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28
September

2015 Rookie Report: Week 3 Sits & Starts

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! Two weeks are in the books (and a Thursday night game), and week 2 was a quiet one for most rookies, but the trio of Matt Jones, Amari Cooper and David Johnson certainly made some noise with monster days. I was particularly impressed by Cooper. I'd like to give a quick shout out to the Reddit user who called me out for thinking Jimmy Smith could slow down the rookie. Cooper dusted him on a long TD early on. With week 2 in the past, let's move on to what to do with the rookies for week 3:

Rookies to Start:

RB TJ Yeldon, JAX (Wk. 3: @NE): Game script might not work in Yeldon's favor with the Pats a 2 TD favorite, but volume and the defensive matchup should be in his favor. With both Denard Robinson and Toby Gerhart dinged up, Yeldon should be on the field for a vast majority of the snaps, and New England has allowed a staggering 5.7 yards per carry this season and also 147 rush yards per game and 3 TDs in 2 weeks. I'm not saying Yeldon will break the century mark, but his volume will give him a high floor and make him a deent RB2 option. His upside may be limited by the game script as well.

WR Amari Cooper, OAK (Wk. 3: @Cle.): After last week, it's hard to doubt Cooper should pretty much be an every week start. Last week's stat line won't be the norm, but he should have a WR3 floor just about every week purely based on volume. Like Jimmy Smith last week, Joe Haden isn't a reason to be scared. The Browns play sides at CB rather than shadowing, and Oakland should move Cooper around so he doesn't only face Haden. Feel safe firing him up again.

Borderline Rookies:

QB Marcus Mariota, TEN (Wk. 3: vs. Ind.): Mariota still posted a decent stat line in a loss to the Browns last week, and this week gets a defense that may be missing all of its top 4 CBs. Mariota has already showed that he doesn't need to use his legs to put up fantasy points, and thus far the Colts have allowed a 104.2 QB rating to Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Fitzpatrick. They also don't generate a ton of pass rush, with just one sack so far on the season. Getting Delanie Walker back can only help Mariota, and he should be decent start in 2-QB leagues, and worth consideration in deeper 1-QB leagues.

RB Melvin Gordon, SD (Wk. 3: @Min.): The Vikings were gashed by Carlos Hyde in week 1, and then held Detroit to under 2.5 yards per carry in week 2. The reality likely falls somewhere in between. Gordon has been impressive in limited work so far, and should see similar volume this week. To really maximize his value, he'll have to find the end zone though. The Vikings are yet to allow a carry of 20+ yards on the year, and Gordon has zero red zone carries through 2 weeks. Gordon is more flex option than RB2 at this point.

RB David Johnson, ARI (Wk. 3: vs. SF): CJ?K is still the 'lead dog' according to head coach Bruce Arians, but David's done enough with the work he has gotten to warrant more of it coming his way. Arians has said as much, stating that David's role will increase as the season goes on. With Andre Ellington still out, Johnson is an upside Flex option this week, but he does have a low floor. He gets a boost in return yardage leagues.

RB Todd Gurley, STL (Wk. 3: vs. Pit.): For the most part, I'd avoid playing Gurley. There has been a lot of talk about him being on a 'pitch count' and will likely see just 10-12 touches assuming he plays. He is a top-shelf talent, however, and that means there is a chance he gets hot and sees some additional carries. With several guys in doubt this week (Ivory, Lacy, Marshawn), Gurley has more upside as a fill-in than most of the alternatives. I've got him ready to go in the league I own him if Ivory sits.

RB Duke Johnson, CLE (Wk. 3: vs. Oak.): The Raiders are among the worst in the league vs. RBs in terms of fantasy points allowed, and while Isaiah Crowell has been more effective than Johnson thus far, Johnson will continue to see a decent amount of touches as the number 2 back. At some point, I would think they will have to start using him in the passing game, which is a specialty of his, but he hasn't been targeted once so far. The upside is likely limited for Duke, but he could have a solid day if they finally start throwing it to him.

RB Matt Jones, WAS (Wk. 3: @NYG): I know, Jones has already played in week 3. I posted an update on Jones on twitter on Thursday afternoon (@shawn_foss). Here is what I posted: "You cant's chase last week's points vs. the Rams. Alfred Morris could see a bigger share of the work this week, especially on the short week. There is one caveat to this though: The Giants have allowed 20 RB fantasy points per game, 7th most in the NFL, and nearly half of them have come in the receiving game. Alfred Morris is essentially a zero in the pass attack, so there is definitely upside for a nice fantasy day from Jones." How did things turn out? Jones actually did continue to play ahead of Alfred Morris and saw 11 carries to Alf's 6. Unfortunately he did fumble going into the end zone, and Chris Thompson saw the receiving back work (8 rec, 57 yds, TD). There will be better weeks for Jones, and the fact that he got more early down work than Morris is a good sign.

Rookies to Sit:

QB Jameis Winston, TB (Wk. 3: @Hou.): Game script should keep Tampa from becoming too pass-happy in this one. It projects as a low-scoring affair, with two mediocre offenses, and Houston may be the best defense Winston has faced yet. They at least aren't as bad as their numbers vs. opposing QBs have been, and I think JJ Watt and company could make life miserable for Winston. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a hard time putting up much more than 10 fantasy points in standard leagues.

RB Ameer Abdullah, DET (Wk. 3: vs. Den.): Abdullah does his best work in space, and the Broncos don't allow much space, especially in the screen game. They have held opposing RBs to under 4 yards per catch (including 4 catches for 2 yards by Jamaal Charles), and it also doesn't help Ameer that Theo Riddick has had a bigger role than expected. I would be surprised if Abdullah finds his way to 50 yards in this one.

RB Karlos Williams, BUF (Wk. 3: @Mia.): At this point, Williams has a TD run in each game, but that won't be sustainable on the types of workloads he's seeing. For now, he's a handcuff for LeSean McCoy and a TD dart throw each week. He's not a stand-alone option this week.

WR Nelson Agholor, PHI (Wk. 3: @NYJ): Until his production starts to spike, it's hard to trust Agholor in fantasy. It doesn't help that he may draw Darrelle Revis for much of the game in this one. The Jets have been content to let Buster Skrine cover the slot, where Jordan Matthews does most of his work. The tough matchup and limited production thus far make Agholor a poor option this week.

WR Devin Funchess, CAR (Wk. 3: vs. NO): I have a hunch that Funchess has his best game as a pro and scores his first career TD, but through 2 games he has just 2 catches for 24 yards. I'd be crazy to tell you to start him. I'd have to see his role increase before he's a realistic option.

