Week 3 Fantasy Rankings Part 2: Running Backs

Here’s part two of our three part fantasy rankings. Today is tiered rankings for Running Backs. Tomorrow, will be Wide Receivers and Tight Ends rankings to gear you up for Sunday. It should be noted that these rankings are based on matchups this week and not overall player value.

Barry Sanders Division (Sorry Emmitt but Barry is best in my book. These are the guys that you can’t wait to watch on Sunday and you can’t wait to have starting in your fantasy lineup).

1. Adrian Peterson vs. San Francisco- What can you say about this guy, I just love watching him play.

2. Chris Johnson @ NYJ- Some people are down on him because of the matchup but I just don’t see it. The Jets are way better than Houston but they have yet to be tested by an elite runner this year either and there is probably one guy more exciting than this guy.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew @ Houston- After what Chris Johnson did to them last Sunday, I can’t really see him lower than this.

Tiki Barber (after he got rid of the fumble problem) Division (these guys will put up good weeks and you’ll be happy to have them).

4. Matt Forte @ Seatle- Like the matchup, Frank Gore had over 200 yards in the first half coming off a 30 yard rushing performance. This should be a great opportunity for Forte to bounce back.

5. Clinton Portis @ Detroit- I like the matchup a little but more than I like Portis but expect good things against Detroit.

6. DeAngelo Williams @ Dallas- This could be a big day for him as long as Jake doesn’t Delhomme all over this game.

7. Michael Turner @ NE- Fred Jackson did well week one against the Pats mainly on screen passes which Turner will not get too many of. I still see a pretty decent game out of him though.

8. Ryan Grant @ St. Louis- He is healthy and running hard so far. Plus, you have to love this soft matchup.

9. Brandon Jacobs @ Tampa Bay- Expect him to finally get on the board this week in against a defense hasn’t been the same since it said good bye to Monte.

10. Fred Jackson vs. NO- This might be a one sided affair but he still get’s used tremendously in the passing game. He is the all purpose back for one more week, enjoy it while you can and try to sell high.

11. Steve Slaton vs. Jacksonville- The passing game is too good to not open things up for him at some point. At the very least he should get some carries in mop up time because I see Houston winning big here.

12. Frank Gore @ Min- Was huge last week but now he has a much tougher matchup and is a tad on the gimpy side.

Steven Jackson Allstars Division (Guys who I would rank higher but their teams aren’t very good and there is a high likelihood they won’t score).

13. Ronnie Brown @ San Diego- I have him highest out of this group because of the way he played last week and my mild optimism that he finds the endzone. Watch out for Ricky though, he’ll once again take away a lot of carries.

14. Kevin Smith vs. Washington- Not an easy matchup but he should get his touches and his chances here.

15. Steven Jackson vs. Green Bay- He might run hard and he might run well here but his chances of scoring this week are about the same as my chances of scoring with a semi hot girl (So I guess you could say his chances are pretty bad but it could happen).

Priest Holmes Division (These guys are backups or number two guys on their team that may have the opportunity to step up this week).

16. Felix Jones vs. Car- Marion Barber might play this week but even if he does I like Felix a lot here.
17. Willis McGahee vs. Cle- Has been getting more work and more touchdowns than were expected. Cleveland has been shaky thus far against the run.
18. Darren Sproles vs. Mia- Looks like LT isn’t playing so Sproles should get a lot of touches. I think Miami will shut the running game down but Sproles could get lose on a screen or two.

Brian Westbrook Division (On the injury report every week and you have no idea what you are going to get from him).

19. Brian Westbrook vs. KC- See above about being on the injury report every week.

Deuce McAllister Division (These are the guys that are probably your number two running back that you have to start but aren’t too happy starting).

20. Tim Hightower vs. Ind- Gotta love this matchup, too bad the Cardinals are a throw first offense.
21. Darren McFadden vs. Den- I’m Ron Burgendy?? Is what I think when I see Denver’s defense. Everything I know tells me they are terrible but they have been good against the run through two games.
22. Ray Rice vs. Cle- He should get his yards but probably the endzone might get cockblocked from him by Willis McGahee.
23. Thomas Jones vs. Ten- Iffy matchup and Leon Washington should continue to take carries away.
24. Cadillac Williams vs. NYG- I guess
25. Pierre Thomas @ Buf- He should be an honorary member of the Brian Westbrook division this week… check his status.
26. Willie Parker @ Cin- Can fast Willie bounce back, I am not too confident.
27. Cedric Benson vs. Pit- He should get all the carries so I guess he has that going for him and maybe he’ll get to caddy for the Dolly Lama some day.

