Fantasy Fives: Waiver Wire Pick-ups

Brandon Jackson - The season-ending ankle injury to Ryan Grant thrusts Jackson into the spotlight as the Packers’ new featured back. A tough blow for Grant owners, but Jackson should put up comparable numbers in an offense that is clearly centered around Aaron Rodgers and the passing game. Jackson should be a decent RB2/flex play moving forward.

Michael Vick - Kevin Kolb owners, pay attention. Vick stepped in for the concussed Kolb Sunday and looked like the superstar he was before being his off-the-field issues. Head coach Andy Reid has already made it clear that Kolb will be the starter once he’s healthy, but what happens if Vick dazzles this week in a favorable match-up against the Detroit Lions? At worst, Vick is a must-start in Week 2 as Kolb isn’t even slated to practice until Friday. But something tells me that Vick may not let Reid put him back on the bench.

… Continue Reading

BumpAndRun.com Play Sheet – Week 1

Football is back!

Sign-up for your FREE Play Sheet and get fantasy rankings, weekly picks and survivor pool solutions on one printable page. It’s sent straight to your inbox every week during football season.
 
Week 1 brings us a slate of evenly-matched games as we embark on yet another unpredictable season. As you prepare your fantasy line-up, finalize your weekly picks or decide which team to select in your survivor pool, BumpAndRun.com will serve as your “second opinion.”
 
Let the games begin.

Click Here to Download Your Week 1 Play Sheet!

Quick Hit NFC Preview

NFC East

1. Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, but a leaky offensive line and an impossible road schedule will lead to some bouts of adversity in 2010. Last season, Tony Romo led the franchise to its first playoff win since 1996. There’s more than enough firepower to repeat as NFC East champs, but anything beyond that, let’s say for instance a Super Bowl appearance in their backyard, is wishful thinking. Projected Record: 10-6

2. Washington Redskins – A fourth-place schedule, a two-time Super Bowl winning head coach, a quarterback with five NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl appearance on his resume. Call me crazy, but that sounds like a formula for success. If the Redskins are to make any noise in Mike Shanahan’s first season as the boss in D.C., it starts in September: four of their first six opponents were 11-5 or better in 2009. Projected Record: 9-7

3. Philadelphia Eagles – The Kevin Kolb era begins in Philadelphia with the same expectations the Donovan McNabb era left behind. Kolb should be just fine, but it may take a season or two to get all of the young kids on offense — DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy and Brent Celek — playing at a championship level. Expect the push for a wild card berth to come up just short. Projected Record: 8-8

4. New York Giants – A revamped defense looks to help spearhead a return to the postseason after a disappointing close to the 2009 season. Big Blue signed prized free agent safety Antrel Rolle to big money this off-season to team-up with the often-injured but talented Kenny Phillips in the secondary. Offensively, Eli Manning is hoping wide receiver Hakeem Nicks breaks out in his second season. Projected Record: 7-9

… Continue Reading

Fantasy Fives: Top Rookies Entering 2010

1. Ryan Mathews - Not much is expected of the 22-year-old from Fresno State this season, just a few minor tasks: a) replace former face of the franchise, LaDainian Tomlinson, b) alleviate the pressure on quarterback Philip Rivers and the San Diego passing game without the services of two-time Pro Bowl LT Marcus McNeill and c) help lead the Chargers to a place where Tomlinson tried but could never get to: the Super Bowl. Other than that, just your average, entry-level job out of college, right? Mathews has looked like a seasoned vet this preseason and should be a top 10 fantasy running back in 2010.

2. Jahvid Best - Did the Lions strike gold? When Jahvid Best was drafted in the second round of the NFL draft in April, you got the feeling that the team lucky enough to snatch him up would reap the benefits quickly. Best had some injury concerns at Cal, but this preseason he’s looked every bit as fast and dynamic as Tennessee’s Chris Johnson. Obviously only time will tell, but the maturation of quarterback Matthew Stafford and the additions of Nate Burleson and Tony Scheffler to go with Calvin Johnson will give Best room to showcase his take-it-to-the-house speed. Best enters 2010 as a solid RB2/flex with RB1 upside.

… Continue Reading

Fantasy Fives: Players Entering 2010 with Questions

1. Larry Fitzgerald – One of the NFL’s best receivers has had a tough preseason. Fitzgerald sprained his MCL during the Cardinals’ first preseason game, sidelining him until opening day. Oh, and in case you haven’t heard, Kurt Warner isn’t the quarterback in the desert anymore. In fact, neither is Matt Leinart. Derek Anderson will take over as the starter and while he may be better than Leinart when it comes to throwing the deep ball, he ain’t Warner. I worry that Fitzgerald’s stats will suffer in 2010 through no fault of his own. He’s still a top five fantasy receiver, but also take into consideration that Anquan Boldin used to make life a little easier on Fitz too. Bottom line: he’s going to earn everything he gets this season.