WR DeVante Parker, MIA (Wk. 3: vs. Buf.): Parker's snaps increased a little bit in week 2, but he put up just one catch for 3 yards. Rishard Matthews has unexpectedly emerged as the number 2 WR over Parker, Kenny Stills and Greg Jennings, and until Parker's role increases he has to remain on the bench.

WR Dorial Green-Beckham, TEN (Wk. 3: vs. Ind.): DGB did score his first career TD in week 2, showing that the Titans do recognize what a tough matchup he can be in the red zone, but his usage still isn't where it needs to be for him to be a startable option. A bigger role is coming eventually, especially with the inefficient play of Harry Douglas and Justin Hunter ahead of him. It's just a matter of when.

TE Maxx Williams, BAL (Wk. 3: vs. Cin.): Crockett Gillmore made a big week 2 impact, and despite the Ravens throwing a ton, Williams still strugged to carve out a role in the passing attack, catching just 1 of the 32 Flacco completions. He's best left on the wire outside of dynasty leagues.

Deep League Sleepers & Cheap DFS Options:

RB Thomas Rawls, SEA (Wk. 3: vs. Chi.): Lynch is a game-time decision, and in a deeper league it would make a lot of sense to scoop Rawls just in case. The Bears defense has been bad at all levels, and Fred Jackson is unlikely to be an every down option if Lynch does sit. Remember, the Seahawks liked Rawls enough to trade away Christine Michael, and Robert Turbin is out again this week. I like Rawls a lot when you factor in that the Seahawks are a 2 TD favorite. If they get ahead big, they're more likely to run Rawls than risk an F-Jax injury in garbage time. Jackson is the one who has a role when Lynch is healthy. I think a 75-yard day is very possible if Lynch is out.

WR Tyler Lockett, SEA (Wk. 3: vs. Chi.): I still think Lockett has a big game coming, and why not against the pathetic Bears' defense? Lockett had just 2 catches for 17 yards last week, but was on the field for 32 out of Seattle's 60 offensive snaps. As always, Lockett is worth more in leagues where return yardage matters, but I think he's got a sneaky amount of upside this week as a cheaper DFS option.

WR Ty Montgomery, GB (Wk. 3: vs. KC): Top CB Sean Smith is still out with suspension for the Chiefs, and Montgomery factored into the offense last week with 4 catches against the Seahawks on Sunday night. With Cobb lining up in the slot, there's a chance Montgomery gets to square off with Jamell Fleming on the outside, and Fleming has been burned regularly so far this season. It's sort of a shot in the dark play with Cobb, Adams and James Jones around, but he's already shown he can be a factor.

WR Devin Smith, NYJ (Wk. 3: vs. Phi.): Smith appears to be on track to play this week, and Eric Decker appears to be on track to not play. Coach Todd Bowles says it's not an injury issue at this point, it's just about getting Smith up to speed with his conditioning and the playbook. Smith's best skill is the deep ball, and Philly has allowed 7 completions of 20 or more yards and 2 of 40 or more in two weeks. Smith will likely be a boom-or-bust option this week if Decker sits. Another Jets rookie to keep an eye on though...

WR Quincy Enunwa, NYJ (Wk. 3: vs. Phi.): He's averaged 28 snaps per game in the first two and could also see an increased role if Decker sits. Enunwa would be safer and have a higher floor than Smith, but might not have the home run play upside. He's not a bad lottery ticket type of option in DFS.

That's it for this week. Hopefully it can help with some of your tougher lineup decisions or injury concerns. Feel free to hit me up on twitter with any rookie questions (handle listed above). As always, good luck, trust your gut, and have fun. It's just a game.

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23
September

Week 2 Overview: Game by Game Breakdown

Published in Fantasy Football / NFL

Sorry folks, a late WK2 but it will be a good read, I promise. My REAL job comes first....and they made me earn that $1.50.

TNF: 9/17/15: Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs:
First let me say, this was not a top notch game on Denver's end. They were dropping balls, couldn't get into the end zone, Peyton throwing interceptions. It had all the markings of a Bears game. Denver did manage to pull it out and to write about the 31-24 win over the Chiefs, just would not do you guys justice, you had to see it, but I'll try. This game was tight all the way, no one scored in the 1st Qtr, then both scored 14th in the 2nd Qtr, then they copied each other again with 3pts each in the 3rd Qtr. That's when Peyton had that look like, am I really going out looking like Jay Cutler on what could be my last season? Then Denver went to work and mind you, the Chiefs were in it all the way, even had the game, until the last 9 seconds. Yep, K.C. was up 24-17 with 2:27 left. Then Peyton hit E. Sanders with a 19yd pass for a TD & of course the FG was good, tying the game at 24 all with 36 seconds left. It's K.C. ball and what happen, you guessed it, Jamaal Charles fumbled, 2nd time in this game and when you saw the ball again, Bradley Roby was going in for a 21yd recovery & TD with 27 seconds left on the clock & of course, the FG was good. Not only did that take the wind out of the sails of the Chiefs, it also cost them the game. The BIG momentum changer in this game was when Aqib Talib picked off Alex Smith's throw and later was converted to the TD that tied the game at 14-14 all with 48 seconds left in the half. Denver played a totally different game after that, still not the best I've seen out of them but it worked. Smith was sacked 4x & Manning 2x. I hope this helped. P. Manning threw for 256yds, 3 TDs & 1 int., R. Hillman had 9 carries for 34yds and D. Thomas had 8 receptions for 116yds. A. Smith threw for 191yds & 2 ints., J. Charles had 21 carries for 125yds, 1 TD & 2 fumbles, the last one cost them the game. I bet he would trade all that in for a win. T. Kelce had 4 receptions for 58yds.

MNF: 9/21/15: New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts:

LOL all day long. No LUCK in Indy just yet. This puts them at 0-2. I know, so are the Bears but I'm not tripping, I take my Valium for every game, lol. So boy wonder, that would be Andrew Luck has yet to give Indy a win. The man of the day was Darrelle Revis. He picked off one pass, recovered 2 fumbles & helped the Jets D again come up with 5 turnovers to help N.Y. pull away for a 20-7 win at Indy. The Jets have been on point since game 1 when they converted 5 turnovers into 21pts against Cleveland. They did the same thing to the Colts, 5 turnovers, kept the Colts out of the end zone for 3 full Qtrs & never gave Luck a chance to get comfortable. When the Jets cooled their heels in this one, they were off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2011. But, they should beware, they struggled to put this one away, it wasn't an easy close. The Colts are not letting the Joneses get them down. After starting last season with back to back losses, they won 5 straight. I bet that can't wait for that swing to come about. R. Fitzpatrick threw for 244yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., C. Ivory had 14 carries for 57yds & B. Marshall had 7 receptions for 101yds & 1 TD. Keep it up BM, I miss you man. No Luck threw for 250yds, 1 TD & 3 ints., F. Gore had 15 carries for 51yds & 1 fumble & D. Moncrief had 7 receptions for 122yds & 1 TD.