Chester “Insert Your favorite Timeshare’s name here” Taylor Division (These are guys that are either stuck in time shares or handcuffs so they are borderline starts or flex plays at best).

28. Reggie Bush @ Buf- Haven’t really been keeping up with the Kardashians so I don’t have any good jokes.
29. Leon Washington vs Ten- Could be the Jets best offensive player but does he get enough touches against their good run defense.
30. Cadillac Williams vs. NYG- Insert joke about him being a car not as nice as a Cadillac here.
31. Ahmad Bradshaw @ TB- Definite upside but not really a safe play yet.
32. Donald Brown @ Ari- See Ahmad Bradshaw.
33. Knowshon Moreno@ Oak- See Donald Brown
34. Jonathan Stewart @ Dal- Can the Daily Show avoid getting Delhommed.

Samkon Gado Division (This is like fat girl at 2 am desperate, just go him and call it a night).
35. Larry Johnson @ Phi
36. Joseph Addai @ Ari
37. LeSean McCoy vs. KC- Keep up with Westbrook’s status.
38. Tashard Choice vs. Car- Sneaky play if Barber is out which he should be.
39. Derrick Ward vs. NYG
40. Correll Buckhalter @ Oak
41. Michael Bush vs. Den
42. Jamal Lewis @ Bal
43. Chris Wells vs. Ind
44. Ricky Williams @ SD

45. LenWhale White @ NYJ … sorry I meant LenDale, he just went on the tequila diet.

SportsMumboJumbo.com

Monday Night Football – One Weird Game

The Dolphins and the Colts met Monday night in which was expected to be a fairly close game (the spread being only 3.5 points). The game proved to be a star studded event as all of the Dolphin’s new celebrity owners were on hand to witness this crazy game.

The game started off very unconventional as the first play from scrimmage resulted in a 80 yard TD to a TE. Dallas Clark broke free after realing in a ball from Peyton Manning and took it to the house. I can not remember the last time I saw a TE catch a ball for that long.
The Dolphins answered right back with a TD of their own after one of their many powerhouse drives, led by Ronnie Brown and the Wildcat offense.

The main story of the game had to be the dominance of Miami’s offense over the Colts. 45 minutes the Fins held the ball compared to just 15 for the Colts. That is ridiculous ball control to say the least.
However it proved to be a lopsided stat as Manning would need only under a combined 4 minutes to put up 2 TDs in the 4th Qtr. One drive of 32 seconds for 80 yards, the other 3 minutes 17 seconds for 79 yards.

The Dolphins completley botched a last attempt drive in which time management and Tedd Ginn’s hands were clear issues on all of the Fins Fan’s minds.

It was not the final Dolphins offsensive series that lost them the game and it was not Indy’s Offense either. The Dolphins D is 100% to blame for this loss. Maybe the Fins D were distracted by all the new celebrity owners on hand. Who knows?

Manning gets a ton of credit for the Colt’s success and he deserves it, but on this weird Monday night game he was not the reason for the win. He was the beneficiary of one of the biggest Defensive collapses in Monday Night Football history.

Eric Feld

Mike Shanahan- Where Are You?

Sometimes there are moves in the NFL that completely do not make sense. The biggest mind blowing decision in my mind this past football year was the decision for the Denver Broncos to let go of Mike Shanahan.

Here was a 2 time proven Super Bowl champion head coach that was let go over one of the biggest impossibilities in NFL history.

The Broncos held a commanding lead over the Chargers in the AFC West with 4 games to go. The only way the Broncos could miss out on the playoffs was for them to lose their final 4 games while San Diego won out. Long story short, after improbable onside kicks and last second come from behind victories from Phillip Rivers (KC game, where SD was trailing 21-3 in the 2nd half), the impossible happened and the Chargers went on to win the AFC West and the Broncos were left out of the playoffs. Does it make sense that if SD did not make an onside kick, Mike Shanahan would still be their head coach? I didn’t think so.

