Fantasy Football News 2013/2014

HacheMan · Nov 4, 2013

[h=1]Top fantasy performances since 2000[/h][h=3]Where does Nick Foles' 45-point game rank?[/h]By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com

What is it about the Philadelphia Eagles and big quarterback days?

Consider: In the 81-year history of their franchise, the Eagles possess a share of the all-time, single-game record for passing touchdowns (7, by Adrian Burk, on Oct. 17, 1954), as well as sole ownership of the single-game record for fantasy points at the position (49, by Michael Vick, on Nov. 15, 2010).

Now they have two quarterbacks who own a piece of the seven-man share of the single-game passing touchdown record …

… oh, and this time, it wasn't Vick accomplishing the feat.

Nick Foles, fresh off a concussion suffered in Week 7, returned to the lineup as a fill-in for the injured Vick -- he sat with a hamstring issue -- and tallied 45 fantasy points, the second-highest score by any player in 2013 and the sixth-most by any quarterback since 1960. What's more, he did it despite sitting the final 9:23 for backup Matt Barkley -- the Eagles possessed a 36-point lead at the time -- and he had actually reached the 45-point threshold with more than 19 minutes remaining in the game.

Foles completed three of the scores to Riley Cooper, who can now boast that six of his 10 career scores have been thrown by Foles, and 22 of 28 passes overall for 406 yards and no interceptions. By doing so, he became only the third player in NFL history to throw for seven scores without being intercepted; Peyton Manning (Week 1 of this season) and Y.A. Tittle (1962) are the others. Foles is also only the third quarterback to throw for seven touchdowns in a road game; Burk and Sid Luckman (1943) are the others.

As we've traditionally done for historic fantasy performances in recent seasons -- Manning's aforementioned 46-pointer during the opening week of this season is the most recent one to crack this list -- let's update the list of greatest fantasy days since 2000. Here is the updated top 15:

1. Clinton Portis, 2003 Week 14, 54 fantasy points: This one meant about as much to his Denver Broncos as it did to his fantasy owners; without this win versus the eventual division-winning Kansas City Chiefs, the Broncos probably wouldn't have reached the playoffs in 2003. It was his fifth 100-yard rushing effort in a streak of six to conclude the season, and in the process he upstaged an even bigger (at the time) fantasy stud, the Chiefs' Priest Holmes (44 rushing yards, two touchdowns).

2. Shaun Alexander, 2002 Week 4, 52: Ah, a Sunday night football classic. Surely you remember this one? In only the second game at Qwest Field (then Seahawks Stadium), Alexander set an NFL record with five touchdowns in the first half, establishing his reputation as a premier prime-time performer. He played 14 night games in his career, totaling 13 touchdowns.

3. Doug Martin, 2012 Week 9, 51: Though he had placed himself firmly in the class of fantasy studs with a 32-point breakout outing a week earlier against the stingy Minnesota Vikings defense, the "Muscle Hamster" affirmed himself as 2012's top rookie rusher thanks primarily to this game, during which he became the first player in NFL history to score three rushing touchdowns of 45 yards or longer (per ESPN Stats & Information). And if you're looking to toss cold water on the effort due to an "easy matchup," know this: There were actually four defenses that allowed more fantasy points per game to opposing running backs than the Oakland Raiders in 2012.

4. (tie) Mike Anderson, 2000 Week 14, 49: Huh? Who? You might remember this name as another product of the Mike Shanahan running back juggernaut; each season, it seemed the theme was "new back, same stats." Anderson snuck in there with one monster season sandwiched between the best from Terrell Davis and the aforementioned Portis, and on this day, Anderson was a record setter -- a rookie rushing record with 251 yards versus the New Orleans Saints.

4. (tie) Michael Vick, 2010 Week 10, 49: On the day that then-Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb celebrated signing a five-year contract extension, it was the opposing quarterback, Vick, who lit up the fantasy scoreboard. Vick had three passing and two rushing touchdowns in the first half, becoming the first player to do that, routinely lighting up the Redskins' secondary en route to the NFL's first-ever performance of at least 300 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, four passing and two rushing scores. Vick would finish the 2010 season as fantasy's leading scorer.

6. (tie) Priest Holmes, 2002 Week 12, 48: Holmes went for more than 100 yards both rushing (197) and receiving (110), making him one of only eight players in the past 20 years to do that. Sadly, Holmes' Chiefs lost 39-32 to Seattle as Matt Hasselbeck starred for the Seahawks (362 passing yards, three touchdowns).

6. (tie) Fred Taylor, 2000 Week 12, 48: Boy, he was lucky to manage that many fantasy points through all of last season. Still, flash back nearly a decade, before Taylor had truly earned the label "injury-prone player," and he was a productive running back. On this date, he carved up the Pittsburgh Steelers' run defense -- as you know, historically one of the game's best almost every season -- for 234 yards, the most that franchise has ever allowed to a single player in a single game.

8. (tie) Marshall Faulk, 2002 Week 7, 47: So many Seahawks games from 2002 on this list … this, Alexander's and Holmes' entries all involved the team from Seattle, and this was the second in which the damage was done to the Seahawks' bottom-ranked run defense. Faulk beat up on the Seahawks for 235 total yards and four scores in this one, serving as a fitting preview for the team that a week later would allow Emmitt Smith to break the all-time NFL rushing record.

8. (tie) Jerome Harrison, 2009 Week 15, 47: Hard to believe, right? In a late-season cameo as the featured running back for the Browns, Harrison carried 34 times for 286 yards and three touchdowns, plus two catches for 12 yards, against the helpless Chiefs. Apparently the Browns weren't too impressed; just a few games into the 2010 season, they dealt Harrison to Vick's Eagles.

8. (tie) Jimmy Smith, 2000 Week 2, 47: He caught 15 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and his Jacksonville Jaguars raced to a 17-0 first-quarter lead over the Baltimore Ravens … a lead the Jaguars would promptly blow in the second half. It's the most receiving yards for any player in a game since 1989, and what's most amazing about the feat is that the Ravens in that season allowed the fewest points of any NFL team (165) en route to a Super Bowl championship.

11. (tie) Peyton Manning, 2013 Week 1, 46. What a way to begin the season. In the 2013 Kickoff Game, Manning tied the league's single-game record with seven passing touchdowns, resulting in the greatest opening-week fantasy performance by any player since at least 1960, and the fifth-best fantasy day by any quarterback in any week during the same time frame. At the time, he became only the second player to ever pass for seven touchdowns without an interception; Y.A. Tittle was the first, in 1962.

11. (tie) Adrian Peterson (the Viking), 2007 Week 9, 46: You might remember this one ... ADP's big performance from his rookie season might linger in your brain because in this game versus the San Diego Chargers, he set the NFL's single-game rushing record with 296 yards. He stole the headlines from fellow record setter and Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who returned a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown, the longest play in NFL history, as time expired at the half. From that point forward, Peterson scampered for 253 yards and two of his three scores.

13. (tie) Nick Foles, 2013 Week 9, 45.

13. (tie) Chris Johnson, 2009 Week 2, 45: Johnson became the first player in NFL history to record a 90-plus-yard rushing touchdown (91 yards), 50-plus-yard rushing touchdown (57) and 60-plus-yard receiving touchdown (69) in a game. Johnson finished with 284 total yards and three touchdowns.

13. (tie) Aaron Rodgers, 2011 Week 4, 45: It was games like this one that earned Rodgers a place atop the all-time, single-season fantasy leaderboard; his 385 points in 2011 set a new standard for quarterbacks. In this contest, he became only the fifth quarterback since 1960 to throw for four or more touchdowns while rushing for two or more.

13. (tie) LaDainian Tomlinson, 2002 Week 13, 45: Hey, he had to be on this list somewhere, right? Overtime helped Tomlinson pad his stats in a division game versus the Denver Broncos, but to be fair, he did the bulk of his damage with three touchdowns in an 11-minute span in the second quarter. Most impressive about LT2's outing: He had totaled only 262 yards in his first three career games against the Broncos, but in this meeting alone he had 271.

Since you might be curious about some of the older standout outings in fantasy football (and NFL/AFL) history, the chart below highlights the 33 players since 1960 (who managed a total 34 instances) who have amassed at least as many as 45 fantasy points (ESPN standard scoring).
[h=4][/h]

<CENTER>PLAYER</CENTER>	<CENTER>YR</CENTER>	<CENTER>WK</CENTER>	<CENTER>TM</CENTER>	<CENTER>OPP</CENTER>	<CENTER>PTS</CENTER>	<CENTER>PASS YDS</CENTER>	<CENTER>TD</CENTER>	<CENTER>INT</CENTER>	<CENTER>RUSH YDS</CENTER>	<CENTER>REC YDS</CENTER>	<CENTER>TOT TD</CENTER>
Billy Cannon	1961	13	HOU	NYT	62	--	--	--	216	114	5
Gale Sayers*	1965	13	CHI	SF	55	--	--	--	113	89	5
Cookie Gilchrist	1963	13	BUF	NYJ	54	--	--	--	243	--	5
Clinton Portis	2003	14	DEN	KC	54	--	--	--	218	36	5
Abner Haynes	1961	11	DLT	OAK	53	--	--	--	158	84	5
Jim Brown	1961	10	CLE	PHI	52	--	--	--	237	52	4
Jerry Rice	1990	6	SF	ATL	52	--	--	--	--	225	5
Shaun Alexander	2002	4	SEA	MIN	52	--	--	--	139	92	5
Corey Dillon	1997	15	CIN	TEN	51	--	--	--	246	30	4
Doug Martin	2012	9	TB	OAK	51	--	--	--	251	21	4
Jerry Butler	1979	4	BUF	NYJ	50	--	--	--	12	255	4
Larry Brown	1973	14	WAS	PHI	49	--	--	--	150	105	4
Barry Sanders	1991	13	DET	MIN	49	--	--	--	220	31	4
Mike Anderson	2000	14	DEN	NO	49	--	--	--	251	5	4
Michael Vick	2010	10	PHI	WAS	49	333	4	0	80	0	2
George Blanda#	1961	10	HOU	NYT	48	418	7	1	--	--	--
Y.A. Tittle	1962	7	NYG	WAS	48	505	7	0	1	--	0
Art Powell	1963	14	OAK	HOU	48	--	--	--	--	247	4
Fred Taylor	2000	12	JAC	PIT	48	--	--	--	234	14	4
Priest Holmes	2002	12	KC	SEA	48	--	--	--	197	110	3
Paul Hornung	1965	13	GB	BAL	47	--	--	--	61	115	5
Harold Jackson	1973	5	LAR	DAL	47	--	--	--	--	238	4
Mark Rypien	1991	11	WAS	ATL	47	442	6	0	4	--	1
Jimmy Smith	2000	2	JAC	BAL	47	--	--	--	--	291	3
Marshall Faulk	2002	7	STL	SEA	47	--	--	--	183	52	4
Jerome Harrison	2009	15	CLE	KC	47	--	--	--	286	12	3
Adrian Peterson@	2007	9	MIN	SD	46	--	--	--	296	19	3
Peyton Manning	2013	1	DEN	BAL	46	462	7	0	-2	0	0
Delvin Williams	1976	9	SF	WAS	45	--	--	--	180	99	3
Jerry Rice@	1995	16	SF	MIN	45	--	--	--	10	289	3
LaDainian Tomlinson	2002	13	SD	DEN	45	--	--	--	220	51	3
Chris Johnson	2009	2	TEN	HOU	45	--	--	--	197	87	3
Aaron Rodgers	2011	4	GB	DEN	45	408	4	1	36	0	2
Nick Foles	2013	9	PHI	OAK	45	406	7	0	14	0	0

* Sayers also had a return touchdown.
# Blanda had seven extra points and missed one field goal.
@ Peterson and Rice each lost a fumble.

HacheMan · Nov 5, 2013

Free-agent finds for Week 10

By Christopher Harris | ESPN.com

Waiver-wire news changes fast and furious throughout the week, as injuries and depth-chart shenanigans overtake us. So be sure to follow me on Twitter, @CHarrisESPN, and I'll keep you updated as news warrants. Let's get to Week 10's best fantasy roster additions:

(Week 10 byes: Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, New York Jets)

Standard ESPN league finds

Andre Brown, RB, New York Giants (owned in 19.9 percent of ESPN.com leagues): I can't guarantee that Brown will out-touch Peyton Hillis (37.0 percent) and/or Brandon Jacobs (10.8 percent) this week. Nor can I promise that the injury-prone Brown will stay healthy for the rest of the year. But I know that if the 2-6 Giants really believe they've got a chance to get back into the NFC East picture, Brown will need to lead them in running back touches for the rest of the season. He's just significantly more talented than Hillis and Jacobs. (David Wilson's neck will keep him out indefinitely; he still hasn't been cleared to resume football activities.) This week, Brown may be no better than a flex, but as soon as he's back in game shape, I expect him to threaten the top 20 RBs, even behind a subpar New York offensive line.

Rashad Jennings, RB, Oakland Raiders (4.6 percent): Jennings headed this column back in Week 5, after Darren McFadden did his Darren McFadden thing and got all Darren McFaddened. Unfortunately, in Week 5 Jennings responded with 10 carries before he injured a hamstring. So once again, we must do the Dance of Jennings, a dour affair that involves all kinds of voodoo and safety pins through kewpie dolls, that sort of thing. DMC will almost certainly be out multiple weeks with his own reinjured hammy, and Jennings, fresh off 176 mostly-garbage-time yards Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, will start for Oakland. Of course, Marcel Reece (2.5 percent) could also be in the mix, and Jeremy Stewart (0.1 percent) scored a short TD Sunday. But Jennings would be the guy you'd add if you're desperate, or a McFadden owner. Which is kind of the same thing.

Nick Foles, QB, Eagles (10.4 percent): It's another "deep" week, where you're apt to find your best free-agent options among the "other solid waiver adds." I know Foles just came off a week with seven TD passes. I also know he was also pretty good back in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But I go back to Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys, and I remember Foles flopping all over the place like a dead fish. Obviously, he had everything working in Week 9, but up-and-down isn't a good quality in a fantasy QB. Yes, if you're in a two-QB league, you add Foles. Yes, if you're ravaged by the byes, do the same. But while Michael Vick may have a hard time getting his starting job back in the immediate future, I don't expect Foles to start dominating the fantasy landscape every week.

Case Keenum, QB, Houston Texans (1.8 percent): As I said on every radio show under the sun last week, at least Case Keenum knows his bread is buttered with Andre Johnson. And boy, was the butter ever flowing freely Sunday night. In the first half alone, Keenum hit AJ for seven grabs, 190 yards and three TDs. Keenum has played well in both his starts by doing what backup QBs rarely do: being super-aggressive. He also has underrated mobility that saved him several times against the Indianapolis Colts. But unfettered aggression in a rookie signal-caller tends to end poorly. I hear the Tony Romo comparisons. I guess it's possible the Texans have found their new franchise QB. But my guess is hiccups are coming. The same "add" rules for Foles apply to Keenum, only more so.

Arizona Cardinals defense (7.8 percent): First and foremost, these guys are just good. Any time you pop in the tape of this defense, Daryl Washington just explodes into the forefront, making huge hits and big, game-changing plays. And Calais Campbell is his usual incredible self, fortunately, considering he did have a scary neck injury in Week 6. I know Keenum did yeoman's work for the Texans Sunday night, but I'm not sold, especially not on the road, when Arizona will come after him hard with a heck of lot more athleticism than the Colts can muster.

Other solid waiver adds, about whom I've written in previous weeks: Andre Ellington, RB, Cardinals (36.7 percent); Mike James, RB, Buccaneers (10.6 percent); Mike Tolbert, RB, Panthers (34.3 percent); Donald Brown, RB, Colts (5.1 percent); Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers (41.6 percent); Percy Harvin, WR, Seahawks (39.3 percent); Aaron Dobson, WR, Patriots (4.8 percent); Kendall Wright, WR, Titans (34.5 percent); Kenny Stills, WR, Saints (43.6 percent); Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Colts (15.7 percent); Coby Fleener, TE, Colts (25.3 percent); Heath Miller, TE, Steelers (19.6 percent); Timothy Wright, TE, Buccaneers (0.9 percent); Garrett Graham, TE, Texans (17.2 percent).

Deeper league finds

Dennis Johnson, RB, Houston Texans (0.1 percent). Now, this kid's first problem is that he's got one too many N's in his first name, but otherwise he looked pretty good Sunday night, after Arian Foster left the game early and Ben Tate needed plays off. This undrafted rookie from Arkansas is short but sturdy, and at the moment seems to have won the third-string job behind Foster and Tate. Now, that's not certain; if Foster and Tate both need to miss time, perhaps Deji Karim (0.1 percent) would get the early-down work and Johnson would remain the third-down back. But I'm actually OK with any Foster/Tate owner spending a bench spot on Johnson right now, though that tactic will probably go down smoother for deep-leaguers.

Seneca Wallace, QB, Green Bay Packers (0.1 percent): Aaron Rodgers injured his non-throwing shoulder Monday night on his team's first drive, and couldn't return. Rodgers reportedly has a broken collarbone and will miss at least three weeks, meaning Wallace would be in charge for now. Certainly, he would have all kinds of nice weapons at his disposal, but he didn't do enough to move his team Monday against a poor Chicago Bears defense. I'd be hard-pressed to rank him as anything more than a desperation No. 2 fantasy QB starting in Week 10 against the Eagles.

Jason Campbell, QB, Cleveland Browns (5.0 percent): In his only two starts of 2013, Campbell has consecutive games of 20-plus fantasy points. Tom Brady has two in nine games. Of course, numbers frequently lie, and nobody in their right mind would particularly want to roster Campbell over Tom Terrific. Still, it's a testament to some strong weapons in Cleveland that the journeyman Campbell has found a lot of open receivers, and made the most of his connections. Like Brady, Campbell will be on bye in Week 10, but after a home win over the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, you can rest assured that Campbell will retain the starting job.

Mike Brown, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (0.7 percent): Brown makes for an OK speculative add in the wake of Justin Blackmon's suspension, which will keep Blackmon out for the rest of the year. I hate the crutch argument that goes, "They'll be behind so big, they'll have to throw in garbage time!" And yet when it comes to the winless Jags, there's some truth to it. They've lost six of their eight games by 16 points or more. Cecil Shorts figures to be Chad Henne's focal point, but Brown, an undrafted second-year pro from Liberty (and a converted QB, no less), may partake in the garbage. He figures to get the first crack in two-WR sets, with rookie Ace Sanders (0.2 percent) involved in three-wide.

Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks (6.0 percent): As Percy Harvin continues to rehab from hip surgery, someone has to play opposite Golden Tate. This week, Baldwin was Russell Wilson's favorite target, with 10 targets, six catches, 75 yards and the tying red-zone TD with less than two minutes left in regulation. By now, you probably know Baldwin's deal: He's not an upside guy, but he's a solid possession receiver, much of whose damage came from the slot over his past two seasons. With no Sidney Rice around, Baldwin is the No. 2 target in this Seattle offense until Harvin returns. In a deeper PPR league, that could be worth something.

Shonn Greene, RB, Tennessee Titans (48.8 percent): Perhaps lost in Chris Johnson's big Sunday against the St. Louis Rams was the fact that CJ1K came off the field when the Titans got close. Greene was the man in such situations, and he converted his first shot since returning from a knee scope, posting his first TD with Tennessee. Frankly, as frustrating as this is to Johnson's owners, it makes sense: Greene's one above-average skill during his time with the Jets was his short-yardage running. Expect him to be more vulture than fantasy option moving forward.

Jerricho Cotchery, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (1.7 percent): Cotchery has been in the league 10 seasons, but he's never had a fantasy output like he did Sunday versus the New England Patriots. In fact, in his 138 career games, he'd scored two touchdowns only once, and in Week 9 he scored three. Suffice it to say: That ain't happening again. That said, Cotchery has at least three catches for at least 39 yards in seven of eight tilts this year, and Ben Roethlisberger has treated him like a security blanket.

Mario Manningham, WR, San Francisco 49ers (1.8 percent): Super Mario is returning from a torn ACL, so there's really no telling what he'll look like in Week 10. But he's expected to be active and the Niners, as ever, could use a field stretcher. Considering Manningham was on pace for his worst output in five seasons last year, there's almost no reason to suspect huge production is forthcoming. But 16-teamers casting around for deep WR lottery tickets could do worse.

Other solid waiver adds for deep-leaguers, about whom I've written in previous weeks: Terrelle Pryor, QB, Raiders (39.5 percent); Jake Locker, QB, Titans (24.5 percent); Josh McCown, QB, Bears (2.4 percent); Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers (4.2 percent); James Starks, RB, Packers (24.1 percent); Daniel Thomas, RB, Dolphins (6.3 percent); Joseph Randle, RB, Cowboys (25.6 percent); Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, Browns (1.9 percent); Brandon Bolden, RB, Patriots (3.5 percent); Kendall Hunter, RB, 49ers (10.4 percent); Riley Cooper, WR, Eagles (8.9 percent); Kris Durham, WR, Lions (0.8 percent); Marlon Brown, WR, Ravens (8.1 percent); Nate Burleson, WR, Lions (2.6 percent); Brandon LaFell, WR, Panthers (5.7 percent); Ted Ginn, WR, Panthers (5.8 percent); Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers (5.0 percent); Andrew Quarless, TE, Packers (3.0 percent); Dallas Clark, TE, Ravens (5.6 percent); Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Lions (29.0 percent).

HacheMan · Nov 5, 2013

Consistency Ratings: Week 10

By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com

Tony Romo takes a lot of heat for his "failures in the clutch."

You've heard the criticism: He's 1-3 in his playoff career, 12-16 in his regular-season career from Dec. 1 forward, and he has been the Dallas Cowboys' starting quarterback for 14 blown fourth-quarter leads in his career.

Now what you don't frequently hear: Romo has orchestrated 19 fourth-quarter comebacks in his career, sixth-most by any player since 2000, and 20 game-winning drives. This included his Week 9 performance in which he found Dwayne Harris for a 7-yard touchdown with 35 seconds remaining to defeat the Minnesota Vikings 27-23.

All this attention Romo receives tends to overshadow his fantasy exploits, and, coming off a game like Sunday's, it's a good time to remind people that, to date, he's actually enjoying his most productive -- and consistent -- season.

Through nine games, Romo has 166 fantasy points, third most among quarterbacks. That puts him on pace for a career-high 295, which would place him seventh among quarterbacks when pacing them all over a 16-game season. But more importantly, he has warranted a fantasy "Start" five times in nine contests; his 55.6 percent Consistency Rating is his best since 2007.

Let's take a look at Romo's yearly consistency history since taking over as the Cowboys' starter in Week 8 of 2006:

2006: 50.0 percent Consistency Rating (10 G, 5 Start, 1 Stud, 3 Stiff)
2007: 56.3 percent Consistency Rating (16 G, 9 Start, 4 Stud, 2 Stiff)
2008: 50.0 percent Consistency Rating (13 G, 8 Start, 0 Stud, 3 Stiff, 3 Sat)
2009: 50.0 percent Consistency Rating (16 G, 8 Start, 3 Stud, 3 Stiff)
2010: 12.5 percent Consistency Rating (6 G, 2 Start, 1 Stud, 1 Stiff, 10 Sat)
2011: 50.0 percent Consistency Rating (16 G, 8 Start, 1 Stud, 2 Stiff)
2012: 37.5 percent Consistency Rating (16 G, 6 Start, 1 Stud, 3 Stiff)
2013: 55.6 percent Consistency Rating (9 G, 5 Start, 1 Stud, 1 Stiff)
Totals: 44.3 percent Consistency Rating (102 G, 51 Start, 12 Stud, 18 Stiff, 13 Sat)

[h=4]CONSISTENCY RATINGS BENCHMARKS[/h]Using 2013 statistics, and fantasy points determined by ESPN's standard scoring, the charts contained in this column rate players based upon how consistently reliable they are. To familiarize you with some of the terminology:
Start: The number of times that the player's point total in a given week was worthy of having had him active in an ESPN standard league.
Stud: The number of times the player's point total ranked among the top at his position.
Stiff: The number of times the player's point total ranked among the worst at his position, making almost any waiver-wire option a smarter choice.
These are the benchmarks for what constitutes a "Start," "Stud" or "Stiff" performance, numbers identifying the player's rank at his position:

<CENTER>Start</CENTER> <CENTER>Stud</CENTER> <CENTER>Stiff</CENTER>
QB Top 10 Top 2 21st+
RB Top 25 Top 5 51st+
WR Top 25 Top 5 51st+
TE Top 10 Top 2 21st+
K Top 10 Top 2 21st+
D/ST Top 10 Top 2 21st+

<THEAD>
</THEAD><TBODY>
</TBODY>
Sat: The number of times the player missed a game. Players are not charged "Stiff" points for sitting out, but it hurts their overall Consistency Rating.
%: The player's overall Consistency Rating, calculated as number of "Start" performances divided by scheduled team games.

Putting Romo's fantasy performance into context, his numbers fall shy of the "elite" at his position: Peyton Manning (6), Aaron Rodgers (4), Tom Brady (3), Drew Brees (3), Jay Cutler (1), Robert Griffin III (1), Cam Newton (1), Philip Rivers (1), Matthew Stafford (1) and Michael Vick (1) all have more seasons of at least 10 "Starts" -- that's a top-10 fantasy point total among quarterbacks in the given week -- than Romo, who has none. But Romo has had at least eight Starts in a season four times and is on track for a fifth such season, and only Brees (7), Manning (7) and Rodgers (5) have more.

In other words, those theorizing that Romo is a sell-high candidate considering his late-season history are doing themselves a disservice. As long as he's not regarded as a surefire top-five quarterback, he's well worth having to lead your team down the stretch. After all, after his Week 11 bye, he has the New York Giants (Week 12), Oakland Raiders (Week 13), Green Bay Packers (Week 15), Washington Redskins (Week 16) and Philadelphia Eagles (Week 17) as five of his final six matchups, all of which are outstanding for a quarterback.

Perhaps Cutler, who has two seasons of eight Starts and one of 10 in his career, could mount a challenge to Romo in fantasy scoring going forward, partly because he has one additional game remaining on his schedule and an even more favorable schedule down the stretch (DET, BAL, @STL, @MIN, DAL, @CLE, @PHI, GB). Rivers, who has three seasons of eight Starts and one of 10, might also be a comparable value to Romo.

But that's still a certain top-10 fantasy quarterback going forward.

[h=3]Consistency Ratings chart[/h]
Players are initially ranked in order of their Consistency Rating, calculated as the percentage of the player's scheduled games -- not games played, scheduled games -- in which his fantasy point total registered a "Start" score. All categories are sortable as ascending and descending; just click on the headers to sort.

Players must have at least a 25.0 percent Consistency Rating in either standard scoring or PPR leagues for inclusion in the chart. All defense/special teams are included, regardless of whether they met those minimums.

These statistics are for 2013 only. Statistics for games since 2010 can be found here.

