Eric Decker – The Fantasy Sports Coach

Fantasy Football: Week 7 Thoughts

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals

Marshawn Lynch was his usual powerful self running for over 90 yards and scoring a touchdown. His middle finger to the sideline on a goal-line pass call was like a scene from the cutting room floor of Any Given Sunday. If I were Lynch I would be pissed as well as he is as good as it gets at the goal line. Russell Wilson broke the spell of underperforming QBs on Thursday night as he managed 3 TDs through the air and ran for an additional 29 yards. Zach Miller continued the tight end dominance against the Cardinals as he had 5 grabs for 40 yards and a TD. The return of Percy Harvin to practice this week makes him a top waiver priority, but don’t expect huge numbers in this run first offense.

The Cardinals on the other hand were lucky that the scoreboard didn’t reflect their actual play. Waiver wire darling Andre Ellington managed 5 touches for 13 yards, as Rashard Mendenhall once again led the Cardinals’ backfield in touches with 13. Mendenhall was once again ineffective as he had only 22 yards on 13 carries, but did manage a rushing TD. Larry Fitzgerald was playing on a balky hamstring and it showed. He only had 2 receptions for 17 yards on 5 targets. Michael Floyd led the Cardinals in yardage and targets, while Rob Housler had a lot of “garbage time” looks. Housler finished with a season high 7 receptions for 53 yards. If Jermichael Finley was your TE1 Housler may be a better roster filler than whoever gets named Finley’s replacement.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons

Mike Glennon was able to top 20 fantasy points once again as he made it a point to target Vincent Jackson whenever possible. Jackson led all wide receivers in week 7 with 22 targets, while finishing with a tremendous 10 receptions for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tim Wright got the bulk of the passing down snaps, but didn’t see the targets necessary to make him fantasy football relevant. Doug Martin had juicy match up against Atlanta and of course he was injured while running the ball in the red zone. Mike James took over and looked very capable in Martin’s absence. Schiano won’t admit that Martin’s shoulder injury is season ending yet, but I would be targeting Mike James in all free agent systems. The volume will be there and he is a skilled runner so it could be worth mortgaging your FAAB budget if your early round running backs didn’t pan out. (Wilson, T-Rich, Spiller, etc.)

The demise of Matt Ryan was greatly exaggerated as he had a fantastic fantasy day against the Buccaneers. His big first half was enough to calm many a fantasy GMs nerves. Jacquizz Rogers had a great PPR day with 8 receptions for 46 yards and 2 touchdowns, but the Falcons as team found it difficult to run the ball as they had 18 carries for 18 total yards. With Steven Jackson having a set back last week it only solidifies Rogers’ PPR value. Tony Gonzalez was thought to be the beneficiary of all the lost targets from the losses of Julio Jones and Roddy White, but Harry Douglas had other plans. Douglas had his best fantasy day as a pro with 7 receptions for 149 yards and touchdown, while Gonzo had 2 receptions for 30 yards.

Cincinnati Bengals at Detroit Lions

The Bengals’ Andy Dalton must have heard me muttering a few weeks ago about his lack of production. I was sold on him coming into the year as the poor man’s Matt Ryan with all the weapons at his disposal, but he had failed to breakout until the last two weeks. Dalton had 372 yards and 3 touchdowns in a tough road game in Detroit. AJ Green had a huge game with 6 receptions for 155 yards and a TD. The Bengals talented tight end duo of Gresham and Eifert had 7 receptions for over 100 yards and a touchdown combined. Giovani Bernard was held in check, but still managed over 10 points in full point PPR leagues. Marvin Jones had a nice TD and could be taking over a the WR2 very soon. For those of you that lost Reggie Wayne this weekend in deep leagues, I could see taking flier on the talented Jones.

Matthew Stafford was once again a player that many thought about benching going against a very tough Cincy Defense that never gives up 300 yard games, but if you stayed the course you were rewarded. While Stafford wasn’t terribly efficient (28/51) he did manage to throw for 357 yards and 3 touchdowns. That gives him 7 passing TDs over the last two weeks. Reggie Bush got plenty of opportunities with 20 carries and 5 targets, but only managed 94 yards. Calvin Johnson broke out big time with 9 receptions for 155 yards and 2 TDs after being a decoy last week. Kris Durham was targeted 8 times and came away with 5 receptions for 41 yards. Joseph Fauria was NOT the tight end to reach the end zone as Brandon Pettigrew was able to catch a touch down pass. Fauria did see 3 targets in the end zone. Nate Burleson is almost back and will be a welcome sight for this offense.

