Category Archives: football

November 9, 2011 · 11:11 AM

Fantasy Football: Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups

Just like last week’s waiver wire, this week does not have any major pickups that will make a significant impact on your fantasy team. The good thing is that there are officially no more bye weeks, so looking to the waiver wire will not be needed as much as previous weeks. Here are the picks for the week:

Donald Brown, RB, Indianpolis Colts

Brown has been playing relatively well for a player on the Colts. He notched 70 yards on 16 carries against the Falcons in Week 9. However, he is a Colt, which means he’ll probably never get a touchdown.

Laurent Robinson, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Starting WR Austin Miles went down once again with a hamstring injury, leaving Robinson to take the starting job from him. Robinson is probably the best value on the wire right now, catching a total of 10 passes for 135 yards and two scores in the last two games. He’ll likely start for the next 2-3 weeks in place of Austin.

Denarius Moore, WR, Oakland Raiders

Making his second appearance on this list, Moore and fellow Oakland wideout Jacoby Ford have been benefitting greatly with QB Carson Palmer tossing them the pigskin. Palmer threw for a hefty 332 yards last game, which is nice looking for any suitors of the Raiders WR corps. It also helps that Moore returns punts, giving him the possibility of another way to score a TD.

Jacoby Ford, WR, Oakland Raiders

See: Denarius Moore.

Earl Bennett, WR, Chicago Bears

Bennett and fellow Vanderbilt product Jay Cutler seemed to have a nice connection during last Monday’s Bears-Eagles game. Bennett caught a team high five receptions for 95 yards (also a team high) and a score. Stash Bennett for further progress.

Austin Pettis, WR, St. Louis Rams

Pettis is thrust into the starting role due to the ridiculous amount of injuries the Rams’ receiving corps has suffered this year. In addition to losing Danny Amendola earlier in the year, Greg Salas also went down with a season-ending injury last weekend. Pettis should get a fair amount of catches, but don’t expect too much out of him from here on out.

Heath Miller, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers

Miller has a combined 158 yards on 12 catches over the last two weeks, ranking him the number three tight end over the past three weeks.

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November 1, 2011 · 1:31 PM

Fantasy Football: Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups; Midseason Awards

Is Chiefs' WR Jon Baldwin worthy of a roster spot?

Week 8 of the NFL season wasn’t injury-riddled like prior weeks, which means that the waiver wire will likely be less active than usual. Also, the week marked the middle point of the regular season, which means one thing: Midseason Awards.

Fantasy MVP: QB Cam Newton

Newton gets it ahead of Rodgers simply because Rodgers is a 1st/2nd round pick. It’s Most Value-able Player.

Biggest Draft Steal: TE Jimmy Graham

This guy was going in between rounds 12-15 before the season began. Next year he’ll be going in rounds 3-5.

Brandon Lloyd Award: QB Cam Newton

The Lloyd Award is a player who can be found on the waiver wire and ends up tearing it up the rest of the season. No doubt Newton gets it.

Biggest Bust: RB Chris Johnson

Not sure what’s going on with this guy, but it’s not funny for owners.

Here are my waiver wire pickups for the week:

Sam Bradford, QB, St. Louis Rams

Bradford is out of the walking boot and ready to sling it to newcomer Brandon Lloyd. He has a favorable matchup this week against Arizona.

Matt Cassel, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

You gotta like Cassel in the second half of the season. Not only have the Chiefs drastically improved their game altogether, but Cassel gets to face Miami, Denver, and New England in the next three weeks.

Javon Ringer, RB, Tennessee Titans

Like I said last week, Ringer should be seeing more and more time ahead of fantasy bust Chris Johnson. He got 33 snaps to Johnson’s 30 against Indianapolis, and it’s only a matter of time before Johnson’s warming up the bench.

Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Big Jon Baldwin made some big plays for the Chiefs in their win over the Chargers Monday night. Baldwin’s got the size and skill, but the Chiefs’ offense raises a concern and I don’t think he’ll be consistent for the rest of the year. Pick him up if you really need a WR.

