Week 13 Waiver Wire Pick-Ups: Waiver Wire Warriors 2010

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pick-Ups: Week 13 Waiver Wire Warriors

Talk about some big time pick-ups. Mike Goodson continues to show us that he should be owned. Matt Cassel against the Hawks – I hope you jumped on that bandwagon last week, I know I benefited. There were just so many good pick-ups last week that went out there and proved they should be owned in more than 50% of leagues. With the playoffs just around the way, it’s time to get your team right for the stretch run. Here’s this week’s Waiver Wire Warriors article…

Papa wants to answer your questions, send them to PAPAWEIMER50@hotmail.com – he’ll answer and if it’s good (or if he gets off his lazy rump to copy and paste the interaction), post your stuff in his weekly “Ask Papa Weimer” spot. Here goes Waiver Wire Warriors for Week 11.

(Our WWW pick-ups are limited to guys owned in under 50%. Each writer ranks their Top 6. I’m also going to give you my “Pull The Trigger” area for guys that are obvious pick-ups and still owned in less than 70% of fantasy leagues. And there’s going to be an area called “End It Already” for guys that I consider drop-worthy, or try to trade now-worthy, regardless of their %-Owned.)

Top Waiver Wire Pick-Ups

Top Waiver Wire Pick-Ups (Week 13)

Ryan Kauffman	Josh Arsenault	Papa Weimer	Lucky Lester	Nate B. Kuhns
Matt Cassel	Brian Westbrook	Sam Bradford	Matt Cassel	Brian Westbrook
Jon Kitna	Tashard Choice	Matt Cassel	Kerry Collins	Toby Gerhart
Mike Goodson	Toby Gerhart	Mike Goodson	Sam Bradford	Jacoby Ford
Maurice Morris	Troy Smith	Brian Hartline	Brian Westbrook	Shaun Hill
Ben Obamanu	Legedu Naanee	Toby Gerhart	Eddie Royal	Nate Burleson
Brian Westbrook	TB Bucs D/ST	Brandon Petitgrew	Davone Bess	Matt Cassel

Pull The Trigger

Josh Freeman – (56% Owned): All there is to say is Atlanta then Washington, Detroit, Seattle for Fantasy playoffs…. wowser.

Kerry Collins- (.8% owned): If you’re in a bind this week, and you don’t have a sure thing at QB, take a chance on this guy and hope for a big day. Here’s the deal, he was healthy enough to be the #2 last week, so he’ll almost surely play this week. The Titans play the Jags, bad pass defense. Randy Moss can still do some damage, and Kerry can still throw it far.

Matt Cassel – (49.5% owned): Cassel made me look great last week, how about one more time against the Denver-doodles? The Broncos can’t seem to get anything right on defense, and Cassel should have them paying close attention to the run – that’s where guys get wide open, and Matt has been drilling them lately. Good play here.

Sam Bradford – (31% Owned): Stud. Had his best passing day of his short career last week and Arizona is on the schedule next week. I don’t expect 333 yards again, but those passes that Troy Smith just missed on during Monday Night Football, Bradford hits those – and those are touchdowns.

Brian Westbook – (12% Owned): Gore is out for the season, Westbrook looked very good (though it was against the Cardinals’ corpses, but still). Westy does a lot of good things, and in an offense that loves the dump down, his receiving skills could really pay dividends.

Eddie Royal (40% Owned): Demaryius Thomas wasn’t atop the depth chart or anything, but with him out there’s more snaps for other receivers. Aside from Lloyd, Royal is one of the best playmakers on the team, he could be a good weapon against KC’s pass defense that can let receivers loose from time to time.

Davone Bess (25% Owned): We have Marshall out with an injury, and vagitas so Bess is the man. He proved he could be with 6 grabs for over 100 yards last week. This week the Dolphins play the Browns, so big plays could be in the cards, especially in the 4th quarter when Cleveland quits tackling.

Brandon Petitgrew (42% Owned): Consistent double digits – can you ask for more from your TE?

Anthony Dixon (3% Owned): Westbrook is obviously the lead back, but Dixon runs very hard, is a big boy, and Westbrook hasn’t been the beacon of health throughout his career – and he’s older these days.

Danny Amendola (27% owned): I hate to beat a dead horse (or a live one for that matter) but Amendola puts up points every week, and there’s plenty of guys that don’t (Randy Moss owners say “I”).

Joel Dreessen (3.7% Owned): Laugh all you want, but he’s outperforming 90% of owned fantasy TEs over the last 4 games. 11, 2, 20, 10 – Those are his points over the last 4 weeks, only a handful of guys are much better than him over that span. Tamme and Gronkowski – everyone else is below him or within 4 points of him. He’s been better than Olsen, Witten, Marcedes, Shiancoe, Hernandez, Miller, Moeaki, Watson, and he has about 30 more points than Vernon Davis over that time.

End It Already

Last week I said park it to Roy Williams (who was crap except for one long catch that he fumbled to seal the deal for the Cowboys), McNabb (who produced another 12 pointer in week 12 – hey, jinx), Ricky Williams (who blew up on a long run to total near 100, sorry), Clinton Portis (who ended up going on IR), and the Vikings (who had their 2nd best fantasy outing of the year) who I still wouldn’t trust with a butter knife. Here are this week’s drops…

Frank Gore (100% Owned): After seeing Gore come back in, give it a shot, and look like he was a smile away from coming back in at any moment throughout the 1st half, I can’t believe the guy broke his hip. But that’s the news, and out for the year is also the news, and fantasy owners crying follows.

Donovan McNabb (79% Owned): On the road against the Cowboys and Jaguars for two likely fantasy playoff weeks keeps him somewhat keepable – but I wouldn’t play him until then, and even there, he’s had 3 games over 20 points all season long – but he consistently hits double digits, if that’s all you’re looking for from your starting QB, by all means, keep him in there, coach!

