NFL Week 12 Recap

Packers v. Lions: As expected, this game was decided through the air. Aaron Rodgers was efficient and, for him, put up an average day, which means you are fairly happy (307, 2 TDs). Matt Stafford was not so efficient, and had a pretty underwhelming game (276, TD, 31 rushing, the TD coming with 3 seconds left in garbage time). Since Detroit was behind most of this one, they never got their running game going; the loss of Kevin Smith in the first half to a high ankle sprain didn’t help. Keiland Williams did score a late TD on the ground, but you aren’t replacing Smith with this also-ran, Smith himself being a replacement for Jahvid Best, who actually replaced Smith a few years back. Oy, enough of that. James Jones (3 for 94, TD) and Greg Jennings (5 for 74, TD) did the heavy lifting for GB’s receiving group, while CJ (4 for 49) had the only receiving TD for the Lions; Maurice Morris had a nice day out of the backfield (9 for 81).

Cowboys v. Dolphins: If you started Matt Moore in desperation, he actually helped you out somewhat (288, TD, fumble lost) – what do you want from a guy who couldn’t beat out Chad Henne in August? Brandon Marshall was great here (5 for 103, TD), Brian Hartline was dependable (4 for 77) and Reggie Bush had a fine all purpose yards day (61 rushing, 3 for 35 receiving). Dallas got by with Laurent Robinson hitting pay dirt twice (7 for 79), Tony Romo throwing those two TDs to him (226, 2 TDs), and DeMarco Murray going over 120 all purpose (87 rushing, 4 for 41 receiving).

49ers v. Ravens: Hope you didn’t have too much invested in this defensive battle. The “highlights”: Joe Flacco was ordinary and hardly useful (166, TD), Ray Rice was too (59 rushing, 3 for 24 receiving), and Dennis Pitta caught the only TD (2 for 19). That’s it; all SF offensive cogs were shut down.

Vikings v. Falcons: Matt Ryan is clicking of late, and continued his great play here (262, 3 TDs). Roddy White had his second big game in a row (10 for 120, TD), so maybe it is time to remove the “bust” tag? Harry Douglas caught 2 passes for 45 with a score, as Julio Jones was a non-factor, and Michael Palmer caught the other touchdown. For the Vikes, Toby Gerhart ran one in, to go with 63 total yards, and Percy Harvin had a very good day as Christian Ponder’s prime target (8 for 95, TD). Ponder himself was barely useful (186, TD).

Panthers v. Colts: A Reggie Wayne sighting! It’s a holiday miracle! Wayne had his first fantasy productive game since week 1 (5 for 122, TD), as Curtis Painter  (226, TD) finally decided to use one of the better WR’s in the game to try and get a win. Alas, it didn’t work. Donald Brown was also a useful Colt; Kudos if you started him (80 rushing, TD, 17 receiving). Cam Newton did his rushing score thing (9 for 53, 208 passing), but DeAngelo Williams  (69 rushing, 2 TDs) and Jonathan Stewart (70 rushing) also got in the mix against the sad Indy run D.

Bucs v. Titans: Chris Johnson might at least be a 1K guy this year after all; he  ran wild against Tampa (190 rushing, fumble lost). The only other Titan you would have wanted to start was Damian Williams (3 for 33, TD). Tampa gave you Mike Williams (6 for 84, TD, fumble lost), LeGarrette Blount (103 rushing, 3 for 56 receiving, 2 fumbles lost), and Josh Freeman, sorta (199, TD, and…lost fumble).

Texans v. Jaguars: Houston didn’t need much offense here, with their defense dominating, but Arian Foster (65 rushing, TD, 7 for 24 receiving, fumble lost) provided something for ya. Joel Dreessen also caught a 20 yard TD for his only catch. Matt Leinart started for the injured Matt Schaub, but was seriously hurt himself (broken collarbone) and is done for the year. T.J. Yates is now Houston’s QB. Good thing they can run the ball and play D, eh? Oh yea, J-ville: it was all MJD, as per usual (99 rushing, 4 for 67 receiving).

Cardinals v. Rams: Beanie Wells anyone? The guy had a career day (228 rushing, TD, fumble lost), and probably was on most benches. For shame. Other than him, Brandon Lloyd was solid (5 for 74, TD), Sam Bradford was decent (203, TD), and Steven Jackson at least gave you some yardage (64 rushing, 3 for 14 receiving).

