Walking Through The Wire (Week 3 Edition)

Here’s the deal. I’m not a fan of the straight “Waiver Wire” column. It’s impossible to know who is available in your league and what your roster is like. Unless of course, I’m you. That’s your job. You’re not called a “fantasy owner” for nothing.

So I’m just going to walk you through my thought process as I go through the waiver wire in a couple of my leagues. I’m not telling you to do the same thing, but you should have a process. You can’t blindly cut somebody for the player who scored the most points last week. There’s a bit more to it then that. (That’s what she said!)

Thomas Jones, Dexter McCluster, Denarius Moore or Eric Decker

I’ve got Arian Foster on a team that I drafted before his injury. I haven’t really caught a break and I’m 0-2. Now what? Due to my poor record, I have the first waiver claim this week. The question is, who do I pick up?

First off, this is a standard league with a RB/WR flex. No PPR. So I would probably go with Jones over McCluster. But I’m really hesitant to roll with any Chiefs right now. Whoever I pick-up will probably have to start for me in Week 3. Needless to say I’m not jumping up and down about starting Thomas Jones at San Diego.

It’s interesting to note that this league is hosted by CBS Sports. Dexter McCluster is listed as a WR and kick/punt return TD’s do NOT count for the player.

Now I also have to balance possible value for the rest of the season. Eric Decker should be in the starting lineup for the Broncos going forward. Denarius Moore already might be the best Raiders WR, but who knows if he starts when Jacoby Ford and Heyward-Bey return.

In a PPR league I would go another way. But in this case, I feel like I have to pick up Thomas Jones. I really want to go with my gut and pick up McCluster anyway. But this is a standard league and Jones looks like the best bet to score a TD. Well, if the Chiefs can ever score one.

Fred Davis or Tony Gonzalez

I wound up with Brandon Pettigrew in this league and I dropped him in Week 2 for Tony Gonzalez. The Eagles are historically bad against the TE. Too bad Kevin Boss still isn’t on the Giants. I had planned on just streaming a TE with a good match-up in Week 3. But Tony G has looked good enough to consider keeping around. Or has he? Gonzalez is really the only player on the Falcons offense right now that looks really good. Everybody else is just slightly out of sync.

I’m really trying to talk myself into Gonzalez here. And why not? He’s safer. If there’s such a thing. I’m just not sure if we’re writing off Chris Cooley too soon. If Cooley gets somewhat healthy, he could certainly cut into the number of targets Fred Davis is getting right now.

Standard league. Non-PPR. And I just lost Jamaal Charles. I feel like Davis is the “Swing For The Fences” pick here. Davis could finish as a top-7 TE, even in a standard league. Gonzalez feels like he will finish safely in the 10-to-12 range for TE’s.

There are a few decent TE options on the wire beside Davis. Not to mention that everybody else already has a decent TE. So I’m going to hang onto Gonzalez, at least for the moment. If I make any trade involving a TE, odds are other owners will value him more than Davis. Plus I do like Tony G vs. the Bucs this week.

Denarius Moore or Dexter McCluster

Again McCluster is listed as a WR. This is a standard, non-PPR league. But it’s a traditional 2 RB, 3 WR lineup. I’m pretty much set, but I have a rotating roster spot that I can burn. The waiver wire order resets every week, so there’s no point in holding on to a waiver claim priority.

So McCluster or Moore? I think I’m scared. I just considered the fact that I might rather have the Raider because I trust their offense more. Scary thought, right? I think I am going with Moore here. He was a training camp and preseason star. Not to mention he would be an excellent complement to Jacoby Ford. If McCluster somehow wound up as the starting RB for the Chiefs, he would be an amazing value at WR. But I can’t see that happening unless Thomas Jones AND LeRon McClain both go down.

I’m more likely to use Moore as a WR3 than McCluster. I already have a good team. So I’m going with Moore here. Who knows, if he blows up again in Week 3 he might have some trade value.

Marion Barber & Bernard Scott

These are two players that I’ve had on a couple of my teams. These are the types of players that I’m cutting at this point in the season. Barber is still injured and Cedric Benson looks as good and as healthy as he’s ever going to. So I’ll move on to a new lottery ticket. I’d rather have Issac Redman, Javon Ringer or Kendall Hunter. Not to mention guys like Delone Carter are still out there on waiver wires. Remember, you’re shopping for:

1. Skills/Talent
2. Opportunity

You’re not going to find a player with both. If there is a player available with an opportunity (ie: a role on offense) grab him first. After that grab the most talented players with the easiest path to opportunity.

