Untitled Page

Fantasy Football Advice

Rodgers, Foster lead list for 2012
February 10
Foxsports.com
 
"Albert Einstein once warned, "Never think of the future – it comes soon enough." While I usually condemn disputing the guidance of men whose surnames are synonymous with "genius," I think our friend AE's advice is invalid in the endeavor of distinguishing keepers for the 2012 fantasy football season. So before we put a wrap on the 2011 year, let's pause to analyze and examine which players can be used as cornerstones for the next fantasy campaign. Quarterbacks Keepers: Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford Reason: Running backs were historically hailed as the foundations for fantasy teams, but in an era where passing is paramount and split-committee backfields"
Offseason Low Down: WR ADP vs. Reality
February 9
Rotoworld.com
 
"Wide Receivers have always been considered the safer picks when choosing between them and running backs in fantasy drafts. Of course they don't usually score as many points as the top backs, so there is a trade off. If you can bring yourself to keep reading I'm going to take a look at the Average Draft Position, actual finish and then the extrapolated finish of the top 30 receivers in each of those categories."
Offseason Low Down: Top 30 Keepers for 2012
February 9
Rotoworld.com
 
"In Part I of the Top-50 keepers, we covered the changing nature of NFL offenses, the dynamics of keeper leagues, the near misses, the fallers, and players 31-50. Let's move on to the top 30 keepers. Rank from the previous two seasons (2010, 2009) in parentheses. 30. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins (25, 21, 15) - The on-field antics and off-field baggage leave Marshall as a less desirable commodity than upside receivers such as Dez Bryant and Dwayne Bowe in pure Dynasty leagues, but he still has the edge in keeper formats. Marshall's 609 targets over the past four seasons are more than any other player in the AFC. If he stops dropping touchdowns, Marshall could regain WR1 status under Matt Flynn"
Offseason Low Down: 2012 Keeper Rankings
February 7
Rotoworld.com
 
"Welcome to the sixth-annual Top-50 keepers spectacular. A few thoughts on the changing nature of NFL offenses before we get to the proceedings: With three passers over 5,000 yards and another within 70 of reaching the mark, we realize 2011 was the year of the quarterback. Change happens quickly in the NFL, and last season brought a confluence from the lockout after-effects, illegal-contact rules inhibiting pass defenders, innovative play-callers, and a continuation of the trend away from workhorse running backs. The league's two most prolific passers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady, were buoyed by the acumen of their front office and coaching staff in targeting athletic tight ends and almost"
Offseason Extra: RB tiers for 2012
February 3
CBSSports.com
 
"It's always been in the best interests of Fantasy owners to draft as many running backs as possible. Now it's a necessity. The position continues to be minimized and compartmentalized. As it stands now, only nine teams appear to be ready to lean on one back for most of their rushing work. Most others will use two in some capacity that will limit both statistically but help the team win, which is all they care about. That's too bad because it means these tandem situations will still wreak havoc on Fantasy owners: Last year there were only 32 instances where running backs on the same team in the same game each had double-digit Fantasy points. Only one team, the Saints, accomplished the feat"
Assessing free agents for fantasy
January 31
ESPN.com
 
"When we talk NFL free agency, we're almost always talking about unrestricted free agents, guys who have four-plus years of service time and whose contracts have expired. The bulk of offseason player movement in 2012 will involve UFAs. But a rules tweak that resulted from last summer's NFL labor dispute could have ramifications for restricted free agents. (An RFA is a free agent with three seasons of service time whose contract is up.) In the past, if a squad wanted to sign another team's restricted free agent, the maximum compensation it had to give up was both a first- and a third-round draft pick. Under the new rules, now that team's maximum compensation is "only" a first-rounder."
Offseason Extra: QB tiers for 2012
January 31
CBSSports.com
 
"When to draft a quarterback? That's the question everyone will have to ask themselves -- and answer -- in 2012. You could go early on a stud, wait a little longer and land someone almost as good, or wait a while longer and clinch some great values. The choice every owner makes here will shape his or her draft strategy. There is absolutely no shortage of quality Fantasy quarterback talent this upcoming year. None. Barring a slew of preseason injuries, pretty much every owner in every league with 12 owners or fewer will have ample opportunity to land a starter with 4,000-yard, 25-touchdown potential. Of course, 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns might not cut it anymore. Not when we're coming off"
Offseason Low Down: QB ADP vs. Reality
January 26
Rotoworld.com
 