NFC NORTH:

GREEN BAY PACKERS: 2-0

I turned on a fight and a NFL game broke out :o). I personally think this was the best game I saw this weekend. This was a watcher from start to finish. They beat up on the Seattle Seahawks 27-17. Man, Lynch was stopped so many times, he must have felt like a cow with all of the grazing in the grass he was doing. The Packers took this game personal, no matter what they say, they was on a mission for pay back from the NFC title game last year when the Packers blew a 16-0 lead against the Seahawks and lost the chance to go to the Superbowl. Even though they gave up a 13-3 lead at half time, they pulled this one off. This lost gave the Seahawks an 0-2 start for the season for the first time since 2011. My Bears are looking better everyyy day, LOL. The go-ahead play was in the 4th Qtr, with the Packers down 17-16, Rodgers orchestrated a 10-play, 80yd scoring drive, capped by a 5yd scoring pass to Richard Rodgers and a 2pt conversion by R. Rodgers, made it 24-17 with 9:28 left. Mason Crosby FG put the Packers up for good, 27-17 with 2 mins. left. It gave Crosby a franchise record of 1,057 career points. The Seahawks last 2 series ended in turnovers. The Beast was held to 15 carries for 41yds. Eddie Lacy left with a right ankle injury, not sure for next week. A. Rodgers threw for 249yds & 2 TDs. J. Starks had 20 carries for 95yds & 1 fumble, R. Cobb had 8 receptions for 116yds. R. Wilson threw for 206yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., R. Wilson had 10 carries for 78yds & D. Baldwin had 7 receptions for 92yds & 1 TD.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS: 1-1

Well at least the Bears are not the only team 0-2 in our division or in the NFL for that matter. The Vikings made easy work of the Lions to the tune of 26-16. I guess this was the game everyone was waiting for from Peterson with 29 carries for 134yds and 1 fumble, he's still fine tuning his game, should get better with time. He said it felt good to be home, the last time he took the field in Minnesota was Dec., 1, 2013 and also the last time he had a 100yd game. Peterson received a pregame standing ovation. Bridgewater played a good game after looking lost Monday at San Francisco. AP wasn't flawless though. 3 carries in the 2nd Qtr netted him only 1yd. I really doesn't matter what your stats are, it's the win that counts. Funny thing, Vikings had 10 penalties for 97yds & Lions had 6 penalties for 39yds, clearly, they didn't jump on those advantages in penalties. Peterson (12,577) passed Cris Carter (12,410) for the most combined receiving, returning & rushing yards (all purpose yards), in Vikings history. Stafford had X-rays on his chest & ribs after this game and is playing through a sore throwing arm. T. Bridgewater threw for 153yds & 1 TD, A. Peterson had 29 carries for 134yds & 1 fumble and A. Peterson had 2 receptions for 58yds & 1 fumble. M Stafford threw for 286yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., M. Stafford had 4 carries for 20yds, he is just getting beat up & C. Johnson had 10 receptions for 83yds & 1 TD.

CHICAGO BEARS: 0-2

You knew it was going to be a bad day when the very 1st play of the game was a 108yd punt return by Arizona and it did get worse. I don't believe Jay is really hurt, he just saw the massacre coming and got out of dodge ASAP. He is such a loser. If you go to you tube and look up "Stephen A. Smith totally destroys Jay Cutler." I bet a ton of you will agree with what he says. He talks about some players did not outright say that Jay would throw a game but did say that that in some games, after he has been called out by the Coach, he will go in and throw an incomplete pass then smile about it on the sidelines. Like Smith says, Jay is not a scrub, he can play, he has the arm and when you play like a scrub and you are not a scrub, then you a loser. He is, what reason does Jay have to win, he got his money and don't care about this team. I don't like him but I love the BEARS. Check out you tube. That's all I'm trying to say. Read the details of this A#$ kicking in Arizona's update.

DETROIT LIONS: 0-2

After reviewing the game film, Golden Tate wasn't too happy with the cheap shots he said the Vikings were taking. Read about their 2nd lost in as many games to the Vikings, 26-16 in the Vikings update.

NFC SOUTH:

ATLANTA FALCONS: 2-0

Even when he is unstoppable, it's not good enough for Julio Jones. Jones out shined O. Beckham Jr. on the road in the Falcons 2nd straight win this season over the NYG, 24-20. Jones tied the club record with 13 receptions, good for 135yds. Jones says that he feels that when a ball is thrown to him, it's his job to get that ball. He said he had 15 thrown to him Sunday and got 13 of them, he said he think he did OK, pretty modest. Despite the often 2x coverage on Beckham, he set an NFL mark with 1,495yds in the first 14 games of a career. Beckham was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014. Giants CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is in the NFL's concussion protocol program after a 2nd half injury. As for the fearless leader of the Giants, E. Manning has been, well, to put it nicely, not himself. I think he did even worse in this game. On the Giants final drive, he misfired to 2 open receivers in what proved to be another ugly finish in N.Y. Word on the street is that Coach Couglin said that he is "frustrated" by Eli's performance. After this game, he said "that they talk every week about finishing. He said this wasn't a finish to me." I have no comfort words for Coach Coughlin, I'm dealing with my teams 0-2 start, smh. M. Ryan threw for 363yds & 1 TD, T. Coleman had 9 carries for 32yds & 1 TD and J. Jones lead the way with 13 receptions for 135yds. E. Manning threw for 292yds & 2 TDs, a. Williams had 6 carries for 43yds & O. Beckham did his thing with 7 receptions for 146yds & 1 TD.

