Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

Each week, there are hundreds if not thousands of news articles, opinion pieces, injury reports, and more written about the NFL. It's my hope to try and sort out some of these and bring to the top the most relevant and interesting headlines that you can use to set your weekly fantasy lineup with confidence. Want to send me questions/comments/suggestions? I can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

- Kirk Cousins was a top fantasy football QB over the last half of the 2015 season. Looks like he's trying to duplicate that effort again. At 349 passing yards per game with an 8:1 TD:INT ratio, Cousins is making it happen. For most fantasy leagues it's past the trade deadline, but if you're a Cousins owner you should be starting him until he proves otherwise.

- Thomas Rawls was on waiver wire lists everywhere last week. Finally healthy and ready to resume his role on the Seattle offense, he was picked up in most leagues where he was not already owned. It was assumed that he would slowly take carries away from rookie C.J. Prosise, but after Prosise suffered a scapula injury and Seattle dropped their black sheep former starting RB Christine Michael, Rawls is thrust once again into the spotlight (where he performed so well last season). I would expect more of the same this season.. Rawls may take a few lucky teams to the championship.

- Andrew Luck may not start this week as he's in the league's concussion protocol. What will this do the offensive gems from the Colts like Moncrief, Hilton and Allen? From my perspective, it gives them a bit of a hit. If Luck does miss Week 12, Scott Tolzein will start and his impact is not very clear (limited sample size) but it's a definite downgrade from Luck. On the plus side, this may actually be a boost to Frank Gore, who the Colts will likely lean on.

- A.J. Green went down early in the Bengals' game, clutching his leg in obvious pain. After what was feared to be a severely torn hamstring, the latest news is that it was just a strain (partial tear) which should only keep him sidelined for a few weeks instead of the rest of the season. But with all of the injuries to other Bengals' players as well - is it worth it to even bring him back in what could be a lost season? My fantasy teams would sure love to have him back out on the field!

- Stefon Diggs did not practice on Tuesday and that should be a concern to both his owners and also to those who may have or be picking up Adam Thielen from the waiver wire. He went for 65 yards and a touchdown this past week and has been productive in general but much more so when Stefon Diggs has been out (Week 5 vs. HOU - 127 yards and a touchdown). In other news, do the Vikings turn it back around at the end of the season? They play Detroit this week to determine the King in the North.

- David Johnson has 30 less receiving yards than DeAndre Hopkins. Yep. That's a thing.

- Jordan Howard has been a welcome surprise from a Bears' offense that has otherwise been blown up from both injury and general lack of talent and coaching ability (that last one is questionable, but there is still a strong possibility that there are changes made there). He's rushed for over 100 yards on average these past 3 games. Now with Cutler and Miller out (in addition to Jeffery), will his production go up, or down? I think we'll see some kind of rotation there going forward which may not be a great thing for fantasy owners.

- LeSean McCoy dislocated his thumb and the medical staff was unable to pop it back in for McCoy to go back out in the game last week - signs point to him starting this week but injuries like this one can sometimes cause players to be limited or held out. Mike Gillislee again becomes a good flex play regardless of whether or not McCoy plays in Week 12.

- Giovani Bernard tore his ACL at the end of the game last week, which puts Jeremy Hill in the forefront of a team that no longer has its major offensive assets available. What are the odds that Hill's fantasy production increases? Pretty good.

- Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles both suffered injuries last week (knee and ribs, respectively), which allowed for rookie RB Wendell Smallwood to step into the driver's seat. He performed fairly well, running for 48 yards and catching 4 passes for 31 yards. Smallwood will have a role this week regardless of whether or not Sproles suits up, as Mathews' MCL will likely leave him sidelined.

- Jay Cutler suffered a torn labrum in the game on Sunday, which may land him on IR. The Bears' quarterback situation does not lead to any fantasy relevance, but this will curb any thoughts of playing Bears' offensive options besides Jordan Howard.

- T.J. Yeldon went down with an ankle injury, which should cement Chris Ivory as the lead back in Jacksonville.. that should lead to more fantasy points, but it certainly wasn't a great omen when Ivory fumbled just after Yeldon exited the game. Yikes!

Each week, there are hundreds if not thousands of news articles, opinion pieces, injury reports, and more written about the NFL. It's my hope to try and sort out some of these and bring to the top the most relevant and interesting headlines that you can use to set your weekly fantasy lineup with confidence. Want to send me questions/comments/suggestions? I can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

- Colin Kaepernick had a regular season fantasy high with 32 points in Week 12. That's Kaepernick, with a 'K'. Hard to believe after the guy was not even going to be a starter this year, but this is how it goes. Looks like Kaepernick will now be in the starting QB discussion from week to week. Shocker!

