Rueben Randle and a Case of Deja Vu
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Rueben Randle and a Case of Deja Vu

Fantasy Football

Rueben Randle and a Case of Deja Vu

The year was 2011 and Mario Manningham was coming off a season that saw him approach 1,000 yards receiving and scored nine touchdowns. Manningham struggled with injuries during training camp, but many fantasy football minds thought he was an ideal breakout candidate with the departure of Steve Smith. The emergence of Victor Cruz in the preseason had zero impact on Manningham’s ADP as he was drafted as the 24th WR off the board according to MyFantasyLeague.com’s Redraft ADP from 2011.

Manningham had all the ear marks for breakout season heading into 2011. He was a highly regarded prospect that fell in the draft because of some character concerns and some sloppy combine numbers. He had a strong 2010 where he made the most of his opportunities and his role looked like it would be expanding. I think saying his combine numbers were sloppy is a bit of an understatement when you look at them compared to other wide receivers.

The real sloppiness in Mario Manningham‘s game came from his inconsistency. (Does that ring a bell?!!) Manningham regularly ran the wrong routes or misread coverages in his first few years with the Giants. Even when he did make the right reads he often didn’t possess the route running skills to connect with Eli consistently. His biggest mistakes came along the sideline on fade routes where he didn’t lave enough room between himself and the sideline to make receptions in bounds. The funny part of all of this is that he made that tremendous sideline reception in the 2011 Super Bowl against the Patriots that erased all of the bad routes from Giants’ fans memories.

The 2011 season saw Manningham miss time and eventually fall behind the un-drafted phenom that was Victor Cruz. Cruz had wowed Giants’ fans and the Giants’ brass in the 2010 preseason, only to suffer a significant hamstring injury that led the Giants to IR him for the season. The 2011 season saw Cruz start off slow with some drop problems and fumbling issues, but then he exploded for over 1,500 yards and 9 end-zone Salsa Dances. The Giants knew what they had in Cruz and let Manningham walk away during free agency after they won the 2011 Super Bowl.

Photo By: Bill Kostroun.

This year the Giants have Rueben Randle seemingly poised to make the leap to fantasy football relevance. Last year he managed 41 receptions for 611 yards and six touchdowns in a limited role. He was a favorite of many in best ball league drafts last year because of the shaky health history of Hakeem Nicks. Randle’s role diminished over the latter part of the season because of his inability to get on the same page as Eli Manning in Kevin Gilbride’s offense. Eli threw more interceptions on passes intended for Rueben Randle then some QB’s threw all season.

Before I compare Randle to Manningham we should loom at his combine numbers and comparables.

Randle showed more promise and explosiveness on the field playing for LSU than he did at the combine. His pedestrian Vertical leap and mid 4.5 40 yard dash made people go back and study what he did on the field. His slightly poor combine and raw route running skills had him fall to the end of the second round in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Giants pulled the trigger as they needed a wide receiver with some potential and the body size to play on the outside in today’s NFL. Randle proved to be raw as he continually ran the wrong routes and did not have the proper technique to beat press coverage at the line of scrimmage as well as getting across the face of the defender in “MUST WIN” situations. His size and quickness should have made it easy for him to beat an inside shade, but he seemed to lack the technique and the want to win at times.

This year the Giants brought in a new Offensive Coordinator in Ben McAdoo from the Green Bay Packers and the thought was that Randle wouldn’t have to read coverages as much and he could just work on his route running. I can tell you from going to practices and training camp that Randle looks like he’s learned a lot between this year and last. He easily beats DRC and Prince Amukamara off the line of scrimmage and they have a hard time keeping up with him and reading his routes. So far that hasn’t amounted to much in the preseason as the Giants offense has struggled as a whole.

Eli looks a little shell shocked once the red jersey comes off and I think his regression more than Randle’s lack of skill will keep him from reaching his potential. The offensive line for the Giants is a huge question mark as their key off-season addition, Geoff Schwartz, dislocated his big toe in their last preseason game and the offensive line is once again forced to shuffle. It looks like the rookie Weston Richburg could take over for Schwartz in the short term as Schwartz avoided surgery and is week to week.

