Whatever scenario you fall into (hopefully not the one about potentially wearing a yellow dress), we’re here to help out. Specifically, there are several pressing questions heading into the playoff stretch and we’ve rounded up a new batch of Featured Pros to serve up some advice.
Before we get to the advice, here’s the list of this week’s participating experts. You can click on each pro’s name to follow them on Twitter.
Featured Pros
Russ Bliss – (FFStarters)
Tommy Rowan – (TOFantasySports)
Alan Harrison – (The Fantasy Fix)
Q&A
Q1: Teams that lack a stud QB or play in deep 2-QB leagues may be desperate for some help as the playoffs approach. Please rank the following 10 QBs for the remainder of the season (through week 16).
| QB Rankings (Consensus of all 5 Experts) |
||
| Rank | Player | Notes |
| 1.6 | Matt Moore (MIA) | Best combination of a hot QB with excellent matchups weeks 14-16 (Bliss). |
| 3.0 | Rex Grossman (WAS) | Wildly inconsistent, but plays vs. Patriots, @Vikings, vs. Giants, @Eagles (Lofland). |
| 3.2 | Andy Dalton (CIN) | Tough schedule disappears for weeks 15 & 16: @Rams, vs. Cardinals (Lofland). |
| 4.6 | Christian Ponder (MIN) | A steady producer with decent enough weapons, but has kinks to work out (Bliss). |
| 4.8 | Alex Smith (SF) | Doesn’t hurt you, but also doesn’t put up big enough numbers to win fantasy games (Bliss). |
| 5.0 | Matt Hasselbeck (TEN) | Good schedule, but anemic passing yards in recent weeks (Lofland). |
| 7.0 | Kevin Kolb (ARI) | Faces 3 of the top 10 fantasy pass defenses weeks 14-16 (Bliss). |
| 7.8 | Tarvaris Jackson (SEA) | Has the Bears and 49ers in weeks 15 and 16 (Lofland). |
| 8.3 | T.J. Yates (HOU) | His fantasy upside vanished when WR Andre Johnson hurt hammy (Lofland). |
| 9.8 | Dan Orlovsky (IND) | Need to see more than an offensive flurry down 31-3 to buy into him (Lofland). |
Expert QB Rankings
| Rank | Russ Bliss (FFStarters) |
Derek Lofland (FFManiaxs) |
Tommy Rowan (TOFantasySports) |
Micah Perkins (FF Freaks) |
Alan Harrison (TheFantasyFix) |
| 1. | M. Moore | A. Dalton | M. Moore | M. Moore | A. Dalton |
| 2. | R. Grossman | M. Moore | R. Grossman | R. Grossman | M. Hasselbeck |
| 3. | C. Ponder | R. Grossman | M. Hasselbeck | A. Dalton | M. Moore |
| 4. | T.J. Yates | A. Smith | A. Dalton | C. Ponder | A. Smith |
| 5. | A. Smith | K. Kolb | C. Ponder | A. Smith | C. Ponder |
| 6. | M. Hasselbeck | C. Ponder | A. Smith | K. Kolb | R. Grossman |
| 7. | A. Dalton | M. Hasselbeck | T. Jackson | M. Hasselbeck | T. Jackson |
| 8. | K. Kolb | T. Jackson | K. Kolb | T. Jackson | K. Kolb |
| 9. | T. Jackson | T.J. Yates | T.J. Yates | D. Orlovsky | T.J. Yates |
| 10. | D. Orlovsky | D. Orlovsky | D. Orlovsky | T.J. Yates | D. Orlovsky |
Q2: Every year, it seems like a “sleeper” RB steps up during the stretch run and plays a key role in earning fantasy owners a championship. Give us 1 RB (not named Marion Barber) that could fall into this category over the next few weeks. Why do you think he has a chance to surprise us?