Early Doucet, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Doucet has made good on his limited play, scoring once in each of the last two games. If the Cards ever decide to give him more snaps, he’ll be pretty productive.

Brent Celek, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

Twenty five points in the past two games for Celek should result in a waiver wire pickup for most teams. Also, he gets the Bears, who give lots of leeway to opposing tight ends, on Monday night.

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October 25, 2011 · 12:24 PM

Fantasy Football: Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

Something like this probably happened to one of the players on your fantasy team

Week 7 of the NFL season was probably one of the most frustrating weeks in recent memory if you were relying on studs like RB Darren McFadden, Beanie Wells, Marshawn Lynch, Earnest Graham, Tim Hightower, and Ryan Mathews amongst others to save your team. All pulled up with injuries and less than ten fantasy points. Some injuries worse than others. Graham and Hightower unfortunately have been lost for the season, while the rest should see time in the upcoming weeks. Here are my pickups of the week:

Alfonso Smith, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Smith, like last week’s waiver wire pickup Jackie Battle, is more of a downhill runner. Starter Beanie Wells left the game with a mysterious knee injury that nobody knows anything about. Wells’ injury could sideline him for at least 1-2 weeks, opening the door for Smith. The bad news is, however, Smith will have to face the tenacious Ravens’ defense in Week 8. The good news is, if Wells isn’t back by Week 9, Smith gets to face the Rams’ defense. Potential Smith suitors hope and pray.

Roy Helu, RB, Washington Redskins

I guess it’s finally time to bring out old Roy from the depths of the waiver wire. Just don’t come crying to me when coach Shanahan decides to still give RB Ryan Torain 30 carries while Helu gets a modest 7-10.

Keiland Williams, RB, Detroit Lions

The Lions clearly really wanted to split carries between Keiland Williams and Maurice Morris. Both had exactly nine carries. Both should get a few more against a very weak Denver Broncos team. When the Lions score early and often, the Lions will look to both of their backups to run out the clock.

Kregg Lumpkin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Lumpkin is the only healthy back right now on the entire Tampa Bay roster. The Bucs have a bye week coming up, and by Week 9 starter LaGarrette Blount will probably be back in the lineup. Lumpkin did not look all that great against the Bears last Sunday, but from a PPR standpoint, he looks like a sure-fire pickup. He’ll do exactly what Earnest Graham was doing before going down with a season-ending achilles injury.

Javon Ringer, RB, Tennessee Titans

No, Chris Johnson did not get hurt last week. I have an eerie feeling though that he might get benched due to his horrendous production. CJ had 10 carries for a measly 18 yards while Ringer enjoyed a nice three carries for 31 yards. Stash Ringer on your bench if you have the room to.

Christian Ponder, QB, Minnesota Vikings

I’m not going to lie, Ponder impressed in his first career start versus Green Bay. He threw two touchdowns and two interceptions, but he showed great resilience and almost lead the Vikings to a huge upset over undefeated Green Bay. Not worth a start just yet but could be a roster stash for when he faces a weak defense.

Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Like last week’s waiver wire winner Demaryius Thomas, Brown looks to capitalize on an injury to second string WR Hines Ward. Brown had his first 100 yard game of his career last week on seven receptions and could easily produce like this when given the opportunity.

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Sanders, like Brown, shared second string WR duties and was able to produce. Sanders caught a touchdown from Ben Roethlisberger in addition to his 46 yards. Brown seems to be the more polished receiver of the two so look to him first on the wire.

Jabar Gaffney, WR, Washington Redskins

Starting WR Santana Moss broke his hand and is scheduled to be out five to seven weeks. Gaffney should be relatively productive in the starting spot, competing only with TE Fred Davis. Davis won’t catch everything QB John Beck throws, so Gaffney should garner the rest of his passes.