What makes the situation eerily similar to 2011 is that the Giants once again have an undrafted free agent that is making waves in the preseason. Corey Washington is a big outside wide receiver from a small school that just might be the next Marques Colston or Victor Cruz. The fact that wide receiver Marcus Harris has already been IR’d and Mario Manningham has done nothing in the preseason has Corey Washington teetering on the wide receiver five spot going into the final preseason game of 2014. If Washington wins a roster spot and Randle struggles, he could push for some playing time in the second half of the year.

The fact remains that Randle is a lot more talented than Manningham was back in 2011 and is healthy going into the season. The Giants are going to give Randle every chance to be their main outside threat, but he could eventually be pushed by both Odell Beckham Jr. and Corey Washington. If there is a mid draft run on wide receivers I wouldn’t reach for Rueben Randle before the middle of the seventh round in 12 team leagues. In most home-league/work-league drafts I’ve seen Randle last until the ninth round. That’s a nice spot for his upside. He is also going at a nice value price in auctions and could be a nice keeper if Eli can get back to his old gun-slinging self. The best part about Randle’s current ADP is that you can get him a full three rounds later than where Manningham was going in 2011.

My recommendation for Corey Washington is to grab him in your deep dynasty leagues. Whether it’s 16 team leagues with 24+ rosters or 12 to 14 team leagues where you have expanded rosters. It never hurts to grab big, tall wide receivers that have a nose for the end zone.

Episode 019: Fantasy Football Nick Mensio
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Episode 019: Fantasy Football Nick Mensio

Fantasy Football, Podcast

Episode 019: Fantasy Football Nick Mensio

Episode 019: The Fantasy Coach Podcast

Fantasy Football Edition: Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Strategy

Featuring: Nick Mensio (@NickMensio) Rotoworld.com

About My Guest: Nick Mensio is a football writer for Rotoworld.com. The 2014 NFL season marks his third with Rotoworld.

Episode Summary: Nick and I discuss the wide receiver position in fantasy football. We discuss if Calvin Johnson will be dethroned as the number one fantasy wide receiver and even talk a little about Miles Austin’s Hamstrings. (Just a little)

Episode Rundown:

Intro
Get to know Nick a little.
The Big Six wide receivers?
Discuss options at the position in rounds 1-9.
Discuss the rookie class.
Discuss Late round targets.
The Coach’s Office, Brought to you by RevoLabels.com
Outro

You can Download this episode as well as the previous three on Itunes and Stitcher Radio.

Thank Yous For Episode 019: I want to thank Nick for coming on the podcast and discussing the wide receiver position. After tonight’s episode I may have to go out and buy more stock in Dez Bryant. I would also like to thank C-Quel for providing the intro music as well as the outro beat. You can Find all of C-Quel’s current music available here.

NFC East Wide Receiver Movement
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NFC East Wide Receiver Movement

Fantasy Football

NFC East Wide Receiver Movement

NFC East Free Agency and Wide Receiver Movement

New York Giants: The Giants let Hakeem Nicks walk this off season and brought back an old Super Bowl hero as a sort-of replacement. The Giants had no designs on keeping Hakeem Nicks in the fold so it came as no surprise when he signed a prove-it deal with the Indianapolis Colts. Nicks’ declining health and skills wore on the Giants’ brass and fans alike. His Fantasy Football stock is at an all-time low even being paired with one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, in Andrew Luck.

The sort-of replacement is none other than Mario Manningham. The Giants former third-round pick is back after spending two injury-plagued years in San Francisco. While having Manningham back in the fold feels nice as a fan of the Giants, I don’t expect him to start or to be an asset in Fantasy Football next season. Instead of replacing Hakeem Nicks on the Giants’ roster he is essentially replacing Louis Murphy, who had a very forgettable tenure with Big Blue.

The Giants should and probably will look to fill the void Hakeem Nicks’ exit has created by starting Rueben Randle and getting Jerrel Jernigan more involved in the offense. I do look for the Giants to draft an outside wide receiver this year, and could even see them taking Mike Evans if he ever fell to them. If Evans doesn’t fall to the Giants at 12 there will be a lot of talent at the wide receiver position available at their slot in the second round. Davante Adams or Donte Moncrief would be excellent second round picks.

Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys have had a quiet off season as they are right up against the cap and have done some foolish things with their money lately. While Dez Bryantdidn’t quite take the leap to 1B to Calvin Johnson’s 1A as a fantasy wide receiver as many thought he might, he did put up solid numbers last season. Ninety-three receptions for more than 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns is nothing to sneeze at, but did leave some fantasy owners wanting.

The lack of a clear cut second option in the passing game hurt Dez Bryant last season.Jason Witten was another year older, and slower, and Miles Austin once again spent most of the season rehabbing his forever-pulled hamstrings. The only bright spot was they appeared to hit on their third round pick in Terrance Williams from Baylor. Williams had 44 receptions for over 700 yards and 5 TD’s in a rookie campaign that saw him grow. Williams is definitely a player to keep on your radar as a potential wide receiver 3 in 12-team leagues next year. In fact, if he has a good offseason you should target him.

Philadelphia Eagles: Can I just say wow! I knew DeSean Jackson had a high salary cap number, but after the season he had last year I was fully expecting the Eagles to extend him or at least have him play it out. Well, in today’s NFL you never know. Don’t get me wrong I know Jackson is tough to deal with, I often compare him to some of the prima-donna strikers you see in the English Premier League, but I didn’t think they would let their second-best player walk.

With Jackson gone the Eagles will feature Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin at the wide receiver position and Zach Ertz at the tight end position. I don’t think Chip Kelly realizes how much ackson helped the Eagles last year with his ability to make a secondary respect his deep speed, but Kelly will find out quickly if teams are able to stack the box to try and stop LeSean McCoy.

Obviously Cooper and Maclin get a big jump in value with Jackson gone, but the one who may benefit the most is Ertz. Ertz quietly had a very nice rookie campaign as he caught 36 passes for 469 yards and 4 TD’s. Even with Brent Celek getting some of the targets from the tight end position I am moving Zach Ertz up my fantasy rankings. I currently have him 12th before the NFL Draft. Maclin’s return from injury could have been a nice buy-low, but with Jackson leaving you may have to pay a premium to see if Maclin’s knee is really healed. He is currently the 37th wide receiver going off the board in my Fantasy League Drafts. Cooper will be a wide receiver 4 next season with the same volatility he had this year. He’s the perfect guy to take in best ball leagues or to play when you really need a high ceiling play.

Washington Redskins: The Redskins last year featured Pierre Garcon and…..well no one. The thinking was Fred Davis would finally come into his own well…..that didn’t happen. (He is currently suspended from the league indefinitely, oh and making really terrible rap albums.) The Redskins decided to address this lopsidedness in free agency and have been very active in free agency. They signed David Gettis, the former promising wide receiver from the Carolina Panthers. They signed the versatile Andre Robertsfrom the Arizona Cardinals. Roberts can play inside or outside and has always been a bit under rated.

I thought the Redskins may have been done there and assumed Garcon would still get the lion’s share of targets and production, but low and behold Dan Snyder saw Jackson hitting the street and he pulled out that big check book. Jackson had a career year last season with the Eagles with 82 receptions for more than 1,300 yards and 9 touchdowns. His numbers will probably never come close to those again, but he can still be a useful fantasy wide receiver.

The Redskins’ new head coach, Jay Gruden, is a west coast offense disciple. He will use the tight end, Jordan Reed. He will get the ball out quickly to wide receivers that can run after the catch, Jackson and Garcon profile as excellent west coast wide receivers, and he will will stretch the field with built in deep shots. Gruden’s Bengals last season relied on the deep ball a little too much and I think he will get back to a more ball control offense in Washington. Garcon and Jackson are both wide receiver twos with this move, but with them also sharing the ball with the gifted Jordan Reed I move them down to the bottom of the wide receiver two list. Garcon still holds more value for me in PPR leagues and I would still be comfortable with him as a solid wide receiver two there.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, @Coachesser and connect with me on Facebook. You can also read all of my articles on everything fantasy at Coachesser.com.

Fantasy Football: NY Giants Week 10 Start/Sit
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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
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Fantasy Football: NY Giants Week 8 Start/Sit

Fantasy Football

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: 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.

Fantasy Football: NY Giants Start/Sit Week 7
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Fantasy Football: NY Giants Start/Sit Week 7

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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.