Marion Barber (63% Owned): Barber hurt his leg and is supposedly out for two weeks. That is the time in which Tashard Choice will probably come in and show that he’s a better option, and keeping Barber for the playoffs seems like an oxymoron, anyway. Go ahead and use that roster space on someone else!

Bernard Berrian (49% Owned): No reason to, even though he’s not healthy, even if he was – Rice is back and Harvin is explosive, and Berrian is forgettable.

A couple guys WE think should be owned in ALL LEAGUES….

Mike Tolbert (88%) Josh Freeman (56%) Jonathan Stewart 66%) Sidney Rice (53%)  Brandon Petitgrew (42%)

Week 12 Fantasy Football Rankings: Fantasy Focus REVIEW 2010

Fantasy Football Rankings: Fantasy Focus Week 12

I couldn’t pull off two weeks in a row, the competition is just too tight. A lot of the time we’re all just so close with our picks that it’s a point or two separating important slots. I kicked some fantasy rankings ace with QBs and WRs but leaving out Peyton Hillis killed me on the running back front, and my 5th ranking in team defense (only by a point) ended my winning streak at 1. Yeah, not much of a streak. Josh got first (again) and Papa got back in the game with a strong 2nd place finish. Nate got 4th and Ryan put up four 5th place position rankings to secure 5th. Not too shabby Red! Hey, we’ve all been there, bub! Here’s the REVIEW!

(Papa wants to let you know, if you want some old-school bad-ass fantasy advice, send him emails to….. PAPAWEIMER50@HOTMAIL.COM)

Elite Starters: Guys picked early that I love this week, looking for Top 5 at their position. D

1. Peyton Manning – He threw touchdowns, but 4 interceptions didn’t help things. F
2. Phillip Rivers – Ultimate backfire – the Chargers put up defensive touchdowns and Rivers and his pass-happy bunch turned into “run the clock out” offense. Yikes. F
3. Ray Rice- 8th overall with 19 fantasy points, the Ravens are leaning on him more as the season winds down. Good for 8th. B+
4. Chris Johnson – Yikes. Injured. Shut down. Whatever you want to call it. Yikes. F
5. Rashard Mendenhall– Tied with Rice for 8th, 19 points, keeps plugging away. B+

Solid Starters: Guys picked in middle rounds that should outplay their ranking/draft position this week. A-

1. Brandon Lloyd– 23 points… That marks the 6th time he has gone over 20… Awesome. A+
2. Peyton Hillis– BEAST! 43 points led the league. How’d I leave him out of my rankings? DUMB!!! A+++
3. Mario Manningham– 3 grabs, 61 yards and a touchdown. Not bad, not amazing. B
4. Steve Johnson- 13 points for Johnson, but he probably could have given Dwayne Bowe a run (lie, he couldn’t have, Bowe had 48, but still)- Steve dropped 5 balls I think, and one of them was a gift TD in overtime to win the game. Tough one for a guy that’s really been great all year. C-
5. Tom Brady – He was ranked 7th or 8th, I said he’d be Top 3. He was #1. HUGE day for Brady. A+++

Sleeper Starters: Guys ranked low, drafted low or falling off the charts, but I still like them this week… C

1. Mike Tolbert– Big Mike in the Wood (great movie reference) took his bowling ball game to the bank, ran out the clock and downed the Colts in Indy – tied for 8th with 19 points. A
2. Ronnie Brown – Not a great fantasy day, but in a non-ppr he was solid, his highest rushing total in a while – if they keep leaning on the run, he could be fantasy worthy again. C-
3. Keiland Williams– He caught 4 balls, but of course Shanny thought it would be a better idea to get recently signed James Davis more carries than Williams…. Fail. F
4. Brandon Jacobs – 14 carries for 87 yards, absolutely no reason to stop running, but the Giants almost did it to try and lose the game. No TD for Jacobs, so just 8 points. C
5. Matt Cassel– Beasted the Hawks, or he threw it to Bowe who beasted the Hawks for 4 TDs – either way, great day for Cassel. A+

Super Sleepers: Undrafted guys that are usually unowned, but in a pinch put ‘em in coach! C+

1. Jimmy Graham– Just 3 catches for 25 yards. Blah. D-
2. Shaun Hill– He had the Lions tied going into the 4th – he didn’t play well in the 4th, but he still finished 14th with 15 fantasy points. B+
3. BenJarvus Green-Ellis – Another touchdown for BJGE, he no longer qualifies as a super sleeper. 14th back overall. A+
4. Brett Favre – I took a chance, it backfired – they won, but it wasn’t a pretty performance. No TOs though. D-
5. Nate Burleson – Dropped passes killed him, I think he had two huge ones. Not nothing, but nothing worth giving myself a good grade over. C-

Sit ‘Em Son: I don’t care where they were drafted, I don’t like these guys starting this week… D+

1. Fred Jackson –He didn’t run all that well, but he played tough, and he caught a big screen pass that he took the distance for a Top 5 day amongst RBs. WRONG! F-
2. Lance Moore– He had a nice day, scored a big one late, I was wrong again. Boo. F
3. Joe Flacco– 21 points for Flacco, good for 9th – I thought they’d run it more, but he threw it well. F
4. Carson Palmer– 26th QB this week, 7 points – you’re welcome. A+
5. Cedric Benson– 5 points for Benson, I lost in the league I played him in. A+

***Ready for the Fantasy Playoffs – just a week or two away depending on your league!***

Week 12 went down like this.