Bills v. Jets: Ryan Fitzpatrick came back with a vengeance against NY (264, 3 TDs, 34 rushing), as did his receiving corps of Brad Smith (4 for 77, TD), Stevie Johnson (8 for 75, TD), and David Nelson (5 for 47, TD). RF’s counterpart wasn’t too bad himself. Mark Sanchez had 4 TD tosses, to go with 180 yards passing. Dustin Keller was awesome (4 for 61, 2 TDs), Plaxico Burress dependable (4 for 54, TD), and Santonio Holmes “clutch” (2 for 22, game winning TD). Shonn Greene powered his way to 78 on the ground and 12 receiving.

Browns v. Bengals: A couple of good to very good performances in the Battle of Ohio: Andy Dalton (270, TD, 23 rushing, fumble lost) and Colt McCoy (151, 2 TDs, 38 rushing) had a nice little duel, while Cedric Benson ran all over Cleveland (106 rushing, TD, 4 for 24 receiving). A.J. Green returned and went over 100 (3 for110), Jermaine Gresham caught Dalton’s TD pass (5 for 68), and Jordan Norwood (4 for 69, TD) and Greg Little (5 for 57, TD) were McCoy’s favorite targets. Peyton Hillis was active for once, but not very productive (65 rushing, -4 receiving).

Redskins v. Seahawks: What can you say about Marshawn Lynch? Dude has rediscovered Beast Mode somewhat, and was at it again against Washington (111 rushing, 1 for 20 receiving, TD). Tarvaris Jackson didn’t do much, but did throw 2 TDs to go with his 144 passing yards (the other one went to Golden Tate on a 15 yarder, his only catch). On the other side, the ‘Skins got great games from Rex Grossman (314, 2 TDs) and Roy Helu (108 rushing, TD, 7 for 54). Anthony Armstrong (1 for 50) and Fred Davis (4 for 58) caught Grossman’s scoring tosses, and Jabar Gaffney was a solid possession WR (5 for 72).

Bears v. Raiders: If you started Caleb Hanie, congrats, you hit big for someone probably everyone else left on the bench/waiver wire (254, 2 TDs, 50 rushing). He even out-performed Carson Palmer, by a lot. Carson had the yards (301) but no scores. Matt Forte was contained by Oakland (59 rushing, 6 for 25 receiving), and his value has dropped like a rock since Cutler went down. Johnny Knox went off (4 for 145, TD), and Kellen Davis caught a score (2 for 25), so they didn’t mind the QB change. For the Raiders, Michael Bush was held in check, but did cross the plane late (69 rushing, TD, 4 for 24 receiving), and Marcel Reese had 5 catches for 92 yards out of the backfield. The real star of this game was Sabastian Janikowski, who booted 6 FGs.

Patriots v. Eagles: Vince Young threw for 400 yards and a score, and rushed for 40. LeSean McCoy only had 31 rushing and 30 receiving. Not exactly the Philly recipe for a win. McCoy did save his fantasy day by rushing for a TD early; otherwise, this was a big disappointment for his owners. Jason Avant led Philly in receiving (8 for 110, TD), while Brent Celek (5 for 75), DeSean Jackson (4 for 73) and Riley Cooper (3 for 71) all contributed somewhat fantasy-wise. This was really a NE game from the 2nd quarter on. Tom Brady was his usual self (361, 3 TDs, 28 rushing – well, not the rushing), Wes Welker returned to elite WR status after a few ho-hum weeks (8 for 115, 2 TDs), Deion Branch was open all day (6 for 125), and Rob Gronkowski scored again (4 for 59). BJ Green-Ellis also had two close in plunges (44 rushing, 2 TDs).

Broncos v. Chargers: Another ugly Tebow start, another win, go figure. The guy still fills up your QB fantasy slot though (143, TD, 67 rushing). Willis McGahee was the real bellcow for Denver (117 rushing), while Eric Decker continues to defy predictions and produce (3 for 65, TD). Ryan Mathews was SD’s star (137 rushing) and Antonio Gates caught Philip Rivers’ lone TD pass (6 for 49), while Rivers only had 188 yards through the air.

Steelers v. Chiefs: Um, can pretty much ignore this one. Big Ben was a QB3 maybe (193, TD) and Antonio Brown had 81 yards on 4 catches, but this game belonged to the defenses.