Eric Decker, Roy Helu or DeMarco Murray

Now we’re in a PPR league with a RB/WR flex. In this format, I’m picking up Eric Decker first. When Dez Bryant went down last week I had to start Jacoby Jones. I’d certainly rather have Decker than Jones, especially since it looks like Kevin Walter will return in Week 3.

But Murray or Helu? That’s a pretty good one. I’ve got a theory here, but with very little empirical evidence. Do you care? I hope not. This is fantasy football, not CSI.

1. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett HATES Tashard Choice. And Choice hasn’t helped himself. He’s been a decent receiver but he’s not looked good running the football. The Cowboys drafted DeMarco Murray for a reason. Felix Jones hasn’t looked great (albeit against two pretty good run defenses) so far this season. Murray could get a shot at a significant role in the Cowboys offense.
2. And then there’s Evil Running Back Scientist Mike Shanahan. This job looks like it’s all Tim Hightower’s right now, correct? That will change at some point. Hightower has reminded everybody that he can only get what’s blocked for him. And he likes to fumble. Roy Helu looked very good in Week 2, and at the end of the preseason. So what gives? Ryan Torain. Yep. Him. Again. If Hightower were to be injured, I think it would be Torain who got his carries while Helu remains in a complementary role. Could Torain then get hurt? Of course, he probably will. Doesn’t every running back these days?

Quite simply I feel that Helu is two injuries away from real fantasy relevance. Murray is only one injury away and it may have already happened. Stay tuned.

Yeah, I know that nothing is more boring than listening to a guy talk about his fantasy teams. But I think a lot of owners will have similar decisions about similar players this week. You’re trying to figure out if either Eric Decker or Denarius Moore is this year’s Steve Johnson. And they very well could be. Or you could be cutting them as soon as the bye weeks hit. Therein, as they say, lies the rub.

I, like the rest of the Internet, am on Twitter

I Am So Smart! S-M-R-T! (Week 1 Edition)

We learned stuff from Week 1 right? Don’t let any amount of beer, chicken wings, blackjack or Ladies of the Night distract you. That’s why you pay all that money for your big TV and the Sunday Ticket. Sure we learned stuff that we already knew. Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees are good. Kerry Collins is not. So what did we learn?