"Drew Brees broke Dan Marino's passing record, Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford also hit the 5k mark and Cam Newton broke Peyton Manning's rookie passing yardage record as well as Steve Grogan's rushing TD record (Steve Grogan? Really?). We are living in a new age and NFL quarterbacks are our overlords which makes it harder to sort out the best fantasy quarterbacks. We do know that there are a lot of good ones out there to choose from (when they aren't whipping us) so let's see how we did in choosing."
Offseason Extra: Top 12 WRs for 2012
January 25
CBSSports.com
 
"Thanks to Jordy Nelson and Victor Cruz, Fantasy owners now have a strong argument against drafting receivers early. The same goes for the owner who drafted Andre Johnson in Round 1 only to watch him miss most of the season with hamstring problems. Nelson and Cruz weren't drafted in the majority of leagues this year, but they both finished as Top 5 receivers in standard formats. On the other hand, Johnson was the first receiver drafted in most leagues, and he wasn't in the Top 50 at his position. Does this mean you should avoid drafting a perceived elite receiver early? Far from it. And a look at the Average Draft Position from this year proves that point. Here were the Top 10 receivers"
Playoff Extra: Silver lining for Rice, Gore
January 25
CBSSports.com
 
"Billy Cundiff's missed field goal to end the AFC Championship Game at New England on Sunday might have saved Ray Rice from a dismal season in 2012. The same goes for Kyle Williams and his problems on special teams against the Giants in the NFC Championship Game when it comes to Frank Gore. If Rice and Gore had reached the Super Bowl then we could have been looking at two potential bust options next season. As we pointed out last year with Rashard Mendenhall and will address again prior to Super Bowl XLVI, featured running backs who play in the final game of the season tend to struggle the following year or get hurt. It happened to Mendenhall this season. Lucky for Fantasy owners, Ahmad"
2011 Fantasy Football All-Pro Team
January 24
ESPN.com
 
"Another season now enters our rearview mirror and prepares to take its place in the hazy memories of times gone by. However, as we prepare for the clash between the Giants and Patriots to put a final nail in the 2011 fantasy coffin, as it were, we here at ESPN.com wanted to take one last look back to see which players had performances that may well stand the test of time. To put it another way, we're here to hand out our annual ESPN.com All-Pro honors to those deserving individuals who had the most fantasy impact this season. Remember, we're not talking about "value" in the sense of players who might have been selected late in drafts and somehow rose to the top of the charts through week"
Offseason Extra: Top 12 RBs for 2012
January 18
CBSSports.com
 
"The biggest decision Fantasy owners might have to make in 2012 is when to draft Adrian Peterson. His knee injury has now made him a risky Fantasy option. Peterson has been a first-round Fantasy draft pick in every season since 2008, which was his second year in the NFL, but a torn ACL and MCL in Week 16 has left his status for the start of 2012 in doubt. There is a chance he could even open the season on the PUP list. In taking a look at an initial Top 12 list of running backs for 2012, Peterson is not among that group. He is not a running back I would target on Draft Day because of the severity of his injury and since it happened late in the year. But Peterson is not alone in his"
2011 fantasy football team MVPs
January 17
ESPN.com
 
"It's a poorly kept secret that Aaron Rodgers is going to win the 2011 NFL MVP award. His team won its first 13 games while he played nearly flawless football, and the pundits (including many here at the Worldwide Leader) added a million hours of flowery praise, questioning not merely whether Rodgers is the best quarterback in football today, but whether he's already a Hall of Famer. Drew Brees' late-season statistical garbage-time rack-up rendered that discussion momentarily moot, but Rodgers will still receive the most AP votes and win his first MVP. After all, those votes took place before both the Packers and Saints bowed out of the NFL playoffs. The discussion for fantasy MVP is more"
Playoff Extra: Tight ends show their strength
January 17
CBSSports.com
 