Giants v. Saints: If you owned both Brees and Manning, you were tough to beat Monday night. Manning was great in mostly garbage time duty (406, 2 TDs), but Brees was better, and did it throughout the game (363, 4 TDs, rushing TD). Lots of receiving and some rushing performers as well. For the G-men, Victor Cruz had a monster game (9 for 157, 2 TDs), and Hakeem Nicks was solid in a supporting role (7 for 87); wasn’t the reason you drafted him though, and he just is not the same player as last year’s version. Brandon Jacobs even did some positive things on the ground (46 rushing, TD). For the Saints, the usual spread-around, but for Jimmy Graham, who had a field day (5 for 84, 2 TDs), and Lance Moore (5 for 54, 2 TDs). Marques Colston (3 for 78), Pierre Thomas (63 rushing, TD, 3 for 47), Darren Sproles (54 rushing, 2 for 28), and Mark Ingram (80 rushing, TD) all got in on the act as well. It is good to own the name NO players against soft defenses, as they usually all get a piece of the action.

Killin’ the Odds & the NFL Season

Welcome to Killin’ the Odds & the NFL Season! Below you will see my picks to win for the week. I will post either the “Money Line” or the “Point Spread”. The money line is always a “straight up” bet which means your team will never need to win or lose by a specific amount of points. The money line odds represent what amount has to be wagered or what can be won. For example, if there is a minus sign (-) next to an amount, you have to wager that amount to win 100. If there is a plus sign (+) next to an amount, you will receive that amount for every 100 wagered. A “Point Spread” wager is made on either the favorite (-) or underdog (+) team. A wager on the favored team means that this team must not only win but also win by the specified point spread. A wager on the underdog means that this team may either win or lose, as long as they do no lose by more than the specified point spread. If the game ends on the teams meeting the spread exactly, the wager is a push. Example: If the Cowboys are favored by -3 and win the game by exactly 3 points, the wager is a push.

WR Waiver Gems – Week 12

Guess I can’t really ignore the early games this week. Let’s hope I hit on at least one; last week was a debacle.

Nate Burleson, DET, 37% (GB): Burleson has had two solid weeks in a row, going for 83 and 63 yards respectively – with a TD last week – while being targeted often. Everyone knows by now that the Packers can’t really stop anyone through the air (289 yards/game, 18 TDs), and tomorrow’s showdown should be a high scoring affair. I wouldn’t hesitate to slot him as a WR3/flex: 85 yards.

Joshua Cribbs, CLE, 25% (@CIN): Cribbs has caught lightning in a bottle these last couple of weeks, catching TDs against three solid  to great pass defenses: SF, Houston, and Jacksonville, while having very low yardage totals; He has flourished in the red zone. Could he put up another solid game against the stingy Bengals? On a hunch, I’ll say yes, if only because Cleveland needs to use their most dynamic position player to have any shot at staying in this one, and Colt McCoy will no doubt have to put the ball in the air 30-40 times, targeting Cribbs frequently in the process: 50 yards, TD.

Harry Douglas, ATL, 13% (MIN): With Julio Jones not practicing yet this week, Douglas could get a start against the anemic Vikings pass D (259 yards/game, 19 TDs). Minnesota’s run defense is no slouch, and they will probably be focused on trying to slow down Michael Turner, leaving some openings in the secondary. Douglas could exploit those opposite Roddy White, like he did Week 10 against New Orleans: 80 yards (if Jones is out).

Deep League Special:

Riley Cooper, PHI, 1% (NE): A complete shot in the dark, but Cooper was impressive filling in for Jeremy Maclin last week against the fading G-men. He gets another soft defense in the Patriots this week (299 yards/game, worst in the league, 15 TDs). Maclin likely is back, but Cooper should still get some looks here and there, no matter who is behind center, and thus he could be a worthy flier in the flex spot for a team desperate to make the playoffs: 70 yards.

NFL Recap – Week 11

Raiders v. Vikings: Michael Bush is making Oakland forget about DMC; well, not really, but the guy has been superlative since taking the starting role, adding another one to the ledger this week (109 rushing, TD, 20 receiving, fumble lost). The other Raiders did not fare as well, though Carson Palmer’s poor passing day (164, TD) was supplemented by a rushing TD; Chaz Schillens caught the passing score, his only catch of the day (11 yards); tough to figure out the Oakland WRs week in and week out. For Minny, Adrian Peterson rushed for a score, but hurt his ankle, limiting his numbers (26 yards rushing); X-rays were negative though, no worries. Percy Harvin had one of his better pro games (6 for 73, TD, 21 rushing), and Christian Ponder was very useful (211, 2 TDs, 71 rushing).

