Adrian Peterson, Viking Pillager: Fantasy Monsters of NFL Week 17

RB Adrian Peterson

     Adrian Peterson didn't break the single season rushing record this Sunday, he came up 9 yards short.  He didn't even lead running backs in fantasy scoring this week.  Never the less, Peterson deserves recognition for the amazing season he put together.  Peterson ran for over 2000 yards this season, putting him in very elite company.  He also led a team with little healthy offensive talent to the playoffs.  There were games where Peterson WAS the Viking offense.  He did all this while coming back from a season ending knee injury.  An injury that could have ended a lesser man's career.  In my mind, there is no other candidate for MVP.  Peterson pillaged 33.10 fantasy points from the Packers in Yahoo standard leagues on Sunday.  He ran for 199 yards and had 2 touchdowns.

QB Drew Brees

     Drew Brees led all quarterbacks this week in fantasy scoring.  The Saints had a disappointing season this year, marred by the player bounty scandal.  Drew Brees however, maintained his status as one of the most prolific fantasy scorers in the league.  Brees threw for 396 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception in the season finale vs. Carolina.  Brees brought in 34.84 fantasy points for his owners in a losing effort vs. the Panthers.  Eli Manning also had a huge game at quarterback for the Giants Sunday.  The Giants needed a win over the maligned Eagles and a little help from the Lions, to get in the playoffs.  Eli threw for 208 yards and 5 touchdowns as the Giants shellacked Philadelphia 42-7.  Manning reaped 33.32 fantasy points from the Eagles, but the Lions could not come through on the help.  As a result, the defending Super Bowl champs will not be in the playoffs this year.

QB Eli Manning

     Michael Crabtree was the marquee wide receiver of the week.  Crabtree led all wideouts in fantasy scoring with 37.20 points.  He has become the favorite receiver of first year starting QB Colin Kaepernick.  With the injury to Mario Manningham last week, Kaepernick leaned on Crabtree even more vs. the Cardinals.  Crabtree had 8 receptions for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns as San Francisco beat up on Arizona 27-13.  Another wide receiver who had a monster game was Greg Jennings.  Jennings helped keep the Packers in striking distance of the Vikings with 8 receptions, 120 yards, and 2 touchdowns.  Jennings made his fantasy owners happy with 32 points.  Unfortunately for the Packers, the Vikings were able to kick a field goal in the final seconds of the game to bring home the victory.  The two teams will meet again in the first round of the playoffs.

RB Alfred Morris

     Alfred Morris stomped out the Cowboys playoff hopes Sunday night.  Morris put the beatdown on the Dallas defense, running for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns.  He led all NFL players in fantasy points with 41.20.  Morris saved his best performance of the year for the last game of the season.  With RG3 playing injured and a playoff spot on the line, the rookie came through when his team needed him the most.  DeAngelo Williams also ran wild on Sunday.  He had 210 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns as the Panthers outscored New Orleans 44-38.  Williams finished the day with 34.30 fantasy points in Yahoo standard leagues.
     Jimmy Graham finally made it to the end zone Sunday in the stand out performance at tight end this week.  Graham, who has been playing with an injured wrist, had not reached the end zone in 5 straight games.  He hauled in 9 receptions for 115 yards and the touchdown.  Graham got 26.50 fantasy points for those who stuck with him.
     Blair Walsh and Graham Gano tied for most fantasy points at the kicker position this week.  Walsh, who has been the leading fantasy kicker frequently, kicked the winning field goal for the Vikings with seconds left in the game.  He had 3 field goals, one for over 50 yards, and 4 extra points.  Gano had 3 field goals and 5 extra points as Carolina defeated the Saints 44-38.  They each scored 14 fantasy points in Yahoo standard leagues.
     Tennessee surprised everyone with a dominant performance on defense vs. the Jags.  The Titans had 7 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 2 touchdowns on Sunday.  They also had another 2 touchdowns on special teams returns.  Tennessee blew up Jacksonville on D for 39 fantasy points.
     Congratulations to everyone who finished off there fantasy season with a championship win!

NFL Week 17 Fantasy Predictions: Top 5 Over/Under

     Most fantasy football leagues ended last week, but there are a few that go all the way through week 17.  I figured I would do a prediction piece for it just in case there was some interest.  Here are my top 5 predictions for both over and under projected fantasy scores:

                                                                  OVER

QB Tony Romo

QB Tony Romo (projected 23.24 fantasy points)-  Romo is going to have to have a huge game to get his team past the Redskins and into the playoffs.  He certainly has the ability, but he does have that history of choking in big moments.  The Redskins secondary is beatable and even with DeMarco Murray back, Romo will have to throw the ball a ton.  I don't think the Cowboys pull this one out, but I expect it to go down to the wire.

RB CJ Spiller (projected 22.02 fantasy points)-  The Jets are weak against the run and Spiller tore them up in their meeting earlier in the year.  Both these teams have pretty much thrown in the towel, so I don't expect the Jets defense to put up much of a fight.   They have already made every other running back in the league look like Barry Sanders and I don't expect that to start changing now.

RB LeSean McCoy (projected 18.45 fantasy points)-  I expect McCoy and the Eagles to show up for this game.  I think they would enjoy spoiling their rival Giants playoff hopes.  It will also be Andy Reid's last game as Head Coach.  They have the motivation to play hard and the Giants have not been good lately vs. the run.  I think McCoy has a big game.