Fantasy Football: NY Giants Week 6 Start/Sit
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Fantasy Football: NY Giants Week 6 Start/Sit

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Fantasy Football: NY Giants Week 6 Start/Sit

The New York Giants decided to tease the fan base this past Sunday. The biggest tease was the anticipation leading up to the game. Everyone knew that Tom Coughlin teams always seem to win those must win games. Backs against the wall and that’s when the Giants look like world beaters. The Giants of past years would all of a sudden get all three phases of their game going at the same time when they needed it most. The first drive of the game had every Giant fan exhaling and finally able to cheer.

The problem was that would be the last time we would cheer until the third quarter. While the Eagles put up 19 unanswered points, we struggled to make first downs. Brandon Jacobs was forced to carry the load after David Wilson was injured and reminded every Giant fan that it’s not just Wilson who can fumble. The Giants were able make a run in the third quarter, but it was fool’s gold. With the Giants being one-dimensional and putting the ball in the air almost every play bad things were bound to happen. While all three of Eli’s interceptions might not have been his fault we have to realize that at this point of the season we cannot be so one dimensional.

On with the Start/Sit Advice

Eli Manning – I have him outside my top 16 QBs this week

220 yards passing 1 TD and 2 turnovers (my projection)

NumberFire: 298.14 yards passing 1.11 TDs 1.39 INTs

Manning on a short week against the Chicago Bears in Chicago doesn’t seam like a very good matchup. The only way he will put up numbers is by sheer volume. If he attempts 50 passes he could have a top 15 QB week. The Chicago Bears do have some injuries along the defensive line and haven’t been getting their trademark pressure so there is hope, but not much.

Brandon Jacobs or Da’Rel Scott

NumberFire: Brandon Jacobs 10.05 carries for 30.13 Yards and .04 TDs

NumberFire: Da’Rel Scott 11.08 carries for 40.73 yards and .22 TDs 5.03 Receptions for 36.84 yards

David Wilson is injured and has been ruled out. Jacobs is starting and Scott has been re-signed and will be handling passing downs, but that doesn’t scream to me a dynamic duo. NumberFire obviously sees the Giants playing from behind and Scott getting a lot of action as the third down back.

Victor Cruz

5.49 receptions for 79.85 yards and .41 TDs (NumberFire)

Rueben Randle

2.95 receptions for 39.34 yards and .25 TDs (NumberFire)

Hakeem Nicks

3.22 receptions for 41.38 yards and .19 TDs (NumberFire)

The only thing you can count on is that the Giants will have to throw the ball. Cruz is a must start no matter what. A couple of mediocre weeks don’t change that. Nicks is a different story. I doubt many of you are going to bench Nicks after the stats he put up last week, but I would because of the short week. I think NumberFire has it right that Randle will outproduce Hakeem Nicks this week. I would only start Randle or Nicks if I had serious injury or bye week problems. Nicks had 9 receptions for 142 yards last week, but it was a Tony Romo-like performance. He dropped a touchdown and then sealed the game by not finishing a route when he was exhausted at the end of the game.

Brandon Myers

4.16 receptions for 41.11 yards and .31 TDs

Myers is nursing an injury and has not had much production the last few weeks. I wouldn’t risk playing him on Thursday night.

Quick Notes from around the league …

HUGE NEWS: Julio Jones injured his foot and will miss the remainder of the season. Harry Douglas looks like the obvious waiver choice, but I would look to pick up Alshon Jeffrey, Keenan Allen, or even our very own Rueben Randle before picking up Douglas.

Zac Stacy will get another start for the Rams and Marcel Reece will be forced to start for the Raiders. If you need a running back because of injury or bye weeks look to them.

If you have a question for me you can join the conversation on Twitter by following @Coachesser or by liking my Facebook Page CoachEsser’s Playbook. You can also read any of my articles or listen to my podcasts by visiting www.coachesser.com. Make sure to head over to iTunes and download the latest TrickPlays podcast if you want to win your fantasy league this year.

Fantasy Football: New York Giants Start/Sit Week 2
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Fantasy Football: New York Giants Start/Sit Week 2

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Fantasy Football: New York Giants Start/Sit Week 2

The New York Giants could not have started the season worse from a real life football perspective. Mental and physical errors plagued the Giants as they fell behind a divisional opponent in an important week one matchup. The Dallas Cowboys took advantage of every mistake and built up a lead that Eli and his receivers were almost able to overcome. The frantic comeback attempt had Eli Manning and his receivers at the top of fantasy leader boards.

