First Posted: 9/8/2014
WILKES-BARRE — So all of those TV and radio shows, magazines and websites really didn’t help all that much when selecting your Fantasy Football teams.
Not unless you had any of a group of top performers who were not expected to be early season contributors, but turned out to be fantasy wonders.
So, if you didn’t have Kelvin Benjamin, Jake Locker, Allen Hurns, Justin Forsett, Jonathan Dwyer, Greg Jennings, Andrew Hawkins, Steve Smith Sr., or James Starks, chances are you will be seeking them this week to add to your under-performing rosters.
Don’t worry, this happens every year. It seems like the remnants of your player pool is a group of non-draftables, when, in fact, they were there all along but you were too Fantasy smart to recognize their value.
And what do you do with those players who did not provide the numbers you were hoping for, such as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, etc. You keep them, that’s what you do. They will be on track going forward.
The key here is to realize you can’t expect to get top-flight Fantasy numbers every week. You have to fill your lineups with consistent performers. You don’t want a Fantasy team that scores 200 points one week and 60 every other week.
Who’s hot? Who’s not?
Race Rice is not hot. He’s ice cold.
Rice, deservedly so, is no longer suspended for two games; he’s gone from the NFL for good. Nobody will touch him. What a waste for such a stupid, loathsome act. Goodbye Ray and good riddance.
Make way for Justin Forsett, the diminutive veteran will get every chance to assume the starting role for the Ravens. He should be high on your waiver wire list.
And how about all those Jimmy Graham fans jumping on him early. Not that he’s a bad pick, but Julius Thomas is an even bigger commodity now that Wes Welker is suspended and Eric Decker in a Jet. Didn’t all the experts see this coming? Ha!
And the Steelers look like they have an offense. Big Ben Roethlisberger still can hit Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell is all that anyone would want in a multi-purpose back. Stick with the Pittsburghers.
And the Cowboys will score lots. Demarco Murray, Dez Bryant, Tony Romo all will rack up numbers for you. They may lose almost every week, but they will score.
Have concern for the Chargers, though. They looked a bit disheveled against the Cardinals. Figures, I picked Philip Rivers and that should translate to a dismal season. Same for Antonio Gates and Ryan Matthews. Ladarius Green might be the better Charger tight end choice.
And if you didn’t notice, Ahmad Bradshaw is alive and running and catching for the Colts. I noticed this because I still can’t understand why my Giants let him go. If you a have spot, grab him. He’s a Fantasy producer.
The best defense you can find out there is Buffalo. Look it up, as Casey Stengal used to say. The Bills are one tough team to score on and they get takeaways. They may lose more games than they win, but it won’t be because of the defense.
When will the Washington Washingtons, or whatever they are called, going to let Kirk Cousins start? RG III hasn’t been the same since his major injury. If the Washingtons hope to contend, they need to make a big boy decision and bench RG III at least for the immediate future and give Cousins a shot.
Maurice Jones-Drew, now a Raiders running back, is not the same guy. He’s much better at Fantasy Football than he is at NFL football. Good guy, but his talent is way on the down side. MJD, it was good to know ya.