Ben Tate (HOU): Not sure how much of a “sleeper” he is, but Ben Tate is my choice. With Houston looking likely to win the division, they’ll want to make sure to have a healthy Arian Foster in the playoffs. With a rookie QB at the helm, the Texans will rely even more heavily on their rushing attack. Tate proved earlier in the year to be capable of putting up great fantasy numbers when given the ball and with matchups against Carolina and Indianapolis (two of the bottom 3 fantasy run defenses) in weeks 15 and16, the setup is there for Tate to provide unexpected help in winning a fantasy championship.
Two others who could surprise are Green Bay’s Ryan Grant and Brandon Saine. James Starks needs to be healthy for the playoffs and the Packers may decide to rest him and his injured ankle. Grant is a proven asset when he’s healthy and is getting a feature RB load of carries. Saine is the great unknown and could surprise if Grant continues to be sluggish.
Brandon Saine (GB): The Packers haven’t run the ball with any consistency this season and their primary RBs (Grant and Starks) have 1 TD between them that was scored all the way back in week 1. A guy who could surprise down the stretch is Brandon Saine. The rookie RB has already received praise from QB Aaron Rodgers as having “the best hands on the team”, so Rodgers could start to get the RB more involved in the aerial assault. He will hold more value in PPR leagues, but with Starks injured/ineffective and Grant ineffective, Saine could be a guy to take a flier on.
Brandon Saine (GB): Each and every year fantasy football managers dig deep into free agency trying to catch lightning in a bottle. With just four weeks left for owners to cash in, Brandon Saine of the Green Bay Packers could very well be that spark to propel your team to a Championship. While subbing in for an injured James Starks, Saine touched the ball an impressive ten times for just under 50 total yards. The notoriously high powered Green Bay Packers’ offense (35/PPG thus far in 2011) parlayed with an extremely favorable schedule against rushing defenses, makes me believe this undrafted rookie from Ohio State is that lightning.
Dexter McCluster (KC): A sleeper back to keep your eyes on the last four games of the season is Dexter McCluster. He has averaged over 5.0 yards per carry in four of his last five games, but unfortunately sees only 8-10 carries per game. He faces the third ranked Jets running back defense in Week 14. After the Jets, his last three games are against the Packers (22nd), Raiders (25th) and Broncos (26th). He is the most explosive Chiefs back and can be a weapon in the passing game, which will help if the Chiefs fall behind big in games. If given the opportunity, he could explode for a big final month.
Daniel Thomas (MIA): I’ll go with a guy that is going to see consistent action and still happens to be available in nearly 50% of Yahoo leagues. Reggie Bush is getting the job done right now and receiving more carries for Miami, but Thomas is catching up and he has featured a better YPC than Bush each of the last 3 weeks. His last matchup was another step in the right direction. He took 13 carries for 73 yards including a 21 yard run. His schedule is favorable the rest of the way, particularly over the next two games. Both the Eagles and Bills are giving up at least 108 yards and .75 TDs per week to RBs on average. I like 60-70 yards as his floor over the next few weeks and he could chip in more. I think he’s a guy you can easily slot in at the bottom of your rotation. At worst, he isn’t going to hurt you, and at best, he could break off a big play and strike paydirt.
Brandon Saine (GB): If you’re looking for a deep sleeper, I like the Packers Brandon Saine (if James Starks misses any time). He looked better than Grant against the Giants (and had a slightly better average per carry). What I really like about him is that the Packers need to get their running game going for the playoffs. Now is the perfect time to audition this guy. The Packers have a great running matchup week 14 versus Oakland and if catching 4 passes for 29 yards against New York wasn’t a total fluke, he’s a good fit for the Packers style of play.
Q3: Speaking of Marion Barber…how high are you on him with Matt Forte sidelined for what appears to be at least a few weeks? Do you expect Barber to perform as a RB1, RB2 or RB3 going forward (in STD 12 team leagues)? Why?