Bills v. Dolphins: Impressive games from several Miami players. Matt Moore had a big day (164 passing, 3 TDs), Reggie Bush was solid again (32 rushing, TD, 34 receving), and Charles Clay (4 for 69), Devone Bess (2 for 25), and Anthony Fasano (2 for 8) all caught TD passes. Everyone on Buffalo was awful. The shine is gone, folks.

Bengals v. Ravens: The Ravens figured out this week they have a pretty darn good RB and should feed him the ball – Ray Rice obliged (104 rushing, 2 TDs, 43 receiving). Torrey Smith also had himself a fine day (6 for 165, TD), and is having a great rookie campaign in a not so great passing offense. Anquan Boldin chipped in a TD catch of his own, but was 2nd fiddle to Smith today (1 for 35). For the cats, Andy Dalton was great yardage-wise, but not so TD wise (373 yards, 1 TD); Andre Caldwell caught the TD (3 for 63), while Jerome Simpson racked up serious yardage (8 for 152). Cedric Benson had two shortish TD runs to bolster his 41 yard day.

Jaguars v. Browns: At first glance, you’d think ‘pass,’ as far as impact fantasy performances beyond MJD, but you’d be wrong, sorta. MJD did his thing, sure (87 rushing, TD, 31 receiving), but Chris Ogbonnaya busted out (115 rushing, TD, 19 receiving); oh yea, Josh Cribbs snuck in short TD grab (3 for 20), and Colt McCoy also was not horrible, if that means anything to you (199 yards, TD).

Cowboys v. Redskins: Lots through the air as expected in this one. Tony Romo picked apart the Washington secondary (292, 3 TDs), while Rex Grossman acquitted himself well on the other side (289, 2 TDs), adding a rushing score to boot. The Dallas receivers were led by Jason Witten (3 for 85, TD), Dez Bryant (3 for 68, TD) and Laurent Robinson (4 for 34, TD). The ‘Skins had some throwback WRs lead the way: Jabar Gaffney (7 for 115, TD) and – ! – Donte` Stallworth  (4 for 51, TD). DeMarco Murray had a ‘meh’ day for him considering the opponent, but still gave you over 100 yards (73 rushing, 32 receiving).

Bucs v. Packers: Tampa put up some gaudy numbers, surprisingly: Josh Freeman went over 300 (342, 2 TDs), LeGarrette Blount went over 100 (107 rushing, TD), as did Kellen Winslow (9 for 132). Mike Williams even joined the party (7 for 83, TD). And Arrelious Benn gets an honorable mention as well (5 for 75). Rodgers? Oh, just 299, 3 TDs, 28 rushing, that’s all. Jordy Nelson was all over this one (6 for 123, TDs), while Donald Driver made an appearance (4 for 72). James Starks got hurt, but had a solid combined yardage day before that (38 rushing, 53 receiving).

Panthers v. Lions: A good old fashioned shoot-out took place in Detroit. Matt Stafford was sick (335, 5 TDs), while Cam Newton was erratic, but productive (280 passing, TD, 4 INTs, 37 rushing, 2 TDs). Remember Kevin Smith? He returned with a vengeance (140 rushing, 2 TDs, 61 receiving, TD), putting up one of the best RB fantasy games this year. Megatron led the Lions in yards receiving (5 for 89), but his WR/TE mates scored a TD each: Nate Burleson (7 for 63), Brandon Pettigrew (4 for 37), Tony Scheffler (2 for 24), and Titus Young (2 for 14). For Carolina, Jonathan Stewart was big out of the backfield (6 for 87), while Steve Smith caught Newton’s TD pass to go with a 5 for 41 day.

Cardinals v. 49ers: Ugly game for the Cards, nice game for the 9ers. Only Larry Fitz produced for Arizona (3 for 41, TD). For SF, Alex Smith gave you a solid line (267, 2 TDs, 17 rushing), while Frank Gore turned in a workmanlike 88 yards rushing. Michael Crabtree justified his 1st round draft price for one week (7 for 120), Vernon Davis scored for the 2nd straight week (5 for 67), and Kyle Williams had a breakout game (5 for 54, TD). John Skelton was not injured, just removed for utter ineffectiveness.