Week 12 QB Final Rankings

Ryan Kauffman 5	Josh Arsenault 2	Papa Weimer 2	Lucky Lester 1	Nate B. Kuhns 4
Drew Brees 16	Phillip Rivers 7	Phillip Rivers 7	Peyton Manning 11	Michael Vick 23
Aaron Rodgers 26	Peyton Manning 11	Michael Vick 23	Phillip Rivers 7	Ben Roethlisberger 10
Ben Roethlisberger 10	Drew Brees 16	Drew Brees 16	Drew Brees 16	Aaron Rodgers 26
Phillip Rivers 7	Michael Vick 23	Peyton Manning 11	Aaron Rodgers 26	Phillip Rivers 7
Shaun Hill 13	Aaron Rodgers 26	Aaron Rodgers 26	Tom Brady 31	Peyton Manning 11

Week 12 RB Final Rankings

Ryan Kauffman 5	Josh Arsenault 1	Papa Weimer 2	Lucky Lester 3	Nate B. Kuhns 4
Adrian Peterson 13	Arian Foster 30	Chris Johnson 0	Ray Rice 19	Rash. Mendenhall 19
Peyton Hillis 43	Rash. Mendenhall 19	Adrian Peterson 13	Chris Johnson 0	Chris Johnson 0
Steven Jackson 8	Chris Johnson 0	Arian Foster 30	Rash. Mendenhall 19	Adrian Peterson 13
Chris Johnson 0	Adrian Peterson 13	Peyton Hillis 43	Adrian Peterson 13	Peyton Hillis 43
Frank Gore 5	Peyton Hillis 43	Frank Gore 5	Arian Foster 30	Frank Gore 5

Week 12 WR Final Rankings

Ryan Kauffman 5	Josh Arsenault 2	Papa Weimer 3	Lucky Lester 1	Nate B. Kuhns 4
Greg Jennings 16	Larry Fitzgerald 7	M. Manningham 15	Calvin Johnson 19	Andre Johnson 20
Andre Johnson 20	Marques Colston 16	DeSean Jackson 4	Roddy White 9	Calvin Johnson 19
Calvin Johnson 19	Andre Johnson 20	Brandon Lloyd 25	M. Manningham 15	Greg Jennings 16
Vincent Jackson 0	Calvin Johnson 19	Calvin Johnson 19	Greg Jennings 16	Roddy White 9
Mike Wallace 6	Greg Jennings 16	Larry Fitzgerald 7	Dwayne Bowe 48	DeSean Jackson 4

Week 12 TE Final Rankings

Ryan Kauffman 5	Josh Arsenault 4	Papa Weimer 1	Lucky Lester 2	Nate B. Kuhns 3
Jacob Tamme 19	Jacob Tamme 19	Vernon Davis 5	Kevin Boss 16	Jacob Tamme 19
Marcedes Lewis 6	Vernon Davis 5	Jacob Tamme 19	Joel Dreessen 10	Antonio Gates 8
Heath Miller 8	Todd Heap 17	Tony Gonzalez 17	Jimmy Graham5	Brandon Petitgrew 11
Kevin Boss 16	Jason Witten 19	Kevin Boss 16	Jacob Tamme 19	Todd Heap 17
Jimmy Graham 5	Jermaine Gresham 5	Jason Witten 19	Brandon Petitgrew 11	Vernon Davis 5

Week 12 DST Final Rankings

Ryan Kauffman 2	Josh Arsenault 1	Papa Weimer 3	Lucky Lester 5	Nate B. Kuhns 4
Browns 7	Browns 7	Browns 7	Raiders 11	Steelers 10
Steelers 10	Steelers 10	Eagles 4	Saints 9	Packers 8
Raiders 11	Packers 8	Steelers 10	Eagles 4	Titans 6
Eagles 4	Patriots 8	49ers	Giants 12	Ravens 8
Jets 30	Jets 30	Chiefs 12	Browns 7	Chiefs 12

Week 12s Writer Rankings

Ryan Kauffman 5	Josh Arsenault 1	Papa Weimer 2	Lucky Lester 3	Nate B. Kuhns 4
1.QBs 5	1.QBs 2	1.QBs 2	1.QBs 1	1.QBs 4
2.RBs 5	2.RBs 1	2.RBs 2	2.RBs 3	2.RBs 4
3.WRs 5	3.WRs 2	3.WRs 3	3.WRs 1	3.WRs 4
4.TEs 5	4.TEs 4	4.TEs 1	4.TEs 2	4.TEs 3
5.DST 2	5.DST 1	5.DST 3	5.DST 5	5. DST 4

Who could we have MISSED?

QB: Matt Cassel: He was 2nd to only Tom Terrific. I really wanted to, but I didn’t want to take the chance of missing out on a big day from a guy like Rodgers or Brees… Should have gone with my gut, but I guess I took QB rankings anyway.

RB: Mike Goodson: We all loved him as a pick-up, but none of us thought he’d catch 8 balls for 80+ yards. This kid has been good enough to let DeAngelo walk I imagine.

WR: Jacoby Ford: If you get return TDs, and we do, then Ford was 2nd to only Dwayne Bowe. Dude is too fast.

TE: Billy Bajema: Sam Bradford finds a new guy every week, this time it was Billy. He finished 3rd but just a point behind Tamme and Witten.

DEF: Chargers: We should have known that history was on the side of San Diego, they always chew up Peyton and spit him out.