- Drew Brees is a fantastic QB. We all know that already, but he sits at #2 just below Aaron Rodgers and above Matt Ryan in standard scoring leagues this year. Yes, he plays better statistically at home.. but it seems like he's an every week start from here on out.

- Taylor Gabriel has been a surprise, putting up his 4th double-digit performance in as many weeks. The issue here is that they have mostly been big plays and he is still trailing in targets to other receivers on the team. Can we trust him going forward? Coin flip! Yeah, baby!

- LeSean McCoy had a dislocated thumb and there were many voices out there saying that he might not be a suggested start. Well, those voices be damned, McCoy has been a stud almost every outing and this past week was not any different. He also now has 3 matchups upcoming against teams that have not been great against the run this season (Oakland, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland).

- Brandin Cooks should have had points this past week. Right? Not in this reality.. while 9 other individual Saints players scored at least 5 points each.. Cooks had 0. Should we be worried about Cooks? I don't think so - the Rams had gameplanned to take away Cooks and they did.. but they also forgot to play football.

- Julio Jones was held to just 3 fantasy points in standard scoring leagues (for the 4th time this season, actually). Can this be attributed solely to the coverage that he received in those games, or is something else going on there?

- Rob Gronkowski was active and, in fact, looked ok for a bit - before injuring his back on an attempted diving catch. Unfortunately, he exited the game afterwards and was even seen gingerly going down a set of stairs. Ouch, Rob. Will he play next week? Fantasy owners want to know! Personally, I might wait a week even if he does start.. chest/lungs injury and back injury? Doesn't sound great for a receiver. By the way, Bennett has an ankle sprain and is not an option to start in his stead, should he not play.

- Thomas Rawls is taking over the backfield for the Seattle Seahawks.. but Seattle was just awful offensively. He should recover going forward if his track record last year is any indication.

 - Robert Griffin III has been cleared for contact.. how soon will he take over for McCown? How will this affect the Browns' offensive players for the rest of the season if he does make starts during the fantasy playoffs? Positively or negatively? A healthy Griffin should be a boost to the offense in general, if all goes right.

- Sammy Watkins is back and catching 60-yard passes. What's up! He is a much-needed component of the offense and will be producing fantasy points for owners during the playoffs. A good time for him to come back healthy? You're damn right! But is he a WR2 or a WR1 going forward? That's the question.

- Adrian Peterson is back sprinting - if he's available should you pick him up in a league? Duh!

- Jordan Matthews is a watch going forward.. if he's limited, he should not be considered a good play in this writer's opinion. 

Each week, there are hundreds if not thousands of news articles, opinion pieces, injury reports, and more written about the NFL. It's my hope to try and sort out some of these and bring to the top the most relevant and interesting headlines that you can use to set your weekly fantasy lineup with confidence. Want to send me questions/comments/suggestions? I can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

- Jordan Howard is who we thought he was. And that was especially apparent when snow became a factor in the game for the first time this season. Usually a run-heavy game in this type of situation, Howard did not disappoint optimistic prognosticators when he put up 117 yards and 3 TDs on 32 carries. The Bears play Detroit this week, who have a better-than-average rushing defense and have only allowed 6 TDs on the ground this season. Still, with the rest of the Bears' offense a mish-mash of inexperience and disappointment (for the most part), he should be highly ranked this week.

- Tyrell Williams has a torn labrum in his shoulder, but he still played 96.4 percent of the snaps this past week for a season-high. During his senior year at West Oregon (2014) he also played with the same injury before having surgery in the offseason, so there is a precedent there - seems like the Chargers would not have had Williams out on the field the whole game one week removed from an injury if they were not intending on starting him going forward!

- Julio Jones has turf toe, according to reports, and that injury brings with it a hugely variable amount of outcomes. For some players they can push through it, but sometimes it causes an athlete to sit out for weeks at a time. This is shaping up to be one of those situations where Jones could be playing more as a decoy and would not be a good play for your fantasy team. Both Taylor Gabriel and Mohamed Sanu could benefit a great deal from Jones being out, and may be worth a speculative grab if they're available in your leagues.

- Colin Kaepernick was putting up top-10 fantasy points at his position for a few weeks before the Bears' game fiasco (1/5, 4yds before being benched for Gabbert). A lot of that can be attributed to other shortcomings of the 49ers offense, but it was apparent that Kaepernick was not doing them any favors. The 49ers will roll the dice again with Kaepernick this week against the Jets. Mostly because they really don't have any better options.

