Jeff Haseley from FootballGuys.com catches readers up with his week 8 cliff notes, examining hot topics for every NFL team.
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Carson Palmer has at least two interceptions in each of the last five games. This week, the Cardinals host the Falcons. The rough stretch of the schedule is over for Arizona until week 16. I’m not holding my breath, but we may see an improvement trend beginning as a result. Andre Ellington is easily the most agile, elusive, dual threat running back on the team, yet he isn’t getting as many touches as the fantasy community would prefer. I have to think that improves in the coming weeks. Oh by the way, Robert Housler has 11 catches in the last two games. He’s starting to get a little rise and is potentially worth a bye week filler for weeks 8 and 9 that have six teams on bye.
I indicated the increase in targets to Harry Douglas last week, however I wasn’t sure how effective he would be with those targets. As it turns out, he did quite well, catching all seven of the passes that came his way, including three that were 25 yards or longer. Roddy White (ankle/hamstring) is still presumed out until he’s not. I like Douglas’s outlook with or without White in the lineup. He should be a decent WR option going forward. Arizona has had problems with opposing tight ends this year, which bodes well for Tony Gonzalez. I expect we’ll see more from him this week.
Bye Week, @CLE, CIN, @CHI
I honestly didn’t think Thad Lewis would amount to much against the Dolphins last week, on the road, in his first road game as a pro. I was proven wrong. Lewis is turning into a resourceful quarterback for the Bills, taking Cincinnati to overtime and then ousting the Dolphins on their own turf, after they came off their bye week. Make no mistake, this is still EJ Manuel’s team, but Lewis has showed me that he can be a serviceable quarterback in this league. Not every team can say that about their quarterback right now. Fred Jackson (knee) may be the Bills go-to running back at this time, but I have a feeling that C.J. Spiller will come around once his ankle injury is fully healed. Plus the way Jackson is playing, he could be hurt or limited himself at some point in the near future. If/when that time comes, Spiller should be a very good back to have at your disposal.
The Panthers are 8-4 in their last 12 games dating back to last year and most of those losses were close to the end. The fantasy value isn’t exactly oozing from the Panthers this year, but they are getting the job done, outscoring their opponents 103-25 in their three wins this season. Only three times has a Panthers receiver had more than 10 targets in a game this season (Steve Smith twice, Greg Olsen once) The last time was in week five. This week Carolina plays at Tampa Bay on Thursday night, which looks like a good match up on paper. Jonathan Stewart is a good proactive waiver claim this week. He is probably not going to play, but perhaps he makes his 2013 debut at home against Atlanta in week 9.
Bye Week, @GB, DET, BAL
The last two weeks have shown how effective A.J. Green is against teams without very good cover corners. It took seven games, but Andy Dalton had his first touchdown pass to a tight end (Tyler Eifert) this year. I talked about Marvin Jones as someone to watch going forward. He looks to be gaining ground on Mohamed Sanu for the WR2 role opposite A.J. Green. Jones made good on his six targets last week, catching four for 57 yards and a touchdown. He now has a touchdown in back to back games and three in his last five. He is someone to consider as a flex option in a heavy bye week schedule.
The Browns travel to 7-0 Kansas City and their formidable defense this week. Brandon Weeden is not playing very well lately and could be on a quick hook, allowing Jason Campbell a crack at success in the Browns offense. Willis McGahee is starting to get more involved and could wind up with decent value in the next few weeks. Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron remain quality weekly starts. They may find it difficult to have a lot of success this week, but both are capable of finding the end zone any given Sunday.
A few notes about Dallas. DeMarco Murray (sprained MCL) may be out again this week at Detroit, thus giving Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar a chance to play. Randle was good, but not great last week against Philadelphia and now Dunbar (hamstring) looks like he’ll be able to play. If he does well, he could earn more carries as the game goes on. Miles Austin may be healthy enough to play, but his lingering hamstring is clearly still bothering him. Terrance Williams has jumped ahead of Austin, and even Cole Beasley is getting into the mix. The diminutive Beasley has 17 catches in the last four games and is worth a possible bye week replacement for those with depth issues.