"Some of the elite tight ends were on display this past weekend during the divisional round of the playoffs. Hopefully all of you astute Fantasy owners took notice because it could impact Draft Day for next season. There were plenty of studs (Rob Gronkowski, Vernon Davis, Jimmy Graham and Aaron Hernandez) and a couple of duds (Jermichael Finley and Owen Daniels). And now, after what was an amazing regular season for guys like Gronkowski and Graham, Fantasy owners want to know when to draft a tight end in 2012. We rolled out a sneak peek of a first round for next season, and Gronkowski was the only tight end worth consideration in the Top 12. He scored 233 Fantasy points during the season,"
First look at 2012 fantasy football ranks
January 11
ESPN.com
 
"The important thing to remember is that it gets ugly quick. Well, no. The important thing to remember is that this is crazy-early. This list will be changed, expanded and updated many times between now and opening day 2012. And the next thing to remember is that there's so much unknown. It seems like Stephania Bell was busier than ever this past season, as each week another big-name player went down with a major injury. If I was to pick three major storylines from this past season -- and apparently, that's exactly what I am doing -- the amount of injuries would certainly be one, as would the quick ascension of rookies into fantasy relevance. Usually it's rookie running backs who make the"
Offseason Extra: Top 12 QBs for 2012
January 11
CBSSports.com
 
"Aaron Rodgers helped many Fantasy owners win a championship in 2011. So did Drew Brees. And Tom Brady. And Matthew Stafford. And Cam Newton. And ... It was a great year for Fantasy quarterbacks with Rodgers, Brees and Brady leading the way, but many other passers had stellar campaigns. There were nine quarterbacks who averaged at least 20 Fantasy points a week in standard leagues with Rodgers (31.7), Brees (29.5), Brady (26.9), Stafford (25.9), Newton (24.6), Eli Manning (20.7), Tony Romo (20.4), Matt Ryan (19.9) and Michael Vick (19.8). That list doesn't include Philip Rivers (18.8), Matt Schaub (18.1) or Ben Roethlisberger (16.5), who were drafted as starters in the majority of leagues"
Rodgers, Foster lead list for 2012
January 11
Foxsports.com
 
"Albert Einstein once warned, "Never think of the future – it comes soon enough." While I usually condemn disputing the guidance of men whose surnames are synonymous with "genius," I think our friend AE's advice is invalid in the endeavor of distinguishing keepers for the 2012 fantasy football season. So before we put a wrap on the 2011 year, let's pause to analyze and examine which players can be used as cornerstones for the next fantasy campaign. Quarterbacks Keepers: Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford Reason: Running backs were historically hailed as the foundations for fantasy teams, but in an era where passing is paramount and split-committee backfields"
Playoff Extra: What Wild Card Weekend means
January 10
CBSSports.com
 
"Tim Tebow is going to get plenty of credit for Denver's playoff victory against Pittsburgh on Sunday, and rightfully so. He played better than anyone expected against the vaunted Steelers defense. Tebow passed for a career-high 316 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score in overtime, and he also had 50 rushing yards and a touchdown. It was an amazing performance, but did he do anything to help his Fantasy value in 2012? Many Fantasy owners are going to consider Tebow a starter on Draft Day, especially if you like to wait on drafting a quarterback with a late-round pick. After all, he had plenty of positive moments in 2011 with six games with at least 18 Fantasy points"
Offseason Extra: A first-round look at 2012
January 7
CBSSports.com
 
"The first round of all 2012 Fantasy Football drafts will look dramatically different than they have in recent years. That's because for the first time since 2008 we won't see Adrian Peterson among the Top 12 picks. Peterson might not be ready to start the season after tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 16, and no one should reach for him with a first-round pick. The same goes for Jamaal Charles and Rashard Mendenhall, who are also coming off significant knee injuries. Charles should be ready by Week 1, but he's not a Top 12 running back next season. And Mendenhall hurt his knee in Week 17, so his rehab might take a long time and linger into the start of next year. What we saw in 2011 is"
2011 consistency, usage in review
January 6
ESPN.com
 