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins

Thad Lewis was unable to match his week 6 fantasy output (who knew) and finished with 0 TDs. Stevie Johnson was his favorite target with 13 total targets, but only managed 6 receptions for 61 yards. CJ Spiller had 9 touches for 7 total yards. 7!!!!! The future is as cloudy as it’s ever been for this top fantasy draft pick. Fred Jackson was injured twice during the game, but toughed it out and managed the only offensive touchdown for the Bills.

Ryan Tannehill was constantly under pressure and turned the ball over 3 times resulting in points for the Buffalo Bills. Brandon Gibson was a PPR star with 5 receptions for 40 yards and 2 TDs. Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline both had over 10 targets, but didn’t have the big games many expected. Charles Clay turned his one reception into a touch down. I was surprised he wasn’t more involved. I was even more surprised that the annoying (for fantasy purposes) Daniel Thomas had more touches than Lamar Miller. Miller is in a virtual time share for the foreseeable future and should be benched in most formats.

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles

Tony Romo had a few bad turnovers, but still managed to top 300 yards and throw a touchdown pass. Joseph Randle proved to be just an average talent, but did have 22 touches for 93 yards. Miles Austin once again was riding a bike and it looks like he will be shut down for a while. He honestly he doesn’t fit the offense anymore as their ideal set of receivers is Dez, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, and Jason Witten are much better at exploiting matchups. Dez Bryant had 8 receptions on 16 targets for 110 yards. Terrance Williams once again scored a touch down and looks to be more than a dynasty league target now. He is a legitimate WR2 if Miles Austin is phased out. If he is available make him a top priority.

Nick Foles pretty much sunk every daily fantasy line up I had as he was horrible while he was in the game and later left with a concussion. The good new is Michael Vick should be back this week. DeSean Jackson failed to get going with his QBs struggling and was injured on a running play. Somehow Jason Avant had a team high 15 targets, but only turned them into 3 receptions. Riley Cooper had 6 receptions on 7 targets for 88 yards and still managed one bad drop. LeSean McCoy was held in check by a Dallas defense filled with no names up front.

New England Patriots at New York Jets

Tom Brady once again disappointed, but who can blame him. These wide receivers just can’t be relied on and he focused almost all of his attention on the returning Rob Gronkowski. Gronk led the Patriots in targets with 17 and had 8 receptions for 114 yards. He was tackled inside the 2 yard line on one play and failed to see a pass from Brady because of the sun being in his eyes, otherwise he would have also had a touchdown. Brady was focusing on Gronk so much that he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown on one pass where he defender undercut Gronk’s route. Ridley and Bolden split the touches in the backfield and both had rushing touchdowns. Bolden getting the first crack at a goal line carry had some Ridley owners running for the exits. Ridley is by far the best running back at their disposal, but he is nothing more than a RB2 with this usage.

Geno Smith was inefficient when throwing the football (17/33), but did manage to throw a touchdown and run for one. Off season acquisition Chris Ivory was finally on display, but nobody decided to tell fantasy owners of Bilal Powell that Ivory would be the bell-cow for the day. Ivory getting 34 carries for 104 yards was a nice surprise for anyone who was forced to put him in their lineups is deeeep leagues. Jeremy Kerley was able to show off his considerable skills in the absence of Santonio Holmes by having 8 receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown. Jeff Cumberland started the game with a 25 yard reception, but managed just 2 more receptions for 16 additional yards. I still like his skill set if you’re desperate for a tight end.

Chicago Bears at Washington Redskins

The Bears are decimated by injuries on defense and that trend continued as Lance Briggs was injured in this game. The bigger problem for the Bears and fantasy owners is Jay Cutler was injured and looks like he will be out more than a month with a groin tear. Matt Forte was in all my daily fantasy lineups and that paid off big time as he had his first ever 3 rushing touch down game. Alshon Jeffrey made the most of his four receptions as he went over 100 yards and had an additional 16 on the ground. Brandon Marshall had 6 receptions for 75 yards on a team high 10 targets. Martellus Bennett made the most of his one reception with a seven yard TD. The fact that the Bears will have to turn to journeyman Josh McCown for the next few games makes banking on anyone besides Forte and Marshall going forward a tough thing to do.