Week 11 Fantasy Football REVIEW: Fantasy Focus Review 2010

Fantasy Football Rankings: Fantasy Focus Week 11

Week 11 saw me grab a title again. Whew, I thought I was losing it – haha. Papa still can’t seem to get on track, but I’m back in business. Josh and Ryan finished in a tie for 3rd while Nate came in 4th. Papa will be back though, no matter how many birthdays seem to pass him by, he’s always there – and you know his advice is killing it as always…

(Papa wants to let you know, if you want some old-school bad-ass fantasy advice, send him emails to PAPAWEIMER50@HOTMAIL.COM)

Here’s the Fantasy Focus Review for Week 11…

Elite Starters: Guys picked early that I love this week, looking for Top 5 at their position. C

1. Michael Vick – Just 19 points for Mike, not great (just 13th amongst QBs) but he continues to be solid and just under 20 ain’t bad at all. B-
2. Chris Johnson – 130 yards rushing but no scores, he ended up with 15 fantasy points. Pretty blah. C-
3. Peyton Hillis- 25 points, 4th amongst RBs. This guy is as sure as sheep…. or is that sheer as sheep? A+
4. Jamaal Charles – Just 12 carries for 88 yards, and 4 caches for 38… Why would he not get at least 20 touches? C
5. Calvin Johnson– 16 points for CJ, he’s a beast, but a mediocre day for him. C-

Solid Starters: Guys picked in middle rounds that should outplay their ranking/draft position this week. C-

1. Brandon Lloyd– 19 more points – keep adding them up, when you’re done you’ll see he’s just about better than everyone else at the position not named Roddy White. A-
2. Kyle Orton– Orton looked great on the first drive, and after that it was trouble. Bad pick here. D-
3. Felix Jones– Jones got nicked up a little against Detroit, slowing him down and giving the other backs more looks – he ended with just 9 points. D
4. Cedric Benson- 21 points for Benson in one of his best games of the season. A
5. Randy Moss – F

Sleeper Starters: Guys ranked low, drafted low or falling off the charts, but I still like them this week… B

1. Mark Sanchez– 30 points for SanCHEZ and while it was a big week for QBs he still ranked 8th. A+
2. Vince Young – Got hurt. Then got fired by his coach. Then got “out for the year” – in that order. D-
3. Steve Johnson– 39 fantasy points, he’s a beast, 2nd only to Greg Jennings’ 40 point day. A+++
4. Marion Manningham – He wasn’t as good as I thought he’d be, but I bet he has a nice day next week. D-
5. Thomas Jones – He didn’t quite get 20 carries, but 15 gave him 70+ yards and two touchdowns. A+

Super Sleepers: Undrafted guys that are usually unowned, but in a pinch put ‘em in coach! A-

1. Colt McCoy– 16 points for Colt despite not finishing the game healthy. He’s a warrior, but I expected even more out of him against the Jags. B
2. BenJarvus Green-Ellis– 16 points for BJGE and finished in the Top 20, he’s about as consistent as any fantasy player in New England is outside of Mr. Brady. A
3. Mike Tolbert– 23 big ones for Big Mike ranking him 8th and making owners smile. A
4. Danny Amendola – Owned in less than 25% of leagues and he has another great day. Top 15 guy. A+++
5. Mohamed Massaquoi – 4 grabs for 52 yards, could be worse than 9 points. B-

Sit ‘Em Son: I don’t care where they were drafted, I don’t like these guys starting this week… B-

1. Mike Williams (Sea)–Had a great day despite missing a lot of it with injuries. I was wrong here. F
2. Lance Moore– Reggie didn’t come back, but Moore still only had 7 points. Hopefully you listened. A
3. Roy Williams– 4 points, so much for that great match-up, eh? You’re welcome! A+
4. Donovan McNabb– 19 points for McNabb, all in garbage time, but fantasy doesn’t care. D
5. Darren McFadden– He’s lucky he caught 2 balls for 16 yards because 10 rushes for 14 yards and 1 fantasy point really sounds bad! You’re welcome! A++

***Back on top!***

And Week 11′s title went to…. ME!!!!

Week 11 QB Final Rankings

Ryan Kauffman 5	Josh Arsenault 4	Papa Weimer 1	Lucky Lester 2	Nate B. Kuhns 2
Peyton Manning 25	Mike Vick 19	Phillip Rivers 25	Mike Vick 19	Phillip Rivers 25
Drew Brees 27	Aaron Rodgers 30	Drew Brees 27	Drew Brees 27	Drew Brees 27
Phillip Rivers 25	Peyton Manning 25	Peyton Manning 25	Aaron Rodgers 30	Aaron Rodgers 30
Shaun Hill 17	Tom Brady 15	Mark SanCHEZ 24	Phillip Rivers 25	Mike Vick 19
Mike Vick 19	Drew Brees 27	Jon Kitna 27	Peyton Manning 25	Peyton Manning 25

Week 11 RB Final Rankings

Ryan Kauffman 2	Josh Arsenault 1	Papa Weimer 5	Lucky Lester 4	Nate B. Kuhns 3
Frank Gore 10	Adrian Peterson 9	Chris Johnson 15	Peyton Hillis 25	Chris Johnson 15
Ray Rice 24	Chris Johnson 15	Peyton Hillis 25	Chris Johnson 15	Peyton Hillis 25
Jamaal Charles 15	LeSean McCoy 26	Jamaal Charles 15	Jamaal Charles 15	Michael Turner 20
Peyton Hillis 25	Ray Rice 24	Rashard Mendenhall 9	Adrian Peterson 9	Adrian Peterson 9
Chris Johnson 15	Peyton Hillis 25	Felix Jones 9	Frank Gore 10	Frank Gore 10

Week 11 WR Final Rankings

Ryan Kauffman 2	Josh Arsenault 3	Papa Weimer 5	Lucky Lester 1	Nate B. Kuhns 4
Calvin Johnson 16	Andre Johnson 7	Andre Johnson 7	Calvin Johnson 16	Roddy White 19
Marques Colston 31	Roddy White 19	Reggie Wayne 24	Roddy White 19	Calvin Johnson 16
Roddy White 19	Larry Fitzgerald 21	Santonio Holmes 33	Brandon Lloyd 19	Greg Jennings 42
Reggie Wayne 24	Reggie Wayne 24	Calvin Johnson 16	Greg Jennings 42	Hakeem Nicks 12
Dwayne Bowe 28	Marques Colston 31	Randy Moss 0	Marques Colston 31	Anquan Boldin 3