Jake Ballard, TE, New York Giants

Ballard has been surprisingly productive the last few weeks, averaging a solid 10 fantasy points per game. QB Eli Manning has been looking his way more and more, and hopefully that doesn’t change as defenses start to take notice. Buyer beware.

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October 19, 2011 · 12:15 PM

Fantasy Football: Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups

Do you really want this guy starting on your team?

While last week’s waiver wire picks were mostly on byes, this week’s look to give you that instant boost you might need if you’re on the verge of not cracking fantasy playoffs. Deals have happened upon the trade deadline Wednesday evening, and the biggest include the trading of QB Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders for a ridiculous guaranteed 1st round pick in next year’s draft as well as a conditional 1st rounder in 2013. Vince Lombardi said it best: “What the hell is going on out here!?” Jokes aside, is Palmer a worthwhile look on the waiver wire?

Carson Palmer, QB, Oakland Raiders

Palmer hasn’t played since 2010, where he put up mediocre numbers (82.4 QB rating, 26 TDs, 20 INTs), and with starter Jason Campbell out indefinitely with a broken collarbone, Palmer now has a few nice toys at his disposal. Palmer, however, since having elected not to receive Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm, has lost his arm strength and has decreased accuracy. He might be a better pure passer than Campbell, and should be a roster stash on desperate teams until we actually see him get some playing time.

Matt Moore, QB, Miami Dolphins

Yes, Matt Moore didn’t look very nice in last Monday’s matchup against the Jets, but let’s face it, he was facing one of the league’s better defenses. Moore gets to face a very weak Broncos defense Week 7 and he’ll surely be better, I promise.

DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys

Murray looks to replace the banged up Felix Jones in the Cowboys Week 7 game against a bad Rams team. He’ll probably be splitting time with Tashard Choice, but I think Murray will get the majority of carries due to his potential as well as Choice’s poor play last Sunday.

Maurice Morris, RB, Detroit Lions

The Lions may have dealt for RB Ronnie Brown from the Eagles, but I guarantee you that Morris will get the majority of the snaps for the Lions come Sunday. Morris received 25 snaps behind Jahvid Best last week, and should see a ton more considering Best suffered his second concussion of the season last Sunday against the 49ers.

Montario Hardesty, RB, Cleveland Browns

Hardesty is probably the most talented back on the list of players available, and will get to showcase it this Sunday. Starter Peyton Hillis, who may or may not be a part of the Madden Curse, has undergone hamstring surgery and could be on the shelf for a while. Hardesty should be owned by everyone, however, this week he does not face a good matchup against Seattle, one of the league’s best defenses against the run.

Greg Little, WR, Cleveland Browns

Little is now QB Colt McCoy’s prime target in Cleveland. Little had his best game of the year so far last Sunday, compiling six receptions for 72 yards. Look for him to get progressively better statistics-wise week-in and week-out.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos

Thomas looks to step up into a big role since the Broncos decided to give away Brandon Lloyd for a bag of peanuts. Thomas should take over the second starting WR spot behind Eric Decker. I really like Thomas because he has the size and skill to be a Brandon Marshall type eventually. There’s a reason the Broncos took him before Dez Bryant in the 2010 NFL Draft. The only concerns about him are that he’s extremely injury prone.

Arrelious Benn, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The former Fighting Illini standout isn’t a staple on fantasy rosters just yet, but presents a good big-play threat every game. The Bucs’ offense has been quite a letdown this year, but if QB Josh Freeman picks it up at some point, Benn can be quite valuable.

Lance Kendricks, TE, St. Louis Rams

Kendricks, who played big in the preseason, finally came to light in the regular season last week, catching four balls for 71 yards. New WR Brandon Lloyd should open up more space for Kendricks to run and may surprise even more throughout the year.

Dallas Cowboys Defense/ST

America’s team looked great against the high-powered Patriots, holding Tom Brady to just two touchdowns and even intercepting him twice. If the Cowboys defense could keep up their play, you can expect huge gains from them in the upcoming weeks, as they face St. Louis this week, Seattle in Week 9, Washington in Week 11, and Miami in Week 12.