• You don’t waste an early draft pick on a kicker or D/ST. I say it every year. In my main league, the Steelers were the 32nd ranked D/ST with -3 points. The first kicker drafted was Nate Kaeding. He tore his ACL on the opening kickoff and is out for the season. But that’s ok. Because THERE’S ALWAYS A KICKER OR D/ST ON THE WAIVER WIRE! Unless you play in a very deep league, in which case, what do you need me for? You must be pretty good at this already.
• Going into this season I tried to figure out what the effects of the lockout would be on the actual NFL games. In the end I figured that there would be a ton of injuries and that offenses would struggle more than defenses after such a long period of inactivity. I got the injuries thing right. But after one week it looks like the offenses are way ahead of the defenses for the most part. Perhaps the new limitations on padded practices have had an effect. Or it could be that defenses generally play more rookies and younger players who really needed the off-season programs to get them ready.
• Maybe this kickoff thing isn’t a big deal after all. After all of the complaining, it seemed every kick returner was returning kicks from five, six maybe even EIGHT yards deep in the end zone. And they had more success than failures. It was actually kind of exciting watching guys try to return kicks from so deep. It looks like while the length of the average kickoff return might decline, the total number of kickoff returns for TD’s should actually climb.
• Punt returners also went wild in Week 1. Some of this has to be attributed to the number of rookies that play on special teams. With so few practices, it’s not surprising that special teams units across the league were struggling.
• You wait to draft a quarterback in fantasy football. Sure the Big 5 (Rodgers, Vick, Brady, Brees & Rivers) were great in Week 1. But so were Cam Netwon, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Rex Grossman. Not to mention Matthew Stafford, Jay Cutler and Kevin Kolb. There are ALWAYS quality QB’s available in the middle-to-late rounds of fantasy drafts.
• You always start your studs. There were owners out there who tried to get tricky and bench Ray Rice. Not a good idea. When you draft a player (especially in the first few rounds) you are drafting his production for THE ENTIRE SEASON. The only way to ensure that you get that production is to PLAY HIM EVERY WEEK HE IS HEALTHY.
• It’s a good idea to handcuff RB’s you draft in the early rounds, if possible and/or practical. Ben Tate and Cadillac Williams stand as Exhibit A and Exhibit B at this point. Good luck fighting the rest of the owners in your league on the waiver wire.
• When you’re in a Survivor/Eliminator pool (picking games) don’t get cute in Week 1. Pretty much half of all entries everywhere got eliminated by picking the Chiefs or Browns. Had the Cardinals lost, it would have been closer to 2/3 of entries. Nobody knows very much in Week 1. Go with the best possible team early in the year. Even if that means using the Patriots in Week 1 and the Packers in Week 2.
• The Sunday Ticket on Playstation 3 was an excellent idea, poorly executed. Nothing worked correctly until the late games were nearly over, and even then the quality was not nearly what you would hope for $340. Sony and DirecTV acknowledged the problem but it’s unknown if they will compensate customers. If you were affected, use the Google to find out who to contact.
• Rookie QB’s are wildly unpredictable. Cam Newton starred in Week 1 and could do so again in Week 2. Or he could literally get you no points. Newton’s running ability should make him safer than most rookie QB’s, but don’t go crazy. He should be owned in all leagues, but if you can sell-high, I would do so.
• Ron Jaworski dropped an s-bomb live on Monday Night Football (MNF) and it was great. Can’t we get a football game on HBO or something? Do you have any idea how many f-bombs Gruden would drop if given the chance? Can we at least get a director’s cut with Samuel L. Jackson calling the games. Or Dave Chappelle doing his Samuel Jackson calling the games?
• Donovan McNabb did not look good. In a new team, in a new offensive system, he probably shouldn’t have looked very good. But he’s a veteran QB and he looked every bit as bad as Kerry Collins. Both of these guys are going to present problems to their offensive teammates. Well, expect Adrian Peterson. McNabb might be able to keep Percy Harvin relevant while Collins just locks onto Reggie Wayne every play. You can’t go selling the farm yet, especially with the Colts. But it doesn’t look good. I don’t know how you start Austin Collie or Pierre Garcon, much less Michael Jenkins or Visanthe Shiancoe.

Feel free to follow along on the Twitter. More to come as the preparation for Week 2 continues.

It's Not HBO, It's The Wire (Week 2 Edition)

Welcome to The Wire. It’s Week 2, so it is officially time to start tinkering with your fantasy team. You want to proactive, but you also don’t want to overreact. Now before we start picking up any players, you need to evaluate your roster.

1. Do you have any roster space available? This could be space made available due to injury, or maybe you are carrying a second kicker or D/ST.
2. Examine your league’s free agency rules. Do you use a waiver wire system or FAAB? Do you have an acquisition limit or acquisition fees?
3. Do you like to play the match-ups with your kicker or D/ST? If so, those 2 roster spots will be in constant flux for the rest of the season.
4. Do you have upcoming bye week issues? You generally want to deal with these a week before you actually need to.
5. Do you have any trade options? It’s almost always better to get something of value for a player as opposed to just cutting him. Sometimes it’s worth trading a player just to keep him away from a team with a lot of FAAB or a high waiver priority.

Okay. You’ve checked out your roster. Now if you feel that you don’t have any roster spots, that DOES NOT mean you shouldn’t see who is available on the waiver wire. You may find a player that you like more than a player who is on your current team, even if you don’t want to cut anybody. You want to acquire the most valuable players possible, even if you don’t have an immediate use for them. The players we are looking at should be available in at least 50% of fantasy leagues.