WR James Jones

WR James Jones (projected 9.64 fantasy points)- Jones has had a couple of monster games this month.  Minnesota is weak against the pass and Rodgers throws the ball a lot.  The Green Bay receiver corps. is still a bit banged up, which could mean more opportunities for Jones.

RB Alfred Morris (projected 12.23 fantasy points)-  Morris has become an even bigger part of the Redskin offense since RG3 got injured.  I think that will continue to be the case this week.  Dallas is not great vs. the run and he will get his usually opportunities because the Cowboys will still have to account for RG3.

                                                             UNDER

RB Arian Foster

RB Arian Foster (projected 22.38 fantasy points)-  The whole arrhythmia thing scares me with Foster.   The Texans claim he is 100%, but I don't think it would be wise for them to give him a full workload right off the bat.  I would not be surprised if they limit his touches, they are going to need him in the playoffs.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw (projected 16.13 fantasy points)-  Bradshaw is not 100% healthy and the Eagles have been good vs. the run lately.  He will also share carries with Wilson.

TE Jimmy Graham (projected 15.80 fantasy points)-  Graham is playing with a wrist injury that has really limited his production this year.  He hasn't scored a touchdown in 5 games.  He was finally able to meet his projections last Sunday after falling short for the prior 4 weeks.  That's a good sign, but I wouldn't expect too much from him at this point.

WR Larry Fitzgerald

WR Larry Fitzgerald (projected 13.34 fantasy points)-  Fitzgerald is a true professional, it amazes me how he has been able to keep cool with the debacle at the quarterback position for the Cardinals.  It's a shame to see such a good wide receiver go to waste.  Unfortunately I don't see things getting better for him vs. the Niners.  San Francisco has one of the leagues best defenses and will be pissed off after getting embarrassed by Seattle last week.

TE Tony Gonzalez (projected 12.55 fantasy points)-  Tampa Bay's secondary is horrible, but I just don't see any reason for Tony to play much in this game.  I don't think Atlanta will risk exposing him to the chance of injury when they will need him in the playoffs.

Good Luck to everyone playing in their finals this week!

NFL Week 16 Fantasy Football High Fives, Brofists and Bombs: Victory Edition

     NFL week 16 marked the championship game in my league.  After finishing 11-2 in the regular season, I entered the playoffs with the number 1 seed.  I had a bye week the first round of the playoffs and then won in the second round, putting me in the finals of my 12 team league.    It was an exciting weekend of football watching in my house, culminating in the Sunday night Niners vs. Seahawks game.  I had over a thirty point lead going into Sunday night.  My opponent still had 2 players left to play and my team was done playing.  I felt I had a decent chance to win at that point because both his players were 49'ers, Michael Crabtree and Frank Gore.  Seattle has been playing well lately and are virtually unbeatable at home.  My instincts were right, Seattle shut down the Niners offense and dominated at home 42-13.  Despite great performances from Matt Ryan, the Chicago defense, James Jones, and LeSean Mccoy, my opponent was not able to catch my team.  He was done in by unusually bad performances from Victor Cruz, Aaron Hernandez, Stevie Johnson, Crabtree, and Gore.  The final score was 161.02 to 140.96.   Here are my awards for player performance in the championship match:

                                                          HIGH FIVES

If a player exceeded his projections, he gets the ultimate celebratory affirmation of one's prowess, the high five.

RB Alfred Morris

RB#2 Alfred Morris- Morris continued his impressive rookie season with a dominant performance vs. Philadelphia on Sunday.  Morris had 81 yards and a touchdown vs. the Eagles.  He overachieved his projections by 4 points.

WR#2 Eric Decker-  Decker seems to have gotten back on Peyton Manning's good side. Decker followed up a brilliant performance last week vs. the Ravens with another 2 touchdown game vs. the Browns.  He also had 6 catches for 65 yards, overachieving his projections by nearly 10 points.

DEFENSE: San Diego Chargers-  My league commissioner locks our rosters in the playoffs so I had to scout ahead to find a good defensive matchup for the finals. I had the Chargers D for the last few weeks of the regular season and decided their week 16 matchup vs. the Jets was a matchup too good to pass up.  Keeping the Chargers as my defense really paid off.  The San Diego D sacked first time starter QB Greg Mcelroy an astounding 11 times.  Special teams also ran back a punt for a touchdown.  San Diego reaped 23 points from the Jets for me.  They were projected to score 11.33 points.

                                                            BROFISTS

If a player meets or comes near to meeting his projections, he gets the modern day version of the ass smack, the brofist.

TE Jimmy Graham

 WR#1 AJ Green-  I had my doubts about Green being able to put up decent numbers vs. the Steelers. Andy Dalton had a horrible game vs. Philly the week before and he has few options other than Green left to throw the ball to because of injuries.  However, Green was able to prove me wrong.  He didn't score a touchdown, but he had 10 receptions for 116 yards.  Green met his projections by scoring 19.60 fantasy points.  A fumble cost him a point.

TE Jimmy Graham-  Graham still was not able to get in the end zone, but he was able to finally meet his projections this week. Graham had a big game vs. the Cowboys.  He recovered a fumble by his own teammate in overtime, setting up the game winning field goal.  Unfortunately there is no fantasy translation for me.  Graham had 7 receptions for 88 yards.