It is very similar to the situation that is brewing down in Columbus right now. The Buckeyes coach, Jim Tressel, a proven winner and national champion, is being put somewhat on the hot seat for his current repeated failures against top ranked teams. Both these coaches further prove that the coaching industry is not a very safe job to have. (Not that anything is these days) It’s a business where there is absolute no room for error, and are these realistic expectations? With pressure from fans and season ticket holders I understand the owners have to make it seem that they are trying to make a change when their team is going through a rough patch. But to fire proven coaches who can get the job done, does not seem like the best call to me.

The point is Mike Shanahan should never have been fired from Denver and should at the very least have some kind of coaching job in the NFL and not sipping Pina Coladas with nothing better to do. Trust me there are not too many coaches who are capable of winning 2 championships, even with John Elway and Terrell Davis.

Eric Feld

NFL Survivor League Advice

I know it is a little early in the week to decide this but I thought I would take a look at the games for the upcoming week to see who would be the best teams to pick for your survivor league (assuming you’re still in it).

In case you did not know what a Survivor league here is a little explanation. You are in a contest with other people and everybody picks team per week that they think will win. Sounds easy right, think again. Once you pick that team, (I.E. you picked New Orleans last week over the Lions) you cannot use this team again for the rest of the season. So when making week 2’s picks N.O would not be an option for you. If you picked Detroit, you are out of the contest. Last man standing, AKA the survivor, wins.

Back to the forecast now. There are three games that I think should result in wins for you. The first game I’m going to look at is Washington vs. St. Louis. St. Louis laid a nice goose egg last week against the Seahawks and looked even worse than the Lions. Being Washington’s first home game of the season and coming off a tough loss against NYG where they looked I think this is a no brainer.

Pick- Redskins

Another great pick is the Minnesota Vikings. This week they go to Detroit where if you saw the game from last week it does not look like they will be getting a win anytime soon with that defense. I know it was Drew Brees who carved them up through the air last week, but it will be Adrian “All Day” Peterson who makes Detroit pay this time.
Pick- Vikings

The final pick is Green Bay vs. Cincinnati. It looked like Carson Palmer is still not completely back from his injury and the offense looked pretty stagnant. The Packers are trying to rally and continue their success after a late minute TD pushed them ahead of the Chicago Bears. With the game being in GB it’s tough to go against the Packers.

Pick- Packers

Who do you guys think is a sure pick this weekend? Leave some comments and tell us your opinion.

Eric Feld

Monday Night Football Picks

This Monday night football fans are treated with two NFL games to kick off the first week of the season. Both games are sure to be easy betting picks and win a ton of money for anyone making wagers.

The first is Buffalo Bills vs. NE Patriots (-11)

I know there has been hype about the Bills this offseason with the acquisition of T.O. but it is all for nothing. The Patriots are getting back Tom and that’s all that needs to be said. Yeah, maybe Buffalo will put up a few more points then they would have without T.O. there but this will not make up for what the Pats will do to them tonight. I especially do not think Belichick will allow a close game as he has been preparing for this game since last January. With Belichick and Brady running the show, the Pats will cruise for a 20+ point victory over their rivals.

Final Pick - Take Pats -11

The second gimme game: SD Chargers (-10) vs. Oakland Raiders

Chargers are going to destroy the Raiders on national TV tonight. Jamarcus Russell could not be a bigger bust if he tried. All SD has to do is focus on Mcfadden and Oak’s run game and that should be the end of it. I know the Raiders added Seymour last week which is nice, but it will not come close to making up for what the Chargers are capable of both offensively and defensive. With stars such as Rivers, Merriman, and LT looking to light up the stage the Chargers will win by at least 14 points.

Final Pick - Take Chargers -10

Let me know if you guys think any differently.

Eric Feld

Top Performers In Week 1

This past week had some amazing performances from some amazing players. Drew Brees led the way with over 350 yards and 6 TDs in a victory over the Lions. Tom Brady did his best Tom Brady impression leading a dramatic come from behind win with a league leading 378 yards against the Buffalo Bills. And finally, Adrian “All Day” Peterson shredded the Cleveland Browns for 180 on the ground which was highlighted by his 65 yard TD run (his 3rd of the game), while adding 18 more through the air. Who do you guys think was the top performer in week 1?