Eli was able to overcome three interceptions and throw for 450 yards and 4 touchdowns. Victor Cruz ended up as the third-highest scoring wide receiver in fantasy football and proved to be the Giants best chess piece as he absolutely killed the Dallas Cowboys. Hakeem Nicks looked quick as he was able to top 100 yards, but wasn’t able to get in the end zone. Rueben Randlewas a surprise fantasy producer as he broke the 100 yard barrier as well, but I wouldn’t expect that every week. Brandon Myers picked up a lot of action late to put him among the top tight ends of a high-scoring week one in fantasy football.

The only offensive player to not get in on the action was David Wilson. Wilson not only disappointed Giants’ fans with his poor play, but also became one of the all time biggest week one busts in recent fantasy football memory. For example, Wilson was the fourth-most selected player (31 percent of teams) in daily fantasy football drafts on DraftStreet for week one yet managed to actually put up a negative score. In contrast, Manning was only picked for 2.4 percent of daily fantasy lineups yet finished as the number two player at his position.

Wilson’s fumbling and the Cowboys’ opportunistic defense definitely inflated the Giants fantasy numbers, but if you think the Giants players are in for a big correction in week two you may miss out on some serious fantasy points. The Manning brothers may put on a show in week two and hopefully for us we can not only see the Giants come out on top, but win some fantasy football match-ups as well.

Eli Manning — NumberFire has Eli Manning slated for 287.44 yards passing, 1.56 touchdowns, and 1.49 interceptions. I have Eli topping 300 yards and throwing 2 touchdowns. As I am a Giant fan I do not like to give the statistical probability on turnovers, but if your league has a high negative for turnovers you can expect at least one.

David Wilson — NumberFire has Wilson getting 15.05 carries for 54.78 yards and .34 rushing touchdowns. They also have him catching 2.77 passes for 19.31 yards. I am keeping Wilson on the bench this week if I have a viable option to start over him, but if I don’t I would expect 12 carries for 63 yards and 2 catches for 14 yards. I am not selling him just yet and have seen running backs bounce back from similar disasters.

Victor Cruz — NumberFire has Cruz getting 5.75 receptions, 76.72 yards, and .41 touchdowns. I have Cruz once again having a big week as he will be matched up against a sub-par pair of safeties and more than likely the fourth corner on the team. I have Cruz catching 8 balls for 97 yards and a touchdown.

Hakeem Nicks — NumberFire has Nicks getting 5.24 receptions, 60.12 yards, and .31 touchdowns. I think Nicks showed in week one that he was sleep walking through the preseason. He looked very good even in a tough matchup against Brandon Carr and I expect a bigger game from him in week two. I have Nicks catching 7 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Rueben Randle — NumberFire has Randle catching 2.60 balls for 40.45 yards and .14 touchdowns. I think we were all pleasantly surprised at how quickly Randle became a big piece of the Giants passing attack against the Cowboys in week one. I have Randle catching 4 passes for 65 yards and no touchdowns.

Brandon Myers — NumberFire has Myers catching 3.70 passes for 40.14 yards and .22 touchdowns. The Ravens really worked their tight ends against the Broncos in week one, but I think that had more to do with the fact that they are very thin at wide receiver. I like that Myers was able to show a nice rapport with Eli at the end of the game against the Cowboys and I think that could carry over to this week. I have Myers catching 5 passes for 56 yards and no touchdowns.

Wilson is not the only running back whoneeds to bounce back from a disappointing week one. Stevan Ridley found himself benched after fumbling twice when he was expected to put up huge fantasy numbers against the Bills. Shane Vereen filled in for Ridley and was the only running back to top 100 yards rushing on Sunday, but wound up breaking a bone in his wrist. C.J. Spiller, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Lamar Miller all had nightmare starts to their seasons and hope to get back on track week two.

If you need any last minute fantasy advice make sure to follow me on Twitter @Coachesser or like my Facebook page CoachEsser’s Playbook so that you can message me at any time. You can also see all of my latest podcasts and articles by visiting www.coachesser.com.

This post originally appeared at www.bigblueview.com on September 11th 2013.