                                                              BOMBS

If a player does not come any where near his projections, he gets nuked...

FLEX DeMarco Murray- Murray fumbled for the second straight game on Sunday and did not score a touchdown.  He was only able to get 40 yard rushing on a bad New Orleans defense.  He did have 4 receptions for 51 yards, but underachieved his projections by 10 points.

Overall, my team beat its' projected score by 3 points.  Winning the league championship meant I swept the top 3 purses in my league.  One for best record in the regular season, most points scored in the regular season, and the championship purse.  All in all as very successful season for me, mostly because I did a lot of research pre-draft and was aggressive in making waiver acquisitions to strengthen my roster.

Dez Bryant: Graft This- Fantasy Monsters of NFL Week 16

WR Dez Bryant

      Dez Bryant made headlines this week when Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reported that Bryant may need a bone graft to repair his broken finger.  The injury, which Bryant has been playing through, didn't stop him from lighting up the fantasy world in week 16.  Bryant led all players in Yahoo standard leagues with 43.40 fantasy points.  He had 9 catches for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Unfortunately for Bryant, his team was unable to pull out the win.  The Cowboys fell to New Orleans 34-31 in overtime.
      Bryant wasn't the only injured wideout who came up big for his owners.  Roddy White had a huge game vs. the Detroit Lions Saturday night.  White, who has never missed a game in his NFL career, has been playing through a knee injury.  White made the Detroit secondary look like chumps, catching 8 passes for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns.  He reaped 35.30 fantasy points for his owners as the Falcons spanked the Lions 31-18.

QB Aaron Rodgers

      Tony Romo led all quarterbacks in fantasy scoring in week 16.  Romo got into a shootout with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.  He threw for 416 yards and 4 touchdowns, no interceptions.  Romo won the stats battle, but lost the war as the Cowboys fell in overtime to the Saints.  He scored 36.64 fantasy points for his fantasy owners.  Aaron Rodgers was another quarterback who made a big fantasy impact in NFL week 16.  Rodgers torched the Tennessee Titans, throwing for 342 yards, 3 passing and 1 rushing touchdown.  Green Bay embarrassed the Titans 55-7 as Rodgers brought in 35.78 fantasy points in Yahoo standard leagues.

RB Reggie Bush

     Reggie Bush blew up on Buffalo Bills this week, topping all running backs with 32.70 fantasy points in Yahoo standard leagues.  Bush ran for 65 yards, 1 touchdown and had 4 receptions for 42 yards, 2 touchdowns.  He led the Dolphins to a 24-10 win over a miserable Buffalo Bills team.  Jamaal Charles also came up big in the running back slot on Sunday.  Charles ran for 226 yards and a touchdown in a losing effort vs. the Indianapolis Colts.  He scored 28 fantasy points for his owners this week in Yahoo standard leagues.
      Lance Kendricks of the St. Louis Rams led tight ends in scoring in week 16.  Most of Kendricks 21.90 fantasy points came when QB Sam Bradford connected with him for an 80 yard touchdown play.  Kendricks has not been fantasy relevant this year, but that may change in seasons to come if he can develop chemistry with Bradford.  The Rams beat up on a nose diving Tampa Bay Bucs team, 28-13.
     Blair Walsh was the top kicker in NFL week 16 with 14 fantasy points.  He had 3 field goals, one for over 50 yards, and 2 extra points.  The Vikings upset the Texans 23-6.
     The Chicago Bears had the stand out defensive performance of the week.  The Bears dominated the Arizona Cardinals 28-13.  The defense accounted for 2 touchdowns, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery.  The Bears D was able to reap 27 fantasy points from the debacle that is the Arizona Cardinals.
   Congrats to all those who won their league championships this week.  I got an early Christmas present myself with my first football league title.  Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all! 

NFL Week 16 Fantasy Predictions: Top 5 Over/Under

  NFL Week 16 marks the championship match in many leagues, including mine.  This week's games also have playoff implications beyond fake football. All in all, it should make for an exciting weekend of football.  Here are my top 5 predictions for over/under projections in Yahoo standard leagues:

                                                                OVER

QB Tom Brady

QB Tom Brady (projected 22.34 fantasy points)- I expect Brady to take his wrath out on the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday.  The Patriots were not happy about getting embarrassed at home for most of the game by second year QB Colin Kaepernick last week.  New England likes to run up the score and they will get the opportunity vs. a horrible Jacksonville team.

TE Aaron Hernandez (projected 15.19 fantasy points) - Rob Gronkowski will not play again this week.  Hernandez has seen increased opportunities while Gronkowski has been out. I would expect that to continue this week.

WR Brandon Lloyd (projected 15.18 fantasy points)- Are you seeing the trend here?  Lloyd has been on fire lately and has finally started to meet the expectations for him since he came to New England.  Lloyd and Brady are developing chemistry, which could be significant as the Patriots make a push in the playoffs for another super bowl appearance.

WR Demaryius Thoms

WR Demaryius Thomas (projected 15.53 fantasy points)-  Thomas has had a couple of rough weeks, but make no mistake, he is Peyton Manning's favorite receiver.  Look for him to have a big game vs. a Cleveland team that has given up the 5th most fantasy points to wide receivers this year.

