1. The World Wildlife Fund soon might have to put NFL wide receivers on the endangered species list along with the spotted owl, the lar gibbon and the Rwanda river frog. An owner in one of my leagues has so many injured wideouts that he actually tried to pick up a lar gibbon on the waiver wire this week.
Brandon Lloyd, Marques Colston, Dez Bryant, Sidney Rice, Lance Moore and Jacoby Ford are among the receivers who have have missed games. Miles Austin, Malcom Floyd, Danny Amendola and Eddie Royal are going to be out for a while. Jordan Shipley and Domenik Hixon are done for the season. Stevie Johnson, Mario Manningham and Lee Evans are banged up. Quality and quantity at the WR position is thinning, and the sheer number of injuries is pushing some unlikely players into starting lineups.
Simple arithmetic dictates that in a 12-team league where you're required to start three receivers each week, there will be 36 receivers in starting lineups. The No. 36 wide receiver in my weekly fantasy rankings as of Thursday afternoon was Danario Alexander, who was unowned in most leagues at the start of the season. And, of course, the top receivers aren't going to be evenly distributed, so some teams are going to be starting players who aren't in the top 40 (or top 50, or top 60) in the Week Three rankings. If your league requires three starting receivers and one or two flex players, owners are going to be reaching even deeper into the WR pool.
Before the start of the season it would have been inconceivable that you'd be forced to start, for instance, Josh Morgan before the bye weeks rolled around. But with Braylon Edwards out and Michael Crabtree iffy this week, Morgan is playable in some leagues, even taking the dreaded Alex Smith factor into consideration. The disappointing Chad Ochocinco? Sure, why not? He had a couple of catches last week, and with Aaron Hernandez out for a while with a knee injury, there are going to be some extra balls to go around. How about James Jones? He appears to be the forgotten man in the Green Bay passing game, but as often and as effectively as Aaron Rodgers throws the ball, a one-week flyer on Jones could pay off. Even reality-show winner Jesse Holley could be a viable play for fantasy owners this week if Bryant remains on the shelf.
The carnage at wide receiver has been extraordinary, and desperation is forcing owners into playing receivers who were considered unplayable two weeks ago. A few more WR injuries and things will get really interesting.
2. Speaking of receivers, the spate of injuries at the position coupled with the Week Two emergence of some sleeper wideouts created a perfect free-agent storm. Things were particularly fascinating in leagues that conduct blind bidding for free agents. In some ways, owners with injured receivers lucked out, because the number of receivers who broke out in Week Two helped tamp down what might have otherwise been wild bidding on available receivers.
Oakland's Denarius Moore was the crown jewel of free-agent receivers in a lot of leagues. He went off for 146 receiving yards and a TD against the Bills and looked like a budding star. With Brandon Lloyd out of Denver's lineup, Eric Decker went for 113 yards and two TDs. Danario Alexander had 122 yards and a TD for the Rams. Jerome Simpson had 136 yards for the Bengals. Buffalo's David Nelson had 10 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Titus Young had 89 yards for the Lions. A lot of these guys were unowned at the start of the season, particularly in smaller leagues, or in larger leagues with smallish rosters.
I witnessed some interesting blind-bidding dynamics this week. In a league that gives owners a free-agent budget of $20 for the season and allows owners to bid on only one free agent per week, one owner stole Moore with a bid of $3 because other owners were expecting heavy bidding on Moore and instead set their sights on other available receivers (Decker went for $7, Alexander went for $6.) But there was no discount on Moore in one of my friend's leagues — one owner, faced with a harrowing WR shortage, spent $62 of his $100 budget to get his hands on the rookie. It's a six-year-old league, and the $62 bid on Moore eclipsed the previous record for a single bid by $13.
3. This Arian Foster situation has to be getting frustrating for his owners, even the ones who secured Ben Tate. Better to have a player out for a known period of time than be forced to play weekly guessing games about his availability — and knowing that even if he's playing in a given week, he'll be playing at far less than 100 percent and could potentially reinjure himself at any time.
4. Greg Olsen's Week Two stat line wasn't especially eye-catching — one reception for 34 yards — but it's worth noting that Olsen had three near-TDs in the first quarter of the Panthers-Packers game. First, an Olsen TD catch was nullified by an illegal-shift penalty. Next Carolina series, Cam Newton just missed Olsen on a throw to the side of the endzone. Next series, Olsen made his lone reception and was headed toward the endzone, only to be dragged down at the Packers' three-yard line. Olsen hasn't scored his first TD as a Panther yet, but based on how seamlessly he has fit into the Carolina offense and how well Newton is playing, Olsen probably will finish the season with around half a dozen scores.
5. The Chiefs' offense is going to be garbage without Jamaal Charles, but if you play in a deep league, you're really hard up at running back and you aren't too proud to do a little dumpster-diving, take a look at Jackie Battle. Thomas Jones is a known commodity, and he's no longer good enough to be a featured back, even for the lowly Chiefs. Dexter McCluster is versatile, but he's too small and too fumble-prone to get more than a handful of carries per game. Le'Ron McClain's plodding style limits his upside. Battle is one of those "Mr. August" types who always looks good in the preseason but never has proven himself in the regular season. It's a good bet that he'll soon get a chance to prove himself, and I wouldn't be surprised if he wound up having modest fantasy value.