I expected a huge game from the Redskins running game against the Bears and boy did we get it. The only thing is it wasn’t Alfred Morris who was the top fantasy producer. Instead Roy Helu Jr. came off the bench and vultured 3 touch downs. The Redskins ran for 209 yards and Morris was able to nab 95 of those yards while Robert Griffin III was able to run for 84 yards. The big news in this game was the break out of tight end Jordan Reed. The signs have been coming for a while that Reed was going to break out and now he has arrived. The stage was cleared before the game as Fred Davis was a healthy scratch and Reed came through big time with 9 receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown. Somehow he is only owned in 25%of ESPN fantasy leagues. That’s going to end big time. If he’s on the wire he should be your top priority.

St. Louis Rams at Carolina Panthers

Well this game couldn’t have ended any worse for the Rams. Their best defensive player Chris Long was shown the door for throwing a punch in a scrum and Sam Bradford was lost for the year to a torn ACL. Janoris Jenkins decided to enrage Steve Smith of the Panthers and was the recipient of a vintage move by Smith for a receiving TD. The only bright spot was waiver wire find Zac Stacy managed to have a nice fantasy game (87 total yards and a TD) in a terrible matchup. The Rams should have to lean heavily on Stacy going forward, but their run game might not be able to hold up against the added attention. Kellen Clemons is a big down grade from Sam Bradford behind a suspect offensive line.

The Panthers had a nice fantasy match up against the Rams and failed to capitalize. Cam Newton put up pedestrian numbers and DeAngelo Williams was only able to 40 yards on 15 carries. If you chose Mike Tolbert in any best ball leagues you got rewarded again with a short yardage touchdown. Steve Smith had a touchdown and added 69 yards. Greg Olsen only had 4 targets and caught all four for 47 yards. I’m worried that he isn’t involved enough.

San Diego Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars

Philip Rivers was super efficient going 22/26 for 285 yards and a touchdown. While Rivers had a very nice day it was the running backs you wanted in your lineups for this match up. Ryan Mathews rewarded your patience by running the ball for 110 yards and 1 TD. A running back going for 100 yards is nothing to sneeze at in today’s NFL. Danny Woodhead once again put up over 15 PPR points and has been even better than he was last year in New England. Eddie Royal finally got back in the end zone with a diving effort at the pylon. Waiver wire target Keenan Allen had 3 receptions for 67 yards, but was banged up a little in this one. Antonio Gates had 6 receptions, but managed only 31 yards.

Chad Henne had over 300 yards passing, but was sacked 6 times and threw one interception. Justin Blackmon had a pedestrian game (6-58-0TDs) after having back to back huge games. Cecil Shorts III was a surprise start and had a team high 8 receptions for 80 yards. Mike Brown looked pretty good against Denver last week and he looked even better this week with 5 receptions for 120 yards. I would only look at him in extremely deep leagues unless there’s an injury to Shorts or Blackmon. Still a name to file away.

San Francisco 49ers at Tennessee Titans

The 49ers have decided they are a running team only apparently. They rode Frank Gore and Colin Kaepernick’s legs to a victory on the road. Kaepernick was once a gain not a top 10 fantasy QB, but did look more decisive and explosive when running. Frank Gore had 70 yards rushing with 2 TDs and even added 34 yards in the air. Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis got the bulk of the targets and had decent days as both just barely managed more than 10 fantasy points in PPR leagues.

Jake Locker made a surprise start and was a top 12 fantasy quarterback as he racked up yardage and touchdowns in catch up mode. (326 yards 2 TDs) Chris Johnson was only used in 1% of Draftstreet lineups because of the tough match up against the 49ers, but racked up 19 fantasy points thanks to a long catch and run. Kendall Hunter is becoming a nice flex option in PPR leagues as he had 9 receptions for 98 yards. Nate Washington saw his targets increase (10) with Locker back , but managed only 3 receptions for 62 yards.

Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers

The Browns played like a team that knew they didn’t have a chance to win. Even though the Packers defense was banged up the Browns failed to take advantage. Weeden looked awful (17/42 for 149 yards 1TD 1Int) and it wouldn’t surprise me if he finds the bench next week. McGahee was pedestrian and the Browns haven’t missed a beat with T-Rich traded. The big surprise was the performance by Josh Gordon. He had 2 receptions for 21 yards on 6 targets and looked almost disinterested. Jordan Cameron got a lot of garbage time attentions and finished with a team high 7 receptions for 55 yards and 1 TD.