Now, onto The Wire, Week 2 Edition. (Players listed in no particular order)

QB

• CHAD HENNE - Henne looked as good as he ever has in his NFL career on Monday night vs. the Patriots. He’s worth adding in all 2-QB leagues and leagues with 14+ teams. Just don’t throw him into your lineup just yet.
• CAM NEWTON - Newton is worth adding in all leagues. He obviously won’t pass for 400+ yards every week, but his upside is obvious. Again, don’t go throwing him into your lineups, but he is going have value in fantasy this year.
• RYAN FITZPATRICK - Fitzpatrick was extremely efficient and threw for 4 TDs. Fitzpatrick should be owned in leagues with 12+ teams and might be worth starting in Week 2 at home vs the Raiders.
• REX GROSSMAN - Grossman had an excellent game, but he was facing a Giants defense decimated by injury, missing over half of their starters. Grossman is worth adding as a QB2 in leagues with 14+ teams. Grossman should be a decent fantasy starter this week at home against an Arizona defense that got shredded by Cam Newton in Week 1.

RB

• BEN TATE - Even if Arian Foster returns in Week 2, Tate should be owned in all leagues. Tate will be one of the most valuable handcuff RB’s and may even have flex value some weeks with Foster healthy. If he’s out there, scoop him up, even if you have to cut somebody you don’t want to.
• CADILLAC WILLIAMS - Cadillac looked excellent filling in for an injured Steven Jackson, but the Eagles defense will be one of the worst in the league against the run. Jackson owners should add Cadillac, as should owners in leagues with 12+ teams. He should be worth using as a flex option in PPR leagues against the Giants in Week 2.
• DARREN SPROLES - This is an add for owners in PPR leagues that award points for return yardage. If you are in one of these type of leagues, Sproles should be your #1 waiver claim. He doesn’t carry much value in other formats with Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas healthy.
• DEXTER MCCLUSTER - McCluster is especially interesting as he might have WR eligibility in your league. Make sure you know that before picking him up. He looks like he could be the 3rd down back for the Chiefs as well as the handcuff for Jamaal Charles. He’s worth adding in PPR leagues with 12+ teams.
• DEJI KARIM - Karim is now the handcuff for Maurice Jones-Drew. He produced 14 carries and 3 catches in Week 1. It looks like he will get some work every week in addition to being the handcuff to MJD. He’s worth adding in PPR leagues with 14+ teams.

WR

• ERIC DECKER, JACOBY JONES & RANDALL COBB - These players should be added in PPR leagues with 12+ teams that award points for return yardage. They will struggle to maintain fantasy value in other formats. Both players have WR’s above them on the depth chart ahead of them with injury issues right now. That could give Decker, Jones & Cobb a short-term boost in value over the next couple of games.
• BRANDON GIBSON, MIKE SIMS-WALKER & GREG SALAS - Danny Amendola may have dodged a season-ending injury, but he still should be out until at least Week 5. Nobody really knows exactly who is going to take on Amendola’s role of being Sam Bradford’s favorite target. My money is on Brandon Gibson, but Mike Sims-Walker might get the first shot. Salas is worth an add in leagues with 14+ teams where Gibson and Sims-Walker are already owned.
• EARLY DOUCET - He got lucky racking up over 100 yards and a TD on only 3 targets. He’s not worth adding unless you’re in a very deep league and have a roster spot to burn.
• JABAR GAFFNEY - Here we go again. Gaffney will probably not amount to more than a WR4 at best in PPR leagues. But he’s pry worth adding in deeper PPR leagues if you need some depth at WR. He could prove to be a decent bye week fill-in.
• NATE BURLESON - Burleson has vacillated between being underrated and overrated throughout his career. It looks like it’s an underrated year this season. Burleson could be a PPR WR3 in the mold of Davone Bess and should be owned in PPR leagues with 12+ teams. At least as long as Matthew Stafford is healthy.
• DEVERY HENDERSON - We’re always cautious on Henderson because he is a notorious “Boom or Bust” player. And Week 1 was a “Boom” week. But Marques Colston is out for at least a month and Lance Moore could be out for Week 2 and even longer. As long as that is the case, Henderson is worth starting in deeper fantasy leagues, especially those that award points for long-yardage plays or TD’s.
• MOHAMED MASSAQUOI - Yep, him again. It’s just as hard to get excited about Massaquoi as it is to spell his name. But he’s the lead WR for the Browns and should be owned in leagues with 14+ teams. He’s still an excellent deep threat, it’s just a matter of Colt McCoy being able to get the ball to him down-field.