RB DeAngelo Williams (projected 11.19 fantasy points)- Jonathan Stewart is questionable to play again Sunday, so Williams probably won't lose many touches, if any.  Williams has been hot lately and Oakland is a good matchup.

                                                              UNDER

WR Roddy White (projected 18.26 fantasy points)- Roddy is still banged up.  I think he will play, but he is definitely not 100%.  Detroit is a good matchup for White, but again, he is playing injured.

RG3

QB RG3 (projected 22.57 fantasy points)-  RG3 will probably play this weekend vs. Philly, but he is not 100%.  His mobility will be limited and the Eagles defense has been better lately.

QB Colin Kaepernick (projected 19.96 fantasy points)-  Seattle is the toughest place to play in the league.  They are undefeated at home this year and have a great defense.  This will be a close, low scoring game.  I don't expect Kaepernick to be able to match this projection.

WR AJ Green (projected 19.16 fantasy points)-  Pittsburgh is still a good defense and was able to neutralize Green earlier in the year.  Cincinnati is also thin at wide receiver due to injuries, which means Green will get even more attention from the Pittsburgh secondary.  I have AJ Green on my fantasy team and I will still be starting him regardless of my feeling that he will not meet this projection.  He is just too good to sit.

QB Andy Dalton

QB Andy Dalton (projected 16.70 fantasy points)-  Dalton struggled mightily vs. the Eagles last week.  Pittsburgh is an even tougher defense and Dalton's targets are limited because of injuries to Bengal wide receivers.  AJ Green was the only Bengal wide receiver to catch a pass from Dalton last week.  Dalton will need to develop chemistry with his other remaining wide receivers quick for the Bengals to have a chance at winning in the playoffs.

Good luck to all those battling for their league championship this week!

Championship Bound: NFL Week 15 Fantasy Football High Fives, Brofists, and Bombs

    My team was able to pull out the win in the second round of the playoffs this week.  The final score was 148.54 to 130.34 and both teams saw surprise lapses in performance from key starters.  NFL week 15 definitely made things interesting, here are the performance awards for my starters:

                                                           HIGH FIVES
If a player exceeded his projections, he gets the ultimate celebratory affirmation of one's prowess, the high five.

WR Eric Decker

WR #2 Eric Decker- Decker came up really big this week. There is an old adage in fantasy sports, always stick with your studs.  That's exactly what I did this week with Decker, and it payed off big time.  Decker seemed to have fallen out of favor with Peyton Manning a few weeks ago.  He did not meet his projections for 4 games in a row, weeks 10-13.  He had a good game in week 14, but Demaryius Thomas was temporarily injured, leading to more targets for Decker.  Baltimore, although injured riddled, is still a good defense.   It was very tempting to sit Decker for another option.  Fortunately, in this case, my options for wide receiver on my bench were not very good.  Losing Percy Harvin to IR hurt my depth at receiver.  My league commish locks the rosters for the playoffs, so picking up someone off waivers was not an option.  I have Donnie Avery and Andrew Hawkins on my bench.  Both have the ability to put up good numbers, but are wildly inconsistent.  If I was going to sub Decker it probably would have been for Avery because of his match up.  The Houston secondary gives up decent fantasy points to wide receivers.  The reason I didn't go with Avery was because the Patriots made Houston look like chumps the week before and the Texans had something to prove going into the game vs. the Colts.  I was already starting TY Hilton in my #3 WR slot,  I wasn't going to chance having two receivers under perform because the Texans were able to get to Andrew Luck.  I stuck with Decker and he brought in 27.30 fantasy points, he was projected at 14.38.  Decker had 8 receptions, 133 yards, and a touchdown.

WR #3 TY Hilton-  Hilton has the ability to make explosive plays.  That is exactly what he did vs. Houston on Sunday.  Hilton hooked up with QB Andrew Luck for a 61 yard touchdown catch.  He totaled 3 receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown.  Hilton cleared his projection by 6 fantasy points in his team's losing effort vs. Houston.

RB Alfred Morris

RB #2 Alfred Morris-  I had a feeling with RG3 out, Morris would have a big game.  RG3 tends to take goal line opportunities away from Morris.  Morris didn't disappoint, running for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns.  He also had 2 receptions for 6 yards.  Morris was a big part of the Redskin's win over Cleveland.  He reaped 23.30 fantasy points for the cause on Sunday, overachieving his projected 14.14.

FLEX DeMarco Murray-  Murray is another example of the always start your studs adage.  Murray had a tough matchup vs. the Steelers on Sunday.  Pittsburgh is still a little banged up, but they are excellent vs. the run.  I stuck with Murray because Romo would still pass the ball often and Murray is the dump off guy.  I get points for running back receptions in my league, so Murray was still viable in my mind.  I have to admit, I got second thoughts when Murray fumbled early in the game in the redzone, but he pulled it together and had a great game for the Cowboys.  Murray was projected at 13.50 and brought in 19.20 fantasy points.  He ran for 81 yards, 1 touchdown and had 4 receptions for 31 yards.

                                                            BROFISTS
If a player meets or comes near to meeting his projections, he gets the modern day version of the ass smack, the brofist.