"Though the 2011 fantasy football season is now in the books, it's never too early to get a head start on your 2012 preparations, especially if you play in a keeper league. Two good places to start: Our Backfield Chart, which analyzes teams' rushing and goal-line usage; and Consistency Ratings, which measure the most consistently reliable fantasy players. As a refresher, the Backfield Chart shows teams' rushing trends, including players' combined rushing attempts and receiving targets, as well as their opportunities in those categories inside the opponent's 5-yard line. This helps identify players who are clear workhorses -- such as Maurice Jones-Drew, the NFL's leader in"
Fantasy football Heroes and Zeros Awards
January 6
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Before we close the books on another exciting/frustrating/awesome/unpredictable (circle one) fantasy season, we must take a quick stroll back through 2011 to examine the players we rooted for and against and - with as much objectivity as we can muster - give credit where credit is due. As always, our annual accolades (and condemnations) have but a few important criteria: Consistency on a weekly basis is next to godliness. Production during the fantasy playoffs - for our purposes, NFL Weeks 14 through 16 - is given extra weight. Players who let their owners down at the worst possible time earn our eternal scorn. (Hear that, Eli?) For the most part, Week 17 is dead to us. (Sorry, Matt"
Overall impressions from 2011
January 5
ESPN.com
 
"Here are some overall, seasonlong impressions as we close up shop on an exciting 2011 fantasy football season that, you might remember, was long-threatened by a labor action. Fortunately, we got in all 17 weeks and had some thrills, chills and spills. Here are a few things I learned: • Good quarterbacks certainly make a difference, but the importance of grabbing an elite one will almost certainly be overstated in advance of next season's fantasy drafts. The top five scorers in fantasy this year were QBs. Eight of the top 10 were QBs, as were 13 of the top 20. The twosome of Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees was excellent, and Tom Brady, Cam Newton and Matthew Stafford weren't too shabby,"
Football Daily Dose
January 4
Rotoworld.com
 
"It's far too early to project the situations and opportunities that will shape the 2012 fantasy season. Free agency and the draft will have a major say in that. However, it's not too early to evaluate talent. Really, talent should be the driving force behind any fantasy draft. We want guys that will absolutely explode when given the opportunity and will force their coach to get them the rock consistently. So before we turn the page on the 2011 season, we need to file away these players. Here are 10 guys that jumped off the screen as difference-making, elite talents in 2011: 1. Julio Jones, WR, Falcons: A midseason hamstring injury was the only thing that could slow down Jones as a rookie."
Fantasy Playoff Rankings
January 2
Rotoworld.com
 
"Quarterbacks 1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers 2. Drew Brees, Saints 3. Tom Brady, Patriots 4. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers 5. Matt Ryan, Falcons 6. Eli Manning, Giants 7. Joe Flacco, Ravens 8. Matthew Stafford, Lions 9. Alex Smith, 49ers 10. Andy Dalton, Bengals 11. Tim Tebow, Broncos 12. T.J. Yates, Texans 13. Jake Delhomme, Texans Running Backs 1. Ray Rice, Ravens 2. Darren Sproles, Saints 3. Arian Foster, Texans 4. Pierre Thomas, Saints 5. Isaac Redman, Steelers 6. Frank Gore, 49ers 7. Stevan Ridley, Patriots 8. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots 9. James Starks, Packers 10. Ryan Grant, Packers 11. Michael Turner, Falcons 12. Chris Ivory, Saints 13. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants 14. Cedric Benson,"
Week 17 Injury Questions
December 31
Rotoworld.com
 
