staying away from the Red Ryder BB Gun. "Bad Andy" always seems to show up in primetime, and I think that'll be the case again in Arizona this week. I like for the Cardinals to hand the Bengals back-to-back losses, and I don't see Dalton having a top-10 fantasy night in this one.
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RBs |
1.Adrian Peterson
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2.Devonta Freeman
3.Todd Gurley
4.DeMarco Murray
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5.Charcandrick West
6.Marshawn Lynch
7.Darren McFadden
8.Chris Ivory
9.Lamar Miller
10.Jonathan Stewart
11.LeGarrette Blount
12.LeSean McCoy
13.Jeremy Langford
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14.Latavius Murray
15.Doug Martin
16.Frank Gore
17.Justin Forsett
18.James Starks
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19.Danny Woodhead
20.Chris Johnson
21.TJ Yeldon
22.Giovani Bernard
23.Karlos Williams
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24.Matt Jones
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25.Ronnie Hillman
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26.Jeremy Hill
27.Antonio Andrews
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28.Melvin Gordon
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29.Joique Bell
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30.Alfred Blue
31.Shaun Draughn
32.Dexter McCluster
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33.Andre Ellington
34.CJ Anderson
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35.Charles Sims
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I wasn't really down on anyone versus the ESPN experts last week, so I gave you two guys I was high on: Charcandrick West (ESPN #22, ME #14) and Alfred Blue (ESPN #29, ME #21). Charcandrick continued to get his usual (as of late) 100+ yards and a TD. In fact, he racked up over 150 total yards and TWO touchdowns on his way to the second-best day for a fantasy RB in Week 10. I now have him as a top-5 fantasy RB this week as the Chiefs travel to San Diego, and the ESPN experts do too. Welcome to the party, boys. You're only a couple of weeks late! As for Alfred Blue on MNF? Like I said, I had a feeling that "Bad Andy" could show up in primetime and Houston could find a way to stay in this one. I was right in that respect (the Texans actually won the game), but Blue didn't do much of anything in this game.
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| Oh, how I hope I'm wrong with this one! |
I'm high on: DeMarco Murray (ESPN #11, ME #4)
This week in my money league, I'm facing two guys in my top-5: Gurley and DeMarco. Ugh! I'm not really sure why the ESPN experts are so down on DeMarco this week. Ryan Mathews could be out with a concussion, and by "could be" I mean "definitely". That guy's track record with injuries is a mile long. No way is he playing on Sunday. Not only that, but Mark Sanchez at the helm now. So I feel like this game could be all DeMarco all the time. I hope I'm wrong about this one for the sake of my fantasy team/season, but I think DeMarco Murray will be a top-5 fantasy RB for the second time in 3 weeks.
I'm down on: Eddie Lacy (ESPN #33, ME NOT RANKED)
We all know that Eddie Lacy has been terrible this year. Sure, we all had him as a top-5 preseason pick, but we're miles away from that point in time. Keep in mind he's also coming off an injury. I mean, he's been practicing this week, but how confident are you that he'll even play against the Vikings? And if he does, I guess you're going to count on him to score a TD? Minnesota has given up the 7th-fewest rushing touchdowns this season (5). I wouldn't count on Lacy to hit paydirt, nor would I count on him at all this week (or maybe any week for the rest of the season!).
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WRs
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1.Julio Jones
2.Dez Bryant
3.Calvin Johnson
4.Allen Robinson
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5.DeAndre Hopkins
6.Mike Evans
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7.Larry Fitzgerald
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8.Demaryius Thomas
9.Amari Cooper
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10.Alshon Jeffery
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11.Randall Cobb
12.Eric Decker
13.AJ Green
14.Brandon Marshall
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15.Michael Crabtree
16.Jarvis Landry
17.Allen Hurns
18.TY Hilton
19.Stefon Diggs
20.Sammy Watkins
21.Brandon LaFell
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22.Davante Adams
23.Stevie Johnson
24.Michael Floyd
25.Jeremy Maclin
26.Danny Amendola
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27.Emmanuel Sanders
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28.Jordan Matthews
29.Kamar Aiken
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30.Tavon Austin
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31.Golden Tate
34.Doug Baldwin
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Last week I was high on Kamar Aiken (ESPN #38, ME #26) and down on Larry Fitzgerald (ESPN #17, ME #24). I didn't understand how Joe Flacco was ranked as a top-15 fantasy QB in Week 9 but the ESPN experts didn't rank Aiken highly at all. I mean, who did they think Joe would throw the ball to? Anyway, Aiken finished right around 26th (where I ranked him). As for Fitzgerald, well Carson Palmer put up big numbers against a Seattle defense that had been giving up the fewest fantasy points to WRs on the year. Fitz finished as a top-10 fantasy WR in Week 10. I'm playing against Carson Palmer this week in my money league (and likely Michael Floyd) and I'm pretty worried. I guess we'll see what happens...