Knowshon Moreno is firmly entrenched as the team’s starting running back. I would be willing to bet that many Moreno owners are doing fairly well in their leagues this year. He has at least one touchdown in each of the last four games and five of the last six. He also has 15 receptions in the last three games. Julius Thomas has scored in every game this year, except week five. Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker are all in the Top 8 for PPR scoring. Julius Thomas is the third ranked tight end. It’s safe to say Denver receivers are always good fantasy starts.
Apparently Calvin Johnson’s knee is back to normal after a big day that included 155 yards and two touchdowns on nine catches. The tight end position is up for grabs with Joseph Fauria and Brandon Pettigrew competing for touches now that Tony Scheffler (concussion) has been released. I think one or the other will have some decent value, but it could be Fauria one week and Pettigrew the next. I don’t see either as a viable consistent fantasy threat going forward. Joique Bell has at least four catches in five of the team’s seven games. He is still worthy of a flex start until he proves otherwise. Reggie Bush has 21, 18 and 20 carries in the three Lions home games this year. This week, they host Dallas. It looks like another strong effort from Bush is on the horizon.
Green Bay had both Randall Cobb and James Jones out last week, so they turned to Jordy Nelson and Jarrett Boykin as the wide outs with Jermichael Finley mostly operating out of the slot. Aaron Rodgers completed at least five passes to all four of the Packers primary receiving threats, Nelson, Finley, Boykin and Eddie Lacy. Jermichael Finley suffered a neck injury that is expected to keep him out for 4-6 weeks. If James Jones (knee) doesn’t return this week, someone will have to fill the void. My thinking is that might be Johnathan Franklin playing some slot receiver. This should clear up later in the week and whoever the third receiver is, deserves fantasy consideration, especially against the punchless Vikings this week. Monitor this situation carefully. Andrew Quarless could also be someone of interest if he is thrust into a situation that garners more snaps. Eddie Lacy has played well so far. I expect that to continue. His presence could be a nice lift for his owners, especially given the injury situation in Green Bay’s receiving corps.
Bye Week, IND, @ARI, OAK
Bye Week, @HOU, STL, @TEN
Cecil Shorts has a bum shoulder, Justin Blackmon has a sore hamstring, Maurice Jones-Drew is fading and to make matters worse, the Jaguars are playing the 49ers this week. At least it’s a home game, but this is not a great match up for Jacksonville. Cecil Shorts, despite the bad shoulder, still continues to rack up the targets. He has at least 10 targets in every game, but week six, the game he got hurt. Justin Blackmon is essentially penciled in for 5-6 catches and 60+ yards. Anything more is icing on the cake. I expect the Jaguars will force the ball down the field, especially late in the game. Monitor the practice situations for both Shorts and Blackmon, but both look like decent fantasy options if healthy enough to play.
I made the Marshall Faulk comparison to Jamaal Charles last week and I stand by it. Charles is the best fantasy running back to own right now and he hasn’t even had a signature rushing game yet. His highest rushing game is 108 yards at TEN in week five. Cleveland has not allowed a 90-yard rusher this year, but they have allowed at least five catches to starting backs in four games this season. If you’re looking for a sleeper tight end, Anthony Fasano is a good option. Sean McGrath had a nice bump in production for a few games, but now that Fasano is back and healthy, McGrath has faded and Fasano has emerged as the go-to tight end threat. If you were rostering McGrath waiting for him to emerge, you can safely drop him now.
Miami has not scored a rushing touchdown since week four and now Daniel Thomas is starting to see some more touches. I still believe Lamar Miller will eventually rise to the occasion and be the team’s primary ball carrier, but until then, don’t count on him for RB2 production. How about Brandon Gibson? He had two touchdowns last week and has 21 catches over the last four games. Brian Hartline and Mike Wallace are the fantasy relevant WR options, but Gibson is making a case to be a flex option or bye week filler. Ryan Tannehill may find it difficult to produce against the Patriots defense this week. New England has three games where the opposing quarterback has failed to throw a touchdown pass.