6. And by the way, my condolences to Charles owners. (Actually, I'm one of them — Charles was my first-round pick in the PFW in-house league.) It's hard to challenge for the playoffs when you lose your first-rounder for the season this early.
And of course, condolences to Charles himself. Here's hoping the knee injury doesn't rob him of the properties that make him such an electrifying runner. Maybe the Chiefs will have their act together by the time Charles returns next year.
7. The fantasy owners who shied away from Kenny Britt in this year's drafts and auction were undoubtedly concerned about the 4-H club — head, heart, hamstring, Hasselbeck. The fantasy owners who defied those concerns and drafted Britt have another "H" word in mind: hero.
Britt's hamstring is obviously fine. His head hasn't been an issue. His heart definitely hasn't been an issue. This dude plays his tail off. When he wants the ball, he almost always gets it — and for a skinny-looking guy, Britt shows remarkable strength in walling off defenders and occasionally ripping the ball out of their hands. And while Matt Hasselbeck is past his prime, he's still reasonably accurate. More important, he's constantly looking to get Britt the ball, which might count for more than a rocket arm.
8. Britt is probably in for a big day against Denver this week. But remember that once CB Champ Bailey returns from his hamstring injury (it won't happen this week), the party is over for No. 1 receivers facing the Broncos.
9. Look, I'm all in favor of protecting players' well-being, and by now any complaints about the sissification of the NFL are going to come off as grumpy-old-man kvetching. The new kickoff rule? Whatever. No big deal. I never agreed with the notion that kickoff returns were among the most exciting plays in football. And I support the continuing crackdown on players who use their helmets as weapons. Falcons CB Dunta Robinson deserved a suspension for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Jeremy Maclin Sunday night but got off with a fine.
What has my undies in a bundle is a heinous call from the Eagles-Falcons game that very well could have cost the Falcons the game. With the Eagles up by three points late in the third quarter, Falcons DE John Abraham came free toward Eagles backup QB Mike Kafka as Kafka released a pass to LeSean McCoy. Abraham made every effort to put on the brakes and avoid hitting Kafka, but in the process of slowing down, Abraham lightly tapped Kafka with his helmet — not even the sort of contact that would merit an "excuse me" if it happened in a New York subway car. Abraham even secured Kafka in a polite hug to ensure that the quarterback wouldn't fall. No matter. Out came a flag — a gross overreaction by the official and just a weak, weak call. Upon seeing the replay, NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth acknowledged that the contact was minimal but condoned the call because Abraham had made contact with his helmet. C'mon, Cris.
Yes, by all means, protect the quarterbacks. But NFL officials have gotten so outrageously flag-happy on roughing-the-passer calls that simple common sense is set aside in many cases. Abraham did his best to avoid hitting Kafka, and that was obvious. Kafka was completely unharmed. A flag was totally unwarranted. But suddenly, a 3rd-and-goal from the Falcons' 16 became a 1st-and-goal from the Falcons' two-yard line, and McCoy scampered into the endzone on the next play, with the ensuing PAT giving the Eagles a 10-point lead.
I have no idea how the NFL's grading of officials worked, but I would hope that Carl Cheffers' crew was downgraded for that awful flag. (And for what it's worth, Deion Sanders agreed that it was an egregious mistake, labeling it "a horrible call" on the NFL Network.) Officials can protect players without making those kinds of stupid, illogical calls.
10. Michael Crabtree is expected back from a foot injury this week, but if you can't trust him when healthy, how can you trust him with a shaky wheel?
11. Jermichael Finley is on the verge of detonation. He's off to a decent start (eight catches, 121 yards), but the point explosion is coming, and it could be coming this week. The Bears are actually pretty good at defending the Packers. Chicago plays its cover-2 and forces Aaron Rodgers to drive the Green Bay offense methodically downfield with shorter throws. That strategy is just the ticket for Finley. Last season, when the Packers visited the Bears in Week Three, Finley had nine catches for 115 yards. Look for Finley to bait the Bear trap again this week.
12. The odds against Jay Cutler playing 16 regular-season games this season are about 20-to-1. His offensive line is terrible, and now it has been besieged by injuries. His offensive coordinator, Mike Martz, pays little regard to Cutler's well-being when installing his pass-happy game plans. Cutler is a tough son of a gun, no matter what Maurice Jones-Drew might have tweeted during last season's playoffs. But toughness can't ward off broken bones.
13. You might want to skip this item if you're recovering from a tough week of fantasy football. If you're temporarily at peace with the fantasy realm, read on …
Last Sunday was a perfect day of fantasy football for me. I'd clinched victory in all five of my leagues by the time the Sunday-night game was over, and only one of those outcomes was in doubt at the time of the Eagles-Falcons kickoff. Tony Romo's valiant return gave me an improbable win over a longtime rival in one league. I made all of the right lineup moves save for a last-minute decision to bench the banged-up Santonio Holmes in one league, and that one didn't bite me. An impressive rookie debut for Daniel Thomas appeared to plug holes for me in the two leagues where I'm thin at running back. The emergence of Denarius Moore, whom I drafted in multiple leagues, left me sitting pretty at the WR position. Numerous players came through for me. Injuries were minimal.