WR#1 AJ Green-  Green was one of the few bright spots in an ugly win for Cincinnati on Thursday night.  Green was the only wide receiver to catch a pass from QB Andy Dalton the whole night.  The Bengal's wide receiver corps. is riddled with injuries.  Green came within 2 points of meeting his projections bringing home 17.70 fantasy points.  He caught 6 passes for 57 yards and 1 touchdown.

                                                               BOMBS
If a player does not come any where near his projections, he gets nuked...

QB Matthew Stafford

QB Matthew Stafford-  I watched this game and I have to say the Lions looked a lot like my home town Jets this past Sunday.  Stafford had a horrible game, throwing 3 interceptions, 2 of which resulted in Arizona touchdowns.  The Lions pretty much beat themselves in week 15 as Arizona doesn't even have a viable starting quarterback.  Mistakes and a lack of discipline led to the Arizona defense dominating this game.  Megatron is Stafford's only viable target at this point.  Detroit has been decimated by injuries at wide receiver this season.  Stafford underachieved his projection by over 11 points.

RB #1Doug Martin-  I honestly don't know how I won this week with both Stafford and Martin having abysmal games.  I guess it has something to do with my opponent having even more underachievers in Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker, and the Cleveland Browns defense.  Tampa Bay had a horrible game vs. New Orleans on Sunday.  Drew Brees carved up the laughable Tampa Bay secondary with the quickness, resulting in Tampa Bay abandoning the run game early.  The New Orleans defense also did a surprisingly good job in containing Martin. Martin underachieved by a staggering 18 points.  Muscle Hamster has been an absolute beast most of the season, so I can't get too upset, especially since I won anyway.

TE Jimmy Graham-  Graham has underachieved in his last 4 games.  Apparently he is playing injured, refusing to get an MRI on his wrist until the season is over.  Although he has underachieved, he still puts up decent numbers.  I don't have a viable back up as Dustin Keller has a high ankle sprain and the my roster is locked for the playoffs.  Hopefully Graham can put together a decent point total for me in the championship game. He missed his projection by 4 points.

DEFENSE San Diego- I didn't expect much from San Diego this week vs. a surging Carolina team.  QB Cam Newton has been on fire lately and Carolina doesn't give up a lot of fantasy point to opposing defenses.  San Diego came up short of their projection by over 5 fantasy points.  They should bounce back next week vs. a Jets team that will be starting their third string quarterback.

                                                          MY BAD BRAH 
The My Bad Brah award goes to the player or players who had exceptional performances but were on my bench.

RB Beanie Wells-  I really don't feel bad about this one.  Beanie Wells benefited from good field position due to Detroit turnovers. I view his 24.70 fantasy point performance on Sunday as somewhat of a fluke. Beanie still hasn't been able to average 4 yards per carry in a game this year.  The Cardinals have no passing game.  Most teams will just stuff the run and force them to try and pass.  This limits Wells productivity.  He is a good bench back to use in an emergency at best.

QB Colin Kaepernick-  Kaepernick shredded the Patriots Sunday night.  He had 4 touchdowns and threw for 216 yards in a monster performance at New England.  New England's secondary had been playing better of late, but that didn't hold up versus  Kaepernick.  Kaepernick acquired 30.44 points for those who started him.  In hindsight, he had a better matchup then Stafford, but I usually stick with my studs.  Kaepernick has a tough game at Seattle this week. so I will most likely take my chances with Stafford in the championship.

Russell Wilson Runs Wild- NFL Week 15 Fantasy Monsters

QB Russell Wilson

     Russell Wilson blew up the Buffalo Bills this Sunday in the standout fantasy performance of NFL Week 15.  Wilson had 4 touchdown vs. the Bills, 1 passing and 3 rushing.  The Seahawks scored 50 points for the second week in a row, pummeling the Bills 50-17.  Wilson passed for 205 yards and ran for another 92.  He had not ran for a touchdown all season before exploding on the Bills with 3, all in the first half of the game.  Wilson owners reaped the benefits of his dominance with 40.40 fantasy points in Yahoo standard leagues.
     Drew Brees was back in the saddle again this week vs. Tampa Bay.  Brees shred the notoriously weak Buccaneer secondary for 33.38 fantasy points in Yahoo standard leagues.  He passed for 307 yards with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. It was just a matter of time before Brees snapped out of his mini slump.  He continues to be one of one the most prolific quarterbacks in fantasy football.

QB Drew Brees

     Andre Johnson led all wide receivers this week in fantasy scoring. Johnson had a big game vs. an anemic Colts secondary.  He hooked up with QB Matt Schaub for 11 receptions,  151 yards, and 1 touchdown.  Johnson has really turned it on lately and is having another great fantasy season.  It was a good fantasy week for wide receivers,  Michael Crabtree, Brandon Lloyd, and James Jones all brought in 29 points for their respective owners.
    Adrian Peterson led all running backs in fantasy scoring this week, again...  I feel like I highlight this guy every week, but it's just a testament to the kind of season Peterson is having.  There is no doubt in my mind he will break Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record.  Peterson ran for 212 yards and 1 touchdown on the St. Louis Rams this week.  His fantasy owners received received 27.20 fantasy points in Yahoo standard leagues for his effort.