Finley’s career may be in jeopardy after sustaining a serious neck injury

Aaron Rodgers was able to have a very representative game (260 yards 3 touch downs) despite missing two of his biggest targets in Randall Cobb and James Jones. Jarrett Boykin the owners that rushed to the waiver wire for him last week with 8 receptions for 103 yards and 1 TD. Jordy Nelson was limited in production by Joe Haden, but still managed to grab 5 balls for 42 yards and 1 TD. The big issue for the the Packers is the very scary injury to Jermichael Finley. He was having a break out game with 5 receptions for 72 yards and a hard fought touch down, only to have his health come into question on a hit over the middle. Finley has been diagnosed with a spinal contusion and if you own him you should look for a replacement ASAP. I honestly hope he is put on IR and is able to fully heal before thinking about suiting up again. Andrew Quarless will most likely take over tight end duties for the Packers, but I would look to some other FA names first.

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs

Case Keenum got the chance to start for the struggling Texans. He had a very nice game (271 yards 1 TD) even though he didn’t have a running game to take the pressure off. Arian Foster injured his hamstring very early in the game and his back up Ben Tate apparently broke a few ribs filling in. By the end of the game they were down to fullback Greg Jones running the ball as third string running back Cierre Wood was inactive and later released for team rules violations. After the running backs were hurt it was impossible for Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins to build on their hot starts to the game.

What more can I say about Jamaal Charles. He is the most consistent runningback in fantasy football. A ho-hum 123 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in the 7th game in a row. Dwayne Bowe had a team high 9 targets, but didn’t have a big game. The return of Anthony Fasano almost produced two touchdowns, but he was tackled inside the 5 yard line twice. Keep an eye on him in deep leagues as Alex Smith loves to feature the tight end.

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

This game was a struggle for both teams and for fans to watch. Ray Rice continued to struggle and Torrey Smith was once again held in check. Nothing more to report besides some injuries to the Baltimore offensive line that might need a shuffle.

The bright spot for the Steelers was the continued emergence of Le’Veon Bell. He carried the ball 19 times for over 90 yards and showed nice patience when pressing the hole. One of my all-time favorite tight ends Heath Miller caught the only touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger, but only caught one other pass. PPR beast Antonio Brown was held relatively in check with 6 receptions for 55 yards. My Trick Plays sleeper Emanuel Sanders was a big disappointment with only one reception for 7 yards. He teased me and fantasy owners with with a long touchdown return, but stepped out of bounds by a hair. UGH!

Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning was able to put up big fantasy numbers (386 yards 3 TDs), but his passes were mostly wounded ducks that had fantasy owners scared about an injury. The injuries along the offensive line finally proved to be costly as Manning was hit regularly by the Colts defense. Manning tried to take advantage of two deep safeties by running the ball, but Knowshon Moreno failed to get anything going on the ground (15-40 1 TD) and his running mate Ronnie Hillman once again had a costly fumble. Eric Decker had 8 receptions for 150 yards and 1 TD, Demaryius Thomas had 4 for 82 and 1 TD, Wes Welker was fed the ball late and had 7 receptions for 96 yards. Tight End Julius Thomas had 5 receptions for 41 yards and 1 TD.

Andrew Luck was played heavily in daily fantasy football and he didn’t disappoint. (228 yards 3 TDs 29 yards 1 TD), but he did lose his best wide receiver Reggie Wayne to a torn ACL on a poorly thrown ball. The injury to Wayne should be very concerning for any Andrew Luck owner as he leaned on him heavily. The Colts are going to need TY Hilton and Coby Fleener to grow up fast and Darius Heyward-Bey to make more plays. Trent Richardson was once again held in check as he looks completely lost running the ball. He is indecisive and shows a real lack of vision.

Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants

Adrian Peterson should have stayed on the bus for this one. With the Vikings throwing Josh Freeman to the wolves by starting him a few short weeks aster signing him, Peterson was met by a wall every time he tried to carry the ball. Freeman looked rusty and out of sync with every wide receiver on the Vikings as he had over 30 in-completions. Talking about any of the receivers would be disservice to them as they had no chance on may of Freeman’s throws. I would stay away from starting any Viking besides AP until Freeman gets acclimated.

Eli Manning was looking at another banged up secondary and another chance to get into the good graces of fantasy owners, but once again didn’t produce. (200 yards 1 TD) Peyton Hillis was signed off the street and found himself as many fantasy owners’ last hope of grabbing a victory. While he totaled 81 total yards and a touchdown, it was anything but a great running back performance. Hakeem Nicks had a case of the drops and if you hoped he would be traded to a better passing team I think that ship has sailed. Victor Cruz had a tremendous match up and only managed 5 receptions for 50 yards. Rueben Randle was once again hit or miss. He made a tremendous leaping catch for a touchdown and then fumbled a punt return by using poor fundamentals. I’m a little worried that play may land him in the doghouse next week.

Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks are a Fantasy Football Dynamic Duo

The importance of drafting a Wide Receiver high in fantasy drafts has never been lower. With the NFL making rule changes every time you turn around. The defense has never been more at a disadvantage. Quarterbacks are free to pick apart toothless secondaries and rack up numbers that have never been seen in the modern game, while defenses have to play Roger Goodell’s version of flag football. The game is safer for the receiver, but almost impossible for a defensive back.

The reason I have the wide receiver position as a low draft priority is not because of a lack of production, but the exact opposite. There is production everywhere. Wide receivers can step up off the streets and became productive fantasy receivers. Just look at Danario Alexander and Cecil Shorts III last year. Alexander was a balky knee free agent who found his way into many fantasy lineups while Shorts III was a small school (Mount Union) after thought that played at an elite level for a number of games last year. Alexander averaged 92.5 yards and .833 TDs from week 9 to week 14 when he became the only reliable target for Phillip Rivers in San Diego. Shorts III averaged 90 yards and .625 TDs from weeks 7 through 15 when he finally became a full time starter for the Jaguars. For comparisons sake A J Green who finished as one of the top fantasy wide receivers last year and is projected in my top 6 this year averaged 84.375 yards and .6875 TDs over the course of 16 games. It just goes to show you that production can come from anywhere in the draft or on the waiver wire when it comes to the wide receiver position.

NFL teams used to have one fantasy relevant receiver, but now some teams feature as many as three high-round draftable wide receivers. The addition ofWes Welker in Denver makes for a great competition for targets between him, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. While many teams feature fantasy stud bookends like the Giants, some teams still sadly have no sure fire fantasy starters such as the NY Jets, and the Oakland Raiders, but these are the exceptions to the rule.

I currently only have six wide receivers as my clear cut WR1s and 20 others as low-end WR1 to WR2 status. That’s 26 wide receivers who are virtually interchangeable. There are draft tiers within the 26, but overall it’s hard to separate the masses. I have never seen a list that screamed at me to wait more than this year’s wide receivers list. I have a few wide receivers that could make a charge up to top 3 statuses with improved play either by themselves or by their quarterbacks. Larry Fitzgerald could make the leap back up to elite if Carson Palmer resembles the guy we knew in Cincinnati and falls in love with Fitzgerald as a target. While Dez Bryant closed out last season like a man on fire and could continue his maturation into becoming a top 3 fantasy wide receiver. Last, but certainly not least, is Roto-darling Julio Jones. Jones has been trumpeted as the next Calvin Johnson for two years now, but the presence of Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez always make his targets and production less than expected. (Not to mention his balky hamstrings)

We, as Giants fans, are living in a golden age of fantasy wide receiver relevance. We have two wide receivers in Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruzwho could easily play up to WR1 status and at worst are excellent WR2 options. The only draw-back for a lot of us is “Giant fan draft bias” in a lot of our leagues. What I mean by “Giant fan draft bias” is we may have to reach a little during the draft to get our Giants’ wide receivers as there are usually a few fans of the Giants in our local in-person drafted leagues. Reaching a little for Hakeem Nicks over say Vincent Jackson is not a big deal. Nicks or Jackson could and should play to WR1 status and you might as well have a Giant to root for doubly on Sundays. But taking Victor Cruz over Calvin Johnson may be a mortal sin. I have to check on that, but I’m pretty sure.

Giant fan fantasy GMs have had a long drought at the wide receiver position, as far as having a clear cut WR1 to draft and root for. Plaxico Burress was a high end WR2 in his heyday with the Giants while Steve Smith was a WR1 in PPR leagues during the 2009 season. Amani Toomer had a nice run as a WR2 from 1999 to 2003 as he averaged 1,169 yards receiving and 6.5 touchdowns, but only threatened WR1 status once. Toomer’s 2002 season of 1,343 yards receiving and 8 TDs was the standard of New York Giants fantasy receiver production before the current dynamic duo.

Just to prove a point let’s have a trivia question.

Question: Which decade saw more Giants’ 1,000-yard wide receivers (and who were they) the ’80s or ’90s? Answer provided at the bottom.