TE

• AARON HERNANDEZ - How is this guy available in so many leagues? Even if you can’t play him (say you own Gates, Witten, etc) you need to pick him up. Especially if you can trade in your league. He’s either Tom Brady’s #2 or #3 target. Either way, you want him on your team and not somebody else’s.
• SCOTT CHANDLER - Yeah, we’re pretty sure that Week 1 was a fluke. But you never know. In leagues with 14+ teams and deep benches, Chandler might be worth a roster stash if you have the space.
• FRED DAVIS - We’ve all known that Davis was a good fantasy TE for a long time. He’s thrived whenever he’s replaced Chris Cooley. The Redskins used a 2-TE set on 80% of their offensive plays in Week 1 and have indicated that they intend to continue to do so. If Davis is on the field that much, he could post low-end TE1 numbers, even with Cooley healthy. That makes him worth adding in any league where you need some depth at TE with decent upside.
• DUSTIN KELLER - Sure he was on a milk carton for the 2nd half of last season. But he’s Mark Sanchez’s safety blanket and he sees a decent amount of red-zone targets. He’s not an every-week starter right now. But he could very well finish as a top-12 TE. He’s worth adding in most leagues in you need depth at TE or even a spot starter.
• JERMAINE GRESHAM - Gresham is another high draft pick that everybody knows has talent. In Week 1 Gresham looked to be no worse than the #2 option in the Bengals passing game. That’s not very sexy, but it should provide him with some nice fantasy numbers, especially in PPR leagues. He’s another guy worth adding if you have any needs at the TE position.

D/ST (One Week Adds For Week 2)

• DALLAS COWBOYS (@ 49ERS)
• NEW YORK GIANTS (vs RAMS)
• WASHINGTON REDSKINS (vs CARDINALS)
• OAKLAND RAIDERS (@ BILLS)
• HOUSTON TEXANS (@ DOLPHINS)

K (One Week Adds For Week 2)

• JON KASAY
• ROBBIE GOULD
• MATT BRYANT
• SHAUN SUISHAM
• JASON HANSON

Now I’m sure that I missed somebody in your league. Sorry, that’s the deal with fantasy football. Almost every league is different. If you know of somebody I missed, call me out on the Twitter. I’m already aware of all of the stuff I’ve already screwed up, but feel free to remind me. Good luck to all.

HBO and The Wire are registered trademarks of the Home Box Office Company, All Rights Reserved.

Thank You Ms. Cleo (2011 NFL Edition)

“Well would you jump off the Brooklyn Bridge if such and such did?” Bet you heard that from a parent or adult at some point when you were a kid. Maybe it was jumping off a cliff, or stepping front of a train. The point was the same. You shouldn’t always follow the crowd. Of course now, that’s precisely what we do. Down to the point of literally “following” people on Twitter.

The stock market follows the hot lead. Fantasy sports players follow the hot pick-up. Kids in school want the stuff they see on TV. So don’t fool yourself, jumping off of the Brooklyn Bridge is exactly what most people do. Why? Because everybody else is doing it.

I figure you just have to be smart enough to evaluate the situation. Maybe everybody is jumping off of the Brooklyn Bridge because you receive a million dollars for doing so. Go ahead and jump, just bring some scuba gear and a parachute.

Why all the nonsense? Because I’m going to write something that’s been written thousands of times in the past few weeks. Not usually a big fan of jumping on the bandwagon. But I figure that so many people are writing this piece because people really enjoy reading it. So without further ado…..

My Bold/Crazy/Wild Predictions/Prognostications/Guesses

AKA

Thank You Ms. Cleo

I’m going to say something about each NFL team. These are things I believe WILL happen this season. Now would I lay even money on these propositions? Probably not. But I’m not laying even money to bet on any team to win the Super Bowl, why should this be any different.

ARIZONA CARDINALS

• Larry Fitzgerald will lead the NFL in receptions
• LaRod Stephens-Howling will total over 1,000 yards from scrimmage

ATLANTA FALCONS

• Michael Turner will fail to record 1,200 yards or 10 TD’s
• Julio Jones will be the Offensive Rookie of the Year

BALTIMORE RAVENS

• Ray Rice will be the #1 fantasy RB in PPR leagues
• Lee Evans will exceed 1,000 yards receiving and 6 TD’s

BUFFALO BILLS

• Steve Johnson exceeds 1,200 yards receiving
• The Bills fail to win 5 games

CAROLINA PANTHERS

• Neither DeAngelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart finish as a top-15 RB in fantasy leagues
• Steve Smith 1.0 fails to exceed 1,000 yards or 6 TD’s
• Greg Olsen catches more than 60 passes