TE Aaron Hernandez

     Dennis Pitta had the standout tight end performance of the week.  Pitta had 7 receptions for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns.  His 2 touchdowns came in garbage time as the Ravens were dominated by the Broncos, leading 31-3 going into the 4th quarter.  Pitta is a great talent, but his production has been inconsistent this year. He scored 31.50 fantasy points in Yahoo standard leagues this week.  Aaron Hernandez had another strong performance for the Pats Sunday night vs. the Niners.   Hernandez hooked up with QB Tom Brady for 10 receptions, 92 yards, and 1 touchdown in the Patriots loss.  He brought home 25.20 fantasy points in Yahoo standard leagues.  Hernandez's performance may see a decline in the coming weeks with the rumored return of Rob Gronkowski.  Gronkowski did practice last week and is day to day according to Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick.  It remains to be seen if the Patriots will activate Gronkowski or save him for the playoffs.
     Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh made 5 field goals on Sunday, 3 for over 50 yards.  He also had 3 extra points in the Vikings victory over the Rams.  Walsh brought in 25 points for his owners in an outstanding fantasy performance for a kicker.
     The Arizona Cardinals led all defenses with 27 fantasy points in week 15. The Cardinals took advantage of multiple miscues by Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions, leading their team to victory.  The Cards defense controlled the game with 2 sacks, 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, and 2 touchdowns.
    Congratulations to everyone who moved on to the championship game or the next round of their league playoffs!

NFL Week 15 Top Ten Fantasy Predictions- Over/Under

     Week 15 has some key matchups that will impact your fantasy playoffs greatly.  Here are my top 5 picks for over/under in Yahoo standard leagues. Chances are you have at least 1 of these players involved in your playoff matchup.
 

                                                               OVER

RB Alfred Morris

Alfred Morris (projected 10.85 fantasy points)  With the injury to rookie phenom RG3,  Redskins Head Coach Mike Shanahan will look to Morris to pick up the slack.  This will be true even if RG3 plays, because his mobility will be limited.  Cleveland also tends to give up a decent amount of fantasy points to running backs.

David Wilson (projected 8.73 fantasy points)  Wilson will see increased touches regardless of whether Ahmad Bradshaw plays or not.  He will probably be used at the goal line, so I expect at least 1 touchdown.  Wilson had his breakout performance last week, if he continues that level of play this week, he could challenge Bradshaw for the starting role. UPDATE: Bradshaw has been ruled out.

WR Vincent Jackson

Vincent Jackson (projected 14.68 fantasy points)  Jackson had a monster game the first time Tampa Bay and the Saints played.  This game will have a lot of offensive production from both teams.  The New Orleans secondary is weak,   Freeman will have a good game, as will his #1 wide out.

Andre Johnson (projected 14.21 fantasy points)  The Texans should be embarrassed by the way they performed on Monday night vs. New England.  I expect them to take that embarrassment out on the Colts.  Indianapolis has given up the third most fantasy points in the league to wide receivers.  Johnson should be able to take advantage of that.

Lance Moore (projected 12.76 fantasy points)  The Tampa Bay secondary is horrible, Drew Brees should have no problem finding open receivers. The Bucs have given up the most fantasy points to wide receivers in the league.  It's hard to pin down who he will favor game to game, but there should be plenty of love to spread around in this matchup.

                                                             UNDER

WR Larry Fitzgerald

Larry Fitzgerald (projected 15.08 fantasy points)  Lindley is starting, that's all I really have to say about that... No way he makes this projection.

Roddy White (projected 18.62 fantasy points)  Roddy didn't practice Thursday and will be a game time decision.  Even if he plays, he will not be 100%.  The Giants secondary has also improved a little recently.

Hakeem Nicks (projected 20.03 fantasy points) This projection seems a bit high to me.  Nicks has only cracked 20 points once this season. That was the monster game he had vs. Tampa Bay who has the worst secondary in the league.  He also has injury issues and has been limited in practice.  The Falcons secondary does not give up a lot of fantasy points to wide receivers and Eli has lots of targets to throw to.

RB Arian Foster

Arian Foster (projected 27.46 fantasy points)  I think Foster will have a good game vs. the Colts, but this projection is through the roof.  He has only beaten this projection once this year vs. Detroit.  The Colts run defense is pretty bad, but I don't think they are bad enough to make this projection happen.

Jay Cutler (projected 14.82 fantasy points)  Cutler is dealing with several injuries right now and Chicago has not been playing well lately.  Green Bay will get Clay Mathews back this week which will help their pass rush.  The Packers sacked Cutler 7 times when the met earlier in the season.  Cutler could be in for a rough day.

Good luck to everybody looking for a win in the playoffs this week!

Thursday Night Football- Fantasy Predictions Top 3 Over/Under

     This week's Thursday night game is the Eagles vs. the Bengals. It is probably going to be a pretty ugly game to watch, but it does have fantasy implications.  Fantasy owners will hope to get their teams off to a good start this playoff week.  Here are my top 3 over/under predictions in Yahoo standard leagues for tonight's game:

AJ Green is my stud wideout. Hoping he comes up big tonight!

                                                                    Over

WR Andrew Hawkins (projected 6.90 fantasy points)-  Hawkins has seen his targets increase lately because of injuries in the Bengals wide receiver corps..  He scored a touchdown vs. Dallas last week and is always a danger to make a big play.