The Vikings offense looked absolutely abysmal last week against the 0-6 Giants. If they struggled to move the ball against New York, how will they fare against the Packers this week? I’m thinking Josh Freeman will have a short leash if he continues to be inaccurate with his throws and look lost running the offense. To make matters worse, the Packers have been very good against the run lately and Adrian Peterson has looked anything but Adrian Peterson-like over the last few games. Don’t expect much from the Vikings offense in this game. Greg Jennings, Kyle Rudolph and even Adrian Peterson are possible bench candidates this week. No running back has surpassed 44 yards rushing against the Packers in the last three games (Reggie Bush, Ray Rice, Willis McGahee). *Editor’s note: It was reported today that Freeman suffered a concussion on Monday night and his status for week 8 is in question.
Rob Gronkowski returned to the lineup and picked up where he left off. He didn’t find the end zone (almost did), but he was a big part of the offense, especially late in the game when the score was tight. Danny Amendola (groin/concussion) is practicing again this week and probably will play. His presence decreases Julian Edelman’s value to the point where Edelman may not be worth a flex option. Monitor this during the week, but it does look like Amendola will play. Brandon Bolden and Stevan Ridley are both seeing action in the ground game. Ridley is more of an end zone magnet than Bolden, but both are capable of scoring any given week. Bolden gets a bump in PPR leagues with at least one catch in every game he’s been in this year, including two games with 5+ catches. The Patriots have just two more games (week 10 bye) until Shane Vereen is eligible to return in week 11. If you’re holding on him, keep holding. I have a feeling it will pay off nicely.
The fantasy world waits to hear about Jimmy Graham and his sore foot. The word on the street is that if New Orleans didn’t have a bye last week, Graham probably would’ve sat out. If I had to guess right now, I’d say he is a game time decision against the Bills for sure. We’ll know his status Sunday morning, but it doesn’t look rosy for Graham to suit up. Monitor his practice schedule this week. If he practices on Friday, he probably will play. If Graham is a no-go, look for Ben Watson to get involved. He may only get 3-5 catches but he’ll be a red zone threat that could produce a decent week from a position of scarcity with a good match up, in a bye heavy week. Marques Colston is due to return to form, especially if Graham is out. He will likely be Drew Brees’ best down field option and should be targeted often. Darren Sproles also figures to receive a bump in production. He should be started with confidence this week.
I’m not sure if we would continue to see more Peyton Hillis if Brandon Jacobs (hamstring) is healthy this week. My gut says Hillis, because he is a much better receiver than Jacobs. Eli Manning dumped it off to a RB/FB ten times against Minnesota. I doubt we’ll see another 18-carry, 5-catch game from Hillis, but I do think there is some value to be had, even if for just a few weeks. Monitor the health of Jacobs throughout the week. If he can’t go, Hillis becomes a decent flex option at PHI. Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks have zero touchdowns in the last three games, while Reuben Randle has a total of four in the same time span, scoring in all three games. He is definitely worth a flex option play that could continue to pan out.
Chris Ivory handled the whole load last week, bulldozing 34 carries for 104 yards in the Jets big win over the Patriots. Jeremy Kerley also had a big game with 8 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. I can’t say I have faith that either one will have a repeat performance this week at Cincinnati. Geno Smith quietly has four wins this year as a rookie signal-caller. He should have a decent game with at least 30 pass attempts. No opposing quarterback has attempted fewer than 32 passes against the Bengals this season.
The Raiders return from their bye week to host the Steelers, who are winners of their last two games. I am expecting a fairly low scoring game with little chance for a big fantasy day from any Raiders offensive weapons. Darren McFadden or Terrelle Pryor could break a long run, but I don’t see much of a consistent offensive threat this week.