CAROLINA PANTHERS: 2-0

Cam Newton joked with Stephen Curry before Sunday's game, telling the NBA star "I'm trying to be like you, man." Cam literally put on his superman cape in this one. He showed off his acrobatic skills by somersaulting into the end zone on a QB draw to lead the Panthers to a 24-17 win over the Texans. Garrett Graham tied the game at 10 with a one handed 7yd TD grab in the back of the end zone from Ryan Mallett. That's when Cam, on a 1st & goal from the 2, took a step back before racing through an open hole in the line. Newton decided the best way into the end zone was to somersault over Rahim Moore rather than try to take on the contact. He said that while going over the pile, all he could think was, "I don't even know how is this going to end." Well, it turned into the TD that would put them in the lead for good, late int he 3rd Qtr. He threw TD passes of 25yds to Ted Ginn Jr. & 36yds to Philly Brown and ran for 76yds. Panthers got some of their money's worth off the fat contract they just gave him. Mallett started in place of benched Brian Hoyer. He did run in a TD on 4th & 4 to cut the lead to 24-17 with 6:31 left. The Texans had one last chance to tie the game after Graham Gano's 53yd FG was blocked. But Mallet's pass on 4th & 16 from the Carolina 20 sailed out of the end zone in the closing seconds. Chalk it up to another lost for the Texans. Cam always start the season on 100%, let's see if he fizzles out as usual. C. Newton threw for 195yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., C. Newton had 10 carries for 76yds & 1 TD, G. Olsen finished with 6 receptions for 70yds, Bears still stupid for letting him go. R. Mallett threw for 244yds, 1 TD & 1 int., C. Polk had 14 carries for 38yds & N. Washington had 3 receptions for 63yds. Watts had 5 tackles, 1 sack, 2 quarterback hurries & 2 tipped passes for the Texans. Means nothing if you don't win.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: 1-1

Winston wins his second game of the season. But remember Winston, you play for Tampa Bay, that's all I'm saying, you will figure it out. They beat the Saints, 26-19. Let's be real people. Nobody, saw this coming & I don't care if you are a loyal, true blue TB fan, y'all had already put this one in the lost column. Winston remained pretty calm at the less than welcoming Super dome, completing 14 of 21 passes for 207yds & was not intercepted. He lost 1 fumble, but the Saints could not cash in on that, missing a 42yd FG. Bucs kicker hit 4 FGs ranging from 22 to 55yds, 3 of those kicks helped TB build a 23-7 lead. But the Bucs turned around and made their own mistakes in the form of late turnovers & penalties that forced them to sweat it out until the final play. The Saints fumbled twice and still had a chance to tie it on two plays from the Bucs 27 in the final 8 seconds, but both passes fell incomplete. They probably stepped on a crack and broke they mommas back, thing were just that bad and just when the Saints are wondering, when is this nightmare over, Drew is possibly out on Sunday and back-up Luke McCown says he's prepared to shine if he has to. This ain't no commercial man and it's not about a mobile phone, I'm just saying, be ready or be gone. But, this was a special day for Winston, he got his 1st NFL win and he was able to do it in front of his grandmother, Myrtle. He said he was pumped up to see his granny there. She had to get clearance to fly to see him play and he made sure it was worth her trip. It's reported that she is the reason Winston chose to stay home during the NFL Draft. Brees says an early hit to his throwing arm may have affected him in loss. Brees has had major surgery on his throwing shoulder before, but that was about a decade ago, in the 2006 off season. When all was said and done, he still did not perform to his usual standards. J. Winston threw for 207yds & 1 Td, D. Martin had 21 carries for 78yds & 1 fumble and L. Murphy had 3 receptions for 82yds. D. Brees threw for 255yds, 1 TD & 1 int., M. =Ingram had 16 carries for 53yds, 1 TD & 1 fumble and M. Colston contributed 4 receptions for 69yds.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: 0-2
The 26-19 loss to the Bucs was not a total loss, at least not for Brees, he did past former Dolphins hall of fame QB Dan Marino for 3rd in all time completions with his 4,968th career connection early in the game. That left Brees, now with 4, 991 completions, behind only Brett Favre (6,300) and P. Manning (5.977). Here is my proposal. My grandson Todd, his team the Dalton Bears, their uniforms are yellow & black, that's close enough to gold & black, they can fill in. They are undefeated 5-0. They are midgets, so their bed time is kinda early and no drinking, but they play pretty good, lol. Just putting it out there. Read Bucs update for details.

NFC EAST:

DALLAS COWBOY: 2-0

The Cowboys won this one vs. the Eagles, 20-10. But it ain't looking to good down the road for them since they have added Tony Romo to the injured list with a broken left collarbone. He had a similar injury in WK 7 in 2010 and missed the rest of the season. Kyle Wilber returned a block punt 26yds for a TD and Brandon Weeded threw a 42yd TD pass to Terrance Williams and just like that, the Cowboys are 2-0. They overcame a franchise record 18 penalties for their 10th straight road win. Weeden, who took over for Romo, had me laughing so hard. They put the camera on him while he was waiting to see if Romo was coming out, his eyes was as big as a deer in headlights, you had to see it. He is 5-16 as a starter, including 0-1 for the Cowboys. He finished 7 of 7 for 73yds. Jerry Jones seems to think that Romo will be back by the end of the season, I don't know, he was 5yrs younger on that first broken collarbone, I'm just saying. Though they did shut down DeMarco Murray, they held him to 13 carries for 2 yards, and yes, I did not leave off a digit or two. He claims this was just a regular game, lying through his teeth. I think it's all downhill for them going forward. T. Romo threw for 195yds before leaving with an injury, J. Randle had 18 carries for 51yds & T. Williams had 4 receptions for 84yds & 1 TD. S., Bradford threw for 224yds, 1 TD & 2 ints., S. Bradford had 2 carries for 9yds & 1 fumble, how do you like that, the QB had more yds than Murray. J. Matthews did his job with 6 recs for 80yds & 1 TD.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS: 1-1

Word around town is that Washington has found their "MoJo" with the 1-2 punch of Matt Jones & Alfred Morris. Through 2 games, these guys have 331 rushing yds, 2 TDs & 1 new nick name, "MoJo." Behind a running game that added 182yds rushing, the Redskins easily beat the St. Louis Rams 24-10. Through the 1st two weeks of the season, Washington features the NFL's top-ranked ground attack with an average of 171.5yds per game and a league high 74 rushing attempts. It was definitely a ground game, Washington out rushed St. Louis 182-67. Gruden said this is the blueprint he wants to have. They have a young QB & they don't want him throwing the ball 50x, we want to run the ball, be physical. M. Jones, part of the "MoJo" had 19 carries for 123yds, 2 TDs & 1 fumble, they said he ran like his hair was on fire. The Redskins led at half time 17-0, this is the first time they shut out the opponent in the first half since Oct., 2, 2011. A week ago the Rams beat the Seahawks in OT. But St. Louis is now only 2-15 since 2005 in regular season games immediately following a game against the Seahawks. RGIII, who was not even in uniform, inactive as the #3 QB behind Cousins & C. McCoy. Man, what a difference a season makes. K. Cousins threw for 203yds & 1 TD, M. Jones, stats mentioned in update & J. Reed had 6 receptions for 82yds. N. Foles threw for 150yds & 1 TD, T. Austin had 4 carries for 40yds & J. Cook had 5 receptions for 47yds in this losing battle.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: 0-2

Not looking to good for the Eagles or DeMarco Murray in his first game against his former team. Read about the 20-10 slap on the hand from the Cowboys in that update.