"It's never easy for those owners still on the grind in Week 17. Minor injuries can cause players to sit out, the best teams often rest their players and the bad teams can use their finale as a chance to get a look at younger players. As we get set for Week 17, we'll have our eye out for 2012 prospects. Of course, the Rotoworld News Page will be humming all Sunday morning to bring you official word on all your injured players ahead of kickoff. And to make sure you're prepared, read every word of these rankings from Gregg Rosenthal/Chris Weaseling. If you want to draft a new team just for this week, check out SnapDraft here. And if you don't have the Rotoworld News App, you are missing an"
Play Vikings' Percy Harvin; bench Tim Tebow
December 31
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"WATCH 'EM ROLL Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Bills at Patriots. He torched the Patriots for 369 yards and two TDs when these teams met way back in Week 3. Though Fitzpatrick has been mediocre most of December, he has a great chance to finish on a high note as he faces the worst pass defense in the league. Ben Tate, RB, Texans vs. Titans. With its postseason seeding set in stone, the Texans will surely rest Arian Foster. That should leave the backfield to Tate, assuming he also isn't preserved. Tate posted 104 yards rushing against Tennessee's mediocre defense in Week 7, even though Foster started and played well. Felix Jones, RB, Cowboys at Giants. With everything on the line and his quarterback"
The All Dead To Me Team
December 30
ESPN.com
 
"Quarterback: Michael Vick. Sigh. I get it. Hey, I wrote a whole column about his disappointing year, but I bet next year, when he goes in the late third/early fourth round, he ends up winning a bunch of people their league. Will he go off a year after I'm all-in on him? Money in the bank. Honorable mentions: Philip Rivers, Tony Romo, Sam Bradford. Running back 1: Chris Johnson. CJ2YPC, as some have joked, had just four games of 100 yards rushing or more, scored only four touchdowns all year and looked like someone who should not have had an average draft position of No. 2 overall. Hard to remember a higher draft pick having a more disappointing year without injury. On the plus side, if you"
Week 17 RB Heroes
December 30
Foxsports.com
 
"C.J. Spiller at NE: Spiller has topped 100 total yards and scored in three of the past four weeks. He's demonstrated the flash that we anticipated upon his arrival from Clemson and certainly has the Bills thinking long and hard about Fred Jackson. Spiller is on the board for a big play this week against the Patriots. In the first meeting, Fred Jackson topped 160 total yards on 17 touches as the Bills sprang a huge upset. Though New England ranks in the middle of the pack against RBs in terms of fantasy points, running backs have amassed over 2,000 total yards against them. Ryan Mathews at OAK: Mathews is a strong play this week against the Raiders if he's cleared. The second-year tailback"
One More For The Road
December 30
Rotoworld.com
 
"What we said Thursday still goes. Week 17 is a harsh and mysterious place ill-suited for fantasy football. Playoff-bound superstars who have carried your team all season are benched in the interest of good health, while a number of other stalwarts simply aren't used the same way in games that are devoid of meaning. But if you've reached Week 17 with something still on the line, you are not alone. Yesterday we took a look at who you can trust in such a tricky landscape (while Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling provided an even more in depth look), but were stuck with incomplete information on a number of critical players. With another day of practice in the books, the status of most has"
The Week 17 dilemma
December 30
ESPN.com
 
"If you play in a standard ESPN.com fantasy football league, Week 17 will test your guile. All year long, you've resisted the temptation to overreact and have played your studs. Hopefully after Week 16, you've got a healthy lead in your two-week fantasy championship game. But now all bets are off. Some NFL teams will rest their stars on Sunday while others will go all out to make the playoffs or improve seeding. As a result, some of the most reliable NFL players won't see more than a series or two, and you need to be ready. I don't have definitive word on which teams will rest which players. These are closely guarded state secrets. But below I'll list 10 situations about which there are"
Draft 2012: Bowl Stock Watch
December 30
Rotoworld.com
 
"The 2012 NFL draft is 118 days away. Focused on their own teams throughout the regular season, NFL decision makers' first opportunity to zero in on draft prospects often occurs during college bowls. GMs and personnel directors will eventually fall back on NCAA regular season tape, but this is a time for first impressions. And those can go a long way. This year, we've enlisted NFL Draft Scout's Josh Norris to cover the East-West Shrine and Senior Bowl all-star practices and games. Norris spent the past two seasons working in the St. Louis Rams' scouting department and will attend both events in person. You can follow Norris on Twitter here: @JoshNorris. I'm also planning a pre-Senior Bowl"
Fantasy football starters & benchwarmers, Week 17
December 30
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 17 Watch 'em roll Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Bills at Patriots: He torched the Patriots for 369 yards and two TDs when these teams met in Week 3. Though Fitzgerald has been mediocre most of December, he has a great chance to finish on a high note as he faces the worst pass defense in the league. Ben Tate, RB, Texans vs. Titans: With its postseason seeding set in stone, the Texans surely will rest Arian Foster. That should leave the backfield to Tate, assuming he also isn't benched. Tate posted 104 yards rushing against Tennessee's mediocre defense in Week 7, even though Foster started and played well. Felix Jones, RB, Cowboys at Giants: With"
Start Orton, bench Dalton in Week 17
December 29
Foxsports.com
 