Barber is likely to be a borderline RB2/3 for fantasy. He would be a solid RB2 if the Bears had the threat of a passing attack, but Caleb Hanie looks woefully inadequate and who knows if Nathan Enderle, or a free agent like Donovan McNabb or Brett Favre would provide much of an upgrade? Unless a passing attack keeps an opponent from stacking the box, Barber will struggle to find running room. He’s looked a lot more like the old “Marion the Barbarian” this year than his last couple of seasons in Dallas, but he needs a QB who puts the fear of a passing assault into an opponent. He doesn’t have that currently and it handicaps him. There’s also the potential of Kahlil Bell eating more playing time than many expect. If the passing game comes to life, I would say Barber is a good RB2, but I have my doubts that will happen.
Barber will be a low end RB2 the rest of the season as he will be propelled into the starting role. He is a decent pass catcher, but nowhere near as good as Forte at running routes. His schedule @Den, vs Sea, and @GB isn’t very kind either, as all three defenses are in the top half of the league at allowing points to opposing fantasy runners. Without a consistent passing game, teams will load the box and Barber will face plenty of 8 man fronts. Although Barber should be owned in all leagues due to the fact that he will receive 20 plus touches a game in Forte’s absence, I wouldn’t want to rely on him to win me a fantasy championship.
Altough Matt Forte is expected to return to the gridiron this season from a sprained MCL in his right knee, it appears fantasy owners have slotted Forte at the RB1 position for the last time in 2011. The next four games would have been favorable for a healthy Forte and Jay Cutler, however, Caleb Hanie’s horrific outing this past Sunday leads me to believe that Denver, Seattle, Minnesota and Green Bay will stack the box and force Chicago to beat them through the air. Forte’s absence likely leaves a Marion Barber and Khalil Bell two-headed monster in the Chicago Bears’ backfield, with Barber serving as the short yardage/goal line back and Bell the “Forte” type back. With that said, I see the two backs splitting carries and Marion Barber being nothing better than a RB3/Flex starter in a standard 12-team league for the duration of the 2011 fantasy season.
Marion Barber is not going to be a savior for fantasy owners. The Bears are more stagnant in the passing game than a college team that runs a wishbone offense. With no elite receiver to back defenses off the line and QB Caleb Hanie trying to impersonate a NFL quarterback, teams are going to stack eight guys in the box and dare the Bears to pass the ball. Barber will be a good candidate to see 15-20 touches per game, but the schedule is not favorable after the Broncos this week. The Seahawks stop the run well and the Packers ability to score big could limit Barber’s carries in that game. The Bears close with the Vikings in Week 17. Barber is a risky RB3 to flex play going forward, even with starting RB Matt Forte likely done for the rest of the fantasy football season.
I like Barber as a high-end RB3 in 12 team formats. The fact that he’ll be running without a respect-worthy passing attack has me concerned. He’s stepping into a role that has been vacated by a player who is far more versatile. Forte is renowned for his pass catching ability; Barber is the exact opposite with only 3 grabs on the season. When he’s in the backfield, the defense has a pretty good idea what’s coming. For that reason, Kahlil Bell will be in the mix as well. He’s a better fit for some of the things the Bears lost when Forte went down. He’s better suited for third down and as an outside runner.
Fortunately, Barber has shown that he can find his way into the end zone, punching 5 in despite a relatively small workload in 9 games. The problem is that many of those scores were set up by Forte. With Caleb Hanie struggling to stay on the field for more than 3 consecutive plays and his penchant for throwing to the other team, who is going to get Barber into scoring position?
That all sounds dreary, but in the end, Barber still benefits from seeing a full workload and he’ll be the benefactor of any goal line opportunities. Much of his success depends on Hanie getting his act together and only passing to Chicago receivers. If he can do that, then Barber’s outlook improves.
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That wraps up this week’s edition of Featured Pros’ advice. I’d like to thank the Pros for stopping by to share their insight! Be sure to check out the experts’ respective sites to stay on top of all of their advice throughout the playoff stretch.