It looks like the Nick Foles experiment is going to end this Sunday. Foles suffered a concussion last week, but he didn’t look too impressive running the read option offense. It’s pretty clear that Chip Kelly wants to run that style of offense and Foles just isn’t the best man for the job. I fully expect to see Michael Vick return this week and give the Eagles a much needed lift offensively. Vick’s return would be a boost for both LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson.
This game at Oakland is one Pittsburgh should win, but they could struggle. If LeVeon Bell can handle the load, I think the win will come easily, but if Bell fails to deliver, we could see a tight game that could come down to fourth quarter heroics. If that’s the case, my money is on Ben Roethlisberger. Antonio Brown has at least five catches in every game this year, with at least six catches in all but one. The return of Heath Miller has slowed his fast start some, but he’s still very much involved in the offense and probably will continue to be going forward. Look for Pittsburgh to lean on Bell in this game, which could limit the number of pass attempts for Roethlisberger.
Bye Week @WAS, DEN, @MIA
The Seahawks are a very fun team to watch, on both sides of the ball. Russell Wilson always looks like he’s in control of the game, even if he’s running around doing his best Houdini escape act. His baseball background gives him a great arm for throws on the run, against the grain and even a Doug Flutie-like hop throw. The Seattle offense may be without their leading receiver Golden Tate (foot) this week, which opens the door for Sidney Rice, Doug Baldwin and also Zach Miller. Percy Harvin is back at practice and could find himself on the field this week. I doubt that will happen, but if Tate is out, and Harvin shows no setbacks or causes for concern, he could be thrust into action. In any event, I think we will see him make his Seahawks debut in the next few weeks.
Start your 49ers this week against Jacksonville. The Jaguars have given up 45, 37, 34, 35 and 24 points over the last five games. Teams have scored eight rushing touchdowns against them this year, including five in the last two games. Good news for Frank Gore here. Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis also figure to join the party. The 49ers defense is also a very strong play. Start your regular 49ers with confidence this week.
The Rams are now limited to Kellen Clemens and Brady Quinn at quarterback. This does not appear to be the best news for Tavon Austin, Austin Pettis, Chris Givens, Jared Cook or any other Rams receivers going forward, but there is a silver lining to consider. The Rams modified spread offense commands a great deal of pass attempts, so there is some reason for hope with Clemens under center. Having said that, I would not expect much this week against the Seahawks, who are clicking on all cylinders. Looking ahead though, there could be some fantasy value, especially if the Rams offensive game plan and philosophy doesn’t change. Zac Stacy has looked good in the three games he has started. He could be a focal point if the passing game is forced to adapt without Bradford. Again, I would look at other options this week instead of Stacy against Seattle.
Doug Martin (torn labrum) is believed to be out for the year. Taking his place is rookie 6th round pick Mike James. Before you go wasting a waiver wire pick on James, note that Martin struggled to find success in this offense this year. What makes you think Mike James is going to be any different, especially any better? I can see Mike Glennon airing it out the rest of the way. He has 43 and 44 pass attempts in his first two starts and now his running game is worse off than it was before. This all points to increased production for Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams, when he’s finally able to return to full health from his hamstring injury. This week, the Bucs host the Panthers who boast the second best scoring defense (83 points) behind only the Chiefs (81 points). No quarterback has passed for more than one touchdown against Carolina this year. If the Bucs offensive line can’t hold up, it could be a very long night for Glennon and company. I would sit Mike Williams until he shows he is past his hamstring inury, which can be a tricky injury to gauge from a fantasy standpoint.
Bye Week @STL, JAC, IND
Washington has a great match up against Denver this week so start Pierre Garcon and Jordan Reed, who has become a very important piece of the offense. If he is available on the waiver wire, grab him and start him going forward. His game reminds me of Aaron Hernandez. He has the same size, speed and strength combination, and like Hernandez, he is capable of running several different routes and can be a joker option for Robert Griffin. Roy Helu may have punched in three touchdowns last week, but Alfred Morris is still the team’s primary ball carrier, especially now that he has another week to let his injured ribs heal.
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