"If you play in one of those dopey leagues that still has its championship in Week 17, do you still make calls on a rotary phone, watch football on a black-and-white television and get your weekly standings updates in the mail, like I used to in 1988? Even if that's the case, our Position vs. Fantasy Defensive Points Allowed tool can still help you to a title. As always, please remember that the players listed are mostly meant to be borderline guys, who need reasons for you to play or bench them. You won't see recommendations to start guys like Drew Brees and Ray Rice, because you should always start Drew Brees and Ray Rice. Also, any league rankings mentioned reference fantasy ranking, and"
Fantasy & Reality: Who's in and who's out?
December 29
CBSSports.com
 
"Right off the bat, you should know that Week 17 is always a mess for Fantasy owners. Studs sit or disappoint because they don't play as much, unknowns come out of nowhere and put up great numbers and we as a collective base of football fans who play a game to enhance our love of the sport are either grossly letdown or thoroughly overjoyed with the results. Actually, when I put it that way it sounds like each of the previous 16 weeks. I get the challenge of playing into Week 17. A Fantasy owner worth his weight in chicken wings should be able to put a good lineup together and outscore his opponent. But is it really fair to have a game with so much meaning (assuming you play for a"
Starting Points for Week 17
December 29
CBSSports.com
 
"Week 17 can be very tricky as injuries mount and teams that have clinched their playoff seeds tend to rest the stars that got you this far in your Fantasy leagues. That being said, it is also an opportunity to use some unheralded stars to bring home the big one and with that in mind, here are the final Starting Points of the 2011 season. Quarterbacks Get 'em active ... Ryan Fitzpatrick (at New England) -- In their last five games, the Pats have given up an average of 23.4 points per game to opposing quarterbacks despite facing the fearsome five some of Vince Young, Dan Orlovsky, Tim Tebow, Rex Grossman and Matt Moore. Only Grossman (18) was below 24 points against the Patriots during that"
Who Can You Trust?
December 29
Rotoworld.com
 
"It's Week 17, which means that aside from the fact the Bills, Rams and Browns are playing typically meaningless year-end football, the bell has tolled on the large majority of fantasy seasons. Those who saw the glory are trying to figure out what to do with their winnings, while those who went the way of the buffalo are left wondering what might have been had they not cast their lot with Peyton Manning and Darren McFadden. But there is a select breed of fantasy footballer who opts to solider on beyond the customary Week 17 deadline, daringly taking their season to the limit in the spirit of true boldness. Either that, or they didn't examine their league's settings closely enough in August."
Inaugural Golden Cleatus Awards
December 29
Foxsports.com
 
"Welcome to the Inaugural Golden Cleatus Awards! This celebration recognizes the finest and foulest the football season had to offer, highlighting the preeminent performances that delivered fantasy fruition to a multitude of owners while disparaging the dreadful displays that made managers curse the roto gods. One would think hosting such a pigskin party would have the entertainment industry's best lining up to obtain emcee duties; alas, all which were extended the invite declined, leaving yours truly to man the master of ceremonies' gig. (To be fair, only Taco from The League and Gus Johnson were offered these honors, and for all I know, they could have accepted. Unfortunately, my password"
Fantasy & Reality: Who's in and who's out?
December 28
CBSSports.com
 