Eric Feld

Which freshman QB was more impressive this weekend

The display of freshman QBs was on this week as USC’s Matt Barkley and Michigan’s Tate Forcier each earned huge victories for their teams on Saturday.

Barkley struggled early on but played his butt off when it mattered the most. With his team trailing by 5 points with around 7 minutes left USC’s freshman QB led the Trojans 73 yards in 6 minutes for a game winning drive which was capped by a 3 yard Stafon Johnson TD. This team made the right decision going with Barkley as a starter, the next four years will be fun for the Trojans.

Forcier was not just one of the most unstoppable freshman I have ever seen but he was as dominant as any QB has been for their team in recent memory. His play making ability was reminiscent of Vince Young’s when he was with Texas or Michael Vick’s with Virginia Tech. Notre Dame really had no answer for him as he torched them for 240 passing yards and adding another 70 through the ground. But the stats don’t tell the whole story as Forcier had game changing play after play which included a 31 yard TD scramble on 4th down. He then orchestrated a final game winning drive with just about 2 minutes left and threw the winning TD with just seconds remaining.

Tough call between the two, but I think I have to give the nod with Barkley. Matt Barkley’s performance is a little more impressive as Ohio State’s defense is much more talented then Notre Dame and doing what he did on a primetime game with the whole nation watching in only his 2nd game is quite the accomplishment.

What do you guys think?

Eric Feld

The Top Fantasy Football WR Sleepers

A few weeks ago I wrote an article on who would be the top WR this year in the league. The article was basically between Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald and who would I rather have on my fantasy team. Well one of the comments left by a reader asked me besides the obvious top ranked WRs who else should he be thinking of drafting.

I thought about it for a while and here is what I came up with…….
Every year the NFL has them. Guys come out of absolutely nowhere to make huge impacts on your fantasy team. Last year the top WR sleeper award went to Eddie Royal, as he literally busted out of nowhere to grab 91 balls for 980 yards and 5 TDs. Not too shabby for a rookie who went undrafted in basically every fantasy league last year.

This year I feel there are 3 gems that while they may not go undrafted and they do have better name recognition then Royal did last year, they are still not looked upon as top WR options.

1. Devon Hester- The speed, the agility, the playmaking ability, it’s all there for this guy. The one thing he has been missing is a QB. Well he has certainly found that in Jay Cutler, and if we learned anything from his time in Denver, Cutler loves to throw it down the field. This will result in tons of huge of plays for Hester and he will be amongst the league leaders in yards and TDs when all is said and done.

2. Vincent Jackson- It may be kind of hard to say he is a sleeper. As the fantasy world began drafting in late July/early August, Jackson was a consensus 6-7th round pick. Comparable to the likes of a Bernard Berian or Desean Jackson. Both good players, but if you are banking on those guys carrying your team, you got a long year coming. The fantasy world has woken up, with the most recent drafts V.J. is being selected usually by mid to late 4th round. The reason is that he has become Phillip River’s go to guy. It’s no longer Gates, every big play down the field the Chargers have had all preseason has been to Vincent Jackson. He definitely has the ability to carry your team as a true No. 1 WR. All these reasons are why he will end up being a top 5 to 10 WR by the year’s end.

3. Chris Henry- “The next Randy Moss” as Carson Palmer put it. This guy has all the tools to be a pro bowl WR as long as he is staying out of trouble and staying on the field. You have to believe with the departure of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, this will open the door for Henry. Even with the addition of Coles, Palmer will definitely look to Henry before him as there is already an established relationship between the two.

Let me know if you guys have any other suggestions?

Eric Feld
www.sportsmumbojumbo.com

What to expect from Brandon Marshall

Baby T.O is at it again. The center of attention, limelight craving, primadonna WR, otherwise known as Brandon Marshall is the center of the latest Denver Broncos controversy. After being a distraction all during the off season in which he has openly demanded a trade, the Broncos finally had enough and sent Marshall packing for the rest of preseason. However, first year coach, Josh Daniels, has stated after the suspension that he acknowledges how great Marshall is and how the Broncos do want him back for their season opener.