- Joe Flacco was a boon to anyone who may have started him last week in fantasy (surely a very small number). 36/47, 381 yards & 4 TDs / 1 INT are pretty impressive numbers. He won't be repeating that performance against New England this week, but it can't be denied that Flacco is occasionally brilliant. Just like the Ravens.

- David Johnson rushed 18 times for 84 yards and a touchdown along with 9 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. Yep. David Johnson is the shit. Any questions?

- Travis Kelce is now the TE1. After a somewhat slow start to the season, his last 3 games he has gone over 100 yards (140 yards last week) receiving. Jeremy Maclin is coming back soon though (perhaps this week) - will his return impact Kelce's performance negatively? I think it will remain similar or even increase when Maclin comes back from his injury.

- Ladarius Green finally put to rest all of the rumors swirling around him at the beginning of the season regarding health concerns. He broke out in the Giants' game for 110 yards and 1 TD on 6 receptions.. and he still only played for less than half the snaps. Green should be a TE1 for the rest of the season - the Steelers finally found a complement to Antonio Brown.

- Thomas Rawls was back in late-2015 form against the Panthers. With a rotating door at RB this season, Rawls is finaly healthy and should provide a burst for owners down the stretch. It's hard to find a RB with fresh legs this late in the season!

It happens to the best of us every year - yeah, maybe you play in a fantasy football league (or several), and you pay close attention to what happens during the regular season, but over the off-season, we all get busy with real life and tend to tune out at least some of the NFL player and rule changes going on in the background. Now that draft season is upon us, I'm here to help catch you up on all of the relevant transactions and league news that you may have missed while out on the beach, or chauffeuring your kids to their various activities and events. So listen up!

NFL Rule Changes

• Leaping - Over the years some players started to leap over the line of scrimmage when the opposing team was lining up to kick a field goal or extra point in an effort to try and block the kick. This has been decided to be too much of a safety risk to the leaper and has been banned going forward.
  
  
• Intentional Fouls - If a team is intentionally committing multiple fouls during one play with the goal of running out time on the clock (and only getting a small yardage penalty in return), they will be assessed a larger 15-yard penalty and the time will be put back on the clock.
  
  
• Centralized replay review - If necessary, final decisions on plays will now be determined at the league's New York Command Center - referees at the game will communicate with the Command Center by using wireless headsets and tablets.
  
  
• Stronger penalty enforcement for 'egregious hits to the head' - Referees are being encouraged to actually eject players or suspend them for the following game if they are 'targeting' opponents with violent hits to the head.
  
  
• Overtime shortened to 10 minutes - It was previously set at 15 minutes, but going forward overtime will be shortened to 10 minutes, for player safety reasons.
  
  
• No longer penalize most player celebrations - In a move to separate themselves from the 'No Fun League' stigma, the NFL will be relaxing restrictions on player celebrations this season, and educating players on what kinds of celebrations (violent, sexual) may still incur a penalty.
  
  
• Several other rules/guidelines were passed - Eliminating the first roster cut down date (leaving only one final date at which teams will need to cut down their roster to 53 players), allowing 2 players on IR to come back to play in regular season games (previously only 1 per season was allowed), and giving defenseless player protection to receivers running pass routes.

NFL Ops has more specific details on 2017 Rules Changes and Points of Emphasis.

NFL Player Changes / Team Updates

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens - Added Danny Woodhead (RB), Jeremy Maclin (WR), have suffered some off-season injuries (Kenneth Dixon (RB), Dennis Pitta (TE), Crocket Gillmore (TE)) that will severely impact their ability to make the playoffs and have positional depth late in the season.

Cincinnati Bengals - Added John Ross (WR), Joe Mixon (RB) from the 2017 draft. Coach Marvin Lewis does not have a contract extension, he could be out the door if the Bengals don't achieve something notable in 2017.

Cleveland Browns - Added Kenny Britt (WR) and Brock Osweiler (QB), drafted David Njoku (TE) and DeShone Kizer (QB). Losing Terrelle Pryor (WR), Gary Barnidge (TE), and Josh McCown (QB) leaves the Browns as a younger team going through a QB competition.

Pittsburgh Steelers - Added Knile Davis (RB) in free agency, as well as JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR) and James Conner (RB) from the 2017 draft. Martavis Bryant will return this year which should provide a needed boost to the offense, the loss of Ladarius Green (TE) in the off-season still leaves a question mark at the tight end position. 

AFC South

Houston Texans - Added Deshaun Watson (QB) in the 2017 draft. The Texans have a QB competition between Watson and the incumbent Tom Savage. The loss of Will Fuller (WR) (2-3 months, collarbone) will cause the team to lean on their running game and on DeAndre Hopkins (WR), looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2016 season.

