Peyton Hillis – The Fantasy Sports Coach

Fantasy Football: NY Giants Week 10 Start/Sit
Gallery
Fantasy Football: NY Giants Week 10 Start/Sit

Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football: NY Giants Week 10 Start/Sit

The Giants spent the bye week healing up and readying for an uphill battle back to the top of the NFC East. While it’s anyone’s guess if the Giants really have a legitimate shot at making a run at the NFC East title, the fact that the Giants are as healthy as they have been since training camp cannot be disputed.

The Giants welcome back their power back Andre Brown to a now crowded back-field and could get their best run-blocking tight end, Adrien Robinson, back from a preseason foot injury. The combination could have a ripple effect throughout the Giants offense that could benefit everyone involved. What looked like a thunder and lightning partnership between Andre Brown and David Wilson, has now become a backfield full of rolling thunder. Andre Brown, Peyton Hillis, and finally healthy Brandon Jacobs could become the type of backfield that can break the wills of opponents.

Fantasy Outlook

Eli Manning-311.56 yards 1.45 TDs and 1.56 Ints (numberFire projection)

Eli comes off the bye week with an offensive line that has finally settled in together. While the defense was finally clicking on all cylinders before the bye week , Eli and the offense were sputtering. The additions of Andre Brown and Adrien Robinson can only help Eli over the second half of the year. I expect Eli to have a very big game and my co-host, Micah James, at Trick Plays picked him as his sleeper of the week. The Raidersdefense is ripe for the picking and Eli should put up top ten QB numbers.

Andre Brown-6.02 carries for 27.15 yards and .14 TDs (numberFire)

Brown’s return to the offense comes at an interesting time for the Giants’ running game. Brandon Jacobs had gashed the Bears a few weeks ago before getting injured, and then Peyton Hillis did a more than adequate job stepping into the backfield off the street. Hillis has proved a solid pass blocker as well as pass catcher while doling out his usual forward falling straight ahead runs. Brown’s patience and skills in the screen game could be a perfect compliment to these two bruisers. I actually like Brown to be a nice flex play this week against a bad Raiders defense.

Peyton Hillis-8.40 carries for 27.24 yards and .12 TDs, 2.30 receptions for 21.16 yards and .12 TDs (numberFire)

Hillis will have a diminished role with Brown back from injury, but just how much it will be diminished is still to be seen. Hillis has been very valuable on passing downs and could carve out a niche going forward in that role. I don’t see him as much of a fantasy option until we see how much Brown is going to be used this week.

Brandon Jacobs-?

The return of Andre Brown and the emergence of Peyton Hillis has put a damper on the great story that was for Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs will be lucky to hang onto a roster spot with Brown’s return and should only get short yardage and spot usage going forward.

Victor Cruz-5.34 receptions for 76.09 yards and .43 TDs (numberFire)

Cruz missed practice yesterday with a stiff neck and his status is to be monitored going forward for those that have him in fantasy. I actually have Cruz having a much bigger day, if he plays, than numberFire has him having against the Raiders pass defense. The Raiders safeties have been as bad as any in the league and Cruz can run by them at will if he is healthy.

Hakeem Nicks-3.44 receptions for 46.21 yards and .41 TDs (numberFire)

Nicks has been pretty bad from a fantasy perspective this season. This match-up could be the one to get him going. The Raiders corners have struggled in man coverage and Nicks should be able to beat them off the line of scrimmage at will. I expect almost double the numberFire projections.

Rueben Randle-2.28 receptions for 33.66 yards and .32 TDs (numberFire)

Randle put up a goose-egg the last time out and could see his snaps limited with the return of Stacy Robinson at tight end. While Randle may not get enough snaps to have a huge game, he may only need a few to make a fantasy impact. I expect the Giants to take some deep shots to Randle if they are able to get the running game going. I have Randle as a WR4 this week, but he has TD potential.

Brandon Myers-3.31 receptions for 32.82 yards and .28 TDs (numberFire)

Myers will be freed up from some of his blocking duties by the return of Adrien Robinson to the lineup. Myers has failed to click with Eli Manning so far this season and his production is hard to even project. He is only the fourth option in the offense and should be no more than a tight end two going forward. He could have some more opportunities in the passing game with Hillis in the backfield and Robinson in at tight end. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him have a nice game this week after watching the Raiders try to cover the Eagles tight ends last week.