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| Let's pump the brakes on the little guy, OK? |
I'm high on: Stefon Diggs (ESPN #28, ME #19)
I realize he's cooled off a bit since his hot start in Week 4, but Diggs is still the #1 target for Teddy Bridgewater. I like for him to get 10+ balls thrown his way against he Packers, and I think he'll turn that into double-digit fantasy points.
I'm down on: Danny Amendola (ESPN #16, ME #26)
I understand that like Julian Edelman, Amendola is a tiny white man who plays WR for the Patriots. But unlike Edelman (and Wes Welker for that matter), Amendola hasn't done a ton in his career. Maybe he'll step in and have an instant impact, but I like for Gronk and LaFell to benefit more than others seem to be thinking.
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TEs
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1.Rob Gronkowski
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2.Greg Olsen
3.Tyler Eifert
4.Jordan Reed
5.Travis Kelce
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6.Delanie Walker
7.Eric Ebron
8.Jason Witten
9.Antonio Gates
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10.Jimmy Graham
Last week my tight end rankings continued to be pretty much the same as ESPN's, but this week I actually have a couple of glaring differences...
 I'm high on: Eric Ebron (ESPN #12, ME #7)
The Raiders give up the second most fantasy points to tight ends, and Eric Ebron has averaged 6 targets over his last 3 games. Kyle Rudolph just walked into the endzone last week against the Raiders, and I envision Ebron doing the same thing in Week 11.
I'm down on: Antonio Gates (ESPN #5, ME #9)
The Chiefs don't give up fantasy points to tight ends. In fact, they're on the opposite end of the spectrum as the Raiders and give up the second FEWEST. I don't think Gates is 100% healthy, and I think he could be held in check this week.
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DEF
1.Panthers
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2.Seahawks
3.Broncos
4.Jets
5.Patriots
6.Eagles
7.Chiefs
8.Rams
9.Cardinals
10.Texans
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For the third week in a row, my top-10 defenses were basically the same as ESPN's (just in a little different order). But I was definitely down on the Seahawks versus the ESPN experts
(ESPN #5, ME #10). I didn't see a top-5 fantasy performance happening against a Cardinals team coming off a bye and giving up the 2nd fewest points to opposing defenses this year. I said I thought Arizona might pull off a win at Seattle, and they did. A 4th quarter Bobby Wagner fumble return for a TD definitely helped your cause if you started the Seahawks D in your fantasy league, but they still were nowhere near a top-5 play last week.
I'm high on: Kansas City Chiefs (ESPN #11, ME #7)
No fantasy defense is better in their last three games than the Chiefs. They had a rough start to the season, but in their last 5 games they've actually been holding offenses to an average of just 14 points. I think the Chargers will struggle to put points up against them, and KC should be a top-10 fantasy defense in Week 11.
 I'm down on: Green Bay Packers (ESPN #9, ME NOT RANKED)
I considered ranking the Titans, Bengals, Falcons...even the Cowboys! But I wasn't looking at Green Bay in my top-10 this week. In the last 4 weeks, the Packers have been the WORST fantasy defense in all of fantasy football (yes, that includes the Saints). Meanwhile, the Vikings have been winning and not giving up a ton of fantasy points to opposing defenses. I don't like Green Bay on the road in this game, and I didn't even consider them this week.
Good luck to everyone in Week 11!
(Except you, Carl...)
Cheers,
Bart
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