Indianapolis Colts - Not a lot of offensive additions in the off-season. The Colts' biggest concern is the health of Andrew Luck (QB), who underwent off-season surgery on his shoulder and is still not on the field. Amazingly, Frank Gore (RB) looks to still be the starter in Indianapolis - he may just play forever.

Jacksonville Jaguars - Added Leonard Fournette (RB) in the 2017 draft. Blake Bortles' (QB) quality of play this season will make or break the Jaguars. 

Tennessee Titans - Added Eric Decker (WR), drafted Corey Davis (WR). The Titans lost Kendall Wright (WR) but upgraded their wide receivers overall with the addition of Decker and Davis. Marcus Mariota (WR) and Co. currently have the arrow pointed up and the weapons to do some damage.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills - Added Jordan Matthews (WR) via trade, and Zay Jones (WR) in the 2017 draft. Rex Ryan was fired, the Bills hired a new coach and GM, Sammy Watkins (WR) was traded and the team also lost Mike Gillislee (RB). Rough sledding ahead for Tyrod Taylor (QB) and the Bills in 2017 as they try to find their footing.

Miami Dolphins - Added Jay Cutler (QB). Ryan Tannehill (QB) re-injured his left knee, causing the Dolphins (Adam Gase, specifically) to bring back retired QB Jay Cutler. The offensive and defensive talent is there if Jay Cutler can steer the ship adequately in 2017.

New England Patriots - Added Brandin Cooks (WR), Dwayne Allen (TE), Mike Gillislee (RB), Rex Burkhead (RB). The Patriots lost LeGarrette Blount (RB) and Martellus Bennett (TE), but that really doesn't matter. 40-year-old Tom Brady (QB) will lead this team to the playoffs once more, as long as he can stay healthy.

New York Jets - Added Josh McCown (QB). The Jets lost both of their veteran receivers Brandon Marshall (WR) and Eric Decker (WR) in the off-season, and Quincy Enunwa (WR) is out for the year with a neck injury (bulging disc). The QB competition is not even remotely interesting, and it will be a surprise if the Jets are not the worst team in the NFL this season.

AFC West

Denver Broncos - Added Jamaal Charles (RB). Trevor Siemian (QB) is currently winning the QB competition in Denver, although Paxton Lynch (QB) is expected to supplant him at some point this season, if not by Week 1. Charles may or may not amount to any fantasy relevance depending on his health. The Broncos need to score more points on offense to go along with what is still one of the best defenses in the league.

Kansas City Chiefs - Added Patrick Mahomes (QB) and Kareem Hunt (RB) in the 2017 draft. The loss of Jeremy Maclin (WR) will have an impact on the Chiefs this season, but Travis Kelce (TE) and Tyreek Hill (WR) should have no problem carrying the banner. The big question is whether or not we'll see the rookie QB out on the field in 2017.

Los Angeles Chargers - Added Mike Williams (WR) in the 2017 draft. Williams has not been healthy so far this preseason, but the Chargers have enough weapons already to let him get back to 100%. Will the team be affected by its move to Los Angeles? Probably. The loss of Danny Woodhead (RB) is mostly spelled by Branden Oliver (RB) backing up a surging Melvin Gordon (RB).

Oakland Raiders - Added Marshawn Lynch (RB), Cordarrelle Patterson (WR). Latavius Murray (RB) departed from the Raiders in the off-season, and that's no issue now that the Raiders have been able to bring Lynch on board. There's a promising season ahead here after last year's late injury to Derek Carr (QB) cut 2016 short.

NFC North

Chicago Bears - Added Mike Glennon (QB), Markus Wheaton (WR), Kendall Wright (WR), Victor Cruz (WR). Added Mitchell Trubisky (QB) from the 2017 draft. The QB competition in Chicago is heating up after Trubisky performed better than expected in his first preseason game. John Fox's future in Chicago relies on whether or not the Bears have a successful season in 2017.

Detroit Lions - Added Kenny Golladay (WR) in the 2017 draft. Lost Anquan Boldin (WR). Eric Ebron (TE) is likely to step up his production this year, along with now healthy Ameer Abdullah (RB). Both are intriguing prospects in redraft leagues. Golladay is blowing it up in the preseason but it remains to be seen whether that will translate to regular season fantasy production behind Golden Tate (WR) and Marvin Jones (WR).

Green Bay Packers - Added Martellus Bennett (TE). The Packers lost Eddie Lacy (RB), James Starks (RB), and Jared Cook (RB) in the off-season, but none of them are necessary to the offensive nucleus that is Aaron Rodgers (QB) and his receivers. The Packers can always put points on the scoreboard, the question is if they can prevent enough points scored against them with their defense in 2017.