<STYLE type=text/css>.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</STYLE>

Player <CENTER>Team</CENTER> <CENTER>%</CENTER> <CENTER>Pos</CENTER> <CENTER>G</CENTER> <CENTER>Start</CENTER> <CENTER>Stud</CENTER> <CENTER>Stiff</CENTER> <CENTER>Sat</CENTER> <CENTER>PPR%</CENTER>
Jamaal Charles KC 100.0% RB 9 9 4 0 0 100.0%
Matt Forte Chi 100.0% RB 8 8 4 0 0 100.0%
Fred Jackson Buf 88.9% RB 9 8 1 0 0 88.9%
LeSean McCoy Phi 88.9% RB 9 8 3 0 0 77.8%
Peyton Manning Den 87.5% QB 8 7 3 0 0 87.5%
Wes Welker Den 87.5% WR 8 7 0 0 0 87.5%
Drew Brees NO 87.5% QB 8 7 3 0 0 87.5%
Alfred Morris Wsh 87.5% RB 8 7 0 0 0 87.5%
Frank Gore SF 87.5% RB 8 7 2 0 0 75.0%
Adrian Peterson Min 87.5% RB 8 7 3 0 0 75.0%
Jordan Cameron Cle 77.8% TE 9 7 1 2 0 77.8%
Jordy Nelson GB 75.0% WR 8 6 1 0 0 75.0%
Julius Thomas Den 75.0% TE 8 6 2 1 0 75.0%
Matthew Stafford Det 75.0% QB 8 6 1 0 0 75.0%
Knowshon Moreno Den 75.0% RB 8 6 4 0 0 75.0%
49ers D/ST SF 75.0% D/ST 8 6 1 2 0 75.0%
Jimmy Graham NO 75.0% TE 8 6 5 1 0 75.0%
Eddie Lacy GB 75.0% RB 7 6 1 1 1 75.0%
Panthers D/ST Car 75.0% D/ST 8 6 3 1 0 75.0%
Brandon Marshall Chi 75.0% WR 8 6 1 0 0 62.5%
Chris Johnson Ten 75.0% RB 8 6 1 0 0 50.0%
Seahawks D/ST Sea 66.7% D/ST 9 6 1 0 0 66.7%
Chiefs D/ST KC 66.7% D/ST 9 6 3 0 0 66.7%
Marshawn Lynch Sea 66.7% RB 9 6 2 0 0 66.7%
Stephen Gostkowski NE 66.7% K 9 6 3 1 0 66.7%
A.J. Green Cin 66.7% WR 9 6 2 1 0 66.7%
Dez Bryant Dal 66.7% WR 9 6 3 2 0 55.6%
Reggie Bush Det 62.5% RB 7 5 3 0 1 75.0%
Julio Jones Atl 62.5% WR 5 5 1 0 3 62.5%
Arian Foster Hou 62.5% RB 8 5 1 1 0 62.5%
Darren McFadden Oak 62.5% RB 7 5 1 1 1 62.5%
Aaron Rodgers GB 62.5% QB 8 5 1 2 0 62.5%
Matt Prater Den 62.5% K 8 5 1 1 0 62.5%
Demaryius Thomas Den 62.5% WR 8 5 2 0 0 62.5%
Calvin Johnson Det 62.5% WR 7 5 3 2 1 62.5%
Garrett Hartley NO 62.5% K 8 5 0 1 0 62.5%
Andrew Luck Ind 62.5% QB 8 5 1 1 0 62.5%
Robbie Gould Chi 62.5% K 8 5 0 1 0 62.5%
Antonio Brown Pit 62.5% WR 8 5 1 0 0 62.5%
DeAngelo Williams Car 62.5% RB 8 5 0 0 0 50.0%
Vernon Davis SF 62.5% TE 7 5 2 1 1 50.0%
Denarius Moore Oak 62.5% WR 8 5 0 1 0 50.0%
DeMarco Murray Dal 55.6% RB 7 5 1 0 2 66.7%
DeSean Jackson Phi 55.6% WR 9 5 2 2 0 66.7%
Russell Wilson Sea 55.6% QB 9 5 0 2 0 55.6%
Cowboys D/ST Dal 55.6% D/ST 9 5 1 3 0 55.6%
Tony Romo Dal 55.6% QB 9 5 1 1 0 55.6%
Dan Bailey Dal 55.6% K 9 5 2 3 0 55.6%
Bengals D/ST Cin 55.6% D/ST 9 5 1 2 0 55.6%
Nick Folk NYJ 55.6% K 9 5 1 2 0 55.6%
Zac Stacy StL 55.6% RB 7 5 1 2 2 33.3%
Danny Woodhead SD 50.0% RB 8 4 1 1 0 87.5%
Antonio Gates SD 50.0% TE 8 4 0 2 0 62.5%
Andre Johnson Hou 50.0% WR 8 4 1 2 0 62.5%
Doug Martin TB 50.0% RB 6 4 0 0 2 50.0%
Matt Ryan Atl 50.0% QB 8 4 0 1 0 50.0%
Charles Clay Mia 50.0% RB 8 4 0 0 0 50.0%
Philip Rivers SD 50.0% QB 8 4 0 1 0 50.0%
Justin Tucker Bal 50.0% K 8 4 1 2 0 50.0%
Mason Crosby GB 50.0% K 8 4 2 2 0 50.0%
Victor Cruz NYG 50.0% WR 8 4 2 1 0 50.0%
Larry Fitzgerald Ari 50.0% WR 8 4 1 2 0 50.0%
Andre Ellington Ari 50.0% RB 8 4 1 1 0 50.0%
Maurice Jones-Drew Jac 50.0% RB 8 4 0 0 0 50.0%
Titans D/ST Ten 50.0% D/ST 8 4 1 1 0 50.0%
Bears D/ST Chi 50.0% D/ST 8 4 0 3 0 50.0%
Alshon Jeffery Chi 50.0% WR 8 4 2 3 0 50.0%
Eddie Royal SD 50.0% WR 8 4 1 3 0 50.0%
Coby Fleener Ind 50.0% TE 8 4 0 4 0 50.0%
Greg Olsen Car 50.0% TE 8 4 0 1 0 50.0%
Lamar Miller Mia 50.0% RB 8 4 0 2 0 50.0%
Kyle Rudolph Min 50.0% TE 8 4 0 4 0 50.0%
Mike Tolbert Car 50.0% RB 8 4 0 1 0 50.0%
Le'Veon Bell Pit 50.0% RB 5 4 0 0 3 50.0%
Jermichael Finley GB 50.0% TE 6 4 1 2 2 37.5%
Martellus Bennett Chi 50.0% TE 8 4 1 1 0 37.5%
Ryan Mathews SD 50.0% RB 8 4 1 1 0 37.5%
Marlon Brown Bal 50.0% WR 7 4 0 2 1 25.0%
Giovani Bernard Cin 44.4% RB 9 4 1 0 0 66.7%
Dan Carpenter Buf 44.4% K 9 4 0 1 0 44.4%
Josh Gordon Cle 44.4% WR 7 4 1 1 2 44.4%
Browns D/ST Cle 44.4% D/ST 9 4 0 2 0 44.4%
Jason Witten Dal 44.4% TE 9 4 1 4 0 44.4%
Steven Hauschka Sea 44.4% K 9 4 0 1 0 44.4%
Ryan Succop KC 44.4% K 9 4 0 4 0 44.4%
Patriots D/ST NE 44.4% D/ST 9 4 0 1 0 44.4%
Rams D/ST StL 44.4% D/ST 9 4 1 4 0 44.4%
Stevan Ridley NE 44.4% RB 8 4 1 0 1 44.4%
Terrance Williams Dal 44.4% WR 9 4 1 3 0 33.3%
Marvin Jones Cin 44.4% WR 9 4 1 4 0 33.3%
Pierre Thomas NO 37.5% RB 8 3 1 0 0 62.5%
Jacquizz Rodgers Atl 37.5% RB 8 3 2 2 0 50.0%
Torrey Smith Bal 37.5% WR 8 3 1 1 0 50.0%
Reggie Wayne Ind 37.5% WR 7 3 0 1 1 50.0%
Eric Decker Den 37.5% WR 8 3 2 1 0 50.0%
Joique Bell Det 37.5% RB 8 3 2 0 0 50.0%
Pierre Garcon Wsh 37.5% WR 8 3 1 0 0 50.0%
Randall Cobb GB 37.5% WR 5 3 0 0 3 37.5%
Jason Snelling Atl 37.5% RB 7 3 1 2 1 37.5%
Vincent Jackson TB 37.5% WR 8 3 2 3 0 37.5%
Shaun Suisham Pit 37.5% K 8 3 2 3 0 37.5%
Steve Smith Car 37.5% WR 8 3 0 1 0 37.5%
Jay Cutler Chi 37.5% QB 7 3 0 2 1 37.5%
Matt Schaub Hou 37.5% QB 6 3 0 3 2 37.5%
Colts D/ST Ind 37.5% D/ST 8 3 1 3 0 37.5%
Trent Richardson Ind 37.5% RB 8 3 0 0 0 37.5%
Nick Novak SD 37.5% K 8 3 2 4 0 37.5%
Jake Locker Ten 37.5% QB 6 3 0 1 2 37.5%
Adam Vinatieri Ind 37.5% K 8 3 2 1 0 37.5%
Cam Newton Car 37.5% QB 8 3 2 2 0 37.5%
Ted Ginn Car 37.5% WR 8 3 0 4 0 37.5%
Packers D/ST GB 37.5% D/ST 8 3 1 3 0 37.5%
Saints D/ST NO 37.5% D/ST 8 3 0 1 0 37.5%
Raiders D/ST Oak 37.5% D/ST 8 3 0 2 0 37.5%
David Akers Det 37.5% K 8 3 1 3 0 37.5%
Lions D/ST Det 37.5% D/ST 8 3 0 3 0 37.5%
Cardinals D/ST Ari 37.5% D/ST 8 3 1 2 0 37.5%
Broncos D/ST Den 37.5% D/ST 8 3 1 2 0 37.5%
Colin Kaepernick SF 37.5% QB 8 3 1 2 0 37.5%
Jay Feely Ari 37.5% K 8 3 1 2 0 37.5%
Josh Brown NYG 37.5% K 8 3 1 4 0 37.5%
Mike Wallace Mia 37.5% WR 8 3 0 3 0 37.5%
Tony Gonzalez Atl 37.5% TE 8 3 1 2 0 37.5%
Dolphins D/ST Mia 37.5% D/ST 8 3 1 2 0 37.5%
Sebastian Janikowski Oak 37.5% K 8 3 0 5 0 37.5%
Graham Gano Car 37.5% K 8 3 1 2 0 37.5%
T.Y. Hilton Ind 37.5% WR 8 3 2 3 0 37.5%
Ravens D/ST Bal 37.5% D/ST 8 3 1 1 0 37.5%
Keenan Allen SD 37.5% WR 7 3 0 2 1 37.5%
Chargers D/ST SD 37.5% D/ST 8 3 0 3 0 37.5%
Emmanuel Sanders Pit 37.5% WR 8 3 0 2 0 37.5%
James Starks GB 37.5% RB 5 3 1 1 3 37.5%
Timothy Wright TB 37.5% WR 8 3 0 5 0 37.5%
James Jones GB 37.5% WR 6 3 0 3 2 25.0%
Daniel Thomas Mia 37.5% RB 8 3 0 2 0 25.0%
Rueben Randle NYG 37.5% WR 8 3 1 4 0 25.0%
Rashard Mendenhall Ari 37.5% RB 7 3 0 1 1 25.0%
Ben Tate Hou 37.5% RB 8 3 0 1 0 25.0%
Harry Douglas Atl 37.5% WR 8 3 1 3 0 25.0%
Bilal Powell NYJ 33.3% RB 9 3 0 1 0 44.4%
Brandon Bolden NE 33.3% RB 7 3 0 2 2 44.4%
Sam Bradford StL 33.3% QB 7 3 0 1 2 33.3%
Kenbrell Thompkins NE 33.3% WR 8 3 0 5 1 33.3%
Geno Smith NYJ 33.3% QB 9 3 0 5 0 33.3%
Bills D/ST Buf 33.3% D/ST 9 3 1 3 0 33.3%
Alex Smith KC 33.3% QB 9 3 0 3 0 33.3%
Greg Zuerlein StL 33.3% K 9 3 1 3 0 33.3%
Steve Johnson Buf 33.3% WR 8 3 0 2 1 33.3%
Scott Chandler Buf 33.3% TE 9 3 0 6 0 33.3%
Golden Tate Sea 33.3% WR 9 3 1 4 0 33.3%
Andy Dalton Cin 33.3% QB 9 3 2 4 0 33.3%
C.J. Spiller Buf 33.3% RB 8 3 0 1 1 33.3%
Mike Nugent Cin 33.3% K 9 3 0 2 0 33.3%
BenJarvus Green-Ellis Cin 33.3% RB 9 3 0 1 0 22.2%
Brent Celek Phi 33.3% TE 9 3 0 5 0 22.2%
Aaron Dobson NE 33.3% WR 8 3 1 2 1 22.2%
Cecil Shorts Jac 25.0% WR 8 2 0 2 0 62.5%
Darren Sproles NO 25.0% RB 8 2 1 2 0 37.5%
Roy Helu Wsh 25.0% RB 8 2 1 2 0 37.5%
Ray Rice Bal 25.0% RB 7 2 1 2 1 37.5%
Jordan Reed Wsh 25.0% TE 7 2 1 1 1 37.5%
Brandon LaFell Car 25.0% WR 8 2 0 4 0 37.5%
Caleb Sturgis Mia 25.0% K 8 2 1 2 0 25.0%
Blair Walsh Min 25.0% K 8 2 0 3 0 25.0%
Brian Hartline Mia 25.0% WR 8 2 0 1 0 25.0%
Matt Bryant Atl 25.0% K 8 2 0 2 0 25.0%
Buccaneers D/ST TB 25.0% D/ST 8 2 0 2 0 25.0%
Jerome Simpson Min 25.0% WR 8 2 0 6 0 25.0%
Marques Colston NO 25.0% WR 7 2 0 3 1 25.0%
Robert Griffin III Wsh 25.0% QB 8 2 0 2 0 25.0%
Vikings D/ST Min 25.0% D/ST 8 2 1 3 0 25.0%
Nate Washington Ten 25.0% WR 8 2 1 4 0 25.0%
Ahmad Bradshaw Ind 25.0% RB 3 2 1 0 5 25.0%
Bernard Pierce Bal 25.0% RB 8 2 0 2 0 25.0%
Dallas Clark Bal 25.0% TE 8 2 0 4 0 25.0%
Kendall Wright Ten 25.0% WR 8 2 0 1 0 25.0%
DeAndre Hopkins Hou 25.0% WR 8 2 0 3 0 25.0%
Redskins D/ST Wsh 25.0% D/ST 8 2 1 1 0 25.0%
Steelers D/ST Pit 25.0% D/ST 8 2 0 4 0 25.0%
Kenny Stills NO 25.0% WR 8 2 1 4 0 25.0%
Rian Lindell TB 25.0% K 8 2 0 3 0 25.0%
Jarrett Boykin GB 25.0% WR 8 2 0 5 0 25.0%
Anquan Boldin SF 25.0% WR 8 2 1 3 0 25.0%
Hakeem Nicks NYG 25.0% WR 8 2 0 3 0 25.0%
Phil Dawson SF 25.0% K 8 2 0 3 0 25.0%
Justin Blackmon Jac 25.0% WR 4 2 1 0 4 25.0%
Mike Brown Jac 25.0% WR 4 2 0 1 4 25.0%
Giants D/ST NYG 25.0% D/ST 8 2 0 5 0 25.0%
Peyton Hillis NYG 25.0% RB 2 2 0 0 6 25.0%
Jerricho Cotchery Pit 25.0% WR 8 2 1 2 0 25.0%
Rod Streater Oak 25.0% WR 8 2 0 3 0 25.0%
Rashad Jennings Oak 25.0% RB 8 2 1 4 0 25.0%
Texans D/ST Hou 25.0% D/ST 8 2 0 2 0 25.0%
Garrett Graham Hou 25.0% TE 8 2 0 4 0 12.5%
Joseph Fauria Det 25.0% TE 8 2 1 5 0 12.5%
Kris Durham Det 25.0% WR 8 2 0 4 0 12.5%
Da'Rel Scott NYG 25.0% RB 5 2 0 2 3 12.5%
Michael Floyd Ari 25.0% WR 8 2 0 2 0 12.5%
Kendall Hunter SF 25.0% RB 8 2 0 2 0 12.5%
Robert Meachem NO 25.0% WR 7 2 0 5 1 12.5%
Mike Williams TB 25.0% WR 6 2 0 3 2 0.0%
Levine Toilolo Atl 25.0% TE 8 2 0 6 0 0.0%
Julian Edelman NE 22.2% WR 9 2 0 5 0 33.3%
Dwayne Bowe KC 22.2% WR 9 2 0 4 0 33.3%
Riley Cooper Phi 22.2% WR 9 2 2 5 0 33.3%
Jared Cook StL 22.2% TE 9 2 1 4 0 33.3%
Jets D/ST NYJ 22.2% D/ST 9 2 0 2 0 22.2%
Eagles D/ST Phi 22.2% D/ST 9 2 0 4 0 22.2%
Heath Miller Pit 12.5% TE 6 1 0 2 2 25.0%
Owen Daniels Hou 12.5% TE 5 1 0 1 3 25.0%
Donald Brown Ind 12.5% RB 8 1 0 2 0 25.0%
Delanie Walker Ten 12.5% TE 8 1 0 3 0 25.0%
Brandon Myers NYG 12.5% TE 8 1 0 5 0 25.0%
Falcons D/ST Atl 12.5% D/ST 8 1 0 3 0 12.5%
Jaguars D/ST Jac 0.0% D/ST 8 0 0 6 0 0.0%

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HacheMan · Nov 6, 2013

[h=1]Next-level data provides fantasy hints[/h][h=3]How to value Eddie Lacy in the weeks ahead[/h]By Ken Daube | Special to ESPN.com

One of the staples of this column is a weekly look at target data that aims to identify receivers who may not be properly valued based on the quantity of opportunities they are receiving. I am happy that most readers see the inherent value in that data, and one reader took it further to request similar data for running backs via Twitter.

Quite frankly, it was a really good idea, and one that I'll look to incorporate several times over the remainder of the season, with the first look at that data right now. In the chart below, you'll see a list of the top RBs in the league in terms of average carries over the past four weeks.

[h=4]RB Usage Over Past Four NFL Weeks[/h]

Player	Avg Carries	Player	Avg Carries
Eddie Lacy	24.0	Adrian Peterson	15.3
Frank Gore	22.7	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	15.0
Zac Stacy	22.0	Darren McFadden	15.0
Matt Forte	19.7	Chris Johnson	14.7
Jamaal Charles	19.5	Knowshon Moreno	14.3
Reggie Bush	19.3	Lamar Miller	14.3
Alfred Morris	19.3	Mike James	13.5
Peyton Hillis	19.0	Ray Rice	13.3
Marshawn Lynch	17.8	DeAngelo Williams	13.3
Stevan Ridley	17.8	Fred Jackson	13.0
LeSean McCoy	17.5	Willis McGahee	12.8
Ryan Mathews	16.7	Joseph Randle	11.3
Le'Veon Bell	16.0	Daniel Thomas	11.0
Maurice Jones-Drew	16.0	Trent Richardson	10.7
Ben Tate	15.7	Pierre Thomas	10.3
Chris Ivory	15.5

While most people have inflated their value of Eddie Lacy based on his recent performance, not many realize that Lacy is getting more opportunities than any other back over the past four weeks. When you add in the fact that the Green Bay Packers play the third-best schedule in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, it's clear the Lacy should be regarded as one of the top fantasy backs in the game.

Willis McGahee hasn't been much of anything this year, but he's probably undervalued based on his usage and remaining schedule. No team faces a friendlier schedule for fantasy running backs than the Cleveland Browns for the remainder of the season.

Through the first four weeks, Pierre Thomas (28.5 snaps per game) and Darren Sproles (30.8) were used almost equally. During Week 5 through 8, that changed dramatically. Thomas received 40.3 snaps per game to Sproles' 18.7 snaps. Notice that Week 9 -- where Sproles was injured after playing just one snap -- was not included in those stats. The difference in their workloads makes Thomas the New Orleans Saints running back to start on a weekly basis.

[h=3]On target[/h]
Receiving yardage is the most variable form of yardage, which makes sense because so much of it is dependent on where the quarterback elects to throw the ball. Because of this, variations in the number of times a player is targeted by his quarterback can greatly change a player's value. So while your receiver may have scored 10 fantasy points this weekend, you need to know whether it's reasonable to expect that he can repeat that type of performance on a routine basis. If a receiver had one target that he turned into a 40-yard touchdown, you need to realize that he was one quarterback decision away from posting a goose egg. Conversely, if your wideout had 12 targets and finished with 108 yards receiving, his prospects for consistent fantasy production are significantly greater.
Below, you'll see all of the players who are averaging eight or more targets in their past four games, and how many of those targets were on plays that began in the red zone during Week 9.
Note: Targets are not an official NFL statistic. Based on the methodology that stat services use, the number of targets listed may be different than target values listed elsewhere. ESPN Stats & Information's philosophy is to count a target when the analyst thinks the pass was actually intended for the player. Therefore, if a quarterback is obviously throwing a ball away, the analyst will not record a target for that pass. This gives a truer representation of what a target is -- a pass thrown to a particular player, with the intent for that player to catch the ball -- and therefore should be more helpful to the fantasy community.

[h=3]Fantasy insights based on data through Week 9[/h]

[h=4]Week 9 Targets Report[/h]

Player	Targets*	RZ
Calvin Johnson	13.3	0
Vincent Jackson	13.3	0
Justin Blackmon	13.0	0
Pierre Garcon	11.5	0
A.J. Green	11.3	3
Brandon Marshall	11.0	1
Rob Gronkowski	10.7	3
Dez Bryant	10.5	0
Harry Douglas	10.0	0
Steve Johnson	10.0	1
Antonio Brown	9.8	1
Hakeem Nicks	9.7	0
Keenan Allen	9.7	2
T.Y. Hilton	9.7	4
Wes Welker	9.7	0
Andre Johnson	9.0	1
Eric Decker	9.0	0
Kris Durham	9.0	0
Mike Wallace	9.0	0
Griff Whalen	9.0	1
Kendall Wright	8.7	0
Jordan Reed	8.5	0
Antonio Gates	8.3	1
Demaryius Thomas	8.3	0
Greg Jennings	8.0	2
Cecil Shorts	8.0	0
Denarius Moore	8.0	2
Reggie Wayne	8.0	0
Juron Criner	8.0	2
* Target data presented here is average number of targets through the past four games

• Griff Whalen stepped in as the third receiver for the Indianapolis Colts and didn't really produce. Though he was targeted nine times, he finished the game with just three catches. For perspective, Andrew Luck completed 48.4 percent of his pass attempts to all other Colts and just 33 percent to Whalen. Even if Darrius Heyward-Bey were to miss some time, Whalen is not fantasy relevant at this point.

• Juron Criner played more snaps for the Oakland Raiders than all receivers except Denarius Moore, but parlayed that into only three catches for 38 yards. Frankly, the fact that he surpassed the other established receiving options for opportunities in his first game of the season is an indictment of the other options for the Raiders. However, keep an eye on Criner, especially in deeper leagues.

• While you might want to adjust the value of Cecil Shorts after the suspension of Justin Blackmon, doing so would be foolish. The level of performance Shorts attained and the opportunities he was given wasn't positively or negatively affected by Blackmon's presence. Remember, he was producing well during Blackmon's initial suspension this season. Now, if Blaine Gabbert somehow unseats Chad Henne ...

• In Vincent Jackson's first game without Mike Williams, he was targeted only four times, which resulted in two catches for only 11 yards. Don't look at that as indicative of how much Williams impacted Jackson, but rather attribute it to Richard Sherman's blanket coverage.

• T.Y. Hilton lit up the scoreboard Sunday night, but don't elevate him to elite status just yet. Almost all of Hilton's performance came in the second half, when the Colts were forced to throw to get back into the game. Coming into Sunday night, Hilton had a total of 117 receiving yards in the second half of all the Colts games, and he almost equaled that Sunday night when he gained 115 such yards.

[h=3]Big plays and up close[/h]
There were 15 NFL players (up from seven last week) who totaled three or more rushes that gained 10 or more yards each. They were: Marshawn Lynch (7), Chris Johnson (6), Mike James (5), Matt Forte (5), Adrian Peterson (5), Jamaal Charles (4), Lacy (4), Chris Ivory (4), Terrelle Pryor (3), Stevan Ridley (3), Rashad Jennings (3), Lamar Miller (3), Giovani Bernard (3), Brandon Bolden (3) and Alfred Morris (3).

Meanwhile, there were 10 players (up from eight last week) with at least two carries from their opponent's 5-yard line or closer. They were Morris (4), McGahee (3), Ridley (3), DeAngelo Williams (3), Darrel Young (3), Zac Stacy (2), Shonn Greene (2), Jeremy Stewart (2), Fred Jackson (2) and Ivory (2). Of this group, only McGahee, Williams and Jackson failed to score on at least one of these attempts.
The decision on how the New York Jets will use Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell going forward presents a great opportunity for fantasy players. Ivory has the potential to be a very usable option if he continues to receive the chances that he has received in recent weeks, and therefore he should obviously be owned in all formats. Powell looks as though he will receive a role similar to how the Detroit Lions utilize Joique Bell.

If you don't know who Jeremy Stewart is, don't worry. His two carries inside the 5 were his first two carries for the Raiders this year. If anything, they show that Rashad Jennings won't be given every opportunity that Darren McFadden received when McFadden was a healthy, workhorse-type back.

It was so nice of Chris Johnson to finally show up. Johnson's six runs of 10 yards or more in Week 9 represents half of his season total. If Johnson is going to be worthy of starting as a fantasy back, he needs to rip off an average of at least three of these types of runs per week. I don't view that as likely, so Johnson is more of a matchup-dependent RB2 or Flex play than he is a definite starter.

[h=3]Red zone play-calling chart[/h]
Below is a listing of the percentage of run/pass plays each team has executed this season in the red zone. Pass plays are defined as any play where the quarterback attempted a pass or was sacked, and all other plays are deemed as a rush.

[h=4]Red Zone Play-Calling Chart[/h]

Team	Snaps	Pass	Rush
New England Patriots	104	43%	57%
Denver Broncos	104	57%	43%
Atlanta Falcons	94	66%	34%
St. Louis Rams	89	58%	42%
Green Bay Packers	87	52%	48%
Kansas City Chiefs	82	48%	52%
Carolina Panthers	82	34%	66%
Buffalo Bills	81	33%	67%
San Diego Chargers	80	64%	36%
Detroit Lions	77	61%	39%
Cleveland Browns	76	58%	42%
Seattle Seahawks	74	45%	55%
Chicago Bears	74	57%	43%
San Francisco 49ers	73	29%	71%
Philadelphia Eagles	73	53%	47%
Baltimore Ravens	72	57%	43%
Pittsburgh Steelers	70	71%	29%
Jacksonville Jaguars	68	74%	26%
Cincinnati Bengals	68	60%	40%
Washington Redskins	67	54%	46%
Tennessee Titans	64	41%	59%
New Orleans Saints	64	67%	33%
Dallas Cowboys	63	63%	37%
Indianapolis Colts	60	58%	42%
Houston Texans	60	53%	47%
Miami Dolphins	57	56%	44%
Minnesota Vikings	56	48%	52%
Oakland Raiders	53	49%	51%
New York Jets	52	46%	54%
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	50	72%	28%
New York Giants	50	64%	36%
Arizona Cardinals	48	58%	42%

HacheMan · Nov 6, 2013

[h=1]Players with best scoring chances[/h][h=3]Fred Jackson, Calvin Johnson and others with best TD opportunities[/h]By Mike Clay | Pro Football Focus

With nine weeks of the 2013 regular season in the books, it's time for our weekly look at our alternative to red zone data: opportunity-adjusted touchdowns (OTD).

If you're new to the stat, be sure to check out our introductions to rushing and receiving OTD. The OTD metric weighs every carry/target and converts the data into one number that indicates a player's scoring opportunity.

Week 9 belonged to the New England Patriots, with Stevan Ridley and Rob Gronkowski pacing the league in OTD.

[h=3]Rushing[/h]

[h=4]Rushing OTD Leaders After Week 9[/h]

Rk	Rusher	Att	TD	2013 OTD	Wk 9 OTD
1	Fred Jackson	117	6	6.8	1.3
2	Willis McGahee	99	1	6.2	1.1
3	Frank Gore	145	7	6.2	0.0
4	Marshawn Lynch	167	6	5.9	0.2
5	Jamaal Charles	170	6	5.7	0.1
6	Knowshon Moreno	108	8	5.3	0.0
7	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	131	3	4.5	0.1
8	Stevan Ridley	118	6	4.4	1.6
9	Eddie Lacy	134	4	3.9	0.7
10	Matt Forte	140	7	3.9	0.7
11	Ray Rice	97	3	3.9	0.1
12	Mike Tolbert	57	4	3.9	0.4
13	DeMarco Murray	95	3	3.5	0.0
14	Le'Veon Bell	75	3	3.3	0.1
15	Reggie Bush	117	2	3.3	0.0
16	DeAngelo Williams	122	1	3.2	1.0
17	Adrian Peterson	153	7	3.1	0.5
18	Arian Foster	121	1	3.0	0.0
19	Jackie Battle	35	1	2.9	0.0
20	Darren McFadden	93	3	2.9	0.0
21	LeSean McCoy	168	3	2.7	0.2
22	Brandon Bolden	38	2	2.7	0.1
23	Alfred Morris	133	5	2.7	1.1
24	Danny Woodhead	53	1	2.7	0.5
25	Zac Stacy	103	2	2.7	0.8
26	Maurice Jones-Drew	122	2	2.6	0.0
27	Ben Tate	88	1	2.6	0.2
28	Bernard Pierce	85	2	2.6	0.0
29	Rashard Mendenhall	92	3	2.5	0.0
30	Jacquizz Rodgers	67	2	2.5	0.0
31	Michael Bush	31	1	2.4	0.6
32	Brandon Jacobs	44	3	2.4	0.0
33	Trent Richardson	114	2	2.2	0.0
34	LeGarrette Blount	70	2	2.2	0.2
35	Anthony Dixon	15	2	2.1	0.0
36	Joique Bell	62	4	2.1	0.0
37	Daniel Thomas	60	2	2.0	0.2
38	Montee Ball	55	1	2.0	0.0
39	Ahmad Bradshaw	41	2	2.0	0.0
40	Ronnie Hillman	40	1	1.9	0.0<!-- end inline 1 -->

After another busy week near the end zone, Fred Jackson (6.8) has taken control of the rushing OTD lead through nine weeks. Jackson handled a pair of carries from the Chiefs' 1-yard line in Week 9 and now leads the entire league with seven tries from 1 yard out. On the season, Jackson has carried the ball from inside the opponent's 5-yard line 13 times, with five carries resulting in a touchdown.

<OFFER></OFFER>

Among the top 15 backs in rushing OTD this season, Willis McGahee (6.2) is the only one with fewer than two rushing touchdowns this season. (He has just one.) Cleveland's lead back has five carries from the opponent's 1-yard line but has converted only once. He's an awful 1-for-16 on all carries within 6 yards of pay dirt. It's fair to expect larger roles for Chris Ogbonnaya and Fozzy Whittaker going forward.

Powered by a league-high 1.6 rushing OTD this past weekend, Stevan Ridley (4.4) has improved to eighth overall in the category this season. Ridley racked up six carries within 10 yards of the end zone in Week 9, two of which were handled from the 1-yard line. Ridley's two touchdowns came from 1 yard and 5 yards out, respectively. Ridley's emergence could be short-lived, however, as Shane Vereen (0.7) is expected back when the team returns from its bye in Week 11. Vereen handled the team's only carry within 10 yards of the end zone back in Week 1.

Jonathan Stewart (0.1) is back for the Panthers, but that's unlikely to interfere with Mike Tolbert (3.9) snatching up goal-line work. The Panthers have handed the ball off to a running back four times while at the opponent's 1-yard line this season. Tolbert has handled all four and converted on a pair. Tolbert has two other carries within 4 yards of the goal line this season, two of which have resulted in a touchdown.

We don't mention fullbacks very often, so I'll take advantage while I can. Redskins lead blocker Darrel Young (1.4) ranked second in rushing OTD this past week. The big man carried the ball five times, two of which came from the Chargers' 1-yard line and another from 4 yards out. Each of those three carries was converted into six points.

Mike James (1.7) is the highest-ranked player without a rushing touchdown this season. James has carried the ball while inside the opponent's 5-yard line three times, one of which came from 1 yard out. The Buccaneers haven't scored a rushing touchdown since Week 1, but that figures to change soon with James running the ball relatively well.

No back with at least 100 carries has a lower rushing OTD than C.J. Spiller (0.9) this season. Considering that his Bills teammate Jackson paces the league in the category, this should hardly come as a surprise. Spiller has no carries within 5 yards of the end zone and only two within 8 yards. On average, Spiller has been 62 yards from the end zone on his 102 carries. That's a league high among players with 100-plus totes.

[h=3]Receiving[/h]
Note: Remember that receiving OTD is based on the player's distance from the end zone when he is targeted -- not the line of scrimmage. This allows us to better weight throws into the end zone.