Seahawks v. Rams: Not much to see here. Marshawn Lynch ran for a TD for the 6th straight week (88 rushing), Sidney Rice caught Tarvaris Jackson’s only TD pass (3 for 35), Justin Forsett added a rushing TD (31 rushing), and Brandon Lloyd caught Sam Bradford’s only TD toss (5 for 67).

Chargers v. Bears: Vinny Jackson has had only four good games, but they have all been huge; this one was one those huge ones (7 for 165, TD). Philip Rivers was respectable here, unlike some recent weeks (280, 2 TDs), and his counterpart Jay Cutler was great (286, 2 TDs, rushing TD) before he tragically broke his throwing thumb late, which probably ends his season. Matt Forte was actually held in check (59 rushing, 26 receiving), no thanks to a Marion Barber vulture TD (23 rushing). Antonio Gates (4 for 63, TD), Johnny Knox (3 for 97, TD) and Earl Bennett (3 for 75) all contributed.

Titans v. Falcons: Hello Jake Locker! Guy had 9 completions but 140 yards and 2 TDs in relief of Matt Hasselbeck, who left with an elbow injury – no structural damage reported. Nate Washington had a gigantic day and was Locker’s favorite target (9 for 115, 2 TDs). For ATL, Matt Ryan was very good (316, TD), Michael Turner was better (100 rushing, TD), and Roddy White finally had a big game, though no scores (7 for 147). Tony Gonzalez caught Ryan’s TD (5 for 74).

Eagles v. Giants: Who needs Michael Vick? Not when you play the suddenly offensively-challenged Giants. Vince Young had a very good game (258, 2 TDs), and did nothing on the ground surprisingly. DeSean Jackson saves his best for the Meadowlands (6 for 88, 1 inch from a punt return TD), while Riley Cooper, welcome to the NFL (5 for 75, TD). Steve Smith caught 1 ball, but made it count (14 yard TD). And LeSean McCoy was a dud until the last offensive play for Philly, coming up two yards shy of a TD (113 rushing). For NY, Victor Cruz keeps it up (6 for 128, TD), and Eli Manning had an ok day, but that was it (264, TD, fumble lost).

Chiefs v. Patriots: If you own Dwayne Bowe and/or Steve Breaston, you weren’t too disappointed (7 for 87 and 6 for 73 respectively); otherwise, hope you stayed far, far away from anything KC related. For NE, a relatively ho-hum day for Tom Brady (234, 2 TDs, both to Rob Gronkowski; more on him later), while BenJarvus Green-Ellis had over 100 all purpose yards (81 rushing, 25 receiving). Shane Vereen had the obligatory Patrio rub-it-in-your-face late meaningless score in this blowout (39 rushing). Robby G? just 4 catches for 96 yards and the aforementioned 2 scores. To call drafting him in the late rounds/picking him up on waivers a steal would do a disservice to just how awesome this guy has been. The TE touchdown record is in serious jeopardy (13, held by Antonio Gates and Vernon Davis) and he even has an outside shot at the single-season yardage record (1,290, held by Kellen Winslow, Sr.).

Killin’ the Odds & the NFL Season

Welcome to Killin’ the Odds & the NFL Season! Below you will see my picks to win for the week. I will post either the “Money Line” or the “Point Spread”. The money line is always a “straight up” bet which means your team will never need to win or lose by a specific amount of points. The money line odds represent what amount has to be wagered or what can be won. For example, if there is a minus sign (-) next to an amount, you have to wager that amount to win 100. If there is a plus sign (+) next to an amount, you will receive that amount for every 100 wagered. A “Point Spread” wager is made on either the favorite (-) or underdog (+) team. A wager on the favored team means that this team must not only win but also win by the specified point spread. A wager on the underdog means that this team may either win or lose, as long as they do no lose by more than the specified point spread. If the game ends on the teams meeting the spread exactly, the wager is a push. Example: If the Cowboys are favored by -3 and win the game by exactly 3 points, the wager is a push.

WR Waiver Gems – Week 11

Oh, did I miss the Jets/Broncos candidates? Wasn’t exactly an aerial showdown, so no harm done.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, OAK, 28% (@MIN): Bey hasn’t done much of late, ever since Carson Palmer took the helm, with zero catches the past two weeks. However, with Jacoby Ford out, and Minnesota’s horrid pass D on tap  (272 yds/game, 18 TDs), look for DHB to get a few deep looks on his way to a respectable line and a possible score: 60 yards, TD.