CHICAGO BEARS

• No Bears WR records 1,000 yards or 6 TD’s
• Mario Barber scores 8 or more TD’s

CINCINNATI BENGALS

• No Bengals WR exceeds 900 yards receiving
• Cedric Benson fails to rush for 1,000 yards or score 6 TD’s
• Jordan Shipley scores more fantasy points than AJ Green or Jerome Simpson

CLEVELAND BROWNS

• Peyton Hillis shakes off the Madden Curse to record 1,500 yards from scrimmage and 10+ TD’s
• TE Evan Moore posts surprising totals of 600+ yards and 5 TD’s

DALLAS COWBOYS

• Tony Romo finishes as a top-5 fantasy QB
• Miles Austin and Dez Bryant both exceed 1,000 yards receiving and 6 TD’s
• Felix Jones plays at least 14 games and posts solid RB2 numbers, especially in PPR leagues
• Jason Witten finishes outside of the top-7 at TE in standard fantasy leagues

DENVER BRONCOS

• Knowshon Moreno and Willis McGahee combine for over 2,000 yards rushing and 15+ TD’s
• Kyle Orton finishes the season as the starting QB, starting all 16 games

DETROIT LIONS

• Matthew Stafford starts at least 13 games
• Calvin Johnson finishes the year as the #1 WR in standard fantasy leagues
• Jahvid Best does NOT lead the Lions in rushing yards

GREEN BAY PACKERS

• Greg Jennings struggles until Jermichael Finley gets hurt, then puts up WR1 numbers the rest of the season.
• Jermichael Finley fails to play in at least 10 games
• Jordy Nelson has more yards, receptions and TD’s than James Jones or Donald Driver

HOUSTON TEXANS

• Arian Foster plays in at least 14 games and finishes as a top-10 RB in fantasy leagues.
• Andre Johnson misses at least 2 games and still finishes as a top-5 fantasy WR
• Derrick Ward records more carries than Ben Tate

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

• Peyton Manning starts 16 games. He struggles for the first month, before putting up MVP-caliber numbers for the last 12 games.
• Pierre Garcon finishes with more fantasy points than Austin Collie
• Joseph Addai fails to start 12 games

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

• Maurice Jones-Drew plays in at least 14 games and finishes as a top-12 fantasy RB
• Mike Thomas exceeds 1,000 yards receiving
• Mercedes Lewis fails to score at least 6 TD’s

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

• Dwayne Bowe fails to finish as a top-12 fantasy WR
• Jamaal Charles does not finish as a top-7 RB in standard fantasy leagues
• Matt Cassel doesn’t finish as a top-20 fantasy QB

MIAMI DOLPHINS

• Daniel Thomas scores more fantasy points than Reggie Bush, despite Reggie Bush starting more games
• Brandon Marshall finishes as a top-5 WR in PPR leagues
• Davone Bess finishes as a top-30 WR in PPR leagues

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

• Adrian Peterson continues to dominate and finishes as a top-3 fantasy RB
• Percy Harvin finishes as a top-15 WR in PPR leagues
• Donovan McNabb starts at least 14 games

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

• No Patriots RB finishes as a top-20 fantasy option
• Both Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez finish as top-12 fantasy TE’s
• Chad Ochocinco fails to record 1,000 yards or 6 TD’s

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

• Pierre Thomas scores more fantasy points than Mark Ingram in PPR leagues
• Robert Meachem leads the Saints WR’s in fantasy points
• Jimmy Graham finishes as a top-7 option at TE
• The Saints D/ST is a top-10 fantasy unit

NEW YORK GIANTS

• Brandon Jacobs scores more fantasy points than Ahmad Bradshaw in standard fantasy leagues
• Mario Manningham finishes as a top-20 WR in PPR leagues
• Hakeem Nicks is a top-5 WR in fantasy leagues

NEW YORK JETS

• Shonn Greene fails to score 10 TD’s
• Santonio Holmes is a top-12 WR in standard leagues
• Plaxico Burress fails to finish in the top-30 at WR in fantasy leagues