[h=4]Receiving OTD Leaders After Week 9[/h]

Rk	Receiver	Targ	TD	2013 OTD	Wk 9 OTD
1	Calvin Johnson	77	7	6.9	0.0
2	A.J. Green	100	5	6.1	0.6
3	Dez Bryant	87	8	5.8	0.5
4	Wes Welker	72	9	5.3	0.0
5	Brandon Marshall	78	6	5.3	1.2
6	Alshon Jeffery	63	3	5.3	0.8
7	Cecil Shorts	84	1	4.8	0.0
8	Larry Fitzgerald	62	5	4.4	0.0
9	Kenbrell Thompkins	55	4	4.4	0.0
10	DeSean Jackson	77	6	4.4	0.2
11	Martellus Bennett	51	4	4.3	0.1
12	Aaron Dobson	59	4	4.3	0.6
13	Jordy Nelson	59	7	4.3	0.4
14	Tony Gonzalez	61	4	4.3	0.5
15	Jason Witten	66	4	4.2	0.3
16	Vernon Davis	46	7	4.2	0.0
17	Austin Pettis	47	4	4.1	0.7
18	Vincent Jackson	92	4	4.1	0.0
19	T.Y. Hilton	63	5	4.1	1.2
20	Jimmy Graham	72	10	3.9	0.6
21	Michael Floyd	54	2	3.8	0.0
22	Hakeem Nicks	64	0	3.6	0.0
23	Pierre Garcon	83	2	3.6	0.1
24	Julius Thomas	52	8	3.6	0.0
25	Julian Edelman	72	2	3.6	0.2
26	Jordan Cameron	63	5	3.5	0.1
27	Steve Smith	62	3	3.5	0.5
28	Eric Decker	70	3	3.4	0.0
29	Victor Cruz	74	4	3.4	0.0
30	Joseph Fauria	13	5	3.4	0.0
31	Marlon Brown	42	5	3.4	0.8
32	Josh Gordon	63	3	3.2	0.3
33	Antonio Brown	78	3	3.2	0.6
34	Demaryius Thomas	66	6	3.2	0.0
35	Reggie Wayne	57	2	3.2	0.0
36	Sidney Rice	32	3	3.1	0.0
37	Steve Johnson	65	3	3.1	0.1
38	Harry Douglas	55	1	3.1	0.0
39	Denarius Moore	55	4	3.0	0.5
40	Justin Blackmon	46	1	2.9	0.0

Gronkowski (1.7) paced the league with a 1.2 receiving OTD in Week 9. Appearing in only his third game since returning from injury, Gronkowski was targeted three times within 1 yard of the end zone. Although he was unable to secure his lone end zone target, he did score from 1 yard out.

Speaking of the Patriots, Aaron Dobson (4.3) has progressed into a must-own fantasy wide receiver. Now No. 12 overall in receiving OTD this season, Dobson has been targeted while in the confines of the end zone seven times. He's caught only two of those passes. The rookie's other two scores came on catch-and-runs from 29 and 39 yards out, respectively. Dobson has received five additional targets within 5 yards of the end zone.

Incredibly, the Bears have three players among the top 11 in receiving OTD this season. Brandon Marshall (5.29) paces the squad, but Alshon Jeffery (5.27) and Martellus Bennett (4.3) are close behind. Marshall and Jeffery have each seen 10 end zone targets, which ties them for fourth-most in the NFL. Marshall has caught five of those looks, while Jeffery has hauled in three. Bennett has caught four of his nine end zone targets this season.

With Reggie Wayne (3.2) done for the season, T.Y. Hilton (4.1) will be asked to take on a larger role in the Colts' offense. He's off to a great start, having hauled in three touchdowns this past Sunday night. Hilton had two end zone targets and caught one. His other scores came after 7- and 15-yard runs, respectively.

We talked about Andre Johnson (2.8) last week (and not in a good way), but he promptly went on to explode for three scores in his next game. Johnson doubled his previous season total for end zone targets with two on Sunday night. He caught both. Johnson's third touchdown came after a run of 23 yards.

The Raiders deactivated Brice Butler (0.2) and Andre Holmes (0.0) this week, instead throwing Juron Criner (0.8) into the mix at wide receiver. Criner was targeted often against Philadelphia, racking up eight targets, two of which came while he was in the end zone. The 6-foot-3 Criner failed to score but is worth monitoring in deep leagues.

Of Nick Foles' record-tying seven passing touchdowns in Week 9, three went to Riley Cooper (2.5). Foles targeted Cooper in the end zone twice, and both resulted in a score. Cooper took the third score in from 16 yards out.

With Sidney Rice (3.1) done for the season, Doug Baldwin (1.9) stepped into a much larger role this past week for the Seahawks. He was targeted 10 times, one of which came in the end zone. Baldwin's lone score came after a run of 5 yards. Baldwin is on the WR3 radar, but only until Percy Harvin returns.

HacheMan · Nov 6, 2013

[h=1]Second-half breakout players[/h][h=3]Keenan Allen among five potential players who could have a big second half[/h]By KC Joyner | ESPN Insider

Every week fantasy football offers up its share of under-the-radar players who post numbers that make owners wonder if they are one-hit wonders or potential breakout candidates who can justify a longer-term roster spot.
The Week 9 slate of games seemed to provide a larger than usual pool of these players, so this edition of Fantasy Foresight will review the game tape and metrics to determine which category each falls into.

<CENTER>Allen</CENTER>
Keenan Allen, WR, San Diego Chargers
When a wide receiver posts 16 or more points in three of his past four starts, it would normally preclude him from inclusion in a list like this. However, Allen is still owned in only 41.6 percent of ESPN leagues and saw his ownership move up only 7.6 percent last week.
<OFFER></OFFER>
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Allen currently ranks in the top 32 in the NFL in receptions (tied for 32nd), receiving yards (ranked 23rd), receiving touchdowns (ranked tied for 24th), yards per reception (18th) and yards after the catch (tied for 32nd). Those figures say he is a No. 1 wide receiver, and that is before taking into account that Allen had only three receptions for 30 yards in his first three games and thus is currently on a high-end No. 1 wide receiver pace.
He does have a fairly tough schedule coming up, facing two upper-tier cornerbacks in the next three games, but that doesn't change the fact that his ownership rate should be twice as high as it currently is.
Verdict: breakout candidate

<CENTER>Foles</CENTER>
Nick Foles, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
No one expects seven touchdown passes per game out of Foles, but can he continue at a strong pace as long as Michael Vick is out of the lineup?
The odds say no for two reasons. First, the Raiders contest had more to do with Oakland's defenders looking like a bad slapstick comedy troupe than it did Philadelphia's offense hitting on all cylinders. Two of the touchdown passes occurred on plays in which the cornerback fell down and two others were the direct result of a blown coverage. Those types of errors happen from time to time in the NFL, but they don't happen on anywhere close to a regular basis and therefore aren't likely to recur down the road.
Foles is also only a couple of weeks removed from an abysmal game against the Cowboys in which he posted a 7.5 Total QBR. Foles lost the starting job to Vick in the preseason, and there is a very good possibility he could have to depart the lineup once again if and when Vick returns. Add all of these elements together and it equals a situation where if fantasy owners can sell high on him and get a starting or strong flex-caliber player in return, now is the time to make that move.
Verdict: one-hit wonder

<CENTER>Cooper</CENTER>
Riley Cooper, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Cooper was another beneficiary of the Raiders' coverage largesse, as his 63-yard touchdown took place on one of the aforementioned plays in which a defender tripped and fell down.
Don't read too much into his performance, as up until this past week, outside of one solid game against Tampa Bay (another team with significant secondary personnel issues), Cooper averaged a very low 6.2 YPA. His numbers this year have been even worse when Vick was in the lineup (5.2 YPA). Cooper's coverage schedule isn't daunting (no upper-tier cornerbacks the rest of the year) but all in all this doesn't look to be a fantasy scoring situation that is apt to repeat itself.
Verdict: one-hit wonder

<CENTER>Starks</CENTER>
James Starks, RB, Green Bay Packers
The injury to Aaron Rodgers could very well see the Packers leaning much more heavily on their powerful ground game. Starks has already proved to be a home run hitter with an Adrian Peterson-like 11.3 good blocking yards per attempt (GBYPA), which gauges a running back's productivity on plays with good run blocking.
That number has been posted on a small sample size, but when a back proves he is capable of breaking off gains of that caliber, he should be owned in a lot more than 24.1 percent of ESPN leagues. This goes double for fantasy owners who know their team is going to make the playoffs, as the Packers have green-rated run defenses (the most favorable matchup level) on the schedule from Weeks 15-17.
Verdict: breakout candidate

<CENTER>Wright</CENTER>
Timothy Wright, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Wright hasn't drawn much attention in the fantasy football world because he plays on the Buccaneers' offense, but that seeming misfortune hasn't prevented him from posting nine or more fantasy points in three of his past four games. To put that into perspective, consider how many games of nine or more points some of the top-name tight ends have posted this year: Tony Gonzalez (4), Antonio Gates (3), Martellus Bennett (3), Greg Olsen (2) and Jason Witten (3).
It's certainly too early to say Wright has reached the fantasy status of those five just yet, but he's getting close enough to that level that he should be owned in a lot more than 0.9 percent of ESPN leagues.
Verdict: breakout candidate

HacheMan · Nov 7, 2013

The value of a name

By Matthew Berry | ESPN.com

It was only a matter of time.

The email came this week and it said, very simply, "I think this was meant for you."

He was right, of course. The email was intended for me. The only issue was it had been sent to my new ESPN colleague, "SportsCenter" anchor ... Matt Barrie.

Great, I thought. Here we go again.

I do not have a unique name. It drives me crazy. It's my name, of course, I love my name, except I want it to be mine. And it's not. Not even close.

According to the good people of Howmanyofme.com, there are 501 people in the United States named Matthew Berry. But it feels like there are actually millions with the name, or some variation; the site claims "Matthew," incidentally, is the 40th-most popular first name in our nation, and "Berry" is the 205th-most popular last name.

When I was growing up, I played competitive tennis in the state of Texas. And there was another very good player a year younger (and better than me, frankly) named Matthew Berry. There's a popular British singer/comedian named Matt Berry, who has many videos on YouTube. There's a well-respected casting agent in Hollywood with the same-sounding name, but spelled B-A-R-R-Y. A former Congressional candidate in Virginia, the director of heath care analysis for Bloomberg Government and the director of marketing for IBM MobileFirst are named Matt Berry. The basketball coach for Luzerne County Community College is another Matt Berry, and my apologies to @MatthewBerry on Twitter. He's a guy with a fly fishing lodge in Driggs, Idaho, who got to Twitter before me and now gets more fantasy football questions than he probably wants. I'm @matthewberrytmr, if you care.

While I was in college at Syracuse, I decided I wanted to be a sitcom writer. After I graduated, I moved to Hollywood and tried to pursue that dream. I spent a few long years getting coffee, Xeroxing scripts and doing general grunt work as a production assistant trying to break in. Eventually, I managed to get a break and landed on a sitcom called "Kirk," starring former teen heartthrob Kirk Cameron. I'm sure you were a big fan. Here's how long ago that was, incidentally: The network it was on, The WB, doesn't even exist anymore.

It wasn't a very good show and its gentle family humor certainly didn't jive with my 24-year-old comedic tastes, but whatever. I was a writer. Someone was actually going to pay me to write jokes, soft as they may be. I was over the moon. We sent out for lunch every day and I wasn't the one getting it. Heaven.

Among the first things that you get to do once you get a job as a writer -- and keep it for a little while -- is that you get to join the Writer's Guild of America. This was a big deal to me, and I've already told at least part of this story in a column before, it was that big a deal in my life. I was waiting for it, couldn't wait until I had worked long enough to qualify. Just felt more permanent, you know? Like once I was in, then and only then would I officially be a professional writer. They couldn't take it away from me after that. (That I had that fear speaks volumes about me, but that's for another column. Or book.)

So time comes to join the WGA and there is, as they say, a hiccup.

I couldn't use the name "Matthew Berry." Turns out there was another writer with that name already, a story editor on "Roseanne" named Matt Berry. I'm guessing it's still a guild rule, but I know for sure it was at the time. It's why Michael J. Fox uses the "J." When he joined SAG, there was already a Michael Fox.
The Writer's Guild wanted me to use my middle initial, which, randomly, is also "J" And I really didn't want to use my middle initial. I mean, I never used it in real life. Plus, I thought "Kirk," written by Matthew J. Berry, sounded really pretentious. It's a kids' sitcom and not a good one, you know? And it's not like this would be just for "Kirk." This is for the rest of my career. This is what I would always be known as professionally as a writer.

So I'm really struggling with this, trying to figure out what to do when they called back. Don't sweat it, they tell me. I can't use "J" anyway because the other Matt Berry's middle initial was also J.
Now they want to use a different middle initial or just use a fake name.

So now I'm really depressed. I've been working so hard to make it, I finally get my chance and now I have to change my name? Eventually, I'll write something I'll be proud of and I'm gonna want my name -- my real name -- on it.
They are kind, but tell me, in essence, that I am blank out of luck. It's the guild rules, he was there first, and it is what it is. If I want to be a writer, I gotta come up with at least a fake initial.

I think on it and I call back with one last desperation thing. I've seen this guy's credits on "Roseanne," I say. He always uses Matt Berry. What if, I ask, he agrees to always use Matt Berry and I'll always use Matthew Berry? Would that work?

They say they will ask.

Now take a second and imagine you're this guy. You've never met me. You don't even know I exist. You owe me nothing. You're established (he was a well-known club comedian before becoming a writer) and on a huge hit show like "Roseanne." You get the call out of the blue asking this.

My feeling is most people would say: "Tough. I was here first. Get your own name. Not my problem." But despite not knowing me from Adam, and with no motivation to do anything other than being a great person, Matt Berry agreed and signed whatever he needed to so that he would always stay Matt Berry. And I got to use my name.

Over the years, we occasionally would get calls or WGA mail for one another, so we would occasionally be in touch, sending or passing along something that was intended for the other. And a few years later, we actually met at a cocktail party and I told him how much that meant to me. He waved it off as no big deal, but I've always felt the need to honor that.

Even after I left show business, I'm always Matthew Berry. Never Matt. Podcast listeners know I get nuts when I'm credited or referred to as Matt Berry. It is in deference to this man and his generosity that I do that.
Friends in real life call me Matt, Matty or Matthew. I answer to all. But in case you were wondering why I go ballistic when someone on ESPN refers to me professionally as Matt Berry, that's why.

I thought I was finally done with that. But no, here we are, back again. I've only briefly met Matt Barrie, but he seemed a very affable fellow and from what I've seen, really good on air as well. Good hire for us. Just wished he had a different name. At some point, we're gonna be on TV together and it's gonna be "I'm Matt Barrie, joined by our fantasy guy Matthew Berry" or some such ... ugh.

At least, that was my initial reaction. But then I realized: You know what? He spells it differently, he does a different job than me, and, luckily for him, he's younger and has a full head of luxurious hair. It's not about the name, it's about the quality of our work. There's a lot more to either one of us than just our name. In fact, our similar-sounding names are just a small part of everything either of us is about.

This is a lesson that fantasy football owners should learn: forget the names. It's about production. "Ray Rice" doesn't mean what it used to. Neither does "Marques Colston." Forget that "Zac Stacy" and "Keenan Allen" were on your waiver wire two months ago and that you spent a first-rounder on "Trent Richardson." You're starting either guy over T-Rich, and it's not close. We're in Week 10, the stretch run, and names mean nothing. Stop holding onto names and look at everything else they bring to the table.

One name that doesn't change is "Love/Hate." It's Week 10. If you don't know the drill on how to use this article and my rankings by now, you never will. Here we go.

[h=3]Quarterbacks I Love in Week 10[/h]
Cam Newton, Panthers: Just in case you were thinking of getting cute because it's the San Francisco 49ers' defense and they're off a bye. Don't. Look at the quarterbacks they've faced recently: Chad Henne, Jake Locker, Carson Palmer, Matt Schaub and Sam Bradford. And Locker got 21 points on them. It's a good defense, but let's not get crazy. Newton is still a no-brainer start.

Jake Locker, Titans: Speaking of Locker ... yeah, yeah, I know, bad against the Rams last week. But that was on the road (Locker averaged 22 points a game at home) and the Rams are better than you think. Meanwhile, the Jaguars are just as bad as you think they are. Only two teams have allowed more fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks than Jacksonville, which has surrendered 16 passing touchdowns and generated just three turnovers. Oh, and Locker's available in 75 percent of leagues, for you Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers owners who are still looking.

Chicago Bears Quarterback To Be Named Later: I like Jay Cutler more than Josh McCown, obviously, but either guy should be solid in a high-scoring game with the Lions. As I write this on Wednesday, I feel like Cutler will play, but either way, you can beat the Lions deep (only six teams have allowed more touchdown passes of 20-plus yards) and with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery running wild, that's what the Bears will be looking to do.

Terrelle Pryor, Raiders: I keep talking about this, but his floor is so high that he's a safe start. Look, last week, he had two interceptions, zero touchdowns, left the game early and still had 16 points. That's what the rushing will get you, and against New York, even a Giants team that's playing a little better recently, he's a safe bet for 15 points or so with upside for much more. Available in over 60 percent of leagues.

If you're desperate: Yes, Eli Manning has been brutal, but back-to-back weeks with no turnovers, off the bye, Raiders traveling East for a 1 p.m. game and, you know, Oakland did just give up seven scores to Nick Foles. ... Arizona has a very good run defense, and combined with Arian Foster's injuries, I could see another week of the Case Keenum show.

[h=3]Quarterbacks I Hate in Week 10[/h]
Colin Kaepernick, 49ers: OK, this won't shock you, but to put some numbers to it, since Week 2, Kaepernick has averaged 167.4 passing yards per game, fewest in the league among qualified quarterbacks. Now, what has saved him is the rushing; 120 yards and three scores in just the last two weeks. But how much do we think he'll be able to run on the Panthers? Don't answer, I've already decided. Not much. Carolina is second versus the run, and it has allowed the fewest rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks this year, including holding Russell Wilson to just 7 yards rushing earlier this year. The Panthers allow the fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. I don't see Karpernick as a top-10 play this week.

Matt Ryan, Falcons: Maybe he gets Roddy White back this week, and that helps. And the Seahawks did just give up 15 points to Mike Glennon. In Seattle. And this game is in Atlanta. But ... he's posted back-to-back single-digit fantasy points, the first time he's done so since 2009. Dude has seven picks the last two games; do you feel confident starting him this week? Exactly. He's not in the top 10 this week and that means that, for where he was drafted and what you expect out of him, he belongs on the hate list.

Andy Dalton, Bengals: How lucky do you feel? In his past six games, he's had three with at least 24 points and three with eight or less. It's high-risk, high-reward; he could easily go off again against the Ravens(a good defense), but considering he's averaged just 226 yards a game in four career matchups against Baltimore and that opposing quarterbacks average just 10 points a game in Baltimore, I'm taking the under on 20 fantasy points and have him outside my top 12.

[h=3]Running Backs I Love in Week 10:[/h]
Reggie Bush, Lions: Remember when the Chicago Bears' defense was the CHICAGO BEARS' DEFENSE? Yeah, me neither. Of course, I don't remember what I had for breakfast this morning, either.

Zac Stacy, Rams: Two first names, always a crowd pleaser. What's this guy got to do to get into the top 10? He'll move up there after the Thursday game, when we remove Adrian Peterson and Alfred Morris from the rankings, but in the Wednesday morning iteration, I'm the only guy to rank Stacy as a top-10 play. I continue to be the highest on him and I don't get what I am missing. He's touching the ball like 25 times a game. He's their entire offense. He runs hard and runs well between the tackles (4.5 yards per carry since Week 5) and that's one place where the Colts are vulnerable. Since Week 5, the Colts have allowed 4.8 yards per carry between the tackles, second most in the league. Zac Stacy's mom has got it going on. Why? Because she has her son on her fantasy team.

Mike James, Buccaneers: OK, so yeah, not only did Mike James lead the league in rushing yards last week with 158 yards, against the Seahawks, in Seattle, but 68 of those yards came after contact. Not a fluke. This year, James has averaged 2.2 yards after contact per carry, second most in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Dolphins, who might be a little distracted this week, allow the third-most rushing yards after contact. They give up the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs, he's somehow still available in 80 percent of leagues, and I'm playing against him in the ESPN War Room league, where I need a win and am without Jamaal Charles and Rob Gronkowski, so I assure you he's going off. Top 20 guy for me.

DeMarco Murray, Cowboys: I know, I know ... he got, like, four carries last week. He's topped more than 100 yards rushing in only one game this year. But Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, of course, spent many years watching Romo at practice, so he knows his strengths and weaknesses well. Between wanting to limit shots at Romo and trying to keep Drew Brees off the field, I expect Dallas to try to run quite a bit, especially since that's the way to attack New Orleans. The Saints allow 4.95 yards per carry, second most in the league.

Andre Ellington, Cardinals: Eggs! I had eggs for breakfast this morning!

The Buffalo Bills' running backs, 1A and 1B: You can run on the Steelers and you were starting C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson anyways, but I put them in here entirely because I just liked this odd little stat: Only three players have at least 30 yards rushing in all nine games this season: LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles and ... Fred Jackson. And before you go all "bye weeks!" on me, realize that there are 10 teams that have played nine games so far.

If you're desperate: If we learned anything from Mike James and Zac Stacy the past two weeks, it's that you can run on Seattle. Steven Jackson should get enough work to be a solid flex play. ... I have no idea how much Darren Sproles plays (he practiced Wednesday), but I really don't care. Pierre Thomas is the lead back for the Saints, he has 20 receptions in the past four games, and the Cowboys have given up the most receptions and receiving yards to opposing running backs this year. ... The Shonn Greene thing in Tennessee is real and the light doesn't get any greener than at home to the Jags. ... Your weekly reminder that all Mike Tolbert does is score touchdowns; he now has five scores in the past four games. He won't get more than 10 touches, but he has as good a shot at a score as anyone.

[h=3]Running Backs I Hate in Week 10:[/h]Ray Rice, Ravens: Sigh. Pick a stat -- any stat. Rice has averaged 2.7 yards per carry this season, second fewest among qualified running backs. He's the only qualified running back in the league to average less than 1.0 yards after contact per carry. Single-digit fantasy points in three straight and in four of the last five. Yes, the Bengals have a banged-up defense and Lamar Miller gashed them last week, but you know what's sad? Ray Rice isn't as good as Lamar Miller these days, and I don't think it's that close. Hopefully they figure out what's wrong with him soon, but until we see a bounce-back game, he's not a top-20 guy for me.

Trent Richardson, Colts: I bet, every night, before he goes to bed, Trent Richardson brushes his teeth. What? Just because he's been a failure as a fantasy running back these days doesn't mean he has poor dental hygiene. When he's done with his teeth, I bet he gets into bed and thanks the heavens above for Ray Rice. Because if it wasn't for Rice, T-Rich would be the biggest non-injury-related fantasy bust this year. He's yet to have more than 60 yards rushing in a game, and when you can't even beat out Donald Brown for full-time carries, there's a problem. He's still young and the coaching staff in Indy is smart, so there's hope they figure it out soon, but this week? Even in a great matchup, how can you consider him a top-20 play?

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bengals: Last week, Giovani Bernard got both red zone rushes. That should tell you all you need to know. Green-Ellis hasn't scored since Week 5 and no team has allowed fewer fantasy points or rushing touchdowns to opposing running backs than the Baltimore Ravens.

Rashad Jennings, Raiders: Before you think he's a plug-and-play savior, realize that 96 percent of his runs this year have been between the tackles. And for all of New York's struggles on defense, they allow just 3.5 yards per carry between the tackles, third fewest in the NFL. Flex play at best.

[h=3]Wide Receivers I Love in Week 10:[/h]
Keenan Allen, Chargers: Much like Zac Stacy, I continue to be the highest every week on Keenan Allen. I don't get the reluctance. Since Week 5, Allen has averaged 104.3 receiving yards per game, fourth in the league. He also has eight red zone targets during that span, tied for fifth. Meanwhile, Denver has struggled on defense (bottom seven in both receiving yards and fantasy points per game allowed to opposing wide receivers), and you expect this to be a high-scoring game with both sides throwing a lot.

Alshon Jeffrey, Bears: See Cutler, Jay.

Kendall Wright, Titans: Guy getting the most targets and reception on his team, at home against the Jaguars? Sure, I'll play along. Just because it's obvious doesn't mean it's not true.

T.Y. Hilton, Colts: This is what I wrote about T.Y. Hilton in last week's Love/Hate: "Might want to mark Saturday on your calendar. It'll be the last time you can still buy T.Y. Hilton at less than top-20 prices. Just needs a chance. Starting Sunday, Colts aren't looking back. The T.Y. stands for Thank You." Thank You? No. Thank you. I have seen the future and its name is T.Y. Hilton.

If you're desperate: If ever there was a guy who's "due" it's Hakeem Nicks. He's been targeted 66 times this season, the most by any player yet to catch a touchdown this season. And then there's the Raiders' secondary, that, you know, understands a thing or two about giving up touchdown passes. ... I expect Mike Wallace to be on Revis Island, which should mean more love for Brian Hartline. Ted Ginn, Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse all had good games opposite Revis since he started playing man coverage. ... Since Week 5, when Nick Foles started against the Bucs, Riley Cooper is averaging 21.2 yards per reception, third highest among qualified wide receivers. Super-small sample size on that, but still, he seems to have a connection to Foles and the matchup with Green Bay is solid. ... Gut call here, but I bet Eddie Royal scores against his former team.

[h=3]Wide Receivers I Hate in Week 10[/h]
Mike Wallace, Dolphins: Hasn't scored since Week 2, visits Revis Island, and I just don't like him. Pick your favorite reason.

Cecil Shorts, Jaguars: With Justin Blackmon out, that will mean extra targets, but also extra attention from Alterraun Verner and Jason McCourty. As much as I love Shorts' skills, the Titans are seventh against the pass, have allowed just two touchdowns to wide receivers this year and given Shorts' lack of red zone opportunities (just one red zone catch this year), it's hard to see him as a top 20 play.

Anquan Boldin, 49ers: Forty-third. Since Week 4, when San Francisco got back to more of a power run game against the Rams (after getting destroyed by Indy at home), Anquan Boldin's per-game targets ranks 43rd among wide receivers. And that includes the score he had in Week 4, his last good game. They just aren't throwing enough for him to be a top-20 guy, he's touchdown dependent for fantasy value in standard leagues these days and, considering the Panthers have allowed the second-fewest touchdowns and fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season, I don't think this is the week that changes.

I know. Not a huge list this week. What can I say? Good week for wideouts!

[h=3]Tight Ends I Love in Week 10:

Antonio Gates, Chargers: Ranks in the top four in targets, receptions and yards per game among tight ends; it's been a helluva bounce-back year for Gates. Big part of an offense that will be throwing a lot in a great matchup, as the Broncos are among the bottom four in receptions and receiving yards allowed per game to opposing tight ends, making Gates my No. 2 tight end this week, the highest I've had him all year.

Jordan Reed, Washington: Since Week 7, which followed Washington's bye, Reed leads all tight ends in targets, receptions and yards and is third in yards per game. No brainer. Plus, here's the great thing: Either he exploits the Vikings, who've given up the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, or he tanks and then you can make fun of me in the comments on Friday morning. You win either way.

If you're desperate: With Andre Johnson having his hands full with Patrick Peterson and the Cardinals' secondary, I could see more love going to Garrett Graham against an Arizona team that's given up the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. ... Since Tampa Bay's bye week, there are only four tight ends in the NFL with more targets than Tim Wright, and the Dolphins give up the third-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. ... Given Christian Ponder's tendencies (23 percent of his pass attempts go to tight ends, which is top-10 among quarterbacks with at least 150 attempts) and the lack of other options in the passing game, don't be surprised to see John Carlson with 60 yards or so and potentially a score. ... Only two teams have allowed more receiving touchdowns to opposing tight ends than the Falcons, so I could see Zach Miller, who has 15 targets the past three weeks, getting in the end zone here.

<H3>Tight Ends I Hate in Week 10:</H3>
Coby Fleener, Colts: Didn't seem to be a bigger part of the offense in the last game, receiving basically the same number of targets he got before Reggie Wayne's injury, so it just feels like you need a score from Fleener to get starter's value out of him. The Rams give up the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends and have given up just two touchdowns all year to a tight end, and the last one was in Week 4 to Vernon Davis.

Jared Cook, Rams: Fewer than 40 yards in four of his past five, he's another guy who needs a score to be fantasy relevant. Colts have given up just one touchdown to an opposing tight end all season.

<H3>Defenses I Love in Week 10:</H3>
Tennessee Titans: My No. 1 defense this week is available in 45 percent of ESPN.com leagues. They average more than nine points a game at home this year, but come on. They had me at "Jaguars."

Arizona Cardinals: Only two teams have more interceptions, they're tied for 13th in sacks and they average 12 points a game at home. Yes, Case Keenum has played well, but the Texans' run game is so banged up that it is fairly one-dimensional. And missing Gary Kubiak from the game planning is a blow as well. The Cardinals' D is available in 86 percent of leagues.

If you're desperate: The Miami Dolphins are averaging more than nine points a game at home, while the Buccaneers have allowed at least 10 points to an opposing defense in three of the past five, and at least eight points in six of eight. Plus, the Dolphins have had a long week to prep after making Andy Dalton look silly. ... Total risk/reward because the game could easily be a shootout, but the Saints' defense is playing really well, and Tony Romo throwing a pick-six on national TV would shock exactly nobody.

<H3>Defenses I Hate in Week 10

Green Bay Packers: No team in the NFL has fewer interceptions this season than the Packers. And get this: Since Week 5 (when Foles came in for the injured Michael Vick), in games that Foles has both started and finished (so, you know, no Matt Barkley), the Eagles have allowed an average of minus-three points per game to opposing defenses.

Chicago Bears: Just three points the last time they faced the Lions, they're still a bit banged up for me to risk in what should be a game with yards aplenty. Incidentally, when I retire from ESPN, I'm gonna open up a discount knitting store called Yards Aplenty.

That'll do it. Good luck in Week 10 and, be it victory, beatdown, squeaker, win, triumph, scoring more, a W, crushing, killing, success, getting it done, domination or even bringing home the bacon, whatever name you have for it, here's hoping you have it this weekend.

</H3>[/h]

HacheMan · Nov 11, 2013

[h=1]Instant Impressions for Week 10[/h][h=3]Andre Brown takes advantage of big workload, Tavon Austin makes big plays[/h]By Christopher Harris | ESPN.com

Coaches lie.

Again and again, we get suckered by news-conference platitudes in which NFL head men purport to reveal glimpses of their game-day strategies. Usually, I don't listen. I try so hard. But when it came to the New York Giants this weekend, I allowed myself to be swayed by insiders whose coaching sources revealed, to a person, that the team would ease Andre Brown into action after his long, broken-leg-related absence. Peyton Hillis would start, Brown would work his way in.

