Scott: Should I bench the horrible DeAngelo Williams for Montario Hardesty this week?
Come on now Scott, DeAngelo’s not…I mean, he can…yeah, you’re right, he’s been something awful this year. Subtract his 69-yard scamper against New Orleans in Week 5, and Williams has just 233 yards on 57 carries. Of course, let’s see any back have a fantasy impact with less than 10 carries an outing.
Hardesty has some upside in the second half of the season, but the forecast looks ominous for the Browns back heading into Sunday’s showdown against the Seahawks (that is, if you can call 2-3 Cleveland vs. 2-3 Seattle a “showdown”), as Pete Carroll’s defense is holding opposing rushing games to a league-low 3.1 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Carolina is taking on Washington, who has done little to stop their adversaries’ ground game, conceding 4.6 yards per touch. Call me crazy, but I think this is the week Williams finally receives 15 or more backfield opportunities. Go with Williams.
Lance: Mark Ingram is now available in my league. Worth picking up?
There’s a reason he’s available, Lance. Ingram’s yardage game logs: 40, 51, 38, 55, 32, 22. The man is mirrored in a split-time situation in an aerial-driven offense. The goal-line touches may be alluring, but Ingram has been one of the bigger disappointments in fantasy this season. New Orleans keeps stating their intention to get Ingram more looks in the latter parts of ball games to control the clock, but that has yet to come to fruition. In deeper leagues, Ingram is worth the spot, but in most formats, better options exist.
SteveK: Joe Flacco or Tim Tebow for rest of season?
Flacco isn’t delivering you to the fantasy Promised Land, but Tebow might. In an abbreviated appearance at the end of 2010 (two starts), Tebow tossed for 513 yards and three touchdowns and contributed another 121 yards in the running game with two scores. Sounds like a viable fantasy starter to me. (In a related note, get ready to hear, “It may not be pretty, it may not be conventional, but TIM TEBOW WINS FOOTBALL GAMES!” roughly 400 times in the next week. Usually this proclamation is bestowed upon a player whose feats don’t show up in the box score, but as we just illustrated, this doesn’t necessarily apply to the 2007 Heisman winner. We are truly breaking ground here, folks.)
On the other end of that spectrum sits Flacco, who makes Dwayne Bowe look consistent. The Baltimore game manager has seven scores through the air, but six have derived from two games. And while he’ll occasionally post robust yardage figures, Flacco has passed for 225 yards or less in three outings in 2011.
It may be a hazardous endeavor to trust a quarterback with less than 100 career attempts, but go with Tebow to aid you on your fantasy quest.
Denarius Moore: Am I droppable? Rather have Torrey Smith or Nate Burleson?
I like you as a sleeper Denarius, but you’re too erratic to start every week. Burleson may be a nice bye week play, but that’s about the height of his worth, especially with Brandon Pettigrew and Titus Young coming on for Detroit. Smith is still getting accolades for his performance in Week 3 against St. Louis, but the rookie out of Maryland submitted a solid showing against Houston last Sunday (three receptions, 84 yards). Out of the trio, I’d go with Smith.
Speaking of Moore and the Raiders…
Bill: Prognosis on (Carson) Palmer?
It took me two days to talk myself into it, and perhaps I should pump the breaks until I, you know, actually see him play, but I’m down with Palmer’s fantasy prospects. Assuming his receivers run the right routes (a problem that plagued Palmer the last few years in Cincinnati thanks to the likes of Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles and Terrell Owens), the former Bengal could be a top-15 fantasy QB after the Raiders’ bye week. Hue Jackson’s passing philosophy strongly echoes the principles Palmer is familiar with, and the USC product has an arsenal of weapons (Darren McFadden, Jacoby Ford, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Moore) at his disposal.
Now, will Palmer still display his timid tendency in the pocket and airmail his targets over the middle? Absolutely, and both of these vices tend to have a high correlation with turnovers. But with a less than grueling schedule in November and December, anticipate the new Oakland field general to emit fantasy-friendly figures.
Gianmarco Gri: I've been offered Arian Foster for Vincent Jackson and Cedric Benson. My RBs are Ray Rice and Roy Helu, WRs are Hakeem Nicks, Jordy Nelson, Danario Alexander, and Greg Little. Accept?
Considering the lack of worthwhile fantasy backs this season, pull the trigger. With one of the better lines clearing the way, Foster can replicate his ridiculous production from 2010. This is in contrast to Benson, who has been lackluster through the first six games of the season. He may have 458 yards on the season, but his 3.9 yards-per-carry mark is far from phenomenal and has found the end zone just twice. Jackson may be a tough pill to swallow, yet you can always find a practical receiver on the waiver wire as the season progresses. Throw in the fact that Foster contributes in the passing game (14 receptions in the past three games) and it’s a no-brainer.
Ginger26: Shonn Greene or Jackie Battle as a flex this week?
That’s a kick-ass name for a running back, isn’t it? Jackie Battle. Almost sounds like a character from Friday Night Lights, maybe a transfer student who doesn’t play by anybody’s rules, but deep down, has a heart of gold.
Anyway, while he’s shown signs of life in the past two weeks, I don’t like Greene’s projection for the rest of the season. Yet in Kansas City, Battle has the opportunity to transform into a high-end No. 2 fantasy running back. The Chiefs’ offensive strategy is predicated on the running game, and with the dilapidated Thomas Jones banished to the bench, establishing the ground attack is finally feasible. In the past, the only thing that hampered Battle has been injury concerns. If he can stay healthy, Battle will receive the necessary opportunities to be a fantasy force the rest of the 2011 campaign.