While Burress could be counted on for touchdowns and Smith for receptions, no one could combine the overall receiver skills that both Nicks and Cruz possess. They can both challenge the 100-reception plateau and should easily reach 1000 yards. They can score from anywhere on the field and both could make a run at the league lead in touchdowns. The emergence of Rueben Randle as a third receiver and the additions of Brandon Myers and Louis Murphy should also free up Nicks and Cruz to become even more valuable moving forward. Not to mention they are both vying for lucrative long term contracts.

Nicks played as mostly a decoy last year as foot and knee issues held up his production (692 yards and 3 TDs). Cruz was forced to carry the load and showed some inconsistency in his game as he had some drops (fourth in the league with 12) and frustrating play. Mike Francesa recently intimated that Cruz had lost a step while speaking on his radio show, but I did not see that when I watched the film. I saw a team that was not able to free up their weapon on enough occasions as Nicks was injured and Hixon was playing on two bad knees. Ramses Barden received the same attention from secondaries as he did in free-agency, none, when he was forced into the lineup. This lack of a secondary option forced Cruz into facing double and triple teams and bracket coverage in many games. Cruz and Nicks should be hungry as they are both in contract years and could push the Giants passing game to heights never before reached.

Not since Homer Jones during the 1967 season have the Giants had the No. 1 overall fantasy wide receiver. That drought could easily come to an end if the Giants fire on all cylinders this season. The best part is it could be Cruz or Nicks who makes the leap to league leader and we, as Giants’ fans and fantasy GMs, can reap the benefits. Barring injuries and contract holdouts I project Victor Cruz to post 1,280 receiving yards with 9 touchdowns and Hakeem Nicks to go for 1,330 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. I like both in the third to fourth round in most redraft formats. If you can get Nicks in the top of the fifth round count yourself lucky and ahead of the game as his injury history might see his stock fall.

You can follow me on twitter @coachesser or contact me on my Facebook page CoachEsser’s Playbook with any questions or comments. You can also go to my website, www.coachesser.com, to see my latest rankings and articles on fantasy sports. My first pre-season rankings will be up on July 1st as I wait for mini-camps and OTAs to come to a close.

Trivia Answer: The 1980s had two Giants receivers hit the 1,000-yard mark as Earnest Gray had 1,139 yards in 1983 and Lionel Manuel had 1,029 in 1988. Amani Toomer was the only Giant to catch passes for more than 1,000 yards during the 1990s when in 1999 he had 1,183 yards receiving.

This article originally appeared at www.BigBlueView.com on Friday June 7th, 2013

Fantasy Football 2012 Post Season Awards

After a long and grueling season, it is now time for Coach Dennis to hand out his awards for unique and completely fabricated categories.

The Least Sexy Pick of the Year

Winner: Marshawn Lynch (RB-SEA)

On draft day you would probably heard a lot of people say good pick as you put Marshawn’s name on the board. Not great, but good is the moral of this story. No one was super excited about drafting Lynch with an unknown commodity starting at QB in 2012. The smart GMs saw the late season matchups and knew the offense would run on Marshawn slipping into “Beast Mode” if the Seahawks were to reach their potential. Marshawn put up ten 100 yard rushing days and 12 total touchdowns during the season. His biggest games came at the most important times for fantasy GMs. Weeks 13 through 16 Lynch put up huge numbers carrying GMs into the playoffs, and onto the winners stand. Lynch averaged 109.75 yards rushing and 1.75 touchdowns during the most critical weeks of the year, earning him a Post Season award from yours truly, and a place in the hearts of Fantasy GMs around the country.

The Dennis Green “They are what we thought they were!” Award

Winner: Michael Turner (RB-ATL)

The entire world was ready for Michael Turner to fall off the list of must start running backs, and he did not disappoint. The talking heads on TV and even the guy at your draft that shows up with a draft guide printed in April all knew to stay away from this aging former fantasy stud. His decline in production was a perfect storm of factors for the Atlanta Falcons. The team was finally full of healthy weapons all over the field, and was moving more to a pass first offense, which did not bode well for the old war horse. The continued maturation of Jacquizz Rogers was just another nail into the coffin. While Turner did produce 11 combined touchdowns, he only totaled 800 yards rushing while only topping 20 carries once.

Same Team, Same Stats, Different Guy

Winner: Steven Ridley (RB-NE)

Stevan Ridley’s 1,263 rushing yards were well beyond Benjarvis Green-Ellis’s last few seasons in New England, but the 12 touchdowns was exactly what you could count on from the law-firm in his final two years in New England. Ridley was a steal as a top notch Running Back 2 in most leagues as he topped 100 yards four times and was the consistent goal line back piling up 12 touchdowns (when he was not in Belichek’s doghouse for fumbles). While he may not be Adrian Peterson, he is definitely the most talented back to feature for the Patriots since Corey Dillon.