Week 11 TE Final Rankings

Ryan Kauffman 2	Josh Arsenault 4	Papa Weimer 4	Lucky Lester 1	Nate B. Kuhns 4
Marcedes Lewis 17	Antonio Gates 0	Vernon Davis 1	Jacob Tamme 13	Vernon Davis 1
Dustin Keller 2	Vernon Davis 1	Jacob Tamme 13	Antonio Gates 0	Antonio Gates 0
Jermaine Gresham 5	Dustin Keller 2	Dustin Keller 2	Dustin Keller 2	Jacob Tamme 13
Vernon Davis 1	Tony Gonzalez 8	Tony Gonzalez 8	Vernon Davis 1	Jason Witten 8
Antonio Gates 0	Jacob Tamme 13	Ben Watson 0	Chris Cooley 16	Dustin Keller 2

Week 11 DST Final Rankings

Ryan Kauffman 2	Josh Arsenault 1	Papa Weimer 5	Lucky Lester 4	Nate B. Kuhns 3
Ravens 27	Packers 13	Titans 15	Ravens 27	Packers 13
Bears 22	Bears 22	Ravens 27	Saints 8	Steelers 24
Saints 8	Ravens 27	Dolphins 11	Bears 22	Titans 15
Titans 15	Saints 8	Packers 13	Packers 13	Saints 8
Packers 13	Steelers 24	Chiefs 8	Chiefs 8	Bears 22

Week 11s Writer Rankings

Ryan Kauffman 2	Josh Arsenault 2	Papa Weimer 5	Lucky Lester 1	Nate B. Kuhns 4
1.QBs 5	1.QBs 4	1.QBs 1	1.QBs 2	1.QBs 2
2.RBs 2	2.RBs 1	2.RBs 5	2.RBs 4	2.RBs 3
3.WRs 2	3.WRs 3	3.WRs 5	3.WRs 1	3.WRs 4
4.TEs 2	4.TEs 4	4.TEs 4	4.TEs 1	4.TEs 4
5.DST 2	5.DST 1	5.DST 5	5.DST 4	5. DST 3

Week 13 2010 NCAA Picks REVIEW – College Football Revisited

Week 13 2010 NCAA Picks REVIEW – College Football Revisited: I was 7-5 in one of the last regular season weeks of the year. Next week there are some conference games left, and some conference playoff action – try to build my record up before bowl season. Here are my picks.

Texas A&M Aggies (-3.5) @ Texas Longhorns (WIN)
This Game was closer than I thought it would be, but it was obvious that the better teams was Texas A&M – they didn’t dominate, but they ended up taking the game in Texas by a touchdown over the Longhorns.

#2 Auburn Tigers (+4.5) @ #11 Alabama Crimson Tide (WIN)
Auburn spotted the Tide a big lead, but just like Alabama came back to beat Arkansas by sticking them in the 2nd half and pouring on points – so Auburn copied their tactics. Auburn let Cam Newton show off his arm a bit, and despite being out-gained, the Tigers willed their way to victory – continuing their undefeated run at a National Championship – winning by a single point, 28-27.

#21 Arizona Wildcats (+20) @ #1 Oregon Ducks (WIN)
The Wildcats kept it close early, but the Ducks came on like gangbusters after going into halftime behind Arizona. It ended up being a 20-point win – or, should I say very close to 20. The Ducks won by 19, giving me a one point cover as I took the Wildcats.

#4 Boise State Broncos (-14) @ #19 Nevada Wolf Pack (Loss)
Boise lost this game, and somehow a whole bunch of respect. Nevada is good, and the Broncos are a field goal away from a victory as time expires. Boise didn’t have an answer for Nevada’s pistol offense in the 2nd half – and they deserved to win in overtime.

Michigan Wolverines @ #8 Ohio State Buckeyes (-17) (WIN)
Seemed easy going in, it was indeed. Ohio State showed why Michigan hasn’t beaten a good team all season long. The can’t stop anybody.

#5 LSU Tiger @ #12 Arkansas Razorbacks (-3) (WIN)
The Razorbacks ended up with a touchdown win over the Tigers, and a shot at a BCS Bowl game if the cards get played right. Ryan Mallet showed some gusto with a 40 yard touchdown pass on 4th and 3 – and the Razorbacks used their 10 point 4th quarter to win by 8.

Northwestern Wildcats (+23.5) @ #7 Wisconsin Badgers (Loss)
The Badgers continue to badger opponents, no kidding, they put up 70+ again and I’m pretty sure they have the best running back stable in the country. Those big boys up front, and anybody the Badgers hand the ball to really get the job done. Wisconsin should be big-bowling when all is said and done.

Florida Gators (+3) @ #22 Florida State Seminoles (Loss)
Well, I was certainly wrong about this one. FSU dominated the Gators and now will play for an ACC Title and a chance at the BCS.

Washington Huskies (+7) @ California Bears (WIN)
And the Huskies win!!! Either way they were going to cover, but going for it on 4th and goal from the 1-yard line was a ballsy call – if only because three straight quarterback sneaks for nothing was a dumb call. It all worked out for Sark, King Jake, and the Dawgs, however – and now all they have to do is beat their biggest rival on the road in December… No problemo…. RIGHT?

Oregon State Beavers (+14.5) @ #6 Stanford Cardinal (Loss)
Standford is one of the best teams in the Nation. Oregon State usually steps up to play against good teams. Not this time. I lose.

#13 Oklahoma Sooners @ #9 Oklahoma State Cowboys (+3) (Loss)
The Sooners got a crazy shootout win against the Cowboys. Oklahoma State never led in this game – but it was tied going into the 4th, and during a crazy 4th quarter where 40 total points were scored between these two teams (31 in the final 4:06) the Cowboys pulled within 2 twice. I thought they might lose by 2 and give me the win. I was wrong – as it would go, the Sooners pulled some trickery and ended up with a 47-41 win in a great game.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ USC Trojans (WIN)
The Irish end up beating USC and covering the spread. It truly was a story of two halves as Notre Dame took a 13-3 lead into the break while USC battle back, scoring 13 straight points in the 2nd half to take a 16-13 lead. But Robert Hughes would run in a touchdown with just over 2 minutes left in the game, and that score would be the difference. ND beat USC 20-16.