And my daughter turned six years old on Sunday. She opened presents in the morning, then we went out for breakfast, and then she and her brother kept busy playing with new games and toys all day, allowing me to watch football with minimal interruption. (I had to break up about 6-7 arguments, which is far below the Sunday average of about 20.)
I tried to savor it all because I know how fleeting fantasy-football success can be, and I typically dwell on failures to a greater degree than I savor successes. Of course, I'm probably tempting fate just by writing this, and the fantasy gods are no doubt preparing to give me a swift kick to the groin. Well, the hell with you, fantasy gods. Do your worst. No matter what, I'll always have Sept. 18, 2011, and it was freaking sweet!
14. For those of you who skipped the previous item (be glad you did), I mentioned that I'm fortunate enough to own Daniel Thomas in a couple of leagues. After missing the season opener while recovering from a hamstring injury, Thomas had 18 carries for 107 yards, while Reggie Bush carried the ball only six times and began preparing for his new role as a backup.
Yes, Bush's brief run as a featured back — and really, who believed that it was going to be anything other than brief? — is now over. But for those owners who made the mistake of overdrafting Bush, does he still offer any sort of value? He might. It's still possible that he could settle into a complementary role similar to the one he had in New Orleans, and that could add up to something in the neighborhood of 800-900 total yards (or perhaps even a few more, health permitting) and half a dozen TDs. Bush is still a better pass catcher than Thomas, and in games where the Dolphins have to play from behind, Bush's receiving skills will come in handy. For all of the Dolphins' problems, blocking isn't one of them, and both Thomas and Bush are going to benefit from good blocking. The Dolphins have to figure out how to best deploy Bush (as the Saints eventually did), and once they do, Bush will be capable of serving as a useful third or fourth RB for fantasy teams.
15. This is a great time to deal for Sam Bradford. He has only one TD pass, and a national audience watched on Monday as Bradford and the Rams struggled to punch the ball into the endzone against the Giants. But good things are coming, my friends. Oh yes, good things are coming. Bradford will get the red-zone thing figured out. The Josh McDaniels system will start to take hold. Steven Jackson will return and restore offensive balance. And Bradford, whose talent and moxie is undeniable, will start his steady march toward greatness. This is the time to buy in, even in redraft leagues.
16. The first rule of trading: Don't insult the intelligence of the person with whom you're negotiating.
Earlier this week, a friend forwarded me a trade proposal from a competitor. The competitor wanted Chris Johnson and Miles Austin in exchange for a five-player pupu platter of mediocrity, with none of the five even remotely as good as either Johnson or Austin. One of the five players offered was Plaxico Burress. The sales pitch was "17.2 points in one game!" He neglected to add "0.0 points in other game!" He also offered Devery Henderson and made note of how many points Henderson has been worth thus far.
C'mon, guy. What are you — a used-car salesman? Go put the plaid jacket back in the closet and try again when you can come up with a reasonable offer.
17. As if college and NFL football weren't enough for your fall viewing pleasure, this week brought us the season premiere of "Modern Family," the best sitcom on television. If you've seen it, I don't need to tell you how good it is. If you haven't seen it, you really need to give it a try. In fact, calling it the best sitcom on television is selling "Modern Family" short. I think it's the best sitcom of all time. And this is coming from a guy old enough to have watched fresh episodes of shows like "The Bob Newhart Show" and "All in the Family" I've seen dozens of reruns of "I Love Lucy" and other classics. "Modern Family" tops them all in my book. I also think it's better than some of the more recent classics ("Cheers," "The Office," etc.), and better than some of the great animated sitcoms ("The Simpsons," "South Park," Family Guy").
18. I love Scotland. Love the people, love the golf courses, love the single-malt scotch. So I say this with all due respect: No way does Scottish-born kicker Graham Gano survive the season. He's 3-for-5 on FG attempts this season, 27-of-40 since the start of 2010. It soon will be time for Gano to find another sport, and he's a little on the small side for caber tossing.
19. Too early to rule out the possibility that Mark Ingram will be a special NFL running back, but the early returns certainly aren't encouraging. What's concerning is that he doesn't have breakaway speed, he isn't showing quick feet, and he isn't pushing piles. What does that leave us with?
20. Julio Jones' rookie season hasn't started quite as slowly as Ingram's, but he hardly has justified the high price the Falcons paid to trade up in order to draft him. The addition of Jones has yet to open things up for Roddy White, who has 84 receiving yards through two games and is gaining 7.6 yards per catch. I just wonder if Jones is going to bring anything to the table that the Falcons couldn't have gotten from a free agent like, say, James Jones, who could have been signed at a reasonably modest price and wouldn't have cost a boatload of draft picks.
21. Wait … so you're telling me that Jimmy Clausen isn't going to get a fair chance to win back his starting job in Carolina?
Source: http://www.profootballweekly.com/2011/09/22/the-greatest-motivator-fear-of-humiliation-2
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