NEW YORK GIANTS: 0-2

On a positive note, the Giants honored their 1990 NFL Championship team at halftime, with former coach Bill Parcells carrying the Lombardi Trophy onto the field. Probably close as they are going to get to that trophy for yearsss. Read the update on their lost to the Falcons, 24-20.

NFC WEST:

ARIZONA CARDINALS: 2-0

Why you treat me so bad, why you treat me so bad. Sorry, that's the line that came to mind after the Cardinals ripped us apart, 48-23. David Johnson clearly had his day in the sun. He returned the opening kickoff a club record 108yds and when he decided that wasn't enough, added a rushing TD, becoming the first payer in NFL history with a rushing TD, receiving TD & kickoff return TD in his first two games to begin his career. I bet he will have that record for a long time. So you know if the rookie took us down, you know that Palmer & Fitzgearld wasn't going to be nothing nice and they wasn't. 3 of the 4 TDs that Carlson threw were to Larry, my boyfriend. The seven TDs allowed tied the franchise record record for the Bears, who had never given up 48pts in a home game. They also tied a club record with 170 penalty yards. Claussen and I don't know how is just optimistic to the 10th power or hit to hard last game, said we will do well against Seattle, said we will be ready. I hope so Claussen, I'm hanging with you man. Well looks like Bruce Arians had his revenge on the Bears after the Bears hired the QB whisperer Trestman over him in Jan. 2013. HA, look how that turned out. C. Palmer threw for 185yds, 4 TDs & 1 int., C. Johnson had 20 carries for 72yds & L. Fitzgerald had 8 receptions for 112yds & 3 TDs. J. Clausen threw for 121yds & 1 int., M. Forte had 15 carries for 61yds & M. Bennett had 4 receptions for 48yds.

SAINT LOUIS RAMS: 1-1
How do you take down Seattle one week and turn around and lose to Washington the next? Read the Redskins update to find out how.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: 1-1

Read about their 43-18, whose yo momma, spanking in the Steelers update. They put Kap down 5x man.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: 0-2
Well, I can honestly say, this was & wasn't surprising. I turned on a Packers & Seahwaks fight and a game broke out. Read all about it in the Packers update.

AFC NORTH:

CINCINNATI BENGALS: 2-0

And the Beat goes on and so does the Bengals, joining the few still boasting a 2-0 start. They took the charge out of San Diego with a close shave, 24-19. Andy threw 3 TDs to 3 different receivers, taster's choice I guess. Jeremy Hill fumbled the ball 2x and was benched for his efforts and to make matters worse, his back up, Giovanni Bernard, runs for 123yds. I see some writing on the wall for Hill.The Bengals are unstoppable right now, they are looking good. Their receiving group is back in full strength this season and it shows. San Diego set up the 1st TD with a fumble and they never led in the game from the point on. Rivers brought a streak of 20 straight completions into the game, 4 shy of D. McNabb's NFL record. With 2 more in this game, River's streak set a Chargers record & tied for 3rd longest in NFL history. He threw a 10yd TD pass early in the 2nd half, his 255th one of his career that moved him ahead of Dan Fouts for the club record. Both teams missed a FG & fumbled 2x. He said, it's a sweet feeling, but not as good as it could have been if they had won. A. Dalton threw for 214yds & 3 TDs, G. Bernard had 20 carries for 123yds, filling in for the fumbling Hill. T. Elfert had 4 receptions for 49yds & 1 TD. P. Rivers threw for 241yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., M. Gordon had 16 carries for 88yds & d. Woodhead had 6 receptions for 68yds.

CLEVELAND BROWNS: 1-1

The Browns beat the Titans 28-14. This game even sounds boring, probably why I didn't want to see any of it. But here is the low down. Johnny Football played like he played every Saturday for Texas A&M and he needed that type of game. Manziel threw for a 60yd TD pass to Travis Benjamin on Cleavland's 2nd play & connected with his WR again for a clutch 50yder with 2:52 left, giving the Browns the needed win over the Titans. Benjamin also returned a punt for 78yds for a TD in the 1st half as they built a 21-0 lead, never looking back. With the Titans down 14 and needing 2 scores, Mariota, who recorded a perfect passer's rating last week in his pro debut against TB, drove Tennessee inside Cleveland's 20 but was sacked & stripped by DE Armonty Bryant. Mariota said that he could have made a lot more accurate throws & could have been better with the football. But he said he will learn that and get better. Good lesson learned grasshopper. As for Manziel, he's come a long way from last season where he was riding the bench. J. Manziel threw for 172yds & 2 TDs, I. Crowell had 15 carries for 72yds & 1 TD & T. Benjamin had 3 receptions for 115yds & 2 TDs. He finished the day with 269 all purpose yds. M. Mariota threw for 257yds & 2 TDs, D. McCluster had 10 carries for 98yds & A. Fasano had 5 receptions for 84yds & 1 TD.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS: 1-1

I guess somebody had to take the frustration from the Steelers, just so happens it was the 49ers turn up at bat. Big Ben passed for 369yds & 3 TDs, DAngelo Williams tied a team record with 3 rushing scores & the Steelers converted a pair of early 2-pt attempts to bulldoze the 49ers, 43-18. The Steelers began each practice during training camp with a drill called "seven shots." The starting offense would run seven plays from the 2--the distance of a 2pt conversion, against the starting defense. I think it's working. You know every team has that game where they could do no wrong, well this was that game for Pittsburgh. The Steelers piled up 453yds in all of 23 minutes, even without All Pro RB LeVeon Bell & WR Martavis Bryant. The two 23yr old kids sat out a 2nd straight game for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Bell will return next week, not sure on Bryant. The Steelers clearly got over the 28-21 loss to the Patriots about 10 days ago. To tie a bow on this beauty of a win, Roethlisberger tied T. Bradshaw's team record for career wins (107). B. Roethlisberger, stats noted above. D. Williams had 20 carries for 77yds & 3 TDs and A. Brown earned his check today with 9 receptions for 195yds & 1 TD. C. Kap threw for 335yds & 2 TDs, C. Kap on double duty with 9 carries for 51yds & 1 fumble, T. smith had 6 receptions for 120yds & 1 TD.