Fantasy Football Monday: Week 12 2010 FF Observations

Fantasy Football Monday: Week 12 2010 FF Observations: I don’t do it every week, shoot, I’ve only done it a couple times this season – but when I get the urge, I can really throw some stuff out there. Like most Sundays, I spent a lot of time watching football, but this time I spent some quality time with every single game the league had to offer. I’m not talking about just sitting on the red-zone channel, folks, I’m talking about watching 2nd and 8 from the Panthers own 37 yard line.

Spending that quality time made me think of a lot of things, way more than I can write here – but I know I have at least one observation from every single game that went down this week – counting Thanks Giving, that’s 15 games to be talked about. I better stop the intro there, here goes nothing – off the top of my dome.

1. Patriots @ Lions – Tom Brady is really good and it’s because he’s really talented, he cares more about kicking the crap out of everyone and being better at his job than anybody else. He’s the guy that you work with that stays 4 hours longer trying to sell some more crap or get that program working or deal with a problem in the warehouse. He knows everybody’s job and he can tell them how to do it. He works longer than anybody else. He doesn’t need to, because he’d be good anyway, but he does, because he wants to be better than he is. BenJarvus Green-Ellis runs really hard. The Lions are a pretty good team, and while they lost by 21, it was tied going into the 4th. The young Lions do lots of things well, being consistent on either side of the ball isn’t one of them.

2. Saints @ Cowboys – I didn’t watch as much of this one (I was busy throwing touchdown passes and winning my local Turkey-Bowl – take that Weaver!) but I caught the tail end and I must say, the reason why Marion Barber doesn’t run as well as he used to is because he used to run with reckless abandon and now he does not. Now he gets paid and he has a contract for next year. He still runs hard, but he thinks now – I don’t think he used to do that. The Boys are a completely different team without a players’ coach at the helm. Please let me know when a “Players Coach” consistently wins year after year. Thanks. PS – Where was Dez Bryant in this one?

3. Bengals @ Jets – The Bengals showed they were still in it in the 4th quarter when their kicker (I dare you to name the guy without googling it or looking it up anywhere else – answer at the bottom of this page) busted a short field goal to get the Bungles within a touchdown. Brad Smith took the kickoff back for a touchdown – game over. What little tidbit do I have here? The Bengals don’t get it. The are predictable, Carson Palmer has become a younger/stronger armed version of Jake Delhomme, everybody on their team was shut down in one way or another – and they still probably don’t respect the Jets. That’s not going to get them anywhere – but there’s not a huge difference from last season and this season except they were more committed to the run last year, and their bad plays didn’t haunt them as much. The bounce don’t go there way this year. As for the Jets side – just a note, Shonn Greene had more carries than LaDainian Tomlinson – and neither were that great as far as YPC or fantasy points. In fact, outside of one huge play (a 53 yard run by Brad Smith) and one solid drive, the Jets didn’t do diddly offensively. (Don’t worry, they all won’t be this long).

4. Packers @ Falcons – Matt Ryan may never get to show off the numbers that Aaron Rodgers puts up, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be as good as Aaron. Both young quarterbacks are very talented, great fun to watch, and they throw dimes. Rodgers is the better thrower, but Matty-Ice really gets it. He has a running game, which is nice, and his play caller has a lot to do with it, I’m sure – but he doesn’t seem to waste a play, ever. In a league where starting quarterbacks throw tons of picks and complete 55% of their passes, Ryan looks like he knows how to win, and numbers aren’t the biggest thing. He’s like the Andrew Luck of the NFL… Or the other way around.

5. Steelers @ Bills – Pittsburgh should have lost because they are dumb. No team should throw 33 times against the Bills, not when they are running at will. Now, Pittsburgh didn’t have 8 yards per carry or anything like that, but they were running successfully – it was’t until Big Dumb starting hurling the rock that Buffalo started to catch up. Why pass? It was hard to watch Steve Johnson drop so many balls, but none harder than that overtime touchdown he let slip through his paws. I bet he hadn’t dropped that many balls all season, but the kid has had a hell of a year, the best offensive weapon in Buffalo, no doubt – and I think he’s going to be a good one. By the way, Fitzpatrick is pretty dang good – I hope Buffalo realizes that this off-season.

6. Panthers @ Browns – Cleveland tries to lose in the 4th quarter. They don’t tackle, they stop running, the let Jake Delhomme throw passes. I know Jake had a nearly perfect fist half, I watched most of his throws and I was stunned – however, if a dude like Jake completes all but a couple of his 1st half throws, then come out of the locker room and count your blessings – and never throw again. Dude threw 35 times (and the Browns were up most of the game) – how dumb is that? Not dumb enough to lose, I guess, as John Kasay missed the game winner.PS – Call me nuts, but I think Jimmy Clausen has the balls to make it here.

7.  Jaguars @ Giants – I can’t believe the Jaguars almost won this game. They had both their starting OTs out and their starting OTs aren’t very good, so just imagine how impressive their 2nd stringers are. Still, New York probably should have lost this one. No team mis-uses their players more than New York. Defensively, they should be moving guys around more and freaking offenses out with all those DL playmakers. Offensively, there’s absolutely no reason they don’t run more. Eli didn’t play poorly, but they always get yards running the ball – always. I know Eli’s worth all that money you gave him (sarcasm) but c’mon G-Men, run it.