"Right off the bat, you should know that Week 17 is always a mess for Fantasy owners. Studs sit or disappoint because they don't play as much, unknowns come out of nowhere and put up great numbers and we as a collective base of football fans who play a game to enhance our love of the sport are either grossly letdown or thoroughly overjoyed with the results. Actually, when I put it that way it sounds like each of the previous 16 weeks. I get the challenge of playing into Week 17. A Fantasy owner worth his weight in chicken wings should be able to put a good lineup together and outscore his opponent. But is it really fair to have a game with so much meaning (assuming you play for a"
Week 17 running back by committee
December 28
Foxsports.com
 
"Welcome to the 17th and final installment of our weekly look at fantasy's most aggravating subject, the Running Back Committee. The phrase "resting for the playoffs" is about to rear its ugly head. COMMITTEES (12) Atlanta Falcons Options: Michael Turner, Jason Snelling, Jacquizz Rodgers Outlook: If the Lions beat the Packers in their 1 p.m. ET game, the Falcons will be locked into the No. 6 seed in the NFC. In that case, the smart money will be on them limiting Turner's workload, or resting him altogether. Rodgers has 69 touches this season (49 rushes, 20 receptions), while Snelling has 60 (35-25). I'd bet on some sort of timeshare between the two, but since the Falcons' need-to-win status"
Fantasy Pro Bowlers
December 28
Rotoworld.com
 
"The NFL announced the Pro Bowl selections Tuesday night, generating the usual controversy over who got snubbed and who is undeserving. Yawn. Let's get to the fantasy Pro Bowlers, the guys that won owners the cash. Here is my fantasy Pro Bowl team for each conference, based on value -- not raw production: NFC ALL-VALUE TEM QB - Cam Newton, Panthers: Aaron Rodgers scored more points, but Newton was a flier pick at the tail end of drafts. It's a reminder to always invest in a quarterback with elite running ability. The rest is gravy. RB - Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks: Perhaps I need to reassess my evaluation of Lynch's talent level. He was able to sustain health and power despite carrying the"
Romo good to go for Week 17
December 28
Foxsports.com
 
"For injuries, timing is everything. A poorly timed injury can derail playoff aspirations and, even worse, cost you a championship. Fantasy owners were forced to face this stark reality in Week 16 with a pair of injuries that altered the fantasy landscape. Tony Romo In Dallas, Romo left his owners with a giant goose egg in the scoring column after exiting the game after two incomplete passes. The three-time Pro Bowler struck his right hand on the helmet of a Philadelphia defender, ending his day before it really started. X-rays were negative and all subsequent testing failed to reveal a fracture. Still, his hand was significantly swollen and, with the Giants winning and setting up a Week 17"
How long will Adrian Peterson be out?
December 28
ESPN.com
 
"Congratulations to all who took home the championship trophy in Week 16 and, frankly, to all who gutted out the season, regardless of how you ended up placing in your league(s). We appreciate those who play hard right up until the bitter end. Speaking of which, a number of fantasy leagues take their championship matches right through the bitter end, otherwise known as Week 17, seeking a challenge by playing in a week where teams may alter their rosters either because they have nothing to lose or everything to gain by fielding backups. If you're playing for glory this Sunday, then the injury news is of import, but be forewarned: The picture of who sits and who starts may be even cloudier"
Consistency Ratings: Week 17
December 28
ESPN.com
 
"While there remains one more week in championship matchups in ESPN standard leagues, we're not about to ignore that many leagues have already wrapped up their title games, electing to use Week 16 as a one-week championship game. If you're a lucky winner -- or become one on Sunday -- congratulations. But if you're a runner-up or a solid regular-season team that made your league's playoffs, congratulations as well. Remember, anything can happen in the fantasy football playoffs, so there's no shame in finishing second, because the margin between victory and defeat can often be razor thin. Of course, with the conclusion of the 2011 fantasy football season comes the inevitable early discussion"
Free-agent finds: Week 17
December 27
ESPN.com
 
"You want to know what's awesome? Sitting around watching a blowout "Monday Night Football" game -- New Orleans Saints versus Atlanta Falcons -- listening to everyone gush about Drew Brees breaking Dan Marino's record for passing yards in a season and knowing that Brees won't be pulled despite the score, not until he breaks the record. You want to know what else is awesome? Watching the Saints drive in their two-minute offense for some reason with the score 38-16 and just a few minutes remaining (yeah, real holistic record there, Drew) and seeing Darren Sproles is on the field the whole time. You want to know what else is awesome? Seeing the Saints inside the Falcons' 10-yard line, watching"
Benson fumbles away fantasy day
December 27
Foxsports.com
 