TE Clay Harbor (projected 7.43 fantasy points)-  Harbor had a big game vs. Tampa Bay last week when starter Brian Celek went out with a concussion.  Celek has been ruled out for tonight's game and Harbor will get the start.  The Bengals defense is pretty tough on wide receivers, Eagles QB Nick Foles will have to look for other targets to get the job done.

WR Marvin Jones (projected 1.22 fantasy points)-  Due to injuries, Jones has become the starting wide receiver opposite AJ Green.  He led all Bengal wide receivers in reception yards last week.  He still lags behind all the other options Andy Dalton has as far as targets, but he should get the ball enough tonight to get him over that stingy projection.

                                                               Under

The Eagles Defense (projected 7.05  fantasy points)-  The Eagles defense has improved of late, but I don't see them having a good game vs. the Bengals passing attack.  They will have their hands full keeping track of wide receiver AJ Green, which will give QB Andy Dalton plenty of other open targets to throw the ball to.

WR Jeremy Maclin (projected 15.20 fantasy points)-  Maclin apparently injured his groin celebrating his game winning touchdown catch on Sunday vs. Tamp Bay.  This could effect his performance tonight (trying really hard not to make any jokes here.).  The Bengals are also pretty good in pass coverage, giving up the 4th fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season.

RB Bryce Brown (projected 15.08 fantasy points)-  Brown had a real disappointing outing vs. Tampa Bay on Sunday.  He had been a complete monster the prior 2 weeks, it could be teams are better preparing for him now.  Cincinnati does not have a great run defense, but it is hard to say what you will get from Brown.  He also has ball security issues.

RG3 Has A Sprained Knee- Week 15 Fantasy Injury Report

      There were some injuries over the weekend that have the potential to impact your fantasy team or your opponent's team in your upcoming matchup. Here are some of the most important updates that came out of the Wednesday press conferences.

Redskin QB Robert Griffin III

       RG3 is probably the most high profile of the players who have injury concerns this week. RG3 took a big hit to his knee on Sunday vs. the Ravens. Somehow Griffin III was able to say in the game until his knee started to swell up. If you saw the hit you were probably thinking Griffin would miss some time. Well, that may not be the case. RG3 did practice both Wednesday and Thursday, although he was limited. This is a very good sign for those who are relying on RG3 for the fantasy playoffs. Griffin wants to play and seems determined to do so. I wouldn't bet against him. The real question is how effective can he be with a sprained knee? Being able to run and play action are a major part of RG3's game. If his mobility is limited, his production could be too.
     Ahmad Bradshaw's MRI showed he also has a sprained knee.  He did not practice Wednesday and his status for Sunday's game vs. Atlanta is uncertain.  If Bradshaw does not play, rookie running back David Wilson would get the start.  Wilson had a breakout game when Bradshaw went down with the injury last Sunday. Wilson ran for 100 yards and had 3 touchdowns, one of them on a kick off return.  If you have Bradshaw on your fantasy team, hopefully you picked up Wilson off waivers in case he doesn't play.  Giant's Head Coach Tom Coughlin has not ruled Bradshaw officially out of Sunday's game, noting that Bradshaw has shown the ability to play through pain in the past.
    The Eagles got even more beat up this past Sunday. Tight end Brent Celek has been ruled out of Thursday's game vs. the Bengals as a result of the concussion he sustained in the win over Tampa Bay.  Clay Harbor, who had a strong game in relief of Celek, will get the start.  Running back LeSean McCoy was also officially ruled out of Thursday's game.  McCoy has not yet been able to pass concussion protocols, this will be his 4th game out.  Bryce Brown will get the start in his stead.

Jets TE Dustin Keller

  Wide receiver Danny Amendola practiced limited Wednesday for the Rams on Wednesday.  Amendola has missed the last 2 weeks with a foot injury.  His status for Sunday's game vs. Minnesota is still in question at this time.
  Jets running back Bilal Powell has a fractured toe and did not practice Thursday.  He will play in Monday night's game vs. the Titans, but it remains to be seen if his role will be limited.  Powell has been splitting snaps with Shonn Greene.  Tight end Dustin Keller also missed practice.  Keller did not play in Sunday's win over Jacksonville and will be a serious question mark for the Monday night game.  If Keller is unable to play, Jeff Cumberland will get the start.
  Donald Brown has been placed on injury reserve by the Colts.  Brown injured his ankle in week 13 vs. Detroit.  Vick Ballard is expected to take over the starting running back job.
  Fred Jackson was also placed on injury reserve this week.  The Buffalo Bills running back sprained his MCL on sunday vs. the Rams.  CJ Spiller will take over as the lead back for the Bills.  Spiller had already been sharing snaps with Jackson for most of this season.

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson

     Hopefully those who lost players to injury this week have a viable back up on their fantasy rosters.  If not, there are some options available on the waive wire.  Check out my Waiver Wire Wonders article for a few possibilities.

NFL Week 14 Fantasy Football High Fives, Brofists, and Bombs

     Week 14 started the playoffs in my league and I had a bye the first round. I figured I would still do the weekly recap on how my players performed, since they did play. My team was projected to score 143.88 fantasy points, but came up a little short at 130.96. Here are my awards for the week:

                                                              High Fives

 If a player exceeded his projections, he gets the ultimate celebratory affirmation of one's prowess, the high five.