Different Team, Same Stats, Same Guy

Winner: Peyton Manning (QB-DEN)

Peyton Manning was a steal in most drafts. He would have easily been the fourth or fifth quarterback taken if not for his career-threatening injury coupled with an address change to Denver. Manning was snapped up in the middle rounds in most drafts and threw 37 touchdowns, placing him third in the league while also eclipsing his totals during his previous two healthy years (2009-2010). He also threw for over 4,600 yards without breaking a sweat and seemingly getting better as the season progressed. Manning single-handedly made Demaryious Thomas and Eric Decker a dynamic receiving duo. Having these receivers and a solid running game, Manning’s renaissance is not a one-year wonder and he should return to the top of draft boards in 2013.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Darren McFadden

Winner: Darren McFadden (RB-OAK)

While fantasy owners constantly salivate over Darren McFadden’s potential and raw skills, he has proven again and again that he cannot hold up over the course of a season. This year proved no different as he missed four games due to constant foot and ankle injuries. Even when he was in the lineup, he had trouble adapting to a new zone read scheme. McFadden registered 700 yards rushing and just three touchdowns after being a late first or early second round pick. Two of his three 100 yard rushing days were against the Chiefs – enough said. I know there are a lot of you reading this cringing like a girlfriend constantly scorned, but I am willing to bet that you will probably draft him again next year based on potential.

Worst Deep Round Sleeper

Winner: Titus Young (WR-DET)

No matter where you looked, everyone and their mother were touting Lions wide receiver Titus Young, the second-year pro out of Boise State. I was almost swept up into the madness until I realized that he had more personal fouls during his rookie season than the entire New York Giants defense. Not exactly the calm, cool under pressure young receiver I wanted for my team, to say the least. With Calvin Johnson constantly seeing double coverage, Young was supposed to reap the rewards. Young was expected to almost double his 2011 stats of 600 yards and 6 touchdowns, but instead he cut that in half as he regressed into a banished draft bust. Young is the first receiver I have ever seen who purposely lined up in the wrong position, as well as ran the wrong routes in protest of how he was being used in the Lions’ offense. I believe everyone deserves a second chance, but I think his will come on the waiver wire both in the NFL and in fantasy leagues.

Most Valuable Surgeon

Winner: Dr. James Andrews

Dr. Andrews once again worked his magic as Adrian Peterson came back from a torn MCL and ACL to come within 9 yards of breaking the all-time single season rushing record. Peterson was only held in check by his own coaching staff as he was eased back into his workhorse role. He was a man amongst boys from Week 7 through Week 17 as he averaged 159.8 yards rushing and just over a touchdown per game. Peterson was nothing short of phenomenal as he carried many fantasy owners to the Promised Land.

(Honorable Mentions must go out to the surgeons for Jamaal Charles and Peyton Manning as they returned to their old selves sooner than anyone could have anticipated.)

The Art of The Deal
Gallery
The Art of The Deal

Fantasy Football

The Art of The Deal

With the final few weeks of the Fantasy Football regular season upon us, most GM’s are scrambling to optimize their rosters for that all important playoff push. While some are scouring the waiver wire in the hopes that Cecil Shorts is this year’s Victor Cruz, others are doing their homework trying to make the perfect deadline trade. After realizing that Sidney Rice and Jeremy Maclin aren’t the guys to bring the trophy home, you can fall back on my trade guidelines to help you pluck that perfect piece off of someone else’s roster.

Classic Blunders

1. Don’t put available players on your message boards. You might as well tell your entire league you hate these guys and are willing to be insulted with horrible trade offers. It gives the impression that your available players have clearance tags on them. This turns off some GM’s based on the pure fact that these guys must be tainted, and it attracts the vultures that smell a lop-sided deal. If you put your third running back up on a message board, I guarantee you will be offered someone’s fourth or fifth receiver. I know we are all busy, but laziness is never rewarded, nor should it be.

2. Don’t put your needs on a message boards. Again, you are just asking for your buddies to try and take advantage of you. I really hated when some sites started utilizing needs and available player categories. You would inevitably only see the guys who were about to be put on the waiver wire put up.