The truth is that we'll never know what the Giants' real plan was, because Hillis lost a fumble on his first carry of the game. But it's easy to believe that Tom Coughlin & Co. were lying, especially considering it was actually Brown who started versus the Oakland Raiders. Regardless, in a tight contest the workload broke down like this: Hillis, five carries and one catch for 21 total yards; Brown, 30 carries and one catch for 119 total yards and a TD. Alas, while I've been recommending Brown as a valuable waiver add over the past month, I was hoodwinked into believing he wasn't a good start in Week 10.

Never again! We must stop believing what these coaches say! And we simply must add Brown, who as of this writing was still available in three-quarters of ESPN leagues. Do I think this injury-prone player will survive even half a season with 30-plus touches per week? Um, no. But for as long as he's good to go, he needs to be in most fantasy lineups.

Remember: Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @CHarrisESPN for more analysis during the week. For now, let's look at Sunday's other top storylines:

• Please, please, please don't get distracted by Tavon Austin, at least not yet. It was a nice showing. I'm on the record as being relatively bullish about his pro career, but this was a fluky effort. Austin backwards-caught a punt on his own 2 and took it to the house: an impressive run, but not advisable strategy. He ran a pure fly pattern down the left side to catch a bomb, another case of impressive speed but a play that hasn't worked all year because most defenses run a safety deeper than the deepest and prevent the St. Louis Rams from successfully taking such shots. And the third TD was the kind of pass Austin has been catching all year, a harmless short cross, but the Indianapolis Colts play a ton of man and don't tackle well from the safety position, and Austin got away for an 81-yard score. Austin had three targets, and caught two of them for 138 yards and two scores. Again, if and when the Rams get their stuff together on offense, Austin will be an interesting ancillary weapon, but he's not Percy Harvin. He's three inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter. And he's not yet worth adding in 10-team leagues.

• Not to be overly negative, but Nick Foles is a mirage, too. You're going to hear all week how incredible it is that Foles has 16 touchdowns and zero interceptions! But his 22-fantasy-point Sunday against the Green Bay Packers comes with several asterisks. His first two passing scores never should've been thrown; the first was a deep flutterball into double coverage where the Packers defenders crashed into one another, deflected the ball up in the air, and let DeSean Jackson get away, and the second was (surprise!) a deep flutterball that got sucked away by the wind or else it would've been picked, and Riley Cooper was able to run under it. And Foles' third score was to a wide-open Cooper down the left side, yet another blown coverage for a defense facing the Philadelphia Eagles. Give Chip Kelly credit: He had a lead and didn't feel the need to overthrow it much, so Foles was only 12-for-18 while LeSean McCoy had 25 carries and Bryce Brown added four more. But Foles lost a fumble on a fourth-quarter sack, which allowed the Packers to stay in the game longer than they should've. I agree that not throwing interceptions is a good quality for a young QB, and I also agree that I've probably underrated Foles' athleticism, as the kid scrambled out of some tough situations Sunday, but his throwing isn't there. I continue to believe it'll bite him, which is why he's only a desperation fantasy fill-in.

• Speaking of the Packers, their season appears to be spiraling around the bowl. Aaron Rodgers is already out with a broken collarbone for "an unknown amount of time" (expect at least a couple more weeks), and Sunday Seneca Wallace left in the first quarter because of a groin injury. That left practice-squad denizen Scott Tolzien under center, and the truth is that Tolzien was OK. Clearly, this is a matter of expectations, but under Tolzien the Pack had a whole bunch of long drives. In fact, they had three drives that went 72 yards or more. But they accomplished this mostly via short passing and even shorter running, and when they got near the end zone, they flopped. Tolzien has already been named Green Bay's Week 11 starter against the Giants. It's true that Jarrett Boykin had a team-high 13 targets and eight grabs for 112 yards, and Jordy Nelson nearly caught a late TD to add to his six grabs and 56 yards. But predicting such production week to week with such an unknown commodity at QB is hard to do.

• Hey, how about some happy news? A.J. Green's owners were staring down the barrel of a six-catch, 91-yard effort Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. That would've been acceptable. Then Andy Dalton -- who'd done just about everything he could to mess up the Cincinnati Bengals' last-gasp drive -- launched a Hail Mary that bounced around and landed in Green's arms in the end zone. The game went to OT, and many fantasy scores were toppled. What can you say about Green? He's saddled with a subpar QB but all he does is produce.

• Going the other direction, we got yet another disappointing Ray Rice day. In the first quarter, the Ravens got inside Cincy's 5 and handed it to Rice, but he got stuffed. The next carry went to Vonta Leach, and again, nada. Joe Flacco was left to throw a short TD score to Dallas Clark. And that was pretty much it for high-value plays. Rice wound up with 18 carries and 30 yards rushing, to go with six catches and 26 yards receiving. How much of this is a Rice problem? I still put more than half the blame on the Ravens' O-line. But listen, you'd have to be blind to watch Rice in the open field and not think something is going on. A couple of times, Rice caught a checkdown with nobody within 10 yards of him, started upfield, saw a potential tackler break down in front of him, and pitter-pattered his feet as though he was about to make some kind of darting cut, whereupon he pretty much just plowed directly into the tackler's stomach. Rice doesn't see open space often, but when he does, he's just not changing direction as hard as we've seen in the past. He's not going to be in my top 20 RBs any time soon.

• This just in: The Denver Broncos continue to be ridiculous on offense. They did not become the first team in NFL history to score 30-plus points in their first nine games, but Peyton Manning keeps making it look easy. He threw four TD passes in the first 33:19 Sunday, three of which went to Demaryius Thomas, and most important Manning didn't evince any of the inaccuracy or questionable decision-making that plagued his prior couple of outings. He did take a big shot on his knee or ankle while trying to run out the clock against the San Diego Chargers, so we'll have to see if his struggles resurface (if, in fact, they were injury-related). For the moment, though, he's on pace for a record 58 TD passes.

• It also was a pretty amazing night for the New Orleans Saints' backfield. It's not often you see three running backs from the same team post 20-plus fantasy points in the same game. But that's what happened in Week 10. Pierre Thomas had 24 touches for 111 yards and two TDs and continued to be the lead of this platoon, Darren Sproles fumbled away an early punt but had 12 offensive touches for 88 yards and two TDs, and Mark Ingram returned to the headlines with 16 touches for 160 yards and a TD of his own. Ingram's solid play -- albeit against a Dallas Cowboys defense that allowed massive running lanes all night -- can only muddy the waters here. I have a hard time believing he'll suddenly become a fantasy-relevant player, but he sure can mess things up on a weekly basis for Frenchy and Sproles.

• Sure, half the first-round RBs have been crushers, including Arian Foster, who'll miss the rest of the season because of his back injury. But it was a good week for the guys who haven't hurt you. Adrian Peterson (77 yards on 22 touches with two TDs) was a beast in a comeback effort Thursday night. Marshawn Lynch ate the Atlanta Falcons alive with 161 total yards on 27 touches with a TD and some crazy, leg-churning, ridiculous sideline runs. Alfred Morris (26 carries, 139 yards) was also terrific Thursday night. And LeSean McCoy touched it 26 times for 161 yards. (We'll also cut Jamaal Charles some slack, as he was on bye.) If your first-round RB has remained unscathed in this carnage-heavy year, your fantasy team has had a massive leg up.

• Three players about whom I got harassed on Twitter this week: Jake Locker, Andre Ellington and Keenan Allen. I was too low on all of them! Was I stupid? Well, through a quarter-and-a-half, Locker was 4-of-9 for 24 yards, an interception and a lost fumble (which was at least partly Chris Johnson's fault), and then he suffered a non-contact foot injury and reportedly will miss the rest of the season. The lesson with Locker? Don't artificially pump up mediocre players who are made of glass because you think the matchup is ultra-tasty, especially when recent evidence showed the Jacksonville Jaguars had been playing better on defense. Ellington had 11 carries compared to 13 for Rashard Mendenhall; the lesson with Ellington is that the Arizona Cardinals don't seem to envision him as a No. 1 back, though Mendy lost a late fumble Sunday and appeared to be benched, so maybe there's hope. And Allen had four catches on five targets for 41 yards. The lesson with him is: When a rookie wideout is not the most-targeted option and is sometimes the No. 3 aerial threat on a team that doesn't want to throw it deep, counting on him to be a No. 1 fantasy wideout is futile.

• Coming off a week during that they allowed a franchise-worst 55 points to the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers basically allowed three points to the Buffalo Bills, until Chris Gragg caught a TD with no time left in the fourth quarter. Of course. Listen, assuming a favorable matchup for Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller this week was based on more than just the Pats game; Pittsburgh had allowed 11 TDs to RBs through eight contests, and an average of 111.3 rush yards per game to running backs. But hey, tip your cap to the Steelers, because they didn't give Jackson (15 touches, 62 total yards) or Spiller (11 touches, 34 total yards) much room at all. Jackson had a couple chances from inside the Steelers' 5, but couldn't convert, and otherwise it was a slog.

• My friend and colleague Adam Schefter reported that the Seattle Seahawks think they'll get Percy Harvin back to game action in Week 11 versus his old Minnesota Vikings squad. So while it was fun to see Doug Baldwin (five catches for 76 yards) and Jermaine Kearse (three catches for 75 yards and a TD) do nice work in ancillary roles Sunday, don't add them in standard-sized leagues. Instead, make sure Harvin isn't a free agent. He's too good not to consider using right away.

• Vernon Davis suffered a concussion when his head slammed the turf on a controversial second-quarter play (it should've been ruled a fumble, though the San Francisco 49ers were only able to get a field goal out of the possession), and didn't return. Jay Cutler limped around and grabbed at his injured groin throughout the second half of the Chicago Bears' loss, and then had to leave the game because of a potentially different injury for the team's last-gasp drive (initial reports indicate it might've been his ankle). Steve Johnson came out of the Bills' disconsolate loss because of an injured groin, and considering how long injuries tend to linger with Stevie, it'll be worth watching heading into Week 11. Tony Gonzalez suffered a toe injury and played through it, but reportedly was hobbling in the Falcons locker room. And Michael Floyd left Sunday afternoon's win with a sprained shoulder; Bruce Arians reportedly doesn't consider the injury serious, but we'll have to check in with Floyd during the week.

HacheMan · Nov 11, 2013

Four Downs: Time to invest in Tavon?

Eric Karabell

Several rookies have been valuable fantasy options this season, some expected like Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy and others a bit surprising, such as Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed. Then there's St. Louis Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin, arguably the biggest disappointment of the first-year skill position set. Austin was chosen eighth overall in the 2013 draft, and fantasy owners figured there was no way he wouldn't be heavily used, considering the Rams traded up to acquire him. Well, wrong! And even Sunday, when Austin exploded for 31 standard fantasy points, topping his entire season total, he wasn't exactly heavily used, which is why buying in and trusting him is not wise.

Big numbers finally came Sunday when Austin, who has been showing up in more and more free-agent lists since being a ninth-round choice, on average, in ESPN average live drafts and universally owned, torched the Indianapolis Colts for three touchdowns of 55 yards or more, only the third player in history to do that in one game. Austin scored on an electrifying 98-yard punt return in the second quarter of the Rams' shocking 38-8 rout, and later caught touchdown passes from quarterback Kellen Clemens of 57 and 81 yards in which he, frankly, did much of the work. So where was that all season? The crazy-fast Austin has been underutilized for months. Will things suddenly change for the final six games, several of which come against challenging pass defenses like those of the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals?

<OFFER>After all, Austin was provided a mere three receiving targets Sunday, catching two of them, and both of those turned into touchdowns. Those who presume the Rams finally get it and will simply make Austin a double-digit target machine from here on out are giving the team way too much credit. Look how long it took the Rams to figure out that Zac Stacy, another rookie, should have been the starting running back all along. Austin caught a total of 13 passes and scored four fantasy points in the past six games, overshadowing a promising start that included 18 receptions after three games, and a multitouchdown performance in Week 2. It was not only tough for fantasy owners to play Austin, but it was getting tough to justify simply owning him. On Sunday he was active in a mere 14 percent of ESPN standard leagues, and that, frankly, seems generous. The guy was averaging 6.7 yards per catch, and then he supplies 314 all-purpose yards in one game!

So what happens now? Well, Austin should be owned in more than 72 percent of leagues on potential alone. If the Rams use him more often, whether it's on deep passes or slants in open space or even on running plays, we'd have a potential fantasy superstar. It's just hard to believe that a player with eight receiving targets over the past three games is suddenly primed for the Wes Welker treatment. That probably never happens, but would more attention warrant Austin WR2 management? Sure, in theory, but color me skeptical. I can't see ranking Austin among the top 20 wide receivers in Week 12 -- after his bye week -- until seeing the Rams really commit to using him properly. Fantasy owners love the production from Sunday, even if it came from many a bench, but the wise move is probably to sell high with the ESPN trade deadline a week away (Nov. 20, at noon ET). Don't give the Rams too much credit here.

Second down: New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin made it clear he'd be cautious in using running back Andre Brown this week, since the 26-year-old back hadn't played all season after breaking his leg in late August. So what happened? Well, Brown was given a mammoth 30 rushing attempts and turned them into 115 yards, a touchdown and 17 fantasy points. For perspective, only two NFL running backs had seen 30 rushing attempts in a game all season (LeSean McCoy in Week 1, Chris Ivory in Week 7). Brown has played in one game, and he's a mere 39 yards from this 3-6 team's rushing lead. Let's be clear: Brown is a must-add this week. He's out there in 75 percent of standard leagues despite ESPN fantasy analysts recommending him for weeks. Also, watch him explode into my top 20 running backs in the end-of-season rankings Tuesday. Why not? There's little competition on the Giants, and fantasy owners have to be tired of relying on the likes of Ray Rice, Trent Richardson and C.J. Spiller, first-rounders who combined for 11 fantasy points Sunday.

Third down: Things continue to get worse for the Atlanta Falcons, to the point that fantasy owners might need to ignore the franchise the rest of the way. Quarterback Matt Ryan managed to avoid getting intercepted by the Seahawks, but 11 fantasy points wasn't much of a step up from prior weeks. Wide receiver Roddy White returned after missing a month with hamstring and ankle injuries and caught just one pass for 20 yards. Why he was active in more than half of ESPN's leagues is a mystery. Running back Steven Jackson, also too popular in fantasy circles, ran nine times for 11 yards. And the one player who has risen above the mess has been tight end Tony Gonzalez, but he injured a toe on his left foot and scored two points, and his future availability is a concern. Just when you think things can't get worse …

Fourth down: Quarterbacks keep comin' and goin', but their weapons remain. Raise your hand if you had ever heard of Scott Tolzien before Sunday. Well, it's time to learn the name of the new Packers starting quarterback! Tolzien replaced an injured Seneca Wallace -- who was replacing Aaron Rodgers -- early in Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and passed for a credible 280 yards and a touchdown. This is not a recommendation to add Tolzien for Week 11, but don't be afraid of his weapons. Wide receivers Jordy Nelson and James Jones saw enough targets to succeed, and each just missed touchdown plays. Jarrett Boykin, curiously the most dropped player in ESPN leagues, caught eight passes for 112 yards. In other words, don't overrate this quarterback change too much. Same with the Tennessee Titans, as the promising Jake Locker saw his season end with a foot injury, and again, while Locker was showing signs of reliability and was ranked close to the top 10 for a tasty matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ryan Fitzpatrick relieved him and scored 23 fantasy points. No need to worry about Kendall Wright. This has been a running theme lately, as reserve quarterbacks have acquitted themselves nicely and kept valuable wide receivers valuable, such as the Chicago Bears with Josh McCown. Remember this the next time a quarterback gets hurt.

HacheMan · Nov 12, 2013

Free-agent finds for Week 11

By Christopher Harris | ESPN.com

Waiver-wire news changes fast and furious throughout the week, as injuries and depth-chart shenanigans overtake us. So be sure to follow me on Twitter, @CHarrisESPN, and I'll keep you updated as news warrants. Let's get to Week 11's best fantasy roster additions:

(Week 11 byes: Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams)

Standard ESPN league finds

Andre Brown, RB, New York Giants (owned in 25.2 percent of ESPN leagues): Sorry, gang, I'm repeating the top add from last week's column because not enough of you listened. (Also, the new crop of prospective adds is dreadful.) I was as surprised as anyone that Brown got 31 touches in Week 10, but that doesn't change the fact he should've already been on your roster. The real question fantasy owners will have this week is: Should I ditch my supposed star for Brown? Like, maybe, drop Ray Rice, Trent Richardson or C.J. Spiller? Man, I'm loath to do it, especially in Spiller's case. But at this point, if you're just not having any fun playing fantasy because you keep feeling tempted to start Rice or T-Rich, I'd understand making that move. Rice's only possible saving grace is a visit to the Chicago Bears this week, but frankly that sounds more like a reason to wait and sell him after Week 11 than a reason to start believing in him longer term.

Brian Leonard, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0.1 percent): Mike James played well in Week 9 and looked like he was on track Monday night, but on his fifth carry he suffered a fractured ankle and had to be carted off. Odds are he's done for the year. With Doug Martin also out for the season, Leonard may get a chance to be Tampa's early-down back; he had 22 touches for 73 yards in James' absence in Week 10. However, Bobby Rainey (0.4 percent) will also likely partake. As Leonard began to wear down (his 20 carries were a career high), Rainey took over the better part of two fourth-quarter series and had the game's key scamper. The fact is, we're working with a small sample size. It's possible that the Bucs decide to keep Leonard in his third-down role, and promote Rainey to early-down work. But that isn't how it went Monday. For the moment, I have Leonard as the better add, but the situation is fluid.

Josh McCown, QB, Bears (1.4 percent): Jay Cutler stayed in his team's Week 10 loss for too long with his injured groin, then suffered a high ankle sprain that required McCown to come in cold and try to win the game late. McCown almost did it, falling a two-point conversion short. I don't want to be Pollyanna-ish about McCown: He's a journeyman and I've got real questions about his throwing accuracy (a lifetime 58.1 percent completion rate will do that). But if we're going to give Nick Foles and Case Keenum credit for playing unexpectedly well, McCown has to join the club, and there's no question which of that QB trio has the best pair of wideouts. Listen, you'd rather start none of these guys, but you're reading a waiver column, which means you've got a need. For Week 11, I'd probably pick Foles over McCown or Keenum, but I don't feel so strongly about it that you couldn't convince me otherwise.

Dennis Johnson, RB, Houston Texans (1.1 percent): I remember a time long ago (as in two months ago) when box score watchers proclaimed that Ben Tate was as good a player as Arian Foster, and that the Texans were unnecessarily bending over backward to keep their star RB happy. Now that Foster is out for the year with a back injury and Tate started Week 10 versus the Arizona Cardinals, I don't hear nearly so much chirping. Sure, Tate has broken ribs, and he didn't humiliate himself with 18 touches for 64 yards, but he ain't Arian Foster. Anyway, Houston's current No. 2 is Johnson, and I don't mind him as a prospective pickup. But tread lightly. Johnson is a spark plug of a player, but he's also 5-foot-7 and 196 pounds, also known as Jacquizz Rodgers-sized. If Tate misses playing time, I'm nowhere near positive Johnson would be the job's inheritor; I think Deji Karim (0.1 percent) could get involved, too. Also note that Johnson went the wrong way on a blitz pickup assignment in the third quarter Sunday and allowed a sack, which won't endear him to his coaches.

John Carlson, TE, Minnesota Vikings (0.1 percent): With Kyle Rudolph shelved for as much as a month, Carlson finds himself starting in an offense that, as long as it's helmed by Christian Ponder, will check down as effortlessly and frequently as you and I breathe. Thursday night, Carlson caught seven passes for 98 yards and a TD, and was a crucial cog in the Vikes' comeback victory. This is a player who caught 55 and 51 passes in his first two NFL seasons (with the Seattle Seahawks), and though he's been saddled with shoulder, knee and concussion problems, he's still only five years removed from being an elite TE prospect. We still don't have word whether Ponder -- who separated his non-throwing shoulder in Week 10 -- will be able to go Sunday versus the Seahawks, and frankly woe betide him if he does. But if he plays, Carlson will deserve fill-in consideration.

Arizona Cardinals defense (30.8 percent): For the second straight week, I'm going back to the Cards, but I don't think they're the no-brainer many folks will tell you they are. The surface allure here is that Arizona travels to play the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the truth is that the Jags have been a fairly neutral matchup for opposing fantasy D/STs over the past month-plus. Instead, I'm simply interested in streaming the Cardinals because they're playing well and have myriad playmaking weapons who can crack open a game. If I'm looking to play a defense exclusively based on matchups, I'd pick the Green Bay Packers (though they're owned in 66.7 percent of leagues), because they tackle Eli Manning and the turnover-prone New York Giants.

Other solid waiver adds, about whom I've written in previous weeks: Nick Foles, QB, Eagles (45.4 percent); Case Keenum, QB, Texans (9.4 percent); Andre Ellington, RB, Cardinals (45.6 percent); Rashad Jennings, RB, Raiders (44.8 percent); Mike Tolbert, RB, Panthers (27.3 percent); Donald Brown, RB, Colts (6.6 percent); Percy Harvin, WR, Seahawks (38.8 percent); Aaron Dobson, WR, Patriots (12.1 percent); Kendall Wright, WR, Titans (38.2 percent); Riley Cooper, WR, Eagles (31.3 percent); Jarrett Boykin WR, Packers (43.9 percent); Kenny Stills, WR, Saints (43.2 percent); Coby Fleener, TE, Colts (34.7 percent); Heath Miller, TE, Steelers (17.2 percent); Garrett Graham, TE, Texans (24.7 percent).

Deeper-league finds

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Tennessee Titans (0.6 percent): Jake Locker is done for the year with a Lisfranc injury, meaning Fitzpatrick inherits the starting job. Was he serviceable trying to muster a comeback against the previously winless Jaguars in Week 10? I guess so: 22-of-33 for 264 yards and two TDs, plus rushing for a TD himself. But if I have to explain why you don't particularly want to own Ryan Fitzpatrick, this must be your first year playing fantasy. (And if it is: Welcome aboard!) He's an illusion wrapped in a riddle stuffed inside a Harvard diploma. The moment you begin counting on him, he will do this.

Rishard Matthews, WR, Miami Dolphins (0.2 percent): The tendency is to get excited about a kid who just went for 11 catches, 120 yards and two TDs on "Monday Night Football." Plus, we know Ryan Tannehill misses Brandon Gibson as his slot receiver, and so there will be games when Matthews gets targeted a bunch. But look back a couple of Thursdays ago, when in Week 9 Matthews had two catches for 24 yards, and you see the rub. Mike Wallace did little (against Darrelle Revis) in Week 10, but that won't always be the case, and Brian Hartline is intermittently involved, as well. I suppose in a deeper PPR league, Matthews is worth a look, but you'd have to be mighty lucky to add him in a 10-team league and pick the right weeks to start him.

Scott Tolzien, QB, Packers (0.0 percent): Nobody's saying Tolzien was terrible in relief of Seneca Wallace on Sunday. He passed the Tyler Palko test: He looked like an NFL quarterback. He took a few deep shots and allowed his receivers (notably Jarrett Boykin and Jordy Nelson) to make plays for him on jump balls that were well thrown, and his command of the short stuff was mostly OK. But he also had some thoroughly unforgivable misses that proved the moment was too much for him. He was picked twice and it should've been more, and he missed Nelson over the middle on a long, easy pitch-and-catch. As I said last week in reference to Wallace, I won't be shocked if a week of practice reps has him readier, and if he looks better versus the Giants. I don't think he's so incompetent that the Packers' WRs are now hopeless, but you'd have to be pretty desperate in a two-QB league to consider starting Tolzien.

Dennis Pitta, TE, Baltimore Ravens (0.2 percent): Would any Ravens fans out there be offended if I said their offense needs a spark? Yes, they captured a must-win contest in overtime Sunday, but Joe Flacco continues to be an impossible mix of arm strength and weird decision-making, and he probably could've had four interceptions on the afternoon. Anyway, Pitta is Flacco's best pal and road roomie, and could start practicing soon after his severe hip injury landed him on IR. I wouldn't expect him to play in Week 11, and even Week 12 may be stretching it, so for now only deep-leaguers need to worry about stashing him. But you only need to look at last year's production to think what Pitta could give the Ravens in a best-case scenario.

Brandon Bostick, TE, Packers (0.0 percent): I mentioned Bostick back in Week 8 as a better bet for receiving value than Andrew Quarless (1.8 percent) after Jermichael Finley suffered his spine injury, but the second-year man hadn't made a single catch until Sunday. His three grabs for 42 yards were punctuated by a super-athletic, reaching TD, plus I'm sure he endeared himself by chasing down Brandon Boykin after the Eagles corner picked off a Tolzien pass in the end zone. Bostick is probably mostly a name to remember for deeper leagues next year, but you never know.

Other solid waiver adds for deep-leaguers, about whom I've written in previous weeks: Jason Campbell, QB, Browns (4.0 percent); Terrelle Pryor, QB, Raiders (34.5 percent); Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers (4.2 percent); James Starks, RB, Packers (24.2 percent); Daniel Thomas, RB, Dolphins (6.1 percent); Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, Browns (1.4 percent); Nate Burleson, WR, Lions (2.8 percent); Doug Baldwin, WR, Seahawks (20.5 percent); Marlon Brown, WR, Ravens (8.5 percent); Mike Brown, WR, Jaguars (0.9 percent); Jerricho Cotchery, WR, Steelers (10.6 percent); Mario Manningham, WR, 49ers (3.3 percent); Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Colts (9.9 percent); Kris Durham, WR, Lions (0.8 percent); Brandon LaFell, WR, Panthers (5.3 percent); Ted Ginn, WR, Panthers (4.6 percent); Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers (8.0 percent); Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Lions (28.1 percent); Timothy Wright, TE, Buccaneers (5.7 percent); Dallas Clark, TE, Ravens (5.5 percent).

HacheMan · Nov 12, 2013

Consistency Ratings: Week 11

By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com

Percy Harvin might be the popular fantasy story in Seattle these days, following his activation from the PUP list Monday, but all the news has done is take some of the attention off his more intriguing teammate.

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting your real fantasy story: Russell Wilson.

In one of the richest seasons in history for a quarterback, Wilson has quietly been one of the most productive in the game at the position: He's fifth in fantasy points (167), 10th in fantasy points per game (16.7) and fourth in terms of his Consistency Rating (60.0 percent, or 6 "Starts" in 10 games). And, despite a slow start to the year, he has improved quite a bit of late, with back-to-back 21-point performances, a 66.7 completion percentage, 8.87 yards-per-attempt average and 4.5:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (compare those to his 63.3, 7.93 and 2.4:1 numbers in his career to that point).

Wilson's critics might be quick to point out that the Seattle Seahawks' remaining schedule is a tough one: after their Week 12 bye, they host the New Orleans Saints, visit the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants, then host the Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams. But Harvin's return is Wilson's wild card; adding him to the stockpile of receivers gives Wilson a greater chance at success in spite of his challenging schedule.

Besides, the Wilson story is all about consistency, isn't it? Beyond simply his 2013 statistics, he has a 53.8 percent Consistency Rating in his NFL career, ranking fourth among quarterbacks since the beginning of 2010. If you're going to play the schedule card, then this should be the crux of your argument:

Career against the best 16 quarterback matchups: 8 G, 8 Starts, 1 Stud, Consistency Rating of 100.0 percent.
Career against the worst 16 quarterback matchups: 18 G, 6 Starts, 0 Stud, 7 Stiff, Consistency Rating of 33.3 percent.

Wilson's opponents in Weeks 13-17, thus far, rank 30th, 27th, 15th, 18th and 21st in terms of fantasy points per game afforded to quarterbacks. Without the angle of Harvin's return, Wilson's rest-of-year prospects might have looked gloomier; the only remotely "soft" matchup he has left comes this week, when his Seahawks host the Minnesota Vikings (second-most points allowed).

With Harvin at his disposal, Wilson should be able to take more chances downfield, alleviating some of the concerns about those matchups. After all, take a look at his career numbers facing the eight worst quarterback matchups (or the bottom 25 percent of the league) comparative to the other 24. The QBR is on all throws; the completion percentage and attempts per touchdown statistics are on throws of at least 10 yards:

Worst eight: 60.6 QBR, 51.5 completion percentage, 13.6 attempts per TD
Best 24: 70.0 QBR, 54.5 completion percentage, 9.6 throws per TD

This, therefore, is one instance in which it's worth ignoring what "strength of schedule" tells you. Perhaps Wilson will fall short of top-five quarterback numbers from this point forward -- having the bye week in front of him hurts his prospects besides -- but there's no doubt he'd be in any of my lineups for every remaining week of 2013.

[h=4]CONSISTENCY RATINGS BENCHMARKS[/h]Using 2013 statistics, and fantasy points determined by ESPN's standard scoring, the charts contained in this column rate players based on how consistently reliable they are. To familiarize you with some of the terminology:
Start: The number of times the player's point total in a given week was worthy of having had him active in an ESPN standard league.
Stud: The number of times the player's point total ranked among the top at his position.
Stiff: The number of times the player's point total ranked among the worst at his position, making almost any waiver-wire option a smarter choice.
These are the benchmarks for what constitutes a Start, Stud or Stiff performance, numbers identifying the player's rank at his position:

<CENTER>Start</CENTER> <CENTER>Stud</CENTER> <CENTER>Stiff</CENTER>
QB Top 10 Top 2 21st+
RB Top 25 Top 5 51st+
WR Top 25 Top 5 51st+
TE Top 10 Top 2 21st+
K Top 10 Top 2 21st+
D/ST Top 10 Top 2 21st+

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Sat: The number of times the player missed a game. Players are not charged Stiff points for sitting out, but it hurts their overall Consistency Rating.
%: The player's overall Consistency Rating, calculated as number of Start performances divided by scheduled team games.

[h=3]What, then, of Shane Vereen?[/h]
Vereen's impending return from short-term IR might not have received quite the attention that Harvin's return has, but you'll probably hear much said about him and the impact on the New England Patriots' offense if he's activated in advance of a challenging matchup at the Carolina Panthers.

If Vereen plays in Week 11, it'd represent the first time all season that Tom Brady has had Vereen, Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola as active receivers; and yes, you read that right: Vereen should get plenty of work as a receiver once healthy. This is with Brady coming off a season-best 33-point Week 9, which was the first all year in which he had Amendola and Gronkowski active and playing at least 40 snaps apiece.