"I was in a generous mood when I sat down to spotlight the heroes of Week 16. The list extended further than normal on account of the holiday season and I doled out more figurative baby giraffes than anticipated. Couldn't we all use an extra pat on the back? Don't we all want that acknowledgement? Since I can't throw the members of our fantasy nation a holiday soiree, I'm heading back inside the white lines to review the week's worst performances. I'll speak for the 50% of the remaining participants who will taste defeat in their league's title games. Let's do the roll call of the biggest "Fantasy Zeroes" for Week 16. I start in Dallas, where an early injury to Tony Romo made the Dallas"
Turner the Decliner
December 27
Rotoworld.com
 
"Remember when Michael Turner was known as "The Burner?" That's almost comical now. At age 29, Turner is a shell of himself. He's slow in the open field, can't cut quick enough and almost always gets taken down by the first defender. Frankly, Turner appears chubby. Tack that on to his annual issue of catching no passes and coming off the field on all third-down plays, and what we have is a typical aging running back situation. Turner isn't going to turn his career path around at this point. He's about to go over 300 carries for the third time in four seasons and his offense will only get better through the air. The artist formerly known as the Burner will be on all my "do not draft" lists"
2011 Waiver Awards
December 27
Rotoworld.com
 
"Now a hallowed tradition in Rotoworld's Waiver Wired series, Week 17 brings us the fifth annual waiver awards (for the past few years, click on "Archives" above). To better prepare for the 2012 season, it's fitting that we take a step back and examine the highlights of 2011. It's with that spirit that we bring you this year's award winners. Readers seeking actual Waiver adds for this week should scroll to the last page of the article for an abbreviated list. The "Waiver Wired MVP" Award Goes to … Cam Newton! A recommended pickup in the week preceding the opener -- and again after his sensational Week 1 breakout -- Newton went on to author the best statistical rookie season in NFL history."
Waiver Wire: The best of the best in 2011
December 26
CBSSports.com
 
"We always tell you every year that playing the waiver wire and making the right moves will help you win a Fantasy title. It's almost more important than having a quality draft. We like to highlight some of the difference makers who were added as free agents and show you when we mentioned them in Playing the Waiver Wire. This year, there were two additions who shined brighter than the rest. Cam Newton and Victor Cruz weren't drafted in the majority of Fantasy leagues, but they became must-start options in all formats. And they were successful all the way through the Fantasy playoffs into Week 16. Newton enters Week 17 as the No. 4 quarterback in standard formats at 381 Fantasy points,"
Au Revoir, AP
December 26
Rotoworld.com
 
"Good thing most fantasy leagues decided their championship this week, because Saturday's festivities resulted in a roster-wrecking collection of injuries, none more significant than the torn ACL and MCL suffered by Adrian Peterson on Saturday. The upshot of that knee injury – beyond obviously ending AP's season – is that the Vikings RB isn't guaranteed to be ready for game action when next season begins. In the meantime, Toby Gerhart (11 rush, 109 yds) is slated to start against Chicago in Week 17, and could be the Vikings' starting RB at the outset of 2012. In other injury news… During his least productive day of the season (14 touches, 45 yds), LeSean McCoy limped off the field and went"
Newton, Stafford shine in Week 16
December 26
Foxsports.com
 
"Please tell me that you didn't bench him. I received countless emails, Tweets and Facebook messages from anxious fantasy owners about whether they should sit Aaron Rodgers for the Sunday night matchup against the Bears. I had him ranked fourth this week behind Drew Brees, Cam Newton and Tom Brady. I implored you to play Rodgers and not to over-think it. Rodgers completed 21-of-29 attempts and obliterated the Chicago secondary for five touchdowns in the spotlight game. He also rushed for 18 yards while deking Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. Rodgers has now thrown 45 touchdowns against six interceptions this season, adding three rushing touchdowns for good measure. Is he the No. 1 pick in"