8. Vikings @ Redskins - Sure, they won, but the Vikings still aren’t very good. Favre didn’t throw a picks, and the running game was used heavily – but this team doesn’t have the explosion they used to have, on either side of the ball. The Redskins are worse. McNabb hasn’t been good, the don’t take many chances down the field, and I don’t think they had even 50 yards rushing. I counted three drops in one series. Cooley on 1st and 10. Armstrong on 2nd and 10. Santana Moss on 3rd and 10. McNabb’s not good enough to get his passes that are accurate, dropped.

9. Titans @ Texans – Is Randy Moss really this big of a team cancer? No, c’mon – but seriously, how many games has Randy won this year? Since leaving “win all the time” New England, his record isn’t real good. Not his fault, in fact, I’m going to lay this one on Jeff Fischer. Fish knows what he has in Vince Young – and I think Fish is a great coach, but Vince was by far this team’s best quarterback – there was no reason to alienate him like he did. Don’t think it’s all Young’s fault, I know he’s a baby and super sensitive, but so does Jeff. After the Vince/Jeff situation, I thought for sure that it would be Vince out of Tennessee – but if a couple more of these happen, I’m not so sure. Andre Johnson obviously boxes in the off-season to stay in shape. Seriously. Right, right, uppercut…

10. Dolphins @ Raiders – Oakland should have started Jason Campbell. I know he’s not pretty, but against mediocre teams I think he gives you the better chance to win. Against good teams, maybe it’s Gradkowski, because he sticks with it longer, and maybe he has a chance to make more positive plays. Either way, the Raiders had to pass it at least twice as much as they ran it, probably more, and that’s not a good ratio for Oakland. Chad Henne made some really nice throws – I still think he’s a solid future QB. But this game was won because the Dolphins went back to doing what they do. Ricky and Ronnie each carried the ball around 20 times and for the first time in a while, the Dolphins ran more than they passed. Good for them.

11. Chiefs @ Seahawks – I thought the Hawks would score maybe one offensive touchdown. They busted expectations by putting 2 in the end zone. But their “solid run D” (PS, they stop bad teams from running, they give up plenty of yards to good teams) couldn’t stop the Chiefs as KC went well over 250 yards on the ground. Also, Dwayne Bowe big brothered the Hawks secondary, he looked like me at my Turkey Bowl – only faster, taller, more athletic, and he put up better numbers. Seattle can’t run the ball and I don’t think it’s the running backs’ fault. The line can pass block, but they can’t move any defensive linemen.

12. Eagles @ Bears – The Eagles are still better than the Bears, but the Bears played better today. Philly left a lot of points on the board and didn’t run the ball nearly enough to keep the Bears’ honest. Chicago plays lights out defensively, but Chicago fans, you know Jay Cutler will never play another game without throwing an interception – ever. Never ever. Matt Forte looked like the Bears’ best player. He is. I wonder if they recognized it?

13. Rams @ Broncos – Sam Bradford is the real deal holyfield. Many teams could learn from the Rams – Steven Jackson had 29 rushes for 72 yards, that’s just 2.5 per tote – but they stayed committed. That’s big. With the run threat there, the passing game stays more open. If it’s not working, don’t ignore it – this is a big reason why the Rams are 5-6 with little receiver help and a rookie QB – and the fact that the rookie QB is legit. Kyle Orton had no TD passes going into the 4th. He had 3 for the game. One wonders why the Broncos fired their defensive coordinator last season. Orton didn’t play well through 3 quarters, but Tebow wasn’t seen. So Bronco fans, shut your dumb mouths, believe me – if Tebow was the better option he’d be out there. Orton is having a hell of a year, give him a break here and there.

14. Bucs @ Ravens – This game just goes to show, if you don’t hurt yourself via shot to own foot, and you tackle – you have a chance. I think the Bucs would run more if they had a second chance, but they played well enough to have a shot. LeGarrette Blount is a beast. If he has three steps without getting contacted, the first guy almost never tackles him. The Bucs run to the ball, they tackle well, and they keep everything (for the most part) in front. The Ravens had to beat them, the Bucs didn’t give them anything. That’s why Tampa is 7-4, it’s not luck. Anquan Boldin was targeted 3 times, he had 4 catches. Derrick Mason was targeted 13 times. Just an observation.

15. Chargers @ Colts – Really, Reggie Wayne? I didn’t watch the entire game but I saw Reggie drop (flat out drop) three balls. I didn’t see Peyton get mad at him once. If Garcon drops a ball, Peyton freaks out. Manning actually threw the ball fine, despite the statistics- a couple tough plays went against him, and the Chargers tricked him a couple times. Rivers only threw the ball around 20 times. No touchdowns, no big plays, all dinks and dunks and mostly stuff to RBs in the first half. This is why Rivers is good – he’s smart, and he will do what it takes to win. That’s where yards were open, so that’s the way he went. He may yap and yell and huff and puff, but it’s what he does on the football field that blows your house down. By the way, this cat Mike Tolbert – I think I saw tacklers getting up off the ground telling him how they didn’t like to tackle him. And I have to say, it looks like it sucks.

San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals Monday Night Football Pick

San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals Monday Night Football Pick: The 49ers have failed to live up to their lofty expectations, but they have still played some good football at times. The Cardinals are just bad, and there’s no way that, with a lackluster rushing attack and Derek Anderson at quarterback, a team can be consistent enough offensively where a bet on them to win a pick’em football game is any kind of good value. Now, Mike Singletary may be on his last legs, and the 49ers might be closing in on “season over” territory, but I’m telling you, they are the better football team in this match-up for a couple reasons. They can stop the run. They can move the ball offensively. They have a running game. They have a leader at quarterback that they trust. If you see the Cardinals with any of those things, please let me know, because right now all I see is Larry Fitzgerald and a couple running backs that can’t seem to get blocks.

By the way, what were the scheduling donkeys doing when they selected an NFC West match-up for Monday Night Football? Something tells me this will be the lowest TV-rated prime-time football game of the season. I don’t think it will be close. And no, Thursdays on NFL Network don’t count.