These are Brady's consistency numbers in games Vereen has played or missed since the beginning of 2012:

Vereen played: 14 G, 10 Start, 3 Stud, 2 Stiff, 71.4 percent Consistency Rating
Vereen sat: 11 G, 2 Start, 1 Stud, 4 Stiff, 18.2 percent Consistency Rating

Interesting, considering Vereen has never been known for being great in pass protection during his NFL career, playing fewer than 25 snaps in all but one of his games to date. Those numbers might be perhaps skewed by injuries to Amendola and Gronkowski, but if you're a Brady owner concerned about his challenging schedule, chalk this one up to "one more healthy weapon back for Brady," meaning another quarterback not to fear down the stretch.

(Well, except perhaps for this week.)

[h=3]Consistency Ratings chart[/h]
Players are initially ranked in order of their Consistency Rating, calculated as the percentage of the player's scheduled games -- not games played, scheduled games -- in which his fantasy point total registered a Start score. All categories are sortable both ascending and descending; just click on the headers to sort.

Players must have at least a 25.0 percent Consistency Rating in either standard scoring or PPR leagues for inclusion in the chart. All defense/special teams are included, regardless of whether they met those minimums.

These statistics are for 2013 only. Statistics for games since 2010 can be found here.

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Player <CENTER>Team</CENTER> <CENTER>%</CENTER> <CENTER>Pos</CENTER> <CENTER>G</CENTER> <CENTER>Start</CENTER> <CENTER>Stud</CENTER> <CENTER>Stiff</CENTER> <CENTER>Sat</CENTER> <CENTER>PPR%</CENTER>
Jamaal Charles KC 100.0% RB 9 9 4 0 0 100.0%
LeSean McCoy Phi 90.0% RB 10 9 3 0 0 80.0%
Matt Forte Chi 88.9% RB 9 8 4 0 0 88.9%
Peyton Manning Den 88.9% QB 9 8 4 0 0 88.9%
Drew Brees NO 88.9% QB 9 8 4 0 0 88.9%
Alfred Morris Wsh 88.9% RB 9 8 0 0 0 88.9%
Frank Gore SF 88.9% RB 9 8 2 0 0 77.8%
Adrian Peterson Min 88.9% RB 9 8 4 0 0 77.8%
Fred Jackson Buf 80.0% RB 10 8 1 0 0 80.0%
Wes Welker Den 77.8% WR 9 7 0 1 0 77.8%
Jordan Cameron Cle 77.8% TE 9 7 1 2 0 77.8%
Julius Thomas Den 77.8% TE 9 7 3 1 0 77.8%
Matthew Stafford Det 77.8% QB 9 7 1 0 0 77.8%
Knowshon Moreno Den 77.8% RB 9 7 4 0 0 77.8%
49ers D/ST SF 77.8% D/ST 9 7 1 2 0 77.8%
Eddie Lacy GB 77.8% RB 8 7 1 1 1 77.8%
Panthers D/ST Car 77.8% D/ST 9 7 3 1 0 77.8%
Brandon Marshall Chi 77.8% WR 9 7 2 0 0 66.7%
Marshawn Lynch Sea 70.0% RB 10 7 3 0 0 70.0%
A.J. Green Cin 70.0% WR 10 7 2 1 0 70.0%
Jimmy Graham NO 66.7% TE 9 6 5 1 0 77.8%
Reggie Bush Det 66.7% RB 8 6 3 0 1 77.8%
Jordy Nelson GB 66.7% WR 9 6 1 0 0 66.7%
Chiefs D/ST KC 66.7% D/ST 9 6 3 0 0 66.7%
Stephen Gostkowski NE 66.7% K 9 6 3 1 0 66.7%
Demaryius Thomas Den 66.7% WR 9 6 3 0 0 66.7%
Calvin Johnson Det 66.7% WR 8 6 3 2 1 66.7%
Antonio Brown Pit 66.7% WR 9 6 1 0 0 66.7%
Chris Johnson Ten 66.7% RB 9 6 1 0 0 55.6%
DeAngelo Williams Car 66.7% RB 9 6 0 0 0 55.6%
DeMarco Murray Dal 60.0% RB 8 6 1 0 2 70.0%
DeSean Jackson Phi 60.0% WR 10 6 2 2 0 70.0%
Seahawks D/ST Sea 60.0% D/ST 10 6 1 0 0 60.0%
Russell Wilson Sea 60.0% QB 10 6 0 2 0 60.0%
Bengals D/ST Cin 60.0% D/ST 10 6 1 2 0 60.0%
Dez Bryant Dal 60.0% WR 10 6 3 2 0 50.0%
Zac Stacy StL 60.0% RB 8 6 1 2 2 40.0%
Danny Woodhead SD 55.6% RB 9 5 1 1 0 88.9%
Antonio Gates SD 55.6% TE 9 5 0 2 0 66.7%
Andre Johnson Hou 55.6% WR 9 5 1 2 0 66.7%
Julio Jones Atl 55.6% WR 5 5 1 0 4 55.6%
Arian Foster Hou 55.6% RB 8 5 1 1 1 55.6%
Darren McFadden Oak 55.6% RB 7 5 1 1 2 55.6%
Aaron Rodgers GB 55.6% QB 8 5 1 2 1 55.6%
Matt Prater Den 55.6% K 9 5 1 2 0 55.6%
Garrett Hartley NO 55.6% K 9 5 0 1 0 55.6%
Andrew Luck Ind 55.6% QB 9 5 1 1 0 55.6%
Robbie Gould Chi 55.6% K 9 5 0 1 0 55.6%
Nick Folk NYJ 55.6% K 9 5 1 2 0 55.6%
Justin Tucker Bal 55.6% K 9 5 1 2 0 55.6%
Maurice Jones-Drew Jac 55.6% RB 9 5 0 0 0 55.6%
Alshon Jeffery Chi 55.6% WR 9 5 2 3 0 55.6%
Le'Veon Bell Pit 55.6% RB 6 5 0 0 3 55.6%
Vernon Davis SF 55.6% TE 8 5 2 2 1 44.4%
Denarius Moore Oak 55.6% WR 9 5 0 1 0 44.4%
Ryan Mathews SD 55.6% RB 9 5 1 1 0 44.4%
Giovani Bernard Cin 50.0% RB 10 5 1 0 0 70.0%
Cowboys D/ST Dal 50.0% D/ST 10 5 1 4 0 50.0%
Tony Romo Dal 50.0% QB 10 5 1 1 0 50.0%
Dan Bailey Dal 50.0% K 10 5 2 4 0 50.0%
Steven Hauschka Sea 50.0% K 10 5 1 1 0 50.0%
Rams D/ST StL 50.0% D/ST 10 5 2 4 0 50.0%
Terrance Williams Dal 50.0% WR 10 5 1 3 0 30.0%
Pierre Thomas NO 44.4% RB 9 4 2 0 0 66.7%
Torrey Smith Bal 44.4% WR 9 4 1 1 0 55.6%
Pierre Garcon Wsh 44.4% WR 9 4 1 0 0 55.6%
Doug Martin TB 44.4% RB 6 4 0 0 3 44.4%
Matt Ryan Atl 44.4% QB 9 4 0 1 0 44.4%
Charles Clay Mia 44.4% RB 9 4 0 0 0 44.4%
Philip Rivers SD 44.4% QB 9 4 0 1 0 44.4%
Mason Crosby GB 44.4% K 9 4 2 3 0 44.4%
Victor Cruz NYG 44.4% WR 9 4 2 1 0 44.4%
Larry Fitzgerald Ari 44.4% WR 9 4 1 3 0 44.4%
Andre Ellington Ari 44.4% RB 9 4 1 1 0 44.4%
Titans D/ST Ten 44.4% D/ST 9 4 1 1 0 44.4%
Bears D/ST Chi 44.4% D/ST 9 4 0 4 0 44.4%
Eddie Royal SD 44.4% WR 9 4 1 3 0 44.4%
Coby Fleener Ind 44.4% TE 9 4 0 4 0 44.4%
Greg Olsen Car 44.4% TE 9 4 0 2 0 44.4%
Lamar Miller Mia 44.4% RB 9 4 0 3 0 44.4%
Kyle Rudolph Min 44.4% TE 8 4 0 4 1 44.4%
Mike Tolbert Car 44.4% RB 9 4 0 2 0 44.4%
Josh Gordon Cle 44.4% WR 7 4 1 1 2 44.4%
Browns D/ST Cle 44.4% D/ST 9 4 0 2 0 44.4%
Ryan Succop KC 44.4% K 9 4 0 4 0 44.4%
Patriots D/ST NE 44.4% D/ST 9 4 0 1 0 44.4%
Stevan Ridley NE 44.4% RB 8 4 1 0 1 44.4%
Shaun Suisham Pit 44.4% K 9 4 2 3 0 44.4%
Raiders D/ST Oak 44.4% D/ST 9 4 0 2 0 44.4%
Cardinals D/ST Ari 44.4% D/ST 9 4 1 2 0 44.4%
Jay Feely Ari 44.4% K 9 4 1 2 0 44.4%
T.Y. Hilton Ind 44.4% WR 9 4 2 3 0 44.4%
Jermichael Finley GB 44.4% TE 6 4 1 2 3 33.3%
Martellus Bennett Chi 44.4% TE 9 4 1 1 0 33.3%
Rueben Randle NYG 44.4% WR 9 4 1 4 0 33.3%
Marlon Brown Bal 44.4% WR 8 4 0 3 1 22.2%
Dan Carpenter Buf 40.0% K 10 4 0 2 0 40.0%
Jason Witten Dal 40.0% TE 10 4 1 4 0 40.0%
Golden Tate Sea 40.0% WR 10 4 1 4 0 40.0%
Marvin Jones Cin 40.0% WR 10 4 1 5 0 30.0%
Jacquizz Rodgers Atl 33.3% RB 9 3 2 2 0 55.6%
Reggie Wayne Ind 33.3% WR 7 3 0 1 2 44.4%
Eric Decker Den 33.3% WR 9 3 2 1 0 44.4%
Joique Bell Det 33.3% RB 9 3 2 0 0 44.4%
Steve Smith Car 33.3% WR 9 3 0 1 0 44.4%
Bilal Powell NYJ 33.3% RB 9 3 0 1 0 44.4%
Brandon Bolden NE 33.3% RB 7 3 0 2 2 44.4%
Darren Sproles NO 33.3% RB 9 3 2 2 0 44.4%
Jordan Reed Wsh 33.3% TE 8 3 1 1 1 44.4%
Randall Cobb GB 33.3% WR 5 3 0 0 4 33.3%
Jason Snelling Atl 33.3% RB 8 3 1 2 1 33.3%
Vincent Jackson TB 33.3% WR 9 3 2 4 0 33.3%
Jay Cutler Chi 33.3% QB 8 3 0 2 1 33.3%
Matt Schaub Hou 33.3% QB 6 3 0 3 3 33.3%
Colts D/ST Ind 33.3% D/ST 9 3 1 4 0 33.3%
Trent Richardson Ind 33.3% RB 9 3 0 0 0 33.3%
Nick Novak SD 33.3% K 9 3 2 4 0 33.3%
Jake Locker Ten 33.3% QB 7 3 0 2 2 33.3%
Adam Vinatieri Ind 33.3% K 8 3 2 1 1 33.3%
Cam Newton Car 33.3% QB 9 3 2 3 0 33.3%
Ted Ginn Car 33.3% WR 9 3 0 5 0 33.3%
Packers D/ST GB 33.3% D/ST 9 3 1 4 0 33.3%
Saints D/ST NO 33.3% D/ST 9 3 0 1 0 33.3%
David Akers Det 33.3% K 9 3 1 4 0 33.3%
Lions D/ST Det 33.3% D/ST 9 3 0 3 0 33.3%
Broncos D/ST Den 33.3% D/ST 9 3 1 2 0 33.3%
Colin Kaepernick SF 33.3% QB 9 3 1 3 0 33.3%
Josh Brown NYG 33.3% K 9 3 1 4 0 33.3%
Mike Wallace Mia 33.3% WR 9 3 0 4 0 33.3%
Tony Gonzalez Atl 33.3% TE 9 3 1 2 0 33.3%
Dolphins D/ST Mia 33.3% D/ST 9 3 1 2 0 33.3%
Sebastian Janikowski Oak 33.3% K 9 3 0 5 0 33.3%
Graham Gano Car 33.3% K 9 3 1 3 0 33.3%
Ravens D/ST Bal 33.3% D/ST 9 3 1 1 0 33.3%
Keenan Allen SD 33.3% WR 8 3 0 2 1 33.3%
Chargers D/ST SD 33.3% D/ST 9 3 0 4 0 33.3%
Emmanuel Sanders Pit 33.3% WR 9 3 0 2 0 33.3%
James Starks GB 33.3% RB 6 3 1 2 3 33.3%
Timothy Wright TB 33.3% WR 9 3 0 6 0 33.3%
Kenbrell Thompkins NE 33.3% WR 8 3 0 5 1 33.3%
Geno Smith NYJ 33.3% QB 9 3 0 5 0 33.3%
Alex Smith KC 33.3% QB 9 3 0 3 0 33.3%
Blair Walsh Min 33.3% K 9 3 0 3 0 33.3%
Marques Colston NO 33.3% WR 8 3 0 3 1 33.3%
Robert Griffin III Wsh 33.3% QB 9 3 1 2 0 33.3%
Kendall Wright Ten 33.3% WR 9 3 0 1 0 33.3%
Steelers D/ST Pit 33.3% D/ST 9 3 0 4 0 33.3%
Kenny Stills NO 33.3% WR 9 3 1 4 0 33.3%
Jarrett Boykin GB 33.3% WR 9 3 0 5 0 33.3%
Phil Dawson SF 33.3% K 9 3 1 3 0 33.3%
Giants D/ST NYG 33.3% D/ST 9 3 1 5 0 33.3%
Rashad Jennings Oak 33.3% RB 9 3 1 4 0 33.3%
James Jones GB 33.3% WR 7 3 0 3 2 22.2%
Daniel Thomas Mia 33.3% RB 9 3 0 3 0 22.2%
Rashard Mendenhall Ari 33.3% RB 8 3 0 1 1 22.2%
Ben Tate Hou 33.3% RB 9 3 0 1 0 22.2%
Harry Douglas Atl 33.3% WR 9 3 1 4 0 22.2%
Aaron Dobson NE 33.3% WR 8 3 1 2 1 22.2%
Dallas Clark Bal 33.3% TE 9 3 0 4 0 22.2%
Jerricho Cotchery Pit 33.3% WR 9 3 1 2 0 22.2%
Riley Cooper Phi 30.0% WR 10 3 3 5 0 40.0%
Sam Bradford StL 30.0% QB 7 3 0 1 3 30.0%
Bills D/ST Buf 30.0% D/ST 10 3 1 3 0 30.0%
Greg Zuerlein StL 30.0% K 10 3 1 3 0 30.0%
Steve Johnson Buf 30.0% WR 9 3 0 2 1 30.0%
Scott Chandler Buf 30.0% TE 10 3 0 6 0 30.0%
Andy Dalton Cin 30.0% QB 10 3 2 4 0 30.0%
C.J. Spiller Buf 30.0% RB 9 3 0 1 1 30.0%
Mike Nugent Cin 30.0% K 10 3 0 3 0 30.0%
Alex Henery Phi 30.0% K 10 3 1 3 0 30.0%
Nick Foles Phi 30.0% QB 7 3 2 3 3 30.0%
Doug Baldwin Sea 30.0% WR 10 3 0 3 0 30.0%
BenJarvus Green-Ellis Cin 30.0% RB 10 3 0 1 0 20.0%
Brent Celek Phi 30.0% TE 10 3 0 6 0 20.0%
Jermaine Kearse Sea 30.0% WR 10 3 0 6 0 10.0%
Cecil Shorts Jac 22.2% WR 9 2 0 2 0 55.6%
Ray Rice Bal 22.2% RB 8 2 1 2 1 44.4%
Roy Helu Wsh 22.2% RB 9 2 1 2 0 33.3%
Brandon LaFell Car 22.2% WR 9 2 0 4 0 33.3%
DeAndre Hopkins Hou 22.2% WR 9 2 0 3 0 33.3%
Julian Edelman NE 22.2% WR 9 2 0 5 0 33.3%
Dwayne Bowe KC 22.2% WR 9 2 0 4 0 33.3%
Donald Brown Ind 22.2% RB 9 2 0 2 0 33.3%
Delanie Walker Ten 22.2% TE 9 2 0 3 0 33.3%
Buccaneers D/ST TB 22.2% D/ST 9 2 0 2 0 22.2%
Vikings D/ST Min 22.2% D/ST 9 2 1 4 0 22.2%
Redskins D/ST Wsh 22.2% D/ST 9 2 1 2 0 22.2%
Texans D/ST Hou 22.2% D/ST 9 2 0 2 0 22.2%
Jets D/ST NYJ 22.2% D/ST 9 2 0 2 0 22.2%
Jared Cook StL 20.0% TE 10 2 1 5 0 30.0%
Eagles D/ST Phi 20.0% D/ST 10 2 0 4 0 20.0%
Falcons D/ST Atl 11.1% D/ST 9 1 0 4 0 11.1%
Jaguars D/ST Jac 11.1% D/ST 9 1 0 6 0 11.1%

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HacheMan · Nov 12, 2013

[h=1]Best fantasy playoff RB matchups[/h][h=3]Eddie Lacy among running backs with best playoff matchups[/h]By KC Joyner | ESPN Insider

With 10 weeks in the books for the 2013 fantasy football season, many owners are reaching the point where they can transition their roster moves toward selections that will give them the best chance of winning in the fantasy football playoffs.
The most difficult of these decisions will come at running back. This position has been painfully thin all season (only 11 running backs are averaging 10 or more points per game) and got even thinner last week with the announcement that Arian Foster will be having season-ending back surgery.
The lack of quality running back depth means owners will be looking to stockpile as many running backs with favorable playoff matchups before the Nov. 20 trade deadline.
This week's Fantasy Foresight article aims to offer assistance with this process via a fantasy playoff matchup primer. I color-graded each team's set of fantasy playoff matchups (defined as contests in Weeks 14 through 16) according to a variety of metric and scouting factors. A red grade indicates a very difficult matchup for the running back, a yellow grade signifies an average matchup and a green grade connotes a highly favorable matchup.
These grades are then assigned a point total, with a red rating giving zero points, a yellow rating one point and a green rating two points, thus making a higher point total more favorable for a running back.
The point totals then have been broken down into categories ranging from the most favorable (those with five matchup points) to the least favorable (the one team that ended up with zero matchup points).
Now that we have the preliminaries out of the way, let's take a look at the best fantasy playoff matchups for teams.

[h=3]Matchup point level: Target (five matchup points)[/h]
Teams: Green Bay, Miami
<OFFER></OFFER>
The combination of Eddie Lacy's eight points in Week 10 and the Packers' offense now being piloted by a third-string quarterback (Scott Tolzien) may have some Lacy fantasy owners thinking of throwing in the towel. That would be a huge mistake, as Green Bay will face Atlanta and Dallas (which just allowed a team record for yards in a single game) in Weeks 14 and 15 and Pittsburgh (which recently allowed the most single game yards in team history) in Week 16. Add to that the Packers' strong run-blocking, Lacy's production level on such plays and Aaron Rodgers' likely return to the lineup by that point, and it equals fantasy playoff gold for what could be a buy-low price.
Lamar Miller also likely will be available for next to nothing, after the Dolphins posted a team-record low of 2 rushing yards in the Monday night game against Tampa Bay. Miller may not offer starter-caliber upside, but there is almost certainly flex start potential, given the matchups.

[h=3]Matchup point level: Favorable (four matchup points)[/h]
Teams: Arizona, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Washington

The most intriguing candidates in this group could be the Buffalo running backs. If Week 10 is any indication, Fred Jackson (12 carries, four targets) and C.J. Spiller (eight carries, three targets) are going to operate a platoon setup from here on out. That split-carry situation may cause some fantasy owners to undervalue them, a move that would be a mistake considering they have extremely favorable matchups in Week 15 (Jacksonville) and Week 16 (Miami). The only caveat here is the Bills do face a very strong Tampa Bay run defense in Week 14, so be sure to have a workaround plan if utilizing Buffalo backs for the fantasy playoffs.
Houston is another interesting personnel situation, as Ben Tate is currently the starter but is battling four cracked ribs. If he is able to gut his way through the injury, Tate will be a potential RB1 start in Week 14 (Jacksonville) and Week 15 (Indianapolis). For owners planning on leaning on Tate, be sure to pick up backup running back Dennis Johnson (owned in 1.1 percent of ESPN leagues) as a low-cost handcuff. Outside of the injury concern, the main worry in leaning on the Texans' running backs is Week 16 looks to offer a much tougher contest (Denver).
This level also offers a number of additional potential waiver wire pickups, including Andre Ellington (45.6 percent owned in ESPN leagues), Willis McGahee (17.8 percent) and Bobby Rainey (0.4 percent).

[h=3]Matchup point level: Neutral (three matchup points)[/h]
Teams: Baltimore, Chicago, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, San Francisco
These teams all end up with the same matchup points total, but they take different routes to get there.
In Jacksonville's case, they have yellow-rated matchups in all of the fantasy football playoff weeks. This could mean Maurice Jones-Drew will be a solid starter for those games but it could also mean there is an upside cap that makes MJD a sell-high candidate, because he has posted three double-digit fantasy point games in the past four weeks.
In San Francisco's case, this total is reached via one red matchup (Tampa Bay in Week 15), one yellow-rated matchup (Seattle in Week 14) and one green-rated matchup (Atlanta in Week 16). Frank Gore has been about as consistent a point producer as one could want (double-digit points in all but one start) but that kind of up-and-down playoff matchup slate may make him a bit too risky for the championship tournament weeks if one of the other elite running backs can be acquired in a one-for-one trade.

[h=3]Matchup point level: Caution (two matchup points)[/h]
Teams: Atlanta, Carolina, Dallas, Denver, New England, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Tennessee
If ever there was a textbook case of selling high, it would be this week for those fantasy owners with New Orleans running backs on their roster. The Saints' running-back-by-committee (RBBC) approach has been positively nerve-wracking this season, but this past Sunday saw three New Orleans ball carriers tally 18 or more fantasy points. That isn't likely to continue in general because Sean Payton is still going to use the RBBC system, but it is even less likely to recur in Weeks 14 and 16 matchups against a very tough Carolina run defense. This means sell high on Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles.
Selling high might not be an option in the near future for Stevan Ridley owners, because he faces a red-rated matchup in Week 11 (Carolina) but his owners should consider moving him because he also has red-rated matchups in Week 14 (Cleveland) and Week 16 (Baltimore).
The situation looks even worse for Le'Veon Bell owners, as he has red-rated matchups in every game for the rest of the season aside from a Week 14 matchup against Miami. Fantasy owners should get as much as they can out of whatever trade interest his 14-point total against Buffalo generates this week.

[h=3]Matchup point level: Avoid (one matchup point)[/h]
Teams: Detroit, Indianapolis, Minnesota, NY Giants, NY Jets, San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis
Each of these teams has two red-rated and one yellow-rated matchup during the fantasy playoffs, so the fantasy championship odds are not in their favor.
In the case of running backs on the New York clubs, fantasy owners should keep them only if they need a big game against a green-rated defense prior to the fantasy postseason. In the Giants' case, that is Week 12 against Dallas. In the Jets' case, that is Week 13 against Miami.
For San Diego, the situation is even more daunting leading up the playoff weeks, as the Chargers have red-rated defenses on the schedule in Weeks 12 through 15. Their only respite is a Week 11 matchup against Miami, so consider selling high if Ryan Mathews or Danny Woodhead racks up quality point totals this week.

[h=3]Matchup point level: Sell (zero matchup points)[/h]
Team: Oakland
Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings haven't exactly been dominant point producers this season, and both will be hard-pressed to help fantasy teams during the playoffs because they face red-rated run defenses in all three weeks (Jets in Week 14, Kansas City in Week 15, San Diego in Week 16). The potential saving grace here is that the Raiders' schedule between now and the playoffs contains two yellow-rated matchups (Houston in Week 11, Tennessee in Week 12) and one green-rated matchup (Dallas in Week 13), so they could be somewhat helpful for owners needing flex-level production to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

HacheMan · Nov 13, 2013

[h=1]Players with best scoring chances[/h][h=3]Fred Jackson leads running backs with best touchdown opportunities[/h]By Mike Clay | Pro Football Focus

With 10 weeks of the 2013 regular season in the books, it's time for our weekly look at our alternative to red zone data: opportunity-adjusted touchdowns.
If you're new the stat, be sure to check out our introduction to rushing and receiving OTD. The OTD metric weighs every carry/target and converts the data into one number that indicates a player's scoring opportunity.
Week 10 saw Andre Brown and LaVon Brazill come out of nowhere to headline their respective positions in OTD, but who has built up the most scoring opportunities to date this season?
<OFFER>
[h=3]Rushing[/h]
[h=4]Rushing OTD Leaders After Week 10[/h]

Rk	Rusher	Att	TD	2013 OTD	Wk 10 OTD
1	Fred Jackson	129	6	7.4	0.5
2	Marshawn Lynch	191	7	7.1	1.2
3	Frank Gore	161	7	6.5	0.3
4	Willis McGahee	99	1	6.2	0.0
5	Jamaal Charles	170	6	5.7	0.0
6	Knowshon Moreno	123	8	5.4	0.0
7	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	140	3	4.5	0.1
8	Stevan Ridley	118	6	4.4	0.0
9	Ray Rice	115	3	4.2	0.3
10	Le'Veon Bell	96	4	4.2	0.8
11	Matt Forte	157	7	4.2	0.3
12	Eddie Lacy	158	4	4.1	0.2
13	Mike Tolbert	59	4	3.9	0.0
14	Adrian Peterson	173	9	3.9	0.8
15	DeMarco Murray	111	4	3.8	0.3
16	Alfred Morris	159	5	3.6	0.9
17	Reggie Bush	131	2	3.4	0.1
18	Zac Stacy	129	3	3.3	0.6
19	DeAngelo Williams	129	2	3.2	0.0
20	Arian Foster	121	1	3.0	0.0
21	Maurice Jones-Drew	143	3	3.0	0.3
22	Jackie Battle	35	1	2.9	0.0
23	LeSean McCoy	193	3	2.9	0.2
24	Darren McFadden	93	3	2.9	0.0
25	Ben Tate	103	1	2.8	0.2
26	Danny Woodhead	59	1	2.8	0.1
27	Rashard Mendenhall	105	3	2.8	0.2
28	Brandon Bolden	38	2	2.7	0.0
29	Bernard Pierce	93	2	2.7	0.0
30	Pierre Thomas	96	1	2.6	1.1
31	Jacquizz Rodgers	70	2	2.5	0.0
32	Michael Bush	32	1	2.4	0.0
33	Brandon Jacobs	44	3	2.4	0.0
34	Rashad Jennings	71	1	2.3	1.0
35	Trent Richardson	119	2	2.3	0.1
36	Daniel Thomas	64	2	2.2	0.2
37	Joique Bell	72	4	2.2	0.1
38	LeGarrette Blount	70	2	2.2	0.0
39	Anthony Dixon	15	2	2.1	0.0
40	Montee Ball	60	1	2.0	0.0

He didn't make a huge push forward in Week 10, but Fred Jackson (7.4) continues to pace the NFL in rushing OTD. The Bills' lead back added carries from the opponent's 3- and 9-yard line to his OTD résumé but failed to score on 12 carries. Jackson still leads the league with seven carries from the 1-yard line.
Andre Brown (1.5) didn't wait long to make an impact. Making his 2013 debut after a nine-week stint on injured reserve, Brown racked up 30 carries against Oakland last weekend. That was enough to power him to a league-high 1.5 rushing OTD. Brown scored on his only try from the 1-yard line and had three other tries within 5 yards of the end zone.
It's been a rough year for Ray Rice (4.2), but it may surprise you to know that he sits at No. 9 overall in rushing OTD. Rice has eight carries within 5 yards of the end zone. His conversions from 1, 2 and 3 yards out account for his only rushing scores. Rice finished No. 13 overall in rushing OTD during the 2012 regular season.
Rashad Jennings (2.3) has handled five carries within 5 yards of the end zone this season. He's 0-for-2 on tries from the 1-yard line, scoring his only touchdown from 8 yards out. The journeyman sits at No. 34 overall in rushing OTD this year, but with No. 24 Darren McFadden (2.9) nursing a hamstring injury, Jennings will have plenty of scoring opportunities in the coming weeks. At 1.0, Jennings was fourth in rushing OTD in Week 10.
Injuries to Doug Martin and Mike James have made Bobby Rainey (0.8) fantasy relevant for the second time this season. Working behind Brian Leonard, Rainey handled only eight carries Monday night, but one of them was a 1-yard touchdown. Leonard, meanwhile, hasn't carried the ball within 5 yards of pay dirt this season. The two backs are expected to share Tampa Bay's backfield duties going forward, but OTD provides optimism for Rainey's scoring potential.
Ryan Mathews (1.8) sits at No. 48 overall in rushing OTD this season, but he boosted his standing with a 0.7 mark in Week 10. That was good enough for eighth best in the league. Mathews scored on a carry from the 1-yard line, which marked his first carry inside the 3-yard line this season and only his third try within 10 yards of the end zone. Danny Woodhead and Ronnie Brown have combined for 13 carries inside the 10-yard line this season.
[h=3]Receiving[/h]
Note: Receiving OTD is based on the player's distance from the end zone when he is targeted -- not the line of scrimmage. This allows us to better weigh throws into the end zone.