Marshall is one of the NFL’s most talented WRs and any team would be lucky to have talent like him on their team. However, most teams would be just as lucky to avoid his constant distractions.

Besides the Broncos, probably the most anticipated recipients of the Marshall’s status are fantasy owners. The biggest question looming in the fantasy world right now is where do you take Marshall in the draft? Is it worth the risk of having a potential 100+rec. / 1000+ yard / 10+ TD caliber WR who could end up not playing one down? In most fantasy formats the standard starting lineup is 1 QB 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE. I would say that before you take this mega risk, at least have on your team 2 solid RBs , 1 WR and even a good to great QB. Thus, I would probably value Marshall’s stock as a low end No. 2 WR picking him somewhere in the late 4th/early 5th round range. Also, when drafting Marshall you should draft with the mind set that if you are going to take him you should probably have a decent backup available to select in the next pick or two.

Where would you guys draft him?

Eric Feld

NFL Sleeper Team of 2009

Going into the 2009 NFL season there is one team that I believe is a true sleeper. I am not just talking about a team who might squeak into the playoffs either. I am talking about a legit Super Bowl contender.

A team that has never posted a winning record in franchise history; A team that is constantly overlooked by their three conference rivals, the Colts, Titans and Jaguars. The Houston Texans, that’s right I said it, the 2nd tier team of Texas, the Houston Texans.

I look at this roster and I do not understand how they are not being talked about amongst the scariest teams in the AFC. The offense is as potent as it gets with Matt Shaub chucking balls up to Andre Johnson, Kevin Walters and Owen Daniels. Not to mention the solid running attack from Steve Slaton.

As impressive as the offense is the improvement on the defensive side has what has made them such contenders this year. With stars such as Mario Williams and DeMaco Ryans already leading the way, the addition of Brian Cushing out of USC provides them with a potential Pro Bowl caliber LB for the upcoming season, who if anyone watched him in college would know he is a beast.

Having Jaguars enter what some are calling a rebuilding year does not hurt either. The Colts and Titans are the two teams that stand in the Texans way. The replacement of Indy’s coaching staff could prove fatal for them and open the path for the Texans to take the AFC South crown. A QB controversy between two low tier QBs: Vince Young and Kerry Collins could prove to disrupt the chemistry that carried the team last year.

The biggest question going into the season is whether Shaub can last a full year under center. Since joining the club in 2007 Shaub has only started 22 games (11 in each year) due to nagging injuries. If he stays in so does Houston’s chances.

Eric Feld
http://mvn.com/thefootballwire/2009/08/nfl-sleeper-team-of-09.html

Who is the top WR in this years draft?

Every time I bring this issue up with someone the question does not even get entertained. It is usually a nano second response of, “Of course its Larry Fitzgerald, who else would it be?”

Did Larry have the greatest postseason of any WR in NFL history? Undeniably. Did Larry also lead the league in TD’s last year. Undeniably, again.

But I always bring up a very interesting point. He was arguably not even the best WR last year. That award has to go to Andre Johnson.

Compare the stats and depending on which type of scoring format your league contains the best option could very well be to select Andre ahead of Mr. Fitz. Last year A.J had 115 catches for 1575 yards and 8tds vs Larry’s 96 catches for 1431 yards and 12 tds.

Andre Johnson is the main weapon on his team while Larry has to battle out 2 other 1000 yard WRs in Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston. The point is Andre will have a solid game week in week out as he is done the past few years WHEN HEALTHY opposed to Fitzgerald who is never hurt and may have an off game or two due to the talent around him.

The real knock on A.J is that he does get hurt because he is such a physical Wide Receiver, that being said I believe if you want to take a gamble I feel there is more of a risk reward situation in taking Andre Johnson ahead of Larry Fitzgerald. Taking Andre Johnson, you may get a guy who can set the NFL record for catches and yards but you have to deal with the nagging injuries. If you take Larry you probably will not have to worry about injuries and will only have to worry about those games as I said before that Boldin and Breaston shine in. But if the pick is on me I’ll take Andre!

And just a reminder Randy is getting his buddy Tom back, fireworks could be set off again. Let the debate begin.

Eric Feld
http://mvn.com/thefootballwire/2009/08/who-is-the-top-wr-in-this-years-fantasy-draft-3.html