BALTIMORE RAVENS: 0-2

OK, I'm going to say this one more time, to see if it sinks in. The Ravens lost to the Raiders, 37-33. Nope, still not sinking in. Read about this, who took my cheese win for the Raiders in that update. They are feeling the loss of T. Suggs right about now. He's out with a season ending injury that happened in the season opener.

AFC SOUTH:

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: 1-1

Christmas came early for the Jaguars and they ate them some Dolphins for dinner, 23-20. As of WK 2, they are 1-1, not bad for a team that lost I think 9 or 10 games last season before winning even one. Now Johnny can go to school and say his dad plays for the Jaguars. QB Blake Bortles said they expected this outcome. It was the rest of the NFL, especially Miami, that was surprised by their 23-20 victory. Receiver, Allen Robinson was unstoppable early. Bortles & JJ defense came up big late & Myers delivered his first clutch kick, a 28yd FG with 40 seconds left that turned out to be the winner. With this win, JJ avoided a 4th consecutive 0-2 start. The Jaguars allowed no sacks after giving up at least 4 in 8 straight games. Good for them, can they help my Bears?? B. Bortles threw for 273yds & 2 TDs, T. Yeldon had 25 carries for 70yds & A. Robinson had 6 receptions for 155yds & 2 TDs. He clearly ate his Wheaties this morning. R. Tannehill threw for 359yds & 2 TDs, R. Tannehill had 3 carries for 17yds & R. Matthews had 6 receptions for 115yds.

TENNESSEE TITANS: 1-1

Read about their losing efforts against the Brown's in that update.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: 0-2

They drop another one, this time to the Jets, 20-7. Read the MNF update for the 411.

HOUSTON TEXANS: 0-2

Read about their 24-17 loss to the Panthers in that update.

AFC EAST:

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: 2-0

It could be me, but I am going to say that N.E. will win 10 games before they are handed their 1st lost of this season. I could be wrong, I am about every 7 years or so, might be that year, I'm just saying. They won #2 against the Bills 40-32 which I think was a good showing for the Bills. Brady threw for 466yds passing, the 2nd most of his career and most by any player against Buffalo in driving the Patriots to this win. They called him a buzz kill in silencing a rowdy crowd and exposing Bills coach Rex Ryan's brash talk for bluster. Clearly I missed some pre-game chatter on this one. When the game was over, Brady shrugged and said he could have done better. The Bill's final drive ended when Tyrod Taylor was intercepted a 3rd time after his pass waived bye bye to receiver Sammy Watkins and into the arms of Logan Ryan, how you doing, lol. That's was the end of this story. Word on the street? I heard that Brady still might serve a suspension. I told y'all that. Did you really think they was going to bench Brady in the 1st game of the NFL season on national TV? NO, they were not, it's all about the Benjamin's baby!! But stay tuned on the suspension front, it's coming. Don't believe me, just watch! T. Brady threw for 466yds & 3 TDs, D. Lewis had 7 carries for 40yds, 1 TD & 1 fumble, R. Gronk had 7 receptions for 113yds & 1 TD. T. Taylor threw for 242yds, 3 TDs & 3 ints., It's ok youngster, it's bound to get better. L. McCoy had 15 carries for 89yds & R. Woods had 3 receptions for 60yds & 1 TD.

NEW YORK JETS: 2-0

Read about their near shut-out of the Colts 20-7 in the MNF update.

MIAMI DOLPHINS: 1-1

They drop a shocker to the Jaguars. Read about it in Jacksonville's update.

BUFFALO BILLS: 1-1

Well, we all know how this story ended, surprisingly, not as bad as expected. The Bills had a scare in this game when starting safety Aaron Williams was taken off the field via ambulance with a neck injury late in the 3rd Qtr. He was released after undergoing a series of test. That's good news. The lost to the Patriots 40-32, check out the Pats update.

AFC WEST:

DENVER BRONCOS: 2-0

I'm sure you read the update in TNF. On one of Peyton's passes that he completed, it gave him 70,000 career passing yds, making him only the 2nd player in league history to hit that mark. Brett Favre, who on Weds. was named a first-time Pro Football Hall of Fame nominee, holds the record with 71,838 career yds through the air. If Peyton keeps going at this pace, he could have the record to himself by the end of October.

OAKLAND RAIDERS: 1-1

Who knew, I didn't. Raiders beat the Ravens 37-33 on a late TD pass from Derek Carr. All Carr wanted was another chance after he threw a late interception in a tied game. It was 26 seconds left when he threw a 12yd TD pass to Seth Roberts. Bam, chalk that wish of your list Derek. That was a shocker for the Ravens, I saw most of that game and believe me, they didn't see it coming. Well, he was helped by a personal foul on T. Jernigan & a hold on W. Hill III that negated an interception on the play before the TD that gave Jack Del Rio his 1st win as coach of his childhood favorite team. Jack said, this is war, favorite team or not, he was out to win, well, I said that, but I'm sure he thought it, lol. The Ravens lost for the 2nd time in 9 meetings with the Raiders with the other being in 2003. D. Carr threw for 351yds, 3 TDs & 1 int., L. Murray had 15 carries for 65yds & 1 TD. M. Crabtree had 9 receptions for 111yds & 1 TD. J. Flacco threw for 384yds, 2 TDs & 1 int., J. Forsett had 15 carries for 68yds & S. Smith Sr., had 10 receptions for 150yds.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS: 1-1

Read about their close shave from the Bengals, 24-19 in that update.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: 1-1

No doubt you have read about their 31-24 in Denver's update. What I also checked out was some crazy tweets from "fans." The blame was laid on 4 people in particular. 1. Andy Reid for his play calling. 2. J. Charles for his fumbles, which brings up the buzz going around asking if he is having ball control issues. 3. A. Smith and his interceptions and of course, 4. J. Fleming and his receptions given up. One tweet say that "Alex Smith is Jay Cutler after he goes to one of those trouble teen boot camps on Maury." This one is funny, "The traffic leaving Arrowhead is Jamel Fleming bad." Or, "There's still 20 seconds left, enough time for Jamaal Charles to fumble one more time." My favorite, "Hi, I'm Andy Reid and I coach football." "Hi I'm cable Andy Reid and it's under two minute." Just sharing the love people.

Passing Notes:

Peyton Manning completed 23 straight passes for the NFL's 2nd longest streak. Joe Montana, Mark Brunell, David Carr & Matt Ryan had also streaks of 22 completions along with Rivers....River's 2 TD passes moved him ahead of Sunny Jurgensen into 14th on the all-time list with 256.

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29
September

Week 4 NFL Confidence Pool Picks & Strategy

Published in Fantasy Football / NFL

And we’re back!