[h=4]Receiving OTD Leaders After Week 10[/h]

Rk	Receiver	Targ	TD	2013 OTD	Wk 10 OTD
1	Calvin Johnson	91	9	8.2	1.3
2	A.J. Green	114	6	6.6	0.5
3	Alshon Jeffery	77	3	6.2	0.9
4	Brandon Marshall	90	8	6.1	0.8
5	Dez Bryant	89	8	5.9	0.1
6	Wes Welker	78	9	5.5	0.2
7	Jordy Nelson	69	7	5.4	1.0
8	Cecil Shorts	88	1	4.9	0.1
9	Martellus Bennett	56	4	4.8	0.5
10	Vincent Jackson	100	4	4.7	0.6
11	DeSean Jackson	81	7	4.5	0.2
12	Larry Fitzgerald	67	5	4.5	0.0
13	Pierre Garcon	93	3	4.4	0.8
14	Kenbrell Thompkins	55	4	4.4	0.0
15	Vernon Davis	48	7	4.4	0.2
16	Tony Gonzalez	66	4	4.4	0.1
17	Aaron Dobson	59	4	4.4	0.0
18	Jason Witten	71	4	4.2	0.0
19	T.Y. Hilton	71	5	4.2	0.1
20	Austin Pettis	47	4	4.1	0.0
21	Andre Johnson	94	5	4.1	1.2
22	Jimmy Graham	77	10	4.0	0.1
23	Antonio Brown	88	3	3.9	0.6
24	Demaryius Thomas	76	9	3.8	0.6
25	Torrey Smith	79	2	3.8	1.3
26	Michael Floyd	57	2	3.8	0.0
27	Victor Cruz	84	4	3.8	0.4
28	Joseph Fauria	15	5	3.7	0.4
29	Hakeem Nicks	68	0	3.7	0.0
30	Julius Thomas	57	9	3.7	0.0
31	Julian Edelman	72	2	3.6	0.0
32	Steve L. Smith	72	3	3.6	0.1
33	Steve Johnson	75	3	3.5	0.4
34	Jordan Cameron	63	5	3.5	0.0
35	Denarius Moore	64	4	3.5	0.5
36	Jason Avant	52	1	3.4	0.6
37	Eric Decker	75	3	3.4	0.0
38	Marlon Brown	45	5	3.4	0.0
39	DeAndre Hopkins	59	2	3.4	0.4
40	Golden Tate	59	4	3.2	0.6

Calvin Johnson (8.2) continues to pace the league in receiving OTD. He handled three end zone targets in Week 10. He converted two into touchdowns and is 6-of-14 (42.9 percent) on end zone tries this season. Johnson was 2-of-16 (12.5 percent) on end zone targets during the 2012 regular season. He remains the clear-cut No. 1 fantasy wide receiver.
I discussed the Bears' habits near the end zone last week, but Alshon Jeffery (6.2) is worth expanding on. The sophomore receiver is now ahead of Brandon Marshall (6.1) in both receiving OTD and end zone targets (12 to 11). In fact, Jeffery trails only Johnson (14) and A.J. Green (13) in end zone looks this year. Of course, Jeffery has struggled a bit catching said targets. Among 16 players with eight or more end zone targets this year, only Cecil Shorts (10 percent) has a worse conversion rate than Jeffery (25 percent). Jeffery is fantasy's No. 10 wide receiver this season, but OTD suggests he should be even higher.
Case Keenum has been a game-changer for Andre Johnson (4.1). Over the past two weeks, Johnson paces the league with a 2.3 receiving OTD. You may recall from earlier columns that Johnson was all but an afterthought near the end zone when Matt Schaub was under center for the team over the past year or so. Johnson was fifth in the NFL with 159 targets last regular season, but his 5.8 receiving OTD was 46th in the league. Consider that, during the 2012 regular season, Johnson saw only six end zone targets and caught one for a touchdown. With Keenum under center this season, Johnson already has five end zone targets, four of which have resulted in a touchdown. Fading to WR2 territory a few weeks ago, Johnson is again locked in as a solid WR1.
LaVon Brazill (1.5) was targeted five times in Week 10. Incredibly, four of those targets came while he was in the end zone. That was more than enough to power Brazill to the league-lead in receiving OTD this past week. That's the good news. The bad news is that none of the targets resulted in a touchdown. Going forward, it's hard to imagine 5-foot-11, 194-pound Brazill as a major end zone force, especially considering that he's fourth on the Colts' wide receiver depth chart.
Only Brazill put up a higher receiving OTD than the 1.3 mark Torrey Smith (3.8) enjoyed in Week 10. Smith saw a trio of end zone targets against Cincinnati. He caught one, bringing him to 1-of-7 (14.3 percent) in the category this season. Smith's only other score came on a catch-and-run from 11 yards out.
Hakeem Nicks (3.7) was no closer than 24 yards away from the end zone on any of his four targets in Sunday's win over Oakland. Nicks sits at No. 29 in receiving OTD this year, but remains the only player among the top 62 in the category without a single score. Expect that to change very soon.

HacheMan · Nov 14, 2013

Some things you just don't forget

By Matthew Berry | ESPN.com

For me, the thing that gets lost the most is the fear.

I'm not saying it isn't mentioned, because it is. Just as a throwaway, somewhere in the middle, as part of a list, a quick reason as to why, and then quickly moved off of. But not as a focus, and for me, fear is the key to the whole thing.

Many, many words have been written about Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin, and many more will before we are all said and done. They talk about locker room dynamics and racism and whether a grown man can be bullied. They ask if Incognito stepped over the line and whether Martin is "tough enough" to play in the NFL. They wonder how the Dolphins players let this go on as long as they did, how the Dolphins coaches and front office could possibly not be aware, and they talk about the supposed friendship between the two men.

They don't talk about the fear.

There's been a million reactions to this story and more are coming every day, but among the questions that start to show up are, "How come he didn't speak up before, how come he left instead of just handling it himself, how come he exchanged all the text messages with Incognito?"

I don't know the answer because I'm not him, but I can guess. Because I've been there. My whole life, I've been there. I'm still there.

The first memory I have of getting bullied was in grade school. I was a small kid and in order to sit down to eat lunch, I had to "pay" with my dessert. Whatever dessert my mom had packed for lunch, that was my "fee," no matter where I tried to sit.

I moved around a lot as a kid. Starting with the city I was born in, I had lived in five different cities by the time I hit 13, including two cities in Virginia (that's where my Washington fandom comes from) and winding up in Texas at age 12. Texas was the worst for this sort of thing. Having moved around a lot, I was always the new kid. Socially awkward to begin with (still am!), the constant moving didn't help develop those skills any. Add in big, frizzy hair and thick glasses and it's no wonder I had trouble fitting in. Or why I tried so hard to fit in, which of course only made it worse.

A sensitive, Jewish kid in a smallish Texas town didn't play well in the '80s, and my classmates let me know it. Constantly. While walking in hallways to class, I'd subtly get pushed into lockers. I remember one time after tennis practice, a group of us went to go get drinks at a convenience store. We all piled into one kid's car. We got out, I walked in first, when all of sudden they all turned, jumped back into the car and left me. This was obviously before the days of cell phones or anything. That was a long, two-mile walk back to school, where I found them playing hoops and laughing at me.

There would be cruel nicknames, insults, trashing my house with toilet paper and shoe polish, and later, when I was driving and had a used Honda Accord, they'd trash that. Many times I would wake up in the morning or walk out of school to find my car had shoe polish all over it, talking about how ugly I was, mocking my religion, questioning my sexuality or sometimes just plain simple "blank you, blank" type profanity. All over the windows.

This happened at least twice a month for about two years. It wasn't the two hours or so it took to clean and wash the car each time that was the worst. It was the look. The look on my classmates' faces when we walked out to the parking lot and they'd see it. Or worse, the look on my mom's face when we'd run out of the house because we heard a noise in the middle of the night, only to see a car quickly driving away and my car, our driveway and house trashed with notes. I mean, I knew I wasn't popular, but did my parents have to know? Soul-crushing. Humiliating. Heartbreaking.

Death by a thousand cuts. It's not any one incident (though a few stand out to me, even two decades later), but the totality of it all, the seemingly nonstop barrage that comes your way. You feel helpless. It's a group against one. Tell an authority figure and you're a tattletale. They'll just come at you harder and more cleverly disguised. You feel embarrassed. You get jumpy, looking and assuming things are there when they aren't.

You live in fear. That's the fear I'm talking about. The fear no one seems to mention. The fear of repercussion, of making it worse, of what's coming next. Constant, debilitating fear.

You become distrustful, questioning people's motives. Is this just a joke on me? She couldn't really like me, right? Why are they inviting me to this party? Do they want me there or is this some elaborate prank? It permeates your every waking thought and moment. Maybe if I'm super-nice, they'll stop. Or if I play along and pretend it doesn't bother me, they'll stop. You have to do something, because you can't do nothing. You're trapped. You can't quit school, or your job or your professional football team. Right?

His detractors call him soft and say that he "shouldn't have run." I gotta tell you: Doing what Jonathan Martin did took a lot more guts and bravery than just staying.

Because there's always the fear. Not just the fear of retribution, but of what people will think, of looking weak and making yourself a bigger target.

I have that fear. I have it to this day. In fact, I had planned on writing this column last week, when the story first broke. But when it came time to do it ... I was scared. Do I really want to admit to everyone that I was bullied? Doesn't it make me look pathetic? If you've followed my career at all, you know that promoting fantasy sports and the fantasy sports industry is important to me; painting it in a positive light and fighting all the stereotypes that the naysayers have labeled us with over the years. So the fantasy nerd got bullied? Well, that image ain't helping the cause, Berry.
To this day, because of experiences I had as a child and frankly, as an adult, I am more distrustful than I want to be. I worry good things will be taken away or shouldn't be counted on, I am more cautious with people and less quick to let them into my life, and I have a huge issue with anything I perceive as bullying or intentional cruelty, be it in real life or online. It's among the reasons I am quick to block on Twitter. Life's too short to deal with people who feel the need to send out any sort of negativity, especially to someone they've never met.

We are all products of our environment and upbringing. I am, completely. I live with those scars to this day and I honestly don't know what I would do if I ever saw one of those tormenters again. And I bet those people probably don't remember they were tormenters. Most bullies don't. I would bet I'm the only one of that group who even remembers when I was left behind at the store. People are often blissfully unaware that something that seems small to you can in fact be very large to someone else, which is why I also understand why Richie Incognito doesn't understand what the fuss is about.
I usually try to tie my story to fantasy advice, and when I started this, the plan was to use fear as the unifying theme. That we often have fear when setting our lineups as well. What if the bench guy goes off, what if the guy I drop gets picked up, etc., but honestly, I think we're well past that now.
The fear is what holds us back. I wish I hadn't been scared back then. I try like hell not to be now. And I hope everyone reading this fights his or her demons. And is careful not to create any for someone else.
Tiny ripples, you know?
Let's get to it.

[h=3]Quarterbacks I love for Week 11[/h]
Russell Wilson, Seahawks: Russell Wilson is the prettiest girl in this bar and I'm gonna go hit on him. That's what I felt like when I was starting my quarterback rankings. Brees against San Fran? A gimpy Peyton against a Chiefs defense that has had two weeks to prep? Stafford on the road in Pittsburgh? Rivers traveling east to face a better-than-you-think Dolphins secondary? Cam and Brady facing each other's very good defenses? All stud quarterbacks, but all with something that gave you the slightest pause, as if to say, yeah, I'm starting him, but I don't feel 100 percent great about it. And then there's R-Dub, as only I call him. Six consecutive weeks of 14 or more fantasy points, the only QB since Week 5 to do that. At home against a Vikings team that gives up the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and, lookee here, he just got Percy Harvin and a lot of his offensive line back. Top five play this week.

Robert Griffin III, Washington: At least 280 yards passing in three of the past four weeks; it basically boils down to touchdowns. Against San Diego, they ran it in four times. Last week, he threw it in. Given that the Eagles are actually playing decent run defense -- just three rushing touchdowns allowed in the past five games -- I see Washington picking on the Eagles where they are really vulnerable; they're 31st against the pass and have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. For what it's worth, RG III has thrown for at least two scores in his three previous games against Philly.

Nick Foles, Eagles: Insert quarterback facing Washington here. I'm sorry. I meant insert "red-hot quarterback who has thrown for 10 touchdowns the past two weeks and faces a defense that just made Christian Ponder look awesome" here.

If You're Desperate: Josh McCown has looked pretty good this year when he's gotten a shot, and this Sunday, he gets another one. Ravens allow more than 16 points a game to opposing quarterbacks, including three to Jason Campbell in their last road game. ... Case Keenum made a lot of passes that should have been picked off in his last game, but he also did a lot of things right. This much is clear: They're gonna throw it, and with six scores in two games, he should be fine at home against the Raiders. ... Don't love the matchup for Jason Campbell, but I didn't like the Chiefs and Ravens matchups, either, and he threw five scores total against them. He's had two weeks to prepare for this one and should be solid once again.

[h=3]Quarterbacks I hate for Week 11:[/h]
Matt Ryan, Falcons: A rare instance of two first names not being a crowd pleaser, but you keep forcing it into double coverage and that's what happens. Roddy White should be stuck on Revis Island (you'll never guess who's on the "Wide receivers I hate for Week 11" list!), Tony Gonzalez is banged up and the Buccaneers are one of only five teams this year not to allow a 300-yard passer. Averaging a miniscule 6.2 yards downfield per attempt, Ryan has traditionally struggled against the Bucs (averages just 219 yards and 1.2 touchdowns a game against them) and that's when Ryan was going good. Unlike, you know, now, where he has three straight games with just one touchdown pass. He may do okay based on volume, but not a top-12 play this week.

Andy Dalton, Bengals: I mean, the Hail Mary has got to work a second week in a row, right? Prior to that play, Dalton had passed for 216 yards, one score and three interceptions. It would have been his second single-digit fantasy game in a row and his fourth in the past seven. He's obviously capable of 20 point games as well; he's had three of those in the last five. But he's too inconsistent for me, has only two fewer turnovers than Eli Manning so far this season, the Browns are coming off a bye , held him to just 206 yards, no touchdowns and two turnovers in Week 4, and are the answer to the question, "What team has allowed the fewest yards per attempt this season?"

Carson Palmer, Cardinals: Just putting him here because I know a lot of people see the Jaguars and think, "Hey, easy start!" I prefer other fill-ins if you're trying to replace Aaron Rodgers or Tony Romo this week. Palmer hasn't been great, you don't need me to tell you that, but the Jags give up just 16 points a game to opposing quarterbacks at home this year (not counting the 49ers game, where the Jags were the "home" team, but it was in London). I'm not saying the Jaguars are good, they're not, but they are playing better recently, and I don't see Palmer (who has at least two turnovers in six of his past seven) going nuts here.

[h=3]Running backs I Love for Week 11[/h]
Frank Gore, 49ers: The way you beat the Saints is by running. Which works out nicely because that is what the 49ers do well. Gore is one of two players to rush for at least 70 yards in every game since Week 3. Who is the other one, to complete the answer to today's "Arbitrary End Point Trivia?" I'll tell you at the end of this section on running backs. Meanwhile, the Saints allow 5 yards a carry, most in the NFL, and Gore has just one single-digit game this year, in Week 2 at Seattle. He's as safe a start as there is.

Knowshon Moreno, Broncos: Gimpy quarterback, blitzing defense that gives up the second-highest yards per carry average, and a running back who has scored at least 10 fantasy points in every game since Week 5? Yep, it's time to get to Knowshon on Sunday once again. Read it again, you'll get it. Or just start him. Easy top-10 day for him.

Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead, Chargers: The Dolphins organization is so scared of displaying anything that can be construed as bullying, they no longer like to tackle. Both backs are top-20 plays against a defense that's allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. If they made Brian Leonard and Bobby Rainey fantasy relevant, they can do anything.

Andre Brown, Giants: With apologies to my colleague Cris Carter, all he does is score touchdowns! In eight of the 10 games that Andre Brown has a carry or reception, he has scored a touchdown. Do I think he stays healthy all year? No. But what are they going to do, let Eli throw it? Exactly. Solid top-20 play this week.

Andre Ellington, Cardinals: What are they going to do, let Palmer throw it? Or let Rashard Mendenhall fumble it away again, late in the game at another crucial moment? He's the best running back they have and it's not close. He may get only 15 touches, but against Jacksonville, that'll be enough for a top-20 day.

If you're desperate: After Chris Ivory got 34 carries against New England, he got six the following week against Cincy. Now off a great game against the Saints and a bye, he should be a great play against Buffalo, but that Cincy game gives me pause and relegates him here. I do like him and the matchup however. ... If you're truly, truly desperate, Donald Brown has outscored Trent Richardson in three of the past five weeks and Titans are top-10 in both fantasy points allowed and most receptions allowed to opposing running backs. ... The Patriots still have trouble defending the run and, despite last week, Mike Tolbert has the best chance of a rushing touchdown. He'll split the workload three ways but in a touchdown-only league, he's got a decent shot. .. If I were truly desperate, I could see taking a flier on Bernard Pierce. The Ravens have said whoever is most effective will get the ball and he has been better than Ray Rice. That's not saying much but it's a great matchup with Chicago. ... And Alfred Morris is the answer to today's "Arbitrary End Point Trivia" question.

[h=3]Running backs I hate for Week 11[/h]Ray Rice, Ravens: If you have to ask why he's here, you don't own him. Baltimore Sun beat writer Matt Vensel said on Twitter recently that Ray Rice "looked like a little kid in a snowsuit running in the open field." Great line, and sadly, fairly accurate. Should tell you everything you need to know. Not a top-20 play.

Trent Richardson, Colts: Donald Brown. I repeat. He has been outscored in three of the past five weeks by Donald Brown. And it ain't like Donald Brown is lighting it up, ya dig? Want another soul-crushing stat? In the past three games, Richardson and Brown have the exact same number of red zone carries. One each. I mean, dude! It's actually not a bad matchup, but what could possibly give you confidence in starting him? That doesn't come in a 40-ounce bottle?

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars: Has yet to run for 75 yards in a game, he's 41st among 45 qualified running backs in yard per carry (3.0), and no team allows fewer fantasy points to opposing running backs than the Cardinals. Maybe you get lucky with a score (heh heh, he said "lucky with a score"), but I'd hate to count on it.

I know, this isn't an awe-inspiring list of running backs to hate, but this year, with how bad the position is, it's hard to hate most running backs, and I don't want to put someone on the list who doesn't belong just to fill it out.

[h=3]Wide receivers I love for Week 11[/h]
Pierre Garcon, Washington: Truth time, I kept putting him in the love list because of his talent, the offense and the targets, and he'd have good games but nothing amazing. Went away for two weeks (still ranked him high), and he has been ridiculous. Only guy in the league with at least seven receptions in each game the past three weeks. He's now top six in receptions and receiving yards. Impressive, but even more so when you realize no team has allowed more receptions or receiving yards to opposing wide receivers than the Philadelphia Eagles. Say "oui" to Pierre. (Pause). OK, move along, nothing to see here, keep moving, don't slow down, nothing to see, gotta keep traffic moving, here we go.

DeSean Jackson and Riley Cooper, Eagles: It ain't like Washington's defense is all that either. Bet the over.

Torrey Smith, Ravens: From the "not that surprising a stat" department comes this: Only A.J. Green has been targeted more than Smith on throws at least 15 yards downfield this season. If you are a glass-half-full type, he's due. In each of the past two seasons, Smith has had at least five touchdowns on such throws. But this year? Smith has yet to catch a touchdown thrown more than 15 yards downfield. I'm putting faith in him getting one Sunday. The Bears rank in the bottom five in receptions and receiving yards allowed on throws at least 15 yards downfield.
Kendall Wright, Titans: I may or may not have a slight obsession with Kendall Wright. But lucky for us, so does Ryan Fitzpatrick. When Fitzy is running the show, Wright leads the Titans in targets, receptions and receiving yards. He's the only player to have at least 54 receiving yards in every game since Week 2 and it's a nice matchup. Over the past five weeks, no team has allowed more fantasy points or touchdowns to opposing wide receivers than the Colts. Solid WR3 this week.

Percy Harvin, Seahawks: Bad hip, hasn't played all season, snap count, Seahawks like to run. Playing his former team whom he has hard feelings for, been champing at the bit, Vikings are poor against the pass. High-risk, high-reward territory here, you believe or you do not believe. I believe.

If you're desperate: You're already starting Antonio Brown, but Emmanuel Sanders gets a nice matchup as well as Detroit has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing WRs. ... Rueben Randle has five scores in the past five games and Green Bay is tied for the fourth-most touchdowns allowed to opposing wideouts. ... Same game, I'm buying the Scott Tolzien-to-Jarrett Boykin connection more than I'm not. There's just something about guys who spent time on the practice squad together.

[h=3]Wide receivers I hate for Week 11[/h]
Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals: There's always a chance he scores, but expectations are high going against Jacksonville and, believe it or not, the Jags are top six in fewest receptions and receiving yards per game to opposing wide receivers this season. Now obviously some of that is because teams get up big and don't need to throw in the second half against them, but regardless of how you get there, they're 13th in the NFL against the pass. Meanwhile, over the past three weeks, Fitz has disappeared: fewer than six targets a game, under 30 yards a game and just three receptions. If you have him, I can't imagine you have a better option, so you're starting him, but I would not be using him in a salary cap game or in our Gridiron Challenge game where you can start any player only once a season.

Roddy White, Falcons: You guessed correctly! But let's review: Revis Island, hasn't been good all year, quarterback is on the hate list. Pick a reason, any reason.

Denarius Moore, Raiders: Whether it's him or it's his quarterback, Moore has struggled recently. He's caught only 42 percent of his targets the past three weeks, the third fewest among players with at least 20 targets during that span. Hasn't caught a red zone target since Week 5, Terrelle Pryor isn't 100 percent, if he even plays, and it's a bad matchup. No team has allowed fewer receptions or yards to opposing wide receivers than the Texans this season.

Marques Colston, Saints: Well, that was a start. After a week of doing nothing for various reasons, Colston had a big game against Dallas. Of course, so did Mark Ingram. Let's not go nuts here. Dallas was terrible and playing with a lot of backups. Given the lack of red zone targets and Jimmy Graham's limited usage (think we see more of him this week), I have a hard time trusting Colston as a top-20 guy this week against a 49ers team that has given up just five touchdowns to opposing wideouts all season.

[h=3]Tight ends I love for Week 11

Jordan Cameron, Browns: Now here's two first names that are a crowd pleaser. Ten receptions and a score the last time he faced the Bengals, Cincy has allowed three scores to opposing tight ends in the past five weeks, tied for fourth most over that time frame.

Coby Fleener, Colts: His 10 targets last week led the team, and I expect Tennessee to focus on stopping T.Y. Hilton. You know I think Indy will struggle to run the ball here, which means Fleener should continue to get some love. I feel like last week was a lost game for all the Colts, but this week, against a Titans team giving up the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, Fleener should have a top-10 day. Plus, I'm playing against him in the War Room league in a must-win game for me (thanks for nothing last week, Tony Romo. Grumble grumble) so you just know he's going off.

If you're desperate: Seattle is, ahem, a little better than Washington on defense, but the Vikings have to throw it to someone, and I had John Carlson on the "love list" last week, so you know I am back again. I could see Carlson being a volume play. ... With Robert Woods out and Stevie Johnson questionable as of this writing, Scott Chandler might be the only healthy Bills pass-catcher. Had five for 79 and a score last time he faced the Jets and that's not a fluke. The Jets have struggled with tight ends all year long, giving up the fourth-most points to them. ... There was a Marcedes Lewis sighting last week! Back healthy, he looked good and, as matchups for tight ends go, it doesn't get friendlier than the Cardinals.

<H3>Tight ends I hate for Week 11</H3>
Heath Miller, Steelers: Under 40 yards in three of the past four games, I don't like having touchdown-dependent tight ends if I can help it.

Tyler Eifert, Bengals: Bad matchup and Jermaine Gresham is back. Bleah.

Garrett Graham, Texans: I don't know what he did to Case Keenum, but Graham's targets have gone down every week since Keenum got the gig. Raiders haven't allowed much to opposing tight ends so far this season, and there's no reason to believe this week will be different.

I know. Also not a great list of tight ends but once you get outside the top 10, it's pretty bleak. Kind of just hate them all, but you gotta start somebody.

<H3>Defense / special teams I love in Week 11</H3>
Arizona Cardinals: Still available in 56 percent of leagues, they're coming off two strong games, and an offensive juggernaut, the Jaguars aren't, you know? Cards blitz 52 percent of the time on dropbacks, highest rate in the league, and Chad Henne has yet to throw a touchdown when under pressure this year. This is your No. 1 plug-and-play defense this week.

Cleveland Browns: Giving up just 4.5 yards per play (best in the NFL), they had 12 points the last time they faced the Bengals. I like them coming off a bye and facing Andy Dalton who, again, has only two fewer turnovers than Eli Manning!

Kansas City Chiefs: Not that you would ever truly love a team against the Broncos, but just wanted to put them in here to say, hey, if you've got them, I'm not scared of using them off a bye against Peyton's gimpy ankles. They won't be great but they won't be horrific either, so it's not worth dropping them or using up a roster spot to pick up another defense for this week.

New York Giants: Available in 95 percent of leagues, they look like, well, the Giants and not whatever that was in the beginning of the year. Averaging 15 points a game over the past three, New York is at home to the Scott Tolzien experience.

If you're desperate: EJ Manuel struggled in his last game and Rex Ryan has had two weeks to prepare for a Bills team that is really banged up in its receiving corps, so I could see the Jets being solid here. That is all.

<H3>Defense / special teams I hate in Week 11</H3>
Pittsburgh Steelers: Playing better recently (Patriots game notwithstanding) but they are still bottom five in sacks and turnovers. Going against a good Lions team with an unstoppable Calvin Johnson; only two teams have allowed fewer points to opposing defenses than the Lions. I have Pittsburgh outside my top 15.

San Francisco 49ers: Good defense, but on the road against the Saints, they're not a top-10 defense. Opposing defenses are averaging 1.3 points per game against the Saints in ESPN standard scoring. Yup, 1.3. Not a misprint.

[/h]

HacheMan · Nov 17, 2013

[h=1]Fantasy playoffs schedule outlook[/h][h=3]Also, what to make of Matt Ryan, the Chargers' backfield and Aaron Dobson?[/h]By Christopher Harris | ESPN.com

Don't forget I do a twice-weekly podcast called the Fantasy Underground, where Field "Betrayer Of Zac Stacy" Yates and I discuss what we've seen on film and how it relates to your fantasy team. Subscribe on iTunes, that way you'll never miss a show! And while you're at it, follow me on Twitter at @CHarrisESPN. All right, let's get to today's topics:

[h=3]Three in depth[/h]
1. Fantasy playoff schedules for quarterbacks: The trade deadline for standard ESPN leagues is next Wednesday, Nov. 20, and hopefully many of you are thinking of your fantasy playoffs. Clearly, the overriding edict in all cases is "don't bench your studs," but there seem to be fewer according-to-Hoyle "studs" you can rely on from week to week in the NFL these days, and you're forgiven if you don't have a team completely comprised of them. When it comes to the middling fantasy options -- of which there are many -- the attractiveness of schedules from Week 14 to Week 17 can be a boon, and could make the difference between wanting to trade for a player, or wanting to trade one away. Schedule doesn't make the man, but it helps. Here are two QBs whose fantasy schedules I like and two I hate for the ESPN standard fantasy playoffs:

Good -- Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens (MIN, @DET, NE, @CIN): Aqib Talib could return for the New England Patriots as soon as Monday night, and perhaps he reverts to his excellent early-season form. But until we see that happen, Flacco appears to have three fantastic matchups to begin the fantasy playoffs. And the Cincinnati Bengals are OK in their pass defense, but without Geno Atkins and Leon Hall, they don't frighten me. Of course, there's the idea of having to rely on Flacco's consistency in a fantasy playoff game. Now that frightens me.

Good -- Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles (DET, @MIN, CHI, @DAL): I'm as skeptical as I can be of Foles' rise to presumed fantasy glory, but I also grow weary of hearing myself make excuses for why he's had back-to-back great games. So let's acknowledge that this is a sweet schedule. The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings are the No. 7 and No. 1 matchups for opposing QBs at the moment, and the Chicago Bears can be had without Charles Tillman.

Bad -- Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (@SF, @NYG, ARI, STL): Let's hear it for the New York Giants. I'm more impressed with the run defense's improvement, but the fact is over the past five weeks, my metrics have this unit as the second-worst for fantasy QBs and RBs to score fantasy points against, and the worst for fantasy WRs. The St. Louis Rams may not actually be awesome on the back end; they may simply be so easy to run against that QBs don't typically have to rack up big numbers against them. Then again, when it gets going, that Rams pass rush can be ridiculous.

Bad -- Philip Rivers (NYG, @DEN, OAK, KC): I hate Carson Palmer's schedule and Drew Brees has to face the Carolina Panthers twice, but I want to give you advice that actually helps you make decisions, so I'll mention Rivers. The Oakland Raiders allowed Foles a massive day in Week 9, so maybe we don't freak out about that one, but the others look daunting, especially considering Rivers just went for 12 fantasy points versus the Denver Broncos last week (and hasn't eclipsed 18 in any of his past five outings).

2. Fantasy playoff schedules for running backs: How many truly reliable RBs are there right now? Ten? Maybe 11? Let's list them, in no real intentional order: Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles, LeSean McCoy, Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore, Reggie Bush, Alfred Morris, Matt Forte, Eddie Lacy and Knowshon Moreno? Do you want to put Zac Stacy in there already? Maybe. Anyway, these guys are the pure gold of the fantasy playoff season; certainly we'll see some huge performances from unexpected quarters, but teams who have more than one of the RBs I just listed have a leg up. And if you don't have a bunch of these guys? It's mix-and-match time, and hope for the best.

Good -- Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers (ATL, @DAL, PIT, @CHI): Lacy has 143 carries since Week 5, 15 more than his closest competitor; only seven RBs have even eclipsed 100 in that span, so there's concern about him wearing down. But there isn't a matchup here that looks bad. The last time we saw the Dallas Cowboys defense, it was allowing three New Orleans Saints rushers to eclipse 20 fantasy points in the same game. The Pittsburgh Steelers are capable of good run defense, as they held down the Buffalo Bills backfield Sunday, but they're also capable of stinking up the joint, as they did the week before against the Patriots.

Good -- C.J. Spiller, Bills (@TB, @JAC, MIA, @NE): For sure, Spiller's concerns go beyond mere scheduling. Do yourself a favor and don't listen to anything coach Doug Marrone says; he's establishing himself as one of the biggest misinformation machines in the NFL. Believe your eyes: Spiller is still hobbling around out there. The Bills are off Week 12, but Fred Jackson is healthy, so it's tough to say Spiller has an easy path to a bunch of touches, but that also means he should come cheaper at the trade deadline. With only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looking like a hard matchup here, there's a chance for a Hail Mary save of the season.

Bad -- Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks (@SF, @NYG, ARI, STL): I just dissed Lynch's QB's schedule, and I don't think this lineup is much better for rushers. Clearly, though, Lynch does belong to the "stud" category, which would make him pretty tough to deal away or bench. But if you've got a blockbuster on your mind, in which you can get a king's ransom for Lynch and set yourself up at multiple positions, I might be somewhat more likely to consider it because he'll face some stout defensive fronts.

