Fantasy Fives: All Day Dominates, Austin is Average

Fantasy Aces

1. Adrian Peterson – All Day picked up his aging quarterback and willed the Vikings to their first win of the season against the Lions, 24-10. Peterson finished the afternoon with 190 yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns. With Brett Favre’s early struggles, Peterson has kept the Vikings offense in games — and his fantasy owners happy.

2. Michael Vick – You think Andy Reid made the right decision? Vick validated his head coach’s somewhat controversial decision in a big way, scorching the Jacksonville defense for 291 passing yards, 30 rushing yards and four total touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing). It all sets up for a showdown this week against Donovan McNabb and the Redskins in Philly.

3. Anquan Boldin – Boldin’s home debut in Charm City was a beauty. The Ravens’ prized free agent caught eight balls for 142 yards and three touchdowns as Baltimore bounced Cleveland 24-17. The good news is it looks like the Ravens offense has finally come alive. The bad news is a visit to Pittsburgh awaits in Week 4.

… Continue Reading

Fantasy Fives: Waiver Wire Pick-ups for Week 3

1. Jason Snelling – We mentioned Snelling as a top fantasy performer in Week 2 so it’s a given that he’s our #1 waiver wire pick-up going into Week 3. Michael Turner is expected to be fine for this week’s huge showdown with the Saints, but the Falcons are going to need as much firepower as possible to win in New Orleans. I like Snelling as a strong flex play this week and security for Turner moving forward.

2. Mike Tolbert – Tolbert filled in admirably for rookie Ryan Mathews (ankle), rushing 16 times for 82 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-13 win over the Jags. While it is believed that Mathews will be ready to go against the Seahawks in Week 3, Tolbert is a must handcuff for Mathews owners and will continue to receive red zone carries.

… Continue Reading

Fantasy Fives: Best is Best, Favre Flops in Week 2

Fantasy Aces

1. Jahvid Best – The Lions may have lost to the Eagles 35-32, but Jahvid Best really was the best on Sunday. The rookie running back from Cal ended the day with 78 yards rushing, 154 yards receiving and three total touchdowns – that’s 40 fantasy points, folks. Best is elevating himself to RB1 status and it’s only Week 2. He has a tough match-up next week against Minnesota, but most thought that Philly’s defense was going to present problems. Think again.

2. Jason Snelling – Michael Turner goes down and Jason Snelling picks up right where he left off last season – and then some. Snelling shredded Arizona’s defense for 186 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns as the Falcons embarrassed the Cardinals 41-7. Back to Turner – he left the game with a groin injury but is expected to be OK.  Still, there’s no excuse not to have Snelling on your fantasy roster. He’s a must handcuff for Turner owners and should be looked at as a possible flex play, even when Turner’s healthy.

… Continue Reading

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

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

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

Fantasy Football Face-off 2010: Part 2

Great fantasy football minds don’t always think alike. In an effort to give you two schools of thought before your fantasy drafts next month, Bump and Run is bringing you a two-part fantasy football primer to help you get a leg-up on the competition. Most fantasy sites and publications will try to make you believe that their outlook is the be-all end-all, but let’s be real: everyone thinks differently. In order to be successful, you need to create your own style and feel confident about it. Chris Hayre caps it off in Part 2 of our Fantasy Football Face-off: … Continue Reading

Fantasy Football Face-off 2010: Part 1

Great fantasy football minds don’t always think alike. In an effort to give you two schools of thought before your fantasy drafts next month, Bump and Run is bringing you a two-part fantasy football primer to help you get a leg-up on the competition. Most fantasy sites and publications will try to make you believe that their outlook is the be-all end-all, but let’s be real: everyone thinks differently. In order to be successful, you need to create your own style and feel confident about it. Pat Greissing kicks-off Part 1 of our Fantasy Football Face-off: … Continue Reading