3. Don’t offer a trade and renege. This happens quite frequently with lazy GM’s. They offer a deal without looking at the bye weeks and playoff matchups, and when they receive a “yes” they pull out. You are straining a relationship that you will need for years to come, and in some cases, a friendship. Before you put out an offer, either through email, text, or verbally, be prepared to follow through.

4. Don’t send out mass emails with available players and needs. While this might sound redundant, it is actually very different from the message boards. People occasionally check the message boards in their league, but emails are seen instantly in most cases. The message boards might get you two or three bad offers whereas mass emails will have your inbox flooded with bad offers to sift through.

5. Don’t let yourself get trapped by bye weeks and fragile players. If you are banking on guys riding the eternally questionable tag, be prepared to get burned. When you draft multiple players with the same bye week and don’t plan ahead, you are practically begging for someone to throw you a terrible trade offer. This week we have Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Marshawn Lynch and Ahmad Bradshaw all on byes. If you had two of these guys as your starters you are looking at backup running backs or terrible trade offers to try and win a very important Week 11. If I am 5-5 right now, I might take a hit to try and get in the tournament. How big of a hit is all in the negotiation. I can see things like a Lynch for Ridley deal being completed by desperate owners in some leagues.

Do the Work

There is nothing more satisfying than winning a league thanks mostly to your in-season moves. Sure, some GM’s get lucky drafting a team that goes injury or suspension-free en route to a championship. But more likely than not, the guys who are constantly vying for the top spot are making key pickups and trades at critical points in the year. There is no more critical time then the weeks leading up to the playoffs.

Know your strengths and weaknesses. Are you four-deep at running back but have to rub two sticks together to get a spark from your receivers? Has your tight end been M.I.A. since Week 2? Are your Defense and Kicker matchups ideal for the playoffs?

Where are you losing key points week to week? Are you constantly starting the wrong receiver? Has your lineup been on autopilot when it needed a hands-on driver?

Know your opponents’ weaknesses and strengths. Who stockpiled receivers or running backs? Who has injury issues? Who has a bye week dilemma? Who will take Eli Manning off my hands because he or she is still riding high from last season’s Super Bowl win?

Collect information. Every casual conversation should be an opportunity to gauge your opponent’s feelings about their team. Sometimes a simple mope up to the board on draft day will let you know a player is available. I especially love when GMs tell you they love your pick, or they really wanted that guy. If they wanted him on draft day, he might just be your buyer in Week 11.

Play to your Audience

Every trade is a delicate dance that needs to be approached in a personal way. Here are some characters that are always fun to deal with.

The Costanza.

This GM is the type of person that thinks all strippers and waitresses are into them. If you stroke their ego a little you might just be able to get what you want. Praise them for their draft day foresight and pinpoint in-season pickups. After some heavy petting they might want to share their wealth with your struggling team.

Mr. Shellshocked.

This GM has been taken advantage of and is very leery of anyone who is interested in their players. A little honesty will go a long way with this GM. Tell them who you are after and why. Always have a second target on their team in mind as they will cling to that first bit of information as the bible truth. They tend to make fair counteroffers when almost all the cards are on the table.

Mr. Vegas.

This GM is all about the action. They cannot stand pat for a whole season, let alone week to week. Always let them know there is a trade in the works. They might be your pawn in making a deal possible for you. You may be competing with another team to trade for Jamal Charles who has some favorable playoff matchup. So you happen to let Mr. Vegas know that your competitor is trying to trade for a running back. They will instantly try to insert themselves in the trade activities. You might be able to distract your competitor long enough to pull off your trade.

Puzzle Pieces

The best trades are the ones that make both teams just a little bit better. Your rosters are like puzzles that need each other to finally see the picture. Sometimes on draft day you might not fit, but with free agent pickups and early season trades you evolve into perfect dance partners. This is why you should constantly be looking at your opponent’s rosters, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Recommended Trade Targets

QB – If you don’t have one by now you are most likely out of luck. The waiver wire might be your lifeline if Carson Palmer or Josh Freeman is still available.

RB – Jamaal Charles, Willis McGahee, Stevan Ridley (for his next few matchups), and Shonn Greene to a lesser extent.

WR – For a position that was as deep as I could remember it being in years, it has thinned out considerably through injury and ineffectiveness. Try and grab Denarius Moore, Marques Colston, Eric Decker, Jordy Nelson and Miles Austin.

TE – Antonio Gates, Jermaine Gresham, and Greg Olsen. You might be able to get Olsen as a throw in to tip the scales in your favor.