Bad -- Darren McFadden, Raiders (@NYJ, KC, @SD, DEN): Just in case you're eyeing DMC as a buy-super-low candidate for when his injured hamstring gets right in early December, here's a word of warning: Don't. The New York Jets have, by my metrics, the best rush defense in fantasy, and McFadden's other three opponents are on the negative side of neutral. Sure, you could get McFadden really cheap, and if he didn't have that nasty Week 14 tilt looming, I might even advocate for it. But he does, so I'm not.

3. Fantasy playoff schedules for wide receivers: Wideouts are, by their nature, mercurial, relying as they do on so much else to go right for them to achieve steady production. So while I probably can't give you a list of "reliable" WRs (even Calvin Johnson has a two-point and a three-point outing in his eight starts this season) as long as the RB list above, that's expected. You know going in that big days from wideouts can rescue you, but they're often tough to count on.

Good -- Torrey Smith, Ravens (MIN, @DET, NE, @CIN): I gave you the Flacco argument earlier, and while I don't believe in Flacco's game overall enough to make him a recommended trade target, I do believe in Smith. I still think you can get him at a relative discount, because he's stuck on two TDs after scoring a combined 15 in his first two seasons. But Torrey is top-15 in targets and receiving yards, and has too much speed not to break a long one before the season is up.

Good -- Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs (@WAS, @OAK, IND, @SD): You want to talk about the ultimate flier? Why not? Trade a bag of used footballs for him, and stash him on your bench, just in case something clicks. I don't expect anything. Bowe has off-field issues now, plus plays with Alex Smith. But while I do think the Washington Redskins have gotten better on pass defense, the other three defenses here have been dreadful against the pass lately. A best-case scenario would have Bowe breaking out in Weeks 14 and 15, and suddenly seeming trustworthy for the stretch run.

Bad -- Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals (STL, @TEN, @SEA, SF): I'm listing only one bad wideout schedule, because it's just that bad. Yeah, it's a dumpster fire. Fitz is already held hostage by Palmer's erratic tendencies, and this is a set of strong pass rushes, good cover secondaries and smart defensive coaching. The best thing that could happen to you if you're a Fitzgerald owner would be to have him score a TD this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, so you can get something good for him. I'm punting.

[h=3]Four in brief[/h]
4. Hail Mary: Matt Ryan? Ranking quarterbacks was no fun this week. Figuring out what to do with Tom Brady versus the Panthers; wondering whether I'm underestimating Nick Foles, Case Keenum and Josh McCown; finally cutting bait on Colin Kaepernick … it was a full plate. But nothing compares to recommending Ryan, who has been a disaster for three consecutive weeks. However! Look at the three defenses he faced: Arizona, Carolina and Seattle. Notice a pattern? The hailstorm lets up this week against the Bucs. Please, please, please stop with the "Revis Island" stuff when it comes to evaluating an opposing quarterback. The Buccaneers have allowed QBs to add 6.4 fantasy points to their averages over the past five weeks. Nick Foles, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson and Ryan Tannehill have all bumped up their recent performances when they've faced Tampa. And you know who else has done so? Matt Ryan. Week 7, without Roddy White or Julio Jones, Ryan escaped Revis Island to the tune of 20-of-26 for 273 yards, three TDs, no turnovers and 22 fantasy points. Statistics can say whatever you want them to say. Watch the tape: That day, Ryan was controlled in the short passing game, made no mistakes and gave no hint that three bad games were coming. It says here he's adequate again Sunday, though you'll want to check to make sure that both White and Harry Douglas overcome their current maladies to start.

5. Why "Danny Woodhead > Ryan Mathews": When you're evaluating players, the worst thing you can do is be swayed week to week by the box score. That's why I'm sticking with Woodhead. Mathews got 15 touches against the Broncos in Week 10, including an honest-to-goodness goal-line carry, and that's terrific. Woodhead was the lesser-used player, with 10 touches. Each man scored a TD. But in my opinion so much has to go right for Mathews' role to stay major. If the San Diego Chargers fall behind, forget about it. If they have a lot of third downs, forget about it. And frankly, until last week, if they got into the red zone, forget about it. (Maybe that last one is changing.) But the simple fact is that Woodhead averages 30.7 snaps per game while Mathews averages 23.5. I salivate at the thought of any RB facing the Miami Dolphins these days, but when you're not a pass-catcher, don't play on third downs and typically don't get the rock in high-leverage situations, you're tough to trust. This helps explain why I stuck with Woodhead at No. 20 on my RB list, while Mathews is No. 23.

6. Is Aaron Dobson arriving? By now, you folks know I don't get blinded by the fact that the last time we saw a box score involving Dobson, he posted a five-catch, 130-yard, two-TD line. I mean, it was awesome if you started him, but 81 of those yards came on one play, and there's always a tendency to be wary of Mr. Brady's outside weapons' consistency. Rob Gronkowski appears all the way back, Shane Vereen should be involved in the passing game as soon as Monday night, and for the moment, Danny Amendola is healthy. (Emphasis on: for the moment.) So shouldn't we just assume Dobson will ebb and flow in the Brandon Lloyd circa 2012 mode? I'm not so sure. By Week 9, Kenbrell Thompkins had fallen out of the rotation, playing zero snaps after playing only 13 in Week 8; meanwhile, Dobson was on the field for 63 of 71 snaps against the Steelers. In his past four games, he has averaged nearly eight targets per contest, and that includes the five and nine he got with Amendola back in the fold in the Pats' past two games. Dobson is still available in about 87 percent of ESPN leagues, and I rated him 31st among wideouts, even in the tough Carolina Monday nighter. I agree that it can be scary to rely on any team's No. 3 or 4 preferred aerial weapon. But that hasn't stopped folks from starting Keenan Allen, right? And wouldn't you rather have Tom Brady flinging it to your wideout than Philip Rivers?

7. Andrew Luck got away with one: I know everyone in the media is gaga over Luck, and I even did a video breakdown of him this week. But let's face it: All is not right with the Indianapolis Colts offense. Blame the line, blame the running game, blame Reggie Wayne's injury, but Luck was lucky to escape Thursday night's tilt with 18 fantasy points, thanks to an 11-yard TD run. Hey, that's definitely part of his game (he's now got nine rushing TDs in 26 career regular-season starts, more than Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson), but the throwing offense is still shaky, and some of that is on Luck. During a typical Colts broadcast you hear oohs and ahhs with every movement Luck makes, but he's still missing throws, especially deep ones, even sometimes when he isn't getting pressured. Mechanically, he's not as consistent as the great QBs, and spent some of the first half against the Tennessee Titans throwing off his back foot. Now, I'll grant you that the larger problem is the fact that Indy's blocking just isn't any good. Luck seems to have uncanny pocket presence, which covers up for just how much traffic his O-line allows to swirl around him. And by now we should be convinced the kid can get on a serious midgame roll. I still view him as a nice acquisition in advance of next week's fantasy trade deadline (though this latest rushing TD probably hiked up his price); Week 12 against the Cardinals may not go great, but after that he's got TEN, @CIN, HOU, @KC, JAC, and nothing there freaks me out too badly. But let's face it: Luck has still topped 18 fantasy points in only three of 10 outings. His floor feels safe, but his ceiling is pretty low.

SqueezetheJuice · Nov 17, 2013

Andre Brown (RB) out for Giants???

HacheMan · Nov 18, 2013

[h=1]Instant Impressions for Week 11[/h][h=3]Ray Rice, Larry Fitzgerald return to past glory just before trade deadline[/h]By Christopher Harris | ESPN.com

Now comes the hard part.

All circumstances great and small conspired to provide Ray Rice with an opportunity in Week 11, and he took advantage. The Baltimore Ravens got to play against a soft Chicago Bears run defense. Mother Nature pulled a nutty with a massive storm that delayed the game for nearly two hours, and then cursed the second half with high winds that made throwing an adventure and the field a quagmire. And Rice himself took on the underdog role, having failed to gain at least 45 yards rushing in four straight games. It resulted in a 148-total-yard effort, including a 47-yard first-quarter scamper followed up by a 1-yard TD.

So if you're a Rice owner, what do you do? The trade deadline for standard ESPN leagues comes this Wednesday. Do you take this opportunity to try and get something for your first-round RB, even if you can't get "full value" for such an acclaimed player? Do you look at the Ravens' post-Week 12 schedule -- he has an awful matchup against the New York Jets next week, but after that he goes PIT, MIN, @DET, NE, @CIN -- and decide Rice is a man you should keep?

I wish I had a clean answer for you. My tendency is to believe in the full scope of a player's career, and Rice doesn't turn 27 until January. But we have so many consecutive weeks of Rice and that Baltimore offensive line looking awful, I'm also reluctant to change my opinion based on one best-case game. Would I deal him for, say, a No. 2 wideout? Yeah, I probably would, and maybe you think that's overly optimistic for a possible return, but we're talking about Ray Rice. It's possible he could work some magic Weeks 13 through 17, and rescue someone's season.

Remember: Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @CHarrisESPN for more analysis during the week. For now, let's look at Sunday's other top storylines:

• Sticking with the Trade Deadline theme, Larry Fitzgerald owners also have a decision to make. Fitz bounced back from a two-catch week with six grabs for 61 yards including an early-game 14-yard score, partaking in Carson Palmer's ridiculous 419-yard afternoon. As I wrote last week, the Arizona Cardinals have a bear of a final month for a passing game to face; their last four games go: STL, @TEN, @SEA, SF. I'm not completely convinced about the St. Louis Rams; their plus numbers against opposing wideouts could be a result of how easy they've been for opposing rushers to face. But the Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are legit. As much as I like Fitz, this is probably a good time to investigate selling high. (The same holds true for Michael Floyd, who caught six balls for 193 yards and a 91-yard TD on Sunday.)

• I guess the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made their decision at running back. After Mike James fractured his ankle last Monday night, Brian Leonard carried the load with Bobby Rainey filling in. As I said all last week, nobody really knew what the Bucs would decide to do with their backfield going forward, because the sample size was so limited. Well, now we know. Rainey was the man: He had 32 touches compared to eight for Leonard. And he did incredible work with all those looks. In the second quarter Sunday, he had a 43-yard TD run and a goal-line score, and then in the third quarter he caught a short TD, as well. All told, Rainey produced 34 fantasy points and lines up as a potential every-week No. 2 fantasy back, just as James had done before his injury. I look forward to breaking down Rainey's tape to see what he's really got under the hood.

• Maybe playing quarterback in the NFL isn't so hard after all, eh? After all, undrafted rookie Matt McGloin went on the road for the Oakland Raiders and upset a Houston Texans defense that, granted, is a shell of its former self, but still. McGloin went 18-of-32 for 197 yards, three TDs and zero picks. Is he a fantasy option? My tendency is to say absolutely not. But in a season where Case Keenum, Terrelle Pryor, Brian Hoyer, Mike Glennon, Josh McCown and Jason Campbell have more than occasionally looked startable, who the heck knows?

• And of course, I left the most significant name off that list: Nick Foles. I'm on record as being skeptical of Foles' midseason emergence, and on its face his Week 11 effort is reason for doubt, as Foles didn't throw for a TD, and only rescued his fantasy day via a rushing TD. But if I'm going to criticize the kid for TDs he didn't earn in Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers (because of some awful throws into double coverage that were somehow caught), I have to admit in Sunday's win over the Washington Redskins, Foles' fantasy owners got snake-bitten. The Philadelphia Eagles QB lost out on two TDs: one on a long pass to Brent Celek that was initially ruled a TD but then overturned, and another on a Riley Cooper catch that was also downed at the 1. LeSean McCoy (who looked like he suffered a scary hamstring injury but was able to return to the game and is fine) cleaned up in both cases for short scores, making his day look awesome. But Foles deserved more fantasy points.

• Will Keenum retain the Texans' starting job Week 12 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars? He was benched in the second half Sunday despite not playing all that badly (though he did throw the first interception of his career), as Matt Schaub came in and didn't do much better. And in fact, Schaub and Andre Johnson got into a shouting match over the game's final play. At this point, it seems clear Schaub isn't the future in Houston, so why Gary Kubiak went back to him at all is strange. If it's me, I go back to Keenum.

• What a pair of nonsensically opposed halves we saw in the Pittsburgh Steelers versus Detroit Lions game. After the first stanza, Calvin Johnson had 179 receiving yards (he racked up 163 in the second quarter alone), Antonio Brown had 110 yards and Matthew Stafford had 327 passing yards. And in the second half? Megatron had zero catches. Brown had two for 37. And Stafford had a pathetic 35 yards. And yes, the weather got worse, yet in that same second half, Ben Roethlisberger was 16-of-25 for 131 yards and two TDs. Johnson found the end zone twice in the first half, so his owners probably shouldn't complain; he's got 11 scores on the season, putting him on pace for 17.6, which would be a career high. Brown also scored twice in that memorable first half, but dropped an easy red zone score that would've been his sixth of the year. But it was Stafford who really deserved the goat horns, with a deadly 3-for-15 completion rate after halftime.

• Yeah, um, picking Matt Ryan to bounce back against the Bucs was a terrible call on my part. Ryan used garbage time to hike himself up to 14 fantasy points. Sure, Harry Douglas scored a long TD after breaking away with the score out of the control, and even Roddy White got involved with a late 6-yard TD. But please. Everything about the Atlanta Falcons' offense is a steaming mess. The offensive line creates no room for Steven Jackson, and Jackson isn't capable of evading anyone who's standing right in front of him. Tony Gonzalez can't separate from anyone, which of course doesn't mean he can't play, but his margin for error is slimmer than ever. It's amazing this squad was in the NFC title game last year.

• While I'm in mea culpa mode, here's something I said on radio this week: "The one scenario I can't see in the Jets/Buffalo Bills game is a Bills blowout, not with Steve Johnson and Robert Woods out." Yowza. To be fair to myself, I said this in the context of why I considered Chris Ivory safe, and Ivory did out-touch Bilal Powell 15-to-6 even in a horrendously lopsided loss. But Geno Smith made my impossible scenario a reality by continuing to look lost when opposing defenses bring pressure. Smith's line? 8-of-23 for 103 yards, zero TDs, three INTs and two fumbles, one of which he lost. Matt Simms was in there by the fourth quarter. If the Jets' roller-coaster season to date is any indication, Smith will probably come out and dominate the Ravens next week. But I'm not counting on it.

• Jimmy Graham may have joined the tight end middle class. In his past two games combined, he now has 11 catches for 100 yards and no scores. That's pretty meh. He looked healthier Sunday for sure, and played a heartier snap count, but Drew Brees spread the ball all over the place, including a red zone TD to Benjamin Watson's replacement, Josh Hill. Naturally, Graham is a threat to go off at any moment, and that includes Thursday night's game against the Falcons. But he's starting to show you that no TE can dominate every single week. After being on pace for an 1,898-yard season after five games, Graham is now on pace for 1,288. That would still be a fantastic season, though it wouldn't top his 2011 total.

• Reggie Bush was disastrous Sunday, fumbling twice in the first half (only one counted) and getting benched heading into the second. In Bush's stead, Joique Bell produced 12 touches for 97 yards and a TD, but then hurt an ankle, whereupon Bush returned. Bell's injury notwithstanding, Bush will almost certainly be back in the saddle for Week 12 against the Buccaneers. He's just too important to his team.

• My Ryan Mathews logic may need addressing. My theory has been that Danny Woodhead is more attractive than Mathews even in standard leagues, because he's the third-down back, the short-yardage back and the only RB pass-catcher. Well, the San Diego Chargers may have lost Sunday, but we can't blame Mathews, who had 127 yards on 19 carries. I'm loath to trust this cat, because the moment you do, he breaks something. But this was a game where the Chargers were trailing, and yet Mathews was the main man in the backfield and he looked spry and powerful. That's a surprise, and reason to reassess, though next week against the Kansas City Chiefs doesn't figure to be an easy time.

• Percy Harvin did finally return in Week 11, but he only saw a single target, which he caught for a 17-yard gain. Harvin did add a big kickoff return near the end of the first half which helped sway momentum in the Seahawks' favor, and Seattle's other wideout weapons didn't exactly light it up: Doug Baldwin had two catches (one was a 44-yard score) and Golden Tate had one. This is the Seahawks' offense, kids. Russell Wilson had 18 pass attempts. Until we see a change in the way this team does business on offense, we can't get carried away by Harvin's return.

• If you handcuffed Ben Tate to Arian Foster, be glad. Tate's broken ribs appear to be less and less of a factor, and Sunday he had 23 touches for 117 yards. There's no scenario I can envision where Tate won't be a top-20 option. But he ain't Arian Foster. Late in the game, with less than two minutes left and the Texans trailing by five, on a third-and-goal from the Raiders' 2, Tate was plastered in a way Foster rarely is. Arian Foster is an all-time great when it comes to goal-line work, and unfortunately, in that regard Tate looks like just another guy.

• In that same game, Rashad Jennings kept making Oakland fans wonder why they even bother with Darren McFadden. DMC, an impending free agent, could return from his injured hammy in Week 12 but it's worth asking the question: Should he regain his starting job? Rashad Jennings backed up a 107-yard effort in Week 10 with a whopping 148 yards Sunday, including an 80-yard score on a Wildcat snap. On that play, you got a look at Jennings' impressive straight-ahead speed (this is a 228-pound dude) which has tempted teams for years. It'll be interesting to see what the Raiders decide to do next week against the Tennessee Titans.

• Hi, I'm Mike Wallace. I ran a 4.33 40 at the combine and am considered one of the fastest players in the NFL, which is a major part of why the Miami Dolphins gave me $30 million guaranteed. And so far this year on passes that have traveled more than 20 yards in the air, I've caught three balls. Three. In my four-year career with the Steelers, I had 44. Ryan Tannehill underthrew me on yet another deep ball Sunday, and then stopped tossing it to me deep at all, and I wound up with four catches for 39 yards. Because of this utter mismanagement, I am practically useless in a fantasy league. At this point, if I'm going to make a big play, it'll be such a huge shock that starting me will have been just dumb luck.

• Jordan Reed suffered a first-half concussion and didn't return. Wes Welker also left his game with a possible concussion, on Sunday night, and while he appeared to return for one play, he was quickly ruled out after that. Keenan Allen left the second half Sunday with a knee injury and couldn't play on the Chargers' fateful final drive. Emmanuel Sanders hurt his foot in the first half and couldn't come back after halftime. Darren Sproles suffered a twisted left knee in the first quarter and limped off the field, but was able to return, though his participation seemed somewhat limited thereafter. Andre Ellington had several dreadlocks ripped out of his head, but missed no time. Now that's a trooper.

HacheMan · Nov 18, 2013

[h=1]Trade-deadline targets[/h][h=3]Players to buy, sell by position as fantasy playoffs approach[/h]By Tristan H. Cockcroft | ESPN.com

All statistics -- including fantasy points allowed -- in this column are updated through the games of Sunday, Nov. 17.)
What's that you say? There are 37 shopping days remaining until Christmas?

Humbug!

If you've come to these pages, you recognize that the real shopping season is the fantasy football trade season, and there are only two days remaining; the trade deadline in ESPN leagues is Wednesday at noon ET.

No, no, don't fret. Last-minute shopping can be as rife with opportunities as shopping done in advance; the primary difference is a larger volume of panicky deal-seekers. Mind your price tags and you might snag yourself a heck of a holiday gift.

To prepare you, let this space serve as your shopping guide. Accounting as much for strength of remaining schedule as the individual player's ability, the "buys" and "sells" recommended below are household names, though ones you should aggressively pursue or shop in these next 48 hours or so. The "buys" are ones for whom I'd pay the extra buck; that means going above and beyond to land them. The "sells" are ones I'd be willing to move, even if for less than anticipated.

[h=3]Quarterbacks

Buy: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (Remaining: TB, GB, @PHI, BAL, NYG, @MIN): You might have noticed on Sunday that Adam Schefter tweeted that Stafford's Lions have the most favorable remaining schedule, going by remaining opponents' combined 2013 win-loss records. Now spin it from a fantasy angle: the Lions' schedule is fourth best for a quarterback, regardless of whether you use raw fantasy points allowed data or adjust them for strength of competition as I tend to do. But paying the extra buck for Stafford is as much a home/road argument as it is the matchups; since the beginning of 2012, he has averaged 19.3 fantasy points per game at home and 16.6 on the road, and four of his final six games will be played at Ford Field. As for the road games? The Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings are top-eight quarterback matchups, and in the case of the Vikings, Stafford has averaged 20.6 fantasy points in the Lions' past five meetings with them. I think he is one of the three best quarterbacks to own the remainder of the season.

Sell: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (Remaining: NO, @BUF, @GB, WSH, @SF, CAR): He has three major obstacles standing in his path: One is a diminished group of receivers, with Julio Jones out for the season and Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez and Harry Douglas all battling injuries at varying points. The next is an offensive line that doesn't provide him nearly the protection it did in the past; entering Week 11 he was under duress on 23.7 percent of his dropbacks for the season, up considerably from 2012's 13.0 percent. And the final, and perhaps key, obstacle is the schedule listed above, which includes three defenses (New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers) ranked among the top eight in sacks, and two (Bills, Carolina Panthers) in the top five in interceptions.

<H3>Running backs</H3>
Buy: Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers (Remaining: MIN, @DET, ATL, @DAL, PIT, @CHI): With Aaron Rodgers on the sidelines, there's perhaps a perception that Lacy, and the Packers' offense as a whole, doesn't have as promising a stretch run as he does. But Rodgers could be back by Thanksgiving (Week 13), and the Packers' remaining schedule, any way you slice it, grades No. 1 for any running back (that's using raw fantasy points allowed, adjusted totals, playoff schedules, adjusted playoff schedules, whatever). Lacy has proven a workhorse, averaging 22.4 carries in his first seven games exiting the bye, and even if you claim the "workload" question, even at that post-bye pace he'd finish with a reasonable 307. I'd argue that a regular 20-carry amount supports his RB1 status, but the Packers might ease off slightly in December, helping his per-carry production, after Rodgers' return. With Lacy coming off a poor Week 11, there's no better time to send his owner a trade offer.

Sell: Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers (Remaining: @WSH, STL, SEA, @TB, ATL, @ARI): Workload is the concern for Gore, a 30-year-old on pace for the third-largest carry total of his career (280), and one who has 2,086 on his career résumé. But even if that's not the primary reason he cools come December, his schedule sure increases the chances. None of those four playoff-weeks matchups (Weeks 14-17) grades a plus -- though the Falcons one is close -- and the Arizona Cardinals one in particular is one of the worst in the league going by fantasy points allowed. Gore might currently rank among the top 10 at his position in fantasy points, but his odds of finishing there aren't great.

<H3>Wide receivers</H3>
Buy: Torrey Smith, Baltimore Ravens (Remaining: NYJ, PIT, MIN, @DET, NE, @CIN): It's all about his playoff schedule, and if you're in position to make a playoff-oriented acquisition, now is prime time to act. Smith, entering Week 11, had the second-most targets (39) and ninth-most receiving yards (388) on throws of 15 yards or greater, and each of his final three opponents ranks among the top eight in receptions on throws of that length. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings, his Week 14 opponent, are one of the league's worst pass defenses.

Sell: Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers (Remaining: @CLE, @BAL, MIA, CIN, @GB, CLE): That's two games remaining going directly against Joe Haden, one against a Miami Dolphins defense softer up front and therefore a probable Le'Veon Bell showcase, one against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that has afforded just three double-digit fantasy games to wide receivers all season and one against a Green Bay Packers defense that, at times, tends to key on opposing No. 1 receivers (see A.J. Green, Torrey Smith, Josh Gordon). But here's another troubling fact standing in Brown's path to a top-10 fantasy point total at his position: He's 14th in the NFL in red zone targets, with only two targets all year in goal-to-go situations. Brown's touchdown production might soon dry up.

<H3>Tight ends</H3>
Buy: Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans (Remaining: @OAK, @IND, @DEN, ARI, @JAC, HOU): He might even be available as a free agent in your league, but even if he's not, Walker is the kind of low-priced trade target you might want to stash for such a favorable remaining schedule. It's as simple as this: The Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars, his Weeks 14-16 opponents, rank sixth, first and second in terms of fantasy points per game allowed to the position this season. Walker has 18 targets the past two weeks combined, three of those in the red zone resulting in both of his touchdowns.

Sell: Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers (Remaining: @KC, CIN, NYG, @DEN, OAK, KC): While everyone talked up the Denver Broncos' two remaining games against the Kansas City Chiefs in advance of their Week 11 meeting, what rarely got any press was that Gates' San Diego Chargers had two against the Chiefs ... and still do. The Chiefs have afforded opposing tight ends the fewest fantasy points of any team, and let's not for a second forget how much more potent the Broncos' offense is than that of the Chargers. Gates fattened up on some weaker defenses in the season's early stages, but he has 24 targets and 22 fantasy points in his past three games, compared to 33 and 44 in his first four of 2013.

<H3>Defense/Special teams</H3>
Buy: Seattle Seahawks (Remaining: Bye, NO, @SF, @NYG, ARI, STL): Not that I endorse paying a premium for defenses in trade, but the Seahawks represent the rare case of one worth at least the inquiry. They're in their bye week, meaning both that they have 17 percent fewer games remaining than 28 other teams, and that their owners might be more apt to part with them as they endure the frantic scramble for a fill-in, perhaps a two-week one (that Week 13 against the New Orleans Saints is hardly a favorable matchup). Those final three games, however, make this the A-No.-1 playoff D/ST: The New York Giants (29) and Arizona Cardinals (21) are first and third in turning the ball over, and the St. Louis Rams have afforded 7.3 fantasy points per game to D/STs.

Sell: Carolina Panthers (Remaining: @MIA, TB, @NO, NYJ, NO, @ATL): Again, the Saints represent a poor matchup for a D/ST -- their opponents have averaged just 1.8 fantasy points per game from their D/STs this year -- and the Panthers are the only team that has to face them twice, in fantasy playoff weeks at that (Weeks 14 and 16). Granted, those are the only two treacherous matchups left for this powerhouse defense, but it's poor timing, as the fantasy playoffs are hardly the time for chancing it.

[/h]

HacheMan · Nov 19, 2013

Free-agent finds for Week 12

By Christopher Harris | ESPN.com

Waiver-wire news changes fast and furious throughout the week, as injuries and depth-chart shenanigans overtake us. So be sure to follow me on Twitter, @CHarrisESPN, and I'll keep you updated as news warrants. Let's get to Week 12's best fantasy roster additions:

(Week 12 byes: Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks)

Standard ESPN League Finds

Bobby Rainey, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (owned in 2.3 percent of ESPN leagues): Rainey almost certainly won't be the final unexpected RB to grab hold of a starting gig between now and the end of the season. But injuries are tough to predict, so if you're desperate for backfield help, I wouldn't hesitate to spend a top waiver claim or the bulk of your FAAB to get Rainey. But let's be clear: He's not a star in the making. We're talking about a 5-foot-7, 205-pound player who runs a 4.53 40. Can he be a good NFL player? Sure. Is he ever going to duplicate his 34 fantasy points compiled against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday? I strongly doubt it. There's a reason two other organizations cut him during this season. His best NFL analog might be Kendall Hunter, a useful player but probably not big enough to be anyone's top RB except under emergency circumstances. (Kevin Faulk also comes to mind.) The Falcons are awful against the run right now, and on numerous occasions Sunday Rainey got five yards downfield before anyone touched him. Now, that's lazy analysis, because Rainey's vision and quickness helped him accomplish this. But things will get harder this week against an improved Detroit Lions run defense, and then in Week 13 versus the Carolina Panthers.

Donald Brown, RB, Indianapolis Colts (7.8 percent): The mistake-prone Cleveland Browns absolutely gave away a game Sunday, yet they continue to look brilliant. That's because they acquired a first-round pick for Trent Richardson. At the time, I couldn't have been harsher on the move, and I still have hopes that T-Rich will figure things out and be a Pro Bowl runner, but at the moment he's a disaster. Give the Colts credit: Last Thursday, they came out with a different plan to get Richardson involved. They threw him the ball early and often in the first half, and T-Rich caught all five of his targets for 31 yards. Then in the third quarter he came out and ripped off power runs of 5 and 7 yards, and I was like, "OK, here we go." After that? Five more carries. Nine total yards. No targets. And meanwhile, Brown was playing much better. Stats are fine. Touchdowns are fine. But if you watched that national TV game, you know which RB looked dangerous and decisive. It was Brown. Richardson seems to be deep inside his own head, trying to think two moves ahead and make a big play rather than just pummeling people. I have every confidence that eventually Old Donald Brown will rear his head. But for the moment it won't be a surprise to see Brown play ahead of T-Rich anymore, the way he did in key moments in the fourth quarter during Week 11. Brown should be added in all leagues, just in case the Colts codify a true change in their depth chart.

Delanie Walker, TE, Tennessee Titans (12.0 percent): I hate analysis that goes, "Oh, that receiver is that quarterback's favorite guy, they have really good chemistry, they must have practiced a whole bunch together." Because maybe, but what the heck do we know? Inventing narratives for why a player plays better is dumb. Just go to the tape. Thursday night against the Colts, Walker was everywhere, to the tune of 10 grabs on 10 targets. How often was he the primary receiver on those throws? One can never be absolutely sure because we're not in that huddle, but to me it looked like basically all of them. So, for instance, please don't tell me Walker excelled because Ryan Fitzpatrick liked to check it down to him. The fact is that Walker is more involved of late (18 targets in his past two, and three TDs in his past five) and the Titans probably saw something they liked matchup-wise versus the Colts. I won't try to sell you Walker as an elite player. He's just fine, but he's a tight end, which means some weeks he'll be meh. But he's shaping up as a top-15 TE for the rest of the season, and that's not nothing.

Jerricho Cotchery, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (16.4 percent): Who's No. 6 among all wideouts in fantasy points the past three weeks? This guy. Cotch had a surprise three-TD game versus the New England Patriots in Week 9, and since then has grabbed two more scores as one of Ben Roethlisberger's favorite red-zone weapons. But that isn't the main reason you should consider adding Cotchery. Emmanuel Sanders had to leave Week 11's contest with an injured foot. As of this writing, it was unclear whether Sanders would miss additional time, but if he does, Markus Wheaton (0.2 percent) probably inherits that outside job, while Cotchery would continue manning the slot. But there would probably be more targets available for both guys. Given Cotchery's TD-heavy ways, he wouldn't be the worst bet to continue his scoring string.