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October 17, 2011 · 1:38 PM

Video: Oregon coach Chip Kelly gets mad at fans

Hahahahaha

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October 17, 2011 · 12:58 PM

Video: MSU’s William Gholston is probably college football’s dirtiest player

This guy would get along well with Ndamukong Suh.

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October 17, 2011 · 12:53 PM

Video: LeSean McCoy punches coach Andy Reid in the stomach

McCoy was just demonstrating what Rex Grossman was doing to the Redskins that day.

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October 17, 2011 · 12:33 PM

Video: Michael Vick kicks ball into cheerleader’s face

I haven’t seen a cheerleader take balls to the face this hard since… well, nevermind.

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October 13, 2011 · 4:09 PM

Fantasy Football: Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

I hate to gloat (just kidding, I love it), but last week’s waiver wire pickups did not fail to disappoint. If you looked at the stat line, a majority were winners. Seattle’s Doug Baldwin caught eight passes for 136 yards and a score, Houston’s Kevin Walter caught five passes for 81 yards and a score, Cincinnati’s Jermaine Gresham caught five passes for 21 yards and a score, and finally, the Bengals’ defense/special teams managed to rack up three sacks and force two fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown. This week’s waiver wire picks seem to be geared toward quarterbacks, so hopefully you picked your fair share of receivers last week.

Tim Tebow, QB, Denver Broncos

Tebow finally got his nod last week, after starting QB Kyle Orton put up a stinker, and looks to finish out the rest of the season as Denver’s starting QB. Tebow started the second half of last week’s loss to San Diego, managing to throw for 79 yards and a score, as well as run for 31 yards and a score. Think of Tebow as Cam Newton-lite, and looks to be an intriguing start for teams in need of a QB.

Matt Cassel, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

After putting up a few dismal starts to start the season, it seems as if Cassel has picked it up. Through the last two weeks, Cassel has had a QB rating over 100 and has thrown five touchdowns and zero interceptions. He gets to face another shaky defense in Oakland this week. He could be used as a spot starter in deeper leagues.

Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Dalton has been surprisingly efficient for a rookie quarterback on what was to be one of the worst teams coming into the season. Dalton hasn’t put up any huge games as of yet, but if he does, it could come this week against the hapless Indianapolis Colts. He should be used purely as a spot start this week.

Earnest Graham, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Graham looks to make his first start of year in place of the injured LaGarrette Blount. Graham hasn’t gotten many reps on the ground, but has proven to be a valuable pass-catcher, racking up 23 receptions. He doesn’t face a favorable matchup against New Orleans this week, though, so beware.

Jackie Battle, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Head coach Todd Haley recently compared Battle to 2010 breakout star Arian Foster. Potential fantasy owners hope that Haley is correct, but I highly doubt that Battle will come anywhere close to Foster’s output. Battle put up great numbers last week (19 carries, 119 yards), albeit it was against the Indianapolis Colts. Battle could end up being a solid RB2 at best, but he’ll likely just hold a spot on your bench.

Damian Williams, WR, Tennessee Titans

Like Doug Baldwin, Williams put up a surprising day (11 targets, six receptions, 66 yards, one touchdown) and has found the endzone the last two weeks. He is starting opposite of WR Nate Washington and as QB Matt Hasselbeck airs it out more and more, Williams will see more production.

Steve Breaston, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs resurgence has led to many of their offensive weapons becoming waiver wire pickups, and Breaston is yet another player to fit the bill. Breaston is coming off of a solid 50 yard, two touchdown game against the Colts and looks to snag more touchdowns away from stud WR Dwyane Bowe.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Oakland Raiders

The former seventh overall pick in the draft finally looks like he’s playing up to par. Although Heyward-Bey has only shown flashes in the past two weeks, he worth a spot on the roster just in case he continues getting nearly 100 yards a game.