Damian Williams, TEN, 29% (@ATL): Williams has turned into Matt Hasselbeck’s #1 WR the last few weeks, with 13 catches, 201 yards, and 2 TDs the last three weeks. He gets Atlanta’s so-so pass D this week (253 yards/game, 12 TDs), so look for him to be a solid #3 WR/flex play: 80 yards.

Vincent Brown, SD, 15% (@CHI): With Malcolm Floyd out, Chicago’s bend but don’t break pass D (269 yards/game, 12 TDs) and the likelihood that SD plays from behind in this one, look to Brown if you have an injury hole to fill for that 3rd WR spot (I did in the 4thandhome league; classic jinx situation, but I’m desperate): 80 yards.

Deep League Sleeper:

Donald Jones, BUF, 2% (@MIA): – if either David Nelson or Stevie Johnson are out – not out of the realm of possibility – Jones could have a big day against the subpar ‘Fins pass D (254 yards/game, 14 TDs). Buffalo is not the same team it was weeks 1-4, but the quality – or lack thereof – of the competition this week should allow Ryan Fitzpatrick to find a good amount of holes to throw through. Even if the above two WRs start, Jones could still give you decent yardage as the 3rd down/possession WR: 70 yards, TD if either Nelson/Johnson out, 60 yards if they play.

*Wow, complete whiff on each of these, sorry folks. And the Brown jinx was fully enforced. 

NFL Recap – Week 10

Jaguars v. Colts: As I expected, another Colts debacle. If you picked up Jacob Tamme to replace Dallas Clark, at least you got something out of this offense (6 for 75). Not like Jacksonville did much better. Jarett Dillard (2 for 30, TD) was this week’s #1 Jaguar WR, but it was – again – MJD who was the only guy anyone probably started (114 rushing, TD, 23 receiving).

Saints v. Falcons: A wild one in Atlanta, and both QBs put up great numbers: Matt Ryan (351, 2 TDs) actually slightly outperformed Drew Brees (322, 2 TDs), and all the scoring was through the air. Marques Colston (8 for 113), Jimmy Graham (7 for 82, TD), and Robert Meachem (2 for 69, TD) led the way for NO, while Harry Douglas of all people (8 for 133) was Atlanta’s leading WR. Tony Gonzalez had a fine day (6 for 71, TD), while Jason Snelling caught a TD pass out of the backfield (2 for 25). Michael Turner was the only RB to own here (96 rushing, 10 receiving).

Texans v. Bucs: Talk about efficient: Matt Schaub completed 11 passes, yet had a very good day (242, 2 TDs) – but, in a very bad Sunday for injuries – he is out indefinitely with a severe foot injury. He hit Beast-Mode Arian Foster (84 rushing, TD, 102 receiving, TD) and Jacoby Jones (2 for 87, TD) for long scores. Ben Tate (63 rushing) and Derrick Ward (36 rushing) each ran for scores as well. Houston is clicking right now, on both sides of the ball. TB was a bystander in this game, you wanted no part of anyone on that team today.  Only Preston Parker was of some sort of value (2 for 17, TD).

Steelers v. Bengals: A whole bunch of mediocre fantasy production here; given the quality of the defenses, not surprising. Big Ben (245, TD) and Andy Dalton (170, 2 TDs) didn’t win your match-up this week, and neither did Mike Wallace (31 rushing, 6 for 54) or A.J. Green (1 for 36, TD), who twisted his knee, but should be alright. Antonio Brown was a solid WR3 (5 for 86), and Rashard Mendenhall didn’t do much yardage-wise – 44 rushing, 26 receiving – but picked up two rushing TDs. Jermaine Gresham also saved his fantasy day with a score (4 for 23). Bad news for Roethlisberger owners: he fractured his right thumb, but apparently will play through it. Hard to see how it won’t have some affect on his passing though.

Panthers v. Titans: Cam Newton can’t do it every week, I guess. He was average at best (212 passing, 55 rushing), while the rest of his team failed to do anything of consequence fantasy-wise. Matt Hasselbeck was not much better (219 passing, TD, 21 rushing). This game belonged to Chris Johnson, who finally decided in week 10 to deliver a worthy performance (130 rushing, TD, 44 receiving). Damian Williams was Hasselbeck’s favorite target (5 for 107, TD).