RB#2 Alfred Morris- Morris ran for 122 yards, 1 touchdown, and a fumble on Sunday vs. the Ravens. Overall, another impressive performance for the rookie, despite the fumble. Morris has rushed for over 100 yards for 3 straight weeks and has been instrumental in the Redskin's recent success. He was projected to get me 9.93 fantasy points and he came up with 16.93.

Defense San Diego Chargers- The Chargers D had another good week for me, this time against Pittsburgh. San Diego sacked Big Ben twice, recovered a fumble and scored a touchdown. I got lazy with changing defenses every week earlier in the season, but surprisingly it has worked out for me. San Diego was projected at 8.52 fantasy points, they brought me home 12.

Flex Demarco Murray- I had a feeling Murray would beat his projections this week and I like running backs in my flex spot, so I stuck with him. Murray only had 52 yards rushing vs. the Bengals on Sunday, but he made up for it by getting a touchdown. He also had 4 catches for 22 yards. Murray was projected to score 15.31 fantasy points and ended up with 17.50.

WR#2 Eric Decker- This one was a surprise to me. I didn't expect much from Decker, who had underachieved in his last 4 starts, even if the matchup vs. Oakland was a good one. If I wasn't on a bye this week I probably wouldn't have started him. Decker, who was projected to score 14.75 fantasy points, had 8 catches for 88 yards totaling 16.80 points. I'm still not convinced Decker's resurgence will be sustained. His targets increased only when Demaryius Thomas left the game for awhile with a shoulder injury. I have a tough decision to make on whether to bench Decker this week vs. the Ravens.

                                                              Brofists

If a player meets or comes near to meeting his projections, he gets the modern day version of the ass smack, the brofist.

 

QB Matthew Stafford- Stafford has met or beat his projections for the last 3 weeks. He has struggled at times this year, but that seems to have settled down lately. Stafford threw for 264 yards with one passing and one rushing touchdown this Sunday vs. the Packers. He did have an interception and a really bad fumble. The fumble probably cost the Lions the game, but considering that it was snowing, all in all not a bad day fantasy wise.

RB#1 Doug Martin- Muscle Hamster came up big again this week against Philly, Martin ran for 128 yards, 1 touchdown, and had 4 receptions. Unfortunately his effort was in vain, Tampa Bay gave up a touchdown pass from rookie quarterback Nick Foles in the final seconds of the game. Martin is the third highest scoring fantasy running back in the league right now, behind Adrian Peterson and Arian Foster.

                                                               Bombs

If a player does not come any where near his projections, he gets nuked...

WR#1 AJ Green- Green just had a horrible game on Sunday, I guess even the greats bomb some days. I'm not sure if it was the fact that Green's QB, Andy Dalton, struggled or if he was not fully recovered from the illness he had earlier in the week. It could be a little of both. He was projected to score 20.07 points in my Yahoo league, but only came up with 7.40. Green is having a great year and I don't see this one bad performance as something that will trend.

WR#3 TY Hilton- Unfortunately Hilton was a victim of the Colts offense this week. The Colts like to spread the offense out, giving rookie QB Andrew Luck lots of targets. They were also able to get the running game going a bit on Sunday. All this led to limited targets for Hilton this week, who had only 2 receptions for 50 yards. Hilton was short of his projection by 5 fantasy points.

TE Jimmy Graham- Graham has really been struggling lately and I'm a little concerned. Graham was my first round pick and he hasn't really lived up to it. Graham and QB Drew Brees, who hasn't been himself lately either, don't seem to be on the same page. Often it seems like either Brees makes an inaccurate throw to Graham or Graham just flat out drops a catchable ball. Graham has scored below his projections in the last 4 weeks. This week he was projected at 14.94 fantasy points, but only brought 10.60 home. Hopefully Graham and Drew Brees can get it going vs. Tampa Bay or it may be a short run in the playoffs for me.

K Shayne Graham- This game was an embarrassment for the Texan organization. Tom Brady made Houston defense look like a bunch of high school kids trying to play with the big boys. The offense couldn't get it going either and as a result, Graham's opportunities were limited. He made his two extra points, but those were his only chance to score. Graham was 5 points short of his projected total.

                                                       My Bad Brah

The My Bad Brah award goes to the player or players who had exceptional performances but were on my bench.

WR Andrew Hawkins- Hawkins has seen an increase in targets lately because of injuries in the Bengal receiver corps.. He had 6 receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown on Sunday vs. Dallas. I am still apprehensive about plugging him in to my starting lineup because I think his upside is limited. Hawkins scored 16.40 fantasy points vs. Dallas, he was only projected to score 6.74.

     Moving forward, I am a concerned with my team's production in Week 14. I will need to score a lot of points in my playoff matchup for week 15 and having your team underachieve the week before is worrisome. The rule in my league is that rosters lock for the playoffs, so my options to improve are limited. I am going up against the team with the second highest point total in the league (my team was #1, but only by 50 points). Makes me wish that playoff seeding was based on overall point totals and not record. My opponent was second in scoring, but is the 4^th seed because of his record. As the #1 seed I would prefer to play the team with the lowest point totals. I could care less about his record. Such is life I guess! Good luck to everybody trying to advance in the playoffs this week.