A warning for fantasy players this time of year
First Posted:
Have you ever seen that commercial for satellite Internet provider HughesNet?
It’s the one where some middle-aged guy is staring at a generic screen and touts the service by saying, “I can keep up with the latest sports news and dominate my fantasy league.”
Yeah. It’s THAT easy.
It’s commercials like that that make me want to drive to the ad agency person that came up with it and smack them over the head with my lineup from last week.
You can read every conceivable article on fantasy, the NFL, your daily horoscope and 37 fortune cookies and still get bitten in the behind by the unpredictability of it all.
Up until last week, the Jacksonville Jaguars had given up an average of 32 points a game and were dredging along the bottom in all defensive categories.
So you figured it would be a safe bet to start Texans QB Case Keenum in their Week 12 matchup.
Think again.
The Jags held Keenum to 169 yards and NO touchdowns, allowing just two field goals along the way.
Who knows, maybe the HughesNet guy saw that one coming, but the rest of us sure didn’t.
The outcome of the game brings up a warning for fantasy players this time of year.
Beware teams that have given up on the season. Houston was supposed to compete for a Super Bowl, but they’ve fallen apart and sit at 2-9. It’s obvious the team just wants the season to end.
Atlanta, Washington and Minnesota are in similar situations.
It might be better to use caution when evaluating matchups with these teams. Expect their defenses to be sieves and their offenses to reek of inconsistency the rest of the way.
So, with that in mind, here’s this week’s predictions of top fantasy performers sure to be wrong.
Well, I don’t think they’ll be wrong, but reality may have other plans.
QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Titans. He’s a matchup play this week against the Colts’ bad defense. And he seems to be making friends with the Titans’ wide receiving corps. (see below.) He’d be a candidate for three or four TDs this week if Chris Johnson wasn’t a lock to rush for one or two himself. Still, bet on two TDs for Fitzpatrick and a ton of yards.
: Did I mention Chris Johnson? Yes, I did. Owners who suffered through the disaster that was the first half of his seasons are now happy they stuck with him.
You don’t want to start the Jets Chris Ivory every week. He tends to fall off the planet at times. But at home, on a cold, December day in the Meadowlands against the Dolphins, THAT’S when you start Ivory. Ivory had been battling an ankle injury, but he’s listed as probable now, and Miami’s run defense is Lousy with a capital ‘L.’
BONUS PICK: Yes, it appears the Vikings may be ready to mail it in, but that doesn’t apply to Adrian Peterson. His comeback from ACL surgery last year should prove that. He’s a gamer no matter what the team’s record is. And, he gets the Bears horrid run defense.
WR: Kendall Wright, Titans. He’d be a bigger star if he didn’t have to put up with the Jake Locker experience to start the year. He’s been remarkably consistent all season and he just seems to be getting better. Draft him next year.
Michael Floyd, Cardinals. Something happened out in Arizona to wake up the Cardinals. Suddenly Carson Palmer is playing like its 2005 again and Arizona is NFL relevant. Floyd is the biggest beneficiary of all this. Two straight weeks with over 100 yards and the Philly defense on the horizon. Start ‘em.
: Would it be cheating if I just said the Patriots Rob Gronkowski? Against the Texans, this is the game where Gronk goes for 100 plus yards and multiple TDs.
K: Steven Hauschka, Seahawks. This game will have enough offense to move the sticks and enough defense to keep Seattle out of the endzone. That means lots of FG opportunities.
DEF: Buffalo Bills. A better defensive unit than you think, they get a demoralized and banged up Atlanta at home. Well, Toronto, actually.