Cardinals v. Eagles: If you had John Skelton outscoring Michael Vick, 1) you won and 2) can I have some of what you were smoking? Amazingly, Skelton was great (315, 3 TDs), while Vick was terrible (128 passing, 79 rushing), at least in part due to him suffering some broken ribs early on, placing his status in doubt for Sunday’s huge game against the G-men. In his (additional) defense, he was without DeSean Jackson (missed team meeting on Saturday) and lost Jeremy Maclin to a shoulder injury for most of the game. LeSean McCoy was the lone bright spot for Philly (81 rushing, TD, 12 receiving). Back to Arizona, Larry Fitz had his best game of the year (7 for 146, 2 TDs), while Early Doucet caught a TD as well (2 for 24).

Broncos v. Chiefs: Oh Tim Tebow, you are an enigma. Complete 2 or 8 passes? Check. Toss a TD pass/rush for one? Check. Win the game despite sorry completion percentage/yardage total? Check. Tebow’s scores buoyed your fantasy team, but subtract those and you’d be cursing his 69 passing/43 rushing tallies. Then again, at least he wasn’t Matt Cassel (93 passing, TD). Ugh. Willis McGahee hurt his hamstring, so no repeat of his week 9 domination; he was replaced by Knowshon Moreno, who subsequently tore his ACL. The third-stringer, Lance Ball, did pretty well (96 rushing). Eric Decker also caught one of the two Tebow completions for a long score (56 yards).

Bills v. Cowboys: Earth to Buffalo: welcome back! Fred Jackson was at least productive (114 rushing, fumble lost), and David Nelson caught Ryan Fitzpatrick’s lone TD pass (4 for 31), but that was that. Dallas stole the show, specifically Tony Romo (270, 3 TDs), Laurent Robinson (3 for 73, 2 TDs), Dez Bryant (6 for 74, TD), and DeMarco Murray (135 rushing, TD, 36 receiving).

Rams v. Browns: Ugly game. Steven Jackson (128 rushing, 23 receiving, fumble lost) and Chris Ogbonnaya (90 rushing, 19 receiving) were solid on the ground, while Brandon Lloyd (4 for 48, TD) and Greg Little (6 for 84) weren’t all bad through the air. The QBs? Nah.

Redskins v. Dolphins: Another game to ignore the signal callers. Reggie Bush was the star here (47 rushing, 2 TDs), and he was joined by Brandon Marshall (7 for 98) and Washington rookie Leonard Hankerson (8 for 106), who would have been a big waiver add this week had he not torn the labrum in his hip. Tough break.

Ravens v. Seahawks: Not sure why Joe Flacco threw the ball 52 times while Baltimore completely abandoned the run game down only two scores, but ok. The strategy did not work, however (255, TD). Ray Rice got no love on the ground (27 rushing, 54 receiving), but he did toss a TD from the halfback position. Marshawn Lynch had his 2nd consecutive 100 yard day (109 rushing, TD, 58 receiving), and probably had his 2nd consecutive Sunday on your bench/waiver wire. Baltimore’s big scorer was none other than Ed Dickson (10 for 79, 2 TDs).

Giants v. 49ers: Eli Manning led a furious 4th quarter charge, and again had very good fantasy stats (311, 2 TDs). Alex Smith wasn’t bad himself (242, TD, 27 rushing). Frank Gore hurt his knee early and was a non-factor as a result. In his place, Kendall Hunter was solid, if unspectacular (40 rushing, TD). NY had the better of the receiving performances: Victor Cruz (6 for 84), Mario Manningham (6 for 77, TD) and Hakeem Nicks (2 for 41, TD) were all good. San Fran was led by Vernon Davis (3 for 40, TD), and Delanie Walker was a decent TE option too (6 for 69).

Bears v. Lions: Billed as a to close to call NFC North match-up with playoff implications, this one was a laugher for Chicago. The D/ST scored three times, obviously limiting the offensive numbers on both teams. Matt Stafford threw for 3 TDs, but unfortunately 2 were pick sixes (338, TD); he also broke his right index finger, but should be ok next Sunday. Nate Burleson (8 for 83), and Calvin Johnson (7 for 81) both lost fumbles, and Titus Young had a good day (9 for 83). Tony Scheffler caught Stafford’s only TD pass (3 for 37). Matt Forte (64 rushing, TD) and Earl Bennett (6 for 81) were the only Chicago offensive pieces to own, unless you count Devin Hester, who ran back a punt.