OAKLAND RAIDERS

• Darren McFadden finishes as a top-7 RB in fantasy leagues
• Michael Bush scores at least 10 TD’s
• Jacoby Ford exceeds 1,000 yards receiving

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

• Mike Vick fails to finish as a top-5 fantasy QB
• LeSean McCoy finishes as a top-5 RB in PPR leagues
• Jeremy Maclin scores more fantasy points than DeSean Jackson
• Jason Avant scores more fantasy points than Steve Smith 2.0

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

• Issac Redman starts at least 4 games at RB
• Mike Wallace leads the NFL in receiving yards
• Emmanuel Sanders scores more fantasy points than Antonio Brown or Hines Ward

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

• Philip Rivers finishes as the #1 fantasy QB
• Mike Tolbert has more fantasy points than Ryan Matthews
• Vincent Jackson is a top-7 fantasy WR

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

• Sidney Rices fails to finish as a top-30 fantasy WR
• Marshawn Lynch fails to exceed 1,200 total yards or 6 total TD’s

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

• No 49ers WR finishes in the top-30 in fantasy leagues
• Vernon Davis finishes as a top-3 fantasy TE
• Kendall Hunter starts at least 3 games at RB

ST. LOUIS RAMS

• Sam Bradford finishes as a top-12 fantasy QB
• Danny Amendola finishes as a top-20 WR in PPR leagues
• Steven Jackson finishes as a top-10 fantasy RB

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

• LeGarrette Blount finishes as a top-12 fantasy RB in standard leagues
• Kellen Winslow is a top-5 fantasy TE
• Dezmon Briscoe scores more fantasy points than Arrelious Benn

TENNESSEE TITANS

• Chris Johnson fails to start at least two games due to injury
• TE Jared Cook leads the Titans in receptions
• Kenny Britt fails to start 12 games at WR
• Matt Hasselbeck starts at least 13 games at QB

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

• At least 3 RB’s start games for the Redskins
• Tim Hightower finishes with the most fantasy points among Redskins RB’s but does not finish the season as the starting RB
• Santana Moss does not finish as a top-20 WR in standard leagues

See? Not particularly bold overall, but these thoughts have certainly had a part in shaping my fantasy teams. It’s probably not a bad idea for you to make a list like that of your own. It could help. Besides, everybody else is doing it.

Join the crowd, follow along on the Twitter.

Running Back Handcuffs

UPDATED: September 4, 2011
NOTE: Starting RB is Goal line RB if none is listed

ARIZONA CARDINALS
STARTING RB - Beanie Wells
3RD DOWN RB - LaRod Stephens-Howling
HANDCUFF - LaRod Stephens-Howling

ATLANTA FALCONS
STARTING RB - Michael Turner
3RD DOWN RB - Jason Snelling
HANDCUFF 1 - Jason Snelling
HANDCUFF 2 - Jacquizz Rodgers

BALTIMORE RAVENS
STARTING RB - Ray Rice
3RD DOWN RB - Ray Rice
HANDCUFF - Ricky Williams

BUFFALO BILLS
STARTING RB - Fred Jackson
3RD DOWN RB - CJ Spiller
HANDCUFF - CJ Spiller

CAROLINA PANTHERS
STARTING RB - DeAngelo Williams
3RD DOWN RB - DeAngelo Williams
HANDCUFF 1 - Jonathan Stewart
HANDCUFF 2 - Mike Goodson
GOAL LINE RB - Jonathan Stewart

CHICAGO BEARS
STARTING RB - Matt Forte
3RD DOWN RB - Matt Forte
HANDCUFF - Marion Barber
GOAL LINE RB - Mario Barber

CINCINNATI BENGALS
STARTING RB - Cedric Benson
3RD DOWN RB - Bernard Scott
HANDCUFF - Bernard Scott

CLEVELAND BROWNS
STARTING RB - Peyton Hills
3RD DOWN RB - Peyton Hillis
HANDCUFF - Montario Hardesty

DALLAS COWBOYS
STARTING RB - Felix Jones
3RD DOWN RB - Felix Jones
HANDCUFF 1 - DeMarco Murray
HANDCUFF 2 - Tashard Choice

DENVER BRONCOS
STARTING RB -Knowshon Moreno
3RD DOWN RB - Knowshon Moreno
HANDCUFF - Willis McGahee
GOAL LINE RB - Willis McGahee