New Orleans Saints Defense (45.9 percent): The popular conception is that new Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is a blitz-happy, crazy person, but you, the savvy fan, know better. New Orleans is middle-of-the-pack in its blitz tendencies. The Saints send five pass-rushers or more on pass plays about 30 percent of the time, which ranks 19th in the NFL. (By contrast, the Houston Texans have done so a full 50 percent of the time.) Anyway, this unit plays it a bit closer to the vest than you might expect, and perhaps as a result has allowed more than 20 scoreboard points just twice in 10 contests. They lost No. 2 corner Jabari Greer to a serious leg injury on Sunday, though emerging star Keenan Lewis is still around to shadow Roddy White if need be in Week 12. And frankly, the real reason to like the Saints this Sunday is the matchup. The Falcons are discombobulated on offense. If the Saints are owned in your league, take a look at the New York Giants (8.5 percent), who have been a borderline dominant defense the past month and take on the Dallas Cowboys at home.

Other solid waiver adds, about whom I've written in previous weeks: Josh McCown, QB, Bears (2.3 percent); Case Keenum, QB, Texans (17.8 percent); Rashad Jennings, RB, Raiders (43.7 percent); Dennis Johnson, RB, Texans (0.8 percent); Percy Harvin, WR, Seahawks (45.1 percent); Aaron Dobson, WR, Patriots (13.9 percent); Kendall Wright, WR, Titans (37.7 percent); Kenny Stills, WR, Saints (37.8 percent); John Carlson, TE, Vikings (1.4 percent); Heath Miller, TE, Steelers (15.7 percent); Garrett Graham, TE, Texans (19.5 percent).

Deeper League Finds

Daniel Thomas, RB, Miami Dolphins (5.6 percent): I don't like it. You don't like it. But the Dolphins are as committed as ever to their backfield platoon. Lamar Miller started Sunday but Thomas out-touched him 11-to-6 and received the team's only three carries inside the San Diego Chargers' red zone. If Miller has terrific receiving chops, we haven't seen them yet. He's got 22 targets in 10 games, which is 37th among all NFL running backs. I'll probably keep rating Miller ahead of Thomas on a weekly basis, but it's time to start treating these guys like they're in a straight tandem, and considering they run behind an offensive line whose depletion has been much publicized, you're probably better off starting neither guy.

Santonio Holmes, WR, New York Jets (12.0 percent): It's mighty tough to get excited about a guy catching passes from Geno Smith, who himself just submitted a minus-4 fantasy-point game. But Holmes did return, and he looked good on the rare occasion Smith was able to put a ball near him. In the first quarter, Smith threw a dying quail deep down the left side but Holmes adjusted to it much better than Stephon Gilmore and made a 33-yard gain. In the second quarter, Smith threw a better deep ball that Holmes almost grabbed, but Gilmore made a nice play. In the 2-minute drive at the end of the first half, Holmes nearly came up with a ball Smith bounced to him. And in the third quarter, Holmes tightroped down the sideline after a long catch and nearly got in the end zone, ending up with a 38-yard gain. (Holmes saw two more targets the rest of the day -- one of which was intercepted -- before the first-team offense was benched in the fourth quarter.) I was left with the impression that Holmes' troublesome hamstring is OK, but that his quarterback situation is even more troublesome. However in a deeper league, I'd take a shot.

Rob Housler, TE, Arizona Cardinals (2.7 percent): Remember Heath Miller's glory days? Bruce Arians does. He was the playcaller for the Pittsburgh Steelers in those halcyon times, and he'd like nothing more than for the Cards to develop a viable pass-catching tight end. We've been hearing about Housler's raw potential for three seasons, but he's finally translating it into production. Now, it doesn't help when Carson Palmer's first two targets of Week 11 were to Jim Dray and Jake Ballard, Housler's compatriots at the TE position. But the fact is that Palmer launched bomb shots all day against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Housler partook (in fact, Palmer overthrew him on what could've been a long TD). Listen, it's Carson Palmer. I don't trust him at all. But Housler's role has grown significantly, and I think the least we can say is that if and when Arians likes Housler's matchup against safeties and/or linebackers, he's willing to throw it to him deep. That could mean some nice intermittent production.

Matt McGloin, QB, Oakland Raiders (0.2 percent): What can I say? McGloin was pretty good. He was certainly a breath of fresh passing air after Terrelle Pryor, who has all the arm you could want but just can't throw it accurately. McGloin really zipped it hard down the middle at times, showing Pryor-esque zing but pretty strong accuracy, too. His second and third TD passes, in particular, were high-octane throws into tight windows. Of course, there were also the requisite struggles, including some shorter passes thrown behind his receivers, who did him no favors adjusting to the ball. But it was pretty good stuff, and I'd be shocked if he wasn't under center for Week 12's tilt against the Titans.

Marquise Goodwin, WR, Buffalo Bills (0.1 percent): You probably shouldn't add Goodwin unless you're in a really deep league, but his numbers are kind of eye-popping, so I figured I should talk about why. When Steve Johnson and Robert Woods are in there, Goodwin is really a pure speed threat (and frankly he shares that role with T.J. Graham (0.5 percent)), and the Bills convert on deep strikes only occasionally. Of course, Johnson and Woods weren't in there Sunday, and Goodwin got to show a more varied game, to the tune of six grabs for 81 yards, including a 43-yard TD that was a thing of beauty. That means, I suppose, that if the more heralded guys here continue to miss time after the Bills' Week 12 bye, you could take a look at Goodwin.

Other solid waiver adds for deep-leaguers, about whom I've written in previous weeks: Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Titans (1.8 percent); Scott Tolzien, QB, Packers (1.6 percent); Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, Browns (7.7 percent); Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers (4.3 percent); Mike Tolbert, RB, Panthers (23.3 percent); Nate Burleson, WR, Lions (2.9 percent); Doug Baldwin, WR, Seahawks (16.7 percent); Rishard Matthews, WR, Dolphins (10.2 percent); Kris Durham, WR, Lions (0.7 percent); Brandon LaFell, WR, Panthers (5.1 percent); Ted Ginn, WR, Panthers (4.1 percent); Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers (9.9 percent); Dennis Pitta, TE, Ravens (0.2 percent); Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Lions (30.0 percent); Timothy Wright, TE, Buccaneers (4.8 percent); Dallas Clark, TE, Ravens (6.3 percent); Brandon Bostick, TE, Packers (0.2 percent).

HacheMan · Nov 19, 2013

[h=1]Best QBs, WRs, TEs for playoffs[/h][h=3]With the trade deadline looming, which players should be targeted?[/h]With the ESPN standard league trade deadline fast approaching on Wednesday, there is only a very short window left for fantasy owners to improve their teams' playoff chances via trades.
Last week's edition of Fantasy Foresight aimed to help with this process by detailing running back playoff schedule strengths. This week's edition will concentrate on highlighting quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends who have either very favorable or very unfavorable playoff matchup strengths and thus should be hitting the buy or sell side of the last-minute trade market.
As was the case with the running backs article, the playoff matchups have been color-graded according to a variety of metric and scouting factors. A red grade indicates a very difficult matchup, a yellow grade signals an average matchup and a green grade denotes a highly favorable matchup.

[h=3]Quarterbacks[/h]
Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles
Foles has posted tremendous numbers of late (88 fantasy points in his past three games) and thus won't be on the trading block in many leagues. But he is on a bye in Week 12, and that could cause some owners with short-term playoff berth goals to consider trading him for the right price.
That price is apt be quite high and likely will drive many owners away, but before saying no outright, remember that Foles has posted his terrific totals in part because the Eagles faced three secondaries that rank in the top 10 of the league in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks.
<OFFER></OFFER>
Those favorable circumstances are likely to continue because each of Philadelphia's past five opponents either rate similarly poorly in the quarterback points allowed category (Minnesota in Week 15, Dallas in Week 17) or have at least two green-rated coverage defenders in their secondaries (Arizona in Week 13 and Chicago in Week 16). Throw in a game against a struggling Detroit secondary (95 fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks in the past four games) and it could very well be the best playoff matchup schedule for any passer in that time frame. It makes Foles worth a premium price.

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Romo is coming off of a bye week that followed his second-lowest point production level of the season (nine points against New Orleans in Week 10) and has a Week 12 matchup against a Giants defense that hasn't allowed a quarterback to score double-digit points since Week 6.
Those factors could very well place Romo on a trade block, and, if that occurs, any playoff-bound owner should go all out to make a deal. The Cowboys have a slew of potentially favorable playoff matchups, including two games against teams with three green-rated secondary players (Oakland in Week 13, Washington in Week 16) and one versus a club with two green-rated secondary defenders (Chicago in Week 14).
Dallas has proved adept at going after coverage liabilities this year, and these contests will afford the Cowboys even more chances to do so.

Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

Game managers don't normally offer much in terms of fantasy point value, but Smith is an exception. He has scored more points this year (149) than Tom Brady (138) or Colin Kaepernick (137) and has just as many games with 20 or more points as Robert Griffin III or Russell Wilson (four) and more than Andrew Luck (three).
That last point is especially notable, considering that the Chiefs' fantasy playoff schedule includes a Week 14 matchup against Washington, a Week 15 contest against Oakland and a Week 17 showdown against San Diego. All three of those clubs rank in the top 10 of the league in points allowed to fantasy quarterbacks, so consider making him a waiver pickup (he is available in 36.9 percent of ESPN leagues) or a potential low-cost/high-upside trade option.

[h=3]Wide receivers[/h]
Victor Cruz, New York Giants

Cruz finally broke into double-digit scoring territory in Week 11 after running off five straight games of single-digit scoring. This might cause some owners to consider him as a sell-high candidate, but the truth of the matter is this scoring burst might be a harbinger of his late-season performance.
Cruz has four matchups against green-rated cornerbacks down the stretch (DeAngelo Hall in Week 13 and Week 17, Derek Cox in Week 14, and Chris Houston in Week 16), and he is capable of racking up big numbers in each of those games.
Hang on to him if he is on your roster, and, if he ends up as a trade option, aim to barter the sell-high price down by pointing out Cruz's scoring slump before this past Sunday.

A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

This one is a long shot, as most owners won't even think of trading Green, but he is coming off of his worst performance of the season (zero points against Cleveland) and has a bye in Week 12. In the event those elements lead to a possible trade door opening, don't hesitate to make a strong offer as Green faces green-rated cornerbacks in every contest Week 13-16.

[h=3]Tight ends[/h]
Jordan Cameron, Cleveland Browns

Cameron's matchup slate is something of a mixed bag. He has green-rated matchups in Week 13 (Jacksonville), Week 15 (Chicago) and Week 16 (New York Jets) but also has red-rated matchups in Week 14 (New England) and Week 17 (Pittsburgh).
The overall strength of those matchups makes Cameron a quality trade target overall, but the layout of those matchups might make it necessary for an owner to dovetail his play around a Week 14 fill-in option. Tight ends who fit the bill in that case include Martellus Bennett (Week 14 matchup against Dallas) or Dallas Clark (Week 14 matchup against Minnesota).

Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

Olsen has been posting quality numbers of late (three games with eight or more points in the past four weeks), but that trend might be stopping soon, as the Panthers face red-rated tight end coverage defenses in Week 13 (Tampa Bay), Week 14 (New Orleans) and Week 16 (New Orleans). If possible, make a straight-up offer of Olsen for Cameron and pitch it around the fact that Cameron is in the midst of a scoring slump (10 points in his past three games).

Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers

Davis is on a scoring roll (nine points or more in four of his past six games), but he could be about to hit a wall thanks to tough matchups in Week 13 (St. Louis), Week 14 (Seattle) and Week 15 (Tampa Bay). As is the case with Olsen, offering a straight-up trade of Davis for Cameron would be a high-upside trade for what should look like a steal to the Cameron owner.

	<CENTER>Start</CENTER>	<CENTER>Stud</CENTER>	<CENTER>Stiff</CENTER>
QB	Top 10	Top 2	21st+
RB	Top 25	Top 5	51st+
WR	Top 25	Top 5	51st+
TE	Top 10	Top 2	21st+
K	Top 10	Top 2	21st+
D/ST	Top 10	Top 2	21st+

Player	<CENTER>Team</CENTER>	<CENTER>%</CENTER>	<CENTER>Pos</CENTER>	<CENTER>G</CENTER>	<CENTER>Start</CENTER>	<CENTER>Stud</CENTER>	<CENTER>Stiff</CENTER>	<CENTER>Sat</CENTER>	<CENTER>PPR%</CENTER>
Jamaal Charles	KC	100.0%	RB	9	9	4	0	0	100.0%
Matt Forte	Chi	100.0%	RB	8	8	4	0	0	100.0%
Fred Jackson	Buf	88.9%	RB	9	8	1	0	0	88.9%
LeSean McCoy	Phi	88.9%	RB	9	8	3	0	0	77.8%
Peyton Manning	Den	87.5%	QB	8	7	3	0	0	87.5%
Wes Welker	Den	87.5%	WR	8	7	0	0	0	87.5%
Drew Brees	NO	87.5%	QB	8	7	3	0	0	87.5%
Alfred Morris	Wsh	87.5%	RB	8	7	0	0	0	87.5%
Frank Gore	SF	87.5%	RB	8	7	2	0	0	75.0%
Adrian Peterson	Min	87.5%	RB	8	7	3	0	0	75.0%
Jordan Cameron	Cle	77.8%	TE	9	7	1	2	0	77.8%
Jordy Nelson	GB	75.0%	WR	8	6	1	0	0	75.0%
Julius Thomas	Den	75.0%	TE	8	6	2	1	0	75.0%
Matthew Stafford	Det	75.0%	QB	8	6	1	0	0	75.0%
Knowshon Moreno	Den	75.0%	RB	8	6	4	0	0	75.0%
49ers D/ST	SF	75.0%	D/ST	8	6	1	2	0	75.0%
Jimmy Graham	NO	75.0%	TE	8	6	5	1	0	75.0%
Eddie Lacy	GB	75.0%	RB	7	6	1	1	1	75.0%
Panthers D/ST	Car	75.0%	D/ST	8	6	3	1	0	75.0%
Brandon Marshall	Chi	75.0%	WR	8	6	1	0	0	62.5%
Chris Johnson	Ten	75.0%	RB	8	6	1	0	0	50.0%
Seahawks D/ST	Sea	66.7%	D/ST	9	6	1	0	0	66.7%
Chiefs D/ST	KC	66.7%	D/ST	9	6	3	0	0	66.7%
Marshawn Lynch	Sea	66.7%	RB	9	6	2	0	0	66.7%
Stephen Gostkowski	NE	66.7%	K	9	6	3	1	0	66.7%
A.J. Green	Cin	66.7%	WR	9	6	2	1	0	66.7%
Dez Bryant	Dal	66.7%	WR	9	6	3	2	0	55.6%
Reggie Bush	Det	62.5%	RB	7	5	3	0	1	75.0%
Julio Jones	Atl	62.5%	WR	5	5	1	0	3	62.5%
Arian Foster	Hou	62.5%	RB	8	5	1	1	0	62.5%
Darren McFadden	Oak	62.5%	RB	7	5	1	1	1	62.5%
Aaron Rodgers	GB	62.5%	QB	8	5	1	2	0	62.5%
Matt Prater	Den	62.5%	K	8	5	1	1	0	62.5%
Demaryius Thomas	Den	62.5%	WR	8	5	2	0	0	62.5%
Calvin Johnson	Det	62.5%	WR	7	5	3	2	1	62.5%
Garrett Hartley	NO	62.5%	K	8	5	0	1	0	62.5%
Andrew Luck	Ind	62.5%	QB	8	5	1	1	0	62.5%
Robbie Gould	Chi	62.5%	K	8	5	0	1	0	62.5%
Antonio Brown	Pit	62.5%	WR	8	5	1	0	0	62.5%
DeAngelo Williams	Car	62.5%	RB	8	5	0	0	0	50.0%
Vernon Davis	SF	62.5%	TE	7	5	2	1	1	50.0%
Denarius Moore	Oak	62.5%	WR	8	5	0	1	0	50.0%
DeMarco Murray	Dal	55.6%	RB	7	5	1	0	2	66.7%
DeSean Jackson	Phi	55.6%	WR	9	5	2	2	0	66.7%
Russell Wilson	Sea	55.6%	QB	9	5	0	2	0	55.6%
Cowboys D/ST	Dal	55.6%	D/ST	9	5	1	3	0	55.6%
Tony Romo	Dal	55.6%	QB	9	5	1	1	0	55.6%
Dan Bailey	Dal	55.6%	K	9	5	2	3	0	55.6%
Bengals D/ST	Cin	55.6%	D/ST	9	5	1	2	0	55.6%
Nick Folk	NYJ	55.6%	K	9	5	1	2	0	55.6%
Zac Stacy	StL	55.6%	RB	7	5	1	2	2	33.3%
Danny Woodhead	SD	50.0%	RB	8	4	1	1	0	87.5%
Antonio Gates	SD	50.0%	TE	8	4	0	2	0	62.5%
Andre Johnson	Hou	50.0%	WR	8	4	1	2	0	62.5%
Doug Martin	TB	50.0%	RB	6	4	0	0	2	50.0%
Matt Ryan	Atl	50.0%	QB	8	4	0	1	0	50.0%
Charles Clay	Mia	50.0%	RB	8	4	0	0	0	50.0%
Philip Rivers	SD	50.0%	QB	8	4	0	1	0	50.0%
Justin Tucker	Bal	50.0%	K	8	4	1	2	0	50.0%
Mason Crosby	GB	50.0%	K	8	4	2	2	0	50.0%
Victor Cruz	NYG	50.0%	WR	8	4	2	1	0	50.0%
Larry Fitzgerald	Ari	50.0%	WR	8	4	1	2	0	50.0%
Andre Ellington	Ari	50.0%	RB	8	4	1	1	0	50.0%
Maurice Jones-Drew	Jac	50.0%	RB	8	4	0	0	0	50.0%
Titans D/ST	Ten	50.0%	D/ST	8	4	1	1	0	50.0%
Bears D/ST	Chi	50.0%	D/ST	8	4	0	3	0	50.0%
Alshon Jeffery	Chi	50.0%	WR	8	4	2	3	0	50.0%
Eddie Royal	SD	50.0%	WR	8	4	1	3	0	50.0%
Coby Fleener	Ind	50.0%	TE	8	4	0	4	0	50.0%
Greg Olsen	Car	50.0%	TE	8	4	0	1	0	50.0%
Lamar Miller	Mia	50.0%	RB	8	4	0	2	0	50.0%
Kyle Rudolph	Min	50.0%	TE	8	4	0	4	0	50.0%
Mike Tolbert	Car	50.0%	RB	8	4	0	1	0	50.0%
Le'Veon Bell	Pit	50.0%	RB	5	4	0	0	3	50.0%
Jermichael Finley	GB	50.0%	TE	6	4	1	2	2	37.5%
Martellus Bennett	Chi	50.0%	TE	8	4	1	1	0	37.5%
Ryan Mathews	SD	50.0%	RB	8	4	1	1	0	37.5%
Marlon Brown	Bal	50.0%	WR	7	4	0	2	1	25.0%
Giovani Bernard	Cin	44.4%	RB	9	4	1	0	0	66.7%
Dan Carpenter	Buf	44.4%	K	9	4	0	1	0	44.4%
Josh Gordon	Cle	44.4%	WR	7	4	1	1	2	44.4%
Browns D/ST	Cle	44.4%	D/ST	9	4	0	2	0	44.4%
Jason Witten	Dal	44.4%	TE	9	4	1	4	0	44.4%
Steven Hauschka	Sea	44.4%	K	9	4	0	1	0	44.4%
Ryan Succop	KC	44.4%	K	9	4	0	4	0	44.4%
Patriots D/ST	NE	44.4%	D/ST	9	4	0	1	0	44.4%
Rams D/ST	StL	44.4%	D/ST	9	4	1	4	0	44.4%
Stevan Ridley	NE	44.4%	RB	8	4	1	0	1	44.4%
Terrance Williams	Dal	44.4%	WR	9	4	1	3	0	33.3%
Marvin Jones	Cin	44.4%	WR	9	4	1	4	0	33.3%
Pierre Thomas	NO	37.5%	RB	8	3	1	0	0	62.5%
Jacquizz Rodgers	Atl	37.5%	RB	8	3	2	2	0	50.0%
Torrey Smith	Bal	37.5%	WR	8	3	1	1	0	50.0%
Reggie Wayne	Ind	37.5%	WR	7	3	0	1	1	50.0%
Eric Decker	Den	37.5%	WR	8	3	2	1	0	50.0%
Joique Bell	Det	37.5%	RB	8	3	2	0	0	50.0%
Pierre Garcon	Wsh	37.5%	WR	8	3	1	0	0	50.0%
Randall Cobb	GB	37.5%	WR	5	3	0	0	3	37.5%
Jason Snelling	Atl	37.5%	RB	7	3	1	2	1	37.5%
Vincent Jackson	TB	37.5%	WR	8	3	2	3	0	37.5%
Shaun Suisham	Pit	37.5%	K	8	3	2	3	0	37.5%
Steve Smith	Car	37.5%	WR	8	3	0	1	0	37.5%
Jay Cutler	Chi	37.5%	QB	7	3	0	2	1	37.5%
Matt Schaub	Hou	37.5%	QB	6	3	0	3	2	37.5%
Colts D/ST	Ind	37.5%	D/ST	8	3	1	3	0	37.5%
Trent Richardson	Ind	37.5%	RB	8	3	0	0	0	37.5%
Nick Novak	SD	37.5%	K	8	3	2	4	0	37.5%
Jake Locker	Ten	37.5%	QB	6	3	0	1	2	37.5%
Adam Vinatieri	Ind	37.5%	K	8	3	2	1	0	37.5%
Cam Newton	Car	37.5%	QB	8	3	2	2	0	37.5%
Ted Ginn	Car	37.5%	WR	8	3	0	4	0	37.5%
Packers D/ST	GB	37.5%	D/ST	8	3	1	3	0	37.5%
Saints D/ST	NO	37.5%	D/ST	8	3	0	1	0	37.5%
Raiders D/ST	Oak	37.5%	D/ST	8	3	0	2	0	37.5%
David Akers	Det	37.5%	K	8	3	1	3	0	37.5%
Lions D/ST	Det	37.5%	D/ST	8	3	0	3	0	37.5%
Cardinals D/ST	Ari	37.5%	D/ST	8	3	1	2	0	37.5%
Broncos D/ST	Den	37.5%	D/ST	8	3	1	2	0	37.5%
Colin Kaepernick	SF	37.5%	QB	8	3	1	2	0	37.5%
Jay Feely	Ari	37.5%	K	8	3	1	2	0	37.5%
Josh Brown	NYG	37.5%	K	8	3	1	4	0	37.5%
Mike Wallace	Mia	37.5%	WR	8	3	0	3	0	37.5%
Tony Gonzalez	Atl	37.5%	TE	8	3	1	2	0	37.5%
Dolphins D/ST	Mia	37.5%	D/ST	8	3	1	2	0	37.5%
Sebastian Janikowski	Oak	37.5%	K	8	3	0	5	0	37.5%
Graham Gano	Car	37.5%	K	8	3	1	2	0	37.5%
T.Y. Hilton	Ind	37.5%	WR	8	3	2	3	0	37.5%
Ravens D/ST	Bal	37.5%	D/ST	8	3	1	1	0	37.5%
Keenan Allen	SD	37.5%	WR	7	3	0	2	1	37.5%
Chargers D/ST	SD	37.5%	D/ST	8	3	0	3	0	37.5%
Emmanuel Sanders	Pit	37.5%	WR	8	3	0	2	0	37.5%
James Starks	GB	37.5%	RB	5	3	1	1	3	37.5%
Timothy Wright	TB	37.5%	WR	8	3	0	5	0	37.5%
James Jones	GB	37.5%	WR	6	3	0	3	2	25.0%
Daniel Thomas	Mia	37.5%	RB	8	3	0	2	0	25.0%
Rueben Randle	NYG	37.5%	WR	8	3	1	4	0	25.0%
Rashard Mendenhall	Ari	37.5%	RB	7	3	0	1	1	25.0%
Ben Tate	Hou	37.5%	RB	8	3	0	1	0	25.0%
Harry Douglas	Atl	37.5%	WR	8	3	1	3	0	25.0%
Bilal Powell	NYJ	33.3%	RB	9	3	0	1	0	44.4%
Brandon Bolden	NE	33.3%	RB	7	3	0	2	2	44.4%
Sam Bradford	StL	33.3%	QB	7	3	0	1	2	33.3%
Kenbrell Thompkins	NE	33.3%	WR	8	3	0	5	1	33.3%
Geno Smith	NYJ	33.3%	QB	9	3	0	5	0	33.3%
Bills D/ST	Buf	33.3%	D/ST	9	3	1	3	0	33.3%
Alex Smith	KC	33.3%	QB	9	3	0	3	0	33.3%
Greg Zuerlein	StL	33.3%	K	9	3	1	3	0	33.3%
Steve Johnson	Buf	33.3%	WR	8	3	0	2	1	33.3%
Scott Chandler	Buf	33.3%	TE	9	3	0	6	0	33.3%
Golden Tate	Sea	33.3%	WR	9	3	1	4	0	33.3%
Andy Dalton	Cin	33.3%	QB	9	3	2	4	0	33.3%
C.J. Spiller	Buf	33.3%	RB	8	3	0	1	1	33.3%
Mike Nugent	Cin	33.3%	K	9	3	0	2	0	33.3%
BenJarvus Green-Ellis	Cin	33.3%	RB	9	3	0	1	0	22.2%
Brent Celek	Phi	33.3%	TE	9	3	0	5	0	22.2%
Aaron Dobson	NE	33.3%	WR	8	3	1	2	1	22.2%
Cecil Shorts	Jac	25.0%	WR	8	2	0	2	0	62.5%
Darren Sproles	NO	25.0%	RB	8	2	1	2	0	37.5%
Roy Helu	Wsh	25.0%	RB	8	2	1	2	0	37.5%
Ray Rice	Bal	25.0%	RB	7	2	1	2	1	37.5%
Jordan Reed	Wsh	25.0%	TE	7	2	1	1	1	37.5%
Brandon LaFell	Car	25.0%	WR	8	2	0	4	0	37.5%
Caleb Sturgis	Mia	25.0%	K	8	2	1	2	0	25.0%
Blair Walsh	Min	25.0%	K	8	2	0	3	0	25.0%
Brian Hartline	Mia	25.0%	WR	8	2	0	1	0	25.0%
Matt Bryant	Atl	25.0%	K	8	2	0	2	0	25.0%
Buccaneers D/ST	TB	25.0%	D/ST	8	2	0	2	0	25.0%
Jerome Simpson	Min	25.0%	WR	8	2	0	6	0	25.0%
Marques Colston	NO	25.0%	WR	7	2	0	3	1	25.0%
Robert Griffin III	Wsh	25.0%	QB	8	2	0	2	0	25.0%
Vikings D/ST	Min	25.0%	D/ST	8	2	1	3	0	25.0%
Nate Washington	Ten	25.0%	WR	8	2	1	4	0	25.0%
Ahmad Bradshaw	Ind	25.0%	RB	3	2	1	0	5	25.0%
Bernard Pierce	Bal	25.0%	RB	8	2	0	2	0	25.0%
Dallas Clark	Bal	25.0%	TE	8	2	0	4	0	25.0%
Kendall Wright	Ten	25.0%	WR	8	2	0	1	0	25.0%
DeAndre Hopkins	Hou	25.0%	WR	8	2	0	3	0	25.0%
Redskins D/ST	Wsh	25.0%	D/ST	8	2	1	1	0	25.0%
Steelers D/ST	Pit	25.0%	D/ST	8	2	0	4	0	25.0%
Kenny Stills	NO	25.0%	WR	8	2	1	4	0	25.0%
Rian Lindell	TB	25.0%	K	8	2	0	3	0	25.0%
Jarrett Boykin	GB	25.0%	WR	8	2	0	5	0	25.0%
Anquan Boldin	SF	25.0%	WR	8	2	1	3	0	25.0%
Hakeem Nicks	NYG	25.0%	WR	8	2	0	3	0	25.0%
Phil Dawson	SF	25.0%	K	8	2	0	3	0	25.0%
Justin Blackmon	Jac	25.0%	WR	4	2	1	0	4	25.0%
Mike Brown	Jac	25.0%	WR	4	2	0	1	4	25.0%
Giants D/ST	NYG	25.0%	D/ST	8	2	0	5	0	25.0%
Peyton Hillis	NYG	25.0%	RB	2	2	0	0	6	25.0%
Jerricho Cotchery	Pit	25.0%	WR	8	2	1	2	0	25.0%
Rod Streater	Oak	25.0%	WR	8	2	0	3	0	25.0%
Rashad Jennings	Oak	25.0%	RB	8	2	1	4	0	25.0%
Texans D/ST	Hou	25.0%	D/ST	8	2	0	2	0	25.0%
Garrett Graham	Hou	25.0%	TE	8	2	0	4	0	12.5%
Joseph Fauria	Det	25.0%	TE	8	2	1	5	0	12.5%
Kris Durham	Det	25.0%	WR	8	2	0	4	0	12.5%
Da'Rel Scott	NYG	25.0%	RB	5	2	0	2	3	12.5%
Michael Floyd	Ari	25.0%	WR	8	2	0	2	0	12.5%
Kendall Hunter	SF	25.0%	RB	8	2	0	2	0	12.5%
Robert Meachem	NO	25.0%	WR	7	2	0	5	1	12.5%
Mike Williams	TB	25.0%	WR	6	2	0	3	2	0.0%
Levine Toilolo	Atl	25.0%	TE	8	2	0	6	0	0.0%
Julian Edelman	NE	22.2%	WR	9	2	0	5	0	33.3%
Dwayne Bowe	KC	22.2%	WR	9	2	0	4	0	33.3%
Riley Cooper	Phi	22.2%	WR	9	2	2	5	0	33.3%
Jared Cook	StL	22.2%	TE	9	2	1	4	0	33.3%
Jets D/ST	NYJ	22.2%	D/ST	9	2	0	2	0	22.2%
Eagles D/ST	Phi	22.2%	D/ST	9	2	0	4	0	22.2%
Heath Miller	Pit	12.5%	TE	6	1	0	2	2	25.0%
Owen Daniels	Hou	12.5%	TE	5	1	0	1	3	25.0%
Donald Brown	Ind	12.5%	RB	8	1	0	2	0	25.0%
Delanie Walker	Ten	12.5%	TE	8	1	0	3	0	25.0%
Brandon Myers	NYG	12.5%	TE	8	1	0	5	0	25.0%
Falcons D/ST	Atl	12.5%	D/ST	8	1	0	3	0	12.5%
Jaguars D/ST	Jac	0.0%	D/ST	8	0	0	6	0	0.0%

Fantasy Football News 2013/2014

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