Start/Sit Around the League

Aaron Rodgers‘ injury has the fantasy football world in an uproar. His shoulder injury not only affects Rodgers’ fantasy owners, but also the owners of Jordy Nelson, Jarrett Boykin, James Jones, and to a lesser extent Eddie Lacy.

Aaron Rodgers owners …

The first thing I would do is to look at the waiver wire and see if Jay Cutler is available. Cutler may return this week from a torn groin and was playing at a borderline QB1 before his injury. He has a great match up against the lions this week and should be good to go if the doctors clear him. Other QBs that could be your answer on the waiver wire are Nick Foles and Case Keenum. Foles is a good choice, but don’t go chasing last week’s points. The Raiders won’t be there for the Eagles to pick on the rest of the year. Keenum will have a huge test this week against the Cardinals on the road, but he has shown a nice deep ball as well as a rapport with his number one receiver Andre Johnson.

Jordy Nelson owners …

Don’t panic, but the WR1 days are over with Wallace at the helm in Green Bay. Seneca Wallace has poor arm strength and will have a hard time hitting Nelson on any out breaking routes as well as getting the ball to him deep. Nelson could still be a WR3 going forward, but I am going to be playing the wait and see game and pray that Rodgers is back in time for the fantasy playoffs.

Jarrett Boykin owners …

Boykin has had a nice showing while filling in for James Jones and Randall Cobb, but his fantasy relevance took a huge hit with Rodgers going down. I would jump ship with Boykin if Riley Cooper, Aaron Dobson, or Mike Brown were available on the waiver wire.

James Jones owners …

Jones has always had trouble separating from coverage, but that was never a problem for Aaron Rodgers. Jones would body up his defender and Rodgers would fit it in to him. Jones is going to be a WR4 until Rodgers comes back from injury.

Eddie Lacy owners …

Eddie Lacy was fast becoming a top fantasy running back the last few weeks, but the absence of Rodgers could put a stop to that trend. Lacy was facing soft fronts with Rodgers at quarterback and now will face stacked boxes that are full of run blitzes. If I was a defensive coordinator, stopping Lacy and his running mate James Starks would be my first priority. Lacy goes back to RB2 territory until Rodgers comes back.

Feel free to ask me any start/sit or trade questions on Twitter @Coachesser or by messaging me on Facebook by liking Coachesser’s Playbook. You can also read my articles at www.coachesser.com and listen to the definitive fantasy football podcast on Itunes or Stitcher Radio by subscribing to the Trick Plays podcast hosted by Micah James (@FFMagicMan) and myself.

Fantasy Football: NY Giants Week 8 Start/Sit

Well this week I finally get to write a start/sit post after a win. We did win that game on Monday night, didn’t we? It almost feels like a loss the way that game played out against the Vikings. After all, Josh Freeman’s incompletions got more highlights then Eli Manning’s touchdown pass to Rueben Randle.

The Giants‘ offense didn’t necessarily set the world on fire Monday night, but there were some good signs. The emergence of Peyton Hillis as a third down back is a huge thing. The Vikings were extremely susceptible to running backs in the passing game before they faced the Giants, but until Monday night there was no way of telling if the Giants could actually exploit that. Hillis proved to be a capable blocker and pass catcher as he racked up 5 receptions for 45 yards in his first game with the Giants.

The Vikings decided to keep their safeties in the middle of the field to try and containVictor Cruz and left Hakeem Nicks singled up on the outside most of the game. Nicks was unable to get going as he had his worst game of the season in a great match up. He had a team high ten targets and managed only two receptions for twenty eight yards. The only good news concerning Nicks is the fact that he is now facing an Eagles team that he absolutely destroyed earlier this year.

Start/Sit

Eli Manning-295.44 yards 1.28 TDs 1.29 INTs-numberFire

Well numberFire has Eli turning throwing more interceptions than touchdown this week. Can you blame them? The Eagles actually played a pretty good defensive game last week against the Cowboyspicking off Tony Romo twice, but were still exposed by the Cowboys outside wide receivers. If the Eagles continue to give the same looks to the Giants I expect Eli to have to throw the ball to Hakeem Nicks and Rueben Randle on the outside. If those two receivers can make plays for Eli than Eli could finish in the top 12 of fantasy quarterbacks this weekend. If they don’t make the plays Eli will struggle.