DETROIT LIONS
STARTING RB - Jahvid Best
3RD DOWN RB - Jahvid Best
HANDCUFF 1 - Jerome Harrison
HANDCUFF 2 - Maurice Morris
HANDCUFF 3 - Aaron Brown

GREEN BAY PACKERS
STARTING RB - Ryan Grant
3RD DOWN RB - James Starks
HANDCUFF - James Starks

HOUSTON TEXANS
STARTING RB - Arian Foster
3RD DOWN RB - Arian Foster
HANDCUFF 1 - Derrick Ward
HANDCUFF 2 - Ben Tate
HANDCUFF 3 - Steve Slaton

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
STARTING RB - Joseph Addai
3RD DOWN RB - Joseph Addai
HANDCUFF 1 - Delone Carter
HANDCUFF 2 - Donald Brown

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
STARTING RB - Maurice Jones-Drew
3RD DOWN RB - Maurice Jones-Drew
HANDCUFF 1 - Deji Karim
HANDCUFF 2 - DuJuan Harris

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
STARTING RB - Jamaal Charles
3RD DOWN RB - Dexter McCluster
HANDCUFF - Thomas Jones
GOAL LINE RB - Thomas Jones

MIAMI DOLPHINS
STARTING RB - Reggie Bush
3RD DOWN RB - Reggie Bush
HANDCUFF 1 - Daniel Thomas
HANDCUFF 2 - Lex Hilliard
GOAL LINE RB - Daniel Thomas

MINNESOTA VIKINGS
STARTING RB - Adrian Peterson
3RD DOWN RB - Adrian Peterson
HANDCUFF - Toby Gerhart

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
STARTING RB - BenJarvus Green-Ellis
3RD DOWN RB - Danny Woodhead
HANDCUFF 1 - Stevan Ridley
HANDCUFF 2 - Shane Vereen

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
STARTING RB - Mark Ingram
3RD DOWN RB - Darren Sproles
HANDCUFF - Pierre Thomas

NEW YORK GIANTS
STARTING RB - Ahmad Bradshaw
3RD DOWN RB - Ahmad Bradshaw
HANDCUFF - Brandon Jacobs
GOAL LINE RB - Brandon Jacobs

NEW YORK JETS
STARTING RB - Shonn Greene
3RD DOWN RB - LaDainian Tomlinson
HANDCUFF 1 - LaDainian Tomlinson
HANDCUFF 2 - Joe McKnight

OAKLAND RAIDERS
STARTING RB - Darren McFadden
3RD DOWN RB - Darren McFadden
HANDCUFF - Michael Bush
GOAL LINE BACK - Michael Bush

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
STARTING RB - LeSean McCoy
3RD DOWN RB - LeSean McCoy
HANDCUFF - Ronnie Brown

PITTSBURGH STEELERS
STARTING RB - Rashard Mendenhall
3RD DOWN RB - Mwelde Moore
HANDCUFF - Isaac Redman

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
STARTING RB - Ryan Matthews
3RD DOWN RB - Mike Tolbert
HANDCUFF - Mike Tolbert
GOAL LINE RB - Mike Tolbert

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
STARTING RB - Marshawn Lynch
3RD DOWN RB - Justin Forsett
HANDCUFF 1 - Justin Forsett
HANDCUFF 2 - Leon Washington

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
STARTING RB - Frank Gore
3RD DOWN RB - Frank Gore
HANDCUFF 1 - Kendall Hunter
HANDCUFF 2 - Anthony Dixon

ST. LOUIS RAMS
STARTING RB - Steven Jackson
3RD DOWN RB - Jerious Norwood
HANDCUFF - Cadillac Williams

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
STARTING RB - LeGarrette Blount
3RD DOWN RB - Earnest Graham
HANDCUFF 1 - Kregg Lumpkin
HANDCUFF 2 - Allen Bradford

TENNESSEE TITANS
STARTING RB - Chris Johnson
3RD DOWN RB - Chris Johnson
HANDCUFF 1 - Javon Ringer
HANDCUFF 2 - Jamie Harper

WASHINGTON REDSKINS
STARTING RB - Tim Hightower
3RD DOWN RB - Tim Hightower
HANDCUFF 1 - Roy Helu
HANDCUFF 2 - Ryan Torain

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