Minnesota Vikings - Added Michael Floyd (WR). Added Dalvin Cook (RB) in the 2017 draft. With Adrian Peterson (RB) off to New Orleans, the Vikings have to put their faith in their defense to keep them in games for an opportunity to challenge the Packers for dominance in the NFC North.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons - Not a lot of changes in the off-season. Previous OC Kyle Shanahan is now the coach of the 49ers, so there will some differences in the offensive play calling - it has been suggested that Julio Jones (WR) will be targeted more but in general the main players like Matt Ryan (QB) and Devonta Freeman (RB) should keep it business as usual in Atlanta.

Carolina Panthers - Added Christian McCaffrey (RB), Curtis Samuel (WR) in the 2017 draft. Lost Ted Ginn (WR) in the off-season. The Panthers will easily be in the running for a playoff position, but newly acquired players like McCaffrey may need some time to develop as offensive tools.

New Orleans Saints - Added Adrian Peterson (RB), Ted Ginn (WR). Added Alvin Kamara (RB) in the 2017 draft. It remains to be seen what Peterson has left in the tank, but the Saints' long-running combination of Drew Brees (QB) and Sean Payton (HC) may be running on fumes as well. In the meantime, Michael Thomas (WR) should continue to dominate downfield this year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Added DeSean Jackson (WR). Added O.J. Howard (TE), and Chris Godwin (WR) in the 2017 draft. The Hard Knocks squad is poised to have a successful season in 2017 with a lot of offensive weapons for Jameis Winston (QB) to employ.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys - Added Ryan Switzer (WR) in the 2017 draft. A good amount of off-season drama surrounds the Cowboys this year, most notably including a 6-game suspension handed down to Ezekiel Elliott from Roger Goodell and the NFL. Other than that, the team remains mostly the same but has replaced some of their secondary with new faces. We'll see how that pans out.

New York Giants - Added Brandon Marshall (WR). Added Evan Engram (TE) in the 2017 draft. Marshall should provide a boost to the offense - Eli Manning (QB) needs to improve on last year's efforts but shouldn't have an issue with the huge talents of Marshall and Odell Beckham Jr. (WR), not to mention Sterling Shephard (WR). A concern is the running game - with the loss of Rashad Jennings (RB), can the Giants depend on Paul Perkins (RB) to lead the push on a weekly basis?

Philadelphia Eagles - Added Alshon Jeffery (WR), Torrey Smith (WR), and LeGarrette Blount (RB). With the additions of Jeffery and Smith, the Eagles shed Jordan Matthews (WR) and Dorial Green-Beckham (WR) in the off-season. Ryan Mathews (RB) was just recently cut from the team, and it will be interesting to see how all of these additions mesh together over the season.

Washington Redskins - Added Terrelle Pryor (WR). Lost Desean Jackson (WR) and Pierre Garcon (WR). Kirk Cousins is playing on a franchise tag, and Pryor is signed to a one-year "prove it" deal. The Redskins are certainly a formidable team offensively with weapons like Jamison Crowder (WR) and Jordan Reed (TE), but may have issues at RB as we see who comes out on top at the position over the course of the year between Rob Kelley (RB) and Samaje Perine (RB). 

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals - Not many changes in the off-season. The Cardinals are still led by Carson Palmer (QB), Larry Fitzgerald (WR), and David Johnson (RB). They still have the opportunity to go far into the playoffs, but the age of Palmer and Fitzgerald could become a factor as the grueling season plows onward. 

Los Angeles Rams - Added Sammy Watkins (WR), Robert Woods (WR). The Rams are trying to reinvent themselves, and most of that hinges on the success of Jared Goff (QB), now in his 2nd year as starting QB. With a dynamic offensive weapon like Watkins, a strong future in Todd Gurley (RB), and a talented defense, this team could hit .500 in 2017.

San Francisco 49ers - Added Brian Hoyer (QB), Pierre Garcon (WR), Marquise Goodwin (WR). New head coach Kyle Shanahan is going back to the drawing board and the 49ers have separated from Colin Kaepernick (QB), Blaine Gabbert (QB), Torrey Smith (WR), Quinton Patton (WR), and probably most importantly, Chip Kelly (HC). 

Seattle Seahawks - Added Eddie Lacy (RB). The excitement this year from the Seahawks' camp mostly comes from the possibility of a resurgence from Lacy (though Thomas Rawls (RB) is a contender to cut into or take over the role as lead back), a healthy Jimmy Graham (TE), and a continuation of the success between Russell Wilson (QB) and Doug Baldwin (WR).