Brandon Jacobs-12.38 carries for 43.47 yards and .24 touch downs-numberFire

If Brandon Jacobs is healthy enough to go this week he will be a RB2 in most formats. The Eagles can be run on and Jacobs is the best runner the Giants currently have. While I like his skills much more for standard leagues, I will be putting him in my line ups in PPR as well as there are six NFL teams on byes this week.

Peyton Hillis-5.28 carries for 16.56 yards and .09 TDs 1.86 receptions for 17.28 yards and .09 TDs-numberFire

Hillis proved that he is the Giants best asset out of the backfield in the passing game. In PPR leagues I would be using him this week if I had injury or bye week problems. I doubt he will get goal line looks with Jacobs back, but you never know. Especially if the Giants go to their patented shotgun draw play at the goal line.

Victor Cruz-6.19 receptions for 89.78 yards and .59 TDs-numberFire

Cruz has gotten a lot of extra attention lately as Hakeem Nicks has struggled to get going. He is still a must start in all formats, but Nicks needs to get going for Cruz to put up the big numbers.

Hakem Nicks-3.63 receptions for 48.39 yards and .33 TDs-numberFire

Nicks has really struggled lately, but he has a tremendous match up this week. He still has the skills to get open. He still has the huge hands and big catch radius. He must come up big this week for the Giants to win and for you to win in fantasy football.

Rueben Randle-2.19 receptions for 34.32 yards and .32 TDs-numberFire

Randle was once again hit or miss last week as he made a tremendous reception for a touchdown and a terrible fumble on a punt return. Hopefully facing the team that he torched a few short weeks ago will help him get out of the doghouse. Randle will be in a ton of lineups because of the bye weeks and I expect him to have a very solid game. Much higher than the numberFire projection.

Brandon Myers-3.62 receptions for 39.11 yards and .21 touchdowns-numberFire

Myers has not been a big part of the offense lately. In his last five games Myers has put up two goose-eggs and a total of seven receptions. I am not starting him in any leagues. The Giants are simply not looking his way, because of a variety of reasons. I would rather start the Jets‘ Jeff Cumberland or the Cardinals‘ Rob Housler if you need a bye week fill in.

Fantasy Whip Around

Injuries, injuries and more injuries. Week seven saw multiple quarterbacks go down with injuries as well as top fantasy draft picks Reggie Wayne and Doug Martin.

The quarterback injuries shouldn’t affect many fantasy teams as Sam Bradford and Jay Cutler were always 2nd string fantasy QBs. Cutler was having a nice year, but there are plenty of good arms on the waiver wire.

The injury to Reggie Wayne will be tough to recover from for fantasy teams. DHB gets a bump and should be the first guy to take a flyer on, but I would also look to Kendall Hunter and Nate Washington in Tennessee. They are both available in a bunch of leagues and should be able to fill your flex spots.

Doug Martin has not been ruled out for the rest of the year just yet, but owners should immediately pick up Mike James just in case. If James has been scooped up take a look around the waiver wire for high upside guys like Roy Helu Jr. or Jonathan Stewart.

I have to say that this week’s episode of my Trick Plays podcast on Itunes is our best episode yet. Please subscribe so you never miss out. Thanks!

Feel free to ask me any start/sit or trade questions on Twitter @Coachesser or by messaging me on Facebook by liking Coachesser’s Playbook. You can also read my articles at www.coachesser.com and listen to the definitive fantasy football podcast on Itunes or Stitcher Radio by subscribing to the Trick Plays podcast hosted by Micah James (@FFMagicMan) and myself.

Fantasy Football: NY Giants Start/Sit Week 7

Fantasy owners and Giants’ fans alike, have had a long time to stew over last week’s performance by Eli Manning. Eli once again managed to turn the ball over multiple times, only this time he did it with the game on the line in the fourth quarter. In retrospect he was lucky to only have only three turnovers as he made a multitude of questionable decisions with the football.

Eli’s struggles somewhat overshadowed a wonderful performance from the reinvigorated Brandon Jacobs. The Giants’ offensive line were able to handle a banged up Chicago Bears front seven, allowing Brandon Jacobs to test the tackling skills of the Bears’ secondary. While no one, including me, predicted Jacobs would have one of the best games of his career, the signs were there when looking back.

