The Shimmering T. Smorgasbord
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I’m trying to fine tune the column and cram as much information as I can early in the week to help out your fantasy teams, so—noting the column’s name—here is an assortment of news, notes, waiver wire, and mailbag. Enjoy!
Top 5 News:
1) Jake Delhomme is out for the season after undergoing elbow surgery. It’s a shame because Jake was off to a hot start and David Carr’s ascension to starting QB significantly impacts the fantasy value of both Steve Smith and the running game (DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams) with opposing defenses now able to stack the line. In case you haven’t been paying attention the last two weeks, that impact I’m discussing would be negative.
2) Michael Pittman is out for six-to-eight weeks, which leaves Earnest Graham as the starting running back for the Bucs. I mentioned last week that Graham was the better pick-up of the two and he now becomes a fill-in RB3 or flex option in fantasy leagues. Mewelde Moore may be worth a pick-up in case his long-rumored trade to the Bucs goes through. Kenneth Darby is now the back up in Tampa.
3) Puff-Puff Henry may not be out after all. With Henry appealing the drug suspension in federal court, he could be with the team until November. Keep an eye on this story as it develops.
4) Matt Leinart broke his collarbone in Week 5 and Kurt Warner is now entrenched as the QB in Arizona. This should benefit the receivers in the desert, as Warner has proven to be the more consistent of the pair. Look for a boost in the value of both Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Warner is also a great pick-up for any QB-starved fantasy team (Did I just write that?).
5) Trent Green suffered what appears to be a career-ending concussion as it was revealed today that it was a grade-three concussion, the worst possible. While Green struggled this year and should not have been playing on many fantasy teams, this news has a dramatic impact on Ronnie Brown, Chris Chambers, and Marty Booker, who all lose value. Brown will now go up against eight-man fronts, while the receivers lack a consistent signal-caller. What’s new?
Week 5 Notes:
- Fantasy owners of LaDanian Tomlinson should not be worried about his performance thus far, or Michael Turner stealing a ton of fantasy points. LDT continues to get touches and he is too good to maintain his current good-for-any-other-star-running-back pace.
- Conversely, fantasy owners of Frank Gore, Larry Johnson, Shaun Alexander, and Willie Parker should be concerned. Gore and Alexander’s yards/carry are down significantly, while Johnson struggled against a rush D that had been torn up through four weeks and Parker appears to have lost goaline duties to Najeh “Minivan” Davenport.
- I was at the Browns-Pats game this weekend and the Cleveland offense is for real. The receivers were open in many situations and without the Patriots’ pass rush, it would have been a high scoring affair. Derek Anderson was clearly rattled, missing open receivers and displaying quick feet in the pocker. If you had any remaining doubts, Braylon Edwards is an every-week play as is Kellen Winslow.
- Jamey Wright of the Browns is worth a pick up, as he displayed equally quick feet and looks to be a threat in the passing game for the Browns. Monitor Jamal Lewis’ status for this weekend.
Waiver Wire Pickups:
The following are the Shimmering One’s rankings of waiver wire pickups this week on players who should be available in most leagues.
QB: 1. Kurt Warner – Warner is hot isht. 2. Daunte Culpepper – Tough matchup against the Chargers, but leading a surprisingly potent offense. 3. Trent Edwards - Week 6 bye and a lot will be determined by his performance tonight. I have been thoroughly impressed though. 4. Brian Griese – It hasn’t been pretty, but it doesn’t have to be in fantasy football. 5. Gus Frerotte – Tough Week 6 matchup against the Ravens, but soft Seahawks and Browns in Weeks 7 and 8. RB: 1. Earnest Graham – Has the reigns in Tampa Bay; could be short-lived if the Bucs add Mewelde Moore. 2. Najeh Davenport – Running great and now appears to be getting goaline carries. 3. Kenton Keith – Yes, he had a great game. Do I think he will be playing after the bye week? No. If you are a Joseph Addai owner, you need him though. 4. Jamey Wright – He moves up to Number 1 if Jamal Lewis can’t play this week. X-rays were negative, however. 5. Mewelde Moore – Keep an eye on him. As a starter he has the potential to be a threat on the ground and in the air. WR: 1. Greg Jennings – He is a threat to score on every play. 2. Ronald Curry – A lot of people may have dropped him during the bye week. Pick him up if they have. 3. Nate Burleson – Looks like the Number 1 with Deion Branch out for two weeks. That’s scary for ‘Hawks fans. 4. Anthony Gonzalez – With Harrison down he has been thrust into the offense and looked good on Sunday. He is a high risk-reward pick up. 5. Sidney Rice – If you are desperate, many owners may have forgotten about his breakout over the bye week. TE: 1. Owen Daniels – Still unowned in many leagues. Why? 2. David Lee – Off week against the Bears, but he is still a great one-week fantasy play. 3. Randy McMichael – McMichael appeared to establish a rapport with Gus Frerotte, which could bode well for his future value while LaBeouf Bulger is out. DEF: 1. Arizona Cardinals – Looked great against the Rams, now gets Carr-led Panthers. 2. New York Giants – Another nice performance against the Jets and now go up against the Falcons and 49ers over the next two weeks. 3. Tennessee Titans – Have registered a sack in every game and held 3 of 4 opponents under 300 total yards. 4. Washington Redskins – Tough matchup this week against the Packers, but Lions should have been a challenge, too. Their defensive backfield is sick.
Mailbag:
Faithful Reader Justin asks, “Do you think Maroney will improve his fantasy value?
Well, we got a lot of questions this week but from only two sources. Justin registered a whopping 7 while Ben from Ann Arbor asked a dynasty league question, which is not my expertise. Quite a humbling experience for the once Shimmering One. Can’t we do better than that FleaFanatic Nation?
On to Justin’s question. Watching Maroney earlier this year, I couldn’t help but notice how soft he looked, despite commentators describing his “punishing” style. The only punishing he’s been doing is to fantasy owners, particularly those who didn’t sit him the last two weeks and took a fat 0. It would be tough for Maroney not to improve, but I think he should get his act together relatively soon. He brings the speed dimension to the Pats’ running game, which Sammy Morris lacks, and he is a threat as a receiver coming out of the backfield. I think that Maroney will be a viable RB2 for the rest of the season but his TDs will be limited with Heath Evans and Morris stealing goaline touches. I also think that Belichick wants to get Brady the touchdown record (how else do you explain them throwing at the end of the game this weekend, including on 4th down inside the 10, up by 10 points and with less than 1:00 left in the game), so many of the Pats’ scores will come through the air. So, to answer your question, Justin, Maroney will improve, but he won’t be a RB1 as many people were expecting when they drafted him in the top 15 overall. Maroney will benefit from two straight weeks without contact and likely average 10 FP/g from here on out.
Thanks for reading and send questions to Flea.Fanatics@gmail.com for an opportunity to become famous and make me feel good about myself again.
-- Shimmering T. at www.fleafanatics.com