Taking the 49ers to win is obviously a risky business to be in, but this does seem like a game they should walk away with. Let Derek Anderson try to beat you and end up winning – the plan seems flawless – now if they can just execute! Free Frank Gore!!!!!

San Francisco 49ers (pk) @ Arizona Cardinals

Tennessee Titans VS Houston Texans: Free NFL Picks

I’m taking Houston in a pick-em here, it’s the only thing that makes any sense.

The Titans have been bad, giving up big plays on defense and producing little in terms of consistency on offense despite having one of the best offensive weapons in the NFL. A guy named Rusty is starting for them at quarterback today against the Texans, and while the Texans do have one of the worst pass defenses in the league, I don’t think Rusty will be able to take full advantage of that.

Matt Schaub hasn’t been the same guy this season, and that’s because the T exans are relying more on their rushing attack – a strong rushing attack led by Arian Foster – a huge breakout player this season. But if the Texans want to win this game, they’ll continue to lean on their talented back. In games where they feed him the ball, they are much more efficient and consistent. In games where they go back to throwing every play, they get beat up. There’s no example that’s a better tell than the Colts this season. In game 1, the Colts didn’t have a chance as Foster got the ball just about every play and he ran wild. In game 2, the Texans thought they’d be clever, they came out throwing like it was 2009, and they fell behind early and lost their ability to feed the ball to Foster. Silly rabbits.

Kubiak, I’m relying on you here, swan – give the ball to foster – give me a win!

Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans (pk)s

Carolina Panthers VS Cleveland Browns: NFL Week 12 Free Pick

The Browns have been pretty solid all season long. They lose so man close games that it’s almost painful to write about. They give up 20.6 points per game and score 19.2 – yet they are 3-7 on the season. But last week’s loss was bad – they turned the Jaguars over 6 times (or Jacksonville gave the Browns the ball 6 times, however you want to look at it, I saw it as option 2) and they still couldn’t win. Against a blah-Jaguar defense, the Browns couldn’t run and had no consistency in the passing game.

But this one goes to the way the Browns play, and Jake Delhomme taking over at quarterback again. He throws the ball to the opponent a lot, and Carolina’s defense is actually pretty solid. If the Panthers just put on their smart-hats and run the ball 66% of the time, I think they cover that huge spread against the Panthers. 11 is too much to give the Browns, even against the worst team in football (which is exactly how I’d describe the Panthers).

If it was Seneca Wallace or Colt McCoy, I’d be all over the Browns here – but Delhomme is a guy I just have to bet against, and getting 11 points against him is just too much to pass up. I’ll do a crazy thing here, take the terrible Panthers to cover a spread.

Carolina Panthers (+11) @ Cleveland Browns

San Diego Chargers @ Indianapolis Colts Sunday Night Football Pick

San Diego Chargers @ Indianapolis Colts Sunday Night Football Pick: I know that receiver injuries have hurt the Colts, but they are still plenty good to be seen as a great value at home, favored by just a field goal, against a team that is 1-4 on the road and just 5-5 overall. I know that team is San Diego, and they have a very highly rated defense and an even higher rated offense, but they haven’t played Peyton Manning yet, and I have a feeling the Colts are going to play well and win on Sunday Night Football.

The Chargers come in winning 3 straight football games, rallying to beat Tennessee, Houston, and then just crushing Denver after the Broncos marched down the field and scored easily on their first drive. After that, it was all Philip Rivers and a big bad tailback named Michael Tolbert. Now Tolbert is a key to this game, something not many people every expected him to be in the NFL – but he could crush my bet with a big day pounding between the tackles against this relatively small Colts defensive front. If Tolbert gets to the century mark, it means the game stayed close, the Chargers held onto the ball longer than the Colts, and probably a Chargers win. But if Manning can get out to an early lead, I like the Colts to send the Chargers home a sub .500 football team.

I just think the Colts are a perfect match-up for beating the Chargers. San Diego thrives off the big play through the air and Indy rarely gives up a big play in the passing game. They keep offenses in front of them and make them put up points with consistency as opposed to the quick score. I think Manning has a night against the Chargers’ secondary while Rivers struggles with the Colts’ pass rush.

San Diego Chargers @ Indianapolis Colts (-3)

Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears NFL Week 12 Free Pick

Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears NFL Week 12 Free Pick: I don’t think the Bears are better than the Eagles in any aspect of the game, and thus I’ll be taking Philly in this big time NFC match-up between 7-3 teams. This will be a brisk “afternoon” game in Chicago, I’ll tell you that – but I don’t know how that’s going to affect either team. It’s supposed to be relatively wind free and below freezing when the sun goes down, and that’s when the receivers’ hands get cold. Again, does this hurt either team more than the other? No.

I don’t think this line is very good value for Eagles’ backers, but I just happen to think the Eagles will get by the Bears. Chicago’s defense has been very good, but the Bears haven’t played anything like Mike Vick (because there really isn’t anybody like him). The Bears haven’t struggled to stay close to anybody this season – eventually stumbling in New York against the Giants, but aside from that they are 7-3 with two losses by a field goal and that 17-3 loss to New York. No team in the NFL has put up more than 20 points against these Bears, but I still think they could be susceptible to the big play – something the Eagles’ rocket armed quarterback and his two amazingly fast receivers love to make happen.

But it’s not the Bears defense against the Eagles offense that has me going the way of Philadelphia in this one – it’s the Eagles improved defense picking on Jay Cutler and that sorry Bears’ rushing attack. Chicago ran well last week against a pretty good Miami defense, but I think the Eagles’ team speed gives them plenty of trouble. A couple dumb Cutler throws could turn into points for the Eagles, and any defensive/special team points will make this game an easy cover for the road team.

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) @ Chicago Bears

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