After a pretty dismal week 2 (silver lining – I’m sure everyone had an off week) we come roaring back only missing two games in week 3! You’re welcome!

youre welcome

That’s what makes the NFL so exciting! It’s going to be a 17-week roller coaster leading up to what always ends up being an exciting four weeks of playoffs. Drama! Let’s keep it rolling though. Unlike your typical roller coaster, the ups on this ride are a lot more fun than the downs!

Week 4 – HERE WE GO!!!!!!!!

(HOME TEAM IN ALL CAPS)

15 – ARIZONA over St Louis – The Cardinals are a legit threat in the NFC this year. Get used to seeing them this early in my posts.

14 – ATLANTA over Houston – Keep an eye on the Arian Foster situation here. If he doesn’t play than the Falcons will roll. If he plays, Atlanta will still win but I would drop them down considerably.

13 – INDIANAPOLIS over Jacksonville – OK Colts – I’ve been singing your praises all year! The last time I had you this high you broke my heart and lost at home to the Jets. But come on, this is the Jaguars we’re talking about!

12 – SAN DIEGO over Cleveland – Reports are that there is an internal struggle with many Browns upset that Johnny Manziel isn’t the starter. This distraction is something Cleveland doesn’t need to deal with right now. Oh, and a very large lack of talent…that won’t help either.

11 – BUFFALO over New York Giants – So remember how I spent the first week or two talking about how the Dolphins were going to be a sleeper AFC East contender this year? Well, switch all that over to the Bills!

10 – SEATTLE over Detroit – The word going around is that all three teams the Lions have played have known their plays. If the Seahawk defense has that added to its arsenal, they’ll easily be able to round out consecutive dominant wins against the cellar of the NFC North.

9 – CINCINNATI over Kansas City – The Ben Roethlisberger injury is a golden opportunity for the Bengals to lock in their hold on the top of the AFC North. Hard to see them passing up that chance.

8 – Green Bay over SAN FRANCISCO – The big story coming out of their Monday night win was how perfect Aaron Rodgers is at home. Well, he’s not all that bad on the road either.

7 – DENVER over Minnesota – Peyton is starting to get back into his Peyton groove. That can be scary for the AFC.

6 – Oakland over CHICAGO – The fire sale is underway in Chicago. Keep an eye on it – as more big names leave the Bears keep bumping this game up your list. Especially since…the Raiders…MIGHT be legit???

5 – PITTSBURGH over Baltimore – The Ravens are coming to Pittsburgh at the right time with the Ben Roethlisberger injury. Won’t be enough though – they start the year 0-4.

4 – Carolina over TAMPA BAY – Cam Newton has turned things around quickly and have the Panthers undefeated. Not much should change when going up against Jameis Winston.

3 – NEW ORLEANS over Dallas – This would have been an exciting game a few weeks ago. Take away Drew Brees, Dez Bryant and Tony Romo and NBC is left wishing that they can starting flexing games out early…Bengals/Chiefs would look pretty good under the prime-time lights.

2 – Miami over New York Jets (game played in London) – I look at this game at want to say that my bold prediction would be that the loser stays in London…buuuuuut pretty sure that won’t happen. So I’ll just say after being the pre-season darlings, even with the win this week, my BOLD PREDICTION for this week is that THE DOLPHINS WILL FINISH LAST IN THE AFC EAST.

1 – WASHINGTON over Philadelphia – The Redskins have firmly set their place in the group of “if you think they will win, put them on the one line” teams. Congrats Jacksonville, you have a friend!

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30
September

2015 Rookie Report: Week 4 Sits & Starts

Published in Fantasy Football / NFL

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! Week 3 was full of explosive performances from some expected and some unexpected places. A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb and Jamaal Charles are supposed to blow up on a regular basis. Devonta Freeman, Joseph Randle and Rishard Matthews are not. Some rookies got into the act as well...Amari Cooper cleared the century mark again, as did Thomas Rawls and Karlos Williams on the ground. Williams also found the end zone for the 3rd consecutive week (the only player in the league to do so). Hopefully the big days in week 3 worked in your favor, but even if not, lets see what we can do about getting the right rookies in the lineup for week 4...

Rookies to Start:

Amari Cooper has really impressed this year

RB Karlos Williams, BUF (Wk. 4: vs. NYG): Williams finally got double-digit touches with LeSean McCoy hampered by a balky hammy, and he didn't disappoint, racking up over 100 yards with a TD on just 12 carries. He now boasts a ludicrous 7.75 ypc average for the season on 24 carries and should get the start against a defense that has allowed over 18 fantasy points per game to opposing RBs. As long as McCoy sits, Karlos is a rock solid RB2 this week with RB1 upside.

RB Melvin Gordon, SD (Wk. 4: vs. Cle.): Gordon hasn't had a role in the red zone, but he continues to run for respectable yardage totals and has his most favorable matchup of the season-to-date. The Browns are allowing about 5 yards per carry and a league-worst 158 rush yards per game so far. Gordon should even have a reasonable chance to break a long TD. Cleveland has given up 4 rushes of 20 or more yards so far, 2 of which went for 40+. Fire him up as an RB2 this week.

WR Amari Cooper, OAK (Wk. 4: @Chi.): In case you need any reason from me to know you should play Cooper this week, the Bears allow the 4th-most WR fantasy points per game in the league, and have allowed averages of 12.6 receptions, 153 yards, and 2.3 TDs per game to opposing WRs. I would expect Cooper to be good for at least half of that, and he could have WR1 upside in a cake matchup.

Borderline Rookies:

RB TJ Yeldon, JAX (Wk. 4: @Ind.): After last week, there's obviously reason for pause before firing up Yeldon considering that the Colts' high powered offense could have the Jags playing from behind again. With that said, Indy's defense has given us very little reason to trust their ability to stop the run, allowing 18 RB fantasy points per game and 4 RB scores in 3 games. I'd say there's a 50/50 shot that Yeldon gets his first TD this week. He's more flex play than RB2, but he could have a nicer day than expected.

RB Duke Johnson, CLE (Wk. 4: @SD): San Diego has been absolutely shredded by opposing run games the past 2 weeks, and Crowell was back to being inefficient last week against Oakland. The Chargers have allowed over 500 total yards and 5 TDs to opposing RBs in just 3 games, and the Browns did finally involve Duke in the passing game last week. I expect him to factor back in to the rush attempt mix a little bit this week as well. I have a feeling he comes up with a solid PPR-Flex game this week.