Patriots v. Jets: Think Brady and Co. were playing this game angry? Tommy Boy went off against a supposedly tough D  (329, 3 TDs), with Rob Gronkowski doing his best Antonio Gates circa 2007 imitation (8 for 113, 2 TDs). Deion Branch added the other score (5 for 58). For NY, Mark Sanchez gave you great yardage, and two scores, pretty nice (306, TD, rushing TD), while Santonio Holmes (6 for 93), Jeremy Kerley (4 for 79), and Plaxico Burress (3 for 39, TD) were good WR options. Nothing doing on the ground really from either team.

Vikings v. Packers: Men against toddlers in the Monday Nighter, GB being the men. Aaron Rodgers continued his season for the ages (250, 4 TDs, 21 rushing), with nary a Packer receiver going for over 67 yards (Jermichael Finley, on 3 catches). Jordy Nelson caught two red zone TDs (5 for 63), while Greg Jennings (3 for 32) and John Kuuuuhn (2 for 9) rounded out the scoring. Oh, yea, Minnesota did score once, an AP short TD run (51 rushing). With Peyton Manning out all year and a question mark going forward, it looks like the mantle of league’s best/most valuable QB has officially been passed to Rodgers, IMO.

Killin’ the Odds & the NFL Season

Welcome to Killin’ the Odds & the NFL Season! Below you will see my picks to win for the week. I will post either the “Money Line” or the “Point Spread”. The money line is always a “straight up” bet which means your team will never need to win or lose by a specific amount of points. The money line odds represent what amount has to be wagered or what can be won. For example, if there is a minus sign (-) next to an amount, you have to wager that amount to win 100. If there is a plus sign (+) next to an amount, you will receive that amount for every 100 wagered. A “Point Spread” wager is made on either the favorite (-) or underdog (+) team. A wager on the favored team means that this team must not only win but also win by the specified point spread. A wager on the underdog means that this team may either win or lose, as long as they do no lose by more than the specified point spread. If the game ends on the teams meeting the spread exactly, the wager is a push. Example: If the Cowboys are favored by -3 and win the game by exactly 3 points, the wager is a push.

WR Waiver Gems – Week 10

Well, I was thinking I was early with this week’s post, but I completely forgot about the Thursday night game. Ah well, cest la vie.

Steve Breaston, KC, 42% (DEN): Well, I whiffed on Jonathan Baldwin last week while dismissing Breaston, so this week I will do the exact opposite, ala George Costanza. Stevie B hauled in 7 passes for 115 against the fish, and he gets the fairly lenient Denver pass D in this AFC West match-up (258 yds/game, 17 TDs). I don’t put much stock in previous year performances, but Matt Cassel did post his best fantasy game by far last year against the Broncos (469 yards, 4 TDs). Breaston could easily have another 100 yarder here: 95 yards.

Laurent Robinson, DAL, 41% (BUF): With Miles Austin out, Robinson slots into a starting role with a favorable match-up against the Bills (260.4 passing yards/game, 11 TDs). I wouldn’t count on a third week in a row with a TD, but the yardage should be there: 90 yards.

Michael Jenkins, GB, 29% (@GB): Jenkins had his best game of the year against Green Bay in Week 7. With the Packers still giving up almost 300 yards per game through the air and 16 TDs, combined with the likelihood that Minnesota will be playing from behind, this bodes well for Jenkins to catch a few deep balls, and maybe even a TD: 70 yards, TD.

Deep League Special:

Jason Hill, JAC, 6% (@IND): Indy is bad. Real bad. Everyone knows this. Their passing D is no exception (260.4 yards/game, 18 TDs). Jacksonville is not Air Coryell, but Jason Hill has scored a TD in 3 of his last 4 contests, all against tough defenses, and Blaine Gabbert seems to look his way often in and around the red zone. I foresee another solid game from Hill against the sorry Colts: 50 yards, TD.

NFL Recap – Week 9

Seahawks v. Cowboys: Other than Marshawn Lynch’s huge day (135 rushing, TD), hope you benched your other Seattle players. DeMarco Murray is looking like this year’s waiver wire darling, as he had another great one here (139 rushing, 47 receiving). Tony Romo was dependable (279, 2 TDs), allowing Jason Witten (4 for 71, TD) and Laurent Robinson (5 for 32, TD) to cash in. Miles Austin was having a good day too -53 yards receiving – before he left with another hamstring injury in the first half, one which could put him on the shelf for 2-4 weeks.