The Bears defense was down to their fourth string defensive tackle and their defensive ends have shown little effort in stopping the run. Thursday night games always seem to be dominated by the running game, I’m not sure if it’s because teams tend to try and shorten the game because of the short rest, or because defensive players have a hard time recovering physically and mentally after playing a game only a few days before. Either way, you can almost always count on teams sticking to the running game instead of airing it out on Thursday night. (exception: Peyton Manning)

Start/Sit for Week 7

Eli Manning– 300.74 yards 1.66 TDs 1.12 turnovers (NumberFire)

This match up is one I would normally be touting Eli Manning as a must start in almost all leagues as he is facing the 32nd ranked pass defense and needs a big time bounce back game. The problem is Eli has been so poor this year that I can’t push him that far up my rankings. If the Brandon Jacobs was healthy as I am writing this I would be more optimistic about Eli’s fantasy projections, but with the question marks currently at running back I feel like there may be too much pressure on Eli to perform. If you have Drew Brees on a bye, I think Eli would be one of my top replacement choices.

Brandon Jacobs- 14.24 carries for 61.52 yards and .38 TDs 2.55 receptions for 19.29 yards (NumberFire)

As I am writing this the news has broken that the Giants have signed Peyton Hillis. The unknown recovery time for David Wilson coupled with the injury to Da’Rel Scott have forced the Giants to bolster their running back corps. Brandon Jacobs was unable to practice on Monday and there were some thoughts that Michael Cox may be forced to carry the load. Luckily for the Giants they can wait all the way until Monday night to see if Jacobs has healed up enough to carry the load. Even if Jacobs dominates the touches I don’t see him as more than a flex option and a low end RB2 in standard formats. The Vikings are more susceptible to the pass and running backs who can catch the ball then battering ram types.

Michael Cox- ?

Cox is a question mark because there is no way to predict his involvement in the offense. Coughlin and Gilbride don’t have the best track record in trusting rookie running backs and I would be playing a wait and see even if he is forced to start.

Victor Cruz- 5.85 receptions for 93.63 yards for .67 TDs (NumberFire)

Victor Cruz is NumberFire’s #3 overall wide receiver play for week 7. I am in complete agreement as I see this defense being especially vulnerable to excellent slot receiver play. The play of Antonio Brown against the Vikings in London is just one instance of a quick receiver having an advantage.

Hakeem Nicks-3.84 receptions for 52.88 yards and .13 TDs (NumberFire)

Nicks has been tough to handicap from a fantasy perspective. His best two games have come against NFC East opponents who happen to be some of the worst defenses against the pass in the league. The Vikings are right up Nicks alley and I wouldn’t shy away from playing him as a low end WR2 or flex.

Rueben Randle-2.06 receptions for 32.27 yards and .27 TDs (NumberFire)

Randle has caused some head aches for Eli Manning in the passing game with some poor communication and drops earlier in the season, but there is no denying his talent as a big play receiver. He is a nice flex play this week in deeper leagues or if you currently have injury issues with Julio Jones, Randall Cobb, and Danny Amendola all sidelined.

Brandon Myers-4.04 receptions for 42.86 yards and .29 TDs (NumberFire)

Myers has not been a big part of the offense the last few weeks and I think that trend will continue. The Vikings do play a lot of zone and that could play into Myers hands, but I think there are better options to start out there.

Big Blue View Fantasy Football League Update

League 1 – Well, thanks to a two-game losing streak I am now sitting in third place after suffering a loss at the hands of the clairvoyant Pataroons who predicted my teams demise. Phoenix Big Blue currently sits in first place, but Pataroons is hot on their tale riding a 4-game winning streak.

League 2-All is right in the world of League 2 as I sit in first place after week 6. Here Comes Treble is hot on my tail riding a five game winning streak. The highest scoring team in the league Marcus’s Longshots are having a tough luck season as they also have the most points scored against and sit at 3-3.

News around the league – The injury to Randall Cobb should be the final push for some of you to roster Keenan Allen of the San Diego Chargers. The continued absence of Rob Gronkowski and the new injury to Danny Amendola have made Tom Brady a tough start in fantasy leagues. Look for Jordan Reed of the Redskins to be the next break out tight end in the league as he is clearly the second best pass catching option in Washington.

Feel free to ask me any start/sit or trade questions on Twitter @Coachesser or by messaging me on Facebook by liking Coachesser’s Playbook. You can also read my articles at www.coachesser.com and listen to the definitive fantasy football podcast on Itunes or Stitcher Radio by subscribing to the Trick Plays podcast hosted by Micah James (@FFMagicMan) and myself.