2. DeAngelo Williams & Jonathan Stewart – Did you know that I scored as many touchdowns as the Carolina Panthers offense did this preseason? The Cats became the first NFL team in 14 years to be held without an offensive touchdown in the exhibition play. Head coach John Fox is in the last year of his contract, I hope he’s at least trying! In all seriousness, the running game has been and will continue to be the Panthers’ bread and butter, which is why I’m a little concerned they weren’t able to punch it in at least once. DeAngelo Williams rushed nine times for 13 yards in the Panthers’ third preseason game, better known as the “dress rehearsal” for the regular season. Jonathan Stewart didn’t even play a snap in the preseason as he recovers from a heel injury. We should also mention that wide receiver Steve Smith has also been out the entire preseason, so this worrying about the Panthers offense could be all for not. But if they put up a goose egg against the G-Men next week…

… Continue Reading

Fantasy Fives: Players Entering 2010 with Momentum

1. Joe Flacco – This preseason the Ravens have made it a point to show the league that the one-demensional Black Birds are a thing of the past. Flacco put up the ball 34 times against the Giants last week, a clear indication that a) the coaches are confident in Flacco winning games with his arm and b) he finally has a full complement of weapons at his disposal in Anquan Boldin, Derek Mason, Mark Clayton and a healthy Todd Heap. Plus, having Ray Rice in the Ravens backfield only makes Flacco more dangerous. In his third season working with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, Joe Cool has found his comfort zone; a scary thing for the AFC.

2. Arian Foster – Just three weeks ago we were talking about the emergence of rookie Ben Tate as the Texans top back or Steve Slaton bouncing back from a disappointing 2009. Well, we forgot about Arian Foster. After last Saturday’s performance against Dallas (18 carries, 110 yards and 1 TD), Foster left no doubt who the workhorse in Houston will be this season. It’s an amazing swing: many fantasy drafts in mid-August had Foster as the third Texans back off the board. Now you’d be lucky to snag him in the 4th round. All the more reason not to conduct your fantasy draft until late August.

… Continue Reading

Preseason Observations from Saturday

Detroit 35 Cleveland 27 - Ladies and gentlemen, young Matthew Stafford has grown up. The second-year Lions quarterback has made noticeable strides from his rookie campaign and this season he actually has the weapons to take his game to elite heights. Stafford finished the evening 13 of 17 for 141 yards and a touchdown. I’m not saying the Lions are punching a ticket to the playoffs but don’t be shocked if head coach Jim Schwartz leads his team to six or seven wins. Some fantasy nuggets: Lions rookie Jahvid Best put a stranglehold on the starting running back job. First play for the Detroit offense: Best to the left for 51 yards. Second play for the Detroit offense: Stafford to Best for 10 yards. I don’t think he played another down after those two plays – the coaches had seen enough. Calvin Johnson caught two balls for 42 yards. Browns’ quarterback Jake Delhomme had a productive evening (20/25, 152 yards and 1 TD) though I’m not sure I’d have him on my fantasy roster.

… Continue Reading

Preseason Observations from Friday

Atlanta 16 Miami 6 – The Dolphins first team offense struggled to do much of anything Friday night against the Falcons. Miami quarterback Chad Henne’s performance (10/22, 1 INT) was underwhelming but he wasn’t alone. The running back combo of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for 14 yards on 12 carries. Ouch. Something tells me that Tony Sparano won’t be taking practice lightly this week in that South Beach sun. Some fantasy nuggets: Brandon Marshall caught three balls for 51 yards. Though Henne’s still somewhat of an unknown, expect Marshall to produce Pro Bowl type numbers in 2010. The tandem of Matt Ryan and Roddy White got it going early Friday night. Matty Ice finished the night 13 of 26 for 103 yards and a touchdown to White in the first quarter. And for all you Michael Turner owners, be encouraged. Burner carried the ball 16 times for 47 yards. He lost a fumble but who cares, he’s healthy.

… Continue Reading

Preseason Observations from Thursday

Green Bay 59 Indianapolis 24 - Easy Green Bay, save a little for the regular season. Three weeks into preseason, Aaron Rodgers (21/29, 195 yards and 3 TD’s) looks like the best quarterback in football and Peyton Manning (15/26, 214 yards, 2 TD’s and 1 INT) didn’t seem too far behind. A few fantasy nuggets: Jermichael Finley continues to ball-out at the TE position for the Pack. Tonight he caught six balls for 85 yards and 1 touchdown in just one half of work. Colts RB Joseph Addai broke off a nice 49-yard run on the first play of the game, but left in the third quarter with a concussion. Keep an eye on that situation as Addai’s back-up Donald Brown (5 carries, 6 yards) didn’t impress. Reggie Wayne caught 7 balls for 96 yards and a touchdown. Really, what else would you expect?

… Continue Reading

Don’t Sleep, B-Twice is Nice

Word came out of the Twin Cities yesterday that Vikings receiver Sidney Rice has undergone hip surgery and could miss up to half the season. Damn. That’s 83 catches, 1,312 yards and 8 TD’s gone for up to eight weeks. I don’t know who’s more pissed about this, Brett Favre or the fantasy owners that drafted Rice in the 5th round of their draft last week.

Have no fear — both Favre and those panicked fantasy owners — there’s a knight in shining armour and he goes by the name of B-Twice. That’s right, expect Bernard Berrian, wide receiver and co-host of Chad Ochocinco’s “hit” VH-1 show, to be the recipient of a many deep strikes from Favre in 2010. People forget that Berrian signed with Minnesota … Continue Reading