WR Ty Montgomery, GB (Wk. 4: @SF): The 49ers have been just as bad as the Bears in terms of WR fantasy points allowed. After Monday night, you'd expect there to be an increased focus from the defense to stop Randall Cobb, which should open things up for Montgomery and Jones. There is some risk here. Davante Adams might be able to play, which would kill Ty's value. Jeff Janis could run ahead of him due to the mental mistakes and silly penalties Montgomery committed against the Chiefs. Still, most signs point to him being the WR3 for GB this week, which should get him WR3 consideration in your lineup.

Rookies to Sit:

QB Jameis Winston, TB (Wk. 4: vs. Car.): Last week wasn't particularly pretty for Jameis, and things don't get much easier this week. The Panthers' DBs have been a nightmare on opposing WRs, especially Josh Norman, and Jameis may struggle to get going this week. Duplicating last week's stat line is about all you can expect this week. Anything more would be a nice bonus.

RB Matt Jones, WAS (Wk. 4: vs. Phi.): While it was a great sign to see Jones running ahead of Alfred Morris last week, this matchup doesn't set up particularly well for Jones, and Morris isn't exactly going to vanish either. The Eagles have allowed just 3.1 ypc, and have yet to allow a RB touchdown. The one place they've struggled is against RBs catching passes out of the backfield, but thus far, Chris Thompson has pretty much had that role to himself in the Redskins' backfield rotation. Jones is always a threat for a red zone TD, but I'd shy away this week if I have reasonable options.

RB Ameer Abdullah, DET (Wk. 4: @Sea.): The Seahawks at home are just an opponent you don't want to play skill players against unless they are every week studs. When you have Matt Forte there, you leave him in and hope for the best. With Ameer Abdullah, a part-time player in a 3-back rotation? Not so much, even if he is the best talent of the trio. Seattle is yet to allow a TD to an opposing RB on the year. Abdullah should be avoided this week.

RB David Johnson, ARI (Wk. 4: vs. StL.): The Rams defense looks daunting on paper, but they're vulnerable on the perimeter. Yes, Chris Johnson has looked good, but David has still been a factor in this offense. Unfortunately, it looks like Andre Ellington will be back this week. If for some reason Andre sits again, David has some value as a flex option, but his floor is scary low if he's fighting both CJ and AE for touches.

RB Todd Gurley, STL (Wk. 4: @Ari.): It was nice to see Gurley back on the field, even if the results weren't impressive. On the plus side, he did look healthy, but he gets a tough matchup this week. I believe he's close to being handed bellcow duties, but I don't think this is the week where it comes together. Arizona has been throttling teams so far, and if the Rams fall behind, I'd expect a fair amount of Benny Cunningham.

WR Nelson Agholor, PHI (Wk. 4: @Was.): Agholor has been mostly invisible this season despite playing plenty of snaps. He was barely targeted at all last week, and if he were to put up even 4 catches and 50 yards this week in a plus matchup, it would be a pleasant surprise. You can do better.

WR Phillip Dorsett, IND (Wk. 4: vs. Jax.): Dorsett found the end zone last weekend, but his volume hasn't been consistent enough to trust going forward. I still feel like the Colts want to get Andre Johnson more involved at some point (If Andre is still capable), and banking on another TD from a guy who is only going to see a few targets isn't often a recipe for success.

WRs Devin Smith & Quincy Enunwa, NYJ (Wk. 4: @Mia.): The matchup seems ripe for the picking after Tyrod Taylor shredded the 'Fins on Sunday, but Eric Decker is likely to return this week and severely cut down on the snaps and targets this pair will see. If you had to pick one, Smith is the choice due to the threat of a long TD against a shaky secondary. With that said, I wouldn't want to play either in a season-long league.

WR Willie Snead, NO (Wk. 4: vs. Dal.): I like Snead a lot, but I'd like him a lot more if I was confident that Drew Brees was going to go back to being Drew Brees at some point. He's not quite the matchup nightmare that 6'6" Brandon Coleman is, but I would argue he's already got a better rapport with Brees and is the option the QB trusts more of the 2. The problem is that this offense just isn't very good right now. Even if Brees plays, I wouldn't feel good about playing Snead even in really deep leagues this week.

Deep League Sleepers & Cheap DFS Options:

RB Thomas Rawls, SEA (Wk. 4: vs. Det.): It sounds like Marshawn Lynch should be fine and ready to roll for week 4, but keep an eye on the situation. If Lynch were to miss this one, it would be another plus matchup for a back that just put up over 100 yards in his first real action as a pro. The Lions have allowed over 130 ypg and 4 rushing TDs to RBs through 3 games. There are also some out there who feel that what we've seen so far is the beginning of the end for Beast Mode. If that's the case, Rawls would make a nice stash in case something happens, and should absolutely be owned in Dynasty formats. With Christine Michael and Robert Turbin gone, Rawls is the heir apparent in Seattle.

RB Jeremy Langford, CHI (Wk. 4: vs. Oak.): Rumors have been rampant that the Bears are shopping Matt Forte, and if they move him, Langford would likely become the starter. He, like Rawls, is worth a speculative stash for the next few weeks in case Chicago does pull the trigger, but don't be surprised if the Bears look to get him more involved if they are actually planning a trade. The Raiders' run defense is nothing special, so Langford might surprise this week if he gets some work.

WR Devin Funchess, CAR (Wk. 4: @TB): Trust me, it's coming for Funchess. He still has just 4 catches through 3 games, but the Bucs are weak in the secondary. This should be another great opportunity for Funchess to make an impact if the Panthers let him. I wouldn't trust him in a season-long league, but he could be a pleasant surprise in DFS.

WR Tyler Lockett, SEA (Wk. 4: vs. Det.): The usage in the passing game still isn't where you'd like to see it to use him in regular leagues, but he has 2 return TDs in 3 games, and will be a solid WR3 in return yardage leagues before long. Detroit has allowed 22.3 points per game to opposing WRs, and after Doug Baldwin, very little of the WR target volume is spoken for. Lockett still has plenty of upside despite limited usage so far.

TE Maxx Williams, BAL (Wk. 4: @Pit.): The Steelers 14 points per game allowed to opposing TEs is misleading. All 4 TDs they've given up to the tight end position occurred in week 1 against New England (3 to Gronk and 1 to Scott Chandler). They've been much better since then, but Williams will undoubtedly be a factor this week. He already set career bests last week with 3 catches on 7 targets for 44 yards. Most of that came in the second half after Crockett Gillmore went out with injury, and Gillmore isn't expected to play Thursday. Williams has sneaky TE1 upside based on volume alone.

That's it for week 4. If you have any questions or angry rants, feel free to reach out on twitter and let me know (@shawn_foss). Hopefully this info helps you this week. As always, good luck, trust your gut, and have fun. It's just a game.