Fantasy Football: New York Giants Start/Sit
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Fantasy Football: New York Giants Start/Sit

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Fantasy Football: New York Giants Start/Sit

Fantasy drafts are finally behind us and now it’s time to put on our best managerial hats and make sure we don’t leave fantasy points on the bench. Nothing drives you more nuts then when you see a matchup that screams huge fantasy production, yet you don’t make the appropriate lineup changes. For example, a reader sent me a start/sit question that screamed matchup play. This particular reader needed advice on who to start as their third wide receiver for week 1 between Steve Smith and Lance Moore. Without looking at the schedule some might say, ” I drafted Steve Smith in the sixth round and Lance Moore in the ninth round, so I should obviously start Smith.” Wrong! Steve Smith is facing the Seattle Seahawks Defense and Lance Moore is playing at home on turf in an expected shootout against the Atlanta Falcons. It might be Moore’s best matchup of the season. Playing the matchups at your flex position or third wide receiver will win you a championship.

Eli Manning: 23-of-34, 264 Yards, 3 TDs

Eli Manning and Kevin Gilbride had to hit the film room to try and get handle on on what to expect from Monte Kiffin’s new 4-3 defense in Dallas. While Kiffin has been out of the NFL the last few years, his core defensive principals are still being used around the league. The key to beating Monte Kiffin’s best defenses was always taking what the defense was willing to give. Exploiting the areas between the deep safeties and linebackers and keeping the chains moving. The last thing you want to do against a Kiffin defense is to get into too many third and longs. I think Eli will be able to work the middle of the field with a combination of Victor Cruz and Brandon Myers and exploit Dallas’s weakness at the safety position. I have Eli as a borderline QB1 for week one and a definite start in 2QB leagues.

David Wilson: 21 carries, 88 yards, 2 receptions 23 yards, 0 TDs

The New York Giants running game will be a little hard to predict out of the gate against the Dallas Cowboys this season. The reshuffled offensive line mixed with some question marks because of injuries further cloud the actual production that should be expected. If Henry Hynoski and David Baas were healthy Wilson may be a top 10 start against the Cowboys, but for now we have to temper our expectations just a bit. I would only keep Wilson on the bench this week if I had started a draft with three straight running backs, or if the league was a full point PPR league where Wilson was my third running back.

Victor Cruz (If Healthy): 8 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD

Victor Cruz is the best chess piece that Gilbride and Manning possess going against Dallas this week. His ability to threaten the entire middle of the field from settling in behind the linebackers to driving past safeties can make a defensive coordinator have nightmares. In a typical “Tampa Two” look the middle linebacker will have deep middle in certain situations and that could be a nightmare for Sean Lee as Victor Cruz blows by him. I have Cruz as one of the best wide receiver plays this week as long as his bruised heel cooperates.

Hakeem Nicks: 4 receptions, 67 yards, 1 TD

Nicks is a bit of a conundrum. He is the guy that made Jerry Jones open up his wallet to sign Brandon Carr and draft Morris Claiborne, but is he still that guy? I have a feeling Hakeem is going to have a very good year this season, but I don’t think this is the ideal matchup for his skill set. If his quickness is there he could find the void between the corner and the safety by beating the Dallas corners at the line of scrimmage, but the odds are slightly against him. I still have him in the top 20 as far as matchups this week, but he is more of a flex play then WR2.

Brandon Myers: 6 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD

Brandon Myers and Manning didn’t exactly inspire confidence in the preseason, but the matchup in week 1 screams tight end production. Myers should be able to exploit the middle of the field and the flats to put up tight end 1 numbers after being almost invisible in the preseason. NumberFire has Brandon Myers as their number seven tight end for week 1 and I think that sounds about right after looking at the macthups.

Rueben Randle: 4 receptions, 52 yards, 0 TDs

While Randle is an important part of what the Giants offense there are too many other good wide receiver matchups around the league to think that Randle should be in anyone’s week 1 fantasy lineup. I like Randle’s long term outlook, but his immediate value is only in the deepest of leagues.

For any of your last minute Fantasy Football questions follow me on Twitter @Coachesser or message me by liking my Facebook Page CoachEsser’s Playbook. If you need start/sit advice fast go to my website www.coachesser.com and use my start/sit widget powered by NumberFire.